Fedor vs. Rogers post-event press conference – Watch more Funny Videos

Here’s some footage I took at the Strikeforce post-event presser on Saturday night, which all the main event fighters showed up for. You’ve already heard what Fedor had to say, but check out the reactions from everybody else…

— Fabricio Werdum says he’s earned a shot at Fedor, who Werdum believes is the best fighter in the world. After a week of rest, he’ll be back to training hard.

— Gegard Mousasi says people underestimated Sokoudjou, and called the fight a learning experience.

— Jason Miller blames himself for not capitalizing on the chances he had in his fight against Jake Shields, and for not training his wrestling enough; he was not expecting a "grapplefest."

— Shields still thinks that his best weight is welterweight. Scott Coker would like to put him against Marius Zaromskis or Hayato Sakurai at 170.

— Shields thinks Cung Le is avoiding him. "That’s why he vacated the belt, obviously, and fights a month later."

(The two pictures above contain 246 differences. Can you find them all? Photo courtesy of Esther Lin / Strikeforce)

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s Fedor night in America. The Last Emperor show has come to the Chicagoland Area, and his dance partner for this evening will be lead-fisted work-doer Brett "The Grim" Rogers, who’s just itching for a chance to snatch that king spot. Also: MTV personality Jason "Mayhem" Miller fights Jake Shields for Strikeforce’s first middleweight title, large-skulled bruiser Antonio Silva squares off with grappling ace Fabricio Werdum, and Gegard Mousasi will toy with Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou for a while before damn near ending his life.

My name is BG, and I’ll be your guide for the evening. I’m currently chillin’ in the press pen at the Sears Centre, and I can already tell you that Fedor’s entrance music will be unbelievably Russian. Live results from the CBS broadcast can be found after the jump, beginning at 8 p.m. CT. Refresh the page every few minutes to get all the latest. Warning: The show may not be broadcast live in your area, so check your local listings before you go running headlong into spoilers.

…and Brett Rogers can appreciate an attractive woman. Photo courtesy of the Strikeforce Fedor vs. Rogers: Press Conference Pics set on CombatLifestyle. A few more good ones after the jump.

(Props: M1mixfight)

Letting Jerry Millen and his D-bag friend Ron introduce this footage of Fedor Emelianenko kickin’ it in Stary Oskol may be an immediate buzzkill, but stick with it and you’ll catch the Glorious Sweater of Absolute Victory paying its respects at church and settling down for a nice cup of tea. Hopefully tonight’s episode of Fight Camp 360 will shed a little more insight on where the sweater came from and what it might want from us.

…because without costumes and choreographed dance routines, it’s just two guys beating the hell out of each other. Booooooring!

(Future UFC champion/part-time Michael Jackson impersonator Anderson Silva won’t stop ’til he gets enough at PRIDE 22.)

("Keaton always said, ‘I don’t believe in God, but I’m afraid of him.’ Well I believe in God, and the only thing that scares me is Diego Sanchez.")

(Hey, don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it. Image courtesy of kamipro.)

Strikeforce’s "Fedor vs. Rogers" card on 11/7 has locked down a co-headliner. According to MMA Weekly, Jake Shields and Jason "Mayhem" Miller will fight for the organization’s undisputed middleweight title — not one of those weak-ass "interim" belts. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker explains the situation:

If there’s one thing we’ve learned during our travels through this crazy world of mixed martial arts, it’s that you are not a beautiful and unique snowflake. There are only a few different types of MMA fans, and they tend to gravitate towards certain fighters. For example, let’s say your favorite fighter is…

ANDERSON SILVA

(That’s you on the left.)
You are without a doubt the hippest dude you know.  You were the first to start wearing skinny jeans and also the first to stop, proving your bona fides as a trendsetter.  You like to think that you appreciate the finer elements of striking technique more than most MMA fans, but really you just parrot things Joe Rogan has said (“ballet of violence”) while listing off all the ways that Silva is like a modern-day Bruce Lee.  You sometimes wear glasses you don’t really need and you pretend to like jazz.  You think of yourself as a good dancer.
Your favorite fight: Silva vs. Rich Franklin I

FEDOR EMELIANENKO

You’ve been watching MMA for years, and it’s important to you that people know that.  You have an extensive collection of ironic t-shirts and Pride DVD’s.  You work in the IT department of a moderately-sized company, where you used to feel bad for the people who pester you for help all day because, honestly, how did anyone even get that clueless?  Now you despise them and don’t go to very much trouble to hide it.  You are probably overweight, but you’re quick to tell people that it doesn’t necessarily mean you are out of shape or aren’t a good athlete.  You don’t date much but there’s this girl in Illinois who you have a thing with over the internet, which you refer to as ‘the web.’  Someone in a bar once asked you if you thought Fedor would stand a chance against Brock Lesnar.  You laughed out loud.  Okay, so they were talking to someone else and you overheard them, and when they noticed you laughing you pretended to be coughing, but still.  The ignorance of some people.
Your favorite fight: Fedor vs. Mirko Filipovic

(Photo courtesy of MTV. Yes, Jake was a two-time bully-beater.)

