[VIDEO REMOVED BY REQUEST.]

After a year in the pokey, War Machine finally returned to competition Saturday night at Ultimate Warrior Fighting 1 in Pharr, Texas, where he faced off against former UFC lightweight darling Roger Huerta in the event’s welterweight headliner. And even though prison ring-rust has to be the worst kind of ring-rust — nutraloaf and sandwich masturbation don’t exactly make for an ideal fighter lifestyle — Mr. Machine handled himself admirably, out-hustling Huerta in a gritty back-and-forth scrap.

Unfortunately, Huerta broke his rib during a scramble in round three, seemingly when War sneaks in that knee at the video’s 15:10 mark. War Machine took advantage of Huerta’s weakened state and laid on punches from the top until the match was stopped. And so, War Machine writes the first chapter of his unlikely comeback story, while Huerta picks up the fifth loss in his last six attempts.

(Image via @warmachine170)

After all the ink we gave to War Machine‘s deep thoughts about D.I.Y. asshole-plucking and bologna sex fantasies while in prison, it only seems fair that we should keep you updated on his actual MMA career. (Ed. note: zzzzzzz) The eccentric UFC veteran has been a free man since July, and his fall dance card is starting to fill up.

On Saturday, October 15th, War Machine will headline Chicago Cagefighting Championship 4, which goes down at the Odeum Expo Center in Villa Park, IL. His opponent will be TUF 4 castmember and “local fan favorite” Gideon Ray, who hasn’t competed since last July. The card will also feature Carson Beebe, Josh Shockley, and Chico Camus. Tickets start at just $20.

But a bigger fight looms on the horizon…

(Props: OfficialSwick. The true horribleness starts around 2:54.)

Mike Swick should have his own travel show, preferably on one of the non-pussy networks. Quick’s globetrotting adventures have covered everything from African street-drugs and bootleg Osama merchandise to AIDS-lizards and lady-boys in Phuket. Now his road-dogs Phil Baroni and Roger Huerta are upping the ante by drinking fresh cobra blood. (Don’t worry, that snake was going to be used for belts and meat anyway.)

Phil and Rog each bang a shot of the red stuff at the 4:04 mark, and Baroni immediately follows it up with shot #2 . “How the fuck did you do that shit,” asks a visibly-shaken Huerta. “How did you do two?” Says Baroni, like a boss: “I’m gangsta.” Later, he eats the snake’s penis, which is somewhat less gangster in my opinion.

Fresh off his win over Nick Nolte, the New York Bad Ass is slated to take on former Cage Rage champ Matt Ewin at BAMMA 6 on May 21st.

(“Next!” Pic: Bellator)

And then there was one. It’s been almost three weeks since the news broke that Zuffa, LLC. had purchased Strikeforce – this week Our Octagon Overlords allegedly began signing SF fighters to their own airtight contractual arrangements – and it just now dawns on us what this means for Eddie Alvarez. Put simply, the continued Dana-fication of the MMA landscape means Alvarez is the only US-based 155-pound fighter anywhere near the Top 10 (or, hell, Top 20) not currently owned in a roundabout way by Big DW and the Fertitta Bros. God, that must be lonely.

As if on cue, and just a few days before he’s set to put his Bellator title on the line against tournament winner Pat Curran at an event we all keep forgetting about, Alvarez made some fairly stock claims this week to SI.com’s Jeff Waggenheim about how a lot of UFC lightweights would be “nobodies” without the promotion’s PR muscle behind them. Boy, we’ve heard this one before, right?

Chicks dig fighters — even the ones who talk funny. But even with the natural advantages that come with muscles, scars, and fame, we’re still occasionally surprised by the lady-killing ability of some mixed martial artists. Of all the MMA PUA‘s, these six are the most accomplished…

DEAN LISTER

  
Notable conquests: WWE star Milena Roucka (aka ‘Rosa Mendes’), model Flavia Mazoni
Notes: ‘The Boogeyman’ is semi-retired from the sport these days, choosing instead to spend his time training hopeless cases. But in his prime, Dean Lister was just as notable for his ability to attract exotic beauties as he was for his in-cage exploits. Grappling ability plus a cartoonishly strong-looking jawline is a combination that women can’t resist, apparently.

