(Travis Browne makes Stefan Struve do his fainting cat impression at UFC 130. / Photo via MMAFighting)

A little update to our “Hell yeah, Chad Griggs is coming to the UFC” story from last week: The UFC has announced that Griggs’s Octagon debut will come against Travis “Hapa” Browne, the towering up-and-comer whose 3-0-1 UFC record includes first-round knockouts of Stefan Struve and James McSweeney, and a recent decision win over Rob Broughton. (He also had that ugly draw against Cheick Kongo, but the less said about that fight the better.) Griggs and Browne will meet at UFC 145, March 24th at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

In other words, Griggs won’t be developed slowly against hand-picked opponents — it’ll either be sink or swim against one of the most talented heavyweights coming up the ranks. Then again, Griggs made his name in Strikeforce by beating up guys who were supposed to be better than him, so really, who knows. As of now, the only other fight slated for UFC 145 is a welterweight feature between Rory MacDonald and Che Mills.

(The question is, whose wife cooked him the steak?)

If you were busy getting hammered off of rum and egg nog and exchanging token gifts with annoying relatives you thankfully only have to see once a year, you may have missed Chael Sonnen’s second appearance on TSN’s “Off the Record” show Friday night.

Don’t worry though, we’ve got you covered after the jump, homies.

(Video courtesy of YouTube/FreeFightsForYou)

Besides Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, everyone I know who watched GI Joe as a kid looked forward to the “Knowing is Half the Battle” segments that taught us how to escape a house fire, avoid being kidnapped and molested and how to camp safely. If you watched the show on Saturday mornings or have seen any of the scores of parodies that have popped up the past few years, you’re going to enjoy the short fan-made spot above.

“Mo” used to enjoy the popular PSAs until the day he found out they were all a lie.

Now that we’ve all officially finished binge-eating/drinking our way through Christmas, our good pal DW is back and with a late gift of his own – the gift of heartbreak. In typical fashion, this week’s Danavlog focuses on the aftermath of UFC 140, giving us a behind the scenes look at the pre and post-fight moments of Tito Ortiz, Jon Jones, and perhaps most importantly, Krzystof Soszynski, who, after suffering a 35 second knockout at the hands of Igor Pokrajac, informs us that he has fought his last MMA contest. Whether he is just pulling a BJ Penn on us or is truly sincere about his decision remains to be seen, but if we really have witnessed the last of “The Polish Experiment,” we here at CP would just like to thank him for all the great fights and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Join us after the jump for the rest of the highlights.

In honor of Brock Lesnar‘s return to action at UFC 141 this Friday — yes, Friday, make a note of it — we put together a gallery of our favorite animated GIFs of the wrestling/MMA superstar, which you can find after the jump. Welcome back, you scary son-of-a-bitch.

Highly related: 11 GIFs of Alistair Overeem Being Awesome

(The fact that Duane didn’t ass-punch Goulet at full strength proves what a classy guy he is.)

I’m sure you know the story by now: In January 2006, Duane “Bang” Ludwig met Jonathan Goulet at UFC Fight Night 3 and first-punch KO’d him in just four seconds. But due to a timekeeper’s error, the stoppage time was officially recorded as 11 seconds. It didn’t really bother Ludwig until he saw all the media attention that Todd Duffee got for knocking out Tim Hague in a “record breaking” seven seconds. This was clearly some bullshit.

But after several months spent petitioning the Internet, the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and the UFC, Ludwig has been vindicated, in the form of a tweet sent out by UFC president Dana White on Christmas Eve:

“@DUANEBANGCOM @ufc and for x mas you have the fastest KO in UFC history and it will be changed ASAP”

And now, here’s the NSAC’s Keith Kizer to play the Grinch/Scrooge role in this holiday miracle…

(Anderson Silva: Like Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, and America’s Best Dance Crew, all rolled into one. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle.com. Check out the full gallery after the jump.)

As we enter the last week of 2011, join us in celebrating the year’s most memorable images — from tense face-offs to action shots, ring girl pin-ups to gnarly post-fight injuries, and other assorted insanity. If we’ve left out any of your favorite MMA photos from the past year, drop us a link in the comments section. Enjoy…

Props to MiddleEasy for the video

Merry Christmas from all of us at Cage Potato. For those of you who celebrate, we hope you have better plans for the holiday than getting trashed and watching the return of that other winter sport, like at least one member of the Cage Potato staff plans on doing. You know, maybe you can talk to your family or friends today. Or exchange gifts. Whatever works for you.

(Full gallery is after the jump)

You’re like family to us, Potato Nation, and after looking over your wishlist we knew just what to get you this year. True, we’ve given you a holiday-themed Hot Potato gallery before, but whether you’re a Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Festivus kind of guy we doubt you’ll complain.