Yesterday we ran an interview with Jason "Mayhem" Miller, in which the Bully Beatdown host vowed to "beat the piss out of Jake Shields" and "smash him" when they fight, and claimed that he does "everything better than him." Well, word got back to Shields, and he’s not too happy about it. The former EliteXC welterweight champ, who’s no stranger to telling fighters that it is in fact they who suck, had this to say to GracieFighter in response (tip via TheGarv):

(Don’t look him in the eyes unless you want two handfuls of poop thrown at you. Photo courtesy of MTV.)

A year ago, Jason Miller was just another fighter with colorful hair and ridiculous ring entrances. Now, he’s the host of a hit MTV series, a video game character, a budding actor, and a frequent target of loose women. We chatted with Mayhem yesterday about his vida loca, as well as his (possibly) upcoming fight with Jake Shields in Strikeforce. As usual, Mayhem did not disappoint…

*****

CAGEPOTATO.COM: Hey Jason, thanks so much for taking the time to speak with me. What have you been up to this week?
MILLER: Come on man, check my Twitter, what’s wrong with you! I’ve been at EA Sports in Orlando getting bitmapped into their machine so that I appear as myself in their video game, doing the moves that I do and making the sounds that I make when I get hit, which was really funny.

Why do you love Twitter so much? You seem to be obsessed with it.
Yeah, Twitter kicks ass because it gives me an outlet for all the crazy thoughts that constantly pop into my head, and if I can share those and get the rest of America on my wavelength, then I guess I’m doing my part.

Bully Beatdown is now in its second season. I love the show, but do you ever want to say to these bullied people, “Hey, grow a pair, and learn to defend yourself instead of going to a reality show to solve your problems”?
You want me to bully the victims into getting tougher? Some of these people just aren’t tough. It’s just the way of the world, and they have a right to not be bullied and picked on constantly. I’m happy to entertain the masses with the fact that there’s always somebody out there who’s tougher than you, and can kick your ass.

(Props: Hywel Teague; hint)

(Props: Mouastarz209; hint)

Yesterday we took a look at some classic MMA moments recreated in MS Paint, and suffice it to say, Potato Nation was inspired. Thanks to everyone who e-mailed us drawings of their own, many of which made us laugh our asses off. Our two favorites are above, and a few more are after the jump. Yes, you’re all eligible for free t-shirts.

(In the animal kingdom, playing dead can be considered an intelligent defense. In an MMA fight, not so much. Photo courtesy of Sherdog.)

Yesterday’s event may have been low on spectacle, but DREAM plans to come back strong for their next show. Here’s what’s on the card for DREAM.11 (October 6th, Yokohama):

— The long-awaited rubber-match between Shinya Aoki and Joachim Hansen. The two top-ten lightweights first met at PRIDE Shockwave 2006, where Aoki took out Hellboy via gogoplata. But Hansen got revenge last July, scoring a brutal TKO over Aoki at DREAM’s lightweight GP finals. Hansen has been inactive since that fight, while Aoki has gone 4-1, earning victories over Eddie Alvarez and Vitor Ribeiro, with his only loss to Hayato Sakurai in an ill-advised welterweight match.

(Props: MMA Frenzy)

Though this Monday’s DREAM 10 event will feature the semi-finals and finals of their welterweight GP, as well non-tournament matches between Shinya Aoki and Vitor Ribeiro, and Melvin Manhoef vs. Paulo Filho, the lineup’s still a little thin. As of yesterday, only six fights were officially announced for the card. So, the organizers are doing a little last-minute patching, adding Seichi Ikemoto vs. Tarec Saffiedine as a GP reserve bout, and Jesse "JT Money" Taylor vs. PRIDE/K-1 HERO’s vet Dong Sik Yoon. The news was first broke yesterday on Taylor’s official website, YoJTMoney.com (seriously), in which Mongo wrote: "JT has always wanted to fight for the prestegious Dream organization and for the warrior spirit of Japan. JT will be sure to make the most of this incredible journey and opportunity."

