There were no weighty issues for today's ceremonies, leading into tomorrows pay-per-view event for UFC 123, which takes place at the Palace in Auburn Hills, in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. The nights headliner between former champions Quinton Jackson and Lyoto Machida quickly became heated when the two met for the stare down, after both had came in at 205-pounds on the nose. Machida squared off with Jackson with the traditional fist to face motion, which Quinton apparently didn't take kindly, and before it was all said and done, a scuffle was quickly averted when UFC head honcho Dana White interjected between the two strikers. ...

This weekend marks one of the last major UFC shows of the year and of the decade, as the promotion looks to put on UFC 123: “Rampage vs. Machida” on November 20. The main event sees two former UFC Light Heavyweight Champions clash in an epic showdown with serious title implications, while the co-main event sees two former UFC Welterweight Champions meet for a third and final time. As is customary for any major MMA event, I’m bringing the crystal ball back out and giving my official picks and predictions for all the major fights of UFC 123: “Rampage vs. Machida”. Let’s get to it. ...

For quite a long while, it was hard to be a fan of former ufc Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida. Then he heinously knocked out both Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans, and earned the respect of a lot of his detractors. Then he pulled through a highly controversial decision win against Mauricio Rua only to lose the immediate rematch by first-round KO. With that loss, the vultures have begun circling once again, claiming that Machida’s style is “boring” and that he’s afraid to fight. Basically, they’re not saying anything Machida hasn’t heard before. And according to the man himself, he couldn’t care less. ...

Current UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio Rua is on the mend following successful knee surgery. While he won't be in action for the foreseeable future, with a rumor floating about for a March return against number one contender Rashad Evans taking place in Abu Dhabi, the Chute Boxe protege decided that he is a swami. This Saturday night, at the Palace of Auburn Hills, in Detroit, Mich., former champions Quinton Jackson and Lyoto Machida will compete, serving as the main event of the nights festivities at UFC 123. While fans and the media alike have been somewhat split as far as an anticipated outcome for the nights headliner, "Shogun" asserts that it will in fact be his countryman in Machida that will reign victorious. ...

ufc 123 comes our way this weekend. The event takes place in the Detroit suburbs in Michigan, at the Palace of Auburn Hills, and will feature one of the best lineups of the year. In the main event of the evening, former UFC light heavyweight champions Quinton Jackson and Lyoto Machida will battle it out for top contender billing in one the busiest divisions inside the promotion. While many loyal fans are pulling for the charismatic "Rampage" to prove successful in this tough match up, one more supporter has voiced his opinion. Someone whom Jackson is all too familiar with. ...

Quinton Jackson is equal parts controversial and charismatic. One of the most-beloved and yet also the most-hated knockout artists currently still in the game, Jackson is known as much for his brash personality and crazy interviews as he is his uncanny ability to viciously separate a man from consciousness. It’s tough to get “Rampage” to talk seriously, but the folks at Sherdog did just that recently, and for the first time in what feels like a long time, Quinton Jackson seems to be fully prepared mentally as well as physically going into his next high-profile fight. ...

Hello again fans and friends and welcome to a new segment I’ll be calling “Crash Course”. “Crash Course” will be a quick synopsis of an upcoming major MMA card a few days before the card is set to air. It’ll contain a quick history on the big matches, why you should care, some other matches to look forward to, positives and negatives of the card as a whole, and a final recommendation on whether or not the show is worth a purchase. And what better way to start out this new series of columns than with UFC 123? Featuring two amazing Light Heavyweight talents mixing it up in the main event, here’s the inaugural “Crash Course”, highlighting UFC 123: “Rampage vs. Machida”. ...

We’re now closer than ever to the year’s end. All-too-soon it’ll be time to bid a fond farewell to a year that had more shocking surprises and upsets in MMA than any in recent history. But the year is not over yet, and it’s not going quietly. There’s still plenty of awesome MMA to keep you occupied in these long winter months, so here are my Top 5 fights for the remainder of 2010 that you absolutely must watch. ...

Quinton Jackson hasn't necessarily been dealt the best cards in the business. After a rough patch with PRIDE in which the fighter has pin pointed several instances where the now defunct promotion mistreated him, Quinton made his way to the UFC in 2007, only to encounter more problems. Though Jackson would eventually work his way through the UFC ranks quickly, earning the title with a swift knockout victory over Chuck Liddell in just his second appearance within the organization at UFC 71, things were all down hill from there. Quinton though is still optimistic about his future, and hopes to deliver another fashionable KO victory with a win over Machida, but regardless, still sees his opponent as "boring as hell". ...

