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After all the drama at yesterday's weigh-in and the madness that followed Hitomi Akano's threat to pull out of the bout with Christianne "Cyborg" Santos due to the tremendous difference in weight, the bout is now apparently back on after Scott Coker smoothed everything over in late night/early morning negotiation sessions.  No one is saying exactly what sweetened the deal enough for Akano to jump back in, but we're guessing it was lots of money and a giant teddy bear.

In the above video, Akano's trainer, Josh Barnett, talks with Ariel Helwani about his Girlfight Monstrosity of a student, and about his own future.  On Aleks Emelianenko, Barnett again confirms that due to blood test-related issues, that fight could never happen...in a ring.

(Yeah, it's a nice shirt, but you know what?  I'm just going to wait until it's selling for three dollars at T.J. Maxx.)

On Strikeforce’s media conference call today Frank Shamrock confirmed that he would indeed be fighting Nick Diaz on April 11, and at a catch-weight  of 179 pounds.  One can’t help but imagine the fierce negotiations that landed them at that awkward figure, but one can imagine that Frank and Nick both acted totally sweet during said negotiations, refusing to meet at a round number.

Of Diaz, Shamrock said, “"He's a guy who throws and talks trash.  And on April 11 I'm going to knock him out."

That’s pretty much a compliment from Shamrock.  He also said he’d like to fight more often than the once or twice a year plan he’s been on lately, and of course he also beat the old ‘I want to fight my brother’ drum yet again.

Other news coming out of the call…

(It took her three tries, but she hit 141. That was close, Crush.)

- Gina Carano makes weight...just barely. (MMA Junkie)

- The pros offer their picks for Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock (Sherdog)

- Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar injury reports. (Brawl Sports)

- If you're a fighter and you need a nickname, look no further. I'm torn between "The Gymnast" and "Hot Garbage." (Bleeding Media)

- Don't expect to see Tito Ortiz fighting again until Spring '09. (MMA Rated)

- Don Frye is sober? So we're drinking alone tonight, then? (Fightlinker)

- Media coverage ramps up for Elite XC: Heat. (Fight Opinion)

- Alistair Oveerem talks Cro Cop on 'Inside MMA.' (MMA Scraps)

- Wall Street starts the bailout celebrations. (Wall Street Fighter)

- Bill Maher's "Religulous" is preachy, but good. (Screen Junkies)

- Comic book fans: then and now. (Holy Taco)

- Chick fight turns into huge family brawl. (Nothing Toxic)

(Lose the huge sunglasses and that's a 1/4 pound, at least.)

Every time Gina Carano fights we always hear the same question: will she make weight? Since the answer she gives is always the same, even when it turns out not to be true, people have turned to asking what she weighs at the present moment. Carano sounds like she's tired of all weight-related queries, and had this to say to AOL Fanhouse:

"I'm going to weigh 140 pounds next Friday. How much I weigh right now I'd rather keep to myself because I don't want to answer any more questions about it. ...I've got really high expectations for this weigh-in."

Two things here:

1) I completely understand why Carano would be sick of that question. I also think she's smart enough to know why she keeps hearing it and how she can make it stop.

2) She's got high expectations? For a weigh-in? That's a phrase you usually hear from NFL coaches before the season or defense attorneys who know their clients are probably guilty. The weigh-in should be a sure thing. It's just getting up on a scale, which you get plenty of chances to do beforehand.

Carano did say she's hired a nutritionist for this bout, so maybe that means there won't be any issues. If there are, I seem to remember doing an interview on MMA Rated radio with Kelly Kobald, who hinted at a contingency plan she had in the event that Carano missed weight. On a related note, Kobald admitted to weighing 160 as of today -- twenty pounds from the goal weight. She's either really confident she can shed that by next Friday, or else, like me, she has a weakness for hot wings.

Remember last season of The Ultimate Fighter when they had 32 guys immediately fight for 16 spots in the house, and advised everyone not to come in more than five pounds over? Well, Jason Guida doesn't; like, at all. The Chicago-based fighter — who's better known as the older brother of UFC lightweight gatekeeper Clay Guida — arrived heavy at the first day of filming, and was unable to cut down to the 205-pound limit for his elimination fight. According to MMA Rated:

One source told us that he thought Guida’s inability to cut the weight would be used to add some drama to an early episode, comparing it to Gabe Rudiger’s unflattering exit when he was unable to make weight during TUF 5.

Not sure if this makes Guida a pussy or a poser, but either way, he's gone. And it's a shame because a stint on TUF could have helped turn his fortunes around. Guida carries a 17-17 record and has bounced around a number of regional promotions in his five-year career; he had his most high-profile bout to date at Adrenaline MMA 1 in June, where he was submitted in the first round by heavyweight Mike Russow. (Fun fact: Guida went 0-5 with two no-contests in his first seven pro bouts, so he's nothing if not persistent.) No word yet on who, if anyone, replaced Guida in his TUF entrance fight.