UFC 143 results: Stephen Thompson blasts Dan Stittgen with head-kick KO
LAS VEGAS - "Wonderboy" lived up to his nickname.
In a clash of UFC welterweight newcomers, champion kickboxer Stephen Thompson connected on a vicious head kick to Dan Stittgen that prompted a stunning first-round knockout
The bout kicked off the UFC 143 preliminary card and streamed on Facebook from Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center. It preceded additional prelims on FX and a pay-per-view main card.
|  |
MMAjunkie.com Radio (1 a.m. ET): Post-UFC 143 show with Miesha Tate, Tom Atencio
MMAjunkie.com Radio goes "prime time" following the conclusion of tonight's UFC 143 event.
Strikeforce champion Miesha Tate and Affliction executive Tom Atencio are in studio, and a few UFC 143 winners may join the program as well.
MMAjunkie.com Radio airs tonight from 1-3 a.m. ET (10 p.m. to midnight PT) live from
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Listen to and
watch a video stream of the two-hour show at www.mmajunkie.com/radio.
|  |
The Sunday Junkie: Feb. 5 edition
The MMAjunkie.com e-mailbox could hardly contain the flood of entries that came in this week for The Sunday Junkie.
Nor surprisingly, Carlos Condit's heavily debated victory over Nate Diaz in Saturday's UFC 143 headliner was a popular topic, and readers tackled all aspects of the pay-per-view fight.
This week's winner of our weekly reader-feedback feature, Indiana reader "Gallbladder_Flush," thinks angered Diaz fans need to look at the facts and realize there was, in fact, a clear winner in the title fight.
|  |
UFC 143 results: Ed Herman continues momentum, taps Clifford Starks
LAS VEGAS - Ed Herman's career resurgence shows no signs of slowing down.
For the third time in three fights since an extended injury layoff due to knee injuries, the veteran middleweight picked up an impressive victory - this time against a game Clifford Starks.
The main-card bout was part of UFC 143 and aired on pay-per-view from Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center. Prelims aired on FX and streamed on Facebook.
|  |
UFC 143 results: Matt Brown staggers, drops Chris Cope for second-round KO
LAS VEGAS - As mounting punches clearly took their toll, Matt Brown finally landed the fight-ending blow.
Facing fellow welterweight scrapper Chris Cope, Brown chipped away with dirty boxing before staggering his opponent with a right hook to the ear that set up a second-round knockout victory.
The preliminary-card bout was part of UFC 143 and aired on FX following additional prelims on Facebook. It preceded a pay-per-view main card at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center.
|  |
Brandon Vera injured, out of UFC on FX 3 rematch with Thiago Silva
A scheduled rematch between Thiago Silva and Brandon Vera will have to wait.
UFC officials today announced that Vera has suffered an undisclosed injury, and a replacement is being sought for his light-heavyweight bout with Silva at May's UFC on FX 3 event.
The show is scheduled for May 15 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va. The night's main card airs on FX.
|  |
UFC veteran Tito Ortiz hopes to end career with Forrest Griffin rubber match
Tito Ortiz thinks he has just one more fight left in his illustrious career, and he hopes it'll come against Forrest Griffin.
The former light-heavyweight champion and future UFC Hall of Famer joined MMAjunkie.com Radio on Friday night and confirmed that his next fight will be his last.
"I just turned 37 years old," he said. "I've been in the game for 15 years and competing only with the UFC. I know it's time for me to kind of hang 'em up."
|  |
UFC 143 results: Josh Koscheck edges 'stepping stone' Mike Pierce via split decision
LAS VEGAS - After Mike Pierce called him out on MMAjunkie.com Radio and ultimately got the fight he wanted, opponent Josh Koscheck labeled him a stepping stone and promised to send him back to the welterweight division's middle of the pack.
Koscheck earned a close decision win, but Pierce's stock will suffer little.
The main-card bout was part of UFC 143 and aired on pay-per-view from Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center.
|  |
UFC 143 results: Fabricio Werdum tops Roy Nelson in successful UFC return
LAS VEGAS - After three-and-a-year absence from the organization and picking up some major wins in Strikeforce, Fabricio Werdum made a successful return to the UFC.
The Brazilian heavyweight outlasted and even out-struck fellow big man Roy Nelson en route to a unanimous-decision victory.