Former ufc Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans is no stranger to controversy. We’re talking about a man that heinously knocked out Chuck Liddell, was heinously knocked out by Lyoto Machida, had an incredibly bitter rivalry with Quinton Jackson, and has been criticized recently for a return to his former “lay and pray” style. Rashad Evans recently found himself in the middle of another media storm when he openly criticized the UFC in a recent interview with ESPN. Evans recently took the time to respond to the controversy and clear the air. ...

In a duel between former champions, light heavyweight's Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Lyoto Machida are now officially set to face each other later this month, serving as the headliners for UFC 123. The 11-bout card has been made official by the promotion today, including two-televised Spike TV bouts serving as the lead in for what is shaping up to be a good night of fights. Along with the highly anticipated light heavyweight match up, a pair of former welterweight champion's are set to face one another for a third time in order to put to rest a rivalry that has lasted for over 7 years, when BJ Penn meets UFC Hall of Famer, Matt Hughes in the co-main event of the evening. ...

November is a busy month.  We have a big political election this week, something called the World Series - was a big hit - in San Francisco at least, a menu full of pro and college football, and then Thanksgiving to round out the month.  What should not be lost amongst the chop chop of daily life, is a plate full of spectacular MMA this month.  Rampage is back at it, Matt Brown fights for his UFC career survival, and Joe Lauzon may have the toughest opponent of them all this month.  Check out five fights you MUST watch in November. ...

In the midst of an international expansion that is virtually unrivaled in all of Mixed Martial Arts, the ufc’s absence from one foreign country in particular remains perplexing. Consider the fact that a massive chunk of the best of the best that compete in the UFC are from Brazil, and then consider the fact that the UFC hasn’t ran an event in Brazil for over a decade. But fear not, the hiatus is now over. According to Graciemag International, 2011 will mark the UFC’s return to Brazil for the first time since 1998. ...

He’s one of the most controversial and charismatic stars in the UFC, and perhaps one of the most notorious fighters in the history of Mixed Martial Arts. There truly is only one Quinton Jackson. “Rampage” has become famous (and infamous) for his incredibly candid interviews: he’s slapped interviewers, stolen their microphones, barked at them, and even dry-humped one hapless female reporter. In a new interview with MMA Heat, Rampage Jackson once again earned himself a bit of controversy when discussing his thoughts on his upcoming bout with Lyoto Machida. ...

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when the future looked very bleak indeed for current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio Rua. “Shogun” rode a four fight win-streak that occurred inside the famous PRIDE FC promotion when he debuted in the UFC in 2007…only to gas out and get choked out by Forrest Griffin. But the past is the past, and Rua now reigns once again as one of the most feared strikers in the game, in addition to the best Light Heavyweight Mixed Martial Artist currently walking the planet. In a recent interview, Rua revealed some interesting news about his recovery from an injury sustained during his last fight, where he famously KO’d unbeaten Lyoto Machida to win the championship. ...

The ultra-successful "ufc Prelims" special, which has served as a lead in to the Pay-Per View portion of UFC bouts, will be returning on Nov. 20, when the organization visits Auburn Hills, Mich. for UFC 123. Headlining the nights festivities will be former light heavyweight champions Quinton Jackson and Lyoto Machida in a non-title bout, with a trilogy between former welterweight champions Matt Hughes and BJ Penn being completed that night, serving as the co-main event of the evening. Prior to these bouts, a pair of middleweights and 170-pound fighters will be in action as part of the Spike TV special, which will have the potential to reach 96.1 million people at home in these United States. ...

As the year is coming closer to an end, the now annual World MMA Awards, which is hosted by Fighters Only Magazine, has recently announced their finalists for the December 1st event, which will take place once again in Las Vegas, Nev., which has become a hot bed for all things fighting related. The 2009 event opened up to a large audience, and has become a propellant in the mixed martial arts world, opening up the eyes to a mainstream audience, by the community taking leaps and bounds in order to legitimize itself as not only a legitimate sport, but one that deserves that same sort of recognition that most others receive, here in these United States. ...

ufc 123, which takes place at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan, will be host to a great night of fights. While your still wiping away the crust from your eyes after watching UFC 119, try to have something to look forward to. While there are no titles on the line come November, what we do have is an exciting and dynamic night of fights. The UFC just made official today the fight card, which will include a headlining bout pitting former light heavyweight champions Quinton Jackson versus Lyoto Machida, in a contenders bout. ...

