Michael Bisping, speaking through his fellow countryman and self-designated public defender, UK Telegraph reporter Gareth Davies, offered up a feeble apology today for his in and post-fight antics during and following his UFC 127 bout with Jorge Rivera.

“Leading up to the fight, I wanted to be the bigger man and not rise up to it, but as it gathered more momentum, my blood was boiling more and more inside. The guy [Jorge Rivera] and his team relentlessly mocked me for a couple of months on the internet, and they definitely crossed the line a couple of times… and I was provoked and if anyone says they didn’t see that they are either blind or pig-ignorant. I went into the fight very angry. I let it get the better of me after the fight. I want to make it clear – I never spat on his cornerman. I spat on the floor to let him know what I thought of him…I said some words…I’m not even sure what the words were now, that was immediately after the fight had finished. After that, I instantly apologised. It was out of order. As a father, as a mixed martial artist, or possibly even as a role model, it’s not a way I should be behaving. It’s not how a mixed martial artist should be acting; not how any many should be acting. Of course, I do regret it, and I owe Dana [White, UFC CEO], and the UFC an apology and I won’t be acting like that again.”

Now if he left it at that, the apology may not have been construed as being transparent, but as Bisping explained, he can’t just be content with being the bigger man and taking the high road.

(Video courtesy of YouTube/TopMMANews)

Call Nick Ring whatever you want; just don’t call him a loser when he won a fight.

In an interview conducted with the UFC middleweight this weekend, TopMMANews.com reporter Dean Panas asked Ring about his UFC 127 fight, insinuating that the unanimous decision victory over Riki Fukuda was an unjust one.

Ring didn’t take to kindly to the theory that he didn’t deserve to beat fellow UFC newcomer, Fukuda.

(What has four arms and four legs and is convinced he kicked ass at UFC 127? This guy! Pic: MMA Weekly)

So, maybe it’s time we all just concede that we have no fucking clue who won BJ Penn’s and Jon Fitch’s main event bout at UFC 127 and, ultimately, making it a draw was probably the right call, huh? I mean, Dana White thought Penn won; the only judge able to make up his mind on Saturday night thought Fitch won and Fitch agreed; Penn originally thought Fitch won, too, but given some time to think about it, he’s has changed his mind. No more acting sad-sack and giving praise to the MMA gods for “The Prodigy.” No sir, he thinks he won after all.

(Ryan Jimmo‘s epic victory-robot from Friday night. Props: Card)

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…

- Tongue Wrestling: The 25 Greatest Trash-Talking Affairs in MMA History (BleacherReport.com/MMA)

- Kampmann Looks to Correct Mistakes of the Past at UFC Live (Versus MMA Beat)

- Compustrike: UFC 127 by the Numbers (LowKick)

- Chris Lytle to Consider Retirement After Secret Surgery, UFC 127 Loss (MMA Fighting)

- Now You Can Train MMA — Inside Your Local Wal-Mart (MiddleEasy)

- Michael Bisping’s Camp Points Finger At Jorge Rivera’s Boxing Coach For UFC 127 Incidents (MMA Convert)

- Gracie Breakdown: BJ Penn vs. Jon Fitch (MMA-Scraps)

- Strikeforce Title Contender Liz Carmouche: “Jitters Aren’t Something That You Can Have When You’re Out in Iraq With Your Weapon.” (Five Ounces of Pain)

- Dana White: “Fedor Emelianenko Looks Old and It’s Over” (5thRound)

- FIGHT! RANKINGS: Penn Proves Ranking Correct, Siver & Bisping Enter Top 10 (FightMagazine)

(Props: WunWunTwo)

Back in March 2009, we referred to the above clip as “the greatest KO ever.” We never bothered to find out who the fighters were, but we got a strange flash of deja vu during UFC 127 on Saturday night when Brian Ebersole launched two separate cartwheel kicks at Chris Lytle. Now, MiddleEasy confirms that the dude in the famous cartwheel kick knockout video is Brian Ebersole. The fight went down at XFC: Return of the Hulk in Perth, Australia on 3/14/09, and the unlucky victim was Shannon Forrester. Now give that crazy manscaped goof his due respect. After the jump: Gifs of Ebersole’s failed cartwheel kick attempts against Lytle, courtesy of IronForgesIron.com.

