“Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (33-10-1) and The Ultimate Fighter 3 champion “Count” Michael Bisping (17-2) will matchup at middleweight at UFC 110 in Sydney February 21, according to a Fighters Only report. ...

The forthcoming UFC title fight between Fighters.com and UFC Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2) and tenth-ranked “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6) might land in Sydney at UFC 110 February 21, UFC President Dana White hinted to MMA Junkie Radio Friday night. ...

Fighters.com’s second-ranked middleweight Jake Shields (23-4-1) cemented his status as top contender to Fighters.com and UFC Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva's (25-4) titles and picked up the Strikeforce strap himself in a five-round unanimous decision over former top ten and nails-tough “Mayhem” Jason Miller (22-7) at Strikeforce in Chicago November 7. ...

As controversial as the UFC 104 judges' unanimous decision in favor of Fighters.com and UFC Light Heavyweight Champion "Dragon" Lyoto Machida (16-0) over seemingly obvious victor, now-third-ranked "Shogun" Mauricio Rua (18-4), was among North American MMA fans, nothing compares to the heat over the fight among Brazilian MMA fans. ...

Fighters.com and UFC Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (25-4) will defend his titles from unranked “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (18-8) at UFC 108 in Las Vegas January 2. ...

"I heard my abductor snap," said UFC welterweight champion "Rush" Georges St. Pierre (19-2) after defending his title from "Pitbull" Thiago Alves (16-4) in a five-round unanimous decision at UFC 100 in Las Vegas Saturday night, then the Québécois superstar limped from the Octagon to receive immediate treatment for the groin injury suffered when Alves put him on his back in the third round. Tuesday in Montréal St. Pierre will have an MRI to determine the extent of the injury that will keep him from fighting again until 8 January unless cleared by doctor, according to a suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Regardless, the NSAC has instructed St. Pierre not to engage in full-contact training until 2 August. Middleweight "Sexyama" Yoshihiro Akiyama (14-2) came away from his Octagon debut versus "The Talent" Alen Belcher (14-6) with a split decision victory and fractured orbital bone that will keep him from returning also until 8 January unless cleared by an ophthalmologist. ...

The FEG officially added two more DREAM-rules bouts Wednesday to their New Year’s Eve Dynamite!! card. Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked lightweight “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (15-3) will face third-ranked Eddie Alvarez (13-1), and heavyweight Mark Hunt (5-2) will face Jerome LeBanner (4-1-1). A fight with Aoki had been offered to fifth-ranked middleweight Yoshihiro Akiyama (12-2), but he decided not to fight at all NYE. "I'm tired of negotiating with [Akiyama]," said FEG executive Sadaharu Tanikawa. "He doesn't understand what fans expect from him and his position.  I don't know the reason why he turned down the offer.  I'm very disappointed in him." ...

Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked lightweight “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (15-3) has once again called out fifth-ranked middleweight Yoshihiro Akiyama (12-2). Aoki told Fighting Talk of the Treasure House radio show Sunday that he wants to fight only Akiyama at Dynamite!! 31 December in Saitama. "It seems to me that Mikey (Akiyama) is making fun of our event," Aoki said. "His demand [to fight WVR’s Hidehiko Yoshida (8-6-1)] is nothing but self-centered.  I won't fight anybody except Mikey on New Year’s Eve.  I'll defeat him without gaining any weight.” Aoki added, “If he doesn't take this offer, I will consider that he is afraid of fighting me, and runs away."  (Translation by Suki from MMA Fighting.) DREAM producer Keiichi Sasahara is working to make the fight happen.  He said, “We were thinking about Badr Hari (1-0) and [“Techno Goliath”] Hong Man Choi (0-2) as Aoki's opponent, but now we are only negotiating with Akiyama." ...

