September 3, 2008
The past year has been laden with nothing but legal battles for Randy Couture, who previously claimed that UFC lacked the support he needed in order to further his career with them. On Tuesday, however, UFC and Couture announced that they have finally come to terms regarding their previous disagreement. In fact, the 45-year-old fighter is set to return to the wrestling battlefield on November 15th in Las Vegas, Nevada. There, he will finally get to defend his title against Brock Lesnar.
“We've resolved them all,” Dana White said of the differences UFC had with Couture. “He's always been the heavyweight champion of the UFC. ... All I care about is that [Couture] is back and fighting.”
August 26, 2008
Last July 15, Quinton Rampage Jackson lived up to his name when he figured in a high-speed, three-car collision, and car chase, prompting the police to arrest him. He now faces multiple felony charges, including felony evading, reckless driving, and hit and run. According to a police witness, Jackson weaved in and out of traffic while talking on his phone. He plowed into the sidewalk narrowly avoiding pedestrians. The ensuing car chase had him evading the authorities, who report that he was involved in at least two more collisions before that one.
One of those who were in Jackson's path during the rampage, Holli Griggs, 38, of Huntington Beach, California, was 16 weeks pregnant during the time of the incident and suffered a miscarriage. She filed a civil suit against Jackson for hit-and-run.
August 19, 2008
Finally, the cast of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter season 8 was finally revealed. As always, the contenders will divided into two teams and will be coached by former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir and reigning interim heavyweight titleholder Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. The two will also figure in a bout for the interim belt at a pay-per-view event in December. This year, the Ultimate Fighter hopefuls belong to the lightweight and light heavyweight divisions.
It is set to premiere on September 17 at 10pm. Similar to last season's format, the 32 finalists will be trimmed down to 16 on the first episode. The teams will battle it out, leading to the two finalists in each weight class, who will meet in The Ultimate Fighter 8 Live Finale on December 13 in Las Vegas live on Spike TV. Read on to see who is slugging it out at The Ultimate Fighter's eights season.
August 1, 2008
UFC 87 (Eighty-seven events? I feel old) has finalized its fight card. UFC 87 will be held in the great state of Minnesota, at the Target Center in Minneapolis on August 9. The main event is a bout between current UFC Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre versus challenger Jon Fitch. This will be St. Pierre's first title defense since regaining the belt in April after defeating upstart Matt Serra at UFC 83. The other big fight involves Brock Lesnar, former amateur wrestler, WWE entertainer, and NFL wannabe. Now plying his trade in the UFC, Lesnar is huge man with lots of potential. He was originally scheduled to fight UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman, but Coleman had to withdraw because of an Achilles injury. Lesnar will now be fighting Heath Herring. Below is a full list of main card and preliminary card match-ups.
August 1, 2008
It's something out of an episode of The Simpsons. What sounds like a parody of Hollywood action films is, apparently, a reality. Kimbo Slice, the dubiously popular Mixed Martial Arts fighter who gained recognition thanks to street fights he participated in that were posted on YouTube, has signed on for his first film role. That, in and of itself, isn't terribly surprising. Slice is a hot name right now, and his handlers are going to cash in every chance they can before he loses that new car smell. Then it gets funny – he will be co-starring with none other than Hulk Hogan (whose impressive filmography includes Suburban Commando and Mr. Nanny). The film is entitled Kung Fu U. It is about nerdy Southern Californian kids who are sent to a special institution to learn self-defense. Hogan and Slice will be play instructors at Kung Fu U. If that all wasn't enough, Kung Fu U will be filmed in 3D. I don't know whether to jump with joy or reset the doomsday clock to 11:59pm.
July 25, 2008
MMA fans are in for a real treat for UFC 88: Breakthrough, as Dan Henderson, Rich Franklin, and Karo Parisyan join the line-up.
Henderson, a Greco Roman wrestling expert, is looking to bounce back after a failed title shot against Anderson Silva. He is up for a huge opportunity to make his way back to contention. He faces Rousimar Palhares in Atlanta. A win would put him right back into the title mix at 185 pounds. It will also be interesting how his style would fare against the not to be dismissed Palhares, who debuted at UFC 84: Ill Will, and trains with the Brazilian Top Team.