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. ...

Former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes (42-7) became the eighth person inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame on Friday. ...

The rematch all the fans had been calling for lived up to the hype as Fighters.com third-ranked light heavyweight "Shogun" Mauricio Rua went from being "the people's champion" to becoming UFC light heavyweight champion after knocking out top-ranked and now former UFC light heavyweight champion "Dragon" Lyoto Machida (16-1). ...

UFC Hall of Famer “The Hammer” Mark Coleman (16-10) and former UFC welterweight champion “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (19-8) have been cut by the UFC following losses at UFC 109 in Las Vegas last Saturday. ...

The post UFC 109 talks have begun and it did not take long for many to say Fighters.com's tenth-ranked heavyweight "Natural" Randy Couture (18-10) just elevated himself to the top five of the light-heavyweight division with his win over "The Hammer" Mark Coleman (16-10) Saturday night. The thought of him being in the top five is ridiculous when you look at the division and what he is done in the division since coming back down from heavyweight. ...

"I think tonight was probably [“The Hammer” Mark Coleman's (16-10)] last fight in the UFC," UFC President Dana White confided to the post-UFC 109 press conference in Las Vegas Saturday. ...

I thought I would sit down and make my picks for UFC 109 today. We usually make picks on MMA Gospel Radio and we made a few with The Fight Pastor however I have had more time to think and these are my official picks, enjoy. ...

UFC 109 takes place February 6 in Las Vegas and is headlined by two legends in the sport on mixed martial arts (MMA). Fighters.com tenth-ranked heavyweight "The Natural" Randy Couture (17-10) faces off against "The Hammer" Mark Coleman (16-9) in the light heavyweight division. There are a couple of fights on this card that I find very intriguing and are likely to not find their way onto the pay per view. ...

UFC Hall of Famers and former champs “The Natural” Randy Couture (17-10) and “Hammer” Mark Coleman (15-8) will fight at UFC 109 in Las Vegas February 6, according to Coleman's manager, Michael DiSabato, at MMA Weekly. ...

UFC Hall of Famers and former champs “The Natural” Randy Couture (17-10) and “Hammer” Mark Coleman (15-8) have verbally agreed to matchup at UFC 109 in Las Vegas February 6, according to Sherdog. ...

Former UFC light heavyweight champion "Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) is taking the high road in the aftermath of an insulting Twitter post by former UFC heavyweight champ "Hammer" Mark Coleman's (15-8) manager, Mike DiSabato, Ortiz revealed on MMA Weekly's radio show Wednesday. ...

Former UFC heavyweight champ “Hammer” Mark Coleman (16-9) has apparently bailed on a light heavyweight match-up versus former 205-pound UFC champ “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) at UFC 106 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas November 21. ...

Welterweight matchups between “New York Bad Ass” Phil Baroni (13-11) and The Ultimate Fighter 7 champ Amir Sadollah (1-1) and “Killa B” Ben Saunders (7-1-2) and  “Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (16-5) and a lightweight matchup between  George Sotiropoulos (10-2) and "Dynamite" Jason Dent (20-9) were officially announced for UFC 106 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas November 21 by the UFC Wednesday. ...

UFC champ and Fighters.com’s second-ranked heavyweight Brock Lesnar (4-1) will defend his title versus sixth-ranked Shane Carwin (10-0) at UFC 106 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas November 21, the UFC officially announced Monday. ...

Fighters.com's tenth-ranked "Shogun" Mauricio Rua (16-3) wants revenge versus "Hammer" Mark Coleman (15-8) at UFC 93 in Dublin 17 January. "It's a revenge, and Coleman will be ready," Rua told Tatame. Coleman won their original match-up in Saitama, north of Tokyo, in February 2006 by TKO when Rua broke his arm bracing himself for a Coleman slam. "We fought once; and, I think this fight isn't over yet.  If I were him, I'd never celebrate a victory like that, but let's see it now," Rua challenged. ...

Fighters.com's ninth-ranked light heavyweight “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (16-3) will return from knee injuries that stopped two potential fights to rematch "Hammer" Mark Coleman (15-8) in Dublin 17 January. Coleman won the first fight in Saitama, north of Tokyo, in February 2006 when Rua broke his arm after being tackled in a scramble. Rua lost his Octagon debut in September 2007, tapping in a rear naked choke to Fighters.com's Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin (16-4). Coleman, a former UFC Heavyweight Champion, hasn't fought in the Octagon since 1999 and hasn't fought at all since tapping in an armbar to Fighters.com's Heavyweight Champion "Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) in 2006. ...

