("Thank you for your opening statement, Mr. Miller. Mr. Diaz and Mr. Shields now have 30 seconds to present their rebuttal." PicProps: BuzzHollywood.com)

Even after a panel of world renowned experts weighed in last week to unanimously declare that Jake Shields still needs to prove himself worthy in the UFC’s 170-pound division, the company is not wavering in its plans to shoehorn him into a title shot against the winner of next month’s Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck scrap. Shields now even says he’ll be cageside at UFC 124 in Montreal, pretty much ensuring that the UFC will tempt fate by having the Cesar Gracie jiu jitsu fighter enter the Octagon to confront the victor.

We all know what happened the last time the former Strikeforce middleweight champ was involved in a postfight altercation inside a cage. Bad things, man. Fortunately, if Shields decides to engage in a company-sponsored mean-mug competition after UFC 124 it will at least be at an event run by professionals, so the possibility of an encore performance of “Strikeforce: Nashville” is pretty slim. Especially since all parties involved will no doubt get a stern “Be cool, motherfuckers,” speech from Dana White prior to the show. Still, Shields was already teasing a heel turn during his recent interview with MMA Weekly …

(Don’t worry Gabe, the world will always need drinking instructors… / Props: gonzagabjj)

Following two consecutive losses to Junior Dos Santos and Brendan Schaub (at UFC 121), former heavyweight title contender Gabriel Gonzaga has been released by the UFC. "Napao" confirmed the news via Twitter today, writing: "Official now – Out of UFC – Thanks for all your support – back to normal life and BJJ forever." Could Gonzaga really be retiring from MMA altogether? Come on bro, all you need is a new camp and a strategy that doesn’t focus on the absolute weakest part of your game…

(The beginning of the end for the Predator…)

From #1 contender to castoff in three fights — such is the fate of Patrick Cote, who confirmed today that he has been cut by the UFC following his decision loss to Tom Lawlor at UFC 121. As Cote wrote, "I had a little hope but finally got the release word from the UFC. Its been a awesome experience! Ill be back!!"

The TUF 4 middleweight finalist lost his first four official matches in the Octagon (including his TUF 4 finale fight against Travis Lutter), but then went on a monster run in 2007-2008 that saw him score five consecutive victories over Scott Smith, Jason Day, Kendall Grove, Drew McFedries, and Ricardo Almeida.

Ruben Vera catches up with Jason Mayhem Miller – Watch more Funny Videos

CagePotato’s West Coast Correspondent Ruben Vera recently got some time with Strikeforce/DREAM star Jason Miller, and if there’s one thing you should take away from this interview, it’s that BULLY BEATDOWN RETURNS NOVEMBER 4TH!!! Okay, now that the shameless plug is out of the way, we can get down to business. Mayhem is rather upset that Nick Diaz has the gall to talk shit and throw water bottles at him backstage after Strikeforce events, but won’t step up to fight him in front of a paying audience. He also runs down his DREAM.16 fight against Kazushi Sakuraba, his recent trip to Brazil, bringing MMA to a new audience with Bully Beatdown, and UFC 121‘s marquee matchups. Some highlights…

On Nick Diaz: "Man, this guy’s a paper champion, get out of here with this. What the hell? So he beat up a 155-pound KJ Noons, and ‘ohhh, you gotta come down to 170, bro.’ Get out of here! Like, okay, what exactly does that mean? The only fight anyone wants to see is me and Nick Diaz. Outside of the UFC, that’s the only fight that people are talking about, here in America. I’m sorry, that’s how it is. You broke it off, you jumped me. You did it, you asked for it, you talked about, for years, guys with painted hair who bark at themselves. Who are you talking about? You didn’t call out names. I’m calling out names! Nick Diaz is a bitch…he wants it, but he doesn’t. ‘Oh, come to my gym and fight me.’ Come to your gym and fight you? Really? That’s what you’re saying now? Get out of here, man. Step in the cage and fight me, you know? It’s ridiculous."

(“They said this *was* the biggest hat they had.” PicProps: Sherdog)

Man, Jake Shields either possesses an unbelievable knack for stating the obvious or he just has an incredibly dry sense of humor. Either way, we dare you to read the following quote without having some variation of the expression “No shit, Sherlock,” flash through your mind. On the topic of his underwhelming performance against Martin Kampmann at UFC 121, Shields tells MMA Weekly: “If I was fighting GSP that night I don’t think I would have won, to be honest. I just don’t see myself beating GSP being the way I felt that night, but I also don’t feel that’s me. I feel like I can go out there and beat him still.”

Actually, there are a lot of people who don’t even think Shields beat Kampmann. The former Strikeforce middleweight champ showed up in the Octagon with a boatload of hype and – as is the fashion for big-name signees these days – came within an iffy split decision of fumbling his UFC debut. Then he went to the post-fight presser and said some shit about how he had cut 20 pounds in one day in order to make the 170-pound limit for the first time since 2008. UFC President Dana White called that “ridiculous” and “stupid,” but for some reason appears firm in his plans to have Shields next challenge for the welterweight title. Just goes to show, you never can tell what’s going to make the big man fly into one of his rages these days and what he’s just going to shrug off …

(Cain Velasquez and George Lopez enjoy a PBJ and milk in honor of Brock Lesnar’s cracker-ass heritage. Props: fpvault)

– Five Lessons: UFC 121 Edition (Versus MMA Beat)

- Cesar Gracie Says Jake Shields Is the Guy to Beat GSP (FightMagazine)

– Dana White: Brock Lesnar Is Not Going Back to WWE (LowKick)

- Court McGee Not Entirely Pleased With Performance in UFC 121 Win (MMA Fighting)

– The IRS Put a Lien On James Toney’s UFC 118 Fight Purse (MMA Convert)

– Marquardt vs. Okami Winner Guaranteed Title Shot (Heavy.com/MMA)

– Bellator Finalizes Line-Up for Thursday Night’s Season-Ending Event (Five Ounces of Pain)

– Playboy Playmate LaTasha Marzolla Gets Her Arm Snapped in an MMA Bout (MiddleEasy)

– Herb Dean Talks Refereeing and Judging and His New Line of Condoms (MMA Scraps)

– UFC President Dana White Talks Jon Jones, Jose Aldo on the Fight Fix (SBNation.com/MMA)

(We feel pretty comfortable saying this is the best Oasis/Green Day/Footage-of-Matt-Hughes-blasting-wild-pigs-with-a-laser-sited-crossbow mash-up on the internet today. VidProps: YouTube/LaserLyte)

Here’s a subtle hint for all you aspiring writers out there: When referring in print to people of ethnicities other than your own, it’s probably not best to preface your description of their race/nationality with the word “the.” Doing so just makes you seem like 1,000-times more racist than you might normally appear. Case-in-point: Matt Hughes’ post-UFC 121 blog, in which he admits being baffled by the UFC’s choice to promote Cain Velasquez as the “First Mexican Heavyweight Champion,” but still feels happy for “The Mexicans” that Velasquez beat Brock Lesnar last weekend. Check it out:  

“I didn’t think Brock was going to lose like he did, but I knew there was a good chance Cain could get his hand raised,” Hughes writes. “UFC kind of made a big deal about it. I really don’t know why, but I’m glad that the Mexicans have a heavyweight champion.”

Emphasis ours, of course. But, see what we mean? There’s just something about the above sentence that makes the author sound like an old man in plaid pants peering hesitantly out from behind lace curtains while he complains to his wife, “Goddamn it, Margaret. What are the blacks up to now?” Nobody is accusing Matt Hughes of knowingly being culturally insensitive. Just, you know, for future reference …

(You like it? I’m having this airbrushed onto the hood of my Impala.)

As you’re all aware by now, Cain Velasquez became The First Mexican Heavyweight Champion in Fighting History™ on Saturday when he destroyed Brock Lesnar at UFC 121. The crowning of Velasquez should hopefully usher in a new wave of interest in the UFC from the Latino community — but the promotion still has a long way to go until it appeals to all demographics. If the UFC wants to achieve true mass appeal, they should work as hard as possible to check these categories off their list as well…

An African-American Lightweight Champion
Over the years, the UFC has awarded title belts to Maurice Smith and Kevin Randleman in the heavyweight division, and Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans at 205. And even though former welterweight champ Carlos Newton and middleweight king Anderson Silva aren’t American, they would certainly be described by my mother as "people of soul." But the history of the UFC’s lightweight division has been that of white dudes (see: Pulver, Sherk, Edgar) and a fiery Hawaiian warrior (come on, son.) What the division needs is an athletic and explosive champion at 155, who can serve as a role model for kids who are too short to make the basketball team. Do I have to spell it out for you? Okay, fine: A-N-T-O-N-I-O M-c-K-E-E, P-L-A-Y-E-R.

(The greatest exchange of the entire event, from round two of Sanchez vs. Thiago. You’ll have to provide your own "aaaaahhhhhhh!!!" Props: CampizonE MMA)

(Brock Lesnar doesn’t need police protection, bitch. Props: Caposa)

(Worst ‘America’s Got Talent’ audition ever. Photo courtesy of UFC.com)

Cain Velasquez has a date with Junior Dos Santos, and Jake Shields — God help us — is still likely to face the winner of GSP vs. Koscheck. But the fates of UFC 121‘s other winners and losers are yet to be determined. As usual, we have some brilliant suggestions…

Brock Lesnar: Assuming that nobody really wants to see a Lesnar vs. Mir rubber match, there are a surprising lack of options for the new ex-champ. If Roy Nelson beats Shane Carwin at UFC 125, Lesnar vs. Big Country would make perfect sense. (Lesnar vs. Carwin II is also an option for down the road, considering Carwin never felt like Brock beat him fair and square.) But at the moment, the best available opponent for Lesnar is Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who’s coming off his own nasty loss to Velasquez. The fading Big Nog would likely take a beating, but the UFC needs to re-build their most bankable star against a credible name, and letting Lesnar whale on a legend is an effective way to do it.

Martin Kampmann: The first name that comes to mind is Dan Hardy, though the UFC probably wants to avoid the possibility of one of their British stars dropping three straight. So how ’bout this: Nate Diaz. The TUF 5 winner and moneyweight contender is facing Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 125. If Diaz wins, Diaz vs. Kampmann is a great matchup between two guys who are on the same upper-middle region of the welterweight ladder. If Diaz gets outgrappled by DHK, then Kampmann gets a rebound against an "easier" opponent. Either way, it’s a scrap.

(Your Brazilian SWAT training is no match for the power of positive thinking, Paulo. PicProps: UFC.com)

Mostly by virtue of the hype surrounding the main event, UFC 121 succeeded in preserving the aura of a big time fight show despite the fact that many of the bouts were … what’s the nice way to say this … terribly boring. Even still, a bunch of stuff happened that we need to mention: Jake Shields pretty much proved that it’s physically fucking impossible for top fighters from other organizations to look good in their UFC debuts.  Diego Sanchez defeated Paulo Thiago using the sheer supremacy of his personality. Gabriel Gonzaga showed that he’d be better off climbing to the top of a half-finished construction site and tossing barrels down at his opponents than try to strike with them. Tito Ortiz looked done like dinner, thus taking the next ironic step in his journey toward becoming – as we suggested on last week’s Bum Rush – the new Ken Shamrock.

Was it thrilling? Nah, but the ultimate crumbling of Casa de Lesnar made up for all of it. Shoot, it even reduced Dave Camarillo to tears. What more do you want?

(Valhalla was not quite what Lesnar had been expecting. There were fewer sexy valkyries and more big Mexicans angry about that shit he said. PicProps: UFC.com)

So, Cain Velasquez came as advertised at UFC 121. Brock Lesnar? Not quite so much. When Lesnar’s early Caveman Smash offense failed and he couldn’t keep Velasquez on the mat with his vaunted wrestling prowess, shit got ugly in a hurry. Of all the things the newly minted UFC heavyweight champion did well on Saturday night – face-punching being the most obvious – the most important and impressive may have been his ability to scramble back to his feet. As it turns out (and as some of you already suspected) the only thing Velasquez had to do to win this fight was keep it vertical, size and strength be damned. 

Clearly, Lesnar’s standup game is still a disaster of the approximate size and scope of the Hindenburg and the cracks that emerged in his repertoire during his previous fight with Shane Carwin busted wide open against Velasquez. He lashed out with some knees and good straight punches early, but they didn’t seem to faze the undefeated AKA product. As soon as Cain marshaled the troops and went on the offensive it was clear Lesnar had no plan B. And lo, there was much rejoicing and celebration. The Dark Lord hath fallen.

The most pressing question now may be what unforeseen calamity will befall Velasquez? Motorcycle wreck? Lengthy contract dispute? Hole in his colon? The only thing we’ve been able to conclusively prove about the UFC heavyweight title over the years is that winning it is typically not good for your health. As for Lesnar? Well, it’s funny how you can go from ruling the roost to looking like a chump in just under five minutes. Now even The Undertaker wants a piece. That video is after the jump.

(Above: "Look, everybody in Minnesota grows a beard in the winter, and most of us use deer urine to keep it soft and shiny. I’m sorry if the smell is unfamiliar to you." Below: It’s nice to see that someone else appreciates the long and brave career of Dana Delany. / Photos courtesy of CombatLifestyle.com)

With Brock Lesnar gunning for a historic third-consecutive heavyweight title defense against Mexican-American upstart Cain Velasquez, belt-collector Jake Shields making his first appearance in the Octagon, and Tito Ortiz possibly making his last appearance in the Octagon, there’s a lot on the line tonight in Anaheim. Round-by-round results from UFC 121 can be found after the jump, starting with the Spike prelims at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all latest, and please let your voice be heard in the comments section.

 
I’m really glad my wife didn’t drink or do drugs while she was pregnant with any of my kids…

(Video courtesy YouTube/BeenerKeeKee19952)

- Denis Kang to fight for W-1 middleweight strap December 18 (topmmanews)

- Eva Longoria rapping (tuvez)

- Werdum picks Velasquez to stop Lesnar (mmacanada)

– The film directors Hall of Fame (bullz-eye)

- Sweet Machete-like Cain Velasquez promo (fightlinker)

- NBA preview (scoresreport)

- Will Kampmann be the one to derail Jake Shields? (mmafighting)

- Cody Mackenzie talks Koscheck feud and guillotines (bleacherreport)

- Liam Neeson replaces Mel Gibson in The Hangover II (screenjunkies)

- Dana White describes first meeting with Fedor (versus)

- Layla Kayleigh pics (holytaco)

- Werdum says Fedor win changed his life (youtube)

- Cris Cyborg interview (tatame)

- Brock says he would be a black belt by now if he trained gi (sportsnet)

Just a reminder that we’ll be streaming the UFC 121 weigh-ins today live from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

Will Brock and Cain butt chestpieces? Will Diego go into full-retard staredown mode? Will Tito apologize to Hammill and the deaf community using sign language?

All of these questions and more will be answered after the jump.

("BJ Penn’s not the lightweight champion anymore? You’re *sure*? How sure are you?")

After getting completely handled by John Hathaway in his welterweight return at UFC 114, we were a little surprised to learn Diego Sanchez would be giving 170 another shot against Paulo Thiago, an opponent who’s arguably even more dangerous than Hathaway. Who knows what’s going on in that crazy mind of his from day to day, but we do know that the Nightmare vows to drop back to lightweight after Saturday. As he told UFC.com:

"…just for the record, I do plan on dropping back to 155 after this fight. Me and Greg (Jackson) and the team are just gonna work together and see what (UFC matchmaker) Joe (Silva) can get lined up for me…For now I think [the move is] basically gonna be permanent, but that all depends because I feel like I can fight in both weight classes. There’s 125, 135, 145, 155 — I wish we had a 165 and a 175 (pound division). That would make it a lot easier for me because I could fight 165, but we don’t have that yet and I’ve got to make a decision.

(VidProps: YouTube/UFC)

Big DW’s latest video blog finds him doing no shortage of totally weird shit leading up to UFC 121 this Saturday. First, we get a closer look at White stumping for senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) alongside – even weirder – Chuck Liddell at a rally in Reno. A bit later, Our Fearless Leader and a few of his faithful employees get dressed up like an R&B group out to shoot the cover of their Christmas album as part of a photo-op for Playboy. (Ed. Note: CagePotato will not, we repeat not, be publishing any poor quality digital stills of this spread. We’re still hoping to rollover at least a few of our weekend minutes.)

During the rallies, White makes sure to point out to the live crowd that he’s “not very political or politically correct” (No, really?) and that he’s just there to spread the word about the importance of voting. After all, there’s nothing more American than blindly appealing to all people to “get out there and vote.” This despite the cruel reality that people who are “not very political” and/or can’t be trusted to look after their own best interests actually shouldn’t vote. That’s how people like this win elections. To his credit, Dana advises us to “do our homework” before we take to the polls, so at least his heart is in the right place. Oddly, there is no footage here of “The Iceman” addressing the political rallies. His speeches much have been too long and too nuanced to edit neatly into a 12 minute blog.

(Use the rage, Cain. Use it!)

By this point, you’ve probably picked a winner for tomorrow night’s Lesnar vs. Velasquez event in Anaheim. Maybe you think Cain Velasquez‘s speed and striking technique will win the day. Maybe you think Brock Lesnar‘s power and hugeness will carry him through. But have you really considered all the relevant factors? Let’s run down the UFC 121 headlining match and see who really holds the advantages…

MMA RECORD BEFORE ENTERING THE UFC
Lesnar: 1-0 (first-round TKO win over Min Soo Kim)
Velasquez: 2-0 (first-round TKO wins over Jesse Fujarczyk and Jeremiah Constant)
Advantage: Velasquez

# OF OPPONENTS THEY COULDN’T FINISH
Lesnar: 2 (lost to Frank Mir by submission, defeated Heath Herring by decision)
Velasquez: 1 (defeated Cheick Kongo by decision)
Advantage: Velasquez

WALKOUT MUSIC
Lesnar: "Enter Sandman"
Velasquez: A vaguely threatening Mexican tune about illegal immigration
Advantage: even

(Video courtesy YouTube/Choward730420/ESPN)

Brock Lesnar anti-fan Jim Rome sat down with the UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar today and discussed a number of topics from his serious battle with diverticulitis to which sport is tougher: professional football or professional MMA?

Perhaps the most interesting thing Brock said in the interview came out when he was asked by Rome what he thought about comments Chael Sonnen made about him having a $5 haircut and a penis  knife tattoo and an assertion that he would "shove up through [Lesnar's] face if he got in his way. A baffled looking Brock told Rome that he "seriously" had no idea who Chael was, asking increduously if he was a fighter.

Two can play the pro-wrestling heel game, Chael, and I’m pretty sure that having done four or five shows a week for a few years during his stint with the WWE, Brock is a bit more experienced at it than you are.

("I know, I know…he just seemed so *real*, that’s all.")

After going on Inside MMA to claim that deaf people are easier to knock out because of their soft heads and poor "equilibium" [sic], Tito Ortiz recently took to his Twitter page to offer this retraction:

"I want to apologize to the deaf community for the remarks I made about Matt [Hamill] it was uncalled for. He is a good fighter and I was out of line."

An apology certainly helps, but to fully settle this matter, MMA Junkie enlisted their medical columnist Dr. Johnny Benjamin to answer the question once and for all. And man, Dr. Johnny didn’t spare anybody’s feelings. Here’s what he had to say:

"This is a difficult question to answer – not because it has any basis in fact but because it is difficult to stay professional and not attack the character of a person who makes such ignorant statements.

Cain Velasquez talks to CagePotato.com – Watch more Funny Videos

Just a few days out from his UFC 121 heavyweight title fight against Brock Lesnar, #1 contender Cain Velasquez sat down with our man Ruben Vera to answer some tough questions. For instance, what exactly is Cain going to bring to the table that’ll make him different than the other top heavyweights that Brock has already smashed? Velasquez also discusses the looming threat of Junior Dos Santos, the responsibility of being the new Latino standard-bearer in the UFC, and his appreciation of Fedor Emelianenko. Plus: UFC 121 picks, where Cain falls on the tweezers vs. waxing debate, and just like with Phil Baroni, Ruben somehow manages to get Cain Velasquez to say that "CagePotato is the best." Damn, bro…are you holding these guys’ families hostage or something?

(They were polar opposites with hearts of gold and a weakness for terrible chest tattoos.)

If you didn’t catch today’s UFC 121 press conference, you didn’t miss a whole hell of a lot more than the usual answers to the usual questions, but there were a few interesting tidbits revealed by UFC president Dana White including that he will be travelling to New York tomorrow to discuss some movement in the sanctioning of MMA in the hold-out state and the fact that he considered giving Jake Shields a title shot in his first UFC fight based on his record and accomplishments outside the Octagon.

Reflecting off of another, "Do you see MMA in the Olympics in the future?" question he was lobbed at the presser, White explained that things in New York are "moving faster than [he] could have imagined" and that he will be meeting with some unnamed individuals in that regard on Thursday.

As is tradition during UFC fight week, the major players of UFC 121 are about to assemble for a public press conference at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Beginning at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT, Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez, Jake Shields, Martin Kampmann, Tito Ortiz, Matt Hamill, and Dana White will be fielding questions from the media. You can watch the proceedings in the UFC’s media player, which is waiting for you after the jump. And if you need any more help in getting hyped up for this event, be advised that Spike TV will be airing UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin tonight at 7 p.m., followed by the third and final episode of UFC Primetime: Lesnar vs. Velasquez at 9:30 p.m. 

(The "Yes We Cain" limited edition t-shirt, just $20 at dethroneroyalty.com.)

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…

– As of Today, Fedor Emelianenko Is a Russian Politician and He Plans to Enforce the People’s Rights (MiddleEasy)

- Cain Velasquez Gets Mobbed by Fans Who Are Not Impressed with Brock Lesnar (MMA Scraps)

- Jake Shields: If Kampmann Doesn’t Tap, I’ll Snap His Arm In Half (MMA Convert)

- Matt Hamill: Friendship Out the Door vs. Tito Ortiz at UFC 121 (MMA Fighting)

– Gabriel Gonzaga Discusses His UFC 121 Opponent and the Current Depth in the Heavyweight Division (LowKick)

– Sam Stout Ready To Welcome Paul Taylor To The Lightweight Division (Heavy.com/MMA)

– The Eight-Point Stance: UFC 120 (Five Ounces of Pain)

– Exclusive: Mike Pyle – ‘I Just Absolutely Handled The Kid’ (SBNation.com/MMA)

– Frank Shamrock is On A Mission to Legalize MMA in New York (FightMagazine)

– Arianny Celeste Promotes Playboy Appearance on TMZ (Versus MMA Beat)

("UFC Countdown." VidProps: Megavideo.com)

At long last, here is the Brock Lesnar we all know and love/loathe. After weeks of playing it almost unimaginably cool about the fact he’s about to defend his UFC heavyweight title against a 240-pound Mexican(-American), Lesnar finally let the thin veil of cultural sensitivity fall away during last night’s “UFC Countdown” show. It takes approximately one minute, 13 seconds into the above vid for Lesnar to publicly debut the semi-racist jokes about Cain Velasquez that he’s no doubt been trying out for weeks behind closed doors at the DeathClutch Gym. The results are actually kind of comforting. At least now we have confirmation that this dude with the beard really is Brock Lesnar, and not just some politically correct imposter.

"Listen,” quips Lesnar here. “When I get done whooping your ass, I’m gonna go drink a Corona and eat a burrito just for your Hispanic heritage. How about that?"

(Martin Kampmann: Even when he grooms his eyebrows it’s intense.)

In the lead up to Saturday’s UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velsasquez show in Anaheim, a major talking point has been Jake Shields‘s highly anticipated UFC debut. Lost in all the hype and Jake-centric media coverage is Shields’s opponent Martin Kampmann, who has taken out names like Paulo Thiago, Carlos Condit, and Thales Leites during his 10-fight run in the Octagon.

Martin was a guest on the latest episode of The Bum Rush Radio Show, where he discussed being underestimated by fans, and agreed with the widespread opinion that Jake Shields is boring a fighter. For the benefit of you lazy bastards who haven’t subscribed to our show yet, we’ve reprinted an excerpt below…

CAGEPOTATO.COM: It seems like all the media attention in this fight is on your opponent. You have Dana White saying Jake Shields will likely get a title shot if he beats you…do you feel overlooked or disrespected in any way by how this fight is being promoted, or presented in the media?
MARTIN KAMPMANN: He’s getting a lot of hype, and I feel sometimes people underestimate me. People underestimated me for my last fight too, they were counting me out then as well, but I proved everybody wrong, and I plan to prove everybody wrong in this fight as well…I’m in the UFC to achieve my goals, and Jake’s just another guy in the way.

If Jake Shields is being offered a title shot if he beats you, do you think the same offer should extend to you? If you beat Shields, are you worthy of the next shot?
Yeah, I definitely think so. If he can earn a title shot coming in from Strikeforce with his first fight in the UFC…this is my 11th fight in the UFC, so I think I’ve paid my dues. Of course it’s up to the UFC who gets the title shot, but I definitely think that it’ll put me up in #1 contender status with a win.

(“What you don’t seem to understand, *Pat*, is that our reliance on Lockean liberalism is precisely what’s allowed America to live under this guise of exceptionality that leads us to deny our own history in the name of social order. Look, go read some Louis Hartz and then we’ll talk.” PicProps: @DCBrockLesnar)

Those of you who’ve been keeping up with “UFC Primetime” have likely already noticed two things: 1) Visiting sparring partner Pat Barry is far and away the most engaging and interesting (read: smartest) personality inside Brock Lesnar’s DeathClutch gym. 2) Yeah, it’s a little weird for Barry to be training with Lesnar leading up to his UFC 121 clash with Cain Velasquez. Somehow I just don’t see those two guys having compatible personalities. Nonetheless, Barry’s status as an invited guest at DeathClutch is another clear indicator that The Dark Lord is making an effort to get his leather together in the striking department. That endeavor, according to a recent article in the Boston Herald, has also included a second straight training camp with noted boxing coach Peter Welch.

“I never learned just the basics in boxing,” Lesnar explains. “I wanted to go get a grassroots boxing coach to get my feet underneath me, to try to combine my wrestling positions and mold into a boxing stance, and just lower myself and learn to punch from my feet to my hands. And so he’s been a huge help — just being able to understand the fundamentals of punching.”

Also, this is yet another situation that underscores how totally awesome it is to be Brock Lesnar. Here’s a guy who was already UFC heavyweight champion by the time he thought to himself, “Hey, you know what? I should learn a little bit of this crazy boxing stuff that everybody else is doing.” Must be nice.

(Video courtesy TheFightFix)

According to Jake Shields’ father and manager, Jack Shields, the rumors that his son suffered an injury training for his UFC debut next weekend aren’t without merit.

The elder Shields told CSN Washington’s The Fight Fix over the weekend that Jake, who hasn’t fought at 170 since 2008, sustained a back injury due to a combination of too much running and cutting too much weight too quickly to drop down to welterweight for his UFC 121 fight with Martin Kampmann, but says that he has since made a complete recovery.

If you watch Jake’s training session with former Olympic wrestler Ben Askren, the former Strikeforce middleweight champ doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of being injured, but if the injury came from cutting weight, you never know what effect dropping the final five to 10 pounds will have on his back this week.

(He might go home and try to get on top of his wife but he will not, we repeat not, get on top of your questions about immigration. PicProps: @DCBrockLesnar)

Since we’re already all so giddy to see these two behemoths get in the cage and crush skulls next weekend, it’s been pretty easy to overlook the fact that neither Brock Lesnar nor Cain Velasquez has done a great job selling UFC 121. Truth is they don’t have to, since these titanic heavyweight matchups have a way of promoting themselves. Nonetheless, Velasquez has thus far proved too media savvy and Lesnar too mind-numbingly obstinate to say or do anything interesting leading up to their clash in Anaheim.

Even with two-thirds of “UFC Primetime” already in the books, you’d be hard-pressed to come up with a storyline for this bout aside from the run-of-the-mil “unstoppable force vs. immovable object” trope that’s worked so well for promoters for decades. For that reason, we’d like to offer up an earnest golf clap to whichever reporter tried to actually get the fighters to say something interesting during yesterday’s conference call by asking both Lesnar and Velasquez about Arizona’s recent controversial illegal immigration enforcement laws. Brilliant move that might’ve yielded solid gold results. Unfortunately, neither guy really took the bait. 

(Video courtesy YouTube/SpikeTV/UFC)

If you missed last night’s episode of UFC Primetime: Lesnar vs. Velasquez, look no further, we got you covered, homie.

The recurring theme coming out of Velasquez’s camp is that Cain is going to use his speed and endurance advantage to take Brock into the later rounds where he is planning on putting on a boxing clinic.  Dave Camarillo went so far as to say that Velasquez in planning on being the spry matador who will make Lesnar the bull look like a lumbering idiot…or something to that effect.

Lesnar’s coaches are pissed at the assertion that their fighter is a slow, out of shape fighter, and they take every opportunity to try to dispel the assumption, even sticking temporary training partner, Pat Barry in front of the camera to talk about Brock’s cheetah-like reflexes and ability to out run a Mack truck with a full tank of diesel.

I was a bit taken aback by Erik Paulson’s claim that Brock hits harder than anyone he’s ever trained, especially since we’ve really only seen him throw those awkward turbo hammer fists and no power punches. Maybe we’re in for a surprise on October 23, or maybe Paulson is just trying to scare Cain from standing with Brock using the old bait and switch technique.

They really seem to be playing up Cain’s ethnicity, though I’ve noticed Spike has stopped running the commercial with the, "Velasquez is hoping to become the first Mexican UFC heavyweight champion" since he was born in the U.S. and Ricco Rodriguez isn’t impressed. Not only did he explain the significance of his controversial, "Brown Pride" tattoo for the tenth time in the past few years, he also visited with a group of young Latino men to tell them they should embrace their heritage and that they can do anything they put their minds to if they persevere and work hard.

Unless they’re Tito Ortiz and their goals are to become a commentator.

It’s interesting that Brock wouldn’t let the show film his house, his wife or his kids. He’s always been a pretty private guy and I can’t say I blame him considering how obsessive some adult pro-wrestling fans are.

Part two is after the jump.