We have seen Sonnen run his mouth on several occasions before, and while many consider him to be one of the best talkers in the business, it was the mouths of Evans and Davis that were busy stealing the show during yesterday’s press conference.

Evans’ cruelist verbal shot came when he compared the beating that he is going to lay on Davis to what Jerry Sandusky did to the kids at Penn State (1:05 of first video).  As for Davis, he seemed to do his opponent one better when he answered a question regarding Rashad’s chances of beating him in a wrestling match by reminding us all that “cocaine is a hell of a drug” (0:24 of second video).

If the fights are even half as good as the presser was, it look like we could be in for quite the entertaining free UFC event!

With a main event that featured a non-title bout between Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz, there really wasn’t much of a reason for spending $50 to watch UFC 133 on Pay-Per-View.  However, there was one very good reason not to watch it.  That reason came via a welterweight bout between Brian Ebersole and Dennis Hallman, which featured some rather strange attire.

While the up-arrow shaved into Ebersole’s chest was a little out of the ordinary, it pales in comparison to the skimpy blue speedo shorts worn by his opponent.

It can be tough taking part in an MMA bout against a man whose outfit is barely covering his junk (it actually slipped out at one moment during the fight, but we don’t want you to see that).  However, Ebersole was up to the task, knocking Hallman out in the opening round with a flurry of elbows and earning himself a $70,000 bonus for “getting those horrifying shorts off TV as soon as possible” from UFC president Dana White.

Perhaps the only thing more embarrassing than getting your head pounded by a guy with an arrow shaved into his chest is doing so while wearing a skimpy blue speedo.  Here is a look at the final 45 seconds of the fight.  Try not to look directly at Hallman’s junk.  Much like a solar eclipse, it may cause severe damage to your eye sight, not to mention the nightmares.

Hat Tip – [Cage Writer]

Tito: I’m gonna put it on you.

Rashad: Tito, I can’t wait.  I want a fight.  I want you to put it on me.  I want you to try your best to put it on me, because that’s the only way I want it.  If you don’t give me everything you’ve got, I’m gonna be pissed off.

Tito: That’s what she said

I’m not sure if Tito was referring to Rashad’s wife, or Jenna Jameson.  Either way, I think it is fair to say that Ortiz came out on top during this verbal exchange.  It will be interesting to see if we get the same result on Saturday night.

Hearing his trainers scream “Faster,” “Harder,” and “You’re almost done” only makes this clip that much more awkward.

Hat Tip – [The Cage Doctors]

Total Pro Sports – Last night marked the beginning of the 10th season of The Ultimate Fighter, a reality television show that offers unknown MMA fighters the opportunity to earn a six-figure contract in the UFC.  With the heavyweights invading the octagon for this season, much of the attention was on YouTube sensation Kimbo Slice, who coach Quinton “Rampage” Jackson used his first pick to draft onto his team.  That was the final time we would see Rampage smile last night.

Although it was too early for him to begin ripping down doors, Rampage was given the opportunity to pick the match-up for the first fight, and he decided to go with another one of his giants, Abe Wagner, against the much smaller John Madsen.  This was believed to be a good fight initially for Team Rampage because of the size advantage and Wagner’s striking skills are superior to those of Madsen, but the ground game was a completely different story.

Madsen took “Big Abe” down early and often, and when they got to the ground, size was no longer an issue.  After all, everyone is the same size on the ground.  Madsen repeatedly came down on Wagner’s head with fists and elbows, cutting him open badly and continuing to work his ground-and-pound.  After the first round, even Dana White declared the fight to be the bloodiest he has ever seen in TUF.  Madsen would go on to win by unanimous decision, and his flawless effort was enough to send an angry Rampage off to the dressing room before the final bell even went.

So just how bad was the cut?  X-Rays were not even needed to see whether Wagner had fractured his skull.

Here is a look at the bloodbath that even topped the brutality displayed earlier in the night when Roger Huerta nearly got his arm ripped off.

The Cut After Fight

Hat Tip – [With Leather]

Total Pro Sports – When former UFC light-heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson signed up to coach in The Ultimate Fighter Season 10, he may have got the impression that it would be all fun and games, and even some dry-humping of hot reporters.

Things have changed, and now Jackson has apparently found out that coaching a bunch of men living in a house together can be quite frustrating. Either that or he just doesn’t like doors all that much.

Footage captured the often outspoken fighter tearing down a door at the UFC training facility during filming of the newest season of TUF.  The door appears to be made of cheap thin drywall, which raises questions as to whether this incident was staged or Dana White was just thinking ahead and figured his door would eventually suffer such fate.  After all, it isn’t the first time a fighter has taken his anger out on a door this year.

Season 10 of the now popular UFC reality show is set to premiere this Wednesday on Spike TV.  The appearance of Kimbo Slice was initially enough to garner interest, but with Rampage seemingly taking down any obstacle that gets in his way (literally), I can’t help but wonder if (and hope) Rashad Evans will become one of those barriers.

Quinton Jackson Tears Down Door

Hat Tip Gif – [CagePotato] via [MixedMartialArts]

Total Pro Sports – The circus is back in town as the UFC looks to ram home there “UFC is MMA and MMA is UFC” message with another season of the high rating – if a little stale – marketing juggernaut, The Ultimate Fighter.  Season 10 – yes season 10; which sounds almost as ridiculous as triple digit PPV titling – begins September 16 of 2009 meaning the UFC will have aired three different seasons of The Ultimate Fighter in a single year, with Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans the respective coaches for a heavyweight exclusive season.

Rashad/Quinton should hype their main event clash nicely with plenty of reality manufactured conflict and altercation, but the most intriguing aspect to season 10 is the eclectic selection of contestants that will be shut inside the house.  The final cast list was confirmed recently and breaking it down fighter by fighter you realize it’s high on character but low on talent.  Last time I checked this show was about giving up-and-coming talent a shot at the UFC, so it seems weird to have three fighters with UFC bouts to their names making the cut; Wes Sims, Scott Junk and Mike Wessel have a combined record of 0-5 within the UFC, an ominous start to finding the ‘next big thing’.

If rundown ex-UFC talent doesn’t get you excited then how about a total of four former professional football players?  There’s a certain freak show stigma attached to heavyweights in MMA, and when a quarter of your roster has ‘former Bills fullback’ as their biggest credit you’re not helping the cause.  Former Falcon Wes Shivers showed the mobility of a lighthouse in his one and only professional fight to date (ending in defeat), NFL journeyman Matt Mitrione’s first taste of professional MMA will be in the house, Brendan Schaub is perhaps the most successful fighter of the footballers entering the house with a 4-0 record and competition wins in boxing and BJJ, whilst Marcus Jones is the most successful footballer being a former first round selection by Tampa Bay and recording 24 sacks in a 6 year career.

Maybe I’m wrong, but the first two sound like whipping boys for the third, and the last guy on that list Jones is there for ratings.  Who exactly would tune in to see him is beyond me, but maybe I’m underestimating the ‘Tampa-Bay-fans-who-are-particularly-interested-in-the-post-football-careers-of-defensive-lineman-between-’96-and-’02-and-are-starved-for-TV-content’ demographic.

I’ve tried to evade the white elephant of this season that we’re all sick of hearing about, but yes, Kimbo Slice will be on The Ultimate Fighter.  Kimbo Slice has had more eyeballs on him than any other MMA fighter thanks to Elite XC’s network deal with CBS, but those eyeballs also saw him get embarrassed by Seth Petruzelli inside 15 seconds.  The general public isn’t known for its long memory and there is still a large number of ‘Kimbo’s God’s gift to fighting’ fools out there, so I’m sure he will do his job in making TUF 10 the most watched season yet.  I don’t like the guy since beating people up in boatyards for YouTube is exactly what MMA is trying to get away from, but behind a pretty suspect entourage it seems the Petruzelli knockout may of humbled him and you would hope he has taken the opportunity to develop something more than a reliance on ‘one punch’ potential.

I’m not jumping on the conspiracy theories that Dana White is bringing in this guy to be crunched first fight and have his own personal vendetta vindicated.  In fact, I think the opposite is true and for the sake of ratings they’ll protect Kimbo having him fight last and likely against one of the football players. If he loses, the series still does well, but if he somehow wins the whole thing then God help us all as this guy probably has enough of a name to headline a Fight Night day one in the UFC.

Early favourites would probably be wrestling prodigy Justin Wren or former Elite XC alum Roy Nelson who has decent hands for a big guy, as well as the experience and chin to enter most fights without fear, but the freak show atmosphere will be centre stage in what will likely be the first season MMA fans have tuned into since we were first introduced to the enigmatic YES!-meister Nate Diaz in season 5.

Here is a confirmed roster for season 10:  Kimbo Slice, Roy Nelson, Wes Sims, Marcus Jones, Matt Mitrione, Wes Shivers, Jim York, Justin Wren, Mike Wessel, Scott Junk, Zak Jensen, Darrill Schoonover, Brendan Schaub, Jon Madsen, Tony Blackledge, Abe Wagner

Hat Tip – [Every Joe]

It goes by many different names: Saito, jailhouse rock,  the 52 hand blocks, 52 blocks, and sometimes just 52. Although it may soon be the next big thing in MMA fighting, it has been around for a long time.  It was supposedly born from black prize fighting and developed on the streets and in prisons.

