Friday 2:11pm: Fighters.com is live, on location in Newark, NJ for the UFC Q & A session with Chuck Liddell. Stay tuned and refresh regularly to get news nuggets from Liddell and UFC broadcast host, Mike Goldberg. Hundreds of fans are seated and awaiting the UFC stars to emerge and take their questions.

Stay tuned!

2:20: Chuck Liddell = CL – Says life is busy, but he would rather be fighting.

2:22: CL is surprised Jon Jones is favorite.  Thinks it will be great matchup.  ”Bones has good shot at winning and so does Shogun.”

2:24: CL “I am not planning on coming back.”

2:25: CL says “I went to college, probably teach martial arts somewhere, I would still be doing it” (? if he never had career in UFC)

2:27 Mike Goldberg: (On CL KO’s)  ”One of the greatest, probably … Babalu is gone.  Showed greatness of Iceman.” (on Goldbergs favorite Liddell fight) “Also remember Tito fight – where Chuck goes bop bop and he goes down.”

2:29: CL “I think I could beat everybody in my prime.”  ”I am not there any more.”

2:30: CL “I love fighting. Funnest guy to beat up was Tito.  Nice to shut him up once in a while”

2:31: CL “I would like to have two more rounds against Wanderlei Silva”

2:33: CL  ”I like watching Anderson Silva, BJPenn, Matt Hughes … been my friends a long time.”

2:34: CL (can Tito beat anybody?) CL: No answer.

2:35: CL “Near the end maybe some things I could have done different”

2: 36 CL “I do PR stuff. Basically get behind projects.” (What does he do now)

2:37  CL “I have friends that work in Trauma Centers and I talk to patients when I can” (? do you visit hospitals)

2:37 CL  ”He is doing well. Is a lot bigger now. He looks good.” (on Overeem?)

2:38 CL “When I was coming up we did not have Spike TV.  He deosn’t seem like a kid that lets the show get to him. I don’t think it will bother him.” (on Jones PR hype)

2:39  Joe Rogan walks by…

2:40 CL “The Babalu kick was pretty hard” (on who he hit the hardest)

2:42 Goldberg on UFC’s Gustafson – “The kid has all the tools”

2:44 CL (on beating Couture) “It felt great. Great fighter, he beat me the first time we fought.”

2:45 CL “I like just when guys are taking chances and trying to finish”

2:46 Taboo from Black Eye Peas comes out.

2:47 CL “I am a real Green Bay Packer Fan.”  (Does not answer fan who wants to buy him a beer but smiles.)

2:49 CL “It’s the hardest thing to move like that” (? on Dancing with stars)

2:50 Taboo “The UFC is for everybody… no matter what walk of life you come from.”

2:52 CL “I was big enough to fight heavyweight, I don’t think it would be where it is today.  Size makes a difference.”  (? where would UFC be if no weight classes)

2:54 CL ” From UfC 1, I would want to fight Royce Gracie.”

CL “Thanks for coming out. Thanks for having me”

—-

Great event. Fans love Liddell.

Over and out from Newark, NJ

There’s probably only a select number of you that know that I started out as a massive pro wrestling fan. I read the “insider dirt sheets”, I closely followed not just one but several “indy” promotions, I even bought bootlegged DVD’s from Japanese promotions. I had been a pro wrestling fan since I was about five years old, which was the first time I ever saw “The Undertaker” in a pro wrestling match. As a kid, I just couldn’t believe there was someone so powerful, so larger-than-life, and so imposing.

The reason I’m bringing all of this up is because my first real experience with MMA was watching “The Ultimate Fighter” after it followed WWE Raw. Even as a teenager I was always a dedicated insomniac, so another hour of guys fighting after two, sometimes three whole hours spent watching pro wrestling beforehand? I just couldn’t pass it up. Well, sometimes I did. A growing boy needs his sleep, you know. And it’s not like I considered myself an outright MMA fan by that point. Nevertheless, one of my earliest memories as an MMA newbie was of Chuck Liddell.

It would take two more years and a deeply saddening amount of tragedies to convince me to abandon pro wrestling for MMA, but in those two years I experienced a growing interest in MMA thanks to Chuck Liddell. I’d always try to find out who he was fighting next, and I’d go out of my way to track the fight down after it happened. And make no mistake, there’s a clear reason why I followed Chuck Liddell when I had virtually no other interests in MMA and was more than satisfied watching my ever-growing library of pro wrestling DVDs.

That’s because whenever I saw Chuck Liddell fight, I’d be that five-year-old kid again. I’d be sitting at my computer screen in stunned silence, wondering again and again “This isn’t real, right?” And that’s how Chuck Liddell was during his historic reign: he was larger than life, and when you spoke of “The Iceman” during that period, you spoke of him only in hushed whispers.

I picked a hell of a time to abandon pro wrestling and become invested in MMA full-time, though. And for those wondering, the scandal revolving around Chris Benoit was the final nail in my coffin, after that I just couldn’t watch the quasi-sport anymore without getting a sick feeling in my gut. But once again I digress: it was 2007 by that point, and I was looking forward to getting into the UFC since the UFC had just acquired PRIDE and MMA fans were in for some epic dream matches. Unfortunately, as we all know, it was all downhill from there.

But time heals all wounds, and in the end, I think only the cynics will choose to remember Chuck Liddell as the man who lost five out of his last six fights. Me? I’ll remember him as the stone-cold killer that had you cringing even before he stepped into the Octagon, because you knew, you just knew deep down in your gut, that his opponent didn’t stand a chance and was going to get knocked the hell out. Chuck Liddell was instrumental in bringing a lot of fans into MMA, and I’m proud to say that I’m one of them. I wish Chuck Liddell nothing but the best and can’t wait to see how he approaches this newest stage of his career.

Here’s what “Sugar” had to say in an interview with MMA Weekly: “…Ever since Shogun’s been out there’s been talk when he’s coming back… They said he won’t be ready until like the first of the year… Then they go he won’t be ready until March. Then Dana went on MMA Live and said he won’t be ready until May… Then I heard just the other day he’s not even at the doctor’s yet. He probably won’t be better until like after June…. I was just really frustrated because I didn’t understand is he not going to fight? …If I could just get an idea of when he might be coming back, it’s all good… But when it’s all these different dates thrown around it was just kind of confusing, like what the (expletive) is it going to be? …I was just frustrated because I didn’t have any idea of when I should start getting ready for the fight.”

Like I said in my previous article, I can certainly empathize with Rashad Evans. Evans is basically stuck on the sidelines until current champion Mauricio Rua rehabs fully from a knee injury that happened during his brief 3:35 thrashing of Lyoto Machida at the “Machida vs. Shogun 2” event back in May. And there honestly have been a lot of dates tossed around for Shogun’s return.

In the interview with MMA Weekly, Rashad also states that he turned down a fight with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira that would have been a co-main event at the upcoming UFC 123: “Rampage vs. Machida” event. Rashad’s logic was pretty sound: if he’s the #1 contender, why is he fighting lower on the card than two Light Heavyweight fighters that aren’t in his position? It just wouldn’t have made sense, and it certainly would have hurt Rashad’s credibility if he lost to Nogueira.

I’ve said multiple times that I’m generally not a fan of fighters turning down fights, but honestly, what incentive did Evans have for agreeing to fight Nogueira? He would have stayed active, but he also could have lost his chance at the championship if Nogueira beat him. And what if he developed an injury training for the Nogueira fight, or during the fight itself? In a Light Heavyweight division ridiculously stacked with best-in-the-world talent, Evans chose to wait it out, bide his time, and get the shot he deserves. At the end of the day, it’s a smart move.

Ultimately, I’m siding with Rashad Evans on this one even though I think he shouldn’t be so quick to criticize the UFC for not keeping him active when he himself was the one that made the call to stay on the sidelines and wait for Shogun. I think it frustrates Evans that he’s waiting longer than he had planned to, but if he’s not willing to risk his credibility on another fight in the meantime, ultimately he’s got nobody to blame but himself.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your opinion on this situation?

1. Georges St. Pierre (6,985,000 PPV Buys): Georges St. Pierre is simply the perfect mix of everything. He’s incredibly humble. He’s a very good-looking man. He’s an amazing fighter. He’s got an entire country (his native Canada) on his side. In a list mostly filled with brash talkers or knockout artists, GSP stands out as the squeaky-clean do-gooder. Above all else, GSP getting the #1 spot proves that MMA fans aren’t just a bunch of knuckle-dragging Neanderthals that only want to see fighters rip each other’s heads off.

2. Chuck Liddell (6,324,000 PPV Buys): I think that “The Iceman” making the #2 spot proves two things: that rivalries sell fights, and that image is everything. For the longest time, Liddell had the look of a man who had just gotten out of prison with the attitude and serious punching power to back up his mystique. His incredibly bitter rivalry with Tito Ortiz also gave the UFC a huge amount of PPV buys, and stands the test of time as one of the best MMA rivalries in the history of our sport. Chuck Liddell is the embodiment of the old-school MMA mentality: sometimes all you need is the ability to heinously separate an opponent from his consciousness in order to be a huge MMA star.

3. Brock Lesnar (6,045,000 PPV Buys): While Liddell embodies the old-school mentality of the gruff and tough brawler that the fans can’t get enough of, Lesnar is probably the definition of the phrase “controversy creates cash”. You can love him, you can hate him, but you still pay to see him fight. At this point, just the mere mention of Lesnar’s name is enough to stir up a heated debate in just about any online community. Lesnar’s high rank on this list says that MMA fans can be incredibly divided on a fighter while still paying again and again to see that fighter fight. It’s one of the biggest keys to success for both an MMA fighter and an MMA promotion: whether you pay to see him lose or pay to see him win, at the end of the day, everyone pays.

4. Forrest Griffin (5,630,000 PPV Buys): I have to admit, this one shocked me considerably. Seriously: Forrest Griffin has helped sell over five million Pay-Per-View buys? What this says to me is that “The Ultimate Fighter” deserves all the credit it constantly gets for being the bridge the UFC walked over to get to the land of mainstream acceptance. Griffin also proves that you don’t have to be the best fighter to be a big draw, sometimes all it takes is a self-deprecating sense of humor and the uncanny ability to absorb crazy amounts of damage. Forrest Griffin is a fighter that comes to fight, and he doesn’t mind if he gets beaten to a bloody pulp in the process, and that’s why I think MMA fans have embraced him so thoroughly.

And rounding out both the top five and Part 1 of this two-parter is…

5. Matt Hughes (5,399,000 PPV Buys): Matt Hughes is living proof that a country boy can survive. Sorry, I just couldn’t resist. I think Matt Hughes’ spot on this list proves that MMA fans are a loyal bunch, they’ll support a once-dominant champion through thick and thin so long as he keeps turning in quality fights. Hughes has only lost a step or two from when he was tearing through the UFC’s welterweight division, and he remains one of the UFC’s biggest stars. His spot on this list proves that if a high-level fighter has staying power, his drawing power will stay equally as high.

That’s it for today, fans and friends. Tune in tomorrow when I cover the rest of the Top Ten UFC PPV Draws of All-Time and give my thoughts on what I think they say about our industry as a whole. And what about you? Did any of these entrants take you by surprise, and what do you think their spot on this list says about the MMA world as a whole?

Originally seen on MMAWeekly, this is what Dana had to say regarding the potential match-up: “Chuck’s one of my good friends, and I don’t want him to fight anymore. Chuck’s been a warrior, he’s been a great champion, and a great friend and a great partner. I don’t want to see it anymore.”

I honestly and wholeheartedly agree with Dana White’s assertions. I just can’t take seeing Liddell getting KO’d again. I think Liddell would fight until he was seventy and had to enter the Octagon in a Hoveround if he had his way. But his legacy is set in stone, he’ll always be remembered as one of the most dominant champions in UFC/MMA history. The man has absolutely nothing left to prove, and while just fighting for the sake of fighting has proven beneficial to aging (but still good) veterans like Matt Hughes, Chuck Liddell isn’t one of those examples. He shares far more similarities with Ken Shamrock than he does Randy Couture.

Even if Liddell does come back one last time to fight “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” again, would a third fight really prove anything? “The Iceman” already holds two (T)KO victories over Ortiz. At this point, adding a third would just be redundant, it would do virtually nothing to rejuvenate Liddell’s career. Worse yet, it would provide even less of a benefit to Tito Ortiz. It may make for some interesting television to see Ortiz KO Liddell, but everyone on the planet would hold this one simple fact against Ortiz if he wins the third fight: Ortiz would never have been able to KO Liddell in his prime and only succeeded by breaking a chin that has been so weakened over the years that it’s basically glass.

