Recently, two prominent Lightweight fighters have expressed interest in dropping down to the UFC’s newly-established Featherweight division in order to test themselves against a new crop of challengers and hopefully breathe new life into their careers. One is former UFC Lightweight Championship contender Kenny Florian, the other is the tough Tyson Griffin. Here’s an interesting question that I think should be asked: if both of these talented fighters want to drop down in weight, why not do it against each other? ...

For the first time in his career, Tyson Griffin’s future is uncertain. The twelve-fight UFC veteran never fully matured into the title contender many thought he would one day become when he first entered the UFC, but for the most part, Griffin is an exciting fighter that boasted a pretty high win/loss ratio. Now he’s lost his last three fights, and was KO’d for the first time in his career back when he fought Takanori Gomi in August 2010. It’s recently been announced that Griffin may follow in the footsteps of many of his contemporaries and seek a drop down in weight to rejuvenate his career. ...

From lightweight contender Tyson Griffin most recently suffered his third consecutive defeat inside the octagon last Saturday when he faced talented wrestler Nik Lentz. Serving on the preliminary portion on the nights pay-per-view event, which is something that is uncommon for Tyson who has become a fan favorite since his inception into the ufc back in 2006, Griffin's loss to Lentz wasn't without controversy. After three rounds of action, the bout went to the judges score cards and Nik was awarded a baffling split-decision win. ...

In a duel between former champions, light heavyweight's Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Lyoto Machida are now officially set to face each other later this month, serving as the headliners for UFC 123. The 11-bout card has been made official by the promotion today, including two-televised Spike TV bouts serving as the lead in for what is shaping up to be a good night of fights. Along with the highly anticipated light heavyweight match up, a pair of former welterweight champion's are set to face one another for a third time in order to put to rest a rivalry that has lasted for over 7 years, when BJ Penn meets UFC Hall of Famer, Matt Hughes in the co-main event of the evening. ...

Once again, I sympathize with UFC matchmaker Joe Silva.   On paper, Tom Lawlor vs. Patrick Cote at UFC 121 had all the ingredients for fireworks.  Yet, as we see more and more, when you combine a pure puncher with a native wrestler … who is committed to only wrestling, the potential for a sleeper is always close at hand. In baseball it goes ... "good pitching beats good hitting." In MMA should it go ... "good wrestling beats good standup?" ...

An exciting lightweight match up has been added to the seemingly stacked UFC 127 card, which will be taking place in February of next year, in Las Vegas, Nev. The headliner, a rumored bout pitting UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva against former teammate Vitor Belfort is tentatively scheduled for the event, as well as light heavyweight bouts pitting former champions Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin against one another, as well as Ryan Bader versus phenom, Jon "Bones" Jones. Said lightweight match up, which will be Kenny Florian against Evan Dunham, is a fight that no true mixed martial arts fan would want to pass up. ...

While the ufc is the largest and most popular organization on the planet in the realm of mixed martial arts, other promotions are now giving the chance for the true veterans of the sport to either start all over again, or continue their way back to the top. Israel FC, an upstart promotion out of--you guessed it--Israel has began to take on a steady stream of veterans in for their promotional debut in what is turning out to be an all star cast of competitors. ...

It’s been over a year since Sean Sherk last competed in a ufc Octagon. The former one-time UFC Lightweight Champion was last seen losing a Unanimous Decision to the man who is now the undisputed best Lightweight in the world, current UFC Lightweight champion Frank Edgar. It was Sherk’s fourth loss in a career that has spanned ten years and nearly forty professional fights. A string of injuries has kept Sherk away from competition since that loss in May 2009, but his return once again nears. If all goes according to plan, Sherk will face Evan Dunham at the upcoming UFC 119: “Mir vs. Cro Cop” event. “The Muscle Shark” recently did an interview with UFC.com, and here’s what he had to say regarding his opponent. ...

