JARDINE CONFIDENT AS SILVA SHOWDOWN NEARS
It’s been more than four months since Keith Jardine hit a bump on the road in his journey to the UFC light heavyweight championship. That bump is named Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.
Jardine fought Jackson to the full term of their 15-minute bout at UFC 96, but it was Jackson that had just enough of a burst late in the third round to secure the unanimous decision victory.
With little more than a month to go, Jardine puts a lot of importance on his next bout. He faces fellow Top 10 ranked fighter Thiago Silva at UFC 102 when the promotion makes its Portland, Ore., debut.
“(This fight) means a lot for me. I'm on my way to the top right now and I'm only getting better. With this fight I want to go out and make a statement,” Jardine told MMAWeekly.com following UFC 100.
That’s not to say that he’s overlooking Silva; he realizes that his opponent poses challenges in every realm of the game.
“He's got really good jiu-jitsu, he's really good on the ground. He's got really good leg kicks and he's got good power. He's a good brawler. He's got good wind. He's everything man,” assessed the Greg Jackson trained fighter.
“I think me and him make a perfect fight because we both like to stand there and we both like to hit each other and get hit.”
Despite the loss to Jackson, the latest ebb in an alternating current of wins and losses over his past six bouts, Jardine believes that the level of competition he has faced still puts him within arms reach of being right back in the thick of the light heavyweight title picture.
“I've beat a lot of great guys; I've had a lot of great fights. I've got all the traction I need. Once I string some wins together, they can't deny me a title fight.”
HERMAN LIKELY TO STEP IN FOR IRVIN AT UFC 102
A knee injury has forced James Irvin to withdraw from a scheduled bout with Wilson Gouveia at UFC 102, radio host Carmichael Dave confirmed on Tuesday, making him the second combatant forced off the Aug. 29 card due to injury.
According to a report on Sherdog.com, Team Quest middleweight Ed Herman has agreed to step in for Irvin, although a source that spoke to MMAWeekly.com said Herman has not yet signed a bout agreement for the fight.
Herman (15-7) was scheduled to face Arizona Combat Sports standout Aaron Simpson at UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard on Sept. 16, but he has been removed from the card, according to a separate source close to negotiations. He last appeared at UFC 97, defeating David Loiseau by unanimous decision. The win snapped a two-fight losing streak against Demian Maia and Alan Belcher, respectively.
MARCUS AURELIO IN FOR MATT VEACH AT UFC 102
Sources close to the bout have confirmed that Matt Veach has had to withdraw from his UFC 102 fight with Evan Dunham. The Aug. 29 event takes place at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Ore.
Stepping in to take Veach’s place is Marcus Aurelio (18-7).
Aurelio made his exit from the promotion back-to-back losses to Tyson Griffin and Hermes Franca in 2008. The American Top Team fighter has since won two fights in a row, defeating Chris Liguori and Joey Gorczynski earlier this year.
Looking to keep his record unblemished, Dunham will make the second start of his career in the Octagon at UFC 102. A native of Oregon, his record currently stands at 8-0.
AURELIO CALLED TO UFC; EDWARDS IN AT SHINE 2
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Shine Fight Promotions on Wednesday announced that UFC and Pride veteran Yves Edwards would step in to replace Marcus Aurelio at its “American Top Team vs. The World” event on Sept. 4 in Miami.
Aurelio withdrew from the event to return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship to face Evan Dunham on Aug. 29 at UFC 102.
A representative of American Top Team, Aurelio was slated to face Carlo Prater at on Sept. 4. While an initial press release announced that Edwards would be stepping in against Prater, a revised statement from Shine indicated that Edwards’ opponent would be named shortly.
Beginning his professional career in 1997, Edwards has faced some of the best fighters in MMA, including Nate Marquardt, Caol Uno, Josh Thompson, and Matt Serra. Currently on a two-fight losing streak, he has complied a record of 35-14-1.
