Fighters.com's fourth-ranked heavyweight "Pitbull" Andrei Arlovski (13-5) and IFL Champion "Big Country" Roy Nelson (13-2) have agreed to fight in Sunrise, north of Miami, 4 October. Arlovski was originally scheduled to leather up versus Fighters.com's Heavyweight Champion "Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) 11 October in Las Vegas. Affliction rescheduled that event for 17 January in Anaheim, east of Los Angeles. Arlovski TKO'd former IFL titlist "Big" Ben Rothwell (29-6) in Anaheim 19 July. ...

"King Karl" Karl James Noons (7-2) was stripped of his EliteXC 160-pound title Friday "due to Noons’s reluctance to defend against leading 160-pound  contender Nick Diaz (18-7)." EliteXC Head of Fight Operations Jerem Lappen said. “It’s a very unfortunate situation but we cannot have belt-holders  who refuse to fight the top contenders.  We want champions who will fight  anyone, anytime, anyplace.  That’s the mentality all champions should have." Noons explained to Fighters.com his reasons for not rematching Diaz in an interview published 26 August. Lappen added, "K.J. has two more fights remaining on his contract, so we are still looking forward to having him fight for us again soon, but not as our world champion." EliteXC will announce a fight for the vacant 160-pound title in the near future, presumably involving Diaz. Noons beat Diaz on cuts for the EliteXC 160-pound title in November 2007. ...

Fighters.com's September Welterweight Rankings was denied a potential breakout match-up in Atlanta 6 September when "The Heat" Karo Parisyan (18-5) bailed on his fight versus ninth-ranked "Zenko" Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) with a back injury...or something. Yoshida has stoppages of Katsuya Inoue (16-6-3) and Akira Kikuchi (16-4); but, few this side of the Pacific (besides you and I) know how impressive that is. A good showing versus physically and technically tough Parisyan would've put him on North American radar too. Fighters.com has developing information that another anticipated fight, between sixth-ranked "Terror" Matt Serra (9-5) and seventh-ranked Matt Hughes (42-7), is unlikely to ever happen.  More on that as it develops. Fighters.com's Welterweight Champion "Rush" Georges St. Pierre (17-2) will fight Fighters.com's Lightweight Champion "Prodigy" B.J. Penn (13-4-1) in Las Vegas 31 January. ...

Fighters.com's seventh-ranked middleweight "Twinkle Toes" Frank Trigg (17-6) made a successful comebackwith an anti-climactic unanimous decision over Makoto Takimoto (4-5) in Saitama, north of Tokyo, 25 August and plans to fight Falaniko Vitale (26-8) 3 October in Denver. Trigg also welcomed a son, Stone, to his family in September.  Congratulations from Fighters.com. The remainder of the Middleweight Top Ten was on holiday last month...well, at least at middleweight. Top contender "Ace" Rich Franklin (23-3) made a successful return to light heavyweight in Atlanta 6 September.  He remains wishy-washy about his future in either division. But, before Franklin could move-up to 205, Fighters.com's Middleweight Champion "Spider" Anderson Silva (22-4) beat him there.  Franklin must wonder whether Silva is going to move to Cincinnati and start teaching high school math too. Silva is preparing to defend his Fighters.com and UFC titles versus "Predator" Patrick Cote (13-4) in Chicago 25 October. Third-ranked "Ely" Paulo Filho's (16-0) WEC title defense versus Chael Sonnen (20-9-1) was postponed from tonight to 5 November due to Hurrican Ike. Fourth-ranked EliteXC champ "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (16-4) is rumored to be considering a rematch versus Joey Villasenor (26-6), whom Lawler KO'd in 22 seconds in 2006. ...

Elusive Russian Sergei Kharitonov (15-3) breached Fighters.com's Heavyweight Top Ten in September without having fought for a year. Kharitonov TKO'd "Demolition Man" Alistair Overeem (28-11) in Yokohama in September 2007; but, has been more active on the rumor mill than in the ring since. He was floated as "Cro Cop" Mirko Filipovic's (23-6-2) opponent at DREAM.4 in June and lately was mentioned as a challenger for the EliteXC Heavyweight Championship versus "Bigfoot" Antonio Silva (11-1). Kharitonov found his way into neither fight and may have a short stint as a top ten big boy as fighters beneath him line-up legit matches. A spot opened for Kharitonov when "Texas Crazy Horse" Heath Herring (28-14) was mauled by physical phenom Brock Lesnar (2-1) in Minneapolis 9 August, shoveling Herring out of the eighth rank. ...

