By Sean McNie, Special to The Open Mat

A lot has gone down this past year, and with only weeks away from 2012, we’re still seeing major, historical things happening in mixed martial arts. I’ll talk about a few of these things here—namely the introduction of the flyweight division in the UFC, the current troubles with Alistair Overeem, and the title picture at 205. So without further adieu, let’s get started!

Oh, Alistair…

If there’s one fighter that has received the most buzz and rumors in 2011, it’s Alistair Overeem. Between the Strikeforce GP fallout, his entrance into the UFC, and problems with Golden Glory, among others, he’s been the most talked about fighter behind the scenes. Now we can add to this list all the happenings surrounding his upcoming UFC debut against Brock Lesnar.

It all started last week when a rumor broke that Overeem would be backing out of his fight with Lesnar. Although the rumor was said to be linked to journalist Kevin Iole, there were no official sources or explanations. It was known that Overeem had returned to Holland to attend to his sick mother, but rumors also flew about him being injured, and even having trouble with the Nevada State Athletic Commission—namely his pre-fight drug tests.

Well, someone bingo’d it along the way, as the news surfaced yesterday that Overeem was in hot water with the NSAC after missing mandatory drug screenings. He’s been issued a conditional license on the basis that he meets all future testing requirements.

Here’s why: Overeem left for Holland on November 17^th, the same day that the NSAC allegedly issued the blood screening. Overeem did not complete the test until the next week. Overeem swore under oath that he did not try to evade the NSAC and the tests. Lesnar was also issue the same request, and has been said to be compliant with the whole process.

Overeem is now required to complete another examination in the next 72 hours, and one more in Las Vegas immediately before the event. He also agreed to 2 random tests by the NSAC in the next 6 months after the fight. So far, so good. Barring any negative test results, Overeem is still in the fight.

However, this has sparked another rumor about the situation. Several sources have stated that Dana White spoke with Frank Mir after his fight on Saturday and asked him to step in if needed. Mir spoke on the subject in the post-fight press conference, and enthusiastically offered to take the fight on short notice had the rumors about Overeem been true.

Flyweights Debut in Australia

One of the big stories coming out of last week was the UFCs addition of the 125 pound weight class. Dana White announced that there would be a four-man tournament to decide the first undisputed flyweight champion with Ian McCall meeting Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benavidez against Yasuhiro Urushitani. Although White alluded to the flyweight debut being placed on a standard pay-per-view card, there were rumors that the four would meet at the second FX card in Australia.

In a post fight interview, White confirmed this rumor, stating that the flyweight semifinal was slated for UFC on FX 2 at the Allphones Arena in Sydney, Australia. This event will be live in Australia on Sunday, March 4^th, but will actually air to American audiences on Saturday. Martin Kampmann is also scheduled to meet Thiago Alves, but no other bouts have been confirmed.

White talks about the flyweight debut, among other subjects:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVIH_pP8oSQ

Rashad 1, Hendo 2

After his submission victory of Lyoto Machida on Saturday, it became clear that Jon Jones needed no more fights to prove he belonged at the top of the division. He lived up to the hype, and can now hang back and wait for the title picture to clear up until there is a true contender for him.

Rashad Evans has been waiting in the wings for almost a year, and many believe that he’s the most deserving at this point. However, after Jones’ victory, Dan Henderson wanted to make sure his name was in the hat at 205. He tweeted Dana White:

Congrats to @jonnybones – great win. Hey @danawhite, I’d like to see if his chin is as good as he thinks & I’m ready to go.

In a post-fight interview, Dana White commented that Henderson is being considered in the title picture, but it all depends on how the Evans-Davis fight plays out. He said if Evans should win, he gets the shot. But if Davis were to win, White alluded to him not getting an immediate shot.

It’s hard to say what White has planned, but as all fans understand, fighters can be reshuffled quickly. It’s not clear what will happen, but we can be fairly certain that Evans stands at the top of the list, with Henderson immediately behind him. Whether it works out like this is another story.

See you next week!

Before you start reading this week’s installment of rumors about Nick Diaz, Brittney Palmer, TUF 15, and Minowaman, do yourself a favor and YouTube “Timex Social Club – Rumors.” Set it up in another tab. Press play. Get funky. Start reading. You’re welcome.

Nick Diaz Training with Mayweather Sr.

Nick Diaz is already one of the best boxers in mixed martial arts, but rumor has it that he’s stepping up his striking by working with the famous Floyd Mayweather Sr.

