TUF Brazil Finale 2 hit a last-minute low.

With a little more than a day from his clash against Derek Brunson, Ronny Markes was involved in a car accident and is unable to get into the UFC Octagon for his fight with Derek Brunson. As a result, the fight has been canceled.

GRACIEMAG heard from sources close to the fighter talking with Markes’ coach, Dede Pederneiras, minimizing the severity of the accident and noting that it went without serious injury.

UFC president Dana White said in an interview with  MMAJunkie  that the two athletes will receive the their fight night purses, regardless of the fight’s cancelation.

Stefan Struve (right) attempts a triangle choke submission during the UFC on Versus event at the Verizon Center on Oct. 1, 2011 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

UFC on Fuel TV 8’s Stefan Struve is on his way up the heavyweight ladder.

A win over Mark Hunt this weekend in Japan will mean a five-fight win streak for the Dutch fighter. And beating Hunt in the country where he gathered all his fame in Pride will be a huge statement in terms of Struve’s hunt for the heavyweight title.

GRACIEMAG.com recently talked to the 7-foot fighter about his upcoming fight, his newly-earned brown belt, and what hurdles he’s come across in order to get to where he is today.

GRACIEMAG.com: Tell us what you think about your opponent, Hunt. Do you feel people aren’t giving him the respect he deserves following the wins he’s collected since coming to the UFC?

STEFAN STRUVE: He deserves a lot of respect and he showed that with his last three fights. My interpretation with those fights is that he lost to McCorkle, obviously, and in his other three fights he ended up on his back. The difference in those fights from the fight with me coming up is, in my opinion, I’m much better than those guys when the fight hits the deck.

How do you plan on dealing with Hunt’s tremendous punching power when the two of you will fight on the feet at UFC on Fuel TV 8?

You don’t want to be in his range because he’s going to knock your head into the third row. If I fight my fight at my own distance … where I can hit him and he can’t hit me, it’s going to be really annoying for him. He’s going to want to come in fast and hard, every single time. And every single time he comes close, I’ll get the opportunity to take him down and end the fight.

The last time I spoke with you, you told me you were a purple belt. Has that changed since then and what hurdles have you come across to get to where you are?

I got my brown belt recently, a month and a half ago. I’m confident that I can fight with anybody on the ground in the UFC and defend myself against anybody. Werdum, Nogueira, Mir, I don’t care. I can defend myself against anybody on the ground. And if this fight hits the deck, then it’s going to be a short night for him. I’m going to finish him fast.

I’ve been training with my coach, Remco Pardoel, for about two and a half years now, but I’ve been grappling eight or nine years. A lot of things have been different, but I already knew them and what changes I needed to make. I learned a lot from Remco and also Henry (Akins) in L.A., and altogether they just improved my game so much. The biggest hurdle is doing what I do every single week: training 10 or 11 times, and put the intensity that I always put in there to strive for the best.

If you can, tell the GRACIEMAG readers what best describes your game plan against Hunt this weekend.

Don’t let him hit me, not even a single time. Stay at my own distance and don’t come into his reach. Pick him apart from the outside and when he comes close, take him down, submit him fast.

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Cristiano Marcello reacts in the Octagon after his lightweight fight against Reza Madadi at UFC 153 inside HSBC Arena on Oct. 13, 2012 in Rio de Janeiro. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

UFC on Fuel TV 8’s Cristiano Marcello is, admittedly, nothing without his Jiu-Jitsu.

The lifestyle that comes from training in the gentle art has helped him in all aspects of his life, both professionally and personally, he said. As he prepares for his UFC battle with Kazuki Tokudome that takes place in Japan on Sunday, the black belt stays close to his roots, keeping his gi on in his training.

“My jiu-jitsu does everything for me,” Marcello told GRACIEMAG.com. “I keep training every day in my gi because if I don’t have my Jiu-Jitsu, I’m nothing. It helps me in everything in my life, from my personal life to my MMA life.”

The Royler Gracie pupil plans on implementing his best trait when he fights Tokudome in the Octagon. Jiu-Jitsu is the key to victory, and Marcello hopes his opponent will try to take the fight to the ground.

