Dana White To Make Big Announcement Live On ESPN
The Herald offers this exclusive inside report of all the latest news and action from the Ultimate Fighting Championship. If something’s happening behind the scenes, or inside the octagon, you’ll read it here first.
What’s your next step after dropping a closely contested, high-profile decision in a potentially breakthrough bout? Well, if you’re Stephan Bonnar or Forrest Griffin, you get back to basics.
It just so happens that getting back to basics for these two UFC tough guys means squaring off in the octagon against each other. That’s what the light heavyweights will do at UFC 62 on Aug. 26, re-creating their action-packed showdown from April 2005 in the Ultimate Fighter Season 1 final. That match, which ended in a close decision for Griffin but six-figure UFC contracts for both men, was one of the best fights of ’05.
“I think it’s safe to say you can expect more of the same this time around. You’ll probably see the same entertainment as the first time, because we are both such aggressive fighters,� Bonnar said.
Bonnar-Griffin will be on the same card as the anticipated Chuck Liddell-Renato Sobral fight.
Bonnar (12-2) is trying to bounce back from losing a three-round decision to Rashad Evans last month. He has wins over such tough opponents as Sam Hoger, James Irvin and Keith Jardine. Griffin, meanwhile, lost a split decision to Tito Ortiz last April at UFC 59, a fabulous fight.
With those losses, both Bonnar and Griffin have hit a temporary road block. After Aug. 26, one of them will be back on the road to a title fight.
Behind the scenes look
“The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback Season� will begin airing on Aug. 17 and Framingham’s Jorge Rivera will be providing the inside scoop right here in the Herald. The 34-year-old Rivera, who is originally from Milford, is one of the 16 fighters to take part in the reality show on Spike TV. The show airs for 13 weeks with the finale taking place in November.
After each episode airs, Rivera will share comments on the training, the coaches, his progress and his overall experience with Herald readers in this space. Stay tuned.
61 and beyond
Time to look back for a moment, before looking ahead. UFC 61 in Las Vegas on July 8 saw Ortiz hold off an impressive Griffin and Maine’s Tim Sylvia win the rubber match over Andrei Arlovski. It also was a good place to be seen from a sports and entertainment standpoint.
Among those taking in the action were Wayne Newton, WWE’s The Undertaker, Houston Texans quarterback David Carr, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Brad Penny and the band Linkin Park.
As far as looking ahead, expect a big announcement from UFC president Dana White tomorrow, live on ESPN. … Speaking of White, he will be in Boston later tomorrow through Wednesday for the annual CTAM, a big cable TV trade conference at the Hynes Convention Center. … Following last weekend’s show, the UFC was once again making some buzz on Yahoo’s Buzz Index, taking the No. 2 spot, just behind World Cup soccer.
