Din Thomas Arrested For Being An Idiot

A special thumbs up and congrats to Din Thomas, a star of The Ultimate Fighter Series and a former top contender for the UFC Lightweight Championship. Din had the career foresight to get arrested for "illegal cage fighting" in Florida on Tuesday. An undercover Police officer was on hand as Din was holding the fights in front of 150 spectators with zero medical staff on hand. Thomas did say he had his "students" sign waivers and that it was "sparring", though there was a ref and full MMA rules, no protective gear, and the ref declared the winner. Also, raffle tickets were sold just to add another bit of flare to the event. The American Top Team member is currently trying to post the $10,000 bail bond for felony prohibited competitions.

Smart move Din, this will only help your career with the UFC after an embarrassing performance and loss in your last fight to Kenny Florian. This will also help inform mainstream media that MMA fighters are professionals and not just thugs. Let the human dog fighting comparisons by morons begin and Din, be ready to look for a new job. The UFC would be crazy not to fire you.

Rickson Gracie IS Returning To MMA

MMA legend Rickson Gracie is slated by K-1 Hero's press release to face the winner of Kazushi Sakuraba and Masakatsu Funaki at the New Year's Eve show. Funaki last fought in 2000 which was also Rickson's last fight in which Gracie won by rear naked choke. Sakuraba has beaten Royce Gracie (though he lost to him in the yawn filled rematch), Royler Gracie, Renzo Gracie, and Ryan Gracie all in route to gaining the name "The Gracie Hunter" and becoming a house hold name in Japan. The match with Rickson (rumored to be more than 300-0) will take place in the spring.

Denis Kang vs Yoshihiro Akiyama Hero's Korea 2007
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Akiyama Upsets Kang At K-1 Hero's Olympia

Denis Kang (formerly ranked #5 Middleweight in the world) had his K-1 Hero's debut spoiled by the emerging superstar Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1). Both men came out slugging in the main event and it even seemed like Kang was getting the better of the exchanges when Akiyama unloaded two punches that sent Kang to the canvas and out cold in the 1st round. The win is huge for Yoshihiro coming off the controversial NC against Sakuraba, and catapulting him back into the Middleweight Top 10. Kang has now suffered 2 losses in his last 3 fights and must find a way back into the 14 fight winning streak grove he once had.

Dong Sik Yoon seems to have found his way as he knocks off Chute Boxe member Fabio Silva with an armbar. Dong (heh, heh) started his career off with 4 straight losses, but has since won 3 in a row defeating Silva, Zelg Galesic & Melvin Manhoeff who are all great fighters.

Speaking of Zelg Galesic, he got back on the winning track by Taiei Kin by 1st round TKO. "Lil Cro Cop" as he is known is a powerful striker like his fellow Croation Mirko Filipovic and exciting to watch.

Min Soo Kim who is known for being demolished by Brock Lesnar in just over 1 minute, got an upset win of Japanese hero Ikuhisa Minowa by TKO. Mullets all over Japan are hanging in shame tonight.

Shungo Oyama 7-10 also pulled the upset over Carlos Newton. No offense to Shungo but he isn't a stunning fighter, and Carlos has just been terrible losing 3 out of 4 fights since returning to MMA 2006. What has happened to the former UFC Welterweight Champion?

Of the 12 fights on this card, only 2 made it to the 3rd round and none went to the judges scorecards! Great PPV if you get the chance, watch it!

Randy Couture vs Dana White

Personally I don't care. If Randy Couture feels disrespected and under appreciated fine. He can sit out for the 2 years left on his contract until he is 46 and try to fight Fedor then. Dana White definitely fucked him on the "fight bonus" paying him $250,000 of the deal made for $500,00 to fight Gabriel Gonzaga, but that's the problem with these "bonuses." They are not guaranteed (even though Dana promised it to Randy) in writing, and though some fighters have come to depend on them, they are not in anyone's contract. Both sides are at fault on this one.

Randy claims Bodog Fight offered him $3 million dollars to come out of retirement and fight Fedor. He instead chose to fight Tim Sylvia in the UFC and signed a 4 fight deal. If its true, he's an idiot. He should've taken the money and the greater fight but he didn't. That's his fault and it seems his contract is pretty iron clad and he won't be able to get out of it by quitting (he is still not retired).

