You read that right, fans and friends. No one knows just how it will all go down, but we all know sooner or later that the world is destined for a zombie apocalypse. In this new post-apocalyptic land of the roaming undead, several MMA fighters stand out as possible beacons of hope amidst the chaos. No place will ever be safe again, but having them by your side makes wherever you are that much safer. Here are my top five fighters most likely to survive a zombie apocalypse. ...

Twenty-six year old Cincinnati stud "Relentless" Roger Bowling (5-0) has been forced out of a long-awaited first test at the big time versus The Ultimate Fighter 6 contestant War Machine (8-2), formerly known as Jon Koppenhaver, at XFC 9 in Tampa 5 September due to broken knuckles injured in his 41-second TKO of Devon Plaisance (2-4) at MMA Big Show in Belterra 25 July. Jason Appleton, Bowling's manager, told Fighters.com Saturday morning, "Roger is devestated because he had a lot of people already with plane tickets in-hand, vacations planned, etc., all of which having to be cancelled. [UFC Matchmaker] Joe Silva and people from Strikeforce were awaiting the outcome of this fight. It was a damn big deal. It's a sad situation, but it's got to be put on hold." A frustrated War Machine described the unfortunate circumstance with a bit more color: "Roger Bowling is a fucking pussy! Twice we have been scheduled to fight now and twice he has suddenly gotten injured two weeks before the fight! If you're scared to fight the War Machine, don't sign on the dotted line, faggot!" ...

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." ...

“Satisfying!  Very satisfying,” described Fighters.com's fourth-ranked lightweight and UFC Lightweight Champion "Prodigy" B.J. Penn (13-4-1) after defeating fifth-ranked "Muscle Shark" Sean Sherk (32-2-1) by TKO after the third round at UFC 84 in Las Vegas Saturday. Veteran referee Mario Yamasaki determined that Sherk was unable to continue after a Penn flurry at the cage that left Sherk on the mat at the end of the third round. The three five-minute rounds were fought entirely standing up, resembling a boxing match. Penn worked a slicker boxing style set-up with a long, snapping jab.  Sherk threw left and right hooks in a stiff, technical style. Penn established his jab in the first round as Sherk pressured. Sherk clinched to muffle “The Prodigy’s” reach advantage; but, Penn landed an uppercut to break the clinch. Sherk attempted to counter with his own jab, but threw it short as Penn followed down the pipe with his left.  Sherk clinched again; but, Penn threw him off. Sherk began round two with a cut under his right eye from Penn’s relentless jabbing.  He shrugged his shoulders before the bell, disappointed with his first-round performance. But, the Minnesotan took the fight to Penn in the second round.  Penn clinched inside Sherk’s left/right hook combo and hammered knees to “The Muscle Shark’s” body. Again, Penn clinched; but, Sherk overwhelmed him with a flurry.  Penn pushed out of the clinch. Unable to solve Penn’s boxing riddle, Sherk began to test his leg kick; but, Penn answered with a left hook. Penn had all the answers Saturday night. ...

Fighters.com was live Friday at the UFC 84 weigh-ins at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Fighters.com's seventh-ranked lightweight "KenFlo" Kenny Florian (9-3), former UFC Middleweight Champion Evan Tanner (32-7), and "Hammer" Mark Coleman (15-8) signed autographs and third-ranked lightweight "JZ" Gesias Calvancanti (14-2-1) was in the crowd with his smokin' hot girlfriend. ...

