All fighters made weight today for tomorrow’s UFC 82: Pride of a Champion. It was a fairly uneventful weigh in with the highlights being the love given to both Andrei Arlovski and Evan Tanner.

You can watch the weigh-in right here, or just read the results below:

The official results are as follows:

Main Card

Preliminary Card

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Zuffa-owned World Extreme Cagefighting has signed former NCAA wrestling champion Mark Munoz to its roster, the Vallejo Times-Herald is reporting.

According to the paper, Munoz signed a guaranteed six fight contract. Financial terms were not disclosed but the paper quotes the light heavyweight as saying the deal is a “high six-figure” contract.

The report specifies that Munoz is scheduled to make his WEC debut on June 1 in Sacramento, Calif. at the Arco Arena. The show will be televised on VERSUS and is expected to feature a WEC featherweight title match between Urijah Faber and Jens Pulver.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REMAINDER OF THIS ARTICLE ON SAM CAPLAN’S PROELITE.COM BLOG

Thursday’s announcement by ProElite that it had reached an agreement with CBS to televise four EliteXC events garnered a great deal of coverage in the mainstream press. And while we know a little more than we did when the initial report of the deal surfaced Wednesday, there still has not been a lot reported in regard to details pertaining to the deal.

On that note, I was able to speak with ProElite CEO Doug DeLuca, one of the main architects behind the deal, in an exclusive interview for ProElite.com (SamCaplan.ProElite.com).

Sam Caplan: How long has this deal been in the works?

Doug DeLuca: I would say it was in the works for a couple of months, somewhere in that neighborhood. We’ve been talking on and off for awhile. You have to remember that CBS was the second group to invest in ProElite, almost a year and a half ago. They believed in us as they believed in MMA all the way back then. They made the investment in us and they decided to put us on their SHOWTIME networks. I think they were very smart and I think that both SHOWTIME and CBS were both very visionary in the sense they were interested in the sport, they were bullish on the sport, and they wanted to see how it would go. They liked what we had to say but we were unproven at the time but they believed enough to stick their toe in the water and invest in the company and puts us on SHOWTIME. We all know that has been a big success, and now this. I think they were very smart and calculated in their approach to it and it has worked out well.

Sam Caplan: You mentioned that these negotiations had gone on for several months. Was there a specific turning point in the negotiations that possibly made CBS even more interested in doing a deal?

Doug DeLuca: There’s all kind of speculation. I would say the writers strike had a good hand in accelerating their idea to put it on the air. I think they see mixed martial arts and they get mixed martial arts. They’re bullish on it. I think the opportunity arose to do the deal with us. They were talking to other people and were looking around and from what I understand were in talks with our competitor and that obviously didn’t work out.

Sam Caplan: I know you can’t divulge too many details because ProElite is a publicly traded company, but there are some conflicting reports I wanted to ask you about. MMAPayout.com reported that it is rumored the deal with CBS will be a time buy while Dave Meltzer reported on Yahoo! that there will be a rights fee involved. Is EliteXC getting a rights fee for the CBS telecasts?

Doug DeLuca: The latter was incorrect. This is a license-fee deal. We’re getting a license-fee in order to put the show on the air. It’s a typical TV license-fee deal.

Sam Caplan: Who controls the selling of the advertising and sponsorships?

Doug DeLuca: CBS ad sales will be controlling that for the most part. There is some carve out in there where we will control some of the sponsorships, but for the most part, CBS ad sales.

Sam Caplan: In December, MediaPost reported that CBS and the UFC were close to a deal. You’ve had an insider’s perspective on these negotiations, do you feel those reports were accurate?

Doug DeLuca: Close is relative and I wasn’t involved in the discussions so it’s hard for me to say, but I believe they could be accurate, yes.

Sam Caplan: Some critics — and I’ve been one of them — have raised issues with EliteXC’s use of a DJ, dancers, and some other aspects if the shows. Has CBS asked EliteXC to make any modifications to the product they will be presenting on network TV?

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As usual, the staff of 5 Oz. will be giving you their picks and reasons why each fighter will win their fight at UFC 82: Pride of a Champion. Let’s waste no time and get right to it.

