Mixed Martial Arts

[Capt Spaulding]

Back injury forces Serra out of title defense

 

It was not a Happy Thanksgiving for Matt Serra, or the Ultimate Fighting Championship, as both sides had to come to terms with the fact that the most hyped match of this year, Serra's welterweight title defense against Matt Hughes for Dec. 29, in Las Vegas, is out due to a herniated disc in Serra's back.

 

The injury not only affects UFC 79, but also threatens the viability of the long-term plan of the winner of this match facing Georges St. Pierre in the company's Montreal debut, which was tentatively scheduled for April.

 

Serra, the defending champion, has both a television and personal rivalry with Hughes, which developed weekly on The Ultimate Fighter reality show where they were rival coaches who did not get along. The champion was training with Matt Arroyo on Monday at Serra's gym. He was demonstrating a move when he felt something go wrong with his back, and he collapsed with pain searing through his body. He had to practically be carried to the hospital.

 

Serra didn't alert anyone right away, hoping that somehow things weren't as bad as he feared, and that perhaps chiropractic treatment would enable to him recover in time for the fight. But on Thursday, he told UFC officials that he there was no possible way he could fight.

 

"This is the hardest thing I've ever had to do," said Serra in a comment made on the UFC.com web site. "I've never had a back injury before. I could hardly get off the MRI table. There is no way I can train through this, and I'm devastated, especially because this was such an important fight. I was looking forward to fighting Matt Hughes. All my training was going phenomenally until Monday -- All I can do now is to get better and to fight again as soon as possible."

 

Regarding what happens next, everything is in a holding pattern for the next few days until Serra gets a diagnosis on how long he will be out of action. Hughes was told Friday morning about Serra's injury, and asked about potentially facing another opponent on Dec. 29. Hughes didn't have an immediate response, because without knowing how long Serra would be out, he couldn't make a concrete decision.

 

If Serra can be ready to fight in early 2008, it would make sense for Hughes to not fight on Dec. 29, and just delay the championship match.

 

 

For Hughes to agree to fight on Dec. 29, without the championship at stake, he would be risking his guaranteed title shot with a potential loss or injury. If the recovery period is extensive, UFC will have to make a decision regarding the championship, which has not been defended since Serra beat Georges St. Pierre on April 7th in Houston.

 

The long delay between matches was because Serra and Hughes were building up the match with being opposing coaches on the television series, which has its final episode on Dec. 5 and its finals three nights later.

 

According to a UFC official, if Serra is out for a long period of time and Hughes agrees to fight on Dec. 29, the two most likely candidates to for an opponent would be Jon Fitch or Thiago Alves. Josh Koscheck and Diego Sanchez are both coming off losses, and Sanchez has talked about cutting to 155.

 

Karo Parisyan, another potential opponent, is out with a broken hand. St. Pierre, the top contender for the title, was being held off until the planned April date. But a delay until March, which would seem to be the earliest a Serra vs. Hughes match could take place, would make an April title defense impossible.

[Capt Spaulding]

“Shogun” to Return in February or March

 

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (16-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC), a longtime PRIDE fighter who made an unsuccessful UFC debut against Forrest Griffin in September, will likely return to the octagon in February or March.

 

The report comes from Chris Howie of MMANews.com, who quoted Chute Boxe representative Julio Heller.

 

According to Wednesday’s camp update, Rua is recovering nicely from a post-UFC 76 knee surgery. The 25-year-old (who turns 26 on Sunday) suffered an upset submission loss to Griffin on Sept. 22. Griffin spoiled Rua’s debut — the Brazilian had won 12 of 13 fights before the loss — with a third-round rear-naked choke.

 

Rua reportedly had a knee injury prior to the fight with Griffin, but the fighter made no mention of it before the fight. In a series of interviews after the event, he said he didn’t want people to think he was using the injury as an excuse.

 

An opponent hasn’t been named for Rua, but according to MMANews.com, his team thinks a fight with former UFC champion (and current “The Apprentice” contestant) Tito Ortiz “would be a very interesting fight.“

 

If the team is, indeed, looking at a February or March return, UFC 81 (Feb. 2) and UFC 82 (March 3) appear to be the most likely options.

