James Irvin will return from a nine-month suspension at UFC 98, which will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 23, and shed 20 pounds in the process to compete at middleweight for the first time ever.
MMAmania.com can confirm that “The Sandman” will challenge Drew McFedries, setting up a hard-hitting 185-pound match up.
Irvin tested positive for Methadone and Oxymorphone after his first round technical knockout loss to Anderson Silva at UFC Fight Night 14 on July 19. “The Sandman” — who was nursing a broken foot just weeks before accepting the bout — claims that he used the banned substances to mask the pain associated with the injury.
He has a split record (4-4) in eight fights for the promotion.
Before the loss to Silva, Irvin rebounded from an injury-riddled and bizarre 2007 fight campaign, during which he blew out his knee in a loss to Thiago Silva and was knocked silly courtesy of an errant Luis Arthur Cane knee that resulted in a disqualification win, to knockout Houston Alexander in record time at UFC Fight Night 13 this April.
But the momentum was cut short once again in 2008. And he’ll have to try get it going in 2009 against the Miletich-trained fighter.
McFedries has also had a rollercoaster career inside the Octagon, winning every other fight and being unable to string together consecutive wins in six attempts with the promotion.
That is until he locked horns with Thales Leites on short notice at UFC 90: “Silva vs. Cote” back in October 2008. “Massacre” dropped his second consecutive bout courtesy of a first round submission (rear naked choke). He lost to Mike Massenzio via submission (kimura) at UFC Fight Night 15 in Omaha, Neb., on September 17, before the loss to the Brazilian.
In short, he needs a win bad. The good news for him is that his stand up style matches up better with a power puncher like Irvin. Should be a solid scrap.
Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on UFC 98.
57 Comments »
Awesome, I love watching Irvin.
Yeah, I’m excited to see him back in action!
Oh cool, I’m not the only one!
Anyone know what weight? I didn’t think Irvin could cut anymore and why would McFedries move up?
they are fighting at middleweight. Irvin has to cut 20 pounds.
wow…big cut for him…he’s big to begin with…Irvin/Bisping would be a good fight
Irvin couldn’t even make weight for his last fight at light heavyweight with Anderson Silva and he has fought at heavyweight before now he’s dropping to middleweight?
I don’t see it happening and if he makes weight he’ll be completely exhausted.
I like Irvin, but at this weight I like McFedries in this match.
i should ask irvin if he has a good oxycodone hook up! lol
Great Match up!
war irvin
Lousy match up for me. Though I like Irvin’s power.
not exactly a Top 10 fight, but it sure will be fun to watch!
That’s going to be a tough cut for Irvin!! He was shredded at 205. I think he is going to have to give up some serious muscle to make 185.
Serious man I was thinkin the same thing.
Definatley surprised he can make 185
me too….he might gas big time if he’s not careful
Belfort can do it so why cant irvin and vitor started his career as a heavyweight, really looking forward to this fight
good job joe silva, this is an awesome match up to guys who love to stand up and slug it out. These two are probable two of the most powerful punchers in the division.
I think anderson needs to move back up to 205 and fight a real light heavyweight such as the winner of rampage/jardine
I agree and agree.
No, this is a good match to see who is deader weight and who to get rid of. If it wasnt for Matt Hughes still being in the UFC, McFedries would be gone. Both of these guys suck.
With that being said, I will take Irvin, as long as he doesnt piss dirty again.
i dont know if i would say they suck, but they are not contenders that is for sure but they are the kinda guys the ufc likes to keep around because they put on exciting fights and they are willing to step up on short notice and fight anybody. although i think if drew loses again he is gone, i think if irvin loses he will be given another shot since this is his first fight at middlweight
McFedries isn’t it the same camp as Hughes anymore so I don’t think that has anything to do with it.
McFedries is still around because like Houston Alexander and James Irvin they’re heavy hitters people want to see.
This has fireworks written all over it. Let’s go Drew!
Good match-up JOE
aww man im a huge irvin fan but i will be shocked if he makes 185. hes a massive 205′er but anywho IRVIN FIRST ROUND KO
didnt he originally not make weight at first when he fought anderson silva? if i remember correctly he came in at like 207 or 208 and had to struggle to make weight with the extra hour or whatever it is they give you
he has almost 5 months to do it, and last time he had that injury so he probably had a hard time training for 2 weeks or 3
Can Irvin even make 185? How will his cardio be for his first time?
