As previously announced, Thiago Alves’ next bout will come against Diego Sanchez, although the date has changed. Originally set for UFC 89, the fight has been pushed back a week and will take place at UFC 90 in Chicago, Illinois.
Alves has been on a roll and will come into the fight not having lost in over two years. His name really catapulted up into the mainstream after he throughly dominated Matt Hughes back at UFC 85. Sanchez is looking to build upon his back-to-back wins which came on the heels of back-to-back losses, the only two of his career.
Mmajunkie.com goes on to report that an Anderson Silva title defense could also take place at UFC 90, assuming he still has the title. Actually, that may be a very safe assumption. Patrick Cote’s name keeps surfacing as a possible challenger.
UFC Diego Sanchez, Thiago Alves, UFC 89, UFC 90
It looks like Michael Bisping wants a shot at the best. While most fighters would duck the chance to take on Anderson Silva, Bisping is basically calling him out. First, Bisping must get past Chris Leben at UFC 89 before he can even entertain the notion of meeting Silva.
Silva is on an impressive run, but Bisping feels as though teetering between weight classes will only hurt Silva. Bisping went on to state that fighters go on runs, but no run lasts forever.
A Silva-Bisping match-up would be huge assuming that both fighters can continue their winning ways. Silva is gradually establishing himself as the best pound for pound fighter in the world. Yet, in order to solidify that designation, Silva will have to knock down some more top flight opponents. Bisping could turn out to be one of them as rearnaked.blogspot reports.
UFC Anderson Silva, Michael Bisping, UFC 89
Fast forwarding to the future, UFC 89 features a highly atnticpated bout between two rising stars in the welterweight division. Lyoto Machida will set foot in the Octagon on October 18th and take on Thiago Alves. Fresh off his bludegoening of Matt Hughes, Alves took time to talk about his next opponent.
The way Alves came out and dispatched of Hughes provided sufficient reason to believe that he could be one of the next dominant fighters in the division. Skeptics may point out the fact that Hughes was only a shell of his former self and didn’t appear to be throughly prpeared for the fight.
Nevertheless, Alves still defeated one of the best fighters in UFC history in a main event bout. Alves will have to bring that same tenacity when he returns to the octagon against Machida. Machida has also proven that he is one of the top fighters in the division, but only one of these fighters will continue to rise to the top after UFC 89.
UFC Lyoto Machida, Thiago Alves, UFC 89
Fresh off his victory over Tito Ortiz, Lyoto Machida will get his next shot in the octagon against Thiago Silva at UFC 89 in Birmingham, England. Both fighters are riding an undefeated streak and each owns an identical record. Nevertheless, only one of those fighters will up his mark to 14-0 following their light heavyweight match-up.
This battle of the Brazilians unquestionably raises the overall allure of the UFC 89 fight card. It will be a chance for both fighters to further validate himself as one of the top light heavyweights in the UFC. Likewise, it will also add to the allure of the light heavyweight division that is exploding with talent.
The winner of this bout is likely to see himself catapulted up into the mix with some of the top fighters in the light heavyweight division and could state his case for a future title shot. Mmanews.com provides a statement from the UFC regarding this upcoming bout.
UFC Lyoto Machida, Thiago Silva, UFC 89
UFC has just announced three new fights that will be added to the UFC 89 card which will take place in Birmingham, England. Fellow strikers Rameau Sokoudjou and Luiz Cane will square off in a light heavyweight match-up. Cane boasts a record of 8-1 and is coming off a first round TKO victory over Jason Lambert at UFC 85. Sokoudjou is also coming off a TKO victory he earned against Kazuhiro Nakamura during UFC 84.
The welterweights will go at when Britain’s Dan Hardy makes his UFC debut against Japan’s Akihiro Gono. Gono was victorious in his UFC debut at UFC 78 and will fight for the first time in nearly a year. Hardy enters the UFC having won eight out of his last nine fights with the only loss coming via disqualification.
The final bout to be added to the October 18th lineup is a heavyweight showdown between Shane Carwin and native Englander Neil Wain. Both fighters bring with them unblemished records as Carwin is undefeated in nine fights while Wain hasn’t loss in four. It will be Carwin’s second UFC fight and just the first go-round for Wain. UFC.com has more details on these three upcoming bouts.
