Dana White Discusses UFC 131, Blasts Bob Arum and Gary Shaw

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- MMA Fighting caught up with UFC president Dana White following Saturday night's UFC 131 event to discuss Junior dos Santos' win over Shane Carwin, Cain Velasquez's return, what's next for Kenny Florian, the questionable judging and more. White also strongly rebutted recent comments by Gary Shaw and Bob Arum about Zuffa's purchase of Strikeforce.

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UFC 131 Main Event Results: JDS Dominates, Earns Shot at Cain

Click below for the UFC 131 main event report from Vancouver...

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VANCOUVER, BC, June 11 - Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos have been on a collision course for a very long time. Their dream matchup became reality on Saturday night at Rogers Arena as dos Santos battered and bloodied Shane Carwin over three rounds and immediately thereafter was offered a shot at Velazquez’s heavyweight title while standing in the Octagon with the champ.

“That’s awesome. Thank God for that,” said dos Santos (13-1). “Much respect for Cain Velasquez, but Cain, I’m coming for you.”

The unbeaten Velasquez (9-0) is presently recovering from surgery on his rotator cuff and the date of his return is unknown.

“I feel great,” the typically humble and soft-spoken Velasquez said. “He (dos Santos) showed awesome standup in this fight like always and he’s always improving.”

Carwin, who has claimed all 12 of his victories in the first round, was supposed to represent a stiff test to the Brazilian stablemate of UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva and the Nogueira brothers, Rodrigo and Rogerio. But the speedier Dos Santos rocked and cracked the 254-pound Coloradan with hard punches for much of the 15 minutes.

Early on, it looked like Carwin would not make out of the first round when dos Santos put him on the canvas with a wicked combination. Dos Santos pounced and wailed away with dozens more blows, but an embattled Carwin (12-2) gamely fought on and laid to rest any questions about his cardio – which betrayed him in a loss to Brock Lesnar last year but was much improved (this fight marked the first time Carwin has ever gone into the third round of a fight).

The former NCAA Division II wrestling champ, who trimmed down for this bout, succeeded at taking dos Santos down twice but could not hold him there very long. In fact, dos Santos even managed to take a profusely bleeding Carwin down twice in the third round – the latter time with a hard slam.

“I’m improving my wrestling also, so be careful my opponents,” dos Santos said.

Judges saw the fight 30-27, 20-27 and 30-26 for dos Santos.

UFC 131 Post-Fight Press Conference

Highlights from the post-fight media scrum in Vancouver...

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UFC president Dana White awarded bonuses to UFC newcomers Dave Herman and John-Olav Einemo for Fight of the Night and to Chris Weidman for the first-round Submission of the Night scored in his sophomore UFC outing. He also announced that Sam Stout received Knockout of the Night for what White described as "One of the most vicious knockouts in UFC history, if not the most vicious." Each bonus scored $70,000 for the fighters.

Video highlights from the fighters below will be linked below as they become available.
Junior dos Santos
Kenny Florian
Sam Stout and Mark Munoz
Donald Cerrone and Dave Herman

UFC 131 Main Card Results: Florian a Fine Fit at Featherweight

VANCOUVER, BC, June 11 - He has dropped an astounding four weight classes in his pro career. On Saturday he was taunted by chants insulting his Boston heritage and hit the deck from a punch in round one. But in the face of all that adversity, Kenny Florian dug deep and somehow escaped with a win over highly-ranked featherweight Diego Nunes in the UFC 131 co-main event at Rogers Arena Saturday night. See post-fight interview

Judges scored it 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 for the Bostonian, who used takedowns and a well-rounded standup attack to hold off one of UFC featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo’s teammates.

“That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” “Kenflo” said afterwards inside the Octagon to a chorus of boos. “Vancouver, despite the Bruins, thank you, I love you.”

Florian, a two-time contender for the UFC lightweight crown who was competing at 145 pounds for the first time in his career, actually seemed to get stronger and more determined midway through the fight whereas Nunes visibly slowed down just a tad.

The ever-dangerous Nunes bled profusely behind his ear and constantly threatened Florian with spinning backfists, high kicks and punching combinations. Twice he took Florian down and he even nailed Florian in the final 10 seconds of the fight and caused him to briefly drop to a knee before popping to his feet.

