(“I would not fight anyone here. These are my friends.”)

Anderson Silva made a stop on the Max & Marcellus show on ESPN 710 radio this morning and made some interesting comments about some of his potential future fights.

Although he mentioned his upcoming rematch with Chael Sonnen, who he says ” no respect nothing,” “The Spider” named injured welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre as his most apt opponent out of anyone in the UFC right now.

Hey, at least he checked on him afterward.

Today’s video comes to us courtesy, as always, of The Opie & Anthony Show, the hosts of which apparently have some sort of sick fetish involving stand up comics being mangled and choked within an inch of their lives. Can’t they just watch good old fashioned porn like the rest of us?

(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 now, you know the deal when it comes to Dana White’s videoblogs, and today’s “episode” is no different. Taking a behind-the-scenes look at the aftermath of the UFC’s second Fox event, the UFC 143 videoblog contains the familiar mix of upper and downer moments, with an emphasis on the downer. Especially tough to watch is Joey Beltran’s realization that his Zuffa career may have reached a temporary standstill in the wake of his first round KO loss to Lavar Johnson. Keep your chin up, “Mexicutioner.”

Let’s get right to the highlights.

(0:45) - Jon Jones, seen here for the last time before disappearing into a thicket of notes from which he has yet to emerge.

(1:22) – God damn it, will someone give Beltran a hug and tell him that everything is going to be alright?

(1:40) – Eric Wisely, still in awe of the calf-slicer Charles Oliveira was able to pull on him. The pain was apparently so incredible that Wisely has trouble explaining to the backstage physician where exactly the strain was.

(2:48) – Jon Jones explains how Cub Swanson is one of the “nastiest dudes” on Team Jackson. He makes a good point.

(TUF 3 finalist Josh Haynes resurfaces on an episode of Cops — as a police officer, thank God. / Props: ko 86)

Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere…

- Jon Jones: Rashad Evans Hasn’t Progressed, Phil Davis Looked ‘Like a Sheep’ (MMA Fighting)

- Tony Ferguson Fights Dennis Hallman at ‘UFC on FOX 3′ (5th Round)

- Nick Diaz vs Carlos Condit Will Save Us After UFC on FOX 2 Dud (MMA Mania)

- FTC Ends UFC Investigation Regarding Strikeforce Purchase (MMA Payout)

- Brian Ebersole Took Our Camera, Got in a Rickshaw and Gave Away Leftover Pizza at the United Center (MiddleEasy)

- UFC 143: Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum Breakdown (BleacherReport.com/MMA)

- Lyoto Machida Eyes Jon Jones Rematch, Wants Dan Henderson Next (Lowkick.Blitzcorner.com)

- Memo to the UFC/Dana White: Try Solving Piracy Instead of Just Fighting It (Five Ounces of Pain)

- Fight Video: Badr Hari Knocks Out Gokhan Saki In Retirement Bout (MMA Convert)

- State Attorney General Admits Amateur MMA Is Not Banned in New York (The Fight Nerd)

- The Japanese Scene Is Facing Increasingly Dangerous Waters (Fight Opinion)

- Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson’s UFC 143 Blog: Week 2 (FightLine)

(Today’s required viewing: “Fight Factory” goes deep inside the world of American Kickboxing Academy. Props to nuvoTV via BloodyElbow. Skip to the 12:43 mark to see Phil Baroni’s infamous bodybuilding video get a different reaction than he was looking for.)

Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere…

- Daniel James Miller’s Kidney Transplant on Hold (MMA Fighting)

- It’s a Wonderful Life: Phil Davis UFC on FOX 2 Interview Exclusive (MMA Mania)

- Will the Real Chael Sonnen Please Stand Up: Inside the Contender’s Training Camp (BleacherReport.com/MMA)

- Demian Maia Talks Silva vs. Sonnen, Says Chris Weidman Is “The Real Deal” (Lowkick.Blitzcorner.com)

- The Karate Hottie Pulled Off a Slick Rear-Naked Choke Last Night and Here’s the Video (MiddleEasy)

- Jon Jones: “Rashad’s Chin Sucks” (Five Ounces of Pain)

- UFC Issues Statement Regarding UFC.com Hackers (5th Round)

- Great Wrestling Moments in MMA History (MMA Convert)

- Culinary Union Attacks UFC on Fox 2 Show With New Anti-MMA Website (The Fight Nerd)

- ESPN’s John Barr on UFC Pay Report Blowback: “It’s Not Our Charge to Do Your Public Relations” (Fight Opinion)

- Diego Sanchez Predicts All-Out War With Jake Ellenberger (FightLine)

- HDNet to Be Rebranded as AXS TV (MMA Payout)

We have really grown to appreciate the behind-the-scenes direction these Danavlogs have begun to take over the past few months. The simple, objective look at these fighters in either their finest hour or their most vulnerable says more than any Hollywood film ever could, and transcends even that of the sport in its ability to make us empathize with the highs and lows of life as a professional athlete.

One facet of the fight game that becomes glaringly evident in today’s episode is the fact that a fighter rarely walks away from a battle unscathed, win or lose. Take Mike Easton for instance, who suffered a slightly torn left hand ligament in his majority decision victory over Jared Papazian. Or Melvin Guillard, who, despite throwing more flying knees than actual punches, has possibly added a TFCC tear to the list of chronic injuries in his hand. Needless to say, if you fear going under the knife, then a fighter’s life is not for you.

Anyway, join us after the jump for some highlights.

During halftime of yesterday’s NFC Championship game between the New York Giants and the San Francisco Fail Machines, viewers were treated to a UFC on FOX promo that was…kind of odd, actually. Light-heavyweight champion/part-time model Jon Jones is set up as a relatable nice-guy, then kicks his own child into the stratosphere. Jones catches the falling kid, and two nearby moms express their barely-conceled lust for him. And that’s about it.

General strangeness aside, the commercial doesn’t actually show any UFC footage — more evidence of FOX’s gun-shy attitude toward the sport, maybe? — and doesn’t feature any of the fighters competing in next week’s UFC on FOX: Evans vs Davis event. (Rashad Evans probably punched another hole through his wall after seeing this.) I wonder how many football fans watched the commercial in a loud sports bar and thought, “Hey, there’s a new Old Spice guy. Alright.”

(Props: AVieiraSilva via Nick Diaz Fan on the UG. Bones shows up again at the 8:45 mark.)

Alright, just your average fashion runway show in Brazil, nothing too crazy…hey, that one girl’s ass is kinda ni-OH MY GOD WHAT THE FUCK IS JON JONES DOING THERE, AND DOES RANDY COUTURE KNOW THAT HIS SCARF HIS MISSING? EXPLAIN YOURSELF, BONES.

As if the UFC light-heayweight champion needed another reason to be hated on by keyboard warriors, here he is taking a gig as a South American menswear model over the weekend. Strange? Sure. Could it be worse? Oh, definitely.

(Tom Lawlor by Flaskpost.)

We’ve seen some bad, bad MMA fan art in our time. (Like, really bad.) So it came as a relief when we recently stumbled upon MMAFanMade, a tumblr account that showcases the best MMA-themed art and artists on the Internet. We decided to cherry-pick some of the site’s highlights, mix in a few old classics, and put ‘em all together in the gallery after the jump. Check it out below, and if you’ve done any MMA-themed artwork yourself, please share links in the comments section. We promise that our criticism will be mostly constructive.

(Great, like we need another reason to hate this guy. IT’S RUDE TO POINT, JON.)