Last week Cesar Gracie started the rumor by tweeting: “Just spoke with Floyd Mayweather Sr He wants to help Nick beat any fighter trained by “Freddie Roach Coach” lol It’s on!”

Since then, sources close to the camp have stated that Diaz has agreed to the partnership. It’s not clear if they have started training together yet, or what type of financial agreement has been made between them. However, Mayweather is not a cheap hire, so it sounds like Diaz is paying top dollar in order to train with the boxing great.
Mayweather famously worked with Oscar De La Hoya for a short period of time before De La Hoya began training with Freddie Roach, another famous boxing trainer that now works with Georges St. Pierre. This created a bit of tension between Mayweather and Roach, so it seems helping Diaz defeat GSP will give him somewhat of a personal victory, as well. Mayweather Sr. has also worked with BJ Penn on his boxing in the past.

Check out this recent video of Floyd Sr. sparring with some douche that sucker punches him and subsequently catches a beatdown: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPcxosUMIOU

Faber-Cruz Next TUF Coaches?

After his submission victory over Brian Bowles, DFW made the official announcement that Urijah Faber would get another shot at Dominic Cruz—his third shot. In order to generate more hype for this fight, many are speculating that the two will be the next coaches of The Ultimate Fighter, and will meet once the next season has finished.

Although there have been no actual reports or announcements, White’s demeanor during interviews after UFC 139 may indicate that a Cruz-Faber TUF is in the works. During the post-fight press conference, Faber commented that he and Cruz should be the next coaches for the show. Ariel Helwani also asked DFW about the rumor in an interview, to which White gave a smirk and replied “It’s not a bad idea, we’ll see.” It sounds like White is definitely considering this possibility, but how certain it is that these two will be coaches is still unclear.

Season 15 of TUF will debut on FX in March, so you can expect the coaches to be announced soon. Check out this interview with DFW where he talks about the next TUF and more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlnT47s9g-E

Minowa vs Grove – ProElite 3
Last week it was rumored that Ikuhisa Minowa would make his return to the UFC when the promotion heads to Japan. Now that the official card for that event has been released, we know that rumor isn’t true.

People are still talking about Minowaman’s next fight, and many believe it will be against Kendall Grove at the next ProElite event. Sources close to the promotion have stated that Minowa-Grove is expected for ProElite 3, which is scheduled for January 21st, 2012 in Hawaii.

Grove, who would be fighting in his home state, defeated Joe Riggs in an impressive performance at ProElite 1 this past August. This would be Minowa’s 93rd professional fight. He’s participated in historical Pride and Pancrase events, as well as numerous others over his career. It’s expected that the two will meet at 185 pounds.

Brittney Palmer at UFC 140

This wouldn’t be a proper rumor column without Brittney Palmer involved. After several months out of the spot light, it seems Brittney “The People’s Champ” Palmer will be making her return to the UFC at UFC 140 in Toronto, Canada.

A fan asked Palmer in Twitter if she’ll be attending this card. She responded with “I’ll be there!” Although it’s possible she’ll be attending the event as a part of the audience, many are speculating that she’s returning to work for good starting at this event.

Controversy brewed over the summer when Palmer was abruptly pulled from the promotions website. After a powerful legion of white knights flamed UFC president Dana White over the internet, Palmer’s profile was restored, and he made a statement explaining that she had not been removed from the promotion, but was actually taking time to dedicate herself to art school in Southern California.

Before White made an official announcement that she would be returning to work, Palmer stated in an interview that if fans wanted to see her back, they needed to ask White. This sparks my curiosity. If it was her plan all along to leave and attend school, she would have a much better idea of when her return would be, not White. Either way we’ll be seeing her sooner rather than later.

The 140 card pits Jon Jones against Lyoto Machida in the main event, with yet another solid card from top to bottom.

Enjoy the fights this weekend!

By Sean McNie – Special to TheOpenMat

In the wake of one of the most action packed weekends in mixed martial arts, it seems like we’ve hit a bit of a rut. Sure, there won’t be any fights this weekend, but the hangover (both literally and metaphorically) from this past weekend gives us just enough water cooler talk to tide us over. In this week’s collection of rumors we talk about Fedor, Minowa, and some major speculated matchups at 185 and 205. Here we go!

Sonnen-Munoz on Fox 2

The middleweight title picture just got a little more interesting. A rumor surfaced yesterday that Chael Sonnen would not wait for his shot to face an injured Anderson Silva. Instead he may take a crack at another undisputed contender, Mark Munoz.

