Although he left the Octagon with the victory following his UFC 115 unanimous decision defeat of Gilbert Yvel, Ben Rothwell did not escape the bout unscathed.
According to MMAJunkie.com, Rothwell blew his ACL during the first takedown of the fight.
“It’s just one of those things where you hurt yourself, and you hear it, and you feel it, and you know it’s going to suck later,” said Rothwell, reflecting on the moment he knew he had severely damaged his ACL.
On Tuesday Rothwell had surgery to repair his ACL and a torn meniscus and currently expects to be out of action for about nine months.
“The average for something like this is six months to a year (of recovery), but [doctors] think that I’m going to be on the lower end of it,” said Rothwell.
“(Trainer) Matt Hume’s gone through a couple of knees and he thinks that nine months is what I should give myself until I feel like I’m really good and at 100 percent.”
UFC heavyweight Ben Rothwell sat at UFC 115's post-fight podium and made no excuses.
He had won a unanimous decision over Gilbert Yvel on the June 12 event's
pay-per-view card but said it was "not a victory" for the fight's lack
of finish. He chose not to disclose that he had torn his ACL on the
first takedown of the three-round contest.
Rothwell on Tuesday underwent surgery to repair both his ACL and a torn
meniscus and hopes to be back in action by February or March of 2011.
SAN DIEGO (July 8, 2010) – Two-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim “Maine-iac” Sylvia takes on former UFC and Strikeforce heavyweight title challenger, Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello, in the main event for the vacant Powerhouse World Promotions (PWP), LLC Heavyweight Championship, August 14 on Pay Per View live from Bren Events Center in Irvine, California.
“War on the Mainland,” presented by Powerhouse World Promotions, is being distributed by Integrated Sports Media at 10:00PM ET/6:00PM PT in North America on cable and satellite Pay-Per-View via iN Demand, DIRECTV, Avail-TVN and DISH Network, as well as Viewer’s Choice, Bell TV and Shaw PPV in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $29.95. It will also be available in the United Kingdom via Primetime Live. The PPV card will also be streamed live on Internet PPV outside of the United States, Canada and United Kingdom by going to www.WarontheMainland.com and registering.
“This event started as a training clinic that we’re still holding August 8 in San Diego,” PWP CEO Brian Manna explained. “It’s a full day, training clinic – MMA, Jiu-Jitsu, striking, boxing kicking, etc. – at Manna’s Martial Arts in San Diego. Tony Martinez (President of Powerhouse) suggested we do a show. We discussed it with members of our team – Joe Moreira, Carlos Palomino, Rodolfo Gonzalez and Burdett Streeter – as well as Doug Jacobs (Integrated Sports Media) and (associate) Benny Ricardo. Pay per view made it an easier sell and we were able to raise capital for the show. Now, people from all over the world will be able to watch our show.
“The depth of our field is unmatched. We not only wanted to make sure that we had three really good fights like we do, but to insure that all of the fights on this show would feature high quality fighters, as well as competitive, entertaining matches. These fights are all very well matched from top to bottom. All of us (Team PWP) are old-school martial artists. We stepped into the ring against anybody that was put in there; the type of show we’re putting on August 14th and few like it exist today in MMA for the public.”
Sylvia (26-6-0), fighting out of Bettendorf, Iowa, is coming off of an impressive second-round submission of 5-time World’s Strongest Man, Mariusz “Dominator” Pudzianowski. During his sensational career, Sylvia (6-8, 300 lbs.) has defeated many of the world’s top MMA heavyweights and super heavyweights – Andrei Arlovski (2) Brandon Vera, Jeff Monson, Wes Sims, Ricco Rodriguez, Mike Whitehead (2), Ben Rothwell and Jason Lambert.
Buentello (6-2, 250 lbs.), fighting out of Amarillo, Texas, has notable victories against “Tank” Abbott, Gary Goodridge, Justin Eilers, Mike Kyle and Kirill “Baby Fedor” Sidelnikov.
