UFC/Pride news

[NHBMARK1]

Hey all,

In case you didn't hear.

This came from http://www.liveaudiowrestling.com/wo/

Sylvia relinquishes belt after suspension

by Dave Meltzer

Dave@wrestlingobserver.com

Tim Sylvia vacated his UFC heavyweight championship today after being fined and suspended for a steroid test failure on 9/26.

Sylvia was suspended four months, a lighter suspension than anyone failing a steroid test in Nevada up to this point has gotten, and fined $7,500 of his $60,000 winners purse.

The suspension was back-dated to 9/26, which means he's eligible to return to UFC action after 1/26. Sylvia's punishment was so light because he immediately went public and admitted taking steroids when word came out of his test failure, and also agreed to voluntarily vacate his championship, although it is a virtual certainty he'd have been stripped of it anyway. He also agreed to visit high schools to speak to athletes about the dangers of using anablic steroids. Dana White, in a UFC press release, said that Sylvia would get a title shot at the new champion upon his return.

and...

Pride heavyweight title vacated same day as UFC's

by Dave Meltzer

Dave@wrestlingobserver.com

Just hours after Tim Sylvia vacated his UFC heavyweight title after a suspension for a failed steroid test, Pride announced its world champion, Fedor Emelianenko, has also vacated his title.

Pride officials claimed today it was due to a broken thumb, suffered in August, which was not healing, and was re-aggravated in a 9/15 training session. Pride officials said it is not known when Emelianenko would be able to train or fight again, so they were declaring the title vacant.

Mirko Cro Cop, who was the scheduled challenger on 11/9 at the Tokyo Dome, will face the first world champion, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, to determine the champion. It is curious such an injury suffered one month ago would have not come out until today, particularly considering he was in Japan in the interim. It had been rumored over the past week that Emelianenko was not wanting to face Cro Cop.

Pride also announced that Kazushi Sakuraba would be fighting at the Tokyo Dome after all. They are going to ride that horse until well past him dropping.

[Mr. Heel Hook]

Thanks for the news.