It’s been stated that Silva may be out until next summer with a shoulder injury, which leaves a lot of waiting for these two. The rumor is that the former wrestlers will face each other in early 2012 on Fox’s second show to decide who gets a shot at the champ once he comes off the bench.

It’s likely that this rumor is true, as Sonnen has been vocal about staying active and taking on any challenger that DFW and Joe Silva throw at him. Also, when asked if Sonnen was being considered for this event, Dana White replied “It’s possible.”

Munoz is coming off four straight wins, with the most recent being against Chris Leben.

UFC Fox 2 is set for January 28th in Chicago. Other rumored bouts on this card are Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez and Melvin Guillard vs. Jim Miller.

Fedor Not UFC Bound

A highly controversial rumor coming out of this past weekend is that Fedor Emelianenko may be in talks with the UFC yet again. However, Emelianenko’s management confirmed with Fighters Only today that these reports were false.

With a history of long negotiation periods that eventually fall through, it seems Fedor and his management are not willing to take another chance in the promotion at this time. The rumor was that Fedor would enter the promotion and possibly face Cain Velasquez.

It’s also been rumored that Fedor will face Olympic Judoka Satoshi Ishii this New Years, possibly under the K-1 banner. This fight has yet to be confirmed.

Dana White famously pounced on Fedor and his management in an interview this past August, commenting that the “Crazy Russians” turned down an “insane deal.” White stated that during their last negotiation period in 2009, Fedor and his management turned down a major deal to fight then-champion Brock Lesnar.

Another issue that has surfaced from these negotiations is that M-1 is adamant about co-promoting any card that “The Last Emperor” would appear on, which DFW would never go for. All of this together pretty much insures that we won’t see Fedor in the UFC any time soon. Check out the video below to revisit what happened last time Fedor was in negotiations with Zuffa. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiDWtXeXGjw

Minowa at UFC 144

In February, the UFC will make its return to Japan in over 10 years for UFC 144. The card is taking shape nicely, and there are rumors that the promotion is looking to sign a Japanese veteran for this card, or possibly for a longer stint.
Many are speculating that Ikuhisa Minowa, one of the most experienced fighters in the sport at 51-32-8, will be making his UFC debut on this card. Although no real announcement has been made, it is peculiar that the company has created his own profile page on UFC.com. It’s unclear if he’ll debut at 185 or 205.

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has been vocal about wanting to be a part of this card, and he actually lost to Minowa in Pride back in 2003. Could we see a rematch between these two legends?

Check out his UFC.com page: http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Ikuhisa-Minowa

Rampage vs Stephan Bonnar

In the current culture of call-outs, Stephan Bonnar may have alluded to the best possible match for him at 205.
After his decision victory over Kyle Kingsbury this past weekend, “The American Psycho” was asked who he’d like to fight next, to which he replied “Rampage.” Dana White also commented after the event that upon hearing Bonnar’s comments, Jackson text messaged him and agreed to take the fight.

Often times fighters ask for match ups that are

either fueled by bad blood, or else have very little relevancy to their own careers. It seems like the Bonnar-Jackson match may actually happen, given Bonnar is coming off of three straight wins and Jackson most recently losing to Jon Jones. The two have yet to fight, and this bout would decide who would remain in the hunt for a shot at the title.

Rampage, being a huge star in Japan, has mentioned that he would like to fight on the UFC 144 card there this February, so this is a possible destination for the fight if it happens.

Happy Thanksgiving!

By Sean McNie – Special to The Open Mat

Hello again, fight fans! Back again with another batch of rumors involving the K-1 Grand Prix, Tyson Fury and Brock Lesnar, and more. So without further adieu, here’s what’s being speculated upon in the world of MMA.

K-1 GP is Done

Many sources are claiming that the K-1 2011 World Grand Prix will no longer continue… for a few reasons.

The tournament is currently stalled at the round of 16, but due to complications with FEG, the company that owns K-1, the tournament may not be finished. And it’s also possible that K-1 as we know it today could be finished as well.

The event is supposedly set for October 29th, which has already been pushed back from its original slot in September. Only a few weeks out from the event, many fighters and managers are claiming that they have been pulled off of the show (Including Daniel Ghita), tickets are currently not on sale, and there is no advertisement of the upcoming event anywhere on the web.

