CM Punk Joins UFC & Will Fight in 2015

Former WWE World Champion CM Punk was officially signed on by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) this past week. Punk, real name, Phil Brooks, was on hand at the recent UFC 181 pay-per-view event in Las Vegas to answer questions about how the deal was done, and his plans for the sport. The news comes not long after an interview Punk did with his friend Colt Cabana about topics related to his dismissal or leaving from WWE.

Among the questions asked were who Punk plans to train with, what his goals are for the sport, and which weight class he plans to fight in for UFC. Punk also got questions mentioning the comparisons to Brock Lesnar, who is a former UFC champion and the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion. When asked when he plans to fight, it appears Punk will fight in 2015, but his answers maintained when he is ready from training and weight cuts.

Watch the CM Punk media scrum here.

The last Punk was seen in WWE was back in January at the Royal Rumble 2014 edition. Punk was among the final four remaining competitors, eliminated by Kane. Punk subsequently didn't show up on Raw the next night and apparently had quit WWE. Months later, the story emerged that he was fired on his wedding day when he married current diva, AJ Lee.

Will Punk be a successful mixed martial arts fighter in UFC? Can he achieve similar success to Brock Lesnar in the sport?

UFC 166 Live Online & TV Fight Card Info

The UFC 166 live online and televised pay-per-view will take place on October 19, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The pay per view event will feature the highly anticipated rubber match between Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.  It's their third meeting, with the championship on the line between them.  The latest UFC 166 event will available for fans to watch on TV and live online with free preliminary matches ahead of the main card, as well.  Let's check out the full schedule and big fights coming up.

To watch the free online preliminary fights, head over and click "Like" on the official UFC Facebook page.  The live streaming online preliminary fights will be available to watch on Facebook, and will begin at 6:15 pm. ET. The fight card is as follows:

UFC 166 Facebook Live Online Prelims 

TJ. Waldburger takes on Adlan Amagov

Tony Ferguson takes onMike "The Wolverine" Rio

Jeremy Larson takes on Andre "Touchy" Fili 

Dustin Pague takes on Kyoji Horiguchi 

After the free live stream online preliminary fights on Facebook, there's more free prelims to watch on TV.  These fights will be televised by Fox Sports 1, starting at 8pm. ET. The fights that will be seen on Fox Sports 1 for cable and satellite viewers are:

UFC 166 FOX Sports 1 Live TV Prelims 

Tim "The Babarian" Boetsch takes on CB "The Doberman" Dollaway

Nate Marquardt takes on"Lightning" Lombard

Sarah Kaufman takes on Jessica "Evil" Eye

George Sotiropoulos takes on KJ. Noons 

As soon as the preliminary fights on Fox Sports 1 are over, the main card of the Pay Per View begins, you can purchase the event through you cable/satellite provider, or online at www.ufc.tv. The fights are scheduled to begin at 10pm. ET.

The five fights on the main card have some very intriguing matchups, and overall, this fight card has the potential to be one of the best UFC pay per views ever.

Gabriel "Napao" Gonzaga takes on Shawn Jordan. This is a fight between two heavyweights on impressive streaks; Gonzaga has won four out of his last five fights, while Jordan has won three of his last four.

John Dodson takes on Darrell "Mongoose" Montague. Dodson is the former #1 contender for the Flyweight championship, and is coming off a tough loss to division champion Demetrious Johnson and is looking to get another chance at the championship. Montague is also looking to throw his name in the title discussion, coming off four straight wins.

Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez takes on Diego Sanchez. Melendez the former Strikeforce Lightweight champion, coming off a controversial decision to then lightweight champion Benson Henderson looks to get back into title contention against The Ultimate Fighter Season 1 champion Sanchez. This fight has the potential to be the fight of the night because of the exciting fighting styles of both fighters.

Daniel "DC" Cormier takes on Roy Nelson (20-8-0). There is a little bad blood in this fight between the undefeated Olympic wrestler Cormier, and the hard hitting Nelson. Cormier will be looking to solidify his position as the number one contender to the heavyweight belt held by Cain Velasquez with a win over Nelson.

Cain Velasquez takes on Junior Dos Santos (16-2-0). In the main event of this pay per view, Junior Dos Santos is looking to avenge his only defeat in the UFC against Velasquez who lost the heavyweight belt to Dos Santos in his only UFC loss, but regained it in the rematch. Dos Santos made quick work of Velasquez in the first fight, and Velasquez dominated him in the rematch. Both fighters are used to each other’s fighting style now, which should make for a great main event.

