ESPN’s MMA Live talks UFC 91 (which they’ll be broadcasting from live, with three shows next week) among other recent topics in the world of mixed martial arts. As much as I enjoy this show, Stephan Bonnar looks so uncomfortable. At times he seems like a robot that has learned about human emotions and expression solely by watching daytime TV. If bringing him in was a ploy to make us miss Kenny Florian while he’s locked away in a gym somewhere, mission accomplished.

After the jump, something that is not MMA but is still both fighting-related and awesome.

In the latest episode of MMA Live the two sides of the ‘Is Anderson Silva just a big jerk?’ argument adopted here by Stephan Bonner (a fighter) and Franklin McNeil (a writer) tells us something we should have guessed from the start. That is, what you thought about that fight probably depends a great deal on how you see fighting in general.

Bonnar argues that Silva was fighting smart. It’s not his obligation to finish Patrick Cote in one round, even if he can. It’s his obligation to win and not do anything stupid that might jeopardize that.

McNeil takes the fan perspective, arguing that Silva owed a flashy finish to the people who had paid money to see him punch a hole in Cote’s face. He also compares Silva’s “playing around” to Roy Jones Jr.’s, while failing to mention how totally sweet Jones was in his prime.

The thing both men touch on is that because of who Silva is, as well as what the consensus opinion on who Cote is, Silva was in a tough spot. An immediate first-round KO might have seemed satisfactory. Maybe. And if Cote hadn’t blown his knee out, if he had stuck around until Silva put him away, we might not even be talking about this. It’s more a confluence of events that has us talking about Silva as if he’s suddenly public enemy number one, and because of all this talk, I honestly feel sorry for his next opponent.

Brock Lesnar’s segment on E:60 aired yesterday, and we learned a few things about the WWE-superstar turned UFC heavyweight contender. Namely:

— His childhood on a struggling dairy farm in Bumblefuck, South Dakota, inspired him to achieve something greater with his life.

— He’s always liked beating the crap out of people. “Handling another human being and making him feel less than you is, I don’t know, something that I got a thrill out of,” Lesnar says.

— He never watched “a lick” of pro wrestling before he joined the WWE.

— Being a WWE champion takes its toll, both physically and emotionally. He wrestled for six months with a blown-out knee and three broken ribs, and lost two years of memories to vodka and pain pills, which he was basically addicted to.

— Bret “The Hitman” Hart looks scary-old.

— Steroids are a touchy subject for Lesnar, even though he’s never taken them. When the interviewer starts asking him about his unnaturally large physique, Brock sees where the line of questioning is headed and storms off. “I have never failed a fucking drug test,” he says later.

— Lesnar doesn’t put much faith in Randy Couture’s claim that he’s stronger now than he was 10 years ago. “My ass, he is. I’m 31 and I’m not as strong as I was 10 years ago. That’s a straight-up lie.”

After the jump: E:60‘s full reporter/producer discussion on the Brock Lesnar story.

Here’s a little taste of Brock Lesnar’s appearance on ESPN’s E:60 tonight at 7 pm EST (which is like, now). The interview seems to be taking place in a barn for some reason. I’m sure it will all make sense when we see the whole thing. In other news…

- Luke Cummo was arrested and charged with “driving while impaired with drugs” in Lynbrook, New York last week. He wasn’t drunk, but was reportedly tested for a drug that officials would not name. Fightlinker says Cummo claimed, at least briefly, that he got a contact high from being in a room full of people smoking pot, and this was exacerbated by eating a bunch of chicken wings. Seriously. He’s pleaded not guilty, and we really hope he decides to represent himself in this case because that would be awesome.

- Matt Hughes says on his website that he talked to UFC matchmaker Joe Silva this week and he may finally get his shot at Matt Serra in April. He also went bowhunting and bagged a deer.

- The UFC sent out a press release today officially announcing three fights for the stacked UFC 92 event on Dec. 27. As expected, Rashad Evans/Forrest Griffin, Wanderlei Silva/”Rampage” Jackson, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira/Frank Mir are on tap. Said Evans:

“Forrest fights from the heart just like me, and everyone underestimates Forrest until they get in there with him, like me. I think he and I are going to be like Ali vs. Frazier – this will be the first time we meet, but it won’t be the last, so I want to set the precedent.”

(Ken Shamrock: master of the silly face staredown.)