Fighters.com's fifth-ranked middleweight Yoshihiro Akiyama (12-1) is a popular target in DREAM. Fighters.com reported 2 October that ninth-ranked lightweight "Tobikan Judan" Shinya Aoki (18-3) had called out Akiyama; but, Akiyama had declined the fight. In an interview with Kamipro (translated by Suki at MMA Fighting), Sadaharu Tanikawa, President of DREAM's parent company, FEG, said, "I'm interested in what Aoki said.  He fully understands what kind of fights DREAM wants to present.  I want to watch Aoki v Akiyama." But, another DREAM star, Middleweight GP champion Gegard Mousasi (24-2-1), wants a piece of Akiyama too. On DREAM's website, Mousasi said, "I have defeated three top Judo specialists before and I won them all.  I say I have an 85% chance to win [versus Olympic judoka Akiyama]." ...

A feud between Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked lightweight “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (18-3) and fifth-ranked middleweight Yoshihiro Akiyama (12-1) has flared since DREAM.6 in Saitama, north of Tokyo, 23 September. At the event's post-fight press conference, Aoki commented, "I wouldn't mind fighting [Akiyama].  I'm always here to fight anybody." Akiyama responded, "I appreciated [Aoki's] statement.  I'm very happy to be respected by Aoki; however, I'm not interested in fighting him at all." Aoki interjected, "Wait!?  Wow, he is such a positive thinker!  I didn't mean that [I respect him].  I wonder who he thinks he is."  Aoki even joked, "I actually got nervous when he sat next me...  He was sweating a lot and I thought he had hyperhidrosis." Then, in Aoki's 29 September blog entry for Kamipro, he wrote, "In the last event, a fighter said he wanted to fight someone who belonged to the other event.  He added that he wouldn't mind fighting in the other event.  I wonder why he could say that in front of DREAM fans who love this event and want to watch exciting events in DREAM.  He always only care about his own convenience.”  (Translation by Suki MMA.) Although Aoki did not name Akiyama, he was obviously referring to Akiyama, who called out rival promotion World Victory Road’s Hidehiko Yoshida (8-6-1). "I'm very mad," Aoki continued.  "I'm proud to fight in DREAM.  I believe in DREAM, both staff members and fighters work together to create the best MMA event." ...

Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked middleweight Yoshihiro Akiyama (11-1) has chosen his opponent for DREAM.6 in Saitama 23 September, DREAM announced Friday. Akiyama will face karate-trained Masanori Tonooka (1-1).  Akiyama had been given a choice between three opponents. Akiyama submitted Katsuyori Shibata (2-5) with a Gi choke at July’s DREAM.5 event. Tonooka’s last fight was a first-round KO victory over Hidehira Yabu (1-3) at DEEP in July. ...

DREAM added Fighters.com's fifth-ranked middleweight Yoshihiro Akiyama (11-1) Thursday to their event in Saitama, north of Tokyo, 23 September. The zainichi judoka has been given a choice between three unnamed opponents, according to Japanese website SportsNav. Akiyama returned from a seven-month layoff 21 July in Osaka to tap puroresu star Katsuyori Shibata (2-5). Also added Thursday, welterweight "Mach" Hayato Sakurai (32-8-2) will fight UFC vet Kuniyoshi Hironaka (12-5), not Nick Diaz (18-7) as originally planned. Sakurai tapped in a guillotine to Frenchman David Baron (16-2) in Tokyo 3 May, subsequently earning Baron a UFC contract. Hironaka followed his 1-3 stint in the Octagon with a TKO of Motoki Miyazawa (4-1) in his DREAM debut in Osaka. Former UFC welterweight "K-Taro" Keita Nakamura (14-3-2) will face Adriano Martins (9-3). Nakamura ended his three-fight UFC run with a split decision loss to Robert Emerson (8-6) in Las Vegas 2 February, going 0-3 in the Octagon. Brazilian Martins was kayoed by Roni Torres (13-1) in Amazonas in Brazil's Amazon rainforest 7 April. ...

Fighters.com's seventh-ranked middleweight "Twinkle Toes" Frank Trigg (17-6) made a successful comebackwith an anti-climactic unanimous decision over Makoto Takimoto (4-5) in Saitama, north of Tokyo, 25 August and plans to fight Falaniko Vitale (26-8) 3 October in Denver. Trigg also welcomed a son, Stone, to his family in September.  Congratulations from Fighters.com. The remainder of the Middleweight Top Ten was on holiday last month...well, at least at middleweight. Top contender "Ace" Rich Franklin (23-3) made a successful return to light heavyweight in Atlanta 6 September.  He remains wishy-washy about his future in either division. But, before Franklin could move-up to 205, Fighters.com's Middleweight Champion "Spider" Anderson Silva (22-4) beat him there.  Franklin must wonder whether Silva is going to move to Cincinnati and start teaching high school math too. Silva is preparing to defend his Fighters.com and UFC titles versus "Predator" Patrick Cote (13-4) in Chicago 25 October. Third-ranked "Ely" Paulo Filho's (16-0) WEC title defense versus Chael Sonnen (20-9-1) was postponed from tonight to 5 November due to Hurrican Ike. Fourth-ranked EliteXC champ "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (16-4) is rumored to be considering a rematch versus Joey Villasenor (26-6), whom Lawler KO'd in 22 seconds in 2006. ...

The middleweight top ten whirls like a dervish across the UFC, WEC, EliteXC, DREAM, Sengoku, and Strikeforce, leaving Fighters.com's Middleweight Champion "Spider" Anderson Silva (22-4) to defend versus "Predator" Patrick Cote (13-4) in Chicago 25 October. The UFC seemed intent that sixth-ranked "Thunder" Yushin Okami (21-4-1) miss his de facto UFC top contender challenge of Silva, marketing Cote versus "Cachorrao" Ricardo Almeida (9-3) in Las Vegas 5 July as an eliminator fight even before Okami pulled up lame with a broken hand. Cote won by split decision. ...

In a stunning cyclone of events, DREAM Lightweight Tournament reserve fighter “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (19-7-1) captured the DREAM Lightweight Championship in Osaka Sunday night. Hansen was originally eliminated from the tournament at DREAM.3 11 May after dropping a decision to Eddie Alvarez (15-1), but was drafted into the final after slapping an armbar on “Black Mamba” Kultar Gill (10-8) at 2:33 of round one in the tournament's reserve fight Sunday. Ironically, Hansen replaced Alvarez after Alvarez knocked out “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (22-5-2) at 7:35 of round one in a thrilling slugfest.  A right hook, right uppercut combo floored "Crusher" and Alvarez pounded the Japanese fighter out, but sustained a cut over his right eye in the action that would prevent him from fighting for the title. Tournament favorite “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-3) contorted himself into the final versus Hansen in a unanimous decision over “Uno Shoten” Caol Uno (25-11-4), throwing everything in the "Judan" book at Uno: armbar, triangle choke, heel hook, rear naked choke, gogoplata, etc.  Though Aoki wasn't able to stop Uno, he dominated for the decision. The final was set: Aoki v Hansen; and, in most people's minds, already settled in favor of the Japanese favorite. ...

DREAM announced Wednesday that three more bouts have been added to the 21 July DREAM.5 event: Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1; 2 NC) v Katsuyori Shibata (2-4) “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (17-7-1) v “Black Mamba” Kultar Gill (9-7) Kuniyoshi Hironaka (11-5) v Motoki Miyazawa (4-0) Mark Hunt (5-3) is also slated to fight, but no opponent has been named. Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked middleweight Akiyama has not fought since New Year’s Eve, when he faced eighth-ranked “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2; 1 NC).  Akiyama was KO’d by an illegal soccer kick, ending the fight in a No Contest. ...

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

Oft considered 145-pounds' top fighter, "Kid" Norifumi Yamamoto (17-1) will debut in DREAM in their fifth installment 21 July in Osaka. Likewise, Fighters.com's fourth-ranked middleweight Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1) will debut in DREAM on the same card. No opponent has been named for Akiyama; but, "Kid" will fight undefeated Joseph Benavidez (7-0), a training partner of the other hand on the top featherweight title, "California Kid" Urijah Faber (21-1). Yamamoto TKO'd Rani Yahya (11-4) in the second round in December in K-1 Dynamite!! Benavidez tapped Maurice Eazel (3-8) in a first-round rear naked choked in May at Palace Fighting Championships. ...

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

Fighters.com's fourth-ranked middleweight Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1) has pulled out of 29 April's DREAM.2 Middleweight Grand Prix in Tokyo. The judoka re-injured a nasal fracture originally suffered in a New Year's Eve No Contest with "Grabaka Hitman" Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2). At a press conference in Tokyo Monday, DREAM's producer Keiichi Sashahara announced, "Even a slight blow will cause such heavy bleeding that will have every doctor stop the fight." Though DREAM continues to list an opening round Grand Prix match-up between Fighters.com's seventh-ranked 185-pounder "Twinkle Toes" Frank Trigg (16-6) and "Jacare" Ronaldo Souza (7-1), Trigg denied to MMA Junkie that he's agreed fight for DREAM. With both Fighters.com top ten middleweights pulled from the Grand Prix, the favorite to win is Canadian Denis Kang (29-9-1); but, Kang is 1-2 in his last three fights.  In the first round, he battles surging Armenian Gegard Mousasi (20-2-1), who has won seven straight. ...

In the ocean, the depth at which the water is suddenly much colder is called the "thermocline".  Most MMA division top tens have one, where the quality of fighter suddenly drops considerably.  The middleweight division has two thermoclines.  Guess where. 1. "Spider" Anderson Silva (21-4) “Spider” fights like he’s hacked the matrix, making top-tier opponents look like they’re clumsily swatting at a web. In March he choked out former PRIDE champ Hendo’. His two-year record has both volume and quality with a “W” next to each challenger. 2. "Ace" Rich Franklin (22-3) Despite two Silva stoppage losses, Franklin is still the best of the rest, even according to Silva himself. “Ace” outwrestled notoriously powerful Okami for a decision last July and out-classed “The Athlete” Jason MacDonald before that. 3. "Ely" Paulo Filho (16-0) Filho's perfect rap sheet lists solid foes, but only an ’06 KO of Misaki among top-tenners. Chael Sonnen gave him hell in a controversial stoppage, but Filho missed the March rematch. A strong comeback and top-ten challenge will solidify Filho’s ranking. 4. Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1) The Zainichi judoka ran the K-1 gauntlet of weight-mismatched spectacles before bursting into 185-pound contention with a KO of Denis Kang. Akiyama drew Misaki on NYE, but the end was deemed illegal and the result a NC. He also needs a strong comeback. 5. "Thunder" Yushin Okami (22-4) Okami has been most active among the top ten in the last two years and comes off a knockout of former UFC champ Evan Tanner.  His only UFC loss was to Franklin, but could’ve conceivably been a “W” had he went after “Ace” before the final two minutes. 6. "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (15-4) “Ruthless” rides a four-fight “W” streak since being choked out by Miller in ’06, including a KO of Trigg and stoppages of solid fighters Murilo Rua and Joey Villasenor. Upcoming versus Scott Smith won’t prove much unless he loses. 7. "Twinkle Toes" Frank Trigg (16-6) With all Trigg does, you may have missed his comeback at middleweight the last two years, starting with a TKO of Miller and a UD over Misaki. Lawler iced him at Icon, but he’s returned with a quick stoppage of Edwin Dewees. He’s my division wildcard to watch. 8. "Grabaka Hitman" Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2) Misaki has made successful hits on Denis Kang and Hendo’, but also dropped decisions to Trigg and Hendo’ and a stoppage to Filho. Regardless, he’s won and lost among the division’s best, and may have added a “W” versus Akiyama if PRIDE rules ruled K-1. 9. "Hollywood" Dan Henderson (22-7) "Hollywood" served Silva his first losing round in two years, but couldn't follow-up in round two.  Yo-yoing between weight classes has resulted in a mixed record for the last PRIDE champion in two weight classes.  If he wants 185, he’ll have to commit. 10. "Mayhem" Jason Miller (20-5) Always entertaining “Mayhem” has thrown in a stoppage over Lawler and a stoppage by Trigg into a mixed bag of competition the last two years. ...