Randy Couture's picks for UFC 73 and other notes

According to today's Wrestling Observer news update:

*Marcus Aurelio Vs. Clay Guida is indeed set for UFC 74.
*Jon Fitch Vs. Diego Sanchez will take place at UFC 76.

Now for the picks that have me reconsidering 2 of my own...

Randy Couture picks:

1. Silva over Marquardt
   
2. Sherk over Franca
   
3. Evans over Ortiz
   
4. Nogueira over Herring
   
5. Florian over Robinson
   
6. Trowbridge over Gillespie

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A couple of rumored UFC bouts

These both come from UFCJunkie.com

I'm putting it behind the cut cause I'm cool that way.



First is a rumored bout between 2 former castmates from the first season of the Ultimate Fighter. The bout as rumored by UFC Junkie would pit Mike "Quick" Swick against Chris "The Crippler" Leben and it could possibly headline a Fight Night 11 show which would air in either August or September. This would be a rematch of a bout that took place before either man was on TUF where Leben got a second round KO.
There had been talk of Swick dropping down to Welterweight after his loss to Yushin Okami at UFC 69 back in April though if he were to fight Leben next it most certainly would be at Middleweight.
Leben is coming off of a loss to Kalib Starnes at UFC 71 in May and has lost 3 of his last 4 fights in the UFC, with a loss to Anderson Silva at Fight Night 5 and Jason MacDonald at UFC 66 being the other two.

The other bout would be at UFC 76 which is scheduled for 9/22 in Anaheim. It is yet another rumored bout for Diego Sanchez.

Rumors first had Sanchez fighting Pride veteran Hayato "Mach" Sakurai at UFC 74 in August. Then earlier this week sherdog quoted an anonimous source as saying that B.J. Penn would be fighting Sanchez in August. However, Penn's camp denied any knowledge of that happening and the website updated their story to reflect it.

So who is the next rumored opponent for Sanchez who is coming off a loss to Josh Koscheck at UFC 69? There is talk that it would be rising contender Jon Fitch who is on a 6-fight win streak in the UFC with his most recent victory over Roan Carneiro at Fight Night 10 on 6/12 of this year.

I guess I've heard and even passed on so many stories concerning the next fight for Diego Sanchez that I'll believe it when I see it announced.

However, if these 2 bouts come to pass, I will be one happy man. I am a fan of Swick, and while Leben isn't my favorite fighter in the world he does have skills. As for Fitch and Sanchez, well everyone should know by now that I am a huge fan of Jon Fitch. Thus, seeing him take a step up in competition would interest me greatly.

I should mention that not too long ago it was rumored that we might get Fitch and Karo Parisyan down the line. While I'd also love to see that fight, I'll take any Fitch fight I can get at this point.

Time will tell if either of these fights comes to pass. However, in my case there is a little hope even if it is tempered.

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Casey, this is for you...

Since you're such a big fan of Jon Fitch, peep this article in today's edition of Indiana's Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.

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MMA News and Notes for 06/09

Lets take a look around the MMA World. All the Good stuff is behind the cut.



I guess from this profile that Tyson Griffin has short-term memory

So Tamdan McCrory wears glasses

Jason Black is filling the void

Jon Fitch is enjoying the ride

Spencer Fisher is looking for redemption

Hey Art, expect a call from Tim Persey

Yes, the men who fought for K-1 last week got paid

Leonard Garcia will fight on the TUF 5 Finale and so will his UFC 69 opponent Roger Huerta and sadly they will not be rematching one another. Garcia will face Alan Berube and Huerta will face someone named Doug Evans.

Alan Belcher is back on track

UFCJunkie.com reports that Diego Sanchez will face Hayato "mach" Sakurai at UFC 74.

Sean Salmon will be fighting in Cleveland on Sunday just a couple weeks after his UFC 71 loss to Alan Belcher.

A FEG official says it is preposterous for anyone to question their numbers. Well, for the record I am not questioning their numbers I'm saying they're full of shit, so that's ok.