(“Cheat to win!” Pic: SBNation)

There are a lot of things we’ll never know about the illegal knee Michael Bisping landed on Jorge Rivera midway through the first round of their UFC 127 co-main event. We’ll never know if the knee was truly “intentional” or how badly it actually hurt Rivera or whether or not it directly contributed to Bisping’s second-round TKO victory. What we do know for certain is that (whether he meant to or not) Bisping very obviously broke the rules and – aside from losing an ultimately irrelevant point on the judges’ scorecards – suffered absolutely no consequences for it en route to an important win over a man who’d quickly become his arch rival.

It should be noted that blasting Rivera with the knee wasn’t Bisping’s only infraction during the fight. He also grabbed the cage to avoid getting swept from top position with about 3:40 on the clock in the first. For that instance of clear rule-breakage his only punishment was a couple of stern words from referee Mark Goddard. So in a nutshell, in just under seven total minutes of fighting, Bisping indisputably broke the rules twice, yet the end result was that he got his hand raised, got to spit in the general direction of his opponent’s corner men and almost certainly got rewarded with a hefty win bonus from the UFC. Not too bad, all things considered.

As an isolated incident, the only thing Bisping’s performance against Rivera conclusively proves is that he’s kind of an a-hole. Unfortunately, when viewed as part of the big picture of how fights are officiated under the unified rules, we’re really only left to draw one conclusion: In MMA, it makes more sense to cheat than follow the rules. So long as you can keep yourself from getting bogged down by intangibles like “honor” and “fairness,” here are three reasons why.

Jon Fitch has gotten used to the fact that he may never get a title shot. He’s been promised one for a while now, but the UFC seems to keep yanking the opportunity away right before Fitch can grab it.

The problem isn’t that the American Kickboxing Academy fighter isn’t winning fights (he’s undefeated since 2009), it’s that he hasn’t finished an opponent in nearly four years, and for the UFC to base a pay-per-view on a main card fight between a round-winner like Fitch and an a decision-centric fighter like UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre who hasn’t stopped a fight since 2009 would be a major gamble.

Both the UFC’s president Dana White and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta have long proclaimed that they don’t care if their contracted fighters win every bout as long as they come to fight and perform their best. Fitch seems more content with doing what he needs to outpoint his opponents and coast to a victory, which doesn’t bode well with the promotion’s brass, the fans or the media as it makes for a boring and formulaic fight. THAT’S why White rescinded a proclamation that the winner of Fitch’s UFC 124 bout with Thiago Alves would get the next crack at St-Pierre after Fitch took the decision and THAT’S why he has now said that neither fighter involved in the main event majority draw Saturday night at UFC 127 will likely be next in line for the winner of April’s GSP vs. Jake Shields bout.

(Props: AlchemistMgMT.com via pennyjomma)

It’s bad enough that Michael Bisping drilled an illegal knee into Jorge Rivera‘s dome in the first round of their UFC 127 co-main event — 100% intentional, if you ask Jorge. He also followed up his TKO victory by stalking over to Rivera’s corner and spitting at his team, who had participated in Rivera’s video insults and had allegedly (according to Bisping) been hurling verbal abuse at the Count after the fight.

As a result, Rivera’s team wants Bisping fined and suspended. Bisping later apologized for his behavior, but told Ariel Helwani that the knee was unintentional and the loogie wasn’t aimed outside the cage:

(It turns out “No Rules, Just Right” is more of a slogan than actual Aussie law)

Strange walkout masks, chest hairrows, random laughter from the audience, a grudge match marred by an illegal knee, and a majority draw in the main event. UFC 127 “Fight for the Convicts 2” provided a night of entertaining bouts and more than its share bizarre moments. While the card might have lacked the star-power and championship fights of some larger events, the UFC loudly trumpeted its significance in deciding future title contenders and challengers alike. In the end little roadway was paved and talks of title runs were shelved for now.

