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Feb 7, 2006
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Gilbert Melendez Says He's Still Top 10 In The World, Plans To Prove It On Aug. 15

Strikeforce Interim Lightweight Championship Gilbert Melendez is ready to once again be the official lightweight champion of Strikeforce, as he faces current champion Josh Thomson at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg on August 15th. Melendez hopes to regain the belt that he lost to Thomson at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson in June of 2008.

"I was Strikeforce champ, and now I’m the interim," Melendez told Rod Moyer of FightLine.com. "[I'm] fighting Josh Thompson in a rematch, and you know, I think I’m a pretty exciting fighter."

Melendez had won the title at Strikeforce: Revenge on June 9, 2006, defeating Clay Guida to win the belt. He hopes that by regaining the title, he'll prove that he is still one of the top fighters in the world.

"I believe I’m still top 10 in the world," he noted. "At a time, I was the number one 145 pounder in the world, and at a time, number two in the world at 155."

Melendez isn't happy with being number two, and said that he was "on a journey to becoming the best."

On August 15th, Melendez has a chance to take a big step into doing just that.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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HDNet to air DREAM.10 live on July 20

HDNet will air DREAM.10 live this coming Monday, July 20, the all-high-definition cable station announced on Thursday.

The event, which takes places at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, features the semifinals and grand finale of the organization's welterweight grand prix.

A live broadcast is slated for 3 a.m. ET (midnight PT) on July 20, and a replay is slotted for Friday, July 24, at 10 p.m. ET.

Tournament semifinal bouts include Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (35-8-2) vs. Marius Zaromskis (9-2) and Andre Galvao (3-0) vs. Jason High (7-1). The two winners will meet later in the night to determine a grand prix winner.

Also slated to compete are Shinya Aoki, who faces a tough Vitor Ribeiro in one of the best lightweight fights of the summer, and former WEC middleweight champ Paulo Filho, who fights for the first time since his bizarre decision loss to Chael Sonnen in November 2008.

The full lineup includes:

* Welterweight grand prix finale
* Andre Galvao vs. Jason High#
* Hayato "Mach" Sakurai vs. Marius Zaromskis#
* Jesse Taylor vs. Dong Sik Yoon*
* Paulo Filho vs. Melvin Manhoef
* Andre "Dida" Amade vs. Katsunori Kikuno
* Shinya Aoki vs. Vitor Ribeiro
* Tarec Saffiedine vs. Ikemoto Seich^

* - Not officially announced
# - Welterweight grand prix semifinal fight
^ - Welterweight grand prix reserve bout
 
Feb 7, 2006
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ALL ATHLETES TEST NEGATIVE AT UFC 100

Keith Kizer, Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, on Friday released post-fight drug test results for UFC 100, which took place on July 11 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Thirteen athletes were tested for performance enhancing substances and drugs of abuse: Brock Lesnar, Frank Mir, Georges St. Pierre, Thiago Alves, Dan Henderson, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Jon Fitch, Jon Jones, Mark Coleman, Jim Miller, Dong Hyun Kim, Tom Lawlor, and Shannon Gugerty.

All athletes tested negative.

The UFC's centennial card drew an unofficial 11,000 fans for $5.1 million in revenue, according to president Dana White. If those numbers hold, the card would place second in the state's top live MMA gates.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Yushin Okami vs. Chael Sonnen middleweight bout set for UFC 104 in Los Angeles

A middleweight bout between long, longtime contender Yushin Okami (23-4 MMA, 7-1 UFC) and Chael Sonnen (23-10-1 MMA, 2-3 UFC) is set for UFC 104.

The bout was revealed on the recently launched UFC Japan website.

UFC 104 takes place Oct. 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and features a main event between UFC light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. The Okami vs. Sonnen bout will likely take place on the night's pay-per-view-televised main card.

Okami enters UFC 104 still on the brink of a title shot. Aside from a close unanimous-decision loss to former middleweight champ Rich Franklin in mid-2007, Okami is a perfect 7-0 in the UFC. Now 9-1 in his past 10 fights, Okami returns to the cage for the first time since his unanimous-decision win over Dean Lister in December.