Off the back, there are several opportunities for Marcello to shine. Against a wrestler, the chances of a takedown are greater, and the Jiu-Jitsu practitioner is banking on that very thing happening.

“His background is wrestling, so I hope he puts me down,” he said. “He’s the kind of guy that goes wherever you put him. Whatever situation you put him in a fight, he goes forward. He’s the kind of guy I like to fight.

“I train a lot of wrestling back at my academy, so I don’t have any fear about any situation in the fight … I’m going to put him in a bad situation.”

As for himself, when in a fight, Marcello likes to entertain the fans. Submissions and knockouts are what he’s looking for, and the UFC fan base can’t get enough them. Marcello is more than willing to provide that for the Tokyo crowd that will be in attendance at the Saitama Super Arena.

Leaving it up to judges just isn’t Marcello’s style. He’d prefer not to let someone else decide the outcome of a fight he’s in.

Cristiano Marcello punches Reza Madadi during their lightweight fight at UFC 153 inside HSBC Arena on Oct. 13, 2012 in Rio de Janeiro. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

“MMA for me, every time I step in the Octagon, I go to submit or for a knockout,” he explained. “I don’t ever want to leave the fight in the hands of the judges.”

Leaving it up to the officials has caused Marcello some controversy in the past. In his last outing against Reza Madadi, the Brazilian won a close split decision. Much of the fallout from that fight included buzz about whether or not he truly won the contest, with some fans and media saying Madadi should have won the decision.

That’s all nonsense, according to Marcello. He’s confident he came out on top in the bout, and anyone who says otherwise can’t argue against the stats.

“The numbers, you can never go against them,” he said. “All the math says I hit him more than he hit me. Everybody knows his game. Everybody’s scared to go to the ground with me. I won the fight.”

But regardless of past decisions, Marcello plans on finishing Tokudome in Japan. It’ll be his 27th time visiting the country, but only the second time fighting in it. The crowd will be quite — as Japanese MMA crowds always are — and Marcello will enter the cage like, as he referred to himself, a professional.

But if Tokudome doesn’t respect the black belt, the tone will change and Marcello will look to teach him a lesson.

“I grew up inside the Gracie family and I learned a lot from these guys about lifestyle and the way you have to keep respect,” he said. “I have a line. My respect begins where yours starts. So if you [don’t respect me], I’m going to be happy to beat you.”

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At UFC on Fuel TV 8, Wanderlei Silva returns to Japan to the same arena he earned his biggest wins in Pride and where he established himself as an MMA superstar. Watch the video above to get an inside look at Wandy and a return to his roots.

Fuel TV’s ‘In Focus: Silva vs Stann’ is an in-depth look at the main event of UFC On Fuel TV 8. The video paints a vivid picture of MMA legend Wanderlei Silva and his opponent, Brian Stann. The two will fight in Japan on Saturday, March 2.

Renan Barao successfully defended his interim bantamweight title to beat Michael McDonald Saturday night in London. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Renan Barao successfully defended his UFC interim bantamweight title, submitting Michael McDonald in the fourth round of the UFC on FUEL TV 7 main event at Wembley Arena in London on Saturday night.

The defending interim champ brought the fight to the ground and sank an arm-triangle choke, forcing McDonald to tap out at 3:57 of the round.

“I feel great,” Barao said following his win in the United Kingdom. “That was a lot of hard work.”

Barao got the takedown early in the first round, working in guard until McDonald was able to get back to the feet. Both fighters had moments of punching flurries, going back and forth halfway through the frame. McDonald stunned his opponent, letting free with a combination, but was taken down shortly after. The round finished on the ground, and was razor-close for the entire five-minute period.

McDonald continued pressuring the interim champ, opening up a cut over Barao’s right eye, but the Brazilian scored a takedown thereafter. Once back on the feet, an eye-poke by Barao paused the action, but they continued and traded strikes. Barao landed a front kick that backed his opponent up, but McDonald responded with a flurry before the end of the round.

