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Wilamy “Chiquerim” Freire, the Brazilian newcomer who faces Waylon Lowe in a lightweight bout on January 22nd’s Fight for the Troops 2 card in Texas, is a man used to being ‘caged’ since the first months of his life.? ????? No, he wasn’t treated like a dog in a kennel. Instead, Freire, a 23-year old born in Fortaleza, had busy parents, so he was taken care of by his grandparents, who hired a babysitter. The crying of the infant forced the babysitter to keep him in a crib the majority of the time. The crib, when added to the insertion of Northeast Brazilian slang, produced the name “Chiquerim”, a nickname which later became synonymous with the former 154-pound Shooto champion.??? ????? “I never looked at it that way,” said Freire of his early days inside the ‘cage’. “It’s funny to explain the meaning of my nickname because people think it’s related to that Snoopy cartoon, where there’s a character named Pig Pen (Chiquerinho, without the Northeast slang), who doesn’t take a shower. They did think I was a bit dirty too (laughs).”??? ??? I confess that I imagined the meaning of his nickname was related to the Peanuts character, a mistake everybody who meets Freire for the first time makes. Anyway, the first time I contacted him for an interview, there wasn’t any time for such light-hearted misconceptions, as Freire was sidelined from his Octagon debut, scheduled for last August against fellow Brazilian Thiago Tavares. On that occasion, a knee injury removed any smile from his face and put him in a personal limbo that young people believe will last forever. For him, it was mainly because after vacating the Shooto title, he had a dream accomplished by fighting for UFC, only to see it delayed.? ??? “My friends and a few guys I met for the first time were important when it came to increasing my positive thinking,” Freire said. “At the moment they (doctors and coaches) told me ‘you can’t fight in August’, it demolished my world. Every time I talked about not fighting in UFC, a tear popped – that was a tough moment in my life.”? ????? Meeting him now, it’s a completely different situation from what it was five months ago. The injury is healed and the only thing Freire is thinking about is the moment he looks across the Octagon and sees Lowe standing in front of him.???? ??? “When the UFC confirmed my bout against Lowe, time stopped. I didn’t get to think about anything but the fight. It’s a feeling like January 23 would arrive, but January 22 never, you know what I mean?” he asked. “We want that everything happens soon, but all is as God wants it, not like we want. The fight is finally approaching, and I’ll have success in my debut.” ??? Is it just the anxiety of a newcomer? You can say that looking at his age and speech, but Freire has much more experience on his back than many lightweights who debut in the UFC. Taking a trip to Europe in 2006, he competed in Muay Thai, submission and MMA events throughout Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Add in his fights in Japan and Brazil, and it’s clear that he’s not your average debutant.?? ?? “I was pursuing a dream,” he says of his time in Europe. “Sometimes I was invited to fight in two different places with a gap of one week, and I took it. Living like a professional fighter is my wish and I don’t regret the time in Europe, far from my family and friends.”??? ? With the defeat of Charles Oliveira against Jim Miller at UFC 124, Freire (who is sporting an 11 fight winning streak) is the new Brazilian hope to make a statement in the 155-pound division. That is a responsibility many don’t want to take, especially when you still haven’t fought for the organization, but in the case of the Nova Uniao lightweight, it’s welcome.?? ?? “Once I took a picture with Jose Aldo’s belt and people joked about me checking the weight of it to get accustomed to when I get the title (laughs). Okay, that was just a joke, but if people believe in me like I do, I see no problem with realizing a wonderful future for me in UFC.” he said. “Every championship I fought for, I won the title. Of course, the UFC is where the sharks are, but if I stay grounded and focused, I can jump high without feeling any pressure to do that.”??? However, every success story has to begin somewhere, and while Freire is committed to climbing up the ladder, he first has a stiff challenge in Lowe, a former Division II National Wrestling Champion. Complicating things a bit more for the Brazilian is the fact that he usually studies his opponent, but this time he was unable to watch much of his first UFC foe. Regardless, Freire has confidence in his game.? “I believe in myself and I know it will work,” he says. “I fought countless times against guys I didn’t have info on, in their homelands and with the pressure of beating the poster boy. So I’ll fight with my heart. I don’t think he has more than I do, and I never think about the possibility of losing; with faith in God I’ll get there.”?