Sam Caplan’s picks are available on CBSSports.com. Click here to view them.

Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson (185 lbs. title fight)

Adam Morgan: I like Dan Henderson in this fight and I’ll tell you why. Anderson Silva has fought opponents that have complimented his devastating style and he’s never fought a wrestler on Henderson’s level. Silva has a weakness and it’s his wrestling game. Travis Lutter took him down and mounted him. Rich Franklin took him down but was unable to keep him there. Henderson is a better wrestler than both of those guys combined. To think that an Olympic caliber wrestler like Dan won’t be able to take Silva down and also keep him there is silly. Add in the fact that Henderson has proven that he has the cardio to go five rounds with a world class fighter and Silva hasn’t even been a full three rounds in the UFC and I give this one to Dan Henderson via TKO, round three.

Sam Cupitt: You have to love this fight. So many unknowns and intriguing little contests gives this fight the potential to be one of the best technical fights of all time. This fight, to me, will be won or lost depending on how confident Henderson is in his ability to stand with Silva. “Hollywood” Henderson has a habit of getting himself into ill-advised slugfests, mainly because he has so much power in his right hand and so much faith in what to this point has been a slab of granite for a chin. Standing with “the Spider” is the wrong way to go. Henderson needs to be relentless with takedown after takedown and not get lured into Silva’s game. Unfortunately for Henderson, that will be something he just can’t do. I foresee Silva getting taken down a few times but while on the feet he will constantly pepper Henderson with body shots and leg attacks until late in the third round where he will setup a fight ending flurry on the back of something crazy, like a flying knee. Anderson Silva via TKO, Round 3.

Ben Fowlkes: Silva has looked almost superhuman in his last few fights, but Henderson presents a different kind of challenge. At middleweight, few people can rival Hendo’s strength, not to mention his raw tenacity. He might be perfectly suited to take advantage of Silva’s poor takedown defense, though takedowns alone rarely win a fight.
Henderson will need to fight smart and wear Silva down, and I think he’ll do it. Henderson by decision or late TKO.

Ram Maramba: It’s difficult to separate my Hendo fanboy thoughts from any sober predictions. This one is as difficult to pick as the Sylvia/Nogueira bout for the same reasons: we know what each guy can do, but we don’t know how they’ll react stylistically when they meet in the cage. Henderson’s wrestling and power will be to his advantage, but in short stretches Silva has the strength in his deceptive frame to keep from getting tossed around. Henderson’s chin is legendary, but Silva is one of the few men on Earth who can tag him and tag him good. There’s a lot of talk about controlling range with the Thai clinch or Greco-Roman clinch, which I think is a moot point. Regardless of the space, Silva has an answer in his arsenal of strikes. Silva is slippery on the ground, as he proved when he swept Lutter out of the mount. Still, Henderson’s well-rounded game will keep Silva guessing and will render him either reacting or playing defense, especially in the later rounds. Silva has varied advantages wherever the fight goes, but he’ll have a hard time finding his all-important rhythm against Henderson’s ability to stay comfortable as the fight moves around. This is Henderson’s fight to lose; as long as he fights his game and maintains his tenacity and keeps Silva guessing, Hendo will pull out the decision win.

Mike MacLeod: It goes without saying that Dan Henderson is an exceptional fighter. One doesn’t win simultaneous titles in two weight classes without being something extremely special. And one would think that he would be more dominant in the leighter class of his two championships. But this will just demonstrate how elite Anderson Silva is. As we have seen time and time again, Silva will pick apart his opponent and then land devastating strikes. This will be no different. Silva by KO in the 2nd round.

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I’m sure I’ll get heat for running with this story, but it’s too good not to pass along.

A website called MediaTakeOut.com is claiming it has “inside” sources within the UFC that are stating that Baltimore Ravens MLB Ray Lewis could be close to signing a deal to fight:

February 29, 2008. First Floyd Mayweather signs with the WWE, now MediaTakeOut.com is hearing whispers that NFL’s Ray Lewis is close to signing on to the Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts league.

