"Hollywood" Dan Henderson (25-7) will get the next crack at UFC middleweight champion "Spyder" Anderson Silva (24-4) at 185-pounds, UFC President Dana White announced Friday afternoon. "Dan Henderson is definitely next in line to fight for Anderson Silva's title," said White. Silva has a 205-pound appointment with former UFC light heavyweight champ Forrest Griffin (16-5) at UFC 101 in Philadelphia 8 August. White indicated the 185-pound title fighter versus Hendo' will take place "as soon as possible...depending on how banged up he gets." ...

"Sugar" Rashad Evans (12-0-1) knocked out Fighters.com's fourth-ranked light heavyweight "Iceman" Chuck Liddell (21-6) with a right hook in the second round Saturday night in Atlanta. Liddell lay unconcious on the canvas for several minutes after the punch. Evans jitter-bugged around a stalking Liddell the entire fight.  Liddell never really got a beat on him, but landed a straight right in the first round.  Evans back-pedalled and taunted Liddell with a dance. In the second round, Liddell lunged for an uppercut and took Evans's counter right hook square on the jaw to end the fight at 1:51. Franklin Finishes Friend "Ace" Rich Franklin (24-3) TKO'd his friend and former training partner "Hammer" Matt Hamill (4-2) at 39 seconds of round three with a left kick to Hamill's floating rib in Franklin's return to 205. Franklin had landed the same kick consistently through the first two rounds.  In the third, the kick dropped Hamill and Franklin landed two punches before referee Mario Yamasaki waved the fight off. ...

“Sugar” Rashad Evans (11-0-1) and Nathan Marquardt (26-8-2) rolled on the mat for media Wednesday in Atlanta before their respective fights Saturday at UFC 88. Evans will fight Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked light heavyweight “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) and Marquardt will fight "Hitman" Martin Kampmann (13-1). ...

Fighters.com attended the UFC 88 open workout in Atlanta Wednesday afternoon. Fighters.com's fourth-ranked light heavyweight “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) bounced in place as reporters lined-up to interview the former UFC champion before his fight versus "Sugar" Rashad Evans (11-0-1) Saturday night. Playful and boisterous, Liddell told Fighters.com he was ready to fight Evans today in a video interview that will be posted shortly. Evans was a bit more low-key, focusing on the biggest fight of his career and rolling with middleweight training partner Nathan Marquardt (26-8-2), who fights "Hitman" Martin Kampmann (13-1) Saturday night. Co-main event second-ranked middleweight "Ace" Rich Franklin (23-3), moving to 205 Saturday versus former training partner "Hammer" Matt Hamill (4-1), skipped his scheduled session. Sources in Franklin's camp alternately told Fighters.com that Franklin wasn't feeling well and that he was eating to maintain the weight of his new division. Neither excuse gives much solace to Fighters.com after Franklin's comments about his uncertainty about fighting his former training partner and moving to 205 pounds. ...

The UFC announced Wednesday that “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (13-1) will face Nathan Marquardt (26-8-2) at UFC 88 in Atlanta 6 September. Kampmann, a middleweight with Xtreme Couture, has nine consecutive wins, seven of which he finished in the first round. Kampmann’s last fight, a unanimous decision victory over “El Conquistador” Jorge Rivera (15-7), was in June. Marquardt won seven of his last nine matches.  He lost his last fight by split decision to Thales Leites (13-1) in June. The other loss came by first-round TKO to Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion and UFC champ “Spider” Anderson Silva (22-4) in July 2007. ...

