Gegard Mousasi wants middleweight Vitor Belfort in next UFC fight

Gegard Mousasi appears serious about his return to the middleweight division, and he’s aiming for the top of the UFC’s 185-pound division.

Mousasi (34-3-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) today took to Twitter to stump UFC President Dana White for a shot at top contender Vitor Belfort (23-10 MMA, 12-6 UFC).

“@danawhite @ufc I hoop I can fight in december against Belfort... I think my fans would love that fight,” he wrote.

However, as MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) recently reported, White hasn’t counted out the possibility of Belfort, who’s fresh off a violent knockout of former Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold at UFC on FX 8, facing the winner of next month’s UFC 162 headliner between middleweight champion Anderson Silva and challenger Chris Weidman.

“It would make sense for [Belfort to meet the winner of the Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman] fight, and that’s not far away,” White said. “Those two fight, and we see what happens. Or Vitor could fight again. I don’t know. But he could fight either one of those guys.”

Currently, Belfort is ranked No. 2 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA middleweight rankings. Mousasi is ranked No. 12 in the light-heavyweight rankings.

Mousasi, who’s currently on the mend following knee surgery, made his UFC debut and fought light heavyweight Ilir Latifi (a late replacement for Alexander Gustafsson) despite the injury back in April at UFC on FUEL TV 9. He earned a unanimous-decision win and then scheduled the surgery.

However, this past month, the former DREAM middleweight champion and ex-Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion said he was contemplating a return to the 185-pound division once he’s healed and back in the cage later this year.

Since the last time he competed at middleweight (September 2008), Mousasi has spent most of his time at light heavyweight, though he won a fight in the 2009 DREAM Super Hulk open-weight tournament before an injury forced him out of the field. (Source)

Derek Brunson vs. Ronny Markes pulled from UFC on FUEL TV 10 lineup

A last-minute issue has forced the cancellation of a planned UFC on FUEL TV 10 matchup between Derek Brunson (10-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and Ronny Markes (14-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC).

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed with sources close to the fighter that Markes was today ruled out of the matchup. Additional sources said the the 25-year-old Brazilian was on Friday morning involved in an automobile accident. While Markes is said to not have been seriously injured, the incident will prevent the fighter from competing.

According to Tatame.com’s Guilherme Cruz, Markes was a passenger in the vehicle and hurt his “neck, head and ribs” when a car driven by manager and trainer Andre Pederneiras was involved in the crash. Pederneiras also injured his knee in the incident.

UFC officials have yet to make an official announcement. However, UFC President Dana White told MMAjunkie.com that both fighters will be paid their guaranteed purse or “show” money.

UFC on FUEL TV 10 takes place Saturday at Paulo Sarasate Arena in Fortaleza, Brazil. Brunson and Markes were expected to meet on the evening’s Facebook-streamed preliminary card, which precedes the night’s FUEL TV-broadcast main-card bouts.

Brunson recently made his UFC debut and ended a two-fight skid with a unanimous-decision victory over Chris Leben at UFC 155. The former Strikeforce fighter and three-time NCAA Division II All-American wrestler opened his career with a 9-0 mark before losses to Kendall Grove and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.

Markes, who had looked to fights in his home country for the first time in more than two years, had hoped to extend his current win streak to seven fights, which has included UFC wins over Karlos Vemola, Aaron Simpson and Andrew Craig. All of the Nova Uniao fighter’s UFC wins have come via decision, though nine of his 11 other victories have come via stoppage.

With the late change to the card, UFC on FUEL TV 10 now includes:

MAIN CARD (FUEL TV, 8 p.m. ET)

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Fabricio Werdum

William Macario vs. Leonardo Santos “TUF: Brazil 2” tournament final

Rafael Cavalcante vs. Thiago Silva

Eddie Mendez vs. Daniel Sarafian

Jason High vs. Erick Silva

Rony Jason vs. Mike Wilkinson

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 5:15 p.m. ET)

Raphael Assuncao vs. Vaughan Lee

Felipe Arantes vs. Godofredo Castro

Ildemar Alcantara vs. Leandro “Buscape” Silva

Rodrigo Damm vs. Mizuto Hirota

Caio Magalhaes vs. Karlos Vemola

Antonio Braga Neto vs. Anthony Smith

(Source)

Jason High takes just-don’t-care attitude into UFC on FUEL TV 10 vs. Erick Silva

There can be a subtle beauty in someone who just doesn’t care. And Jason High? Well, he just doesn’t care.

Sort of. Of course he cares – saying he doesn’t might imply High (16-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) doesn’t want to win when he meets Erick Silva (14-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) on Saturday at UFC on FUEL TV 10. And that, obviously, would be patently false.

But when it comes to what the oddsmakers who have made Silva a 4-to-1 favorite, when it comes to what his record is, when it comes to talking about his opponent, when it comes to fighting Silva in Brazil on hostile turf? All that stuff, High doesn’t much care about. And he has pretty much the textbook just-don’t-care way to phrase it, too.