According to a person who works at U.F.C., the Baltimore Ravens star linebacker and the league have been negotiating for months and are close to closing the deal. The insider told MediaTakeOut.com, “Ray Lewis was an All-American wrestler in high school, and he’s just an all around bad a**. He’ll fit in perfectly here.”

And the insider claims that the deal wouldn’t interfere with Ray’s NFL career. He explained to MediaTakeOut.con, “We’re not looking to sign him on full-time, just a match or two a year - and he can handpick the opponent … He has such a big name that it will do wonders for the sport.”

I have no idea whether MediaTakeOut.com is legit or not. Regardless, the post smells a little fishy, especially since the standard NFL contract contains language that would preclude Lewis from participating in activities such as competitive mixed martial arts.

There has been talk within the last year through that Lewis is on the downside of his career and perhaps MMA is a part of his post-NFL career path? Former NFL players Marcus Jones, Bobby Jones, Herbert Goodman, Johnnie Morton, and Michael Westbrook have all migrated into competitive MMA since leaving the NFL.

Adam Swift of MMAPayout.com is reporting that the IFL will use Team Tompkins as the name of the Tompkins-coached team in the IFL at tonight’s event instead of using the team name of Xtreme Couture. He was able to obtain the following statement from Joe Favorito, Senior VP of Communications with the IFL:

Given the ongoing litigation between Extreme Couture and the UFC, we were asked by Extreme Couture Wednesday to not use the Extreme Couture camp name in our event this Friday. Out of respect for Randy and his team in this difficult situation, the camp will take the name Team Tompkins. Shawn Tompkins is coaching this Friday as already announced for this Friday’s event. The IFL is not in any way involved in this litigation, we are doing this out of professional courtesy for Randy and his group.

Has it really come to this? A bunch of Randy Couture’s guys are fighting in the IFL and they can’t even fight under his banner? What a joke. Props to Couture for being the bigger person and yanking his name from the event before it got any uglier. Wouldn’t want to do anything to upset the big, bad UFC.

Buried at the bottom of Dave Meltzer’s report about the UFC’s new sponsor, he gives us some other goodies from Dana White at the press conference today regarding the future of Brock Lesnar as well as a fight between Urijah Faber and Jens Pulver this summer:

White also said that Brock Lesnar, whose debut on Feb. 2 led the company to one of its most successful pay-per-view events in its history, losing to Frank Mir, will have his second UFC fight in August. No opponent has been named but the leading candidate appears to be Justin McCulley.

He also said the most anticipated WEC match thus far, a featherweight title defense by Urijah Faber against Jens Pulver, will take place this summer from Sacramento as a live special on Versus.

McCully talked about a possible matchup with Lesnar last week on Inside MMA and now it looks as if that’s more truth than not. It’s good for Lesnar to sit out until August as most of the UFC pay per views are already stacked through June. The UFC will need his star power to help carry a couple of shows in the mid to late part of this year. Plus, it gives him an opportunity to continue to train and soak up as much knowledge as possible before his next fight.

As for the WEC match, it’s highly anticipated but does anyone see Pulver beating Faber? I certainly don’t see a way that Pulver wins that fight. Oh well, at least it will be on Versus and not pay per view.

Several of ESPN’s shows discussed today’s announcement by EliteXC and CBS to starting televising MMA. It was a topic of discussion on “Around the Horn” this afternoon, which you can check out below.

Prepared to be annoyed. Although, if I ever meet J.A. Adande I will buy the guy a beer.

Eddie Alvarez confirmed to FiveOuncesOfPain.com (www.FiveOuncesOfPain.com) on Thursday afternoon that he has signed a contract to participate in DREAM’s lightweight Grand Prix.

DREAM, a collaborative effort between K-1’s HEROS and former staff members of PRIDE, will begin its tournament on March 15 in Japan. Alvarez stated that he is scheduled to fight Andre “Dida” Amade on that date during the tournament’s first round.

“The fight is 100 percent,” began Alvarez. “I just got a call from my manager, Monte Cox, everything is underway. Everything is approved and I will be heading over there (Japan) on the 10th to fight in the lightweight Grand Prix. I’m excited.”

Alavrez, who signed a three fight agreement with EliteXC in January, will be competing in DREAM with the promotion’s blessing.

“Monte (Cox) talked it over with EliteXC and EliteXC was happy to work with DREAM,” Alvarez responded when asked if special permission was needed to compete in a tournament that could require Alvarez to fight on three separate DREAM shows. “I’m sure they want to do business with them in the future so I’m sure they are more than happy to lend me over and let me do the fight.”

While Alvarez wasn’t positive as to when he would be fighting in the States again, he did indicate that a May date for a tentative EliteXC show in Atlantic City was possible. However, Alvarez was quick to add that he’s focused almost solely on making sure he advances into the second round of the DREAM tournament and that he has been training three times a day to ensure he can meet the lightweight requirements of 154 pounds.

Strikeforce Vice President Mike Afromowitz confirmed to MMAjunkie.com earlier today that a proposed Strikeforce lightweight title match between incumbent Gilbert Melendez and challenger Jorge Masvidal is no longer on the table.

The bout, first reported by FiveOuncesOfPain.com (www.FiveOuncesOfPain.com) had been discussed as a possible undercard fight for a March 29 event to be co-promoted by Strikeforce and EliteXC that will be headlined by Cung Le vs. Frank Shamrock.

Masvidal sustained a shin injury during last Friday’s “Strikeforce at the Dome” show in Tacoma, Washington. In spite of the injury, Masvidal was still able to record a unanimous decision victory over Ryan Healy.

The news is disappointing on two fronts.

First, this is the second proposed lightweight title match that has been scrapped due to injury. Melendez was originally supposed to face Josh Thomson but the match was unable to move forward after Thomson required shoulder surgery.

Also, another match that was expected to feature middleweights Joey Villasenor and Joe Riggs could be scrapped after Riggs suffered a back injury last Friday vs. Cory Devela.

An official announcement pertaining to Riggs’ status for the March event has not been made, nor has an official announcement been made as to whether Strikeforce is seeking a replacement for Masvidal.

In what can only be considered as the second landmark deal for mixed martial arts in the past 24 hours, the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Anheuser-Busch announced terms earlier today on a three-year sponsorship agreement that will make Bud Light the new exclusive beer of the UFC.

The announcement was made officially on UFC.com but Adam Swift of MMAPayout.com was the first to report the possibility of a deal between the two in January.

“Landing Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light is huge for us, our fighters and especially our fans,” UFC president Dana White is quoted as saying in a release available on the promotion’s official web site. “We’ve got the number one selling beer in the world and one of the top marketers in all of sports as our sponsor. If our TV ratings, pay-per-view buys and venue sell-outs weren’t enough, this definitely cements UFC as a major player in sports business.”

The deal will commence on May 24 for UFC 84 in Las Vegas at the MGM Garden Arena.

Details of the sponsorship revealed include signage featuring Bud Light to appear on the center mat of the Octagon and on its vertical bumpers during each of the UFC’s 10 or more annual pay-per-view events and featured prominently during UFC press conferences and weigh-in events. Additionally, Bud Light will be the presenting sponsor of two UFC pay-per-view events annually and serve as the official beer sponsor of the four or more UFC Fight Nights.

Beginning on June 1, Bud Light will also appear during a VERSUS telecast as the official beer sponsor of the Zuffa-owned World Extreme Cagefighting promotion.

There might not be anyone in the MMA industry right now that has a stronger background in television that IFL President and CEO Jay Larkin. Based on his vast experience as a television executive, I requested an interview with Larkin to get his response to the recent announced that CBS had agreed to begin televising EliteXC.

Larkin was gracious enough to grant FiveOuncesOfPain.com (www.FiveOuncesOfPain.com) an interview just a little over 24 hours prior to the IFL’s first show of the year on Friday night (11 p.m. ET on HDNet) at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

Sam Caplan: I wanted to get your reactions to today’s announcement that CBS and EliteXC have agreed to partner on a broadcast agreement.

Jay Larkin: I think it is wonderful news. I don’t know the deal terms, obviously I’m not a part of that so I don’t know the details. But just based on that one announcement of a major broadcast network carrying live MMA, I’m overjoyed. I think it’s a wonderful advancement. The fact that I’ve been told it will be on a regular schedule is wonderful. I think congratulations are due to EliteXC and Gary Shaw and I applaud CBS for taking that leap.

Sam Caplan: When I interviewed you a few weeks back for CBSSports.com you mentioned that you felt once the dam breaks that it was going to open up for everyone. What do you think is going to happen next as far as the television outlook is concerned in regard to MMA?

Jay Larkin: The next step of course is what kind of sponsorship and what kind of ratings these shows do on CBS. If the ratings are not good (then) it will be hard to maintain the show. If the sponsorship is not there, same thing. That’s the next thing to wait and see for. But I believe that now the perceived stigma of live MMA will be overcome and with CBS in charge, I believe the other major broadcast and basic cable networks will be more willing to jump in the pool.

Sam Caplan: Are you surprised it was EliteXC that was the first MMA promotion to sign an agreement with a major broadcast network as opposed to the UFC?

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I’ll be a guest on Fight Network Radio today with guest host John Pollock at 3 p.m. ET. We’ll be discussing the CBS/EliteXC deal, the UFC’s announcement, and if we get around to it, possibly UFC 82 (that’s right, there will be fights this weekend!).

You can listen to Fight Network Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio (channel 186) or online at HardcoreSportsRadio.com. If you’d like to call in, the number is 1-888-942-7326.

Update: You can listen to the archive of my appearance by clicking here. I come in around the 10:44 mark. Thanks to host John Pollock for inviting me on!

Official Press Release…

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 28 — The CBS Television Network and ProElite, Inc., a Los Angeles-based leading entertainment and media company that produces world class mixed martial arts (MMA) events, today jointly announced a multi-year agreement that will bring one of the fastest growing spectator sports to a major broadcast television network for the first time.

CBS will broadcast four MMA events per year, produced by ProElite’s EliteXC fight division, as two-hour live primetime specials targeted for Saturday nights.

The agreement augments an existing relationship between CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS and CBS.A) and ProElite (PELE.PK), which began broadcasting its EliteXC live MMA events on CBS’ SHOWTIME premium cable network in 2007. EliteXC events will continue to air on SHOWTIME.

Additionally, CBS Interactive and ProElite’s new media division, ProElite.com, will collaborate on generating interactive content for both companies’ platforms, including CBSSports.com. The online offerings could include streaming of events, clips syndicated across the CBS Audience Network, and other enhanced content to build an online community around each CBS broadcast and ProElite event.

            “Mixed martial arts is one of the fastest growing sports in the country and a wildly popular entertainment vehicle for upscale, young adult audiences,” said Kelly Kahl, Senior Executive Vice President, CBS Primetime. “It’s original programming for Saturday night; it’s live, creating an event-atmosphere; and it’s something that hasn’t been seen on network television, until now.”

            “This is a pivotal moment for the sport of mixed martial arts now that a major television network plans to broadcast live MMA events during primetime hours,” said Douglas DeLuca, Chief Executive Officer of ProElite. “We are delighted to enhance our partnership with CBS to bring American audiences the very best in MMA competition through our EliteXC brand.

“The network television agreement with CBS is an important milestone for ProElite as we continue to implement our growth strategy and develop existing relationships with our international partners.”

“Our world-class fighters and the high production value of our events continue to drive ProElite as a global MMA organization that is fortified by the bedrock foundation of a partnership with CBS,” said Gary Shaw, President of EliteXC. “Broadcasting our events on CBS will instantly engage a new fan base, as well as provide an opportunity for EliteXC to further establish itself as the world’s premier MMA organization.”

The intense nature of the contests and the theatrical elements of its live events have made mixed martial arts one of the fastest growing spectator sports in the United States. Over the last several years, the genre has seen tremendous growth in popularity, especially among the coveted 18-34 demographic.

Expect UFC president Dana White to have a few tricks up his sleeve during today’s UFC 84 press conference in Columbus.

According to MMAjunkie.com, the UFC could announce the addition of a blue chip sponsor to the fold by day’s end:

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from a source close to the UFC that the organization will likely announce the addition of a new blue-chip sponsor.

If I was a betting man, I’d put my money on Budweiser.

While Bud would be big for the UFC and for the sport, the UFC apparently is working on a new television deal:

There have been some rumblings that the UFC may closing in on its own TV deal — one that would supplement the coverage provided by Spike TV — though we were unable to confirm the rumors.

Who could that new television deal possibly be with? Well, according to MMAPayout.com, it could be FOX:

Multiple sources have told MMAPayout.com that FOX is believed to have interest in MMA with rumors suggesting that the network even went so far as to make a bid on the UFC during recent negotiations.

It should be noted that UFC 85 in London this June has not been declared a PPV event. Reports indicate that Spike TV has been approached about televising the show, but we shall see.

That’s not the only notable MMA business development making the rounds this morning. MMAWeekly.com reported last night that Matt Lindland has signed with an unnamed upstart MMA promotion. Lindland wouldn’t name names, but MMA Weekly indicated that Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions and Affliction could be on the verge of starting their own MMA promotion:

Though Lindland would not divulge his new employer’s identity, multiple MMAWeekly sources have confirmed that Affliction – a popular clothing company – is a primary partner in the deal. Sources also indicated that Affliction’s partner in the new promotion is Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.

The new promotion could hold its first show this June in Las Vegas, according to the report. If Golden Boy is really getting into the game then you’ve got to think that HBO could be a potential television partner.

There’s no business like the MMA business.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer reported last night in his daily update that the UFC had planned a major announcement within the next 24 hours. Since Meltzer made that mention, it has gotten a lot of fans curious about the nature of the forthcoming news.

It looks like many UFC fans might have gotten their answer this morning in their e-mail boxes when the UFC officially announced that light heavyweight bouts between Keith Jardine vs. Wanderlei Silva and Lyoto Machida vs. Tito Ortiz have been signed and are scheduled for UFC 84 on May 24 in Las Vegas. Headlining the show will be a UFC lightweight title match between B.J. Penn and Sean Sherk.

That’s going to be an amazing show.

Update: UFC.com is promoting an announcement during today’s UFC 84 press conference in Columbus, Ohio. A special guest is promised and highlights will be shown. Could the guest be Mark Coleman, who will be inducted into the UFC’s Hall of Fame this weekend? Announcing that Coleman is being inducted wouldn’t be a big announcement since it’s already been made public and confirmed by the UFC. However, Coleman being signed to fight in the UFC again would qualify as a big announcement. This is just me thinking out loud.

Normally when I write this style of article, it generates a lot of controversy.

In this isolated case, I’m not sure how anyone can raise an issue with prediction of a Dan Henderson victory over Anderson Silva this Saturday at UFC 82. Just like I can’t raise an issue with someone for picking Silva to beat Henderson.

If this was an NFL game, it would be a pick ‘em. It’s a matchup with a potential outcome that could go either way. If Silva and Henderson fought ten times, they’d each win five. Blah, blah, blah. You get all the cliche’s. But my point is that this is a very even matchup and for anyone planning to do their “I told you so” song and dance after the outcome is official, you need to grow up. This isn’t a fight where you’ll be able to fault anyone who ended up picking the loser. Instead, you should be giving someone the credit for having the stones to make a pick.

It would be real easy for me or anyone else to recuse ourselves from making a prediction by saying “Oh, this one is just too close to call.” But where’s the fun in that? So I decided to “man up” last week and take a sobering look at this matchup. My conclusion is that it’s Silva’s Thai clinch vs. Henderson’s Greco Roman body lock.

And I’m taking the body lock.

The key in this match will be who can control the distance. Silva needs to make sure that he keeps Henderson away from him during the initial portion of the fight. If Henderson can close the distance without paying too steep of a price and lock Silva up, then Silva’s greatest weapons will be neutralized. Silva needs space to operate.

Yes, there isn’t a lot of space in the clinch, and area in which Silva excels at, but he’ll need to stay loose during the beginning portion of the match. Trying to crowbar the clinch in against a naturally strong athlete such as Henderson isn’t advisable. He’s going to need to break Henderson down first before he tries to impose his will and close the distance and in turn go in for the kill.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REMAINDER OF THIS ARTICLE ON SAM CAPLAN’S PROELITE.COM BLOG