Barao pressured the challenger, moving side to side and forward with a combinations of punches. He got the takedown and tried to gain mount, but McDonald bumped him off and returned to a standing fight. The champ landed a spinning-back kick in the final 30 seconds of the third round that sent McDonald reeling backwards.

McDonald stuffed a takedown in the first minute of the fourth round, but Barao kept moving forward to land combinations of strikes. McDonald had a bloody nose, and Barao continued throwing punches and kicks. Barao clinched and tossed McDonald, getting the fight to the ground where he secured the American’s back. From there, Barao transitioned to mount, wrapped up his opponent’s head and arm, and sank in the arm triangle for the finish.

“Domincik Cruz, I’m waiting for you,” Barao said, pleading for the current 135-pound champ to return from injury soon.

With the win, Barao retains the interim bantamweight title and maintains a 30-fight unbeaten streak.

Cub Swanson (pictured) won his bout at UFC on FUEL TV 7 on Saturday in London. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Cub Swanson (18-5) vs. Dustin Poirier (13-2) 

Cub Swanson went the distance to beat Dustin Poirier by unanimous decision in the co-main event at UFC on FUEL TV 7 on Saturday.

Swanson used a mixture of strikes on the feet, as well as superior ground technique to earn the decision with scores of 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27.

Swanson was active early on, throwing several haymaker punches. Poirier began to counter then went for a single-leg before clinching against the cage. Swanson landed an uppercut that shook Poirier, but was taken to ground again in the final minute of the round.

Round 2 began with Swanson landing body shots. He continued to pressure his opponent until Poirier clinched him up against the cage. After a failed spinning-back fist by Swanson, Poirier scored a double-leg takedown. The fight returned to the feet, however, where the fighters traded punches and kicks through the end of the round.

Poirier began to land more strikes as the third round began, landing combinations on the feet. Swanson scored a takedown, working in his opponent’s guard and landing elbows before transitioning to the back. Poirier attempted shaking his opponent off, but Swanson scrambled to mount. Poirier recovered and got back to his feet, but Swanson got him down again with a head-and-arm toss in the final minute before time expired.

With the win, Swanson scores his fourth win in a row and will likely be in talks about being the No. 1 contender to Jose Aldo’s featherweight title.

Jimi Manuwa vs. Cyrille Diabate

Cyrille Diabate injured himself in the first round and was unable to continue before the second to give Jimi Manuwa the TKO-win in their UFC on FUEL main card fight on Saturday.

Manuwa got the takedown early in the first round, keeping top control for a lengthy time before returning to the feet. He continued to pressure Diabate, landing a mixture of strikes before getting another takedown prior to the round ending.

Diabate was unable to answer the bell before Round 2 began due to a leg injury, giving Manuwa the technical knockout and 13th win to add to his undefeated record.

Gunnar Nelson vs. Jorge Santiago

Gunnar Nelson shut out Jorge Santiago to earn a unanimous decision at UFC on FUEL in London on Saturday.

Nelson kept his hands low, but scored a takedown in the first round while his opponent tried to find his range. The second round had Nelson apply another takedown just past the first minute, landing strikes from top position thereafter and passing the guard to mount before the round ended. Santiago found success landing strikes on the feet in the third, but Nelson reacted well and landed punches to earn the win.

Judges scored the bout 29-28, 29-28, 30-27.

James Te Huna (15-5) vs. Ryan Jimmo (17-1) 

James Te Huna defeated Ryan Jimmo by unanimous decision in their main card fight at UFC on FUEL TV 7.

Te Huna recovered from a first-round headkick, taking down Jimmo in the second and third rounds which opened up a heavy ground-and-pound assault. Judges scored the fight 29-27, 29-28, 29-28.

Che Mills vs. Matt Riddle

Matt Riddle won a split decision over Che Mills in the UFC on FUEL opening main card fight. Riddle neutralized Mills’ stand-up, bringing the fight to the ground on numerous occasions and controlling from that position.

Judges scored the fight 29-28, 28-29 and 30-27, giving the American a win over the homeland fighter.

