(If Dana were to give an actual State of the Union, we imagine it would sound a little something like this.)

Now, I know I am going to take a lot of flack for writing this, but it’s good to see that UFC President Dana White is at least addressing our concerns when it comes to the clusterfuck that is MMA judging and refereeing. No matter what, or should I say, whose, side you took in the whole Diaz/Condit debacle, you probably agree that there need to be some serious changes made when it comes to choosing the winner of a given fight. And don’t even get us started on the Koscheck/Pierce decision.

The simple fact is that although the sport has evolved in leaps and bounds over the years, the matter by which it is judged has refused to change its mindset, like a stubborn old man who still believes that a mythical beast hustled him out of three dollars and fifty cents.

And while reffing will always contain a certain degree of human subjectivity (as with any other sport), MMA judges should be able to adhere to stricter, more definable rules than “aggression” and “octagon control,” which leave a lot of room for interpretation when it comes to deciding a close round. We’ve already put forth several options, and per usual, no one has returned our calls.

Anyway, join us after the jump for a transcription of DW’s inaugural “Presidential Address,” as well a snippet about his plans to bring the UFC to Hawaii.

(How can you say no to that face?) 

Aside from its placement atop nearly every MMA fan’s “Favorite Fights” list, Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin‘s war at the first TUF Finale is widely considered to be the fight responsible for popularizing MMA into the near mainstream sport it is today. Well, believe it or not, that fight almost didn’t happen on account of Bonnar’s uncontrollable desire for bottom shelf alcohol, specifically, Mad Dog. Although Bonnar has told this story with a slightly different spin before, Dana White recently discussed the craziness that was the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, and how Bonnar almost got himself kicked off the show:

The first season of the ‘Ultimate Fighter’ was the longest season we’ve ever done. It was something like 8 weeks and those guys were losing their (expletive) minds. I almost kicked (Stephan) Bonnar off the show. 

Bonnar turned the shower on, climbed out the window and went to find a liquor store. Remember we took all the liquor out after that big fight? These idiots…we had been driving these guys around for six or seven weeks and the house is in the middle of nowhere. There was no liquor store near there. The guy was walking around for an hour and thirty minutes. So much crazy (expletive) happened that first season. Imagine if I had kicked off him off the show for going to a liquor store? Forrest (Griffin) and Stephan would have never happened. 

No Dana, we would not like to imagine a world in which Griffin/Bonnar never existed. We’d rather imagine one in which Motley Crue serenades our lovemaking sessions with Adriana Lima, thank you very much.

By CagePotato contributor Shawn Smith

Miesha Tate has been turning heads in mixed martial arts for as long as she’s been fighting. She has always received attention for her stunning good looks, but now she’s turning heads for another reason. The focus has switched from her looks to her skills, and there’s no denying that Tate is amongst the most talented women in the sport.

Few gave Tate a chance against submission phenomenon Marloes Coenen when they met last July, and ever fewer thought she`d be able to tap the 11 year veteran. This didn’t deter “Takedown” from dominating Coenen before getting the submission via arm-triangle choke in the fourth round, capturing the Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Championship, and cementing her spot as an elite level mixed martial artist.

Next up for Tate is the outspoken, abrasive, and ultra-talented Ronda Rousey. These two women don’t get along and the tension is sure to continue building heading into their March 3 bout.

CagePotato recently talked with Tate about her upcoming bout with “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey.
Check out the interview after the jump.

By Jason Moles

After making history in June 2009 as the first female MMA referee to oversee a UFC fight, Kim Winslow drew controversy earlier this month for her handling of the Muhammad Lawal vs. Lorenz Larkin match at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine. Last week, CagePotato had the chance to chat with Winslow, who spoke to us about her life inside and outside of the cage, her pioneering role in MMA, and how she responds to criticism of her job performance. Read on for the full Q & A…

CagePotato: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us. Tell us a little bit about how you first were introduced to MMA, and when you knew you wanted to be an MMA referee.

