Has Antonio Silva Put His "BigFoot" In It This Time?

Does Silva's failed drug test take anything away from his battle with Mark Hunt?

by Tommy Strong @strong_tea

Just over a week ago in the early hours of Sunday morning, I found myself climbing off my comfy sofa and standing to applaud both fighters in awe of one of the finest fights I've had the privilege of watching! Antonio Silva and Mark Hunt gave everything they had in their main event battle in what surely will go down as one of the best fights of the year!

Though, a week later it feels as something has been taken away from that fight. Having heard Antonio Silva failed his post fight drugs test for elevated levels of TRT. Just those three letters are driving fans away from a sport we all love and admire.

This isn't the first time Silva has failed a drugs test. The first was back in 2008 having won the EliteXC heavyweight championship by beating Justin Eilers. He later tested positive for using a banned substance Boldenone where he received a $2,500 fine and a year ban from the sport.

The UFC have notable fighters who have a TRT exemption the likes of Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort, Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin and Frank Mir to name a few. Before this weeks news of Silva failing his post fight drugs test for elevated levels of TRT, I wasn't even aware Silva had an exemption. Prompting me to think who else is on this without us knowing?

Whether you believe its a performance enhancer or not, something has to be done to make it an even playing field! Fighters are always looking to get that edge, but it shouldn't come at the safety of the fighters?
But thats for another debate.

Will this take anything away from the fight? If Im honest with himself I don't think it will. Silly as it probably sounds. If the fight had title implications then maybe it would've bothered me more. I'm not condoning the use of PEDS or TRT as I'm the first to speak out about any form of use. I just feel though for some reason, when I think of this fight the TRT isn't stuck in my head.

My honest feeling about this is too many fighters are trying to gain an advantage using TRT when 'maybe' they don't need it!

Antonio Silva has pleaded his innocence today, claiming on Facebook:

"I'm cool because I know that the mistake was not made by me, he wrote. I never tried doing anything wrong for my fight."

Not only has Silva forgone his $50k fight of the night bonus he earn't for the fight, he will see himself sitting on the sidelines for 9 months before he's granted his license back.

Maybe the only winner from all this is Mark Hunt who not only collects $50,000 for fight of the night bonus, but also picks up Antonio Silva's $50,000 in the process!

Well done Mark!!

Review of UFC Fight Night 33 - Hunt vs Silva

Event Review: UFC Fight Night 33 Hunt vs Silva

by Sam Heard @SamHeard_

The UFC’s latest international event from Brisbane, Australia was a card that went beneath many people’s radars; overshadowed by its close proximity to the crazily anticipated UFC 168 and headlined by one fighter with perhaps the worst MMA record in his division and the other coming off a loss in one of the most one-sided title fights you’re ever likely to see. However, the event proved to be anything but forgettable, featuring arguably one of the best Heavyweight bouts of all time, the renaissance of one of the sport’s legends and the emergence of some very promising fighters making their UFC debuts. Here’s a rundown of the fights.

Mark Hunt (9-8-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC) vs. Antonio Silva (18-5-1 MMA, 2-2-1 UFC)

Perhaps one of the reasons MMA is so appealing to we Britons is that the amount of football we watch makes us yearn for a sport with a definitive winner. Though this fight ended in a rare ‘Majority Draw’ ruling when it hit the judge’s scorecards, the feeling after witnessing this Heavyweight war was worlds away from the usual disappointment when a contest fails to produce a winner. Most people expected this fight to end in the first round. Either Hunt’s massive fists would connect with the even bigger head of Bigfoot or the Brazilian would manage to take Hunt down and exploit the Kiwi’s undeveloped ground game. As is often the case in MMA these pre-fight speculations were completely off. Mark Hunt scored several takedowns and effectively reversing Silva against the cage (comparable to Gustafsson’s outwrestling Jon Jones) while Bigfoot had success on his feet, dropping Hunt in the very first round. No one anticipated just how tough these two guys are. On several occasions both fighters were close to being stopped; at the end of the 4th round Bigfoot had his notoriously terrifying full mount on Hunt and I feared the fight would be stopped with just 15 seconds until the bell while there were several occasions were Hunt had Bigfoot severely rocked on the feet. Overall the draw was probably a fair result as the momentum shifted so many times during the five round war. Without a doubt a late entry into the Fight of the Year race.