“I’m going to put the pressure on him and make him uncomfortable,” High told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “He’s fighting in front of his home (crowd) – and I don’t really care about all that s—t. There’s going to be pressure, it’s going to be ugly, and I don’t really give a s—t. It’s still a fight.”

There it is, in a nutshell, for High: “I don’t really give a s—t.”

UFC on FUEL TV 10 takes place at Paulo Sarasate Arena in Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil. The main card, including High vs. Silva, airs on FUEL TV following prelims on Facebook.

High comes into the fight riding a seven-fight win streak, including three straight under the Strikeforce banner. He’s been to the UFC dance before, and dropped a unanimous decision to Charlie Brenneman in March 2010. Now, more than three years later, he’s been invited back and believes he’s a significantly different fighter.

His wins since his loss to Brenneman, which followed a knockout loss to Marius Zaromskis at DREAM.10, include Jordan Mein, Hayato Sakurai, Quinn Mulhern and Nate Moore, the latter two in Strikeforce.

“I’m light years better,” said High, who in the middle of his seven-fight streak started training at American Top Team for the bulk of his camps. “I’ve improved everywhere. My standup’s definitely improved, and my grappling’s improved leaps and bounds. I don’t want to be the same fighter I was three years ago.”

That’s what he’ll be attempting to show Silva – and the oddsmakers – on Saturday. That the numbers are skewed so heavily in his favor might be perplexing to High – if he cared. He takes that with a grain of salt, too.

“I don’t pay attention to it, man,” High said. “I’ve been an underdog a lot, so it really doesn’t matter to me. It’s a bunch of fat guys smoking cigarettes handicapping fights. What the f--- do I care what they think? I’m going to beat his ass. I don’t really pay much attention to how many fights I’ve won. The only time I pay attention to that is doing interviews like this.”

If High’s comments come off as slightly annoyed, it’s because he is, and he knows it. Chalk it up to the weight cut, chalk it up to being out of his element in Brazil, chalk it up to being travel-weary.

But he’s attempting to turn that aggravation into a positive when Saturday rolls around.

“The game face has been on all week,” High said. “I’m getting irritable. I’ve got to see him around the f---ing hotel, I’ve got to answer questions about him. Whatever. I’ll see him at weigh-ins. But cutting weight, everything is a little more annoying at this point.”

Being annoyed leading up to the fight would likely be water under the bridge if High can pull off the upset, and he’s seen a bit of a blueprint for beating Silva by watching Jon Fitch outwrestle the Brazilian this past October, Silva’s most recent fight.

So if Silva believes the oddsmakers and sees High as a walk-through on the way back to the win column, High thinks he has another thing coming.

“Fitch kind of exposed him a little bit, I feel like,” he said. “So I’ll be looking to go there and wear him out, I think. He likes to finish early and he’s done that a lot. I want to take him deep and put pressure on him.

“He knows what I’m trying to do to him and he’s afraid of having it done to him. After that first round, maybe his eyes are going to be opened up a bit when things aren’t going his way and he’s getting beat up in front of his home (crowd).”

And if that’s the case, Silva certainly won’t be happy. And High? It’s likely he just won’t give a s—t. (Source)

Fight Rundown: Josesito Lopez Vs. Marcos Maidana, UFC's Nogueira Vs. Werdum

Josesito Lopez vs Marcos Maidana

If every fighter needs a lucky break in their career to move them up a level, then look no further than Josesito Lopez. Brought in as a last minute replacement for Andre Berto in a planned and much anticipated rematch with Victor Ortiz, Lopez was beyond written off. Ortiz was too big and Lopez [30-5 18 KO] lacked the resume to provide any sort of credible challenge. Instead Lopez turned up, boxed, scrapped and emerged victorious.

Ortiz? He left with a broken jaw that needed to be wired shut and as yet has not made a return to the ring.

That plucky victory secured Lopez a shot at Saul Alvarez at junior middleweight and a career high day pay. Sure, Lopez was blown away with ease but it wasn’t his weight class unlike Saturday’s welterweight matchup against the wild Argentinean dervish Marcos Maidana [33-3 30 KO] at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

Maidana, a terror at light-welterweight, is now looking to secure a firm footing in the 147-pound class where the biggest prize is longtime pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather.

But for Lopez, the Ortiz fight may yet prove to be a mixed blessing. He’s now expected to slug rather than box, and he lacks power to duke it with the biggest punch bomb merchants in his division — something that Maidana unquestionably is. Expect Maidana to come strong and deliver a powerful performance that could see him finally face fellow countryman and equally powerful Lucas Matthysse. As for Lopez, Maidana may prove to be the fighter that shifts the limelight away from Lopez and his odds defying antics.  

Alfredo Angulo vs Erislandy Lara

Most fight fans have two abiding images of Alfredo Angulo.

The first is of the Mexican junior middleweight repeatedly sprinkling the equivalent of boxing catnip for fight fans with incessant brutal knockouts, mostly in the first few stanzas of a fight for the majority of his career. The second is memories of his barbarous and epic bout with James Kirkland in 2011 that ended up as a Fight of the Year candidate but with Angulo on the end of a technical knockout.

