The Sunday Morning Rumor Mill is the direct accumulation of all the countless hours I’ve spent roaming MMA message boards, the numerous emails and the wild chatter I receive on a weekly basis regarding the world of MMA. There needs to be a place we can dump these rumors so we’ve decided to go with Sunday, a day in which half the world is recovering from their hangover from Saturday night. Enjoy.
- There’s a rumor going around a Russian message board that Dream is trying to organize Hong Man Choi vs. Mariusz Pudzianowski either sometime this summer, or for Dynamite!! 2010.
- Roy Nelson says that he will probably face Frank Mir as a replacement for Cheick Kongo who is sidelined with an injury.
- Tito Ortiz has already been reprimanded by Dana White in regards to the ‘Jennito Scandal’ of last week. In short, Dana White just expressed his animosity towards Jenna and tells him that he should move on.
- Following Junie Browning’s recent submission loss in Sweden this weekend, Junie is going to take an extended layoff from the sport of MMA in order to ‘refocus’.
- The switch from Tito Ortiz as coach of Team Punishment to Rich Franklin happens in an episode of TUF 11 this month.
- Joachim Hansen is currently going through some ‘Paulo Filho-like’ depression stemming from his back-to-back losses in Dream.
- Efrain Escudero received a bonus from ZUFFA for obtaining his college degree over the weekend.
- Legalization of MMA in New York is far from being ‘done-datta’.
- Bellator CEO, Bjorn Rebney, has been in talks with HBO as possibly being the exclusive host of Bellator Season Three in 2011.
- FEG wants to broadcast an upcoming Dream bout in 3D as a test run before Dynamite!! 2010 airs in 3D on New Years’ Eve.
- James Toney has not only been practicing his ‘side-check-kick’ for his upcoming bout with Randy Couture, but he’s also been intensively training on his take-down defense.
- There’s still a small chance Dream 14 may still adhere to Pride Rules, small but unlikely.
- Ben Askren and Ryan Thomas will be promoted in the future as Bellator’s first rivalry.