The jury is still out on Tito Ortiz, we’ll have to wait and see how he does against Matt Hamill before we get on the comeback hype train. But when it comes to Liddell, the sentence was delivered long ago. Liddell didn’t go down without a fight, he even appealed that decision several times, but his death sentence has finally and rightfully caught up to him. I’m sure my pain at seeing Liddell continuously getting KO’d doesn’t come anywhere close to the pain that Liddell must feel knowing that he’s got to give it all up and hang up the gloves, but I still firmly believe that Chuck Liddell needs to retire and stay retired.

But as always, it’s not just about what I think. What do you think, fans and friends? Should Chuck come out of retirement one more time, one last time, to face Ortiz again? And how would that match go down if it ever happened?

Read on for questions 2-7…

2. How will Carlos Condit fight in the first round vs. Dan Hardy?  Why is this important? Because, “The Natural Born Killer” has been extremely slow to get going in his last two fights vs. Jake Ellenberger and Rory MacDonald, needing big comebacks to pull victory from the jaws of defeat.  Against Hardy, if he is slow to fire, he may never get his chance in the third round, instead falling prey to Hardy’s heavy hands.

3. Has Dan Hardy truly developed a sturdy takedown defense?  I am interested to see, not how good his wrestling and Jiu Jitsu have become once on the mat … I want to see if he has improved his takedown defense.  This is the most important element in his growth. No matter how good he gets on the ground, his bread and butter will always be his standup.  His long-term success requires he keep fights standing against all the great wrestlers he will face going forward.  He needs to stay on his feet to leverage his greatest asset.  Chuck Liddell is the best example of this.  He became a master at stopping takedowns to keep fights in his sweet spot.

4. Can Michael Bisping finally deliver a thrilling offensive performance from start to finish?  In his last several fights we have seen a tentative, strategic Bisping unable or unwilling to let all his artillery fly.  He needs to win, first, but then be exciting to capture back the idea that he is title contender worthy, provided he keeps winning.  UFC suits would love for him to thrill so they can leverage his UK fan base and keep growing “The Count” into an international star.

5. Will Yoshihiro Akiyama display the crisp and crunching standup weapons we saw in the first three minutes of his fight against Chris Leben?  This version of “Sexyama” should be able to dispatch the UK’s Michael Bisping.

6. Will Mike Pyle finally show the UFC a dominating performance?  Pyle has long been lauded as one of the more talented mixed martial artists in the game to those around the sport. He has been a core cog in team Randy Couture and a Couture MMA trainer in Las Vegas.  However, his UFC performances have been hot and cold.  He has impressive career wins against Jon Fitch, Dan Hornbuckle, Shonie Carter, and Matt Horwich, but has gone 2-2 in the UFC alternating wins and losses recently.  Yes he beat Fitch, and not only did he beat him way back in 2002, but is the only man to ever submit the UFC welterweight star.  I have a gut feeling on Pyle at UFC 120 that he is ready to let loose a decisive performance.

7. Has Cheick Kongo diversified his MMA tool kit?  Before losing to Cain Velasquez, Cheick Kongo had started 7-2 in the UFC and was on a three fight win streak and starting to be in title discussion.  But the losses to Velasquez and Frank Mir set him back into more of grizzled seasoned veteran role.  Can he start another run?  Has he evolved to a new level?  We shall see in his fight against Travis Browne.

Chuck Liddell is suing MMA Authentics due to a contract dispute, and is seeking a hefty $350,000 for his troubles. MMA Authentics makes MMA clothing and various other merchandise, and has yet to comment on the pending litigation. The breach-of-contract dispute deals with two provisions “The Iceman” gave MMA Authentics when he signed a contract in 2007 to allow the company to use his image. Basically, Liddell was guaranteed that he would get final approval on all items using his image, and that the items would be limited to clothing and headwear. Liddell alleges that not only did MMA Authentics make “novelty items” with Liddell’s image that fell outside of the “clothing and headwear” clause, but that they also didn’t get his approval for such items. MMA Authentics is quickly developing a reputation for this sort of thing, as fellow MMA legend Dan Henderson also sued the company in 2008, and much like Liddell, Henderson’s issues centered on merchandising violations.

Now, I know what some cynics are thinking: does Chuck Liddell really need more money? And the obvious answer is no, the man is quite simply set for life and could probably spend the rest of his life partying and sleeping and would still have a fortune. For a good long while, Chuck Liddell was the face of American MMA.  He’s a good friend of UFC President Dana White. Liddell has nothing to worry about when it comes to the subject of money.

But that’s not the issue here, and that’s why I support Liddell and hope that he wins this case. The issue here is that MMA Authentics promised something and not only did they not deliver, they even went behind Liddell’s back and profited off of his image without his consent. In any sport, including MMA, an athlete’s image is everything. They have a right to profit off of their hard work by expanding their image and getting it onto as many things as possible: shirts, headwear, action figures, trading cards, anything. So long as the athlete signs off on it, I’m all in favor of putting their image on anything and everything. At the end of the day, it keeps fighting in MMA profitable, and the hope of more profit breeds success for a lot of the best athletes in sports today.

But one thing I’ll never support is a company profiting off of a fighter’s likeness without their approval or even their knowledge. I’m sure all the dirty little details will be revealed when these two have their day in court, but if what Liddell says is true, this company should be ashamed of themselves. There’s no honor and definitely no respect in profiting off of somebody’s hard work without their knowledge or consent, even if you’ve got them signed to a contract. Liddell may not receive what he’s asking for, but he definitely deserves something for his trouble. And MMA Authentics definitely deserves to be punished.

But what do you think, fans and friends? Do you side with “The Iceman” or MMA Authentics, and why?

Previously mentioned, the main event of the evening is looking like it will be a battle between Brazilians when Vitor Belfort challenges former teammate Anderson Silva for the ufc middleweight title. Also on the card, a battle between light heavyweights Ryan Bader and Jon Jones will battle it out for top contenders status in a stacked 205-pound division.

Seemingly a shoe in for co-main event honors, the bout was trumped when a recent news breaker was published, which will garner a lot of attention come fight time.

MMAJunkie.com has recently reported that a battle between former champions is in place, when Forrest Griffin (a former light heavyweight champion) will do battle with Rich Franklin (former middleweight champion).

Franklin is coming off a devastating knockout over UFC Hall of Famer, Chuck Liddell, last June, at UFC 115. Then dramatic ending came when it appeared that Franklin was on the ropes in the waning moments of the fight, as he was reeling back against the cage, Franklin uncorked a right hand that put “The Iceman” down and out. The win helped Rich bounce back from a knockout loss to Vitor Belfort at UFC 103 in September of last year.

Forrest, meanwhile, was last seen in action at UFC 106, in November of last year. There, Griffin met with rival Tito Ortiz. The two had met a few years back, in April of 2006 at UFC 59, where Ortiz had won a very controversial split-decision victory. Forrest was then sent on the fast track towards the top of the weight class and eventually became the 205-pound champion. He proved to be victorious over Tito, gaining a bit of revenge over his rival, and evening the score. The win helped snap a two-fight losing streak that Griffin has sustained against Rashad Evans, in an unsuccessful attempt to defend his title, and than a knockout loss to current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, at UFC 101.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the match up? Sound off in the comments section below.

The 2009 event opened up to a large audience, and has become a propellant in the mixed martial arts world, opening up the eyes to a mainstream audience, by the community taking leaps and bounds in order to legitimize itself as not only a legitimate sport, but one that deserves that same sort of recognition that most others receive, here in these United States.

While some categories have changed, in order to be politically correct, must stay the same. Voting continues until November 26, where till then you can cast your votes online at All winners are determined by a fan vote, and ballots can be cast through Nov. 26 at www.worldmmaawards.com.

The full list, which was formatted by MMAJunkie.com, of finalists includes:

CHARLES “MASK” LEWIS FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Anderson Silva
* Brock Lesnar
* Frankie Edgar
* Jose Aldo
* Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

FIGHT OF THE YEAR

* Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen at UFC 117
* Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin at UFC 116
* Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung at WEC 48
* Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 116
* Jorge Santiago vs. Kazuo Misaki at Sengoku 14

KO OF THE YEAR

* Anthony Njokuani vs. Chris Horodecki at WEC 45
* Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110
* Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Lyoto Machida at UFC 113
* Mike Russow vs. Todd Duffee at UFC 114
* Rich Franklin vs. Chuck Liddell at UFC 115

SUBMISSION OF THE YEAR

* Matt Hughes vs. Ricardo Almeida at UFC 117
* Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 116
* Cole Miller vs. Dan Lauzon at UFC 108
* Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen at UFC 118
* Fabricio Werdum vs. Fedor Emelianenko at “Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum”

BEST PROMOTION

* Bellator
* DREAM
* Strikeforce
* UFC
* WEC

LEADING MAN OF THE YEAR

* Bjorn Rebney, Bellator founder and CEO
* Dana White, UFC president
* Joe Silva, UFC VP of talent relations
* Michael Schiavello, HDNet broadcaster
* Scott Coker, Strikeforce founder and CEO

INTERNATIONAL FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Alistair Overeem
* Dan Hardy
* George Sotiropoulos
* John Hathaway
* Shinya Aoki

BREAKTHROUGH FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Charles Oliveira
* Evan Dunham
* George Sotiropoulos
* John Hathaway
* Jon Jones

FEMALE FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos
* Megumi “Mega Megu” Fujii
* Miesha Tate
* Sarah Kaufman
* Zoila Frausto

COACH OF THE YEAR

* Cesar Gracie
* Firas Zahabi
* Greg Jackson
* Rafael Cordeiro
* Shawn Tompkins

GYM OF THE YEAR

* American Kickboxing Academy
* American Top Team
* Black House MMA
* Greg Jackson’s Submission Fighting
* Wand Fight Team

RING GIRL OF THE YEAR

* Arianny Celeste
* Brittney Palmer
* Chandella Powell
* Natalie Skyy
* Rachelle Leah

BEST LIFESTYLE CLOTHING BRAND

* Affliction
* Fight Chix
* RVCA
* Silverstar
* TapouT

REFEREE OF THE YEAR

* “Big” John McCarthy
* Dan Miragliotta
* Herb Dean
* Josh Rosenthal
* Mario Yamasaki

MOST MEMORABLE RING ENTRANCE

* Anderson Silva
* Clay Guida
* Jason “Mayhem” Miller
* Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal
* Tom Lawlor

BEST TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT BRAND

* Everlast MMA
* Fairtex
* Hayabusa
* TapouT
* Venum

BEST TECHNICAL CLOTHING BRAND

* Bad Boy
* Hayabusa
* Jaco
* TapouT
* Venum

MEDIA SOURCE OF THE YEAR

* “Inside MMA” on HDNet
* MMAjunkie.com
* MMAWeekly.com
* MMAFighting.com
* Sherdog.com

MMA JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

* Aaron “Tru” Teweles, Freelance
* Ariel Helwani, MMAFighting.com/Versus.com
* Conner Cordova, MMAReligion.com
* Gareth A. Davies, Telegraph.com
* John Morgan, MMAjunkie.com

So, MMA peeps, any surprises here? Anyone you would have liked to seen in some of these categories? Who do you think will take home some of the honors of the night? Sound off in the comments section below.

Here’s what Liddell had to say: “It’s about how I feel and if I want to go back and make a run at a title and how far away that would be. And whatever I think is left in the tank. I’ve been doing PR stuff for the last couple months, and I’ll finally be home for the month. I’ll probably decide sometime in September, when I have time to relax… I don’t feel like there’s anything left to prove. I still love fighting, but there’s a lot that goes into it. Maybe it might be time. I’m just not sure yet…You know, I’ve enjoyed the ride. No matter what, I’ve had a good time. I never expected it, but I’ve gotten paid a lot to do what I love. There are no complaints.”

Part of me can understand where Liddell is coming from. I mean, there was no lull period, no gentle decline, Liddell was the baddest man on the planet one second, and immediately after that he goes on to lose five of his last six. Before his loss to Quinton Jackson in 2007, he was one of the most dominant UFC Light Heavyweight Champions the UFC had ever seen, with four successful defenses of his title, all of which he finished, with his last three coming by way of big-time (T)KO’s. His losing streak really did a number on what was, up to that point at least, a nearly-unblemished record. I can certainly empathize with Liddell’s desire to rebuild his legacy after it’s taken such a beating, or at the very least, to go out on his sword and with a win. But that seems more and more unlikely.

