It’s being reported that UFC 82 — which goes down March 2 in Columbus, and will be headlined by a middleweight championship bout between Anderson Silva and Dan Henderson — will also feature the Octagon return of actor/fighter Rich Franklin, who will face off against Ultimate Fighter 4 winner Travis Lutter. Both men are coming off of losses to Anderson Silva, but unlike Franklin, Lutter actually came close to beating him, creaming the champ with unanswered punches from the mount in the first round of their match at UFC 67 before Silva slipped out and locked in a triangle choke in the second. (Franklin, of course, wasn’t able to make it to the second round in either of his fights against the current champ.) A skilled submission artist, Lutter could potentially find a way to beat Ace, who isn’t looking like the most confident fighter in the world lately, and whose budding movie career may be diverting his focus. The fight would be the first in Franklin’s new six-fight contract with the UFC.

MMA Mania is also reporting that UFC veteran Evan Tanner will also fight at UFC 82 against a yet-unnamed opponent. Tanner briefly held the UFC’s middleweight belt before losing it to Rich Franklin at UFC 53; his last fight was a submission victory over Justin Levens in April 2006. Since then, Tanner has struggled with alcoholism, attempted to create a charity training center for troubled fighters that failed, worked to restore a sailboat that eventually sank, and had some possessions stolen from his Land Cruiser. Here’s hoping his future endeavors run a bit more smoothly…

Your eyes do not deceive you — what you’re looking at is an an action figure crafted in the likeness of Chuck Liddell. If you’re not already convinced that this is something you need to have, allow Chuck himself to sell the hell out of it, via a bulletin sent from his Myspace page:

This is a prototype and these are price fixed because there was only 3000 made. This means the price will never change but will go up. Don’t buy those little six inch action figures, these are a full 12 inch haha. Seriously, these were made really well even if they exaggerated my body a little. Go to mmajacked.com to order yours and remember it helps a good cause as many of these go to charity.

I read those first two sentences four times before I quit and poured myself a glass of Scotch. Apparently, Chuck uses the word “never” to mean “sometimes.” (To say nothing about his shaky verb conjugation.) Also, I’m not sure what to take away from “it helps a good cause as many of these go to charity.” I wouldn’t assume that the profits go to charity — maybe the dolls that Chuck can’t move get dropped off at the Salvation Army? Better than nothing, I suppose.

In a follow-up bulletin to remind his e-pals to buy his doll, he tries to clarify the “price fixed” thing: “This means the price will never be below $49.99, ever unless someone want to lose money.”

You’d think I was screwing up the subject/verb agreements and misplacing the commas myself to make Chuck look stupid. Let me just say for the record — there’s a little something called “journalistic integrity,” and I have too much of it to stoop to such depths. I will, however, advise you against purchasing a Chuck Liddell action figure on mmajacked.com when “price fixed” is defined as it is above. I wouldn’t want to enter my credit card information and hit “complete order,” only to find that I’ve been charged $649.99 because I’ve caught the dolls on a day when the prices are up. You see, Chuck’s established a minimum price ($49.99, unless someone want to lose money), but says nothing about a maximum price. Buyer beware, that’s all I’m saying.

After surviving a few scary moments in the first round where Tim Kennedy was close to sinking in a rear-naked choke, Jason “Mayhem” Miller dominated the main event match at HDNet’s “Reckless Abandon,” nailing his opponent with punches and forearms that opened cuts on Kennedy’s face and kept the momentum in Mayhem’s favor. All three judges scored the bout 29-28. With the win, Miller avenges his February 2003 loss to Kennedy, and retains the confidence necessary to attempt ridiculous ring entrances like this.

The IFL held a media conference call today with Chris Horodecki and Jay Hieron, who answered reporters’ questions about their upcoming bouts for the lightweight and welterweight titles (respectively) at the IFL World Grand Prix. Full audio from the call is available at Jarry Park. We’ll save you some time — the questions that CagePotato was able to ask are below:

Both of you fought [in the IFL] as L.A. Anacondas. What’s the best advice or fighting tip you’ve ever gotten from Bas Rutten?
Jay Hieron: When [Bas] fights, he definitely gets over-aggressive and he wants to finish fights so quick that he had to write “relax” on his arm, so I tried it in one of my fights and I believe that helped me out a little bit, to basically stay more relaxed out there. And like Chris just said before with the knockout situation [regarding a question about Horodecki's apparent lack of a knockout punch], let stuff come, don’t force anything and it will come.
Chris Horodecki: I really admire Bas, too, outside the thing, just the type of person he is. He’s got a great heart and he really stresses balance in and out of the ring, and taking your mind away from fighting when the job is done. You train hard, and then you gotta rest hard. I think that’s important too.

