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Silva On Sonnen: “I Want To Suck His Blood. I Want To Smell It. Not Just Fight - I Want To Hurt Him.

FUEL TV — Tue, 14 May 2013 8:13:57 PDT

LOS ANGELES, CA – On this week’s “UFC Tonight”, Kenny Florian and Chael Sonnen preview the upcoming UFC ON FX 8: BELFORT VS. ROCKHOLD. Plus, UFC legend Wanderlei Silva offers a response to Sonnen’s recent fight request. Plus, an exclusive interview with UFC Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer. All that and a whole lot more on UFC TONIGHT.

Quote of the Week: Wanderlei Silva’s response to Chael Sonnen, reported by UFC TONIGHT Insider Ariel Helwani: “Wanderlei said that no one’s offered him a fight. But he did want to say that ‘Jon Jones and Anderson Silva have been too nice to Chael. I want to suck his blood. I want to smell it. Not just fight – I want to hurt him. Chael is a joke, man. He’s going to be second forever. He’s never going to be first.’”

UFC TONIGHT’s Chael Sonnen’s response to Silva: “I think the real breaking news there is that Wanderlei Silva put together a coherent sentence that somebody understood. But I can assure you, Wanderlei, I will not be signing a contract for you to suck on any part of me. I suggest you go to a bath and find yourself.”

Sonnen on UFC ON FX 8 main event Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold: “First off, you never want to miss Vitor Belfort. He’s one of the most explosive fighters in the UFC. He’s coming off a huge and impressive win against Michael Bisping. Belfort is as skilled and as nasty as anyone in that division and by a lot. With Rockhold – this is a guy who is a Strikeforce world champion, who has been on quite a roll, he’s wanted to get into the UFC, and he’s actually the favorite in Vegas odds. But Rockhold has three big things against him: It’s the main event, it’s in Brazil, and it’s his first time in the UFC. He can do it, but he’s got to overcome some things.”

UFC TONIGHT’s Kenny Florian on Belfort vs. Rockhold: “Rockhold is one of the most consistent competitors out there. He comes from very competitive bloodlines: his dad played in the NBA, his brother is a professional surfer, and I’ve never seen Luke shocked by anything out there. He’s been one of the most consistent fighters in the MMA. Vitor Belfort is who I’m concerned with – when he’s on, he’s unbeatable. If he’s off, anybody can beat him. If Rockhold can get Vitor tired and bring him to the later rounds, Vitor really doesn’t have luck with decisions.”

Sonnen picks Rockhold to beat Belfort: “Luke Rockhold is going to hold up to the predictions, but it’s going to be tight.”

Florian on Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza’s ability against Chris Camozzi: “‘Jacare’ is an absolute beast. I heard about ‘Jacare’ back when I was competing in the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World Championships in Rio. This kid who was a purple belt at the time was submitting everybody. He’s done that all the way to the black belt level. He’s competed at the world class level for a long time. When he came into the MMA, he was primarily a grappler. I’ve been most impressed since the Rockhold fight with the development of his striking, he has knockout power, and now he’s combining everything together. He’s a beast.”

Sonnen chooses Camozzi over ‘Jacare’: “Chris Camozzi is 6-2 in the UFC and everyone has overlooked him, but you will not come Sunday morning.”

UFC TONIGHT Insider Ariel Helwani on who Diego Sanchez wants to fight next: “Diego Sanchez said he wants to fight at UFC 164 in Milwaukee on August 31. He’d like to fight Josh Thomson. If he can’t fight Josh, he wants to fight Nate Diaz at either 155 or 170. If he can’t get that, he wants to fight Gilbert Melendez. The UFC hasn’t offered him a fight yet.”

Helwani on if Mark Hunt will fight on UFC 160: “He’s confident that he’ll get his visa. Since the fight is in 11 days, the UFC is looking at backup plans. Those are centered on Roy Nelson. There’s going to be a hearing in Nevada on Friday, and both Nelson and Hunt are on the agenda. The UFC asked for Nelson to apply for a license to fight if he has to.”

UFC Announcer Bruce Buffer’s favorite moment in the Octagon: “I’ve probably forgotten more than I can remember because I’ve done more than 2,500 fights over 17 years. I would say it’s UFC 100 when I finally pulled off that 360. That was a very monumental moment in my life.”

Buffer on his injury at UFC 129: “About three days before UFC 129, I rolled my ankle at a poker tournament. At UFC 129, I went in and gave a full show. Then I get to Georges St-Pierre and I was like ‘Georges Rush,’ and he lunges at me. And I bunny hop back and blew my knee – I gave him the loudest ‘Pierre’ of his life.”

Buffer on fighting Frank Trigg in an elevator: “Frank and I went into an elevator at the Hard Rock Hotel and Dana White happened to be in the elevator. As soon as Dana gets in, Frank was asking Dana to put him in the Octagon. I’m a watch freak. Dana had this great watch and I stepped in front of Frank to look at the watch and suddenly I get a right hand to my throat. I asked Frank why he hit me and he said, ‘What are you going to do about it?’ and my old street kicked in. I punched him twice in the stomach and we had a lot of fun for ten floors.”

Buffer on why he chose to write the book: “Many people ask me how I got here. My whole theory of life is that we’re all created equal. I just believe that you choose a path, and you should be the best you can be on that path. I weigh you by how good of a person you are, how good you are to the people around you, and how much you try to be the best you can be at the path you choose.”

Florian reports on a change in the FOX UFC Saturday card on July 27 in Seattle: “Jorge Masvidal will fight Michael Chiesa instead of Reza Madadi. Madadi was forced off the card due to a reported visa issue.”

Leeann Tweeden reports: “UFC 165 will take place at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on September 21, 2013.”

“UFC Tonight”

“UFC Tonight” is the official weekly news and information show of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The show is co-hosted by veteran UFC fighter and multiple title contender Kenny Florian and Todd Harris. Two-time World MMA Awards Journalist of the Year Ariel Helwani adds insider news.

Follow FUEL TV and the talent on Twitter at: @fueltv; #UFCTonight; @sonnench; @kennyflorian; @arielhelwani; @LeeannTweeden; @FUELTV; #UFConFUELTV

For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv/ufctonight and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/UFCTonight

To get FUEL TV on your television, go to www.fuel.tv/getfueltv, or call 877-4 FUEL-TV.

UFC ON FX 8 Preview, Silva Responds to Sonnen, Bruce Buffer and More

FUEL TV — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:13:52 PDT

SONNEN: “I’M NOT RETIRING. I HAVE A LOT OF GOALS AND I’M NOT GOING TO REACH THEM IF I RETIRE.”

LOS ANGELES, CA – On this week’s “UFC Tonight”, Kenny Florian and Chael Sonnen preview the upcoming UFC ON FX 8: BELFORT VS. ROCKHOLD. The two break down the main fight between UFC superstar Vitor Belfort and Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold, in addition to the co-main event between former Strikeforce champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and rising middleweight contender Chris Camozzi.

Plus, UFC legend Wanderlei Silva offers an exclusive response to Sonnen’s recent fight request on the show tonight.

UFC Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer joins Florian and Sonnen in studio for an exclusive interview about his just released book It’s Time! My 360-Degree View of the UFC. He also tells the two about an elevator fight he had with Frank Trigg. All that and a whole lot more on UFC TONIGHT.

“UFC Tonight”

Follow FUEL TV and the talent on Twitter at: @fueltv; #UFCTonight; @sonnench; @kennyflorian; @arielhelwani; @LeeannTweeden; @FUELTV; #UFConFUELTV

For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv/ufctonight and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/UFCTonight

To get FUEL TV on your television, go to www.fuel.tv/getfueltv, or call 877-4 FUEL-TV.

April Is FUEL TV’s Most-Watched Month Ever

FUEL TV — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:16:14 PDT

Live Ultimate Fighting Championship® Events Propel Viewership Records

LOS ANGELES – A full schedule of Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) events in April powered FUEL TV to its highest-rated and most-watched month in network history. During the month the network telecast four live UFC® Weigh-In and Postfight shows, one live UFC® Prelim show and one thrilling UFC® main card, in addition to many hours of shoulder programming.   FUEL TV was up +75% in household (HH) rating (0.07 HH vs. 0.04 HH), +67% in total viewers (30,000 vs. 18,000) and +56% among Men 18-49 (14,000 vs. 9,000) this April compared to April 2012, according to figures released by Nielsen Media Research. For the second straight year, driven by UFC programming, FUEL TV is pacing first overall on HH percentage growth among all ad-supported cable networks.

The month ended very strong, with near record viewership set for the UFC® 159 Weigh-in and Postfight Shows. The live UFC® 159 Weigh-In Show on April 26 (4:00 PM ET) was the second highest-rated and fourth most-watched UFC weigh-in in network history, behind the record set for the UFC® 158 Weigh-in on March 15. It averaged 109,000 total viewers and was up +167% in HH’s (0.24 HH vs. 0.09 HH), +160% in total viewers (109,000 total viewers vs. 42,000 total viewers) and +191% among Men 18-49 (64,000 vs. 22,000) compared to the 2012 Live UFC Weigh-In average.

“UFC events and programming have shown significant growth since debuting on FUEL TV last year, and that improvement is typified by the network’s performance in April,” said Michael Mulvihill, Senior Vice President, Programming and Research, FOX Sports Media Group. “It’s encouraging to see major growth in the hard-to-reach Men 18-49 demographic that provides so much value to sports advertisers, especially as much of this programming prepares to migrate to FOX Sports 1 this summer.”

The live UFC® 159 Postfight Show on April 27 (12:56 AM ET) was FUEL TV’s highest-rated and most-watched postfight show following a pay-per-view event and was network’s second highest-rated and second most-watched postfight show ever, behind the postfight show for UFC® ON FUEL TV 8: SILVA VS. STANN on Saturday, March 2. The UFC® 159 Postfight Show averaged 159,000 total viewers, with a 0.34 HH and 0.50 Men 18-49 rating. It was up +210% in HH’s, +218% in total viewers and +257% among Men 18-49 compared to the 2012 live UFC postfight show average.

Other benchmarks set in April:
·         On Saturday, April 13, THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE PRELIMS ON FUEL TV delivered the network’s most-watched and highest-rated UFC® prelims of all time.
·         It was FUEL TV’s second most-watched and second highest-rated program of all time.
·         On Saturday, April 6, UFC® ON FUEL TV 9: MOUSASI VS. LATIFI was the second most-watched live UFC® fight in both total viewers and in the target demo of M18-49.
·         April 6 was the second-most watched day in network history behind the record set on March 2, 2013.
·         For 2013 to date, FUEL TV is currently up +57% on HH (22,000 vs. 14,000), +50% on total viewers (27,000 vs. 18,000) and +44% among Men 18-49 (13,000 vs. 9,000) compared to the same period in 2012.

FUEL TV continues its live UFC® coverage on May 17 with the live Weigh-in Show for UFC® ON FX 8: BELFORT VS. ROCKHOLD. On Saturday, May 18, FUEL TV telecasts the live UFC® ON FX 8 PRELIMS and live UFC POSTFIGHT SHOW.

For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv/ufc and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/fueltv and on Twitter at: @FUELTV #UFConFUELTV

To get FUEL TV on your television, go to www.fuel.tv/getfueltv, or call 877-4 FUEL-TV.

FUEL TV
FUEL TV is the only cable and satellite television network that features the exciting world of adrenaline and thrill-seeking sports as well as high energy entertainment programming. This includes UFC, surfing, motocross, BMX and more. With more hours of UFC coverage than any other network, FUEL TV is the ultimate destination for live fights, weigh-ins, prelims, pre- and postfight coverage, results and more. This new generation of sports provides a rich landscape of some of the most vibrant and action-packed television entertainment in the world. See why adrenaline sports fans call FUEL TV the channel they never turn off. FUEL TV, part of FOX Sports Media Group, was launched July 1, 2003 and is seen in more than 36 million U.S. homes and can be accessed by broadband, mobile devices and other digital platforms such as iTunes®. FUEL TV programming is available in more than 50 countries around the world with 24/7 channels operating in Australia and Europe. To subscribe to FUEL TV, call 877-4 FUEL-TV. For program times and other information, visit www.fuel.tv.

FOX Sports Media Group
FOX Sports Media Group (FSMG) is the umbrella entity representing News Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FSMG includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships. FSMG includes FOX Sports, the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; Fox’s 20 regional sports networks, their affiliated regional web sites and FSN national programming; SPEED and SPEED2; FOX Soccer, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Soccer 2Go; FUEL TV; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports. In addition, FSMG also encompasses FOX Sports Interactive Media, which includes FOXSports.com on MSN, Whatifsports.com Scout.com and Yardbarker.com. Also included in the Group are Fox’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network, BTN 2Go and STATS, LLC, as well as licensing agreements that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network and FOX Sports Skybox restaurants.

Sonnen talks UFC 159, His Next Opponents and More

FUEL TV — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 9:26:27 PDT

SONNEN: “I’M NOT RETIRING. I HAVE A LOT OF GOALS AND I’M NOT GOING TO REACH THEM IF I RETIRE.”

LOS ANGELES, CA – On this week’s “UFC Tonight”, Chael Sonnen returns after UFC 159 and talks about his fight, retirement and his next opponent. Plus, we’ve got news about Jon Jones’ injury, Roy Nelson next fight and much more.

Quote of the Week: UFC TONIGHT’s Chael Sonnen on if he’ll keep fighting and at what weight class: “I’ll fight at 205. I’m not retiring. I’m 36 years old. I have a lot of goals and I’m not going to reach them if I retire. I don’t have a lot of options at 185. I’ve fought everyone in the top 10, including the champion a couple of times. So I moved up to 205, but I lost to the champ and it wasn’t a competitive enough match to warrant another chance. So what do I do? It was a lot better experience, not having to get the weight off. I’ll give up the size, but have a smile on my face. I could be talked into going back down if that’s where the fights are. The landscape changes quickly. I think there will be a big shakeup on July 4th weekend when Weidman gets his hands on Anderson.”

Sonnen on what it was like in the Octagon with Jones: “This was like getting into a bear cage. This guy was a monster of a man. We weighed in at the same size the day before, and I don’t know how that was possible. I put my arms around him and I thought, ‘oh my god, you’re a big guy.’ As far as the match went, I got beat up.”

