(Video courtesy of YouTube/IronForgesIron)

Well, we can add Tito Ortiz’s name to the growing list of UFC fighters who have accused MMA Fighting reporter Ariel Helwani of starting shit in recent months.

During today’s UFC 132 press conference, Helwani asked Tito’s upcoming opponent Ryan Bader what he thought about Ortiz saying he had weak wrestling and before he had a chance to answer, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” interrupted to inform Ariel that he said no such thing.

In the interview we posted earlier today on the site, Ariel asked Tito if he saw any holes in Bader’s game that he was looking to exploit Saturday night, to which he replied, “His takedowns and his takedown defense,” before describing how he saw some holes in both areas that could leave openings for him to capitalize. He didn’t actually use the term “weak wrestling,” but he did point out that certain aspects of Bader’s wrestling game were lacking in his opinion.

“I never said he had weak wrestling. What are you starting shit for, dude? I never said that. I never said he had weak wrestling. I said I seen holes in his game, but I never said he had weak wrestling. Don’t be putting words in my mouth, dog.”

(“What do you mean this is the judge and jury?)

Well, it didn’t take long for the other shoe to drop for Brett Rogers.

Hours after being arrested on multiple felonious domestic assault-related charges, former tire-changer Brett Rogers may have to go back to Sam’s Club to beg for his job back after he gets out of jail as Zuffa has terminated his Strikeforce contract.

According to MMAJunkie, UFC president Dana White announced the firing following today’s UFC 132 press conference. Usually when charges like this are laid, we wait to pass judgment until the facts of the case come out, but considering the fact that Rogers kids have told police that he hit them as well and that they witnessed the entire assault on their mother, knowing that young children rarely lie to authority figures to GET their parents into trouble, the case seems pretty cut and dry.

(Tito is not impressed about being at the back of the line)

Just a friendly reminder that we will be streaming the the UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber II pre-fight press conference starting at 4:00 pm ET.

Will there be any face-to-face drama between Faber and Cruz?

Will anyone recognize Wanderlei Silva?

Will Tito Ortiz put together more than two coherent sentences?

All of these questions and more will be answered after the jump.

(Click mugshots for larger versions.)

The losing streak continues for Strikeforce heavyweight Brett Rogers. Less than two weeks after being choked out by Josh Barnett at “Overeem vs. Werdum”, the Grim was arrested yesterday for allegedly beating the crap out of his wife in front of their daughter. MyFoxTwinCities.com (via CagePotato reader Jerry T.) has the report…

DAKOTA COUNTY, Minn. – Major-league Mixed Martial Artist and Apple Valley, Minn. resident Brett Rogers was arrested and jailed in connection with assaulting his wife Wednesday in their south metro home. She was reportedly strangled, punched repeatedly in the head and face and lost a tooth in the struggle.

Brett Charles Rogers, 30, has been charged with assault in the third degree, domestic assault by strangulation and pattern of stalking conduct — all felonies — in Dakota County. He was also charged with endangerment of a child, a gross misdameanor.

(Video courtesy of ESPN)

There’s a long running argument that there are different levels of Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts, which is often backed by how competitors do against others of the same rank.

According to Rafael Dos Anjos, he feels that he is on another level than fellow BJJ black belt George Sotiropoulos, whom he faces Saturday at UFC 132.

“His style is dangerous; it has some techniques and positions that are dangerous, but not too much. It’s ABC jiu-jitsu,” he told ESPN, describing his own style as “traditional” jiu-jitsu. “Eddie Bravo’s style uses half guard,” dos Anjos said. “[My BJJ coach, Roberto] “Gordo” [Correa de Lima] made the half guard!”

Don’t tell him yet.  He just looks so happy…

Hey, just a quick follow up on that other story from UFC Live: Versus vs Spike. We told you earlier about how the Oliveira – Lentz fight ended somewhat controversially, and that we were happy to see the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission step in and let everyone know that, yes, they saw that shit too, and they were going to sit down and watch that shit again, on tape, in a very official manner. Plus they were going to force the referee to watch that shit, on tape, in a very serious manner, and possibly whack him in the back of the head with a newspaper whenever a foul occurs on his watch.  Not really hard, just enough to get his attention.  (That last part might have been part of our own fantasy world.  Welcome; we hope you like our hats.)

