Injury Forces Matt Serra off UFC 79 Fight Card
November 23, 2007
The UFC 79 main event is no more.
UFC welterweight champion and current “The Ultimate Fighter” coach Matt Serra (9-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) suffered a herniated disc during a Monday training session and has been forced to pull out of his headline bout with former champ Matt Hughes (41-5 MMA, 15-3 UFC).
The fight was supposed to be the main draw of UFC 79, which takes place Dec. 29 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
“This is devastating news because they were so looking forward to fighting each other,” stated UFC President Dana White on UFC.com. “Unfortunately, injuries happen, and I look forward to Serra recovering quickly and to getting him back into the octagon.“
According to the report, Serra had just finished a routine training session when he was “gripped with pain and fell to the floor” while demonstrating a move. The 33-year-old New Yorker was rushed to a hospital, where an MRI revealed the herniated disc in his lower back.
There was no word on how long Serra might be out of action.
“This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,” Serra stated. “I’ve never had a back injury before; I could hardly get off of the MRI table. There is no way I can train through this, and I’m devastated, especially because this was such an important fight. I was looking forward to fighting Matt Hughes. All my training was going phenomenally until Monday. All I can do now is to get better and to fight again as soon as possible.“
Unfortunately, the welterweight division’s title picture — which was already shut down for the taping and release of “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra” — will be further delayed.
The division, which is perhaps the deepest in the organization, has been on hold since Serra defeated former champ Georges St. Pierre nearly eight months ago. Soon after winning the belt, Serra was offered a chance to coach opposite Hughes, with whom he has a fairly bitter feud. The championship fight was supposed to cap off the Spike TV reality series.
In fact, St. Pierre, who scored a unanimous-decision over Josh Koscheck in August to earn top-contender’s status, could also be out of action for an extended period of time. White said that St. Pierre won’t fight again until his title shot with the winner of Serra vs. Hughes, and the former champion has already been on the sideline for the past three months.
With the loss of Serra vs. Hughes, and with the short time frame until UFC 79, a main-card bout between former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell and former PRIDE title-holder Wanderlei Silva could be bumped up to main-event status for the pay-per-view event. Both fighters are coming off back-to-back losses, but the bout remains one of the most-anticipated in mixed martial arts.
that sucks!!! i was so looking forward to seeing him kick hughes' ass!!!
so.... what does this mean for GSP? what about Montreal? wtf??
poor Serra.... i hope he gets well soon.... i kinda like the little guy....
apparently the initial rumour is that the montreal show is off. georges may have to end up waiting a full year to get his title shot, and hughes is already taking the opportunity to make "veiled" insinuations in the media that serra's injury is fake or exaggerated, saying that he had three bulging discs in his back prior to his fight with royce gracie but he still fought. of course this is the first we hear of this since he can use it against serra in his usual cowardly way.
fuck it, i'll step in for serra and put a beating on hughes, then georges can kick my ass and get his title back.
this certainly takes some of the allure away from UFC 79, as there's only a few good matches left. the UFC fight night 12 show in january is already looking better, lol.
sorry you'll be missing the huerta / guida match, ceg. not to rub it in or anything...;)...but it could be fight of the year...
the rest of the card is shaping up too...
Main Card:
Roger Huerta Vs. Clay Guida
Finalist 1 Vs. Finalist 2
Jared Rollins Vs. Jon Koppenhaver
Pre-lims:
Paul Georgieff Vs. Jonathan Goulet (vas-y goulet!!! )
Troy Mandaloniz Vs. Richie Hightower
Roman Mitichyan Vs. Dorian Price
here is some of what hughes had to say...i have to wonder why he felt the need to say that he didn't feel serra was making an attempt not to fight. did anyone ask you, you egomaniac?!?! :mad: if he thinks anyone is afraid to fight him, the guy is a bigger whack job than we thought!
Matt Hughes Thinks Matt Serra’s Injury is Legit
November 23, 2007
The UFC officially announced earlier today that current welterweight champion Matt Serra has injured his back and will be unable to compete in the main event at UFC 79. His scheduled opponent for the Dec. 29 fight, former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes, today issued a statement, saying that he doesn’t think the injury “is a ploy not to fight.“
Hughes posted the statement on his blog at matt-hughes.com.
Whether it was a veiled knock at Serra or not, Hughes said that he believes his opponent is genuinely injured. However, Hughes also said he had suffered a similar injury and was able to fight through it.
“I believe Serra is actually hurt, so I don’t think this is just a ploy not to fight,” Hughes wrote. “Before my Royce (Gracie) fight (at UFC 60), I had three bulged discs that I was able to repair enough to fight. As everybody knows, you never go into a fight 100 percent.“
A timetable for Serra’s return isn’t known.
Hughes also confirmed that he hasn’t been booked for a possible Plan B fight. Hughes, who coached opposite Serra on the current season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” earned a title shot by defeating Chris Lytle at UFC 68 in March. Although it seems unlikely that the UFC would make Hughes fight a different opponent in the interim, it’s always a possibility.
“I’m just going to continue to train until I find out what’s next,” Hughes stated.
As it stands, UFC 79’s main card still features bouts of Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva, Lyoto Machida vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, and Rich Clementi vs. Melvin Guillard.
fuck it, i'll step in for serra and put a beating on hughes, then georges can kick my ass and get his title back.
fuck yah! i'll corner you.... "you're breathin' the whole time, mookie!"
you can be Mookie "The Curmudgeonly Lighthousekeeper" Blaylock... you'll enter the ring to Nautical Disaster.... I'll be right behind you, carrying Curious Georges....
will you tape the TUF Finale for me? you can mail it to me for my birthday!
~~*~~ ...i surfaced and all of my being was enlightend... ~~*~~
fuck yah! i'll corner you.... "you're breathin' the whole time, mookie!"
you can be Mookie "The Curmudgeonly Lighthousekeeper" Blaylock... you'll enter the ring to Nautical Disaster.... I'll be right behind you, carrying Curious Georges....
will you tape the TUF Finale for me? you can mail it to me for my birthday!
placing the call to joe silva right now...:D i'll need those intsructions in your best long island accent, though. everything else sounds perfect!
i'll be taping the finale for my "collection" but i can definitely either tape the replay or burn it to disc for you and perhaps send along a b-day gift as well, eh?
placing the call to joe silva right now...:D i'll need those intsructions in your best long island accent, though. everything else sounds perfect!
i'll be taping the finale for my "collection" but i can definitely either tape the replay or burn it to disc for you and perhaps send along a b-day gift as well, eh?
woo hoo! goodies in the mail!
hahaha.... Huerta's shorts will be gift enough for me!
~~*~~ ...i surfaced and all of my being was enlightend... ~~*~~
a good guy to get some inspiration from for sure. what are you training in?.. if you don't mind my asking.
Right now...it's all about body (with a good dose of health benefits thrown in). I used to take Shotokan when I was younger. My brother stuck to it, and has two black belts now (one is in weapons training). He's shows me a lot of moves and we spar from time to time, (he uses me more as a punching bag), but I'm no slouch. I'm a lot stronger then he is. We're both in the 200lb range. I fluctuate and lean out around 175. His Sensei keeps bugging me to join at his dojo.
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
right on, roland. very cool. it's nice to have a brother to learn from even if, as you say, you become the punching bag sometimes. good luck to you if you decide to join.
hehe...that's either a wrinkle in the fabric, or you can almost tell his religion.
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
Screw Serra, if he can't take the heat time to let someone else do the cooking.
Seriously..that's lame. If his back is toast, then he can't hack it...next in line please.
bummer...
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
Serra out is a tough break, I was really looking forward to that one. They say maybe Fitch or Alves will be a replacement.
indeed. i was just reading about the possibilty of fitch or alves stepping in. both would be losses for hughes, in my opinion.
i don't know what they would do then...maybe just have serra face GSP, and the winner would face fitch or alves, and the loser hughes, maybe?
not that the WW division isn't a bit messy with so much talent right now anyway and the belt being on hold for so long, but that could definitely throw another huge wrench into things. they also wouldn't get their "grudge" match between serra and hughes, unless a whole bunch of "if's" fell into place.
they should have just had the match in new jersey like they'd originally planned and things would have been fine, but of course they had to delay it for the show. i've read rumours they're doing the same thing next season with rampage and forrest...having them be coaches on the show and then fight for the title at the end. maybe they will learn from this mistake.
right on, roland. very cool. it's nice to have a brother to learn from even if, as you say, you become the punching bag sometimes. good luck to you if you decide to join.
Thanks, what are older brothers for eh? I learned quickly when he says don't move or flinch when practicing kicks not to. I took a well planted straight kick square to the cans once and almost blacked out. I saw a bright flash of white then I hit the deck hard. fortunately everything still works. It can be a very dangerous sport...hehe
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
Thanks, what are older brothers for eh? I learned quickly when he says don't move or flinch when practicing kicks not to. I took a well planted straight kick square to the cans once and almost blacked out. I saw a bright flash of white then I hit the deck hard. fortunately everything still works. It can be a very dangerous sport...hehe
ah, yes...edith thanks ceg. i've um, err, um...actually seen that particular collection she's from montreal too.
so here is some "breaking news" just posted by matt hughes at his site...
BREAKING NEWS: Matt Fighting Georges St. Pierre at UFC 79!
November 24th, 2007
I’m going to fight Georges St. Pierre on December 29th. I’ve got a couple reasons why I’ve made this decision and I will share those at a later time. I’ve asked for this to be for an interim title and if Matt Serra can’t fight in a year, then this would just be the title fight; but I don’t know if that is going to happen right now. I will keep you all posted.
-Matt
EDIT: This WILL BE for the interim title, so it will be a 5-round fight. -Matt
...so we get to see georges tear him apart again as a new year's treat! ...if this turns out to be true. then there is the possibilty that georges would still be fighting in montreal in april to defend his interim belt against serra if serra is healthy enough to go.
ah, yes...edith thanks ceg. i've um, err, um...actually seen that particular collection. she's from montreal too.
so here is some "breaking news" just posted by matt hughes at his site...
BREAKING NEWS: Matt Fighting Georges St. Pierre at UFC 79!
November 24th, 2007
I’m going to fight Georges St. Pierre on December 29th. I’ve got a couple reasons why I’ve made this decision and I will share those at a later time. I’ve asked for this to be for an interim title and if Matt Serra can’t fight in a year, then this would just be the title fight; but I don’t know if that is going to happen right now. I will keep you all posted.
-Matt
EDIT: This WILL BE for the interim title, so it will be a 5-round fight. -Matt
...so we get to see georges tear him apart again as a new year's treat! ...if this turns out to be true. then there is the possibilty that georges would still be fighting in montreal in april to defend his interim belt against serra if serra is healthy enough to go.
GSP!
happy new year to us! that's awesome... funny, i posted a similar solution on GSP's Facebook page earlier... for him to step in a kick Hughes' ass in December..... why prolong the inevitable?
I’ve got a couple reasons why I’ve made this decision and I will share those at a later time.
riiigghht.... i'm sure Dana and Georges had nothing to do with the decision.... :rolleyes:
~~*~~ ...i surfaced and all of my being was enlightend... ~~*~~
Talk about sexy. Ouch. UFC sure has the female persuasion locked in as well. I must say though Heurta's shoulder tattoo is one of the better ones I've seen.
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
looks like it's happening on Dec. 29th...(anyone know how to edit a thread title?)
UFC 79: Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre III for Interim Title (Updated)
November 24, 2007
Georges St. Pierre (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) will fill in for injured UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra and fight Matt Hughes (41-5 MMA, 15-3 UFC) for the interim title at UFC 79.
The five-round title fight will headline the Dec. 29 pay-per-view event, which takes place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
The stunning announcement came Saturday evening from UFC.com. Hughes confirmed the fight on his official website, matt-hughes.com.
Additionally, a source close to the UFC today told MMAjunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com) that St. Pierre showed no hesitation in taking the fight on short notice.
We passed along the news from early Friday morning that Serra had suffered a herniated disc. The injury occurred during a workout session earlier this week, prompting an announcement that the fighter would be unavailable to compete at UFC 79. Serra, who won the title by upsetting St. Pierre at UFC 69 in April, coached opposite Hughes on the current sixth season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” The show was supposed to build up to their title fight.
Serra doesn’t know how long the injury will keep him sidelined.
However, possibly fearing the worst, UFC President Dana White decided to book the interim title fight. Apparently, though, it didn’t come without a few stipulations from Hughes.
“I’ve asked for this to be for an interim title, and if Matt Serra can’t fight in a year, then this would just be the title fight,” Hughes stated on his site. “But I don’t know if that is going to happen right now. I will keep you all posted.“
Hughes and St. Pierre have fought twice before. Hughes won the first match-up at UFC 50 in 2004. Facing an undefeated French-Canadian who has just begun to garner some international fame, Hughes submitted his opponent in the final seconds of the first round with an arm-bar.
After reclaiming top-contender’s status, St. Pierre again took on Hughes at UFC 65 in November 2006, where he picked apart the longtime MMA veteran to score a second-round TKO.
However, St. Pierre would lose his belt to Serra in his very next fight. Serra had earned the title shot by winning the welterweight division of a special comeback season of “The Ultimate Fighter.“
Hughes rebounded from his loss to St. Pierre with a victory over Chris Lytle at UFC 68. The win guaranteed him a title fight. And while he and Serra filmed “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra,” St. Pierre got back into the title picture by scoring a unanimous-decision victory over Josh Koscheck at UFC 74, which earned him a title shot. His title shot was expected to come in March or April of 2008, when he’d face the winner of Hughes vs. Serra.
“Obviously, the loss of Matt Serra was brutal, but the great thing about the UFC is that we can put together great fights like Hughes-St-Pierre at a moment’s notice and bounce right back,” White stated. “I have the utmost respect for both Hughes and St-Pierre for stepping up for this fight, and not only are the fans going to see two of the greatest welterweights of all-time settle their score in a rubber match, but (they’re) going to do it in a five-round interim title fight, and the winner is going to face off next year against Matt Serra for the undisputed title.“
This is actually the second “interim” title White has created in the past two months. Sean Sherk, who’s currently awaiting an appeal of a failed UFC 73 drug test, will face the winner of an interim fight between Joe Stevenson and B.J. Penn when his suspension ends. White, saying he was fed up with the California State Athletic Commission’s handling of the appeal, recently decided to book the Stevenson vs. Penn bout for UFC 80, which takes place Jan. 19 in Newcastle, England.
Niiice. that's how it's done! GSP sets the standard.
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
Comments
a good guy to get some inspiration from for sure. what are you training in?.. if you don't mind my asking.
i can't WAIT for this UFC.... this match, AND Serra vs. Hughes?? very cool.
i haven't been too excited for the last couple of events... but this one should be fun!
i'd be excited for Roger Huerta's shorts, and the TUF Finale too... but i won't be able to watch, so i'm trying not to think about it...
True, I'm not a fan of Wandy. it's more about not liking Chuck. This looks like it will be one of the better shows in a long time.
I'll trade you Huerta's shorts for the panties of Ali Sonoma. LOL
sad news for you, lbc, ali sonoma has quit her job as octagon girl. :(
edith larente from montreal is her replacement, though.
Injury Forces Matt Serra off UFC 79 Fight Card
November 23, 2007
The UFC 79 main event is no more.
UFC welterweight champion and current “The Ultimate Fighter” coach Matt Serra (9-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) suffered a herniated disc during a Monday training session and has been forced to pull out of his headline bout with former champ Matt Hughes (41-5 MMA, 15-3 UFC).
The fight was supposed to be the main draw of UFC 79, which takes place Dec. 29 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
“This is devastating news because they were so looking forward to fighting each other,” stated UFC President Dana White on UFC.com. “Unfortunately, injuries happen, and I look forward to Serra recovering quickly and to getting him back into the octagon.“
According to the report, Serra had just finished a routine training session when he was “gripped with pain and fell to the floor” while demonstrating a move. The 33-year-old New Yorker was rushed to a hospital, where an MRI revealed the herniated disc in his lower back.
There was no word on how long Serra might be out of action.
“This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,” Serra stated. “I’ve never had a back injury before; I could hardly get off of the MRI table. There is no way I can train through this, and I’m devastated, especially because this was such an important fight. I was looking forward to fighting Matt Hughes. All my training was going phenomenally until Monday. All I can do now is to get better and to fight again as soon as possible.“
Unfortunately, the welterweight division’s title picture — which was already shut down for the taping and release of “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra” — will be further delayed.
The division, which is perhaps the deepest in the organization, has been on hold since Serra defeated former champ Georges St. Pierre nearly eight months ago. Soon after winning the belt, Serra was offered a chance to coach opposite Hughes, with whom he has a fairly bitter feud. The championship fight was supposed to cap off the Spike TV reality series.
In fact, St. Pierre, who scored a unanimous-decision over Josh Koscheck in August to earn top-contender’s status, could also be out of action for an extended period of time. White said that St. Pierre won’t fight again until his title shot with the winner of Serra vs. Hughes, and the former champion has already been on the sideline for the past three months.
With the loss of Serra vs. Hughes, and with the short time frame until UFC 79, a main-card bout between former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell and former PRIDE title-holder Wanderlei Silva could be bumped up to main-event status for the pay-per-view event. Both fighters are coming off back-to-back losses, but the bout remains one of the most-anticipated in mixed martial arts.
http://mmajunkie.com/2007/11/23/injury-forces-matt-serra-off-ufc-79-fight-card/
that sucks!!! i was so looking forward to seeing him kick hughes' ass!!!
so.... what does this mean for GSP? what about Montreal? wtf?? :mad:
poor Serra.... i hope he gets well soon.... i kinda like the little guy....
apparently the initial rumour is that the montreal show is off. georges may have to end up waiting a full year to get his title shot, and hughes is already taking the opportunity to make "veiled" insinuations in the media that serra's injury is fake or exaggerated, saying that he had three bulging discs in his back prior to his fight with royce gracie but he still fought. of course this is the first we hear of this since he can use it against serra in his usual cowardly way.
fuck it, i'll step in for serra and put a beating on hughes, then georges can kick my ass and get his title back.
this certainly takes some of the allure away from UFC 79, as there's only a few good matches left. the UFC fight night 12 show in january is already looking better, lol.
sorry you'll be missing the huerta / guida match, ceg. not to rub it in or anything...;)...but it could be fight of the year...
the rest of the card is shaping up too...
Main Card:
Roger Huerta Vs. Clay Guida
Finalist 1 Vs. Finalist 2
Jared Rollins Vs. Jon Koppenhaver
Pre-lims:
Paul Georgieff Vs. Jonathan Goulet (vas-y goulet!!!
Troy Mandaloniz Vs. Richie Hightower
Roman Mitichyan Vs. Dorian Price
Matt Hughes Thinks Matt Serra’s Injury is Legit
November 23, 2007
The UFC officially announced earlier today that current welterweight champion Matt Serra has injured his back and will be unable to compete in the main event at UFC 79. His scheduled opponent for the Dec. 29 fight, former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes, today issued a statement, saying that he doesn’t think the injury “is a ploy not to fight.“
Hughes posted the statement on his blog at matt-hughes.com.
Whether it was a veiled knock at Serra or not, Hughes said that he believes his opponent is genuinely injured. However, Hughes also said he had suffered a similar injury and was able to fight through it.