New Jersey State Athletic Control Board Counsel Nick Lembo has called on mixed martial arts fans to submit their comments to the Association of Boxing Commissions Professional and Amateur MMA Rules Committee by 17 September. "We are interested in any comments," said Lembo.  "All comments will be passed on to the Committee for their consideration." Topics on the Commitee's agenda include: Adding smothering of the nostrils or mouth as a foul (as per the Montreal document). Removing manipulating the clavicle as a foul (as per the Montreal document). Removing heel kicks to the kidney as a foul (as per the Montreal document). Removing the allowance of stomps to the feet by two standing fighters  (as per the Montreal document). ...

EliteXC has confirmed several bouts for the 4 October event to air on CBS’s Saturday Night Fights, happening at the BankAtlantic Center near Fort Lauderdale, FL. UFC Hall of Famer and “World’s Most Dangerous Man” Ken Shamrock (26-13-2) was named as “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson's (3-0) opponent for the night’s main event. Fighters.com’s third-ranked welterweight Jake Shields (21-4-1) will defend his EliteXC title for the first time against Brit “Semtex” Paul Daley (18-6-2). Benji Radach (18-4) will make his EliteXC debut against “Ninja” Murilo Rua (16-8-1) in a middleweight match-up. ...

Besides “Wildman” Thomas Denny (26-17) himself, it’s fair for Fighters.com to speculate that no one wanted Denny to kick Nick Diaz’s (18-7) ass last month in Stockton, east of San Francisco, more than EliteXC 160-Pound Champion “King Karl” Karl James Noons (7-2). Diaz won, setting up a probable title rematch versus Noons in October. Noons spoke exclusively to Fighters.com about being the first fighter in mixed martial arts who's been asked to avenge a win. Fighters.com: Do you know who made the decision at EliteXC to invite Nick Diaz into the cage after you knocked out Yves Edwards (34-14-1)? K.J. Noons: No.  Do you? Fighters.com: No.  I was wondering if you asked around, like, "Who's the asshole?" K.J. Noons: I...I don't know.  Probably someone from ProElite, er...EliteXC. Fighters.com: You told Inside MMA you weren’t happy about it.  Do you think that’s just what promoters do to hype fights; or, do you take it more personal? K.J. Noons: Um...you know, if they want to hype a fight, that's cool.  And...you know, whatever.  Hype me!  Shit!  Stop hypin' fuckin' Nick Diaz.  What the fuck!? ...

EliteXC Heavyweight Champion "Bigfoot" Antonio Silva (11-1) tested positive for the banned performance enhancing substance boldenone after defeating Justin Eilers (19-7-1) for the title in Stockton, east of San Francisco, 26 July, according to the California State Athletic Commission. Silva responded through his manager, Alex Davis, at Tatame, saying "I did not use the steroid boldenone, or any other steroid of prohibited substance.  I don't agree and never have agreed with the use of this kind of product in order to win, for this is cheating.  I will go to the full extent of my power and the law to prove my innocence in this matter." ...

After Fighters.com's Welterweight Champion "Rush" Georges St. Pierre (17-2) defended his title from then top contender Jon Fitch (17-3) in Minneapolis 9 August, who better to challenge him next than...Fighters.com's Lightweight Champion "Prodigy" B.J. Penn (13-4-1)? On the gutsy unanimous decision loss, Fitch dropped three ranks to fifth in August's rankings.  However, to those who've called Fitch St. Pierre's "toughest challenge", Fighters.com reminds them that sixth-ranked "Terror" Matt Serra (9-5) knocked St. Pierre out in the first round in Houston 7 April, 2007. In fact, it was obvious in the stand-up exchanges between St. Pierre and Fitch that the 2007 knockout remains in the forefront of St. Pierre's mind as St. Pierre was more cautious than he had been in previous fights. But, rather than St. Pierre match-up versus Penn, Fighters.com would rather sanction a title fight between St. Pierre and the winner of the match-up between Fighters.com's new top contender "Pitbull" Thiago Alves (15-3) and seventh-ranked "Nightmare" Diego Sanchez (18-2) to be fought in Chicago 25 October. ...

The middleweight top ten whirls like a dervish across the UFC, WEC, EliteXC, DREAM, Sengoku, and Strikeforce, leaving Fighters.com's Middleweight Champion "Spider" Anderson Silva (22-4) to defend versus "Predator" Patrick Cote (13-4) in Chicago 25 October. The UFC seemed intent that sixth-ranked "Thunder" Yushin Okami (21-4-1) miss his de facto UFC top contender challenge of Silva, marketing Cote versus "Cachorrao" Ricardo Almeida (9-3) in Las Vegas 5 July as an eliminator fight even before Okami pulled up lame with a broken hand. Cote won by split decision. ...