We also passed along Greg Nelson’s Facebook message saying that the fight was ruled a No Contest, his boy Lentz had picked up a crisp new check for 50K for fighting like he wanted to be a fucking fighter, and all was right with the world. Nelson’s statement was premature, but the PSAC comfirmed yesterday that they had in fact reviewed the tape and consulted with the referee (meaning: “whacked him in the head with a newspaper”) and have ruled that the fight will be overturned to an NC.

(El Cigano manages to make Roy Nelson even uglier than usual at UFC 117. Props: 5 oz.)

Only a few months before his scheduled title fight against Cain Velasquez, UFC heavyweight contender Junior Dos Santos has made a drastic change in his supporting cast, parting ways with longtime manager Ed Soares. JDS confirmed the development yesterday on Twitter, announcing that he’s now being represented by the Guedes Group.

In an interview with Tatame after the news broke, Soares says he was saddened by Dos Santos’s departure, but harbors no ill will against his former star client. Some highlights…

Dos Santos has announced you are no longer his manager. Is it true?
It’s all fine, he made his choice and it’ll be the best for his career. There was not much talking, that was it. He’s the captain of his own boat, we’re just there to help him guide it the right way. We’ve done a great job, bringing him to the place he is now in a little over two years, but it’s a matter of opinion. He wants to go a different way. If that’s how he feels, God bless him on his journey.

Did he tell you why?

(Props: MMAFighting.com)

Tito Ortiz‘s matchup with Ryan Bader at UFC 132 this Saturday didn’t come without a price. When the Huntington Beach Bad Boy begged for another fight following his loss to Matt Hamill last October, the UFC eventually gave in, but not under the same terms of his former contract. As Ortiz explained to Ariel Helwani:

“I guess it was negotiation on their part of paying me less. And I took it. I want to compete. And that shows how much I want to compete, to take a big, big, big pay cut. It is what it is, man, I’m gonna fight my ass off on Saturday night and I get my contract back, and I’ll be fighting some more.”

For reference, Ortiz earned a $250,000 salary for his last two losses against Hamill and Forrest Griffin, and $210,000 for his previous three fights against Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, and Chuck Liddell; those figures don’t include points on the pay-per-view revenue that may have also been included in his contract. Early next week, we should have a clearer sense of just how “big, big, big” that pay cut was.

Ortiz also discussed the full-frontal Twitter photo that was allegedly sent from his phone by a hacker earlier this month. Here’s how it went down, to Ortiz’s best understanding…

(“Your OTHER left jab…”)

Well, we can all stop holding our breath wondering when Kimbo Slice will get back to crushing cans.

Slice, AKA Kevin Ferguson is finally making his boxing debut and, under the watchful eye of former EliteXC vice president Jared Shaw, he will likely have a decent run of beating up overmatched opponents while restocking his breadbox with boxing dollars.

Here’s the lead-in from the hyped-up press release Shaw sent out today:

“Forget the kicking and wrestling, Kevin ‘Kimbo Slice’ Ferguson will soon be where he should have been all along… busting heads in a boxing ring.

On Saturday, August 13, legendary street brawler Kimbo Slice will make his long-awaited professional boxing debut in the four-round main event of a Gary Shaw Productions and Tony Holden Promotions boxing extravaganza at Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Oklahoma.

Slice became the Internet’s first street-certified action hero by smashing down a series of opponents in brutal backyard fist fights. The announcement is good news for fight fans, as he will surely administer a much-needed shot of adrenaline into the American heavyweight scene.”

(Video courtesy of YouTube/IronForgesIron)

Even if you aren’t looking forward to the main event of Saturday’s UFC 132: Faber vs. Cruz this upcoming long weekend, there is much more to excite you about this card even with BJ Penn and Jon Fitch out with injuries.

