On May 28, 2011 the Ultimate Fighting Championship will put on one of the most stacked cards in the promotion's history in their hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada with bouts that each can head cards of their own. The main event will feature a former champion climbing his way back to a title shot taking on a TUF alumni and a fan favorite. The co-main event will pit two elite and dangerous grapplers against each other as a former champ takes on a TUF winner. A Heavyweight bout with two aspiring contenders could shape the future of the division. A Middleweight bout with two precision striking fighters who are veterans in their own ways could propel either into the elite of the division. A Welterweight bout with two fighters at different points in their career, but with the same goal in mind.
Main Card Bouts:
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (31-8-0) vs Matt "The Hammer" Hamill (10-2-0)
Frank Mir (14-5-0) vs Roy "Big Country" Nelson (15-5-0)
Stefan "Skyscraper" Struve (21-4-0) vs Travis "Hapa" Browne (10-0-1)
Brian "All American" Stann (10-3-0) vs Jorge Santiago (23-8-0)
Thiago "Pitbull" Alves (18-7-0) vs Rick "Horror" Story (12-3-0)
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Hughes Being Set To Take On Diego Sanchez
UFC Hall of Famer & former Welterweight champ Matt Hughes (45-8-0) is now being set to match up against TUF1 & former Lightweight contender winner Diego Sanchez (23-4-0) later this year in the Fall. Two UFC veterans are now being set to take each other on later this year in what will be a well anticipated Welterweight bout. Hughes is will be coming in off his first loss since 2008 with a Rnd1 KO at the hands of BJ Penn, while Sanchez will be coming in on a two fight win streak with a Unanimous Decisions over Martin Kampmann.
Monday, April 25, 2011
UFC 205lb Champ Jone Hones Injured. Rashad Evans Now To Face Phil Davis at UFC 133.
Current UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones (13-1-0) has received an injury which will postpone his first title defense. Jones was expected to take on his now former teammate and former champ "Suga" Rashad Evans (15-1-1) later this year to defend his title in what has become a grudge match. Evans will now take on a new opponent in Phil "Mr. Wonderful" Davis (9-0-0) at the scheduled August 6 at UFC 133.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Mayhem Returns! Miller Is Now Back In The UFC. UPDATED!
One of the most popular fighters in MMA today has resigned with the Ultimate Fighting Championship! The now former Strikeforce Middleweight contender Jason "Mayhem" Miller (24-7-0(1)) has signed a new multi-fight contract with the UFC after his contract with Strikeforce expired. This makes Mayhem the first Strikeforce fighter to transition to the UFC after its purchase by Zuffa, LLC. Mayhem has not fought since earning a Rnd1 Submission win over Japanese MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba at Dream 16 in September last year. Whatever fight that is booked next for Mayhem will be his second fight ever in the UFC since a Unanimous Decision loss to now reigning Welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre at UFC 52: Couture vs Liddell 2.
Mayhem's popularity in the world of MMA has grown after starting a show on MTV called Bully Beatdown where he helps victims of bullying get back at their bullies by pitting them against professional MMA fighters to teach them a lesson. Even though the show has received criticism from die hard MMA fans and analysts, the show has helped to promote the sport to the primary demographic of young males. The show has done more for Mayhem making him a common name all around as an energetic personality who is friendly to fans and the media. Since gaining all this promotion from the show, fans had been asking him why he was in Strikeforce and not in the UFC. Speculation that Mayhem could move to the UFC came as rumors spread that he had only one fight left on his Strikeforce/Dream contract, and it only grew even more after UFC President Dana White answered a question from a fan at a Q&A session. White was asked if he was interested in Miller, and answered that he was plenty interested in the standout fighter. After the purchase of Strikeforce by the UFC's parent company Zuffa, speculation over whether Mayhem would be brought into the UFC shot up as he had not been offered a fight from either Strikeforce or Dream. A grudge match with reigning Strikeforce 170lb champ Nick Diaz was talked about, but Diaz demanded too much money and demanded that Mayhem come down to his weight class. A rubber match with fellow contender Tim Kennedy was expected for the March 5 event, but was scratched with no reason as to why.
