Well it was an exciting weekend of fights. I ended up watching the WEC event live, and I recorded the Strikeforce event on my DVR and watched it afterwards. Overall there were a ton of great fights. Both main events happened to go my way. I am a huge Cerrone fan, so I was happy to see him dominate Ratcliff (despite the accidental groin strikes). In the Cung Le and Scott Smith fight, I like both fighters, but I couldn’t help but want to root for the underdog especially considering Smiths previous come-from-behind victories. It really was an amazing comeback as Smith was pretty hurt in the first round, and rocked a few more times throughout the fight. If you didn’t watch the event, make sure to catch a rerun, it is worth watching! Other notable fights was Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thompson, which was full of action, both guys really going all out with Melendez getting the better of the exchanges.

Below is the payouts for each event as reported by Sherdog. I always find these interesting to read.

Cerrone vs Ratcliff WEC

WEC

Donald Cerrone banked $34,000 for his third-round submission against Ed Ratcliff at WEC 45 “Cerrone vs. Ratcliff” on Saturday at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

The 26-year-old Cerrone was deducted two points in the first two rounds for illegal low blows but found the fight-ending choke in the final frame. Ratcliff took home $19,000 for the second loss of his career, which included a $10,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus also awarded to Cerrone.

Anthony Njokuani earned $18,000 for his dynamic knockout against promotional newcomer and former IFL star Chris Horodecki, who made $12,000. Njokuani’s bounty also included a $10,000 knockout bonus awarded by the promotion.

Scott Jorgensen’s relentless three-round attack on Takaya Mizugaki ($18,000) netted him $24,000. Jorgensen and Mizugaki shared “Fight of the Night” honors with Cerrone and Ratcliff, each adding $10,000 to their paychecks.

WEC 45 Payouts

Donald Cerrone — $34,000 (including $12,000 win bonus and $10,000 FOTN bonus) def. Ed Ratcliff — $19,000 (including $10,000 FOTN bonus)

Anthony Njokuani — $18,000 (including $4,000 win bonus, $10,000 knockout bonus) def. Chris Horodecki — $12,000

Joseph Benavidez — $25,000 (including $12,500 win bonus) def. Rani Yahya — $9,000

Scott Jorgensen — $24,000 (including $7,000 win bonus, $10,000 FOTN bonus) def. Takeya Mizugaki — $18,000 (including $10,000 FOTN bonus)

Bart Palaszewski — $10,000 (including $5,000 win bonus) def. Anthony Pettis — $3,000

Zachary Micklewright — $4,000 (including $2,000 win bonus) def. Muhsin Corbbrey — $4,000

Chad George — $5,000 (including $2,000 win bonus) def. John Hosman — $3,000

Brandon Visher — $6,000 (including $3,000 win bonus) def. Courtney Buck — $3,000

Brad Pickett — $16,000 (including $3,000 win bonus, $10,000 submission bonus) def. Kyle Dietz — $2,000

Erik Koch — $4,000 (including $2,000 win bonus) def. Jameel Massouh — $3,000

Cung Le vs Scott Smith Strikeforce

Strikeforce

Scott Smith made $55,000 for his dramatic third-round comeback knockout against hometown favorite Cung Le at Strikeforce “Evolution” on Saturday in San Jose, Calif., according to figures released Monday by the California State Athletic Commission.

The HP Pavilion hosted 8,552 spectators for a $633,674.50 gate, according to the CSAC’s initial tallies. Le, returning to the cage for the first time in 18 months, earned $150,000 in the first loss of his professional career — the highest reported payday of the event.

Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson stole the spotlight, though, with their competitive five-round rematch to unify the promotion’s lightweight titles. Melendez, who took home $55,000, recaptured the 155-pound crown by outscoring Thomson in nearly all of their standup exchanges. Thomson earned $30,000 in his first bout back in 15 months following persistent leg injuries.

Muhammed Lawal was penalized 10 percent of his $10,000 show purse for his enthusiastic homage to event sponsor Rockstar following his first-round victory against Mike Whitehead. Lawal shook and spilled his energy drink all over the cage during his celebration.

