Although former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort is slated to take on Rich Franklin at UFC 103 on September 19, he's already looking forward to a potential showdown with UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva.

"Anderson is a great friend of mine and a big champion but I'm looking for this (fight to happen)," Belfort told OUL Esporte of Brazil. "I cannot comment much on this right now but yeah, I always want to fight the best fighters. Of course it won't be a pleasure (being Silva's friend) but there isn't another way at all in the sport. Kaka and Ronaldinho (Brazilian soccer players) are friends and have faced each other many times. It is part of my work and I need it to afford milk to the children at home."

Belfort hasn't set foot inside an Octagon since he dropped a split decision to Tito Ortiz at UFC 51 back in February of 2005, however that didn't stop UFC President Dana White from wanting to bring back one of the most talented fighters they have employed.

Silva is fresh off his dominating 3:23 second knockout of former champion Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 in a light heavyweight bout. After that performance, there aren't many jumping at the chance to take on MMA's most efficient striker, however Belfort says that he is down.

"It would be a great honor to fight Anderson," Belfort respectfully stated. "He's one of the best to ever fight and I want to test my skills against the world's best."

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

Just before the curtain is set to draw on their UFC 101: Declaration event tomorrow in Philadelphia, it appears that the promotion has received some of the most distressful news imaginable. Edith Labelle, their most curvaceous UFC's Octagon Girl, will forgo her imperative duties of notifying the fans what round is about to start.

Labelle manager, James Leinhos, confirmed the news to AOL FanHouse late Thursday night.

"Something happened," Leinhos said. "But at this time, I can only confirm that Edith no longer works for the UFC."

Leinhos would not confirm whether the hottie was fired or quit.

No worries UFC fans, the company had already added Natasha Wicks to their talent pool. Wicks won the Maxim Magazine Octagon Girl search during UFC 100 weekend last month. She will make her debut alongside Arianny Celeste and Logan Stanton at UFC 101 on Saturday.

Labelle's profile has since been removed from UFC's official website.

Labelle debuted with the UFC in late 2007 at UFC 78.

For a sneak peak of the UFC's new Octagon Girl, check out the Natasha Wicks gallery at UFC.com.

While helping build the hype for the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show set to debut in September, Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson spoke to Spike TV about the opportunity of fighting for the UFC.

"It means a lot to me to be part of the UFC. It's a chance to become the ultimate fighter. The UFC is as big as it gets," Kimbo said.

While preparing to answer his next question, fellow TUF 10: Heavyweights contender Wes Sims came into the scene to jokingly ask Kimbo for an autograph, perhaps dispelling some of the rumors floating around about the two of them.

Kimbo went on to add, "I still have a lot of things to learn to become a mixed martial artist, but there are a few things I can do in the meanwhile to survive in a fight. My stand up game is still improving."

"The heavyweight competition is tough," Kimbo continued. "There are a lot of big guys that can go to the ground. And with guys their size, they can be dangerous."

Kimbo also humbly admitted that the man he was two years ago wouldn't stand a chance inside the octagon. "A guy coming into this thing with my caliber while I was street fighting would get smashed. You gotta have a feel for so many different things in this sport. It's kinda like a science."

Kimbo also spoke to what his motivation is when it comes to his fight career. "My biggest motivation is the opportunity. And to make tons of money."

At least we know there's still part of the old Kimbo Slice left inside him.

You can see Kimbo, Sims and the rest of the cast for The Ultimate Fighter Season 10: Heavyweights when the show makes its premiere September 16th on Spike TV.

UFC 100 comes to us live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Below are the official results for the event:

Preliminary Card

• Shannon Gugerty def. Matt "The Real One" Grice by submission (guillotine choke) at 2:36 of Round 1

• Tom "Filthy" Lawlor def. CB "The Doberman" Dollaway by submission (guillotine choke) at 0:55 of Round 1

• Kim Dong-hyun def. TJ Grant by unanimous decision

• Jon "Bones" Jones def. Jake O'Brien by submission (guillotine choke) at 2:43 of Round 2

• Jim Miller def. Mac Danzig by unanimous decision

• Mark "The Hammer" Coleman def. Stephan "The American Psycho" Bonnar by unanimous decision

Main Card

• Yoshihiro Akiyama def. Alan Belcher by split decision

• Dan Henderson def. Michael "The Count" Bisping by KO (punch) at 3:20 of Round 2

• Jon Fitch def. Paulo Thiago by unanimous decision

• Georges "Rush" St. Pierre def. Thiago "Pitbull" Alves by unanimous decision to retain the UFC Welterweight Title

• Brock Lesnar def. Frank Mir by TKO (punches) at 1:48 of Round 2 to become the Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion

UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar and interim champion Frank Mir differ in whether a fighter should have respect for an opponent.

Mir, who at times is criticized for overconfidence, said Thursday during the final UFC 101 press conference that he always trains with a healthy respect for his opponent.

"When you lack respect for an opponent, when you take them maybe too casually," Mir said. "I've had errors in my career through overconfidence, through thinking I had nothing to worry about, or you make a mistake and you get caught, especially in a sport like ours where one mistake and you tap, the fight's over with."

There is a point of too much respect as displayed by Georges St. Pierre in his first encounter with Matt Hughes. St. Pierre said at the time he was just "happy to be in the Octagon with him" and the result was a first career loss. St. Pierre won the next two fights and while he continued to hold respect for Hughes, he saw Hughes as an opponent rather than someone he idolized.

Lesnar would take it further. The former WWE superstar flat-out said there is no respect for anyone stepping inside the Octagon against him.

"I don't have any respect for my opponents," Lesnar said. "I guess as soon you respect somebody in my opinion, you're that much close to getting beat. That's just my philosophy that I've trained by for many years."

Lesnar's mental approach to not respect his opponent dates back to his days as an amateur wrestling. A two-time NCAA All-American and the 2000 NCAA Heavyweight Champion, Lesnar finished his collegiate career with a record of 106-5. Maybe his record would be even closer to perfection had he not respected his opponent.

"In the past when I was approaching a tough match or something and I did respect the kid or had some respect for my opponent, I didn't wrestle the way I wanted to and I may have gotten beaten," Lesnar said. "So I discovered very early that I can't have any (respect)."

The UFC is now selling its pay-per-view events online for the first time, and as part of Saturday's UFC 100 event, anyone who makes a purchase on UFC.com will also receive access to the otherwise-un-aired six-fight preliminary card.

UFC 100 takes place this Saturday, July 11, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

To gain access to the preliminary fights, purchases ($44.95 per event) must be made by 10 PM ET (7 PM PT) this Friday, July 10.

UFC 100 is one of the deepest cards in UFC history with three main-event-worthy bouts, including UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar vs. interim title-holder Frank Mir, UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre vs. top contender Thiago Alves, and Michael Bisping vs. fellow coach on "The Ultimate Fighter 9" Dan Henderson.

Prior to UFC 100, Yahoo! Sports was the sole provider of UFC pay-per-view events online.

The UFC didn't clarify whether buyers who qualify for the special will get live access to the preliminary card or whether they'll be able to watch the events after the live main-card portion of the card.

The UFC 100 preliminary card features Mark Coleman vs. Stephan Bonnar, Mac Danzig vs. Jim Miller, Jon Jones vs. Jake O'Brien and other matchups.

One longtime complaint about the UFC's hefty PPV price tags (both online and through traditional cable platforms) is that preliminary-card fights aren't part of the purchase. But for at least one night, it seems, fans will get what they want.

The UFC has signed a deal with Anchor Bay Entertainment that will see UFC pay-per-view events available for the first time on Blu-Ray.

Previously there were only two UFC releases on Blu-Ray, "UFC: Ultimate Comebacks" and "UFC: Best of 2008". Anchor Bay will also take over First Look Studios' role as the distributor of UFC DVDs. Navarre remains the exclusive DVD distributor for Spike TV's "The Ultimate Fighter" television show.

This Saturday's UFC 100 will be one of the first releases later this year.

"Anchor Bay Entertainment is one of the leading distributors of fitness DVDs and has released some of the top independent titles in Hollywood," UFC President Dana White said in a statement. "Working with Anchor Bay, fans can get the most exciting live event in the world on DVD or Blu-Ray, and see the greatest fights ever from UFC."

Hawaii and Indiana have both begun to regulate mixed martial arts this week, boosting the number of states which officially sanction the sport to 39.

Pennsylvania also began regulating MMA in recent months, with Pittsburgh's first event taking place last weekend and the UFC's "Keystone State" debut slated for August 8 with UFC 101 in Philadelphia.

One of the last major holdouts on the list of 11 states which have yet to legalize the sport is New York. Though a bill to regulate MMA is making progress in the state's legislature, it won't be until next year at the earliest until it could be approved with the first UFC event in the state unlikely until 2011.

A UFC event in Indianapolis, Indiana appears most-likely with the new regulation now in place, with an event in Hawaii, the home state of UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn (picture), likely on hold for the time being due to steep taxes and fees that accompany the state's regulation.

Un-sanctioned MMA events have been frequently held in both Indiana and Hawaii in the past, but the official regulation of MMA opens the doors for major promotions such as the UFC and Strikeforce to hold events in the states.

UFC President Dana White recently made news by announcing that he was working to re-sign former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort and instantly speculation began to run rampant in regards to a possible first opponent for Belfort if the signing comes to fruition.

One name that keeps popping up is no stranger to Belfort as Vitor's lightning quick knockout victory over Wanderlei Silva at UFC Brazil back in 1998 is among the biggest wins of his career.

According to Silva (picture) in a recent interview with Sensei Sport TV, Belfort was seriously stressing out before his first fight with "The Axe Murderer". If that was the case it would definitely work in Wanderlei's favor if Belfort came into the potential rematch much more relaxed.

"That sequence of punches, I don't know whether that was technique or anxiety," speculated Silva. "Many people told me he was dying of fear to face me so that must have been anxiety (that drove him)."

Both men formerly made their home at 205 pounds before recently making the mutual decision to drop down to middleweight so a potential bout between the two would likely come at 185 pounds. Although Silva knows nothing is set in stone at this time, if the call comes, he'll be ready, as usual.

"Sooner or later (the rematch) is going to happen," said Silva. "I'm ready to face anyone, including him."

One loss was all it took for the UFC to hand Mike Ciesnolevicz a.k.a. Mike C his walking papers.

The 29-year-old out of Team Miletich has been let go after a four-month stint with UFC. Ciesnolevicz (17-4) compiled a 1-1 record as a member of the UFC organization.

Ciesnolevicz in February received a call to move up to heavyweight on short notice to fight Neil Grove at UFC 95: Sanchez vs. Stevenson in London. Ciesnolevicz submitted Grove in 63 seconds with a heel hook and it appeared the former International Fight League fighter found a new home with the UFC. But his loss in a light heavyweight bout to Tomasz Drwal last Saturday at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale and perhaps his failure to make weight -- he was the only fighter on the card to not make weight -- was apparently enough to bring about his release.

Mike C was the light heavyweight for the Pat Miletich's Quad Cities Silverbacks squad in the IFL from 2006 through 2008.

It might just be time for mixed martial arts fans to mark July 11 completely off their calendars.

Spike TV today announced it will air a five-hour marathon of the upcoming series "UFC's Ultimate 100: Greatest Fights" prior to the July 11 pay-per-view start of UFC 100, which takes place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The series, which will count down the bouts fans select as the top 100 UFC fights of all-time, debuts July 5 on Spike TV at 9 PM ET/PT.

While the first episode of "UFC's Ultimate 100: Greatest Fights" airs on a Sunday, subsequent episodes of the series will air in the same timeslot on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The final episode, along with a re-air of the previous four episodes, will air simultaneously on Spike's East and West Coast feeds in the five hours leading into UFC 100.

Fan voting for the UFC's greatest 100 fights, chosen among a list of 181 candidates selected by Spike TV and the UFC, began May 1 and is currently ongoing at spike.com/ufc-100.

Containing fights dating back to Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock at UFC 1, the list was recently supplemented by the addition of this past Saturday's The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale main event between Diego Sanchez and Clay Guida.

Voters can comment on each of the 181 fights on Spike TV's website and rank each bout from one octagon for a "standard" contest to 10 octagons for an "epic" clash.

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.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will likely host two major events in November. One on Spike TV and one on pay-per-view on back-to-back weekends.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission recently updated its online calendar, showing the UFC had formally requested a November 21 event date at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Additionally, multiple sources have told the Vegas event, UFC 106, will likely follow a November 14 UFC 105 event, a show expected to take place in the UK, possibly Manchester, that would air on Spike TV.

UFC 105 would air on free basic cable and help promote the following week's pay-per-view offering.

No fights rumored of official are set for either card, though UFC 105 will likely be heavy on European talent and could feature in the main event British fighter Michael Bisping as well as recent The Ultimate Fighter 9 winners Ross Pearson and James Wilks. Bisping is slated to fight Dan Henderson next month at UFC 100. UFC President Dana White has hinted that Bisping could earn a title shot with current champion Anderson Silva if he defeats Henderson.

Although far from official, a Silva vs. Bisping UFC 105 headliner on basic cable could surely be a ratings hit and be a major draw for UK fans.

The back-to-back November cards would then be followed just two weeks later by The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale, which concludes the currently in-production heavyweights-only season of the UFC's reality series. TUF 10 features notables such as Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and Roy Nelson and NFL veteran Marcus Jones, and the finale takes place in Las Vegas at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort on December 5.

UFC President Dana White made a surprising revelation Saturday that he would like to see former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort take on current UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva.

White teased the matchup on the "Inside The Octagon" segment during The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale broadcast on Spike TV.

"While Anderson Silva is fighting Forrest Griffin, I'm working on some other 185-pounders," White told host Amir Sadollah. "Vitor Belfort, he is a former heavyweight who moved down to 205. Now he's at 185 pounds, he's got great hands, he's good on the ground and if his head is right he can be a very dangerous guy. I think that would be a great match up."

It's surprising White would even bring up Belfort's name since the Brazilian is currently signed to fight Jorge Santiago at Affliction: Trilogy on August 1. Does White have something under his sleeve? Or will there simply be a massive bidding war between the UFC and Affliction after Belfort's fight on August 1?

Former trainer/manager for UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is striking back at former champion Tito Ortiz (picture) for calling him a "thief". Juanito Ibarra claims that Ortiz' comments have caused emotional distress through defamation and invasion of privacy according to TMZ.

Here's an excerpt of what Ortiz had said about Ibarra this past September:

"Let me explain this to you because it really pisses me off that Ibarra has done what he has done, he is a thief. I have been running training camps for seven years up in Big Bear California and the most that my camp has cost a fighter to attend is $35,000. Ibarra was charging Jackson $65,000 to go to Big Bear. I don't understand that!! He was being very disrespectful and taking advantage of 'Rampage'. Including travel, training partners, food and lodging, the most ever was $35,000, maybe if you flew in more trainers...$40K. Where did that extra money go that Ibarra was charging?"

Not only is Ibarra going after Ortiz, he's also suing the media who reported the story which helped spread Ortiz' comments throughout the Internet.

There's no doubt that after what Ortiz had said, followed by Jackson leaving Ibarra that he's probably struggling to get clients into his camp. We don't know how much Ibarra is suing for and which MMA websites he has targeted.

Meanwhile, Tito Ortiz is free to receive an offer from any promotion without having to reveal the offer to the UFC beginning this weekend.

Ortiz's contract with the UFC ended last year when he lost against Lyoto Machia at UFC 84 on May 24. Although Ortiz was allowed to negotiate with other promotions, the UFC retained the right to match any offer until June 5, 2009.

A press conference was held yesterday in Tokyo by World Victory Road to announce the signing of 2008 Olympic gold medalist in Judo Satoshi Ishii for the promotion. Previously signing with the UFC is reported to have no impact on Ishii's negotiations with WVR to appear in their Sengoku events.

The 22-year-old judoka had been sought out by the other major mixed martial arts promotion in Japan, DREAM as well as the UFC.

Ishii accepted an invitation from the UFC last December to meet UFC President Dana White and experience UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 live at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. White said Ishii has the potential to become a great MMA fighter.

Ishii appeared at first willing to put aside his celebrity in Japan to compete in the UFC. But by signing with World Victory Road, Ishii picks the safest and richest choice to begin his MMA career.

It was previously reported on several sources that Ishii was set to appear on the tenth season of the popular Spike television series, The Ultimate Fighter. Ishii's Facebook page appeared to confirm that rumor yet now, this signing may not allow the Japanese fighter to do both. It is important to note that he has a clause in his new 2-year contract allowing him to fight for other promotions outside of Japan and Ishii has previously indicated a desire to fight in the UFC late last year.

"I have finally made up my mind," Ishii told Nikkan Sports in December. "The UFC is where I want to fight."

Time will tell where he really makes his MMA debut. WVR Director Takahiro Kokuho believes Ishii's first fight for the promotion can come as early as August 2 and as late as the New Year's Eve event at the end of the year.

In any case, for WVR and Japanese MMA in general, this signing might mark a significant turning point in their campaign to get back on network television. With WVR and DREAM alike staging strong events, fans may see a resurgence of MMA in the once PRIDE-dominated country.

Since leaving Judo with his eyes set on MMA, Ishii has been traveling around putting in mat time with current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida, the American Top Team and Xtreme Couture.

As expected, at the UFC 98 post-event press conference, UFC President Dana White announced that UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida's first title defense will be against former champion, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (picture). While White didn't announce the date for the title defense, if recent rumors of Rampage and Machida coaching season ten of The Ultimate Fighter are true, then the fight would take place in late December.

Both Machida and Jackson were fighting for the World Fighting Alliance when Zuffa bought the company out in December 2006.

"We bought the WFA to acquire his contract and Rampage's," White noted at the press conference. "I've always thought this kid (Machida) was talented."

"I was blown away by his performance tonight," White continued. "Absolutely blown away."

The UFC, in conjunction with Tequila Cazadores, awarded former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin the first ever UFC Authentic Spirit Award. Tequila Cazadores is the official spirit sponsor of the UFC.

The award will be given to a UFC fighter monthly who exemplifies social responsibility, dedication to their art of mixed martial arts and good sportsmanship.

Griffin was announced as the recipient by UFC President Dana White at a media event held by the UFC, Tequila Cazadores and THQ at Tabu in the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino.

Griffin was given the award for his work with the Wounded Warriors Project. The Wounded Warrior Project is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors.

Griffin actively enlists his time and energy to raise awareness for the needs of severely injured servicemen and women and supports them on the road to healing both physically and mentally.

For winning the award, Tequila Cazadores will make a $1,000 donation in Forrest Griffin's name to the Wounded Warrior Project. Each month, Tequila Cazadores will award a fighter with the UFC Authentic Spirit Award, culminating with a larger award given to the fighter that best exemplifies all the parameters through the course of the year.

A $10,000 charitable contribution will be presented to the winner with full proceeds benefiting the fighter's charity of choice.