MMA Junkie gives us a pretty good recap of the story: the event is scheduled for August 27, in Hawaii. Arlovski’s manager recently confirmed that “The Pitbull” would be the headlining attraction. The report also states that former UFC fighters Drew McFedries and even possibly Kendall Grove could compete at the event.

It’s been a very tough few years for Arlovski, one of the most consistently-popular fighters in any promotion he competes in. Arlovski hasn’t won a fight since 2008, and he’s lost his last four bouts. And to make matters infinitely worse, three of those four losses have been by (T)KO. Following his recent, brutal KO loss to Sergei Kharitonov, I openly wondered how many more times I could stand seeing Arlovski limp on the mat again, with a dazed, far-off look in his eyes.

I also have to wonder: what does this mean for Arlovski’s deal with Strikeforce? Doesn’t this basically confirm that Strikeforce no longer has a contract with Arlovski? Or is Arlovski still allowed to work for other promotions while working for Strikeforce? Either way, despite his recent losses I think it’s smart for ProElite to grab up someone like Arlovski if he’s available. Virtually everyone, and I do mean everyone, is now under the Zuffa empire thanks to their recent purchase of Strikeforce.

I also wouldn’t mind seeing Kendall Grove in action, to be honest. I was frank in saying that it was very evident that Grove was no longer at a UFC level, but that doesn’t mean that I have any sort of problem with the man. I think he’s an entertaining fighter, he’s just lost too much recently. I think it’d be very interesting to see how he does outside of the UFC, and if the hunger to get back inside the UFC leads to him winning fights in dominant fashion.

Overall, I’m honestly a bit excited to see the return of ProElite. I mean… it couldn’t hurt, could it? MMA could use another major-level promotion, now that Strikeforce and the UFC exist under the same umbrella. Plus, it’s ProElite in name only, for the most part. The staff has completely changed. And the staff they have hired on, like former Strikeforce matchmaker Rich Chou, seem to know quite a lot about running a successful MMA promotion. Plus it’s in Hawaii, which should add a unique flavor and atmosphere.

In the end, I think I’d watch this show depending on what, if any, type of broadcast deal emerges. I think any promotion looking to make itself big deserves at least one look at. I’d certainly be down for a broadcast on HDNet, or possibly a Pay-Per-View with a reduced price point. If only to satisfy my own morbid curiosity and see if this new ProElite repeats the mistakes of the old one, I’ll probably end up watching this show.

MMA Mania recently reported that Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove was released from his contract, citing Grove’s own Facebook account as their source. Grove apparently broke the news about his release on his own, and had this to say: “Thank u UFC for a lot of Good memory’s. Respect to all the staff at zuffa for always treating me like family.”

A veteran MMA fighter with nearly eight years of experience, Kendall Grove made waves when he won “The Ultimate Fighter” way, way back in the third season of the UFC and Spike TV’s landmark reality television show. Grove would best Ed Herman to win the season, then score two more wins, including a D’Arce Choke submission over Alan Belcher. Widely regarded as one of the defining moments of his career, few could forget Grove sinking in the complicated submission while commentator Joe Rogan shouted “D’Arce Choke! D’Arce Choke!” at the top of his lungs. The win set up Grove as a possible title contender.

That momentum wouldn’t last.

Shortly afterwards, Grove would drop two consecutive fights with back-to-back first-round KO losses. He would rebound slightly by going on a two-fight win-streak, but he would further slide into mediocrity by going 2-2 in his next four fights. Grove has most recently lost two straight fights, both by Unanimous Decision, first to Demian Maia and most recently to Tim Boetsch.

And in other news, it’s recently been confirmed that Chuck O’Neil has been released by the UFC. In a small coincidence, Chuck O’Neil also personally made the announcement that he and the UFC had parted ways, and he too conveyed the message through his Facebook account. Here’s what “Cold Steel” had to say: “I was officially released by the UFC today. I will continue to work hard to improve myself as a person and a fighter everyday. I WILL make it back there because the UFC is where I belong. Thank you to everyone for your continued support and there will be a fight coming soon with a MUCH improved performance!“

O’Neil was a standout on the thirteenth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” but would ultimately lose out and also lose his official UFC debut at the recent “Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale” event.

I’m a bit sad Chuck O’Neil had to go, since he did show a lot of promise, but this is something the UFC always does with former TUF stars that don’t win their debut and didn’t win TUF. Also, I think Kendall Grove finally getting the axe after all this time is further proof that the UFC will do everything in its power to keep a former TUF champion or a very popular TUF fighter employed. Grove stayed with the UFC far past the point where it looked like he could one day make a serious run in the organization. And here’s some brutal honesty for you: if for some reason the UFC had decided to keep Kendall Grove employed no matter what, his up-and-down record likely would have continued for the rest of his career, until eventually he’d retire as one of the UFC’s most well-known journeymen fighters.

I’ve got no major problems with Kendall Grove, I’ve even been entertained by the man on more than one occasion. But I’m a realist, and I have to call them as I see them. And Grove just never fully realized his potential. I’m not glad that he’s gone, but I think it made sense to release him. I don’t wish him any ill, and I do think it’ll be interesting to see where he goes and what he does now that he’s no longer affiliated with the UFC.

Boetsch entered the UFC in February of 2008 as a late replacement, taking on David Heath at UFC 81, where he earned an impressive first-round TKO over the then budding light heavyweight prospect. The win helped establish himself as an exciting fighter in the new organization, however his career in the UFC has been a roller coaster ride at that, much like Kendall Grove. And while both men remain fan favorites, they will both likely be fighting for their jobs come this May.

UFC officials made the bout public just this past Monday, where the two middleweight fighters will be meeting opposite one another at UFC 130 which takes place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on May 28th.

Both men find themselves in a must win situation, as both are coming off of losses in their last outings.

Boetsch has been in and out of the organization since his inception, and he recently made a return in 2010 where he picked up a dominant decision win over Todd Brown last August for UFC 117, however thereafter lost to fast rising prospect Phil Davis this past Novemeber via submission in the second-round of their 205-pound affair. The submission loss was the first of his five-year career.

Kendall, meanwhile, has yet to find proper footing in the organization since his debut in 2006 where he defeated Ed Herman in the finals of the TUF series, where both men earned a six-figure contract due to their rousing three-round fight, one of the best in the company’s history.

In his last six outings, Grove has gone 3-3 alternating wins and losses during the stretch. In his last outing, Grove took on divisional great Demian Maia, losing a spirited decision to the grappling ace last December for the TUF 12 finale show.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? Who do you think takes this bout? Sound off in the comment section below.

