Former number one heavyweight contender Gabriel Gonzaga (9-3) could return to action against Josh Hendricks (14-4) at UFC 91 in Portland, Ore., on November 15, according to FiveOuncesOfPain.com.
“Napao” recently snapped a skid that included back-to-back losses, submitting Justin McCully with a first round kimura at UFC 86: “Jackson vs. Griffin” in July.
With four straight wins to begin his career inside the Octagon, including a sensational (and at the time unlikely) knockout of Mirko Cro Cop with a headkick, Gonzaga then dropped tough bouts to Randy Couture and Fabricio Werdum.
The Brazilian will now look to string together consecutive wins and get back in the title chase.
Hendricks is on a tear, winning his last nine fights with a mix of submissions and (technical) knockouts in smaller promotions throughout the Midwest. The Ohio-based fighting veteran has notable losses to former UFC fighters Sam Hoger and Travis Wiuff earlier in his career.
The only other match up confirmed thus far for UFC 91 is a lightweight battle between Kenny Florian and Joe Stevenson; however, there is a gigantic wave of speculation that Randy Couture will return to action near his hometown to take on Brock Lesnar, settling an 11-month feud with the organization about his fighting future.
An announcement regarding Couture is expected later this afternoon at 3 p.m. ET.
35 Comments »
WTF! Hendricks who?
Gonzaga should be trying to re-establish himself as a top UFC HW by fighting guys like:
Kongo
Valasquez
Carwin
Herring
He needs to stop taking fights against guys who beating does nothing to advance him up the HW ladder
Gozaga is fighting a guy who lost to Sam HOgar? I smell….UNDERCARD again for Gonzaga!
i think he dissapointed dana by not fighting to his potential
but this is a nothin fight for gonzaga … its a waste of a fight for him
I have to Major questions that Gonzaga needs to answer for me:
His conditioning
THe Mental Game
I’m sure Gonzaga will get to you stat with an answer.
John, Gonzaga is not fighting against Cain Valasquez or Shane Carwin because the UFC is trying to build the two of them, along with Brock Lesnar, as the new face of the HW division. I think that Gabe would still be at least a slight favorite against Cain or Shane, so the UFC will hold off a little longer before matching them up.
Gabe is a solid HW fighter with great BJJ who just so happened to KO Cro Cop.
I understand that they are trying to build them up, but at some point they are going to have to beat someone of significance in order to build them up.
Kongo is Hurt now, so I would have prefered to see Gonzaga vs. Herring Booked
Herring has an oribital bone fracture
and he said hes taking a break for a while
Do you know who Hendricks is??
I wouldnt consider this a waste of time for Gonzaga.
Josh will be training hard and spending alot of time with Couture. He may be a newcomer, but he will be ready for this. Im sure of it.
I know who Josh is . he will be ready for this fight he is in great condition and is ready for whatever Gonzaga will throw at him…
Look this is the way i see it. I know josh personally and i have watched him come up and fight from the bottom. We are from a small town and this is a big deal. This is his dream and hes living it. Who else on here can say that? Yes he may have gotten beat ya win some you lose some. I sat with his family and watched that, its hard to watch your child go down like that. I am very proud of him, there are more to come. We will see what he can do next time.
Didn’t the great MMA insider that is not invovolved in the business whatsoever, John, report this in the last thread? Dude is psychic or something. I’ll give him some very much needed props, since he ask’s for them everytime he posts news from another blog on here. Oh my bad, am I ‘hating?’
Mex: No site on the internet posted any news about the Couture situation before I did…. PhilQNY will tell you since I called him to tell him before anyone on the net reported on it.
Hate on my friend, to each his own!
Not involved in the Business YET, u mean? By this time next year I will be working for Zuffa, YOU CAN TAKE THAT TO THE BANK, Hater!
Ha ha ha ha ha! I dont know whats funnier, that last statement or Stinky Fingers’ fake bets. I doubt Zuffa would need the the services of a attentioned starved MMA diva.
Make that a bloviating, attentioned-starved MMA diva! I bet your shrink loves you. Job security.
It’s a good thing you’re not a tool, john. You know, I’m sure most of the people working at Zuffa brag about it on the internet.
