He was recently pulled from a scheduled UFC 99 fight against Cain Velasquez, stating he was forced to withdraw due to an illness. However, with his most recent comments, it should at least raise the question of where his motivation is?

Heath Herring recently sat down with MMAFanhouse.com and discussed his future as a contender in the UFC Heavyweight division. Referring to his loss against heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, he explained how, “It doesn’t really benefit me to go backwards and fight new up-and-comer guys. It’s not really what I’m there to do, or what I’m there for.”

He continued, “It’s not that I’m not really happy with the UFC … It’s just, you know, like I said, I think that last fight just took a lot out of me. Now with acting, and things kind of taking off, it just left a bad taste in my mouth. And not necessarily with the UFC. Just with the training … you know, some of my trainers and things like that. I think I just needed a little time to step back and maybe do some other things for a little bit…”

What confuses me as a fan, is that had he fought Velasquez and won, wouldn’t that have put him right back in contention for the heavyweight title? And with the newly revamped UFC heavyweight division, there are more fights than with “new up-and-comer guys”. If my memory serves me correctly, I think Brock Lesnar was an up-and-comer in the UFC, but whatever happened with him anyways?

As has been the case with so many fighters before him, most notable Rich Franklin, Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture, MMA has given fighters the ability to branch out and earn money without getting hit in the face. But at the end of the day, they are fighters, they have all returned to what got them their acting gigs in the first place.

Currently Herring has a three fight contract remaining with the UFC, but it appears he is no hurry to return to the Octagon. He seems content with the money, B movies garnish, and will wait until the fight paydays increase.

I for one enjoy watching Heath Herring fight, and think with the restructured UFC heavyweight division, there are many intriguing fights he could take that would help his chances at a title shot. Remember, he is currently the only man to go the distance with Brock Lesnar.

Ultimately though, the decision lies with Heath Herring himself, but if he waits too long, all the acting jobs and fights, might just dry up.

The report states that both fighters have verbally agreed to face each other at the June 13 event to be held in Cologne, Germany but that bout agreements have yet to be formally signed.

Herring, 28-14, has not competed since August, where he suffered a fractured cheek bone following a punch delivered by current UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar during their UFC 87 matchup.

A former PRIDE and K-1 veteran, Herring is 2-3 since making his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 8 in January of 2007. Nicknamed “The Texas Crazy Horse,” Herring has recorded notable victories in his career over Cheick Kongo, Mark Kerr, Gan McGee, and Gary Goodridge.

Velasquez is a former two-time All-American wrestler who is 5-0 since making his pro MMA debut in October of 2006. Training out of the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif., Velasquez is 3-0 since making his UFC debut against Brad Morris at UFC 83 last April.

A former Strikeforce and BodogFIGHT veteran, Velasquez last competed at UFC Fight Night 17 earlier this month in Tampa, Florida. Facing newcomer Denis Stojnic, Velasquez recorded a TKO victory at 2:34 of round 2 during a featured bout on Spike TV.

Considered one of the top heavyweight prospects in all of MMA, Velasquez put himself in a position to face the winner of the tentatively scheduled UFC 98 heavyweight title unification bout between Lesnar and Frank Mir if he’s able to get past Herring.

UFC 99 will emanate from the Lanxess Arena in Cologne and the company’s German debut is expected to be headlined by a 195 pound catchweight bout between former PRIDE middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva and former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin. Additionally, a lightweight bout pitting Spencer Fisher vs. Caol Uno is expected as well.

The event saw two of the promotion’s biggest stars walk away victorious in fights that went to the judges yet whose outcomes were never truly in doubt.

Lesnar, the former NCAA and WWE heavyweight champion, got off to an explosive start against Heath Herring, blasting him with an overhand right early in the fight that floored the former PRIDE veteran. Lesnar, who once spent training camp with the Minnesota Vikings, then exploded like a defensive end coming off the edge on a blitz and went in for the kill.

An over-zealous Lesnar landed out of position and was unable to finish Herring during the opening seconds of the fight. However, what proceeded was three rounds of dominance, with Lesnar showing he could take Herring down at will. When it was over, Lesnar evened his UFC record to 1-1 while improving his overall MMA record to 2-1. It is unclear who he’ll face next, but Lesnar showed all the ingredients of a future heavyweight champion during the unanimous decision victory.

While former NCAA wrestler Jon Fitch proved he was the number two ranked welterweight in the world last night with a gritty performance, UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre proved there is a strong gap between number one and two. Despite having no formal wrestling background in high school or college, St. Pierre proved to be Fitch’s equal on the mat.