Strikeforce “Evolution” Payouts

Scott Smith — $55,000 (no win bonus listed) def. Cung Le — $150,000

Gilbert Melendez — $55,000 (no win bonus listed) def. Josh Thomson — $30,000

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza — $65,000 (including $10,000 win bonus) def. Matt Lindland — $50,000

Muhammed Lawal — $19,000 (including $10,000 win bonus)* def. Mike Whitehead — $30,000

Antwain Britt — $10,000 (including $5,000 win bonus) def. Scott Lighty — $5,000

Justin Wilcox — $5,000 def. Daisuke Nakamura — $200

Alexander Crispim — $4,000 (including $2,000 win bonus) def. A.J. Fonseca — $2,000

*Lawal penalized 10 percent of show purse by CSAC

Note: These numbers sent by the California State Athletic Commission, are disclosed pay only. They do not include additional bonuses or percentages of other revenue.

WEC vs Strikeforce MMA

Two huge events tomorrow night, and I’m thinking that my solution will be finding a sportsbar that is willing to play both at the same time!

In case you don’t know yet, “WEC: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff” starts live at 7PM ET/10PM PT on Versus and “Strikeforce: Evolution” begins at 10PM ET/PT on Showtime.

While I can certainly DVR one of the events, I kinda want to watch them both at the same time. Call me crazy, but I have some sort of multi-tasking disorder (as I write this, I am actively using 13 browser windows, plus photoshop, filezilla, dreamweaver, and 3 spreadsheets….help, I’ve got problems), so I will enjoy watching both events. The trick will be talking the sports bar manager into putting both events on TV’s right next to each other.

Here are the fight cards. The biggest draws for me are Cerrone, I love watching him fight, he’s just got a great style, and of course Cung Le who is always exciting.

WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Radcliff – Versus (7PM ET/10PM PT)

Preliminary Bouts:
Tyler Toner vs. Brandon Visher
John Hosman vs. David Smith
Kyle Dietz vs. Brad Pickett
Erik Koch vs. Jameel Massouh
Muhsin Corbbrey vs. Zach Micklewright
Bart Palaszewski vs. Anthony Pettis

Main Bouts:
Scott Jorgensen vs. Takeya Mizugaki
Joseph Benavidez vs. Rani Yahya
Chris Horodecki vs. Anthony Njokuani
Donald Cerrone vs. Ed Ratcliff

Strikeforce: Evolution – Showtime (10PM ET/PT)

Preliminary Card:
Alex Crispim vs. A.J. Fonseca
Bobby Stack vs. Alex Trevino
Juan Nunez vs. Luis Mendoza
Daisuke Nakamura vs. Justin Wilcox
Antwain Britt vs. Scott Lighty

Main Card:
Muhammed Lawal vs. Mike Whitehead
Ronaldo Souza vs. Matt Lindland
Josh Thomson vs. Gilbert Melendez (Strikeforce Lightweight Title)
Cung Le vs. Scott Smith

What about you guys? Which fights will you be watching?

Wow…..so I was shocked to learn that World Strongman champion Mariusz Pudzianowski has jumped into MMA! I have watched this guy quite a few times on the strongman reruns they always show late at night, and his physical strength and explosiveness is simply insane, but as we all know, that can only take you so far. Time after time, we see technique and fighting skills win over brute strength. But that is not to say that pure power can’t win you some fights. We will have to see how far he can get. Hopefully he actually gets some good MMA coaches and does some proper training, but we will have to see.  Here is what Jake from Sherdog.com had to say.

MiddleEasy.com got its hands on a rough translation of a Polish newspaper report; while some key details could be getting mangled in the imported text, there appears to be some notion that James Bond-esque promotional outfit M-1 Global has made advances toward no-necked strongman Mariusz Pudzianowski.

“The Russians would like to download to yourself ‘Pudziana’ in April,” one interpretation reads. Who could resist such an offer?

Billed as the world’s strongest man, “Pudziana” throttled and outmatched Marcin Najman on Friday in Poland, landing a series of ugly, awkward punches and kicks until the referee peeled him off. It was more wild animal attack than fight, but it apparently impressed M-1 enough to float Alexander Emelianenko as a possible opponent.

