Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra on May 23rd?

Matt Hughes and Matt Serra don't like each other. The two former UFC welterweight champions have been on a collision course for months and months. This much we all know.

The big question has been, when will they finally get to meet in the Octagon. Well, looks like we're getting pretty close to an answer. At least according to Hughes.

In a blog entry on his site on Friday night, Hughes said that it looks like a date has finally been hammered out to put the two in the cage:

Just got a call from Joe Silva and as of right now it looks like I’ll be fighting Matt Serra in Vegas on May 23rd. This is not 100% confirmed, but I believe it is going to be on this date.

As this obviously isn't a case of signed fight contracts, or anything like that, there's still a lot of time before May for plans to change... but it looks like fans can at least pencil in a target date for the "Battle fo the Matts."

Mark Coleman and Frank Mir Interviews on MMAWeekly Radio

Friday night will be a huge show as MMAWeekly Radio will feature interviews with former UFC heavyweight champion, Mark Coleman, just over a week away from his 205lb debut against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

Coleman will discuss his training for the fight, the feud that exploded between the Hammer House and Chute Boxe after the first fight against Rua, and much, much more.

Also, tonight will feature an interview with 2 time UFC heavyweight champ, Frank Mir, fresh off of his TKO win over Antonio Rodgrigo Nogueira at UFC 92 in December.

The champ will talk about the big win and his strategy going into the fight as well as his next match-up this spring to unite the heavyweight titles against Brock Lesnar.

Tune in tonight at 9pm EST/6pm PST to hear both Frank Mir and Mark Coleman on MMAWeekly Radio!

Infinite MMA Emerging in Colorado

Though you may not have heard of them yet, Infinite Mixed Martial Arts Academy (IMMAA) in Loveland, Colo., is quickly becoming one of the region's premier facilities with an expanding roster of top, young talent.

An affiliate school under Royce Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and Master Toddy Muay Thai, Chief Instructor Adam Martinez looks to develop his students into well-rounded athletes with an emphasis on making sure nobody feels like they're lost in the shuffle.

"We definitely pay attention to all the details and are very personal with every individual that walks in the door, whether you're a professional or just starting out," Martinez told MMAInsider. "We strive to make sure all our students are well prepared and have a strategy for anything they step into.

"We try to magnify the strengths of the individual and we really want to make sure that every moment that you're putting time in, you're making it count. It's goal oriented training, where you're really going to have a direction and have a place that's going to take you there in a positive way."

It's this attention to detail that has helped Infinite not only develop some unknown talent into rising prospects, but has also attracted more well-established fighters such as "Ultimate Fighter 5" cast member Noah Thomas and former Arizona standout Jamie Schmidt to the team; both of whom will be participating in this Saturday's Ring of Fire event in Broomfield, Colo.

"He won't stop coming after you," said Martinez of Schmidt. "He's real slick in his jiu-jitsu, has great stand-up and is a fast learner and a natural athlete that does really well against whatever he's faced up against."

Joining Thomas and Schmidt on the card is one of Infinite's most promising up and coming fighters, JJ Mondragon, who Adam describes as, "A very competitive fighter, very exciting and he goes for the finish."

With some solid established talent leading the way and promising prospects in the pipeline, it may not be long until IMMAA becomes one of the sport's next standout training facilities and teams.

"We definitely work hard at our gym, have fun and we don't hate on anyone else," stated Martinez. "In our gym, if there's one thing we understand it's that martial arts is a big family and we have a lot of respect for everyone out there.

"We enjoy the fact we that we get to do something we love. Whether it's boxing, jiu-jitsu or MMA, it's a joy for us to do what we do."

Inside MMA Episode 302 Preview

Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten look back at the big year-ending MMA cards and also look ahead to a busy January schedule. Helping them out in the studio are guests WEC Welterweights champ Carlos Condit, featherweight Albert Rios, and Affliction's Tom Atencio. As usual, Ron Kruck offers the latest in mixed martial arts news. (Premiers Friday, Jan. 9 on HDNet)

ESPN's MMA Live Episode 35: 2008 Awards

ESPN's MMA Live team talks about the top stories of 2008 along with handing out a series of awards. The team also starts the analysis of UFC 93 in Ireland

Going Smaller, Kampmann Hopes to Get Bigger

Like most combat sports, mixed martial artists are always looking to find any edge that they can going into a fight. One of the most common ways for a fighter to sway a match-up to his favor these days is competing in the lightest weight division you can get your body to go to.