EliteXC middleweight Joey Villasenor (26-6) will fight in their 20 September event, possibly against “Ninja” Murilo Rua (16-8-1), he told MMA Junkie Saturday. "It sounds like it's going to be in my hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico," Villasenor said. "We’re just waiting on confirmation of who it's going to be [against]." "They keep on bringing up Ninja's name. They're bringing up other names, but Ninja is the one that is sticking out right now." Villasenor has won his last three fights, most recently against “New York Bad Ass” Phil Baroni (12-10) in May via first-round TKO. His last loss was by second-round TKO to Rua in June 2007, when they battled for EliteXC’s first-ever middleweight title. Rua lost the belt in his next fight in September to current champ “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4) via TKO in round two. ...

SpikeTV’s re-broadcast of UFC 84: Ill Will drew more viewers than the live CBS broadcast of EliteXC: Unfinished Business 26 July. According to the SpikeTV press release, 27% more viewers in the key demographic of males 18-34 tuned in to the rerun, with SpikeTV’s total at 433,000 and CBS’s at 341,000. UFC 84, which happened in May, was headlined by a lightweight match between Fighters.com’s second-ranked “Prodigy” BJ Penn (12-4-1) and fifth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-3-1). EliteXC’s event featured a middleweight title rematch between sixth-ranked “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (18-4) and “Hands of Steel” Scott Smith (13-5). The press release also stated that CBS ratings were down from its debut of Saturday Night Fights 31 May: 69% lower in males 18-34 and 57% lower in males 18-49. The May event was headlined by EliteXC star “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (3-0), who will fight in the organization’s next event 4 October, also airing on CBS. ...

EliteXC’s third installment of Saturday Night Fights will air on CBS 4 October. The announcement was made during EliteXC’s event Saturday. It will take place at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, FL, near Fort Lauderdale. “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (3-0) and Gina Carano (6-0) will feature on the card, although no opponents have been named yet. Both fought at EliteXC's network television debut in May. ...

"Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (18-4) TKO'd "Hands of Steel" Scott Smith (13-5) at 2:35 of round two to retain his EliteXC Middleweight Championship. Nick Diaz (18-7) TKO'd "Wildman" Thomas Denny (26-17) at :30 of round two. Jake Shields (21-4-1) defeats "The Goat" Nick Thompson (36-10-1) by guillotine submission at 1:03 of the first round for the EliteXC Welterweight Championship. "Big Foot" Antonio Silva (11-1) TKO'd Justin Eilers (20-8-1) at :19 of round two for the EliteXC Heavyweight Championship. "Feijao" Rafael Cavalcante TKO'd "Gladiator" Travis Galbraith (15-6) at 3:01 of round one. Wilson Reis (5-0) won a unanimous decision over Bryan Caraway (10-3). Carl Seumanutafa (4-0) KO'd Mike Cook (5-2) by slam at 1:21 of round one. Drew Montgomery (5-3) TKO'd Brandon Tarns (1-2) by doctor stoppage at 4:23 of round three. ...

I snapped this shot at the entrance to a bar on Broadway in Nashville Friday.  Notice anything? Is this a victory for the UFC or a problem? The MMA nation cringes when a newbie refers to mixed martial arts as "ultimate fighting". (On teleconferences, I parse the serious fight writers from the general press corp by just that phrase.  One would expect a sports journalist at bare minimum to know what the sport they're covering is called.) For years the UFC encouraged the press to refer to MMA as "ultimate fighting". ...

“Feijao” Rafael Cavalcante (6-1) and “Gladiator” Travis Galbraith (15-5) will meet 26 July in a light heavyweight match-up at EliteXC’s Unfinished Business as part of the Showtime card. Touted Cavalcante is 2-0 at EliteXC, most recently defeating Wayne Cole (11-7) with a first-round TKO on 14 June. “Feijao” trains with UFC and Fighters.com’s Heavyweight Champion “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1) and Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4). King of the Cage Canada champion Galbraith is coming off two consecutive wins, most recently submitting Martin Desilets (7-2; 1NC) with a first-round triangle choke at Raw Combat last month in Calgary. Galbraith also fought at PRIDE 32, but was TKO’d in round two by "Kaz" Kazuhiro Nakamura (11-8). EliteXC’s one-hour Showtime telecast airing before the CBS show also includes a featherweight bout between Wilson Reis (4-0) and Brian Caraway (9-2), and a title match between “Bigfoot” Antonio Silva (10-1) and Justin Eilers (19-6-1) for the new EliteXC heavyweight belt. ...