Okami had been slated to return in May to fight Dan Miller but was forced off the card due to injury.

His upcoming opponent, Sonnen, instead took the fight and edged Miller for a decision victory. Prior to the victory, Sonnen had suffered a first-round submission loss to Demian Maia. It was his first UFC fight in three years. Prior to the start of his now second UFC stint, Sonnen competed in the WEC, where in his final fight, he defeated WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho in a non-title fight (Filho failed to make weight for the show).

Sonnen now goes for his fourth win in five fights.

Over the past week, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has reported numerous bookings for UFC 104, including Rob Kimmons vs. Jorge Rivera, Patrick Barry vs. Antoni Hardonk, and Ryan Bader vs. Eric Schafer.

The latest UFC 104 card now includes:

* Champ Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (for light-heavyweight title)*
* Shane Carwin vs. Cain Velasquez*
* Yushin Okami vs. Chael Sonnen
* Anthony Johnson vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida*
* Ryan Bader vs. Eric Schafer*
* Rob Kimmons vs. Jorge Rivera*
* Patrick Barry vs. Antoni Hardonk*
* Razak Al-Hassan vs. Kyle Kingsbury*

* - Not officially announced
 
Feb 7, 2006
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UFC A HIT ON MEXICAN TV; LIVE EVENT NEXT?

When you consider the love affair Mexico has with combat sports, as well as the storied warriors who have hailed from that nation, it is no surprise the debut airing of the UFC® in Mexico last Saturday night was a huge success. And it was a hit, as UFC 100’s broadcast on Channel 9 garnered a peak IPOBE rating of 13.30, which surpassed that of a boxing event and soccer match also airing at the same time.

“We definitely knew that the Mexican people were hungry for the UFC,” said Lorenzo Fertitta, Chairman and CEO of UFC. “We paved the way with the WEC, which was getting a great response in Mexico, and we knew that once you put this program on free TV, it would work.”

The UFC 100 broadcast was the first of the deal between the UFC and Grupo Televisa, the world’s largest Spanish-speaking media company. It was a partnership long in the making, and one celebrated on July 8th in Mexico City with a press conference attended by two of the UFC’s finest, lightweight prospect Efrain Escudero and heavyweight contender Cain Velasquez, both of whom proudly celebrate their Mexican roots.

“That press conference was awesome,” said Escudero, a native of San Luis Rio Colorado. “It was something I had never experienced before, and the Mexican people treated me great. I really enjoyed it.”

“It was great,” agreed Velasquez. “Everyone who was there greeted us with open arms and they all told us that they enjoyed the UFC and that they were super excited that it’s going to be shown over there now. And for me, it was an honor being in Mexico City. I’ve dreamed of going down there since I was little, and it was an honor to go there and represent my family and UFC.”

With all the major media players in the city present, the UFC team met the press and outlined its hopes for the future of the organization in Mexico. Escudero and Velasquez were particularly popular with the media, as both epitomize what fans expect from a Mexican fighter. Basically, you’re a gentleman outside the ring and a never say die warrior in it. The two UFC standouts are fine with that categorization.

“I’m a very nice person, but I love taking care of business,” said Escudero, winner of season eight of The Ultimate Fighter®. “There’s a time for fun and there’s a time where you say, ‘hey, it’s time to go after somebody.’”

“I think it’s in our blood,” said Velasquez, who is coming off a stirring win over Cheick Kongo at UFC 99 in June. “The things that are popular in Mexico are boxing, wrestling, and bullfighting. We love a good fight and to see someone leave it all out there. That’s our style. We go out and fight with all our hearts. If the fans know you were out there and pretty much gave it all and didn’t give up, they’re behind you a hundred percent; if you go out there and you gave up, they’ll disown you. You cannot do that.”

Velasquez didn’t give up against Kongo, even after getting rocked and dropped, and he roared back to take the biggest win of his career. It’s the type of victory that could inspire a host of young fans in Mexico, some of whom may even start taking up mixed martial arts because of it. That’s something Velasquez didn’t have while growing up in California.