Sylvia-Buentello is one of three PWP title fights (5 X 5, all other fights are 3 X 5). Former WEC titlist Jason “The Punisher” Lambert (24-11-0) faces 8-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion Allan Goes (17-3-0) for the vacant PWP Light Heavyweight title belt, while former UFC title challenger Thales Leite (17-3-1) fights Strikeforce veteran Falinko “Niko” Vitale (27-9-0) for the PWP Middleweight crown.
In a Special Lightweight Attraction, former UFC lightweight champion Jens “Little Evil” Pulver (22-13-1), one of the most popular MMA fighters in the world, meets Diego “El Nino” Garijo (4-1-0).
Also fighting on “War on the Mainland” are Brazilian middleweight Gustavo “Ximu” Machado (18-8-1) vs. Rick Reeves (10-3-0), Mexican welterweight Jorge “The Naked Man” Ortiz (16-5-1) vs. veteran Terry Martin (19-8-0), and California lightweights Joao Silva (3-0) vs. Erin Beach (1-0). All fights and fighters are subject to change.
“We’re hitting the ground running,” Manna added. “People all over the world want to fight with us. We’re not interested in signing fighters to long-term contracts. We’re interested in the fighters being self-sufficient and stable. Burdett is a financial advisor and one of our goals is to aid fighters to become more aware of how to make their financial future more stable.”
Tickets, ranging from $35.00 to $110.00 reserved and $110.00 to $295.00 on the floor, are on sale at the Bren Event Center Box Office (10 AM/PT-6 PM/PT, Mon-Fri), going on line to www.bren.uci.edu or www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling 1.949.824.5000.
Doors open at 5:00 PM/PT, first bout 6:15 PM/PT, first PPV bout 7 PM/PT – 10 PM/ET. Go to www.WarontheMainland.com or www.bren.uci.edu for additional information.
Vendor opportunities and sponsorships are available by calling 1.858.798.1541.
Two-time All-American collegiate wrestler Cain Velasquez (8-0) will get the chance to put his undefeated record on the line and for the UFC heavyweight title against the winner of this weekends bout between champ Brock Lesnar vs. interim champ Shane Carwin.
UFC president Dana White made the announcement during Thursday’s “UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin” press conference noting that the fight could happen “soon” if the winner comes out healthy.
“Probably as soon as possible,” White noted as to a time line concerning the fight. “Cain’s been waiting a long time. As long as one of these guys comes out healthy.”
Velasquez is undefeated in 8 professional fights and is 6-0 in the UFC having won every round in all of his bouts. He’s won 7 bouts by T(KO) and recently stunned Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira by knocking the former PRIDE heavyweight champ in the first round at UFC 110 in Australia. He defeated Ben Rothwell via TKO in October by T(KO) and earned a unanimous decision against Cheick Kongo at UFC 99, the first opponent to ever take Velasquez the full three rounds.
Anyone that has had the pleasure of witnessing former Division I wrestling powerhouse Cain Velasquez wreaking havoc across the heavyweight landscape of mixed martial arts over the last four years knew it had to happen eventually, and according to UFC President Dana White that day has come.
Velasquez has been confirmed as the guaranteed challenger to the winner of this Saturday evening’s UFC 116 showdown between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin.
The news was first reported by MMAJunkie.com, who quoted White as stating, “Cain fights the winner of this fight, probably as soon as possible.
“Cain’s been waiting a long time.”
Velasquez sports an unblemished record of 8-0 during his time spent in the sport while training alongside UFC vets such as Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California. Finishing 7 of his 8 victories via KO or TKO, Velasquez has notched impressive victories over the likes of Cheick Kongo, Ben Rothwell, and most recently, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
The winner of the bout between Lesnar and Carwin this weekend in Las Vegas will be crowned the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion along with being recognized as the best fighter in the division with the recent shocking upset submission defeat suffered by Fedor Emelianenko at the hands of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace Fabricio Werdum that took place this past weekend under the Strikeforce banner.
The undefeated and freakishly talented Velasquez will soon get his opportunity to fill that coveted role. The role as the ruler of the most feared division in combat sports.
Cheaters never win. But thieves can prosper - and apparently gain some
international exposure in the process.
After shocking many MMA fans with his brazen thiefdom during a
pay-per-view broadcast this past weekend, UFC 115's mystery hat-stealer
earned a spot on this week's ESPN-SportsCenter's "Not Top 10" list.