“I want to make a run for that belt,” a relieved Florian said. “Diego Nunes is going to be a future champion. He’s as tough as they come.”

Demian Maia vs. Mark Munoz

In a battle of top 10 middleweights, Mark Munoz survived a potent right hand that wobbled him to nudge by former title challenger Demian Maia. Maia, a former world champion Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, showed much improved standup, but Munoz stepped up his game with takedowns in the second and third rounds – as well as holding his own in the standup department and popping Maia with shots that forced the Brazilian to retreat at times. Munoz was particularly effective with ground and pound in the second round after stuffing Maia’s takedowns and making him pay with heavy leather to the hips, legs and body. See post-fight interview

Round three was a coin-toss, with Munoz – a former NCAA Division wrestling champ – scoring a takedown, but Maia threatening with a choke. The standup was back and forth in a very close round.

The judges saw it 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 for Munoz.

“He caught me in that first round, I was like ‘Wooaahh,’” Munoz said. “I was doing that stanky leg. Man, he landed a good punch in that first round.”

John-Olav Einemo vs. Dave Herman

Dave Herman and John-Olav Einemo let it all hang loose in a back-and-forth eight-minute war that became frontrunner for Fight of the Night. A former Abu Dhabi World Champion grappler who is feared for his ground game, Einemo succeeded at taking Herman down early but was unable to hold him there. Einemo, who trains with Strikeforce heavyweights Alistair Overeem and Sergei Kharitanov, seemed comfortable from that point on to engage Herman in a slugfest – despite Herman’s 14 wins via TKO. Einemo found a home early for his straight right hand and Herman, a 6’5” specimen who bears a striking facial resemblance to Super Bowl winning quarterback Peyton Manning, countered with leg kicks. See post-fight interview

The action intensified in the second round with more straight right hands from Einemo and a feisty and resilient Herman answering with a leg kick that floored the towering Norwegian. The suspense thickened when Einemo cracked “Pee Wee” Herman with a hard knee to the face and followed it up with a right hand for good measure. A bloodied and smiling Herman, who replaced Shane Carwin in this matchup and was making his UFC debut along with Einemo, responded with a furious knee of his own to Einemo’s grill and a hard left hand. It was topsy-turvy fireworks the rest of the way, with fans wondering who would crumble first. Two knees by Herman to Einemo’s chin produced the answer. Einemo fell to the canvas and Herman chased him there and rained down punches until the referee halted the action at 3 minutes 19 seconds of round two.

It was Herman’s 21st win in 23 fights. Both men were awarded Fight of the Night bonuses for their crowd-pleasing war.

Donald Cerrone vs. Vagner Rocha

It’s a safe bet that Vagner Rocha will be walking with a limp Sunday morning. Donald Cerrone is the reason why. “Cowboy” repeatedly stuffed the submission artist’s takedown attempts and punished Rocha’s lead leg for three rounds en route to a commanding unanimous decision win. On occasion, Cerrone tagged Rocha with punching combinations, but opted to play it safe with dozens of low kicks that left Rocha gimpy late in the fight and even switching stances for relief. Late in the third round, with Rocha slowed and hobbled, Cerrone amped up the assault on Rocha’s chin and floored the Brazilian. The lanky Coloradan, known for his Fight of the Night worthy performances, conceded afterward that he opted to be conservative against a very dangerous BJJ black belt. See post-fight interview

UFC 131 dos Santos vs. Carwin Results and Play-by-Play

Number one UFC heavyweight contender Junior dos Santos puts his title shot on the line in the UFC 131 main event against Shane Carwin, who stepped up on short notice to replace Brock Lesnar.

MMAWeekly.com will have full UFC 131: dos Santos vs. Carwin results and play by play on Saturday, June 4. The main card begins at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET with the preliminary bouts beginning at approximately 2:50 p.m. PT/5:50 p.m. ET.

(Click on the fight below for UFC 131: dos Santos vs. Carwin play-by-play as it is updated or click on the link at the bottom of the page for UFC 131: dos Santos vs. Carwin quick results of all the fights with no play-by-play.)

