Moody: Talk about how and when you learned your fight with Terry Etim was cancelled?  Must have been a shock?

Lauzon: I got an email from Joe Silva on Thursday (August 5^th) telling me Terry Etim pulled out and they were looking for a replacement.  I guess he busted up his ribs.  A rib injury is pretty common. My first thing was that, I wanted to make sure they find someone so I can fight in Boston.  I have like 600 -1000 people coming.  They assured they would find me a fighter.  Everything took place quickly.  They said, “what do think about Gabe Ruediger,” I was fine with it.  They gave me a name, I was happy.  Didn’t matter who it was.  Couple hours later I switched from Terry Etim to Gabe Ruediger.

Moody: You guys were on the Ultimate Fighter show and did not always see eye to eye.

Lauzon: I don’t think fighting was his first priority.  He was trying to create a good entertaining television show.  His weight was an issue.  I think he expected to have this big dramatic cut and he mans-up and gets it done and everyone is happy and he pulls through.

On the show, I wanted him to do well, I was helping him cut weight, when he actually couldn’t make it and they called an ambulance I was standing over him squeezing an IV over him.  When he was causing problems, like bickering with Matt Wiman and being difficult, I call like I see it – I wasn’t like ‘Gabe wasn’t doing anything.’  I was like ‘Gabe was causing problems, Gabe was doing this and that.’  And he took that, on the show, as if I was friendly with him, then talked trash afterward. No. I wasn’t talking trash. I call it like I see it.

Moody: OK, more on fighting Ruediger later… UFC 118 in Boston, sounds cool. Does it help or hurt to be fighting in your hometown?

Lauzon: There will be some different distractions but it is nice sleeping in my own bed, nice not having to fly somewhere, nice not having to figure out the area.  You go away for the week and have to find the best places to eat, to train; I would rather sleep in my own bed, train at my own gym and go to all the places I am comfortable with.

Moody: How will Boston receive the UFC?

Lauzon: It will be loud for sure. Boston sports fans are super passionate about everything.  You go to any kind of sport and hear “Yankees suck” chants break out.  It will be awesome.  For such a big show like the UFC to come here, it will be insanity.

Moody: What about all the friends and family, is that a distraction as the fight gets close?

Lauzon: Lucky I have enough guys around me to keep every one away.  I turn off my phone and nobody can reach me directly.  As far as the actual fight itself, it will be fine. I have had 20 something fights in Massachusetts. I have had tons of family at much smaller places.  I sold hundreds of tickets at places that only hold a thousand people and it was always fine.  It will be a big venue so it will be fine.

Moody: Where is your overall toolbox at?  What do you need to work on the most?

Lauzon: I am never happy with anything.  My Jiu Jitsu can always be better, my wrestling, my boxing, my conditioning, so many areas I can get better at.  What you work on is dictated by the coaches that are around and how you are injury-wise.   This sport now, you have to have great conditioning, boxing, clinch work, wrestling, you have to be the full complete fighter. It is doing everything bigger and better.

Moody: What did you think watching Gomi knockout Griffin a couple weeks ago?

Lauzon: That fight made me appreciate Kenny Florian’s stand-up and his jab.  I thought Kenny made Gomi look pretty bad.  Gomi made Tyson look terrible.  Gomi carries bricks in both hands.  He has no problem trading and is super tough and is a nightmare for anyone.

Moody: Favorite song currently.

Lauzon: I like “Yeah Ya Know” by T. I.

Moody: OK, in your former career, you were a computer tech expert.  Explain what is going on when you get the famous blue screen of death on your windows PC?  What should one do?

Lauzon: They should get a Mac.  The blue screen is an unexpected error, so it typically happens when a program does something that it is not supposed to.  The problem with a windows machine is that there is not a layer of protection between the software and hardware.

Moody: How much money do you get for the sponsor tags on your shorts?  Do you make more money on your shorts than from the purse?