After the Strikeforce/Zuffa deal, many Strikeforce based fighters called out UFC fighters, and Mayhem was one of them as he called out trash-talkers in both Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping. Mayhem has also been campaigning to be chosen as one of two head coaches for the expected TUF 14 season specifically against Bisping. While Mayhem is not the only name campaigning for a coaching slot, a matching of two energetic personalities like Mayhem and Bisping could bring back rating for TUF as both are also young veterans of the sport. While many fans liked the US vs UK setting for TUF 8, this match up may not work the same angle as much as Henderson and Bisping did, though Miller has trained with Henderson and could bring him in as a guest. Other interesting bouts for Mayhem could involve Chris Leben, Demian Maia, Brian Stann, Alan Belcher, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Jorge Santiago. A rubber match with Kennedy could also receive better promotion on the better stage in the UFC sometime down the road. Whatever match comes up, Mayhem will certainly receive main card status and will be recognized as facing some of the most elite talent in the sport.
A small side note, Mayhem could get the rematch he wants with Jake Shields sometime down the road as well with both of them again fighting in the same promotion.
UPDATED
Jason "Mayhem" Miller has now been scheduled to face Aaron "A-Train" Simpson (8-2-0) at UFC 132: Cruz vs Faber 2 on July 2 for their Independence Day weekend event. The main card is nearly full with official confirmation for Wanderlei Silva vs Chris Leben yet to be made on the event's page. Miller vs Simpson will most likely be televised as a free preliminary bout on SpikeTV seeing that it would promote him well freely on open telivision.
Mayhem's popularity in the world of MMA has grown after starting a show on MTV called Bully Beatdown where he helps victims of bullying get back at their bullies by pitting them against professional MMA fighters to teach them a lesson. Even though the show has received criticism from die hard MMA fans and analysts, the show has helped to promote the sport to the primary demographic of young males. The show has done more for Mayhem making him a common name all around as an energetic personality who is friendly to fans and the media. Since gaining all this promotion from the show, fans had been asking him why he was in Strikeforce and not in the UFC. Speculation that Mayhem could move to the UFC came as rumors spread that he had only one fight left on his Strikeforce/Dream contract, and it only grew even more after UFC President Dana White answered a question from a fan at a Q&A session. White was asked if he was interested in Miller, and answered that he was plenty interested in the standout fighter. After the purchase of Strikeforce by the UFC's parent company Zuffa, speculation over whether Mayhem would be brought into the UFC shot up as he had not been offered a fight from either Strikeforce or Dream. A grudge match with reigning Strikeforce 170lb champ Nick Diaz was talked about, but Diaz demanded too much money and demanded that Mayhem come down to his weight class. A rubber match with fellow contender Tim Kennedy was expected for the March 5 event, but was scratched with no reason as to why.
After the Strikeforce/Zuffa deal, many Strikeforce based fighters called out UFC fighters, and Mayhem was one of them as he called out trash-talkers in both Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping. Mayhem has also been campaigning to be chosen as one of two head coaches for the expected TUF 14 season specifically against Bisping. While Mayhem is not the only name campaigning for a coaching slot, a matching of two energetic personalities like Mayhem and Bisping could bring back rating for TUF as both are also young veterans of the sport. While many fans liked the US vs UK setting for TUF 8, this match up may not work the same angle as much as Henderson and Bisping did, though Miller has trained with Henderson and could bring him in as a guest. Other interesting bouts for Mayhem could involve Chris Leben, Demian Maia, Brian Stann, Alan Belcher, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Jorge Santiago. A rubber match with Kennedy could also receive better promotion on the better stage in the UFC sometime down the road. Whatever match comes up, Mayhem will certainly receive main card status and will be recognized as facing some of the most elite talent in the sport.
A small side note, Mayhem could get the rematch he wants with Jake Shields sometime down the road as well with both of them again fighting in the same promotion.
UPDATED
Jason "Mayhem" Miller has now been scheduled to face Aaron "A-Train" Simpson (8-2-0) at UFC 132: Cruz vs Faber 2 on July 2 for their Independence Day weekend event. The main card is nearly full with official confirmation for Wanderlei Silva vs Chris Leben yet to be made on the event's page. Miller vs Simpson will most likely be televised as a free preliminary bout on SpikeTV seeing that it would promote him well freely on open telivision.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Has The Relationship Between The UFC & SpikeTV Gone Sour? Are TUF & UFC Primetime Suffering For It?
