Andy Samuelson

Story Archive

A look back at a historic night in mixed martial arts: Monday, Aug. 17, 2009; Some 13,524 fans filled the HP Pavilion Saturday night to watch mixed martial arts history as Gina Carano and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos battled for the first-ever female championship in the San Jose-based Strikeforce MMA organization.
Despite nonstop frustrations, Hieron leaves San Jose somewhat happy: Coker talks future of women's MMA and Fedor's next foe; Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009; Jay Hieron had too many frustrations to list in the last two weeks, but when the smoke finally cleared (no pun intended to Nick Diaz) Saturday night — Hieron left San Jose with a win and future title fight.
'Cyborg' does all the talking in and out of cage: Carano avoids media after loss, trainer promises she'll be back; Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009; After losing in the most historical match in female mixed martial arts history, Gina Carano didn't have much to say. The Las Vegas-based fighter avoided talking to media members in San Jose, but her trainer at Xtreme Couture gym, Shawn Tompkins, vowed 'Conviction' will make it back to such a grand stage in the future.
'Cyborg' TKOs Carano: Fans not happy as bout is stopped with one second left in first round; Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009; The first female title fight in women's mixed martial arts history ended with one second left in the first round and plenty of second guessing from the 13,000 fans in attendance at HP Pavilion. The one thing that was clear when ref Josh Rosenthal pulled Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos off Gina Carano a split second before the bell sounded was that Carano was in tons of trouble as the Brazilian striker was reigning down punch after unanswered punch during their action-filled, and crowd-approved four minutes and 59 seconds of fighting Saturday night in San Jose.
Only one woman can be champion: Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009; Las Vegan Gina Carano and Brazilian Christiane “Cyborg” Santos will make history tonight in San Jose, Calif., when they fight for the first-ever female mixed martial arts championship.
Carano ready to write one for the history books: Las Vegas fighter prepared for first-ever female MMA championship bout; Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009; SAN JOSE, Calif. — There was daddy’s little girl standing on the scale in front of the masses in just a pair of black and white striped skivvies Friday afternoon and a black sports bra. While the weight of the world, at least that of the female mixed martial arts variety, was placed squarely on her shoulders — all Gina Carano could do was a crack a smile. “I’m excited, I’m ready,” said Carano, who unlike previous weigh-ins, had no problem making weight as she came in a two full pounds under the 145-pound limit.
Carano, 'Cyborg' both make weight: Friday, Aug. 14, 2009; The hard part is over … both Gina Carano and Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos made the 145-pound weight limit today for tomorrow’s historical first-ever female mixed martial arts championship bout, the main event of Strikeforce’s show at the HP Pavilion. “A definite sigh of relief,” said Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker after Santos tipped the scale first at 144.5-pounds and Carano came in second at a slim 143.
Carano-'Cyborg' set to make history: Strikeforce show will feature the first-ever female MMA title fight; Friday, Aug. 14, 2009; History will be made Saturday night in San Jose, Calif. when the first-ever female mixed martial arts championship event takes place between Las Vegan Gina Carano and Brazilian Christiane “Cyborg” Santos. The fight between the top two female fighters had been rumored for several months. When EliteXC folded, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker swept in to make the dream match a reality. "This is the biggest fight in the history of women’s fighting, not just MMA,” Coker said.
Harris has big plans for the future of UFC's sister organization: Show in Mexico, addition of flyweight class on WEC boss' to-do list; Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009; A comment UFC president Dana White made about World Extreme Cagefighting during a Question & Answer session at UFC 101 in Philadelphia, had both White and WEC head honcho Reed Harris putting out Internet fires that the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s sister organization would be consolidated under the mixed martial arts organization’s big umbrella of the UFC. “It was the press that created that rumor,” Harris said with a half laugh, after Sunday’s WEC event at the Hard Rock. “Me and Dana talk about everything.
Latest Strikeforce fight goes up in smoke: Diaz's failure to take drug test marks third title fight to fall through for Aug. 15 show; Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009; The show will go on for Strikeforce this Saturday night, but the headaches aren’t letting up for CEO Scott Coker and his San Jose, Calif.-based fight organization.