Chris, I know the legal drinking age in Ontario is 19. Does it bother you not being able to go out for a few cocktails with the guys in L.A. because of the drinking age of 21 in the States?
Horodecki: After the fight, I’m pretty quick to go home, but I try to keep as behaved as I can while in the States. In terms of being out here [at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas], it makes it real easy to not get distracted. It’s not available to me. Back home I can go out all the time, but I’m here so it’s just business right now.

Are there any other drawbacks you see to being younger than everyone else you fight and train with?
Horodecki: Not really. I think it’s a benefit. I’m just starting out, I’m not racing the clock. A lot of fighters are starting their careers and they’re racing the clock to get in as many fights and do their thing before they hit their peak, so I think that’s an advantage to myself. I’m just real fortunate.

Unfortunately, a subsequent question about “crazy fan experiences” didn’t result in any entertaining anecdotes.

The IFL World Grand Prix goes down on December 29 and will be broadcast live from Uncasville, CT, on HDNet.

Just two weeks after the first death of a mixed martial artist resulting from injuries sustained in sanctioned competition, the MMA world was struck with another tragedy this weekend, as 33-year-old Ryan Gracie — the so-called “bad boy” of the Gracie clan — was found dead in a Sao Paulo jail cell Saturday morning; he had been arrested Friday night for stealing a car from a 76-year-old man at knifepoint, crashing it, then attempting to steal a motorcycle to flee from police. According to this article, Gracie did not respond to a morning roll call: “When I went to his cell, I saw him lying on his mattress,” [police inspector Paulo] Bittencourt said. “He had no pulse and a reddish liquid was coming out of his mouth. It seems to me he died of a heart attack.”

Following the arrest, Gracie’s urine showed traces of cocaine and marijuana, but the Bleacher Report (props: BloodyElbow) suggests that the illegal drugs were just the beginning:

Psychiatrist Dr. Sabino Ferreira de Faria was called by Gracie’s wife after his arrest and attended to him at the jail. The doctor has allegedly stated that he administered the following drugs to Gracie to calm him down: Haldol (a powerful antipsychotic), Fenergan (which has a side effect of sleepiness), Topamax (for Migraines), Dienpax (tranquilizers), and OmniPlex (relaxant). The doctor remained with Gracie most of the night, and was notified of Gracie’s death as he was returning home. The cause of death has not yet been released by the medical examiner.

So yeah, drug interactions were probably at play here — and if there’s any justice, Dr. “Feelgood” Ferreira will be spending some time in a Brazilian jail cell himself.

Ryan was the son of Robson Gracie (cousin of Royce Gracie), brother of Renzo Gracie, and grandson of Carlos Gracie. He held a record of 5-2 as a middleweight in the PRIDE organization; his last match was a submission victory over Yoji Anjo at PRIDE Shockwave 2004 (12/31/04). Ryan Gracie’s arrest for car-jacking wasn’t his first brush with violence. In 2000, he was arrested for stabbing someone at a Rio de Janeiro nightclub, and in 2005 he accidentally shot himself in the femur, nearly costing him the use of his leg.

Edwin “Babyface” Dewees looked sharp at the start of HDNet Fights’ co-headlining match on Saturday, throwing some hard kicks and forcing a takedown when Frank Trigg tried to throw a kick of his own. Unfortunately, the ground-fighting was quickly dominated by Twinkle Toes, who snapped onto Dewees’s unprotected left arm and cranked out a particularly painful-looking kimura, giving poor Babyface his third-consecutive loss.

Big ups to HDNet (and Mark Cuban’s enormous wallet) for landing Michael “The Better” Buffer to announce the event, and making the UFC look like a bunch of suckers for continuing to use the Fredo Corleone-esque Bruce.