Kim Winslow: I introduced myself to martial arts in 1992 by studying my first art form, Tae Kwon Do. I then saw the first UFC event in 1993 and was instantly enthralled. I had to watch every one of them and could hardly wait for the next one to come out. As the sport evolved so did my training in MMA, and I switched to more modern art forms and trained in Muay Thai, BJJ, kickboxing, boxing, grappling, street fighting, Krav Maga, some judo, and lately Capoeira for fun.

CP: What experience or training is required before a commission will license you?

 KW: Every state has different requirements and it is your responsibility to find out what they are and meet them when you apply. Refs are required to renew their license every year in each state, and in some states twice a year.

CP: Back in 2009 at the Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale, you made history by becoming the first woman to ever ref a fight in the UFC. How difficult was it to break into the industry and how does it feel to be a UFC pioneer?

(Skip to the 4 minute mark for the true trash talking, and give your prayers to the poor man that is apparently being sodomized off camera.) 

It seems a day rarely goes by in the MMA blogosphere that doesn’t yield another hilarious, if somewhat polarizing quote from Ronda Rousey. She’s made dick jokes about her colleagues, she’s threatened to kill an entire audience with her bare hands, and now it seems she’s honed in on none other than that B-boying sonofabitch, Georges St. Pierre. About half way through the above interview, Rousey asks the reporter who his favorite fighter is, after declaring that hers is “The Last Emperor” himself, Fedor Emelianenko. When he states that his is GSP, Ronda reacts with a classic “Oh no you di-int” face before letting her feelings about the current welterweight champ be known:

I think [fighting] is about finishing your opponent. It’s about entertainment. It’s not the Olympics; it’s not about coming home and bringing a metal and just getting the win. It’s about pulling more fans in and be entertaining, and I think that fighters that just try to win by points and come away with a win are actually bad for the sport.

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So Ronda Rousey was on some program called Attack of the Show the other night, and the first thing we gotta say is daaaaaaammmnnnn. We’ve been hearing blasphemous claims of Ronda being a 5 at best around here as of late, and it’s time to squash this beef. Anyone who claims this woman is below a 7 must either email us a photo of their current or previous girlfriend, or send one to our Twitter or Facebook page. Otherwise…LIFETIME BAN.

Now that we’ve moved past her body, perhaps we can discuss her mind, as it is beginning to look like the witty, boisterous apparition that once inhabited Chael Sonnen has chosen Ronda as its next victim. Rousey, despite never fighting at bantamweight, is currently listed as a 4-to-1 favorite over current champ Meisha Tate, and the hype might just be getting to her head. When asked on how dangerous she saw herself, Rousey responded:

I think I am the most dangerous unarmed woman on the planet. [Looks to audience] I could literally kill every single person in this room with my bare hands if I had them one at a time. I wouldn’t do that, but I’m just saying, I could do it. 

Props: Twitter (@JacobVolkmann)

A few days ago, we tried to warn Jacob Volkmann that it might not be in his best interest to continue to market himself as “that UFC fighter who hates Obama and got punked by the Secret Service”. It’s a stupid thing to take pride in, and we can’t help but feel that it fuels the whole “MMA fighters are stupid and violent” stereotype that many detractors carry. And frankly, Volkmann hasn’t been finishing his real fights, so it’s hard to suspend our disbelief when we hear him talk about how he’d rip the president’s arm with a Kimura.

Well, Jacob Volkmann now has some extra time to either take our advice or write better jokes, as he has been placed on administrative leave from his coaching job at White Bear Lake High School. This is the second time that the school has placed Volkmann on administrative leave for his comments about the president. The first came after his infamous comments after UFC 125, which also earned him a visit from the Secret Service.

We realize that administrative leave must be frustrating, but it’s confusing to hear Jacob Volkmann call the move “unethical”. The last time Volkmann was disciplined by White Bear Lake High School for his comments, the school explained why he was placed on leave and what was expected of Volkmann in future interviews. As Ariel Helwani reported:

It’s official: Satoshi Ishii is a dead man walking. Don’t call it a comeback, but Fedor Emelianenko was spotted on his return flight home from Holland donning none other than the Glorious Sweater of Absolute Victory, or as MMA Mania calls it, The Ultimate Sweater of Destruction. I’m not going to lie to you, Potato Nation, I had to paste that name directly from their article, because as I tried to type it, it was as if some otherworldly force took over my body, choked me within an inch of my life, and then forced me to smash the ice cream cone I was eating into my face. Weird.

