(Davis continues to deftly straddle the fence between being an "American Fighter" and an "Irish Hand Grenade," but how long can his loyalties remain divided?)

It’s funny, Dan Hardy was the one who started the war of words prior to UFC 99, but now that the fight’s over it’s Marcus Davis who won’t let it die.  After refusing to shake Hardy’s hand in the Octagon and fuming over the split decision loss as he stormed out of the arena, Davis claimed that Hardy admitted backstage that he lost the fight (which Hardy naturally denied, because that’s just what you do in that situation).  Now Davis is basically demanding a rematch before the year is out, on the grounds that he won 12 of the 15 minutes in their fight:

After a three-day delay, the UFC 99 fight-day installment of the Dana White Video Blog was finally uploaded to youtube.com/ufc, and the massive two-parter feels like any other classic double-album — sure, it would have been "better" if it were edited down to a single video, but then you wouldn’t get the scope of the Danavlog’s ambition. In the first, more boring half (shown above), Dana roams the streets of Cologne, taking a lot of pictures with fans and getting a taste of the Germans’ particular brand of crazy. (See: short-shorts guy at 0:04, crazy dog man at 1:10-1:28, and blue afro lady at 4:57.) He also spends time explaining how this whole UFC thing works to curious German camera crews, winding his way through an endless receiving line at the arena, and congratulating Stefan Struve, who’s still sore about that Dos Santos fight. Anyway, you don’t need to watch it unless you’re a Danavlog completist, but the backstage action picks up in part two…

(Word is he also stole several pairs of those UFC gloves, the bastard.)

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic has yet to admit that he really did screw the UFC by bailing on them for Dream after his victory over Mostapha Al-Turk at UFC 99, but it seems as if Dream has gone ahead and outed him anyway.  USA Today’s Sergio Non said he got an email from Mike Kogan, of FEG’s American parent company, confirming that Cro Cop had signed a three-fight deal with the Japanese organization.  If true, this would make Cro Cop look like a dirty, low-down liar, since he initially claimed that it was all a baseless rumor before then switching his stance and referring to it as a “business secret” that he couldn’t discuss. (P.S. Al-Turk’s proposed appeal of the eye-poke incident?  Yeah, that isn’t going anywhere.)

So here’s our ethical question of the day: Is Cro Cop wrong for ditching the UFC like this, or is he just looking out for his own interests the same way the UFC does when they ditch fighters?

(He was so young and so in possession of two properly functioning eyes once.)

While we were busy speculating wildly about what might happen if Mostapha Al-Turk really does file an appeal with the UFC over his loss via eye-poke at UFC 99 in Germany, Robert Joyner at MMA Payout went ahead and looked at what the standard Zuffa contract has to say about a situation like this.  What a show-off that guy is.  Anyway, here’s what he found:

Any and all Bouts that occur in a jurisdiction or country without an Athletic Commission shall be conducted pursuant to the statutes, rules and regulations of the State of Nevada in effect at the time of the Bout, including, but not limited to, the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts (the “Nevada Rules”); for the protection of the health and safety of the Fighter, to promote fairness in the administration of the Bout, and to preserve the integrity of the sport of mixed martial arts. In its sole discretion, ZUFFA may utilize the Nevada Rules in the oversight of any Bouts that occur under this Subsection 4.7. Fighter may appeal any advisory opinion by ZUFFA regarding any violations of the Nevada Rules relating only to Bouts that occur in a jurisdiction or country without an official government mandated Athletic Commission to an independent third-party arbitrator or arbitration panel selected pursuant to the guidelines developed by the American Arbitration Association. All costs and fees associated with an appeal taken pursuant to this Section shall be the exclusive responsibility of the Fighter. Regardless of where a Bout occurs, in no event shall a Fighter have any right to appeal a decision by ZUFFA relating to the UFC Title or the UFC Championship belts.

("I’M THE KING OF THE MIDDLE OF THE UFC WELTERWEIGHT LADDER!!! WHOO-HOOOOOO!!!"Photo courtesy of UFC.com.)

