Morning Report: UFC and MMA News, Multimedia and Hot Clicks

It can't be a coincidence that on the eve of the heavyweight weekend, the most notorious of all weight enthusiasts added another notch to his belt. For Anthony Johnson, what was supposed to be the first legitimate step at middleweight, fell back to the accommodating embrace of rumbleweight at the last second. If Johnson is looking to mount a crusade to get back into the UFC, this was probably not the greatest way to start.

Though at least it gives us a good segue for all the upcoming heavyweight brutality. While everyone's excited about the potential for UFC 146 to be the shortest main card in history, the sneakier story of the weekend is the fact that the prelims could probably serve as their own UFC on FUEL show.

Just look at the line-up. Five-star violence aficionados (Edson Barboza and Diego Brandao), top names clinging to their livelihoods (Mayhem Miller and Dan Hardy), certified bangers (Jamie Varner and Duane Ludwig), beasts of prospects (Glover Teixeira and Paul Sass), a former featherweight champ (Mike Thomas Brown), and the single greatest post-fight speaker and unintentional comedy deliverer in the history of mixed martial arts (Jacob Volkmann).

Not half bad. I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's a good time to be a fight fan.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Dana White interview. Dana White talked to our own Ariel Helwani about Jon Jones' DWI, UFC 146, his recent illness, his retirement plans, and the recent FOX ratings drama.

Anthony Johnson fight moved to catchweight. Exiled UFC veteran Anthony Johnson's middleweight fight against Dave Branch at Titan Fighting 22 was shifted to a 195-pound catchweight bout, with Branch weighing 189.2 pounds and Johnson tipping the scales at 194.2 pounds. "Rumble" claimed he did not miss weight, although the fight was originally signed and marketed as a middleweight bout, as both Branch and Johnson confirmed in recent video interviews.

UFC 146 breakdowns. Preview Saturday night's FX preliminary card and the opening heavyweight bout, Stipe Miocic vs. Shane Del Rosario, with comprehensive UFC 146 dissections.

B.J. Penn talks Frank Edgar rematch. Former lightweight champion B.J. Penn said Frankie Edgar shouldn't have gotten a rematch with Benson Henderson, and Henderson fighting Nate Diaz makes more sense.

UFC 146 press conference. A slew of Saturday's heavyweight competitors joined Jon Anik in Las Vegas for the official UFC 146 pre-fight press conference.

MEDIA STEW

"Look at his ears wiggle." -- Joe Rogan after seeing a 24-year-old Junior dos Santos remold Fabricio Werdum's face minutes into his UFC debut.

It's flying under the radar, but Mayhem Miller will probably be fighting for his livelihood on Saturday's undercard. And don't think he doesn't know that.

We're not saying it's going to happen, but seriously guys, what happens to the heavyweight division if Frank Mir does something like this to JDS? (Click to see someone get put to sleep.)

Dave Herman couldn't be boring even if he tried.

RUMBLEWEIGHT

@cypharMMA um so? Just cuz it wasn't announced doesn't mean anything. Doesn't mean it has to be announced either. ... tmi.me/qwzvq

— Anthony Johnson (@Anthony_Rumble) May 25, 2012

@cypharMMA I weighed in with shorts on that's why lol

— Anthony Johnson (@Anthony_Rumble) May 25, 2012

@MiniKitson lol several ppl can say what they want. Doesn't mean shit to me. David didn't say it he was just Rt ... tmi.me/qwMVb

— Anthony Johnson (@Anthony_Rumble) May 25, 2012

@cypharMMA thinking about it honestly.

— Anthony Johnson (@Anthony_Rumble) May 25, 2012

THE CHAMP

I'm going to do my last training before the fight now.We are almost there I hope you guys are as excited like as I am for this fight

— juniorcigano (@junior_cigano) May 25, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Thursday, May 24, 2012):

- UFC on FUEL 4: Damacio Page (15-7) vs. Alex "Bruce Leeroy" Caceres (6-5)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is another encyclopedic timesink by Sweet Scientist: MMA's Cousins: Other Forms of Martial Arts Mixing Striking and Grappling

After fanposts on the different styles of kickboxing and on "traditional" striking arts, this fanpost will conclude this little series of post and will focus on forms of martial art mixing striking with grappling.

Kudo Daido Juku:

Kudo Daido Juku was created in 1981 by Kyokushin Karate and Judo black belt Takashi Azuma. K-1 great Semmy Schilt was a two time champion in Kudo and Minoki Ichihara fought at UFC 2 and lost to Royce Gracie which prompted Azuma to study BJJ and incorporate BJJ techniques to Kudo. Kudo also held events called WARS where Kudo fighters would take on fighters from other styles under the other style rules.

Rules: One interesting thing to note is that there is no "weight" classes in Kudo but "physical index" classes, one's physical index being calculated by adding his height in centimeters to his weight in kilograms. Thus, a fighter who's 180 cm tall and weights 70 kg has a physical index of 250, same as a fighter 170 cm tall and weighting 80 kg. Physical index classes are -230, -240, -250, -260, -270, +270 and absolute.
one three minutes round with possibility of 2 extra rounds. Punches, kicks, elbows, knees and headbutts allowed standing, clinching allowed for 10 seconds and ground fighting allowed for 30 seconds twice in every round, ground and pound allowed to the body, forbidden to the head for the fighter on top, but simulated ground and pound brings points. In the absolute class if there is a physical index difference of more than 20, groin strikes are allowed for the smaller man. Victory is possible by KO, submission, or judges decision.

So, what does it look like?:

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in Monday's post.

The routine of fight week is relatively set in stone by now. Wednesday is open workouts. Thursday is the press conference. Friday is weigh-ins. It's a slow build-up meant to crest on fight night, and I have to say, it does a fantastic job, with just enough crumbs trickling out of open workouts to get the anticipation rolling.

Of course, yesterday was no exception.

What we learned:

1.) Junior dos Santos believes he can compete with any professional boxer with just three months training, including Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, the two longtime Ukrainian heavyweight titleholders. Obviously, the odds on JDS topping the reigning world champs are slim-to-none, but you've got to love the confidence. (Plus, who here can honestly say they wouldn't love to see that just to see it.)

2.) Cain Velasquez effectively shut down the idea of fighting his AKA coach/training partner Daniel Cormier (saying, "There's no point in taking it,") before cracking the door open just a smidge if a belt was involved ("For the title? We'll talk about it if that time comes.") Cormier is basically a top-5 guy now, his UFC debut is inevitable, and both he and Cain have a ton of miles left in this sport. Expect this topic to be revisited.

3.) Frank Mir thought Nick Diaz was "in the clear" before his regrettable hearing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission earlier this week, and found the ruling of a one-year suspension to be "very scary." Just another reminder that the athletes involved in mixed martial arts are just as disenchanted with the state commissions as fight fans.

(Even better, Roy Nelson's distrust in the system is so high that at this point he's willing to fork over his own dime to have his next opponent randomly tested.)

4.) The removal of Alistair Overeem left Bigfoot Silva completely unmotivated to fight Cormier in the Strikeforce Grand Prix semi-finals. And we know what happened there. The lesson in all of this? Never underestimate a massive man who also happens to be an undefeated former Olympian.

5.) Dave Herman, he of the positive marijuana test, was just out "vacationing" in Amsterdam. (Love how he could barely say it with a straight face. You keep doing what you're doing Sasquatch/Pee-Wee/Bigger Country.)

5 MUST-READ STORIES

UFC 146 open workouts. Whet your appetite for this weekend's heavyweight extravaganza with our exclusive UFC 146 workout photos and complete playlist of pre-fight interviews from Wednesday's open workouts.

The martial chronicles. John Nash recounts the fascinating story of the World Martial Arts Fighting Association, an early precursor to the UFC that started up in the 1980's and nearly revolutionized combat sports.

UFC 146 predictions. Luke Thomas picks the winners of Saturday's UFC 146 heavyweight main card.

K-1 live streams. Mirko Cro Cop returns to the ring to take on Loren Javier Jorge in a K-1 heavyweight superfight at this weekend's K-1 Rising 2012 fight card.

Bellator 70 preview. Get predictions and analysis for tonight's Bellator 70 season finale, featuring a heavyweight title bout that pits surprise season-five winner Eric Prindle against reigning champion Cole Konrad.

MEDIA STEW

UFC Countdown shows are always worth a look, but watching Roy Nelson evoke the Kung-Fu Panda in part-two of Countdown to UFC 146 is pretty incredible. (For the lazy, Big Country's Shaolin training starts at 4:10. You can also check out part-one with JDS and Mir here.)

We really don't know what to say about this. I guess it's all fun and games until a bike lands in the cage. (HT: MiddleEasy)

Remember that whole beef between Rampage Jackson and Joe Rogan? The one where Rampage said Rogan might as well be playing the rusty trombone? Well, here's how they squashed it. (HT: Reddit)

With all this talk of heavyweights, let's not forget this violent, violent man is fighting on Saturday.

CHALLENGING THE MAN TO HIS FACE

@ShaneCarwin I was asked who I said not many guys r a step up from barnett. Maybe carwin. Ur cool guy would be honor if we got to cimpete.DC

— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) May 23, 2012

BIRTHDAY WISHES

My birthday is in 3 days which means I will ask myself to retweet everything I've ever tweeted. @kennyflorian

— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) May 23, 2012

PAT BARRY THE TROLL

MOM HATES #1!!!youtube.com/watch?v=8FNdjP… @BrianButler_Au @suckerpunchent @Alienware @AlexaizMMADIVA @MMAWeeklyRadio

— Pat Barry (@HypeOrDie) May 24, 2012

WOULD PAY TO WATCH THIS

Chadseph Mendevidez VS @StefanStruve #FantasyFreakFights twitter.com/JoeJitsu/statu…

— Joseph Benavidez (@JoeJitsu) May 24, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Wednesday, May 23, 2012):

- UFC on FX 4: Jimmy Hettes (10-0) out, Joey Gambino (9-0) in against Steven Siler (20-9)

- UFC on FX 5 announced for September 7, 2012 at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana

- TUF Live Finale: Justin Lawrence (3-0) vs. John Cofer (7-1)

- TUF Live Finale: Myles Jury (9-0) vs. Chris Saunders (9-2)

- TUF Live Finale: Cristiano Marcello (12-3) vs. Sam Sicilia (10-0)

- TUF Live Finale: Daron Cruickshank (10-2) vs. Chris Tickle (7-4)

- TUF Live Finale: Jeremy Larsen (8-2) vs. Joe Proctor (7-1)

- TUF Live Finale: Byron Bloodworth (6-2) out, Erik Perez (10-4) in against John Albert (7-2)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day comes from Mckeeever, who takes the leap to ask: Is Daniel Cormier A Legitimate Challenger to Jon Jones' Throne?

Right now is the time for Cormier to strap on his thinking cap and thoroughly assess his future in the sport. A desirable showdown with 205lb. kingpin Jon Jones, or a claim to the UFC heavyweight title with teammate and ally Cain Velasquez as a foreseeable opponent?

Let's assume the former in this particular case and predict Cormier to endure a calculated training regime with the head coaches at AKA in an effort to cut down to 205lbs. How does the man being hailed as "The Black Fedor" stack up against Jon Jones?

A plethora of former wrestlers seeking to transition into the world of Mixed Martial Arts often struggle to integrate their raw wrestling prowess into the game. Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones however, are unusual exceptions to the rule.

I perceive Daniel Cormier as a Rashad Evans 2.0 prototype. The AKA prized pupil has managed to seamlessly blend his Olympic wrestling abilities into the MMA sphere effortlessly, demonstrated in his recent contest with the hardened grappler, Josh Barnett. On top of his world class grappling prowess, I also believe Cormier possesses the finer tuned striking. The Olympic wrestling powerhouse illustrated his striking finesse in both of his clashes with Josh Barnett and Antonio Silva.

Given the increasingly shallow 205lb. division, I can't think of a better challenger to Jon Jones' ruthless throne. Daniel Cormier has proven to possess a devastating knack for grappling, along with a diverse and ever improving striking game.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

In midst of yesterday's slow news cycle, a question was posed to Randy Couture and Kenny Florian on UFC Tonight. Should Brock Lesnar, perhaps the most unique and divisive figure in mixed martial arts history, be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame? It's a question we'll all inevitably be asked, and one that the community can ever seem to agree on, yet Couture didn't even hesitate.

"He definitely should be," Couture declared. "Anybody who's gone in there and won the title, whether it's been four fights, or six fights or whatever. He still made a huge impact in our sport. ... We saw that in the pay-per-view numbers that he put up every time he fought. I think it's justified."

Couture, of course, is a Hall of Famer himself, and carries a loss to Lesnar on his résumé, so his answer may be a little biased. But then Florian, a well-respected fighter in his own right, jumped to chime in.

"Yeah, definitely," K-Flo agreed. "Former champ. Was in the UFC for a short amount of time, but no one probably will ever, ever have that kind of impact in that short amount of time."

Two different answers, the exact same argument. Given the circumstances, it's probably Lesnar's best chance. But where should we draw the line between measurable statistics and historical significance? The answer here is kind of important, because as the new generation overtakes the old, we're going to be asking this same question to a flood of aging fighters.

So let's figure this out. Here's the facts.

Brock Lesnar:

Career record: 5-3
UFC Heavyweight Champion (Defeated Couture)
Title defenses: 2 (Frank Mir and Shane Carwin)
Submission of the Night (x1)
UFC wins: 4 (Heath Herring, Couture, Mir, Carwin consecutively)
UFC losses: 3 (Mir, Cain Velasquez, Alistair Overeem)
Headlined 4 of the 6 all-time highest selling UFC pay-per-views (including top 2)
2000 NCAA Division I wrestling champion

The UFC Hall of Fame currently lists eight fighters -- Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Randy Couture, Mark Coleman, Chuck Liddell and Matt Hughes. You lived the Lesnar era. Does Brock Lesnar deserve to join that list?

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Couture endorses Lesnar. Legendary UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture proclaimed that retired champ Brock Lesnar should definitely join him in the Hall because of the massive impact he had on the sport of mixed martial arts.

Josh Barnett reportedly to fight again Strikeforce. Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix runner-up Josh Barnett will appear in an additional one-off fight for Strikeforce before exiting the promotion, according to a report by USA Today.

Dana White summons Jon Jones. A "disappointed and bummed out" Dana White met with Jon Jones last night in Las Vegas to discuss his recent DWI and the perils of being young and talented.

UFC 146 Facebook dissection. Preview Saturday's entire UFC 146 Facebook prelims with comprehensive dissections of Jacob Volkmann vs. Paul Sass, Kyle Kingsbury vs. Glover Teixeira, and Mike Brown vs. Daniel Pineda.

Anderson Silva calls Vitor Belfort a coward. UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva dismissively said of Vitor Belfort, "I know his weakness... he's a coward," while coaching Wanderlei Silva on a recent episode of TUF Brazil.

MEDIA STEW

Seriously guys, if NickTheFace isn't secretly working for the UFC right now, it's an absolute crime.

We have no idea why Scott Jorgensen is beating the living crap out of these Brazilian guys, but between the groin shot, the "300" kick, and pummeling a fat kid's shirtless belly, do we really need a reason? (HT: MiddleEasy)

What first started as a .gif making light of Jon Jones' recent DWI, has now been pushed to a whole new level with the wondrous addition of sound. (HT: Reddit)

Ridiculousness may just be a clone of Tosh.0, which is really just a modern-day clone of America's Funniest Home Videos, but neither of those shows had Rampage Jackson on for a whole episode. So that's got to count for something.

BRING ON THE OPEN WEIGHT GRAND PRIX

Birds of a feather flock together! Eating with @StefanStruve @ufc twitter.com/UrijahFaber/st…

— Urijah Faber (@UrijahFaber) May 23, 2012

DID NOT EXPECT THAT

@ScottDeYager truth I don't remember. Heath herring kicked me in the leg the hardest

— Forrest Griffin (@ForrestGriffin) May 22, 2012

THE LIFE OF A COWBOY

Out here waxing the boat!! If anyone want to lend a hand please feel free! My shoulder are on fire..... Half donelockerz.com/s/211094853

— Cowboy Cerrone (@Cowboycerrone) May 23, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Tuesday, May 22, 2012):

- UFC on FOX 4: Mick Swick (14-4) vs. DaMarques Johnson (16-10).

- UFC on FOX 4: Josh Grispi (14-3) vs. Pablo Garza (11-3)

- UFC on FOX 4: Nam Phan (17-10) vs. Cole Miller (18-6)

- UFC 149: Claude Patrick (14-2) vs. James Head (8-2)

- UFC 150: Jared Hamman (13-4) vs. Michael Kuiper (11-1)

- UFC on FUEL 4: Paul Taylor (11-6-1) out, Rafael dos Anjos (16-6) in against Anthony Njokuani (15-6), according to Fighters Only

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day sees Our Bovine Public take a stab at one of the UFC's oldest rumors: Debunking the myth: Matching winners vs losers

Okay so I've finally gotten round to making this fan post about something that has been bothering me for a while.

After just about every fight event, we as fans begin to play fantasy match maker. We put on our most serious Joe Silva face and predict who everyone should fight next. Whether its who is next for a title shot, who is left for Dan Hardy to fight (that he might actually have a chance against) or which champ Akiyama should face after losing his fifth fight in a row, matching up guys against other guys is fun.

One thing I've noticed however, and I'm sure you have too is that when we do this there is always someone ready to tell you that Joe Silva doesn't match people who have won their last fight with somone who has lost their last. Since I'm officially finished for the summer I thought I would take it upon myself to do the reasearch and see just how many times Silva has matched up a winner and a loser. I was going to do it for a whole year but got bored and my point got proved quickly so I decided to do the events from Janurary (142) and go to the furthest event with announed bouts (150). This is 21 events and 207 fights.86 of these fights are announced but haven't happened yet. There was one case were a fighter or both fighters were coming off a draw (McCall vs Johnson) and 2 cases of a fighter or both fighters coming off a no contest (Peralta/Semerzer and someone else I forget)

The results of my research are after the jump.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

Yesterday was an odd day for those that apply to the general school of fairness. On one hand, we had Nick Diaz, the popular but polarizing Californian who was set to meet with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) to determine his punishment for smoking prescription weed prior to his UFC 143 title fight against Carlos Condit.

Then, on the other hand, we had Chael Sonnen, the popular but polarizing Oregonian who was set to meet with the NSAC to determine whether he'd be allowed to artificially elevate his testosterone levels prior to his UFC 148 title fight against Anderson Silva.

Please note, Diaz's weed was used out-of-competition and did not grant him any unnatural advantages during the fight. Sonnen's testosterone will be used directly in-competition and will grant him a very large, unnatural advantage.

Well, you can guess how it all went down. In a unanimous vote, Diaz got suspended for a year, docked $60,000 of his purse, and made a public example of by the commission. The very same commission who, just hours before, had unanimously voted to grant Sonnen a therapeutic-use exemption (TUE) for the use of synthetic testosterone, and less than a month prior, only handed down a minimal nine-month sentence to Alistair Overeem for pumping his system to Herculean levels.

Again, let's repeat. Diaz got a legal flogging for using a substance that -- regardless of whatever propaganda or rhetoric you subscribe to -- is in no way, shape, or form performance enhancing, directly after the commission gave Sonnen the go-ahead to take bi-weekly injections of a blatantly performance enhancing substance, all the while praising him for his honesty. Now, I don't claim to be an expert on TUE, and I'm not directly opposed to its merits either, but doesn't something about that logic seem a little silly?

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Nick Diaz suspended for one year. UFC welterweight Nick Diaz received a one-year suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission stemming from his positive post-UFC 143 drug test. Diaz, who will also forfeit 30-percent of his $200,000 fight purse, and his legal team are strongly considering challenging the NSAC's ruling.

Chael Sonnen granted TUE. Polarizing UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen was granted a therapeutic-use exemption for the use of testosterone in advance of his UFC 148 title fight against Anderson Silva.

Police report from Jon Jones' prior run-in with law. In the midst of Jon Jones' current legal troubles, it has been revealed that the young UFC champ had a prior, unreported run-in with police on November 24, 2011 after being pulled over in Albuquerque, NM, for losing traction of his vehicle and driving with a suspended license.

The MMA Hour. Ariel Helwani is back with another edition of The MMA Hour. This week's episode features a lineup of Daniel Cormier, Zoila Frausto Gurgel, Jacob Volkmann, Shane del Rosario, Dan Hardy, Junior Nalty and Bob Sapp.

Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier salaries. Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix runner-up Josh Barnett ($200,000) and lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez ($175,000) led the reported payroll from Saturday's Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier event.

MEDIA STEW

The Reem really is the most well done documentary series in MMA right now, and the latest episode is no exception. This time we get a behind-the-scenes look at Overeem's life just as everything falls apart. Check it out and you just might feel a tinge of sympathy for the massive Dutchman. (Click the image to watch.)

Is that Steven Seagal in a Brazilian Budweiser ad with Anderson Silva? Why, yes it is.

So Bob Sapp fought at last weekend's CFC 21 in Australia, but you could guess the result of that, so we don't need to show it to you. Instead, check out flyweight Shabe Kafo evoking his inner Korean Zombie and finishing Kian Pham with this sick twister submission. (HT: Bloody Elbow)

Who needs a fancy TV when you can just catch the second episode of UFC 146 Primetime: Dos Santos vs. Mir right here with us?

NOT HAPPY, PART 1

@ufc Get drunk and wreck cars or do steroids between fights is OK. Smoke weed legally between fights and NSAC throws the book at you

— Cesar Gracie (@CesarGracieBJJ) May 21, 2012

NOT HAPPY, PART 2

Bizarre RT @Dutch_RDS: @VictorConte what's your thoughts on Sonnen getting a TUE for ufc 148

— Victor Conte (@VictorConte) May 21, 2012

In my opinion Sonnen is a fraud & Kizer is a puppet for UFC. NSAC needs investigation RT @Geo_youngson: @VictorConte @dutch_rds why bizarre?

— Victor Conte (@VictorConte) May 21, 2012

RENZO'S NEXT T-SHIRT SLOGAN

"@may_joey: @RenzoGracieBJJ What is the pref religion in Brazil? R u a religious man?" My religion is JiuJitsu, my country is catholic ;-)

— Renzo_Gracie_BJJ (@RenzoGracieBJJ) May 21, 2012

WE CAN ONLY HOPE

I've decided my taxi driver to airport was an a-hole. I hope he reads this

— ROBERT DRYSDALE (@robertdrysdale) May 21, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Monday, May 21, 2012):

- N/A

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day sees dpk875 pose a new solution to the 205-pound division's upcoming problem: Light-Heavyweight - A Pending Crisis

This post has nothing to do with Jon Jones's DWI.

For years the Light-heavyweight division has been the showcase division for UFC. All the biggest names, Tito, Chuck, Randy, Rampage, Shogun, and now Jon Jones have been stars while ruling LHW. But when I look closely at the division, I see a division that is facing a pending crisis despite having a dynamic young champion who will likely rule the division for years to come. The UFC Light-Heavyweight division currently has 30 Fighters - Less than every weight class except Flyweight, and Heavyweight(Unless you count Cormier, and Barnett on the UFC roster, then there are 31 HWs).

The UFC website list 36 fighters, but they list Chuck, Randy, Hamill (all retired), Luis Cane, and Caio Magalhaes (both have their next fight at MW), and Aaron Rosa (Next fight outside of UFC in June).

What we see when we look closer is an aging weight class with very few high end prospects moving up the division.

Two have announced that their next fight will be their last (Tito, Rampage)

Three others are over the age of 40 (Hendo, Matyushenko, Perosh)

Seven are over age 34 (Bonnar (35), Nog (35), Diabate (38), Kruth (38), Soszynski (34), Vera (34), Griggs (34).

Thirteen fighters are between 30-34 - Evans (32), Shogun (30), Machida (33), Griffin (32), Kingsbury (30), Pokrajac (33), Nedkov (30), Te Huna (30), Teixeira(30), Penner (32), DeBlass (30), Maldonado (32), Jimmo (30).

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

Out of all the ruckus from this past weekend, three stories emerged to the forefront of discussion, with each one getting there for very different reasons. So since you're smart and you're already caught up on current events, let's skip the recaps and jump into what exactly made these stories so fascinating, while throwing a rating of their significance (from 1-to-10) in there for good measure.

Daniel Cormier's coming out party - 9/10: Last Friday we talked about how everything that could've gone wrong, did for the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, yet despite that, the final outcome came out strangely alright because Cormier vs. Barnett was such a pick ‘em for fight fans. Well, now that it's behind us, it'd be hard to call the tournament a rousing success, but the stunning arrival of Daniel Cormier almost gives us an argument.

Josh Barnett has a pretty damn impressive résumé, yet outside of a prime Cro Cop, no one has handled him like Cormier did on Saturday night. That's incredibly high praise for someone with just 10 pro fights (and a broken hand). Though outside of his physical gifts and Olympic prowess, the thing that impresses me most about Cormier is his fight IQ. The guy almost never makes a bad decision. For someone who's so new to the sport, it almost doesn't make sense.

I don't know where he stands in the grand scheme of things, but at this point, would you really feel comfortable betting against Cormier opposite any heavyweight not named Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem or Cain Velasquez? Here's hoping the UFC comes calling sooner, rather than waiting for this bizarre "plus-one."

Gilbert Melendez loses in victory - 7.5/10: Now, let me preface this by saying Josh Thomson is a very good fighter. I understand styles make fights, and maybe Thomson is the Juan Manuel Marquez to Gilbert Melendez's Manny Pacquiao. But when someone consistently complains about not getting his recognition as a top-2 fighter, yet fails to put away (let alone decisively beat) a guy who's barely sniffing the top-20, it probably isn't a good look.

Let's not forget, this is twice-in-a-row now for Melendez. His December victory over Jorge Masvidal -- a guy who doesn't even make SB Nation's top-25 -- didn't exactly light the world on fire. I understand Gilbert is in a supremely tough spot, and he was going to lose no matter the result of Saturday night, but if "El Nino" is going to keep harping on a move to the UFC and invoking his claim to being the best in the world, at some point he needs to start showing it in the cage.

(One last thing: Strikeforce, please, please don't schedule Thomson-Melendez IV. Just throw in Pat Healy and be done with it. Thanks.)

Jon Jones arrested on suspicion of DUI - 5.5/10: Again, let me preface this by clearly stating, in no way am I condoning Jon Jones' actions. Like my colleague Mike Chiappetta already established, Jon made a stupid decision and he's going to have to pay the price for it. But in the grand scheme of things, that's exactly what it was -- a stupid decision.

The kid is 24 years old, and he's human. He's certainly not the first UFC fighter to make this mistake, and he sadly won't be the last. But truthfully, this became a bigger story because of the clunky cult of personality Jon Jones has crafted for himself. Similar to the Tiger Woods debacle, Jones preached a wholesome image, and to some, a holier-than-thou persona, and got caught doing something that completely spit in the face of everything we thought we knew about him.

It's a big deal on a minor scale, and some will undoubtedly use Jones' substantial lapse in judgment as fuel for the JON JONES IS FAKE brigade, but like always, let's at least get all the facts before the pitchforks come out.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier. Check out complete coverage of Saturday's Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix finale with results and fight recaps, reaction from the pros, video highlights, news on Cormier's hand injury, and a look from the day after.

Jon Jones arrested. UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after being involved in a car accident around 5 a.m. in Binghamton, N.Y. early Saturday morning. At this point little is known about the incident, though for Jones, it could be a chance to step up and show his true character.

Weekend fight results. Catch up on the rest of a busy fight weekend with results for The Ultimate Fighter Live and Bellator 69.

Faber to fight Barao. With Dominick Cruz out of the equation, Urijah Faber will fight upstart prospect Renan Barao for the UFC interim bantamweight strap at UFC 148. Barao's previous opponent, Ivan Menjivar, will instead fight Mike Easton on the same card.

Dan Quinn investigated for death threats toward Dana White. Former football-player-turned-professional-fighter Dan Quinn is under investigation for making (extremely creepy) death threats to UFC President Dana White after leaving a series of threatening messages on White's private voicemail.

MEDIA STEW

Tim Kennedy knows what you want to see and he's more than willing to give it to you. So with that being said, here's your daily "Afternoon Delight" Anchorman reenactment.

We can't show you any footage of Saturday night's Strikeforce card, but in case you missed it, Karl Amoussou and David Rickels absolutely threw down on Friday night at Bellator 69. Check out the fight and see if you agree with the controversial finish.

Three awesome things about this clip, in order of awesomeness: 1.) Gilbert Melendez's fiance mushing the crazed booing fan right in the face, 2.) Guy just doing circles in the beginning for no reason, 3.) Melendez trying to punk said booing fan, and it totally not working. (HT: MiddleEasy)

After careful deliberation, we've come to the conclusion that this may be the best UFC promo ever. (HT: Reddit)

MELENDEZ-THOMSON III: SPLIT DOWN THE MIDDLE

Thought Gilbert won 1st 3 rnds, Josh 4th, 5th either wayRT @NickJohnCody: @BrianStann How did you have it scored?

— Brian Stann (@BrianStann) May 20, 2012

Good fight.... Thought @THEREALPUNK had it. Maybe part 4 coming up though!!

— Gray Maynard (@GrayMaynard) May 20, 2012

Meh, coulda went either way. I thought it was a draw. #Strikeforce

— Jason High (@KCBanditMMA) May 20, 2012

Was a great fight, had Thompson win'n the last 3 rnds tho. Def could of went either way. Both tuff ass dudes that brought it for 25 min.

— Shane Roller (@shaneroller) May 20, 2012

POST-FIGHT POSTCARDS

Me and @cainmma last night now off to Vegas for his fight. twitter.com/dc_mma/status/…

— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) May 20, 2012

@JoshLBarnett thanks for the scrap man. Ur a savage. Ur a true champ. See you soon. DC twitter.com/dc_mma/status/…

— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) May 20, 2012

Helluva job last night brother @dc_mma. Great fight. You fought well and didn't let me get away w/any mistakes. Like a true champion.

— Josh Barnett (@JoshLBarnett) May 21, 2012

I fought hard, I fought to win, and never once quit. It's just what comes with battle. No sympathy, no regret. youtu.be/eq5CDEvwy6Q

— Josh Barnett (@JoshLBarnett) May 20, 2012

Here's what happened in the first :30...still threw it though. Of course that might not have so wise LOL. twitpic.com/9nc4yk

— Josh Barnett (@JoshLBarnett) May 20, 2012

FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD FIGHTER

WATCHED A MAN AT THE GAS STATION COUNT OUT $2.25 IN CHANGE FOR GAS. SO I FILLED HIS TANK FOR HIMHE HUGGED ME AND ASKED WHY- JUST CAUSE!#fb

— Pat Barry (@HypeOrDie) May 19, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced over the weekend (Friday, May 18, 2012 - Sunday, May 20, 2012):

- UFC 148: Urijah Faber (26-5) vs. Renan Barao (28-1) confirmed for interim bantamweight title

- UFC 148: Ivan Menjivar (24-8) vs. Mike Easton (12-1)

- UFC 148: Chad Mendes (11-1) vs. Cody McKenzie (13-2)

- UFC on FOX 4: Michihiro Omigawa (13-11-1) vs. Manny Gamburyan (11-7)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day sees Halitosis call into question some of Joe Silva's recent decisions: Cody McKenzie vs. Chad Mendes and the UFC's Ruination of Fighters Through Mismatches

Yesterday we saw the news that shortly after his fight at UFC on Fuel 3, Cody McKenzie had signed the contract for his first featherweight fight in the UFC against Chad Mendes, a fighter coming off of a title shot where he was soundly beaten. McKenzie has one tool in his arsenal, one. The fact that he's in the UFC is shocking. The man should not be coming off a win over Marcus LeVesseur and go into a fight with a not so long ago title challenger. Whether or not you like Cody, it is agreeable through most of the fanbase that knows their stuff that this is a huge mismatch.

