FINALLY THE REAL PAY DAY INFO FOR FEDOR!

BEFORE WE GET STARTED, THIS IS WHAT 1 MILLION DOLLARS LOOKS LIKE.


Yesterday, a very reliable source informed Fighline.com that Fedor Emelianenko received a "substantial" bonus before his fight with Tim Sylvia. Today, Fightline.com has learned that the bonus was 1.3 million dollars putting Emelianenko's final take at 1.6 million dollars. Quite substantial.

Eyebrows were raised when the California State Athletic Commission released the promotions payouts and it was revealed that Emelianenko ($300,000) received less than half of what his opponent Tim Sylvia ($800,000) received; this after Fedor demolished Sylvia in under a minute.

Emelianenko's bonus plus his base salary coupled with securing advertising for M-1 Global and the rights to his fight footage in Europe possibly represents a very sweet deal for the popular Russian fighter and certainly one of the best deals for a single fight in MMA history.

ROBBIE LAWLER SEALS SMITH'S FATE RETAINS BELT!

STOCKTON, Calif. -- Hoping to erase the disappointing no-contest that marred Robbie Lawler's EliteXC middleweight war against Scott Smith in May, the pair met again Saturday -- in primetime on CBS -- picking up where they left off.

Tailor-made sluggers with stout chins who don't mind getting hit, Lawler and Smith highlighted EliteXC's first venture on network television before the fight was stopped, when Smith took a finger to the eye. This time, it was a knee to the midsection that told the tale, and again it was Smith who went to the canvas in a heap.

Fighting about an hour south of his hometown of Elks Grove, Calif., Smith came out uncharacteristically fast, following every combination with a kick, including one that glanced off Lawler's left cheek.

"I wanted to dictate the pace and stay in his face and make him work," Lawler said. "He was pressing me, and I didn't want him to press me and then rest; so I just tried to stay there and make him work and hit him at the same time."

The plan paid off big in the second. A bit cute with his punches in the opening five minutes, the southpaw champion unleashed his power in the deciding frame. Smith answered, making for the best moment of the fight, as both men stood and slugged in front of a raucous crowd at Stockton Arena.

Lawler (16-4, 1 NC) remained unscathed, save a cut at the top of his head, eerily reminiscent to an elbow-induced gash from Smith (15-5, 1 NC) in the first fight. With that cut fully healed just two weeks prior to the rematch and the memory of commission doctors moving in to call a halt in their previous encounter, Lawler increased his punching output so referee Herb Dean couldn't find a spot to step in and get it checked.

"He's matured as a fighter," Smith said of Lawler. "He's so much smarter. He knew he was cut, so he knew to stay out of it."

Against the fence, Lawler worked over Smith's midsection and ribs. Then, he came with the knees. The first dug into the challenger's abs and he took it. But two more followed and Smith failed to hold up.

"I do work my stomach," Smith quipped. "I know I've been dropped by body shots, but let Lawler knee you in the stomach and see how you like it."

The challenger scrambled, but the moment he rose Lawler delivered another knee, this time to the head, that finished it at 2:35 of Round 2.
Josh Gross,SI.com

UFC 90 IN CHICAGO TO FEATURE ANDERSON SILVA!!!

Anderson Silva will defend his Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight title against hard-hitting Canadian Patrick Cote in the main event of UFC 90 at the Allstate Arena in Chicago on Oct. 25.

The news comes from the Chicago Sun Times who cited UFC president Dana White.

Anderson Silva is coming off a first round knockout win in the light heavyweight division over James Irvin on July 19 at UFC Fight Night 14. The bout with Cote will mark his return to the middleweight division and will be his fifth title defense.

Cote is coming off a win over Ricardo Almeida at UFC 86.

Ultimate Fighter season one winner Diego Sanchez is expected to take on American Top Team trained Thiago Alves in the co-main event.

BREAKING NEWS!!! FEDOR VS ARLOVSKI

The French website Fightsport.fr revealed that Fedor Emelianenko's next opponent will be Belarusian fighter Andrei Arlovski.

The source: Fedor himself.

Emelianenko said that he wants to get back in the ring as soon as possible against the best heavyweights in the world and make up the lost time that he spent this year.

Fedor confirmed that he would be fighting in Japan on New Year's Eve, possibly against Mirko Cro Cop.

The next Affliction event is slated to be held in November, but Fedor is pushing for an October date against Arlovski, so that he can better prepare for his December match in the land of the rising sun.

The Russian legend also stated his wish of fighting Josh Barnett in March in America.

SILVIA SAYS ..."I DON'T THINK HE'S HUMAN!!"