So how did everybody do with their UFC 99 picks? Did anyone beat our own Ben Fowlkes’s score of 23 points? BF’s picks were straight nasty, with five of the main card fights predicted perfectly. Lucky for you he’s ineligible for the DVDs. BG took in a far less impressive 15 points, and fully admits that picking Saunders over Swick was based on emotion, which is poison in the world of the pick-off. People, you must have ice-water in your balls if you hope to win this contest.

If you did well in round 1, let us know your score in the comments section below so we can keep an eye on the front-runners. Of course, even if you struck out with your UFC 99 predictions, there’s still a chance you can win the first "Machida-Do Karate for Mixed Martial Arts" set that we’re giving away — all you have to do is run the tables this Saturday with your TUF 9 finale picks. Speaking of which…

(The optimist sees this as a wave ‘hello.’  The pessimist sees it as a wave ‘goodbye.’)

Well, the UFC made it through their first German event without anyone dying or even getting seriously injured.  That ought to shut up the German newspapers, although Cro Cop’s Three Stooges eye-poke against Mostapha Al-Turk didn’t exactly help.  Now it’s time we sort through the winners and losers from this weekend and see who’s up and who’s down.

Rich Franklin +97
It wasn’t a dominant victory, but a win is still a win.  He picked Silva apart pretty well until a couple hooks wobbled him and sent him into retreat mode.  Even so, he fought smart and did just enough down the stretch.  Now let’s see him against one of the young up-and-comers in the 205-pound class and find out if he’s got any real bang left in him.

Wanderlei Silva +10
He showed that he can still take a shot as well as he can give one, and that’s enough to overshadow the latest loss tacked on to his record.  That said, he needs to go win a fight as a middleweight if he wants to stick around.

Cain Velasquez +86
So he has a chin to go along with that ground game.  He also has an ADD-style ground-and-pound game that never stops, though it also never stays with one approach long enough to finish.  Before we decide that he lacks power, though, let’s remind ourselves that Kongo couldn’t even stand up after the third round.  Now who’s got next?

(Cro Cop vs. Al Turk Props: MMA Linker)

Dana White’s over-the-phone verbal contract with Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic prior to UFC 99 was the first time he’d done a deal with a fighter without getting it in writing, or negotiating in person. We’re guessing it’ll also be his last. The big scandal coming out of Germany after yesterday’s show is the surprise news that Cro Cop had already signed a new three-fight deal with DREAM by the time he stepped into the Octagon against Mostapha Al Turk (video above). Though Cro Cop had previously told White that he wanted to officially sign for two more fights in the UFC and make a run for the heavyweight title, the truth came out following Mirko’s TKO victory via eye-pokes. As you can imagine, DW was seeing red in the post-show press-conference:

With UFC 99 now just a couple hours away (don’t forget to join us for a little afternoon liveblogging) we get a glimpse of some of Dana White’s latest antics in the Vaterland.  He kicks a little knowledge on German history, is entranced by a sausage, and raps with his fighters a bit just to see how everyone’s family is doing.  Notice the difference in attitude between Dan Hardy and Marcus Davis near the end there.  Seems like "The Outlaw" may have just realized that he’s talked himself into a beating, while Davis sounds like he is in the beginning stages of a premeditated murder.  This ought to be fun to watch.  Part two is after the jump.

(So you wanna be an Ultimate Fighter?  A UFC retrospective by CP reader B.J.)

- Lee Murray tried to break out of prison…unsuccessfully. (Fighters Only)

- Fox ignoring Jay Glazer’s pleas for more MMA coverage. (USA Today)

- Watch Mike Swick screw around in Germany. (MMA Mania)

- Dan Hardy and Marcus Davis share a tense elevator ride. (Cage Writer)

- Could Tito Ortiz be coming back to the UFC someday? (MMA Fanhouse)

- Gina Carano and "Cyborg" Santos will fight five-minute rounds. (MMA Junkie)

- Examining the Fight! Magazine "Power 20" in MMA. (MMA Payout)

- Thiago Alves guarantees a KO against GSP. (Ask Men)

- Hilariously illustrated UFC 99 predictions from Lil Calvin. (Asylum)