Frank Shamrock won’t stop talking about how much he wants to fight his older brother. In fact, the older and slower Ken Shamrock becomes, the more Frank seems to want a bout with him. Weird. Now the adopted brothers are telling ESPN.com that the bout is basically a done deal, while the ever-questionable Head of Operations for EliteXC, Jeremy Lappen, sounds more cautious.

The reasons EliteXC will probably end up making this fight are obvious. At least, they’re obvious once you consider the way EliteXC thinks. The fight has a “cool hook,” according to Frank, and that’s more than enough for the people who brought us Kimbo Slice-Tank Abbott. The reasons they might not make it happen? How about a mix of financial concerns and worries over whether Ken will be engaging in any headbutting contests the day of the fight and end up pulling out at the last minute again.

Beyond those obvious risks, here are several other reasons why we can do without Shamrock vs. Shamrock.

1. It’s eight years too late. The time to make this fight was when both guys were at or at least near the top of their game. Frank’s last great moment was his victory over Tito Ortiz in 1999. Since then he’s been reluctant to fight genuinely dangerous opponents, and has usually come out on the losing end when he does. Ken had a good showing in a decision loss against Don Frye in 2002, then started to go downhill shortly after. At this point, what does it matter who wins? Obviously, it will be Frank, but still, so what? It’s meaningless beyond the tepid personal grudge, which brings me to…

It’s been a Kimbo-tastic week at ESPN, so naturally MMA Live had to get into the act with their own one-on-one interview of Kimbo Slice before Saturday’s big fight. For the most part it’s the usual material, but about two and a half minutes in Brett Rogers becomes a topic of conversation, and that’s where things get interesting.

First, Kimbo says he isn’t going to fight someone just for running his mouth and says he doesn’t “even want to call out his name because he doesn’t deserve respect.” Right, because all Rogers has done is rack up an 8-0 record, finishing all eight fights. We have yet to see him against Afro Puff, for Pete’s sake!

Kimbo then criticizes Rogers for “just fighting to get paid,” and goes on to say that for him it’s personal. He’s fighting for a cause, and that cause is his family. As for what he has to gain from fighting Rogers, Kimbo replies: “Nothing.”

Let me see if I understand this. Kimbo isn’t just fighting for money; he’s fighting for his family. Which means what, exactly? I always thought that when guys say they’re fighting for their families (a noble reason, I might add), what they mean is that they’re fighting to make money so they can provide for their family. Correct me if I’m wrong, but Kimbo has been paid very well for his each of his three pro fights, has he not? And yet Rogers catches heat for calling Kimbo out and trying to get paid? I don’t get it. Just like I don’t get how, if it’s personal for Kimbo, he wouldn’t fight a guy for running his mouth. Isn’t that exactly why you’d fight him if it was all personal?

Look, everyone fights for money. They do it because they love it, sure, but this is their career. It makes perfect sense for Rogers to try and build his name and up his salary by beating Kimbo. And Kimbo does have plenty to gain by fighting Rogers, such as credibility. If he beats Rogers, it will prove that he can do more than pound on tomato cans and over-the-hill fighters who are on long losing streaks, which is more than he’s done so far. Please Kimbo, fight Brett Rogers. You can both get paid. And if you win, we’ll all stop complaining that you haven’t fought anybody.

Kimbo Slice appeared on ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” recently to discuss his October 4 bout with Ken Shamrock on CBS. What followed was Tony Kornheiser dragging himself through an interview he clearly didn’t want to do, and Kimbo alternating between statements that are clearly false and those that are merely very questionable.

On complaints from hardcore fans who criticize him for being “unproven”:

“[Expletive] it. That means they need to step up to the plate, we fight, so I can be proven, like I am street certified.”

On whether his credibility was damaged when he struggled to defeat James Thompson:

“To a lot of people James Thompson was elite. He fought in Pancrase over in Japan. …James is a well-rounded fighter, man. He has a good chin. [ed. note: really?]“

On whether he deserves his celebrity status:

“I never consider myself a celebrity. Celebrities don’t go to K-Mart. Celebrities don’t eat at McDonald’s. Celebrities don’t go to Wal-Mart. I don’t consider myself a celebrity. I’m just a little squirrel in this big world and I’m still trying to get my nut.”

‘Nuff said.

(‘How’s taste my co-promotion clusterfuck?’)

