Silva Sonnen II to be held in a Soccer Stadium

While Chael Sonnen says he’s waiting for a contract for his rematch with Anderson Silva, the UFC has already booked him for a flight to Brazil.

According to UFC president Dana White, the long awaited rematch between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and rival Chael Sonnen will take place this summer in possibly the biggest event in MMA history.

White was in Calgary on Wednesday announcing a slew of new events for Canada, but also let one other bombshell out regarding the most highly anticipated rematch in UFC history.

“Think about this, the Chael Sonnen/Anderson Silva fight, I’m probably going to put my foot in my mouth again, and probably not supposed to be talking about this either, but I always do it so, this thing’s going to be in a soccer stadium in Rio,” White said.

“This thing’s going to have over 80,000 people are going to be at this event down there.”

While White didn’t go into specifics regarding the venue, the most likely landing spot appears to be the Estadio Olimpico Joao Havelange, also known as Engenhao.

The Engenhao will be a host stadium for the 2016 Summer Olympics, which will also land in Brazil, and for soccer matches generally holds around 45,000 people. The stadium is home to the Botafogo football club in Rio.

For the upcoming Olympic games, the stadium is expected to fit closer to 60,000 fans.

Some have speculated that the Maracana could be the stadium White was speaking about due to its immense size and ability to pack in over 80,000 fans, but the only problem is it’s currently closed for renovations until 2013.

While the numbers don’t match up with White’s estimations, even with nearly 60,000 fans, that will still break all previous records for the biggest event in UFC history. The current record stands with UFC 129 held in Toronto in 2011 with more than 55,000 fans packing into the Rogers Centre.

The card will likely take place on June 16 in Rio with Silva vs. Sonnen 2 headlining the show.

Jose Aldo Will Only Move to Lightweight for nothing less than a Title Shot

UFC 142 answered many questions surrounding Jose Aldo's pound-for-pound status, but his thoughts on moving up another weight class have yet to be revealed.

Since entering the UFC last year, Aldo has reigned among the featherweight division and dominated every opponent in front of him. Like most world-class champions, Aldo's talent is evidently superior to the rest of his opposition, and perhaps a change of scenery would be more beneficial to the 25-year-old Brazilian.

However, Aldo's coach and head trainer of Nova Uniao, Andre Pederneiras, doesn't believe the time is right for the UFC featherweight champion to step up to 155 pounds.

“It won’t happen for now, unless he goes straight for a title shot," Pederneiras said.

During the UFC 142 post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White appeared to be open to the idea of seeing Aldo challenge for the UFC lightweight title in the future. However, White said he will let Aldo and his camp make the final decision.

“I would have no problem with him staying at his weight now and defending his title there or moving to 155 pounds, whatever he feels like he wants to do,” White said.

Aldo's stunning knockout of Chad Mendes left the NCAA Division 1 wrestler in a crumpled heap on the canvas, and it also left the state of the division in limbo, as some critics felt Mendes was one of the few fighters who could potentially present problems to Aldo with his speed and wrestling ability.

But his victory was not to be outdone, as Aldo sprinted into the crowd to celebrate with those in attendance at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Pederneiras said it was something he expected out of the champion.

“I expected him to do something stupid, especially here,” he joked. "He did [the same thing] in San Diego and he had to hear a lot from the commission staff. But here, with all that crowd, I knew.”

Aldo is making his way towards being one of the UFC's marketable fighters and with more events to be held outside the United States, especially in Brazil, Aldo can certainly become one of the top fighters in the pound for pound rankings but also as a major draw for the organization.

UFC 142 Results: Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes

From the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, UFC 142 was just concluded. Check below for the full fightcard results.

Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes

Aldo defeated Mendes by knockout (knee and punches) at 4:59 of the first round.


Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson

Belfort defeated Johnson by submission (rear naked choke) at 4:49 of the first round.


Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio

Palhares defeated Massenzio by submission (heel hook) at of the first round.


Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater

Prater defeated Silva by disqualification (punches to back of the head) at 0:29 of the first round.


Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim

Barboza defeated Etim by knockout (spinning heel kick) 2:02 of the third round.


Thiago Tavares vs. Sam Stout

Tavares defeated Stout by unanimous decision (no scores given).


Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Ednaldo Oliveira

Gonzaga defeated Oliveira by submission (rear naked choke) at 3:22 of the first round.


Yuri Alcantara vs. Michihiro Omigawa

Alcantara defeated Omigawa by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27).


Ricardo Funch vs. Mike Pyle

Pyle defeated Funch by technical knockout (knee and punches) at 1:22 of the first round.


Felipe Arantes vs. Antonio Carvalho

Arantes defeated Carvalho by (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

UFC 142 Weigh in Results

After a wildly successful trip to Brazil in August for UFC 134, the fight promotion made a return to that country a priority. That return will take place on Saturday, Jan. 14, when the UFC presents UFC 142, a fight card that will see Jose Aldo put his UFC featherweight crown on the line against Chad "Money" Mendes.

Aldo enters the fight with a record of 20-1, with his only loss coming to Luciano Azevedo in November 2005. Since that loss Aldo has run off 13 consecutive victories, including four WEC/UFC title defenses. For his part Mendes is unbeaten in his ten professional bouts, with his last victory being a three round unanimous decision over Rani Yahya.

In the evening's co-main event, Anthony "Rumble" Johnson will make the jump from welterweight to middleweight to face Vitor Belfort. Both competitors will enter the Octagon on Saturday after knocking out their last opponents. Belfort ended Yoshihiro Akiyama's night at UFC 133 in 1:52, while Johnson stopped Charlie Brenneman at the 2:49 mark at a UFC Live event in October.

Updated will be added below.



Main Card

Jose Aldo(145) vs. Chad Mendes (144)

Vitor Belfort (186) vs. Anthony Johnson (197)*

Mike Massenzio(184) vs. Rousimar Palhares (186)

Carlo Prater (170) vs. Erick Silva (169)

Edson Barboza (154) vs. Terry Etim (155)



Preliminary Card

Sam Stout (155) vs. Thiago Tavares (155)

Gabriel Gonzaga (250) vs. Ednaldo Oliveira (229)

Yuri Alcantara (145) vs. Michihiro Omigawa (146)

Ricardo Funch (170) vs. Mike Pyle (171)

Felipe Arantes (145) vs. Antonio Carvalho (144)*

Johnson is 12 pounds over the 185 pound limit. Belfort has agreed to fight Johnson if he weighs in at 205 or under tomorrow. If Johnson makes that weight he will forfeit 20% of his purse.

UFC 142: Who's ready for a Knock out?

Every MMA fan loves a good knockout, and in the fight between Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson, I would not recommend taking a break from the action. This fight may not last long. Both of these men possess the striking skills and precision to put any man in their weight class to sleep. Vitor Belfort has been knocking people out in the UFC since 1997. Anthony Johnson is part of the new breed of MMA strikers who is taking a foothold in the UFC and beyond.

Each of these men is dangerous and different in their approach to their combat. Below we will discuss each man's strengths and weaknesses and then break down the fight.

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson

Anthony Johnson is a debuting middleweight who often had extreme difficulty making the welterweight limit. He often drained much of his stamina and strength due to the fact that he had to lose so many pounds. Johnson himself now admits to the weight loss bothering and hindering him. What is scary about that is Johnson was already a top fighter at welterweight. Now that he is not forced to make that huge weight cut he will retain his power far better.

Johnson could end the fight with strikes, but it is also interesting to note that he has been effective with his wrestling when he needed it. He used it to easily dominate Dan Hardy in a fight where, although it lacked the frenzied attack of a normal "Rumble" Johnson fight, his wrestling helped him control his opponent. This could be a significant factor in the latter part of the fight if Anthony thinks he is behind on the cards.

Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort

Vitor Belfort has had a rollercoaster ride in the UFC middleweight division. He easily dispatched Rich Franklin and then was forced to sit on the sidelines due to injury. Then for some reason unknown to me Belfort was still given a shot at Anderson Silva and his UFC middleweight title after only one win in the UFC (which was at a catchweight of 195).

The Spider then frontkicked Vitor back down the ladder. However, soon after Vitor dispatched Yoshihiro Akiyama in less than a round, which sets up this UFC 142 showdown with Anthony Johnson. If Vitor wins in Rio it will be his first winning streak in almost three years. He seems to still have the fire of a warrior burning in him, enough to attempt to win a championship.

Vitor will need to finish this fight early in my eyes. He tends to fade in the later rounds and so does his punching power. Vitor has never scored a knockout after the second round. Can he still be effective in the later rounds when Johnson will still be strong?

The Breakdown

Both of these guys are going to be looking for the knockout. If Vitor can connect early he is a phenomenal finisher. When the "Phenom" smells blood in the water he moves in for the finish better than anyone in the business. The only problem is that Anthony Johnson is an even better fighter at middleweight than he was at 170 pounds. Johnson will survive the early onslaught.

I see Johnson being able to survive the early flurries of Vitor and looking for counter opportunities early even a takedown if he gets clipped. If the fight goes into the second or third round Johnson will still have the advantage due to his pace. He will stay steady attacking throughout and Belfort will fade as he has historically done in the past. Anthony Johnson wins this fight and moves into the top 10 at middleweight in style. This fight will be a slugfest with fight of the night written all over it.

Anthony Johnson vs. Vitor Belfort: UFC 142 Co-Main Event Preview

The UFC is traveling to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for UFC 142 this Saturday, and the co-main event features two explosive middleweights in Anthony Johnson and Vitor Belfort.

After a successful run at welterweight, Johnson has made the move up to 185 pounds for the opportunity to face Belfort and stake his claim as a contender.

"Rumble" comes to the HSBC Arena fresh off an impressive and dominant first round knockout victory over Charlie Brenneman.

Prior to his display of explosive striking against Brenneman, Johnson outclassed Dan Hardy with superior wrestling to earn a unanimous decision victory.

Overall, Johnson has collected seven victories in the sport's premier organization heading into Saturday's showdown with Belfort.

Now, apart of the Blackzilians in south Florida, Johnson trained under the tutelage of Mike Van Arsdale, Henri Hooft and Flavius Silva.

Having spent time in Johnson's camp, it's safe to say that he's in the best shape of his career and the change in training was a great move for the former welterweight.

As for Belfort, he returns to the Octagon in his country and is looking to win back-to-back fights since being knocked out by champion Anderson Silva in February of this past year.

In preparation for Johnson, Belfort spent the duration of his camp in Las Vegas with coaches Ray Sefo and Gil Martinez.

Since 2007, Belfort has only seen defeat once and that was to the aforementioned Silva at UFC 126.

Belfort bounced back six months later to defeat Yoshihiro Akiyama by opening round knockout at UFC 133.

"The Phenom" possesses lightning quick hand-speed that has paved his way for success throughout his championship career.

However, the Brazilian veteran doesn't use kicks or takedowns in his attacks, and while that approach was successful against Akiyama, it'd be wise for him to do everything in his power to keep Johnson guessing.

It's no secret what Belfort's game plan will be on Saturday night as he prefers to keep his fights standing, but what remains unknown is whether Johnson will utilize his advantage in wrestling to mix things up throughout the fight.

Both fighters possess exciting fighting styles and one should expect an amazing fight between two of the division's most explosive.

Oddsmakers would like Belfort to defeat Johnson, but "Rumble" holds the edge in athleticism and wrestling, which I expect him to utilize to score the upset victory.

UFC 142 Aldo vs. Mendes Back in Brazil

The UFC will make its return to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on January 14 with a fight card that will be headlined by a featherweight title fight. UFC featherweight champion, Jose Aldo (20-1) will fight in front of a Brazilian crowd for the first time since 2007, when he defends his title against the unbeaten Chad Mendes (11-0).

The co-main event of the evening will feature a middleweight bout between Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson.

The only loss of Aldo's career came in 2005 when he was stopped in the second round by a Luciano Azevedo rear naked choke. Since that loss, Aldo has gone on a 13-fight winning streak, capturing the WEC featherweight title by defeating Cub Swanson in June 2009. When the WEC folded, Aldo was named UFC champion. Since transitioning to the UFC Aldo has defended his title twice, defeating Mark Hominick and Kenny Florian.

Aldo's opponent, Chad Mendes has compiled a 6-0 record while fighting under the Zuffa umbrella, with his last win coming against Rani Yahya at UFC 133, which took place in August 2011.

The middleweight co-main event will see Anthony Johnson compete in that weight division for the first time, as he moves up from the 170 pound division, a weight that he had struggled to make in the past. His opponent, UFC veteran Vitor Belfort, is looking to use a win over Johnson to launch his name into the mix for a shot at the middleweight title.

UFC 142: Anthony Johnson "More Explosive, More Athletic, Better" at Middleweight

Anthony Johnson has gone up a weight class (so now he's just a large middleweight instead of a titanic welterweight) but to him, that only makes life easier.

"This is easy," Johnson said at the UFC 142 media conference call.

"I weigh 215 right now and I still feel great. The weight is gonna come off no problem. So that’s why I feel so good, because I don’t have to cut the weight that I used to cut."

"I’m more explosive, more athletic, everything has just come to where it needs to be. I’m peaking at the right time. Right now, middleweight is where I am, and that's all I'm thinking about," said Johnson.

Johnson formerly fought in the welterweight division and his gargantuan size enabled him to dominate opponents.

But the man who will be welcoming him to the 185-pound weight class—Brazilian striking phenom Vitor Belfort—isn't a man who is easy to dominate.

However, such a test doesn't daunt Johnson.

"It’s not intimidating at all," he said. "It’s actually motivating for me. It makes me even more hungry because it shows me that the UFC believes in me by giving me this opportunity."

Johnson isn't scared of the man and he's not scared of the venue either—the HSBC arena in Rio de Janeiro—in which will be 15,000 Brazilian fans wanting to see Belfort leave him broken and unconscious in the Octagon.

"Going into Rio is an honor. This is where pretty much it all begin, in Rio, in Brazil."

And about the hostile crowd, what does he care?

"I don’t mind coming into anybody’s backyard and putting on a good show and fighting to the best of my ability, because that’s what I’m gonna do January 14th no matter what,” said Johnson.

Johnson will have his hands full with Belfort, who is the toughest opponent he's faced to date.

The two will square off in the co-main event of UFC 142 on January 14th.

With a victory over Belfort, who knows what challenge UFC matchmaker Joe Silva will give Johnson next.

Regardless, all Johnson cares about is longevity.

"I want to fight as long as possible. If I could be fighting at the age Randy Couture was fighting at, that would be a blessing an honor."

Win or lose on the 14th, middleweight is a more dangerous place with Anthony Johnson in it. The MMA world will see many more intriguing fights now that he's a part of that weight class.

UFC 142 Extended Preview with Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes

After the success of the UFC's last trip to Brazil, they are returning again to the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro January 14 and bringing a stacked card filled with exciting strikers and submission artists. It will be headlined by UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo.

Aldo will be taking on top contender Chad Mendes, who many consider to be his toughest test to date. In what could be Aldo's last fight in the 145-pound weight class, he will have to make a statement in his home country and defeat an undefeated fighter in the process.

In the co-main event, former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort will face former welterweight contender Anthony Johnson in a middleweight bout.

Belfort is coming off his first-round knockout victory over Yoshihiro Akiyama, while Johnson was last seen defeating Charlie Brenneman, also by first-round knockout.

During the last UFC card in Brazil, 11 of the 12 bouts ended with a Brazilian emerging victorious. The fighters on this card will be looking to make it perfect this time around.

Other main card bouts include Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio, Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater and Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim.

This is gonna be awesome!