The card will take place on August 4 from Los Angeles with a main event featuring Hector Lombard vs. Brian Stann as well as bouts such as Travis Browne-Ben Rothwell and Ryan Bader-Lyoto Machida.

The 21-7 Lauzon is coming off a loss to Anthony Pettis that snapped a two-fight winning streak stemming from a head kick at UFC 144 in February, while Etim (15-4) has won four of his six UFC bouts. Lauzon and Etim were originally set to meet in 2010 but Etim suffered a broken rib and was forced out.

“I trained really hard because I knew it was going to be a tough fight,” said Lauzon of the original pairing with Etim on his own personal website while confirming the match. “This is kind of deja vu because we have already trained for one another. I liked the fight the first time around, but I really like the fight this time around as I have grown tremendously as an athlete and fighter.”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Their match-up is believed to be taking place at UFC on FOX 4 in Los Angeles on August 4.

Both Fighters Only Magazine and the Boston Herald have confirmed the bout through separate sources.

Lauzon holds an overall record of 21-7 with eight of his wins coming inside the Octagon. Among the notable opponents he’s beaten are Jens Pulver, Jeremy Stephens, Mike Brown, and Melvin Guillard. All instances of his in-ring success have involved some form of stoppage.

The 26-year old Etim is also a finisher by trade with fourteen of his fifteen overall wins involving a fight-ending technique.

No other bouts have been linked to the card yet.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Pettis and Lauzon did a great job of setting up their match through social media and interviews, as both men felt like they would be a good test for the other. “Showtime” is 5-1 in his last six fights, while “J-Lau” is coming off a submission victory over Melvin Guillard.

The match-up was announced through the UFC’s website.

The UFC’s return to Japan on February 26 is also expected to feature UFC lightweight champ Frankie Edgar defending his title against Ben Henderson. Henderson’s last loss came at the hands of Pettis when the two met for the WEC 155-pound title last year meaning a win over Lauzon should thrust the Roufusport product back into the spotlight.

Other fights at UFC 144 include Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields and Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Both men confirmed the fight through their Twitter accounts.

Winner of five straight fights, “The Young Assassin” has looked in prime form under the guidance of Greg Jackson. Guillard followed an impressive finish of Evan Dunham in January up with another jaw-dropping knockout over the very tough Shane Roller a few weeks ago at UFC 132. With seven wins in his last eight UFC fights, Guillard has quickly worked his way up the lightweight ladder and could be a win or two away from a potential title shot in 2012.

First he’ll have to get through “J-Lau” though, who will look to earn his eighth UFC victory. Lauzon is coming off a submission victory over Kurt Warburton at UFC on Versus 4. The submission earned him “Submission of the Night” honors, his seven “of the Night” honor in ten fights. Lauzon has traded wins and losses in his last four fights though and is looking to win two straight fights for the first time since February 2009.

UFC 136 is scheduled for October 8 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The night will be headlined by a UFC lightweight title fight between champion Frankie Edgar and top contender Gray Maynard.

Lauzon hasn’t fought since being submitted by George Sotiropoulos at UFC 123 this past November and should have history on his side considering the lack of him having ever experienced back-to-back defeats in the ring. He holds an overall record of 19-6 including finishing performances against Mike Brown, Jens Pulver, and Jeremy Stephens.

However, while Warburton may be the underdog he is certainly anything but a guaranteed win for Lauzon. The 30-year old Brit out of Wolfslair has four TKOs to his credit and is coming off a decision win over Maciej Jewtuszsko at UFC 127 in February.

Lauzon and Warburton will join a number of notable match-ups on the June card including Tyson Griffin’s drop to featherweight against Manny Gamburyan and Matt Mitrione looking to go 5-0 with Christian Morecraft standing in the way of his remaining undefeated.

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

It was also revealed Sotiropoulos could receive an opportunity to fight for the lightweight championship if he emerges victorious against Lauzon. News of the bout and potential title-shot were reported by MMAJunkie.