UFC 101: What happened in Philly, and a look ahead: Monday, Aug. 10, 2009; Saturday night some 17,000-plus fans of mixed martial arts packed the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia to watch what the East Coast has been missing for almost two years — a major Ultimate Fighting Championship event. The Philly fans notorious for being tough even on home teams, weren’t shy about letting UFC fighters know when they were displeased with the action, or lack thereof — a chorus of boos became the refrain. But by the time all was said and done the Philly faithful showered their support on the Las Vegas-based fight organization.
What's next for Silva?: After destruction of Griffin, UFC middleweight champ has plenty of options; Monday, Aug. 10, 2009; Anderson Silva had already cleaned out the UFC’s middleweight division. “The Spider’s” first-round destruction of former light heavyweight champ Forrest Griffin during Saturday night’s first-ever UFC event in Pennsylvania likely means Silva is moving up a class and laying claim to another crown. Or is it?
Bowles shocks Torres: Cruz defeats Benavidez in top contender bout; Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009; A day after two of MMA's most dominant champs defend their pound-for-pound status, WEC king Miguel Torres, arguably the top American mixed martial artist could not do the same. Undefeated challenger Brian Bowles shocked Torres and snapped his 17-fight win streak with a first-round TKO tonight at The Joint at the Hard Rock.
Penn keeps belt with win over Florian: Silva spectacular in first-round KO of Griffin; Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009; PHILADELPHIA - The two fights were each spectacular in their own way. UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva dominated former UFC light heavyweight champ Forrest Griffin, ending the one-sided contest with a first-round knockout. Fans had little time to catch their breath as lightweight champ B.J. Penn came out and defended his title with a rear-naked choke of Kenny Florian in the fourth round. The win for Penn, who was coming off a lopsided loss to Georges St. Pierre in their January super-fight in Las Vegas, reaffirmed his faith in the sport he's been competing in since a youngster.
Philly all set for UFC debut: Silva prepared to put on show, Penn ready for redemption; Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009; The UFC makes its Pennsylvania debut and first show on the East Coast tonight for the first time since UFC 78 took place in Newark, New Jersey in November of 2007. Some 17,000 fans are expected to pack the Wachovia Center for a lightweight title fight between B.J. Penn and Kenny Florian and a co-main event between superstars Anderson Silva and the Las Vegas-based Forrest Griffin.
Day 5: 'Rocky' readies fight fans for UFC 101: UFC genie, err, president grants Philly fans their ultimate wishes; Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009; The Las Vegas Sun has traveled to Philadelphia for UFC 101 and are inviting anyone that wants to join along. Follow MMA writers Andy Samuelson and Brett Okamoto as they cram some of the sights and sounds from the "City of Brotherly Love" before checking out all the fights of UFC 101 Saturday night from the Wachovia Center.
Book on Griffin: Former champ ready to shock Silva: Best-selling author hopes his best read comes after Saturday night; Friday, Aug. 7, 2009; Forrest Griffin found his self-deprecating humor as a way to avoid being picked on as a youngster. While the six-foot-three, 205-pounder would have few problems taking care of bullies nowadays, his quirky personality stuck with him — making the former light heavyweight champ a UFC fan favorite. But for media members often trying to tell the former Georgia sheriff deputy’s tale can be a struggle as Griffin’s true individuality is often intertwined with his punchy press conference persona. “Yeah it takes a little while to get a read on him,” says Ron Frazier, Griffin’s boxing coach at the Las Vegas-based Xtreme Couture gym.
Silva already putting on a show: If his workout serves as any indication, fans will quickly forget his last two fights; Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009; PHILADELPHIA — For any UFC fans still upset about Anderson Silva’s “boring” performances in his last two fights, don’t be surprised to see the “The Spider” back to his old highlight-reel tricks Saturday night. At least that’s the theme Silva projected at an intense, playful, and highly entertaining workout Wednesday at Loews hotel. If the 45-minute session serves as any indication on how his bout against Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 might play out, than the middleweight champ could be leaving everyone inside the Wachovia Center on the edge of their seats.
Fighter says struggles only made him stronger: Finally healthy, Sadollah ready to shine in UFC 101; Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009; As Amir Sadollah sat shaking in an ice-cold whirl tub last week at Xtreme Couture gym, it was the first time in a long time he enjoyed the recovery soak for what it was, recovery — and not to nurse an injury. A pair of injuries have kept “The Ultimate Fighter” season No. 7 champ from fighting for more than a year.