First we head to MMA Weekly, where a report indicates that the unofficial attendance for the TUF 12 finale stands at around 1,622. The live gate receipt was about $380,000. According to the report, these unofficial numbers come from UFC officials at the show’s post-fight press conference. The Nevada State Athletic Commission will release the official numbers in the next few days.

We then head to Sherdog for a report that reveals which fighters pocketed the traditional “Fight of the Night”, “Knockout of the Night”, and “Submission of the Night” bonuses that are handed out at the end of every UFC event. Leonard Garcia and Nam Phan both received the “Fight of the Night” award for their fight, despite the fact that it ended in a highly-controversial decision that saw Garcia the victor when an overwhelming majority felt that the fight should have gone to Phan. Preliminary card fighter Pablo Garza scored the only KO of the evening, but it was quite the vicious KO, so he rightfully received the “Knockout of the Night” award. “Submission of the Night” went to former TUF 12 contestant Cody McKenzie and his dreaded, patented Guillotine Choke. All four men received a $30,000 bonus for their spirited performances.

While I do think that Phan/Garcia was “Fight of the Night”, part of me suspects that this award was handed to them chiefly as a consolation prize. I’ve already said my piece on this fight, I’ve spoken about it at length in fact, so all I’ll say is that this fight typified the best and worst things about the UFC right now: it was an entertaining and fast-paced fight between two talented fighters that ended in a decision that absolutely went to the wrong man. I know this isn’t the UFC’s fault, as so many are quick to point out, but something must be done about this, and soon.

I was able to catch the Pablo Garza KO online, and I can say without hyperbole that it gave some of the Strikeforce: “Henderson vs. Babalu” KO’s a run for their money. The sound of Garza’s knee hitting his opponent’s chin was a big “jump out of your seat” moment. I really wish that fight could’ve made the main card.

Cody McKenzie’s guillotine was a good submission, but more and more I’m thinking that he’s a one-trick pony. It’ll be interesting to see how McKenzie does against either a high-level striker or a high-level submission expert. For now, though, who am I to criticize? He may have only one weapon, but so long as it keeps working, I can’t fault him for winning fights. It’s up to his opponents to prepare for the choke, but for now, McKenzie made a great UFC debut and scored himself a good win.

So, what about you fans and friends? Any opinion on the award winners, their fights, or the unofficial attendance and gate numbers?

Next for Leonard Garcia/Nam Phan: If you’ve followed this series, you’d know by know why I occasionally group two fighters together. For those new to “What’s Next”, however, here’s a brief explanation: I’m grouping them together because they need to fight each other. In order to get rid of all the controversy and the unfair criticism that’s been put on the shoulders of Leonard Garcia rather than on the ridiculous judging system, Garcia and Phan should be booked in an immediate rematch. Phan would more than likely win, true, but perhaps Garcia will finally get the respect he deserves for his vastly entertaining style afterward.

Next for Demian Maia: Why not a rematch with Nate Marquardt? It would be an important stepping stone for both men. If Maia is able to beat Marquardt, he’ll have avenged the defeat that, if we’re being honest, almost single-handedly proved that Maia was not all he was hyped up to be. Maia would stop scratching and clawing his way back to relevancy and would instead take a big step forward if he was able to beat Nate “The Great”. Conversely, another win over Maia would really help Marquardt stay afloat as he struggles to shake off his track record of looking excellent against lower-level competition and failing hard against top-division athletes.

Next for Kendall Grove: Obscurity, plain and simple. This is the last we’ve heard of Kendall Grove. Trust me, I know how harsh that sounds. But Grove’s time has simply passed. He’s going to be relegated to the UFC’s background fighters, the ones that win a couple, lose a couple, and never really emerge as anything more than cannon fodder. I truly believe that this was Grove’s last opportunity to try and establish himself as a top-division athlete.

Next for Stephan Bonnar: Bonnar will stay at the mid-level for the foreseeable future. The UFC knows exactly how to handle Bonnar: they give him good, mid-level competition known for striking and watch Bonnar entertain the fans as he lures his opponent into a wild brawl. Bonnar may have shifted that perception by focusing on his wrestling against Igor Pokrajac, but I think it’s going to take more than one fight for the UFC to change their booking philosophy.

Next for Michael Johnson: I think Michael Johnson has the ability to go very far in the UFC so long as he keeps training with Greg Jackson and company. Johnson is a great wrestler with some pretty decent power in his hands. He’s got all the tools., right now he just needs an expert craftsman. It may take a year or two, or even three, but Johnson has a great amount of potential and could conceivably compete at a top-division level one day in the future.

Next for Jonathan Brookins: Brookins’ situation is very similar to Johnson’s: the raw talent is there, he needs to find a good camp that suits him well in order to properly hone it. What Brookins needs most right now is a good boxing camp, for two chief reasons. One, Brookins swings with a lot of power but lacks the finesse to outright KO his opponent. Two, he fights with his chin so far up in the air that it may as well have a target painted on it and flashing lights pointing towards it. All the pieces of the puzzle are there, so long as Brookins has the drive to put them all together and a good camp behind him to help him along the way, his future is very bright.

So, that’s what my inner Nostradamus has to say, fans and friends. What about you? What do you think the future holds for the big winners and losers of “The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale”?

Jonathan Brookins defeats Michael Johnson via Unanimous Decision. Stephan Bonnar defeats Igor Pokrajac via Unanimous Decision. Demian Maia defeats Kendall Grove via Unanimous Decision. Ricky Story defeats Johny Hendricks via Unanimous Decision. Leonard Garcia defeats Nam Phan via Split Decision. Dave Branch defeats Rich Attonito via Unanimous Decision. Pablo Garza defeats Fredson Paixao via KO (Knee) at 0:51 of Round One. Nick Pace defeats Will Campuzano via Submission (Modified Choke) at 4:32 of Round 3. Cody McKenzie defeats Aaron Wilkinson via Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:03 of Round One. Ian Loveland defeats Tyler Toner via Unanimous Decision. Kyle Watson defeats Sako Chivitchian via Unanimous Decision.

Underwhelming. I hate to say it, fans and friends, but when compared to its competition, that’s exactly what this event was. Strikeforce: “Henderson vs. Babalu” had four straight KO finishes that were all televised on the main card. This event didn’t have four finishes period. Now, this is not to say that a KO can redeem a bad fight… Frank Mir vs. Mirko Filipovic pretty much killed that train of thought. And a fantastic all-out war of attrition can indeed beat an epic KO. But the simple fact of the matter is that none of that happened. None of the Strikeforce fights that ended via KO were boring leading up to that KO. And none of the fights on the TUF 12 card stood out as particularly epic brawls.