Sonnen on what he thought about the early stoppage: “It’s two-fold, any time the ref helps you and stops a fight to keep you from getting hurt, you never want to come out and say anything that could disparage his judgment. At the same time, we’re in the middle of an ass-whipping contest, let us get after it. When I had my hands up because a guy is punching me, that’s called defense. But I never want to question a referee.”

Sonnen on how he would have felt winning the belt if Jones couldn’t fight with the broken toe: “Diplomatically you don’t ever want to win that way. The ones that hurt are the ones you’re supposed to win and then you blow it. But if it was given to me, I would have grabbed that belt, I would have held it up, grabbed the mic and told the crowd the golden rule is ‘he with the gold rules,’ and I would have walked out of the place and never looked back.”

Sonnen on how he envisioned the fight was going to go: “I was going to have to grind him down. I could see him he poses a lot of problems. He’s big, he’s strong and he’s got the wing span of a radioactive condor. I knew he’d take me down, but I never thought that he could take me down repeatedly. That was a surprise. And the fact that he tried so quickly, I was thrown off a little.”

Sonnen on if he’d like to fight Vitor Belfort or Wanderlei Silva: “Wanderlei called me out before, but the fight never made sense. Now it does. I’m not going anywhere until me and Wanderlei straighten this thing out once and for all. Wanderlei pulled a dirt bag move on me one time. He said something to me that I couldn’t hear, and then put it on YouTube with subtitles because he knew I couldn’t understand it and called me out. If you’re a fighter, that doesn’t fly. You must respond to him, and I’m ready to respond to you Wanderlei.”

UFC TONIGHT Insider Ariel Helwani on Jon Jones’ status: “His manager Malki Kawa told me to today that they just don’t know how long he’ll be sidelined for. In a couple days, he’s going to meet with his doctor in Upstate New York and then after a few weeks, he’s going to meet with a specialist.”

Helwani on a possible Anderson Silva vs. Jones fight: “I spoke to Anderson Silva and he didn’t want to talk about the alleged phone conversation with Dana White. He said that he’s 100 percent focused on Chris Weidman and isn’t looking past him. He also said that he watched Jones vs. Sonnen, he liked the fight, but he doesn’t know what Jon Jones is going to do next. He also said that Chael Sonnen is a great fighter, but Jon Jones is a better fighter.”

Sonnen on who he thinks Anderson Silva should fight next: “In my opinion, I don’t think he’s looking at Jones. I think he’s keeping his eye on [Georges] St-Pierre.”

Lyoto Machida on if he would fight Alexander Gustafsson: “I’m definitely interested in this fight. Now I think it’s a good idea to put Gustafsson against me – let’s see what’s going to happen.”

Helwani on if Gustafsson would fight Machida: “Gustafsson told me he’s down with fighting Machida as well.”

Helwani on a possible Daniel Cormier vs. Roy Nelson fight: “Daniel Cormier tweeted on Saturday that he’s interested in fighting Roy Nelson next. I spoke to Nelson’s manager, Mike Kogan, and he told me he’s not interested in this fight. He doesn’t think it makes any sense for Nelson. He wants Roy to fight either Bigfoot Silva if he loses to Cain Velasquez, or Junior dos Santos or Mark Hunt.”

Dr. Robert Klapper on Jones’ expected rehab process: “The rehabilitation involves putting the toe back into place. Because there’s no fracture of the bone – it’s just a dislocation – in six weeks it’s healed, then you start range of motion and strengthening rehab. He’ll be back to fighting in six to eight weeks.”

UFC TONIGHT Host Kenny Florian on what sets apart the athletes who work on the show: “As fighters, we do our job and when we’re done we pick up and move on. Two weeks ago Daniel Cormier fought on FOX UFC SATURDAY, and on Tuesday he was here on set working right next to me. And I’d like to salute my partner Chael who put it all on the line just three days ago and today he’s here just like I knew he’d be, win or lose, bruises and all. Flip through the channels and try to find anyone who competed for a world championship just days before and then hosting a national television show, and my guess is you won’t find that anywhere else. We come here because we love the sport, as well as the fans, and we know you at home appreciate all that we do. Again, Chael, we salute you.”

“UFC Tonight”

Follow FUEL TV and the talent on Twitter at: @fueltv; #UFCTonight; @sonnench; @kennyflorian; @arielhelwani; @LeeannTweeden; @FUELTV; #UFConFUELTV

For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv/ufctonight and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/UFCTonight

To get FUEL TV on your television, go to www.fuel.tv/getfueltv, or call 877-4 FUEL-TV.

Cormier Guest Hosts, Exclusive GSP Interview and More

FUEL TV — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:31:51 PDT

SONNEN: “JON JONES, YOU WILL BE REMINDED THE HARD WAY WHY YOU NEVER PISS OFF A GANGSTER.”

LOS ANGELES, CA – On this week’s “UFC Tonight”, guest host Daniel Cormier and Kenny Florian break down the UFC 159 card. Plus, we’ve got an exclusive Georges St-Pierre interview and much more.

Quote of the Week: Chael Sonnen on his upcoming fight with Jones: “When I step off that plane in New Jersey, there’s a new family in town, the Sonnen family and I’m the new Don. I’m taking over that state. And my first order of business is to beat the bejesus out of Jon Jones. Jon Jones, you will be reminded the hard way why you never piss off a gangster.”

UFC TONIGHT’s Kenny Florian on Chael Sonnen vs. Jon Jones: “The reality is Jon Jones has an amazing arsenal of weapons and he’s going to have that advantage against anyone at 205 pounds. But we can’t forget that Chael Sonnen is a tremendous wrestler. We haven’t seen Jones really fight off of his back too much and Chael is a guy who will back you up and pressure you. And that’s exactly what he needs to do against Jones. This fight is very interesting.”

UFC TONIGHT Guest Analyst Daniel Cormier on Sonnen vs. Jones: “Chael is going to make him fight in places where he’s not used to fighting. I know Chael will take him down and is going to pressure him. Chael is going to make him uncomfortable by constantly going forward. Chael won’t make the mistake that many fighters make: backing up and circling. You cannot allow Jon Jones to be so comfortable going forward in the cage.”

Cormier on if a Sonnen victory would be the biggest upset in UFC history: “Hands down, without a doubt. People talk about Matt Serra vs. Georges St-Pierre. Serra had great knockout power and he also had the submission threat. If Chael is going to beat Jon Jones, he’s going to have to beat him over the course of 25 minutes and dominate that fight.”

Cormier picks Jones over Sonnen: “Chael’s speeches are great. But Jon Jones is the man and is going to win this fight. But Chael, go out there, take him down and set the game plan and the way to beat Jon Jones for the rest of us!”

Cormier on Michael Bisping vs. Alan Belcher: “It’s going to be a great fight. Bisping is a guy who has great, technical boxing. Belcher is a tough, durable guy who likes to pressure and can fight everywhere. They’re both great on the feet, but Bisping has a little bit of an advantage there.”

Florian on Bisping vs. Belcher: “Bisping has the wrestling and that’s the thing: we’ve seen Alan Belcher shut down against other guys who try to take him down. We saw him against Yushin Okami. Not only that, but Michael Bisping has been putting a lot of pressure mentally on him with his last comment on the conference call, where he said that if Alan Belcher does beat him, that will be the biggest win in Belcher’s pathetic career.”

Florian picks Bisping over Belcher: “Alan Belcher has the ability to knock out Bisping, but Michael Bisping is going to fight smart and has too much experience. I’m taking Bisping by decision.”

Cormier picks Belcher over Bisping: “Alan Belcher does have the ability to knock out Bisping, but Bisping doesn’t have the power to knock out Belcher. I’m going with Belcher.”

Cormier picks Roy Nelson over Cheick Congo: “I’m taking Roy Nelson. He’s a big, strong, durable guy and he’ll take this to the ground with his great grappling and that’s what’s going to get it done.”

Cormier on if he’ll fight at heavyweight or light heavyweight next: “I’m thinking about both weight divisions. I’ve been watching the rankings and I want to fight someone who actually advances my career. I’m interested in big fights. I’m getting with my team this week and to make a decision.”

St-Pierre on if he’s talked to UFC President Dana White about his next fight: “We haven’t spoken. I probably need to know the outcome of the next couple fights. We’re going to talk later on.”

St-Pierre on if he’s going to change weight classes: “If I’m going up to 185, I will not be able to come back down after. At 170, I don’t think I have the luxury of choosing my opponent, and I will fight whoever the UFC tells me to fight.”

St-Pierre on if he needs to move up to fight new opponents: “I haven’t fought everybody at 170. I’ve been out for a long time and my division has changed. Now Johny Hendricks is a new guy right now, and he brings a very big threat to me.”

St-Pierre on why he wrote his new book: “I was injured, I was in bed and couldn’t do any training. I started writing notes and one of my friends picked up the notes and suggested I should do something with them. It’s not a biography and it’s not a book for MMA fans only. It’s about what I did from the bottom and my strategy to reach my current point. It’s not just a strategic fighting book – it’s more like a philosophical book.”

UFC TONIGHT Insider Ariel Helwani on Gegard Mousasi moving down to 185: “I spoke with his manager Nima Safapour and he told me that they like the idea of moving down to middleweight. He said he wants to talk to Zuffa, to the fans, and if they’re interested, they’ll consider going down. He said they can make the cut easily and want a top-five opponent. They also told me Anderson Silva is on their radar, so stay tuned for that.”

Helwani on what’s next for Miesha Tate and Liz Carmouche: “Both Liz and Miesha lost their UFC debuts. They want to fight each other on FOX UFC SATURDAY 8 on July 27 in Seattle. The UFC has not confirmed this.”

Helwani on the next international season of The Ultimate Fighter: “My sources have said that the next international season of The Ultimate Fighter will be Team Canada vs. Team Australia. The UFC has not confirmed this.”

“UFC Tonight”

“UFC Tonight” is the official weekly news and information show of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Veteran UFC fighter and multiple title contender Kenny Florian, Leeann Tweeden and three-time World MMA Awards Journalist of the Year Ariel Helwani bring you all the news and analysis.

Follow FUEL TV and the talent on Twitter at: @fueltv; #UFCTonight; @sonnench; @kennyflorian; @arielhelwani; @LeeannTweeden; @Jon_Anik; @FUELTV; @UFC_Insider; #UFConFUELTV

For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv/ufcultimateinsider and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/UFCUltimateInsider

To get FUEL TV on your television, go to www.fuel.tv/getfueltv, or call 877-4 FUEL-TV.

FOX UFC Saturday: Henderson vs Melendez Breakdown

FUEL TV — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 11:06:34 PDT

The UFC delivered KO after KO during a great night of fights on Saturday night from San Jose, CA. More questions than answers arose from tonight's action packed fights.

Henderson vs. Melendez II Will Have to Wait

Benson Henderson had another close call in a controversial split decision victory over Gilbert Melendez. Melendez put the pressure on Henderson in the first two rounds but then admitted he took his foot off the gas a bit before turning it back on in the final round of the fight. The hometown fans rained boos down on the split decision in favor of the UFC Lightweight Champion. When asked about his reaction to the decision, Melendez replied “Just heartbroken. My heart is broken. That’s it.”

Despite the close decision UFC President, Dana White announced there would not be a rematch and the winner of the Gray Maynard and TJ Grant at UFC 160 will get the next crack at Henderson’s title.

Team Alpha Male Continues Winning Ways

Urijah Faber has built Team Alpha Male into the top fight training camp for the past decade. Striking coach Duane Ludwig’s arrival to the Sacramento based team last December has paid instant dividends. Team Alpha Male’s UFC fighters are 8-0 in 2013 after going 3-0 at the UFC on FOX 7 card with three knockout victories by TJ Dillashaw, Joseph Benavidz and Chad Mendes. Both Benavidz (125) and Mendes (145) have put themselves back into position to challenge for the titles.

Daniel Cormier is Human

Even an athlete who has competed at the highest level of their sport can get nervous when they first step foot into the Octagon. Cormier said “I was nervous today. I didn’t fight the fight I wanted to. I felt tired. I was very tired and I think it was my nervousness. My legs felt weird. If you can feel bad and beat a 2 time champion you did something right.”

Matt Brown is Fighting for a Title Shot

Matt Brown has always had a reputation as a tough and durable fighter that puts on a show everytime he steps into the Octagon. He is now on the cusp of being a major contender in the loaded UFC Welterweight division after his TKO win over hot prospect Jordan Mein. Brown is riding a five fight winning streak. While many have considered Brown a veteran gatekeeper, he still believes he can earn a shot against current Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre.

At the postfight presser, Brown said, “I wouldn’t be coming to work if I wasn’t thinking about a title shot. It is my dream. I am not getting punched in the face just to make a couple thousand dollars. I believe my time is coming. I will be ready for a title shot in the future.”

Josh Thomson is a Top 10 Fighter

Going into his fight against 4th ranked Nate Diaz, Josh Thomson was unranked and the decisive underdog. After tonight, Thomson has proven that he is worthy of a spot in the lightweight’s Top 10, also winning KO of the night honors. Thomson executed his game plan and did not get baited by the trash talk and antics of Diaz. He showed crisp striking and grappling before earning the distinction of being the first fighter to finish Diaz in the UFC. When asked about a possible fourth fight with his rival Melendez, Thomson said “Ultimately it is not my decision. If they honor it and are willing to throw it up there, I won’t turn it down.”

The Cesar Gracie Fight Team’s Best Days Might Be Behind Them

The Cesar Gracie Fight Team is known for their loyalty, toughness, and winning ways. However, the team is now 0-5 in UFC title fights. Although the team has fallen short of UFC gold, they have earned a spot as a top training camp. However, much like the Miletech and Chute Boxe teams the core of the team may be past their prime.

FOX UFC Saturday: Henderson vs Melendez Postfight Show Quotes

FUEL TV — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 10:59:48 PDT

CRUZ: “THE DIFFERENCE IN THIS FIGHT WAS HENDERSON’S COUNTERS.”

Cruz and Stann Break Down FOX UFC SATURDAY Fights, Plus Henderson, Melendez and UFC President Dana White Interviews

LOS ANGELES, CA – The following quotes are from tonight’s UFC POSTFIGHT SHOW ON FUEL TV for FOX UFC SATURDAY: HENDERSON VS. MELENDEZ. The show was hosted by Jay Glazer, with UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and middleweight Brian Stann offering analysis. Ariel Helwani conducted fighter interviews on-site.