Sotiropoulos is 13-2 in his career with, as mentioned earlier, seven straight wins and his only losses coming by way of a DQ and a split decision. The Ultimate Fighter Season 6 alumnus recently beat Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 116 last July and was coming off a similar win over Joe Stevenson prior to the match-up.

Though the 33-year old is considered to be one of the division’s better submission-grapplers, his prowess on the ground should definitely be put to the test by Lauzon who owes fifteen of his nineteen professional wins to tap-outs. The Massachusetts native last saw action in front of a hometown crowd at UFC 118 in Boston where he submitted Gabe Ruediger two minutes into the bout.

UFC 123 also marks the return of Karo Parisyan to the Octagon, as well as a headlining fight between former light heavyweight title-holders Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Lyoto Machida.

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

Also earning sixty thousand dollars for their performances at UFC 118 were welterweights Nate Diaz and Marcus Davis. Their main card scrap, which featured bloody brawling and a last-minute finish by Diaz, was labeled the show’s “Fight of the Night”.

Understandably, no “Knockout of the Night” was named as the card did not feature a single separation from consciousness (at least by strikes).

“Shogun” Rua Out Until Middle of 2011 (Versus.com)

Why Giving Sonnen an Immediate Rematch May be a Mistake (RunKalibRun.com)

Tri-Star Trainer Firas Zahabi Talks Ken Florian (Heavy.com)

Joe Lauzon Shines Some Light on UFC 118 Bout (MMAScraps.com)

EA Sports Reveals Middleweight Roster…Including Jack Shields! (MMAConvert.com)

A Breakdown of the Fallout from Sengoku 14 (FIGHT! Magazine)

Gilbert Yvel Returns to the Octagon at UFC 121 (Middleeasy.com)

Spencer Fisher Arrested in Iowa (CagePotato.com)

Herschel Walker Set to Fight Again in 2010 (MMAFighting.com)

Fast forward three years. Lauzon has enjoyed a highly successful run in the UFC after a stint on The Ultimate Fighter reality series. He has amassed five wins in six fights, with his lone loss coming at the hands of the number one lightweight title contender Kenny Florian.

Adversity has since reared its head again. For the past few months, Lauzon has been sidelined with a recurring knee injury. A recent surgery was performed to repair the damage and Lauzon is well on track for his long recovery. Barring any setbacks, Lauzon should be back in the Octagon sometime in 2010. With a freshly repaired knee and confidence intact, Lauzon continues to fight and beat the type of adversity that made him a household name overnight.

FiveOuncesofPain.com recently got the opportunity to talk to Lauzon about his knee surgery, his appearance in the new UFC video game, thoughts on the “Grease-gate” scandal, as well as all other things MMA.

Dustin Zuch for FiveOuncesOfPain.com: I understand you’ve had some recent surgery on your knee. Give us a quick summary on the medical procedure you had done and how your recovery is going.

Joe Lauzon: I’d been dealing with a torn ACL for a while. Usually when people have torn ACL’s, they have problems with their knee giving out and slipping. Mine was holding together pretty well but it was apparently damaging the meniscus, which is like the padding, in my knee. It got to the point where the meniscus was jamming up my knee and I couldn’t bend my leg. My knee was sore after my last fight, and then the first time I tried to warm up to train it locked and would not move.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: In your last fight against Jeremy Stephens you got a nice gash on your forehead. Were you ever in any sort of fear that the cut would bleed bad enough for the ref to halt the bout?

Joe Lauzon: I knew the cut wasn’t in a bad spot. It wasn’t affecting my vision at all and I knew it was just something I had to deal with but didn’t want to make the same mistake as the Kenny Florian fight and rush things.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Before your bout with Jeremy Stephens you were set to take on Hermes Franca but he was forced to pull out with an injury. Some less than friendly verbal exchanges occured between you two occured shortly thereafter. What were the exchanges about and are you hoping the UFC reschedules that fight for your return?

Joe Lauzon: I would like to see the fight, but I’m not dying for it like I was before. I think he made some inappropriate comments that maybe were meant to come across as joking but I didn’t find funny. If it happens, its going to be the battle of new ACLs.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Speaking of upcoming bouts, anyone else in particular you hope the UFC matches you up with in your foreseeable future?