The fight co-headlined UFC 143 and aired on pay-per-view from Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center. Prelims aired on FX and streamed on Facebook.
|  |
'Matured' Ed Herman thankful for UFC 143 win, career resurgence
LAS VEGAS - In 2007, Ed Herman's UFC future looked bright.
Despite falling short in the finals of "The Ultimate Fighter 3" and then
subsequently losing to Jason MacDonald, Herman then
rattled off three-straight wins, scoring three bonus checks in the
process.
But Herman's career then took a horrible detour, with "Short Fuse" going
1-3 and spending nearly two years out of the cage. Despite being one of
the worst periods in Herman's life, the 31-year-old admits it helped
him value what he has today.
|  |
UFC boss praises Roy Nelson's durability but unsure what his future holds
LAS VEGAS - On Saturday night in Las Vegas, Roy Nelson did what Roy
Nelson does best: Walk forward, opponent be damned, and wing right
hands.
And while his gutsy performance earned "Big Country" one-half of UFC
143's "Fight of the Night" bonus, the loss leaves Nelson at just 1-3 in
his past four fights.
So despite earning one of the loudest welcomes of the night from the
Mandalay Bay Events Center crowd, is Nelson's spot in the UFC's
heavyweight division secure?
|  |
Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen II set for June in Brazil
LAS VEGAS - The rematch is happening.
At Saturday night's UFC 143 post-fight press conference, UFC president
Dana White confirmed that both UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva and his nemesis Chael Sonnen
have verbally agreed to meet in Brazil on an as-yet-undetermined date
in June.
Silva was in Las Vegas for Saturday's fight card, and White said an agreement was reached during the event.
|  |
With Josh Koscheck's AKA relations strained, is Jon Fitch fight finally possible?
LAS VEGAS - UFC 143 winner Josh Koscheck dropped
the first hint of trouble at this past Thursday's pre-fight press
conference, when he talked about the importance of "Team Me."
Following his split-decision win over Mike Pierce at Saturday's event in Las Vegas, Koscheck opened the flood gates.
"I'll be training out of Fresno for now," Koscheck told MMAjunkie.com. "I'm no longer affiliated with some of the people
at the gym that I've been training at."
|  |
Dana White, new champ Carlos Condit perfectly content with UFC 143 result
LAS VEGAS - Depending on who you talk to, Carlos Condit's
unanimous-decision win over Nick Diaz in the main event of Saturday
night's UFC 143 event in Las Vegas was either a brilliantly designed and
perfectly executed gameplan or a mockery of mixed martial arts.
While it's obvious, of course, which Condit believes, you can also count
UFC president Dana White among those who thinks the "Natural Born
Killer" did all the right things.
"Carlos Condit won," White said following the evening's post-event press
conference. "He went in there, and he fought a great fight."
|  |
Terry Martin replaces injured Jeremy Hamilton at Superior Cage Combat 4
Hard-hitting UFC and Strikeforce veteran Terry Martin will step
in on short notice for an injured Jeremy Hamilton and face
middleweight prospect Tim Ruberg at this month's Superior Cage Combat 4
event in Las Vegas.
MMAjunkie.com today confirmed the change, and an official announcement is expected shortly.
Featuring a main event between UFC veterans Kendall Grove and Jay
Silva, "SCC 4: Grove vs. Silva" takes place Feb. 16 at Orleans
Arena in Las Vegas.
|  |
UFC 143 results: Renan Barao makes it 28 in a row, tops Scott Jorgensen via decision
LAS VEGAS - Renan Barao survived arguably the biggest test of his MMA career and scored a unanimous-decision victory over former WEC bantamweight title challenger Scott Jorgensen.
The impressive performance earned Barao his 28th straight win and solidified his status as one of the UFC's top 135-pound contenders.
The main-card bout was part of UFC 143 and aired on pay-per-view from Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center. Prelims aired on FX and streamed on Facebook.
|  |
UFC 143 bonuses: Thompson, Poirier, Werdum and Nelson earn $65K awards
LAS VEGAS - Stephen Thompson, Dustin Poirier, Fabricio Werdum and Roy Nelson each earned
$65,000 fight-night bonuses for their performances at Saturday's UFC 143 event.
Thompson earned the night's "Knockout of the Night" award, Poirier
picked up the "Submission of the Night" bonus, and Werdum and Nelson
earned "Fight of the Night" honors.
