UFC 146 - Dos Santos vs. Overeem

[Swinny]

Heavyweight Championship bout: Junior dos Santos (c) vs. Alistair Overeem
Heavyweight bout: Cain Velasquez vs. Frank Mir
Heavyweight bout: Roy Nelson vs. Antonio Silva
Lightweight bout: Edson Barboza vs. Evan Dunham
Middleweight bout: Jason Miller vs. C.B. Dollaway
Welterweight bout: Dan Hardy vs. Duane Ludwig
Lightweight bout: Jacob Volkmann vs. Paul Sass
Featherweight bout: Darren Elkins vs. Diego Brandao
Heavyweight bout: Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shane del Rosario
Light Heavyweight bout: Kyle Kingsbury vs. Glover Teixeira​

Antonio Silva vs. Roy Nelson slated for UFC 146 in Las Vegas
by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Mar 07, 2012 at 2:45 pm ET

Roy Nelson's potential move to light heavyweight will apparently have to wait.

Days after he launched a Facebook campaign in which "Big Country" said enough "likes" would prompt a move down in weight class, UFC officials today announced Nelson (16-7 MMA, 3-3 UFC) instead will fight fellow heavyweight Antonio Silva (16-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC).

The bout takes place at UFC 146 in May.

UFC 146, which is headlined by heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem, takes place May 26 at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena. The main card airs on pay-per-view while FX carries the prelims.

Nelson vs. "Bigfoot" likely will be part of the PPV main card, though an announcement hasn't been made.

For Nelson, a winner of "The Ultimate Fighter 10" who's just 1-3 in his past four fights, it's likely a must-win fight. Following decisions losses to Dos Santos and Frank Mir, Nelson knocked out Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. However, in his most recent bout, the heavy-handed jiu-jitsu ace suffered a decision defeat to another Strikeforce import – Fabricio Werdum – at UFC 143.

Silva, meanwhile, is the latest Strikeforce-to-UFC arrival following the shuttering of his division in the UFC's sister promotion. The former EliteXC champ and World Victory Road/Sengoku vet went 3-2 in Strikeforce, which included a TKO victory over an undersized Fedor Emelianenko 13 months ago in the first round of Strikeforce's world heavyweight grand prix. However, in the semifinals, he suffered a knockout loss to injury replacement Daniel Cormier.

The latest UFC 146 card now includes:

Champ Junior Dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem (for heavyweight title)
Edson Barboza vs. Evan Dunham
Roy Nelson vs. Antonio Silva
Dan Hardy vs. Duane "Bang" Ludwig
Diego Brandao vs. Darren Elkins
C.B. Dollaway vs. Jason "Mayhem" Miller
Shane Del Rosario vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
Kyle Kingsbury vs. Glover Teixeira
Paul Sass vs. Jacob Volkmann

 

[Swinny]

Cain Velasquez vs. Frank Mir title-eliminator added to UFC 146
by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Mar 07, 2012 at 3:40 pm ET

UFC 146's lineup is getting bigger and bigger – both literally and figuratively.

UFC officials today announced that former UFC heavyweight champions Cain Velasquez (9-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) and Frank Mir (16-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) will meet at the May event.

The winner gets a guaranteed title shot against either champion Junior Dos Santos or Alistair Overeem, who meet in the night's headliner.

UFC 146, which also includes heavyweights Roy Nelson vs. Antonio Silva, takes place May 26 at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena. The main card airs on pay-per-view while FX carries the prelims.

Velasquez vs. Mir is expected to take the co-headlining slot.

Velasquez fights for the first time since November, when he lost his belt to Dos Santos in a 64-second UFC on FOX 1 headliner. Prior to that, the former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler opened his career with a 9-0 mark that included eight knockouts. He won his belt with a TKO of Brock Lesnar, but after a yearlong layoff due to an injured shoulder, he lost it to Dos Santos in his next bout.

Unlike most UFC fights, officials haven't booked a recent loser against another recent loser. In fact, Mir recently has continued a career resurgence with a three-fight win streak over Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (KO), Nelson (decision) and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (a come-from-behind submission). In fact, his only losses in his past nine fights have come in title fights to Lesnar and Shane Carwin.

