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WEC 38 fight card complete for ‘Varner vs Cerrone’ Jan.25 Posted: 31 Dec 2008 01:00 AM CST World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) recently announced the full lineup of action for its initial show of 2009. WEC 38 is set to take place from the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, Calif., on Sunday, January 25, airing live at 9:30 p.m. ET on the Versus network. The event is appropriately titled “Varner vs. Cerrone” as Jamie “C-4″ Varner puts his 155-pound gold on the line against undefeated Muay Thai specialist Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. This will mark Varner’s second title defense in the WEC since capturing the title from “Razor” Rob McCullough back in February. Also featured in San Diego will be a rematch from one of the most watched fights in the history of the organization between former featherweight champ Urijah “The California Kid” Faber and ex-UFC lightweight title holder Jens “Little Evil” Pulver. Faber won a five round unanimous decision over Pulver at WEC 34 in June. Both are coming off losses to Leonard Garcia and Mike Brown, respectively. Here’s the full lineup for WEC 38: “Varner vs. Cerrone:” Main event: WEC Lightweight Champion Jamie “C-4″ Varner (15-2) vs. Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (9-0) Main card (Televised): 145 lbs.: Urijah “The California Kid” Faber (21-2) vs. Jens “Little Evil” Pulver (22-10-1) 170 lbs.: Danillo “Indio” Villefort (8-2) vs. Mike Campbell (4-0) 145 lbs.: Jose Aldo (12-1) vs. Fredson Paixao (8-2) Under card (May not be broadcast): 170 lbs.: Edgar Garcia (6-0) vs. Hiromitsu Miura (9-5) 155 lbs.: Anthony Njokuani (9-1) vs. Ed “9mm” Ratcliff (6-1) 135 lbs.: Dominick Cruz (11-1) vs. Ian McCall (7-1) 170 lbs.: Blas Avena (4-1) vs. Jesse Lennox (9-1) 135 lbs.: Frank Gomez (5-0) vs. Scott Jorgensen (5-2) 135 lbs.: Seth “2 Quick” Dikun (6-2) vs. Charlie Valencia (9-3) Again, the main card action will air live on the Versus network beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET on fight night. As always, MMAmania.com will be your spot for all your WEC 38 coverage leading up to the event and on fight night.

Chuck Liddell will know when its time to retire (Video) Posted: 31 Dec 2008 12:40 AM CST Watch Chuck Liddell Sounds Off on UFC 92 on RawVegas.tv

FieLDS!! Dynamite pre-fight press conference pics and weigh-in results Posted: 30 Dec 2008 09:36 PM CST Props: Sherdog.com Check out the official FEG FieLDS Dynamite!! 2008 weigh-in results and bout order via WrestlingObserver.com after the jump. The monster New Year’s Eve show from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, will not air in the United States on pay-per-view (PPV). MMAmania.com will post complete results as soon as possible Tuesday morning … and hopefully videos of some fantastic mixed martial arts action. 1. Daizo Sasaki (134.6) vs. Taishi Hiratsuka (133.1) in Youth tournament reserve match 2. Minowaman (201.3) vs. Errol Zimmerman (240.0) in MMA rules 3. Tatsuya Kusakabe (133.5) vs. Koya Urabe (137.9) in Youth tournament semifinals (136.4 weight limit) 4. Hiroya (136.4) vs. Shota Shimada (136.4) in Youth tournament semifinals 5. Yoshihiro Sato (156.2) vs. Artur Kyshenko (156.2) in kickboxing rules 6. Hideo Tokoro (145.2) vs. Daisuke Nakamura (148.3) in MMA rules 7. Yukio Sakaguchi (155.8) vs. Andy Ologun (165.9) in MMA rules 8. Youth tournament finals 9. Bob Sapp (didn’t weigh in) vs Kinnuku Mantaro (225.1) in MMA rules 10. Semmy Schilt (285.1) vs. Mighty Mo (300.5) in MMA rules 11. Hayato Sakurai (175.3) vs. Katsuyori Shibata (175.6) in MMA rules 12. Tatsuya Kawajiri (154.0) vs. Kozo Takeda (153.8) in kickboxing rules 13. Alistair Overeem (253.4) vs. Badr Hari (didn’t weigh in) in kickboxing rules 14. Mirko Cro Cop (didn’t weigh in) vs. Choi Hong-man (326.7) in MMA rules 15. Gegard Mousasi (215.2) vs. Musashi (228.4) in kickboxing rules 16. Mark Hunt (286.9) vs. Melvin Manhoef (didn’t weigh in) in MMA rules 17. Shinya Aoki (153.8) vs. Eddie Alvarez (152.2) in MMA rules 18. Joachim Hansen (152.5) vs. J.Z. Calvan (154.0) in MMA rules 19. Kazushi Sakuraba (181.9) vs. Kiyoshi Tamura (183.9) in MMA rules

UFC President Dana White: Antonio Nogueira recovering from Staph infection heading into UFC 92 Posted: 30 Dec 2008 07:23 PM CST Props: The Carmichael Dave show via Five Ounces of Pain Quoteworthy: “Nogueira had some other problems too going into [UFC 92]. Nogueira had just gotten over a Staph infection and he had some other problems but when they fought in PRIDE, PRIDE put on such freak shows, guys fighting out of their weight class, things like that. That’s why I’m so against it. That’s how you ruin guys early. If you’re a professional athlete, time is not good to you. Time catches us all.” UFC President Dana White comments on the history of fighters like Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Wanderlei Silva and the toll their days in PRIDE may have taken on both their bodies and careers. He also indicates that “Big Nog” was more than likely less than 100 percent for his fight against Frank Mir — a lopsided affair that saw Nogueira finished for the first time ever in his career.

UFC Fight Night 17: George Sotiropoulos vs Matt Grice Posted: 30 Dec 2008 07:21 PM CST The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 6 contestant George Sotiropoulos (9-2) will face off against Matt Grice (9-1) at UFC Fight Night 17 ‘Lauzon vs. Franca’ at the University of Southern Florida (USF) Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida on February 7 according to MMAWeekly. Sotiropoulos was among the pre-show favorites to win TUF 6 until the Australian was derailed by Tommy "The Farmboy" Speer in the semifinals. He bounced back to submit Billy Miles via rear naked choke at TUF 6 Finale in the first round back in December 2007. After TUF 6 wrapped, Sotiropoulos headed out to New York City to train with his coaches on the program, Matt Serra and Ray Longo at Serra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He followed up with a dominating TKO win over fellow TUF contestant Roman Mitichyan at UFC Fight Night 13 last April. Now fully healed from an injury suffered earlier in the year, Sotiropoulos will lock horns with “The Wolverine” on the undercard portion of the event. Grice was on a personal leave from the UFC and hasn’t been seen in the Octagon since his battle against Jason Black at last year’s UFC 77. The two put on a stellar three-round war that garnered “Fight of the Night” honors and some much deserved buzz about their respective futures. UFC Fight Night 17 features several 155-pound match ups. Mac Danzig is expected to take on Josh Neer and Joe Lauzon and Hermes Franca are slated to headline the show. Kurt Pellegrino and Rob Emerson will also likely hook 'em up. Here is the current UFC Fight Night 17 fight card: Main event: 155 lbs.: Hermes Franca (19-7) vs. Joe Lauzon (17-4) Main card: 155 lbs.: Mac Danzig (18-5-1) vs. Josh Neer (24-7-1) 155 lbs.: Gleison Tibau (15-6) vs. Rich Clementi (32-13-1) 185 lbs.: Amir Sadollah (1-0) vs. Nick Catone (5-0) 265 lbs.: Cain Velaquez (4-0) vs. Denis Stojnic (5-1)* Under card: 155 lbs.: George Sotiropolous (9-2) vs. Matt Grice (9-1) 155 lbs.: Kurt Pellegrino (12-4) vs. Rob Emerson (8-6)* 185 lbs.: Alessio Sakara (13-7) vs. Jake Rosholt (5-0) *Fight not yet officially confirmed by UFC.com.

MMA Quick Quote: Fields Dynamite!! will not be broadcast outside of Japan Posted: 30 Dec 2008 06:08 PM CST “Unfortunately we will not be streaming [Fields] Dynamite!! live. I tried everything I could to get this event live as a world wide Internet PPV broadcast. In the end it came down to not being able to connect up a second satellite to redirect the live feed from Japan to our encoding facility in Vegas. FEG did everything they could to make this happen, in the end it came down to a mixture of last minute preparation and difficult timing in booking a second satellite." -Jeremy Ta’kody of EventMagic.tv brings some rather disappointing news to fight fans outside of Japan via the Underground Forums regarding the ability to watch a live broadcast of the DREAM and K-1 New Year’s Eve supershow 'Fields Dynamite!!'.  Aside from not being streamed live on the Internet, FEG was unable to secure a broadcast deal with HDNet Fights in time for tomorrow’s show, despite being an established content partner.

Mike Whitehead UFC 92 video: ‘A scared Quinton Jackson was just throwing and praying’ Posted: 30 Dec 2008 05:46 PM CST Props: Raw Vegas -The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 2 contestant and current Affliction fighter Mike Whitehead rips into UFC headliners Quinton Jackson, Rashad Evans and Brock Lesnar following UFC 92 “The Ultimate 2008″. Evans eliminated Whitehead from TUF Season 2 in spite of Whitehead’s status as an early favorite to win it all.

Mark Hunt vs Melvin Manhoef Fields Dynamite!! fight set with Jerome LeBanner scratched Posted: 30 Dec 2008 10:50 AM CST "Super Samoan" Mark Hunt will have to wait a little while longer to put longtime nemesis Jerome LeBanner into permanent retirement — “Battle Cyborg” has been forced off the insanely stacked New Year’s Eve Fields Dynamite!! card at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 31 with an illness. K-1 wrecking machine and mixed martial arts veteran Melvin Manhoef has agreed to fill-in for the Frenchman on super short notice. In doing so, he will be at a huge size disadvantage — Manhoef recently competed in the 2008 DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix. Hunt, meanwhile, is a heavyweight. And a big one at that. More on this breaking news in a bit.

Gary Shaw to star in ‘Blood, Sweat and Bling’ (Video) Posted: 30 Dec 2008 09:50 AM CST Hopefully, just another spoof from the fellas at FightLinker.com. We pray:

Chuck Liddell next fight at UFC 96 likely; unlikely against Keith Jardine Posted: 30 Dec 2008 09:38 AM CST Former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell is more than likely going to return to the Octagon at UFC 96 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on March 7, as first reported here; however, a rematch against Keith Jardine does not appear to be in the works. Liddell recently called for another crack at "The Dean of Mean," who upset him at UFC 76: "Knockout" in September 2007 via unanimous decision. UFC President Dana White recently shot down that plan at the UFC 92 post-event press conference. He did confirm, however, that Liddell would more than likely headline the card or at least have a spot in the co-featured fight of the night. But if not against Jardine, then who? Cameras caught Liddell visibly distressed sitting ringside at “The Ultimate 2008″ when Quinton “Rampage” Jackson throttled Wanderlei Silva with a vicious first round knockout. Perhaps because Liddell just witnessed two big money matches go down the tubes — Jackson now seems poised for a title shot and Silva won’t be ready in time for a March rematch after serving a mandatory medical suspension that expires in February. White revealed that Mauricio “Shogun” Rua could be a possible opponent. The Brazilian — who is among the top 205-pound fighters in the world — is set to take on Mark Coleman at UFC 93: “Henderson vs Franklin” on January 17. That could be a short turnaround, however. Rua is returning from a major knee injury and could need more than six weeks to recover. Of course, the loser of the fight between Franklin and Henderson could also be possible because the winner will more than likely earn the position as coach opposite Michael Bisping on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). But, again, a lot will depend on how much damage either fighter suffers during the fight and whether or not he can return so soon. Therefore, it appears that the promotion has adopted the “wait and see” approach when it comes to finding a suitable opponent for one of its biggest stars. Unfortunately, the window is small and the list of notable challengers is short. Unless, of course, Brandon Vera, is ready to boogie.

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Demian Maia vs Chael Sonnen UFC 95 fight booked Posted: 30 Dec 2008 08:20 AM CST Brazilian jiu-jitsu player Demian Maia will return to action against Octagon veteran and former World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) middleweight contender Chael Sonnen at UFC 95 at The O2 Arena in London, England, on February 21. More on this in a bit.

UFC Quick Quote: Dana White not completely out of the Tito Ortiz business Posted: 30 Dec 2008 12:09 AM CST “I have no intention of bringing him back. I don’t think he’s at the level for the UFC anymore. But I never say never either.” -UFC President Dana White comments during a live chat on MMA Fanhouse about the possibility of resigning former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz. White has been very vocal about having no interest of being in the "Tito Ortiz business" any longer, especially after “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” flirted with contracts in competing organizations like Affliction and the now defunct EliteXC.

Wanderlei Silva video: ‘Axe Murderer’ wants to return at UFC 100 in July Posted: 29 Dec 2008 11:40 PM CST He seems to be in real good spirits, looking forward to fighting Quinton “Rampage” Jackson for a fourth time (says Rampage should enjoy this win) and more than likely Chuck Liddell again: Watch Wanderlei Silva UFC 92 Fighter Vents After Defeat on RawVegas.tv

UFC 92 medical suspensions and injuries from NSAC Posted: 29 Dec 2008 07:38 PM CST The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) today issued its list of medical suspensions for UFC 92: "The Ultimate 2008," which took place on Saturday, December 27 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Former light heavyweight Forrest Griffin is the most notable competitor to make the list, but we knew it was more than likely a foregone conclusion after he revealed in the post-fight interview that he had broken his left hand in the second round of his fight against Rashad Evans. He needs to have the injury cleared by an orthopedic physician before returning to action otherwise he will be on the shelf until June 27, 2009. Griffin is suspended at the very least until February 12 and he’s forbidden to have contact until January 28. Mustafa Al-Turk will also be held out of action because of the can of whoop ass that Cheick Kongo opened up on him after a ball break. He sustained a broken nose that must be cleared by an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) doctor or else he’ll be forced to sit until June 27, 2009. The former Cage Rage champion will also have some battle scars — lacerations over left eye and on top of the head, which means that he will have to at least serve a minimum suspension until February 27 and no contact until February 12. Welcome to the UFC, Mustafa. Here are the rest of the UFC 92 injuries and their medical instructions: Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira — “Big Nog” is suspended until February 27 and no contact until February 12. Mike Massenzio — The New Jersey native is suspended until January 28 and no contact until January 19. Wanderlei Silva – The “Axe Murderer” is suspended until February 27 and no contact until February 12, ruling out any possibility of a rematch against Chuck Liddell at UFC 96 on March 7. Mike Wessel – The Octagon newcomer is suspended until February 12 and no contact until January 28. Matt Hamill – “The Hammer” is suspended until February 12 and no contact until January 28 because of a cut under his left eye. Reese Andy — He must have a CT scan of his face to rule out a possible orbital fracture. He needs to have the injury cleared by an orthopedic physician before returning to action otherwise he will be on out until June 27. Andy must complete a minimum suspension until February 27 and no contact until February 12. Brad Blackburn — “Bad” must be cleared by a neurologist because of left arm tingling/numbness before next fight. He must also must clear nasal fracture with an ENT doctor or no contest until June 27. Blackburn must complete a minimum suspension until February 12 and no contact until January 28. Dan Evensen — He must receive orthopedic clearance for a left knee injury or no contest until until June 27. He must complete a minimum suspension until January 28 and no contact until January 19. Patrick Barry – The former K-1 kickboxer is suspended until January 28 because of a right elbow injury and no contact until January 19. Just a quick reminder: Fighters often return to action much quicker once doctors give them the green light. The lengthy suspensions are just a precaution in most cases. For complete results and coverage of "The Ultimate 2008" click here and here.

Stepfather charged in death of Justin Eilers (updated) Posted: 29 Dec 2008 04:03 PM CST Former UFC and EliteXC heavyweight contender Justin Eilers was shot to death on Christmas day in Canyon County, Idaho, in a domestic disturbance turned deadly according to the Idaho Press-Tribune. James Robert Malec, Eilers stepfather, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder after allegedly shooting Eilers once in the chest in front of a group of relatives after the two were engaged in a verbal altercation. Paramedics were called to the scene but were unsuccessful in their attempts to stabilize him. Malec worked as a Canyon County corrections officer and dog handler in the late 1990’s and according to Eilers mother, carried a firearm on a regular basis. Problems arose when Eilers and his ex-girlfriend began arguing, which further escalated when Malec reportedly ordered Eilers to leave. Eilers refused and one witness reports Eilers challenged Malec to a fight before the shooting took place. Witnesses also report Malec pointing the gun at Eilers after Eilers had already been shot. According to the police affidavit, Malec said during his interview: “I don’t know, this happened, they thought I was going to kill everybody.” In addition to recovering the weapon used in the killing, police discovered large quantities of alcohol inside the home, owned by Malec and Eilers mother. Malec is currently being held on $1,000,000 bond. Eilers (19-7-1) was probably most known among casual fans for his three straight losses over a year's span in the UFC. From February 2005 to February 2006 he dropped three fights — each by first round technical knockout — to Paul Buentello, Andrei Arlovski and Brandon Vera, respectively. However, Eilers was on a very impressive streak as of late, having won 10 of his past 12 fights. After falling to Antonio Silva at EliteXC 'Unfinished Business' back in July, Eilers was targeting a debut at light heavyweight to further refine his improved skill set and once again prove he was ready for the big stage. This disturbing news comes barely a week after former UFC and WEC competitor Justin Levens was found dead - also by gunshot - in his California home. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and family of Justin Eilers in this very difficult time. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more details on this tragic story as it continues to unfold.

CB Dollaway video: ‘I never tapped at anytime’ against Mike Massenzio at UFC 92 Posted: 29 Dec 2008 02:56 PM CST Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Fields Dynamite!! finalizes Dec. 31 card; adds championship bout Posted: 29 Dec 2008 11:08 AM CST Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), the parent company of fighting entities DREAM and K-1, has put the finishing touches on it’s New Year’s Eve supershow set to go down on December 31 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The K-1 rules bout pitting Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem against K-1 bad boy Badr Hari was made official. Both are no strangers to controversial finishes. Hari went postal in the 2008 K-1 Grand Prix against Remy Bonjasky and Overeem of course sent Mirko Cro Cop's testicles running for cover in their bout last September. Overeem has stated via his official website that the two will meet again in a mixed martial arts bout in early 2009, thus ending any dispute as to the advantages of Hari competing on Wednesday without the threat of submissions. Lest anyone think the organization only caters to free-wheeling Russians, the recently announced fight between Eddie Alvarez and Shinya Aoki will now determine the first-ever World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA) lightweight champion. A ceremony is expected to take place at some point in early 2009 to present the championship. Ikuhisa Minowa, who has fought every name under the sun (albeit to inconsistent results), will take on K-1 star Errol Zimmerman. This will be Zimmerman's mixed martial arts debut, but don't expect the three-time Dutch Muay Thai champion and K-1 Grand Prix semifinalist to be jumping into guard anytime soon. Also in action will be Hayato "Mach" Sakurai, who still seems to be waiting for a fight against Nick Diaz for the first-ever DREAM Welterweight Championship. It looks as if he’ll have to keep waiting but in the interim has been given the task of fighting Katsuyori Shibata, famous in Japan for his professional wrestling. Unfortunately for Shibata, he hasn't been able to turn his success in the land of predetermined results to that of mixed martial arts. Before drawing in his last bout, Shibata was on a five-fight losing streak. To his credit, he has taken on some tough competition like Kazushi Sakuraba and Yoshihiro Akiyama, but still comes out on the losing side more often than not. Another newly added bout will be Pancrase fighter Yukio Sakaguchi getting his chance in the big leagues. His opponent will be Andy Ologun, popular in Japan not for his fighting skills but more so for his fashion modeling, TV appearances and for being the younger brother of Bobby Ologun. That said, he has defeated former two-time K-1 World MAX Japan tournament champion Takayuki Kohiruimaki and has also taken on the likes of Yasuhiro Kido, so it would be unfair to say he didn't have any skills. Fields Dynamite!! is the long-anticipated New Year's Eve supershow featuring a smorgasbord of fighters under the umbrella of FEG coming together on one night to try and kick the crap out of each other. Featuring participants from DREAM, K-1, K-1 MAX and K-1 Koshien, Fields Dynamite!! is going to have a wide variety of fighting styles and compelling match-ups, and will feature a whopping 19 fights. Here is the official Fields Dynamite!! fight card: MMA RULES : Heavyweight: Jerome LeBanner (3-1-1) vs. Mark Hunt (5-4) Heavyweight: Semmy Schilt (25-14-1) vs. Mighty Mo (3-0) Heavyweight: Bob Sapp (9-3-1) vs. Kinniku Mantaro (0-0) Heavyweight: Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (23-6-2) vs. Hong Man Choi (1-1) Middleweight: Kazushi Sakuraba (24-11-1) vs. Kiyoshi Tamura (32-13-2) Welterweight: Hayato Sakurai (32-8-2) vs. Katsuyori Shibata (2-5) Welterweight: Yukio Sakaguchi (3-3) vs. Andy Ologun (1-1) Lightweight: Joachim Hansen (19-7-1) vs. Gesias Cavalcante (14-2-1) Lightweight: Eddie Alvarez (15-1) vs. Shinya Aoki (18-3) Lightweight: Hideo Tokoro (21-14-1) vs. Daisuke Nakamura (18-9) Openweight: Ikuhisa Minowa (40-29-8) vs. Errol Zimmerman (0-0) K-1 RULES : Heavyweight: Alistair Overeem (4-2) vs. Badr Hari (69-5-1) Middleweight: Gegard Mousasi (24-2-1) vs. Musashi (49-28-5-1) Lightweight: Tatsuya Kawajiri (22-5-2) vs. Kozo Takeda (43-18-7) Lightweight: Yoshihiro Sato (47-10) vs. Artur Kyshenko (43-5-1, 1NC) K-1 KOSHIEN: U-18 Tournament Reserve Fight: Daizo Sasaki (1-1) vs. Taishi Hiratsuka (1-1) U-18 Tournament Semifinals: HIROYA (9-1) vs. Shota Shimada (3-0) U-18 Tournament Semifinals: Ryuya Kusakabe (2-0) vs. Koya Urabe (2-0) U-18 Tournament Finals: Winner of HIROYA/Shimada vs. Winner of Kusakabe/Urabe

Mirko Cro Cop: Game plan for Choi is to not exchange Posted: 29 Dec 2008 11:06 AM CST Props: Free Fight Videos Quoteworthy: "It’s just another fight. I have to follow my game plan. I can’t exchange with a man that has such a big reach and weight advantage over me. I'll be cautious. It's a dangerous fight. Any one that size is dangerous.” Pride FC 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix winner Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (23-6-2) indicates the he could have plans to implement his oft-used ground game to upend 7'2" Hong Man Choi (1-1) in their heavyweight match set for Fields Dynamite!! at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on December 31. It’s a risky strategy for the Croat - who only has one true submission to his credit: A guillotine choke over Kevin Randleman back in 2004.

UFC 92 fighter payday and salary figures for ‘The Ultimate 2008′ complete (Update) Posted: 29 Dec 2008 10:24 AM CST MMAmania.com (www.mmamania.com) has received fighter purses for UFC 92: "The Ultimate 2008," which was held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 27, from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was the big winner this New Year’s Eve weekend in more ways than one, scoring a devastating knockout of nemesis Wanderlei Silva and bringing home $325,000 in base pay for less than four minute worth of work. Tack on an additional $60,000 for “Knockout of the Night” and I’d say he fared quite well financially. Here is the complete list of UFC 92 payouts: Rashad Evans — $130,000 ($65,000 to show, $65,000 to win) Forrest Griffin — $100,000 Evans defeated Griffin via technical knockout (strikes) in round three Frank Mir — $90,000 ($45,000 to show, $45,000 to win) Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira — $250,000 Mir defeated Nogueira via technical knockout (strikes) in round two Quinton “Rampage” Jackson — $325,000 ($225,000 to show, $100,000 to win) Wanderlei Silva — $200,000 Jackson defeated Silva via knockout in round one Cheick Kongo — $90,000 ($45,000 to show, $45,000 to win) Mustafa Al-Turk — $7,000 Kongo defeated Al-Turk via technical knockout (strikes) in round one CB Dollaway — $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win) Mike Massenzio — $5,000 Dollaway defeated Massenzio via technical knockout (strikes) in round one Yushin Okami — $32,000 ($16,000 to show, $16,000 to win) Dean Lister — $19,000 Okami defeated Lister via unanimous decision Antoni Hardonk — $28,000 ($14,000 to show, $14,000 to win) Mike Wessel — $4,000 Hardonk defeated Wessel via technical knockout (strikes) in round two Matt Hamill — $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win) Reese Andy — $15,000 Hamill defeated Andy via technical knockout (strikes) in round two Brad Blackburn — $14,000 ($7,000 to show, $7,000 to win) Ryo Chonan — $18,000 Blackburn defeated Chonan via unanimous decision Pat Barry — $10,000 ($5,000 to show, $5,000 to win) Dan Evensen — $4,000 Barry defeated Evensen via technical knockout (strikes) in round one Keep in mind the salaries listed above do not include fight bonuses, sponsorships, percentages and other unofficial payments. It also does not include deductions for expenses such as insurance, taxes, etc. For example, the UFC often hands out extra cash for "Fight of the Night," "Knockout of the Night" and "Submission of the Night." To check out these figures for UFC 92 go here. The total base fighter payroll for the blockbuster pay-per-view (PPV) event, which attracted an unofficial near sellout crowd of 14,103 fans and a gaudy gate of $3.47 million, was a hefty $1,381,000.00. And $1,005,090 of that was all dished out to those who competed in the “big three” fights! For complete results and coverage of "The Ultimate 2008" here and here.

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Major MMAMania.com announcement! Posted: 29 Dec 2008 08:32 AM CST Earlier this month we promised that big site news was coming for MMAmania.com and its growing community of mixed martial arts maniacs. Now it’s time to let the cat out of the bag. We are proud to announce that we have joined the SB Nation — the best network of sports-related blogs on the Internet. It’s a collection of fan-focused (and friendly) Web sites that cover all major sports … from the National Football League (NFL) to Major League Baseball (MLB) and everything between. That, of course, includes our favorite combat sport, among others. Most of our readers more than likely are familiar with another MMA blog on SB Nation, BloodyElbow.com. Before this revolution even started — back when BloodyElbow.com Editor in Chief Luke Thomas was better known as Mad Squabbles — we were solid acquaintances. That relationship has grown leaps and bounds over the last 18 months to where we are at today. MMAmania.com has always been (and still is) proud of the fact that we built our Web site from the bottom up to become one of the top destinations for mixed martial arts. It was a passion and a labor of love that exceeded even our wildest expectations. The news that we have joined forces with SB Nation is the fruit of that labor. It’s a new beginning that will help us reach even greater heights and deliver even more timely and breaking news. So what’s it mean for you? What will change? What can you expect? That’s where this partnership gets really good. SB Nation has always advocated community participation, empowering fans to share their thoughts and have their voices heard. That means you will soon get to do much more than debate hot issues and opinions in the comments sections of our posts. That won’t change. But what will change is that you get to create daily threads and submit stories through “Fan Posts” and “Fan Shots.” No more “off topic” comments or having us decide what gets posted and what does not. You, the reader, will have the power to create your own stories and have other maniacs comment on them. It also means unique log in IDs, which is a major issue that our readers have been asking for since we started way back when. That’s just the tip of the iceberg of all the benefits that will be rolled out real soon. Of course, I will continue to steer the ship and Jesse Holland has for whatever reason agreed to come along for the ride. James Iannotti, Adam Wagner and the other MMAmania contributors will also still continue to chip in. Again, nothing will change in how we operate. In fact, the new format will help us build on this winning formula with more talented writers emerging through the new blogging opportunities. We will also more than likely work with BloodyElbow.com more closely to create the best possible destination for all the information you can handle. It’s a powerful partnership that ensures you don’t have to go anywhere else to get your MMA fix. We’re excited about what 2009 holds and beyond. And we would not have done it or compromised our integrity if we didn’t think that it would benefit our awesome community. It’s a win-win situation all the way around. Thanks to all our readers — old and new, young and old — who have helped us get to this point. For those who don’t know, we’ve been at this for more than three years. MMAmania.com is among the longest-running and most successful blogs on the Internet. And we’re about to get a whole lot better.

UFC 92 video blog with Dana White (Episode five) Posted: 29 Dec 2008 12:27 AM CST

Antonio Rodrigo ‘Minatauro’ Nogueira apologizes to fans for UFC 92 loss to Frank Mir Posted: 29 Dec 2008 12:16 AM CST Props: UFC.com Quoteworthy: “I apologize to all my fans for my fight on Saturday, and I'm very disappointed with what happened, but I promise that I'll be back stronger and better in 2009. I've come back before, and I'm going to get the title back…. I've got a lot of respect for Frank Mir, he fought a great fight and was the better man that night. I was ready to fight, but he got to me before I was able to get to him." Former UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo ‘Minatauro’ Nogueira issues his first formal statement after losing his title to Frank Mir at UFC 92: “The Ultimate 2008.” Nogueira was battered by Mir for the entire first round, which is common for the Brazilian — his durability is legendary. Uncommon, however, was the fact that he was finished via technical knockout in the second round. A feat that Fedor Emelianenko, Josh Barnett, Mirko Cro Cop and even “The Beast” Bob Sapp have been unable to accomplish. Perhaps most surprising is that Mir — a Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt — schooled Nogueira in the stand up — an aspect that Nogueria appeared to have the advantage heading into the fight. Not the case. This marked the third fight for Nogueira inside the Octagon. In his first two matches he was dropped by Heath Herring and Tim Sylvia, respectively. He went on to win those fights in his usual fashion, but could not endure the onslaught from Mir. Has it all finally caught up to Nogueira or is this latest loss just an anomaly?

Coming soon: Rashad Evans vs Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson? Posted: 28 Dec 2008 11:03 PM CST Former light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson made an emphatic bid to earn the next 205-pound title shot thanks to one thunderous left hook that nearly had Wanderlei Silva flat lining last night at UFC 92: “The Ultimate 2008.” However, if his post-fight remarks are any indication, it’s not a priority right now. “I’m getting myself back to normal,” Jackson told Joe Rogan immediately after the sensational knockout. “I need to get my mind right.” His mind was clearly a concern coming into the bout — Jackson was arrested back in July after an energy drink-fueled fast ended in a high profile motor vehicle police-chase on a busy California thoroughfare. The 30-year-old Tennessee native — who was on a delirious mission from God to “save Brian” — has since pleaded not guilty to six charges that resulted from the bizarre incident, including two felony counts (evading while driving recklessly and evading a peace officer and driving against traffic). If convicted on all counts, Jackson faces a three-year maximum prison sentence. Those are some heady “real world” issues that would weigh heavy on anyone’s mind. To his credit, Jackson was able to somehow put it on the backburner and focus on preparing for a man who had soundly defeated him twice before. Talk about mental toughness inside the cage. Now it’s time to see how his life outside of it is affected as legal proceedings begin to heat up in early 2009. It’s perhaps a much bigger battle, which hopefully culminates with justice being served when all the facts are laid out on the table. And while that happens, Jackson will more than likely once again have to keep one foot in the courthouse and the other inside the gym as he prepares for his next opponent. And that very well could be the new light heavyweight champion of the world, Rashad Evans. UFC President Dana White was warm to the potential showdown when asked at the post-event press conference. However, in addition to getting his mind right, Jackson also indicated that he is more interested in exacting revenge on yet another man to best him in professional competition, Forrest Griffin. Griffin scored an unlikely unanimous decision win over Jackson at UFC 86 back in July. This was after Jackson toppled Marvin Eastman, Chuck Liddell and Dan Henderson to reign supreme in the talent-rich 205-pound class. Jackson still feels like he was robbed by the judges and wants to prove that he is indeed the superior fighter. It would be a big money rematch, but more than likely not as big as a fight against “Sugar” now that he bested Griffin last night. Also working in Jackson’s favor is that the other two worthy challengers Thiago Silva and Lyoto Machida — who will collide at UFC 94: “St. Pierre vs Penn 2″ — are currently not big names or box offices draws. The promotion is more than likely featuring the pair in the co main event of the Super Bowl weekend card to get their names out there to build for a future title match. It would therefore make more business sense to book Rampage against Rashad for a big title fight in early 2009. And whether he wants it or not, Rampage would not appear to turn down that offer. He has proven that he can handle the immense burden, but can he do it again? We may find out sooner rather than later. Photo courtesy of the Las Vegas Sun. For more fantastic images of UFC 92 click here.

UFC 93 Web site complete for ‘Franklin vs Henderson’ Posted: 28 Dec 2008 05:58 PM CST Props: 93.UFC.com (To check out the complete UFC 93: “Franklin vs Henderson” fight card click here. We’re just three weeks away!)

Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson video on Wanderlei Silva knockout win at UFC 92 Posted: 28 Dec 2008 01:52 PM CST Last night was the most nervous he has ever been in his life. That says a hell of a lot:

Hakuna Maitta: The ten best submissions of 2008 Posted: 28 Dec 2008 01:31 PM CST Tap, nap or snap. Unlike the knockout, where you can end a fight with one lucky punch, there is no such thing as a lucky submission. In a world where a few select men aspire to enter a ring of violence, submission fighting is a gentleman’s sport. Intelligence, guile, patience - all of the attributes that make for a great chess player - are also found in today’s ground tacticians. Only in chess, you don’t have someone punching you in the face as you plot your next move. Since the 1993 debut of Royce Gracie at the UFC 1 all the way through the UFC debut of Brock Lesnar at UFC 81, the submission has been used as a sort of barometer for talent. In the summer of 2006, Mark Hunt was 5-1 in PRIDE. A feared heavyweight and winner of the K-1 World Grand Prix, the granite-chinned goliath battered his way into title contention with wins over Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva. Then in the opening round of PRIDE’s 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix, Hunt faced venerable submission fighter Josh “The Babyface Assassin” Barnett and was quickly submitted in round one. He would compete twice more in Japan, losing both times by tapout. The submission had once again drawn a very distinct line in the sand, separating the mixed martial arts elite from the hard hitting brawlers with a punchers chance. In short, the submission is what helps define our industry as a sport. There may come a day when MMA striking has reached the technical level of boxing, but until then, submissions separate the men from the boys. And 2008 had its share of taps. Like the ten best knockouts of 2008, trying to find the best submissions was no easy task. I didn't want to just bring you a list highlight reel subs that had a nation of MMA fans clutching their extremities in sympathy, because there are a lot more than ten of them. Instead I tried to look at each submission and its significance on not just the fight, but the aftermath it had or may eventually cause. With that said, I present to you my picks for the ten best submissions of 2008. Heel before Zod: Evangelista 'Cyborg' Santos vs. Makoto Takimoto - Sengoku First Battle (Achilles Lock) Evangelista Santos hadn’t been seen in Japan since his win over Yosuke Nishijima at PRIDE ‘Final Conflict Absolute’ back in 2006 and certainly didn’t want to kick off the inaugural Sengoku event with a loss. Opposing him was Makoto Takimoto who in contrast was riding a two-fight win streak including a huge upset over Murilo Bustamante at Yarennoka!. Cyborg was controlling the stand-up and did a fair amount of damage from the mount. Santos used the opportunity to transition to a leglock but Takimoto - a Judo gold medal winner at the 2000 Olympics - grabbed a leg of his own. From there it was a heart-pounding race against time as each man worked for the submission. The more experienced Santos landed it first, and tweaked his opponent’s Achilles until Takimoto was forced to tap. Rating: Imaginary guest Talos gives this sub three greedy Argonaut’s out of five. A lot of leglocks are attempted in MMA, but a lot of them are also unsuccessful. Kudos for Santos for the patience and skill to do it right. Aftermath: Cyborg could have become the go-to guy for Sengoku, but he was unable to repeat his performance when he fell to Siyar Bahadurzada at Sengoku 5 with an injury. Takimoto reappeared at Sengoku 4 and was outpointed by Frank Trigg. Necks and balances: CB Dollaway vs. Jesse Taylor - UFC Fight Night 14 (Peruvian Necktie) Every now and then a fighter comes along and restores my faith in the balance of the universe. I was a bit surprised that UFC President Dana White went gave Jesse Taylor a shot at UFC fame after he urinated his way through TUF 7 and went on a expletive-filled rampage through the hotels of Las Vegas. Apparently Dana had faith that the right way to bounce “Coco the Monkey” out of the company was by letting him lose on the grand stage. It worked. Instead of having Taylor disappear with people wondering if he was the better fighter, he dispatched runner-up CB Dollaway to banish him at UFC Fight Night 14. Despite being tooled by Amir Sadollah just a month before, “The Doberman” rose to the challenge and finished Taylor with a Peruvian necktie. Besides being an insult to Peruvians everywhere, Dollaway snuck in an illegal knee for good measure. Rating: Imaginary guest Giovanni Battista Venturi gives this sub four pulsus bisferiens out of five. Taylor expected to dominate with his wrestling and obviously had no idea what to do when the submissions started flying. Aftermath: Forward progress for Dollaway. He would go on to win his next fight at UFC 92 and is likely to continue fighting under the UFC umbrella as he continues to grow. Taylor rebounded with a huge win over Drew Fickett at Total Combat 32 and isn’t going away quietly. Tap Smear: Daisuke Nakamura vs. Carlos Valeri - M-1 Challenge 8 (Flying Armbar) U-File Camp’s Daisuke Nakamura already had two flying armbars to his credit, including one at DREAM 5 just three months before this fight. Watching Valeri engage was like watching a teenager knock boots at Camp Crystal Lake. A front kick by Nakamura is caught by Valeri who instinctively tries for the trip. Naka-on-Heaven’s-door goes airborne - and brings Valeri’s arm as carry-on. Valeri was tapping before they hit the ground and this one was in the books in less than 30 seconds. Rating: Imaginary guest Jessica Cox gives this sub five Ercoupes out of five. Not only did Valeri get his arm cranked during takeoff, he nearly got tea-bagged upon landing. Aftermath: For a guy who doesn’t know when to quit, he sure tapped pretty fast. Valeri is 0-8 with six submission losses. He may not have reached the end of his career, but you can see it from here. No arm, no foul: Rousimar Palhares vs. Ivan Salaverry - UFC 84 (Armbar) It’s hard to imagine a routine armbar making the top ten list but Rousimar Palhares’ grappling clinic on Ivan Salaverry at UFC 84 was anything but routine. “Toquinho” ate an oncoming kick without even batting an eyelash and proceeded to slam Salaverry into side control with little effort. From there, Palhares clung to him like a face-hugger from Aliens. A lot of ground tacticians can execute a transition from mount to an armlock, but how often do you see it done from behind? Most of us were expecting the rear naked choke, which is why Palhares is dangerous at any time - and from any position. Rating: Imaginary guest Jimmy Wang Yu gives this sub four flying guillotines out of five. Salaverry wanted this to be his last match in the UFC. After that drubbing, he’s probably glad that it was. Aftermath: Palhares was granted a shot at International superstar Dan Henderson. Despite his unanimous decision loss, Toquinho kept fans riveted for three rounds with the constant threat of submission. Tae Kwon Don’t: Steve Cantwell vs. Razak Al Hassan - UFC: Fight Night 16 (Armbar) WEC stud Steve Cantwell was looking to prove he had the chops to hang in a stacked UFC light heavyweight division. His first order of business was to dispose of the unknown but nevertheless intimidating Razak Al Hassan. After some exchanges on the feet, Al Hassan ends up on his back and is quickly passed and mounted. Cantwell dropped some bombs, forcing Al Hassan to throw his arms up in defense. From there Cantwell executes a textbook armbar - and then breaks Al Hassan’s arm like a textbook that is bent backwards until the spine cracks. A nation of horrified viewers are reminded of why there is no shame in tapping. Rating: Imaginary guest Marvin C. Stone gives this sub five bendy straws out of five. I hear that it was cheaper and less laborious to reassemble Steve Austin than it was Al Hassan. I couldn’t get that image of Tony Burton out of my head when he’s screaming at Rocky to “Throw the damn towel!” Who was in Al Hassan’s corner, Fulgencio Batista? Aftermath: What could have been a sensational win on national TV was marred not by the grisly submission, but by Cantwell’s heat-of-the-moment confession to getting-off on the damage he inflicted. The event was intended to raise money for serious injuries, and “Robot’s” programming inexplicably crashed to the blue screen of death. Ezekiel 25:17: Gi Hate Me: Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Katsuyori Shibata - DREAM 5 (Ezekiel Choke) Yoshihiro Akiyama, who could be the baddest MOFO not currently owned by the UFC, probably came into DREAM 5 with some residual cobwebs from the illegal soccer kick he suffered at the hands of Kazuo Misaki at Yarennoka! in 2007. Akiyama was being fed the 2-4 Katsuyori Shibata in hopes of a highlight reel knockout. He didn’t get it, but he still put on a show. After a wild head kick missed for Yoshi, they tied-up and Akiyama took him to the ground. From there he easily transitioned to mount and silenced Shibata-bread for laughing at his silly gi. Now if only Akiyama could have done the same to Kenny Rice for rambling on about college football. Rating: Imaginary guest Chief Bromden gives this sub four hospital pillows out of five. Akiyama wanted to prove that he could win without greasing up, it’s just a shame he chose to do it against a store-brand tomato can. Aftermath: Nothing notable. Akiyama would go on to submit can-in-training Masanora Tonooka at DREAM 6 while Shibata-go-to-Mo’s battled Yasuhito Namekawa to a draw at DEEP 38. Yawn. Barn loser: Dustin Hazelett vs. Tamdan McCrory - UFC 91 (Reverse Armbar) How many nerds does it take to screw in a light bulb? I have no idea, but I know how many nerds it takes to put on an exciting MMA match: Two. Dustin Hazelett turned quite a few heads at the TUF 7 finale when he armbarred Josh Burkman back into mediocrity. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt was seen as the superior grappler coming into UFC 91 but the 10-1 Tamdan McCrory was certainly no pushover. Despite protecting his pockets, “The Barn Cat” was unable to protect his arm and McLovin’ pulled off a slick reverse armbar. The move not only garnered him the win, but also “Submission of the Night” - his second straight in 2008. Rating: Imaginary guest Michael Ironside gives this sub four missing arms out of five. I was convinced McCrory’s arm was coming out of the socket. “See you at da pohty Rikta!” Aftermath: Beard Science. Hazelett has done a lot to erase the memory of the beatdown he took at the hands of Josh Koscheck at UFC 82 and should look to elevate himself against some of the better welterweights in 2009. Geometry, my dear Watson: Nate Diaz vs. Kurt Pellegrino - UFC Fight Night 13 (Triangle Choke) Nate Diaz did a respectable job in his wins during and after his stint on The Ultimate Fighter Season 5, but there was some initial doubt as to how the brother of Nick would fair against some of the tougher guys at 155lbs, especially since many critics thought he got a lucky break against Manny Gamburyan at the TUF 5 finale when the injured Armenian was forced to tap prematurely. That said, Diaz had a lot to prove when he took on the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt in Pellegrino. As expected, “Batman” was in control early, delivering some heavy damage from mount and side control. Diaz flirted with a stoppage on several occasions in the first round and was headed for more in the second. That is until Pellegrino picked him up and slammed him - and himself right into a Diaz triangle choke. Diaz knew he had it and threw his hands up in the air in celebration just as Batman tapped. Rating: Imaginary guest Kali gives this sub four Golden Voyages out of five. Submitting a BJJ black belt is a testament to your grappling skills, and perhaps his as well. Nog would be proud. Aftermath: Aside from winning the TUF 5 finale, this is without question Nate’s biggest win. That confidence helped him overcome the tough-as-nails Josh Neer at UFC Fight Night 15 and I expect to see him in title contention sooner rather than later. Thank you for not choking: Shinya Aoki vs. Katsuhiko Nagata - DREAM 4 (Gogoplata) Shinya Aoki already had a gogoplata to his credit when he tapped Joachim “Hellboy” Hansen at PRIDE ‘Shockwave 2006.’ That probably didn’t worry Nagata - or anyone else for that matter - when he was playing it cool in a standard guard. Then out of nowhere, Aoki jacks his own leg like he’s preparing to violate a curbside fire hydrant and Nagata finds himself inadvertently giving Aoki’s ankle a chinblast. It was an amazing accomplishment. Not the submission, rather the fact that Aoki could compete in spandex that looked like a game of Simon with all four buttons lit. Rating: Imaginary guest Jed Cooper gives this sub five out of five sandbags. The now 18-3 Aoki once again proved that the constantly evolving art of jiu-jitsu has come full circle. Aftermath: Fans had high hope for Aoki’s rematch with Joachim Hansen in the finals of the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix. This time however it would be Hellboy coming out on top, who got his revenge with a TKO stoppage deep into the first round. Aoki quickly got back to his submission ways with a neck crank over Todd Moore at DREAM 6. Mir and loathing in Las Vegas: Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir - UFC 81 (Kneebar) Brock Lesnar was aptly billed in the WWE as “The Next Big Thing.” Say what you want about his skills, the man knows how to draw an audience. With Couture gone and a Brazilian import holding the heavyweight title, his UFC debut against Frank Mir was supposed to be a squash match en route to an expedited title shot. He almost got it, until Steve Mazzagatti gave him some tough love for routine infractions. Mir used the reprieve to latch onto Lesnar’s leg (which looked almost like alligator wrestling) and showed the world that success in this sport requires you to bring your mixed with your martial arts. Rating: Imaginary guest Zach Gowan gives this sub four busted wheelchairs out of five. Lesnar looked like a beached whale trying to roll to one side before calling it quits - and cursing the existence of Steve Mazzagatti. Aftermath: Biggest win of Frank Mir’s career. Aside from the mainstream exposure on TUF 8, defeating Lesnar gave him a chance to unify the heavyweight strap in 2009 with a win over opposing TUF coach Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. In short, it changed the entire landscape of the UFC heavyweight division. That my friends has just about wrapped it up. Stay tuned next Sunday as I present the third part of my "Best of" series as I bring you my picks for the best fights of 2008. In the meantime, go ahead and sound off in the comments section about who you think belongs or doesn't belong on the list of ten best submissions of 2008 - and make sure you can back it up! See you in seven.

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans video on big win over Forrest Griffin Posted: 28 Dec 2008 01:01 PM CST

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