Joe Lauzon: I will fight whoever they want me to fight. we usually don’t have a lot of options in that regard, so you just need to be ready for whoever.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Your trainer and mentor, B.J. Penn, has recently been the talk of the media with the “Grease-gate” scandal against Georges St. Pierre. While most agree with B.J’s frustration, most also feel that he is only hurting himself by continuing to push the allegations. What are your thoughts on the situation?

Joe Lauzon: I think its a weird situation to me. It seems like people are saying, “Well BJ didn’t look good in the first anyways and was going to lose regardless, so a little grease didn’t change anything.” Thats like me fighting someone that tested positive for steroids and then the commission comes back and says “Well he was going to be stronger than you anyways, its not a big deal”. I think if its illegal, it’s illegal and you should face the consequences. I think they clearly rubbed vaseline on GSP and something should be done. Not necessarily turn over the fight, but do something. Not just say “Too bad BJ, you were going to lose anyways”. I am really baffled by the whole thing.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Prior to becoming a full-time fighter, you were an IT Network Administrator with a company in the Boston area. How has the switch had an effect on your health and overall daily life? Can you see yourself making the venture back to IT once you retire from fighting?

Joe Lauzon: Since I made the switch, I am able to put a lot more time into training. I am much more durable and had put on a lot of muscle. Before I quit my job, it was tough to find the time to do everything. I pretty much put all of my time into skill work and not so much strength work and things like that. Now that I have the time, I can do a lot more to better myself as a whole. I don’t think I will go back to IT, but its nice knowing I could if I wanted to. I got a Computer Science degree so I will always have options, I would just need to take a few refresher courses.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Your school, Lauzon MMA, was once known as Reality Self Defense and under the ownership of your good friend and longtime trainer, Joe Pomfret. How has you taking ownership and the name change affected the success of the school? Did you notice an influx in students once you changed the name?

Joe Lauzon: The official name is Lauzon MMA, but we still refer to it as RSD. It was RSD for like 8 years, a new sign isn’t going to change anything to us. Ever since I went on TUF, we had a good influx of new students. Since we changed the name though, we have had a lot more people coming in. The school was always successful, but its definitely doing better now.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Congratulations on getting a spot in the new UFC Undisputed video game. Tell us a bit about the screening process involved with getting your character into the game and your general thoughts on the upcoming release.

Joe Lauzon: I think the game is going to be awesome! I played the demo and its way better than I anticipated. I don’t know how the screening process really went. I know they scanned around 200 people for the game and around 90 made it in. It was pretty cool how they scan you. They basically have you stand on a little platform and this huge circular track moves up and down your body while you stay still. It took less than a minute and they showed me the scan afterwards. I’m going to have some epic ears in this game.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: In regards to video games, you are reportedly an avid Xbox 360 player (especially since your recent surgery). What games can we expect Joe Lauzon to be playing on a regular basis?

Joe Lauzon: I have been playing a lot of Call of Duty: World at War. I’d say thats the game I play the most. We were on a huge Gears of War 2 kick for a while and we pop in Left 4 Dead a lot too. You can never go wrong killing zombies.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: The overhaul you did on your website looks fantastic. Discuss why you think it’s important to have a personal website to market yourself and connect with fans, sponsors, and others.

Joe Lauzon: I liked the look and feel of my website before, but it didn’t have the interaction that I wanted. I would post things and people would comment them on my facebook, on my myspace, etc. I am trying to push people to comment more on my site instead. What ends up happening is the same questions get asked over and over and I have to answer them to everyone individually. This way I can answer something once in a comment and everyone gets filled in. On top of that, I just like interacting with fans. When I started training I was watching the UFC and just a fan too. I never could have imagined I would make it this far… I don’t think I was even trying. I know I would really appreciate interacting with big name fighters though.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: You were among the guests at Dana White’s private St. Patty’s Day party here in Boston. How was the party? Did House of Pain throw it down good?