"I know that I'm one of the best in the world, I was amazed at how good Fedor is. He hurt me right away and submitted me. The guy's a stud. I don't even think he's human. That guy hits hard. I've never been hit that hard before."

"I was definitely expecting there to be more of a feeling-out process. My manager says that it's good that [Emelianenko] did that because that means he gives me a lot of respect. He didn't want to go in there and play around. I guess I can kind of take that as a compliment. This guy is unreal. He's incredible, and I don't know if anybody's going to beat him for a while."

Emelianenko remained typically humble in victory, saying: “I was very pleased with my performance. Everything I wanted to do I was able to do.”

AND DANA WHITE SAID....UFC president Dana White has been relentless in his criticism of ex-PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko over the past several years.

White has criticized and mocked the popular Russian for failing to face top competition and taking on inexperienced and even smaller fighters over the past three years.

But upon learning that Emelianenko had submitted ex-UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia on Saturday in Anaheim, Calif., in less than a minute, White unflinchingly admitted he was impressed.

“It does (change my opinion),” he conceded. “Tim Sylvia was a real opponent.”

FEDOR IS THE BADDEST S.O.B. ON THE PLANET!...36 seconds...WOW

The first ever Affliction MMA event was Saturday night ,Affliction is likely to have a very bright future ahead with all its major stars.Tito Ortiz and Jenna Jameson made their entrance to ringside and received an ovation with chants of "Tito" from the surrounding crowd.

The first fight was a "no action" for gamblers since Aleksander Emelianenko was barred from fighting Paul Buentello due to a licensing issue. Instead Buentello took on Gary Goodridge and defeated him by unanimous decision.

Vitor Belfort defeated Terry Martin via KO. Belfort was a pretty significant favorite in this one.

Mike Pyle defeated J.J. Ambrose via submission (rear naked choke).Pyle was the favorite.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def. Edwin Dewees via TKO (strikes) -- Round 1, 4:06

Matt Lindland defeated big +350 underdog Fabio Nascimento via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27

Renato Sobral,beat Mike Whitehead by unanimous decision.

Mark Hominick defeated Savant Young via submission (arm bar) -- Round 2, 4:25

Josh Barnett, defeated Pedro Rizzo via KO (punch) -- Round 2, 1:44

Andrei Arlovksi defeated Ben Rothwell via KO (strikes) -- Round 3, 1:13

Fedor Emelianenko has beaten Tim Sylvia badly.Fedor climbed on his back and choked him out early in the first round.

This is what they want to see next!!!

WHAT THE HELLS WRONG WITH QUINTON JACKSON? NERVOUS BREAKDOWN MAYBE ...

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, shown in a booking photo, was arrested after allegedly crashing into several cars, roaring over a center divider and driving on a sidewalk, causing pedestrians to flee his truck's path.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, the champion mixed-martial-arts fighter who police say tore a chaotic path through local streets this week, was hospitalized for a mental evaluation after his behavior worried friends at his Irvine home, police said today.

Acquaintances of the former light-heavyweight titleholder flagged down officers driving past his home in the 100 block of Whistling Isle about 4:30 Wednesday afternoon.

His friends were concerned by alarming comments and behavior and wanted officers to decide if Jackson was a danger to himself or others, said Irvine police Lt. Rick Handfield.

Jackson, 30, was cooperative when speaking to police, and officers decided to take him to an unidentified local hospital for a mental evaluation.

Handfield could not comment on whether Jackson was placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold or if he had been released.

Jackson, known for sporting a heavy chain around his neck before fights, lost his light-heavyweight belt in a major bout earlier this month with Forest Griffin.

He was rattled by the defeat, telling friends Monday at the HB Ultimate Training Center in Huntington Beach that he had barely been sleeping, said "Razor" Rob McCullough, a former World Extreme Cagefighting champ.

Jackson, who is divorced and has four children, spoke of being under heavy pressure and seemed weary of his sport's limelight, McCullough said.

"It sounds like he had a nervous breakdown," McCullough said Thursday. "It all just got to be too much for him."

Jackson was first arrested Tuesday after authorities say he plowed his raised Ford truck into several vehicles on the 55 freeway and Newport Boulevard, crashed across a center divider and roared onto a sidewalk, causing pedestrians to flee.

He was booked on suspicion of hit-and-run driving, felony evading and reckless driving. Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White ended up posting his $25,000 bail.

Also today, authorities backtracked from initial reports that Jackson's tear through the streets of Costa Mesa had not caused any injuries.

Holli Griggs, a 38-year-old Huntington Beach woman who is 16 weeks pregnant, was hospitalized after her Cadillac Escalade was sideswiped on the 55 freeway, said California Highway Patrol officer Denise Quesada.

