(“A new make-up set, a ring girl outfit and the new Maroon 5 CD…Gus Johnson, you are a strange little man.”)

With Christmas around the corner, we figured it would be a good time to share some of the letters we got our hands on from fighters to Santa.

From Wanderlei to Alistair, Nick  to Chael, it’s interesting to hear what these guys want from St. Nick this holiday season.

(Hey amigo, don’t forget to bag the stool. I’ll be making salad as a side tonight.) 

One minute it’s an emergency NSAC meeting, and now this. Don’t worry folks, the charges facing former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar will not affect his December 30th battle with Alistair Overeem at UFC 141, but Lesnar is now a fugitive in a country where sodomy is legal nonetheless. The charges aimed at Brock stem from a recent hunting trip he took to Alberta; I’ll let CJCYFM.com explain:

A recent hunting trip to Alberta has landed former WWE and Ultimate Fighting Champion Brock Lesnar in some trouble.

Fish and Wildlife officers confirmed the international celebrity has been charged with three counts in contravention to the Alberta Fish and Wildlife Act.  The charges came before Medicine Hat Provincial Court Thursday morning and include improper affixation of tags, spoilage of skin and edible flesh and possession of a controlled animal.

Neither Lesnar, nor his co-accused Chad Stryker, appeared in person in court.  Their matter has been put over until January 19th.

Phew. At first, the charges don’t sound that bad. That is, until you consider the fact that the controlled animal in question was a Garthok.

(Video via MMA Mania)

Brock Lesnar: “He’s in over his head. He doesn’t really understand the beast that he’s gonna enter the Octagon with…I’m gonna defeat Alistair Overeem. That’s the bottom line, and there’s nothing else to say…At the end of the day, he’s gonna get his ass beat…it’s gonna come down to will, and who wants this fight more, and Brock Lesnar wants this fight more than Alistair Overeem.”

Alistair Overeem: “I’m gonna tear this guy apart, piece by piece…I’m gonna beat up Brock Lesnar, and it’s gonna take me no more than two rounds to do that…Brock definitely doesn’t like to get hit. I’m gonna hit him, and I’m gonna hit him as hard as I can. And I’m pretty good at it…I would put my money on a knockout in the first round, but personally I can guarantee a knockout in the second…If you guys think Cain Velasquez hits hard, wait ’til you see what I’m gonna do to him.”

The UFC 141 video trailer also previews the lightweight feature between Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone. It seems there’s already a bit of tension between the two (starting at the 6:53 mark)…

(“Who nearly f*cked up our end-of-year show main event? This f*cking guy, that’s who.”)

During a scheduled Nevada State Athletic Commission meeting Monday, NSAC announced that Alistair Overeem failed to undergo a random drug test ahead of his UFC 141 heavyweight bout with Brock Lesnar and as a result he was granted a “conditional license” by the governing body.

According to commission records, Lesnar attended a hospital within one day of being told to do so on November 17, where blood and urine samples were taken and the results came back negative for both drugs of abuse and anabolic agents. Overeem did not comply with its request to submit specimens on that date, but instead had one of the two requested samples taken one week later.

Prior to the agenda item, the announcement was foreshadowed as NSAC representatives spoke candidly about all of the issues that have arisen in the past when it comes to testing out of competition outside of North America for various reasons.

Props to @LayzietheSavage for the UStream feed of the proceedings.

Check out the timeline of what went down the past month after the jump.

(“I appreciate the recognition, but really, this award belongs to CagePotato. Get up here, guys.”)

By Jason Moles

This time last year, I gave you a list of predictions that really created a stir. I boasted that the UFC would host an event in Mexico and be legalized in New York. Man, was I ever wrong about that. I apologize. But I also said that Dana White would coin a new phrase, land a network TV deal and that a famous athlete would cross over into the world of mixed martial arts. Not bad, eh? 2012 is quickly approaching so get the champagne on ice and let’s get to those wild predictions…

1. FOX will reprimand Dana White for his inevitable off-handed comments.

“Faggot“, “f*cking retarded”, “dumb bitch” — these are all things that have been uttered by the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Dana White. The UFC may be MMA’s pinnacle and FOX’s diamond in the rough, but if the promotion is ever to secure a spot in the mainstream, it needs to display more control over its mouthpiece and his tongue. Advertisers tend to frown upon such public displays of hostility and bigotry. When Uncle Dana slips again and gives someone an earful, you can be certain that it won’t go unpunished as it has in the past. This goes for you too, Rogan and Rashad.