Simon Rutz, president of IT’S SHOWTIME, shed some light on what’s going on with the organization in a post on its website on Monday. Rutz puts simply: “FEG, the parent company of the former K-1 brand, is technically bankrupt.”

In his post he explains that FEG will most likely go to a Korean investor, who is rumored to have a verbal agreement with FEG president Sadaharu Tanikawa. He also states there is a second investor in Bas Boon of Golden Glory that could step in if the first deal falls through.

Because of the company needing to change hands, and the complications that come with trying to patch together a broken event in less than two weeks time, the K-1 Grand Prix is done for this year, at the very least. Once the company does change hands, who knows what will happen; it could be a blessing or a curse. But it’s very possible that this is the end of the greatest tournament in the history of combat sports.

Fury Calls Out Lesnar

Although not exactly a rumor, heavyweight boxing champ Luke Tyson Fury’s challenge of Brock Lesnar does pose some interesting questions.

Fury, the undefeated current British and Commonwealth heavyweight boxing champion, tweeted a couple weeks back:
“I want to do something crazy like be involved in a mad match-up in boxing or MMA! Fury v Lesnar! Fury v Lesnar stand-up and fight with MMA gloves or without!”

Brits love their bare knuckle boxing, but it’s safe to say that this dream matchup won’t end up with a pub as a venue. But if both Brock and Dana White are keen to the idea, this fight may actually happen. It seems Fury is only interested in a standup fight, so modified MMA rules could be put into place.

This also brings about what stage Lesnar is in his career. If he’s on his way out the door, he probably won’t take any chances against the dangerous striker. But depending on how fares against Alistair Overeem, and whether he makes another run at the title, both boxing and MMA fans could be shelling out to watch this “super fight.”

Side note: 6 foot 9 Fury has an 85 inch reach, while Brock measures in at 6 foot 3 with an 81 inch reach.

Here are highlights from Fury’s most recent fight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7Kgiw32tI4

New ProElite Ring Girl?

Not much to talk about here, but ProElite announced that they may be hiring a new ring girl, Jennifer Swift. It seems ProElite will be announcing a guest ring girl/model contest soon, and Swift may be a part of it.

Check out her pics. (http://proelite.com/blogs/2011/10/rumor-has-it/)

See you next week!

By Sean McNie – Special to The Open Mat

MMA fans are spoiled. We get multiple live events practically every week. The media is fresh with news and interviews on a daily basis. It’s not uncommon to talk with a fighter through a message board or on Xbox Live. No other sport has a similar fan experience. But being spoiled and all, we still want more. And that’s what rumors are, that little bit of extra knowledge that slips through the cracks of the mainstream. So with that, here’s this week’s collection of happenings that may or may not be true.

Joe Son Allegedly Murders Cellmate

It’s fun to talk about possible matchups and camp changes—those kinds of rumors don’t hurt anybody. But once in a while a not so desirable, or rather grim rumor comes out that also needs to be reported. Well, this is that.
A member of the Underground forum that is supposedly linked to the Southern California prison system claims that Joe Son, who was sentenced to life in prison back in September, killed his cellmate on Monday. Although an investigation is still going, and a cause of death has not been released, all signs point to Son as the killer.

The source claims that Son was having difficulty with other inmates, and may have been attacked prior to the killing. Son was convicted of one felony account of torture, but previously held numerous other sexual offenses for a brutal assault on a woman in 1990.

Son had a lackluster mixed martial arts career with a record of 0-4. He is also known for his role as Random Task in the first Austin Powers movie.

Sonnen vs. Silva 2?!

We all know what Sonnen said after his victory over Brian Stann on Saturday: he wants Anderson for the title, in loser-leaves-town type fashion. He called for the fight to be placed on the Super Bowl weekend card in February, which traditionally takes place in Las Vegas. He pretty much did everything short of booking the arena and fighters himself.

While this could be viewed as wishful thinking on Sonnen’s part, it seems Dana White is buying what The People’s Champ is selling. After the post-fight press conference on Saturday, DFW told reporters: “I don’t like to commit to anything the night of the fights, but I’d be pretty f_____ stupid to not make that fight.”

White knows that fans want to see this rematch, and it’s likely that he’ll make it happen. Whether it’s on Super Bowl weekend, or possibly sooner, he knows this fight is a huge draw. Silva hasn’t been defeated since 2006, and Sonnen has won 11 of his last 14 fights.