Philly native pumped for UFC's first event in hometown: UFC's on-site coordinator will play the role of tour guide in the 'City of Brotherly Love'; Monday, Aug. 3, 2009; Burt Watson a long-time boxing promoter and manager is now the UFC's on-site coordinator — the main man behind the scenes on fight week who serves as a liaison to the fighters. But with the organization making its first-ever trip to his hometown of Philadelphia this week for UFC 101. “It’s going to be a complete thrill to be part of an event in my hometown,” Watson said. “Just awesome.”
UFC's 'Rocky Balboa' looking to shock Brazilian 'Ivan Drago': Forrest Griffin mixes humor, humility during interview for fight against pound-for-pound king Anderson Silva; Thursday, July 30, 2009; If there were a real life Rocky Balboa in the mixed martial arts world, Forrest Griffin would likely be the first choice to fill the role of the fictional boxing champ from Philly. From his self-deprecating personality to his insane workouts, the only things that seem to be separating the former UFC light heavyweight champ from Sylvester Stallone’s famous character are the dark stocking cap, grey sweat suit and stoic jog up the steps to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. “No (I’m not Rocky), but I wish I had Rocky’s chin. You can’t knock that guy out if you hit him with a sledgehammer,” joked Griffin (16-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC), who fights MMA pound-for-pound king Anderson Silva at UFC 101 on Aug. 8 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia.
WEC's Torres wouldn't mind taking Mayweather up on MMA offer: Will White base jump? Reports say Mir, Kongo to meet at UFC 107; Tuesday, July 28, 2009; Go ahead and place WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres at the front of the line to challenge Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s notion that mixed martial arts is only for white "beer drinkers." "I would love to fight Mayweather, just because of the simple fact that I think he's a cocky (expletive),” the East Chicago, Indiana star told Yahoo’s Maggie Hendricks last week, after throwing out the first pitch prior to White Sox pitcher Mark Buerhle’s perfect game against Tampa Bay.
UFC's Bonnar, buddies excited about start-up art company: Friday, July 24, 2009; UFC fighter Stephan Bonnar and his childhood buddy's idea to find a photo about his famous fight against Forrest Griffin in the first "The Ultimate Fighter" led to a unique business opportunity in the art world.
Mayweather badmouths MMA, Pacquiao's promoter: 'GSP' doesn't need surgery; promoter says Hatton should retire; Tuesday, July 21, 2009; Floyd Mayweather Jr. might not be talking much about the rib injury that delayed his fight with Juan Manuel Marquez this month, but that seems like the only topic not up for discussion. In a recent interview with CBSSports.com, “Pretty Boy Floyd” rapped on Marquez, Pacquiao and took a monster shot at mixed martial arts — saying the sport his Sept. 19 fight vs. Marquez is competing head-to-head against (UFC 103 is in Dallas the same night) is for “beer drinkers, boxing is for everybody.”
UFC brass eager for expansion into Mexico: Mexican fighters believe they can tap into countrymen's passion via boxing; Monday, July 20, 2009; UFC president Dana White has said it would only be a matter of time before the premiere mixed martial arts organization reached arguably the world’s most passionate fight fans — south of the U.S. Border. UFC 100 marked Mexico’s grand entry into the MMA fray, as the historic show was broadcast free by TV giant Grupo Televisa, exposing the sport on its biggest stage to a country filled with more than 100 million people. "This thing's only getting bigger. It's not getting smaller," White said.
Female fighters a big hit in Big Apple: Carano, Cyborg kick off historical bout with promotional tour in NYC; Thursday, July 16, 2009; When the catcalls had subsided, and the differences between male and female fighters’ genitalia jokingly explored, the discussion surrounding the biggest fight in women’s mixed martial arts history finally turned to the bout itself. "It feels so great the support that you have given Cyborg and I,” said Gina Carano, at a press conference at Madison Square Garden's WaMu Theater Tuesday to promote her 145-pound title fight with Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos on Strikeforce’s Aug. 15 card in San Jose.
