Bleacher Report - Articles by Jeremy Botter

Matt Hughes vs. Renzo Gracie in The Works For UFC 109

Jeremy Botter — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:02:58 -0500

Heavy.com has confirmed with sources close to the UFC that a welterweight matchup between Renzo Gracie and Matt Hughes is in the works for UFC 109 in February.

Gracie, 42, last appeared in a February 2007 disqualification victory over Frank Shamrock. Rumors have circulated over the last month that the legendary Gracie family member has been in negotiations with the UFC. Both fighters have been approached about the fight, but bout agreements have not been signed.

Hughes has turned down bouts with top contenders Josh Koscheck and Mike Swick in recent months, citing the desire to only participate in "interesting" fights. He defeated Royce Gracie at UFC 60 in 2006.

Heavy.com can also confirm that reports of a bout between Demian Maia and Royce Gracie for the same card is nothing more than a rumor.

What it means: This bout is confirmation that Matt Hughes probably isn't interested in fighting anyone who can actually challenge him at this point in his career. He could have accepted bouts against Koscheck and Swick, two fights where a victory would have pushed him near title contention once again.

Instead of pushing himself, he takes a bout with the aging Gracie. It's a fight that Hughes should win, and I suppose it qualifies as an "interesting" fight for Hughes. But a victory in the match does nothing for his career.

It may not matter at this point.

Brock Lesnar Out of UFC 108 with Mononucleosis

Jeremy Botter — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:26:24 -0500

Sources close to Brock Lesnar's camp informed Heavy.com tonight that Lesnar will not be able to participate in the postponed main event of UFC 108 against Shane Carwin.

Lesnar has battled an undisclosed illness for the past month that forced him to withdraw from a scheduled title defense against Carwin at UFC 106.

Heavy.com has been informed that the disease is actually mononucleosis, commonly referred to as "the kissing disease."

The bout was rescheduled for UFC 108, but Heavy.com learned earlier this week that Lesnar has not recovered from the illness and cannot train at even a moderate page without quickly becoming exhausted.

Sources close to the UFC confirmed the story while pointing out that Lesnar was never officially part of the UFC 108 card.

This is yet another major blow to the UFC 108 card, which lost a potential Anderson Silva/Vitor Belfort middleweight title fight last week when Silva withdrew because of elbow surgery.

The current main event for the show is Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva, but it likely will not be the main event come Jan. 2.

Rumors have swirled today regarding a potential Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira bout for the card, but sources in Cain's camp denied the story.

Brock Lesnar Still Too Sick to Train, UFC 108 Bout In Jeopardy

Jeremy Botter — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:53:04 -0500

The illness that forced Brock Lesnar to pull out of his scheduled UFC 106 championship defense against Shane Carwin still has not abated, and the heavyweight champion will be forced to postpone the bout yet again if he can't begin training at full strength in the next two weeks.

Kevin Iole reported the news at Yahoo this afternoon. Heavy.com has confirmed with sources close to Minnesota Martial Arts Academy that Lesnar has spent very little time in the gym over the past month. Known for his full-time work ethic in the gym, Lesnar has tried to push through his illness on several occasions over the past week, but grew incredibly fatigued each time and was unable to continue.

Rumors circulated that Lesnar was suffering from the H1N1 virus last week, but that's not the case. In fact, Lesnar doesn't appear to have the flu at all. Blood work done last week to determine the cause of the illness have not been disclosed by Lesnar or his camp, but the camp says it's not the flu.

I'm not a doctor, but I was a medic in the United States Army. Judging from my experience in dealing with soldiers, it would appear to me that Lesnar is suffering from something along the lines of mononucleosis. Lesnar's trainer/coach Greg Nelson voices the same suspicion in Iole's report.

A video showing Lesnar at a recent Minnesota Vikings game circulated through MMA message boards after the postponement announcements was made by UFC President Dana White. The video, showing an apparently healthy Lesnar on the sidelines of a Vikings game and filmed during the time Lesnar was allegedly sick, caused conspiracy theorists around the web to claim that Lesnar pulled out of the fight due to fear of his opponent.

And while Carwin certainly presents a stiff challenge to Lesnar's reign, his camp says that's simply not the case. Lesnar's illness doesn't really affect his day-to-day activities, and he's able to function as he normally does for most of the day.

His training sessions are different, however. Our source confirms Iole's report that Lesnar is unable to push anywhere close to his typical pace during training sessions. He tires quickly and expends energy at a much more rapid pace than normal. Despite public comments, Lesnar is taking Carwin's boxing skills and punching power very seriously and does not want to risk going through a short two-week training camp for the fight.

Lesnar is expected to make a decision regarding UFC 108 by the end of next week. If he's not able to begin training at or near full speed, the bout will be postponed until UFC 109 in February. That will leave UFC 108, the UFC's traditional year-end show, without a championship fight on the card unless the company decides to put together an interim heavyweight championship bout between Cain Velasquez and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

This report was originally published on Heavy.com .

Machida-Rua 2 in the Works for UFC 108

Jeremy Botter — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:08:31 -0400

A rematch between UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua is in the works for UFC 108. Dave Meltzer revealed the news on his radio show (subscription required) last night, and Heavy.com has confirmed with sources close to both fighters that the bout is under preliminary discussion.

Rua has agreed to the fight, and Machida will take the fight if he is medically able to do so. The light heavyweight champion has been suspended for 60 days, however, including 60 days with no contact. The suspension will make a Jan. 2 fight incredibly difficult to book.

UFC 108, expected to be subtitled "The Ultimate 2009," will also feature the postponed Brock Lesnar-Shane Carwin bout. The company had tentatively slated a middleweight title bout between Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort for the card, but Silva's recent surgery may leave him unable to perform on the card. With the addition of these two main events, there will likely be no need for Silva to rush back for the date.

UFC 108 takes place Jan. 2 in Las Vegas. The card will feature a light heavyweight contender's bout between Rashad Evans and Thiago Silva and a heavyweight bout between fast-rising prospect Junior dos Santos and former championship contender Gabriel Gonzaga.

Brock Lesnar Pulls Out of UFC 106 With Severe Illness

Jeremy Botter — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:50:30 -0400

Citing a severe illness that has left him unable to train for three weeks, UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has pulled out of his Nov. 21 fight with Shane Carwin.

UFC President Dana White has confirmed the news with Yahoo Sports.

“He said he’s never been this sick in his life,” White said. “He said it’s been going on for a long time and he just hasn’t been able to shake it.”

We contacted Carwin for his thoughts on his lost or delayed opportunity: "I am disappointed," said Carwin. "I'm going to heal up and get back to training. It's all I can do."

I have been able to confirm with Carwin that the bout has been rescheduled for the Jan. 2nd show.

UPDATE: I spoke with sources in Lesnar's camp. They say Lesnar actually fell ill late last week, but that he's "more sick than he's ever been". The UFC heavyweight champion is currently at the hospital undergoing blood work, but the camp is presuming that he's contracted the H1N1 virus.

Lesnar's camp did not want him to miss the three most important weeks of his training camp, so they made the decision to pull him from the fight and not risk being less than 100%.

The Inside Look at Anthony Johnson's Missed Weight Attempt

Jeremy Botter — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:08:55 -0400

Anthony Johnson's dynamic UFC 104 victory over Yoshiyuki Yoshida cemented what many insiders and hardcore fans of mixed martial arts already knew: Johnson is a fast-rising star in the UFC's welterweight division.

The charismatic knockout artist has a knack for finishing his opponents in electric fashion, a trait that will serve him well in the entertainer-friendly confines of the UFC.

I met with Johnson at the Wilshire Grand just hours before he would step in the cage with Yoshida. He looked markedly improved from the day before, and was fully recuperated from a grueling weight cut that left him nearly unable to walk without assistance.

He stepped into the cage that night and utterly destroyed the overmatched Yoshida in under one minute.

But Johnson's victory wasn't without cost. An injury suffered while preparing for a bout with Matt Brown hampered Johnson's ability to train correctly, and he swelled up to 220 pounds, nearly 50 pounds over the welterweight limit. Many large light heavyweights cut from the same weight.

Johnson soldiered on. While preparing for the Yoshida bout, Johnson's agent referred him to a personal trainer friend. The trainer suggested that Johnson try a new method of weight cutting, one that relied less on shedding water weight. Johnson stopped eating in the week leading up to the bout and increased his water intake.

The new method didn't work.

"I was 192 on Monday, and I should have been less than 185 on Wednesday. That's where I usually am, and that's an easy cut," Johnson told me on Saturday morning. "The trainer told me to drink a lot of water and to not eat very much, and that's what I did.

"On Thursday, I did a three-hour workout and dropped from 198 to 183. But then I drank all the water he wanted me to drink for the day, and I went back up to 198."

With Johnson 27 pounds over the welterweight limit on the day before he was scheduled to weigh-in, the cutting efforts went into overtime. Johnson stepped into the sauna on Friday morning in an attempt to shed water weight the traditional way.

He spent an hour in the sauna and lost four pounds, giving him confidence that he'd be able to make the limit. But when he stepped out of the sauna for a break, the worst happened: he stopped sweating.

"I got out of the sauna, and I think I was out too long because my sweating stopped," said Johnson. "When I got back in the sauna I couldn't get anything else off. That's what broke me."

Johnson's energy reserves were depleted, and he knew that with hours to go and many pounds left to lose, there would be no way for him to make weight.

His camp contacted the California State Athletic Commission and Yoshida's camp, and a deal was struck: Johnson could miss the weight limit, but the fight would go on.

In exchange for staying in the fight, however, Yoshida would receive 10 percent of Johnson's contracted purse. Another 10 percent would go to the CSAC.

Johnson weighed in at 176lbs, five pounds over the limit. It was a dramatic miss for a fighter who hadn't missed weight in over two years and someone considered to be a rising star in the welterweight division.

Johnson did just that on Saturday night against Yoshida. But the missed weight didn't just embarrass Johnson...it also cost him the Knockout of the Night, an extra $60,000 bonus that would have been added to his purse.

That kind of money is crucial for a fighter like Johnson, a prospect on the rise who hasn't quite gotten to the point where he's making plenty of money.

A move to the middleweight division would seem to be the logical next step. Johnson is a huge man. Standing next to him, it's impossible to believe that he ever gets down to 170 pounds. Johnson isn't prepared for the move, however. "I will eventually move to middleweight, but right now I like 170," said Johnson.

Johnson is adamant that the events of last weekend won't happen again.

"I just don't take pride in what happened yesterday. Even if I win, I don't know what kind of emotions I'll have," says Johnson with a shrug. "I've gone through a lot of emotions already. I've got a lot of stuff built up on the inside and hopefully I can let it all out in the cage."

Dan Henderson-UFC Negotiations Grind to a Halt

Jeremy Botter — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:58:03 -0400

The latest round of contract negotiations between Dan Henderson and the Ultimate Fighting Championship have reached an impasse.

Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports broke the news tonight that Henderson and the UFC have been unable to reach a deal, and Henderson is on the verge of signing with rival promotion Strikeforce.

That’s not the case, however, as sources within Strikeforce tell InsideFights.com that negotiations with the former PRIDE champion have yet to take place. Henderson is planning a hunting trip that will last two weeks and has no plans to make any decisions before it ends.