The story has been told over and over again by either Dana White or Lorenzo Fertitta on the tough time the promotion was enduring before the explosion of publicity after the first installment of their reality series. After purchasing the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2001 from the original founders, Station Casinos executives Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta created the entertainment parent entity Zuffa, LLC and made their longtime friend and business partner Dana White President of the promotion as they looked to turn around the failing young promotion to make a profit as well as recreate the sport's image. Even after getting official sanctioning in the important combative sport affiliated state of Nevada, the sport endured a serious lack of credibility being looked down upon by accredited sports figures and analysts in boxing and news sources like ESPN. With the promotion on familiar grounds looking at bankruptcy and many athletes possibly losing their means of making a living, Lorenzo Fertitta told White to look for a potential buyer to take the failing investment off their hands, but soon changed his mind looking to take on the rising problems that were being endured. Having to pay fighters out of their own pockets using funds from their casino empire, the Fertitta's and White looked to break into the mainstream entertainment when the idea came up of setting up a competition that would be shown as a reality show watching the competitors live together and fight each other.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Silva vs Okami II Agreed Upon & Confirmed for UFC 134/UFC Rio card
Current reigning UFC 185lb champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva (28-4-0) has agreed to meet #1 contender Yushin "Thunder" Okami (26-5-0) at the August 27 event that is currently referred to as UFC: Rio. This bout will most likely serve as the main event for the UFC's return to the birth place of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This would be a rematch of a bout that occurred in early 2006 at Rumble On The Rock 8 where the win that night was awarded to Okami that has carried some controversy over the years.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
UFC 129 St. Pierre vs Shields Main Card Preview
UFC 129: St. Pierre vs Shields will be the first ever UFC event to be held in Toronto, Ontario, CA after the province recently voted to legalize the sport of Mixed Martial Arts to be performed. This high caliber event has already been recorded to break the record for largest North American attendance & expects to break the record for largest North American gate earnings. The UFC looks to showcase homeland talent with ten Canadian born fighters making up almost half the roster for the scheduled event with two title fights to headline. Looking to break records & give the fans what they paid for, the UFC has lined up an entertaining roster composed of veterans, elite homeland talent, young fast paced stars, & rising prospects looking to make their way to a title. Having sold out 42,000 seats so quickly with even more fans demanding a chance to see a live event in person, UFC President Dana White announced that scalping may have taken a great deal of tickets that took the opportunity from fans, & therefore the UFC announced that more tickets would be made available quickly selling out to 55,000 tickets. The anticipation & energy that will radiate from the enormous fight loving Canadian crowd will shake the very structure of the arena as Canadian fighters will be met with deafening cheers from a partisan crowd. This event will also be the first to start off a new precedent for the UFC as this & future PPV events will be televised an hour ahead at 6pmPT/9pmET.
Main Card Bouts:
(C)Georges "Rush" St. Pierre (21-2-0) vs Jake Shields (26-4-1)
(C)Jose "Scarface" Aldo (18-1-0) vs Mark "The Machine" Hominick (20-8-0)
Randy "The Natural" Couture (19-10-0) vs Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida (16-2-0)
Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko (25-5-0) vs Jason "The Hitman" Brilz (18-3-1)
Benson "Smooth" Henderson (12-2-0) vs Mark Bocek (9-3-0)
Main Card Bouts:
(C)Georges "Rush" St. Pierre (21-2-0) vs Jake Shields (26-4-1)
(C)Jose "Scarface" Aldo (18-1-0) vs Mark "The Machine" Hominick (20-8-0)
Randy "The Natural" Couture (19-10-0) vs Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida (16-2-0)
Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko (25-5-0) vs Jason "The Hitman" Brilz (18-3-1)
Benson "Smooth" Henderson (12-2-0) vs Mark Bocek (9-3-0)
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Strikeforce: Diaz vs Daley Preview
On April 9, 2011, Strikeforce will hold their first major event since being recently purchased by Zuffa, LLC. Strikeforce: Diaz vs Daley will be an important event for every fighter competing on this card. This card will feature a title Welterweight title bout with a champion looking for a bigger payday fighting an outcast who sees the title as leverage for future deals, a Lightweight title bout with a champion looking to earn recognition as the best there is rematching against a Japanese veteran looking to avenge an old loss, a former champion looking to make a statement on his journey back to the title against a late replacement that is always dangerous with name recognition that shakes nerves, and a lightweight with a Japanese champion known for wicked submissions that have broken bones facing an unorthodox grappler.
