Photo via Getty Images

“I don’t think that was supposed to happen.”

That was the text I received this morning from a friend who is very much a casual MMA fan regarding last night’s UFC 156. Even though I assumed that my friend was talking about the end result of Bigfoot vs. Overeem, that statement could just as easily apply to almost any other fight on the card. We’re all familiar with the cliché that any fighter can beat anyone else on any night at this level, but we rarely see the underdogs win as frequently – and as convincingly – as they did last night. Simply put, it was an awful night for the guys who were supposed to win.

So let’s start off with the fight that went exactly as we all assumed it would: Jose Aldo defeated Frankie Edgar by a close, yet unanimous decision. Naturally, Edgar grew stronger as the fight went on. And naturally, the fight was close enough to justify an immediate rematch if one were to be booked (it probably won’t but who knows), because that’s just how Frankie Edgar fights work.

It’s impossible to be disappointed with Frankie Edgar’s effort in any given fight, and last night was no exception. Edgar provided Aldo with his stiffest challenge to date – after the champion returned from the longest layoff in his career, mind you – but Aldo was simply the better fighter.

(“The name’s Frankie. I fight dudes twice.” Photo via MMAFighting)

Tonight at UFC 156 in Las Vegas, Jose Aldo goes for his fourth-consecutive UFC featherweight title defense, while former lightweight champ Frankie Edgar attempts to become the third fighter in UFC history to pick up a belt in two different weight classes. And that’s just the cherry on top of a stacked Super Bowl Eve card, which is loaded with big names and high stakes from start to finish.

Also on the menu: Alistair Overeem returns from suspension to clinch his heavyweight title shot with a win over Antonio Silva, while a victory for Rashad Evans over Lil’ Nog could set him up for a middleweight title fight against Anderson Silva for some reason. Plus, Jon Fitch and Demian Maia look to continue their recent surges in the welterweight division, while Joseph Benavidez and Ian McCall square off at flyweight because honestly, who else are those guys going to fight?

Round-by-round results from the Aldo vs. Edgar pay-per-view card will be stacking up after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, courtesy of George “Bigfoot” Shunick. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and please toss your own thoughts into the comments section.

Once considered the #1 flyweight in the world, Ian McCall‘s stint in the Octagon has resulted in a goofy draw against Demetrious Johnson, followed by a non-goofy unanimous decision loss to Demetrious Johnson. If McCall wants to avoid the “UFC bust” label, he’ll need a fantastic showing this Saturday when he faces Joseph Benavidez on the UFC 156 main card. But judging from this new video profile from MMASucka, you have to wonder if his head’s in the right place. As Uncle Creepy puts it:

“Been going through a lot on a personal note. It’ll all unfold sooner or later, but at least I have the gym, that’s my happy place at the moment. So as much drama as I’ve been dealing with at the moment, I have this place to make me happy, and at least I’m focused here…It’s all home stuff. I don’t live at home anymore, I’m separated, probably getting a divorce. Just stuff like that…I just want to get this [fight] over with, and be free and just be happy, finally — that’s how I look at it, get in there and I can be happy — and get it over with so I can fix my life.”

A man’s upper lip is one of the clearest signifiers of his emotional state, and as I see it, McCall’s lopsided moustache in the video is itself a symbol of the opposing forces that are pulling him off the straight path towards success; it’s a sign that he’s neglecting what’s important, not just in his grooming habits, but in his life. Or maybe, his moustache is a psychological anchor, tethering him to the old ways that have blocked him in the past. Indeed, you guys. Indeed.

Previously:
- Tito Ortiz and Jenna Jameson Have Been Going Through Some Rough Times, You Guys
- Mark Coleman Has Been Going Through Some Times, Brother
- CagePotato Ban: The Phrase ‘You Guys’ in Headlines, You Guys

(Even in the off-season, the dude stays in killer shape. Props: @ryanbader)

We’ve got four new UFC fight announcements for you this morning. If you begin to feel overwhelmed, just remember your safe word, and pray that I have mercy on you, you worthless little dung beetle.