Check out what goodness 132 has in store for you and the remainder of the countdown show after the jump.

(Wanderlei Silva: You couldn’t last five minutes in this man’s world.)

UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber goes down Saturday night in Las Vegas, and in case you’re feeling some MMA fatigue after five consecutive weeks of events, let us remind you — this card has the potential to be a real son-of-a-bitch. Familiarize yourself with the lineup here, and get your juices flowing again by watching some career highlights from the fighters on the card. Enjoy…

(Ryan Bader vs. Keith Jardine, UFC 110, 2/21/10)

(Melvin Guillard vs. Dennis Siver, UFC 86, 7/5/08)

…and that was the moment that they realized that your momma jokes would no longer suffice.

While I was busy spending six hours with Twitter yesterday, I saw that Rampage and Rashad were jawing at one another again.

(That’s right, i spotted this completely on my own, and CP regular MyFightWiffaCheeto had nothing to do with it. If he says different, i’ll feud with him on Twitter until the whole internet takes sides and someone is embarrassed for life. Your move, Cheeto.)

While most of us assumed that much of the trash talking between these two in the leadup to their fight at UFC 114 was manufactured for The Ultimate Fighter and the pay per view main event, i tend to believe that these two really don’t like one another.

Read on to find out something about Rashad you probably didn’t know (and now will never forget), witness his attempt at squashing the beef with Rampage in order to focus on common enemy Jon Jones, and watch how quickly things go downhill.

Once you’re done snickering, leave us a comment: who had their feeling hurt first?

**NOTE: I DID NOT MAKE ANY OF THIS UP. This is an actual conversation that pretty much illustrates that you can’t make up things that are funnier than real life.**

[RX]

I didn’t know if this little anecdote was worth posting here, but since there has been a decent response to it, I figured the story would bring a smile to at least few faces on an otherwise uneventful Wednesday.

Last summer my club did a seminar with Scott Epstein and Chuck Liddell. Unfortunately, for reasons beyond my control, I didn’t get an interview with Chuck for CP, but I did get a chance to chat with him for a while during a break in the seminar. Since he is the most recognizable face in the sport and has been since my kids started understanding what MMA and the UFC were, they’ve always known who he was and were excited to know that “The Iceman”  was making an appearance in our little town in Ontario, Canada.

Fast-forward almost a year and my (now) six-year-old daughter hands me her school journal to read yesterday and is quick to point out the unintentionally hilarious entry that details my meeting with Chuck.

Check it out after the jump.

(Somebody needs to break the news to Chael that they dissolved the WEC while he was away.)

Chael Sonnen celebrated the end of his suspension by the California State Athletic Commission today by doing his other favorite thing…talking smack on Twitter.

The beleaguered UFC middleweight posted the message above early Wednesday morning.

Expect a big announcement soon by the UFC where and when Sonnen will be fighting next, which is somewhat ironic considering Nate Marquardt was let go under similar circumstances. Sure, Nate killed the main event because of his indiscretions, but had Chael beaten Anderson, the result of the bout would have been changed to a no-contest and the belt would have been returned to “The Spider,” in which case he may well have suffered the wrath of UFC president Dana White’s itchy Twitter trigger finger much like Marquardt did. Lucky for Chael, he dodged that bullet via lack of triangle defense.

“Doc comes back and says, ‘Nate, you have the testosterone levels of a 35 year old man,’ and I just broke down. ‘Doc,’ I told him, ‘I’m only 32! Is there anything you can do to help me?’”

You have to hand it to the team at MMAFighting for nailing down the exclusive with Nate Marquardt yesterday. Everybody wanted to talk to him, but it was Ariel Helwani who welcomed Marquardt and manager Lex McMahon to the microphone for a heart to heart. Mike Chiappetta provided the Cliff’s Notes version of the interview to get the ball rolling on Twitter, and the discussion quickly took off.

The short interview was dissected and commented upon in real time on Twitter, and the reactions continued throughout the evening. What follows is only a *small* sampling of Twitter’s response to Nate’s release and the subject of Hormone Replacement in MMA. Keep in mind that Marquardt already has a Twitter dedicated to getting him back in the UFC, and a matching hashtag #BringNateBack that saw plenty of use yesterday as well.

