MMA News and Notes

We're going to go around the MMA world to see who is reporting what.

MMA Weekly has an interview with the Rua brothers
talking the past, present and future.

Lots more behind the cut.



MMA Weekly also has a look at the UK MMA Scene
they also have a look at new UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture

Speaking of Couture, and I just was, he and Mick Foley were guests on last night's Between the Ropes give it a listen.

Another man who once had a fight in the UFC Joao Peirini is a naughty naughty boy

"I want sanctioning in every state says UFC President Dana White.

Ultimate Fighter 1 cast member Nate Quarry tells NBC Sports: "I grew up in a Cult"

Sam Caplan of CBS Sports reports on his blog that Tito Ortiz will face Rashad Evans and not Keith Jardine at UFC 71

UFCJunkie notes that Frank Mir, Jeff Joslin and Anthony Torres are off of the Fight Night Live 9 Card set for April 5
Sherdog says that Mir's replacement is a training partner of Tito Ortiz Justin McCully in the fight against Antoni Hardonk

So the card for the April 5 show looks like this as of now.

UFC Fight Night 9 on Spike TV (The Palms Las Vegas)
April 5, 2007

Main Card Bouts:
Joe Stevenson vs. Melvin Guillard
Kenny Florian vs. Dokonjonosuke Mishima
Antoni Hardonk vs. Justin McCully

Preliminary Bouts:
Drew Fickett vs. Keita Nakamura
Wander Braga vs. Kurt Pellegrino
Naoyuki Kotani vs. Thiago Tavares
Wilson Gouveia vs. Seth Petruzelli
Kuniyoshi Hironaka vs. TBA
Roan Carneiro vs. TBA

UFC 71's card as of now looks like this:

UFC 71 — May 26, 2007 (Las Vegas, Nev.)

Chuck Liddell vs. TBA
Tito Ortiz vs. Rashad Evans
Karo Parisyan vs. Josh Burkman
Eric Schafer vs. Sean Salmon
Chris Leben vs. Kalib Starnes

Watch Randy Couture's recent ESPN News Appearance Here

UFCJunkie reports that someone named Gray Maynard is a cast member on the Ultimate Fighter 5 I hope he does well because that name is awesome.


MMAWeekly has these rumored participants

Debut: April 5 at 10 p.m. ET on Spike TV

Coaches: B.J. Penn and Jens Pulver

Confirmed Cast Members:
Nathan Diaz
Matt Wiman
Alan Berubie
Joe Lauzon
Cole Miller
Wayne Weems
Gray Maynard

I hope Joe Lauzon is on Jens Pulver's team.

Pulver: Lauzon, I want you to attack him this way...
Lauzon: I knocked your ass out in 40 seconds, shut up!

It seems that Jason MacDonald's trainer had some Criticism for UFC officials being cheerleaders for Rich Franklin and to be honest I see his point.

The interesting quote is:

“I saw some of the UFC staff jumping up and down like Rich Franklin was their child or something and I took great, great offence to that,” said Pavelich.
“I am going to take that into training every day now until we get back there.”

Chuck Liddell's Trainer says that his speech was slurred as a result of a combination of NyQuil and Sleep-aid pills Sheiky say he no pass the medicine test again.

Michael Bisping has a new column up

Steve Sievert reflects on Randy Couture's title win

NBC Sports asks the question of who gets the next shot at Anderson Silva? Nathan Marquardt or Rich Franklin

I think that's enough for you to sift through at this time.