Dana led Randy to believe he was going to sign Fedor and he would get his dream fight (notice the overly confident picture above) and he was going to be paid for his "likeness" and receive bonuses. Dana said he is still setting up a fight for Randy in February and he is certain he will fight. Randy says he is no longer the UFC Heavyweight Champion and will not be returning to the octagon. He said, and then he said, and then he, who cares!

We know Dana runs the UFC like a selfish little bitch, but Randy signed the deal and I want to see fighting, not press conferences to rebuff press conferences. There are plenty of good fighters to step in for Randy, and Dana is the guy that said, "Fedor sucks." and that he isn't even a Top 5 MMA Heavyweight so we know he is a moron. Cut the drama, I'm going to watch ShoXC now.

Funny Pic Of The Day

The Red Devil's Online

M-1 is launching not only Fedor Emelianenko but his brothers at the Red Devil fight team.

Check out Fedor's 1s blog at

http://www.fedormma.com/

The Red Devils store is up at http://www.reddevilshop.com/

The M-1 Global company website with lots of good information is also running at http://www.m-1global.com/

Lots of cool T-Shirts up at the Red Devil site and keep checking back as they are adding things daily.

M-1 Global Mixed Martial Arts Press Conference

The press conference has ended and what do we now know about the new M-1 company?

• The new owner is Sibling Sports LLC who also runs Broadway shows, movies, and soundtracks. Their new MMA branch is going to be a "global" promotion going to Russia, Japan, America, and all over the world. Three events to be held in various countries in 2008.
• TV talks are currently underway with HBO and Mark Cuban's ND Net.
• Superstar MMA manager Monte Cox is the President and CEO. He is a very powerful man who has run his own shows, has a large stable of fighters, and is privvy to inside information through his long standing ties with the MMA community. A very smart man.
• Josh Barnett and Mark Hunt are being looked at for Fedor Emelianenko's 1st opponent.
• “In Fedor’s contract with M-1 Global, we have a clause to offer the UFC champion $1,000,000 over and above what the UFC would offer their champion to fight Fedor, and $1,000,000 to the winner of that fight over the general purse for that fight.” To that I say WOW!
• M-1 wants to use the Elite XC fight plan and be able to work with any and all promotions together to bring together the best fighters and the best overall product.
• A stable of signed fighters is to be revealed in a week.

M-1 has a ton of money to back this project and have tapped the right man to lead them. This seems to be a company well prepared to dive into the MMA pool and compete at the top level. Though we await to see whom else they have signed, they are definitely going to be a threat to the UFC and perhaps the Pride FC we've been hoping to return (in a new form).

Any Given Fight
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UFC 77 Ander Annihilates Again

Its time to start talking about Anderson Silva not only being perhaps the best striker in all of MMA, but maybe in the top 3 pound for pound fighters in the world!

Obviously, Silva went into Rich Franklin's hometown and destroyed him yet again. Rich actually did alright in the 1st round, breaking and avoiding the clinch while answering leg kicks and landing some one two combinations. Then disaster in the name of Silva knees attacked at the end of the round. Anderson backed Rich into a corner and landed one right hand that sent Ace to the floor. Time ran out before he could finish things and corner man Matt Hume literally had to carry Rich to his corner. Glass eyed Franklin listened to his corner but I question if he knew where he was.

The 2nd round began and it was actually Rich landing combos and pressing the action. Anderson threw absolutely everything in this fight including a roundhouse kick and a spinning backfist. Rich was doing all the right things but had no answers for myriad of leg kicks, body shots, and punches coming at him from all angles. Silva locked in his muay thai clinch he had been searching for and landed those deadly knees. One, two, right on the money and Franklin hit the floor again this time for good. The ref stepped in and Anderson Silva 20-4 looks for someone in the Middleweight division who can challenge him.

Tim Sylvia got the decision win over Brandon Vera by pressing his giant body against Vera and up against the cage. Its all clinching and thai knees in the 1st. In the 2nd frame Vera actually got Tim to the floor but as he stood back up landed an illegal knee to the head just before the round ended. No point was taken. The 3rd decided the affair as Tim came out with the punches and Vera could only answer with leg kicks. Its an easy unanimous decision for Sylvia.

