UFC Roundup: Updates on UFC 80, UFC Fight Night 12, and More
Posted by Kris Karkoski on Dec 2, 2007 at 10:58 am ET23 Comments
- The UFC and CBS are working on a deal to potentially air UFC 80 on the network. [The Wrestling Observer]
- Andrei Arlovski, who has just one fight remaining on his current deal with the UFC, is expected to fight before March though reports suggest a new deal is not imminent. [Payout]
- Heath Herring is in the Philippines commentating for a startup MMA promotion and is hoping to return in March or April of next year. [MMA Weekly]
- Minneapolis, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Atlanta are among the locations the UFC has contacted for 2008 pay-per-view events. [Payout]
- Gray Maynard will take on Dennis Siver at UFC Fight Night 12. Maynard was originally set to face Matt Grice but Grice was forced to decline the bout due to scheduling conflicts. [MMA Junkie]
- Three-time UFC fighter Leonard Garcia will drop down to 145-lbs. to compete in the WEC. [MMA Weekly]
Tags: Andrei Arlovski, Dennis Siver, Gray Maynard, Heath Herring, Leonard Garcia, Matt Grice
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I hope we see Arlovski in early 2008; the UFC Heavyweight division won’t be the same without him, if he doesn’t sign a contract extension.
Network TV in high definition. I think they’ll put up huge numbers if this actually goes through (even if it’s tape delayed).
I really think it could lead to bigger and better (CBS exclusive fights or airing tape-delayed UFC fights from Europe/Japan).
With the FCC the way it is and the potty mouth trainers in between rounds, CBS would either have a decent size delay on live events or be able to edit out any curses that we’ve heard on PPV’s and some live Spike if I’m not mistaken.
Dana taking advantage of the writer’s strike would be the biggest move in 2008, excluding Couture vs Fedor.
I don’t know if the UFC really needs Arlovski the way that they need someone like Couture. Andre’ ruled the division for a little while, but beating the same fighters Sylvia beat but no one gives him credit for. It would be nice to see him again, but I just can’t see the UFC making him the highest paid heavyweight in their little show.
I think that Leonard Gracia should fare well at the WEC. He has a lot to learn but showed a ton of heart against Huerta earlier this year.
I could care less if Heath Herring was trainning with Godzilla and the wondertwins- I hope they realese him from his contract. The way he let Nogueria survive their last fight is unforgivable!
CBS will be fantastic, but I wonder if Spike is starting to feel like the jilted lover????
hell yeah, I agree 100% scotchy. Herring won that fight…..he had it finished but let him get up. Almost like it was fixed…
Didn’t Garcia fight 3 times in the UFC? Huerta, Berube and Miller…
He sure did, that’s my bad.
Well I don’t care where Arlovski ends up I just want to see him fight. Sounds like the UFC has accepted the fact that he isn’t going to be bullied weather they plan to resign him for he wants or not. If he even wants to resign with them…
ooops **Whether** don’t flame me..
Herring letting Nog back in without finishing was arguably the most frustrating thing I witnessed in a match this year. For a split second, I contemplated the notion of a “fix”.
I too thought (only for a split secound) that a fix might be. That said, I highly doubt it. If they were going to “fix” a fight, there were much more marketable fights that went to underdogs this past year. Both Herring and Nog (more so Nog, but still) are marketable fighters, so I don’t think they would risk fixxing that one. The UFC did quite a bit to promote Herring before that fight, he just doesn’t seem to be much of a force anymore. I think that he was scarred to get on the ground with Nog because of their previouse encounters, but it was a STUPID mistake. Not enough people respect the cerebral aspect to this sport. Herring also has looked out of shape, worse each fight. Hopefully he gets his act together before attempting to fight in the octagon again.
By the way, Vampslar, do you have a web site?
Did u guys hear about a fighter in Texas named Sam Vasquez who died after a MMA fight? I just read about it and saw an interview with John McCain on CNN about it and how McCain is going to push harder on banning MMA again. Bastard….good luck.
scotchydow, I agree completely which is why I quickly removed the notion of a fix from my mind. That being said, it devalued Nog as a contender in my mind.
Click on my nick above (any nick on mmafrenzy.com that is in bold font links to that person’s website). That being said, I’ve had time constraints to get it where I want it to be.
FixXer, I heard about it today but completely forgot to check up on it. They were calling it the 1st “official” death due to an MMA fight. I’d like to know if it was a sanctioned fight, etc.
McCain will never get my vote.
I think that it is a shame, I like McCain, but MMA is one of my favorite things in the world so he will never get my vote either. I am pretty sure it was sanctioned, but most of the smaller shows that I have been to have had some seriously mismatched fights. I am surprised that it has taken this long for someone to die, its just a chance that a competitor takes in ANY sport. McCain has gone on record comending the sport for moving twords sanctioning, and protecting their fighters, but I sure hope this doesn’t get blown out of proportion. Why don’t they attack NASCAR or something- I am sure more people die in that so called “sport”.
Yeah guys – I never posted about it since it’s not related to the UFC but he is the first death in a sanctioned bout and the second in MMA ever (sanctioned and unsanctioned). Nothing out of the ordinary in terms of circumstances as he lost by knockout but they are sure to do an autopsy to determine the cause of death, preexisting conditions, etc. to protect fighters in the future.
It was bound to happen eventually and is no reason to push against the sport especially considering the injuries sustained in boxing.
I think we all speak together in sending our condolences to his family and friends.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=dm-fighterdeath120207&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
It looks like it was a sanctioned fight and was promoted by “long-time” boxing coach of Tito Ortiz.
Unfortunate for the entire MMA universe, loyalties set aside and in particular for Vasquez’s friends and family. With the number of promotions starting up, I’m afraid it was just a matter of time before someone died due to an in ring (allegedly) incident.
This will hurt the UFC in getting sanctioning in additional states and in Canada (particularly Ontario), but I doubt it will have much effect in regions where MMA is sanctioned.
I’ll be curious to see the results of the autopsy to see if maybe there was a preexisting problem that wasn’t identified prior to his match or if it was completely due to what occurred during the fight.
So…….AA vs. HH?
Looks like CC might just fight Vera as some have rumored…
wow i was looking forward 2 da maynard grice fight both goos wrestlers
there is too much money in the UFC to ban it. The states want the tax revenue that it produces. How many deaths have there been in boxing?…and ear biting…and its never been banned. Long live the UFC and cage fighting.
Kris. There was a MMA death in Russia I think in 2001. It was an unsanctioned fight. I read it somewhere but I cant remember where. It was called the Russia Super FIght or something. Either way, I dont think that MMA fans have anything to worry about. There just need to be smarter matchups.
it seemed to me that herring wanted big nog back up on his feet so he could finish the fight standing. consider the fact herring got submitted by bog in their last fight. i don’t think letting nog up was the big mistake, not being all over nog when he got back for that last minute or 2 of the second is what cost herring the fight. got to give credit to big nog for surviving though.
I give credit to Nog for surviving. This was his debut to all new fans and was built up as the former Pride HW Champion. He fought Herring, and barely survived. It didn’t do a lot in the eyes of those who never saw him fight before. It was just one fight and anyone can have an off night, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
Barely surviving HH and fighting Tim Sylvia are 2 different animals tho.
I could give a rats ass about Heath Herring. He’s blows.