Arena Let's get it on!: The Mixed Martial Arts Discussion Thread

From WrestlingObserver.com/F4wonline.com:

--Cheick Kongo was cut or quit UFC after his knockout loss on Saturday to Roy Nelson. His camp is saying he was offered a new four-fight contract and turned it down.

--UFC announced that Robbie Peralta failed a test for marijuana stemming from company testing on the 4/6 show in Stockholm, Sweden. Peralta will be suspended for six months and has agreed to attend drug rehabilitation classes. Peralta lost to Akira Corassani on that show.

--Bellator announced its next show on 6/19 in Thackerville, OK live on Spike. This is a Wednesday night show. Michael Chandler defends the lightweight title against Dave Jansen (which should tell you that the Bellator lawsuit with Eddie Alvarez isn't close to being finalized). Also announced is the first round of a four-man light heavyweight tournament with King Mo vs. Seth Petruzelli and Renato Sobral vs. Jacob Noe. The fourth TV fight is War Machine vs. Blas Avena.

--Ronda Rousey will be on one of four collector covers of the 15th anniversary of ESPN The Magazine. The magazine will hit the newsstands on Friday. The four covers are Blake Griffin, Robert Griffin III, Bryce Harper and Rousey. (Well, I know at least two of those covers I'll be saving money to pick up in the near future. Though, if forced to get one, sorry Ronda, I'll chose the RGIII one.)

--Leslie Smith has signed a multi-fight deal with Invicta which starts on the next show, 7/13 in Kansas City, where she faces Jennifer Maia at flyweight, with the winner getting a title shot at champion Barb Honchak. Smith is coming off a split decision loss at 135 pounds against Sarah Kaufman that a lot of people thought she won, and has gotten two fight of the night awards at Invicta cards to date.

--UFC fighter Steven Siler was given the news by his wife that he was having his first child just hours before he went into the cage against Kurt Holobaugh on Saturday's show in Newark.
--Tonight on Fuel has UFC Tonight at 7 p.m., Ultimate Insiders at 7:30 p.m. and the Wanderlei Silva vs. Rich Franklin UFC at 8 p.m. They are also replaying the 4/20 FOX show with Gilbert Melendez vs. Benson Henderson at midnight tonight.

And this:

 

Kongo will go to Bellator and win the HW title over there. Possibly put a few wins together and the UFC will have him back again... Same goes for Jon Fitch...

 

I really consider Kongo a gatekeeper at this point. Sure, his chin is suspect but he has his moments too, look at the Pat Berry fight........just saying.........

 

From WrestlingObserver/F4wonline.com:

A cut has forced Costa Philippou out of his 5/18 fight scheduled against the debuting Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza on the FX show scheduled for Santa Catarina, Brazil.
The card has shifted around with the debuting Souza, a former Strikeforce middleweight champion, facing Chris Camozzi.
Camozzi was scheduled against Rafael Natal. Natal faces the debuting Joao Zeferino (13-4).
The 5/18 show is the next UFC event.
The World Series of Fighting's 6/14 show in Las Vegashas announced Tyson Steele vs. Steve Carl as a new match that will air on NBC Sports. Steele vs. Carl replaces Tyron Spong vs. Angel DeAnda, which was pulled when Spong had issues returning to the U.S.

 

Sonnen's at it again!

This time he told TMZ that after he retires he's going to "Buy the WWE"



Yeah, that will happen - over Vince McMahon's dead body.

 

Anderson Silva fined $50K for missing a media appearance.

 

Carwin calls it a career.

 

Im bummed about Carwin!!!! Dude was a beast, sucks he was having all the injury problems. Dude was a true warrior, shame to see him go.

 

This is kind of funny. I think 50K is really chump change to the amounts he makes....nonetheless....still a funny thing....

 

Too bad for Carwin. It's got to be a tough transition to normal life when all you did was basically fight and train to fight.

 

From WrestlingObserver.com/F4wonline.com:

--A bill legalizing and regulating MMA in Connecticut, one of the few states left where it's not regulated, passed 117-26 in the State House of Representatives yesterday. It moves next to the State Senate. Lorenzo Fertitta said UFC is looking to run shows in Hartford and Bridgeport.

 

Carwin's a professional engineer and has been working during his MMA career.

 

I forgot he was an engineer. He's got much better options than most. Still, it'll be a bummer to go to the 9-5 world after competing at that level.

 

This is great news. Always awesome to see opportunities for the sport to grow....

 

Rockhold VS Belfort!!!!

Who you got???

Im going with Rockhold. I think he will be able to keep the distance and avoid Belforts power and flurries. I see Rockhold maintaining good distance and picking Belfort apart for the Decision. If Belfort is able to close the distance, I see a brutal KO or TKO........

 

Which is why I'm going Belfort. All it'll take is one KO.

 

The most expensive weed in MMA history.

 

Thats just really sad to see that happen.

Not that I have anything against smoking weed, but the rules are rules. If you choose to be a professional fighter and want to fight in the largest MMA promotion in the world, you need to follow the rules. Why even risk it? You know you have to take a piss test....

 

This. Very very much this. Sadly this type of stupidity isn't exclusive to MMA. At one place I used to work at, we had an employee that was escorted off the premises for failing a drug test. Speculation was that it was marijuana.

 

Nate Diaz suspended indefinitely for use of homophobic slur on Twitter.

Diaz's manager evidently dug him a deeper hole, equating the slur to the B word.

 

Update on the exact nature of Diaz's fine and suspension.