Meathead for the Troops Its official, I’M READY. Let’s do this. C’mon 22nd witcho bad ass. Troops, like my guy @ brucebuffer says “IT’S TIME”? – Matt Mitrione Stann for the Veterans If you are looking for a way to help veterans, help us help them gain meaningful employment! http://fb.me/Fk1G7OTn ? – Brian Stann Scandalous Secrets I’m just a man. A man who secretly enjoys buying cleaning supplies. Well secretly before this tweet.? – Amir Sadollah @ travisbrownemma if the @ Ufc finds out that my lats are actual wings like arc angel from x-men… Im fired! ? – Phil Davis “KenFlorida”? I have grown tired of this New York state, I think I will buy it. I will govern it with a fingerless UFC glove.? – Kenny Florian 21st Century Digital Boys Does anyone remember when the only people w cellphones were drs or drugdealers?? – Gabe Ruediger When I see @BATMANassistant I’m going to punch him in his face because my coffee and my breakfast was not ready when I woke up:( ? – Kurt Pellegrino This is what my bitch does for attention. Or maybe she just wanted to check her email…? – Tyson Griffin After countless hours wasted at toll booths, I’ve finally ordered an EZ Pass! This is big news, people ?? – Charlie Brenneman Bungee Parenting I know I’m not a parent, but I don’t care if your kid’s leash is disgiused as a cute backpack, it just doesn’t seem right.? – Daniel Downes Yeah, a Few… I just looked at how many people follow what dana white twitters he has got some fans.? – Cody McKenzie Date Night with the Mexicutioner Out on datenight with my niece n cousin just eating chinese food and make loud noises and giving akward looks to the staff…just the norm.?? – Joey Beltran Punch Junkie I’m starting to have withdrawals.. It’s been over a week since I had a hit…I’m talking about a hit to the face I need to be punched! ? – Dustin Poirier Big Country for Hire Hey @ dcbrocklesnar if you need an assistant coach I am here in vegas more then happy to help. Please retweet until brock gets? – Roy Nelson ?

Meathead for the Troops Its official, I’M READY. Let’s do this. C’mon 22nd witcho bad ass. Troops, like my guy @ brucebuffer says “IT’S TIME”? – Matt Mitrione Stann for the Veterans If you are looking for a way to help veterans, help us help them gain meaningful employment! http://fb.me/Fk1G7OTn ? – Brian Stann Scandalous Secrets I’m just a man. A man who secretly enjoys buying cleaning supplies. Well secretly before this tweet.? – Amir Sadollah @ travisbrownemma if the @ Ufc finds out that my lats are actual wings like arc angel from x-men… Im fired! ? – Phil Davis “KenFlorida”? I have grown tired of this New York state, I think I will buy it. I will govern it with a fingerless UFC glove.? – Kenny Florian 21st Century Digital Boys Does anyone remember when the only people w cellphones were drs or drugdealers?? – Gabe Ruediger When I see @BATMANassistant I’m going to punch him in his face because my coffee and my breakfast was not ready when I woke up:( ? – Kurt Pellegrino This is what my bitch does for attention. Or maybe she just wanted to check her email…? – Tyson Griffin After countless hours wasted at toll booths, I’ve finally ordered an EZ Pass! This is big news, people ?? – Charlie Brenneman Bungee Parenting I know I’m not a parent, but I don’t care if your kid’s leash is disgiused as a cute backpack, it just doesn’t seem right.? – Daniel Downes Yeah, a Few… I just looked at how many people follow what dana white twitters he has got some fans.? – Cody McKenzie Date Night with the Mexicutioner Out on datenight with my niece n cousin just eating chinese food and make loud noises and giving akward looks to the staff…just the norm.?? – Joey Beltran Punch Junkie I’m starting to have withdrawals.. It’s been over a week since I had a hit…I’m talking about a hit to the face I need to be punched! ? – Dustin Poirier Big Country for Hire Hey @ dcbrocklesnar if you need an assistant coach I am here in vegas more then happy to help. Please retweet until brock gets? – Roy Nelson ?