The more we hear about the Affliction/Golden Boy partnership, the stranger it begins to sound. First there was the official press release, which seemed to put more emphasis on “signature shirts” and apparel than on fights. It’s almost as if Affliction is looking for a way to retreat with dignity from the money-sucking void of fight promotion and get back to what they do best: selling overpriced, hyper-stylized clothing.

But aside from their own line of skull-themed t-shirts, what does Golden Boy get out of it? According to CEO Richard Schaefer, they hope to siphon off some of MMA’s young fan base and bring them back into the boxing fold:

“We believe Affliction and the relationships they have with that demographic, the identification they have within that demographic group I think will help bring boxing to these people,” said the Golden Boy CEO. “We think as well, many of the mixed martial arts fans are fans of combat sports, and what they’ve seen of boxing is a very exciting sport as well that maybe they will discover their love for the sport of boxing.”

Naturally, Affliction VP Tom Atencio hopes for the same thing in the other direction, which should tell Golden Boy something (as should those Vegas ticket sales) about just how much of an MMA fan base they may have to draw from. But in theory, at least, it sounds like an idea that can work. That is, if you get the right fights in front of the right audiences. Already things are off to a slow start.

ESPN.com reports that Golden Boy tried to sell HBO on the idea of adding the original “Day of Reckoning” main event — Andrei Arlovski vs. Josh Barnett — to the Oct. 18 pay-per-view boxing bout between Kelly Pavlik and Bernard Hopkins. HBO “respectfully declined.”

(Dan Henderson and Rousimar Palhares)

(Martin Kampmann and Nate Marquardt)

Courtesy of ESPN video. After the jump: The latest episode of MMA Live, where Dana White discusses Randy Couture’s return to the UFC (and calls Fedor “irrelevant” again), Randy and Brock have an in-studio face-off, and Frank Mir teaches us the armbar that broke Tim Sylvia’s arm.

Oftentimes it’s easy, not to mention fun, to bash mainstream media coverage of MMA. They mispronounce oma plata or some such nonsense and the hardcore fans are all over them. But you have to hand it to ESPN, they did their homework on this Randy Couture-UFC situation. They don’t just give in to the media blitz for UFC 91, they hit Randy with his own words regarding his original gripe with the organization and go right after the real story: did anything get resolved between Couture and the UFC, or did he just cave?

Couture does the same delicate dance around this question that he did in yesterday’s media call, which is to say he makes vague assurances that his concerns have been addressed, while also insinuating that he just wants to fight again before he’s too old and poor from protracted legal battles.

Fair enough.

We’ve touched on Lee Murray’s Tito-stomping, depot-robbing exploits in the past, but ESPN dug a little deeper on Tuesday’s episode of E:60, presenting the full story of Murray’s journey from MMA fighter to legendary thief. Part one is above, part two is below; fist bump to MMA Mania.

Related: SI’s story on Murray going to film

(A face made for TV.)

When Kenny Florian told us in our exclusive interview that he hoped to get ESPN’s internet show “MMA Live” onto actual TV soon, we naturally assumed it was just one of those things you say without really meaning it. Kind of like, ‘We should get together for lunch some time’ or ‘I love you.’ But from the sound of it they might really be close to landing a TV slot for the show on one of the ESPN’s:

“I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag, but soon,” Florian said. “The next couple of months, we’re hoping to get [MMA Live] on ESPN or ESPN 2, and the sponsors are getting on board as we speak, so we should have a deal very, very soon. We’re all very pumped.”

In all seriousness, we really hope this works out. Not only is it a great step towards more coverage for MMA, but Florian is one of the sport’s greatest ambassadors. You put his suburban Boston mug on TV with the words ‘MMA Fighter’ below them and suddenly it gets a lot harder to call the sport human cockfighting fit only for tattooed bar bouncers. Plus, doesn’t the world deserve to hear about his hellbows?

(Whose house? KenFlo’s house.)

As MMA fighters go, Kenny Florian is as intelligent and articulate a guy as you can hope to find. He’s also a workaholic and an ever-evolving bad-ass in the cage, and his next test against the formidable Roger Huerta should answer any lingering questions as to who deserves to be the UFC’s top lightweight contender. Whether B.J. Penn will stick around to defend his 155-pound title, well, that’s another issue altogether.

