Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer reported today that the preliminary estimate of pay-per-view buys for UFC 81 was a big, girthy 600,000. As Meltzer wrote:

That show was not going to do more than 325,000 buys with the Tim Sylvia vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira match and a semifinal of Nathan Marquardt v. Jeremy Horn. In fact, that would be an optimistic expectation. So if this holds up, Lesnar was worth $12.36 million in overall revenue.

Adam Swift of MMAPayout explains that the figure may put UFC 81 among the all-time top-five UFC shows in terms of gross buys, and thanks to the $45 price tag, #3 in revenue after Ortiz/Liddell and Ortiz/Shamrock III. As Swift points out, the final number is usually significantly higher than the early estimates.

Swift also calls into question the sustainability of Lesnar’s drawing power, and the show’s success in taking wrestling fans who were first-time UFC buyers and converting them into regular fans. We’re of the opinion that Lesnar’s wrestling fans will keep paying for UFC events whenever he’s on the card — and only those events — meaning that Lesnar’s appearances will continue to translate to a spike in UFC PPV buys, but not an overall bump of the average buyrate. But hey, we don’t need those yokels anyway.

(Tito Ortiz: Planning his next move?)

Too boring to get posts of their own — just boring enough to be lumped in with a few other stories!

— UFC 81 drew 10,583 spectators at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Saturday, with 7,167 of those asses-in-seats actually paying for their tickets. That’s the lowest paid-attendance figure for a Mandalay Bay UFC event since UFC 48, which featured Ken Shamrock vs. Kimo Leopoldo as the main event. “Breaking Point” took in a live gate of $2,437,890, which is the sixth-lowest total out of the venue’s past seven UFC events. This could all be explained by an inordinate amount of comp tickets being handed out for Brock Lesnar’s Octagon debut, and the UFC could have easily gotten their money back on pay-per-view buys. But since the UFC isn’t required to release information on PPV revenue, we may not hear the full story for some time.

— Tito Ortiz may be planning a 10-year-anniversary re-match with Frank Shamrock outside of the UFC. The two fighters first met at UFC 22 back in September 1999, where they battled for the UFC’s 205-pound title. Shamrock won by submission due to strikes near the end of the fourth round, then retired from the UFC with a perfect 5-0 record in the organization.

— Zuffa has filed a motion for preliminary injunction against Randy Couture, with a hearing date set for March 4th. The injunction will likely be focused on preventing Couture from making further breaches of the non-compete agreement in his employment contract.

— Though most Canadian provinces have given MMA their blessing, the sport is totes unkosher in Ontario.

— I just finished eating some thai food. It wasn’t bad.

(Frank Mir stopped the Lesnar hype train last Saturday.)

Six of last Saturday’s UFC 81 participants have been given medical suspensions by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, according to MMA Junkie. Most of the suspensions were relatively short, except for David Heath’s suspension. Heath lost via TKO in the first round of his fight with Tim Boetsch. He was brutalized by Boetsch with body kicks and strikes to the head when he hit the canvas.

Heath received a nasal fracture in the bout and a doctor has to clear him to fight if he wants to step into the Big O again before August 1st – which is when his suspension runs out. Boetsch had taken the fight just days before after Tomasz Drwal dropped out as Heath’s opponent due to a knee injury. Imagine if he had actually trained for David Heath. The medical suspension might instead be a death certificate for Heath.

Marvin Eastman, Kyle Bradley and Frank Mir got short suspensions because of lacerations. Tim Sylvia and Keita Nakamura were dealt medical suspensions as a precaution. Only Mir and Eastman won their fights – Mir was getting jacked by Brock Lesnar before catching the blonde beast napping and submitted him with a knee bar; Eastman won a unanimous decision over Terry Martin. Interesting that Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira escaped without a suspension since Tim Sylvia left his mark on Nog’s face.