Stephan Bonnar defeated Eric Schafer in a lopsided affair. The much larger Stephan made Eric look like he should drop down to 185. In the 2nd round, Schafer pulled guard (like he did for the 1st) but Stephan kept a good distance in his positioning and began to land a torrid of strikes. Schafer's ju jitsu was no where to be seen as he simply turtled up as Bonnar continued to unload with downward punches and hammer fists. The ref gave him all the time in the world but Eric stayed curled up in the fetal position getting punched until McCarthy stopped the fight.

Kalib Starnes got robbed in his fight with Alan Belcher when the Doctor stopped the fight due to a nasty cut. Belcher rocked Kalib early in the 1st which caused all the blood and damage. However, Kalib came back with a flurry of his own and showed some heart that he had been missing in previous fights. Starnes boxes well to start the 2nd but the ref wants the Docs to check the eye again and they stop the fight! Kalib wants to continue but the fight is over. Cuts should not decide fights!

Alvin Robinson got the decision win over hometown boy Jorge Gurgel by working non-stop on the ground with punches while Jorge looked flawed in his supposed amazing ju jitsu and couldn't gain position or secure any submission attempts. Jorge just is not impressive and will not be a Top 10 Lightweight.

Yushin Okami did everything we expected from him as he dominated Jason MacDonald in route to a unanimous decision win. Yushin was the last man to defeat Champ Anderson Silva (via illegal DQ kick) back in January of 2006. We may have a new contender for the Middleweight Crown.

Former WWE Superstar Brock Lesnar was announced as signed with the UFC and his 1st fight will probably be the annual Super Bowl weekend show in February. Early opponent seems to be Jack O'Brien. This is definitely a big deal as casual fans will love it. Brock is a monster and this should get interesting real fast.

Demian Maia quickly subbed Ryan Jenson while Josh Burkman got the split decision win over Forrest Petz. Jason Black got a split draw with Matt Grice until it was later announced the cards were miscalculated and Grice had won! What, if anything Black won this fight and the garbled decision only adds to this controversy. The fight should've been stopped in the 2nd when Black was blasting the crap out of Grice. This continues my conspiracy theory that the 3rd round is always worth more than the 1st two. Black won both the 1st and the 2nd but did nothing in the 3rd. How that adds up to a Grice win in beyond me. Something needs to be done about this mess.

OK how about my picks. I say I went 5 correct and 2 wrong. The Black decision is just plain wrong and my "cuts don't win fights" rule, not to mention the fact Starnes was winning that fight, equal draws. Hey my site, I make the rules. I can accept being wrong about the new guy Maia and my blinding mancrush on Franklin, but crap is crap and those two boys (Starnes/Black) got jobbed.

Where Rich Franklin goes from here is any one's guess. He's always going to be in the top Middleweights but he cannot beat Anderson Silva. Yushin "The Decisioner" Okami seems a logical choice but why not bring back Dan Henderson and his Pride FC belt for a super-fight!?! Other than perhaps Thales Leites, there is no challengers for the Spider. Tim Sylvia called out Cheick Kongo and I'd love to see those swinging giants go at it. Brandon Vera will be fine, he had a rusty performance against a giant and maybe now he'll go to the Light Heavyweight division where he truly belongs. 7 of Stephan Bonnar's 8 UFC fights have all been against great opponents and he deserves some credit for crawling his way back in the picture. He still has a ways to go to be considered a contender but maybe a fight with gatekeeper Tito Ortiz is in order.

Weak card overall and UFC 78 is probably worse. Enjoy the veal.

The Only Hardcore Championship Fight Result That Matters

Aleksander Emelianenko needed only 1:09 of the very 1st round to dispatch the enormous Dan "The Bull" Bobish (330 lbs.) with a guillotine tapout victory. Aleks raises his record to 12-3 and will return to M-1 Mix Fight alongside his brother Fedor for his next fight.

Aleks looks uber excited as always.