After that fight, Angulo [22-2 18 KO] who had been even been tipped as a potential opponent for “Canelo” Alvarez, slipped slightly off the boxing map. Immigration problems for the Mexicali native meant he spent seven months in an immigration center and finally returned late last year with some low level warm up fights. So on Saturday night as part of the co-feature, Angulo is stepping in the ring with his first legitimately dangerous opponent in years — Erislandy Lara. But alas, if the old adage that “styles make fights” holds any truth, the choice of the former amateur star Lara could not have been a worse one, “El Perro.”

While a potential defeat against a slick boxer of Lara’s [17-1-2 11 KO] caliber is usually not career threatening (given Angulo’s crowd pleasing style, and ability to stalk and scythe down opponents), it’s fair to say that “El Perro” is very much the underdog in this fight. In fact most fighters are when confronted with the former standout Cuban amateur who’s awkward but incredibly effective and slick style is paired with a relatively plodding and predictable method synonymous with Angulo. Sure, if Angulo is lucky enough to land enough sweetly, we might hear cries of “timber!” But the likelihood of doing so against one of the more elusive fighters in the sport is slim. Fans can expect a Lara victory — but the return of Angulo to the upper echelons of the sport will always be welcomed even if on Saturday it might prove to be a further setback.

Chad Dawson vs Adonis Stevenson

While the action might sizzle in California, over in Canada at Montreal’s Bell Centre, Chad Dawson [31-2 17 KO], the WBC light-heavyweight title holder takes on Adonis Stevenson in a fight that could either revive Dawson’s career or see it slide into a further mediocrity and frank indifference.

The reason is that despite all the promise in the world, including some consistently stellar performances earlier in his career, there has always been something amiss about Chad Dawson. The man who could provide wins like the two victories apiece over Glen Johnson and Antonio Tarver as well as a dramatic and impressive showing over former division stalwart Tomasz Adamek, could just as quickly turn up with lackluster frankly lazy showings against bruisers such as Jean Pascal and two visual abominations against Bernard Hopkins.

For every fight in which Dawson appeared to be the future of the light-heavyweight division, he was able to tarnish that promise with performances reeking of indifference. So on Saturday Dawson, who fights the durable athletic but not as good Stevenson, needs to win and ideally in impressive fashion. A motivated and prime Dawson is the best in the division and defeats the athletic, durable but relatively untested Stevenson [20-1 17 KO]. An unfocused and lethargic Dawson, even if victorious, could see his borderline toxic television stock drop further. The talent is undeniable, but the motivation? That’s a different matter.

The man whose nickname is “Bad” needs to be real bad against Stevenson to make good on his promise and soar to the place where his talent warrants.

Yuriorkis Gamboa vs Darley Perez

If this fight goes beyond the opening rounds, then it will be an indictment of how much Gamboa’s career has slid since his defection of Bob Arum’s Top Rank. It’s not that Gamboa is not in his prime or has shown signs of wear and tear. Far from it. It’s just that someone who is aiming to claim a title in a third weight division and resides in the “elite” category of the sport should not be fighting relative unknowns of Darley Perez’s caliber. One perhaps can’t blame if a little indifference creeps in. Gamboa, a former gold medallist for the celebrated Cuban Olympic team is an interstellar mile ahead of anyone else on Perez’s resume, who has a solid but frankly incomparable record. Gamboa should not even break a sweat and should move onto fights matching his quality and stature. Perhaps his promoter 50 Cent can secure something soon.

UFC on Fuel TV 10

Fabricio Werdum vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

While the weekend’s fights are dominated by boxing, there is a sprinkling of some UFC to satiate fans that need a sprinkling of a few heel kicks with their heavy diet of punches. On this occasion it’s a relatively unremarkable UFC card from Brazil headlined by at least one notable fight in the shape of heavyweights Werdum and Noguiera.

For Nogueira [34-7-1], the fight is likely to be one of a last hurrahs or curtain calls in a career that is clearly winding down and becoming peppered as much with victories as losses. His victory at UFC 153 over Dave Herman proved that he should never be counted out but is very much the underdog in a tussle with Werdum. The reason is that Werdum [16-5-1], is one of the top contenders in the heavyweight division and continues to improve. Where once he looked limited against the likes of Alistair Overeem, he came back and patched the holes with an impressive win over Roy Nelson. Expect Werdum to triumph on Saturday, and in doing so, add a very credible if somewhat faded name in the form of Noguiera.  (Source)

Brian Bowles fails UFC 160 drug test due to elevated T/E ratio

The Nevada State Athletic Commission has temporarily suspended Brian Bowles after saying he tested positive for an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio following his loss at UFC 160.

NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer today informed MMAjunkie.com that the bantamweight came back with an T/E ratio of more than 20-1. The commission’s official limit is 6-1.

Kizer said Bowles hadn’t applied for a therapeutic-use exemption for testosterone-replacement therapy prior to the event. The fighter declined comment when contacted by MMAjunkie.com today.