UFC POSTFIGHT SHOW ON FUEL TV Analyst Dominick Cruz on the key to Henderson’s victory: “I think the difference in this fight has to do with the counters of the significant strikes of Benson Henderson. Gilbert controlled the ring, he controlled the center of the ring and he pressured the way he should. But Benson was able to catch him, similar to the way he did to Frankie Edgar with the counter. Any time he could get those legs up the middle, he would kick the back leg of Melendez.”

UFC POSTFIGHT SHOW ON FUEL TV Analyst Brian Stann on the split decision between Henderson and Melendez: “I was very impressed with Gilbert’s ability to stifle the takedowns of the champion, and the few times this fight went to the mat, it didn’t last long. He was extremely well prepared to fight the champ tonight and it was razor close the first three rounds. And I still don’t think anyone is quite sure who should have won the fight. I think we need to see part two.”

Henderson on the split decision: “I’m a fighter, not a judge, so it’s not my job to judge the fights. I thought I lost the first round, but I won the next four.”

Henderson on if he wants a rematch: “I’m not sure. I know some guys are not too big on the rematch. I had to do that whole rematch thing again. If it is, I’ll do it again. But there are some true killers at 155 in the UFC. Perhaps the most stacked weight class there is, so I know I got a long list of guys who want to beat the crap out of me.”

Henderson on getting Dana White’s approval to propose before the fight: “Dana White brought me to his office downstairs to his office during the prelims. He told me, ‘We heard you want to do this proposal thing. Are you sure you want to do it?’ I said yeah I want to go through with it. He said, ‘Ok, you have to put him away early, because there’s not time after that.’ So you need either a submission or a knockout. As if there’s not enough pressure on my shoulders, now I have to put him away.”

Melendez on the controversy around his loss: “I thought I did bigger attacks, I landed cleaner punches. He hit me, but all on the forehead. I left him pretty bloody. And he had some good kicks. I thought I won 1, 2, I can see him winning 3, 4, but I thought I came strong in the fifth and stole the fight.”

Melendez on whether he thinks he deserves a rematch: “You know, I’m not going to say that right now. I’m just happy to be part of the UFC, and I’m just heartbroken right now.”

Cormier on if he has unfinished business in the heavyweight class: “I just want big fights. If they can promise me a big fight at 205 pounds, I’ll think about doing it. I’m not going to fight Cain [Velasquez], so if there’s a UFC title shot on the horizon and it has to be at 205, then yes, I would do it.”

Stann on Thomson’s win: “The thing that stood out to me the most in the beginning of the fight was Josh Thomson’s game plan. He was giving up a whole lot of reach against Nate Diaz. He was hitting angles. He was switching righty and lefty and not really letting his hands go that much, but what he was doing was setting up that high kick by dipping his shoulder making it appear like he was going to kick low and he came over the top of Diaz’s hands and kicked him high. He landed it three times and the third time was the charm.”

Cruz on if Thomson ended the way he would have predicted: “I thought it was going to be close on takedowns. I didn’t expect him to get the finish.”

Thomson on his first UFC fight in nine years and if he could have scripted it any better: “No. I played it over and over in my head and I even had myself losing a couple of times too, which is never good going into a fight. But you have to be prepared for every scenario and I felt that I played it over and over in my head for the last eight weeks, and it came out the way that I wanted it to, thank God.”

Thomson on if he thinks he’s the number-one contender in the lightweight division: “I hope so. I did something the champ here couldn’t do. I finished [Diaz], and I finished him in three. So, I feel like I am, but it’s not my call. I’m just asking for that one chance to fight for the UFC title and my career will be completed.”

Cruz on Matt Brown defeating Jordan Mein: “Let’s not forget, Jordan Mein took this on short notice. It’s a big fight for him against an experienced Brown who’s extremely tough. He was just a little too tough, a little too experienced, and a little too grimy for Mein. The guy was on a three-fight win streak and he’s going to come back. He’s only 23 years old. The kid’s still a stud.”

UFC President Dana White on who he would score the Henderson vs. Melendez fight for: “I had it three rounds to two for Ben Henderson and the second round was one of those wishy-washy rounds.”

White on if he was surprised with how calm Melendez looked: “No, he’s a veteran. He’s been around for a long time, and more importantly, he’s been waiting for this moment. I knew he’d be ready to go tonight.”

White on if he was surprised that Melendez didn’t try to take the fight in the final minute: “Yeah, neither one of them really went at it in the final minute. I think when you’re in the fifth round, and you know that you’re losing the fight, try to pull guard, roll around -- do anything to try and win the fight.”

To get FUEL TV on your television, go to www.fuel.tv/getfueltv, or call 877-4 FUEL-TV.

TUF 17 Finale Prelims: Most Watch Prelims and Second Most Watched Ever

FUEL TV — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:51:25 PDT

LOS ANGELES - The Ultimate Fighter® set new records on FUEL TV. T HE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE PRELIMS ON FUEL TV live on Saturday, April 13, delivered the network’s most-watched and highest rated UFC prelims of all time, with 269,000 total viewers, a 0.56 HH rating, and a 0.80 M18-49 rating. In addition, the show was FUEL TV’s second most-watched and second highest-rated program of all time. The audience peaked from 8:30 PM ET – 8:45 PM ET with 347,000 total viewers and 209,000 M18-49 viewers, according to figures released by Nielsen Media Research. The live, action-filled three-hour program on Saturday evening was the 13th UFC prelims telecast on FUEL TV.

Compared to the TUF 16 FINALE Prelims on Saturday, December 14, this show was up +180% on total viewers (269,000 vs. 96,000) and +225% among M18-49 (169,000 vs. 52,000).

The record viewership for the TUF 17 FINALE fueled Saturday night to become the network’s fourth most-watched and fourth highest-rated prime time ever. Led by the live prelims, prime averaged 147,000 total viewers, up +220%, and a 0.43 M18-49 rating, up +291% in M18-49 compared to the April 2012 Saturday prime average.

Interest around the TUF 17 FINALE propelled the TUF 17 FINALE WEIGH-IN SHOW ON FUEL TV on Friday, April 12 (6:00 PM ET), to set records as well. Friday’s live WEIGH-IN ranked first on M18-34 viewership and ratings among all live UFC Weigh-Ins on FUEL TV, and was ranked second on M18-49 viewership and ratings. The show averaged 126,000 total viewers, making it the third most-watched UFC WEIGH-IN in network history, up +200% on total viewers compared to the 2012 Live UFC Weigh-In average.

UFC coverage continues this coming weekend with the live Weigh-in and Postfight shows for FOX UFC SATURDAY.

The Ultimate Fighter® will move to FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports’ newly minted multi-sport national cable channel, when it returns in September. The next installment, featuring UFC® women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and challenger Cat Zingano as coaches, also moves to Wednesday evening at 10:00 PM ET. FS1 launches Saturday, Aug. 17 and season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter® premieres Wednesday, Sept. 4 (10:00 PM ET).

FUEL TV continues its coverage of the UFC® this week two shows around THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER 17 FINALE. The network telecasts the live UFC WEIGH-IN SHOW (6:00 PM ET) on Friday, April 12, and live UFC POSTFIGHT SHOW (12:00 AM ET) on Saturday, April 13.

The Wait is Over for Gilbert Melendez

FUEL TV — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 2:06:13 PDT

by Jerry Tsui

Mexican American Gilbert Melendez has long been considered the best Lightweight fighter in the world outside of the UFC. The long reigning Strikeforce Lightweight Champion holds an impressive 21-2 record and is currently riding a seven-fight winning streak. Now, Melendez gets his shot to prove he is the best Lightweight fighter in the world when he faces reigning UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson in the Octagon in the main event of the UFC on FOX on April 20^th from San Jose, CA. I recently spoke with the Caesar Gracie Fight Team (aka The Skrap Pack) member on his training camp and thoughts leading up to his title fight against Benson Henderson.

JT: The UFC Lightweight Division is arguably the toughest and deepest division in the UFC right now. Why do you believe you were given the title shot over many other top level fighters in the division?

GM: Well I have been in this sport a long time. I think my record and accomplishments speak for themselves. There is a lot of talent out there it. A lot of it has to do with what I have accomplished. A lot of it has to do with timing. I think it obviously champion vs. champion. People want to see this fight. I am kind of a mystery guy. Am I the best or am I a joke? We all know what is already going on in the lightweight division. There is a pecking order there, except where I stand in that division. Am I at the top or am I at the bottom? It is intriguing to figure it out.

JT: Many combat sports enthusiasts talk about the heart of a Latino Fighter in boxing and in MMA. As a Mexican American, how would you define the heart of a Latino Fighter and how it differs from fighters from other cultures?

GM: I am definitely a Mexican American. I don’t speak very good Spanish and I get made fun of by all my cousins, family, and friends in Santa Ana (Gilbert’s hometown in southern California.) There is one way I can relate to my Mexican peeps and that is the way I fight. The Mexican blood in me. I fight with my heart. It is more important for me to show the warrior in me than to win. I would rather not be a runner. To answer your question, we fight with a lot of heart. It is obvious that a lot of Mexicans do that and it is more important for us to go out there and fight our hearts out than try to win a stick and move victory. They would rather respect the loser that put it out there. The Mexicans are trying to run the sport and once we do, we will dominant with our hearts like we always do.

JT: Were there any Latino fighters that you looked up to as you were growing up?

GM: Tito Ortiz was a guy that was Latino, a Mexican American who has my same roots. I grew up in Santa Ana, California, the same area he is from. We both wrestled in high school. He is a guy I looked up to who could scrap because of wrestling and could throw hooks because he is from the area (where) sometimes you get in fights. He is a guy I looked up to and still look up to. I think he annoys some MMA fighters, but I am from the same neighborhood, I am the same style as him. Tito was someone that I could look up to that was Latino.

JT: HP Pavilion has been your home arena for many years while fighting for Strikeforce. Can you talk about the great atmosphere in that venue and how the home field advantage will benefit you as you fight there for the UFC Lightweight title?

GM: It’s Amazing. I love fighting in HP Pavilion. It is basically my home turf now. Fought there plenty of times. It is exciting to get the title fight on FOX and it is in my backyard. I think it is going to be great. The UFC Octagon is unfamiliar, the whole UFC production is a bit unfamiliar, but one thing that will be familiar is HP Pavilion, my crowd cheering for me and the locker rooms and the walkout songs are all going to be familiar so it’s going to play a big advantage.

JT: The Caesar Gracie team has come up short in several UFC title fights in recent memories (Nick Diaz vs. Georges St. Pierre, Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit, Nate Diaz vs Benson Henderson, Jake Shields vs Georges St. Pierre). Does that add any extra pressure on you and can you elaborate on how important it is for you to be the one who finally brings the UFC title back to the Caesar Gracie Team?

GM: I would love to be the person that brings the title back to the Caesar Gracie Team. All of my friends have done a great job getting there. It is just amazing that my teammates have made it there. Now, I can say I am the same with them. Yeah, there is pressure for that, to be the guy to do it. It has been brought to my attention that we are 0 for 4 in (UFC) title fights. I take my job seriously, but I am just to go out there and do my thing, win or lose I know I have my girl who loves me, my family who loves me, and my team who loves me and is loyal to me. So I don’t feel too much pressure for that kind of stuff, to deliver for them. I just need to do my best and delivery for myself.

JT: Your Caesar Gracie teammate Nate Diaz fought Benson Henderson for the UFC Lightweight title this past December. How much has the experience of training and game planning with Nate for that fight and watching his performance in that fight helped you in your training and preparation for Henderson?

GM: Of course it helped me prepare. Nate did catch a nasty punch, which was a legitimate punch, by Benson Henderson at the end of the first round and I could tell a noticeable change in the fight for the way Nate was fighting. Nate was fighting with one eye and wasn’t really excelling. I was able to pick up a lot. Nate was able to give me a judgment of Benson’s strength. I was able to see him there in person and I could see what a great MMA fighter he is.

JT: Vice versa, you are very familiar with Nate Diaz’s opponent Josh Thomson. What advice and insight have you given to Nate on Thomson who you have fought three times while in Strikeforce.

GM: Nate has helped me prepare for Thomson all 3 times as well. He knows Josh just as well as me. Nate and Josh are different styles, but I think some things are going to work better for Nate and I think it is a great matchup for Nate. Thomson is a tough guy and he is definitely going to be ready. I am doing all I can. Nate sometimes loses the scorecard but most of the time wins the fight.

JT: In addition to your regular training partners, the Diaz Brothers and Jake Shields, who else have you brought in for your training camp to help prepare for this fight and what was the thought process behind bringing in each of these training partners?

GM: Kron Gracie is the biggest guy I have brought up and he is coming back in. Kron is just an amazing grappler, leads with his right leg and has a similar style to Benson when it comes to his grappling. He is straight up the best grappler in the world. It doesn’t get better than that. I like to scrap and get in these crazy positions like the guillotine that Benson is really good at. I like to give Kron my back and try to battle out. There are a lot of things that he works well at. I am also bringing Daniel Roberts in. I have a lot of guys that are already great strikers. I have guys that I think are better strikers than Benson. The thing about Benson he is not the world’s best striker, the world’s best wrestler, the world’s best grappler, he is a real mixed martial artist. He can put all his techniques together. His striking is better because he fakes the shot first. He is a mixed martial artist and so am I. I am the same way. I have plenty of good strikers already and plenty of good wrestlers, but I am bringing in Daniel Roberts who is an old Skrap Pack member who is in Tulsa right now and he is coming back in. He is a guy who is a MMA fighter. He can kick, shoot and do athletic stuff like Benson.

JT: You are currently the number one contender and Nate Diaz is ranked fourth in the lightweight division. Both of you are in your prime and one of you could be holding the title in the near future. Can you ever envision a scenario where you would fight Nate and what are the protocols that the Caesar Gracie team has in place in regards to teammates fighting?

GM: Protocol is loyalty before loyalty any day of the week. That is my buddy and I don’t need to fight him. If somebody offered me $3 million to fight Nate and $2 million to fight someone else, I would rather take the pay cut. Nate’s my boy and we train together. That is not how we roll. We are a different kind of team. We are grassroots together. It is different. I can understand why some teammates fight each other because they are a different kind of team, but for us that is not how we work.

