Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin Now Likely as UFC 115 Main Event In Vancouver

It was originally reported earlier today, by Fighters Only Magazine, that Chuck Liddell (21-7) would not be facing Tito Ortiz (15-7-1) at the conclusion of The Ultimate Fighter 11. The two were previously strongly rumoured to be facing off for their third time at UFC 115 in Vancouver, B.C.

The reasons behind Tito's withdrawal from the fight are not entirely clear at this time, but, according to F.O.M.'s sources, it is not his long-injured back, but "something that may significantly impact [Tito's] future as a fighter." It is also unclear how this news has affected the taping of the SpikeTV reality show, which recently wrapped production.

When the news of Tito's inability to fight first broke, it was initially believed that Liddell would now appear in the headlining slot of the as-yet-unofficial UFC show on April 17th, which was deliberately created to counter Strikeforce's second CBS show on the same day. His rumoured opponent is current light-heavyweight contender, former middleweight champions and potential fellow UFC hall-of-famer, Rich "Ace" Franklin (25-5). However, it has since been reported by MMAJunkie.com that if Liddell vs. Franklin does happen it will not be in April, but at UFC 115 in Vancouver, where Chuck was originally likely to appear. Further, Sherdog.com has now reported that both fighters have verbally agreed to the bout.

In the minds of many B.C. MMA Fans, the switch from Tito to Rich as Chuck Liddell's opponent on June 12th in GM Place will come as a welcome change. If for no other reason than because Chuck has already defeated Tito on two separate occasions in the past, both times by (T)KO.

The Current Rumoured Card For UFC 115 Is As Follows:

Main Event:

Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin

Main Card:

Wanderlei Silva vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama
Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann
Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald [CAN]
Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham
Pat Barry vs. Mirko Filipovic

Under Card:
Gilbert Yvel vs. Ben Rothwell
Mac Danzig vs Matt Wiman
James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta
Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox
Claude Patrick [CAN] vs. TBA

Yet Another Fight Likely For UFC115 In Vancouver: Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman

In the second major UFC 115 fight announcement in as many days, it is now being reported by MMAJunkie.com that grizzled UFC lightweight veterans Mac Danzig (19-7-1; 3-3 UFC) and Matt Wiman (11-5, 5-3 UFC) have nearly signed on the dotted line to hook 'em up in Vancouver, B.C. on June 12th at GM Place.

Mac Danzig, who recently ended a three-fight losing skid at UFC 109 by defeating Justin Bucholtz (8-5), must have liked British Columbia so much when he was here last weekend to referee AFC:II that he begged UFC matchmaker Joe Silva to send him back. Okay, it might not have gone down quite like that, but I'm sure he's happy to be making his Canadian MMA debut, nonetheless.

Matt Wiman, meanwhile, fought valiantly in a decision loss to Sam Stout (15-5-1) in the co-main event at UFC 97 in Montreal, but will no doubt be hoping for a W in his return trip north of the forty-nine. Since fighting in Montreal last spring, Wiman has rebounded to defeat Hawaiian BJ Penn protege, Shane Nelson (12-5) at UFC 107 last December.

As far as the style match-up goes, both Wiman and Danzig have well-rounded skills, though Danzig might have a slightly more advanced submissions game. Ultimately, it may just come down to gameplanning and who has the better camp.


Complete Rumoured Card For UFC 115:

Possible Main Event:
Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz III
~or~
Wanderlei Silva vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama

Main Card:

Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann
Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald [CAN]
Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham
Pat Barry vs. Mirko Filipovic
Gilbert Yvel vs. Ben Rothwell

Under Card:
Mac Danzig vs Matt Wiman
James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta
Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox
Claude Patrick [CAN] vs. TBA

Martin Kampmann vs. Paulo Thiago Likely For Vancouver's UFC 115

According to an article appearing on the Las Vegas Sun's website, a UFC welterweight contenders' match between Brazil's Paulo Thiago (13-1; WW #5) and Denmark's Martin "The Hitman" Kampmann (16-3; WW #10) is likely to appear on the quickly-filling UFC 115 card in Vancouver, British Columbia. The event is strongly rumoured to be scheduled for June 12th in GM Place.

Reports early last week that came out suggesting the event was in jeopardy now seem to have been largely unfounded as the UFC has not flinched from continuing to fill the rapidly approaching card.

