Here are the highlights from a recent interview Sherk had with the one and only Sherdog: “I’m not walking away, but if I were to walk away, I’ve done enough in my career to be happy with what I’ve accomplished…I hope to be a Hall of Famer some day. That’s my goal… I’ve been a part of this industry before it was big and after it was big… I want to fight guys who have something to offer me… I don’t want to take a big step down and fight an up-and-comer. I want to fight contenders. I think I’ve earned that.”

I think Sherk makes some interesting points, and interestingly enough, I find myself both somewhat agreeing and disagreeing with him. As a former UFC champion, I think Sherk has earned the right to face a higher level of competition than some UFC fighters. The keyword there, however, is “some”. It’s true that Sherk once held UFC gold, but it’s also true that he’s 2-2 in his last four fights and just returned from a sizable layoff. Also, many people argue that Sherk should in fact be 1-3, and should have lost his recent bout against Evan Dunham at UFC 119, which Sherk won via a highly controversial Split Decision.

I honestly don’t think Sean Sherk has done enough to warrant a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame. Holding a UFC championship is a great accolade and definitely proves that you were the best at the time you won the championship, but if every UFC champion got into the Hall of Fame, the UFC Hall of Fame would lose all purpose and meaning.

The UFC Hall of Fame should be reserved for high-profile pioneers of the sport, and for incredibly dominant UFC fighters that have beaten the best time and time again. This simply can’t be said for Sherk: his biggest victories have come against the likes of Kenny Florian, Hermes Franca, Tyson Griffin, and others. All quality competition to be sure, but they ultimately pale in comparison to the people Sherk has lost to: Matt Hughes, Georges St. Pierre, BJ Penn, and Frank Edgar. Sherk simply hasn’t been able to beat competition that is unequivocally regarded as best-in-the-world.

I don’t say any of this lightly, because I honestly don’t have much of a problem with Sean Sherk and I actually enjoy watching him fight. I think he’s a skilled veteran and that the UFC benefits from keeping him employed. I just don’t like how Sherk feels that he deserves to be put on a pedestal and consistently face the best in the division. I understand why Sherk feels that he’s earned that right, but… no, no he hasn’t.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your opinion on Sean Sherk and this recent interview?

The man known as “The Muscle Shark”, who is widely regarded as one of the most dominant Lightweight wrestlers ever in the UFC, recently took the time to speak with MMA Junkie and said the following: “I made a decision a couple of years ago that I wasn’t going to fight injured any more, so that’s where the layoff has been… That’s just not a chance I’m going to take any more… All those injuries that I had to rehab, they came back. So, now I need to get them dealt with again… I’m not going to lie; I’m not getting any younger, unfortunately… I don’t want to destroy my legacy. It’s not worth it… I want to win that belt one more time. That’s my ultimate goal: To be a two-time UFC lightweight champion.”

I’ve quietly been a Sean Sherk fan for quite some time now. What I mean by that is that I’m usually not the first one to announce that he’s a member of the Sherk bandwagon, but if you do ask, I’d have no problem admitting it and would in fact be quite proud to do so. I don’t think we’ll ever really know the true story behind Sean Sherk’s alleged steroid use, but I do know that the man has passed every single one of his drug tests ever since and presented enough convincing evidence that his suspension was cut in half.

This is why I do not say the following lightly: I think Sean Sherk has virtually vanished from the UFC Lightweight landscape. Many people, including the UFC itself, are treating Evan Dunham as if he had won his fight with Sherk. Sherk took a year off before fighting Dunham, a year off that saw him plagued with various injuries that forced him to pull out of several fights. When he returned, it was clear that ring rust was a factor, as was his advancing age. Sherk is 2-2 in his last four fights and has gotten into the habit of fighting only once or twice per year. And that’s just not the kind of schedule a champion or a hungry championship contender keeps.

Make no mistake, Sean Sherk still has all the tools necessary to be a force in the Lightweight division. The division itself is ripe for the taking, now that Frank Edgar rules over it and the WEC influx has begun. Opportunities abound for Sherk to stake his claim and rebuild his name, if only he is able to compete regularly. But as I find myself so often repeating nowadays, it seems as if Sean Sherk is another MMA veteran that’s fallen victim to the phrase “the mind is willing, the body is weak”. I think Sean Sherk is still Sean Sherk, I think he still has that drive and desire to win it all and become the best Lightweight fighter in the world. But I also think that he’s his own worst enemy based on how many wars he’s been in and how susceptible his body seems to be to injuries. I wish him all the best, but some hard times are most definitely ahead.

But of course, that’s just my opinion. What about you, fans and friends? How do you feel about Sean Sherk’s future in the UFC’s ever-expanding, always-competitive Lightweight division?

The headliner, a rumored bout pitting UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva against former teammate Vitor Belfort is tentatively scheduled for the event, as well as light heavyweight bouts pitting former champions Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin against one another, as well as Ryan Bader versus phenom, Jon “Bones” Jones.

Said lightweight match up, which will be Kenny Florian against Evan Dunham, is a fight that no true mixed martial arts fan would want to pass up.

Florian was last seen in action when he faced the talented and suffocating wrestler in Gray Maynard, in Kenny’s own backyard of Boston, Mass., for UFC 118. Against Maynard, “Ken-Flo” never pulled the trigger, and was taken down almost at will, over and over again. The uninspired loss snapped a two-fight win streak for Kenny, and also had him elude a third run at the lightweight title. He was unsuccessful in his initial attempt to capture the gold at UFC 63 against Sean Sherk, for the vacant title, then lost against former kingpin BJ Penn at UFC 101, by fourth-round rear-naked choke.

Dunham, meanwhile, is on the upswing of his career, despite coming on the heels of a loss in his last UFC outing–his first loss in his MMA career at that.

Undefeated as a professional heading into UFC 119, Dunham had impressed many, by seemingly coming out of nowhere with his rise above the heap in the lightweight division. Wins over season 8 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter”: Efrain Escudero, Marcus Aurelio, and perennial contender Tyson Griffin cemented his spot as the next big thing in the 155-pound ranks. With the very controversial loss to Sean Sherk, which saw the Xtreme Couture product dominate the former champion standing up with effective combination’s (kicks and knees galore) as well several submission attempts, his star has only grew brighter.

Florian, albeit “choking” in big fights (ala Dana White), is talented nonetheless. An adept Muay Thai striker with a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kenny has been a thorn in the side of several up-and-coming fighters in the lightweight division, including notables Clay Guida, Joe Lauzon, and former PRIDE champion Takanori Gomi–all of whom, the Boston native has finished.

The part-time ESPN personality announced the news on “MMA Live” just yesterday, saying “We’ve verbally agreed to fight Evan Dunham, which is great news. Phenomenal opponent, which I’m very excited about, and it looks like it may happen on Super Bowl weekend”.

UFC 127 takes place on February 5th, at the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the match up? Who do you think takes this fight, in what has the potential to be an early candidate for “Fight of the Night”. Sound off in the comment section below.

The Ed-Chael feud had been well documented in the lead up heading into ufc 117 where Chael faced Soares’ client Anderson Silva just last August. After many outlandish claims directed towards Soares himself and Anderson Silva primarily, it was later discovered that after failing to capture the UFC middleweight title from “The Spider” after a dominant four-rounds turned in (before the Brazilian submitted Sonnen with a late-rally fifth-round arm bar), Sonnen was found to have been possibly under the influence of performance enhancing drugs.

Despite the fall out, and all of the negative tension shared in the media, Ed sympathizes with Sonnen and even goes as far as to say that his ‘friend’ is innocent of said allegations.

“I really feel sorry for Chael, being in this situation”, stated Soares in a recent interview with MMAWeekly.com.

“Chael’s not a bad person. He’s got a family, he’s got things (to take care of). On top of all the financial burden that this gonna put on, just for his reputation. And, unfortunately, the great performance he put on in August will now be tarnished because of this.”

While Ed (who’s management company also has under wraps some of the sports best including the Nogueria brothers, Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Rafael “Feijao” and WEC featherweight champion Jose Aldo) recognizes the burden that Sonnen must be feeling, he relays some short-changed resentment that Anderson Silva himself is feeling in lieu of the situation.

“It’s just a bummer all the way around. It’s a bummer for Anderson–and it’s a bummer for the UFC and for the fans, because I do believe it was a rematch that a lot of people wanted to watch”, began Soares. “And it would have been a big fight, and unfortunately, there’s a lot of money left on the table, because I think it would have been a big pay-per-view, big sales, and everyone would have made a lot of money. It’s unfortunate, but I just wish Chael all the best, and hopefully he’s able to clear all this stuff up”.

Sonnen was tagged as the next immediate challenger to Silva’s title, however since the allegations, the UFC botched a potential title fight that was tentatively scheduled for UFC 127 seeing as how the Oregon native can very well be sticking with his year long suspension, which runs until September 2 of next year (unless otherwise overturned and appealed) and replaced Chael with Brazilian striker and former UFC light heavyweight champion, Vitor Belfort. Regardless, Soares simply wishes Sonnen the best and hopes matters are resolved from what his instincts tell him that the situation at hand isn’t exactly what it appears to be.

“I personally don’t believe that it is what it looks like”, said Ed. “I don’t know Chael great, but I do like Chael. Chael, I consider him a friend. He’s cool. We talk once in a while. I just don’t see him doing that (PED’s). I don’t know all the details of it; it really took me by surprise when I heard the news.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Do you side with Soares, and sympathize with Chael? Do you feel he is guilty until otherwise proven innocent? The California State Athletic Commission, which served Sonnen with his year-long suspension following his bout with Silva at UFC 117 in Oakland, Calif., has a history with supposed-botched test results. Just ask Sean Sherk, who till this day refutes the claims that he was under the influence of PED’s. Sound off in the comments section below.

Both Matt Serra and Mirko Cro Cop received indefinite suspensions following their losing efforts to Chris Lytle and Frank Mir respectively. Both men are indefinitely suspended until they get a head CT scan by a doctor and are medically cleared to fight again, at which point their suspension is reduced to a minimum of 180 days. Co-main event fighter Antonio Rogerio Nogueira was suspended for thirty days, with no contact for thirty days. The “thirty-thirty” suspension also applies to Joey Beltran and Steve Lopez. Evan Dunham was suspended for 45 days with 45 days no contact. Sean Sherk and Sean McCorkle were also suspended thirty days, with 21 days no contact for both fighters. Matt Mitrione was suspended for thirty days with twelve days no contact. Mark Hunt was suspended indefinitely, pending the results of an X-Ray on his left elbow, with thirty days no contact.

It’s unfortunate that both Mirko Cro Cop and Matt Serra are looking at basically a half-year off even if they’re medically cleared. Both are getting older and, based on their UFC 119 performances, their abilities may be on the decline as well. In Serra’s case, realistically he simply made the mistake of standing with a former boxer in order to give the fan’s a good fight. I think Serra shouldn’t be criticized, though, because he did give us a good fight, and I personally felt both he and Lytle were robbed of “Fight of the Night” honors. But ultimately, Serra’s desire to make up for their lackluster first fight caused him to take a ton of damage. Hopefully he takes these six months off to heal up, attend to any nagging injuries, and come back with a renewed sense of purpose and a back-to-basics approach.

Mirko Cro Cop’s indefinite suspension is, at least in my honest opinion, yet another nail in the man’s coffin. Robert Rousseau recently penned on article detailing why he thinks Mirko Cro Cop should retire, and I have to tell you, fans and friends…I agree with him wholeheartedly. If Mirko Cro Cop hasn’t lost his heart, he’s certainly lost his desire and tenacity. Some Cro Cop fans are saying that Mirko may have one last good run in him as a divisional gatekeeper, but honestly, is that something we need to see? After failing so hard in his attempts at UFC glory, shouldn’t we be spared the pain of seeing him flop around as a gatekeeper only to keep getting blasted whenever he’s put against a top-division athlete? I predicted Filipović would lose from the beginning, and even I don’t want to see him reduced to such a state.

