Another week in the books for the universe, and the earth is still here. The planet didn’t explode like those crazy guys in Singapore claimed it would and we all have Fedor’s sweater to thank. This weeks Sunday Morning Rumor Mill is in and it’s filled with a lot of information from within the MMA industry. Pour a glass of orange juice, take your Eggo out of the toaster and enjoy.
- The same production team who was responsible for ‘The Ultimate Chaos’ in Biloxi, Mississippi were assigned to produce last night’s ‘War on the Mainland’.
- Big Nog is out of UFC 119.
- It looks like Cro Cop will return to action at UFC 122 in Oberhausen, Germany.
- The basis of Bellator’s lawsuit against ZUFFA is that Jonathan Brookins was signed to a Bellator contract but was grabbed by ZUFFA to appear in TUF 12. Apparently Jonathan Brookins was ‘verbally released’ from Bellator but nothing appeared in writing.
- Roger Huerta expressed discontent with his Bellator and apparently wanted out of his contract. When Curran dropped out of his title shot against Eddie Alvarez, Roger was immediately offered the spot in a way to ‘get him back in’ the organization.
- Bobby Lashley will get a title shot in 2011.
- The possibility of Strikeforce introducing a 125lb womens division seems more likely.
- Ben Saunders may take part in Golden Glory’s upcoming eight-man welterweight tournament.
- While ZUFFA is largely responsible for getting MMA legalized in Ontario, Mark Pavelich issued a press release yesterday essentially saying that it’s doubtful that the UFC could ‘claim his territory’.
- Bigfoot Silva vs. Alistair Overeem is on the verge of being announced.
- Participants for the Strikeforce MW tournament thus far are: Matt Lindland, Benji Radach, Melvin Manhoef, Kevin Casey and Luke Rockhold.
- I’ve said this months ago and now it appears to be coming to fruition: Gina Carano will fight again in Strikeforce.
- After Mark Cuban ‘called out’ Dana White on getting his Inside MMA into UFC, Dana White met with a few of his employees and conference-called Mark Cuban that following Monday. Still unsure on what was discussed.
- Sarah Kaufman vs. Cris Cyborg at the catchweight of 140lbs will probably happen by the end of the year. The two met at Strikeforce Challengers: Phoenix and verbally agreed on the bout.
- UK’s ‘Sky Sports’ is still unreceptive to ZUFFA and has elected to air other MMA organizations on their network.
- Improving the production value on Strikeforce Challengers seems to be more of a Showtime issue than Strikeforce.
- The long process of Bellator invading Japan has started with the organization broadcasting web streams specifically for Japan.
- Shayna Baszler says that she’s signed with Strikeforce.
- Shane Carwin will make his official statement regarding his steroid allegations sometime this week.
- A fight at Strikeforce Challengers: Phoenix was apparently canceled when the organization lost Christian Grosinsky’s blood-test results. The Arizona commission is now scrambling to discover how this exactly happened.
- Tim Sylvia will defend his newly acquired War on the Mainland title against Pedro Rizzo.
