Feb 24, 2012 - After twelve long years, the last hurdle to the UFC's return to Japan has been cleared.
Lightweight title challengers Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson both made weight during Friday's UFC 144 weigh-ins at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, rendering their championship tilt official.
Henderson, the former WEC titleholder, hit the crowded stage first, tipping the scales at 154 pounds. Edgar soon followed suit, measuring in at 154 pounds to a respectful round of applause from the Japanese audience.
Despite a tense staredown, both men remained gracious throughout the proceedings. "Ben's a tough dude. It was a good camp to prepare for him," said Edgar, the UFC's reigning champion. "Obviously a new face, a new name. Let's do it."
"Frankie's the man," Henderson replied. "He has a great chin, has a great heart. He has proved himself time and again. He's a great champion. It's going to be an honor for me to take a belt away from a champion like that."
Not surprisingly, light heavyweight co-headliner Quinton Jackson received the loudest ovation of the afternoon. A former star of PRIDE FC who doggedly lobbied to land on the card, "Rampage" somehow came in far overweight for his first Japanese contest since 2006, hitting 211 pounds on the official scale. Jackson agreed to forfeit 20-percent of his purse to Ryan Bader.
"I really wanted to fight here. You guys have no idea what I went through," Jackson said. "I had a lot of up and downs in my camp, and a lot of struggles to get here. Me and Dana (White) almost bumped heads again, but Dana's a cool man and he understood how badly I wanted to be here in Japan, so he allowed me to not fight in Chicago and be here to put on a show for you guys. I love you all."
Jackson further explained his failed cut on FUEL TV. "I thought I was going to make the weight, but I got injured in my camp and it kind of hindered me from doing a lot of running," he revealed. "I didn't want to miss this fight because this fight was so important to me and I fought so hard to get it... I cut 21 pounds. I just couldn't get the last six."
Bader, meanwhile, found his mark at 205 pounds. Hoping to notch the biggest victory of his young career, the TUF 8 winner appeared unfazed at his opponent's warm reception and size advantage.
"It's an honor to fight (Rampage), especially here in Japan," Bader said. "I (grew) up watching PRIDE and watching it here in Japan. I always dreamed of fighting here one day, so a dream came true."
Full weigh-in results are below.
Main card (Pay-Per-View):
Frankie Edgar (154) vs. Ben Henderson (154)
Quinton Jackson (211)* vs. Ryan Bader (205)
Mark Hunt (264) vs. Cheick Kongo (229)
Yoshihiro Akiyama (169) vs. Jake Shields (170)
Yushin Okami (185) vs. Tim Boetsch (186)
Hatsu Hioki (145) vs. Bart Palaszewski (146)
Anthony Pettis (155) vs. Joe Lauzon (156)
Preliminary card (FX):
Takanori Gomi (155) vs. Eiji Mitsuoka (154)
Norifumi Yamamoto (136) vs. Vaughan Lee (135)
Riki Fukuda (185) vs. Steve Cantwell (185)
Takeya Mizugaki (135) vs. Chris Cariaso (136)
Preliminary card (Facebook):
Zhang Tiequan (146) vs. Issei Tamura (145)
*Has agreed to forfeit 20% of his purse.
16 comments
Comments
Something isn't right
Rampage never misses weight. Maybe he’s feeling sick or something
by Bigs- on Feb 24, 2012 11:37 PM EST reply actions
So is Rampage/Bader a Catchweight Bout?
Can somebody explain that to me? If he missed his weight at 205, then it can’t count as a LHW bout, right? But neither here nor Junkie said anything about it being classified as a catchweight bout. So does it still count as a 205 bout….even though he wasn’t 205?
RE: Rampage “feeling sick or something”.
Bigs, based upon the interviews posted at this site and elsewhere, Rampage is probably only “sick” of MMA altogether. He’s expressly stated that he’s focused on external revenue streams (Hollywood, some video games, whatever else he mentioned) and, really, he just seems very disinterested to me. (Though I’m not a mind-reader, so I can’t say for sure.) I wouldn’t be surprised if he retires or semi-retires (a’la Hughes) after this fight. Really, with his style of fighting and all the concussive blows to the head he’s taken, he probably ought to, the same as Liddell did (and Wanderlei should). That’s just my opinion.
by ComicsPlus on Feb 24, 2012 11:53 PM EST reply actions
But the point is Rampage never misses weight
This man took over a year off, did a movie, got grossly out of shape had to cut 50lbs to fight Rashad and still came on weight. So for him to miss weight by 6lbs, something is wrong to me. It’s not an excuse but for a guy who has never had this issue, one would like to give him the benefit of the doubt when he misses, and by that much.
by Bigs- on Feb 25, 2012 12:03 AM EST up reply actions
Most fighters don't miss weight....
….So I don’t know why you’re singling Rampage out.
We don’t know the reason for it, although we know that Rampage complained about an injury after his Matt Hammil fight (another bore-fest) and that, in recent interviews, he’s talked about always having to battle injuries.