And what do you think, fans and friends? Where will we see these fighters, especially Serra and Cro Cop, once their injuries heal up and their medical suspensions are lifted?

“I knew the fight was close. I think I had the first round pretty decisive. The second round was close. And the third round, I would give that to Dunham. So it depends on what the judges are watching. Anytime you go to a judges decision you’re at their mercy…. We were throwing down out there — he was hitting me hard, I was hitting him hard, he was bleeding all over the place. It had to be exciting. If I was a fan I would have had a good time, so I don’t know why [the fans] are booing me. We went out there and threw down. We left our hearts out there. There was nothing left inside that Octagon.”

Sherk raises a great point, no way did he deserve to be booed. He and Dunham put it all on the line in their bout, and both men displayed so much heart and tenacity that I think it’s a woeful misjudgment to vilify Sherk simply because the judges gave him the victory. Newsflash: Sean Sherk is not an MMA judge.

What we got at UFC 119 was a classic case of transference, a psychological term that basically means “being angry at one thing when you’re actually angry at another but can’t do anything about it.” The fans were angry at the judges, not Sean Sherk. But what can we as fans do? Nothing, really: the athletic commission oversees the judging and officiating in MMA and none of us, not even the UFC, has a say in the matter. So what the fans did was shift their blame from something they had no control over (the judges) to someone who was a viable target: Sean Sherk. I understand why it was done, I just don’t agree with it at all.

I wouldn’t call myself a Sean Sherk super-fan, but I have followed him for awhile and can really appreciate the skills he brings to the Octagon. Still, I’m one of the many that thought that Even Dunham should have won this fight. This fight is yet another example that the judging system in MMA is reaching broken-beyond-repair levels. There are some serious changes that need to happen, because it’s beginning to feel like every major card has at least one, sometimes two, very controversial decisions that involve judges that for all intents and purposes appear to be brain-dead. We’ve had to cope with this for far too long. It’s time for big changes.

So I’m not telling the MMA fanbase to not be vocal in their displeasure regarding controversial decisions. I’m just advising them to pick the right opponent. An MMA fighter is not a judge, and when you boo him/her for winning what you believe is a bad decision, you’re effectively telling them that their hard work is meaningless, that the fifteen or twenty-five minutes they just spent fighting their heart out was all for nothing. So stop the transference, set your sights on the real enemy, and give hard-working fighters the respect and cheers that they deserve.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think about this situation? And who did you have winning the Sean Sherk/Evan Dunham fight?

There were two Co-Fight of the Night performances on the card. Matt Mitrione and Joey Beltran made the “Prelims LIVE” special on Spike TV well worth watching. Both men displayed iron chins, heavy hands, and a willingness to engage that so many fighters seem to be lacking these days. While neither man is anywhere near top-division status, both men are still talented individuals and are now $70,000 richer for their efforts at giving the fans a fun fight.

The other Fight of the Night award was given to both Sean Sherk and Evan Dunham for their three-round war of attrition. Despite a sizable layoff, Sean Sherk looked to be back to his former glory in the first round of their three-round tilt, scoring several impressive takedowns and nailing good Ground and Pound, the highlight of which was an elbow that produced a sizable gash on Dunham’s head. Dunham would go on to rebound and in my fans’ eyes win rounds 2 and 3, although the judges would ultimately give the decision to Sherk. Even though the ending was controversial, the fight itself was very entertaining and both men deserve their $70,000 bonuses.

Surprisingly enough, no “KO of the Night” bonus was awarded. Usually this only happens when no KO is recorded, but UFC 119 saw the dramatic KO’ing of feared Croatian striker and PRIDE FC legend Mirko Cro Cop at the hands (more specifically, the knees) of former UFC Heavyweight and Interim Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir. It’s true that the finale came near the end of a rather boring three-round stall-fest, where both men nailed only small offensive flurries, but I think Mir should have gotten his $70,000. Even if the fight itself was boring, let’s not kid ourselves: the UFC just found another great segment to add to Frank Mir’s highlight reel, and you can bet that they’ll be milking it for every cent it’s worth in Mir’s next fight. Due to that I really think Mir should have been awarded “KO of the Night”.

I also disagree with the Matt Serra/Chris Lytle fight not being awarded “Fight of the Night” status. I felt that the fight was an easy pick for such an award. Neither man ever left his feet, but neither man ever wavered either. Both men were constantly moving forward, constantly landing shots, it was like their first rather-boring fight had never happened. What we saw was two incredibly tough veterans slugging it out, leaving it all on the line, and having absolutely nothing to apologize for when the final bell rang. I won’t dispute that Mitrione/Beltran and Dunham/Sherk were both very fun and entertaining fights, but I honestly think Serra/Lytle beat them both out by a not-inconsiderable margin.

I’m very glad that this event was such a success, and I’m equally as glad that the UFC continues to up the ante and award bigger and bigger “Of the Night” bonuses. UFC 119 was an entertaining event, period. It may not have lived up to everyone’s expectations, it may have featured some controversial decisions, some fights may have been a bit on the boring side, and the main event may have seen the man mostly vilified by the masses KO the man who holds semi-revered status with most MMA fans. But none of that makes it an event that was boring overall, or horrible. It wasn’t “Event of the Year” material, but in a world where everyone’s a critic and nothing is as good as it could have been, UFC 119 got my seal of approval.

But what about you, fans and friends? What did you think of UFC 119, and what do you think about these “Of the Night” bonuses?

Next for Mark Hunt: Retirement. No one comes back from six straight stoppage losses. Hunt did give us an exciting fight, but he got submitted so quickly that I honestly don’t see him ever being taken seriously again. There will always be a home for him in places like lower-level promotions and (most likely) the entirety of Japan, but I think he should just save himself the trouble and retire already.

Next for Sean Sherk/Evan Dunham: Each other, which is why I’m grouping them together. Trust me: this story will see a second chapter. It may happen immediately, it may not, but Sherk/Dunham 2 must take place before Sherk is ever taken seriously again. Despite sporting a hideous gash on his head for most of the fight, Dunham remained dynamic, engaged frequently, and should have taken the Split Decision victory. Even Dana White has said that he hated this decision, so a rematch is a no-brainer.

Next for Ryan Bader: Losing to Jon Jones, plain and simple. Bader proved at UFC 119 that his “dynamic mode” has an “off” switch. When he doesn’t want to engage he can be downright boring. Bader’s tepid performance was certainly good enough to give him the win, I’m not disputing that. But unless he brings his best from the first bell to the last, the Ryan Bader we saw at UFC 119 will be easy pickings for Jonny Bones, who doesn’t seem to know how to fight in any style other than “awesome”.

Next for Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: A decent run at Light Heavyweight that never truly lives up to the potential it could have had when Nogueira knocked out Luis Arthur Cane. “Little Nog” will likely stick around and be successful just like his bigger brother, but like Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, his success will only go so far. And unlike “Big Nog”, I don’t see Rogerio ever becoming a UFC champion. It’s becoming increasingly apparent that the Nogueira brothers are a part of the “old guard” that today’s current stars are quickly passing by.

Next for Frank Mir: A rematch with Shane Carwin, perhaps? Or maybe someone like Roy Nelson. Mir took an important step towards re-establishing himself as an elite-level Heavyweight, but he’s not there yet. I’d be a hypocrite if I said that Mir is at the top of the rankings after beating Cro Cop, because I’ve adamantly stated and defended my stance that Mirko Cro Cop is not a top-division UFC fighter. When you look at it from that point of view, and when you consider how timid Mir was until he scored the surprise KO, Mir still has quite a road ahead of him before he’s up there and challenging for the belt again. But beating Cro Cop did prove that it’s still a possibility.

Next for Mirko Cro Cop: I bet right about now a lot of people are expecting me to go on a big “TOLD YOU SO” rant, especially when you consider how I sat back and let the critics get in their shots when Randy Couture demolished James Toney. But you know what? I honestly felt sad when I saw Cro Cop go limp. Cro Cop was a good fighter. No, that’s wrong. He was an amazing fighter. His run in PRIDE rivals all the other famous runs that PRIDE fans loved so much: Wanderlei Silva’s, Fedor Emelianenko’s, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira’s, the list goes on. But he’s a shadow of a shadow of his former self, and this fight proved it. So, yeah, I’m honestly sad that Mir proved once and for all that Cro Cop will never be relevant in the UFC, even after the Cro Cop defenders lambasted me for saying as such. I honestly don’t know where Mirko goes from where, but I can say with certainty that it won’t be anywhere good.

So there’s my take, fans and friends. What do you think the future holds for the big winners and losers of UFC 119?

Sean McCorkle defeated Mark Hunt via Submission (Kimura) at 1:03 of Round 1. TJ Grant defeated Julio Paulino via Unanimous Decision. Waylon Lowe defeated Steve Lopez via Split Decision. Thiago Tavares defeated Pat Audinwood via Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 3:47 of Round 1. Matt Mitrione defeated Joey Beltran via Unanimous Decision. C.B. Dollaway defeated Joe Doerksen via Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:47 of Round 1. Melvin Guillard defeated Jeremy Stephens via Unanimous Decision. Sean Sherk defeated Evan Dunham via Split Decision. Chris Lytle defeated Matt Serra via Unanimous Decision. Ryan Bader defeated Antonio Rogerio Nogueira via Unanimous Decision. Frank Mir defeated Mirko Filipovic via KO (Knee and Punches) at 4:02 of the Round 3.

I’m gutted that Mark Hunt lost and lost so quickly, I honestly don’t think he has any sort of future in MMA. I still respect the man a lot, but it really doesn’t get much worse than a six-fight losing streak. I really enjoyed the Mitrione/Beltran fight, as both men displayed near-infallible chin and spared no time swinging for the fences. CB Dalloway’s fight was also a blast, and I was practically falling out of my seat when he and his opponent began rolling and rolling.

Did the main card let me down? I’ll be honest, it kinda did. Sherk vs. Stephens started off wildly with Stephens immediately catching Guillard, but then it slowed down considerably. It just felt like neither man was all that wiling to engage. Things got a little better in the Sherk/Dunham fight, though, but the judging in that fight was atrocious. I’m a huge Sean Sherk fan, I really wanted him to win this fight, but I honestly think that Dunham was robbed. It’s going to be very interesting to see where both men go from here.

I was positively ecstatic that Chris Lytle defeated Matt Serra in the easy pick for Fight of the Night. I’ve been a fan of Lytle for so long that to see him take another step towards top-contender status made my night. His striking looked awesome in this fight, and his chin is as near-indestructible as ever. It’s highly unlikely that we’ll ever see some UFC Welterweight gold around his waist, but everyone, including me, enjoys an against-all-odds story. Right now, Chris Lytle has cemented himself as a top-division athlete. And that’s more than good enough for me.

Unlike Lytle, Ryan Bader entered top-division status with a whimper. I’m glad he won, but it was honestly a very boring fight. There’s really not much to say about it because not much happened. I think Bader does deserve some big names to match up against now that he’s beaten a Nogueira brother, who are legends in this sport, but I’m disappointed that we didn’t see the dynamic striker that KO’d Keith Jardine.

I’ve got conflicting feelings regarding the main event. Make no mistake, I’m overjoyed that Mir won and KO’d Cro Cop. He proved me right: Cro Cop will never be big in the UFC, he’ll never be relevant again in today’s Mixed Martial Arts. But Mir simply seemed afraid to go for broke against Cro Cop. Cop seemed just as afraid, but as a fan of Mir, I was disappointed in his overall performance. Even though seeing him turn Cro Cop’s lights out brought me immense joy.

Overall, UFC 119 was an interesting event. It wasn’t “Best of the Year” status, but I’ve already seen people call the event “horrible” and I have to tell you, fans and friends…I disagree with them wholeheartedly. But what about you? What did you think of UFC 119?