The sweater, which was retired amidst an undercover attempt by the Russian government to assassinate “The Last Emperor” and use its powers to bring on a new Ice Age, has been the sole factor in Emelianenko’s recent three fight skid, which saw him submitted by Fabricio Werdum before being TKO’ed by Antonio Silva and Dan Henderson. After a recent, secret shift in the Russian power paradigm, Emelianenko told CagePotato in an exclusive and possibly fake interview that he feels safe to wear the sweater again, and looks forward to going on another 30 fight win streak that will culminate in a “two man enter, one man leaves” match against Dan Severn.

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:

We had the opportunity to speak with Strikeforce welterweight contender Tyron Woodley yesterday ahead of the busy grand opening weekend of his St. Louis American Top Team affiliate gym, ATT Evolution and we touched on a variety of topics including his upcoming bout with Canadian prospect Jordan Mein, his gym’s revolutionary youth program and the rampant use of PEDs in the sport. We also touched on his thoughts on the inevitable GSP-Diaz match-up and why he thinks Stockton’s best fighter was right to turn down a fight with him.

You can download the interview directly HERE if you aren’t subscribed to The Bum Rush on iTunes.

Check out the highlights of our chat with T-Wood after the jump.

By CagePotato Contributor Shawn Smith

(What has two thumbs and loves to bang? This guy)

For over a decade Mark Hunt has been a polarizing figure in the world of mixed martial arts. At 5 foot 10 and 260 lbs, he’s not your average heavyweight, but that hasn’t stopped him from putting on many exciting performances during his career. His hefty build and nonchalant demeanor are misleading. Rest assured though, Hunt is a dangerous fighter who wholeheartedly loves the fight game.

Exploding onto the K-1 scene in 2001 Hunt defeated Jerome Le Banner, Stefan Leko, and Francisco Filho en route to becoming the promotion’s World Grand Prix champion that year. A short time later, he decided to try his hand[s] at mixed martial arts. Following a submission loss to Hidehiko Yoshida in his MMA debut, Hunt rattled off five victories in a row against the likes of PRIDE middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva, fearsome Croatian striker Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, and Japanese MMA pioneer Tsuyoshi Kohsaka.

These days “The Super Samoan” calls the UFC home. After falling on hard times in the last days of PRIDE and early days of DREAM, Hunt, who dropped his first UFC bout to Sean McCorkle, has turned things around by putting together two victories in a row inside the Octagon against a pair of formidable opponents in Chris Tuchscherer and “Big” Ben Rothwell.

The UFC recently announced that Hunt will be returning to Japan to take on French striker Cheick Kongo in what should be a stand-up war of attrition at UFC 144 in February.

We recently had the opportunity to speak with the seasoned veteran about his past present and future in the sport.

Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Certified hottie Corissa Furr of Fighting Famous was recently able to score an interview with the mixed martial artist formerly known as “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” Tito Ortiz, in the midst of training for his upcoming bout with Antonio Rogerio Nogueria at UFC 140. Ortiz was quick to correct Furr when introduced as such, claiming to have taken on a more positive, Sanchezian outlook on life, in order to show that “through hard work and dedication you can achieve anything in this life.” Though this kind of mentality can do wonders for the soul, be wary Tito, it can wreak havoc on one’s appearance.

Tito goes on to state that he “doesn’t even talk trash to fighters anymore.” Some of you will likely find yourself scratching your head after reading and/or hearing this statement, and rightfully so, considering the shit storm of verbal warfare Ortiz came at Rashad Evans with before his last fight in the UFC. But that was like, 4 months ago, you guys. Time has a way of changing people. So while you’re at it Tito, go ahead check the whole flinch test at the weigh-ins off that list of as well.

We’ll try and decipher the enigma-wrapped-riddle that is Ortiz’s syntax after the jump. 