On the feet, Fitch was no match for St. Pierre’s superior athleticism. Despite showing a strong chin and an amazing will to fight with less than his full faculties, Fitch was out-pointed in the standup aspect for virtually the full 25-minute duration of the contest. It was St. Pierre’s utilization of a stiff left jab, reminiscent of how B.J. Penn peppered Sean Sherk during their UFC 84 title fight in May, that appeared to have done the most damage. However, the standup exchange was not one-sided, as Fitch landed his shots as well, managing to open up St. Pierre in the process. But when the bout was done, it was evident by looking at the faces of both fighters that Fitch clearly sustained the most damage.

With the win, St. Pierre further addressed critics still unable to let his April of 2007 upset loss to Matt Serra at UFC 69 go. With four consecutive dominant victories over the likes of Josh Koscheck, Matt Hughes, Serra, and now Fitch, St. Pierre has clearly put the infamous night of 4/7/07 in the rear-view mirror and the letdown performance appears to be nothing more than an aberration. In last night’s fight with Fitch, St. Pierre showed toughness, poise, and a chin. All areas in which his harshest critics still attempt to raise questions.

Much like Lesnar, it is isn’t completely clear what is next for St. Pierre. However, current UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn entered the cage following St. Pierre’s five-round unanimous decision victory and proposed a challenge. St. Pierre verbally agreed to the bout, which has been rumored for several weeks now to be taking place on Dec. 27 in either Las Vegas or Montreal. However, nothing is definitive as UFC President Dana White was with the two men in the cage and visible on-camera yet made no attempt to address the possible rematch from their 2006 encounter at UFC 58.

Review of the Fight Card:

Demian Maia def. Jason MacDonald via submission in the third round – The opening round of this fight was very exciting. It was a great example for casual viewers that jiu-jitsu can be very exciting. Maia pulled guard early in the fight and put MacDonald in a triangle that appeared to be properly executed. MacDonald not only managed to escape but wound up taking Maia’s back in the process.

Round two was not as entertaining as round 1, but still very strong. I scored the first two rounds 10-9 in favor of Maia. It was obvious that Maia was leading the scorecards heading into round two and MacDonald’s corner pleaded with him to stop going to the ground with the jiu-jitsu black belt. Needing a finish in order to execute a rally, MacDonald did not heed his corner’s advice and eventually wound up on the ground in round three. Despite trying to put Maia away with some ground and pound, the decision to engage on the ground was ill-advised, as the percentages of MacDonald being able to finish Maia were much higher on his feet than on the floor.

While Maia’s standup has improved and he could one day challenge Anderson Silva for his middleweight title, he provided no reason in this fight to believe he has a chance to win. No one can question Maia’s overall jiu-jitsu ability, but he had trouble holding his position as times against MacDonald, which is not good considering that Silva is known for his strong sweeps and transitions. Maia also is not big for a middleweight and was giving up eight inches in reach to MacDonald. In a standup battle vs. Silva, he’d be eaten alive because the reigning top pound-for-pound fighter would have too much range on him.

Kenny Florian records unanimous decision victory over Roger Huerta - Considering that Huerta went to college in Minnesota, I was surprised that he was introduced first. Initially, I thought it was a repraisal for his critical comments of the UFC in the August edition of FIGHT! magazine, however, after seeing Brock Lesnar introduced first, I doubt that was the case. It could have to do with the color of corner assignments or because of seniority.

I felt Joe Rogan was on his game last night and gave one of his best performances. His technical analysis during the ground fighting that took place in the Maia vs. MacDonald match was excellent. Play-by-play man Mike Goldberg was a different story. While he was solid, I had issues with him screaming into the mic before action had commenced in several bouts. It seemed like he was trying too hard to show a high-energy level and when he’d scream, it sounded like there was no load-balancing on the volume as the mic popped. I also wasn’t a fan of some of his hyperbole, most notably when he was discussing Florian’s work with a nutritionist, when he blurted out, “He’s turned eating into a science!” I know sometimes the right phrases aren’t always available in your mind when you’re trying to articulate a point, but c’mon.

I thought the fight itself was fantastic and everything we expected. Huerta proved to be the better athlete, showing more explosion and quickness. However, Florian was too technical and too poised. Huerta tried to press at multiple times but would get too wild and Florian either had a counter ready or simply got out of the way.