Now, does Cody have a path to victory? Sure. Is that path to victory foreseeable against a fighter who is better than him in every facet? Absolutely not.

I'm not completely opposed to far odds for a fighter. What I'm opposed to is a completely unfair mismatch that will most definitely not be one they can learn from. Cody gets nothing from this fight at all, other than his paycheck to show and maybe a pat on the back for taking the fight. What's more is he has the ability to improve himself now with the right team at Cesar Gracie's with the notorious Diaz brothers, and he had the chance to build up from the little momentum he has now. That chance is, beyond some lucky guillotine, gone.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

Rewind to the evening of February 12, 2011, and you'd find Strikeforce on top of the MMA world. In just hours they'd unveil their masterpiece -- an ambitious, star-studded eight-man tourney featuring the most distinguished collection of heavyweight talent money could buy: Emelianenko, Overeem, Barnett, Werdum, Silva, Arlovski and Kharitonov. (And Brett Rogers, but we don't need to bring that up).

In theory, it was genius. If history has proven anything, it's that fight fans love two things -- tournaments and heavyweights. Put them together, and the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix was guaranteed to be commercial gold.

But things didn't quite work out that way, and only now, 16 months later, is the tourney finale within our sights. Never mind that it pits the field's least marketable superstar against an injury replacement. The simple fact that we got here is enough. So here's a brief (and utterly bizarre) rundown of how it all went wrong, but still ended up (kind of) alright.

January 2011: Quarterfinal pairings are revealed. Emelianenko vs. Silva. Kharitonov vs. Arlovski. Overeem vs. Werdum. Barnett vs. Rogers. MMA nerds everywhere rejoice.

February 12, 2011: Valentijn Overeem, Chad Griggs and Shane del Rosario blast their way to first-round tourney-reserve victories. Sergei Kharitonov nearly beheads Andrei Arlovski. Then the (expletive) hits the fan. Bigfoot Silva stuns the prohibitive favorite, turning Fedor Emelianenko's face into a bloody mish-mash of Russian regret, and just like that, Strikeforce officials lose their most bankable star. Much hand-wringing ensues.

Early March, 2011: The second leg of the Grand Prix is delayed from April 9 to June 18 in order to give officials "the proper amount of time to promote in one of the country's biggest markets," says CEO Scott Coker.

March 12, 2011: Out of nowhere, Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, stuns the MMA world and purchases Strikeforce. UFC President Dana White ominously declares Strikeforce will "continue to run, business as usual." No one believes him.

May 2011: A tourney-reserve bout between undefeated uber-prospect Del Rosario and Daniel Cormier is scrapped when a drunk driver rear-ends Del Rosario's car in Newport Beach, leaving the fighter out of commission. 40-year-old Jeff Monson hastily takes his place.

June 18, 2011: Griggs and Cormier win their respective tourney-reserve bouts to stay in contention. Josh Barnett embarrasses Brett Rogers (who promptly gets cut and doesn't taste victory again until a 2014 fight against Cabbage Correira). Alistair Overeem outpoints Fabricio Werdum in a downright bizarre fight that actually sees Werdum clasp his hands together and plead for Overeem to follow him to the ground. More hand-wringing ensues.

July 2011: Overeem, the then-Strikeforce heavyweight champion, is inexplicably removed from the tournament and released from the promotion due to a "toe injury" that would prevent him from competing. Cormier is tapped to fill the vacant spot despite having a significantly less impressive résumé than Griggs.

September 6, 2011: Overeem signs with the UFC and is immediately thrown into a blockbuster mega-fight against Brock Lesnar. Giggles can be heard from inside the Zuffa offices.

September 10, 2011: Cormier pulls off the second shocking upset of the tournament, demolishing Silva in less than four minutes but possibly breaking his right hand in the process. Barnett effortlessly submits Kharitonov in the first round. A Cormier-Barnett final is tentatively set.

September 13, 2011: Cormier confirms his right hand is indeed broken from punching his opponent's face. Strikeforce officials push the tourney final to "early 2012."

December 15, 2011: Dana White unleashes his knockout blow, announcing the dissolution of the Strikeforce heavyweight division, effective immediately. Barnett and Cormier are left to man a fast-sinking ship. Silva, Werdum, Griggs, Del Rosario and Lavar Johnson are secretly thrilled.

January 2012: Cormier reveals he may have re-broken his hand. A timetable for the finals remains hazy. Scott Coker is seen sobbing into a gallon of Cherry Garcia Ben & Jerry's.

March 3, 2012: Six months after the semifinals, and more than a year after the tournament began, Strikeforce slates the heavyweight grand prix finale for May 19. Fight fans everywhere are reminded that, oh yeah, Strikeforce has a heavyweight grand prix going on.

May 18, 2012: And now we're here. To quote the Grateful Dead, what a long, strange trip it's been.

But guys, you know what's even crazier? I'm actually really excited for Barnett vs. Cormier. So somehow, in a weird way, maybe this all worked out. (It really didn't. But who's keeping track?)

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier. Preview the long-awaited conclusion to Strikeforce's Heavyweight Grand Prix with detailed predictions, undercard dissections and bettings lines.

Mark Hunt injured. A late knee injury forced a devastated Mark Hunt out of his UFC 146 bout against Stefan Struve. Fresh off a victory two weeks ago, upstart bruiser Lavar Johnson jumped at the opportunity to fill the vacant spot.

UFC on FUEL 3 salaries. Donald Cerrone ($60,000) and Amir Sadollah ($48,000) led the charge on the reported payroll from Tuesday's UFC on FUEL 3 fight card.

B.J. Penn not interested in Koscheck. Former UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn shut down rumors of a return bout against Josh Koscheck, instead electing to remain retired.

Bellator 69 weigh-ins. It took a few attempts, but all fighters made weight at Thursday's official Bellator 69 weigh-ins, including middleweight headliners Maiquel Falcao and Andreas Spang.

MEDIA STEW

Daniel Cormier was a relative unknown when he entered the Strikeforce Grand Prix as an injury replacement for Alistair Overeem. But then he went and did this, and hell, now he might be the next heavyweight star.

For anyone who thinks Josh Thomson has no way to beat Gilbert Melendez tomorrow night, it's worth checking out the first leg of the pair's trilogy from back in 2008. (But really, the biggest takeaway from this fight has to be how awesome Bas Rutten is.)

Honestly, Josh Barnett's dominance has been the only reliable part of this tournament.

Gilbert Melendez may have overlooked Josh Thomson the first time they fought. But the second time -- it was all business.

LEAN AND MEAN

Eating heavy and feeling light. Ready to show what a real championship fight looks like. twitpic.com/9m45b6

— Josh Barnett (@JoshLBarnett) May 17, 2012

#RALLYFORMARKHUNTSKNEE

thank u so much for your support u can understand how gutted i am.but i did not want to give a easy fight to struve,if u want to win

— mark richard hunt (@markhunt1974) May 17, 2012

from me u going to have to come a take that sh t

— mark richard hunt (@markhunt1974) May 17, 2012

thanks alot army i must go cry to my wife about thistalk soon

— mark richard hunt (@markhunt1974) May 17, 2012

AND THAT'S THE END OF THAT

@joshkoscheck I know it costs a lot of money to live that lavish lifestyle, big house, fast cars & you need big (cont) tl.gd/hf1d5v

— BJ PENN (@bjpenndotcom) May 17, 2012

THE BOSS IS BACK

All good!!! Thanks everyone

— Dana White (@danawhite) May 17, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Thursday, May 17, 2012):

- UFC 146: Mark Hunt (8-7) out, Lavar Johnson (17-5) in against Stefan Struve (23-5)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is a surprising theory from hobbie, though the title may give you an aneurism: Nick Diaz is a Genius

Hobbie's finally lost it. I know that's what most of you are thinking after reading that title. Either that, or I'm a dozen puffs in to one of Nick Diaz's pre-fight "supplement" cigarettes.

No, my mind is clear thank you very much. Well, I did sort of black out a tiny bit between my bowl of breakfast paint chips and my post-shower hit of crystal meth this morning, but that happens most mornings so...whatever. Oh, I also had half and half in my coffee because I was feeling crazy.

But back on topic: I hope your brain has a napkin or old gym sock handy to wipe up, because I'm about to blow your mothaf***in' mind!

Here goes - Nick Diaz is MMA's shrewdest businessman.

"Nick Diaz" and "businessman" in the same sentence!? Am I nuts? Aren't I aware that the only time the word "businessman" ever came out of Nick's mouth was when he said "Mind your own business, man!" to the commission doctor asking about the contents of his urine sample.

Before I can explain the genius of Nick Diaz, let me dispel you of a simple notion that is held sacred in the MMA world: acting like a complete tool is bad for your career. This theory goes that if a fighter doesn't keep obligations, fails drug tests, engages in criminal behaviour, courts as much controversy as possible and generally acts as selfishly as possible, this results in damage to his career.

History - and MMA history especially - shows what hogwash this really is.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in Monday's post.

Look up. Now, how that headline just made you feel is probably dependent on the length of your mixed martial arts fandom. Unfortunately, for those that joined the party within the last five years, it likely doesn't mean much. Just an overrated Strikeforce guy who's done crushing cans overseas and deciding to call it quits.

And that's a shame, because for me, writing that headline probably was harder than it should've been. I'll save the dramatics for when the time comes, but I have to admit, the spectacle of Pride FC and the legend of Fedor Emelianenko was one of the early catalysts that endeared me to this sport. I'm sure I'm not alone, either. Through the tinted lenses of nostalgia, it's impossible to articulate how special that time was to someone who didn't live and breathe it.

But now the mythical figure is gone, replaced by a 35-year-old shell whose delinquent management relegated him to near-irrelevance. Each time he fights the Satoshi Ishiis and Pedro Rizzos of the world, it gets a little tougher to remember the wars with Big Nog or the hysteria against Cro Cop. And perhaps Fedor knows that.

"I think it's time to call it a day," he repeated at a press conference this week in Russia (translation via Rianovosti). "This fight may be my last one."

If it is, maybe we'll see one last flash of the greatness that left us dumbstruck so many times before. But even if we don't, it was a privilege to watch that man dominate at the highest level for nearly a decade.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Fedor Emelianenko may retire. Legendary former Pride champion Fedor Emelianenko openly speculated about his intentions to retire after fighting Pedro Rizzo during a press conference in Moscow.

Cesar Gracie, Braulio Estima still want Diaz match. In a joint interview on the "Inside BJJ" podcast, both Braulio Estima and Cesar Gracie gave their respective viewpoints on the controversial weekend, while opening the door to another match with Nick Diaz.

Stefan Struve UFC 146 blog. UFC heavyweight Stefan "Skyscraper" Struve talked about the various challenges of being the tall kid and growing up a fan of his upcoming opponent, Mark Hunt, in his inaugural UFC 146 fight blog.

Urijah Faber to learn new opponent on TUF. UFC President Dana White will announce Urijah Faber's new opponent on Friday's episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Live. Faber is set to fight for the interim bantamweight strap at UFC 148.

UFC on Fuel 3 ratings. Ratings for UFC on FUEL 3 tumbled to a record-low 173,000 viewers on Tuesday night. By comparison, UFC on FUEL 1 averaged 217,000 viewers and UFC on FUEL 2 averaged 197,000.

MEDIA STEW

The Fujita punch. The Randleman slam. The Sylvia destruction. If Fedor gave us just one thing, it was violence in it's most spectacular form.

Renato Laranja, in case you don't know, is a fictional character of the Eddie Bravo gang. He's basically a long-running gag credited with being a legendary 27-time Mundial champion. (Fun-fact: There's only been 16 Mundials.) So anyway, the backstory to this encounter a little hazy, but it seems like Laranja was supposed to play a joke on Nate Diaz. Though, you should know, Diaz isn't really a big fan of jokes. (HT: Reddit)

So Genki Sudo just released a new music video, and it's either not at all what you expected, or completely what you expected. There's really no middle ground here. (HT: MiddleEasy)

Apparently the folks over at AKA felt like Josh Thomson needed to learn a lesson, so D.C. got the boys together to punk "The Punk." Like any good prank, it ended with a phone call to the cops.

WAIT... WHAT?

#UFC just offered me to fight BJ Penn...I said YES!!!!! Just waiting on him!!!!!! Let's scrap bra?

— Josh Koscheck (@JoshKoscheck) May 17, 2012

JUST A MINOR INCONVENIENCE

About to go get a few staples to the dome. Another day at the office #tuflive instagr.am/p/Ks13iRs4rN/

— Urijah Faber (@UrijahFaber) May 16, 2012

SAD NEWS

Its a scary world. Just lost the first person i was in rehab with

— chris leben (@cripplerufc) May 17, 2012

FORREST GRIFFIN: THE ULTIMATE HYPE MAN

Chael's book is used as legal currency in the European Union. It may willbe the only thing that can save Greece

— Forrest Griffin (@ForrestGriffin) May 15, 2012

Rumor has it that Good Will Hunting was based on the life of Chaels book

— Forrest Griffin (@ForrestGriffin) May 16, 2012

Chaels book once slept with a women just because she had silk sheets! He's not proud of it, so don't tell anyone

— Forrest Griffin (@ForrestGriffin) May 16, 2012

Chaels book was ghost written by actual ghosts

— Forrest Griffin (@ForrestGriffin) May 16, 2012

My wife left me for Chaels book. I don't blame her

— Forrest Griffin (@ForrestGriffin) May 16, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Wednesday, May 16, 2012):

- UFC on FUEL 4: Rafael Natal (14-3-1) vs. Andrew Craig (7-0)

- UFC on FUEL 4: Nick Penner (11-2) vs. Tom DeBlass (7-1), according to The Score

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day sees unambig take us back to school: Poirier vs Jung: Unambig report cards

Amir Sadollah (D) vs Jorge Lopez (B)

I think we've already been over this. The judges are horrible and need to be fired. And I say that as a guy who picked Amir. Speaking of which, this is a guy who's never, ever lived up to his TUF run where he was subbing guys left, right, and centre. He's boring, predictable, and has a huge weakness in the 170 division with getting taken down. He has no future whatsoever at that weight class and 155 is even more stacked. His only option may be to quit (fat chance) or to move up to the weight he actually won TUF.

Chan Sung Jung (A+) vs Dustin Poirier (C+)

Although I reiterate I'm stunned out of my mind, I did say in my predictions that Dustin hasn't really fought any genuine world beaters yet. Jung showed what he looks like against the elite. That was shocking. What a beatdown. That might be beatdown of the year. Props to Dustin for surviving that long, and the only reason he gets a C+.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

Two notable things happened in MMA yesterday.

1.) Chan Sung Jung invoked the wrath of the zombie apocalypse to choke out Dustin Poirier and earn himself an apparent title shot against Jose Aldo. (Or Erik Koch, if you're into that kind of thing.)

2.) Braulio Estima finally said enough is enough and responded to Cesar Gracie's statement with his own figurative middle finger, declaring that, when it comes down to it, both he and Nick Diaz are professionals, and to absolve Diaz of the blame "for whatever reason" is inexcusable.

Now, whether or not one of those things matters more to you than the other probably depends on where you fall in the 209 spectrum. But regardless, both of their notability is self-explanatory. So since this is my column and I can jump around wherever I'd like, I'll briefly start with topic No. 2, because it's pretty cut and dry.

Honestly, good for Estima. Each of his three main points are valid and it's clear he's sick of having his name dragged through the mud. At this point the whole situation is nothing but a bunch of he said/she said gossip, so now that we've heard from both sides, maybe we can put it to bed. (Unlikely, I know, but one can always hope.)

Now back to topic No. 1. Was that a fight or what?! Many things can be said about "The Korean Zombie," but MMA Law officially dictates that the man can never be called boring.

I'll be frank, I thought the Hominick flash KO was a fluke and completely expected Poirier to roll last night. But wow. I'll gladly admit I was wrong. The growth Zombie has shown since getting separated from consciousness by George Roop is remarkable. That sequence in the second round when he effortlessly transitioned from armbar-to-triangle-to-armbar-to-triangle was amazing theater. I really can't say enough about it.

If you asked me whether the Zombie even stood a fighting chance against Aldo yesterday morning, I probably would have chuckled and answered with some snarky remark. But if you asked me that same question today, I'd definitely have to give it a second thought. And really, maybe that's the biggest accolade of all.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

UFC on FUEL 3. Chan Sung Jung capped the night by invoking the zombie apocalypse, but there still was plenty to see after the lights dimmed in Fairfax. Catch up on all the post-fight action with complete results, fight night bonuses, reaction from the pros, post-fight press conference video, and video highlights of Korean Zombie vs. Dustin Poirier and Donald Cerrone vs. Jeremy Stephens.

Braulio Estima responds. A frustrated Braulio Estima issued a direct response to Cesar Gracie's recent statement, refuting a series of Gracie's arguments regarding the Nick Diaz/World Jiu-Jitsu Expo situation.

Dana White to have surgery. UFC President Dana White revealed his absence from last night's fights was the result of a recent diagnosis of Meniere's disease. White expects to have surgery today in Los Angeles, CA.

Chael Sonnen's secret therapy. During a recent appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience," UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen divulged how secret hypno-therapy sessions helped transform him into the world-class fighter he is today.

Top MMA Wikipedia edits. There's a reason you're never supposed to cite Wikipedia as an official source. And if you don't believe us, these 20 ridiculous MMA-related Wikipedia edits might help change your mind.

MEDIA STEW

We know, we know. We already linked to these highlights up there. But seriously, for all the lazies out there who didn't click the link, you really need to check out last night's Zombie vs. Poirier brawl.

After bravely weathering the storm for four rounds, it's heart-breaking to see Dustin Poirier fight back tears following his devastating submission loss.

So Ronda Rousey's mom is a pretty dangerous woman. But neither you nor Bas Rutten could have predicted how dangerous she really is. (Props to @pegson for the find.)

If you've the got time, check out Chael Sonnen dropping his schtick and discussing everything from steroids and The Ultimate Fighter, to hypno-therapy and Sasquatch with Joe Rogan like a normal, intelligent human being. We're guaranteeing it'll change your perception of him.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD

Congrats to my lil brotha @KoreanZombieMMA, brilliant performance...way to gut it out & get the W...

— Benson Henderson (@SMOOTHone155) May 16, 2012

This @ufc has me fully torqued right now. #UFConFUELTV

— Jason Mayhem Miller (@mayhemmiller) May 16, 2012

Alright... I take it back... I don't want the Zombiepocalypse to happen...

— Joe Lauzon (@JoeLauzon) May 16, 2012

DANA'S FAN EXPERIENCE

Lol now for the first time ever of sitting my ass at home watchin the fights I HATE not seeing the walk ins!!! Fix that shit @UFC

— Dana White (@danawhite) May 16, 2012

Hey @chilledt5 we have to show walk ins from now on! This is BS! Everyone blow him up and Yell at @Lorenzofertitta too! I'm a fan 2 nite :)

— Dana White (@danawhite) May 16, 2012

@chilledt5 and @lorenzofertitta fix the walk ins!!! We the fans want them!! What the he'll do u people do all day @UFC fix this shit!

— Dana White (@danawhite) May 16, 2012

@chilledt5 and @Lorenzofertitta Finally we get a walk in!!!!

— Dana White (@danawhite) May 16, 2012

SHANE CARWIN IS STILL A MASSIVE HUMAN BEING

This is a picture of my Godson and I after the tournament for Young Life.Yes i wear my sponsors gear everywhere. twitter.com/ShaneCarwin/st…

— Shane Carwin (@ShaneCarwin) May 15, 2012

#ASKRASHAD

.@Sense_Andrew, No I don't know when it's gonna be but it won't be at MW.I'm not dropping down.#AskRashad - @SugaRashadEvans

— FUEL TV (@FUELTV) May 15, 2012

.@miketweeted,I gotta say Karl Malone.I saw Rodman lately and he's not well put together.#AskRashad - @SugaRashadEvans

— FUEL TV (@FUELTV) May 15, 2012

@amr454, Thanks, My favorite rapper is Immortal Technique. #AskRashad - @SugaRashadEvans

— FUEL TV (@FUELTV) May 15, 2012

.@LongBeachOGKush, No I'm still searching.I'm gonna have to find a few more. #AskRashad - @SugaRashadEvans

— FUEL TV (@FUELTV) May 15, 2012

.@jspecex, Yes I would.#AskRashad - @SugaRashadEvans

— FUEL TV (@FUELTV) May 15, 2012

.@EtherLW, I can't say I have a dream fight.Chael would win.#AskRashad - @SugaRashadEvans

— FUEL TV (@FUELTV) May 15, 2012

#ASKCHAEL

.@Dommi_BBC, No MOST definitely not. Regulated fights only. I am house trained.#AskChael - @SonnenCH

— FUEL TV (@FUELTV) May 15, 2012

.@therealD1, No but i've cried and laid there awake. #AskChael - @SonnenCH

— FUEL TV (@FUELTV) May 15, 2012

.@amr454, No - not because the competition isn't great, i just couldn't do it.#AskChael - @SonnenCH

— FUEL TV (@FUELTV) May 15, 2012

.@JayDotWilce, Mike Who? That bum that dodged Holyfield his whole career?#AskChael - @SonnenCH

— FUEL TV (@FUELTV) May 15, 2012

.@gmorgan23,Thank you in return.I have some interest but i'd need a little encouragement.#AskChael - @SonnenCH

— FUEL TV (@FUELTV) May 15, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Tuesday, May 15, 2012):

- Titan Fighting Championship 23: Jorge Santiago (24-10) vs. Jay Silva (8-6)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is a look back at a classic by Rainer Lee, which suddenly seems quite relevant: Savages of the Year: Leonard Garcia and Chan Sung Jung

What makes a great fight? A Fight of the Night? Of the Year? We'd ask for something exemplary, a fight that we can hang our banner on ("MMA" it reads). A fight that shows off the best that mixed martial arts has to offer: studied kickboxing, cannonball wrestling, feverish clinch work, python submission attempts, unfailing will, fearlessness. And a violence tactical, and a brutality sporting. Those last bits are important for us. As fans of a developing, occasionally maligned sport, we worry about its perception, and eagerly dismiss whatever might impede MMA's growth and acceptance. We want to impress, and dub mixed martial artists like Georges St. Pierre and Lyoto Machida and B.J. Penn our cultural champions. These are sportsmen, technicians, and artists who promise to erase MMA's reputation for thuggish, talentless cruelty. These are men who bring a form to the otherwise chaotic struggle between two barehanded men. And then there's Leonard Garcia and Chan Sung Jung.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

Let's get this out of the way now. Cesar Gracie released an official response to the whole Nick Diaz no-showing the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo situation, and it's definitely... something.

But hey guys, pay attention real quick. Are you ready for this? I'm going to blow your mind.

There's a UFC card tonight.

(I get it, most of you already knew that. But I'm willing to bet there's at least one guy out there who just got his mind blown. So for that guy, you're welcome.)

Obviously the whole Diaz soap opera continues to roll on, but I can't be the only one who just wants to tune out the noise and watch some actual, real-life fighting. Remember the last time there were mid-week fights, and how they proved to be a nice little slice of violence to relieve the weekday monotony?

Even if tonight's UFC on FUEL 3 card isn't the most star-studded, you and I both know that likely means we're about to see nothing but brawls. And besides, personally, I'm ultra-curious to see if Chan Sung Jung has really turned a corner or if Dustin Poirier is actually the can't-miss prospect we all think he could be. And how can Donald Cerrone possibly recover after having his soul snatched by Nate Diaz? I demand answers.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

UFC on FUEL 3 weigh-in results. All fighters made weight at Monday's UFC on FUEL 3 weigh-ins, including featherweight headliners Chan Sung Jung and Dustin Poirier.

Cesar Gracie responds. Cesar Gracie issued an official response to the bizarre Nick Diaz situation, explaining that Diaz abandoned his match with Braulio Estima because of a series of perceived slights which accumulated to make him feel like "he was at a circus."

The MMA Hour. Ariel Helwani and The MMA Hour return to your life with a championship line-up featuring Junior dos Santos, Urijah Faber, Josh Barnett, Daniel Cormier, Gilbert Melendez, Josh Thomson and Vinny Magalhaes.

Nick Diaz-Braulio Estima. Ben Thapa presents a comprehensive timeline detailing how exactly the Nick Diaz-Braulio Estima situation spiraled so heavily out of control, so quickly.

Nick Diaz's injunction denied. Judge Rob Bare denied an injunction request that would have effectively overturned Nick Diaz's temporary suspension during a Monday hearing in Clark County district court.

WANT TO BUY AN M-1 TITLE?

Current bid to buy Vinny Magalhaes' M-1 light heavyweight belt: SOLD at $100k?

Yesterday's bid: $2,125.00

MEDIA STEW

So Dana White wasn't happy with the pessimistic coverage of the UFC on FOX 3 ratings, and he released a 4 1/2 minute video blog to tell you.

Donald Cerrone might want to be wary of getting too comfortable tonight, because Jeremy Stephens has a history of doing violent things when he's down two rounds to zero.

Wanderlei Silva is forced into dog-duty for his latest video blog, so he carries the little pup to the beach and launches into a surprisingly poetic speech about how much of a jerk Vitor Belfort is being on TUF Brazil.

We wish we could show you Korean Zombie vs. Leonard Garcia I, since it was probably the most insane fight ever held. But instead, we'll just have to settle on Korean Zombie vs. Leonard Garcia II and one of the most creative submissions in MMA history. (How ridiculous would it be see Zombie bust another one of these out tonight?)

Prepare to see one of the worst leg breaks you've ever seen in your life:

Told you. That unfortunate limb belongs to Gerry Hopkins, whose leg kick was checked by Ash Griffith earlier this week at England's Total Combat 47. (HT: MMA HQ)

CESAR'S RESPONSE

Will be posted at 10:30pm PST. Ross Goodman (attorney) asked to review it before posting. Thinks I am too forthcoming for own good

— Cesar Gracie (@CesarGracieBJJ) May 15, 2012

Graciefighter.com. Up

— Cesar Gracie (@CesarGracieBJJ) May 15, 2012

DANA ON DIAZ

@evan1evan next time!? Dude, what planet do you live on? It's been my problem for over a year. Do u not watch the UFC or follow MMA?

— Dana White (@danawhite) May 13, 2012

GOIN' ZOMBIE HUNTING

Want to thank my family,friends and supporters!! Thank you guys so much for everything. Tomorrow I will fight with my heart. Thank you

— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) May 15, 2012

WOW...

Good to see the other Lakers respond to Kobe's demand they step up their game. The playoffs aren't like raping someone. He can't do it alone

— Sean McCorkle (@BigSexyMcCorkle) May 15, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Monday, May 14, 2012):

- UFC on FOX 4: Chad Griggs (11-2) vs. Phil Davis (9-1)

- UFC on FUEL 4: Aaron Simpson (11-3) vs. Jon Fitch (23-4-1) confirmed

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is a thorough recap of Josh Barnett's rocky relationship with the UFC: The Sketchy Past Of Josh Barnett Leaves His Future In Question

In one of the most anticipated Heavyweight bouts of the last year, Josh Barnett is set to face-off against former Olympian Daniel Cormier on May 19th at the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Finals. Daniel has been a highly touted and impressive prospect since he was signed by Strikeforce. After racking up 7 wins and remaining undefeated, Cormier was tapped as an alternate for the Grand Prix. When Alistair Overeem was dropped from the organization, Daniel got the call to fill his spot against Antonio Silva. In the biggest test of his MMA career thus far, Cormier impressed with a TKO victory and earned his spot in the finals. There's no doubt that win or lose he's looking at an exciting future with the UFC.

The picture is not so clear for veteran fighter Josh Barnett, however. At a glance, the choice seems easy. He's an uncontested top 10 fighter. He's charismatic. He's widely recognized as being a part of some of the best fights in the sports history in his battles against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. And he breezed through the first two rounds of the tournament without a scratch. Easy call, right? Not so fast. There's a reason Barnett is one of the most infamous fighter's in MMA's short history. Namely, PED's.

Barnett started strong, rattling off 10 consecutive victories before losing to former UFC champion Pedro Rizzo at UFC 30. He recovered well, though, and finished his next two fights earning himself a shot at the title against Randy Couture. Josh scored the TKO victory late in the second to win the Heavyweight title, but his triumph would be very short-lived. Barnett tested positive for three different banned substances and was kicked out of the promotion by UFC president Dana White (Note: Mike Sloan of Sherdog has reported that Barnett also failed at UFC 34, but was not punished. I was unable to find any other confirmation of this report). Barnett was sentenced with a six month suspension and forced to find somewhere else to compete.

This failed test would be a turning point in Barnett's career.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

To the best of my knowledge, there's no word in the English language to describe being ‘mildly surprised' and ‘completely not surprised' at the same time. But you can bet, if there was, you'd be reading it right now.

I won't insult your intelligence with a lengthy recap because by now you already know the story, but Nick Diaz was supposed to show up to fight Braulio Estima at the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo for charity on Saturday night, and, well, Nick Diaz didn't show up.

I don't how we got to this point, but somehow, after years of flaky behavior and childish antics, an exhibition grappling match just served as the tipping point for Diaz's cult-like presence. If only because this latest figurative middle finger is impossible to defend.

Skipping the press conferences, the f*** your mother non-apologies, those are one thing. After all, it's the actual fights that matter, and Diaz would never skip out on a fight. Or at least that's what we all said. But now he has, and even the most dedicated Diaz fans don't really have an excuse. Estima didn't make weight? See, that's wrong. Cesar Gracie said so himself. So really, all this noise is irrelevant. What it comes down to is this. Braulio Estima was at the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo. Nick Diaz was not. Everyone who paid $9.95 got screwed.

But I'll save the outrage for others, because right now it's flying from every direction. To me, the more interesting angle is finding out what happens from here.