The fight itself is nothing short of drool-inducing. It pits a high-level striker with underrated grappling, in Kampmann, against a well-known grappler with ever-improving strikes, in Paulo Thiago. I refer to the latter as Paulo "Braz-Cop" due to his conspicuous side-job as an elite tactical forces operative tasked with combating Brazil's illicit drug trade. Of course, this is an obvious homage to Mirko "Cro-Cop, who earned his cage name by performing similar duties in his native Croatia.

But I digress, the real issue here is that Thiago vs. Kampmann is an extremely well-matched fight, especially given that, despite the fact that each is coming off of a decisive victory, both desperately need another win to stay near the top of the crowded heap at 170lbs.

Complete Rumoured Card:

Possible Main Event:
Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz III
~or~
Wanderlei Silva vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama

Main Card:

Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann
Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald
Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham
Pat Barry vs. Mirko Filipovic
Gilbert Yvel vs. Ben Rothwell

Under Card:

James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta
Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox

UFC 115 in Vancouver (June 12th) May Be In Jeopardy

According to the personal blog of MMA pioneer Paul "The Mauler" Lazenby, there is a chance that the UFC's debut in Vancouver may not happen on its long-rumoured date of June 12th, 2010.

"The Mauler" attended a meeting of the Vancouver Athletic Commission yesterday (Mar. 2nd) and was discouraged to hear that sanctioning of MMA in Vancouver is not yet a done deal and may not be for some time. The following is an excerpt from Mr. Lazenby's blog, click it to view the entire post:

In spite of Vancouver City Council's approval of a two-year trial period for MMA, I found out that there are still no regulations in place to promote the sport professionally within the city. The problem lies in the fact that the city is still expressing grave concerns about legal and financial liability, while movement toward a resolution of those concerns appears to have been extremely sluggish.

At one point, newly-elected VAC chair Mirko Mladenovic (a supporter of properly-sanctioned MMA) asked Mr. Hammel when the legal issues might be resolved, to which Mr. Hammel replied, "About two months" in a manner that indicated to me that it may be even longer.

Hearing that a legislative process is being dragged out is far from surprising, so it probably is not the right time to hit the panic button just yet. There is a pretty good chance that the UFC can still ram the necessary santcioning agreements through the VAC like they have in the past when they ran up against similar regulation problems in Montreal. B.C. MMA Fan will continue to monitor this story as it develops.

UFC 115: Two Fights Involving Heavyweight Strikers Now Rumoured For Vancouver

In a somewhat complicated turn of events Pat "Get Hype" Barry (5-1, 2-1 UFC) will now reportedly meet Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic (26-7-2, 3-3 UFC) at UFC 115 in Vancouver, while Barry's original opponent at that event, Gilbert "The Hurricane" Yvel (36-14-1, 0-1 UFC), will face "Cro-Cop's" intended opponent at UFC 110, "Big" Ben Rothwell (30-7). An eventual fight between the two winners is almost certainly a given and would create a fairly legit contender for the UFC.

It all started when Rothwell withdrew from his fight with Mirko "Cro-Cop" at this past weekend's UFC 110 event. That meant Mirko had to face a lesser opponent who agreed to step up at a moment's notice. After the event, Dana White said point blank that he still intended to match Rothwell against "Cro-Cop," but it seems that they like these match-ups more and, I have to say, I agree. Pat Barry is a squat, smallish heavyweight just like Mirko and both have top-shelf, K-1 tested, striking. Yvel and Rothwell, meanwhile, are both tall, scary dudes who are coming off of losses and both like to set up big shots from outside the pocket, which should make for an interesting fistic tango.

With the addition of these two major heavyweight fights, and rumours circulating of a showdown between Wanderlei Silva (33-10-1) and Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-1), the Vancouver fight card for June 12th is beginning to take shape.

Full UFC 115 Rumoured Card:


Possible Main Event:
Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz III
~or~
Wanderlei Silva vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama

Main Card & Under Card:

Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald
Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham
Pat Barry vs. Mirko Filipovic
Gilbert Yvel vs. Ben Rothwell
James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta
Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox

Claude Patrick Finally Appears Headed To UFC, Debut Expected In Vancouver

According to an article posted on FiveOuncesOfPain.com, Canada's top welterweight free agent, Claude Patrick (11-1), is currently in negotiations with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and could make his octagon debut at UFC 115 in Vancouver, B.C. this June.

