The UFC card would take place inside Aloha Stadium, a venue seating 50,000 people when completely filled.

“We’re still working on that, but we want to do it,” said White, in a recent interview with MMAWeekly. “We’re coming regardless (of the Penn situation). But that was the fight I really wanted to do there.”

While nothing is set, it is possible Penn could decide to come back to MMA once an event is confirmed for Hawaii. Penn decided to hang up his gloves after falling to Nick Diaz at UFC 137 but has since come out to say he might be willing to return once his batteries are recharged if the situation is right.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

After Penn dropped his UFC lightweight title to Frankie Edgar, he says his own coaches asked him to take some time off and get his mind focused back on the sport. Instead, Penn took an immediate rematch with Edgar and lost. A win over Matt Hughes seemed to right his course, but Penn went to a draw with Jon Fitch before falling to Diaz.

Now, Penn seems to be questioning his own desire to continue competing in MMA.

“If I ever feel it again, I’ll come back,” said Penn, in an interview featured on Inside MMA recently. “If it interests me, if it excites me, I don’t want to be sitting in the locker room saying, ‘I can’t believe I’m still doing this.’ If it excites me, we’ll see how everything goes, but I definitely need some time away.”

Penn might just wait for a possible rematch with Fitch, or another big-time fight that could place him back among the contenders at either lightweight or welterweight.

Here is the entire video clip below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Penn, who fought to a draw with Jon Fitch earlier this year, needs to finish off their war after the two called each other out. Penn and Fitch are two of the greatest fighters in the history of the UFC, and they need to settle their differences before either retires.

While he is currently competing at welterweight, Penn will forever be known as one of the best lightweights in history. He may not be able to match up with the likes of current champ Frankie Edgar or Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez, Penn would make a great opponent for Gray Maynard, Ben Henderson, or even Clay Guida.

Penn has re-focused himself on his training and would make an excellent candidate for The Ultimate Fighter (plus the show would give him a break to re-collect himself and re-ignite the fire inside). He previously coached on the groundbreaking reality series during Season 5, and now with the transition to FOX the name and face of Penn would help push the ratings to an even higher level.

“The Prodigy” has every right to do what he wants in terms of his MMA career, but I am hoping that he continues to compete as Penn is one of the best ever to fight in the UFC.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

UFC 137 is set for tonight from Las Vegas, Nevada’s Mandalay Bay Events Center with the PPV also featuring Matt Mitrione vs. Cheick Kongo in the co-main event.

Penn, who originally was scheduled to meet Carlos Condit, has remained a follower of Diaz for quite some time. In fact, he sees quite a bit of himself in Diaz.

“I’ve kept a close eye on Nick Diaz’ career. He’s one of my favorite fighters that I love to watch out there and I think right now, he’s probably the best boxer in mixed martial arts today,” said Penn, in a recent conference call with media. “He spars with Andre Ward, he was signed to fight Jeff Lacy, he was considered to fight Roy Jones Jr., and with accolades like that and with the performances that he puts on in the right, with a high volume of punches and all those things, I definitely think that he’s probably the best boxer in the sport today.”

Penn has held the UFC title before, while Diaz was the Strikeforce champion when he signed with the company. The two have stepped inside the cage countless times against some of the best fighters in the world.

“We’re similar in a lot of the same ways. With the boxing, with the jiu-jitsu and with the way our careers have gone,” Penn said. “Once in a while we end up clashing with the powers that be, and it just ends up going that way for some reason. There are a lot of similarities between me and that guy (Diaz).”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

However, Penn will find himself in that very situation this weekend when he stands across the Octagon from Nick Diaz – successful in ten straight – as the main event of UFC 137.

Earlier this week the UFC aired the organization’s standard Countdown program for UFC 137 where the journey to Saturday night’s scrap was chronicled including a number of interesting tidbits such as Diaz’s admiration of the popular Hawaiian, the son of Stockton talking about struggles as a youth, and a tentative Penn shooting guns with training partners Matt Hughes and Jeremy Horn.

You can watch the entire segment dedicated to UFC 137’s headlining tilt below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

While there might be a million things B.J. Penn could be concerned with going into this weekend’s headlining fight against Nick Diaz at UFC 137 there is only one thing on his mind – winning.

Penn recently elaborated on his new mindset when it comes to competition in his blog for Yahoo Sports where he said all he truly cares about is coming away with his hand raised; not puffing his chest out to prove he’s the baddest kid on the block, not winning a third UFC championship.