Main Card Bouts:
(C)Nick Diaz (24-7-0(1)) vs Paul "Semtex" Daley (27-9-2)
(C)Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez (18-2-0) vs Tatsuya "Crusher" Kawajiri (27-6-2)
Gegard "The Dream Catcher" Mousasi (30-3-1) vs Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine (17-9-1)
Shinya "Tobikan Judan" Aoki (26-5-0(1)) vs Lyle "Fancy Pants" Beerbohm (15-1-0)
Main Card Bouts:
(C)Nick Diaz (24-7-0(1)) vs Paul "Semtex" Daley (27-9-2)
(C)Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez (18-2-0) vs Tatsuya "Crusher" Kawajiri (27-6-2)
Gegard "The Dream Catcher" Mousasi (30-3-1) vs Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine (17-9-1)
Shinya "Tobikan Judan" Aoki (26-5-0(1)) vs Lyle "Fancy Pants" Beerbohm (15-1-0)
Monday, April 4, 2011
Joe Stevenson Gets One More Chance to Save his Career in the UFC
TUF2 winner & twelve year MMA veteran Joe "Daddy" Stevenson (31-13-0) will not be cut immediately following his third straight loss in the UFC. Stevenson has also been a longtime UFC veteran since winning TUF2 as a welterweight close to six years ago as he won an entertaining bout against Luke Cummo that smoe fans compared to Griffin vs Bonnar from the first TUF finale.
Since winning TUF2 in his weight class as a welterweight, Stevenson has posted a 8-7 record while fighting in the UFC having fought the last thirteen bouts of his career in the lightweight division. The highest level fight in Stevenson's career was without a doubt his one & only title shot against BJ Penn for the vacant 155lb title after Sean Sherk had been stripped of the belt. That bout would become one of the bloodiest shows in UFC history as Penn would open a cut on the head of Stevenson in Rnd1 that continuously bled throughout the fight. Rnd2 did not make it to the end of the round as Penn would get the fight to the ground & sink in the fight ending RNC as Stevenson's face was drenched with his own blood. The second highest level fight could be his Fight of the Night performance against TUF1 winner Diego Sanchez as one of the most entertaining lightweight bouts of 2009. The loss to Sanchez put Stevenson at two in a row, which he bounced back from with another Fight of the Night performance & win of TUF5 winner Nate Diaz, then a Rnd2 Submission win over Spencer Fisher. While having momentum, Stevenson began a decline as he faced BJJ ace & contender George Sotiropoulos & loss by Unanimous Decision being dominated on the ground. The second loss came as he was a heavy favorite against TUF6 winner Mac Danzig. While pushing forward aggressively & looking to finish with a KO, Danzig caught Stevenson with a powerful punch that knocked him out cold & made his record when going against fellow TUF winners 1-2. Stevenson's third & most recent loss came at the hands of WEC veteran Danny Castillo on the undercard of a VersusTV event. Stevenson looked strong & seemed to have returned to his old ways in the first round, but the next two rounds saw him fade & unfortunately lose by Unanimous Decision. Many considered this third loss to be the last chance for Stevenson to revive his dwindling record & possibly be the third TUF winner in UFC history to be released from the promotion following TUF4 Middleweight winner Travis Lutter & TUF8 Lightweight winner Efrain Escudero.
To the surprise of many, Stevenson will not be released from the UFC & will be given one more chance as he makes a drastic change having decided to drop down in weight to compete at 145lbs. Stevenson now follows two other UFC lightweights who have decided to drop down in weight alongside TUF1 runner-up & longtime 155lb contender Kenny Florian, & longtime gate keeper to the top ten of the 155lb division Tyson Griffin. Stevenson is tentatively scheduled to face Javier Vazquez (15-5-0) in his featherweight debut on the undercard of the upcoming UFC on Versus 4 event on June 26. If he can safely cut down to the 145lb maximum for this fight, Stevenson could have a significant strength advantage that could be a key factor for him to earn a victory & save his career. Stevenson has been a longtime fan favorite being able to finish a fight whether standing or grappling, & will have much fan support as he will be fighting with his career on the line.
