Author: Steve Cofield

The reaction on the James Toney signing has been mixed in the United States. Many of you think it’s a good promotional move and if matched correctly Toney has a shot to do a little damage. Matched incorrectly, against a Randy Couture, and the old boxer may get destroyed and embarrassed because of a lack of takedown defense and grappling skills. Gareth A. Davies, who covers MMA for the U.K.’s Telegraph and serves as an insider on ESPN.com’s MMA Live, hates the Toney signing across the board.

I thought it was ridiculous then, I still think so. Toney is out of shape, has no MMA experience, and is two steps down from the signing of Kimbo Slice last year. Yes, Slice drew viewing figures, but don’t expect him to be anywhere on the landscape 12 months from now.

A strong take by Davies. The problem is that he contradicts himself by describing the exact scenario that makes Toney intriguing and one that will open lines of debate for months.

Toney, 41, has a 72-6-3 (2 no contests) record that includes 44 wins by knockout.  I reckon they’ll look to match him with the likes of Randy Couture … trouble is he could knock Couture out.

Why is that trouble? It makes for a great promotion. Sounds like our buddy Gareth is so much of an MMA convert, that he’s now interested in protecting the sport. Come on G!

The discussion in the Telegraph’s comment section backs up why the UFC rolled the dice on Toney.  

Commenter Adabesi:

With the money going out of boxing it is only a matter of time before a boxer goes into MMA and becomes a champion. They have great hands and chins which is something almost everyone in MMA doesn’t have.

Signing Toney just opens up the gates for the other boxers to come into MMA and it is a great move by the UFC. We have been asking the question of what will happen when a great boxer gets in the ring since Royce first won UFC 1, it is time to start finding out the answer.

Frankwongschippy:

Couldn’t agree more with you on Toney. Anyone know what that mma guy with no legs and hands is doing lately ? What about Muhammed Ali, now Dana could sell some tickets there!! Dana was ‘ambushed’? Jaysus, so now we know that every boxer/circus clown/wannabe ‘ardman can ‘ambush’ and harass the president of a billion dollar organisation called the UFC and potentially get a fight ? Dana should just admit that it was based on preventing ‘Strikeforce’ getting him and he can make some money out of it at the same time.

MMASuperfan:

I think it is a business decision rather than a genuine, good signing.
I hope toney gets choked out, and I’m sure he will….. He will spend so much time on his back he will forget how to walk to his corner between rounds.

See that sinking boat? With zero wind in its sails, it’s the S.S. Jose Canseco appears to be going under. The fight Canseco wants against Herschel Walker is losing steam by the day. One wonders what Canseco can do to force the collective hands of Walker and Strikeforce.

Maybe this new website — cansecovswalker.com — featuring Canseco’s MMA debut against Hong Man Choi will convince people. There is a petition on the site. Please sign it.

We’re guessing Jake Shields won’t be signing the petition. Over the weekend, Shields trashed Canseco on MMAWeekly Radio.

"I heard he was out there with Cesar, but personally I’m not a big fan of his. I
don’t want to knock anything that Cesar and my camp has done, but I don’t really
want to have anything to do with Jose," Shields told MMAWeekly Radio. "I
don’t really want to help the guy. I haven’t met the guy yet, but seeing his
track record, I don’t really want to have anything to do with him. He’s not someone I want in my life. I don’t want to help a
guy out who has constantly screwed everyone over who has been close to
him."

On second thought maybe Shields will sign the petition.

"I like Hershel Walker and I’d like to see Hershel
kick his [expletive], but if he was fighting under my team that would make me
feel a little weird, so I don’t know how I feel about that. Being a friend and fan of Hershel and having a guy that I think
is kind of a scumbag coming to my gym… I guess that’s Cesar’s decision. I
don’t want to knock his decision, but I certainly wouldn’t let him come into my
gym."

Canseco tweeted a photo of himself, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker and matchmaker Rich Chou having lunch a few weeks ago. But no news on the possible fight has leaked since. 

Maybe it’ll be a short stay in the minors for Jake Rosholt. Only Dana White and Joe Silva know. In a division short on top level young prospects, Rosholt was booted by the UFC after just three fights. He suffered both losses via submission against Dan Miller and Kendall Grove but it seemed kind of ridiculous to cut the 27-year-old Rosholt, a three-time NCAA wrestling champion.

