With “Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers” on the horizon, it’s time for all of you to have your reality checked once again.

The biggest myth I see in regards to this fight is the effect of a loss by Fedor Emelianenko will have on Strikeforce as a company.

Of course, many have said that a loss by Emelianenko would be a catastrophic disaster for Strikeforce, and would cause the financial ruin of the up and coming promotion, however I could not disagree more, and let me tell you why….

From Strikeforce’s position, this fight is certainly a win/win, regardless of outcome.

The powers that be at Showtime and CBS have finally arrived at the party. Fedor vs. Rogers commercials are now standard issue on primetime and this past weekend’s crossover promotion with NFL football could prove priceless.

While it would be naive to attempt to water down the roll “The Last Emperor” and his legacy of greatness have played in forcing the ball to begin rolling, Brett Rogers and his mohawk are there for the ride as well, and don’t you ever discredit the draw power of a massive heavyweight with a mohawk. Just look at the box office draw for Rocky III as a quick point of reference.

While most people agree Fedor should win this fight, the benefits of a Rogers victory should not go unnoticed. Let’s forget for a minute all we know about MMA. On the surface, Brett Rogers is going to be a pretty easy sell. Big, intimidating, and most importantly from a marketing standpoint undefeated. The reality is this weekend’s Strikeforce event could easily be the most watched mixed martial arts event in history. To have 6-10 million viewers ( a majority of which who will know as much about MMA as Frank Shamrock tells them) watch an undefeated Brett Rogers defeat the man widely recognized as the best heavyweight ever is not a bad thing for Strikeforce. They will have a homegrown superstar at a bargain price.

So much is made about the finances of signing Fedor, the real question for me is how much would it cost to build a homegrown superstar, a household name that a new generation of MMA fans will know and recognize?

Forget us as hardcore fans, we can complain and make a case against Rogers until we are blue in the face. If we are honest with ourselves, we know we will be watching. Furthermore, we will watch next time as well, and the time after that.

Strikeforce has to have a goal set to create new fans, those who up until now have not purchased pay per view or given the sport a chance. New fans are going to be the life blood for Strikeforce, the group of new fans that will listen to the company line and buy it. Zuffa has their fans, we all know them, those who go to bed at night believing “ if the guy isn’t fighting in the UFC he can’t be very good.”

As hard as it may be to believe, Strikeforce can grow a heard of their own. An army of MMA “noobs” who will happily tell you on a Friday night at your local speak-easy that Brett Rogers would smash Brock Lesnar into oblivion. They will know this is true because they watched with their own eyes as Rogers laid waste to “the baddest man on the planet.”

I’m sure many of you remember the finale of TUF 1, a fight that is regarded by most as the most important fight in the history of the UFC. Depending on when you started following the sport, that fight meant different things to different people. While some viewed it as an all out war, others viewed it as a sloppy fight between two reality show fighters with no future.

Perception is reality, the UFC introduced their product on the biggest stage possible ( at the time) , the fight was exciting, and the entire company did their jobs and a whole generation of “Tuf noobs” were born.

Regardless of outcome, Strikeforce will have a similar opportunity with each passing CBS Primetime show.

Two men will fight in this weekend’s main event , and the story that plays out in the cage can only end one of two ways: Either….

A) Strikeforce has the number one heavyweight in the world and they have brought him to you for free on primetime broadcast television.

or

B) Strikeforce has the hottest up and coming superstar in the mixed martial arts world, Brett Rogers, a man who has defeated Andrei Arlovski, and now the consensus number 1 heavyweight on the planet Fedor Emelianenko. A superstar that speaks English, lives in the USA and is available for comment 24/7.

Not bad for a worse case scenario.

With the news breaking that Brock Lesnar pulling out of his scheduled November 21st title defense against Shane Carwin, the question remains , Now What?

I find it to be very unlikely that Carwin would take a fight with a “late” replacement. Title shots are not handed out like free tickets to UFC 104, and I doubt Carwin’s management team are going to be willing to take any chances.

What fight can the UFC set up as a replacement for Carwin vs. Lesnar, that will also be bigger than Tito Ortiz’s return to the Octagon? Save yourself the headache there isn’t one, so it’s time to find a co-main event.

The UFC could try and pull something from the December 12th card. A card that has a title fight with Penn vs. Sanchez and then a list of notable fights.

• Cheick Kongo vs. Frank Mir

• Thiago Alves vs. Jon Fitch

• Kenny Florian vs. Clay Guida

For my money, I’d take Guida vs. Florian if the choice was mine.

The UFC could also just move Phil Baroni vs. Amir Sadollah to the main card, and still have a nice amount of “Free on Spike” fights to chose from.

In reality it appears with less than a month to go, the UFC may need to rely on Ortiz one last time to sell a main event. Given the chance, Ortiz will certainly be able to whip his fans into a frenzy and the mainstream to some extent. Armed with a video camera, a microphone and a “Run Forrest Run” T-shirt, vintage Ortiz can sell a Pay Per View.  I’m sure he can push the great comeback angle, enough so that the event will not be an epic failure. The truth is Forrest Griffen vs. Tito Ortiz is a fight with two of the UFC’s biggest names, both with appeal to the casual fan.

The last option is a bit of a realistic long shot. The UFC makes a co-main event out of two fighters with big enough star power to pull it off, that are both willing to take a fight on one months notice.

Tell me 5oz’s readers, who available, uninjured,  that is not commited to a fight already? Who would YOU mach up?

