- Benson Henderson edged out Donald Cerrone in an epic five-rounder at WEC 43, while Mackens Semerzier came out of nowhere to score the upset of the year over Wagnney Fabiano.

- Chuck Liddell’s storybook run on “Dancing With the Stars” came to an abrupt end when his country-fried two-step failed to win over the judges.

- Half-crazy UFC vet Wes Sims was quickly choked to sleep by Justin Wren on Wednesday’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter, extending Team Rashad’s undefeated reign of destruction.

- “The Simpsons” devoted an entire episode to MMA, in which Marge went from killjoy protester to ass-kicking cage-fighter.

- Brock Lesnar was as big and scary as a baby as he is now, and Nick Diaz had lost all ability to give a fuck by age six.

- We met Mika Nagano, one of Japan’s sexiest MMA fighters.

- After contract negotiations with the UFC fell apart, veteran fighter Dan Henderson is jumping ship to Strikeforce.

- Leaner and meaner, Ben Rothwell laid out his plan to beat Cain Velasquez at UFC 104 next Saturday.

- If Tito Ortiz is your favorite fighter, you are either Jenna Jameson, Donald Trump, or Tito Ortiz. No exceptions.

One month ago I had a lot of debate as to who is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

After UFC 101, my questions were answered.

Long have I felt Fedor Emelianenko was the best in the world no matter the weight class, but that honor I now give to Anderson Silva following his absolutely flawless win over Forrest Griffin.

The Silva victory combined with Emelianenko opting to sign with Strikeforce puts Silva at No.1 in my book. When making this list I am considering the fighters as they are today, not as they were five years ago. Emelianenko looked a little sloppy in his last fight and is now going to have much easier competition as a whole in Strikeforce, whereas Silva and Georges St. Pierre have fought the best and looked impressive doing so.
So, here is my list. As always, I encourage healthy discussions.

1. Anderson Silva (24-4) – Middleweight/Light Heavyweight – UFC
If you really look at, the Silva vs. Griffin fight was every bit as big as St. Pierre vs. Penn from a standpoint that you had a champion from one weight class facing a bigger fighter that was one fight removed from being the champion in that weight class as well. Silva made Griffin look like Glass Joe from Mike Tyson Punch Out and basically made Griffin quit out of embarrassment (which has caused me to stop reading Forrest’s book, as he know seems to look like a hypocrite). After that display, I truly feel that Silva could not only be Light Heavyweight champion, I have serious beliefs that he is the kind of guy that could actually beat a guy like Brock Lesnar. His accuracy and power while backing up would be a problem for Lesnar in more ways than one. Brock wouldn’t be able to get a takedown without eating a solid knee or punch that could put him down. I know many of you think I am crazy probably, but that is the way I feel.

2. Georges St. Pierre (19-2) – Welterweight – UFC
I used to think GSP could give Silva a fight, but I don’t feel so good about that now. If Silva was to move to Light Heavyweight on a permanent basis, I would like to see GSP move up to middleweight for a new set of challenges. Guys like Mike Swick and Martin Kampmann don’t seem to present much of a challenge and nobody is going to be excited to see rematches with Jon Fitch or Thiago Alves. Middleweight could present some intriguing fights and would really test GSP.

3. Fedor Emelianenko (30-1-1) – Heavyweight – Strikeforce
Well, again this is all about present day and Fedor hasn’t done anything as of late to keep his top ranking while guys like Silva and St. Pierre are beating some of the best. Fedor had no control over what happened with Affliction: Trilogy, but the option to sign with the UFC was there and he turned it down. He has to know that UFC has better overall talent and hosting an exhibition sparring match with Gegard Mousasi is not going to get me excited. I think Fedor’s career is probably the best of anyone, but in terms of best fighter in the world today, I don’t see him as No. 1.

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Here’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:

In a week that left every MMA fan with a massive hangover…

- Affliction heavyweight Josh Barnett pissed dirty in a random drug test, and was yanked from next Saturday’s “Trilogy” Card. After a futile search for a replacement opponent, Affliction decided it would be easier for everybody if they just went back to selling t-shirts.

- Lithuanian underdog Marius Zaromskis won DREAM’s welterweight grand prix by knocking out Hayato Sakurai and Jason High on the same night.

- Strikeforce’s formerly-epic “Carano vs. Cyborg” card lost two title fights, one due to an infected hand and the other due to an unfortunate drug reaction.

- Instead of the title shot he was promised, UFC middleweight star Dan Henderson has to fight Rich Franklin again, just eight months after he beat him the first time.

- UFC old-schooler Kimo Leopoldo was discovered not dead of a heart attack. He was, and still is, 41.

- We wondered what the future holds for the UFC’s fallen U.K. poster boy Michael Bisping.

- In a sport full of turmoil and constant surprises, we can always count on Gina Carano to look hot in public.

Here’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:

- Brock Lesnar, Georges St. Pierre, and Dan Henderson were dominant at UFC 100 — but Lesnar’s post-fight antics made him a villain in the eyes of many fans.

- The UFC’s new ring girl is hot, blonde, and all-natural.

- Kimbo Slice’s “Ultimate Fighter” housemates should be thankful he wasn’t allowed to bring a gun on the set.

- Fedor Emelianenko will probably never face Brock Lesnar in the UFC due to disagreements on contract terms. But that isn’t stopping some bookmakers from offering bets on the non-existant fight.

- Gina Carano and Cris Cyborg visited New York to hype the biggest women’s MMA match of all time. Sounds like a perfect time for Carano’s scumbag ex-boyfriend to release that sex tape.

- Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is not a fan of either Rashad Evans or Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal.

- PRIDE legend Igor Vovchanchyn will return to action in September, while Jose Aldo and Mike Brown will get it on for the WEC featherweight belt in November.

- Floyd Mayweather Jr. says white people invented MMA because they couldn’t compete in boxing. What a fascinating theory, Professor Money…

At one point following UFC 100 this past weekend, I felt like there are a lot of new questions about who the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world is.

Georges St. Pierre certainly raised his stock with a definitive win over Thiago Alves, who was considered to be GSP’s toughest fight to date prior to UFC 100.

Brock Lesnar also deserves some consideration for his dominant performance over Frank Mir, which left many wondering who can beat him.

Here is my personalized top 10 ranking of who I feel are the top 10 overall fighters in the world. In making this list, I consider win-loss record, how convincingly the fighters have won their most recent fights, and their appeal to other fans. Well, here we go:

1. Fedor Emelianeko (30-1-1) – Heavyweight – Affliction
About a year ago, I was one of those people that claimed that Fedor was overrated and didn’t fight the best. Well, after two quick KO’s of Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski, you can’t argue that Fedor is not the best. The guy has virtually never lost, with his lone loss coming on a cut. The guy never changes his expression and never makes a mistake in his fights. Until someone beats him cleanly, Fedor will be at the top of my list.

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Here’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:

- Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s dry-humping of a female reporter became the year’s most uncomfortable MMA viral video.

- Saturday’s monumental UFC 100 show will feature “Girl Next Door” Holly Madison as a celebrity Octagon Girl, and two very worthy additions to the UFC Hall of Fame.

- With the bookings of Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum and Nick Diaz vs. Joe Riggs, Strikeforce’s “Carano vs. Cyborg” mega-card will now feature four title fights.

- In other Diaz Brother news, Nate Diaz is headlining the next UFC Fight Night event, despite having lost his last two matches, and plans on getting knocked dead this time.

- The UFC’s new stance on sponsorships is taking money out of the pockets of their fighters.

- After screwing the UFC by defecting to DREAM, MMA legend Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic has decided to screw DREAM and return to the UFC.

- The full cast of “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights” was revealed. Does Kimbo Slice have a chance?

- Swing by CagePotato tonight (Saturday) beginning at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET for our liveblog of UFC 100, in which Brock Lesnar clashes with Frank Mir for the second time, Georges St. Pierre defends his belt against Thiago Alves, and Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson battle for a middleweight title shot. Get hyped for the historic event by watching this unofficial tribute, and this official one.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship celebrates a monumental landmark tonight with UFC 100. To celebrate the 100th Pay Per View show for the Mixed-Martial Arts company, the UFC has put together a stacked feature card headlined by three main-event caliber fights. Overall the main card has five fights, including two championship bouts. The show takes places from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas at 10 p.m. ET. Here are my predictions for the main card bouts.

Heavyweight Championship (265 pounds): Champion Brock Lesnar (3-1) vs. Frank Mir (12-3) – This fight is tough to call. Mir one the previous meeting at UFC 81 in February of 2008, but since, both fighters have vastly improved. Lesnar has been over-powering and shown solid boxing in his wins over Heath Herring and Randy Couture. Mir has been on a tear in his last three fights, picking up quick wins over Antoni Hardonk, Lesnar, and Minotaro Nogueira. Mir became the first to stop Nogueria back at UFC 92, which set up the rematch with Lesnar. In this fight, I think Mir’s improved boxing will play a big factor. In the first meeting, Lesnar landed big punches early and pounced on Mir, nearly stopping the fight before Mir pulled of a knee-bar submission. In this fight I think Mir will be able to dictate where the fight goes more than he did in the first meeting. With Mir’s composure and elite level submission ability, I see Mir surviving Lesnar’s early onslaught and then successfully pulling off a submission. I take Mir by submission in round three.

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With UFC 100 a week away on July 11, I decided to look back at what got the UFC to this point. Here is my take on what I believe are the 10 most significant fights in UFC history, helping the company become what it is today.

1. Stephan Bonner vs. Forrest Griffin – Ultimate Fighter Finale 1: This fight was not only the most memorable fight to watch, but may also be the fight that really pushed the UFC into the next level of mainstream popularity. Following the debut season of The Ultimate Fighter, a show which UFC President Dana White and co-owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta funded out of their own pocket, the finale took place live on Spike TV, which was airing live fights for the first time in the history of cable television. The UFC knew it needed something big to happen to not only keep a cable television deal, but earn future advertisers, and also prolong its reality show for future seasons. Bonner vs. Griffin delivered just that. The two fought to the very end and both were so even, it was impossible to decide a clear winner for most fans. The fight at one point drew 10 million viewers, which was just what the UFC needed. The back-and-forth, non-stopped action gave the UFC an identity to fans that had never seen it before and got the ball rolling that has allowed the UFC to snowball into what it is today.

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Here’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:

- Bobby Lashley made Bob Sapp tap twice and Gilbert Yvel KO’d Pedro Rizzo at last week’s ‘Ultimate Chaos’ event.

- Nick Diaz and Joe Riggs may be settling an old rivalry next month. But will anybody see it?

- With UFC 100 coming up next Saturday, we counted down the 10 greatest UFC events of all time.

- Nobody seems to think Michael Bisping has a chance against Dan Henderson in their UFC 100 fight. Though if he really plans on out-wrestling Hendo, maybe he really is doomed.

- Indiana became the 39th U.S. state to begin regulating MMA. Last state to legalize the sport is a rotten egg!

- Rampage Jackson says he’ll be knocking out Rashad Evans in his hometown of Memphis in December.

- Tito Ortiz fooled us for the last time.

- We chatted with Jon Fitch about the stupidity of trash-talk and the challenges of fighting a man in a dress.

Rich Franklin
Nickname: “Ace”
Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 185/205
MMA Record: 24-4-1
UFC Record: 11-3
Fighting Style: Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Freestyle

Rich “Ace” Franklin hails from Cincinnati, Ohio where he was a math teacher before taking up MMA. He began his training in a shed with friends with the use of instructional videotapes. He would later join Jorge Gurgel – a black belt in BJJ – and trained under Neal Rowe for kickboxing. He has since earned a brown belt under Gurgel and continues to improve his wrestling and striking in Ohio.

Franklin got his nickname from Jim Carry’s “Ace Ventura”, which Rich resembles strongly. He is good friends with Tim “the Maniac” Silvia, who was shown crying after Franklin was beaten badly in his first bought with Anderson Silva. He would get a rematch, but suffered a similar fate in the cage.

He has fought at 205 and 185 in the UFC, appearing leaner and quicker at middleweight (185). He holds notable wins over Ken Shamrock, Evan Tanner, and a huge stunning knockout over Nate Quarry. He had run through most of the UFC’s 185lbs division until losing to Anderson Silva. Franklin had recently been on a two-fight win streak before Dan Henderson defeated him. He is set to face Wanderlei Silva at UFC 99.