Topps Announces UFC Trading Cards in Time for UFC 100

In a blog post on Friday, Topps announced its next round of UFC trading cards. According to the post, the plan is for the set to be available at the UFC Fan Expo, which takes place the weekend of UFC 100 in July.

According to the post:

The set, called 2009 Topps UFC, will feature many of your favorite UFC fighters past and present in their own card. It will also contain cards highlighting fighters who recently debuted within the UFC Octagon such as Jon Jones, Dan and Jim Miller, Dan Hardy, Ryan Bader, and Efrain Escodero.

In addition to the 165 card base set there will be several insert sets. Our Bloodlines insert with showcase fighters and their diverse heritage. The Greats of the Game insert will feature graphics and stats from the soon to be released video game from THQ, UFC 2009 Undisputed.

Each hobby box will contain 16 packs and guarantee 2 autographed cards and 2 memorabilia cards per box. The suggested retail price will be $4.00 per pack.

We are expanding our line-up of autograph and memorabilia subject to include fighters and personalities that were not in Round 1. For example, unique to this product will be the first autographed cards from all 16 competitors from The Ultimate Fighter: USA vs UK. These cards were produced and signed ON CARD while we were at the UFC Training Facility in January.

Kalib Starnes Continues on Comeback Trail

"TUF" season three alum Kalib Starnes is expected to return to action again this summer, fighting for Canada-based promotion "Ultimate Cage Wars" in July.

A source close to the fight informed MMAInsider of the news on Friday.

The controversial middleweight will face off with Cesar Gracie-trained Bret "The Angry Hick" Bergmark, who carries a record of 5-1 and competed last April, winning a decision victory over Jesse Juarez.

Since his notorious performance against Nate Quarry at UFC 83, the Surrey, British Columbia native has shied away from the spotlight completely.

Following the fight, Starnes was granted a release from his UFC contract. He then said he was fielding multiple offers from different organizations, but needed to heal a broken foot suffered in the fight.

Starnes' return began in November, where he defeated Chris Cisneros by armbar at Destiny MMA in Hawaii.

His professional record stands at 9-3-1.

Video of Congenital Amputee Kyle Mayard Grappling at NAGA

(Courtesy of TheHardCoreGym.net.)

Dana White and Chuck Liddell's Talladega Night

The 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway is the fastest racetrack in the world and the president of the fastest growing sport's biggest promotion, Dana White, and former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight titleholder Chuck Liddell will be attending this weekend's Aaron's 499 at the storied Alabama landmark.

Mixed martial arts and NASCAR both rose from grass roots backgrounds into mainstream sports with effective marketing and a bit of luck. Their histories are extremely similar. It was the now famous The Ultimate Fighter season one finale featuring the epic bout between Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin that launched mixed martial arts into mainstream, and while NASCAR is about racing, it's rise to greatness also began with a fight.

While much of the country was inundated with winter weather and the blizzard of 1978-79, people were glued to their television sets in mid-February of 1979, and what they saw was a final lap wreck in the Daytona 500 when leaders Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison bounced off one another on the backstreatch that led to a fist fight between Yarborough and the Allison brothers, Donnie and Bobby. The interest in NASCAR dramatically increased as a result.

The NASCAR and mixed martial arts demographics are very similar, dominated by the 18-35 male. And while White and Liddell aren't likely to see a fight – although anything is possible – they will witness four-wide racing at speeds close to 200 miles per hour.

It will be White's and Liddell's first time attending a NASCAR event.

G4's X-Play Takes An All Access Look at UFC 2009 Undisputed

Video Game - Game Cheats - X-Play

With the May 19 release of the totally revamped UFC video game, UFC 2009 Undisputed, right around the corner, G4's X-Play spoke with UFC president Dana White and welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre about the game.

UFC 2009 Undisputed Demo Now Available

Want to re-live Shogun Rua's stirring UFC 97 win over Chuck Liddell or turn the tables and lead "The Iceman" to victory? Now's your chance, as the long-awaited demo of UFC 2009 Undisputed is now available for immediate download on XBox Live and coming later on Thursday to the Playstation store. This is your first chance to check out the amazing graphics and gameplay and get your Octagon skills ready for the game's release in May.

Also, visit UFCundisputed.com for all-new videos, including a Clinch tutorial, and new fighter pages featuring Cain Velasquez, Roger Huerta, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Jason MacDonald, Thales Leites, and Mike Swick.

