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UFC star Stephan Bonnar has joined up with Caged In and The Times of Northwest Indiana to write an exclusive training blog leading up to his next fight.

The Munster native, who now lives and trains in Las Vegas, meets fellow light heavyweight Krzyzstof Soszynski at UFC 110 in Sydney on Feb. 20. That card will be the UFC’s first in Australia.

Bonnar, a Purdue graduate who got his start in mixed martial arts fighting for regional promotions in Northwest Indiana like Ironheart Crown and Total Fight Challenge, first came to international MMA prominence when he appeared on the inaugural season of the UFC reality competition “The Ultimate Fighter.” He reached the finals in the light heavyweight division that season, and his epic clash with Forrest Griffin has gone down in MMA history as one of the greatest fights of all time – and certainly the one that put the UFC on the mainstream map. Though Bonnar lost a unanimous 29-28 decision to Griffin, he, too, was awarded a contract with the promotion for his performance in the fight. UFC president Dana White has said that Bonnar will always have a home with the company, likening him and Griffin to his own kids because of their fight nearly five years ago.

But now Bonnar (11-6, 5-5 UFC) finds himself in need of a comeback of sorts. While training for a fight with Matt Hamill in 2008, Bonnar suffered a major knee injury that kept him out of action for a long stretch. When he finally was able to get back in the cage, at UFC 94 a year ago, he ran into one of the hottest fighters in the sport, Jon Jones, who beat him in a unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28). Bonnar said after the fight he just didn’t feel right going into the cage – perhaps experiencing the ring rust effect that plagues most fighters after long layoffs. And against UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman at UFC 100 last July, Bonnar dropped another unanimous decision, 29-28 on all three cards.

When Bonnar steps into the Octagon in Sydney, he’ll be looking for his first win since UFC 77 – a 28-month stretch. And he’s going to take Caged In readers along for the ride as he trains for Soszynski and prepares to head to the Land Down Under.

So be sure to check in often, as you never know when Stephan might drop a surprise post on us. And we’ll be adding more Bonnar and UFC 110 news as the fight card approaches.

I suppose most people who read this blog are expecting to read about my training for my fight against Krzysztof (Soszynski at UFC 110 in Sydney on Feb. 20). To be honest with you, I’ve been using this blog as a way to escape talking about my training. This week, however, I give you guys what you want.

There is a big difference between being in shape and being in fight shape. For the past few months, and probably my whole life, I have been in “good shape.” I could do conditioning workouts, grapple 10-minute rounds with the same person and even give people a few rounds of standup work. That’s being in shape – but not fight shape. Oh no – not fight shape.

These past few weeks, I have made the transition to being in fight shape. It’s a very ugly process and I finally seem to be settling in. The best test to see if you’re in fight shape, in my opinion, is how well you can handle “shark bait” drills. Shark bait drills are when one big, strong, fresh guy after another comes in the cage filled with two long minutes of rage. It’s a feeding frenzy of violence. I’m the victim.

I am exhausted, I have threee more minutes in this round till I get my 30-second break. I have a 280-pound gorilla named Karl on top of me trying to kill me. I hit a sweep, open up some space, get on his back and use every last ounce of strength to choke him out. Making him tap felt so good. My arms are exhausted, but I have no time to enjoy it.

The words of my coach Sergio (Penha) pierce my ears. “Alex, GET HIM!!! ON TOP AGAINST THE FENCE! GET HIM! SUBMIT HIM!!! GO, GO!!!”

Oh damn – 2:30 of this hell left, then I get my 30-second break. Then only two more rounds. The rounds of shark bait are supposed to be five minutes, with fresh guys coming in every minute or two, depending on how much rage they have in them. Lately, I have been video recording my training, and the rounds are never under six minutes. Good old Sergio time. I have always been so lost in my exhaustion to notice, but I should have known. Great coach, bad timekeeper.

So like I said, knowing if you are in fight shape is all about how well you can handle shark bait drills. A few weeks a go, by the end of the rounds I was like a pile of mashed potatoes, getting whipped. Watching it would be upsetting to the soul. It’s a victimizing violence, just watching this poor exhausted (guy) getting beaten on.  Afterwards, it seemed heaving and collapsing were inevitable. I wasn’t quite in fight shape.