NEW YORK – Madison Square Garden. For fighters, regardless of discipline, it’s the Holy Grail, the one place you must fight in before you hang up the gloves. For fans, seeing a big fight in the Garden is just as special. “There is this palpable buzz that is very difficult to explain that starts on Seventh Avenue about an hour and a half before the first fight on the card,” said Scott O’Neil, President of Madison Square Garden Sports. “You can feel the energy as you walk outside the building. Then when you walk in the building the concourse becomes a Who’s Who of celebrities and taste makers of New York. And the whole drama around a big event in New York is here. It brings out celebrities, it brings out athletes – it’s the event of events.” Muhammad Ali. Joe Frazier. Sugar Ray Robinson. Joe Louis. Roberto Duran. Mike Tyson. Felix Trinidad. The list of fighters who have graced “The World’s Most Famous Arena” goes on and on. Frankie Edgar, UFC lightweight champion, wants to join them. “I can’t wait until I get to fight here,” said the Toms River native. “I’m from Jersey but I grew up a New York sports fan. It’s been a lifetime dream to fight here. Some of the biggest fights in boxing have been fought here, and I just want to have that opportunity myself.” Right now, he can’t fight in the Garden or anywhere in New York, but if the 1-2 punch of UFC President Dana White and Chairman / CEO Lorenzo Fertitta have their way, the arrival of mixed martial arts in the Empire State will come sooner, rather than later, and they flew in to the Big Apple Thursday to show their commitment to getting MMA sanctioned here. “It’s an education process,” said White. “We’ve got a great team here in New York, and I feel like we’re gonna get this done. If you look at the facts and do your homework, I don’t see how anybody can oppose mixed martial arts in any state or anywhere around the world.” Currently, 44 of the 48 states with athletic commissions sanction MMA. New York is the highest profile holdout, but Fertitta, who, along with his brother Frank and White, purchased the UFC ten years ago when only one state – New Jersey – sanctioned the sport, is determined that their work over the last decade will continue to pay off.

New York, N.Y.– UFC® Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta and President Dana White today unveiled plans to bring at least two UFC events to New York within the first year the sport is regulated in the state, including one to be held at Madison Square Garden. Joined at a press conference at the world’s most famous arena by UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, and Scott O’Neil, President of Madison Square Garden, White expressed his desire to finally bring UFC to the Empire State. “It’s time to bring the fastest growing sport in the world to New York and Madison Square Garden,” White said. “We already know that New York is filled with UFC fans who want to see live UFC events in their home state. With the economic benefits that UFC would bring to New York, it’s time for UFC to do Madison Square Garden.” “We are thrilled that Dana and the UFC are so committed to New York,” O’Neil said. “UFC and its passionate fans have a home here at the Garden and we look forward to welcoming them as soon as possible. We have no doubt that UFC will rival some of the most historic sporting events ever held at the Garden.” In addition to announcing plans to hold two annual UFC events in New York, UFC officials released the findings of a new economic study today. “We’ve done similar economic studies in major cities such as Boston, Las Vegas and Philadelphia and each showed the substantial positive impact hosting a UFC event has on the local economy,” Fertitta said. “This study shows that by regulating MMA, New York can reap the economic benefits statewide.” ? The study found that holding two UFC events in the state (one at Madison Square Garden and one in Buffalo) will create roughly $16 million in new spending. Additionally, the study found smaller MMA operators will likely hold events that would bring an additional $4 million. In total, $20 million of annual new spending and hundreds of new jobs will be created in the local economy by regulating MMA. Many UFC fans travel from surrounding states, stay for extended periods (at least one night at a hotel), and often arrive hours early for fights, which boosts merchandise and concession sales. New York-based MMA gyms and related industries are also expected to