It's possible that some of WWE's biggest stars may be watching this event, either live in person, live on TV or live online.  Some of the notable pro wrestling stars who are fans of the sport include CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, and The Undertaker.  Lesnar has been a former UFC champion himself.

Remember that UFC 166 starts for viewers to watch on TV or live online at 10 p.m. EST.  The event can be ordered through various cable or satellite providers, or also live online through UFC.TV, Yahoo!, YouTube, and other sources provided by UFC's website.

UFC 165 Live Online & TV Fight Card Schedule

This September 21st, 2013 Saturday, get ready to watch live on TV and live online to see all of the action of UFC 165!  It's mixed martial arts at its best, with one of the top fighters in the business getting the spotlight once again - Jon "Bones" Jones!  There will be free preliminary fights live streaming on Facebook and available to watch on TV, before fans can check out the main fight card on pay-per-view.  Below are all the key details for the latest sports event that many WWE stars have even admitted to enjoying.  Some have even been seen in attendance at the live events, including The Undertaker, and CM Punk, not to mention the fact that Brock Lesnar left to pursue a career in UFC, then returned to WWE.

UFC 165 Schedule and Location
The UFC 165 will be held September 21st, 2013 Saturday at the famous Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada. Official announcements indicate that the free preliminary fights will get started at 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.  In total, fans will be treated to a total of approximately eight free fights on the live stream online Facebook show at 6:15PM EST and the Fox Sports 1 free TV fights at 8PM EST.  Five fights will make up the main fight card of the 10 PM EST pay-per-view which can be ordered on cable and satellite TV or live streaming services such as UFC.TV, Yahoo! and the YouTube video site.

UFC 165 will be the second pay-per-view tournament to ever feature two title defenses, following UFC 152. The event will be divided into different class categories per card. The Main Card will entail the lightweight, heavyweight, middleweight, bantamweight and the light heavyweight. The two Preliminary Cards will have featured eight pairs fighting through the tail end of the night, marking the inception of the main event starred by Jon Jones and Alexander Gustaffson.

UFC 165 Live Online Prelims (6:15PM EST)
Makdessi vs. Forte
Prazeres vs. Ronson
Delorme vs. Caceres
Guelmino vs. Omielanczuk

UFC 165 Live TV Prelims (8PM EST)
Ricci vs. Jury
Menjivar vs. Reis
Clements vs. Thompson
Gagnon vs. Kimura

UFC 165 Main PPV Card (10PM EST)
Jones vs. Gustafsson
Barao vs. Wineland
Schaub vs. Mitrione
Philippou vs. Carmont
Healy vs. Nurmagomedov

Previewing the Main Bout
Based on the stats, Jon "Bones" Jones  (18-1) and Alexander "The Mauler" Gustaffson (15-1) have exactly the same weight of 205 pounds, with the latter being an inch taller. However, height does not determine victory inside the "octagon."  Many fans will be betting on "Bones" to win the match considering the fact he has more significant strikes and grappling success throughout the history of his UFC career. Nonetheless, both fighters also have similar records, so while Jones may be the champ and the heavy favorite, anything is possible in sports.

Jones is currently considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the business, so it's no surprise he's the favorite Saturday night to win and retain his title. As for Gustaffson, many have good faith in his swift movements, which they believe could leverage his battling tactics to success.  Current odds have Jones listed as the favorite at -900, while the underdog Gustaffson is priced at +550 for bettors.

TV Viewing for UFC 165
As mentioned above, starting at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, fans can watch free preliminary fights on TV via the FOX Sports 1 channel on cable or satellite.  Fans can also order the live pay-per-view at any time up to and during the event on Saturday night through various cable or satellite providers.  The main PPV starts at 10 p.m. EST and lasts 2-3 hours total.


Live Online Streaming
Part of the Preliminary Card can be viewed online through the UFC.TV itself as well as through Facebook. For Forte vs. Makdessi and the three other pairs, streaming will be made available from 6 PM Eastern Standard Time. As for Jury vs. Ricci and the other three pairs, they will be shown in Fox Sports 1 exactly 8 PM EST onward. For the Main Card, the fights can be seen through Pay-per view, which would start exactly 10 PM EST.

The main PPV will also be available for order live streaming online through various sources including UFC.TV, USTREAM, YouTube and Yahoo!  If you are not able to watch the pay-per-view fights for the Main Card, worry not for there will be replays scattered through UFC.TV, Fox 1 and other cable TV and online streaming outlets. Then again, the heat and excitement are always heightened when the fights are freshly aired. So, sit back, relax and enjoy this Saturday night!