Result: Mark Hunt vs. Antonio Silva declared majority draw (48-47 Hunt, 47-47, 47-47)

Mauricio Rua (22-8 MMA, 6-6 UFC) vs. James Te Huna (16-7 MMA, 5-3 UFC)

Astoundingly there were very few people giving Shogun a chance in his fight against Australia’s own James Te Huna. Granted, Te Huna is visually the larger, stronger man and many had speculated that the numerous wars Shogun has found himself in throughout the years had finally had an impact on his reflexes and fight technique. It seemed that either retirement or a drop to 185lb loomed for Shogun. You can never count out a former champion like Shogun and for the duration of the one minute fight he looked sharper then the favourite, stuffing his takedown attempt and throwing some nice leg kicks into the mix. Just when Te Huna thought it was his time to seize control of the fight with the Brazillian’s back against the cage, he walked on to a stiff left hook, instantly sending him to the canvas. Shogun tried to follow up with a Henderson-esque right which fortunately missed the already unconscious Australian. Is Shogun back? I think so.
Result: Mauricio Rua def. James Te Huna via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 1:03

Ryan Bader (16-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) vs. Anthony Perosh (14-8 MMA, 4-5 UFC)

In what was perhaps the most predictable bout on the card, Bader got a Unanimous Decision victory over Anthony Perosh, bossing the Australian for the entirety of the fight. It seemed a certainty that Bader was going to get a stoppage in the very first round, rocking Perosh several times on the feet, knocking him down and bullying him on the ground. As was to be expected, Bader was the faster and stronger of the two fighters, beating Perosh to the punch on all exchanges. As Bader noted in his post-fight interview, Perosh is a sickeningly tough creature. Bader has revealed that he broke his right hand during the fight which is probably why he wasn’t able to get the stoppage. Perhaps the most surprising thing to come out of this fight was that but a single judge ruled one round to be 10-8 when, in my opinion at least, both the 1st and 3rd rounds were as deserving of a 10-8 as any.
Result: Ryan Bader def. Anthony Perosh via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

Pat Barry (8-7 MMA, 5-7 UFC) vs. Soa Palelei (20-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC)

Once again, this fight ended with the uncomfortable footage of Pat Barry unconscious on the mat – perhaps it is time for HD to re-evaluate his position in the UFC’s heavyweight division… This time the knockout would come by the hands of Soa Palelei, a fighter many were surprised to see return to the Octagon. Barry’s game plan should have been a simple one; avoid Palelei’s initial rush, keep it standing and then exploit the Australian’s abysmal conditioning. Instead, Barry threw a questionable flying knee which allowed Palelei to catch him and get the takedown before mounting him and hammering his lights out. The power of these shots never seemed that devastating so it seems Barry’s chin is done.
Result: Soa Palelei def. Pat Barry via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:09

Dylan Andrews (17-5 MMA, 2-1 UFC) vs. Clint Hester (9-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC)

TUF 17 housemates came out immediately throwing bombs at each other in the first round of this Middleweight bout. With friends like these who needs enemies, eh? Andrews got the better of the opening exchanges until attempting a guillotine choke. When this failed, Hester found himself in half guard and was able to rough Andrews up with some vicious elbows from top. The theme of Hester dominating with ground and pound continued into the second round. After round two Andrew’s corner pulled him out of the fight due to a suspected dislocated shoulder. The replays afterwards revealed that Andrew’s shoulder does indeed pop-out as he throws an overhand right at Hester. Gut-wrenching.
Result: Clint Hester def. Dylan Andrews via TKO (injury) – Round 2, 5:00

Bethe Correia (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) vs. Julie Kedzie (16-13 MMA, 0-2 UFC)

The intense weigh-in stare down between these female Bantamweights promised an exciting fight which certainly delivered. Both women demonstrated some high-level striking and rigorous cardio. Kedzie’s losing via split decision is in part to blame on Greg Jackson who gave the (incorrect) advice that she was two rounds up heading into the third. Even when a fighter is up on rounds I believe it’s detrimental to let them know – we all know that you cannot trust the judges and Kedzie’s intensity certainly diminished in the third. After this loss Kedzie has announced her retirement from MMA, a great shame as she is still a very competitive fighter with a particularly nice kicking game.
Result: Bethe Correia def. Julie Kedzie via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Highlights from the Undercard

Alex Garcia’s R1 KO of Ben Wall. Jheez – Hector Lombard Mk II.

