UFC news, notes and articles 2/3/07

By Art Shimko
shimko_7@hotmail.com

-- Tons of UFC news for tonight's PPV and notes and articles from the past week...

-- Tonight is UFC 67 featuring Anderson Silva vs Travis Lutter, Mirko Cro Cop vs Eddie Sanchez, and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs Marvin Eastman as the top matches, here's the full line-up:
-Anderson Silva Vs. Travis Lutter
-John Halverson Vs. Roger Huerta
-Mirko Cro Cop Vs. Eddie Sanchez
-Quinton Jackson Vs. Marvin Eastman
-Patrick Cote Vs. Scott Smith
-Terry Martin Vs. Jorge Rivera (dark match)
-Frank Edgar Vs. Tyson Griffin (dark match)
-Sam Hoger Vs. Lyoto Machida (dark match)
-Diego Saraieva Vs. Dustin Hazelett (dark match)

-- Got this email from UFC this morning: Lutter misses weight, plans to win against Silva, even though just a pound and a half keeps the fight from being a title fight.

Despite two tries at the scale, TUF 4 winner Travis Lutter will not be challenging for Anderson Silva's UFC Middleweight Championship Saturday night after coming in at a final weight of 186.5 pounds, a pound and a half over the 185-pound middleweight limit. Lutter's first attempt at making weight was 187 pounds, and after two hours he was only able to lose a half-pound. Tomorrow's UFC 67: All or Nothing main event will now be a three round non-title match, with Lutter being fined 10% of his purse by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (5% going to Silva, 5% to the NSAC).

-- UFC 67 - Official Weights:
Non-Title Middleweight Bout - Three Rounds
Travis Lutter (186.5*) vs Anderson Silva (185)

Eddie Sanchez (229) vs Mirko Cro Cop (223)
Marvin Eastman (203) vs Quinton Jackson (205)
John Halverson (155) vs Roger Huerta (156)
Patrick Cote (185) vs Scott Smith (185)

Preliminary Bouts
Terry Martin (186**) vs Jorge Rivera (185)
Frank Edgar (154) vs Tyson Griffin (156)
Sam Hoger (206) vs Lyoto Machida (203)
Diego Saraiva (155) vs Dustin Hazelett (156)

*Lutter was originally 187, and came back at 186.5 in his second attempt.
**Martin was originally 187, but came back and made the contracted weight in his second attempt.

-- Here's the gigantic CARE + Jabronis UFC 67 preview. There won't be any live coverage here tonight but expect thoughts on the show around 2AM EST.

-- Tonight's UFC PPV will be the first to be broadcast in 1080i for HDTV which will be ten dollars more than the average $39.95 price. Also make sure that your cable/satellite provider offers HD PPV.

-- UFC announced a show at the Toyota Center in Houston on 4/7. There's a presale right now for UFC Fight Club members, on Sunday there's a Presale at 11AM EST/10AM CST and the password is: SERRA. Tickets for the general public go on sale Monday morning.

-- The Canadian Press reported Monday that Welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre signed a six-fight deal with the UFC making him on of the top five earners in the company.

-- Chuck Liddell had to cancel an appearance at the Ultimate Warrior Challenge in Jacksonville, FL on Friday night after UFC wouldn't allow it. Liddell had volunteered to MC the event for free and appear at a nightclub after-party.

-- SpikeTV announced in a press release on Wednesday that the station will be airing a UFC Fight Night marathon on 3/17 from 3-11PM EST which will consist of four fight cards including main events Tito Ortiz vs Ken Shamrock, Diego Sanchez vs Karo Parisyan, and Diego Sanchez vs Joe Riggs.

-- Click here to win a trip to Vegas for a UFC show.

-- Dana White quote of the week: "We are going to war with everyone," White said. "We are going to hammer all these rinky-dink, fly-by-night organizations that are popping up trying to grab a piece of the pie."

-- UFC's first syndicated show UFC Wired will air on nine Fox-owned MyNetworkTV affiliates this fall. Stations include WWOR New York and KCOP Los Angeles. The other stations are KDFI Dallas/Ft. Worth, WDCA Washington, KTXH Houston, KUTP Phoenix, WFTC Minneapolis/St. Paul, WRBW Orlando/Daytona Beach and WUTB Baltimore and will be hosted by Joe Rogan.

-- Randy Couture will be opening the Xtreme Couture facility at the Mavericks fitness club [14010 N.E. Third Court, off of 139th Street] in Vancouver this month.

-- Once again, Nicholas Lembo of the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board sets the record straight with the Asbury Park Press: Unified rules set by board

I enjoyed reading Stephen Edelson's Jan. 14 article covering the sport of mixed martial arts and Renzo Gracie, a legend and maverick in the sport.

However, the article, "Makeover gave the UFC new life," says the sport resurfaced under the mixed martial arts moniker in 2001, with casino executives Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White purchasing the UFC. The article states these individuals implemented more stringent safety measures and rules.

Neither the Fertittas nor White set up rules and regulations for mixed martial arts. The state of New Jersey did. All White and the Fertittas did in 2001 was follow rules that were already in place.

The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (NJSACB) was the first state commission to implement a comprehensive set of rules and regulations governing mixed martial arts. These are now the standard rules used in every state where mixed martial arts competitions are allowed.

The NJSACB began allowing mixed martial arts events in 2000 and held an extensive meeting in 2001 to discuss regulation and to unify the myriad rules used by the different mixed martial arts organizations. The uniform rules were agreed upon by the NJSACB, several other regulatory bodies, numerous promoters and other interested parties.

Nicholas Lembo

COUNSEL

NEW JERSEY STATE ATHLETIC CONTROL BOARD


TRENTON

-- Cro Cop: Fighter-turned-politician makes UFC debut Saturday night in Las Vegas

-- San Marcos UFC fighter has faced bigger obstacles than opponent

-- Canadian fighter Patrick Cote needs win, hopes to open UFC 67 with a bang

-- Hoger returns to ring vs. Machida

-- A UFC debut for 'Rampage' Jackson

-- Somebody You Should Know: John Halverson, 34, martial arts fighter

-- Lutter in UFC spotlight

-- Underdog role fine with TUF champion Lutter

-- 'Rampage' looks to strike it rich

-- WEC aims to be alternative to UFC

-- UFC might be in ESPN’s picture

-- SOYO Sponsors Ultimate Fighter Marvin 'The Beastman' Eastman for His Febuary 3rd UFC Fight Against Quinton Jackson

-- Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, Makes February, 2007 Debut in UFC Battleground

-- UFC's popularity growing with every hit
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