Kevin “The Monster” Randleman (16–12) is a UFC veteran with a background in Collegiate wrestling. The 36 year old from Columbus has faced some of the biggest names associated with the UFC and PRIDE, including Chuck Liddell, Pedro Rizzo, Quinton Jackson and Randy Couture. His last MMA bout was at PRIDE 32, a match-up against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua where Randleman lost in the first round via a knee bar submission. Randleman has also signed a 3 fight deal with yet another Japanese MMA start-up World Victory Road. With only 2 victories from his last 9 fights, and a year away from the sport, Randleman will be looking to reinstate himself as a top MMA heavyweight with a win over world renowned grappler, Jeff Monson.

Jeff “The Snowman” Monson (24–7) is an ADCC submission wrestling world champion and a BJJ black belt. Prior to leaving the UFC after a 5 round heavyweight championship match with Tim Silvia, Monson enjoyed a 16 fight winning streak, with 11 of the victories earned by the way of submission. Monson left the UFC in an effort to arrange a fight with top-ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, though unfortunately the fight was never organized.

This match is a difficult one to call. Will the submission talents of Monson see him through to yet another victory or will Randelman’s experience with headline grabbing fighters, coupled with his desire to rejoin the MMA scene, give him the edge? Roll on June 21st.

Rollins, a brown belt in BJJ, was seen by many as one of the early favorites to win series 6 of The Ultimate Fighter. Despite the high level of BJJ skill and cardio, it all ended early and emotionally for the American from Long Beach, as he was eliminated in the opening round of the competition via KO courtesy of George Sotiropoulos. Rollins would return to face fellow TUF6 cast member and friend Jon “War Machine” Koppenhaver at the Ultimate Fighter 6 Finale, treating fans to an epic 3 round blood-soaked slug-fest, though Rollins ultimately lost the bout via third-round TKO.

Saunders’ is a Jeet Kune Do fighter who goes into this fight with an undefeated MMA record. In the Ultimate Fighter 6, Saunders displayed his skills to defeat Dan Barrera with unorthodox combinations of both kicks and punches, and also proved he has a good chin, taking a powerful punch from Barrera to the nose, which dropped him to the canvas, only for Saunders to recover instantly and laugh off the strike. Saunders went on to to lose to runner up Tommy Speer in the quarterfinals of the competition, and then returned to the finale defeating Barrera in a rematch.

After losing in the first round of TUF6 and then losing his UFC debut, Rollins earned himself a place back in the Octagon after his bout with Koppenhaver was selected as “Fight of the Night”. Rollins will be looking to prove himself, and desperately needs to earn a win in the UFC. He will almost certainly want to take this fight to the ground and utilize his BJJ. Saunders not only is a more skilled and experienced striker, he also poses a threat with his reach advantage. We have yet to see the ability of Saunders ground game and the outcome of this fight may rest on whether or not he can keep the fight standing.

Fans were excited to see Mirko join the UFC in early-2007 after the UFC’s acquisition of PRIDE FC, but did not expect the roller coaster ride the man with a reputation of zero to none brought us. Mirko made his highly anticipated UFC debut in style completely outclassing Eddie Sanchez, easily defeating him with a flurry of trademark high kicks, but the back to back losses handed to him by Gabirel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo was a career first for the Croatian former PRIDE open weight grand prix champion. Many rumors of a disheartened or ready-to-retire Mirko Cro Cop were spawned, especially after his two month loss of contact with the UFC who were frantically trying to arrange the next fight on his UFC contract. Mirko is known to have a healthy relationship with the former owners of PRIDE FC who recently started a new MMA organization DREAM and was more than happy to be the headline of DREAM.1, placing himself back in the W column with a first-round victory. So what is going on in Mirko’s head? Are any of the rumors true? Does Mirko not like competing in the West?

“Cro Cop” was online for over two hours and answered almost all questions put to him in an effort to open up to fans and clear up the rampant rumors.

A selection of the best questions are shown below, many of which were translated from Croatian. Without further delay…

What rematch are you looking forward the most right now?
Cro Cop : Against Fedor. Then Minotauro and Kongo.

How do your plans for this year look?
Cro Cop : 2 more fights for DREAM, then I want Fedor for NYE or the UFC. But definitely 2 more fights.