Joe Lauzon: House of Pain definitely threw it down. I took some video and put it on my YouTube channel, you can find a link on my homepage (http://www.joelauzon.com). It was an awesome party and its always a good time with Dana.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Let’s play a bit of UFC Fantasy here. Pick the winner of the following upcoming fights: Rashad Evans/Lyoto Machida, Brock Lesnar/Frank Mir, and B.J. Penn/Kenny Florian.

Joe Lauzon: Rashad, Mir, B.J.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Thanks again for sitting down to talk with us. Any plugs to your sponsors or thanks you’d like to throw out there?

Joe Lauzon: Always a big thanks to Sprawl Fight Shorts and MMAWarehouse. Also, check out my website at http://www.joelauzon.com. Register and comment on my blogs!

Apparently the doctors were able to repair the meniscus instead of removing it. Lauzon also claimed that he had his ACL replaced and was given a “nerve block” for his entire leg.

Lauzon explained that he was given medication to make him comfortable and then given a shot to numb his entire leg, apparently 11 hours later his leg was still numb. He was prescribed percocets for the pain and was uncomfortable taking them as they made him tired and really messed him up. He has no intentions of taking them more than a few days.

As far as beginning his rehab the doctor told him to get moving as soon as possible and to try and put weight on his leg but to not go past a 90 degree angle while doing so. He start doing leg lifts as soon as he is able to and hopes to begin within the next day or so.

Lauzon said the past three weeks have been pretty rough not knowing what was going to happen. Now that the surgery is over he said it is like training for a fight and he has goals in mind and he will start working towards them.

The season five veteran of The Ultimate Fighter last fought in February at UFC Fight Night 17, recording an impressive second round submission victory over Jeremy Stephens. The win improved Lauzon’s overall MMA record to 18-4 overall and 5-1 in the UFC.

The Massachusetts native first rose to national prominence following his stunning upset first round knock out of former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver back in September of 2006. Lauzon’s only loss in the UFC was to current number one lightweight title contender Kenny Florian.

Lauzon made the revelation himself during a blog entry on his official web site, JoeLauzon.com.

“It looks like I will be having ACL surgery next week,” Lauzon began to write. “I have had a history of bad luck with my knees. I have already had two knee surgeries… meniscectomies on both knees. Those surgeries were relatively simple because they just go in arthroscopically and shave down the meniscus. There is no stitching and no repairing done.

“The surgery scheduled for next week will not be so simple. Unlike the last two times, I will need my meniscus repaired. Instead of just shaving that little piece out, they will be stitching it up and getting it to sit back in place.”

Lauzon, 18-4, competed earlier this month in the main event of UFC Fight Night 17. Facing Iowa native Jeremy Stephens, Lauzon improved his lifetime record in the UFC to 5-1.

According to Lauzon, he anticipates that he will be able to resume light training in 4-to-5 months before being able to participate in full fight training within nine months. His timetable for a return will come down to how soon his surgically repaired knee will be able to handle the rigors of a full training camp.

MMAjunkie.com was the first to break the news with the story since having been confirmed by the UFC’s official website.

Stephens is also slated to fight season eight lightweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter Efrain Escudero on April 1 during UFC Fight Night 18. FiveOuncesOfPain.com has learned that if Stephens makes it out of UFN 17 in relative good health, he will fight as scheduled at UFN 18 against Escudero.

The 22-year old Stephens is 14-3 overall and holds a lifetime record of 3-2 in the UFC. Stephens’ most recent bout was a victory over Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 91 this past November. The Des Moines, Iowa native registered one of the most impressive knockouts of the year when he finished dos Anjos at 0:39 of round 3 when he landed a massive uppercut from an extended distance.

Lauzon is veteran from the fifth season of The Ultimate Fighter and holds a career record of 17-3. Inside of the Octagon, he is 4-1 with notable wins over Jens Pulver, Jason Reinhardt, and Brandon Melendez. His most recent victory occurred at UFC Fight Night 15 in September, where he TKO’d Kyle Bradley at 1:34 of round 2.