2. A champion will test positive for a banned substance.

As co-host of the Opie & Anthony radio show on SiriusXM, comedian Jim Norton has become the designated punching bag for visiting MMA stars. He’s been choked, he’s been kicked, he’s had his foot twisted 180 degrees by Brock Lesnar. And considering what a sick, depraved bastard Norton is, you have to wonder if he enjoys it on some level. Here’s everything we could collect from Jim Norton’s MMA-related body of work. All videos courtesy of opieradio.

Guest: BJ Penn, 4/14/10
Technique: Armbar
In Jim’s words: “That is fuckin’ horrible…Besides the fact that your arm is ready to be ripped out, it puts pressure on your fuckin’ — it stretches you both ways, I didn’t realize it did that.”

If you don’t know who NickTheFace is by now, then allow us to introduce you to the man behind so many amazing fight promos and trailers that he deserves to be ranked among the likes of Ghengis Con. His video preview of the upcoming heavyweight number one contender clash between Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem at UFC 141 is no different, offering some of the slickest editing this side of The French Connection that we’ve ever seen. We got goosebumps too Joe, we got goosebumps too.

UFC 141 goes down December 30th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

You know the deal, who you got for this one and how?

-Danga 

“The Stoic Russian” is a hurtful stereotype, so we didn’t include it.  The more you know…..

People complain about “pro-wrestling bullshit” invading MMA, but it’s been demonstrated over and over again: personality will get you places in the fight game.  We’ve pointed this out before, like when we advised Jon Fitch on how to ensure a title shot.  Some fighters are talked about incessantly on forums, at lunch tables, and in interviews because they’ve managed to capture the interest of fans, and many times it is because of things that they have done or said while not in the cage.

Come on in and let’s talk about archetypes, drama, and personality.  Because there’s only so many technique videos out there.

With the recent allegations aimed at former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, the sports world has been thrown into a bit of chaos in the past few weeks. The story, which has undoubtedly tarnished the legacy of not only the college itself but also its legendary football coach Joe Paterno, is one of the most shocking and disturbing events to surface in the history of competitive sports.

Amidst the scandal coach Paterno had announced that he planned to retire at the end of the season, but it turns out Penn State had other, more immediate plans in mind. And though Sandusky’s fate has yet to be determined, we can only hope that it involves Pinhead levels of torture. Unfortunately the sad fact is, it often takes a wrongdoing such as Sandusky’s in order to open our collective eyes to the world around us and take action to try and ensure that it never happens again. It is with this in mind that we bring you ten of the biggest skeletons in MMA’s closet.

Whether or not we’ll actually try to do anything but mock them is yet to be determined.

Check out ten of the dirty little not-so-secrets of MMA’s past after the jump.

(The only less popular piece of gold in MMA is Kimbo’s licensed signature fist necklace.)

Considering that every one of the six men who has worn it since this day three years ago has fallen to illness or injury, the UFC heavyweight belt could soon become the least desired trophy in sports.

The latest victim of the ill-fated gilded strap is Junior dos Santos, who went into his UFC on Fox heavyweight title bout with Cain Velasquez with a torn meniscus which will probably require surgery and an extended recovery time, making his first title defense unlikely until the second half of 2012. Somebody needs to bring the belt to a priest and have him perform an exorcism on it. Otherwise, we may only see one heavyweight title bout per year.

Check out the breakdown of the unlucky timeline of the cursed hunk of leather and gold after the jump.

Jus a friendly reminder that there are a couple things left to help waste the remaining hours of your Friday.

First off, the UFC will be holding a press conference to announce UFC 141 featuring a main event number one heavyweight contender match-up between former Strikeforce champ Alistair Overeem and former UFC champ Brock Lesnar.

We’ll finally get a first hand look at Lesnar’s physique so we can see just how big of a toll his latest bout of diverticulitis took on his body. We’ll also likely get some vague quotes from “The Demolition Man” about his current lawsuit against his former management team and why he chose Xtreme Couture for this camp.

Also on tap are the weigh-ins for tomorrow night’s UFC on Fox extravaganza. It should be interesting to see if the event has a FOX spin on it and if we’ll see any FOX personalities like Gus Johnson sashaying around in the background will full make-up.

Check out the stream after the jump.

(Video courtesy of TheScore)

Strikeforce play-by-play commentator and MMA reporter Mauro Ranallo caught up with Dana White following yesterday’s UFC on FOX 1 press conference in Los Angeles and as usual, the always outspoken UFC president had a lot to say.

