Jose Aldo : Dave Mandel | Sherdog.com
Top Story
Facing a new frontier with the merging of the UFC and WEC rosters, industry leader Zuffa LLC began to bring 2011 into focus, making several matchups and firming up venues for the first shows of the year.
The company has already found placements for several WEC notables, including featherweight champion Jose Aldo, Josh Grispi, Miguel Torres and Leonard Garcia, and has decided the next steps for top UFC contenders Jon Fitch, Kenny Florian and Evan Dunham. The promotion’s return to Australia was also confirmed.
The company apparently means business when it comes to spotlighting WEC stars in the Octagon. It was confirmed that the first UFC featherweight championship fight will not only take place at UFC 125 on Jan. 1 but will co-headline the Las Vegas pay-per-view. WEC titlist Jose Aldo will defend against Josh Grispi, who is 4-0 in the WEC. Grispi was set to face Eric Koch on the second-to-last WEC event on Nov. 11 but was pulled for the title opportunity. Grispi told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show the move will mean a significant boost in sponsorship money, performance bonus money and prestige.
UFC 125 “Resolution,” the company’s first event on New Year’s Day, was in need of a co-main after a heavyweight fight between Shane Carwin and Roy Nelson fell through due to an injury to Carwin. He underwent surgery on Nov. 2 to repair damage to three vertebrae in his neck, an injury he traces to his days as a collegiate football standout and NFL hopeful. The procedure was designed to reduce pressure on Carwin’s nerves and allow for easier movement. Carwin was under the knife for just less than four hours and will not be allowed contact for up to three months, MMAFighting.com reported. Nelson was left without an opponent, though former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has expressed interest in fighting him, according to WrestlingObserver.com.
UFC 125, which will emanate from the MGM Grand Garden Arena, will be headlined by Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard for the lightweight title. The winner of the WEC lightweight title fight on Dec. 16 between Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis will face the Edgar-Maynard winner to unify the belts.
The UFC will reportedly follow with its third live event in tribute to the U.S. Armed Forces. UFC “Fight for the Troops 2” is set for Jan. 22 at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas. Kenny Florian vs. Evan Dunham, a lightweight bout originally expected to take place at UFC 126 in February, was moved to the main event position of the Spike TV offering. Also, Mike Swick will fight David Mitchell in his first appearance since February. Swick has been attempting to address a medical issue with his esophagus that has severely restricted his food intake.
The Jan. 22 show appears to be the troops-centered event at which UFC President Dana White hinted as a possibility for the UFC’s debut in Afghanistan. The UFC first played to an armed forces crowd in 2006 for UFC Fight Night 7 on Miramar Air Force Base in San Diego, headlined by Diego Sanchez vs. Joe Riggs. “Fight for the Troops 1” took place in 2008, headlined by Josh Koscheck vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida, outside of Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
UFC 126 is set for Feb. 5 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, headlined by Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort for the middleweight championship and Jon Jones vs. Ryan Bader. The promotion added top welterweight contender Jon Fitch to the lineup, as he will take on Jake Ellenberger. Carlos Condit told MMAJunkie.com he declined an offer to fight Fitch on the show, feeling he would not have had enough training time to face a fighter of Fitch’s caliber. Condit knocked out Dan Hardy in the first round of their Oct. 16 fight. Condit voiced a desire to face Chris Lytle, a matchup which will likely happen on another card in February. In addition, former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres is expected to make his promotional debut at UFC 126. Torres has agreed to face Antonio Banuelos in a fight that will air on the main pay-per-view card.
Also in February, the UFC will return to Australia, with an event set for Feb. 27 in Sydney. The show will likely air on pay-per-view, as did the company’s first offering Down Under: UFC 110 in February. No fights have been reported or announced, though Condit vs. Lytle is considered a good bet for the card.
It appears the first WEC crossover fights will take place at “The Ultimate Fighter 12” Finale on Dec. 4 in Las Vegas. MMAWeekly.com reported that scrappy featherweight Leonard Garcia was offered and agreed to a fight against fellow blue cage veteran Tyler Toner. Additionally, WEC featherweight Fredson Paixao is expected to face Pablo Garza, who was eliminated during the qualifying round for the current season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
In total, the UFC is planning between 26 and 27 events in 2011, Yahoo! Sports reported, though that number could change if a network television broadcast deal is cleared. The company will run 15 pay-per-views, a number White referred to as “maxed out” for the platform.
With seven less shows in 2011 because of the dissolution of WEC, there is likely to be higher stakes for each UFC fight next year as the roster is pared to fit the reduced slate. Yahoo! reported the UFC currently has about 200 fighters on its active roster, while the WEC has about 70. The company reportedly wants to keep its roster in the 210-230 fighter range.