Are you friends with Fedor?
Cro Cop : I respect him but we are not friends.

Besides Fedor, which fighter would you most like to fight?
Cro Cop : Nogueira, Kongo, Gonzaga.

Are you afraid of getting too old and hot having the time to complete your goals?
Cro Cop : As a sportsman, I don’t think about this. But sometime I’ll have to retire. Let’s hope not in the next 3-4 years.

Are you planning on returning to the UFC to show them who you really are?
Cro Cop : I’ll be back to the UFC definitely.

How did you like to be back in Japan fighting?
Cro Cop : I feel great I like Japan really much.

What do you think of elbows in MMA? Should it be allowed? I think it destroys the game with all the cuts and son on.
Cro Cop : I don’t know. I don’t like elbows, much damage is done with them. Fights are being stopped due to a bleeding.

Who will take fedor vs sylvia and how?
Cro Cop : It’s hard to say. Minor advantage goes to Fedor.

If someone offers 3 million Euros to you to retire, what would be your answer?
Cro Cop : I wouldn’t retire, this has nothing to do with money anymore.

Chuck Liddell says he would like move to HW to fight you, what do you think about that?
Cro Cop : Indeed. I would like to fight him.

Where do you see yourself in ten years from now?
Cro Cop : In Zagreb with more kids and martial arts academy.

What do you think, is there a fighter who can beat you at this moment and who would that be?
Cro Cop : Everyone can be beaten. I’m id good shape and I’ll prove that in my next fight.

Mirko, how do you feel now about your career, do you have confidence again to reach your goals?
Cro Cop : Yes, I’m still very very confident.

Mirko, are you still motivated as much as before your last fight?
Cro Cop : My motivation is very high, I’ve never been so motivated!

Have you watched your knockout against Gonzaga, it must be difficult?
Cro Cop : I saw it, it wasn’t easy but that’s the job. If it was easy, it wouldn’t got me. (laugh)

What do you thing on UFC president Dana White?
Cro Cop : Very capable guy.

How is your elbow injury?
Cro Cop : Surgery is coming up soon after my next fight.

Now that you have fought in both. Do you prefer a ring or a octagon?
Cro Cop : I prefer ring, but I’ll fight in the cage again.

Many people say that DREAM is the new PRIDE, do you think that this assessment is accurate?
Cro Cop : YES.

Are you fighting on DREAMS April 29 card?
Cro Cop : No.

How much do you bench (maximum)?
Cro Cop : 160 kg.

How much do you weigh right now?
Cro Cop : 105 kg at the moment.

Hey mirko.. 1 question.. you will open your school in zagreb one day?
Cro Cop : I hope that I’ll open a martial arts academy in Zagreb soon.

Are you afraid of anything?
Cro Cop : Boring persons, snakes, broken car, crazy dogs over 30 kgs of weight … (laugh)

How many miles can you run?
Cro Cop : Depends who’s after me.

How many miles can you run if a crazy 30kg dog is behind you?.
Cro Cop : Ultra marathon, 64 kilometers I guess.

You are big p**sy.
Cro Cop : Come and say that in front of me.

Will you ever drop weightclass to 205lbs. to fight at light-heavyweight?
Cro Cop : Only if I chop off my leg.

Cro Cop : Thank everyone for this chat. Now I have to go to prepare for my training. I hope you liked my answers and see on MMA-ID.

Not only did Mirko inform us that he is as confident, focused and motivated as he ever has been, he mentioned he would be willing to fight Fedor, Nogueira, Kongo, Gonzaga and even a heavyweight Chuck Lidell, clearly showing that Mirko still rates himself among the best in his weight class within MMA. He mentioned the possibility of fighting Fedor at NYE, nothing would put Cro Cop back in the headlines more than a win over Fedor or another big name. I wonder if this is his plan to replenish a state of greatness. He also shared with us his views on wanting to avenge every loss he has ever suffered.

This sounds about as focused as a fighter can be. Mirko was quick to answer with a negative response on retirement and answered many more questions not listed about his plans to open his own academy in his homeland. It was great to hear Mirko this confident and dedicated to the sport of MMA. I eagerly await his return to the Octagon as much as any other fan. Let’s just hope he doesn’t get matched up with a dog of over 30 kilos.

