The latest MMA rankings are suffering from the cancellation of UFC 151 and show very little change from last month. In fact there is only one change among the top five MMA rankings this month and that goes to UFC lightweight Frankie Edgar, who lost his rematch to the champion Ben Henderson at UFC 150.
In all the mayhem of UFC 151 being canceled, and fighter after fighter saying they would have stepped up, you may have missed Alan Belcher tweeting that he was ok with Vitor Belfort taking the Jon Jones fight. Belcher revealed he has a spinal fracture and he was unfortunately going to have to pull out of their UFC 153 fight anyway. Alan said the timetable for his return will be in November, and that he wants a top 5 guy. Belcher is on a four fight win streak with impressive wins over Jason MacDonald and Rousimar Palhares.
This past week’s action has shaken up the ranks of the UFC middleweight division. In the span of just four days, two of the top five middleweights in the world tasted defeat and the dust has yet to settle. Chael Sonnen last his rematch against the UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva at UFC 148 and the man thought to be next in line, Mark Munoz, had those dreams shattered by an elbow from Chris Weidman.
Originally it was thought that September’s UFC 152 would be headlined by a welterweight bout between B.J. Penn and Rory MacDonald. The UFC though would put those rumors to rest this weekend as they announced two new bouts (including a title fight) that will be sitting atop the UFC 152 fight card at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre.
Rich Franklin has always been considered an elite level mixed martial artist. The former UFC Middleweight Champion defeated Wanderlei Silva this past Saturday night and puts himself back on the map in the UFC’s crowded Middleweight division. Who should he face on his way up the ladder? Let’s take a look.
Injuries happen in every sport, they’re unavoidable but what the UFC is currently experiencing is on another level. In the past the UFC has dealt with injuries head on, often putting together better fights than what was originally scheduled. The mounting injuries that the UFC is going through right now have crippled then from doing this and the resulting moves have weakened the upcoming summer cards.
The UFC has lost main event after main event lately. It seems like everyone is getting bit by the injury bug, and it’s happened again. Hector Lombard was supposed to meet Brian Stann but that’s not happening. Tim Boetsch was supposed to meet Michael Bisping in Calgary at UFC 149, but that’s not happening now either. Here’s who will meet and how long the injuries will keep the fighters sidelined.
All the talk of late has been about the stacked UFC 148 fight card happening on July 7th, but the UFC has recently been adding some solid fights to the UFC on FOX 4 card. On the heels of the rumored Brian Stann vs. Hector Lombard bout landing on UFC on FOX 4, the promotion has added two more notable fights.