MMA Live Recaps UFC 97 and Discusses Chuck Liddell's Pending Retirement

Finally! Shinya Aoki and Fedor Grapple

For you mat enthusiasts who wondered, late at night, how the best heavyweight in the world and the man with the most colorful pants in the world would match-up, your day is coming soon.

In a Thursday press release, M-1 announced that company man Fedor Emelianenko and Japanese star Shinya Aoki would get it on in a grappling-only match at the next M-1 Challenge event on April 29 in Tokyo.

The match will be five minutes in duration--just enough time for Aoki to feel the 60- plus pound weight disadvantage--but rules have not yet been sketched out.

In M-1 team action, it's Japan vs. England, Team USA West vs. South Korea, and Spain vs. France.

If Aoki submits Emelianenko in Tokyo....the world may spin off its axis.

GSP and Dana White on G4TV on Thursday

"X-Play" and G4TV.com talks with UFC president Dana White and UFC Welterweight Champion George St. Pierre about the new MMA video game, UFC 2009 UNDISPUTED. "X-Play" will also have new game footage from the title.

Plus tune in to find out what it takes to get a job creating games, as "X-Play" profiles the audio designer behind UFC 2009 UNDISPUTED’s awesome sound. Catch all this and much more on "X-PLAY," Thursday, April 23 at 6:30PM ET/PT with a repeat at 8:00PM ET/PT.

For more information, please log on to G4TV.com/xplay

Truesport MMA To Launch in May at Hard Rock in Vegas

PRESS RELEASE:

Truesport MMA (www.truesportmma.com), a new Las Vegas-based mixed martial arts fight organization, will make its Las Vegas debut at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 16, with a 13-fight amateur card in the Muse Ballroom at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Tickets, $15 for general admission, $25 and $45 for ringside, are on sale now at the Hard Rock box office, all Ticketmaster locations, at ticketmaster.com, or by calling 702-474-4000. The event is sanctioned by ISKA.

The Co-Main Event fights will be two155-lbs. matches between Las Vegans Sam Martin (Team Randleman) and Jimmy Spicuzza (Mica/Fasi Sports), and Cody Ziemer of Boise, Idaho (Team Pulver) and Kimo Yadao (Xtreme Couture) of Las Vegas. The final Co-Main event will be a 185-lbs. battle between Las Vegans Javier Torres (Team Mica) and Kenny Weaselhead (Progressive Fighting Academy). Other notable fighters on the card will include Las Vegans Kalino Yap and Patrick Garrett from the Presenting Sponsor and new Tapout Research & Development Training Center in Las Vegas, Justin Linn (Tapout Training Center) and Shawn Rodriquez (Las Vegas Elite Center).

Fighters from all the major camps in the Las Vegas region, including Warrior Gym, Fasi Sports, Team Wand, Tapout Training Center, Hardknocks, Excel, Team Randleman, Team Pulver, Xtreme Couture, Las Vegas Elite, One Kick and AZ Combat Sports, will compete in this inaugural Truesport MMA event.

The card is subject to change. For more information about the card and the fighters, logon to www.Truesportmma.com.

Complete Fight Card: 125 lbs.: Anthony Castrejomg (One Kick) vs. tba
145 lbs.: Jaimeson Borges (Warrior Gym) vs. Todd Akers (Fasi Sports)
145 lbs.: Chris Lazaro (Hardknocks) vs. Alexander Anagnostis (365 Graveyard)
145 lbs.: Johnny Parsons (Fasi Sports) vs. Jimmy Jones (Xtreme Couture)
170 lbs.: Kalino Yap (Tapout Training Center) vs. tba
205 lbs.: Patrick Garrett (Tapout Training Center) vs. Chris Callaway (Fasi Sports)
HW lbs.: Branden Carr vs. Chucky Williams (365 Graveyard)

Main Card: 155 lbs.: Sam Martin (Team Randleman) vs. Jimmy Spicuzza (Mica/Fasi Sports)
155 lbs.: Cody Ziemer (Team Pulver) vs. Kimo Yadao (Extreme Couture)
185 lbs.: Javier Torres (Team Mica) vs. Kenny Weaselhead (Progressive Fighting Academy)

Swing Bouts: 135 lbs.: Harris Cohen (One Kick) vs. Cory Jeffers (Xtreme Couture)
135 lbs.: Casey Johnson (Team Pulver) vs. Elijah Muhammad (AZ Combat Sports)
170 lbs.: Kenny Marzola (Knockout/Xtreme Couture) vs. Jr. Perez (Warriors Gym)
155 lbs.: Shawn Rodriquez (Las Vegas Elite) vs. Justin Linn (Tapout Training Center)

Standbys: AJ Williams (365 Graveyard)
Josh Peasley (Xtreme Couture)
Howard Schmitz (Excel)
Jarod Milko (Progressive Fighting Academy)
Kris Silva (Fasi Sports)

Evans and Jackson Altercation At UFC Photo Shoot

While UFC light heavyweight champ Rashad Evans might be focused on challenger Lyoto Machida, by no means has he forgotten about Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

He says the two nearly came to blows at a recent UFC photo shoot.

Some intrepid UFC staffers booked them on the same day, and things got ugly for a spell.

"I looked at him and he walked out of the room," Evans told MMAInsider. "He was like, 'that's messed up putting us together.' They tried to separate us, and the UFC walked him out in the hallway and walked me out in the hallway. And they walked me into the same hallway he was at.

"I looked at him and I was like, what, man? He was like, 'Rashad don't talk to me, man! Don't talk to me! Don't say nothin' to me! You don't know me! You don't know me!' The (expletive) I need to know you for?"

Eventually, cooler heads prevailed, and the photo shoot went on. But Evans filed it in the motivation bank for later.

Following UFC 96, the two went nose-to-nose for forty heated seconds to hype a future showdown.

Later, Jackson bowed out of a quick turnaround meeting with the champ at UFC 98, citing jaw surgery that would make him unavailable.

Many fans wrote the encounter and its aftermath off as hype, part of the business of promoting. Evans maintains it was all real.

"(My camp) was laughing about it, but I was pissed," he said. "I felt mad because I felt like he disrespected Keith a little bit. Keith tried his ass off and he had a good fight, and Rampage didn't look all that good to be acting like he killed him or something. I just didn't like that. Whenever you invest in any of your partners, and when it doesn't turn around the way you want it to turn out, it kind of hurts your feelings a little bit. And that's what happened."

Before 96, he says he got along fine with the former champ, which takes him away from all-out hatred. He's happy to face challenger Lyoto Machida on May 23rd, but looks forward to the day he can squash the recent animosity with Rampage.

"I don't dislike him, but I really want to whup his ass, you know what I'm saying?" Evans said. "I don't know where that falls. I like Quinton. He's a funny guy, and a great person, but I really want to beat his ass. Is that too much of a hypocrisy?"

Randy Couture Begins Work On "The Expendables"

On Tuesday, UFC hall of famer and former heavyweight champ Randy Couture had his first day on the set of "The Expendables," the Sylvester Stallone-helmed action movie due out next April.

Couture plays a mercenary along with Stallone, Jet Li, Jason Statham, and Dolph Lundgren.

Couture's work is expected to last into early June, after which he will begin preparations to meet Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 102 in August.

On a side note, Stallone has now given roles to Nogueira brothers Rodrigo and Rogerio in addition to some of their academy teammates. MMAInsider's source tells us they're playing "bad guys."

Sherdog.com's new blog reported Stallone palling around with the fighters on set last week.

Efrain Escudero Announces Cole Miller Fight in Q&A With Fans

From EfrainEscudero.com where Efrain talks to fans and announces his next fight at UFC 103 against American Top Team fighter, Cole Miller.

Escudero told MMAMadness.com earlier in April, "I took some time off, got well rested, healed up pretty good, and now I'm back in the gym and I'm ready to get back in there."

On this video chat from his website, he confirmed Miller as his opponent at the unannounced UFC event.

Chimaira Spreading The Infection from Metal to MMA

If heavy metal band Chimaira were a mixed martial artist, which one would they be? Probably Wanderlei Silva.

Like the Axe Murderer, Chimaira's off-stage demeanor is pretty laid back, but once they get into their music, it's like a Wanderlei Silva knee to the grill.

"The happier we get, the meaner and angrier our music sounds," says Chimaira lead singer Mark Hunter, a life-long martial artist and avid MMA fan. "So that's a good thing. So you want to keep us happy."

It's no surprise then that Hunter's favorite fighter is, in fact, Wanderlei Silva. "He's one of my favorite fighters of all time. When I watch him, I try to emulate him quite a bit. He's got the staredown to end all staredowns."

Other favorites include UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and fellow Midwesterner Clay Guida. "I like Clay Guida a lot because his entrances, that's the main event," says Hunter, who's band hails from Cleveland. "His last match, he was one of the first guys to come out and his entrance was just so triumphant, he was just so pumped up, I was like, 'I don't need to watch the rest of the fight.'