Now, however, I seem to be handling it better. I am still making guys tap out in the last minute of the rounds. I didn’t throw up today. I am able to run around the cage with my hands up at the end of the rounds which is a good sign – means I didn’t collapse. Don’t get me wrong – it’s still hell. Only a few more weeks of this left! Oh, to be in fight shape – so bittersweet!

I recently saw a “scared straight” program on “The Montel Williams Show” where the troubled teens would be taken to a prison to be scared straight by the inmates and the horror stories of what prison life is like. I also have a lot of kids tell me they want to be a cage fighter, and the hell with school. I would like to propose a program where these kids wake up every morning for a week and go through shark bait drills with me. I know by the end of it, the allure of a quiet, peaceful classroom bright and early in the morning would seem so much more appealing than being judo thrown on your head and being the “bait” for the hungry sharks. Watch as the grades go up.

I think I’m on to something here. “Oh, Montel …”

Five weeks out. Staying healthy is the main focus. I train so hard that recovery is really the most important thing. I’m sure you have all heard of “RICEing” an injury – Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate. So last week, after hard sparring, my body is banged up. I had what alcoholics refer to as a “moment of clarity.” I thought, “Why not just RICE my whole body?” So after an ice bath, I put on some tight compression clothing and meditated on my inversion table – elevating, legs up. Then I took a little in nap in the compression clothing and Voila! A new body to beat up again!

Despite the number of punches I take to the head, I still managed to remember my mom’s birthday. She deserves a lot of credit – after all, it’s my mom that drove me all over Northwest Indiana to do pee wee wrestling and tae kwon do, day after day, year after year. So thanks, Mom, and happy birthday!

I’m always asked what other hobbies, aside from fighting, that I enjoy. And usually I wouldn’t say – but what the hell, I’ll try to open up a little more for you guys. Nothing beats dumping a bunch of ammunition at targets in the middle of the desert. And boy, oh boy, does it go fast playing with fully automatic weapons! Today was mostly M16 and Uzi work, but as a nice treat, I got to spit a couple belts out of the M60.  If you want to see a little for yourself, go to firearms.atactv.com.

OK. First, my thoughts on fighting in Sydney.  I look at it like this. I want to see the world before I die, and I’ve never been to Australia. So now I get a free vacation, get to dish out a legal beating, get paid for it and get to explore Australia for a pocket full of dough!  Not a bad gig!  Someone hand me an Old Milwaukee, ’cause it don’t get any better than this, guys!

As for Krzyzstof (Soszynski), you know, he is a formidable opponent, veteran fighter, a physically strong guy — and he really looks the part.  If my grandma saw him, she’d think, “Boy, this tattoo-covered ugly baboon must be one of them cage fighters they talk about.”

It is a fight I look forward to. I think he’ll come to fight and make this a brawl and not just a wrestling match.  You know me — I’m ready to take his best Sunday punch, then laugh, spit in his face and kick his (butt)!

Check out UFCstore.com under Collectibles and Lithographs to see my artistic side.

By Matt Erickson
cagedin.mma@gmail.com

You’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger fan of mixed martial arts than Ray Flores.

The East Chicago native and current Munster resident, 23, has immersed himself in the sport for years now, doing ring announcing and play-by-play any time he can get a gig.

Next month, Flores will take the next step in his budding career when he becomes the play-by-play man for 10th Legion Championship Fighting, based in Hull, England.

10th Legion is a newcomer to the MMA scene in the U.K. with just two shows under its belt. But with four shows scheduled for 2010, Flores will be busy. His debut will come Feb. 21 at the “Decimation” card. That card has four amateur, eight semi-pro and four pro bouts scheduled, including a main event featuring Abdul Mohammed from Wolfslair — home training ground of Michael Bisping, Rampage Jackson and Cheick Kongo.

In May, though, 10th Legion ramps it up another notch with a main event showcasing former UFC fighter Jess “The Joker” Liaudin, who is riding a three-fight winning streak since his stint in the UFC.