Even at his best, Chuck Liddell can’t take a punch anymore. Liddell fought a fantastic fight against his last opponent, Rich Franklin, up until he got overzealous and walked right into a big punch. Liddell has thrown caution to the wind when he thinks he’s winning since his career started, it’s what made him so great and paradoxically it’s why he’s lost so many fights lately. This is one dog that can’t learn a new trick: I honestly believe that Chuck Liddell will never be able to remain calm when he thinks victory is imminent. Liddell just goes for it, every time, no matter what. He goes for it, and it served him well for such a long time. But time’s up.

Liddell’s body is simply too beaten and battered to ever take him back to the top of the division. He’s absorbed too many hard shots throughout his career; he’s had his lights turned off several times too many. His fight with Franklin was heartbreaking enough, I don’t even want to think of what a rematch with Rashad Evans would be like, or a match with Lyoto Machida, or a match with Jon Jones, or a match with…well, with pretty much anyone near the top of the division. I respect Chuck Liddell a lot, I don’t think anything will ever fully tarnish his reign of dominance, but he’s fooling himself if he thinks that his body can stand up to the elite in the UFC’s Light Heavyweight division, which was always a strong division but now boasts all the best talent in the world competing for arguably the UFC’s most coveted championship.

It’s just not worth it anymore, Chuck. Please, for the sake of all your fans…give it up already.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think about Liddell possibly coming back to the Octagon one last time?

UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua has undergone successful knee surgery this past June, and is still in recovery mode. According to UFC President Dana White in a recent interview with Sportscenter revealed that he intends on making Rua’s return in the Spring or early Summer of next year.

Dana also made a mention on the champ’s proceedings towards his knee surgery, which marks Shogun’s third in just under three years, that he had Rua come to the states to have the surgery done. The first two surgeries took place in his native Brazil, though some might remember Rua’s sluggish returns to the octagon post-knee surgeries. His initial UFC debut against Forrest Griffin at UFC 76 in Anaheim, California in 2007, did not go quite as easily as most fans and media alike had predicted. “The Ultimate Fighter” veteran submitted the former Pride champion with a third-round rear naked choke.

Over a year later, at UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland, “Shogun” returned on the winning side of things when he rallied back against then UFC fighter Mark Coleman, defeating the former heavyweight champion with strikes in the third round. However since those sluggish performances, Shogun is red-hot.

Despite sporting a subtle 3-2 record inside the cage, his actions speak volumes. After earning his bid for a title shot after knocking out former champion and UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell at UFC 97, Rua then went the distance with then champ Lyoto Machida at UFC 103 and on all accounts beat “The Dragon”, but in a surprising turn of events, lost by unanimous decision, much to the dismay of the fans and press alike, who were all left scratching their heads.

The rematch was set, and at UFC 113 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in May of this year, the Brazilians battled it out and “Shogun” exacted revenge when he knocked out Machida inside of the first round, to claim Number One supremacy.

The knee surgeries were taxing on the Brazilian, but the UFC head honcho is more optimistic about Rua’s recovery time and methods of returning back strong this time around. With what looks like a year-long layoff for both “Shogun” and challenger Rashad Evans–who was last seen in action in May as well, with a unanimous decision win over heated rival Quinton Jackson at UFC 114.

Do you think the fight being pushed to a later date would benefit both fighters on a stint with “TUF”? Rashad was an excellent coach, “Shogun” is the man–though his English is limited.

Im my opinion, the longer this fight is pushed, the less attention it will receive and the less relevant it will become, even if it is a title fight. So to keep both competitors in the public eye, a visit towards a possibility with “The Ultimate Fighter” should be addressed.

Let’s start with something simple: Shogun’s less-than-stellar run in the UFC before he met Machida. Leading up to his first fight against Lyoto Machida, Shogun won 2 fights inside the Octagon against relatively weak competition. Against Forrest Griffin, many predicted that Shogun would walk all over the scrappy UFC veteran. It was not the case: Forrest used a gameplan that confused Shogun, completely gassed him out, and opened him up for a submission from a fighter that was never known for his submissions and in fact hadn’t had a submission victory in over two years.

If Shogun’s performance against Griffin could be called underwhelming, his performance against Mark Coleman could be called downright pitiful. The only real competition in that fight was to see which one could tire themselves out the fastest. For all of Shogun’s accomplishments in PRIDE, I don’t think anyone can deny that his second fight with Mark Coleman was a horrible sight to see. Against Chuck Liddell, the “old” Shogun seemed to re-emerge, but it was all smoke and mirrors. Putting it plainly: by the time Shogun finally met the Iceman, Liddell’s chin was glass just waiting to be smashed.

And now we come to the two title fights that Shogun fans point to in droves as the clearest evidence that their beloved fighter is back on top and better than ever. Again, I’ll make my thoughts short and sweet. In the first fight Shogun confused Machida, in the second fight he caught him off-guard. Machida’s vaunted elusiveness stems from fighters trying to attack him head-on. Against someone like Shogun, who attacked the legs and the body and came out with an admittedly superior gameplan, Machida was unprepared. In the second fight, Machida seemed more than ready for more of the same, but once again, Shogun proved to have a superior gameplan, this time looking for the knockout from the start.

But now that he stands atop the UFC Light Heavyweight division, Shogun finds himself facing some of the best talent in the world…once he gets back from yet another knee surgery. And therein lies the rub: the mind is willing but the body is weak. Shogun is as tactful as ever, I’ll give him that. He’s an incredibly smart fighter that knows how to play an opponent.

But his body is failing, regardless of the fact that he’s not even 30 yet. Shogun may still have it in him to compete for the next several years, but not against the type of talent that is consistently ranked as “best in the world”. He may have won the championship in dominating fashion…but so has every single other Light Heavyweight Champion since Liddell, with the exception of Forrest Griffin.

Against a solid wrestler, repeated takedowns will tire Shogun out within the first few rounds. Against a competent ground technician, Shogun looked like a shadow of his former self in the few times his UFC fights have gone to the ground in addition to the fact that Rua hasn’t faced a world-caliber BJJ fighter since 2005. When I think of Shogun facing people like Rashad Evans or Jon Jones, in addition to an ever-expanding list of up-and-comers hungry for a shot at the title…I frankly see them passing Shogun by.

So that’s my belief and I’m sticking to it. Shogun’s many injuries combined with his many surgeries will inevitably overwhelm him, and we’ll see a return of the Shogun that looked completely lost against Forrest Griffin and completely past his prime against Mark Coleman. PRIDE fans and fans of Shogun may think that a new day dawned when Shogun knocked out Machida…but trust me, fans and friends, Shogun’s empire will fall. And soon.

So what do you think, readers? Whose “camp” are you in? Let’s get some debate going.

These men entered the Octagon with more questions than answers surrounding them and their fight careers. The fans and some of my media brethren were saying that Rich was on the downside of his career and that age had caught up to him. Franklin had lost two of his last three and needed a win last night to begin his run at the title in the light heavyweight division.

Chuck Liddell stepped into the Octagon a man on a mission as well. Chuck had found himself on a major slide losing four of his last five and three of those being via knock out. However this was a different Chuck Liddell according to all reports.

Chuck had not had a drink of alcohol in over nine months, had stopped being out until the early morning hours and even showed up to the weigh-ins looking ripped with six-pack abs. His trainer John Hackleman had stated that this was the best Chuck he had ever seen. He was faster, stronger and more focused than in any other training camp. All of that may be true as Chuck looked great right from the start but in the end it did nothing to stop him from getting his third straight knock out loss.

When the cage door closed and the bell ran Chuck became the hunter walking Franklin down and using early aggression that no one was used to seeing from the former champion. Typically Chuck likes to force his opponent to over commit to strikes, always looking for that counter punch that will send them to the mat. This fight was different as Chuck was wasting no time looking to hurt Rich earlier.

Both men were throwing kicks and the speed advantage that Rich had seemed to be nullified by the predator like stalking the Iceman was doing inside the Octagon. Rich didn’t have time to settle in and fight that cerebral fight I talked about here.

Franklin was being slightly overwhelmed and went in for the shot only to have it stuffed. He ate a shot to the head and body for his efforts while he came back with an inside leg kick to Chuck’s thigh.

The exchanges had the crowd buzzing as Rich threw solid leather in the form of a left hook which led to yet another fiery exchange and Liddell shooting in and taking Rich to the ground. Neither fighter is really known for their ground game and while I hate to use the following statement it does ring true here. Both Rich and Chuck have very underrated ground games. Yes, I said it!

Rich used the butterfly guard to keep Liddell off balance and unable to land heavy shots. Chuck went for a choke but Rich fought it off and got back to his feet.

Fireworks went off here as they took the center of the Octagon and Rich threw shots to the body and did some nice work with a solid combo on Chuck. Chuck is not one to back down though and he rocked Franklin with his trademark right hand only to be hurt himself when following up by a left hand from Ace.

Liddell rocked but sensing the kill was near pushed in and had Rich against the cage. He started throwing with reckless abandon and that was the first and last mistake he would make that night as Ace landed a solid shot straight to the jaw of Chuck that sent him to the canvas out cold.

The downfall of Chuck was his inability to remain calm and stay focused. Maybe it was the pressure to win, to knock someone out rather than to be knocked out but when he felt he had Rich hurt he pushed to much. He threw wild punches and as usual left himself wide open for a counter shot. Whatever the reason, Chuck was knocked out yet again which I can’t believe makes anyone happy.

Chuck has been one of the most predominant faces in the UFC for a long time and seeing him go out like that made many cringe. I come from Ohio and have had the chance to train with Rich Franklin and Team Jorge Gurgel and while I was excited to see Ace get a win, I was anything but excited to watch a legend like Chuck go out like that. One can say he went out on his sword though like a true warrior.

Of course this takes nothing away from Rich Franklin. As one man loses and hopefully, for his own safety, rides off into the sunset another man emerges in the light heavyweight division. This test did not tell us if Rich can actually make a title run but it did confirm just how tough this guy truly is when he is inside the Octagon.

Early in the round Chuck threw a body kick that Franklin blocked and for his efforts he received a broken left forearm. That did not deter him from continuing to fight and even throwing punches with that hand. Rich has shown before that no matter what happens to him in a fight he will not quit. When being interviewed by Joe Rogan after the fight he said he came there to fight and that even though he could feel the bone clicking in his arm he never thought about quitting, after all fighting is his job.

So no matter what happens with Rich from here on out I believe the man is a true warrior and solidified his place in UFC history with his knock out of the legendary Chuck Liddell.

So as the lights went up in the aftermath of UFC 115, we seemingly say goodbye to one of the sports best and at the same time we have to give respect to a man many believed was washed up and was expected to be a stepping stone on the road back for the legend. As they say, this is MMA and anything can happen.

Chuck comes into this fight coming off back-to-back losses yet is amongst other mixed martial arts (MMA) writers and fans he seems to be the very clear favorite in this fight.

Chuck came into the weigh-ins looking better than Fighters.com and MMA Gospel Radio has ever seen him. He had a visible six pack which many see as a sign that Chuck is in the best shape of his life. However there have been times when fighters come in looking tight and very lean which could be a sign of a tough weight cut.

Chuck has always been a very big light heavyweight and this fight is one that will test Rich’s ability to seriously make a run for the title in the division.

Can Rich deal with the size of Liddell and/or the power of such a big fighter? I fully believe he will tonight.

Rich has always been a very cerebral fighter and one with good technical striking. He comes into fights with a very specific game plan and sticks to it, even if it doesn’t seem to be working. This has been a positive and negative for Franklin.

Rich did not leave his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio to train for this fight. The past few fights he has traveled out west to Seattle  to train with world renowned Matt Hume. Could staying home make the difference in this fight?

No, it won’t be the difference maker but will be is the stand-up game of both men.

Chuck brings amazing power into this fight which has been the Achilles heal of Franklin in his past fights. He tends to get lost when a fighter has more power and it has shown in his losses to UFC middleweight champion “The Spider” Anderson Silva (26-4) as well as “The Phenom” Vitor Belfort (18-8). This fight will come down to where Rich excels though and not what his weakness seems to be in fights.

Rich is a southpaw that has done very well working angles, moving away from big right hands and using kicks to the legs and body to wear opponents down. This strength is something Chuck has struggled with in the past, “The Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (14-7-1) ring a bell to anyone?

I see Rich circling away from the big looping punches Chuck throws with reckless abandon and using his kicks to work the lower end of Liddell and to drain him of some of the power he needs to win this fight. Rich will use his range to stay just out of the reach of Chuck’s big shots, which come very slow. Chuck has taken advantage of fighters pushing forward as they get frustrated and then landing the big, slow and looping counter punch to end the fight. Rich will not be suckered into this and will be content to grind out a victory here.