"I and my unborn baby have sustained injuries, to what extent is still unknown," Griggs said in an e-mail to the Register.

"He had no regard for my life or anyone else's for that matter," Griggs wrote.

Jenny Kimber, a La Habra resident, recalled in an e-mail to the Register that she "was about 6 feet from being run over by 'Rampage' Jackson" while waiting in her car at the intersection of 17th Street and Newport Boulevard.

"When I saw his truck barreling straight towards me, I was more terrified than you can imagine," Kimber wrote. "Thankfully, he swerved to avoid hitting my car, and went back onto the wrong side of Newport (Boulevard). The police were hot on his tail."

"I returned to my work in shock," Kimber added, "went home and counted my blessings for avoiding certain injury or death."

QUINTON JACKSON HIT N RUN !!

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, former light heavyweight champion of the Ultimate Fighter Championships, was arrested on suspicion of felony evading, hit-and-run and reckless driving Tuesday after he allegedly led police on a pursuit from Costa Mesa to Newport Beach, police said.

Jackson, the driver of a lifted, gray pick-up truck left crashed cars, shredded tires and sparks in his wake this afternoon when he led police on a short pursuit from the southbound 55 freeway exit onto Newport Boulevard where he hit at least three cars, police said.

The driver hit two cars at 19th Street and Newport Boulevard, then drove away at about 1:13 p.m., Lt. Paul Dondero said. A Costa Mesa police officer saw the driver southbound approaching 17th Street and tried to pull him over, police said. There, he hit at least one more car before continuing to run, now heading south toward the Balboa Peninsula, Dondero said. Some time after that, the truck blew a tire but continued to drive on its rims, Dondero said.

Jackson eventually gave up, pulled over and was arrested, police said. The whole chase lasted about five minutes, Dondero said.

NEW DREAMFIGHTERS INTERVIEW WITH PAT MILETICH

DreamFighters.com: Pat, thanks for taking the time to speak to me at DreamFighters.com

Pat Miletich: Not a problem at all

DreamFighters.com: You are now the Vice-President for Fighter and Promoter Relations for WAMMA. What does that position entail?

Pat Miletich: Good relationships in any business is important and even more important in MMA than most. This is a people business and I get along well with most in MMA very well. My position with WAMMA serves a couple different purposes I guess.
I am a conduit between the WAMMA executives and the MMA world. I am also serving an advisory role in regards to
many situations that arise as the company grows.

DreamFighters.com: What made you want to join such a group as WAMMA?

Pat Miletich: They are made up entirely of very credible people. Dave Szady is a former heavy hitter with the FBI and the CIA
and is great at running and directing people. He is also a guy with a reputation for not being intimidated or bribed.
This creates a situation that allows fans, fighters, and promoters knowing they can trust this company to do things
above board.

Mike Lynch is a former attorney with the Levin law group and has a large amount of knowledge in the boxing and MMA world. He knows the pitfalls that boxing has fallen into and wants to create a positive situation for MMA.

Kay Stephenson is a former head coach in the NFL and knows how pro sports systems should be run. His knowledge is very important to the success of WAMMA, as well as the success of MMA in the mainstream sports world.

Fred Levin is, well, Fred Levin. A very successful attorney from Florida who has handled the careers of guys like Roy Jones. He see's where the sport of MMA needs help and the purpose WAMMA serves to helping fighters gain
recognition and the amount of money they deserve thru fights and endorsement deals.

Bill Goldberg is a guy that has been in the limelight of the NFL, pro wrestling, and now MMA. he has the vision to help athletes in MMA attain the household name recognition and understands the building blocks of how this is truly
accomplished. He's also a really funny bastard!

Most importantly though is their passion to see MMA avoid the pitfalls that boxing has had and see the fighters and fans get the fights they all want and deserve.

DreamFighters.com: What do you think of Affliction being the first Fight Organization to include the WAMMA belt?

Pat Miletich: I think Affliction has their act together to say the least. They understand the amount of prestige that goes with hosting the first WAMMA undisputed world title bout between Tim Sylvia and Fedor.
Even if Godzilla and King Kong had a fight on pay per view, very few would buy tickets or purchase
the tv show if the bout was for nothing. People would want to know which one was going to be crowned
the ruler of the world, and the WAMMA belt says just that. Affliction has become a big part of the history of how
MMA will be run from July 19th forward. They have a vision and are highly motivated businessmen.
Tom and Todd both get a big thank you from me for personally for understanding how big this moment
in MMA will be for all the fans, fighters, and the promoters. I also really like their clothes!!! haha

DreamFighters.com: As the VP of Fighter and Promoter relations for WAMMA, can you tell us anything on who is next after Fedor/Sylvia to fight for the WAMMA belt? (Maybe in a different weigh class)

Pat Miletich: We are looking at many options and have been working with many organizations to lay the groundwork for the upcoming WAMMA undisputed titles. The heavyweight division has many top fighters that
are part of organizations willing to work with us, so that is a weight division that is front and center for WAMMA.

