(Fight starts at the 5:45 mark.)

Cruising through a bad Wikipedia Hole this morning, I realized that I’d never seen the full video of Wanderlei Silva‘s first victory in the UFC, a knockout of Tony Petarra. This went down at UFC 20 on May 7th, 1999, about seven months after Silva’s steamrolling at the hands of Vitor Belfort, and a year before his unsuccessful light-heavyweight title bout against Tito Ortiz (which would be Wandy’s last Octagon appearance for seven years).

Petarra was a 32-year-old submission fighter from Rancho Cucamonga who was making his UFC debut that night, and was in way over his head. Petarra clinches immediately, looking to take the fight to the mat. Silva stays on his feet and starts firing knees, first to the body, and then right into the rookie’s grill. Wanderlei snatches the full plum at the fight’s 2:45 mark, and the fight is over seconds later.

Later in the video, Mike Goldberg has a sit-down with Ortiz, who gives it up to Silva’s performance and calls out Frank Shamrock. Also, Bruce Buffer looks so young in the fight introduction that he could pass for Shia LaBeouf‘s older brother. Ah, memories!

(Cheick Kongo: Dangerous even when he’s counting baguettes in Le Dreamland.)

As first reported by ESPN, a heavyweight meeting between undefeated rising star Matt Mitrione and veteran striker Cheick Kongo has been slated for UFC 137: St. Pierre vs. Diaz. Both fighters are coming off of KO victories at UFC on Versus 4 on June 26th; Mitrione dominated Christian Morecraft for two rounds before ending the bout with a stunning walkoff knockout, while Kongo pulled off one of the greatest comeback wins in MMA history against Pat Barry, surviving two knockdowns before landing a Hail Mary shot that turned Barry’s light out.

Mitrione vs. Kongo is a booking that immediately made sense in the aftermath of that night. Mitrione deserves a step up from the kind of entry-level competition he’s been getting so far in his UFC career — and the fact that Mitrione and Pat Barry are training partners at Roufusport gives the Meathead/Kongo matchup a nice little revenge hook. So who takes this one: The rapidly-improving rookie, or the resilient veteran?

You know how you go on a date with someone, and they talk for two hours about their ex?  Yeah, it’s like that.

Well this is interesting.  MMAJunkie is reporting that Bjorn Rebney has confirmed talks with Marquardt and his management, but that there is no deal in place.  With all the speculation and assumptions and begging and threats and promises and retorts that have been going around, it seemed like Nate the Great was headed to the BFC to lock horns with at least one of their champions.

So what happened?  Let’s hear it from the man in black himself:

“Nate’s situation was pretty unique. It’s an anomaly for a guy like that to become available, so we had discussions. But it just became pretty clear it wasn’t the right fit.”

Wait, so, a week ago, Bellator was interested, but now, it’s just doesn’t feel right?

Very interesting, indeed.  Let us read in between the lines for a bit, if we may.

(Video courtesy of Ebaumsworld.)

We often joke about female fighters like Cris Cyborg testing her mettle against men in her weight class, but the chances of it ever happening are slim to none.

That is, unless you live in Brazil, where apparently gender bias doesn’t get in the way of a good scrap.

(This won’t end well for Rashad…trust us.)

Perennial UFC number-one light heavyweight contender Rashad Evans joined host Larry Pepe on Pro MMA Radio Monday prior to word coming out that Phil Davis was out as his opponent at UFC 133 and Tito Ortiz was stepping in as his replacement. During his spot on the show, Evans complained about getting gypped of his promised title shot, not once, but twice.

“I haven’t heard anything about [whether or not the winner of the fight with Davis gets the next title shot]. I don’t even want to assume something because every time I assume something it just never works out the way my assumptions go. I don’t like to assume; if it happens, it happens. I just keep going out there and fight,” he explained. “There’s a lot of guys in the 205 weight class. It’s whatever, man. I just want to fight. I’ve been out of the cage so long that I realize what a privilege it is to go out there and compete. I haven’t been out there in so long that I’m kind of missing the sport a whole lot.”

(Apparently soccer-kicks are now illegal in soccer? It’s a crazy world…)

The 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup draws to a close on Sunday in Frankfurt, Germany, as the United States meets Japan in the finals. (Kickoff is at 2:45 p.m. ET on ESPN, by the way.) This marks the first time since 1999 that Americans have been psyched about women’s soccer — but we admit, we’re getting caught up in the hype as well.

