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

- Lyoto Machida retained his light-heavyweight title in a very controversial decision over Mauricio Rua at UFC 104. Luckily, there will be an immediate rematch between the two Brazilian standouts.

- DREAM’s first “White Cage” event featured another lopsided win for Alistair Overeem, another head kick knockout by Marius Zaromskis, and another back-from-the-dead victory for Kazushi Sakuraba.

- A month-long flu has forced Brock Lesnar to pull out of his title defense against Shane Carwin at UFC 106. Coincidentally, Carwin himself had been battling swine flu, but that wasn’t going to make him puss out of the fight.

- Rashad Evans became the first coach in Ultimate Fighter history to win seven fights in the round-of-16, as the imbalanced Matt “Meathead” Mitrione scored an upset over well-traveled veteran Scott Junk on Wednesday’s episode of TUF 10. Rampage responded by savagely assaulting a door.

- We took a look at some of the nastiest leg-kicks in MMA history.

- Fedor Emelianenko looked disturbingly passionate in the first leaked image from EA’s new MMA video game, and mighty dapper in his Glorious Sweater of Absolute Victory.

- Sexy UFC ring girl Natasha Wicks (aka “the blonde one”) modeled some Halloween costumes for all her drooling fans. Speaking of which, if you happen to be going out as an MMA fighter this Halloween, e-mail a picture of yourself to feedback@cagepotato.com by tomorrow night, and you can win a $100 gift card from MMA Warehouse.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to pay per-view today with UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun, which features five fights on the main card. Here is a breakdown of each fight and who I expect to win.

Light Heavyweight Championship – Lyoto Machida (15-0) vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (18-3): Machida has quickly emerged as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world due to his style of fighting. Machida has brought a true karate style to the octagon and made it look like a dominant way of fighting. His last two fights have been impressive victories over Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans to win the UFC title. Machida likes to counter-strike, which works well in this fight as Rua likes to push the pace and be the aggressive fighter. Rua has gotten better with each fight inside the cage, but today’s fight doesn’t bode well for him. Machida has quicker strikes and should be able to pick Rua apart to score a TKO victory in the third round over a gassed Rua.

Heavyweight Bout – Cain Velasquez (6-0) vs. Ben Rothwell (30-6) – The co-headliner features two heavyweight contenders. Velasquez is being groomed to be a threat to Brock Lesnar’s heavyweight title. The Mexican born fighter has used his wrestling background to dominate his opponents and use ground-and-pound striking to quickly end fights. His last fight, a decision win over Cheick Kongo, Velasquez was able to get Kongo to the ground and dictate the pacing of the fight. Velasquez was hit with some big punches in the fight and was tested for the first time, but passed the test. Rothwell was a former IFL heavyweight champion and has faced some tough opponents, but doesn’t have a real marquee win in his lengthy career. Rothwell can win with a big punch, but Velasquez is likely to get this fight to the ground, where he will control Rothwell and earn a decision or TKO victory.

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

- Hulking heavyweight Alistair Overeem destroyed a completely outmatched opponent last weekend and plans on destroying an equally outmatched opponent this weekend.

- The two most emotionally-abused castmembers on “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights” faced off Wednesday night, and coach Rashad Evans kept his historic winning streak alive.

- We demonstrated the difference between a ridiculously unnecessary sucker punch and a completely understandable one.

- The upstart Bellator MMA league is returning next April — with a massive television deal.

- We took a look at five MMA fights that happened too early.

- The UFC booked high-profile rematches between Nate Diaz and Gray Maynard, and Jon Fitch vs. Thiago Alves.

- We’re sad to report that UFC light-heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida drinks his own pee. Nevertheless, he’ll be kicking Mauricio “Shogun” Rua’s ass tonight at UFC 104 in Los Angeles. Check out our analysis of the card here, and swing by CagePotato.com at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT for our thrilling liveblog of the pay-per-view broadcast.

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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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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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:

- YouTube star/MMA punchline Kimbo Slice has agreed to redeem himself on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter. Between his outsized presence and the rivalry between coaches Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans, TUF 10 should be utterly insane.

- The New York State Assembly voted in favor of a bill that would allow MMA to be regulated in New York. Could we be seeing UFC shows at Madison Square Garden in 2010?

- Despite being KTFO’d at UFC 98, Rashad Evans still claims that Lyoto Machida hits like a bitch.

- We put together a highlight reel of Kazushi Sakuraba’s most brutal beatings and took a look back at MMA’s most influential fighters.

- Contrary to popular belief, Andrei Arlovski never said “how’s taste my pee pee pee?”