To read the rest of the story, you can visit the Quad City Times website.

On behalf of the entire MMAFrenzy.com staff, we offer our deepest sympathies and condolences to Andrew McFedries and his family. May her soul rest in peace.

In a new article by Croatian website Vecernji List “Cro Cop” reveals that he now weighs 231 pounds and can bench press more weight than ever. Said Filipovic:

“I have significantly changed my training regimen and it’s going to show in my next few fights.”

Mirko also confirms in the interview that after receiving a personal invitation from Nobuhiko Takada, he has agreed to be in attendance at the Yarennoka event slated to take place at the Saitama Super Arena on New Year’s Eve. The event, billed as “Fedor Returns” in the United States, is headlined by Fedor Emelianenko’s bout against Choi Hong Man. The event will be broadcast on HDNet beginning at 6:30am ET on December 21st.

Though Mirko does not know the exact date of his next fight, it appears that the Croatian Sensation put talks of his retirement on hold stating in the interview “I plan on fighting a few more years if I’m healthy”.

“Floyd is considering fighting with HDNet Fights. We are going to let him visit some gyms to talk to some folks about what it would take to learn. He knows it won’t be easy. But he is getting involved with MMA and HDNet Fights one way or another. He is pumped about it. He wants to go on to the next big thing. Floyd is a brilliant marketer. He follows the money.”

With a nickname like “Money,” Mayweather made the right choice in picking billionaire Cuban and his HDNet Fights organization as a potential suitor. This past year, Mayweather’s last two victories against Oscar De La Hoya and Rick Hatton were huge box office draws that saw the 39-0-0 boxer earn a payday of $50 million for the two fights. So you can be certain that Mayweather would not accept anything less for his MMA debut. On what it would take to see Mayweather in an HDNet Fights cage, Mark Cuban explains:

“If I said there’s a guaranteed $30 million payday, Floyd would be lacing them up. If not, I could see him working to train and develop and invest in MMA fighters, knowing the upside. He can teach them how to be a better boxer and add to their other skills.”

Floyd Mayweather Jr. was last seen fighting this past December 8th in Las Vegas, Nevada when he defeated English boxer, Ricky Hatton by TKO in the 10th round to retain his WBC Welterweight Championship belt.

Ninja and Shogun are the latest big name fighters to leave the Chute Boxe Academy. Other standouts that left the team this year include Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva and Andre Dida.

Murilo Rua was last seen at Cage Rage 24 where he defeated Xavier “Professor X” Foupa Pokam by rear naked choke in the second round. Meanwhile, Mauricio Rua is coming off a loss against Forrest Griffin at UFC 76.

The UFC has announced today that England’s very own Michael Bisping has officially decided to make the drop in weight class. Touted by close friends as rather small for light heavyweight, Bisping believes that this will be the right move for his career.

Bisping told the UFC, “At middleweight, I will be just as strong if not stronger than my opponent and, without carrying this extra 20 pounds, I will be fitter than I am at light heavyweight. I just think the time is right to move down.”

In spite of being very successful at light heavyweight, Bisping maintains that he has never had to go through the vigorous dieting that other fighters do in order to make weight. As a matter of fact, after nearly a month away from training and eating whatever he pleases, Bisping currently weighs only 211 lb.

Bisping’s move down to 185 will definitely give the UFC’s least populated weight division a much needed jolt. He joins the likes of Dan Henderson and Ricardo Almeida as some of the new exciting fighters that will add some new blood to the UFC’s middleweight division. In regards to making weight at 185, Bisping replied, “I’m a little nervous about it, of course I am. I know I can make 185 pounds if I dieted like every other fighter, but at the same time I’ve never asked my body to do it.”

Bisping is expected to make his UFC middleweight debut in the spring of 2008.

This is it boys and girls, the moment we’ve all been waiting for; the final episode of The Ultimate Fighter Team Hughes vs. Team Serra. The final episode before this weekend’s TUF finale starts off by showcasing the semifinal tilt between Team Hughes’ Mac Danzig and Team Serra’s Matt Arroyo. Danzig insists that he likes to finish his fights standing up, but, for some reason or another, his opponents want to take him down. Danzig gives his thoughts on his next opponent and Mac admits he’s not taking Arroyo lightly. In fact, he considers Arroyo to be in the top 3 out of the household with, of course, himself being in the number one spot.