Remaining drug tests for UFC 160, which took place May 25 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, came back negative for performance-enhancers and drugs of abuse. All 24 competitors on the card were tested.

Bowles (10-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC), a former WEC champion, fought George Roop (14-9-1 MMA, 4-5 UFC) on the Facebook-streamed preliminary card of the event, which was headlined by a heavyweight title bout between champ Cain Velasquez and Antonio Silva. Bowles suffered a second-round TKO loss, which was his second consecutive setback inside the octagon.

The Nevada Attorney General’s office, which oversees disciplinary action for the NSAC, will formally notify Bowles of his positive test and temporary suspension on Monday.

Bowles has the right to appeal the findings at a future NSAC meeting. A punishment, likely in the form of a fine and suspension, also would be determined at a future meeting if the test results are upheld.

Since transitioning from the now-defunct WEC to the UFC, Bowles has struggled with persistent injuries. UFC 160 was his first fight since UFC 139 in November 2011, which ended via a second-round submission loss to Urijah Faber. Bowles stands at 2-2 inside the octagon.

For full coverage of UFC 160, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site. (Source)

UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre Has Car Stolen

Stealing from a UFC-caliber fighter would strike most people as a bad idea, yet somehow, it looks like welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre had his car hi-jacked last week.

GSP did not provide any further details about the incident, but regardless of what kind of car he was driving, he should be able to afford another one based on the $400,000 he made at UFC 158 this March (via MMA Manifesto).

The French-Canadian superstar sees a rare stroke of bad luck here as he is currently riding an 11-fight win streak inside the Octagon, which includes a UFC welterweight record of eight consecutive title defenses.

According to UFC President Dana White, St-Pierre “positively” knows that his friend and occasional training partner Chris Weidman will beat middleweight champ Anderson Silva next month (via MMA Mania).

Therefore, don’t expect to see a St-Pierre vs. Silva superfight in this lifetime.

The 32-year-old is expected to face top 170-pound contender Johny “Bigg Rigg” Hendricks for his next title bout, though the match up is still yet to be finalized according to MMA Mania.

St-Pierre hasn’t tasted defeat in over six years since getting upset by Matt Serra at UFC 69, but Hendricks is on a six-fight unbeaten streak and boasts impressive one-punch knockout power that could put any welterweight’s lights out.

In this particular situation, the robber is probably better off having the police catch him, as opposed to one of MMA’s pound-for-pound greats. (Source)

UFC on Fuel 10 Results: Questions Heading into UFC 161 Evans vs. Henderson

UFC on Fuel 10 is set to take place on Saturday from Fortaleza, Brazil.  You can find updated results for all the fights as they happen right here:

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Fabricio Werdum

William Macario vs. Leo Santos

Rafael Cavalcante vs. Thiago Silva

Eddie Mendez vs. Daniel Sarafian

Jason High vs. Erick Silva

Rony Jason vs. Mike Wilkinson

Raphael Assuncao vs. Vaughan Lee

Derek Brunson vs. Ronny Markes

Felipe Arantes vs. Godofredo Castro

Ildemar Alcantara vs. Leandro Silva

Rodrigo Damm vs. Mizuto Hirota

Caio Magalhaes vs. Karlos Vemola

Antonio Braga Neto vs. Anthony Smith

Once the Brazil card comes to a close, MMA fans can look north to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada for the next UFC event.  The promotion will travel to the MTS Centre on June 15 to present UFC 161, a card that will be headlined by a light heavyweight fight between Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson.

As with every UFC card, there are some questions that beg to be answered by the event. (Source)

UFC on FS1 1: Did the UFC Deliver with First Fox Sports 1 Fight Card?

As an avid MMA fanatic who currently resides in Boston, admittedly, I was initially a bit disappointed by the fight card that the UFC announced it will be bringing to the Hub for its Fox Sports 1 debut on August 17.

Maybe it was all the talk about the possibility of a champ like Jon Jones or Benson Henderson getting the nod to headline the summer event at the TD Garden—or perhaps it was just me acting as a spoiled fan—but I was expecting more from these bouts, especially after UFC president Dana White said that it would be “the biggest card on free television that we’ve ever done.”

Although the line-up features a plethora of former Zuffa title holders and TUF alums, the fact that eight of the 12 main card fighters are coming into this event off of losses made me feel uneasy about the promotion’s kick-off on FS1 this summer.

But once my fan-boy side simmered down and I took the time to reevaluate the fights, I am now actually pretty pumped for the UFC’s next trip to Boston.

Like really, super pumped.

True, many of the athletes on the main card have seen their stock fall in recent months due to losses, but it’s not like they are coming in with Leonard Garcia-style losing streaks. In fact, if this line-up had been announced just a few months prior, critics and fans alike would be praising the promotion for putting together such a stacked event.

However, there always seems to be a “what have you done for me lately” mentality with us fickle MMA enthusiasts.

For example, headliners Chael Sonnen and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua may be a combined 4-5 over the past three years, but each of those defeats—and even most of the wins—have come against the best of the best in their respective divisions.