InsideFights.com has also learned that Henderson and the UFC are “far apart” on contract negotiations. Henderson is asking for a contract that will make him one of the highest-paid fighters on the roster, and the UFC offer is said to be considerably lower.

The key sticking point in the negotiations has been Henderson’s request for a seven-figure signing bonus.

Both Henderson and the UFC have exhibited little desire to budge on the negotiations. Henderson has repeated throughout the negotiation period that he has zero interest in going to Strikeforce. But sources close to his camp indicated to Sports Illustrated tonight that even though the UFC is his first choice, Henderson is now open to leaving.

Silva vs. Akiyama: Will We See a New Middleweight Contender?

Jeremy Botter — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:06:25 -0400

Japanese superstar and UFC and PRIDE veteran Yoshihiro Akiyama today revealed his next opponent in the Octagon: he'll face mixed martial arts legend Wanderlei Silva.

While Akiyama did not indicate when the bout would take place, sources close to the UFC have confirmed with Heavy.com that the bout will likely serve as the co-main event for UFC 111 in Sydney, Australia.

UFC 111 will mark the first time the UFC has visited Australia. It will take place in late February.

Akiyama debuted in the UFC in July at UFC 100 with a razor-thin split decision victory over Alan Belcher. Akiyama has been undefeated since 2005.

The Akiyama bout will serve as Silva's debut in the middleweight division. Silva is on the smaller side of the UFC's light heavyweight division, and decided to drop to middleweight after going 2-4 at light heavyweight.

The Fallout: On the surface, this appears to be a sublime piece of matchmaking by Joe Silva.

Wanderlei Silva has reached a unique level of popularity where his wins and losses in the cage matter very little. His wild, attacking style will always be a selling point for any pay per view event. Because of that popularity, a victory over "Sexyama" would likely put him close to the contender's chair for Anderson Silva's bout, regardless of his recent record.

On the flip side, it should be obvious that a victory for Akiyama over the former PRIDE legend will mean something to the casual fan. The Japanese superstar, one of the biggest MMA stars to ever come out of Japan, earned a legion of new UFC fans with his unique entrance, reckless fighting style and razor-thin victory over Alan Belcher at UFC 100.

Silva is just 1-5 in his last six bouts, including a 1-3 record in the UFC. He shouldn't even be in the discussion centering around potential opponents for Anderson Silva. Because of Silva's popularity, however, that record won't even register in Joe Silva's mind when crafting matches.

The only thing that truly matters in this case is Silva's popularity and penchant for putting on exciting performances. The very public grudge Wanderlei maintains with Anderson Silva certainly doesn't hurt, either.

The scarcity of interesting contenders to The Spider's middleweight throne means that the winner of this bout will likely be one win away from a title bout, and an exciting finish by either man could earn him an immediate shot at the belt.

Forrest Griffin Replaces Injured Coleman Against Ortiz at UFC 106

Jeremy Botter — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:59:04 -0400

Forrest Griffin will replace the injured Mark Coleman against Tito Ortiz at UFC 106.

UFC President Dana White tonight confirmed the news with Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports.

Coleman, who suffered an injury while training last week, requested that the fight with Ortiz be rescheduled. But UFC 106 is shaping up to be one of the premier cards of 2009 for the company, and they wanted to keep Ortiz on the card.

Griffin is coming off a big loss to Anderson Silva in August, but he represents a much stronger and more dangerous opponent for Ortiz than the aging Coleman.

This will be the second meeting for Ortiz and Griffin. They faced off at UFC 59 in 2006, with Ortiz scoring a controversial split-decision victory.

UFC 106 takes place Nov. 21 in Las Vegas and is headlined by Brock Lesnar taking on Shane Carwin.

Ultimate Fighter Ratings Plummet After Kimbo Slice Loss

Jeremy Botter — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:24:02 -0400

Wednesday night's episode of The Ultimate Fighter pulled a 2.2 household rating—a clear and sharp drop from last week's record-setting episode featuring Kimbo Slice losing to Roy Nelson.

The Nelson/Slice bout drew a 3.7 household rating, making it the single most-watched MMA show in North American history.

Spike TV did not include the household rating in the ratings press release today, instead choosing to focus on the male 18-34 demographic, which scored 1.1 million viewers and handedly defeated the MLB playoffs on TBS.

Spike TV provided the household rating to InsideFights.com.

Full text of the press release is below:

October 8, 2009, New York, NY–The cast of “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights” on Spike TV delivered a ratings knockout punch to the MLB Playoffs last night on TBS.

More young men in the advertiser-coveted demographic of 18-34 watched the fourth episode of the new season of “The Ultimate Fighter” (10:00-11:00pm ET/PT) on Spike TV than any of the three MLB playoff games on TBS.

“THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER”
SPIKE TV 1.1 Million Men 18-34

New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins
TBS 948,000 Men 18-34

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. St Louis Cardinals
TBS 903,000 Men 18-34

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies TBS
488,000 Men 18-34

For the fourth consecutive week, “The Ultimate Fighter,” was the most watched program in all of television with Men 18-34. Remarkably, the Spike original series is in its 10th season and clearly gaining in popularity. “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights” features former UFC light heavyweight champions “Suga” Rashad Evans and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as coaches and is the only installment in the show’s history to include only the heavyweight weight class (206+ lbs).

The cast includes a list of notable athletes with impressive and diverse pedigrees including four former NFL players, UFC veterans, a former IFL heavyweight champ, and a highly-publicized former EliteXC fighter, Kimbo Slice, who gained prominence through his non-sanctioned bouts on YouTube.

Junie Browning Arrested in Nevada Hospital Assault, Released From UFC

Jeremy Botter — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:18:41 -0400

Junie Browning, 24, was taken to St. Rose Dominican Hospital last night in Henderson, Nevada, after he took sixteen klonopin pills.

Henderson police, who arrested Browning, said he took the pills in an attempt to harm himself.

At the hospital, the situation went from bad to worse. Browning tried to leave the hospital, but was told he couldn't leave the building. Browning pushed a female nurse, punched and kicked two male nurses, and screamed obscenities at the hospital staff.

"Do you know who I am? I will kill you and rape your family," Browning shouted, according to Henderson police.

Browning faces three counts of battery on a health care provider. He was booked at the Henderson Detention Center, where he was released today.

The mercurial Browning was a contestant on the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter. His antics on the show turned him into the "bad boy" of the cast and his UFC future was uncertain following the conclusion of the show, but the decision to entrench himself at Xtreme Couture led many to believe that Browning had turned the corner.

Browning's UFC contract was terminated on Wednesday night.

Rampage and Dana: An Inside Look at the History behind the Feud

Jeremy Botter — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:26:16 -0400

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson's decision to retire from mixed martial arts and walk away from the UFC took the MMA community by storm.

The announcement was a surprise to almost everyone involved in the sport. Jackson and UFC President Dana White had been at odds for months over Jackson's long-time desire to play the role of the legendary B.A. Baracus in the film remake of the popular A-Team television series, but White indicated last weekend that he and Jackson had mended fences and were moving forward.

Jackson's retirement seemingly came from nowhere. In truth, it was a direct result of months upon months of insults, biting comments, broken promises and bad decisions.

Before Jackson's last bout with Keith Jardine at UFC 96, he was offered the chance to face Rashad Evans, then the UFC light heavyweight champion. All Jackson had to do was defeat the very game Jardine, a mercurial talent who has made a career of both beating long odds and failing in situations where he should succeed.

Jackson jumped at the chance. Not only would he get another shot at the belt he believed he never truly lost in the first place, but he'd be stepping in the cage with a man who he'd developed a strong personal distaste for. Jackson felt Evans became too cocky after wins over an aging Chuck Liddell and the over-hyped Forrest Griffin and looked forward to taking him down a notch or two.

As expected, Jackson defeated Jardine. After the bout (and much to the surprise of Jackson), Rashad Evans was brought into the cage to interrupt Jackson's post-fight interview. In a scene straight out of a pro wrestling classic, Evans and Jackson went nose to nose in a trash talking session that sent fans into a tizzy. It's not often that the UFC allows situations like this one to unfold; it's even more rare when the hatred on display is obviously real.

Later that evening, Jackson rested in his locker room at the Nationwide Arena. He was looking forward to the title shot, looking forward to getting the championship back around his waist. His only concern at the moment, however, was getting some much-needed rest. Jackson was injured and sore, and he planned to take a few months off before starting preparation for the UFC 100 bout with Evans in July.

Only the fight wasn't happening in July. It was happening in May.

An injury to Frank Mir had pushed the planned heavyweight title bout between Mir and Brock Lesnar to July, and the Jackson/Evans fight would replace it on the UFC 98 card in May.

That wasn't acceptable to Jackson. He needed rest, and he was going to take it, title shot or no.

Lyoto Machida replaced Jackson in the Evans bout, and Jackson was asked if he wanted to coach the next season of The Ultimate Fighter. Jackson, who had coached previously and knew how a turn on the show could turn him into a bigger star, accepted. He rooted heavily for Evans to beat Machida, but it was not to be.

After the Machida win, Jackson was given a choice: he could face Lyoto Machida in September for the belt, or he could coach The Ultimate Fighter and fight Evans at the conclusion of the season.

Dana White made it absolutely clear which route he preferred for Jackson to take. The Evans fight would bring in far more money. The dynamic between Jackson and Evans would make for dynamite television and perhaps revive a show that spent the past few years struggling to regain the magic of earlier seasons. And if Jackson beat Evans at the end of the show, he'd get a shot at Machida.

It was a win-win situation, and Jackson's decision was easy. He took the coaching role on the Ultimate Fighter for a second time. He'd always wanted to fight in his hometown of Memphis, and White decided that the Evans fight would be the perfect chance to run the town for the first time.

He booked the arena and the fight and started telling fans and anyone who would listen that the Jackson/Evans fight would be the most anticipated bout in company history. Jackson, with the pay per view cut written into his contract, could potentially earn millions on the fight.

Everything was falling into place.

Then everything fell apart.

Shortly after filming completed for The Ultimate Fighter, Jackson learned that he was seriously being considered as a candidate for the role of B.A. Baracus on the A-Team remake, a role made famous by Laurence "Mr. T" Tureaud in the 1980s. Jackson had campaigned for the role for over a year, but believed his lack of an acting resume would keep him from securing the role.

The role had sentimental value to him, as he spent much of his childhood watching the show with his father. But Jackson was up against other actors with long resumes and plenty of name value; rappers Ice Cube and The Game were the candidates most often discussed.

When he heard that he might get the role, Jackson approached White to discuss the situation. White did not approve of the idea. He'd placed Jackson on The Ultimate Fighter to build up a fight with Evans, a decision that couldn't be reversed. He'd booked a show in Memphis solely to give Jackson the chance to fight in his hometown.

No, he didn't like the idea. And he told anyone who would listen that it was a stupid idea, that Jackson should concentrate on Rashad Evans and that fighters who attempt movie careers almost always fail.

It wasn't so much that White had a problem with fighters who make movies. He just had a problem with fighters who backed out of fights that were already booked in order to make movies. The fact that they'd just finished filming what he believed to be the best season of The Ultimate Fighter in company history, a season that centered around the Jackson/Evans grudge match, certainly didn't help matters.