Bobby Lashley's Pro Fight Debut

Former ECW champion, Bobby Lashley is set to make his debut with the Mixed Fighting Alliance this coming Saturday. He debuts in the "There Will Be Blood" card at Miami's American Airlines arena facing Joshua Franklin. Franklin is also making his pro fighting debut. One man may leave undefeated with the other winless. The question is does Bobby Lashley's WWE background prepare him enough for his new career choice?

Lashley spoke to South Florida Sun-Sentinel about his days in the WWE and how it may impact his pro fighting reputation. According to the article, Lashley came to the WWE because he needed money at the time and wasn't sure "if the opportunity would present itself again". Lashley was a accomplished wrestler for 18 years prior to WWE with hopes of competing in the Olympics. Lashley suffered a bad leg injury when he was an innocent bystander in a bank robbery and that caused his amateur career to come to a screeching halt.

An excerpt from the Sun-Sentinel article:

"It wasn't only about the money in the WWE, I enjoyed the crowds," Lashley said. "I was in WrestleMania representing Donald Trump [in 2007] in front of 85,000 people [at Ford Field in Detroit]. It was crazy.

"I know what people are saying. I think I lost some of my credibility as a fighter, wrestler and competitor being in the WWE. I know I have a lot to lose."

Lashley's now been training to compete in the pro fighting environment and he will follow in the footsteps of other former wrestlers such as Dan Severn, and the recently successful Brock Lesnar. Time will tell if Lashley can mimic the success of Brock by achieving gold in MMA.

Read the Sun-Sentinel article here.

Brock Lesnar Captures Gold at UFC 91

WWE.com gave its congratulations to former WWE champion Brock Lesnar for becoming the first man to capture both the WWE title and the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Lesnar defeated fan-favorite Randy Couture Saturday night in Las Vegas at the UFC 91 Pay-Per-View event. WWE.com gives a brief history of Lesnar's WWE career, practically claiming it paved the way for his UFC win. Despite Lesnar's recent comments indicating some displeasure with his time spent with WWE professional wrestling, the WWE added the following to its congratulatory story:

For his part, Lesnar took the encouragment of the WWE Universe and the hard lessons forged during his fiery time at WWE and showed UFC and the world why he is not only a man of mettle but also a former three-time WWE Champion.

It took Lesnar just 6 months, and only 3 UFC fights to climb from the bottom to the top in UFC, and his victory over Couture was the crowning achievement. It's questionable whether Lesnar really thanks the WWE for this UFC Championship victory, or he credits it mostly to hard work and determination. In his interview, Lesnar mostly thanked God, but we all know Vince McMahon has his connections. ESPN.com analyzed the Lesnar win and suggested that a petition be started for a Couture vs. Lesnar rematch. Couture hadn't fought since August 2007, and ESPN believes another fight might show what Couture's got against Lesnar. Also keep in mind, former WWE star Bobby Lashley will be debuting his MMA skills in a month or so, so we may get a former WWE star vs. former WWE star/current UFC Champ main event on a UFC Pay-Per-View one of these days.

Read full ESPN.com analysis of UFC 91

Read full WWE.com story here.

Brock Lesnar - WWE-UFC Spotlight

Former WWE Superstar Brock Lesnar faces “The Natural” Randy Couture for the UFC Heavyweight Title this weekend at UFC 91 event in a Mixed Martial Arts battle. Lesnar was a multiple-time champion in the ranks of the WWE. He was also a well-decorated All American amateur wrestler prior to his days with the WWE. Many analysts say that Lesnar is continuing to keep WWE in the spotlight bigtime thanks to his MMA career, as he goes under the spotlight with big title matches. Lesnar disagrees and frankly doesn't care what his fights do for the WWE, as he left pro-wrestling with a bad taste in his mouth.

Recent comments from Lesnar regarding MMA & Wrestling (UK Daily Star):

“I’m here to represent the amateur wrestling. I’m an amateur wrestler at heart and I always will be.

“What the fight does for professional wrestling I really don’t care.

“Would there be other amateur or pro wrestlers that could make this transition?

“Absolutely not, because none of them have the background that I do.

“What only matters is next Saturday night and stepping in toe-to-toe and making things happen.”

He added: “In this day and age, you have to be well rounded in this fight game.

“I just can’t rely on my wrestling skills. Randy is a great, dirty boxer, and he’s great inside. I’m focused on a lot of different things and just trying to become well-rounded.”

UFC president Dana White has made comments that this UFC 91 event will be the most successful sports event of all time. White added that he believes WWE fans (including Vince McMahon) will all be buying the PPV to see if a former WWE star can take the title. Kevin Eck of Baltimore Sun's Ring Post blog states:

McMahon probably won’t buy it, but some of his wrestlers, such as The Undertaker and JBL, are big MMA fans and frequent spectators at the major events. Undertaker, along with guys such as CM Punk, Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe and others, have incorporated aspects of MMA into their style.