Courtesy of MMAWeekly, the weigh-ins went down as follows: Frank Mir (252) vs. Mirko Filipovic (227). Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (205) vs. Ryan Bader (205). Chris Lytle (171) vs. Matt Serra (170). Evan Dunham (156) vs. Sean Sherk (155). Melvin Guillard (155) vs. Jeremy Stephens (155). C.B. Dollaway (186) vs. Joe Doerksen (186). Matt Mitrione (253) vs. Joey Beltran (239). Thiago Tavares (155) vs. Pat Audinwood (156). Steve Lopez (156) vs. Waylon Lowe (154). T.J. Grant (170) vs. Julio Paulino (170). Mark Hunt (265) vs. Sean McCorkle (263).

I think it’s funny how Frank Mir still talks about potentially dropping down to Light Heavyweight when he’s weighed in at 265 for his last few fights and only cut thirteen pounds for this fight. I’m saying this half-critically and half as a Mir fan. Mir just wouldn’t work at Light Heavyweight, he’d be downright emaciated. Mirko Cro Cop as a 205’er I can see. In fact, that may be his only option left once Mir gets through with him. Mir’s sizable weight advantage should give him a lot more power in his takedowns, which will put Cro Cop in a heap of trouble.

I think it’s interesting that Lytle took advantage of the one-pound-over limit when he’s always been a smaller Welterweight. I’m also surprised that Evan Dunham used the same allowance while his opponent Sean Sherk didn’t need it, because Sherk has always been a muscular and massive Lightweight. I don’t think that one pound will help either man: Sherk has always been an incredibly dominant wrestler while “Lights Out” is facing one of the toughest tests in his career when he rematches Serra.

Something that absolutely did not take me by surprise was the fact that Mark Hunt came in at 265. Hunt is a Super Heavyweight no matter what anyone says and I respect him a whole lot for making what I know must have been a not-inconsiderate weight cut. It remains to be seen how much of that 265 is muscle, and how the cut affected Hunt’s cardio, but I’m honestly pulling for him.

In other weigh-in news, I think Matt Mitrione will have a pretty good fight with Joey Beltran, but I actually see the weight disparity acting in Beltran’s favor. If Beltran can keep it active and avoid the heavy hands of “Meathead”, he may actually tire Mitrione out and leave him open for some big shots.

And now that all is said and done, the anticipation continues to build. With every fight official and no fighters missing weight, I can’t wait to see what UFC 119 has in store for us. It should be a very fun night of fights.

And what about you, fans and friends? This is your last shot to get your opinions in on UFC 119 before the Octagon door closes and we go live on both Spike TV and Pay-Per-View. What did you think of the weigh-ins, and who do you see emerging as the big winners and losers of UFC 119?

5. Does Mark Hunt Deserve to be in the UFC?

It seems as if many have taken on a tone of negativity when it comes to Mark Hunt’s impending undercard debut in the UFC. People are quick to point out that he would normally not be given a second glance by UFC President Dana White due to the fact that Hunt has lost so many fights recently. But whether we like it or not, Hunt is in the UFC. And whether his detractors admit it or not, Hunt has an incredible amount of heart and always tries to put on a great performance. If Mark Hunt proves that he’s deserving of his place in the top promotion in the world, we may have a certifiable mid-level attraction on our hands.

4. Will Chris Lytle Ever Hold a Championship?

Chris Lytle hasn’t been within shouting distance of a title shot in quite some time (cynics would say “never”, but I find that a bit too harsh). Now that he’s on a three fight win streak, with two great submissions back-to-back, Lytle is ready to put himself into prime title contention if he can get past the super-tough Matt Serra. I know that many find it very unlikely that Lytle will ever hold a championship, but 2010 proved that even the impossible is possible. If Lytle beats Serra, we may have a new challenger for GSP.

3. What’s Left for Sean Sherk?

Sherk hasn’t competed in over a year, and was last seen going 1-2 in his last three fights. As Sherk creeps ever closer to the dreaded four-zero, it remains to be seen if his aging body can combat the sizable amount of ring rust he’ll have going into his fight with Evan Dunham. If Sherk can beat Dunham, he’ll make a solid addition to a Lightweight division that has been blown wide open now that Frank Edgar is unquestionably the best Lightweight in the world. If he loses, we may be seeing the beginning of the end for one of the hardest-working fighters in MMA.

2. Do the Nogueira Brothers Still Have It?

One paragraph would never do justice to the amount of heart, will, and fighting spirit that the Nogueira brothers have. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira are two are the best Brazilian Jui Jitsu-based MMA fighters that have ever competed…but unfortunately, they’ve begun to show their age. “Big Nog” was last seen getting  his once-unbreakable chin shattered by Cain Velasquez, “Little Nog” was last seen squeaking out a victory against Jason Brilz. If Rogerio can rebound with a dramatic win over “Darth Bader”, he’ll put himself into prime title contention. If not, it seems as if the Nogueira brothers may be nearing the end of their shelf-life.

And my number one spot quite obviously goes to…

1. Does Mirko Cro Cop Still Have It?

I’ve debated it. You’ve debated it. Everyone has debated it. It’s by far the most important question that UFC 119 will answer. Mirko Cro Cop is staring down a former UFC Heavyweight and Interim Heavyweight Champion when he faces Frank Mir tomorrow. Mir is a submission specialist that famously broke Tim Sylvia’s arm, became the first man to ever stop Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and put a temporary halt to the meteoric rise of current UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar by submitting him via kneebar. Mir is a top-division athlete and by far the toughest opponent Cro Cop has ever faced in the UFC. Does the famous Croatian striker have one last run in him? I certainly don’t believe he does, but that’s the thing: never say never. I can’t say that I won’t be biting my nails in anticipation, hoping that Mir proves me right. And no matter who you support, we’ll soon find out just which one of these fighters still has it in him to remain relevant in the increasingly-competitive UFC Heavyweight Division.

So there’s my list, fans and friends. What about you? What are some important questions that you think will be answered at UFC 119?

Courtesy of the official UFC.com website, the press release is as follows: “Legendary Croatian striker Mirko Cro Cop has been examined by an ophthalmologist in Indianapolis, site of Saturday’s UFC 119 event at Conseco Fieldhouse, and has been medically cleared to compete in the main event this weekend against former two-time heavyweight champion Frank Mir. Cro Cop suffered a poke in the eye in the last round of his final sparring session for the bout last week, but after a few days of rest, he is in tip top shape for this pivotal battle of heavyweight contenders.”

I’m very glad that Mirko got the go-ahead, since I think Mir/Cro Cop is a solid main-event that I’m quite honestly looking forward to. And if I’m being perfectly honest, I’m looking forward to this entire card. So here are my predictions for some of the major fights of UFC 119 “Mir vs. Cro Cop”.

Sean Sherk vs. Evan Dunham

Say hello to the return of the wrestler. Sherk will come in with a not-insignificant amount of ring rust, but due to that he’ll rely almost solely on his wrestling and only use his striking to set up takedowns. And Sherk’s wrestling has always been incredibly dominant. It’ll be another case of “beautiful ugliness” when Sherk continues to take Dunham down, slamming him into the canvas with authority on more than one occasion, and pounding his opponent out. Sherk takes a dominating three-round decision and immediately puts himself back “into the mix”.

Matt Serra vs. Chris Lytle

My prediction is that I’m going to both love and hate this match. I’m a fan of both men, and I really, really don’t want to see either man lose, especially when a big win for Lytle puts him “into the mix” again, while Serra stays “in the mix” if he beats “Lights Out”. It’s going to be a fantastic war, and I think we’ll see a sizable chunk of this fight go to the ground. And it’ll be just as exciting as when both men are standing up and swinging for the fences. I’ve just got to go with Lytle, but only because I want him to win more. Lytle takes a super-close, grueling three round decision.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Ryan Bader

Look for “Darth Bader” to cement his status as a top 205’er with a big win over “Little Nog”. I hate to pick against a Nogueira brother, but Little Nog’s fight with Jason Brilz left a sour taste in my mouth. Nogueira still has plenty of years left in him, but he’ll have a very hard time against Bader, who has solid wrestling and super-sneaky one-hit KO power. He’ll be only the second man in history to ever do it, but I’m predicting that Ryan Bader is going to KO Rogerio Nogueira. But it won’t be easy, which is why I’m also predicting that it’ll happen late in Round 2 or early in Round 3.

Frank Mir vs. Mirko Cro Cop

Nothing has changed from my first opinion piece about this fight. I firmly believe that Mirko Cro Cop is not relevant in today’s Heavyweight division and that nothing short of a full-on rebirth a la Randy Couture will make him relevant again. I’ll eat my crud yet again if Mirko does the seemingly-impossible, but time and time again I see people boiling this fight down to two simple things: people hate on Mir for his attitude while lauding Cro Cop for his accomplishments in PRIDE. The reality is this: Frank Mir can be quite an unlikeable person, but he’s also got an incredible amount of skill. And Mirko Cro Cop may have been one of the best PRIDE FC fighters ever, but he hasn’t beaten any top-ranked opponents since PRIDE and has in fact looked horrible in several of his recent losses to top-ranked talents. Mir will likely be called all manner of derogatory terms for it, but I see him wasting no time in getting a takedown and scoring a submission. Look for Frank Mir to win by submission early in Round 1, Round 2 at the latest.

And those are my picks, fans and friends. How do you see UFC 119 going down?

With transcriptions courtesy of Bloody Elbow, Sherk had this to say about Dunham: “What I do works and I’m not going to change it now. I don’t think (Evan Dunham) is going to do anything in the cage that I haven’t seen or had done to me before. I’ve literally fought the best of the best in this industry for a very long time. I’ve fought for world titles in two different weight classes. Let’s meet right in the middle of the Octagon and let’s fight. Let’s see who goes down first. I don’t see him beating me at any aspect of the game. My striking is faster, it’s crisper. My wrestling is better, my jiu-jitsu is better. There’s a lot of hungry kids out there, I’m hungry too. I want it. I’ve been there already. I’ve had that belt. I loved it. I loved being world champion. I want that again.”

Sherk will face a tough test when he finally steps inside the Octagon once again. Evan Dunham is undefeated in his eleven-fight career, with six submissions and two (T)KO’s. He was last seen earning a tough Split Decision victory over Tyson Griffin, but before that, earned Submission of the Night honors with a fantastic Armbar on Efrain Escudero at UFC Fight Night 20.

But if I’m being perfectly honest… I agree wholeheartedly with Sean Sherk. I think he has an incredible wealth of experience that should fully prepare him for Dunham. He’s a former champion, and not so long ago his spot as a best-in-the-world athlete was unquestioned. Sherk has all the tools necessary to get back into the title hunt, and I think he’ll do just that with a dominant win over Dunham.

Then again…never say never in MMA. The impossible seems to be happening more and more frequently, and Dunham beating Sherk isn’t impossible by any stretch of the imagination. Dunham is on a real hot streak, while Sherk will likely have to deal with some ring rust when he steps into the cage. A big win over Sean Sherk did great things for Frank Edgar, Dunham beating Sherk would likely do the same.

No matter who wins, I think this will be an excellent match. Sean Sherk has always been one of the best pure wrestlers in the UFC, while Evan Dunham is an exciting submission specialist. It may not jettison either man into immediate title contention, but this fight will be a real proving point for both athletes. As a fan of Sherk, I really hope that he can win this one and re-establish himself as one of the best Lightweights in the UFC, which is a title he’s held for quite some time. But if he overlooks Dunham the same way you could argue that he overlooked Frank Edgar, Sherk’s welcome wagon back home may hit a sizeable roadblock.

And what about you, fans and friends? Who do you see winning, and how, between the veteran Sean Sherk and the hot prospect Evan Dunham?