The UFC announced Thursday that Fighters.com's top-ranked welterweight "Rush" Georges St. Pierre (16-2) will defend his UFC title versus second-ranked Jon Fitch (17-2) in Minneapolis in August. The fight between world's best welters will replace the previously announced main event featuring Brock Lesnar (1-1) versus "Hammer" Mark Coleman (15-8). Forty-three-year old Coleman withdrew from the fight after tearing his MCL in training. The "Godfather of Ground'n'Pound", as coined by UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan, was brought back to the UFC for his first fight in the Octagon since UFC 18 in 1999 to give Lesnar a name, but manageable opponent. Lesnar debuted in the UFC in February with a first-round kneebar submission loss to Frank Mir (11-3). "Rush" recaptured the UFC title in April in a revenge rout of "Terror" Matt Serra (9-5). Fitch won a slog by unanimous decision UFC debuting Chris Wilson (13-4) in March. Lesnar will remain on the card versus an opponent to be determined. ...

"This is the kind of thing I've tried to stay away from," UFC President Dana White said Thursday when asked about "Kimbo Slice" Kevin Ferguson (2-0) becoming the mainstream face of MMA when he headlines 31 May's CBS-broadcast EliteXC card. CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights will be the North American broadcast television unveiling of our sport. "This is more than a spectacular opportunity for Kimbo to be in front of a potential audience of 100-million plus eyeballs," said EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw, also on Thursday. "I think it sucks," White concluded.  "Kimbo Slice isn't a mixed martial arists.  This is a guy who was fighting in your back yard three months ago.  Now he's headlining on CBS." For those behind White, the argument runs: MMA has gone from groin strikes to Unified Rules since UFC 1, from Kevin Rosier (2-6) to "Rush" Georges St. Pierre (16-2).  Kimbo Slice erases the last 15 years of the sport's evolution. How many years does Brock Lesnar (1-1) erase?  At least 12, back to the beginning of the powerful Hammer House era. Lesnar headlines the UFC's August card in Minneapolis versus Hammer House's original "Hammer" Mark Coleman (15-8). But, an argument that either Slice or Lesnar is going to convince the mainstream that MMA peaked in 1996 is misguided. That's what they already think. We're blinded inside the MMA bubble to the reality that Slice and Lesnar still represent what the mainstream thinks MMA is. A backyard brawler or former pro wrestler sell tickets and PPV buys because that's still the mainstream expectation of MMA. Despite the last three years of North America  MMA eruption, the mainstream still considers MMA a blood-thirsty, no-holds-barred duel of brutes. Few minds will be changed, but continued mainstream ignorance may be encouraged.  There's still so many to educate about the sport. Notes From Around MMA * Last Wednesday on TAGG radio, “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-1-1) became the latest UFC fighter to complain about his compensation, saying, “It's kind of sad, you know, when the company comes out on the cover of Forbes, and then you definitely just know where all the money is going to. It's kind of like, 'What the hell?'" * TUF 7 cast member Jesse Taylor (6-2) told the North County Times, “"Let's just say I'm undefeated so far,” about his record on the SpikeTV reality competition show. * When asked by Eastside Boxing what his most satisfying moment was, “Stitch” Jacob Duran said, “For MMA the most satisfying moment came during the Forrest Griffin/Mauricio Rua fight.  I was working Forrest's corner during this fight when he received a lightning bolt gash on the center of his forehead.  It was a really bad cut and the fight was close to being stopped.  I managed to get it under control for about four minutes, and Forrest went out and submitted Rua.”  Fifth-ranked light heavyweight Forrest Griffin (15-4) thanked Duran with a card and gift certificate to an upscale restaurant. * “The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (31-8-1) is urging UFC President Dana White to make a fight between UFC Welterweight Champion St. Pierre and UFC Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4), the top-ranked welterweight and middleweight respectively.  "If Dana can make that fight, I'll be in the line to buy a ticket," Silva told Yahoo!Sports. * “Techno Goliath” Hong Man Choi (1-1) was discharged from the South Korean military two days after reporting for mandatory service.  Officials cited Choi’s brain tumor pressing against his optic nerve as the reason for his dismissal. ...