This is not to say the event in and of itself was bad, however. Judged purely on its own, this was actually quite a nice night of fights and a worthy send-off to what I felt was one of the best seasons of TUF in recent memory. Demian Maia kept himself afloat with a good, solid win over Kendall Grove. Stephan Bonner used his wrestling, his wrestling of all things, to crank out a very good, winning performance against Igor Pokrajac. And despite the fact that even the announcers were quick to point out how many rookie mistakes both Jonathan Brookins and Michael Johnson seemed to be making, at the end of the day both men put a lot of heart and effort into their fight.

In all honesty, the one thing that disappointed me the most at this event were its fans. I say this without hyperbole: I was disgusted by the reaction Leonard Garcia received at the end of his fight. It completely undermined the strong performance he gave, and it ruined a very entertaining fight. Garcia was putting every ounce of his heart and soul into that performance, he was swinging for the fences from the first second of the fight until the last horn, and this fight is the second time in recent memory that he’s nearly been boo’d out of the arena.

That doesn’t sit right with me, fans and friends. Not by a long shot. I understand why fans were upset, this was yet another fight in the increasing list of fights that seems to point towards the MMA judging system as a whole being flawed beyond repair and in need of a drastic overhaul. But take that up with the judges, don’t boo the talented men and women that put every ounce of their being into a performance. Because when you do, it completely belittles the performer. And it makes you look like a complete jackass.

So, fans and friends, all in all it’s a big bag of mixed feelings for “The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale”. At least, that’s how it ended up for me. But what about you? What did you think of this event?

Maia was last in action when he competed against the always tough Mario Miranda, who stands as only the second man to third man to go the distance with Demian inside the UFC. At the culmination of their August middleweight bout, Maia walked away with a clear-cut decision victory.

Now, heading into his match up with the Hawaiian Grove, Demain switched things up a bit in the last week leading up to the fight in hopes to gain a competitive edge in this pivotal 185-pound fight.

“We did some pads, some jiu-jitsu positions, but not a lot of things (in particular)”, said Maia who spoke with Karyn Bryant of MMA H.E.A.T concerning his time spent at Wand Fight Team in Las Vegas.

In his short stint so far in the casino rich city, Demian spent his last week working with former PRIDE champions Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio Rua in preparation for his match up tonight.

“I saw them fight since before I started in MMA”, began the 33-year-old.

“I was just fighting in jiu-jitsu and I saw ‘Shogun’ and Wanderlei winning everything, so it’s very–I’m very glad that I can go and train with them.”

Along with improved striking prowess, which was largely on display in his win against Dan Miller this past February, Maia knows that the UFC crowd, and specifically Dana White, command exciting finishes with the most recent cuts to the organization roster. While knockout’s are crowd pleasers, Maia has no qualms with using his bread and butter to conclude a bouts end.

“To be complete I need to work on everything. I think the crowd also likes when you submit, so it’s just go in there and try to finish the fight before the time is finished”, proclaimed the Brazilian. “That’s the most important.”

While 2010 has treated Maia all that well, where he posted the lone two decision victories of his UFC tenure, and suffered his second defeat of his career when he lost his bid at the UFC middleweight title against Anderson Silva last April, he hopes that a win over Grove may the perfect ending for the year.

“I fought for the title with Anderson (Silva), until now I had three fights and I won two, I lost the title fight against Anderson, and I have one more so let’s hope I win (this fight).”

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of Maia’s chances tonight against Grove? Sound off in the comment section below.

Stephan Bonnar vs. Igor Pokrajac: It’s going to get dirty, fans and friends. Real dirty. Heinously dirty. By the time this one is through, look for both men’s faces to be swollen and blood-stained. I’m picking Stephan Bonner because he always shines brightest in these types of fights: wild brawls where his opponent usually has good KO power but somehow just can’t get the job done against “The American Psycho”. Stephan Bonner wins by Split Decision after three fantastic rounds of action.

Jonathan Brookins vs. Michael Johnson: This is a fight that’s going to be ridiculously tough to call. Both men are very talented and showed some amazing potential in their numerous TUF 12 fights. I think Johnson has the better chance on paper, but Brookins is just so unorthodox. My gut and head are in firm disagreement on this one. In the end I’m a fan of the sport first and foremost, so I’m going with who I want to win and picking Jonathan Brookins to take a close Split Decision and become the TUF 12 Champion.

Demian Maia vs. Kendall Grove: I think a fellow fighters.com writer said it best when he said that this fight is “win or become irrelevant”. Honestly, where do these two go from here if they lose? Kendall Grove has been chasing Middleweight relevancy since… well, let’s be honest, he’s never stopped chasing Middleweight relevancy. If he loses this fight, I think Demian Maia has earned his place in the “what could have been” column. This fight will force both men to come out with their best, and Maia is simply a better all-around fighter than Grove. Maia wins by submission in Round 2.

Johny Hendricks vs. Rick Story: This is another fight that’s really tough to call. Both men are on pretty impressive win-streaks, Story’s stands at four while Hendricks has a flawless 9-0 record that includes wins in both the WEC and the UFC. Both men have shown a willingness to engage, so I think we’ll see this one eventually turn into a stand-up war . With that in mind I’ve just got to favor the undefeated fighter that has more (T)KO’s on his record than his 11-3 opponent. Johnny Hendricks wins via TKO in Round 2.

Leonard Garcia vs. Nam Phan: You really can’t ask for a better show opener if this fight does indeed start the night out. It’s a fantastic fight on paper, both men have incredibly solid chins and some serious power in their punches. With absolutely no disrespect meant to the man, I honestly don’t see Phan having the kind of punching power necessary to (T)KO Leonard Garcia. I also think Garcia is so well-versed as a high-level fighter that the experience gap between these two will be too much for Phan to handle. It’s going to be an awesome brawl, but Leonard Garcia wins by Unanimous Decision.

And that’s it for me, fans and friends. Now it’s your turn: how do you see everything turning out once this live night of fights gets underway?

According to the middleweight and season 3 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter”, Grove will be returning where it all began for the 6’6 Hawaiian over 4 years ago when he meets Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace Demian Maia on December 4, for the culmination of the 12th season of “The Ultimate Fighter” for the TUF finale show.