Both fighters deserve a tremendous amount of credit. After losing to Sean Sherk several years ago for the then-vacant UFC lightweight title, Florian has successfully worked his way back up the ladder and has earned another shot. As for Huerta, he is more than just a marketing creation. Huerta can flat out fight and is incapable of having a boring performance. The only knock against him is that he relies too much on his standup and still lacks polish despite having a great deal of fights under his belt.

It will be interesting to see what happens next for both fighters. Florian likes to stay active and he may have to risk his lightweight title shot if St. Pierre and Penn meet in December. If St. Pierre vs. Penn II becomes a reality, then March would likely be the earliest Florian could get his shot at Penn for the lightweight title. Florian may have no choice but to accept a fight in between then. There’s also the question of what happens if Penn wins the welterweight title from St. Pierre? He has said publicly he intends to compete at both lightweight and welterweight, but if Penn beats Pierre, it’s unlikely he’d go back to 155 lbs.

If Penn wins and abandons the title, might we see Florian vs. the winner of Tyson Griffin vs. Sean Sherk at UFC 90 end up competing for a vacated UFC lightweight title? The possibility of Sherk vs. Florian II is intriguing, but hardly a pay-per-view main event.

As for Huerta, he now has one fight remaining on his current contract and has ruffled the feathers of the UFC’s front office with recent comments in the media and is reportedly fair a part when it comes to money during current contract re-negotiations. If he does not re-sign, it is likely that Huerta won’t be booked for a fight up until his contract is right about to expire. And chances are, the bout will not be televised.

Robert Emerson knocks out Manvel Gamburyan at 12 seconds of round 1 - Wow, the speed of Emerson’s knockout was right there when Duane “Bang” Ludwig took out Jonathan Goulet and when James Irvin dropped Houston Alexander with that Superman punch. I had low expectations for this fight but I was wrong to question its placement on the card because the action was exciting while it lasted. It’s hard to go wrong with a fight that can be immediately replayed in its entirety at full speed.

Emerson needed the win badly and it means he’ll live in the UFC to fight another day and probably step up in class as far as competition is concerned. It was a bad loss for Gamburyan but it his first in the UFC so he’s not going anywhere. However, he might want to consider a drop to 145 lbs. and a trip to the WEC because last night’s loss could be an example of Gamburyan’s lack of range catching up to him.

It’s also important to note that the competition he’s faced in his three UFC fights since losing the TUF 5 finale after re-injuring his shoulder have come against Emerson, Jeff Cox, and Nate Mohr. The three are respectable fighters but hardly the cream of the crop. Against that lineup, a 2-1 record isn’t impressive. He should be 3-0. TUF 5 winner Nate Diaz likes to complain about the quality of competition that he’s been given, but it’s vastly superior to what Gamburyan has faced.

Cheick Kongo TKO Dan Evensen in the second round - Wow, this was one of the most bizarre entrance sequences I have ever seen. It felt like the main event of an MMA pay-per-view emanating from the Canary Islands. The entrance music from both fighters was extremely bizarre and Evensen’s body language during his cage-walk was quite unique.

And then the post-fight interview with Rogan and Kongo was even more strange. I don’t want to sound like Larry King in one of his old USA Today columns, but if I ever get to submit an interview request to the UFC, Cheick Kongo won’t be on the top of my list. He reacted to Rogan like Rogan owed him money. I realize a culture barrier could be an issue, but wasn’t Kongo’s behavior rude no matter what country you come from?

As for the fight itself, just total dominance on the part of Kongo. Evensen is a brawler and there was no way he was going to get the better of Kongo in the standup.

Did anyone also find it strange that former Quinton Jackson trainer Juanito Ibarra was cornering Kongo with Jackson clearly audible at cageside? I am curious to see how long Ibarra will be involved in MMA after getting dropped by Jackson. While fighters like Kongo and Michael Bisping worked with Ibarra as a part of Jackson’s training camps, it remains to be seen whether fighters will continue to work with Ibarra, whose credentials are pretty much purely boxing.

Ibarra really turned off a lot of people with his behavior following Jackson’s loss to Griffin at UFC 86 and he doesn’t exactly have a sterling reputation following his split with Jackson. I think he could be yet another boxing figure forced out of the MMA scene due to taking the multi-faceted fight disciplines and cultures of the sport lightly. MMA fighters definitely need to become more technical boxers, but in order to be someone’s primary trainer in MMA, you need more than just a boxing background. You can be a boxing expert in MMA, but being a boxing expert does not make you an MMA expert.

