Cage Gossip: MMA Rumors for UFC & Strikeforce Rumors
Your weekly source for MMA news & rumors about Rich Franklin, James Toney, Cro Cop, Fedor Emelianenko & more!
5. Rich Franklin to Need Surgery – Out at Least 8 Weeks – Next Fight Griffin
Rich Franklin posted on his twitter the other day, “I broke my ulna n my forearm. I find out today if I need surg today. Either way I'm casted at least 8 wks.” As it turns out, Franklin will be heading to Las Vegas to undergo surgery on his broken arm. Franklin’s manager, J.T. Stewart, told MMAJunkie.com that he thinks, “they're going to put a plate and a couple of screws in his arm to put it back together.”
After an amazing knockout Saturday night that sent Chuck Liddell into retirement, Franklin will be sidelined for at least 2-3 months. Prior to the fight between the TUF coaches, Dana White was on 98 Rock Baltimore’s Radio Show and said, "You know what I was thinking about doing? I was thinking about it could possibly him (Chuck Liddell) and Forrest too. So the winner of Rich Franklin vs. Chuck Liddell could fight Forrest Griffin."
With Forrest expected to make his return late September-October from shoulder surgery, and Franklin now needing 2-3 months to heal, a fight between Franklin and Griffin seems even more likely; a strange twist of events considering that both fighters were brought in to coach Team Ortiz following Ortiz’s being “fired” in the final week of shooting TUF 11.
4. Winner of Sobral vs. Lawler Gets Title Shot in their Division
A confusing stipulation to say the least, but nonetheless, the winner of the Renato "Babalu" Sobral/"Ruthless" Robbie Lawler catch-weight fight on June 16 will determine the #1 contender for either the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Title or the Strikeforce Middleweight Title. Basically, If “Babalu” wins, he will fight “ King Mo” for the light heavyweight strap, if Lawler wins, he will fight Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza for the middleweight championship.
There are plenty of things wrong with this scenario; to start with you have two fighters fighting at a non-existing weight class (195 pounds) to determine the #1 contender for two entirely different weight classes (185 and 205 pounds). Another problem is that Coker has spoken openly, as was reported here in last week’s column, about holding a middleweight tournament to crown a new champion should/when Jake Shields abandons his title to join the UFC. From the sound of it, Coker also has plans to have “Jacare” fight Lawler should the middleweight title be vacated. Honestly, not only would a tournament be the best way to give the title instant credibility, but it would also build a star who they could use in a CBS headlining spot should CBS continue to work with the organization. It would be a big mistake on Coker’s part to grant a title shot to “Jacare” after struggling against journeyman Joey Villasenor, and Lawler, should he defeat “Babalu” at 195 pounds.
Title aspirations aside, when “Babalu” and Lawler square off in the cage Wednesday night at the Strikeforce June 16 event, we should be in for a quality fight.
3. James Toney Has Signed Contract to Fight Randy Couture at UFC 118
Over the past week as rumors swirled that James Toney had made “ King Mo” tap in sparring to a standing guillotine, there was also murmuring that Toney still hadn’t signed the contract to fight Randy Couture on the UFC 118 fight card.
The rumor was started by Gareth A. Davies on MMA Live, when he said, "Well I got a little disturbing news when I called the UFC for a little bit of a round up this morning is that James Toney is dragging his feet over the bout agreement signing with Randy Couture, which I think is bad news . . . Well it's a lot of hot air from James Toney; he wanted to be in it, why is he dragging his feet. That needs to be cleared up very soon."
Well, cleared up it has been, and by no one better than the UFC President himself, Dana White. In an interview with Ariel Helwani following UFC 115, White told the sport’s top interviewer, “ Yeah. I mean who would even come up with that report. Where’d that even come from? Yes, he signed his contract. The fight’s happening in Boston.”
So for anyone that worried the fight between James Toney and Randy Couture would suffer a similar fate to Ricardo Mayorga and Din Thomas, you can relax. The megafight between the top 20 ranked heavyweight boxer and the UFC Hall-of-Famer is signed, and ready to get its freak on.
2. Fedor Has No Plan to Retire
After it was reported here last week that Fedor Emelianenko was set to retire following the completion of his Strikeforce contract, M-1 Global’s Director of Operations Evgeni Kogan stated:
"He was basically nominated as one of the 58 candidates in the Belgorod Region, to be a candidate for the ruling party, for the Russian ruling party essentially. There's no substance [to the retirement rumors]. As far as I know, after he won a seat in the Russian Parliament or Senate, and it just kind of exploded from there. His career continues as it has been continuing for the last however many years. So there's no retirement plan coming up."
Good news for Fedor fans around the world, bad news for heavyweights hoping to have seen the The Last Emperor’s reign as the #1 heavyweight in the world come to an end.
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1. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic Has Plan to Retire
Following his spectacular come from behind victory over Pat Barry Saturday night, “Cro Cop” spoke with Croatian news site Jutarnji and all but announced his retirement from the sport he helped make popular worldwide.
A translation provided by Fighters Only Magazine UK, has “Cro Cop” saying:
“In addition to winning the Pride Grand Prix Finals, it’s my favorite fight of my career [but] most of the training proved to me that I am now too old for this…I don’t know about a new contract with the UFC. I believe that I gave this game a lot, I fought with the greatest fighters.”
“For 20 years I lived this life and now I have no motivation for the fight, no mental strength for all the Spartan training. I am no longer so hungry for victory. I will not stop training, but if I am asleep I’ll stay in bed and practice an hour later.”
As for what “Cro Cop” plans to do now that he’s ready hang up his 4 oz gloves, teaching others the techniques and skills that made him a fighting highlight film appears to be his top priority, “I have some contacts around the seminar circuit in the U.S., Australia, Europe and even Brazil.”
In a sport where fighters continue to fight into their 40s even though their best days are behind them, “Cro Cop” seems ready to break the cycle and demonstrate to his peers and the upcoming generation of fighters, that there’s better ways to retire than waiting for someone to come along and turn your lights out for you (see Chuck Liddell).
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