NBC.com has posted photos of MMA star Gina Carano (“Crush”) in her American Gladiators uniform, along with pics of her fellow castmembers. We gotta say, our girl is looking good — unfortunately, she’ll be sharing screen time with she-beasts like “Hellga”:

Good Lord. You bang that woman in a dream, you better wake up and apologize…

First, the boring stuff — Jason Miller defeated Tim Kennedy in a unanimous decision and Frank Trigg submitted Edwin Dewees via kimura in the first round at Saturday’s HDNet Fights: Reckless Abandon show. Check back later for videos of both matches…

The real action came from a series of statements made through the course of the night. In order of importance:

1) Randy Couture hopes to fight Fedor Emelianenko as early as October 2008. In an interview during “Reckless Abandon,” Couture said the following: “Unless the UFC wants to do a co-promotion with M-1 and make the Fedor fight happen, I’m going to have to wait ’til my contract expires. I have no intention of breaching that contract — that expires in July, my employment contract expires with them in October, so I would assume that the soonest you’d see me fight Emelianenko would be in October.” At a post-event press conference, he said “I have a contract with the UFC that I have to honor. I can’t breach that or I’ll end up in litigation, so I don’t intend to do that.” Asked for his take on the upcoming Emelianenko/Hong Man Choi fight at Yarennoka!, Couture said, “I hope it goes successfully for him because I want to be the first one to beat him.”

2) A fight between Ken Shamrock and Frank Shamrock is on the horizon. In a separate interview with Ken Shamrock during the HDNet Fights broadcast, Ken addressed the rumors of a match between him and his semi-estranged adoptive brother: “We’re gonna make that happen. It’s not a dirty thing, we don’t hate each other. Fact is, I respect what he’s done with himself, so I’m looking forward to getting in there, and me and the brother doing a little sibling rivalry in the ring…I don’t know where we’re gonna do it yet…but it’s gonna happen.”

(Jason Miller, not a fan of looking conventionally tough.)

By CagePotato contributor Kipp Tribble

Oh, it is on. HDNet Fights’s second MMA event (“Reckless Abandon” [!!!]) goes down tomorrow night in Dallas. As mentioned earlier, Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg (15-6-0) and Jason “Mayhem” Miller (19-5-0) share top billing in separate fights, and if both fighters win we could be looking at a rematch of their 2006 Icon Sport fight that saw Trigg drop Mr. Mayhem in round 2.

But first they have to get through tomorrow. Frank Trigg is going up against Edwin Dewees (34-10-0, best known for bleeding all over Gideon Ray in TUF 4) and is heavily favored to kick ass. While “Babyface” Dewees isn’t a push-over, many of his wins have come against suspect fighters. He’s coming off two losses in a row, and he hasn’t fought since the Ultimate Fighter 4 finale in November ’06. Look for Trigg to win, and win early.

Meanwhile, the night’s other headliner will be going toe-to-toe with Tim Kennedy (8-1-0). You may be aware that Kennedy won a 2003 Extreme Challenge bout against Jason Miller, and he’s been undefeated since. Kennedy is a replacement for the medically suspended Sean Salmon, and the move gives Miller a chance to avenge his loss. This one is almost a toss-up, but something tells me Tim Kennedy might crawl out of the fight less battered than Jason Miller; we’ll give it to Kennedy by decision.

The rest of the card looks like this:

We were just alerted to this video spot that Tito Ortiz filmed to pump up The Celebrity Apprentice (premiering January 3rd on NBC), where the HBBB will try to organize Lennox Lewis, Vincent Pastore and Gene Simmons into his own personal Team Punishment. Though it does sound like Ortiz took a hard shot to the head right before filming his speech at the end. Just a little cobwebby, that’s all…

Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg are headlining tomorrow night’s HDNet Fights: Reckless Abandon show (more on that later), and though the two middleweights are fighting separately, they met previously at “Icon Sport: Mayhem vs. Trigg” (12/1/06), where Miller lost the middleweight belt that he had just taken from Robbie Lawler. Icon’s rules are similar to PRIDE’s former rules, so brace yourself for loads of soccer-kicks to the head and one seriously unsympathetic ref.