Brock Lesnar defeats Heath Herring via unanimous decision - I predicted Herring to win but was happy to see Lesnar get the victory. I think Lesnar is already a star by MMA standards but has room to become the biggest thing going in the sport. Once he gets more experience under his belt, he will become unbeatable and will eventually claim the UFC heavyweight title.

I’ve been bullish on Lesnar in MMA before he even debuted against Min Soo Kim and I took a lot of heat for it. Needless to say, I feel validated. The bottom line is that his wrestling is simply too good and there is no one in the sport who can rival his athleticism. Seeing a man that big move that quickly, well, it just makes Lesnar appear as though he was genetically engineered in a laboratory.

An apparently healthy and in-shape Herring came to fight and still couldn’t keep the fight on the feet or inflict any damage on Lesnar. My only complaint is that I would have preferred to have seen Lesnar a little more active on the ground, but he had to be mindful of position in order to prevent himself from getting submitted.

Overall, watching Lesnar compete inside of an Octagon is still very surreal having watched his work in the WWE for a couple of years. Even though he was an NCAA champion, I still identify him as a pro wrestler and it’s still strange seeing a former pro wrestler come in and dominate in a legitimate sport like this. And aside from getting caught in a knee bar for a few seconds, Lesnar has been nothing but dominant in his three MMA fights.

I think in a year from now that Lesnar will be the UFC heavyweight champion and that we will no longer be talking about Randy Couture vs. Fedor Emelianenko, but instead, Lesnar vs. Fedor. When I wrote an article in FIGHT!’s debut issue titled “Five who could beat Fedor,” people scoffed at me for including Lesnar. I think a lot more people are coming around to my point of view and even more will perceive him as a legit challenger over time.

Georges St. Pierre defeats Jon Fitch via unanimous decision – Fitch deserves all the credit in the world for going the distance. After the first round, I really didn’t think it was going past three. But Fitch survived several knockdowns and never recovered from some of those strikes he took early on. Coming into the fight, I believe Fitch’s cardio was pretty strong but a lot of your stamina goes out the window after taking damage.

Had his cardio not been as good as it was he wouldn’t have been able to fight through all the punishment he took. Fitch was clearly rocked at various points and flat out refused to be broken or fall on his sword. There were a couple of times where he could have given up his back and taken the easy way out and not really been blamed for doing so. But Fitch worked hard to get his shot and wasn’t about to walk away from it. He deserves to be commended for that. Fitch is a warrior.

While St. Pierre didn’t get the finish here, against most other fighters, the bout would have been stopped much earlier. St. Pierre fought well enough to finish Fitch but Fitch brought intangibles with him to this fight that took the ability to end the fight early out of GSP’s hands.

Last night’s fight will make Fitch a bigger star despite the losing effort. This was a high-profile fight and a lot of people got to see him for the first time. When they see him again they will rember how much heart he showed vs. GSP and they will pull for him.

GSP is clearly the gold standard at 170 much like Anderson Silva is at 185 and B.J. Penn is at 155. But unlike Silva and Penn, there are some intriguing challenges that still lay ahead. A rematch vs. a fully-committed B.J. Penn is not a fight in which St. Pierre is a given to win. In fact, I can tell you I know many people inside the industry who believe Penn will win that fight. Also, the winner of Thiago Alves vs. Diego Sanchez at UFC 90 will bring an interesting challenge.

Alves might be the only 170 lbs. fighter in the UFC whose athleticism can rival St. Pierre’s. And there will be a tremendous backstory if a St. Pierre vs. Sanchez fight ever happens because Sanchez has great resentment that Greg Jackson took St. Pierre into his camp. Sanchez felt slighted that Jackson started working with St. Pierre because he didn’t understand why Jackson would want to work with someone Sanchez could possibly face down-the-line. We haven’t heard much about it lately but you better believe that the tension will be played up if St. Pierre and Sanchez ever fight.

The one thing about the St. Pierre vs. Fitch fight that seemed out of place to me were the “U-S-A!” chants at the beginning of the fight even though St. Pierre received a huge ovation. Was it a split crowd in Minneapolis? Or is St. Pierre so popular that Americans have adopted him as one of their own? Or, did “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan make an appearance at the show?

Georges St. Pierre is on another level at 170 lbs.