("I’m Something St. Something, bitches." Photos courtesy of this set on Combat Lifestyle.)

Just a little visual counterpoint to yesterday’s post about Georges St. Pierre’s post-UFC 100 drinking binge. Pics of Shonie Carter‘s gold speedo await you after the jump.

(Please, guys, there are kids watching. Photo courtesy of UFC.com.)

"I believe I won that fight. I’ll stand behind that for the rest of my life. On the feet, it’s clear I dominated the fight. I didn’t just win, I dominated on the feet. I did not get hit flush on the face or the body one time the whole fight. Dan took me down on several occasions, most of which I was able to stand back up. While I was on the ground, he was not capable of mounting any kind of damage…He had to resort to kneeing me on the back of my thigh because he had no other option and didn’t know what else to do…

Couple that with the fact I was head-butted twice and poked in the eye once. I would think that maybe the first one was incidental. I would assume that after you have a couple head-butts and then you poke me in the eye, perhaps as a referee you’d think about taking away a point. I don’t see how a judge should give him that decision."
— Rich Franklin, still salty about his split-decision loss to Dan Henderson at UFC 93.

(Image courtesy of twitter.com/mayhemmiller. Props to MMA Mania for the tip.)

Nothing like a crude insult to get people hyped for a re-rematch. While watching DREAM.9 yesterday morning, we were surprised at the level of anger Jason Miller displayed towards Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza when their fight was halted by doctors and eventually stopped due to the giant soccer-kick-related cut on the Brazilian fighter’s scalp. (The video is after the jump in case you haven’t seen it.) After all, Jacare wanted to keep fighting, and it’s not like he put that gash on his head himself.

Was Miller just pissed that his new MTV fans didn’t get to see him beat some ass? Or was there bad blood between Mayhem and Jacare that we don’t know about? At any rate, it seems like Miller wants to make things publicly personal for his third meeting with Souza. That match hasn’t yet been tied to a specific DREAM event yet, though the next rounds of their Super Hulk and Featherweight GP tournaments are slated for September in Tokyo.

UPDATE: More verbal abuse from Mayhem, via TheGarv

(Image courtesy of DreamOfficial.com)

Maybe the word "epic" is overused on the Internet. Certainly we’ve been guilty of using it vain when "totally sweet" would have sufficed. But I think "epic" really does apply to DREAM.9 (May 26th, Yokohama) which contains the quarterfinals of DREAM’s "Super Hulk Tournament" and Featherweight Grand Prix, as well as a great lightweight feature between Tatsuya Kawajiri and Gesias Cavalcante, and the middleweight title fight between Jason Miller and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza.

The show will be broadcast in North America on HDNet Tuesday morning at 5 a.m. ET/2 a.m. PT, and while I’m not really down with farmer’s hours, I might have to watch this one live (and maybe even liveblog it) — especially since it’ll also represent an emotional farewell to HDNet. Right, so DREAM.9′s official fight order will be…

(Props: MMA Fanhouse)

Dana White has been a busy little beaver during his New York media tour, promoting UFC 98 and 2009 Undisputed with a series of television and live appearances. Here are his video blogs from the last two days. Monday’s features the requisite Pinkberry visit, some fan meet-and-greet at a GameStop in Times Square, and Dana getting punked by a sidewalk chalk-artist at the very end. Yesterday, he did Opie and Anthony and ESPN First Take, pressed flesh at Nasdaq, and taught Jimmy Fallon how to punch. The vlog cuts off after that, but we’re guessing he went back to his hotel room, sat down in the bathtub, and cried for about a half-hour.

With his shot at DREAM’s middleweight title coming up on May 26th, it’s time for Jason Miller to take a break from bully beating and get down to business. This new documentary from AllElbows (with original music by Genghis Con) shows Miller haunted by his loss to Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza last June, and changing his training habits to ensure that things turn out differently during their rematch at DREAM.9. Is our little Mayhem growing up?

After the jump: Gina Carano — who took the #16 spot on Maxim’s Hot 100 list — teaches some goof how to fight, then beats the crap out of him.

