The Cut List: Who Needs a Win at UFC 127?

Filed under: UFC

Naturally a trip to Australia for the UFC means there's got to be some local talent on the card, and yes, some of that local talent may be getting just one last chance to show that they can do something other than attract their friends and neighbors.

But there's a wide range of fighters on the UFC 127 undercard who are need of a win on Saturday. Hailing from several different continents, and finding themselves in potential trouble for several different reasons, they all need to win big or at least lose impressively if they want to be invited back.

Let's take a look at who they are below.

Jai Bradney  Ebenezer Fontes Braga Chris Brennan Marcelo Brito  Rob Broughton 

Despite Recent Injury, Rashad Evans Doesn't Regret Waiting for Title Shot

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse Exclusive

It would be easy for Rashad Evans to sit around and second-guess himself these days. It would be easy to dwell on the what-ifs, or to wallow in the bitterness of recent events.

He waited the better part of a year for his title shot, forsaking other opportunities to fight and risking the ire of UFC president Dana White. With the fight less than two months away, a freak accident in training injured his knee and forced him out of the UFC 128 main event. Now the UFC has shuffled Jon Jones - Evans' own teammate - into the title fight in his place, leaving Evans' future as uncertain as ever.

"It's hard," said Evans. "Of course it's hard. I can't lie and say it's not hard or that I don't think sometimes, I wish it was me. I'd be lying if I said that. But I believe that everything happens for a reason."

Dennis George Kultar Gill Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono

Lesnar picks Fitch; White can already see his nightmare on the horizon

It's all coming together perfectly. Georges St. Pierre could be leaving the welterweight division soon and the man to beat will be Jon Fitch. Fitch is a great fighter, but seems to drive UFC management, led by the president Dana White, nuts because he usually wins by decision. When it was time for Junior dos Santos and Brock Lesnar, on the set of Season 13 of "The Ultimate Fighter," to pick UFC 127's main event they had trouble deviating from the usual Fitch script.

Both fighters picked Fitch to take out B.J. Penn via decision. That's not surprising since Fitch has won five straight decisions and his last eight have gone the distance. What was surprising was Lesnar actually throwing down some Fitch knowledge. when he made his selection, he seemed to be aware of Fitch's game.

Each time Lesnar has been asked in the past to pick a fight, it's clear he really doesn't own a computer or watch much television. He fights, but doesn't watch the stuff.

Penn is the smaller fighter at 170 pounds and may have trouble keeping Fitch off him. White's nightmare would be another three-round lay and pray with Fitch rolling to a win and into position to fight for an interim welterweight belt. 

White's first vlog for UFC 127 (NSFW) also includes the immediate aftermath of Anderson Silva's amazing kick that finished Vitor Belfort at UFC 126. UFC matchmaker Joe Silva calls the champ some sort of mother[expletive] and White kept saying "I've never even seen that before."

Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio 

Silva's odd drug test may save Vera from chopping block

With the mystery of Thiago Silva's drug test from UFC 125 continues to go unsolved, MMAjunkie is now reporting that the Nevada State Athletic Commission will soon overturn his victory over Brandon Vera and turned it into a "no contest."

Vera's contract was terminated by the UFC. If the fight is a no contest, that could mean the light heavyweight's status with the promotion is changed.

Heavy.com had a conversation with Vera about the loss and the news that Silva may have tested positive. There are also rumors that Silva submitted synthetic urine. 

"I have no idea what’s going on," Vera stated on the latest episode of The Ryan Loco Show. "He could’ve tested positive for marijuana. I honestly don’t think that’s a performance enhancing drug. If he does test positive for some kind of strength enhancing substance, it would make me feel a little bit better about myself."

Vera said he works with an excellent camp and also rolls with the Nogueira brothers, but felt surprisingly weak under Silva at UFC 125.

"I remember when I was underneath him and I was pushing him back and forth. I was thinking, ‘What the hell? Why is this guy so damn strong?’ And I remember thinking during the fight, ‘Yo, I gotta start lifting weights again.’ He was one of, if not the strongest dudes I ever rolled with in my life. Strong b******."

Silva so dominated Vera that he broke his nose down the stretch and was spanking the Filipino-American in the final round. Vera had a strong response to that show of disrespect.

"You know, I’m glad you were happy winning the way you were. It’s cool, man. It’s cool. If this thing comes back and you did do whatever you did and I make it back to the UFC, on your welcoming back party, I want to make sure I’m the one you get to fight," Vera said. "And I promise if you take me down, I’m going to get back up. Then I’m going to punish you on the feet just like I did while we were fighting, until you took me down. Then you gave it to me, but you won’t take me down next fight. So I’m glad you got to showboat. I’m glad you got to win, kind of. But I’m gonna see you again soon, bud."

With Silva facing a suspension and Vera recover from the broken nose, that fight won't happen anytime soon, but it'll be interesting lead up to the fight if the UFC chooses to rematch the fighters. 

Tip via MMAConvert

Ryan Gracie Peter Graham Forrest Griffin Tyson Griffin Karn Grigorian

UFC 127: Sotiropoulos in line for lightweight title shot

George Sotiropoulos is one of the hottest names in the world at 155 pounds, but he's not waiting around for his UFC title shot. Frankly, he can't. There'd be no paychecks and who knows what the future holds.

Seconds after Sotiropoulos beat Joe Lauzon at UFC 123 in Detroit, he was asking for a quick turnaround so he could fight 13 weeks later in his homeland of Australia. UFC champ Frank Edgar will defend the title again against Gray Maynard at UFC 130 in May. Anthony Pettis is next in line for the winner. He fights Clay Guida at The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale in June. Sotiropoulos may be waiting a while and that's only if he can avodi the upset against Denis Siver this weekend.   

Yahoo! Sports' lead MMA writer Kevin Iole joined us to talk about Sotiropoulos' mindset and just where he sits in the UFC's 155-pound pecking order. 

Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono Gabriel Gonzaga Lyman Good Gary Goodridge

Antonio Silva Dominates Fedor Emelianenko

by Michael David SmithThe MMA champion once viewed as invincible has now lost two in a row.

For the second consecutive time, Fedor Emelianenko has suffered a stunning upset loss, this time falling to Antonio Silva in the opening round of the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament.

Silva absolutely destroyed Fedor in the second round of the fight, staying on top of him for all five minutes and battering his face so badly that after the second round, Fedor's right eye was swollen shut and he simply couldn't continue. The doctor made the right decision to stop the fight, and the official ruling was that Silva won the fight by TKO after the second round.

For Silva, the former EliteXC heavyweight champion, it was by far the most significant victory of his MMA career. He'll next face the winner of the upcoming Fabricio Werdum-Alistair Overeem fight. For Fedor, the loss demonstrates that he's simply not an elite heavyweight anymore.

 

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Tiki Ghosn Dennis George

Ex-Sengoku Champ Marlon Sandro Signs With Bellator

Filed under: Bellator, News

Former Sengoku featherweight champion Marlon Sandro has signed with Bellator.

Although Bellator won't say if Sandro (17-2) will be competing as soon as the fourth season beginning in March, he will fight for Bellator sometime in 2011. He won't be part of Bellator's season four featherweight tournament, which has already been filled.

Gabriel Gonzaga Lyman Good Gary Goodridge Gerard Gordeau Jonathan Goulet