Jon Fitch proved tonight that he is a man’s man and has zero quit in him. His tenacity, recovery speed, and aggression were all extremely admirable. What he also showed is that no one, and I mean no one, in the weight class has what it takes to contend with St. Pierre’s overall game. Standing or on the ground, St. Pierre is dominant. If he can’t finish you with his strikes, he will take you down. If he can’t take you down, he’ll work you over on the feet. He is as multi-dimensional of a fighter as there is in all of mixed martial arts right now and that includes the current consensus pound-for-pound king, Anderson Silva. No one in the weight class has a prayer right now to beat him. Not Thiago Alves, not Jake Shields, not Karo Parisyan, nobody. B.J. Penn is the only fighter with a sliver of a chance and with Penn’s in-ring challenge after the fight, it’s looking like we’ll get to see that superfight sooner than later, hopefully in December.

Jon Fitch is the second best welterweight in the world, hands down.

Jake Shields, Thiago Alves, Josh Koscheck, Diego Sanchez, and Carlos Condit, please have a seat. Jon Fitch is far and away ahead of all of you. And that’s no disrespect, it’s just plain fact. No one thought that Fitch would last all five rounds tonight. A lot of people didn’t even think Fitch would last into the championship rounds. Not only did he do both of those things, but he was threatening almost the entire way. His recovery speed was absolutely insane. Normal fighters don’t take clean punches followed up by a knee to the head and recover like Fitch did. Not only did he take those shots and recover, but he kept coming forward. He showed us all tonight that he belonged in the same cage as St. Pierre even if he was dominated. At this point, who at 170 lbs. wouldn’t be dominated by St. Pierre? No one. The fact that Fitch took that kind of beating and lasted all five rounds speaks volumes about not only his talent, but his character as a fighter as well. Fitch should hold his head high for hanging tough against one of the best fighters in the entire world of combat sports.

Brock Lesnar proved that he belongs in the UFC.

With a decisive victory over Heath Herring, one of the best gatekeepers in MMA, Brock Lesnar proved to all of the doubters tonight that he belongs in the major leagues of mixed martial arts, the UFC. From the opening bell, Lesnar was dominant, dropping Herring with a crushing right hand and suffocating him from there on out. His back control was ridiculous. His fists are the size of watermelons and inflict so much damage from very small punches. Lesnar played to his strength tonight and used his world class wrestling to dominate a dangerous opponent. If Lesnar can continue his progress and start to learn how to use his dominant position to finish, he is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the UFC’s heavyweight division. The win for him tonight was huge for the UFC, especially as far as making Lesnar a legitimate MMA fighter and marketing him in the future.

Kenny Florian spoiled Roger Huerta’s big payday.

Kenny Florian did what most pundits thought he would do, and that’s beat Roger Huerta with a technical game. Not only did he beat Huerta but he most likely ruined his demands for a big time contract with the UFC. Huerta reportedly has been asking for a contract that’s bigger than current lightweight champion B.J. Penn’s contract. Florian most likely put a stop to all that talk tonight. The surprising thing was that Florian dominated the striking game. It was a given that if the fight hit the floor that Florian would have the advantage. What wasn’t evident, though, was that Florian would so soundly beat Huerta standing. Huerta is a good talent and a great young fighter with a lot of heart. His antics, his maturity, and his skills, however, need some work. His striking is wild. He throws big looping punches that leave him open to counters. The antic with spitting to the side in the Octagon cost him a takedown. Florian looked better in all aspects of MMA tonight. Huerta just looked flat.

Demian Maia is ready for a step up in competition.

Maia has beaten two of the middleweight division’s best gatekeepers in Jason MacDonald and Ed Herman and now it’s clear that he’s ready to face some of the division’s top dogs. The fight tonight against MacDonald started out as one of the most technical grappling battles that we’ve seen in quite some time. It was a fantastic way to start the show and the transitions that we saw take place were just out of this world. Maia, however, is on another level when it comes to the jiu jitsu game. He is so technically and fundamentally sound in his game that he sometimes makes good jiu jitsu fighters, like MacDonald, look silly. He’s ready for a step up in competition. Perhaps the winner of Palhares vs. Henderson? Perhaps a fight against Yushin Okami when he comes back? Whatever it may be, Maia is very for real and deserves to move up to the next level of competition.