Will this fight see the end of Chuck Liddell’s career inside the Octagon? Only Chuck and UFC president Dana White have the answer to that.

Fighters.com wants to know who are you picking in this fight and why?

The ceremony took place during the UFC Fan Expo on the main stage at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. UFC President Dana White made a presentation of Matt’s achievements and then presented Matt with the award. Matt Hughes thanked the fans for the award.

“To be honest, it’s you guys that pay that admission that write my check, so I’ve got to take my hat off to you guys,” Hughes said.

Dana stated that Matt could have taken other offers to move to other promotions but he chose to stay in the UFC all these years.

“He’s acting very humble here; he’s been a great partner and been one of the people who have helped build this sport and the UFC to what it is today,” White added.

Hughes’ first fight inside the Octagon came at UFC 22 before Zuffa purchased the company. He defeated Valeri Ignatov (0-2) via unanimous decision. Since that time he has fought 22 more times in the UFC going 17-5.

His most recent fight came at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi where he beat Renzo Gracie (13-7-1) in the third round via TKO. This is his second win in a row after defeating former Renzo student and rival “The Terror” Matt Serra (10-6).

Matt’s next fight will be against another Gracie pupil as he steps inside the Octagon to take on “Cacharrao” Ricardo Almeida (12-3) at UFC 117 in Oakland, California.

Matt holds the record for the longest welterweight title run in UFC history with five consecutive defenses from UFC 34 to UFC 45. He lost the belt to “The Prodigy” B.J. Penn (15-6-1) before regaining the title with a submission win over current UFC welterweight champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (20-2) at UFC 50 and defended it another two times before Georges avenged the loss at UFC 65.

Matt Hughes joins Fellow UFC Hall of Famers Royce Gracie (14-3-3), “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” Ken Shamrock (27-14-2), “The Beast” Dan Severn (93-16-7), “The Natural” Randy Couture (18-10), “The Hammer” Mark Coleman (16-10), “The Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-7) and Charles “Mask” Lewis Jr.

How do you feel about current fighters being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and who do you feel should have been inducted?

Tito has been blasted for lying to fans and telling them the fight between him and Chuck was still on even though he knew he was off of the card. His response came via Twitter and is one all fans and media alike should understand.

“I haven’t lied to anyone. I was told not to say “Anything”! Having a chance to be sued for $5 million was not a chance I wanted to take. So watch TUF 11 and see what happens. I was just doing what I was told, for once. Sorry!”

Fans and media alike are well aware of the nondisclosure agreement coaches and fighters appearing on”The Ultimate Fighter” must sign. It comes as no shock to Fighters.com that he was unable to tell the truth. Regardless many fans felt he should have just stated they would have to wait and see what happens. Now using our brains here, had he come out and not responded to the questions regarding his health, him leaving the show and his fight with “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-7) the media would have gone crazy with it. The only way to ensure that the information stayed locked away until the UFC was ready to release it was to say that everything was still a go and leave it at that.

Regardless of what Tito said or did not say, the change of fighters in the main event seems to have made an impact on the sale of tickets for UFC 115.

UFC 115 takes place in Vancouver and on Tuesday pre-sale tickets were available. UFC fans were not messing around as the set a new record for the fastest sellout in UFC history, with the event selling out just 30 minutes after tickets went on sale at 10 AM PT. Dana White announced it via Twitter by saying “Vancouver sold out in 30 mins!!!! Thank you Vancouver we worked hard on getting it there. Thank you Mayor Robertson.”

There is no way to tell if the change from Tito to Rich had any effect on the speed of ticket sales but I would venture to say that it was a factor. Consider what the headline was and what it has now become.

Chuck versus Tito is a fight fans have twice before and neither fight was very competitive. Chuck did what he wanted in both fights and Tito never really seemed to have a shot during the fight. Other than the fact that so many enjoy watching Tito get beat, what other motivation would there be for fans to rush out and buy tickets to the event? Chuck is now fighting Rich Franklin and this fight is much more intriguing.

Chuck Liddell is on a slide in the UFC with four losses in his last five fights. Even though there have been talks of his retirement by UFC president Dana White, Chuck still has the drive to fight and carries the power to put people to sleep. Chuck has beaten the best during his reign as UFC light heavyweight champion. He has ten knockouts inside the Octagon and had seven consecutive at one time. A UFC Hall of Famer, Chuck is coming in prepared to get back on the winning track.

Chuck told MMA Weekly “I’m ready for this fight, I’m in the best shape of my life, and I can’t wait to get back in the Octagon.”  “I can’t tell the fans what happens in the Ultimate Fighter 11, you have to watch the show, but I’ll tell you how this is gonna end, I’m knocking Rich out.”

Rich on the other hand is a fighter that has been in limbo since his defeats to Fighters.com and UFC middleweight champion “The Spider” Anderson Silva (26-4). He has had a couple of fights at a catch-weight of 195 as well as fights at 205. Rich currently has twelve wins inside the Octagon and is now looking to make a run at the light heavyweight championship as he takes on the former champion.

“Chuck is a gamer,” Franklin said. “He is a professional – take Randy for example. He and Randy are friends, but he didn’t have a problem fighting Randy and punching him in the head, so he sure won’t have a problem punching me in the head. I’m excited about fighting Chuck, I’m going to give everything I have, and I look forward to giving fans a great fight in Vancouver.”

Rich is the epitome of a company man, always saying the right things and doing whatever is needed of him by the UFC. He did not want to coach again on TUF yet here he is stepping in to take over for Tito and face a man who regardless of public opinion, can take you out with one punch.

This is a fight fans love to see, two former champions trying to get back what they once had and coveted. Two true fan favorites who will give us what Anderson Silva did not, non-stop action. I have been asked by fans if I believe Rich has the chin to stand and trade with Liddell and honestly I don’t have an answer to that question. We all watched as Rich stood and traded with a man many thought was the scariest on the planet when he was in Pride, “The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (34-10-1). Rich went on to win by unanimous decision in that fight. So can he take a shot? I believe he can but I doubt Rich will attack like the fallen that have stood before Chuck in the past.

Liddell is known for his ability to suck fighters inside and is one of the best counter-punchers in the game. Rich is well aware of this and his trainer Matt Hume is sure to develop a game plan that will include getting inside, using the clinch and working some dirty boxing. I would not be shocked to see Rich try and take Chuck down either but getting Chuck down and keeping him there has never been an easy task.

The bottom line is that this fight is one I believe had much to do with the fastest sell-out in UFC history. Two legends known to bring the fight to their opponents and both looking to rise up out of the ashes.

Tito lied but really had no choice, just like the fans in Vancouver had no choice but to clammer for tickets to see what is sure to be a great main event.

Granted, TUF 10 had Internet sensation Kimbo Slice (4-1) but TUF 11 has a crop of middleweight fighters that I feel is far superior to any season we have seen thus far on Spike TV.

According to Spike, 1.9 million viewers were watching “TUF 11″ which is an increase of nine percent over “TUF 9″

As I said earlier, I feel this season has a much better cast of prospects who seem to be more technical than those of previous seasons. However, maybe it is because I am a part of the mixed martial arts (MMA) media and at my very core a hardcore fan.

Many casual fans may not know some of the fighters appearing on the show and thus have no idea how good some of them truly are and how compelling their background stories will be once they receive air time.

One fighter in particular stands out when speaking of background stories. Court McGee (9-1) is a fighter that with the proper exposure could become an instant fan favorite. His story was something I ran across on Queen of the Cage. Court is a former drug addict who was actually declared dead from an overdose of black tar heroin. Since then he has found God and has been clean since Easter of 2006. Court hit the epitome of rock bottom and now is on his rise to the top where he hopes to talk to others about the dangers of drugs.

This story alone would be a very uplifting moment if given the time on the show and could be a positive story for MMA as a whole.

“The Ultimate Fighter 11″ on Spike TV features middleweights fighting it out for a six-figure contract with the UFC and the title of “The Ultimate Fighter”.

Coaches for this season are Fighters.com eighth-ranked and former UFC light heavyweight champion “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-7) and his nemesis, former UFC light heavyweight champion “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-7-1). Both men are coming off back to back losses inside the Octagon and are supposed to face off against one another after the season ends.

There are rumors that Tito suffered some sort of injury during the taping of the show and that his fight with Chuck may be put on the back burner but we will have to wait and see how this season unfolds before the facts actually come to light.

Stay tuned to MMA Gospel Radio each Wednesday from 8-10 PM EST/ 5-7 PT as we discuss the latest season of TUF and interview some of the top fighters in the business as well as the best new talent you may have not heard of yet. We can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/mmagospel.

“Not true! We are doing couture vs franklin not chuck,” said White via Twitter.

“Natural” Randy Couture (18-10) tapped out “The Hammer” Mark Coleman (16-10) at UFC 109 in Las Vegas February 6.

Despite the denial, Sherdog reported it checked with it’s sources and “the Liddell-Franklin bout is still in play.”

Liddell was scheduled to fight “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-7-1) after their stints as coaches on SpikeTV’s The Ultimate Fighter 11 reality television contest.

However, evidently Franklin had to take over as a coach from Ortiz due to unknown reasons.  MMA Junkie reports Franklin and Liddell have verbally agreed to fight at the conclusion of the program.

Thirty-nine year old Liddell has been laid out by third-ranked “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (18-4) and fourth-ranked “Sugar” Rashad Evans (14-1-1) on his last two missions in the Octagon, but comes off a long hiatus during which he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.

Franklin was TKO’d by eighth-ranked middleweight  “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (18-8) in a 195-pound catchweight fight at UFC 103 in Dallas last September.

“It’s not true. I never stepped in and had an intervention with Chuck Liddell and he never went to rehab or anything like that,” White claims, according to MMA Weekly. “Tito says some crazy stuff sometimes.”

Liddell is a notorious carouser, with videos of his exploits often turning on the Internet.

But, White explained, “I think Chuck Liddell is a rich guy with a lot of time on his hands. He likes to run around in bars. He’s single. He likes to go out and meet girls, and you know, do what most guys do. He’s a little old to be doing it, but that’s what he likes to do. No different than any other person who goes out on the weekends and parties; no different than Tito when Tito’s not fighting.”

Chuck is coming back to fight yet again in the UFC. He will be the coach on The Ultimate Fighter 11 along with his long time rival “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-7-1). This return fight many see as an easy fight for Chuck. It is one to get him back on his winning ways as he has already thoroughly beaten Tito twice in the past. That has not deterred Chuck from joining forces with Eddie Bravo in order to add what seems to be a new offensive weapon to his arsenal.

The internet is ablaze with talks about why Chuck would do this instead of getting a first class boxing coach since his three of his last four losses have come due to TKO or KO. Many have said that Chuck is past his prime and it is to late for him to become a more well rounded fighter. I feel it is never to late to evolve your game and Chuck is just the one to prove that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Tito knows that he can’t stand and trade with Chuck. He has tried and failed twice. With his ring rust dusted off and his back at 100% one would be crazy to think that he would stand and strike with him again. I believe we will see him try to take him down. Granted, Chuck may have the best sprawl in the business but anyone can be taken down given the right circumstances. Training with Eddie will give Chuck an offensive weapon on the ground if and it is a big if, Tito can keep him on the ground. Eddie is a master of the rubber guard and working submissions and sweeps from that position. Could we see Chuck use the rubber guard? Maybe we will see him hit a sweep from it and then work to submit Tito from top position. All of this adds a bit of intrigue to the comeback of the Iceman.

The biggest problem Chuck seems to be having is that many fighters have figured out his stand up style. They are waiting to counter when Chuck throws a wide punch. Let’s be clear here, Chuck was never the most technically sound striker. He used great footwork and fast hands to make up for that fact. It seems now that father time may be catching up with him. His strikes are not as fast as they once were and this is a problem. So what does training with Eddie do to correct this? It does not do anything to correct this problem.

This leads me to believe that just maybe Chuck has decided to use his wrestling background to become offensive rather than to just use it to keep the fight standing. The MMA world would come unglued if we saw Liddell actually take someone down and then work to pass into side control and then work for an arm triangle. All of this can come to fruition working at 10th Planet. Some of you may be screami9ng by now that Chuck already has a good jiu jitsu game having trained with John Lewis. While this is true Chuck has stated they focused more on submission defense and getting the fight to the feet.