UFC 77 Hostile Territory Preview & Picks

Middleweight Champion Anderson "Spider" Silva 19-4 vs Rich "Ace" Franklin 24-2 (Rematch) Everyone believes Anderson is unstoppable after running through Leben, Franklin, Lutter, & Marquardt. Even so, since Rich lost the 1st time I immediately stated he would win whenever he got the rematch. It took a while but its rematch time and in Rich's home state of Ohio which may be adding pressure instead of home field advantage for Ace. Rich took off and has been training away from his home for this fight to keep distractions at a minimum. I still believe Rich has better stand up (yes, even after he got destroyed by Silva the 1st time), better cardio, better ground game, and a better game plane this 2nd time around. Of course, the clinch is where Rich must avoid at all costs, and instead strike from the outside. Silva hurts people with his length and deceptive power, but he is sometimes so aggressive there are large openings where a smart fighter can attack his carelessness. Also, after this steamrolling of competition, how can a fighter not lay off a bit in training and get complacent, much like Chuck Liddell now admits to doing. Especially to a man he already beat, and beat badly.

Here's something else, Rich had diarrhea all day before his fight with Anderson so imagine living on the toilet before you go out to face a high caliber fighter. I've got a feeling here people, and the feeling says Ace gets his belt back probably with a later round TKO or decision. This is an upset pick so take it how you will.
WINNER-Rich Franklin

Tim Sylvia 25-3 vs Brandon "The Truth" Vera 8-0 Lets all welcome back two guys who took some extended time off. Vera's been gone for 11 months sorting out contract disputes with the UFC and his own management, while Sylvia had major back surgery and was off for 7 months to think about the loss of his title to Randy Couture. I like the "Truth" alot, even his winners dance, but he is in a bad way if he wants to strike with the near 7 foot Sylvia who is only known for KOing people. Vera should be fighting at 205 and does this undersized Heavyweight have the power to hurt Tim, and the chin to withstand the 260 lb. giants punches? I'm not too sure. Rooting for Brandon, but Tim has fought a much higher caliber of competition and I look for him to be very angry, after losing the title, hearing lots of boo's recently from fans.
WINNER-Tim Sylvia by TKO

"The American Psycho" Stephan Bonnar 13-4 vs Eric "The Red" Schafer 9-2-2 The Red is coming off a loss to Mike Bisping, but he brings amazing ground ju jitsu and decent standup. Bonner has his 2nd fight since his steroid suspension and is coming off a tomato can fight with Mike Nickels. Bonnar has been training with Xtreme Couture and the boys, so it can only have helped his career. His chin is tough, stand up decent, ju jitsu slick, but he can never seem to really get the best of his opponents (6 of his last 7 fights have been decisions including 3 losses and a controversial win over Keith Jardine). This is a close fight with Eric having the better chance to end the fight, while Stephan could take a decision.
WINNER-Bonnar in a close one

Jason "The Athlete" MacDonald 20-8 vs Yushin Okami 21-4 MacDonald got exposed in his fight with Rich Franklin, and Okami is very similar to Franklin. Look for Yushin to grind out a victory on the floor getting himself back in line for a title shot.
WINNER-Okami by decision

Kalib Starnes 10-2-1 vs Alan "The Talent" Belcher 10-3 Alan doesn't impress me a hell of a lot, and Starnes can be good, if he addresses his stamina issues and becomes more aggressive. Belcher wants this on the feet, but Starnes keeps it on the ground to a decision win.
WINNER-Starnes by I already told you

Jorge Gurgel 14-2 vs Alvin Robinson 9-2 The Chipmunks leader just got embarrassed in his last fight with Kenflo, and must have a stronger showing. Gurgel is the hometown boy and usually has exciting fights not to mention he'll want to impress his peeps. Jorge is better on the floor but always wants to slug it out. That could lead to his downfall by the wrestling submission machine Robinson. I really don't feel like Jorge should win this, but who knows.
WINNER-Alvin by ??????????