Regarding a conference call from last week Diaz showed up forty minutes late for, rather than blow his top or feel insulted, Penn wrote, “I didn’t find it disrespectful; I think it is Nick being Nick, and he’s not gonna change. He’s going to do what he’s going to do, and not do what he’s not going to do. That is cool. I know he will show up for the fight and it will be a great fight in the new UFC 137 main event…That’s all that really matters – who wins this fight and who loses.”

“At this stage in my life, I feel I am too old to talk smack,” the 32-year old Hawaiian continued, also adding he had no problem with Georges St. Pierre withdrawing because at the end of the day the result of his fight with Carlos Condit is all people will remember. “As I get older, what I realize is that all anyone remembers is who wins fights. I find the smack talking funny when fighters do it, but no one remembers anything except who wins the fights.”

“As far as having to hate everyone I fight, or proving I can outbox a boxer, or tap out the best BJJ guy, I don’t need to prove that anymore,” Penn explained. “What I want to do is fight hard, win some big fights and see what happens. I’d like to win the title, but I don’t think about that…The funny thing is that title shots – and who gets title shots – are all about timing. If I had beaten Jon Fitch in Sydney in February and not had a Draw, I would have gotten a title shot. But now, even if I beat Diaz, I may not get a title shot.”

Rather than focus on things outside of his control, Penn will instead concentrate on the mountain he has to climb this Saturday night.

“Beating Diaz, title fight or no title fight, is a big deal. He’s a great fighter and dangerous anywhere. I won’t disrespect him, the fans or myself by not concentrating 100 percent on this fight at UFC 137.”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

After finding out his original UFC 137 opponent, Carlos Condit, had been called up to fight UFC welterweight title-holder Georges St. Pierre, Penn was hoping he would get his rematch with Fitch. Instead, Penn found out his new opponent was former Strikeforce welterweight king Nick Diaz.

“I was sitting down eating sushi and Matt Hughes shoots me a text,” said Penn in a conference call with media relating to next weekend’s event. “He’s like, ‘Hey, who are you fighting?’ I thought maybe Carlos got hurt and then I heard about the whole thing that happened with Diaz and not showing up for the press conferences and all that stuff.”

“Fitch keeps on saying all this stuff that he can beat me easy and all these things, so first think I do is I call up Dana White,” the popular Hawaiian continued. “I say, ‘You know what? Perfect, let’s fight Fitch. He said he’s ready to go and said he’s love to fight me.’”

Penn further elaborated, stating he tried to push White into making the match but the UFC President kept on telling him Fitch was injured and wouldn’t be ready to go in October. With that being the case, Penn accepted the Diaz fight and now the two will be in the main event on October 29 from Las Vegas due to GSP having to pull out of the Condit bout with a knee injury.

As for Fitch, Penn said, “I’ll fight Fitch anytime. I’d love to fight him again.”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The popular Hawaiian recently opened up about the situation in a video series through sponsor RVCA where he explained he was far from the first to know he was being slotted against Diaz.

“I’m in the middle of training camp,” Penn recalled thinking. “I’m up here in California training for the last 45 days, preparing for the fight, and they pulled a switch on me without even letting me know.”

After checking his bout agreement to make sure it was even legal to do, Penn said he spoke to Dana White and hammered out the specifics. However, that didn’t prevent the UFC icon from speaking with Diaz’s camp to see if there were any alternatives.

“We tried to get different fights, because I’ve trained with Nick Diaz – I’ve used him as a training partner before – and he’s a good buddy. We actually talk on the phone and hang out when we see each other,” Penn explained.

With Condit and Georges St. Pierre already locked up, and Jon Fitch’s health still uncertain, the two colorful competitors agreed it made sense for them to face off based on the divisional importance.

“We talked about it and we tried to find different opponents (but) at the end of the day there (aren’t) too many guys out there.”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

“This is crazy but here we go again! You wanted it so you got it,” White wrote to fans through his Twitter account.

The UFC’s decision to involve Diaz in another major fight on the same card is sure to be a controversial one after months of anticipation were tossed aside yesterday when the former Strikeforce welterweight champ no-showed a press conference in Las Vegas after doing the same in relation to a previous one. Diaz’s behavior drew criticism from fans, his employers, the press, and even trainer/manager Cesar Gracie, typically one of the Californian’s staunchest supporters.

Diaz also made matters worse by going on YouTube shortly thereafter and offering a tongue-in-cheek apology for “missing the beauty pageant”.

