Brazilian light heavyweight Thiago Silva (15-1) knocked out "Dean of Mean" Keith Jardine (14-6-1) in 1:35 at UFC 102 in Portland Saturday night. Jardine leaned into a left uppercut and Silva countered with a left hook that floored the American. Silva followed-up with a straight left to Jardine's chin while hovering inside his open guard and Jardine's legs flattend out on the mat. "I was just throwing the punch to make sure he don't get up again," explained Silva post-fight. ...

After knocking Fighters.com's second-ranked light heavyweight "Sugar" Rashad Evans (13-1-1) silly at UFC 98 in Las Vegas in May, undefeated Fighters.com and UFC Light Heavyweight Champion "Dragon" Lyoto Machida (15-0) reigns atop the division with an awkward, frustrating style. In October, he'll defend his title from fifth-ranked "Shogun" Mauricio Rua (18-3) who's coming off a first-round KO of eighth-ranked "Iceman" Chuck Liddell (21-7).

UFC President Dana White has publicly pleaded for Liddell to retire. Liddell had barely woken up from his last knockout before the UFC put all Chuck Liddell merchandise on sale. But, is losing four out of five, three by knockout, a fitting end to a storied career? Does Liddell have one more big win in him so he can retire with dignity?

Evans and fourth-ranked "Rampage" Quinton Jackson (28-7) have been pegged to coach The Ultimate Fighter 10 and meet in the Octagon in December.

Third-ranked Forrest Griffin (16-5) has drawn the honor of finding out whether Fighters.com's Middleweight Champion "Spider" Anderson Silva (24-4) is ready for the big time at 205 next month in Philadelphia at UFC 101.

The UFC officially pulled the light heavyweight match between Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0) and tenth-ranked Thiago Silva (13-0) off the UFC 89 card Wednesday, happening 18 October in Birmingham. The organization also confirmed a lightweight match between between David Baron (16-2) and Jim Miller (11-1) at the same event. Silva withdrew last week due to a back injury, and now Machida has also been removed completely from the card. Machida told Tatame, “There’s no way to find an opponent now, and I’ll have to wait another event to fight.  I don’t know who I’ll face, UFC didn’t say anything yet, only that I won’t fight at UFC 89.  It’s sad because I was focused, training hard and prepared, but this kind of things happens.” Machida most recently faced “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6-1), winning a unanimous decision at UFC 84 in May. Shooto veteran Baron won his last fight via first-round guillotine choke over “Mach” Hayato Sakurai (32-8-2) in May. Baron has not been defeated since Fighters.com’s second-ranked lightweight “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (29-3) caught him with a rear naked choke at PRIDE in 2008. Miller last fought in the IFL, winning a unanimous decision over “Bartimus” Bart Palaszewski (29-11) in April. ...

Fighters.com’s Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin (16-4) won a decision over second-ranked "Rampage" Quinton Jackson (28-7), but was TKO’d by seventh-ranked "Dean of Mean" Keith Jardine (13-4-1). Jackson lost a decision to Griffin, but won a decision over third-ranked "Hollywood" Dan Henderson (22-7) and knocked out fourth-ranked "Iceman" Chuck Liddell (21-5)...twice. ...

"The Ultimate Fighter" is now truly the ultimate fighter in the UFC's ultimate weight class. In Las Vegas 4 July, Fighters.com's new Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin (16-4) worked over now top contender "Rampage" Quinton Jackson (28-7) with leg kicks in a close unanimous decision. Though Griffin hopped seven spots to take the championship, the decision loss was close enough that Jackson only drops one rank. Jackson has declared his next opponent to be sixth-ranked "Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1), who drops a rank on Griffin's ascension; but, no official word has come from the UFC. Jackson versus Silva would make a trilogy that Silva dominated 2-0 in PRIDE. Griffin will probably fight the winner of fourth-ranked "Iceman" Chuck Liddell (21-5) versus "Sugar" Rashad Evans (11-0-1), which gets on in Atlanta 6 September, but may also take on the winner of fifth-ranked "Dragon" Lyoto Machida (13-0) versus tenth-ranked Thiago Silva (13-0) in Birmingham 18 October. The debate rages across Internet message boards about who the top contender to Griffin's title is: Jackson, Liddell, or Machida? ...

Light heavyweights “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0) and Thiago Silva (13-0) will battle in Birmingham 18 October, the UFC announced Wednesday. Machida earned his latest victory in Las Vegas 24 May, a unanimous decision over “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6-1). ...

Fighters.com was live Friday at the UFC 84 weigh-ins at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. 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. ...

In January, American Top Team's Wilson Gouveia (10-4) surprised critics by knocking out "Punisher" Jason Lambert (23-7), who was coming off a knockout of former light heavyweight contender "Babalu" Renato Sobral (29-7). Gouveia arrived at Wednesday's UFC 84 open workout with stablemate Thiago Silva (12-0), another rising talent at 205-pounds who will fight "Samuray" Antonio Mendes (14-2). Gouveia talked about his commitment to MMA and the opening night jitters his UFC 84 opponent Goran Reljic (7-0) will be feeling Saturday. ...

Rising UFC light heavyweight Thiago Silva (12-0) of American Top Team has reportedly drawn "Samuray" Antonio Mendes (14-2) of European Top Team for a UFC 84 all-Brazil bout in Vegas. Silva was rumored to be paired with Rashad Evans (11-0-1) for a top contender eliminator until Evans was tagged for bigger game at UFC 85 in London after "Shogun" Mauricio Rua (16-3) re-injured his knee and dropped his main event match with "Iceman" Chuck Liddell (21-5). Mendes of Fortaleza, where fighters are born, rides into the fight capital of the world atop an 11-fight "W" trend. In his last fight in M-1 last July, the ring-side doc waved mercy over his Russian opposite Kiril Sidelnikov (2-1) of Red Devil Sport Club at the end of round two for a TKO. Silva of Sao Paulo is fresh from exposing hulking Nebraskan Houston Alexander (8-2) to what we in the biz refer to as "the ground game", TKOing the hyped disc jockey at 3:25 of round one last November. ...

Slim pickins'. When "Shogun" Mauricio Rua (16-3) blew his ACL and comeback shot versus "Iceman" Chuck Liddell (21-5) scheduled for 7 June in London, there was really only one fighter who could step-in. The UFC announced today that Rua's replacement will be TUF 2 champ Rashad Evans (11-0-1) of Jackson's Submission Fighting. Every other light heavy worth mentioning in the UFC is already committed to announced bouts. As I speculated Tuesday, the undefeated former collegiate wrestler was the most likely candidate. But, that's unfortunate. This is the kind of matchup I hate to see an accomplished fighter like Liddell take, the kind that's only significant if he loses. Big names and best-selling books aside, Liddell's take down defense and spot on, double-barrel fisticuffs blesses him with the favor of the odds. But, in MMA odds are what the fighters wipe their feet on before entering the Octagon.  I take the attitude fighters remind me of everyday.  Any fighter who steps into the Octagon can step out a winner. That's why Evans is an unfortunate matchup for Liddell, who's KO'd a Hall of Fame list of mixed martial artists.  Evans might win. I favor Liddell, you say?  If Liddell is so good, he should defeat any challenge. All true.  However, it's an unfortunate matchup because Evans hasn't earned it in the Octagon, only in Nielsen ratings. Evans's last two Octagon appearances have been thresholds to bigger fights. Versus "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz (15-5-1) in July 2007, Evans fought  hard, but was physically and tactically over-matched by his fellow wrestler.  The fight ended in a draw. As a headliner in November 2007, Evans faced "The Count" Michael Bisping (14-1), who was coming off what most believed should've been his first loss, a generous split decision victory over Matt Hamill (3-1). The odds were heavily in Evans's favor in a situation much like Liddell faces in this matchup.  The outcome was only significant in Evans lost. Evans eeked out a split decision "W", convincing Bisping he's better suited to 185-pounds, but convincing no one that Evans is ready for bigger fights at 205. Evans failed to traverse both thresholds, and had been rumored to be matched against Thiago Silva (12-0) of American Top Team in London before Rua's injury. Despite the loss to Forrest Griffin (15-5) in September 2007, Rua's record of vanquished opponents compared to Liddell's, including a 2005 KO of UFC Light Heavyweight Champion "Rampage" Quinton Jackson (29-6), a unanimous decision over "Minotoro" Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, and a KO of Ricardo Arona (13-5). Evans's most notable "W" may be that split decision over Bisping, a fellow TUF champ. Liddell now faces the same situation he did before losing a split decision to "The Dean of Mean" Keith Jardine (13-3-1). In Evans, Liddell faces a dangerous competitor made doubly-dangerous because he has little to lose and a title shot to gain. ...

Tuesday the UFC officially scheduled a home and an away game slotted for 24 May in Vegas and 7 June in London. 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. ...