Flores, who has always been a self-starter and go-getter extraordinaire, went after the play-by-play role himself.

“I learned of 10th Legion by reading a review of their event this past September,” Flores said. “And then shortly thereafter I contacted the organization. I was intrigued by their outstanding fight card and overall production. An opening presented itself regarding the play-by-play and post-fight interviewer positions, and here I am today.”

This won’t be the first time, though that Flores, a graduate of Columbia College in Chicago, has left the country pursuing his passion for MMA. Last summer, he worked the broadcast for Fite Nite’s lightweight tournament in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Locally, Flores has done ring announcing for big shows at the Hammond Civic Center, including Total Fight Challenge and Corral’s Combat Classic, the Duneland Classic, XFO, AFA and the Brawl at Bourbon Street. The talent he’s covered reads like a who’s-who of local MMA — Miguel Torres, Clay Guida, Eddie Wineland, John Kolosci, Jeff Curran and Keith Wisniewski all have been in front of Flores’ microphone at one time or another.

And while he’s not leaving the region behind, he’s looking forward to his next challenge.

“This is a terrific opportunity for me,” Flores said. “It has been a tremendous journey for me thus far. I believe every show, every fight, every fighter is special to me. MMA is just an amazing sport. Becoming the voice of 10th Legion is another terrific step for my career.”

And Flores said that while 10th Legion is one of the new kids on the block, he believes the promotion has the pieces in place to succeed in the rapidly growing world of mixed martial arts.

“I hear the fight fans in the U.K. are great fans that support MMA and 10th Legion immensely,” Flores said. “I cannot wait to walk inside the Gemtec Arena and feel the energy. Alan Orr and everyone at 10th Legion have a great vision of putting on tremendous fights with a world-class production. I look forward to being a part of it and seeing some amazing talent.”

——————————————

See some of Ray’s work online as he interviews Miguel Torres. And check out 10th Legion Championship Fighting’s home.

By Matt Erickson
cagedin.mma@gmail.com

UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, who has been out for months with a serious set of stomach ailments, is healthy and expects to return to the Octagon by this summer.

Lesnar and UFC president Dana White made the announcement Wednesday morning on ESPN’s “Sportscenter” and will hold a conference call with the media later Wednesday to discuss his return.

Classifying his recovery as a “miracle,” Lesnar gave a lengthy description of the illnesses that have kept him out of action since a title defense against Frank Mir at UFC 100 last July. He said he was first diagnosed with mononucleosis, then diverticulitis. The illness forced him out of his planned title defense against Shane Carwin for UFC 106 last November — and at various points White even said Lesnar might never be able to fight again.

Lesnar told ESPN he lost 40 pounds during his illness and after getting multiple opinions on the possibility of stomach surgery, doctors ultimately wanted to see if a series of medications would help. And it did.

Lesnar said doctors were “dumbfounded” that he had healed — and he said a recent return to the hospital for a CT scan confirmed he was healthy and ready to go.

In the meantime, White and the UFC set up an interim heavyweight title fight several weeks ago between Mir and Carwin for March 27 at UFC 111 in Newark, N.J. White said Wednesday he is hopeful the winner of that fight would then meet Lesnar this summer in his return.

But despite that interim title fight, Lesnar was adamant he’s the champ.

“Let me be clear about that: I am still the heavyweight champion,” Lesnar said.

We’re feeling a little lonely over here at Caged In. We just want more friends. Is that so wrong? We want more friends so badly that we’ll resort to outright bribery!

So it’s with that in mind that we introduce our first reader contest. The rules are really simple and the prize is pretty sweet.

First, the prize. The winner of this contest is going to get the shirt shown above from the folks over at Ranger Up, which makes shirts largely with military and patriotic themes. In fact, the owners of the company are all former or active military members. Without getting preachy, let’s just say that with all that goes on in this crazy world, it didn’t seem to be a bad idea whatsoever to shine a little bit of a spotlight on an up-and-coming company like Ranger Up. The shirt above retails for $35 and is called “Roman Primus Pilus.” You can check out a little more about the shirt directly from Ranger Up’s site.