In honor of our ladies getting ready to run shop on the Japanese, we decided to hold our own international competition, choosing the best female MMA fighter from 10 different countries and ranking them against each other. The first few names will be very familiar — but who’s carrying the flag for Russia, South Korea, and Germany? Read on and find out…

#1. Cristiane “Cris Cyborg” Santos (Brazil)

Record: 10-1
Last fight: Third-round TKO of Jan Finney, 6/26/10
Santos’s inability to find a fight over the last year says a lot about the still-developing state of women’s MMA in this country, as well as her own undisputed position in the 145-pound division. She’s so far ahead of her peers, that no logical challengers even exist.

(Video courtesy of YouTube/Submissions101)

Royler Gracie failed to respond to Eddie Bravo’s challenge to compete at the 2011 Abu Dhabi Combat Club submission grappling competition by the July 10 deadline set by the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu founder and has now tried to save face by challenging Bravo, who has never competed in mixed martial arts in his life, to a one-off MMA bout in Brazil.

“I have no problems with ADCC, but the fact is that we didn’t get to an agreement on our negotiation and unfortunately the organizers of the event haven’t got in touch with me again. I can’t keep waiting, I have other plans for myself. I’m assuming this bout won’t happen”, Royler told TATAME. “I’m dealing with this MMA event, which might happen in Brazil. I haven’t sign anything yet, but the negotiations are going well and it’s likely it happens. The organizer of the event even called Eddie Bravo to fight me, but he declined it, he didn’t want to fight me… And I said I was only punch him with my hands opened, man (laughs).”

Sorry, Nation. This will not be happening again this Saturday. VidProps: lsydogma01/YouTube

Well, dammit again. The upcoming (and ludicrously titled) DREAM card took another hit when it was announced that Hayato Sakurai was suffering from a leg injury and would not be able to compete against Marius Zaromskis this Saturday. The non-title bout was a rematch; Zaromskis scored a head kick KO that you’ve not doubt seen (which will not stop us from showing you again) when the two met in DREAM’s welterweight GP event two years ago. Zaromskis went on to win the title with another headkick knockout over Jason High.

Zaromskis will instead meet Pancrase and DEEP veteran Eiji Ishikawa, a journeyman grappler out of Tokyo’s Grabaka gym. Ishikawa’s record carries losses to some guys you know (Hector Lombard, Yushin Okami, Yuki Kondo), a draw with Nate Marquardt (under the Pancrase banner back in 2004), and one win over a guy you’ve ever heard of (a majority decision over Ryo Chonan in 2002). In forty fights, Ishikawa has just six stoppage wins. So … yeah.
Man, what is up with main events in 2011?

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(You can’t fake that kind of hate. Video courtesy of YouTube/tifosi8500)

Zuffa held an impromptu conference call today with  Dana White in which the UFC president discussed the announcement yesterday that Tito Ortiz will be stepping in for injured Phil Davis to face Rashad Evans at UFC 133 next month.

Check out the highlights of the call after the jump.

For the ladies, since you can’t get enough of these two. VidProps: UrijahFaber0com/YouTube

Well well well: Our boys over at WithLeather scored some sit-down time with Jon Jones and Urijah Faber, and asked both fighters what they would change about MMA. And they got some interesting answers. We’re not big on spoilers, but Jonny Bones won’t say he’s the best fighter on the planet, and he does not like your fake belts.

We’ll let them tell it:

When K-Swiss had their four-day shoot to restart their awesome Kenny Powers “MFCEO” campaign, With Leather’s Josh Zerkle was invited to check it out and spend time with the athletes supporting the California-based shoe brand. Faber and Jones sat down separately with Zerkle, among others, in a roundtable discussion last month to share their thoughts on their sport and being part of the K-Swiss campaign.

WithLeather: Bones, You took a fight for UFC 87 with just two weeks to prepare. I’d imagine you cut a few corners in your preparation there.

Jones: Yeah, it was a big move, but it was a big opportunity.

WithLeather: What do you cut out of your regimen at that point?

Jones: For the two weeks, I just did all cardio. I knew I had the technique, but I wanted to focus on not making cardio be an issue. At the time, my opponent had so many tricks with experience and technique, black belt in jujitsu. I said, “You know, if I lose, it’ll be because he’s just flat out better.” I wasn’t gonna lose because of my cardio.

WithLeather: So counterattacking…trying to match styles?