Preliminary Bouts (on Facebook):

Renee Forte def. Terry Etim by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Danny Castillo def. Paul Sass by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Andy Ogle def. Josh Grispi by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Tom Watson def. Stanislov Nedkov by TKO at 4:42, Round 2
Vaughan Lee def. Motonobu Tezuka by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Phil Harris def. Ulysses Gomez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

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Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

The U.K. is getting its first taste of 135-pound UFC gold.

UFC London, also known as UFC on FUEL TV 7, will be headlined by Renan Barao defending his interim bantamweight title against challenger Michael McDonald, the UFC announced early Thursday.

The card, which is just beginning to get filled with fights, will take place at Wembley Arena on Saturday, Feb. 16.

The announcement of the interim title fight headlining the card comes just two days after UFC president Dana White said Barao and McDonald will meet some time in 2013.

The company also announced several other bouts for the U.K. card, including a welterweight fight between Matt Riddle and English fighter Che Mills.

The UFC London card to date is as follows:

• Renan Barao vs. Michael McDonald
• Che Mills vs. Matt Riddle
• Terry Etim vs. Renee Forte
• Paul Sass vs. Danny Castillo
• Billy Harris vs. Ulysses Gomez
• Vaughan Lee vs. Motonobu Tezuka
• Andy Ogle vs. Josh Grispi

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Photo by Al Bello/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

UFC heavyweights Mark Hunt and Stefan Struve will meet when the company returns to Japan for UFC on FUEL TV 8, according to various reports.

The match-up will be part of the main card for the March 2 event, which takes place at the Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo.

UFC officials couldn’t confirm the bout when contacted by GRACIEMAG.com, but did say that more information will be released tonight.

Hunt (8-7), a fan favorite in Japan from his days in the defunct Pride FC organization, will make his second fight appearance in the country since debuting in the UFC in September 2010. Most recently, Hunt topped Cheick Kongo by technical knockout at UFC 144 in February, which took place at the same venue as upcoming UFC on FUEL TV 8 card. The win was his third straight after suffering a five-fight losing streak.

Struve (25-5) has been on a tear, winning nine of his last 11 fights and four straight. In his last bout, “The Skyscraper” topped Stipe Miocic by technical knockout in the main event at UFC on FUEL TV 5 in September. Following the win, Struve agreed over Twitter to fight Cheick Kongo, but the match-up never came to reality.

No other bouts have been reported to be scheduled for the UFC on FUEL TV 8 card, but GRACIEMAG.com will continue to update as more information becomes available. MMAWeekly.com was first to report the pending Hunt-Struve match-up.

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Jon Tuck, a promessa de Guam: Jiu-Jitsu afiado no Emirates Team, em Abu Dhabi. Foto: UFC/Divulgação

Macau, a três horas de Hong Kong (barco) e a três horas de Pequim (avião), significa “Porta da Baía” em cantonês, língua local da província, que também fala português.

A porta da Baía foi então o local escolhido pelo UFC para aportar na China, o mercado dos sonhos de Dana White e seus executivos. Se tudo der certo, o UFC exibido de manhã no ocidente vai pegar.

Macau, como Las Vegas e Nova Jersey, é uma terra com muitos cassinos de luxo, e já há futuras promessas do esporte pondo suas fichas no card principal deste sábado. O Canal Combate transmite, a partir de 10h30 da matina.

É o caso do peso leve Jonathan Cruz Tuck, um confiante faixa-marrom de Jiu-Jitsu que vem de Guam, território americano vizinho da China.

“Estava tudo planejado, e o sonho dele agora começa a se realizar”, explica seu treinador de Jiu-Jitsu Marcão Oliveira, do Emirates Team. “Ele é como um filho para mim e para a Carol (DeLazzer), desde que veio de Guam treinar com a gente. Ele sempre passa pelo menos uma temporada por ano em Abu Dhabi”, lembra Marcão, que outro dia também brilho, ao beliscar o ouro master no Europeu de Jiu-Jitsu Sem Kimono.