Most ‘crimes’ in MMA take the form of inept judging and flagrant rule breaking, but this past year many professional fighters were caught up in activities that landed them inside of a very different sort of cage. Get ready for a trip down memory lane in our most depressing “booking roundup” of the year. Here’s your run down of 2011’s biggest arrests, convictions, acquittals, and sentencings.

(Who did this to my brother? I WANT HIS NAME!!) 

Another pair of interesting matches at 170 lbs. have recently been added to UFC 143′s already welterweight-stacked card. If you are anything like us, then you likely expected Matt Brown would receive his walking papers after dropping his fourth loss via submission (and second via guillotine) in his past five fights to Seth Baczynski at UFC 139. Well, it turns out Brown will be given another shot at UFC glory, and will be fighting for not only his Zuffa contract, but the chance to keep his record above .500 when he takes on TUF 13 cast member Chris Cope.

Cope will be looking to rebound from the devastating 40 second TKO loss he suffered at the hands (and more specifically, knees) of Che Mills in Mills’ UFC debut back at UFC 138.

(Video courtesy of YouTube.LayzietheSavage)

- Dirty Old Men: The Rugged’s 12 Hottest Former Child Actresses(TheRugged)

- According to the Maya We Will Be Dead in One Year (TuVez)

- 9 Famous People Who Need to Go Away (Guyism)

- Sprinting vs. Jogging: The Great Debate (MuscleProdigy)

- The Cast of ‘A Christmas Story’: Where They Be at Now (ScreenJunkies)

- What Blake Lively Nude Pics Mean for Your Girl (MadeMan)

- 12 Fighters the UFC Needs NOW (BleacherReport)

- 25 Gifts That May Have Been Wrapped by the Blind (HolyTaco)

- X-Rated Christmas Lexus Commercial (WorldWideInterweb)

- Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: The Last of the Legends (FightersOnly)

- Brock Says “No Chin” Comments are Bullshit (LowKick)

- Man Crosses NYC Subway Tracks to Attack Stranger (Complex)

- 2Live Crew Singer to Bone Naked Zombies in Sundance Short (FilmDrunk)

- Documentaries’ Best Sports Stars (WithLeather)

- #ThingsNottoDoAtChristmasParties (Clutch.MTV)

- The Most Amazing Moments in Sports in 2011 (AskMen)

- Vanessa Bryant to Receive Nearly $100 Million in Divorce Settlement (TerezOwens)

- Strange Erotic Photo of the Day (MMAFix)

- Chicago MMA Fighter Dead After Fighting Keyboard Warrior (OregonLive)

(Video courtesy of YouTube/FightHubTV)

When fans criticize fighters for shoddy performances, they often forget that the men and women who compete in the cage and often display superhuman feats of strength and resilience are human beings and not just machines that are packed away in the closet between fights. They have problems just like everyone else.

Even though some of us realize this, it’s always surprising to hear stories about things these tough guys (and girls) can’t do or are afraid of.

(Full gallery is after the jump.)

Hayley Sams is a 25-year-old glamour model and ring girl from Birmingham, England, who has held round cards for BAMMA and Cage Warriors. Her modeling credits include appearances in Front magazine, Zoo, Daily Star, and Loaded. Show her some love on Twitter @miss_sams, and check out more of our favorite Hayley Sams photos below…

(Props: UrijahFaber0com)

The California Kid has done the unthinkable. As a show of solidarity for his sister Michaella — who had to lose her own long hair to undergo brain surgery after that awful car accident — Urijah Faber has shaved off his trademark surfer-mop. Will he keep the high-and-tight look for his upcoming coaching gig on TUF 15? And sure, I’ll bid $20 for one of those Urijah Faber hair clumps. My financial advisor tells me it’s a good investment.

(Photo courtesy of Scott Hirano. For more from this gallery, click here.)

By Anton Gurevich

A week away from his encounter with Fedor Emelianenko at Fight For Japan: Genki Desu Ka Omisoka 2011, it seems like not many people are giving 2008 Olympic Games Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii a chance to get his hand raised at the Saitama Super Arena. After all, Ishii will be entering just his seventh professional MMA bout, as he currently holds a record of 4-1-1.

However, Ishii’s career decisions speak for themselves. The 25-year-old Judo phenom left his comfort zone in Japan to pursue a full-time Mixed Martial Arts career in the U.S. Ishii become a student of the game by training under Muay Thai extraordinaire Ed Buckley, and touring between some of the most famous gyms on the west coast.