There’s a difference between having back-to-back losses against the likes of Jon Jones and Anderson Silva and having back-to-back losses to middle of the pack fighters, so maybe we should cut the main eventers a little bit of slack.

The same goes for the night’s co-main event.

Every MMA fan and their mother was excited to see Alistair Overeem finally grace the Octagon in December of 2011. But after one unexpected, yet brutal, knockout loss—and let’s not forget his positive drug test prior to UFC 146—“The Reem” has lost a ton of support.

Think what you will of the Dutch striker, but his recent misfortunes shouldn’t completely dissuade viewers from tuning in. Before fans completely write him off, we should give Overeem a chance to see if he can get back to his glory days, like when he was putting people to sleep as the K-1 and Strikeforce heavyweight champ.

As for the card as a whole, critics need to consider that there is a former UFC champ, a former Strikeforce champ, two former WEC champs, a TUF winner and plenty of TUF alums that will be fighting in Boston—not to mention one of the sport’s best trash-talkers, as well as a certain budding Irish prospect.

With names like Sonnen, Overeem, Conor McGregor, Urijah Faber and more set to do battle at the TD Garden, on paper, this card could rival most of the UFC’s recent pay-per-views.

For me, the only true gripe I have with this event is the lack of featured local talent.

Sure, Boston-area native Joe Lauzon and Irishman McGregor will be on the card, but that’s about it. I would love to see Team Link’s Gabriel Gonzaga of Ludlow, MA be featured at this show, or even the UFC return of Dorchester’s own John Howard.

But, even without featuring a lot of hometown fighters, this card is still quite stacked for a free, televised event.

Sure, fans may be a bit weary since many of the fighters are coming into the summer event following losses, but that should make fans even more excited because athletes almost always do their best when their backs are against the wall. And, if these fighters want to stay employed by the UFC, you can bet that they are going to bring their all on August 17.

Not to mention one of the sport’s best trash-talkers, as well as a certain budding Irish prospect. (Source)

Marquis Pierce, of Phillipsburg, reflects on professional boxing debut win over Jeffrey Dorsey

Marquis Pierce was happy just to be at SteelStacks on Thursday night.

Pierce, a former wrestler at Phillipsburg High School, was even happier when his hands were raised after beating Jeffrey Dorsey by majority decision in his professional boxing debut in the first ever Fight Night held at the venue.

“It was an incredible win,” a smiling Pierce said. “I came out here to fight hard; I’m glad I earned the money and took care of business. ... This is actually keeping me from going to jail tonight. I’m more than happy to fight anytime if I have to just to keep me from ending up in a place I don’t want to belong. I’m a good kid, I’m a good person. If I need to give up every dollar to make sure it doesn’t happen, that’s what I’m going to do.”

The 23-year-old Pierce, who said he could have been in jail due to child support issues, admitted it was a struggle just to be allowed to participate in the event.

“The craziest thing is I work two jobs and they take money out of both my checks,” said Pierce, who is employed at Chick-fil-A and Big Lots in Phillipsburg. “They weren’t even planning on letting me fight in this. I’m so glad I had so many people who wanted this to happen; I fought for them and fought for myself. I want to turn this money over to whoever I have to give it to so I don’t go to jail. ... It’s just one road bump in this long journey I call life.”

Pierce (1-0), who won by a judge’s scorecard of 38-38, 39-37, 39-37, was able to stick to his gameplan of staying close enough to Dorsey (0-2), a grandson of boxing legend Larry Holmes. He took some hits but prevented the crucial blow while keeping Dorsey in the corner or up against the ropes most of the bout.

“My goal was to keep him close to me so he couldn’t get space to throw big punches,” said Pierce, who trains at Holmes’ gym in Easton and with Hanisak Sports Performance in Allentown. “When he got the space and was nailing them, they were tearing me apart, actually. I’m not going to lie, he really caught me with one that put my eyes out. It got me real nervous. If I got hit with too many of those, I was going down; I could smell it.”

Dorsey, 25, fought back in the third round landing some key hits but Pierce stuck with his strategy. Frank Pintabone, Dorsey’s trainer, said his boxer wasn’t 100 percent for the fight but took nothing away from the victor.

“Two weeks before the fight, Jeffrey had a severe back muscle tear up at Ronald Cruz’s camp,” Pintabone said as Dorsey sat next to him, declining to be interviewed. “He was out for about a week. He didn’t spar in the two weeks before the fight, he wasn’t doing any bag work, it was all just light work. He’s been coming in for massages and stretching.

“His back popped again in the middle of the first round and he couldn’t get going. When he’s straight up and down it gives him some relief but when he’s hunched over in the fighting position, it’s unbearable, in his words. The corner and ropes gave him a place of stability.”

Those locations in the ring also provided Pierce with momentum on offense. With a pro-Dorsey crowd on hand, Pierce showed no signs of nervousness or shyness in his pro debut.

Pierce, who did mixed martial arts for a year and a half before devoting his attention and efforts to boxing, said he and Dorsey are friends. While the two never wrestled against each other at the high school level—Dorsey went to Easton Area High School—the pair have sparred once or twice before but according to Pierce, “that was a long time ago.”