Josh Burkman 19-4 vs Forrest Petz 19-4 Two guys with two of the worst nicknames in the business, so terrible that I refuse to mention them. Anywho, Burkman seems to be near the top but just can't get over that upper tier talent (Karo, Fitch, Horn, etc.) while Petz can't even consistently beat mid level fighters. Avoiding the powerful standup of Petz, Burkman's speed and agility should help him find a way to win.
WINNER-Burkman by submission

Jason Black 22-3-1 vs Matt Grice 9-1 Jason should be better accustomed to the 155 weight this time and has only lost to the best in the biz (see Tavares & Aoki). He is the quintessential Miletich fighter with insane ground game and knowledge. Grice is well rounded but this is a definite step up in game to face a man with 12 more wins than he has fights. I think Black rebounds here and punishes Matty.
WINNER-Black by ground and pound out

Demian Maia 6-0 vs Ryan Jensen 11-2 Demian (what a cool name) comes in as the new guy with the ground game and is kind of an unknown. Jenson is a wrestler from Nebraska and all his wins have been finishes. Jenson has the experience and will to give the rookie a warm welcome.
WINNER-Jensen by submission

Lampley The Loon Lashes Out Again (but at least it wasn't against a woman, this time)

Jim "Bitch Slap" Lampley recently filled in on the Jim Rome show and had some thoughtful and intelligent thoughts on MMA.

He said,"The UFC is just bar fighters who have no real athletic talent. They just gouge and bite. The do flying kicks and stomp on people's chest. Any UFC or K-1 fighter would get killed by a boxer in under two minutes cause they are just bar fighters with no athletic merit."

So true. We all know how Randy Couture won the title from Chuck Liddell by biting the piss out of him. And who could forget all of the flying kicks that have worked so successfully in MMA over the years. Perhaps picking up a rule book or actually watching a fight might, no, never mind, this guy is just a fucking idiot.

Either this guy has no grasp on reality whatsoever, or perhaps he is still sidetracked with beating the shit out of his girlfriend, who got a restraining order against him and had him thrown in jail. I understand wanting to save "his" sport of boxing which is already an afterthought in the sports world, but sounding like a jackass and being unable to participate in an actual debate only makes Lamps look even more ignorant than he already does on a daily basis. Jimster, just shut up about MMA and focus on your boxing. You've got at least a year until you're out of a job so enjoy.

Jason "Mayhem" Miller Now A Free Agent

The energetic, enigmatic, eccentric, and more words that start with e's, Jason "Mayhem" Miller is now a free agent after fulfilling his last contract with the WEC.

Jason Miller is 19-5 and has held the ICON Middleweight Title as well as notable wins over such talent as Robbie Lawler (current ICON & Elite XC Middleweight Champ), Niko Vitale, and #6 World Ranked Denis Kang. Mayhem has always been an entertaining (another e word) fighter whether from his flamboyant entrances, his interviews that border on insanity, or his amazing reckless and innovative moves in the ring. The fact is, people pay to watch him and that puts butts in the seats, not to mention he's a pretty damn good fighter at age 27.

Miller has fought almost everywhere including the UFC, WFA, Superbrawl, Rage In The Cage, Extreme Challenge and many more. Mayhem is a viable threat to the World Middleweight Top Ten when he finds a home that will give him decent opponents. Elite XC will surely be in the mix for his services, and perhaps even the soon to debut M-1 Mix Fight, Strikeforce, & Bodog.

Mayhem lives up to his name and brings an amazing enthusiasm (that's 5 e's) wherever he goes. Mayhem Monkeys bring it!

From The Ashes Of Pride FC Rises World Victory Road

From the ashes of the once proud Pride FC, rises a new hope for MMA in Japan and a return to glory. World Victory Road Inc., will be supported by Don Quijote, a Japanese discount retailer that has seen soaring business in their "no frills" stores.

Newly named WVR CEO, Naoya Kinoshita stated, “MMA in Japan seems to be on the downside. Japan was the place where MMA was born and our country had great passion for MMA. But looking at the current state of MMA in Japan, the sport is in danger of disappearing. Therefore a number of us have stepped in and have decided to form a federation." He went on to state, "I would like the sport of MMA, which was born in Japan, to be recognized around the world. In order to do that somebody had to take the lead and I decided to do that myself. I would like to give the fans and the fighters, who are training hard, some type of opportunities by assembling this new company."