The latest UFC 146 card now includes:

Champ Junior Dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem (for heavyweight title)
Frank Mir vs. Cain Velasquez
Edson Barboza vs. Evan Dunham
Roy Nelson vs. Antonio Silva
Dan Hardy vs. Duane "Bang" Ludwig
Diego Brandao vs. Darren Elkins
C.B. Dollaway vs. Jason "Mayhem" Miller
Shane Del Rosario vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
Kyle Kingsbury vs. Glover Teixeira
Paul Sass vs. Jacob Volkmann

 

[Swinny]

Mark Hunt vs. Stefan Struve completes all-heavyweight UFC 146 main card
by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Mar 14, 2012 at 1:50 pm ET

A heavyweight scrap between slugger Mark Hunt (8-7 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and Dutch skyscraper Stefan Struve (23-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) is the fifth heavyweight matchup added to UFC 146, and all five fights will be featured on the main card.

The plans were first revealed by Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole and have since been confirmed by UFC officials.

The card marks the first time in UFC history five heavyweight fights have filled out a main card.

Featuring a heavyweight title fight between current champion Junior Dos Santos and former Strikeforce title holder Alistair Overeem, "UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Overeem" takes place May 26 at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena.

A former kickboxing star, Hunt has emerged as a surprising success story in the UFC's heavyweight division with three-straight victories. He debuted for the promotion in September 2010 with a submission loss to Sean McCorkle but has since earned wins over Chris Tuchscherer, Ben Rothwell and Cheick Kongo.

Meanwhile, at just 24 years old, Struve has already fought 10 times in the octagon and is closing in on 30 total career contests. The 6-foot-11 fighter is 4-1 in his past five fights, with the lone loss coming to Travis Browne. His wins during that run have come over Dave Herman, Pat Barry, McCorkle and Christian Morecraft.

With the addition to the card, UFC 146's latest lineup currently includes:

MAIN CARD (pay-per-view)

Champ Junior Dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem (for heavyweight title)
Frank Mir vs. Cain Velasquez
Roy Nelson vs. Antonio Silva
Shane Del Rosario vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
Mark Hunt vs. Stefan Struve*

PRELIMINARY CARD

Edson Barboza vs. Evan Dunham
Dan Hardy vs. Duane "Bang" Ludwig
Diego Brandao vs. Darren Elkins
C.B. Dollaway vs. Jason "Mayhem" Miller
Kyle Kingsbury vs. Glover Teixeira
Paul Sass vs. Jacob Volkmann

* - Not officially announced

 

[Swinny]

Mike Brown vs. Daniel Pineda added to May's UFC 146 event
by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Mar 14, 2012 at 5:20 pm ET

A featherweight matchup between Mike Brown (25-8 MMA, 1-3 UFC) and Daniel Pineda (17-7 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has been added to May's UFC 146 event.

UFC officials announced the matchup earlier today.

Featuring a heavyweight title fight between current champion Junior Dos Santos and former Strikeforce title holder Alistair Overeem, "UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Overeem" takes place May 26 at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Brown vs. Pineda takes place on the preliminary card.

"Pineda is developing as a serious contender as he will be looking for his third stoppage in the octagon in only 5 months and riding an almost-two-year unbeaten streak," UFC president Dana White stated. "This will be the toughest test of his career, dealing with Brown's experience, power and submission prowess."

Brown looks to build on the strength of his first-ever UFC win, a UFC 133 victory over Nam Phan. The much-needed result snapped a two-fight losing streak for the former WEC featherweight champion, who had suffered back-to-back losses to Rani Yahya and Diego Nunes following the UFC's absorption of the WEC's roster. Brown also lost a lightweight bout at UFC 47 in April 2004.

Brown had been expected to face Vagner Rocha at January's UFC on FX 1 event but a knee injury forced him to withdraw from the card.

Meanwhile, Pineda (17-7 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has burst onto the UFC scene with back-to-back first-round submission wins over Mackens Semerzier and Pat Schilling. The 26-year-old Texan is currently 9-1 in his past 10 overall fights, with the lone loss coming in a May 2010 fight under the Bellator Fighting Championships' banner.

