Brock Lesnar a Lock for New UFC Video Game

According to Avi Burk at IGN.com, the UFC has confirmed that Brock Lesnar, regardless of his bout with Randy Couture at UFC 91, is already a lock for the new UFC video game being developed by THQ. UFC Undisputed 2009 is set to debut in the Spring of 2009.

Keep an eye on IGN.com and the MMAInsiderBLOG as more fighters are announced for the game.

Dana White's UFC 91 Video Blog (Ep 6)

UFC President Dana White presents the 6th edition of his video blog for UFC 91.

In this episode, Dana attends the UFC weigh-ins, talks to ESPN.com's MMA Live crew, follows an unfortunate trip by a UFC owner, and talks to Everlast and DJ Lethal from House of Pain.

Dana White's UFC 91 Video Blog: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5

UFC 91 Winner to Score Half-a-Mil

Wow! According to Lance Pugmire of the L.A. Times, the Nevada State Athletic Commission already released the salary figures for UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture and challenger Brock Lesnar.

Both fighters are guaranteed a base of $250,000. If Couture wins, he gets an additional $250,000 in win money. For Lesnar, he would earn an extra $200,000.

Remember, this is the salary information that is required to be filed with state athletic commissions. There are often other types of performance and/or pay-per-view bonuses and other forms of compensation that are not required to be reported. Plus, with a fight of this magnitude, both are likely scoring big with sponsors.

Video: UFC 91 - Tonight!

Dana White's UFC 91 Video Blog (Ep 5)

UFC President Dana White presents the 5th edition of his video blog for UFC 91.

In this episode, Dana holds court at the UFC 91 pre-fight press conference, takes viewers behind the scenes with the production crew, continues his media onslaught, checks a cut on Rich Franklin's right eye, harasses Kenny Florian, and breaks from his hard boiled egg diet.

Dana White's UFC 91 Video Blog: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4

MMA Live and ESPN All Over UFC 91

ESPN's MMA Live was live at the UFC 91 weigh-ins on Friday, broadcasting with the Octagon as the backdrop for the show. They discussed the Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar and Kenny Florian vs. Joe Stevenson bouts with UFC president Dana White.

ESPN has been all over UFC 91, providing an unprecedented amount of coverage for the event. We'll see if this an anomoly or if the venerable sports network is committed to now cover MMA.

Is MMA Hurting in the Down U.S. Economy?

In the recent edition of Fox News Fight Game, the panel talks with UFC president Dana White about the struggling U.S. economy and how it has effected the MMA, specifically the UFC.

BetUs.com UFC 91 Odds

Here are the current odds for UFC 91 heading into tonight's weigh in which can be seen for free live on MMAWeekly.com.

Head over to BetUs.com for the latest odds on the event.

Randy Couture -105
Brock Lesnar -125

Kenny Florian -185
Joe Stevenson +145

Gabriel Gonzaga -450
Josh Hendricks +325

Nate Quarry +190
Demian Maia -240


Dustin Hazelett -200
Tamdan McCrory +160

Jorge Gurgel -130
Aaron Riley Ev

Jeremy Stephens -140
Rafael dos Anjos +110

Alvin Robinson -110
Mark Bocek -120

Matt Brown -210
Ryan Thomas +165

Dana White's UFC 91 Video Blog (Ep 4)

UFC President Dana White presents the 4th edition of his video blog for UFC 91.

In this episode, Dana does an episode of "Jim Rome Is Burning" on ESPN, a few more media interviews getting ready for UFC 91, and presents a very special tombstone littered with the promotions that have gone head to head with the UFC.

Dana proclaims "I'm the grim reaper mother (expletive)."

Dana White's UFC 91 Video Blog: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3

50 Cent New Song Featured In UFC 91

New song from rapper, 50 Cent, entitled "Get Up" used for UFC 91 featuring clips of Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar

Lack of Estrogen to Blame for TUF Antics

With the last few weeks of "The Ultimate Fighter" looking more like the seminal gross-out show "Fear Factor," many fans have been wondering what TUF cameras really want to focus on. At the pre-fight press conference for UFC 91, UFC president Dana White addressed critics who said the show was going down the toilet, literally.

According to White, it's not the men who are responsible for the seemingly endless stream of pranks involving bodily-fluids. It's the women, or lack of them.

"I want you to really seriously think about this," White told reporters. "If there were no women on earth, guys would probably never brush their teeth, comb their hair, they'd all be pissing on each other, they'd all be drunk, and god knows what their apartment would look like or your car. It's how guys are."