Finally, Jackson got the news he was waiting for—he'd landed the part. He'd beaten out established actors to land a major role in a movie that would almost assuredly do giant box office numbers around the world. He was joining an All-Star cast filled with names like Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, and Jessica Biel.

White didn't budge. Much of his success comes from being an executive with the mind of an everyday fan, and he hated the idea of postponing the Jackson/Evans bout. To him, it was incomprehensible that Jackson would turn down the millions of dollars that the Evans bout would bring in in favor of accepting a movie role that, because of Jackson's lack of Hollywood experience, would pay very little guaranteed money.

Company officials tried to convince White that having Jackson star in what is sure to be a hit film would be extremely beneficial to the UFC in the long run. They argued that Jackson's visibility in the movie could help the company break into new countries that they've never visited.

Not only that, but there was plenty of potential for fans to see the movie and decide that dropping $50 to see B.A. Baracus fight for real was a great idea.

But once again, White didn't budge. Jackson had committed to the show and committed to the Evans fight. White felt betrayed by Jackson, a fighter who had received preferential treatment from the company ever since they purchased the World Fighting Alliance in 2006 solely to absorb his contract.

So White did what he is inclined to do in this type of situation: he took off the internal filter and began speaking candidly about his feelings towards Jackson. He told the press that Jackson was an idiot; that he was making a giant mistake. In a situation that was eerily similar to White's feud with Tito Ortiz, he refused to even say Jackson's name. The situation quickly spiraled out of control.

Meanwhile, Jackson took up temporary residence in Vancouver. Principal photography on The A-Team began, and it became official: Jackson was B.A. Baracus.

On September 17th, Jackson and White buried the hatchet. Two days later, White addressed the situation during the UFC 103 post-show press conference.

"Rampage and I actually made up. We made up two days ago," said White. "I still don't like it, but we made up."

But White couldn't resist taking another shot at Jackson. Jackson wasn't getting paid very much for the movie, White said, but was promised millions of dollars for the sequel.

"He's walking away from millions for nothing," said White. "You can't coach stupid."

When White's comments were relayed to Jackson, he was livid. Jackson had mostly maintained a cool head throughout the situation, but now he was angry. He was especially angry with White for poking fun at the sentimental value the A-Team held for Jackson; he'd spent many hours in front of the television as a child, watching the show with his father.

White poked fun at Jackson's sentiments, saying that Rashad Evans wasn't seeking a role on a Love Boat remake. The comment passed over the heads of most fans, but I've been told that it hurt Jackson deeply.

White's decision to talk about his salary agreement for the movie was the final straw.

On Sept. 22, Jackson revealed the stunning news on his official website: he was leaving the UFC and retiring from mixed martial arts.

I don't believe that Quinton Jackson will stay "retired" for long. Jackson and Dana White are at an impasse in their personal and professional relationship, but it's nothing that cannot be restored by a simple conversation. In order for that restoration to happen, however, both Jackson and White will have to realize that they each made mistakes.

Jackson's decision to take the movie role wasn't the end of the world, and White should not have overreacted in the manner he did.

Postponing the fight for several months wasn't an ideal situation, but it would have made almost zero difference in the revenue for the show. Matt Serra and Matt Hughes were supposed to fight after they coached The Ultimate Fighter, but injuries derailed the bout. It didn't happen for eighteen months, but fan anticipation remained incredibly high when they finally locked horns at UFC 98 earlier this year.

Postponing the show wasn't the perfect solution, but it wasn't the end of the world. White's reaction was one of pure emotion, the type of response that at once makes White one of the most popular figures in the sport and at times a liability in business negotiations.

But his reactions have occasionally cost him dearly. And while I don't believe that Rampage will stay retired for long, it's readily apparent that the relationship White and Jackson used to enjoy has taken a permanent hit because of the words White chose to employ.

Jackson should also understand that casting blame for his troubles on the UFC and White probably isn't the best decision he can make.

White stood by him and supported him after his much-publicized meltdown and hit-and-run incident in 2007, a time when the overwhelming majority of employers would have simply cut ties and no longer associated themselves with Jackson. White carefully nurtured Jackson's fragile psyche by forcing him to attend UFC events and defended him vigorously against attackers in the media.

That history should have counted for something, but Jackson made the same mistake as White: he reacted emotionally to the situation.

White mostly took the high road upon hearing the Jackson news, saying that Jackson was "acting like a baby right now" but wishing the fighter luck in the future.

Jackson and White will eventually smooth things over, perhaps even in time for a Evans/Jackson bout to take place as planned in the spring of 2010. The fight will still do a massive buyrate, and everyone involved will make plenty of money.

But both men should learn important lessons from the entire ordeal. Otherwise, there's nothing to prevent it from happening again.

Monday Morning Takedown: Sept. 21, 2009

Jeremy Botter — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:14:03 -0400

DALLAS—I'm standing just outside the lobby of the Hilton Anatole hotel, enjoying the cool night air and talking with several fans who are asking me about writing about mixed martial arts for a living.

It's two in the morning and I've just returned to the hotel from the American Airlines Center, where I covered nearly nine hours of UFC bouts, press conferences, and interviews for Fox Sports.

A large van pulls up to the curb. The fans, knowing what's about to happen, quickly lose interest in my story and flock to the van. The van side door slides open, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Junior dos Santos spill out of an area much too small to contain their massive frames.

Only hours earlier, dos Santos destroyed Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic for the biggest win of his fledgling career, but you would never know it from looking at him. His face is covered in cuts, bruises, and swelling. He looks like he's been in a car wreck. But he's happily enjoying the moment.

Nogueira and dos Santos are quickly engulfed by fans seeking an autograph, a handshake or even a photo. From the driver's side of the van comes Ed Soares, the manager for dos Santos and many other top Brazilian fighters. He's smiling, even on the outskirts of a throng of fans who couldn't possibly recognize him as one of the most powerful men in the sport.

I shake Ed's hand. "You look like you're having a great night," I say.

He is most certainly having a great night.

"It's always a great night when you win," says Soares. "Junior looked great out there, and we're happy. Tired, but happy."

Junior did, indeed, look great out there.

I tell Ed that he probably needs to get some sleep, and he agrees. He trudges inside the lobby and towards the hotel elevators. Nogueira and dos Santos oblige every last fan request before doing the same.

The scene pictured above was the story of the weekend. Staying with the UFC media contingent at the fighter hotel gives you a real sense of how great these fighters are with fans and how little stardom has affected them.

By and large, they are normal, everyday people who just happen to be world-famous fighters.

During our entire stay in Dallas, there was never a single moment when fans weren't camped out in the lobby waiting for fighters to pass through. And there was never a moment where fighters refused to stop and talk to fans, to sign autographs or pose for pictures.

Even fighters coming off tough losses, like Martin Kampmann, took the time to stop for anyone that approached them. Dana White was undoubtedly one of the busiest men in the world this weekend, but he would stop for twenty minutes at a time to talk with fans.

It's one of the major appeals of the sport. Unlike the NFL or NBA, fans can watch mixed martial arts and believe they could actually be in the cage. It's an everyman sport where the fighters don't act like they're above you.

It's the little things that count, but these little things are what helps the sport grow organically. There are lots of Dallas fans who have fantastic stories to tell from this weekend, and those stories will translate into new fans. Count on it.

*****

In the depths of the American Airlines Center, Nik Lentz is sitting in the fighter lounge. He's watching a replay of his fight, a unanimous-decision victory over Rafaello Oliveira on the undercard.

Strangely, though, Lentz does not look happy. In fact, he looks downright miserable.

"Great fight tonight," I tell Lentz. He does not agree. He shrugs his shoulders and gives me a half-hearted "thanks," but I can sense the underlying disappointment in his voice. Lentz is an up-and-coming fighter trying to make headway in the UFC, and up-and-coming fighters need dramatic entrances, not unanimous decisions.

Still, Lentz must be somewhat satisfied. Frank Trigg returned to the UFC after a four-year hiatus and immediately lost to Josh Koscheck. Trigg started begging UFC matchmaker Joe Silva after the bout for another chance in the octagon, but it looks like those wishes will fall on deaf ears—Trigg's contract allegedly will be terminated this week, and he'll likely retire.

Nik Lentz didn't get the dramatic and emphatic victory he was looking for. But he got a victory, and that's enough to earn him another fight in the biggest organization in the world.

Others, like Trigg, aren't so lucky. It's a tough sport.

*****

Quote of the Week

"Maybe I should have quit after the [PRIDE] Open Weight Grand Prix."

—Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic after his loss to Junior dos Santos at UFC 103

*****

Ten Things I Think

1. Rich Franklin's days as a headliner are far from over. The former middleweight champion will continue to be used as a go-to guy when the company needs a non-title main event, which may be early and often in 2010. Franklin may never see another title match in his career, but he'll be in plenty of headline fights. He's still one of the most popular and respect assets the company has.

2. A battle between Josh Koscheck and Matt Hughes would be great for both fighters. It would certainly have plenty of hype behind it, as Hughes and Koscheck are both polarizing fighters. A win over Matt Hughes still counts for something, which could mean everything when it comes to setting up a potential Koscheck vs. St. Pierre rematch.

3. A Machida Karate-infused Vitor Belfort is a very scary prospect for the rest of the middleweight division.

4. That being said, I'm hoping Belfort can get his weight issue straightened out. Repeatedly missing weight is not a good habit to get into.

5. Todd Duffee is one of the most incredible physical specimens I've ever seen. I stood in an elevator with Duffee on Saturday morning and couldn't believe a human being could be so gigantic. Todd is a physical freak and has the same genetic assets as Brock Lesnar.

6. The dislocated shoulder Steve Lopez suffered during the Jim Miller bout was one of the nastiest injuries I've seen in person. Lopez has repeatedly suffered the same injury, even being removed from the Ultimate Fighter cast a few seasons ago because of it.

7. There's a very good chance you'll see Tyson Griffin and Gray Maynard lock horns, either at the end of this year or early next year. Both are in contention, but BJ Penn is tied up with the Diego Sanchez bout. Dana White also wants to send a statement to other camps: if these two guys are from the same camp and they are willing to fight each other, why can't you?

8. It's pretty dumb for a ground specialist to try and wage a boxing war with a world Muay Thai champion, but that's exactly what Martin Kampmann did. Kampmann had an easy route to victory in taking Paul Daley to the ground and submitting him; instead, Kampmann made a conscious decision to stand and box with Daley. Bad decision.

9. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is just about the nicest person you'll ever meet.

10. The Dallas crowd was the worst I've ever been a part of. I've never seen anyone so quick to boo when a fight goes to the ground.

Three Things We Learned From UFC 103

Jeremy Botter — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:03:12 -0400

VITOR BELFORT IS BACK

With a resounding victory over longtime UFC headliner Rich Franklin, Vitor Belfort answered any remaining questions about his ability to succeed in the current UFC landscape.

But it wasn't the "old Vitor", as so many people are fond of saying. That version of Belfort would have jumped in swinging and immediately gone for the kill, risking it all for one wild shot at finishing the fight in spectacular fashion.

No, this was a very different Vitor, a "new Vitor."

It's been publicized that Belfort began training in Machida Karate prior to this bout, and you can see touches of Machida's style all over Belfort here. From the simple, unmoving karate stance to the patience that allows you to wait for an opening before striking, Belfort's style had Lyoto Machida written all over it. And that's a very dangerous thing for the rest of the middleweight division.