With The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale just a couple weeks away, many of us have been wondering how prepared Jason Miller was for his return to the UFC, especially considering that he hasn’t truly faced legitimate competition since his unanimous decision loss to Jake Shields just over 2 years ago. Aaron Tru of TruMMA was able to catch up with the Team Mayhem coach recently, and aside from playing a good old fashioned game of “Sactap,” was able to achieve a rather serious conversation with Miller, at one point even discussing the WEC and Strikeforce veteran’s seriousness (or lack thereof) when it comes to training. And “Mayhem” was quick to set things straight for those doubters out there:

On his training camp: “[Training] is going fantastic. I’m really surprised. This is the first camp that I’ve got a super serious camp in my entire career, and I’m an old damn man by fighter’s standards. It feels awesome. I’ve never been in such good shape and I’ve never had such a good mental focus going into a fight. It’s really refreshing. I was like, ‘Oh, this is what training camp is supposed to be like.’”

On how serious he takes his training: “The reason I do this sport, the reason I got into this career, was because I enjoy going to a padded room where I can act as crazy as I want and it’s not an institution. I think you can train seriously and still have a lot of fun. Even on The Ultimate Fighter, here at Reign Training Center, even going back to high school wrestling, I was always like the funny guy on the team and I feel like it keeps morale up.”

It’s hard to disagree with Miller, who has shown a true knack for not only coaching but connecting with his team on this season of The Ultimate Fighter, whereas Team Bisping seemingly can’t have a sparring session that doesn’t erupt into a brawl at some point.

Check out some more highlights from the interview after the jump. 

Oh, great, vengeful God (or Zorp), please let this happen. If you can allow Razor Ramone to be assisted off his wheelchair, only to be repeatedly kicked and hit with steel chairs in front of an audience of less than 500 people, then surely you can allow this to happen. In a recent interview with MMAfighting.com, none other than Art Jimmerson, the man behind the most embarrassing loss in UFC History, challenged the former Youtube sensation, MoneyTalks star, UFC fighter, and 2-0 boxer Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson to a boxing match, stating:

(Maguire poses for the cameras following his unanimous decision victory over Justin Edwards at UFC 138. Photo via David Lethaby.) 

By CagePotato contributor Ben Cartlidge

UFC 138 marked the organization’s first trip to the UK in 2011 and delivered a card not packed with stars but instead with explosive potential.

The gap between the UK and the rest of the world in terms of wrestling is obvious to see but, that night in Birmingham, the fighter who scored the most takedowns wasn’t an NCAA champion with a decorated collegiate career.

Cambridge’s John “The One” Maguire outscored his opponent Justin Edwards 6-0 in the takedown stakes en route to a unanimous decision victory and quickly attracted the attention of the fighting community with his spirited performance.

I caught up with Maguire as he recollected on the single biggest fight of his career.

CAGEPOTATO.COM: Congratulations on your first win in the UFC and what surely must have been the biggest win in your career. Looking back it all now for a second; what are your recollections about that fight and the UFC experience in general?

JOHN MAGUIRE:

“Look into my eyes, Keith Kizer…look deep into my eyes. You are getting very sleepy. You hate drug tests...” (Photo: ESPN)

Chael Sonnen has clearly distanced himself from his peers in the art of the interview. His sound bites, validity aside, are second to none. Perhaps gearing up for his hosting duties at next month’s ‘Fighters Only World MMA Awards”, Sonnen joined Jon Anik and Kenny Florian on last night’s episode of “MMA Live”. As expected, Chael did not disappoint, and we’ve got the highlights…

Host Jon Anik asks if Carlos Condit, having taken the title fight on short notice, has actually caught a break with GSP’s injury in that he’ll now have more time to prepare for his opponent and a five round affair (video) :

“I don’t think so, and I don’t think this fight’s going to come back for quite some time. Listen, if you’re the champion, you remain champion until you lose the title. If you’re the number one contender, you absolutely are not ingrained in any type of stone. As a matter of fact, not only do I believe he has lost this opportunity, I believe the winner of Diaz-BJ Penn will get the next opportunity against GSP.”

(Video courtesy of YouTube/edelsonmoura)

Just a reminder that HDNet will be airing the latest episode of Michael Schiavello’s The Voice vs… series tonight featuring UFC  and PRIDE favorite, Wanderlei Silva.

