According to Shaw, the proposed Carano vs. Kobald-Gavin matchup has not been finalized but he expects to have signed agreements from both fighters within the coming days.

Kobald-Gavin is a respected striker in MMA and trains out of the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy with the likes of Kaitlin Young, Brock Larson, Nick Thompson, Sean Sherk, and Brock Lesnar. She has not fought since August 24, 2007 after losing a unanimous decision to Julie Kedzie during BodogFIGHT’s Vancouver tapings. Kobald-Gavin had actually just fought a little over a month earlier, submitting to a fourth round armbar by then-BogFIGHT Women’s Champion Tara LaRosa during a show staged in Trenton, N.J.

Carano has been idle since recording a second round TKO against Young during the first-ever telecast of “Saturday Night Fights” on May 31. The win improved Carano’s record to 5-0.

Many speculated following her impressive win against Shayna Baszler during “Saturday Night Fights II” on July 26 that Cris Cyborg would be next in line to fight Carano. Although it’s a matchup that EliteXC officials are looking to at some point in the future, the promotion think that now is not the right time.

“We are excited about Cris Cyborg following her recent victory on CBS,” said Shaw. “EliteXC is also excited about the possible Cyborg vs. Gina Carano matchup. However, we believe that Cyborg needs more time to get out there and brand herself. If both fighters can continue their winning ways, it’s a fight we expect to happen sometime in 2009.”

Click PLAY below for this weeks Inside the Cage Radio !

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Check out more episodes of Inside the Cage Radio by clicking the RADIO header at the top of the website.

- Loretta Hunt from The Fight Network spoke with John Hackleman, the trainer for Chuck Liddell, who says he’s unaware of any retirement talk. In fact, he not only claims Liddell told him he’ll be back in the gym next Monday, but didn’t rule out a December fight for Liddell:

“He’s already said he’ll be back in the gym next Monday,” said Hackleman, who has coached Liddell for 16 years. “He’s going to fight again, hopefully as soon as possible, maybe in December. We’re looking at ‘Shogun.’”

- It was revealed during the UFC 76 post-fight press conference that Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s hand injury worsened during his UFC 75 title defense against Dan Henderson and that he’s unlikely to fight again in 2007. It doesn’t look like the UFC can fall back on a Forrest Griffin vs. Rampage UFC light heavyweight title match for UFC 79 on Dec. 29.

- According to John Pollock of The Fight Network, Karo Parisyan has confirmed he’ll be fighting Judoka standout Hector Lombard at UFC 78 in Newark, NJ.

- MMAJunkie.com broke the news that Dean Lister’s opponent at UFC 79 on Dec. 29 could very well be Jordan Radev, the dude who got wrecked by Drew McFedries at UFN 10.

- UFCDaily.com is reporting that Doug Evans will be fighting in a preliminary match on the UFC 79 undercard on Dec. 29.

- According to this week’s print edition of The Wrestling Observer, BodogFIGHT welterweight champion Nick Thompson is having contract issues with the company. He’s one of the most underrated fighters in the world right now (right up there with Jon Fitch) and would be a tremendous addition to any fight promotion’s talent roster.

- In case you missed it, Ricco Rodriguez confirmed on Inside the Cage Radio with Matt Cava and I this past weekend that he’s still under contract to EliteXC (although a debut match has not been scheduled) and that he plans to continue to fight at heavyweight for the time being. His ultimate goal in the next year is to fight at light heavyweight and he also challenged former friend Tito Ortiz to a catch weight fight at 225 lbs.

- In a previous interview with me for CBSSports.com earlier in the year, Joe “Diesel” Riggs claimed he was transferred from the WEC to the UFC per his request. During Inside the Cage, he indicated that was not actually the case and that the idea was actually pushed on him by Zuffa. Riggs has signed what he believes is a five fight contract with Strikeforce and he’ll make his debut for the promotion this Saturday at the Playboy Mansion against 41-year old Eugene Jackson. It’s a non-exclusive deal but he needs to get permission from Strikeforce to fight outside of it (hey, how about Riggs vs. Nick Diaz II?). Riggs also confirmed there’s a chance he could fight Cung Le if he beats Jackson but said that while he wouldn’t mind fighting Le, he’d love to fight Frank Shamrock.