Like it or not, this bizarre weekend only adds to the intrigue of Diaz. Following the man is like rolling on a late-night roulette heater. Red or black, odd or even, everybody's jumping around the board hoping normalcy wins out. But after the house hits the zeros enough times, and everybody wises up to the game, what's the fallout? Does the UFC become more wary of a Diaz-headlined pay-per-view? Is this the last time we'll all get burned or just another set-up for tomorrow's disappointment? Because if we're being honest, you'll still pay to see his next fight and so will I. Maybe that's part of the problem, but it probably isn't changing anytime soon.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Nick Diaz no-shows World BJJ Expo. Retired UFC welterweight Nick Diaz no-showed the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo, leaving a furious Braulio Estima to stew about the failed charity superfight. Diaz's trainer, Cesar Gracie, was unsure about the reasoning for Diaz's absence, though is it possible we only have ourselves to blame?

Weekend MMA results. Catch up on the rest of the weekend with fight results for TUF Live, Bellator 68 and the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo, plus an exclusive BJJ photo gallery and complete video highlights for Kyra Gracie vs. Alexis Davis, Kimbo Slice vs. Jesse Porter and the pitiful display that was Bob Sapp vs. Mariusz Pudzianowski.

UFC on FUEL 3 dissections. Preview tomorrow's UFC on FUEL 3 action with comprehensive breakdowns of the preliminary card and Fabio Maldonado vs. Igor Pokrajac.

Plans for Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix winner still unknown. The "plus-one bout" scheduled to take place after the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix continues to be shrouded in mystery, despite the fact that the tournament concludes this Saturday.

Vinny Magalhaes puts M-1 championship belt on ebay. After months of tenuous back-and-forth bickering with M-1 officials, disgruntled M-1 light heavyweight champion Vinny Magalhaes was officially stripped of his title. His response -- listing the belt on ebay.

WANT TO BUY AN M-1 TITLE?

Current bid to buy Vinny Magalhaes' M-1 light heavyweight belt: $2,125.00

Starting bid: $0.09

MEDIA STEW

It was easy to forget, but the inaugural episode of UFC Primetime: Dos Santos vs. Mir aired late on Friday night. We're always looking out for you, so here's the replay in case you missed it the first time around.

Usually not a whole lot happens in a 36-second fight. But this blistering Jesus Martinez vs. Aung La Nsang clip from Bellator 68 has to be the exception. (Props to @BeauLaFave for the find.)

Dustin Poirier has something special waiting for him after fight night.

The headlining attraction of KSW 19 may have been a total farce, but the co-main event turned out to be the perfect showcase for one of the last great non-UFC middleweights. Seriously, check out the finish on this one. (HT: Bloody Elbow)

Let's be honest here -- Nick Diaz is a masterful troll. Evidence No. 1: While Braulio Estima was busy lambasting Diaz at the Expo, Diaz was (presumably) giggling away and 'liking' the video on YouTube. (At least now we know he's a fan of MMAFighting.com.)

In other news, Rory MacDonald's black eye looks straight out of 28 Days Later.

(via instagram)

DIAZ BEING DIAZ

Man, watched/bought the BJJ SUPERFIGHT and I'm hella disappointed Nick Diaz didn't show up

— Travis Barker (@travisbarker) May 13, 2012

@nickdiaz209 why do u keep self destructing your career? We want to love your swagger but you make it so hard!

— Duke Roufus (@dukeroufus) May 13, 2012

If they make a Where's Waldo movie, Nick Diaz has to be Waldo

— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) May 13, 2012

Found this one on Facebook. #hilarious twitter.com/VinnyMMA/statu…

— Vinny Magalhaes (@VinnyMMA) May 13, 2012

Still can't take the Nick Diaz fan outta me. Just hope he gets past whatever mental or emotional issue it is that leads to this behavior.

— Jon Anik (@Jon_Anik) May 13, 2012

@nickdiaz209 the truth can only be told by him. For sure he has his reasons. He represents BJJ better than anyone in the fray. Let's wait

— Renzo_Gracie_BJJ (@RenzoGracieBJJ) May 13, 2012

Unfortunately the so expectedsuper fight Estima vs Diaz didn't happened.I'm very sad as I did everything possib... tl.gd/hd231s

— Braulio Estima (@BraulioEstima) May 13, 2012

Will have a full statement tomorrow on graciefighter.com. Today is Mother's day. Happy Mother's Day!

— Cesar Gracie (@CesarGracieBJJ) May 13, 2012

SWEET REVENGE

Okay ... Couldn't help tweeting this cause it felt too damn good sending this message to not share it instagr.am/p/KeSmDfBEQH/

— Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) May 11, 2012

@ForrestGriffin don't try to confuse me with your word riddles. People with Elvish names are always trying to confuse us human folk.

— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) May 12, 2012

@ForrestGriffin also started grappling to cauliflower his ears because I told him that pregnant women don't find pointed ears attractive.

— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) May 12, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced over the weekend (Friday, May 11, 2012 - Sunday, May 13, 2012):

- UFC on FUEL 4: T.J. Dillashaw (5-1) vs. Vaughan Lee (12-7-1)

- UFC on FUEL 4: Raphael Assuncao (16-4) vs. Issei Tamura (7-2)

- UFC on FUEL 4: Chris Cariaso (13-3) vs. Josh Ferguson (8-4)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day takes a break from the Diaz noise to look at the upcoming return of K-1, courtesy of Brent Ducharme: Five Things To Know About The K-1 MAX 2012 Final 16

1. Mike Zambidis vs. Chahid Oulad el Hadj II

When they first met in the K-1 MAX 2010 tournament's round of sixteen, Zambidis and el Hadj engaged in a high-paced, back and forth affair that many kickboxing observers consider a classic. Their bout went to an extension round (which seemed to be grounded more in an understanding of potential entertainment value than actual merit), and both were put on the canvas in the course of the bout.

As these two fighters prepare to meet in the round of sixteen once again, their established identities provide the sense that another memorable battle may be in store. Mike Zambidis has posted a 3-2 record in his last five fights (just as he had prior to the 2010 tournament) and there are questions regarding how long the heavy-handed Greek fighter can remain on the biggest stage in kickboxing. As for Chahid Oulad el Hadj, he is the same banger that Zambidis planted overhand rights on nearly two years ago. The 23-year-old has been outclassed by many top kickboxers in the world today, but remains committed to an all-action style that is fan friendly if not the most likely to help build a sustainable career.

What's more, Mike Zambidis always has interesting bouts in the K-1 MAX round of sixteen. In 2005, he obliterated Norifumi 'Kid' Yamamoto with a right hand that is well worth the look. The next year, Zambidis battled with lanky Japanese standout Yoshihiro Sato. 2007 saw him defeat Gago Drago by decision following an extension round. Zambidis was on the wrong side of a knockout in the extension round when he met Andy Souwer in the round of sixteen in 2008.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

It's pretty rare to see a fighter turn his back on the UFC in his prime. If anything, it's usually the other way around.

But that's exactly what Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal did yesterday, eschewing a likely contract from Zuffa in favor of a double-pronged deal with Spike TV, which will allow the affable light heavyweight to compete in both Bellator (starting in 2013) and TNA Impact Wrestling (starting this summer).

While news of the signing was somewhat surprising at first -- it's not often a world-class fighter flips the bird at the big leagues and signs a deal to fight in an organization whose world champion is Christian freakin' M'Pumbu -- it does offer an intriguing upside that could (eventually) make it the right call.

Ultimately, in the UFC, there's a very real chance Lawal would have just been another top-10 205-pounder. Good enough to stay relevant, but not quite at the level of a Jon Jones. But with Spike, King Mo can become something more. With his supreme combination of talent and charisma, Lawal has the potential to be the posterchild for a network that, like it or not, is still widely associated with mixed martial arts to the general public.

It's a bold move, but one that could pay dividends for both parties. By hitting the TNA circuit this summer, Lawal can become the star of Spike, and eventually serve as a transitional face to introduce a new audience to Bellator in 2013.

It's not quite UFC glory. In fact, I'm not exactly sure what it is. But regardless, it's something we have yet to see in the modern era of western MMA, so it'll probably be a fascinating experiment.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

"King Mo" signs with Bellator, TNA. Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal signed side-by-side deals to simultaneously fight and wrestle professionally. Lawal is set to begin competing for Bellator Fighting Championships in 2013, and will join TNA's Impact Wrestling as early as this summer.

The Ultimate Fighter: U.K. vs Australia. UFC President Dana White officially announced the next international season of The Ultimate Fighter, which will feature a country vs. country battle between the United Kingdom and Australia. Nicknamed "The Smashes," the show is set to open tryouts in Sydney on June 12, and London on June 15, for all fighters between the flyweight and welterweight classes.

Kazushi Sakuraba to fight retirement match against Shinya Aoki. Japanese MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba has agreed to fight top lightweight Shinya Aoki an at upcoming DREAM event. Sakuraba will reportedly retire following the match.

Luke Rockhold vs. Tim Kennedy. Luke Rockhold is slated to defend his Strikeforce middleweight belt against former Army special forces operator Tim Kennedy at a Strikeforce show in Portland, Oregon on July 14th, 2012.

Bellator 68 weigh-in results. All fighters met their required weight at Thursday's official Bellator 68 weigh-ins, included featherweight finalists Marlon Sandro and Daniel Straus.

MEDIA STEW

If you've ever had a strange fantasy about Chael Sonnen cooking you a personal pizza on the mean streets of West Linn, Orgeon -- well, you definitely need better fantasies, but you're also in luck. (HT: MiddleEasy)

We're setting the over/under of hurling your phone into the wall at roughly 3 minutes for Rampage Jackson's new iPhone app. (HT: Reddit)

To commemorate the end of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, Showtime has uploaded every single tournament fight for our viewing pleasure. And what better way to start off than with the one that broke all of our hearts.

If you're itching to get hyped for Saturday's Nick Diaz vs. Braulio Estima superfight, look no further than this official countdown film by Stuart Cooper.

IGNITING A RIVALRY

It's official!!! Ultimate Fighter is going to Australia. TUF Australia vs TUF UK "The Smaches" in Fall 2012 :)

— Dana White (@danawhite) May 11, 2012

HOLY CRAP LOOK AT HIGH-SCHOOL RASHAD

Senior yr 98'.. I thought I was the cats meow!Lol #throwbackthursday instagr.am/p/Kd2Ronk1PL/

— Rashad Evans (@SugaRashadEvans) May 11, 2012

CHECKING IN

Good to be home in Montreal for a few weeks. Almost 5 months since my surgery, rehab continues but I see light at the end of the tunnel!

— Georges St-Pierre(@GeorgesStPierre) May 9, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Thursday, May 10, 2012):

- UFC 148: John Alessio (34-15) vs. Shane Roller (10-6)

- Strikeforce: Luke Rockhold (9-1) vs. Tim Kennedy (14-3) announced for July 14

- Strikeforce: Lorenz Larkin (12-0, 1 NC) vs. Robbie Lawler (19-8, 1 NC) announced for July 14

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day comes from Sweet Scientist, who offers a encyclopedic videosplosion you could easily sink 45 minutes into: Traditional striking arts

KYOKUSHIN:

Kyokushin Karate was founded in 1964 by Masutatsu Oyama. It was the first Jissen style of Karate.

Rules: 1x2 minute round (3 minutes in the semifinals and finals of a tournament) with a possibility for 2 extra 2 minutes rounds in case of a draw. Full contact (KO allowed). Punches and elbows to the chest allowed, kicks and knees allowed on all striking levels. If a contestant is knocked down for more than three seconds, his opponent scores an Ippon and wins the fight. If a contestant is knocked down for less than 3 seconds, his opponent scores a Waza Ari (half point), if a contestant scores 2 Waza Ari, he wins the fight.

So, what does it look like?:

Notable fighters: Ryu Narushima (that lead high kick), Lechi Kurbanov (P4P best spinning shit thrower in the world), Andy Hug (RIP, incredible Kakato geri), Francisco Filho (one of the few to have completed the Hyakunin Kumite, 100 man kumite), Glaube Feitosa (popularized the Brazilian Kick), Kenji Midori, Ewerton Teixeira, Nicholas Pettas.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in Monday's post.

Well, it's finally official. At just 41 years young, Dan Henderson is slated to fight 24-year-old phenom Jon Jones for the UFC light heavyweight strap.

Not surprisingly, Henderson opened as nearly a 6-to-1 underdog, and really, after watching Jones treat the upper echelon of 205 pounds like his own personal plaything, the argument could be made for the odds to be higher.

It's almost been a foregone conclusion Hendo will lose, but there's really an underrated storyline here that seems to be getting lost under the hype. Daniel Cormier recently touched on it when asked what Dan fighting a different champion, Junior dos Santos, would represent.

"It's just what he's done his whole career," Cormier said to MMA:30. "He's fought heavyweights, he's fought middleweights, he's fought 205-pounders, and if you look at his record, it's amazing. So Dan Henderson should be mentioned as one of the greatest fighters of all-time, if not the greatest fighter of all-time, but he's missing that UFC title. He has to be a UFC champion. I think if he is, Dan Henderson will universally be considered the best fighter of all-time."

Cormier has a point. Amid all of Henderson's many accomplishments, the sheen of a UFC belt is the one monstrous, glistening omission.

So really, the amount of legacy at stake for Hendo here is astounding. This one fight could potentially change everything. No one expects Henderson to win, but what happens if he somehow lands the mother-of-all-H-bombs, stuns the world one last time, defeats the undefeatable, and finally gets that elusive belt? Couldn't a very, very convincing case be made for Henderson to be the greatest MMA fighter of all time?

Of course, the overriding sentiment is that Jones will win handedly. But still, somewhere in the back of his mind, Hendo has to know this his last shot at UFC gold. And that kind of desperation can be a dangerous asset.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson. Jon Jones will defend his UFC light heavyweight strap against MMA legend Dan Henderson in the main event of UFC 151, scheduled for September 1, 2012 in Las Vegas, NV.

Dominick Cruz discusses 'devastating' knee injury. UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz revealed how he tore the ACL in his left knee, how long he expects to be out, and what he thinks about the UFC's decision to institute an interim title.

Ronda Rousey speaks to critics. Strikeforce bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey spoke about the influx of media attention she's received and why Dana White seems to be a big fan of hers, while offering some choice words for both her critics and upcoming opponent, Sarah Kaufman.

Chris Lytle loses Indiana State Senate election. Former UFC brawler Chris Lytle lost in his bid to reach the Indiana State Senate, finishing less than 2,000 votes short of eventual Republican nomination winner Mike Crider.

Bellator 68 predictions. Preview Friday night's Bellator 68 main card with analysis and predictions for Daniel Straus vs. Marlon Sandro, Marcos Galvao vs. Travis Marx, Carmelo Marrero vs. Seth Petruzelli, and Marius Zaromskis vs. Waachiim Spiritwolf.

MEDIA STEW

It's rare that MMA hits the airwaves on something as mainstream as Comedy Central's The Daily Show, but that's exactly what happened earlier this week. Though, it wasn't quite in the context you'd expect.

Chael Sonnen rapping -- great thing or greatest thing?

And of course, your daily does of violence. Wait for the finish, it's totally worth it. (Around the 2:50 mark for the impatient.) So, about how long until we see someone bust this out in the cage? (HT: Reddit)

Katerina Pyle, the wife of UFC fighter Mike Pyle, reveals how she met her hubby, and it's pretty much the least romantic thing we've ever heard. (HT: MiddleEasy)

WHO EXACTLY IS THIS JOHN JONES FELLA

John Jones vs Dan Henderson for Jones UFC LHW title on Sept 1st in Las Vegas!!!!

— Dana White (@danawhite) May 10, 2012

BACK TO THE GRIND

My next fight will be against... j-lau.com/LR9JTC

— Joe Lauzon (@JoeLauzon) May 9, 2012

ALSO...

Mother's Day is this Sunday. #YouHaveBeenWarned

— Joe Lauzon (@JoeLauzon) May 9, 2012

EVGENI & VINNY

Douche Bigalow Fighting Gigalo and side kick shit-for-brains manager, where is today's stormfront of homophobia? #unemploymentisnotshameful

— evgeni kogan (@evgenikogan) May 9, 2012

@evgenikogan aka Fancy Boy talks about unemployment as if it was a fact. I'm following doing nothing but honoring a contract that I signed.

— Vinny Magalhaes (@VinnyMMA) May 9, 2012

@evgenikogan talks about unemployment, but he forgets that it was up to me to take his laughable offer when he made me one, and I didn't.

— Vinny Magalhaes (@VinnyMMA) May 9, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Wednesday, May 9, 2012):

- UFC 151: Jon Jones (16-1) vs. Dan Henderson (29-8) announced for September 1

- UFC on FOX 4: Joe Lauzon (21-7) vs. Terry Eitm (15-4)

- UFC on FOX 4: Matt Mitrione (5-1) vs. Rob Broughton (15-7-1)

- UFC on FOX 4: Oli Thompson (9-3) vs. Phil De Fries (8-1)

- Bellator 69: Shanon Slack (3-0) vs. Booker Arthur (2-1)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day features Hobbie wistfully looking back at what could have been: The Sad Story of Fedor and the UFC Only Becomes Sadder in Hindsight

Anyone who was an MMA nerd back then remembers how insane the "Fedor is coming to the UFC" hype was. Sure, this was a news story that cropped up every few months or so (it still does, actually) but this time was special. The timing was perfect, the opportunity was there, and everything seemed set for the biggest signing in MMA history.

It never happened. Like something out of a Dr. Seuss story, White and company offered Fedor money. They offered M-1 exposure on their PPV broadcast. They offered him even more money. They offered to let him compete in Sambo tournaments. And did I mention they offered him a ton of money?

But still, Fedor would not eat those green eggs and ham, Sam I Am.

Now lots has been written about this failed business deal, by folks far more "in the know" than I. Still, reading over this news item, I couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy. There's so much to regret in the failed UFC/Fedor deal, and the passage of time has only added to the unbelievable sense of missed opportunity for Fedor.

Why do I say that? There's a few reasons, but chief among them are:

Fedor would have beaten Brock Lesnar

I know I know, there's nothing worse than some blogger stating that fighter X would "definitely" beat fighter Y, especially in a past-tense, completely hypothetical scenario.

But follow my logic here.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

What did we get from yesterday? Well, two title matches are officially on the books for August -- Ben Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar II and Ronda Rousey vs. Sarah Kaufman -- but we already knew those were going to happen sooner or later, so they really aren't anything new. And the UFC bantamweight situation got a late-night solution, even if it was basically the one we all expected.

But the sneakier, more amusing story arose when newly-minted middleweight contender Alan Belcher pretty much put Michael Bisping on blast in front of the entire MMA community. Out of the blue and completely unprovoked, Belcher proclaimed Bisping to be nothing more than a "professional point fighter" who "believes he's better than he is," while saying the fans would love watching Belcher put the Brit "to sleep."

Now, this isn't the first time Bisping has felt the sting of the point-fighting sentiment from one of his peers, even if it isn't really that deserved. (Eight of his 12 UFC victories have ended via TKO.) Still, it's interesting to see him remain the division whipping boy after the minor perception-shift that came from his near-win against the unanimous No. 2 guy, Chael Sonnen.

Though when it comes down to it, I guess that comes with the territory of being a big name, and, ahem, someone without the brightest reputation for civility. But anyway, Belcher has now fired the first shot, and the UFC often listens to what the community wants. So, Belcher vs. Bisping next? Any thoughts?

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Alan Belcher calls out Michael Bisping. Fresh off the most significant win of his career, UFC middleweight Alan Belcher snidely referred to Michael Bisping as a professional point fighter and said he would love to put the Brit to sleep for his next fight.

Ronda Rousey vs. Sarah Kaufman. Strikeforce women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey will defend her belt against Sarah Kaufman at a yet-to-be announced Strikeforce card in August. No specific date or location has been finalized.

Ben Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar. A lightweight championship rematch pitting UFC champ Ben Henderson against former titleholder Frankie Edgar is official for the main event of UFC 150, slated for August 11, 2012 in Denver, CO.

Urijah Faber, Dominick Cruz situation partly resolved. Members of Team Cruz were adamant in proclaiming their desire to keep Dominick Cruz as their TUF Live coach, and they ultimately got their wish, as Cruz will remain on the show throughout the rest of the season. In the meantime, Urijah Faber will fight a yet-to-be decided opponent for the UFC interim bantamweight title at UFC 148.

UFC on FOX 3 ratings. Ratings for the third UFC on FOX plummeted dramatically, averaging a total viewership of 2.42 million and becoming the lowest-rated MMA event ever broadcast on major network television. By contrast, UFC on FOX 1 averaged 5.7 million total viewers and UFC on FOX 2 averaged 4.7 million viewers.

MEDIA STEW

So, let's just say that this Brazilian guy isn't exactly a Chael Sonnen fan, and leave it at that. (HT: Bloody Elbow)

Go ahead and watch this free fight between Junior dos Santos and Gilbert Yvel and just try not to think about how much you can't wait to see Cigano get back to demolishing skulls later this month. (Click to watch the facial reconstruction.)

Now we know Georges St. Pierre is not only scared of heights, but aliens as well. Somehow Carlos Condit can use this knowledge to his advantage.

So Sando, in case you've never heard of it, is a promotion that puts together three-man MMA bouts. (Totally ridiculous premise? Check. Potentially dangerous? Check. Hilarious to watch? Check.) Anyway, from seeing exactly 75 seconds of official Sando competition, we're pretty much ready to dub Kyle Baker the world champ.

Ever need proof that mean-mugging runs deep in the Diaz family blood? Look no further than the elderly fella on the right. Yup, that's Nate's grandpa. (HT: Middle Easy)

AT LEAST SPELL HIS NAME RIGHT

Just watched the fight again.1&3rd round where mine. Maybe a rematch 5 round fight this time? What U say Hindricks?

— Josh Koscheck (@JoshKoscheck) May 8, 2012

RECIPE FOR A FIREFIGHT

Yes it's true. I'm fighting Thiago Alves on July 21st in Calgary, Canada! I'm very excited = your mind will be blown away!!!!!!! ;)

— Siyar Bahadurzada (@SiyarTheKiller) May 8, 2012

WHO IS THIS AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH BIG RIG

New record twitter.com/JohnyHendricks…

— Johny Hendricks (@JohnyHendricks) May 7, 2012

No worries guys. I always shave my beard after my fight and I ALWAYS grow it back. : )

— Johny Hendricks (@JohnyHendricks) May 7, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Tuesday, May 8, 2012):

- Strikeforce: Ronda Rousey (5-0) vs. Sarah Kaufman (15-1) slated for August

- UFC 148: Urijah Faber (26-5) vs. TBA for interim bantamweight title

- UFC 149: Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-5) out, Siyar Bahadurzada (21-4-1) in against Thiago Alves (19-9)

- UFC 150: Ben Henderson (16-2) vs. Frankie Edgar (14-2-1) confirmed for main event on August 11

- UFC on FX 4: Rich Attonito (10-5) out, Papy Abedi (8-2) in against Rick Story (13-5)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day sees BVandDietPepsi emerge as the voice of reason in the face of the FOX ratings crisis: Ratings are Irrelevant, Except when they aren't, Deli Sandwiches, and Why the Sky isn't Falling on the UFC on FOX

The problem is that the entire basis of using ratings as a measuring stick for the episode that the ratings show, is abjectly wrong.

Confused? I'll try to help.

Say you're at a deli, and feel like a sandwich. You look at the specials and see they have a Pastrami with Havarti and mustard on rye. Hmm. You've never tried pastrami personally (and if that's the case we can't be friends), but you've always heard about it and wanted to check it out. You place your order and wait by the end of the counter.

Now at this specific instant, what are the odds that you'll order that sandwich again? Hell if you know, right? You haven't even tried it yet! Would it be safe to assume that you would have a much, much clearer, succinct opinion on your future purchasing of the Pastrami on rye once you've eaten said sandwich? Of course.

That first option, in a nutshell, is how people who kneel to ratings look at television viewership.Back in our days of wrestling, people used to see that Nitro got a 3.8 and Raw got a 3.2 and assumed that more people watched Nitro (correct), because Nitro was a better show that night (incorrect). The biggest factor that went in to the ratings for that week's shows, were the quality of the previous shows, ESPECIALLY to casual viewers, which is whom I'm talking about here.

If Dana and Lorenzo and co. are adament on pushing the product over the superstars, then they finally got it right. It took them three shows, but they got it right. In the first FOX show, they pushed the prestige of a UFC Heavyweight Championship fight and extensively profiling only dos Santos and Velasquez (head-scratchingly leaving off Bendo and Guida). When that plan backfired, they focused on name fighters who could actually flesh out the product, instead of a flash knockout. Evans, Davis, Bisping, Sonnen, Maia...these were guys who were very hard to stop early. The problem was that it fizzled because they fleshed it out a little too much, and the fights themselves weren't exciting or dramatic. So third time's a charm, right? The UFC eschews names totally, to the point that they stupidly made almost no-effort to build up ANYONE on the card publicly, especially Miller or Diaz. Regardless, they put eight guys on the main card who have an outstanding mix of technical skill, excitement, and durability, and they finally get that explosive night of fights they wanted. Surely they're scratching their heads today, as are a few of you, I'm sure. But that's how ratings work. Chris Weidman and Demian Maia are more to blame for these miserable ratings than Alan Belcher and Rousimar Palhares. The sky isn't falling for the UFC here? Why?

The power of word-of-mouth is still, in 2012, the most dangerous and cost-efficient advertising strategy in existance today.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

We've heard of the Madden Curse, the Curse of the Billy Goat, and Cleveland's Basic Existence, but after yesterday's big news, it seems like mixed martial arts now has it's own unlucky cloud from which the occasional bad juju drizzles down. Let's just call it the Curse of the TUF Coaches.

Dominick Cruz and his torn ACL joins a who's who list of recent The Ultimate Fighter coaches to see their match-ups go up in flames well before fight night.

The running list: Jackson-Evans gets put on ice for half-a-year because of Rampage's Hollywood aspirations, Liddell-Ortiz III disintegrates along with Ortiz's neck nerves, Lesnar-dos Santos is doomed by the ghost of diverticulitis, and now this -- the UFC bantamweight champion suffers the mother of all injuries midway through the first live TUF taping in UFC history. That's problems in four out of the past six seasons, in case you were keeping count.

Where we go from here isn't clear, but there are really two main issues to address. 1.) What do we do with Urijah Faber, UFC 148, and the state of the bantamweight division? 2.) What happens with Cruz's coaching spot on the show?

Now, issue No. 1 is much easier to address than No. 2, though each potentially impacts the other. First things first, as much as it sucks, there really isn't any other choice but to create an interim bantamweight strap. Cruz is going to be out another nine months, at best, and we don't need the 135-pound division going the way of lightweight or welterweight.

Right now the consensus top-2 guys to fight Faber in an interim match are Renan Barao or Michael McDonald, and either has a legitimate case for a shot at the interim belt. That being said, I'd shade towards Barao because a hit-list of Escovedo/Pickett/Jorgensen is more impressive than Cariaso/Soto/Torres, plus he's already prepping to fight Ivan Menjivar in a No. 1 contender match at UFC 148.

So, why not keep Faber in the co-main event, flip Barao and his 29-fight unbeaten streak off the preliminaries and into the title slot, and bring in either McDonald or Brad Pickett to take on Menjivar in a new contenders bout. (For those who say it's unfair to Menjivar, keep in mind that Barao-Menjivar was a No. 1 contender match in the same way that Rashad Evans-Phil Davis was a No. 1 contender match.)

Problem No. 2 is much more difficult, however, regardless of whether you favor Barao or McDonald. The thing is, neither of them would be any good as the new coach of Team Cruz. Barao doesn't speak English well, and five months ago McDonald couldn't even get into a bar, let alone order a Jack and Coke.

Ideally, Cruz could still keep up with coaching duties for the rest of the season, but really, that's a pretty selfish request for us to make. So for now it looks like we're stuck in limbo, grasping for something that resembles a right answer. (As if the UFC didn't have enough to worry about already.)

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Dominick Cruz tears ACL. UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz tore his ACL while training on The Ultimate Fighter: Live and was pulled from his anticipated UFC 148 title defense against Urijah Faber. UFC officials have yet to announce Faber's status on the card or whether an interim belt will be created.

Urijah Faber wants to fight Renan Barao for interim title. Longtime WEC champ Urijah Faber both tweeted and released a video asking to fight upstart contender Renan Barao at UFC 148 for the interim bantamweight strap (and subtly implied that Ronda Rousey caused Dominick Cruz's ACL tear).

The MMA Hour. Ariel Helwani is back in your life with a packed lineup for The MMA Hour featuring Chael Sonnen, BJ Penn, Sean Sherk, Don Frye, Renzo Gracie, Braulio Estima, Mike Chandler and MMA Fighting's Ben Fowlkes.

Nate Marquardt vs. Tyron Woodley for Strikeforce welterweight title. Verbal agreements are in place for a July bout pitting Nate Marquardt against Tyron Woodley to decide the rightful heir to the vacant Strikeforce welterweight strap.

Michael Bisping 'pissed off' at Hector Lombard's future title shot. UFC mainstay Michael Bisping didn't shy away from venting his frustration regarding the promotion's plans to fast-track former Bellator champion Hector Lombard into a title shot.

MEDIA STEW

I'll let Tim Kennedy sell you on this one: "You want to see me dancing like a fairy in a Kimono, licking a sword, and prancing around in ranger panties, (then) watch this!"

Another overlooked nugget of violence from the weekend: this 34-second barnburner between Bellator veteran Zelg Galesic and former WEC light heavyweight champ Doug Marshall from Super Fight League 3. (Fight starts at 4:24 for the impatient.)

Chael Sonnen has been making the media rounds to promote his new book, but you could take a hundred guesses and we'd bet you'd never guess what his talking point is for this promo clip. (HT: Middle Easy)

Former UFC bruiser Marcus Davis is inching towards middle-age, so taking his talents to kickboxing probably wasn't the best idea. Just a warning: this one is a little brutal to watch. (HT: Bloody Elbow)

BREAKING THE BAD NEWS

It's true Cruz blew his ACL. Stay tuned for more info

— Dana White (@danawhite) May 7, 2012

Im bummed people,Thanx 4 the support as i battle this,big sorry to all the fans out there!I WILL recover n I WILL b back 2put on a show!

— Dominick Cruz (@TheDomin8r) May 7, 2012

FABER SOUNDS OFF

Yup @RondaRousey tore @TheDomin8r 's ACL shoulda known better than to mess w her @danawhite @ufc @BarackObama #messwiththebulluget thehorns

— Urijah Faber (@UrijahFaber) May 7, 2012

Sucks about @thedomin8r hope recovers fast! Sounds like 9 months aftr surgery @renanbaraoufc seems like the best replacement! @danawhite

— Urijah Faber (@UrijahFaber) May 7, 2012

ALMOST HAD HIM

I want @joerogan to do the commentary for the Diaz vs Estima match. How about it Joe?

— Cesar Gracie (@CesarGracieBJJ) May 7, 2012

@CesarGracieBJJ I would LOVE to, but unfortunately that's the day my daughter is having her 4th birthday party so I'm not going to make it.

