LOS ANGELES, CA – On this week’s UFC TONIGHT, hosts Kenny Florian and Chael Sonnen interview UFC President Dana White and THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER coach Miesha Tate. Plus, Insider Ariel Helwani has news on new lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and middleweight Jacare Souza.
UFC TONIGHT Insider Ariel Helwani on breaking news about the upcoming THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER season 19 coaches: “The coaches on the 19th season of TUF will be Frankie ‘The Answer’ Edgar and the man he beat at UFC 112 to become the lightweight champion, as well UFC 118, the returning ‘The Prodigy’ BJ Penn. He’s returning to the UFC. Dana White confirmed this to me. When they meet, the fight will take place 145, which will be BJ Penn’s featherweight debut. According to Dana White, BJ said Frankie is the pebble in his shoe that he can’t get rid of and he won’t retire until he beats him. The coaches will fight in April, with date and location TBD.”
UFC President Dana White on how Edgar vs. BJ Penn got put together: “We were trying to do Urijah Faber vs. Frankie Edgar, but Edgar didn’t want to go to 135 and Faber didn’t want to move to 145. I don’t like to do fights at a catch weight. Then out of the blue BJ texted me and said he wants to fight Benson Henderson. I said ‘Why?’ He said: ‘I think if I beat Ben, then you’ll give me a fight vs. Frankie Edger.’ He said that’s all he wants. ‘I want to move to 145, beat Frankie, and fight for that title.’ He says that he’s been training and taken the time off. When BJ gets fired up, he goes crazy and he fires me up. He wants this worse than anything and to fight at 145. It’s tough to say no to BJ. He just did a new deal with the UFC, so maybe if he wins this, then fights Ben, then fights for a title.”
To watch more from the interview: http://msn.foxsports.com/video?videoid=1d40ec7a-1b16-4c7d-ade7-bab3fbf23477&src=v5:share:sharepermalink:uuids&from=sharepermalink
White on what rule he would change in MMA: “I hate that guys can put one hand down and not get kneed. I want that rule to go away.”
White plays name association: http://msn.foxsports.com/video?videoid=d9b098c6-2113-4a14-90e4-16b6375bf642&src=v5:share:sharepermalink:uuids&from=sharepermalink
Helwani with a Matt Grice injury update: “Matt Grice is in critical condition in Oklahoma University Medical Center. His doctors are cautiously optimistic he’ll make a full recovery, but they’ll know more once he’s removed from sedation. His family has set up a fund for donations at Hopemob.org.”
Helwani on Anthony Pettis’ recovery and next fight: “The good news for Anthony Pettis and his fans, the injury wasn’t all that serious, just a grade two knee sprain. Dana White has said that they want Anthony Pettis to headline the UFC on FOX 9 event in Sacramento on December 14 against TJ Grant. Anthony wants to fight on that card. TJ thinks it might be too early, but if the UFC calls, he’ll do it. Also on that card, Dana would like Urijah Faber vs. Michael McDonald and also Chad Mendes is expected to fight on the card. These fights are not confirmed yet.”
Helwani reports on several upcoming fights: “The UFC is targeting Travis Browne vs. Stipe Miocic at UFC on FOX 9 or at UFC 168. I spoke to Jacare Souza’s manager, and he said Jacare wants the winner of Michael Bisping vs. Mark Munoz. He wants to return in January or February. This would be a huge fight at 185 pounds.”
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER Coach Miesha Tate on what’s going to happen in her upcoming fight with Ronda Rousey: “I’m going to break her jaw. I’m not going to stop punching until something on her face is broken and she wakes up looking at the lights.”
To watch the whole interview: http://msn.foxsports.com/video?videoid=5bfc3844-a43c-4434-a372-8af916547fe6&src=v5:share:sharepermalink:uuids&from=sharepermalink
UFC Senior Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner on recent rule changes: “The spirit of the rule has been violated by the fighters. We have fighters putting their hand down. They’re trying to draw the foul and get the refs to call the violation. We’re telling the refs, go into the dressing rooms and tell them you’re doing it at your own peril. It’s a judgment call.”
Ratner on preventing eye pokes in the sport: “We’re working with a glove manufacturer to make a glove that is a little more curved, so hopefully that will make it tougher for someone to stick a finger in an eye. Also, the ref can’t do anything more than say, ‘Can you see?’ to the fighter after he gets poked in the eye. If he says he can’t see, the ref has to stop the fight. We want the ref to not ask the question, but to let a doctor come out, examine the fighter and make the decision, which will take two to three minutes and give the eye some time to clear up and the fighter could get to continue the fight.”
Ratner on if New York will allow MMA in the future: “It’s not a matter of if, but it’s a matter of when. This year we passed in the senate. In the assembly, we had the majority leader of the assembly sponsor it. But they never had a vote go to the floor. It’s not the democratic process and it’s un-American. But we’re a fighting company and we’re going to keep fighting and get it happen.”
WEB Exclusive: White rips Matthew Riddle: http://msn.foxsports.com/video?videoid=7a0c9bd9-a8e7-4ad0-9f61-767d3d9ccdab&src=v5:share:sharepermalink:uuids&from=sharepermalink