see an increase in revenue from the regulation of the sport. Likewise, local businesses will benefit greatly from MMA bouts, particularly outside of New York City where the economic influx is proportionally greater. This trend follows that of surrounding states which currently regulate MMA fights. “By bringing UFC events to New York, the state will see a positive financial impact,” White said. “The arenas will get to host major UFC events and local hotels, restaurants, and other businesses will attract new customers. They’ll look forward to the times we bring UFC to New York.” “I grew up in New Jersey, so fighting in New York City at Madison Square Garden has always been a dream,” Edgar said. “Some of the greatest sports events ever have been held at MSG and it would be an honor to fight in New York. I know the fans here are hungry for it.” “Being from New York, people are always asking me when they’ll get to see a live UFC event here,” Evans, who is from Niagara Falls, said. “Fans in this state deserve to see UFC events live and I look forward to the opportunity to compete here.” The full economic impact study is available at http://www.mmafacts.com/econstudy . Legislation to allow the New York State Athletic Commission to regulate MMA was included in the Executive Budget, passed the State Senate, and passed the New York Assembly Tourism Committee and Codes Committee for the second year in a row. Currently 44 other U.S. states regulate MMA, including Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, where UFC will host an event at the Prudential Center in Newark on March 19. ?

On January 11, 2001, a company named Zuffa, manned by brothers Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta and their friend Dana White, purchased the struggling Ultimate Fighting Championship, and over the next ten years turned it into a juggernaut in the sporting world that has exceeded all early expectations. Now, you mention the UFC to anyone on the street and you will get a reaction; back in 2001, you were lucky if you got a puzzled stare. It’s been a spectacular decade for the organization to say the least, but every success story had to begin somewhere, and for Zuffa, the first test would be its first event, at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The names on the UFC 30 card that winter night are household ones to mixed martial arts fans today: Tito Ortiz, the late Evan Tanner, Jens Pulver, Caol (then known as Kaoru) Uno, Sean Sherk, Phil Baroni, Jeremy Horn, Josh Barnett, Pedro Rizzo, but back then, they were fighters looking to find a place in a sport the mainstream didn’t understand, and in many cases didn’t want to understand. That perception was about to change, and things really kicked into gear in 2005 when a little show called “The Ultimate Fighter” brought the sport into everyone’s living room. Now there are sold-out arenas both here and around the world, DVDs, action figures, trading cards, a magazine, and the UFC is everywhere. And February 23, 2001 started it all. Here’s the way I saw things from the Auxiliary Press section that night… UFC XXX – There’s A New Sheriff in Town, and Ortiz is Packing The Guns By Thomas Gerbasi ATLANTIC CITY, Feb. 23 – It has gone from spectacle to sport; from “human cock fighting” to an art practiced by superior athletes. And as Zuffa undertook its maiden voyage into the Octagon tonight at the Trump Taj Mahal, the future looks brighter than it ever has for the fledgling sport of mixed martial arts. Put the glitz aside. Forget that the royalty of the UFC (Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Mark Kerr, Ken Shamrock, Marco Ruas) was in attendance. And disregard the superior production values that marked the coming of the new sheriff in town. It has to be about the fighters and the fights. All the other ’stuff’, which is necessary to appeal to the mainstream, means nothing to the hardcore fan. And it is doubtful if any fan left disappointed after last night’s superior card. Every sport needs a star. For the UFC, Huntington Beach, California’s Tito Ortiz is that star. And like a main event fighter, the middleweight champion knows how to close the show. In 30 seconds, Ortiz grabbed number one contender Evan Tanner in a bearhug, picked him up and slammed him to the mat, knocking him unconscious in the process. Follow-up punches to the prone Tanner were just window dressing before referee Big John McCarthy was able to push Ortiz off his opponent and end the