"Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (18-4) TKO'd "Hands of Steel" Scott Smith (13-5) at 2:35 of round two to retain his EliteXC Middleweight Championship. Nick Diaz (18-7) TKO'd "Wildman" Thomas Denny (26-17) at :30 of round two. Jake Shields (21-4-1) defeats "The Goat" Nick Thompson (36-10-1) by guillotine submission at 1:03 of the first round for the EliteXC Welterweight Championship. "Big Foot" Antonio Silva (11-1) TKO'd Justin Eilers (20-8-1) at :19 of round two for the EliteXC Heavyweight Championship. "Feijao" Rafael Cavalcante TKO'd "Gladiator" Travis Galbraith (15-6) at 3:01 of round one. Wilson Reis (5-0) won a unanimous decision over Bryan Caraway (10-3). Carl Seumanutafa (4-0) KO'd Mike Cook (5-2) by slam at 1:21 of round one. Drew Montgomery (5-3) TKO'd Brandon Tarns (1-2) by doctor stoppage at 4:23 of round three. ...

EliteXC middleweight title contender "Hands of Stone" Scott Smith (13-4) responded to reported accounts of the events in the cage after Smith was inadvertently poked in the right eye with a thumb from Fighters.com's sixth-ranked middleweight and EliteXC champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4) 31 May in Newark, west of New York City, including New Jersey State Athletic Control Board Counsel Nick Lembo's account, in an interview published at Sherdog Friday. "I wanted to continue fighting," Smith said, "but I wanted to wait out my five minutes because, you know, my eye was hurt and I couldn't see too well."  He added, "The ref had told me I had five minutes." Smith also said, "Not once did I ever say, "I want to stop this fight." For some reason the doctor stepped in and said, "If you can't see now, you can't fight." In a Fighters.com exclusive, Lembo said 2 June that Smith was repeatedly asked by veteran fight doctor Sherry Wulkan whether his vision was improving.  Smith responded that it wasn't; and, after about a minute, Wulkan determined that if Smith's vision wasn't improving, the fight should be stopped. I was just blown away [by the doctor stoppage]," Smith said. Smith also accused, "The doctor was looking at the wrong eye.  They were looking at my eye and I was like, "No, this eye.  No, this eye.  No, this eye."  So, they didn't know what was going on, I think." ...

It's with a heavy heart that Fighters.com's June Middleweight Rankings saw legendary "Hollywood" Dan Henderson (22-7) fall from the top ten. But, the cold, hard ledger reveals Hendo' hasn't had a win at 185-pounds in two years. Hendo's previous rank was filled by tenth-ranked "Mayhem" Jason Miller (20-6), falling a notch to newly ninth-ranked "Jacare" Ronaldo Souza (9-1). Souza debuted in the top ten after pulling off a tight two-round unanimous decision over Miller in DREAM's Middleweight Grand Prix 15 June. Also in June Japanese action, "Grabaka Hitman" Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2) cemented his seventh ranking with a UD over "Pink Pounder" Logan Clark at Sengoku. Misaki now seeks revenge over new Sengoku add-on, seventh-ranked "Twinkle Toes" Frank Trigg (16-6). No Sengoku match-up has been announced for Trigg; but, one would assume Misaki's home nation promotion wants to match the old enemies as soon as Trigg is ready. Sixth-ranked "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (15-4) was pulling away from "Hands of Stone" Scott Smith (13-4) in the third round of their EliteXC title fight 31 May in Newark, west of New York City, when a thumb to Smith's eye rendered the result a No Contest. Lawler held steady in June, as did the entire middleweight top five. ...

EliteXC announced Saturday a rematch between Fighters.com's sixth-ranked middleweight "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (15-4; 1 NC) and “Hands of Stone” Scott Smith (13-4) set for 26 July. The match will air on CBS to headline the second installment of Saturday Night Fights. Lawler first defended his title against Smith at EliteXC's network television debut on 31 May. An exciting fight ended in round three in a controversial "no contest" when Lawler accidentally poked a thumb into Smith's eye and "Hands of Stone" told doctors he couldn't see. ...

Fighters.com's fifth-ranked welterweight Matt Hughes (42-6) posted about last Saturday's controversial stoppage of the EliteXC middleweight title bout between champion and sixth-ranked middleweight "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (15-4) and "Hands of Stone" Scott Smith (13-4) on his blog Monday: "I know Scott had a hurt leg from throwing kicks and Scott started to look very frustrated.  I think Scott’s aches and pains and frustrations had maybe a little to do with the stoppage.  That’s just my opinion." Hughes trains Lawler and was cageside cornering his H.I.T. Squad student. No one has been willing to state blatantly that Smith encouraged the controversial doctor stoppage Saturday night in Newark, outside of New York City, after he was poked in the right eye by Lawler's thumb. However, Hughes's opinion bolsters New Jersey State Athletic Control Board Counsel Nick Lembo's description to Fighters.com of events inside the cage immediately after the eye poke. ...