Jon Tuck tem seis vitórias no cartel, três por nocaute e três por finalização, e enfrenta o chinês Zhang Tie Quan, que também costuma amaciar em pé para finalizar no chão.

“Sabíamos que, se o Jon mantivesse um cartel perfeito, quando o UFC viesse à Ásia ele iria ganhar uma chance. Ainda mais com o título que tem no Jiu-Jitsu – ele venceu o WPJJC de Abu Dhabi, em 2010, quando era faixa-azul.  Todos adoram ele aqui nos Emirados, o Tuck foi recebido de braços abertos por todos os treinadores”, lembra Marcão.

Tuck passou ainda dois anos só treinando. A maior parte do tempo, treinou apenas Jiu-Jitsu, com e sem kimono. “Quando percebemos que ele estava duro, no ponto certo no chão, ele voltou a treinar MMA. E na sua volta emplacou dois belos nocautes e consolidou um bom recorde”.

E você, bota fé no novato contra o ídolo chinês? Quem vence, amigo leitor?

Para os melhores comentários especializados em Jiu-Jitsu acerca do UFC de Macau, siga o GRACIEMAG no Twitter.

UFC on Fuel TV

Cotai Arena, Cotai, Macau

Sábado, 10 de novembro de 2012

Rich Franklin vs Cung Le

Thiago Silva vs Stanislav Nedkov

Takanori Gomi vs Mac Danzig

Dong Hyun Kim vs Paulo Thiago

Alex Caceres vs Montonobu Tezuka

Zhang Tie Quan vs Jon Tuck

Card Preliminar

Yusuhiro Urushitani vs John Lineker

Riki Fukada vs Tom DeBlass

Takeyda Mizugaki vs Jeff Hougland

David Mitchell vs Hyun Gyu Lim

Jon Tuck, an up-and-comer from Guam with Jiu-Jitsu slicked up at Emirates Team in Abu Dhabi. UFC publicity photo

Macau, a three-hour boat ride from Hong Kong and three hours from Beijing by plane, is a city whose name means “Port of the Bay” in Cantonese, the local language in the province, where Portuguese is also spoken.

So Port of the Bay was the location picked to host the UFC’s maiden venture into China, a dream market for Dana White and his executive counterparts. If all goes to plan, tomorrow’s UFC will be a hit in the Far East.

Macau, like Las Vegas and New Jersey, is a land of high-end casinos, and a number of the sport’s up-and-comers are putting their chips on the main card this Saturday.

Such is the case with the lightweight Jonathan Cruz Tuck, a confident Jiu-Jitsu brown belt who harks from Guam, a US-controlled territory not far from China.

“Everything was planned, and his dream is starting to come true,” explains his Jiu-Jitsu coach Marcão Oliveira of Emirates Team. “He’s been like a son to me and Carol [DeLazzer] ever since he came from Guam to train with us. He comes over and spends some time in Abu Dhabi every year,” recalls Marcão, who himself was in the spotlight a short while back, when he won gold in the masters division at the European No-Gi Championship.

Jon Tuck has six wins on his record, three by way of knockout and the other three by submission, and he will have his work cut out for him when he faces China’s Zhang Tie Quan, who himself tends to do some softening up of his opponents standing before pursuing the tapout on the ground.

“We knew that if Jon kept a perfect record, when the UFC came to Asia he’d get a chance, especially with the Jiu-Jitsu title he holds—he won the Abu Dhabi WPJJC as a blue belt in 2010. Everyone loves him here in the Emirates. Tuck was received with open arms by all the trainers,” recalls Marcão.

Tuck spent two years just training. Most of the time, all he did was Jiu-Jitsu, with and without the gi. “When we realized he was tough, just right on the ground, he started training in MMA again. And on his return, he scored two sweet knockouts to cap off a good record.”

What do you think, gentle reader? Who takes it, the local hero or the foreign newcomer?