Welcome to the Live Event coverage of UFC 104, tonight’s Post fight press conference if presented by the UFC and FiveOuncesofPain.com

In tonight’s main event, UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida defeated challenger Mauricio “Shogun” Rua 48-47 on all scorecards. However most people felt Shogun won the fight. Find out what Dana White has to say. In the nights co-main event heavyweight contender Cain Velasquez bested Ben Rothwell in a fight Rothwell clearly felt was stopped pre-mature.

The UFC and FiveOuncesofPain.com invite you to watch today’s UFC104: Machida vs. Shogun weigh-ins LIVE at 7pm ET 4pm PT . The event will take place at the Staples Center and is FREE and open to the public. UFC 104 airs on both pay-per-view (main card) and Spike TV (two-fight preliminary card) live from the Staples Center.

Be sure to stay tuned to FiveOuncesofPain.com for tomorrow’s LIVE play by play coverage UFC 104 and the post fight press conference.

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view starting at 10pm ET)

* Champ Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (for light-heavyweight title)
* Ben Rothwell vs. Cain Velasquez
* Josh Neer vs. Gleison Tibau
* Spencer Fisher vs. Joe Stevenson
* Anthony Johnson vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV 9pm ET)

* Ryan Bader vs. Eric Schafer
* Patrick Barry vs. Antoni Hardonk

PRELIMINARY CARD (Not televised)

* Yushin Okami vs. Chael Sonnen
* Rob Kimmons vs. Jorge Rivera
* Razak Al-Hassan vs. Kyle Kingsbury
* Stefan Struve vs. Chase Gormley

It’s Friday evening, you’re just getting settled in for the first weekend in recent memory without a major MMA event.  You check your email one last time for the evening, and smile.

It appears  the UFC’s Yahoo Sports* reporter  Kevin Iole is reporting that  Strikeforce “is on the verge” of signing Dan Henderson.   It seems awfully odd that Henderson would speak to a reporter  in  Yahoo’s  UFC department.

Upon further review I am shocked to discover it was not Henderson but rather UFC president Dana White giving Iole the inside scoop.  White tells Yahoo’s UFC section, “We have a good relationship with Henderson, and there are no hard feelings,” White said. “He had a figure he believed he was worth, and we had our own figure, and we weren’t able to get together.”

It had been rumored many places that Henderson was seeking a half million dollar guarantee per outing.  While I find that hard to believe, crazier things have happened.

The article by Yahoo’s UFC section went on to say that “ White indicated the company’s contractual right of first refusal had expired and they would not seek to match contract offers Henderson may receive.”

The piece finished out by saying that authough Henderson would be a loss to the company, White feels as if they will be able to manage.

Pretty big news right?  It’s odd to me that a contract negotiation that is going poorly translates into “ Henderson on the verge of signing with Strikeforce”.  Why would one assume that?

Fanhouse.com’s  Michael David Smith  contacted the Henderson camp in response to the above report.  “We had a brief get-to-know-you session with (Strikeforce) and met them for coffee, but to say he’s close to signing would be a gross misrepresentation,” said Henderson’s friend and business partner Aaron Crecy.

I know we’re getting a bit long winded here but let’s  break that news down a little bit.

1. Yahoo’s UFC section, reports  “Henderson on the Verge”
2. The report is based upon the President of the rival company telling them the Henderson negotiations are over.
3. Having NEVER spoken to the Henderson Camp  “Yahoo UFC”  reports he appears to be on the verge of signing with Strikeforce.???

Now that is interesting.   I don’t know where anyone else will fall on this subject, but I find it hard to believe that  Dana White  didn’t know   Scott Coker and the Henderson camp met for “coffee”.   The sport is still quite small, and people appear to love their games.

This has been brewing for quite some time,  the talks of  Henderson demanding  500K  per-fight, and quite honestly the fact that everyone was aware of a contract issue with Henderson was a sign of a looming problem.

REALITY CHECK:

I have little doubt that Henderson is asking for more than Zuffa is willing to give.  It’s often the athlete who’s the last to realize they are  no longer a vital part of the big picture for an organization. In this sport many of us clamor that the athletes “deserve” based upon what they have done for the sport. But the fact remains, we dont write the checks.

Perhaps  Zuffa likes Henderson at  100K  , but not at 200K  per fight,  Perhaps they want to pay him 50K  per fight,  who knows.   Perhaps Henderson really thinks he is worth 500K per fight.  In anycase, White and Co. appear to be done negotiating.  Which of course means it’s nowhere near over. Fact is Strikeforce isn’t paying Henderson 500K per fight, it’s just not going to happen.

Look for Strikeforce to hold their November 7^th show.  People will discuss this topic, all people involved will read the thoughts of public opinion.  If Strikeforce/CBS pull some really big numbers on Saturday Night, and Mousasi looks impressive in his fight.  Zuffa will sign Henderson quickly.   If the Strikeforce ratings are  lackluster, and/or  Mousasi  looks less than impressive,  the process will take longer.  But in the end, Henderson isn’t going anywhere.

This whole situation feels like 7th grade all over again.

* Keep in mind this report is updated with frequency depending on response, and on occasion for looking silly

Kimbo Slice, mixed martial artist, street brawler, entertainer, and family man.  Regardless of how you label the man, one thing is for certain, the word “draw” has to be included on your list.  Whether you support his efforts to become a complete mixed martial artists, or you desire to see him get beat repeatedly, you tune in.