His newly-named opponent, Penn, was also affected by Diaz’s lackluster professionalism after watching Carlos Condit, who he was to face at UFC 137, be plucked from the bout and given an opportunity to fight GSP for the championship.

However, the past is the past and the public can now look to the future – specifically October 29 – where Diaz and Penn are concerned. The two former title-holders will enter the Octagon with a combined record of 41-14-2 with 34 finishing performances including twenty TKOs and fourteen submissions.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE/UFC

The surprising shift in matchmaking first came to light late Monday afternoon when Penn took to his Twitter and, in a message directed to Fitch, said UFC VP of Talent Relations Joe Silva had relayed the public’s preference to him in an earlier conversation and explained the company would not be having them fight again this October as had been rumored.

Now a new candidate has surfaced as a possibility for the popular Hawaiian with contendership implications still very much in the equation – Carlos Condit.

Both fighters have publicly agreed to the match-up through Twitter with Penn referring to UFC 137 as the targeted event. If the bout does indeed occur on October 29 the two will join a lineup already scheduled to feature another pair of highly-touted welterweights with Georges St. Pierre defending his UFC title in headlining action against former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz.

The 27-5 Condit has had his hands raised in four straight outings including back-to-back finishes in the first round against Dan Hardy and most recently Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 132 bringing his remarkable total of stoppages to twenty six in twenty seven total victories . He also holds wins in the Octagon against Rory MacDonald and Jake Ellenberger as well as experienced past success against Brock Larson and Frank Trigg.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The story was first reported by MMAJunkie.com

UPDATE: Penn recently went on his website and explained he had actually injured his shoulder as well, albeit prior to the Fitch fight, as well as aggravated it during their three-round affair. He did not specify the damage but said he would not be ready to train again for 6-8 weeks.

The Fourth of July Weekend event was supposed to play host to a Penn vs. Fitch rematch after the two previously met in February at UFC 127 in Sydney, Australia. The first bout ended in an unsatisfying draw and a rematch was immediately scheduled.

The card is scheduled for July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show will be headlined by a UFC Bantamweight Title fight between champion Dominick Cruz and contender Urijah Faber.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Such was the case last week when word surfaced Jon Fitch had been forced out of a scheduled bout with B.J. Penn at UFC 132 due to an undisclosed shoulder injury. The two had been set to meet after fighting to a Draw in February as means of determining the welterweight division’s top contender.

While the perception may be the UFC caught a break based on the affected event taking place in July rather than two weeks from today, the reality is the problem is far more complex than simply slotting a new name opposite Penn’s and calling it a day. Penn is by no means your average fighter for reasons beyond simply his phenomenal ability in the ring. He is a complex individual requiring motivation beyond money of which he already has plenty in the bank; who genuinely seemed to be on the cusp of retirement after underperforming in his estimation against Fitch at UFC 127.

Who should the UFC call upon to fill Fitch’s vacancy? With such a deep roster there are plenty of options but how many actually make sense and would spark Penn’s interest? It may actually be fewer than you think…

Anthony Johnson: Johnson falls into the category of fighters who are certainly talented enough to make a fight with Penn competitive but don’t carry the necessary name-value to co-headline a PPV or inspire B.J. to put his legacy on the line (See also: Martin Kampmann, Mike Pyle). “Rumble” would pose problems for Penn where wrestling and size are concerned but he’s also coming off an extended layoff and didn’t do himself any favors with fans by taking Dan Hardy down repeatedly after guaranteeing a stand-up war in media appearances prior to the bout. From 1-10 with ten being the most realistic/best possible choice to face Penn he’s a “3”.

Diego Sanchez: Sanchez is certainly a big enough draw and he’s coming off a win but let’s not forget the absolute decimation he suffered at the limbs of Penn when they fought in 2009. In fact it would be interesting to see if Sanchez even wanted the bout based on comments he made about how the loss impacted his psyche. However, things could arguably go different at welterweight than they did at 155-pounds so it’s at least worth considering…just not for long. He rates as a “5”.

Thiago Alves: Unfortunately, Alves is already booked to face Rick Story at UFC 130 on May 28 so it would take some reshuffling for the “Pitbull” and “Prodigy” to meet. Even if Alves wins in dominating fashion a six-week camp in preparation for Penn would make as much sense as Shonie Carter competing in sweatpants. As such he’s a “1” based purely on scheduling though granted it would definitely be edge-of-your-couch-cushion stuff if the UFC decided to scrap the Story fight in favor of a match-up with Penn.