White talks about the situation (and other things) here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TeF9U521xA

Brock’s Return to WWE

Brock Lesnar’s return to professional wrestling has been talked about for months, but now there are rumors that he could transition back to sports entertainment by as early as next year.

From sources close to his camp, supposedly Lesnar is having trouble training for his December bout with Alistair Overeem. No specific ailment or injury has been specific (i.e. diverticulitis), but the rumor is that he may look to return to the squared circle if he were to lose the fight.

This rumor is very questionable. If Brock returns to the WWE, look for his involvement to be very minimal. He’s been open about not wanting to be away from his family, and if there is any sort of long term problem going on, like the return of his illness, it’s likely that he’ll be close to home as much as possible.

But very interesting timing: it’s been announced that the UFC allowed for Brock’s likeness to be used in WWE: 12, the latest video game produced by the organization. The WWE was allowed to use Lesnar as a character so long as he was depicted as a professional wrestler, not a mixed martial artist. This could be a sign that he’s in the wrestling biz for the long haul. The game is set to release today.

DREAM Women’s Tourney

Multiple sources have reported that DREAM is looking to have a one-night, possibly open weight women’s tournament on New Year’s Eve. The company is reportedly interested in including Amanda Lucas, Rin Nakai, and possibly Miwa Asao. Oh, haven’t heard of Asao?

That’s because she’s a Japanese beach volleyball player. Asao is referred to as the “Pixie of the Beach” due to her good looks. It’s rumored that the willowy Asao will make her MMA debut at this event.

Obligatory video of said attractive woman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1l8XW0loDk

See you next week!

The only time you’ll hear me use the terms “juicy” and “bits” in the same sentence is when discussing MMA rumors. So don’t judge me. This week we’ve got some juicy bits about Alistair Overeem’s new camp, Nick Diaz on Inside MMA, and the debut of wrestling star Bubba Jenkins.

Overeem to Blackzilians?

Last week the news broke that Alistair Overeem would be leaving Golden Glory, his long-time fight camp and management team. Although he didn’t give details about why he was leaving, he did state that somehow the organization lost his trust somewhere along the way.

What was the Netherland team’s loss is surely some other camp’s tremendous gain, but where does the Strikeforce and K-1 champ go from here?

There is much speculation about The Reem joining the Blackzilian camp based out of American Top Team in Florida.

The addition of Overeem would be just in time to help Rashad Evans prepare for his anticipated shot at Jon “Bones” Jones.

“King” Mo Lawal, a member of the Blackzilian squad, tweeted to Evans on Saturday: @SugaRashadEvans when I get back…. Ima holla at u bout somethin thats a game changer…. Just like @Tyrone_spong was.

Mo also tweeted to a fan on Monday: we got a super camp bout to happen

Spong is said to be a friend of Overeem’s, so the rumor is the K-1 star will be bringing him on board. There’s no doubt that it has been difficult for Overeem to choose his next move with all of the UFC’s top heavyweights spread throughout the best camps. But a move to the Blackzilians seems likely because he would be the only top-tier heavyweight talent there. We could see him training with the team sometime in the next few weeks.

Check out the Blackzilians getting ready for a big month: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Al-IAt1xDM&feature=player_embedded

Bubba Jenkins’ December Debut

What was yesterday’s rumor is today’s officially scheduled fight.

The eagerly anticipated MMA debut of 2011 NCAA National Champ, Bubba Jenkins, is just around the corner. The rumor surfaced yesterday that he would be taking his first fight at a Tachi Palace event in December.

Since this first came about, Tachi Palace officials have actually spoken about the lightweight bout being officially scheduled for December 2nd against fellow rookie Chris Huerta.

Jenkins trains with American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida. He makes his transition to MMA from folkstyle wrestling, where he was one of very few rather flamboyant personalities.

Jenkins competed for Penn State University where he was a NCAA runner-up in 2008. After a conflict with PSU head coach Cael Sanderson, Bubba J transferred to Arizona State University where he won the national championship at 157 pounds in 2011.

The guy even cuts his own interviews: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-n4FYn4B5E

Diaz on Inside MMA

He’s evaded the spotlight nearly his whole career, but things seem to be changing for no-nonsense Nick Diaz.
We all know the story: Diaz fell out with the UFC, and then somehow found his way back in the company’s good graces. Since the incident, Dana White spoke openly about keeping Diaz within the company so long as he “played the game,” or in other words, showed up for media events and press conferences.