White said other athletes had corroborated the TUF 8 experience at his trip to a Tony Hawk Foundation skating event, which he documented on his popular video blog.

"I was talking to some of the snowboarders, and the guys who do some of those snowboard videos, where they drop them off in the helicopter, (and they) said there's times they get stuck up there because there's a storm and the helicopter can't come in," White explained. "They said what goes on is exactly like The Ultimate Fighter. It's the way guys are. It's unfortunate and we don't want to look at ourselves that way - that's who we are."

As to whether he would eventually crack the whip on the childish behavior, White shrugged his shoulders. After all, ratings are ratings - pranks and characters like Junie Browning have reversed a trend of declining ratings for the show.

"It is what it is," he said. "It's reality television. Would I sit around and drink piss with a bunch of guys? No, it's not my thing. I wouldn't do it. When they kept eating his food, I thought that was pretty funny. That'll stop you... anybody who's ever had roommates before gets that one. It is what it is. At the end of the day, the only thing I care about is that they step into the Octagon, they're in shape, they fight, and they represent the sport well as athletes."

The question is, are a bunch of urine drinking, semen eating, itching powder infested fighters a good representation of the sport?

Maybe not, but it's a guilty - or dirty - pleasure MMA fans are buying.

MMA Live Episode 27

ESPN.com presents another edition of MMA Live for November 13.

This week the crew talks about UFC 91 including Randy Couture, Brock Lesnar, as well as speaking to UFC president Dana White leading into the big weekend.

Dustin Hazelett Tells How He Got Nicknamed "McLovin"

Nicknames have become synonymous with mixed martial arts fighters, but no one may have a more creative nickname than that of UFC welterweight, Dustin "McLovin" Hazelett, who picks up his nickname after the popular character in the movie "Superbad."

At one time sporting a "I'm Not Jon Fitch" t-shirt to the weigh-ins for his fight, Hazelett now dons the nickname of one of the most famously funny characters to come out of a movie in the last few years.

During a recent appearance on MMAWeekly Radio, Hazelett told the story how he got the nickname.

"It was right before I fought (Jonathan) Goulet and it was like 2 days before the fight, and we were at the Palms and they have a movie theatre there. So it was me, and Jorge (Gurgel) and Ramsey, who is my strength and conditioning coach, he was out there with us. We went down to the movie theatre to watch "Superbad" and we walk out and I was quoting McLovin lines."

"I said jokingly that McLovin’s an awesome nickname and I was going to change that to my fight nickname, and Jorge looked and me and said 'now you can’t take it back,' and called Bruce Buffer on the spot and had him put it on my card."

"That's kind of how I got the nickname."


Despite the nickname, Hazelett and family agree that his opponent at UFC 91, Tamdan "The Barncat" McCrory may actually share more of a resemblance to the character played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

"The weird thing about that is my dad actually said that Tamdan (McCrory) looks more like McLovin than I do. Which is kind of true."


McLovin faces the Barncat this weekend at UFC 91 in Las Vegas.

MMA Live Breaks Down Couture vs. Lesnar

ESPN's MMA Live is at UFC 91 and host Jim Anik and guest host Frank Mir are on the scene to break down the main event between UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture and challenger Brock Lesnar.

Dana White Talks To Jim Rome on "Rome Is Burning"

UFC President Dana White talks to famed sports talk show host, Jim Rome, about the upcoming UFC 91 event, as well as Kimbo Slice, and the sport of MMA in comparison to the sport of boxing.

Dana White's UFC 91 Video Blog (Ep 3)

UFC President Dana White presents the third episode of his UFC 91 video blog.

In this edition, Dana visits the ESPN studios to film a few interviews and talks Urijah Faber, Rashad Evans, Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar.

Dana also travels to Minnesota to do some press and talks to Brock Lesnar and his wife just days away from possibly the biggest fight in UFC history.

Dana White's UFC 91 Video Blog: Episode 1, Episode 2

Tribute to Fallen Chute Boxe Instructor Osmar Dias

Osmar Dias Fernandes
1981-2008
Rest In Peace

Amir Sadollah Issues Open Letter About UFC 91 Fight

"Ultimate Fighter" season 7 winner, Amir Sadollah, issued a letter through his management website at Suckerpunchent.com, about his recent withdraw from his UFC 91 fight against Nick Catone.