- As first reported by ESPN, light-heavyweights Ryan Bader and Vladimir Matyushenko will meet at UFC on FOX 6: Johnson vs. Dodson, January 26th in Chicago. Both guys are returning from being smashed in their last fights: Bader suffered a knockout loss to Lyoto Machida in August, while the Janitor has been sidelined due to injury since being TKO’d by Alexander Gustafsson last December.

- MMAWeekly reports that streaking heavyweights Stefan Struve and Mark Hunt will meet at the UFC’s next Japan event — UFC on Fuel 8, March 2nd at the Saitama Super Arena. The beanpole Dutchman and stocky Kiwi were originally scheduled to meet at UFC 146 back in May, but Hunt was forced to pull out of the fight on short notice with a knee injury.

A proven fight-finisher, Struve has stopped his last four opponents in the Octagon (Pat Barry, Dave Herman, Lavar Johnson, and Stipe Miocic), while Hunt has earned victories over his last three (Chris Tuchscherer, Ben Rothwell, and Cheick Kongo). Though Hunt will enjoy a sort of home-field advantage — he’s had nine previous MMA fights at the Saitama Super Arena, while Struve will be making his Japanese debut — he will also be giving up 13 inches (!) in height.

(Photo by Tom Szczerbowski | US Press Wire)

By Elias Cepeda

Only time will tell if Jon Jones was correct in saying that if he put in a great performance at UFC 152, fans would forgive him for turning down Chael Sonnen as a last-minute replacement to the never-was UFC 151. He certainly did put in a great performance in defending his UFC light heavyweight championship Saturday night against Vitor Belfort.

Other than a tight arm bar attempt that Belfort snapped on from his guard early in the first round that looked to very nearly win the fight for the 10-1 underdog, Jones dominated the fight up through a fourth round Americana submission that earned him the win. Jones didn’t spend much time messing around on the feet before going for and scoring a take down in the first round.

After he withstood his arm being hyper extended and freed himself from Belfort’s hold, Jones went about methodically tagging the Brazilian with short elbows from inside his full guard, opening up a cut over The Phenom‘s right eye that bled for the rest of the fight.

When they were on their feet, Jones kept his distance, landing with front leg side kicks to Belfort. Vitor’s best chance at winning this fight always seemed to be if he could manage to unload his fast hands in the type of flurry that smoked Wanderlei Silva over a decade ago, or knocked out Rich Franklin and Yoshihiro Akiyama more recently.

Belfort landed some good single shots, including a couple head kicks, but he was never able to pull the trigger on combinations that could have possibly backed Jones up or hurt him. Belfort mostly let Jones walk him backwards before getting taken down, as he did years ago in his second fight against Randy Couture, without making the champion pay for trying to get inside.

A beautiful front leg side kick to the ribs from Jones in the third pretty much put the nail in the fight’s coffin for Belfort.

(I’ll just sit here and be quiet, just in case they do… suspect me. They’re probably watching me. Well, let them. Let them see what kind of a person I am. I’m not even going to swat that fly. I hope they are watching… they’ll see. They’ll see and they’ll know, and they’ll say, “Why, he wouldn’t even harm a fly…”)

After suffering the greatest loss of his storied mixed martial arts career last month — that of his dignity — when he was found nude inside a Mission Viejo church he had destroyed and doused with a fire extinguisher, it appears that charges are finally being pressed against former UFC/Strikeforce fighter and MTV psuedo-reality show host Jason Miller. And they are relatively modest considering both the circumstances of his arrest and the fact that this wasn’t Miller’s first rodeo, if you know what we mean; Miller is being charged with just one count of misdemeanor vandalism for his actions, and is set to appear in court on November 21st.

“Mayhem,” who was released from jail following a brief psychological evaluation, promised to his fans and those concerned that “everything was fine” and that he was “with people that love me, and hope that you will join me. If I ever hurt anyone, I am sorry,” in his first public statement, but hasn’t been heard from since. Fun fact: Miller was arrested almost one year to the day after his aforementioned arrest for putting his sister in a headlock. Apparently that August heat really does drive some people crazy.

Elsewhere on the MMA blotter…

(Seems like a lot of prison tattoos for just 16 days. Impressive.)