EliteXC 160-pound contender Nick Diaz (17-7) was M.I.A. Thursday on a teleconfernce promoting his 26 June match-up versus "Wildman" Thomas Denny (26-16) in Stockton, east of San Francisco. Diaz also flaked on a teleconference before his last fight versus Muhsin Corbbrey (8-3) in June.  Diaz then missed the 160-pound weight limit by nine pounds. Diaz's absence Thursday rendered him unable to respond to Denny's accusation to Fighters.com, "He looked a little chubby in his last fight." Denny warned on the teleconference that if Diaz weighs 169-pounds in Stockton 26 June, "There probably won't be a fight." Denny also prodded, "Be a professional!" ...

Thursday afternoon ProElite CEO Doug Deluca confirmed, "Gary [Shaw] is still very involved with ProElite." A rumor had spread over the Internet in recent weeks that Shaw was being pushed out of ProElite, parent company of EliteXC, by new investors CBS. However, once referred to as "Live Events President", Deluca described Shaw's current role as, "More or less consulting, behind the scenes shaping the direction of the company." Deluca added that Shaw was taking "a relaxed roll as far as being front and center...for his health, boxing business, and his family." ...

Prolific MMA referee Dan Miragliotta has begun physical therapy after surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. "The surgery went really good and I started P.T. last week," Miragliotta told Fighters.com. The injury was sustained 31 May when Miragliotta dove in to save a withering “New York Bad Ass” Phil Baroni (10-10) from suffering more punishment from Joey Villasenor’s (26-6) boxing barrage. "The sling comes off in about four more weeks and then I can start some harder P.T.," Miragliott said.  "I cant wait to get back in action." Miragliotta may see action as early as September, earlier if his physical therapy goes well. ...

Wilson Reis (4-0) and Brian Caraway (9-2) will meet in a 140-pound featherweight bout at EliteXC’s 26 July event, EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw confirmed to Five Ounces of Pain Thursday. Reis is 2-0 in EliteXC, most recently submitting Justin Robbins (8-4-1) via rear naked choke in round one in May. Caraway won his seventh straight last week at Strikeforce by submitting Alvin Cacdac (4-4) via rear naked choke in the first round. Reis versus Caraway will open the one-hour SHOWTIME telecast airing before the CBS card, headlined by the middleweight title rematch between Fighters.com’s sixth-ranked “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4) and “Hands of Stone” Scott Smith (13-4). ...

Maximum Fighting Championship President Mark Pavelich announced Sunday that Drew Fickett (34-5) will not fight "Real Deal" Ryan Ford (6-0) for the MFC welterweight title. "Drew Fickettwill never fight in the MFC," Pavelich said. Fickett was contracted to fight Ford in Edmonton 25 July, but agreed on a day's notice to fill-in for "Diesel" Joe Riggs (27-10) Friday in San Jose after Riggs was denied a license by the California State Athletic Commission. Pavelich said, "We were shocked to learn Drew agreed on one day's notice to fight as a middleweight in another organization's event this past Friday.  When I contacted this other organization, its owner immediately cancelled Drew's fight when informed that he was under contract to fight on the MFC show and as part of Mr. Fickett's contract he was not allowed to take another fight up to five weeks before the MFC show." Fickett told MMA Rated that, "Some jerk-off wanna-be like promoter, some tough guy, like calls us and he's like pullin' the frickin' contract card on me.  I'm like, 'Dude, I don't care.  I just want to fight.'  This guy's like, 'Oh, you M-F this, you M-F that, frickin' son-of-a-bitch.  I'm going to fly down there and I'm going to kill you.'" ...

Fighters.com caught eighth-ranked welterweight Jake Shields (20-4-1) on his way to a date in San Jose Thursday night and asked him about his upcoming EliteXC title fight versus ninth-ranked "Goat" Nick Thompson (36-9-1).   ...

EliteXC fighter and TUF 7 competitor Paul Bradley (5-0) has signed with LionHeart Management, the Pennsylvania-based career management company announced Thursday. Bradley is currently under a three-fight contract with EliteXC. Bradley was an Iowa State High School Wrestling Champion and a two-time All-American wrestler at the University of Iowa. He said, "I'm really excited about signing with Lionheart and I am looking forward to representing them in the octagon.  This is a great place for me to further my career as a fighter.” LionHeart also recently signed NCAA Wrestling Champion Phil Davis and amateur fighter Lou Armezzani. ...

