What a difference a few hours can make. In the early hours of yesterday morning I posted a report that Vitor Belfort had been injured and was forced to pull out of his upcoming championship contender elimination fight with veteran Yushin Okami. It was later revealed that Belfort was in fact perfectly healthy and had simply been promoted to top contender status and would immediately be given the next shot at Anderson Silva now that Chael Sonnen has tested positive for steroids and will likely be facing a lengthy suspension. In a new interview, “The Phenom” let us all know how he’s approaching this long-awaited dream match with Anderson Silva. ...

He’s one of the most popular Mixed Martial Artists of all time…and for good reason. Known as “The Axe Murderer” and “Wand”, Wanderlei Silva is the type of fighter that you just can’t help but love. He puts his entire heart and soul into each and every single one of his fights, and he loves and respects his fans to a degree that is virtually unequal in all of professional sports. In a newly-released video taken before the Chael Sonnen steroid scandal erupted, the PRIDE FC legend laid a verbal smackdown on the brash, mile-a-minute trash-talking Sonnen. Here’s what he had to say. ...

Chael Sonnen, the once gold boy for what was a stale middleweight division, has come under heavy fire recently. After what was a commanding and inspiring performance against Anderson Silva, the UFC middleweight champion, at UFC 117 last August, it appears that Sonnen didn't compete without the help of performance enhancing substances. ...

Another twist--turns out middleweight contender Vitor Belfort is not injured. In fact, he was pulled from his headlining duties against Yushin Okami and will now be taking on the champ, Anderson Silva in early 2011. The Okami-Belfort bout was to serve as ufc 122's headliner, the organizations second foray into Germany which is taking place on November 13 via-tape delay on Spike TV, however since Belfort had been pulled the bout, most speculated that the Brazilian was injured when former title challenger Nate Marquardt stepped up to the plate to face the Japanese star. ...

The MMA world received quite a shock when it was announced recently that former UFC Middleweight contender Chael Sonnen, the man that had come closer to beating long-reigning UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva than any of Silva’s other opponents, had tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. The story immediately caught fire, and things got even more dramatic when a California State Athletic Commission representative confirmed that Sonnen had tested positive for “a steroid substance”. Much has been made of the mile-a-minute trash-talking Sonnen’s total blackout of the media on this subject, but new details have been revealed courtesy of Sonnen’s manager. And one of the most interesting and famous names in sports journalism, Jim Rome, recently gave his opinion on the matter. ...

It has all the makings for one of the biggest stories of the year, despite the fact that the year is winding down. I reported earlier that Chael Sonnen recently tested positive for Performance Enhancing Drugs following his ufc 117 bout with Anderson Silva, a fight which saw Sonnen dominate for twenty-three straight minutes before being trapped in a Hail Mary Triangle Choke, resulting in one of the most dramatic comebacks in recent UFC history. Now the Los Angeles Times has come out and revealed that Sonnen has in fact tested positive for steroids, and faces a one-year suspension from Mixed Martial Arts as well as a $2,500 fine for his indiscretions. ...

It’s been one of the most bitter rivalries of the last several years, with fans and insiders alike drawing a line in the sand and supporting their chosen fighter to near-insane levels. Both men are either adored or reviled depending on who you ask, their first fight was just as controversial as their rivalry and an immediate rematch is currently scheduled. It’s Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva, and it’s going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better. Today’s shocking news comes courtesy of Sherdog.com: Chael Sonnen has tested positive for Performance Enhancing Drugs in a post-fight drug test. ...

It’s a highly-anticipated dream match that MMA fans and insiders have been looking forward to for over a year…but two big obstacles may prevent it from happening. Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort should be an epic money-making fight when/if it ever finally happens, but in order to make the dream match a reality, Silva will have to get through Chael Sonnen once again while Belfort will have to beat the super-tough Yushin Okami. In an interview with RedeTV, “The Phenom” recently spoke on his future, the possible fight with Silva, and more. ...

Thoughts, reflections, speculation, deductions, and criticism from the UFC fights last night in Austin, Texas. 1. Yes, Rousimar Palhares should know better.  Don’t stop fighting mid-round without referee assistance.  However, I still feel odd about Marquardt’s victory.  He did exactly what he should do and capitalize on his opponent’s mistake, but it just doesn’t feel right that Palhares felt genuinely “wronged,” albeit incorrectly, and consciously stopped fighting.  Marquardt was cleared of greasing and I am not saying he did anything wrong, but, in no way was Marquardt dominating and the fight was up for grabs.  Horrible mistake for Palhares and I don’t feel Marqaurdt is clearly the better fighter since this ended in such a clumsy, odd, bizarre, uncomfortable way.  Hopefully, Palhares gets back to winning ways and we see this fight again some day. ...

Did anyone honestly think it would stop at UFC 117? I definitely didn’t. Former #1 contender to the Middleweight Championship Chael Sonnen is at it again, as he made the media rounds recently and gave fight fans and journalists a new batch of clever quips and highly-entertaining trash-talk to ponder over. Sonnen recently revealed what must be the most bizarre piece of trash-talk ever seen, as he recently read a poem that he had written about Anderson Silva. And in other news, Sonnen also called out Georges St. Pierre and even Mauricio Rua. Here’s the latest on the man we all love to hate. ...

Nate Marquadt returns to the Octagon Wednesday night against Rousimar Palhares in Austin, Texas needing a win to stay in the 185lb title picture.  On the UFC Fight Night media conference call last week, Marquardt spoke in detail about his concerns fighting Palhares, chances for a title shot and much more, including a retort to Dan Hardy for his comments about wrestlers.  Here are Marquardt's highlights from the call. ...

As the fantastic year MMA had in 2010 draws closer and closer to a close, I’m left wondering what 2011 could bring us that could possibly hold a candle to some of the crazy events of this year. This year gave us amazing shows, unpredictable outcomes, the continued growth of the sport, new champions, new challengers, and so much more. It’s going to take a lot to outdo 2010. In that regard, here are five fantasy match-ups that I think could realistically happen in 2011 and would go a long way towards outdoing 2010 in terms of excitement, anticipation, and fight quality. ...

Two days ago I reported on ufc fighter Dan Hardy’s recent column where he attacked UFC fighters who use their wrestling backgrounds to gain a dominant position on the ground and then proceed to do nothing in order to grind out a judge’s decision. Apparently his words didn’t sit well with Nate Marquardt, who headlines the upcoming UFC Fight Night 22 event against submission specialist Rousimar Palhares. “Nate the Great” spoke at length to MMAWeekly.com regarding the situation. ...

It’s become the subject of some pretty intense debate lately: when does a fighter deserve an immediate rematch? This debate has been given new life due to a string of immediate rematches: Mauricio Rua vs. Lyoto Machida 2, BJ Penn vs. Frankie Edgar 2, and the seemingly-inevitable Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 2 are the most obvious examples. Some fans have even wondered if some UFC fighters had “automatic rematch” clauses in their contracts. UFC President Dana White recently revealed that there are no automatic rematches in the UFC, and that every rematch is decided on a case-by-case basis. ...

Say what you want about Chael Sonnen, but I don’t think you’ll ever be able to take his fighting spirit away from him. Literally minutes from being crowned the UFC Middleweight Champion, Sonnen choked (quite literally) after dominating long-reigning champion Anderson Silva for twenty-three straight minutes in the main event of the recent UFC 117 show, leaving himself open to a Hail Mary Triangle Choke by Silva that forced the tap out. Fans and the media alike have hotly debated whether or not Sonnen’s performance demands an immediate rematch with Silva, and now that that seems to be the case, Sonnen recently shed some light on the situation and where he’s at mentally in an interview on MMA Live. ...

No matter what your favorite promotion is, it’s fun to play “armchair booker” once in a while and try to envision a fantasy card that brings all of your favorite fighters from competing promotions under one roof to truly determine who the best in the world is. The UFC did just that, for the most part, when they bought out the legendary PRIDE FC promotion in 2007. But with the arrival and rise of the Strikeforce promotion, fans are once again creating fantasy match-ups. To differentiate myself, today’s list will feature five matches between Strikeforce and the UFC that specifically does not include any of the obvious choices, like Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brock Lesnar or Cung Le vs. Anderson Silva. While they're fun debates to have, they've been discussed for quite a while now. With this list, I’m going for a little something different. Some picks may surprise you, but here are my top five (obvious examples excluded) Strikeforce vs. UFC fights. ...

Former Middleweight title challenger Demian Maia is looking for some clarity. Maia was last seen in action over the weekend when he out-pointed fellow Brazilian, Mario Miranda en route to a unanimous decision win, at UFC 118. Maia, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu phenom who was coming off of a bizarre loss to Anderson Silva in Abu Dhabi last April, nearly submitted the fellow BJJ Black Belt on several occasions, often times favoring an elusive arm bar that Maia found open on several occasions, but was never able to secure the maneuver. ...

"The Axe Murderer", Wanderlei Silva will make his anticipated return to the cage towards the beginning of next year. The former Pride champion revealed his plans during a Q & A session during the Fan Expo in Boston, for UFC's first trip into the new market. ...

A bout originally scheduled for UFC 118 this Saturday, has been pushed off till November, for the UFC's second trip to Germany, and it's first since it's inception last year for UFC 99, which was headlined by former champions Wanderlei Silva and Rich Franklin. Said bout, a middleweight affair against Jorge Rivera against fellow banger Alessio Sakara has stayed alive. The bout will mark a true push for each competitor, as one another will look for contenders' status in a crowded 185-pound division, dominated by Anderson Silva--though Chael Sonnen might argue the point. ...

No, it won't be Vitor Belfort. Apparently, Chael Sonnen's riveting performance at UFC 117 on August 7. was enough to warrant an immediate rematch. ...

Former UFC light heavyweight champion and current middleweight contender Vitor Belfort will be returning to action in November, but against who--who knows. The news, which was highlighted previously on Fighters.com , where according to Vitor himself on Twitter, “this year I am not going to fight for the title because the champion (UFC Middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva) is hurt but November we will be in action for sure that is what I can say.” ...

It may not be for the championship, but fans of “The Phenom” can rest assured that Vitor Belfort will step back into the famed Octagon before 2010 is over and done with. The news came straight from Belfort himself, as he “tweeted” the following recently: “this year I am not going to fight for the title because the champion is hurt but November we will be in action for sure that is what I can say.” Belfort has been out of action since a “phenomenal” return to the Octagon when he TKO’d former UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin in a catchweight bout at UFC 103 in September 2009. That performance was supposedly enough to warrant a title shot at divisional kingpin Anderson Silva, but the fight has so far been postponed on three separate occasions due to various injuries. And while it looks like the Silva/Belfort super-fight is still a matter of “so close and yet so far away”, Belfort’s return to the Octagon should silence all the nay-sayers and prove once and for all that “The Phenom” is once again a force to be reckoned with. ...

Now that UFC 117 is now in the books, after one of the promotion's best night of fights in recent memory, where middleweight champion Anderson Silva defended his title against top contender Chael Sonnen, Matt Hughes solidified himself in the 170 pound division, and Junior dos Santos became the next challenger after Cain Velasquez, for the UFC heavyweight title. ...

As one of the biggest Anderson Silva fans walking the planet, I still find it hard to put into words how I felt for the majority of Silva’s recent fight with Chael Sonnen. “Speechless” comes close, as does “defeated”. “Disappointed” is a maybe, but you have to consider that the rib injury Silva went into the Sonnen fight with is rumored to keep him out until mid-2011. I think “humbled” is a pretty good one, too. This is why I’m honestly a bit shocked that many people still have Anderson Silva at the top of their Pound for Pound lists. As much as I love “The Spider”, and it’s bordered on hero-worship at times, we all need to admit that Silva is no longer the Pound for Pound king. ...

Chael Sonnen opened up a hornet’s nest of controversy with his seemingly non-stop trash-talking barrage against UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva leading up to their fight at UFC 117, but Sonnen managed to do the one thing many of Silva’s opponents have repeatedly failed at: Sonnen generated interest, and a whole lot of it. According to preliminary reports, UFC 117 did close to a million Pay-Per-Views buys, and I don’t think it’s unwarranted to say that a large majority of those buys fall squarely on the shoulders of Sonnen, who seemed to generate a sound bite every time he opened his mouth. Now his coach and fellow team-mate, longtime MMA veteran Matt Lindland, has revealed that Chael Sonnen’s antics were deeply rooted in his love for professional wrestling. And while some MMA purists continue to scoff and scorn at pro wrestling’s encroachment upon our beloved sport, I actually welcome it with open arms. ...

Many people believe that Chael Sonnen deserves an immediate rematch with UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva following Sonnen’s near-total destruction of “The Spider”, a dramatic underdog victory that was cut short in the dying minutes of the fifth and final round, as Silva locked in a tight triangle choke and forced Sonnen to tap. However, it seems more and more likely that Vitor Belfort will fulfill the role of “next challenger to the throne”, which is what he was supposed to be ever since he nearly decapitated Rich Franklin back at UFC 103. Now back from his injury-induced hiatus, “The Phenom” recently said that UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta promised him that he would be next in line, although a date has not yet been set. Nothing’s impossible in MMA, and Sonnen getting an immediate rematch registers relatively low on the “big surprises in MMA in 2010” scale. But if Sonnen does have to work his way to the top once again, here are some opponents I’d love to see him match fists (and wits) with. ...

Every UFC event answers many questions about fighters and rankings, yet almost always stirs up more questions about where the sport is headed.  Here are a few of my takeaways and thoughts per the fights last Saturday and UFC issues at large. ...

Chael Sonnen ended his epic season of trash talk against Anderson Silva with a gold medal performance at the UFC 117 press conference in Oakland, CA on Thursday.  Sonnen faces Silva for the middleweight title on Saturday night and has not been shy about his dislike for the champion.  Here are the soundbite highlights from Sonnen on Thursday. ...

Matt Serra is a busy guy, he is preparing for Chris Lytle at UFC 119 and managing his new state of the art training facility in Huntington, Long Island.  On Wednesday, he took some time to speak with me about Lytle and his career. That report will come later in August.  However, in this video, he also shared his thoughts on Roy Nelson, Chael Sonnen and the other main card fights coming up in Oakland this Saturday.  Good Stuff.  Click through for the video exclusive to Fighters.com. ...

There’s been a lot of (completely justified) talk over the closer-than-ever showdown between mile-a-minute trash-talker Chael Sonnen and long-reigning kingpin of the UFC Middleweight division, Anderson Silva. Much has been said about Sonnen’s disparaging remarks towards his opponent, and ironically, much has also been said about Silva’s lack of response and near-total media blackout. With both men having a date with destiny that is now only a few days away, I think it’s time to start thinking ahead. Regardless of who wins, the UFC Middleweight Champion will have to face a returning “Phenom”. Whether it’s the first challenge for an unlikely champion or one of the stiffest challenges to the long-held throne, both Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva will have their hands full with the next man in line for a title shot, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort. But which fight in particular has the most appeal? ...