UFC flyweight contender Ian McCall was released from jail Thursday, after a 16-day stay resulting from an August 14th arrest for driving on a suspended license and not completing the terms of a previous arrest in 2008. MMA Fighting’s Mike Chiappetta filed his report yesterday and McCall also tweeted in celebration after his release.

“Free at last free at last … time to get back to work,” the Creepy one tweeted Thursday. According to Chiappetta, McCall now faces a year of probation and a $300 fine.

It’s somewhat upsetting to think that McCall served actual jail time for non-violent offenses and citations, while other celebrities get off with none after bludgeoning women. That’s neither here nor there, we suppose, but in any case McCall can get back to his family and MMA career now that he’s been reformed.

In his last fight, McCall lost a decision to Demetrious Johnson June 8th and with it the right to fight for the inaugural UFC flyweight championship.

- Elias Cepeda

A community news and forum, Stu News Laguna reported Friday that UFC flyweight Ian McCall was arrested last Tuesday on some strange, if relatively benign, charges including “possession of narcotic paraphernalia, possession of prescription meds without a valid prescription, and driving on a suspended license,” after undercover DEA agents spotted him. According to a later report from MMA Weekly, however, McCall’s manager Jason House says that McCall’s arrest happened a bit differently and with different charges.

“According to House, McCall was driving home on Tuesday when an unmarked police car recognized his vehicle from past occurrences and pulled him over.  The police ran McCall’s plates and they found an outstanding warrant in his name,” MMA Weekly reported.

“The warrant stemmed from a ticket issued in June for McCall driving under a suspended license.  McCall apparently paid the fines, but did not make a scheduled court appearance due to a miscommunication and a warrant was issued.”

Props to the UG for the find and MMAInterviews for this video, which asks several of the fighters from UFC on FOX 4, along with several other MMA stars, what Olympic event they would most likely compete in if they weren’t mixed martial artists. The responses ranged from funny (Joe Lauzon’s desire to try and make people give a shit about speed walking) to optimistic (5′ 8” Jamie Varner’s chances as a high-jumper) to spot-on for their personality (Ryan Bader would “throw rocks” and lift weights, go figure).

And speaking of Olympics, are we the only ones who think water polo is receiving far too much coverage this year? We’re sorry, but whatever asshole took a look at soccer and thought “You know what we should do with this sport? Slow it way, way down, limit the players mobility, and blow a whistle every three seconds” should be shot in the face, then dragged to a nearby park to make it look like a suicide. And yes, we know that person is probably dead already. Just go with it.

Anyway, it is with this inspiring little interview that we ask you taters to fill the blanks in for the following sentence:

If ______ were an Olympian instead of an MMA fighter, he/she would ______.

-J. Jones

With the flyweight tournament set to wrap up at UFC 152, and Ian McCall so desperate for someone to fight at flyweight that he’s resorted to calling out Louis Gaudinot, this announcement could not have possibly come at a better time. Yesterday, the manager of Shooto South American Bantamweight champion (123 lbs in Shooto) Jussier da Silva announced that “Forminga” has just signed on with the UFC.

As of now, neither a date for his first UFC bout nor an opponent for his debut have been announced.

Currently the number three ranked flyweight in the world, Da Silva is a fierce grappler with seven submission victories to his record. “Forminga” started off his career winning six straight fights and capturing Shooto South America’s Bantamweight Championship before pulling off a huge upset over then-Shooto Bantamweight World Champion Shinichi “BJ” Kojima in 2009. The only loss on his record, which currently stands at 14-1, came at the hands of the aforementioned Ian McCall at Tachi Palace Fights 8: All or Nothing last February. His most recent outing was a first round rear-naked choke over Sidney Oliveira in June.

Highlights from Jussier da Silva’s career await after the jump.

(Highlights from the Silva-Brenneman bout, courtesy of Fox Sports)

Six hours of free televised fights seems like a gift from Zod, unless of course the first three hours suck. A few plodding decisions, amateur officiating, a never-ending commercial loop, and the requisite botched score cards marred the prelim bouts on Fuel. It was enough to stifle what little hope some had for the rest of the evening.