I expect Pudzianowski has handlers to rebuff these kinds of advances, but if not, he’s about to become the latest in a long line of ill-qualified attractions who prefer money to common sense. There have been massively powerful individuals — Mark Kerr, Tom Erikson — who were able to marry actual skills with their horsepower, and they still got beat. If you’re constructing a fighter, are you really going to sacrifice years of grappling ability to add a few hundred pounds to his dead lift?

Pudzianowski is a novelty act. If he’s treated like one, more power to him. If he’s treated like a fight athlete, his protein shakes will be going through a wired jaw eventually.

Obviously Jake’s opinion is pretty clear, and I have to agree with him for the most part. However, there is a part of me that hopes Mariusz will be more than just a freak show attraction or marketing gimmick and takes this seriously and turns into a legit fighter. Only time will tell. So far he has a win under his belt, even if it is against a no-name.

Can’t wait to see Silva “axe murder” Bisping!!!

Silva was probably the first fighter I really became a fan of, WAY back in the day when I started watching MMA about 10yrs ago. I used to borrow IVC tapes from friends at my gym and remember seeing Silva’s brutal fights and have loved watching him ever since.

Unfortunately, Silva doesn’t have the same ferocity (and maybe accuracy) that he used to have back in the day. Although he is still exciting to watch, I want to see his old viciousness return. Hopefully he brings that out when he meets Bisping.

Here is the story from sherdog.com

Wanderlei Silva will meet Michael Bisping in a featured bout at UFC 110 on Feb. 21 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. Though the promotion has made no official announcement regarding the event, the former Pride Fighting Championships titleholder confirmed the matchup in a video blog at wandfightteam.com.

“My opponent is Bisping,” Silva said. “It’s a great match for me. I need this victory. It’s a very, very important fight for me.”

The fate of Silva’s original opponent, Yoshihiro Akiyama, was not immediately known. The 33-year-old Brazilian brawler has lost five of his last six fights, including a unanimous decision loss to former middleweight champion Rich Franklin at UFC 99 in June. One of the sport’s most beloved figures, Silva once went nearly five years between defeats. He holds notable victories against two-time Olympian Dan Henderson, former UFC light heavyweight king Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Japanese legend Kazushi Sakuraba

Anchored at the Wolfslair Academy, Bisping rebounded from his brutal knockout loss to Dan Henderson at UFC 100 with an impressive second-round stoppage of Denis Kang earlier this month. The 30-year-old Englishman has posted eight wins in 10 fights since entering the UFC in 2006 and has delivered 16 of his 18 career victories by KO, TKO or submission.

Other fights rumored but not yet official for the UFC’s dive Down Under include heavyweight matchups pairing Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira with Cain Velasquez and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic with Ben Rothwell, a light heavyweight tilt pitting Stephan Bonnar against Krzysztof Soszynski and a welterweight bout between Chris Lytle and Dong Hyun Kim.

Finally a few fights that I am really excited to see! I’m a big fan of BJ Penn, but does he have the cardio to keep up with Diego Sanchez? BJ’s gas tank has seemed to improve in his last fights but it has always been his weakness, and Diego is a machine and can keep going for 5 rounds easy. I’m pulling for BJ in this one, but we could easily see Diego on top doing some G’n'P most of the fight if Penn gets tired.

Then Frank Mir and Cheick Kongo collide! Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert with mediocre striking vs a powerful striker with mediocre ground skills. Do I even need to spell this out? Mir subs Kongo on the ground, or Kongo KO/TKO’s Mir on the feet. I’ll be surprised if this fight goes to a decision, and I’m counting on it being exciting.

Then, undoubtedly this could be the most exciting fight of the night. Thiago Alves and Paulo Thiago are going to throw bombs! These guys are always entertaining to watch, and both have knockout power. Both are well rounded fights, so this can go anywhere! Personally I would like to see Alves take it, but hopefully he comes out with a little more confidence than he did against GSP.

Here is the official press release from UFC.com

Live from FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., Saturday, December 12

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – After April’s memorable UFC Fight Night™ in Nashville, The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) is headed back to the great state of Tennessee to give the fans another night of world class mixed martial arts action as UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn faces possibly his toughest test at 155 pounds in the relentless Diego Sanchez at UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez, live from FedExForum in Memphis on Saturday, December 12th.