I would also say that we recognize the amount of talent in all the weight classes in many different organizations
is vast and we plan on seeing many incredible fights for WAMMA belts in the near future.

Adrenaline, Affliction, Strikeforce, EliteXC, M-1, Dream, IFL, Sportfight, etc.... all have a lot of talent
that deserve to have a shot at being named the #1 guy in his weight class and we are going to look to
all of them for huge matchups down the road.

DreamFighters.com: What do you think of the Fedor vs Sylvia match up at Affliction? How do you think your boy Tim Sylvia will do?

Pat Miletich: I think you know the answer to that one. I have trained Tim for almost a decade and obviously
want him to win. Fedor is a monster and he deserves the #1 ranking without a doubt. The Honda center will be absolutely insane on the 19th and it's the biggest and best MMA card ever.

DreamFighters.com: Has Tim been training with your camp full time for this fight? If so, what have you all done in terms of training to better prepare Tim for a fighter like Fedor?

Pat Miletich: Tim has trained for this fight full time here in Iowa. He has been pushed harder for this fight than ever before and we are very confident in his ability to win this fight. Ted Mueller, Pedro Sylviera, and myself have all been working hard getting
Tim ready.

The Ben Rothwell Andre Arlovski fight is also going to be incredible. It's going to be a fight we
feel Ben can dominate. We are also very thankful to Affliction and Monte Cox for making this fight
possible. Ben has worked so hard for this opportunity and is pumped to bang with Andre.

DreamFighters.com: Any news on any of your fighters? (maybe future fights, new fighters, or anything like that Pat)

Pat Miletich: I have new hammers all the time. We don't rebuild, we reload. haha To mention one means I forget a bunch. Trust me when I say we are becoming stacked again.

DreamFighters.com: Are you still very active with you fighting club, Miletich Fighting System Elite ?

Pat Miletich: Yes, I am here almost every day training fighters and running the evening practice.

DreamFighters.com: What is the message you want the MMA world to know about WAMMA?

Pat Miletich: That WAMMA is providing the athletes the ability to truly become the #1 fighter on the planet. Many organizational champs exhist, but there are no undisputed world champs. It's almost like the mythical college football champions. I hate this and I want to know who is the number one team in the land. Fighters and fans
want and deserve to know the same in MMA. These undisputed bouts will build the sport to a completely
different level and give everyone in the sport what they deserve. A true undisputed world champion!

GO JAMES IRVIN GO !! PUT EM TO SLEEP SANDMAN !!!

They say that opportunity doesn’t knock twice. Well, for some people in this world they do. When Chuck Liddell was forced to withdraw from his fight at UFC 85 against Rashad Evans, James Irvin stepped in to take his spot. For Irvin, this was a big fight coming off of his win over Houston Alexander. An opportunity to fight a top ranked contender like Evans was a great opportunity. But following an injury in training, Irvin had to withdraw from the bout.



Luckily for him, the Ultimate Fighting Championship decided to put a free event together for Spike TV on July 19 to counter the debut event of Affliction.



At the promotion’s 14th UFC Fight Night, Irvin will have the opportunity of a lifetime when he will take on the man highly regarded as the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter, Anderson Silva. Silva, the UFC middleweight champion, will be making his light heavyweight debut, testing the waters at 205 pounds. However, Irvin will look to take the wind out of his sails.



MMAWeekly Radio caught up with James Irvin to discuss his preparation for his upcoming fight. “Everything is going good. I'm just here training my ass off for July 19.”



This Spike TV special was put together very quickly and Irvin is taking the fight on relatively short notice. When he was approached with the fight, he did not hesitate. “First off, they just said Silva,” he explained. “So, I thought they were talking about Wanderlei. We've been asking to fight Wanderlei since he got here. When he said Anderson, I was like 'whoa.’ I was like, 'I'm not an '85er. Is he coming up to my weight class?' He said he was coming up to my weight class. From then on, I've been like 'where do I sign?'”



A lot of respect has to be given to Irvin for taking this fight. Fighting the top fighter in the world on short notice takes guts. However, he feels fortunate that he was able to accept the fight, especially after he was forced to withdraw from his fight with Evans.