Dana White told us at the post-fight press conference that Belfort would receive the next title shot at Anderson Silva. This is the fight White has been longing to make for months, ever since going on Spike television and talking about Belfort while the Brazilian was still under Affliction contract. Any type of win from Belfort over Franklin would earn him a title shot; luckily it was an emphatic one.

Can Belfort beat Silva? It's tough to say. Silva is still the best in the world and can beat anyone at any moment in time. Belfort, however, has the tools to end the Spider's championship reign, and he'll get his chance in early 2010.

JUNIOR DOS SANTOS IS A HEAVYWEIGHT FORCE

Going into UFC 103, it was apparent that Junior dos Santos was an unknown commodity in the UFC's heavyweight division. A devastating puncher with blazing hand speed, dos Santos had finished his prior two opponents too quickly for observers to get a real grasp on his game.

In going three rounds with an aging and hapless Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, however, we were able to see enough of dos Santos to know that he's a legitimate threat in the heavyweight division. Filipovic is obviously a fighter long past his expiration date, but he was able to sporadically land a few decent power shots throughout the fight, and dos Santos took them and kept going.

People within the dos Santos camp tell me that his ground game is breathtaking. We haven't even seen a hint of it though, because he's never come close to going to the ground.

Where does dos Santos go from here? I have to believe that he'll likely be matched up with Gabriel Gonzaga or the winner of next month's Cain Velasquez/Ben Rothwell fight. Dana White noted after the show that dos Santos is in the mix for a title shot, and I believe one more win will secure him a shot at the gold.

THE LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION JUST BECAME INTERESTING AGAIN

Tyson Griffin's stunning finish of Hermes Franca created a log jam at the top of the UFC lightweight division.

Griffin has always been considered a good fighter, but his knack for forcing fights to go the distance has kept him out of consideration for a title shot. With the victory over Franca, a fighter who had only been finished once in his entire career (at a Shooto event in 2005), Griffin elevated himself into the upper echelon of the division.

The only problem? Gray Maynard and Griffin are teammates, and Maynard is also in consideration for a title shot.

The difference in this situation is that, unlike many other teammates in the sport, Griffin will fight Maynard. He says it's not an ideal situation and would prefer not to, but if the match up has to be made and there's no way around it, then he'll gladly do it.

Dana White was thrilled about this prospect. And since champion B.J. Penn isn't fighting until December, there's potential for a Maynard/Griffin bout to be made near the end of the year. Not only would it determine the No. 1 challenger for the title, but it would also send a simple message to fight camps around the world: If Maynard and Griffin can fight each other for a title shot, so can you.

UFC 103: Preview & Predictions

Jeremy Botter — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:13:00 -0400

UFC 103 is an interesting show.

For starters, it's up against the boxing return of Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mayweather, absent from the sport since a 2007 victory over Ricky Hatton, is one of the biggest pay-per-view attractions in the world. He's been surpassed as the undisputed king of pay-per-view over the past two years by Brock Lesnar, who has established himself as one of the biggest draws in combat sports history, but Mayweather still packs a punch at the box office.

And despite the rumors of slow ticket sales and a general lack of interest in the big return, Mayweather is still expected to land a resounding revenue victory on this night.

UFC 103 also lacks a real drawing card. The show has hardcore fans all over the world salivating, but it's not a show that will capture the hearts and minds of the casual fanbase, and that's the demographic that drives 90% of the UFC's current business. Zuffa is still making an attempt to bring in the casual audience; they did a very strong UFC 103 Countdown show, painting Vitor Belfort as one of the baddest men on the planet and a man who may very well kill Rich Franklin in the middle of the cage.

They're also showing two preliminary matches on Spike prior to the show. Other companies have taken this course (most notably Affliction), but this show marks the first time Zuffa will show live prelim fights for free. They'll push the pay-per-view hard and try to convince some on-the-fence viewers that UFC 103 offers more value than the boxing show they might be considering.

The preliminary matches and Countdown show will certainly help, but we're still looking at a pay-per-view event that will give us a rough estimate on what the low end of UFC buyrates are. And that's not really a bad thing, either; Zuffa will need to get used to the idea that they're going to do some bad pay-per-view buyrates, especially given the idea of running three shows per month in 2010.

There are plenty of fights on the UFC 103 card that have potential for excitement, drama and intrigue.

It's a show where multiple veterans are returning to the company that made them superstars in an effort to recapture bits and pieces of the glory years. The undercard features some of the best and brightest prospects in the company. The top two fights could, depending on the results, have title implications in the near future.

Nobody in their right mind will argue that it's a big show, because it's not. Mayweather vs. Marquez is the biggest fight available for combat sports fans on this night, and that's perfectly okay.

But fans of mixed martial arts who choose to purchase UFC 103 are almost guaranteed an entertaining card from top to bottom. Sometimes that's all you need.

RICH FRANKLIN VS. VITOR BELFORT

When you look at this bout on the surface, you can't imagine it having much impact on the UFC.

The fight is taking place at 195 pounds, a meaningless number between the 205 pound division that Franklin currently calls home and the 185 pound division that Belfort is expected to land in. It's Franklin's second straight fight at the non-existent weight class; he defeated the popular Wanderlei Silva back at UFC 99 in June.

Both fighters are going in the opposite directions; Franklin is biding his time in the hopes that he'll somehow find himself in the light heavyweight title mix at some point in the future, but is content to simply have exciting fights in the meantime. Belfort is virtually guaranteed a future shot at middleweight champion Anderson Silva no matter what happens in this fight, but has made noises about competing at light heavyweight as well.

Belfort's UFC return is the major story of the bout, and for good reason. More than a decade ago, he was dubbed "The Phenom", the prototype for the next generation of mixed martial artists. He was a Brazilian jiu-jitsu master with some of the fastest and nastiest boxing hands on the planet, mixing power and ferocity with unprecedented speed. He had all the potential in the world.

Unfortunately, Belfort's career hasn't gone as planned. His last UFC run in 2005 didn't go as planned, but he certainly had a valid excuse—his sister Priscila was kidnapped in 2005—and a distracted Belfort couldn't seem to get back on track.

Since late 2006, however, Belfort is undefeated and has shown brief flashes of what hardcore fans like to call "the old Vitor." Belfort's last victory came in January of this year when he landed a seven-second brutal knockout of the ultra-tough Matt Lindland that left Lindland twitching on the canvas.

Yes, the old Vitor may indeed be back. And if that's the case, Rich Franklin may be in for a rough night.

Franklin has precise strikes, but he will not want to get involved in a boxing match with Belfort. It worked against Wanderlei Silva, but Belfort carries far more speed and packs far more power than the aging Silva does.

I fully expect Belfort to come out swinging. Franklin doesn't deal well with persistent strikers who are also accurate, and that's exactly what the revitalized Belfort brings to the table. I believe Vitor Belfort will make a statement in this fight and end it in the first round by TKO.

PREDICTION: Vitor Belfort (TKO, Round 1)

MIRKO CRO COP VS. JUNIOR DOS SANTOS

Cro Cop's star has been fading over the past few years, but he's determined to right the ship and make a run for the UFC heavyweight championship. He says he's finally comfortable in the cage and is 100% healthy and mentally focused for the first time since his glory years in PRIDE.

Standing in his way, though, is Junior Dos Santos. Trained by the Nogueira brothers, the young Brazilian is one of the brightest prospects in the heavyweight division. He made his UFC debut by knocking out top heavyweight Fabricio Werdum, who had never been finished prior to the fight.

This fight will not go to the ground, and it has all the right ingredients for fight of the night. Both fighters despise the idea of a ground fight, and thus will simply stand and trade knockout punches for the duration of the fight, however long it may last. Much like the Belfort fight, I believe the crux of the bout will swing on which version of Cro Cop shows up. If he's the PRIDE version of Cro Cop, a fighter comfortable in his own skin and with his surroundings, then he could very well finish dos Santos.

If the tentative Mirko steps into the cage, however, it's going to be a short night. Junior dos Santos has the striking skills and the power to finish just about anyone.

PREDICTION: Junior dos Santos (TKO, Round 2)

MARTIN KAMPMANN VS. PAUL DALEY

Poor Martin Kampmann. He was scheduled to face Mike Swick in a number-one contenders bout for the welterweight championship, but Swick suffered a concussion and had to pull out of the bout. Swick was replaced with Paul Daley, but a Kampmann victory no longer means a shot at the belt.

Paul "Semtex" Daley is an Affliction refugee. Scheduled to face Jay Hieron at the canceled Affliction show in August, Daley signed with the UFC when Affliction folded and returned to the UFC fold. He was scheduled to fight on the undercard of UFC 103, but was asked to replace Swick on the main card.

Daley is an exciting striker, but he's never faced anyone like Martin Kampmann. The Denmark native has faced the best in the world and has come out on top more often than not; the past three years have seen Kampmann score victories over Thales Leites, Jorge Rivera, and Carlos Condit.

Daley has a puncher's chance, but that's about it. He's out of his league against his opponent in this one, and I fully expect Kampmann to dominate this bout on the way to a 2nd round submission victory.

PREDICTION: Martin Kampmann (Submission, Round 2)

JOSH KOSCHECK VS. FRANK TRIGG

These two fighters are almost mirror images of one another, with stellar wrestling pedigrees almost completely tossed aside in favor of rapidly-improving striking games. Both men have the kind of wrestling skills that can easily dictate the pace of a fight, but both men seemingly prefer to stand and strike instead of relying on the ground game.

Koscheck is a younger, stronger and faster version of Frank Trigg. His time at American Kickboxing Academy has turned him into a well-rounded and powerful striker, which is a far cry from the Josh Koscheck that emerged from the Ultimate Fighter house. Koscheck can dominate just about anyone when relying on wrestling alone, but has learned one of the most important facts about life in the UFC: in order to stick around, in order to make more money, you have to be exciting.

Trigg wants to capture the same type of legacy that fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell enjoy. That's the sole reason for his return to the UFC, and it has to be the truth; why else would Trigg give up a comfortable career as a broadcaster and radio personality and put himself through the rigors of training for a fight at his age?

Trigg's desire and passion may fuel him through his last UFC run, but it's not going to help him against Koscheck. Kos is too strong and too athletic, and he'll be able to negate almost anything Trigg throws at him. If Trigg somehow puts Kos in a situation he doesn't like, I fully expect Koscheck to take him down and turn it into a wrestling match. That's a place where Koscheck should enjoy a healthy advantage.

PREDICTION: Josh Koscheck by decision

TYSON GRIFFIN VS. HERMES FRANCA

This bout will open the pay-per-view portion of the broadcast, and I'm not sure that's a good idea. Tyson Griffin has the ability to put on exciting fights when matched with the right opponent, but he also has the ability to turn into a human wet blanket in grinding out boring decisions. Griffin's last SEVEN fights have gone to a decision, which means you're virtually guaranteed to see another one on this card.

Hermes Franca is still trying to recover from his positive steroid test back at UFC 73. He was suspended for a year and then lost to Frankie Edgar upon his return. His last outing was nearly a year ago at UFC 90, where he beat Marcus Aurelio in a thrilling bout that won Fight of the Night honors.