Kimbo Slice out to prove he can be an 'ultimate fighter': Backyard brawler considers himself a family man over MMA star; Tuesday, July 14, 2009; The bullseye on his back will be big and red, but the scariest-looking man in mixed martial arts prefers a darker shade for his toes. Much like UFC legend Chuck Liddell, Kimbo Slice paints his toenails, the first indication that the Internet’s baddest backyard brawler has a softer side to him. Now that Slice, whose real name is Kevin Ferguson, is away from his three boys and girls for three months to shoot the UFC’s popular reality TV show “The Ultimate Fighter,” the paint offers a constant reminder of them.
One hundred and counting: Impressive performances and cold, hard cash; Monday, July 13, 2009; Those in the sellout crowd at Mandalay Bay can’t say they didn’t see enough action Saturday night during the UFC’s 100th show. There were plenty of fireworks — it depended only on whether you prefer physical or verbal barbs. Moments after unifying his heavyweight title with a victory against interim champ Frank Mir of Las Vegas, former WWE star Brock Lesnar reverted to his pro wrestling days when he taunted Mir inside the Octagon. Not all the antics were of the circus variety. Always the professional, Georges St-Pierre defended his welterweight title for the third time with a dominating performance against top contender Thiago Alves, despite suffering a severe groin injury midway through the match.
St. Pierre dominant despite injury: Welterweight champ may have torn groin, but tore through division's top contender; Sunday, July 12, 2009; Georges St. Pierre wants to leave a legacy in mixed martial arts, but after his latest victory Saturday night the UFC welterweight champ may be running out of room to improve. Despite a severely injured groin or abductor muscle, the popular Canadian fighter completely dominated the division’s top contender by scoring a lop-sided unanimous decision victory over Thiago Alves at UFC 100 at Mandalay Bay. Even the judge’s scores (50-45, 50-44, 50-45) couldn’t describe how flawlessly “GSP” executed his Greg Jackson-constructed game plan.
Lesnar wins, puts on WWE-style show afterward: St. Pierre keeps welterweight belt; Henderson KOs Bisping; Saturday, July 11, 2009; Brock Lesnar unleashed a series of hammer fists to end Frank Mir's night in the second round, but the show was far from over. Lesnar about got into with Mir afterwards, then proceed to salute the booing crowd with a couple of hand gestures. "Keep going, I love it. Keep going," Lesnar said.
Love story leads to UFC: High school buddy's wedding reunites Gorman grads; Saturday, July 11, 2009; Ultimate Fighting Championship fans can thank Adam Corrigan. Without him they probably wouldn’t be enjoying UFC 100 tonight. The Las Vegas-based restaurant owner and childhood friend of Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White may very well be responsible for saving modern day mixed martial arts when his wedding in 1996 rekindled a friendship between the eventual UFC co-founder and its president.
Liddell, 'Mask' ushered into UFC Hall of Fame: 'Iceman' reflects on Tapout founder Charles Lewis Jr., fellow fighters and fans; Saturday, July 11, 2009; Ultimate Fighting Championship events are never short on emotions, but usually the electricity in the air is one of energy and excitement for a big fight.
UFC reveals cast of 'TUF' No. 10 at Fan Expo: Kimbo not the only standout for upcoming season of Spike TV's popular show; Friday, July 10, 2009; According to UFC president Dana White the 10th season of “The Ultimate Fighter” could be the popular reality television’s show’s best. White’s prediction is pretty bold, but so too is a cast of notable athletes that includes four former NFL players, a UFC veteran, a former IFL heavyweight champ, and two of the most popular UFC fighters in Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Rashad Evans — who flat out dislike each other — serving as coaches. Oh, and some guy named Kevin Ferguson, better known by the moniker Kimbo Slice — who just happens to be the most infamous street fighter of all-time.
Square versus octagon: Two Sun writers duke it out — with words — over whether boxing or mixed martial arts reigns supreme; Friday, July 10, 2009; For Ron Kantowski, the defense and strategy in boxing makes it a superior sport. But it's the thrill of seeing big, audience-oriented fights that draws fans to mixed martial arts, Andy Samuelson counters.