UFC 131 PRELIMINARY BOUTS:

BOUT #1 – Michihiro Omigawa vs. Darren Elkins (Featherweight) completed



BOUT #2 – Joey Beltran vs. Aaron Rosa (Heavyweight) complete

BOUT #3 – Dustin Poirier vs. Jason Young (Featherweight) completed

BOUT #4 – Nick Ring vs. James Head (Middleweight) completed

BOUT #5 – Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Mike Massenzio (Light Heavyweight) completed




BOUT #6 – Jesse Bongfeldt vs. Chris Weidman (Middleweight) completed





BOUT #7 – Sam Stout vs. Yves Edwards (Lightweight) completed

UFC 131 MAIN BOUTS:

BOUT #8 – Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone vs. Vagner Rocha (Lightweight) completed




BOUT #9 – Demian Maia vs. Mark Munoz (Middleweight) completed

BOUT #10 – Jon Oliv Einemo vs. Dave Herman (Heavyweight) completed



BOUT #11 – Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes (Featherweight) completed




BOUT #12 – Junior dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin (Heavyweight) completed

UFC 131: dos Santos vs. Carwin Quick Results

Helwani@Fowlkes: UFC 131 Preview Video

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- UFC 131 is just hours away, so check out our preview with MMA Fighting's Ben Fowlkes from Vancouver. We discuss the buzz in town for the event, what both Junior dos Santos and Shane Carwin need to do to win, Kenny Florian's featherweight debut and much more.

Thomas Gerbasi: Official UFC 131 Weigh In Results

Below are the official weigh in results for Saturday’s UFC 131 event.

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UFC 131, which is headlined by the heavyweight bout between Junior dos Santos and Shane Carwin and the featherweight battle between Kenny Florian and Diego Nunes, airs live on Pay-Per-View from Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at 9pm ET / 6pm PT. Fans can also tune in to Spike TV at 8pm ET / 5pm PT to see live UFC 131 preliminary bouts, and those who “like” the UFC on Facebook can see the rest of the prelim bouts at 5:50 pm ET / 2:50 pm PT*.

MAIN EVENT
Junior dos Santos (239) vs. Shane Carwin (254)

PPV
Kenny Florian (146) vs. Diego Nunes (145)
Mark Munoz (186) vs. Demian Maia (186)
John-Olav Einemo (261) vs. Dave Herman (233)
Donald Cerrone (155) vs. Vagner Rocha (155)

SPIKE TV PRELIMS
Yves Edwards (155) vs. Sam Stout (155)
Chris Weidman (186) vs. Jesse Bongfeldt (185)

ONLINE FIGHTS
Jason Young (145) vs. Dustin Poirier (146)
Mike Massenzio (201) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (205)
James Head (186) vs. Nick Ring (185)
Aaron Rosa (261) vs. Joey Beltran (247)
Darren Elkins (145) vs. Michihiro Omigawa (145)


*The prelims will also stream live on Heavy.com, Versus.com, Rivals.com, Foxsports.com and the USA Today website.

UFC® Stars Predict Outcome of Dos Santos vs. Carwin

Who are the stars picking in Dos Santos vs. Carwin Saturday night?

Las Vegas, NV – This Saturday’s UFC® 131: DOS SANTOS vs. CARWIN event in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada features an explosive showdown between two of the biggest punchers in history, Junior dos Santos and Shane Carwin. Thus, when the two mega forces collide at Rogers Arena live on Pay-Per-View to determine who gets the next shot at UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, fans around the world expect an epic war.

The Brazilian dos Santos has been thoroughly dominant in his UFC career, stopping the likes of Fabricio Werdum, Stefan Struve and Mirko Cro Cop, as well as besting Roy Nelson over three brutally one-sided rounds. Meanwhile, Carwin’s fists have finished all 12 of his victims inside one round, including former world title challenger Gabe Gonzaga and two-time champion Frank Mir.

In anticipation of the Saturday night bout between the two giants, numerous UFC stars came together to offer their opinions on the colossal number one contender fight.