Second, the why. All you have to do is get people to visit Caged In, The Times of Northwest Indiana’s burgeoning mixed martial arts site. Our evolution has come in several forms, but it has remained on course. And now, Caged In is poised to become THE news site for MMA fans who want to read original reporting, insightful features and interviews and the fastest live fight coverage online when we’re cageside at events ranging from the UFC to WEC to Strikeforce and Bellator and regional shows like Hoosier Fight Club and Total Fight Challenge. Other sites are aggregators, taking their news from everyone else and cutting-and-pasting. You want original reporting done by real working journalists? This is one of the places you need to be.

Third, the how. Simple. Very simple. All you have to do is copy and paste and Tweet about us. The more you Tweet the link, the more chances you have to win! Simple as that! The link is simply going to send people right back here to Caged In and tell them to follow us on Twitter and Facebook and tell them about this contest. No ads to read. No forms to fill out. No strings attached. Just Tweet to your heart’s content, and at the end of the contest period, we’ll go back through and search for the precise URL in Twitter and every user who Tweets will be entered in the order they post. Then we’ll do a random drawing and award the prize.

Most importantly — the link! Copy and past this Twitter post with this precise link for your chance to win. If you want to post multiple times, you’ll have to change your Tweets. But always keep that link intact — it serves as your contest entry each time you send it out! Visit @CagedIn and follow The Times of NWI’s #MMA site here and on FB for a chance to win a new shirt from Ranger Up http://bit.ly/6q87gW

Disclaimers: You can enter as many times as you want. Each time you twitter out that precise link (http://bit.ly/6q87gW) you’ll get an entry into the contest to win the Ranger Up shirt. We’re not responsible for what you do with the shirt once ya get it or damage that may occur to it in delivery to you. Nor is Ranger Up. Ranger Up has not paid for this contest, nor are they affiliated with Caged In or The Times of Northwest Indiana or Lee Enterprises in any way other than providing the prize as a promotional item. No prize substitutions without asking really, really nicely. But hey — work with us. We want you to like us.

It’s time for Caged In to ramp things up a bit, kids. And we want as many people along for the ride as we can get as we set out to bring you some of the best original mixed martial arts reporting and storytelling in the world.

Follow us on Twitter!
Caged In is on Twitter, so head there and follow us to get alerts about breaking news and new stories and features before anyone else! Plus, you’ll be the first to hear about chances to win cool prizes!

Become a fan on Facebook!
Are you on Facebook? Then make sure you head to The Times of NWI’s MMA fan page. There, you can interact with other MMA fans, post your own links, comment on stories, see photos from events and much, much more. Some of the biggest names in MMA are already fans — so why not hobnob with the big shots?!? Who, you ask? How ’bout superstar fighters like Urijah Faber, Gray Maynard, Paul Buentello and WEC bantamweight champ Brian Bowles? How about local legends like former WEC bantamweight champ Eddie Wineland, Mackens Semerzier and TUF 10 star Matt Mitrione? Bruce Buffer and Joe Rogan? They’re fans! Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker and Affliction president Tom Atencio? They are, too. 2000 Olympic Gold medalist Eric Fonoimoana? A fan. Rise Against guitarist Zach Blair? A fan. WEC ring girl and supermodel extraordinaire Brittney Palmer? You get the point. So why aren’t YOU a fan?

And, of course, bookmark Caged In!
Here at Caged In, you can win all kinds of cool prizes — just for reading and spreading the word as a loyal Caged In supporter. Past reader contests have given out UFC event programs, WEC shirts and hats, prize packages from Xyience, and, going on right now, a chance to win a t-shirt from Ranger Up — just by spreading the word.

So get in the mix! Speak up and tell us what you want to read more of. And spread the word on Twitter and Facebook — you could be our next big prize winner!

By Matt Erickson
cagedin.mma@gmail.com

World Extreme Cagefighting made official on Monday two fights for its WEC 47 show on March 6 in Columbus, Ohio.

Former bantamweight champion Miguel Torres, an East Chicago native, will take on Joseph Benavidez in the co-main event. And former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver, who recently relocated to his native Idaho after years of living and training in Bettendorf, Iowa, with Pat Miletich, will make his return to the cage against Javier Vazquez.