Check out the brass tacks of the interview after the jump.

(Cor Hemmers and Bas Boon minutes before they eyeballed their share of Alistair’s bag of K-1 purse money, you know, back when he still got it.)

TMZ is reporting that Alistair Overeem filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court today against Golden Glory — the management team he recently split from that handled his business affairs, not the fight team they are affiliated with.

(“Brock Hunt,” the latest piece of brilliance by notlookoutawhale. I don’t like muskmelon; put that in your little notebook.)

This week’s featured stories…

- Divine Inspiration: Interview Exclusive With UFC Middleweight Contender Chael Sonnen (MMA Mania)
“Let me ask you something: when you have a big project or plans for a big goal, do you let yourself get derailed by a whiny coworker that always finds an excuse to shovel work on someone else? NO! You do your work, you beat your obligations senseless, you shine like a pagan sun god, you make that whiny prat look foolish, you take their job, you laugh as they leave with a box of their effects, and you comfort their obviously unsatisfied wife by taking her out to dinner. I’m not cooling my heels just because Anderson’s are kicked up on the sofa.”

- Despite Large Audience Expectations, UFC on FOX Debut Will Be Money Loser for UFC (MMAFighting)
“It’s an investment in the company,” Dana White recently said. “In no way, shape or form do we come anywhere close to making our money back. You don’t go on free television and make your money. That’s just not how it works. We’re going to get smashed on this fight, but it’s an investment in the future of the business.”

- 15 Worst One-Sided Beatdowns Ever Witnessed in MMA (BleacherReport.com/MMA)
“Kazushi Sakuraba and Wanderlei Silva fought against one another on three separate occasions in fights that should have never happened. The Japanese great never made it to the final bell against the heavy-handed striker in Silva. In the end, Silva was always the victor at the expense of Sakuraba, who always left their outings a bludgeoned mess, resulting in some of the worst performances of his career.”

- Brock Lesnar: Alistair Overeem Is Unfortunate to Fight Me in His UFC Debut (Lowkick.Blitzcorner.com)
“For two years I had to lie to myself and all of my fans. I had to get up every morning and say, ‘you feel good today,’ and I didn’t. I had the surgery, it’s out of my life and I’m back and that’s a damn good feeling for me and it’s bad for everybody else.”

Alistair Overeem was on MMAFighting.com’s The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani Monday afternoon and the former Strikeforce heavyweight fighter, who many speculated would be joining King’s MMA in Huntington Beach, Calif. after splitting with Golden Glory in the summer, revealed that he has instead decided to relocate to Las Vegas, Nev. where he will train at Xtreme Couture.

Although he wouldn’t reveal too much about the change in camps on the show, “The Demolition Man” gave more details of his decision to train stateside and what was behind his split with Bas Boon and company in the following episode of The Reem documentary, which was released minutes ago.

Check it out after the jump.

(They should have included a can of soda for size comparison.)

With Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem, the UFC will arguably be presenting the most dynamic wrestler vs. striker battle that the heavyweight division has ever seen — but if you really want to hook the casual fans, it’s a lot easier to say “gawd damn these sons-a-bitches are huuuuuge!”

Which they are, of course. This might be the first time that Lesnar will look out-sized in the cage. And after Brock’s year-long illness layoff, Alistair isn’t exactly the ideal return opponent. But hey, this is MMA, anything can happen, etc.

(We’re guessing Brock is off of the Jack’s Links and Coors Light)

It looks like Roy Nelson isn’t the only UFC heavyweight who could stand to drop down a weight class. Unless they used some trick camerawork to make former WWE and UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar look smaller for this new WWE 12 video game promo for some unknown reason, the formerly massive 34-year-old Webster, South Dakota native has lost considerable mass since his last bout against Cain Velasquez a year ago.

(Video courtesy of YouTube/WWEGames)

Either his his reemerging diverticulitis caused him to lose weight or he has focused more on his cardio this time around. Whatever the reason is for his dramatically leaner look, hopefully his strength isn’t depleted from the transformation or else he could be in for a long (or short) night against Alistair Overeem at UFC 141 on December 30.

Check out the comparison photos after the jump.

(Image via TheCheapSeats)

By Anton Gurevich

Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem spoke to FightStar TV about his upcoming bout with Brock Lesnar, which will also mark the Dutchman’s debut inside the Octagon. According to Overeem, the former UFC Heavyweight Champion will not be able to get out of Round 1, despite being “a strong guy.”

