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Saturday MMA: A TV Viewer’s Guide
By: Jeff Sherwood
Saturday
1:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight
Part one of The Top 50 Moments of 2012. From one-punch knockouts to amazing submissions to come-from-behind victories, UFC TONIGHT's Kenny Florian takes us through moments 50-26 in this week's special.
1:30 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight
Top 50 UFC Moments in 2012 Part 2 Relive the Top 50 UFC Moments in 2012, from 25 down to number one, as we count down the year's greatest events in mixed martial arts.
2:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Munoz vs. Weidman
Mark Munoz vs. Chris Weidman; Brandon Vera vs. James Te Huna; Jon Fitch vs. Aaron Simpson. From San Jose, Calif.
5:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC 155: Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez II Weigh-in
Weigh-in for UFC 155: in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
6:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Countdown 155: Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez II
Leading up to the Heavyweight title fight UFC 155: Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez II.
7:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Cain Valasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
From the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
7:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet Pacific: UFC Countdown
Countdown to UFC 155
7:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet West: UFC Countdown
Countdown to UFC 155
7:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet Ontario: UFC Countdown
Countdown to UFC 155
7:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet East: UFC Countdown
Countdown to UFC 155
7:30 p.m. ET AXS: Inside MMA
The 2012 Bazzie Awards UFC ring girl Brittney Palmer helps Kenny and Bas and out the Bazzies.
8:00 p.m. ET FX: UFC 155: Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez II - Prelims
Chris Leben vs. Derek Brunson, Brad Pickett vs. Eddie Wineland, Leonard Garcia vs. Max Holloway, Michael Johnson vs. Myles Jury, Philip De Fries vs. Todd Duffee, Byron Bloodworth vs. Erik Perez from Las Vegas, Nev.
8:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet Pacific: UFC Preliminary Fights
UFC 155 Prelims Chris Leben vs. Derek Brunson, Brad Pickett vs. Eddie Wineland, Leonard Garcia vs. Max Holloway, Michael Johnson vs. Myles Jury, Philip De Fries vs. Todd Duffee, Byron Bloodworth vs. Erik Perez from Las Vegas, Nev.
8:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet West: UFC Preliminary Fights
UFC 155 Prelims Chris Leben vs. Derek Brunson, Brad Pickett vs. Eddie Wineland, Leonard Garcia vs. Max Holloway, Michael Johnson vs. Myles Jury, Philip De Fries vs. Todd Duffee, Byron Bloodworth vs. Erik Perez from Las Vegas, Nev.
8:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet Ontario: UFC Preliminary Fights
UFC 155 Prelims Chris Leben vs. Derek Brunson, Brad Pickett vs. Eddie Wineland, Leonard Garcia vs. Max Holloway, Michael Johnson vs. Myles Jury, Philip De Fries vs. Todd Duffee, Byron Bloodworth vs. Erik Perez from Las Vegas, Nev.
8:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet East: UFC Preliminary Fights
UFC 155 Prelims Chris Leben vs. Derek Brunson, Brad Pickett vs. Eddie Wineland, Leonard Garcia vs. Max Holloway, Michael Johnson vs. Myles Jury, Philip De Fries vs. Todd Duffee, Byron Bloodworth vs. Erik Perez from Las Vegas, Nev. Read more -
Tuesday MMA: A TV Viewer’s Guide
By: Jeff Sherwood
Tuesday
5:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Mark Munoz vs. Chris Weidman
Mark Munoz vs. Chris Weidman; Brandon Vera vs. James Te Huna; Jon Fitch vs. Aaron Simpson. From San Jose, Calif.
8:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Mauricio Shogun vs. Brandon Vera
Mauricio Rua vs. Brandon Vera; Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader; Joe Lauzon vs. Jamie Varner; DaMarques Johnson vs. Mike Swick. From Los Angeles. (Card subject to change)
10:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic
Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic; Dan Hardy vs. Amir Sadollah; Brad Pickett vs. Yves Jabouin; Paul Sass vs. Matt Wiman; John Hathaway vs. John Maguire; Che Mills vs. Duane Ludwig. From Capital FM Arena in Nottingham, England. (Card subject to change)
1:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Travis Browne vs. Antonio Silva
Travis Browne vs. Antonio Silva; Jake Ellenberger vs. Jay Hieron; John Dodson vs. Jussier Formiga; Josh Neer vs. Justin Edwards. From Minneapolis.
3:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Rich Franklin vs. Cung Le
Rich Franklin vs. Cung Le; Stanislav Nedkov vs. Thiago Silva & more. From Macau, China.
6:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Benson Henderson vs. Nate Diaz
Benson Henderson vs. Nate Diaz; Alexander Gustafsson vs. Mauricio Rua; Rory MacDonald vs. B.J Penn; Matt Brown vs. Mike Swick. From Seattle.
8:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: George Sotiropoulos vs. Ross Pearson
Rousimar Palhares vs. Hector Lombard; Norman Parke vs. Colin Fletcher; Bradley Scott vs. Robert Whittaker; George Sotiropoulos vs. Ross Pearson. From Queensland, Australia. (Card subject to change)
10:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight
Top 50 UFC Moments in 2012 Part 2 Relive the Top 50 UFC Moments in 2012, from 25 down to number one, as we count down the year's greatest events in mixed martial arts.
10:30 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Ultimate Insider
Alexander Gustafsson's San Diego training; Joe Lauzon's signature moves; Arianny Celeste poses.
11:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Countdown
155: Leading up to the Heavyweight title fight UFC 155: Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez II.
12:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Benson Henderson vs. Nate Diaz
Benson Henderson vs. Nate Diaz; Alexander Gustafsson vs. Mauricio Rua; Rory MacDonald vs. BJ Penn; Matt Brown vs. Mike Swick. From Seattle. Read more -
Top 5 Stories of the Week
By: Brian Knapp
Junior dos Santos finds himself in good company with Nike. | Photo: Sherdog.com
Junior dos Santos now stands alongside middleweight champion Anderson Silva and light heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones, as the 28-year-old became the latest Ultimate Fighting Championship athlete to ink a sponsorship deal with international sports apparel giant Nike.
Dos Santos will defend his heavyweight crown in a rematch with the American Kickboxing Academy’s Cain Velasquez in the UFC 155 main event on Dec. 29 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The affable Brazilian bomber has won all nine of his fights inside the Octagon, finishing seven of them. Dos Santos burst on the scene in 2008, when he knocked out two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist Fabricio Werdum in 81 seconds at UFC 90.
Other stories of interest on Sherdog.com this week centered on famed boxing trainer Freddie Roach and his role in a potential Silva-Georges St. Pierre super fight, another injury to the snakebitten Shane Carwin, Cung Le’s signature victory over Rich Franklin in China and the announcement of an intriguing welterweight matchup between Jon Fitch and Demian Maia.
Junior Swoosh
Silva No Mystery
Damaged Goods
More Than a Sideshow
Style Clash
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Friday MMA: A TV Viewer’s Guide
By: Jeff Sherwood
Friday
5:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Rich Franklin vs. Cung Le Weigh-In
From Cotai Arena in Macau, China.
6:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Unleashed
Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes.
7:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Fight Night
Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger.
9:00 a.m. ET MTV2: Bellator Fighting Championships 79
From Rama, Ontario.
10:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Fight Night
UFC: Gustafsson vs. Silva Thiago Silva vs. Alexander Gustafsson from Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
1:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Fight Night
UFC: Korean Zombie vs. Poirier From Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia.
4:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Mark Munoz vs. Chris Weidman
Mark Munoz vs. Chris Weidman; Brandon Vera vs. James Te Huna; Jon Fitch vs. Aaron Simpson. From San Jose, Calif.
7:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Rich Franklin vs. Cung Le Weigh-In
From Cotai Arena in Macau, China.
8:00 p.m. ET MTV2: Bellator Fighting Championships 80
9:00 p.m. ET AXS: Inside MMA
EPISODE: 265 Josh Barnett; Martin Kampmann; Derek Brunson; Roy Nelson.
10:00 p.m. ET AXS: AXS TV Fights
Legacy Fighting Championship 13 Jared Rosholt vs. Derreck Lewis.
10:00 p.m. ET FX: The Ultimate Fighter
Season 16 Episode 9: Betrayal James Chaney owns up to his unsportsmanlike conduct; one fighter turns against his friend; Mike Ricci takes on Dom Waters in the final preliminary fight; Dana White announces the quarterfinal match-ups.