Since winning TUF2 in his weight class as a welterweight, Stevenson has posted a 8-7 record while fighting in the UFC having fought the last thirteen bouts of his career in the lightweight division. The highest level fight in Stevenson's career was without a doubt his one & only title shot against BJ Penn for the vacant 155lb title after Sean Sherk had been stripped of the belt. That bout would become one of the bloodiest shows in UFC history as Penn would open a cut on the head of Stevenson in Rnd1 that continuously bled throughout the fight. Rnd2 did not make it to the end of the round as Penn would get the fight to the ground & sink in the fight ending RNC as Stevenson's face was drenched with his own blood. The second highest level fight could be his Fight of the Night performance against TUF1 winner Diego Sanchez as one of the most entertaining lightweight bouts of 2009. The loss to Sanchez put Stevenson at two in a row, which he bounced back from with another Fight of the Night performance & win of TUF5 winner Nate Diaz, then a Rnd2 Submission win over Spencer Fisher. While having momentum, Stevenson began a decline as he faced BJJ ace & contender George Sotiropoulos & loss by Unanimous Decision being dominated on the ground. The second loss came as he was a heavy favorite against TUF6 winner Mac Danzig. While pushing forward aggressively & looking to finish with a KO, Danzig caught Stevenson with a powerful punch that knocked him out cold & made his record when going against fellow TUF winners 1-2. Stevenson's third & most recent loss came at the hands of WEC veteran Danny Castillo on the undercard of a VersusTV event. Stevenson looked strong & seemed to have returned to his old ways in the first round, but the next two rounds saw him fade & unfortunately lose by Unanimous Decision. Many considered this third loss to be the last chance for Stevenson to revive his dwindling record & possibly be the third TUF winner in UFC history to be released from the promotion following TUF4 Middleweight winner Travis Lutter & TUF8 Lightweight winner Efrain Escudero.
To the surprise of many, Stevenson will not be released from the UFC & will be given one more chance as he makes a drastic change having decided to drop down in weight to compete at 145lbs. Stevenson now follows two other UFC lightweights who have decided to drop down in weight alongside TUF1 runner-up & longtime 155lb contender Kenny Florian, & longtime gate keeper to the top ten of the 155lb division Tyson Griffin. Stevenson is tentatively scheduled to face Javier Vazquez (15-5-0) in his featherweight debut on the undercard of the upcoming UFC on Versus 4 event on June 26. If he can safely cut down to the 145lb maximum for this fight, Stevenson could have a significant strength advantage that could be a key factor for him to earn a victory & save his career. Stevenson has been a longtime fan favorite being able to finish a fight whether standing or grappling, & will have much fan support as he will be fighting with his career on the line.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
TUF 14 Will Feature 135lb, 145lb, or Both Weight Classes. Team Sonnen vs Team Bisping a Possible Set-Up.
The Ultimate Fighter, or TUF, will feature either fighters competing at Bantamweight (135lb), Featherweight (145lb), or both in the fourteenth season as a way to help promote & introduce fans who watch SpikeTV to the lighter classes that were previously only showed on VersusTV.
While it is still being decided which of the two weight classes will compete in the upcoming season, or if both will compete alongside each other, the choice of who will be the opposing coaches also has not been announced. Immediately following the absorption of the WEC in to the UFC, fans were calling for the eventual rematch of Cruz vs Faber II to be the first light class fighters to coach opposite of each other with fellow light class fighters to make up their teams. After his win over Eddie Wineland at UFC 128: Shogun vs Jones, Faber was soon after announced to have earned a #1 contendership spot to face champ Dominick Cruz in a rematch at the July 4 weekend event. Immediately after Faber's win, every MMA journalist asked UFC President Dana White if Cruz vs Faber II would be the match to set up as coaches, though White immediately declared that the rematch between the two would not serve as coaches for the upcoming season. Instead, a possible match up of two trash talkers could take center stage as the next coaches of TUF.
While it is still being decided which of the two weight classes will compete in the upcoming season, or if both will compete alongside each other, the choice of who will be the opposing coaches also has not been announced. Immediately following the absorption of the WEC in to the UFC, fans were calling for the eventual rematch of Cruz vs Faber II to be the first light class fighters to coach opposite of each other with fellow light class fighters to make up their teams. After his win over Eddie Wineland at UFC 128: Shogun vs Jones, Faber was soon after announced to have earned a #1 contendership spot to face champ Dominick Cruz in a rematch at the July 4 weekend event. Immediately after Faber's win, every MMA journalist asked UFC President Dana White if Cruz vs Faber II would be the match to set up as coaches, though White immediately declared that the rematch between the two would not serve as coaches for the upcoming season. Instead, a possible match up of two trash talkers could take center stage as the next coaches of TUF.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Jardine Replaces Kyle against Mousasi. One Man's Injury Gives Another a Chance at Redemption.