In an interview with SB Nation, Gray Maynard said the following: “Who is stopping them? Name a name and I’ll bow down, but who is stopping these guys? That’s why I can’t pay attention to these people. If you’re a true sports fan who enjoys MMA and really try to understand it, you’ll get it. Look at Edgar. He’s only ever lost to myself. Huerta has never been stopped. Pretty much the same thing with Nate Diaz. Florian did get stopped by Penn, but you see what I mean. It’s an excuse, but that’s just how it is. I’m asking for the top guys. The decisions are just part of it.”

I agree with Maynard in theory, but not in practice. I think getting a decision win should absolutely not be held against you. You did your job, you won your fight, you deserve your acclaim. How backwards does it sound that fighters who tough it out and fight hard all three rounds are getting ostracized like they had a Scarlet Letter? Fighters should be praised for having the cardio, mental fortitude, toughness, and heart to go the distance, and those that do so and still dominate their opponents deserve even more praise. That’s the theory.

In practice, though…people want to see fights finished! You simply can’t ignore what the mainstream wants, and the mainstream wants to see awesome KO’s or slick submissions. We’ll even settle for a wild brawl or an active ground game. But these no-stoppage shut-outs are unappealing to fans who crave action in their sports. You can call it backwards thinking all you like, but the mainstream MMA fan holds true to one core belief: “intricacies be damned, we’re here for a fun show”. There will always be fans, especially MMA fans, that go in just for the blood, guts, and glory. You can hold your head high with the knowledge that true fans appreciate what you do and respect your ability to do it, but at the end of the day, exciting fighters sell Pay-Per-Views.

Perhaps this wouldn’t even be such a big issue if Maynard was correct in his belief that most Lightweights don’t finish their fights. But that’s the thing: they do! There are a lot of Lightweight fighters (and fighters that had runs at Lightweight) known for their stoppage victories: Kenny Florian, BJ Penn, Sean Sherk, Shinya Aoki, Jamie Varner, Donald Cerrone, Ben Henderson, Josh Thomson, KJ Noons, Anthony Pettis…just to name a few! They may not dominate the division, but they’re out there.

I’ll make one thing clear before I go: I don’t have a problem with Gray Maynard. I think he’s a fantastic athlete, and I think his rematch with Edgar will be far more entertaining than what any of the doomsayers are predicting it to be. I just don’t like that Maynard answered the question of why he doesn’t finish anybody with another question, which was “Does anybody finish anybody at Lightweight?” Because the simple answer is: yes. Yes they do. And if you really want people to stop calling you boring, why not try and finish a fight every once in a while? It couldn’t hurt.

And what do you think, fans and friends? How important is it to you that fighters finish fights, and are you excited for Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard 2?

First up is Damien Maia, since I think this rematch finds both men at radically different points in their careers. Following Mai’s first-round submission victory over Sonnen, people were flipping their lids and calling Maia the next Royce Gracie. Then Nate Marquardt knocked him out in twenty-one seconds. Then Dan Miller completely nullified all of Maia’s vaunted takedowns and ground game, even though Miller would go on to lose the fight. Then Anderson Silva proceeded to clown on him for five rounds. Meanwhile, Chael would go on to win three straight and dominate Anderson Silva like he’s never been dominated before. Sonnen’s confidence has never been higher, and Demian Maia’s stock has never been lower. A victory over the man who defeated him so easily in the past would be a big step forward on Sonnen’s comeback trail, while another fast submission by Maia would go a long way towards reestablishing his aura.

Another person that would make a very exciting match-up for Sonnen’s comeback is Wanderlei Silva. Wanderlei may have lost a little finesse since his glory days in PRIDE FC, but he’s still got serious power in both hands and a pretty under-rated ground game. I have a feeling that this one would turn into a serious slugfest, and if Sonnen is able to dominate Wanderlei on the ground the same way he dominated Anderson, he’ll have sent a clear message that he wants the belt back bad. If Silva were to knock out Sonnen or beat him by decision, it would prove that Sonnen still has a lot to work on despite his fantastic performance at UFC 117, and that Wanderlei Silva may be preparing a pretty decent little comeback of his own.

My final match-up for Sonnen is quite the long shot, but I can dream, can’t I? A lot of chips would have to fall into place for this to happen, chief amongst them being Sonnen’s opponent getting off of his lazy ass, getting off of whatever drugs he’s smoking or snorting or otherwise doing, and rededicating himself to his Mixed Martial Arts career before it’s too late and he squanders all of his natural, quite extensive abilities. If he ever gets his act together, I’d love to see Paulo Filho take on Chael Sonnen for a third and final time. This may sound weird from the man that inducted their second encounter into a running series called “Infamous Moments in MMA History”, but I just can’t help but wonder…could Chael Sonnen really beat Paulo Filho at his best? A dominant performance over a rejuvenated Paulo Filho would erase the damage the two previous encounters did on Sonnen, where he was submitted in the first fight and was unable to finish an out-of-his-mind Filho in the second fight. A win over Sonnen would prove once and for all that Filho’s darkest days are behind him, and he’d once again be one of the most dangerous Middleweights in the world. It may never happen, but it would be an epic grudge match.

And what about you, fans and friends? What (or who) do you think is next for Chael Sonnen?

3. Sean Sherk

Sean Sherk has always had a tough career. After a long time spent attempting to get at the UFC Welterweight Championship, Sherk hit the highlight of his career after dropping down to Lightweight and winning the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship with an incredible, blowout performance over Kenny Florian. Tough times were still ahead, though, as he would go on to be stripped of his title and then lose to BJ Penn. Before Edgar’s win against Penn, his win over Sherk was the only win over a legitimately high-level name Frankie Edgar had on his record. I think a rematch would be worlds apart from their first fight, both because Edgar has progressed a lot since that fight, and because Sherk would likely go back to his dominant wrestling given that the first fight clearly proved that Edgar was the better striker. There’s always a certain excitement that comes with any big rematch, but since I think both men will bring many different things to the table this time around, this rematch is particular is one I can definitely get behind.

2. Gray Maynard

Now this is the kind of rematch rivalries are made out of. When both men were trying to break through to the top of the UFC Lightweight division, Gray Maynard was the first man to ever beat Frankie Edgar. Now that Edgar is holding the belt and Maynard is hovering near the top of the division, this rematch is a no-brainer. There’s even a possibility of a third match if Edgar manages to beat the man that was the first to beat him. Much like a possible rematch with Sean Sherk, this rematch has so much appeal because both men would be very different fighters if they were ever to once again step inside the Octagon against each other. With the added grudge that Maynard was the first man to ever beat Edgar, we’re looking at an intense rivalry that would develop into an intense, awesome fight.

But the fighter I’d most like to see challenge Frankie Edgar is…

1. Kenny Florian

I’ve said it in the past, and I’ll say it again: in a world without BJ Penn, Kenny Florian would be the UFC Lightweight Champion. In his four years at Lightweight, Florian has only lost twice, and both fights had the title on the line. After both losses, Florian improved tenfold and is currently one of the most exciting fighters in the entire UFC. I think Florian is destined for another shot at the gold, and I think the third time would finally be the charm, especially if it’s against Edgar. Kenny Florian has developed both his striking game and his ground game to the point where he’s one of the most complete, versatile fighters in the entire UFC. Aside from BJ Penn, I think Kenny Florian would be the toughest test Frankie Edgar would ever have as UFC Lightweight Champion. No matter who wins, this fight has “Fight of the Year” written all over it.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. Who are some fighters you’d like to see take on Edgar? And do you think Penn will beat him, or will Edgar once again pull off the upset?

Diaz won the original exhibition match and eventually the TUF 5 championship.  But, Maynard has bullied ahead of Diaz since TUF 5, with big decision victories of UFC contenders sixth-ranked “The Answer” Frank Edgar (11-1) and “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-3-1).

With vengeance tonight versus Diaz, Maynard will have proven himself as the top contender in the UFC’s 155-pound division and will deserve a title fight versus Fighters.com and UFC Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1).

In fact, Maynard deserved the title shot over Penn’s last challenger ninth-ranked “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-3).  Penn stopped Sanchez in the fourth round at UFC 107 in Memphis December 12.  It was never a competitive contest, primarily because Sanchez hadn’t put in the work in the division to earn the fight.

But, Fighters.com worries recent UFC signee “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-6) might take Maynard’s shot even if Maynard wins versus Diaz for the same reason Sanchez did.  Gomi is a bigger name, despite his recent disappointing performances.

Gomi is the type of fighter UFC President Dana White would crack jokes about if Gomi wasn’t now a UFC fighter.  Since reigning as PRIDE lightweight champion, Gomi’s focus on fighting has been lax.  He’s lost consecutive fights to Sergei Goliaev (9-6) at Sengoku in November 2008 and Satoru Kitaoka (24-9-7) at Sengoku in January 2009 and has expressed desires to spend the rest of his years surfing rather than fighting.  He’s evidently changed his mine.  Even as PRIDE champion, he dodged losing his title in non-title losses to “Maximus” Marcus Aurélio (18-7) in 2006 and Nick Diaz (20-8) in 2007.  (The Diaz loss was later ruled a no contest by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after Diaz tested positive for marijuana.)  And, as PRIDE champion, his matchups followed the Japanese pattern of one legitimate contender, followed by one tomato can, and so on.  What’s disappointing about Gomi is that his losses to Aurélio and Goliaev were supposed to be his tomato can fights.

Fighters.com’s point is that, while Maynard has earned a title shot, Gomi should be required to earn a fight versus Penn.  Sanchez didn’t earn his title challenge and the result was an obviously unprepared Sanchez versus a particularly lethatl Penn.

Fighters.com January Lightweight Rankings

1. “Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1)

2. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4)

3. Eddie Alvarez (16-2)

4. “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7)

5. “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0)

6. “The Answer” Frank Edgar (11-1)

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (12-4)

8. “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2)

9.  “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-3)

10. “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1)

UFC President Dana White never misses an opportunity to point out his frustrations with boxing, being a former boxing manager himself.  He touts how his management of the UFC has transcended boxing’s chaotic system which often leads to disappointing match-ups, padded records, and confusing rankings.

But, performance enhancing drugs is an area where boxing beats MMA, at least in numbers of fighters who test positive in a urinalysis given by state athletic commissions.  Most concerning is the number of fighters at the top of the sport who’ve tested positive, including UFC Hall of Famers Royce Gracie (14-3-3) and “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” Ken Shamrock (26-12-2).

Gracie tested positive after defeating “Gracie Hunter” Kazushi Sakuraba (22-13-1) at K-1 HERO’s Dynamite!! USA in June 2007 and Shamrock tested positive after defeating Ross Clifton (6-10) at War Gods in February 2009.

And, at this point I’d like to emphasize that both Gracie and Shamrock deny using performance enhancing drugs.  In fact, I’d like to make a blanket statement that nearly every fighter who tests positive denies use.

The UFC even presented a lightweight title fight between Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked lightweight “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1) and Hermes Franca (18-6) at UFC 73 in July 2007 after which both fighters tested positive.  (Franca actually admits using banned substances.)

The UFC is just the most prominent and active promotion; and, to White’s credit, under his leadership the UFC has worked with U.S. states not sanctioning MMA to put in place mandates on testing and the UFC implements its own tests when promoting events not within a sanctioning framework that mandates tests.

MMA’s problem with performance enhancing substances extends outside of the UFC.  The biggest heavyweight fight of 2009 between Fighters.com Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (31-1) and eighth-ranked “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5) at Affliction Trilogy in August was cancelled when Barnett tested positive for banned substances before the fight.  It was the former UFC champion’s second positive test during his career.

Now, think of all the boxing champions who’ve failed a urinalysis.  Coming up a bit short?

I’m not naive.  Perhaps boxers are just more adept at techniques that obscure their use from a urinalysis; and, a blood test is beatable too.

But, a blood test administered by the World Anti-Doping Agency or a subsidiary, like the United States Anti-Doping Agency that Mayweather is requiring before he’ll fight Pacquiao, is the best contemporary sport has to detect banned substances.

