White Says Evans Next for Bones; Hendo Turns Down Gustafsson for Chance at Title Shot

Despite rumors earlier this week that Rashad Evans would again be passed over for a shot at UFC light heavyweight champion and former teammate Jon Jones, it appears that "Suga" may get his chance after all.

In an appearance on the "Jim Rome Show" on Tuesday, White stated that if Evans were to defeat fellow top contender Phil Davis at the next "UFC on FOX" event on January 28, and come out of the bout injury-free, he would receive the next crack at Jones later this year.

“We’re working on it now," White said on the show. "We’re going to obviously see what happens in this Rashad fight at the end of the month. The next fight on Fox, Rashad is fighting Davis, so we’ll see what happens there. If Rashad wins, if Rashad comes out injury free, we’ll get the Jon ‘Bones’ Jones/Rashad Evans fight going.”

Continue reading "White Says Evans Next for Bones; Hendo Turns Down Gustafsson for Chance at Title Shot"

Video: Aldo Brings Maynard in to Prepare for Mendes’ Wrestling

In preparation for his UFC 142 featherweight title defense against undefeated Team Alpha Male member and former All-American wrestler Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo has brought in former two-time UFC lightweight title challenger Gray Maynard to work on his wrestling.

UFC Returning to Atlanta in April

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will return to Atlanta for the first time since hosting UFC 88 at the Philips Arena in September 2008 for UFC 146 on April 21 at the same venue.

The organization announced the date and show on Tuesday night's episode of "UFC Tonight" on FUEL TV. MMA Junkie has since confirmed that the fight card will emanate from the Philips Arena.

No fights have officially been announced for the event, but a pivotal heavyweight matchup between former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Strikeforce grand prix contestant Antonio Silva has been rumored.

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Video: Erick Silva’s Secret Weapon

UFC lightweight prospect Erick Silva takes us inside his training camp at XGym in Brazil, where he trains alongside UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva as well as the likes of Rafael Feijao, Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and many others.

The Daily Recap: White Guarantees MMA in NY in 2012, TUF Brazil to Air on FUEL TV & More

The Daily Recap is a collection of news and notes from around the web that will be posted at the end of each day. Bout signings, injury news and much more can all be found here.

— According to UFC President Dana White, the UFC will make its debut in New York before the end of the new year, guaranteed. "We're so close. It's going to happen, and I guarantee you it's going to happen this year. It's going to depend on when it happens, timing and everything else, but obviously, it would be nice to go in there with, probably, Jon Jones." [MMA Fight Corner]

— The first edition of the long-running reality show to not take place in the United States, "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" will likely air on FUEL TV and will debut on March 9 on its new home of FX. UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz will coach opposite former featherweight king Urijah Faber as they lead a group of lightweight fighters towards a six-figure UFC contract. [MMA Fighting]

Continue reading "The Daily Recap: White Guarantees MMA in NY in 2012, TUF Brazil to Air on FUEL TV & More"

MMA on Tap January Fighter Rankings

Here are the latest MMA on Tap fighter rankings. We will be updating these every month or whenever an adjustment is needed, like after a major event for example. The rankings break down into seven different lists of ten, each of them by division.

If you ever want to compare these with your own or just take a look at the latest update, you can find them under the "Top 10" category in our features section. The organization a fighter is currently under contract to is listed next to the fighter’s name.

The rankings were tabulated by the MMA on Tap staff. Feel free to chime in with your own lists, thoughts, or suggestions.

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Quote of the Day: Could Fedor Emelianenko be Opponent for Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand-Prix Winner?

"That's interesting. "I'm not sure what Fedor has planned. I haven't spoken to M-1. I know M-1 executive Steve Bash was in the audience tonight, but we haven't had that conversation yet."

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker left the door open for Fedor Emelianenko to potentially fight the winner of Strikeforce's heavyweight grand prix tournament finals (either Josh Barnett or Daniel Cormier) following the tourney's conclusion. Emelianenko is widely believed to remain under a promotional contract with Showtime despite being released by Strikeforce. Touch of gloves to MMA Junkie for the catch.

The Daily Recap: Semtex-Misaki Meet at March Strikeforce, Ueda Narrowly Wins Shooto Farewell & More

The Daily Recap is a collection of news and notes from around the web that will be posted at the end of each day. Bout signings, injury news and much more can all be found here.

— Well-traveled veterans Paul "Semtex" Daley and Kazuo Misaski have signed on to face each other on the main card of Strikeforce's scheduled March 3 event at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Daley returns to Strikeforce after winning  two straight fights outside of the organization. His opponent, Misaki last defeated Akira Shoji via second-round TKO at DEEP's 53rd Impact event last April. [Strikeforce.com]

— In his last bout before taking a spot in Bellator's upcoming eight-man bantamweight tourney this spring, former Shooto 132 lb. champion Masakatsu Ueda edged out heralded prospect Kyoji Horiguchi and took home a majority decision at Shooto's "Survivor Tournament Final" event on Sunday at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. [Sherdog]

Continue reading "The Daily Recap: Semtex-Misaki Meet at March Strikeforce, Ueda Narrowly Wins Shooto Farewell & More"

Video: Highlights from Strikeforce “Rockhold vs Jardine”

Courtesy of Showtime, here are some highlights of the action from last night's Showtime-televised five-fight Strikeforce main card, which was headlined by Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold's first title defense against UFC veteran and "Ultimate Fighter" product Keith Jardine. 

Rockhold Stops Jardine in First, Retains Strikeforce Belt

Luke Rockhold continued to show off well-polished striking, as he used a barrage of kicks, knees and punches to wear out UFC veteran Keith Jardine before stopping him with strikes in the first round of their Strikeforce middleweight championship fight at the organization's latest event on Saturday evening.

The two combatants traded blows in the main event's of Strikeforce's "Rockhold vs. Jardine" event at the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Robbie Lawler landed a spectacular flying knee before putting Adlan Amagov away with punches less than two minutes into the night's co-featured attraction.

Complete results from the event are after the jump.

Continue reading "Rockhold Stops Jardine in First, Retains Strikeforce Belt"