From 1 to 100: UFC through the years: Thursday, July 9, 2009; Over the past 16 years, UFC has gone from a little-known league promoting "human cockfighting" to a mega-power in the sports world worth more than a billion dollars. Here's how it happened:
His way or the highway: White's bold personality has helped guide the UFC to global success; Tuesday, July 7, 2009; Dana White’s not hurting for money. If the blacked out Ferrari the UFC president revs off in one of his recent video blogs doesn’t offer enough proof, there’s always that little 10-percent ownership clause for a company that Forbes recently valued at a billion dollars. So why not just speed off into the sunset after Saturday’s historic UFC 100 show and leave the everyday headaches of the world’s fastest-growing sport behind? White is the fiercest fighter in a sport based on the primal instinct. The more he’s challenged, the harder he fights back.
Lesnar's passion in MMA, but he won't pass on paycheck: UFC heavyweight champ says he's evolved since last match with Mir; Monday, July 6, 2009; Physically, Brock Lesnar is already the UFC’s biggest star. The 6-foot-3, 280-pound Lesnar looks to be made more of granite than flesh. A win at Saturday night’s historic UFC 100 event at Mandalay Bay could easily place the behemoth right at the top of the list of mixed martial arts’ biggest stars in terms of financial success and stardom.
Women's champ dazzles in long-awaited rematch: McCarter shows little ring rust against Raika despite lengthy layoff; Saturday, July 4, 2009; Layla McCarter didn’t end her long awaited rematch with Fujin Raika with the explosive knockout she’d hoped for Friday night, but the dazzling display of boxing she did put on at the South Point arena was as fitting as any fireworks exhibition reserved for later on this Independence day. The Las Vegas-based fighter scored a decisive unanimous decision victory, with all three judges scoring the bout 100-90, despite an 11-month hiatus from the ring. “I could definitely feel I was a little off early on, but it was good to knock some of that ring rust off,” said a smiling McCarter, who with the victory retained the World Boxing Association (WBA) and Global Boxing Union (GBU) women's lightweight championships.
Mir jokes about new baby boy, serious about Lesnar: Las Vegas native says he's confident in winning heavyweight title; Tuesday, June 30, 2009; Frank Mir didn’t do much smiling when talk turned to his UFC 100 opponent Brock Lesnar at his open workout last Friday at Striking Unlimited. The one question that did raise a smirk on the UFC interim heavyweight champ’s face was whether or not there is a possibility for Lesnar-Mir III in a couple of decades. The 30-year-old Mir just had his fourth child, son, Ronin Maximus, on June 9. The next day Lesnar had a baby boy. “Maybe, but I sure hope they don’t. I want my kids to all have jobs where they wear ties,” Mir said with a chuckle.
'GSP' prepared for greatest challenge: Welterweight champ says Alves just as dangerous as he is; Friday, June 26, 2009; Georges St. Pierre has squared off in super fights and fought arguably the sport’s top champion, but the popular Canadian says his biggest challenge will come from Thiago Alves on July 11 at UFC’s historic 100th event. “Skill-wise he’s bringing a lot more problems to the table than everyone I’ve fought so far,” said St. Pierre, the welterweight champ.
Tapout moves forward after death of company's founder: Latest ventures reflect Charles 'Mask' Lewis Jr.'s early vision; Thursday, June 25, 2009; The smiles on the faces of Tapout icons Dan Caldwell and Timothy "Skyskrape" Katz revealed what words couldn’t last weekend during the grand opening of the company’s first training center in Las Vegas.
Brits living American (global) MMA dream: 'TUF' winners credit U.S. role in their recent success; Sunday, June 21, 2009; The Ultimate Fighter winners Ross Pearson and James Wilks have complete loyalty to the United Kingdom, but have no problem thanking the United States or the American-based reality TV show for helping them find big-time mixed martial arts success.
Sanchez defeats Guida in bloody battle: Brits dominate TUF finals: Pearson takes lightweight; Wilks wins welterweight; Saturday, June 20, 2009; Diego Sanchez may have won the main event Saturday night but it was the nearly 2,000 or so fans in the Pearl theater who were the real winners, seeing several fight-of-the-night contenders and one bloody main event that somehow went the distance. Team U.K. made it two-for-two tonight winning both bouts of the TUF finals.