MMAjunkie.com learned of the bonus winners and award amounts at UFC 143's post-fight press conference.
|  |
UFC 143 draws a reported 10,040 attendance for $2.3 million live gate
LAS VEGAS - Saturday's "UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit" event drew a reported
10,040 attendees and generated a live gate of $2.3 million.
UFC president Dana White revealed the figures at the evening's post-event press conference, which MMAjunkie.com attended.
Featuring an interim welterweight title contest between former WEC
titleholder Carlos Condit and former Strikeforce champ Nick Diaz, UFC
143 marked the company's first 2012 event in Las Vegas.
|  |
UFC 143 results: Dustin Poirier taps Max Holloway with dual-submission finish
LAS VEGAS - Max Holloway showed promise, but he couldn't derail Dustin Poirier's momentum.
The featherweight newcomer and injury replacement showed toughness early, but Poirier ultimately got the fight to the mat and scored a first-round submission victory with a combination mounted triangle choke and armbar.
The preliminary-card bout was part of UFC 143 and aired on FX following
additional prelims on Facebook.
|  |
Will Nick Diaz's retirement stick? Following UFC 143, UFC boss not so sure
LAS VEGAS - UFC president Dana White understands why Nick Diaz is upset, even if he doesn't agree with the fighter's belief that he won Saturday's UFC 143 main event.
He also understands if Diaz goes through with an announced retirement, even if he thinks it'd be financially foolish to do so.
Quite simply, White has given up on trying to predict the 28-year-old's often-erratic behavior.
|  |
UFC 143 results: Edwin Figueroa edges Alex Caceres thanks to two-point deduction
LAS VEGAS - A rare two-point deduction for accidental low blows cost Alex Caceres a victory.
After twice connecting on the illegal shots, Caceres was deducted two points in the second round, and fellow bantamweight Edwin Figueroa squeaked by him for a dubious split-decision victory.
The preliminary-card bout was part of UFC 143 and aired on FX following
additional prelims on Facebook. It preceded a pay-per-view main card at
Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center.
|  |
UFC 143 results: Disciplined Carlos Condit tops stifled Nick Diaz, wins interim title
LAS VEGAS - Carlos Condit solved one of the most challenging puzzles in MMA.
The former WEC champ implemented a remarkably effective game plan and
won the UFC's interim welterweight title by stifling ever-active but
ultimately frustrated ex-Strikeforce titleholder Nick Diaz, who
suggested he may retire after the loss.
The fight headlined UFC 143 and aired on pay-per-view from Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center. Prelims aired on FX and streamed on Facebook.
|  |
UFC 143 results: Though tested, Rafael Natal bests newcomer Michael Kuiper
LAS VEGAS - It wasn't easy - and it took some a late-fight survival - but Rafael "Sapo" Natal got the win.
The middleweight scored a unanimous-decision victory in a hard-fought bout and delivered Dutch newcomer Michael Kuiper his first career loss.
The bout was part of the UFC 143 preliminary card and streamed on Facebook from Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center. It preceded additional prelims on FX and a pay-per-view main card.
|  |
UFC 143 results: Matt Riddle edges hard-hitting Henry Martinez via split decision
LAS VEGAS - Taking a fight on a week's notice and in a heavier weight class is usually a surefire recipe for disaster.
For UFC newcomer Henry Martinez, it proved an opportunity to prove his big-show worthiness, but he ultimately suffered a close split-decision defeat to welterweight Matt Riddle.
The preliminary-card bout was part of UFC 143 and aired on FX following additional prelims on Facebook. The main card aired on pay-per-view from Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center.
|  |
UFC 143 winner Barao wants title shot; boss says contender becoming Brazilian treasure
LAS VEGAS - The Ultimate Fighting Championship's own media notes on
Brazilian bantamweight Renan Barao sum it up nicely:
"Has best record, on paper, in all of MMA."
On Saturday night, Barao earned his 28th-straight win by downing onetime
title-challenger Scott Jorgensen via unanimous decision.
The 24-year-old is now 5-0 under the Zuffa banner, and while UFC
president Dana White isn't ready to grant him a title shot just yet, he
admits the Nova Uniao product is quickly becoming one of Brazil's most
popular fighters.
|  |