Other musings…

• You could tell from Dan Evensen’s ridiculous intro that he was getting knocked out at some point during the fight. That had to be the worst combination of music and antics that I’ve ever seen walking out to the cage. Evensen got what was coming to him. Put aside the fact that Kongo is on another level. Anyone who acts like that deserves to get their teeth smashed in.
• The Minnesota crowd was phenomenal. One of the best UFC crowds in a long, long time. When they were cheering the ground work between Maia and MacDonald it became clear that not only were they educated MMA fans but also enthusiastic about the evening’s fights. It made for a great at home viewing experience.
• Say what you will about Brock Lesnar’s post fight antics, but I personally loved it. The guy has legitimate skills and he can talk a little trash and hype a fight. Josh Barnett does the same kind of thing and people love him for it. Lesnar is good for the popularity of the sport and if he wants to add some theatrics to the deal then so be it. Tito Ortiz has done far worse.
• Rob Emerson is probably taking home a knockout bonus tonight for his knockout of Manny Gamburyan. Let’s hope he spreads the wealth around to The Lords of South County.
• I’m very interested in seeing the McCrory vs. Cummo fight. By all accounts it was the best undercard fight of the evening.
• Best show of the year? It’s very possible. UFC 84 was my top choice for than honor going into tonight’s event but I may have to re-evaluate following tonight’s top notch show. No matter what, it’s a solid #2 at the least. The UFC is doing a great job of putting on very good shows this year.
• 8-3 on picks for the evening. I’ll take it.

Brock Lesnar dominated Heath Herring from start to finish on Saturday night, setting the tone of the fight by dropping Herring on his rear end with a crushing right hand to his left eye in the opening seconds of round one. From there, it was all Lesnar for the rest of the fight.

Lesnar controlled Herring’s back for most of the fight with Herring absorbing a massive amount of punishment from Lesnar’s boulder-sized fists and a ridiculous amount of knees to the body. Herring proved his worth as one of the best gatekeepers in all of MMA, taking a beating and not folding. Herring has taken beatings from some of the world’s best heavyweights and this one was just another day at the office in his book.

Herring tried valiantly to escape Lesnar’s top control but was largely unable to do so and in the end, Lesnar came away with a dominant victory, sending his record to 2-1 and proving to the MMA world that he belongs in the UFC. Time will only tell what’s next for Lesnar as the UFC’s heavyweight division isn’t as strong as it used to be but he certainly proved to the doubters tonight that he is for real.

Is it just me does Ariel have a knack for getting these fighters to loosen up on camera?

HT: RawVegas.tv

On his exclusive blog for SpikeTV.com, Evan Tanner reveals that he was devastated by Saturday’s split decision loss to Kendall Grove during the main event of the live season finale for “The Ultimate Fighter” and that he’s considering retirement.

“I was pissed off about the fight, f**king sad, f**king raging, on edge, all of it heavy with me, trying to maintain, trying not to explode,” a candid Tanner writes. “Camera men in my face, corner men, doctors, security, paramedics, friends, journalists, too many bodies crowding me, too many hands pulling me too many ways. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t breath, standing there afraid of the man that would come out if I lost control. I broke free, turned my back, stepped into the bathroom and closed the door. I tried to catch my breath in that small space, tried to calm down.”

Tanner, a former UFC middleweight champion whose troubles outside of the cage have been well-documented, made a vague reference to a health issue that has been effecting him as of late. He reveals in the blog that he intends to get it checked out but that it could force him into retirement.

“I’ve been having some serious health problems for a while now,” revealed Tanner, without specifically naming his ailment. “They’ve caused me some problems in my daily life and have seriously affected my training. I obviously haven’t been the same guy in the ring… I’m going to be taking a little time off to see a doctor. If we can’t get this health issue figured out, I’m done, I’m retiring. I don’t want to step back into the Octagon unless I’m 100%, and I can give the fans the type of fight they deserve to see.”

Despite painting a bleak picture, Tanner stopped short of saying he was going to hang out his gloves.

“I don’t see (the health issues) coming to (retirement) though,” he said. “Tomorrow I’m hopping on the bike, and riding up to Oregon to visit the good doctor. I’ve got a good feeling about things.”

In true Tanner style he won’t name the opponent but as we read earlier this week on Kendall Grove’s personal website, the TUF 3 middleweight winner will be his opponent.

As a whole this isn’t really news because if you remember last month Tanner already stated that he had been given an opponent and a date for his next fight. The reason I post this “update” is because in the latest blog entry, Tanner asked for the MMA blogosphere’s help in spreading the word of the new shirt available from Team Tanner.

Seeing how he was kind enough to give me an interview before his fight with Yushin Okami, I thought it was only right that I’d accept his request.

From EvanTanner.net:

This summer, I’ll be stepping into the Octagon for the 17th time.

Once again, I’m turning down all the sponsors. I’ll be stepping out in front of millions, wearing the new Team Tanner shirt, paying tribute to the Team and to all the MMA fans out there.

The new Team Tanner sponsorship shirt is now available on the Team page, http://www.evantanner.net/teamtanner , or you can go directly to the Driving Force Sports website.