Since DFW is keeping him around, at least for the time being, it seems as if we’ll see Diaz at a press conference or two. After a tweet from everyone’s favorite Bas Rutten this past weekend, it sounds like we may be seeing Diaz on other media outlets as well. On Saturday El Guapo tweeted:

On MMA junkie Nick Diaz said Inside MMA never invited him? We did twice, 1 time no show, other time he called in sick, so again, no show

But, we wanna try again I hear, would love to have him on, just thought to mention this after reading that article

The article Rutten is referring to is an interview with mmajunkies.com where Diaz states: “People don’t film me. People don’t put me in magazines. I’ve never been invited on ‘Inside MMA’ or ‘MMA Live.’”

Whether it was a misunderstanding, or whatever the case may be, it sounds like Diaz is starting to care, or at least pretending to. It looks like we’re going to see more of the Stockton native, but are we ready?

See you next week!

By Sean McNie, Special to The Open Mat

Hello again, everybody! Time for another dose of rumors, so let’s not waste any time. This week we talk about Gina Carano and the WWE, why Arlovski-McCorkle won’t happen, and much more.

Gina Carano, WWE Diva?

Numerous pro wrestling news sites are reporting the WWE is expressing interest in women’s MMA star Gina Carano for a possible run in the squared-circle.

The organization held a focus group recently, at which attendees were given a survey. The survey was designed to gauge the public interest of several different professional wrestling personalities. However, “The Face of Women’s MMA” was mentioned in this survey numerous times. Attendees were also asked questions about John Cena’s upcoming movie, The Reunion.

It’s possible that the long-time wrestling powerhouse may be trying to give Carano a push into sports entertainment. They may also be interested in using her for some kind of movie role. The purpose for including her in the survey is unclear at this time.

Carano is rumored to return at Strikeforce 37 in December. No announcements, including an opponent, have been made for this fight. She’s currently 7-1, with her only loss coming to Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos.

Check her out on American Gladiators: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5d5snO3mYg

Arlovski Declines McCorkle Fight

Just a few weeks ago, veteran Andrei “The Pit Bull” Arlovski snapped a four-fight losing streak with a win over Ray Lopez. The fight was under the ProElite banner, where it seems Arlovski (16-9) has gotten back into his groove—so much so that it’s been said that he may return on another card in November.

Ariel Helwani recently reported that sources close to the situation stated “The Pit Bull” was offered Sean “Big Sexy” McCorkle, but declined to take the fight.

ProElite did not comment on the situation, and nothing was discussed when McCorkle was a guest on Helwani’s MMA Hour on Monday.

Since this fight clearly won’t be happening, many are speculating that the organization may try to snag former UFC fighter Tim Sylvia (29-7) for a bout against Arlovski. The two have fought three times previously, with Sylvia winning the first, and “The Pit Bull” winning the most recent pair.

Rocha vs. Thiago

Unconfirmed reports have stated that rising star, Carlos Eduardo Rocha, will be making his return in the near future against Paulo Thiago.

Thiago, with an overall record of 14-3, is coming off a win against David Mitchell. Rocha’s only loss in ten fights has come at the hands of last weekend’s Ultimate Fight Night winner, Jake Ellenberger.

No card has been targeted for this bout, but Rocha is coming off of a recent surgery on both of his elbows. He fought in his last two bouts with dislocated and broken parts in his elbows, and has since been rehabbing them.

Apparently Rocha is back training full-speed, but this bout will depend on when he’s ready, if it does indeed happen.

Fox Switcheroo

Last week’s switcheroo was Nick Diaz’s removal from the welterweight title fight at UFC 137. This week’s rumored change-up is out of necessity and much less controversial, but still just as exciting.

Sources close to the organization are claiming that the fight between Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez, which was originally set for Fox on November 12th, may need to be pushed back due to injury. Who will replace them, you may be asking?

None other than Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem.

A few months ago it was rumored that Velasquez was still having trouble with his shoulder, though he spoke in many interviews about being in top shape. It’s not certain if JDS is injured, either. If an injury does prove to be true we’ll definitely know soon.

This move also brings Brock’s health into the picture: Will he be able to get medical clearance in time? Brock vs. Overeem was slated for UFC 141 on December 30th, so the fact that he may not be ready in time may bust this rumor.

Note: For what it’s worth, this source also claims to have heard about the Diaz-Condit switch the night before DFW made the announcement.

