Mixed Martial Arts

Photo: Benson Henderson, center, celebrates with his fina

How Benson Henderson's post-fight proposal came together at UFC on Fox 7: Saturday, April 20, 2013; Henderson's next title defense will be against the winner of Gray Maynard vs. T.J. Grant; By Case Keefer; SAN JOSE, Calif. — As he walked out of the octagon after UFC on Fox 7, Benson Henderson shrugged his shoulders and inched his index finger and thumb together to create a paper-thin separation. The gesture to signify how tight his split-decision victory (48-47, 48-47, 47-48) over Gilbert Melendez was with his right hand. What mattered most to Henderson was in his left.

Photo: Gilbert Melendez, top, punches Benson Henderson du

UFC on Fox 7 blog: Henderson gets questionable nod, proposes in the octagon: Saturday, April 20, 2013; UFC on Fox 7 ties record with eight knockout victories; By Case Keefer; SAN JOSE, Calif. — Put UFC on Fox 7 in the record books — literally. Saturday night's card at the HP Pavilion made history in several ways, not the least of which came in the final moments of the broadcast. After retaining his lightweight championship belt for a record-tying third straight time, Benson Henderson dropped to a knee and proposed to longtime girlfriend Maria Magana.

Photo: Frank Mir weighs in for UFC 146 at the MGM Grand G

UFC on Fox 7 weigh-in: Mir and Cormier jaw; headliners cut it close: Friday, April 19, 2013; All 24 fighters on target with weight, but not without a couple incidents of suspense; By Case Keefer; SAN JOSE, Calif. — Frank Mir talked first this time. A day after Mir and Daniel Cormier had a minor altercation during a face-off photo, the heavyweights were at it again at Friday’s UFC on Fox 7 weigh-in. After Mir stepped on the scale at 257 pounds, he immediately approached Cormier (235) to pose for another photo and animatedly shared some words.

Photo: UFC President Dana White speaks to members of the

Dana White talks Mir switching camps, Rousey fighting in Vegas and more: Thursday, April 18, 2013; UFC president 'wouldn't be stunned' if Chael Sonnen's fight next week was his last; By Case Keefer; UFC President Dana White spills a handful of secrets to reporters every time he attends a press conference before a major event. Here's a rundown of the most notable nuggets White shared ahead of Saturday's UFC on Fox 7.

Photo: Ben Henderson celebrates after the end of the fift

UFC on Fox 7 breakdown, betting odds and picks: Thursday, April 18, 2013; Betting market backing Benson Henderson to retain lightweight title; By Case Keefer; For years, mixed martial arts fans and pundits regarded Gilbert Melendez as the most significant threat to the UFC lightweight championship. Now that it’s time for the Strikeforce champion to cross over into the octagon, he’s not even considered one of Benson Henderson’s toughest challengers. Not according to oddsmakers, at least.

Photo: Frank Mir, left, of Las Vegas smiles during a work

Frank Mir plans to train permanently in Albuquerque after success of recent camp: Wednesday, April 17, 2013; UFC on Fox 7: Local heavyweight unaffected by former Strikeforce champion's words before co-main event bout; By Case Keefer; When octagon announcer Bruce Buffer introduces Frank Mir Saturday at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., he’ll precede the heavyweight’s name with six of the same words he’s used 20 times before — “fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada.” For the first time in Mir’s 12-year career, however, it’s not completely accurate.

Photo: Gilbert Melendez, far left, tends to Nate Diaz in

Gilbert Melendez seeks coronation for career, revenge for friend at UFC on Fox 7: Tuesday, April 16, 2013; Fighting: Melendez was first Strikeforce champion to ask for UFC opportunity but last to make transition; By Case Keefer; Gilbert Melendez fumed after Benson Henderson’s latest title defense. Melendez spent the main event of UFC on Fox 5 last December in Seattle watching from the corner of teammate Nate Diaz, who lost a unanimous decision after enduring a 25-minute beat down from Henderson. It wasn’t an easy experience.

Photo: Cat Zingano celebrates her third round TKO of Mies

Multilayered Cat Zingano emotional after UFC debut, bullish on Ronda Rousey: Sunday, April 14, 2013; Zingano comes back to win by TKO over Miesha Tate in third round; By Case Keefer; Cat Zingano wiped away tears one second, and then used the same hands to bash Miesha Tate’s face in the next. Zingano scored a third-round TKO victory over former Strikefore women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate in one of “The Ultimate Fighter” 17 finale’s headlining bouts. The second female bout in UFC history went down as the Fight of the Night.

Photo: Kelvin Gastelum rejoices as he is the announced wi

'The Ultimate Fighter' 17 finale blog: Kelvin Gastelum emerges as newest, youngest reality-show champion: Saturday, April 13, 2013; Urijah Faber submits Scott Jorgensen with a rear-naked choke; By Case Keefer; When the 14 fighters who made it on to "The Ultimate Fighter" 17 lined up for the coaches to pick their teams, Kelvin Gastelum was one of the last two left standing. Neither Jon Jones nor Chael Sonnen selected the Yuma, Ariz., wrestler with one of their first six picks. It didn't matter because, months later Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Gastelum was the only fighter on the cast left standing.