Lauzon: I have had fights where the show money was way more that the sponsor money and I have had fights where it was the opposite.  Generally, your relationship with a sponsor, there are some that are more long term, but for the most part it is a one-night deal.  On fight night you are a fighting billboard.  You put the logo on your shorts and they send you a check.  There is no commitment or obligation.  I wear your stuff and that is it.

Moody: Anything you would not put on your shorts?

Lauzon: If there is something I don’t want on my shorts I can veto anything. There are some banned sponsors from the UFC.  For the most part, it is not a big deal.  I have no problem putting ‘Condom Depot’ on my shorts … doesn’t matter to me at all.

Moody: Back to the fight.  Gabe Ruediger has skills.  Discuss.

Lauzon: Gabe was always a decent fighter.  He was WEC champ and is a black belt in Jiu Jitsu; Gabe has always been a decent fighter.  In a lot of cases he got by on just being talented and not working too hard.  Gabe is a tough fighter, he is not a push over for sure – he is on a 5 or 6 fight win streak.

Moody: How hard was it to reset your mind and training from Etim to Reudiger – two different styles?

Lauzon: Everything is flipped.  With Etim, I saw good standup, long reach but good on the ground too.  Gabe is the opposite.  Standup is good but not as great as Etim, but his ground is much better.  It is a different skill set.  I went to being the shorter fighter to probably being a little taller.   In this fight, instead of fighting a guy that is fighting like hell to stay up will be fighting a guy who probably wants to be on the ground.  I am sure the fight will hit the ground.

Moody: Is it fair to say you have more to lose and less to gain against Ruediger than vs. Etim?

Lauzon: I definitely have more to lose than win in this fight. I know Gabe is dangerous, but the majority of people don’t know that Gabe is dangerous at all. They just see him as the kid that could not make weight.  Gabe is tough. Gabe is no pushover.  I will call him on stuff, but will give him credit too. He has good Jiu Jitsu and is good in the clinch.  Gabe has legit skills.

Moody: Good luck at UFC 118, and thanks for taking time to talk with Fighters.com.

What your thoughts on Lauzon v. Ruediger?  Who will win?  Are you excited for UFC 118?

As speculated Monday, the UFC welterweight contender matchup between American “Quick” Mike Swick (14-2) and Brit “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (22-6) was officially announced for Manchester.

The co-main event pits Brit “Count” Michael Bisping (17-2), returning from a highlight reel knockout loss to “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (25-7) at UFC 100 in Las Vegas in July, across the Octagon from Canadian Denis Kang (34-11-1).

The rest of the card includes:

Matt Brown (10-7) v “Lightning” James Wilks (4-2)
“Real Deal” Ross Pearson (14-5-1) v Aaron Riley (28-11-1)
Terry Etim (13-2) v Shannon Gugerty (12-3)
“Relentless” Paul Taylor (10-5-1) v. “Hitman” John Hathaway (10-0)
“Slick” Nick Osipczak (5-0) v Matthew Riddle (3-0)
Alexander Gustafsson (7-0) v Jared Hamman (2-1)
Andre Winner (10-3-1) v “Crazy Cuban” Rolando Delgado (6-4-1)

Both strikers came out swinging in the first round.  Stout knocked Etim down with a left hook; but, Etim rebounded with a Superman punch.

Said Etim, “That was the gameplan from the start, you know?  He said he was going to trade and, give him all of his credit, he stuck to what he said.”

In the second round, Etim slowed his pace and relied on his reach advantage with jabs and low kicks.  Stout countered with a straight right; but, Etim took Stout to the mat and took his back before the bell sounded.

Etim kept his distance again in the third round.  Stout landed the only significant punches of the round, a one-two combo.

Etim won his first fight since tapping “Wolverine” Matt Grice (9-1) in Etim’s Octagon debut at UFC 70 in Machester in April 2007, going zero for his last two.

Veteran of six UFC fights, Stout dropped his second straight decision.