(Calm down, Shane. It was a hypothetical question. I’m not saying you are a character from "Sex and the City." I’m just asking, if you were one, which one do you think you’d be? And don’t say Carrie. Everybody says Carrie.)

Thanks to the thus far undefeated University of Montana football team (go Griz), Shane Carwin was honor-bound to answer our questions and yours in an email exchange this week.  “The Engineer” may be a no-nonsense sort of guy once he steps in the Octagon, but fortunately for us he has a sense of humor about himself outside of it.  With his UFC heavyweight title fight against Brock Lesnar at UFC 106 drawing closer, we asked Carwin about everything from his reaction to Lesnar’s pre-fight trash talk to whether he can reliably use a normal-sized cell phone with his giant hands.  In the end, we felt that we came away with a greater understanding of this man of few words.

CP: What’s your reaction to hearing Brock Lesnar criticize your past opponents and your Division II wrestling title?  Do you think that there’s a significant difference in the quality of competition you two have faced in your respective careers?

SC: Brock seems to think selling or hyping a fight means disparaging one another’s opponents.  I think anyone who is fighting deserves the respect of other fighters, especially a champion.  I do not think Brock respects MMA or MMA fans.

As far as my collegiate accomplishments compared to his, saying D1 is better than D II in wrestling is a ridiculous comment.  There are plenty of elite wrestlers that did not even compete in college.  The fact is Title 9 and many other factors (like lack of fans) keep wrestling on life support and being a great wrestler does not guarantee you a scholarship.

I hope Brock knows Dana did not send me a script to go by.  I am coming for that belt.

(Photo courtesy of MySpace.com/scottthelionheartblevins.)

Back in February, we interviewed Indiana-based fighter Scott "LionHeart" Blevins about his unrelenting quest for MMA glory, despite the fact that he’s never won a professional fight. Less than two weeks after that interview was published, Blevins was arrested on suspicion of child molestation, and suddenly it looked like there was something much darker behind the quirky and inspirational story of LionHeart. Now out of jail and awaiting trial, Blevins spoke exclusively with CagePotato.com to discuss the legal battle he’s facing that could put him in prison for the rest of his life.

CAGEPOTATO.COM: It’s good to talk to you again, Scott. Where have you been the last six months?
BLEVINS: Kosciusko County Jail.

The news report that first came out said you were arrested after a two-month investigation. Basically, they said you molested a girl under the age of 14, then helped police arrest three marijuana dealers. What exactly happened the day you were arrested?
Well, on October 14th I had emergency surgery, and then on the 17th my wife and kids asked to go to this guy’s house for a birthday party that was put on for my daughter. And that night she was molested by the guy, and as soon as I found out — which wasn’t until December 29th — I immediately rushed her to the emergency room to be checked for a rape kit, etc. And the police officer that we called, his name is Terry, he tried to say that my daughter was lying. He just didn’t believe it. He tried to say that she was coerced.

The night I took her to the emergency room, the Mentone cops came and talked to the guy who actually molested her, and from my understanding, he accused me to escape from what he did to my little girl. My daughter’s 11 and she’s been taking Tae Kwon Do, learning the honesty and faith of martial arts, and she has never lied throughout her martial arts career.

So your daughter has never changed her story in saying that it was this other guy who molested her, right?

(Tate vs. Elaina Maxwell on her previous Strikeforce appearance.)

A few weeks ago Miesha Tate thought she’d be facing Kim Couture at the Strikeforce Challengers event on Showtime this Friday night.  But when Couture pulled out due to “personal reasons” and Tate posted a MySpace bulletin informing fans that “Sugar Free’s” impending divorce from former UFC champ Randy Couture was to blame, things got sticky in a hurry.  

Now instead of facing the 1-1 Couture, she’s facing the 8-0 (all by KO or TKO) Sarah Kaufman, and the fight has grown considerably in magnitude.  Here she talks about the change of opponents, her path to MMA, and what it’s like trying to make it as a female MMA fighter.

This seems like significant change in opponents, and on fairly late notice.  How did that affect your preparation for this fight and what the fight means for you?

