UFC 101

[Rappy Veteran]

Randy Couture hoping UFC 101 battle with Nogueira stays in Portland

While MMA legend Randy Couture (16-9 MMA, 13-6 UFC) was rumored for several months to be featured in the UFC's first trip to Germany, "The Natural" has instead committed to an August bout with fellow legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC).

"It's a fight that's been a long time coming," Couture recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunike.com/radio). "[Nogueira] has been in ton of huge fights. He's an amazing athlete."

With his foe settled, Couture will now work on fighting to keep UFC 101 in its tentatively planned Portland, Ore., location.

"I've been saying it for years, that we will blow the doors off of it up there," Couture said. "I grew up in Seattle. I lived in Portland for a long, long time. It's one of those areas that I think because it's so wet most of the year we spend a lot of time indoors wrestling. A lot of the combative sports are really popular there."

Couture said then when he agreed to the bout with Nogueira, he was under the impression the bout would be held in his native region.

"There's a lot of great fighters that come out of the Pacific Northwest," Couture said. "So to have the UFC finally stepping up, and to be the main event for that card, I'm very excited about it."

Recent reports have suggested that the UFC may be considering holding UFC 101 in Philadelphia rather than Portland. Couture said he was unaware of the possible move.

"That's the first I've heard of that is you telling me right now," Couture said. "I hope that's not the case. Not that I have anything against Philly, but obviously I'm very excited to fight in Portland and being part of the Pacific Northwest show having grown up there and lived there so long."

Couture was involved in a similar situation with UFC 91 in November 2008. Couture faced Brock Lesnar in the main event of that card which was relocated to Las Vegas after having originally been rumored for a Portland venue.

"There was some question whether or not Portland had the hotel rooms and could support the show," Couture said. "And the amount of ticket sales that it would garner at the gate in Portland is obviously different than when they fight here in Vegas. For that big of a fight, it made more sense for them to put it here in Vegas."

Additional recent reports have suggested that a lightweight title fight between current champion B.J. Penn and challenger Kenny Florian could headline UFC 101, but Couture's comments suggest he believes his bout with Nogueira is intended for a main event slot.

The date of the event also seems to be a minor uncertainty as previous published reports have pointed to Aug. 8, while Couture has said he will fight at the "end of August [from] what I understand."

So as MMA observers wait for the UFC to make an official announcement regarding the details of the card, Couture seems a bit less concerned.

"We haven't really talked about any of that other than saying, 'Hey, do you want to fight Nogueira in August?'" Couture said "And I said, 'Yes.'

"Things work out the way they're supposed to work out."

[Zoom7000]

Couture/Big Nog is a potential big draw, infact, probably certainly a big draw. I really don't think the UFC would put Randy Couture in any Portland show at the moment. He is too big a draw to pass up on and Vegas, after all, is the place to make the cash!

If the rumours are true however and Affliction has it's final event (due to go up against UFC 100) then by the time this PPV arrives, Fedor will be a free agent. I wonder if this card will be ammended nearer the time to make way for a Fedor/Randy super fight - In which case Portland is totally out of the question! :p

[DiEMOS]

it will be amazing fight, though i think Randy will take it with an ease, Nog is beat up, or at least he looked liked that after Mir.

[Unkoil]

it will be amazing fight, though i think Randy will take it with an ease, Nog is beat up, or at least he looked liked that after Mir.

Wow you must have never seen Nog fight....

Check out the Nog vs. Bob Sapp fight, that will change your opinion of the guy.

He's very dangerous.

[TheRealDave]

Wow you must have never seen Nog fight....

Check out the Nog vs. Bob Sapp fight, that will change your opinion of the guy.

He's very dangerous.

Bob Sapp :laugh:

But yeah, Nog is dangerous. Will be a good fight.

[Konstanov]

Couture is terrible and old, going to get owned by Tony.

[Rappy Veteran]

UFC 101: B.J. Penn vs. Kenny Florian title fight apparently (and finally) set

The long-rumored UFC lightweight championship bout between title-holder B.J. Penn (13-5-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC) and top contender Kenny Florian (11-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) is apparently set.

While Florian had long maintained he was ready to accept the bout, Penn only last week released a statement on his official website saying he planned to accept the fight.

Today, Florian said he signed a bout agreement over the weekend and that he "will be fighting B.J. Penn on Aug. 8 in Philadelphia."

Florian passed along the news in his official email newsletter for kennyflorian.com.

Although not officially announced, UFC 101 is expected to take place at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia.

Penn returns to action for the first time since his fourth-round TKO loss to Georges St. Pierre in January. Penn's camp argued that St. Pierre's corner men "greased" him up with Vaseline during the fight and severely hindered his jiu-jitsu skills. However, a recent hearing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission resulted in no action, and the loss will likely stick on his record.

Penn, who was fighting for St. Pierre's welterweight belt, will now make his first lightweight title defense since a May 2008 TKO win over Sean Sherk. The Florian fight marks more than 14 months between defenses.

Florian, meanwhile, goes for his seventh straight win since losing a bid for the vacant title in 2006. Florian suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Sherk in the fight, but he's since posted six consecutive wins (all but one via stoppage) over the likes of Joe Lauzon, Roger Huerta and Joe Stevenson to emerge as the division's top contender.

[betacortex]

I thought this was going to be Intro to Cagefighting, o well...

[Rappy Veteran]

Griffin vs. Silva, Sadollah official for UFC 101 in Philadelphia

A light heavyweight bout between Forrest Griffin (16-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) and Thiago Silva (13-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), first reported by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), and the long-awaited return of Amir Sadollah (1-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) are both official for UFC 101.

Former "TUF" champions Griffin and Sadollah announced the bouts during the airing of the debut episode of "The Ultimate Fighter: U.S. vs. U.K."

The pair also confirmed UFC 101's Aug. 8 date in Philadelphia.

The news was announced in a segment entitled "Inside the Octagon brought to you by Burger King: Late Night News Your Way." SpikeTV officials informed MMAjunkie.com the segments are scheduled to air throughout the ninth season of "The Ultimate Fighter."

After confirming his bout, Griffin also showed off his surgically scarred left hand and described the results of the procedure necessary after his December 2008 bout with Rashad Evans.

"Got me a little plate and some screws," Griffin said. "Just one more piece of metal in my collection."

Meanwhile, Sadollah gave an update on what has kept him out of action since his winning run on "TUF 7." Sadollah also confirmed his drop to welterweight, a move first reported by MMAjunkie.com.

"I dislocated my clavicle, and it's all better," Sadollah said. "I dropped down a weight class, and I'll be fighting with [Griffin] at (UFC) 101."

Sadollah last fought in a June 2008 Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale win over C.B. Dollaway.

[DiEMOS]

Wow you must have never seen Nog fight....

Check out the Nog vs. Bob Sapp fight, that will change your opinion of the guy.

He's very dangerous.

I've seen Nog fight, I know he takes a lot of punishment, but I think all that punshment has caught up with him. You've probably missed his last 3 fights, where he looked like doo doo. Heath should of beat him but made a mistake and let him stand up after brutal kick. Tim sylvia was destroying him until that tall moron got stupid and lazy went to the ground and got submitted, and Mir just destroyed him.