McFedries vs. Irvin = Sick.
Better than McFedries’ and that’s all that matters. Actually, cardio won’t be much of a factor in this fight, because someone will be out before the end of the first round.
You called it.
Yeah – no kidding. Irvin is huge! Amazing to think that he could weigh in at a weight less than I’m at right now, and I’m carrying a little extra weight around the middle.
Slugfest. Will it be on the main card? What will Irvin look like at 185 since he is ripped at 205? Less roids may make the weight cut a little easier though!
roids?? get a clue, he popped for pain killers because he had a broken foot. roids, lol!!!
methadone makes you retarded, it does not make you strong.
they give it to recovering heroic addicts because it is some kind of artificial opiate.
Everytime both of these guys fight it is exciting, regardless if they win or lose.
I am curious as to what limb Irvin plans to cut off to make 185, I always thought he was pretty big for a 205′er.
glad to hear irvin is coming back. this fight should be really excitin. I hope the cuttin weight doesn’t affect him like brandon vera when he moved down to 205.
what!? I like Irvin, but he is too big to cutt to 185…he will drain himself and his first time at 185 (if he can even make it) he is hetting KO’d. I saw somewhere where he weighed like 225 for one of his fights, I think when he was fighting at HW in another org. Either way this should be a great fight sure to end in a brutal KO…..its hard to believe that Irvin was set to fight Rashad, the current LHW champ at one point back before he injured himself….
Govieiva had problems making 185lb
yea and gouviea has some nice extra meat around the middle unlike irvin
I just hope he doesn’t look depleted like Swick does now at welterweight. Swick almost looks sick because he’s so damn skinny. He’s getting used to the weight cut, obvious in his last fight, but cutting that much weight has to be tough on your body.
Diego will be the same at lightweight. He was a solid mass at welterweight, how will he look now?
Yes!!! My favorite fighter and THE best KO artist Irvin! Gonna be a sweet fight, wouldnt want to be in Drew’S shoes though he’s gonna get violently ktfo.
Gogo Irvin!
I hope McFedries KO’s James Irvin quick, but I doubt that James Irvin even makes weight.
Irvin is shredded at 205, idk how the hell he will make 185. He will be losing alot of muscle and his cardio will not be up to par from the toll the weight cut will have on his body.
Hope he wins tho, would like to see Irvin vs Leben!!
that would be fight of the year but leben has historically had problems with technical strikers like irvin, silva,bisping,and sakara gave him quite a bit of trouble even
shit i wanted to see irvin vs liddell too, i dont know why irvin is moving down hes going to lose alot of size(i hope not :S)
i think the cut will be similar to pete sell dropping from middleweight to welterweight, i always thought that pete sell was a big middleweight and was pretty shredded, but the dude was ripped like crazy at 170 and the cut didnt seem to effect his cardio or strentgh at all as he beat josh burkman one of the stronger and more athletic welterweights in the ufc
Hes moving down because he wants another shot at Anderson…..lol!!!!!!
that sounds crazy but he was embarressed by him and some men can’t tame their pride
I’m starting to think the reason he went down so easily is due to the pain killers…..I’ve been on some high power pain killers like hydrocodone and man I can’t imagine getting hit hard in the face while on those! They already make you feel drunk and weak…..
i think he has been shedding weight during his suspension. otherwise thats alot of weight to cut for a bodybuilder
I knew this was coming he talked about moving down to 185 right after or even before the Houston Alexander fight.. he said it’s getting harder and harder for him to keep his muscles on the older he gets, and he only had them to look good when he was younger and now he doesn’t care.. McFedries is going to win this by KO he’s so much faster and throws heavy leather!
No way McFedries is taking this. Irvin all the way.
when rampage jackson calls a dude the hardest puncher at 205, him dropping to 185 tells me hes gonna have the same power
yea but is he gonna be fast and explosive enough at 185.. Drew is so explosive and has dynamite in his hands too..
That’s the fight that everybody would love to see!
Don’t even think about 3 rounds! It’s not gonna happen.
Drew by “the most brutal KO in the history of ufc” !!!!!!
James said he wanted to move to MW cause he liked having a reach advantage…