Brits proved tough enough for MMA: Saturday, June 20, 2009; The ninth installment of the UFC’s popular reality television show “The Ultimate Fighter” offered a unique twist as two countries, not mere teams, squared off for the first time for Spike TV audiences. The finale of the season that pitted the United States against the United Kingdom comes today at the Pearl at the Palms when two of the four finalists in the lightweight and welterweight divisions will win guaranteed six-figure fight contracts to compete in the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization.
'Daddy' Stevenson ready to bring big win home: Revamped fighter wants to prove relevance against Diaz, reunite with family; Saturday, June 20, 2009; With four children and a nickname like “Daddy,” obviously Joe Stevenson’s family is of the utmost importance to him. But being a professional fighter sometimes requires significant sacrifices. That’s why for the last eight weeks, the Victorville, Calif.-based Stevenson has called Albuquerque, New Mexico home. “I have my whole concentration on this fight with Nate (Diaz),” said Stevenson.
Fall date likely for Mayweather-Marquez: Two Vegas boxers win at US Nationals; 'Bones' Adams is back; Monday, June 15, 2009; The exact length of Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s postponement for his fight against Juan Manuel Marquez will not be known until doctors evaluate the extent of damaged cartilage to the Las Vegas resident’s ribs. Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told The Associated Press on Monday that Mayweather did not have any broken ribs, but was in tremendous pain since suffering the injury last week in training camp. “He tried to work through it. He really did not want to postpone the fight, but it came to the point where he could barely sit,” said Schaefer, who said both Mayweather Jr. and Marquez have agreed to the postponement from the original July 18 date and a September date has been mentioned for the former five-time champion — who hasn’t boxed since knocking out Ricky Hatton in December 2007.
Silva not ready to call it quits: 'Axe Murderer' says he can stay aggressive yet control his mistakes against Franklin; Friday, June 12, 2009; Wanderlei Silva is one of the most popular mixed martial artists of all-time. The Brazilian’s go-for-broke style and fearless attitude has earned "The Axe Murderer" fans across the globe. Problem is, sometimes Silva’s ultra-aggressive attitude puts him in excessively compromising situations where he, and not his opponent, is laying face down via a brutal knockout. While reporters this week in Germany seem to think the 33-year-old is closer to hanging up the gloves, Silva insists he’s not ready to be a trainer full-time just yet. "I love to fight, this is so exciting for me. This is my life," said Silva, now training out of his newly opened Las Vegas-based gym Wand Fight Team.
Despite snags, White confident Germany event will go without hitch: Friday, June 12, 2009; UFC president Dana White is no stranger to fighting for mixed martial arts’ legitimacy. The outspoken leader of the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization has had to confront doubters of his sport even before Sen. John McCain branded it "human cockfighting." So the rocky reception for the promotion’s first foray into Germany this Saturday at UFC 99 in Lanxess Arena in Cologne — which has included a local child-protection group helping to ban fans 17 and younger from attending, false media reports that depict the event as a no-holds-barred sport with bare knuckles and few rules, where matches can even end in death — came as no surprise to White or head UFC officials. “This is what we deal with,” White told reporters on a conference call earlier in the week.
Mayweather Jr. proud to be an American: Unretired champ says he's ready to prove boxing's best is back; Friday, June 12, 2009; Floyd Mayweather Jr. might have been a bit late for his arrival at a special Flag Day celebration at his signature gym in Las Vegas’ Chinatown district Thursday, but he definitely didn’t forget his patriotism. “I represented this country in the 1996 Olympic games. When I received a bronze medal, there was nothing like standing up there and holding the American flag,” said Mayweather Jr., whose acrylic American flag sticker on the windows to his gym read: “Mayweather’s America.”
'Cro Cop' says he's back and better than ever: Thursday, June 11, 2009; Croatian heavyweight Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic says he is returning to the UFC this Saturday with his head squarely on his shoulders, which could spell trouble for his UFC 99 opponent, Mostapha Al Turk, at the event in Cologne, Germany. "The UFC was the black spot in my career and my life," said Filipovic, the former PRIDE champ who posted a disappointing 1-2 mark in the premiere mixed martial organization two years ago.