With talk about a possible December 12^th match up with heavy hitting Houston Alexander making its way around the internet, I asked myself a question.  “ How will Kimbo’s drawing power be effected by a loss in his Octagon debut? More importantly,  “ Could Kimbo actually be the catalyst to right what I consider to be one of the major wrongs in American MMA? “

If Kimbo Slice were an NBA player or and NFL draft pick he would be considered a “project”.  An athlete with a tremendous upside, but an equal amount of faults.   Kimbo Slice demands attention.  In a sport filled with more talented fighters, Kimbo is a household name.

Kimbo recently lost his first round bid to be the winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” of season 10.  He was quite easily defeated by Roy Nelson.   This loss however did very little to derail the hype train that proudly steams forward with Spike TV and Zuffa at the controls.

I’m not here to pass judgment on the situation because quite honestly, it’s just good business.   Regardless of what we may consider right or wrong,  it makes good business sense to continue to promote the man who brought you the attention, and possibly a new group followers to your product.  A loss to Houston Alexander in December would likely do very little to damage Slice as a  ticket  and pay per view seller.  As Cory Brady outlined so well “It’s all about how you spin it baby.”   I look for Zuffa to nurture the “Kimbo Slice” character along win or lose  proudly outlining that he is “growing” and “working hard”, and regardless of the outcome he is “entertaining”.

Which brings me to my point, Kimbo Slice could possibly be the catalyst to right a major wrong in American MMA.  For years I enjoyed Pride Fighting Championships.  I enjoyed the product, the match ups, but in my mind the one area they were a world leader in was the ability to appreciate fighters.   Regardless of records, if a fighter was entertaining,  the fighter had a home.   Their audience seemed less concerned with a fighter’s record and more interested in his “warrior spirit”. The company seemed to make a point of appreciating this aspect of the fight game.

For too long the MMA scene in the states has been conditioned in such a way that if you are not fighting for a title or you are not a title contender, you are lucky to still be on the roster.   If a fighter loses he was overrated to begin with, and heaven forbid he lose two in a row.   When this takes place, the fighter is often labeled a “can” and he is not worthy of the big show.

If you fight at 155, 170, or 205 in the UFC  the possibility is greater than ever to lose two fights in a row.  The talent in these divisions is deeper than ever.  Do consecutive losses  make a fighter less entertaining?

A fighter can lose a fight for any number of reasons,  poor training, injury coming into a fight, loss of mental focus, or his skill set is just not in his favor for certain match ups.   Guys like Scott Smith and Jorge Gurgel , they bring their heart every time, and more often than not are part of an entertaining fight.

I’ll be honest,  I would be looking forward to a tenth fight between  Scott Smith vs. Benji Radich or Robbie Lawler over some of the fights promotions put on as  championship fights or fights with “contenders.”

I love the sport, love watching fighters climb the ladder of success and earn championships, but even more than that I like to watch entertaining well matched fights with fighters laying it all out on the line.

For example,  fighter A.  has a record of 27-17-5  how is that viewed ?   Is he a “can”?  Fighter B.  in his last 8 outings has  4 fights of the night , 1 submission of the night, and 1 knockout of the night .  Who would win in this match up? Which one is in danger of losing his job, or not ever being signed?  For the record in the example above, fighters  A and B  are the same guy.

Given the climate of the recent past if this fighter were to lose twice in a row, he would more than likely be cut.

But I hold out hope, the recent signing of Phil Baroni, and the handling of Kimbo Slice could be the start of a new spin.  An effort by Zuffa to focus  fight fans on quality entertaining fights as well as wins, losses, and titles.  With what appears to be a increase in the number of shows per year, and possibly more and more MMA on free television the time is now to help viewers find a new appreciation for fights.  Fights that may not have an impact on the title picture, but certainly do have an impact on a casual fan’s appreciation for the sport and the fighters who perform.

With November 7, 2009 rapidly approaching, am I the only one noticing that the upcoming CBS debut of Strikeforce on national television seems to be lost?

I’ve given it careful thought, ignored, missing, and awful quiet are all words I considered using to describe the upcoming Strikeforce card.  But due to the fact that this article isn’t solely about promotion of this event, lost appears to be the best word possible.

We are 30 days away from what some would view as the most important card in your promotions history, can you tell me about your fight card please?   As of this writing, there is exactly ONE confirmed fight.  That’s right ONE.

Courtesy of Strikeforce.com

LIVE ON CBS!

FIGHT CARD (ADDITIONAL FIGHTS TO BE ADDED SHORTLY)

Fedor Emelianenko (30-1) vs. Brett Rogers (10-0) - 3X5 – Heavyweights

OK, I’m willing to play the game, I’m willing to make the calls, read the news sites, call the managers, call the fighters directly, and email Strikeforce representatives directly.  After all of that, we still have TWO almost confirmed fights.  It appears all but certain that Jake Shields will fight Jason “Mayhem” Miller for the Strikeforce middleweight title.  To be fair, the two fighters have spoken on the record about the fight, and appear to be training for one another.

Outside of  the two fights mentioned above nothing is truly known about this main card.

Today Gegard Mousasi confirmed that he would be fighting on November 7, and defending his Strikeforce title.   This is terrific news, with one exception, no one knows who it is he will be squaring off with in a month.  Sure we can guess and speculate, but should we really have to?  Forget me for a minute, and forget you as a fan and potential paying ticket buyer.  We have every reason to believe the champion is fighting in 30 days and doesn’t know against who.  Let’s break that one down into MMA speak.  Gegard Mousasi, the Strikeforce lightweight champion has roughly 20 days left of actual preparation for a mystery opponent.  Let’s be honest the two names being thrown around do not appear on paper to be much of a threat to the young star, but the fact of the matter is  you would not necessarily  train and game plan for a top level BJJ opponent the same you would a powerful striker.   While it’s romantic to “man up” and fight all challengers, the sport is evolving. People actually train and game plan for fights.   At what point do we have to put an asterisk next to a fight as a “short notice special”.

