Over the weekend, the UFC put on two exciting events with the TUF 16 Finale and UFC On FX 6. They crowned three new TUF winners in Norman Parke, Robert Whittaker (TUF: The Smashes) and Colton Smith (TUF 16). With two shows going over the weekend there were a few stories that slipped under the radar.
Palhares injured during UFC On FX 6 fight:
Middleweight “fire hydrants” Hector Lombard and Rousimar Palhares opened up the main card of UFC On FX 6. Lomard won the fight by KO with brutal punches in the first round. Palhares was unable to get the fight to the ground where many thought he had an advantage and made the mistake of circling into Lombard’s power. On top of that, Palhares told MMA Junkie that he also sustained an injury early in the bout:
During the fight, my kick was working well. But soon in the first round, one of my kicks hit Lombard’s shin below his knee. I heard a snap, and I knew something bad happened.
From that moment on, I [started] feeling my foot more and more numb and without strength to walk around the octagon. It was a very complicated situation. I went through something similar in the fight against Jeremy Horn when I broke my hand during the fight.
Nick Diaz’s appeal:
Back in September, Diaz had his attorney Ross Goodman file for a judicial review in an attempt to overturn his fine and suspension from UFC 143. As you should already know, Diaz failed his post-fight drug test after his loss to Carlos Condit. He was suspended for a year and fined $79,500.
MMA Junkie reported on Friday that the appeal was denied. Both the fine and the suspension will stand. Obviously, the suspension has little to no impact on Diaz, as he’s already scheduled to get his much deserved title fight against Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 158 in March. However, losing almost 40% of his purse from his only fight of 2012 will sting.
But for Nick’s attorney, the fight isn’t over yet. Goodman informed Sherdog that he will be “seeking my client’s instructions to file an appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court forthwith.”
Rustam Khabilov makes statement:
Without a doubt The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale delivered exciting action in spades. But before the main card, Russian Lightweight Rustam Khabilov made one of the most impressive UFC debuts in recent memory. In his 2 minute fight, he slammed Vinc Pichel with three consecutive suplexes to get the TKO victory. He followed that up with another awesome statement on Twitter:
My job is to throw him , how he lands is his business
— Rustam Khabilov (@KhabilovMMA) December 17, 2012
Eddie Alvarez responds to Gil Melendez:
On Friday we brought you the story that Strikeforce Lightweight champion Gil Melendez is looking for an immediate UFC title shot when he moves over in 2013. That didn’t sit too well with former Bellator champ and current free agent Eddie Alvarez:
Why does Gil .M continue to call out people He knows he cant fight. Hes like theHS cheerleader who wants to suck off every new QB.
— Edward Alvarez (@Ealvarezfight) December 14, 2012
Alvarez finished out his Bellator contract with a first round KO of Patricky Freire back in October. He declined Bellator’s initial offer to him and is expected to negotiate with the UFC. However, according to Bjorn Rebney, Alvarez still hasn’t received an offer from the premier MMA organization. Rekindling an old feud might be a good way for him to drum up interest.
Alessio Sakara vs. Patrick Cote NOT set for UFC 158:
During the TUF 16 Finale main card broadcast, the UFC announced some exciting fights for UFC 158 coming up on March 16. First, they reconfirmed the main event as GSP vs. Nick Diaz for the Welterweight title. They also announced a potential WW contender’s fight in Johny Hendricks vs. Jake Ellenberger and a Middleweight rematch between Alessio Sakara vs. Patrick Cote. That last announcement didn’t last long.
Fighter’s Only got the story from Sakara that he’s been ordered by his doctor to stop all training. Alessio explained that recent tests confirmed that he’s suffering from renal stress in his kidneys. His doctor advised him to suspend training for 3 months to allow his body to recover.
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