Rosholt went back to his home state this weekend and dominated someone named Rudy Lindsey. He used his wrestling to score the takedown and mauled Lindsey on the ground before the downed fighter gave his back. Rosholt scored the win at 2:37 of the first via rear naked choke (2:00 mark) in a 195-pound fight. Lindsey, a former heavyweight, has also lost to UFC veterans Tim Boetsch and Mike Wessel.  

No one here is saying Rosholt could challenge for the middleweight title anytime soon but can you name one UFC middleweight currently on the roster, under 30 years old, who whets the appetite? Grove, Alan Belcher, Tom Lawlor, C.B. Dolloway, Rousimar Palhares and Goran Reljic are the top guys we could come up with. 

As far as a return to the UFC, it may be a while for Rosholt as the UFC pushes the crop that comes out of the 28-fighter field on season 11 of "The Ultimate Fighter." Would the UFC risk matching any of those prospects against a guy like Rosholt in late 2010? He is smart training in Las Vegas right under the nose of White and the UFC offices. If the promotion needs late replacement maybe he gets his shot. 

The fights from XFL’s March Badness can be seen at Purefight.org.

Tip via UltMMA

Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos is almost there. Turn around!

Regarded as the top female fighter in the world, Cyborg has been toying with the idea of an appearance in Playboy. In this recent photoshop she models some jeans, while both Cyborgs give us the much enjoyed side boob shot.

On a serious note, is this the only way female fighters can breakthrough into the mainstream? The only two female fighters who’ve ever grabbed the attention of the mainstream media are Gina Carano and Layla Ali. Harder looking fighters like Cyborg and Christy Martin have had a much tougher time.

That said, reality is that males make up a larger portion of the fighting fan base and still have a difficult time embracing women’s sports. Strikeforce has a chance to fix the problem by promoting more women’s fights. Of course, it could also hasten the fall of women’s MMA if we’re given plodding fights like Sarah Kaufman-Takayo Hashi. Yes, that’s unfair. Does every women’s fight have to be a donnybrook? If we’re dealing with reality, yes.

The good news is that Miesha Tate is back on the schedule March 26 for another Strikeforce Challengers VII card, but is it news because of her looks or fighting skills?

Tip via Middle Easy

Zuffa’s yearly trip to Columbus always produces a smorgasbord of photo opportunities. The Arnold Fitness Expo is quickly becoming an MMA meeting place second only to the UFC’s Fan Expo. The Governator came through for a photo with MMA stars (Joe Lauzon, Mike Swick, Pat Barry, UFC girl Chandella Powell, WEC girl Brittany Palmer, Donald Cerrone, Anthony Njokuani) signing autographs.

Snookie showed up and found her favorite — lots of muscles (not going to call them juiceheads). Some lady was handing out cookies to the media. Our old favorite, the effervescent Natasha Wicks, a former UFC ring girl, was wearing a leather bustier. Somewhere, Jason Miller found Cro Cop Coop. And Josh Koscheck held a photoshop contest. Aren’t you glad the peeping tom took Kos out of the Liddell naked workout video? 

While lots of us are hoping a James Toney-Kimbo Slice fight is made for Ultimate Fight Night 22, there’s one guy who’s rooting against it. Matt Mitrione, one of Kimbo’s castmates from season 10 of "The Ultimate Fighter," was tentatively booked to face him on May 8. Mitrione is a no-name compared to boxing’s Toney, so he knows the fight could very much be in jeopardy.

"I have no clue what’s going on; the last 15 hours have been pretty crazy," Mitrione told the Las Vegas Sun. "To be truly honest, I haven’t heard a thing from the UFC, and it’s frustrating me. It’s my understanding that it took awhile to get his paperwork signed, but I’m sure it’s signed."

Mitrione also knows with the UFC, it’s a one way street. The promotion holds all the cards. 

"Then again, that doesn’t mean (expletive). When I was in the NFL I signed a contract, they signed a contract, and they can cut you whenever they want. I know that from first-hand experience."

Frankly, if you’re a fan, the way the UFC does things is probably best but it does stink for the fighters sometimes. At the end of the week, Mitrione said he was told by UFC matchmaker Joe Silva he’s fighting on May 8. So he’s in limbo now.

UPDATE: UFC.com posted an update that the Kimbo-Mitrione fight is staying on UFC 113. 

