Cage Gossip: MMA News & Rumors for the UFC & Strikeforce
Your weekly source for MMA news & rumors about Fedor Emelianenko, Ken Shamrock, Demian Maia, Jake Shields & more!
1) Demian Maia vs Alan Belcher to headline UFC Fight Night 22
The UFC keeps pumping out top-notch fighters, so it only makes sense that they would continue to have top-notch events. Earlier this week, the UFC announced that headlining the upcoming UFC Fight Night 22 would be a matchup between dangerous jiu-jitsu expert Demian Maia and brawler Alan Belcher. Belcher seems to have a limitless gas tank and has showcased his skills in a controversial decision loss to Yoshihiro Akiyama before stoppages over Wilson Gouveia and Patrick Cote. This fight is Maia’s first since his decision loss to Anderson Silva, in which Silva was noted for being infuriatingly elusive. Make no mistake, Belcher is a hard-charging fighter and their styles will make this one an exciting fight.
2) Jake Shields facing Martin Kampmann in first UFC fight
So much for Jake Shields getting a crack at the champ in his first match in the UFC. Rumor has it, Shields has officially signed a contract with the UFC and his first opponent will be Martin Kampmann. While Kampmann is no Dan Henderson, Shields’ last opponent for Strikeforce, he is certainly no slouch. The Xtreme Couture fighter is 8-2 inside the Octagon and is coming off a decision victory over rising star Paulo Thiago. While the argument could be made that Shields is being disrespected, such is not the case as Kampmann has cemented himself firmly among the ranks of the top fighters in the UFC’s welterweight Division. This fight will give matchmaker Joe Silva a good idea of where both fighters stack up and the fight will no doubt be a slugfest.
3) Ken Shamrock loses to Pedro Rizzo at Impact FC 2
Over the weekend, an MMA legend stepped into the cage for what we hope will be the final time. If you hadn’t heard, Ken Shamrock went to the land down under for a battle against former UFC heavyweight title contender Pedro Rizzo and Rizzo ended up the victor, largely on the strength of some solid leg kicks that crumpled Shamrock. Ken is 4-9 over the span of the last 10 years but attributes his recent comeback to his becoming a Christian. Let’s be honest, Ken was in his prime when the UFC was still having events in the single digits, but sheer determination kept him going until now. Though he was a big name and is one of the pioneering fighters in the sport, those close to Ken need to guide him into other endeavors outside of the cage, for the sake of his own safety. Watch the full fight here.
4) Fedor wants Werdum rematch in his next fight, Strikeforce may not agree
A previously mentioned in Cage Rumors, Fedor Emelianenko is trying to sign up for a rematch with Fabricio Werdum, but as the great Lee Corso would say: “Not so fast, my friend.” It had been rumored that Werdum would require elbow surgery and would be out for the remainder of 2010, but that rumor was denied by Werdum’s manager. Strikeforce will not give Fedor an immediate rematch against Werdum (due to a lack of interest on Strikeforce’s part), but rather they are eyeballing a match with Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, Sergei Kharitinov, or the champion Alistair Overeem. M-1 Global, Emelianenko’s management agency, is notoriously firm when they negotiate, but Scott Coker implies that they may not hold all of the cards when coming to the table this time, since Fedor was defeated. M-1 is angling for a rematch with Werdum, but the coming weeks will give us who Fedor will fight in the last fight on his current Strikeforce contract.
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5) UFC 119, UFC 120 and UFC 121 fight card rumors
As previously mentioned (here and here) on profighting-fans.com, Chael Sonnen’s war of words leading up to his title fight with Anderson Silva has gotten quite intense. After a long silent period, Silva is finally talking back. In his pre-fight interview for UFC 117 ( found here), Silva discusses the fact that Sonnen may have too many pots on the stove as he devotes time to both being a fighter and a politician. Silva claims he has chosen his career and gives all he has to training. Anderson mentions Sonnen’s comments about Silva never fighting a wrestler, while Silva counters with a mention of his own defeat over top-notch wrestler Dan Henderson. Silva also acknowledges Sonnen’s comments and says that he will have an opportunity to back them up inside the cage on the night of the fight. Until then, Silva says, he will continue to train technically, mentally, and physically to be the best fighter he can be on the night of the fight. With all of the talking leading up to the fight, let’s hope the action is just as intense inside the Octagon on the night of the fight.
That’s it for this week’s edition of Cage Gossip, be sure to check back next week for the latest MMA rumors universe!
By Curt Heinrichs
ProFighting-fans.com MMA Staff Writer