Issue 082

December 2011

SIX DEGREES OF DAN SEVERN

Linking the legendary moustache-wearing UFC Hall of Famer to any fighter in six people or less.

Chris Leben

1. Dan Severn drew with Jeremy Horn at Extreme Challenge 7 in Iowa in 1997.

2. Jeremy Horn lost a decision to future UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva on a show in South Korea in 2004.

3. In 2006 it took Anderson Silva less than a minute to demolish Chris Leben at UFC Fight Night 5 in the Brazilian’s UFC debut.

SHINYA AOKI COULD FIGHT EDDIE ALVAREZ IN BELLATOR

Japanese grapple master Shinya Aoki might return to US soil to fight Eddie Alvarez on a Bellator card. First reported by ESPN, the match between two of the most highly rated fighters outside of the Zuffa system is a possibility to take place in early 2012. It would be the rainbow-tighted jiu-jitsu ace’s third fight outside of Japan after going 1-1 in the Strikeforce ring. Aoki and Alvarez have fought once before, on Dynamite!! in 2008, where the American lost via heel hook in 92 seconds. Alvarez has since gone on a seven-fight win streak and currently holds the Bellator lightweight title.

UFC MAKES 2012 JAPAN SHOW OFFICIAL

The UFC will return to Japan for the first time in 12 years in 2012 at Saitama Super Arena. The UFC said the majority of its Japanese fighters, such as Yushin Okami, Takanori Gomi and ‘Kid’ Yamamoto, will fight on the February 26th card. The show will start at 10am in the morning to lock in with US pay-per-view schedules. The UFC’s Asia executive vice president and managing director, Mark Fisher, assured the Japanese press and fans the event will bring the same “high level of UFC competition, the same world-class show and presentation” to the Land of the Rising Sun. Fisher added: “We hope to make UFC Japan an annual fixture on our calendar and we also have plans to follow-up with a series of high-quality events across Asia.” 

NOGUEIRA TWINS FIGHT ORTIZ, MIR AT UFC 140

A rash of bouts have been confirmed for December 10th’s UFC 140 event in Toronto, including an anticipated rematch between heavyweights Frank Mir and ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira. Also confirmed for the card is ‘Little Nog’ Antonio Rogerio Nogueira who will face rebooted former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz. Little Nog is currently on a two-fight skid, while Tito Ortiz picked up his first win in five years over Ryan Bader in July then lost via TKO as a late replacement against Rashad Evans one month later.

Elsewhere on the card, rising Canadian Rory MacDonald fights veteran Brian Ebersole in an intriguing welterweight clash, while Speedo-loving Dennis Hallman returns to lightweight to face Tristar product John Makdessi.

A Mir-Nogueira replay was originally scheduled for August 2010 due to the pair’s first battle, a TKO win for Mir, being tainted by the Brazilian reportedly suffering from a staph infection at the time. After taking a knockout loss to future UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez in February 2010 and undergoing knee and hip surgery, Minotauro rebounded by knocking out Brendan Schaub in front of a hometown crowd in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at UFC 134.

14

Brock Lesnar and Georges St Pierre appeared in the stirring UFC on Fox announcement video a massive 14 times combined

2

Number of large scars left on Mizuto Hirota’s right arm after surgery to repair a broken elbow due to a Shinya Aoki hammerlock-turned-kimura in 2009