What Mitrione does have going for him is that he maximized his time on TUF 10. He’s made himself a promotable heavyweight. Justin Wren may have more potential, but he’s fighting in the minors right now because his personality never got showcased. Mitrione’s did. Rashad Evans dubbed him meathead and he was storyline each week at the backend of the season. He said it’s exactly what the show’s producers wanted to cultivate.ore}

"They want you to give exciting answers. So they sit you down and ask you, ‘Why do you fight?’ And you say, ‘Dude, I’ve been fighting for six months. I fight because it’s new and exciting.’ Then they give you this look like, ‘C’mon. Really?’ So you say, ‘OK. I fight because I hear voices and it’s the only time I can be peaceful in my mind.’ That’s totally nuts and insane. But they take out the part where you laugh after and you say, ‘Man, I’m sorry. I totally made that up.’ "

Mitrione is a heel. Unlike many previous cast members, he doesn’t mind. He gets it. And with little time before a proposed April 17 card in Nashville, Mitrione-Kimbo may be the best option for a big fight to highlight the show. It’ll work for putting Mitrione right back on free television.

Dominick Cruz has a great head on his shoulders. He’s a crafty guy who stuck to his game plan of movement and fakes. Apparently, his head is made of granite, too. When Brian Bowles could actually catch him, the former WEC bantamweight champ landed a few big shots. But it hurt him more than Cruz. On the doctor’s advice, Bowles couldn’t come out for the third round because of a badly injured right hand, giving the 24-year-old Cruz his first world title via TKO stoppage in the main at WEC 47 in Columbus, Ohio.

"The first punch that I threw in the whole fight, I broke my hand," Bowles told WEC play-by-play man Todd Harris. "I knew it right then. It kind of threw me off. Then I started thinking about my hand. You know, I broke my hand in my last fight. That started going through my mind instead of concentrating."

Just before WEC GM Reed Harris put the belt around his waist, Cruz said, "Can’t touch me, baby." He was right.

"It’s
a little heavy, dang. It’s great though, man," Cruz said about his new
belt. "Brian Bowles is a great champion. He fought his heart out, I
fought my heart out. I worked really hard for this, people. You’ll see
lot more of me."

Cruz (15-1, 5-1 WEC) also made it difficult for Bowles to stay composed because of his dancing, bobbing and dodging. He was faking kicks, ducking his head into the strikezone and then out of it. Too often, Bowles found himself swinging at air and then getting blasted with counter right hands. By the end of the first round, Bowles was dropping his hands to reset and his nose was bloodied. It got worse in the second round. Cruz pushed forward and so did Bowles. It just meant Bowles got nailed more often. The defining moment of the fight came with three minutes left in the round, when Cruz charged forward with a five-punch barrage before dropping Bowles with a leg kick. It looked to have broken Bowles’ spirit. He was too slow and was without his best weapon, his right hand.

It was clear that Cruz’s move from Tucson to San Diego’s Alliance MMA, home of
UFC light heavyweight Brandon Vera, is paying dividends.

"We
train, train, train and we spar a lot," said Cruz, who’s looked fresh
in all 14 rounds of his wins. "Brian Bowles is very good. He’s got
heavy hands; he popped me a few times in the mouth, man. I just had to
move a lot just like I said I was going to do. I executed the game
plan."

That’s an understatement. He’s the champ now in front of a long line of fighters waiting to either regain their belt or get revenge for a Cruz victory. Joseph Benavidez has to be the guy who gets the next shot. Cruz grinded out a decision win over Benavidez back in August. "Little Joe" moved right back to the front of the line by smashing Miguel Torres just minutes earlier. 

It was the first loss of Bowles’ career. And it probably won’t be the last with the growing depth at 135 pounds. That’s not said to diminish his abilities. The top four bantanweights are all under 30 and still improving. It’s grouping of four fighters that could headline cards for the next few years. 

There’s nothing left to say to Jens Pulver after his latest loss. His fall from the elite has been sad and has happened very much in the public eye. Sure, he’s only 35, but Pulver has been passed by from a technique standpoint and he’s less competitive with each passing fight.

Javier Vazquez worked Pulver on the ground and scored an armbar victory at 3:41 of the first round. It was the fifth straight loss for Pulver, a former UFC lightweight champ, and his sixth in eight fights.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true about having nothing left to say. Pulver (22-13-1, 1-5 WEC, 6-2-1 UFC) had plenty to be thankful for as he grabbed the microphone in the cage.