“I was really looking forward to the Rashad fight just because I got to fight a Top 5 guy like him, especially since I was working myself up the ladder. But to catapult him to Anderson Silva, the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on the whole planet... Dana seems to reward people who fight hard, especially ones that knock people out.



“I fight hard, so when I go out there, I'm going to put it all on the line and try my hardest. The last few people to fight Anderson went out there with good intentions and tried to work their game plans and it didn't work out. I think Dana thinks that I'm going to go out there and swing for the fences and put up a good fight.”



Irvin is a gamer and is sure to put on a fun fight win or lose. He realizes how great this opportunity is, and he plans on making the most out of it.



“I don't know what I did to get so lucky,” Irvin said graciously. “I mean this is the biggest fight in my entire life. The only fight that could be bigger is if someday I get to fight for the UFC light heavyweight championship belt. Until that happens, this is the biggest moment in my whole life.



“I just can't thank Dana White enough and Anderson Silva. I mean, he's a world champion. He has nothing to prove and he has everything to lose in this fight. I'm just so grateful that he's giving me the opportunity to compete. One thing that I will guarantee, out of respect to him, is he's going to get the very best of me. I called every favor, every coach, every training partner that is pushing me to the limit right now. My coaches are putting me through the ringers right now.”



The one main thing that Irvin believes differentiates him from everyone else that has fought Silva is his dynamic striking and power. He believes it will make a significant difference in the fight, whereas opponents like Franklin and Leben had difficulty striking with Silva.



“They weren't real multi-dimensional strikers. They're real straight forward. Franklin is an awesome striker, but he just didn't match up well with Silva. Mine is definitely more flashy, but at the same time, I'm more Muay Thai based. I'm definitely more of a smash-mouth type of fighter. I'm trying to smash you in the mouth before you smash me.”



While Irvin believes that he has solid Muay Thai, he knows that that this fight could go to a few different areas. However, he is confident on his feet with the Brazilian. “This isn't a Muay Thai fight by any means, but he usually turns it into whatever kind of fight he wants to. When we get in there and it's a straight stand up fight, when we clinch up and knee the hell out of each other, I have a much bigger advantage.”



The clinch seems to be where most of Anderson Silva’s prey has landed in their losing battles. Irvin has noticed this and has made sure that he is prepared for it. “He looks like he always grabs clinch,” stated Irvin. “The only thing he's probably worried about is my right hand or my 1-2 weapon. I'm sure he has 215, 220-pound training partners over there. I don't know what kind of strikers they are.”



Even though many people may feel that Irvin is a severe underdog, he is looking to prove the critics wrong. He wants to show the world that he won’t go down easy and is ready to be among the elite fighters in the world.



“You want to bet against me, go ahead. I have nothing to lose in this fight. This fight is a win-win fight for me. I'm not going to go in there and be anyone's punching bag. I'm not gonna go in there and get myself pushed up against the fence and get his knee in my face and let him bang me up over and over again. I have no problem taking two of his to get one of mine. If we get into a slugfest going back and forth, I guarantee you I'm going to win!”

Q & A WITH TIM SYLVIA

Affliction has put together an incredible card for "Banned," the biggest mixed martial arts event of the year, which is scheduled to take place July 19 in Anaheim, Calif. Headlining the fight is Fedor Emelianenko, the man who has been considered the top fighter in the world for the past few years. He’s going up against one of the best heavyweights in the world, Tim Sylvia. Sylvia recently left the UFC and become one of the few high profile free agents in the sport. I recently caught up with Sylvia to talk about Fedor, MMA judging, Kimbo Slice, the growth of the sport and more.

MMA Stomping Grounds: How’s the training going for Fedor?

Tim Sylvia: Good, real good. I’m preparing the same way I prepare for anyone else, I train my ass off and may the best man win.

MMA Stomping Grounds: If you win against Fedor, do you think you would deserve the title of No. 1 heavyweight in the world?

Sylvia: Yeah, I’ve answered this question a couple times. I just don’t think, in MMA it’s hard to label someone as No. 1. I think the top five guys are all No. 1. It’s just so tough, we’re all so competitive. It’s so close and in MMA anything can happen at any given moment. I don’t care about being ranked No. 1, I care about beating the best guys out there.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What appealed to you about Affliction?

Sylvia:They are friends of mine, they had six of the top 10 heavyweights in the world, and with me they have seven. That’s the best place for me to be to fight all the best fighters out there, so I have to be there.

MMA Stomping Grounds: It’s been awhile since Fedor has fought a top heavyweight. Do you think that will factor into this fight at all?

