Cheick Kongo

("Another opponent that will tool me on the ground? YES!" Photo courtesy of MMA Frenzy.)

According to a new report on Sportsnet.ca (which was also confirmed by MMA Mania), former UFC interim heavyweight champ Frank Mir is tentatively scheduled to face Cheick Kongo at UFC 107 (December 12, Memphis). Mir will try to bounce back from his crushing loss to Brock Lesnar at UFC 100, while Kongo is coming off his own smothering defeat against Cain Velasquez at UFC 99. The match would support the headlining light-heavyweight scrap between TUF 10 coaches Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Rashad Evans.

We know Kongo hits hard, but if Mir can get this one to the mat, his massive jiu-jitsu advantage could decide the fight. No matter what happens, both guys have a lot to lose in this one. (I wonder if Mir will keep pushing his "cocky bastard" routine now that he's been completely humbled?) Speaking of UFC 107, Rampage and Rashad will be the subjects of a Primetime mini-series on Spike, showcasing their preparations for the match. Think about it, know it, see it.

(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.

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

From a new update on UFC.com:

('No, it isn't funny. What happened to the dress I bought you? The one with an actual neckline? It's like you want people to stare or something. Oh, now I get it.')

You know what time it is.  Time to get serious about the important questions surrounding UFC 97.  Questions like, 'What the hell are we getting for our money here?' and 'What's up with your stupid face, stupid?'  That's right.  It's Ben vs. Ben time.

What exactly does Chuck Liddell have to do to prove that he's still got it?  Is anything less than a devastating KO going to be enough?
 
BG: It'll either have to be a knockout, or an incredibly dominant decision victory where all three judges score it 30-24 and Shogun Rua's face looks like hamburger afterwards. Here's the deal: There's no way that Shogun could have magically set the clock back to 2005 in the three months since he barely defeated Mark Coleman at UFC 93, and I think we all expect a shabby performance out of him tomorrow night. So Chuck basically has to prove that although he may no longer be able to hang with younger, more complete fighters, his skills haven't deteriorated as much as Rua's have.

If both fighters turn in mediocre efforts, the UFC will have a hard time figuring out what to do with them. (You can't cut the winner and the loser. Can you?) That was probably Dana White's motivation for calling out Liddell in public and demanding a dazzling performance — if Chuck fails again, there's no obvious next step with him, promotion-wise. Do you throw him against talented up-and-comers like Luis Cane and Jon Jones, who might smash his old ass?  Do you try to build him back up against complete cans? Either way, he won't be in important fights anymore, and that may not be an option for the UFC, or for Chuck himself.

BF: The only way a decision victory would be enough for Liddell is if a) Rua fights like it’s the 2005 Pride GP all over again, b) Chuck still comes close to finishing him several times, and c) after the fight all we can talk about is what amazing heart and conditioning Rua showed in merely surviving that assault.

With Dana White skipping out on his vlogging duties for UFC 89, someone had to step up and fill the void. This time it's Michael Bisping giving us a look at his life in the days leading up to his main event bout against Chris Leben. Bisping starts this video by saying he needs ice because there's something wrong with his back — which isn't very confidence-inducing — but he soldiers through a day of press and an open workout, taking time to hang with fans in between. Later, Cheick Kongo shows up to speak in a strange voice, and Bisping has to go without hot dogs and cookies because he still has eight pounds to lose. At the end, he tells us how he just saw Chris Leben in the lobby of his hotel, and he looked slimmer than usual, but still has a large head. To see previous installments of the Bisping video blog, go to Bisping.tv.