Here’s an Ubereem-Lesnar trailer with some cool training HL’s: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMkfN5f6zEQ

Anderson-Henderson in 2012?

The biggest question coming out of UFC Rio was who is worthy of a shot at Anderson Silva. Although a likely answer is the winner of Chael Sonnen vs. Brian Stann in October, there have been a lot of rumblings of the possibility of a rematch between him and Dan Henderson.

The two fought back at UFC 82 in 2008, where Silva defeated Hendo with a rear naked choke to unify the Pride and UFC middleweight titles.

Ariel Helwani spoke about this rumor on the MMA Hour last week, saying that it was supposedly targeted for as early as November in San Jose. However, since then more information has been revealed about Silva’s shoulder injury, and it sounds like we won’t see him until early 2012.

Silva had a sore shoulder going into his bout with Okami. After an MRI, doctors told Silva that there was no major damage, and surgery will not be needed. Silva should be back after a stint of rehab, and hopefully against Henderson. It’s unclear if this will be for the title at 185, or if the two will meet in a “super fight” at 205, which is Hendo’s preferred weight.

Obligatory hype video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQthfTsS0e8

Marquardt-Daley at BAMMA 8?

It’s been reported that Nate Marquardt will make his return to MMA at BAMMA 8 in December, but he has yet to be given an opponent. Many are speculating that Paul Daley will be the one to meet Marquardt after his win over Jordan Radev this past weekend.

Marquardt spoke about this rumor in an interview with the promotion, and although he didn’t refute it, he said there may be issues due to Daley’s weight. “I really want to fight Daley but BAMMA wants me to fight for the title and Paul has missed weight a number of times recently,” said Marquardt.

Daley weighed in at 176 pounds against Radev, and has missed weight on several other occasions. Since Marquardt’s debut will be for the vacant welterweight title, it’s believed that Daley may not get the nod due to his track record. However, it’s safe to say this is the title fight that needs to happen, but maybe not right away.

Thanks for reading… See you next week!

Happy Wednesday! There’s another weekend of big fights coming up and we’ve got some speculation to go along with the anticipation. This week’s batch of rumors talks about Fedor, Ben Hendo, Tyrone Spong, and more. Let’s get started!

Tyrone Spong FTW
The most compelling rumor this week was supplied by Muhammad “King Mo” Lawal on TapouT Radio. The always boisterous former freestyle wrestler revealed that kickboxing star, Tyrone Spong, knocked out a top MMA fighter in sparring recently. Mo said it was a major fighter that was a part of one of the recent UFC events.

“One of the fighters that fought in the recent UFC got knocked out by him. I’m not gonna name no names, but they got they ass slept,” Mo said.

Although no names were given, all signs point to Rashad Evans, who brought Spong into the newly-founded Blackzilian camp. Evans is no slouch in the striking department himself, displaying outstanding kickboxing in his UFC 133 bout against Tito Ortiz. But he may not yet be on the level of the WFCA Thaiboxing champ, however.

Spong is notorious for his hard sparring, and it’s been said that it’s tough for him to find training partners because he demolishes everyone he comes in contact with. With an overall record of 67-6-1, one of his few losses came at the hands of Alistair Overeem in the quarterfinals of the K-1 Grand Prix last December. Spong is currently working on his ground game with the Blackzilians for a future move to MMA.

Watch The Spong vs. The Reem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9aqWn6SPgA

Fedor-Randleman II
Last week it was announced that “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko would be making his return to MMA at an M-1 Global event sometime in the fall.

“Fedor is going to fight in late fall in Russia,” said Vadim Finkelstein. “We have already reached all the necessary agreements on his fight.”

Although it has not been announced, rumors have been circulating for months about a possible rematch with veteran Kevin Randleman. The two met back in 2004 in the quarterfinals of the Pride Heavyweight Grand Prix, where Emelianenko won via Kimura after being viciously slammed on his head.

Randleman has lost 8 of his last 10 fights, while Emelianenko is coming off 3 losses. This rumor is very loose, but since there is a lack of heavyweight talent outside of the Zuffa regime, the Randleman rematch could be possible.

Bendo Returning to Wrestling?
Joe Warren may not be the only fighter returning to his wrestling roots this year. Ben Henderson was a guest on Inside MMA last week along with 2000 Olympic champion, Rulon Gardner. On the show, Gardner mentioned he would be making his return to Greco-Roman competition this October at the Sunkist Kids International Open in Arizona.