Ishii could easily be labeled one of the most high-profile martial artists currently competing in the sport. The fight with Fedor could serve as a turning point for the decorated Judoka, who has set himself a clear goal of becoming one of the best MMA fighters on the planet. It’s an opportunity Satoshi Ishii will take full advantage of, especially when fighting on his home turf in Japan.

We had an opportunity to speak to Satoshi Ishii, who shared his thoughts about the December 31st date with “The Last Emperor,” and his preparations coming up to the fight…

Read the interview with Ishii on Lowkick.blitzcorner.com

(Maurice Smith? I thought he was dead.)

Twice fired UFC heavyweight Tim Hague is determined to get back to the Octagon, but his choice of opponent for his upcoming fight likely won’t garner him another invite to the big show from matchmaker Joe Silva.

Hague (13-5), who spent a week at Brock Lesnar’s Death Clutch gym to help the former UFC heavyweight champion prepare for his UFC 141 fight with Alistair Overeem is slated to take on aging UFC veteran Maurice Smith (12-13) in Brazil on January 20 under the Kumite Combate banner.

(“You got a pretty mouth, Nate.”)

During Steve Cofield’s Vegas-based ESPN Radio show today, Donald Cerrone recalled an incident he had recently with Nate Diaz,  and to put it lightly, he isn’t impressed with the level of disrespect his UFC 141 opponent showed him.

According to Cerrone, the confrontation happened at the open workouts for UFC 137 and he had no warning that it was going to go south quickly when he approached his teammate and friend Leonard Garcia who happened to be talking to Nate at the time.

Perhaps you guys remember a time…oh, let’s say around 9 months ago, when former welterweight title challenger Dan Hardy had just dropped his third straight match to Anthony Johnson. In desperate need of a win, Hardy decided that he should call out a fighter by the name of Chris Lytle. You see, Lytle was on the tail end of his career, and plus, Hardy knew that “Lights Out’s” style would play perfectly into his strengths. Hardy claimed however, that he chose Lytle out of the need for “an old school shootout with a guy that wants to throw down.” We saw through the bullshit.

But then, after getting his wish and finding himself on the wrong end of a good old fashioned Lytle ass-whooping, Hardy dove in for a takedown at the end of the third round, and was promptly submitted. He claimed he needed some time off to think about his future, even though he knew it was safe in the UFC.

Well, it seems that Hardy has spent a good deal of time thinking about a solid, game opponent for which he should begin his comeback. A young, feisty up and comer by the name of…Matt Hughes? Hardy told ESPN:

#10: Not everybody was prepared for the intensity of the UFC on FOX promo trailer.

Damn we love us a good GIF. 2011 provided us with dozens of memorable ones, but these ten stood out a little more than the rest. If we’ve left out one of your favorites, shoot us a link in the comments section. Props to ZombieProphet, Gordo on the UG, and everybody else who spends time making these things.

#9: Honey badger don’t care.

(Photo courtesy of Combate.TV)

It looks like Gray Maynard will be eating Brazilian kicks and punches for Christmas in the delicacy’s native land.

The former number one UFC lightweight contender will be in Rio de Janeiro for the next few weeks to help UFC featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo prepare for his January 14 UFC 142 bout with Chad Mendes. Aldo invited “The Bully” to Brazil as his style is very similar to Mendes’. Gray arrived on Wednesday and will stick around until after the event in three weeks.

(Looks like it’s been a fruitful year at UFC HQ.)

With Christmas almost here and with *some* remaining contacts at Zuffa who like us, we were able to snag a few photos using x-ray technology of what gifts a few UFC employees are getting this year. It’s amazing what apps you can get for your iPhone these days.

Anyway, at least we know that the recipients will be able to use these thoughtful token gifts.

Check the gallery out after the jump.

(DON’T MOVE ROB! There is the biggest hornet on your nose right now!) 

A battle between undefeated heavyweights Stipe Miocic and Philip De Fries has recently been booked for the UFC’s upcoming debut on FUELTV, which transpires February 15th at the CenturyLink and Cornmeal Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

After starting off his professional career with five straight (T)KO victories, all coming within the first two rounds, Croatian-born Stipe Miocic scored a second round leglock submission over Bobby Brents to earn himself a call from the UFC. In his debut, Miocic would handle tough veteran Joey Beltran with a deft combination of leg kicks and takedowns en route to a unanimous decision victory. Though his choice to sport the same checkerboard trunks as the legendary Mirko Cro Cop would earn him the ire of many keyboard warriors across the nation, a win over De Fries, specifically a head kick KO, would certainly give him some breathing room. De Fries, on the other hand, had finished all of his opponents (excluding a No Contest against Dave Wilson) via submission before making his UFC debut, where he scored his own unanimous decision win over Rob Broughton at UFC 138.

