(Video courtesy YouTube/WandFightTeam)

For the past several months fellow Brazilians have been rallying for Murilo "Ninja" Rua to be added to the UFC’s 185-pound roster.

Wanderlei Silva posted a video blog on YouTube last week asking UFC president, Dana White to sign the former PRIDE star to the organization.

Besides "The Axe Murderer," Ninja’s younger brother, UFC light heavyweight champion, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua as well as welterweight contender Paulo Thiago also appeared in the clip to express their support for Murilo, who is undefeated in his last four outings, being brought into the UFC’s middleweight mix.

Speaking with TATAME this week, Ninja says that the ultimate goal would be to join friends like Wand and Shogun in the UFC, but he isn’t banking on it happening without him proving that he deserves it.

“I see it from a positive perspective, but I’m fighting and doing my job. If one day I’ll fight for the UFC it’ll only be a consequence. I’ll wait and it’ll come," Rua explained. “[The UFC's middleweight division] is a great division; there are great fighters, it’s really hard, but I’ll try to be on my best to go for the belt. That’s my dream, my goal, and I want to deserve it. On the right time, I’ll join the UFC’s cast."

(“Is good, no? Is from child’s meal at fast food restaurant.” PicProps: FCFighter.com)

By now we’ve all had a good chuckle over last week’s vid of the world’s most awkward van ride where Wanderlei Silva tells Chael Sonnen to keep Brazil’s name out his mouth, if he wants that mouth to keep functioning for the purposes of things like chewing food and telling insane lies. But as Sonnen – who pretty much backed down in the face of Wanderlei’s rough-hewn wisdom — continues to hole up in Oregon and contemplate the possibility that he may have squandered his last chance at being a relevant fighter, a few other Brazilians followed Wanderlei’s lead over the weekend and let fly with their own opinions about the alleged testosterone addict.

That included Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who told Sherdog.com that he thinks “God is just” in not allowing Sonnen to win the UFC middleweight title while (probably) cheating against Anderson Silva. “The Spider” also spoke with the Dog, telling it that he didn’t think Sonnen deserved a rematch, anyway. For his part, Wanderlei went the extra mile to prove he’s like the nicest dude in the world, telling MMA Canada (during kind of an awkward video blog) that he thinks Sonnen’s year-long suspension is a bit too harsh.

(Video courtesy YouTube/WandFightTeam)

*Editor’s note: Turn down your volume before pressing play or Burt Watson will scare the shit out of you.

If you’ve never watched any of the episodes from Wanderlei Silva’s video blog series, you’re missing out. It gives a rare and uncut glimpse into Wand’s life and his thoughts on the sport and his career.

The latest one takes place during the pre-fight media blitz ahead of Ultimate Fight Night 22 in Texas last week, but the best part is something that happened behind the scenes during a limo ride from one event to another. At around the 3:53 mark the usually quiet and cordial in person "The Axe Murderer" confronts Chael Sonnen about his recent bashing of Brazilian MMA luminaries Antonio Rogerio and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira when he said that earning a black belt from the two is like getting a Happy Meal toy from MacDonald’s.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The day is finally upon us. After a very fruitful submission period, we’re ready to announce the 12 finalists of our desktop wallpaper contest, presented by Throwdown. Check them out after the jump, and vote for your favorite in the poll over on the right. (If you have trouble using our poll, please e-mail contest@cagepotato.com and include which Internet browser and operating system you’re using.) Please get your votes in by Thursday at midnight ET. On Friday, we’ll announce the first-place winner, who will receive the following Throwdown gear, pictured above:

– an All Over Print Duffle Bag
– a Logo Flexfit Hat
– a pair of On Top Remix Shoes
– a Throwdown Hoodie or Thermal of your choice
– 2 Throwdown by Affliction "T"s of your choice
– 2 Large Throwdown Stickers

Now, on to the brilliance…

(Video courtesy YouTube/WandFightTeam)

If you can make it through the terrible music without poking your eardrums out with a Slim Jim, this short Wanderlei Silva retrospective is definitely a good watch.

The video opens with Wand heading to the hospital for knee surgery, which, be forewarned if you have a weak disposition, they catalogue in graphic detail.

(Todd S.)

(Adam F.)