Short notice fights when used this way are not only unfair to the fighters, they are unfair to the fans.  Will we really see the best fighter A  vs. fighter B  when they have less than a month to prepare?  Let’s not be fooled into thinking these fighters will have a chance to breath from about 2 weeks out.  They will trying to cram 2 months worth of promotion into 2 weeks, making travel arrangements, taking calls from every friend and family member they know. All the while, trying to keep their cardio right, eat right, cut weight, avoid injury,  think about their last second replacement because Fighter B.  did get injured 10 days out.

They appear LOST.  You can’t really tell me Strikeforce is doing this on purpose can you???

Now lets take a look at what is rumored.

• Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers
• Jason Miller vs. Jake Shields (for the Strikeforce middleweight title)
• Gegard Mousasi vs. TBA (for the Strikeforce light-heavyweight title)
• Fabricio Werdum vs. TBA
• Antonio Silva vs. TBA

That’s a whole bunch of TBA. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that  also rumored  is Bobby Lashley.  Strikeforce has the fighters , they have everything it takes to put on a top quality show.   I like Strikeforce,  I would like to see them do well, but I don’t know where they are.   The need to match up 12 fighters, and 30 days out 2 are confirmed matched, 2 are pretty much confirmed , and 1 says he is on the card.   As a fan all the TBA  makes me say WTF.

Have you seen any advertisements for this show??  That’s another story all together.

O Strikeforce, Where art thou?

UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun takes place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif on October 24. In the following video UFC president Dana White and Joe Rogan breakdown Machida vs. Shogun as well as the 104 fight card.

The complete fight card for UFC 104 is listed below.
MAIN CARD

* Champ Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (for light-heavyweight title)
* Ben Rothwell vs. Cain Velasquez
* Josh Neer vs. Gleison Tibau
* Spencer Fisher vs. Joe Stevenson
* Anthony Johnson vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Yushin Okami vs. Chael Sonnen
* Patrick Barry vs. Antoni Hardonk
* Rob Kimmons vs. Jorge Rivera
* Ryan Bader vs. Eric Schafer
* Razak Al-Hassan vs. Kyle Kingsbury
* Stefan Struve vs. Chase Gormley

Kimbo Slice, those two words evoke such emotion among MMA fans, that this weeks episode of The Ultimate Fighter is expected the highest rated in the series ten seasons. Despite how you may personally feel about the man, Kimbo equals cash, and this weeks fight with Roy Nelson is a no lose situation for the UFC.

Once we pull emotion out of the equation, there really are only 4 possible outcomes from this fight. In this edition of “Reality Check” we’ll explore the four scenarios and how everyone involved ( including Kimbo Slice) walks away a winner.

1. Roy Nelson wins a decision. If this is the outcome on Wednesday night I fully expect the world to embrace Kimbo Slice as an emerging talent in the world of Mixed Martial Arts. While he’ll still have his detractors , it will be undeniable that Slice has come to fight, and come to learn and improve. For the unaware, the difference in experience, skill, and proven talent between the two is enormous. And the mere fact that he could take the former IFL champ the distance would be an accomplishment of epic proportions. Winner: Nelson for raising his awareness in the mainstream instantly. Kimbo Slice for showing the dream may not be over. The UFC who will be able to squeeze at least two more fights out of the Kimbo machine
2. Kimbo Slice wins by Knockout: While I’d love to see the Vegas odds makers give me a number to the likelihood of this happening, I just can’t see it. With that tossed to the side, a Kimbo KO of Roy Nelson on national television with 7 million people watching would more than likely cause the internet to melt down, and the average UFC fan to start an immediate campaign for Kimbo to headline against Brock Lesnar on New Years Eve as they have close to the same professional record. Winner: Kimbo. The UFC who will be able to squeeze 5 more fights out of the Kimbo machine. And Roy Nelson , who will become a household name.
3. Roy Nelson wins by Knockout: While this will be the longest road for an all out win for all parties, it’s still going to be a win. If Kimbo gets beat by Roy Nelson, Kimbo will have lost to ROY “BIG COUNTRY” NELSON. By rights Slice should lose to Nelson, the same as I should lose a game of HORSE against Larry Bird. Kimbo losing to a Former IFL champion and a man who other than lack of “Household Name” status has no business on this show, is not a disgrace by any means. The reality is, if you are the UFC and you want to make the most of your Kimbo Cash Machine, a loss to Nelson is probably the best you could have realistically expected. Nelson becomes the name he should have been all along, Slice doesn’t take too much damage in the community, and if Kimbo shows anything, and I mean ANYTHING, people will be forced to wonder “What If” Kimbo fought someone who wasn’t clearly the most talented guy on the show . Winner: The UFC who can get at least 2 more fights out of the Kimbo Machine answering all the “what ifs”. Roy Nelson for becoming a household name instantly, and Kimbo Slice for fighting Nelson and trying to endear himself to the MMA faithful.
4. Kimbo Slice wins by decision: Shy of a horrible injury to Nelson, this is by far the least likely outcome. Nelson is better every where, it’s just fact. When you add 10 long minutes to the mix, every hole in your game is bound to show. The man with fewer weaknesses will be the winner. If by some micracle Kimbo were to hurt Nelson, and keep him hurt for the 9 minutes that would follow on his way to the win, the people who don’t pass out and hurt themselves while falling would probably call Keith Kizer personally and demand and investigation as reality as they know it has ceased to exist. Winner: The UFC who would be able to get another 5 fights out of the Kimbo Machine. Kimbo who will have closed the mouths of all who spoke ill of him, Roy Nelson who would become a household name, and most of all Mike Goldberg who will be able to utter..”Well Joe, you just never know. On any given night……….blah blah blah………Remember Kimbo Slice against all odds defeated former IFL champion and one of the UFC’s top rated heavy weights Roy Nelson on The Ultimate Fighter Reality show”