Returning to the ring for the first time since his decision loss to Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza at DREAM.4 last June, Bully Beatdown host Jason "Mayhem" Miller defeated Kala "Kolohe" Hose to capture Kingdom MMA‘s middleweight title at their inaugural event, held Saturday night at the Neal Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. After the two fighters traded some strikes, Mayhem took Hose to the mat, easily scored mount, and began throwing down punches and hammer-fists. Trapped, Hose gave up his back and was immediately caught in a rear-naked choke, tapping at 2:23 into round 1.

After the fight, Miller praised Hose’s hard head, gave love to the Hawaiian crowd, and said his next step is fighting for DREAM’s middleweight title. With Gegard Mousasi vacating his belt, Miller and Jacare will rematch for the strap at DREAM.9 (May 26th; Yokohama, Japan); the event will also feature the quarterfinals of DREAM’s featherweight grand prix, and a lightweight main attraction between Gesias Cavalcante and Tatsuya Kawajiri.

Full results from Kingdom MMA 1 are after the jump.

(Remember him?)

Shocking allegations from MMATKO (via TheGarv) that could shake the foundations of an American television institution:

Look, I know you have to suspend disbelief to some extent whenever you’re watching a "reality television" show — we know that none of those women are really there for the love of Ray J , and Heidi and Spencer are actually cousins in real life — but was it too much to ask that real bullies would get their comeuppance on Bully Beatdown? How you gonna do us like that, Mayhem?

On this Sunday’s episode of Bully Beatdown (MTV, 9:30pm ET/PT) Jake Shields stops by to kick the garbage out of a roller-skating doofus named Jonathan, who is an absolute animal on the heavy bag. This is probably the most predictable installment of BB yet, but you should still tune in on Sunday to see if Jonathan changes his ways after his beating and starts wearing big-boy shoes without wheels on the bottom.

Below: The season premiere of Spike TV’s surprisingly entertaining new series Deadliest Warrior aired Tuesday night, and answered the question that has baffled historians for years — who would win in a fight between an ancient Roman gladiator and an Apache warrior? To gather evidence, a dude named "Snake Blocker" smashes the fake-brains out of a model head, and Chuck Liddell shows up to beat a bag with spiked gloves. It’s kind of like Sport Science, but way more badass. Segment one is below; if you dig it, go here to watch the rest.

(Props: Fightlinker)

(Mayhem discusses his opus with the KTLA morning news jackasses.)

I want to hate Jason "Mayhem" Miller’s “Bully Beatdown.”  I really do.  Not only is it an incredibly stupid idea that bastardizes and trivializes MMA and bullying (both of which are close to my heart), it also features Mayhem acting the fool for MTV.  And yet, after watching episode one (which doesn’t work when I embed it for some reason), I was actually somewhat entertained.  

Miller brings in Tony “The Gun” Bonello (who was bullied pretty bad by “Ninja” Rua in his last outing) to rough up a guy who’s been bullying his older brother while also paradoxically sporting a tattoo that reads “Family First.”  What follows isn’t even close to MMA (one round of grappling followed by one round of kickboxing is obviously some bullshit), but it is oddly satisfying in the way that seeing a bully get bullied always is.  Think of it as "Pros vs. Joes" with more personal acrimony and less time wasted on soccer and swimming and other nonsense.

After the jump, something only kind of related to MMA, but close enough.

What better way to introduce MMA to the tweenage MTV generation than by having Jason Miller‘s crazy ass host a show where bullies get their asses kicked by professional fighters? Premiering Sunday, March 22nd, at 9:30 p.m., MTV’s Bully Beatdown is being produced by Mark Burnett Productions (Survivor, The Apprentice, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?). Basically, pencil-necked geeks come crying to Miller about the people who have been picking on them, and Mayhem gives the bullies a chance to "pick on someone their own size." If the bullies win, they get to pocket $10,000, though it’s very unlikely that any of them will actually be able to collect. If they lose, their victims get the ten grand — which will most likely be bullied away from them as soon as the Bully Beatdown crew leaves town.

Below: One day before he was killed in a car accident, TapouT’s Charles "Mask" Lewis did an interview and photo shoot for DUB Magazine. The footage is below. Above everything else, let’s remember Lewis for the endless passion he had for the sport of mixed martial arts.

(Props: CageWriter)

From FightHype via MMA Mania:

“I got plenty of money. I don’t even care…I love fighting, but I’m just doing it for fun. I don’t feel like doing it right now, so I’m not going to do it….I might come out of retirement in a little while, but right now, I’m retired…There is no need for me to fight, so I’m just happy to have lived such a fun career inside of MMA, so if it ends now, it was fun…

Oh, I will be in the MMA world. I can’t really escape this land of tacky skull T-shirts and spics chicks with bad tattoos. (Ed. note: FightHype now says that “chicks” was originally misunderstood to be “spics” due to background noise.) I can’t get out of here that easily, but with that being said, I don’t need to fight…

I’d like to be remembered as a man who fought primarily for the fans. Regardless of the outcome of the fight, I always fought to put on a show.”