Some love him, some hate him, some don’t even know who he is. He’s Ed Soares, and he’s the manager and translator to some of the biggest UFC stars currently fighting: Lyoto Machida, Anderson Silva, and many more. Ed Soares is closely tied to the Black House gym, the camp that by far contains the most elite Brazilian MMA talent currently fighting in MMA. Soares recently spoke in a video with MMAWeekly and had several interesting things to say about his fighters. ...

Now that the ufc 123 main event bout pitting former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida against former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson has been made official, the war of words between the two talented Mixed Martial Artists has begun to escalate. I wrote a while back about Machida’s early thoughts on “Rampage”, and recently, Jackson had some choice words of his own for the man he once referred to as “the Cheetah”. In typical Rampage Jackson fashion, Quinton brought out his best smack-talk for his upcoming opponent. ...

The UFC made official today, after putting out its exclusive press release today, that UFC 123 is officially coming to Detroit on November 20th. The event is set to take place in Auburn Hills (a suburb of Detroit) at the Palace in Auburn Hills, and will feature one of the more stacked cards of the year. ...

Once touted as a future Light Heavyweight champion and one of the deadliest strikers in his division, 14-2 Thiago Silva is walking a path few ever envisioned he would be stepping foot on when he burst onto the ufc with four straight wins: the comeback trail. Silva is 1-2 in his last three fights, suffering a very humbling KO loss to Lyoto Machida, rebounding with an epic KO win over Keith Jardine, and then facing another setback when Rashad Evans beat him via Unanimous Decision in the main event of one of the most injury-plagued UFC cards in history. Fighters.com recently reported that Thiago Silva’s next opponent will more than likely be Brandon Vera, and recently, Silva spoke on both his opponent and the back injury that affected his performance against Evans. ...

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

You read that right: not “return”, but rather “rebirth”. Because that’s exactly what I think we’ll see when Lyoto Machida faces Quinton Jackson at UFC 123 in Detroit. The two former Light Heavyweight Champions are set to meet in a dream-match that will likely put the winner into direct title contention once Mauricio Rua heals up from another knee surgery and faces current top contender Rashad Evans. In an interview with GracieMag.com, “The Dragon” had some strong words for the man who once jokingly referred to him as “The Cheetah”. ...

The ufc will visit Michigan for the first time in a long time, when the promotion brings UFC 123 to Detroit's footsteps. Well, sort of Detroit. The suburbs just outside of the brash city, Auburn Hills, will actually play host to the UFC's return to Michigan after a near 14-year absence. ...

The fight everyone wants to see, will be on the back burner until 2011, apparently. UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua has undergone successful knee surgery this past June, and is still in recovery mode. According to UFC President Dana White in a recent interview with Sportscenter revealed that he intends on making Rua's return in the Spring or early Summer of next year. ...

Despite being in the middle of a two-fight losing streak, I personally think the future’s still quite bright for Brandon Vera. I don’t think he’ll ever reach the potential that he could have achieved when he first came into the UFC and people were predicting that he would be the next UFC Heavyweight Champion, but I think he will always have the skills to consistently be “in the mix”. His star status may be on the decline, but I really don’t see any shame in losing to the likes of Randy Couture and Jon Jones. However, even though Jon Jones quickly finished Vera in their “UFC on Versus” fight, Vera recently stated that he still doesn’t buy into the hype. Personally, I’m never again going to bet against Jon Jones. ...

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

Without a single doubt in my mind, I believe that 2010 has been the craziest year in MMA since the fall of PRIDE back in 2007. A month doesn’t go by where we haven’t had a crazy story that gets everyone talking. Take your pick: Brock Lesnar returned from a possibly career-ending injury and submitted Shane Carwin, Fedor Emelianenko lost in the opening minutes of Round 1 to a Triangle Choke applied by Fabricio Werdum, Lyoto Machida was destroyed by Mauricio Rua, Chael Sonnen came within inches of beating Anderson Silva and dominated him for twenty-three minutes, Jason Miller got into a crazy brawl with almost the entire Team Cesar Gracie fight camp…the list goes on and on, and on. I think 2011 will be an even bigger year in MMA. Moving forward, here are five things I’m already looking forward to for next year. ...

While Jon Jones has faced the toughest opposition of his career most recently, he's made it look easy and efficient. Even in a losing effort (albeit a disqualification) to TUF veteran Matt Hamill, Jones looked every bit as dominant as he has in wins over perennial contender's Brand Vera and most recently, Vladimir Matyushenko. It's hard to say what will be next for the 205-pound wrestling stud, but Jones in the mean time is enjoying his most recent triumph none the less, which now moves him to 11-1 overall, and marks his fifth win, inside the octagon. ...