"This is the old Punch-Out," said Pulver, pointing to his special TapouT T-shirt featuring characters from the old Mike Tyson Punch-Out game. "The old Tyson. The authentic."

Pulver then pointed to the top of his head, "And it’s over. The vintage. The authentic. I don’t know how many more times I can cry in front of y’all. It’s too much to keep putting you through this."

His emotions ran high in similar fashion after his last loss in Sacramento at WEC 41. WEC play-by-play voice Todd Harris then pushed Pulver for a retirement declaration.

"I’ll never say that. But I’m just telling y’all, I love you way too much to put you through this again. You guys have made my life a miracle," said Pulver, as the crowd at Nationwide Arena in Columbus rose to its feet. "You’re the only reason I’ve done this since Day 1."

After the loss to Josh Grispi last June, Pulver asked for this one final try and Zuffa, the owners of both the UFC and WEC, granted him his wish. But they didn’t set him up with a tomato can for an easy win. Pulver isn’t a great grappler and he was facing an uphill climb in Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Javier Vazquez.

The fight was difficult for Vazquez too, knowing that a win may send Pulver into retirement.

"I would’ve been in his corner, too. I’m just as big of a fan of Jens Pulver as everyone else. It was an honor for me to fight him," he said.

That said, Vazquez kept his head and fought perfectly.

"I just tried to follow the game plan, use my striking and use my ground game to get the finish. I couldn’t have scripted it any better."

The fight went to the ground less than 30 seconds into the fight, with Pulver in a surprising dominant position as he tried to work a guillotine choke. Vazquez freed himself after 30 seconds and then controlled things with several takedowns, followed by transitioning to whereever he wanted. He eventually caught Pulver in a crucifix, where he rained down some punches. Vazquez got the mount with 1:33 left in the round, when he converted it into an armbar. Pulver had to tap. He laid on the ground for a second and appeared to be in severe pain. Initial reports indicate the arm is fine.

Karen Darabedyan delivered everything gym insiders have bragged about. The Armenian fighting out of Southern California beat up Bart Palaszewski on the feet, slammed him to the ground and brutalized "Bartimus" in his guard. One problem, he didn’t bring home the victory.

Palaszewski was getting the worst of it in the guard but stayed active with his leg and event ually caught Darabedyan in a mistake. The 26-year-old got a hold of Darabedyan’s arm, locked on the armbar and rolled over. With 28 seconds left in the opening round, even a tough dude like Darabedyan couldn’t hold out. Palaszewski (34-13, 3-2 WEC) won his second straight in the WEC at 4:40 of the first round. The Polish fighter now based on Wonder Lake, Ill. immediately rose to his feet and pointed to his head. He was right, the outsmarted the younger fighter.

"He kept leaving his arms out," said Palaszewski. "I kept spinning, my corner was yelling at me to go for an arm. I like to bang and put on a show but it doesn’t work like that. I gotta win a fight."

Palaszewski has stood toe-to-toe with some great strikers in the past but he had a rough go against Darabedyan, 23. One minute into the fight, he got pinned against the cage and the Armenian unloaded a barrage of punches before slamming him to the ground.

"The plan was to stay on the outside," said Palaszewski. "I wish i was a little bit taller. He moved in and he was clipping me, [then] got me down on a double."

Once in Palaszewski’s guard Darabedyan (9-2, 1-1 WEC) landed some big shots but simply allowed his opponent to work his legs too much. This was a huge win for Palaszewski, who beat a highly touted prospect his last time out as well in Anthony Pettis. Bartimus delivered tonight as a plus-240 underdog.

Former WEC featherweight champ Urijah Faber is only 30 years old but he must feel like a grizzled veteran with the crew of young prospects he’s accumulated in Sacramento. Faber’s Team Alpha Male is developing some solid prospects at 155, 145 and 135. Joe Benavidez (135), Chad Mendes (145) and Danny Castillo (155) are all featured in big fights at WEC 47. Faber spoke with Cagewriter earlier in the week about Benavidez’s chances against former champ Miguel Torres. In this video, he breaks down the games of Mendes and Castillo.