First off, I just want to give a thumbs down to FightHype and MMA Mania for presenting this story with no judgment whatsoever on Miller’s use of the word “spics.” Mayhem’s generally wacky persona shouldn’t give him a free pass to drop racial slurs at will. Is that too much to ask? I’d love to hear Miguel Torres and Roger Huerta’s take on the matter.

All that aside, it seems like a slightly premature retirement, in the vein of Melvin Manhoef’s. Miller lost his last bout — a decision against Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza at DREAM.4 in June — which snapped a four-fight win streak. His career was highlighted by wins against Denis Kang, Robbie Lawler, and Tim Kennedy, and he lost his sole UFC appearance to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 52 in April 2005. So, whatever. Shilling for Triumph United will have to pay the bills for now…

(Courtesy of HDNet Fights.)

If you happen to do your social networking on Facebook, heads up: HDNet Fights’ Facebook page now features a “Fight of the Week,” presented in a high-quality, wide-screen format. The latest joint (above) is a three-round gem from last year’s “Reckless Abandon” event — the rematch between Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Tim Kennedy, which contained the classic Kenny Rice line “It would look like Rob Zombie has stepped in and started directing this fight.” To keep on top of the latest HDNet Fights news and to see more fights of the week, swing by their Facebook page and become a fan.

(“The goggles…they do nothing!”)

Melvin Manhoef def. Kazushi Sakuraba via TKO (strikes), 1:50 of round 1
Ronaldo Souza def. Jason Miller via unanimous decision
Zelg Galesic def. Taei Kin via TKO (injury), 1:05 of round 1
Gegard Mousasi def. Dong Sik Yoon via unanimous decision
Hideo Tokoro def. Darren Uyenoyama via unanimous decision
Ralek Gracie def. Alavutdin Gadzhiev via submission (armbar), 3:02 of round 1
Alistair Overeem def. Tae Hyun Lee via KO, 0:36 of round 1
Shinya Aoki def. Katsuhiko Nagata via submission (gogoplata…FROM THE TOP!![?]!), 5:12 of round 1

(Shinya Aoki vs. Katsuhiko Nagata)

(Melvin Manhoef vs. Kazushi Sakuraba)

(Alistair Overeem vs. Tae Hyun Lee)

(Mayhem is not to be underestimated.)

Hat tip to BloodyElbow for alerting us that all three major MMA events this weekend are open for wagering at BetCris.com. Let’s run through the numbers…

EliteXC: Return of the King (June 14th; Honolulu, Hawaii; live on Showtime)
Yves Edwards (-130) vs. KJ Noons (even)
Nick Diaz (-450) vs. Mushin Corbbrey (+370)
Murilo Rua (-250) vs. Tony Bonello (+200)
Dave Herman (-155) vs. Ron Waterman (+125)
Rafael Feijao (-280) vs. Wayne Cole (+220)

Notes: Nick Diaz just got surgery to file down his sharp ocular bones, which is supposed to prevent his face from shredding so easily (and losing him another fight). Sounds dodgy to me, and it hasn’t yet been proven that the procedure was a practical success. With odds that wide and Diaz’s scar tissue still a question mark, we’d definitely throw a double-sawbuck on Corbbrey, who has shown some great submissions in his relatively brief career. Undefeated Australian King of the Cage vet Tony Bonello (16-0-1, 14 wins by submission) may also be a good underdog bet, even if the competition he’s faced is nowhere near the level of the guys that Ninja Rua has gone up against.

(Kazuo Misaki cracks Logan Clark a good one. Photo courtesy of Sherdog.)

Far less publicized or attended than their first two cards, Sengoku held its third event yesterday at a half-full Saitama Super Arena, marked by former PRIDE star Kazuyuki Fujita’s upset by YAMMA heavyweight champ Travis Wiuff (who is now riding a nine-fight win streak), as well as Kazuo Misaki and Nick “The Goat” Thompson coming away with victories, and MMA elder statesman Maurice Smith’s comeback bid hitting a painful speed bump at the hands of Hidehiko Yoshida. Full recap is at Japan MMA; quick results are below.