New Jersey State Athletic Control Board Counsel Nick Lembo told Fighters.com Monday that "Hands of Stone" Scott Smith(13-4) told two Control Board, cageside doctors he couldn't see after absorbing a thumb in his eye from Fighters.com's sixth-ranked middleweight "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (15-4) in an EliteXC title fight in Newark, outside of New York City, Saturday night. The exciting stand-up war was stopped by doctors at 3:26 of round three for a no contest. "I can't see," Smith told Dr. Angela Gagliardi, the first doctor in the cage, according to Lembo. Lembo wanted a second opinion and, after 30-seconds or so, called on veteran fight doctor Sherry Wulkan.  "I told her, 'This is a title fight,'" Lembo stressed. According to Lembo, Wulkan asked Smith, "What's wrong?" Smith told the second doctor, "I can't see!" "You took a finger in the eye," Wulkan explained.  "What do you mean you can't see?  Is your vision blurry?  Dark?" Smith repeated, "I can't see." Wulkan asked, "Is it getting better?" ...

Fighters.com's sixth-ranked middleweight and EliteXC Champion "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (15-4) and "Hands of Stone" Scott Smith (13-4) sizzled in three-and-a-half-rounds of stand-up in Newark, outside of New York City, Saturday night in the prime time network premier of mixed martial arts. In the main event, "Colossus" James Thompson (14-9) exposed "Kimbo Slice" Kevin Ferguson (3-0) in a third-round stoppage loss. Former Ultimate Fighters Lawler and Smith fought to a controversial no contest halted when Smith absorbed a finger in his right eye from a defending Lawler. Smith protested the end of a fight that was building into the primetime MMA era's sequel to Griffin v Bonnar, while Lawler hung his head in disappointment. "Hands of Stone" opened round one of his title challenge establishing his high kick.  Lawler was cagey in defense, pawing a jab and feigning a takedown. It wasn't long before the fireworks shot off and didn't end.  Lawler countered a Superman punch from Smith with a straight right.  Smith belted back with a right high kick, backing up the champion.  Lawler threw haymakers in defense, then clinched up to throw hooks to Smith's head.  The warriors traded body kicks to end round one. Lawler established his jab in round two, setting up an uppercut.  Smith defended with Thai clinch in which he landed knees and elbows as Lawler struggled to free himself.  The fighters crashed into the cage and dirty boxed, Lawler landing uppercuts while Smith countered with elbows. The fireworks came to an anti-climactic end in round three as doctors inexplicably called an end to the fight after Smith took a Lawler finger to the eye. ...