— Joe Rogan (@joerogan) May 7, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Monday, May 6, 2012):

- UFC 148: Dominick Cruz (19-1) pulled from title defense against Urijah Faber (26-5)

- Strikeforce: Nate Marquardt (31-10-2) vs. Tyron Woodley (10-0) tentatively set for welterweight championship match in July

- UFC on FUEL 4: Rafael Natal (14-3-1) vs. TBA

- UFC on FUEL 4: Tom DeBlass (7-1) vs. TBA

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is a look at the ongoing evolution of UFC on FOX, courtesy of hobbie: UFC on Fox: Have We Learned Anything Yet

France learned lessons from the two wars - they were just the wrong lessons. They were too focused on re-fighting the last war, while their enemies were figuring out how to win the next one.

I wonder if the UFC and Fox aren't making the same mistakes with their strategy for "UFC on Fox". And more importantly than that - what have the lessons of UFC on Fox really been thus far?

Let's take a look at the UFC's thought process for these events so far. We'll start with the first card, where the thinking went something like:

Big, Important World Title Fights Are All That Matters

For the first UFC on Fox, we got Junior Dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez for the UFC heavyweight championship of the world - and nothing else.

The thinking here was pretty clear: for our debut effort, fans need to feel they're watching something truly epic. We don't have time to introduce a whole card of fighters, so we'll focus only on the main event, build the two men fighting in it up like gods in the PR, and put make it for the heavyweight championship, which any sports fan can understand the significance of.

The ratings for UFC on Fox 1 shows that, to a large extent, this strategy was successful. However, as Joe and Goldie tell us so often, "anything can happen in MMA." And having your clash of the titans end in 64 seconds was a jarring letdown for the months of promotion that preceded it. Fans tuned in expecting to see The Hulk vs. Thor. Instead, they got The Hulk vs. Loki (Avengers humour - if you haven't seen it yet, my condolences on being trapped under that rock all weekend).

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

It only took seven months, an hour with 59 minutes of talking, and another two hours of largely lethargic decisions, but the MMA oblivious public finally scored a taste of what mixed martial arts is truly about.

Yes, UFC on FOX 3 delivered and it delivered hard, offering up four matches that epitomized the unique visceral splendor of our sport on a national scale. The winning formula: get two massive men to club each other in the brain like they were trying to pop the cork off a champagne bottle, segue seamlessly into a war of grappling attrition that gets Joe Rogan to bust out terms like ‘twister' and ‘banana split' to a bewildered audience of millions, and close with two absolute wars (the last of which nearly ends with the first severed tongue submission in UFC history), to stroll into the night with three newly minted contenders and a new legion of violence converts. Like Dana White said, it was pretty much perfect.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

UFC on FOX 3. Even after the dust settled, our comprehensive coverage of UFC on FOX 3 continued with fight night results, post-fight press conference video, bonuses, medical suspensions, post-fight interviews, exclusive photos, preliminary ratings and a look from the morning after.

Weekend fight results. Catch up on the rest of the combat sports weekend with results for TUF Live, Bellator 67 and Super Fight League 3, along with Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto results and photo galleries.

Nate Diaz to wait for title shot. Following his victory on Saturday night, Nate Diaz will remain on the shelf to fight the winner of Ben Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar for the UFC lightweight championship.

Former fighter judges Hendricks-Koscheck. Former UFC fighter Ricardo Almeida served as an official judge for Saturday's UFC on FOX 3 fight card, ultimately becoming the only man to score Josh Koscheck as the winner over Johny Hendricks.

BJ Penn turned down fight against Gilbert Melendez. According to UFC President Dana White, former lightweight champion BJ Penn declined a welcome back fight against Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez and instead elected to remain retired.

MEDIA STEW

It's always a little crazy to see how the Diaz brothers can draw people into a firefight simply by throwing up their hands and yelling. It works even when we know it's coming. It'll be interesting to see how Bendo/Frankie responds.

Diaz wasn't the only top-10 lightweight on display this weekend. Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler returned to action for the first time since his coming-out party last November, and it didn't take long for him to put the leather on Akihiro Gono.

Koscheck-Hendricks was a solid scrap and Johnson-Barry was as blistering as expected, but the sneaky top-candidate for fight of the night had to be Alan Belcher vs. Paul Harris. Who else was teetering on the edge of their seat when it looked like Toquinho was about to rip Belcher's knee right off his body?

Akihiro Gono's unfortunate 56 seconds against Michael Chandler looks like they'll be his last, as the 37-year-old PRIDE veteran reportedly retired following the match. It only seems appropriate to sign off with a look back to the hallmark of his younger days: ridiculously grandiose ring entrances highlighted by red afro wigs, snappy choreography, back-up dancers and Japanese superstar DJ Ozma. (HT: Reddit)

So, Kultar Singh Gill cruised to a first-round KO at Super Fight League 3, and then did this, (click to start the gif):

(via Zombie Prophet)

SCORING HENDRICKS VS. KOSCHECK

Close one, I would give it to kos but I think judges say Hendricks @UFCONFOX

— Brad Tavares (@BradTavares) May 6, 2012

I had Koscheck winning the fight but that was a close one. What did u guys think? I think the debate will be over who won the 1st round.

— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) May 6, 2012

Hmmm. Hendricks? Mabe Kos with that last takedown though. @UFCONFOX @ufc

— Aaron Simpson (@aaronsimpson) May 6, 2012

LAUGHING AT THE DANGER ZONE

Belcher is playing with fire

— ian mccall (@Unclecreepymma) May 6, 2012

Apparently he's a human fire extinguisher

— ian mccall (@Unclecreepymma) May 6, 2012

@alanbelcherufc impressive.. escaping the bear trap and smashing it to pieces! @ufconfoxsports

— Mike Brown (@mikebrownmma) May 6, 2012

STEP 1: DECAPITATE PAT BARRY, STEP 2: COLD BEER WITH PAT BARRY

twitter.com/HypeOrDie/stat…

— Pat Barry (@HypeOrDie) May 6, 2012

twitter.com/HypeOrDie/stat…

— Pat Barry (@HypeOrDie) May 6, 2012

WEEKEND TIDBITS

Even in defeat, there is something oddly satisfying about trying to sleep with a cracked nose and blown ankle #thefans #theoctagon @UFC

— Jim Miller (@JimMiller_155) May 6, 2012

Krotchcheck loves that finger jab to the eye... its becoming his signature move!

— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) May 6, 2012

FORGOT TO SHOW YALL THIS!!!DR. HEADSTACHE FROM HOSPITAL LAST NIGHT!!! moby.to/x4j7r1

— Pat Barry (@HypeOrDie) May 7, 2012

@MCHammer thanks Mc Hammer

— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) May 6, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced over the weekend (Friday, May 4, 2012 - Sunday, May 6, 2012):

- Dana White confirms Nate Diaz (16-7) vs. Ben Henderson/Frankie Edgar winner

- Dana White tentatively sets Jon Jones (16-1) vs. Dan Henderson (29-8) for UFC 151 on September 1

- UFC 147: Wanderlei Silva (34-11-1) vs. Vitor Belfort (21-9) confirmed as main event

- Roger Gracie (4-1) vs. Keith Jardine (17-10-2) scheduled for July Strikeforce event

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day sees unambig don his teacher's hat to take a look back at fight night: Diaz vs Miller: Unambig report cards

John Hathaway (B) vs Pascal Krauss (B-)

No surprises here. Hathaway came well prepared with solid knees and good wrestling and standup, besting the German fighter, who earned a little respect in defeat. I think Krauss was thrown a tough challenge in his debut, but he definitely belongs in the UFC. And I think lesser fighters would have been finished after that first knee by Hathaway in the first. Good showing for both fighters. Only you wouldn't know it because the New Jersey fans booed it lustily, demonstrating that if brain cells were a commodity in New Jersey, the state would have the GDP of Zimbabwe.

John Dodson (C) vs Tim Elliott (A)

I was really impressed with Dodson following his bantamweight showing in TUF. No longer. Truth be told, I thought Tim Elliott worked him over thoroughly, and if Dodson hadn't nearly poked his eye out in the first round, Elliott would likely have been the winner. Although Dodson probably scraped by in the first two rounds, he was beaten convincingly in the third, looking slow and trying to nurse his boo-boo.

Having said that, the fight was great. I loved the speed, the movement of Elliott, and the unorthodox moves. I seriously hope Elliott gets another chance because he is something to behold. As awkward and weird as he is, anybody who does cartwheels and flips during a fight is a guy I want to see fight again.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

There was quite a bit of news from yesterday's UFC on Fox 3 presser, right? We've covered most of it in today round-up (don't forget about our photos!), but they're worth going over again.

Every UFC event - particularly when Dana White is there - is always so interesting because the universe of MMA is rewritten each time. News is confirmed or denied, the future is forecasted and many things we thought were true - X fighter is better than Y, for example - often turn out to be terribly untrue. In some sense, you can judge an event's significance by how much MMA is different after it's over.

That's the same reason that makes me wonder if tomorrow's event is really that big. Still, I'm looking forward to it. The buzz finally got me. I'm most looking forward to Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks, but there are obviously other fights of quality to choose from. I don't know if the MMA world will be re-written come Sunday morning, but at the very least Saturday night should be fun and that's nothing to take for granted.

Speaking of fun, on today's round-up we've got comedians joshing fighters as well as Chael Sonnen heckling Anderson Silva (surprise!), news from yesterday's presser and some of the Twitter war between Tara LaRosa and Miesha Tate.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Rampage's Act Wearing Thin With Dana White. The UFC President told the media yesterday if Rampage doesn't want to fight in the UFC, the feeling is mutual.

Dan Henderson vs. Jon Jones Targeted for September 1. The best light heavyweight in the land won't be back by this summer, but there's a new date for his next fight.

Hector Lombard Could Be Fast-Tracked to Title Shot. If Lombard defeats Stann at UFC on Fox 4, he'll likely earn a title shot from the victory.

Dana White Will Watch Mayweather vs. Cotto. But only after UFC on FOX 3 is over. Interestingly, he encourages others to watch Mayweather vs. Cotto as well.

UFC on FOX 3's First Two Prelims Now on Facebook. For a moment it seemed the first two bouts of the night would be 'dark' matches, but now everything will air one way or the other.

MEDIA STEW

Chael Sonnen accuses Anderson Silva of living in a L.A. mansion, not Brazil:

Have you seen the new The Expendables 2 trailer with Randy Couture? No? Here you go, then:

Ronda Rousey gives her predictions for UFC on Fox 3....while shooting guns. Seriously:

Comedian Adam Hunter has a little fun at the expense of some of the main card participants from this weekend's fights:

MIESHA TATE VS. TARA LAROSA

Y does @taralarosa feel the need 2 talk SO much crap about so many ppl? Remember when u point ur finger at some1 there r 3 pointed back @ u

— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) May 3, 2012

@RealDForeman @mieshatate I made a comment about her commentary 5 days ago. Big damn deal! Miesha, you're bored... get a hobby!

— Tara LaRosa (@TaraLaRosa) May 3, 2012

HOT OR NOT?

Ok. Off to training- will you guys do me a favor and search for the hottest follower on my list. Going by avatar. One male one female.

— Jason Mayhem Miller (@mayhemmiller) May 3, 2012

@RondaRousey come on girl, your mind is already in the gutter, I just roll it over and have my way with it.

— Jason Mayhem Miller (@mayhemmiller) May 3, 2012

@mayhemmiller lmao damn! We haven't even formally met yet and you already know me way too well mr miller....

— Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) May 3, 2012

So, what is this? A picture of four comic book characters? Sort of. Yes, it is that, but it's also who UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva says are his five - yes, FIVE - favorite superheros of all time.

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

- UFC 149: Anthony Perosh vs. Ryan Jimmo

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day comes courtesy tomvale 13 who are argues there are three movies that could've been better with MMA fighters. One of his suggestions? Sex & The City...With Cyborg Santos:

Scene: It’s 2008, and in New York a wild horse has run rampant through the City - terrorising both shoe stores and the groins of many an unsuspecting man. The horse has recruited a gang of 3 misguided harpees who have taken to the liberation of woman-kind in the most ironic fashion – by being complete whores. With their motto of "Any Ham-Javelin will do" and catch-cry of "We demand a typhoon of penises!!" they aid the horses rise to power in the underworld.

The mayor is under siege from the general public, there is seemingly nothing he can do – until he remembers a sadistic criminal he locked up 5 years prior.

Chris Cyborg plays "Cyborg" a sadistic murderer with an irrational hatred of horses – she was originally sent to jail by the city for a string of horse murders so severe, that Jockeys were forced to ride upon Donkeys for a brief period due to a horse-shortage.

With no-one left to turn to – the Mayor releases Cyborg on one condition: Kill the shit out of this annoying fucking horse.

Cyborg skips the usual montage that would follow and gets straight to the killing – she easily dispatches of the harpees by putting a poster up near their favourite trendy coffee shop which reads "All the p------- you can eat – Brooklyn Convention Center NO HORSES ALLOWED" – then tracks down the evil horse of New York by following it’s awkwardly laid out trail of high-hoof marks.

The final scene takes place atop a sky scraper, Cyborg fly kicks the horse in its bent nose and sends it flying down and onto the sidewalk to its death, the applause from the crowd of citizens below is deafening and Cyborg is made Chief Deputy of the newly formed "Horses Suck" department of the police force.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @SBNLukeThomas and we'll include it in Monday's post.

UFC fighter pay is a constant issue. Why shouldn't it be? Professional athlete salaries are typically treated as public knowledge and are in any case interesting. Zuffa's choice to keep matters private (except official fight purses declared by commissions) only increases fan interest. If things are a secret, you want to find out what the secret is. That impulse will never wane.

That's especially true in light of FUEL TV's recent trip to UFC welterweight Josh Koscheck's home in Fresno, California. For a guy who has to fight to earn money, he seems to be earning quite a bit. 'Seems' being the operative word. Koscheck is a college graduate and obviously a very intelligent guy, so we have reason to believe his own personal financial management is in order. Still, wait until you see this place and all the toys he has. I'll admit I never pegged him to live that large. If he's been getting bonus checks, those are mighty hefty.

Be sure to check out the FUEL TV piece linked in our top 5 stories section. Also of note: former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia is still out there asking for a return to the UFC. How long do you think he has to ask before he either gets an opportunity or realizes that's never coming? I say at least another six months.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Nate Diaz Flies Family Flag. With Nick Diaz on ice for now, Nate Diaz is the one representing the family name.

UFC on FOX 3 Open Workouts Coverage. There's Diaz and Miller scrums, photos, Hendricks' beard, Belcher's easy-going style and a lot more.

Lack of Star Power at UFC on Fox 3 Will Test UFC Brand. Without any major stars on the card, this weekend's fights could prove just how much the UFC brand by itself can draw ratings on television.

Tim Kennedy Talks Dwindling Strikeforce Roster. The Special Forces soldier speaks to Bloody Elbow about the challenges of fighting in Strikeforce now that the competition roster is shrinking.

UFC on FUEL TV Visits Koscheck's Crib. I can't tell if Koshceck makes an absurd amount of money, spends an absurd amount of money, is going to be rich for life or broke in five years. Either way, he's got a lot of nice stuff.

MEDIA STEW

Daniel Cormier talks about how wrestling helped him overcome the loss of his daughter:

And here's Josh Barnett discussing fighting at an early age:

Jon Jones' life days out from his fight with Rashad Evans gets documented in 'On The Brink':

Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia says he feels amazing and desperately wants back in the UFC (HT: Middle Easy):

INVICTA CLAIMS TO SCORE BIG

Our final viewing numbers for Invicta FC One were 233,580 we are appreciate your support and interest in WMMA andInvictaFC next event

— InvictaFights(@InvictaFights) May 2, 2012

R.I.P. JUNIOR SEAU

Depression and suicide deserve a hell of a lot more than 140 characters.

— Stipe Miocic (@smiocic) May 2, 2012

Junior Seau #55 #respect

— Frank Mir UFC (@thefrankmir) May 2, 2012

Here's Miguel Cotto. Yes, the Miguel Cotto. The one who is reportedly going to make $8 million for his upcoming bout with Mayweather.

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day comes courtesy LYHL and it's a look at how the featherweight division stacks up. Here's how he sees UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo's two top challenges right now:

"In The Fray" Contenders

1. Erik Koch, 14-1, (Last Fight - W against Jonathan Brookins, Dec)

The next man chosen to have a crack at knocking Aldo off the top perch. Koch is an exciting prospect that trains alongside former and current champions such as Anthony Pettis and Ben Askren. The sole loss on his record comes against Chad Mendes, but that's not too disparaging considering that Mendes has managed to outwrestle everyone he has fought, barring Aldo. However, his last fight against Brookins didn't really show his capabilities as the TUF Champion gave him a harder fight than many expected. Based on that performance, many believe that the odds are heavily stacked against him when he fights for the Featherweight title at UFC 149, but one should look beyond his last fight to see that he brings new challenges for the current champion with his height, range and creative striking.

Against Aldo, perhaps it's a case of "too much, too soon". But regardless of whether he wins or loses, Koch looks to be a name amongst the Featherweights for some time too come.

2. Hatsu Hioki, 26-4-2 (Last Fight - W against Bart Palaszewski, Dec)

The UFC's Japanese import was regarded at the time as being one of the few 'credible' challenges to Aldo's reign. Unfortunately, a lackluster debut against George Roop quelled the fire, only for a spark to reignite in his decision win against the game Bart Palaszewski. Although it was rumored that he had a chance to fight Aldo, he turned the opportunity down in favour of having one more fight against Ricardo Lamas.

This puts him in a risky position: although Lamas has looked like a reborn fighter in the ranks of the UFC's featherweight division, he still lacks name value. Hioki risks losing more if he lost than he would gain if he won. However, if he did win (and he should), expect him to be offered either an immediate title shot against the Aldo/Koch winner, or to face the loser of Zombie/Poirier in another title eliminator.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @SBNLukeThomas and we'll include it in Monday's post.

We're almost there, folks. The formal, on-site coverage for UFC on Fox 3 kicks off today. I know yesterday I wondered aloud why there were no Dana White video blogs and it turns out I just wasn't paying close enough attention. There's not only one, but two and we've got them both included in today's round-up.

One of the more interesting storylines as we approach the UFC's third show on Fox is just how much Josh Koscheck believes he's going through of a technical renaissance now that he's left American Kickboxing Academy. Koscheck has a new boxing coach who is suggesting that the former welterweight top contender will be able to easily exploit the technical deficiencies in Johny Hendricks' game.

It's a gutsy statement, but it's one only made possible by Koscheck admitting that up until getting this coach, he never knew basic mechanics: how to throw a jab, slip a jab and more. I don't know if that's true, but I also don't know why he'd say it if it weren't. For a fighter to admit that publicly is a rare moment of candor, folks.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

The Case for Public Fighter Pay. Our own Mike Chiappetta tries to lay out the case for why the pay fighters make should be a matter of public record.

Shannon Knapp Says UFC Very Supportive. The brains behind Invicta FC told Bloody Elbow that the brass at UFC have been complete supportive of her promotional efforts.

Ross Pearson Arrested on Suspicion of DUI. The British striker allegedly had a bit too much to drink and then decided to get behind the wheel of a car.

Clay Guida Calls Maynard Bout 'High Risk, High Reward'. MMA Fighting spoke to the Greg Jackson-trained lightweight about the stakes in his upcoming fight with Gray Maynard.

Josh Barnett, Daniel Cormier Hold Media Scrum. Just one day before UFC 145 in Atlanta, the two Strikeforce grand prix finalists spoke to the media on a huge range of issues.

MEDIA STEW

I said there was no UFC on Fox 3 Dana White video blog yesterday. I was wrong. Here's episode 1:

And here's episode 2:

Remember the story of Chael Sonnen getting tricked with the shock pen while he was in Brazil? There's video of it:

Apparently, a 53-year old man was able to get into a MMA cage and fight someone 21-years old on less than an hour's notice. This according to Stephan Bonnar. So, I guess that's that when it comes to regulation:

BIG SEXY GOT JOKES

Sometimes I like to go to the grocery, and do all my shopping out of other people's carts when they're not looking

— Sean McCorkle (@BigSexyMcCorkle) May 1, 2012

HOW RANDOM IS RANDOM?

If u ask for a random drug test, isn't really random then?

— Duane Ludwig (@DUANEBANGCOM) April 30, 2012

ARMBAR THEM

Guess what? I still haven't got my bag from #delta @deltaassist.Almost 2 weeks now since they lost my bag. any ideas as to what should I do?

— ROBERT DRYSDALE (@robertdrysdale) May 1, 2012

DEEP THOUGHTS, Y'ALL

In order to create, you must destroy.

— Joe Lauzon (@JoeLauzon) May 1, 2012

NOVER MAKES PREDICTIONS

Im going with Miller 4 this weekends @ufc. I'm calling it a three round decision -Miller. I think he is a bit more talented then Diaz.

— Phillipe Nover (@PhillipeNover) May 1, 2012

Look who is ringing the opening bell at the NASDAQ stock market opening bell. Oh, no big deal. Just a few UFC fighters and a Strikeforce champion. That's all.

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

- UFC 150: Roy Nelson vs. Dave Herman

- UFC 150: Jamie Varner vs. Edson Barboza

- UFC 147: Yuri Alcantara vs. Hacran Dias

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day comes courtesy krste and they want to know if UFC bantamweight Dominick Cruz's footwork and striking is so bad, how come no one is able to really hit him?

Many detractors of Dominick's style are coming from a Boxing background and claim that his technique is flawed and ineffective. Since my striking knowledge is limited at best my counter to that is that Dominic is not a Boxer, he is an MMA fighter, so what works in boxing might not work in MMA if translated directly. To me, his head and feet movement are a thing of beauty, the way he attacks from angles and evades incoming attacks with his hands down, swaying and slipping like some sort of a zombie cobra reminds me of my younger days when me and my dad used to watch our favorite boxer, Naseem Hamed, although the zombie quality is uniquely attached to Dominick's movement.

To get back to my original point, if the striking of the current bantamweight champion is so flawed why hasn't anyone exploited those flaws yet, why does he still have the belt? My question is not intended to sound sarcastic, i am merely curious since i lack the knowledge of the striking game to conclude for myself whether Dominick is Mayhem-esque in his striking game or Spider like.

It's fight week, right? Doesn't that mean we ordinarily see Dana White video blogs or even Tweets from White that say the words 'fight week' only in stretched out form? Maybe I missed it, but I've yet to see it. I have to say, I might be missing a lot. This weekend's card stands to offer some pretty great scraps, but there isn't a ton of interest for it. The card lacks star power, is competing with NBA and NHL playoffs and doesn't really leverage Cinco de Mayo with popular or revered Latino figures.

Still, the fights are likely going to rock. Another fight that's probably going to rock? Dan Henderson vs. Jon Jones. I know many in the MMA community were hoping for a July fight, but it just looks like the timing is too tight. Jones just isn't interested in that sort of turnaround and who can blame him? The guy already did it in 2011 and while it worked out well, better to get rest when you can.

There's no rest for the Morning Report, though. We've got UFC on Fox 3 and Hendo vs. Jones news covered in today's post. We've also got video of a really bad MMA debut, one of the best boxing photos ever and so much more. Jump on in. The water's nice and warm.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Nevada rebuts Nick Diaz's lawsuit. It should be noted the state of Nevada's Attorney General responded before Diaz filed suit, but it's worth catching up on the state's argument just the same.

Tim Boestch vs. Michael Bisping moved off of UFC 148. It's likely to go to UFC 149, but what a drag. UFC 148 was gearing up to be one of the best cards in years.

Jones vs. Henderson likely for August or September. Not July as some had hoped it would make the UFC's debut in Calgary. But you know the saying: good things come to those who wait.

Jim Miller talks to MMA Mania. Read what the UFC on Fox 3 headliner has to say about his bout this Saturday with Nate Diaz.

Clay Guida comments on Alistair Overeem's testosterone levels. And says the UFC heavyweight's coaches also deserve some the blame for the situation he is in.

MEDIA STEW

Lithuanian bodybuilder Robert Burneika makes his MMA debut. It was not money (HT: Cage Potato):

Johny Hendricks trains. He and his team also visit his local children's hospital:

Dana White and Ed O'Neill break bread together:

Hey, remember that time Frank Mir broke Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira's arm? No? Ok, refresh your memory:

This might be one the best boxing photos ever, right?

FRANKIE EDGAR LOVES EAST COAST RAP

I like your style RT @JoePollard1: Driving, windows down, Jay Z blaring, mentally preparing to train #nothingbetter

— Frankie Edgar (@FrankieEdgar) April 30, 2012

HAS RENZO EVER FROWNED?

Called my old man. He asks me.. Are you a happy man my son? the happiest in the world I answer. He says. So I am a happy man. Got love him

— Renzo_Gracie_BJJ (@RenzoGracieBJJ) April 30, 2012

MACKENS SEMERZIER WITH THE LEAD SPILL

I was thinking about how much of a dirty slut @Bartimus7 was. I dont have any grounds to say that. But it sounds good. Lol #ShotsFired

— Mackens Semerzier (@MackDaMenaceMMA) April 30, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

- UFC on Fox 4: Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader

- UFC 150: Jake Shields vs. Ed Herman

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's FPOTD comes courtesy unambig. The title? 'Why MMA Fans Hate Fedor Emelianenko':

And finally, it has come to this. A 35-year-old former prodigy now facing a 38-year-old former UFC fighter who hasn't been relevant in nine years since he beat Ricco Rodriguez at UFC 45. A battle in which nobody can honestly say they are remotely invested in as a fan. Fedor has agreed to fight Pedro Rizzo for reasons nobody can quite understand or care about, other than the fact it will presumably enable both men to pad their bank accounts.

All fans are left with from Fedor is the sort of sad, hypothetical arguments about what might have been if he didn't have the management he has, if he had decided to face the premier competition in the UFC, if he had been less ambivalent about his MMA career. It is almost a remorse-by-proxy, the same sort of feeling one gets when one watches a movie about unrealized potential and failure. It's just... sad.

We could blame M-1 and Vadim. We could blame the UFC. We could blame fans for not appreciating what he gave us in Pride. But really the only person who deserves any blame is Fedor himself. He has reaped what he has sown. He has become what he wanted to be. In the end, he is to blame for our inability to sympathize with him, for he has refused to share with us his own disappointments, his own fears and hopes and dreams. He has shut us all out for his entire career, and so it is only fitting we do the same now.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @SBNLukeThomas and we'll include it in Monday's post.

I could've sworn the UFC Spring Break was over, but here we were again with a weekend where no UFC or Strikeforce event was being held. That doesn't mean there was no MMA action. There was. In fact, there was pretty good MMA action courtesy the all-women's card for Invicta FC's inaugural event. Some of the fights early on the card were fairly lackluster, but towards the main event things heated up nicely. Jessica Penne stood out with a strong performance, Young vs. Smith was tons o' fun, Randi Miller proved she's pretty green but pretty mean and Marloes Coenen put Ronda Rousey on notice.

There's also a UFC event this coming weekend. More specifically, a free UFC event, which are in many ways the best kind. I've long felt this event was booked as something more than a FX card, but less than one for pay-per-view. I'm not sure that's the optimal balance, but it's the one we got and there are strong, important fights to be enjoyed.

For now, though, let's catch up on the results you may have missed, the odd interview of UFC welterweight Georges St. Pierre on CNN, Tim Kennedy being Tim Kennedy and much more.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Coenen Victorious at Invicta FC, Calls Out Ronda Rousey. The biggest fights of the weekend took place on an all-women's fight card. Catch up on what happened and what could be next.

Dana White Says UFC Will Not Put On Shows in California If CSAC Bill Passes. The UFC's head honcho says if a controversial law is passed, that could be the end of the UFC in the Golden State.

Daniel Cormier's gold medal loss is MMA's gain. The Strikeforce grand prix finalist tells MMA Fighting if he had won the Olympic gold medal, he probably would never have entered professional MMA.

Fedor Emelianenko talks Pedro Rizzo. What does the greatest heavyweight of all time think about Pedro Rizzo and M-1? Click to find out.

Luke Rockhold Readies for Tim Kennedy, Wants to Fight Anderson Silva. The Strikeforce middleweight champion speaks to our own Mike Chiappetta about what's next in his career.

MEDIA STEW

Tim Kennedy + Masterpiece Theater = What?

Georges St. Pierre talks about being bullied on CNN. Oh, and also answers the worst questions ever:

The Nick Diaz story is well known. Ahead of UFC on Fox 3, it's time for Nate's story to be told (HT: MMA Mania):

Current TUF Live coach and former WEC champion Urijah Faber has a new book coming out (HT: Bloody Elbow):

UFC Octagon girl Arianny Celeste poses for FHM in the Philippines. You can tell it's Filipino with words like "Bhoy" and "Tayo" on the left side of the cover (HT: ABS-CBN News).

RONDA ROUSEY'S DELICIOUS BREAKFAST

Ugh, every morning I have to eat a handful of fresh parsley... And every morning green projectile vomit is a distinct possibility...

— Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) April 29, 2012

INVICTA GETS DAPS

Congratulations to InvictaFC for a really great first show, unbelievable fights!

— Bas Rutten (@BasRuttenMMA) April 29, 2012

Thank you loved the first edition @InvictaFights@shanknapp I felt at home. I was very happy indeed now the wmma is being valued.

— Cris Cyborg (@criscyborg) April 29, 2012

BRIAN STANN AT A LOSS FOR WORDS

Haha, How do I even respond to this? RT @TimKennedyMMA: #IfTwitterHadAPromIdTake @BrianStann

— Brian Stann (@BrianStann) April 30, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

- Brian Stann vs. Hector Lombard, TBA

- Thiago Silva vs. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua, TBA

- UFC 150: Luiz Cane vs. Yushin Okami

- UFC 150: Thiago Tavares vs. Dennis Hallman

- Invicta FC 2: Shayna Baszler vs. Sara McMann

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day comes courtesy Luke Nelson who forecasts how UFC welterweight Rory MacDonald would fare in fights against the division's top eleven contenders. Here's his sense of MacDonald vs. Nick Diaz:

3. Nick Diaz

Strengths: Boxing, Offensive Guard, Cardio, Aggression, Toughness. Some people don't really consider Nick to be a boxer, as he tends to just crowd his opponent against the cage and unleash flurry after flurry, something that looks like boxing but doesn't incorporate the nuanced movement that a true practitioner of the sweet science would have. Either way, he's beaten a bunch of noted strikers with that strategy, so whatever you call it, he's good at it. He has one of the most dangerous guards in the division, although he hasn't used it too much recently, preferring to keep fights standing. He never gets tired, can take a helluva shot and his gameness is pretty much unquestioned.

Weaknesses: Strength, Wrestling, Fight IQ. In his first stint with the UFC, Diaz had a tough time keeping his fights standing, although he has said on multiple occasions that he would not have taken the bottom and played from his guard so readily if he had known the judges would treat the top guy as having the advantage, despite it being something he probably should have been aware of. In his fights since, no one has succeeded in taking him down and keeping him there but he also hasn't fought a vaunted take down and top control fighter of the calibre found in the upper echelon of the UFC`s welterweight division. He admits to not being as strong as his peers, but he also doesn't want to be, preferring to rely on his superior cardio and a volume striking approach to win his fights.