Watching Fighters.com's fifth-ranked welterweight Matt Hughes(42-7) TKO'd at 1:02 of the second round by younger, stronger, faster, and more complete (currently) sixth-ranked "Pitbull" Thiago Alves (15-3) last night at UFC 85 in London, I couldn't help but recall the country boy whoopin' Hughes put on the original Ultimate Fighter Royce Gracie (14-3-3) two-years ago. Hughes stalked Alves for a takedown at the first bell, settling for bottom position by pulling guard, but never finding the submission opportunity he thought he could force. Again, Hughes took the Brazilian to the mat mid-way through the first and smothered the kickboxer; but, Alves utilized butterfly guard to neutralize Hughes's offense. The only damage done on the mat in round one was after the confident "Pitbull" bulldogged the veteran to the mat and hammered a crevice in Hughes's nose with an elbow strike. Hughes, like Gracie at UFC 60, was impotent. Alves wasn't falling for the tried and true tricks, wasn't physically overwhelmed by the stocky farm boy from rural Illinois, and wasn't intimidated by the future Hall of Famer's legacy. The second round was short; the end poignant. Hughes ducked for the takedown that's served as a sure-shot for ten years; and, Alves flew the distance between him and Hughes, colliding into Hughes's right jaw with his left knee. One punch later and referee Herb Dean waved off the fight, and, officially, the Matt Hughes era. Alves never doubted the outcome, but remained humble while pleading from the Octagon, "Mr. Dana White, I've been a good boy, please give me a title shot!" "He got me, no doubt," Hughes admitted. For Hughes, there remains a grudge match with fourth-ranked "Terror" Matt Serra (9-5), then a lot of prayer and consultation with his family for the proudly Christian husband and father of two. ...

Fighters.com checked-in quickly with UFC middleweight contender Nathan Marquardt (26-7-2) as he prepares to tangle with Thales Leites (12-1) in London at UFC 85 in June. Fighters.com: When does training become the only thing you focus on?  When do you start dieting and shedding weight? Nathan Marquardt: Six weeks out is when training gets serious.  Then more so at three weeks out.  I dont worry about weight until last week. Fighters.com: Your fight with Leites has been rescheduled twice.  Can you over prepare or get complacent with too much time to think about a particular opponent? Nathan Marquardt: Maybe you can get complacent.  I will watch out for that.  You can't be too prepared though. Fighters.com: As a fighter, when you review a loss, what's the psychology? Nathan Marquardt: You have to figure out why he beat you.  Yes, he got lucky, but it wasn't unlucky for me.  I did something wrong.  The fighter who wins was always better on that night, but you cannot ever think that he is a better fighter period. Fighters.com: How do you analyze the crop of prospects coming up at 185-pounds in the UFC: "Count" Michael Bisping (15-1), "Cachorrao" Ricardo Almeida (9-2), and Demian Maia (7-0)? Nathan Marquardt: They are all tough, all present their own challenges.  I'm just the best! ...

The UFC has announced three additional fights on 5 July's UFC 86 card in Las Vegas. Fighters.com's fourth-ranked welterweight "Kos" Josh Koscheck (10-2) is set to face rugged vet "Lights Out" Chris Lytle (25-15-5). Both fighters come off exciting TKOs in their previous bouts. In February, Lytle ran roughshod over UFC debuting Kyle Bradley (13-5) in just 33 seconds. "Kos" and "McLovin" Dustin Hazelett (10-4) traded evenly for a round before Koschek tagged "McLovin" with punches and kicks 1:24 into round two in March. Hazelett's trainer, Jorge Gurgel (12-3), will fight 6'1" "Magrino" Cole Miller (13-3) at 86. Miller of Georgia comes off his first UFC loss to Jeremy Stephens (13-2), a second-round TKO in January. Gurgel won a unanimous decision over John Halverson (16-6) in March. Rising middleweight "Cachorrao" Ricardo Almeida (9-2) will face streaking "The Predator" Patrick Cote (12-4) on the card. Cote has won four straight, three consecutive by first-round stoppage.  Most recently "The Predator" devoured Andrew McFedries (6-3) in 1:44. Almeida returned to MMA after a four-year hiatus to submit Rob Yundt(6-1) in a guillotine choke in February. "Cachorrao" boasts wins over Fighters.com's eighth-ranked middleweight "Grabaka Hitman" Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2) and UFC title contender Nathan Marquardt (26-7-2) in the early '90s. ...

After two false starts, Brazilian Thales Leites (12-1) and American Nathan Marquardt (26-7-2) will clash horns at UFC 85 on 7 June in London. The two middleweights were originally matched for 77, but Leites failed to score a visa for the fight.  Then, Leites pulled out of the second matchup at 81 last month with a broken hand. Marquardt fought on with late replacement "Gumby" Jeremy Horn (79-17-5) and survived a first round near-gogo to guillotine choke Horn to submission at 1:37 of round two. Leites hasn't fought since last August when he tapped Ryan Jensen (11-3) 3:47 into the first set. ...