Randy Couture is interviewed on CBSSportsline.

Does Tommy Morrison (scheduled to make his MMA debut tonight) still have HIV? Well, he'll not be blood tested for his fight tonight with it being on an Indian reservation.

Is Elite XC planning a show for July 28?

A transcript from the Frank Shamrock-Phil Baroni press conference is here

Shad Lierley got a vote of confidence from his teammates before fighting Chris Horodecki.

This just in from the IFL, for Renzo Gracie fighting is a family affair

The IFL announces their lineup for June 16

Dan Henderson will get to challenge Quinton Jackson at UFC 75 in London

I'll end this for now, be back when I'm back.

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Fisher, Stout Rematch to headline Fight Night from Florida

FIGHT NIGHT™ RETURNS TO FLORIDA
AT THE SEMINOLE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO
IN HARD ROCK LIVE

SPENCER FISHER vs. SAM STOUT
JON FITCH vs. ROAN CARNEIRO

Tickets Go On Sale Saturday, May 12 at 12pm ET

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) organization brings its UFC® Fight Night™ series of live events telecast on Spike TV back
to Hollywood, Fla. for its third event at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hard Rock Live. Headlining the South Florida card is Spencer “The King”
Fisher vs. Canada’s Sam “Hands of Stone” Stout in a highly anticipated rematch of one of 2006’s best lightweight bouts. As a special feature, undefeated
wrestling expert Jon Fitch will take on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Roan Carneiro in a sizzling170-pound matchup. UFC Fight Night will take place inside
the Hard Rock Live and will telecast live on Spike TV Tuesday, June 12 starting at 9pm ET/PT (tape delay).



Tickets for UFC Fight Night go on sale Saturday, May 12 starting at 12:00pm ET and are priced at $250, $150, $100 and $50. All seats are reserved and available
at the Hard Rock Live Box Office, open daily from noon until 7 p.m. Tickets also are available at all Ticketmaster outlets online at www.ticketmaster.com
or charge by phone: Miami-Dade (305) 358-5885, Broward (954) 523-3309 and Palm Beach (561) 966-3309. Doors open one hour prior to show time. Additional
fees and/or service charges may apply.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Thursday, May 10 starting at 10:00am ET via the website www.ufc.com.
A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Friday, May 11 starting at 10:00am ET. To access this presale, users
must register for the UFC newsletter through www.ufc.com

With over 20 pro fights to his name in just four years, Spencer “The King” Fisher is one of the most active lightweights in mixed martial arts today. That
description can also apply to his aggressive fighting style, which led to two Fight of the Year candidates in 2006 as he went to war in successive bouts
against Sam Stout and Matt Wiman. Fisher finished off 2006 with an emphatic first round TKO win over Dan Lauzon at UFC 64 in October, and though he suffered
a setback when he was stopped by Hermes Franca in January, the Bettendorf, Iowa resident plans on extracting some payback from the man who gave him his
first UFC loss, Sam “Hands of Stone” Stout.

“Fighting in this sport, you want to be the best, and that’s what I strive to be, so fighting as the main event for UFC Fight Night is a dream come true,”
said Fisher. “I’m excited about this fight. I am going to go out there and try to submit him as fast as possible.”

Stout is the North American Welterweight Kickboxing champion, the Canadian lightweight Muay Thai champion and the Canadian lightweight mixed martial arts
champion. He is an excellent striker and seven of his eight MMA victories have come by knockout. This 23-year old striking ace, who is 1-1 in the Octagon,
hopes to duplicate his March 2006 win over Spencer Fisher and send the respected Team MFS fighter back to the drawing board.

“I’m twice the fighter I was when we fought last time. I beat him by majority decision, but I’m excited to fight him again. To beat him twice would be great!”
said Stout. “Being the main event, there is always a little more pressure, but I fight best that way. I’m looking forward to giving the millions of fans
watching a finish June 12.”