It wasn't all that long ago that Tyson Griffin appeared in the front lines of a short list of contenders for the UFC lightweight title. However following consecutive losses (the first in his career) to standouts Evan Dunham and former Pride Lightweight champion Takanori Gomi (who knocked out the Xtreme Couture product in the first round), respectively, Griffin finds himself fighting for his spot not only in the lightweight division, but in the UFC. ...

While Gomi may have picked up his biggest win in recent memory, he also picked up the biggest pay-day of the "ufc Live on Versus 2" card, held on August 1, last Sunday, in San Diego, Cali. ...

Danny Acosta of Fight! Magazine was able to catch up with the former Pride Lightweight champion post-fight after his huge, knockout victory over perennial contender Tyson Griffin. Still elated from the win, Gomi now evens himself in the UFC to 1-1 after a dissapointing debut against Kenny Florian, but bounced back in a big way on August 1. ...

The UFC returned to the stomping grounds of the Versus network, with their second edition of "UFC Live on Versus 2", which was again anchored by light heavyweight phenom Jon Jones, against crafty veteran Vladimir Matyushenko. Though Jones was the coveted star of the evening with his impressive finish, many others were equally--if not more--impressive, on Sunday evening. ...

There was a time when Takanori Gomi was the most feared lightweight in the world. Consider the stats: From 2004-06, this is a guy that won 10 straight, with eight wins coming by way of stoppage. Then there's the names that fell to him during that span. We're talking about fighters like Hayato Sakurai, Luiz Azeredo (twice), Jens Pulver, and Tatsuya Kawajiri. On the flip side, Tyson Griffin, his soon-to-be-opponent at ufc Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko, was just starting his MMA career back when Gomi's now famous streak started. ...

Fighters.com's ninth-ranked lightweight “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1) will replace Tyson Griffin (14-2) versus “Mongoose” Jim Miller (15-2) at UFC 108 in Las Vegas January 2, according to MMA Weekly. ...

Xtreme Couture lightweight Tyson Griffin (14-2) and “Mongoose” Jim Miller (15-2) have agreed to a matchup at UFC 108 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas January 2, according to an MMA Junkie report. ...

Xtreme Couture's "Phenom" Vitor Belfort (18-8) scored his bulliest victory in four-plus years TKOing Fighters.com's ninth-ranked middleweight "Ace" Rich Franklin (26-5) at 3:02 of round one in a 195-pound catch weight main event at UFC 103 in Dallas Saturday night. "Jesus, I love you," shouted Belfort in the Octagon after the fight, and in his dressing room he added,  "God gave me a gift and I'm using it.  And, I'm ready.  A lot of people thought I was done, you know, and that's what I'm bringing to this game - hope, faith, and hard work. ...

American Kickboxing Academy's "Quick" Mike Swick (14-2) and Xtreme Couture's "Hitman" Martin Kampmann (15-2) will fight at UFC 103 in Dallas 19 September, announced the UFC today, and the winner will be the next challenger to UFC welterweight champion "Rush" Georges St. Pierre (19-2), according to a report by MMA Junkie. Both former middlweight title prospects who dropped weight to compete at 170-pounds, neither Swick nor Kampmann have proven themselves against the UFC's established competition: former champions "Terror" Matt Serra (9-6) and Matt Hughes (41-7) and former title challengers "Pitbull" Thiago Alves (16-4) and Jon Fitch (19-3). Swick trains with Fitch and former welterweight contender Josh Koscheck (12-4) and most recently outclassed "Killa B" Ben Saunders (7-1-2) with a second round TKO at UFC 99 in Cologne last month. But, Swick's most noteworthy "W" is a unanimous decision over nails-tough "Irish Hand Grenade" Marcus Davis (16-5), who never cracked the top ten himself. ...

Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked lightweight “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-3-1), Tyson Griffin (12-2), “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (7-1), and “King” Spencer Fisher (22-4) each took home  $65,000 bonuses after UFC 90 Saturday night in Rosemont, near Chicago, UFC officials announced after the event. Sherk and Griffin won Fight of the Night honours for their three round battle that ended in a unanimous decision victory for former champion Sherk. UFC newcomer Dos Santos’s first-round TKO upset over fourth-ranked heavyweight “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) was the Knockout of the Night. Fisher’s third-round triangle choke of Shannon Gugerty (11-3) earned him the Submission of the Night prize. The event drew a sellout crowd of 15,359 which set a record $2.8 million gate for the Allstate Arena. ...

Fighters.com's Middleweight Champion "Spider" Anderson Silva (23-4) won by TKO at UFC 90 in Chicago Saturday night when "Predator" Patrick Cote's (13-5) knee popped at 39 seconds of round three. Top welterweight contender "Pitbull" Thiago Alves (16-3) easily beat fourth-ranked Josh Koscheck (11-3) by unanimous decision. Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 once. Fourth-ranked heavyweight "Vai Cavalo" Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) was devastated by fellow Brazilian, but virtual unknown "Cigano" Junior dos Santos (7-1) via first-round TKO at 1:21. Fifth-ranked lightweight "Muscle Shark" Sean Sherk (33-3-1) won a unanimous decision over Tyson Griffin (12-2) by judges' scores of 29-28 twice and 30-27 once. Thales Leites (14-1), "Bully" Gray Maynard (6-0), "King" Spencer Fisher (22-4), Dan Miller (10-1), "Drago" Pete Sell (8-4), and Hermes Franca (19-7) were all winners inside the Octagon. ...

Fighters.com's Lightweight Champion "Prodigy" B.J. Penn's (13-4-1) three-fight run at lightweight will end in Las Vegas 31 January when Penn returns to welterweight to fight Fighters.com’s Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (17-2) for the UFC welterweight title. Why? (Well, besides the obvious jack the UFC stands to profit on the main event.) But, UFC President Dana White himself has claimed Penn's best weight class is 155 pounds; and, Penn made much ballyhoo about getting serious and slimming down to 155 pounds, his natural fighting weight. Penn has never fought above 155 with a physique that could be described as anything but "pudgy". Penn is also 0-2 in his last two 170-pound fights in the Octagon, which must make UFC welterweight contenders wonder if they can get some Vaseline. In Saitama, north of Tokyo, 24 August, top lightweight contender "Fireball Kid" Takanori Gomi (29-3) won a unanimous decision versus tough, but relatively unknown Korean champ Seung Hwan Bang (5-2). ...

Fighters.com's fifth-ranked lightweight "Muscle Shark" Sean Sherk (32-3-1) will return in Chicago 25 October to fight Tyson Griffin (12-1). Sherk was TKO'd by Fighters.com's Lightweight Champion "Prodigy" B.J. Penn (13-4-1) at the end of three rounds in Las Vegas 24 May in Sherk's challenge for the title he was stripped of after testing positive for banned substances. Sherk denies using banned substances. Griffin has peeled off four consecutive decision victories, most recently versus "Maximus" Marcus Aurelio (16-6) in Las Vegas 5 July in which Griffin demoed his consistently improving striking. Griffin told Sherdog, "I’d like to stand out of his range and pick him apart like B.J. [Penn]" ...