This is great news for the Ontario native, who has struggled to gain international media attention despite only ever losing above his weight class in a bout with Drew McFedries (8-6) and scoring a submission victory in the IFL. The lack of recognition has been unfortunate because Patrick is one of the most consistent finishers in the sport, having ended every single fight on his current 10-0 streak, including eight submissions with only two fights going past the opening round. In his most recent fight, Patrick defeated gritty up-and-comer Matt MacGrath (8-3) in Edmonton on February, 5th by second-round submission (guillotine) in the co-main event of Aggression MMA II.

Clearly, it is about time that one of the sport's premier promotions finally came knocking on Claude's door at Mississauga Elite, but, now that the UFC has, there is no telling where the ceiling is for Patrick.

More details, including confirmation of Patrick's signing and rumoured opponents, will be posted as it becomes available.

From the B.C. MMA Fan Vault: Interview With Claude Patrick
Video Interview With C.P. From MMACanada.net: Available Here

UFC 115 News: Pyle vs. Lennox Set, Plus Akiyama's Likely For Vancouver Event

According to remarks made from his Japanese dojo and posted on MMAJunkie.com, Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-1) will likely appear at Vancouver's UFC 115 on June, 12th. His targeted opponent is the winner of this weekend's Wanderlei Silva vs. Michael Bisping, though "Sexyama," as his largely female fan-club calls him, would prefer to fight longtime PRIDE standout Wanderlei if given the choice.

Perhaps, that's because Akiyama was already set to face "The Axe Murderer" at UFC 110, but was bumped off by the UFC in favour of the better draw in Bisping. Few could blame Akiyama if he were more upset about this move, whch will keep him on the shelf for nearly a year since his victory at UFC 100, but he seems to have taken it in stride. He still speaks respectfully about the UFC and has his sights set on the top of the division, "[Anderson Silva] is a great champion...I aim for a [UFC title]. I'd like to fight as long as possible until I reach the very top. I'd like to keep fighting for the UFC as far as possible."

A welterweight fight between Xtreme Couture's veteran submissions wiz Mike "Quicksand" Pyle (18-7-1, 1-2 UFC) and well-rounded, upcoming, Miliech Martial Arts product Jesse Lennox (11-2, 1-1 UFC) is also now set for UFC 115 at GM Place.

Full Rumoured Card For UFC 115 in Vancouver:

Main Event:
Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz III

Main Card & Under Card:
Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald
Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham
Pat Barry vs. Gilbert Yvel
James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta
Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox

Couture Interested In Match With Franklin, Just Not In Vancouver

It was rumored recently that Randy "The Natural" Couture (18-10) might face Rich "Ace" Franklin (25-5) at UFC 115 in Vancouver on June 12th. Couture put a stop to that today through his attourney, Sam Spira, who confirmed to Sherdog.com that the fight is possible, but said an August date is the earliest "The Natural" would consider.

That news will likely come as a let-down to many B.C. MMA Fans and effectively sends the UFC back to the drawing board in search of a quality drawing fight to add to the card, which is currently rumoured to be headlined by Chuck Liddell ve Tito Ortiz III

Current Rumoured Card:

Main Event:

Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz III

Other Fights:

Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald [CAN]

Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham

Pat Barry vs. Gilbert Yvel

James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta

Couture vs. Franklin Possible For June's UFC 115 in Vancouver, B.C.

Mere hours after it was suggested on this site that Randy "The Natural" Couture (18-10) should face Rich "Ace" Franklin (25-5) in his next fight, it has been reported by Sherdog.com that the fighters have been approached by the UFC about the possibility of squaring of at Vancouver, B.C.'s first ever UFC card in June.

(There is no word yet on whether the winner would be guaranteed a title shot as we suggested earlier today.)

Randy Couture has since commented that he will need to give the bout some careful contemplation because it may conflict with prior commitments he has made in the film industry. If this fight eventually becomes official it could find itself as the co-main event behind Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz III, meaning fans in GM Place would be treated to a night filled with four of the most recognizable and established athletes that the sport of MMA has ever produced.

Full Rumoured Card For UFC 115:

Randy Couture vs. Rich Franklin

Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz

Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald [CAN]

Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham

Pat Barry vs. Gilbert Yvel

James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta

Vancouver's UFC 115 Gets A Third Likely Bout: Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham

The latest likely edition to UFC 115 in Vancouver was announced today and involves a pair of lightweight training partners at the Xtreme Couture Gym in Las Vegas-- Tyson Griffin (14-2, 7-2 UFC) and Evan Dunham (10-0, 3-0 UFC).