Training is going great. I’ll be keeping the journal going with lots of pictures. I’m now training full time out at Hard Knocks Muay Thai, and with all the guys out at the Warrior Training Center. It’s going to be a good camp.

Thanks everybody. I’ll see you all this summer.

Evan

Read more Evan Tanner content on FiveOuncesOfPain.com.

The match-up is listed in the “Upcoming Fight” section on the homepage.

Grove, the winner of TUF 3′s middleweight tournament is currently on a two fight losing streak following successive TKO losses to TUF 4 veterans, Patrick Cote and Jorge Rivera. ‘Da Spyder’ has a 3-2 record in the UFC scoring wins over Ed Herman, Chris Price and the talented but erratic, Alan Belcher.

Tanner recently made a return to mixed martial arts competition after nearly a two year hiatus from the sport. His comeback fight against top middleweight contender, Yushin Okami was unsuccessful however as he suffered a second round KO at the knee of Japanese fighter.

As stated above this fight will take place on the Ultimate Fighter 7 season finale which is set to take place on June 21 at The Palms, Las Vegas. The main event that night will be a welterweight clash between Diego Sanchez and Luigi Fioravanti.

Kudos to The Fight Network for the find.

Read more Kendall Grove and Evan Tanner content on FiveOuncesOfPain.com.

From EvanTanner.net:

Just talked with Joe Silva, the UFC matchmaker. He gave me a date and an opponent. Looks like I’ll be back in the Octagon this summer.

It’s good to have a fight scheduled. The last two weeks have been really rough. I’ll tell the story on that in the next few days.

Tanner recently made a comeback to fighting after nearly a two year layoff at this month’s UFC 82. It proved to be unsuccessful as Tanner suffered a second round knockout to top UFC middleweight Yushin Okami.

Read more Evan Tanner content on FiveOuncesOfPain.com.

CLICK HERE for more UFC 82 content from 5 Oz. of Pain!

We will be bringing you our coverage of UFC 82 this weekend with our patented LIVE chat , plus we’ll be updating the fight results as they happen. Five Ounces of Pain will be your destination for everything UFC 82 this weekend so keep this page bookmarked and be sure to join other 5 Oz. readers, staff, and other MMA fans on Saturday!

WHEN: Saturday, March 1st, 2008 – UFC 82 – Chat will start at 9 PM ET

WHAT: UFC 82 Live Results and Chat!

MAIN CARD
• CHAMPION Anderson Silva def. Dan Henderson (UFC Middleweight Title) via Rear Naked Choke (tapout) Rd 2 (12 secs left in round)
• Heath Herring def. Cheick Kongo via Split Decision.
• Chris Leben def. Alessio Sakara via TKO (Strikes) Rd 1.
  
• Yushin Okami def. Evan Tanner via Knockout (Knee to head) Rd 2.
• Jon Fitch def. Chris Wilson via Unanimous Decision.

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Andrei Arlovski def. Jake O’Brien via TKO (Strikes from the mount) Rd 2.
• Luigi Fioravanti def. Luke Cummo via Unanimous Decision.
• Josh Koscheck def. Dustin Hazelett via TKO (head kick, then strikes) Rd 2.
• Diego Sanchez def. David Bielkheden via Submission (Strikes) Rd 1.
• Jorge Gurgel def. John Halverson via Unanimous Decision.

Sam Cupitt: Thanks for the interview Evan, how has it been going?

Evan Tanner: It’s been going great. Just been training, and working on some big projects.

Sam Cupitt: As everyone has probably heard, you will be fighting Yushin Okami on the UFC 82 card next month. Your last fight was back in 2006, and in between then and now you’ve gone on a bit of a roller coaster ride, which has been documented on your personal website. You probably don’t want to rehash all of it but was their a single point in time when you decided you just wanted to start fighting again?

Evan Tanner: Yeah, I’ve got the big fight with Okami coming up soon. I’m looking forward to that. I took a little break from the fighting, but I definitely didn’t quit, or retire. I’ve been in the game, fighting consistently for over ten years. I just wanted to take a little break. I went on some adventures, and took some time to take care of some things in my personal life, and now I’m ready to go again.

Sam Cupitt: You weren’t training much during that time, was it difficult getting back into training and fighting shape after your time away?

Evan Tanner: Yeah, that was the longest I’ve been away from training since I started fighting, so it took a little while. I was so out of shape when I first started back, that a few rounds on the bag was about all that I could handle. I just stayed consistent, and now I’m finally back in fight shape.

Sam Cupitt: In preparation for the Okami fight you have trained at Hard Knocks Muay Thai and also up in Salt Lake City with Josh Burkman a fair bit. How has that been for your preparation?

Evan Tanner: The change up has been really good for the training. It’s helped keep things fresh. I’ve been getting some great striking work with my coach Renzo at Hard Knocks Muay Thai in Vegas, and I’ve been getting some great sparring and ground work in with Josh Burkman, Cort, Steve, Ben, and the rest of the guys at Absolute MMA in Salt Lake City. I’ve been spending every other week in SLC, so I’ve gotten all the bases covered. I’m ready to go.

Sam Cupitt: On a side note, did you watch Burkman’s fight with Swick and if so how did you see that fight?

Evan Tanner: Well, I think Swick got the decision, but he definitely didn’t win the fight. Josh was clearly the aggressor and was the one pushing the action. I think it was closer to a draw than anything.

Sam Cupitt: Getting onto the fight itself, what kind of Evan Tanner should the fans expect to see on March 1st?

Evan Tanner: I’m a little older and wiser now. I’ve been working on a lot of new techniques and new approaches. Even though I didn’t get a lot of physical training during the time off, I was doing a great deal of visualization. We’ll see how it all works when I step in the octagon on March 1st.

Sam Cupitt: Your opponent, Okami, is a very technical fighter, what do you think of him as an opponent and what tools do you think he brings into this fight?

Evan Tanner: I think Okami is a really solid fighter. Very athletic and strong, with good basic technique, great positioning, and really good stamina. That makes a very dangerous opponent.

Sam Cupitt: You probably don’t want to give away any of your strategy or what not but how do you think this fight will play out. Do you have any predictions on the outcome?

Evan Tanner: I don’t know. I don’t know how the fight will go and I don’t know who will win, and to me that’s the beauty of it. That’s why I like to compete, why I’m stepping in the Octagon, because I don’t know. It’s just a matter of preparing the best you can, and then just stepping in there to see what happens. It wouldn’t be any fun if I already knew the answers.

Sam Cupitt: Okami is fairly established in the UFC’s middleweight division with many thinking he could be in line for a title shot with a victory. Where do you think a victory for yourself places you in the division?

Evan Tanner: Okami has been in there paying his dues. If he wins he’s probably earned his shot. I’ve been sitting out for a while. I’ve got some work to do to get back in title contention. Winning this fight would definitely be a big step.

Sam Cupitt: Along with your fight on UFC 82 there is also the very interesting middleweight championship bout between Anderson Silva and your old training partner Dan Henderson. Do you have any predictions or insight on that fight? You have probably felt Henderson’s wrestling clinch first hand, how would you think that would compare to Silva’s thai clinch?

Evan Tanner: Dan Henderson is an animal, but so is Anderson. I think Dan’s style is tailor made for Anderson though. I’m going with Dan on this one.

Sam Cupitt: Moving away from fighting, you’ve recently set up Team Tanner, which is basically you being sponsored by the fans rather than any commercial entity. Can you tell us what the response to that has been like and how the idea came about?

Evan Tanner: As we’ve talked about, I sat out from fighting for a while. In that time I’ve watched the sport explode into mainstream acceptance, and I’ve watched it become very commercialized, too commercialized in my opinion, but that’s just the nature of the game. There are so many companies involved now that really had nothing to do with helping build the sport and bringing it to the forefront. I didn’t like the idea of getting back into the game, selling out the highest bidder for sponsorship, for placement of logos on my t-shirts and shorts, for products I don’t even use, from companies that had no part in the building of the sport. It’s the fans that really make this sport possible and I wanted to do something that would pay tribute to them. I decided to turn my back on the corporate money and start Team Tanner which would involve the fans directly. Through Team Tanner, fans can sponsor a fighter directly. When I step out into the ring, I won’t be stepping out covered in logos, with my cornermen carrying banners with more logos, dropping names in interviews. I’ll be walking out with no logos, just the Team Tanner shirt, giving recognition to the team and everyone who’s a part of it.

Sam Cupitt: Finally Evan, do you have a message to your fans or anything you want to say in closing?

Evan Tanner: I just want to thank everyone for the support, and I want to give a special thanks to everyone that’s joined the Team. You guys are what it’s all about. It’s goig to be a great 2008.

Sam Cupitt: Thanks again for the interview. Best of luck with the fight and rest of your career and I hope to catch up with you again at a later time.

Evan Tanner: My pleasure. Thanks a lot, Sam.

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