“We’re always going to be good friends” Pierce said. “Without him, this wouldn’t be possible. I’m so happy he gave me the opportunity to do this. ... It’s bittersweet. This guy was kicking my behind years ago. I was like the little brother.” (Source)

Late Gatti’s induction into Boxing Hall an occasion for tears, cheers and a ...

Tears of joy and tears of sadness will flow here Sunday when Arturo Gatti’s name is announced as he inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. It’s an honor that is well deserved for his brilliant ring career, but will be tempered by the still painful memory of his untimely death four years ago.

“It’s sad he’s not going to be there,” his long-time manager, Pat Lynch, told The Post. “I know he’ll be looking down. It’s going to be a very happy day, but it’s going to be a very sad day.”

Few would have predicted Gatti would reach boxing’s ultimate fraternity when he moved from his native Montreal at age 19 to join his older brother, Joe, in Jersey City to pursue a professional boxing career. He won his first two pro fights by knockout, and after stopping Richard De Jesus in 28 seconds of his third fight, he signed a contract with Main Events, the New Jersey-based promotional company that guided his entire career.

He goes into the Hall of Fame not for being the most skilled fighter of his era, but as promoter Lou DiBella said: “the most exciting fighter of his generation.”

“It didn’t matter if he won or lost,” said DiBella, who handled boxing programming at HBO during most of Gatti’s 21 fights for the network. “He captivated people. He had a warrior spirit in the ring.”

That warrior spirit will be remembered tomorrow when Gatti joins boxer Virgil Hill, referee Mills Lane, announcer Jim Lennon Jr., journalist Colin Hart and boxer Myung-Woo Yuh of Seoul, South Korea, in the Class of 2013. Among those applauding Gatti’s induction is former heavyweight champion and Hall of Famer Mike Tyson, who met Gatti when he was 10 years old.

“I remember him being so determined and so hungry,” Tyson said. “He wanted to be a champion so bad.”

Gatti became a three-time world champion who amassed a record of 40-9 with 31 knockouts before retiring in 2007. His good looks, charming smile and toe-to-toe style generated a huge following that guaranteed sellout crowds in Atlantic City and New York. His three fights with Micky Ward are considered by many the best boxing trilogy next to Ali-Frazier. But he also had epic battles with Tracy Harris Patterson, Ivan Robinson, and Wilson Rodriguez. When “Thunder” Gatti fought, it was an event.

“Sometimes you catch lightning in a bottle and that’s what happened,” said Main Events promoter Kathy Duva. “The thing about Arturo is that people identified with him. He was just like the people who came to see him fight and I think they knew that.” (Source)

Vive le boxing: Dawson vs Stevenson, Gamboa vs Perez on HBO, Sat, 10 p.m. ET

Canadians love their fights. Sure, the majority take place on ice during hockey games, but it doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate boxing just as much.

The Bell Centre in Montreal plays host to a pair of televised bouts on HBO sure to provide fan pleasing action. “Bad” Chad Dawson (31-2, 17 KOs) of Las Vegas (via Connecticut) meets Adonis Stevenson (20-1, 17 KOs) on his home turf in Quebec for the WBC light heavyweight belt.

Perhaps it’s the Canadian air. Both boxers nearly got sent to the penalty box during the weigh-in on Friday, scuffling with each other before they were seperated. Dawson weighed in at 173.4 pounds; Stevenson at 174.2 pounds.

Dawson, age 30, dropped a weight class to fight Andre Ward in September. It was a big mistake. Dawson got dropped three times before the fight and was soundly thrashed before the fight was stopped. His only other loss was in Montreal to Jean Pascal in 2010. Dawson would love to avenge both in one fell swoop against Stevenson.

Stevenson is 35 years old. At that age, every fight becomes crucial because every loss has more impact. He also got a very late start to his professional boxing career at age 30. He has been helped by fighting mainly at home in Quebec. Originally from Haiti, Stevenson is a powerful boxer and he has stopped his last seven opponents.

Dawson knows what it’s like to fight in front of the other fighter’s home town crowd. He fought Ward in Oakland, Hopkins in Atlantic City, and Pascal in Montreal. But he has also defeated Hopkins as well as Antonio Tarver, Tomasz Adamek, and Glen Johnson twice.

Dawson said at the final news conference this week that he needs to stay smart, pick his spots, and not let him get off first. Stevenson will employ a very different approach. “I am going to jump on him like a hungry, wild dog… I am going to hit him, I am going to hurt him.” This was certainly Stevenson’s demeanor at the weigh-in.

Dawson doesn’t have Stevenson’s power. But he is taller with a greater reach, and if he avoids brawling he should be able to keep out of the way of Stevenson’s worst. Dawson needs to show the judges plenty of activity, and needs to demonstrate that he is in control of the ring and the fight to win a decision. As long as he stays out of Stevenson’s way and doesn’t get goaded into a brawl, he should prevail.