Castillo faces another hot prospect in 21-year-old Anthony Pettis while Mendes steps up to face Erik Koch. Check out WEC’s "Day in the Life of …" series with Mendes. The kid makes us jealous by eating 12 meals a day! It’s also pretty impressive watching Mendes give the business to Benavidez in the wrestling department.  

Miguel Torres doesn’t like losing. Who does? Judging by the way he changed his training regimen and watching this prefight interview, there’s nothing glib right now about former the WEC bantanweight champ. He wants his belt back and Joe Benavidez is in the way.

He scrapped his old way of training and plans on unveiling a new fight plan. That is, he’s going to have a plan and actually stick to it.

"The biggest thing I’ve changed is to not chase people too much, but to be smart about it and circle more." Torres told Ray Flores.

Torres is much bigger than the 5-foot-3 Benavidez. But he didn’t take advantage of a similar size advantage in his title belt loss to Brian Bowles. 

"The height advantage is
important but it doesn’t really mean much unless I fight smart. I have
a lot of height and reach on all my opponents but I tend to fight a
little bit crazy."

Torres worked with three different camps, all far away from his hometown area of Chicago. He drilled jiu-jitsu in Las Vegas with Robert Drysdale, striking in Boston with Mark Dellagrotte and wrestling in New Jersey with Kurt Pellegrino. Because he was winning so easily at times during a 17-fight victory streak, Torres (37-2) began to flaunt his versatility but wasn’t always playing to his strengths. 

"I’ve always had the ability to do that," said Torres. "I just tend to get
into fights and try to fight them at their strengths instead of
fighting them at their weaknesses. I’m focused more on gameplanning now."

It sounds like the Bowles loss was a wakeup call and possibly a career rebirth.

"You’re not going to see a new Miguel Torres but an improved Miguel Torres. And make a statement for the rest of my career of who I am and what I’m going to get back," said Torres, glaring into the camera.

Saying it and doing it are two different things. Torres has targeted the problem but when the door closes will all this analysis pay off or will the brawling, emotional Miguel re-emerge? Find out tonight at 10 p.m. ET on Versus.
 

He’s become one of their good earners but for Scott Jorgensen it’s time to take the next step. Now 4-2 with the WEC, Jorgense worked with guys like Jen Pulver, Tony Fryklund and Kit Cope in anticipation of his bantamweight fight against Chad George. Jorgensen filmed a day in his life in Boise, Id. The show was stolen by his little four-year-old son, Braeten.

If Jorgensen wins this fight with a right uppercut, you’ll see where he developed his power (0:55 mark). I’ve never seen anyone play Wii golf with more intensity!

Jorgensen is coming off an upset win over Takeya Mizugaki. He got a fight of the night  bonus for that battle at WEC 45. It was his first award with the promotion.  

Can’t decide between the proposed UFC and Strikeforce cards on Apr. 17? Under the current plan, Jake Shields is main eventing against Dan Henderson at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Two miles away Ultimate Fight Night 22 may be on the campus of Vanderbilt. Which one will you choose?

If you had the enthusiasm exhibited by the bald, scary dude in the video, you’d already know. Yeah! Yeah! That guy makes Diego Sanchez seem normal and grounded.

Even Shields, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, who can snap arms, looks a little scared. Looks like the superfan got a visit at one time from Chris Farley’s character "Matt Foley, motivational speaker." 

We called it a freak show the other day. James Toney to the UFC will
be a circus but it’ll be one that draws lots of eyes. Maybe Dana White
did learn a lesson from all the attention Jose Canseco and Herschel
Walker got recently from the mainstream media. Lots of new eyes on your
sport are an absolute necessity. You can’t always rely on the same hardcore eyes that
always show up.

Hardcores — that includes myself before taking a
few days to soak in the analysis of the Toney signing — hated the idea
of the IBA heavyweight boxing champ in the Octagon. I’m convinced, It’s
a good move, with only a tiny downside.

Radio and television host Jim
Rome nailed it saying he won’t be able to take his eyes off it.

"What will ‘Lights Out’ do when somebody tries kick him in the face or
throw him into an arm bar him or the fight goes to the ground? I don’t
know what’s going to happen, I just know I can’t wait to find out," said Rome on Thursday’s ‘Jim Rome is Burning’. "The
beauty here is he’ll get an ‘A’ or an ‘F,’ either way I am not changing
the channel which is exactly what Dana White wants."   

Rome said the fact that White is rolling the dice on Toney makes it legitimate.

"This
isn’t one of those fledgling upstarts or the minor leagues. This is the
majors. And the fact that White, always a guy who has lashed out at
what he’s called freak shows … has brought him in, well that speaks
to much respect for Toney."

For the hardcores who
are still spitting fire, you’ll notice there was no breakdown of
‘Bowles v. Cruz’ the last two days on "JRIB" or "PTI."
Sure a Toney-Kimbo Slice fight won’t possess the well-roundedness of a Jake
Shields-Dan Henderson scrap but guess what will get the lionshare of
the mainstream coverage if the fights are pitted against each other on
Apr. 17? 

It doesn’t need a cheesy tag line like so many fight cards. If WEC felt pressed to name WEC 47, it might go with the "Little Guy Final Four." Bantamweight champ Brian Bowles defends his title belt against Dominick Cruz while Miguel Torres faces Joe Benavidez. All four fighters came in at weight along with the 18 others during the weigh-ins at the Columbus Convention Center. The event unfolds tomorrow night at Nationwide Arena. 

What fight are you most looking forward to? I’m going with Torres and Benavidez. If not, for terrible tactical errors in their previous fights this would be a title match. It’s not. Both fighters made their mistakes and lost, so Bowles (8-0, 5-0 WEC) versus Cruz (14-1, 4-1 WEC) is technically No. 1 against No. 2.

Benavidez and Torres should be all action. As you can see, Benavidez (11-1, 3-1 WEC) needs to overcome a significant height disadvantage. The 5-foot-3 dynamo looks small standing next to Torres (far left) but looks really little next to 6-foot-3 WEC color voice Stephan Bonnar (bottom right). Torres (37-2, 5-1 WEC) looks to get back on the winning track. The loss to Bowles snapped a 17-fight winning streak that dated back to 2004. 

With the finishing prowess of three of the four fighters, these should be dynamite fights and set up more great matchups during the summer. With the depth of the card the odds favor the "fight of the night" coming from the undercard. Cagewriter’s vote is on Bart Palaszewski against Karen Darabedyan. Darabedyan (9-1, 1-0 WEC) is as good any prospect in the WEC. The 23-year-old’s speciality is grappling and groundwork yet he really beat up Rob McCullough with his striking during his debut back at WEC 44. Palaszewski (31-13, 2-2 WEC) loves to bang so expect heavy shots and a finish. 

WEC 47 official weights (Courtesy MMAJunkie):

Televised Card on Versus (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT)
Brian Bowles (134.5 lbs.) vs. Dominick Cruz (134)
Joseph Benavidez (135) vs. Miguel Torres (134.5)
Jens Pulver (145.5) vs. Javier Vazquez (145)
L.C. Davis (144.5) vs. Deividas Taurosevicius (145)
Karen Darabedyan (156) vs. Bart Palaszewski (155)

Non-Televised Card
Chad George (135.5) vs. Scott Jorgensen (135)
Erik Koch (144) vs. Chad Mendes (145)
Danny Castillo (155.5) vs. Anthony Pettis (154.5)
Leonard Garcia (145) vs. George Roop (145.5)
Courtney Buck (145) vs. Fredson Paixao (144.5)
Bendy Casimir (155.5) vs. Ricardo Lamas (155)

We’re not even sure what to say anymore about Paulo Filho. Once regarded as the man who would take down the great Anderson Silva at middleweight, Filho has had reported meltdowns and alleged run-ins dealing with drug issues. He’s pulled out of numerous fights, most recently Bitetti in late February. He’s even been called a little donkey. Is the dreaded facial tattoo the way to right the ship? Has it worked for "Iron Mike?" Tyson’s sanity is debatable.

Since we’re on the topic, what’s with the porn stache? Filho needs to add a mullet for the disasterous cranial trifecta.  

Tip via Middle Easy

Remember how many times Dana White has scoffed at the question about Strikeforce being competition? We’re about to confirm that the man was fibbing a bit. Showtime has pissed him off and CBS to a certain extent. It all started with the signing of Fedor Emelianenko and then Dan Henderson. Now White appears to be bringing out the big guns. Counter-progamming is one thing. A Spike UFC card across from a CBS Strikeforce card will severely damage the smaller promotion’s efforts to get things up and running. Now it looks like White is sending in the ground troops. The UFC is on the verge of locking down a fight card the same night in THE SAME CITY!

