UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and middleweight champion Anderson Silva have been nominated for ESPN’s 2009 ESPY award for Best Fighter. Boxers Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley will also be competing for the award.

Fans can support Machida and Silva by voting at espys.tv.

According to the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s official calendar, UFC 105 is likely to take place on November 21 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Fanhouse’s Mike Chiappetta speculates that the pay-per-view event could be headlined by the winner of one of UFC 100’s two title bouts between heavyweights Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir and welterweights Georges St-Pierre or Vitor Belfort’s UFC return against middleweight title-holder Anderson Silva.

During Saturday’s broadcast of The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale, UFC President Dana White announced that former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort could soon return to the UFC and challenge UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

As a guest on “Inside the Octagon” hosted by TUF 7 winner Amir Sadollah, White also confirmed that light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida will defend his title on October 24 in Los Angeles against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and maintained that he’d prefer Chuck Liddell retire, though the most surprising news was the announcement that Belfort may again be competing inside the Octagon.

Middleweight contender Yushin Okami (23-4), who was forced out of a UFC 98 bout against Dan Miller last month with a torn ligament, expects his next fight to take place in September.

The UFC today announced the majority of the fight card for UFC 101: Declaration, which is set for August 8th at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. Joining BJ Penn vs. Kenny Florian and Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin on the pay-per-view main card will be Johny Hendricks vs. Amir Sadollah, Ricardo Almeida vs. Kendall Grove, and Josh Neer vs. Kurt Pellgrino.

Despite dropping to 195-pounds for a catchweight showdown with Wanderlei Silva at UFC 99, former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin will remain at light heavyweight due to his recent training with current middleweight title-holder Anderson Silva.

What’s that? You say you’re not that hyped for UFC 100 yet? Well this poster should help that out. As for the UFC 99 headliner of Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva…well if nothing else Franklin might show us some new muay thai tricks. Or pop n’ lock moves. It’s really too early to tell. Pics after the jump.

Professional boxer Roy Jones Jr., in the latest attempt to organize a fight with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, has offered to fight "The Spider" in the UFC octagon instead of the boxing ring, but UFC President Dana White has nixed the contest.

The UFC has officially announced UFC 101, which will take place on August 8th at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia and features BJ Penn vs. Kenny Florian and Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin.

UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva will return to the light heavyweight division to square off with Forrest Griffin in a featured bout at UFC 101 on August 8th in Philadelphia. Rumors of the matchup had been swirling in recent days, with MMAjunkie confirming on Tuesday that both fighters have now verbally agreed to the fight.

Former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin will train with current 185-pound title-holder Anderson Silva for his UFC 99 195-pound catchweight headliner against Wanderlei Silva, according to the Dayton Daily News. According to the report, Franklin will spend some time away from his traditional camp with Matt Hume in Seattle to train with Silva in California.

Though Anderson Silva's alleged greasing went unnoticed by most fans until after the UFC 97 main event, referee Yves Lavigne not only noticed the Vaseline on Silva's chest and arms but wiped it off and received approval from Leites' corner before starting the contest.