JT: The UFC purchased Strikeforce in March 2011 and moved many of the top fighters in Strikeforce including Nick Diaz, Alistar Overeem, Dan Henderson, and Cung Le over to the UFC. However, due to the Zuffa and Showtime dealings, you weren’t able to move over. How frustrating was that experience for you and how satisfying is it for you to finally make your debut in the UFC on the UFC on FOX card at HP Pavilion?

GM: When you put it that way, it is worth it at the end of the day. Immediately, it was a bit frustrating seeing my boys go over there and me having to sit back. But, I am also an employee. I am a team player and if I needed to stay back for Zuffa and that is what I have to do then I would do it. Hopefully it would be for the better for my career. I want to have a long career in this business inside the cage and outside the cage, so I felt like I was taking one for the team and hoping it wouldn’t last forever. It started lasting forever and I started thinking that maybe I would be in Strikeforce the rest of my life. Then all of sudden things switched and then I got so excited. Then I findout my next fight is going to be in the UFC, then I find out my next fight is for the UFC title. Then I find out my fight is going to be in HP Pavilion. Then I find it is going to be on FOX. This is something I have waited for a long time, I have been ready for it for a long time and it is finally here. It has been a roller coaster ride, but it is great to be at this point right now.

JT: You have not fought in nearly a year due to the Strikeforce schedule and injuries. How have you dealt with the time between fights and how have you grown as a fighter and a person during your time off?

GM: I run my gym with my fiancée. I train people, I am in there training. Yeah, I was injured. I am not supposed to be sparring with one arm, but I am in there sparring with one arm. I am drilling with one arm. I am still working. The doctors said “stay off the mat.” You don’t want to be post pictures because people will say “oh, you can fight.” The truth is I am going to train with one arm. I don’t care. I have gotten better. I have had a lot of time to lift weights. I feel like I have put on a lot of muscle and gotten really durable knowing I have to fight Benson. I have been able to work on my game plan. I feel like I have used my time wisely to evolve and get back to where I need to be.

JT: You have headlined many big fights, fought on national TV several times, and are used to the spotlight and attention. The UFC on FOX card on April 20^th brings along more media attention and obligations. How have you dealt with or plan on dealing with the extra attention and media obligations during your training camp leading up to the fight?

GM: The main thing with this training camp is I have been doing two workouts a day and I have been able to wake up earlier and divide them up a little better. Sometimes I would start them a bit later 12 pm or 1 pm and then come back and train at 7 or 7:30 PM and it just wasn’t enough time to rest. Now I am training at 10 AM or 10:30 AM and sometimes I start at 9 AM, 11 AM at the latest. This allows me to have a lot more recovery time and to get some other stuff done. It maximizes my rest time and with that rest I am able to get more of these interviews done. Rest is so important and I felt like I have been able to get a lot of that which helps me train harder.

JT: Why do you believe you are the man to dethrone Benson Henderson at UFC on FOX on April 20th?

GM: I feel like I have been the man to hold that UFC title for the last 4 years. I just so happened to be in Strikeforce and Benson Henderson so happened to be the UFC champ right now. I feel like I have what it take to beat him. I feel like I am a warrior. I feel like I am a fighter who has become an athlete. I feel like he is an athlete who is starting to become a fighter. I feel like I want this so bad. I feel like I have prepared all my life for this moment. I am definitely coming for that belt. I think I have got what it takes. My hands, my fists got what it takes to put this guy away.

Watch FOX UFC SATURDAY: Henderson vs Melendez this weekend 8/5p ET/PT

TUF 17 FINALE Postfight Show Quotes

FUEL TV — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 6:31:48 PDT

Gastelum: “This is the best night of my life.”

Dominick Cruz and Michael Bisping Break Down TUF 17 FINALE Fights, Plus Ronda Rousey, Urijah Faber and Dana White Interviews

LOS ANGELES, CA – The following quotes are from tonight’s UFC POSTFIGHT SHOW ON FUEL TV for THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER 17 FINALE: FABER VS. JORGENSEN. The show was hosted by Jay Glazer, with UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and middleweight Michael Bisping offering analysis. Heidi Androl conducted fighter interviews on-site.

Quote of the show: Kelvin Gastelum: “I don’t know if it’s sunk in yet. But everything that I’ve been through, this is the best night of my life.”

UFC POSTFIGHT SHOW ON FUEL TV Analyst Dominick Cruz on Urijah Faber vs. Scott Jorgensen: “Faber went out there and did a lot of things right, especially in the first round. He came out and kept Jorgensen on his heels. More than anything I was impressed by the takedowns of Faber on the striking timing. He was able to time Jorgensen’s strikes and get the takedown and also land some big shots until he got the finish.”

Faber on whether he’s ready for a break: “Yeah, I’d like to take a break. Actually coming into the fight, I had a hurt hand from my last fight. It wasn’t anything real serious, so I basically wasn’t able to spar except for one time that whole training camp, but I stayed in great shape. I had my coaches get me prepared in other different ways. We’re so lucky to have a great staff.”

Faber on who wants to fight next: “I’m hoping Dominick can make a little miraculous recovery. You need to dig deep there, Dom. You got to tape it up, get in the cage. I want to get Dominick, Barao, and hopefully get the winner of those guys. I’m ready for whoever.”

Cruz on Kelvin Gastelum being the youngest Ultimate Fighter champion: “Being 21 years old and being the youngest guy to ever win the show, that is one huge thing. But then you’ve got to think that’s playing a part while he’s walking down to the Octagon. He’s thinking ‘I’m the youngest one to do this, I’m 21 years old, I’ve been dreaming of seeing this,’ and all those emotions flooded him, and he still came out and performed.”

UFC POSTFIGHT SHOW ON FUEL TV Analyst Michael Bisping on Cat Zingano’s performance: “This was her first time fighting at such a huge event. At the weigh-in she was shaking. When she walked into the Octagon there were tears in her eyes. She’s a mother and this is a huge thing. She’s undefeated, so that also brings a lot of pressure. The start of the first round she was punching very slowly, but as the fight progressed she got hit a little, she got taken down and finally realized that it’s not going to get any worse than this and that gave her confidence and she came back. She came back amazingly.”

Zingano on winning her UFC debut: “It was amazing. I felt like a got woken up by the second round. I was still kind of just really surprised that I’m here. I was still in a daze then I just thought of my son and I thought of my mom and I thought of everything I’ve done to get here throughout my life and this I exactly where I’m supposed to be and none of it’s in vain and I’m doing what I’m supposed to do with my life right here, right now. It got me started, it got me revved up and I wanted to finish this fight, I wanted to figure it out and I did. I came, I saw and I conquered. I’m happy.”

Ronda Rousey’s thoughts on Tate vs. Zingano: “They both looked great. From the open workouts, I thought that Cat looked a lot better, but Miesha’s the type to perform above herself and she came out swinging. I learned a lot of things about [Cat] as a fighter by watching her live for the first time. I’m ready, man. She’s a tough chick for sure, though.”

Dana White on The Ultimate Fighter Finale: “It was an amazing night. I knew this season of The Ultimate Fighter was special. I took the guys out to dinner at the end of the season and I told the guys that night, everyone of you will come back and fight in the UFC. We’ll give you one more opportunity, because they fought so hard in the season. And they killed it.”

White on Gastelum upsetting Hall: “People on Twitter were calling for a fight with him and Anderson Silva already. And he deserved the hype. The question becomes, can you handle the pressure? And what it looked like to me was, when he came out tonight, he folded under the pressure like he didn’t even want to be in there. He didn’t even wake up until the second round. And we saw hints, little pieces of Uriah Hall tonight, but that’s about it. And Kelvin came out ready to take him out.”

White on Hall being over-hyped: “I don’t think if you watched last season of The Ultimate Fighter you would over-hype Uriah Hall. But, the one thing that you never know, you can have a guy who’s incredibly talented, but what’s going to happen to him when he gets into that pressure cooker? That one moment when it all matters. That’s where the guys who become world champions really shine. Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre and the list goes on and on of guys who really don’t fold under pressure.”

White on The Ultimate Fighter moving to FOX Sports 1: “I’m very excited. I want to thank everybody over at FX for all the support they’ve given us since we’ve come to FOX. For all the hard work everybody’s put in over there to get the UFC and The Ultimate Fighter to where it is today on FX, I really appreciate it. And I’m very excited to be moving to FOX Sports 1. I think the crew that works over there and the plans they have for this network, it’s going to be awesome, and we’re very excited to be part of it.”

For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv/ufc and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/fueltv and on Twitter at: @FUELTV

To get FUEL TV on your television, go to www.fuel.tv/getfueltv, or call 877-4 FUEL-TV.

FUEL TV Opens 2013 With Record Viewership

FUEL TV — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 9:29:52 PDT

Network Logs Most-Watched Quarter, Five of Ten Most-Watched Days

LOS ANGELES – Powered by the growing popularity of Ultimate Fighting Championship® programming, FUEL TV continues the strong audience growth exhibited in 2012, opening this year with its most-watched quarter ever, a span that featured five of the network’s top-10 most-watched days, according to Nielsen Media Research. The growth stories, however, don’t stop there.

FUEL TV’s March performance tied with February 2013 as the network’s highest-rated ever in both households and in its M18-49 target demographic thanks to the record-shattering viewership of UFC® ON FUEL TV 8: SILVA VS. STANN on Saturday, March 2. Additionally, March was FUEL TV’s second most-watched month of all time in total viewers, just behind February 2013. On March 2, FUEL TV logged three of its four most-watched programs ever, plus its most-watched day and most-watched prime time ever.

FUEL TV’s second-most watched program also took place in the quarter, with the UFC® ON FX 7: BELFORT VS. BISPING PRELIMS on Saturday, Jan. 20, delivering FUEL TV 255,000 total viewers.

Additional Audience Highlights:
FUEL TV’s first quarter of 2013 topped the first quarter of 2012 by +50% in households, +44% on total viewers and +33% among M18-49.
March 2013 outperformed March ‘12 by +100% on households, +75% on total viewers and +63% among M18-49.
FUEL TV’s two most-watched days in network history and five of the top ten all occurred during the first quarter of 2013, led by March 2, which averaged 131,000 total viewers and 78,000 M18-49.
The network televised its four most-watched programs of all time and six of the top ten during the first quarter of 2013 - led by UFC® ON FUEL TV 8 on March 2, which shattered records by delivering an average of 485,000 total viewers and 282,000 M18-49, easily becoming the most-watched program in network history.

FUEL TV continues its coverage of the UFC® this week two shows around THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER 17 FINALE. The network telecasts the live UFC WEIGH-IN SHOW (6:00 PM ET) on Friday, April 12, and live UFC POSTFIGHT SHOW (12:00 AM ET) on Saturday, April 13.

UFC On FUEL TV 9: Postfight Show Quotes

FUEL TV — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 8:44:35 PDT

MOUSASI: “I’M WILLING TO FIGHT ANYONE.”

Evans and Stann Break Down UFC ON FUEL TV 9 Fights, Plus White and Pickett Interviews

LOS ANGELES, CA – The following quotes are from tonight’s UFC POSTFIGHT SHOW ON FUEL TV for UFC ON FUEL TV 9: MOUSASI VS. LATIFI. The show was hosted by Jay Glazer, with former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans and UFC middleweight Brian Stann offering analysis. Gareth A Davies conducted fighter interviews on-site.

UFC POSTFIGHT SHOW ON FUEL TV Analyst Brian Stann on what set Gegard Mousasi apart vs. Ilir Latifi: “He controls his range very well and he’s a sniper. He waits for his opening and then unleashes his hands very quickly. He continued to back Latifi up. If you’re the fighter with the shorter arms and you’re backing up, you’re going to have a hard time reaching your opponent.”

UFC POSTFIGHT SHOW ON FUEL TV Analyst Rashad Evans on Mousasi vs. Latifi: “The story of the fight was nothing but that jab. The jab was surgical and on point. When Mousasi kept backing him up with that jab, it made Ilir loose a little bit of faith and he stayed on his heels. A wrestler cannot get a takedown or even set up one if he’s not moving forward, and Gegard did a very good job of setting him on his heels.”

Stann on if this fight helped Mousasi in the standings: “He didn’t help. I don’t think this is going to be something to see him move up in the rankings to go from the number ten light heavyweight in the world to number seven. But looking at the matchup he got, and how little time he had to prepare for this specific opponent, it was a disadvantageous spot for Mousasi. I think he’ll still get a big name fighter in his next fight and he’ll have more to gain.”

Gegard Mousasi on if he had a knee injury going into the fight: “Yeah, I had a knee injury and a cold, but I trained for a fight so I wanted to fight. It was a risky fight. I tried to be precise and was slowly breaking him down. Maybe if we went five rounds I would have finished him.”

Mousasi on how he beat Latifi: “I trained on the jab and we stuck to the game plan. The distance was good. He’s a shorter guy. If you keep the distance, and you stuff a couple of their takedowns, then the wrestlers don’t want to shoot. I didn’t take a lot of risks.”

Mousasi on who he wants to fight next: “Next fight, I’m willing to fight anyone.”

Stann on what’s changed with Ross Pearson with his victory over Ryan Couture: “He made the move to Alliance and we’ve seen the improvements to his game. This was a tough fight. He was losing and had to overcome it. He saw an opening and took advantage of it. He sent a message to all the other lightweights that he’s here and can finish a fight. It was a violence of action. He got violent right away when he got an opening and took advantage of it.”

Pearson on getting the victory over Couture: “The first round was about figuring him out. He’s unorthodox and it took me a while to figure him out. But they say: ‘pressure and patience.’ I found my range and distance and I made it work.”

Stann on Matt Mitrione vs. Phil De Fries: “We all knew this was an athletic mismatch going in. And Matt Mitrione came out very mobile and well prepared. He was too powerful. He sprawled, hit him with his hips and got just one little opening and finished with that devastating power. As a former NFL player, we know he’s got heavy hands. He just ended the night quickly and got a much-needed victory after a two-fight losing streak.”