Chuck is a man that was a division 1 wrestler. He learned the striking game, specifically the footwork. He used these and the defensive side of jiu jitsu to become the star that he is today. This shows me that Chuck has the ability to learn new techniques. Chuck is an old dog that can and will learn new tricks. I am sure the last thing Chuck wants to do is to come back and lose yet again thus giving him no other choice than to exit stage left. So here we see a man looking to improve his skill set in order to remain relevant in this sport. A man with a mission can be very dangerous,especially one with heavy hands and a submission arsenal that comes from Eddie Bravo. Please don’t think Chuck is not working to clean up his stand up. I am sure he and John Hackleman of The Pit are working to clean up his mistakes. Add to this the threat of a take down and an offensive submission game and his future opponents will be forced to worry about more than just his heavy hands.

We may be seeing the rise of a reborn fighter. A fighter who has learned some new tricks and will use it to keep his opponents guessing and in the process roll off a few wins. Say it with me “Chuck Liddell wins again by submission”

Li’l Nog’ knocked formerly ranked fellow Brazilian “Banha” Luis Arthur Cane (8-2) out of the top ten in the same fashion Nog’ himself was removed from the rankings after being TKO’d by “African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (6-5) in 23 seconds at PRIDE 33 in Las Vegas in February 2007.  Nogueira took 1:56 to finish Cane at UFC 106 in Las Vegas November 21 and capture the seventh spot at 205 pounds.

On the same card, fifth-ranked Forrest Griffin (17-6) returned to winning with a split decision over “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-7-1), a rematch Griffin had lost by SD in 2006.

Shortly after the fight, UFC President Dana White announced Ortiz will  complete a trilogy versus “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-7) in 2010.  Usually  trilogies are reserved for rubber matches, or at least matchups that have been compellingly close in previous fights.  Liddell has TKO’d Ortiz twice this decade, but if the trend holds – second round in 2004 and third round in 2006 – perhaps Ortiz will survive to a decision in 2010.

Fighters.com Light Heavyweight Champion “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (16-0) and third-ranked “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (18-4) is the kind of matchup deserving of a rematch, and in 2010 the two will replay their fight that ended in a controversial UD in favor of Machida at UFC 104 in Los Angeles October 24.

Second-ranked “Spider” Anderson Silva (25-4) will await the outcome as he defends his Fighters.com and UFC middleweight titles versus tenth-ranked middleweight “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (18-8).  A Rua win in the Machida-Rua rematch could mean a Silva challenge for a second UFC belt.

Fourth-ranked “Sugar” Rashad Evans (13-1-1) and tenth-ranked Thiago Silva (15-1) will headline UFC 108 in Las Vegas January 2 with sixth-ranked “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-7) waiting in the wings to reignite his rivalry with Evans if Evans wins, and probably even if Evans loses.

Ninth-ranked “Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (33-10-1) has dropped down to make a run at middleweight.

Fighters.com’s December Light Heavyweight Rankings

1. “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (16-0)

2. “Spider” Anderson Silva (25-4)

3. “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (18-4)

4. “Sugar” Rashad Evans (13-1-1)

5. Forrest Griffin (17-6)

6. “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-7)

7. “Minotoro” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (17-3)

8. “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-7)

9. “Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (33-10-1)

10. Thiago Silva (15-1)

The two former UFC champions will also complete a trilogy of fights versus each other at the conclusion of TUF 11.  Liddell beat Ortiz by stoppage at UFC 47 in 2004 and UFC 66 in 2006.

Rua confounded and flustered Machida with kicks to Machida’s legs and body for at least three out of five rounds in Los Angeles October 24, and some have argued Rua won four rounds.  But all three judges scored the fight 48-47 in favor of the champ.

Across the great South American nation from which both fighters have travelled around the world to entertain and awe fight fans, familiar lines are being redrawn because of the controversial UFC 104 main event.

Second-ranked “Spider” Anderson Silva (25-4) of Black House, a team made-up largely of former Brazilian Top Team members, told Tatame, “In my opinion, Lyoto won every round.”

And, ninth-ranked “Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (33-10-1), formerly of Chute Boxe with Rua, declared to Tatame, “[Rua] is the new champion.”

Years ago Brazilian Top Team and Chute Boxe played out one of MMA’s greatest camp rivalries in the now defunct PRIDE promotion.  The hot blood between the two camps was thought to have cooled after many of the greatest fighters from both camps moved on to other camps or started their own gyms.

But, the title fight between Machida and Rua has heated up the old adversaries and reignited excitement about MMA in Brazil.

UFC President Dana White promised an immediate rematch between Machida and Rua; and, Since UFC 104, Machida has announced he will undergo surgery on his left hand, postponing the rematch in 2010.

Brazil deserves the rematch!  It would be a huge UFC return to Brazil since their only Brazilian event in São Paulo in October 1998.

And, besides the top three spots in MMA’s most competitive and popular division being held by Brazilians, three other Brazilians are also ranked among the top ten at 205.

Of course, Anderson Silva will defend his Fighters.com and UFC Middleweight Championship from Brazilian “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (18-8) sometime in 2010.  That previously UFC 108 slotted main event could also be postponed until the UFC can put on a show in Brazil next spring, making a Brazilian card with two all-Brazilian title fights at the top.

Seventh-ranked Brazilian “Banha” Luis Arthur Cane (8-1) will fight countryman “Minotoro” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (15-3) at UFC 106 in Las Vegas November 11.

Wanderlei Silva is expected to lead the UFC into Australia at UFC 110 February 20, 2010 in a middleweight fight versus tenth-ranked middleweight “Sexyama” Yoshihiro Akiyama (14-2).

Newly tenth-ranked Brazilian Thiago Silva (15-1) will get a chance to step-up versus fourth-ranked “Sugar” Rashad Evans (13-1-1) at UFC 108 in Las Vegas January 2.

Fifth-ranked American Forrest Griffin (16-6) will welcome former UFC light heavyweight champion “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) back to the UFC at UFC 106 in Las Vegas November 21 in a rematch Ortiz won the first time.

Sixth-ranked “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-7) remains retired; but, eighth-ranked “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-7) is expected to come out of retirement in 2010.

Fighters.com’s November Light Heavyweight Rankings

1. “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (16-0)

2. “Spider” Anderson Silva (25-4)

3. “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (18-4)

4. “Sugar” Rashad Evans (13-1-1)

5. Forrest Griffin (16-6)

6. “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-7)

7. “Banha” Luis Arthur Cane (8-1)

8. “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-7)

9. “Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (33-10-1)

10. Thiago Silva (15-1)

What began as an uninteresting matchup forced after fifth-ranked “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-7) turned down a title shot versus Machida has become a bona fide grudge match between the Brazilians.

Top contender “Spider” Anderson Silva (25-4) will be tied-up through January defending his Middleweight Championship versus countryman “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (18-8) at UFC 108 in Las Vegas January 2.  Silva has repeated that he won’t fight his friend Machida, but Fighters.com sources say the fight could be made if UFC President Dana White meets certain conditions.  But, if Rua beats Machida at UFC 104, former Chute Box training partners Silva and Rua have been tossing verbal barbs back and forth and would make an exciting 205-pound title fight.

Third-ranked “Sugar” Rashad Evans (13-1-1) swapped a much-hyped grudge match versus “Rampage” for a fight versus Thiago Silva (14-1) at UFC 108.

“Rampage” has evidently retired, but Fighters.com isn’t buying it.  I’ll put money down that Jackson will fight in the Octagon in 2010.

The winner between Evans and Silva is next in line for the UFC title shot if Machida successfully defends.

Seventh-ranked “Banha” Luis Arthur Cane (8-1) will welcome fellow Brazilian “Minotoro” Antonio Rogerio Noguiera (15-3) to the Octagon at UFC 106 in Las Vegas November 21.  The winner will quickly enter the title mix.

Fourth-ranked Forrest Griffin (16-5) has been laying low since his embarrassing knockout loss to “Spider” Silva at UFC 101 in Philadelphia August 8.

Eighth-ranked “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (24-7) is a free agent and in negotiations to return to the UFC, but Hendo’ told Sherdog negotiations aren’t going well.

Ninth-ranked “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-7) has also “retired” and can be seen on “Dancing with the stars”, but Fighters.com expects to see Liddell return to the Octagon in 2010 as well.

“Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (33-10-1) is preparing to debut at 185-pounds.

Fighters.com October Light Heavyweight Rankings

1. “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (15-0)

2. “Spider” Anderson Silva (25-4)

3. “Sugar” Rashad Evans (13-1-1)

4. Forrest Griffin (16-5)

5. “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-7)

6. “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (18-3)

7. “Banha” Luis Arthur Cane (8-1)

8. “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (24-7)

9. “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-7)

10. “Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (33-10-1)

“These six athletes provide a strong, varied base for our first UFC series,” said Damon Lau, Round 5 co-owner. “There are established champions like Chuck Liddell and George St. Pierre, popular up-and comers like Rashad Evans and Kenny Florian and guys like Clay Guida and Lyoto Machida who have loyal, growing followings.”

“We think fans will really connect to these collectibles through their detail and the enhanced packaging,” said Barron Lau, Round 5 co-owner. “We want them to feel that by owning a Round 5 figurine, they, in a sense, own a piece of that fighter.”

The UFC-themed packaging accompanying each figure will include action photos of each fighter’s most memorable moments and a short bio.

“When he’s done dancing, I’m sure he’ll be looking for me,” White quipped, referencing Liddell’s upcoming stint on ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars” reality competition series.

Thirty-nine year old Liddell has been laid out by sixth-ranked “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (18-3) and third-ranked “Sugar” Rashad Evans (13-1-1) on his last two missions in the Octagon. During the UFC 100 pre-fight ceremonies last month, Liddell took his rightful place in the UFC Hall of Fame.

“I’m gonna go out, be myself, and show what kind of people we do have in this sport,” Liddell told UFC.com.

Thirty-nine year old Liddell has been laid out by sixth-ranked “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (18-3) and third-ranked “Sugar” Rashad Evans (13-1-1) on his last two missions in the Octagon. During the UFC 100 pre-fight ceremonies last month, Liddell took his rightful place in the UFC Hall of Fame.

“I want to win,” Liddell said. “I don’t like losing in anything, so I’ll work as hard as they’ll let me.”

Liddell’s competition will include former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Donnie Osmand, Kelly Osbourne, former Dallas Cowboy Michael Irvin, models Kathy Ireland and Joanna Krupa, singers Macy Gray, Mya and Aaron Carter, actresses Melissa Joan Hart and Debi Mazar, Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin, snowboarder Louie Vito, and actors Mark Dacascos and Ashley Hamilton.

When asked by UFC.com if his martial arts footwork training will give him an advantage, Liddell said, ” I don’t know how much of an edge that gives me or how that’s gonna translate, but I haven’t tried it yet, so we’ll see.”

Liddell hasn’t fought since April and hasn’t been actively training. “There’s a month up to when the show starts when I’m practicing, and I’ve been trying to get in a little bit of shape before I meet my partner,” Liddell said. “It’s working different muscles that maybe I haven’t used before. I did a golf tournament where I had to play 18 holes four days in a row and I hadn’t played that many rounds of golf in my whole life. So I was sore – my back hurt, my ribs were tight.”

Liddell as dancer premiers 21 September on ABC.

UFC President Dana White has publicly pleaded for Liddell to retire. Liddell had barely woken up from his last knockout before the UFC put all Chuck Liddell merchandise on sale. But, is losing four out of five, three by knockout, a fitting end to a storied career? Does Liddell have one more big win in him so he can retire with dignity?

Evans and fourth-ranked “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-7) have been pegged to coach The Ultimate Fighter 10 and meet in the Octagon in December.

Third-ranked Forrest Griffin (16-5) has drawn the honor of finding out whether Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (24-4) is ready for the big time at 205 next month in Philadelphia at UFC 101.

Tenth-ranked “Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (14-5-1) and former top ten Thiago Silva (14-1) will battle for a place at the bottom of the rankings at UFC 102 in Portland next month.

Sixth-ranked “Banha” Luis Arthur Cane (8-1), seventh-ranked “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (24-7), and ninth-ranked “Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (33-10-1) are all without named or rumored opponents.

Liddell’s lead trainer at The Pit in San Luis Obispo, John Hackleman, will join Liddell.

Affliciton middleweight “The Law” Matt Lindland (21-5-0) will also travel from Team Quest in Portland to teach takedown techniques; and, ATT’s own Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion, Ricardo Liborio (0-0-1), will round out the day on the mat.

The seminar is a rare opportunity for east coast mixed martial artists to train alongside some of the best from the west.