The list of suspensions:
-Tim Sylvia: Suspended until March 3rd with no contact until February 24th for precautionary reasons

-Frank Mir: Suspended until March 3rd with no contact until February 24th because of a scalp laceration

-Kyle Bradley: Suspended until March 19th with no contact until March 2nd because of a facial laceration

-David Heath: Nasal fracture must be cleared by a doctor or he is suspended until August 1st – minimum suspension is until April 3rd with no contact until March 19th

-Marvin Eastman: Suspended until March 2nd with no contact until February 24th because of an upper-eyelid laceration

-Keita Nakamura: Suspended until March 19th with no contact until March 2nd for precautionary reason

Tim: …basically, Antonio and I are professionals, and we leave it all in the cage. There’s no hard feelings whatsoever, because bottom line, he was the better fighter than me tonight and I respect the hell out of him.
Antonio: Estou cansado, querido.
Tim: Big guy says he’s sleepy! [journalists laugh] Don’t worry, lover. We’ll be home soon.

(Photo props: Sherdog)

If you missed our UFC 81 liveblog, click here. Check out the videos below for Chris Lytle’s nitro-burnin’ bash-fest against Kyle Bradley, and Ricardo Almeida choking out Rob Yundt despite being dropped directly on his head.

Chris Lytle vs. Kyle Bradley:

Ricardo Almeida vs. Rob Yundt:

These things don’t last long on YouTube, so stop what you’re doing and watch. One major topic of discussion that has resulted from “Breaking Point” is Steve Mazzagatti’s questionable stoppage/point-deduction after Lesnar hit Mir in the back of the head. Though fighters usually get multiple warnings before a point is taken away for rabbit-punching (see most recently: St. Pierre vs. Hughes at UFC 79), Mazzagatti jumped in immediately, deducted a point, and put the fighters back on their feet. As the theory goes, Mazzagatti actually jumped in to stop the fight, but when he realized that it was a mistake, he covered his ass with an illegal-strike call. Did that cost Lesnar the fight? Let us know what you think…

As usual, click the MORE link to check out the greatest liveblogging on-line and remember to refresh the page every few minutes to get the latest on UFC 81: Breaking Point coming live – from Vegas, Baby! All times ET.

All fighters made weight yesterday for UFC 81:

Tim Sylvia (261) vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (237)
Brock Lesnar (265) vs. Frank Mir (255)
Jeremy Horn (185) vs. Nate Marquardt (185)
Ricardo Almeida (185) vs. Rob Yundt (185)
Tyson Griffin (155) vs. Gleison Tibau (156)
Chris Lytle (170) vs. Kyle Bradley (170)
Tim Boetsch (205) vs. David Heath (205)
Marvin Eastman (185) vs. Terry Martin (186)
Rob Emerson (155) vs. Keita Nakamura (155)

I can’t remember the last time a UFC heavyweight weighed at the maximum of the 265-pound limit. From all accounts, Brock Lesnar will be looking enormous in the Octagon tonight, as illustrated in this report on Yahoo! Sports by Dave Meltzer:

Even though Lesnar is listed at 6-2 ½, he was slightly taller than Mir [6'4"]. At 265 pounds, he looked gigantic next to Mir, who weighed in at 255. Lesnar will likely be closer to 275-280 come fight time…

[Lesnar] is only the second man in the history of combat sports in Nevada to wear size 4XL gloves, the other being South Korean giant Choi Hong-man, who is 7-3 and 367 pounds…

Lesnar is guaranteed $250,000, the highest of anyone on the show, plus has a $200,000 win bonus. Generally speaking, most UFC headliners earn substantially more than their contracted guarantees. Mir, who has a chance to revitalize his career with a win, has a $40,000 guarantee with a $40,000 win bonus.

Not only is $250k per fight more than anybody else is making at “Breaking Point,” the figure puts Lesnar at the Liddell/Couture level of highest-paid fighters in the UFC. Quite an investment for someone who hasn’t proven himself in the Octagon yet. But if Lesnar’s WWE fans show up to support him with pay-per-view buys, he’ll easily earn his keep. The question is, will the hype of Brock Lesnar be enough to convince the UFC’s usual PPV-buyers to shell out for what could easily be dull event overall?

(“Ladies and gentlemen…I’m just a caveman. I fell on some ice and later got thawed out by some of your scientists. Your strange weight-measurement machine frightens and confuses me! My primitive mind can’t grasp these concepts. But there is one thing I do know — those girls behind me have glorious racks.”)

Alright settle down, settle down:

— Weigh-ins for UFC 81 go down today at 4pm PT / 7pm ET, and will be broadcast live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center on UFC.com.

