Forrest Griffin: I never thought I would wind up a UFC champion

At UFC 148, Tito Ortiz will step into the Octagon for the final time as a fighter. Much has been written about Ortiz’s farewell bout and his induction into the UFC Hall of Fame on July 7, but what of his opponent, Forrest Griffin? In an exclusive interview with our good friend: Bryan Levick at Fightline.com, the Georgia native discusses Tito Ortiz, Shogun Rua and his own future.
Griffin began his career in the UFC  thrilling fans in his performance during The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale, a fight

Preview to UFC 148, can Sonnen finish what he started at UFC 117?

This short video, below,  hearkens back to August 7, 2010 at UFC 117. Anderson Silva faced Chael Sonnen to defend the UFC Middleweight Title and the fans were treated to an all-out beat-down in the Octagon at the hands of Sonnen.
In round one, Sonnen took Silva down after blasting him and dominated him, completely in that round as well as the following three. In the fifth round, Sonnen caught Silva with a left hook and immediately established top position. At the three-minute mark,

Lorenzo Fertitta: Alistair Overeem’s fate is in the NSAC’s hands

UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta announced today that Alistair Overeem will not be scheduled to fight for the UFC until reinstated by the NSAC.  Currently suspended for nine months with elevated Testosterone levels,  Overeem could possibly be eligible to fight in late December. When asked about a possible year-end fight for Overeem, Fertitta quoted the following on the subject:
“That’s speculation. It’s in the NSAC’s hands.  The UFC can’t be presumptuous.” – via ESPN.com
Lorenzo Fertitta

Thumbs Down: 5 fights that didn’t happen in 2012

It is midway through 2012, and it seems to be a bad year for injuries in the UFC. Five important fights have been cancelled or postponed this year due to injury, surgery, illness or suspension. These things are all part of the fight game and have been since day one. The nature of the sport is brutal, but injuries are not isolated to fights. Most fighters suffer their injuries in training.  As well-rounded as a UFC fighter is expected to be, it is quite easy to “overtrain”, that is, put the body

Where Are They Now? 2007 Pound-for-Pound Rankings Edition

Where Are They Now? A Look Back At The 2007 P4P RankingsIt’s truly amazing to see how fast the landscape can change in a sport that continues to grow as rapidly as MMA does. It’s been 5 years since 2007, which in this sport is practically a generation bordering on an eternity. And yet without fail, our surroundings are once again drastically different from what they were. Jon Jones, Jose Aldo, Dominick Cruz, Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson are all newly prominent parts of the p4p picture,

UFC 152: Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez II Fight Card

Barring any injuries, Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez II is rumored to headline UFC 152 from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada. The September 22nd card is beginning to shape up nicely as Rory MacDonald is set to face the returning BJ Penn in a Welterweight showdown as well.
Both dos Santos and Velasquez have obviously proved their mettle in the UFC Octagon, with JDS undefeated and Velasquez’s only blemish being a KO loss to dos Santos for the belt last November. The two top-ranked Heavyweights

Condit clarifies waiting for GSP, Hendricks vs Kampmann set for UFC 154

Carlos Condit has been catching flak for a rumor that he was turning down fights and resting on his laurels as UFC interim Welterweight Champion, while waiting for Georges St-Pierre to heal up so he could defend his title.According to Condit, in an interview with Fuel TV following UFC on FX 3, the only fight that the UFC has offered him has been the bout with St-Pierre to unify the titles: “Georges is the guy I have my eye on and as far as I know he’s going to be ready to go in November. I

Paul Daley released from Strikeforce contract

Paul Daley (29-12-2, 20 KOs) has been granted a release from his contract with Strikeforce. Daley’s manager, Wad Alameddine of Fight Management Limited, on Saturday sent out a press release of his client’s contractual status. Alameddine stated: “I am personally disappointed to see Paul leave Strikeforce. He is without question one of the most charismatic personalities and talented MMA athletes to come out of the UK.  We have parted ways with Strikeforce on good terms. Now that Paul

UFC on FX 3: Johnson vs. McCall Attendance and Bonuses

The attendance, gate and post-fight bonuses have been announced for tonight’s UFC on FX 3 from the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida. The event drew a reported attendance figure of 6,635 and a live gate of $329,110. Bonuses were awarded for Submission of the Night, Fight of the Night and Knockout of the Night; all of which went to fighters on the main card, excluding the headliner. The total bonus payout for this event came to $160,000.While in line with recent UFC attendance figures, the crowd