Doors will open at 10:00; and, admission is $100, payable at the door.  American Top Team is located at:

4631 Johnson Road
Coconut Creek, Florida 33073

Evans detractors should notice Evans’s humility after the fight.

Liddell lay unconcious on the canvas for several minutes after the punch.

Evans jitter-bugged around a stalking Liddell the entire fight.  Liddell never really got a beat on him, but landed a straight right in the first round.  Evans back-pedalled and taunted Liddell with a dance.

In the second round, Liddell lunged for an uppercut and took Evans’s counter right hook square on the jaw to end the fight at 1:51.

Franklin Finishes Friend

“Ace” Rich Franklin (24-3) TKO’d his friend and former training partner “Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-2) at 39 seconds of round three with a left kick to Hamill’s floating rib in Franklin’s return to 205.

Franklin had landed the same kick consistently through the first two rounds.  In the third, the kick dropped Hamill and Franklin landed two punches before referee Mario Yamasaki waved the fight off.

Franklin took a deep cut over his right eye from a Hamill uppercut in the first round.  In the second round, Yamasaki asked a referee to take a look at the cut.

“I’m walking around with a black eye already; so, it wasn’t too bad,” Franklin said of the cut after the fight.

The fight continued; and, Hamill chose to stand with “Ace” after several takedown attempts were resisted.

Of his new weight class, Franklin said, “Cutting weight this week was awesome; but, pushing around another 20 pounds wasn’t.”

Marquardt Kayos Kampmann

Middleweight Nathan Marquardt (27-8-2) quickly KO’d kickboxer “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (13-2) at 1:22 of round one Saturday night in Atlanta.

After the fight, Marquardt said, “I knew I was better and, though he was a kickboxer, I knew I could take him standing.”

Marquardt connected early with a right head kick that plopped Kampmann on his ass.  Kampmann bounced back up, but ate Marquardt’s straights while backpedaling to cage.  At the fence, Marquardt dug an uppercut into Kampmann’s chin.  Kampmann fell and the fight was stopped.

Pellegrino Brutalizes Tavares

Before Saturday night, only two fighters had ever defeated lightweight Brazilian Thiago Tavares (13-3).  “Batman” Kurt Pellegrino (12-4) beat him twice in Atlanta.

Officially, the judges scored the unanimous decision 29-27 twice and 29-8, all for Pellegrino.

Pellegrino won a 10-8 first round on two score cards, dropping Tavares with a flush right hook and crackling uppercut.  On the mat, Pellegrino’s elbows opened up cuts on each of Tavares’s temples and under his righ eyelid.

In the second round, the only round Tavares won (paritally due to an inadvertant eye poke by Tavares), Pellegrino squeezed an armbar from his back; and, Tavares appeared to tap; but, referee Yves Lavigne missed the call.

After the fight, Pellegrino said, “I know it was super duper tight.  Yeah, he tapped.  All I remember him saying was ‘you couldn’t get me.’”

Pellegrino eeked out a close third between two exhausted fighters to put away the unanimous decision.

Barbarian Chops Down Patt

After peppering Octagon rookie Michael Patt (12-3) with right hooks, “Barbarian” Tim Boetsch (8-2) crashed a straight right through Patt’s guard.

Patt took a seat on the mat with a split lip and a faint idea where he was.  Boetsch pounded the fight closed at 2:03.

Boetsch said after the fight, “I’m pumped.  I trained real hard to get an explosive finish like this.”

Kim Barely Beats Brown

“Stun Gun” Dong Hyun Kim (11-0-1) remained undefeated versus Matt Brown (7-7)…barely.

Kim won a split decision 29-28 twice and 28-29 for Brown.  Fighters.com scored it 29-28 for Kim; but, UFC commentator Joe Rogan told the disappointed crowd he thought Brown had won.

Kim rode Brown’s back most of round one, nearly finishing Brown in a rear naked choke while Brown stood.

Apparently, that was the controversial round as two judges and Fighters.com scored it 10-9 for Kim while Cecil Peoples scored round one 10-9 for Brown.

Kim was sluggish in round two.  Brown took advantage, capturing Kim in his Thai clinch and hammering knees to the Korean’s midsection.

In round three, Brown walked right through a square Kim left hook; but, Kim followed up with a toss into Brown’s full guard.  Kim opened up a deep cut under Brown’s left cheekbone with a slick elbow.

Kim lamented, “I hate to go to a decision.  Next time I’m going to be different.”

Brown made clear after the fight, “I don’t fight for the judges.  I fight for the fans and to finish.”

MacDonald Avenges Maia Loss

Middleweight “Athlete” Jason MacDonald (21-10) willed a second-round submission ”W” over “Punisher” Jason Lambert (23-9) after nearly being forced to tap in a guilltoine himself at the end of round one.

MacDonald said after the fight, “[The guillotine] was pretty tight; but, my head was toward the screen and I knew I could hold my breath for six seconds.”

MacDonald held on and dumped Lambert on his ass to open the second round, then passed to mount.  Lambert rolled right into J-Mac’s rear naked choke at 1:20.

“I knew he was getting tired from making the cut to 185 pounds,” MacDonald said, ”so I knew if I could take it into the later rounds I would get him.”

Chonan Earns Split Decision

Two of the three cageside judges prevented welterweight “Jucao” Roan Carneiro (12-8) from serving “Piranha” Ryo Chonan (15-8) a cold dish of revenge for 2005 TKO loss.

Chonan won a split decision by 29-28 twice and 28-29 once in favor of Carneiro.  Fighters.com scored the fight for Carneiro 29-28.

Carneiro dominated round one, flopping “Piranha” on his back and chiseling a cut over Chonan’s right eye with elbows.  Earlier in the round, Carneiro had nearly scored an omoplata transitioned from a triangle; but, Chonan rolled free.

Chonan won the second round by stuffing Carneiro’s shot and out wrestling him while landing infrequent punches.  The crowd pleaded with referee Herb Dean to stand the fighters; but, Dean let them tussle for position.

Chonan stuffed Carneiro’s shot again in the third, but rolled into Carneiro’s guard.  Carneiro landed a few shots before Chonan regained his feet.  Chonan gained top position before the round ended, but did little damage.

Hendo’ Earns First UFC “W” Since 1998

“It’s been awhile,” said “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (23-7) after squeaking a unanimous decision “W” over “Toquinho” Rousimar Palhares (8-2) passed the judges by scores of 30-27 twice and 29-28.

A timid Hendo’ wanted no part of Palhares’s Brazilian jiu-jiu, consistently waving off the ground game throughout the three rounds.

Instead, “Hollywood” stalked with his devastating right hand cocked.

“Normally I’m more aggressive,” he said, “so, I apologize about that.

Palhares shot often, almost all of them stuffed by Henderson.  Palhares also peppered Hendo’ with an impressive array of kicks and nearly locked in two knee bars.

Hendo’ only landed his overhand right cleanly with ten seconds left in the fight, dropping Palhares.  Hendo’s pounced with two more overhands to steal the round.

Jackson lost a decision to Griffin, but won a decision over third-ranked “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-7) and knocked out fourth-ranked “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5)…twice.

Henderson knocked out sixth-ranked “Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1), but lost the aforementioned decision to Jackson.

Liddell won a decision over Wanderlei Silva, but lost a decision to seventh-ranked “Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-4-1) and, again, got knocked out by “Rampage”…twice.

Silva knocked out Jardine and has two TKOs of Jackson from PRIDE, but got knocked out by Henderson and lost a decision to Liddell.

Which leads me back to Jardine, who TKO’d Champ Griffin before he was Champ and won a decision over Liddell, only to be kayoed by Wanderlei Silva in 36 seconds.

Somewhere in that mixed soup of wins and losses from one through seven in Fighters.com’s September Heavyweight Rankings there’s order.  The following is Fighters.com’s version of it.

Conspicuously left out of the party is fifth-ranked “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0).  UFC President Dana White chose to match him down to formidable tenth-ranked Thiago Silva (13-0) rather than take his hard-earned shot at one of the division’s studs.

Evidently Machida still needs to prove himself while heavyweight Brock Lesnar (2-1) leap-frogged fifth-ranked “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-3-1) this week for a crack at returning UFC Heavyweight Champion and Hall of Famer “The Natural” Randy Couture (16-8) after going 1-1 in the Octagon.  Hmmm…

After winning a UD over “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-5-1), Machida should’ve drawn Liddell to determine a true top contender to the UFC title; but, instead, Liddell will make his case for a UFC title shot Saturday in Atlanta versus unranked “Sugar” Rashad Evans (11-0-1).  Hmmm…

“Rampage” seems fated to avenge PRIDE-era losses to Wanderlei Silva or ninth-ranked “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (16-3) in December…or not avenge those losses?

Jardine will fight former heavyweight “The Truth” Brandon Vera (9-2) in Birmingham; and, eighth-ranked Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-2) will fight fast-rising “Banha” Luis Arthur Cane (8-1).

Unfortunately, Henderson probably won’t return to the division he’s been most successful in the last two years.

September Light Heavyweight Rankings

1. Forrest Griffin (16-4)

“The Ultimate Fighter” is now truly the ultimate fighter after a close decision over Jackson, but now carries a target on his back in MMA’s most competitive division with Jackson, Liddell, and Machida taking aim.

2. “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-7)

Jackson returned from a 10-month holiday to lose a close UD to a hungry Griffin, but is 4-1 since bringing his “Rampage” to the cage.  He’s out-wrestled Olympian Hendo and became the only man to put Liddell on ice twice.

3. “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-7)

To think 205 is Hendo’s other weight class is astounding. A UD to Vitor Belfort paved a path for him to hold the PRIDE belt after a KO of long-time champ Silva. Henderson came up just short of unifying titles in a slog with ‘Page.  Until next time?

4. “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5)

Liddell has faced the toughest schedule the last two years, but fell consecutively to Jackson and Jardine.  He looked tough in his return to winning in the long-awaited face-off with Silva.

5. “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0)

Versus Sokou, the undefeated “Dragon” proved he could fly high and finish; but, his UD over Tito Ortiz was back to boring. His measured style is as tough for opposition to decipher as it sometimes is for fans to watch. His “W” column reads like a who’s who of MMA, but Machida needs stoppages to excite.

6. “Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1)

It’s been a bloody mess for “The Axe Murderer” the last two years, but a 36-second slaughter of Jardine in May means the division still has to deal with one of it’s most popular names.

7. “Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-4-1)

A 36-second knockout loss to Silva, the third time he’s been kayoed in under a minute, left the “Dean” exposed amidst a division of big punchers.  But, wins over Liddell and Griffin keep him in the 205 mix.

8. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-2)

Sokou had been punching fighters out of their top ten ranking until he ran into Machida, but there’s no shame in tapping to “The Dragon”.  Another big punch knocking out Kaz Nakamura in June stamped Sokou firmly in the top ten.

9. “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (16-3)

Whether injury, energy, or focus was the issue, Rua debuted in the UFC with a loss to then-struggling Griffin after earning the kudos of many with PRIDE wins over the likes of Alistair Overeem and Kazuhiro Nakamura.  His injured knee leaves him out of active duty until December.

10. Thiago Silva (13-0)

Undefeated in four Octagon appearances, Silva was the first to expose Houston Alexander‘s ground game and recently made “Antonio Mendes scream “uncle” beneath a brutal first-round G’n'P barrage.  He’s only seen the second round once in the last two years.

Evans fights Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked light heavyweight “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) Saturday.

Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked light heavyweight “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) bounced in place as reporters lined-up to interview the former UFC champion before his fight versus “Sugar” Rashad Evans (11-0-1) Saturday night.

Playful and boisterous, Liddell told Fighters.com he was ready to fight Evans today in a video interview that will be posted shortly.

Evans was a bit more low-key, focusing on the biggest fight of his career and rolling with middleweight training partner Nathan Marquardt (26-8-2), who fights “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (13-1) Saturday night.

Co-main event second-ranked middleweight “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3), moving to 205 Saturday versus former training partner “Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-1), skipped his scheduled session.

Sources in Franklin’s camp alternately told Fighters.com that Franklin wasn’t feeling well and that he was eating to maintain the weight of his new division.

Neither excuse gives much solace to Fighters.com after Franklin’s comments about his uncertainty about fighting his former training partner and moving to 205 pounds.

Especially since Hamill, who was late for his session because he and his girlfriend were shopping (a better excuse), was like a kid with a new toy when talking about the biggest fight of his career versus his “hero”.

“Athlete” Jason MacDonald (20-10) and Kampmann both attended too, but neither actually worked out.