Jones: Yeah, he trained with some high-level coaches. I figured he’d be a better combatant, but I just wanted to make sure that my heart could get me through.

WithLeather: Are you the best pound-for-pound right now?

Jones: In my weight class.

WithLeather: In the world?

Jones: No, not in the world. There are so many great fighters.

Read the rest at WithLeather… but please tell us here if you are the proud owner of a UFC replica belt. We want pictures of you with your precious, so we can compare you to Tim Sylvia forever.

[RX]

VidProps: dwn4lf/YouTube
Member of the Potato Nation Bryce M. sent us this video of competition at BreakThroughMMA down in Daytona Beach, Florida, where two guys with long, slim builds fight over ownership of an arm. The guy in the black vale tudo shorts is Aaron “Avatar” Strawmier, who wishes to claim the arm from his opponent, Jonathan Riffle. Riffle hopes to maintain custodial custody of the arm in question.

If you interested in the whole fight (featuring commentary by Seth Petruzelli), you can watch it here, but this is the boiled-down essence of the fight. Strawmier wants Riffle to tap, Riffle does not want to tap. Strawmier encourages him strongly to tap, but Riffle does not. Strawmier increases the torque on Riffle’s arm, and Bob’s your uncle: Strawmier claims victory and ownership of Riffle’s appendage at the same time with a simple snap.

Actually, not so simple snap: Bryce reports that Riffle suffered a spiral fracture, which is never fun. Props to both guys for playing it cool after the injury. Hey Strawmier, have you sent your info in yet for the Proving Ground? There’s nothing like a Shinya Aoki-style highlight to put fear in your future opponents…

[RX]

(Props: SharkFights.com)

Just one month before he makes his Bellator debut against Seth Petruzelli, Ricco Rodriguez has one final tune-up match to get through. “Suave” will meet Karl “The Original Son of Punishment” Knothe — a Minnesota-based fighter who has won his last 12 fights by first-round stoppage —in the co-headlining bout of Shark Fights 17, which goes down tomorrow night at the Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas. Even though Knothe has primarily competed as a 205-pounder, the match is being held at heavyweight, which is a good thing considering that Rodriguez’s last two attempts to hit a weight limit under 265 have resulted in failure and more failure.

Ricco has been undefeated in 11 fights over the last two years, competing for 10 different promotions; the upcoming appearances for Shark Fights and Bellator will also be his first for those promotions, extending his epic transient streak. Rodriguez is coming off a decision win over James McSweeney at BAMMA 5 in February, followed by an unfortunate arrest in Arizona in May.

Shark Fights 17 will be headlined by a middleweight feature between UFC vets Matt Horwich and Jake Rosholt; the two fighters previously met at an Xtreme Fight Night event last November, in which Horwich won by third-round TKO. Check out the full card here.

(Above: The book cover, via Smashwords.com. Below: Proof that Dana White was born to a human mother and father. Click both to enlarge.)

In a Frank Sorrentino-esque attempt to remind her big-time son where he came from, Dana White‘s mother June White has self-published a book called Dana White: King of MMA, which details how the Baldfather’s personality changed for the worse as he became wealthy and powerful through the success of the UFC. You can buy the 92-page volume for $8.99 at Smashwords.com — or you can just do what we did and read the 13-page sample, in which the author debunks the DW “mythology,” describes how Dana cursed her out as if she were any other uncooperative fighter or reporter, and yes, even compares him to Rosemary’s Baby. (That part’s my favorite. Kudos, June) Here are the best bits…

There are many articles written about Dana, where he came from, and the hard life he had growing up. I have heard him referred to as a Southie tuff, but that is not who Dana is and does not accurately reflect the life he has led. It is hard for me to hear the many myths about Dana, and the way he is portrayed to the public. It is difficult for me to see how, as the popularity of the UFC evolved, the person I once knew changed into someone who is egotistical, self-centered, arrogant, and cruel. I liken Dana’s transformation to that of Precious in Lord of the Rings. Just as the ring of power changed that fictional character, Dana’s power and wealth have changed him into someone I do not recognize.

(A pretty solid metaphor for their respective careers right now.)

