MMA Universe

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - He's one of the premier boxers of the last 25 years, a future Hall of Famer who has won world titles in three weight classes while taking on a Who's Who of the sport, including fellow champions Evander Holyfield, John Ruiz, Hasim Rahman, Vassiliy Jirov, Roy Jones Jr., Mike McCallum, Iran Barkley, and Michael Nunn. But there is one more mountain left to climb for James "Lights Out" Toney, and that's to show if he can defeat the mixed martial arts warriors of the UFC.

Mike Russell, UFC - For Eric "Red" Schafer, being a mixed martial arts fighter has never been about being a tough guy or becoming rich and famous - it has always been about testing how far he could go in the sport, how much he could improve both physically and mentally and about how much fun he could have doing it.

Frank Curreri, WEC - If you lose your next fight, will you retire? The inquiry creates a slightly awkward air for both the interviewer and interviewee. But it is to be expected. When you're a former UFC champion and have been on a significant slide in recent years - media interviews can easily start to feel like FBI interrogations.

Chuck Mindenhall, UFC - One of the more interesting yet barely discussed subplots in the battle between up-and-coming welterweight John Howard and stalwart Dennis Hallman this past December was the impossibly coincidental clash of the nicknames—Doomsday versus Superman. In the DC Comic world, the berserk killing machine Doomsday ended Superman's run as a super-productive Samaritan with an aggressive stand-and-trade philosophy. After the two exchanged shockwave inducing hands, the turning point came when Superman died.

Frank Curreri, WEC - He's a former collegiate wrestling star with only 18 months in the MMA game. But as Chad Mendes crams for his WEC debut against unbeaten Erik Koch (9-0), the Urijah Faber protégé makes it abundantly clear that he is a quick study.

Chuck Mindenhall, UFC - When asked about his life as a carpenter versus his life as a fighter, Clay Guida has an adage that sums him up completely: "I put my tool belt on every day when I put my training gear on." And that's true—he's a blue-collar worker who fights that way, with one aspect of his life hardly distinguishable from the other.

Frank Curreri, WEC - So, Deividas Taurosevicius, who are you training with these days to get ready for L.C. Davis? "I'm training with my sparring partners," he responds earnestly in his thick Lithuanian accent.

Michael DiSanto, UFC - In the first part of the Land of the Giants heavyweight breakdown, we examined the top guns among the big boys. But there's more than just the Fab Four of Lesnar, Carwin, Mir, and Velasquez, as you'll soon find out…

Frank Curreri, WEC - Despite his opponent's recent stretch of bad luck, 11-year pro Javier Vazquez knows better than to underestimate a former UFC Champion. A Gracie Barra Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Vazquez sternly dismisses talk of there being an "Old Jens Pulver" and a contemporary Jens Pulver whose skills have slipped over time.

Michael DiSanto, UFC - For the last several months, the UFC heavyweight division was in very real limbo as its ruler, Brock Lesnar, battled a mysterious illness that momentarily threatened his career. The illness was later revealed to be diverticulitis, and the champ recently received a clean bill of health and is champing at the bit to lay the two cinder blocks he calls fists into someone's dome. Things are therefore back to normal in the Land of the Giants. Well, almost. The 2010 version of the sport's ruling class is a vast improvement over what it was just a year ago.

Frank Curreri, WEC - A fighter's essence can often be summarized in one word. For Karen Darabedyan, "chill" seems most fitting. No mental switch needs flipping when this maven of mellow steps into the cage. The Californian's flat-line demeanor stands out because he wears it equally both inside and outside of competition. Unlike many of his peers, the 155-pound WEC fighter can steamroll an opponent with the same nonchalance that he displays while grocery shopping or talking on the phone with a reporter.

Mike Russell, UFC - In 2003, after more than six and a half years in mixed martial arts, Vladimir Matyushenko walked away from the sport and figured that his days as a fighter were behind him.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - Given the intensity and scope of MMA, every event is sure to have some unbelievable occurrences (like the forehead cuts at UFC 110) and characters (think Bisping and Wandy). So we've decided to take a look back in the organization's history to bring you its 15 wildest moments ever -- presented in typically haphazard order.

Chuck Mindenhall, UFC - Being thrown into the Octagon with Jon Fitch in only your second UFC fight can be career suicide, and as such, somewhat unnerving. That is, unless you're Mike Pierce, one of the welterweight division's toughest son-of-a-guns to come into the UFC over the past year. Dude is built like a stevedore. And talk about even-keeled: When Pierce got the call to fight a month earlier than his scheduled bout with the equally-harrowing AKA product, Josh Koscheck, he never hesitated.

Armando Alvarez, UFC - He didn't want to tap. He was unbeaten, a winner of "The Ultimate Fighter", and one of the Octagon's brightest rising stars. The armbar applied by Evan Dunham was strong; it was locked in tight, but Efrain Escudero was not about to surrender.

Centennial, Colo. - Feb. 22, 2010 - For the first time in UFC® history, UFC fans can head to their local movie theater and take in all the action in the Octagon™, live and broadcast in high definition on the big screen starting with UFC 111: St- Pierre vs. Hardy on Saturday, March 27 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern / 7:00 p.m. Pacific.

Michael DiSanto, UFC - Cain Velasquez is ready for a title shot—now. No heavyweight, not even current champion Brock Lesnar, has ever entered the UFC with more hype than Velasquez. He was proclaimed by his trainers as the heir apparent to the crown before he ever stepped foot in the division.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - The next generation has arrived. If there were any doubts that Cain Velasquez was the real deal, the unbeaten phenom answered them emphatically Sunday afternoon as he scored a spectacular first round knockout of future Hall of Famer Antonio Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira in the UFC 110 main event at the sold out Acer Arena, host to the UFC's first event in Australia.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - With losses in three of his last four fights, PRIDE legend Wanderlei Silva felt the pressure heading into his UFC 110 co-main event against Michael Bisping Sunday afternoon, but with flashes of his ferocious brilliance late in rounds two and three, he was able to eke out a close, but unanimous, decision over 'The Count' at Acer Arena.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - Known for his striking prowess, welterweight vet Chris 'Lights Out' Lytle went to Plan B Sunday afternoon at the Acer Arena, submitting Brian Foster with a first round kneebar in UFC 110 preliminary action.