UFN 17 will emanate from USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida. As of now, the complete lineup is as follows:

Televised Main Card -

• Joe Lauzon vs. Jeremy Stephens
• Cain Velasquez vs. Denis Stojnic
• Mac Danzig vs. Josh Neer
• Nick Catone vs. TBA

Preliminary Bouts -

• Kurt Pellegrino vs. Rob Emerson
• Jake Rosholt vs. Dan Miller
• Matt Grice vs. George Sotiropoulos
• Rich Clementi vs. Gleison Tibau
• Anthony Johnson vs. Luigi Fioravanti
• Steve Bruno vs. Matt Riddle

MMAjunkie.com was the first to report the news on Thursday.

Franca, 19-7, is coming off a victory last month against Marcus Aurelio at UFC 90 in Rosemont, Illinois. Both Franca and Aurelio went the distance in a battle for former American Top Team teammates with Franca being declared the victor via unanimous decision.

The native Brazilian’s lifetime record in the UFC is 6-4 and includes notable victories over Richard Crunkilton, Caol Uno, Jamie Varner, and Spencer Fisher. The former WEC featherweight champion also holds a career win over season five winner of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Nate Diaz.

Lauzon is also a TUF 5 alum and holds a career record of 17-3. Inside of the Octagon, he is 4-1 with notable wins over Jens Pulver, Jason Reinhardt, and Brandon Melendez. His most recent victory ocurred at UFC Fight Night 15 in September, where he TKO’d Kyle Bradley at 1:34 of round 2.

In addition to Franca vs. Lauzon, bouts for UFN 17 featuring Amir Sadollah vs. Nick Catone and Mac Danzig vs. Josh Neer have been reported as well.

They did a horrible job of cutting up audio and chopping it into their own little story. They take bits of pieces of what everyone says, twist it out of context and then splice in clips of Dan saying “yea… yup… okay” to make it all seem the way they want to portray it….

The whole “I am so sad my corners are going to be late” angle was pretty hypocritical as well. Dans corners were not going to be there right when the show started, but they were there in plenty of time to get him prepared for his fight. This was Dans 11th fight and he had the other guys from the gym there with him. He wasnt sitting alone in a corner somewhere, but thank god he didnt sit down for a moment without other people in the show or I am sure Tapout would have shown Dan sitting all alone as they played some sad and depressing music.

They made the gyms, the trainers and the training partners all look like garbage. I started at this gym and have done well training out of there… and Dan has too along with a bunch of other guys. We are doing pretty good for a small gym and didnt need to be shit on like that.

Was it good TV? Maybe for some. Was it a load of bullshit? Absolutely.

I’m kind of torn here. On one hand the Tapout guys are as annoying as all hell but on the other hand Joe Lauzon’s shenanigans are starting to get a little old. Being smart people, the Lauzons should realize that when you agree to be on a reality TV show things will be edited to make the product entertaining and to tell whatever story the people behind the camera want to tell. I’ll go with Lauzon here as he seems like a funny, educated guy but his constant complaining and boyish pranks are starting to drift from funny and different to the land of “oh that again.”  Meanwhile the Tapout guys, sans Punkass, have always been there.

Right out of the gate, Rothwell talks about his decision to sign with Adrenaline.

CagePotato.com: Tell us about the new organization that you signed with, Adrenaline MMA. What’s your contract with them like and how did you decide to go with them instead of one of the other companies that offered you a deal?

I was trying to find the best company to go with. M-1 had been talking to me, obviously Monte Cox was the head of it and he gave me an idea of what they were looking at. I was trying to hold out while they figured out their business with Fedor. I had other organizations looking at me, but I wanted to wait and see what the best deal would be. Fedor’s management was just impossible to deal with, so that hurt M-1, but Monte and everyone else there decided, ‘Hey, we can still be an organization’, so they created Adrenaline.

They’re not missing a beat, because they had everything planned and now they can still go ahead with it, minus Fedor and the Russians. As soon as that was decided I got the phone call to get signed and I said absolutely.

It’s a good deal. Three fights, non-exclusive, so it’s a very cool thing for two reasons. Number one, I’m getting paid a flat rate win or lose. Now I can go out and just throw everything I have without worrying because I know I’m getting paid. The second thing is the non-exclusive thing. If there’s a lot of time between shows or an opponent doesn’t come through, if I a get a call from Japan I can go over there and fight. It’s very cool and I’m very happy.