The UFC has announced via a profile article on Michael Bisping that the former light-heavyweight TUF winner will officially make the wise drop down to middleweight. As the story goes:

The drop down has been a long time coming for the British striker. While other top light heavyweights walk around at over 230 pounds when not in training camp, Bisping, one month and many hearty meals removed from fighting at UFC 78 in New Jersey, weighs only 211 pounds…

Bisping said: “Dana thought it was a great idea, he said I’d be ‘a monster’ down at middleweight. In fact all sorts of people like Rampage (with whom Bisping is close) were telling me this was the best thing for my career. Really, I knew middleweight was the place to be. When I went to train with Rampage in America over the summer, when we’d go eat he’d have half a lettuce leaf; I’d have a pizza or a couple of foot-long Subways and a couple of sneaky cookies.

Not sure what “sneaky cookies” are, but if they’re anything like “ookie cookies,” then yes, Bisping should stop eating them. And by the way, Mike, it’s not cool to pig out in front of your bro when he’s trying to cut weight — though the “My Dinner With Rampage” scene I’m envisioning is so entertaining it should get its own Odd Couple-esque sitcom:

Rampage (to waitress): Lemme get, ah…I want that salad. Dressin’ on the side.

Bisping (to waitress): Roit, I’ll ‘ave two foot-long Subways, luv. Double-meat, double-Swiss. Yeah, safe.

Waitress: Subways?

Bisping: Roit, Subways. Subways. Subway fookin’ sandwiches.

Waitress: Sir, this is not a Subway. We don’t serve—

Bisping: Roit, look — two foot-long bread-loaves. Roast beef, turkey, ham. Lettuce, pickles, black olives. Spicy mustard, mayo. As much Swiss cheese as you ‘ave. Got all that? Brilliant, now do it twice, luv, and quickly. I ‘aven’t eaten in 45 minutes.

Waitress: I’ll see what I can do. [she leaves]

Bisping: Yeah, you see what you can do. Bloody coont.

Rampage: Maaaaaaan…two Subways? How you gonna do me like that?!?

[cue laugh track, cut to black]

(“Do it, Roger! Choke that old bag out!”)

MMAWeekly posted an article today summarizing Roger Huerta’s recent appearance on MMAWeekly Radio, in which El Matador declared that he’d be taking up to eight months off from fighting in order to rest, finish his degree in business management, and develop his takedown defense. Said Huerta:

“I’m not fighting for 6, 7, 8 months. I did everything I could this year, I tried to keep helping promote the sport, keep making it grow, but I think I didn’t get a lot of R&R. I trained through Thanksgiving for this fight, I didn’t even go home to Texas to spend time with my family…You know the truth is I need to finish school too. I fought 5 times this year and I think that’s the most anybody’s ever done in the UFC and I think I’m going to take some time off.”

Translation: “There’s no way I’m going to fight again — and potentially lose my shot at the UFC lightweight belt — until after Sean Sherk fights the winner of Penn/Stevenson, when I’ll obviously be the next in line to challenge for the title. What am I, a schmuck on wheels?”

Since the dude went 5-0 in 2007 and just proved that his pristine record is no joke, Huerta deserves a break as much as he deserves a chance to win the lightweight championship. So big ups to Roger for playing it smart and not immediately setting up a meaningless fight. On that note, here’s how I’d rank the UFC’s lightweight division, in terms of ability:

1) BJ Penn
2) Roger Huerta
3) Sean Sherk (w/o ‘roids)
4) Mac Danzig
5) Joe Stevenson

If you see things differently, by all means, post your own list in the comments section. I just can’t wait to hear you try to explain why Frankie Edgar and Ken-Flo are, like, the sickest fighters ever.

Two days after the IFL announced that Shad Lierley broke his toe during practice and would be replaced at the IFL World Grand Prix by John Gunderson, we’re now getting word that John Gunderson has aggravated a hand injury in training, and will be replaced by Portland Wolfpack member Ryan “The Lion” Schultz. With a record of 17-9-1 (4-2 IFL), Schultz is just as credible an opponent for lightweight favorite Chris Horodecki as Gunderson was, but Horodecki beat Schultz via TKO when they fought last year, and their rematch will likely turn out the same way.

Can the IFL please just give Horodecki the title already? He’s clearly cast a Polish-voodoo curse on their lightweight division, bringing injury to those who would dare compete against him. And what’s going to happen when Schultz mysteriously blows out his knee? Do they just give the next mediocre fighter on the list a shot at the belt? I say bring in Hard Gay and be done with it. Word on the street is, he’s impervious to spells…

UPDATE: Ryan Schultz is the guy who gave Roger Huerta his only professional loss, way back in June 2004 at SuperBrawl 36. And because I didn’t mention it before, I’d just like to point out that this is actually the third time Chris Horodecki’s opponent for the IFL Grand Prix has been swapped; he was originally scheduled to fight Wagnney Fabiano, who dropped down in weight class when the IFL decided to offer a featherweight title.