“Count” Michael Bisping (16-1) 185 pounds v “Crippler” Chris Leben (18-4) 186 pounds

“I’m glad you guys let me into your country,” main event fighter Leben said at Thursday’s press conference.  “I was a little worried on the plane.”

Leben was originally scheduled to fight Bisping in London 7 June, but opted to put to rest legal issues in Oregon stemming from an earlier DUI arrest to ensure a legal UK visa.

But, the pressure is squarely on the shoulders of Brit Bisping, who told the press, “I am on a quest.  Losing this fight for me is not an option.”

Leben, wearing tight cornrows, chided his opponent, saying, “It seems to me that, when Michael Bisping fights, self-preservation is top on his list.”

A brawl would certainly benefit Leben.  Bisping’s stand-up style is a bit more circle-and-poke, while Leben is happy to plant and throw bombs.

“We’re going to be lettin’em fly!  We’re going to be having fun doin’ it,” Leben promised, which usually means they’ll knock their heads together shooting for takedowns at the opening bell.

But, let’s hope not.

Eighth-ranked “Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-4-1) 205 pounds v “The Truth” Brandon Vera (9-2) 203 pounds

At the pre-fight press conference Thursday, a very serious Vera turned to Jardine and challenged, “We’re going to be together for 15 minutes in the Octagon and I hope, I hope we get to find out a lot about each other before one of us goes to sleep.”

Jardine agreed, and quipped, “He’s got a real pretty style; and, me, I got a real awkward, real mean style.  So, it’s kind of going to be kind of like a beauty and the beast type thing.”

Jardine is coming off a 36-second knockout loss to seventh-ranked “Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (32-81) in May; and, Vera made a disappointing debut at 205-pounds in a unanimous decision “W” over Reese Andy (7-2) in July.

Vera, a former heavyweight, summed up the meaning of the fight: “Me and Keith are both at a point in our career right now where we get either to take one huge step forward or end up taking two or three steps back.”

“Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (14-4) 169 pounds vs. “Tellys” Paul Kelly (7-0) 169 pounds

Davis will try to come back strong from a loss to “Quick” Mike Swick (12-2) in June versus Kelly, who Davis called “a brawler.”

Davis put down the weights for this fight in favor of getting back to his boxing background.

“I’m going to make-up for it in technique and speed.  Being able to fight off angles and stuff like that.  It might look like I’m right in front of him, but I’m actually not going to be right in front of him,” Davis said.

Kelly, of Wolfslair Academy, revealed, “You never know where it’s going to be.  It’s MMA.  You know?  I can’t guarantee I’m going to put Marcus on the mat.  We’ve worked on what we think he’s going to do.”

Ninth-ranked “African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-2) 205 pounds v “Banha” Luis Arthur Cane (8-1) 206 pounds

“Lights Out” Chris Lytle (25-16-5) 170 pounds v “Relentless” Paul Taylor (9-3-1) 170 pounds

Akihiro Gono (28-12-7) 171 pounds v “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (19-6) 169 pounds

Shane Carwin (9-0) 264 pounds v “Old Skool” Neil Wain (4-0) 254 pounds

David Bielkheden (12-6) 156 pounds v “Joker” Jess Liaudin (12-10) 155 pounds

Terry Etim (10-2) 155 pounds v “Hands of Stone” Sam Stout (13-4-1) 155 pounds
 
David Baron (16-2) 155 pounds v Jim Miller (11-1) 155 pounds

“Dog” Samy Schiavo (10-5) 156 pounds v Per Eklund (13-3-1) 156 pounds

Swedish lightweight Per Ecklund (13-3-1) will face France’s Samy Schiavo (10-5), and in another 155-pound match-up, Canadian “Hands of Stone” Sam Stout (13-4-1) will take on Liverpudlian Terry Etim (10-2).

Ecklund’s last fight was in January when he lost a unanimous decision to Stout.

Schiavo was TKO’d at his Octagon debut in April by “Carpenter” Clay Guida (23-9), snapping his six-fight win streak.