“December 4 live on spike tuff 12 final grove vs maia”, said the TUF winner on his official twitter account late last night.

The match will likely serve on the evening main card. Grove is accustomed to airing on SpikeTV broadcasts since his early inception into the UFC in 2006 following his TUF finale win over fellow UFC middleweight Ed Herman. This will be Grove’s 4th time on a SpikeTV broadcast–however in last performance against Goran Reljic at UFC 116, Kendall’s bout was originally to air on the special Preliminary feature on the aforementioned television network, however after some dicey words he shared with the Tapout Radio crew, his bout was off the special broadcast.

“I admit. I’m pretty sure I got on there not just because of my good looks, but because of I had a pretty good personality and a funny personality. Everything is ratings to these guys (SpikeTV) and what’s going to sell ratings,” said Grove. “They could care two-(expletive) about our career. They just care about the time we’re there and the six weeks that they’re shooting and trying to get as much drama and stupidity out of us. That’s all we are to them, just cattle and sheep.”

Kendall later retracted his statements and made public apologies on several occasions, and it looks like it’s paid off.

Maia, who just a couple of fights ago was vying for the 185-pound title,

With an opening like that, which earned both him and Gouveia “Fight of the Night” honors, the sky appeared to be the limit for the Croatian sensation, who has trained alongside legend Mirko “Cro Cop”.

However, a 2-year lapse would follow where Goran had suffered from a serious back injury, putting him out of commission, and out of the minds and ears of the fans and media alike.

Following his return, it marked a first for the Croatian, who began his career as a heavyweight eventually paring down to 205. Goran returned to the UFC after having successfully healed from injury as a middleweight, against “The Ultimate Fighter” season 7 finalist, C.B Dollaway.

Unsuccessful in the return, Goran was taken down repeatedly by the collegiate wrestler, who trains alongside standouts Aaron Simpson and Ryan Bader out of Arizona Combat Sports. Goran would make another run at 185, this time against season 4 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter”, Kendall Grove.

The decision while controversial by some accounts, went to the favor of the Hawaiian, giving Goran his only his second loss.

Now it appears that Reljic will try his luck again at 205, against one of the biggest men in the division, Krzystof Soszynski.

The former body builder and self proclaimed “Polish Experiment”, has found some success in the UFC’s crowded 205-pound division, and was in early talks to becoming a serious contender when he stormed through with three consecutive victories since leaving the 8th seasons of “The Ultimate Fighter”. With wins over Stephan Bonnar and Brian Stann anchoring his career highlights, The Canadian will prove to be Goran’s toughest test yet.

UFC 122 is expected to take place sometime in November, marking the UFC’s second trip to Germany, where Croatians run rapid.

So, was Goran’s move back to 205 made too hastily? How do you like his chances against the “Polish Experiment”?

All signs point to a third loss and a UFC pink slip following his walk away from the cage.

A Renzo Gracie student, Almeida has made a successful transition to the 170 pound division after a well established career as a middleweight, which has seen him garner wins over the likes of Kendall Grove, Kazuo Misako, and perennial contender Nate Marquardt.

Matt Hughes, has had a long and storied career in the UFC. After making his debut nearly 10 years ago, a 20 second submission loss to nemesis Dennis Hallman, Hughes would then go on to capture the welterweight title with a knockout slam over then champion Carlos Newton, and would then go on to set the precedent for 5 consecutive defenses–the most ever cemented in the welterweight division.

While both have had successful careers, it’s Hughes who will be garnering the most attention come this Saturday, for several reasons dating back since 2000.

In 2000, Hughes was a participant in the Abu Dhabi competitions, where he crossed paths with Ricardo Almedia, winning on points in the grappling tournament. Six years later, at UFC 60, Matt Hughes defeated former multiple-time UFC tournament champion Royce Gracie, and made it look easy. After taking the fight to the floor–which most eluded to being the Gracie’s sweet spot with his obvious ground prowess–the two Hall of Famer’s engaged in what turned into a one-sided beatdown, with Hughes able to secure back mount, and after a failed submission attempt, settled for pounding the legend, before he was saved by the referee.

Thereafter, Hughes would go on to eventually lose his title to current kingpin Georges St. Pierre, and follow up the loss with another to top contender Thiago Alves, before bouncing back with back-to-back wins over foe and former champion Matt Serra, and the aforementioned Renzo Gracie.

In the bout with Renzo at UFC 112, the bout saw Hughes take advantage of the aged Gracie, where after a sluggish start in the third round for the brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master, would eventually signal the end, as the 35-year-old, Hughes would end the welterweight contest after crippling him with leg kicks, and ending it with powerful punches against the fence, marking the first time that the former two-time champion had ended a fight with strikes, on the feet.

While Almeida has attested that he requested this bout, not out of malice or out of a sense of “revenge”, it would be hard to imagine that while his master Renzo, and fellow idol Royce had fallen short to Hughes, that Almeida wouldn’t feel a sense of urgency, to reclaim what was lost.

While Matt is riding a two-fight win streak, and with a “win” over Almeida, it’s Ricardo who appears to have the upper hand. More athletic, explosive, competent striker is Ricardo over his predecessor Renzo, and with time on his side, it seems that Hughes’ run through the Gracie clan may be short lived.

Do you think Hughes still has the upper hand? Or will Ricardo reclaim the Gracie name, and exact revenge?

The hour-long broadcast will run commercial-free followed by UFC 106 live on pay-per-view at 10:00 PM. ET. Additional fights from the UFC 106 undercard may also air on SpikeTV depending on the length of the two scheduled bouts.

Topping the bill is the return of former UFC light heavyweight champion “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) as he is set to face former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin (16-4) in a rematch of the 2006 fight that was Griffin’s first loss in the UFC.

Although a winner of the inaugural Ultimate Fighter reality show, to many observers Griffin’s loss to the veteran Ortiz was the fight that catapulted the Xtreme Couture fighter into the deeper ranks of professional MMA. Now currently coming off a two fight losing streak, Griffin has a lot to win and a lot to lose when he faces Ortiz for the second time.

For Ortiz, UFC 106 will be a triumphant return to the promotion following over a year of bad blood with the organization. His last appearance in the Octagon was a losing effort at the hands of current UFC light heavyweight champion “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0) at UFC 84 in May, 2008.

UFC 106 will also feature two heavy-handed welterweights as Josh Koscheck (13-4) is set to clash against “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (8-2) in the co-main-event. Johnson is recently coming off a devastating win over “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-3) in 41 seconds of a catchweight bout at UFC 104.