How weak of a puff-piece B.J. was last night’s “Ultimate Fighting: From Blood Sport to Big Time” special on CNBC? I think this quote says it all:

“At six feet and a chiseled 210 pounds, Dana White looks every bit the ferocious ultimate fighting champion.”

Whaaaaaa? You mean the paunchy, doughy Dana White? That one? Look, we realize you’ve been paid off, but at least try to maintain the illusion of journalistic integriity. This is television — you can’t tell us things that are straight-up contradicted by the images on the screen. FightOpinion has a full recap of the half-assed UFC informercial, so give it look if you’d like to be disgusted even further.

And here’s something I learned today: When you do a Google Image Search for Dana White (no quotes), the first result takes you to SlyBaldGuys.com (“the place where bald guys rule!”). Among the support group message boards and product reviews of balm and wipes, White is featured in a roundup page called “5 Successful Bald Men,” where he shares space with such hairless luminaries as Iron Chef America winner Michael Symon and creepy character actor Jackie Earle Haley. Kind of a low-rent list, if you ask me. They couldn’t find room for Bruce Willis, Neil Strauss and Edward Norton in American History X?

The San Diego Union Tribune has reported that Jo(h)n “War Machine” Koppenhaver attended a preliminary hearing today to face felony assault and battery charges, stemming from an incident in September where he allegedly choked a man unconscious and hit him in the face outside of Undisputed, the San Diego gym where he works as a trainer. Seems pretty straightforward, right? Well, it gets weird:

Darren Zatkow testified that he was visiting San Diego with his then-girlfriend when he was assaulted outside the club after a night of drinks on the town. He said he was confronted by a group of men without shirts who surrounded him as he left the club. He said he was grabbed in a carotid choke hold and dragged a few feet from his friends by one of the men. Zatkow said he did not see who grabbed him from behind. Friends of Zatkow’s who testified said he was punched in the face while he lay unconscious on the ground…San Diego Police Detective Fernando Ramirez said a Las Vegas doctor who saw Zatkow days after the assault determined that the facial blow caused four fractures to his left eye socket. The injuries could cause temporary or permanent nerve damage, Ramirez said.

A New York man who was in San Diego at the time testified for the defense that he saw Koppenhaver hold Zatkow during the confrontation outside, but he said the person responsible for the assault was another one of the men standing outside the club…If the case goes to trial and Koppenhaver is convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of seven years in prison, said prosecutor David Williams.

So to summarize: Koppenhaver and his friends — shirtless and well past normal business hours — lay in wait outside of the gym that he works at, and gang-stomp tipsy clubgoers as they stumble outside of the nightclub that’s adjacent to the health club. Is that about right? Jesus, I knew San Diego was boring, but there’s no excuse for this. Also, though Zaktow never saw who grabbed him from behind, and a witness claims War Machine only held Zaktow while his buddies did the rest, through their own hazy methods of deduction, the Union Tribune decided, in their second paragraph, to run with the more exciting version that Koppenhaver was responsible for the punching and choking. Anyway, we hope the guy gets a fair shake, and that if he has to do some time, he’ll get a cell-mate that can appreciate a good upper-decking.

Can’t the WEC provide a box for the bantamweights to stand on when Frank Mir interviews them?

Swanson might not be talking so much shit after this one. If you missed our WEC 31 recap, click here. I’d also like to point out that as of 5:04 p.m. ET, 41% of CagePotato poll-takers thought that the show was ridiculously, insanely awesome, while 59% of CagePotato poll-takers are idiots. Good to know!