The only thing certain at the top of the welterweight division is uncertainty. Leading up to this event Dana White announced that the winner of Fitch-Penn would advance to challenge the winner of GSP-Shields for the 170lb title. For much of the fight it looked like the same terror that ruled the lightweight division had found his way back to the Octagon. Penn followed up a hefty dose of cross-cage eye-fucking with an immediate shot off the opening bell. While his initial takedown attempt failed, he would out-wrestle the wrestler halfway through the first round and score a takedown. Once it hit the mat we saw shades of the “Old” BJ Penn, who quickly took Fitch’s back and worked for the same rear naked he’s employed in countless fights before. But Fitch proved just as tough to finish as always, and a reversal allowed him to land a little offense of his own on the ground. Round two saw a vintage Fitch try to wear on BJ against the cage. The two exchanged takedowns, with Penn again taking his back and threatening the choke before Fitch escaped to land some punches from the guard. Round 3 more closely resembled the fight many were expecting. Fitch followed up a solid punch with a takedown in the opening seconds of the round. BJ would kick him off shortly, only to be taken down again with just under four minutes left in the round. From BJ’s guard, Fitch was relentless with punches, giving BJ no room to adjust or counter for the remainder of the bout. That last round, scored 10-8 by two judges, would end this fight in a majority draw and add a little disarray to the welterweight picture.

(Hit refresh early and often to stay, uh, abreast of the latest updates … Pic: CombatLifestyle)

In the main event of UFC 127 tonight, a laidback vegan ragamuffin fights a bloodthirsty Hawaiian cannibal to determine some sort of vague No. 1 contender status for a welterweight title which could soon be very much in flux. Will Jon Fitch’s strategy of nonviolence win the day? Or will the night end with BJ Penn licking Fitch’s green, iron-deficient blood off his gloves? Either way, will it ultimately mean anything? There’s really only one way to find out: Sit somewhere thousands of miles from the show’s point of origin and follow this website’s second-hand textual analysis of the high definition moving pictures we’ll be watching on the TV. If that doesn’t work, well, try Twitter or something.

Also, imagine our pleasant surprise this afternoon when we discovered our ridiculously inclusive satellite package actually does carry the Ion Network. In light of that, we’ll probably be posting short-ish recaps of the three televised prelims beginning at 9 p.m. EST. When the PPV itself kicks off an hour later, we’ll be live with updates and uninterrupted snark for the duration. Thanks in advance for your attention in this matter …

(The fun starts at 5:28)

Just in case you missed it, there’s a little bit of heat between Jorge Rivera and Michael Bisping as they head into tonight’s bout. Check out the video above for a Dana-eye view of the face off at yesterday’s weigh ins.

(“Whiter than a band-aid? You’re out of order, Jorge!”)

Everyone’s doing their part to bolster interest in this card. Dana’s doling out title shots again, Rivera’s gone to Broadway, even the mostly-beloved Octagon girls are pitching in. But beyond loose promises and tight bikinis, this card has meaning. Many of tonight’s combatants are fighting for far more than just another notch in the win-column. Let’s take a look at what’s really on the table tonight in Australia.

Jon Fitch: A legend on his decision-list and a title shot, maybe. Fitch is a good fighter, no doubt, and his victories over tough competition reflect that. What you won’t find on his record, however, is a win over a legend. If Fitch is able to capitalize on his size advantage and use his wrestling skills to wear on Penn, that could change tonight. Win streaks are nice, but every fighter wants a trophy head for their mantle, and few have a name as respected in this sport as BJ Penn. Regarding that title shot, as Fitch has learned before, those things are somewhat fickle. An exciting win could very well earn him a five-rounder, but–as affectionate nicknames like “Smoke Break” and “Yaaaawn Fitch” allude—exciting fights can be hard to come by.

(Considering the mostly-negative response to our “MMAshed Potato” host candidates, we figured we’d bring in a professional. Excellent use of the green-screen, buddy. /// Update: Having problems with the embed at the moment…click the image to watch the video.)

UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch Weigh-In Results, Streamed and Updated Live Beginning at 10 p.m. ET (Lowkick)

James Toney Talks About the IRS Confiscating His Entire UFC 118 Purse (MiddleEasy)

Gegard Mousasi vs. Roger Gracie In Talks for April 9 Strikeforce Card (MMAWeekly)

Exclusive Video: The Ultimate Fighter 13 Tryouts (CageWriter)

Manny Gamburyan Pulls Out of UFC 128 With Back Injury (MMAFighting)

The 10 Most Ridiculous MMA Tattoos Of All Time (MTV Clutch)

9 Badass TV and Movie Characters That Don’t Talk (Guyism)

True Sh*t: Ten Movies the 2011 Academy Award Nominees Don’t Want You to See (Bullz-Eye)

Gemma Merna Unleashes Giant Cleavage in Loaded Magazine (BustedCoverage)