The main event for WEC 47 will be a bantamweight title fight between champion Brian Bowles, who dethroned Torres in August, and Dominick Cruz. The event will take place at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on a weekend that has traditionally been occupied by the UFC. For the last three years, the UFC has timed a Columbus pay-per-view with The Arnold Sports Festival. But this year, the WEC will fill that slot.

WEC general manager Reed Harris said in a release from the promotion that he expects fireworks between Torres (36-2) and Benavidez (11-1).

“Joseph Benavidez and Miguel Torres both want a shot at the winner of the Brian Bowles-Dominick Cruz title fight,” Harris said. “So we expect these two to leave it all in the cage. The same goes for Jens and Javier. Both guys are well-respected in this sport and both guys want to prove that they have what it takes to win the featherweight championship. It’s going to be a tremendous night.”

Torres has moved the bulk of his training away from his own Torres Martial Arts Academy in Hammond for this fight and is training with renowned jiu-jitsu expert Robert Drysdale in Las Vegas and will spend time working with Muay Thai master Mark DellaGrotte in Boston. Torres said he knows if he is to get another shot at the title, he’ll have to work for it.

“I can’t wait to get back in the cage and show what I can do,” Torres said. “Benavidez is probably the top contender at 135 right now and I want to prove that I’m still the best in this division. I want to earn my way back to the belt.”

Benavidez, who knocked out Rani Yahya in the first round at WEC 45 in December, trains at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento with Urijah Faber. He believes the bout has Fight of the Year potential.

“I have envisioned us fighting for a long time,” Benavidez said. “I think fans are in for one of the best fights of the year. I think I’m capable of beating him. I’m really looking forward to proving myself against someone people have considered a legend and the best in the world.”

Tickets for the card start at $25 and move up in ranges priced at $45, $75 and $125. The event will be the WEC’s first in Ohio (WEC 43 in Youngstown had to be scrapped last September and was rescheduled for San Antonio in October) and first trip to the Midwest since Torres defended his title against Takeya Mizugaki at WEC 40 in Chicago last April. Tickets are available at Nationwide Arena, Ticketmaster locations and online at ticketmaster.com.

The main card will be shown live on the Versus cable network at 9 p.m. Central.

Nearly three years after Zuffa LLC bought the Pride Fighting Championships, U.S. MMA fans will get their first true televised taste of the former promotion on Friday.

“The Best of Pride Fighting Championships” makes its debut on the Spike TV cable network Friday at 9 p.m. Central and will feature classic fights from the now-defunct Japanese promotion.

Zuffa, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, bought Pride in March 2007 and initially planned to keep it as a separate banner apart from the UFC. But nothing came of it and Pride was officially disbanded later that year. Many of its star fighters wound up in the UFC, and Zuffa retained control of the Pride library.

One of the results of the ownership of that library starts tonight on Spike. Hosted by Kendra Perez, “The Best of Pride” debuts tonight with the 2003 match between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Wanderlei Silva. And Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell meets current Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem in another 2003 bout. Also on the show will be classic fights with newly signed UFC lightweight Takanori Gomi, Anderson Silva, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and former UFC welterweight champ Carlos Newton.

The show is likely to be similar to current UFC highlights show “Unleashed” and World Extreme Cagefighting highlights show “WEC WrECkage.” As the show goes on, it is possible that other non-UFC fighters — particularly Fedor Emelianenko, who famously turned down an offer to join the UFC — could be featured on the show.

UFC Fight Night 20: Maynard vs. Diaz takes place Monday night from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va., on the campus of George Mason University. On Sunday, the fighters will take to the scales.

You can watch the weigh-ins LIVE right here at Caged In starting Sunday at 3 p.m. Central.

Monday’s four-fight main card will be televised live on the Spike cable network starting at 8 p.m. Central.