You're probably going to see an exciting fight. In fact, that seems to be the entire reason for matching these two fighters up. Neither man is close to the top half of the lightweight division, and neither man will be in contention with a victory here. This fight was put on the show for one reason and one reason only -- because it's probably going to be a great bout and it's the perfect choice to open up a pay per view event.

That being said, it could really go either way. I don't believe that either Griffin or Franca hold a significant advantage in any skill department over the other, so it's a stalemate as far as picking the fight goes. I'll go with Griffin, since he seems to have an uncanny ability to not lose fights. He'll win by decision, of course.

PREDICTION: Tyson Griffin by decision

Randy Couture Vs. Brandon Vera Headlines UFC 105

Jeremy Botter — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 12:31:25 -0400

Michael Rome over at Bloody Elbow reports that Randy Couture will make his return to the light heavyweight division at UFC 105, where he'll face Brandon Vera in the main event of the evening.

Inside Fights has confirmed the planned bout with sources close to the organization.

The Couture vs. Vera match appears to end a weeks-long search for a main event for the show. The original plan was to have Anderson Silva defending his belt against Dan Henderson, but Silva felt he'd already proved everything he needed to against Henderson and didn't want to face him again.

After the Silva dismissal, they scheduled BJ Penn against Diego Sanchez in a lightweight title bout, but that fight was moved to UFC 107, when the main event for that card fell through.

Randy Couture against Rashad Evans was also explored as a possibility. Couture agreed to the fight, but Evans turned it down. That seems like the smart thing to do, given that Evans has plenty to lose from the postponed Rampage Jackson bout if he were to lose to Couture.

The UFC even tried to book Anderson Silva against Matt Hughes in a middleweight title defense. Hughes agreed to the bout, but the deal fell apart on Silva's side.

With UFC 105, Couture returns to the division he once dominated. A fight with Brandon Vera isn't the ideal "big fight" scenario that Couture typically seeks, but he's a company man and will do what they ask of him. It's also a chance for Randy to get a win under his belt before moving up the ladder to face guys like Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida.

Inside Fights has also learned that Couture will receive a title shot if he beats Vera. The title shot was promised in exchange for Couture agreeing to help save the show, which was desperately in need of an announced main event before tickets go on sale on Monday.

Couture also receives a portion of the pay per view revenue, which he will be foregoing by fighting on the free Spike television broadcast.

Henderson/Marquardt On Tap For UFC 105 Main Event

Jeremy Botter — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:38:20 -0400

MMA Fanhouse has the report:

FanHouse has learned that the UFC is looking to book a middleweight bout between Nate Marquardt and Dan Henderson for the Nov. 14 show at the Manchester Evening News Arena in Manchester, England. As of Thursday afternoon, though, official bout agreements had yet to be finalized.

It looks like Anderson Silva got his wish.

In reality, this is the best possible conclusion to the main event search for UFC 105. The original main event, BJ Penn vs. Diego Sanchez, had to be moved to UFC 107 in order to replace the postponed Jackson/Evans bout. Once that happened, the only real alternatives for a serious main event were:

Convince Anderson Silva to defend his belt againt Dan Henderson. They offered the fight to Silva back in early August, and he declined. He's been adamant about not facing either Henderson or Marquardt until they fight each other, and he stuck to his guns.
Convince Henderson to face Marquardt in a title elimination bout. This wouldn't be an easy task, however, because Henderson was told before UFC 100 that he would earn a title shot if he beat Michael Bisping. Henderson did his part, knocking Bisping out in spectacular fashion, but Silva threw a wrench into the proceedings by refusing to face Henderson.

The UFC also considered moving Henderson up to face the debuting Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in a rematch, but Henderson wasn't interested.

The truth of the matter is that both Henderson and Marquardt want to fight Anderson Silva. Both men feel they've earned it. And you can easily make a case for either of them getting another title shot, because both men are the best of the best in the middleweight division and both are coming off great knockout wins.

Henderson has publicly stated his position; Marquardt says all the right things in public, but has privately stated that he wants a shot at the belt.

But Silva sits in the catbird seat. He's only interested in big fights, and he's angling for a potential superfight with Randy Couture. If Shogun Rua somehow beats Lyoto Machida next month, you can bet your last dollar that Silva will be seeking a title bout.

The one thing he's not interested in, however, is fighting Dan Henderson or Nate Marquardt in 2009.

And so this is the next best option. We get to crown a definitive middleweight contender, and UFC 105 gets a main event worthy of numbered UFC show status. And perhaps, just perhaps, we'll get to see Anderson Silva take on Randy Couture at the end of the year.

Jon Jones-Matt Hamill on Tap for Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale

Jeremy Botter — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:16:48 -0400

Matt Hamill and Jon Jones have verbally agreed to a bout on the Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale card on Dec. 5. Bout agreements will be distributed shortly.

The bout was initially reported by MMA Madness.

The fight will serve as the co-main event of the evening. The only other bout confirmed thus far is Rousimar Palhares taking on Alessio Sakara in a middleweight matchup.

Jones, 22, is considered one of the top MMA prospects in the UFC. He currently sports an undefeated record and has landed consecutive victories over Andre Gusmao, Stephan Bonnar and Jake O'Brien. He's known for his flashy and unorthodox moves, which he says were learned from watching pro wrestling matches on YouTube.

Hamill is an Ultimate Fighter veteran with a 6-2 record. He's coming off consecutive wins over Reese Andy and Mark Munoz after losing to Rich Franklin one year ago. Hamill's only other loss was a controversial split decision to Michael Bisping, a fight which many believed Hamill won.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira-Dan Henderson II in the Works for UFC 105 Main Event

Jeremy Botter — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:16:26 -0400

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira has been offered a light heavyweight fight against Dan Henderson that would serve as the main event for UFC 105.

Nogueira, the brother of UFC heavyweight Antonio Rodrigo, recently signed a four-fight deal with the company and was expected to make his debut at UFC 105.

The two men have faced off before, with Nogueira scoring a submission victory over Henderson at PRIDE Total Elimination 2005.

If Henderson agrees to the fight, it indicates that he’s given up on trying to land a shot at Anderson Silva.

Henderson feels like he earned a rematch with Silva with his knockout win over Michael Bisping at UFC 100, but Silva claims that Henderson should have to face Nate Marquardt to determine the top contender. Henderson claimed in recent weeks that he would move back to light heavyweight if he wasn’t granted an immediate match with Silva.

The company already has a replacement in mind if the fight, like so many others scheduled for this show, fails to come to fruition. Veteran UFC welterweight Matt Hughes is being considered as an opponent for Mike Swick, who last week pulled out of his UFC 103 bout with Martin Kampmann.

Rumors immediately began swirling that Swick could face Hughes, and Swick fanned the flames via Twitter late in the week.

The UFC has gone through an incredibly tough time trying to secure a main event fight for UFC 105. The original plan, dating back to late July, was Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson. Silva threw a wrench in those plans by stating that he didn't think Henderson deserved a title shot, so the company pulled the fight off the card.

The second major idea was BJ Penn vs. Diego Sanchez, which was confirmed and then moved from the card when they started having trouble with the main events of other Fall UFC shows.

It appears the company may finally have a main event that sticks. It's expected to be announced shortly.

Inside Fights MMA Rankings: September 2009

Jeremy Botter — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 12:54:05 -0400

Our monthly fighter rankings are determined by a panel of over 20 Inside Fights staff writers and outside journalists.

A first place vote is worth 10 points, second place is worth nine points, and so on. The votes are then totaled and placed in the order in which they scored. They are published in the first week of every month and take into account all shows leading up to the beginning of the voting process.

The most recent set of rankings: August 2009

HEAVYWEIGHT

1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Brock Lesnar
3. Frank Mir
4. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
5. Josh Barnett
6. Shane Carwin
7. Randy Couture
8. Brett Rogers
9. Alistair Overeem
10. Cain Velasquez

NOTES: The strength of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira's victory over Randy Couture at UFC 102 moves him up one spot to No. 4. Nogueira may have earned himself a title shot with the performance, but it appears that a rematch with No. 3 Frank Mir may be in the cards.

Mir is scheduled to face Cheick Kongo in December at UFC 107, but there are rumors bubbling that the fight may be scrapped in favor of doing Nogueira vs. Mir II on the Ultimate 2009 show on January 2.

Josh Barnett drops from No. 3 to No. 5, likely based on inactivity. He'll continue to drop down the list until he fights again...Shane Carwin moves to No. 6, leapfrogging the free-falling Alistair Overeem. Carwin will face UFC champion Brock Lesnar for the heavyweight championship in November.

Brett Rogers moves from No. 10 to No. 8. Rogers will face No. 1 heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko on an undisclosed card in October or November. On The Bubble: Andrei Arlovski, Junior Dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum, Mirko Cro Cop

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

1. Lyoto Machida
2. Rashad Evans
3. Quinton Jackson
4. Anderson Silva
5. Gegard Mousasi
6. Mauricio Rua
7. Forrest Griffin
8. Thiago Silva
9. Rich Franklin
10. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

On The Bubble: Luiz Cane, Renato Sobral, Keith Jardine

NOTES: The most significant debut in these rankings comes courtesy of Anderson Silva. Silva's destruction of Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 vaults him into the No. 4 spot. Silva will continue to fight light heavyweights while also defending his middleweight title, and a potential heavyweight excursion has been discussed.

If that comes to fruition, Silva could very well become the first man to ever be ranked in three weight classes at one time...Nipping at Silva's feels is Gegard Mousasi, who made an emphatic statement that he's a true contender in the division with his one-sided beating of Renato Sobral at the Strikeforce card in August.

Mousasi debuts at No. 5 in the rankings...Forrest Griffin falls from No. 4 to No. 7 this month after his embarrassing loss to Silva...No. 10 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira recently inked a contract with the UFC and will make his Octagon debut at UFC 105 in November...Thiago Silva moves back into the rankings after destroying Keith Jardine at UFC 102.

MIDDLEWEIGHT

1. Anderson Silva
2. Dan Henderson
3. Nate Marquardt
4. Yushin Okami
5. Demian Maia
6. Vitor Belfort
7. Jorge Santiago
8. Robbie Lawler
9. Yoshihiro Akiyama
10. Chael Sonnen

On The Bubble: Nick Diaz, Michael Bisping

NOTES: The only change in the top five in this division comes courtesy of Demian Maia, who switches places with Yushin Okami. Maia lost by vicious knockout to No. 3 Nate Marquardt at UFC 102...Chael Sonnen debuts in the rankings at No. 10. Sonnen will face No. 4 Yushin Okami at UFC 104 in October. A win will likely vault him into title contender status.

WELTERWEIGHT

1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Jon Fitch
3. Thiago Alves
4. Jake Shields
5. Martin Kampmann
6. Mike Swick
7. Carlos Condit
8. Josh Koscheck
9. Matt Hughes
10. Paulo Thiago

On The Bubble: Frank Trigg, Dan Hardy

NOTES: Matt Hughes re-enters the rankings this month. Hughes recently signed a new contract with the UFC and will return in early 2010 against an unnamed opponent...No. 3 Thiago Alves will face No. 10 Paulo Thiago at UFC 107 in December.

An emphatic win by Alves will put him in line for another fight with Georges St. Pierre, but he'll likely have to win at least one more fight. No. 2 Jon Fitch is closer to a title shot than anyone else in the UFC's division, and a win over Ricardo Almeida at UFC 106 will likely cement another title shot for Fitch.