It was also interesting to note that a lot of Zuffa fighters were unwilling to touch the subject. Usual Tweeting suspects were strangely silent on the hot topic; take from that what you will. On the other hand, there were a few fighters who had some choice words on the subject, and they did not beat around the bush.

Go ahead and wade through this collection of Tweets from yesterday, and then share your expert analysis and vital opinion in the comments. Is Nate a good guy that has made some bad choices? Is he a nefarious schemer looking to get any advantage he can? What about the larger issue of HRT/TRT/PEDs in MMA? Should Dana continue to clean house until fighters learn to stay away from anything questionable? Should athletic commissions just legalize everything from horse steroids to heroin?

After all, PRIDE was awesome, right?

[RX]

“From this day forward, any [main event] that is signed after right now today will be a five-round fight.” — Dana White, 6/9/11

The main event for UFC Fight Night in New Orleans on September 17 has been verbally agreed to as Jake Shields takes on Jake “The Juggernaut” Ellenberger…”Ellenberger is on a mission to get his first shot at a world title, and Shields is determined to get another crack at it,” said UFC President Dana White. The televised bout is scheduled for three rounds. — UFC.com, 6/29/11

And so, the UFC’s new five-round non-title fight rule is immediately ignored. Considering that Shields’s recent bouts haven’t all been barn-burners, you have to wonder if the UFC’s decision to make this a three-rounder was some calculated hedging against a boring match. After all, nothing kills a good party like 25 minutes of stalling.

“UFC Fight Night: Battle on the Bayou” (aka UFC Fight Night 25) goes down 9/17 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.

(Carlos Condit discusses Dong Hyun Kim matchup at UFC 132, vows to beat Kim up until he doesn’t move anymore. Props: foxsports)

Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail feedback@cagepotato.com for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…

- 10 Memorable Sports Moments Since Tito Ortiz Last Won a Fight (BleacherReport.com/MMA)

- Nate Marquardt Incident Highlights Need for Comprehensive HRT Policy in MMA (MMA Fighting)

- UFC on Versus 4 Photo Gallery – The Main Card (TheFightNerd)

- Matt Mitrione Post-Fight Video: “Gonna Get Drunk” (NBC Sports MMA)

- Miguel Torres Took a Picture of the Worst BJJ Injury He’s Ever Seen *WARNING: Graphic!* (MiddleEasy)

- Diego Sanchez Not Impressed with Charlie Brenneman or Rick Story (5thRound)

- Tito Ortiz Is “Not a Stepping Stone to Anyone,” Plans to Test the Will of “Disrespectful” Ryan Bader (LowKick)

- Donald Cerrone Fills Vacancy Opposite Paul Taylor at UFC Live 5 (Five Ounces of Pain)

- Under New Ownership, Pro Elite Rises From The Ashes For Possible August Return (MMA Convert)

- Keith Kizer Explains Therapeutic Use Exemptions for Testosterone Replacement Therapy in MMA [Audio] (MMA Mania)

Well, Cris “Cyborg” Santos is officially a free agent, which either means that Strikeforce was unwilling to pay her what she felt she was worth, or that Zuffa has decided against continuing to promote women’s MMA under the SF banner. Either way, it’s a blow to the promotion’s women’s division.

A source we spoke to today received confirmation from Cyborg’s management that Zuffa’s exclusive negotiation period with the 10-1 Curitiba, Brazil fighter ended yesterday and that the parent company of Strikeforce and the UFC failed to come to terms with the Strikeforce women’s middleweight champ before she became a free agent at the stroke of midnight.

(Tyron Woodley vs. Andre Galvao, 10/9/10)

In the wake of Evangelista Santos’s recent injury withdrawal, undefeated welterweight contender Tyron Woodley will step up to replace him against Paul Daley at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson, July 30th in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Despite our impassioned pleas to give Woodley a shot at the gold, the fight will reportedly be a non-title affair.