The March 24th UFC 145 card in Montreal still lacks a main event — but if the timing works out, a light-heavyweight superfight could take the headlining spot. As we already know, Jon Jones has decided to scrap his vacation and start fighting again ASAP. Here’s UFC president Dana White speaking on the subject to ESPN 1100:

“[Jones] called up four days ago and said ‘okay, let’s go I’m done with vacation.’ He said he wanted to take all this time off and then they were calling me four days ago saying he wants to fight as soon as possible. He’s ready to go…What could end up happening is Dan Henderson fights Jon Jones first, and then it would be close to the time that Rashad (Evans) fights. Or we see how things go with Rashad and Rashad fights him first.”

(“We have four times… Can we hear five?”)

ESPN’s Josh Gross caught up with UFC light heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones recently and the 24-year-old fighter proved that he is respecting his role as a champion. According to “Bones” he may come back to compete earlier than he anticipated and says that he may possibly defend his belt three or four times if all goes well this year.

(Video courtesy of IronForgesIron)

When FUEL TV stated that it will be dedicating a lion’s share of its programming to UFC-related shows as a result of its parent company Fox’s new multi-year contract with the promotion, most of us wondered what the quality of said shows would be like.

If this UFC Champions Roundtable special is any indication, it’s going to be pretty decent.

Hosted by Jay Glazer, the half-hour program that debuted during FUEL’s 24-hour New Year’s UFC marathon, featured a handful of UFC champs — past and present — who reflected on the early days in the sport and how far it’s come since Bonnar fought Griffin on SPIKE TV back in 2006.

Some highlights after the jump.

(“Today FUEL TV, tomorrow the world…muahahaha!”)

If you’re like us and you can’t get enough of The Chael Sonnen Show,  you’ll be happy to know that “The Gangster from America” has been added to the line-up of Fuel TV’s new weekly UFC Tonight serial.

Sonnen will have his own segment on the show called Chael’s Corner and if the clip below is any indication, it will consist mainly of “The Real UFC Middleweight Champion” taking potshots at Brazilian fighters.

(Can someone say SUPERFIGHT?!!!) 

It’s a new year, Potato Nation, and aside from an endless number of Mayan-themed jokes that will undoubtedly punctuate most of our content, we’ve decided to kick off 2012 with you, our esteemed followers, in mind. And while we had more than our fill of exciting brawls in 2011, things like injury curses, excessive title shots, and sudden desires for film careers left us with hunger pains that could only be satiated by the announcement of another marquee match-up. That, or one of your wife’s famous steak sandwiches.

Call us greedy, call us insensitive, but we’re the type of fans that simply must have our every fantasy fulfilled, and it is with that in mind that we ask you, our fellow fanatics, to join us in a discussion of the five fights we NEED to witness this year, if only to end a few of the never ending arguments that constitute the CP comments sections. Here are our picks…

#5 – Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen

Why?: Because if we have to hear how lucky Silva got one more time, we are going to round up all of our writers and perform a full reenactment of Death of a (Real Estate) Salesman. Goldstein will play Willy Loman, the elderly and dillusional salesman (Obvs.). CrushCo will play Biff, the former football star who yearns for a life as a farmhand, and Seth will play Happy, the slacking womanizer, leaving none other than myself to play Linda. What can I say, it sucks being the new guy.

(Within 24 hours of touching that thing at a UFC Expo, Overeem will punch you in the face.)

Typically, UFC champions fight at least two to three times per year. This year, each strap was defended an average of 1.86 times because of a rash of injuries we chalk up to the UFC title curse.

13 title defenses for seven belts is a problem for any organization, especially one as big as the UFC. It’s tough to garner interest for your promotion’s champions when only a few are defending their titles more than once or twice a year.

(Days after Arianny presented Ali with theOctagon Girl
Championship belt, she was let go by the UFC. Coincidence?)

The question is, should there be a limit to the amount of time a champion can go without defending his or her leather and gold before an interim champ is declared?

Check out the breakdown of the 2011 UFC champion injury plague in order of lightest to heaviest weight class after the jump and judge for yourself if title fights are less interesting as a result of how infrequently they occur.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Ben Goldstein)

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

(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)

(“St-Pierre it is, then.”)

