Several fighters went missing on the UFC website list of roster yesterday, spurning speculation of their release. Typically when a fighter gets removed from the website it a precursor to them officially being released from the UFC.
The days might be numbered for the former WEC light heavyweight Steve Cantwell inside the Octagon after another unanimous decision loss. Cantwell faced Riki Fukuda on the preliminary card of tonight’s UFC 144: Japan and walked out of the Octagon with his fifth consecutive decision loss.
The time has finally arrived, UFC 144: Japan marks the return of the UFC to the land of the rising sun. Bringing with them is a five bout preliminary card and a stacked seven deep main card airing on pay per view. The night will be headlined by a lightweight title fight between the champ Frankie Edgar against the former WEC champ, Benson Henderson.
The UFC returns to the land of the rising sun this weekend with a card that has a little bit of everything for those in attendance as well as the viewers watching on TV. Headlined by a lightweight title fight between Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson, UFC 144 also has former Pride stars and several of the promotions top Japanese fighters.
The last time the UFC was in Japan, Tito Ortiz won a fight with a neck crank. The sport has come a long way. To reintroduce the Japanese market to American MMA, the UFC has brought a title fight to their shores; pitting Frankie Edgar against Benson Henderson is a FOTY candidate. Why not make some cash while we’re enjoying the fights though?
Things looked great for Steve Cantwell in the opening round of his Middleweight debut against Mike Massenzio. He had dominated the complete five minutes of the round and UFC 136 looked to be the night “The Robot” gets back in the win column. The next 10 minutes though would be a different story for the former WEC light heavyweight champion.
Live from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, UFC 136 bring 11 Mixed Martial Arts bouts with two title fights headlining this stacked card. Starting off on Facebook.com then moving over the Spike TV before ending the night out on Pay Per View.
The lightweight division will finally be released from its nearly one year prison sentence at Saturdays UFC 136 when Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard face off for the third time. When the two fought to a draw at UFC 125 in January the top of the lightweight division was locked in handcuffs as they waiting for Edgar vs. Maynard 3. The waiting games are finally over and win, lose or draw the lightweight champion is moving onto another challenger.