 

As it stands, Rua has won 12 of his past 14 fights — nine of which came via knockout or technical knockout. PRIDE’s 2005 Grand Prix Tournament winner had fought for the Japanese-based fight organization since October 2003 and racked up victories over such notables as current UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson, Ricardo Arona and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

[Capt Spaulding]

UFC 79 Card:

 

* Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva

* Lyoto Machida vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

* Rich Clementi vs. Melvin Guillard

* Manny Gamburyan vs. Nate Mohr

* Soa Palalei vs. Eddie Sanchez

* Dean Lister vs. Jordan Radev

* Roan Carneiro vs. Tony DeSouza

* Mark Bocek vs. Doug Evans

 

UFC 79 video trailer for ‘Nemesis’

 

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1318905614

[chuckliddell]

i wish spider will win against dan... aw...

[clubber_lang]

With that development, I guess there is no choice but to make the Chuck-Wanderlei bout the main event.

 

GSP would definitely be affected here. Unless they make the future Serra-Hughes bout a triple threat match, he ain't fighting for any titles up until late next year...

[pr0nmast3r]

UFC 79 Card:

 

* Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva

* Lyoto Machida vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

* Rich Clementi vs. Melvin Guillard

* Manny Gamburyan vs. Nate Mohr

* Soa Palalei vs. Eddie Sanchez

* Dean Lister vs. Jordan Radev

* Roan Carneiro vs. Tony DeSouza

* Mark Bocek vs. Doug Evans

 

UFC 79 video trailer for ‘Nemesis’

 

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1318905614

 

 

Finally Sokoudjou in the UFC

[SevenZeroFive]

Breaking News: GSP Steps Up, Faces Hughes for Interim UFC Welterweight Title

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news.asp?n_id=10097

[Assasin's Creed]

^ wtf? again? i hpe matt hughes wins the rematch.

[riceb0i]

GSP is gonna beat that conceited f#&k hughes

[hardtohandle]

WHAT THE f#&k!?!?!? Serra-Hughes would have been the fireworks...

[Larry]

WAR St. Pierre!!!!!!

[berserker15]

hmmm. ang mahirap mag bet between GSP and Hughes. Pero I think Hughes will win

[SevenZeroFive]

my god, more bad news... it's not within the confines of the UFC, but it's still bad news for MMA as a whole..

 

MMA Fighter Vasquez In Critical Condition After KO Loss

 

After suffering a knockout loss in an MMA bout at two minutes, 50 seconds of the second round of a recent match against Vince Libardi, fighter Sammy Vasquez is in critical condition.

 

The following are some updates from Sammy's wife Sandra, posted on the TXMMA.com internet forum:

 

Good morning,

 

Sammy really needs your prayers. He is stable, but in very critical condition. As of today, he has been heavily sedated. They do not want him to have any activity, no movement of any kind. It seems his brain is swelling. They are monitoring him very closely. He is on the respirator and he’s keeping his blood pressure at a good range on his own. They have asked that we keep visitors to family only. The doctor said we need to pray for him. Please pray for Sammy and the family. I thank you for your prayers, love and support.

 

God Bless,

Sandra

 

And an updated post:

 

This is very difficult for me to write. Sammy had a massive stroke on Friday, the damage is very great. We have contacted LifeGift. Please keep us in your prayers.

 

St. Joseph Hospital the Pavilion

4th floor room 2

 

Love,

Sandra Vasquez

=================================

^^ for some reason, even though Sandra Vasquez's words meant that Sammy Vasquez won't make it, i'm still rooting for him to at least make it out alive. this is the worst thing that has ever happened to the sport, & i'm still hoping against all hope that Sandra is jumping the gun by calling an organ donor center on behalf of his husband.

[Olympus]

War GSP!!!!

 

So what happens next? Winner o GSP-Hughes faces Serra?

[clubber_lang]

GSP! GSP! GSP!

 

Loved the Serra quote. Haha!