Fighters.com's ninth-ranked welterweight “The Goat” Nick Thompson (36-9-1) talked to his attorney, then confirmed to Fighters.com Cesar Gracie's (0-1) announcement that Thompson will fight eighth-ranked Jake Shields (20-4-1) for the first EliteXC Welterweight Championship 26 July on CBS. Thompson told Fighters.com, "It is true, it is signed, and I am stoked! "I have a six-fight deal with EliteXC.  It is non-exclusive and they recognize my pre-existing relationship with Sengoku." Thompson's last two victories have been versus "Pitbull" Fabricio Monteiro (16-7) by unanimous decision and "Maicon" Michael Costa (9-4) by submission in Sengoku, a Japan-based promotion. ...

Fighters.com's eighth- and ninth-ranked welterweights,  Jake Shields (20-4-1) and "The Goat" Nick Thompson (36-9-1) respectively, will challenge for the first EliteXC Welterweight Championship 26 July on CBS, according to Cesar Gracie (0-1), Shields's manager and trainer. Shields responded to Fighters.com's request for confirmation Tuesday, "I signed and I think [Thompson] did as well." Thompson also responded to Fighters.com Tuesday, saying "I can neither confirm nor deny the report at this time." Gracie also announced at his website that his student Nick Diaz (17-7) will fight "Wildman" Thomas Denny (26-16) on the same card. Shields was originally signed to fight Drew Fickett (34-5) for the first EliteXC welterweight title. ...

Nick Diaz (17-7) will not fight “Mach” Hayato Sakurai (32-8-2) for DREAM’s new welterweight title 21 July, according to Cesar Gracie (0-1), Diaz’s manager and trainer. EliteXC signed Diaz to a two-year deal in 2007 and has decided to pull Diaz from the DREAM title fight due to “contractual obligations”. Diaz said, ”I was happy to be fighting Sakurai and hoping to get back there to Japan where they have you fight in a ring and there seems to be more respect for the art of MMA.  I hope they will still have me back soon to fight him [Sakurai] for the belt.” Diaz TKO’d Muhsin Corbbrey (8-3) in round three at EliteXC’s Honolulu event earlier this month. At that same event a scuffle ensued between Diaz and EliteXC 160-Pound Champion “KJ” Karl James Noons (7-2), the last man to defeat Diaz. ...

EliteXC middleweight title contender "Hands of Stone" Scott Smith (13-4) responded to reported accounts of the events in the cage after Smith was inadvertently poked in the right eye with a thumb from Fighters.com's sixth-ranked middleweight and EliteXC champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4) 31 May in Newark, west of New York City, including New Jersey State Athletic Control Board Counsel Nick Lembo's account, in an interview published at Sherdog Friday. "I wanted to continue fighting," Smith said, "but I wanted to wait out my five minutes because, you know, my eye was hurt and I couldn't see too well."  He added, "The ref had told me I had five minutes." Smith also said, "Not once did I ever say, "I want to stop this fight." For some reason the doctor stepped in and said, "If you can't see now, you can't fight." In a Fighters.com exclusive, Lembo said 2 June that Smith was repeatedly asked by veteran fight doctor Sherry Wulkan whether his vision was improving.  Smith responded that it wasn't; and, after about a minute, Wulkan determined that if Smith's vision wasn't improving, the fight should be stopped. I was just blown away [by the doctor stoppage]," Smith said. Smith also accused, "The doctor was looking at the wrong eye.  They were looking at my eye and I was like, "No, this eye.  No, this eye.  No, this eye."  So, they didn't know what was going on, I think." ...

Third-ranked "Pitbull" Thiago Alves (15-3) is the big mover in Fighters.coms's June Welterweight Rankings after, of course, crashing knee-first into the side of seventh-ranked Matt Hughes's (42-7) cranium in London 7 June. Alves established himself as the top contender to the winner between Fighters.com's Welterweight Champion "Rush" Georges St. Pierre (16-2) and second-ranked Jon Fitch (17-2), to be fought in Minneapolis 9 August. Hughes finds himself at a crossroads as confidants close to H.I.T. Squad have confided to Fighters.com that Hughes didn't prepare for his tussle with "Pitbull" with the determination that's marked his storied career. The day after Alves finished Hughes, ninth-ranked "The Goat" Nick Thompson (36-9-1) finished hard-punching "Maicon" Michael Costa (9-4) in Tokyo. Thompson is negotiating to fight eighth-ranked Jake Shields (20-4-1) for the EliteXC title, but tells Fighters.com, "I would really like the fight but I am not willing to fight below my value in order to make it happen." ...

It's with a heavy heart that Fighters.com's June Middleweight Rankings saw legendary "Hollywood" Dan Henderson (22-7) fall from the top ten. 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. ...