In the televised undercard, Yuriorkis Gamboa (22-0, 16 KOs) from Miami via Cuba and Darleys Perez (28-0, 19 KOs) of Colombia fight at lightweight. This is two weight classes above the division where Gamboa made his name, featherweight. Perez was on the 2008 Colombian Olympic boxing team; Gamboa is another in a long line of Cuban Olympic and amateur champions with a 2004 gold medal and four Cuban national titles.

Perez, age 29, is naturally bigger and stronger than Gamboa. He is also less experienced despite the numbers in the professional record, and he has never faced an opponent with the skills of Gamboa. Still, there are some question marks surrounding Gamboa. He was out of the ring for 15 months, pulling out of a fight in April 2012 with Brandon Rios due to what he claimed were contract problems. He is now represented by Curtis “40 Cent” Jackson. Gamboa came back last December and won a unanimous decision against Michael Farenas, but he took some punishment to get it.

Gamboa weighed in at 134.2 pounds Perez weighed in at 134.6 pounds.

Perez has been sparring with Cuban fighters to get a feel for Gamboa’s style. It’s a serious improvement in the quality of his opponent, and whether he can impose his will through his greater size and power on Gamboa will make for an intriguing fight. He has a chance against Gamboa, but it’s likely a slim one. Sometimes that’s all a motivated fighter needs.

“HBO World Championship Boxing” airs at 10 p.m ET on Saturday, June 8 on HBO, with airings on HBO Latino and replays throughout the weekend.  (Source)

http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/ringside-seat/2013/jun/7/boxing-dawson-stevenson-gamboa-hbo-saturd-10pm-TV/

Cali Boxing action: Maidana v Lopez, Angulo v Lara, Showtime 10 p.m.

Whatever is in the air or the water at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, it’s the boxing version of a magical Room of Requirement straight out of Harry Potter. Fighters who step into the ring at the Center in Carson recently have put on wildly entertaining fights for fans: both Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado bouts, Timothy Bradley and Ruslan Provodnikov to name a few.

Showtime hopes the pugilistic pixie dust (sorry, indulge me) does its work again on Saturday night for its lineup including two good welterweight matchups with the potential to be great.

Marcos Maidana of Argentina (33-3, 30 KOs) proved he can win at welterweight last September on the Alvarez-Lopez undercard, a needed comeback after a loss to hard-hitting Devon Alexander at super welterweight. He faces Californian Josesito Lopez (30-5, 18 KOs) in an important fight for both contenders.

Maidana, 29, comes into fights in excellent condition. He likes to hit and he can take a serious punch, which generally makes for an entertaining show for the fans.  He has defeated several worthy opponents and lost a few close decisions. Maidana is more powerful than Lopez, but Lopez has plenty of gas in the tank. Ask Victor Ortiz, who thought Lopez would be a tuneup fight but ended up with a broken jaw. That victory won Lopez, 28, a matchup against Canelo Alvarez. It turned out to be a mismatch: Lopez took a drubbing, hitting the canvas three times before a fifth round stoppage. This is his first fight since that wipeout.

Maidana weighted in at the 147 pound limit; Lopez weighted in at 145 pounds even. (Source)

Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame to Induct 19 Greats on Aug 10

Legends MIKE TYSON, SUGAR RAY LEONARD and OSCAR DE LA HOYA head up the list to be feted at the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The star-studded inaugural class of the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame will be officially inducted in a gala dinner on Saturday, August 10, at the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino.

Tickets for the event, ranging from $50 to $250, will go on sale on This Monday! June 10, at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT at the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame website at http://nvbhof.com.

The 19 inductees represent some of the best in the sport’s glorious history in Nevada and includes 12 who are already in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

The Hall’s board of directors selected the 19 enshrinees in eight categories: Nevada resident boxers; Non-Nevada resident boxers; Officials; Trainers; Promoters; Media; Executives; and Special Contributors.

“A true Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame has been long overdue, considering this state’s rich tradition in the sport,” NVBHOF founder and CEO Rich Marotta said. “The NVBHOF is ready to honor the significant contributors to boxing in Nevada. Our board of directors has been pointing to this night and is planning a gala, Las Vegas-worthy event. The Nevada boxing community comes together August 10.”

Some of boxing’s greatest champions and most well known names are among those who will be honored at the Monte Carlo.

Former undisputed heavyweight champion “Iron” Mike Tyson, former three-division world champion Mike “The Body Snatcher” McCallum and two-division world champion Diego “Chico” Corrales were chosen in the Nevada resident category.

The non-Nevada resident category is comprised of nothing but members of the International Boxing Hall of Fame: Former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes; 1976 Olympic gold medalist and multiple division world champion Sugar Ray Leonard; Julio César Chávez, México’s greatest boxer; and Oscar De La Hoya, boxing’s biggest pay-per-view star and a world title-holder in six weight classes.

The legendary Eddie Futch and Freddie Roach were chosen in the Trainers category. In the Officials category, open to both referees and judges, voters selected Mills Lane and Joe “Fair But Firm” Cortez.