Takeya Mizugaki vs Nam Phan. A great back and forth stand-up battle. Mizugaki wins via UD.

'Shogun' Rua vs James Te Huna Announced for Fight Night 33

FIGHT NIGHT 33 GETS A LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BATTLE

By Tommy Strong @strong_tea

Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua will get the chance to bounce back from defeat to Chael Sonnen last month, when he takes on New Zealand's light heavyweight, James Te Huna. The fight is scheduled to take place at Fight Night 33 which is being held in Australia on December 7th.

Rua (21-8) will be coming into a fight for the first time ever, with back to back losses on his record with defeats to Alexander Gustafsson and more recently losing to Chael Sonnen via submission inside the first round at last months UFC on FOX Sports 1 launch event.

Te-Huna (16-6) had his four fight winning streak snapped, when he fought top light heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira at UFC 160 in May, losing in the first round via submission.

UFC Fight Night 33 will be main headlined in a heavyweight battle that sees Mark Hunt vs Antonio Silva.

Hunt vs Bigfoot rumoured to headline UFC's return to Australia

Mark Hunt vs. Bigfoot Silva Rumoured To Be Headlining Next UFC Fight Night Event in Australia

by John Haigh @JohnBJayHaigh

It’s been reported that a heavyweight clash between Mark Hunt and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva has reportedly been set as the main event for a possible UFC Fight Night event on Dec. 7 in Australia, according to a report by Brazilian site Combate.com.

No venue has been announced for the fight, but with the UFC style events banned in both Victoria and Western Australia, Sydney and Brisbane are the leading chances to host the reported show.
Hunt (9-8) is coming of a KO loss to the former UFC champion Junior dos Santos at UFC 160, which ended his four-fight winning streak. The New Zealand born fighter has been in and out of hospital after the bout with a gaping hole in his leg caused by a serious staph infection.

Silva (18-5) also fought at UFC 160, where he challenged Cain Velasquez for the UFC heavyweight title, losing in less than 90 seconds via TKO.

Both fighters will be looking to get back to the top of the division as soon as possible and with both men having recent wins over some top level opponents, neither can be far away from title contention with a win.

What’s next for the losers of UFC 160

Fights to make for the main card losers at UFC 160

by John Haigh @JohnBJayHaigh

After last weekends UFC 160 it set up a couple of matches with new number one contenders announced for both the lightweight and heavyweight divisions in the UFC. Today I will discuss what I think should be the next match ups for the losers on the main card. If you have any opinion on these be sure to comment at the bottom.

Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva

After what I thinks was a bit of a controversial stoppage in his title fight against Cain Velasquez I think he deserves a top opponent to have a chance to get back into title contention as soon as possible. A fight against the loser of the upcoming Big Nog vs. Werdum at UFC on Fuel TV 10 could do just that, both fighters have being kicking around the top of the heavyweight for years and both would be a good victory for Bigfoot to get on his record.

Mark Hunt

After his disappointing performance against the now number one contender Junior Dos Santos I’d like to see Hunt vs. Big Country. It was mentioned before the fights of UFC 160 and is sure to be a fight that will get the fans excited. If this fight is to take place it will mean Hunt having to wait a while though due to Nelson recently being scheduled to fight Stipe Miocic. Also, this may be good timing as Mark Hunt recently revealed on twitter that he broke his toe in the Junior Dos Santos fight.