Dana White spoke with Brazilian website Alpha recently, and according to the UFC president, in spite of middleweight Anderson Silva’s recent re-assertion that he isn’t interested in a fight with light heavyweight champ Jon Jones, the fight may happen before “The Spider” calls it a career.

“He’s probably the greatest fighter in history. He hasn’t lost and has been champion since 2006. I think he has two more title defenses and I do not know what he’ll do next or if he will retire,” he said. “He could end his career with a super fight against Jon Jones or George St-Pierre. He could end his career like that — fight in a different weight class. I would be happy with that. Then he could take a boat and sail into the sunset.”

Although he doesn’t think Jones’ youth would play a major factor in the fight, “The Baldfather” says Father Time and his effect on fighting skills is one of the leading causes of retirement in the sport, even amongst the sport’s best.

(“I make this look good.”)

If you didn’t get a chance to watch the replay of the number two best MMA awards – The Fighters Only World MMA Awards Sunday night, don’t worry, we got you.

The highlight of the show were Chael Sonnen’s (likely scripted) one-liners. From poking fun at himself, to taking shots at Wand and Anderson, “The Gangster from America” was on his game.

(The faces of pure evil?? / Photo via UFC.com)

If you were looking for a reason — any reason at all — to hate on Jon Jones following his submission victory over Lyoto Machida at UFC 140, that post-fight video which showed trainer Greg Jackson yelling for Jon to “go check on Lyoto, get some fans” probably did the trick. It was a candid moment that called into question Jones and Jackson’s reputations for sportsmanship and Bushido-like respect. Was it all just an act to appear likable? Did they have any genuine concern for Machida’s health whatsoever?

Obviously, Greg Jackson is embarrassed by how he came off, and tried to explain his words in an interview with MMAJunkie:

“I shouldn’t have spoken in that way, but that wasn’t my intention. It sounded bad, but moronic [expletive] comes out of my mouth sometimes. What I was saying was, ‘Go check on Lyoto,’ what I meant was to remember that you’re a public figure. There’s always attention on you and what you’re doing all the time, and there’s cage etiquette. There’s things you’re supposed to do, and going and checking on somebody is what you’re supposed to do. And now because I’m in military mode and in shorthand mode, I say, ‘Jon, go check on Lyoto and go get some fans,’ and what I should have said was, ‘You’re a public figure. There’s a way to conduct yourself.’ But instead, I shorthanded it.”

What a couple of weeks it has been for the avid Jiu Jitsu fanatic. Diego Brandao scored a brilliant last second submission over Dennis Bermudez to walk away with a UFC contract and a down payment on his momma’s new house, Frank Mir added the most prized arm of all to his collection (a feeling that Mir would later refuse to go into detail about, but we imagine felt something like this), and Jon Jones used his Stretch Armstrong genetics to choke out a Jiu Jitsu black belt in Lyoto Machida with relative ease. And with each beautiful, gruesome, or eye opening technique that graces the octagon, Ryron and Rener are here to make sense of it all.

Today, the Gracie brothers touch on Tony Ferguson’s slick omaplata attempt from his unanimous decision victory over Yves Edwards at the TUF 14 Finale as well as Brandao’s glass plaque-earning effort before breaking down possibly the most shocking submission finish in MMA history, Frank Mir’s come from behind kimura over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria that absolutely destroyed the Brazilian’s arm, a picture of which can be seen after the jump:

(Props to @JacobPHansen for the tip)

There’s being a great athlete, then there’s being a great sport. Last night we learned that Jones is one of those things.

The champ takes plenty of heat for the way he carries himself. Whether you think he’s overly cocky or rightfully confident, you may not have appreciated the way that he dropped Machida to the ground like a sack of rocks. “Bones” has yet to taste defeat in mixed martial arts, which may be why he doesn’t seem to empathize with his fallen foes very well.