bout. “Keep bringing the middleweights, and I’ll keep stompin ‘em,” said the champion after a post-fight grave digging display. Ortiz has undoubtedly risen to the top of the UFC in a short time, and as his ritual T-shirt read after the bout, “If you can read this, I just stomped his ass”. Nuff said. In the co-feature, Iowa’s Jens Pulver won the UFC’s first bantamweight title bout, taking a close majority decision over Japan’s Kaoru Uno. “I’m just so excited, I can’t believe it,” said Pulver after the bout. And then, turning to his vanquished foe, Pulver said, “Uno, you are my idol. I respect you forever. If you ever want a rematch, I will give it to you.” The fans at the Taj Mahal would probably not want a rematch, after booing throughout the five round match. But what the bout lacked in sustained action, it made up in strategy, as Pulver continually stalked, looking to land his power strikes, and Uno looked for openings to use his speed to lock up and submit ‘Little Evil’. In the end, Pulver’s striking attacks, and his utter disregard for Uno’s power and strength, proved to be the difference. See Uno vs. Pulver The fight of the night was staged between the big boys, heavyweights Josh Barnett and Pedro Rizzo. In 9:21 of some of the best striking attacks seen in a while in the UFC, the two combatants slugged it out on even terms until a vicious right hand by the Brazilian stunned Barnett. A follow-up right by Rizzo on his defenseless opponent left Barnett KO’ed at the 4:21 mark of Round Two. “I’m sorry to the fans, I fought really bad,” said Rizzo after the match. “But I brought my power.” One person not disappointed with the performance was Rizzo’s ecstatic cornerman, Marco Ruas. See Rizzo vs. Barnett “To be honest, I really don’t know what hit me,” said Barnett, who lost for the first time in 25 mixed martial arts bouts. The Seattle resident, who is one of the few to stand and trade with Rizzo for any length of time, will definitely be heard from again. As for ‘The Rock’, Rizzo will get his chance at heavyweight champion Randy Couture in UFC XXXI, also at Atlantic City’s Taj Mahal. In other undercard action: Fabiano Iha made short work of Paul Johns, submitting him with an armbar in 1:47 ‘The King of Rock and Rumble’, Australia’s Elvis Sinosic, made a huge splash in his UFC debut, submitting highly regarded Jeremy Horn with a triangle armbar at 2:59 of the first round. Iowa’s Bobby Hoffman was able to free himself from the clutches of 285 pound South African Mark Robinson long enough to land a brutal right elbow, ending the heavyweight match in 3:27. “People thought it was gonna be a close match, so I wanted to thump his ass,” said Hoffman after the bout. Preliminary bouts: Sean Sherk defeated Tiki via verbal submission (4:47), lightweights Phil Baroni defeated Curtis Stout via unanimous decision, middleweights

Las Vegas, NV– It was a whirlwind year for UFC® lightweight star Anthony Pettis in 2010. Unbeaten in four fights last year, Pettis added the WEC® lightweight title to his resume, as well as a nationally-televised appearance on MTV’s hit show “World of Jenks.” Those accomplishments, plus his work in the community, have earned the 23-year-old an official proclamation from his hometown of the city of Milwaukee, Wisc. Pettis will receive the proclamation during a meeting with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett on Thursday, Jan. 13 at 3:45pm CT at the Mayor’s Office. Pettis, whose “Showtime” kick landed against Ben Henderson on Dec. 16 was named one of the top 10 plays of the year by ESPN’s SportsCenter, expressed his sincere gratitude to Mayor Barrett and the city of Milwaukee for such an honor. “This is an amazing feeling,” Pettis said. “It’s been a crazy year. I’ve won a world title, been featured on MTV and SportsCenter and threw out the first pitch at the Milwaukee Brewers game. I never imagined myself being in this position. I’m really thankful that Mayor Tom Barrett and the city of Milwaukee have chosen to honor me. Milwaukee means so much to me and I’m proud to represent it every time I compete.” WHO: •?? ?ANTHONY PETTIS, UFC lightweight contender, WEC Lightweight Champion •?? ?TOM BARRETT, Mayor of Milwaukee ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ? WHAT:????????? Pettis to receive official proclamation from City of Milwaukee WHEN:????????? Thursday, Jan. 13 at 3:45 p.m. CT WHERE:?????? Office of Mayor Tom Barrett 200 E. Wells Street City Hall Rm.201 Milwaukee, WI 53202 ?