From TUF to top! New UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin (16-4) demoralized and upset former Champ "Rampage" Quinton Jackson (29-6) by unanimous decision Saturday night in Las Vegas. "This is the greatest night of my life," Griffin said after toppling the odds. Though Jackson won the first round by staggering Griffin with a left, then dropping the challenger with a right uppercut, Griffin laid the groundwork for his decision victory by whittling away at Jackson's lead leg with low kicks. “He jacked my leg up,” Jackson admitted. In the second round, Griffin buckled the champ with a leg kick and passed to mount on the mat, grinding elbows into Rampage's head, but doing little damage. Rampage limped into round three searching for a knockout, but managed only a combination that Griffin weathered, though he admitted, "Every punch that motherfucker threw hurt.” Jackson scored a fourth-round takedown; but, Griffin wrapped a leg triangle, then transitioned to an omoplata when Jackson freed himself from the triangle. Jackson stood out of the submission and cracked Griffin with a right hand, opening a cut on the challenger's right eyelid, then followed with a left as the bell ended the round. It was back-and-forth and both fighters felt they needed the final round to win; but, Jackson seemed disappointed by the situation, while Griffin was inspired. Griffin got back to game plan in the fifth round, stinging Rampage's lead leg, as Jackson threw desperate haymakers without landing. The judges scored the fight 48-46 twice and 49-46 once for Griffin. Fighters.com scored it 48-46 for Griffin, our new champion. “He whupped my ass,” Jackson admitted after the battle; but, Griffin said, "It was close and I think we’re gonna have to do it again.” ...

"For all you Rampage haters, you might as well get used to me," Fighters.com's Light Heavyweight Champion "Rampage" Quinton Jackson (28-6) announced to the crowd at the UFC 86 weigh-ins in Las Vegas Friday.  "I'ma be here for a long time," he added, then flashed the peace sign. Rampage weighed in at 205-pounds, as did eighth-ranked title challenger Forrest Griffin (15-4). Xtreme Couture's Griffin said, "It's nice to fight in your hometown.  Thank you, guys." Griffin smirked in the gaze of an intense Rampage stare down. All fighters on Saturday night's card made weight. Only lightweight Gleison Tibau (15-5) missed the mark, but by the allowed one pound at 156-pounds.  Tibau will fight "Daddy" Joe Stevenson (33-8). 6'4" lightweight Corey Hill (2-0) looked absolutely emaciated at 155-pounds. ...

Fighters.com's second-ranked heavyweight,current UFC co-Heavyweight Champion, and UFC Hall of Famer "The Natural" Randy Couture(16-8) spoke exclusively with Fighters.com from his Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas Monday afternoon. Couture graciously confronted and answered questions about his beef with the Zuffa, LLC and UFC President Dana White and third-ranked "Maine-iac" Tim Sylvia's (24-4) and his own prospective fight with sixth-ranked "Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko (27-1), shared opinions about fifth-ranked welterweight Matt Hughes (42-7), "Kimbo Slice" Kevin Ferguson (3-0), and Brock Lesnar (1-1), and made picks on future fights. Fighters.com: You've said you've accepted that you might get a bad court ruling and not fight again. Have you lost some competitiveness from being inactive for so long? The Natural: I still want to compete. I'm still in training as much as I can be with all this other stuff going on. I still seem to be able to hold my own, even with the lack of serious, hardcore training, with all the top guys that I have in the gym. I'm having fun being in the gym learning new tools, new skills and being there with a lot of the other guys that have been there for me, so I'm not too worried about that. The courts are going to do what the courts are going to do. We'll deal with it when it comes in. Fighters.com: Not many fighters have wives who also train. Does that give you both a different perspective and more understanding? ...

Xtreme Couture lightweight prospect Tyson Griffin (11-1) confirmed today that he's been matched-up versus American Top Team veteran "Maximus" Marcus Aurelio (16-5) at UFC 86 5 July in Vegas. Griffin showed-off improved striking prowess versus over-sized 155-pounder Gleison Tibau (15-5) in February, earning a close unanimous decision. Since debuting in the UFC with a loss to "The Carpenter" Clay Guida (23-9), "Maximus" has peeled off two straight wins, needing only 16 seconds to submit "Are You Ready?" Ryan Roberts in an armbar at Ultimate Fight Night last week. Griffin hasn't earned a stoppage since his UFC debut in 2006, but fights every round non-stop.  Always dangerous Aurelio packs wins over "The Fireball  Kid" Takanori Gomi (28-3), "No Love" Rich Celementi (30-12-1), and "Ashikan Judan" Masakazu Imanari onto his ledger. Both fighters flirt with UFC title contention and will add their name to that promotion's deep list of top contenders with a win over the other. ...

"That's why [Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira] is the best in the world," former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia proclaimed after suffering a guillotine submission loss to the Brazilian in the interim heavyweight title main event at UFC 81 Saturday night. The fight pitted former world champions from the UFC and PRIDE, but was overshadowed by the MMA debut of former NCAA and pro wrestling champion Brock Lesnar. Significance was also diminished by Randy Couture's departure from the UFC while holding the title after defeating Sylvia in March 2007. 6'8" Sylvia pot-shotted the Sao Paulo native from the opening ding and occasionally popped a power shot in Nogueira's mug, even dropping him with a combo in the first session and again in the second. The Miletich-trained "Maine-iac" fiercely dominated the opening two rounds. Stubborn Nogueira had no quit, even as his face began to swell at the end of Sylvia's tremendous reach. "Minotauro" attempted takedowns; but, Sylvia's balance is exceptional for a big man. The train from Maine derailed in the third when Nogueira's notorious resilience muscled the battle to the mat. "He went for the guillotine, which we knew he was going to do," a distraught Sylvia explained post-fight. Nogueira became the first fighter to hold both UFC and PRIDE heavyweight titles when Tim Sylvia tapped out at 1:28 of the third round. "That's what he does to everybody," Sylvia echoed the sentiments of MMA faithful who've watched a battered Big Nog pull out seemingly impossible victories before. Nogueira's victory sets up a possible first defense versus French kickboxer Cheick Kongo, if Kongo can beat Heath Herring in Columbus next month.  But, both Fabricio Werdum and Andrei Arlovski have claims to the top contender-ship too. Sylvia may be headed for a history-loaded rematch with the man who broke his arm: Frank Mir. Another former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Mir, defended MMA's honor against powerhouse rookie Brock Lesnar by submitting him in a kneebar at 1:30 of the first round. Mir got dumped on his ass early by the massive Minnesotan who hovered and hammered fists and elbows. "He was so strong!"  Mir explained in the locker room. Tactic and technique determined the outcome though.  "It wasn't a textbook, perfect finish, but I ended up doing it 80% right." 80% is all it takes versus an inexperienced opponent.  As Lesnar stood to yank his arm from an armbar attempt, Mir secured a leg and rolled into a kneebar. "Frank [Mir] and I have some unfinished business," Tim Sylvia had taunted at a pre-fight press conference. The high profile "W" for Mir makes that rematch marketable. At 185-pounds, Nathan Marquardt entered the Octagon off a loss to division champ Anderson Silva to fight 79-17-5 Jeremy Horn, a late replacement opponent. The veteran Horn absorbed punishment on the mat before nearly catching Marquardt in a gogoplata in the first round. It was Marquardt, however, who applied a guillotine choke during a scramble and tapped Horn at 1:37 of the second round. After a four-year hiatus from MMA, Ricardo Almeida invoked nostalgia over his earlier successes by submitting another late replacement, undefeated Alaskan Rob Yundt, in a guillotine choke at 1:08 of round one. Almeida is a welcome addition to the scant 185-pound division. Lightweights Tyson Griffin and Gleison Tibau tussled for three exciting rounds to open the televised card. The shorter fighter, Griffin, popped Tibau with precise punches while Tibau seemed to take down the wrestler at will. In the end, the judges saw it unanimously for Tyson Griffin, though Gleison Tibau lost no one's respect. "Lights Out" Chris Lytle treated 13-5 Kyle Bradley's head like a speed bag in a 33-second TKO victory. Light heavyweight Tim Boetsch reminded MMA fans of "Tank" Abbott in tossing Oklahoman David Heath to the mat and pummelling a TKO out of him at 4:52 of round one. Terry Martin suffered another disappointing defeat, this time in a unanimous decision to "The Beastman" Marvin Eastman. The event opened with a spirited lightweight scrap won in split decision by Robert Emerson over Japan's Keita Nakamura. ...