Personally, I just think that Rampage’s heart isn’t in MMA, anymore. Everything he says, as well as his demeanor, suggest that he’s only in it for the money – and even at that, he’s still not into it much. I don’t know, I’m not clairvoyant, but that’s just the sense that I get.
So I don’t know that he is sick or whatever you’re implying, but even if he later says that he is, I’d still just ascribe that as hypochondria brought on by his general boredom and disinterest in the sport, nowadays.
by ComicsPlus on Feb 25, 2012 12:17 AM EST up reply actions
Ok, so a guy misses weight once and the world is over
What does his heart not being in it have to do with the fact that he never missed weight before? He also said before when he made weight he wanted to retire at 35, now he says he wants to keep fighting. People over-think this stuff too much. You probably picked Hammil to beat him like everybody else too right? “Because his heart isn’t in it,” when the point is Rampage without a heart in his chest could beat that guy. The point is this, whether his heart is in it or not, he never had this issue.
So EXCUSE ME, for thinking something is wrong with him coming in 6lbs over as opposed to 2-3. Nobody singled out Rampage guy, RAMPAGE IS THE GUY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT!
by Bigs- on Feb 25, 2012 12:28 AM EST up reply actions
Dude, relax.
I don’t know why Rampage missed weight.
You theorized that he’s sick (with no evidence whatsoever). While I guess that’s possible, nobody knows. Who were you addressing your question to, Rampage’s physician? Rampage himself?
I casually posted an alternative theory: that Rampage probably just missed weight because he’s not putting in all that much work.
Maybe you’re right and he’s got some illness. Maybe my guess was right. Maybe it’s some third option we don’t know. Who knows, dude?
I really don’t care why he missed weight, honestly. I was just casually stating an opinion. What I am curious about is whether this gets classified as a catchweight bout. I would assume it is, but I haven’t seen it designated as such at any place yet – here, Junkie, or Sherdog. So I just want to know if, somehow, it gets called a 205 bout even though one of the fighters didn’t get to 205.
by ComicsPlus on Feb 25, 2012 12:54 AM EST reply actions
Those are the rules
How can it not be a catch weight when 1 guy makes it and the other misses? The Rumble Belfort fight was a catch weight. I expect the same for this one. I also think Bader’s chances just went up a little
by Bigs- on Feb 25, 2012 12:57 AM EST up reply actions
Thinking the same thing
Either Rampage will be more fresh for not having to cut more weight, or, more likely, he’s not in the best shape he could be in, opening the door for Bader to outwork him for the decision, which is my prediction.
by FrontxxRunner on Feb 25, 2012 1:22 AM EST up reply actions
Forfeit 20% of his purse
The fight isn’t consider a catch-weight bout. If it was he would not have to give up any of his winners. I think that Rampage just isn’t up to fighting Bader and I can see him running out of gas if he doesn’t finish him early.
by ramie78 on Feb 25, 2012 9:37 AM EST up reply actions
PUT YOUR MONEY ON BADER!!!!
Rampage never misses weight and he already said he had a “up and down camp”.
PS….win or lose I predict Rampage retires in Japan.
by RyanG- on Feb 25, 2012 1:29 AM EST reply actions
I agree, that's loser talk.
It’s like in the playoffs you can just sense when one team is done because they talk about how they’re, “Not playing well” (present tense) rather than “Did not play well” (past tense), that’s just loser talk. You can tell that team is phoning it in.
I try not to read TOO much into pro athletes comments to reporters, but sometimes you can just sense when they’re not really trying. And if you’re not really trying, and the other guy is, you’re only chance to win is to get lucky.
by ComicsPlus on Feb 25, 2012 2:55 AM EST up reply actions
You don't have to tell me twice
fatass is gonna lose, easy money!
by PickoDetrebaa on Feb 25, 2012 8:37 AM EST up reply actions
He missed weight because of a injury
In his interview with Ariel Rampage said he got injured in his camp and he couldn’t do much running but he continued training in what he could and when he heeled from injury he was already in Japan where had to cut over 30 pounds in 3days..he came pretty close, much respect to Rampage for never pulling out of fight do to injuries and fighting through it
by Jaba 23 on Feb 25, 2012 12:13 PM EST reply actions
Watch Aerial's Interview with Marcus Brimage
Where Rampage comes in on the interview. He’s huge. When I say huge I mean gut and rolls hanging out of his shirt, face like a ballon. He probably weighed 260. I remember thinking when I saw that video that his next cut was going to be brutal.
by CRWHITLOCK on Feb 25, 2012 1:34 PM EST reply actions
Don't be Shocked if Rampage Retires
after this fight. I would actually be surprised if he doesn’t.
by CRWHITLOCK on Feb 25, 2012 1:35 PM EST reply actions
Gotta say, the first thing that popped into my head when watching the weigh-ins was how affable Rampage was in all the interviews this week. Usually fighters are a little testy when into their final cut befor the fight, but I did not get that from Jackson at all. Seemed odd, until the weigh-ins.
by Hulka's Big Toe on Feb 25, 2012 2:01 PM EST reply actions
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