The Demolition Man is currently in the middle of his training camp for UFC 141, which will take place on December 30, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Visit Lowkick.blitzcorner.com to watch Overeem’s latest interview about his upcoming match with Brock Lesnar.

(You can make fun of your opponent’s voice, and you can trash his fighting style. But mock a man’s sideburns, and you’re asking for the worst beating of your life.)

Start sharpening your razors, folks: We’re just eight days away from the official start of Movember! To help get you in the moustache-growing spirit, we’ve put together a photo gallery of our favorite facial hair arrangements in MMA history, which you can check out after the jump.

(Former UFC Octagon Girl Brittney Palmer shows off her work, shares her plans for an “art empire.” Props: MMA30tv)

Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere…

- Dana White: If Victorious Over BJ Penn, Nick Diaz Will Get a Title Shot (LowKick)
“I expect nothing from him (at the press conferences). I expect him to be sitting right here in this chair. He doesn’t have to answer one question if he doesn’t want to. I just want him to sit there and then get up and do the (staredown). Just show up man. He’s probably going to flip everybody off and do all this other stuff – its Nick Diaz. I don’t want him to not be Nick Diaz, I just need him to show up.”

- 10 MMA Rematches That Should Have Never Happened (BleacherReport/MMA)
“Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva and the recently concluded Gray Maynard vs. Frankie Edgar trilogy are both examples of what a warranted do-over should look like…Then, there are other bouts where a decisive ending merits no speedy return for the two fighters to be joined together again inside the cage.”

- ‘King’ Mo Lawal Talks ‘Rampage’ Jackson: We’re Going to Fight Eventually (MMA Fighting)
“This fool Rampage calls me out, and then people get mad when I respond? He’s a b—h in my eyes, because he didn’t respond. Maybe he’ll respond later, but the word is he wants to fight [Mauricio] ‘Shogun’ [Rua]. That’s whatever.”

(Look at Brock hiding out up there so he doesn’t get hit. Art really does imitate life.)

Sometimes the best highlights and promos are the ones made by fans of the sport. Promotions tend to tell you what they think you should be excited about whereas fans just seem to know what is exciting.

Case in point, the UFC 141: Overeem vs. Lesnar trailer below from our friends who produce “The Reem” documentary series. If you saw the latest episode of the show, you’ve already seen this spot, but it’s worth re-watching even if you have.

It’s a toss-up whether this fight or the upcoming championship bout between Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez on Fox is the more heavily anticipated heavyweight tilt, but no matter which one you’re most looking forward to, this video should get you pumped for Overeem vs. Lesnar, or horsemeat vs. beef jerky as we like to call it.

Check it out after the jump.

(Video courtesy of YouTube/OfficialGSP)

A technique that isn’t used as much in mixed martial arts as it is in collegiate wrestling is the low single leg takedown. The reason why we don’t see it very often is the move is risky as there are punches allowed in MMA and with your hands clasped behind your opponent’s heel, there’s a pretty good chance you’re going to take a few shots before you get the takedown.

If you aren’t Brock Lesnar and eating a few punches isn’t a concern, read on.

A compelling light heavyweight matchup between former IFL champion Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko and rising star Alexander Gustaffson has just been booked for UFC 141. The match was originally intended to transpire at UFC 133 in Philadelphia, but Matyushenko was forced to pull out due to a last minute injury. Matt Hamill stepped in for “The Janitor” and was subsequently beat into retirement by Gustaffson, so it’s fair to say that Matyushenko has one of his toughest tests to date ahead of him. Well, other than that one guy, which I’m pretty sure was a fluke.

(Full video of yesterday’s UFC on FOX: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos press conference, via YouTube.com/UFC)

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…

- UFC 141: Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem Winner on Dec. 30 Earns Heavyweight Title Shot (MMA Mania)

- We Know You Want to Watch This Video of The Korean Zombie and Arianny Celeste on a Korean Game Show (MiddleEasy)

- Dana White: Dan Henderson Signed Exclusive UFC Contract, Unsure About Strikeforce Belt (5thRound)

- 4 Reasons Jon Jones Will Destroy Rampage Jackson at UFC 135 (BleacherReport.com/MMA)

- Gegard Mousasi vs. Ovince St. Preux Set for Dec. 17 Strikeforce Card (MMA Fighting)

- Exclusive UFC on FOX Press Conference Photo Gallery (LowKick)