And, blood tests can determine use of human growth hormone (HGH) in particular, which Mayweather is suspicious of Pacquiao using.

So, why shouldn’t the greatest athletic endeavor also be the cleanest?  It should, I think.  In fact, MMA deserves the strictest standards to match the prestige of the sport.

And, the Pacquiao-Mayweather debate has created a golden opportunity for White to step up to a podium and announce that the UFC will implement Olympic-style blood testing, eating the prohibitive expense to ensure the pinnacle of MMA is willing to go farther than boxing and ensure the integrity and honor of the sport.  Then, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker should match White and the UFC.

It would be the first major professional sport to go that far.  That would cement MMA’s growing legitimacy in the West and give MMA the air of prestige it deserves.  And, probably more importantly to White and Coker, it would draw attention from frustrated combat sports fans watching the Pacquiao-Mayweather negotiations break down over a request that should be acceptable.  The spotlight on drugs in sport is searching for a hero, and MMA fighters should be the heroes.

MMa Weekly reported “Bang” Duane Ludwig (19-9) will replace Sherk versus Miller.

Sherk himself was a replacement for Tyson Griffin (14-2), but Sherk suffered a cut over his right eye while training that required stitches.

Ludwig will enter the Octagon for the first time since leaving with a bang, knocking out Jonathan Goulet (22-10) in 11 seconds at Fight Night 3 in Las Vegas in 2006.

Ludwig submitted “Tetetete” Ryan Roberts (10-9) on punches at Ring of Fire 36 in Denver December 4.

Miller won a TKO 45-seconds into round two at UFC 103 in Dallas September 19 when Steve Lopez (2-2) injured his shoulder in his Octagon debut.

Sherk was scheduled to fight “Tractor” Rafaello Oliveira (8-2) on the same card.  A new opponent will be found for Oliveira.

Sherk lost a unanimous decision to sixth-ranked “The Answer” Frank Edgar (10-1) at UFC 98 in Las Vegas May 23.

Miller won a TKO 45-seconds into round two at UFC 103 in Dallas September 19 when Steve Lopez (2-2) injured his shoulder in his Octagon debut.

Griffin withdrew from the fight with an injury.

Timely too!  Sanchez is scheduled to fight Fighters.com and UFC Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” BJ Penn (14-5-1) at UFC 107 in Memphis December 12.

Top contender “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4) has a few options for his next challenge.  He could fight Sengoku champ Mizuto Hirota (9-3) when Japanese promotions DREAM and Sengoku collaborate north of Tokyo on New Year’s Eve, but told a press conference announcing the collaboration he didn’t know who Hirota is.  Or, he could take the previously rumored matchup versus eigth-ranked “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2) at the same event.  Or, Aoki could make his Strikeforce debut, as the Japanese star has signed with the UFC’s top competition to make his American debut in 2010.

Fourth-ranked “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7) was challenged by former foe and top tenner Eiji Mitsuoka (15-6-2) for the DREAM/Sengoku collaboration, but no confirmation of the matchup has been announced.

Fifth-ranked “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0) will fight Nate Diaz (10-5) at UFC Fight Night 20 at the Patriot Center at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia January 11.

Sixth-ranked “The Answer” Frank Edgar (10-1) will take on late replacement for “Batman” Kurt Pellegrino (15-4), undefeated Matt Veach (8-0), at The Ultimate Fighter 10 finale in Las Vegas December 5.

Ninth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1) announced he’ll fight “Tractor” Rafaello Oliveira (8-2) at UFC 108 in Las Vegas January 2.

Fighters.com November Lightweight Rankings

1. “Prodigy” BJ Penn (14-5-1)

2. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4)

3. Eddie Alvarez (16-2)

4. “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7)

5. “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0)

6. “The Answer” Frank Edgar (10-1)

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (11-4)

8. “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2)

9. “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1)

10.  “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-2)

Sanchez has certainly fought in some of SpikeTV’s most memorable fights, including his most recent split decision victory over perennial gatekeeper “Carpenter” Clay Guida (25-10) at The Ultimate Fighter 9 finale in Las Vegas June 20.

But, UFC lightweights fifth-ranked “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0) and sixth-ranked “The Answer” Frank Edgar (10-1) are more deserving of a title shot, though admittedly less well-known to casual UFC fans.

Maynard won a split decision over another unranked, but popular UFC lightweight “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-3-1) at UFC Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City September 16.

Edgar will follow-up his unanimous decision over former UFC champ ninth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1) at UFC 98 in Las Vegas May 23 versus “Batman” Kurt Pellegrino (15-4) at The Ultimate Fighter 10 finale in Las Vegas December 5.

Diaz beats unrelenting, but beatable Guida and gets a title shot versus Penn.  Edgar beats the former champ Sherk and is notched down to fight Pellegrino.  Explain that…

Sherk was scheduled to fight Gleison Tibau (16-6) at UFC 104 in Los Angeles October 24, but withdrew with an injury.

Most recent UFC title challenger, seventh-ranked “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (11-4), will swap opponents with Diaz when he fights Guida at UFC 107.

Meanwhile, across the Pacific second-ranked DREAM champ “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4) avenged his most recent loss in the division with an armbar submission of fourth-ranked “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7) at DREAM.11 in Yokohama October 6 and is already slated to defend his title from eighth-ranked “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2) at Dynamite!! 2009 north of Tokyo on New Year’s Eve.

Third-ranked Eddie Alvarez (16-2) and tenth-ranked Katsunori Kikuno (5-0-1) will fight at DREAM.12 in Osaka October 25 for the next DREAM title shot versus the winner of Aoki v Kawajiri.

Fighters.com’s October Lightweight Rankings

1. “Prodigy” BJ Penn (14-5-1)

2. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4)

3. Eddie Alvarez (16-2)

4. “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7)

5. “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0)

6. “The Answer” Frank Edgar (10-1)

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (11-4)

8. “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2)

9. “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1)

10. Katsunori Kikuno (5-0-1)

Since returning to the UFC in April 2008, Neer has notched a 2-2 record, but in several of the gnarliest fights of the last two years. He lost a three-round UD to “Batman” Kurt Pellegrino (15-4) at UFC 101 in Philadelphia 8 August.

Tibau lost a split decision to “Young Assassin” Melvin Guillard (22-7-2) The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale in Las Vegas 20 June.

The matchup currently remains on the broadcast portion of the fight card, but losing the big name of Sherk certainly weakens the draw for casual viewers.

UFC 104 will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles 24 October and be broadcast live on PPV at 10:00 PM EST. Tickets starting at $51.75 can be purchased at Ticketmaster and doors open at the Staple Center at 4:45 PM PT. Fighters.com will post live results.

Sherk and Griffin won Fight of the Night honours for their three round battle that ended in a unanimous decision victory for former champion Sherk.

UFC newcomer Dos Santos’s first-round TKO upset over fourth-ranked heavyweight “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) was the Knockout of the Night.

Fisher’s third-round triangle choke of Shannon Gugerty (11-3) earned him the Submission of the Night prize.

The event drew a sellout crowd of 15,359 which set a record $2.8 million gate for the Allstate Arena.

Top welterweight contender “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-3) easily beat fourth-ranked Josh Koscheck (11-3) by unanimous decision. Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 once.

Fourth-ranked heavyweight “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) was devastated by fellow Brazilian, but virtual unknown “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (7-1) via first-round TKO at 1:21.

Fifth-ranked lightweight “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-3-1) won a unanimous decision over Tyson Griffin (12-2) by judges’ scores of 29-28 twice and 30-27 once.

Thales Leites (14-1), “Bully” Gray Maynard (6-0), “King” Spencer Fisher (22-4), Dan Miller (10-1), “Drago” Pete Sell (8-4), and Hermes Franca (19-7) were all winners inside the Octagon.

Silva Wins Via Cote Injury

Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (23-4) won by TKO when “Predator” Patrick Cote‘s (13-5) knee popped at 39 seconds of round three.

It was an odd conclusion to Silva’s longest fight since 2004. At the beginning of round three, Cote was visibly excited to make it further than any of Silva’s previous UFC opponents, but, 39 seconds later, he was on the mat holding his knee and grimmacing in pain.

“It’s an old injury,” Cote explained. “I busted my knee in the second round and I tried to come back in the third and my knee just popped out.” Cote added, “I’m so sorry.”

Silva said, “I came here to fight. Patrick came here to fight. He was exchanging. It was a fine fight, but unfortunately he got hurt.”

In fact, in round one, it didn’t seem as Silva came to fight as he circled Cote for two full minutes before slapping a low kick to Cote’s thigh. Cote scored with a body kick; but, Silva followed-up with a knee that split Cote over his right eye.

In a bit of showboating, Silva actually offered to help Cote off the mat in round two. Cote had pulled guard and landed elbows from the mat before Silva stood out of Cote’s guard and extended his hand.

Silva landed elbows and knees more frequently in the second round.

The third round and, really, the fight had barely began when Cote’s knee gave and ended the night.

Silva is probably on his way to a 205-pound match-up at UFC 92 in Las Vegas 27 December.

Alves Easily Defeats Koscheck

Top welterweight contender “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-3) easily beat fourth-ranked Josh Koscheck (11-3) by unanimous decision. Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 once.

With the win, Alves should cement himself into the UFC’s top contender spot to fight the winner between Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (17-2) and Ligthweight Champion “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1); though, UFC President Dana White has already begun floating a St. Pierre versus Silva match-up if St. Pierre wins.

Alves hammered Koscheck’s legs to mush over three rounds. By the third round, Koscheck was wobbly and vulnerable to a Superman punch.

Throughout the fight, Koscheck answered Alves’s aggressive striking consistently; but, Alves’s strikes added up, earning him the decision.

“Cigano” Crumbles Werdum

Fourth-ranked heavyweight “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) was devastated by fellow Brazilian “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (7-1) via first-round TKO at 1:21.

“I knew that once my hand would get in there and hit him, I could knock him out,” explained dos Santos after the fight. “I just waited for the right time and I put my fist in his face.”

Werdum crumbled at the end of a “Cigano” right uppercut; and, dos Santos followed-up with several shots as Werdum lay on the mat.

“The uppercut is one of my best punches,” dos Santos added. “Once I hit him with a couple of jabs I knew that he always dropped his head.”

“Cigano”, a pupil of second-ranked “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1) was making his UFC debut.

Werdum had been guaranteed a title shot with a victory.

Sherks Wins First in 15 Months

Fifth-ranked lightweight “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-3-1) won a unanimous decision over Tyson Griffin (12-2) by judges’ scores of 29-28 twice and 30-27 once.

“This is the first win I’ve had in 15 months, believe it or not,” Sherk said after he dominated the young talent most of the fight. “I definitely want to get back out there and get a shot at that belt.”

Sherk took Griffin’s back twice in the first round, once after taking Griffin down and another transitioning from a Griffin takedown attempt. Griffin defended both times.

In the second round, Sherk countered Griffin’s leg kicks with jabs and Griffin’s punches to the body with left hooks.

“People really do underestimate my hands,” explained Sherk.

Griffin landed punches more frequently in round three; but, Sherk often answered him with his own punches.

“He rocked me a few times,” Sherk admitted. “The kid hits hard. The kid’s really aggressive. He’s 24-years old, he’s not going anywhere.”

After winning, Sherk emphasized, “I want to be a two-time UFC champion.”

Leites Quick To Tap McFedries

UFC middleweight contender Thales Leites (14-1) wasted no time tapping “Massacre” Andrew McFedries (7-5) in a rear naked choke.

Leites took down McFedries quickly; and, McFedries rolled to his stomach to escape. Leites hopped on McFedries’s back and wrapped up the choke at 1:18 of the first round.

Maynard Takes Decision Over Clementi

Lightweight “Bully” Gray Maynard (6-0) remained undefeated after a unanimous decision over “No Love” Rich Clementi (32-13-1) by judges’ scores of 30-27 three times.