Even a fight against Stipe Miocic I think would be a good match up. Miocic had been unbeaten until his fight against Stefan Struve who Hunt beat and broke his jaw. Hunt had been on a great run up the division with four straight victories before getting knocked out by Junior Dos Santos and a win for both fighters could leave them a couple of wins away from a title contention.

James Te Huna

This is the hardest one for me to pick an opponent for but after a lot of thought and studying I’d like to see a fight against Ryan Bader. Bader has got back to winning ways and holds some impressive victories over opponents like Rampage and little Nog. He was also unbeaten until he fought now champ Jon Jones. I think if Te Huna wants to make a big impact in the division a winner over Bader wouldn’t be a bad way to do it.

Gray Maynard

Maynard has been a bit hit and miss lately having come so close to the UFC lightweight title but drew the first attempt and lost the second against Frankie Edgar. Maynard had a perfect unbeaten record prior to his 2nd and 3rd fight with Edgar but has not been able to get back to his previous dominance since.
A fight against Matt Wiman could be a possibility, both have had ups and downs recently. Wiman has a few more loses than Maynard but has had 6 more fights and has fought some top opponents over the years. Both fighters were also on Team Penn on season 5 on The Ultimate Fighter. Both fighters also have lost to TJ Grant in the first round so this fight could be interesting.

K.J. Noons

I don’t think Noons next opponent or fight will be in the UFC, he’s lost four straight and five of his last six fights. With the UFC roster stacked at the moment I think the axe will fall again. It’s no secret that the UFC want to cut the amount of fighters under contract down to a more reasonable number and Noons may be one of the next ones to be released.

UFC 160: Weigh in Results

Weigh in Results for UFC 160

by Ben Heather @benheather

Tomorrows UFC live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Nevada, is now set after the weigh ins have now made the fights official. The main event sees Cain Velasquez attempt to defend his UFC Heavyweight title against Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva and both men weighed in within the 265lbs limit to make the fight official.

In the co main event, we will witness another heavyweight battle and potential number one contender fight between Junior Dos Santos and Mark Hunt. Both men also weighed in under the 265lbs limit at the weigh ins, and they both know that a big win will move them a step closer to a potential title shot. If Mark Hunt wins it will be very hard to deny him his chance to fight for the UFC title which only a year or so ago would have sounded crazy.

Also on the main event, is another number one contenders fight this time in the UFC Lightweight division as Gray Maynard and TJ Grant will fight to see who will be the next contender to face Benson Henderson. Dana White announced after the UFC on FOX 7 event that the winner of this fight will get the next title shot.

All of the other fighters made weight when they stepped on to the scales, with the exception of Nurmagomedov who failed to make the weight by 2.5lbs for his fight against Abel Trujillo. According to Ariel Helwani via twitter announced that Khabib won't try to shed the extra weight, he will forfeit 10% of his purse to the Nevada state commission and 10% to Abel. Also Nah-Shon Burrell missed weight by 1lb for his fight against Stephen Thompson. I imagine Burrell will try and lose the extra pound.

Full list of results from today's weigh in can be found below.

Main Card - Live on ESPN at 3am Sunday 26th May 2013

Cain Velasquez (c) (240lbs) vs. Antonio Silva (263lbs)
Junior Dos Santos (239lbs) vs. Mark Hunt (264lbs)    
Glover Teixeira (205lbs) vs. James Te Huna (206lbs)
Gray Maynard (156lbs) vs. TJ Grant (155lbs)
Donald Cerrone (155lbs) vs. K.J. Noons (156lbs)   
Prelims - Live on ESPN at 1am Sunday 26th May 2013

Mike Pyle (170lbs) vs. Rick Story (169lbs)    
Dennis Bermudez (146lbs) vs. Max Holloway (145lbs)   
Colton Smith (170lbs) vs. Robert Whittaker (171lbs)   
Khabib Nurmagomedov (158.5lbs)** vs. Abel Trujillo (155lbs)

Facebook Prelims - Live on facebook

Stephen Thompson (170lbs) vs. Nah-Shon Burrell (172lbs)*   
Brian Bowles (135lbs) vs. George Roop (135lbs)   
Jeremy Stephens (146lbs) vs. Estevan Payan (145lbs)

*Burrell missed weight by 1lb
**Nurmagomedov missed weight by 2.5lbs

UFC 160 Main Card Predictions

Kingdom MMA: UFC 160 Main Card Predictions

by Chris Houten @KingdomMMAChris, Tommy Strong @Strong_tea and Jack Broadey @J3cK_b

On Saturday night we will see the UFC heavyweight title on the line as Cain Velasquez will try and defend his title against Antonio Silva at UFC 160 in Las Vegas.