The company has secured the Satima Superdome for a New Year's Eve show (much like Pride FC did yearly) and has a TV deal in the works with an as of yet unannounced partner. WVR will also be participating in a newly formed sanctioning body, the Japan Mixed Martial Arts Federation (JMM), which will oversee and unified set of rules and regulations. Gone will be soccer kicks and spinal attacks, but in its place will be a more world wide respected rule book. The goal of the JMM is to legitimize the sport of MMA and make it a viable option for the International Olympic Committee.

Surprisingly, the WVR has been in the works for six months ever since the demise of Pride FC became public. Don Quijote is a major Japanese company with a lot of money to fund the WVR and make it a competitor to not only fellow Japan MMA company K-1, but also America's UFC. The rumor mill has already stirred up possible signings of Japanese legend Hidehiko Yoshida and Takanori Gomi to lead an international return of high caliber fighters to WVR.

This is the best possible news for Pride FC and MMA fans in general. The argument can be made that MMA began in Japan and many of their great fighters either have not been invited or will not go to American MMA organizations. Pride FC is dead, but perhaps World Victory Road will rise in its place to return the honor and pageantry to MMA for the next 500 years.

So if Randy Couture is gone and has vacated the UFC Heavyweight Title, who deserves to fight for the ultimate prize in MMA?

To me the answer is simple. Antonio Nogueira (#3) is supposedly signed to fight Cheick Kongo (who is coming off the upset win over Mirko Cro Cop), while Brandon Vera (#8) is about to face Tim Sylvia (#6) in eight days. Winner of each gets the title shot.

Fedor (#1), Randy Couture (#2), Josh Barnett (#5), & Mark Hunt (#9) are all unsigned and thus out of the picture. Gabriel Gonzaga (#4) and Mirko Cro Cop (#7) are both off recovering from recent losses, and Andrei Arlovski (#10)can't even get a fight with the UFC who is basically punishing him for his poor fight with Fabricio Werdum.

This would be a good and semi-quick answer to the Title mess and allow the UFC to tidy things up and recover from the embarrassing loss of hero Randy Couture. There are some good fights there and though none can overshadow Randy or Fedor, this is the best option available.

Randy Couture Resigns

"Captain America" Randy "The Natural" Couture 16-8 and the current UFC Heavyweight Champion has resigned from the Zuffa run company. Randy has not retired, rather he is basically quitting the UFC company and all his ties with them. Couture has given up his Heavyweight Title, will no longer do any commentating for the UFC, and wants no association with the company what so ever! How did one of the most revered fighters of all time come to this decision, and what will the future hold for this current Hall Of Famer.

Apparently, Mr. Couture has been unhappy with the UFC and specifically Dana White for quite some time. In his own words, Randy said Thursday, "The motivation for the decision is two-fold," he continued. "I know Fedor (Emelianenko) just signed with another organization and that's the only real fight that makes sense for me at 44 years old as the heavyweight champion of the UFC. That's the fight I wanted and if that can't happen it doesn't make sense for me to compete with all these other guys. And then obviously that's not going to happen now. And, two, I'm tired of being taken advantage of, played as the nice guy and basically swimming against the current with the management of the UFC. I have a lot of other things going on in my life that I'm doing just fine with. I don't need the problems. I don't feel like I get the respect I deserve from the organization, and that's motivation No. 2 for the letter of resignation that was sent today."

He went on to say, "I think the final straw for me was meeting with Dana and Lorenzo (Fertitta, UFC co-owner) where they claimed I was the No. 2 paid athlete in the organization, which I know is a bold-faced lie," Couture said. Polling other athletes, said Couture, he learned that his compensation -- some $250,000 a fight with pay-per-view bonuses, according to the Couture camp -- was nowhere near what other top UFC fighters were making.

"All us athletes are all pretty tightly intertwined," he said. "You hear what other guys were paid signing bonuses and what other guys were paid on the record and off the record with bonuses. I've heard Chuck's numbers. Tito's numbers. Hughes' numbers. Quinton's numbers. Cro Cop, Wanderlei. I heard what they were offering Fedor, and it's insulting."