By CagePotato contributor Kipp Tribble

In a literary achievement that will surely rival Ulysses, A Confederacy of Dunces, and How to Make Love Like a Porn Star, Penguin Group has announced that it will release Chuck Liddell’s autobiography Iceman: My Fighting Life on January 29th. We’re just as shocked as you are. Chad Millman co-authored the 320-page tome — and by “co-authored,” we’re guessing they mean “authored” — as he did with Vincent Papale for Invincible. Enjoy a piece of Chuck’s eloquence from the book jacket:

“I learned how to fight at a very young age. Now I’m 6’2″, 220 pounds, and a trained lethal weapon, but I’m also fiercely loyal, maybe even a bit sensitive, and unexpectedly romantic. In raw detail, and with total honesty, I’m going to tell you the story of my fighting life—both inside and outside the Octagon—including my childhood in the poor section of Santa Barbara…”

Um, Iceman, we haven’t been punched in the head as many times as you, so don’t try to con us into thinking Santa Barbara has any poor sections. We haven’t seen the chapter list for MFL yet, but we’re pretty sure we can guess:

Chapter 1: Mommy, Why Don’t We Have a Dishwasher?

Chapter 2: In Which I Learn How to Party

Chapter 3: The Mohawk — A DIY Manual

Chapter 4: Cough Syrup, My Cruel Mistress

Chapter 5: Dana White Gives Good Back Rubs

Chapter 6: Models and Bottles — The Good Years

Chapter 7: Did You See Me on Entourage?

Chapter 8: Rampage Gets Lucky

Chapter 9: Unexpected Romance — A Guide to Strippers and Fight-Groupie Skanks

Chapter 10: Rampage Gets Luckier

Chapter 11: Yep, Still Partying

Chapter 12: Wisdom I’ve Acquired By Talking to Anthony Robbins and Getting Incredibly Fucking Drunk

Right now, as you go about the normal activities of your day, Quinton Jackson is praying his ass off that Chuck Liddell beats Wanderlei Silva at UFC 79. Because if Silva wins, he’ll probably be next in line after Forrest Griffin to challenge Rampage for the light-heavyweight title, and if that happens, there might be a repeat of the brutality that befell the current UFC light-heavy champ at the Pride “Final Conflict” Grand Prix in November 2003. If you have the stomach for it, watch the video below (and turn down your speakers now, because the soundtrack is dreadful):

Their re-match a year later ended the exact same way. Now we know why Rampage occasionally sounds developmentally disabled…

I guess it wasn’t enough that the UFC refused to film Wanderlei Silva training at Xtreme Couture for his “All Access” special — it now looks like the show won’t even be broadcast on Spike, or during a time when most people are awake. UFC.com now lists the special as debuting on 12/27 at 1 a.m. ET/PT, on MTV2, home of Jackass-ripoff Team Sanchez and old reruns of Celebrity Deathmatch. Man, Dana White doesn’t fuck around when it comes to holding grudges! (Props: MMA Mania)

In other UFC-on-TV news, CNBC’s special “Ultimate Fighting: From Bloodsport to Big Time” — which takes “a no-holds barred look at the business behind the nation’s fastest growing sports franchise,” — airs tonight at 10 p.m. ET. It’s unlikely that the documentary will uncover much dirt about the reportedly shaky business side of the company; considering that the documentary refers to MMA as “ultimate fighting,” we’d guess that CNBC is pretty far in the UFC’s pocket, and the special will be little more than a fluff piece. But if you’re curious, check out the preview, which features lovable loser Rich Franklin explaining that he gets both nervous and anxious before his fights.

Don’t know about y’all, but I’m still reeling from the collective awesomeness of last night’s WEC event. All six televised fights ended by stoppage within the first two rounds, all three defending champions retained their titles, and Jens Pulver choked out poor Cub Swanson in 35 seconds. If you decided instead to watch the three-hour UFC Unleashed special that was running on Spike opposite WEC 31, you are a dumb jackass.

Aside from a few opening stutters by co-commentator Frank Mir, the night was rocket-powered from the jump. Up first was light-heavyweight champion Doug Marshall facing off against Ariel Gandulla. Marshall tried to strike first with a flying knee, but Gandulla caught him in mid-air and slammed him to the mat. Gandulla then tried to work some ground-and-pound from Marshall’s guard, but was caught in an armbar by the more-experienced champ and was forced to tap at the 55 second mark. Ecstatic, Marshall jumped out of the cage, let out a battle roar on the judges’ table, and made his way into the crowd, visibly freaking out a portly audience member. Like I said: Awesome.