“He’s a vet, man; and, I could tell,” Maynard said after the fight. “So, I was like, ‘Alright. Let’s try the takedown.’”

Maynard slammed Clementi in every round.

Maynard said, “He’s crafty! Like, tied me up, like, at all times. He would just keep close and keep it tied up.”

Neither fighter did much damage on the mat. In the second round Maynard locked up a guillotine; but, Clementi freed himself and attempted an armbar moments later.

Maynard spent most of the third round controlling the fight from the top position.

“King” Fisher Taps Gugerty

“King” Spencer Fisher (22-4) tapped lightweight Shannon Gugerty (11-3) in a triangle choke at 3:56 of round three.

Gugerty wrestled Fisher down in the third and landed inside Fisher’s guard, from which Fisher applied the choke and forced the tap.

Fisher had dominated the fight with aggressive striking and work in the clinch; but, Gugerty nearly caught Fisher in a guillotine choke in round two.

Miller Wins Again, UD Over Fellow Ex-IFLer Horwich

In his Octagon sequel, middleweight Dan Miller (10-1) spoiled fellow former IFL fighter “Suave” Matt Horwich‘s (22-11-1) UFC debut in a unanimous decision by judges’ scores of 29-28 three times.

Miller opened each round with a takedown of Horwich, but got swept and nearly tapped in a rear naked choke in round two. Miller defended the choke and Horwich had to settle for landing shot from the mount as the round ended.

However, in rounds one and three, Miller controlled position and landed shots from the top position to pick up his second UFC “W”.

Sell Wins First in Octagon Since 2005

Welterweight “Drago” Pete Sell (8-4) served “The People’s Warrior” Josh Burkman (18-8) his third consecutive loss in a unanimous decision by judges’ scores of 29-28 three times.

After losing the first round to Burkman on the mat, Sell tagged Burkman to the body repeatedly in rounds two and three. After softening Burkman up, Sell took Burkman to the mat and ended the fight latching a guillotine choke around Burkman’s neck. Burkman defended the choke to the final bell.

The win is Sell’s first in the Octagon since February 2005.

Franca Dispatches Former Training Partner Aurelio

Lightweight Hermes Franca (19-7) won a unanimous decision over “Maximus” Marcus Aurelio (16-7) by judges scores of 29-28 twice and 30-27 once.

Unfortunately, little of the bitterness between the two former training partners motivated them between the first and final bell; though, Franca pushed Aurelio inside the Octagon before the fight; and, Aurelio refused to shake hands with Franca after the fight.

Franca won the judges’ favors by consistently landing a leg kick throughout the three largely uneventful rounds.

Why?

(Well, besides the obvious jack the UFC stands to profit on the main event.)

But, UFC President Dana White himself has claimed Penn’s best weight class is 155 pounds; and, Penn made much ballyhoo about getting serious and slimming down to 155 pounds, his natural fighting weight.

Penn has never fought above 155 with a physique that could be described as anything but “pudgy”.

Penn is also 0-2 in his last two 170-pound fights in the Octagon, which must make UFC welterweight contenders wonder if they can get some Vaseline.

In Saitama, north of Tokyo, 24 August, top lightweight contender “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (29-3) won a unanimous decision versus tough, but relatively unknown Korean champ Seung Hwan Bang (5-2).

The tougher-than-expected struggle probably did more for Bang than Gomi, whose commitment to Sengoku has left him with few top ten challengers since the demise of PRIDE.

On the undercard, sixth-ranked Eiji Mitsuoka (14-5-2) shutup brash Brazilian Rodrigo Damm (8-2) in a first-round rear naked choke submission.

Mitsuoka was competing in the first round of Sengoku’s Lightweight GP, the winner of which will challenge Gomi.

Fifth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-3-1) will come back from his May loss to Penn to fight worthy UFC challenger Tyson Griffin (12-1) in Chicago 25 October.

Seventh-ranked “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (10-3), who was cheated out of his title challenge versus Penn due to the St. Pierre match-up, will have to take out his frustrations on “Daddy” Joe Stevenson (29-8) in Las Vegas 15 November.

DREAM hasn’t announced a rematch between third-ranked Eddie Alvarez (15-1) and fourth-ranked DREAM champ “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (19-7-1); but, Fighters.com would be surprised if Alvarez doesn’t get first dibs on the champ he already beat.

If he doesn’t, he and Florian can share a bottle of Vaseline with the UFC welterweight contenders.

The bottom of the top ten, eighth-ranked Kotetsu Boku (13-5-1), ninth-ranked “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-3), and tenth-ranked “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1) were out of the loop last month and have no announced match-ups to report.

September Lightweight Rankings

1. “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1)

“Prodigy’s” return to lightweight quickly resulted in UFC gold with two stoppages over Joe Stevenson and Jens Pulver. In May, he dominated the best the UFC had to offer in a TKO of Sherk; but, he won’t stay at 155-pounds,

2. “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (29-3)

Gomi avenged a 2006 blip to Marcus Aurelio with a stoppage on NYE the same year followed by a stoppage of Mitsuhiro Ishida.  A year-long layoff keeps Gomi from ichi-ban, but he returned in March with a stoppage of Duane Ludwig.

3. Eddie Alvarez (15-1)

Since dropping from welterweight for the DREAM Lightweight GP, Alvarez has been relentless in a stoppage of Amade, UD over Hansen, and TKO of Tatsuya Kawajiri.  Only an injury prevented him from securing the DREAM title.

4. “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (19-7-1)

“Hellboy” shocked Aoki with a TKO in a rematch of the fight that introduced the gogoplata to MMA.  He also holds a UD over Boku, but decision losses to Alvarez and Mitsuoka hint at inconsistency.

5. “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-3-1)

“Muscle Shark” had been on the shelf for nearly a year since decisions over Franca and Florian.  In his return, Penn outclassed the wrestler to a TKO, leaving both top UFC lightweights with slim competition within the promotion.

6. Eiji Mitsuoka (14-5-2)

Mitsuoka followed up a majority decision over Hansen in Shooto by handing SpiritMC 155-pound champ Kwang Hee Lee  his first loss in Sengoku.  Only a SD loss to Boku in Cage Force tarnishes his two-year record.

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (10-3)

Florian is a finisher since losing a UFC title challenge to Sherk by UD. “KenFlo” is ready for a second title challenge after a dominant UD over top UFC contender Roger Huerta.

8. Kotetsu Boku (13-5-1)

Boku risks being labled a fluke.  After a SD over Mitsuoka, Boku has dropped consecutive decisions to Artur Oumakhanov and Hansen.

9. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-3)

Aoki had eleven straight wins, including MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage over Hansen, topped only by MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage from the mount over Katsuhiko Nagata.  But, Hansen exacted revenge with a TKO in the DREAM GP final.

10. “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1)

“JZ” has brushed Andre Amade, Vitor Ribeiro, and Nam Phan off his shoulders with stoppages since a MD over Caol Uno in ’06, part of 13 straight without a loss until losing a UD to Aoki in April.

- Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked lightweight “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-3-1)

Sherk was TKO’d by Fighters.com’s Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1) at the end of three rounds in Las Vegas 24 May in Sherk’s challenge for the title he was stripped of after testing positive for banned substances.

Sherk denies using banned substances.

Griffin has peeled off four consecutive decision victories, most recently versus “Maximus” Marcus Aurelio (16-6) in Las Vegas 5 July in which Griffin demoed his consistently improving striking.

Griffin told Sherdog, “I’d like to stand out of his range and pick him apart like B.J. [Penn]”

“Hellboy” shocked Osaka 21 July by TKOing former Fighters.com Lightweight Champion “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-3) in the first round of the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix final.

Aoki spirals down eight wrungs to ninth on the loss, taking vanquished rival tenth-ranked “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1) with him.

Penn takes the Championship from the second rank, but is torn between moving to welterweight to fight Fighters.com Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (17-2) or defending his Fighters.com and UFC titles from seventh-ranked, top UFC contender “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (10-3).

In Minneapolis 9 August, Florian cleared-up the UFC’s lightweight picture with a dominant UD over “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-2-1).

Hansen seems destined to defend his DREAM title from third-ranked Eddie Alvarez (15-1), who won a UD over Hansen in the second round of DREAM’s tournament.

Alvarez TKO’d “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (22-5-2) to earn the fight versus Aoki in the DREAM GP final, but sustained injuries that allowed Hansen to replace him.

Second-ranked “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3) will fight DEEP Lightweight Champion Sung Hwan Pang (5-1) in Saitama, north of Tokyo, 24 August.

August Lightweight Rankings

1. “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1)

“Prodigy’s” return to lightweight quickly resulted in UFC gold with two second-round stoppages over Joe Stevenson and Jens Pulver. In May, he dominated the best the UFC had to offer in a TKO of Sherk.  Will he stay at 155-pounds?

2. “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3)

Gomi avenged a 2006 blip to Marcus Aurelio with a stoppage on NYE the same year followed by a stoppage of Mitsuhiro Ishida.  A year-long layoff keeps Gomi from ichi-ban, but he returned in March with a stoppage of Duane Ludwig.

3. Eddie Alvarez (15-1)

Since dropping from welterweight for the DREAM Lightweight GP, Alvarez has been relentless in a stoppage of Amade, UD over Joachim, and TKO of Tatsuya Kawajiri.  Only an injury prevented him from securing the DREAM title.

4. “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (19-7-1)

“Hellboy” shocked Aoki with a TKO in a rematch of the fight that introduced the gogoplata to MMA.  He also holds a UD over Boku, but decision losses to Alvarez and Mitsuoka hint at inconsistency.

5. “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-3-1)

“Muscle Shark” had been on the shelf for nearly a year since decisions over Franca and Florian.  In his return, Penn outclassed the wrestler to a TKO, leaving both top UFC lightweights with slim competition within the promotion.

6. Eiji Mitsuoka (13-5-2)

Mitsuoka followed up a majority decision over Hansen in Shooto by handing SpiritMC 155-pound champ Kwang Hee Lee  his first loss in Sengoku.  Only a SD loss to Boku in Cage Force tarnished his two-year record.

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (10-3)

Florian is a finisher since losing a UFC title challenge to Sherk by UD. “KenFlo” is ready for a second title challenge after a dominant UD over top UFC contender Roger Huerta.

8. Kotetsu Boku (13-5-1)

Boku risks being labled a fluke.  After a SD over Mitsuoka, Boku has dropped consecutive decisions to Artur Oumakhanov and Hansen.

9. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-3)

Aoki had eleven straight wins, including MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage over Hansen, topped only by MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage from the mount over Katsuhiko Nagata.  But, Hansen exacted revenge with a TKO in the DREAM GP final.

10. “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1)

“JZ” has brushed Andre Amade, Vitor Ribeiro, and Nam Phan off his shoulders with stoppages since a MD over Caol Uno in ’06, part of 13 straight without a loss until losing a UD to Aoki in April.

Fighters.com never questioned Penn’s talent, just his recent body of work at 155-pounds.

Though Penn fought unquestionably tougher competition last month, “Tobikan Judan” stole the show in the division by pulling a gogoplata from the mount out of his hat to tap Katsuhiko Nagata (4-3) 15 June in Tokyo.

It seems impossible for DREAM’s magician from Tokyo and the UFC’s warrior from Hilo to settle the cross-Pacific lightweight question; but, UFC President Dana White is desperate to keep Penn’s eyes from wandering out of the young UFC 155-pound division.

Penn told the post-UFC 84 press conference that, after out-boxing Sherk, it’s hard for him to get motivated to fight the winner of seventh-ranked “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (9-3) versus “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-1-1) to be fought in Minneapolis 9 August.

Penn wants Fighters.com’s Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (16-2).

White wants Penn to focus at 155-pounds.

Fighters.com predicts White is committed enough to the division and keeping Penn in it to sign some of the top lightweights not already in the UFC.