Stout lost his last fight, a split decision that went to Rich Clementi (32-12-1) in April.

Etim also lost his last fight to Clementi, by unanimous decision in May.

Veteran referee Mario Yamasaki determined that Sherk was unable to continue after a Penn flurry at the cage that left Sherk on the mat at the end of the third round.

The three five-minute rounds were fought entirely standing up, resembling a boxing match.

Penn worked a slicker boxing style set-up with a long, snapping jab.  Sherk threw left and right hooks in a stiff, technical style.

Penn established his jab in the first round as Sherk pressured.

Sherk clinched to muffle “The Prodigy’s” reach advantage; but, Penn landed an uppercut to break the clinch.

Sherk attempted to counter with his own jab, but threw it short as Penn followed down the pipe with his left.  Sherk clinched again; but, Penn threw him off.

Sherk began round two with a cut under his right eye from Penn’s relentless jabbing.  He shrugged his shoulders before the bell, disappointed with his first-round performance.

But, the Minnesotan took the fight to Penn in the second round.  Penn clinched inside Sherk’s left/right hook combo and hammered knees to “The Muscle Shark’s” body.

Again, Penn clinched; but, Sherk overwhelmed him with a flurry.  Penn pushed out of the clinch.

Unable to solve Penn’s boxing riddle, Sherk began to test his leg kick; but, Penn answered with a left hook.

Penn had all the answers Saturday night.

Sherk began round three with another cut under his left eye.  Before the bell rang, he sized himself up on the above-Octagon screen.

Increasingly desperate to overcome Penn’s reach advantage, Sherk began lunging with his punches.

Penn timed an uppercut as Sherk lunged into a punch, sending Sherk backpedaling to the cage.  Penn followed him with a flying knee that landed square on Sherk’s jaw.  Penn mounted and pounded Sherk to the bell.

Penn describe the flurry, “He got caught.  I hit him and I knew the fight was done when he put his hands up and looked at me like, ‘Yeah, you got me.  It’s over.’”

The referee Yamasaki stopped the action at the bell, but determined Sherk was no longer fit to fight another round after Sherk  remained on his knees and awarded Penn the TKO.

When asked if the stoppage was justified, Sherk replied, “I’m not real sure.  I didn’t even hear the bell ring.”

“I was surprised [Sherk wanted to box],” Penn admitted.  “I thought he was going to try to use his combinations to setup his takedowns. ”

After the fight, Penn asked the 15,000-person crowd, “You want GSP?  You want B.J. Penn to fight GSP?”  He was referring to top-ranked welterweight “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (16-2), who won a split decision over Penn in 2006.

UFC President Dana White told reporters that Penn has at least one more fight before “clearing out the lightweight division” and earning a rematch with the 170-pound champion St. Pierre.

White was referring to the winner of the August match-up between seventh-ranked “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (9-3) and “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-1-1).

Penn admitted it’d be hard for him to take a fight against the winner of Florian versus Huerta seriously after dominating Sherk, considered the second-ranked lightweight in the UFC behind Penn.

The “Axe Murderer” Is Back

Tenth-ranked light heavyweight “Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (32-81) is back!  Back to winning!  Back to demolishing with a 36-second TKO over fourth-ranked “Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-4-1).

Shortly into the first round, Jardine lunged into a flurry that Silva countered with a right hook that collapsed the “Dean of Mean”, then followed with a left and right hook as Jardine fell.

Silva pounced and pounded Jardine until he went stiff and the referee waved off the carnage.

Jardine lay prone several minutes after the stoppage as Silva became emotional at the mic.

Machida Sends Ortiz Packing

UFC President Dana White got the last laugh on ninth-ranked light heavyweight “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6-1).

He matched him versus third-ranked “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0), who routinely sucks the air out of the world’s most exciting sport.

Machida won a paced UD over Ortiz by 30-27 on all three judges score cards.