"That's why [Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira] is the best in the world," former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia proclaimed after suffering a guillotine submission loss to the Brazilian in the interim heavyweight title main event at UFC 81 Saturday night. The fight pitted former world champions from the UFC and PRIDE, but was overshadowed by the MMA debut of former NCAA and pro wrestling champion Brock Lesnar. Significance was also diminished by Randy Couture's departure from the UFC while holding the title after defeating Sylvia in March 2007. 6'8" Sylvia pot-shotted the Sao Paulo native from the opening ding and occasionally popped a power shot in Nogueira's mug, even dropping him with a combo in the first session and again in the second. The Miletich-trained "Maine-iac" fiercely dominated the opening two rounds. Stubborn Nogueira had no quit, even as his face began to swell at the end of Sylvia's tremendous reach. "Minotauro" attempted takedowns; but, Sylvia's balance is exceptional for a big man. The train from Maine derailed in the third when Nogueira's notorious resilience muscled the battle to the mat. "He went for the guillotine, which we knew he was going to do," a distraught Sylvia explained post-fight. Nogueira became the first fighter to hold both UFC and PRIDE heavyweight titles when Tim Sylvia tapped out at 1:28 of the third round. "That's what he does to everybody," Sylvia echoed the sentiments of MMA faithful who've watched a battered Big Nog pull out seemingly impossible victories before. Nogueira's victory sets up a possible first defense versus French kickboxer Cheick Kongo, if Kongo can beat Heath Herring in Columbus next month.  But, both Fabricio Werdum and Andrei Arlovski have claims to the top contender-ship too. Sylvia may be headed for a history-loaded rematch with the man who broke his arm: Frank Mir. Another former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Mir, defended MMA's honor against powerhouse rookie Brock Lesnar by submitting him in a kneebar at 1:30 of the first round. Mir got dumped on his ass early by the massive Minnesotan who hovered and hammered fists and elbows. "He was so strong!"  Mir explained in the locker room. Tactic and technique determined the outcome though.  "It wasn't a textbook, perfect finish, but I ended up doing it 80% right." 80% is all it takes versus an inexperienced opponent.  As Lesnar stood to yank his arm from an armbar attempt, Mir secured a leg and rolled into a kneebar. "Frank [Mir] and I have some unfinished business," Tim Sylvia had taunted at a pre-fight press conference. The high profile "W" for Mir makes that rematch marketable. At 185-pounds, Nathan Marquardt entered the Octagon off a loss to division champ Anderson Silva to fight 79-17-5 Jeremy Horn, a late replacement opponent. The veteran Horn absorbed punishment on the mat before nearly catching Marquardt in a gogoplata in the first round. It was Marquardt, however, who applied a guillotine choke during a scramble and tapped Horn at 1:37 of the second round. After a four-year hiatus from MMA, Ricardo Almeida invoked nostalgia over his earlier successes by submitting another late replacement, undefeated Alaskan Rob Yundt, in a guillotine choke at 1:08 of round one. Almeida is a welcome addition to the scant 185-pound division. Lightweights Tyson Griffin and Gleison Tibau tussled for three exciting rounds to open the televised card. The shorter fighter, Griffin, popped Tibau with precise punches while Tibau seemed to take down the wrestler at will. In the end, the judges saw it unanimously for Tyson Griffin, though Gleison Tibau lost no one's respect. "Lights Out" Chris Lytle treated 13-5 Kyle Bradley's head like a speed bag in a 33-second TKO victory. Light heavyweight Tim Boetsch reminded MMA fans of "Tank" Abbott in tossing Oklahoman David Heath to the mat and pummelling a TKO out of him at 4:52 of round one. Terry Martin suffered another disappointing defeat, this time in a unanimous decision to "The Beastman" Marvin Eastman. The event opened with a spirited lightweight scrap won in split decision by Robert Emerson over Japan's Keita Nakamura. ...