Sadollah continues to spend time in the hospital for his injury and fans are encouraged to leave comments here and on the Suckerpunch Entertainment website that Amir will be reading while in his recovery.

Here is the letter:

To all my fans,
I really appreciate all the support you have sent my way and I am so sorry I am not able to fight this weekend. I trained harder for this than any other fight in my life and I was looking forward to this more than you know.

It started on friday with a small mark on my leg. I immediately went to the doctor and he gave me medication and told me if it got worse to go to the hospital. Well, it got worse and on Sunday I went in and have been here ever since. I am hoping they will discharge me by Thursday.

I am very sorry if I disappointed anyone. A lot of work by a lot of people went into this. For it to end with something totally out of my control makes it difficult to swallow. I will be back in the gym as soon as possible and will be ready to fight as soon as Joe Silva can get me back in.

I’d like to thank my coaches, trainers, SuckerPunch, fans and sponsors (TapouT, Sprawl, THQ/UFC Undisputed 2009 and HelpingHealthClubs.com) for their support. Nobody is more disappointed than me. I appreciate everything everyone put into this and can only look forward to getting back in the octagon as soon as possible.

Sincerely,
Amir

Dana White's UFC 91 Video Blog (Ep 2)

UFC President Dana White presents his second video blog for UFC 91 weekend.

In this edition, Dana visits THQ, the makers of the new UFC video game, and gives an inside look as some of the graphics involved with the new game. Also catch Dana giving his breakdown of Couture vs. Lesnar in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

Dana White's UFC 91 Video Blog: Episode 1

Kenny Florian Picks Couture to Defeat Lesnar at UFC 91

UFC lightweight contender and MMA Live correspondent Kenny "KenFlo" Florian provided his expert opinion to MMAWeekly Radio breaking down the UFC 91 main event between Randy "The Natural" Couture and Brock Lesnar, and picks Couture to be the victor.

"It's going to come down to Randy's experience vs. Brock's size and power game." said the Bostonian. "First of all, I have to say this, you can never bet against Randy Couture. I think it's a sin and you're probably going to lose a lot of money. Randy's been proving people wrong since day one. I love him for that because I've kind of been in the same boat. You've got to love the underdog.

"Randy is undersized. He's coming back. He's an older guy. But I think his experience is going to win out. I really believe that," further commented Florian. "I think with his wrestling ability, again, as much as Brock has been an All-American wrestler, Randy has wrestled at the international level. He's on Olympic teams. I think that says a lot.

"The guy, since day one, has faced big guys. He's fought in the heavyweight division. He's fought in the light heavyweight division against tremendous competitors. I think that's just a tremendous amount of experience," added the 32-year-old lightweight fighter. "So, for Brock, if he wins, I think that's a huge upset despite the age difference, despite the size. I still think it's a huge upset. I expect Randy to win it out. I think he's got more experience. I think he's got the better all-around skills.

"I don't think he's as powerful as Brock," conceded Florian. "I don't think he's going to hit as hard as Brock, but overall I think he has the better skills. It's going to be a very, very interesting fight. Randy's going to have to use a lot of tools to win, but I think it's going to be his experience that wins out."

A Lover and a Fighter, Mike Swick Ties the Knot

Not just a fighter, Mike Swick tied the knot recently with longtime sweetheart Mary. Mr. and Mrs. Swick were married on Sept. 13 in South Lake Tahoe. Here are a few of the many pics that Mike posted in his blog on Tuesday...

ESPN First Take's UFC 91 Breakdown with Dana White

ESPN First Take sat down with UFC president Dana White to break down UFC 91, where UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture will defend against Brock Lesnar. They talk about the UFC's expectations for 1.2 million pay-per-view buys, Brock Lesnar's moodiness, ESPN's coverage of the UFC, Kimbo Slice, steroids, and more.

UFC 94 Tickets On Sale: GSP vs. Penn Official

Tickets for the mega-fight rematch between UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn go on sale to the general public beginning Sunday, Nov. 16 at 10 a.m. PT. There are presale options to purchase tickets to UFC 94 before they go on sale to the general public.

Starting Thursday, Nov. 13 at 10 a.m. PT, tickets for UFC 94 go on sale to UFC Fight Club members. And on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 10 a.m. PT, tickets go on sale to newsletter subscribers.

UFC 94 is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Jan. 31 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It features the previously mentioned mega-fight between GSP and Penn, a rematch that has been two-and-a-half years in the making. The bout will take place in the 170-pound division for GSP's welterweight title.