In a featured bout, Jon Fitch will face Brazilian Roan Carneiro in a three round welterweight battle. Fitch carries a simple philosophy when it comes to
fighting, stating, “I fight like a thief. If you leave a window open I will crawl through it and make you pay.” So far, that approach has worked like a charm as the former Division I wrestler from Purdue has compiled
five straight wins in the UFC without a loss, the most recent being a submission win over Luigi Fioravanti at UFC 68 in March of this year. But to continue
his upward climb in the sport’s most competitive division, 28-year old Fitch must get by tough BJJ expert Roan Carneiro.

Once Rio de Janeiro native Carneiro got a foothold in the world’s most competitive sport, he ran off a five-fight win streak that stamped him as a fighter
to watch. With tenacity, talent, and a devastating Anaconda choke, this 29-year entered the Octagon for the first time in April and defeated standout veteran
Rich Clementi. Now he faces Fitch and looks to establish himself as one of the best 170-pounders in the UFC.

The remaining bouts for UFC Fight Night will be announced shortly. All bouts are subject to change.

For more information about UFC Fight Night, or current UFC fight news, visit www.ufc.com or uk.ufc.com.

Spike TV, the first network for men, is available in 91.6 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International
Inc.

About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is South Florida's leading entertainment destination featuring 50 live action poker tables and 2,100 gaming machines on
the casino floor. For the third year in a row, the American Automobile Association (AAA) bestowed its prestigious Four Diamond rating to this 500-room
hotel. The property also hosts 17 restaurants, 11 clubs and lounges, 30,000 square feet of meeting space, a full-service, European-style spa and 22 retail
shops. Hard Rock Live is Seminole Hard Rock’s state-of-the-art venue showcasing the latest national music and comedic acts and boxing. Complimentary and
valet parking is available. With the opening of the Lucky Street Parking garage, an additional 2,300 spaces are available. The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel
& Casino is located on State Road 7 (U.S. 441) exit Stirling and travel west (1 Seminole Way) in Hollywood, Florida. For more information, call (954) 327-ROCK,
1-800-937-0010 or visit us online at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com.

About The Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship® brand is the world’s leading professional mixed martial arts organization and offers the premier series of MMA sports
events. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the UFC® organization produces approximately twelve to fourteen live pay-per-view
events annually that are distributed through cable and satellite providers. In addition to its U.S. distribution, UFC fight programs are distributed throughout
the world including broadcast on WOWOW, Inc. in Japan, on MAIN EVENT in Australia, Globosat in Brazil and Bravo in the United Kingdom. For more information,
or current UFC fight news, visit www.ufc.com.

Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa™, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided
competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC in the United States
and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC or other respective owners.

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MMANews.com interviews UFC Welterweight Jon Fitch

The one Fitch fight I saw made me a fan of him, and I am looking forward to his next fight which is slated to be against Roan Carneiro.

read the interview

Interesting quote from Fitch:

MMANews.com: This is the question a lot of people want to know, do you feel you keep getting over looked by the UFC?

Jon Fitch: You know at first I kind of thought maybe I was getting over looked but in hindsight I kinda see maybe some strategy by the UFC because you know
you might of realized early on that I was a top level fighter and I was going to be around for a while. So they didn’t feel the need to push me right away
because they knew I would be winning fights in the UFC. With some of the other guys they win one, lose one, win one, they're up and down. The TV show guys,
they needed to push those guys sooner to get the money out of them from the publicity they had surrounding them from the show, before they got beat a bunch
of times and couldn’t use them.

I wonder if he came up with that on his own or if that was what he was told when he had all of his fans writing to the UFC because of his placement on the UFC 68 undercard? One of those Dana White cue card things? Either way, I think he's got the right idea here.

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Roan Carneiro Vs. Jon Fitch at Fight Night 10?

According to this UFCJunkie.com story the fight is going to happen.

It would join Spencer Fisher Vs. Sam Stout as fights announced for the show.

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