At UFC 115, the same fan swiped hats off both Ben Rothwell and Paulo
Thiago - and nearly swiped another off Martin Kampmann - during their
walkouts to the cage.
Ben Rothwell got his first win in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, but he's not calling it a victory.
Rothwell was surprisingly subdued in a post-fight press conference following Saturday's UFC 115 event and his main-card win over fellow heavyweight Gilbert Yvel.
The reason for his glumness? He feels like he let down the fans.
Fights, not fighters, are what make MMA events entertaining. You can stack a card with high quality fighters but there is no guarantee that this will make for enjoyable fights.
UFC 115 came in for heavy criticism from people who were unhappy at the lack of top class talent on display. What the main card of UFC 115 might have lacked in top ranked fighters though it more than made up for with a series of spectacular fights.
Local lad Rory Macdonald got the action off to the best possible start by picking Carlos Condit apart for two rounds to open up an insurmountable lead on the scorecards. The Canadian crowd were delighted and nothing short of a third stoppage would have suffice for Condit.
An uncharacteristically animated Greg Jackson sent Condit out for the third and final round telling him that, quite simply, he needed to go to war. Condit took Jackson’s words to heart and set about dominating Macdonald with a brutal display of ground and pound.
With a healthy two round lead presumably under his belt Macdonald only needed to survive this onslaught until the final bell to claim a decision victory. With less than seven seconds remaining and Condit raining down a barrage of unanswered blows the referee stepped in for a dramatic yet highly unpopular stoppage.
It was no more than Condit deserved for an inspiring comeback and tellingly there were absolutely no complaints from his vanquished opponent. This was one of those rare fights were both fighters were able to enhance their reputations and deservedly claimed fight of the night honors.
Next up were the heavyweights and Ben Rothwell and Gilbert Yvel were involved in a back and forth war which surpassed expectations despite an anti climactic third round. Rothwell went at Yvel from the opening bell and set a surprisingly fast pace for a heavyweight. Yvel fought back and was battering Rothwell by the time the bell rang.
Both fighters were already fatigued when round two began but Rothwell was able to take Yvel down and keep him there, although without doing any real damage. When Yvel was able to reverse the position he was far more effective and although Rothwell spent the majority of the round in a dominant position Yvel did far more damage.
Bereft of all energy both fighters came to a virtual stand still in the third round. Rothwell was once again able to secure a dominant position and this time Yvel was unable to escape, spending almost the entire round pinned to the floor. Rothwell was understandably awarded the decision although either of the first two rounds could conceivably have gone to Yvel.
Martin Kampmann showed that he is a serious welterweight contender by defeating Paulo Thiago with an extremely technical display. Thiago was consistently beaten to the punch by some crisp striking and Kampmann appeared on the verge of submitting the BJJ black belt on a couple of occasions. Kampmann is slowly working his way up the welterweight ladder and is probably only one more win away from a title shot.
Crocop vs Barry had all the makings of a classic and it did not disappoint. Barry enjoyed the better of the early exchanges and dropped Crocop with two hard right hands. Crocop seemed surprisingly reluctant to throw his legendary left kick preferring instead to use some unorthodox side kicks and spinning heel kicks. A stand up exchange towards the end of the round was enjoyed by both fighters so much that they shared a premature embrace but this was Barry’s round and Crocop’s face was badly swollen at the end of it.
UFC fans have been waiting to see the Crocop who laid waste to Pride’s heavyweight division inside the octagon and in round two they finally got to see him. Barry was unable to pull the trigger and Crocop showed good versatility to take Barry down and emphatically win the round.
By round three the real Mirko Crocop was ready to stand up. He chased Barry across the Octagon while picking him off with a selection of punches in a performance reminiscent of his Pride days. Once again Crocop was able to take Barry down and this time he secured a rear naked choke for a dramatic submission win.
After such an entertaining build up expectations were high going into the main event and it did not disappoint. Much was made of Liddell’s superior preparation and he showed that even aged 40 he is still able to evolve as a fighter with some vicious kicks, one of which probably broke Franklin’s arm.
