Tuesday Newsday: Brock Lesnar Announcing Return, GSP-Hardy Goes Primetime

One way or another, I have a feeling MMA fans will know where they were on Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 11 a.m. EST—the time when Brock Lesnar is expected to announce his immediate future on ESPN's Sportscenter.

Since news broke in the fall that something was wrong with the reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion, everyone that cares about the business has been on high alert as to what Lesnar's future could be.

We've heard from UFC Prez Dana White on what the outcomes could be: surgery and two years out, a clean bill of health and a 2010 return, or (gulp) retirement.

Honestly, there's not much more to say, but we'll find out Wednesday at 11 a.m.

My guess? We'll see him back in action by May. His clothing gear company kinda jumped the gun by posting a suggestive message to that effect on their site, so the UFC's 2010 New Year's wish may have just been granted.

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For Georges St. Pierre vs. BJ Penn II, the UFC tried out a three-part series called PrimeTime—based on the mega-successful and mega-awesome HBO boxing series 24/7. It was good but fell far short of the awesomeness HBO created.

Well, UFC is going to try again as part of the build-up for March's UFC 111 in New Jersey—highlighting the Welterweight title match between GSP and Dan Hardy. It debuts on Wednesday, March 10 on Spike and will again be three parts leading up to the Saturday, March 27 event.

A request? Can Frank Mir make a cameo...please? Anything Mir will sell, and he's got a interim Heavyweight Championship match against Shane Carwin on that card.

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Spike will once again air prelims prior to Feb. 6's UFC 109: Coleman vs. Couture event. Mac Danzig vs. Justin Buchholz and Melvin Guillard vs. Ronnys Torres are expected. I'm a bit surprised as there is a Gracie - Rolles who is also appearing on the undercard in a heavyweight bout. I would think they'd push for that as some mainstream fans might find it a familiar name to check out.

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New York Governor David Paterson is proposing that MMA finally be legalized in the Empire State as part of his proposed 2010-2011 budget. The state is $9 billion in the red, and having the UFC as a major presence in the state—along with other regional type promotions—could go a long way toward helping that.

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The UFC continues to load up the March 21 debut on Versus by adding Cheick Kongo vs. Paul Buentello to the event. You'll remember Kongo getting run over by Mir at December's UFC 107, while Buentello dropped a decision to Stefan Struve at the same event. To me, this is a loser-leaves-UFC match, as Kongo has lost two in a row and Buentello is just kinda there. (Thanks to Five Ounces of Pain )

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After being battered at the hands of BJ Penn in December, Diego Sanchez may have had a change of heart and posted on his Twitter page that he's moving back up to 170 pounds—just three fights after moving down.

Sanchez (who defeated Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida in two Fights of the Night before losing to Penn) has already called out Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch and would like to "welcome" Nate Diaz if he decides to go up to 170 as well.

I have a feeling Penn won't be too far behind.

Josh Nason has published MMA, wrestling and boxing blog Ropes, Ring and Cage.com since 2007. He is a contributor to Fight Magazine and Bleacher Report and appears regularly on Fight Network Radio and Mauro Ranallo's Fight Show. Follow him on Twitter.