Sylvia: I’ve fought top 10 guys the past three years and he hasn’t. His competition hasn’t been very good. He’s fought fat middleweights or he’s fought freakshows who weren’t good fighters. I think it’s going to benefit me a little bit.

MMA Stomping Grounds: There are some rumors floating around now -- I think Michael Bisping mentioned something about it -- that Fedor may be injured. Do you give any credence to stuff like that?

Sylvia: I don’t give a [expletive deleted] about any of that. We’ve all fought injured. It happens, so when it comes fight-time, if he’s injured, it won’t bother him at all.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Can Affliction compete with the UFC?

Sylvia: I don’t think Affliction is even considering competing with the UFC. They are just looking to put on quality shows, pay the fighters well and have a good time doing it because they can.

MMA Stomping Grounds: If you beat Fedor, who would you like to face next?

Sylvia: It doesn’t matter to me. I really don’t want to talk about those questions. Let the fight happen first and then I’ll be happy to talk to you about what’s next.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Down the line, do you see yourself back in the UFC or have you put that behind you?

Sylvia: Yeah, eventually I would like to be back in the UFC. Right now, I have other opportunities and there’s a chance for me to make some money as a free agent so that’s what I’m going to do right now.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Do you have friends in the UFC who are coming to you with complaints now that you’re currently out of the organization?

Sylvia: I was with the UFC for five years. I have a lot of friends in the UFC, eh, you know what, no comment. I eventually want to fight back there some day and I left on good terms.

MMA Stomping Grounds: If you could change anything about the sport, what would it be?

Sylvia: There’s a couple things. I would like to see knees and foot stomps allowed on the ground and I would like to see all the judges go to classes and get certified and have to re-certify every year. Just like fighters have to apply for licenses. I think judges have to take classes and know more about MMA. You can’t just have boxing refs judge doing MMA. It’s not working and fighters are getting screwed because of it.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What is the biggest misconception people have about you?

Sylvia: I think people just think I’m mean and hard to approach because I’m big. I’m not, I’m a good guy. I’m just more of a country boy, a redneck and I just like being with my friends and stuff. I find it hard to believe that people just want to get my autograph and get pictures with me. It’s really hard to fathom, even to this day. I’m just fighting for fun and it just happens that they put me on TV now and they pay me to do it. I just love the sport so much, I’m fortunate I guess.

MMA Stomping Grounds: When did you first really notice the fan appreciation and recognition?

Sylvia: After I beat Ricco Rodriguez. Overwhelming, it was overwhelming. I just could not believe it. I had his family taking pictures with me and getting autographs and stuff. It was my second fight in the UFC.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Have you had any weird encounters with fans before?

Sylvia: Oh, God yes. I’ve had fans offer me their wives before and just stupid stuff like that. Fans wanting me to sign their wife's boobs, guys getting tattoos of my signature on their arms. One guy told me was a huge fan of mine, I said ‘thank you’ and he said, ‘can we hang out sometime?’ I said, ‘what do you mean?’ He said, ‘grab a bit to eat, hang out, like friends.’ I’m like, that’s weird, I don’t even know you, man.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What’s one thing about you that most people might not know but that you think they should?

Sylvia: I’m a huge outdoorsman. A big, big hunter. If I’m not training and fighting I’m in the woods. I’ve got some farmland and I love being in the outdoors. I go to Canada to hunt black bear every year and I go all over the U.S. to hunt all species of turkeys. I’m a huge, huge bow hunter.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What do you enjoy most about the sport?

Sylvia: Just the level of competition. I used to play semi-pro football. If you lost the football game it was like, 'I lost but I could still kick your ass,' but [MMA] is the pinnacle. At the end of the day, when all is said and done, you know who the best guy is. It’s kind of a male thing, we want to prove our masculinity and see who the toughest guy is, and we really find out in this sport.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Do you ever have guys who try to prove their toughness by starting things with you?

Sylvia: I get guys running their mouths, hoping I’ll smack them and they can sue me and get paid. But, the majority of public knows I’m 6-8 and 250 pounds, and they know if they mess with me they will get their butt beat, but I do get guys trying to make a little bit of money.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What excites you the most about the sport’s growth?

Sylvia: Um, just being mainstream. And big sponsors are going to start coming in and then bigger sponsors and maybe the sport will be in the Olympics. It would be a huge accomplishment and I’d like to think I was a big part of it.

MMA Stomping Grounds: With the Olympics, is that something you hope can happen during your career?

Sylvia: That would be a lifelong dream but it’s not gonna happen while I’m still fighting. I would kill to be in the Olympics. That would be amazing. I think it’s still 10 to 20 years from the Olympics but I think it will be eventually and I will sit back, hopefully in the Hall of Fame then, and I can say I dug the trenches for this sport.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What’s the biggest misconception most casual sports fans have about MMA?

