Cage Gossip: MMA Rumors for UFC, Strikeforce & WEC Rumors
Your weekly source for MMA news & rumors
5. Ricardo Arona – The Next Pride Fighter to Sign with UFC
Five years ago, after defeating then Pride Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva in the Pride 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix Semifinals, Ricardo Arona took on current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Shogun Rua in the finals. He lost that fight, but his victory over Silva marked the first time Silva had been defeated in 22 fights at middleweight in Pride.
Now, Arona, who won a unanimous decision over Marvin Eastman in September of last year, is looking to make a splash in the Octagon. Arona was on hand at UFC 114 to cheer on his friend and training partner, Lil’ Nog, and also to handle some business.
Taking a page out of James Toney’s book, Arona attended UFC 114 with the intention of seeking out Dana White for a sit-down to discuss working for the #1 MMA promotion. Dana said he was up to meet with Arona, and it‘s believed that the two met sometime late Saturday night after the event had concluded. No news has come out regarding the outcome of the situation, but considering Toney’s luck, Arona might be the next big Pride fighter to try and make a splash in the UFC.
4. 100 UFC Events a Year?
It was only eleven years ago that Mike Goldberg could be heard hyping “9 in ’99,” during a UFC event; referencing the planned 9 UFC shows to be held in 1999. 9 UFCs in a year was big news then, as up to that point, the UFC had customarily held only 4 events a year, one for each season. They ended up doing only 6 shows that year, not the planned 9, but even still it was twice as many events then has taken place the previous year.
So it comes as a shock to many who still remember Goldberg’s “9 in’99” hype to hear Dana White say that the UFC could potentially be holding 100 events a year in the future. The UFC is scheduled to hold only 34 events this year, but with the recent expansion to other parts of the world, and with future plans to gain ground in China and India, Dana White has high hopes for the UFC’s future.
White said, "We bought this company, and we were doing five fights a year. If you would have told me six or seven years ago that we'd be doing 34 fights a year, I would have said, 'That's impossible. It'll never happen. That's crazy.' We're probably going to end up doing 100 fights a year.”
He would go on to say, "We could have a show [in the U.S.] on Saturday night and five more going on in five other countries. That's what's going to eventually happen. It's figuring this thing out, putting the pieces together, and like I said, it's a work in progress. But I'm telling you guys, I said it years ago, and I've been saying it – how big this thing is going to be. I think people are now really starting to realize how big this thing is really going to be.”
A bold claim, but when you hear Dana White say that there’s 300 million males aged 18-24 in India alone, more than the entire population of the U.S., it doesn’t sound so bold.
3. Urijah Faber to Fight Next Fight at 135 Pounds
In an interview with Pro MMA Radio this past week, Urijah Faber was asked where he his next fight would be, at 135 or 145-pounds, Faber answered, “Well. I, uh, from the sound of things, it sounds like they’re gonna want me to go down to 35. It’s something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time, go down and, and have some fights down there. So I’ll probably have a couple of fights down there, maybe go back up to 45s. We’re not real sure yet.”
From the sound of it, the UFC/WEC wants him to fight at 135, but he wants to keep fighting at 145. He is willing to go down and fight at 135, but only if he can go back to 145 and avenge himself. One of the main reasons Urijah has held off on going down to 135 is because his good friend, and training partner, Joseph Benavidez, fights in the division and is now in line for a title shot himself.
I expect Urijah, if Dominick Cruz beats Benavidez, to fight Cruz and possibly Miguel Torres in mega fights on PPV. If Benavidez beats Cruz however, I don’t see Urijah taking the fight against his close friend, even if the UFC/WEC urges him to do so.
2. Tennessee Athletic Commission To Penalize 5 from Strikeforce Brawls
After a month of review, the Tennessee Athletic Commission has targeted 5 individuals for disciplinary action following the post-fight braw at Strikeforce: Nashville.
The 5 individuals are believed to be: Mayhem Miller, Jake Shields, Gilbert Melendez, Nate Diaz, and Nick Diaz.
The penalties for the five fighters could amount to $20,000 each and associated costs, as well as a nine-month suspension. However, if each individual agrees to the “consent order” that would allow them to skip the hearing, they will be penalized only $5,000 and receive just a three-month suspension. Two of the fighters would be penalized $7,500, instead of $5,000, because they failed to respond to the commission’s inquiry. It is believed that these two fighters are brothers Nick and Nate Diaz.
A $20,000 fine is pretty hefty for an MMA fighter, as is a 9-month suspension, but the $5,000 fine, 3-month suspension seems a lot more realistic. Either way, it looks like we won’t be seeing any of these fighters in the cage until the fall, at least in the U.S. that is.
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1. Lyoto Machida vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
Following Saturday night’s UFC 114, Dana White said regarding who Lyoto Machida’s next opponent will be, "I'm going to get together with Machida in the next couple of days, maybe Rampage."
Instead of giving either fighter an easy fight following their tough losses, Dana seems keen on getting them back in there against one another to create a viable opponent for the winner of Shogun/Evans.
I personally would have put Lyoto against Forrest Griffin and Jackson against Lil’ Nog before pitting them in the Octagon against one another. But the UFC is a business and while a Lyoto Machida/Rampage Jackson fight may not be good for the mental health of the fighter who loses, it sure will generate a terrific PPV buyrate, and for the fighter who comes out on top, another shot at regaining their title.
That’s it for this week’s edition of Cage Gossip, be sure to check back next Tuesday for the latest rumors in MMA universe!
By Jeffrey Concerto
ProFighting-fans.com MMA Staff Writer