With the UFC still in the lurch after Phil Davis’s injury wrecked yet another UFC main event, Tito Ortiz has done the unthinkable — he’s decided to become a team player. After initially refusing to step up as Rashad Evans‘s replacement opponent at UFC 133, Ortiz has now agreed to take the fight, which will come just five weeks after his shock upset of Ryan Bader at UFC 132. Oddly enough, Tito’s change-of-heart came after Lyoto Machida accepted the fight, then lost the opportunity during negotiations. We’ll let Dana White tell the story, via MMAJunkie:

“Machida accepted the fight. We knew for a couple days this was going down, and Machida accepted the fight. Then when we called back and said, ‘OK, we’re going to make this fight,’ Machida’s people came back and said, ‘We’ll tell you what. You pay us what you pay Anderson Silva, and we’ll take the fight.’ This was after they had already agreed to take the fight.

I said, ‘Are you [expletive] kidding me? I’ll tell you what. You tell Machida he achieves what [expletive] Anderson Silva has achieved, then maybe he’ll make Anderson Silva money. Have a nice day.’…

(Video courtesy of YouTube/WEEZER)

It’s a bittersweet week for both fans of War Machine and fans of War Machine’s Big House Blogs. The fighter formerly known as Jon Koppenhaver is set to be released from jail on Friday, which means the only blogs we’re going to get from here on out (unless of course he ends back in the clink) will be about his training regimens, his married life and thoughts on the world. Something tells me that being behind bars contributed to how deranged some of his deep thoughts were the past year and it’s likely that being on the outside will change all that.

Let’s hope I’m dead wrong.

Until he proves me wrong, go ahead and savor your last instalment of War Machine’s Big House Blogs after the jump.

(Video courtesy of YouTube/TapouTVTC)

By Cage Potato special contributor Mike Schmitz

Greg Jackson knows the nuances of MMA training as well as anyone in the MMA industry. He’s developed 10 champions, including current UFC titleholders Jon Jones and George St-Pierre, and is now taking his mixed martial arts pedigree to TapouT VTC where he offers members online MMA training videos breaking down the ins and outs of the technical aspects of the sport.

TapouT VTC rolled out a new MMA training video today in which Jackson demonstrates the Omoplata Sweep and goes step-by-step through exactly how to execute it.

“I really advocate using the omoplata as a primary sweep position secondary submission,” Jackson said in the video above. “You’re going to go after the sweep first and if that fails you can kind of come after that submission.”

(Photo courtesy of Relativity Media. For a larger version of Gina’s ferocious scowl, click the image.)

On July 21-24, Comic-Con 2011 will set up at the San Diego Convention Center for a nerd-tastic orgy of comic books (obviously), video games, action films, and at least one nightmare-inducing cosplay pageant. If you plan on attending next weekend, keep in mind that MMA star/actress Gina Carano will be in the building on Friday, July 22nd, as part of a sneak-preview of her long-delayed film Haywire. The presentation will go down from 12:15-1:15 PST in Hall H, if that means anything to you.

According to Carano’s manager Scott Karp, the former “Face of Women’s MMA” is “starting to feel better” following her mysterious withdrawal from Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum, and may soon know about her fighting future. She is currently fielding several film offers.

Haywire was originally scheduled to hit theaters in January of this year. After some re-shoots and delays, the flick is now slated for a January 20, 2012, release.

Heads up, Potato Nation. CagePotato.com is looking for emerging MMA fighters for an online series called “Proving Ground.”

Starting on Monday, July 25th, we’ll be featuring up-and-coming pro fighters on our site, sharing their fight videos and bios. With the help of our readers, we’ll narrow down the entries to a handful of finalists before crowning one winner who we’ll help guide to the biggest fight of their life.

More important details will be announced soon, but the winner will likely be awarded a multi-fight contract with a nationally broadcast MMA promotion. Yes, this is a very big deal.

So, if you’re an unsigned MMA fighter who wants to break out of your local scene and take the first major step in your career, please e-mail ProvingGround@cagepotato.com with the following…

(“Both my black eye and my low testosterone can be traced back to tainted supplements…”)

Just over two weeks after being suspended by the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission, forcing him out of the main event of the UFC Live on Versus 4 card, Nate Marquardt’s fighting future is no longer uncertain. MMAJunkie reports that PSAC has lifted Marquardt’s suspension after the former UFC middleweight-turned-welterweight met all of the commission’s medical requirements and passed all of his medicals.

(“…I’ve also been tanning regularly.”)

Well, it looks like Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic will get one more fight in the UFC. The 36-year-old heavyweight who suffered back-to-back knockouts in his last two fights announced on a live video chat on the Croation sports website Gol.hr this week that he will finish out his UFC contract in Las Vegas on October 29 when he takes on The Ultimate Fighter 10 winner Roy Nelson.

“I’ve had no contact with Dana White and have not re-negotiated with the UFC. I agreed to my next fight and that’s it,” Filipovic explained. “I can now exclusively confirm that I will fight my last UFC fight October 29 in Las Vegas against Roy Nelson.”

Yep, this is really happening. Mad props to Steampunk for putting this together…

Update: By the way, another source says Machida is not taking the fight, so, you know, whatever.

(“I’M BACK!” has been downgraded to “Just give me a minute, okay?”)

Update, 11:07 a.m. ET: Yahoo!’s Kevin Iole tweets that Lyoto Machida is in vs. Rashad Evans. Source is a text-message from Dana White.

The race is on to salvage UFC 133‘s main event, in the wake of Phil Davis’s knee injury withdrawal. One fighter who won’t be stepping up against Rashad Evans on short notice is Tito Ortiz, who’s coming off his career-restoring submission of Ryan Bader at UFC 132. According to an MMAFighting report, Ortiz was the first man the UFC turned to when Davis bowed out, but the Huntington Beach Bad Boy declined the offer. As he explained via twitter:

I have a life and things to take care of. The fight game is about making the right choices of my career. If you knew what I have been going through you all would understand. Peaking for a fight is what makes a fighter unstoppable! Timing is everything in life. This is a rebuild year for me not do or die. The time will come again!

(Clash of the Titans? So which one’s the kraken? Props: shosports)

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…

- Handing Out Hardware: 2011 MMA Mid-Year Awards (Five Ounces of Pain)

- Georges St. Pierre ‘Grinds Down’ a Female at Boulevard 3 Nightclub in Hollywood (MMA Mania)

- Rashad Evans: “When Jon Jones loses (in the UFC), he’s going to quit in a fight” (FightOpinion)

- ProElite’s T. Jay Thompson Shares Details on the Promotion’s August 27th Return (MMAPayout)

- Video: If You Thought the Kim Couture Late Stoppage Was Bad… (MMA Convert)

- Exclusive: Will Frank Trigg Be the Third Fighter in a Row Retired by Tom “Kong” Watson? (BleacherReport.com/MMA)

- There’s Still Time to Enter the Chael Sonnen Baby-Onesie Design Contest; Check Out the Front-Runners Here (MiddleEasy)

- Half-Year in Review: 2011′s UFC Stats, Facts & Figures (MMA Fighting)

- Photo Gallery: Nam Phan Trains for UFC 133 Fight Against Mike Brown (LowKick)

- Bellator Fighting Championships Hosting Open Tryouts July 16th in New Jersey (5thRound)

- Round 5 Unveils Bruce Lee Figure Based on “Enter the Dragon” (TheFightNerd)

- Exclusive: Jon Jones Discusses UFC 135 Fight With Rampage, Feud With Rashad (NBC Sports MMA)

(“My knee should be OK next week. I’ll take Tito when they match Rashad up with Lyoto.”)

According to MMAFighting, Phil Davis suffered a knee injury and as such has been forced to pull out of his UFC 133 main event bout with Rashad Evans. Although no replacement opponent has been named, sources say the UFC will be announcing Davis injury and Evans’ new opponent for the August 6 event soon.

Two prime candidates would be Lyoto Machida and Tito Ortiz — both of whom Evans has faced before. He lost in his very first title defense against Machida by second-round KO at UFC 98, five months after TKO’ing Forrest Griffin at UFC 92 to win the strap. Evans battled to a draw with Tito Ortiz at UFC 73, but would have likely lost the bout had “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” not been deducted a point for grabbing the fence.

Machida is on the sidelines awaiting word of his next bout and Ortiz could likely be ready in time to fight on the card.

(Brock, pre-c*ck sword)

Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar was born in Webster, South Dakota on this day in 1977.

Thanks to an undefeated 33-0 record he compiled in his final year of high school and an upset victory over top-seeded University of Minnesota heavyweight Brent Boeschans his division in the North Dakota State University’s Bison Open Tournament in 1997 while attending Bismarck Junior College, Lesnar was granted a full scholarship by Boeschans Alma Mater the following year after Bismarck dropped its wrestling program. Brock, who had amassed a 56-3 record in his two years at Bismarck wasted no time in making a name for himself at U of M by winning the Big 10 tournament and effectively ending Iowa’s 25-year streak as tournament champion.

(When Donald was finished with his country-glam-rock version of “Home Sweet Home,” there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Mostly because the audience had all left by then. Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle.)

It’s kind of a long story, but due to a series of injuries and replacements, a lightweight prelim between John Makdessi and Paul Taylor slated for UFC on Versus 5 (August 14th, Milwaukee) eventually morphed into an even more compelling matchup between lanky cowboy-hatted veteran Donald Cerrone and young submission ace Charles Oliveira. That’s the good news. The even-better news is that Cerrone vs. Oliveira has been bumped to the event’s main card due to its awesomeness.

Cerrone is on a four-fight win streak, which includes submission victories over Chris Horodecki and Paul Kelly, but caught some criticism in his last outing — a lopsided decision victory over Vagner Rocha at UFC 131 — for arguably playing it safe rather than going for a finish. Meanwhile, Oliveira’s last victory was recently overturned to a no-contest due to the fact that he set up his rear-naked choke submission against Nik Lentz with a very blatant illegal knee, which everybody in the building spotted except for the referee.

After the jump, the full lineup for UFC on Versus 5, which looks pretty damn entertaining for a free card.

(Props: kfpisreal)

“What’s up, dog. I killed you.” Oh, Kenny. Audio is NSFW, so stuff in them earbuds.

(Hendo’s friends knew something was wrong with him, but it took a doctor to figure out his T levels were really low.)

Rumor had it for a while that Dan Henderson was one of the fighters with an approved testosterone replacement therapy exemption, but until now there was no concrete evidence that he was in the same company as Chael Sonnen, Todd Duffee, Nate Marquardt and Dennis Hallman (who we know about). It’s not that he was hiding it, it’s just that no one asked.

In an interview Hendo did with ESPN this week, the Strikeforce light heavyweight champion ,who revealed that he has been using TRT since 2007, spoke openly and candidly about the reason he required the therapeutic exemption and the effect it has on his health. Among other things, Henderson called for stricter year-round testing  for anyone who requires hormone replacement to ensure that he or she isn’t upping their dosages to give them an edge in the off-season.

(Nothing strange about doing this in public. Image courtesy of WhataPlanker.com)

If you haven’t heard of this latest hipster craze, Planking (AKA The Lying Down Game) is when a person lays flat on their back or stomach and stiff as a board in a random location and someone snaps a photo of them. Ingenious, isn’t it?

Anyway, there have been several variations of where “Planking” originated, but really you need look no further than our beloved sport if you want to know the true roots of the fad.

Check out the gallery after the jump of MMA fighters planking, before there was a name for what they were doing.

VidProps: BabaluJack/YouTube

We’re referring, of course, to DREAM’s Fight for Japan Bantamweight Grand Prix Final, which for whatever reason was not neatly numbered and filed like most decent MMA events. “DREAM.17″ would have looked just fine in the headline, but we can’t type all that out as an article title, and “DREAM.FFJBWGPF” looks like the most jacked-up file extension ever.

This just in: apparently the official designation is “Fight for Japan: DREAM Japan GP Final 2011 Bantamweight Japan Tournament Final”. Wait, for real? DREAM is just screwing with us now, right? That whole phrase can probably be conveyed by just a few kanji on a Japanese fight poster, but our puny Western alphabet is not equal to that much event namingness. So FFJ:DREAM.JGPF-2011BWJTF is official? Jesus. If your Norton software started pinging like a methed-out dolphin when you logged on, we’re sorry. Blame FEG for not naming their events in a reasonable manner.

The next DREAM card (much easier) was shaping up to be an entertaining show, and we were particularly interested to see Duffee return to the ring after getting manhandled by Alistair Overeem last December. A matchup with Nick Gaston, the XXL Muay Thai specialist more popularly known as AfroZilla, was just one of the intriguing bouts set for the event this Saturday, but the Duffman has suffered an undisclosed injury and withdrew from the fight. Multiple sources are reporting that Gaston has been pulled from the card as well, since an opponent could not be found in time for the KOTC prospect. While six days sounds like a normal time span for FEG to put fights together (especially when foreigners are involved), they probably didn’t have anyone looking to jump up and take on “AfroJira” on such short notice.

Luckily, this guy on YouTube either didn’t include the heavyweight bout on his homemade promo, or he quickly re-cut it last night after hearing the news about Duffee (or…he knew all along!!!). Either way, it’ll give you a quick preview of the fights that will be going down this weekend. Enjoy, and let us know what you’re looking forward to Saturday night in the comments.

It’s the only way we know you care.

[RX]