Mitrione on his emotions after the fight: “I was out for 14 months, and I’m coming off of two losses in a row, so it was a really emotional victory. Everything about it was really emotional. I was so elated. It was just a beautiful feeling.”

Stann on Brad Pickett vs. Mike Easton: “This was the best fight of the night. We had striking. We had takedowns, wrestling and the clench game. These guys came out and they poured it all on the line. It was really the wrestling game of Brad Pickett that earned him a very close decision. It was a closer fight than the judges’ scorecards showed. It was back and forth. Mike Easton had his moments, but it was Brad Pickett diversifying his strikes and using a much-improved wrestling game who pulled off the win.”

Brad Pickett on his fight: “The last fight everyone said I was one-dimensional. This time, I looked to change and mix things up. I think it went well for me tonight.”

Pickett on who he wants to fight next: “I actually would like to fight someone ranked above me for once. I always get people below me. Maybe somebody like Michael McDonald would be a good fight. Anyone above me, give me somebody above me.”

UFC President Dana White on his impression of the card after the changed main fight: “These guys delivered tonight. I’m proud of everyone who fought on the card. There were some fans out there who were talking smack about the card, but you can’t judge it until it’s over.”

White on if he was happy with the Swedish MMA commission: “The commission did a horrible job with this fight. Gegard knew his knee injured before the fight. Thank god he didn’t see the doctors here. I don’t want to smash the commission, but they’re very inexperienced. This isn’t Las Vegas or New Jersey or California where lots of fights happen. They did a great job the first time we came here, so hopefully they’ll get back on the wagon.”

White on Conor McGregor: “He did some good for getting himself on the Boston card. His first fight in the UFC, he came out calm and smooth, cool and collected. I love this kid. The hype is real.”

For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv/ufc and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/fueltv. Follow @FUELTV on Twitter for all things #FUELTV9.

Follow the talent on Twitter at: @JayGlazer; @BrianStann; @SugaRashadEvans; @GarethADaviesDT;

To get FUEL TV, go to www.fuel.tv/getfueltv, or call 877-4 FUEL-TV.

UFC On FUEL TV 9: Gustafsson vs Mousasi LIVE from Stockholm April 6

FUEL TV — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 2:46:22 PDT

Main card features six fights including exciting heavyweight and bantamweight bouts

LOS ANGELES, CA – Following last month’s record breaking viewership of UFC® ON FUEL TV 8, the network telecasts another round of highly anticipated bouts with UFC® ON FUEL TV 9: GUSTAFSSON VS. MOUSASI. The sold-out event takes place at the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden, LIVE Saturday, April 6 (2:00 PM ET) highlighted by second-ranked light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson battling tenth-ranked Gegard Mousasi.

Gustafsson (15-1-0, UFC 7-1) returns home to Sweden in search of his seventh consecutive win against former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Mousasi (33-3-2). The Gustafsson vs. Mousasi main event is preceded by five exciting matchups all televised on FUEL TV.

A lightweight battle ensues between England’s Ross “The Real Deal” Pearson (16-6-0), fresh off a knockout victory over George Sotiropoulos, and Strikeforce vet Ryan Couture (6-1-0), who is looking to extend his current four-fight winning streak. Matt Mitrione (5-2-0), a four-year NFL veteran, takes on British prospect Phil De Fries (9-2-0, 1NC) in a heavyweight showdown. Fifth-ranked bantamweight Brad "One Punch" Pickett (23-7-0) faces ninth-ranked Mike “The Hulk” Easton (13-2-0). TUF 14 winner Diego “Ceara” Brandao (20-8-0) goes toe-to-toe against Pablo “The Scarecrow” Garza (13-3-0) in a featherweight scrap. Featherweight Robbie “Problems” Peralta (16-3-0, 1NC), coming off a 23-second knockout of Jason Young on UFC® ON FUEL TV 5, battles Akira Corassani (12-4-1). FSMG’s Spanish language network FOX Deportes also telecasts UFC® ON FUEL TV 9’s six fights LIVE.

Announcers Mike Goldberg and Kenny Florian call all bouts live from Stockholm on FUEL TV. Host Jay Glazer, former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans and UFC middleweight Brian Stann offer analysis from FUEL TV’s Los Angeles studios. Veteran British MMA Journalist Gareth A Davies interviews fighters backstage.

Coverage of UFC® ON FUEL TV 9: GUSTAFSSON VS. MOUSASI begins Tuesday, April 2 (10:00 PM ET) with UFC TONIGHT, the official news and information show of the UFC, and features in-depth breakdowns of the main fights with Kenny Florian and guest analyst Rashad Evans.

On Friday, April 5 (10:00 AM ET), FUEL TV carries the weigh-in LIVE from Stockholm. The program is hosted by Karyn Bryant, with Evans and Stann adding analysis, and Davies interviewing fighters on-site.

The UFC PRELIMS begin Saturday, April 6 (10:50 AM ET) with FUEL TV and FOXSports.com webcasting the early bouts. http://www.fuel.tv/ufc/events/gustafsson-vs-mousasi/

Immediately following UFC® ON FUEL TV 9: GUSTAFSSON VS. MOUSASI the UFC POSTFIGHT SHOW airs on FUEL TV featuring Glazer, Evans and Stann, analyzing the biggest and best moments of the evening’s fights. Davies provides interviews backstage live from the Ericsson Globe Arena. FUEL TV’s FAN CAMeo is back, allowing viewers to record and upload video responses from their mobile phones, tablets or laptops, and have it used within minutes on the live show. Fans can upload their videos at: www.fancameo.com.

In addition to streaming the prelims, FOX Sports Media Group’s digital arm, FOXSports.com, produces feature stories previewing the fight, and on Fight Day offers live blogs of the main card fights and offers a post-fight recap.

For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv/ufc and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/fueltv and on Twitter at: @FUELTV #FUELTV9

Sonnen Sounds Off on Jones and More

FUEL TV — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 8:33:13 PDT

BISPING TO BELCHER: “YOU CAN TAKE YOUR TATTOOS AND YOUR PHANTOM AND STICK THEM WHERE THE SUN DOESN’T SHINE.”

LOS ANGELES, CA – On this week’s “UFC Tonight”, Michael Bisping talks about his UFC 159 opponent Alan Belcher. Chael Sonnen explains the real reason why he was awarded the fight against Jon Jones. All that and much, much more on this week’s UFC TONIGHT.
Quote of the Week: Michael Bisping on Alan Belcher waging bets: “He’s talked about tattoo bets. He’s sitting in the back of the Rolls Royce Phantom, showing off because he has a rich friend. That’s not what I’m about, showing off. I’m focusing on the fight. How about this? I challenge you to a fight on April 27, and the winner takes all the pride and glory. You can take your tattoos and your Phantom and stick them where the sun doesn’t shine. I’ll see you April 27 and I will beat you.”

Bisping on fighting Alan Belcher: “I never underestimate an opponent, but I truly believe I’m the better fighter. I’ve got the better skill set. I think I’m a tougher person. If we were to meet off the street with no martial arts training I would win every time. I’m in a different league and I have to prove it.”

Bisping on how he will beat Belcher: “My last fight didn’t go to plan. I have to go out and get redemption for my last performance. I have to go out and knock him out. I want to prove I’m one of the best in the middleweight division and to do that I’ve got to take him out and take him out in style.”

Bisping on a rematch with Vitor Belfort: “Vitor tweeted me directly, ‘Look Michael Bisping, my head kick to you has started a fever across the world’ and he had pictures of people throwing kicks, which I took exception to and found a little insulting. So I challenged him to a rematch in Nevada where he can’t get a license to use his steroids. I’m a clean fighter, forget the steroids, let’s do it again.”

Bisping on the new THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER coaches and fighters: “Anything could happen. I’m not sure people are going to be tuning in for the fights, maybe for something else happening in the evening, after dark. We all know they like to get drunk on THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER. You put men and women together, a lot of testosterone and estrogen together, and who knows what you’ve got? Let’s just hope no one gets pregnant. Keep it safe!”

UFC TONIGHT’s Chael Sonnen on how he got the fight with Jon Jones: “You know politics play a role in our sport, just like any other, and I wanted to explain directly to the fans exactly how my participation in the title fight with Jon Jones came about. I got a call one day from Dana, and he ‘said listen Chael, I’m putting you to work. You see I overpaid for this light heavy who I now realize is a jerk. He’s winning fights, not with brains or with brawn, and his matches and his one-armed cartwheels are making the whole crowd yawn. Nobody is coming to see him, not in living rooms, or in bars. Why don’t you send this guy to Cirque du Soleil or Dancing with the Stars.’ … So Jon, I’m coming to New Jersey, ‘cause I got a job to do. I’m a fully loaded cannon, boy, and I’m pointing right at you. So here’s a little advice, go get in your car and go hit another tree, do whatever you gotta do to stay away Jones, you don’t want to fight me.” (Edited for space - complete response to come in video form later.)

Sonnen on Nick Diaz retiring after this loss: “Nick Diaz immediately talked about retirement, and I’ll remind you he talked about retirement after his last loss to Carlos Condit. I think this is just where he goes in a recovery process. I want to see him back. I think he’s an excellent fighter. But he does need to be matched up appropriately. One thing that happened in Strikeforce is they never put him against a wrestler. The blueprint to beat Diaz is out there. Keep him away from wrestlers and he should be ok.”

Sonnen on women appearing on THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER: “This changes everything. I’m telling you, TUF just met MTV’s THE REAL WORLD.”

Sonnen on Dana White vs. Vince McMahon: “Vince, you just got insurance for your athletes. It sounds like you want to be the first to test out its benefits. Boom! Vince, Undertaker himself could not save you when Dana puts postage on your envelope, you big idiot. Boom! Kamala, the Ugandan Giant, will win an Olympic gold medal in pole vault before you step into the boss’s wheelhouse.”

“UFC Tonight” Insider Ariel Helwani on Johny Hendricks’ possible broken hand: “He dislocated his fingers early in the fight, and as the fight went on they popped back into place. That’s why he was in so much pain after the fight. He’s hoping to get that big GSP fight in August and said, ‘I can’t believe after six years I’m going to be getting my title fight.’”

Helwani on Demetrious Johnson’s injury update: “He had shoulder surgery recently. He’s feeling great, has already started his rehab and he’s hoping to come back in August. He wants to be on the first-ever FOX Sports 1 show on August 17 against John Moraga.”

Leeann Tweeden announces she’s pregnant: “Before we move on, I have my own bit of breaking news. I have my own future fighter in the oven - I’m having a baby boy, our first child.”

“UFC Tonight”

Follow FUEL TV and the talent on Twitter at: @fueltv; #UFCTonight; @sonnench; @kennyflorian; @arielhelwani; @LeeannTweeden; @Jon_Anik; @FUELTV; @UFC_Insider; #UFConFUELTV

For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv/ufcultimateinsider and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/UFCUltimateInsider

To get FUEL TV on your television, go to www.fuel.tv/getfueltv, or call 877-4 FUEL-TV.

UFC 158 Postfight Analysis

FUEL TV — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 10:30:28 PDT

ST-PIERRE: “I WANT TO FIGHT THE BEST GUY AND I THINK THAT’S JOHNY HENDRICKS RIGHT NOW.”

Sonnen and Cruz Break Down UFC 158 Fights, Plus White and Hendricks Interviews

LOS ANGELES, CA – The following quotes are from tonight’s UFC 158 POSTFIGHT SHOW ON FUEL TV for UFC 158: ST-PIERRE VS. DIAZ. The show was hosted by Jon Anik, with UFC light heavyweight contender Chael Sonnen and UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz offering analysis. Ariel Helwani conducted fighter interviews on-site.

Quote of the show: Georges St-Pierre on defending his title against Johny Hendricks next: “I want to fight the best guy and I think that’s Johny Hendricks right now.”

UFC 158 POSTFIGHT SHOW ON FUEL TV Analyst Dominick Cruz on how Georges St-Pierre beat Nick Diaz: “He tired out Diaz. He was fighting him moving backwards, which means he had Diaz come forward and blast at him, then GSP would take him down. But Diaz didn’t want to get taken down. GSP would grind him out on the ground and drive him crazy. He would get on top, control the hips, but not put the hooks in right away and wear him down from the top. He was patient. He was looking for finish, but he was taking his time and waiting for it.”

UFC 158 POSTFIGHT SHOW ON FUEL TV Analyst Chael Sonnen on what makes GSP so hard to fight: “He’s so hard to hit because he’s always moving.”

St-Pierre on Diaz saying he hit like a girl: “It wasn’t the fight I wanted. I’m disappointed to hear this. He had a very good game, was hard to hit on the ground and an unusual style. But I don’t want to go that route. I’ll just say it was a good fight.”

St-Pierre on when he’ll fight Hendricks: “I don’t know when. I haven’t taken a break since I came back from knee surgery. I need a vacation”

Cruz on how to beat St-Pierre: “You have to beat the jab. If you take away his jab, you take away his rhythm and take away his range. His jab is his range finder for everything. The bottom line, you have to counter his jab. Then you have to defend the takedowns. If he takes you down just once a round, he gains momentum and will grind you out and take away your gas. So you defend the takedowns, and counter with pulls, slips and body shots, when you counter the jabs.”

Nick Diaz on what he could have done differently against GSP: “I could have had a better training camp. I’m not making excuses. Nobody had faith in me to win this fight. I think I could have stopped the takedowns and I could have gotten the takedowns. I was flat. The first two rounds, I was moving slow. The third and fourth round I was moving pretty good. I was hoping for a knockout.”

Diaz wanting a rematch against GSP: “I want a rematch. Georges St-Pierre, if you’d give me a rematch, I‘d appreciate it because I could beat you.”

Diaz on if he’ll retire: “I’m trying to retire. I’m trying to get out of this gig. But I’d like a rematch. I think I can stop the takedowns and beat him. I’m not hurt. He hits like a woman. He hits like a girl because he’s too scared to let go to get a real punch in.”

Cruz on if he thinks Diaz will retire: “I think fighting is in his blood. He wears his heart on his shoulder. I love his mindset. He does get dirty before a fight, but he’s going into a fight. He’s not going anywhere.”

UFC President Dana White on if Diaz will get a rematch with GSP or if Hendricks will get the title shot: “Diaz won’t get a rematch. There’s no doubt Johny Hendricks deserves the next shot. That fight was amazing tonight. I’m actually glad that it worked out that way. Those were the top guys to see who faces Georges St-Pierre. Johny Hendricks deserves it.”