The decision to make a move in weight is sometimes a simple one, but not always, especially when you're already successful competing at a higher weight class... like Martin Kampmann.

The Danish fighter had reeled off four wins in a row in the UFC's 185-pound weight class before dropping a bout to fellow contender Nate Marquardt. But suffering only the second defeat of his 15-bout professional career was enough to cause Kampmann to pull the trigger on the move that he had been contemplating for some time.

"It's funny because he wanted to drop (to 170 pounds) early on," said Kampmann's manager Ken Pavia. " He said, 'Hey listen, I only cut two or three pounds (to make 185 pounds); I probably should go to 70. Let's do it.' And I said, 'I think you have a career here at 85. Why don't we play this out and see where it takes us and then if we encounter a loss, we reassess and we have a whole second career waiting for us at 170.'"

That's exactly what they did, and it worked... for a while.

"He was walking around at 87, 88; he was a very small 85er. But when you beat guys like Drew McFedries, Thales Leites, and you're 4-0 in the UFC, you're one fight away from the strap. Had he beat Marquardt; I think logically he might have gotten a title shot," Pavia continued.

But he didn't beat Marquardt and that was enough of a sign for Kampmann to at least give the crowded 170-pound division a shot.

"He unfortunately took that loss to Nate and we reassessed and he wanted to go to a weight he's more comfortable at."

And that is how Kampmann wound up on the UFC 93 fight card in Dublin, Ireland, prepared to welcome UFC newcomer Alexandre Barros to the Octagon... at 170 pounds.

Jardine Pushed To UFC 97

UFC light heavyweight Keith Jardine will not make an appearance at UFC 96 in Columbus, Ohio after all. Jardine was widely rumored to be in the running for a rematch with former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell, but MMAInsider in late December confirmed that was not the case.

On Wednesday, a source close to Jardine said the Greg Jackson-trained fighter was recently moved back to UFC 97 on Apr. 18 in Montreal, Canada. No opponent has been named for his appearance.

So far, no match-ups have been confirmed for the UFC's second incursion into Canadian territory, but a rumored bout between Anderson Silva and Thales Leites remains a possibility. Canadians David Loiseau and Jonathan Goulet are also expected to be on the card. Goulet is rumored to face Tamdan McRory.

Jardine last took home a split decision victory over Brandon Vera at UFC 89. He is 6-3 in the organization after his stint on the second season of "The Ultimate Fighter."

Affliction's Atencio Has Back-up Plan for Yvel

In a media teleconference for Affliction's "Day of Reckoning" on Wednesday, Affliction Entertainment VP Tom Atencio said he, as well as Josh Barnett, are ready for anything when it comes to Gilbert Yvel's trials with the California State Athletic Commission.

On Tuesday, Yvel was cleared to apply for a California license to fight, though his paperwork needs to be approved before he gets in the ring.

Atencio said he expected Yvel to clear the commission, but had fighters on standby.

"He's been approved to move forward in the licensing process, and that's pretty much where we're at," said the spectacled fight promoter. "Yeah, I have people in line if this doesn’t work out, but as far as Josh is concerned, it’s approved. Once again, like anything else, you never know what’s going to happen, there’s a process to go through. Hopefully, he makes it through all his medicals and if he does, then the fight’s on. I know that Josh is preparing for him, but Josh will fight anybody out there, so it’s not so much a concern for me."

Atencio declined to name any fighters waiting in the wings, but expressed confidence that Barnett would face any of them.

"When we approach that bridge, we'll cross it," said Atencio.