“In this sport it sometimes takes years for fighters to find the weight class where they’re at their best,” UFC President Dana White said. “I don’t think there’s any question that BJ Penn and Diego Sanchez have finally found their homes at 155 pounds, making the UFC 107 main event a fight between the best Penn and Sanchez we’ve ever seen. BJ hasn’t lost in this weight class in years, and Diego has looked unstoppable in his lightweight fights, and when these two meet in the center of the Octagon, it’s going to make our first trip to Memphis one fight fans will never forget.”

Plus, in the UFC 107 co-main event, two-time UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) returns to the Octagon to begin his quest for a third title, and to move back up the ladder in one of the sport’s toughest divisions. With finishing wins in three of his last four fights against names such as Brock Lesnar, Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira and Antoni Hardonk, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace with the 12-4 record will need all of his elite level experience to thwart the devastating attack of his next opponent.

“Cheick Kongo is one of the best strikers in the UFC,” Mir said. “I’m coming off a loss and I definitely want to get back on the road to the title. I think this will be a difficult challenge.”

Another heavyweight with finishing wins in three of his last four fights, 6-foot-4, 240-pound Cheick Kongo (fighting out of Paris, France) combines power and superior striking skills every time he steps into the Octagon™. The imposing 34-year-old, who has seven UFC wins, holds a 24-5-1 record and knows that a win over a superstar like Mir will move him ever closer to his first title opportunity.

“In the UFC, you can’t take any opponents lightly,” Kongo said. “But when you face a former champion such as Frank Mir, you’re expecting one of the toughest fights of your career. It’s going to be a classic.”

Also added to the stacked UFC 107 main card is a welterweight showdown between fellow Brazilians Thiago “Pitbull” Alves and Paulo Thiago, two of the division’s top competitors.

One of the most feared strikers in the sport today, Fortaleza-born Thiago Alves (22-5) is a Muay Thai wrecking machine whose fists and feet have sent the likes of Tony DeSouza, Chris Lytle, Karo Parisyan, Matt Hughes, and Josh Koscheck to defeat. Now fighting out of Coconut Creek, Florida, the 26 year old banger will look to rebound from his courageous five round loss against champion Georges St-Pierre in July by stopping the rise of Paulo Thiago and getting back on the road to another title shot.

A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with multiple titles to his name, Brasilia’s Paulo Thiago surprisingly made his name in the UFC with a spectacular one punch knockout of Josh Koscheck at UFC 95 in February, showing the world that he is as dangerous standing as he is on the mat. On December 12th, the 11-1 fighter and member of Brazil’s special operations police force – who is coming off a hard-fought battle with Jon Fitch – will look to lay down the law to Thiago Alves.

Pretty much nothing, but I found this story by Jake Rossen/Sherdog to be very entertaining.

Getting publicity is one thing, but c’mon son! Iceman, get the F*$% outta here with that shit son! Just look at this pic!!! I think Jake was being gracious when he ranked it #10.

There’s shame in labeling a Thanksgiving-themed blog post with any variation of biggest turkeys, roasted birds, stuffed this-or-that, etc. It’s obvious and lazy and possibly an insult to you, the reader, who expects better.

But if it weren’t for meeting low expectations, I wouldn’t be meeting any at all. And so I give you the bird. Forgive me. In honor of the holiday meat of choice, here are the 10 biggest blunders, disasters and face-plants in the sport for 2009. (And if you think this is bad, remember we still have another five weeks to go.)

10. Chuck Liddell: Ballroom dancer
Unless it’s based around paternity results, a prime-time network slot on a reality show is good for fighters and the sport. But that counter goes out the window when you consider that “Dancing with the Stars” participant Chuck Liddell is semi-retired, has the charisma of Styrofoam and possesses all the grace of someone who has been punched in the head for the past 20 years. And this doesn’t even take into account the bowler, the feather boas and the dance routines that looked like he had stuck his finger in a light socket before taking the stage. Forget his repeated concussions: This is the kind of hurt that stays with you.