In this exclusive interview with KenFlo we discuss training strategies, Roger Huerta’s apparent dissatisfaction with the UFC, being an ESPN MMA analyst, and more.

CagePotato.com: Hey Kenny, thanks for talking with me. How has your training for this fight been going?

Everything’s been going really well. My training camp was awesome. I really didn’t take too much time off. After the Lauzon fight I think I was back in the gym the following week and I wasn’t completely pleased, technically speaking, with my performance, so I wanted to get right back in the gym and improve on those things. With all the commitments I had before this fight, the traveling and all that, I’m glad I got a jump on it early.

What were you displeased with about your performance against Lauzon?

Joe Lauzon just shouldn’t have taken me down like he did. That was the main thing, was the wrestling angle of it. I just wanted to get back and get my hands on a quality wrestling coach so I could really improve in that area. It’s one thing to be able to do it in training, but it needs to be second nature in order for you to use it when you need it in a fight. So I found a great wrestling coach who’s just been a phenomenal addition to my team.

I’ve just been working on a lot of the fundamentals of wrestling, both defensively and offensively, and working on making sure I’m doing things right technically. With wrestling in particular you get a lot of people who will tell you ‘Oh, you should do it this way or that way,’ but having a world class guy to show you this is the way it should be done and here’s why, it gets it into your muscle memory and makes you a stronger fighter.

What do you think Roger Huerta’s greatest strength is as a fighter?

I used to be a huge fan of ESPN’s “Outside the Lines”. Then they started doing it too often and exhausting a lot of the good subject matter. There’s just not as much as you think happening outside those lines. This look at children’s MMA, though, is interesting to say the least. There are some good points raised, but there’s also a lot of selective thinking going on here, like the pediatrician at the 8:30 mark who claims that children don’t naturally fight one another. Either he was never actually a child himself or he didn’t grow up on planet Earth.

Below, Frank Shamrock (MMA’s greatest ambassador, no doubt) debates a basketball coach who’s written a book, and the result is both frustrating and entertaining.

(Props: MMA Scraps)

From the latest episode of ESPN.com’s MMA Live, Kenny Florian demonstrates a technique for clinch-domination that you should definitely add to your bar-fight repertoire. Speaking of which, James Irvin doesn’t believe that Anderson Silva is “real technical in terms of the clinch.” Yeah, he really said that — video proof is below.

A funny thing happened while Ariel Helwani and I were interviewing Chris Lytle about his upcoming bout with Josh Koscheck at UFC 86. Lytle was at the firehouse, where he works as — surprise — a fireman, and in the middle of the interview he calmly explained that he had to go because there was a fire that needed fighting. As interviews go, that was a first. He came back later and explained what had happened, and also explained what it’s like to be fighting fires just a few days before fighting for the UFC. If that kind of thing interests you, head over to MMA Rated to listen to the radio show. The Lytle interview starts at around the thirty-five minute mark. Yeah, it’s basically a half-hour of us arguing over stuff up until then. That’s what happens when you don’t have a real job.

If that kind of thing doesn’t interest you, then maybe this will. Bas Rutten appeared on ESPN’s “MMA Live” to demonstrate the aptly-named “Exorcist” neck crank. It looks…unpleasant.

(Is GSP having the best year ever?)

Georges St. Pierre is going up against boxers Kelly Pavlik, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Joe Calzaghe, and Holly Holm in the “Best Fighter” category of ESPN’s 2008 ESPY Awards. The ceremony — hosted by Justin Timberlake, of all people — will be broadcast on ESPN July 20th at 9 p.m. ET. Last year, Money Mayweather took home the statue, beating out Randy Couture and Quinton Jackson (as well as boxers Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao). This kind of snub must not happen again — head to the ESPY site, register and place your vote for the UFC’s welterweight champ. Obviously, Anderson Silva should be a nominee as well, but he already has that highly-prestigious SpikeTV Guys’ Choice Award, and ESPN probably figured it would simply be too much recognition for one man.

In the latest installment of the half-hour MMA web show, Dana White stops by to chat about Anderson Silva, the UFC’s July SpikeTV event going up against Affliction’s PPV, and Lorenzo Fertitta’s new role in the company. On the UFC’s global expansion, White says: “In eight years, this will be the biggest sport in the world. Bigger than the NFL, bigger than soccer (!!!), it’s gonna be the biggest.” Later in the show, Kenny Florian talks about avenging his losses as well as punishments for missing weight, and Josh Barnett calls in to analyze the ongoing DREAM tournaments and his Affliction debut against Pedro Rizzo. In the “MMA for Dummies” segment, Ken-Flo demonstrates the Muay Thai clinch.