The floor is then given to Arroyo who likes his chances going into the semifinals. As the underdog, Arroyo feels there’s no pressure on him to win. However, Arroyo’s hopes of making it into the UFC come to a crashing halt when teammate Richie Hightower lands on top of Arroyo during a training drill only to injure Arroyo’s rib. The pain is unbearable. Arroyo explains that each breath he takes in feels as though he’s being stabbed in the lungs. After a visit to the doctor, Arroyo is informed that he has a slight crack in his rib along with some minor bruises. Uncertain about his future, Arroyo now has a decision to make. Does he throw in the towel along with his dreams of fighting in the UFC, or does he fight in the semis injured? Arroyo contemplates.

The next day, Arroyo arranges an impromptu meeting with Matt Serra to deliver his verdict. After giving it much thought, Arroyo reveals to Serra that he is withdrawing from the semifinals. Arroyo explains that he cannot continue because the rib injury is affecting his ability to fight and, most importantly, his breathing. Serra, ultimately, accepts Arroyo’s decision and breaks the bad news to Dana White. Immediately, Dana pays Arroyo a visit in an effort to convince Arroyo to reconsider. White questions Arroyo on whether or not he realizes what he’s giving up? White adds that words cannot describe what he’s turning down. Despite White’s words of encouragement, Arroyo does not budge. Afterwards, a perplexed White admits that he was very surprised with Arroyo’s decision to quit. In Dana’s opinion, Arroyo’s is a great fighter and not a quitter so to see him give up so easily was very shocking for White.

With Arroyo out of the picture, a replacement is needed ASAP. White and Serra evaluate the remaining Team Serra members to determine who will fill in for the injured Arroyo. Team Serra’s Jon Koppenhaver, Troy Mandaloniz, Richie Hightower, and John Kolosci are all gathered for a brief interview session where each fighter is simply asked if they’d like to fight Mac Danzig (Ben Saunders was not considered due to injuries he suffered from last week against Tommy Speer). Dana is a bit nervous as Koppenhaver, Mandaloniz, and Hightower all seem reluctant to scrap it out with Danzig. The funniest part of this week’s episode had to be White’s reaction to Hightower’s thoughts on fighting Danzig. As White explains, “He (Hightower) don’t want that f#cking fight. The last thing he wants to do is to fight Mac Danzig.”

However, all of Dana’s worries are washed away when an enthusiastic Kolosci storms through the door demanding to fight Danzig. Instantly, White is sold and Kolosci is given a spot in the semifinals as well as an opportunity to avenge his loss against Danzig.

Back at the house, Kolosci informs Danzig that they’ll be bumping heads again in the semifinals. Danzig congratulates Kolosci on the great news, but would later admit to the cameras his disapproval of the bout. Danzig argues that he already beat Kolosci decisively so he sees no point in giving Kolosci a potential shot at the finals with the rematch. The idea does not sit well with Danzig.

Fight day arrives and Kolosci appears to be extremely relaxed and confident. Danzig on the hand admits to being a bit nervous. Mac explains that he is going to have to do things a bit differently since Kolosci will do everything to avoid making the same mistakes he made in their first outing.

The fight begins with Kolosci throwing an array of low and high kicks. Several of the low kicks land but for the most part Danzig is able to check them effectively and back away from danger. As the fight progresses it looks as though John is swinging for the fences. His kicks are all heavy and could be seen coming from a mile away. John even falls on a number of high kick attempts that land nowhere near their intended target. Danzig on the other hand appears to be patient, clearly picking his shots. Eventually Danzig throws a low kick that is caught by John. Mac manages to find his balance and clinches onto John. With partial control of John’s head, Danzig lands a number of uppercuts. After an exchange of knees in the clinch, Danzig scoops low and secures a single leg. With John in the turtle position, Mac throws a number of punches and eventually inches himself onto John’s back. Having Kolosci’s back, Danzig throws some more leather, loosening John up. In due course, Danzig secures a tight rear naked choke that forces Kolosci to tap. With the victory, Mac Danzig advances to the finals.

