Here is a direct quote from the report.

Jon Fitch spoke with Lorenzo Fertitta today and agreed to sign the merchandising contract. He is back in UFC and will fight Jan. 31 against Akihiro Gono as scheduled.

Christian Wellisch has also been reinstated. He had agreed to sign the merchandising contract but was fired as part of the blow-up between Dana White and Zinkin Entertainment, his management company. Right now things are being negotiated regarding the other fighters affected but those aren’t settled yet.

Also on the site, Dave Meltzer said that it wasn’t only the video game issue, but more so an issue between DeWayne Zinkin and Dana White.

The videogame issue was part of it, but these have been problems simmering for many years, long before most of the fighters in question were even in the UFC.

George Roop says that even though John is nice, he’s going in there with bad intentions and is going to make him bleed. He hurt his hand sparring. Mir says he hyper extended his finger at the knuckle. He can’t make a fist.

Someone stole the marshmallows from John’s box of Lucky Charms and he’s no longer John “The Hugger”. He’s pissed.

Mir says Roop’s hand is a dead fish. Dana White says John “The Hugger” is goofy, but he can go toe to toe. Mir says it should be an easy win for Roop, but because of that hand, the fight is harder.

Big Nog likes Roop and plays around with him.

John Polakowski vs. George Roop

Roop had the upper hand for more than half the round, but “The Hugger” got on top with about 1:30 left in the round. But Roop was doing just as much from the bottom as John was.

John was throwing the better punches and seemed to have hurt Roop in the second. Then Roop took over and controlled him for the rest of the round and then got his back, but couldn’t get the choke in.

Winner: George Roop by way of unanimous decision

Dana White says bad judging killed the fight because “The Hugger” won the second round.

Junie blew up again because the guys were messing with him and throwing eggs at him while he was at the pool. Not sure why it was even necessary to show it.

They are picking the semi-final matches.

The semi-finals are:

Ryan Bader vs. Eliot Marshall

Philipe Nover vs. George Roop

Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Vinny Magalhaes

Junie Browning vs. Efrain Escudero

Next week, we get two fights and they are the first on the list.

Jon Fitch has been cut
According to Dave Meltzer, Jon Fitch and Christian Wellisch were cut today for not signing UFC’s merchandising agreement. Both fighters were advised not to sign the agreement by Duane Zinkin and Bob Cook of Zinkin Entertainment. Zinkin Entertainment also represents Cain Velasquez and Josh Koschek, who also haven’t signed the agreement according to the article. Mike Swick reportedly signed the agreement and is not in danger.

In smaller news, though Fedor’s people probably want you to think it’s big news.

Fedor welcomes “superfight” with Brock Lesnar
It’s a fight that will never happen as long as UFC is the big game in town, but Fedor’s people have called out Brock Lesnar even though they don’t think that at this point, Lesnar could get out of the first round against Fedor. It’s not really news because the UFC would never agree to M-1’s demands, which include co-promotion between the UFC, M-1, and Affliction according to MMA Junkie.

The bargaining power is completely with the UFC and not with Fedor and M-1. They are the number one MMA company even without Fedor. Fedor’s people seem to be trying to bait the UFC by stating that he’s still the number one pound for pound, even though the UFC claims that Anderson Silva is. At the end of the day, unless Fedor is a free agent and can negotiate with the UFC again, this is a fight that won’t happen.

(There is a curse word uttered so if you are offended by that, please don’t play the video.)

Let’s get to the feedback.

Big D

Show overall rating: Thumbs WAY UP

Best Fight: Jeremy Stephens vs. Rafael Dos Anjos
Worst Fight: Mark Bocek vs. Alvin Robinson

One of the best UFC Cards EVER. Top to bottom I was never bored. We saw all types of styles. We saw great standup, we saw great ground fighting. It was a great card TOP TO BOTTOM. There were NO bad fights at all, and even the one that went the distance had a handful of beautiful standup combinations and trading. This was PERFECT MMA, and I’m so happy that so many new fans were exposed to good MMA. Long live the UFC.

Alan

Show overall rating: Thumbs Up

Best Fight: Jorge Gurgel vs. Aaron Riley
Worst Fight: Mark Bocek vs. Alvin Robinson

Awesome show all around.