Japanese fighters “Piranha” Ryo Chonan (14-8) and ninth-ranked welterweight “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) also attended, but only interviewed with the Japanese press.

In Las Vegas 4 July, Fighters.com’s new Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin (16-4) worked over now top contender “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-7) with leg kicks in a close unanimous decision.

Though Griffin hopped seven spots to take the championship, the decision loss was close enough that Jackson only drops one rank.

Jackson has declared his next opponent to be sixth-ranked “Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1), who drops a rank on Griffin’s ascension; but, no official word has come from the UFC.

Jackson versus Silva would make a trilogy that Silva dominated 2-0 in PRIDE.

Griffin will probably fight the winner of fourth-ranked “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) versus “Sugar” Rashad Evans (11-0-1), which gets on in Atlanta 6 September, but may also take on the winner of fifth-ranked “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0) versus tenth-ranked Thiago Silva (13-0) in Birmingham 18 October.

The debate rages across Internet message boards about who the top contender to Griffin’s title is: Jackson, Liddell, or Machida?

It seems third-ranked “Hollywood” Dan Henderson will stay at 185-pounds after an impressive three-fight run at light heavyweight.

Seventh-ranked “Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-4-1) will fight former heavyweight “The Truth” Brandon Vera (9-2) in Birmingham.

On the same card, eighth-ranked “African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-2) will fight rising dark horse “Banha” Luis Arthur Cane (8-1).

Ninth-ranked “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (16-3) remains on the DL with a knee injury.

August Light Heavyweight Rankings

1. Forrest Griffin (16-4)

“The Ultimate Fighter” is now truly the ultimate fighter after a close decision over Jackson, but now carries a target on his back in MMA’s most competitive division with Jackson, Liddell, and Machida taking aim.

2. “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-7)

Jackson returned from a 10-month holiday to lose a close UD to a hungry Griffin, but is 4-1 since bringing his “Rampage” to the cage.  He’s out-wrestled Olympian Hendo and became the only man to put Liddell on ice twice.

3. “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-7)

To think 205 is Hendo’s other weight class is astounding. A UD to Vitor Belfort paved a path for him to hold the PRIDE belt after a KO of long-time champ Silva. Henderson came up just short of unifying titles in a slog with ‘Page.  Until next time?

4. “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5)

Liddell has faced the toughest schedule the last two years, but fell consecutively to Jackson and Jardine.  He looked tough in his return to winning in the long-awaited face-off with Silva.

5. “The Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0)

Versus Sokou, the undefeated “Dragon” proved he could fly high and finish; but, his UD over Tito Ortiz was back to boring. His measured style is as tough for opposition to decipher as it sometimes is for fans to watch. His “W” column reads like a who’s who of MMA, but Machida needs stoppages to excite.

6. “Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1)

It’s been a bloody mess for “The Axe Murderer” the last two years, but a 36-second slaughter of Jardine in May means the division still has to deal with one of it’s most popular names.

7. “Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-4-1)

A 36-second knockout loss to Silva, the third time he’s been kayoed in under a minute, left the “Dean” exposed amidst a division of big punchers.  But, wins over Liddell and Griffin keep him in the 205 mix.

8. “African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-2)

Sokou had been punching fighters out of their top ten ranking until he ran into Machida, but there’s no shame in tapping to “The Dragon”.  Another big punch knocking out Kaz Nakamura in June stamped Sokou firmly in the top ten.

9. “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (16-3)

Whether injury, energy, or focus was the issue, Rua debuted in the UFC with a loss to then-struggling Griffin after earning the kudos of many with PRIDE wins over the likes of Alistair Overeem and Kazuhiro Nakamura.  His injured knee leaves him out of active duty until December.

10. Thiago Silva (13-0)

Undefeated in four Octagon appearances, Silva was the first to expose Houston Alexander‘s ground game and recently made “Antonio Mendes scream “uncle” beneath a brutal first-round G’n'P barrage.  He’s only seen the second round once in the last two years.

Liddell treated me to a Central Coast tri-tip sandwich and told Fighters.com that he deserves a title shot if he beats “Sugar” Rashad Evans (13-0-1) in Atlanta 6 September and, just as emphatically, why “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0) does not.

Checkout Chuck’s site: MMAJacked.com.

‘Page in Memphis

The fact is that the UFC, led by Vice President Mark Ratner, and the FedExForum in Memphis lobbied diligently this year to set-up a commission to regulate mixed martial arts in Tennessee.

Success at last!  And, as I write this, the State of Tennessee is scrambling to staff and organize their new commission.

(Tennessee readers should contact their State representatives immediately to be considered for the commission.)

FedExForum’s reward is the return of Memphis native son “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (29-7), who testified before the Tennessee legislature on behalf of MMA regulation.

FedExForum’s collaboration with the UFC was all but predicated on an eventual Rampage main event in Memphis.

Unless ‘Page wants to tune-up in the Octagon before November, it’s a lock that his golden grin will be donning billboards across Memphis before his next tussle, likely at UFC 90.

‘Page as Top Contender

My prediction is that UFC President Dana White and Matchmaker Joe Silva will rematch Jackson versus Forrest Griffin (16-4) for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.

After Saturday’s back-and-forth brawl, Jackson remains the most legit’ challenger.

“Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0) needs another top ten stoppage before earning a gold run.  I’m not the only one who thinks so.

“If [Machida] keeps winning, he gets a title shot,” White announced after Machida won a UD over “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6-1).

Note that as recently as May in White’s mind Machida’s title bid depended on more wins.  He hasn’t yet earned a UFC title shot.

I’ve read predictions of a New Year’s “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) versus Griffin TUF 1 melodrama, assuming Liddell defeats “Sugar” Rashad Evans (11-0-1) in Atlanta.

But, is Evans really the last battle on the road to title glory?

Liddell will get the New Year’s nod, but likely versus “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (16-3).

There are less likely, but reasonable scenarios, like matching Jackson versus Liddell for New Year’s or Jackson versus long-time nemesis “Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1) in Memphis.

What’s Best for The Belt?

Griffin won Saturday night in Las Vegas, but won a close decision versus a Champ who had been on hiatus for ten months.

Remember how belts in other UFC weight classes last changed waists?

Fighters.com’s Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (16-2) rocketed knees to fourth-ranked “Terror” Matt Serra‘s (9-5) ribs as the then reigning Champ turtled up in the second round in April.

Fighters.com’s Heavyweight Champion “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1) choked third-ranked “Maine-iac” Tim Sylvia (24-4) into a third-round tapout in February.

Fighters.com’s top lightweight contender “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1) beat “Daddy” Joe Stevenson‘s (29-8) face bloody before choking him out in the second round in January.

The UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, the organization’s premier belt, deserves the same finality; and, so does Rampage, who himself knocked out Liddell in the first round in May 2007 to become a champion.

But, the cold, hard ledger reveals Hendo’ hasn’t had a win at 185-pounds in two years.

Hendo’s previous rank was filled by tenth-ranked “Mayhem” Jason Miller (20-6), falling a notch to newly ninth-ranked “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-1).

Souza debuted in the top ten after pulling off a tight two-round unanimous decision over Miller in DREAM’s Middleweight Grand Prix 15 June.

Also in June Japanese action, “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2) cemented his seventh ranking with a UD over “Pink Pounder” Logan Clark at Sengoku.

Misaki now seeks revenge over new Sengoku add-on, seventh-ranked “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6).

No Sengoku match-up has been announced for Trigg; but, one would assume Misaki’s home nation promotion wants to match the old enemies as soon as Trigg is ready.

Sixth-ranked “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4) was pulling away from “Hands of Stone” Scott Smith (13-4) in the third round of their EliteXC title fight 31 May in Newark, west of New York City, when a thumb to Smith’s eye rendered the result a No Contest.

Lawler held steady in June, as did the entire middleweight top five.

Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4) wisely avoided a move to 205-pounds to fight fourth-ranked light heavyweight “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) in September.

The UFC’s July match-up between “Predator” Patrick Cote (12-4) and “Cachorrao” Ricardo Almeida (9-2) is being marketed as winner-get-Silva.

Baffling, since the UFC’s obvious top contender is fifth-ranked “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4), who seems to be lingering in limbo after knocking out former UFC Champion Evan Tanner (32-7) in March.

Fighters.com predicts Okami will draw “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (16-2).

Fourth-ranked Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1) continues to flirt with DREAM and will probably be the Middleweight GP champion’s first mandatory.

Third-ranked “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0) is out of rehab and training for a September WEC title defense rematch versus Chael Sonnen (20-9-1).

Second-ranked “Ace” Rich Franklin (22-3) is being pressured by the UFC to move to 205-pounds to clarify their middleweight rankings, but Franklin is resisting.

June Middleweight Rankings

1. “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4)

“Spider” fights like he’s hacked the matrix, making top-tier opponents look like they’re clumsily swatting at a web. In March he choked out former PRIDE champ Hendo’. His two-year record has both volume and quality with a “W” next to each challenger.

2. “Ace” Rich Franklin (22-3)

Despite two stoppages to Silva, Franklin is still the best of the rest, even according to Silva himself. “Ace” finessed from a Travis Lutter armbar to pick the TUF champ apart in April and outwrestled notoriously powerful Okami for a decision last July.

3. “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0)

Filho’s perfect rap sheet lists solid foes, but only an ’06 KO of Misaki among top-tenners. Chael Sonnen gave him hell in a controversial stoppage, but Filho missed the March rematch. A strong comeback in the September rematch will solidify Filho’s ranking.

4. Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1)

The Zainichi judoka ran the K-1 gauntlet of weight-mismatched spectacles before bursting into 185-pound contention with a KO of Denis Kang. Akiyama drew Misaki on NYE, but the end was deemed illegal and the result a NC. He also needs a strong comeback.

5. “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4)

Okami has been most active among the top ten in the last two years and comes off a knockout of former UFC champ Evan Tanner.  His only UFC loss was to Franklin, but could’ve conceivably been a “W” had he went after “Ace” before the final two minutes.

6. “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4)

“Ruthless” rides a four-fight “W” streak since being choked out by Miller in ’06, including a KO of Trigg and stoppages of solid fighters Murilo Rua and Joey Villasenor. Upcoming versus Scott Smith won’t prove much unless he loses.

7. “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6)

With all Trigg does, you may have missed his comeback at middleweight the last two years, starting with a TKO of Miller and a UD over Misaki. Lawler iced him at Icon, but he’s returned with a quick stoppage of Edwin Dewees. He’s my division wildcard to watch.

8. “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2)

Misaki has made successful hits on Denis Kang and Hendo’, but also dropped decisions to Trigg and Hendo’ and a stoppage to Filho. Regardless, he’s won and lost among the division’s best, and may have added a “W” versus Akiyama if PRIDE rules ruled K-1.

9. “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-1)

“Jacare” finally fulfilled the hype surrounding the BJJ world champion by overwhelming Miller on the way to a UD in June, but his besides “Mayhem” his record needs bolstered with better opponents.

10. “Mayhem” Jason Miller (20-5)

Always entertaining “Mayhem” has thrown in a stoppage over Lawler and a stoppage by Trigg into a mixed bag of competition the last two years.

Liddell and Evans should have headlined UFC 85, but a torn hamstring forced Liddell to withdraw.

Evans was also removed from the card when Liddell’s replacement, “The Sandman” James Irvin (14-4), also suffered an injury.

Liddell last fought in December against “The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1) when he won a unanimous decision over his rival.

Evans also hasn’t fought since last year, with a split decision over “The Count” Michael Bisping (16-1) in November.

Of course, “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (29-6) remains Fighters.com’s Light Heavyweight Champion and will defend his UFC title versus eighth-ranked Forrest Griffin (15-4) 5 July in Las Vegas.

But, Jackson’s nemesis from the past, “The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1), closed in on a rematch with the champion he’s conquered twice before.

Silva demolished “The Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-4-1) in 36 seconds, jumping five spots to the fifth ranking and sending Jardine down two rungs to number six.

If he takes out Griffin, Jackson may first have to unravel the riddle that is his new top contender, “The Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0), before a rematch with Silva.

Machida retired previously ninth-ranked “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) from the top ten and the UFC in a unanimous decision “W”.  Can we all say “elusive”?

Machida’s win welcomed a fellow undefeated Brazilian, another Silva in fact, to replace “The Axe Murderer” at number ten.

American Top Team’s Thiago Silva (13-0) survived a scary kick to the noggin to make “Samuray” Antonio Mendes (14-3) scream “uncle” beneath a brutal first-round G’n'P barrage.