Maybe Aoki. Maybe not.

Maybe sixth-ranked Eddie Alvarez (14-1), who draws “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (22-4-2) in DREAM’s Lightweight GP in Tokyo 21 July.

Alvarez is on loan to DREAM from Adrenaline MMA, run by Alvarez’s manager Monte Cox.

Cox has a good relationship with the UFC and and his fighters.

Fighters.com speculates Cox would gladly send Alvarez to the big show for awhile if he feels like Adrenaline can’t give Alvarez the fights that best capatalize on Alvarez’s success in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Aoki fights on the same card as Alvarez in July, matched versus tenth-ranked “Uno Shoten” Caol Uno (25-10-4).

Third-ranked “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3) returns versus a yet-to-be-named foe 24 August in Tokyo, keeping Fighters.com questioning why we’ve seen so little of the former PRIDE Champ since losing to Nick Diaz (17-7) in February 2007.

Eighth-ranked Hermes Franca (18-6) returns in Las Vegas 19 July from his suspension for testing positive for banned substances. He’s matched versus rising talent “The Answer” Frank Edgar (8-1).

Third-ranked “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-1-1) and ninth-ranked “Dida” Andre Amade (6-3-1) are both on the shelf after losing in DREAM’s Lightweight GP.

June Lightweight Rankings

1. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (15-2)

Aoki has eleven straight wins, including MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage over Joachim Hansen, topped only by MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage from the mount over Katsuhiko Nagata.

2. “The Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1)

“Prodigy’s” return to lightweight quickly resulted in UFC gold with two second-round stoppages over Joe Stevenson and Jens Pulver. In May, he dominated the best the UFC had to offer in a TKO of Sherk. Will he stay at 155-pounds?

3. “The Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3)

Gomi avenged a 2006 blip to Marcus Aurelio with a stoppage on NYE the same year followed by a stoppage of Mitsuhiro Ishida. A year-long layoff keeps Gomi from ichi-ban, but he returned last month with a stoppage of Duane Ludwig.

4. “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-1-1)

“JZ” has brushed Amade, Vitor Ribeiro, and Nam Phan off his shoulders with stoppages since a MD over Caol Uno in ’06, part of 13 straight without a loss until losing a UD to Aoki in April.

5. “The Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (31-2-1)

“Muscle Shark” had been on the shelf for nearly a year since decisions over Franca and Florian. In his return, Penn outclassed the wrestler to a TKO, leaving both top UFC lightweights with slim competition within the promotion.

6. Eddie Alvarez (14-1)

Since dropping from welterweight for the DREAM Lightweight GP, Alvarez has been relentless in a stoppage of Amade and a UD over Joachim Hansen.

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (9-3)

Florian is a finisher since losing a UFC title challenge to Sherk by UD. “KenFlo” is ready for a second run at the title, but will first face Roger Huerta for the UFC top contendership.

8. Hermes Franca (18-6)

Despite a year suspension, Franca has been busy the last two years with stoppages of Spencer Fisher, Nathan Diaz, and new WEC champ Jamie Varner. He’s only dropped a UD to Sherk and returns 19 July versus Frank Edgar.

9. “Dida” Andre Amade (6-3-1)

Since a UD over Uno, Amade has been stopped consecutively by top tenners Alvarez and Calvancante. In the last two years, “Dida” has also stopped Artur Oumakhanov and Hiroyuki Takaya.

10. “Uno Shoten” Caol Uno (25-10-4)

Uno splashed into the top ten with a submission of former PRIDE title contender Mitsuhiro Ishida. The former UFC and K-1 star now begins a run in DREAM that leads to Fighters.com Champ Aoki in July.

Fighters.com’s seventh-ranked lightweight “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (9-3), former UFC Middleweight Champion Evan Tanner (32-7), and “Hammer” Mark Coleman (15-8) signed autographs and third-ranked lightweight “JZ” Gesias Calvancanti (14-2-1) was in the crowd with his smokin’ hot girlfriend.

First up to the scale was debuting UFC heavyweight Shane Carwin (8-0) weighing in at 253 pounds. Carwin fights “Hungarian Nightmare” Christian Wellisch (9-3), who weighed 230 pounds.

Wellisch said, “He’s not as big as he looked on video.”

Next to the scale was DEEP vet, UFC debuting Dong Hyun Kim (9-1-1) weighing 171 pounds and his opponent, 170-pound Liverpudlian Jason Tan (5-2).

Another UFC first-timer, tenth-ranked welterweight “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (9-2) weighed 170 pounds, the same as his opponent, “War Machine” Jon Koppenhaver (5-1).

Antoher Liverpudlian pugilist Terry Etim (10-1) weighed 155 pounds to match his UFC 84 opponent, “No Love” Rich Clementi (31-12-1).

“Kaz” Kazurhiro Nakamura (11-7) weighed a pound over light heavyweight at 206 pounds (“Without the Easter basket,” UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan commented). His UFC 84 opponent, seventh-ranked “African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-2), weighed in a pound under at 204 pounds.

Brazilian Top Team’s “Toquinho” Rousimar Palhares (7-1) looked large at 185 pounds, which matched his Speedo-clad foe Ivan Salaverry (12-6).

UFC debuting “Samuray” Antonio Mendes (14-2) weighed two pounds under the light heavyweight limit at 203 pounds. His opponent, Thiago Silva (12-0), met the 205-pound limit. Mendes looked about as big around as one of Silva’s thighs.

Ninth-ranked “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-5-1) wore a shirt that read “Dana White Is My Bitch” and weighed 205 pounds. His opponent, third-ranked “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (12-0), shook his hand at the face-off, after matching his weight.

UFC debuting Goran Reljic (7-0) nudged his opponent Wilson Gouveia (10-4) at the face-off; but, American Top Team’s Gouveia didn’t flinch. They both weighed 205 pounds.

Tenth-ranked “Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (31-8-1) and fourth-ranked “Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-3-1) both weighed 205 pounds.

Fifth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-2-1) and fourth-ranked “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (12-4-1) both weighed 155 pounds for the UFC 84 main event title fight.

These girls didn’t weigh in; and, I didn’t think it polite to ask.

I tried to capture that response for Fighters.com and, of course, Penn clammed up when I asked.

But, Penn does talk some funny smack on fifth-ranked title challenger “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-2-1).

Penn talks softly and carries a big fist, so crank up your volume.

In a light moment, Sherk asked the assembled media if he should remove his shirt before hitting the pads for photographers. When there was no reply, Sherk replied, “Thanks guys…”

“I’m ready to get in there and show everyone who the champ is,” Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked lightweight “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-2-1) told Fighters.com Thursday from the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy in Minneapolis.

At UFC 73 last July, then UFC Lightweight Champ Sherk defended his title by unanimous decision over Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked lightweight Hermes Franca (18-6).

In the post-fight drug test administered by the California State Athletic Commission, Sherk tested positive for the banned substance Nandrolone, an anabolic steroid that occurs naturally in the human body in small amounts.

After a lie detector test (which Sherk passed) and hearing, Sherk’s one-year suspension was reduced to six months and the UFC stripped him of the 155-pound title.

“Redemption,” Sherk described his UFC 84 match-up with current UFC Champ and fourth-ranked “Prodigy” BJ Penn (12-4-1).  “I got my belt taken away for something I didn’t do.  Beating one of the best guys in the world is a big part of it, too.”

Many critics contend Sherk shouldn’t be the top contender coming off his suspension.

“As the facts unfolded,” Sherk explained, “[UFC President Dana White] realized that I was telling the truth and he saw how the commission handled my case.  So, with all that he felt that it was very important that I come back in as the number one contender.

“Realistically, me and BJ have been on track to fight for a long time.  It’s a dream match-up.  We’ve both been on top of the game for a long time; so, this is a great fight not only for us but for the fans.”

When the UFC began, the question was: Which combat style is most dominant?  Sherk versus Penn, wrestler versus jiu-jitsu player, harkins back to those beginnings.

“Obviously, my wrestling is better than his wrestling and his jiu-jitsu is better than my jiu-jitsu,” Sherk claimed, but, “We are both mixed martial arts fighters.  This fight is the fight that people are going to see all my attributes.”

Sherk has weathered seventh-ranked “KenFlo” Kenny Florian’s (9-3) sharp elbows, Francas knees, and lasted the distance against fifth-ranked welterweight Matt Hughes’s (42-6) wrestling, not to mention training under Pedro Sauer black belt Greg Nelson.

Sherk sized-up that Penn has “got some tricks; and, I’ve got some tricks to that he hasn’t seen before.  It’s going to come down to who executes their game plan best.”

He believes, “BJ wants to get in there and win this one early.  He’s got to know that a conditioning battle isn’t a good battle for him.  So, I expect him to come out strong.

“I think that he’s going to be in better shape for this fight [than his last fight versus "Daddy" Joe Stevenson (28-8)]; but, Stevenson didn’t push him the way I’m going to push him.  I’m going to test him.  I’m going to try to push this thing as fast and hard as I can and see where his conditioning is.”

Penn isn’t known for being reserved.  The Hawaiian has mocked Sherk’s suspension, steroid allegations, and even his size.

Sherk said, “That’s just his personality.   I think he wants to hate people.  Maybe it motivates him.  And he wants to get into my head.  A lot of people that fight BJ buy into the hype: ‘Ooo, he’s a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.  He’s the first American to win the BJJ Worlds.’  Big deal!  I don’t care about any of that.  Take away his flexibility and he’s just like any other guy I’ve fought.  I don’t buy into the hype.”

Through the last tough ten months, Sherk has been thankful for his true fans.

“The people that have stood by my through the hard times, that’s when you find out who your real fans are,” Sherk confided.  “Minnesota Marital Arts Academy and all my sponsors that stood by me: Island Supplements, MMA Overload, MTX Audio, Warrior Wear, and Affliction.”

In the end, it’s all about one thing Sean said, “I could have had a warm-up fight, didn’t feel like I needed it.  I want to get back in there.  I want to get this belt back and just want to get my career back on track.”

After two false starts, “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (15-2) and “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1) finally fought for the Fighters.com top ranking in Tokyo at the end of April.

Aoki came out on top with a unanimous decision and now tops Fighters.com lightweight rankings, but suffered injuries that have postponed his DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix quarter final match-up versus Katsuhiko Nagata (4-2) until DREAM.4.

Calvancante fell to number three, allowing “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3) to claim the second ranking.

Gomi is rumoured to be joining the 8 June Sengoku III card in Tokyo, but no opponent has been leaked.

Fourth-ranked “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (12-4-1) and fifth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (31-2-1) will tussle for the UFC lightweight title 24 May in Las Vegas.

Eddie Alvarez (14-1) debuts in the lightweight top ten at number six after dominating “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (17-7-1) in the quarter final of DREAM’s Lightweight GP.  He’ll fight in the semi-finals (and perhaps the finals) at DREAM.5 21 July.

Seventh-ranked “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (9-3) and eighth-ranked Hermes Franca (18-6) both hop two spots after “Endless Fighter” Mitsuhiro Ishida (16-4-1) got tapped in a rear naked choke in “Uno Shoten” Caol Uno‘s (25-10-4) DREAM Lightweight GP quarterfinal debut.

Florian is scheduled to fight “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-1-1) 9 August in Minneapolis for the UFC’s top contender spot, while Franca lingers in suspension after testing positive for banned substances last July.

Uno advances to the DREAM Lightweight GP semis (and maybe finals) with Alvarez, but against an unknown opponent.

“Dida” Andre Amade (6-3-1) also debuts in the lightweight rankings at number nine, mostly on the strength of his unanimous decision victory over Uno last September.  Recently, though, Dida has been dominated by Calvancante and Alvarez.

May Lightweight Rankings

1. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (14-2)

Aoki has ten straight wins, including MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage over Joachim Hansen.  A UD over Calvancante in April cemented him atop Fighters.com’s rankings.