10:30 p.m. ET The Score: The Score Fighting Series
The Score Fighting Series (SFS) features fighters from North America and beyond with a focus on exciting match-ups and developing the next generation of great fighters. Tune in for non-stop action from events across the country.
11:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet Pacific: UFC Primetime
Georges St. Pierre vs. Carlos Condit
11:00 p.m. ET FX: UFC Primetime
EPISODE: 27
11:30 p.m. ET Sportsnet Pacific: UFC Central
Hosted by "Showdown" Joe Ferraro. UFC highlights and news.
11:30 p.m. ET Sportsnet West: UFC Primetime
Georges St. Pierre vs. Carlos Condit
12:00 a.m. ET AXS: Inside MMA
EPISODE: 265 Josh Barnett; Martin Kampmann; Derek Brunson; Roy Nelson. Read more -
Poll: Who should Jon Fitch Face Next?
Follow the jump for reader comments. Read more -
Top 5 Forum Threads of the Week
By: Jeff Sherwood
B.J. Penn fought Jon Fitch to a stalemate at UFC 127 in February 2011. A rematch was scheduled for UFC 132 five months later, but Fitch was forced to withdraw with a shoulder injury and a second bout between the two never materialized. Now, the 34-year-old welterweight has taken aim at Penn’s character.
Other topics on the Sherdog.net forums this week include Jean Claude Van Damme’s foray into MMA training, UFC President Dana White’s take on testosterone replacement therapy, Alexander Gustafsson’s thoughts on a potential matchup with Mauricio Rua and skepticism regarding Nick Diaz’s accomplishments.
Fitch: Cowardly Hawaiian
Van Damme, GSP on Common Ground
White on TRT
‘The Mauler’ Says Bring on ‘Shogun’
Tricky Nick
Follow the jump for reader comments. Read more -
Fitch: No Need to Dumb Down MMA
By: Yael Grauer
Jon Fitch will lock horns with two-time NCAA national wrestling champion Johny Hendricks in a featured welterweight matchup at UFC 141 “Lesnar vs. Overeem” on Friday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Fitch, 33, has gone the distance in nine consecutive fights. Although some argue that mixed martial artists need to entertain the masses, Fitch, in a recent interview with Sherdog.com, examined the idea:
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“A fight is a fight. We fight to find out who’s the best, whose the best style is. The whole point of UFC 1 was to find out what style was the most effective and whose is the best, and I think we’ve gotten away from just styles, you know, jiu-jitsu or boxing or whatever, and we’ve gotten into games, like what kind of game is dominant, who’s going to apply which types of pieces from each style in their game to make it dominant. And I think that’s exciting and fun to watch, and if people don’t think that’s exciting and fun to watch, then I don’t think they’re a fan of MMA. I think they’re a pro wrestling fan and I think they’re a kung fu movie fan, and that’s what they want to see. I think they want to see pro wrestling or kung fu movies, and I don’t think that we should dumb down the sport to make that small percentage of people happy. I don’t think it makes sense. I don’t like soccer, but I don’t go on forums all day and bitch and moan about how they don’t use their hands.”
Follow the jump for reader comments. -
Jon Fitch's Road to Recovery (Part I)
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UFC Official Ratner: UFC 127 Drug Tests Clean
By: Mike Whitman
All six fighters who submitted to drug screens for UFC 127 have been cleared by the UFC following the promotion’s most recent trip to Australia.
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UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner on Wednesday told Sherdog.com that tests for both main event fighters -- B.J. Penn and Jon Fitch -- as well as four other unnamed and randomly selected combatants came back clean. All six fighters were tested for both performance-enhancing drugs and drugs of abuse, says Ratner.
UFC 127 took place Feb. 27 at Acer Arena in Sydney and was overseen by the Combat Sports Authority of New South Wales; the UFC conducted its drug testing independent of the state-run organization. The event drew a reported 18,186 spectators for a live gate of more than $3.5 million. -
UFC 127 ‘Penn vs. Fitch’ Analysis: The Main Card
By: Tim Leidecker
Dennis Siver (file photo, left) put on a show at UFC 127. | Sherdog.com
The UFC’s return to Australia was characterized by a couple of evenly matched fights. The quality and name value of UFC 127 “Penn vs. Fitch” offered a little bit of everything, with two upsets and a technically and tactically supreme headliner as its centerpieces.
Analysis follows for the five main card bouts at UFC 127. Read more