White on if Diaz should retire: “I don’t think Nick Diaz should retire. But I’m not the guy who makes the decision. If you want to retire, this isn’t like any other sport in the world. If your head’s not into it, you probably should retire.”

White on the Carlos Condit vs. Johny Hendricks fight: “Carlos Condit is a great example of a well-rounded mixed martial artist. Every time a Division 1 two-time All-American took him down, he got right back up. The Carlos Condit and Johny Hendricks fight was amazing tonight. That’s what it’s like when two mixed martial artists get in there.”

White on St-Pierre’s performance: “He stood with him and I thought he got the better of him standing. GSP got hit with nastiest body shot. He took some punches from him. He took him down when he wanted to. I thought Georges fought a great fight.”

Sonnen on Johny Hendricks’ win over Carlos Condit: “Carlos Condit had far more skill than Johny Hendricks. He showed far more things - better chin, landed more shots, and he still lost. Johny Hendricks was that good tonight. That was one of the best fights I can remember in recent history.”

Cruz on Hendricks’ win over Condit: “Johny Hendricks fought so smart tonight. He showed up top level, top five, top three, top two guys. He wants to be a champion. And he showed that with his mind tonight.”

Johny Hendricks on his strategy for the fight: “I did what we wanted to do. I knew I had to win. I also wanted to come in here and steal it from GSP and Nick Diaz, and I think we did that.”

Hendricks on who he wants to fight next: “If I don’t get the title shot I’ll be devastated. I’ll have to rethink my career.”

Follow FUEL TV and the talent on Twitter at: @fueltv; #UFCTonight; @sonnench; @kennyflorian; @arielhelwani;@FUELTV; #UFConFUELTV

For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule.

To get FUEL TV on your television, go to www.fuel.tv/getfueltv, or call 877-4 FUEL-TV.

UFC 158 Predictions and More

FUEL TV — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 7:46:04 PDT

Sonnen on GSP vs Diaz: “This is going to be a war. This isn’t about rankings. This isn’t about titles. This is about respect.”

LOS ANGELES, CA – On this week’s “UFC Tonight” we have analysis, breakdowns, and predictions of the epic UFC 158: ST-PIERRE VS DIAZ card. Plus, Chael Sonnen has a response to Jon Jones’ recent tweets and much more.

Quote of the Week: UFC TONIGHT’s Kenny Florian on Georges St-Pierre could lose to Nick Diaz: “A great wrestler like GSP will grind an opponent down, but I don’t think there’s anyone who can grind down Nick Diaz. There are two ways you lose to a Diaz brother: If you’re not disciplined, and if you try to brawl with them – that is, stand in front of them – if you do that, Nick Diaz will destroy you.”

UFC TONIGHT’s Chael Sonnen on St-Pierre’s advantages over Diaz: “A lot of people largely favor Nick Diaz should they stand on their feet and trade punches. I think Georges St-Pierre is a phenomenal kick boxer. He’s got a lot of set-ups. He’s actually got a longer reach of the two. He’s got a height disadvantage, but a reach advantage. I’m not sure if that’s going to be totally true if they stay on their feet. I think Georges is a little bit quicker.”

Florian on how St-Pierre can beat Diaz: “The way you beat Nick Diaz is to outwrestle him. Diaz was actually making a great play out there when he was talking about how he doesn’t want to take people down or lay top of them the way GSP does. He’s trying to bait Georges into brawling with him, into fighting his style. That’s something that Nick Diaz has done very well for several years now.”

Sonnen on St-Pierre reacting to the trash talking of Diaz: “It looks as though Georges is falling for it a little bit. Georges is getting very angry here. This is the first opponent Georges has ever called out. As a champion, he usually just sat back and took whatever came his way. Now he’s calling Diaz out. He’s upset. He will stipulate to the fact that he’s angry. He will admit that, he will tell people that. Is this going to be a problem?”

Florian picks St-Pierre over Diaz: “Nick Diaz is my favorite fighter, as far as excitement. He always delivers. But Georges St-Pierre has the perfect game to beat Nick.”

Sonnen picks St-Pierre over Diaz: “Put me down for the current champion. I think he leaves with the title. This is going to be a war. This is a fight that they both want. This isn’t about rankings, this isn’t about titles, this is about respect and it’s going down Saturday night.”

Florian on Carlos Condit vs. Johny Hendricks: “This is a very interesting clash of styles. Johny Hendricks, a very high-level wrestler, is knocking guys out with that left hand. You know the left hand is coming and he still knocks you out. He’s deceptively fast and he can always rely on that wrestling background. In case that striking doesn’t work against a high-level striker like Carlos Condit, he can always take him down and win exactly like Georges St-Pierre did.”

Sonnen picks Johny Hendricks over Carlos Condit: “I’m going to take Hendricks for the decision. He’s in an upward swing. Condit is coming off a heartbreaking loss to Georges St-Pierre.”

Florian picks Carlos Condit over Johny Hendricks: “I’m going to go with the upset. Condit is going to take this one by decision.”

Sonnen picks Ellenberger over Marquardt: “I think whatever you say about Marquardt, you could say about Jake. On paper they’re really similar. Jake’s got a little more power. Marquardt’s got a little more speed. Marquardt’s been away from the Octagon, he hasn’t left MMA – he’s a Strikeforce champion – but he has been away from the Octagon and I’m choosing Ellenberger.”

Sonnen, on if he was Junior dos Santos, why he’d rather fight Mark Hunt over Alistair Overeem: “Look back at Hunt’s record, over the last 24 months, the only two losses he has is against Jenny Craig and a treadmill. I like Hunt and right now he’s red hot, and I like anybody who steps up to a challenge. Let’s be fair: Nobody wants to fight Junior dos Santos. You take that fight when you have to fight him. Hunt raised his hand, he volunteered, he got on the phone with Dana White and he said, ‘put me in coach’ and I love it.”

Sonnen on what he thinks about Jon Jones’ recent tweets: “I think this: Jon, stop tweeting. Stop trying to be me. It makes you appear stupid and just gives me material to ridicule you with. If Jon Jones, a potted cactus and a slice of pizza from my oven were all on Jeopardy, Jon Jones would not make the final round. On a lighter note, Jon, you had another baby, in all seriousness, congratulations. By this time next year you’ll be the Octomom of the Octagon.”

UFC TONIGHT Insider Ariel Helwani on an upcoming heavyweight fight: “There’s a huge heavyweight fight taking place on June 8 in Brazil. It’s the main event of UFC ON FUEL TV 10. It’s Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria versus Fabricio Werdum and they are the coaches for TUF Brazil 2.”

Helwani on Chris Leben’s next fight: “He’ll be fighting at UFC 162 versus Andrew Craig on July 6 in Las Vegas.”

“UFC Tonight”

Follow FUEL TV and the talent on Twitter at: @fueltv; #UFCTonight; @sonnench; @kennyflorian; @arielhelwani; @LeeannTweeden; @FUELTV; #UFConFUELTV

For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv/ufcultimateinsider and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/UFCUltimateInsider

To get FUEL TV on your television, go to www.fuel.tv/getfueltv, or call 877-4 FUEL-TV.

UFC 158 Analysis and the UFC’s Greatest Feuds, PLUS…

FUEL TV — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:33:36 PDT

“UFC Tonight” Airs Tuesdays 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT; UFC Ultimate Insider” Begins at 10:30 PM ET

LOS ANGELES, CA – On this week’s “UFC Tonight”, we have analysis, breakdowns, and predictions of the epic UFC 158: ST-PIERRE VS DIAZ card. Plus, Chael Sonnen has a response to these Jon Jones tweets from yesterday: "This will be Chael Sonnen's last chance at a title and I am going to train that way,” and “I will dominate my opponent in a way that no one has seen before …"

And, would you rather be Anderson Silva or Chris Weidman? Would you rather have Dan Henderson or Rashad Evans’ career? Would you rather be Renan Barao or Dominick Cruz right now? Our guys debate.

This week on UFC Ultimate Insider, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu masters Rener and Ryron Gracie break down Georges St-Pierre’s historic arm bar against Matt Hughes at UFC 79, and provide the context for what makes GSP so great. Then Joe Rogan ranks the greatest feuds in UFC history.

Although he suffered a defeat in his welterweight championship fight, nothing has changed for Carlos Condit. He enters the prime of his career with renewed vigor and determination in anticipation of his showdown with rising star Johny Hendricks. Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix champ Daniel Cormier is one of several high profile Octagon newcomers. Cormier provides his expert analysis on his fellow Strikeforce fighters making the transition to the Octagon in The Takedown.

“UFC Tonight”

“UFC Ultimate Insider”

Go beyond the Octagon, as “UFC Ultimate Insider” delivers an all-access pass with unparalleled coverage of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, making it the hardest-hitting sports magazine show ever. Every week, tune in for unprecedented access, including in-depth profiles of the UFC’s biggest stars, tell-all features, and compelling backstage footage hosted by Jon Anik.

Follow FUEL TV and the talent on Twitter at: @fueltv; #UFCTonight; @sonnench; @kennyflorian; @arielhelwani; @LeeannTweeden; @Jon_Anik; @FUELTV; @UFC_Insider; #UFConFUELTV

For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv/ufcultimateinsider and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/UFCUltimateInsider

To get FUEL TV on your television, go to www.fuel.tv/getfueltv, or call 877-4 FUEL-TV.

UFC On FUEL TV 8 Shatters Viewership Records

FUEL TV — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 6:42:46 PDT

LOS ANGELES – UFC® ON FUEL TV 8: SILVA VS. STANN on Saturday, March 2, shattered several of the network’s viewership records including most-watched program, most-watched day and most-watched prime time ever, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) bout featuring the thrilling fight-of-the-night knockout victory by the legendary Wanderlei Silva over “The All American” Brian Stann averaged 485,000 viewers, making it the most-watched show ever on FUEL TV, eclipsing the previous record of 255,000 set on Jan. 19, 2013 for the UFC® ON FX 7 PRELIMS by +90% on total viewers (485,000 vs. 255,000) and +89% among M18-49 (282,000 vs. 149,000).

The live, action-filled three-hour program peaked from 10:15 PM ET – 10:30 PM ET with 542,000 viewers, the most ever on the network by +65% percent (previous record was 328,000 for UFC® ON FX 7 PRELIMS). On the day, FUEL TV averaged 131,000 viewers, up +524% vs. the Mar ‘12 Saturday average, and blowing away the prior total day record set on Feb. 16, 2013 (72,000 viewers) by +82% percent.

FUEL TV also set new high marks among several day parts:

·         The network recorded its best night of prime time ever with an average of 237,000 viewers, up +597% vs. the Mar. 2012 Saturday average;
·         Its top late night with an average of 339,000 viewers, an increase of +505% vs. the Mar. 2012 Saturday average; the previous high mark was 125,000 total viewers set on June 17, 2012.

Kicking off the record-setting evening, FUEL TV’s UFC PREFIGHT SHOW recorded its largest audience ever with an average of 250,000 viewers and 152,000 M18-49, up +247% on total viewers and +198% on M18-49 over the previous record set after UFC ON FUEL TV 2 on Apr. 14, 2012. Overall, the show was the third most-watched program on total viewers and M18-49 in network history.

After the fight, the UFC POSTFIGHT SHOW was also the network’s most-watched ever, delivering an average of 219,000 viewers and 154,000 M18-49, up +66% on total viewers above the previous record set during UFC On FUEL TV 1 on Feb. 15, 2012 and +66% on M18-49 from UFC ON FUEL TV 2 on Apr. 14, 2012. It ranks as the fourth most-watched program on total viewers and second most-watched among M18-49 of all-time.

Saturday’s program was the eighth UFC® fight telecast on FUEL TV. UFC® coverage continues on March 15 with the live Weigh-in and Postfight shows for UFC® 158: ST-PIERRE VS. DIAZ. FUEL TV’s next live UFC® fight is Saturday, April 6, with UFC® ON FUEL TV 9: GUSTAFSSON VS. MOUSASI.

Mir’s Most Memorable Fights On UFC Tonight Special Edition

FUEL TV — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 5:13:28 PDT

Hendricks’ Focus, MacDonald Mic’d Up, Cormier 1-on-1 and Mir’s Warrior Code on UFC ULTIMATE INSIDER

UFC TONIGHT Airs Tuesdays at 10:00 PM ET; UFC ULTIMATE INSIDER Begins at 10:30 PM ET

LOS ANGELES, CA – On this week’s “UFC Tonight” SPECIAL EDITION: FRANK MIR’S FIGHTER’S CUT, the two-time UFC heavyweight champion gives us an inside look at two of his most memorable fights. It's a candid fly-on-the-wall look as Mir remembers the greatest moments of his career.

First, he relives the bone-cracking submission victory that first won him the UFC heavyweight championship at UFC 48 against Tim Sylvia. Then, watch as Frank remembered his 2008 Submission of the Year victory over Brock Lesnar. From Mir's thoughts on the Sylvia controversy to his unique take on Lesnar's chest muscles, it's a half hour you'll have to see to believe. Check out this preview clip of the show:

This week on UFC ULTIMATE INSIDER, Johny Hendricks’ path to the pinnacle of the welterweight division has been quick and devastating for his opponents. Bigg Rigg's three Knockout of the Night performances in his past five fights have put him on the cusp of a title shot. See how his focus has never been sharper as he heads into UFC 158. An injury forced Rory MacDonald off UFC 158 but the welterweight prodigy still looms large as a likely future opponent for anyone hunting the 170 pound strap. MacDonald was mic’d up and provided the live commentary as Johny Hendricks put on a show at UFC 154.

Host Jon Anik welcomes Daniel Cormier into the studio for a discussion on the heavyweight’s MMA journey thus far, his pending Octagon debut against Frank Mir and what the future holds for the US Olympian as he weighs his opportunities in the light heavyweight division. Finally, former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir made his UFC debut in 2001. Now an elder statesman, Mir has a unique perspective on what it means to be a UFC fighter.