It’s nice to dream from the inside of a trailer though, isn’t it?
laugh on Heters….I will be laughing next semptember.
Trailor? Dredge? Sorry but at the age of 26, I guarentee that I live a nicer lifestyle then you ever will!
I dont think you want to get into a debate about this with me, because I can back it up. THere are a few people on this site that have seen some of my assets, and believe me, yOu dONT MEASURE UP!!!!
well stinky is back with the snap!
im just stopping by my favorite website 4 a hot minute.
u know reading all the news and
checking out what my fellow maniacs r saying.
well seems like the usual.
-john is nice enough to drop news on r heads[thank u john]
-mmamania is doing their job at kicking butt.
-the great bloggers such as linx-chefdaddy-violetmike-phil
and the rest who drop meaningful comments
doing what they do best.
then there is my number one fan maxi.
i know i have not been around lately. so she is probably
mad that no one will talk to her.
that maxi is a funny girl. she thinks that cause she works
at burgerking that everyone does too. she thinks i dont have
money and john is not in school to try and better his
life through long hours of education.
no not sweet maxi. she is mad that no one ever replys to
her comments but she notices that john gets hundreds of
people interested in his comments and i get like
millions
of people who love me. she kinda reminds me of old tanman.
maybe i should toss her 5 grand and tell her
to beat the demons
- and remember to leave it all over her chin.
Hey John, do you have any sort of map planned out to land you a gig with Zuffa? If so, we NEED to talk. Just last week while looking at a few different sites, I came across an article that stated that these two doofs that post UFC Prediction Videos on YouTube just got jobs with Spike. I watched one of their videos, the one for UFC 88, and it was quite painful. Let me see if I can find…
But what I’m saying is that if THESE 2 could get a job, then we are certainly not out of the equation.
Just in case that was an unacceptable link, here is the direct link to thier most recent youtube video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXG58o6RkLQ
thanks Mike.
I do have somewhat of a plan. As you know I attend Drexel University. I decided on Drexel because they have one of the best Co-op programs in the Country, which is basically that they set you up on paid internships with priominent companies through out America to get students experience so that when we do graduate, we will have a leg up on students from other Universities that I will be competing for Jobs against.
The Drexel co-op is linked to literally thousands of big time companies through out America, unfortunately Zuffa is not one of them. However I have spoken to my Co-op Coordinator about Zuffa and they said that after I graduate drexel, works to get students interviews with any company that they want. I explained to her that the only place I want to work for is Zuffa and she said that it shouldn’t be a problem for her to get me an interview with them.
All I need is 1 interview and I know that I will be IN!!!
This is what I am grooming myself for, and there is NO DOUBT in my mind that it is my destiny!
Thank you to those that show support, hate on to those that dont.
Phil, Vm, stinky, Kevin and many others on this site: your encouragement is always appreciated.
Stinky, I guess you know a thing or to about being hated on…..Do u PLAYA!
John likes to bragg about assets that were given to him. Must be nice to live off someones dime. Bragg about what you have when youre self made.
Whenever i read a Stinky Fingers post, I hear the voice of Beetlejuice.
LMFAO!!! Thats the comment of the day! “stinky fingers with a beetlejuice voice” LMFAO!!!!!!
josh hendricks and johnny hendricks are 2 different fighters correct ? johnny being one of the fighters who was on the show TapOut or his real name josh ?
different fighters. Johny is a WW. This guy is HW.
ALSO, JOHNY Hendricks is fighting at this upcoming WEC event, however, more than likely, will not be televised. Jake Rosholt is also fighting on the card as well!!! Rosholt is the real deal!!!!!!
thought so he didnt look 205 n i knew he didnt wrestle near that in college …..thanks
lotta you guys talk shit on john, but at least hes here to talk mma. not trash
does gonzaga even care to be a contender? doesnt look like it to me, cant seem to get a competetive fight scheduled
I dont know what there plans for gonzagas future is but it isnt to be a contender obviously. his last two fights have been against crappy comp. and now there giving him another no namer..
this fight makes no sense. waste of time really. he should fight someone like brandon vera
Vera is fighting Jardine. and i beleive he will be staying at 205.
I like gonzaga. he should fight better competition.