Carlos Condit: The UFC should seriously consider Condit as a replacement for Fitch. He is a former champion who has won eleven of his last twelve bouts (with the exception being a Split Decision to Kampmann), is on a three-fight winning streak, and has finished 25 of the 26 opponents he’s beaten. Those factors not only make him divisionally relevant but a stiff challenge for Penn, plus he arguably matches the Hawaiian’s intensity in the ring which would almost certainly create fireworks in the Octagon if the two faced off. The “Natural Born Killer” is also available after having to withdraw from a February fight with Chris Lytle with a minor knee injury. 9 out of 10.

Jake Shields: The only way Shields applies in this scenario is if he loses to GSP later this month and escapes the bout relatively unscathed. Beyond that there’s no reason to rush him back into the ring against someone on Penn’s level after having fought an opponent the caliber of St. Pierre two months prior. Since things are unlikely to play out as they would need to for a match-up with Penn to be made he comes in as a “3”.

Georges St. Pierre: Similar to Shields he would have to lose at UFC 129 and make it out of Toronto injury-free for a fight with Penn to make semi-sense, and even with those two things in place it has to be considered that St. Pierre is 2-0 on Penn with their last fight being fairly one-sided in nature. 2 out of 10.

Josh Koscheck: Koscheck is on par with Condit in terms of being an excellent selection to replace Fitch for a few reasons. He’s got the wrestling ability to pose problems for Penn where takedowns are concerned, the high-level conditioning to press the pace and test B.J.’s fitness, and the fortitude to keep fighting regardless of the situation (as evident in his ability to go the distance with St. Pierre while dealing with a severely broken orbital bone). He’s coming off the title-fight with GSP, so his contendership-credentials are in place for Penn, and also happens to be a teammate of Fitch’s as AKA so there’s that dynamic as well in terms of inspiring Baby Jay to bring his best. It would also be an easy fight to promote based on Koscheck’s role as somewhat of a villain in MMA and Penn’s as a fan-favorite. Like Condit, “Kos” is a 9 out of 10.

Nate Marquardt: Marquardt could be an interesting option in the sense he’s talked about being able to make welterweight in the right situation. What better opportunity to do so than against a double-divisional champ like Penn on the stage set by July 4th Weekend? Marquardt’s grappling is solid, his striking is dynamic, he’s obviously bigger than B.J., and he’s a former middleweight title-contender. He’s definitely a threat to Penn and an apt opponent, i.e. a sellable match-up to fans as well as Penn himself. Assuming he can legitimately drop to 170 Marquardt gets a “7”.

A return to lightweight: Extremely unlikely to happen, as Penn has been fairly clear on his preference to compete at his natural weight rather than deal with the pound-cutting process. 1 out of 10, though it would be even lower had the scale started at “0″.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The extent of the injury is not known but it is severe enough to keep Fitch out of action on July 2, 2011. No word yet on who will replace Fitch or if the bout will remain at welterweight but UFC officials are searching for a replacement.

MMAWeekly.com was the first to break the news. A follow-up story on ESPN mentioned the former Purdue Boilermaker’s affliction is related to his shoulder.

Fitch and Penn previously met earlier this year at UFC 127. The bout was highly competitive for two rounds with both fighters have their moments of dominance. The third round was all Fitch though as he took down and beat up Penn for the majority of the five minute frame. It wasn’t enough though as only one judge scored the fight for Fitch while the other two judges scored it a draw. The end result was an unsatisfying majority draw, which immediately led to talk of a rematch.

UFC 132 is scheduled for July 2, 2011 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show will be headlined by a UFC Bantamweight Title Fight between champion Dominick Cruz and challenger Urijah Faber.

Also scheduled for the July 2 show, respected lightweights George Sotiropoulos (14-3) and Evan Dunham (11-2) will look to rebound from recent losses when they face each other while the man who beat Sotiropoulos, Dennis Siver(18-7), takes on on Matt Wiman (13-5) with both hoping to run their current winning streaks up to four in a row.

Two of MMA’s top-ranked competitors, Fitch and Penn fought to a draw in a contendership-determining clash late last month at UFC 127 and were rumored for an immediate re-pairing shortly thereafter. The performance marked the only time Fitch hadn’t exited the Octagon with a win aside from a decision loss to Georges St. Pierre in 2008. Comparably, Penn was coming off a twenty-second knockout of Matt Hughes in his previous bout but had lost back-to-back title-fights against Frank Edgar at 155-pounds prior to his return to welterweight.

A previously announced match-up between Shane Roller (10-3) and Melvin Guillard will also be among the group set for action at UFC 132.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Head-honcho Dana White discussed the situation on Tuesday during a UFC 127 conference call with media where he explained the company’s position on their headlining bout serving to determine the company’s top welterweight contender.

“Let’s face it…the reality is Penn has held titles in both weight classes. Fitch has fought for the title and has literally dominated that division for a long time, just didn’t win the title. Any one of these guys that wins this fight is in the mix – the #1 guy,” said the UFC President.

Fitch is currently riding a five-fight win streak starting in January 2009 and featuring the likes of Paulo Thiago and Thiago Alves. As touched on earlier, the American Kickboxing Academy staple’s only stumble inside the Octagon came as the result of a one-sided decision defeat to welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre when the two fought at UFC 87.

His foe on February 27 in Sydney has also fallen to St. Pierre, twice in fact, including a TKO at UFC 94 ultimately sending Penn back down to 155 pounds where he fought four more times before returning to 170 pounds in victorious fashion with a 21-second knockout of rival Matt Hughes last November. The performance marked Penn’s second career win over Hughes who remains the only welterweight the Hawaiian has beaten in the UFC.

In addition to the match-up between Penn and Hughes, UFC 127 will feature a fight between TUF 3 winner Michael Bisping and veteran striker Jorge Rivera as well as submission-specialist George Sotiropoulos in action against German kickboxer Dennis Siver.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

As always, don’t consider this gospel. The fact is, when two finely-tuned individuals step into a cage and let loose the difference between consciousness and looking up at the ceiling is a matter of milliseconds no matter who is ranked where. The individuality inherently involved in a subjective endeavor like ranking fighters, many of whom could easily be argued as deserving different spots based on personal criteria, is not only recognized on Five Ounces’ end but also encouraged in the form of offering your own lists in the “Comments” section below.

1. Frank Edgar (13-1)

Edgar’s mixture of boxing, wrestling, and conditioning make him extremely difficult to defeat as evident in two consecutive wins over a man who was believed to be unbeatable at 155-pounds, B.J. Penn. The UFC lightweight champ’s speed is also among the best in the division. While I’m far from confident he’d handle any of the four men below him, I’ll never doubt Edgar’s ability to emerge victorious in the face of adversity. He may have fallen victim to Gray Maynard’s ground-control and size/strength advantage when they originally faced off, but with his dubyas over Penn, plus Sean Sherk, Tyson Griffin, and Jim Miller, I think he’s definitely deserving of the division’s top spot until at least the conclusion of UFC 125 when the world has a chance to see how he handles “The Bully” a second time.

2. Gilbert Melendez (18-2)

“El Nino” reminds me a bit of Edgar in terms of technical prowess with power in place of the New Jersey fighter’s quickness. He’s rarely outwrestled and can stand with the best if a fight’s pacing dicates the necessity to do so (or he simply feels like proving a point). I personally thought he deserved the decision over Mitsuhiro Ishida at “Yarennoka 2007”, and would have likely received it had the bout been somewhere other than Japan, but a loss is a loss and there is no arguing his underwhelming performance against Josh Thomson in June 2008. However, I believe he grew from each experience and is even better today. For evidence of his evolution, look at the fact he knocked Ishida out in their rematch and thoroughly dominated Thomson when they faced off again, not to mention his dismantling of Shinya Aoki earlier this year.

3. Eddie Alvarez (21-2)

For those that might question Alvarez’s ranking, especially when you consider neither of his career losses have involved the judges’ scorecards, I think the proof is in the poundings. Alvarez has only won by decision twice in his twenty-one total victories and is currently riding a streak of seven straight finishes. Maynard has half his wins and a tenth of his TKOs/submissions, while Penn is coming off back-to-back losses and won’t be returning to 155-pounds until mid-2011 (if ever). Alvarez has power, multi-tiered striking, athleticism, and high-level grappling. In baseball terms, Alvarez is a “five-tool” player, and from a rounded-skills standpoint might be the best overall in this total bunch.

4. B.J. Penn (16-7-1)

Penn is as unique as they come in MMA and defines what it means to be a genuine “fighter” better than most in the sport. His knockout of Matt Hughes at UFC 123 was amazing, as have been so many of his victories, and I truly believe a motivated Baby Jay is likely to mop the floor with anyone who doesn’t have phenomenal wrestling/top-control. He took former UFC 205-pound champ Lyoto Machida to decision in 2005. Need I say more?

5. Gray Maynard (10-0)

I have Maynard slightly above Aoki based on his boxing and wrestling, as those seemed to be two areas Aoki severely struggled in against Melendez and could be susceptible to again if by some incredible feat he was opposite “The Bully” in a ring. The XTreme Couture original has never cleanly fallen, only earning a “No Contest” after knocking himself and his opponent out with a slam, while racking up wins over multiple names on this list, including of course UFC champ Edgar, as well as the always-tough Nate Diaz and Roger Huerta. He may not always come away victorious in the most pleasing of fashions but he’s effective at what he does in the ring and will remain an extremely tough draw for any adversary until proven otherwise.

6. Shinya Aoki (26-5)

Aoki is a victim of not having consistently faced ranked lightweight competitors. While his affiliation with DREAM has allowed him to occasionally take on some of the division’s best, he also gets drawn into bouts built for padding his stats rather than furthering his career. He’s good enough to beat Alvarez, J.Z. Cavalcante, and Tatsuya Kawajiri, yet was completely out-classed by Melendez and has had his knees-knocked on more than one occasion in the past. There’s no question he’s a submission savant but until he improves his takedown defense and stand-up I see his future involving a number of ups and downs, and he can’t get better taking on people like Marcus Aurelio and Yokthai Sithoar in back-to-back bouts.

7. Sean Sherk (36-4-1)

“The Muscle Shark” is an interesting case, as all four of his career losses have come to former/current UFC champions (Penn, Edgar, Hughes, and Georges St. Pierre). Considering that fact, in addition to the notion he’s fought 41 times and beaten people like Ken Florian, Evan Dunham, and Nick Diaz, it almost seems as though he deserves to be higher on most lists, including this one. However, his victory over Dunham was razor-thin and saved him from consecutive defeats and he hasn’t been particularly active over the last few years. With five fights since 2007, two of which involved defeat, it’s difficult to know exactly how he stacks up in the mix. Though the 37-year old’s wrestling and top-control are top notch, they’re also his only real weapons in the cage and aren’t always enough to carry him to victory.

8. Ken Florian (13-5)

Florian is constantly on the cusp of lightweight greatness but hasn’t been able to get over the hump for some reason. He’s an underrated striker with solid wrestling and the ability to attack from any position on the ground. “KenFlo” has only been finished once at 155-pounds, to Penn, while submitting the likes of Clay Guida, Takanori Gomi, and Joe Stevenson, but also struggled in some of his biggest fights including both of his past title-shots (and most recently a bout against Maynard set to establish a top divisional contender).

9. George Sotiropoulos (14-2)

The Aussie is one of the hottest 155-pounders out there at the moment. He’s riding an eight-fight win streak, including convincing performances against Stevenson, Joe Lauzon, and Kurt Pellegrino. He’s also yet to be finished in sixteen bouts. His stand-up is crisp and diverse, while his BJJ is other-worldly at times and always a major threat to prematurely ending an opponent’s evening.

10. Evan Dunham (11-1)

Dunham is a rising star to be sure with a single loss thus far in his career (and a split-decision to Sherk at that). His performances haven’t been mind-blowing in nature but it’s hard to fault him too much when considering who he’s faced since joining the UFC. However, with each in-ring appearance, the diamond that Dunham is becomes more and more apparent. He’s growing from simply being good at everything to great.

11. Tatsuya Kawajiri (26-6-2)

Kawajiri has faced a number of talented lightweights over his years in Japan and, though he hasn’t always come out ahead in terms of result, he’s been a consistent competitor whose wrestling and power have been good enough to earn victory more often than not. His four losses over the past six years came to Melendez, Alvarez, Aoki, and a prime Gomi. Other than that, “Crusher” emerged victorious in all sixteen other bouts during that period minus a draw with Caol Uno in early 2004.

12. Jim Miller (18-2)

If Miller had more high-profile fights under his belt in the UFC I honestly believe he’d be a consensus “Top 10” guy. Miller has quietly racked up seven wins in the UFC with single loss to Maynard at UFC 96. He’s won his last five bouts while beating respectable adversaries like Mac Danzig, Duane Ludwig, and Mark Bocek during the streak. On top of that, the 27-year old New Jersey native has never been finished in his career and his only other loss besides Maynard came to Edgar four years ago.

13. K.J. Noons (9-2)

Though Noons hasn’t necessarily fought any “Top 10” lightweights, he went five full rounds against Five Ounces’ #4 welterweight (the elder Diaz) last October and put enough pepper on his face in their previous match-up to merit a doctor’s stoppage. He’s perhaps the most powerful, boxing-based fighter in this group and has shown improvement in terms of both his wrestling and submission-defense as of late. He’d won six straight prior to the decision loss to Diaz and was not only the first person to TKO Jorge Gurgel, but the last person to finish Yves Edwards (two years ago).

14. Ben Henderson (12-1)

It’s easy to appreciate Henderson’s athleticism and submission-skills, as well as his precision when standing, but unfortunately he’s only fought three times in the last eighteen months against a combination of two opponents (Jamie Varner and Donald Cerrone). If he gets by Anthony Pettis at WEC 53, there’s no doubt “Bendo” will continue to climb in the rankings as his UFC career blossoms. However, until fans see him in the Octagon with a few ranked, seasoned veterans it will be hard to determine exactly how far up he can go.

15. Josh Thomson (18-3)

There are a number of worthwhile Mixed Martial Artists as deserving of this spot as Thomson but I picked “The Punk” for a few reasons. He’s 10-1 in his last eleven fights with the only defeat coming to Melendez in their rematch. Within those ten victories is a dominating decision against the afore-mentioned Melendez, as well as a hard-fought win over widely-respected Brazilian (J.Z.) Cavalcante and a few other worthwhile foes like Ludwig, Nam Phan, and Pat Healy. He’s only been finished a single time in his career, and is also a really good wrestler with excellent conditioning and quick, accurate striking. Though he may not get the respect he would if he still fought for Zuffa, he still deserves consideration for what he’s accomplished outside of the Octagon.

Honorable Mentions

Gesias “J.Z.” Cavalcante (15-4-1): The American Top Team representative hasn’t recovered his stride since a slew of injuries sidelined him in 2008-2009, but he’s still an extremely talented individual with significant wins in his career and a full bag of tricks to pull from inside the ring. He’s also never been TKO’d or submitted.
Takanori Gomi (32-6): “The Fireball Kid” is still clinging on to rankings-relevance after being one of, if not the, most exciting lightweights in MMA during his run in PRIDE/Shooto. He’s 3-3 in his last six fights, but looked to have possibly recaptured the same magic bringing him to the forefront of the sport when he knocked Tyson Griffin out this past August.

Though Penn’s twenty-one second win against Hughes was his first as a welterweight since 2004, Fitch is believed by many to be neck-and-neck with newly signed Jake Shields as the division’s top threat to the title, meaning a victory for the Hawaiian icon in Australia would certainly go a long way in terms of earning the eventual shot at the belt he covets.

The 23-3 Fitch has won five consecutive bouts since falling to Georges St. Pierre by way of unanimous decision in August 2008. He holds notable victories over Thiago Alves, Diego Sanchez, and Paulo Thiago. Prior to Saturday’s announcement he was rumored to be facing rising 170-pound star Jake Ellenberger at UFC 126.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

News of the distinction was announced at the post-event press conference.

“Fight of the Night”, as well as the attached cash, went to George Sotiropoulos and Joe Lauzon for their entertaining two-round scrap ultimately seeing the Aussie emerge victorious after a second round submission. The bonus is the seventh for Lauzon in nine Octagon appearances.

Finally, undefeated light heavyweight Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis took home “Submission of the Night” for the unique manner in which he tapped opponent Tim Boetsch. Davis earned the honor, and the eighty grand, based on a one-armed, Hammerlock/Kimura – a “Philmura” if you will – causing Boestch to call it quits based on both pain and necessity in terms of protecting his health.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Also on this stacked UFC 123 card, former welterweight champions will settle their score as UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes and former two-division champion BJ Penn face off in the rubber match of one of the greatest trilogies in fight history.

“When you think of Detroit, the first names that come to mind are legends like Joe Louis and Tommy Hearns,” UFC President Dana White said. “This is a real fight town with diehard fight fans, so I’m happy to be the guy bringing big fights to the Motor City.”

“We’re bringing the best UFC fighters here on November 20th,” added White, who is heading to Detroit on Thursday, September 16th, to meet with the media and officially announce UFC 123. “Rampage Jackson and Lyoto Machida are two of the top light heavyweights in the world. I expect this fight to be a war, as both of these guys want to get back in the title run. The co-main event is Matt Hughes vs. BJ Penn, two of the best fighters in UFC history. They have both beat each other and jumped at the opportunity to fight a third time.”

“We’ve stayed in constant touch with the UFC for several years now in working together to develop an opportunity to place one of their electrifying events at The Palace of Auburn Hills,” said Stu Mayer, Senior Vice President, Sports & Events for Palace Sports & Entertainment. “We’re both extremely pleased that it’s finally become a reality. UFC 123 will no doubt be embraced by the greater Detroit area and throughout the state of Michigan.”

A ferocious competitor known for his aggressive slams and knockout power, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (fighting out of Memphis, Tenn. / professional record: 30-8) has been in there with the best and has beaten the best. A former PRIDE veteran and UFC light heavyweight champion, the Memphis native’s UFC stint has seen him score knockout victories over Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva and decision wins over Dan Henderson and Keith Jardine, making it clear that the 32-year-old can stand in the Octagon with anyone.

“I started this camp very early,” Jackson said. “I stayed in shape from the last fight and the weight hasn’t been an issue this time. Every single minute of this camp will be focused on technique, not getting back in shape or shaking the ring rust after a long time off.

“If Machida decides to fight me, it will be an exciting fight for one round before he goes to sleep. I am expecting him to run from me, though. He’d wear sneakers into the Octagon if he could! But don’t worry, I will hunt him down and get him anyway.”

A black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Machida Karate, Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (fighting out of Belem, Brazil / 16-1) has proved he is dangerous anywhere the fight goes. The former UFC light heavyweight champion won his first 16 professional fights and is focused on getting back into the title picture. Winning five of his first six fights in the UFC, the 32-year-old has finished three bouts, including a submission win over Rameau Sokoudjou and knock out victories against Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans.

“I know what it’s like to be the champion and I want to be the champion again,” Machida said. “I respect Rampage and I think he is an incredible fighter, but I’m going to expose his weaknesses – I’m going to win this fight on November 20 and go after the light heavyweight title.”

A fighter that is seeing a renaissance during an already brilliant career, Matt Hughes (fighting out of Hillsboro, Ill. / 46-7) has won his last three fights, putting himself back in the title picture once again. After a unanimous decision win against Matt Serra, a KO victory over Renzo Gracie, and a submission victory over Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt Ricardo Almeida, the 36-year-old has cemented his UFC Hall Of Fame status as he looks to get his welterweight title back.

In a move back to the 170-pound class after a very successful run as champion at 155 pounds, former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn (fighting out of Hilo, Hawaii / 15-7-1) will meet Hughes in a highly-anticipated rubber match. After Penn won their first fight via submission at UFC 46 and Hughes evened the score via TKO at UFC 63, both fighters are hungry to break the tie. Penn, a highly decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, has always been known as a finisher, and with fighters such as Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Sean Sherk, Joe Stevenson, Jens Pulver and even Hughes on that list, the 31-year-old Hawaiian is one of the sport’s most dangerous competitors.

Tickets for UFC 123 will go on sale Monday, September 20 at 10 a.m. ET and will be priced at $400, $300, $200, $150, $100 and $50. Tickets are available at Palacenet.com, Ticketmaster.com, charge-by-phone (800.745.3000) and all Ticketmaster retail locations.

UFC Fight Club members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Friday, September 17 starting at 10 a.m. ET via UFCFightClub.com. A special internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers on Saturday, September 18 starting at 10a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC 123 will be available live on Pay-Per-View on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available). UFC 123 will also be available on Pay-Per-View in Spanish in the United States.

News of the possible match-up was reported by MMAFighting.

“The Prodigy” has not competed outside of the lightweight division since losing to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94 in January 2009. He is 0-3 as a welterweight since 2006 with an additional loss to “GSP”, as well as the previously mentioned mugging by Hughes at UFC 63. Penn is 15-7-1 in his career and will be coming off back-to-back losses to current 155-pound champ Frank Edgar.

While Penn has been struggling as of late, Hughes is presently riding a three-fight win streak including a “Submission of the Night” performance over BJJ blackbelt Ricardo Almeida at UFC 117. It was also the third consecutive victory for the self-professed “country boy” over opponents who were highly proficient at Jiu-Jitsu (like Penn).

UFC 123 is scheduled for November 20th at The Palace of Auburn Hills outside of Detroit, Michigan. On top of Penn vs. Hughes III, the event is slated to feature a light heavyweight bout between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Lyoto Machida, as well as top contendership on the line when lightweight George Sotiropoulos puts his grappling to the test against 19-5 Joe Lauzon.