“UFC Tonight”

Follow FUEL TV and the talent on Twitter at: @fueltv; #UFCTonight; @sonnench; @kennyflorian; @arielhelwani; @LeeannTweeden; @FUELTV; #UFConFUELTV

For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv/ufctonight and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/UFCTonight

To get FUEL TV on your television, go to www.fuel.tv/getfueltv, or call 877-4 FUEL-TV.

FUEL TV Telecasts Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour 2013 LIVE

FUEL TV — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 6:49:49 PDT

Preview Show Kicks off Season on Monday, March 4 at 11:00 PM ET

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour 2013, a Red Bull Media House production, returns to FUEL TV for six exciting live contests from March through August. Featuring the world’s top freestyle motocross (FMX) riders, Red Bull X-Fighters enters its twelfth season with the strongest field to date and visits the most amazing locations ever across the globe.

The season is anchored by the youngest titleholder in history, New Zealand’s Levi Sherwood (22 years old), who is looking to defend his Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour championship title. But he’ll be challenged by several past champions including 2011 champion Dany Torres from Spain, who finished third last year. Two-time Red Bull X-Fighters Champion Nate Adams (2009/2010) is also back and wants to bring the title home to the USA.

The star athletes who make up the tour come from all over the world. Unstoppable Frenchman Thomas Pages turned the FMX world on its head with his breathtaking array of tricks that pushed the sport to the next level and landed him in second place overall last year. 2012’s fourth-place finisher Javier Villegas hails from Chile, and Todd Potter, who finished sixth overall last year, represents USA.

Created in 2001, Red Bull X-Fighters has grown to become the biggest and most respected freestyle motocross tour on the planet. This year’s tour spans four continents with new stops in Osaka, Japan and Pretoria, South Africa. It all starts in Mexico City on March 9, and then heads to Dubai on April 12. Next is Glen Helen in California on May 11. For the first time the tour travels to Asia, visiting Osaka, Japan in June, and then crosses to Madrid, Spain in July. The grand finale will take place in Pretoria, South Africa on September 7.

FUEL TV telecasts all the contests live from around the globe, and kicks off the season with a special Red Bull X-Fighters Preview Show on Monday, March. 4 (11:00 PM ET).

For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv/redbullxfighters on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/fueltv, and on Twitter at: @fueltv @Xfighters #Xfighters

FUEL TV
FUEL TV is the only cable and satellite television network that features the exciting world of adrenaline and thrill-seeking sports as well as high energy entertainment programming. This includes UFC®, surfing, motocross, BMX and more. With more hours of UFC® coverage than any other network, FUEL TV is the ultimate destination for live fights, weigh-ins, prelims, pre- and postfight coverage, results and more. This new generation of sports provides a rich landscape of some of the most vibrant and action-packed television entertainment in the world. See why adrenaline sports fans call FUEL TV the channel they never turn off. FUEL TV, part of FOX Sports Media Group, was launched July 1, 2003 and is seen in more than 36 million U.S. homes and can be accessed by broadband, mobile devices and other digital platforms such as iTunes®. FUEL TV programming is available in more than 50 countries around the world with 24/7 channels operating in Australia and Europe. To subscribe to FUEL TV, call 877-4 FUEL-TV. For program times and other information, visit www.fuel.tv.

FOX Sports Media Group
FOX Sports Media Group (FSMG) is the umbrella entity representing News Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FSMG includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships. FSMG includes FOX Sports, the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; Fox’s 20 regional sports networks, their affiliated regional web sites and FSN national programming; SPEED and SPEED2; FOX Soccer, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Soccer 2Go; FUEL TV; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports. In addition, FSMG also encompasses FOX Sports Interactive Media, which includes FOXSports.com on MSN, Whatifsports.com Scout.com and Yardbarker.com. Also included in the Group are Fox’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network, BTN 2Go and STATS, LLC, as well as licensing agreements that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network and FOX Sports Skybox restaurants.

Red Bull Media House
Red Bull Media House is a global media company that produces, distributes and publishes authentic content and inspirational entertainment programming in the action sports and lifestyle genres. From film to television, print to digital media, music and games, the company's products can be experienced on the latest devices and platforms, fascinating audiences worldwide. Among other projects, Red Bull Media House was responsible for the documentation and multi-platform distribution of the Red Bull Stratos mission, which held the world’s attention in 2012 delivering the most watched live stream in history. For more information visit www.redbullmediahouse.com.

UFC On FUEL TV 8 Preview, Dana White and MORE

FUEL TV — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 8:53:52 PDT

UFC Pres. White on Aldo: “If he moves to 155, he stays at 155 and he holds that belt.”

UFC ON FUEL TV 8 Preview and More on UFC TONIGHT

LOS ANGELES, CA – On this week’s “UFC Tonight”, we have an exclusive interview with UFC President Dana White. Kenny Florian and Chael Sonnen preview the upcoming UFC ON FUEL TV 8: SILVA VS. STANN card, plus offer thoughts on Jose Aldo vs. Anthony Pettis, Anderson Silva’s next opponent and more.

Quote of the Week: UFC President Dana White on making the Aldo vs. Pettis fight: “It wasn’t difficult to get the fight. I called Andre [Pederneiras] yesterday and it took two minutes to get the fight done. He said that after Aldo beats Pettis, he wants to move up to 155 and fight there. I said that was fine, but one of the matchmakers called and said there was a misunderstanding, that he wants to go to 155, win the title, and go back to 145. That’s not happening. If he moves to 155, he stays at 155 and he holds that belt. If Pettis wins the fight, Pettis is going to have to stay at 145 and defend that belt a couple of times.”

UFC TONIGHT’s Kenny Florian on what makes Silva vs. Stann exciting: “You have two big names in the sport and the styles are what makes this exciting. These are two guys who love to bang it out and two guys who stand in the middle of the Octagon and love to trade blows. Brian Stann is not fearful of anybody. Wanderlei is very much in the same boat.”

UFC TONIGHT’s Chael Sonnen on Silva needing to win the fight: “Wanderlei has kind of been at end of the career for a while now. He loves this sport. He is very sincere when he says he loves to fight, he loves to train and he loves to compete. The problem is he isn’t winning a lot of fights. If he gets knocked out one more time, I suspect that will be the end of the road. Brian Stann has the ability to knock him out. Wanderlei has the same ability and can definitely win this fight. But he really needs it and Brian doesn’t.”

Sonnen predicts a Stann victory: “Wanderlei’s heart is big, but his chin is more suspect than Blade Runner. Brian Stann, the All-American, KO’s him in the first round.”

Florian on why Struve will have a tough fight with Hunt: “For Stefan Struve, what worries me is that he is very tall, but he doesn’t utilize his reach like he should. He needs to establish that jab early. He’s a slow starter and against a guy like Mark Hunt who starts fast and has the big power, he has to make sure keep he keeps Hunt on the outside. That won’t be easy because Hunt is so experienced.”

Sonnen predicts Hunt in an upset over Struve: “Stefan Struve is better everywhere: He’s younger, he’s faster, he’s got a longer reach, but he keeps his chin up, and in an upset, Mark Hunt will knock him out.”

Florian on Diego Sanchez: “He’s had to deal with some injuries. He’s back training with Greg Jackson. I’m convinced that Diego Sanchez is part cyborg and just doesn’t stop. This is an exciting fight.”

Sonnen predicts Sanchez over Takanori Gomi: “Diego is going to box him up. I think Takanori Gomi has just a hard enough head to make this exciting, but ultimately Diego Sanchez wins.”

Sonnen predicts Yushin Okami over Hector Lombard: “Yushin Okami out strikes him. The grappling gets nullified. Okami takes it in a three-round decision.”

UFC President Dana White on Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman: “It’s always a process with Anderson Silva, but to be honest, he wants big fights. He’s 38 years old – the guy still looks and fights like he’s 25 – but you don’t know how much time he has left. He wants that GSP fight, he wants that Jon Jones fight, and he wants big fights.”

White on Anderson Silva’s new contract: “Anderson Silva still has to sign a new UFC contract. It’s either going to be an eight- or 10-fight deal and he’s going to have to fight Chris Weidman in there somewhere.”

White on Benson Henderson vs. Georges St-Pierre: “It’s not going to happen. Benson just won that title not too long ago, there are plenty of guys in the 155-pound division to defend the title against, and there’s a possible fight with Aldo if Aldo moves up and stays at 155.”

White on his ideal super fight: “I really want to see Anderson Silva and Jon Jones.”

White on if Rashad Evans vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is possible: “No, that fight’s probably not going to happen. If any fight happens, it would probably be Rashad Evans vs. Dan Henderson.”

White on Ronda Rousey being a movie star: “You know how I feel about the movie stuff. When Rampage did the movie, it was his dream to be a part of the A-Team. I don’t want to take away any opportunities from Ronda, but at the same time, her window of opportunity as a professional athlete is really narrow. She could make a zillion movies when she retires. Where she’s really going to get the money is here fighting. I don’t care if she’s the lead role in ‘The Hunger Games 2,’ she would not make anywhere near – I mean, not even in the universe – to the money she makes fighting.”

“UFC Tonight”

Follow FUEL TV and the talent on Twitter at: @fueltv; #UFCTonight; @sonnench; @kennyflorian; @arielhelwani; @LeeannTweeden; @FUELTV; #UFConFUELTV

For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv/ufctonight and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/UFCTonight

To get FUEL TV on your television, go to www.fuel.tv/getfueltv, or call 877-4 FUEL-TV.

UFC On FUEL TV 8: Silva vs Stann LIVE from Japan March 2

FUEL TV — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 3:38:55 PDT

Main card features six fights including key heavyweight and middleweight bouts

LOS ANGELES, CA – UFC® ON FUEL TV 8 takes place at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan, live, on Saturday, Mar. 2 (9:00 PM ET) highlighted by the legendary “The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva against top contender “All American” Brian Stann.

Silva returns to fight in Japan for the first time since 2006 (34-12-1, 1NC), against Stann (12-5, 6-4 UFC). The Silva vs. Stann main event is preceded by five exciting matchups, all televised on FUEL TV. The co-main event is a heavyweight clash between ninth-ranked and seven-foot-tall Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve (29-5, 9-3 UFC), who’s coming off a second-round knockout of Stipe Miocic at UFC® ON FUEL TV 5 and knockout artist Mark “Super Samoan” Hunt (3-1 UFC, 8-7), and his three-fight win streak.

An exciting lightweight battle ensues between “The Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (34-8, 1NC) taking on Diego “The Dream” Sanchez (25-5), who was awarded Fight of the Night honors in his back-and-forth battle with Jake Ellenberger at UFC® ON FUEL TV 1. Fourth-ranked middleweight Yushin “Thunder” Okami (29-7) faces eighth-ranked Hector “Lightning” Lombard (32-3-1, 1NC) in an epic showdown. Japan’s Mizuto Hirota (14-5-1) is looking forward to representing his home country against Rani Yahya (17-7). Siyar Bahadurzada (21-4-1), who is on a seven-fight win streak, faces Dong Hyun Kim (16-2-1, 1 NC) in a welterweight bout.

UFC announcers Jon Anik and Kenny Florian call all bouts live from Japan on FUEL TV. Host Jay Glazer, UFC light heavyweight contender Chael Sonnen and UFC middleweight vet Michael Bisping offer analysis from FUEL TV’s Los Angeles studios. Veteran British MMA Journalist Gareth A. Davies interviews fighters backstage.

Coverage of UFC® ON FUEL TV 8: SILVA VS. STANN begins Tuesday, Feb. 26 (10:00 PM ET) with UFC TONIGHT, the official news and information show of the UFC, and features in-depth breakdowns of the main fights with hosts Kenny Florian and Chael Sonnen. The evening wraps with UFC ULTIMATE INSIDER (10:30 PM ET), a 30-minute program going behind-the-scenes of the UFC, with insightful profiles of Stann and Bahadurzada.

On Friday, Mar. 1 (11:00 PM ET), FUEL TV carries the weigh-in LIVE from Tokyo. The program is hosted by Karyn Bryant, with Sonnen and Bisping adding analysis, and Davies interviewing fighters on-site.

The UFC PRELIMS begin Saturday, Mar. 2 (7:50 PM ET) and FUEL TV and FOXSports.com webcast the five early bouts. http://www.fuel.tv/ufc/events/silva-vs-stann

Immediately following UFC® ON FUEL TV 8: SILVA VS. STANN on Saturday, Mar. 2 (1:00 AM ET), the UFC POSTFIGHT SHOW airs on FUEL TV featuring host Glazer and analysts Sonnen and Bisping, breaking down the biggest and best moments of the evening’s fights. Davies provides interviews backstage live from the Saitama Super Arena. FUEL TV’s FAN CAMeo will be back for a second time, allowing viewers to record video responses from their mobile phone, table or laptop, upload the clip, and have it used within minutes on the live show. Fans can upload their videos here: http://www.fuel.tv/fancameo

In addition to streaming the prelims, FOX Sports Media Group’s digital arm, FOXSports.com, produces feature stories previewing the fight, and on Fight Day offers live blogs of the main card fights and offers a post-fight recap. FSMG’s Spanish language network FOX Deportes re-airs UFC® ON FUEL TV 8’s six fights on Sunday, March 3 (6:00 PM ET).

FUEL TV produced a 30-minute original program previewing UFC® ON FUEL TV 8: SILVA VS. STANN called IN FOCUS. It’s available as a free iTunes Podcast episode and can be downloaded here: http://itun.es/i6Jm68P

For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv/ufc and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/fueltv and on Twitter at: @FUELTV #UFConFUELTV

UFC 157 Post-Fight Review

FUEL TV — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 11:25:31 PDT

Rousey: “I felt fine with her on my back. I was more concerned with my sports bra staying on while she was choking me because I felt safe and in control.”

Sonnen and Evans Break Down UFC 157 Fights, Plus White, Machida Interviews

LOS ANGELES, CA – The following quotes are from tonight’s UFC 157 POSTFIGHT SHOW ON FUEL TV for UFC 157: ROUSEY VS. CARMOUCHE. The show was hosted by Jay Glazer, with UFC light heavyweight contender Chael Sonnen and former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans offering analysis. Ariel Helwani conducted fighter interviews on-site.

Quote of the show: Ronda Rousey on how she worked through the challenge when Carmouche was on her back: “On the ground I feel so comfortable in every position, so I never feel in danger and I take a lot of risks. I felt fine with her on my back. I was more concerned with my sports bra staying on while she was choking me because I felt safe and in control. She squeezed across my face and my mouth, and she almost forced my mouth guard out. I didn’t try to bite her. She put her hand in my mouth. Sorry.”