So what is the point of such fighting and what are its strengths?  The New York Times describes as follows:

“They say offense wins fights but defense wins championships,” Mr. Burly said. He said the 52 Blocks’ great strength was what he saw as its ability to let the user control the pace of a fight, while avoiding being hit. When Mr. Burly moves, his compact frame easily slips around and away from punches and attempts to grab him. He blocks punches with the tips of his elbows and drops to a crouch to attack his opponent’s legs. [New York Times]

So how effective can 52 blocks be in the ring?  Some fighters have been connected to the style, including “The Ultimate Fighter” season 10 contestant Kimbo Slice, and former UFC light-heavyweight champion Rashad Evans, who describes it as “really practical boxing.”  Maybe some more 52 blocks training is the answer to regaining his belt from Lyoto Machida.  I wonder how it defends against the flying knee or spinning backfist.

Hat Tip Video – [New York Times]

Reports indicate that White has given Slice a spot on the popular Spike TV reality show where 16 fighters battle it out for two six-figure UFC contracts.  Although he was never willing to give Kimbo Slice a shot in his company, Dana White has decided to give the YouTube celebrity a chance to prove himself and make it the hard way.  When asked about such a decision, White responded, “it should be interesting, given some of the things I’ve said about him.”

This is likely Kimbo’s one and only chance to ever become a legitimate MMA and UFC fighter, and after all that has been said about him, he will no doubt have the most to prove of any fighter on the show.  It will be interesting to see how the other fighters react to his presence in both the house and the ring.  After giving him this chance, you can bet Dana White will be watching his progress closely.

Taping for the show begins tomorrow and it will air in September on Spike TV.  Season 9 of “The Ultimate Fighter”, which saw fighters from the USA and UK take on each other, will be hard to top, but with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Rashad Evans set to coach, and Kimbo Slice present, don’t expect anything less from season 10.

HT – [SportsByBrooks]

Rashad “Suga” Evans (+180) vs Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (-220) (for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship):

Once again, Rashad finds himself in the underdog position.  He is hoping that the end result is also the same.  So why are so many picking Machida to win?  It is believed that his “move in, strike, and move out” style will be a difficult one for Evans to handle, and Machida also presents a threat to Rashad’s strong wrestling.  With strong sumo, judo and BJJ skills, “The Dragon” will be tough to take down, and remains a threat while on his back.

The Pick: This belt has been a difficult one to keep over the past few years, switching hands several times, and i believe that tomorrow night will end up in similar fashion.  I’ll take Machida by TKO in the third.

Matt Hughes (-260) vs Matt “The Terror” Serra (+205)

Finally, these two fighters will get to resolve their many differences in the ring.  They were supposed to square off following “The Ultimate Fighter 4″ but an injury to Serra meant the perfect opening for George St. Pierre to reestablish himself as the top fighter in the division.  Now coming off losses and injuries, these fighters have both seen brighter times in their careers, and tomorrow’s fight may very well mark the end for one, or both of these combatants.

The Pick: This is a tough one, with both struggling from similar issues, but I’m going to go with Serra and the puncher’s chance on this one.  That punch will come in the second round.

Drew “The Massacre” McFedries (+160) vs Xavier “The Professor X” Foupa-Pokam (-175)

This will be a match the Drew McFedries will want to keep on his feet, much like any of his fights.  Problem here for Drew is he will be at a reach disadvantage to “Professor X”, who also has some notable kick-boxing skills.  If this match hits the ground, it is very likely McFedries will be taping shortly.

The Pick: Foupa-Pokam lost his UFC debut by unanimous decision to Denis Kang, but I expect the frenchman to come back strong in his second match, winning in the second by submission.

Dan Miller vs Chael Sonnen

In a battle between two mwn known more for their strong wrestling skills than great knockout abilities, I don’t expect this fight to produce any fireworks.  But then again, this is MMA, so anything can happen here.  Bottom line on this fight is these two fighters match up well with each other and should produce a good fight with some effective takedowns.

The Pick: Miller’s slight advantage both on their feet and on the ground should be enough to win him a unanimous decision.

Sean “Muscle Shark” Sherk (-300) vs Frank “The Answer” Edgar(+275)

This may be the fight of the night so make sure you catch it.  Two high powered, quick-fisted strikers will kick off the main card in what should be a fast tempo throughout the battle, however long it lasts.  While I expect a valiant effort from Frankie Edgar, it is unlikely he will be able to overcome the strength of Sean Sherk.

The Pick: Sherk can end this fight both on the ground or on his feet, but one way or the other I expect it to be by pounding away at Edgar.  I’ll take Sean in the second round by TKO.

Undercards:

Brock Larson (-325) vs. Chris Wilson (+250)

The Pick: Larson by TKO in the first

Pat Barry (-500) vs. Tim Hague (+300)

The Pick: In the major upset, Hague by KO in the second round.

Phillipe Nover (-345) vs. Kyle Bradley (+285)

The Pick: Nover by TKO in the first

Krzysztof Soszynski (+135) vs. Andre Gusmao (-150)

The Pick: Krzysztof by split decision

Yoshiyuki Yoshida (-500) vs. Brandon Wolff (+300)

The Pick: Yoshida by submission in the first

Dave Kaplan (+135) vs. George Roop (-165)

The Pick: Kaplan with the unanimous decision