Fighters.com's top-ranked middleweight "Spider" Anderson Silva (21-4) has sucked the air out of this division. In April, second-ranked "Ace" Rick Franklin (23-3) finessed out of an armbar executed by TUF champ "Serial Killer" Travis Lutter (9-5) to pick apart the Texan in two rounds, but Franklin has no where to go after two stoppages to Silva. As mentioned in 3 May's Bushido Sheet, Franklin was offered a main event versus tenth-ranked "Hollywood" Dan Henderson (22-7) at UFC 85, but turned down the fight. Franklin continues to consider interesting match-ups at 205-pounds. Hendo' dropped a rank in May after his 2006 UD over eighth-ranked "Grabaka Hitman" Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2) fell from his two-year record leaving "Hollywood" without a win at 185-pounds in two years. His March stoppage to Silva leaves him with few good match-ups but for Franklin.  At this point, Hendo' just needs a win in the Octagon. The trail on the "Hitman" Misaki has gone cold since his March submission of Siyar Bahadurzada (13-2-1) at Sengoku. Third-ranked "Ely" Paulo Filho (16-0) is recovering from a substance abuse problem in Brazil. He's scheduled for a rematch with Chael Sonnen (20-9-1) to defend his WEC title, but don't hold your breath for a Silva versus Filho title unification bout. Filho and Silva are friends and refuse to fight each other; and, Filho plans to move to 205-pounds win, lose, or draw to Sonnen. Fourth-ranked Yoshihiro Akiyama's (10-1) run at the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix championship ended before it began when he re-injured a nasal bone fracture in training, causing him to withdraw. Fifth-ranked "Thunder" Yushin Okami (22-4) remains the most likely candidate to take a swat at "Spider", but no official word yet. Sixth-ranked "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (15-4) may be the face of the division when his EliteXC title defense versus "Hands of Stone" Scott Smith (13-4) is broadcast on national television across North America at the end of May. Ninth-ranked "Mayhem" Jason Miller (21-5) debuted before the Nipponese in May with a first-round TKO of Katsuyori Shibata (2-4), but the "W" does little to propel him forward in the division. May Middleweight Rankings 1. "Spider" Anderson Silva (21-4) “Spider” fights like he’s hacked the matrix, making top-tier opponents look like they’re clumsily swatting at a web. In March he choked out former PRIDE champ Hendo’. His two-year record has both volume and quality with a “W” next to each challenger. 2. "Ace" Rich Franklin (23-3) Despite two stoppages to Silva, Franklin is still the best of the rest, even according to Silva himself. "Ace" finessed from a Travis Lutter armbar to pick the TUF champ apart in April and outwrestled notoriously powerful Okami for a decision last July. 3. "Ely" Paulo Filho (16-0) Filho's perfect rap sheet lists solid foes, but only an ’06 KO of Misaki among top-tenners. Chael Sonnen gave him hell in a controversial stoppage, but Filho missed the March rematch. A strong comeback and top-ten challenge will solidify Filho’s ranking. 4. Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1) The Zainichi judoka ran the K-1 gauntlet of weight-mismatched spectacles before bursting into 185-pound contention with a KO of Denis Kang. Akiyama drew Misaki on NYE, but the end was deemed illegal and the result a NC. He also needs a strong comeback. 5. "Thunder" Yushin Okami (22-4) Okami has been most active among the top ten in the last two years and comes off a knockout of former UFC champ Evan Tanner.  His only UFC loss was to Franklin, but could’ve conceivably been a “W” had he went after “Ace” before the final two minutes. 6. "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (15-4) “Ruthless” rides a four-fight “W” streak since being choked out by Miller in ’06, including a KO of Trigg and stoppages of solid fighters Murilo Rua and Joey Villasenor. Upcoming versus Scott Smith won’t prove much unless he loses. 7. "Twinkle Toes" Frank Trigg (16-6) With all Trigg does, you may have missed his comeback at middleweight the last two years, starting with a TKO of Miller and a UD over Misaki. Lawler iced him at Icon, but he’s returned with a quick stoppage of Edwin Dewees. He’s my division wildcard to watch. 8. "Grabaka Hitman" Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2) Misaki has made successful hits on Denis Kang and Hendo’, but also dropped decisions to Trigg and Hendo’ and a stoppage to Filho. Regardless, he’s won and lost among the division’s best, and may have added a “W” versus Akiyama if PRIDE rules ruled K-1. 9. "Mayhem" Jason Miller (21-5) Always entertaining “Mayhem” has thrown in a stoppage over Lawler and a stoppage by Trigg into a mixed bag of competition the last two years. 10. "Hollywood" Dan Henderson (22-7) "Hollywood" served Silva his first losing round in two years, but couldn't follow-up in round two.  Yo-yoing between weight classes has resulted in a mixed record for the last PRIDE champion in two weight classes.  If he wants 185, he’ll have to commit. ...

EliteXC has announced the official fight card of its 31 May CBS debut called CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights. The main event, reported last week by Fighters.com, will match "Kimbo Slice" Kevin Ferguson (2-0) versus "The Colossus" James Thompson (14-8) in a heavyweight scrap sure to end before the final bell. "The Grim" Brett Rogers (6-0) earned a spot on the broadcast card when he knocked out "The Colossus" in February, though it evidently wasn't enough to challenge "Slice" in the main event.  He'll fight Jon Murphy (4-2), who comes off of a KO over Dave Huckaba (4-2) last August. Also previously reported, Fighters.com's number six middleweight "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (15-4) will defend his EliteXC championship versus "Hands of Stone" Scott Smith (13-4). Finally, "New York Bad Ass" Phil Baroni (10-9) will try to bounce back from his recent TKO loss to Icon Middleweight Champion Kala Kolohe Hose (6-1) versus "Ninja" Murilo Rua (15-8-1), who last crossed the Atlantic to pickup a stoppage in CageRage after Lawler knocked him out in his EliteXC debut. "In terms of recognition and perception, I believe May 31 is the biggest and single most important MMA fight card ever," said Gary Shaw, EliteXC Live Events President.  "It will forever change the landscape of the sport and how it is perceived." Given the pedestrian fight card and spectacle of a main event, let's all hope not. The card will air live in America at 9:00 PM EST/PT. ...

CBS and ProElite, Inc. have announced that the first live primetime mixed martial arts event will be broadcast Saturday, 31 May (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.  CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights will be broadcast live from the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. "We're excited to introduce broadcast television viewers to America's fastest growing sport with this prime time event," said Kelly Kahl, Senior Executive Vice President, CBS Primetime.  "EliteXC is putting together a lineup card that showcases the unique personalities, world-class athleticism, and raw power and emotion that characterizes mixed martial arts."    Champion "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (15-4) will put his title on the line against "Hands of Steel" Scott Smith (13-4) in a middleweight championship bout.  EliteXC heavyweight phenom, "Kimbo Slice" Kevin Ferguson (3-0), will also participate in the May 31 event along with other stars from mixed martial arts.  Additional matchups will be announced at a later date. "I am very happy for the highly trained fighters, who will finally get the kind of exposure they deserve, and, of course, the viewers, who will get the opportunity to learn that MMA is truly a sport that requires an abundance of skills, both mentally and physically," said Gary Shaw, EliteXC Live Events President. ...