UFC commentator Joe Rogan recently commented on Fedor Emelianenko’s recent loss to Fabricio Werdum amongst other things during a UStream podcast. Rogan is set to resume his normal color role at UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin this Saturday and expect the popular comic to continue to think that every fight is the “Biggest, best, or most important” in UFC history and he might be right when it comes to Brock Lesnar taking on Shane Carwin.

Press Release

Seven years and four months.

Flip the pages on a calendar – it will take a while – but it has been that long since Antonio McKee suffered a loss.

The reigning MFC lightweight champion is a consummate pro and an intellectual fighter, but also a title-holder currently wearing an undefendable belt. The one opportunity McKee had to put his championship on the line came at MFC 22 but his foe, Carlo Prater, came in overweight and the five-round bout was changed to a three-rounder. McKee still scooted away with a clear-cut decision but it was not what he nor MFC wanted out of the night.

So what lies ahead for the organization’s first 155-pound champ? Honestly speaking, there would appear to be only one showdown in the works for McKee. Because of his spectacular skills as a wrestler (which go hand-in-hand with a phenomenal cardio gas tank) McKee is incredibly difficult to match up.

Selection of his opponent is critical and McKee is not an easy target. In the fight for the title, the only time McKee was ever in the slightest amount of trouble came when Derrick Noble was able to land strikes from the outside, in particular a cracking blow near the end of Round 1. But in tight it was McKee’s world and a dominating conclusion ensued.

Match McKee against a striker and he’s going to put his wrestling to use, pretty well exclusively to grind out a verdict as evidenced by 18 of his 22 wins coming by way of decision. That rationale leads one to assume that a clash between McKee and fellow veteran Yves Edwards wouldn’t be a good mix. Edwards, who is coming off a first-round mowdown of Noble at MFC 24, might get one chance to flatten McKee with a strike before he’s scooped up, dropped on his back, and smothered. McKee isn’t going to risk getting clipped on the chin and will neutralize Edwards to the point a dreary, dull decision.
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Chris Leben steps up to fight Yoshihiro Akiyama on just two weeks rest. On Saturday, July 3rd this “meat and potatoes” fighter will do some blue-collar work. Don’t miss UFC 116 – Live on Pay-Per-View at 7pm PT/ 10pm ET. Visit http://116.ufc.com to make your prediction.

Chris Leben talks to Fighters Only Magazine about the two week turnaround between defeating Aaron Simpson at the “TUF 11″ Finale and now facing Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 116.

After nearly 15 years, MMA veteran Frank Shamrock announced his retirement to Strikeforce fans. From Pancrase, to UFC, to Strikeforce, Frank Shamrock looks back on his career and forward to the future of the sport.

HT: Showtime Sports

Once again UFC president Dana White has started his video blogs before UFC pay per view events, this time it’s UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin. These videos give us some impressive insights into how White lives, what he does for fun, and how hectic the week leading up to a major event. Look for episodes to run for the next few days and expect several UFC fighters to be in the videos behind the scenes as it were.

UFC 116 will feature Shane Carwin getting his chance at the UFC heavyweight title when he takes on current champion Brock Lesnar, and Carwin has been training hard for the biggest test of his career(literally). Success, however, hasn’t gone to Carwin’s head, as he’s kept his full time job through out his run in the UFC and even during his recent training for Lesnar as he told MMAFighting.com

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They work with me on my hours. I am thankful I do not have a job or an employer that expects me to clock in at 8am and out at 5pm. I have a lot of free reign as long as I am doing my job, staying on or ahead of schedule and give them 110 percent when I am not in camp. I have been in camp for a long time (over a year) so I am sure they are ready for me to come back a bit more regularly.

Carwin’s definitely a rare example of an athlete that can compete at the highest levels of his chosen sport, in this case MMA, while maintaining a full time job. Pretty impressive indeed.

DREAM.15 just seems to get better and better as word is coming out of a bout featuring Alistair Overeem. The strange part is that he’s fighting Ricco Rodriquez…yes Ricco Rodriquez. While nothing has been signed, MMAJunkie has reported that the fight has been verbally agreed to. This adds another marquee name to the card, but it certainly seems as lopsided a fight as Fedor vs. Wer…we’ll never mind but Rodriquez does seem to be a heavy underdog.

One has to give credit to Rodriquez for coming back from substance abuse and amassing a seven fight win streak, but Overeem is certainly the biggest test Rodriquez has had in some time. We’ll announce the official signing when it happens.

“The Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine was released recently after a long run in the UFC, and the extremely recognizable mixed martial artist has had considerable speculation surround him as to his next move. Seems like Jardine is gonna take some time and try to continue to improve as a fighter, as he stated on his website KeithJardine.net


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“Last week I was let go by the UFC. I was sad to get the news but it was expected. I’ve always been proud to be a UFC fighter and they have been real good to me. I can’t help but to feel a bit like I’m losing a family. As for now, I’m more motivated than ever. I’m going to take a vacation for a week then get back to work. Already, there are a lot of offers for fights coming I’m. Some are exciting. Starting over doesn’t sound so bad to me. Although my career is at a crossroads my story is only half written. I have a lot of fight left in me and I continue to improve with every fight. Anyway, I’m best when the chips are stacked against me and I will make it to the top. Thanks to all of my fans.”

Hats off to Jardine who could have been bitter but instead showed complete class. Is there a chance we could see Jardine back in the UFC in the future. Your thoughts?

UFC fighter Wanderlei Silva may not be fighting as the co-man event at this weekends UFC 116 but it’s still his birthday and his “Surprise” birthday party is open to all fans of The Axe Murderer. There’s no wonder that Silva is still one of the most popular mixed martial artists on the planet as the combination of his never say die attitude and fighting style mixed with his accessibility to both fans and the media. Happy early birthday wishes for Wanderlei Silva.

It’s hard to imagine these two behemoths getting out of the first round, especially since no fight involving Shane Carwin has ever made it that far, so expect some crazyness. UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin will take place this Saturday and The MMA News will bring you all pre and post fight news as well as live coverage of the event.

Seth Petruzelli seems like a fun loving, outgoing guy, and he seems genuinely happy to make his return to the Octagon against Ricardo Romero at UFC 116: Lesnar Vs. Carwin. The Silverback will be hoping to break his two fight losing streak in the UFC, his last coming at UFC Fight Night 9 against Wilson Gouveia.

Seems like the stigma surrounding mixed martial arts continues in New York, and despite the strong lobbying efforts from both the UFC and independent MMA organizations, it will be some time before The Big Apple sees a mixed martial arts event. The New York Daily News is reporting that Assembly Democrats have stripped approval for MMA from an upcoming budget bill:

The push to legalize ultimate fighting in New York is on the ropes. Assembly Democrats stripped approval for the wildly popular violent sport from a budget bill that lawmakers will take up as soon as today. Gov. Paterson sought to legalize mixed martial arts, saying fights could pull in more than $2 million in tax revenue for the cash-strapped state. “The majority of voices who spoke about this issue in our conference were not supportive of approving it as part of the budget,” said Assemblyman Steven Englebright (D-L.I.), a fight fan. Englebright said it’s a long shot the Assembly will revisit the issue.

Dana White and the UFC have been doing a great job cleaning up the “reputation” of mixed martial arts, and it’s only a matter of time before it’s recognized as a legitimate sport but it seems like old-timers and ultra conservatives are running things in New York and so we wait for approval. For now.