— More importantly, we will be liveblogging UFC 81 tomorrow starting at 7pm PT / 10pm ET. Readers who have experienced our previous liveblogs know that it’s the best party on the Internet. Especially if you’re too cheap to pay for the event.

— In other UFC news, Michael Bisping has confirmed that his first fight as a middleweight will be against Charles McCarthy at UFC 83 in Montreal on April 19th. Dana White predicts that 83 will be “the biggest UFC event ever.”

— And: FiveOuncesofPain reports that a match between lightweights Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard has been added to the talent-bloated Ultimate Fight Night 13 (Broomfield, CO; 4/2). Man, they should really break that card up into two back-to-back nights. Especially if they expect us to watch 16 non-stop fights directly afterwards. Our minds need time to recover…

(The Nogueira brothers: Like lookin’ in a mirror.)

Lots of MMA action this weekend and we’re not just talking about UFC: 81 Breaking Point. Let’s start with tonight.

Hardcore Championship Fighting: Destiny
Tonight’s event features Antonio Rogerio Nogueira against Todd Gouwenberg, a 7-2 journeyman who is riding a four fight win streak. The event will air on The Score, a not-so-high-profile Canadian sports network. Should be an adjustment for “Little Nog” since he’s been used to fighting under some pretty bright lights. The Western Canadian organization is fighting for recognition and Rogerio was a great score, but someone like Gouwenberg is not the type of talent he should have to step down to fight. Also on the HCF card are some other fighters you’ll recognize – and some you’ve never heard of:

-Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos v Gegard Mousasi
-Thomas Schulte v Garett Davis
-David Loiseau v Jason Day
-Brendan Seguin v Derrick Noble
-Damir Mirenic v Mike Pyle
-Andrew Buckland v Dan Chambers
-Myles Merola v Ariel Sexton
-Tim Hague v Miodrag Petkovic
-Nabil Khatib v Lucas Rota
-Fabian Cortez v Juan Barrantes

BodogFIGHT: Nick Thompson vs. John Troyer
The main event tonight will feature Nick “The Goat” Thompson vs. John Troyer, hence the title. This one goes down in Vegas and will see Troyer in the biggest fight of his young career. This welterweight title fight is also notable because it will apparently be The Goat’s last bout for BodogFIGHT. Losing a character like Nick Thompson will certainly be a blow to Bodog, especially for an organization that is already hurting for fans.

Since it was such a success* last time, we thought we’d take another crack at predicting which fighters will pocket tomorrow‘s end-of-night bonuses. But first we’d like to predict the amount of the bonuses themselves. If you’ve been paying attention, you know that the UFC’s Fight/Submission/Knockout bonuses have decreased from $55,000 to $50,000 to $35,000 over the last three pay-per-view events. After the last drastic reduction, the general opinion was that the amounts were going down to recoup some of the money lost to the UFC’s European expansion effort. Now that the show is back in the U.S., they can be a little more generous. And they will — but just enough to demonstrate improvement and shut people up. We’re saying the bonuses will be $40k each. Now let’s get to the fight card:

MAIN CARD
Tim Sylvia vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (heavyweights)
Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar (heavyweights)
Jeremy Horn vs. Nate Marquardt (middleweights)
Rob Yundt vs. Ricardo Almeida (middleweights)

PRELIMINARY CARD
Gleison Tibau vs. Tyson Griffin (lightweights)
Chris Lytle vs. Kyle Bradley (welterweights)
Marvin Eastman vs. Terry Martin (middleweights)
David Heath vs. Tim Boetsch (light heavyweights)
Keita Nakamura vs. Rob Emerson (welterweights)

Knockout of the Night: Eastman vs. Martin is a battle between two good fighters who have had terrible luck in the Octagon. The winner will prove that he still belongs there; the loser could very well be banished forever. Thus, we expect both men to come out swinging their asses off. We were tempted to give this a Fight of the Night nod, but it feels too much like a first-round-TKO kind of match. Marvin Eastman has been knocked out every time he’s fought in the UFC. Four of Terry Martin’s last five fights have resulted in KO/TKO victories — and we think he’ll do it again tomorrow night, picking up the bonus in the process. Dark horse: Kyle Bradley. If you want to talk about good fighters who have had rough times in the Octagon, Chris Lytle is Exhibit fucking A (34-15-4 MMA record, 3-7 in the UFC). There’s nothing to suggest that his fortunes will improve at “Breaking Point,” and his opponent Kyle Bradley is a guy who has been paying his dues in regional promotions as a knockout artist. His current seven-fight win-streak includes five first-round KO/TKOs, and he could be on his way to adding one more.