But for those who flipped the channel to FX still harboring the post-prelim blues, undercard openers Scott Jorgensen and Eddie Wineland took little time to erase any ill will and set the stage for an exciting night of action. After settling into the bout, Wineland began finding a home for his hands, sitting “Young Guns” down with a sharp jab. He’d plant Jorgesen on his back briefly with a trip before landing several more blows to close out the first frame. Having had his fill of leather in round one, Jorgensen turned it on in the second frame, hustling for takedowns and opening up a hatchet wound over Wineland’s eye with a glancing knee. But the extra effort and billowing blood only brought out the fire in Wineland, who stuffed several shots while looking for the knockout. He’d find it at the end of a big right hand uncorked in the last minute of the second round. Jorgensen was stunned as he hit the floor, unable to defend himself from the final blows Wineland rained down as the ref stepped in to wave him off. Wineland’s win reversed a two fight skid against two top opponents; now Jorgensen has his own pair of losses to shake off. The extra cash from the “Fight of the Night” bonus should make that task a little easier.

For some reason, “IT’S CHARLIE TIME!” just didn’t have the same ring to it. Care to guess who deserves credit for this image?

The main card of the UFC’s third card on FX is almost upon us, and we’re sure that you’re almost just as interested as we are. But don’t let the lack of big men and big names get you down- we still have some interesting fights on our hands. Eddie Wineland battles Scott Jorgensen for bantamweight relevance, Josh Neer looks to maintain his momentum in the welterweight division against Mike Pyle, Erick Silva looks to establish himself as The Next Next Big Thing against Charlie Brenneman and Ian McCall meets Demetrious Johnson in The Most Anticipated Rematch of the Night to determine who advances in the UFC’s Flyweight tournament.

Okay, so on paper it’s nothing to write home about. But it’s free fights on a Friday night, okay? Look, we know you don’t have plans or anything, so stop pretending to be Mr. Popular and join us after the jump for round-by-round results and commentary. Handling tonight’s action will be Seth Falvo, who promises that there will be no more obscure professional wrestling references this evening. Please stand by.

(Props: fueltv)

…and I’m not talking about that lame-ass Christian Bale movie. Ian McCall‘s greatest victory has come against a drug addiction that previously resulted in arrests, motorcycle accidents, and a near-death experience during a fateful tattooing session. Now, he has more to fight for than a UFC flyweight title shot. “I’ve now become a husband and a father,” he says. “That stuff has just added to the fire where now I can’t screw up.” And so, we have one more reason to be sort-of interested in tonight’s UFC on FX 3 card. Any of y’all plan on watching?

After the jump: Ariel Helwani interviews McCall and Demetrious Johnson following yesterday’s weigh-ins. To be honest, the most interesting part of the video is Ariel’s jacket. Lookin’ slick, my dude.

(You see this, right here? It’s like pedophilia gold, son.) 

The weigh-ins for tomorrow night’s UFC on FX 3 card kick off in just a few minutes, so join us after the jump for live results, won’t you? Featuring a rematch of the bodged flyweight tournament semifinal between Ian McCall and Demetrious Johnson, as well as a sure to be slugfest between Josh Neer and Mike Pyle, the UFC’s return to FX can only exceed our expectations, and might just become one of the sleeper cards of the year.

Bullshit hype aside, come check out the weigh-ins and see what happens.

(Props: ThePeoplesCecil via MMAFanMade. Click for full-size version.)

The UFC makes a stop in Sunrise, Florida, tomorrow night for their latest UFC on FX event, featuring a flyweight rerun, a handful of veterans on the main card, and a murderer’s row of nobodies on the prelims. But is it skippable? Maybe not. After studying the card, we’ve found a few somewhat credible reasons to watch this thing. Read on, and if you’re around tomorrow night, be sure to come back to CagePotato.com for our liveblog of the “Johnson vs. McCall” main card, which kicks off at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

#1: It’s make-or-break time for Leonard Garcia.
The last time that “Bad Boy” beat anybody decisively was his first-round TKO of Jens Pulver at WEC 36, back in November 2008. That was ten fights ago. Since then, Garcia has gone 3-5-1, with all three of those wins coming by split-decision. Two of those wins are widely considered to be bullshit robberies, and were later avenged in rematches with the “losing” fighters, Chan Sung Jung and Nam Phan. Basically, Garcia’s record since 2009 should really be 1-7-1, and even that lone legit victory (against Jameel Massouh at WEC 42) could have easily gone the other way.