“I was always a big kid, so growing up there was never anyone big who was Mexican that I could look up to, and I’d be honored if I could be that person for someone,” said Velasquez, who recalls Saturday fight nights being a big event around his house, especially if a Mexican fighter was involved.

“To see a Mexican who was on top of his sport was something awesome to watch,” said the unbeaten heavyweight. “Growing up, we didn’t really have anyone up in the media. There was no one in the movies or music, so we watched the guys who were in sports, and that was pretty much in boxing.”

Escudero, who came to the States at the age of eight, agrees.

“A lot of people in my family were boxing fans,” he said. “My dad was a boxer when he was young, and though most of my brothers weren’t really into sports, my brother Francisco was into boxing and wrestling, and he’s the one who got me started. So usually when there was a fight, no matter who it is representing Mexico, everybody’s stuck to the TV.”

Now fans can get stuck to the TV watching mixed martial arts’ best – and on free TV no less. This Saturday night at 11pm local time, the UFC action continues when Mexico’s flagship station, Channel 5, airs “Road to UFC 101”, which features the four headliners of the August 8th UFC event – BJ Penn, Kenny Florian, Forrest Griffin, and Anderson Silva. It’s the beginning of what should be a long relationship between one of fighting’s hallowed nations and the world’s premier combat sport. Now all that needs to take place is a UFC event in Mexico.

“That would be my dream come true,” said Escudero.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Rich Franklin in Las Vegas to discuss new UFC deal, UFC 103 slot "still likely"

Rich Franklin is currently in Las Vegas to discuss a new contract with the UFC, and the first fight of the deal could be for a main-event bout at UFC 103.

The news comes from MMAjunkie.com's Dann Stupp, who posted the update in the Dayton Daily News MMA blog.

According to the report, Franklin, who has one fight remaining on his current deal, is meeting one-on-one with UFC president Dana White about the contract, which could be the final one of his career.

Franklin, a 34-year-old former UFC middleweight, most recently headlined UFC 99, where he defeated Wanderlei Silva via unanimous decision (at a catch-weight of 195 pounds). Franklin is now 2-1 since leaving the middleweight division. The lone loss came via split-decision to Dan Henderson in January.

Franklin has been a rumored headliner for UFC 103 for the past month or two. During last week's UFC 100 pre-event press conference, White confirmed Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (25-6-2) would return to the organization to fight Junior Dos Santos (8-1) at the event, though the fight hasn't been guaranteed headline status.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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SHOGUN SAYS PATIENCE IS KEY TO BEATING MACHIDA

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua hopes to turn light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida’s greatest attribute – timing – against him when the two square off at UFC 104 in October.

It’s the first 25-minute fight in Rua’s career, five minutes longer than his battles in the days of Pride. But that’s not a bad thing.

“I get very happy with that, because when you get to the first five-rounder of your career, it means you’re fighting for the belt,” he told MMAWeekly.com backstage at UFC 100. “I take it as a great thing. I always wanted to train for five rounds.”

Rua will begin his training shortly in Curitiba and decide two months out whether to move to Sao Paulo, where he and his new trainers bore down for an all-important fight with Chuck Liddell at UFC 97.

He emerged a new man with a first round knockout of the former light heavyweight champ, setting the stage for what could be his toughest challenge yet against Machida. Gone was the sluggish fighter who withered to Forrest Griffin and ran out of gas against old-timer Mark Coleman.

"Machida karate" is the current riddle of the light heavyweight class, with its angular stance, control of range, and explosive counter-strikes the bane of every fighter who encounters it in the Octagon.

It goes without saying, but most have not done a good job at adapting to the style. His training partners struggle.

"Sometimes, I ate some shots," said Vitor Belfort, who often sparred with Machida at Black House in Brazil. "I ate five to get one."

Rua thinks people are taking the wrong approach.

“Most of the guys that fought Lyoto… found a problem with patience, with finding the right moment to attack, or to counter-strike him,” he said. “Some guys try to rush it too much; some guys try to stay too patient, (and) they start to get nervous because of that.