How a fight with Macdonald would look: Rory rag-dolled Nick`s younger brother Nathan en route to a three round decision in his biggest UFC victory to date. He landed three suplexes in the final round against Nathan, showcasing a decided strength advantage that he would also hold on Nick. Rory also out-struck Nathan for a good portion of their fight, but it wouldn't be a good idea to try to stand up with Nick, so this fight would likely come down to how much damage Rory could do from inside Nick's guard. It seems likely that this fight would go into the third round and if Rory ran out of gas in the same way he did against Condit that would spell trouble against Nick.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @SBNLukeThomas and we'll include it in Monday's post.

Last night Nick Diaz became the first mixed martial arts fighter in history to sue the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Now, on a scale of 1-to-10, my guess is that sentence wasn't nearly as surprising as it probably should've been. One of Bill Simmons' most popular sportswriting memes is the ‘Tyson Zone,' which signifies an athlete whose behavior becomes so outrageous, an individual would believe any story about the athlete, regardless of how odd it may seem. Well, if Diaz hadn't reached the Tyson Zone before yesterday, he certainly has now. (Say I told you Diaz went out, bought a monkey, got it high just 'cause, then gave it away to a homeless man. You'd believe me, ergo, Tyson Zone.)

Besides its audaciousness, this lawsuit is fascinating for three reasons:

1.) Diaz may actually have a very real, very legitimate case here. Under Nevada law, the commission is required to "determine the outcome through proceedings related to the order of a summary suspension within 45 days of the date of the suspension." Despite protests from Deputy Attorney General Chris Eccles that Diaz would not be heard until his medical marijuana card was produced, the lawsuit maintains that "Diaz and his lawyers made repeated attempts to reach the NSAC to obtain a formal hearing to finally adjudicate the NSAC's complaint without any response from Executive Director of the NSAC Keith Kizer." If that is indeed true, Diaz's case immediately becomes a very sharp thorn in the side of the NSAC.

2.) The precedent this could set has the potential to be resounding. While Diaz's case is an extremely centralized one, a victory would go a long way to shattering any remaining sense of invincibility that exists behind the commission. Diaz fought the law and Diaz won. That message cannot be overstated.

3.) On the same day his brother says Diaz just isn't that interested in fighting right now, Nick states in a sworn affidavit that he "would be prepared to compete against Mr. Condit or against any other opponent deemed suitable immediately." Now, even if the idea of Diaz referring to Carlos as Mr. Condit is laughable, the significance behind his words is clear. Diaz is still angry at how UFC 143 went down. He's far from retired. And he wants revenge.

When it comes down to it, as someone who personally loves watching the violence Diaz brings with him to the cage, isn't that really the most important part of all this?

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Nick Diaz sues Nevada State Athletic Commission. UFC welterweight contender Nick Diaz filed a lawsuit against the Nevada State Athletic Commission for alleged violations of statutory law and his Constitutional rights to Due Process. Within the sworn affidavit, Diaz states he is prepared to fight Carlos Condit "immediately" if the suspension is lifted.

The hurt business: epilogue. In the final installment of 'The Hurt Business,' Ben Fowlkes looks back on a tumultuous year inside the Grudge Training Center, and tries to make sense out of lessons learned in and out of the cage.

UFC 145 garners 700,000 PPV buys. Early estimates have UFC 145 collecting approximately 700,000 pay-per-views buys, by far the largest of Jon Jones' career.

Invicta FC preview and predictions. Take an early look at the promotional debut of Invicta Fighting Championships, an all-female mixed martial arts organization slated for broadcast this Saturday night.

UFC notebook with Dana White. UFC President Dana White discusses Rampage Jackson's wasted potential, Chael Sonnen's encounters in hostile territory, and his personal disdain for a proposed half-point judging system.

MEDIA STEW

This feels appropriate given the circumstances.

It's unbelievable, but this seems to be a video of Alistair Overeem visiting his testosterone-happy doctor, Hector Oscar Molina. Even Tra Telligman, the former fighter who Overeem says hooked him up with Molina, makes an appearance. (HT: MMA Mania)

Since his Overeem-dos Santos promo quickly became outdated, NickTheFace stepped up his game to pump out this Tarantino inspired Mir-dos Santos trailer.

Regardless of political affiliation, we can all appreciate this Chris Lytle campaign ad for his run to the Indiana State Senate. (HT: MiddleEasy)

That has to be the most boss warzone watch ever. Seriously, look at the size of that thing. Click for larger size. (HT: MiddleEasy)

BIG NIGHT FOR THE JONES'

Draft party at the semi-finished Bone Caveyfrog.us/65911z

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) April 27, 2012

Congratulations to the new New England Patriot @ChanJones99

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) April 27, 2012

Chandler Jones, Jon Jones' brother, went 1st round to the @Patriots. Im so pumped!!! Congrats Jones family!!!!

— Dana White (@danawhite) April 27, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Thursday, April 26, 2012):

- Bellator 68: Marcos Galvao (11-5-1) vs. Travis Marx (19-3)

- Bellator 68: Carmelo Marrero (14-5) vs. Seth Petruzelli (14-6)

- Bellator 68: Jacob Kirwan (9-4) vs. Don Carlo-Clauss (8-6)

- Bellator 68: Marcin Held (12-2) vs. Derrick Kennington (6-2)

- Bellator 68: Claudio Ledesma (6-2) vs. Anthony Leone (10-5)

- Bellator 68: Francois Ambang (1-3-1) vs. Gregory Milliard (2-2)

- Bellator 68: Jesus Martinez (6-2) vs. Aung La Nsang (9-7)

- Bellator 68: Eddie Fyvie (9-5) vs. Jeff Lentz (9-2-1)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is a heartfelt open letter from BE's benten20: Thank You MMA for everything: A letter of thanks

Most of the time we all joke around on here but every once in a while, someone posts a serious fanpost about themselves or some other serious matter. This fanpost is about what the sport of Mixed Martial Arts means to me and what is has done for me. For most of my school life in both elementary school and high school, I was bullied. Physical, verbal, and mental abuse which only got worse as the years progressed. It got so bad I felt i had to go a high school that was out of Brooklyn just to make sure no one from my old school would be there.

Turns out that being the short chunky kid who is not good at sports and is a nerd isn't the best combination for making friends. 9th and 10th grade were two of the worst years of my life as i was constantly picked on a belittled. I had my head slammed into a concrete wall, was thrown out of a moving van, pushed down a staircase and I'm leaving out the mental and verbal abuse. By 11th grade I hit my growth spurt and starting pumping iron. Towards the end of the year, people seemed to curiously stop picking on me. I began to think maybe things would change.

Turns out that didn't happen as there is always someone who's bigger and stronger. By 12th grade i was probably one of the bigger guys but this one guy made my life a living hell. He abused me and made me his rag doll nearly breaking my neck. He broke my phone and told me it was my fault for being in his way. Just for good measure he stole the only girl that i was ever close with. I figured it was just him but turns out lots of people had to join however they can as someone made a poll with the title: should Ben kill himself. By the time high school finished i had no confidence in anything I did. I was an empty shell who didn't care about life.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in Monday's post.

After all the craziness that went on Tuesday, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that the UFC middleweight division just got a whole lot more ferocious.

Introducing Hector Lombard, the man with the mythical 25 fight unbeaten streak. First things first, what can "Shango" do for you? For that, I point you to a four-part violence diorama -- lets start with this, add a little splash of this, definitely some of this, and we'll close with this. Keep in mind, all that was within his past five Bellator fights.

Though one quick point before we play fantasy matchmaker; at just 5'9", Lombard is about to join a division overflowing with 6-foot-something behemoths. Sonnen, Silva, Munoz, Bisping, Belfort, Weidman, Stann -- all these guys dwarf the former Bellator champ. Just something to keep an eye on.

Anyway, who should have the pleasure of welcoming Lombard into the Octagon? With nearly every top-ten guy already booked, I'm joining my colleague Mike Chiappetta on the Stann wagon. At best, it would be good litmus test for each fighter. At worst, it would be a guaranteed barnburner between to of the most aggressive guys in the division. Your thoughts?

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Potential opponents for Hector Lombard's UFC debut. Now that longtime Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard is under Zuffa contract, speculation is thick regarding the 34-year-old's opponent for his upcoming UFC debut.

Dana White talks Overeem. UFC President White was surprised upon hearing of Alistair Overeem's nine-month punishment, stating that he expected the NSAC to come down harder. White has yet to decide if the Dutchman will remain in the UFC, though he made it clear he is "not an Overeem fan at all."

Erik Koch vs. Jose Aldo rumored. Fast-rising prospect Erik Koch has reportedly received a contract to fight UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC 147 in Brazil.

Kizer anticipates no issues licensing Chael Sonnen. Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer foresees no problems licensing his old buddy Chael Sonnen to fight Anderson Silva at UFC 148.

UFC 145 salaries. UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones topped the disclosed payroll for UFC 145, taking home $400,000 for the third straight defense of his belt.

MEDIA STEW

What happens when a regular 170-pound dude fights a UFC heavyweight? Well, Standing 8 Count and Chad Griggs are about to show you the answer. (HT: MiddleEasy)

So Chuck Liddell said the only reason he would come out of retirement is to fight Jon Jones. Please reassure us, there's absolutely, positively, no feasible way this ever happens. Right? (Side thought: If prime Liddell -- complete with granite chin, one-punch KO power, and stifling takedown defense -- fights Jones right now, who wins?)

Now for more Standing 8 Count fun, this time featuring noted bruiser Ben Rothwell. Though kudos to the tall fella for lasting longer than Brendan Schaub.

We're pretty sure it's impossible for a human being to appear more likable than Jim Miller does brewing beer with his family a week out from fight day. (HT: MMA Mania)

BACK TO THE GRIND

Just feel the need to say i got a lot of time for all u guys who showed me support even after the "L" means a lot

— Che Mills (@CheMillsMMA) April 25, 2012

HARDY ON REEM

"@jaybally22 whats you thoughts on the overeem situation? steroids etc - That's his business mate, I don't really care.

— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) April 25, 2012

VINNY VS. M-1

Hey friends/fans,I'd like to clarify for those who are wondering why I haven't been scheduled to fight or (cont) tl.gd/h57340

— Vinny Magalhaes (@VinnyMMA) April 25, 2012

NINJA WANTS BACK IN

Like I said before... I really want to war against @philbaroni ... Do u want to see this war? If u want it, anyone will make it happen!

— Murilo Rua (@ninja_rua) April 24, 2012

Many ppl dont know, but we talk about this fight since PRIDE, and it never happened...I hope it'll happen now!

— Murilo Rua (@ninja_rua) April 24, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Wednesday, April 25, 2012):

- UFC 149: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-7-1) vs. Cheick Kongo (17-7-2)

- UFC on FX 4: Hatsu Hioki (26-4-2) vs. Ricardo Lamas (11-2)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day takes a closer look at the UFC's newest high-profile signing, courtesy of MMA Mania's Ulf Murphy: UFC Fighter Breakdown: Hector Lombard

Hector Lombard (31-2-1 (1), 17 KO's, 7 Sub's)

The Cuban-born Lombard, a former Judo Olympian, holds a 4th dan black-belt in judo and was awarded his black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu in 2010 by Marcus Silviera (Carlson Gracie Sr.). Fighting out of Boca Raton, Florida, Lombard stands 5'9", has a 73 inch reach and is currently ranked #11 in the consensus rankings. Considered short for the division, Lombard has found a way to close the distance against some notable fighters (Kyle Noke, James TeHuna, Alexander Schlemenko, etc), but Lombard has yet to beat anyone who has approached the top 10 in the division. Since losing to Gegard Mousasi ages ago, Lombard has beaten the best fighters available to fight him, but are his previous fights enough to believe that he will continue in his winning ways?

How does Lomard stack up against the rest of the division when looking at his ability to affect the scoring criteria set forth by the unified rules? How does Lombard get the job done?

Grappling

The least questioned of Lombard's abilities, grappling is where Lombard thrives. Even though he has not recently submitted many of his foes (only one non-punches submission win since 2007), Lombard's background in Judo, and his stature (or lack thereof) combine to give him a great base. Although not tested by top tier wrestlers, Lombard had no problems with Trevor Prangley, a very respected wrestler, and good baromteter to judge that Lombard has at least above average take down defense (TDD). Until he fights the top of the food chain wrestlers like Sonnen, Munoz and Weidman, we can only guess that his skill here is sufficient.

We all know about Lombard's judo throws, but his top game is also very underrated. Working in Schlemenko's closed guard, Lombard was still able to connect with solid ground and pound.

Lombard also finished his fight in 2011 against Jesse Taylor by way of heel hook. Not a great notch on his belt, but Taylor has very good wrestling and has recently only lost to top fighters. While I want to think that Lombard is a top of the food chain grappler, until he beats a top of the food chain grappler I can only give him the following score.

Overall Grappling Score: 8

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

One of Dana White's favorite phrases is that the only thing he knows when he wakes up in the morning, is something bad is going to happen. Never have those words meant as much as they did yesterday.

Within a span of a few hours, White and the UFC lost not one, but two massive money draws. To wake up with a breakfast of nixing the year's No. 1 event, ruffling your most lucrative international market, and losing out on millions of revenue dollars is one thing. But to find out dessert is having your most marketable heavyweight star be done for the year because some Simpsons caricature of a doctor didn't know the ingredients to his own drug cocktail, now that's a doozy of a one-two punch to the gut. If Jon Jones had randomly retired, White may have spontaneously combusted.

So if there's ever a day Dana has an excuse to call in sick, it's today.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Alistair Overeem license request denied. The Nevada state athletic commission denied Alistair Overeem's request for licensure, ruling that he would be ineligible to reapply before December 27, nine months from the date of his failed random test.

Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 2 rescheduled. As expected, Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 2 has been postponed to UFC 148, which is slated for July 7, 2012 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

Mark Munoz vs. Chris Weidman headlines UFC on Fuel 4. A middleweight match-up pitting Chris "All American" Weidman against Mark "The Filipino Wrecking Machine" Munoz has been tapped as the five-round main event of UFC on FUEL 4 on July 11, 2012.

Hector Lombard joins UFC. Longtime Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard officially signed a multi-fight contract with the UFC. Lombard has gone 25 straight fights without a defeat, stretching back to December 2006.

Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson potential headliner for UFC 149. UFC President Dana White opened the door for Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson to headline UFC 149 in Calgary, depending on how quickly Jones can recover from last week's title defense.

MEDIA STEW

Junior dos Santos may be a ridiculously scary guy, but take comfort in knowing you could probably wakeboard better than him.

Marcus Brimage vs. Maximo Blanco wasn't exactly the barnburner we expected, but at least we got this out of it.

Local alternative outlet Creative Loafing was in attendance for UFC 145's open workouts, and it didn't take long for the absurd questions to start flying. Honestly, we never thought listening to GSP list off names of foods could be so entertaining. Also, Matt Brown is a gardener. (HT: Bloody Elbow)

UFC 145 was cool and all, but the moment of the night may have come in the first ten seconds of the Facebook feed. (NSFW: Hilarious swearing)

IT BEGINS

I am in the UFC it is official :)

— Hector Lombard (@HectorLombard) April 24, 2012

HELL OF A BIRTHDAY

Happy B-day to my beautiful mom Suzanne today. Still feisty, just caught a burgler w a pellet gun. Held him off till the cops arrived.

— Urijah Faber (@UrijahFaber) April 24, 2012

Here's the dude my mom caught, she thought she was using a real gun. Probly better. twitter.com/UrijahFaber/st…

— Urijah Faber (@UrijahFaber) April 24, 2012

THE DISGUISE GLASSES WILL SAVE HIM

Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen is on!!! July 7th in Las Vegas but first get Chael out of Brazil in 1 piece. twitter.com/danawhite/stat…

— Dana White (@danawhite) April 24, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Tuesday, April 24, 2012):

- UFC 147: Anderson Silva (31-4) vs. Chael Sonnen (27-11-1) postponed to UFC 148

- UFC 148: Dominick Cruz (19-1) vs. Urijah Faber (26-5) shifted to co-main event

- UFC on FUEL 4: Mark Munoz (12-2) vs. Chris Weidman (8-0) announced as main event

- UFC on FUEL 3: Aaron Riley (30-13-1) out, Marcus LeVesseur (21-5) in against Cody McKenzie (12-2)

- NEF Fight Night III: Tim Sylvia (30-7) vs. Randy Smith (14-10-1)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is an incredibly informative encyclopedia of kickboxing that you'll accidentally spend 45 minutes reading, courtesy of BE's Sweet Scientist: The Different Styles Of Kickboxing

SAVATE

Savate (also called boxe française) is a kickboxing style originating in France in the XIXth century. It's practiced with shoes on (Savate means old shoe in French).

Rules: 5x2 minutes rounds. Punches and kicks allowed on all striking levels but kicks must hit with the foot and not with the shin. Punches are scored but only the first punch in a combination counts, to get more points from punches a kick must be thrown.

So, what does it look like?:

Guys that fought in it you might have heard of:

Ernesto Hoost, Farid Khider, Enoch Effah.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

Without sugar-coating anything, we just waited three weeks to hear Alistair Overeem pull out the generic ‘I totally didn't know banned substances were in my medication' defense. I'll admit, after the whole "reasonable excuse" spiel, this is a little anticlimactic.

Regardless, Overeem was remorseful in his statement, and everybody has the right to innocence until proven guilty, so let's buck the perception and play devil's advocate for a second. Let's say Overeem actually did take this testosterone-riddled medication, unaware it was buffing up his levels like the ooze from TMNT 2. He still knows he's going to be randomly drug tested. He agreed to that caveat last year.

Let's also assume Overeem, like most humans, is a money enthusiast. So he knows one slip-up could royally screw the biggest payday of his career.

Now, given these particular set of circumstances, why wouldn't he report any mysterious medication he was considering putting in his body to the UFC? I'm sure they'd help him out. Have one of his assistants do it if he's feeling a little lazy. Why take the chance? It just doesn't make sense.

But hey, that's just my own speculation. We'll see what Overeem says in a few hours.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Alistair Overeem explains failed drug test. In a written statement, Alistair Overeem revealed his 14:1 failed drug test was the result of an accidental anti-inflammatory medication that was mixed with testosterone. Overeem is scheduled to appear in front of the Nevada State Athletic Commission in an attempt to gain licensure at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT this afternoon.

The MMA Hour. Ariel Helwani is back in your life with another edition of The MMA Hour, featuring a star-studded lineup of Frank Mir, Dan Henderson, Eddie Alvarez, Andreas Spang, Alan Belcher, Guilherme Cruz and Mike Chiappetta.

Marloes Coenen calls out Ronda Rousey. Former Strikeforce women's bantamweight champion Marloes Coenen said that while she is impressed by Ronda Rousey's run to the title, she still believes the new champ is fighting with fear in her heart.

Frank Edgar says move to 145 is inevitable. After years of snubbing a drop to featherweight, Frankie Edgar finally admitted the move down is inevitable, and he is looking forward to fighting Jose Aldo in the future.

Cro Cop, Badr Hari get opponents for May 27 card. K-1 officials revealed the fight card for their May 27 event, to be held in Madrid, Spain. Notable match-ups include Mirko Cro Cop vs. Loren Javier Jorge and Badr Hari vs. Anderson Silva (not that one).

MEDIA STEW

On a shortlist of people you'd expect to pop up in a foreign report about Manny Pacquiao's training camp, where exactly would mixed martial arts superstar and hollywood actor Quinton "Rampage" Jackson rank? (Also, there's a report with Rampage fake ground 'n' pounding the Filipino fans, if you're interested.)

So apparently Bob Sapp is a sneaky little tyke who fought in Slovenia on Sunday. $100 bucks says you couldn't guess what happens next. (HT: Cagepotato)

For bonus Bob Sapp fun, we turn to the hilarity of Wikipedia. (Click the image to enlarge.)

Sonnen-Sllva II is mess a right now, but if you were at all down on Wanderlei Silva vs. Vitor Belfort, NickTheFace is here to save the day.

How awesome was that? Well, there's no such thing as too much of the Axe Murderer, so here's a rundown of what to expect from his first video blog: 1.) Wanderlei referring to himself as "The Silva," which is pretty amazing, 2.) Wanderlei looking back at his legacy, and 3.) Wanderlei outlining the exact way he's going to knock out Vitor Belfort, right down to the spot Belfort is going to drop.

POST-FIGHT INJURY UPDATE

I went 2 UFC 145 in Atlanta and I had the best seat in the house & all I came back with was this fat eye! Wt instagr.am/p/JxNbJkk1Ee/

— Rashad Evans (@SugaRashadEvans) April 23, 2012

This is what my ankle looks like today...Luckily, I'm walking on it fine... Use the other leg muscles to support it. lockerz.com/s/203578531

— Mac Danzig (@macdanzigmma) April 23, 2012

SERIOUSLY GUYS?

In Buenos Aires now in training session w Seagal, Anderson n Lyoto. 1 word, "Fascinating" n no more info so don't ask! twitter.com/brucebuffer/st…

— Bruce Buffer (@brucebuffer) April 23, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Monday, April 23, 2012):

- UFC 146: Gabriel Gonzaga (13-6) vs. Roy Nelson (16-7)

- UFC 146: Shane del Rosario (11-0) vs. Stipe Miotic (8-0)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is a question that Nick Diaz would appreciate, via BE's LYHL: "Look At His Face and Look At Mine" - The Importance of Post-Fight Physical Appearances?

The Hominick-Yagin fight this past Saturday went down, and the outcome gave me some thoughts. I'd like to share them with you lot and see what you lot think.

In my opinion, the fighter who looked worse off at the end of the fight was Yagin. Although Hominick's eye was swollen, the entirety of Yagin's face was masked with blood. This immediately made me think of Diego Nunes' post-Siver fight comments: "look at his face and look at mine", insinuating that he should have been victorious in that fight.

However, should post-fight visual appearances be a more determinative factor in a fight?

Realism: Perhaps it can be argued that visual appearances represent the 'real' outcome of the fight. In most street fights, the victor and loser is often determined (providing one participant is not unconscious) by the visual state of the combatants at the end of the fight. Using a simple analogy, the loser in most playground fights is the one who walks away with a broken nose. Should MMA, the closest sport that we have to an uncontrolled fight be any different?

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

Jon Jones handled his business on Saturday night. But you already know that, and you don't need me to rehash it.

For those keeping score, at just 24 years old, Jones has now polished off four of the greatest light heavyweights in world -- all of whom are former champions -- like he was playing a video game with the difficulty set to rookie.

After a run like that, a backlash was not only inevitable, it was already brewing. But while dominant champions are always polarizing in their own right, the ticky-tack dissection of Bones has started to zero-in on confusing reasons. His reach is unfair. He doesn't belong in this division. He should be fighting at heavyweight.

Now, I try not to judge, but diminishing someone's accomplishments because you don't agree with their choice of weight class is an odd gripe. There's a reason weight classes exist. If you can make the weight, it's fair game. No one piles on Anderson Silva or Georges St. Pierre for cutting upwards of 20 pounds. No one lays into Jose Aldo for being such a massive featherweight that he was nearly hospitalized on film.

Every athlete has their own set of physical gifts. It would be foolish not to use them. Besides, imposing your size and reach is a skill in and of itself. Being longer than everyone doesn't mean anything if you don't know what to do with it. Just ask Stefan Struve.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

UFC 145 results and post-fight coverage. Now that the dust has settled, check out UFC 145 from every angle with fight results, post-fight interviews, bonuses, main event highlights, post-fight press conference video, exclusive photos and reactions from the pros.

Frank Mir replaces Alistair Overeem. After enduring weeks of heavyweight limbo, former UFC champ Frank Mir officially replaced Alistair Overeem opposite Junior dos Santos in the main event of UFC 146. UFC President Dana White cited scheduling pressure and a lack of confidence in Overeem's ability to gain licensure as the reasons behind his decision.

Weekend MMA results. Catch up on the rest of this weekend's MMA action with fight results for Bellator 66, The Ultimate Fighter Live and The Ultimate Fighter Brazil.

Hendo next for Jones. As expected, 41-year-old Dan Henderson is slated to challenge Jon Jones for the next defense of his UFC light heavyweight title.

White says BJ Penn will fight again. BJ Penn's career as an active fighter is not exactly over according to Dana White, who recently spoke to the 33-year-old former champ.

MEDIA STEW

So Junior dos Santos released this clip right after the Mir-Overeem switch was confirmed. But honestly, the champ's super zoomed-in, totally taken out of context quote says it all: "It's a good thing for me."

Eddie Alvarez and Shinya Aoki have now met twice for a whopping grand total of 3:46 of fight time. Here's the messy 2:14 from Friday night.

We can't show you a replay of Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans, but if you have 17 minutes to spare, the spectacular brutality of Jon Jones vs. Shogun Rua is a pretty great alternative. (Click the image to watch.)

Just when you thought there haven't been any good post-fight melees lately, Maiquel Falcao and Andreas Spang go and do something like this.

TO THE VICTOR GOES THE SPOILS

It's only been one day and I'm already starting to miss the routine/grind. #Athletesproblems

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) April 22, 2012

I was 224lbs last night "@bartolini69: @JonnyBones how much do you weigh the night of the fight, 220-225?"

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) April 22, 2012

What's Dan Henderson's reach compared to Rashads?

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) April 22, 2012

I would think he would be the harder Puncher "@MIKEYBFILTHMMA: Should be asking what's Jon Jones power compared to Hendo's @JonnyBones"

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) April 22, 2012

HATERS GONNA HATE

Is anyone else starting to pay more attention to the people sitting cage side? #DoSomething

— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) April 22, 2012

I know I've had a rough run lately but I wouldn't trade any of my fights for that performance. #ShowUpAndGetPaid

— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) April 22, 2012

"@JAniol1 why u hatin'? - Because I will never get that 25 minutes back.

— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) April 22, 2012

"@MisterKreger who are u talking about, these guys are champs, whereas you're a 0-4 gimmick. - Records are for DJ's, I come for a fight.

— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) April 22, 2012

RAMPAGE JACKSON AKA RAP SUPERSTAR

@Rampage4real damn! Why didn't you bring me on on a track? You know I spit that hot fire. And I also can rap.

— Jason Mayhem Miller (@mayhemmiller) April 19, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced over the weekend (Friday, April 20, 2012 - Sunday, April 22, 2012):

- UFC 146: Alistair Overeem (36-11, 1 NC) out, Frank Mir (16-5) in against Junior dos Santos (14-1)

- UFC 146: Frank Mir (16-5) out, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva (16-3) in against Cain Velasquez (9-1)

- Dan Henderson (29-8) confirmed as next opponent for Jon Jones (16-1)

- M-1 Global: Fedor Emelianenko (33-4) vs. Pedro Rizzo (19-9) announced for June 21

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is a divisive conversation starter, courtesy of BE's SSreporters: Jon Jones: An Apology

I don't write post-event recaps. Today is no different. I'm here to apologize on behalf of Jon Jones for his disgraceful actions last night. They were out-of-order, unpopular with the fans, and he should really be ashamed of what he did over the span of 25 minutes against Rashad Evans. Jones is too busy getting fans, so I will apologize not just for his fight, but the last 13 months or so. I'm addressing this to the MMA fans who hate Jon Jones for whatever reason.

I'm sorry Jon Jones was too boring for you in his comfortable win over Rashad Evans. I'm sorry that he put a dent in the side Rashad's forehead that resembled a 1997 Nissan Altima being on the wrong-end of a head-on collision with a Ford Excursion. It was a 5-round decision so lopsided that anti-Jones fans out of spite gave a maximum of two rounds to Rashad on the basis of a head kick in the 1st and a right hand in the 3rd. Two judges gave Rashad one round as ammunition for anti-Jones brigades to say "HEY! Rashad took a round off of him, maybe Phil Davis can take 3!". I'm absolutely certain that the entertainment value of the fight would've improved tenfold if Jon Jones simply lost the fight. And not just any loss, a loss where he looks like he just started fighting last week and Rashad would have his way with him. Evans would have landed a right hook from hell and Jones would've dropped like a bag of sand, all whilst looking limper than your p***s at the sight of an orgy in Central Park consisting of nothing but hobos and senior citizens who look like Estelle Getty. Jones didn't oblige, and I am truly sorry.

There was no correct outcome for Jones that involved him winning. The decision win was blasphemous, a quick first round stoppage would've been an anti-climactic end to a heated feud, and any form of a brutal KO or submission would undoubtedly raise questions about how evil Jon Jones is that he would willingly put his former bestest friend in the world to sleep.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

Flash back to April 11, 2008. Jon Jones is a 20-year-old kid preparing for his professional debut at a sleepy show in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Forward three months and six profoundly violent finishes later, "Bones" is on the receiving end of a phone call to replace Tomasz Drwal against undefeated prospect Andre Gusmao two weeks out from UFC 87.

No matter how many times it's repeated, that timeline is absolutely absurd. Show me a kid out there that just picked up a basketball and could be talented enough to play for the Miami Heat in August. Go ahead, I'll wait. Bonus points if he's under the American legal drinking age.

So while Jones readies for the first defining moment of his young career tomorrow, it seems appropriate to look back at the lanky guy who ran roughshod over the entire northeast, playing the game he loved and emulating the men he saw on television. Knowing what we know now, flashes of what Jones would eventually become are all over this footage.

Also, his nickname used to be Sexual Chocolate.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

UFC 145 open workouts. From Rashad Evans to Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson, the MMA Fighting team was in Atlanta, talking to the top fighters on Saturday's UFC 145 fight card and checking out the open workouts.

Georges St-Pierre to return to training in two months. UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre expects to resume MMA training in two months and opened the door for a move to middleweight if teammate Rory MacDonald becomes the No. 1 contender within the next few years.

Dana White UFC 145 video blog. Take a behind-the-scenes look at last Saturday's Swedish event, UFC on FUEL 2: Gustafsson vs. Silva, with the first edition of Dana White's UFC 145 video blogs.

Shinya Aoki out to prove Eddie Alvarez victory wasn't luck. DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki is determined to prove luck had nothing to do with his 2008 victory over Eddie Alvarez in advance of their Bellator 66 rematch.

NSAC won't hear from Nick Diaz on April 24. The Nevada State Athletic Commission issued a statement refusing to hear Nick Diaz's case on April 24th until the existence of a medical marijuana card can be provided.

MEDIA STEW

This is where it all started. Jonathan Dwight Jones, future UFC champion, enters the cage for the first time against Brad "The Barroom Brawler" Bernard to a quiet reception in Foxborough. He may be just 20 years old, but certain aspects of his fighting style are already unmistakable, both good and bad. (By the way, Bernard would never fight again. Though neither would we after this.)

Just seven days later, Jones is back in action against Carlos Eduardo. This would be Jones' longest pre-UFC fight, so it remains a fascinating retrospective of a kid still putting everything together. The flashy offense, the confidence bordering on cockiness, the staunch takedown defense, and the obvious Anderson Silva influences are all on display here.