Yeah, you’re probably sick of this one by now. But we thought we’d run it One! More! Time! as we enter the home stretch to Lesnar’s UFC debut tomorrow against Frank Mir. Lesnar’s opponent at K-1 Dynamite USA (6/2/07) was an overfed can whose most notable fights were losses against Bob Sapp and Don Frye. And what did we learn? Brock has no time for the customary pre-fight fist-bump. Yes, that’s ex-WWE superstar Bill Goldberg freaking the fuck out when his homeboy scores his first MMA win.

And sure, why not — here’s the video of Frank Mir breaking Tim Sylvia’s arm.

(It’s his party, and he’ll cry if he wants to!)

The usual UFC event parties hosted by fighters are being planned, one for tonight and another for Saturday when UFC 81 blows up in Vegas. Of course, you actually have to be in Vegas to join in the merriment.

Joe Daddy Stevenson – who fought at UFC 80, losing to BJ Penn – will be the man of the hour this evening at TAO, which is in the Venetian. On Da Strip, no less. It is open to the public and Joe Daddy will be there signing autographs with his blood and posing for pics starting at 10 p.m. (PST). Luckily, you’ll have two days to get rid of the hangover before the next par-tee.

On Saturday, Frank Mir will host a post UFC 81 party at Rum Jungle, which is in the Mandalay Bay. How convenient since that is where he will be fighting Brock Lesnar. This will be the party to be at since a lot of fighters and MMA execs usually attend the closest after-party. It’s being sponsored by Xyience Warrior Wear and MMA Warehouse. If you have trouble finding Rum Jungle, just follow the pieces of the penis tattoo that Frank Mir ripped off of Lesnar during the fight.

If trying to find Joe Daddy’s party, follow the blood trail.

(We couldn’t find any photos of Rob Yundt, so here’s a Google Image Search result for “Alaska.”)

The UFC posted this message on their website late yesterday:

Unbeaten UFC newcomer Rob Yundt (7-0) has stepped in on short notice to replace middleweight up and comer Alan Belcher against Ricardo Almeida on Saturday night’s UFC 81 card in Las Vegas. Belcher was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a severe case of bronchitis.

Our most sincere “Sucks, bro” goes out to Belcher, who last fought at UFC 77 in October where he sliced a Panama Canal-sized gash through Kalib Starnes’s forehead. But hey, he probably would have been stomped by Almeida, a Brazilian middleweight who has beaten Ryo Chonan, Nate Marquardt and Kazuo Misaki in his last three fights.

All of Rob Yundt’s matches have been in the Alaska Fighting Championship organization, and judging from the following highlight reel, the dude’s a scary-strong wrestler. Going from fighting in the Alaskan wilderness to fighting on the main card of a UFC pay-per-view event is a huge opportunity for the kid, and we hope he makes he most of it. Still, that whole “three-days notice” thing could be an issue.

(Please don’t let Sylvia have a chance at another ‘sexual experience’.)

If you’re in a betting mood or – whatever the odds – you just want to bet against douches like Tim Sylvia and Brock Lesnar at this Saturday’s UFC 81: Breaking Point, here’s a peak at the current odds:

From Bookmaker:

TIM SYLVIA +160
ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA -200

FRANK MIR +120
BROCK LESNAR -150

JEREMY HORN +215
NATE MARQUARDT -275

ALAN BELCHER +115
RICARDO ALMEIDA -145

GLEISON TIBAU +300
TYSON GRIFFIN -370

KYLE BRADLEY +450
CHRIS LYTLE -600

MARVIN EASTMAN +190
TERRY MARTIN -240

TIM BOETSCH +175
DAVID HEATH -215

ROB EMERSON +195
KEITA NAKAMURA -245

(Y’all know who it is.)

Man, the UFC really, really, really wants you to watch the season premiere of The Ultimate Fighter. You know how we told you that UFC 83 was canceled, and the Alexander/Irvin and Bisping/McCarthy fights would have to be re-scheduled? Well, it looks like Houston Alexander will be facing James Irvin at the UFC’s Ultimate Fight Night 13 on April 2nd, a live lead-in to the TUF 7 debut that’s also expected to feature the following bouts:

Kenny Florian vs. Joe Lauzon
Stephan Bonnar vs. Matt Hamill
Karo Parisyan vs. Thiago Alves
Spencer Fisher vs. Marcus Aurelio
Clay Guida vs. Samy Schiavo
Tommy Speer vs. Anthony Johnson
Josh Neer vs. Din Thomas

Jumpin’ Jesus on a pogo stick. Ken-Flo/Lauzon, Bonnar/Hamill, and Parisyan/Alves are already on the promotional materials, so they’re probably safe from being stuck on the undercard. But since Fight Nights are generally set up with only three or four fights scheduled for the live main card, UFC stars like Alexander, Spencer Fisher, Clay Guida, and TUF 6‘s Tommy Speer may be relegated to dark matches. Let’s hope for a lot of quick knockouts, UFC 80-style, so we can see as many of the fights as possible.

For real though, why can’t UFC 81, a pay-per-view card, have some action like this? “Breaking Point”‘s main event may turn out to be a boring disappointment, and the “co-headlining event” is getting by on hype alone. Quick poll: How many of you are psyched for Horn/Marquardt, Almeida/Belcher, or Tibau/Griffin? Those are freakin’ Fight Night-caliber matches. I’d happily pay to see Guida, Alexander, and Speer fight again — UFC 81′s main card, on the other hand, I’m not so happy about.

(Lesnar, pre penis tattoo.)

“If Brock Lesnar can back up all the things he’s saying, he might become the biggest star in mixed martial arts.”
–Dana White

Good God, the build-up to Brock Lesnar stepping into the cage this weekend at UFC 81 can only be likened to the feeling of downing three cans of refried beans with a twelve pack of Arrogant Bastard – then not being allowed access to the john. We’ve touched on this and have totally expected it, but when it’s actually here – it’s still a little overwhelming. Everywhere you turn, there is a Lesnar story, update, quote, picture of him scowling or a link to a new video. As if we couldn’t see enough of his penis tattoo…

As expected, the UFC is pushing the Brock drug on their site – they even print it twice on the page in case you have trouble reading it the first time:

UFC All Access: Brock Lesnar hosted by Rachelle Leah
Go behind the scenes to see how the former WWE star Brock Lesnar gets ready for a real battle against Frank Mir in his first fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The show’s premiere is this Thursday (January 31st) at midnight on Spike TV. It will show again on Saturday (February 2nd) at 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. MMA Junkie also had a piece about the show. But wait…there’s more Lesnar for you pro-wrestling, NFL-hating fans. Bloody Elbow’s Luke Thomas has a good description of Lesnar’s abilities – or what we kinda’ know about them, at least via this video:

1. His striking is god awful. He has good power (I think), but this video clearly shows his rudimentary footwork and awkward guard position. People don’t realize it, but the stand-up game is incredibly complicated and takes a long time to master. 2+ years isn’t enough, not even for an athlete of Lesnar’s caliber.

2. He does look to pass the guard. This is a good sign for Lesnar. He’s not content to sit in guard. He actively works for better positioning once the fight hits the floor, a tactic that could easily overwhelm Mir if he’s not careful.

3. His wrestling is fantastic. We already knew this, but his reflexes in catching Kim’s kick and immediate knee-tap takedown are impressive.

4. He is aggressive from the outset. Expect Lesnar to close the distance on Mir very quickly and look to put him away with every punch or pass.

Beyond this, it’s hard to say anything else. We don’t know about his gas tank and we don’t know about his submission defense. I’m sure he’s working at break neck speed to bring those up to par, but until we’ve had a chance to evaluate them, they are unknowns. But all that and more could change Saturday.

Former pro wrestler and NFL failure Brock Lesnar will be on a Los Angeles radio morning show tomorrow (Friday, January 25th). The Kevin & Bean Show on 106.7 KROQ will have the phallic tattoo-sporting meathead on the air to promote UFC 81 and talk about his MMA future. Lesnar will be facing Frank Mir in a heavyweight battle on February 2nd at the aforementioned event.

If you aren’t in the L.A.-listening area, you can listen on-line.

So maybe David Heath will fight at UFC 81 after all. It was widely reported yesterday that David Heath was being dropped from the February 2nd card due to the lack of time to find an opponent. Heath was left alone in the octagon after Tomasz Drwal dropped out because of a knee injury. Well, looks like two fighters have risen to the challenge.

MMA Weekly is saying that Heath will fight Anthony “El Toro” Ruiz on the card, keeping the night at nine fights. Ruiz would be making his debut for the UFC. El Toro has been somewhat of a journeyman in his career and has been impressive in recent years. After three straight losses back in 2005 he has gone 11-2, including winning his last six fights in a row. Heath wouldn’t be the first UFC talent he’s faced, either. He beat Brad Imes – TUF 2 finalist – at the Palace Fighting Championship event last week. He also won via TKO against Bobby Southworth back in November.

But shortly after that report came out, the UFC claimed otherwise:

February 2nd’s UFC 81 card in Las Vegas is back up to a full slate of nine fights after Pennsylvania light heavyweight prospect Tim Boetsch agreed to step into the Octagon to face David Heath. Boetsch (6-1 in pro MMA) replaces Tomasz Drwal, who was forced to withdraw from the Heath bout due to injury.

(“Thess! Ezz! SPARTA!!!”)

With UFC events popping up at an alarming rate, matchmaker Joe Silva has been working overtime to fill the cards with talent. We can barely keep up with the announcements and rumors that have surfaced in the last few days, but here’s the important stuff:

— Poppin’ off in Columbus on March 1st, UFC 82: “Pride of a Champion” will reportedly feature the return of Andre Arlovski, who has been in a contract dispute with the UFC since his decision win over Fabricio Werdum in April 2007. His opponent is likely to be Jake O’Brien, a 10-0 heavyweight known for his dull decision victories. Also scheduled to be on “PoaC” card is Diego Sanchez — who won 17 straight fights before dropping his last two to Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch — taking on 12-6 Brazilian Roan Carneiro, in a fight tailor-made to get him moving up the welterweight ladder again. No more Sonoma, no more excuses.

— Speaking of Fabricio Werdum, the Chute Boxe brawler has parlayed his one-fight win streak into a title shot. Dana White has confirmed that Werdum will face the winner of UFC 81′s Tim Sylvia/Minotauro Nogueira match for the interim heavyweight title, assuming that Randy Couture turns the fight down. The sad part about this situation is how logical it is. Even though Werdum has looked very underwhelming in his two UFC fights, the only other UFC heavyweights who are equally qualified to challenge the belt are Cheick Kongo (and that’s if he beats Heath Herring in March) and Andrei Arlovski (and God help me if I have to sit through a fourth fight between the Pitbull and the Maine-iac). The Octagon’s remaining heavyweights are all either too inexperienced or are coming off losses. To that end, the UFC is wisely looking toward signing new 206+ talent, and have just picked up 8-0 prospect Shane Carwin, who has dominated competition in regional promotions like Art of War and Ring of Fire. Carwin has previously fought as a super-heavyweight but will drop to 265 for the UFC.

(Gono won’t be doing the ‘airplane’ at UFC 82.)

As UFC 80 was the focus of the MMA world this weekend, UFC 81 & 82 saw some adjustments to their cards. On Friday, Akihiro Gono announced on his personal blog that a hand injury is forcing him out of UFC 82 against Jon Fitch. Here’s the message (unedited):

I have a pain in my righthand from November(UFC debut fight)
So I could not train enough
I wondered it,Doctor checked my hand again,and This condition was so bad,
Doctor ordered me to stop fight and all training.
And operation is done. maybe in Junuary
I am verry sorry,my fans and John Fitch……..
I will annnounce operation schedule and come back time

Gono, an eccentric welterweight, debuted for the UFC back in November when he beat Tamdam McCrory via a second round submission. It is not clear who will replace him against Fitch since many of the top welterweights in the division have fights already booked or have fought too recently to accept another so soon.

According to Brock Lesnar in this new promo video for UFC 81, the outcomes in pro wrestling “may be pre-determined.” (!!!)

Dude, you’re going to break this guy‘s heart. Check out 81.ufc.com to see the rest of Lensar’s interview, as well as an interview with Frank Mir in which the former UFC heavyweight champ discusses his gameplan against Lesnar and the motorcycle accident that nearly ended his career.

Oh, and also? Lesnar isn’t really a big fan of the gays. Which is surprising coming from a guy with a big schlong tattooed on his chest.

Related: If you haven’t already taken the new poll on our homepage (“Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir — who takes it?”), please do so now.

The middleweight fight between Thales Leites and Nate Marquardt at UFC 81 is now a no go. Leites has broken his hand while training and will require surgery later this week, the UFC announced today.

The Leites fight was announced back in November. Marquardt, a Colorado native, is on his first fight of a four-fight deal with the UFC. The event (UFC 81) is set for February 1st at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

If you recall, this is the call-off number two for Leites and Marquardt fight. They were set to tangle in October of 2006, but Leites had to drop out because of ‘travel documentation problems’ (any guesses to what that might have really been about?). Leites, a BJJ dude, burst onto the UFC scene in “The Ultimate Fighter 4″ finale and lost a decision to Martin Kampmann. It’s been his only loss. His most recent win was an armbar submission against Ryan Jensen at UFC 74.

Also set for UFC 81 is a fight between Tim Sylvia and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the bullshit interim heavyweight title and Frank Mir against shit-stirrer Brock Lesnar.

(Salad-tossing dickface.)

…may we humbly suggest Rob Emerson? As mentioned earlier, the Ultimate Fighter 5 alum faces fellow lightweight Keita Nakamura in the undercard of the event that definitely does not feature Cheick Kongo and Heath Herring. What you may not know is that before he went on TUF — and was submitted by Nate Diaz, lost a decision to Corey Hill in a substitution match, and then was half of a bizarre double-KO no-contest with Gray Maynard — Emerson was a member of the Lords of South County, a roving gang of Orange County rich kids who enjoyed rolling up on strangers and beating the shit out of them. (Imagine the crew from Jackass, but replace “sophomoric sense of humor” with “infuriating sense of entitlement.”)

Check out the following news report, which depicts the June 2000 incident that led to Emerson’s first arrest; he was arrested again this year for unknown (though probably equally assholish) reasons. As reporter Chris Blatchford puts it, the crime was unusual because the gang members “are not from an inner city ghetto or a crime-ridden varrio [!], they’re young people from what their parents might call……..good homes.” Of course, the Lords all turn out to be a bunch of pussies who keep diaries and cry at Titanic (seriously). Anyway, when Emerson isn’t surrounded by two dozen of his boyz, he’s actually not that good of a fighter, so Nakamura should have no problem kicking the shit out of him on February 2, thus rebalancing the flow of karma. Fucking prick.

(Good lookin’ out: MMAJunkie)

Wait a minute, we just realized — Emerson is basically who the bad guy in this movie is based on. So it is kinda realistic!

(Cheick yourself before you *wreck* yourself…)

**UPDATE: It looks like Kongo/Herring will go down at UFC 82: Pride of a Champion (which will be headlined by the middleweight championship match between Anderson Silva and Dan Henderson), not UFC 81: Breaking Point. Our bad, as they say. At this point, all five of UFC 81′s main card bouts and three of its preliminary matches are reportedly locked down.

“Breaking Point” could now refer to the scales used at UFC 81′s weigh-in, as a third high-profile heavyweight match has been added to the event. Already headlined by the UFC debut of former WWE-star Brock Lesnar versus ex-champ Frank Mir, and the interim heavyweight championship bout between Tim Sylvia and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, UFC [82] will also feature a match between heavies Cheick Kongo and Heath Herring, according to MMA Mania. Kongo, a.k.a. “The French Sensation,” is the UFC rising star whose last two matches resulted in decision victories over Assuerio Silva and Mirko Cro Cop. Heath Herring is a former PRIDE vet who has gone 1-2 in the UFC; his last fight was a decision loss against Nogueira, and he is perhaps best known for this unfortunate staredown with Yoshihiro Nakao at K-1 Dynamite 2005:

MMA Weekly is reporting that the pay-per-view portion of UFC 81 will include two middleweight bouts — Ricardo Almeida against Alan Belcher, and Nate Marquardt against Thales Leites — and a lightweight bout between Tyson Griffin and Gleison Tibou. The three officially announced undercard bouts are Marvin Eastman vs. Terry Martin (middleweights), Tomasz Drwal vs. David Heath (light heavyweights), and Keita Nakamura vs. Rob Emerson (lightweights).