Up next, the two remaining semi-finalists, Tommy Speer and George Sotiropoulos. Tommy plans on using his size and strength to bully around George. We are told by Matt Hughes that Tommy has a lot of power in his right hand. In the opinion of Hughes, Tommy’s right hand is his secret weapon and he could very well end the fight if he manages to tag George with it. Hughes believes that Tommy is much stronger than George and will easily out-power him. As Hughes states, “George looks weak, or at least he doesn’t look like he’s strong.”

At the Team Hughes training session, Team Hughes is trying their best to prepare Tommy for George’s arsenal of submission skills. Tommy’s teammates are concerned because Tommy has been caught in submission attempts in both of his fights on the show. Blake Bowman points out, “Tommy was caught in submissions in both of his fights but was able to escape them. If George catches Tommy in a submission, he will finish it.”

Fight day arrives and George is confident that there is no way he is going to lose to Speer. As Georges puts it, “I’ve got a lot more options than he does because I’ve got a lot more skill.” Even Dana White is also putting his money on George. As Dana states, “Tommy is a durable tough kid with a ton of heat who just won’t quit but I’m picking George to win.”

Just before the fight, Tommy has a message for George, “George I like ya but I haven’t finished a fight yet so I’m coming to hurt ya.”

The fight starts and both fighters look to be feeling each other out. Judging from Speer’s stance it becomes evident that he is looking to set up a heavy right hand. Immediately George is warned by his corner to be wary of Tommy’s right hand. Not much action from George as he looking rather nervous and tentative. Tommy throws several jabs but Georges manages to outmaneuver them. Finally, Tommy leads with a left jab and immediately closes in and clinches onto Georges head. Wanting no part of being taken down by Speer, George manages to circle his head out of danger. The fight continues with several more attempts from Tommy to grab onto George’s head, but each time, George manages to circle out. Frustrated, Tommy eventually rushes in on George in a desperate attempt to grab a hold of George’s head. Unfortunately, George is accidentally poked in the left eye by Tommy’s thumb. A halt is called to the action as referee Big John McCarthy has Sotiropoulos checked out by the physician in attendance. After a quick inspection and permission from the doctor to continue, George is ready to go. Serra reminds George that he is entitled to take more time to recover but George refuses to delay the fight any longer.

The fight resumes and immediately George is shown squinting from his left eye in discomfort. Moments later Speer lands a straight right that causes George to back away. Without giving George the opportunity to recover Tommy rushes in, circles left, and lands a huge right hand that drops George to the canvas. Sensing the blood, Speer immediately prances in and reigns down a barrage of ground-and-pounding to George. After several flush punches, George is knocked-out cold and the bout is stopped by John McCarthy. Ultimately, Hughes was correct; Tommy’s right hand really did end the fight.

With the victory, the finals are set as Mac Danzig takes on Tommy Speer in a classic battle between technique and strength.

Just a reminder that the Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra Finale will air live on Spike TV this Saturday, December 8, 2007 at 9pm ET.

Missed an episode? Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered with recaps from every episode this season.

• Episode 1
• Episode 2
• Episode 3
• Episode 4
• Episode 5
• Episode 6
• Episode 7
• Episode 8
• Episode 9
• Episode 10
• Episode 11

Sean Sherk:
UFC Lightweight Champion, Sean “The Muscle Shark” Sherk tested positive for the banned substance Nandrolone following his successful title defense over Hermes Franca on July 7^th, 2007 at UFC 73. After a rollercoaster of a hearing, today the CSAC has decided to reduce Sherk’s suspension from one year down to six months. The original $2500 fine however will be upheld by the CSAC.

What Next?
With Sherk’s suspension reduced to only six months, he will be eligible to return to action in early January 2008. Coincidentally, around the same time, BJ Penn and Joe Stevenson will clash heads for the Interim Lightweight Championship. It will be interesting to see how the UFC will decide to deal with Sean Sherk. Will Sherk be stripped of the title? Hard to say. During the UFC 78: Validation press conference, UFC president, Dana White did mention that if Sherk was to be found guilty by the CSAC, the UFC would probably revoke his title.

Will the “reduced sentence” affect the UFC’s decision? We’ll just have to wait and see.