UFC NEWS: Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson in the works for UFC 130 in May [UPDATED}

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

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A heavyweight bout between Frank Mir and Roy Nelson might be on its way, as BetUS.com reports that the two will be fighting on the UFC 130 card in Las Vegas on May 28.

Nelson was supposed to fight Shane Carwin at UFC 125, but a back injury to Carwin forced him out of the bout, and a contract issue for Nelson from his pre-UFC career has led the UFC to hold him on the sidelines. He'll be looking to rebound from his first loss in the Octagon, suffered at the hands of Junior Dos Santos by decision last August.

Mir would be out to win his second straight fight since a knockout loss to Shane Carwin last March. His most recent performance saw him knock out Mirko Cro Cop in the third round at UFC 119 after a highly disappointing fight up to that point.

UFC 130 is expected to take place from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 28, the UFC's annual event on Memorial Day Weekend.

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: If this report is accurate, this is an excellent heavyweight fight. Also, with Mir having been reportedly expected to meet Brock Lesnar, this would open up the possibility of a Lesnar vs. Dos Santos fight with Cain Velasquez sidelined due to injury. Mir vs. Nelson could have been a possible replacement fight at 125 in the first place, but the UFC didn't got that route, citing Nelson's contract issue with Roy Jones Jr.'s Square Ring Productions. Still, this would be a great fight for both fighters if the UFC is putting this one together.

UPDATE: MMAJunkie.com reports that the contract issues that forced Nelson off of UFC 125 will not be an issue and that this fight is indeed in the works. Both fighters have verbally agreed to the bout, and contracts should be finalized soon.

[Frank Mir art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_8086.shtml

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“Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva” takes place February 12th inside the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Tickets for the highly anticipated show go on sale this morning. Fedor Emelianenko makes his long-awaited return to action when he faces Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in the card’s featured contest. The heavyweights will meet in the opening round [...]

Source: http://www.5thRound.com/64836/strikeforce-fedor-vs-silva-tickets-on-sale-wednesday/

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Shane Carwin hopes for June return at UFC 131

UFC heavyweight Shane Carwin has confirmed that he has accepted a slot on the UFC 131 card in June. He also acknowledged that he was offered a fight with Roy Nelson. Carwin posted the following on his blog Shane-Carwin.com; So last week we got the call from Joe Silva asking if we would consider fighting [...]

Shane Carwin hopes for June return at UFC 131 is a post from: MMA Interplay UFC News

Source: http://www.mmainterplay.com/ufc-news/shane-carwin-hopes-for-june-return-at-ufc-131-52994/

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Strikeforce Challengers Preview and Predictions

by Michael David SmithTarec SaffiedineThe first Strikeforce event of 2011 takes place on Friday in Tennessee, and it's a Challengers card that has a good array of young talent and five fights on Showtime that should do a lot to identify some of the up-and-coming contenders on the Strikeforce roster.

What: Strikeforce Nashville Challengers: Woodley vs Saffiedine

When: Friday, the Showtime broadcast begins at 11 PM ET

Where: Nashville Municipal Auditorium

Predictions on the five televised fights below.

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/01/07/strikeforce-challengers-preview-and-predictions/

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Heavy Wait Part 11: What Brett Rogers Needs To Do In Order To Win It All

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Source: http://www.fighters.com/01/10/heavy-wait-part-11-what-brett-rogers-needs-to-do-in-order-to-win-it-all

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"Mr. Wonderful" vs. Matt Hamill anticipated for UFC 129

Phil Davis will now enter the deep end of the light heavyweight division. The collegiate wrestling All-American will now embark onto the upper echelon of the packed 205-pound division when he takes on “The Ultimate Fighter” veteran Matt Hamill coming up at UFC 129. The event is scheduled to take place on April 30 at the [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/01/08/mr-wonderful-vs-matt-hamill-anticipated-for-ufc-129

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Since Chael Sonnen has been suspended, Nate Marquardt now steps up for UFC 128 bout with Yoshihiro Akiyama

While Chael Sonnen takes a lapse in his mixed martial arts career, former opponent Nate Marquardt is now here to pick up the slack. The former King of Pancrase and former UFC title challenger, Nate Marquardt will return to the octagon on March 19 when he meets with K-1 veteran Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 128, [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/01/06/since-chael-sonnen-has-been-suspended-nate-marquardt-now-steps-up-for-ufc-128-bout-with-yoshihiro-akiyama

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Heavyweight Cormier has no interest in looking like 'The Hulk'

Daniel Cormier is no Bobby Lashley and he's fine with that. The former Olympic wrestler doesn't carry a lot of his weight in the form of sculpted biceps and huge trapezius muscles. There's an ample amount a bit to the south.

"In terms of physique guys are going to come in all shapes and sizes," Cormier told Sportstown Chicago Fight Club. "To be muscled up and rocked up like that, that's fine but it's not bad to have a different shape to you. This isn't a bodybuilding competition, it's a fight."

When Cormier (6-0) steps into the cage Friday night at Strikeforce Challengers 13 (Showtime 11 p.m. ET/PT), there won't be a posedown with Devin Cole.

"It didn't seem to hinder Fedor [Emelianenko] all that time. Fabricio [Werdum]'s not the most rocked up guy in the world," Cormier said defiantly. "It's the new thing -- the Brock Lesnars and the Alistair Overeems running around looking like bodybuilders -- that people expect everyone to look that way. But in reality, people come in different shapes and sizes."

Just look at Cain Velasquez vs. Brock Lesnar as a prime example. Velasquez, an American Kickboxing Academy teammate of Cormier, isn't the most chiseled guy. He also wasn't the fighter running for his life two minutes into the fight.

At 6-foot, 250 pounds, Cormier has a squatty build. He's still explosive with a good gas tank.

Don't let his appearance fool you, he's always been a high-level athlete, ranking in the top 10 in the world in his amateur wrestling weight class from 2003-2008. He made the U.S. Olympic team in 2004 and 2008 at 211 pounds. In those days, he was slimmer. Cormier looks back and says that was counterproductive.

"When I was wrestling, 50 or 60 percent of my focus was on weight cutting and that's probably why I didn't accomplish my goals to be an Olympic champion," said Cormier.

Now he's at a more comfortable weight and focusing on one thing, improving his skills as a mixed martial artist.

"Right now they don't feel it's in my best interest [to drop down to 205 pounds]. Right now its in my best interest to get better. I need to get better at fighting and not the weight cutting," said Cormier.

He fought MMA five times in 2010 and wants to have a similar schedule in 2011.

Cormier is a good prospect, but he's also 31 years old. He knows his timetable is shorter than that of guys like Jon Jones and Phil Davis, both former collegiate wrestlers he referenced.  

Check out the entire two-part conversation with Cormier here on Sportstown Chicago Fight Club.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Heavyweight-Cormier-has-no-interest-in-looking-l?urn=mma-304256

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