(Yeah, you should probably get that looked at.)

The Nevada State Athletic Commission announced that six fighters have received medical suspensions related to their losses at UFC 84. They are…

Sean Sherk: Suspended until July 7th, with no contact until June 24th (laceration on right cheek)

Keith Jardine: Suspended until November 21st, with no contact until July 9th, but could be cleared by a doctor to compete as early as July 24th (nasal fracture)

Tito Ortiz: Suspended for six months or until clearance by a doctor (injured left hand and wrist)

Wilson Gouveia: Suspended for six months or until clearance by a doctor (broken nose and ribs)

Kazuhiro Nakamura: Suspended for six months or until clearance by a doctor (broken nose)

Jason Tan: Suspended for six months or until clearance by a doctor (broken nose)

Update from MMAMania:

Goran Reljic — The Croatian is suspended until June 24 and there is no contact allowed until June 15.
Antonio Mendes — The Brazilian is suspended until June 24.
Terry Etim — The British lightweight is suspended until June 24 and there is no contact allowed until June 15 because of a right cheek laceration.
Christian Wellisch — “The Hungarian Nightmare” is suspended until June 8 and there’s no contact allowed until June 1.

After the jump: The third episode of ESPN’s “MMA Live,” where Jon, Kenny, and Franklin run down Kimbo Slice’s controversial main event status, UFC 84′s results, Sunday’s WEC show, and the matchup between Fedor Emelianenko and Tim Sylvia; plus, Bas Rutten demonstrates another nasty neck-crank.

Here’s the second episode of ESPN’s new online series, MMA Live, co-hosted again by Kenny Florian. In this installment, the panel breaks down UFC 84′s main event, Tito Ortiz’s career, Mike Tyson’s rumored jump to MMA, and Rich Franklin’s rumored jump to 205. In the “MMA for Dummies” segment, Bas Rutten runs us through “The Exorcist,” a neck crank sub perfect for when your opponent just ain’t givin’ up that rear-naked choke. If you missed the first episode, it’s after the jump.

Here’s Gina Carano’s segment from yesterday’s ESPN E:60, in which we learn that “Crush” got into kickboxing after one of Kit Cope‘s trainers called her fat, she’ll be appearing in EA’s new Command and Conquer video game, she’ll never do Playboy, and Tara LaRosa still can’t stand her.

Related: MMAPayout reports that ESPN is launching an online MMA news show this Thursday, which will be hosted by Kenny Florian for the first two weeks. Said MMAPayout: “The program’s launch was apparently delayed by the UFC’s insistence that it be exclusive to the UFC.”

Here’s the short follow-up to E:60‘s profile on Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson that aired last December. To answer the first question you’ll have after seeing this: Blood and Bone is about a drifter who gets caught up in a mob-controlled street-fighting ring. It’s Kimbo’s first acting role, and the flick also features appearances by Bob Sapp, Gina Carano, “Justice” and “Toa” from American Gladiators, and coincidentally, another guy named Kevin Ferguson. It will be released, probably straight-to-DVD, sometime later this year. And hey, why not check out the trailer after the jump.

(“MMA Evolution: Using the Knee.” Randlemonster @ 1:18-1:32 FTW. Props to BloodyElbow.)

(Kimbo Slice will become the second MMA fighter after Chuck Liddell to appear on the cover of ESPN: The Magazine. Check out the footage from the shoot.)

(Fedor and the M-1 crew, in happier times.)

Could Fedor Emelianenko become a free agent after suffering through five months of M-1 Global’s disorganization and managerial impotence? According to a new bombshell dropped by ESPN: The Magazine, hellz to the yeah.

Apy Echteld, one of Emelianenko’s agents, confirmed what a source close to the situation previously told The Magazine: M-1 Global and Emelianenko will part ways some time in the next week, making the Russian a free agent. Divorce negotiations are ongoing right now, with a formal announcement likely for in the next few days. “Officially, yes, Fedor will be a free agent,” Echteld says.

Holy crap, does this mean that Dana White would be willing to resurrect negotiations with the “crazy Russians” and work on making the Fedor/Randy fight happen in the UFC?

