Dominick Cruz-Urijah Faber
“DOMINANT DOMINICK” CRUZ HURT TRAINING FOR URIJAH FABER
San Francisco, CA– In boxing, participants get hurt while training, but no where close to the number of times Mixed Martial Arts fighters are injured. While it’s been a long time since a boxing match has been scratched due to injuries, the UFC, with their top star and welterweight (170 lbs) Georges St. Pierre on the shelf until November, is now joined by UFC bantamweight champion (135) Dominick Cruz, who tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament, one of the four major ligaments in the knee, while training for a June match with Urijah Faber in a battle of Season 13 Ultimate Fighter reality TV show coaches. This opens the door for Faber to fight somebody for the “interim” title. From all indications, Cruz will be out six to nine months.
UFC FIGHTERS “FREE SPEECH” THREATENED BY BEER SPONSOR?
The UFC has had a long going battle with the Culinary Workers Union in Las Vegas over the fact that the Station Casinos, owned by the Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta are non-union. Lorenzo and Frank together own 77% of the UFC (the Dubai Government has 13% and Dana White has a 10% stake). The union has put pressure on Anheuser Busch beer who sent a letter regarding UFC fighters making “unscripted” comments which might be offensive to certain demographics. Bowing to this pressure, the UFC is going to mandate their fighters attend “Sensitivity Classes.”
NATE DIAZ READY FOR UFC TITLE SHOT?
After choking out Jim Miller (21-4) on Saturday night on FOX TV, Nate Diaz (16-7) is angling for a UFC lightweight (155 lbs) title shot. Having gotten bonuses for his last three fights, Nick Diaz’s little brother is continuing to improve every time out. One or two more wins and Nick will be in almost mandatory position to battle for the UFC lightweight title against either current champion Ben Henderson who has a rematch set up with ex-champ Frankie Edgar come summertime, or whoever holds the belt at the end of 2012 or early 2013.
HOTTEST BELLATOR FIGHTER SIGNS WITH UFC
Hector Lombard, 31-2-1, the recently resigned Bellator Fighting Championships middleweight (185 lbs) champion signed a deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championships a fortnight ago. Having not lost since a decision since 2006, the 34-year old Cuban who was an Olympian in Judo, Lombard is an exciting fighter whose contract with Bellator expired. Bottom line is that Bjorn Rebney, the Bellator CEO could NOT match the dollars and cents that UFC President Dana White put on the table for Lombard. With three years as Bellator champion, Lombard was supposed to sign with the UFC in 2007, but he instead went to Bellator where he went 8-0, with 7 KOs. Lombard’s first UFC fight will be August 4 in Los Angeles.
STRIKEFORCE HEAVYWEIGHT TITE FIGHT WILL BE IN SAN JOSE ON MAY 19
When I poll people as to whom they think will win the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix on Saturday, May 19 between ex-UFC king Josh Barnett (36-5) vs. Daniel Cormier (15-0), the slight lean in numbers goes to the veteran Barnett. The card will be televised on Showtime from San Jose’s HP Pavilion, the house that Gina Carano, Frank Shamrock and Cung Le packed and attracted great Silicon Valley crowds. Scott Coker, Strikeforce chief said he expects a tremendous crowd, but didn’t want to elaborate on anticipated numbers. Tickets start at $45 and top off at $175.
UFC GOING INTO STRIKEFORCE COUNTRY SIX WEEKS LATER!
Having had tremendous success late last year with UFC 139 that featured Dan Henderson’s whisker-thin victory over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, the UFC is going back to the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA with a Wednesday night card on July 11 that will be aired on Fuel TV. Having watched Strikeforce pack the 18,000-seat arena on numerous occasions, they’ve always done so on weekend nights. With NO local stars, no Gina Carano, it will be hard to get a big crowd into the massive arena. The main event will be Mark Munoz vs. Chris Weidman, with light heavyweights Brandon Vera and James Te Huna in the semi-main. This show is more than likely the result of the UFC buying Strikeforce, which had a long term contract with the HP, thus the UFC has to supply a certain amount of dates.
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH FUEL TV ANYWAY?
Nobody I know has Fuel TV as part of their cable TV package. Dave “The Genius” Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter says that Fuel TV is in only 30% of US homes and that Direc TV does carry the network. Meltzer said that FOX TV owns Fuel TV and that when the UFC inked a $100 million deal with FOX, it included UFC broadcasts on Fuel. The Ultimate Fighting Championships made Spike TV a major TV player with UFC programming, and FOX is hoping they can do the same with Fuel. That being said, the immediate goal should be to get Fuel in more homes NOW!