The James Toney fight, a freakshow? There was a method to the madness. It looks like the UFC is working on an Apr. 17 card with Toney as one of the featured fighters against Kimbo Slice at Vanderbilt Arena. Meanwhile, across town at Bridgestone Arena, Strikeforce/CBS for now is staying on the same date with its Dan Henderson-Jake Shields card.

UPDATE: Yahoo! Sports’ Dave Meltzer confirms Ultimate Fight Night 22
will be on Apr,. 17 in Nashville. There are two sites under
consideration. White is working on Kimbo v. Toney.

"CBS had an opportunity to do the fight on [April 24] and go after the WEC
pay-per-view date, and they said, ‘No, let’s just do it on the [April 17] and be
nice guys,’" Coker told MMAjunkie.com. "Now that the counter-programming is coming their way, I
think there is some fluidity in what could happen. It hasn’t been decided yet. I think we’re meeting probably Monday, but for now, everything is going
to be locked and loaded for the 17th."

The Strikeforce card will feature Henderson-Shields, Shinya Aoki-Gilbert Melendez and Mo Lawal-Gegard Mousasi. The UFC card could also feature Wanderlei Silva against Yoshihiro Akiyama. Mike Swick in a roundabout way confirmed that there is going to be a 4/17 UFC card by tweeting he can’t fight Matt Serra on that day. There’s also whispers from Toney’s side that April is indeed the target time for his first UFC fight.

Strikeforce/CBS also has the option of moving its card back one week. In that scenario it will go head-to-head with Zuffa’s WEC 48 pay-per-view card.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker suggests he was trying to show some class in the first place by placing the CBS card on Apr. 17.

"Moving to April 24th will be discussed,” said Coker. "That was the first date
CBS wanted the show. [CBS vice president] Kelly Kahl wanted to take the high
road and avoid going against their pay-per-view."

Nashville! Nashville of all places has become the official battleground of MMA!

The speculation can stop. When the video "leaked" with Chuck Liddell working out naked the blogosphere buzzed — real or staged? Liddell told Urijah Faber he was caught by a voyeur. He said it again to Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole. It’s pretty obvious now he was simply covering his tracks.

It’s an advertisement for Reebok. The shoe company is pushing a March release of something called Zigtech. Today, the NFL wide receiver formerly known as Chad Johnson, was "caught" running naked in a Cincinnati park in his Reeboks.

Not sure how my co-hort Maggie Hendricks feels about this, but Cagewriter says it’s time for Serena Williams, Lindsey Vonn or someone without junk to release their naked workout video.

Video tip via The Big Lead

How big is the James Toney signing for the UFC? Ask boxing fans if they care. Cagewriter spoke with Maxboxing.com’s Steve Kim right after the news came out and he said the news didn’t matter much because Toney hasn’t been relevant in the square circle for years. 

"I’m not so sure this even causes a ripple," said Kim. "How legitimate is James Toney as a heavyweight? From a boxing perspective, I don’t think it’s that much of a loss. I’m not so sure how relevant he was. It would be bigger if he were in his physical prime."

Kim also says don’t be fooled into thinking Toney is trying this because he’s looking for a new challenge. 

"This is going to be a bit of a reality check for James. He’s used to, for much of his career, making six and seven figures. I think he’s taking the significant cut in pay, I’m assuming because he may have no other options in boxing."

It was interesting to hear Kim say Toney, 41, is at the end of the road of an underachieving career. This is a guy with a 72-6-3 record, who possesses excellent defensive skills, a great chin and better counter puncher than any MMA fighter in the world. But that’s only one element of MMA. Toney has no experience dealing with kicks, stopping takedowns, getting off the deck and avoiding submissions. 

"I’ve always thought it was a bad idea for boxers to get in there," said Kim. "Boxers, for what they do, that one singular skill, they’re probably better than any MMA combatant but from an all-around skill set perspective, I think that they lag just as far behind."

Then comes the question of Toney’s ability to get up to speed in three months for an MMA fight this summer. 

"James Toney has good natural strength. He’s certainly a tough guy but we’re talking about huge gap in terms of what it takes to be successful in that realm. How serious is he going to be about this?"

Toney is going to hear a lot of criticism about this run at MMA. Will it motivate him or go in one ear and out the other? He’ll be in the Octagon in less than six months. That’s put-up-or-shut-up time.