Sylvia: The biggest thing is they think it’s barbaric or they think it's fake. We need more mainstream coverage, bigger shows, bigger events. The UFC eventually getting on prime time, showcasing the superstars they have and not using Internet idiots to produce the sport and publicize it.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Speaking of Internet idiots, what do you think about Kimbo Slice?

Sylvia: I commend him for becoming somebody and making a living for himself. I’m not mad at Kimbo for making a living -- he’s a self-made man. They put his fights on You Tube and then they said, I wanna pay you $300,000 to fight on prime time TV. You can’t get mad at him for that. You gotta get mad at the people putting fights on TV. There are better guys to showcase, guys who have busted ass, who have fought for 200 bucks and had to get stitches and have paved the way for other fighters. A guy like Kimbo can walk in and be on prime time to fight a bum -- it’s not fair to the true mixed martial artists.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What do you think about Brock Lesnar?

Sylvia: I think once again, he’s a guy who it’s not fair to come in and be the co-main event. To have one fight and get half a million, it’s not fair to guys like me and guys like [Antonio Rogerio] Nogueira. I know why they try to do this -- to get more fans -- but there are guys out there who have been loyal to the sport and when stuff like this happens it’s like a slap in the face.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What did you think about the decision in the Forrest Griffin-Quinton Jackson fight? Did you think Griffin won?

Sylvia: No, I didn’t. I love Forrest, he’s a great guy and they are both good friends of mine, but that’s why I was talking about judges. I really believe Forrest won round two and I believe he won five, and Quinton dominated the first round -- maybe a 10-8 round -- and won rounds three and four 10-9, but judges just weren’t educated enough in MMA.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Looking back on your career, do you have any regrets, would you change anything?

Sylvia: Um, no. I’m pretty happy with the way my career has gone and the way I’ve been portrayed and I’m looking forward to the future and my legacy and this next big fight.

MMA Stomping Grounds: When you talk about legacy, do you have a plan in mind for the rest of your career or are you just going to keep fighting until you’re not on top of your game anymore?

Sylvia: Yeah, I’m thinking three, four, five more years. As long as I stay healthy and I’m at the top. If I lose three, four or five fights in a row, I’m going to be done.
Mixed martial arts blog by Mark Chalifoux for baltimoresun.com

BISPING SAYS "FEDOR IS GOING TO FIGHT TIM INJRED"

The U.K. Sun is currently running a story that lists Michael Bisping as a source in saying that Fedor Emelianenko is currently injured going into his fight with Tim Sylvia.

It’s going to be good to see if Fedor is still the man but I’ve heard on the grapevine from inside sources that he could be injured. But this is time for Fedor to step up. Everyone knows what Tim Sylvia is all about but Fedor’s had an aura about him for a long time. The guy was devastating in Pride but he’s had a long lay off now and his last couple of fights have been against smaller guys. It’ll be interesting to see if he’s still got what he had in Pride - which I’m sure he has - because the guy’s probably the best fighter in MMA history.

UFC middleweight Michael “The Count” Bisping comments on the upcoming fight between former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko and former UFC heavyweight champion Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia at Affliction: Banned on July 19 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

HOLY CRAP FORREST GRIFFIN WON !!!

From reality TV star to UFC champion, Forrest Griffin's mixed martial arts ascendancy hit its high mark Saturday in Las Vegas.

The goofy-eared 29-year-old kid, who gave up a career in law enforcement to throw himself headfirst into MMA, reached the pinnacle of his serendipitous career by capturing the UFC light heavyweight title, on points, over top-ranked Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

Having won the light heavyweight bracket on the debut season of "The Ultimate Fighter" -- the SpikeTV program that drove the Ultimate Fighting Championship and MMA into the mainstream -- Griffin was already a star heading into his challenge at the Mandalay Bay. Now, he is perhaps the biggest star in the UFC's deepest division.

Though judges at ringside scored it unanimously for the new champion, victory didn't come without a price to pay.

The opening round belonged to Jackson, 30, who crushed Chuck Liddell in May 2007 to capture the UFC belt. He bolstered his claim as the best light heavyweight in the world with a decision over Pride 205-pound champion Dan Henderson in September.

Walking to the octagon tonight, Jackson's entourage carried both belts high. The champion's camp didn't consider Griffin much of a threat. Rampage's power, as said in pre-fight interviews, would eventually get to Griffin's previously exposed chin.

In the first five minutes, their predictions appeared accurate.