The reality is this is a no lose for Slice and the UFC. Win or lose Kimbo will fight in the UFC, Nelson will jump start his blue coller popularity, and the UFC will likely wake up Thursday morning with 2 mainstream superstars instead of one. Kimbo Slice vs. Roy Nelson…………Well played Gentlemen.

Say your piece  5oz’s  reader, tell me how this fight goes.

Join FiveOuncesofPain.com tonight for Live Coverage and Results of STRIKEFORCE Challengers: Cummings vs. Kennedy. The event originates from the SpiritBank Event Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma and will be televised on Showtime starting at 11p.m. EST.

Stay tuned to FiveOuncesofPain.com this evening for Live Results of tonights undercard, and Play by Play of the main card starting at 11p.m. EST, and the undercard beginning at 9p.m.

In the main event on SHOWTIME, American military hero Tim Kennedy (10-2) of Fayetteville, N.C., will face unbeaten Zak Cummings (10-0) of Springfield, Missouri in a middleweight (185 pounds) scrap. Both weighed in at exactly 186 pounds on Thursday.

Other fights include a showdown between promising, unbeaten local favorites Thomas Longacre (4-0) and Travis “The Dark Knight’’ Calanoc (4-0). K-1 legend and six-time world kickboxing champion, Ray “Sugarfoot” Sefo (1-0) of Las Vegas takes on Alabama-born Kevin “The Shaman” Jordan (11-7) in a heavyweight match, budding superstar and two-time All-American wrestler at the University of Missouri, Tyron “T-Wood’’ Woodley (5-0) of St. Louis, will face his sternest test to date when he meets former Tito Ortiz protégé, Zach “The Lisbon Outlaw’’ Light (4-8) of Huntington Beach, Calif., in a welterweight (170 pounds) fight.

MAIN CARD

Tim Kennedy def. Zak Cummings via submission

Ray Sefo def.Kevin Jordan via submission ( verbal tap) ~ :26, Round 2.
Tyron Woodley def. Zach Light~ via submission ( armbar)~3:38, Round 2.
Thomas Longacre def Travis Calonoc via unanimous decision
Daniel Cormier def. Gary Frazier via TKO ~ 3:39, Round 2.

Jeri Sitzes def. Lacey Schuckman via TKO ~2:18, Round 3.
Paul Bradley def. Levi Avera via unanimous decision
Trey Houston def. Brandon Gaines via submission ( Arm Triangle) ~ 1:28, Round 2.
Kenny Giddens def. Jon Carson via submission (D’arce choke)~ 4:15, Round 2.
Josh Pulsifer def. Nick Gibbons via submission (D’arce choke)~ 1:05, Round 1.
Dillon Smith def. Lemont Davis via submission (RNC) ~1:15, Round 1.

It’s been an interesting couple days in the world of Mixed Martial Art’s as it pertains to the status of some of the sports better known stars. With the word “retirement” being tossed around and  Quinton Jackson dropping the bombshell “I’m done fighting” yesterday, what better time to take inventory of who’s in and who’s out.

Roger Huerta: It was earlier this year when Huerta and his management made it clear that they had not intentions on signing a contract renewal that would have locked the young superstar into the UFC for an additional 5 fights. At the time it appeared Huerta would join an ever growing list of fighters who wanted to try their hand at acting. Huerta appeared poised to walk away from the sport as he was preparing to enter his prime.

It appears after back to back losses, Huerta is having a change of heart.

“Hopefully we get something going with that, but I’m not going to prioritize (acting) now. I’ll still prioritize fighting. If the UFC wants me back, I’d be willing to go back.” Huerta told Sherdog’s Loretta Hunt.

It is this writers opinion that there were a few circumstances that led to Huerta’s January decision.
A quick look at the lightweights fight record shows 5 fights in 2007, a heavy load for anyone. If he only committed to 6 week training camps, Huerta would have been on a diet for 30 weeks that year, not to mention finishing college in that time, as well as being the UFC’s ambassador to all things Mexico.

Before we all sit behind our keyboards and imagine that as some type of perfect situation, lets consider the 5 fights the year before that, and the 10 fights in the previous twelve months to that.
Fighters want to fight, and we as fans appreciate that, however one can only imagine the actual work that goes into preparing to step into a cage and be serious about it.

Furthermore I’m not going to speculate about Huerta’s money, on paper it’s not quite impressive given the work load. But we must keep in mind the UFC has always advised they take care of their fighters, and all things financial are not public record.

I think this whole situation was a simple case of burnout with a side order of leverage. But for the purpose of this article, I’m going to simply come to the conclusion that I believe Huerta thought he was going to pursue acting when he said it. The subsequent time off has given the young fighter time to refocus and decide what is important to him. The UFC tossing him into the deep end of the talent pool has taken any play for leverage away, and is possibly responsible for “El Matadors” new found focus.

Frank Trigg: Recent reports indicated that Dana White had expressed that he felt the welterweight was done, and would not get another fight in the UFC. Trigg responded to the news by saying “If the UFC cuts me, I’m done fighting.”

Controversy followed which has become very normal for Trigg, with many expressing their support for the fighter, while others applauded the apparent decision by the UFC.

My feelings about Frank Trigg are unimportant , but I can say that I understand his statement in regards to his career path. He doesn’t want to take a step backwards and would rather step away than do so. He is a competitor on a very high level, has fought the best that 170 has to offer, and has paid his dues to “the game.”

I must say I was pleasantly surprised that it appears the UFC has decided to give Trigg another fight. While he may not be a top 3 welterweight in the UFC, Trigg is always entertaining and comes to fight. I have always wished the UFC would make an effort to ( and honestly they have improved in this area greatly over the last year) educate fans about the sport. Not every fighter will be a champion, not every fighter will fight for a title. But fighters who entertain, and leave it all in the cage are a commodity and need to be treated as such. I for one will take an exciting undercard fight over a lackluster title fight any day of the week.

Quinton Jackson: On the surface, Wow what a bombshell. If it wasn’t for some bizarre behavior in the past I would say he doesn’t even believe he has retired.

Let me be clear when I say, I believe Rampage believes he is done fighting. Or at least he believed it when he typed it.

Rampage’s blog covered many grievances that he has had with the UFC. Ranging from his fight schedule, to Dana White’s subsequent response to his film career.

Is Rampage justified to be upset? Sure. Should Dana White handle things differently when it comes to his public opinions? Maybe.

All that aside, do you believe Rampage Jackson is done fighting? Of course you don’t. I’m having a really hard time caring on any level that is deeper than reading a post on TMZ. Maybe it’s true , it’s probably not, I was just entertained for 20 seconds.

Jackson is in the prime of his fighting career, Jackson likes to be paid. The UFC ( on paper) pays Rampage pretty well, and lets not underestimate that they ( the UFC) stood by Jackson’s side during a very difficult time, a move that they didn’t need to make.

I fully expect one of a few scenario’s to play out. Dana will squash this nonsense when he is good and ready. We’ll all get the obligatory You Tube video with the two of them saying they talked it out and everything is back on track. Or for the UFC to do absolutely nothing and wait for “Rampage” to work though his “issues” once again. In either case I expect it to take place right around the time that Season 10 of TUF comes to a close.

So until we get definitive proof to the contrary Aliens have placed a classified ad . Western civilization will reach its lowest point this Friday at 3:32, and Rampage Jackson is done fighting.

Anthony Johnson will not be able to face Matt Brown as scheduled on June 20 during the live finale for the ninth season of The Ultimate Fighter.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com learned of the news from multiple sources close to the fight on Monday afternoon.

Johnson, 7-2, apparently suffered a severe knee injury while preparing for his welterweight contest vs. Brown. There’s no word regarding how long he will be sidelined.

Additionally, immediate word was not available regarding whether Brown would remain on the card against a replacement.

Johnson was signed to a UFC contract just three fights into his pro career. Entering the Octagon with a perfect 3-0 record in his UFC debut vs. Chad Reiner at UFC Fight Night 10 in June of 2007, Johnson improved to 4-0 after requiring just 13 seconds into the fight to defeat Reiner.

He would sustain his first career loss in his very next fight at UFC 76 in September of the same year, submitting to Rich Clementi due to a guillotine choke at 3:05 of round 2. Since that time, Johnson has gone 3-1 and has boosted his stock with all three of his wins coming via KO or TKO.

Brown, 9-7, is an alumnus of the seventh season of The Ultimate Fighter. A talented and tough fighter, Brown entered the competition with a less than stellar record, based somewhat on the fact that he was held back by personal issues during the early stages of his career.

Since becoming a permanent member of the UFC roster, Brown has compiled a 3-1 record with wins over Matt Arroyo, Ryan Thomas, and Pete Sell. His only defeat was a split decision loss to Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 88 this past September.

The TUF 9 finale will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Pearl at the Palms and will be headlined by a lightweight bout between Diego Sanchez and Clay Guida. In addition to the lightweight and welterweight finals of TUF 9, a lightweight bout between Nate Diaz and Joe Stevenson is also scheduled.

Elite Army special forces member Tim Kennedy could be on the verge of resuming his fighting career with the Strikeforce promotion, FiveOuncesOfPain.com has learned.

Five Ounces of Pain learned of the news from sources within the industry late last week. The news has yet to be confirmed by officials with Strikeforce or representatives of Kennedy. His debut could take place during a Strikeforce Challengers event on Friday, June 19.

If a deal can be finalized, Strikeforce will have landed a coveted free agent that several other major promotions, including the UFC, have been pursuing.

Kennedy, 9-2, has not competed since a first round knockout of Elias Rivera during the now-defunct IFL’s World Grand Prix finals on Dec. 29, 2007. The two-plus year hiatus was due to the fact that Kennedy has remained an active member of the United States Army while pursuing his fighting career. He was deployed overseas early last year and did not return until this past December.

During an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com this past January, Kennedy revealed that he had been injured in an IED (improvised explosive device) attack prior to finishing his deployment.

“I got a little bit of shrapnel wounds; some to my face and some to my arm,” Kennedy said. “And then when I was trying to pick a guy up who was a part of the explosion, I didn’t permanently injure anything in my biceps but my adrenaline was going and his body was kind of heavy. As far as recovery, I am 100 percent.”
Since returning to the States, Kennedy has intensified his training in preparation for his return to MMA.

Limited to being a part-time fighter for the majority of his eight-year pro MMA career, it is expected that Kennedy will now be allowed to fight full-time while still remaining an active member of the United States Armed Forces.

With notable wins in his career over Jason “Mayhem” Miller, Dante Rivera, Hector Urbina, and Ryan McGivern, Kennedy would be an integral part of a Strikeforce middleweight division that includes champion Cung Le, former champion Frank Shamrock, Scott Smith, Robbie Lawler, and Benji Radach.

A return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship could be on the horizon for Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic.

According to a post attributed to Filipovic on his official page at the European social MMA networking site MMA-ID.com, Cro Cop’s first fight back in the Octagon will be against Mustapha Al-Turk.

“So we have some big news!,” the post under Cro Cop’s official account began. “I decided to fight in the UFC again, because of the stronger competition in the heavyweight division. My next opponent will be Mustapha Al-Turk.”

The UFC has yet to make any official announcement regarding Cro Cop’s return.

Speculation has been running rampant since the post that Cro Cop will return on June 13 at UFC 99 in Cologne, Germany, but he did not reveal a specific date for his bout vs. Al-Turk.

Flilpovic, 24-6-2, has not competed in the UFC since a unanimous decision loss to Cheick Kongo at UFC 75 on Sept. 8, 2007. After accepting a lucrative offer to leave PRIDE, the defeat dropped his Octagon record to a disappointing 1-2 and prompted UFC officials to allow him to compete elsewhere.

In three fights outside of the UFC, Cro Cop went 2-0 with a no contest while competing for DREAM and sibling promotion K-1. In his post at MMA-ID, Cro Cop expressed his appreciation for being given a second chance and acknowledged he has a lot to prove.

I didn’t do well in my first three appearances – I wasn’t myself. By returning to the cage I want to prove that I can still fight at highest level, no matter when or where.

“I want to say thank you Mr. Dana White for your interest and for an invitation back to the UFC,” his official page states. “I owe you a lot from our first deal, and I’ll make it up to you.”

A new report by Michael Woods of FiveOuncesOfPain.com’s official content partner CBSSports.com claims that former pound-for-pound boxing king Roy Jones Jr. has offered to fight current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva under MMA rules inside of a UFC Octagon.

The proposed Silva vs. Jones showdown made headlines last summer after the two fighters tried to agree to fight outside of the UFC under professional boxing rules. Silva’s contract with the UFC required permission from the promotion to accept such a match and UFC President Dana White turned down the request.

According to Woods’ report, White has once again turned down the request even in spite of the fact that Jones is willing to fight Silva under his terms.

“You won’t see a Silva versus Jones fight while Silva is under contract with me,” White is quoted in the CBSSports.com article. “I don’t want to say anything bad about Roy Jones, I like Roy Jones and was a fan of his, but he mattered like fifteen years ago. He’s not anywhere near the best boxer in the world. He must’ve spent all his money.”

The 40-year old Jones competed in boxing as recently as March, defeating Omar Sheika in Jones’ hometown of Pensacola, Florida during the “March Badness” PPV event produced by his own Squared Ring Promotions.

Despite no longer currently being in his prime, one would have to think that a Jones vs. Silva MMA bout promoted by the UFC could draw significant numbers in the box office. White agrees, but doesn’t believe that such a matchup is good for the image of his company.

“I could do it, make it huge, make money,” White began to tell Woods. “But I could have done a fight like this when we were bleeding money (in the early 2000s). The fight would make some money, but it hurts MMA in the long term. We don’t do that because we love the sport. That’s a Pride or K-1 matchup. It’s not what we do.”

Strikeforce has officially announced that its second installment of the Strikeforce Challengers fight series on Showtime is slated for Friday, June 19 at the ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash.

The announced main event is a middleweight attraction between former EliteXC middleweight title challenger Joey Villasenor and former PRIDE competitor Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos, the husband of Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos.

Additionally, former UFC fighters Jorge Gurgel and Dennis “Superman” Hallman have officially been announced for the card as well, in separate bouts.

Hallman is a significant addition to the Strikeforce roster. With a record of 40-12-2, he was won his last four fights. A 12-year veteran of the sport, Hallman went just 1-3 in the UFC but holds two career victories over former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes.

For Gurgel, the Hallman fight will mark his first bout under the Strikeforce banner after signing a multi-fight agreement with the promotion upon receiving his release from the UFC. Noted as an outstanding jiu-jitsu trainer, Gurgel received his walking papers in November after suffering his second consecutive loss in the Octagon.

The second straight defeat came at the hands of Aaron Riley via unanimous decision at UFC 91. His previous loss occurred at UFC 86 in July when he was submitted by Cole Miller via triangle choke. Currently 12-5 overall, Gurgel ended his UFC tenure with a 3-4 record that included notable wins over John Halverson, Diego Saraiva, and Danny Abbadi.

Opponents for Hallman and Gurgel have yet to be announced, but published reports that Conor Heun of MTV’s Bully Beatdown fame will be taking on Gurgel.

Strikeforce’s official announcement also states that Washington-based prospect Cory Devela, 9-2, will be featured on the card as well. Devela, a protege of Hallman’s, has not fought since suffering a third round knockout defeat against ex-UFC veteran Terry Martin during Strikeforce’s second event at the Playboy Mansion.

One matchup not yet officially announced by Strikeforce but expected to be soon is a lightweight encounter between Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm and Duane “Bang” Ludwig that was first reported by Cory Brady of FiveOuncesOfPain.com.

Tickets for the June 19 event will go on-sale this Friday at the ShoWare Center Box Office as well as ShoWareCenter.com.

Yesterday middleweight Jason MacDonald revealed that he had been released by the UFC and today multiple reports indicate that three other fighters have been released by the promotion in the wake of their defeats at UFC 97 in Montreal earlier this month.

MMAjunkie.com reported earlier in the day that David Loiseau’s second tour of duty in the UFC lasted all of one fight. Loiseau now finds himself out of the promotion against following his unanimous decision defeat on April 18 at the Bell Centre.

And now a report by Fighters Only reveals that Ryo Chonan and David Bielkheden are also no longer on the UFC roster. Chonan, a former star in the PRIDE Bushido series, saw his lifetime record inside the Octagon fall to 1-3 following a split decision defeat to newcomer T.J. Grant. Meanwhile, Bielkheden, a Swedish fighter, fell to 1-2 in the UFC after being submitted by Mark Bocek at 4:57 of round 1.

MacDonald, Chonan, Loiseau, Bielkheden bring the total number of fights cut following UFC 97 to five as season eight light heavyweight finalist Vinny Magalhaes was also released following his unanimous decision loss to Eliot Marshall.

A long-awaited heavyweight clash between WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko and former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett could be close to becoming a reality, according to a report on M-1Global.com, the official English-language website of M-1.

Rumors of the matchup began to surface yesterday, but the official M-1 site quotes company President Vadim Finkelchtein as confirming that official talks are taking place and that Fedor vs. Barnett could become official within the next ten days.

Emelianenko, 30-1, last competed on Jan. 24 during Affliction’s “Day of Reckoning” event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. After getting off to a slow start vs. former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, Emelianenko rebounded after connecting with a cross while Arlovski attempted to deliver a flying knee. The fight was officially ruled a knockout at 3:14 of round 1.

Barnett also competed on the same card, defeating former PRIDE heavyweight Gilbert Yvel at 3:05 of round 3 after Yvel submitted due to repeated punches on the ground. The victory improved Barnett’s lifetime MMA record to 24-5 and extended his win streak to four.

According to the M-1Global.com report, if finalized, Fedor vs. Barnett could take place at a co-promoted Affliction and M-1 event in early-August with the Honda Center in Anaheim likely to be the host venue.

Update: Ariel Helwani of AOL’s MMA FanHouse contacted Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio ,who clearly stated nothing has been finalized. “I haven’t finalized it yet,” Atencio is quoted as telling Helwani. “You know me, I like to get everything finalized before making an announcement.”

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has released Jason MacDonald from its roster of middleweight fighters.

MacDonald confirmed the news on Monday in a column for the Sportsnet.Ca website.

“I received an e-mail Saturday from the UFC, from their legal department, saying ‘my services were no longer needed’ and ‘my contract has been terminated,’” wrote MacDonald.

Nicknamed “The Athlete,” MacDonald started off his UFC career strong with consecutive guillotine choke submission wins over Ed Herman and Chris Leben in 2006. However, MacDonald had struggled as of late, losing three out of his last four fights.

MacDonald’s most recent defeat took place at UFC 97 last month in Montreal, Canada, where he was TKO’d by Nate Quarry due to elbows just 2:27 into their fight. His previous fight during the live finale for the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter also ended in a loss following a first round submission against Wilson Gouveia due to elbows.

It appears as though MacDonald is taking the setback in stride.

“I spoke with UFC matchmaker Joe Silva and we are still on good terms,” said MacDonald. “He said to go out there and put together some wins and they’d like me to be back. I’ve always had a positive relationship with the UFC, and even Joe said I was always a pleasure to deal with.”

While a Strikeforce light heavyweight title defense by Renato “Babalu” Sobral against Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante that had been scheduled for Strikeforce’s June 6 show is off, Feijao will remain on the card and will instead square off against fellow EliteXC alum Jared Hamman.

The news comes via a report by Loretta Hunt of Sherdog.com.

Feijao and Hamman will square off during the June 6 event to be televised on Showtime and emanating from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO.

Feijao, 7-1, trains under Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Anderson Silva and is 3-0 since moving from heavyweight to light heavyweight. The former veterinarian student from Brazil has not competed since a first round TKO over Travis Galbraith during EliteXC’s “Unfinished Business” event in Stockton, Calif. in July. The victory marked the third consecutive fight in which Feijao had stopped his opponent in the first round.

Hamman, a former college football standout, is 10-1 since making his MMA debut in April of 2006. He last competed in August during headlining bout on ShoXC against Poai Suganuma. The matchup was a rematch stemming from Hamman’s controversial loss last April to Suganuma, in which the bout was stopped just 15 seconds into the contest after Hamman was the recipitient of a flying knee. Hamman evened the score the second time around by recording a TKO victory over Suganuma at 2:34 of round 1.

Training under former IFL light heavyweight champion Vladimir Matyushenko, Hamman has recorded notable wins in his career over Aaron Rosa, Rogent Lloret, as well as PRIDE and UFC veteran Travis Wiuff.

In addition to Hamman vs. Feijao, the June 6 event will be headlined by former EliteXC middleweight champion Robbie Lawler taking on former EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shields. Phil Baroni and Joe Riggs are also scheduled to do battle in a welterweight contest.