- I came across this interview via a story on MMANews.com, but in an interview with IronLife.com, Pride lightweight Joachim Hansen indicated he is still technically under contract to Zuffa through the Pride acquisition but there are no immediate plans to fight for the company. It appears they don’t want to use him under his existing deal, and wanted to re-negotiate his contract for less money:

They offered me a fight some months ago – I wasn’t sure if they had bought Pride for what the hell was going on. They offered me a fight against Marcus Aurelio, they offered me half the salary of what I got in Pride. Obviously at the time they had already bought Pride, in my opinion they also bought my contract, so how can they offer me half the salary?

- According to The Fight Network, NSAC officially decided not too suspend Renato “Babalu” Sobral following his extended choke on David Heath following their match at UFC 74 on Aug. 25. However, he will not receive the $25,000 win bonus that the commission decided to withhold, which means he’s been fined $25,000 in essence. All because a guy called him a mother fucker?

- According to MMAjunkie.com, Jake O’Brien, who underwent what what considered at the time to be possible career-ending back surgery, will resume training next year.

Just click “play now” or download.

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OR you can copy and paste the following URL into your browser:

http://mmatakedown.net/MMA_Audio/Inside_the_Cage_Radio_9.22.07.mp3

Here’s a rundown of this must-listen show…

Segment One – EliteXC’s female MMA controversy:

Sam and Matt share their thoughts about the fallout from the Gina Carano vs. Tony Evinger match at last Saturday’s EliteXC “Uprising” from Tonya Evinger’s pre-fight comments, Mauro Ranallo’s in-fight comments, and Gina Carano’s post-fight comments and her weight cutting issues. The show takes a unique turn when Sam’s wife joins the show to give a female fighter’s perspective.

Segment Two – UFC lightweight fighter Kenny “The Finisher” Florian:

Kenny breaks down his victory over Din Thomas from UFN 11 this past Wednesday night and discusses how he scouted Thomas; Florian addresses whether he’d be ready for a hypothetical lightweight title fight in November and indicates when he plans to fight again; he reveals when a match between B.J. Penn and Joe Stevenson might take place; he reveals who Roger Huerta’s next opponent could be; Florian also broke down specific fighters in the UFC’s lightweight division and discussed who he considers the top lightweight fighters outside of the UFC (and he had some interesting things to say about Takanori Gomi).

Segment Three – Former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez:

Ricco comes out firing right out of the gate. He reveals he not only took a fight with Ben Rothwell at the IFL finals on short notice but that he had just gotten out of rehab shortly before the bout; he addresses the controversy surrounding the match with Rothwell head on and pulls no punches; Ricco clarifies his contract statuses with both the IFL and EliteXC; indicates his plans for what weight class he plans to fight at in the future; discusses his recent decision to sever business ties with MMA superagent Ken Pavia; indicates that he believes politics could be keeping him out of the UFC; addresses his fallout with Tito Ortiz and issues an official challenge; and much more! Ricco was just dropping bombshells left and right. He sounded hungry, healthy, and happy and it looks like the Ricco Rodriguez of old could be back. I think we’re going to be seeing him fighting for the big promotions on a regular basis again soon.

Segment Four – New Strikeforce middleweight fighter Joe “Diesel” Riggs:

Ricco was not an easy act to top but Riggs just might have done it. Joe let everyone know why he asked for his release from the WEC and why he wanted to go to Strikeforce; clarifies on the record once and for all whether he ever wanted to be assigned to the WEC in the first place; addresses rumors as to whether he will fight Cung Le if he beats Eugene Jackson on Sept. 29 at the Playboy Mansion; calls out a surprise opponent; discusses his past pain killer addiction and comments on drug use in MMA; and reveals the true story of the infamous Nick Diaz fight that took place at a Las Vegas hospital following UFC 57; and much more!

Matt and I were really happy with this show and we would love your feedback! Please leave comments here or e-mail me at SCaplan8@comcast.net and please spread the word about this week’s show.