Jackson twice hurt Griffin with punches to the head. The first, a glancing hook to the temple, was followed later in the round by an uppercut that put the challenger down. But as Griffin has done throughout his career, most notably in an infamous fight in Brazil he won despite a broken arm, he survived.

The course of the fight changed in round 2 when Griffin planted buckling low kicks on Jackson's lead leg. Planting hard each time he threw heavy lumber, Jackson was exposed to Thai kicks and Griffin, one of the most cerebral mixed martial artists, made the proper adjustment.

"He jacked my leg up," Jackson said in the cage afterward. "I tried to pretend. I ain't really good at acting. But he really hurt my leg."

Griffin pressured Jackson to the canvas, where he moved from guard, to side-control, to full mount. Rampage, whose rewards after stopping Liddell included a key to his childhood hometown of Memphis, Tenn., held on until the bell sounded to close the second.

Rounds three and four were less dramatic, but equally competitive.

With Griffin backing off the leg-kicking attack, Jackson began again to step in and throw lead hooks and uppercuts.

"Every punch he threw hurt," said Griffin, who joined Jackson as coaches on the seventh season of "The Ultimate Fighter." The reality-show based hiatus kept Jackson out of the cage for nine months, something he noted after the bout.

In the fourth an ugly gash underneath the challenger's right eyebrow opened after a wild exchange. The light heavyweights went to the canvas, where Griffin worked on the closest submission attempt of the fight. Jackson defended the triangle choke by powering the 6-foot-3 Griffin off the canvas before slamming him back down to earth. Well aware of the defense Jackson offered in the same scenario against Ricardo Arona, Griffin smartly released the hold before he was lifted high enough where a slam might really hurt.

With Jackson landing power shots and Griffin upping the pace, the five-round title fight was tight all the way to the end. Between rounds four and five Rampage's trainer, Juanito Ibarra, repeatedly told his charge that he was in control of the fight. Judges' cards would show otherwise.

Jackson, the words of his close trainer and advisor ringing in his ears, stepped off the gas and cruised until the 90 remained. Despite being busier, Griffin (16-4) didn't land an effective shot in the last period.

Cage-side, judges Adalaide Byrd and Nelson "Doc" Hamilton saw it 48-46 for Griffin, while Roy Silbert tallied a 49-46 advantage for the new champion.

SI.com scored the bout even at 47-47 -- rounds 1, 3 and 4 to Jackson; Griffin earned the second, at 10-8, and the 5th.

Jackson had no problem with the scoring, going so far as to say Griffin "whooped my ass." But, added the fighter whose record fell to 28-7, "I ain't no stranger to getting my ass whooped."

Said the new champion, who earned the title shot by choking Mauricio Rua: "This is the best moment of my life."

Middleweights Patrick Cote and Ricardo Almeida waged a slow three-round contest that saw the judges split in their verdict. Hoping to get the fight to the floor, Almeida, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, failed to do so after the opening round. It cost him on two judges' cards, who awarded the contest 29-28 to Cote, the French Canadian fighter's fifth straight win in the UFC after losing his first four bouts.

With Almeida (9-3) struggling to put Cote (13-4) on the canvas, just one judge saw it for the Renzo Gracie pupil, also by a 29-28 tally.

On a night when T.U.F winners ruled the world, Joe Stevenson, who captured the title in the show's second season, submitted Gleison Tibau (15-6) in a lightweight fight. Struggling early with Tibau's size, Stevenson (29-8) timed a takedown attempt perfectly to secure an arm-in guillotine choke at 2:57 of round two.

Cutting Chris Lytle's face in three spots -- two above the Indiana firefighter's right eye and a third between his eyebrows -- Josh Koscheck earned a dominant unanimous decision.

The welterweights fought cautiously in the first, but Koscheck opened up in the middle period. Straddling Lytle from the half-guard, Koscheck (11-2) delivered cutting shots that started a torrent of blood. Covered in red, Lytle (25-16-5) continued with the consent of referee Yves Lavigne. Though he tried valiantly to rally in the third, Lytle could not muster a comeback against the ranked Koscheck.

Tyson Griffin kept himself in UFC lightweight title contention by out-pointing Brazilian veteran Marcus Aurelio in the first televised bout of the evening.

The plan for Griffin, a strong 24-year-old lightweight training out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, was simple: avoid Aurelio's submission game. He did that and more over the course of the 15-minute fight.

During three medium-paced rounds Griffin (12-1) worked straight rights and left hooks to the 34-year-old Aurelio's body. When the bout hit the floor, Griffin delivered heavy punches while smartly avoiding submission setups from Aurelio's guard. With the loss, which came by 30-27 scores three times, Aurelio dropped his fourth fight in his last six contests, falling to 16-6 overall.