MATT HAMILL

  
Notable conquests: Bikini model Wendy Foster, a super-hot former fiance named Brittany, an old girlfriend that was apparently down for whatever.
Notes: Snagging a Hooters Girl of the Year would be an accomplishment for any man. But to do it without the use of one of your five senses? Bro, that’s legendary. (Then again, deafness is probably an asset when you’re pretending to be interested in your girlfriend’s stories.) Matt Hamill’s ex-fiance, a bartender from upstate New York, was just as hot, and of course there were those rumors of Hamill’s partner-swappin’ lifestyle with a freaky old flame. Respect the Hammer.

(After Nate Diaz has sex with a guy, he will rip their heads off. Props: YouTube.com/FreeFights4You)

Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail feedback@cagepotato.com for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…

– Ailing Cruz, Upstart Jorgensen Aim for History Books at WEC 53 (Versus MMA Beat)

– ‘Strength and Honor’: Ben Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis Hype Video (MMA Scraps)

– Stefan Struve Wants to Get to 280 Pounds for Lesnar, Carwin, Etc. (MMA Fighting)

– The 10 Best Fights in WEC History (Heavy.com/MMA)

– Watch This Preview of ‘The Saint of Stevia: The Legend of Dan Quinn’ (MiddleEasy)

– Kimo-Therapy: UFC Veteran To Assist the Needy This Christmas (FightMagazine)

- Frank Mir vs. Brendan Schaub Expected for March 2011 (LowKick)

– Jens Pulver Not Done Yet, Plans to Fight in January (Five Ounces of Pain)

- Roger Huerta Saves Little Girl’s Life, Proves Status As Superhero (SBNation.com/MMA)

– Fedor Emelianenko: If I Never Fight In The UFC, They Will Be Sorry, Not Me (MMA Convert)

(Skip to 1:19 for the money shot.)

By ReX “Keep Fear Alive” Richardson

Let’s say that you were in Philadelphia last night, perhaps wandering around looking for the Philadelphia Doll Museum. Maybe you heard that Pagano’s had better cheesesteak than any of those South Philly stands, or you wanted to check out the (allegedly) wild party scene at Temple University. Well, while you were standing there shoving a pound of cheap steak, fried onions, and Cheez Whiz in your face, you might have heard a dull roaring noise coming from the Liacouras Center. That was the sound of Bellator XXXIII. Maybe you forgot with all the excitement around UFC 121 this weekend, but Bellator’s third entertaining season is ending, and they are going out shooting, son.

Erstwhile welterweight champ Lyman Good returned after a sixteen month injury layoff to defend the strap against Ben Askren, rising star Rick Hawn made his debut, and local boy Eddie Alvarez took on a legitimate super fight against Roger “The White Knight” Huerta. If you just facepalmed because you forgot to set your DVR, relax; I got this. Follow me in after the jump, and I’ll recap the televised fights and possibly crack some jokes. Keep in mind that I make no guarantees of quality, but if you don’t read on, you’ll probably hate yourself when the cool kids in the cafeteria start talking about it. Keep it in mind.

(You think Huerta’s had it rough over the last couple years, imagine how this guy feels. PicProps: ImageShack)

It’s hard not to feel a little bit bad for Bellator this month. Here the upstart promotion is about to stage the biggest fight of its short history when Roger Huerta takes on Eddie Alvarez next Thursday and it seems like nobody even cares. Part of that is just sheer bad luck, what with Brock Lesnar and his magnificent new beard gobbling up the headlines prior to his title defense against Cain Velasquez at UFC 121 two days later. Some of it has to be thrown at Bellator’s feet too, since this bout would certainly be garnering some more attention if it weren’t a weirdo nontitle affair. Then there’s Huerta who, after losing three of his last four, is putting waaay too much pressure on himself this week. 

“I feel like if Eddie wins, he ends up killing my career,” Huerta told Sherdog Radio on Monday. “I can’t take another loss. This is really personal for me. This is my life.”

(We know that expression. Looks like somebody needs a James Toney upset to hit their $42,500 parlay bet. Check out more exclusive photos at FightMagazine.com’s UFC 118 photo gallery.)

Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail feedback@cagepotato.com for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…

– After Perfect Performance at UFC 118, More Tests Await Edgar (Versus MMA Beat)

– Kenny Florian Says Dana White Is ‘Dead Wrong’ About Him ‘Choking In Big Fights’ (MMA Convert)

- Wanderlei Silva Recovering, Hoping for February Return vs. Leben or Belfort (MMA Fighting)

– Roger Huerta vs. Eddie Alvarez set for non-title fight at Bellator 33 (Heavy.com/MMA)

– Mark "The Smashing Machine" Kerr now sells cars in Scottsdale, Arizona. (MiddleEasy)

– Fan Opinon: Top 10 Personalities in MMA (LowKick)

– Tito Ortiz and Shaquille O’Neal face off at the UFC Fan Expo in Boston (Watch Kalib Run)

– Brett Rogers to Return Against Ruben "Warpath" Villareal Next Month in Halifax (Five Ounces of Pain)

– If Don Frye Says You Should Watch Shark Fights, You Should (MMA Scraps)

 
(TMZ? Roger wasn’t kidding when he said he was goin’ Hollywood.)