The rumoured bout would join Pat Barry (5-1) vs. Gilbert Yvel (36-14-1) and, of course, Kelowna's own Rory MacDonald (10-0) vs. Carlos Condit (24-5) on the quickly-growing card.

Tyson Griffin is a wildly entertaining wrestler and striker who is known for keeping up a high pace. He has scored several "Fight Of The Night" bonuses as well as victories over the likes of Clay Guida (25-11), Gleison Tibau (20-6), and Rafael Dos Anjos (13-4). After scoring his five previous wins by decision, and earning an unfortunate reputation as a non-finisher, Griffin finally broke out of that slump at UFC 103 by TKO'ing former title-challenger Hermes Franca (19-9) in the second round. Griffin will look to build on that momentum in beautiful British Columbia this summer.


Evan Dunham, opened a lot of eyes in the co-main event of last November's Ultimate Fight Night 20, when he finished Ultimate Fighter 8 winner Efrain Escudero (12-1, 2-1 UFC) with a slick armbar in the third round of a very close fight. Dunham is a powerful lightweight who likes to drag opponents to the mat to look for submissions, but is also comfortable standing. Despite having less MMA experience, Dunham (28) is actually three years older than Tyson Griffin (25).

To bill this as a showdown between training partners is somewhat misleading. Griffin has been a mainstay at Xtreme Couture for years and is often cornered by Randy himself, while Dunham only recently joined the Las Vegas gym. Besides that, Team Xtreme Couture is an unusually large group in which the camaraderie between each of the many fighters is necessarily diluted. As such, fights between Xtreme Couture fighters are actually fairly common.

If it is made official, this fight will almost surely be slotted in on the main card fight at UFC 115, which means there could be as few as two PPV fights left to be announced for the event on June 12th, 2010. It has also been rumoured, though with much less certainty, that Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz III may go down in Vancouver.

UFC 115 Takes Shape: Gilbert Yvel vs. Pat Barry Now Likely For Vancouver Show

The UFC 115 card, which is likely for Vancouver's GM Place on June 12th, is continuing to take shape. Some time ago it was vaguely rumored that Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz III would appear on the card. It was then unofficially announced that B.C.'s own Rory MacDonald (10-0) would face Carlos Condit (24-5) at the event

Today, LasVegasSun.com is reporting that renowned heavyweight strikers Gilbert "The Hurricane" Yvel (36-14-1, 31 TKOs) and Patrick "Get Hype" Barry (5-1, 5 TKOs) are also likely to appear at UFC 115, which is set to become the first ever UFC held in Western Canada.

Patrick Barry is well known to Canadian MMA fans as the 5'11" kickboxer who felled Alberta's massive 6'4" Tim Hague (10-2) at UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida. Once on the ground, however, Hague quickly turned the tables on Barry, locking in a fight-ending guillotine choke to secure the win. Barry has since rebounded with a second-round, TKO win over a former training partner, Holland's Antoni Hardonk (8-6). Throughout that fight, which took place on the undercard at UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun, Barry showcased a vast arsenal impressive strikes, including one solid punch that famously landed squarely on Hardonk's throat. Barry is now looking to continue his unlikely-little-man run through the UFC's heavyweight division at UFC 115 in Vancouver.

To do so he must defeat one of the fiercest Muay Thai strikers the heavyweight division has to offer in PRIDE stand-out Gilbert Yvel. "The Hurricane" is fresh off a disappointing, early TKO loss to UFC heavyweight contender Junior Dos Santos (10-1) at this January's UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva. Yvel has since commented that he did not feel like himself that night, which he attributes the pressure of making his octagon debut,

"I was like in a dream. It was just bad for me. It was my first time in the UFC and you want to show what you can do. If you lose, they can cancel your contract. It's a lot of pressure." (Las Vegas Sun, Jan. 28th.)

"The Hurricane" will surely be looking to blow away all of Barry's hype with a decisive victory at UFC 115. That outcome seems very possible given that Yvel has scored over five times as many career (T)KOs as Barry has MMA fights.

Whatever the outcome, if this fight occurs at UFC 115 in Vancouver, B.C. MMA fans will surely enjoy the rare treat of seeing two of the world's most talented heavyweight strikers plying their trade inside the octagon.