MARK HOMINICK, UFC FEATHERWEIGHT
“I believe that this is dos Santos’ fight. He seems very motivated at capturing the title and willing to take out whoever is in the way. The advantage that Carwin has is in his wrestling, but I think he will try to exchange on his feet, where dos Santos has the speed advantage and will take him out. ”
PICK: dos Santos by KO

MICHAEL BISPING, UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT
“I think dos Santos takes this. Carwin is a massive threat to anyone, and no matter who you are, if he hits you, you’ve got a serious problem. This is a great fight for the fans because literally the very next punch could end it at anytime, either way. But, I think dos Santos is more technically sound, he hits hard from range and he is more athletic, and in a battle of two massive punchers you have to give the edge to the guy who is faster and more athletic. I think he’s going to get hurt and maybe dropped along the way, but I think dos Santos wins this by KO late.”
PICK: dos Santos KO 3

DaMARQUES JOHNSON, UFC WELTERWEIGHT
In the cosmic clash of man-sized fisticuffs, my Nostradamus-like fight predicting capability sees a loss of consciousness in the near future. Both JDS and Carwin have the kit bag full of power bursting at its seams. However, I give the edge in hand speed to JDS. A few questions still remain about both these monstrous men, so you can never really be sure. Did Shane get a new gas tank? Can JDS handle the power of a man that resembles just as much grizzly bear as he does human being? I guess we will see come fight time.
PICK - Carwin

DAVID HAYE, WBA HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION
“This is a really exciting fight, just the type of fight I love to be in, as two big heavyweight punchers are going to just blast each other. I’m too close to my own big heavyweight fight with Wladimir Klitschko to stay up to watch, but I’ll be watching the replay. I think this fight is really going to set the bar high in terms of excitement and power-punching. Someone is getting knocked spark out! Either man can KO the other – another similarity between this fight and mine – but I think dos Santos is faster and will land his bomb first. The same thing will happen in my fight.”
PICK: dos Santos KO 2

GEORGES ST-PIERRE, UFC WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION
“This is a really tough fight. Both guys are really heavy hitters and early finishers. The guy that connects first is likely coming out with the win and I’m thinking it is Carwin. He’s got the best chance at winning.”
PICK: Carwin by KO

BRIAN STANN, UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT
“Tough to pick against a very motivated dos Santos right now, but I am going with my friend, Shane Carwin. Superior wrestling has become a noticeable advantage in many big fights and Shane has it in this bout. Dos Santos can beat anyone in the division on the right night, but I think Shane uses his sound boxing to land big punches and takedowns en route to an eventual finish by TKO.”
PICK: Carwin by KO late

ROY NELSON, UFC HEAVYWEIGHT
“I think Carwin has to shoot, take JDS down and try for the ground and pound. He’s lost some muscle mass and should be faster. But, you know what, dos Santos beat me, so he must good. I think – actually I know – his punches come in fast and I can see him getting Carwin out of there in two rounds.”
PICK: dos Santos KO 2

KYLE KINGSBURY, UFC LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
“Carwin wins. Strength, athleticism and wrestling ability will be the difference.”
PICK: Carwin

RANDY COUTURE, UFC HALL OF FAMER
“Both these guys like to stand and bang and both can knock you out. Carwin has amazing power, but it will be interesting to see if he chooses to wrestle here and if he can wrestle for three rounds. I don’t think he should play around striking with Dos Santos. Junior is too sharp in the striking. But I think Carwin will have improved his game to where he can use his NCAA wrestling skills over three rounds for the win.”
PICK: Carwin by decision

ROSS PEARSON, UFC LIGHTWEIGHT
“I think dos Santos is winning. He’s got the faster hands, better movement and I think the first big shot that’ll land will be his. If Carwin lands first, he wins, but I think JDS lands first. Of course, Carwin can fool everyone and use his wrestling, but I don’t think that will happen.”
PICK: dos Santos KO 1

MARTIN KAMPMANN, UFC WELTERWEIGHT
“I think dos Santos is gonna win. He's got the sharper boxing skills and better reach. Carwin can definitely knock him out if he comes in and there's an opening, but I think JDS is gonna catch him first.”
PICK: dos Santos via KO

KYLE NOKE, UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT
“This is a great matchup for both guys. It's hard to pick with Carwin’s size and power versus dos Santos’ athleticism and power. I can guarantee one thing: this fight will not go to a decision. My pick is Carwin by TKO.”
PICK: Carwin by KO

MATT BROWN, UFC WELTERWEIGHT
“I got dos Santos. I think he is faster and more technical on the feet than Carwin. Carwin is a dangerous and powerful guy, but I believe dos Santos has the ability to avoid Carwin’s power and will land more shots more often.”
PICK: dos Santos via knockout