Eck also discusses how many wrestling web sites now cover MMA, and how Dave Metlzer of the Wrestling Observer newsletter has become an authority on MMA. There's been discussion of former WWE star Bobby Lashley making his debut in MMA next month, adding yet another former pro wrestler to the mix. Kurt Angle, currently with TNA, formerly with WWE, has hinted at his desire to compete in MMA as well. It's hard for either of these industries to overlook the other as the talent may move from spot to spot. Just as the TNA has capitalized on bringing in former WWE stars, UFC may be able to build its audience doing the same trick. However, it's tough to say if a few former WWE stars will ever be able to draw in the type of audience for a UFC event that a Wrestlemania PPV does.

Also see: The UK Daily Star's discussion of the WWE performance in UK.

Looking at the connection between pro wrestling and MMA

UFC's Tito Ortiz Coming to WWE?

AZ's National Ledger has speculation that UFC fighter Tito Ortiz and his movie-star girlfriend, Jenna Jameson may be headed to pro-wrestling, mainly the WWE. The site discusses that Ortiz has his last fight this Saturday night at UFC 84 Pay-Per-View. Ortiz takes on Lyoto Machida in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's Octagon. With Ortiz' career in UFC about to end, former ECW owner and WWE personality and power, Paul Heyman speculated that Tito may be used in pro wrestling, along with his girlfriend who has star power.

More from National Ledger AZ:

The only hint Ortiz offered was when he stated "I made (UFC) a lot of money and they have no respect for me, they really treat me bad and I'm just going to go elsewhere where a company respects me."

In a recent blog for the SUN (UK), which airs Heyman's broadband video series "The Heyman Hustle," the former sports entertainment power broker listed his Top 5 Most Underutilized Talents in Professional Wrestling. Coming in at number 5, surprisingly, was not a wrestler or person presently in the grappling game: Tito Ortiz.

Heyman wrote, "Tito is finishing up his UFC contract this weekend. What does he do next? Wear out his name in MMA, or capitalize on his love for pro wrestling and exploit his larger than life personality by joining WWE or TNA? And remember, where Tito goes, so goes Jenna Jameson, the best self-promoter in show business today.

This move would make a lot of sense, as in the past fighters like Ken Shamrock, boxers like Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and even football players have crossed into the WWE. Former pro-wrestler Brock Lesnar has crossed over into UFC, so why not have Tito come to WWE? Ortiz has the star power and his girlfriend would work well as one of the WWE Divas. Ortiz has recently appeared on Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice as well, and was amongst the final 6 or 7 contestants. He's got the size, the star power and the fighting ability. Only time will tell if Tito joins up with WWE or its competitor, TNA.

Read more at "Are Tito Ortiz and Jenna Jameson WWE Bound?"

Brock Lesnar & Candice Michelle

Two big events take place this weekend which involve WWE indirectly. Saturday night marks the huge UFC 81 Pay Per View, which includes former WWE star Brock Lesnar. Lesnar's entry into the sport has sparked a lot of interest amongst fans and many say it has overshadowed the rest of the matches and competitors. In his match he will face former UFC champ, Frank Mir, who is 10-3 in the sport. So the spotlight will be shining to see if former college and pro-wrestler Brock Lesnar can make a successful entry into the sport, or if Mir will spoil his debut.
Read more about the UFC 81 event here.

If you haven't heard by now, Sunday will also be the NFL's biggest game as the Giants face the Patriots in Superbowl 42. One thing many people look for during the Superbowl is the commercials. In fact, it's where Candice Michelle got her big start and was discovered from her risque Go Daddy commercials. Superbowl 42 will feature a brand new Go Daddy advertisement. Candice has been MIA from the wrestling ring ever since breaking her clavicle against Beth Phoenix, with a bad fall from the ropes. According to a recent WWE blog entry, Candice's fracture is not fully healed yet, and it has been slower progress than first anticipated. In the meantime, the beautiful WWE Diva/model will now star in this new Superbowl commercial. Reportedly Go Daddy spent around 2.7 million dollars for this year's ad which will include other actors such as racing star, Danica Patrick. You can view GoDaddy preview footage here.

As you can see, WWE is just about everywhere with former and current stars. If it's not Stacy Keibler competing on Dancing With the Stars, it's John Cena in a Gillette Racing reality TV show. Even when WWE is off the air and other sporting events are taking place it seems they continue to have superstars in the forefront.