It's hard to forget the first fight between the pair as Cain left Silva a bloodied mess when he finished him in the first round after a very one sided fight. Can this rematch be any different? We will find out on Saturday night.

On top of that we have a number 1 contender fight in the lightweight division between Gray Maynard and TJ Grant and a potential number 1 contender fight between Junior Dos Santos and Mark Hunt. This is the fight a lot of fans have been talking about, can Mark Hunt go from the UFC offering to pay him out of his contract to number 1 contender. We will find out tomorrow night.

Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva

Jack: I will keep this one short as I think it's very easy to predict. Velasquez may not get Silva down as quickly as last time but he will find a way and pound Silva out eventually.

Prediction: Velasquez by TKO Round 1

Tommy: The UFC are trying to promote this fight, but failing to do so! Bigfoot was destroyed in their first fight inside a round. I just don't see anything changing this time around.
Silva is very lucky to be getting this title shot. He beat a one legged Travis Browne who was dominating until the injury. Then fought Overeem who took Silva too lightly and paid the price for it. I know I'm being harsh on Silva, but I just don't rate him at all. He will be found out again by Cain and I don't expect it to last two rounds.

Prediction: Velasquez by TKO Round 2

Chris: A lot of people have completely wrote Silva off due to the absolute battering he took in the first fight to the point where they don’t even want to see this fight, but I can see this one being a little bit more competitive than the last.

The facts are Big Foot lost the first fight due to a tactical error… leg kicks against a world class MMA wrestler, really Big Foot?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely not saying Big Foot is gonna shock the world and pull off another huge upset to go with his collection – Fedor and Overeem. All I’m saying is while he is still swinging those big Christmas Ham sized hands you never know, however it's more than likely Velasquez with his speed and ridiculous cardio who will try to push the pace and win the striking exchanges to the point where Big Foot can’t keep up.

Prediction: Velasquez

Junior dos Santos vs. Mark Hunt

Jack: This is quite intriguing as at least in my mind Hunt has the edge in terms of power. JDS likely has the technical edge as well as a huge speed advantage. He's also well versed in BJJ but as of yet has yet to show it in the UFC. I wonder if he feels he needs to take this fight to the floor. I think after he tasted a shot from Hunt he will attempt and succeed in getting the fight to the floor.

Prediction: Dos Santos by Submission Round 1

Tommy: A fight the fans have been calling for a while now. Its one that really interests me. JDS coming of the back of a beating by Cain will be looking to bounce back and show he's one of the best in the heavyweight division. Mark on the other hand is on a four win tear up and after his devastating knockout of Stefan Struve which resulted in leaving Struve with a broken jaw.

If JDS can keep Mark at range , using his superior boxing skills it could be a comfortable night for him, though if Mark can get close and land one of his bombs we could see an upset on the cards.

Prediction: Dos Santos by Unanimous Decision

Chris: I love the resurgence of Mark Hunt. Less than 3 years ago the guy was on a 6 fight losing streak and was actually being offer money by the UFC not to fight, now he is arguably one (Dangerous) fight away from a title shot.

Realistically Hunt has a punchers chance in this one, but as have so many before him. Sure Hunt has Knockout anyone with one punch, in fact he is so good doing it he even knows when to walk off before his opponent hits the mat, but that one punch (The overhand punch) is so predictable.
I like Dos Santos to use his hand speed and greater array of striking to beat Hunt to the punch, It also wouldn't surprise me if JDS puts Hunt way by countering the Overhand, with an uppercut.

