The UFC heads to Rio Saturday with eyes already on a bigger return to Brazil in 2012.
Rumours and headlines are making their waves across the MMA landscape, many of which have caught my eye. Some are just hearsay, while others embody the old adage: "where there's smoke, there's fire."
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has officially set up shop in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and while I wish I were there, I'll be covering the event from our Rogers Sportsnet television and radio station studios in Canada. Later this week I'll offer up my thoughts and predictions on the card, so make sure you come back to see who I'm picking (and offer your thoughts as to why I'll be right or wrong).
In the meantime, the organization has already stated that they will return to Brazil in 2012, likely to the city of Manaus, with UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta expecting the event to shatter the attendance record set by Toronto's Rogers Centre in April. At UFC 129, over 55,000 packed the Rogers Centre, but if all goes well for the UFC, The Manaus Convention Center may come close to doubling that record, with a forecasted capacity of 100,000.
While it is a lofty goal for the organization, let's remember that this was once a company that was banned on pay-per-view, promoting a sport that had barely any rules, with no state, provincial or municipal athletic commissions sanctioning its bouts. Many balked at the organization speaking about holding shows in stadiums, let alone the Rogers Centre in Toronto. History has proven that this is a company headed by a renegade group of businessmen and visionaries who stand by what they believe, and will rarely concede an inch to get what they want.
Case in point: The new deal on FOX.
Zuffa has been clamoring to get a network television deal south of the border for years, but were adamant on certain terms that they would not give up. As other promotions came and went, they stayed the course, and it looks like they have taken the next big step in taking the sport to the next level.
While their brand is synonymous with MMA, it is no different than what other major sports have done, be it the NFL, MLB, NBA or NHL. When most think of a sport, they automatically think of the major league, and the UFC has long been the big show. From sanctioning, returning to pay-per-view to The Ultimate Fighter, this deal on FOX is the next leap to take MMA to the mainstream and beyond.
The first show on FOX, scheduled for Nov. 12, is rumoured to be headlined by Anderson Silva. "The Spider" must first defeat Yushin Okami on Saturday night and do so with the organization hoping he comes out unscathed. The plan may be to put him against Dan Henderson, who is fresh off a television victory over Fedor Emelianenko.
This would be a rematch from UFC 82 and will pit the sport's pound-for-pound best vs. a legend who would likely be more than happy to return to the dreadful middleweight division for a title shot. Hendo's training for that first bout was allegedly a disaster, and one can all but guarantee that this time around things will be different.
Other rumoured participants on the show include Lyoto Machida vs. Phil Davis, a light-heavyweight tilt that has many salivating at the prospects of the intriguing style vs. style matchup. A born striker vs. an established and honed championship wrestler... I can't wait to break this fight down on UFC Connected.
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Other MMA rumours and announced matchups:
-- Canadian welterweight Ryan Ford will fight one more time before he joins Bellator. "The Real Deal" will face David Hulett at Aggression MMA on Sept. 16.
-- DREAM has (finally) officially announced the middleweight tilt between Gerald Harris and Kazuhiro Nakamura, with two set to tangle in Japan on Sept. 24.
-- UFC Live 6 will see the return of two former UFC vets, as lightweights Josh Neer and Keith Wisniewski will meet inside the Octagon on Oct. 1.
-- On Oct. 8 at UFC 136 in Houston, Texas, featherweight Tiequan Zhang will lock horns with Darren Elkins.
-- After serving his one-year sentence in jail, War Machine tweeted he will return to action vs. Gideon Ray on Oct. 15 at Chicago Cagefighting Championship 4.
-- On Nov. 19 at UFC 139 in San Jose, two light-heavyweight tilts have been added to the card as Stephan Bonnar will square off against Kyle Kingsbury, while Ryan Bader returns to action and will face off against Jason Brilz.
In other news:
-- Brendan Schaub's confidence is at an all time high. Check out his sportsnet.ca blog, titled "You ain't seen nothing yet."
-- I guess Shinya Aoki's days under the Strikeforce/Zuffa banner are done. Word is he is being sought out by Bellator to rematch lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez in 2012.
-- Josh Thomson has been forced to withdraw from his Strikeforce Sept. 10 bout vs. the debuting Maxim Blanco, after yet another injury will prevent him from putting in a full training camp.
-- If you enjoy Capoeira like I do, then check out this recent switch kick knockout by Marcus Aurelio at BFL 10.
-- While Canadian MMA fans and fighters patiently await the news of a Canadian version of The Ultimate Fighter, looks like the first international one may be TUF U.K. vs. Australia.