“I believe Serra is actually hurt, so I don’t think this is just a ploy not to fight,” Hughes wrote. “Before my Royce (Gracie) fight (at UFC 60), I had three bulged discs that I was able to repair enough to fight. As everybody knows, you never go into a fight 100 percent.“
A timetable for Serra’s return isn’t known.
Hughes also confirmed that he hasn’t been booked for a possible Plan B fight. Hughes, who coached opposite Serra on the current season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” earned a title shot by defeating Chris Lytle at UFC 68 in March. Although it seems unlikely that the UFC would make Hughes fight a different opponent in the interim, it’s always a possibility.
“I’m just going to continue to train until I find out what’s next,” Hughes stated.
As it stands, UFC 79’s main card still features bouts of Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva, Lyoto Machida vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, and Rich Clementi vs. Melvin Guillard.
http://mmajunkie.com/2007/11/23/matt-hughes-thinks-matt-serras-injury-is-legit/
fuck yah!
you can be Mookie "The Curmudgeonly Lighthousekeeper" Blaylock... you'll enter the ring to Nautical Disaster.... I'll be right behind you, carrying Curious Georges....
will you tape the TUF Finale for me? you can mail it to me for my birthday!
placing the call to joe silva right now...:D i'll need those intsructions in your best long island accent, though.
i'll be taping the finale for my "collection" but i can definitely either tape the replay or burn it to disc for you and perhaps send along a b-day gift as well, eh?
good to hear, lbc. i can dig it.
too bad about the serra / hughes match, eh? :(
woo hoo! goodies in the mail!
hahaha.... Huerta's shorts will be gift enough for me!
hahhaha
i'm peeing my shorts right now laughing!
since you're missing the show live...a quick preview...
http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_gallery.asp?pic_id=48286&f_id=10089&my_page=3
damn! blocked at work... :(
i'm leaving now anyways.... i'll check it out at home, if you know what i mean...
will also watch my omaplata lesson tonight and get back to you.
Right now...it's all about body (with a good dose of health benefits thrown in). I used to take Shotokan when I was younger. My brother stuck to it, and has two black belts now (one is in weapons training). He's shows me a lot of moves and we spar from time to time, (he uses me more as a punching bag), but I'm no slouch. I'm a lot stronger then he is. We're both in the 200lb range. I fluctuate and lean out around 175. His Sensei keeps bugging me to join at his dojo.
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
hehe...that's either a wrinkle in the fabric, or you can almost tell his religion.
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
Seriously..that's lame. If his back is toast, then he can't hack it...next in line please.
bummer...
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
indeed. i was just reading about the possibilty of fitch or alves stepping in. both would be losses for hughes, in my opinion.
i don't know what they would do then...maybe just have serra face GSP, and the winner would face fitch or alves, and the loser hughes, maybe?
not that the WW division isn't a bit messy with so much talent right now anyway and the belt being on hold for so long, but that could definitely throw another huge wrench into things. they also wouldn't get their "grudge" match between serra and hughes, unless a whole bunch of "if's" fell into place.
they should have just had the match in new jersey like they'd originally planned and things would have been fine, but of course they had to delay it for the show. i've read rumours they're doing the same thing next season with rampage and forrest...having them be coaches on the show and then fight for the title at the end. maybe they will learn from this mistake.
Thanks, what are older brothers for eh? I learned quickly when he says don't move or flinch when practicing kicks not to. I took a well planted straight kick square to the cans once and almost blacked out. I saw a bright flash of white then I hit the deck hard. fortunately everything still works. It can be a very dangerous sport...hehe
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
ouch...and more ouch!!!
:eek: indeed!
wow! that pic was worth the wait! thanks mook, you're a dear.
i feel like i should return the favour....
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/ufc/article485977.ece
so here is some "breaking news" just posted by matt hughes at his site...
BREAKING NEWS: Matt Fighting Georges St. Pierre at UFC 79!