Long-time Showtime and ESPN broadcaster Al Bernstein and former Las Vegas Review-Journal boxing writer Royce Feour are the inductees in Media.

Bob Arum of Top Rank and Don King of Don King Productions, arguably the two greatest promoters in the sport’s history, are going in together in the Promoters’ division.

Two long-time contributors to the Nevada Athletic Commission, former executive director Marc Ratner and ex-commissioner Dr. James Nave, were the picks in the Executives division.

And in the Special Contributors class, chosen were MGM Grand owner Kirk Kerkorian and Las Vegas power broker Sig Rogich.

In addition to inducting its first class, the NVBHOF will announce selections for male and female professional Fighter of the Year from Nevada; its Nevada Fight of the Year; as well as its Nevada Prospect and Amateur of the Year.

Gold Circle Ringside VIP tickets are $250 apiece or $2,500 for a table of 10. The ticket includes dinner, preferred seating and other amenities to be announced shortly. Ringside tickets are $150 per ticket or $1,500 for a table of 10. It includes dinner and a seat for the gala. A limited number of $50 General Admission tickets that do not include dinner but will allow access to the gala, will also be available.

The Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame is a 501 © (3) non-profit charity organization committed to helping boxing-related causes. In keeping with its mission, the NVBHOF will award its donations to several groups, organizations, clubs and schools working hard to promote the positive aspects of boxing. (Source)

Hernandez-Harrison still flawless in the boxing ring

It had been six months since welterweight sensation Dusty Hernandez-Harrison had fought in front of his home crowd and he gave them and himself an early birthday present.

His record is still flawless and now at 15-0 with nine knockouts. Puerto Rico native Eddie Soto has now been added to that list.

On May 18, Hernandez-Harrison, a Thomas Stone High School graduate, and All-In Entertainment were showcased at the University of the District of Columbia’s Sports Complex in Washington, D.C., in front of nearly 3,000 people.

Hernandez-Harrison, who turned 19 on May 21, knocked down Soto in the second round and finished the bout in the fifth round with a right-handed blow.

“It was an awesome atmosphere for my first fight at home in six months,” Hernandez-Harrison said in a press release. “The fans seemed to really enjoy themselves and I am glad I was able to deliver a good show for them.”

In the same press release, Buddy Harrison, Dusty’s trainer and father, said, “I am just so happy that he could put on a performance like this for his fans, friends and family in Washington, D.C.”

Westlake graduate Michael Reed was also on the card, along with Jerry Odom, Kevin Rivers Jr., Yurii Polishchuk and Greg Newby.

Ty Lawson of the Denver Nuggets, Pierre Garcon of the Washington Redskins and Grammy-nominated singer Wale were all present to support the sport and the Harrison family.

Jeff Fried, owner of All-In Entertainment and advisor to the Harrison family, said that the recent card opened the door for Harrison in so many ways.

“May 18 was a wonderful success in so many ways,” Fried said. “Starting with Dusty’s performance in the ring and continued development as a professional boxer, an enthusiastic crowd further confirming Dusty’s status as the marquee boxer from this region and the manner in which the overall promotion was handled.”

Fried said that 2013 will indeed be a busy year for Harrison. He has more fights lined up for Harrison, but they are only focusing on one at a time.

Harrison will step in the ring again June 29 as part of the undercard of an HBO broadcast from the MGM Grand at Foxwoods Casino in Mashantucket, Conn.

“This is a different look for Dusty,” Fried said. “As we said at the end of last year, 2013 will be a busy year for Dusty’s development, and that continues in late June and then summer and fall, but we never like to talk about any bout but the next one, so all focus is on June 29 and Dusty will be fighting back home before [the] year ends.

“The fan outpouring for Dusty and the other future world champions to come back to Washington, D.C., started right after the May 18 bout, and we will be selling out another Washington, D.C., venue in the fall.”

Odom, a super middleweight from Bowie, said he was happy to be back in front of his home crowd. He defeated Drew Morias (1-2) when referee Dave Braslow stopped the contest just 1 minute 5 seconds into the bout.

“I was happy to be on this card and being home to show off my talent,” Odom said. “It went well. I received another first-round knockout, and that feels good.”

Odom is now 4-0 and has kept all of his opponents contained within the first round.

“I know I haven’t [fought past the first round], but sooner or later I may go more, I can’t knock everybody out,” Odom said.

Odom trains under Xavier Biggs and said he’s working on his form, speed and endurance.

“There’s never enough training for all of these.” Odom said.

Odom is still very busy outside of the ring, studying media communication via online classes through Full Sail University and has a 3.0 GPA.

Rivers Jr., 22, improved to 7-0 with five knockouts as the Palmer Park resident handled Jason Rorie of Winston-Salem, N.C., (6-17) in a fourth-round unanimous decision.

Junior welterweight Reed (Dream Team), 20, did not face his opponent. He was set to face Damon Antoine, but Antoine refused the bout, even after being offered a larger purse. Reed is set to fight July 13 at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington.

Reed could not be reached for comment by press time. (Source)