At one point Liddell even successfully executed an unlikely take down but he seemed in a hurry to finish the fight and his impatience was to cost him. As the round drew to an end he chased Franklin down and pinned him against the cage, landing a sharp elbow. Liddell lunged forward looking to finish the fight and ran straight into a right hand from Franklin which knocked him out cold.
It was a huge win for Franklin and demonstrates that he is still a force in the light heavyweight division. For Liddell this surely marks the end of a glorious career but the iceman can feel proud that at least he went out on his shield.
If tonight was the last time we see UFC legend Chuck Liddell wage war in the Octagon, the former UFC light heavyweight champion has absolutely nothing to hang his head about.
“The Iceman” may have come up on the short end of the stick in this evening’s clash with UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin, but Liddell showed flashes of brilliance in his bout with the revitalized Franklin and never appeared out of the fight until the final 2 or 3 seconds of the contest. Although Liddell managed to score a surprising takedown midway through the opening round, the story of the fight was the popular duo trading punches and kicks for the bulk of the 205 lb. scrap. With just seconds remaining in he first round it appeared as though Liddell had Franklin on the run, scoring with a barrage of punches and elbows on the feet, before Franklin landed a devastating straight right hand that dropped the beloved 12-year UFC veteran to the canvas in a heap.
Liddell and Franklin went to war tonight in the the main event of UFC 115 this evening in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
After the fight Franklin revealed that he had suffered a paralyzing injury in the early moments of round one.
“Early in the fight when Chuck threw that right kick to my body, I could feel it click and I knew my left arm was broken,” revealed Franklin following the war between legends.
When asked what was next on his agenda Franklin was quick to stake his claim in the 205 pound division, leaving no doubt as to what weight class he hopes to compete at in the future.
“I’m here at 205 now and if my next fight is at 205, that’s where I’ll be,” said Franklin. ”I want to make a run for the title.”
Although we may have seen the final chapter play out in the career of one mixed martial arts legend, fans were also treated to the beginning of a new chapter for another.
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic showed the heart of a champion this evening after being badly battered on separate occasions in the first round of his heavyweight clash with fellow heavyweight knockout artist Pat Barry, coming back to stop the fellow K-1 veteran with a succession of punches on the feet which progressed into some good old fashioned ground and pound before a rear-naked choke signaled the violent end of the electrifying battle between the two late in the third and final round.
Carlos Condit has a long history of rallying back from the brink of defeat and this evening was no exception. “The Natural Born Killer” dug deep in his welterweight clash with the previously undefeated hometown favorite Rory Macdonald, turning the tide in the third round after clearly losing the first two rounds to stop the hard-hitting Canadian prospect with just 7 seconds remaining in the bout.
Macdonald mixed his takedowns with his striking game beautifully for the first two rounds between the two before Condit came out with a sense of purpose in the third and finished the 20-year-old “Waterboy” with a vicious volley of unanswered ground and pound.
“It was a just stoppage,” said Macdonald following the back-and-forth battle. ”He kicked my ass.
“He was hurting me from the start. He hurt me with the first punch he landed and it was all downhill from there.”
Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann put up arguably the most impressive performance of his career against the extremely dangerous Paulo Thiagoin a hard fought three round unanimous decision victory. Kampmann surprised many by dominating the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt at his own game on the ground as well as on the feet for nearly every moment of the 15 minutes contested between the two.
The victory was the second in a row for Kampmann, who improved his UFC record to an extremely impressive 8-2 and his career record to 17-3 with the one-sided beating of Thiago.
A full set of results from UFC 115 are listed below:
Mike Pyle def. Jesse Lennox via technical submission (triangle choke) - Round 3, 4:44
Claude Patrick def. Ricardo Funch via submission (guillotine choke)- Round 2, 1:48
James Wilks def. Peter Sobotta via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Mario Miranda def. David Loiseau via TKO – Round 2, 4:07
Matt Wiman def. Mac Danzig via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:45
Although he left the Octagon with the victory following his UFC 115 unanimous decision defeat of Gilbert Yvel, Ben Rothwell did not escape the bout unscathed.
UFC heavyweight Ben Rothwell sat at UFC 115's post-fight podium and made no excuses. 
Cheaters never win. But thieves can prosper - and apparently gain some