The main event features an intriguing lightweight bout between unbeaten Xtreme Couture fighter Gray Maynard (8-0, 1 NC, 6-0 UFC) and Nate Diaz (11-4, 6-2 UFC, 2-1 WEC). Diaz was the winner of Season 5 of Spike’s “The Ultimate Fighter” UFC reality competition, which Maynard also competed on, and the bout with Maynard is a rematch — though their first meeting was not an officially sanctioned contest and is not on their records. Diaz submitted Maynard in a semifinal match with second-round guillotine choke.

It makes for an interesting main event — especially because in their last nine combined fights, the two have gone to eight decisions. Diaz has won five straight UFC bonus awards, including Submission of the Night at Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City in September, breaking a two-fight skid that saw him drop two split decisions (though both won Fight of the Night honors).

So don’t miss the live streaming weigh-in event Sunday at 3 p.m., right here at Caged In!

By Matt Erickson
cagedin.mma@gmail.com

All fighters made weight Saturday for Sunday’s WEC 46 event in Sacramento, Calif.

The weigh-ins took place at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium downtown in the California state capital. Sunday’s fight card will take place at ARCO Arena.

Chesterton-based bantamweight Eddie Wineland tipped the scales at 135.5 pounds. His opponent, the 6-foot-1 George Roop, was also 135.5. (Fighters are allowed to be as much as 1 pound over their weight limits in non-title fights.)

Wineland’s weight cut for the event was not as difficult as his last fight, a unanimous decision 30-27 sweep on all three scorecards over former top contender Manny Tapia at WEC 43 in San Antonio in October. For that fight, Wineland said he had to cut about 21 pounds.

“Weight cut wasn’t bad at all,” Wineland told The Times on Saturday after the weigh-in event. “I cut it all (Friday night) and none today.”

Wineland said he will be cornered Sunday by Keith Wisniewski from Duneland Vale Tudo, who just upset UFC veteran Pete Spratt at a Hoosier Fight Club event a week ago, and Mark Vives, his jiu-jitsu instructor from New Breed Academy in Chicago. He said his plan for Saturday night was to get rehydrated and eat following the weight cut by eating Olive Garden and pizza.

As for his opponent, Roop, who is exceedingly tall at 6-1 for a bantamweight, Wineland said the height difference to his listed 5-8 wasn’t as big as he expected.

“Roop isn’t as tall as I thought,” Wineland said. “(It) shouldn’t be hard to reach that chin and eat up that body.”

Featherweight Mackens Semerzier, who has spent time in past training camps working with Hammond-based bantamweight Miguel Torres, also made weight a half-pound under at 144.5. He’s looking to go 2-0 in the organization after an upset win over Wagnney Fabiano in his debut, also at WEC 43. His opponent, Deividas Taurosevicius, weighed in at 146.

Sunday’s main event fighters, Jamie Varner and Ben Henderson, both made weight for their lightweight title unification bout. Varner has not fought in a year since breaking his hand and foot in a title defense against Donald Cerrone. Henderson became the interim champion with a win over Cerrone at WEC 43. Varner was 155 pounds on the button; Henderson was a half-pound under.

The co-main event is a featherweight contenders bout between hometown favorite Urijah Faber, former champ at 145 pounds, and Raphael Assuncao. That fight is likely to determine the top contender for the belt now held by Jose Aldo. Faber tipped the scales at 145.5; Assuncao was 146.

Sunday’s five-fight main card will be aired live on the Versus cable network starting at 8 p.m. Central.

Weigh-in Results*
Main Card
Jamie Varner (155) vs. Ben Henderson (154.5)
Urijah Faber (145.5) vs. Raphael Assuncao (146)
Dave Jansen (156) vs. Kamal Shalorus (155)
Mike Brown (146) vs. Anthony Morrison (146)
Mackens Semerzier (144.5) vs. Deividas Taurosevicius (146)
Preliminary Card
Charlie Valencia (134) vs. Akitoshi Tamura (135)
Wagnney Fabiano (136) vs. Clint Godfrey (135.5)
Mark Hominick (146) vs. Bryan Caraway (146)
Eddie Wineland (135.5) vs. George Roop (135.5)
Coty Wheeler (136) vs. Will Campuzano (136)

* Weights first reported by MMA Weekly via Twitter

WEC 46: Varner vs. Henderson throws down on Sunday night from the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif. On Saturday, the fighters, including Chesterton’s Eddie Wineland and Miguel Torres-trained up-and-coming featherweight Mackens Semerzier, will take to the scales.