- Joe Riggs accused Phil Baroni of steroids, while Phil Baroni claimed that it’s only lack of sex that makes him such a monster.

- “Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields” and “WEC: Brown vs. Faber II” go down this weekend. Swing by CagePotato.com Saturday night starting at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT for our liveblog of the Strikeforce show, and Sunday morning for full results from the WEC event. Get familiar with the fights by reading this heated debate and our gambling advice here and here.

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

- Last weekend’s Bellator show produced yet another epic finish, as well as the upset loss of featherweight tournament favorite Wilson Reis.

- UFC prez Dana White defended his angry outbursts on ESPN’s “E:60,” and Tito Ortiz stopped by to molest the English language.

- UFC 101 will officially go down August 8th in Philadelphia, and will feature two amazing fights and a bunch of mediocre ones.

- The video promo for DREAM’s Super Hulk Tournament, starring Jose Canseco vs. Hong Man Choi, is sheer cartoonish awesomeness.

- Speaking of which, Canseco isn’t the only athlete we’d like to see make an ill-advised transition into cage-fighting.

- Shooto’s “Final Tradition” event was highlighted by Takanori Gomi’s return to the win column, and a wild one-rounder between Takeshi Inoue and Rumina Sato.

- Keith Jardine scored another two-second role in another horrible movie.

- Lyoto Machida may be fighting for the UFC light-heavyweight title next Saturday, but he’s already looking ahead to Brock Lesnar. Could we eventually see an epic battle between foot-sweeps and hammer-fists?

- Set your DVRs: Former WWE star Bobby Lashley returns to action tonight at MFC 21, and Strikeforce kicks off their “Challengers” series with a lightweight battle between Billy Evangelista and Mike Aina.

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

- Former WWE star Bobby Lashley picked up his second MMA victory at last weekend’s “March Badness” event, winning a decision against palooka Jason Guida, but proved that he’s not quite ready for prime time.

- What’s more embarrassing: The revelation that Lyoto Machida drinks his own urine, Bob Sapp’s starring role in Frankenhood, or Keith Jardine being named the 82nd-ugliest man in the world by a major news outlet?

- Legendary referee “Big” John McCarthy shared some stories about the gory, Wild West days of the UFC.

- Despite all evidence to the contrary, Chuck Liddell thinks he can become the UFC light-heavyweight champion again.

- Two exciting up-and-comers with cool nicknames who have been screwed over by referees in the past will be fighting each other in June.

- Junie Browning explained that his insane behavior on The Ultimate Fighter was all part of a master plan. Amazingly, it worked.

- Swing by CagePotato.com next Wednesday evening for our live coverage of UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann, and remember to watch the premiere of The Ultimate Fighter: Team U.S. vs. Team U.K., directly after at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

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

- Quinton “Rampage” Jackson scored a unanimous decision victory over Keith Jardine at last Saturday’s UFC 96. After the fight, Jackson was offered an opportunity to challenge Rashad Evans in late May for the light-heavyweight title that used to belong to him, but nagging injuries will keep him out of action until later this year. Instead, undefeated Brazilian contender Lyoto Machida will be the challenger for Evans’s first title defense.

- Charles “Mask” Lewis, co-founder of the MMA apparel/lifestyle company TapouT, died in a car accident late Tuesday night in Neport Beach after colliding with another car. The other driver survived, though he was arrested on suspicion of felony drunk driving.

For a photo tribute to Charles Lewis, click here to head to COMBATLIFESTYLE.COM.

- Following a positive steroid test after his last fight, MMA legend Ken Shamrock has been suspended from competition for one year and will not be able to take on Bobby Lashley later this month at the Roy Jones Jr.-promoted “March Badness” card. He will be replaced by Clay Guida’s ne’er-do-well brother Jason.

- New York Assemblymen Jonathan Bing and Rob Walker told us why MMA belongs in New York State, while grumpy old man Bob Reilly told us why it’s bad for society.

- UFC lightweight champ BJ Penn filed a formal complaint with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, claiming that Georges St. Pierre cheated during their UFC 94 fight though improper usage of Vaseline, and speculated that he may have ingested a substance that made his body slippery.

- The cast of “The Ultimate Fighter: U.S. vs. U.K.” was announced.

- Even legendary boxing promoter/double-murderer Don King wants a piece of the MMA action.

- At a press conference on Thursday, it was announced that former EliteXC welterweight champ Jake Shields and former EliteXC middleweight champ Robbie Lawler will face off in a non-title fight at Strikeforce’s May event. Also, Nick Diaz gave Frank Shamrock the finger.