Rashad Evans explains why he declined fight with Glover Texeira

When Rampage Jackson was ruled out of his UFC 153 bout with Glover Texeira due to injury, it appeared the matter was settled when Fabio Maldanado stepped up to take the fight. News has arisen today that former Light Heavyweight champion Rashad Evans was offered the fight, but ultimately declined it. Evans was initially critical of Jon Jones for his decision to turn down a replacement fight with Chael Sonnen at UFC 151, but today took to Twitter to explain his reasoning behind not fighting Texeira:

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ONE FC says goodbye to confusing rules for soccer kicks on downed opponents

Following the controversial ending of Andrei Arlovski vs. Tim Sylvia this past Friday, ONE FC has implemented a rule change. The bout ended in a “No Contest” due to the promotion’s rules on the use of soccer kicks: ONE FC has decided to eliminate the rule all together.
ONE FC’s rule set combines the North American unified rules of MMA with the soccer kicks and stomps of Pride, however fighters must wait for a referee’s open attack signal before using the more violent maneuvers on a downed opponent.

Then and Now: What has changed in MMA since 2005?

A long term dynamic develops in every sport that sticks around for a while. A section of the fan base will inevitably compare the play of today to their heroes from yesteryear.  Whether it is the baseball fan that longs for the day where they didn’t have to worry about someone using performance enhancing drugs after every home run, or the football fan that yearns for the era of hard hitting and less complaining in the NFL. One thing is a common factor; this group wishes things would go back to

Boxing Commissioners implement new rules for MMA bouts in the US and Canada

UFC President Dana White has long gone on record that he wants to see better judging in MMA. From judges recording the wrong scores to referees stopping fights to early or too late, white has been a vocal critic of the current system and he is not alone. In a sport with no instant replay, fighters, promoters, trainers and fans have long been complaining about real or perceived problems with referees and judges and their scoring of certain matches. It seems as if someone who can make a difference has

TUF: LIVE; fighters discuss fighting each other, records, morale and mental toughness

The UFC and FX hosted a media conference call with four of this season’s The Ultimate Fighter® Live semifinalists on Wednesday, May 16, 2012: Vince Pichel (Team Cruz) vs. Chris Saunders (Team Faber) and Al Iaquinta (Team Faber) vs. Andy Ogle (Team Faber).Al Iaquinta and Andy Ogle were asked what it was like having to fight another team mate. Said Iaquinta: “He knows my style and I know his style, fighting a teammate isn’t too different. Ogle concurred: “I would never hold back in practice. The

TUF: LIVE fighters discuss fighting, Cruz’s injury and competition

The UFC and FX hosted a media conference call with four of this season’s The Ultimate Fighter® Live quarterfinalists on Tuesday, May 8, 2012: James Vick (Team Cruz) vs. Joe Proctor (Team Faber) and Justin Lawrence (Team Cruz) vs. Michael Chiesa (Team Faber).
The panel of fighters were asked who they thought would come out on top.  Justin Lawrence said that all the fighters were great and that every one of them has an opportunity to make it.
Michael Chiesa agreed that they were all there to

Dana White says Rampage Jackson had all the tools, but could have been so much better

The career of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has seemed to have taken a downward turn as of late, and with  it come some criticism from UFC President Dana White. Although White acknowledges the high-level skills of Jackson, he still thinks that perhaps Rampage could have had an even more productive, illustrious career. Dana White expressed the following via mmafighting.com:
“Tell me Rampage Jackson wasn’t born to fight. Not only in his power, but his attributes, his wrestling, his chin,

Leandro Issa: Shinya Aoki is a great teammate and I learned a lot from him (Exclusive Interview)

Just three weeks ago, Saturday September 3rd I set my alarm clock for 4AM pacific time to witness ONE FC’s very first card live from Kallang, Singapore. The great continent of Asia where my bloodline comes from is the true Mecca and birth place of all Martial Arts. The sport of MMA in North America has evolved, improved, and changed so much in the last ten years. The birth place of styles may have a long way to go, but ONE FC is a huge part of the growth and evolution of the sport in the Far East.
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Assemblyman Bob Reilly: Insurance isn’t going to do anything for the brain damage fighters suffer

ZUFFA’s recent announcement of the company’s customized accident insurance coverage, which covers all Strikeforce and UFC fighters inside and outside of the cage, appeared to be both welcomed and applauded by all. That is, with the exception of MMA’s most infamous detractor, New York Assemblyman Bob Reilly, who has openly likened the sport to a form of “human cockfighting.”