Background in the Cage In March 2005, as the original season of The Ultimate Fighter wound down winding-up a Stateside appetite for armbars and Superman punches, the first cage was erected in The Land of the Rising Sun. The idea: To simulate the UFC Octagon and America's Unified Rules in an Eastern MMA culture of rings and revolving rules, then send Japan's samurai to America to conquer the big show. That winter night in Tokyo at Greatest Common Multiple's Demolition of Octagon Gear I, Fighters.com's fifth-ranked middleweight "Thunder" Yushin Okami (22-4) submitted American "Tattoo" Brian Foster (9-12) in an arm triangle. A year-and-a-half later, Okami debuted in the UFC and is since 6-1 inside the Octagon, awaiting an anticipated rematch with the world's best middleweight, UFC Champ "Spider" Anderson Silva (21-4). From the D.O.G.'s current identity, Cage Force, another samurai will debut in the Octagon 24 May in Las Vegas when tenth-ranked welterweight "Zenko" Yoshiyuki Yoshida (9-2) battles with TUF alum "War Machine" Jon Koppenhaver (5-1). Yoshida was inked by the UFC in January after winning the Cage Force welterweight tournament, dominating a field that included welterweight King of Pancrase Katsuya Inoue (16-6-3) and former Shooto 167-pound champion Akira Kikuchi (16-4). Yoshida's martial arts foundation is firmly set in judo; but, it'd be unfair to call "Zenko" merely a judoka. Under the guidance of Shooto vet "Kijin" Noboru Asahi (18-6-5), Yoshida has pieced together a 360 degree, if not polished MMA arsenal. Stylistically, he's Okami-like, deliberately lulling his opponents (and often fans) into a slog that allows Yoshida to deceptively crank-up offense versus a sleepy enemy. His throws aren't as slick as "Heat" Karo Parisyan's (18-5), but as effective. However, his scrambles are silky smooth and his adept cage tactics haven't before been seen by North Americans from a Japanese fighter. From his back, "Zenko" works a furious guard in combo with vice-like body locks. From the mount, his G'n'P is as thunderous as Okami's, with big and small elbows and punches, though he can be swept by mat vets. Also Okami-ish, Yoshida is money in the clinch, especially against the cage. Yoshida is most vulnerable standing, but he's not terrible.  He launches targeted strikes one-at-a-time, mixing in a mediocre high kick or better-than-average leg kick. "Zenko" v "War Machine" Versus "War Machine", "Zenko" will be the smaller man in the cage.  In fact, he's undersized as a UFC welter, a problem Okami doesn't have at middleweight. This fight might as well start on the mat, because both fighters will rush to their respective G'n'P specialties. Yoshida's judo will come into play in the clinch, ensuring him the majority of mount time.  Koppenhaver isn't pimp enough to consistently sweep Yoshida, but is beast enough to weather "Zenko's" ground'n'pound. On their feet, it's a 50/50 affair for both fighters, producing a boring exchange of single strikes.  However, Koppenhaver will stalk the patient Japanese fighter, walking through most of Yoshida's standup, but also eating some damaging strikes. Despite being outmaneuvered, Koppenhaver will muscle to the mount as the fight wears on; but, Yoshida's active guard will expose Koppenhaver's propensity to be submitted, probably by armbar. Fighters.com predicts a successful UFC debut for Yoshida by third-round armbar submission over Koppenhaver, but "Zenko's" deliberate style won't propel him into contendership until he bags a few more wins in the Octagon. ...