2. “The Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3)

Gomi avenged a 2006 blip to Marcus Aurelio with a stoppage on NYE the same year followed by a stoppage of Mitsuhiro Ishida.  A year-long layoff keeps Gomi from ichi-ban, but he returned last month with a stoppage of Duane Ludwig.

3. “JZ” Gesias Calvancanti (14-1-1)

“JZ” has brushed Amade, Vitor Ribeiro, and Nam Phan off his shoulders with stoppages since a MD over Caol Uno in ’06, part of 13 straight without a loss until losing a UD to Aoki in April.

4. “The Prodigy” B.J. Penn (12-4-1)

“The Prodigy’s” return to lightweight quickly resulted in UFC gold with two second-round stoppages over Joe Stevenson and Jens Pulver.  He defends his title from Sherk at the end of May.

5. “The Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (31-2-1)

“The Muscle Shark” has been on the shelf for nearly a year since decisions over Franca and Florian.   He was the UFC’s first lightweight titlist since the division was reinstated and challenges Penn for title he was stripped of.

6. Eddie Alvarez (14-1)

Since dropping from welterweight for the DREAM Lightweight GP, Alvarez has been relentless in a stoppage of Amade and a UD over Joachim Hansen.

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (9-3)

Florian is a finisher since losing a UFC title challenge to Sherk by UD.  “KenFlo” is ready for a second run at the title, but will first face Roger Huerta for the UFC top contendership.

8. Hermes Franca (18-6)

Despite a year suspension, Franca has been busy the last two years with stoppages of Spencer Fisher, Nathan Diaz, and new WEC champ Jamie Varner.  He’s only dropped a UD to Sherk.

9. “Dida” Andre Amade (6-3-1)

Since a UD over Uno, Amade has been stopped consecutively by top tenners Alvarez and Calvancante.  In the last two years, “Dida” has also stopped Artur Oumakhanov and Hiroyuki Takaya.

10. “Uno Shoten” Caol Uno (25-10-4)

Uno splashed into the top ten with a submission of former PRIDE title contender Mitsuhiro Ishida.   The former UFC and K-1 star now begins a run in DREAM.

With respect to MMA’s classiest act, I disagree.

The UFC’s stranglehold over the top of the sport has ensured the best fighters fight each other.

The best match-up in boxing right now is WBC welterweight titlist Floyd Mayweather, Jr. versus WBA and IBF welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto.

For those not in the boxing know, it ain’t happenin’.

Mayweather is ducking the young bull Cotto for more lucrative, less competitive rematches with Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton.  Those happen to be match-ups Mayweather is more likely to win.  Hell, he’s already beat them both.

It’s the UFC’s umbrella over the sport that has made sure champions fight contenders, not pretenders who allow champions to hold on to belts maximizing the marketability of their reign.

You see, when free agent fighters and their management pick their opponents, whether in boxing or MMA, they tend towards safe fights.

Exhibit A:  Everyone’s favorite MMA ducker, sixth-ranked heavyweight “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (27-1).

While a showdown with third-ranked “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (21-5) has been an option, Emelianenko has picked fights against middleweight “The Law” Matt Lindland (20-5) and kickboxer “Techno Goliath” Hong Man Choi (1-1).

Such is matchmaking when managers and free agent fighters seek to prolong their marketability versus the safest reasonable opponents.

I mean, Lindland and Choi are both world champions, right?  Nevermind that their championships were in a different weight class and sport respectively than Emelianenko.

I’m not advocating for the UFC.  I could care less about which promoter logo is atop a fight card.  It’s the card itself that interests me.  The fact is, the UFC’s centralized organization of the sport has produced the best fights and, by definition, avoided “becoming a fractured sport the way boxing has.”

Notes From Around MMA

* Top Strikeforce lightweight contender “The Punk” Josh Thomson (14-2) maintains “The Carpenter” Clay Guida (23-9) oiled up before their March 2006 title fight, won by Guida by UD.  Thomson claims, “I mentioned it to Clay’s brother one time.  I said, ‘Clay was really slippery in that fight…’  He just looked at me, shrugged, and said, ‘You do what you have to do to win.’  I just thought, ‘Whatever, douche bag.’  But, Clay…I think his career has leveled off.  He got a few big wins, but he’s taken some losses the last couple of years.”

* Couture (16-8) told IGN he’s pursuing a video game deal with EA Sports.  He also claimed, “I don’t care where the fight happens,” in response to a question about fighting sixth-ranked Emelinanenko in the UFC.  Couture had previously expressed his desire not to fight Emelianenko in the UFC.

* UFC middleweight Rob Yundt (6-1), who lost his UFC debut in February to “Cachorrao” Ricardo Almeida (9-2), will return to the Octagon 21 June on the TUF 7 finale versus one of the TUF contestants.  The UFC won’t reveal Yundt’s opponent to him until that fighter is eliminated on the show.

* The Tennessee House of Representatives passed a bill to legalize and sanction MMA in the state by a vote of 95-2.  The bill is held-up in the Senate by Senators Dewayne Bunch of Cleveland and Bo Watson of Hixson.  The two southeast Tennessee legislators have attached an amendment earmarking the profits from MMA events for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Division I wrestling team.  According to the Nashville Post, the amendment may violate NCAA rules.  Tennesseans are urged to contact their state Senators and urge the passing of the bill next week without the earmarking amendment.

* Fourth-ranked welterweight “The Terror” Matt Serra (9-5) and UFC light heavyweight “The Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-1), both New York state residents, and UFC executive Marc Ratner were lobbying New York state Senators Tuesday to legalize and regulate MMA in the state.  A bill legalizing and regulating the sport in New York has passed the state’s assembly, but is opposed in the senate.

* Canadian kickboxer “Black Sniper” Michael McDonald (1-1), 2002 and 2004 K-1 North American Grand Prix Champion, won a decision over American kickboxer “The Jet” Rick Roufus (1-1) in an MMA bout fought under the radar in Romania last month.

* “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) and “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (1-1) will go head-to-head 31 May in a ratings battle.  SpikeTV will air Ultimate Iceman to compete directly with CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights at 9:00 PM EST.  SpikeTV will air an entire day of UFC programming on 31 May, beginning at 11:00 AM EST.

* Star magazine reported that actress/singer Mandy Moore has a crush on top-ranked welterweight “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (16-2).  Moore was in the UFC 83 crowd last month when St. Pierre claimed the UFC welterweight title from Serra (9-5).

* You know it’s a slow MMA news cycle when eighth-ranked lightweight “The Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-2-1) testing negative for steroids in a Nevada State Athletic Commission test is a headline.  Of course he tested negative!  The headline is if he had tested positive…again.

* As I concluded after the first episode of this season’s The Ultimate Fighter, Jeremy May (5-5) is a douche bag and nothing could’ve made me happier than seeing him get smashed by fellow-Cincinnatian Matt Brown (9-6) last night.

1. “JZ” Gesias Calvancanti (14-1-1)

“JZ” has brushed Andre Amade, Vitor Ribeiro, and Nam Phan off his shoulders with stoppages since a MD over Caol Uno in ’06, part of 13 straight without a loss.  He needs a win over Aoki to cement his Fighters.com top ranking.

2. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (14-2)

Aoki has nine straight wins, including MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage over Joachim Hansen. Inability to put away tough debuting judoka Bu Kyng Jung keeps him from first place.

3. “The Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3)

Gomi avenged a 2006 blip to Marcus Aurelio with a stoppage on NYE the same year followed by a stoppage of Ishida.  A year-long layoff keeps Gomi from ichi-ban, but he returned last month with a stoppage of Duane Ludwig.

4. “The Prodigy” B.J. Penn (12-4-1)

“The Prodigy’s” return to lightweight quickly resulted in UFC gold with two second-round stoppages over Joe Stevenson and Jens Pulver.

5. “Endless Fighter” Mitsuhiro Ishida (16-3-1)

After a stoppage by Gomi, “Endless Warrior” returned strong in a decision over Melendez to add to his ’06 decision over Marcus Aurelio.

6. “El Niño” Gilbert Melendez (14-1)

“El Niño” blew out versus Ishida last NYE, but proved his worth with decisions over Tatsuya Kawajiri and Clay Guida.  Melendez benefits from action on both continents.

7. “Mach” Hayato Sakurai (32-7-2)

“Mach” has murdered lesser competition the last two years, but guarded the lightweight gate from tough up-and-comers Hidehiko Hasegawa, Mac Danzig, and Luciano Azevedo.  Sakurai missed DREAM’s Grand Prix, but needs to get back to top fighters.

8. “The Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (31-2-1)

“The Muscle Shark” has been on the shelf for nearly a year since decisions over Franca and Florian.  He was the UFC’s first lightweight titlist since the division was reinstated and challenges Penn for title he was stripped of.

9. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (9-3)

Florian is a finisher since losing a UFC title challenge to Sherk by UD. “KenFlo” is ready for a second run at the title.

10. Hermes Franca (18-6)

Despite a year suspension, Franca has been busy the last two years with stoppages of Spencer Fisher, Nathan Diaz, and new WEC champ Jamie Varner.  He’s only dropped a UD to Sherk.

Sherk is now cleared to fight current UFC titlist “The Prodigy” B.J. Penn (12-4-1) 24 May.

Both Sherk and Franca tripped the anabolic alarm last July; but, while Franca accepted his suspension and admitted his guilt, Sherk denied using performance enhancing substances and appealed his suspension.

The CSAC rewarded “The Muscle Shark” with a reduced term of ineligibility which technically ended in January, though continued until Sherk paid his fine this morning.

Franca remains suspended through 7 July.

Loose lips had already divulged details for both events.

At the MGM Grand Garden Arena 24 May, “The Prodigy” BJ Penn will defend his UFC Lightweight Championship against the improper advances of former 155-pound champ Sean Sherk, returning from a banned substances suspension.

My Portuguese is a little rusty, but Wanderlei Silva has also confirmed via his blog that he’s signed to fight Keith Jardine on the Vegas strip.

Other rumored bouts include:

Ryoto Machida v Tito Ortiz
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou v Kazuhiro Nakamura
Rashad Evans v Thiago Silva
Wilson Gouveia v Goran Reljic
Rousimar Palhares v Ivan Salaverry
Dong-hyun Kim v Jason Tan
Terry Etim v Jeremy Stephens
Shane Carwin v Christian Wellisch

At 02 Arena in London 7 June, light heavyweights Chuck Liddell and  Mauricio Rua will headline in a fight that not too long ago would’ve been considered the king-maker at 205.

Brandon Vera has also confirmed he’ll return versus Fabricio Werdum in London.

Brock Lesnar is also rumored to return on this fight card.

Penn choked Joe “Daddy” Stevenson to submission at 4:02 of round two at UFC 80 last month to claim the strap vacated by Sean “The Muscle Shark” Sherk after Sherk’s suspension for banned substances.

“I took seven days off completely.  I did nothing. And, I’m already back in the gym,” Penn announced.

Penn has been widely panned for lack of conditioning.

“Before I used to be bummed.  I’m like, I wanted to take at least a month or two months and go have a good time,” Penn admitted.

Since posting an “O”-fer in 2006 versus Georges St. Pierre and Matt Hughes at welterweight, Penn has re-dedicated himself at 155-pounds.

“I want to do this!  It’s time to go get Sean.  The belt means everything.  Nothing matters but the belt!”

The two champions, current and former, will determine the top of the lightweight division in Las Vegas.

“I’m pretty sure it’s May 24th,” Penn said.  “I’m pretty much guaranteed on that.”

When asked about his UFC 80 victory, Penn confided, “All the preparation and everything pays off.  I felt too good.  I felt guilty.”

After the fight, when Dana White wrapped the UFC belt around Penn’s waist, he had one thing on his mind:  “I’m not gonna cry!  I’m not gonna cry like last time!  Because it’s so embarrassing.”