Rory MacDonald vs. Carlos Condit Likely For UFC 115 In Vancouver

Pretty much as soon as B.C.'s very own Rory MacDonald (10-0) finished dismantling Mike "The Joker" Guymon (11-3-1) via first-round armbar at Ultimate Fight Night 20 on January 11th, the speculation began about who "The Waterboy" would fight on the UFC's debut card in Vancouver. This morning, MMAMania.com claims to have the answer as they are reporting that Rory is likely to fight Carlos "The Natural Born Killer" Condit (24-5) at UFC 115, tentatively set for June, 12th.

Most Canadian MMA fans are already familiar with MacDonald's impressive resume, which includes ten finishes in as many fights, two KOTC title wins-- including a lightweight world title, and one octagon win, all by the tender age of twenty. MacDonald, who now fights at welterweight, is undeniably a stud with very few limits on his future in the sport of MMA. A bout against a fighter as accomplished as Condit would be, by far, the toughest test of Rory's career, but also a great way to demonstrate for fans where he really stands in the UFC's welterweight division. Furthermore, it would almost guarantee Rory a spot on the televised main card at UFC 115. For the longtime student at Kelowna's Toshido Martial Arts, that would be a dream come true.

Carlos Condit began his MMA career in 2002, but has already fought a virtual who's who of the MMA landscape. Like MacDonald, Condit began fighting as a professional while still in his teens and enjoyed immediate success. He won thirteen of his first fourteen fights with his only loss coming to well-respected Carlo Prater (24-7-1). Condit would later avenge that loss and dropped only three bouts in his second fourteen en route to earning a berth in the UFC.

At the time he entered the octagon, Condit was considered a serious threat to almost anyone in the division, having just successfully defended the WEC welterweight belt three consecutive times. He was matched with Martin "The Hitman" Kampmann (16-3) in a main event at April, 2009's Ultimate Fight Night 18, where Condit lost by split-decision. Despite clearly dropping the first round, Condit most recently scored a split-decision win of his own over another tough youngster in Jake Ellenburger (25-5) at Ultimate Fight Night 19.

A resident of New Mexico by birth, Condit currently trains at Jackson's Submission Fighting in Carlos' hometown of Albuquerque. His cage-name, "The Natural Born Killer," is fitting since he has scored finishes in all of his twenty-four career victories, except the last one, for a finishing rate of over %95 in wins. With a near even split between submissions and (T)KOs, Condit is a threat everywhere the fight might go.

Of course, Rory MacDonald is a finisher as well, and will look to make an enormous statement with a decisive win in this fight. The entire crowd at GM Place will be behind Rory, which certainly won't hurt his chances of announcing his arrival as the newest contender at 170lbs.

From the B.C. MMA Fan Vault: B.C. Bio Interview With Rory MacDonald

Liddell vs. Ortiz III Rumoured For UFC 115 In Vancouver

According to MMACanada.net, Vancouver's "News1130 Radio" is reporting that a match between former UFC light heavyweight champions Chuck Liddell (21-7) and Tito Ortiz (15-7-1) may take place in Vancouver's GM Place at UFC 115 on June 12th.

The story has yet to be corroborated by anyone close to the dealings, but the timing makes sense given that the eleventh season of The Ultimate Fighter, which begins airing on March 3st on Spike TV, will just have ended around that time. The two legends, who have both coached previously on the show, will square of once their duties as coaches have been fulfilled.

They have met twice previously, at UFC 46 and UFC 66, with Liddell taking the TKO victory in both contests. Chances are there are thousands of B.C. MMA fans, who would love to see Chuck and Tito fight live, but given their recent results and the fact that this isn't even a true rubber match, many also likely hope that another major fight serves as the main event.

Canadian Press Confirms UFC 115 in Vancouver's GM Place, June 12th

According to the Canadian Press, the Ultimate Fighting Championships recently settled on a June 12th, 2010 date for their British Columbia debut and have officially determined that GM Place will host the event. Of course, this announcement comes hot on the heels of Vancouver City Council's December 2009 decision to sanction MMA in the Lower-Mainland on a two-year trial basis.

No fighters have been linked to the card at this time, but announcements in that regard can be expected in the coming weeks. There is also no word as yet on when tickets will be available, but it's safe to assume the venue will sell out almost instantly.

The card will be held a mere two weeks after UFC 114, which takes place on U.S. Memorial Day, May 29th. It will also occur just over a month after UFC 113, which is slated for May 1st and will mark the organization's third trip to Montreal. Late spring of this year offers a solid run of UFC shows for MMA fans, especially Canadians, capped off by an absolute dream come true for all those in attendance at GM Place on June, 12th.