Recently news had been spread that Strikeforce 205lb contender Mike Kyle (18-8-1(1)) had again broken his right hand while training for his upcoming bout against former Strikeforce 205lb champion Gegard Mousasi (30-3-1). Following the news, an April Fool's joke had spread that UFC Heavyweight Cheick Kongo had stepped in to replace the injured fighter which had MMA fans scratching their heads. Even with this joke circulating, news was made that former TUF2 alumni UFC veteran Kieth Jardine (17-9-1) would be the one stepping in to face Mousasi. Jardine vs Mousasi is not set for the main card of the April 9 Strikeforce: Diaz vs Daley card.
Jardine was a longtime star of the UFC since having debuted under the Zuffa banner in 2005 with a Rnd2 TKO by Leg-Kicks. Jardine went 6-7 in the UFC which included wins over then future champ Forrest Griffin & former champ Chuck Liddell. Unfortunately for Jardine his career in the UFC went sour going on a four fight losing streak with two of them being by way of vicious knockout. Even after a Fight of the Night performance against Matt Hamill, Jardine was released by the promotion with many critics suggesting he retire. Since his release by the UFC, Jardine has gone 2-1 with a recent Rnd1 TKO win. With Zuffa having purchased the promtion & brand of Strikeforce, it is no surprise that they would suggest a familiar name like Jardine's be signed. Having once been considered a contender & then a gate keeper for the UFC's 205lb division, Jardine was thought to be immediately invited t join the Strikeforce roster, though it was never delivered to the "Dean of Mean" as he would compete in lesser promotions after his release. Jardine will make his promotional debut for Strikeforce on one week's notice in what will be considered a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of UFC brass & possibly make a run for the Light Heavyweight title for the promotion. A win for Jardine could propel him into contendership, which is not a very deep pool with very select names like Rafael Cavalcante, Gegard Mousasi, King Mo Lawal, & current champ Dan Henderson the only big names that are the recognized as the top of the promotion's division. MMA fans will be happy to see The Dean of Mean back in action as Strikeforce is the #2 American MMA promotion that has essentially become the little brother of the UFC with all fighters considerably in the same roster. Whether he ever wins the title or not, a strong performance in Strikeforce could either make him a big name that earns top pay for every performance, or earn him a second chance in the UFC.
Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine may not be fighting in the octagon come next Saturday April 9, but his return back to competing on a televised main card will be the perfect stage for him to make a statement to say he is back in action to take on the best.
Jardine was a longtime star of the UFC since having debuted under the Zuffa banner in 2005 with a Rnd2 TKO by Leg-Kicks. Jardine went 6-7 in the UFC which included wins over then future champ Forrest Griffin & former champ Chuck Liddell. Unfortunately for Jardine his career in the UFC went sour going on a four fight losing streak with two of them being by way of vicious knockout. Even after a Fight of the Night performance against Matt Hamill, Jardine was released by the promotion with many critics suggesting he retire. Since his release by the UFC, Jardine has gone 2-1 with a recent Rnd1 TKO win. With Zuffa having purchased the promtion & brand of Strikeforce, it is no surprise that they would suggest a familiar name like Jardine's be signed. Having once been considered a contender & then a gate keeper for the UFC's 205lb division, Jardine was thought to be immediately invited t join the Strikeforce roster, though it was never delivered to the "Dean of Mean" as he would compete in lesser promotions after his release. Jardine will make his promotional debut for Strikeforce on one week's notice in what will be considered a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of UFC brass & possibly make a run for the Light Heavyweight title for the promotion. A win for Jardine could propel him into contendership, which is not a very deep pool with very select names like Rafael Cavalcante, Gegard Mousasi, King Mo Lawal, & current champ Dan Henderson the only big names that are the recognized as the top of the promotion's division. MMA fans will be happy to see The Dean of Mean back in action as Strikeforce is the #2 American MMA promotion that has essentially become the little brother of the UFC with all fighters considerably in the same roster. Whether he ever wins the title or not, a strong performance in Strikeforce could either make him a big name that earns top pay for every performance, or earn him a second chance in the UFC.
Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine may not be fighting in the octagon come next Saturday April 9, but his return back to competing on a televised main card will be the perfect stage for him to make a statement to say he is back in action to take on the best.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)