No. 5 Martin Kampmann and No. 6 Mike Swick were scheduled to face each other to determine the next contender for St. Pierre's belt at UFC 103 later this month, but Swick was forced to pull out because of a concussion suffered during training.

Kampmann will instead face the debuting Paul Daley, but it's no longer certain that a Kampmann win will earn him a title shot. The company may instead look to put Josh Koscheck in that role if Koscheck can pull off an impressive victory over the returning Frank Trigg at UFC 103.

LIGHTWEIGHT

1. BJ Penn
2. Shinya Aoki
3. Eddie Alvarez
4. Tatsuya Kawajiri
5. Kenny Florian
6. Diego Sanchez
7. Gray Maynard
8. Frank Edgar
9. Joachim Hansen
10. Josh Thomson

On The Bubble: Gesias Calvancante, Clay Guida

NOTES: No. 5 Kenny Florian drops one spot after losing to BJ Penn in August. Florian's next task will be Clay Guida at UFC 106...No. 6 Diego Sanchez will challenge BJ Penn for the lightweight championship at UFC 107 in December. That fight replaces the resceduled Quinton Jackson/Rashad Evans grudge match, which was canceled when Jackson landed the role of B.A. Baracus in the new A-Team remake.

No. 2 Shinya Aoki will face No. 9 Joachim Hansen on the October 6 DREAM.11 card. If victorious, Aoki is expected to take on No. 4 Tatsuya Kawajiri on the DREAM New Year's Eve show.

Sean Sherk "Injury" Details Have a Familiar Ring

Jeremy Botter — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:58:11 -0400

Sean Sherk was removed from the UFC 104 card yesterday due to a shoulder injury allegedly suffered in training. More details are starting to emerge, and things definitely aren't what they seem.

Sherk was picked to take a random drug test by the CSAC, and was supposed to fly to California on Wednesday morning to provide a urine sample for testing. He also had to have his license renewed for California, since he'd let it expire.

Sherk never showed up for the test. When the UFC learned of Sherk's no-show, they informed the commission that Sherk was injured in training and would be pulled from the card. He was replaced by Josh Neer.

Because Sherk had allowed his license to expire and wasn't currently licensed by the commission, he won't be suspended for missing the scheduled drug test. This situation mirrors the recent controversy with Nick Diaz, who refused to take a drug test before the Aug. 15 Strikeforce show and ended up being pulled from the card.

It's a little early to make accusations against Sherk. Perhaps he really was injured badly enough in training that he couldn't make the flight for the drug test. But the story has a familiar ring to it, especially given Sherk's history with performance enhancing drugs.

Sean Salmon Admits to Throwing Recent Fight

Jeremy Botter — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:35:02 -0400

Sean Salmon is an interesting character in the world of mixed martial arts. He's been very open about his life and training, even penning a semi-regular column for MMA Junkie called Full Time Fighter. He'll likely go down as "the guy who got knocked out cold by Rashad Evans," but it's still refreshing to see a fighter allow fans an inside look at his life and training.

Perhaps Salmon should be less forthcoming in the future.

In his latest piece for MMA Junkie, Salmon writes:

I left England and was given a very serious warning: "If you get hurt in that fight, don't bother coming back." My opponent for the fight was 6-6, so obviously getting back to England to learn and train with some of the best was my priority.

Seeing how my opponent had just a 6-6 record, I figured I could easily bully him into rolling over for me, collect the easy win, and return to England. But it didn't happen that way at all. Someone forgot to tell my opponent to roll over and quit.

I handled him very easily for the entire first round. He was able to land one very good elbow to my temple. I am embarrassed to admit that my first thought was that, "If he cut me and I can't go back to England, this is not worth it." How in the world could I be in a fight and think that if I got cut, it is not worth the win?

In the second round, I took him down again. He went for an armbar, I defended it (only to prove to myself that he couldn't get it), and then I put my arm back in to give him the win so that I could return to England, healthy. Just so you all know, that is the most embarrassing thing that I have ever admitted out loud.

First of all, it's sad that the Wolfslair would treat Salmon this way. To tell a guy that he won't be allowed to come back and train if he gets injured in a fight seems like a low blow. It's way out of the norm for MMA training camps.

But the last paragraph is the most disturbing revelation. Salmon allowed his opponent to secure an armbar and beat him, essentially throwing a fight so that he could return to train in England with Wolfslair. I can't imagine any other MMA fighter I've ever met deciding that throwing a fight is the best way to advance his career.

No matter what Salmon's intentions were, it's shady and it's an absolute low blow for the sport. It likely won't become a big story because Salmon's profile isn't big enough. It's still a troubling reveal, no matter what level it occurred on.

Jeremy Botter is the Editor-in-chief of Inside Fights and a contributor to FoxSports.com

Alistair Overeem Returning to K-1

Jeremy Botter — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:31:59 -0400

This is bad news for Strikeforce: K-1 announced today that Alistair Overeem, the reigning Strikeforce heavyweight champion, will participate in the 2009 World Grand Prix Final 16.

Overeem will take on Peter Aerts on the September 26 Final 16 card. If he beats Aerts, he'll return to K-1 in December to participate in the Grand Prix Final. For those keeping score, Overeem's last fight for Strikeforce was in November of 2007, when he beat Paul Buentello to win the belt.

Since that fight, Overeem has fought exclusively for DREAM and K-1, never once defending the belt. He was scheduled to defend the championship against Fabricio Werdum on the "Carano vs. Cyborg" card, but pulled out of the match due to a hand injury sustained in a bar fight.

With his K-1 commitments already in place, it appears that Overeem's first championship defense won't happen until sometime in 2010 -- over two years since he won it in the first place.

We've reached the point where Scott Coker probably needs to strip Overeem of the belt. Alistair could be excused for not defending the title when the Strikeforce heavyweight division consisted solely of he and Paul Buentello.

Right now, though, we're looking at a division that has several worthy challengers for the belt, including Fedor Emelianenko (who realistically should have received an automatic title shot upon signing with the company). The best option available would be to turn the Emelianenko/Rogers bout into a title fight for the vacant championship.

Stripping Overeem doesn't mean you're cutting ties with him. He can still return to the company and face Emelianenko for the belt when he's done with his kickboxing commitments. But right now it's time to make the division mean something if you have any hope of making a splash with regular mixed martial arts fans, and it's tough to do that without a champion.

Three Lessons From UFC 102

Jeremy Botter — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:33:23 -0400

ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA IS BACK

When Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira stepped into the cage with Frank Mir last December for his first interim heavyweight title defense, few gave his opponent any chance of winning the fight. What Mir's critics didn't know, however, was that the Nogueria he'd face in the cage that night wasn't exactly the picture of health.

Nogueira had spent a week in the hospital a few weeks before the fight, nursing a severe staph infection that should've forced him to pull out of the fight. Not only that, but he'd completely torn his meniscus during camp.

He shouldn't have been in the cage that night and was advised by those closest to him to pull out of the fight, but Nogueira is one of the grittiest, toughest fighters in the history of the sport and he didn't want to leave the UFC without a main event for its biggest show of 2008.

So Nogueira soldiered on, stepping into the cage at about 25 percent of his normal capacity. He was dispatched quickly and effectively by Frank Mir, making Mir look like a world-beater in the process and raising questions about the prospects of Minotauro's continued effectiveness in the cage.

In dominating Randy Couture over the course of three rounds, Nogueira proved the Mir fight to be a fluke. He displayed great boxing skills, an outstanding ground game, the granite chin and legendary heart that won him so many ardent fans during the glory days of PRIDE. He took the best a very game Couture could dish out and never wilted, earning a one-sided decision over a man almost unanimously considered the heavy favorite going into the fight.

What's next: A tilt with Brock Lesnar would be more than ideal, but he'll have to wait and see if Lesnar gets past Shane Carwin in October. It would be a fresh matchup, and though Nogueira would no doubt serve as the underdog yet again, it would be almost impossible for people to completely count him out.

In the meantime, a rematch with Mirko Cro Cop would be welcome, providing Cro Cop gets past Nogueira protege Junior dos Santos at UFC 103.

TODD DUFFEE CONTINUES SEA CHANGE AMONG HEAVYWEIGHTS

Todd Duffee's 7-second knockout of Tim Hague, the fastest in UFC history, turned him from just another non-descript fighter on another preliminary card into a legitimate heavyweight prospect.

At 6'3" and 253 pounds of rippling muscle, Todd Duffee looks exactly like the kind of athletic fighter many believe will begin to populate the heavyweight division over the next three years. He's an incredible athlete with heaping portions of size, strength, speed, and agility tossed in for good measure.

In other words, he's straight out of the Brock Lesnar mold.

Lesnar's success means that more and more huge athletes are going to look at mixed martial arts as a viable way to make a living. Guys who would typically become defensive ends and play football for a living will instead look to the fight game. The heavyweight division will evolve from the "fat guy" decision into a corner of MMA filled with enormous men with the athletic attributes of much smaller men.

Duffee is only 23-years-old, but the American Top Team fighter has a bright future that's impossible to miss. He started boxing at the age of sixteen, but soon became enthralled by the different aspects of mixed martial arts. He rented all the old UFC shows he could find and became so hooked on the sport that he decided to start training.

He's had just five professional fights, but only one has gone past three minutes, and all have ended by knockout or technical knockout. He's one of the new breed of fighters—instead of learning one facet of the sport at a time like almost everyone prior to him, Duffee began training in every aspect of MMA nearly from the start.

What's next: Duffee pleaded with Dana White to give him stiffer competition after the fight. He'll be brought along slowly so that he can properly develop his skills, but it's tough to imagine Duffee not turning into a big player in the heavyweight division within the next 16 months. A bout with Gabriel Gonzaga or Heath Herring may be the next test Duffee faces.

THE MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION IS LOOKING UP

Six months ago, the UFC middleweight landscape was a drab and dreary land. Reigning champion Anderson Silva had dispatched all contenders, both legitimate and not, with relative ease, leaving pundits and fans alike to wonder what challenges could possibly await the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

UFC 102 indicated that Silva may have more work to do before calling it day.

To say Nate Marquardt dispatched Demian Maia with ease would be an understatement. Maia, who decided to test out his new Wanderlei Silva-approved standup game, attempted what appeared to be a flying knee early in the fight. Marquardt caught him in mid-air with a power right that sent Maia spinning to a face-first crash landing on the canvas.

The knockout happened just 22 seconds into the fight, an emphatic statement that may have confirmed Marquardt's belief that he's a much better version of the fighter that was blown out by Silva over two years ago.

Jake Rosholt, who has one of the deepest wrestling pedigrees in MMA, also decided to test out his standup skills against Chris Leben. The three-time NCAA champion displayed technical skills that were markedly improved from his previous fights, avoiding Leben's crowd-pleasing haymakers and landing jabs effectively. He also showed some submission savvy after taking the fight to the ground in the third, and choked the stubborn Leben into unconsciousness to score the upset victory.

Rosholt already has the prerequisite wrestling background that can carry him past lower-level opponents, but he's learned that wrestling alone can't take you to the top. If he's able to raise his striking level to a point anywhere near his wrestling skill, he's going to be a tough middleweight to beat—even for champion Anderson Silva, whose only real weak spot may be against great wrestlers on the ground.