Photo: Uriah Hall, left, and Kelvin Gastelum face off dur

'The Ultimate Fighter' 17 finale weigh-in: Headliners put friendship aside: Friday, April 12, 2013; Undercard fighter Maximo Blanco misses weight by one pound; By Case Keefer; The UFC picked the right event to hold at MGM Grand’s Hollywood Theater. “The Ultimate Fighter” 17 weigh-in featured plenty of acting. The fighters on Saturday night’s card had to do their best pretending when they squared off with their opponents. The customary stare-down photos played out like picture day for high school football teams: Everyone tried not to smile.

Photo: Miesha Tate works with Bryan Caraway during the me

Miesha Tate debuts after pioneering movement to get women in UFC: Friday, April 12, 2013; Tate out to earn rematch, title shot against Ronda Rousey; By Case Keefer; Miesha Tate was there for the celebration. She just couldn’t celebrate herself. Tate (13-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) gets her moment Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center against Cat Zingano (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) on the main card of “The Ultimate Fighter” 17 finale.

Uriah Hall: Opponent Kelvin Gastelum is more dangerous than people realize: Thursday, April 11, 2013; Fighting: Hall talks 'The Ultimate Fighter' 17 finale, loss to Chris Weidman; By Case Keefer; UFC President Dana White anointed Uriah Hall “the nastiest, deadliest, meanest” competitor in the history of “The Ultimate Fighter” after watching the 28-year-old knock out three straight opponents during the reality show competition. A bewildered fan sent White a message on Twitter wondering how Hall (7-2 MMA, 4-0 TUF) had ever been beaten in his career. It seems no one believes Hall can lose in Saturday night’s finale at the Mandalay Bay Events Center against Kelvin Gastelum (5-0 MMA, 4-0 TUF).

Photo: Gegard Mousasi before fighting Renato Sobral in a

After UFC on Fuel TV 9 victory, Mousasi open to rescheduling Gustafsson fight: Saturday, April 6, 2013; Ross Pearson knocks out Ryan Couture in second round; By Case Keefer; Gegard Mousasi bloodied Ilir Latifi’s face in several places with a constant jab that led the former Strikeforce champion to a unanimous-decision victory (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) at UFC on Fuel TV 9 .

Photo: Gegard Mousasi, who meets newcomer Ilir Latifi in

Getting to know Ilir Latifi before his debut at UFC on Fuel TV 9: Friday, April 5, 2013; Swedish fighter's willingness to step up on short notice gets him dream job; By Case Keefer; Ilir Latifi is shrouded in more mystery than any main-event fighter in UFC history. That’s an understandable consequence of accepting a fight on four days notice. Latifi (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) would love for fans to get to know him ahead of Saturday’s UFC on Fuel TV 9 showdown against Gegard Mousasi (33-3-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in Stockholm, Sweden.

Ryan Couture undaunted by formidable challenge in UFC debut: Wednesday, April 3, 2013; Fighting: Son of Randy Couture rides four-fight win streak into the octagon; By Case Keefer; Ryan Couture admits the fight offer made him uneasy. Nerves nearly got the best of Couture as he went through the process of signing the contract and sending it in. It wasn’t until the son of UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture started training for the bout that he left his self-doubts behind.

Nick Diaz fails to back up years worth of talk

A welterweight title fight that felt incredibly different wound up remarkably the same. Georges St. Pierre manhandled nemesis Nick Diaz with his wrestling. St. Pierre won every round on every judges' scorecard in Montreal for his sixth straight unanimous-decision victory. Diaz had preached his superiority over St. Pierre for years, but when he finally got his chance, he looked as helpless as all the other challengers to the 170-pound division's throne in the last six years. St. Pierre's consistency continued to amaze. Now it's on to Johny Hendricks, who defeated Carlos Condit in the evening's co-main event. Could he be the one to finally threaten St. Pierre?

Main Card Results
Winner	Loser	Method
Georges St. Pierre	Nick Diaz	Unanimous Decision
Johny Hendricks	Carlos Condit	Unanimous Decision
Jake Ellenberger	Nate Marquardt	Knockout
Chris Camozzi	Nick Ring	Split Decision
Mike Ricci	Colin Fletcher	Unanimous Decision

Date	Event	Headlining Match	Location
May 25	UFC 160	Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva	Las Vegas: MGM Grand Garden Arena
June 8	UFC on FUEL TV 10	Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Fabricio Werdum	Fortaleza, Brazil
June 15	UFC 161	Renan Barao vs. Eddie Wineland	Winnipeg, Manitoba
June 22	WBA Welterweight Title	Paulie Malignaggi vs. Adrien Broner	Brooklyn, N.Y.
July 6	UFC 162	Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman	Las Vegas: MGM Grand Garden Arena
July 27	UFC on Fox 8	Demetrious Johnson vs. John Moraga	Seattle
August 3	UFC 163	Jose Aldo vs. Anthony Pettis	Rio de Janeiro