Bellator lightweight Roger Huerta will finally break his silence about what really happened in the Texas street fight he had with former Texas Longhorns linebacker Rashad Bobino.

Interestingly, though, he has chosen to do it on gossip site, TMZ, rather than via one of the many MMA news sites that have undoubtedly been clamouring to get  a statement from "El Matador" about the incident.

Hopefully TMZ gets to the bottom of what happened when the camera panned away from the fight and whether or not Huerta was the guy who stomped Bobino as he lay sprawled out on the ground.

I wonder if they’ll discuss anything of substance, like say, his upcoming Bellator fight with Eddie Alvarez in October or if they’ll ask him about Snooki and Octomom.

The segment airs live on TMZ.com at 1:30pm PT.

“That’s who we are. If you don’t want it, don’t come out there. If you don’t want to be hit, don’t step on the field. When we step on the field, you’re going to be hit, and we’re going to hit you hard.” – Rashad Bobino possibly addressing his football opponents OR women who might go to a club he frequents called "The Field."

Remember in high school how great it was when a little guy who was fed up with being picked on went berserk on a much bigger bully and kicked his ass like Ralphie Parker did to Scut Farkus in A Christmas Story?

When Ralphie is former UFC lightweight contender Roger Huerta and Scut is a 240-pound former Texas Longhorn linebacker who sucker punched a woman in the face from behind, it ‘s no surprise that everyone is on the side of the little guy once again.

 
(Unless Huerta had plastic surgery recently, this isn’t him, which means he may not be the guy who TMZ says ‘can be seen finishing his attack on the other man … who is sprawled out on the street.’")

MMA journalists are accused all the time of being "TMZ-like" reporters — sensationalistic rumor-mongers who report on stories devoid of any real facts. Calling  a reporter that is just as bad as saying "you have no integrity and have no right to be in your chosen profession."

Rarely does the match that lit the flame of a story we helped fan into a blazing, fast-spreading inferno get traced back to the source of that most detested disparaging monicker, but when it does, although it isn’t surprising considering the source, it makes you look long and hard at your own journalistic practices.

Roger Huerta Street Fight – Watch more Funny Videos
(Video courtesy of TMZ.com)

As if he wasn’t already worshipped by enough women, Roger Huerta increased his hero points this weekend by stomping the crap out of some worthless coward who sucker punched a girl outside of a bar in Austin. Check out the video above and you will see…

0:04: The sucker punch in question. Watch as the perp just strolls away like a total bitch.

0:16: Former UFC lightweight contender Roger Huerta comes by. He’s not happy with what he’s just witnessed, and wants to regulate.

(The end of the Alvarez/Neer fight, via YouTube.com/BellatorMMA.)

By DL “Tank Abbot” Richardson

Some of Bellator’s biggest names were on the card last night at the Citi Performing Arts Center, for the first-ever major MMA show in Boston. Two semi-final matchups for the lightweight tourney were on tap, plus a 160-pound SuperFight between Eddie Alvarez and Josh Neer, and a heavyweight exhibition featuring one of Brock Lesnar‘s training dummies partners. But not everything went as planned. A full rundown of Bellator 17 is after the jump. Prepare yourselves — some crazy shit went down…

(Just look at how much fun Jeremy Shockey and Mickey Rourke had last week, then try and tell us you don’t want to be a part of that.)

It’s another Thursday night in April, which means everyone’s favorite tournament-based MMA promotion is back in action.  Bellator XIV is coming to us from the historic Chicago Theatre tonight, featuring a welterweight tournament bout between Olympic wrestler Ben Askren and Ryan Thomas, as well as a lightweight scrap between inverted triangle choker Toby Imada and James Krause, and a featherweight bout between Wilson Reis and Shad Lierley.  The TV portion of the card kicks off at 7 pm local time and airs live-ish, depending on where you live, on Fox Sports Net, so check your local schedule for details.

While you wait, why not check out last week’s fight between Roger Huerta and Chad Hinton after the jump.

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney on the Philosophy of the Tournament St – Watch more Funny Videos

Here are some more exclusive videos shot last night in Hollywood, Florida, by our contributor Justin Fielder, who was able to get some time with all of the notable faces and names following Bellator XIII. First up, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney discusses how his league’s tournament format allows fighters to control their own destiny more than the traditional "matchmaking" format of most MMA promotions and boxing. He also tells us about the significance of Bellator’s superfights, and how they’ll fit into future shows.

Bellator 13 – Joe Warren – Post-Fight - Watch more Funny Videos

Joe Warren says he’s not happy with his performance against Eric Marriott, and runs down the scary submission attempts he had to survive en route to a unanimous decision victory. He also explains the differences between Japanese crowds and their louder, drunker American counterparts.

Lots more after the jump…

(An epic after-party in the making. Pictures courtesy of Tom Hill Photos.)

If you missed last night’s Bellator event you not only lost out on the chance to see some great fights, but you also missed seeing one of the best MMA cheering sections of all time. Super Bowl champion tight end Jeremy Shockey and Oscar-nominated actor Mickey Rourke were cageside in Hollywood, Florida on Thursday night to support their friend Roger Huerta, who defeated a surprisingly game Chad Hinton via third-round submission. As you’d expect, Rourke showed up looking like your ne’er-do-well uncle who lives in a motel on the edge of the town, and Shockey seemed either really enthusiastic or maybe just a little drunk, but they were both there to support their friend in his new venture and we think that’s nice.

Sure, maybe the trio seems a little odd, but also pretty awesome. Rourke and Huerta became friends when “The Wrestler” star offered to help him hone his acting skills. And Shockey? Well, Shockey knows a good time when he sees one. Missing the chance to hang out at weird after-hours clubs with Rourke and Huerta is the kind of thing you’d hate yourself for when you’re wasting away in your rocking chair decades from now.

Seeing this kind of support section cageside at an event should really serve as a notice to other fighters that they need to improve the overall quality and strangeness of their entourages. There was a time when having David Spade there to cheer you on was enough. After last night, unless you’ve got Peter O’Toole sitting next to Hideki Matsui, you’re a nobody.

(End of the Quach/Karakhanyan match. Props: YouTube.com/BellatorMMA)
 
…are after the jump, for you spoiler-haters.

Roger Huerta – Bellator 13 press conference interview – Watch more Funny Videos

Bellator Fighting Championships returns tonight at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, featuring quarterfinal action in their new lightweight and featherweight tournaments. Sixteen fighters hit the scales yesterday, and our new friend Justin Fielder was on hand at the weigh-ins to ask the headliners some probing questions. Above, former UFC star Roger Huerta tells us why he chose to sign with Bellator, gives his thoughts on his unnervingly jacked opponent Chad Hinton, and talks about his globe-trotting training camp for this fight. (Apologies for the picture quality, it was dark in there.)

After the jump…

– Joe Warren tries out some new nicknames, scoffs at his opponent Eric Marriott’s plan to keep the fight standing, and discusses why he loves the tournament format.
– 38-year-old family man Chad Hinton tells us what it means to him to get an opportunity to fight a big name like Roger Huerta.
– Lightweight tourney participant and Greg Jackson product Carey Vanier, who faces Joe Duarte tonight, runs down his journey from Best Buy manager to full-time fighter.

Check your local listings to see when FOX Sports Net is showing Bellator 13 in your ‘hood. Though it’s supposed to be broadcast live starting at 8 p.m. ET, the event is being tape-delayed in New York due to a goddamned Islanders/Penguins game, unfortunately. If you miss it, be sure to watch out for the Bellator highlight shows this Saturday night on NBC and Telemundo.

(Props: YouTube.com/BellatorMMA)

Bellator’s long-awaited second season kicks off this Thursday in Hollywood, Florida, featuring Roger Huerta‘s promotional debut against undefeated Cincinnati native Chad Hinton, and Joe Warren‘s debut against Eric Marriott. To promote the tournament series, Bellator has put together preview shows for each of their four weight classes, which originally aired on Fox Sports Network, but have also been made available on YouTube. The lightweight tourney preview covers such participants as Huerta, Toby Imada, Ferrid Kheder, and Mike Ricci, as well as the reigning champion Eddie Alvarez; part one is above, parts two and three are after the jump. To see the featherweight, welterweight, and middleweight episodes, go here.

(Not to criticize Bellator’s matchmaking, but we haven’t seen a first round tournament draw this easy since Wandelei Silva’s Pride days.)

Since his acting career didn’t quite pan out like he expected and his relationship with the UFC was still somewhat frosty, Roger Huerta has opted to go in a new direction and announced today that he’d be competing in Bellator’s upcoming 155-pound tournament. The first round kicks off on April 8, but there’s no word yet on who Huerta will face. If he wins his first fight he then moves on to fight in May, and a victory there puts him in the finals in June. That’s a busy schedule for a guy who fought just twice in the last two years, but according to Huerta that’s part of what drew him to Bellator in the first place:

"The main thing for me was I wanted to fight constantly," he said. "Since I was out so long, this is the best way for me to fight constantly and it’s up to me to continue to fight. It’s going to be grueling. I’ll fight in April, then on to May and June. But I want to continue to fight. I went from fighting five times in one year in ’07, then once in ’08 and ’09. Now I can fight four times in 2010."

Huerta insists that he’s coming back “with a chip on my shoulder” and is fully focused on MMA these days. His joint-grinding loss against Gray Maynard proved that toughness is never an issue, and we don’t want to sound like a clingy girlfriend here, but is “El Matador” ready to make a serious commitment to this sport? If not, the Bellator tournament’s grueling schedule will probably find him out.

(At least the costume designer can still dream of an Oscar.)

Our friends at Screen Junkies have the trailer for the upcoming "Tekken" movie that stole both Roger Huerta and Cung Le away from the MMA world for a little while.  If the movie’s anything like the trailer, it’s not going to be as entertaining as playing Tekken for ninety-two minutes would be, but that’s to be expected.  At least we get a glimpse of Huerta’s acting chops when he shouts, ‘This is Iron Fist!’ at the 0:12 mark.  It’s probably unfair to judge his entire performance by how stitled and unconvincing that one line is, but let’s just say we’re not surprised that he wants to come back to fighting.

The boys at SJ point out that "Tekken" is directed by the same guy who did "Halloween 4" and "Anacondas," and written by the same guy who penned such works as "Spawn" and "The Marine."  You add in a couple of real fighters who returned to the sport to take beatings after filming this joint, along with the guy who played Jim Brown in "The Express" in the role of Raven, and you got yourself a can’t-miss blockbuster. 

(‘Okay, final offer. You take me back in the UFC and I’ll give you this hat that I made out of a sofa. Going once…’)

Before he burns any bridges with the UFC, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson might want to take a look at the cautionary tale of Roger Huerta.  After losing what was supposed to be his last match in the UFC before running off to a land of riches and pain-free adulation in Hollywood, Huerta now says he might like to stick around and see where this fighting thing takes him.  And what caused this tremendous shift from the guy who signed a development deal with Lion’s Gate Films and has been very vocal about his displeasure with the UFC in the past?  From the sound of it, this acting plum isn’t quite as sweet as Huerta thought it would be:

“I’m still open to acting,” said Huerta. “Hopefully we get something going with that, but I’m not going to prioritize (acting) now. I’ll still prioritize fighting. If the UFC wants me back, I’d be willing to go back. …We started looking at the things we were going to do with Lion’s Gate.  We’ve looked over some roles, but nothing that I’ve wanted to sink my teeth into (yet).”

Translation: I thought doing this one cheesy role in a video game movie would lead to gigs where I co-starred with Scarlett Johansson and blew up helicopters, but instead all I got offered was a role opposite Vanessa Johansson in the sequel to “Shark in Venice.”

("Listen, Gray, if you promise to stay away from my face, I think I can hook you up with a role in my next project. We’re doing a movie adaptation of ‘Big Buck Hunter.’ Should be hot." Photo courtesy of this set on CombatLifestyle.)

Spoiler alert: UFC Fight Night 19 is being broadcast on tape-delay in some parts of the country, so check your local listings before continuing if you want to keep your viewing experience pure. Now then, it’s time to see if weed-strength can overcome cocaine-quickness, and how Roger Huerta’s farewell performance will be received by the toughest critics of all — Gray Maynard’s fists. Live results await you after the jump; refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and let us know how you’re feelin’ in the comments section.

(Props: BadBoyMMA1)

Roger Huerta may have an ill-advised acting career to turn to after tomorrow night’s fight against Gray Maynard, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t training hard for his last stand in the Octagon. In the video profile above, Huerta implies that his previous loss to Kenny Florian at UFC 87 was the result of moving away from his dependable coaching duo of Dave Menne and Justin Hagen. He certainly seems focused — though you have to wonder if Huerta should be drilling nothing but his smother-defense at this point.

Next Wednesday Gray Maynard will try to help escort Roger Huerta out of the UFC at Spike TV’s Fight Night 19.  In talking with him for an SI.com feature this week, “The Bully” expressed an unwavering desire to stay out of whatever drama may be going on between Huerta and the UFC, but he also expects to put some of his newly-developed skills on display in hopes of getting MMA fans to finally stand up and take notice of him.

When we saw you in your last fight against Jim Miller, you seemed to have really improved your boxing skills, and that surprised some people.

Yeah, I got with a coach, Gil Martinez, who helped coach [Randy] Couture.  I’ve been with him for about a year and a half now.  When I was getting prepared for [Frankie] Edgar I knew I had to get it going.  I’ve been going with him pretty much every day.  He has a small gym and he has a bunch of kids who can really box.  I’ve been going over there and doing drills and training every day.  He’s a great coach.  I was able to do a little bit against Edgar, where that fight was about half stand-up.  It’s slow to develop.  It takes time.

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. We just received the above poster image in our inbox, in which Nate Diaz (who’s coming off back-to-back losses to Clay Guida and Joe Stevenson) and Melvin Guillard (cokehead) appear to be headlining the next UFC Fight Night card over top lightweight contender Gray Maynard and Roger Huerta, who used to be the UFC’s Great Brown Hope until he started talking out of turn. Of course, most fans are just going to be happy to see two great lightweight matchups on free TV, not realizing the passive aggressive jab of disrespect that’s going on here. (Honestly, I can’t wait to hear Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg’s spin on why Diaz vs. Guillard is main-event-worthy.) But hey, good luck to Nate — when was the last time a fighter was given a headlining slot and a "win or go home" match on the same night?

UFC Fight Night 19 will serve as a lead-in to the premiere of Kimbo’s House (aka TUF 10). Tickets to the event go on sale this week; the current lineup is after the jump.

Remember Roger Huerta? Mexican guy, lightweight, used to bang a lot of hot chicks? "El Matador," as he was known, hasn’t fought since a unanimous decision loss to Kenny Florian last August, due to a falling out with the UFC over a perceived lack of respect and a desire to pursue acting and modeling. (How’s that going, by the way?) Though a previous rumor that he was going to finish out his contract against Sean Sherk at UFC 97 turned out to be nothin’ but wind-piss, the word on the street now is that he’ll be facing undefeated lightweight contender Gray Maynard at UFC Fight Night 19 (September 16th, Oklahoma City).

(How can Josh be thinking about a fight with Fedor when his loss to Gunma Devil is still unavenged? Photos courtesy of JoshBarnett.tv.)

"I’ve heard nothing, I know nothing, I see nothing. What it comes down to is that I don’t have a bout agreement to fight anybody in particular. This is coming up on my third fight for Affliction, with the logical idea that it would lead up to [a fight with Emelianenko]. But as it sits, I’m sitting on my last fight and I’m just waiting for an opponent to show themselves. Whoever is available, I’ll take them, but I know the fans are really hot to see me fight Fedor. It just hasn’t been put together." — Josh Barnett on Inside MMA, discussing his uncertain future. The persistent rumor of Affliction’s third show going up against UFC 100 would seem even more ill-advised if it isn’t even headlined by Emelianenko vs. Barnett.

"To be honest I’m just waiting… for the UFC to give me a phone call and I’m able to fight my last fight. I’m just kind of waiting on that."— Roger Huerta on Inside MMA, discussing his own uncertain future. After declining to renew his UFC contract in January in order to pursue a career in acting and modeling, Huerta turned down a fight against Joe Stevenson at UFC 95 in February and hasn’t exactly been on the UFC’s speed-dial since then. Huerta has one fight remaining on his current contract, which runs through December.

(Note to Muscle Shark: Watch out for hail-Mary flying knees in the third round. Props to CombatLifestyle.)

So says MMAWeekly’s blog MMAInsider:

If Sherk chooses to keep the fight standing and show off the improved striking that we saw in his decision win over Tyson Griffin at UFC 90, this might actually be a good match. I’m just worried that Dana White will hand him an envelope of cash and say "make this little punk look bad," causing Sherk to spend all three rounds working his lay-and-pray. Just like Tito Ortiz’s last fight against Lyoto Machida, the UFC may not want to send off their departing star with a big win. They’re kind of vindictive like that.