On a night in Columbus when the original UFC Heavyweight Champion and tactician behind the ground'n'pound "The Hammer" Mark Coleman became a legend joining the UFC Hall of Fame, UFC Middleweight Champion "Spider" Anderson Silva knocked on that same hallowed door. The kickboxer from Curitiba vanquished former PRIDE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight Champion "Hollywood" Dan Henderson in a rear naked choke at 4:52 of the second round. The first round illustrated why Henderson, 22-7, was pegged as Silva's last great challenge at 185-pounds. The wrestler from California nixed the champion's world class stand-up with lateral movement that prevented Silva from setting and delivering his laser-like strikes. Henderson grabbed hold of the "Spider" and dumped him to the mat in an awkward half guard that allowed "Hollywood" to smother Silva while peppering him with hammer fists. The frustrated champion endured to the second frame. In a sloppy Thai clinch, Silva slammed a knee to Henderson's chiseled chin, causing the the top contender to crumble. Silva pounced!  A barrage of strikes convinced Henderson to give up his back, the fatal flaw leading to a rear naked choke submission with just eight seconds to spare in the round. While UFC broadcasters Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan wondered allowed who could challenge the champion, Silva seemed to indicate a third tussle with former UFC Middleweight Champion "Ace" Rich Franklin was due. In the broadcasted card's only heavyweight rumble, "The Texas Crazy Horse" Heath Herring tumbled into a split decision "W" over Cheick Kongo of France. The Parisian kickboxer insisted on wrestling, to the surprise of everyone including Herring.  Kongo dumped the Texan by force of will, but never capitalized on his advantageous ground positions as Herring consistently swept and reversed into safer territory. In the end, Herring's pitter-patter of pounding and Kongo's cluelessness on the mat served Herring the "W" and a possible rematch with current interim UFC belt holder Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, whom Herring came within a hair of beating last year. In untelevised heavyweight action, former UFC titlist "The Pitbull" Andrei Arlovski wrapped-up his current UFC contract and possibly his Octagon career with second round TKO of Jake O'Brien. Arlovski has openly entertained the idea of quitting the UFC for greener opportunities. Another pair of middleweights made the PPV broadcast when former UFC Middleweight Champion Evan Tanner was knocked silly...er with a knee from the Thai clinch by Yushin Okami. The fight was Tanner's first since April 2006 and the vet seemed to gas late into the first round before eating the death blow at 3:00 of the second. 18-4 Chris Leben TKO'd 185-pound newbie "Legionarius" Alessio Sakara of Italy at 3:16 of round one. "The Crippler" Leben knocked Sakara to his back with a left hook behind the ear, then pounced on the Roman with six unanswered punches before referee Herb Dean waved the affair closed. Welterweights Josh Koscheck and Dustin Hazelett lit each other up for a round before a Koscheck kick found the button behind Hazelett's ear a minute into round two.  Koschek pummeled the fallen fighter until the referee called it a TKO for Koscheck. The PPV opened with the longest three rounds of my life between welterweight contender Jon Fitch and UFC-debuting Chris Wilson of Team Quest. Wilson spent most of his Octagon initiation on his bicycle while Fitch tried to chase him down.  The judges awarded Fitch a unanimous decision for aggression and superior wrestling positioning. The rest of the untelevised portion of the card included a unanimous decision  "W" for 12-3 welterweight Luigi Fioravanti over Luke Cummo, who falls to 6-5. "Nightmare" Diego Sanchez was tossed a bit of red meat in Sweden's David Bielkheden after dropping two consecutive fights.  Sanchez devoured Bielkheden in a first round strikes submission. Lightweight Jorge Gurgel took a unanimous decision over John Halverson to improve to 12-3, 3-2 in the Octagon.  UFC 82 sold out Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. ...

The original UFC Heavyweight Champion "The Hammer" Mark Coleman joined Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, and Randy Couture in the UFC Hall of Fame Saturday night in his hometown, Columbus. The "Godfather of Ground'n'Pound", as christened by UFC big mouth Joe Rogan, also re-upped for a return to the Octagon at 44-years young and after a nine-year absence. The tetralogy begins 9 August in Minneapolis versus 1-1 former collegiate and pro wrestling champion Brock Lesnar. "I'm going to dedicate my life to this," claimed Coleman at UFC 82. The 15-8 former NCAA wrestling champion and Olympian spent most of his post-UFC run in PRIDE where he posted a Grand Prix championship and wins versus Mauricio Rua, Igor Vovchanchyn, Don Frye, and Kazuyuki Fujita. In the UFC, Coleman developed the strategy known as "ground'n'pound" and took UFC 10 with a TKO of Don Frye, UFC 11 with a tapout on strikes versus Brian Johnston, and was crowned UFC Heavyweight Champion at UFC 12 with a neck crank submission of Dan Severn. He last fought Fedor Emelianenko in October 2006 at PRIDE's American debut, tapping to the Russian in an armbar at 1:15 of round two in front of his two young daughters. His return to his UFC roots seems fueled by the promotion's desire to find soft but marketable heavyweight competition for high-dollar headliner Brock Lesnar. Lesnar lost his UFC debut in February to Frank Mir in a round one leg lock. Coleman warned, "I'm going to bring something for Brock Lesnar." And, if Coleman does post the conceivable "W" over Lesnar, where does that take the MMA elder?  Where does that leave the athletically-gifted rookie? ...