MMA Universe

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - Wednesday morning's announcement that UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar was fully healed from a bout with diverticulosis and getting ready for a return to the Octagon later in 2010 was the news millions of fight fans had been waiting to hear. As for the rest of the heavyweight division, Lesnar isn't so sure.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - After several weeks of tense speculation, UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar ended the waiting today, appearing on ESPN's SportsCenter to let the world know that he's returning to the Octagon after a serious bout with diverticulitis.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - One of the most influential fighters in mixed martial arts history, Mark Coleman is seen by most as "The Godfather of Ground and Pound." But the former Ohio State standout isn't about to hang up his "Hammer" just yet, and after a dominating victory over Stephan Bonnar at UFC 100, he's ready for the next step in his career, and that's a February 6th meeting with fellow Hall of Famer Randy Couture in the main event of UFC 108. In honor of that bout, let's revisit the biggest moments in Coleman's career.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - On Saturday, February 6th, five-time UFC champion Randy Couture returns to the Octagon to take on fellow Hall of Famer Mark Coleman in a showdown nearly 12 years in the making. With the UFC 109 main event just weeks away, it's the perfect time to remind everyone just why this matchup is so historic. So read on for Couture's "Magnificent Seven" victories.

Hosted by Kendra Perez, "The Best of PRIDE Fighting Championships" makes its long-awaited premiere on Spike TV tonight at 10pm ET / PT, and fans will start to re-live the most memorable moments of the Japanese fight organization with an action-packed lineup that includes the game's premier athletes.

Weeks ahead of his UFC 109 showdown with grappling wizard Demian Maia, New Jersey middleweight Dan Miller has been awarded his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by Renzo Gracie black belt Jamie Cruz. Miller (11-2, 1 NC) has won by submission in two of his three UFC victories and has tapped out seven opponents overall in his career, establishing himself as one of the 185-pound division's rising stars in the process.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - There may be no other fighter more representative of Japan's PRIDE Fighting Championships than the organization's longtime 205-pound champion Wanderlei Silva. But was it the staredowns, the loosening of his wrists before a fight? Nah, it's all about the fights, and with tonight's premiere of "The Best of PRIDE Fighting Championships" at 10pm ET / PT on Spike TV, you will get to see Silva in his memorable 2003 rematch against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, just one of 'The Axe Murderer's seven defining PRIDE moments.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - One of mixed martial arts true superstars, former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson first made his name on the international fight scene with his stint in Japan's PRIDE organization. In honor of Friday night's premiere of "The Best of PRIDE Fighting Championships" at 10pm ET / PT on Spike TV, we now revisit Jackson's seven defining PRIDE moments.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - Over the course of Spike TV's "The Best of PRIDE Fighting Championships" series, which premieres Friday night at 10pm ET / PT, you can expect to see plenty of "Minotauro" Nogueira, the only man to hold the heavyweight title both in the UFC and PRIDE. Why is that, you may ask? Well, just read on for Nogueira's seven defining PRIDE moments and you'll see why.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - This Friday night on Spike TV, PRIDE lives again with the premiere of "The Best of PRIDE Fighting Championships" at 10pm ET / PT. Featured on this first episode in a man long considered to be one of the top light heavyweights in the game, Brazil's Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua, who takes on former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman in a 2006 showdown. The fight was just one of many defining PRIDE moments for Rua, seven of which we detail here.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - Rising heavyweight star Junior Dos Santos will look to keep his unbeaten UFC streak going on Sunday, March 21st when he takes on former world title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga in an All-Brazilian clash of hard-hitting contenders.

Michael DiSanto, UFC - Gray Maynard's close decision win over former conqueror Nate Diaz wasn't pretty, and it certainly wasn't easy. The real question following Monday night's fight, though, was whether it was enough to earn the former Michigan State University wrestler a shot at the division's ultimate prize—BJ Penn's lightweight crown.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - It probably wasn't the way lightweight contender Gray Maynard pictured it, but before a sold out crowd at the Patriot Center Monday night, he got the "W" he wanted more than any other, as he was awarded a close three round split decision victory over Nate Diaz in the UFC Fight Night main event, a win that avenged his defeat to Diaz on season five of The Ultimate Fighter.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - Unbeaten but unheralded Evan Dunham scored the biggest win of his young UFC career Monday night at the Patriot Center, moving to 3-0 in the organization with a come from behind third round submission victory over The Ultimate Fighter season eight winner Efrain Escudero, who suffered his first pro defeat in the UFC Fight Night co-feature.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - Following two straight Octagon losses, middleweight Chris Leben desperately needed a win in his UFC Fight Night bout Monday night against Jay Silva. And he got it, bringing his ground and pound game out of moth balls to drill out a clear-cut three round victory at the Patriot Center.

Frank Curreri, WEC - Benson Henderson, one-time sparring partner of Jamie Varner, is now the undisputed WEC lightweight champion: Can I get an amen? Varner had said before the fight that he considered himself in a league above Henderson, but a flying guillotine choke that caused him to tap out at 2 minutes 41 seconds of round three suggested otherwise.

Below are the official weigh-in results for Monday's UFC Fight Night event. UFC Fight Night, which is headlined by the lightweight bouts between Gray Maynard and Nate Diaz and Efrain Escudero and Evan Dunham, airs on Spike TV from The Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia beginning at 9pm ET / PT and 8pm CT.

Michael DiSanto, UFC - The UFC 108 main event between Rashad Evans and Thiago Silva didn't have the expected fireworks because Evans completely neutralized a very tough, highly skilled Silva for two and a half rounds. Those first two rounds were about as one sided as a fight can be without submission attempts, knockdowns or serious ground and pound. Evans completely controlled the pace. He dictated where the fight unfolded. And he turned an ultra-aggressive Muay Thai fighter into someone who was very hesitant to throw strikes for fear of getting taken down.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - For much of their UFC 108 main event Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Rashad Evans dominated Thiago Silva behind effective wrestling and Octagon control. But for a few moments in the final round, Silva had victory within reach thanks to his right hand, only to let it slip away behind some ill-advised showboating that allowed Evans to recover, get to the end of the bout, and earn the three round unanimous decision win.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - It's two UFC fights and two devastating knockout wins for Nottingham, England's Paul "Semtex" Daley, who struck hard and fast against Dustin Hazelett Saturday night in the UFC 108 co-main event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, taking out the jiu-jitsu ace in the first round to continue his march up the welterweight ranks.