9. Afflicted
Dissatisfied with spinning off apparel that would have looked dated in a 1985 Misfits video, clothing company Affliction invested millions into a gawky, garish pay-per-view production featuring non-sequitur musical acts and papered crowds. The entire thing was insufferable, but at least we were promised a competitive fight between Fedor Emelianenko and Josh Barnett. Then Barnett urinated motor oil. Then the promotional arm of the company folded. Then we learned spending millions to make thousands was unsound business.

But at least it’s over, right? No. Oh, no. Freed from his contract, Emelianenko fought a tire-changer from Sam’s Club. Affliction is the tragedy that keeps on giving.

8. GreaseGate
I can’t override the psychological block to smother details of B.J. Penn’s complaint against Georges St. Pierre earlier in the year. It had something to do with accusations that St. Pierre’s team lubricated his back in order to make it difficult for Penn to defend himself from guard. There were commission hearings, media notices, possibly some kind of Congressional petition — all over a blob of Vaseline errantly smeared on St. Pierre’s spine, all paid for by the taxpayers of Nevada. Ask for an itemized bill, gang.

7. Silva-Leites: Blame Canada
The greater the exclamations, the greater the expectations. No one was the recipient of more prefight hype in 2009 than Anderson Silva, who entered into an April fight with Thales Leites as nothing less than a state-subsidized serial killer. Viewers expected Mortal Kombat; what they got was E.T., the Video Game, with Silva reluctant to strike, reluctant to grapple and reluctant to refund any money. Not only was it the year’s worst main event, it was one of the worst in history: Silva’s personal “Rocky V.”

6. Holiday hams
Despite having the screen presence of movie-set catering trucks, fighters are being recruited by casting agents and producers with alarming and increasing regularity. (If you don’t believe me, you could suffer through “Blood & Bone,” the “Ocean’s 11″ of MMA-fetish movies.) Stunt casting has robbed us of at least two proper Cung Le bouts in 2009, and appears set to shelve Gina Carano through the middle of next year. And there’s not much else to be said for Quinton Jackson in the “The A-Team,” which might do for Jackson what “Stone Cold” did for Brian Bosworth. Or worse. Fighters are not actors, actors are not rappers, and fans are not so easily swayed.

5. Official denials
For the purposes of this point, I’ll admit to watching professional wrestling as a youth. (A small, socially awkward youth, with suspected psychological afflictions. Nothing has changed.) If you were Hulk Hogan or Bret Hart, the last guy you wanted to see officiating your match was Earl Hebner, a dirty, double-crossing snake of a referee who blew calls, ignored fouls, and — in at least one instance — had his evil twin enlisted by Ted DiBiase to rig a match in his favor. (Rigging a pro wrestling bout was a little too rich in irony for 1980s audiences.)

2009 has been a record year for Hebner’s spiritual offspring, who have watched fighters foul, poke eyes, grab fences and launch air-to-groin strikes with military precision. Properly and duly bloodied, a fighter can then look forward to a judge declaring the comatose man in the opposite corner the winner.

There are many fine officials currently working for fight commissions. There are also several in dire need of remedial training.

4. CSUC
Authority is supposed to at least give the appearance of infallibility, a concept the California State Athletic Commission has never spent much time exploring. After controversial executive director Armando Garcia resigned in late 2008, reform was supposed to sweep through its offices. Instead, the organization was met with accusations that regulators accepted free tickets to boxing and MMA events; that commission members charged with overseeing hand wraps nearly missed Antonio Margarito’s hands being wrapped in brain-rattling plaster; and that an MMA fighter who had tested positive for Hepatitis C had been allowed to fight (with the board later declaring that test a “false positive”). And this is just what happened to be leaked to the public.

3. Junie Browning
A Kentucky misanthrope with the all the charm of a mutating virus, Junie Allen Browning turned a 2008 season of “The Ultimate Fighter” into his own personal reality series; some viewers were absolutely certain that it was a put-on, and that no individual could be so genuinely putrid. Browning’s ultimate gotcha: He was worse than imagined. Months after being worked over by Cole Miller in April, Browning was arrested for threatening hospital workers who were trying to assist him when he was brought in for a Klonopin overdose. The UFC quickly bounced him, but he will want for nothing in a world in which Dr. Drew needs to replenish his “Celebrity Rehab” cast on a bi-annual basis. Browning fights Saturday. Try to care.