Florian revealed the news when asked whether he could be ready for a potential match against B.J. Penn at UFC 78 if a hypothetical situation occurred where current UFC lightweight champ Sean Sherk was stripped of his title.

Florian stated he would not be ready and that at the advice of his team, he’s been advised not to fight again this year due to having fought frequently several times during the past few months.

He also revealed that there are rumors circulating within the UFC that a anticipated match between Penn and Joe Stevenson may not happen at UFC 78 in November but sometime in December. Florian cited timing issues as a reason for why the match may take place at a different date.

This was just one of a few nuggets of info that Florian revealed on the show (he also mentioned who the next rumored opponent is for Roger Huerta) that will be made available either later tonight or earlier tomorrow morning.

All-in-all, this will be a must-listen of Inside the Cage! In addition to Florian, Ricco Rodriguez and Joe Riggs were guests as well and both made several revelations that will get MMA fans talking.

I’m telling you, you guys are going to really enjoy listening to the show.

I announced earlier today that Kenny Florian and Ricco Rodriguez will both be on the show and I have just confirmed that Joe Riggs will be on the show as well! Riggs recently left the WEC and will be debuting for Strikeforce on 9/29 at the Playboy Mansion.

So we’ve got Florian, Ricco, and Riggs for you. Remember to leave any questions you want asked in the comment space. This is going to be a fun show!

Hey, if you want to join our affiliates (such as Pancrase.org and MMAHQ.com) where we give you permission to download the feed of Inside the Cage Radio and host it off your server, e-mail me at: SCaplan8@comcast.net. Basically, we’re giving you free audio content for you blog or web site in exchange for more potential listeners.

Also, with things picking up for Inside the Cage, now is as good of a time to get involved as a sponsor. If interested, you can also e-mail me at SCaplan8@comcast.net.

And guess what, we might have one more guest to announce. Yes, it’s going to be a fun show.

Feel free to leave any questions you’d like us to ask Ricco or Kenny fight here.

First, I have just received confirmation that Kenny Florian will be a guest on the show. We’ll obviously be talking about his big win over Din Thomas this past Wednesday at UFN 11 along with several other topics. If there is anything you want us to ask Kenny, leave a question in the comment area.

Second, we’re going to experiment a little bit and possibly take phone calls. The show doesn’t stream live, hence the word “experiment.” We tape between 12:15 p.m. ET and 1:15 p.m. ET.

You can reach our production studio at 609-419-0300. After that, you’ll need to dial 709 when prompted.

Matt and I will open the show around 12:15 p.m. ET with some EliteXC talk and all the controversy pertaining to the women’s match between Gina Carano and Tonya Evinger from Evinger’s pre-fight comments, to some of the commentary during the fight, Carano winning via submission.

Kenny is then going to be on around 12:30 p.m. ET.

So you can try to call in but I can’t promise we’ll pick up immediately (we don’t have a call screener so we’ll be doing it Larry King style where I press a button and say “Caller, you’re on the air).

I’m also working on some other things. So stay tuned.

You asked for more guests and Inside the Cage has delivered! Joining Matt Cava and I this week were EliteXC play-by-play announcer and Fight Network Radio host Mauro Ranallo and UFC lightweight contender Frankie Edgar.

Both segments were great. Mauro was especially in rare form today as we discussed a number of topics including his thoughts on Art of War III last week (and some interesting comments on Jeremy Horn); next week’s EliteXC card on Showtime (he addresses the critical comments that Matt and I have made about Gina Carano in recent weeks); how he really feels about Charles Bennett (and drops a bombshell about an urban legend pertaining to Bennett and Chute Boxe); announcers who influenced his style and much more!

Frankie then came on and addressed all the rumors about who his opponent will be at UFC 78; where he’s been training recently; whether or not he’s a full-time fighter; how he feels about getting top competition each fight while Roger Huerta perhaps hasn’t been; and more.

Just click play on the live player below:

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Edgar addressed a number of topics, including a rumored matchup between he and Spencer Fisher for UFC 78 on November 17 in Newark, New Jersey. Edgar confirmed the fight for both Matt and I.

Edgar vs. Fisher is going to be a hell of a match. He didn’t say whether it would be televised or not, but I’d be shocked if it wasn’t. Edgar will be fighting in front of hometown fans on the show and Fisher is an exciting fighter. To make that match and not televise it would be a crime.

The crowd should especially be into it. Edgar will have a lot of friends and family in the building but I am anticipating that Fisher will get a strong reaction as well. There are MFS affiliates in both Philadelphia and Atlantic City and there’s definitely a degree of loyalty when it comes to MFS and all of its affiliate schools.

EliteXC play-by-play announcer Mauro Ranallo was also on the show in what was an awesome segment. I think everyone is really going to enjoy it. Expect the show to be available sometime tomorrow. Check back here for an update or just e-mail me at SCaplan8@comcast.net and request to join the 5 Oz. mailing list.

Mauro, who is both the voice of The Fight Network as well as the lead announcer for EliteXC, will be joining Matt and I to discuss last weekend’s Art of War III show (Mauro was the play-by-play voice for the show) that took place in Dallas and aired on PPV as well as EliteXC’s next show from Hawaii on Saturday, September 15.

You can listen to last week’s show by clicking the play button that appears on the live player below. Matt and I were joined by both Dann Stupp of MMAjunkie.com and the Dayton Daily News and also Luke Thomas of BloodyElbow.com. We not only reviewed UFC 74 but previewed this weekend’s UFC 75 show.

Also, you can hear me guest co-host with “Mr. Sunshine” Steve Cofield later today on FoxSportsRadio 1460 in Las Vegas from 5-7 p.m. PT.

I’m looking to meet as many readers of this blog as possible so feel free to stop by and visit us. We’ll be at a bar on a concourse near the entrance to the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

If you’re not going to be in Vegas but want to hear some UFC-talk to get you pumped for the show, just click here to listen to either the live stream or the archive.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE 8/18 EDITION OF INSIDE THE CAGE

Here are some of the key topics that were addressed during the show:

- Now that Wanderlei Silva is signed, what’s next for him?

- Who should Brandon Vera fight in his first match back?

- If Randy Couture loses, will UFC 74 be the last time we see him in the Octagon?

- Does Josh Koscheck have a shot at upsetting GSP?

- Does Kendall Grove vs. Patrick Cote belong on the main card?

- Whether or not Frank Mir’s match vs. Antoni Hardonk is a must-win situation for Mir

- Does Clay Guida have what it takes to upset Marcus Aurelio?

- And much, much more!

• Phone calls to be taken on Inside the Cage - Some of you asked for it and starting a week from this Saturday, you’ll get it! Matt Cava and I have set it up so that you’ll be able to call into “Inside the Cage Radio” starting with our 8/25 show. Because of the configuration of the production studio, we won’t be able to screen the calls. When you call in, your call will be picked up live on the air ala Larry King (“Caller, you’re on the air!”). I will have more information next week.

• Luke Thomas of BloodyElbow.com to be guest contributor on Inside the Cage this week - This week’s edition of “Inside the Cage Radio” will be available Sunday morning as opposed to Saturday evening. Don’t worry, it’ll be worth the wait because Luke Thomas from BloodyElbow.com will be joining Matt Cava and I for our special UFC 74 preview show. Be sure to check out Luke’s recent article as to why he believes my prediction that Josh Koscheck will beat Georges St. Pierre will be proven incorrect by clicking here.

• Fantasy Football Radio is back on ESPN 920 - For those of you in the Philly area, “Fantasy Football Radio” hosted by me and John Floyd will return to the airwaves this Saturday on ESPN 920 at its new time, 9 a.m. ET. If you have any questions about your upcoming draft, feel free to call the show at 866-459-ESPN. We’ll be previewing wide receivers this week going over our top tens, sleepers, and busts. Please help spread the word that Fantasy Football Radio is back!The station hasn’t set up the template so that the show can be streamed online as of yet but when the stream is available, I’ll let everyone know so that people not in the Philly area can listen if they’re interested in. For those of you who can’t listen, I can post my notes up here after the show. The fantasy site I co-owned, XpertSports.com, was sold several months back so as of now, I won’t be writing fantasy football for anyone. If there’s any interest in having some fantasy football content posted here, let me know. And of course, John and I will continue to host “The Saturday Morning Sports Hangover” right after the fantasy football show.

• Check out the Inside the Cage Radio affiliates - I wanted to remind everyone to check out the first affiliates for Inside the Cage: Pancrase.org and MMAHQ.com. If you are interested in becoming an affiliate for the show, e-mail me at SCaplan8@comcast.net.

CLICK HERE to listen to the 8/11 edition of Inside the Cage Radio!

This week we didn’t have any guests because there was just too much to talk about. Matt Cava of UFCTakedown.com and I had some heated debates regarding:

* Hermes Franca and whether we believe he’s a sympathetic figure

* More banter about my prediction that Josh Koscheck will defeat Georges St. Pierre at UFC 74

* A rundown of all the new matchups for UFC 76 and 77 that were reported this week

* A discussion about Tito Ortiz’s recent comments in a UFCMania.com interview where he stated that fighters are talking about forming a union.

* We discuss the UFC lightweight title situation and who our top four seeds would be if the UFC decided to have a tournament for the title if they in fact strip Sean Sherk (I make it a point to go off on Roger Huerta)

* Our thoughts on what has been the best match of the year in MMA thus far.

You will also want to be sure to tune in next week as we present a full-hour devoted to previewing UFC 74.

You can also check out our first show by clicking here.

We’d also like to thank all the people who listened last week. As always, we’re doing this show for you so if you have any feedback, please be sure to leave a comment here or send us an e-mail.

If so, then Inside the Cage Radio needs you!

In order to maximize our exposure, Inside the Cage is looking to create a network of affiliates that would carry the show in a syndication-style format.

By becoming an affiliate you’ll have the chance to host the show off of your server (so you get to keep all the traffic) and by being an affiliate, your URL will be mentioned during every airing of the show.

It’s a free way to offer MMA audio content on your site and potentially get your URL mentioned on multiple other sites.

We realize this arrangement might not be for everyone, but if this is something that might interest you, feel free to contact me at SCaplan8@comcast.net.

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This week we didn’t have any guests because there was just too much to talk about. Matt Cava of UFCTakedown.com and I had some heated debates regarding:

* Hermes Franca and whether we believe he’s a sympathetic figure

* More banter about my prediction that Josh Koscheck will defeat Georges St. Pierre at UFC 74

* A rundown of all the new matchups for UFC 76 and 77 that were reported this week

* A discussion about Tito Ortiz’s recent comments in a UFCMania.com interview where he stated that fighters are talking about forming a union.

* We discuss the UFC lightweight title situation and who our top four seeds would be if the UFC decided to have a tournament for the title if they in fact strip Sean Sherk (I make it a point to go off on Roger Huerta)

* Our thoughts on what has been the best match of the year in MMA thus far.

You will also want to be sure to tune in next week as we present a full-hour devoted to previewing UFC 74.

You can also check out our first show by clicking here.

We’d also like to thank all the people who listened last week. As always, we’re doing this show for you so if you have any feedback, please be sure to leave a comment here or send us an e-mail.

“Inside the Cage Radio” will debut next weekend (either 8/4 or 8/5) and will be available at FiveOuncesOfPain.com and UFCTakedown.com.

In the future, the show will also be accessible through its own web site.

“Inside the Cage” will be taped each Saturday inside the studios of ESPN 920, the local ESPN radio affiliate in Philadelphia. Matt and I plan to use ESPN 920′s vast production resources to bring everyone a professional sounding Internet MMA show.

Each week on “Inside the Cage,” Matt and I will debate the most pressing topics in MMA each week and we’ll interview the biggest guests in MMA.

Matt and I have a lot of long-term plans for the show and while we expect to have a strong debut, the show will improve as time goes on. What you hear on the first show will just be the beginning.

Feel free to leave questions, comments, and suggestions. The show is for all of you so your feedback matters.