Now, Garcia finds himself on the preliminary card of an FX show, against Matt Grice, whose overall UFC record stands at 1-4, including the first-round TKO loss that Grice suffered against Ricardo Lamas in his last fight. Garcia vs. Grice has all the markings of a “win or go home” match. It doesn’t matter if Leonard turns it into an exciting brawl — if he loses, he’s on extremely thin ice, and we may not see him back again.

(Arianny Celeste photo of the month, via Nuts. Click for full-sized version.)

Some must-read content from our bros around the Internet…

- The Hurt Business: Little Victories, Tender Mercies (MMAFighting)

- Thiago Silva: I’m Going to Kill or Die Against Alexander Gustafsson (Lowkick.Blitzcorner.com)

- Bittersweet Victory: Bellator Heavyweight Eric Prindle Discusses Thiago Santos and Upcoming Title Fight With Cole Konrad (MMAMania)

- We Seriously Want You to Watch Our Weigh-in Video for ONE FC: War of the Lions (MiddleEasy)

- Mighty Mouse Close to 2-to-1 Favored Status Over Ian McCall in Upcoming Rematch (FightOpinion)

- UFC Will Hold First Event in China in 2012 (MMAWeekly)

- Court McGee vs. Nick Ring Rematch Targeted for UFC 149 in Calgary (MMAJunkie)

- The Neighborhood Watch Reference Chart (HolyTaco)

- The 7 Worst Talk Show Hosts Of Our Generation (ScreenJunkies)

- Is Survival Horror Dead or Just Sleeping? (Gamefront)

- The 10 Funniest Comedy Songs (MadeMan)

- Charles Barkley Rocks A Dress For Weight Watchers (TerezOwens)

- VIDEO: Ron Burgundy’s Anchorman 2 Announcement (TurdFergusonBlog)

- How Many Calories Should You Eat To Lose Weight? (BuiltLean)

- What to Expect at This Weekend’s WrestleMania XXVIII (MensFitness)

(As Mighty Mouse looked into the crowd to see his wife flirting with another man, a deep seated rage began to boil inside him.) 

After a judging error in the UFC’s first ever flyweight match between Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall robbed us of a much needed sudden death fourth round at UFC on FX 2: Kampmann vs. Alves, many of us took it as a sign that the 125 lb. division was ultimately doomed to fail. Perhaps that was a bit of an overreaction, but now we can all rest at ease, because the rematch between these two scrappy contenders has officially been booked for UFC on FX 3, which goes down on June 8th from a location TBD.

Now, we here at CP understand more than anyone that mistakes can happen, but for fuck’s sake, someone please assign a judge who can count to 30 this time around. As we’ve all griped over, the first meeting between McCall and Johnson was originally scored a split decison victory for “Mighty Mouse.” Considering how badly he was dominated by “Uncle Creepy” in the third round, this decision seemed as if it was destined to go down as one of the worst robberies in the history of the sport. Again, maybe we were overreacting, but thankfully, the error was quickly overturned, and the fight was declared a draw. Its good to know that we can now move past this debacle in as timely a manner as possible, lest we end up with a Strikeforce Heavyweight tournament situation again.

Join us after the jump for more fight booking news.

(Immediately after the fight, an Amber Alert was issued for two frightened little boys last spotted with a large bald Caucasian man who clearly wasn’t their father.)

Due to the inadequacies of the Australian education system, Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall are slated to meet again in a re-do of their flyweight tournament semifinal fight from UFC on FX: Alves vs. Kampmann earlier this month. According to new reports, Mouse vs. Creepy 2 will go down June 1st at the Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale, which will take place June 1st at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. No other matches have been scheduled for the card yet.

With the rematch scheduled three months after the original fight, the UFC’s hope of producing a new flyweight champion in short order has hit a speed bump. Most likely, the tourney’s other flyweight semifinal winner — Joseph Benavidez, who knocked out newcomer Yasuhiro Urushitani at the Alves vs. Kampmann show — will have to be on ice until early fall, or even later if the Johnson/McCall winner suffers an injury during their June scrap.

See, guys? It’s easy to make fun of chaotic tournament brackets until you try to host one yourself…

(“When I find the fool that stole my chain, I’m gonna whoop his ass.”)

Dana White’s latest video blog is chocked full of cool behind-the-scenes moments from UFC 144 in Japan, UFC on FX 2 in Australia and last week’s TUF Live premiere from Las Vegas.

Dana starts out by explaining why they went with single round eliminator bouts at to decide which fighters made it into the house on TUF and breaking down the format the show will follow from here on out. It will be interesting to see what shenanigans make it on the show and what will happen during the weekly live fight segments.

Rampage makes a brief appearance to explain that he was hurt training and that’s why he didn’t beat that “boring-ass wrestler” Ryan Bader.

There were two moments from last weekend’s MMA double-header that jumped out at us during the events, but which we didn’t give any attention to afterwards. Luckily, we now have videos of both.

First up, Ronda Rousey gives Strikeforce sideline-reporter Heidi Androl the look of death when Androl dares to ask about her plan B for Miesha Tate. (Again, it’s another armbar, just like Chuck Norris’s beard has another beard behind it, and behind that beard is a fist, or something like that.) Not trying to hate, but most of Heidi’s fighter interviews end up feeling awkward for one reason or another. Didn’t Karyn Bryant used to handle those for Showtime? Can’t they get her back?

Related discussion question: Is Ronda Rousey the Chael Sonnen of women’s MMA — a born entertainer who is playing a role in order to promote herself — or is she the Nick Diaz of women’s MMA — an athletic savant who just isn’t as good at relating to other human beings as she is at fighting?

After the jump, Demetrious Johnson shows the bare minimum of concern for Ian McCall‘s aching balls.

Seriously, Thiago Alves weighed in at nearly 200 lbs three hours after making weight. There’s still no punchline coming. Props: UFC.com

Almost immediately after last night’s main event of UFC on FX: Alves vs. Kampmann, the Martin Kampmann/Tim Boetsch comparisons came out in full force from fans and pundits alike. One can easily understand why, as Kampmann’s come-from-behind victory over Thiago Alves was the greatest one in UFC history since last week’s efforts from Tim Boetsch. But perhaps this comparison misses the point. While this comeback was obviously at least partially due to a gutsy performance from Kampmann, it had far more to do with questionable decision making from Thiago Alves.

Save for a first round kick that rocked “The Pitbull”, Thiago Alves was in total control of last night’s main event. His stand-up attack was simply too much for “The Hitman”, who offered less resistance as the fight progressed. Despite this, Alves- who isn’t exactly known for his ground game, mind you- attempted a double leg takedown on a visibly hurt Martin Kampmann and wound up getting caught in a fight-ending guillotine choke.

It’s easy to understand why Thiago Alves was eager for the finish, especially after watching Demetrious Johnson be declared the winner of his fight against Ian McCall (more on that later). What is astonishing is the fact that he took the fight to the only place where he didn’t have a clear advantage over Kampmann. The takedown gave Kampmann time to regain composure, and negated the need to get through The Pitbull’s leg kicks in order to utilize his superior grappling.

In the Southern Hemisphere, decisions go down the opposite way.  PicProps:  MMAJunkie

Despite the most carefully laid plans of UFC officials, a rematch will be necessary to determine a finalist in the UFC’s tournament to crown its first 125 pound champion, and an Aussie official has stepped up to take the blame.  

Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall battled to a draw through three rounds, and would have gone to a sudden victory fourth-round because Zuffa was Batman-prepared and made sure they had a way to settle such an unsatisfying outcome.  But a tabulation error by Craig Waller — the Executive Director of the Combat Sports Authority of New South Wales — mistakenly crowned Johnson the winner, “and turned the whole banger right poofter-saucy,” according to Waller, adding that he felt like “a right frumious Bandersnatch.”

It’s unclear what was written on Bruce Buffer’s cards, but he initially announced ”29-28 McCall, 29-28 Johnson, and 29-28 for the winner by majority decision,” Johnson.  McCall lost his shit and ran out of the cage, and Johnson screamed like a virgin, touched for the very first time.

Now, those announced scores would equal a split decision victory for Johnson — a majority decision would have meant two judges for Johnson and one judge seeing a draw.  And it turned out that one judge did see it a draw.  Then it turned out that, in fact, two judges (Sal D’Amato and Anthony Dimitriou) had seen the fight a draw after three rounds, and had wanted to see a fourth round. Waller had managed to miss a 10-8 round for McCall on D’Amato’s card, even though paying attention to such things is kinda important.

(Three hours later, Thiago Alves weighed in at nearly 200 lbs. There’s no punchline coming, that just needed to be said.) 

Tonight’s UFC on FX event marks a lot of firsts for the fighters involved. Guys like Joseph Benavidez, Cole Miller, and Demetrious Johnson will be testing the waters in new weight divisions, even if some were forced to violate a certain CagePotato ban whilst doing so. This evening will also mark the debut of not only the 125 pound flyweight division, but that of two possible future title contenders in said division, Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall and Yasuhiro Urushitani. It’s amazing, no, inspiring to know that the rosy-cheeked, industrious members of the Lollipop Guild have finally reached Emerald City; they’re almost like people now. I salute their Herculean accomplishment, and encourage everyone reading this to follow your own yellow brick road, so to speak, in their honor.

Anyway, join me, Jared Jones, as I liveblog tonight’s event, starting at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Refresh your page every so often, and if I’m not piss drunk by the time this thing starts, we might just make it all the way to the end.

(What’s creepier: Ian McCall‘s mustache or Joseph Benavidez‘s pierced nipples? Video courtesy of YouTube.com/UFC)

UFC on FX 2 weigh-ins were held yesterday at the Allphones Arena in Sydney, Australia, with all 22 fighters successfully hitting their marks. No real surprises, although the bad blood between Cole Miller and Steven Siler was palpable. If you’ll recall, Siler scored a surprising submission against Cole’s brother Micah in the preliminary round of TUF 14, and it was clear yesterday that Cole — who’s making his UFC featherweight debut — is still upset about that. The two talked smack and got in each other’s faces until they had to be restrained by Joe Silva and Burt Watson. Also, Thiago Alves gained back nearly 30 pounds just three hours after hitting the scale, which is insane, but at least he made weight this time. The full weigh-in results are below…

Main Card
Thiago Alves (170.5) vs. Martin Kampmann (170.5)
Joseph Benavidez (125.5) vs. Yasuhiro Urushitani (125.5)
Demetrious Johnson (125.5) vs. Ian McCall (125.5)
Constantinos Philippou (185.5) vs. Court McGee (184.5)

Preliminary Card
Aaron Rosa (205.5) vs. James Te Huna (206)
Nick Penner (203.5) vs. Anthony Perosh (205)
Cole Miller (146) vs. Steven Siler (146)
Kyle Noke (185) vs. Andrew Craig (185)
Jake Hecht (171) vs. T.J. Waldburger (170)
Mackens Semerzier (146) vs. Daniel Pineda (146)
Shawn Jordan (245.5) vs. Oli Thompson (235)

After the jump: FUEL TV’s “UFC on FX 2″ weigh-in special, hosted by Jay Glazer and Stephan Bonnar.

(Get ready for 20 minutes of fun-sized beast-mode.)

Next weekend in Sydney, Australia, the UFC will debut their brand-new 125-pound flyweight division with a pair of fights on the main card of UFC on FX: Alves vs. Kampmann; the winners will later meet to determine the first-ever UFC flyweight champion. And because a winner must be determined in each semi-final match, the UFC is considering an unprecedented solution. As Demetrious Johnson explained to Crooklyn:

“I don’t know if anybody has said anything about it, and this is the first time I’m mentioning it, is that we (Ian McCall and himself) had to sign for a ‘sudden death’ bout. If it goes to three rounds, and the judges can’t decide who the winner is, then we’ll do a fourth round…I can’t say if it’s going to be for Joseph (Benavides) and Yasuhiro (Urushitani), because I’m not gonna say that the UFC made those guys sign, too. I’m telling you, specifically, that I signed a contract for an extra round on the bout agreement. I’m not gonna say that they did. [But] I’m assuming, in my unprofessional opinion, that they did as well.”

(If I’ve told one reporter, I’ve told them all. No Nick Ring questions. At all.)

The UFC has recently announced a middleweight clash between TUF 11 winner Court McGee and up and comer Constantinos Philippou for the promotion’s second installation on FX, which goes down March 3rd at the Allphones Arena in Sydney, Australia.

Coming off a unanimous decision victory over Korean slugger Dongi Yang, McGee is a perfect 3-0 in his octagon career, submitting Kris McCray back in June of 2010 to win the glass plaque and doing the same to Ryan Jensen in his post-TUF debut the following October. After dropping a decision to Nick Catone in his own debut, Philippou has notched two straight, scoring a split decision over Jorge Rivera at UFC 133 before absolutely blistering Jared Hamman at UFC 140. This one’s gonna be a brawl, ladies and gents.

(Chick vs. dude grappling match ends badly for the dude. Props: nate53202)

Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere…

- Strikeforce ‘Melendez vs. Masvidal’ Fighter Salaries (MMA Convert)

- The Outlaw and the Losing Streak (MMA Fighting)

- Top 10 Biggest MMA Upsets in 2011 (The Fight Nerd)

- Meet the Flyweights: Interview With Debuting UFC 125-Pounder Ian McCall (MMA Mania)

- Photo Gallery: Satoshi Ishii Trains at Black House for Fedor Emelianenko Fight (Lowkick.Blitzcorner.com)

- Jordan Breen: People Wouldn’t Intensely Hate Jon Jones if He Was White (Fight Opinion)

- Josh Barnett Booked for Pro Wrestling Match in Dream’s NYE Event (5th Round)

- Why There Will Never Be a Dominant UFC Heavyweight Champion (BleacherReport.com/MMA)

- Cooking With Tim Kennedy: Killer Texas Chili (MiddleEasy)

- Update on Zuffa vs. New York Lawsuit (MMA Payout)

- Fourth Time’s a Charm: Kenny Florian Back at Lightweight Seeking UFC Gold (FightLine)

- Jorge Masvidal Fought With an Injured Right Hand Against Gilbert Melendez (Five Ounces of Pain)

(You will be hit with the creepy at the 0:11 mark. Props: HDNetFights via MiddleEasy.)

Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall made a recent appearance on Inside MMA to discuss the UFC’s addition of flyweights, and Jesus Christ, would you look at that guy. It’s like him and her had a baby. The long-haired surfer vibe that Ian used to rock in his WEC days is gone, replaced by a gentleman who looks like he might drive a surprise van in his spare time. Are the UFC’s fans ready for such mustachioed intensity?

Announcement comes at roughly the 6:25 mark. Props: MMAFighting.com

We can end the speculation. After last night’s UFC 140, Dana White announced that flyweight MMA will debut in the UFC on March 3, 2012. The event is going to be broadcast on FX and take place in the land where people ride around in their kangaroos all day, Australia. Details, such as a specific venue and fights possible for the card, have yet to be officially released, though we’re willing to bet it’ll be at Sydney’s Acer Arena (just a wild guess).

The UFC is unveiling their newest roster editions with a bang. A four man flyweight tournament is set to begin on March 3, presumably in order to crown the inaugural flyweight champion, and will feature Ian McCall vs. Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benavidez vs. Yasuhiro Urushitani. Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benavidez should both be fresh in your mind, as they have had successful runs in the UFC at bantamweight yet are better suited for flyweight competition. As for McCall and Urushitani, we’ve got them profiled after the jump.

(Main event, huh? Interesting choice.)

Just a friendly reminder that the inaugural Amazon Forest Combat show is tonight and for those of you who want to watch it, we’ll have a stream Thursday afternoon. Sorry for the inconvenience, but we’re told that there was a scheduling issue and even the networks in Brazil who were to carry the event live are not airing it until tomorrow and this weekend, respectively.

Fair warning: Chael Sonnen tells us the Internet quality in Brazil is slightly better than dial-up, so the quality may be a bit less than 720p.

Anyway, the card for this show is a good one and definitely worth watching.  It should be live around 4:00 pm ET Thursday, we’re told.