Fighters Only

Issue 095

December 2012

All the head-turning information every mma fan needs to know

LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE TO HEADLINE BLOCKBUSTER UFC ON FOX CARD

UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson will place his belt on the line against divisional number-one contender Nate Diaz in the main event of UFC on Fox 5. Set for Seattle on December 8th, Diaz earned his shot by submitting Jim Miller at UFC on Fox 3 in May.

The bout caps a stacked card featuring ‘Shogun’ Rua and BJ Penn. Following his UFC on Fox 4 main event stoppage of Brandon Vera in Los Angeles, Rua takes on rising Swedish star Alexander Gustafsson in a rankings-dictating scrap. Meanwhile, former lightweight and welterweight UFC champ BJ Penn battles all-rounder prospect Rory MacDonald in a simmering grudge match.

The Henderson-Diaz match-up marks only the second time a UFC title has been contested on free US television, following Junior Dos Santos defeating Cain Velasquez by knockout for the heavyweight strap in the most watched UFC bout in US history in November 2011.

ORTIZ STARTS TALENT SEARCH WITH OPEN INVITATION TO FIGHTERS

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz is actively searching for MMA’s future stars and is telling them to contact him directly. Ortiz unveiled his new mission in speaking to Fighters Only sister magazine Train Hard Fight Easy. “I’ve got my management company going now and I just wanna give an opportunity to all the fighters out there who just wanna concentrate on the fight,” said Ortiz. “My guys won’t have to worry about finding sponsors, or negotiating contracts, ‘cos that stuff is hard. I know; I’ve been there… I’m also offering guys the opportunity to work with me, to use the knowledge and experience I built up in my career to help them find success.”

Ortiz even revealed the contact email address prospective clients of Primetime 360 Management can contact him on: [email protected]. “I’m looking for new talent right now,” said Ortiz, “so I encourage young fighters across the world to get in contact and we’ll set something up, whether that’s simply sending me tape or a résumé, whatever.”

$1,000,000

One-time Pride fighter and former Olympic gold medal wrestler Rulon Gardner says he was offered $1,000,000 to fight Fedor Emelianenko in Pride.

The knee injury that forced Dan Henderson to pull out of a UFC light heavyweight title fight with Jon Jones was reported to have occurred three weeks before the fight, and supporting card, were canceled.

WHAT'S HOT

TITO ORTIZ

Legend. End of story

STREAMLINED PAGES

Your eyes do not deceive you. Your favorite magazine is indeed a new size

MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN

The big man was as die-hard as MMA fans come. RIP

WHAT'S NOT

TWITTER MATCHMAKING

It seems barely anyone is sending 140-character call-outs anymore

MOTORBIKES

So you’re a mixed martial artist and you’re riding a motorbike?