- Wanderlei Silva looks straight-up ripped at 195. (UG)

- Someone finally puts boobs in perspective. (Holy Taco)

- The best everyman fight outfits in the history of film. (Screen Junkies)

- Fall a little bit in love with this cute NASCAR reporter. (All Left Turns)

- Old lady tazed by cop. (Nothing Toxic)

Just a friendly reminder to those of you who have yet to enter your UFC 99 picks in this forum thread, you only have until midnight PST tonight (Friday, 6/12) to get them in.  You know you want to see what Lyoto Machida’s “Karate for MMA” DVD set is all about, while also establishing your dominance as the MMA prognosticator of all prognosticators.  This is the best chance to do both at once.  Take our word for it, nothing impresses the ladies like bringing them back to your place, popping in a Machida instructional DVD, and telling them how you won this puppy free of charge thanks to the power of your brain.  It helps if the ladies are very drunk and not listening to you at all during this.

After the jump, check out our UFC 99 picks and be amazed.  Or just mock us in the comments section.  Either way.

(It didn’t last. Nothing perfect ever does. Props: BloodyElbow)

From Paul Kelly via the CageWarriors forum (all misspellings printed as-is):

In case you missed it, Roli Delgado freaked out earlier today at the UFC 99 weigh-ins when Tellys got a little too close for comfort — and in doing so, signed his own death warrant. Not that UFC 99 needed any more bad blood, between Davis/Hardy and Franklin/Silva, but there ya go. After the jump, one of the jokers on the CageWarriors board takes the piss out of the Crazy Cuban…

(Peter Sobotta highlight reel. How do you say "I FINISH FIGHTS!" in German?)

The UFC 99 lineup is packed with plenty of European faces, and as usual, a couple guys will be getting called up to the majors for the very first time. Get acquainted with the latest batch of Octagon newbies below…

PETER SOBOTTA (WW)
Experience: 8-1 record, with all wins by stoppage. Has competed almost entirely in Germany, where he has lived since he was three years old. (He was born in Poland.) Sobotta’s last fight was a third-round TKO of Kerim Abzailov at a KSW event last September.
Will be facing: Paul Taylor (9-4-1, 2-3 UFC)
?Lowdown: One of the local scrappers brought in for the UFC’s Deutschland debut, 22-year-old Peter Sobotta is a well-rounded prospect known for his aggressive offense. No, he’s never beaten anybody you’ve heard of, but he may be able to overwhelm the injury-addled Taylor. Sobotta grew up training in Judo and Tae Kwon Do, took up MMA as a teenager, and had his first pro fight at the age of 17. According to this interview on nokaut.com, Sobotta trains at Berserker’s Gym, is studying to be an "IT system merchant," and is not a morning person.

All fighters made weight today in Cologne, Germany, for tomorrow’s UFC 99 event — though things got off to a tense start for the undercard fighters. During the heavyweight faceoff between Stefan Struve and Denis Stojnic, the much-taller Struve leaned in to rest his forehead on Stojnic’s face, and the much-fatter Stojnic shoved him off; Dana White had to jump in to separate them. Then it happened again in the very next staredown, as Paul Kelly pushed his forehead against Roli Delgado‘s, and the Crazy Cuban angrily pushed Tellys off of him. The meeting between Dan Hardy and Marcus Davis was disappointingly cordial. The numbers are after the jump…

(Photo courtesy of Combat Lifestyle’s UFC 99 press conference set.)

For all our talk about how far superior Cain Velasquez‘s wrestling is and how that might make all the difference in his fight with Cheick Kongo at UFC 99, it’s worth noting that Kongo is one big dude, and that often tends to help in fights, especially in the heavyweight division.  I mean, just look at the success of Tim Sylvia, such as it is/was.  That wasn’t all pure talent and genius career moves, people.  When it comes to keeping Velasquez at a distance and avoiding the takedown, it also helps that Kongo has the wingspan of a freaking condor.  Is it possible Kongo could just stay on the outside and use a combination of jabs and groin kicks to take Velasquez out of his game?

(Wandy and Rich can’t even get an open workout in without being bothered by this crap.)

Oh, Germany.  Your fashion sense and taste in music aren’t the only things that often trend about a decade behind the United States.  Your media coverage of the first German UFC event this weekend is equally outdated, raising all the same arguments and accusations that our media did back in the dark days of MMA.  The only difference is, when our media blasted the UFC for putting on brutal, bare-knuckled brawls with a dearth of rules to protect the competitors, it was actually true.

(Props: Genghis Con)

MMA highlight film whiz Genghis Con is back with a two-part tribute to Randy Couture called "The Father of Time." The first installment, shown above, covers Couture’s UFC career from his debut choke-out of Tony Halme at UFC 13 to his "retirement" after losing to Chuck Liddell for the second time at UFC 57; we’ll let you know when part two hits the ‘net.

After the jump: The second segment from Spike’s "Countdown to UFC 99" sepcial, which gives us a closer at the beast that is Cain Velasquez, and Cheick Kongo‘s scrappy path to contender status. Could this heavyweight brawl be a dark horse for Fight of the Night? Parts 1 and 3 are here.

(It’s a bad day to be a focus mitt.  Photo courtesy of our friends at Fight! Magazine.)

I met Wanderlei Silva for an interview in his new gym in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago, and to my surprise he showed up only a half-hour late.  He was sporting one hell of a black eye from a recent training session, but despite his busy schedule the always-gregarious Wanderlei was kind enough to give me a little of his time to talk about his upcoming bout with Rich Franklin at UFC 99 on Saturday, his thoughts on the rivalry and proposed bet with former friend Anderson Silva, as well as what he thinks about Dana White threatening to “pull the trigger” on him like he did to Chuck Liddell.  Enjoy.

CagePotato.com: Thanks for talking with me Wanderlei.  Looks like you have a pretty nice shiner there.

Yes, I was training with one of my partners here the other day and, you know, the fight is never like the training but I try to train like the fight.  The last two movements he hit me in each of my eyes.  It was the last few seconds even, and now I have this.  He got me and time was up before I could get him, but next week…(laughs)

What do you think of Rich Franklin as a fighter?

He’s a very professional guy.  Every guy who comes to fight me, they are going to train hard and train more.  This is real.  Because of this I know I need to train more too.   I train every day, two or three times a day.  So I will be ready too.

And what do you think of him training with Anderson Silva before his fight with you?

(Props: youtube.com/ufc)

Recession? What fuckin’ recession? Even in this economy, Zuffa has enough disposable income to buy an almost 100% intact sabretooth tiger skull, freshly pulled out of La Brea. It’s so beautiful that you can tell the fossil salesman, deep down, would rather have it displayed in polished glass and soft lighting in his personal study, and not on a table in the UFC offices where Rampage can put his face up against it and make bad breath jokes. But that’s the life of a bone dealer — heartbreak, scattered with moments of unbearable ecstasy.

Also in this installment of the UFC 99 Danavlog, DW takes in Sunday’s WEC show (where some horrible drunk bitch keeps demanding one more picture), drools over Marty Cordoba‘s hot bod, and reviews the sick televised card for Saturday’s show. FYI, the pay-per-view for #99 starts at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT, with a replay at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

After the jump: Mike Swick beats the crap out of some focus mitts; he’ll take on Ben Saunders on the main card of UFC 99.

Far be it from us to suggest that the animosity between Dan Hardy and Marcus Davis is anything but 100% genuine – just listen to Davis digging deep into the lessons of his childhood to assert that he really does hate Hardy – but does anyone else feel like we’re really getting the old hard sell on this one?  This nearly ten-minute video from the UFC details the history and relevant talking points of the rivalry between the two, and while it’s fun to hear two men who are actually going to fight talk about the intensity of their dislike for one another, it’s getting to be a pretty familiar story.

Now that Lyoto Machida has established himself atop one of the most competitive divisions in mixed martial arts, MMA enthusiasts are dying know exactly how the soft-spoken karateka is managing to kick everyone’s ass. And now the Dragon is generously revealing his secrets in a new DVD set from Victory Belt Publishing. Over four DVDs, Machida covers his stance and footwork, attacks and counter-attacks, takedowns and footsweeps (obviously), and his ground game. Want it? Well, feel free to buy it. Or, be one of the two winners of a new UFC pick-off contest that we’re holding over the next five weeks…

(Props: MMA Mania)

Rivalry is the over-arching theme in this in-depth video preview for UFC 99 (Cologne, Germany; June 13th). First we have Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva, with much being made of Franklin’s decision to train with Wandy’s anti-BFF, Anderson Silva. Ace considers the Axe Murderer to be just as dangerous now as he was in PRIDE, and looks forward to a stand-up war. Wanderlei just wants to get past Franklin so he can settle up with Anderson once and for all.

In a card that’s moderately stacked with names like Mirko Cro Cop, Cain Velasquez, Cheick Kongo, and Caol Uno, it’s suprising that Marcus Davis vs. Dan Hardy is being treated like the co-main event here. But these two got beef. Hardy thinks Davis is a fake Irishman, and Davis thinks Hardy is a douchebag with a stupid red mohawk. Will their combined hatred produce a Fight of the Night?

After the jump: Some vintage California Kid from December 2005, in honor of his rematch with Mike Brown being just nine days away…

(Kongo dodges Al-Turk’s ferocious breakdancing attack at UFC 92. Photo courtesy of boxinginlasvegas.com.)

From a new update on UFC.com:

(‘You put mouth and money in same place, yes?’)

Either Wanderlei Silva desperately wants to hurt former friend/current bitter rival Anderson Silva any way he can, or else he’s really regretting that adjustable rate mortgage he agreed to, because “The Axe Murderer” is now trying to convince the UFC middleweight champ to put a little money down on his boy Rich Franklin at UFC 99.  And by a little money, we mean roughly the median annual household income in the United States.  

“If Anderson believes in Franklin so much, bet $50,000 and let’s see who takes the money,” Wanderlei told Fighters Only recently.  This sounds like a great idea.  We only hope Anderson Silva thinks so.

(Props: MMA Mania)

If you were an MMA fan four years ago, you can probably imagine what your reaction would have been had someone, preferably Scott Bakula from “Quantum Leap,” gone back in time to show you this poster for UFC 99.  For one thing, you would have been blown away that the UFC even made it to UFC 99, and that they hadn’t yet transitioned to an all-robot fighting organization.  Then there’s the shock of seeing Pride bad-ass Wanderlei Silva in the Octagon to face UFC middleweight champ Rich Franklin, and in Germany for fuck’s sake. 

Basically, your head would have exploded right then and there, all over Scott Bakula, which is why time travel is dangerous to begin with and should probably be avoided until we are responsible enough to not use it for stuff like showing fight posters to people.

Now think about how you view this poster in the present day.  It’s still a credible fight, and still interesting, though for entirely different reasons.  Let’s just say no one’s head is in any danger of exploding here, with the possible exception of Wanderlei.  And if you weren’t an MMA fan back in 2005 and you don’t really get what I’m going on about here, allow me to derisively say, noob!

(Props: these guys, who should really look into a less obnoxious watermark for their photos. Just saying.)

Well, Anderson Silva is officially dead to Wanderlei Silva now.  Here he is training Rich Franklin, who will fight “The Axe Murderer” at UFC 99 in Germany, and also presumably whispering to him about where to find the secret Brazilian “off-switch” to put Wanderlei’s lights out.  Hint: it’s located somewhere in the chin region.  In the past Brazilians have often balked at the idea of training a foreigner to fight one of their countrymen, but Anderson is like Bruce Lee: he teaches whoever wants to learn.  Especially if that person is about to fight someone he’s not particularly fond of at the moment.

(Can’t the Germans find room in their hearts for something besides soccer, beer and buxom women? Not that we’re against those things…)

It just wouldn’t be a new frontier for the UFC without a little hyperbolic fear-mongering from opponents of MMA.  With UFC 99 scheduled for Cologne, Germany on June 13, City Councilor Manfred Wolf (known henceforth as the German Bob Reilly) is doing his part to disrupt the UFC’s German debut with this nonsensical and factually inaccurate criticism (translated by our friend Robert K at Big Odds Mike):

"MMA is not a sport because it legitimizes death and serious injury. The only aim is to destroy your opponent." Adding further: "I personally find disgusting … Here one finds the lowest human instincts."

(Brothers don’t shake hands. Brothers gotta hug.)

As much as Anderson Silva used to enjoy kicking the absolute dogshit out of Rich Franklin, it was clear that the Spider respected the hell out of Ace. After his UFC 82 title fight against Dan Henderson, Silva told the Columbus crowd something along the lines of "it feels good to win, but there’s only one true middleweight champion, and that’s Rich Franklin," which struck me as both incredibly humble, and kind of insulting to Dan Henderson, who was standing right next to him at the time. So I guess this recent blurb from the Dayton Daily News shouldn’t be all that surprising:

Dana White’s UFC 96 video blog, ep. 2 – Watch more free videos

In this edition of the UFC 96 video blog, Dana White and the rest of the traveling circus dazzle Deutschland in their promo tour for UFC 99 this summer.  ‘But wait a minute,’ you’re saying to yourself, ‘isn’t this video blog supposed to be about hyping this weekend’s event on an entirely different continent?’  To which Dana White would respond: “Fuck yourself, it’s only Wednesday you pussy.”

Highlights of this episode include a touching conversation between White and Wanderlei Silva, who displays the ability to laugh at himself and his Borat-like grasp of the English language, as well as a trip to a weirdo German talk show with a moving stage, and of course an obligatory shot at Tito Ortiz.  In other words, a good time is had by all.

After the jump, a strange, quick knockout from an amateur MMA bout in Scotland.  Dude’s going to need an ice pack when he wakes up.

(Sometimes Wanderlei uses Lil’ Wanderlei to say things he can’t, such as ‘I’m sorry,’ and ‘I love you,’ and ‘What’s this catchweight shit about?’)

UFC.com today officially announced Rich Franklin/Wanderlei Silva as the main event for UFC 99 in Cologne, Germany on UFC 99, which has been dubbed “The Comeback.”  Yes, they already used that one for a season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” but so what?  It’s Germany.  They’re too busy screwing around with soccer and modernist architecture to know what’s happening on American TV.

As previously rumored, the bout will take place at a catchweight of 195 pounds, which is kind of odd since both Franklin and Silva last fought at 205 pounds.  But it only seems to make no sense because you haven’t heard Dana White’s explanation yet:

“Everyone knows Rich moved up to light heavyweight a couple of fights ago while Wanderlei is planning on fighting at 185lbs from now on, but this fight is too exciting a match not to happen and both these guys deserve a ton of credit for taking this fight at 195lbs.”

(People tell him to stop going to that damn epileptic barber, but Heath just won’t listen.)

Remember yesterday when we told you that Cain Velasquez was going to be back in action at UFC 99 in Germany, and we were hoping he’d see a step up in competition?  Well, our wish has been granted, as MMA Weekly reports that Velasquez will face noted heavyweight stepping stone Heath Herring in Cologne this summer.

Herring, who is 2-3 since migrating to the UFC, last saw action as a one-man pony ride for Brock Lesnar in a decision loss that left Herring with a fractured orbital bone and Lesnar with a title shot.  Before that Herring won a victory over Cheick Kongo, who briefly thought he was a wrestler, and lost a decision to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira despite rocking Big Nog with a head kick early on.

If what we saw in Herring’s performances against Lesnar and in his UFC debut loss to Jake O’Brien are any indication (remember what Velasquez did to O’Brien?), getting matched up with another big wrestler that the UFC has high hopes for is not a good sign for “The Texas Crazy Horse.”  Velasquez seemed to have really rounded out his skill-set in his last fight, and he could put a serious hurting on Herring. 

If he does, it’s basically Velasquez’s pass into the upper echelon of the UFC’s heavyweight class.  If he doesn’t, Herring gets to keep hanging around in his win one, lose one fashion.

No word yet on who Velasquez’s AKA teammate Mike Swick will face, but there is this: