The UFC had made the unexpected decision to bring back old-timer Dennis Hallman after a four-year absence from the organization. Now the UFC has re-signed another hardy veteran, adding a fight between 38-year-old Vladimir Matyushenko and Igor Pokrajac to UFC 103.

A one-time UFC light heavyweight title contender, Matyushenko went 3-2 in the UFC from 2001 to 2003, scoring wins over Yuki Kondo, Travis Wiuff and Pedro Rizzo. Since then, "The Janitor" has gone 9-1, became the IFL Light Heavyweight Champion, and most recently won a decision over Jason Lambert at Call to Arms I in May.

It was also reported that 35-year-old PRIDE and UFC veteran Marcus Aurelio will be returning later this month at UFC 102. Between Matyushenko, Aurelio, Hallman, Ortiz, and the possibility that Chuck Liddell isn't quite retired, it's clear what's going on here: The Ultimate Fighter 11: Last Call. The coaches will be Liddell and Ortiz, the minimum age will be 33, and the winner will receive $100,000 in prescription medication.

Of course, such acquisitions come with a price. UFC middleweight Thales Leites was released from his contract yesterday, following his dull split-decision loss against Alessio Sakara at UFC 101. And to think, he was the number 1 middleweight contender two fights ago; serves him right for trying to use that boring jiu-jitsu stuff. Leites joins Tamdan McCrory, Dan Cramer, and likely George Roop and Danillo Villefort in the sad gentleman's club of UFC fighters who have recently lost their jobs, meaning that every single bout on UFC 101's undercard turned out to be a "win or go home" match.

Four months after his most recent fight, a loss to Shogun Rua at UFC 97, Chuck Liddell is relaxing and enjoying life. But he's not ready to say he's retired.

In an interview Wednesday with FanHouse, Liddell said that he doesn't know if he'll fight again, and he doesn't know when he'll be ready to retire. Liddell wants to determine the future of his career on his own schedule, and he's only going to decide for sure after he gets back in the gym and tests himself again.

Liddell also talked about connecting with the fans, dealing with a Twitter imposter, and his acting career. The full interview is below.

Michael David Smith: Let's start with the question everyone is asking: Will we see you fight again?
Chuck Liddell: I don't know. I don't know what my final decision will be. It's hard for an athlete to quit what he's done his whole life. So I don't know. I'm going to make the right decision for me, and that decision could come in a couple months. But we'll see.

Dana White has made it very clear that he doesn't want you to fight. Do you wish he'd keep that opinion to himself and let you make your own decision?
He's an opinionated guy. That's how he is. He says what's on his mind, and that's why I like him: You always know what he's thinking. So that doesn't bother me.

What kind of time frame are you working on? If you decide to fight again when will that be, or if you decide to call it quits when would you officially retire?
I've always said I'm going to make that decision in the gym, not in the ring. After some time off I'll get back in the gym, throw some punches and take some punches and see how I feel again, and after that I'll make my decision.

You've lost four of your last five. If you do fight again, what do you think you need to work on to start winning again?
Well, some things work and some things don't, and for me, the way I was fighting, I was getting hit too much and taking too much damage. Things were hurting me that didn't used to hurt me. So I think I need to work on my timing and my head movement.

What do you think of Tito Ortiz returning to the UFC?
It is what it is. He's coming back and doing what he wants to do.

You've already beaten him twice. Would you like to beat him a third time?
Well, I always enjoy beating him up, but I don't see that unless he has a few wins. He'd need to have a win or two for that to make sense.

Dana has said he'd like you to be sort of an ambassador for the sport. Is connecting with fans the kind of thing you want to do more of?
Yes, for sure. I love the fans and I love the sport, so anything I can help out with in any way, I'm going to. I'm also doing this Sports Legends Challenge, where there are 25 of us sports legends going to the Bahamas and playing some poker with a bunch of fans.

Another question about connecting with fans: Are you on Twitter?
No, I'm not.

Are you aware that there's a fake Chuck Liddell on Twitter with more than 11,000 followers?
Yeah, I know, and it's ridiculous. People have called me and asked me about my Twitter, and it's not me. I think I'm going to need to take it over or get it taken down or whatever and have an official one so people know if they see something with my name on it, it's coming from me. That's why I got on MySpace, too. There was some guy on there telling people he was me, people were sending e-mails to him and he was replying like he was me, he was telling people I was going to meet them somewhere, he was telling girls to send him pictures.