You can watch the weigh-ins LIVE right here at Caged In starting Saturday at at 6 p.m. Central. The weigh-ins will take place from the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium downtown in the California state capital.

Sunday’s WEC 46 main card will be televised live on Versus from 8-10:30 p.m. Central

By Matt Erickson
cagedin.mma@gmail.com

Munster native Stephan Bonnar will return to action in February, and he’ll do it Down Under.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship officially announced on Friday a rumored bout between Bonnar and Krzysztof Soszynski for UFC 110 in Sydney, Australia. It will be the UFC’s first trip to Australia. The light heavyweights will do battle on the event’s preliminary card at Acer Arena.

Bonnar, who cut his teeth locally fighting on Ironheart Crown events at the Hammond Civic Center, first came to mainstream MMA prominence on the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality competition. His now-legendary battle with Forrest Griffin nearly five years ago for that season’s light heavyweight contract made him a star for the rest of his career.

But after back-to-back wins in 2007, a severe knee injury followed in 2008. When he got back in the Octagon at UFC 94 a year ago, he ran into Jon Jones and lost a unanimous decision. And at the historic UFC 100 card in July, he lost a decision to Hall of Famer Mark Coleman. At 11-6 overall and 5-5 in the UFC, a win to snap his two-game skid seems to be crucial for Bonnar.

But he said he’s up for the challenge against what is his third straight stiff competition.

“He is a formidable opponent, veteran fighter — a physically strong guy,” Bonnar told The Times on Friday. “It’s a fight I look forward to — I think he’ll come to fight (and) make this a brawl and not just a wrestling match.”

Bonnar has fought outside of the U.S. just once — his first career loss, which came against current light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida at Jungle Fight 1 in Brazil in 2003. But he said he’s looking forward to the opportunity to see another part of the world.

“I look at it like this: I want to see the world before I die, and I’ve never been to Australia,” Bonnar said. “So now I get a free vacation, get to dish out a legal beating, get paid for it and explore Australia for a pocket full of dough! Not a bad gig!”

Soszynski, a veteran of Season 8 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” also needs to rebound from a loss. He dropped a disappointing decision to Brandon Vera at UFC 102 in August. It was his first loss in the UFC. Soszynski (19-10, 3-1 UFC) trains with Team Quest in California with former UFC and current Strikeforce star Dan Henderson.

UFC 110 will be headlined by a heavyweight contender’s bout between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez. With the health of heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar in question, the UFC recently announced an interim title fight between Shane Carwin and former champ Frank Mir. The winner of that bout at UFC 111 in March will likely meet the winner of Nogueira-Velasquez.

By Matt Erickson
cagedin.mma@gmail.com

When Eddie Wineland found out he was getting a new opponent for his fight this Sunday, he took to his Twitter account.

“Well apparently I’m fighting the ‘jolly green giant’ now,” Wineland posted. “6′1″ and gonna make 135??”

Wineland, the first bantamweight champ in World Extreme Cagefighting history, takes on George Roop on the preliminary card of WEC 46 on Sunday at Arco Arena in Sacramento. Roop is 6-foot-1 — a big change from Wineland’s previously announced opponent, the 5-5 Rafael Rebello, who had to pull out of the fight.

When he’s not training and competing for World Extreme Cagefighting, Wineland is a firefighter in LaPorte. He was surprised — and rightfully so — that his new opponent is able to make the cut to 135 pounds. He might want to borrow a ladder from one of the department’s trucks to reach him.

“He’s got a 6-1 frame and is 135 pounds — I don’t know if that’s physically possible,” Wineland told The Times shortly after learning Roop was his new opponent, just two days before Christmas. Wineland said the change to Roop would alter his training in the last two weeks to adjust for his height.

Saying Roop, a contestant on Season 8 of the UFC reality competition “The Ultimate Fighter” as a lightweight (155), is massive for a bantamweight is an understatement. Miguel Torres, who like Wineland is a Northwest Indiana-based bantamweight in the WEC, is considered tall for the weight class at 5-9.

