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UFC 116 Pre-Fight Press Conference Video

By Michael David SmithPosted: 07/01/2010 03:00 PM ET

Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin and UFC President Dana White will meet the press Thursday at the UFC 116 pre-fight press conference for the last time before Saturday night's heavyweight title fight, and we've got the live video right here at MMAFighting.com.

The press conference takes place at the MGM Grand's Hollywood Theatre and is the final chance for the media to question Lesnar and Carwin before they step into the Octagon. The weigh-in begins at 4 PM ET and the video is below.
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The Cut List: Who's Facing Unemployment With Loss at UFC 116?

By Ben FowlkesPosted: 07/01/2010 01:52 PM ET

Amid all the hoopla surrounding the heavyweight title fight at UFC 116 this weekend, it's easy to forget that while some fighters are competing for glory and lucrative paydays, others are just fighting for survival.

Hardly a UFC event goes by without at least one or two of the losers getting quietly cut from the roster a few days later. Their contracts may still have three fights left on them, but one bad performance (or just consecutive losing ones), and suddenly that piece of paper is good for little more than bird cage lining.

So who could be facing make-or-break moments at UFC 116, and who's most likely to join the swollen ranks of America's unemployed after this weekend? Let's take a look after the jump.
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Yoshihiro Akiyama Discusses Dissing Chris Leben, but Taking the Fight

By Mike ChiappettaPosted: 07/01/2010 12:43 PM ET

LAS VEGAS -- No one was more disappointed about Wanderlei Silva dropping out of UFC 116 than his scheduled opponent, Yoshihiro Akiyama.

The fighter, who had been campaigning to fight Silva for months, was devastated when Silva dropped out with broken ribs. And he wasn't too happy when the UFC floated Chris Leben past him as a replacement.

In fact, his initial reaction was simple: no. On Wednesday, Akiyama explained why he was displeased by the Leben matchup and why he ultimately chose to accept it.
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Chris Leben Takes Exception With Akiyama's Hesitancy to Fight Him

By Ariel HelwaniPosted: 07/01/2010 12:06 PM ET

LAS VEGAS -- Chris Leben met with the media on Wednesday to discuss his UFC 116 fight against Yoshihiro Akiyama.

"The Crippler" explained how the UFC gave him an offer he couldn't refuse to fight on two weeks' notice, why this is the biggest fight of his life and why he took exception with Akiyama's hesitancy to initially agree to the fight.

Watch a highlight video of Leben discussing all these issues and working out in front of the fans, shot and edited by MMA Fighting's E. Casey Leydon, below.
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Brock Lesnar Belittles Shane Carwin's Championships

By Michael David SmithPosted: 07/01/2010 12:00 PM ET

Brock Lesnar takes another shot at Shane Carwin.Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin are both former college wrestling champions, and they'll both walk out to the Octagon Saturday night at UFC 116 carrying UFC championship belts. But Lesnar would like to make it clear that he doesn't view Carwin's championships as on par with his own.

"I was a Division I national champion and he's not," Lesnar said of Carwin on SportsCenter Thursday. "And I'm the UFC heavyweight champion and he's definitely not that."
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UFC 116 Video: Shane Carwin Doesn't Care for Brock Lesnar or His Attitude

By Ariel HelwaniPosted: 07/01/2010 11:06 AM ET

LAS VEGAS -- Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin took part in Wednesday's UFC 116 open media workouts at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and once again, both men explained why they don't like each other and why they are nothing alike.

Lesnar, who hasn't fought in close to a year after recovering from diverticulitis, set the tone for Saturday's mammoth heavyweight title unification bout when he purposely knocked down a banner of Carwin with his forearm. Once he got that bit of aggression out of the way, the former WWE star spoke to the media.

Watch below as both weigh in on their fight and workout for the media and fans. The video was shot and edited by MMA Fighting's E. Casey Leydon.
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Eddie Bravo Leaves UFC Analyst Gig

By Ray HuiPosted: 07/01/2010 11:00 AM ET

Eddie Bravo will no longer be under the UFC payroll and will instead be occasionally present in the corner of certain fighters under his 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu tutelage.

Gareth A Davies of the Telegraph was the first to report that Bravo has left his longtime gig as a grappling behind-the-scenes production analyst for the UFC, and Bravo's close friend and UFC commentator Joe Rogan has since confirmed the departure.

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Dream.15 Fight Card: Shinya Aoki vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri

By Ray HuiPosted: 07/01/2010 01:00 AM ET

A lightweight championship bout between two fan favorites and the opening of Dream's light heavyweight tournament highlight the upcoming Dream.15 on July 10 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

In the main event, Shinya Aoki defends his belt against Tatsuya Kawajiri to determine the top Japanese lightweight in the world. In Grand Prix action, Melvin Manhoef battles Tatsuya Mizuno and Gegard Mousasi meets Jake O'Brien.

The card is still coming together but the current lineup is below.
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Brendan Schaub Says He's Ready for Primetime, Chris Tuchscherer

By Mike ChiappettaPosted: 06/30/2010 11:22 PM ET

LAS VEGAS -- Brendan Schaub's name did not appear anywhere on the UFC's official schedule, but that didn't stop the Colorado native from making an appearance at the open workouts at the MGM Grand Conference Center Marquee Ballroom.

While Schaub was there mainly in support of teammate and main event participant Shane Carwin, in a way, it also symbolized his hope to be considered among the sport's top-level heavyweights following his UFC 116 match against Chris Tuchscherer.

"I expect to be on the main card after this," Schaub (5-1) told MMA Fighting. "It's an honor to be on the Spike prelims, but after this, I expect big-name opponents. I think this will separate me from the rest of the up-and-comers. I think I showed what I do to up-and-comers like Chase Gormley and the guys on the [Ultimate Fighter] show, so I think from here it's going to be some pretty big-name UFC vets for me."
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Brock Lesnar Relaxed for Comeback Despite Major Strategy Shift

By Mike ChiappettaPosted: 06/30/2010 09:23 PM ET

LAS VEGAS -- With so much focus on Brock Lesnar's return from illness as the main storyline for UFC 116, it's been easy to miss some of the fight-oriented details of his upcoming title unification bout with interim champion Shane Carwin.

Yet in all the words that have escaped the mouths of those who've spoken about Lesnar in the last few days, few will have as much impact on Saturday night as a quick revelation that some might have missed if they weren't fully attentive to his words. Despite the long layoff, Lesnar is essentially re-inventing himself for the biggest fight of his life, admitting to reporters that he'll be taking the risk of competing in a brand-new stance.

"I brought in Peter Welch, and we changed my stance and switched it from traditional to southpaw," he said. "It's really worked out, helped on wrestling and shooting. We changed a lot of things and we'll see if they work I guess."
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Watch Live on MMA Fighting:

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Watch Live on MMA Fighting:

UFC 116

Saturday, July 3 at 10PM ET

Fight Calendar

UFC 116 - Lesnar vs. Carwin
UFC on Versus 2
UFC 117 - Silva vs. Sonnen
UFC 118 - Edgar vs. Penn 2
UFC Fight Night 22
Strikeforce Challengers 9
WEC 50 - Cruz vs. Benavidez
DREAM.15
Sengoku 14
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