Chris Weidman turned down trilogy fight with Anderson Silva
If you have been holding out for a third fight between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman, it appears you almost got what you wanted. According to Weidman, the UFC contacted him about fighting Silva at UFC 212, but he declined. He felt that the fight really didn’t do anything for him. Weidman stated that he felt it didn’t make sense for him to take a fight on short notice against a fighter he has already defeated twice, not to mention in that fighter’s home town.
Silva in the end decided that he didn’t want to compete on the card, and hasn’t been rebooked since. Weidman, who is currently dealing with a three-fight losing streak, has been booked to face surging middleweight contender, Kelvin Gastelum, at UFC on Fox 25 in New York.
Henry’s Analysis: I would have enjoyed a third fight between the two, just because I think it would have given Silva a chance to avenge two horrible losses, and for Weidman it would have provided a chance to get back in the win column. Of course, the fight would not be nearly as relevant now as it was when they were fighting for the belt, but it would still have been an interesting thing. I enjoy Weidman’s fights, and I do not mean this as an insult in any way, but it is crazy to see how quickly Weidman has gone from being the guy that beat Silva to the place he’s in now. Hopefully he can get back to where he once was.
Rousimar Palhares returns to action
Controversial BJJ Blackbelt and former WSOF Welterweight Champion Rousimar Palhares returned to action last night and picked up a victory over Alexei Ivanov at Fight Nights Global 70. It took him just under a minute to submit Ivanov with his notorious heel hook.
Gabi Garcia makes Shoot-Boxing debut
Rizin FF and BJJ sensation Gabi Garcia has done it again and, by that, I mean she has knocked out another old woman, this time in brutal (and illegal) fashion. Garcia competed against Megumi Yabushita at Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup and, after brutally soccer kicking her 45-year-old opponent in the face, the fight was promptly called off, much to Garcia’s surprise. Gabi Garcia seems serious about fighting. She has had four MMA fights in the last two years and has a fifth scheduled for June. She has yet to face a credible opponent, but the problem is that it’s hard to say if one really exists in the world. She can only face old pro wrestlers for so long before it gets old, so it will be interesting to see how things unfold in the future for Gabi Garcia.
Ladd-Eye pulled from TUF Finale card
Just hours before the event began, Aspen Ladd tweeted that she would no longer be competing against Jessica Eye on The Ultimate Fighter 25 Finale card. The reason given was illness. This is an unfortunate situation for Eye, who will now have to wait to try to get her career back on track.
Gilbert Melendez vs. Jeremy Stephens announced for UFC 215
Gilbert Melendez has had a tough run as of late in the lightweight division, so he will see if the grass is greener down at featherweight. While this has been rumored for some time, we finally have an opponent for Melendez, and a date. Jeremy Stephens is a veteran of the sport, who hits hard, and will provide a stiff test for the former Strikeforce Lightweight Champion. If Melendez is able to get things on track down at 145, the division certainly has quite a few fun potential match-ups for him.
NOW CHECK OUT YESTERDAY’S UPDATE: THURSDAY NEWS DIGEST 7/6: The Ultimate Fighter Finals are set as Jesse Taylor will face Diego Lima + More News (w/Hiscoe’s Analysis)
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