Prediction: Dos Santos

Glover Teixeira vs. James Te-Huna

Jack: Both guys have proved they have great chins and are willing to stand and trade. Teixera's wrestling could be the key here as he can mix up his game to win rounds if he can't find the knockout blow.

Prediction: Teixera by Decision

Tommy: With a combined 43 fights between them, only 7 of their fights have gone to a decision. This fight really has me licking my lips! Glover has been in against better opposition than Te Huna and has a better all round game. Both are very durable and I fully expect an exciting fight.

I have a bad habit of writing off Te Huna , though Glover will be too strong for him and I can see Glover taking him down and submitting him later on in the fight.

Prediction: Teixera by Submission Round 2

Chris: All day I have been deciding whom I fancy in this one. I think Teixeira is the better MMA fighter; he has crisper, varied striking than Te Huna, and is better in the wrestling / jui-jitsu department.

What worries me about Teixeira is the brief moments in bouts where he loses discipline. He almost has that Amir Khan factor to he him where he needs to prove he is man enough to go toe-to-toe with his opponent, and if Te Huna can drag Teixeira into a dogfight, I think he can make him pay, the way Fabio Maldonado almost did.

That being said I can only judge the fight on skills alone, and Glover Teixera is the better fighter.

Prediction: Teixera

Gray Maynard vs. T.J. Grant

Jack: This is a great fight and will decide the next contender for Benson Henderson's lightweight crown.

Grant should have the edge in the standup game and will be looking to bully "the bully" and possibly look for the clinch to do some damage. Maynard's game has come on leaps and bounds but you would assume he will be looking for the takedown here. I think he gets it but can he keep Grant controlled for 3 rounds? Possibly not. This looks like a back and forth war and who wants it more?

Prediction: Maynard by Decision

Tommy: With the winner of this fight likely to fight Ben Henderson for the belt (still trying to figure out why) this fight could be very entertaining or very boring! Though its not often we see Maynard in a boring fight.

TJ will have an advantage on the ground, though getting Maynard there will be a different matter! Maynard with the better wrestling will dictate where the fight goes, so I can see this fight being a stand up fight.
If that's the case, I give a major advantage to Maynard to out strike TJ and work his way to a comfortable points win.

Prediction: Maynard by Unanimous Decision

Chris: In the build up to the Edgar vs Maynard fight, I was convinced Maynard was going to become The UFC Lightweight champion, and while he allowed Frankie back into the first fight, and ultimately lost the rematch, I'm still of the belief Maynard can hold UFC gold.

On paper Grant is the better fighter. He has considerable submission skills, and a proactive striking game, but I think Maynards wrestling pedigree will be too for Grant.

I like Maynard to control the fight, and untimely take a decision victory.

Prediction: Maynard by Decision

Donald Cerrone vs. K.J. Noons

Jack: Cerrone really is the better fighter pretty much everywhere. If he turns up in shape and ready to go I see no way he can lose this fight. He should dominate start to finish and he has the arsenal to stop Noons.

Prediction: Cerrone by Submission Round 2

Tommy: KJ Noons will be coming into this fight on the back of two losses and only having won one in his last 5 fight (outside of the UFC), he will be looking to stop the rot to keep his UFC career alive.
Cerrone on the other hand lost last time out in by 1st round TKO at the hands of Anthony Pettis. KJ will come into the fight as an underdog but I really like the match up for him here. I feel KJ will have enough to keep the fight standing and if he can will have the advantage.

I'm going against the odds here, and picking KJ to deliver a good performance and to beat Cerrone.

Prediction: KJ Noons by Unanimous Decision

Chris: This fight is basically Cerrone's to lose.

If he can keep his distant, mix up his striking, and not allow Noons to jab his way in he should take this one comfortable. From their I'd like to see Cerrone vs Pearson

Prediction: Cerrone

We will see if any of the guys can predict the results correct. Last week was a great week for the guys predictions as between the four guys who predict the fight results we went 49-3 with Tommy and Ben predicting all 13 fights correctly.

Mark Hunt vs JDS is on!!