“I think the key is the timing of the fight, to get the feeling of when to engage and when to counter-strike him. This is likely the key, to find the pace and the rhythm, mostly the timing of the strikes to be able to connect and to make it a fight. For sure, I’m going to concentrate on that and develop a good strategy.”

The main problem now, as Rua said, is finding sparring partners to emulate “The Dragon.”
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Strikeforce adds Martinez vs. Hill and Barros vs. Lighty to "Carano vs. Cyborg" event

The preliminary card of Strikeforce's star-studded Aug. 15 event, "Carano vs. Cyorg," is beginning to take shape as two more bouts are now official for the event.

Strikeforce exec Mike Afromowitz today confirmed with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that "The Tachi Kid" Poppies Martinez (16-5) meets Cung Le product Isaiah Hill (4-6-1), while Brazilian Ricardo Barros (2-2) faces former K-1 fighter Scott Lighty (4-0).

Featuring four title bouts, "Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg" takes place Aug. 15 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. The main card airs live on Showtime.

As MMAjunkie.com first reported, Martinez – an 11-time WEC veteran and nine-time Palace Fighting Championship participant – will be making his Strikeforce debut. Martinez will carry a two-fight win streak into the bout, though he will be seeing action for the first time in 2009.

After beginning his career in 2006 with three impressive first-round wins – totaling just 124 seconds of total ring time – Hill has gone just 1-6-1 since. Hill fought once before for Strikforce, falling to Billy Evangelista in February 2007 at the organization's now-retired "Young Guns" series.

A Ralph Gracie black belt, Barros operates his own Brazilian jiu-jitsu academy in Brentwood, Calif. Barros' most recent appearance was in the WEC, where he lost by first-round TKO to Mark Munoz. While Barros owns two career wins by submission, his first MMA contest was a 2000 loss to Falniko Vitale.

Lighty last fought in September 2008, earning a first-round TKO over Jamiah Williamsion under the ShoXC banner. The former kickboxer also fought for the California-based Palace Fighting Championship PureCombat organizations in 2008, Lighty's first year competing as a professional mixed martial artist.

Additional bouts are expected to be announced shortly.

With the additions to the card, "Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg" now includes:

* Gina Carano vs. Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (for Strikeforce women's 145-pound title)
* Champ Josh Thomson vs. Gilbert Melendez (for Strikeforce world lightweight title)
* Champ Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum (for Strikeforce world heavyweight title)
* Nick Diaz vs. Joe Riggs (for vacant Strikeforce world welterweight title)
* Billy Evangelista vs. TBA*
* Isaiah Hill vs. Poppies Martinez
* Ricardo Barros vs. Scott Lighty
* Erin Toughill vs. TBA

* - Not officially announced
 
Feb 7, 2006
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UFC Quick Quote: Tito Ortiz ‘came to amends’ with Dana White — possible return in Fall 2009?

“UFC is not out of the picture…. There’s a possibility — I don’t know. I had a conversation with Dana last week, me and him spoke … we were really, really good friends at a point, best friends at a point, and everything got mucked up because of the fight game…. I wanted to be a man and squash things between me and him and wish him luck in his journeys and he did the same to me. So we kind of amended and squashed things, which is great. Dana showed the kind of person he is by apologizing to me and vice versa…. I’m very thankful for Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta from the UFC and I’m glad that me and Dana (White) kind of got to brush each other off. We may not still like each other or whatever but we came to amends — which is awesome. I gotta thank Strikeforce for giving me an opportunity and I want to thank Affliction for giving me an opportunity.”
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Antonio Silva, Joe Doerksen and Ryan Schultz announced for Sengoku 10th Battle event

A trio of former stars from U.S.-based promotions has been announced for World Victory Road's Sengoku 10th Battle event.

Final EliteXC heavyweight champion Antonio Silva (12-1), final IFL lightweight champion Ryan Schultz (20-11-1) and former UFC fighter Joe Doerksen (42-12) have been confirmed for the event, though no opponents were announced.