Hangover 2 Exclusive Teaser Trailer (TheRugged)

50 Mind Blowing Facts (OnlineSchools.org)

Lacrosse Fight Ends in Devastating Knockout (NothingToxic)

What You Can Learn From Her Tattoo (MadeMan)

Charlie Sheen’s Philosophies Examined And Discussed (HolyTaco)

(Ebersole vs. Lombard, round one. Find round two here, round three here, etc., etc. Vid: YouTube/MMAAustralia)

There aren’t a ton of new faces on this Saturday’s UFC 127 card, but the three newcomers lucky enough to recently sign their lives away to Zuffa, LLC. all seem capable of making notable first impressions. Find out more about this trio of veterans after the jump and let us know how you think they’ll do with your own comments …

(Click for larger versions. Trust me.)

From CombatLifestyle‘s wonderful new UFC 127: The UFC hits the Beach set. Good lord, I wish I was there today instead of dreary-ass Brooklyn. Lots more highlights after the jump…

(Vid: YouTube/OfficialJonFitch)

In the final days leading up to UFC 127, a fair amount is being written (much of it by the fighter himself) about Jon Fitch’s new, surprisingly not-that-disgusting-sounding vegan diet. About a month ago, Fitch posted the above video to his official YouTube channel showing him pouring hemp milk and raw agave into his oatmeal, casually mentioning that sometimes he “opens up a coconut” to drink with lunch and that he only eats nuts when they’re “raw and organic.” Insert your own joke about that last part. For a fairly standard “fighter blog” the vid actually has some pretty high production values – dig that scene at 2:19 of Fitch opening the cupboard … shot from inside the cupboard. Also, judging by the easy tenor of Fitch’s voiceover narration (and the soft guitar soundtrack), we’d wager there are a couple of Bright Eyes CDs kicking around somewhere in the guy’s condo.

“I like my oatmeal lumpy,” Fitch says at one point, apparently without irony. Meanwhile, every other 32-year-old man in America snickered and then said, “Hey fat girl, c’mere, are you ticklish?”

Predictably, in an MMA subculture that seems by turns very accepting and/or totally intolerant of quirky lifestyle choices, some eyebrows were raised. Fitch responded by penning a further explanation of his diet as part of the pre-UFC 127 “Fight Journal” he wrote for MMA Fighting.com. Sure, choosing to minimize your “meat intake to at least five percent or less of your overall calories” doesn’t sound like it’s for everybody but if that’s what Fitch wants to do, no harm done, right? Well, maybe not. As Kenny Florian told SBNation this week, there are some concerns that the diet may have cost Fitch some of his natural size advantage over BJ Penn this weekend. Check it out, then let the rampant speculation begin:

(Fight begins at the 9:35 mark. Props: Yahoo! via BloodyElbow)

To help promote tomorrow’s UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch card, the UFC and Yahoo! have posted the video of BJ Penn and Matt Hughes‘s 21-second rubber match at UFC 123. Yahoo! is also hosting the full UFC 120 fight between Michael Bisping and Yoshihiro Akiyama, and one of Dennis Siver’s infamous spinning back kicks, so check ‘em out. After the jump: The Countdown to UFC 127 hype show, in which Jorge Rivera discusses his car-thief past and the tragic death of his daughter.

(This one ain’t no beauty pageant.)

It’s that old gambler’s dilemma: There are a bunch of fairly big time dogs on the card at this Saturday’s UFC 127 … which means there are also a bunch of guys who are probably not going to win their fights. The numbers are what they are (read: juicy) precisely to make our betting fingers itchy, to make us consider throwing down on dudes we normally wouldn’t give a second look. When it’s all said and done though, what good is an underdog if he doesn’t have a chance to actually win? At times like this, it’s imperative that we don’t let our own greed so cloud our mindbrains that we lose sight of reality. Wheat from chaff, people, wheat from chaff.

Luckily for you (and our many, many creditors) we wouldn’t even be having this conversation if deep down we didn’t believe we were smarter than the bookies. At least in the weird, fringe backwater that is MMA betting. Yep, we’ve pretty much got UFC 127 dialed in. After the jump, we share our get-rich quick scheme. All listed odds are from Sportsbook.com. Why? Because those dudes might actually pay you if you win.