What's next: Dan Henderson was promised the next title shot at Silva, but Silva's camp believes that Henderson should fight Marquardt to determine who gets the next shot at the champion. For his part, Henderson claims that he'll move back to the light heavyweight division if he's not given his title shot as promised, which seems to indicate that a Marquardt/Henderson fight is not in the cards.

If Henderson faces Silva, then UFC matchmaker Joe Silva is faced with a tough test: who do you match Marquardt up with? One name that immediately comes to mind is Wanderlei Silva; the popular Brazilian serves as a trainer for Demian Maia and has his sights set on Anderson Silva. If that's not a direction they're interested in going, then pairing Marquardt up with Vitor Belfort (if Belfort gets past Rich Franklin) or Yoshihiro Akiyama would make for marquee matchups.

Rosholt's impressive victory over Leben earned him a shot at stiffer competition, and a fight with someone like Alan Belcher or Patrick Cote would be his logical next step.

This article was originally published on InsideFights.com

"King Mo" Destroys Kerr, Fedor Taps Mousasi at "M-1 Breakthrough"

Jeremy Botter — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:55:48 -0400

Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal needed a mere 25 seconds to dispose of Mark Kerr in the main event of "M-1: Breakthrough."

The show, billed as the premiere event by M-1, featured a sparring exhibition between Fedor Emelianenko and Gegard Mousasi.

Mousasi, one of the fastest rising MMA stars on the planet and a guy that Dana White desperately covets, held his own for much of the sparring match. He nearly secured an armbar and a kimura, but was seemingly no match for Fedor's sambo throws and size.

Emelianenko forced a tapout with an armbar to end the friendly bout.

But it was King Mo who made the most impact on this evening. Facing off against a fading opponent who took the fight on short notice, Lawal moved his record to 5-0 with a quick, decisive and brutal victory over an opponent who probably should never step inside the cage again.

He will fight again, though, because all veteran fighters have a tough time accepting that it's time to hang up the gloves. Kerr is no different.

Lawal scored a quick takedown that apparently injured the shoulder of "The Smashing Machine," and Kerr could do little to defend against Lawal's punches from the back. After seeing five uncontested and hard shots land on the unconscious Kerr, the referee finally stopped the fight. But not until Lawal sent Kerr's mouthpiece flying across the ring with another brutal punch.

It was a display that I don't need to see repeated. I know that Mark Kerr believes he can still compete, but he cannot. He cannot compete at the highest level, or even at a moderate level against untested opponents.

What about Lawal? He's a free agent, which means he's almost certainly going to get some type of offer from both the UFC and Strikeforce. Despite his lack of experience, Lawal is personable and entertaining, and that will score him some points with both promotions. He'll get bigger offers in Japan, a country where he's far more known and far more popular than in the United States. But he seems determined to make a name for himself in America.

How he'll fare against stiffer competition remains to be seen.

Complete Results:

Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal def. Mark Kerr via KO (strikes) - Round 1, 0:25
Fedor Emelianenko taps Gegard Mousasi (armbar) in exhibition sparring match
Karl Amoussou def. John Doyle via submission (rear naked choke) - Round 1, 3:15
Lucio Linhares def. Mikhail Zayats via submission (rear naked choke) - Round 1, 1:00
Jessie Gibbs def. Rob Broughton via unanimous decision
Michael Kitta def. Lloyd "Kadillac" Marshbanks via submission (strikes) - Round 1, 1:50
Daisuke Nakamura def. Ferrid Kheder via unanimous decision

UFC 102: Preview & Predictions

Jeremy Botter — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:06:29 -0400

RANDY COUTURE VS. ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA

It's a battle of two legendary fighters, two warriors and two of the greatest fighters we've ever seen. It's also a battle that seems to be coming about six years too late.

Randy Couture is 46 years old and almost certainly nearing the twilight of his legendary career. He's as close to a folk hero as the mixed martial arts community may ever have, a fighter who defies the odds constantly stacked against him. He usually performs the best when the odds are stacked against him and he's given zero chance against his opponent. We witnessed it against Tim Sylvia and Gabriel Gonzaga, two fighters who were supposed to be more than Couture could handle.

We didn't witness it against Brock Lesnar, however. Couture gave Lesnar more than anyone else the current champion has ever fought, but Lesnar's size, speed and rapidly-evolving skillset proved to be too much for Captain America.

But you could basically take everything I wrote about Randy Couture in the above paragraphs and apply it to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. He's an absolute legend in the sport and perhaps the second-greatest heavyweight in history. He has the ability to endure horrific beatings and pull off a dramatic win like nobody's business.

But those horrific beatings endured at the hands of Bob Sapp and Fedor Emelianenko have quite possibly resulted in the shortening of Nogueira's career. He's only 33 years old, but he's taken so many brutal beatings over the years that he's probably operating with the body and brain of a much older man.

The performance against Frank Mir last December shouldn't be used as the indicator of Nogueira's current talent level, because Nogueira shouldn't have been in the cage that night. He'd recently endured a hospital stay for a staph infection and was battling an injured knee. But simply looking at Nogueira gives you the impression that he's nearing his expiration date as a fighter.

For Randy Couture, the key to this fight is to keep it off the ground. Couture is a fantastic wrestler, but going to the ground with a submission specialist like Nogueira isn't the best tactical move no matter how good your wrestling skills may be. Couture will look to keep the fight standing, working his greco clinch against the cage to tire Nogueira and set up boxing combos. His striking game is superior to Nogueira and can be used to his advantage, even if he doesn't have the power to KO the former PRIDE champion with a single punch.

A Couture win in this fight could mean a light heavyweight title shot against Lyoto Machida or a fight with Anderson Silva. Yes, Couture wants to fight both men and a big win in this fight will likely make it happen.

Nogueira is walking around at 230 pounds, the lightest he's been for a fight in years. His camp says he's much faster and lighter on his feet than he's been in a while and the extra speed has greatly contributed to his striking game. That remains to be seen. I firmly believe that Nogueira's best chance of winning this fight is to get it to the ground and work the kind of sweeps he used against Tim Sylvia to set up a submission. He's incredibly dangerous off his back and can secure a submission at any point in the fight, no matter how long it goes.

And you know what? I think he'll do it. I believe Nogueira will overcome the odds in this fight yet again and defeat Randy Couture, most likely near the end of the second round, by submission.

PREDICTION: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira by submission

KEITH JARDINE VS. THIAGO SILVA

This is an interesting fight for one reason only: will Thiago Silva's barging muay thai style be enough to get him inside Jardine's awkward defense? Silva walks straight forward without flinching, and while that may have cost him against Lyoto Machida earlier this year it will probably be effective against Jardine. Wanderlei Silva proved that you can flummox Jardine by barging straight forward and throwing haymakers, and that seems to be Thiago's specialty.

This one either ends very quickly with a Silva knockout or it goes to decision with a Jardine win. It's a toss-up at this point for me, so I'm going to go with instinct and take Silva to win the fight. He's got enough power and precision to finish Jardine as long as he doesn't get confused by Jardine's style.

PREDICTION: Thiago Silva by TKO

CHRIS LEBEN VS. JAKE ROSHOLT

Chris Leben's last fight came in Oct. 2008, a thrilling loss to Michael Bisping. Leben tested positive for steroids after the fight but remains a go-to guy when the company needs an exciting match to fill out a card. He'll never be a top contender, but his wild fighting style is a crowd-pleaser and he'll always have a job because of it.

Jake Rosholt is an escapee from the WEC, where he racked up a 5-0 record before moving to the UFC. He lost his first fight against Dan Miller in February, but his status as a former NCAA wrestling champion leads me to believe he'll still have a big future in the sport.

Rosholt will not want to stand up with Chris Leben. "The Crippler" has one-punch knockout power and throws enough bombs that he'll eventually connect with one. Rosholt's best bet to steal a win in this one would obviously be to get it to the ground and keep Leben from utilizing his standup. He doesn't have the counterpunching skills to beat Leben the way Michael Bisping did, so he'll have to stick to the basics. The problem is getting Leben to the ground: He's got great takedown defense, and I think getting him to the ground will be a tall order even for a decorated wrestler like Rosholt.

That being said, I do believe Rosholt will get Leben to the ground, and he'll do it multiple times. Once there, I expect him to grind out a decision with a small chance of a submission victory.

PREDICTION: Jake Rosholt by decision

NATE MARQUARDT VS. DEMIAN MAIA

This is it—the fight I'm most looking forward to on this show.

On the surface, it's a fight between two guys who aren't incredibly popular. Nate Marquardt is a former title contender to Anderson Silva's belt, but he's never really connected with the fans. He's working his way back to a title shot and believes he's a different fighter than he was during his previous shot at Silva.

Demian Maia is a world-class grappler, a submission artist who makes the jiu-jitsu aspect of mixed martial arts look like poetry in motion. He might also be the best BJJ player currently doing mixed martial arts. Trying to grapple with Maia is akin to waving a white flag. He's literally better than everyone else in mixed martial arts when it comes to ground fighting.

The fight has immediate middleweight title implications. The winner of this fight will likely get the next title shot at Anderson Silva (after Dan Henderson, of course), and thus it becomes far more important than just about any fight on the card.

Marquardt is a powerful fighter and a good striker with great takedown defense. Maia likely won't be scoring any standard takedowns, so his best option for getting into a good position will be to allow Marquardt to get him to the ground. Once it's on the ground, Maia is incredibly dangerous and Marquardt—despite his power—would be in real trouble. Because of that, Marquardt will want to keep the fight standing for the entire 15 minutes and I'm not sure he can do that.

In my mind, Demian Maia might be the one guy in the middleweight division who can beat Anderson Silva right now, so it should be pretty obvious who I'm picking to win this fight. We'll see more Maia jiu-jitsu wizardry on the way to a submission victory, likely via triangle choke.

PREDICTION: Demian Maia by submission

BRANDON VERA VS. KRZYSZTOF SOSZYNSKI

This fight amounts to a loser-leaves-town bout for Brandon Vera. He's considered by many to be the most underperforming fighter in the UFC and has lost three of his past five bouts. His two wins came against Reese Andy and Mike Patt, while the losses came at the hands of Tim Sylvia, Fabricio Werdum and Keith Jardine. From that list, we can assume that Vera excels against lower-tier guys but can't get the job done against top competition.

In Soszynski, Vera is facing a fighter who isn't considered top competition at this point in time, but is certainly a different level than Reese Andy or Mike Patt. Soszynski has a six-fight win streak going, with his latest victory being a TKO win over Andre Gusmao at UFC 98. Soszynski has fought five times in the past year, with three of those victories by kimura, a move which Soszynski loves greatly.

Like many others, I'm completely underwhelmed by Vera's recent performances in the cage. He seems listless and lacks the fire in his eyes that many of his fellow light heavyweights have. I'm not saying that's an indicator of his current performance level, but it's enough for me to have confidence in Soszynski taking a step towards the next level with a win here.