UFC Akihiro Gono, Dan Hardy, Luiz Cande, Neil Wain, Rameau Sokoudjou, Shane Carwin, UFC 89
Plans have been made for UFC 90, however they have yet to be finalized. Early reports indicate that the event would take place one week after UFC 89. The battleground for UFC 90 looks like it will be set in Chicago, Illinois. If that is indeed the case, it will mark the first UFC event ever to take place on Illinois soil.
The one hang-up in the process is that the UFC has not yet reached agreement with Spike TV to air UFC 89 for free. In the case that no agreement is reached, UFC 90 would be pushed back to a later date as the organization would not expect fans to fork out money for pay-per-view events in two consecutive weeks.
However, if an agreement is reached, it would make for an exciting two weeks of action in the UFC.
If UFC 90 can take place in Chicago a week after UFC 89, it would do wonders for the sport. Not only would it bring the UFC to a new and exciting venue, it will provide fight fans with an extra weekend of hard-hitting action. As the UFC following continues to grow, more and more fights could only boost its blossoming fan base.
Recent News, UFC UFC 89, UFC 90, UFC in Chicago
UFC’s October 18th extravaganza in Birmingham, England has just picked up another bout. Paul Kelly will square off against Sam “Hands of Stone” Stout in a 155 pound match-up. The fight adds to the card that already features a Thiago Alves vs. Diego Sanchez showdown and a main event bout between Michael Bisping and Chris Leben.
Kelly joins Bisping as the second native Englander to star at UFC 89. It has been rumored that the event will air for free on Spike TV, although no official announcement has yet to be made. Kelly will bring a prefect professional record of 7-0 to his homeland. Kelly’s last and only UFC fight came during UFC 80 with a victory over Paul Taylor. Stout also went on to claim a victory at UFC 80, earning a unanimous decision over Per Eklund.
However, Stout dropped a follow-up match against Rich Clementi at UFC 83. Clementi managed to take home a split decision win in what was a very close fight. But Stout will get a chance at redemption as he will try to improve on his 13-4-1 record at UFC 89 against Kelly.
Recent News, UFC Paul Kelly, Sam Stout, UFC 89
UFC fans could be receiving an October cable bill that is free from pay pay-per-view charges, assuming no skin flicks make their way onto the late night TV agenda. Reports from Dave Meltzer’s newsletter have leaked information that UFC 89 could air for fee on Spike TV. The event will take place in Birmingham, England and will feature a main event between Chris Leben and Michael Bisping.
The strength, or lack thereof, of the October 18th card may be one of the reasons the UFC is considering the free telecast. However, in light of all the recent mma events put on by various organizations, it might not be such a bad idea to toss UFC fans a bone. Thiago Alves is also set to fight on the undercard in a match-up against Diego Sanchez. UK standout Dan “The outlaw” Hardy will also be part of the undercard.
It might be a bit too brash to say the UFC could put on a live event that shouldn’t require a viewing fee. Time and time again, the organization has put out quality events with top notch performances featuring the best fighters in the game. But that does not mean the UFC’s loyal following shouldn’t be treated to a free event every now and then. Even if the UFC takes a slight hit in the wallet, a free event such as this would ensure a stellar revenue for UFC 90.
Recent News, UFC Chris Leben, Diego Sanchez, Michalel Bisping, Thiago Alves, UFC 89, UFC 90
The UFC announced its main event for the upcoming UFC 89 which will take place on October 18th in Birmingham, England. Michael Bisping will return to his homeland to take on the original Ultimate Fighter Chris Leben. The two were scheduled to meet on June 7th as the main event for UFC 85. However, Leben was forced inside another type of cage and the bout was canceled.
Leben turned himself into authorities and served eleven days in a Portland, Oregon jail for a violation of his probation which stemmed from a 2005 DUI. Leben served the remaining 24 days of his 35 day sentence on home detention. But it was not the first time Leben found himself behind bars. Leben wore an orange jumpsuit in the past for the same type of violation. Nevertheless, the UFC has overlooked his run-ins with the police and granted him another main event billing.
The fight will be Bisping’s third bout since dropping down to the middleweight division. His only professional loss came in his last light heavyweight fight against Rashad Evans. Leben has also beaten two straight opponents, but his 18-4 overall record is not quite as impressive as Bisping’s.
Even though Bisping did not square off against Leben, he did step into the octagon on June 7th and wound up dismantling Jason Day. He lost his main event billing but will have it back when he and Leben finally do battle. And, barring any prison brawls, Leben will return to action for the first time in over seven months.
Recent News, UFC Chris Leben, Jason Day, Michael Bisping, UFC 89
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