For the fighter nicknamed ‘The Terminator’, the plan was simple in his Octagon debut against powerful Mike Pierce last August in Massachusetts – make the American wrestler pay every time he shot in for a takedown. The planner, Amilcar Alves – who returns to the Octagon on January 22 against Charlie Brenneman in a welterweight bout on the Fight For The Troops 2 card – had it all worked out in his brain regarding what his opponent would do and how he would react to it. If he did what he was supposed to, it would be enough to simply terminate Pierce. He even prepared to deliver a flying knee when a gap appeared, adjusting the timing and capitalizing on the moment the way Pablo Garza did against Fredson Paixao in the TUF 12 Finale.??? ? ? ? But the whole plan, the strategy and the pace of the fight didn’t go like the Brazilian wanted it to.??? ? It was evident from the moment of the welterweights’ stare down at the weigh-ins that confidence and Alves were not partners, as he looked down while Pierce touched the Rio de Janeiro native’s forehead with his own. That was the first signal something was not okay for the Judo black belt. ???? “Friends and teammates asked me why I didn’t look inside Pierce’s eyes at that moment, and I barely remember that,” Alves said. “At that instant I was more worried about recuperating from my weight loss than going eye-to-eye with someone, especially since the person in front of me wasn’t my wife (laughs).” ?????? The Alves everybody knew, the one who arrived in the UFC with an eight fight winning streak, is exactly the one you hear above, one who can keep his sense of humor while explaining the situation. However the smile on his face disappears when the issue is the lack of action during the 13:11 that the welterweight duel lasted. ?? “People say that the adrenaline of the first time in the UFC can harm your stamina and can break you in half, but what happened to me was that I froze, and it became worse round after round,” Alves said. “What I had in mind happened and Pierce acted like a robot against me in the first round, shooting for a takedown, stalling the fight and being unable to cause damage. He scored points with the throws and Octagon control, but I was fine with the first five minutes.”??? Well, “fine” isn’t the right word to be placed in the same sentence as Alves’ performance or lack of it during his promotional debut. Landing strikes that you can count on one hand in the initial stanza, he started to yield to Pierce’s game that night, ending up with a laceration under the right eye and a defeat by straight armbar at 3:11 of round number three. For a man who waited four years to get into UFC, Alves waited forever to show his effectiveness, without displaying what put him there – his ability to knock people out and his skills to submit foes from the bottom or from the top.? ? “I don’t know if it’s explainable,” he says of his Octagon debut. “Pierce did what I expected, but I didn’t react. You can see I was still light on my feet in third round, so gas wasn’t a problem, but I was petrified. I said to myself, ‘This guy can take me down and I can restore my guard easily; let’s see if I can open a hole in his head with my elbows in second round.’ But ask me if I did it? No, once I landed one elbow and the referee warned me, ‘watch the back of the head’, and it sounded like, ‘Amilcar, you can’t elbow him.’ So I didn’t get to use them.” ?? Alves heard a lot of badmouthing regarding his professional career after the UFC 118 bout, a “special one” he wants to use as an extra motivator for his fight against Brenneman. And despite people saying he doesn’t belong in the UFC, he’s not worried about shutting the critics up – he’s just ready to show that he’s for real.? “Training, training and more training, plus a different attitude, are the best medicines to cure any misinterpretation that fans and insiders had of me. I can’t say I had a bad preparation leading up to Pierce and I switched my solid training over to Brenneman. My workouts were superb for the first fight like they are for my second fight in the UFC. I’ve just controlled my nerves to face a tough opponent like Brenneman.”