Machida may have sucked the air out of Ortiz’s big-dollar post-UFC plans by forcing another boring fight on an exciting fighter.

Ortiz stalked the elusive “Dragon” for a takedown throughout the fight; and, Machida, to his credit, avoided all but one of “Bad Boy’s” shots.

At the end of round one, Machida even slammed Ortiz into side control and chiseled open a gash on the bridge of Ortiz’s nose with elbows.

After several attempts to engage Machida in the second round, frustrated Ortiz dropped his hands and waved Machida on.

Machida responded with a 1-2 combo; and, Ortiz nodded and countered with a body kick and punch before the bell halted the action.

In round three, Ortiz took a Machida flying knee to the body; and, Machida followed Ortiz to the mat.  Ortiz recovered and smothered Machida’s G’n'P, then locked on a triangle choke.

The capacity crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena took their feet; but, it was too late; Machida was too slick rolling over and too slippery yanking free as Ortiz transitioned into an armbar.

Fighters.com gave the decision to Machida by the score 29-28.

Ortiz left open the possibility of returning to the UFC in his post-fight comments; but, it was clear in the post-fight press conference that he was unwanted.  Ortiz crashed the press conference and refused to leave, prodded on by his girlfriend, Jenna Jameson, shouting, “You don’t have to go anywhere, baby!”

Soukoudjou: “Just one thing: Shogun.”

Seventh-ranked light heavyweight ”African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-2) got back to what brought him to the big show Saturday night at UFC 84 in Las Vegas when a straight right turned the lights out on “Kaz” Kazuhiro Nakamura (11-8) in the first round.

Sokou’ landed snapping leg kicks throughout the round, but was frustrated by Nakamura’s in-and-out flurries and elusive defense.  Finally, after landing a body kick he had tested out earlier in the round, Sokou’ followed with a straight right that dropped Kaz’.

The bell rang before it was clear how much damage the big punch had done; but, when Nakamura first tried to stumble from the Octagon thinking the fight had been stopped, then collapsed on his stool, the fight was stopped after the first round.

After the fight, Sokoudjou announced, “Just one thing: Shogun.”

Yoshida Silences War Machine

Tenth-ranked welterweight ”Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) put “War Machine” Jon Koppenhaver (5-2) to sleep in an anaconda choke 56 seconds into round one.

“It was just the way I expected,” Yoshida said after his victorious UFC debut.

Koppenhaver fired first with a leg kick, then clinched with the Japanese judoka.

Bad move!

“Zenko” flipped Koppenhaver into side mount and wrapped up the anaconda choke toot sweet.  Referee Herb Dean tugged on Koppenhaver’s arm and determined he was unconscious, ending the fight.

Yoshida said, “The anaconda choke was right there for me.”

Silva Welcomes Mendes

Rising light heavyweight Thiago Silva (13-0) welcomed “Samuray” Antonio Mendes (14-3) to the UFC.  Well…used him as a welcoming mat in a first-round TKO “W”.

Mendes surprised Silva early with a left roundhouse kick to the head, dropping Silva.  Mendes declined the ground game.  Again, Mendes caught a Silva body kick and dumped him to the mat, but declined to follow for long.

When it was Silva’s turn with a nice trip takedown at the cage, it was clear why Mendes wanted to stay on his feet.

Silva easily passed to mount and pounded a flailing Mendes to a TKO stoppage.

Reljice Debuts Victoriously

Croatian light heavyweight Goran Reljic (8-0) stopped Brazilian Wilson Gouveia (10-5) at 3:15 of round two with a well-timed overhand left to Gouveia’s jaw as Gouveia kicked at Reljic’s leg.

Gouveia dropped; and, Reljic followed, pounding Gouveia for another twenty seconds before referee Herb Dean woke up and realized he should stop the fight before Gouveia was brain damaged.