That shouldn’t come as a big surprise, considering Zuffa’s hatred of Paul Daley; the company likely wants to avoid any situation in which they might have to refer to him as a “champion.” So maybe Woodley will get a shot at Strikeforce’s now-vacant welterweight title if he wins this fight. And at that point, Strikeforce’s 170-pound division will be so thin and cleaned out that their welterweight belt will have about as much prestige as a goddamned Burger King crown.

Still can’t touch those clowns on the networks, though…

The ratings reports are in, and it’s interesting (if you’re into numbers, equations, audience measurement, and assorted MMA nerditry). We’re not particularly mathletic, so bear with us here…

UFC on Versus 4 drew 744,000 households, according to MMAWeekly, which is up slightly from the last Versus show (681,000) headlined by Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann.

But those ratings are down significantly from the UFC debut on Versus (1.24 million), and even the second card on the network (991,000), which you’ll need to look up before you can remember anything other than Jon Jones was on it and he steamrolled somebody.

(Does this look like the face of a cheater?)

Nate Marquardt appeared on The MMA Hour on MMAFighting.com this afternoon to break his silence on the details surrounding the purported medical issue that prevented him from fighting on Sunday night’s UFC Live on Versus 4 card in Pittsburgh, Pa.

(Rich Franklin looks at this poster to cure his hiccups)

Anderson Silva puts the UFC’s middleweight class on notice 5 years ago at UFN 5

(Video courtesy of Thisis50/TonyScorpio)

Why it matters:
For those who didn’t know who Anderson Silva was prior to his UFC debut against Chris Leben at Ultimate Fight Night 5 back on June 28, 2006, they knew who he was after the fight. Silva was the slight favorite to win the bout (at – 170 to Leben’s +200), but if oddsmakers knew then what we know now, they would be kicking themselves for giving Leben a shot in hell at beating “The Spider.” It took Silva just 49 seconds to dismantle the previously thought un-KO’able TUF 1 veteran whose head was (and is) often described in the same vein as a fire hydrant. Those in the know from witnessing Silva leave a pile of PRIDE and Cage Rage opponents in his wake were not surprised that he beat “The Crippler,” but rather how quickly he did it and the devastating fashion he did it in.

Leben still wakes some nights in a cold sweat, screaming, from the recurring nightmare of Silva turning him into a human bobble-head with his pinpoint jabs.

What are you trying to tell us, Nate?

Quick head’s up, Nation. While Nate Marquardt has been mum since a series of unfortunate events over the weekend about what exactly is going on, it’s been announced that he would be addressing his issues today. Well, surprise, surprise: the Barbara Walters of MMA (and we mean that in the most complimentary way possible) landed the interview, with Marquardt scheduled to appear on The MMA Hour today at 1pm.

(Riley’s last tangle with a TUF winner didn’t work out too well for his face. Photo courtesy of Sherdog.)

The UFC confirmed last night that Tony Ferguson — who won last season of the Ultimate Fighter by knocking out four dudes consecutively in the welterweight bracket — will make his Octagon return on the UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage card (September 24th, Denver). Now competing at lightweight, Ferguson is slated to meet Team Jackson veteran Aaron Riley (30-12-1, 3-4 UFC), who hasn’t fought since his unanimous decision win over Joe Brammer last May at UFC 114. Riley was scheduled to face Pat Audinwood at UFC 119 later that year but had to withdraw due to injury.

It won’t be the first time that Riley has been drafted to act as a gatekeeper for a brand-new TUF winner. In November 2009 at UFC 105, he faced TUF 9 lightweight champ Ross Pearson and lost by doctor’s stoppage TKO. Between Riley’s inconsistent performances and long layoff, it seems like the UFC is counting on him to make their new prospect look good. Can ‘El Cucuy’ knock out another one?

The current list of UFC 135′s reported matchups is after the jump…

(“I am ashamed to admit that along the way I lost sight of what is truly important [in] life.”)