Three more weeks pass and Jon has already picked up another win -- a 75-second guillotine finish over Anthony Pina. Now he meets Ryan Verrett, an unlucky man sporting a 1-3 record, at a cramped show in Connecticut. So if you're keeping track, Bones has been a professional fighter for almost four weeks, is already 3-0, and is about to earn the fastest knockout of his career. This kid's going places.

Another month goes by and Jones notches a 36-second win over Parker Porter, before meeting Moyses Gabin in his final fight on the regional scene. And it would be a fitting sendoff. After a surprisingly back-and-forth brawl, Jones exits the cage with the USKBA light heavyweight strap around his waist. Less than a month later, he's in Minneapolis for UFC 87.

Elsewhere, Anderson Silva posed for this picture and referred to himself as a metrosexual.

(Photo via Globo)

BRON'S ABOARD THE JONES WAGON

Hey I really appreciate having your support @KingJames. Striving for greatness. Keep inspiring.

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) April 19, 2012

MAYBE?

@SUGARRAYLEONARD "thanks for the kind words..coming from you maybe I should fight again..you just made my day!"

— BJ PENN (@bjpenndotcom) April 19, 2012

KEEPING IT LOOSE

I'm gonna make weight 2morrow but I don't know about my neck! Look at him doing interviews yesterday! Lol instagr.am/p/JnG_BWE1IX/

— Rashad Evans (@SugaRashadEvans) April 19, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Thursday, April 19, 2012):

N/A

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is a money-making main card preview by BE's jim-ma UFC 145: Looking For Upsets

Hominick vs Yagin

Mark Hominick is an overwhelming favourite in this fight, having fought for the title just two fights ago, he has the ability to win with knockouts and submissions. In his fight with Jose Aldo he showed an ability to score grinding take downs too. He fights Eddie Yagin who is yet to score a win in the UFC. The only thing that points to an upset here is that in Hominick's last outing he was knocked out in seven seconds. That was as a result of coming in horrendously careless against Chan Sung Jung and I doubt he would make that mistake again. Yagin is no match for the Canadian on the feet and should not be able to take him down. There is always the chance of a big punch getting through or a submission opportunity being taken, but I doubt it will happen.

Upsettability: 1/5

Bocek vs Alessio

Mark Bocek is the big favourite in this contest at around 4-1. The Brazilian Ju Jutsu black belt has been in the UFC for ages and fought against some of its toughest fighters. John Alessio has been there too, having fought in the UFC and WEC between 2006 and 2008. Four years later, he has won 10 of his last 11 fights and finally gets the call to return to the UFC, as a replacement for the injured Matt Wiman. I suppose the odds are stacked in Bocek's favour because he has been fighting tougher opponents in recent years and has the ability to control where the fight happens. That being said, Alessio is a dangerous fighter both standing and on the mat and it is by no means a stretch that he might snatch a submission or a knockout. Bocek's the favourite, but there's plenty of chance of an upset here.

Upsettability: 3/5

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in Monday's post.

If you tuned into the UFC 145 pre-fight presser yesterday, you probably tuned in with a certain expectation. After all, a year-plus of outrageous smack talk has finally led us to this moment. Jones vs. Evans, tensions are high, it's about to go down. Right?

Well, not exactly. Instead of bringing the fireworks, both the champ and the challenger seemed to be just as tired of talking as we are of listening. In fact, not only were the accusations and arguments kept to a minimum, there were moments when both men seemed to be genuinely enjoying each other's company. Rashad's a winner. Jon's grown into a man. Rashad dresses nice. After being inundated with spite for so long, the friendliness was almost bizarre to watch.

But who can really blame them? They both said it themselves, it's hard to keep this up for a year. After you rehash the same story 4,000 times, the animosity loses its edge. And honestly, does it even matter at this point? Almost everybody taking time out of their day to watch a press conference is already going to buy the fight regardless.

Besides, Jon Jones does have a point. Rashad is a pretty snappy dresser.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

UFC 145 pre-fight press conference. Catch up on all the action from yesterday's UFC 145 pre-fight press conference with video highlights and exclusive photos, interviews with Jon Jones and Blackzilian head coach Mike Van Arsdale, plus Rashad Evans' surprising take on his split with Greg Jackson.

UFC 145 predictions. Luke Thomas offers predictions and analysis for the six UFC 145 pay-per-view fights in advance of Saturday's big event.

Hector Lombard offered UFC contract. Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard has officially been offered a multi-fight UFC contract. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney retains the right to match the contract and will make his final decision within the upcoming week, according to a report from Sherdog.

UFC 145 dissections. Preview Saturday's entire preliminary card along with a primetime lightweight tilt, Mark Bocek vs. John Alessio, with Dallas Winston's comprehensive UFC 145 fight breakdowns.

Bellator 66 preview and predictions. Not to be forgotten, check out an in-depth preview of tomorrow night's heavily-anticipated rematch between DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki and former Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez.

MEDIA STEW

Last year a Jackson's MMA documentary, Proving Grounds, was released, but that's not what the clip below is about. No, this is actually a newly-released outtake from 2009, in which Mr. Jon Jones semi-accidentally destroys a hippie teammate. And it's awesome. (HT: Middle Easy)

After watching Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar rehash their favorite Rogan & Goldy moments while discussing the finer points of preparing kangaroo meat, we've come to the conclusion that this needs to be a real show. Like, right now.

So we'll admit, we really have no idea what Rashad is saying in this interview. But seriously guys, just look how happy he is! (Props to @snazzjohngenius for the find.)

If we're being honest with ourselves, the coaches' arguments are really the best part of The Ultimate Fighter. And with doozy lines like, "You've had four title fights, you've lost all of them," and, "Go get in your grandpa's Mercedes and go home," we'd have to say Dominick Cruz wins this round.

Meanwhile, in TUF Brazil:

(via Reddit)

ALMOST TIME

Me @ the press conference.. If I answer one more Jon Jones question I'm gonna punch him in the face!!! Lol instagr.am/p/JklE1kE1LJ/

— Rashad Evans (@SugaRashadEvans) April 18, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Wednesday, April 18, 2012):

- UFC on FOX 3: Johnny Bedford (18-9-1) out, Roland Delorme (7-1) in against Nick Denis (11-2)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is a surprising flip of the script by Bloody Elbow's Dustinovsky: Evans is Closer to Ali Than Jones

If either of the fighters in the upcoming UFC Light Heavyweight title bout bears a significant resemblance to Muhammad Ali, historically speaking, it is Rashad Evans. The parallels between the main event of UFC 145 and Ali vs. Foreman in Rumble in the Jungle in 1974 are actually a little startling. Evans is in place as Ali, Jones as Foreman.

Rashad Evans is 32, the same age as Ali when he stepped in the ring against George Foreman, fighting an undefeated 24 year old champion in Jones who most view as virtually unbeatable (I'm ignoring Jones' technical loss to Hamill). Foreman, likewise, was 25 when he met Ali in Zaire. He'd never lost or come anywhere close, having brutally cleaned out the entire heavyweight division with shocking efficiency; he was 40-0 with 38 knockouts. He had recently blitzed Joe Frazier to win the heavyweight belt, knocking the champ down 6 times in less than 2 rounds. No one could remember anyone like Foreman, except maybe Sonny Liston (who Ali defeated at 22 to get the belt, but was a huge underdog going into that fight as well). Foreman had also demolished Ken Norton in a similar fashion for another 2nd round knockout of a former champ who had previously defeated Ali.

Ali, meanwhile, went to Africa as a former champ of quickly advancing age who everyone thought was certain to lose. Some feared for his safety against Foreman. At that time he had just two losses in his career. Evans, similarly, has only a single loss going into UFC 145.

Jones' merciless finishes of Rua, Machida, and to a lesser extent Jackson line up beautifully with the historical context of Foreman quickly blasting a series of foes which Evans either lost to or did not finish. Like Evans, Ali's only losses came from men who the current champ had easily destroyed. What I mean is, the inconsistent method of what we lovingly call MMA Math helps us all to see now what people saw in 1974, that the new champ was a stud the level of which an older former champ could not hope to match, and we got there by comparing common opponents. If anything, Ali had performed worse against his common opponents with Foreman than Evans has against his common opponents with Jones.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

Rashad Evans has a leg up on Jon Jones because they used to be training partners. By now, it's the catch phrase of UFC 145.

But we've gotten so wrapped up in this idea, that the relatively large counter-point staring us right in the face had, for all intents and purposes, been ignored until the young champ brought it up yesterday. You see, the advantage goes both ways. Actually, it may tip more so to Jones' favor than Rashad's.

Consider this. If these two men were as close of friends as we've been led to believe, considering the rather large age gap between them, it isn't too far of a leap to think the relationship was something akin to that of a little brother/big brother. (You can sometimes still see shades of it when the two are in the same room.) And with Jones as supremely raw as he was, Rashad would have been an instrumental figure in his maturation as a fighter. Someone to emulate, and through that emulation, someone to dissect.

Their whole messy divorce happened a little over a year ago, and honestly, Rashad Evans a year ago probably isn't too different from Rashad Evans now. But Jon Jones a year ago, that fighter isn't even in the same stratosphere as Jon Jones now. That's the thing. Jones' growth has been so ridiculous, the idea that he couldn't have pieced together a strategy to defeat the man he dissected so intimately is somewhat ingenuous, especially considering the coaches that helped build that man are on Jones' side now. Of course, this is all just speculation, but we'll see if Rashad's trump card is really as one-sided as we've been led to believe.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Jon Jones: preparing for with Evans' coaches 'almost seems not fair.' Jon Jones flipped the script on his UFC 145 title bout against Rashad Evans, stating that it was almost unfair to be training with the coaches that taught Evans how to fight.

Alistair Overeem's manager says he has 'reasonable explanation' for failed test. Glenn Robinson, the primary manager to Alistair Overeem, said he feels very confident his client will be fighting Junior dos Santos on May 26 and that Overeem has a reasonable explanation as to why his testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio was so far off-base. The NSAC's hearing is slated for next Tuesday.

UFC, FOX content sharing spotlight with Floyd Mayweather. Similar to UFC on FOX 1, May 5's UFC on FOX 3 broadcast is scheduled to take place the same night as a blockbuster boxing draw -- Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto -- though according to UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, FOX doesn't mind sharing the national spotlight.

UFC demands retraction from CagePotato. The UFC and Dana White served a demand for retraction to the website CagePotato regarding a satirical quote attributed to White in an April 14 article. CagePotato promptly issued a statement retracting the offending caption, however when asked if the dispute had been squashed, White responded, "not even close."

Valentijn Overeem would be 'surprised' if brother needed TRT. Valentijn Overeem admitted he would be surprised if his younger brother needed testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for medical reasons, and if that were indeed the case, he would most likely be aware of the issue.

MEDIA STEW

There's certainly worse ways to spend your work day than watching Rashad Evans proclaim, "I want to change Jon Jones' life," on the second episode of UFC 145 Primetime.

Right before Rashad Evans made his debut on TUF 2, back when he was a one-dimensional rookie to the game, "Suga" roared through the Gladiator Challenge Light Heavyweight Tournament. His unfortunate first victim: Mr. Bryan Pardoe.

How did the Naval Academy help shape Brian Stann into such a gentlemanly beast? "The All-American" explains in the debut edition of SB Nation's "Core of Sports" series.

You've seen Rocky, right? Yeah, translate that into a film about MMA and you might see something like this fight. The Homer Simpson defense never fails. (HT: Reddit)

The latest secret weapon against Jon Jones: Rashad has been sparring with legendary boxing champion Roy Jones Jr. (HT: MMA Mania, via Authentic Sports Management)

TWEET OF THE YEAR

Who's the dick that stole my pants today at training? #underweardriving #wtfinstagr.am/p/JfrAktpTEn/

— Josh Koscheck (@JoshKoscheck) April 16, 2012

BONES IS READY

220lb war machine twitter.com/JonnyBones/sta…

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) April 17, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Tuesday, April 17, 2012):

- UFC on FOX 3: Darren Uyenoyama (7-3) out, Tim Elliott (8-2-1) in against John Dodson (12-5)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is a superbly comprehensive breakdown by BE's Luke Nelson: UFC 145: Can Rashad Evans Influence Jon Jones Into "Skipping To His Lou" And Crucial Mistakes?

At the highest levels of combat, the athletic abilities are often so even that they do not play a large role in the fight. Of course there are exceptions to this; Georges St. Pierre stands out as a fighter whose natural athleticism is nearly impossible to overcome. Brock Lesnar was thought to be of a similar ilk and indeed he was able to rely on his physical gifts to destroy men like Heath Herring and Frank Mir, much more technical fighters than himself. When he came up against fighters who could either offset his wrestling with their own, or had an equal amount of brute strength, he was exposed as a mediocre fighter, unable to influence his opponent in any way.

On the opposite side of this coin is Anderson Silva, a fighter who is so in tune with his opponents that fans have openly wondered if he is proof that we are indeed living in some an artificially constructed reality. The diversity of the attacks with which Silva has beaten his various opponents is truly spectacular. How can one fighter use so many different methods to such a great degree of success? To put it simply, Silva knows where his opponent is going to be before they are there. This isn't to say it is a simple task; it took years and years of training for Silva to reach the level that he is at, but it is the most critical element to his success.

This ability to seemingly "control" your opponent was alluded to by Rashad Evans during the first of two Fuel TV "Ultimate Insider: Counterpunch" segments that he and Jon Jones appeared on last week. During the confrontational clip, Evans and Jones discussed how they themselves saw their fight (the headlining match at this weekend's UFC 145) going and towards the end of his comments, Evans declared:

"When you're in there with me, I can get you to skip to my lou. And you will skip to my lou. You're gonna do exactly what I want you to do."

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

There's been so many minor blips in the lengthy saga of Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans, it's getting harder to not tune out and just wait until Saturday.

Yesterday, Rashad handled the latest mini-drama about as well as he could when he hesitantly pulled out the ‘it is what it is' defense in regards to the UFC heaving their sponsorship dollars behind Jon Jones at UFC 145. Of course, that's pretty much the only thing "Suga" could have said without throwing his employers under the bus, but it was the shrewd combination of reluctance and resentment that made the answer intriguing.

While the sponsorship in and of itself is certainly nothing to get up in arms about, the general public consensus seems to be a reluctant, ‘well, this isn't a big deal, but it's still a little off,' which is pretty on-point. To draw a parallel from another sport, if the NBA Finals featured the Lakers vs. Celtics, and NBA Commissioner David Stern randomly threw his weight behind LA, people would look at the situation a little cock-eyed. At the end of the day, favoritism is never a good look if it's coming from the top.

It's clear the UFC wants Jon Jones to reach the GSP/Silva/Lesnar level of marketability, and a win on Saturday would go a long way in making that a reality. But to do it so publicly, and in the face of another legitimate star who also has a track record of being the perfect company man, is somewhat odd. Again, it's not the end of the world, but it's got to be a little off-putting if you're Rashad.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Rashad Evans unbothered by UFC sponsoring Jon Jones. A reluctant Rashad Evans offered up the 'it is what it is' defense while discussing the UFC's surprising sponsorship of Jon Jones at UFC 145.

The MMA Hour. Ariel Helwani returned with another lively edition of The MMA Hour, featuring Chuck Liddell, Rashad Evans, Pat Miletich, Siyar Bahadurzada, Dustin Poirier, Tim Credeur, Michael McDonald and Frank Trigg.

Nate Marquardt expects Woodley fight to be for Strikeforce title. Former UFC pariah Nate Marquardt revealed that his May 19th Strikeforce debut against Tyron Woodley is expected to a five-round title fight for the promotion's vacant welterweight strap.

Former UFC champs break down Jones vs. Evans. From Frank Shamrock to Shogun Rua, each past UFC light heavyweight champion took their stab at analyzing Saturday's massive UFC 145 title fight. As an added bonus, Chuck Liddell, the most dominant 205-pound champ in UFC history, gave his take on how he would have fought Jon Jones back in the day.

Muay Thai legend Buakaw trains jiu jitsu. Storied Muay Thai champion Buakaw Por. Pramuk recently began training jiu jitsu under black belt Adam Kayoom in Thailand, leading to speculation of a possible transition to MMA.

MEDIA STEW

How better for Dustin Poirier to prepare for a potential No. 1 contender bout against "The Korean Zombie" than by brushing up on his undead-smashing skills for this latest Fightville promo? (HT: MMA Mania)

If you missed out on the Bellator 65 undercard last Friday, you definitely need to check out former champ Lyman Good's 13-second romp over LeVon Maynard.

Throughout all the Jones-Evans pre-fight mud-slinging, the very end of this clip is the first legit time we can remember hearing Bones bust out his biggest trump card.

What kind of boredom comes from an isolated house filled with 16 testosterone-fueled dudes? The best kind.

OUCH!

@thefightweek @benaskren when ambien can't sleep it takes Ben Askren. The most boring fighter in MMA history. I would rather watch flys fuck

— Dana White (@danawhite) April 16, 2012

LETS DRAG FITCH INTO THIS

@joshuahchalfant Ben makes Fitch look like Wanderlei Silva!!!

— Dana White (@danawhite) April 16, 2012

In case you hadn't heard, Alexander Gustafsson looked good on Saturday night. Like, really good. Maybe even Jon Jones good, if you were to believe our good friend Mike Goldberg, who made roughly 3 billion references to the champ in a span of 15 minutes.

Except, not only is that a lie, it's not even fair to the lanky Swede. Like our own Ben Fowlkes so eloquently said over the weekend, it's a personal disservice to Gustafsson to continually measure his growth and style against Jones'. Bestowing him that burden is a knee-jerk reaction that borders on spiteful.

But, of course, all these comparisons are inevitable. That's just what we do in sports. Everyone is the new Ali or the new Jordan. So if we really have to compare "The Mauler" to someone, why not shoot for someone that makes sense. And maybe I'm just crazy, but on Saturday night Gustafsson looked just like a 6'5" Swedish Dominick Cruz.

Think about it. Jumping in and out of range with crisp, high-pressure striking and loose, elusive footwork; frustrating his opponent with a fluidity that at times seems awkward and at others seems gorgeous. To me, that certainly sounds more "Dominator" and less "Bones." But like I said, maybe I'm just crazy.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Weekend MMA results. Catch up on another busy mixed martial arts weekend with fight results for UFC on FUEL 2, Bellator 65, TUF Live and TUF Brazil.

UFC on FUEL 2 post-fight coverage. Even after the lights in Stockholm dimmed, our UFC on FUEL 2 coverage kept on rolling with Alexander Gustafsson vs. Thiago Silva video highlights, fight night bonuses, fighter reactions, post-fight press conference video and the final installment of Ben Fowlkes' Postcards from Stockholm series.

Anderson Silva-Chael Sonnen rematch date could change. The UFC's June 23 booking for Silva vs. Sonnen II could be in jeopardy because Rio is set to host a United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development during the same week.

Dana White talks Overeem, shuts down #RallyForMarkHunt. UFC President Dana White brushed off questions about Alistair Overeem's ongoing situation by insisting he was too upset to talk about it and will instead wait for due process, but he understands the drug testing status quo isn't cutting it. Meanwhile, White effectively crushed the hopes of the internet, saying of Mark Hunt replacing Alistair Overeem at UFC 146: "It ain't going to happen."

BJ Penn: I have no plans to fight at the moment. Former lightweight champ BJ Penn unconvincingly reaffirmed his retirement from MMA, stating he had nothing currently scheduled, but no one knows what the future could hold.

MEDIA STEW

If you didn't know who Siyar Bahadurzada was before Saturday, chances are you probably do now. While Siyar's 42-second face rearranging of Paulo Thiago stunned many a fight fan, now that this top secret training video has leaked out, it all makes sense.

The split-second when Brian Stann stops punching Alessio Sakara's brains out and plays referee during his own fight may be the most honorable moment in UFC history.

Our friends over at MiddleEasy have been shadowing Nick Diaz to see how retirement is treating the former champ, but after watching this footage it's pretty clear Diaz needs to step-up his Tony Hawk's Pro Skater skills. (Back in the day, we could clear out the Warehouse in one run. Just saying.)

Our biggest takeaway from Bellator 65: Eduardo Dantas is a scary, scary dude. If you missed it the first time around, check out the 23-year-old mega-prospect destroying Zach Makovsky to seize the Bellator bantamweight strap.

THE PLOT THICKENS

Alistair Overeem seems to know something the rest of us don't. Is Kizer a man or a mouse? Another techincal flaw like the Braun case?

— Victor Conte (@VictorConte) April 14, 2012

After a ridiculous three-month stretch that gave us Jones-Machida, Lesnar-Overeem, Aldo-Mendes, Diaz-Condit and Edgar-Henderson, a six-week vacation really doesn't seem too bad in retrospect.

But now the summer of violence has finally arrived, and while UFC on FUEL 2 may be a relatively low key appetizer, Saturday's card still has storylines for days. Here's a quick top five: 1.) Is Alexander Gustafsson for real, and can he eventually challenge Jon Jones? 2.) Will consecutive year-long layoffs prove overwhelming for Thiago Silva and Alessio Sakara? 3.) Did Brian Stann's back-to-earth loss mean he was rushed to the top or overrated to begin with? 4.) Can the Swedish crowd possibly be as raucous as the Brazilians and Canadians? 5.) How will Siyar Bahadurzada handle the pressure of being the first native Afghan in the UFC? 6.) Is Paulo Thiago a one-hit wonder or a victim of unlucky matchmaking? 7.) Can Dennis Siver make a legitimate run at ... whoa, got a bit carried away there. Sorry, let's continue.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

What's at stake? UFC on Fuel 2 edition. Take a closer look at Saturday night's fight card to see what the UFC on FUEL 2 fighters are up against, what can be gained from a win and where they could find themselves after a loss.

The hurt business: the price of principles. Controversy invades the Grudge Training Center in part six of Ben Fowlkes' multi-part series that goes inside an MMA fight gym to examine the hidden lives of pro fighters.

Nick Diaz' lawyer files new claim against NSAC. Ross Goodman, attorney to retired UFC contender Nick Diaz, filed an additional claim against the Nevada State Athletic Commission over allegations of lying, stemming back to Diaz' failed UFC 143 drug test.

Film review: Fightville. Set to release later this month, the award-winning film Fightville chronicles the rise of UFC featherweight contender Dustin Poirier while capturing the highs and lows of an unforgiving sport.

Tito Ortiz rallies against TRT. Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz denounced the necessity of testosterone replacement therapy in mixed martial arts, telling Fighters Only, "If you do have to do it, don't fight anymore."

MEDIA STEW

Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans is just a week away, and even the pros can't help but take a stab at the next 205-pound kingpin.

Just when you thought the #RallyForMarkHunt movement was slowing down, NickTheFace goes and does something awesome.

So, we're not really sure how this slipped past us, but apparently there really is a market out there for everything. (Possibly NSFW.)

Before Thiago Silva was 13-0 and the next big thing in the UFC's 205-pound division, he was just a 23-year-old kid trying to make it in the local Brazilian scene.

If there's been one winner not named Mark Hunt in this whole Ubereem drama, doesn't it have to be Junior dos Santos? The affable, always-smiling, always-agreeable Brazilian has handled the noise like a pro, staying level-headed when it would have been too easy to pout and whine about a blockbuster payday gone wrong.

And now dos Santos has magnificently gone on the offensive.

Dripping with confidence, Cigano told Globo he would happily fight his testosterone-riddled opponent, even if it would be "disrespectful" to the sport. Even better, he said that Overeem is far from his biggest challenge, as the Dutchman is apparently lacking in both speed and cardio, and his superhuman physique only scares the untrained. Instead, dos Santos bestowed that title to Cain Velasquez -- the man he just demolished in 64 seconds on national television.

Needless to say, you come at the king, you best not miss.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Junior dos Santos open to 'unfair' fight versus Alistair Overeem. Speaking to Brazilian news outlet Globo, UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos admitted a fight against Alistair Overeem would be unfair due to his elevated testosterone levels. Nonetheless, the champ would still readily accept the match if the Nevada State Athletic Commission allows it, even if he feels it would be a disgrace to the sport.

Can Alistair Overeem still get licensed? Despite the public furor, there is still an outside chance Overeem's positive test results will not preclude him from fighting Junior dos Santos at UFC 146, with the most likely scenario involving the acquisition of a Therapeutic Use Exemption.

UFC on FUEL 2 predictions. Luke Thomas analyzed Saturday's match-ups and predicted the the big winners of UFC on FUEL 2.

Rolles Gracie in talks to fight Fedor Emelianenko. UFC castoff Rolles Gracie is under serious consideration to be the next opponent of Fedor Emelianenko on June 21, 2012, at the Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia.

UFC on FUEL 2 dissections. Preview the first two fights of UFC on FUEL 2's main card with encyclopedic breakdowns of Brad Pickett vs. Damacio Page and DaMarques Johnson vs. John Maguire.

MEDIA STEW

Out here a practical joke means someone's car is getting towed or, at worst, a fight is about to be faked. But in Cro Cop's Croatia? Fake fighting is just the warm-up for someone busting out an AK-47 and trying to shoot up the place. (HT: Middle Easy)

Rashad Evans and Jon Jones' dislike for each other is well-documented, but there's still a fascinating, undeniable big brother/little brother dynamic present when both men are in the same room.

Moonlighting as a professional MMA fighter is a respectable endeavor, but doing so while you're receiving three years of worker's compensation checks probably isn't the best idea. Especially when you consider how easily accesible proof of your felonies are. (via Yahoo Sports)

Nick Diaz is back and he's about to face a world champion. A few months ago that sentence would have caused half of the MMA community to spontaneously combust, but since then the whole retirement/suspension thing has dampened that excitement.

Still, even if Diaz is considerably outmatched (which he is), his BJJ super-fight against Braulio Estima proves one thing. Nick's thirst for competition is still strong. Cesar Gracie can say we haven't seen the last of Diaz all he wants, but the best evidence is seeing with our own eyes. And now we have.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Nick Diaz, Braulio Estima agree to BJJ super-fight. Nick Diaz will meet ADCC gold medalist Braulio Estima in a 180-pound BJJ super-fight at the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo on May 12 in Long Beach, California.

Rashad Evans looks back on the way things were. UFC 145 headliner Rashad Evans reflected back on his relationship with Jon Jones and the team at Jackson-Winkeljohn, remembering the moment when it all changed.

UFC on FUEL 2 Facebook dissection. Dallas Winston returns with a comprehensive breakdown and analysis of Saturday's entire UFC on FUEL 2 Facebook preliminaries.

TUF ratings continue to drop despite live format. Ratings for The Ultimate Fighter Live on FX hit a new low last week, leading to speculation of the reason behind the declining numbers.

Eric Prindle vs. Cole Konrad moved to Bellator 70. Bellator 65's heavyweight title fight, Eric Prindle vs. Cole Konrad, has been postponed until May 25, 2012 after Prindle suffered a broken right hand in training.

MEDIA STEW

MMA law requires us to use the 209 news as an excuse to revisit Diaz's greatest moment of in-fight grappling wizardry. Besides, has anyone ever said the phrase, "Na, I don't feel like watching Nick Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi right now?"

Randy Couture is probably the toughest 48-year-old on the planet right now, so if you disagree with his rankings of MMA's top pound-for-pound fighters, we encourage you to take it up with him. (HT: Reddit)

You will never see a UFC 145 promo more worthy of the Van Damme name. (HT: Middle Easy)

Joe Rogan, Bas Rutten and Josh Barnett engaged in some grappling shenanigans on HDNet's Inside MMA, with Rogan demonstrating a super-slick way to take someones back from half-guard, only to be immediately shown up by Barnett's ninja prowess.

Par Barry's haircut is coming along rather nicely, don't you think? (via @HypeOrDie)

MAYHEM AND CHAEL, PART II

I love the MMA media's obsession with Fael. After the Brazilian kicks his head in, I'm going to end his career.

— Jason Mayhem Miller (@mayhemmiller) April 10, 2012

JUST MAKING SURE

@gspufc2011 he will fight 100%

— Dana White (@danawhite) April 10, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Tuesday, April 10, 2012):

- UFC 149: Thiago Alves (19-9) vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-5, 2 NC)

- Bellator 65: Eric Prindle (7-1, 1 NC) vs. Cole Konrad (8-0) postponed until May 25 at Bellator 70

- ONE FC: Destiny of Warriors shifted to June 23, 2012 at Kuala Lumpur's 8,000-seat Stadium Negara

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is an remarkably extensive thesis from Bloody Elbow's Mike Riordan: A Theory On Successful Wrestling Translating To Successful MMA Wrestling

It would be nice to have an imaginary world where we could reliably predict a wrestlers success in MMA by watching to see how they blast through double leg takedowns again and again. However, we live in the real world and that simple reduction of the difficult crossover process of a very complex set of skills does not work.

The problem is that at the moment, we have many different wrestlers-turned-MMA-fighters that exhibit many different styles and experience varying degrees of MMA success. Outward signs of "physicalness" or aggression as a wrestler are not enough. Whether clearly demonstrated or not, a wrestler achieves elite levels collegiately or internationally possesses more than adequate "physicalness" to succeed in any martial art and it is their processes and set-ups that lead to success that is more important. As a result, watching a wrestler use a double leg again and again successfully in a wrestling match does not mean that he would be a good fit for MMA.

This is relevant to American folkstyle and freestyle wrestling and perhaps to the future of MMA talent evaluation.

What style of wrestler will translate in the best MMA fighter? This question untrimmed and unqualified is impossible to answer. Few wrestlers can be reduced to a style or type, and most elite wrestlers have risen to their place in the sport through a level of refinement that leaves them completely anomalous.

What I want to do is begin a live discussion of, if not an answer to, a more manageable question. What sort of wrestling attack style will yield the best offensive wrestling results in MMA?

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

After another slow spring day, it's difficult trying to decipher a talking point while ignoring the fact that nearly every major story right now involves some combination of the words "drug," "testing," "commission" and "testosterone." (Or "Mark Hunt.") We've reached the point where escaping the chatter is nearly an impossible task, and phrases like testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio have become mandatory learning for burnt-out fight fans.

This isn't a complaint, or even an answer (because obviously if one was out there, we wouldn't be talking about this), but merely a weary observation. Really, the blockbuster summer schedule can't come soon enough.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Victor Conte says there are 'simple answers' for MMA's drug problem. Renown BALCO founder and president Victor Conte shared his expertise while discussing MMA's growing PED problem and the improvements that could made across the board in regards to testing.

CASC pases therapeutic use exemptions amendment. The California State Athletic Commission approved an amendment on Monday afternoon permitting therapeutic use exemptions for athletes who wish to use substances banned by state agencies, most notably including testosterone and marijuana.

The MMA Hour. Ariel Helwani and The MMA Hour are back in your life with a show featuring Mark Hunt, Victor Conte, Chad Griggs, Marcus Brimage, and a media roundtable with MMA Fighting's Mike Chiappetta and The Daily Telegraph's Gareth A. Davies.