“African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-2) held steady at number seven by re-establishing himself as a one-punch knockout threat in a TKO of “Kaz” Kazuhiro Nakamura (11-8).

With the win and the single word “Shogun”, Sokoudjou took the opportunity to challenge eighth-ranked “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (16-3), a challenge that’s traveled across the Pacific with the two former PRIDE stars.

With a lack of live action in the 205-pound class, ‘Page’s most competitive challenge since entering the Octagon, “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-6), drops to the third rank and has no announced or rumoured fights on his dance card in either of his two weight classes.

“Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) takes two steps closer to his own rematch with the champ at number four and will be announced this week as the main event when the UFC goes to Atlanta in September.

No opponent has been named, but Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4) has been rumoured to be considering the fight.  Fighters.com thinks that match-up makes no sense, by the by.

June Light Heavyweight Rankings

1. “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (29-6)

Jackson is 4-0 since bringing his “Rampage” to the cage. He’s out-wrestled Olympians Lindland and Hendo and became the only man to put Liddell on ice twice.  He’s earned Fighters.com’s title, but losses to Rua and Silva whisper questions from the past.

2. “The Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0)

Versus Sokou, the undefeated “Dragon” proved he could fly high and finish; but, his UD over Tito Ortiz was back to boring.  His measured style is as tough for opposition to decipher as it sometimes is for fans to watch.  His “W” column reads like a who’s who of MMA, but Machida needs stoppages to excite.

3. “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-6)

To think 205 is Hendo’s other weight class is astounding.  A UD of  Vitor Belfort paved a path for him to hold the PRIDE belt after a KO of long-time champ Silva. Henderson came up just short of unifying titles in a slog with ‘Page.  Until next time?

4. “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5)

Liddell has faced the toughest schedule the last two years, but fell consecutively to Jackson and Jardine.  He looked tough in his return to winning in the long-awaited face-off with Silva.

5. “The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1)

It’s been a bloody mess for “The Axe Murderer” the last two years, but a 36-second slaughter of Jardine in May means the division still has to deal with one of it’s most popular and scariest names.

6. “The Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-4-1)

A 36-second knockout loss to Silva, the third time he’s been kayoed in under a minute, left the “Dean” exposed amidst a division of big punchers.  But, wins over Liddell and Griffin keep him in the 205 mix.

7. “African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-2)

Sokou had been punching fighters out of their top ten ranking until he ran into Machida, but there’s no shame in tapping to “The Dragon”.   Another big punch knocking out Kaz Nakamura in May stamped Sokou firmly in the top ten.

8. Forrest Griffin (15-4)

The TUF 1 champ dug himself out of the “one hit wonder” abyss with an impressive stoppage of touted Rua and earned a UFC gold run versus Jackson.  But like Jardine, Griffin has proven beatable on any given night.

9. “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (16-3)

Whether injury, energy, or focus was the issue, Rua debuted in the UFC with a loss to then-struggling Griffin after earning the kudos of many with PRIDE wins over the likes of Alistair Overeem and Kaz Nakamura.

10. Thiago Silva (13-0)

Undefeated in four Octagon appearances, Silva was the first to expose Houston Alexander‘s ground game and recently made Antonio Mendes scream “uncle” beneath a brutal first-round G’n'P barrage.  He’s only seen the second round once in the last two years.

‘Page talked about his family, knocking out sixth-ranked “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) twice, and his upcoming fight versus fifth-ranked Forrest Griffin (15-4).

Of course, 205 king “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (29-6) is matched versus Griffin for July; and, we all await fireworks between the two jolly light-giants on season seven of TUF.

Third-ranked “The Dragon” Lyoto Machida (12-0) and Ortiz cross paths at the end of May as their careers cross roads.

Who says UFC President Dana White doesn’t make big fights in his fighters’ last contract fights?  A win for Ortiz before his promised exit to greener pastures could reignite “The Bad Boy’s” box office appeal.

A notch in Machida’s belt may mean he has to shop for a new belt, a shiny, gold one.

Jardine and tenth-ranked “The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (31-8-1) will tell the same tale of fighters colliding as their careers move in opposite directions.

Sixth-ranked “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) was yanked from his match-up versus “Suger” Rashad Evans(11-0-1) in London with a pulled hamstring, leaving on the table the originally scheduled UFC 85 main event between Liddell and eighth-ranked “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (16-3), also on the disabled list, to be fought in September.

Before being bumped down the Fighters.com rankings, Sokoudjou got bumped off the televised card at UFC 84, where he’s matched versus fellow judoka “Kaz” Kazuhiro Nakamura (11-7).

The next three months could turn the 205-pound division upside down with all of the top ten action.

May Light Heavyweight Rankings

1. “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (29-6)

Jackson is 4-0 since bringing his “Rampage” to the cage. He’s out-wrestled Olympians Lindland and Hendo and became the only man to put Liddell on ice twice. He’s earned Fighters.com’s top rank, but losses to Rua and Silva whisper questions from the past.

2. “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-6)

To think 205 is Hendo’s other weight class is astounding. A UD to Vitor Belfort paved a path for him to hold the PRIDE belt after a KO of long-time champ Silva. Henderson came up just short of unifying titles in a slog with ‘Page.  Until next time?

3. “The Dragon” Lyoto Machida (12-0)

Versus Sokou, the undefeated “Dragon” proved he could fly high and finish. His measured style is as tough for opposition to decipher as it sometimes is for fans to watch. His “W” column reads like a who’s who of MMA, but Machida needs stoppages to ascend.

4. “The Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-3-1)

A blip on Jardine’s record to Houston Alexander belies focused performances over Liddell and Griffin; or, is it the other way around?  Regardless, “The Dean of Mean’s” roller coaster will play bumper cars with “The Axe Murderer” this month.

5. Forrest Griffin (15-4)

The TUF 1 champ dug himself out of the “one hit wonder” abyss with an impressive stoppage of touted Rua and earned a UFC gold run versus Jackson.  But like Jardine, Griffin has proven beatable on any given night.

6. “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5)

Liddell has faced the toughest schedule the last two years, but fell consecutively to Jackson and Jardine.  He looked tough in his return to winning in the long-awaited face-off with Silva.

7. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-2)

Sokou had been punching fighters out of their top ten ranking until he ran into Machida, but there’s no shame in tapping to “The Dragon”. His career has been too brief to predict whether his future is north or south of his Fighters.com #7 ranking.

8. “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (16-3)

Whether injury, energy, or focus was the issue, Rua debuted in the UFC with a loss to then-struggling Griffin after earning the kudos of many with PRIDE wins over the likes of Alistair Overeem and Kazuhiro Nakamura.  His injured knee leaves him off active duty until a probable September date with Liddell.

9. “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-5-1)

Ortiz has served as gate keeper to the UFC gold in a win over Griffin and draw with Rashad Evans, but was unable to last three full rounds with then champ Liddell.  Machida at the end of May will show whether Ortiz is ready for another run at the top.

10. “The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (31-8-1)

It hasn’t been a bloody mess for “The Axe Murderer” that last two years, but he’s been the victim of two of the best light heavyweights in the world in Henderson and Liddell.

With respect to MMA’s classiest act, I disagree.

The UFC’s stranglehold over the top of the sport has ensured the best fighters fight each other.

The best match-up in boxing right now is WBC welterweight titlist Floyd Mayweather, Jr. versus WBA and IBF welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto.

For those not in the boxing know, it ain’t happenin’.

Mayweather is ducking the young bull Cotto for more lucrative, less competitive rematches with Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton.  Those happen to be match-ups Mayweather is more likely to win.  Hell, he’s already beat them both.

It’s the UFC’s umbrella over the sport that has made sure champions fight contenders, not pretenders who allow champions to hold on to belts maximizing the marketability of their reign.

You see, when free agent fighters and their management pick their opponents, whether in boxing or MMA, they tend towards safe fights.

Exhibit A:  Everyone’s favorite MMA ducker, sixth-ranked heavyweight “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (27-1).

While a showdown with third-ranked “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (21-5) has been an option, Emelianenko has picked fights against middleweight “The Law” Matt Lindland (20-5) and kickboxer “Techno Goliath” Hong Man Choi (1-1).

Such is matchmaking when managers and free agent fighters seek to prolong their marketability versus the safest reasonable opponents.

I mean, Lindland and Choi are both world champions, right?  Nevermind that their championships were in a different weight class and sport respectively than Emelianenko.

I’m not advocating for the UFC.  I could care less about which promoter logo is atop a fight card.  It’s the card itself that interests me.  The fact is, the UFC’s centralized organization of the sport has produced the best fights and, by definition, avoided “becoming a fractured sport the way boxing has.”

Notes From Around MMA

* Top Strikeforce lightweight contender “The Punk” Josh Thomson (14-2) maintains “The Carpenter” Clay Guida (23-9) oiled up before their March 2006 title fight, won by Guida by UD.  Thomson claims, “I mentioned it to Clay’s brother one time.  I said, ‘Clay was really slippery in that fight…’  He just looked at me, shrugged, and said, ‘You do what you have to do to win.’  I just thought, ‘Whatever, douche bag.’  But, Clay…I think his career has leveled off.  He got a few big wins, but he’s taken some losses the last couple of years.”

* Couture (16-8) told IGN he’s pursuing a video game deal with EA Sports.  He also claimed, “I don’t care where the fight happens,” in response to a question about fighting sixth-ranked Emelinanenko in the UFC.  Couture had previously expressed his desire not to fight Emelianenko in the UFC.

* UFC middleweight Rob Yundt (6-1), who lost his UFC debut in February to “Cachorrao” Ricardo Almeida (9-2), will return to the Octagon 21 June on the TUF 7 finale versus one of the TUF contestants.  The UFC won’t reveal Yundt’s opponent to him until that fighter is eliminated on the show.

* The Tennessee House of Representatives passed a bill to legalize and sanction MMA in the state by a vote of 95-2.  The bill is held-up in the Senate by Senators Dewayne Bunch of Cleveland and Bo Watson of Hixson.  The two southeast Tennessee legislators have attached an amendment earmarking the profits from MMA events for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Division I wrestling team.  According to the Nashville Post, the amendment may violate NCAA rules.  Tennesseans are urged to contact their state Senators and urge the passing of the bill next week without the earmarking amendment.

* Fourth-ranked welterweight “The Terror” Matt Serra (9-5) and UFC light heavyweight “The Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-1), both New York state residents, and UFC executive Marc Ratner were lobbying New York state Senators Tuesday to legalize and regulate MMA in the state.  A bill legalizing and regulating the sport in New York has passed the state’s assembly, but is opposed in the senate.

* Canadian kickboxer “Black Sniper” Michael McDonald (1-1), 2002 and 2004 K-1 North American Grand Prix Champion, won a decision over American kickboxer “The Jet” Rick Roufus (1-1) in an MMA bout fought under the radar in Romania last month.

* “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) and “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (1-1) will go head-to-head 31 May in a ratings battle.  SpikeTV will air Ultimate Iceman to compete directly with CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights at 9:00 PM EST.  SpikeTV will air an entire day of UFC programming on 31 May, beginning at 11:00 AM EST.

* Star magazine reported that actress/singer Mandy Moore has a crush on top-ranked welterweight “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (16-2).  Moore was in the UFC 83 crowd last month when St. Pierre claimed the UFC welterweight title from Serra (9-5).

* You know it’s a slow MMA news cycle when eighth-ranked lightweight “The Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-2-1) testing negative for steroids in a Nevada State Athletic Commission test is a headline.  Of course he tested negative!  The headline is if he had tested positive…again.

* As I concluded after the first episode of this season’s The Ultimate Fighter, Jeremy May (5-5) is a douche bag and nothing could’ve made me happier than seeing him get smashed by fellow-Cincinnatian Matt Brown (9-6) last night.

You know what though?  Sometimes, you just want to boil a live lobster, slather it in butter, and make a mess.

“Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (2-0) hasn’t elevated his MMA to an art form, like “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (22-5) has; but, “Slice” keeps us all honest.

When “Slice” tells Liddell, “We can always take it back to old school.  That’ll work for me,” I believe him.  In fact, I’m not convinced he won’t show-up at “The Pit” if Liddell responds to this video:

“Thousand Oaks, California!  Elite MMA!  I’m right he’ah!”

The former co-main event was promoted after “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) was removed from his match-up versus “Sugar” Rashad Evans (11-0-1) with a pulled hamstring.

Vera, whose father is Filipino, is in the Philippines promoting the fight.

Evans has been removed from the official card and there’s no word whether he’ll be matched against a light heavyweight replacement for Liddell.