MMA Roundup: Akiyama, Koscheck, Cantwell, Best UFC Fights of All-Time

Nothing new to report on what RRC brought you last Monday night on ProElite/EliteXC shutting down operations. Most of what is out there you've probably read, but this was a good take from ICON Sport founder and ProElite consultant T. Jay Thompson who sold ICON to ProElite in August 2007. I'm sure we'll hear more on this situation and know a lot more by the end of the week as their officials and fighters sift through the wreckage.

Here are some other quick-hit newsbits:

-Five Ounces of Pain speculated that the UFC might be interested in Korean fighter Yoshihiro Akiyama (seen in this picture wearing red shorts) who is reported to be a free agent after some time with FEG, the group that owns K-1 and DREAM. FEG's rival World Victory Road Sengoku might also be a destination for the 33-year-old Akiyama, who fights as a light heavyweight and has amassed a record of 11-1-2.

-During last week's conference call to promote UFC 90, Josh Koscheck said that he plans on keeping his 12/10 date with Yoshiyuki Yoshida at the Fight For The Troops event. If you're keeping track, that will be six weeks after his tilt with Thiago Alves this Saturday. As I stated here last week in dropping the news, that is a big 'if'. Perhaps this wasn't the best thing for Koscheck to say when you have Alves coming at you with motivation to ensure you don't make it to that next fight and thus, hurt your chances for a title bout.

-Donald Trump with Affliction/M-1 Global announced Thursday that plans are moving ahead for a reality tv show called 'Fighting Fedor.' The group will cast fighters from all around the world with the concept being survival in order to get a shot at Fedor Emelianenko at an Affliction event. The show will be filmed out of the Red Devil gym in St. Petersburg, Russia, and could begin filming in April. No TV outlets here or abroad has been announced yet.

At that press conference, Affliction VP Tom Atencio was not prepared to confirm the rumored Fedor/Andrei Arlovski bout discussed here last week. He did confirm that Arlovski is being considered, along with Josh Barnett. Atencio didn't confirm any dates or locations.

-Former WEC Light Heavy Champion Steve Cantwell will get to compete at UFC's 12/10 Fight For The Troops event after all. Brian Stann had to withdraw with a foot injury, leaving the 6-1 Cantwell without an opponent...until UFC found 5-0 Razak Al-Hussan, who will make his UFC debut at the show. Hussan has worked small shows, last beating Andrew Force by 1st-round guillotine choke on September 20th at Extreme Challenge 107. He has three total submissions on his resume, a TKO win and a unan decision victory since beginning competition in February of 2007. And yes, you're not the only wondering if it's the best decision to have a guy named Razak Al-Hussan compete on an Army base at a Fight For The Troops event.

-Grant Gordon of the Hall of Fame Network/Glendale News-Press recently did a nice writeup on his opinion of the Ten Greatest Fights in UFC History. You can find that article here and I'd highly recommend reading it, if for nothing else than a history lesson on what's brought us to this point in MMA history.

Josh Nason has written and maintained Ropes, Ring and Cage since 2007. He can be reached at [e-mail].