Thanks to everybody who submitted entries for our first-ever Facebook photoshop contest! Y’all gave us some legit LOL’s, for real. And if we could give CagePotato t-shirts to all of you, we totally would, but instead we’re just going to choose our eleven favorites, which continue after the jump. If your work has been posted, hit up contest@cagepotato.com with your shirt size and address, and we’ll get you sorted. We hope your summers are going this well…

As the saying goes, "Men make MMA predictions and God laughs." With that in mind, let’s revisit some of the most classic blunders in CP history, in chronological order. Good thing we’re completely unaccountable for the things we say here!

From: "Gambling Addiction Enabler: UFC 84 Edition" (The very first installment of the G.A.E.)
BG said: "Look, we know the Axe Murderer was a killer in PRIDE — but he needs to win a couple in the Octagon to convince me that he’s just as fearsome over here. Take away the use of soccer kicks and knees to the head on the ground, biased refs and judges, matchmaking that had him go up against opponents that were tailor-made for his style, (*cough*steroids*cough*), and the confidence that comes from never losing, and we’re not even talking about the same guy anymore. Silva won’t be doing any axe-murdering at UFC 84 — he’s going to be fighting not to lose, and will come out a much more cautious, tentative version of himself. Meanwhile, Jardine is surely working on another great game-plan with Greg Jackson, knowing that if he pulls off another big win his title shot will be waiting."
What happened: Wanderlei Silva via KO (rape choke), 0:36 of round 1. LOL @ Jardine’s "title shot."

From: "UFC 85: Bedlam — Ipecac Rematch Picks" (this article seems to have disappeared from the Internet; you can check out a screen-shot from my Google Reader here, and a little bit of backstory here.)
BG said: "Matt Hughes may be on the decline, and Thiago Alves is definitely on the come-up, but they haven’t passed each other yet, so to speak. Though Alves caught Karo Parisyan at UFC Fight Night 13, he’s failed in previous big tests against Spencer Fisher and Jon Fitch. Hughes may have trouble with Alves’s striking and youthful energy, and a submission victory is unlikely, but I can see the future Hall of Famer dominating the young challenger with his wrestling and grinding out a decision."
What happened: Matt Hughes got utterly ruined by the Pitbull’s striking and youthful energy; Alves via TKO, 1:02 of round 2. I lost bragging rights to Fightlinker, as well as the entire contents of my stomach.

(Props: Corey O.)

Just a reminder for all you creative, good-humored types: You have until Thursday night to submit entries for our current Photoshop contest. The theme is "How are MMA fighters spending their summer vacations?", and all entries must be submitted to our Facebook page. I know we said that we’d be awarding CagePotato t-shirts to the five ‘shops that drew the most "Likes," but we’ve been getting so much good stuff that we’ll probably give out shirts to every image that made us laugh. A few more of our current favorites are after the jump.

And one more thing: We’d like to start collecting questions for an "Ask the Potato" segment on our new podcast, so if you have any pressing queries for Ben and Mike — MMA-related or otherwise — let us hear it. You can submit questions through the comments section on this post, at Facebook.com/CagePotato, or by sending an @cagepotatomma tweet on Twitter.

("The fine print specifically says no opponents with the word "cat" in their nicknames.")

Yoshihiro Akiyama’s proclamation that he may not agree to face Chris Leben at UFC 116 made me think that maybe Japanese MMA fans are right about him when they say he has no Budo.

Now before you put on your mean mug and warm up your angry typing fingers to tell me I’m an idiot, hear me out.

(Anyone who isn’t a fan of Wand, isn’t a fan of MMA.)

Fighters Only spoke to Wanderlei Silva last night about his painful decision to pull out of his UFC 116 bout with Yoshihiro Akiyama. "The Axe Murderer" revealed that he  had torn ligaments in his knee a few weeks ago, but said he was planning to fight with the injured joint anyway. He says that the combination of his knee injury and a trio of broken ribs he sustained while training on Friday made it impossible to continue his camp, let alone fight in a week and a half.

“I tried training more upper body and boxing; I kept losing weight and I was gonna fight no matter what. Last Friday, during sparring, I injured my rib. It was very painful and the next day I had an x-ray and an MRI. I discovered I had three broken ribs.

(Video courtesy YouTube/UFC)

Call me crazy, but I’m more excited for the Akiyama-Silva fight than I am the main event on the July 3 UFC 116 card. The chances that someone’s getting knocked out quickly make the Lesnar-Carwin bout somewhat less appealing to me.

I don’t think I’ve ever not been pumped to see Wanderlei fight and Akiyama always puts on a good scrap. Neither fighter has a clear-cut advantage over the other and there likely won’t be any feeling out process as it isn’t either fighter’s style to be cautious, so this bout could very well have Fight of the Night honors in the bag.

Up and at ‘em Potato Nation. Check out these articles from our friends around the MMA blogosphere, and keep Young Randy smilin’.
 
- Leonard Garcia Fights Hard, Embraces the Consequences (MMAFighting)

– Options: Next Moves for UFC 114 Winners (Heavy.com/MMA)

– The DREAM 15 Poster Finally Translated (MiddleEasy)

- One Flew Over the M-1 Nest: Affliction Countersues M-1 Global (WatchKalibRun)

- Michael Bisping Enjoys Being the Bad Guy (FightMagazine)

- Ten UFC 114 Fighters Receive Medical Suspensions (Five Ounces of Pain)

– Wanderlei Silva Stands Up for Fans at UFC Expo (MMA Scraps)

(Don’t look into his eyes, Wand. You’ll be paralyzed like thousands of ladies in the past have been before you.)

In a recent interview with TATAME, Wanderlei Silva said that he is progressively getting more comfortable with fighting as a middleweight and that he doesn’t plan on retiring any time soon.

“I want to keep on fighting for the next six years, at least until I’m forty. This division change was good, I had to change my diet and I’m feeling just fine”,

Though it’s been in the works since late last year, a middleweight meeting between Wanderlei Silva (33-10-1, 1 no-contest) and Korean sex-symbol Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-1, 2 no-contests) is finally going to happen at UFC 116 (July 3rd, Las Vegas), according to a new report from Fighters Only. The Axe Murderer has had a rocky road in the Octagon, but he’s 1-0 as a 185-pounder, thanks to his unanimous decision win over Michael Bisping at UFC 110. Akiyama hasn’t competed since his UFC debut at #100, where he scratched out a split-decision win against Alan Belcher. Akiyama hasn’t suffered an official defeat since his second MMA fight back in March 2005, when he was paired up against heavyweight kickboxer Jerome LeBanner and subsequently KTFO’d.

(Props: KahL-One)

Though putting it together nearly killed him, our buddy Kahleem Poole has completed a video tribute to Wanderlei Silva that might be the best Axe Murderer-highlight we’ve ever seen. Not only is the fight footage edited together in an unconventional way (diggin’ those split screens), but it also gives a sense of the warm-hearted person that Wandy is when he’s not trying to destroy his opponents. The climactic montage of his late-career losses from 5:00 to 5:42 isn’t played for sympathy; defeat waits for every warrior. Check it out.

After the jump: A quick ‘n’ dirty look at Cristiane Santos‘s reign of terror.

(What, you think this is over, KJ? Naw homey, it’s just beginning.)

Lately you may have seen us criticizing various proposed rematches as “completely unnecessary” and wondered out loud, ‘Are there any rematches you jerks do want to see?’ Our answer to this is a) you’re the jerk, jerk, and b) as a matter of fact, there are approximately ten, and here they are:

10. Wanderlei Silva vs. Chuck Liddell

(UFC 79, 12/29/07)

Technically, these guys are in different weight classes now. We realize that. We know that Silva cut down to middleweight after ridding himself of fifteen pounds worth of facial scar tissue, and Liddell has slipped into the ‘old guy who can only fight other old guys’ division, right alongside Matt Hughes.

But other than that minor barrier, there’s no reason not to have these guys reprise their memorable 2007 battle just for the pure hell of it. Neither one of them wants to quit fighting, and neither is going to become a world champion again. The only suitable option left is to find interesting fights against competitive opponents who won’t murder them. In this sense, they are exactly what the other has been searching for.

(The UFC’s bloody Sunday, courtesy of MMA-Core.)

We know, the Index is a little late this week. We could say it has something to do with UFC 110 taking place in Australia, maybe make up some transparent lie about it taking longer to crunch the numbers when the fights happen in the Southern Hemisphere. But you’d never believe that…or would you?

Cain Velasquez +167
Even if Big Nog may be on the decline, beating him still means something. Finishing him means even more, and doing it in the first round, via brutal KO, means you just might be the next big thing. Suddenly the UFC’s heavyweight class has more viable challengers than they know what to do with. Talk about a good problem to have.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira -101
Seeing Nogueira get knocked out cold is a little like seeing a unicorn die of a heart attack. You never thought you’d ever live to see it, and afterwards you kind of wish you never had.

(Props: McSluggaCrackedMySkull)

Here’s the thing about Bruce Buffer: Even when he’s not working, he’s still working. During Wanderlei Silva‘s entrance at UFC 110, the Buff could be spotted lurking behind Wandy’s team, grooving to "Sandstorm" like everybody else in the building and looking forward to the end of the night when he could tear off his suit and transform into Party Buffer. We apologize that we can only present this moment to you in animated gif form, but if you turn up your speakers, click here and stare at this thing until your eyes glaze over, you’ll eventually start to feel like Bruce is inside you. Don’t fight it. Let it happen.

Cain Velasquez and Wanderlei Silva weren’t the only big winners over the weekend. Some of you managed to parlay the goings-on in Australia at UFC 110 into personal success with our MMA FightPicker, and unlike those poor suckers you were able to do it without ever leaving the comforting glow of your computer screen.

But before we get to shouting out some winners, we must answer the question, who was the superior Ben in this weekend’s FightPicker action? The answer is me (BF). I finished sixth in Journeyman Pool 30 #390 with 160 points, which doesn’t sound very impressive until you note that BG finished fifteenth with 130 points, coming in just ahead of Joe Bananas, who we can only assume is the owner of a discount electronics store known for its certifiably insane deals on everything from digital cameras to personal computers.

(When you know you’ve won a fight, you don’t have to run around with your arms raised, making a big show for the judges. You can just lay on the mat, drooling like a champion. Photo courtesy of Sherdog.)

Following a successful debut in Australia this weekend, the UFC handed out $50,000 performance bonuses to the following lucky bastards:

Fight of the Night: George Sotiropoulos and Joe Stevenson, for their main-card three-rounder. Silva/Bisping might have been a closer battle, but Sotiropoulos gave the Sydney crowd what they paid for — 15 minutes of Aussie domination.

Knockout of the Night: Cain Velasquez, for his first-round smashing of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the headlining bout.

Submission of the Night: Chris Lytle, for scoring UFC 110′s only sub, a kneebar of Brian Foster during the prelims. Amazingly, Lytle has won seven end-of-night bonuses in his last eight UFC appearances.

In other news…

(Some Silva vs. Bisping hype, courtesy of nicktheface.)

Update: In light of the Rothwell/Cro Cop/Perosh situation, which will henceforth be referred to as the saga of Mirko and "The Hippo," just for laughs, we’ve updated the FightPicker questions. We’ve also replaced Sinosic/Haseman with Lytle/Foster, so there’s that too. You should probably go update your picks accordingly. Picks can be changed until 11 pm PST tonight. If, after that point, any more changes happen to make our existing questions obsolete, we’ll just declare those a tie. Sound good?

It’s the Friday before a big MMA event, and as new tradition dictates, it’s time for BF and I to make our MMA FightPicker picks public so that we can bust each other’s balls on Monday morning. Before we get to it, have you made your own picks yet? And have you considered entering one of the prize pools to win an iPod Touch? Not trying to nag or anything, it’s just that we regret the things we don’t do in this life, you know? Anyway…

1. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez at UFC 110: Who will win?
BG: Nogueira. He’ll handle Velasquez standing, and he’s strong enough on the ground to avoid being squashed.
BF: Strong enough to avoid being squashed, yes. But strong enough to avoid being put there again and again and worked over for three rounds? I have my doubts. Velasquez via decision. Maybe then you’ll realize that it is not 2006 anymore.

(Skip to the 2:18 mark to see Bisping seeking solace in the arms of his Twitter followers)

In Michael Bisping‘s latest video blog from Australia he pauses for a moment to get one thing straight: it’s not his fault that things have gotten personal between him and Wanderlei Silva.  For reasons that are either totally understandable or utterly baffling (depending on your own personal take on the guy), Bisping seems to have become the guy that fans and fellow fighters love to hate.  He doesn’t see why, and insists he never wanted to get into a feud with Silva, who he calls "a bit of a bully." 

It is at this point where we are forced to feel something resembling sympathy for Bisping.  It’s a fleeting feeling though, and it passes as soon as we see the moment from the press conference in part two of the video blog where Bisping tells Silva, "You do need to win fights in this business, Wanderlei, and you haven’t been doing that lately."  Yep, there goes that sympathy.  All better now.

Check it out for yourself after the jump, including the odd moment where this fight is referred to as "perhaps one of the most eagerely anticipated bouts in UFC history."  I guess at this point we’re just spouting hyperbole and hoping that no one is listening too closely.

(Joe Stevenson and George Sotiropoulos break down their main-card matchup. Props: YouTube.com/UFC.)

— During a UFC 110 press conference held yesterday in Sydney, UFC president Dana White announced that the winner of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez could potentially get the next shot at Brock Lesnar‘s heavyweight belt. "Mir and Carwin are going to fight for the interim title because that fight was already made before Brock said he was coming back," White explained, "[but] the winner of this fight [between Nogueira and Velasquez] puts them right in the mix because something could happen to either Shane or Mir in that fight where they couldn’t fight Brock, so the winner of this fight would fight Brock."

— After the UFC’s first trip to Australia sold out the first day, White stated that Australia could be an annual stop for the UFC. Also, a season of TUF hosted Down Under is "absolutely possible."

— Wanderlei Silva and Michael Bisping‘s professional rivalry is getting personal. At yesterday’s press conference, Silva said "We’re going to have a great show, and I’m going to kick your ass." Bisping took it in stride, but later needled Silva about his recent losses. Silva told Bisping to shut up, and said "100 percent of the guys that talk to him, (talk to me and say) kick him…Everybody don’t like him." To which Bisping responded, "That’s nice. Fortunately, I couldn’t give a [expletive]." In an earlier interview, Silva said that seeing Quinton Jackson in Bisping’s corner will only make him more motivated to beat The Count: "Maybe I’ll beat the one and then after, the other. Two for the price of one."

(Props: UFC.com via Card)

"The guy who won’t stop ’til you’re done, and the guy who can’t be stopped" — so says Dana White in the latest installment of Countdown when describing the UFC 110 main event between Cain Velasquez and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. It’s a matchup that seems to hit almost all the buttons. Besides the Irresistible Force/Immovable Object dichotomy, you’ve got the young up-and-comer vs. the war-weathered veteran, the ground-and-pounder vs. the submission artist, the American vs. the Brazilian. Nogueira is feeling as strong as ever thanks to his new S&C coach and his training at the stacked Black House gym. Velasquez is ready to fight the big names he’s watched since the sport was young. But is he ready to beat them?

Meanwhile, another Brazilian legend, Wanderlei Silva, faces a must-win situation against British star Michael Bisping. Bisping and his camp respect Silva, but Wandy’s UFC bonus checks and BJJ black belt don’t mean shit to them. We learn a few things about Silva in this show: He’s back with his original trainer Rafael Cordeiro, and looking to recapture the "old" Wanderlei Silva. He started his own gym partly because nobody wanted to train with him at Xtreme Couture. His fans are really his friends, and the fighters he develops are really his family. He snores, which is something his funny little manager knows all about.

CagePotato.com is proud to introduce MMA Mythology, a new comic collaboration with illustrator/highlight video editor Kahleem "KahL-One" Poole in which urban legends from MMA’s history are brought to life. In the first installment, Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua do battle over a pitbull puppy; yes, this really happened. Click the images for full-size versions, check out the rest after the jump, and let us know what you think!

(Skip to the 3:15 mark to hear Coleman’s thoughts on the rule changes in MMA that forced him to "learn a lot of other skills.")

Those of you who became MMA fans somewhere between "Iron Ring" and “Bully Beatdown” might not realize this, but there was a time when Mark Coleman was a holy terror as a fighter. We know, he didn’t look like it against Randy Couture at UFC 109, but give the guy a break. He’s 45 years-old and has been using his body (and sometimes his head) as a weapon to hurt other men since 1996. That stuff is bound to take a toll on you, which is why Couture is the exception and not the rule.

After his loss on Saturday night it now seems like Coleman is done, or at least done in the UFC.  At the very real risk of eulogizing Coleman’s career too soon, as we did with Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic’s – Christ, doesn’t anyone quit this sport when they should? – we’d like to pay tribute to the monster Coleman used to be by looking back at some of his finest MMA moments.

(Props: MMA Mania)

Michael Bisping is less than two weeks away from what could either be his greatest triumph or his ugliest beatdown — a match against legendary fighter Wanderlei Silva at UFC 110 (February 20th; Sydney, Australia). The latest installment of Bisping’s video blog shows him handling the usual press obligations and keeping sharp at the Wolfslair in preparation for the battle. Skip to 4:06 for a rare sighting of Rampage Jackson outside of a movie set. As for Bisping’s expectations for the Silva fight, the Count recently wrote that Wandy reminds him of another old rival:

Has Wanderlei Silva fallen so far that one could realistically describe him as a more-explosive Chris Leben? Damn, that’s a depressing thought. Silva has lost five of his last six fights, with his only win coming against Keith Jardine in May 2008 — but the guys that have beaten him were all legends and former champions. If the Axe Murderer loses this one, there will no longer be any doubt that the game has passed him by. Will he smash the Brit and redeem himself, or are we about to see Wandy’s last stand? Your thoughts, please.

#10: Anderson Silva vs. Chris Leben, UFC Fight Night 5 (6/28/06)

If you didn’t follow his pre-UFC career, you probably figured that Anderson Silva’s Octagon debut would be relatively competitive. Chris Leben was a dangerous brawler who had won five straight in the Octagon against solid competition, while Silva was…some sort of Brazilian from Japan, I guess? In actuality, the Spider was quickly becoming the most lethal striker in the business, and had spent the previous two years brutalizing guys like Lee Murray, Jorge Rivera, and Tony Fryklund as the middleweight champion of Cage Rage. So all that stuff the Crippler said about pressing the action against Silva, rough-neckin’ him, throwing him around, blasting him in the face, breaking his jaw, then sending him back to Japan where the competition’s a little easier? Oh my God, player. He might as well have been talking about how he was bringing the karate aspect back into jiu-jitsu — that’s how out of touch with reality he seemed, in retrospect.

Chances are, you’ve watched this clip a hundred times by now, so you know what happens next: Anderson Silva makes his name in the U.S. with one of the most flawless victories in MMA history and earns an immediate title shot against Rich Franklin, while Leben begins his slow drift out of relevance. And these days, all of Silva’s fights look like mismatches.

#9: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Zuluzinho, PRIDE Shockwave 2005 (12/31/05)

It was a classic matchup of skill vs. morbid obesity. The comically large son of legendary Brazilian scrapper Rei Zulu, Wagner da Conceicao Martins (aka "Zuluzinho") managed to build up a sizable undefeated record in vale tudo matches before joining PRIDE in 2005, where he mauled sumo wrestler Henry "Sentoryu" Miller in his debut. But things like size, pedigree, and professional record mean very little when you’re fighting Fedor Emelianenko. To the untouchable PRIDE heavyweight champion, Zuluzinho was nothing more than a giant punching bag.

In just 26 seconds, Fedor put ‘Zinho on his ass with an inhumanly fast left hook, abused him on the ground a bit, knocked him back down with a right as soon as the giant got to his feet, then went into beastmode until Zuluzinho tapped from the onslaught. This fight proved once and for all that "big and slow" is not the best combination for beating Fedor. If only Hong-Man Choi and Tim Sylvia got the message in time.

(Props: UFC)

Spike TV’s new Best of PRIDE compilation series premieres this Friday at 10 p.m. ET/ 9 p.m. CT, and the UFC is plugging it online by releasing the above teaser fight from Total Elimination 2003 — and what a coincidence, it’s one that involves a UFC superstar beating the crap out of a current Strikeforce champion! Of course, Chuck Liddell vs. Alistair Overeem would probably play out a little differently today, particularly if it took place in a country that doesn’t test for horse-meat. Still, it’s interesting to see the Iceman take full advantage of those lovely PRIDE rules with some knees to Overeem’s dome on the ground. And as you can see from the Randleplex at the 3:55 mark, Fedor Emelianenko won’t be shut out of this thing just because Dana White hates his management. Don’t forget to set your DVRs…

After the jump: Nearly every active Brazilian MMA fighter and trainer wishes Wanderlei Silva good luck for his upcoming UFC 110 fight against Michael Bisping.