The comments seem to have foreshadowed Filho’s bailing out of a matchup versus Yuki Sasaki (22-15-1) which Bitetti Combat attributed to personal problems.

But, Filho has publicly denied Bitetti Combat’s explanation.  He told Tatme, We didn’t have a financial agreement. The purse was too low comparing from what I’m used to receive and it’s bad for the fighter’s career.”  He added, “They said I’m having problems with drugs and medicines. You can test me and you’ll see I’m great.”

But, Soares seems to have contradicted his fighter to MMA Junkie.  He added, “Ever since that situation with Chael Sonnen, he’s been fighting through [issues].”

But, Friday Filho told Tatame that it was money that convinced him to miss the fight.

Filho said, “We didn’t have a financial agreement. The purse was too low comparing from what I’m used to receive and it’s bad for the fighter’s career.”  He added, “They said I’m having problems with drugs and medicines. You can test me and you’ll see I’m great.”

Filho told Tatame that he probably won’t fight in Brazil or for Bitetti anymore.  “I’m not worried with fighting in Brazil anymore. I like the event, Amaury is my friend, but this event doesn’t pay what I deserve.”

Filho submitted Tatsuhiko Nishizaka (3-5-1) at Bitetti Combat 5 in São Paulo December 12.

Sakuraba finished “Benkei” Zelg Galesic (8-4) in a kneebar at DREAM.12 in Osaka last October.

Distak said, “Sakuraba is a legend. If they confirm it, this fight will put Paulao at the tops again.”

In his second consecutive fight for Bitetty Combat, Filho submitted Tatsuhiko Nishizaka (3-5-1) in 3:00 of round one in the main event.

Filho is the former WEC middleweight champion and has challenged Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi (23-2-1).  But, Filho recently bailed on a scheduled fight at DREAM 12 in Osaka October 25 and Strikeforce has shown no public interest in signing Filho and making the fight.

Rua TKO’d Golden Glory’s Jason Jones (3-9-1) at 3:20 of round two in a light heavyweight fight.  Rua hinted that he might continue to fight at 205-pounds.

Monson lost a unanimous decision to “Rock” Pedro Rizzo (17-9) at Bitetti Combat 4 in Rio de Janeiro September 12.  The same night, Teixeira  submitted “Chocolate” Leonardo Lucio Nascimento (7-7) in a guillotine choke in the first round.

Rizzo will matchup versus “Python” Valentijn Overeem (26-21) in the main event in São Paulo.

Overeem comes in to the fight off a first round loss to Rafal Dabrowski (3-1) at Beast of the East in Gdynia, Poland November 14.

“Ninja” Murilo Rua (17-10-1) also returns to Bitetti Combat versus Jason Jones (3-8-1).

Arona beat “Beastman” Marvin Eastman (16-10-1), who nearly missed the fight due to Brazilian visa miscommunications. The win was Arona’s first MMA fight since getting KO’d in round one versus “African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (6-4) at PRIDE 34 in Tokyo in April 2007. Arona had turned to professional surfing during his hiatus from fighting, but is now devoted to MMA.

Filho, himself on course for a sort of comeback after a disappointing conclusion to his WEC stint last year, beat Alex Schoenauer (13-10) controversially. Filho’s hometown crowd booed the judges’ decision.

Fellow Brazlian “Rock” Pedro Rizzo (17-9) also scored a three-round UD over “Snowman” Jeff Monson (31-9) in a rematch Rizzo had won by TKO at Art of War 3 in Dallas in September 2007.

“Ninja” Murilo Rua (17-10-1) TKO’d Alex Stiebling (18-11-1) in the first round with a head kick followed up with a barrage of punches.

The Pit’s Glover Teixeira (8-2) submitted “Chocolate” Leonardo Lucio Nascimento (7-7) in a guillotine choke in the first round.

Fabio Maldonado (5-1) won a three-round UD over Vitor Miranda (1-2).

Milton Vieira (9-6-1) won a three-round split decision over Luciano Azevedo (13-7).

“Besouro” Luis Dutra, Jr. (1-0) TKO’d “Chocolate” Henrique Nogueira (5-5-1) with punches in round one.

Cassiano Tytschyo (6-3) submitted Fausto Black (1-2) in a guillotine choke in round one.

“Pulga” Alexandre Pimental (2-0) won a UD over “Yzzy” Luciano Corea (1-2).

“It annoyed me, actually,” confided Mousasi. “Because I met Paulo Filho in PRIDE. He was a really nice guy.” Mousasi later added, “I don’t like to trash talk, but he says a lot of stupid things and I don’t like it. If he wants competition and trash talking, I can do it also.”

Filho told Tatame 20 August, “I want to fight Mousasi and show that against me is a whole different thing. He doesn’t have my strength, he doesn’t have my level on the ground. He can be a better striker, but he doesn’t have my strength and he’ll go down once and be submitted. He’s well trained, but I don’t think he’s healthy enough to beat me. If he wins, I don’t even want my salary. But, I guarantee he’ll be beaten more than he was against [Akihiro Gono (30-14-7)].”

Mousasi tapped to Gono in an armbar at PRIDE: Bushido 12 in Nagoya in August 2006.

Mousasi pointed out to Fighters.com, “What happened when [Filho] came to America, he wasn’t…he got beat up really bad. Now he’s back in Japan and he feels like a kid in a candy story, I think. He can use all kinds of steroids. And I think the steroids have gone to his head.”

Fighters.com queried Mousasi’s accusation further and the young fighter made his case explicitly, explaining, “[Filho] didn’t perform the same as he does in Japan as he does, how you say, in America. And now he suddenly has a big mouth again. I would say that he’s a little donkey that, he’s on steroids, he thinks he’s a running horse. But, he’s more like a little poney.” Mousasi later added, “I really believe that he used steroids. He also backed out a couple of times when he had to fight Chael Sonnen. He said he was crazy. Maybe he is crazy. I don’t know. I think he wasn’t feeling very good mentally because he cannot use his magic stuff.”

Mousasi also said, “You saw what happened when other fighters came from Japan, when they fought in the US, and how they performed.”

Fighters.com pointed out that Mousasi too fights in Japan, but Mousasi insisted, “I also fight in Japan and I don’t use anything.”

About fighting Filho, Mousasi said, “If there’s an athletic commission test, he can fight me everywhere, everywhere he wants.”

Though Filho’s Brazilian manger, Joinho, originally responded to Mousasi’s accusations threatening, “I think it might be a lawsuit,” Fighters.com provided Joinho with a preview video of the interview upon request. No further response has been made to Fighters.com.

Mousasi will next compete in DREAM’s Super Hulk tournament in Japan this autumn.

Filho will fight Alex Schoenauer (13-9) at Bitetti Combat in Rio de Janeiro 12 September.

“Minotoro” is the twin brother of Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked heavyweight and former PRIDE and UFC heavyweight champion “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1).

Li’l Nog’ was scheduled to fight “Brazilian Killa” Alex Stiebling (19-10-1), but bailed on the fight with an ankle injury and amid speculation he’d sign with the UFC.

He has been replaced at Bitetti Combat by “Ninja” Murilo Rua (16-10-1) and since been confirmed as a UFC fighter by UFC President Dana White.

Nogueira’s management told Fighters.com Sunday they don’t yet have an opponent, but hope “Minotoro” will fight as soon as possible.

Fighters.com speculates he’ll debut in the Octagon at the recently announced third November event on the 21st headlined by a title fight between UFC lightweight champ “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (14-5-1) and “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-2).

Rua will fight Nogueira’s intended opponent, “Brazilian Killa” Alex Stiebling (19-10-1), in what becomes a more evenly matched fight. Rua lost a two-round UD to Riki Fukuda (12-4) at DREAM 8 in Nagoya 5 April.

Stiebling lost by second round TKO to “Chteki” Moise Rimbon (12-8-2) at Bodog Fight 3 in Costa Rica in February 2007.

Rogerio’s twin brother, fifth-ranked heavyweight and former PRIDE and UFC heavyweight champion “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1), had announced on a Tuesday media conference call that “Li’l Nog’” was negotiating with the UFC and would be dropping off the Bitetti card, later confirmed to MMA Weekly by the Nogueira brothers’ manager Ed Soares.

However, Fighters.com reported how “Minotoro” had made a personal commitment to promoter Amaury Bitetti (5-2) the very day of his brother’s announcement, hedging in case a deal couldn’t be worked with the UFC. The organizers of Bitetti Combat become wary of the likelihood Rogerio would eventually break his promise and contacted Rua to replace him.

Though Fighters.com’s sources couldn’t confirm the status of negotiations between Rogerio and the UFC, his official absence from Bitetti hints that negotiations have concluded successfully and the Nogueira brothers will reunite in the UFC. Fighters.com expects an official announcement from the UFC toot sweet.

Bitetti Combat will be broadcast 12 September on RedeTV! in Brazil and Fighters.com’s sources indicate a deal broadcasting the card to North America on HDNet is nigh.

Rogerio’s big bro’, Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked heavyweight “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1), announced on a media conference call Tuesday afternoon that Rogerio was close to a deal with the UFC.

MMA Junkie subsequently reported that Rogerio was scratched from his fight at Bitetti Combat. MMA Weekly later confirmed Rogerio has been scratched with Ed Soares, Rogerio’s American manager.

However, Fighters.com’s source said after the media conference call, “Rogerio confirmed to Amaury [Bitetti, promoter of Bitetti Combat] today his commitment to fight in the show.”

Bitetti knows about Rogerio’s negotiations with the UFC. Fighters.com’s source confided that organizers of the 12 September event in Rio are now nervous Rogerio could eventually renege on his commitment, but that as of this moment Rogerio is scheduled to fight Stiebling.

The truth is that both Ed Soares and Fighters.com’s source are legit. Soares is negotiating with the UFC in the US and saying what has to be said to secure a deal. But, Soares isn’t Rogerio’s only manager. Rogerio’s manager in Brazil is named Joinho. In Brazil, Rogerio is leaving open the option of fighting for Bitetti Combat in case a deal with the UFC isn’t reached. There’s a game being played.

The MMA Junkie headline included the phrase: “Sept. 12 Bitetti Combat fight canceled”, which Bitetti Combat organizers worry might confuse fans that the entire event is cancelled. Whether Li’l Nog’ fights 12 September or not, Fighters.com’s sources asked me to emphasize that the event is certainly on either way.

Fighters.com will update you as the story unfolds.