2. Inaction Jackson
Not since Ken Shamrock huffed and puffed his way through a contemptible coaching job has an athlete’s image been battered the way Quinton Jackson’s has been during the current season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” The show had barely begun airing before Jackson announced he was pulling out of a Dec. 12 bout with rival coach Rashad Evans; Jackson has ribbed contestants on screen — and not genially, but with a sharp streak of menace and disrespect, riffing on everything from names (he forgets them) to man-boobs (he gropes them). When his fighters were tied in knots — which happened in virtually all of their fights — he was too preoccupied with his own image to bother tending to them. Reality TV may be a manipulative game, but it’s also a bit like alcohol in one respect: It just makes you more of what you already are. And we don’t need any more of Jackson.

1. Jose Canseco
The only man in history to headline a celebrity boxing show in an Aston, Penn., ice rink against Danny Bonaduce, the only former major league baseball player to face Hong Man Choi in the Yokohama Arena, and the only name athlete to film a reality show about his attempt to kick testosterone injections — and all in one tremendous year. The thing that Jose Canseco would not do for money has not been invented yet: If you catch sight of a bald eagle, a rock, Jose Canseco and a $100 bill, you will have a memorable afternoon. Until then, have an E-Cigarette on him.

Keep in mind, the below amounts are “what is disclosed”. There is no record of what behind-the-scenes bonuses or payouts take place, and of course a large portion of what some fighters earn is from the sponsorships. Nonetheless, it is still interesting to see the reported payouts and how popularity and expected performances play a roll in fighters contracts. I’m glad to see fighters payroll increasing!

Forrest Griffin may have defeated Tito Ortiz on Saturday night at UFC 106, but both fighters took home the same amount in disclosed payroll for the event. Griffin’s $150,000 win bonus brought him to $250,000 overall, the same as Ortiz’s “to show” money.

Josh Koscheck earned the most outside of the main event by far, taking home six figures for his second round submission victory over Anthony Johnson. On top of his $106,000 payday, he earned an extra $140,000 in “Fight Night” bonuses for both the “Submission of the Night” and “Fight of the Night”.

Also reaching the six figure mark was Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, earning $100,000 for his first round TKO victory over Luiz Cane. The rest of the night’s disclosed payroll is below:

-Forrest Griffin $250,000 ($150,000 win bonus)
-Tito Ortiz $250,000
-Josk Koscheck $106,000 ($53,000 win bonus)
-Anthony Johnson $17,000
-Paulo Thiago $16,000 ($8,000 win bonus)
-Jacob Volkmann $6,000
-Antonio Rogerio Nogueira $100,000 ($30,000 win bonus)
-Luiz Cane $19,000
-Amir Sadollah $30,000 ($15,000 win bonus)
-Phil Baroni $25,000
-Ben Saunders $20,000 ($10,000 win bonus)
-Marcus Davis $27,000
-Kendall Grove $44,000 ($22,000 win bonus)
-Jake Rosholt $15,000
-Brian Foster $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus)
-Brock Larson $26,000
-Caol Uno $20,000
-Fabricio Camoes $10,000
-George Sotiropoulos $20,000 ($10,000 win bonus)
-Jason Dent $8,000

Brock Lesnar’s future as UFC Champion has been in question lately due to a previously undisclosed illness. Rumors and speculation have been running wild about the illness and whether Brock would fight again in MMA. Here is the latest info I’ve read:

As written by Kyle Shiely @ StarTribune.com

UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar is on the mend this afternoon after having minor surgery at a hospital in Bismark, ND this morning according to a post by UFC President Dana White to his twitter account.

White was at the hospital this morning according to his tweet. “Leaving Bismarck ND right now. Brock had minor surgery and is feeling better. Not 100% sure he is out of the woods but feeling better” White posted.

Last night on their newscast, WCCO reported that a source had told them that Lesnar is suffering from diverticulitis, which is a swelling of an abnormal pouch or pouches in the intestinal wall, which if they tear can lead to stool spilling out from the colon into the abdominal cavity, causing infection. Diverticulitis is a common disease in the elderly. It is found in over half of American’s over the age of 60 according to Google Health.

