Fighters Only

Issue 085

February 2012

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

UFC 138’S CHRIS LEBEN TESTS POSITIVE FOR BANNED PAINKILLERS, SUSPENDED FOR ONE YEAR

UFC middleweight Chris Leben has been suspended from competition for one year after testing positive for the banned painkillers oxycodone and oxymorphone. The UFC handed down the decision following the results from Leben’s UFC 138 drugs test. Leben’s corner called off his main event bout with Mark Munoz in Birmingham, England, after the second round after the Hawaii-based fighter was struggling with a facial laceration and the effects of a harsh weight cut. In a statement, Leben said: “I would like to make it known that I fully accept this suspension and apologize for embarrassing the UFC, my friends and family, and [the] sport of mixed martial arts. I’m learning that I’m my own worst enemy sometimes. I can’t succeed in the Octagon or in life behaving this way. I’ve got to make some real changes over the next year, and I’m going to focus on getting my life and career back on track.” Leben previously tested positive for the anabolic steroid stanozol after his last outing in England, a decision loss to Michael Bisping at UFC 89. In 2008 and 2010, Leben was arrested for driving under the influence.

SHIELDS WELCOMES AKIYAMA TO WELTERWEIGHT, HENDERSON CHALLENGES EDGAR AT UFC JAPAN

Crowd-pleaser Yoshihiro Akiyama will make his welterweight debut against the tough Jake Shields at UFC Japan in February, while UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar defends against Ben Henderson. Japanese judoka Akiyama will be looking for a new lease of life at 170lb after a 1-3 spell in the UFC middleweight division where he was routinely outsized by opponents. He’ll be meeting Jake Shields for the UFC’s first trip to Japan in 12 years. In the show’s main event, ever-exciting 155lb’ers Ben Henderson and champion Frankie Edgar face off for the lightweight title. A former WEC champion at the same weight, Henderson won the right to fight for the belt after a thrilling back-and-forth decision victory over Glay Guida at UFC on Fox in November. Elsewhere on the card ‘Rampage’ Jackson fights Ryan Bader and Anthony Pettis battles Joe Lauzon.

ZUFFA FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST BAN ON MMA IN NEW YORK

Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC and Strikeforce, has filed a lawsuit against the ban on mixed martial arts in New York. The suit alleges the restriction on holding live professional MMA bouts in the state infringes on mixed martial artists’ constitutional rights. The complaint alleges that the law currently prevents MMA fighters from conveying the expressive content of live, professional MMA, thus abridging the freedom of speech. Other arguments of the lawsuit are that the ban is “unconstitutionally overbroad,” “unconstitutionally vague” and “violates plaintiffs’ rights to equal protection of the laws.”

Zuffa has taken the unexpected step after multiple attempts at a bill to overturn the ban have stalled before reaching a vote in the New York State Assembly floor. The sport was banned in New York State prior to UFC 12’s planned staging in New York in 1997. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include Zuffa fighters Jon Jones, Brian Stann and Gina Carano.

An economic study backed by the UFC published in January 2011 estimated that two UFC events in New York State would generate $16 million for the region’s economy

The UFC 144 card in Japan will start at 10am local time in order for the main card to air live on pay-per-view during prime time in the US

WHAT'S HOT

WORLD MMA AWARDS 2011

You came, you saw, you partied

MMA COMICS

They don’t exist (in the West) for nearly 20 years then three come along at once

UFC PROGRAMMING

With the UFC’s Fox partnership meaning programming on Fox, FX and Fuel there’s going to.be a glut of Octagonal TV entertainment in 2012

WHAT'S NOT

K-1 ON ITS KNEES

An historic promotion near extinction is never pleasant

UFC ON FOX HATERS