The Natural has a couple of movies coming out next year and was also upset with the UFC using his "likeness" for upcoming projects without compensation. He is expanding his successful Xtreme Couture gym into chains, and has left the door open to still fighting Fedor Emelianenko. Though Dana White claims he still owns the contract to Randy and will not let him fight anywhere else, Randy's agents will have something to say about it, and my guess is there is a loophole somewhere that will allow us to see Randy Couture sign with M-1 Mix Fight to allow us our dream matchup.

To reiterate, Randy has not retired, but simply quit the UFC, and is seeking a way to still fight Fedor and send a big message to Zuffa about how they treat their fighters. This is not the first time a UFC Champion has walked away from the company (BJ Penn, Frank Shamrock, Josh Barnett) while holding a title, but never has such a high profile widely respected and adored fighter stepped away in such a dramatic fashion.

Fedor Emelianenko signs contract with M-1 Fight Championship!?

The "Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko has signed with M-1 Mix Fight Championship!? M-1 is a Russian based combat company that has held around 30 events ran by Vadim Finkelstein (also Fedor's manager) since 1997. The company has been purchased by an undisclosed American Entertainment Agency and is planning a large show in the states around January or February with Fedor headlining. Vadim who also runs the Red Devils has stated an official press conference will reveal the new companies plans at the end of the month.

A special congratulations to Dana White who claimed "Fedor will have to sign with us," and has now let the greatest fighter in the world slip through his fingers and jump start new competition for the UFC. Bravo oh arrogant one.

Fedor will be competing in the Russian Sambo Championships in November and will then focus on his upcoming opponent in 2008. The multi-fight contract is currently rumored to be for 10 million dollars! Who could possibly have that kind of money to buy one man and a MMA company?

I am wondering if it is none other than Mark Cuban who has purchased the company seeing as he hired Guy Metzger to look into starting his proposed MMA organization and wanted to make Fedor his #1 priority. Time and a press conference will tell as this breaking news shakes out.

MMA Round Up & Matchmaking Mishaps

Can it finally be true? Will we finally see the fabled Wanderlei Silva vs Chuck Liddell? According to John Hackleman, Chuck's long time trainer, and Dave Meltzer, a long time respected MMA journalist, the two sides have verbally agreed to compete December 29th in Vegas! It seems like the perfect time with both men coming off back to back losses and needing to reestablish themselves in the MMA game. Still, I'm not holding my breath until I actually see them face to face in the octagon.

Tito Ortiz will not have his rematch with Rashad Evans who has instead signed to fight Michael Bisping stopping his proposed rematch with Matt Hamill. Ok, this is confusing. Tito claims he isn't at 100% to fight and "I'm trying to pay my bills injured and making guys like Forrest and Evans look good. Everyone wants the old Tito back and I'm going to give it to them." Huh, that old 'Tito is back' line is the exact same line he used before the Rashad fight saying he was back to his true form. Bisping claims he took the fight because Hamill is having knee surgery and said "Rashad is a great guy and a great fighter and someone had to meet him, seeing as Tito Ortiz didn’t have the balls to fight him again." Meanwhile Hamill's hands are flying in the air as he claims his minor surgery wouldn't keep him out of a rematch with Bisping but to be fair, I'd imagine he just misunderstood the contract talks. So, some interesting matchmaking to say the least and Tito's courage, or lack there of, is called into question yet again.

Nick "Diablo" Diaz has now signed a long term deal with Elite XC after his win last month over Mike Aina. Though not one of Nick's more impressive wins, he found himself in the hospital after the fight with a serious staff infection in his knee that he didn't know he had, and fought on anyway. The next Diaz fight is supposed to be for an as yet created 160 lb. belt.

Mirko Cro Cop is back training again after his 2nd loss in a row for the 1st time in his career. Cro Cop had successful nasal surgery that is supposed to fix his recent breathing problems and his broken rib is healing fine. Other sites reported Mirko was no longer taking calls from the UFC and thus might be released, but this is untrue. Cro Cop says he is adjusting his game and plans to still hold the UFC title before he retires.

Kurt Angle has an apparent death wish as he is about to sign with the IFL for a real fight. Angle claims his present employer, the pro wrestling company TNA, is allowing him time off to train for MMA and this is not a wrestling storyline. Angle also let it slip that Brock Lesnar, another fellow pro wrestler trying to change over to MMA, has already signed with the UFC, but will not be revealed to their audiences until the end of the year or early 2008. Angle's words, not mine. I personally think Kurt has no idead as to what he is getting into and will probably get his "fused" neck crushed in the ring. Granted they'll throw tomato cans to him at 1st, but if he fights a real opponent, he's screwed.

In more IFL news, they have released Frank Shamrock and his team the Razorclaws citing they are not going to expand the teams instead staying at 12. Frank was not giving enough time to his team as he is still fighting for Strikefore, and helping run that company. The split was amicable and the door is open for future business together. The IFL also could not come to contract terms with Ben Rothwell and Mike Whitehead who are now pulled from the IFL's Grand Prix. Rothwell has become a popular and unbeaten fighter in the IFL while Whitehead has improved greatly while training with Randy Couture and is on a 10 fight winning streak. Both are viable options other companies may try to pick up if the IFL doesn't get their act together.

The IFL has so few "stars" in their company currently, and even less even known fighters that one would think they will resign them. The IFL is going "live" with their fights this year on MyNetworkTV channel, which has long been a complaint of MMA fans who cannot wait for TV tapings. Fights are much more exciting live and this plus the consolidation of teams and a 2008 draft may help ratings and the level of product for the IFL. I'm still not sold on the IFL concept, but they are taking steps forward but still seem to have a product below Elite XC ( & their partners), Strikeforce, and of course the UFC.

Cool Pic Of The Day

Vitor Belfort Calls Out The World

Vitor Belfort has apparently lost his mind and is calling out everyone to fight him. "The Phenom" recently won the Cage Rage Light Heavyweight Championship over James Zikic and quickly said, "I want to start everything from the beginning and win the most big belts that I can. I´ll give the maximum attention to my career and fight against the best athletes. I have this big wish of fighting against Quinton Jackson, I think it would be a great combat. EliteXC that´s buying all the events, made a proposal for me to go to a lower category to face Robbie Lawler and fight for the big belt. Me and Spike, we are taking a careful look at this proposal of lowering my weight, getting this belt from Robbie Lawler or the big belt of the medium weight in Ultimate and then winning the super heavy belt. I want to fight in all events I can."

Slow down there Belly. Granted, after his 44 second dismantling of Wanderlei Silva in 1998, many thought he would become one of the greatest fighters of all time, but instead we got a fighter full of potential and few results. Vitor's heart and head have always been a questionable part of his game. Belfort basically just surrendered in his rematch with Randy Couture who broke his spirit, and then went on to win 4 of his next 8 bouts looking sloppy at best against Alistair Overeem twice, and being defeated by the smaller though studly Dan Henderson. Now after a couple of so so wins in Cage Rage "The Phenom" thinks he is ready for title shots in all divisions?

First off, the only "Super Heavy" title is held in King Of The Cage and I seriously doubt Belfort would sign there. Secondly, Quinton Jackson earned his way to a title shot with all the destructive foes he beat and lost to while Belfort hasn't beaten a Top Ten contender since Heath Herring in 2001! Vitor has 1 fight left on his Cage Rage contract and then will be seeking a higher caliber home, possibly in the UFC or Elite XC. This is either a nice ploy for a high dollar contract or the ramblings of a crazy man.

Still if Vitor has finally been able to put his inner demons to rest (his sister's kidnapping and murder have recently been solved) maybe the Phenom can return to prominence with his new management and new teammates from Black House (Anderson Silva, Ryoto Machida, Nogueira brothers, etc.). After all he is still a well known name in the sport and will always sell tickets. We still need to see some solid wins before Belfort gets the opportunity to become the "Belt Collector."

Babalu's Back

After being fired from the UFC and fined $25,000 for not releasing an anaconda choke on his last victim David Heath, Renato "Babalu" Sobral is back! Strikeforce stepped up and immediately signed the deadly veteran to a deal.

Renato is looking to have his 1st fight with his new promotion in December and in his words, "the sooner the better." Strikeforce just had a MMA event last weekend at the fabled Playboy Mansion with such stars as Gilbert Melendez, Joe Riggs, Josh Thompson, and Daniel Puder.

No opponent has been announced yet but Sobral (28-7) is a great addition to the ever growing stable of Strikeforce fighters.