(Props: IronForgesIron)

FUEL TV aired the latest UFC Countdown special last night, previewing next Friday’s UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem pay-per-view card. The stuff about Brock Lesnar‘s latest recovery from diverticulitis and new love of swimming is fairly straightforward — once again, Pat Barry is on hand talk about what a monster Brock is — but if you’re a fan of Alistair Overeem, the look back at his rise in the sport and his career rebirth after a rough stretch in his personal/professional life is worth watching. Overeem’s sights are now set on a UFC belt to complete his collection; of course, Brock Lesnar is just as motivated to defend his turf and play the spoiler in the Reem’s Octagon debut.

Part two of the special is after the jump, featuring more tough talk from Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Nate “Not Your Friend, Buddy” Diaz, and a look at the redneck paradise of Cerrone’s New Mexico ranch.

(“Well, that’s the last time I go to Lady Jane’s.” / Photo via phuketwan.com)

Judging from the horrible stuff we previously read, we figured that the Junie Browning brawl-and-escape story would either end with the UFC vet triumphantly dragging his broken body into the U.S. Embassy while cleverly disguised as a peasant woman, or his arrest and imprisonment in a dank Midnight Express-style prison cell, or death via infection in the jungle. No, things didn’t look promising for our Lunatik.

Luckily, the latest update to the saga is a happy one, in the sense that Browning is still alive and is being treated well by the police. Like, suspiciously well. Maybe Thailand’s definition of “manhunt” is a lot different than ours, but it seems they just wanted Junie and the dude he scrapped with to get together in a room and talk out their differences. Phuket Wan has the details:

It looks like Floyd Mayweather Jr. won’t be able to weasel his way out of all of the charges that have been levied against him the past year.

Mayweather, 34, pleaded guilty today to reduced battery domestic violence and harassment charges in Las Vegas and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, 100 hours of community service and was given a $2,500 fine. He will begin serving his sentence on January 6 and will likely be released after serving 30 days if he behaves while behind bars.

(“Look kid, I’m gonna find the man who did this to you. And when I do, so help me God, I’m gonna dock him one point for shorts-grabbing.” / Photo of Stout vs. Edwards aftermath via ESPN)

With a little help from the Potato Nation, we spent the last couple days gathering videos of the nastiest, ugliest, most-painful looking knockouts and submissions from this year. Finding 25 of them was the easy part. (Damn, MMA fighters. You seemed especially angry this year. Problems at home?) Putting them in order was a little more challenging.

Obviously, Frank Mir snapping Nogueira’s arm at UFC 140 was the people’s choice for #1. But how do you rank a head-kick knockout against a spinning-backfist knockout, when they both leave their victims zombie’d on the mat with their eyes open and their arms in the air?

So here’s what we’ll do. Instead of arranging these brutal stoppages in some arbitrary order, we’ll arrange them in groups. Use the links below to navigate through the sections, and take a moment to appreciate the human devastation that our great sport has caused in the last 12 months. And all this without a single death! Enjoy…

(Ben Goldstein)

- Page 1: The Perfect One-Shot (Or Two-Shot) Knockouts
- Page 2: The Savage Striking Onslaughts
- Page 3: The Gruesome Submissions
- Page 4: Fancy Kicks and Other Insanity

(Video courtesy of YouTube/FightHubTV)

When we asked UFC Octagon Girl Brittney Palmer at the MMA Expo what the creepiest request she’s ever gotten from a fan was, she told us she really didn’t get any strange ones.

Apparently Arianny Celeste isn’t so lucky.

(Nog with his new bionic arm.)

Two days after UFC president Dana White was shaking his head during the UFC 141 conference call wondering aloud what ever possessed Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to opt to try to choke out a rocked Frank Mir rather than finish him up on the ground with punches during their UFC 140 bout a week and a half ago, and “Big Nog” has offered an explanation. According to the former PRIDE star and one-time interim UFC light heavyweight champion, referee Herb Dean made him switch gears when he told him his punches were illegal.

You’ve probably heard by now that Kim Jong-il is dead. No, he was not killed by the hands of Hans Blixs and no, the above video is not a collection of clips from the 2002 fake karate film Kung Pow: Enter the Fist. The sad reality is that what you are watching is simply what the former North Korean dictator’s bodyguards went through on a daily basis. Unreleased until a few hours ago (shocking), the footage is…uh…impressive to say the least, but not without that extra bit of crazy thrown in to let you know this is a KJi joint.

According to the narrator, il’s bodyguards are forced to “hit something” from the moment they wake up, whether that be a giant, cement block attached to another guard’s face, or a two-by-four placed on another’s neck. The rest of their day, however, is not that different from what many of us do to make a living here in America: