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• UFC 102 video: Randy Couture and ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira workout for the press
• Fedor Emelianenko hits New York City for Strikeforce open media workout (Pics and video)
• Dana White UFC 102 video interview as ‘Couture vs Nogueira’ event heats up
• Fedor Emelianenko vs Brett Rogers Strikeforce fight announced
• Injury update: WEC champ Brian Bowles’ broken hand may not require surgery
• Krzysztof Soszynski will ‘break down’ Brandon Vera at UFC 102 (Video)
• The ‘A-Team’ movie cast to include Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson as B.A. Baracus
• UFC Quick Quote: Chris Tuchscherer not TUF (or too tough) enough for Spike TV
• HDNet to air M-1: ‘Breakthrough’ LIVE Aug. 28 at 10 p.m. ET
• UFC 103: Nick Lentz vs Rafaello Oliveira booked for Sept. 19 with Dan Lauzon hurt

UFC 102 video: Randy Couture and ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira workout for the press Posted: 27 Aug 2009 04:24 AM PDT

Fedor Emelianenko hits New York City for Strikeforce open media workout (Pics and video) Posted: 27 Aug 2009 04:18 AM PDT Check out another pic, as well as a video of “The Last Emperor” doing his thing in front of a throng of media during a public/media open workout and meet and greet at Fighthouse in New York City.

Dana White UFC 102 video interview as ‘Couture vs Nogueira’ event heats up Posted: 26 Aug 2009 06:47 PM PDT

Fedor Emelianenko vs Brett Rogers Strikeforce fight announced Posted: 26 Aug 2009 01:58 PM PDT Strikeforce announced today at an open media workout in New York City that its prized free agent acquisition, Fedor Emelianenko (30-1), will make his promotional debut against undefeated hard-hitting heavyweight prospect, Brett Rogers (10-0). No confirmed date or location is available at this time; however, the showdown is likely to happen on a Showtime-produced card sometime in November. Emelianenko — a former Pride FC Heavyweight Champion and Affliction MMA headliner — recently signed a multi-fight contract with the San Jose-based mixed martial arts promotion under a special co-promotion agreement with M-1 Global. "The Last Emperor" was in cruise control under the Affliction MMA banner after back-to-back wins over former UFC heavyweight champions Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski. He was in line for a WAMMA title defense against Josh Barnett at the Aug. 1 “Trilogy” event until "The Babyface Assassin" got popped for steroids in a random pre-fight drug test. The cash-strapped promotion closed up shop shortly thereafter, leaving Emelianenko (once again) the hottest free agent in mixed martial arts. After a hot and heavy pursuit from the UFC, Emelianenko opted to sign with Strikeforce primarily because of the co-promotion caveat. Rogers is coming off a devastating knockout win over former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski at the “Lawler vs. Shields” event from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo., on June 6. Rogers was a +300 underdog heading into the fight but needed just 0:22 seconds to put "The Pitbull" to sleep — the second time for Arlovski in as many fights. “The Grimm,” now 10-0, looks poised to capitalize on his new found stature. "This sport is all about timing," he said. "This fight took me to the next level and now is definitely my time. Everyone saw tonight that I am not one to play with." We’ll find out soon enough as he now prepares to take on arguably the top mixed martial arts fighter on the planet.

Injury update: WEC champ Brian Bowles’ broken hand may not require surgery Posted: 26 Aug 2009 11:36 AM PDT WEC Bantamweight Champ Brian Bowles arrived at Turner Field last night to throw out the first pitch for the hometown Atlanta Braves. Notice the cast on his left hand. He fractured it during his 135-pound title-capturing win over Miguel Torres a little more than two weeks ago at WEC 42. Bowles confirmed earlier this week with MMAFanhouse that his injury might not require surgery to fix after all … a possibility that could have kept him sidelined for a very long time. Here’s what he had to say: “I’ve talked to a couple of docs and gotten a couple of opinions. They popped it back in place - it was out of place pretty bad - and as long as it stays in place then no surgery. But if not then I’ll have to have surgery on it. It’s been a few days now and it’s still in place, so I think I’m going to be OK without having any surgery.” Bowles was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission until Feb. 6, 2010, because of the fracture. That suspension, however, can be lifted as soon as he receives clearance from an orthopedic doctor. Hopefully, the non-surgery route leads to a speedier recovery because a fantastic match up with current number one contender, Dominick Cruz, is waiting on deck.

Krzysztof Soszynski will ‘break down’ Brandon Vera at UFC 102 (Video) Posted: 26 Aug 2009 09:44 AM PDT

The ‘A-Team’ movie cast to include Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson as B.A. Baracus Posted: 26 Aug 2009 08:16 AM PDT Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has landed the role of B.A. Baracus in the upcoming feature film “The A-Team,” which is currently in production and tentatively scheduled for 2010 release. Jackson, according to The Sun, beat out hip hop icon 50 Cent and a rapper, The Game, to become the mohawked, gold jewelry-wearing soldier of fortune. He will share the silver screen with Liam Neeson (Col. John “Hannibal”) and Bradley Cooper (Lt. Templeton “Faceman” Peck) in the 20th Century Fox-produced movie. The “Murdock” character has yet to be cast. “A-Team,” while certainly the most high profile, is not the first acting gig for Jackson. He has appeared in “Confessions of a Pit Fighter,” “Bad Guys” and “The Midnight Meat Train,” as well as an episode of “The King of Queens.” Jackson recently completed taping for the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter (10) on Spike TV, which is set to debut after UFC Fight Night 19 on Sept. 16. He served as a coach opposite his new-found arch enemy, Rashad Evans. He will then have the opportunity to settle his score with “Sugar” at UFC 107 in Memphis, Tenn., on Dec 12.

UFC Quick Quote: Chris Tuchscherer not TUF (or too tough) enough for Spike TV Posted: 26 Aug 2009 06:33 AM PDT “I thought I was going to get on the show — I tried out, everything was looking good, I got a second interview — then I got home and I got a call saying I wasn't going to make the show. Later on that week, I got an e-mail from Joe Silva with a contract offer, so it worked out for the best. But I honestly couldn't tell you why it went down like that. I was never told, like, ‘your record is this good, so we just want you to have a contract.’ I think I would have done very well. I would have seen myself as one of the guys to make it to the finals.” – Chris Tuchscherer talks to CagePotato.com about getting passed over for the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10, which debut Sept. 16, 2009, at 10 p.m. ET on Spike TV. It’s perhaps the most talented cast to compete on the mixed martial arts reality series, including a former IFL champion, several NFL players and a few UFC veterans, as well as YouTube.com Kimbo Slice. Was Tuchscherer more talented than the likes of Roy Nelson in the eyes of the producers? Probably not. There is likely more behind the decision than just ability. Regardless, in the end, it all worked out for the 33-year-old North Dakota native — he’s set to make his Octagon debut against former number one division contender Gabriel Gonzaga this weekend at UFC 102. It’s a classic battle between an accomplished wrestler and a talented jiu-jitsu player. Will Tuchscherer — a training partner of UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar — make Spike TV regret its decision or will “Napao” prove them right?

HDNet to air M-1: ‘Breakthrough’ LIVE Aug. 28 at 10 p.m. ET Posted: 26 Aug 2009 05:58 AM PDT Note: For those who do not have HDNet M-1: “Breakthrough” will also be available to watch via online pay-per-view (PPV). DALLAS — HDNet will feature exclusive coverage of “HDNet Fights Presents: M-1 Global Breakthrough,” LIVE from the historic Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Missouri, Friday, August 28 at 10:00 p.m. ET. In a special feature attraction, Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko — the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet — makes his live U.S. television debut in a grappling exhibition against newly crowned Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion, Gegard “The Dreamcatcher” Mousasi. In the main event of the evening, the former NCAA wrestling champion and undefeated MMA star Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal makes his U.S. debut against another former NCAA Champion Mark “The Smashing Machine” Kerr. The fight is an unparalleled opportunity for Kerr, a former star in both theUFC and PRIDE, to launch a major comeback on national television. “It is indeed special to have two of the top fighters in the world in Fedor and Gegard — with a combined record of 56 wins and 3 losses — put on a grappling exhibition for HDNet’s MMA fans,” said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. “There has also been a lot of buzz internationally about King Mo and Karl Amoussou and I’m pumped that fans will get to see them LIVE on HDNet!” The rest of the card features some of the most promising international prospects in MMA. In other action, Lucio “Spartan” Linhares (12-4, Finland) meets Mikhail Zayats (8-3, Russia), Jessie Gibbs (8-2, Holland) squares off with Rob Broughton (10-4-1, England), Karl “Psycho” Amoussou (10-2-1, France) faces “The Iron Bull” John Doyle (9-8, Philadelphia, PA), Lloyd “Kadillac” Marshbanks (17-8, San Diego, CA) collides with Michael Kita (5-3, Poland), plus Daisuke Nakamura (19-10, Tokyo, Japan) tangles with Ferrid “The Hurricane” Kheder (14-3, Los Angeles, CA)

UFC 103: Nick Lentz vs Rafaello Oliveira booked for Sept. 19 with Dan Lauzon hurt Posted: 26 Aug 2009 05:56 AM PDT With Dan Lauzon sidelined because of a back injury sustained in training, Nik Lentz has agreed to step in and replace him against Rafaello Oliveira at UFC 103: "Franklin vs. Belfort" from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 19, according to Sherdog.com. Lentz is on a seven-fight win streak that dates back more than two years. He is a Minnesota Martial Arts Academy product who has competed primarily on the local circuit for most of his career. "The Carnie” recently scored a unanimous decision win over UFC veteran Drew Fickett at SNMMA: "Beatdown at 4 Bears" and stopped Nick Walker via technical knockout (punches) in his last outing at EC 127: "Extreme Challenge 127" in May. Oliveira has won three straight since the semi-impressive loss to "Fancy Pants," including two stints on XFC cards. Like Lauzon, he is also an aggressive fighter with a strong rate of finishing fights, having stopped 75 percent of his opponents before the final bell. Both Lentz and Oliveira will be making their promotional debuts on Sept. 19. UFC 103 will feature a main event between Rich "Ace" Franklin and Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort at a 195-pound catchweight. Also slated for the main card is a heavyweight tilt between former PRIDE superstar Mirko Cro Cop and surging heavyweight prospect Junior Dos Santos. In addition, Martin Kampmann and Mike Swick will collide to determine the number one contender for Georges St. Pierre's 170-pound title. For the latest UFC 103 fight card click here.

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