MMAWeekly.com reported yesterday that Lesnar’s head trainer at The Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, Greg Nelson, texted them to say that Lesnar “should be home soon.”

I’m really hoping he gets to fight again soon. Regardless of whether you like the guy or not, he made the switch to MMA, trains hard, and went in there to prove himself.

I can see a few reasons why this will be a popular rematch. Ton’s of newbie fans will want to see it because they love Forrest. Then there are the Tito fans who want to see him make a comeback (yes, those people are out there!). Then there is a ton of people who don’t care about Forrest, but just want to see Tito get beat up. Sad but true, when I was watching the fights at a local Hooters last weekend and the commercial ran announcing the rematch, at least 3 guys could be heard saying “I just want Tito to get his ass kicked”. As for me, well his personally doesn’t bother me at all. The guy is good at hype and keeping his name out there, props to him. I just think he just needs to work on his striking, keep his cardio up, and be more aggressive in the 2nd/3rd round than the last fight.

Here is the official press release from UFC.com

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – In April of 2006, Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin engaged in an unforgettable three round battle that left fans demanding a rematch between two of the best light heavyweights on the planet. On Saturday, November 21st, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Ortiz and Griffin will finally meet again, and this time it will be as the explosive main event of UFC 106.

“One of the loudest crowds I’ve ever heard was in Anaheim when Tito and Forrest fought for the first time, and they weren’t even the main event that night,” said UFC President Dana White. “With these two superstars headlining UFC 106 and with so much on the line for both of them, I think it’s going to be even crazier in Mandalay Bay on November 21st. Both guys have a lot to prove – to themselves and each other – so it’s gonna be an incredible fight for the fans.”

“I’m excited to be the main event; I’ve been a UFC headliner many times in my 12-year career, so I promise the fans will get a great fight,” said Ortiz. “I’m gonna put my heart and soul in the Octagon, and I’m not trying to win with points, I’m gonna win with either a submission or a knockout – everyone will see me at my best on November 21st.”

“It’s always nice to be in the main event, especially since I’m fighting at home,” said Griffin. “As far as the fight goes, a lot has happened since 2006, and I think I’m much better than I was back then. That means a win on November 21st, but more importantly I want to settle the score with Tito.”

I really hope Nogueira comes in better shape than that fight against Frank Mir. I couldn’t believe how slow/dull he looked compared to previous fights where his boxing was much more crisp. If Nog is in his top shape, it’s his fight, but if he comes in looking tired again Cain will put the hurt on him.

Heres the official info from UFC.com

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is a heavyweight legend looking to climb to the top of the mountain one more time following his win over Hall of Famer Randy Couture in August. Unbeaten rising star Cain Velasquez has moved rapidly up the ranks, but he needs one more win to get a shot at the belt. On Saturday, January 2nd, the main event of UFC 108 will see these two heavyweight standouts meet to determine a future challenger for the title. Also, former UFC light heavyweight champion ‘Suga’ Rashad Evans begins on his road back to the title as he attempts to avenge his teammate Keith Jardine’s loss against Brazilian knockout artist Thiago Silva at UFC 108: Nogueira vs Velasquez, presented by “Bayonetta” and live on pay-per-view from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Russian terminator doesn’t even need oxygen! Despite getting his nose obliterated by the opening jab, Fedor barely notices the blood gushing from his face and proceeds blast Rogers with his trademark hay maker for a TKO. I think the ref stoppage was a few seconds early, Rogers was not out cold, but the win was still definitive.

The rest of the results from Strikeforce.com

Fedor Emelianenko, Stary Oskol, Belgorod, Russia, TKO 2 (1:48, strikes) over Brett Rogers, Minneapolis

Jake Shields (24-4-1), San Francisco, Calif., won a five-round decision (49-46 twice and 48-47) over Jason “Mayhem” Miller (22-7), of Orange County, Calif.; Shields captures vacant STRIKEFORCE World Middleweight Championship

Gegard Mousasi (30-2-1), Leiden, Netherlands, TKO 2 (3:43, strikes) over Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (7-5), Murrieta, Calif.

Fabricio Werdum (13-4-1), Marina Del Rey, Calif., won a three-round decision (29-28 three times) over Antonio Silva (13-2), Coconut Creek, Fla.