Next up were bantamweights Charlie Valencia and Ian McCall. There are few joys in life a pure as watching two 135-pound men beat the crap out of each other. Valencia exploited McCall’s weak defense from the beginning, landing a couple of strong right hands before a third power-punch sent McCall to the floor. Valencia took his back and suplexed him, but McCall was able to get back on his feet. He wouldn’t stay upright for long — Valencia battered him with more punches until McCall dropped again, after which Valencia set up a guillotine choke on the mat that made McCall tap at 3:19 into the first round.

The middleweight title match between Paulo Filho and Chael Sonnen could have easily been the biggest upset since St. Pierre/Serra if it hadn’t ended in a very controversial stoppage. Everyone assumed that Filho — thought by many to be the best middleweight in the world — would crush Sonnen, a full-time real estate agent who trains in his free time. But it was Sonnen who fought like a champion, dominating Filho for nearly two full rounds, out-boxing the undefeated Brazilian and dominating him on the ground. After one huge punch and takedown, Sonnen shouted “He’s out!” to the referee, but the fight was allowed to continue. Filho had no answer for Sonnen’s attacks, and his submission attempts were all stuffed. Then, while on his back late in the second round, Filho locked onto Sonnen’s left arm and pulled down into an armbar. It certainly looked painful, and the referee must have thought so too because he stopped the fight with only five seconds left in the round, and before Sonnen tapped out. Sonnen was furious, and shouted “No, no, no!” at the ref, but the decision had been made, and Filho picked up a very undeserved win. To add even more insult to Sonnen, his loss was recorded as a “verbal submission.” Oh man, that’s exactly the opposite of what happened!

…at least according to MMA Fightline, who are reporting that Yarennoka! held a press conference today announcing the event’s confirmed match-ups. They are:

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Hong Man Choi
Hayato “Mach” Sakurai vs. Hidehiko Hasegawa
Gilbert Melendez vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Luiz Azeredo
Shinya Aoki vs. Gesias “JZ” Calvancante
Kazuo Misaki vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama

Aleksander Emelianenko, Ricardo Arona, Joachim Hansen, Mark Hunt and Roman Zentsov are all still considered “likely” to participate, but their opponents have yet to be named.

There, now you can all rest easy. I hope they’re paying Choi well for this one — the only way he stands a chance is if he manages to stun Fedor with his fierce rapping ability.

(Shad Lierley falls against Chris Horodecki, 6/1/07)

So much for the “Fight of the Year” rematch. The IFL just sent out a bummer of a press release stating that lightweight contender Shad Lierley broke a toe during practice, and won’t be able to compete at the IFL’s World Grand Prix on December 29. Lierley was scheduled to face Chris Horodecki for the league’s lightweight title. Filling in for Lierley will be John “Guns” Gunderson, a member of Ken Shamrock’s Nevada Lions team who has gone 2-2 during his time with the IFL.

Ah well — Horodecki would have whipped his ass anyway. I’m going to find out who was responsible for breaking Lierley’s toe, so we can put him on CagePotato’s official “Do Not Train With!” list along with Matt Arroyo, Richie Hightower and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou.

By CagePotato contributor Kipp Tribble

Yesterday, BJ “The Prodigy” Penn received a sentence of one year’s probation and was ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution for hitting a Honolulu police officer during a melee outside of a Waikiki bar in 2005. As part of the no-contest plea to 3rd-degree assault charges, Penn must also abstain from alcohol, perform 50 hours of community service and submit to a substance abuse treatment program and random drug and alcohol tests. (Ed. note: Abstain from alcohol? Personally, we’d take the jail time — and we think Don Frye would agree.) Penn was also ordered to not travel outside the United States — well, unless it’s to fight in England next month at UFC 80 and make some scratch, then it’s okay. But otherwise, they’re cracking down!

This comes on the same day as Fighthype’s interview with Sean Sherk, where the Anabolic Muscle Shark had some not-so-nice things to say about Penn:

“I think BJ Penn is a punk. Who the hell is he? He’s won one fight in a couple of years now and it’s just whatever man. He wants to make all of these rules and regulations, but who the hell is he? I’m the champ in my eyes so I don’t care if he fights me or not, there’s a whole bunch of guys that could fight me right now. It’s his loss, not mine. He needs me more than I need him.”