PREDICTION: Krzysztof Soszynski

PRELIMINARY BOUTS

ED HERMAN VS. AARON SIMPSON: Ed Herman

GABRIEL GONZAGA VS. CHRIS TUCHSCHERER: Gabriel Gonzaga

JUSTIN MCCULLY VS. MIKE RUSSOW: Justin McCully

TIM HAGUE VS. TODD DUFFEE: Tim Hague

NICK CATONE VS. MARK MUNOZ: Mark Munoz

MARCUS AURELIO VS. EVAN DUNHAM: Marcus Aurelio

Forrest Griffin Has More Opportunity at Heavyweight

Jeremy Botter — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:12:03 -0400

Here's food for thought on this bright Monday morning: Why can't Forrest Griffin move to the heavyweight division?

There's nothing left for him in the light-heavyweight division. He has suffered two straight losses to Rashad Evans and Anderson Silva, and he's so far removed from the title picture that it will likely be a couple of years before he's considered a legitimate contender again.

Yeah, he's the former light-heavyweight champion, but the light-heavyweight division is so stacked with talent that two straight losses put you on the scrap heap.

Forrest is a gigantic light heavyweight. He walks around at 245 pounds outside of training camp, which is the same weight most heavyweights step into the Octagon at. Mirko Cro Cop, for example, weighs 235 pounds on fight night. Cain Velasquez is roughly 240 pounds, while Frank Mir stepped into the cage against Brock Lesnar last month at 245 pounds.

If Forrest took six months to bulk up, to focus almost exclusively on weight training and on packing on muscle, I strongly believe he could add the strength he would need to compete in the heavyweight division.

I'm not saying that he would jump in and be competitive against Lesnar right away, because he wouldn't.

But I do believe that with added size and strength, Griffin could be a factor near the top of the division.

Not only that, but he'd be back in the mix much faster than he would in the light heavyweight division. It would likely only take Griffin one or two wins to secure a title shot, because he's a name competitor in a division that doesn't have all that many.

He'd still have to face the 285-pound Lesnar for the championship, but at least he'd be back in the mix.

And let's face it: In terms of matchups, it's a much more interesting situation for Griffin at heavyweight.

He's already faced the top guys in his current weight class, and outside of a potential rematch with Rampage Jackson, there will be little desire to see him face the same guys again.

Fights with Cain Velasquez, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko Cro Cop, and Cheick Kongo are infinitely more interesting to me from a matchmaking perspective than seeing him in a series of rematches that have little or nothing to do with being a contender.

Plus, a Griffin run at the heavyweight title and a fight against Lesnar would do gigantic business on pay-per-view. Griffin is one of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster, a folk hero of sorts, and Lesnar is the most hated.

Griffin would be giving up a tremendous size advantage, and everyone loves an underdog. It's a license to print money.

This is obviously all speculative, but I think there is a bigger (no pun intended) opportunity for Griffin to make a mark in the heavyweight division than in the weight class he currently calls home.

UFC 101: Preview & Predictions

Jeremy Botter — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:06:32 -0400

Have you ever heard the term "sneaky hot?"

"Sneaky hot" is that girl that everyone knows but no one is attracted to. One day, you see her in a different light.

Maybe it's her hair. Maybe it's her smile. But you suddenly realize that the girl is attractive, and you never saw it coming.

That's sneaky hot.

This show is sneaky hot. Coming off UFC 100, nobody expects it to do well in terms of pay per view buys, but it's probably going to do far better than most projections. On paper, it's a show that is sold exclusively by the two main events, but the undercard fights may end up being just as memorable as the main events.

UFC LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE
B.J. PENN VS. KENNY FLORIAN

Here's the real question leading into this fight: is B.J. Penn so consumed by his loss to Georges St. Pierre that he's overlooking a very dangerous and very real challenger in Kenny Florian?

It's no secret that Penn wants another shot at St. Pierre. He believes that St. Pierre cheated to win the last fight, and he thinks it'll be a different story the next time around. He accused St. Pierre of greasing at UFC 94, and his latest revelation is that St. Pierre is a steroid user.

Much has been made of Penn's decision to move his training camp to California. He's more focused on physical conditioning than ever, and he's in the best shape of his life.

But I firmly believe that Penn isn't preparing for Kenny Florian; he's preparing for a rematch with Georges St. Pierre, and that's going to hurt him significantly at UFC 101.

Florian is a very dangerous fighter. He hasn't lost in nearly three years, and that's an impressive accomplishment.

In that timespan, Florian has become a well-rounded fighter who mixes accurate striking on his feet with a dangerous ground submission game and razor-sharp elbows. He's made credible lightweights look like rookies and constantly improved every aspect of his game every time he steps into the cage.

A focused B.J. Penn would be tough for anyone to beat at lightweight, but you're not going to see a focused Penn stepping into the cage this weekend. Oh, he may look like he's bringing intensity into the cage; in reality, he's looking past his opponent and down the road to a day when he can prove that GSP is a lesser man.

Unfortunately for Penn, that's going to be his downfall.

PREDICTION: Kenny Florian by decision

ANDERSON SILVA VS. FORREST GRIFFIN

It's no secret why Zuffa booked this fight.

For three years, they tried to push Anderson Silva as the best fighter on the planet, and he delivered. He made Rich Franklin leave his weight class. He destroyed very good fighters with what seemed to be little effort. He flirted with light heavyweight after cleaning out his division and destroyed James Irvin after a brief Irvin mistake.

But then something happened with Anderson Silva. He decided he wanted to box Roy Jones Jr., and Zuffa told him there was no way it was happening while he was under a UFC contract.

They booked him against Patrick Cote, and Silva put on a decidedly non-Silva performance, a show where he seemed more focused on dancing than on attempting to finish his opponent.

When the same thing happened against an obviously overmatched Thales Leites, the company decided they had an epidemic on their hands, and they booked Silva to move back up to light heavyweight for a bout with Forrest Griffin.

You're almost always guaranteed one thing with Griffin: an exciting fight. He's relentless and pushes the action without fear for his own safety, and that's what makes this fight so appealing. Griffin will press the action and come straight at Silva, and that's usually the formula for a spectacular Anderson Silva knockout victory.

Griffin's camp says his strategy will be to use his weight to push Silva against the cage and lean on him, a tactic torn straight from the pages of the Randy Couture game plan. He should be significantly bigger than Silva going into the cage, which means that he can impose his will on the middleweight champ...if he can get his hands on him.

And that's the trick to this fight, I think. Griffin is going to come forward and attack, and it's probably going to be his undoing. He can't be faulted for that, though; his style has made him one of the most endearing and popular fighters in the world.

Against Anderson Silva, however, it's going to make for one short and painful night.

PREDICTION: Anderson Silva by TKO, Round One

AMIR SADOLLAH VS. JOHNY HENDRICKS

Do you remember Amir Sadollah? The feel-good underdog story of last summer's Ultimate Fighter season? The guy who defeated heavy season favorite C.B. Dolloway by armbar not once, but twice?

Sadollah hasn't fought in the Octagon since his Ultimate Fighter victory. He was scheduled to face Nick Catone back at UFC 91, but was forced to withdraw with a staph infection in his leg. The fight was rescheduled for Fight Night 17 in February, but Sadollah suffered a broken clavicle and had to pull out of that bout as well.

It's good that Sadollah will make his UFC 101 bout against Johny Hendricks, because he has real potential to be a major UFC superstar. He's relatively new to the fight game, but he's got a weird charisma that's endearing to the fans. He's like a smaller version of Forrest Griffin, a self-deprecating "regular guy" who fans can identify with on many levels.

Hendricks is making his UFC debut after two fights in World Extreme Cagefighting. He's a two-time NCAA Division I champion and is undefeated in his mixed martial arts career, and that pedigree should be enough to make him a heavy favorite against the inexperienced Sadollah. The fact that Sadollah is actually the betting favorite says a lot about the way the TUF champ went about his business on the Spike reality show.

Sadollah has a bright future ahead of him, but I believe that the experience factor is going to play a big part in this fight. Hendricks is one of the best wrestlers out there and I look for him to place Sadollah on the ground and keep him there for the decision.

PREDICTION: Johny Hendricks by decision

KENDALL GROVE VS. RICARDO ALMEIDA

This is one of the most intriguing fights on the show. Ricardo Almeida is one of the most decorated jiu-jitsu players involved in mixed martial arts, and Kendall Grove is fighting for his career with a chip on his shoulder.

Almeida is incredibly one-dimensional, only finishing one fight in his entire career by TKO. He's a true submission artist, but Grove is an accurate and dangerous striker with a good ground game. Unless Almeida is on the ground and actively working for a submission, he's a fish out of water, and Grove will attempt to make him as uncomfortable as possible.

PREDICTION: Kendall Grove by TKO, Round Two

JOSH NEER VS. KURT PELLEGRINO

As far as spectacular and exciting fights go, you probably can't top this one. That's the reason it's on the main card and that's the reason it will likely go first on the show.

Pellegrino is a very exciting fighter, but Neer is far more experienced and polished. His first UFC fight was back in 2005 at the first Ultimate Fight Night, so he's certainly a veteran of the circuit. I don't expect him to finish Pellegrino, but I do expect him to win a unanimous and one-sided decision.

PREDICTION: Josh Neer by decision

QUICK UNDERCARD PICKS

Shane Nelson vs. Aaron Riley: Riley

Tamdan McCrory vs. John Howard: McCrory

Thales Leites vs. Allesio Sakara: Leites

Matt Riddle vs. Dan Cramer: Riddle

George Sotiropoulos vs. George Roop: Sotiropoulos

Jesse Lennox vs. Danillo Villefort: Lennox

The Specifics Of Zuffa's Contract Offer to Fedor

Jeremy Botter — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:40:04 -0400

Here are the details of the contract that was extended and denied by Fedor Emelianenko and his management:

A six-fight, $30 million deal
An immediate title shot against Brock Lesnar
M-1 Global would receive a cut of PPV revenue on top of Emelianenko's contracted purse
Fedor would be able to wear as much M1 gear as wanted, and they would also place M-1 logos on the Octagon
Fedor would be allowed to fight in combat sambo

The only thing keeping this deal from happening is co-promotion. M-1 is seeking to use the UFC machine to build their own brand and will not do any shows without co-promotion. That also happens to be the one thing that Zuffa will not relent on.

Those contract numbers are staggering. Nobody in UFC history has ever received more than $1 million as a contracted purse, and they are offering Emelianenko $5 million per fight, a number that would easily make him the highest paid fighter in the history of the sport.

On top of that, M-1 Global would get a significant percentage of the revenue from Emelianenko-headlined pay per view events, and M-1 Global branding would be seen on Fedor's clothing and on the cage itself.

These contract terms have been verified by Carmichael Dave, a CBS radio host who is a close friend of Dana White.

LA Times Says Fedor/UFC Deal Is Done, To Be Announced Friday

Jeremy Botter — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:21:09 -0400

The Los Angeles Times reported minutes ago that a deal between Fedor Emelianenko and the UFC is in the process of being finalized and will be announced Friday during Dana White's media conference call.

I have talked to someone who would have knowledge of the negotiations between Zuffa and Emelianenko, and while he wasn't ready to say that the negotiations have been finalized, he did say that they "are going well." That coincides with the Times report that says negotiations between Emelianenko's management and the Zuffa brass were very cordial.

Dana White will be holding a media conference call on Friday at 2pm ET, allegedly to announce the Emelianenko deal, but there may be other news items on the table as well. White is expected to address the closure of Affliction and the new sponsorship deal the former promotional rivals signed with the UFC—and may announce the return of Tito Ortiz to the promotion as well.