- A Summary of Bas Rutten’s Excellent Interview With Rampage Jackson (FightOpinion)

- Will UFC 135 Be the Last Fight for Matt Hughes? (NBC Sports MMA)

- Diaz Reportedly Losing Seven Figures Due to UFC 137 Re-Booking (MMA Payout)

- Worst MMA Foul Ever – Takeo Shiina Shows Floyd Mayweather How It’s Done (TheFightNerd)

- Kenny Florian: “I Think I Do Everything Well” (Five Ounces of Pain)

- Greatest TUF Contributions of All Time (MMA Convert)

Jason Mayhem Miller Appears on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon – Watch MoreFunny Videos

Jason Miller made a stop on “The Late Show With Jimmy Fallon” last night ahead of Wednesday’s The Ultimate Fighter 14 premiere and among other things “Mayhem” shared his thoughts on how he would fare against Jason Statham and Jason Bourne.

(“You’re shitting me, I get to leapfrog the line to a fight with Fitch?”)

Jon Fitch wanted a title shot. Instead, the 23-3-1 (1 NC) UFC welterweight fighter will get another “lose-lose situation” bout against Johny Hendricks (11-1). The news of the bout, which is said to be verbally agreed to by both sides for UFC 141 on Friday December 30 in Las Vegas, was first reported by ESPN.

Should Fitch lose the bout, there’s a pretty good chance his long-awaited second title shot would likely be put on hold much longer than the two years he’s already waited thus far. If he beats Hendricks, who is 2-1 in his last three outings, he likely won’t move up in the rankings, but at least he’ll be keeping busy, I guess.

According to a new LA Times report, a heavyweight superfight between former UFC champion Brock Lesnar and former Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem has been booked to headline the UFC’s end-of-year show, December 30th in Las Vegas. The winner of the five-round feature will likely be the next in line to challenge for the UFC heavyweight title against the winner of Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos.

Overeem reportedly finalized his contract with the UFC earlier today. As he told the Times: ”Brock is a big name, a dangerous guy, and this is a dream matchup. Brock’s a big guy, an exciting wrestler with his takedowns. I want to see this fight myself. Overall, I’m a different fighter. A striker, athletic, big. These are going to be two big trucks going at it on a collision course.”

The UFC announced today that it will be holding an impromptu media conference call tomorrow at 1:00 pm ET, during which Dana White is expected to make a “major announcement.” It didn’t take long for the UFC president to reveal via his favorite communication channel, Twitter, that the announcement will be the two main event combatants in the promotion’s inaugural show on Fox which will also feature a featherweight scrap between Dustin Poirier and Pablo Garza.

Some are hypothesizing that former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, who was dropped by the promotion last month for what Zuffa termed as “an issue with his management team” Golden Glory, will make up half of the bout and that his opponent will either be Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin or Frank Mir.

(Rear-naked-choke to the ankle: If done right, no can defend.)

Kurt Angle appeared on a recent episode of MMAWeekly Radio and dropped a bombshell that he was very close to coming to terms with the UFC recently.

A former Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, Angle says that appearing in the soon-to-be-relesed MMA movie, “Warrior” re-stoked his fire to compete in MMA. Following his last appearance in the Olympics, Angle chose pro wrestling over MMA and has hinted ever since that he would try his hand at the sport one day.

“I actually contacted Dana White again after the movie. I flew out to meet him once and got a great offer. I contacted him again, I was thinking about dropping out of [TNA] Impact Wrestling, and there were some personal problems with my marriage and I just wanted to get away,” he explained. “I contacted Dana White, I flew out, and he had me take the UFC physical. I passed it, thank God, and he gave me the offer.”

(The “MMA Hairstyles” shirt in athetic gray. Click here for a full-size version of the t-shirt design on its own.)

In collaboration with artist/illustrator Derek Eads, we’re proud to announce the latest semi-official t-shirt design from CagePotato.com. The “MMA Hairstyles” shirt features the iconic silhouettes of 20 MMA stars — or more accurately, 17 actual stars plus three fighters who have made infamous follicular statements. How quickly can you identify them all?

You can purchase this masterpiece for the fair price of $22 at Society6.com in your choice of eight different colors, five different sizes, and two different genders. (Prove your loyalty to the Potato Nation and buy all 80 variations!)

For more of Derek Eads’s pop-cultural work, visit his official site, and check out some of his other art prints including Cage’s Hair Filmography, Murrays, and Samuel L. Jackson “Hollywood’s Target Practice.”