Lots of MMA news as I’ve let things slip through the cracks lately.
From MMAWeekly.com:
– Affliction has added Vitor Belfort and Andrei Arlovski to their fight roster. Both will be participating in Affliction: Banned, the company’s first fight event. Arlovski will be facing Ben Rothwell while Vitor Belfort will fight Terry Martin. The July 19th show is headlined by Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia.
– The American Fight League has also added two fighters to their roster. Tara Larosa, perhaps the best female fighter in the world, signed a four-fight deal with the AFL. Also signed to the company is former WWE Superstar Bobby Lashley. The terms of the multi-fight deal are yet to be released.
– In other news involving former WWE wrestlers, the UFC has found a new opponent for Brock Lesnar. Lesnar will now be facing Heath Herring at UFC 87. Lesnar was originally scheduled to face Mark Coleman but Coleman had to withdraw due to an injury.
From FiveOuncesOfPain.com:
– Dana White was expected to make a big announcement this week regarding the UFC but that has been delayed until next week. The announcement was expected to be the UFC’s move into New York but the state voting committee seemingly had a change of heart on the matter. Dana’s announcement has been moved to Tuesday, June 17th.
– Dana White appeared on CNBC to promote the new UFC action figures. He also took the time to defuse some of the rumors generating about his big announcement next week. Among the rumors that Dana squashed:
Floyd Mayweather is not coming to the UFC.
WWE is not partnering with the UFC.
The UFC has not made a network TV deal.
The UFC is not going public.
– James Thompson had the following to say regarding his controversial loss to Kimbo Slice:
Sam Caplan: After Dan Miragliotta had stopped the fight and rendered his decision, you put your hand on him. According to Nick Lembo in an interview I conducted with him on Monday, he said he spoke with Miragliotta and that he had said he felt you weren’t even sure who he was and that you didn’t know the fight had been stopped. Did you know what was going on and did you intentionally put your hands on Dan Miragliotta?
James Thompson: You see, this is what almost is the most annoying to me, is the fact that I was just so disgusted and that I was so in shock by it. In disgust, I kind of shoved him. I went to shove him away and I caught his face. Now, I did that completely knowingly and completely purposely. It’s kind of like they take pity on me. Someone said “Oh, I think he thought I was Kimbo.” It’s even more insulting. Don’t get me wrong, I was rocked. But I was completely coherent. I saw him stop it; I followed his hands; I looked right back (and) I said to him, “What are you doing?” For him to say that he thought I thought he was Kimbo is absolutely ridiculous. I’d rather just get fined if that’s the case. For him to say I thought he was a black man with a beard… it’s insulting, basically.