Sengoku 10th Battle takes place Sept. 23 at the Saitama Community Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

The event is expected to air in North American in HDNet.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported last month that Silva, currently suspended in the U.S. following a failed drug test after a July 2008 bout with Justin Eilers under the EliteXC banner, expected a September return with WVR. Silva and his American Top Team camp have remained adamant that the heavyweight never touched any sort of performance-enhancing drug, though the California State Athletic Commission's test said otherwise.

Silva, who is currently on a five-fight win streak, most recently fought in a January win over Yoshihiro Nakao for Sengoku.

However, Alex Davis, American Top Team founding manager and Silva's manager, said he wants the fighter back fighting on U.S. soil at some point.

"Once we get him [Silva] in the picture, and once he's feasible again, we're open," Davis said. "Who knows? It could be UFC, could be Strikeforce, could be Affliction – wherever he has good fights that make sense. Antonio needs to fight the big names."

Schultz, who went 7-2 with with six consecutive victories to close out his IFL run, has since posted back-to-back losses to Mizuto Hirota and Jorge Masvidal in recent Sengoku events. He now finds himself in a must-win situation if he hopes to build off his quickly fading IFL success.

Doerksen, meanwhile, goes for his fourth consecutive win following a three-fight losing skid, which included a loss in the WEC and two in the UFC. Despite the trio of losses, the middleweight remains 10-3 (with nine stoppages) in his past 13 fights.

Opponents for the three fighters and additional bouts for Sengoku 10th Battle are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Satoru Kitaoka vs. Mizuto Hirota granted main-event status at Sengoku Ninth Battle card set

A lightweight title fight between current Sengoku champion Satoru Kitaoka (25-8-9) and Mizuto Hirota (11-3-1) has been granted main event status at World Victory Road's Aug. 2 event "Sungoku Ninth Battle."

The bout order for the evening's 13-fight card was released earlier today.

Also featuring the conclusion of Sengoku's 2009 featherweight grand prix, "Sengoku Ninth Battle" takes place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and the main card airs on HDNet.

Kitaoka became Sengoku's first-ever lightweight title holder with an impressive win over Takanori Gomi in January. Kitaoka has since defeated Yukio Sakaguchi in the Pancrase organization, and he will bring a six-fight win streak into the contest.

Hirota, a nine-time Shooto veteran, is 1-1-1 in his past three contests. Ni his most recent bout, Hirota earned an impressive 93-second win over veteran Mitsuhiro Ishida in May.

In addition to the final two rounds of the featherweight grand prix, "Sengoku Ninth Battle" also fetures notables Kazuo Misaki vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura, as well as Kazuyuki Fujita, Akihiro Gono and Yoshihiro Nakao.

The final fight order includes:

* Champ Satoru Kitaoka vs. Mizuto Hirota (for Sengoku lightweight title)
* Sengoku featherweight GP finale
* Kazuo Misaki vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura
* Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Blagoy Alexandre Ivanov
* Dan Hornbuckle vs. Akihiro Gono
* Clay French vs. Eiji Mitsuoka
* Matt Jaggers vs. Chan Sung Jung+
* Michihiro Omigawa vs. Marlon Sandro*
* Hatsu Hioki vs. Masanoru Kanehara*
* Choi Mu Bae vs. Yoshihiro Nakao
* Koji Ando vs. Ikuo Usuda
* Toru Harai vs. Shigeki Osawa
* Ryosuke Komori vs. Takeshi Numajiri

* - Featherweight GP semifinals
+ - Featherweight GP reserve bout
 
Dec 9, 2005
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Am I the only one that thinks that Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson is the one welterweight that could possibly give GSP problems ?

He's got awesome power, solid wrestling, and is fucking huge.

The way GSP has been fighting, it looks like its going to take Brock Lesnar to get him off of his throne, but I like the style matchup for Rumble.

Anyways, that UFC 104 looks like a pretty good card !
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Am I the only one that thinks that Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson is the one welterweight that could possibly give GSP problems ?

He's got awesome power, solid wrestling, and is fucking huge.

The way GSP has been fighting, it looks like its going to take Brock Lesnar to get him off of his throne, but I like the style matchup for Rumble.

Anyways, that UFC 104 looks like a pretty good card !
I'm with u on that give johnson a couple more fights and he should be ready for gsp but the way gsp handel alves johnson will have to keep the fight standing to have a good chances for a win.
 
May 10, 2002
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Rumble is that dude ...

BUT

Am I crazy or does he lack good head movement? He doesn't necessarily take a BIG shots, but he doesn't seem to try to make guys miss
 
May 17, 2004
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I think Rumble could give him a run in a year or two, but not right now. I think Jake Shields honestly has the best chance to beat GSP in the entire WW division.
i just think that shields stand up is awful. i could just see gsp keeping it standing and picking him apart. or even taking him down and smothering him like he did to penn and alves.

and at this point i dont really know that anyone could beat gsp. he just makes everyone else look like shit.
 
Feb 12, 2004
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i just think that shields stand up is awful. i could just see gsp keeping it standing and picking him apart. or even taking him down and smothering him like he did to penn and alves.

and at this point i dont really know that anyone could beat gsp. he just makes everyone else look like shit.
Yeah I agree Jake's stand up is horrendous. I was just thinking Jake since he's a really good wrestler and jiu jitsu guy. Unfortunately taking down GSP is no joke and Jake's stand up is just horrible.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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IS "THEE" MMA FEUD OVER BETWEEN DANA & TITO?

Could it be? On the same day that Tiger Woods missed the cut for only the second time in his professional golfing career, it appears that hell may just have frozen over.

Apparently, the longstanding feud between former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz and UFC president Dana White is over.

Yes, over.

At least according to their Twitter exchange on Friday afternoon.

"Yeah, me and (Dana White) made up. I'm expecting to be inside the Octagon again soon," Ortiz posted on his Twitter account.

Minutes later, White confirmed Ortiz' comments, posting on his own Twitter account, "Yes, Tito and I made up."

Although White fell short of saying that his arms were open to a Tito Ortiz return to the Octagon. "Doesn't mean he's back," posted the brash executive. "It means we aren't smashing each other anymore and we don't hate each other."

Of course, it's not out of the realm of possibility, since they have obviously upgraded their status from "Extreme Danger" to "Caution," that Ortiz could find his way back into the Octagon.

Since leaving the UFC following a loss to current champion Lyoto Machida, Ortiz has been in negotiations, first with the now defunct EliteXC, then Affliction, and most recently, Strikeforce.

In fact, less than three weeks ago in an interview with MMAWeekly.com, Ortiz sounded as if Strikeforce was all but a done deal.

"I'm in negotiations right now with Strikeforce and working with CBS and Showtime, so all three of us are going back and forth to make a contract that makes sense to me," he revealed at the time.

"Hopefully by October I'll be competing. We're finishing the contract I'd say with CBS, Showtime, and Strikeforce and making a deal that UFC can't match."

With the UFC's worth being estimated at more than a billion dollars, it wouldn't seem that much would be out of the juggernaught's reach, other than a network television deal.

"I managed to come off a huge back surgery. It's been a year since I've competed. I think one warm-up fight to get things going," Ortiz said in the MMAWeekly.com interview. "After that, I don't want no more warm-up fights. I'm hoping by my fourth fight, possibly fight Fedor Emelianenko at a catchweight. That'd be something that I'm looking forward to possibly by the middle of next year."

That's one other element that the UFC currently can't deliver, Fedor. But the promotion is maxing out many of its top stars with most of its events booked out until October, with the notable absence of a headline bout for its Sept. 19 landing in Dallas. And love him or hate him, Ortiz has a legion of followers and the UFC history that makes him an acceptable headliner or, at the least, a feature bout.

Of course, all of that is pure speculation as neither Ortiz nor White was available for comment – outside of their Twitter posts – at the time of publication. For now, all we know is that one of the most entertaining feuds in MMA history is winding down.