UFC on Fuel TV
Cotai Arena, Cotai, Macau
Saturday, November 10, 2012

Rich Franklin vs Cung Le
Thiago Silva vs Stanislav Nedkov
Takanori Gomi vs Mac Danzig
Dong Hyun Kim vs Paulo Thiago
Alex Caceres vs Montonobu Tezuka
Zhang Tie Quan vs Jon Tuck

Under card

Yusuhiro Urushitani vs John Lineker
Riki Fukada vs Tom DeBlass
Takeyda Mizugaki vs Jeff Hougland
David Mitchell vs Hyun Gyu Lim

This Saturday the UFC makes its first incursion into Chinese territory, pitching tent in Macau. What follows is GRACIEMAG.com’s list of the five fights on the card that are bound to get the Jiu-Jitsu crew out of their seats. The main event doesn’t even figure in the equation, to give you an idea of how potent a mix there is to come.

Which is the one you’ll make a point not to miss?

1. Thiago Silva vs. Stanislav Nedkov

It’s no easy task that he’s got ahead of him, but Thiago Silva has to win to keep in the UFC top brass’ good graces. After all, three failures in a row would have anyone nervous about their job security. Now, while the Bulgarian beast Stanislav Nedkov boasts a Jiu-Jitsu black belt of his own, it’s the perfect fight for the light heavyweight Silva to use his sweep- and submission-heavy ground game. Might the Brazilian soften the undefeated Nedkov up on the feet before finishing him off on the ground? Or will he wear the Bulgarian out on the ground to knock him out on the feet? Either way, we’re bracing for a barnburner, standing or on the ground.

Prediction: Thiago Silva

2. Dong Hyun Kim vs. Paulo Thiago

Dong “Stun Gun” Kim and the policeman from Brasilia are in the same boat: they’re both coming off a loss and need a win to stay relevant in the welterweight division. Kim will have the crowd on his side, and he will be looking for all-out standup exchanges, using his characteristic long-range kicks and punches. Officer Paulo Thiago will need to curb the Korean’s enthusiasm, and Jiu-Jitsu may be the way.

Prediction: Paulo Thiago

3. Takanori Gomi vs. Mac Danzig

A beast from back in the days of Pride FC, Takanori Gomi will be looking to take his American foe down and work him over with ground and pound. Gomi will likely try to steer clear of the striking game, as Mac Danzig is proven in the Thai boxing department. Who falls first? Who wins?

Prediction: Mac Danzig

4. Zhang Tie Quan vs. Jon Tuck

Chinese lightweight Zhang Tie (15w, 3l) is a brown belt in Jiu-Jitsu and has 12 submission wins to brag of. The coolest part is that he likes keeping the fight standing at the start, throwing potent punches and counter-attacking with his takedown game. That’s the style undefeated UFC first-timer Jon “Super Saiyan” Tuck of Guam will need to decipher. Tuck is a well-rounded fighter himself, so the odds are the match-up will make for a great fight.

Prediction: Zhang Tie

5. Riki Fukuda vs. Tom DeBlass

An experienced New Jersey-based Ricardo Cachorrão black belt, Tom DeBlass has held heavyweight and light heavyweight titles from other promotions. Now a middleweight in the UFC, Tom is hoping to get back to his winning ways, since failing to take down and finish the lanky Cyrille Diabete losing via split decision. Now he’s set to face Riki Fukuda, a Japanese fighter who has been around the block himself, having fought in the Shooto, Pancrase, K-1 and Deep promotions. The Chinese crowd probably won’t be too keen on a Japanese fighter, so Tom’s task is to win them over, sidestep Fukuda’s fists and go for the finish.

Prediction: Tom DeBlass

Check out the full card for the Saturday event in Macau.

UFC on Fuel TV
Cotai Arena, Cotai, Macau
Saturday, November 10, 2012

Rich Franklin vs Cung Le

Thiago Silva vs Stanislav Nedkov

Takanori Gomi vs Mac Danzig

Dong Hyun Kim vs Paulo Thiago

Alex Caceres vs Montonobu Tezuka

Zhang Tie Quan vs Jon Tuck

Under card

Yusuhiro Urushitani vs John Lineker

Riki Fukada vs Tom DeBlass

Takeyda Mizugaki vs Jeff Hougland

David Mitchell vs Hyun Gyu Lim