After being arrested last month for multiple counts of sexual abuse and unlawful sexual penetration on a victim under the age of 14, former UFC lightweight Hermes Franca has been cooling in Clackamas County Jail in Oregon City, Oregon, awaiting his July 12th trial date. Yesterday, he posted a letter on the UG in which he reflected on his life, and expressed regret about the way he sometimes lived it. Check it out:

Hello,

This is not a statement regarding my current legal situation. On these matters I must trust I God and the United States Judicial System. I believe that in time the truth will prevail, as it always does. I am releasing this statement to assure you all that I am safe! With peace and serenity in my heart I write these words:

In the year 2000 I arrived in the United States with $300, spoke very little English and had a dream bigger than most.

Over the past decade I have had an “unbelievable” life, and “unbelievable” MMA career. God has granted me the privilege of traveling to many beautiful places, meeting numerous wonderful people and I have personally witnessed dreams come true… My Dreams! I tell you the truth when I say, I am blessed!

Well, it’s safe to say the UFC better have an ambulance running outside the venue for Mike Swick at UFC 134.

According to this training video posted by Tatame, his opponent for the August 27 Silva vs. Okami event in Rio de Janeiro, Erick Silva has been working diligently at perfecting the purported Steven Seagal-created kick Silva used to nearly decapitate Vitor Belfort at UFC 126 in February. Although you can barely make it out, especially if you don’t understand Portuguese, the UFC newcomer can be heard on the video telling his pad-holders, “If do right, no can defend.”

Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson went down 3 years ago.

Why it matters:

• Bobby Southworth retained his Strikeforce light heavyweight strap by defeating Anthony Ruiz via unanimous decision. Ruiz beat B-South in their previous bout the previous november, but it wasn’t a title fight. Neither was Southworth’s fight that September against Bill Mahood at the Playboy mansion. It didn’t matter though since he won that fight by verbal submission when Mahood (who later tested positive for steroids) injured his ribs. Southworth, who held the strap longer than any other fighter would lose the belt in his next fight with Renato Sobral. Since then, it has changed hands four times.

• Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez (who won the title by defeating then-champion Clay Guida) lost his title to Strikeforce U.S. lightweight champion Josh Thompson in his second title defense via unanimous decision. After defending the newly-unified title once, Thomson would lose the belt in the rematch the following April. Melendez hasn’t lost since.

• Strikeforce women’s welterweight tournament winner Miesha Tate made her promotional debut.

(Photo courtesy of Pussout Gear. Gallery is after the jump.)

Props to Babes of MMA for introducing us to Dominique Sorenson, a Minneapolis-based MMA model who has held round cards for various regional promotions including Brutaal, MAX Fights, and Savage Entertainment. Dominique is a Urijah Faber fan who disapproves of creepers. She is the reigning “2011 Miss Liquid Ice,” and plans to start her own business in the Midwest for ring girls and promo models.

We’ve collected some of our favorite photos of Dominique in the gallery after the jump. Check out Dominique’s Facebook fan page for lots more, and follow her life on Twitter!

(Props: UFC)

Ahem. As you can see, Wanderlei Silva is hard at work at Kings MMA, preparing for his UFC 132 bout against Chris Leben with the kind of ferocity normally reserved for gay beer commercials. Man, Wandy and Shogun have so much fun together. The next time I host a barbecue, I’m going to make everybody play this game. Shirts off, gentlemen. Shirts the fuck off.

(Irony, how does it work? PicProps MMAJunkie)

CagePotato.com has learned that former UFC welterweight contender Karo “The Heat” Parisyan contacted the UFC to offer to step in for Nate Marquardt to face Rick Story on last night’s UFC Live on Versus 4 card.

According to a source close to Parisyan, the Armenian Judoka texted UFC president Dana White moments after the news broke that Marquardt was unable to compete on the card because he not met the medical testing requirements of the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission and would immediately be let go from the remainder of his Zuffa contract as a result, to let him know that he was in shape, his medicals were up to date and he could make the 170-pound welterweight limit in about in an hour or two. White, who chose instead to give Charlie Brenneman the fight, simply texted back, “:).”