...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief Dana White was on the Montreal based CKAC Sports 730AM last week and on top of discussing the issues surrounding UFC 97 he provided some quick info on this summer's big UFC 100 card. By all accounts the show is going to take place at the Mandalay Bay events center in Las Vegas in July, and with only rumors swirling as to potential participants this one's already got a very good vibe to it.
On the radio program Dana stated that he expected Georges St. Pierre to defend his Welterweight Championship, and while he didn't pin down that it would be against Thiago Alves, that's the fight that should be expected. It's possible that could be the headliner, which would be a big leap up for Alves, obviously even moreso than his headlining tilt at UFC 85. It's a great match up and one that should prove a very good test for the defending Champion, and Alves will surely be ready for the challenge.
On top of that major main event worthy fight will likely be the first title defense from Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans. His opponent will be determined by the outcome of the (pointless) Keith Jardine vs. Quinton Jackson fight, as the shot is Jackson's for the taking should he get past Jardine. That's a fight that everyone wants to see, and again I'm baffled at the need for Jardine vs. Jackson as Lyoto Machida sits waiting in the wings for a long overdue Title opportunity. Whoever ends up in that spot will be a big test for the new Champion in a division where the belt is seeming to change hands on quite a frequent basis. It's also a great semi-main event fight to GSP/Alves, and with just those two title bouts alone UFC 100 is worth every penny they will charge.
Add to that B.J. Penn's comments that he's in in negotiations to fight Kenny Florian "this summer," and it makes for an even more intriguing look to this stacked card. If "this summer" turns out to be at UFC 100, that's three amazing title fights on one night, not to mention how long awaited this Florian/Penn match up will be by then.
Granted, it's very early yet in terms of locking anything down for the event, but UFC 100 is going to be epic, and rightfully so. The fact that just under a decade ago this sport was floundering and on it's last legs makes this incredible rise and milestone of 100 ("pay-per-view") events that much more amazing. Obviously they've put on more shows with the Fight Night events and Ultimate Fighter Finales, but to reach 100 events with their main sets of talent (for the most part) makes this something worth celebrating; and as far as speculation goes this card could be even more stacked than UFC 92. Once we get past the UFC 96 card, we're in for another really great string of UFC events, and it's going to be a blast to watch.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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