"I also love the Rampage saga of (Wanderlei) and Rampage fighting, those are some of the best fights ever."

Being a martial artist himself, Hunter's interest in MMA is a little deeper than just his love of watching the fights. Currently in the midst of a two-month tour in support of their new album The Infection -- which hits stores on Tuesday, April 21 -- he tries to find as much time as possible to continue training in everything from Tae Kwon Do to Muay Thai to Jiu-Jitsu and other martial arts.

"We're getting to a position now with our band that we have some time off -- more so than we used to. So I'm like, I can train again," Hunter told MMAWeekly.com's MMA Insider."

He often trains with one of his guitar techs while on the road, and Chimaira's drummer, Andols Herrick, who has also taken up an interest.

Not only has his interest in training in MMA been one of personal satisfaction -- "it really helps me as a person and it helps me with confidence on stage" -- but it has also spilled into the business side of things just a bit. Hunter can often be seen on stage sporting 5280 Fighter or Manto gear due to some loose partnerships with the fight gear companies.

Chimaira was also one of the bands featured on the UFC's 2004 release Ultimate Beatdowns, a compilation CD featuring the band's song "Indifferent to Suffering."

As mentioned, Chimaira is currently in the midst of a two-month tour in the U.S. with headliners Disturbed, and other supporting acts Killswitch Engage and Lacuna Coil. You can listen to cuts from their new album The Infection, out on Ferrett Records, on the band's myspace page, as well as cuts from their other albums.

Chimaira's music is a brutal, in your face attack on the senses, not for the faint of heart.

As Hunter says, it's "M-E-T-A-L... that's it!"

Chimaira is extremely active in social networking on the web, reaching out to their fans. You can check them out at:

Official Website: www.Chimaira.com

Official MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/chimaira

On YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/chimairatube

Dana White Adresses Video Blogs, E:60, Controversy, and More...

(Courtesy of Steve Cofield of ESPN 1100 and Cagewriter.com)

GSP Announces Fan Logo Design Contest

Georges St. Pierre is rapidly becoming an international icon - not only is he one of the strongest, toughest, and most energizing athletes to grace the MMA Octagon, he is also a class act outside of it. Now, Georges wants to take his brand to the next level that his athletic performance has taken him.

To accomplish this task, he's engaging those that who will help him achieve that goal - his fans.

"Georges has some of the greatest fans in the sport," said Shari Spencer, manager for GSP. "This contest represents his desire to give something back to his fans - to allow them to participate in his efforts to represent this sport on a whole new level."

The winning logo design will be incorporated into Georges' new website, be displayed on his shorts and banner within the Octagon during his fights, and be incorporated into a new line of merchandise to be debuted in conjunction with UFC 100 on July 11th.

Here is your chance to show GSP your skills and help him develop a logo that represents GSP in your eyes. Take some time to draw, paint, or even sketch your ideas - then go to GSPFightClub.com and send him your ideas. GSP will narrow the choices down to ten finalists.

Then, just as GSP draws upon his fans' support to win his fights, he'll turn to his fans to help him pick the winning logo design. Your design might just be chosen as the lucky winner that he'll wear during his upcoming fight at UFC 100. But you better hurry - this contest is only open for a short time.

For full contest details check out GSPFightClub.com

GSP Addresses Potential Fight With Silva

Though middleweight champion Anderson Silva's stock has taken a big hit, it's hard to argue that a superfight with Georges St. Pierre wouldn't be big business.

UFC president Dana White thought December might be a good time to do it, in Toronto no less, if the welterweight champ got past Thiago Alves in July.

In a recent appearance for UFC Fight Club fans prior to UFC 97, St. Pierre weighed the idea of a fight with "The Spider."

"It would be interesting, but it depends on the outcome of my fight and his fight," he said. "We'll see."

One fan broached the idea of making the two coaches of opposing teams on "The Ultimate Fighter," leading to the super fight.

"I would have to sit down and see what the opportunity is," he continued. "How long I have for the fight. Because if I fight at 185, if I do it, I want to do it well. I want to put some extra muscle on me, some extra weight. I would have to go on a I would have to go on a diet for a couple extra weeks, and it would take me some extra time, but I'm always excited for a new challenge."

Dana White's UFC 97 Video Blog - Arpil 18 (Parts 1 & 2)

Dana White Embarrassed by UFC 97 Main Event

(Courtesy of Steve Cofield of ESPN 1100 and Cagewriter.com)