One-year steroids suspension upheld for Cris 'Cyborg.' The California State Athletic Commission upheld Cris 'Cyborg' Justino's one-year suspension stemming from a positive steroids test, blocking the road for a summer bout against Strikeforce women's champion Ronda Rousey.

UFC on FUEL TV 2 'Prelims' preview and predictions. Preview Saturday night's UFC on FUEL 2 undercard with predictions and analysis for Reza Madadi vs. Yoislandy Izquierdo, Simeon Thoresen vs. Besam Yousef, and Jason Young vs. Eric Wisely.

MEDIA STEW

The first mega-fight of the summer season goes down in a couple weeks, so if you're not familiar with the backstory of Jon Jones and Rashad Evans' rivalry, take a look inside the minds of both men with the official premiere of UFC Primetime: Jones vs. Evans.

On yesterday's The MMA Hour, Army of Doom commander-in-chief Mark Hunt proclaimed that "everything Alistair has done is meaningless now." Of course Overeem probably didn't take too kindly to those words, but with everything going on, it seems fitting to look back at this.

Hey guys, remember that time Joe Rogan tapped out to Andy Dick? No? Well, here you go. (HT: Reddit)

Another overlooked nugget from this past weekend: No. 1 Bellator middleweight contender Alexander Shlemenko obliterates Minowaman's face, then calmly turns to the camera and says, "Hello India. Hector, I kill you."

MAYHEM AND CHAEL

Chael berating someone on their test level is like me making fun of someone's bad haircut.

— Jason Mayhem Miller (@mayhemmiller) April 9, 2012

MayHem: Due to time constraints I am currently confining my Twitter wars to active, relevant, fighters ONLY. Buy a T-shirt on your way out.

— chael sonnen (@sonnench) April 9, 2012

A MAN HAS TO HAVE HIS PRINCIPLES

@Ufcfanatic67 I only meet with blondes with big titties lol

— mark richard hunt (@markhunt1974) April 10, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Monday, April 9, 2012):

- Bellator 69: Jessica Aguilar (13-4) vs. Megumi Fujii (25-1)

- Bellator 69: Winner of Rick Hawn (12-1) vs. Lloyd Woodard (12-1) vs. Winner of Brent Weedman (19-7-1) vs. Thiago Michel Pireira Silva (10-2)

- Bellator 69: Josh Quayhagen (3-0) vs. Cliff Wright, Jr. (6-2)

- Bellator 69: Ron Sparks (8-1) vs. Kevin Asplund (15-1)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is a superb striking breakdown for one of MMA's premier legends, via Bloody Elbow's Jack Slack: The Striking of Bas Rutten: Along the Ropes

Bas Rutten has become one of the best known personalities in MMA for his humorous and insightful color commentary, coaching and his anchor role on the popular mixed martial arts TV show, InsideMMA. Before he became a recognizable pundit, however, Rutten was the three times King of Pancrase, and the UFC heavyweight champion - becoming arguably the most successful striker in MMA up to that point. Beginning in Kyokushin Karate, then moving to Muay Thai, Rutten went undefeated in his first fourteen professional fights before being approached by Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki to join their newly formed Pancrase organization. Pancrase, touting "hybrid wrestling" rules, sought to bolster their roster with a credible kickboxer among the many grapplers in the organization.

Unfortunately for Bas Rutten, the rules of Pancrase heavily favored grapplers; knees to the head were forbidden without knee pads, knockdowns resulted in a referee's count, and striking on the ground was heavily frowned upon. Further to this, no gloves were worn and hand attacks to the head were only permitted with the palms - effectively shortening the range of straight punches, the traditional weapon of a striker against grappler.

Having no sprawl to speak of, Rutten quickly learned to fight from his back, and utilize a savage guillotine to submit opponents while they attempted to take him down.

Further to this he developed several tactics to limit the number of exchanges and damage his opponents as much as possible in doing so. Rutten's use of his trademark "Liver Shot" has been discussed many times before and will be dealt with in the second installment of this series, but what has received little attention is Bas Rutten's handy work along the ropes.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

The farther removed we get from Alistair Overeem's failed drug test, the more bizarre this UFC 146 situation seems to become. You see, at first it was easy. Back when Frank Mir was the inevitable replacement, this looked like a one-step process. But then Dana White put the kibosh on that, and now we're left to thumb through a top-15 list of heavyweight contenders, meticulously weighing the pros and cons of each man, and somehow the idea of gifting Mark Hunt a title shot is starting to look plausible.

Regardless of how you feel about the affable Samoan, right now two things are clear. 1.) The #RallyForMarkHunt isn't going away, and 2.) no matter whether you agree or disagree with the movement, it's only going to get bigger.

Even if the book has yet to be closed on Overeem, if I was a betting man, I'd lay a hefty sum down that he won't be in Las Vegas on May 26, 2012. And even though the UFC is known for catering to the match-making whims of fans, this one would be the most far-fetched example, by far.

But seriously guys, what if Mark Hunt winds up fighting for the UFC heavyweight championship?

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Weekend MMA results. Catch up on the latest MMA weekend with fight results for TUF Live, TUF Brazil, Bellator 64 and Super Fight League 2, plus video of Todd Duffee vs. Neil Grove and Bellator 64's main card.

Alistair Overeem receives hearing date, applies for Nevada license. No decision regarding the status of UFC heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem will be made until an April 24th hearing with the NSAC. In the interim, Overeem reportedly filed for his license to fight in Nevada at UFC 146, which is scheduled for May 26, 2012.

Joe Rogan supports rally for Mark Hunt. UFC color commentator Joe Rogan hitched his ride to the Mark Hunt bandwagon, stating that the popular former K-1 champ presents "the most exciting match-up" against Junior dos Santos in a post on the Underground.

Frank Mir vs. Cain Velasquez 'will happen,' says Dana White. According to an early Saturday morning tweet from UFC President Dana White, UFC 146's co-main event between Frank Mir and Cain Velasquez "will happen."

Fedor Emelianenko returns in June. Former PRIDE legend Fedor Emelianenko is set to return to the ring against an undetermined opponent on June 21 at the Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, according to M-1 officials.

MEDIA STEW

When you're the youngest world champion in UFC history, what better way to celebrate Easter weekend than by busting out the NERF guns with your NFL brother?

Not too long ago we brought you the Anderson Silva-esque debut of British fighter Michael Page. Naturally, after seeing something that ridiculous, it's hard for us to resist checking out his follow-up effort from Saturday's UCMMA 27 show. (Quality isn't the greatest, but watching the screen in the background helps. Fight starts at 6:40 mark.)

This may simultaneously be the most adorable and most impressive thing we've ever seen. Ten bucks says this girl could run knowledge circles around half the people watching pay-per-views at Hooters. (HT: Middle Easy)

If you missed the early stages of Bellator 64, definitely do yourself a favor and check out one of the most underrated bits of violence from this past weekend.

IF YOU SAY SO

The rape video was funny,but I did it because I hope that happens 2 any low life that has 2 rape a woman,I'll get on car jackers next

— Quinton Jackson (@Rampage4real) April 7, 2012

BE AFRAID

hahahha man the crazied HUNT ARMY OF DOOM grows

— mark richard hunt (@markhunt1974) April 6, 2012

AND WE SHALL NAME HIM LUKE

Just became a dad to a healthy baby boy! #fb twitter.com/ryanbader/stat…

— Ryan Bader (@ryanbader) April 7, 2012

THE MAN

For sure..RT @Jitterbug2Djent: @danhendo Would you take the JDS fight if offered?

— Dan Henderson (@danhendo) April 6, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced over the weekend (Friday, April 6, 2012 - Sunday, April 8, 2012):

- UFC 149: Mitch Clarke (9-1) vs. Anton Kuivanen (16-5)

- The Ultimate Fighter Live Finale: Jonathan Brookins (13-4) vs. Charles Oliveira (15-2)

- The Ultimate Fighter Live Finale: Max Holloway (4-1) vs. Pat Schilling (5-1)

- The Ultimate Fighter Live Finale: John Albert (7-2) vs. Byron Bloodworth (6-2)

- UFC on FX 3: Sean Pierson (11-6) vs. Jake Hecht (11-6)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is a fascinating international piece from MMAMania's James Goyder: Super Fight League: How Did the Indian Promotion Manage to Lose 300,000 Viewers?

The most worrying statistic was in the bottom right hand corner of the screen where the viewer count told a story which casts doubt on not just the future of the SFL, but the state of the entire sport of MMA in India. Over 300,000 people watched the first show, an extraordinary figure and, given that this is roughly double what the UFC gets for its free undercards, it is safe to assume that the vast majority of these viewers were in India.

SFL 2 got just 3,000 viewers on YouTube, which represents an almost unbelievable 99% decrease from the first show, and neither event was shown live on TV in India so it's not possible that figures could have been affected by a simultaneous broadcast elsewhere.

It is a staggering statistic and one which I really struggled to understand, particularly given that the second card was to my mind much stronger. I enlisted the help of Andrew Lu, a magazine editor and long term MMA fan from Delhi, to try and help me get to the bottom of it.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in Monday's post.

Aside from discovering that Alistair Overeem is 14 times more potent than the average man, yesterday did very little to clear up the longjam that is the UFC's heavyweight title picture. So while we wait for this situation to work itself out, let's try to keep our mind elsewhere -- like the fact that next week there are going to be real, honest-to-god, consequential fights to talk about.

That's right. While we were distracted by all this ruckus, the UFC's self-imposed, six-week sabbatical snuck into its final lap. Now, instead of having to focus on all this racism and drug abuse negativity, we can get back to discussing the important things, like how legit a prospect Alexander Gustafsson is, and what kind of chance he would stand against the top-shelf of the light-heavyweight division. It's good to be back.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Alistair Overeem's T/E ratio was 14:1. UFC heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem's failed UFC 146 pre-fight drug test resulted in a 14:1 testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio, according to Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer. The average male produces a T/E ratio of 1:1.

UFC on FX 3 headed to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Fort Lauderdale emerged as the host city for UFC on FX 3 by winning Harley-Davidson's Hometown Throwdown contest. The event will be held on June 8, 2012 and is headlined by a flyweight rematch between Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall.

Bellator 64 preview. All fighters met their required weight at yesterday's Bellator 64 weigh-ins, including welterweight title challengers Ben Askren and Douglas Lima. Dallas Winston breaks down their championship match-up, along with the remainder of tonight's main card in a gif-packed Bellator 64 dissection.

ZUFFA announces four-year broadcast deal in India. ZUFFA announced a multi-year partnership with Sony's Multi Screen Media to broadcast UFC programming in India, via burgeoning international sports network 'SIX.'

Diego Sanchez eyes weight change. Sanchez, fresh off a decision loss to Jake Ellenberger, has his eyes on another drop back down to 155 pounds, and "The Dream" has mentioned Anthony Petties and Nate Diaz as potential opponents.

MEDIA STEW

Common thinking is that Rashad Evans has the best chance to beat Jon Jones because of their long-standing history together. At first we didn't give that theory much credence, but this video may have brought us around.

Former UFC champ Carlos Newton has been missing in action for a while, but retirement has done nothing to deteriorate those K-1 level acting skills. (HT: Bloody Elbow)

This was going to be a video of the top-5 UFC knockouts of the year, but Fuel TV took their own video down in the middle of the night. So instead, just watch Frank Mir causing this. Still unbelievable after four months.

If the likely cancellation of Ubereem vs. Cigano wasn't disheartening enough, NickTheFace just had to go and create this awesome UFC 146 trailer. Our disappointment is starting to reach levels we didn't know existed.

DROPPING KNOWLEDGE

if you wanna know whats in a mans head, listen to the words that comes out of his mouth

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) April 5, 2012

CAN'T ARGUE WITH THAT

I'LL SUPPORT THE RALLYFORHUNT AS SOON AS EVERYONE ASKING ME TO SUPPORTS RALLYFORHDWHICH IS JUST GIVE ME THE TITLE WITH NO FIGHT!!!DEAL???

— Pat Barry (@HypeOrDie) April 5, 2012

NEVER QUIT

@lorenzofertitta would love another chance to make it rt with u guys. You have done great things w this sport. I would love one more shot

— Tim Sylvia (@timsylviamma) April 5, 2012

@danawhite put me in coach. I will fill in where ever needed just give me a call.

— Tim Sylvia (@timsylviamma) April 5, 2012

THE CHAMP SPEAKS

I am professional and I'm champion without ever having used anything for better performance when you guys see me fighting that's really me

— juniorcigano (@junior_cigano) April 5, 2012

AT LEAST HE'S CONSISTENT

They act like savages chanting"You will die."No interest in winning them over. Act like savages if you want.Touch me, and I will stomp you.

— chael sonnen (@sonnench) April 5, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Thursday, April 5, 2012):

N/A

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day comes courtesy of Bloody Elbow's Chris Groves, who wears his heart on his sleeve for: I Believed In Alistair Overeem...

I first heard about Alistair Overeem in late 2009. He was the champion of Strikeforce, the promotion that Fedor signed to instead of the UFC. Everyone seemed to think Fedor should fight him. Around New Years day of 2010, I heard that Overeem had fought very recently(the night before I believe), my brother showed me the video without telling me the result. I saw him 'uberknee' Kazuyuki Fujita into a mini-coma and all I could say was 'damn.'

The next video I saw of his was when he fought Dzeved Poturak in April of 2010, another vicious knee knockout. The next month, he obliterated Brett Rogers... the guy who had actually done a pretty damn good job against Fedor, THE FEDOR. I began following Overeem's online series 'The Reem' pretty much as soon as it began and became hooked.

I couldn't wait to see him fight Fedor, and always thought it'd be cool if he came to the UFC one day to fight Lesnar. Fedor lost, and Overeem entered into the K-1 2010 Grand Prix. A member of BE talked about Ben Edwards potentially sending him home early... I thought that was a little fishy, but it got me nervous. I was happy to see him wreck Edwards in the first round. I stayed up all night watching the GP, rooting for him every step of the way. Seeing him win was fantastic. To see him return to MMA and take out Todd '7 seconds of pain' Duffee in 19 seconds was also rewarding. This guy was good at violence, and I loved it.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in Monday's post.

Failing a random drug test before a title fight is one thing. They're random for a reason. But failing a random drug test before a title fight, when you know you're going to be randomly drug tested is something else entirely.

That's why this is so ridiculous. Alistair Overeem knew exactly when he was going to be tested. When you miss a commission ordered pre-fight test, then ignore the commission and submit an invalid blood test to your personal doctor in a different country, and somehow come out smelling like roses with the only caveat being, "two random drug tests in the next six months," how does that go wrong? It's baffling.

There's still a process here, and there's still an outside chance of a testing mistake, so holster the pitchforks for now. But seriously? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results; there's a word for that.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Alistair Overeem fails UFC 146 pre-fight drug test. UFC heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem failed a pre-fight drug test, casting his UFC 146 title bout against Junior dos Santos in doubt.

NSAC yet to hear from Overeem's camp. According to Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer, the commission has yet to hear from Overeem's representation regarding the testing of a "B" sample.

Frank Mir would be 'excited' to replace Alistair Overeem. Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir offered his services in the event that Alistair Overeem is forced to withdraw from his title bout against Junior dos Santos at UFC 146.

The MMA (after) hour. Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal spoke about reaching out to the Nevada State Athletic Commission's Pat Lundvall to apologize, his current relationship with Zuffa, the offers he has received from other organizations, whether he will go to WWE, and when he expects to fight again.

Brock Lesnar WWE contract details. Former UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar reportedly inked a one-year, $5 million contract for his return to the world of professional wrestling.

MEDIA STEW

Just watch this and think about how crazy Overeem vs. dos Santos would have been.

So a lot of you out there probably think you're huge Nick Diaz fans. Well, how does it feel to know that no matter what, you're never going to be a bigger Nick Diaz fan than this guy? (HT: Middle Easy)

How to describe this video? Let's see, Tim Kennedy frolics around in a Katy Perry wig while belting out "Part of Me." Then he tearfully cuts off his hair and dances out his worries in a field of flowers. Yup, actually that sounds about right.

First thought when seeing this Steven Seagal commercial: utter confusion at the ponytail. Second thought: disappointment at lack of front kicks. (HT: Reddit)

Pat Curran knows how real men pump their gas. (HT: Middle Easy)

OVEREEM DID WHAT?

Surprise, surprise...RT @Rweetherley: @SMOOTHone155 What do you think about Overeem testing positive?

— Benson Henderson (@SMOOTHone155) April 5, 2012

yea! just found via internet that I PASSED MY DRUG TEST! It was close but I passed. #Nodoubts @ufc @danawhite

— Roy Nelson (@roynelsonmma) April 4, 2012

I'm shocked.. Has the body fat of a tooth brush, looks like the guy on STREETFIGHTER. My mind is blown, just blown.

— chael sonnen (@sonnench) April 5, 2012

"It wasn't me, it was the horses, I swear!" - Alistair Overeem

— Joe Duarte (@JoeDuarteMMA) April 5, 2012

KING MO MAKES NICE

Commissioner Lundvall, thank you for accepting my apology. After talking on the phone with her...i seen that she is really coo as hell!!!

— King Mo (@KingMoFH) April 4, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Wednesday, April 4, 2012):

- UFC on FX 4: Edwin Figueroa (9-1) vs. Ken Stone (10-3)

- UFC on FUEL TV 2: Jorgen Kruth (5-0) out, Tom DeBlass (7-0) in against Cyrille Diabate (17-8-1)

- Strikeforce: Heavyweight Grand Prix Final: James Terry (11-4) vs. Billy Evangelista (11-2)

- Strikeforce: Heavyweight Grand Prix Final: Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante (16-4-1) vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg (12-3-1)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is an interview from MMA Mania's James Goyder: DARE Championship Founder Jussi Saloranta Discusses the MMA Ban In Thailand

Are you still determined to use Thai fighters and to try and negotiate TV deals in Thailand even if you are not able to hold live events here?

The sport of MMA will grow in Thailand whether DARE holds events here or not. There is so much happening right now around Thailand that it is inevitable that the sport will grow to become a mainstream sport. We will definitely continue to use the same roster of fighters and to entertain our audiences, both live and online as well as through new TV co-operations expand our reach by providing new viewers the unique DARE experience.

Where the actual live events will be held does not, in my opinion, make a significant difference as long as we keep on delivering our product and improving it.

Do you agree with the argument that MMA could somehow adversely affect the image of Muay Thai?

We respect whatever decisions are made by the officials, even if we don't always agree with them and we respect the Muay Thai heritage in Thailand and agree that it needs to be protected. At the same time we also feel that MMA has done a lot of good things for Muay Thai, both internationally as well as In Thailand.

For example, many of our fighters in DARE don't have a Muay Thai background but are experts in Judo or Jiu Jitsu and now as they are becoming professional mixed marital artists they have started actively to training in Muay Thai. This is in our opinion a win win situation where both sports are supporting each other.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

No one really knows what to expect when the curtain closes on the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. In a perfect world, both Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier would catapult into the UFC. But this isn't a perfect world, and Zuffa's particular brand of justice can at times be a little skewed.

It's been over ten years since Barnett tested positive for a bonanza of banned substances and was stripped of the UFC heavyweight title, and in that time "The Warmaster" and Dana White haven't exactly had the most loving relationship. Dana criticizes Josh for failing three drug tests, Josh offers to pee in Dana's mouth; hey, these things happen in MMA.

But if we've learned anything over the past couple years, it's that money is the great equalizer in the fight game, and if an athlete can sell tickets, it's a whole lot easier for past sins to be forgotten.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Dana White opens door for Josh Barnett's return to UFC. White revealed that Josh Barnett can re-enter the UFC if he defeats Daniel Cormier and wins the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix.

All-access: fight day with Bjorn Rebney. Mike Chiappetta shadows Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney during last Friday's Bellator 63 event for an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the burgeoning fight promotion.

K-1 announces 2012 Grand Prix in New York City. K-1 officials announced a full schedule of seven major events planned for 2012, capped by December's K-1 World GP Final in New York City.

Nick Diaz slated for BJJ super-fight. Retired UFC welterweight contender Nick Diaz will compete in a BJJ super-fight against an undetermined opponent at the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo on May 12 in Long Beach, CA.

Pat Lundvall responds to statements by King Mo. NSAC Commissioner Pat Lundvall finally commented on her infamous confrontation with former Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal.

MEDIA STEW

Apparently Fedor wasn't the first one to try his hand at sumo wrestling. Check out this footage of Alistair Overeem obliterating the Ultimate Sumo Championship 2011, against a lineup that included Minowaman (!) and Wanderlei Silva (!!). (Somebody needs to send us video of Wanderlei's match. Right now.)

Georges St. Pierre checked in from knee rehab with the latest installment of his Road to Recovery series. And if you're curious, that thing GSP is running on is a nifty anti-gravity treadmill. (Still confused? Here's how it works.)

Missing for too long, has been Mike Goldberg's specialized brand of English, Joe. (HT: Reddit)

Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson blew people away with his spectacular UFC debut against Dan Stittgen. Now the UFC has uploaded a behind-the-scenes look at the guy with the ridiculous 69-0 fighting record. (HT: Bloody Elbow)

This was just posted on Fedor's Facebook page (which is presumably managed by M-1). Not saying it means anything. Just saying. (HT: Reddit)

NOTHING LIKE AN ADCC CHAMPION TO HELP YOUR SUBMISSION GAME

Forget about my last post about competing. Instead, I'm heading to Oregon to help the UFC MW Champ get ready for his title fight in Brazil.

— Vinny Magalhaes (@VinnyMMA) April 3, 2012

THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW THESE THINGS

Fedor. RT @FistMeetFace: @danhendo who hits harder -- Fedor or Shogun?

— Dan Henderson (@danhendo) April 3, 2012

Tough call. RT @Rflint_Kumo: @danhendo who hits harder Fedor or Wanderlei.

— Dan Henderson (@danhendo) April 4, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Tuesday, April 3, 2012):

- UFC 145: Matt Wiman (14-6) out, John Alessio (34-14) in against Mark Bocek (10-4)

- UFC on FX 4: Sam Stout (17-7-1) vs. Spencer Fisher (24-8), according to Sportsnet

- Strikeforce: Heavyweight Grand Prix Final: Virgil Zwicker (10-2) vs. Guto Inocente (5-0)

- Dubai Fighting Championship 1: Ricco Rodriguez (48-17) vs. Stav "Crazy Bear" Economou (12-2-1)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is a fantastic technical breakdown, courtesy of Bloody Elbow's Kyokushin Guy: The Takeaways Of A Judo Background. Part 3

To get on with this article's topic, I could oversimplify the entire discussion and state that Ne Waza is the same in Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but there really is a lot more to the story than that. When you look at Judo and how it was intended to work as a Martial Art, you see that it aspired to be as complete as any grappling art could hope. Using as little opposing force as possible, the practitioner would have to first throw his opponent to the ground, and if said opponent survived the fall or was still conscious, follow up on the ground in order to end the fight.

This may very well have been the case in the late 19th century, but as the Art gained more and more followers in Japan, rules had to be put in place for formalized matches. Over the course of time, such rules included limiting the duration of bouts, awarding points for successful techniques, penalizing stalling, and so on. The focus, especially after Judo became an Olympic sport (the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo), seems to be making the matches as visually appealing as possible.

This focus on Judo as an Olympic sport first and a Martial Art second is why ground fighting lacks the prominence it had, for example, in the days when Mitsuyo Maeda spread his art in Brazil. For a spectator to be able to enjoy a good "roll", he must first be aware of the complexity of Ne Waza, whereas throws, trips, takedowns are inherently spectacular, even if you have absolutely no idea how they're executed. As a result of this sad but simple truth, the ground game has been featured less and less over time, even on the most elite levels in Judo.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

Now, I don't know the first thing about professional wrestling. Never watched it as a kid, never got into the whole mystique growing up. (Though WWF King of the Ring for the original Game Boy was pretty radical.) So when people tell me that Brock Lesnar heading back to the WWE is big deal for pro wrestling, I tend to believe them at their word. After all, the guy can draw numbers. That much is obvious.

But after watching a replay of last night's glorious return, I can't help but feel happy for Lesnar. That world seems to appreciate him much more than this one ever did. The Monday Night Raw crowd actually looked like it was on the verge of spontaneously combusting. Lesnar could have fought for ten years in the UFC, and he would have never heard a reception close to that. (You could hear the "HO-LY S***" chant through the broadcast.)

So kudos to Brock for his success. MMA will probably never see another transcendent persona quite like him. Now let us never speak of pro wrestling here again.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

The MMA Hour. Ariel Helwani and The MMA Hour hit the airwaves with another packed show headlined by Wanderlei Silva, Cain Velasquez, Greg Jackson, Ben Askren, Che Mills and Brian Green.

Brock Lesnar appears on WWE Monday Night Raw. Three months after falling to Alistair Overeem via first-round TKO at UFC 140, former heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar returned to his pro wrestling roots with a surprise appearance on WWE Monday Night Raw.

Nick Diaz' lawyer shoots back. Las Vegas attorney Ross C. Goodman, lawyer to suspended UFC welterweight contender Nick Diaz, shot back to the NSAC's latest claim, declaring that there was no need for Diaz to seek a therapeutic marijuana use exemption.

Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thomson III confirmed. Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez has agreed to defend his title against the only man to have defeated him over the past four years, former champ Josh Thomson.

Cain Velasquez picks Junior dos Santos over Alistair Overeem. Cain Velasquez explained his side of the beef between Josh Koscheck and AKA, and predicted Junior dos Santos to defeat Alistair Overeem at UFC 146.

MEDIA STEW

Not too long ago Dana White said some pretty ridiculous things about soccer. Given that soccer is the most popular sport in the world, it probably wasn't the smartest move. So, taking matters into his own hands, former U.S. National player Jimmy Conrad issued this challenge to the UFC boss.

Cyborg Santos did it. Ronda Rousey did it. Now it's Marloes Coenen's turn to fight a Japanese man on Honoo No Taiikukai TV. We don't know what it is with Japanese game shows pitting grown men against female wrecking machines, but it's hard to look away. (Thanks to @pegson for the tip.)

So this is Bob Sapp pushing Inoki Unko Ba Ye Laxative Tea. That's all we've got. There are really no words to describe this. (HT: Middle Easy)

If you've never seen a 45-year-old man fight a 37-year-old man, you should probably check out Murilo Bustamante vs. Dave Menne from this past weekend's Amazon Forest Combat 2. (HT: Reddit)

BROCK IS BACK

I think he'll kick some ass now that he knows how to fight for real! RT @bubbacr @StephanBonnar Did you hear that Brock returned to the WWE?

— Stephan Bonnar (@StephanBonnar) April 3, 2012

I think Lesnar going back to @WWE is bad ass. Good for him. Bad for us @UFC fans, but I doubt we've seen the last of him.

— Jason Mayhem Miller (@mayhemmiller) April 3, 2012

DANA WHITE ACCEPTS YOUR SOCCER CHALLENGE

@JimmyConrad_com @jakesjournal @kick I'm in bro!!!

— Dana White (@danawhite) April 2, 2012

@JimmyConrad_com :)

— Dana White (@danawhite) April 2, 2012

HARD TO ARGUE WITH THAT

Press tour with UFC 146's Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, hereafter known as "Bighand" Silva @BigfootSilva @UFC_Brasil twitpic.com/94uuwl

— UFC (@ufc) April 2, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Monday, April 2, 2012):

- Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Final: Gilbert Melendez (20-2) vs. Josh Thomson (19-4, 1 NC)

- Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Final: Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante (11-3) vs. Mike Kyle (19-8-1)

- Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Final: Nah-Shon Burrell (8-1) vs. Bobby Voelker (24-8)

- KSW 19: Bob Sapp (11-12) vs. Mariusz Pudzianowski (3-2, 1 NC)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is a video-packed primer of Scandinavia's newest UFC hopeful from BE's Norreshizzle: Let me introduce you to Jörgen Kruth

I'm positive everyone knows that the UFC will be coming to Sweden, and its already happening the 14th of April. I'd like you to meet one of our legends, the greatest kickboxer Scandinavia has ever seen,

Jörgen "The Last Viking" Kruth. He have been fighting most of his kickboxing career in K-1 and at Heavyweight with a total record of 71 Wins (T)KO's, 39 Decisions), 14 Losses, and lately Kruth have been focusing more on his MMA career. He had his first fight early 2009 and thus far into his career he is 5 - 0, with all bouts ended in the first round, with a combined time of 9 minutes and 35 seconds.

I'll start off with some of the positive things about Kruth, he is as I mentioned a very decorated kickboxer, to be more specific he's got his base in Muay Thai. He got the feared "K-1 level striking". He used to fight at Heavyweight when he was the WMC Super Heavyweight Muay Thai World Champion, but he has since moved down to Light Heavyweight (205). He's a tall man, 6'2" and has a nice reach aswell. I would say that his strenghts are his fast kicks, hard knees and sharp ellbows.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

If you've ever found yourself craving the musty smell of middle age or telling people how Dramarama never got their due, the sensory overload must have been overwhelming after this latest throwback MMA weekend -- a three-day period that saw 50-year-old Maurice Smith kick Father Time right in the face, 41-year-old Pete Spratt backfist his way into a walkoff knockout, 45-year-old Murilo Bustamante and 37-year-old Dave Menne settle a score ten years in the making, and 38-year-old Paul Buentello fall to the most unfortunately nicknamed fella in The Ultimate Fighter history.

Add in victories from a slew of former UFC guys -- Karo Parisyan, Patrick Cote, Thales Leites, Gilbert Yvel and Drew Fickett -- and gorged fight fans everywhere broke into a cold sweat at the thought of shoveling down another bite. But then Bellator or TUF popped back on the screen and everybody sighed and said, why not, there's always room for a little more.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Weekend MMA results. Catch up on another weekend of furious MMA action with results for The Ultimate Fighter: Live, The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, Bellator 63, ONE FC 3: War of the Lions, Amazon Forest Combat 2, WMMA 1 and RFA, plus grappling results for the IBJJF Pan Ams, and fight videos of David Rickels vs. Jordan Smith, Gilbert Yvel vs. Houston Alexander and 50-year-old Maurice Smith vs. Jorge Cordoba.

If Brock Lesnar is headed back to WWE, Dana White won't stand in his way. According to various unconfirmed reports, former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has signed a new one-year contract with WWE. When asked, UFC President Dana White insisted Zuffa wouldn't take action to stop the rumored deal.

Video: riot breaks out at Lockdown MMA event. London's 'Lockdown MMA' show met a premature end after belligerent fight-crazed fans broke into a full-blown riot, throwing bottles and chairs at each other for several minutes.

Fedor Emelianenko rumored for October M-1/ONE FC card. M-1 Director of Operations Evgeni Kogan attended Saturday night's ONE FC 3 show as a special guest of CEO/Owner Victor Cui, fueling rumors that a cross-promoted card headlined by Fedor Emelianenko could be in the works.

Muhammed 'King Mo' Lawal apologizes, may be considering WWE. Exiled former Strikeforce champion Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal reportedly expressed interest in taking his talents to the WWE after apologizing to Nevada Athletic Commissioner Pat Lundvall.

MEDIA STEW

Now here's an idea we can totally get behind: POLITICIAN FIGHTS. Sounds good, right? But that's not even the best part. You can gamble on them. Yes, in an bizarre awesome showing of depravity, bookies listed 37-year-old conservative senator Patrick Brazeau as a 3-to-1 favorite to bust up 40-year-old liberal parliament representative Justin Trudeau when the two Canadians brawled (for charity) on Saturday night in Ottawa. United States congress, start taking notes. (Thanks to @Gabe_Lewis for the tip.)

It's Monday morning, you're a responsible adult, you have things to do. Hey, we get it. But for all the slackers bored at work out there, do yourself a favor and check out Ole Laursen vs. Eduard Folayang's crazy 'Fight of the Year' candidate from ONE FC 3. (For the lazy, jump to 3:07:22. Or just spend the entire afternoon watching four hours of spectacular violence. We promise not to tell anyone.)

In a lot of ways, Rashad Evans gets a bad rap. The guy is showered with boos inside the cage, even though outside of it he's nothing but nice to fans and media alike. So big props to 'Shad for the restraint he showed after this dum-dum fan asked for an autographed "Rashadface" poster.

Another gem from the weekend: check out Patrick Cote making a pretty damn strong case for a UFC contract (plus Mario Yamasaki failing badly at his job) at Saturday's Amazon Forest Combat 2 event. (HT: Reddit)

Melvin Manhoef and DEEP champion Yoshiyuki Nakanishi were two minutes into what looked like to be an electrifying scrap at ONE FC 3, before an errant kick opened up a canyon-of-a-cut on Manhoef's right shin. Needless to say, this sucker ended in a 'no contest.' (Photo via Anton Tabuena/Bloody Elbow.)

I DON'T LIKE IT WHEN MOM AND DAD FIGHT

. @smgathletes one day @evgenikogan said that if we ever got an UFC offer,he'd let me go. Now we know he's a lier piece of shit.

— Vinny Magalhaes (@VinnyMMA) April 2, 2012

@evgenikogan You're pathetic. I wasn't the one jumping like a high school girl when her boyfriend was getting kicked in the neck.

— Vinny Magalhaes (@VinnyMMA) April 2, 2012

@evgenikogan also "Cry me a River" isJ. Timberlake's song. I thought you were a fan of Brittney Spears.

— Vinny Magalhaes (@VinnyMMA) April 2, 2012

WELL ALRIGHT THEN

@ufcyou are crazy if you think you've seen the last of this twitter.com/CesarGracieBJJ…

— Cesar Gracie (@CesarGracieBJJ) March 30, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced over the weekend (Friday, March 30, 2012 - Sunday, April 1, 2012):

- UFC 148: Melvin Guillard (29-10-2) vs. Fabricio "Morango" Camoes (14-6-1)

- UFC on FX 3: Charlie Brenneman (15-3) vs. Erick Silva (13-2), according toGlobo

- Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier: Gian Villante (9-3) vs. Derrick Mehmen (12-4), according to Newsday

- Bellator 65: Cole Konrad (8-0) vs. Eric Prindle (7-1)

- Bellator 67: Ben Saunders (13-4-2) vs. Bryan Baker (17-3)

- Bellator 67: Karl Amoussou (14-4-2) vs. David Rickels (10-0)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day comes from BE's Jack Slack, and he warns it may ruffle some feathers: New Breed? A Realistic Assessment of the UFC Heavyweight Division

The heavyweight division has traditionally been sparse on talent. Yet with the upcoming all heavyweight spectacular at UFC 146, all eyes are focused on the division and fans are more excited for a card as a whole than they have been for some time. Perhaps people think that they are excited because the heavyweight division is ever improving, and the men competing today would trounce the heavyweight division of three or four years ago? Probably not. The reason most fans are excited is because the heavyweight division promises FINISHES. Big ones.

Why You Buy Heavyweight Fights

Heavyweight fights have always been viewed as the ticket sellers, which is why the atrocious Frank Mir vs Cro Cop match up (replacing the only slightly less atrocious Frank Mir vs Big Nog 2 match up) was still able to headline a UFC event, despite a wealth of talent elsewhere on the the same card. People pay to see heavyweights because big men can generate a lot of force in their punches, tend to have a harder time covering up (due to their massive frames) and gas so quickly that a knockout delivered by the second man to tire is pretty much assured.

When heavyweight matches go the scheduled distance however, they tend to be open mouthed panting, clinched against the fence affairs which put a dampener on the whole evening of fights. Sean Sherk vs Evan Dunham was a back and forth technical exchange with significant ramifications at lightweight, buried in the memory of fans beneath 3 rounds of Frank Mir failing to take down an opponent who was 30lbs lighter than him, with an injured eye.

Much of the talk three years ago, when Fedor Emelianenko had turned down the opportunity to fight for the UFC, was around the "new breed" of heavyweights. Men just as skilled as Fedor who were bigger, and a marked improvement on anything that had come at heavyweight before. How much of this "new breed" was hype? We'll examine that below.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

You might be sad right now, thinking you're walking straight into a weekend devoid of any MMA action, and you'd be right. Except for the part where you're totally not right.

First the big guns: we've got guaranteed violence in Bellator 63, The Ultimate Fighter: Live and The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. Craving stomps and soccer kicks? Then ONE FC 3: War of the Lions is the route to go. (Added bonus: the entire fight card is set to stream live on YouTube.)

Still not enough? Check out under the radar match-ups of Murilo Bustamante vs. Dave Menne (they're still active?), Gilbert Yvel vs. Houston Alexander (over/under of 30 seconds), and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Satoshi Ishii (somebody has to win), plus action from former UFC notables Thales Leites, Patrick Cote, Sean McCorkle, Karo Parisyan, Drew Fickett, and even TUF 15's brief posterboy, Dakota Cochrane. We've said it before, but we'll say it again. Damn, it's a good time to be an MMA fan.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Dan Henderson will get next title shot at light heavyweight or middleweight. UFC President Dana White confirmed suspicions regarding the next light heavyweight or middleweight title shot going to Dan Henderson.

The hurt business: little victories, tender mercies. Shane Carwin endures the fight of his life in part four of Ben Fowlkes' multi-part series that goes inside the Grudge Training Center to examine the hidden lives of pro fighters.

In-depth preview to ONE FC: War of the Lions. Anton Tabuena presents a complete guide to tomorrow's ONE FC fight card, including event details, hidden gems, fun facts, viewing schedules and 5 things to look out for.

NSAC head Keith Kizer responds to racism accusations. NSAC commissioner Keith Kizer was direct and concise in his response to King Mo's accusations of racism after Wednesday's infamous meeting.

Bellator 63 preview. All fighters met their required weight at Thursday afternoon's Bellator 63 weigh-ins, rendering tonight's Bellator welterweight tournament official. Afterward, Dallas Winston busted out the gifs to break down all four quarterfinal match-ups.

MEDIA STEW

This should be common knowledge by now. Rule No. 1 of robbing a convenience store: Check to see if there is anybody around who could put you to sleep. Unfortunately for Brandon Slanger, he forgot that part. (HT: Gals Guide)

They're trying to tell us Mr. Bruce Wayne is black belt practitioner of Japanese jiu-jitsu. Well, we've seen roughly a billion episodes of the 1990's Batman cartoon, and we don't remember any Toquinho-style limb destroying. Harrumph. (HT: Reddit)

Cutman extraordinaire Jacob "Stitch" Duran stopped by the UFC Tonight set to swap bloody war stories and answer the question of who is the wimpiest fighter in the UFC.

Hey you, do you want to become a UFC fighter? Word on the street is you just need to have an intense psychical commitment to training. (HT: Middle Easy)

The fine folks over at Middle Easy held a design-a-poster contest for tomorrow's ONE FC 3: War of the Lions fight card, and among the finalists was this eye-catching little beauty. (Check out the rest of the entries while you're at it.)

#ASKCIGANO

@WhosHarryCrum i think I'm going to knock him out in the second round

— juniorcigano (@junior_cigano) March 29, 2012

@taddgood #AskCigano I didn't have a favorite fighter when I was young, I got into fighting later

— juniorcigano (@junior_cigano) March 29, 2012

@TheSuperEgo no, never.If you fight angry, you lose.Fighting requires concentration.I don't dislike opponents I just want to win #AskCigano

— juniorcigano (@junior_cigano) March 29, 2012

@Chanthaaa #AskCigano both!! :)

— juniorcigano (@junior_cigano) March 29, 2012

@AMeerCat #AskCigano Cain Velasquez

— juniorcigano (@junior_cigano) March 29, 2012

SO YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S A CHANCE...

@CRISPY_PIG I would

— Lorenzo Fertitta (@lorenzofertitta) March 25, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Thursday, March 29, 2012):

- UFC on FOX 3: Thiago Tavares (17-4-1) out, Michael Johnson (10-6) in against Tony Ferguson (13-3)

- UFC 147: Milton Vieira (13-7-1) vs. Felipe Arantes (14-4)

- UFC 148: Gleison Tibau (25-7) vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov (17-0)

- UFC on FX 3: Leonard Garcia (15-8-1) vs. Matt Grice (14-4)

- UFC on FX 4: Ross Pearson (13-5) vs. Cub Swanson (16-5)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day comes from BE's hobbie, who asks the question: Is Silva vs. St. Pierre Officially Dead?

If you went back in time only a couple years and asked any MMA fan walking the streets what the dream match-up in MMA was, you'd likely get only one answer: Anderson Silva vs. Georges St. Pierre.

And for years, this was the dream fight to end all dream fights. It was MMA's equivalent to Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather, only (us MMA fans bragged then) this fight actually stood a good chance of happening.

People were talking about this fight as far back as 2006, when both St. Pierre and Silva first strapped on UFC belts. The talk ramped up in 2008, when GSP won his belt back from Matt Serra and Anderson Silva "ran out" of challengers at middleweight for the first of about 900 times.

For nearly half a decade, the top two slots in the special MMA "Circular, Subjective Argument Generator" - otherwise known as the top 5 Pound-for-Pound list - were traded between Silva and St. Pierre. Both guys fortunes rose and fell, each guy racing momentarily ahead of the other.

GSP dominates Thiago Alves while Silva dances around Thales Leites? GSP must be the man! Anderson Silva transcends the laws of physics to murder Forrest Griffin while GSP wrestles Dan Hardy's arm for 25 minutes? Guess Andy is back on top! Folks would argue GSP's wrestling would exploit the only weakness in Anderson Silva's game. People said Anderson Silva's striking would expose GSP's fragile chin. There were theories and speculation galore.

And any day now, we would see them fight.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

For a man that has yet to fight in 2012, Fedor Emelianenko sure seems to get around a lot. Within the past few months we've seen the legendary heavyweight cruise through sambo championships with his brother, hit the Korean game show circuit, giggle his way down Russian water slides, and now his latest venture, sumo wrestling.

Fedor may not be fighting in the UFC (and at the age of 35, that ship seems to have sailed), but in slow times like these, it's strangely gratifying to see one of the sports true icons, and someone who was so famously stoic, finally enjoying himself so much.

It's unfortunate that bad management has left Emelianenko's name to forever be thrown around in the "what if" discussions. No one could have seen that coming back in the day. But it's even more unfortunate that Fedor seems to be realizing this now, as his abilities slowly betray him. So if "The Last Emperor" wants to keep doing his thing with these various adventures, more power to him. After all the excitement he's given us over the past decade, he's earned it.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Joe Lauzon vs. Terry Etim booked for UFC on FOX 4. Joe Lauzon and Terry Etim will reportedly look to rebound from devastating knockout losses at UFC on FOX 4, which is slated for August 4th, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.

Bellator planning three hour main cards with 2013 move to Spike TV. As part of Bellator Fighting Championships' crusade to cut out their universally panned "superfights," the promotion plans to extend the length of its televised main card from two to three hours next year, paving the way for more tournaments and more title fights.

Demetrious Johnson heavy favorite over Ian McCall. Despite fighting to a majority draw the first time around, Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson opened as a near 2-to-1 favorite over Ian "Uncle Creepy" McCall in advance of their UFC on FX 3 flyweight rematch.

Jake Shields moves back to middleweight, wants to fight in August. Former Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields hopes to return to action sometime in August and will move back up to 185 pounds after a lukewarm UFC run at welterweight.

25 most awkward photos in MMA history. For all its charms, mixed martial arts sure does produce its fair share of embarrassing kodak moments. So take a look at the worst of the worst (or best of the best, depending on how you look at it) with the 25 most awkward photos in MMA history.

MEDIA STEW

We know y'all want to see Fedor fighting in the UFC, but the USC (Ultimate Sumo Championship) is just as good, right? (HT: Middle Easy)

Between all the mumbling and stumbling, somewhere in here James Toney tells Rampage Jackson to stop being a "slave to the white man." Wow. (HT: Reddit)

Johny Hendricks and Brendan Schaub are monsters inside the cage, but ballet is a whole different beast. (Thanks to @pegson for the tip.)

Steven Seagal wants you to recognize how dangerous and important he is. RECOGNIZE IT. (Fun fact: The YouTube tags on this clip include "fat", "blowhard" and "seagull." To whichever Jimmy Kimmel Live intern is responsible for this, we thank you.)

IN CASE YOU WERE WORRIED

My cardio is good now. Don't worry.

— Jason Mayhem Miller (@mayhemmiller) March 28, 2012

TRASH TALK QUOTA HAS BEEN LOWERED

@BigfootSilva It is an honor to fight you as well Big Foot!

— Roy Nelson (@roynelsonmma) March 29, 2012

IF ONLY THEY STILL HAD BLEACHED HAIR

Hey @Eminem how about it bro July 7th Vegas walk @titoortiz to the octagon in his final fight!!!!!!! The fans would go nuts !!!!!" right

— Tito Ortiz (@titoortiz) March 29, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Wednesday, March 28, 2012):

- UFC on FOX 4: Joe Lauzon (21-7) vs. Terry Etim (15-4) reportedly booked for FOX broadcast, according to Fighters Only

- UFC on FX 4: Ramsey Nijem (5-2) vs. C.J. Keith (8-0 )

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is an essential guide for any new fight fan, penned by Bloody Elbow's SSReporters: Breaking Down Common UFC Terminology For New MMA Fans

Hey there new MMA fans! If you're confused by the lack of UFC cards over the last few weeks, then kindly teleport yourself back to 2005. Afterwards, return to the present-day and realize how awesome it is to be a MMA fan and a fan of the UFC. I understand that this sport is not the easiest to follow, particularly when the UFC has never really put much emphasis on explaining the rules, grappling positions, strike techniques, etc. The majority of the terminologies you may be unfamiliar with are often spewed out of the mouths of Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan, the leading commentary pair in our beloved organization. No need to worry, as I have got it all covered. I will break down the most uttered phrases in the UFC (okay, mostly the nonsense from Goldie and Rogan) and make it so that even the common fan can grasp it.

Striking

- ROCKED! When a power punch of any sort lands flush, a fighter is deemed to be "rocked" even when he isn't.

- PUNCHES in BUNCHES. Combinations.

- Knees reminiscent of Anderson Silva. Any Muay Thai clinch with a knee to the head immediately invokes the memories of Anderson Silva vs. Rich Franklin I and II. It's also a really stupid thing to say multiple times over, so I advise you MMA newbies not to use this as a reference every single time a fighter has the clinch.

Grappling

- IT'S DEEP! A submission attempt that is deemed to be close to finished thus leading towards a tapout, but is only ever accurate 4 times out of 100. Noted dullard and professional troll Jacob Volkmann set a record with 37 "deep" d'arce chokes against Danny Castillo, but Castillo managed to escape every time.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

They say bad news comes in threes. But if that's the case, King Mo Lawal must be terrified right now.

Truthfully it would be hard to top what just took place. Literally weeks after a prolonged, intensely life-threatening bout with staph, Lawal appeared in front of the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Tuesday, hoping to plead his case in the positive steroid test that derailed his career. Of course, not only did his words fall on deaf ears -- Mo received a nine month suspension, was fined 30-percent of his $80,000 fight purse and forced to surrender his $15,000 win bonus -- he was also incredulously asked if he had the ability to read or understand English by commission official Pat Lundvall. (Check out the audio of the meeting.)

Now, regardless of whether or not you think there were racist undertones in Lundvall's sentiment, you have to admit it's an outrageously condescending remark for an official to make. So Lawal, who, again, just nearly died less than a month ago, snapped a bit and posted the exchange on Twitter, unfortunately referring to Lundvall as "a racist b***h." And yeah, he was fired. Brutal day.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

King Mo suspended by NSAC, cut by Strikeforce. Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal was suspended for nine months and fined $39,000 by the NSAC on Tuesday afternoon. After which, a seething Lawal took to Twitter, calling commission member Pat Lundvall "a racist b****" for asking if he was able to "read or speak english." Lawal was then promptly cut from Strikeforce, according to a press release issued by promotion CEO Scott Coker.

Alistair Overeem sentenced after battery charge in Las Vegas. UFC heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem was sentenced to 50 hours of community service and anger-management counseling, stemming from a battery charge at a Las Vegas nightclub on New Year's weekend. Overeem will be forced to undergo a mandatory 90-day jail sentence if he fails to complete the terms of his sentencing.

UFC 146 combatants face surprise drug tests. All six fighters who appeared at Tuesday's UFC 146 press conference -- Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, Cain Velasquez, Frank Mir, Antonio Silva and Roy Nelson -- were issued surprise drug tests following the proceedings, courtesy of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

UFC drawing strong ratings for TUF Brazil, dealing with alleged leak. The debut episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil drew an astounding 8 millions viewers on Globo TV, despite allegations of Brazilian news outlet R7 leaking the names of the four finalists.

For retired fighters, health care can be a tricky, costly issue. Ben Fowlkes sat down with a slew of former and current fighters to discuss the precarious issue of health insurance in mixed martial arts.

MEDIA STEW

After everything he just went through, it would be heartless to keep piling on King Mo. So instead, check out Lawal destroying Mark Kerr in an M-1 Global heavyweight bout back in 2009.

Legendary trainer Freddie Roach offered up his top five boxers in MMA yesterday, so today he flipped the switch, listing off the top five guys in boxing history who would have thrived inside the cage. Notice a certain Pretty Boy is conspicuously absent.

Is there ever a bad time to see a spinning back kick KO? Dennis Siver says no.

Our own Ariel Helwani finally got his grudge match against Kenny Florian in another edition of FUEL's 'Fighter vs. Writer' segment. Who takes it on your scorecards?

CALM BEFORE THE STORM

I shoulda stayed home! Lol. NSAC had they mind made up b4 we got there! Lol. All the research we did and disclosed to em! They ignored! LOL

— King Mo (@KingMoFH) March 27, 2012

MIESHA TATE VS. THE INTERNET

Why is it ppl are so fake they feel good about talkin sh** 2 me behind a computer when they don't have 1/100th of the balls 2 do what I do?

— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) March 28, 2012

I swear I just don't get it, I go out I fight hard & I let my arm snap in half in my best effort to win a fight, I came up short but......

— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) March 28, 2012

.... I guarantee I'm tougher than ALL you keyboard warriors! Go ahead talk SH** Id like to see YOU do it better

— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) March 28, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Tuesday, March 27, 2012):

- UFC 149: Court McGee (13-2) vs. Nick Ring (12-1)

- UFC on FX 3: Seth Baczynski (15-6) vs. Lance Benoist (6-0)

- Bellator 63: Marianna Kheyfets (5-0) vs. Munah Holland (3-1)

- Bellator 63: Dan Cramer (7-3) vs. Jeff Nader (5-4)

- Bellator 63: Andrey Koreshkov (8-0) vs. Taiwan Howard (9-8)

- Bellator 63: Saul Almeida (12-1) vs. Matt Bessette (7-3)

- Bellator 63: Parker Porter (5-3) vs. Randy Smith (14-10)

- Bellator 63: Ryan Quinn (6-3-1) vs. Marc Stevens (14-6)

- Bellator 63: Pete Rogers (0-0) vs. Brandon Fleming (0-0)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is a set of criteria to determine the merits of an American wrestler, via Bloody Elbow's VirginiaRaider: What makes a wrestler "world class"

Some time ago, there was an article posted on BE discussing Pat Barry's oft touted "K-1 level" striking abilities and what this really entailed when put into proper perspective. The same ought to be done for "world class wrestling" a term tossed about liberally by certain Mixed Martial Arts commentators. It is important to define the term "world class" (WC for the purposes of this post) in a way which excludes the vast majority of wrestlers, otherwise the term becomes totally impotent. Unfortunately, defining WC is difficult but I believe that this post establishes reasonable parameters for the WC label as it applies to American wrestlers.

The first step in defining WC is limiting the number of wrestling styles in consideration. First to be excluded are any styles that involve submissions or the use of clothing. This is a matter of the conventional use of "wrestling" by the previously mentioned commentators. This then removes Judo and all forms of gi or no-gi grappling/submission wrestling. Second, World Class status can only be reasonably be conferred on a practitioner of a style which is contested throughout most of the world. Applying this restriction excludes all "folk-style" forms of wrestling, including American scholastic or folk-style.

The only styles of wrestling which are non-clothed, non-submission, and experience truly world-wide participation are Freestyle and Greco-Roman, the Olympic wrestling disciplines. For this reason the WC tag should only be hung on a wrestler based on his achievements in the Olympic wrestling styles.

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

Another lazy spring afternoon passes and we're again left to make our own fun until the MMA schedule picks back up. So while we wait, let's use the contrast of yesterday's and today's odd Japanese game show clips to kickstart a little discussion.

Ronda Rousey is unquestionably the queen bee of women's mixed martial arts right now. Her next test will likely be Sarah Kaufman -- a relentless Canadian who poses her own problems -- but for the sake of argument, let's say "Rowdy" does what she does and finishes Kaufman in the first round via armbar, and then offs one more opponent in the same fashion. Around that time, the exiled former queen bee, Cris "Cyborg" Santos, would likely be priming for her return, and she has already made it very clear she intends to cut down to 135 pounds and smash Rousey's face in. Santos, of course, has violently ruled the WMMA throne since 2009, though now that reign is plagued with doubt because of her positive steroid test.

Given the dearth of depth in the women's divisions, it isn't that crazy to think "Cyborg" would be immediately thrown into a promoter's dream title fight against Rousey. So what do you think, readers? Would "Cyborg" return with a vengeance and crush the champ? Or would the rowdy one run through a PED-less Santos? Let us know in the comments below.

5 MUST-READ STORIES

The MMA Hour. Ariel Helwani and The MMA Hour return with another two-plus hour show that features Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney in studio, as well as interviews with Phil Davis, Miguel Torres, Rory MacDonald, Eddie Alvarez and Tom "Kong" Watson.

Cesar Gracie not going to let Nick Diaz quit MMA. The person closest to Nick Diaz, his brother Nate, believes his abrupt retirement is for real. Diaz's trainer Cesar Gracie, however, isn't about to watch that happen.

Silva-Sonnen II confirmed for UFC 147. MMA's biggest rematch is finally on the books for UFC 147, as Chael Sonnen will take on Anderson Silva at the 47,000-seat Estádio Olímpico João Havelange in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 23, 2012.

The Ultimate Fighter 15 ratings. The third episode of TUF: Live aired last Friday night and averaged 1.2 million viewers on FX.

Top trainer Freddie Roach lists top five boxers in MMA. Legendary boxing trainer Freddie Roach broke down his list of the top five boxers in mixed martial arts.

MEDIA STEW

Check out the sequel to yesterday's Battle of the Sexes between Cyborg Santos and a Japanese man. This time the champ herself, Ronda Rousey, ups the ante by taking on three Japanese men in a clip from the same bizarre game show. (Big thanks to @pegson for the tip.)

Has there ever been a UFC commercial that prominently featuring an English-speaking Anderson Silva? Maybe that's why this UFC on FOX promo seems a tad weird. (HT: MMA Mania)

Speaking of Anderson Silva, his old buddy Mr. Chael P. Sonnen had some choice words after the champ said Sonnen should stop talking and start training. (HT: Middle Easy)

Mark Matheny is known as one of the better refs in MMA, so you'd figure he has reasonably good judgment. But after watching what he does in his spare time, that dream has been thoroughly crushed.

Bloody Elbow's Anton Tabuena brought this to our attention and it felt criminal not to share. Fresh from a loss to Johny Hendricks, Jon Fitch set out on a beard conquest of sizable proportions. Several weeks later he showed off the progress via Twitter, and it was impressive:

But springtime is coming, so earlier this week Fitch stepped up his facial hair game dramatically, shaving down the all-arounder into a legendary 'stache that would make Sam Elliot proud. Well done, sir. Well done.

HUSTLIN' UP NORTH

How I make extra money in Montreal. #hustle t.co/qoDZ3YNl

— Miguel Angel Torres (@MiguelTorresMMA) March 25, 2012

EVERYDAY PROBLEMS OF PAT BARRY (NSFW)

#9youtube.com/watch?v=B7vVg9…

— Pat Barry (@HypeOrDie) March 26, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced yesterday (Monday, March 26, 2012):

- UFC 147: Anderson Silva (31-4) vs. Chael Sonnen (27-11-1) confirmed for June 23, 2012 at Estádio Olímpico João Havelange in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

- UFC 147: Wanderlei Silva (34-11-1) vs. Vitor Belfort (21-9)

- UFC 149: Bryan Caraway (16-5) vs. Mitch Gagnon (8-1)

FANPOST OF THE DAY

Today's Fanpost of the Day is compilation of Don Frye magic from MMA Mania's (shonuff): Don Frye 2012: Predator for President?

Recently there's been a lot of talk by the MMA media christening Chael Sonnen as the best talker in MMA history. But have they lost their historical perspective? Perhaps they have forgotten the hilarious off-the-cuff rants of former UFC Heavyweight Champ and perennial patriotic tough guy, Don "The Predator" Frye, possessor of not only the craziest fight in MMA History (vs Takayama) but also the most outrageous comments.

...

Personally, I think he should throw his hat into the Republican Primary race. Not only would he add spice to the campaign trail, we'd finally have a candidate in this race who says what he really thinks (and then some). Here are a few gems that would make wonderful soundbites on CNN.

On improvising new techniques in MMA:

"I been studying Buddhism. I'm learnin' to levitate. I'm gonna levitate off the ground about a foot so he can't get that kneebar on me. So when he goes down to the ground, I'll be up here. Then I'll swing round and kick him in the head. Can't miss that head. Thing's gotta be about that big, like a 5-gallon bucket, a 5-gallon bucket full of buttholes. Yeck!"

On fighting top competition:

"You gotta excuse me, my stomach's upset. I had the Tim Sylvia breakfast special, ham & eggs and a can of tomatoes."

Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

Well folks, we're halfway there. 21 days up, 21 days down, and now just 21 days left until the UFC hits with a blistering summer lineup.

If you missed it, The Ultimate Fighter: Live and Bellator found a new weekend friend -- TUF: Brazil (which can be seen in its entirety here). Given that Brazilians make up 43-percent of the current UFC champions, expectations for the first international TUF season were understandably high, but if your violence quota was in any way lacking, it admirably filled the void. Plus, where else could we hear Wanderlei Silva bragging about his junk? (More on that later.)

5 MUST-READ STORIES

Weekend MMA & boxing results. Catch up on another busy combat sports weekend with MMA results for The Ultimate Fighter: Live, The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, Bellator 62, United Glory 15 and BAMMA 9, boxing results for Erik Morales vs. Danny Garcia, and fight videos of Patricky Freire vs. Lloyd Woodard, Rick Hawn vs. Ricardo Tirloni, and Kimbo Slice's absurd match against Brian Green. (And again, if you haven't seen the debut episode of TUF: Brazil yet, you can check it out here.)

The Ultimate Fighter 15 post-fight power rankings. Cristiano Marcello fell in the weekly TUF 15 power rankings after Justin Lawrence's crushing knockout.

M-1 Global sues Vyacheslav Vasilvsky. Bellator middleweight semifinalist Vyacheslav is being sued by M-1 Global over an alleged breach of contract, and could be forced to pay €1,000 for each day in violation (over 365 days, according to M-1), €5,000 for each fight in different promotion (five since 2010), and court fees.

Miguel Torres UFC 145 fight blog. Torres talks about his love of Montreal, training for his upcoming bout against Michael McDonald, and the difficulty of locating tacos in Canada in his debut UFC 145 fight blog.

Yasubey Enomoto defended M-1 Global title with open wound infection. Former M-1 Global welterweight champ Yasubey Enomoto fought at M-1 Challenge 31 with a large open infection on his shin, which has now spread to his knee as a result of the weight cutting process. Enomoto is currently hospitalized and receiving treatment.

MEDIA STEW

Where else but a Japanese game show could you see Cyborg Santos duke it out with a shockingly capable male comedian? This battle of the sexes actually gets pretty heated. (HT: Bloody Elbow)

Another under the radar nugget from the weekend: Sergei Kharitonov returned to action for the first time since his Strikeforce loss to Josh Barnett. Now watch this ridiculousness and tell me you wouldn't love to see him on the UFC's all-heavyweight card.

Three weeks into TUF 15 and not only is Team Cruz dominating the Octagon, they're crushing the YouTube battle as well. Check out The Dominator clowning on Faber in this reenactment. Nice extra touch: the sharpie'd Faber chin.

Today's episode of This Week in Questionable Reffing comes from CFC 12, featuring Mark "The Great White Shark" Potter knocking out Larry Watts, a guy wearing a t-shirt waving off the bout, but not actually waving off the bout, and the bout continuing for another one-sided 30 seconds. (HT: Cagepotato)

Easily the best part of last night's TUF: Brazil debut:

THE CARNY DROPS DOWN

I dont have a fight scheduled yet, but my next fight will be at 145 lbs! #UFC #MMA

— Nik Lentz Ufc mma (@NikLentz) March 23, 2012

YOU WIN THIS ROUND, ROCKHOLD

I have broken through the lines and infiltrated your base camp. @rockholdMMA #CreepingOnAKA twitter.com/TimKennedyMMA/…

— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) March 25, 2012

@rockholdMMA BLASTED!!!! CIA failed again.

— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) March 26, 2012

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announced over the weekend (Friday, March 23, 2012 - Sunday, March 25, 2012):

- UFC 148: Jeff Hougland (10-4) out, Ivan Menjivar (24-8) in against Renan Barao (28-1)

- UFC on FX 3: Scott Jorgensen (13-5) vs. Eddie Wineland (18-8-1)

- UFC on FX 3: Josh Neer (33-10-1) vs. Mike Pyle (22-8-1)

- UFC on FX 4: Jim Hettes (10-0) vs. Steven Siler (20-9)

- UFC on FUEL 3: Mike Easton (12-1) out, Jeff Hougland (10-4) in against Yves Jabouin (17-7)

- Titan Fighting Championship 22: Anthony Johnson (10-4) vs. Dave Branch (10-2)

- Super Fight League 2: Gabe Ruediger (17-8) out, Ryan Healy (19-10) in against Paul Kelly (12-4)