“California Kid” Urijah Faber defends his featherweight title against Jeff Curran, the unstoppable Paulo Filho defends his middleweight title against Chael Sonnen, Doug Marshall defends his light heavyweight title against Ariel Gandualla, UFC veteran Jens Pulver takes on Cub Swanson, and more. Spend some time with the following links and get psyched…

— CagePotato’s exclusive interview with Urijah Faber, in which he discusses opponent Jeff Curran, his training regimen, and San Diego’s best places to hang.

— MMA Weekly’s complete rundown of tonight’s card, which predicts that every champion will successfully defend, and Jens Pulver will lose by decision.

— Sherdog’s profile of full-time real estate agent Chael Sonnen. Man this guy is gonna get destroyed.

— Jens Pulver’s must-see RawVegasTV interview, where he sounds off on Cub Swanson, BJ Penn, and his asshole father.

— Cub Swanson has the worst tattoos since Melvin Costa.

If you haven’t been keeping up with Don Frye’s advice column on IFL.tv, you’re missing out on the collected wisdom of a man who’s seen it all. The former coach of the Tuscon Scorpions and one-half of the greatest brawl in history, Frye dishes out more sage words in the new installment of “Dear Don,” including this bit of his advice to a reader who thinks he may be developing a Vicodin addiction:

Here’s the hard truth: life is pain. There’s no pill that can take that away without taking something else away in the process. What you need to do is decide what level of pain you can live with, and then ease off the pills.

Let me tell you, when I wake up in the morning I’m pretty much always in pain. Most mornings I feel like I got shot out of a cannon. Other mornings it’s really bad. You just have to learn to live with it. Try easing off from Vicodin to Advil. Tequila don’t hurt, either.

In other words, if you can buy it at a convenience store, it ain’t no goddamned addiction.

Also, if you have a Magnum P.I.-caliber mustache, you can get away with ridiculous pre-fight staredowns like this. Eskimo kisses!

Official salaries from the TUF 6 finale were released yesterday. Check ‘em out below, and keep in mind that all TUF contestants were paid $8,000 to show, and the salary figures of all winning fighters represent a doubling of their base salary:

Roger Huerta ($38,000) def. Clay Guida ($11,000)
Mac Danzig ($16,000) def. Tommy Speer ($8,000)
Jon Koppenhaver ($16,000) def. Jared Rollins ($8,000)
George Sotiropoulos ($16,000) def. Billy Miles ($8,000)
Ben Saunders ($16,000) def. Dan Barrera ($8,000)
Troy Mandaloniz ($16,000) def. Richie Hightower ($8,000)
Matt Arroyo ($16,000) def. John Kolosci ($8,000)
Roman Mitichyan ($16,000) def. Dorian Price ($8,000)
Jonathan Goulet ($14,000) def. Paul Georgieff ($8,000)
Total fighter payout: $239,000

Man, our hearts go out to Jonathan Goulet — as if being forced to take on part-time fighter/first-round loser Paul Georgieff wasn’t insulting enough, the Canadian journeyman (who had a 20-9, 2-3 UFC record coming into the fight) was given a base salary that was a thousand bucks less than his opponent. And we don’t know how much longer Clay Guida is locked into his current contract, but someone as popular and accomplished as he is should be taking home a lot more cash. Is Brandon Vera really nine times more valuable than Guida is?

Well, at least the coaches aren’t going hungry. According to MMA Fightline, Matt Serra got a “brand new pimped out SUV” for his participation on The Ultimate Fighter 6, while Matt Hughes was given this tractor. Listen for Matt saying “Where’s my wife at?” during the clip. I think he wants to tell her that she won’t have to pull the plow any more…

Last night’s episode of ESPN: 360 included a profile on urrybody’s favorite street-brawler-turned-MMA-contender, Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson. If you’re already a fan of Kimbo, you won’t find too much new information in the segment’s broad strokes, but check out the video below to learn about Kimbo’s first street fight, his tough times in the wake of Hurricane Andrew, and the origins of his life as an Internet star. As the clip reveals, Ferguson’s long-term contract with EliteXC pays him “more than six-figures a fight” (which translates to over $5,000 per second in his last match against Bo Cantrell, King of the Tomato Cans). Also, Tito Ortiz thinks Kimbo would get “crushed within seconds” against the level of competition in the UFC. Big words from a man who knows he’ll never be in the same weight class as the guy he’s talking shit about…