 Showing his journalistic chops, Fowlkes comes right out and asks Rothwell if he feels there’s a conflict of interest being managed by Monte Cox, who is also the CEO of Adrenaline MMA:

But since he’s your manager and he’s been working on this new organization, did you ever worry that he might not entertain or really pursue offers from other organizations because he wanted you for his company?

There is that possibility, but that’s when the dollar signs come into the picture. Would someone else offer me a better deal now? Maybe, but I know what they were offering prior to this, and it wasn’t what I’m getting now. Adrenaline has stepped up to pay me what I want, and the other companies, they missed their chance.

With the non-exclusive deal, I can almost tell you, though it hasn’t been announced, that you’re going to see me fight in another organization this year. I’ll be fighting for Adrenaline and another organization. I can almost guarantee you that. With that said, I’m not worried about missing other opportunities because of this.

 I also found the following question pretty interesting…

Did you talk seriously with the UFC at any point, and do you think that a fighter these days still has to get to the UFC before he gets mainstream recognition?

The UFC is a big deal for a fighter because of the kind of recognition you get. So many people are watching it, so they are the big dog. They were interested in me, for sure, and they put offers on the table that weren’t bad. But there were other organizations that were offering more money and I didn’t want to pass that up.

I also knew that if something happened with these other organizations, the UFC would still be there. All I’m doing is building my stock and making a name for myself right now. Then, if and when I do go to the UFC, I have some name recognition, not just another guy who has to prove himself.

Two observations here.

First, Rothwell now has a lucrative three fight non-exclusive deal with Adrenaline MMA. I’ve read a lot of people complain that he’s managed by the same guy running Adrenaline, Cox. People complain about a conflict of interest, but I don’t see any downside for Rothwell.

The other thing I wanted to point out was the UFC’s decision to offer Rothwell a contract. In spite of so many promotions that are now in existence, we’ve yet to see very many bidding wars. In spite of their need for heavyweights and their financial resources, the UFC still opted not to get involved in a bidding war.

With the way the UFC is conducted its business, they remind me of the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots, and that’s not a bad thing. The Patriots and Eagles have been very successful despite the introduction of the salary cap to the NFL because they always manage their money well. Most importantly, they never allow the market to dictate value. They evaluate a player and decide what he’s worth to them. If the player’s asking price is in line with what they are offering, they make a deal. If not, they let the player go elsewhere. It’s as simple as that.

Wow, did I get side tracked or what? Regardless, it’s good to see Rothwell signed because I really enjoyed his work in the IFL and would like to see him fighting again.

I took a lot of cuts from Fowlkes’ interview because there was just so much good stuff to choose from. There’s plenty more to be found by clicking here.

Just announced on tonight’s Inside MMA, mixed martial arts super agent Monte Cox is starting a new fight promotion called Adrenaline MMA (formerly known as M-1 Global) and has signed top 10 heavyweights Tim Sylvia and Ben Rothwell. “The Maine-iac” said his split from the UFC was amicable and said his deal with the new Adrenaline MMA promotion is non-exclusive. He will not fulfill the last fight on his contract with the UFC and has been released from his contract altogether.

At age 32, he hopes to fight several times a year, in Adrenaline MMA and in other promotions. He stated he’d like to fight in Japan and (of course) said Fedor is #1 one on his list.

Monte Cox stated Adrenaline MMA’s first show will be June 14th in Chicago.

UPDATE: MMA Weekly is reporting that not only have Ben Rothwell and Tim Sylvia signed on for the new Adrenaline MMA promotion, but that they’ve also signed current EliteXC and DREAM fighter Eddie Alvarez. Also according to the report, a fight between American Top Team’s Jeff Monson and PRIDE veteran Mike Russow has already been signed for the inaugural show.

Rothwell has not competed since recording a unanimous decision victory over Ricco Rodriguez during the IFL’s Team Finals on September 20 but has fielded offers from several promotions. A source close to the fighter indicated that of all the offers he has received thus far, the Golden Boy/Affliction offer is considered to be the most intriguing.

Rothwell, who holds a career MMA record of 29-5, was one of the IFL’s signature stars before a contract dispute caused him to be pulled from its World Grand Prix this past November. The Miletich Fighting Systems product posted an undefeated 9-0 record during a two-year tenure with the promotion.

According to Sherdog.com, the new startup collaboration between Affliction and Golden Boy could hold its first card as early as June 28. While it has yet to be confirmed, rumors within the industry have suggested that HBO is considered a likely television partner for the new group.

It is believed that Matt Lindland has already signed a three-fight contract with the promotion and that Aleksander Emelianenko, the younger brother of Fedor Emelianenko, is also on board as well. The names of Fedor, Andrei Arlovski, and Josh Barnett are also believed to be high on Golden Boy/Affliction’s wish-list.

Here are the highlights from the call:

- Kurt Angle’s name was brought up towards the end of the call. Otto confirmed that the promotion hosted Angle during the Team Finals in Florida that took place in September and said that he’s had talks with Angle’s manager, Dave Hawk. In response to Angle’s previous statements that he’d be fighting for the IFL in the future, Otto said he thinks that Angle might have experienced “buyer’s remorse” and is having second thoughts after watching the fights up close. He said if Angle wants to compete, he has three guys specifically in mind as potential opponents. When pressed, Otto would not name those three guys. He also indicated that if Angle fought for the IFL, it likely would be in a pay-per-view situation.

- Otto indicated that he and Monte Cox are on speaking terms again and he was also complementary to M-1 Global. He wouldn’t rule out Ben Rothwell re-signing with the IFL and felt that they can make him an attractive offer. However, he didn’t sound overly optimistic. The impression I got, and this is conjecture on my part, is that pretty much everyone is resigned to the fact that Rothwell will be fighting for M-1 in 2008.

- The league will open the ’08 season in Las Vegas on February 29 at the Orleans Center.

- I also posed several questions about Andre Gusmao and the reports that claimed he’d be debuting with the UFC in February and then the subsequent reports that he wouldn’t be. Otto said that someone representing Gusmao gave the UFC a false impression that he was free and clear to negotiate. When the IFL got wind of reports, Otto contacted UFC V.P. of talent relations, Joe Silva. Otto was complementary towards Silva and said the UFC retracted their offer after speaking to the IFL.

The interesting part is that it sounds as though Gusmao is not signed to the IFL for ’08 and could still fight for the UFC next year. What it sounded like to me is that the IFL either has a right of first refusal in Gusmao’s contract and or retains an exclusive negotiation period.

I believe there is definitely a right of first refusal as Otto expressed his belief that the IFL will be able to make the best financial offer for Gusmao’s services. Otto also stated he felt it was interesting that after people had said the UFC wasn’t interested in their fighters that there could be a bidding war over Gusmao that will take place.

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

Rothwell starts the topic as mainly an attack on all the ‘Sherdoggers’ who have been bashing him but the topic eventually evolved into almost a Q/A session, where Ben opened up quite bluntly on a number of issues.

One of the most intriguing things I read, was his viewpoint on Matt Hughes’ decision to leave the Miletich camp.

In response to the question, “How is the atmosphere over at MFS now with Hughes and Robbie taking off?” Rothwell replied:

FUCK Matt Hughes and he knows it, how he went about the gym and Pat Mileitich was complete BULLSHIT besides other things.

 He would then clarify his statement in a later post saying:

He treats people around him poorly and has no respect. Really when I hear him talk about God and do this and do that and I love my wife, I want to puke
you (Hughes) couldn’t look anyone in the face anymore, and you fucked Monte (Cox) and Pat (Miletich) over and the fucking gym that MADE YOU

These are pretty damning words from Rothwell and definitely go against the reported “peaceful exit” between Hughes and the Miletich Camp.

The thread can be found here, if you can be bothered wading through some mostly pointless Sherdog posts.

Another thing I found interesting is how Ben stated he was “licking his lips for more” cage fights. Which could suggest his desire to end up in the UFC or at least another organisation that isn’t the IFL.