UFC 157 POSTFIGHT SHOW ON FUEL TV Analyst Chael Sonnen on Ronda Rousey beating Liz Carmouche: “This was back and forth and it was so exciting. Liz gets after it. I can assure you that Ronda has never been in that position when Liz gets on her back. Ronda stayed calm, and she worked through it and overcame the adversity.”

UFC 157 POSTFIGHT SHOW ON FUEL TV Analyst Rashad Evans on how Rousey got the armbar: “She was working on the elbow for a while, but then grabbed the wrist and pulled back and that’s what made it work. She was business minded. She was intense. She’s a fighter inside her. People like to see champs win, but they like to see them overcome challenges and win. She did it for women’s MMA, but she did it for all of us. To see a woman do it, she’s good looking and smart, and she’s doing it for the whole sport.”

Ronda Rousey on if she was nervous entering the Octagon after all the build-up to the fight: “Not really. When I was in there, it seemed like I was just in there yesterday. It seemed like a familiar place. I was more nervous for the Julia Budd fight. I don’t know why.”

Rousey on what she was thinking when Carmouche had her back: “I was thinking about my bra, I didn’t pick this one out actually, so they gave me my weigh-in bra for the fight and I was adjusting myself when she was on my back. Next time I should get my own stuff, I guess.”

Rousey on if she knew the round was almost over when she got the armbar: “I was worried I was running out of time, I take my time a lot more in MMA than I did in judo, I was trying to take my time and do it right, but I didn’t know how much time had passed.”

Rousey on if she was surprised by how tough Carmouche was: “I knew she was tough and I was expecting to go five rounds. Ten seconds difference and it could have gone a different way and we would have been in round two. Much respect to her.”

Rousey on who she wants to fight next: “I’m going out to Vegas to see the fight between Miesha Tate and Cat Zingano and I’m interested in taking the winner.”

Evans on how Lyoto Machida beat Dan Henderson: “Dan Henderson could never really find his range. You do get mesmerized with Machida. He’s so crafty, he’s so tricky, and you never know his distance. And that’s the biggest problem when you fight him. He moved around a lot. And you’re looking for him to land that home run strike. It’s always hard to have those landslide victories. This is a big professional sport and it’s won by margins sometimes, and that’s what happened tonight.”

Sonnen on Machida’s victory: “Competitively he gets the job done. He’s wildly effective. I’m scratching my head thinking of anyone at this level who has done so much to avoid a fight. He’s out there running around, throwing kicks. You’re scratching your head at the end of round one going, is this fight over yet? It’s painful and boring to watch, and there’s no other way to say it.”

Machida on if he was confident he won the fight: “I felt that I won the fight because of my score. I kneed him. I kicked him. I slapped. I took advantage. I took it all three rounds, but I was very surprised at the split decision.”

Machida on his game plan: “It was my plan to keep the fight standing up, to avoid the ground position, and to avoid his right hand. And defend all the time.”

Machida on if he’s the number-one contender in the light heavyweight division now? “I hope so. It depends on what the boss Dana White says."

Sonnen on if Machida deserves a title fight: “I’m in on the business. I’m in on the Pay-Per-View, and so is Jon Jones. Neither of us want to fight Machida because he can’t draw flies and that’s the bottom line. You got booed tonight. You got booed in your last fight. I can’t sell out an arena with you. I can’t sell Pay-Per-Views with you. I’m not giving you the shot.”

Evans if Machida deserves a title fight: “It wasn’t the most exciting fight, but at the same time he got the job done. Who wants to get punched in the face by Dan Henderson? Not me. Who’s going to line up for it? And that’s what fighting is. When you impose your will on somebody, and tonight he imposed his will. It might have not been a big will, but he imposed it.”

Urijah Faber on his victory: “I thought I did well. We didn’t get too far into it, which is good. It was a good, solid win. I had a tough opponent in Ivan and I’ve got nothing but respect for him. He’s done so much for the sport and a lot of people don’t know that about him. To get a submission over him was awesome.”

Faber on if he was feeling pressure to win or get cut from the UFC: “No, not at all, I know how the media is. It was a big discussion about how anybody is at bat. I knew I wasn’t going to lose the fight. I’m ranked number three in the world. I’m just going to keep fighting and winning.”

Faber on if he feels he deserves a title shot: “You keep saying, do you deserve it? I deserve whatever I can get in this world. If I can get a title shot, I’ll take it. I’m just going to keep on fighting and winning and answering to the haters.”

Faber on if he wants title shot: “Of course, that’s why I’m here. That’s why I compete in this sport and why I train every day for ten years in MMA and 20 something years in wrestling. I want the title shot. Save Olympic wrestling!”

UFC President Dana White on how big UFC 157 and the first women’s fight was: “There’s no doubt about it. This was one of the biggest moments in sports. I’ve never had so much media around one event. SportsCenter was live tweeting about it. But in 2013, I never realized the hate some guys have about women in sports. It’s sickening. And tonight, the main event was one of the best fights of the night.”

White on if Machida is the number-one contender now: “Yes, Machida is number one. He just beat Dan Henderson and Dan was the number one contender.”

Miesha Tate on if she was surprised by Rousey’s win: “It’s pretty much what I expected. But she did get sloppy giving her back up, and that’s a habit I’ve picked up on. And I got her back in the first fight and I guarantee if I get in the second one, I’m going to rip her face off.”

Evans on who he wants to fight next: “Shogun. It would be a great fight and something to see. Shogun, where you at? Call your manager, call Dana White, it’s on!”

Follow FUEL TV and the talent on Twitter at: @fueltv; #UFCTonight; @sonnench; @JayGlazer; @arielhelwani; @SugaRashadEvans; @FUELTV; #UFConFUELTV

For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv/ufctonight and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/UFCTonight

To get FUEL TV on your television, go to www.fuel.tv/getfueltv, or call 877-4 FUEL-TV.

UFC On FUEL TV 7 Delivers Net’s Most-Watched Day Ever

FUEL TV — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 3:15:30 PDT

LOS ANGELES, CA – UFC® ON FUEL TV 7: BARAO VS. MCDONALD on Saturday, Feb. 16, highlighted by the network’s first-ever Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) title fight, delivered FUEL TV its most-watched day ever, according to Nielsen Media Research. Audience for the London card, which saw interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao defend his belt against Michael McDonald, averaged 195,000 viewers, and peaked from 3:45 PM ET to 4:00 PM ET with 255,000 viewers. On the day, FUEL TV averaged 72,000 viewers, surpassing its prior total day record set on April 14, 2012 (71,000 viewers).

Average household viewership for UFC® ON FUEL TV 7 was up +122% (195,000 vs. 88,000) and +121% among M18-49 (115,000 vs. 52,000) compared to UFC® ON FUEL TV 6. A re-air of the fight at 8:00 PM ET delivered an additional 116,000 viewers, and led the network to its third most-watched Saturday primetime ever (95,000 from 7:00 – 11:00 PM ET). Altogether, the event aired three times on Feb. 16, delivering a combined 352,000 viewers.
The live, action-filled three-hour program on Saturday was the seventh UFC® fight telecast on FUEL TV. UFC® coverage continues this coming weekend with the live Weigh-in and Postfight shows for UFC® 157: ROUSEY VS CARMOUCHE. FUEL TV’s eighth UFC® fight is the following week, with UFC® ON FUEL TV 8: SILVA VS STANN airing on Saturday, March 2 (10:00 PM ET).

UFC 157 Preview and More

FUEL TV — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 9:05:18 PDT

Rousey: “No. I don’t think any girls do anything better than me, and that’s why I’m deservedly the champion.”

UFC TONIGHT Airs Tuesdays at 10:00 PM ET

LOS ANGELES, CA – On this week’s “UFC Tonight”, we have an exclusive interview with Ronda Rousey and preview the stacked UFC 157 Pay-Per-View card. Kenny Florian and Chael Sonnen offer candid thoughts on Dana White's new, tougher stance on TRT in the UFC and more.

Quote of the Week: “UFC Tonight” Guest Ronda Rousey on if there’s another girl better than her: “No. I don’t think any girls do anything better than me, and that’s why I’m deservedly the champion.”

Rousey on if preparing for a judo match or MMA fight is mentally tougher: “Some judo tournaments are not that mentally pressing, but I’d say the Olympics are much harder than a UFC title fight. If you lose a title fight you can come back a few months later. It’s not like if you are training your whole life and in one second you could lose by not paying attention and never have that chance again. That’s real pressure. This is a really huge deal, but it’s not as irreparable as losing the Olympics.”

Rousey on if she’s planning on winning by arm bar in this fight: “I’m interested in winning as quickly and efficiently as possible. If that’s through striking and that’s the first opportunity, then I’m going to go there, but if I see the first opportunity on the ground then I’m going to go there. It’s not like I walk in planning an arm bar because I want to have a legacy.”

Rousey on Carmouche being the first openly gay fighter in the UFC: “I think it takes a lot of courage. In MMA, we have a reputation for being homophobic, where I really don’t think that’s so. If you ever come to the weigh-ins and see some of the things the guys wear, and the fans are going nuts. You know they’re not homophobic. The fans love it. It takes a lot of strength to do and she has my utmost respect for that.”

Rousey on if she saw Tito Ortiz and Cyborg’s press conference: “I didn’t watch the press conference, but I heard that Tito spoke eloquently and Cyborg was very fashionable.”

UFC TONIGHT’s Chael Sonnen on Ronda Rousey vs. Liz Carmouche: “Ronda Rousey reminds me of an old-school baseball player where she comes out to the mound and points to where she wants to put the ball and that’s what she does with the armbar. She doesn’t hide her strategy. She doesn’t lock cameras out of her training sessions. She says come and look at it, I’m going for the armbar, I’m going to get it, and seven straight times she has.”

UFC TONIGHT’s Kenny Florian on Carmouche not being intimidated by Rousey: “Liz Carmouche is not intimidated by this whole event at all. She is not intimidated by Ronda Rousey. She’s going out there to win. Really she has nothing to lose. That’s a dangerous girl.”

Rousey’s predictions for Rousey vs. Carmouche: “I’m going to win, but I don’t know how. I don’t have a game plan. We just have some ideas for the first exchanges.”

Sonnen’s predictions for Rousey vs. Carmouche: “I’d like to say to Liz, I’m impressed she’s even getting in there. She’s 7-2, she’s outstanding. Ronda needs to take this seriously, but in the end the title stays intact.”

Florian’s predictions for Rousey vs. Carmouche: “Rousey.”

Florian on if Henderson’s injury could be a problem in the fight versus Machida: “I think that Dan’s style may hurt him, especially as he’s coming off a knee injury and it can be really difficult considering mobility. If you want to beat Machida, you better be mobile. However, if you get caught by that right hand by Dan Henderson, I don’t care if you’re a heavyweight, you’re getting knocked out.”

Sonnen on Henderson’s mental strengths vs. Machida: “The one thing about the injuries and ‘ring rust’ is that really affects a guy mentally, more than physically. A guy like Dan Henderson doesn’t care that his knee hurts. He was getting ready to fight Jon Jones on one leg. It’s just not going to hold him back. I would like to make one relevant point: Dan Henderson is the underdog according to Vegas. He has never lost a fight when he is the underdog. He’s only stubbed his toe when he’s the favorite. This is a spot he likes to be in.”

Rousey’s predictions for Henderson vs. Machida: “Henderson, I think he’s going to throw Machida off.”

Sonnen’s predictions for Henderson vs. Machida: “Henderson, in a very awkward fight that I would never miss.”

Florian’s predictions for Henderson vs. Machida: “Machida.”

Sonnen on Faber vs. Menjivar: “Menjivar is like a fine wine. This guy gets better with time. He’s better today and beating guys more decisively and impressively than he did three and four years ago. And this is actually a rematch. Menjivar threw an illegal kick to a downed opponent and was disqualified. So these guys know each other, they’re prepared for each other, they’ve done this dance before.”

Florian on Faber: “What worries me about Urijah on the other hand is that he hasn’t improved like Menjivar has. Urijah is so athletically gifted. This guy has trained with such great guys. But I always expected Urijah to evolve a little bit more than what we’ve seen from him. Of course, he’s still one of the best in the world. But just based on his athleticism and what we’ve seen, I always expect to see a little bit more.”

Rousey’s predictions for Faber vs. Menjivar: Faber, he’s a sweetheart and I like him.

Sonnen and Florian both predict a Faber victory.

UFC TONIGHT Insider Ariel Helwani on Tyron Woodley’s next fight: “After knocking out Jay Hieron at UFC 156, Tyron Woodley said he had a feeling a spot would open up for him at UFC 158. Two spots opened up yesterday. Unfortunately he didn’t get in, but he signed a new four-fight deal with UFC late last night, and he told me he wants Jake Shields next in April or May. Jake is moving down to 170. I spoke to Jake’s manager, and he said they’re interested in the fight, but Jake really wants to fight Josh Koscheck. If Koscheck beats Robbie Lawler this weekend at UFC 157 he thinks that fight makes much more sense for Jake. We’ll have to wait and see.”

Helwani on Frankie Edgar’s next fight: “Frankie Edgar is hoping to get back in the mix after the loss to Jose Aldo. His manager told me he wants to fight either Cub Swanson after a big win in London, or Dennis Siver. Now, he wants to fight Cub in a five-round fight on FX or FUEL TV. If that can’t happen, he’d fight either one of them at UFC 160 on Memorial Day Weekend. That’s shaping up to be a very big card.”

Sonnen on UFC President Dana White’s new stance on TRT: “First off, I admire Dana on many levels. But for me, this is his crowning moment, both as a leader, but also with his integrity. You are never going to find a chief executive of any corporation, be it sport, business or otherwise that shines a light on his own organization and says, ‘We have a problem.’ Guys, we’re not talking about testosterone use, we’re talking about testosterone abuse. The testing has already started. I can tell you firsthand, I have already been tested since this announcement.”

Florian on news of a new fight for UFC 160: “This is just announced, Donald Cerrone will fight K.J. Noons on UFC 160 Saturday, May 25.”

“UFC Tonight”

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