CSAC's Douglas Permits Yvel To Apply For Fight License

Gilbert Yvel, the controversial Dutch fighter scheduled to face Josh Barnett at Affliction's "Day of Reckoning on Jan. 24, has cleared one hurdle to fighting in California.

Bill Douglas, Assistant Executive Officer of the California State Athletic Commission, on Tuesday night informed MMAInsider he had granted Yvel permission to apply for a fighter's license in the Golden State.

Last year, Yvel was denied a license to fight in Nevada after its athletic commission reviewed several inflammatory incidents in his career including knocking a referee out, biting a referee, and eye gouging an opponent.

Douglas stressed the action was only a first step to Yvel fighting on Jan. 24.

"He must meet all of the licensing requirements, as would any other applicant, before he can be considered 'approved,' Douglas wrote. "If he is fully approved, the rest will be up to Gilbert."

Yvel will now be required to submit the necessary paperwork for licensure, including bloodwork, EKG, current neurological exam, opthamological exam, a pre-fight medical questionnaire, and physical.

Should his paperwork be acceptable to Mr. Douglas, Yvel will be on his way. Douglas gave no timetable for when the paperwork was required. However, since California began regulating MMA in March of 2006, the commission has on several occasions balked at last minute submissions. Several fighters, including Joe Riggs, Nick Diaz, and Hong Man Choi, were denied licenses when their paperwork was turned in late or with details deemed to require further investigation.

You can bet if Yvel wants to make his trip worthwhile, he will have the documents hand delivered.

UFC Primetime St-Pierre vs. Penn Preview

VIDEO: BJPenn.com Show 6

Episode 6 (five parts) of the BJPenn.com Show...

BJPenn.com Show 6 - Segment 1



BJPenn.com Show 6 - Segment 2



BJPenn.com Show 6 - Segment 3



BJPenn.com Show 6 - Segment 4



BJPenn.com Show 6 - Segment 5
Find more videos like this on BJPENN.COM

Arlovski 360: On the Road to Reckoning Episode 3 (Arlovski vs Fedor)

MTX Audio Fight Night Jan 9

MTX Audio presents their latest show on January 9th at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas

Here is the finalized fight card:
Bout 1 – 145lbs - JT Wells vs. Timothy Gorman
Bout 2 – 155lbs – Brian Child vs. Scott Catlin
Bout 3 – 155lbs – Estevan Payan vs. Alonzo Martinez
Bout 4 – 170lbs – Daniel Madrid vs. Eric Dahlberg
Bout 5 – 205lbs - Josh Griggs vs. Brett Chism
Bout 6 – 185lbs – Victor Moreno vs. Christopher Camozzi
Bout 7 – 190lbs – Jason Karpel vs. John Cale Yarbrough
Bout 8 – 185lbs – Jesse Forbes vs. JR Schumacher

UFC 93 Franklin vs. Henderson Extensive Video Preview

Japanese Gold Medalist Ishii All But Signed to UFC?

In Saitama, Japan, on Sunday, 2008 Olympic gold medalist judoka Satoshi Ishii took to the Sengoku ring with microphone in hand. It is well known that Ishii is ready to forgo his judo career and head into professional MMA competition. And on Sunday, clad in a UFC t-shirt, it wasn't too surprising that Ishii indicated that he is more than likely going to debut in the Octagon.

In his address to the crowd, Ishii apparently told Japanese fans that he is now a mixed marital artist. Besides donning the UFC shirt, he also told the crowd that he plans to fight in the United States, hoping to bring back a "big souvenir" to the Japanese fans, according to a report on Sherdog.com.

That Ishii is likely headed to the UFC just goes to show the power of the MMA juggernaught. In years past, it would have been very difficult to for the promotion to land a Japanese athlete the caliber of Ishii. There is a tremendous amount of support for combat sports in Japan that makes competing for its national athletes a hard sell.

The UFC has become such a force in the sport though, that it appears they are able to sway some of the most prominent athletes from across globe.

Ishii was a special guest of the UFC at UFC 92 on Dec. 27 in Las Vegas. Following the event, Zuffa issued a statement that Ishii had entered into exclusive negotiations to fight under the UFC banner.