Hidehiko Yoshida def. Maurice Smith via submission (neck crank), 2:23 of round 1
Travis Wiuff def. Kazuyuki Fujita via KO, 1:24 of round 1
Kazuo Misaki def. Logan Clark via unanimous decision
Nick Thompson def. Michael Costa via submission (kimura), 4:13 of round 2
Sanae Kikuta def. Chris Rice via submission (armbar), 3:54 of round 1
Marcio Cruz def. Choi Mu Bae via submission (triangle choke), 4:37 of round 1
Rodrigo Damm def. Jorge Masvidal via TKO, 4:38 of round 2
Fabio Silva def. Kazuo Takahashi via KO, 0:24 of round 2

At the event, it was announced that Sengoku IV (August 24th) will mark the beginning of a lightweight GP, with the winner to face Takanori Gomi. Satoru Kitaoka, Eiji Mitsuoka, Kazunori Yokota, Duane Ludwig, and Rodrigo Damm have already been booked for the tourney.

In other MMA news from the Far East…

(Jason Miller keeps ‘em laughing against Katsuyori Shibata.)

DREAM.3 went down today in Saitama, Japan, with two upsets pulled off in the lightweight grand prix, while Nick Diaz, Jason Miller, and Melvin Manhoef all scored first-round TKOs. The night’s biggest surprise was the defeat of top-ten lightweight Mitsuhiro Ishida at the hands of Caol Uno — who had received a bye into the GP’s quarterfinals — by way of rear-naked choke early in the second round. Eddie Alvarez also took an unexpected win, grinding down Joachim Hansen over 15 minutes en route to a unanimous decision. The card’s other marquee names didn’t disappoint, with K-1 vet Melvin Manhoef demolishing Dae Won Kim, and Nick Diaz getting the better of Katsuya Inoue in a slugfest. But Jason Miller did his best to steal the show, entering the ring in Zubaz-esque tights for his fight against the completely outmatched Katsuyori Shibata, and repeatedly posing for the camera. Full results are below, and videos are after the jump.

Lightweight GP Quarterfinals
Caol Uno def. Mitsuhiro Ishida via rear-naked choke, 1:39 of round 2
Eddie Alvarez def. Joachim Hansen via unanimous decision
Tatsuya Kawajiri def. Luiz “Buscape” Firmino via unanimous decision

Welterweight Feature
Nick Diaz def. Katsuya Inoue via TKO (towel thrown), 6:47 of round 1

Middleweight GP Round 1
Jason Miller def. Katsuyori Shibata via TKO, 6:07 of round 1

Middleweight GP Reserve Fight
Melvin Manhoef def. Kim Dae Won via TKO, 4:08 of round 1

Lightweight Features
Daisuke Nakamura def. Jung Bukyung, 1:15 of round 2
Takeshi Yamazaki def. Shoji Maruyama via unanimous decision

(Technically, this picture wasn’t gay until the guy on the far right started dragging his pants down.)

In an interview with Rochester, Minnesota’s Post-Bulletin, Tommy Speer announced that he has been picked up by the WEC and expects to debut with the organization in August. The TUF 6 finalist — who was cut by the UFC after getting knocked-dead by Anthony Johnson at last month’s UFC Fight Night 13 — competed once before in the WEC, knocking out Sidney Silva at WEC 27 last May. Said Speer on his bounce from the UFC:

“I didn’t agree with it right away; it was depressing news. But now I know I lost to a great fighter, and he surprised me and everyone by how well he fought. I don’t think it’s too bad of a thing for me to be going to the WEC. There are great fighters there, too. I need to keep learning and working on my game, and the WEC is a great place to do that.

The WEC’s 170-pound division is certainly respectable, with names like Carlos Condit, Carlo Prater, John Alessio, and Brock Larson populating the roster, but it’s not nearly the threshing machine of the UFC’s welterweight class, and seems like a great place for Speer to develop while still maintaining a decent level of exposure. “The Farm Boy” intended to fight outside of the WEC before his August debut, but his training has been halted by an appropriately rural setback:

“The doctors at Mayo (Clinic) said I was bit by a brown recluse spider (on my calf), so I’m on antibiotics,” Speer said. “They said it might take a month to heal up. So I’m not training now, and I probably won’t be able to fight until August, because I’ll need some serious training time when I get back.”

Speer said he still intends to travel to Missouri to train with former UFC champion Matt Hughes at his gym, H.I.T. Squad, prior to his fights.

In other news…