November 24th, 2007
I’m going to fight Georges St. Pierre on December 29th. I’ve got a couple reasons why I’ve made this decision and I will share those at a later time. I’ve asked for this to be for an interim title and if Matt Serra can’t fight in a year, then this would just be the title fight; but I don’t know if that is going to happen right now. I will keep you all posted.
-Matt
EDIT: This WILL BE for the interim title, so it will be a 5-round fight. -Matt
...so we get to see georges tear him apart again as a new year's treat!
GSP!
happy new year to us!
riiigghht.... i'm sure Dana and Georges had nothing to do with the decision.... :rolleyes:
Talk about sexy. Ouch. UFC sure has the female persuasion locked in as well. I must say though Heurta's shoulder tattoo is one of the better ones I've seen.
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
UFC 79: Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre III for Interim Title (Updated)
November 24, 2007
Georges St. Pierre (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) will fill in for injured UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra and fight Matt Hughes (41-5 MMA, 15-3 UFC) for the interim title at UFC 79.
The five-round title fight will headline the Dec. 29 pay-per-view event, which takes place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
The stunning announcement came Saturday evening from UFC.com. Hughes confirmed the fight on his official website, matt-hughes.com.
Additionally, a source close to the UFC today told MMAjunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com) that St. Pierre showed no hesitation in taking the fight on short notice.
We passed along the news from early Friday morning that Serra had suffered a herniated disc. The injury occurred during a workout session earlier this week, prompting an announcement that the fighter would be unavailable to compete at UFC 79. Serra, who won the title by upsetting St. Pierre at UFC 69 in April, coached opposite Hughes on the current sixth season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” The show was supposed to build up to their title fight.
Serra doesn’t know how long the injury will keep him sidelined.
However, possibly fearing the worst, UFC President Dana White decided to book the interim title fight. Apparently, though, it didn’t come without a few stipulations from Hughes.
“I’ve asked for this to be for an interim title, and if Matt Serra can’t fight in a year, then this would just be the title fight,” Hughes stated on his site. “But I don’t know if that is going to happen right now. I will keep you all posted.“
Hughes and St. Pierre have fought twice before. Hughes won the first match-up at UFC 50 in 2004. Facing an undefeated French-Canadian who has just begun to garner some international fame, Hughes submitted his opponent in the final seconds of the first round with an arm-bar.
After reclaiming top-contender’s status, St. Pierre again took on Hughes at UFC 65 in November 2006, where he picked apart the longtime MMA veteran to score a second-round TKO.
However, St. Pierre would lose his belt to Serra in his very next fight. Serra had earned the title shot by winning the welterweight division of a special comeback season of “The Ultimate Fighter.“
Hughes rebounded from his loss to St. Pierre with a victory over Chris Lytle at UFC 68. The win guaranteed him a title fight. And while he and Serra filmed “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra,” St. Pierre got back into the title picture by scoring a unanimous-decision victory over Josh Koscheck at UFC 74, which earned him a title shot. His title shot was expected to come in March or April of 2008, when he’d face the winner of Hughes vs. Serra.
“Obviously, the loss of Matt Serra was brutal, but the great thing about the UFC is that we can put together great fights like Hughes-St-Pierre at a moment’s notice and bounce right back,” White stated. “I have the utmost respect for both Hughes and St-Pierre for stepping up for this fight, and not only are the fans going to see two of the greatest welterweights of all-time settle their score in a rubber match, but (they’re) going to do it in a five-round interim title fight, and the winner is going to face off next year against Matt Serra for the undisputed title.“
This is actually the second “interim” title White has created in the past two months. Sean Sherk, who’s currently awaiting an appeal of a failed UFC 73 drug test, will face the winner of an interim fight between Joe Stevenson and B.J. Penn when his suspension ends. White, saying he was fed up with the California State Athletic Commission’s handling of the appeal, recently decided to book the Stevenson vs. Penn bout for UFC 80, which takes place Jan. 19 in Newcastle, England.
http://mmajunkie.com/2007/11/24/ufc-79-matt-hughes-for-georges-st-pierre-iii-for-interim-title/
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
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