Mark Hunt cleared to fight

by Jack Broadey @J3cK_b

The UFC 160 heavyweight double header is on. Silva-Velasquez is all set for the main event for the heavyweight championship. In the co main event of the evening Junior Dos Santos is set to meet Mark Hunt where the winner will likely get the next shot at the title.

The match up finally got the green light today as there was some confusion whether the fight could happen at all. The UFC even went as far as getting Roy Nelsen's paperwork all in order so he could be on standby. The issue came when Hunt tried to fly into Las Vegas last week to begin his preparations. He was stopped from flying into the country due to a previous incident following an arrest outside a Vegas nightclub in 2002.

Hunt was due to fly out to Vegas over a week ago now. The issue seem to have arisen due to Hunt getting a new passport. When he received the new passport he had problems acquiring a new work visa as the old visa he was using had not been transferred to his new passport. This is where the 2002 incident held up things.

Hunt is now in Vegas but you would have to question whether the delay has affected his preparations. Hunt has fought recently in the US and struggled with the preparation admitting he didn't fly out early enough to adjust for previous fights with Sean McCorkle and Ben Rothwell.

This time he has little under a week to acclimatize and prepare for what is the biggest fight of his life. The main thing is he is in Vegas and he may get the chance to fight for a world title now with a win. His destiny is now back in his own hands.

5 UFC fights to watch in the next 6 weeks

5 Fights To Look Out For In The Near Future

by Jack Broadey @J3cK_b

With a break in the UFC schedule I thought I would take a look at the fights upcoming with some maybe flying under the radar. We have been spoilt lately with UFC events the last few weekends. These are my 5 must watch fights that take place over the next 6 weeks and I have tried to avoid picking the obvious matches and main events. However some main events do deserve inclusion here.

1. Junior Dos Santos v Mark Hunt
For me the co main event of the heavyweight double bill at UFC 160 is the more intriguing fight. Can Mark Hunt's fairy tale rise back up the rankings continue? Can Dos Santos get back into contention after a brutal beatdown and losing his title last time out? It's going to be great whilst it lasts either way!

2.Antonio Nogueira v Fabricio Werdum
What has Nogueira got left in the tank? This kind of fight should suit him stylistically. His boxing ability means this almost certainly will end up as jiu jitsu battle. Is Werdum the real deal and the next title contender many think he is? The 2 BJJ experts go at it in Brazil in June.

3. Gray Maynard v TJ Grant
The winner of this fight will meet Benson Henderson for the chance to win Lightweight gold. Gray Maynard is always a solid contender at the top of the division and Grant has rose very quickly with a string of not only good wins but very good performances to go with them. Can he get past his biggest test to date to get that elusive title shot?

4. Vitor Belfort v Luke Rockhold
If Belfort keeps winning in the fashion he is the UFC can't keep denying him another title shot. He's running through top contenders. Rockhold comes over from Strikeforce as the last Middleweight champion. Can he defeat Belfort and set up his own title shot? It would be hard to argue against the winner being granted a title shot whoever that might be.

5. Rashad Evans v Dan Henderson
Lets face it both men are coming off hugely disappointing losses. Henderson was supposed to fight Jon Jones for the Light Heavyweight title and instead got injured. He lost to Lyoto Machida instead in a very boring fight. An unmotivated  Rashad Evans surprisingly lost to little Nog and that's what makes this fight so exciting. Both men badly need to get back into the win column if they have serious title aspirations. Who wants it more at this stage of their career?

Dana White again KO's #RallyForMarkHunt

Mark Hunt will not replace Alistair Overeem against Junior Dos Santos

Less than a day after Mark Hunt announced he was "down" to fight Junior Dos Santos and the #RallyForMarkHunt started its second round, Dana White has knocked it out.

According to Dana White's official twitter account Mark Hunt turned down the fight with Junior Dos Santos at UFC 160. Mark Hunt is yet to comment since this has been announced.

It now it looks like the original matchup of Alistair Overeem vs Junior Dos Santos will happen and be rescheduled for later this year once Alistair Overeem has recovered from his injury. This is the fight that many thought would be the next fight for the UFC Heavyweight title before both men lost in their last fights and now hope a big win will put them back in to the title picture.