The short-notice change in opponent is something Wineland said he can’t recall happening to him before — and never in the WEC. But a win would give him two straight in the WEC and would keep him climbing back up the ladder. Depending on the source, Wineland is ranked in the Top 10 to 15 bantamweights in the world.

He said his ultimate goal remains a world title — getting back the belt that he held as the WEC’s first bantamweight champ before losing it in his first defense against Chase Beebe nearly three years ago. But he knows that the possibility exists of one day having to take on Torres — himself a former WEC bantamweight champ who fights Joseph Benavidez in March for top contendership.

“Big picture, I want the belt back,” Wineland said. “There’s obstacles in the way. Unless they’re gonna pay me 50 grand, I’m not gonna fight Miguel. I’m not training with him anymore, but I still consider him a friend.”

Wineland will cross that bridge when he gets to it. First, though, he’ll be reaching — perhaps literally — for a win on Sunday.

“He looks like he’s primarily a standup guy — pretty tough, pretty scrappy,” Wineland said. “I was training for Rebello with some (jiu-jitsu) black belts. But I’ve got a couple of guys that are taller (to train with) and if I can hang with them, I should be OK.”

The main card of WEC 46 airs Sunday night on the Versus cable network. WEC general manager Reed Harris said Tuesday on a media call that Versus has given the promotion an extra 30 minutes in the official broadcast. Previous WEC cards were scheduled for 8 to 10 p.m. Central time; WEC 46 is scheduled for 8 to 10:30 p.m., allowing the promotion to put five fights on the main televised card — and the possibility to show some of the preliminary bouts if main-card fights have quick finishes.

The main event is a lightweight title unification bout between champion Jamie Varner and interim title holder Ben Henderson. Featherweight standouts Urijah Faber and Mike Brown are also on the card, as is Torres-trained featherweight Mackens Semerzier.

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WEC 46: Varner vs. Henderson
Where: Arco Arena, Sacramento.
When: 8 p.m. Sunday.
TV: Versus (cable).
Live coverage: For live coverage of Sunday’s preliminary card, Caged In recommends the good folks at MMA Junkie, winner of the 2009 Media Source of the Year at the World MMA Awards. Then check back in with Caged In for live coverage of the main card.

Main Card (televised)
155: Jamie Varner vs. Ben Henderson (lightweight title unification bout)
145: Urijah Faber vs. Raphael Assuncao
155: Dave Jansen vs. Kamal Shalorus
145: Mike Brown vs. Anthony Morrison
145: Mackens Semerzier vs. Deividas Taurosevicius

Preliminary Card
135: Charlie Valencia vs. Akitoshi Tamura
145: Wagnney Fabiano vs. Clint Godfrey
145: Mark Hominick vs. Bryan Caraway
135: Eddie Wineland vs. George Roop
135: Coty Wheeler vs. Will Campuzano

HAMMOND, IND. | Caged In is live at The Venue at Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Ind., on the shores of Lake Michigan for Hoosier Fight Club’s second show, HFC 2: It’s On.

The main event features UFC veteran Pete Spratt against Northwest Indiana’s Keith Wisniewski, who also has a UFC fight on his resume. The co-main features another UFC vet, Derrick Noble, taking on Joe Benoit of Gilbert Grappling in Tinley Park. And Portage’s John Kolosci gets his first action since his Strikeforce appearance in November, trying to avenge an old loss to Bill Hill.

It’s a solid lineup of seven professional and four amateur fights, and Caged In will have live cageside coverage all night. It begins right after the jump.

Amateur Fights

Keith McNeely vs. Luis Robles

Ryan Storey vs. Terry House

Nick Wayne vs. Jorge Gonzales

Aaron Noel vs. Jason Johns

Professional Fights

Mike Berry vs. Brandon Delprado

Bobby Reardanz vs. Norm Alexander

Rocky France vs. Joshua Lee

John Kolosci vs. Bill Hill

Louis Taylor vs. Curtis Bailey

Derrick Noble vs. Joe Benoit

Pete Spratt vs. Keith Wisniewski