Henderson was also a 2x NAIA All-American at Dana College in Nebraska. Gardner told him that since he trains in Glendale, he should give the tournament a shot.

“I might have to put my singlet back on,” Henderson said.

Bendo is coming off of a huge win over Jim Miller, so a title shot or another high profile matchup is on the horizon. It was also reported last week that he signed a new multi-fight contract with the UFC. This means that if Henderson were to make a return to the mat, the tournament could not get in the way of his hunt for the 155 pound strap.

Check out Gardner’s historic gold medal match:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MI7KuGb48E

Thanks for reading! Enjoy the fights this weekend!

By Sean McNie – Special to The Open Mat

After a historical night in Rio, fight fans are sent back to their real lives pondering what’s next on the horizon. No need to wait for the next event in vain, though. There are a lot of rumors from this past week to talk about, including: Shogun-Machida 3, problems at Rampage’s camp, and yes, more rumors about The Reem.

Spies in Rampage’s Camp?

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson usually makes headlines for off-color comments and humping female reporters, but this week it’s a much more serious issue. In an interview with Yahoo! Monday morning, Rampage stated that he thinks there is a member of his camp that is leaking information to Jon Jones and his management.

The story starts at UFC 114 against Rashad Evans. Jackson entered the fight with a knee injury that he thought he had successfully kept quiet. Be it by strategy or coincidence, Evans dished out strikes to Rampage’s injured knee while he had him against the cage.

Apparently Rampage thought little of this until he recently started receiving messages on Twitter about a spy being amongst his training partners. This led Rampage, who is no stranger to drama, to fabricate a hand injury in order to test the situation.

According to Rampage, about four hours after he had created the rumor, UFC matchmaker, Joe Silva, was calling to ask about it. According to Silva, Jones’ manager had contacted him about the injury, which proves Rampage’s theory.

Rampage typically trains at the Wolfslair in England, but has moved his training camp closer to home for his last few fights. It’s been confirmed that Hellhouse fighter, Mark Miller, is a part of Jackson’s current camp, but others remain uncertain.

Rua-Machida 3 on Fox

Here’s a rubber match you won’t mind watching. Sources close to the organization say that Dana White approached Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in his locker room after his knockout win over Forrest Griffin on Saturday night. Rumor is that the UFC boss asked if Shogun would feel healthy enough to fight against Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida on November 12th in the promotion’s first show on Fox.

Contracts will need to be signed soon, so we should know within a few weeks if this fight will happen or not. If true, this would be the third fight between the two Brazilians. Shogun lost their first fight by decision in 2009, but got his revenge via TKO the next year for the light heavyweight championship.

In case you missed it, here’s DFW talking about the new Fox deal: http://youtu.be/1YFUmSJI3yw

Another Overeem Rumor

It’s no secret that the multi-promotional champion, Alistair Overeem, and the UFC are back in negotiations. But this begs the question: who does the Golden Glory fighter debut against?
It was originally rumored that he’d be facing fellow freak show, Brock Lesnar, at UFC 140. Although nothing is set in stone at the moment, the most recent rumblings are about Ubereem’s debut being against former contender, Shane Carwin.

Carwin even went so far as to post a message on the Underground forum about the addition of Overeem to the UFC, and also about his own return after his loss to Junior dos Santos earlier this summer. Interestingly enough, Carwin ended his post with: “Thoughts on Overeem joining the UFC and who should I fight when I get back in the octagon?” I don’t know if it’s just me, but this seems like Carwin is either creating hype or testing the waters with this post. Either way, Carwin is a good choice to welcome Overeem to the UFC, as the winner will be put into the title picture. A win would keep Carwin alive in the UFC after back-to-back losses, while Overeem brings a 7-fight win streak from Strikeforce, Dream, and Ultimate Glory bouts.

That’s it for now… See you next week! Thanks for reading!

MMA history says it’s a good idea to remember the names of former Missouri Tigers wrestling sensations and here’s another: Mark Ellis.

In sports, a “factory school” means a certain university has a reputation for producing exceptional professional athletes out of former student-athletes. The term has been popular in describing successful NCAA Division I football and basketball programs. The University of Missouri is quickly becoming an MMA counterpart for producing such talent.

Ellis, all 6’5” and 255 pounds of him, can be best described as can’t-miss prospect.  He is scheduled to make his long-awaited debut Saturday on the ProElite card in Hawaii against former University of Hawaii linebacker Jake Heun (1-0).

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