While the PPV microphones were cued in to Goldy and Rogan, the online stream gave access to a number of audio and video feeds. As it turns out, in addition to coaching Jones on takedowns and chokes, Greg Jackson is there to remind Jones on proper in-cage etiquette.

Does it make him any less of an incredible fighter? No. Does it make you dislike him a little more? Probably.

Not elusive enough. (Photo: Esther Lin, MMA Fighting)

There’s nothing new in Jon Jones facing his ‘toughest test to date’; his recent fights have put him through a gauntlet of UFC champions. Searching for a style that stifles him is old hat as well; in his very short career he’s faced top level wrestlers, strikers, and even a one-of-a-kind karate specialist. And doubting the light-heavyweight champ? That officially became passé last night too.

While all of the smart money was being plunked down on Jon Jones, most acknowledged that Machida’s unique style would pose an interesting challenge to the young champion. Finding Machida with the end of your fist is a tough enough chore when you’re not spinning and twisting through the air, and Jones found that out in the first round. His flashy kicks and punches came close to finishing the Dragon’s shadow, but the intended target was long out of range by the time the twirling had ended. A pair of solid body kicks and a few stalking combinations gave Lyoto the round and momentum headed into the second frame against a suddenly more-human Jones.

“Bones” found himself on the losing end of the exchanges early in round two as well. Machida, who has made a career of the unorthodox, seemed able to predict what Jones would throw before he’d even thought of it. And that’s when it finally happened: Jones got hit. It wasn’t a jaw-dropping widow-maker, mind you, but finally we had contact, significant contact. Though Jones staggered backward at bit, he quickly regained his composure and did what champions do—he took over. A takedown followed by a brutal elbow to the forehead drew blood. Lots of it. Momentum had shifted, and Jones was certain the fight was his.

(“What you lookin’ at piss breath?”)

Well, here we are at the UFC’s second Toronto card of 2011 and I’m stuck at home an hour-and-a-half away live-blogging on my couch with my wife and my dog.

I got a call from a buddy a few hours ago telling me he had a free ticket for me, but I told him I had to keep you guys abreast of the action, so I took a raincheck. Don’t say I never do anything for you.

The prelims are already in the books. Check out the results after the jump and let’s get this thing going.

“I got three of Richie’s guys breathing through their foreheads ova he-ya, so allow me be brief…”

Behind the scenes information and rampant speculation in the lead-up to a fight is the MMA equivalent of chicks gossiping in a powder room. It’s, like, totally fun, but when you start to base your investment portfolio around it or develop an eating disorder you know you’ve crossed the line. At least, that’s usually the case. The scoop we’re about to share with you is as solid as they come, so take advantage of this opportunity to change your fight picks and spray a bottle of Cool Whip directly into your throat.

Earlier this week, Light-Heavyweight challenger Lyoto Machida revealed that he had not been in communication with Black House’s not-so-secret weapon, Steven Seagal, during his training camp. Considering that his devastating knock out victory over Randy Couture was directly attributable (cough) to the action film star, it seemed odd that he wouldn’t turn to him for guidance while training for the fight of his life.

Have no fear, Dragon fans. As it turns out, Jon Jones‘ weaknesses are so glaring that they can be pointed out and easily exploited after a brief, last-minute teleconference. Who knew? Oh yeah, Seagal did.

(The CagePotato HR Department: Boldly squashing inter-office disputes since 2007.) 

Just like pictures of hot womens and irresponsible opinions, pre-UFC event bickering has become a fixture here at CagePotato. In advance of this weekend’s card in Toronto, we locked Danga and ReX in a miniature Octagon with energy drinks, a blow-up doll, and a set of questions. We were dubious about the doll, but ReX insisted that hilarity would ensue, and he assures us that it did. It wasn’t mentioned in the final article, but some things you just don’t want to ask about.

Come on in past the jump and witness the confusion of two men discussing MMA while being distracted by said hot womens, touching on the subjects of likability, MMA Math, and the potential importance of fashion choices.