 

[Swinny]

NSAC tests six fighters in advance of UFC 146

In a surprise move, the Nevada State Athletic Commission today seized an opportunity to put its out-of-competition drug testing program to use following a pre-event press conference for UFC 146.

Six of the event's top billed fighters – Junior Dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, Cain Velasquez, Frank Mir, Roy Nelson and Antonio Silva – were summoned after the gathering to give urine samples that will be tested for drugs of abuse and performance-enhancers.

Results from those tests will be available in a week to two weeks, NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

HDNet's Ron Kruck first reported the out-of-competition tests.

Today's test serves as one of two random drug tests required of Overeem as part of a conditional license granted for the event, which takes place May 26 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Its main card airs live on pay-per-view and preliminary-card fights air on FX.

Kizer said the NSAC rented a room nearby the MGM Grand Hotel and Resort's lobby where the presser was held, and there were no issues during the tests, which were conducted by a mobile drug testing service.

The NSAC instituted out-of-competition testing in 2008, though budget constraints left the commission without funds to utilize the program in fiscal year 2010-2011. This past July, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval signed into law a bill to use a portion of gate proceeds from live events held in the state to make the tests, which cost around $200 each, possible.

The program ran into a snafu this past fall when Overeem was selected for out-of-competition testing in advance of his fight with Brock Lesnar at UFC 141. The No. 1 contender left the country for his home country of Holland on the same day as the request and didn't receive it until several days later. When he had his personal doctor conduct a test, it used blood and not urine as required by the commission. After an appearance via telephone before the commission, he had another test performed in the U.K. and was required to give two random drug tests as part of his conditional license.

The U.K. test turned up negative for performance-enhancers and drugs of abuse.

Only Silva previously has run afoul with commissions over banned substances. In 2008, the former Strikeforce fighter was suspended for one year and fined $2,500 after a post-fight drug test came back positive for Boldenone. His manager said the fighter used a supplement called Novodex to treat acromegaly, or "gigantism," that counteracted low testosterone levels caused by the condition. The CSAC denied his appeal, but Silva nonetheless fought during his suspension when he competed in 2009 in the now-defunct Japanese promotion Sengoku/World Victory Road.

Silva hasn't tested positive since.

MMAJunkie

 

[Swinny]

Bout order revealed for May's 'UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Overeem' event

The 12-bout lineup for the UFC's traditional Memorial Day-weekend event in Las Vegas is now official.

While all 12 contests for "UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Overeem" have been official for a few weeks, UFC brass recently set the evening's schedule.

Featuring a heavyweight title fight between current champion Junior Dos Santos (14-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) and former Strikeforce champ Alistair Overeem (36-11 MMA, 1-0 UFC), UFC 146 takes place May 26 at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena. The event marks the first time in UFC history five heavyweight fights have filled out a pay-per-view main card.

In addition to the headliner, UFC 146 features a co-main event between former UFC champions Frank Mir and Cain Velasquez. The winner is expected to face the night's main-event winner in a future UFC title fight.

Broadcast plans for the evening's preliminary card have yet to be announced, but the contests are expected to air on either FX or FUEL TV.

The full UFC 146 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (pay-per-view)

Champ Junior Dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem (for heavyweight title)
Frank Mir vs. Cain Velasquez
Roy Nelson vs. Antonio Silva
Shane Del Rosario vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
Mark Hunt vs. Stefan Struve

PRELIMINARY CARD

Diego Brandao vs. Darren Elkins
Edson Barboza vs. Evan Dunham
C.B. Dollaway vs. Jason "Mayhem" Miller
Paul Sass vs. Jacob Volkmann
Dan Hardy vs. Duane "Bang" Ludwig
Kyle Kingsbury vs. Glover Teixeira
Mike Brown vs. Daniel Pineda

MMAJunkie

 

[Swinny]

Alistair Overeem fails pre-fight drug test, likely out of UFC 146 title fight

Alistair Overeem (36-11 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is unlikely to fight champion Junior Dos Santos (14-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) for the UFC heavyweight title this summer at UFC 146.

Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the No. 1 heavyweight contender failed a pre-fight drug test conducted this past Tuesday following a press conference for UFC 146.

Overeem's "A" sample was flagged for an elevated T/E ratio that exeeded 10-to-1, well over the 6-to-1 limit. Kizer said the heavyweight has the right to request the test's "B" sample, which, if negative, would make him eligible to receive a fight license.

The former Strikeforce champion was among six top-billed fighters who were tested for the all-heavyweight pay-per-view event, which takes place May 26 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. All were tested for diuretics, masking agents, anabolic steroids and T/E ratios in addition to drugs of abuse.

Dos Santos, Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez, Roy Nelson and Antonio Silva all passed their tests.

It's not the first time Overeem has run afoul of the NSAC. He was granted a conditional license to fight Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 after missing a pre-fight drug test ordered by the commission, which reinstated out-of-competition testing this past July.

Answering to the commission via telephone during an NSAC hearing held three weeks prior to UFC 141, Overeem said he missed the test because he had flown back to his native Holland to care for his ailing mother and wasn't made aware of the obligation. When he got word, he submitted an invalid blood test conducted by his personal doctor and then submitted urine that wasn't tested.

The NSAC gave him a license on the condition that he submit to a drug test conducted by an accredited laboratory, which he did two days later (and subsequently passed), as well as pass a drug test upon arriving in the U.S. for the Lesnar fight and submit to two random tests.

This past Tuesday's test served as one of those random tests, which also followed a fight-night test at UFC 141.

Because Overeem's conditional license expired on Dec. 31, the NSAC will not receive a disciplinary complaint against him as it does for licensed athletes. Instead, he will need to appear before the commission should he choose to apply for a license, which notably, hadn't been filed for UFC 146.

With one half of May 26's event on the shelf, the UFC may give one of the main-card heavyweights an impromptu title shot.

MMAJunkie

 

[Catfish Billy]

The news about Overeem is terrible, I hope the fight still happens.

 

[Hammer]

Who didn't see that coming? Look at a time line of the man. Wanted to see the match but he was way over the limit....wwaaayyyy

 

[JakeYourBooty]

Hammer! Missed ya buddy

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk 2

 

[Hoss]

Howdy, Hammer.

Anyways, I've got only a few things to say about this card.. UFC is obviously trying to help Mayhem recover from his ass beating by Bisping by putting him in a highly winnable match it would seem, trying to make people forget he was demolished by one of the most hated men in the UFC in what should have been a glorious day for the fans. Fuck you Jason Miller. Bisping is far superior.

Also, Nelson could use to cut weight and move down to LHW. It would definitely increease his odds of winning and highlight his capabilities.

And finally, I hope Mir beats Cain. I like Cain but I still think him winning the Heavyweight belt was lucky, plus with the circumstances surrounding it, it's not surprising that he won. I think Dos Santos showed everyone just how beatable Cain is, and as far as longevity goes, Mir knows how to stay on top. Hope he comes in guns a blazin' and beats Cain in spectacular fashion.

Also, Hendo is probably going to replace Overeem if need be, and quite frankly, that would be an insane fight, especially after he duked it out with Shogun recently.

 

[Hammer]

I would be surprised if they actually let Dan get the title shot as he is in line for a title shot in two other divisions. I think if Mr. Juice does not get his license they will select a true heavy weight to go for the belt. I would love to see it be Hendo but I suspect they announce him as the next contender for light heavy after the Evan vs Jones match tomorrow night.

 

[Hammer]

And Frank Mir replaces Overeem. Still no word who will fill his spot in the co-main event. However it seems the don't want it to Werdum.

 

[Hoss]

Yes! I love Mir. I think he'll stand the best chance against JDS outside of Hendo.

 

[Swinny]

And Frank Mir replaces Overeem. Still no word who will fill his spot in the co-main event. However it seems the don't want it to Werdum.

It's going to be Cain vs. Big Foot. Big Country is set to get a new opponent as well, which will probably be either Browne or Rothwell coming off of UFC 145, with both having short fights and taking no damage.