It was kind of strange at first, the idea of going from Kim Couture to Sarah Kaufman.  Obviously it’s quite a jump.  I think I have a lot more to gain from this fight.  She’s a very tough and worthy opponent.  I have the opportunity to beat someone who has an established, undefeated record.

Do you think the only reason Kim Couture got this fight in the first place was because of her last name?

ATT boxing coach Howard Davis Jr. talks Chuck Liddells retireme – Watch more Funny Videos

American Top Team boxing coach and Olympic gold medalist Howard Davis Jr. spoke with me about his work with Chuck Liddell prior to his UFC 97 loss against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.  Contrary to what some people believe, Davis said he really did work with Liddell for about two and a half months, and while he didn’t change his style he did try to add a couple tools to Liddell’s game.  Here Davis talks about what Liddell’s recent loss means for his career, and whether he thinks the former UFC champ should call it quits like Dana White is insisting he do.  He also touches on the addictive “drug” of being a world champion fighter, and why he thinks Liddell has seemed more vulnerable in recent bouts – and it’s not because he’s getting old.

(Fence grab is at 10:18, the alleged illegal blow comes at 17:25. Props: MMA Share.)

Benji Radach has filed a formal appeal with the California State Athletic Commission through his agent, Ken Pavia, challenging his TKO loss to Scott Smith on the April 11 Strikeforce show in San Jose, California.  We contacted Radach earlier today to get him to explain, in his own words, why he’s appealing the loss and what he hopes to accomplish.  Here’s what he had to say.

CagePotato.com: If you could Benji, sum up for me the main points outlined in your appeal.

Benji Radach: There are two main points.  One, in the second round I had him in a guillotine, choking the piss out of him, and I thought I was just going to choke him unconscious.  But he grabbed the fence and used it to pull us into a scramble and get out of the choke, which is illegal.  

JZ Cavalcante talks fight preparation, competing in Japan – Watch more Funny Videos

After spending a few days at American Top Team in Florida last week, I came away with a real appreciation for how hard Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante works in the gym.  From a grueling session with his strength and conditioning coach to his intense sparring matches with WEC champ Mike Brown and others from the ATT stable, JZ is putting in serious work to get ready for Tatsuya Kawajiri at Dream.9 later this month.  In this video he talks about the important psychological benefits of his training, whether he’d get in the ring with Fedor Emelianenko like Shinya Aoki did, and one of the stranger things that’s happened to him while fighting in Japan.

(Still the best eva. Props: Genghis Con)

From a recent NerdSociety.com interview with the New York Bad Ass:

Hear that, nerds? Be more like this guy. You can read the rest of this illuminating interview here. Baroni takes on Joe Riggs at Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields on June 6th.

Watch Frank Mir Talks About His Upcoming Fight with Brock Lesnar on RawVegas.tv

A little less than three months out from his rematch with Brock Lesnar at UFC 100, and Frank Mir is already starting in on the trash talk and mind games in this Raw Vegas interview.  He’s decided to go the self-deprecating route, which means Forrest Griffin has a royalty check coming.  Mir also isn’t afraid to toss a few little burns in there just for the hell of it, even commenting at one point on the "penis" tattooed on Lesnar’s chest.  You can thank Dave Farra for bringing that up.  Hey, we were all thinking it.

Aside from the Lesnar talk, Mir offers the best response yet to the inevitable Fedor questions.  Instead of doubting his credentials and just refusing to talk about the guy, Mir says it’s "not fair" that other heavyweights have gotten a chance to feel how hard Fedor hits and he might never get that opportunity.  You have to admit he has a point.  It’s about time somebody called Fedor out on his discriminatory punching practices.

(‘Can’t let a day go by without me being fly, fresh to death.’)

If there’s one thing Frank Shamrock isn’t suffering from, it’s a lack of confidence.  He’s long been one of the sport’s most outspoken competitors, which usually makes him a pleasure to talk to, even if you never know exactly how seriously he expects you to take some of the things he says.  With his Strikeforce bout against Nick Diaz just a day away, Shamrock talked with me about his legacy, his plan for the fight, what he thinks about Diaz’s extracurricular habits, and more.  Let’s just say I was never bored during this conversation.