If he were to win the belt, B.J. Penn would become the first UFC fighter to hold two UFC championship belts in two weight categories simultaneously.

Dana White's UFC 91 Video Blog (Ep 1)

UFC President Dana White returns for his UFC 91 video blog.

In this edition, Dana visits the Tony Hawk Foundation and talks with Anthony Kiedes from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, WEC fighter Urijah Faber, and rapper 50 Cent, while talking Randy Couture vs Brock Lesnar along the way.

Countdown to UFC 91 Preview

Joe Daddy Gets Belted Before Florian Fight

Heading into an important fight at UFC 91 - a fight that should boost the winner into title contention - Joe "Daddy" Stevenson got a big boost from his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor over the weekend. Robert Drysdale awarded Stevenson his black belt on Saturday.

Both Stevenson and Florian have only one loss since their respective moves into the UFC's lightweight division. Stevenson's only loss was at the hands of current lightweight champion B.J. Penn, while Florian's was to former champ Sean Sherk.

The winner is likely to get a shot at the title once B.J. Penn is done with his mega-fight against Georges St. Pierre on Super Bowl weekend.

Joe Stevenson Picks Couture Over Lesnar

UFC lightweight contender Joe "Daddy" Stevenson takes on Kenny Florian at UFC 91 in a No. 1 contenders match. Stevenson weighed in on the main event between two-time UFC light heavyweight and three-time UFC heavyweight titleholder Randy "The Natural" Couture and WWE superstar turned mixed martial artist Brock Lesnar.

"I'm picking Randy Couture," Stevenson told MMAWeekly Radio. "Taking nothing away from Brock Lesnar, I'm not the guy who says he's a WWE wrestler. I'm a guy that says he's a national champ wrestler in division one college... I think he's going to be a dominating force. But I just don't know if this is his time right now. But you never know until someone makes that great appearance.

"He's (Lesnar) got a lot of attributes. I think he's still a little bit young in the sport" added Stevenson. "And I think Randy has the experience to be able to take this fight whereever it ends up. Even if Randy gets on his back, I think he's changed so much as an athlete that he can either scramble to get up, or look for submission opportunities to make himself stand up, or to even reverse the position.

"I know he's (Couture) comfortable in there. There's not a position there in that fight that Randy's going to feel overwhelmed. Randy's been fighting forever."

FOX News Fight Game Weighs in on Couture vs. Lesnar

The gang at FOX News Fight Game weighs in on Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar at UFC 91. Despite Lesnar's inexperience, the pundits are going back and forth on this one and the guys at FOX are no different as they get pretty intense in their discussion.

Blast from the Past: The IFL's Top 5 Submissions

Pro Elite Auction: Hottest Ticket in Town?

With the advertisement of a ProElite garage sale hitting the wires last week, MMAInsider asked a few interested parties whether they planned to attend the Nov. 17 sale in Los Angeles.

Tom Atencio, VP of Affliction Entertainment, is not so hot on the idea. "It doesn't make sense," he said. "Do they really own the contracts of these fighters? It's my understanding that some of the guys are already out of the contracts. There's a bunch going on, I'm just trying to figure it out myself."

JD Penn, President of Rumble World Entertainment, one of the original companies to join the consortium of promoters, says he will send his lawyer to the Los Angeles meeting.

"I licensed the name," he said. "Other companies sold them. So if they're in breach of anything in Rumble World, then I get Rumble World back. We'll see what's available, what's for sale, if there is anything."

T.Jay Thompson, president of Hawaii's other big MMA promotion, ICON Sport, says he's sitting on the fence. After all, he's getting his ducks in a row to sue ProElite for non-payment of a five-year consulting deal he inked with the company last September.

"Yes (I'm going, but) I'm hearing rumors that ProElite is going to fight the auction," he said. "Would I show up to an auction? I guess, if it happened, but I understand my physical library (of fights) is mine."

Strikeforce executive Mike Afromowitz would not comment.

Terri Trebilcock, president of King of the Cage, was certain the auction would not happen.

UFC matchmaker Joe Silva was unavailable for comment, though UFC president Dana White has expressed interest in Elite properties Jake Shields and Robbie Lawler, so his presence would seem certain.

Brock Lesnar's First MMA Fight

Brock Lesnar made his MMA debut before emerging in the UFC. Check out his fight against Min Soo Kim from K-1.