Palhares Slick Victory

Brazilian Top Team’s “Toquinho” Rousimar Palhares (8-1) made a slick conversion from a rear naked choke he was working on Ivan Salaverry (12-7) to tap Salaverry in an armbar at 2:36 of round one.  The fight was all Palhares and all BJJ, earning the UFC’s $75,000 “Submission of the Night” bonus.

Kim Mandhandles Tan

Debuting UFC welterweight Dong Hyun Kim (10-1-1) outclassed Liverpudlian Jason Tan (5-3) in every aspect to win a third-round TKO.

Tan shot for a double-leg takedown to begin the first round; but, Kim proved nimble, avoiding the mat while elbowing a gash into Tan’s skull.  Kim eventually relented to the mat, but on his terms, tossing Tan and mounting.

Tan took a pounding from Kim’s punches and elbows, but survived for a second round.

Tan switched his strategy in round two, throwing high and low kicks to begin the round; but, Kim avoided contact.

Tan again shot for a takedown; and, again Kim hip tossed Tan to the mat, mounted, and pounded him to the bell.

Tan worked rubber guard, attempting an omoplata; but, Kim made him pay for every submission attempt by avoiding and following up with a punch.

Kim came out to the third-round bell to take Tan out.  Kim threw two big, off-target hooks before clinching and throwing Tan to the mat to pound him out with elbows for the TKO.

Carwin Clobbers Wellisch

Also debuting UFC heavyweight Shane Carwin (9-0) clobbered “Hungarian Nightmare” Christian Wellisch (8-4) with a right hook 44 seconds into round one.

A wrestler, Carwin established his jab from the opening bell.  Wellisch timed Carwin and grazed him with a left hook 25 seconds into the round.  Carwin popped another jab in Wellisch’s face, which Wellisch followed into a head-on collision with Carwin’s fight-ending right hook, knocking Wellisch’s mouthpiece to the mat.

Clementi Continues Streak

“No Love” Rich Clementi (32-12-1) continued his rebound with a unanimous decision over Liverpudlian Terry Etim (10-2) by scores of 29-28 on all three judges cards.

Clementi survived an all-Etim first round.

“His lankiness was hard, hard, hard to deal with,” Clementi admitted after the fight.

Clementi got tagged with low and high kicks as he closed range for the takedown.  Midway through the round, Clementi finally succeeded in taking the fight to the mat, but Etim smothered his offense, causing the referee to stand the fighters.  Six-foot-one Etim continued to exploit his reach advantage.

The second and third rounds were different entirely.  Clementi’s relentless pressure, which caused him to take some shots in the first round, began to wear on Etim.  Clementi began scoring his takedowns, mostly single-leg into half-mount.

Etim continued to smother Clementi on the mat; but, Clementi put together a pitty-pat G’n'P that scored on the judges cards and eventually opened up a gash under Etim’s right eye.

In the third round, Clementi held Etim’s left arm beneath Etim and landed hammer fists.

The accumulation of strikes on the mat won Clementi his sixth straight.

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.

The UFC did not divulge the injury that has forced Emerson out of his scheduled fight with Terry Etim (10-1).

Clementi rides a five fight win streak into Vegas beginning with a rear naked choke submission of Kyle Gibbons (9-2) in September ’07.

Etim of Liverpool returns from his first loss, a unanimous decision to Gleison Tibau (15-5) last September.

Etim lost his last fight by unanimous decision to Gleison Tibau (15-5), the only “L” on his record.

Vale Tudo fighter Emerson enters the fight with five straight wins and a No Contest.  His last fight ended in a split decision over “K-Taro” Keita Nakamura (14-3-2).

Also announced, “The Hungarian Nightmare” Christian Wellisch (8-3) will welcome undefeated heavyweight Shane Carwin (8-0) to the Octagon.

Wellisch, a recent law school graduate, has been publicly frustrated with what will be a eight-month layoff.

Last September he submitted Scott Junk (6-2) in a heel hook at UFC 76.

Carwin is a ballyhooed wrestler entering the Octagon off a TKO over “The Tank” Sherman Pedergarst (10-8).

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.