Hail the new Fighters.com welterweight king UFC Welterweight Champion "Rush" Georges St. Pierre (16-2). Many had no doubt that St. Pierre was the best at 170-pounds, but it was important for St. Pierre to win the top spot with revenge on "The Terror" Matt Serra (9-5) at UFC 83. The truth is that Serra looked no worse in defeat to "Rush" than future UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes (42-6) did in December.  Serra drops to the fourth spot. Hughes and Serra have a date to dance before the end of '08, but Hughes has been drafted into the UFC 85 main event to replace an injured "Iceman" Chuck Liddell (21-5) on the 02 Arena marquee. In London, Hughes faces sixth-ranked pup "Pitbull" Thiago Alves (14-3), who's on a St. Pierre-ish steamroll through the division with stoppages of "The Heat" Karo Parisyan (18-5), "Lights Out" Chris Lytle (25-15-5), Kuniyoshi Hironaka (11-5), and Tony DeSouza (10-4). "Kos" Josh Koscheck (10-2), who moves up a spot on Serra's stoppage loss, will get a swing at Lytle in July, a true test of the third-ranked wrestlers grit and chin. Jake Shields (20-4-1) has had his EliteXC title fight with Drew Fickett (33-5) rescheduled again, this time to July.  Shields loses ground in the rankings as his 2006 unanimous decision over WEC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit (22-4) falls from his two-year record. In June, "The Goat" Nick Thompson (35-9-1) returns to Sengoku versus an as-yet unnamed opponent, but told Fighters.com, "For the right amount of pay, I'll fight Fedor or Jesus himself." At the end of May in Vegas, Japan's "Zenko" Yoshiyuki Yoshida (9-2) will debut in the UFC versus "War Machine Jon Koppenhaver (5-1) after an impressive run in his homeland. "Zenko" debuts on Fighters.com's top ten after "The Heat" Karo Parisyan (18-5) drops off because his two-year record lost a 2006 stoppage of Thompson. May Welterweight Rankings 1. "Rush" Georges St. Pierre (16-2) Since "Terror" struck at UFC 69, "Rush" has had to scrape pieces of Koscheck, Hughes, and Serra off the bottom of his feet on his steamroll back to the UFC belt many believe the 27-year old will wear for a generation. 2. Jon Fitch (17-2) While louder fighters have claimed title contendership, Fitch has quietly earned it with a stoppage of Alves and decision over Sanchez, plus UDs over tough Chris Wilson and Kuniyoshi Hironaka.  The wrestler is probably next in line for a UFC title shot. 3. "Kos" Josh Koscheck (10-2) After revenge over Sanchez, Koscheck was overwhelmed with a St. Pierre bouncing back from a loss. Like St. Pierre, “Kos” has all the physical tools to be a champion and absorbs new skills like a sponge. Time and continued top competition will tell. 4. "The Terror" Matt Serra (9-5) After knocking out the 170-pound division's heir apparent, St. Pierre, Serra was outclassed in their April '08 rematch.  However, Serra looked no worse in defeat than St. Pierre's two previous victims, Koscheck and Hughes. 5. Matt Hughes (42-6) Since getting KO’d by St. Pierre for the first time since ’01, Hughes hasn’t fought the same in a throw-away decision over Christ Lytle and another stoppage by St. Pierre. One wonders if he’s getting the same quality of training since leaving MFS. 6. "Pitbull" Thiago Alves (14-3) Alves has dealt 3 big stoppages to Karo Parisyan, Chris Lytle, and Kuniyoshi  Hironaka to plant himself firmly in the welterweight top ten, and only an ’06 TKO to Fitch keeps him from Fighters.com’s top five. This juggernaut will run into Hughes in June. 7. "Nightmare" Diego Sanchez (18-2) All the hype can’t replace a loss in the Octagon, and, in Sanchez’s case, two losses to Fitch and Koschek.  An ’06 decision over Karo Parisyan in one of the fights of that year proves he has the talent, but does he have the focus? 8. Jake Shields (20-4-1) Shields may be the world’s top welterweight, but a lack of competition outside the UFC keeps him from breaking through.  Still, he’s stopped all opponents in the last two years except in a unanimous decision over WEC champ Carlos Condit. 9. "The Goat" Nick Thompson (35-9-1) "The Goat" has bucked eleven straight challengers, ten by stoppage, since leaving the UFC after a TKO by Parisyan; and, though no top tenners, it's a list including Chris Wilson, Ansar Chalangov, Eddie Alvarez, and Fabricio Monteiro, all tough welterweights. 10. "Zenko" Yoshiyuki Yoshida (9-2) "Zenko" debuts in the UFC versus Jon Koppenhaver in May without an "L" in two years, all wins by stoppage. With overseas wins over Katsuya Inoue and Akira Kikuchi, Yoshida hopes to fare better than fellow Nipponese Kuniyoshi Hironaka. ...

The UFC has announced a pair of welterweight bouts for UFC 84 24 May in Vegas.  "War Machine" Jon Koppenhaver (5-1) and Yoshiyuki Yoshida (9-2) will match-up well as Jason Tan (5-2) and Dong Hyun Kim (9-1). Koppenhaver appeared on the sixth season of TUF and is coming off a bloody, brutal slog with cast-mate Jared Rollins (6-4) on the season's finale. Yoshida debuts in the UFC with an eight-fight streak stretching back to a 2005 Shooto majority technical decision loss to "K-Taro" Keita Nakamura (14-3-2).  In 2007 he stopped both Akira Kikuchi (16-4) and Katsuya Inoue (16-5-2) in the first round of Greatest Common Multiple events in Japan. Tan lost his UFC debut last year by KO to "Irish Hand Grenade" Marcus Davis (14-3), but has since recorded a unanimous decision over "Xandinho" Alexandre Izidro (6-7) in a Cage Gladiators. DEEP vet Kim hasn't lost since his MMA debut in 2004 versus "RYO" Young Choi (9-4) by unanimous decision, though he only muddled a draw out of Hidehiko Hasegawa (14-9-4) in his most recent start. ...