?? ? Eager to show a different “Terminator” against Brenneman, Alves expects to avoid the tilt of his machine last August. Asking the Brazilian what kind of problems Brenneman can present with his style, the Nova Uniao representative says that the key to glory isn’t preparing for what his adversary is supposed to do; the question is what Alves will do. ? “Comparing Brenneman to Pierce, we expect an exciting fight because he won’t avoid the trading of bombs on the feet,” Alves said. “He can try to take me down, like Pierce did, but this time I’ll have an answer. Anyway, I was much too hesitant to set up things I couldn’t catch in my last fight, so against Brenneman, he has to be worried about an angry and aggressive fighter that is going to fight him differently than what he was able to see last time. The word is action, not reluctant reaction anymore.”? ?

UFC President Dana White announced today that former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar and number one contender Junior dos Santos will match wits as the coaches of season 13 of the hit Spike TV reality series. Following the season, which begins filming later this month and begins airing on March 30, Lesnar and dos Santos will then match fists in the Octagon at a date and location to be announced in June. The winner will face current heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, who is currently sidelined with a torn rotator cuff. “It’s gonna be a very interesting six weeks of filming,” said White during a media teleconference Tuesday. “These two will coach, then they’ll fight, and the winner of the fight will fight Cain Velasquez when he’s healthy.” This will be the first time either fighter has appeared on The Ultimate Fighter, which began airing on Spike in 2005. The last time heavyweights coached the show was during season eight in 2008, when dos Santos’ mentor, “Minotauro” Nogueira, faced off against former champion Frank Mir. This season, the two will coach a host of welterweight hopefuls looking to secure a UFC contract. One of the biggest success stories of recent years, Brock Lesnar’s rise to the top of the UFC has been well-documented. A former NCAA Division I wrestling champion for the University of Minnesota, Lesnar brought size, speed, and power to the Octagon in 2008, and in only his fourth professional fight, he defeated Randy Couture for the heavyweight crown. After successful defenses against Mir and Shane Carwin, Lesnar lost his belt to Velasquez at UFC 121 last October. Determined to get his championship back, Lesnar knows the quickest way to do so is through dos Santos. “The guy’s a former world champion, he’s beat guys and held the title,” said White of Lesnar. “No matter what his record is, what the guy has accomplished in the short amount of time that he’s been in MMA is incredible. He’s obviously got a lot that he can teach, and not only him, but the staff that he has around him have a lot to teach young, up and coming guys, and that’s what it’s really all about.” Unheralded Brazilian prospect Junior dos Santos turned into a contender overnight in 2008 when he knocked out highly-regarded veteran Fabricio Werdum in the first round. This spectacular debut was followed by finishes of Stefan Struve, Mirko Cro Cop, Gilbert Yvel, and Gabriel Gonzaga before earning a shot at the heavyweight title with a three round win over Roy Nelson. Yet instead of choosing to wait for Velasquez to return to action, dos Santos will risk his number one contender’s spot by coaching against – and then fighting – Lesnar later this year. “Junior dos Santos is a young, up and coming guy,” said White of dos Santos. “He’s been knocking everybody out, comes off a three round war with “Big Country” (Roy Nelson) and I love when guys do that because it’s good for them, it’s good experience, it gets them in better shape and it takes them to another level. And to put this guy on the shelf for a long time is ridiculous, and much credit to him for not wanting to go on the shelf.”