BRENDAN SCHAUB, UFC HEAVYWEIGHT
“JDS is one of the best in the world, but I think Carwin will be too much for him. Shane can do it all and is more motivated then ever after having a year layoff. He's stronger, leaner and in the best shape of his life. This is Carwin’s fight!”
PICK: Carwin KO 1

FORREST GRIFFIN, UFC LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
“For some reason, I’m leaning toward dos Santos. He seems to be a little bit quicker than Carwin. Dos Santos has tremendous speed for a big heavyweight and I honestly think that dos Santos versus Cain (Velasquez) would be a great fight.”
PICK: dos Santos

JOSH GRISPI, UFC FEATHERWEIGHT
“That’s a tough one to call, but I’ll take dos Santos by KO. I think he’s more technical.”
PICK: dos Santos

GILBERT MELENDEZ, STRIKEFORCE LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION
“Junior versus Shane is going to be a great fight. Probably a better fight than what the fans were going to see at first. These guys are going to get in there and give the fans an all-out war. I see Junior grinding this one out though. He’s going to have stay away from one of Shane’s bombs, but I think he’ll end up getting his hand raised in the end.”
PICK: dos Santos

TJ GRANT, UFC WELTERWEIGHT
“I think Carwin is going to be a tougher fight for dos Santos than Brock Lesnar would have been. Both guys are very dangerous and anything can happen, but I truly believe Junior has the better striking and that will win him the fight.”
PICK: dos Santos by TKO

UFC 131 Weigh-in Live Video Stream Friday at 5 p.m. ET

Due to the NHL Stanley Cup schedule and the Vancouver Canucks playing in the finals, Friday’s UFC 131: dos Santos vs. Carwin events have been bumped up on the schedule.

The UFC 131 Fighter Q&A, featuring Stephan Bonnar, will stream live on MMAWeekly.com on Friday at Noon PT/3 p.m. ET.

The UFC 131 Weigh-in will stream live on MMAWeekly.com on Friday, shortly after the Fighter Q&A, at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET.

The UFC 131 Post-Fight Press Conference will stream live on MMAWeekly.com on Saturday night, shortly after the conclusion of the main event.

All events are streaming live courtesy of UFC.com, and are subject to fluctuation in quality due to bandwidth levels at the venue.

Ben Fowlkes: Dana White: UFC Is 'Talking to Everybody,' but No New TV Deal Yet

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Though reports that the UFC was in talks to buy a controlling interest in NBC Universal's G4 channel were all over the internet recently, UFC president Dana White stressed on Thursday that, as of right now, it's nothing more than talk.

And just because The Wall Street Journal reports on the talks, White insisted, that doesn't mean there's a deal.

"I told you guys the last time we all talked, we're talking to everybody right now. It actually blew my mind that huge media sources would go out and announce that when there is no deal," White said. "It's strange. It's crazy."

White said he was "not ruling out anything," including a renewal of the UFC's deal with Spike TV. And as for reports that Spike is already moving on and planning on life after the UFC?

"I don't know. Maybe they are," White said. "I don't know. I told you guys last time, we're in negotiations, and negotiations are never fun."

As MMA Fighting's Mike Chiappetta reported, Spike employees are said to be openly referring to the cable network's upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter as "the last season." Spike executives are also said to have visited recent Bellator events, leading many to wonder if the cable network is resigned to losing the UFC and is already on the lookout for a new MMA partner.

Spike's contract with the UFC ends this year, and a recent report on Bloomberg.com suggested that a controlling stake in G4 might cost the UFC as much as $600 million, though White said he had no idea where that number came from.

"It's stupid for me to talk about this while we're in negotiations," White added. "It makes no sense whatsoever."

Dana White Discusses How GSP vs. Diaz Was Signed, UFC 131, UK Events

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- MMA Fighting caught up with Dana White following Thursday's UFC 131 press conference to discuss a whole host of topics: how he signed Nick Diaz vs. Georges St-Pierre, why he decided to make all non-title main events five rounds, Clay Guida's win against Anthony Pettis, why the UFC isn't returning to the UK in 2011, slow ticket sales in Vancouver, why Kenny Florian dropped down to featherweight and his acting skills on the new UFC Bud Light commercial.