(Props: YouTube.com/UFC)

Dana White’s latest UFC video blog is out, and it reveals the following:

- Somebody (not saying who) has already punched a hole into one of the walls on the TUF 13 set. Junior Dos Santos predicts Michael Bisping will defeat Jorge Rivera at UFC 127, and Jon Fitch will beat BJ Penn by decision. No surprises there.

- Brock Lesnar picks Jorge Rivera via ground-and-pound, but agrees that Jon Fitch will win by decision. (“Gotta stick with the wrassler,” he says.) Dana White sitting next to Brock Lesnar on a couch looks like a little bald child sitting next his big mean dad.

- Anthony Kiedis, my God. I’d like to take a time machine back to 1990 and confront a “Knock Me Down”-era Kiedis with footage that this is how he will look and carry himself when he’s 48 years old. Just the idea that he would be alive that long would probably freak him out, but one look at that mustache/pony-tail combo would send him into a tailspin of drug use and depression, possibly ending in suicide. Then, I would replace him as lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers just in time for the band’s greatest period of commercial success. And that’s what I would do if I had a time machine.

The CompuStrike LIVE App will be available once again on LowKick.com, this time throughout the anticipated UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch main card bouts. The app will be your source for live statistics and commentary, which will provide you a unique view on what’s going on inside the Octagon at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia…

Learn more, and check out the CompuStrike Live App during UFC 127 at LowKick.com…

(Eddie Jackson shows you how to end a fight with one punch. Props: MadeMan.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…

- Does Jon Fitch really need the UFC Welterweight Title to be considered an MMA legend? (LowKick)

- Siver Seeks to Spoil Sotiropoulos’ Contender Status at UFC 127 (Versus MMA Beat)

- Aussie Gold: The Top MMA Fighters Down Under (FightMagazine)

- Former Power Ranger Gets Into a Backstage Fight at an MMA Event (MiddleEasy)

- Black House Has a YouTube Channel and It’s Great (MMA-Scraps)

- Cain Velasquez Offers Simple Solution to Great Heavyweight Debate (5thRound)

- Hector Lombard Likely Facing Niko Vitale in Non-Title Bout at Bellator 44 (Five Ounces of Pain)

- Now Jorge Santiago Says He Signed With The UFC, Meets Brian Stann At UFC 130 (MMA Convert)

- Karlos Vemola Out of UFC 128, Luiz Cane In Need of New Opponent (MMA Fighting)

(From yesterday’s UFC 127 press conference in Sydney. Props: Facebook.com/UFC via MMA Mania)

Congrats, Jorge, you’ve gotten under Bisping’s skin. And now we’ve got ourselves a grudge match. So who takes it and how?

(Hold on to your asses: Jason “Coked Out Steve Carell” Reinhardt vows to make it chaotic for Tiequan Zhang. Props: YouTube.com/UFC)

Directly before this Saturday’s pay-per-view broadcast of UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch, you’ll be able to watch five of the event’s seven prelim fights absolutely free of charge — assuming you use Facebook and your cable package includes the ION network. The action begins at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET on Facebook.com/UFC, which will feature a live stream of Anthony Perosh vs. Tom Blackledge and Jason Reinhardt vs. Tiequan Zhang.

Then at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET, the fights move to Ion Television for a live broadcast of Nick Ring vs. Riki Fukuda, James Te-Huna vs. Alexander Gustafsson, and Ross Pearson vs. Spencer Fisher.

At this point, the only bouts that won’t be guaranteed TV time are Mark Hunt vs. Chris Tuchscherer and Maciej Jewtuszko vs. Curt Warburton — and since either of those fights could end in a short, violent stoppage, you may see them pop up in the pay-per-view broadcast. The complete lineup of UFC 127 is after the jump.

(Props: YouTube/RangerUp)

We love Jorge Rivera, but given how much time the dude has invested leading up to UFC 127 making goofy videos that poke fun at opponent Michael Bisping, well, Rivera better damn well win this fight. In the latest installment it’s clear Rivera has saved the best (read: weirdest) for last. We don’t want to spoil it for you, but let’s just say it includes a song-and-dance number, a felt pilgrim hat and a coconut brassiere. Also, the video makes the claim that Bisping requested that Rivera chum Matt Phinney (who we guess plays “Brave Count Bisping” in earlier vids) be barred from the event’s official weigh-in in order to avoid more mockery. If that’s true, we gotta say: Pretty weak, Bisping, pretty weak.

(There’s this weird bald due who follows me everywhere including the dressing room of the gym. He’s behind me, isn’t he?)

We had the opportunity to speak with George Sotiropoulos back in December about his upcoming UFC 127 bout with Dennis Siver for an episode of The Bum Rush Radio Show and we touched on a number of topics, from his place in the UFC’s lightweight title picture to 10th Planet detractors and everything in between.

Check out what the fast-rising Australian lightweight contender had to say after the jump.

(Siver demonstrating his ground prowess against CP’s homeboy, Jess “The Joker” Liaudin.)

Often when hyping an upcoming bout or angling for a title shot, fighters will oversell their skill sets and inflate their accomplishments, so it’s no surprise that a middle of the pack UFC lightweight like Dennis Siver would follow suit, especially when his next bout is against a guy like George Sotiropoulos, who is likely one or two wins away from a title shot.

Siver did an interview recently with Tapology and said that he is planning on choking out the decorated Aussie BJJ black belt if their UFC 127 bout hits the mat — a lofty endeavor, considering G-Sots has never been finished in his MMA career and has notched eight of his 14 wins via submission. Siver, on the other hand is 7-4 when his fights finish on the mat and has never faced a grappler of Sotiropoulos’ caliber.

(Props: RangerUpVideo)

First, Jorge Rivera mocked Michael Bisping’s pillow-fists. Then, he brought in a dude with a terrible British accent so he could slam the Count as a “professional decision-winner” who lies about where he’s from and gives koala bears chlamydia. And now there’s this. Fans of Monty Python and the Holy Grail are going to love it (or at the very least, begrudgingly respect it). Everyone else will wonder, “on what kind of hallucinogens were the Ranger Up guys on when they came up with this concept, and was this really just an excuse to show off Rivera’s bounce-pass?” At this point, Bisping will have to respond with a video of his own. All he needs is somebody who can do an exaggerated New England accent, and he’ll be set…

BJ Penn Brings in Matt Hughes to Train for Jon Fitch – Watch more Funny Videos

It looks like Matt Hughes and BJ Penn have been trolling us all along by making everyone think they can’t stand each other.

“The Prodigy” has brought in “Country Breakfast” to help him train for his upcoming UFC 127 fight with Jon Fitch, and according to Hughes, despite the fact that they have both beaten the shit out of each other and have slung a shit ton of verbal jabs over the years, there’s no hard feelings between them.

“I’ve been in the sport a long time — a lot longer than some other guys in the UFC. We respect each other and we’ve never really not got along and never had a falling out of any type. We’re competitors, so when we had a fight coming up, we always came in with the attitude that we were gonna beat the other one,” Hughes told Hawaii’s KHON2 news. “We fought, I think a week before Thanksgiving or something and he beat me pretty good…pretty quick. That was a match and he’s got his next fight and I’m tryin’ to help him out.”

(Carlos Condit — huge John Cleese fan.)

After starching Dan Hardy at UFC 120, welterweight contender Carlos Condit was preparing to build on his momentum with another slugfest against Chris Lytle at UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch (February 26th; Sydney, Australia). Unfortunately, the Natural Born Killer has reportedly withdrawn thanks to a knee injury. Damn, it’s been a bad month for that sort of thing.

Though a replacement has yet to be formally announced, fightnewsaustralia.com is claiming that Brian Ebersole — a 44-15 American journeyman who currently competes and trains in Australia — will face Chris Lytle on the card. Ebersole has won his last seven fights, and holds victories over Matt Horwich, Nick Thompson, and Carlos Newton.

The current UFC 127 lineup is after the jump…

(Damn, son.  Rivera just put you on blast in front of everybody forever.)

With UFC 126 officially behind us, it is now time to look ahead to UFC 127, and Jorge Rivera and his friends at RangerUp have already called in an insult mortar strike.  Or maybe it’s smack attack helicopter.  Napalm strike of disrespect?  Whatever.  He’s on some Black Ops shit, is all we’re saying.

Now,  this is taking trash talk to a whole ‘nother level.  Rivera scores points for keeping his name out there as a fun dude and generating interest in a fight that could have gotten lost in the shuffle, and if this actually rattles Bisping a bit and throws off his mind set?  Well, then Rivera–who by the way will turn 39 years old the day after the Bisping fight–may have another reason to sing.