You mentioned wanting to connect with the fans. Do you see the value of Twitter in doing that?
Yeah, I don't do a lot of that -- I don't like the online chats or post on message boards -- but if I get on Twitter I'll tell fans what I'm doing.

What's up with your acting career?
I've got some things coming up. I have some meetings next week talking to people about some roles. It's something I enjoy.

Everyone knows you were in Entourage and you've done some other stuff, but you were a child actor long before you were a fighter, right?
Yeah, I was in The Postman Always Rings Twice with Jack Nicholson. That was fun. I think I made like $33 or something. I got to miss a whole day of school, and when you're a little kid, that's cool.

What did you think of UFC 101?
I thought it was a good show. B.J. Penn and Anderson Silva winning was what I thought would happen, but it was a good show.

What do you make of Anderson Silva? Could he move up and win the light heavyweight belt that you owned for a couple years?
Anderson Silva is a tough guy, man. He's dangerous. He's got heavy hands and he's not afraid to throw them. He's a dangerous opponent for anyone.

Are you still watching a lot of MMA even though you're taking some time off from fighting yourself?
Absolutely, I watch all the fights I can.

Are you going to do more training of younger fighters?
I'll decide that when I make a final decision about whether I'm fighting again. Lately I've been doing other things and haven't had much time to train guys, but that's something I want to do. I like working with younger fighters.

What do you like about coaching?
I like the personal interaction. I like working on the finer points, improving the little things that can make a big difference that the younger fighters don't always know about.

When you look at where the UFC is now compared to where it was when you first started fighting, how much more popular it is and how the sport has grown, do you take a lot of personal pride in that? You were one of the best and most popular fighters and you had a lot to do with its growth.
I don't know if I'm the one who gets credit, but I'm proud of where the sport is, and I think it's still going to get bigger. It's a great sport and it's going to get a lot bigger than what it is. Mixed martial arts is great, and it's here to stay.

Source: MMA.FanHouse.com

Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin's "Got Fight?" book debuted this week at number eight on the New York Times' Hardcover Advice Best Seller List.

"Got Fight?" was published June 2 but the latest New York Times list for the June 28 print edition ranks sales for the week ending June 13.

Written with Erich Krauss, Griffin disperses the "50 Zen principles of hand-to-face combat", including how to defend yourself against a dog and a sword attack.

Griffin joins Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes, Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture as former UFC champions who have penned a New York Times Best Seller. Unlike the other books though, don't expect to learn too much about Griffin's fight career. "Got Fight?" reads more like a humor book than an autobiography.

Next up for the season one winner of The Ultimate Fighter is a light heavyweight scrap with middleweight champion Anderson Silva at UFC 101: Declaration on August 8 in Philadelphia.

Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture knows what Chuck Liddell is currently going through. He knows what it feels like to have the UFC push him into retirement. The only difference is that Couture was never as close to UFC President Dana White as Liddell is and that really is the problem according to Couture.

"It's like, 'you're not going to fight for the UFC again, because we don't want to see you do this anymore.' That sucks." Couture said.

The talk is about Liddell's age and declining ability but Couture attributes Liddell's recent losses to something else. "He's got that kind of style anyway, that's the fighter he's always been. We're just used to seeing him on the other side of it – landing the shot instead of taking the shot."

Couture does hope that its ultimately Liddell's decision at the end but that people he's spoken to who are close to the Liddell situation told him, "I know he's struggling with the decision, he's being pressured, and he's not sure that's what he wants to do."

UFC President Dana White (picture) recently reiterated that Chuck Liddell is done as a fighter following Liddell's first round knockout loss to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 97: Redemption this past Saturday. In an interview with InsideFighting.com, White noted that while Liddell may be done as a fighter in the UFC, he will still have a role in the organization.

"Chuck Liddell is stupid rich," White said. "Chuck Liddell is done. He's got nothing left to prove. He's the most famous guy on earth. I love him like a fucking brother and I don't want to see him get hurt. There is no reason for it. He's fucking forty years old man. These guys that are fighting now are young, explosive, fast fucking kids who are well rounded mixed martial artists. There's no fucking reason for Chuck Liddell to be out there at forty years old still fighting. I don't want to make a fucking nickel off that ever. Believe me, it will be a fucking war if he tries not to retire, believe me. I love him. He helped me build this business. We started when he was making five hundred and five hundred. And we had the dream of him becoming a big star and winning the title and making all kinds of money."

"We did it all man," White continued. "We fucking did it all. We did it. We did it. It's fucking over. He's forty years old, it is over. It was amazing that he was able to fight until he was forty. That's what a bad motherfucker he was. He has nothing to prove to anybody, period. It's over. We did everything that we set out to do. It has been an amazing run, it's been fun. We did it together, we stayed loyal to each other the whole time and we did everything that we hoped to do and now its over. He can do it financially. And plus, I'm going to bring him into the organization in some other way and he's still going to make money. He's been loyal to me and I've been loyal to him and that's not going to change now that he's retiring. He'll always be a part of the organization. He'll take on another role, he'll still make money and he'll be with me until the day we die."

The playable demo for "UFC 2009 Undisputed" is now available for download for free through the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and PlayStation Network.

Chuck Liddell and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua are the playable characters in the demo, which features a limited version of the tutorial mode.

"Fans around the world have been clamoring for a great UFC video game for quite some time," said UFC President Dana White. "We are pleased to offer a free sample of UFC 2009 Undisputed featuring two great athletes and competitors, Chuck Liddell and 'Shogun' Rua, prior to launch."

The same demo was available earlier this week, but was only for gamers with special pre-order codes.

"UFC 2009 Undisputed" is scheduled to hit stores May 19 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

UFC 97: Redemption comes to us live from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Below are the official results for the event:

• Anderson "The Spider" Silva def. Thales Leite by unanimous decision

• Mauricio "Shogun" Rua def. Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell by TKO (strikes) at 4:28 of Round 1

• Krzysztof "The Polish Experiment" Soszynski def. "All American" Brian Stann by submission (arm lock) at 3:53 of Round 1

• Cheick Kongo def. Antoni Hardonk by TKO (strikes) at 2:29 of Round 2

• Luis "Banha" Cane def. Steve Cantwell by unanimous decision

• Eliot Marshall def. Vinicius Magalhaes by unanimous decision

• Denis Kang def. Xavier Foupa-Pokam by unanimous decision

• Nate "Rock" Quarry def. Jason "The Athlete" MacDonald by TKO (strikes) at 2:27 of Round 1

• Ed Herman def. David Loiseau by unanimous decision

• Mark Bocek def. David Bielkheden by submission (rear naked choke) at 4:57 of Round 1

• TJ Grant def. Ryo Chonan by unanimous decision

• Sam "Hands of Stone" Stout def. Matt Wiman by unanimous decision

UFC President Dana White said that Chuck Liddell (picture) could be stepping foot inside the Octagon for the last time at UFC 97.

"Yeah, if he loses, he will retire," White stated Thursday on TSN's "Off The Record" in Canada.

That's only White's position though, as Liddell has already said he plans to keep fighting.

White believes the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion has already cemented his legacy and has nothing left to prove.

"He's one of my best friends, I love him as a person," said White. "He's accomplished everything there is to accomplish. What else is there for him? The most famous mixed martial artist in the world. Made more money than God, has a ton of money, and was a world champion."

White says Liddell will always be with the UFC but refuses having to witness "The Iceman" revisiting anything resembling the knockout loss to Rashad Evans at UFC 88 last September.

"The bottom line is (that) I don't want to see him get hurt," White said.

Keith Jardine knows he wasn't the first choice to fight Quinton Jackson at UFC 96. Even if he upsets the resurgent fighter known as Rampage, Jardine doesn't want any part of the UFC's probable choice for his next bout, either.

Yet don't expect to see any reluctance or disenchantment reflected in Jardine's fighting tonight in Columbus, Ohio, where two top light heavyweights will meet in front of a sellout crowd.

Thousands of high school wrestlers and professional bodybuilders in town for a convention will see a card brimming with competitive bouts, even if the main event has a wealth of fascinating subplots outside the ring.

Jardine (14-5-1) is the final obstacle before Jackson's presumed path to another title shot, even if Jardine thinks he's "probably the third person asked to the prom on this one."

"I got a call, and I couldn't turn it down," said Jardine, the resilient 33-year-old who has beaten Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin but still has lost three of his last seven fights.

"I was excited, but they just think they're going to get a good fight from me. I like to strike, I've never been in a boring fight, and they're just throwing me out there and they expect me to put on a good show, but they don't expect me to win."

If Jackson (29-7) wins, UFC president Dana White said he will get a title shot against Rashad Evans, who won the light heavyweight crown last year by defeating Griffin, the man who took it from Jackson last summer.

Think that's complicated? If Jardine pulls the upset, he probably would have a chance for his first title shot, only he doesn't want it if it's against Evans, his longtime friend and training partner.

"Me and Rashad, we've always talked about that, and there's no way that we're going to fight afterward," Jardine said. "That's why people love this sport, because we're not businessmen. We're not like NFL players. They're trying to stay healthy and get a paycheck. We fight with all of our heart and our soul, and how are you going to go out there and give the audience what they deserve when you're fighting one of your best friends? That is just not going to happen."

Nonsense, White said. The UFC president has heard such protestations before from fighters who train in the same dojo or gym, and he doesn't think a friendship can stand in the way of the money and pride that come with a UFC title.

"I promise you they will fight each other if they keep winning," White said. "This isn't basketball. This isn't the NBA. There's no teams in this sport. These are fighters. What if Rashad holds the belt for the next three years? Is Keith just never going to take a shot at the title for the rest of his life? I don't think they're that good of friends. It's just a little game they're playing with themselves."

None of that will matter if Jardine can't upset Jackson. Although Rampage is a solid favorite, Jardine's unorthodox stand-up style and strong leg kicks present challenges that have troubled the former champion in the past.

"I'm really happy if people think I have a kick-defense problem," Jackson said. "I've been working on everything."

Jackson's roller-coaster career seems headed to another peak after his demolition of Wanderlei Silva in December, less than six months after his loss to Griffin was followed by his arrest after leading police on a chase in Costa Mesa, Calif. Jackson changed his life after the incident, embarking on the most serious training of his career in England, and has stuck to the regimen since beating Silva.

The UFC probably would have loved to match Jackson with Evans in Columbus, but Evans needed more time off after beating Griffin. Jackson wants to keep his momentum going -- and he freely admits he needs the money -- so he signed up to take on Jardine in what he hopes will be a bridge to a summer title shot.

"After my performance with Forrest, I've been so ashamed of myself," Jackson said. "Every fight, I'm motivated to go out there and look good and win, because I know what type of fighter I am. I was really disappointed in myself for letting it (get) to that point where I'm not motivated, and I get it in my head that all of these guys are easy.

"There's no more easy fights. I'm motivated to train hard every time."

Source: ReviewJournal.com

A day after news the Quebec Athletic Commission and the UFC came into agreement for the UFC 97: Redemption to remain in Montreal, the remaining bouts for the April 18 pay-per-view card have been officially confirmed.

UFC 97 is headlined by a middleweight title bout between current champion Anderson Silva and number one contender Thales Leite. The co-main event features a match-up between Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell.

It's interesting to note that popular Canadian fighters Jason MacDonald and David Loiseau were left off of the main card leaving Krzysztof Soszynski the sole Canadian representative on the cards main lineup.

Soszynski will fight former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Brian Stann. The main card also features a critical heavyweight tilt between top contender Cheick Kongo and fast rising heavyweight prospect Antoni Hardonk.

Luis Cane versus Steve Cantwell rounds out the main card in a highly anticipated light heavyweight match up.

Below is the official UFC 97 Fight Card:

Main Card:

• Anderson Silva vs. Thales Leite

• Chuck Liddell vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

• Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Brian Stann

• Cheick Kongo vs. Antoni Hardonk

• Steve Cantwell vs. Luis Cane

Preliminary Card:

• Denis Kang vs. Xavier Foupa-Pokam

• Jason MacDonald vs. Nate Quarry

• David Loiseau vs. Ed Herman

• Mark Bocek vs. David Bielkheden

• Ryo Chonan vs. TJ Grant

• Sam Stout vs. Matt Wiman

The meeting between the UFC and Quebec Athletic Commission on Tuesday was a success. UFC 97: Redemption will remain on April 11 in Montreal. According to Corus Sports, the Quebec Athletic Commission will permit elbows and knee strikes at UFC 97. Also, the UFC will not have to produce a smaller cage for the night's fights. If the commission did not follow the unified rules, the UFC had plans to move the show to Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC 97 is headlined by Anderson Silva versus Thales Leite and Chuck Liddell against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

UFC President Dana White will meet with the Quebec Athletic Commission next week in hopes of saving UFC 97: Redemption.

According to Corus Sports, White will present his case to the Quebec Athletic Commission on why they should stick to the Unified Rules of mixed martial arts for UFC 97.

The Quebec Athletic Commission are looking to do away with elbow strikes, and possibly reduce the size of the Octagon.

UFC 97, co-headlined by Anderson Silva versus Thales Leites and Chuck Liddell against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, is currently scheduled for the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec on April 18. Tickets already went on sale Wednesday. But, a recent announcement that the province may change its rules regarding MMA regulation, UFC 97 could be in jeopardy.

The concern is real and UFC 97 may have to be re-scheduled or completely moved, which would obviously upset many Canadian fans. That is why White is heading up to Canada to attend meetings in Montreal to see if he can save UFC 97.

The first time Greg Jackson held pads for Rashad Evans at his Albuquerque, N.M., mixed martial arts mecca, he knew he was dealing with a special athlete. He saw speed, power and, most importantly, a desire to learn and a willingness to be shaped and molded. The cerebral superstar trainer was a potter with prime clay in his hands.

So it came as little surprise to Jackson when Evans -- Sherdog’s Fighter of the Year for 2008 -- smote Chuck Liddell with one punch and then captured the light heavyweight championship three months later when he stopped Forrest Griffin on a third-round technical knockout at UFC 92.

“We knew what he was capable of,” Jackson said. “He’s actually capable of more than what he’s shown. People have to remember he’s had only 14 fights. He’s still really young in this sport, and he’s only going to get better. The Rashad Evans you see a year from now is going to be a lot better than the one you see now.”

Considering the manner in which 2007 ended for Evans, it was hard to imagine such a rapid ascent for the former Michigan State University wrestler. He needed a point deduction against Tito Ortiz to earn a draw with the former light heavyweight titleholder at UFC 73 and then battled British standout Michael Bisping to a split decision in a lethargic effort at UFC 78. Still, opportunity abounded.

A fight with future hall of famer Chuck Liddell was announced for June, but “The Iceman” was forced to withdraw from the match with a torn hamstring, leaving Evans without a dance partner for the first nine months of 2008.

“The first half [of the year] was [as] frustrating as I don’t know what,” Evans said. “Coming off the Bisping fight … it wasn’t a fight I looked great in. I just wanted to get that monkey off my back, because you’re only as good as your last fight.”

Once Liddell withdrew, Evans was left to sit back and wait.

“I kind of got depressed,” he said. “I felt like I was in the best shape of my life at that point. Every time you’re out of the ring for so long, you feel like a rookie when you first step back in there. You’re getting the same nerves.”

Patience paid, however, and Evans was awarded a bout with Liddell at UFC 88 on Sept. 6 in Atlanta. Questions about his legitimacy were framed by the infamous heat and humidity of the Deep South, and Evans entered the match as a heavy underdog against the man who had ruled the 205-pound division with his iron fists. Nineteen days before his 29th birthday, Evans climbed into the cage against Liddell and spent the first round knocking off the rust from a 10-month layoff.

“Once you get in there and you get your rhythm down,” he said, “it’s really nothing.”

A scant 1:51 into round two, Evans made Liddell pay for a lazy uppercut and knocked him unconscious with a blistering right hand that left thousands of drunken mouths ajar at Philips Arena. The sudden victory -- and the image of a fallen Liddell struggling to regain his senses -- sent ripples through the MMA community. Suddenly, Evans’ name was on every reputable top 10 list. What’s more, it earned him a title shot against Forrest Griffin at the UFC’s year-end show in Las Vegas.

“He’s a really hard worker who’s super intelligent and has extreme talent,” Jackson said. “He’s smart about the way he lives his life and how he approaches it. When you have someone with those traits, it’s only a matter of time before you start having this kind of success.”

For two rounds, Griffin took small bites out of Evans in the UFC 92 main event, as he kept him at bay with his long reach and off balance with a variety of strikes. Even so, Evans never lost hope, and when the fight hit the ground in round three, he waited for an opportune time to uncork his fists. He struck Griffin with a vicious right hand from inside the champion’s guard and followed up with seismic blows that left him defenseless. UFC President Dana White wrapped the belt around Evans’ waist soon after, and his climb to the mountaintop was complete.

“Not that it was easy, but it was surprising how it just ended and how frustrated I was feeling the round before,” Evans said. “What I wanted to do when I came into the UFC was just go out there and be the fighter I thought I could be. I didn’t know if that was going to make me a champion, but I wanted to go out there and fight to my fullest. I didn’t know if I could be a champion or not.”

Now he knows, along with the rest of the MMA world. Still, it took some time for his latest conquest to sink in.

“I had a migraine [after the fight],” Evans said. “I was quite overwhelmed because of all the attention. I didn’t drink any alcohol. I just kind of sat back, like, wow, this really happened? [I was] kind of in disbelief.”

Qualified suitors from what many view as the UFC’s deepest division have already lined up. The short list includes former champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, the unbeaten and elusive Lyoto Machida and Griffin. Jackson’s Submission Fighting teammate Keith Jardine might also join the fray soon. For Evans, staying on top presents an entirely new challenge.

“He’s got to get back in the gym and push forward,” Greg Jackson said. “He has to find better and smarter ways to do things. If you just sit back, the game’s going to pass you by.”

Evans (13-0-1) expects to fight again sometime in the late spring or early summer. “Rampage,” though he has indicated he prefers a rematch with Griffin before challenging for the title, seems like the most logical choice. One of the UFC’s most charismatic competitors, the 30-year-old knocked out longtime nemesis Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92 and has posted seven wins in eight fights.

“I really don’t have any preference on who I fight,” Evans said. “At this point, being the champion, you have to be willing to fight all comers now. I’m ready to go whenever, because now the game has to change. Now I’m the one that’s going to be hunted, and everybody’s going to be after me and everybody will be making gameplans and checking out my weaknesses.”

Jackson sees consistent growth in his star pupil.

“He’s living up to his potential,” he said. “That’s all anybody can do.”

Source: Sherdog.com

UFC lightweight fighter Roger "El Matador" Huerta will leave the UFC after one more fight to pursue his acting career, according to an interview with Sherdog.com.

"The UFC is my home and it is my family and eventually I'll come back," Huerta told Sherdog.com. "Pursuing the modeling and acting thing, that's kind of where I'm at right now. The fighting will always be there. I'll always have that in me. The truth is I've been fighting my whole life for everything, and this to me, is something else."

Huerta, 25, caught the acting bug while playing a character called "Miguel Caballero Rojo" on the upcoming video game-based live action motion picture "Tekken".

"I saw that you have to dedicate as much as you do to training for a fight as you do for an acting role and I'm intrigued by that," Huerta said. "I'm 25 years old. I see Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture and they didn't really hit their primes till their thirties. I'm only going to be young so long and I know that movies and agencies and what not want the young look."

Huerta has already signed a three-movie development deal with Lionsgate Films.

Huerta (20-2-1) won his UFC debut at UFC 63 in September 2006 and continued to win five more fights before losing to Kenny Florian last August at UFC 87.

According to the article, Huerta recently turned down a new five-fight contract with the UFC and will fulfill his one remaining fight left by December.

Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell may have lost three of his last four fights but his mind is still on the UFC light heavyweight championship belt.

"I'll fight anybody they put in front of me as long as it gets me back closer to the title." Liddell said in a report on the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "I have to try to be the best at what am I doing. I want Rashad Evans, he's got the title and I'll take it."

The two logical opponents for Evans would be an immediate rematch with Forrest Griffin or a fight against former champ Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

Liddell could have arguably been the number one contender for the belt had Jackson not defeated Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92. Silva was Liddell's biggest win since Tito Ortiz at UFC 66 on December 30, 2006.

Liddell (21-6) could return at the earliest March 7 at UFC 96 in Columbus, Ohio. UFC President Dana White said at the UFC 92 post-fight press conference that Liddell was a possibility for the event but could not name a match-up for Liddell.

According to the Sun-Sentinel, Liddell has trained occasionally with the American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida after losing to Evans at UFC 88 last September.

Georges St-Pierre is to MMA like Sidney Crosby is to hockey or Kobe Bryant is to basketball. He is just on a whole different level.

Georges St-Pierre winning Sportnet's 2008 Athlete of the Year is not only an incredible achievement for the sport of MMA, but for GSP himself; just another chapter in what will surely be a UFC Hall of Fame career.

I remember Georges' debut and thinking to myself how impressive he was against UFC veteran Ivan Mengivar. He then proceeded to defeat one of my training partners at the time, Justin Bruckmann to win his first title, in what was only his second pro MMA bout. After his brutal victory over Pride veteran Travis Galbraith in his third fight, it was his fourth pro fight when it hit me; GSP was something truly special and I was witnessing something legendary unfold right before my eyes.

When GSP was originally matched up against Thomas 'The Wildman' Denny, I vividly recall voting down this match-up as I thought Georges was over-matched. Denny was 10-9 and had fought some big names coming into this bout. He had quite the name for himself and I just felt Georges wasn't ready for such a big challenge so early on in his career. How wrong I was.

Georges proceeded to dismantle Denny and crush the veteran en route to a TKO victory in the second round. The turning point for me was GSP's double leg entry in the first round as well as all of his takedowns and ground control. I thought to myself "this guy is on another level". He was simply too much for a fighter I had high regards for. It was like Georges was the veteran and Denny was the younger fighter. It not only opened my eyes to how good GSP was but it was a defining moment in my own MMA career as I was watching the birth of a legend less than five feet from where I was sitting.

Georges continued to develop his game and just got better and better. It wasn't like he was making baby steps in his development; he was making drastic improvements to his striking game, his takedown and throws, as well as his positional control on the ground. He would take control of the fight and never let his opponent catch up. Georges would start in fifth gear and never ease off the gas pedal.

Georges has set the standard for what 'rhythm' is in an MMA fight. His pace is relentless and often gets the better of his opponents as they just cannot keep up. They eventually begin to slow down giving Georges the opening he uses to finish the fight. Whether it's a left high kick to the head, or a left hook to set up a takedown, he is ruthless until he gets what he wants in the fight. As it stands right now, he is part of a select group of MMA fighters that are the gold standard and what the future of MMA will look like.

I often get asked to debate the merits of MMA fighters and whether or not they are true athletes. In all of my arguments, I bring up GSP. Here's a guy who trains with pro level boxers, not just your average recreational athlete at a boxing gym. He trains with Canada's Wrestling Team, not the local high school or college team. He travels to Brazil to work on his Jiu-Jitsu game; in essence, he is always training and sparring with world class, single discipline athletes. He does all of this because he is a multi-combat sport athlete and in order to achieve and maintain his level of dominance, he has to be exceptional at all levels of MMA, both offensively and defensively.

Right now, there are only a handful of MMA fighters that are on a true elite level. I am talking about fighters who can win by knockout, who can take the fight to the ground at will and can submit their opponent in the blink of an eye. There's Fedor Emelianenko, Anderson Silva, BJ Penn and Georges St-Pierre.

GSP, along with the aforementioned champions are ahead of their time. They are what the next generation of fighter will look like. They are great at all disciplines, are difficult to defeat and can win a bout at any given point in time. They can out box their opponent, they have exceptional takedown defence and if they choose, will take their opponent down to finish the fight with some ground and pound or a submission. They are the gold standard and are the living blueprint of what will be in years to come.

2008 may have been the year of GSP, but in 2009, he may just take it to a whole other level. Should GSP go undefeated in 2009, he will reach superstar status greater than what Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture did in their careers. On tap for GSP right now is a super-fight with BJ Penn in January, followed by a mandatory title defence against #1 contender Thiago Alves and then the unbelievable. Should he go undefeated against the latter, UFC President Dana White has publicly stated that a super-fight with Anderson Silva would follow suit.

If the stars align and this super-fight between GSP and Silva were to actually take place, and should Georges be victorious in that bout, I cannot begin to imagine how monstrous his worth would actually be to the UFC marketing machine. Add to all of this the fact that he has signed on with the CAA Talent Agency and we may not only see a repeat next year, but a true pop icon born in 2009.

Taken from: Sportsnet.ca

After competing in the three legendary light heavyweight fights, former UFC champions Randy "The Natural" Couture and Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell (picture) could now meet during a heavyweight encounter at a June 13, 2009 event in Cologne, Germany.

The report comes from the UK based The Sun, which cites UFC officials as saying Liddell has been offered the heavyweight main event.

The Natural recently lost his heavyweight title to Brock Lesnar at UFC 91. Liddell, meanwhile, has dropped three of his four past fights at light heavyweight, but he's made no public statement regarding a potential move up to heavyweight division.

A source said that Couture is open to his fourth fight againsts Liddell, but we've been unable to confirm is the fight has been offered to Liddell.

With the event apparently in the works for Germany, it should come as little surprise that the UFC invited a small contingent of German press to UFC 91 to see Couture's main event with Lesnar. The 45-year-old Couture speaks German and has long been considered a likely headliner once the UFC does head to Germany, a market UFC officials have continually mentioned as a site for future expansion.

Couture and Liddell took part in a popular trilogy of fights that played out between 2003 and 2006. Couture scored a TKO in Round 3 at UFC 43 to win the first match-up for the interim heavyweight title (the former champion Tito Ortiz had been stripped of the title), but the 38-year-old Liddell won back the belt and made a successful title defense over Couture with two KO wins at UFC 52 and UFC 57.

With Liddell potentially tied up with the Germany event, he is apparently no longer being considered as an opponent for Anderson Silva at UFC 95 in London, England.

The Sun reported the possibility of the match, and though not opposed to the fight, Silva's manager, Ed Soares, last week told that UFC had not officially approached them about it.

The newspaper now reports that Silva, who is the current UFC Middleweight Champion, could instead meet one of the losers from UFC 92's two marquee 205-pound fights: UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin vs Rashad Evans or Wanderlei Silva vs Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

The fight would take place at 205 pounds as a non-title affair.

What a huge night in Atlanta, Georgia last Saturday night when UFC 88: Breakthrough was held in Philips Arena. Here are the results of the show:

• Rashad Evans def. Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell by KO at 1:51 of Round 2

• Rich Franklin def. Matt "The Hammer" Hamill by TKO at 0:39 of Round 3

• Dan Henderson def. Rousimar "Toquinho" Palhares by unanimous decision

• Nate "The Great" Marquardt def. Martin "The Hitman" Kampmann by TKO (strikes) at 1:22 of Round 1

• "Stun Gun" Kim Dong-hyun def. Matt "The Immortal" Brown by split decision

• Kurt Pellegrino def. Thiago Tavares by unanimous decision

• Tim "The Barbarian" Boetsch def. Michael Patt by TKO (strikes) at 2:03 of Round 1

• Jason "The Athlete" MacDonald def. Jason "The Punisher" Lambert by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:20 of Round 2

• Ryo "Piranha" Chonan def. Roan "Jucao" Carneiro by split decision

There are lots of rumors circulating about a possible November bout between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva (picture). And while most of the MMA world would love to see a third fight between the two (Silva won the first two, one by TKO and the other by KO) it's going to take some work for the fight to occur.

From Jackson's side, there's certainly some legal issues that he needs to overcome, and there's uncertainty as to whether he'd be eligible to fight in November. From Silva's side, he has requested to not fight until December which forms another roadblock for the UFC to get over. One could see Silva coming around under the right circumstances but it's hard to determine what exactly is going on with Jackson's situation.

The fight between these two will likely happen but the question of November is a hard one to know. UFC will market these two and the fight should garner good viewership, but with the returning of Noguiera in December, a Georges St. Pierre-BJ Penn fight on the horizon and a Chuck Liddell-Rashad Evans battle upcoming there's no real rush. Suspect the fight to occur, but it will require some luck for the fight to occur in November.

It didn't take long for UFC matchmaker Joe Silva to find a new opponent for Rashad Evans after former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell had to drop out due to an injury. The former "Ultimate Fighter" winner will now face James Irvin in London.

"I was probably upset about the Chuck thing for maybe a couple of hours, then they was telling me I was fighting James Irvin and I was like, 'Aw man I've got to snap out of that, that kid's just knocking out everybody,'" said Evans. "I can't be on his highlight reel so I've got to train really hard."

The fight between Evans and Liddell was set to headline the card and while no formal announcement has been made by the UFC, this new match-up will likely be a co-main event with another fight.

While Evans remains focused on Irvin he still expressed his disappointment about the fight cancellation with Liddell.

"I definitely didn't expect it you know. I was very excited for my fight with Chuck Liddell, but I guess we'll have to do it another time," Evans stated.

"I'm a little bit disappointed, but I think I'm at the point where I'm kind of over all of it and focusing on my new opponent. He's very tough and brings a lot of things to the table so I definitely can't go in there being sad cause I'm not fighting Chuck."

This isn't the first change of opponents Evans has had to deal with as he was originally slated to face Thiago Silva as a part of the upcoming UFC 84 card on May 24.

"This is my third opponent so hopefully nothing happens to James Irvin," Evans commented with a laugh. "I hope he has a good training camp."

Obviously, the match-up with Irvin brings a different dynamic to Evans and his training camp, but it's something that he along with head trainer Greg Jackson will analyze over the next six weeks.

"I think that James is a bit more explosive than Chuck," Evans stated. "He's very explosive and he's an athletic fighter so he definitely presents his own problems being that fighter. He's a game opponent and he's definitely going to be a tough fight."

Evans is already in New Mexico working alongside teammates such as Keith Jardine, Nathan Marquardt, and Joey Villasenor who are all preparing for fights around this same time as his.

And while the former Michigan State wrestler is now focused on James Irvin, he hopes Liddell comes back soon and a fight between the two can happen.

"I hope James stays healthy the whole camp and I wish Chuck the best on his recovery so we can get in there and do it."