“Absolutely, 100 percent, in a heartbeat,” says White. “People think he’s the best — I don’t, not even close. But if it’s somehow possible, I would make it happen…As much as we’ve gone back and forth on this, I would sign Fedor and do everything possible to get Randy in the Octagon with him…because A., it’s a great fight and B., I think Randy would smash Fedor.”

Echteld responded in a poetic fashion that’s common to Russians: “If everybody is willing to put a little wine in the water, then we have something to work with.” Through his spokesman, Couture declined to comment.

Well this is fucking awesome! The long international nightmare that was the M-1 Global farce looks like it’s about to end, and Fedor can move on with his life. Except not so fast. Maybe it’s just good old-fashioned denial, but M-1 Global prez/CEO Monte Cox is still insisting that Fedor ain’t goin’ nowheres. “As of right now, M-1 Global and Fedor are still working together,” he told MMAWeekly.com:

Cox declined to comment about the ESPN article, but said M-1’s plans were still underway for its first event on American soil, a June 14 card at the Sears Center in the Chicago area, still expected to feature Emelianenko. The show has been rescheduled from a May 3 date at the Allstate Arena, also in the Chicago area.

Monte Cox probably just didn’t get the memo yet, which is understandable because M-1 memos first have to be translated from Russian into English, and that takes time. Anyway, cross your fingers that M-1 swirls down the shitter, because Fedor signing to fight Randy in the UFC would pretty much solve everyone’s problems.

UPDATE: From Sherdog: According to one source that asked not to be identified, M-1 will likely expect Emelianenko to return a $1.5 million signing bonus he was paid last September. Negotiations should be finalized by Tuesday of next week, the same source said.

Earlier: Aleksander Emelianenko to Headline Next Month’s M-1 Challenge?
Way earlier: “Like all children, I was afraid of darkness.”

All week Jim Rome of ESPN’s “Rome is Burning” fame – infamy is more like it – has been promoting WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber as a correspondent for his show later this week. Jim Rome may be one of those dudes that makes you wish you can’t see or hear, but he has been pushing MMA in the past few months. Dana White – and other UFC-ers – have already appeared on his show, and now Rome is employing an MMA fighter as a correspondent who isn’t in the UFC.

Although it makes me throw up a little bit in my mouth, I applaud Jim Rome and his homeboy facial hair. We know the score when it comes to the “Big Boy Media” and their treatment of MMA, so it’s cool to see this. More than I can say for the Los Angeles Times – even though we thought they were coming over to our side. The Times gave a full one sentence and 1″x 1″ picture of UFC 80 as their coverage of the event. For the record, downhill skiing received about 15% of a full page in the sports section, giving a complete rundown of recent skiing events. I just threw up in my mouth again. Efforts to reach the Los Angeles Times for comment on why UFC 80 got no respect have currently failed.

So check out “Rome is Burning” for the rest of the week to see to what extent The California Kid will be used. The show runs nationally on ESPN, Monday thru Friday at 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT. To whet your appetite for Jim Rome’s abrasive brand of chat, check out the classic vid below when he interviewed Los Angeles Rams QB Jim Everett back when L.A. actually had a football team.

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

UFC 78 is only two days away (!), and ESPN.com is doing its part to pump it up. Check out these videos on some of the night’s key fighters and get psyched.

(“I think I do just about everything better than Bisping.”)

Last night, ESPN’s sports magazine show E60 did a segment on Pat Miletich and his legendary gym in Bettendorf, Iowa. (Watch it here.) Miletich fighters Brad Imes, Tim Sylvia, Rory Markham and Ben Rothwell all get some screen time, but the most interesting part of the piece was the disclosure of the gym’s membership fees — $75 per month, plus 10% of a fighter’s future winnings if they continue to train with Miletich.

This is amazing to me. Miletich is able to offer arguably the best MMA training in the world for only $2.50/day because he’s so confident his students will not only become successful fighters, but also won’t desert him when the large paychecks start rolling in. Tim Sylvia just had to give Pat $20,000 from his drubbing of Brandon Vera at UFC 77, all for the privilege of being able to push around truck tires and drag weight sleds next to fresh-off-the-bus upstarts in the middle of nowhere. That’s loyalty.

For more of Miletich and his gym, check out this 60 Minutes segment from December of last year: