Oregon

Demian Maia’s camp may have been expecting a middleweight title shot in August, but instead they’re getting what can only be considered a number one contender match with Nate Marquardt.  Maia confirmed the news on his official website, saying the fight is on for UFC 102 in Portland, Oregon.  Obviously it’s one hell of an interesting bout on paper, but the timing of this announcement begs the question, did Anderson Silva screw Maia out of a title shot with his performance against Thales Leites at UFC 97?

(Randy attends a costume party dressed as Samuel L. Jackson.)

As exciting as the prospect of Randy Couture returning to the UFC might be, we were a little skeptical when rumors started flying earlier this week. But now it sounds like talks between the UFC and "The Natural" are for real, and it's looking more and more possible that Couture might return to action in front of his former-hometown crowd in Portland to face Brock Lesnar on November 15.

And if that's not completely crazy enough for you, the UFC is said to be seriously considering an offer from M-1 to co-promote a Randy Couture-Fedor Emelianenko bout down the road. Suddenly we go from a tangled court battle to a couple of blockbuster fights that also have the added advantage of helping the UFC screw Affliction. All just like that. Is your mind blown yet?

If all goes smoothly (and what are the chances of that?) the "Couture Compromise" -- as we're going to go ahead and call it -- could be announced as early as Tuesday. As with any story this huge, we'll believe it when we hear it out of Dana White's mouth, which will no doubt be formed into an I-told-you-so smirk for the next three months.

Couture is said to be training full-time right now, getting ready to get his glorious return on, so it seems like all systems could genuinely be go for this. What a crazy, wonderful world.

("Before I tried Subway's 'Go Straight!' diet, this is what my pants used to look like.")

I don't pretend to know anything about the Oregon political scene — and apparently neither does the state's Republican party, who failed to submit candidates for several critical offices in time for yesterday's deadline to file. Basically, shit's in shambles, and MMA star Matt Lindland is trying to capitalize:

[As] is traditional on the filing deadline day, there were a few last-minute surprises. Republican House hopefuls will include both a former U.S. Congressman, Jim Bunn, who filed on Tuesday for the McMinnville seat held by retiring Rep. Donna Nelson, and an ultimate fighting champion, middleweight Matt Lindland of Eagle Creek, who is running for the seat vacated by retiring Rep. Patti Smith, R-Corbett.

Lindland is running on the following four-part platform:

— Increased school funding.

— A temporary sanction on non-domestic armbars.

— Abolishment of the 6% gross receipts tax on Oregon MMA events, and significant tax breaks for IFL coaches.

— The recognition of BodogFight as a terrorist organization, and large foreheads as "God's Beautiful Creation."

We'll let you know when Lindland's once-respectable image is brought down by the inevitable sex-scandal.