Thanks for talking with me Frank.  I have to say, this bout seems like kind of an odd choice for you right now.  Tell me, what’s really at stake in this fight?

I don’t know (laughs).  Honestly, I don’t know.  It’s just another fight to me.  I think there are some questions about my age and my body. I don’t think I have any problems with my body, but everybody else seems to think so.  Other than that, it’s another physical challenge for me.  I don’t think I have a lot to gain from it really, but it’s another fight.

Nick Diaz participated in yesterday’s Strikeforce conference call and thank God someone was savvy enough to ask him a question about weed and then get out of the way and let him go.  There’s nothing quite like a good, completely insane Nick Diaz rant to really make you stop and realize that absolutely everybody, everywhere is on drugs, or else they’re an alcoholic.  I didn’t even think about it until Nick said it.

Here are some other nuggets of wisdom to come out of Diaz’s mouth in this one answer to one question about how smoking weed is different than taking pain pills:

– The blood flow stimulated by coughing when you smoke weed might be the healthiest thing you do all day…if you are fat or have cancer.
– He’s not a fucking doctor or scientist.
– He has a lot of friends who do a lot of drugs.
– If you smoke cigarettes, Nick hopes you die of cancer.  He really does.

(Your daughter’s prom date is here…)

When I called Junie Browning to see how he was feeling a week before his first UFC fight since “The Ultimate Fighter” finale, he was out shopping for video games.  It might not seem like it at first, but this is apparently a sign of how much his life has changed since moving to Las Vegas to train at Xtreme Couture and getting serious about his fighting career.  Now he trains full-time.  Despite living in Sin City, he doesn’t go out much.  Instead he stays home and plays Killzone or Resident Evil 5 in between training sessions.  It occupies his time.  And it keeps him out of trouble.

“All I do is train now,” he said.  “I’m in awesome shape right now.  Better than I’ve ever been, training harder than I ever have.  I’ve done more for this than I have for any other fight.”

At next week’s Ultimate Fight Night in Nashville Browning takes on former TUF contestant Cole Miller, who has vowed to “expose” and “smash” him.  You’d think that kind of language would get a reaction out of the volatile kid from Kentucky we saw on TUF, but oddly, you’d be wrong.

Watch Steve Cofield’s video interview with Brandon Vera and see if you aren’t suddenly glad that “The Truth’s” formerly-overpaid ass is sticking around in the UFC.  The best part is when he addresses Matt Hamill’s post-fight celebration after knocking out Vera’s friend and training partner, Mark Munoz, at UFC 96.  Hamill caught some flack for acting like he just made a half-court shot worth a million bucks during halftime at a Laker game, when all the while his opponent was still crumpled in a motionless heap against the cage.

As Vera explains at the 3:30 mark, winning a fight in the UFC (particularly by bonus-worthy KO) is actually a lot like winning the lottery:

On April 1 Ryan Bader makes his first UFC appearance since knocking out Vinny Magalhaes to win the last season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”  The former Arizona State wrestling standout now has to live up to his billing with a victory in his first post-TUF bout against experienced vet Carmelo Marrero.  But as Bader told us in our exclusive talk with him, he’s aware that winning is necessary, though it isn’t enough by itself.  He also has to entertain, and therein lies a difficult conflict for a wrestler trying to dazzle knockout-happy crowds.

CagePotato.com: Thanks for talking with us, Ryan.  Now that you’re the TUF winner and getting ready to start your UFC career, is it how you though it would be when you first started on the show?

I went into the show and set high goals for myself.  My goal was to make it to the finale.  That was as far as I thought.  Then I did that and there was six months until the finale, and obviously my goal was to win the whole show.  But I set little goals for myself and accomplished them one at a time, and then set bigger goals.  After I won the show, my goal became to keep winning the fights in front of me, and that’s where I am now.  Eventually my goal is to have the belt.  I don’t want to be just another fighter.  I want that belt.  I know it’s going to take a long time.  I need to grow as a fighter and that’s all a long way off, so my immediate goal is to win each fight and chip away at the division.

I read recently where you said you thought too many wrestlers were taking unnecessary risks to win fights in exciting fashion.  When you fight, do you struggle with trying to be exciting and also not taking too many chances?