The fight card is rounded out by a series of bouts that set a theme of old versus new when veteran of the UFC and PRIDE Fighting Championship “New York Bad Ass” Phil Baroni (13-11) returns to the Octagon for the first time since UFC 51 in 2005 to face off against The Ultimate Fighter 7 champ Amir Sadollah (1-1).

Fighters.com seventh-ranked light heavyweight “Banha” Luis Arthur Cane (8-1) and fellow Brazilian ”Minotoro” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (12-3) continue the theme of veteran versus up-and-comer. Nogueira makes his UFC debut following a near decade-long career worldwide.

Remaining main card bouts for UFC 106 include UFC veteran and Judo superstar “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5) as he meets Dustin Hazelett (11-4). “Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (14-4) is set to fight American Top Team’s “KIlla B” Ben Saunders (5-0-2 ). And the Ultimate Fighter 3 winner, “Da Spyder” Kendall Grove (9-6) will take on wrestler and WEC alumnus Jake Rosholt (6-1).

UFC 106 is rounded out by Paulo Thiago (7-1) versus Jacob Volkmann (9-0), Brock Larson (27-3) versus Brian Foster (9-12), Caol Uno (25-11-4) versus Fabricio Camoes (6-0), and George Sotiropoulos (10-2) versus Jason Dent (29-9).

The Ultimate Fighter 3 champ Grove lost a three-round unanimous decision to “Cacharrao” Ricardo Almeida (11-3) at UFC 101 in August.

Rosholt choked “Crippler” Chris Leben (18-7) unconscious at UFC 102 in Portland also in August.

The matchup is not scheduled to be broadcast on pay per view.

Doors at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas open at 7:00 PM local time November 21.  Tickets starting at $100 can be purchased at Ticketmaster.  The pay per view broadcast will begin at 10:00 PM EST.

Almeida overpowered the Hawai’ian in the clinch and scored takedowns at will, including a big slam. But, Grove fed Almeida knees in the clinch and a head-snapping uppercut as Almeida shot in the second round.

Grove nearly finished “Cacharrao” in round two, fully extending an armbar before Almedia rolled free.

But, Almeida was too powerful and relentless against the cage and inside Grove’s guard. He bullied the 6’6″ fighter for the UD.

The fight card from Philadelphia includes:

“Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-5-1) v “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (11-3) for the UFC lightweight strap

Fighters.com’s third-ranked light heavyweight Forrest Griffin (16-5) v UFC middleweight champ ““Spider” Anderson Silva (24-4) in 205-pound matchup

The Ultimate Fighter 7 champ Amir Sadollah (1-0) v John Hendricks (5-0)

“Cacharrao” Ricardo Almeida (10-3) v The Ultimate Fighter 3 champ “Spyder” Kendall Grove (10-5)

“Batman” Kurt Pellegrino (14-4) v “Dentist” Josh Neer (25-7-1)

Aaron Riley (27-11-1) v Shane Nelson (11-3)

“Doomsday” John Howard (11-3) v “Barn Cat” Tamdan McCrory (11-2)

Thales Leites (14-2) v “Legionarius” Alessio Sakara (13-7)

Dan Cramer (3-0) v Matt Riddle (2-0)

George Sotiropoulos (9-2) v George Roop (9-2)

“Indio” Danillo Villefort (7-2) v “Ox” Jesse Lennox (13-1)

The future shines brilliantly for The Ultimate Fighter’s newest blast into the mainstream consciousness, Amir Sadollah (1-0).

In his professional debut, Sadollah tapped “Doberman” CB Dollaway (6-1) in an armbar at 3:02 of round one to win the seventh season of the popular SpikeTV reality show contest.

“Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (19-2), one of the two original Ultimate Fighters, looked physically fitter than ever in his third-round TKO of American Top Team’s Luigi Fioravanti (12-4) at 4:07.

After back-to-back “embarrasing” losses, “Spyder” Kendall Grove (9-5), TUF 3 champion, recaptured past glory in a three-round split decision over former UFC titlist Evan Tanner (32-8).

The likeable young TUF walk-on from Virginia, Sadollah, versus the cocky All-American favorite, Dollaway, was a rematch of an exhibition fight fought on the final episode of last season’s The Ultimate Fighter.

Saturday’s finish was almost a replay of that fight’s end.

But, unlike the first fight, Dollaway made haste taking the samboist to his back and pounding him, opening a shallow cut on Sadollah’s forehead.

Sadollah flailed for position, eventually sucking up the “Doberman’s” left paw and swinging his legs over Dollaway’s head to secure the armbar.

Dollaway stood and remained standing as Sadollah worked the technique.

Finally, Dollaway ended the fight with a single tap causing referee Herb Dean to step in.

Sadollah leapt to his feet and threw his arms in the air.

Dollaway threw his hands out to his sides, complaining about the stoppage; but, replays clearly showed Dollaway tapping.

And, as “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (3-0) famously said, Dollaway exhibited in his immature and ridiculous post-fight protest: “Tapping is for bitches.”

“Nightmare” Sanchez showed off a leaner physique and tighter striking game versus a pudgy and lethargic Fioravanti.

In his southpaw stance, Sanchez stalked with his right lead extended and left fist cocked, both of which he used to tag Fiorivanti, who was hesitant to engage on his feet or on the mat.

When Sanchez was able to down Fioravanti, “Nightmare’s” trademark G’n'P dominated.

But, it was Sanchez’s refurbed striking game, highlighted by a roundhouse kick, that won the fight.

In the third round, Sanchez snapped a left kick to Fioravanti’s head, sending Fioravanti backpedaling.  Sanchez followed with a flying knee flush to Fioravanti’s jaw before pounding out the stoppage with his fists.

It was do or die for both Grove and Tanner in the main event, both fighters coming off of knockout losses and at career lows.

However, 6’6″ Grove was just too physical for the former champion, Tanner.

At range, Grove launched long rights that split Tanner’s guard.

But, most of the fight was fought in the clinch, with Tanner, sporting a full beard, resembling a homeless mugger assaulting the Hawaiian for change.

Grove laid on Tanner, wearing Tanner down, while Grove split open Tanner’s head with elbows and peppered Tanner’s body with knees.

The judges ruled it a split decision “W” for Grove by scores of 30-26 twice for Grove and 29-28 once for Tanner; but, Al Lefkowitz, who scored the fight for Tanner, couldn’t have even been in the arena.

Fighters.com scored it 30-27 for Grove.

On the undercard, “McLovin” Dustin Hazelett (11-4) tapped “People’s Champion” Josh Burkman (9-6) in an armbar at 4:46 of round two.

Hazelett won “Submission of the Night”.

Lightweight brawler “King” Spencer Fisher (21-4) ground out a unanimous decision over fellow Iowan Jeremy Stephens (13-3).

TUF 7 contestant Matt Riddle (1-0) won his pro debut with a unanimous decision over Dante Rivera (10-3).

Middleweight Andrew McFedries (7-3) overwhelmed “Beastman” Marvin Eastman (15-8-1) from the bell to score a quick TKO at 1:08 of round one.

In a rematch from 2006, TUF 7 contestant Matt Brown (7-6) TKO’d TUF 6 “No Regard” Matt Arroyo (3-2) at 3:40 of round two.

Veteran “Boogieman” Dean Lister (11-5) submitted über-veteran “Gumby” Jeremy Horn (79-18-5) in a first-round guillotine choke at 3:52.

Similarly, Rob Kimmons (21-3) tapped Rob Yundt (6-2) in a first-round guillotine choke at 3:58.

Couture graciously confronted and answered questions about his beef with the Zuffa, LLC and UFC President Dana White and third-ranked “Maine-iac” Tim Sylvia‘s (24-4) and his own prospective fight with sixth-ranked “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (27-1), shared opinions about fifth-ranked welterweight Matt Hughes (42-7), “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (3-0), and Brock Lesnar (1-1), and made picks on future fights.

Fighters.com: You’ve said you’ve accepted that you might get a bad court ruling and not fight again. Have you lost some competitiveness from being inactive for so long?

The Natural: I still want to compete. I’m still in training as much as I can be with all this other stuff going on. I still seem to be able to hold my own, even with the lack of serious, hardcore training, with all the top guys that I have in the gym. I’m having fun being in the gym learning new tools, new skills and being there with a lot of the other guys that have been there for me, so I’m not too worried about that. The courts are going to do what the courts are going to do. We’ll deal with it when it comes in.

Fighters.com: Not many fighters have wives who also train. Does that give you both a different perspective and more understanding?

The Natural: I think it’s pretty cool! Not many guys can actually go and punch their wife in the head. No…she’s training hard, she’s doing a great job and having fun. It’s been good for her physically and, I think, emotionally to get a lot of her frustrations and have something of her own to work with. It’s been a lot of pressure too because she’s dragging around my last name. It puts a lot more pressure on her and she’s been able to take that all in stride and deal with that very well as well. I’m excited for her, looking forward to her next fight on June 20th at the Thomas & Mack. It’s going to be great.

Fighters.com: At home, do you two ever move the furniture out of the way and have a training session?

The Natural: We end up wrestling on that damn bed all the time!

Fighters.com:At the Xtreme Couture website there’s a video center that is streaming the pro sessions daily. What are viewers likely to see?

The Natural: Well, they’ll can tune in and watch me in a class that’s on main mat and, certainly between 4:00 and 6:00 PM Pacific Time, is when our pros train and a lot of the top guys from Forrest Griffin and Mike Powell and Jay Hieron, Gray Maynard, and Tyson Griffin, Wanderlei Silva and the list just goes on and on of the top guys in the Vegas area who train on our mat. If you want to see technically what the pros are working on and what our MMA workouts are like, and get idea of what to do, it’s a great place to go.

Fighters.com: Do you think Fighters.com Light Heavyweight Champion “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-6) and “Maximus” Marcus Aurelio (16-5) have already bought their subscriptions?

The Natural: I don’t know! Maybe… I think Forrest and Tyson (future opponents of Jackson and Aurelio respectively) do the majority of their hardcore technical training in the cage, not on the camera. So, at least right now, you probably won’t see a lot of them on the mat.

Fighters.com: Did you watch Hughes lose to sixth-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3) Saturday?

The Natural:I missed the fight Saturday. I was traveling. I was very happy to hear [Xtreme Couture middleweight] Martin Kampmann won his fight against Jorge [Rivera]. That was a big fight for him coming back off the knee reconstruction. I did hear about the Hughes fight and the flying knee; but, Alves is a tough cat. I kind of picked him to win that fight.

Fighters.com: Hughes isn’t that old, but is his age or the number of fights catching up with him? Or, is he just in a funk he’ll shake out of?

The Natural:Well, I think that’s on Matt. I think Matt is now running his own school. He’s kind of become the big fish in that little pond, where, I think, before, when he was training with Miletich he had a bunch of guys in there who were stepping up and challenging him when he was there training and making him better. I think that’s the environment that he needs to progress as a fighter. I just don’t know that he’s continuing to progress. Everybody else is. These guys are all getting better. They’re younger, they’re stronger, bigger, and they’re figuring it out. I think Matt is capable of doing whatever he wants to do. It’s just a function of applying himself.

Fighters.com: UFC President Dana White told Sports Illustrated that he spoke to you at UFC 84. Is that awkward? What do you two talk about? Is there any genuine friendliness left in the relationship?

The Natural:It’s not personal on my part and I don’t think it is on his part either. I think he’s an emotional guy who sometimes says things that he wishes he could take back or wishes he didn’t say and he’s made stupid comments. And, you know, yeah it’s a little weird going to the UFC shows. I feel like a leper. They work pretty hard to keep me off camera when I corner my guys and they don’t show any of the clips they could of me. They don’t let Goldie or Joe mention my name at all or where my guys are training. So, you know, those are conscious things that Dana has tried to do. I think they’re silly; but, he’s going to do what he’s going to do. I don’t have any control over that. So, I don’t take it personal. I talked to him, Lorenzo [Fertitta, Zuff, LLC co-owner], and Frank [Fertitta, Zuffa, LLC co-owner] at the last UFC. It was a great card. You know? It is what it is.

Fighters.com: White has also said that he’s ready to put you back in the Octagon at any time; but, you just don’t see yourself going back to the UFC?

The Natural:You never say never, but there’s a lot of things that’ve got to change. I’m in a position now that if the courts rule in my favor I can control my own destiny and make one of the biggest fights to ever happen on my own. And, get all of the benefits of being in a position to do that. It just doesn’t make a lot of sense for me to go back and give it all back to the UFC and let them walk away with 90-plus percent of everything that comes from those fights.

Fighters.com: You’re starring in The Scorpion King 2, soon to be released to DVD? Is that in the can?

The Natural:It’s done. It’s in the can. I filmed it in October and November of last year. I just saw a pre-screening of the movie last week and was very excited about the way it came out.

Fighters.com: I worry with you, Tito, Rampage, and others getting into acting. Do you think the higher pay for less pain of Hollywood is going to start stealing fighters from MMA?

The Natural: I don’t know. I think most of the fighters have a passion and love for what they do as fighters; and, if you were to achieve some goals and open those doors to the acting realm and have the opportunity to try that, it better work. I don’t think everyone is going to have the opportunity to crossover. You know, I know that Tito has made a foray with The Crow: Wicked Prayer and some of the other stuff he’s done when given the opportunity. Chuck’s been in a few things now. And, Rampage, you know, obviously, he definitely has the persona. And, I think the camera would be pretty friendly to him.

Fighters.com: Have you picked a winner of Sylvia versus Emelianenko in your own mind?

The Natural:Most people expect Fedor to find a way to take Tim out, and I can see that too. With his submission skills and the dynamic style of fighter that he is, I can see that happening. Tim poses some interesting problems and is certainly going to have something to say about that. He’s not going to be an easy fight. It’ll be interesting to see how it goes.

Fighters.com:Do you fault Emelianenko for not fighting top guys the last two years while you and Sylvia and other heavyweights were fighting each other?

The Natural:I think he’d have rather been fighting top guys. Bodog kind of going the way it went and PRIDE getting crushed by Zuffa, I don’t think he’s really had the opportunity to fight any top guys. I think if he’d have had his druthers, he’d have fought top guys. I’m sure he’s excited about the opportunity to fight Tim and certainly expressed a lot of interest in being able to fight me at some point. I don’t think it changes the fighter that he is or the guys that he’s beat. He’s beat Nogueira twice and Cro Cop and right on down the line. He’s beat a lot of top guys, just nobody recently.

Fighters.com:You just opened Xtreme Couture Toronto. Is that your first Canadian gym?

The Natural: It’s our first Canadian gym. We’re talking to some folks in Montreal who’re interested in franchising a gym there; but, we’ll see what happens. We’re very excited. The Toronto gym looks terrific! A huge facility! Thirty-thousand square feet. So, it’s a great big gym.

Fighters.com: Will there be any fighters training in Toronto?

The Natural: Chris Horodecki, and Mark Bocek, and Mark Hominick are all going to be training and teaching there. There’s a newer Russian kid coming up who lives in Canada who looks to be a very physical, and have the potential as a fighter as well, to be teaching there. So, I think a lot of the top fighters in the area of Toronto are going to end up there.

Fighters.com:You’re an elder in the sport. What do you think of “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (3-0)?

The Natural:I like Kimbo! I think Kimbo has a great attitude. You know, he’s trying to do all the right things to be a well-rounded mixed martial artist; and, I think he’d be the first to admit that he’s not there yet, as James Thompson pointed out on CBS two weekends ago. He’s got some holes in his game still; but, I think his popularity has a lot to do with EliteXC marketing him as a street fighter and the Internet kind of street fights, YouTube phenomenon, if you will, that he is. I don’t think the two really cross over. If EliteXC wants to market him that way, I just don’t think it really crosses over. They need to be careful what they do with that because it could potentially harm the sport. But, that’s not Kimbo’s fault, that’s EliteXC’s fault.

Fighters.com:How about Lesnar in the UFC?

The Natural:Well, the similarities…Brock is a big name because of WWE. He’s still a good athlete, just like Kimbo, who’s being marketed because of his celebrity with the World Wrestling Entertainment. But, just like Kimbo, he’s got a lot of holes in his game and it was silly to kind of put him out there with Frank Mir. You know, I think Mir was underestimated. Everybody thought he was going to fold under the pressure and not take the shots that Lesnar was going to dish out too well. Mir showed why he’s an excellent submission guy, a great fighter, and a former world champion. I think, given the time, both Lesnar and Kimbo will be very, very good fighters in the heavyweight division. They both have the right attitude. You know, Lesnar is taking this seriously. He wants to be a real fighter and he’s taking that terrific wrestlers base that he has and trying to learn all the other pieces.

Fighters.com:Where’s the future of this sport? Is the current buzz going to level off? Does it have the potential to be a long-term nationally-broadcast sport?

The Natural: I think if the CBS ratings are any indication, it absolutely has the potential to be that long-term broadcast sport. I think it’s a function of who’s going to step-up and do it right. I think there’s some work that needs to be done with how the fighters are treated and paid; and, the person who kind of gets that combination and all that sorted out can take it to the next level. Obviously I think a lot of the fighters, at least the ones in a position to voice their opinion, aren’t too pleased with kind of being owned, being taken advantage of. I don’t know. We’ll see what happens; but, this is definitely the combative sport for this generation.

Fighters.com: Your response brings up another question. At the post-UFC 84 press conference, ninth-ranked light heavyweight “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) was voicing a lot of the same concerns you’ve spoken out about concerning fighter pay as a percentage of total revenue. A reported asked Ortiz, “If you’re not happy with your pay, what is an acceptable amount?” And, Tito balked, saying, “I don’t know. You’d have to ask my lawyers.” Is that irresponsible to complain about your pay, but not have an idea of what your pay should be?

The Natural: You know…probably. Maybe Tito didn’t have a handle on all the numbers; but, it appears to be that on any given UFC, just on the pay-per-views alone, the UFC makes in the neighborhood of $40 or $50 million. And, Tito and I are two of the very, very few athletes that get a little piece of that pay-per-view and we’re lucky if we make $1.2 or $1.3 million. So, percentage-wise, it’s a very, very small percent of the total revenue. Now, Dana’s argument that the UFC is different than boxing, I think that held water before. You know, the UFC was having to pay site fees, do all their own marketing, all their own promotion, and spend money to keep a staff of 100 people; but, that climate has changed now. People are clamoring to get the UFC into their venues to sell out the arenas. I think there are TV outlets who’ll take the risk, do the marketing, and see the wisdom, just like boxing. The fighters could be getting paid a lot better! If I were getting $5 or $10 million dollars to fight out of that $40 million, I’d certainly feel a lot happier. It’s frustrating for me to see a guy like Floyd Mayweather. You know, I feel like we’re just as dedicated and work just as hard and have everything going for us other than not being in boxing and we’re in MMA. Floyd makes $20 or $30 million from one fight. That’s frustrating. We’re both combative sports and can be promoted in the same way, shape, and form. Now, I understand the UFC is still trying to spend money with Marc Ratner to get this sport sanctioned in every state and province on the continent, and all the other things that they’re doing. And, I think those are admirable things that are going to continue to grow the sport and have established this foundation that you, me, and EliteXC, and everybody else who wants to put on a show is standing on. I see that picture clearly, but I think the timing is right for someone to set the change for bigger shares of the purses that are derived from a fight from DVD sales all the way down, the ancillary rights, and all the other stuff that gets controlled and taken by the UFC and given back to the fighters, the guys who put it on the line, whose careers span five years if they’re lucky.

Fighters.com: Affliction’s payout has reportedly reached six or seven million dollars for the Banned card. We’ve seen this business model and it’s failed. Are you optimistic Affliction can build a financially sustainable promotion while paying fighters so much?

The Natural:Well, I’m certainly skeptical. Obviously I have a strong relationship with Todd [Beard, Affliction co-owner] through my partnership with Xtreme Couture clothing. And, I sat with Todd and told him, “Look, I’ve seen people do this before and I’m worried you’re going to lose this money. You know? The marketing piece, the brand piece is the big component. You need to generate interest in these fighters so people have a vested interest. That’s why the 24/7 with Golden Boy was so successful, because people wanted to tune in and see these guys fight. You know, get Fedor Emelianenko some exposure and get people to like Tim Sylvia…or hate him! One of the other if you want people to buy this pay-per-view.” Todd is a great marketing and sales mind. Obviously, Affliction is a very successful clothing line. This whole thing started because Dana thought he was hurting me and banned the Affliction clothing line. That got the hackles up on Todd’s neck and he decided, “OK, to hell with him then. we’ll do our own show if he wants to play that way.” The ban didn’t hurt me any. All those clothes and all those shirts, and denim, and all that stuff is in all the major market retail outlets across the country. The only person [Dana] hurt was the fighters Affliction was sponsoring in MMA. Took the money right out of their pockets. So, now [Dana] has a potentially formidable opponent that he created because he pissed [Todd] off and made him want to spend the money and throw a show. He signed a lot of the top heavyweights that were free agents and some of the other free agents out there that are going to put on a good card. I think [Todd's] marketing sense and ability to sell things is remarkable. Teaming up with FOX and streaming the undercard on the Internet on FOX is something new nobody’s tried yet and has the potential to be something huge. Yeah, I think we’re all anxiously waiting to see how successful Todd is with his show in July and how big the pay-per-view is. Now Trump is buying in and buying a piece of the MMA company. Obviously he brings a lot of juice and a lot of things to the table that could potentially put it over the hump. So, like you, I’ll be anxiously watching for a couple of reasons July 19th.

Fighters.com: Do you want to make some picks on upcoming fights?

The Natural: OK.

Fighters.com: Evan Tanner (32-7) versus “Spider” Kendall Grove (8-5)?

The Natural: I’m going to go with Kendall Grove. I think he’s long and rangy and will use his range well. I think his moving back to Hawaii was probably a good thing for him, I hope. I think Tanner, although I have a lot respect for Evan and his abilities, I think he has not put himself in a great position or a great environment to thrive and be in top shape as an athlete. So, I’m going to go with Kendall Grove.

Fighters.com:“Gumby” Jeremy Horn (79-17-5) versus “Boogieman” Dean Lister (10-5)?

The Natural: Wow! Tough fight! Both guys are great submission guys. I’m going to go with Dean Lister. I think he’s got naturally heavy hands. Both guys’ submission skills are great; but, I think Dean’s are a little better and that tends to be Jeremy Horn‘s strength, so I’m going to lean towards Dean Lister.

Fighters.com:Third-ranked welterweight “Kos” Josh Koscheck (10-2) versus “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (25-15-5)?

The Natural:Tough fight, but I’m going to have to go with Koscheck. I think he’s shown remarkable improvement, even in the face of losing a couple of times. I’m sure that losing to Georges lit a fire under him. As much as I like to see Chris Lytle come out and lay it all on the line, he’s going to have trouble with Koscheck’s wrestling ability and I think Koscheck is going to end up putting him on the ground and establishing that good, solid top position and wearing Chris down.

Fighters.com:A couple of your old nemesi, fifth-ranked heavyweight “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (21-5) versus “The Rock” Pedro Rizzo (16-7)?

The Natural: Yeah, that’s a tough call. It kind of depends on Josh Barnett. If he tries to go in there and stand with Pedro, it’s going to end like it ended last time, [Barnett knocked out]. Pedro is nobody to mess around with in the striking exchanges. Josh has the ability to transition and take Pedro to the ground, out of his game. I think, if that’s what Josh does, Josh will win that fight. Having not seen Pedro in awhile…actually, quite a while, it’s harder for me to pick that fight.

Fighters.com: Fourth-ranked heavyweight “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (12-5) versus Ben Rothwell (29-5)?

The Natural: I like Andrei. Ben is a big strong kid, but he’s still pretty green. I think Andrei’s on a mission. I think mentally he’s still a little held back by the results of the two Tim fights and he’s not pulling the trigger and really getting after it like he was. As far as pure boxing, he’s one of the best pure boxers we have in our sport. I’ll be excited to see him back out there. I think, overall, he’s got to be ready to go. He’s got to be in great shape. Rothwell is going to be in great shape and ready to bring the fight; but, Andrei has the tools to pull this off.

As reported by Fighters.com, the card’s main event will feature former UFC Middleweight Champion Evan Tanner (32-7), coming off of a knockout loss to Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked middleweight “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4).  He’s matched versus TUF 3 champion “Spyder” Kendall Grove (8-5).

The co-main event pits Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked welterweight and TUF 1 champion “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2) versus American Top Team’s Luigi Fioravanti (12-3).

The event will also feature the final bout in the middleweight tournament on the current season of The Ultimate Fighter.

The match-up has not been confirmed by the UFC.

Both fighters are coming off disappointing losses.

After a two year hiatus from professional MMA battling alcoholism, Tanner returned to the Octagon last March to be knocked cold by top middleweight “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4).

Grove has posted a 2-2 record since winning season three’s TUF Championship over “Short Fuse” Ed Herman (14-5).

In January, “Spider” was squashed by “El Conquistador” Jorge Rivera (15-6) in a first-round knock out.

 UFC “Beastman” Marvin Eastman (15-7-1) has let his cat out of the bag too, posting on his MySpace blog that he’ll follow-up February’s unanimous decision over Terry Martin (16-4) with a match-up against Andrew McFedries (6-3) 21 June.

McFedries was TKO’d by “The Predator” Patrick Cote (12-4) in January.

The fight will conclude Eastman’s contractual obligation to the UFC.