Duan

Show overall rating: Thumbs Up

Best Fight: Jorge Gurgel vs. Aaron Riley
Worst Fight: Mark Bocek vs. Alvin Robinson

Best UFC card in quite a while. This was one of those shows which turned out far better in execution than it looked on paper. Great night of fights from beginning to end rounded off with a historic Main event.

This show also did a great job of establishing new contenders.
I’m one of Kenny Florian’s biggest doubters, but even I couldn’t begrudge him a title shot after how he handled Stevenson. Gonzaga looked like a monster again; one more big win and he should be right back in the title race. And Damian Maia looks like a legitimate threat to anyone in the 185 pound division.

It was also wonderful to see Aaron Riley back in UFC, and he definitely earned his spot with a performance like that. Ending the broadcast with the Bocek vs. Robinson prelim made for something of an anticlimax; trying to follow on from the huge main event and the excellent Riley vs. Gurgle war just seemed impossible. Great show, none the less.

Cactus Jim

Show overall rating: Thumbs Up

Best Fight: Dustin Hazelett vs. Tamdan McCrory
Worst Fight: Mark Bocek vs. Alvin Robinson

Top to bottom a good card. Great KO’s, great submissions, and action all around.

Stevie J (from Angrymarks.com)

Show overall rating: Thumbs Up

Best Fight: Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture
Worst Fight: Jorge Gurgel vs. Aaron Riley

A big THUMBS UP for this PPV. This one was better than 88-90 all put together rolled up into one big enchilada. None of the fights were disappointing and better still we got to see ALL of them, which is exceedingly rare for a UFC card. Fight of the night absolutely has to be the main event - the heat for the match was off the charts and to be honest I’m really stoked that my prediction for FightGameBlog of the finish was 100% CORRECT. The only way I could have done better was if I had given an estimated time as to when in the round it would take place, but nobody’s THAT good. The worst fight was Gurgel v. Riley. I really don’t get why Gurgel gets touted time and time again by Joe Rogan and all of his training partners as such a skilled guy and top notch jiu-jitsu technician. Even if his credentials are legit it doesn’t mean SHIT because every opponent he goes against mashes his face so hard he winds up like a burn victim. Beating Jorge Gurgel means about as much as beating Josh Burkman, and I think you see where I’m going with that. Riley could be legit but needs to step up against a much better fighter. Favorite submission of the night was Florian by far. Absolute PWN4GE in every way, and again I’m stoked that I called the right man getting the win; it’s only a shame that I picked him to go decision. Since three other contributors to the FightGameBlog preview had the same idea I’m not going to beat myself up about it. Some people have tried to knock the fact there were only two “big fights” during UFC 91, but I see this card as building up a lot of future main events. Gonzaga is now re-established as a credible heavyweight and future opponent for Lesnar. Florian looks absolutely ready to main event a fight against BJ Penn. Demian Maia is legit at 185 AND undefeated, so Anderson Silva can’t avoid him forever. That’s three possible main event fights coming out of one show, so if you’re complaining about the undercard of UFC 91 save it for the next man. Besides, I said it already - almost every fight had a great finish and we got to see ALL of the fights. UFC home videos often promote the fact you get to “see what didn’t air” so in this case they’ll need something a little more special as the hook - maybe they can add some documentary features about Lesnar and Couture. If you didn’t see this one though go out of your way to order the replay - don’t wait six months ’til the video finally comes out.

GG

Show overall rating: Thumbs Up

Best Fight: Dustin Hazelett vs. Tamdan McCrory
Worst Fight: Mark Bocek vs. Alvin Robinson

I will apologize for my picks for best and worst fight. I did see all the fights but everything after the main event was anticlimactic for me. So even though I could tell the action in Gurgel vs. Riley was good, I wasn’t into it at all and by that time, I was drained since I was so up for the main. But I did love Hazelett’s work on the ground. And let’s not forget that these dudes were hitting each other very hard early on. I loved the intensity of the main event. Everything about it screamed huge fight. This show was my favorite show of the year and I’m not sure anyone could watch it and not enjoy it.

Terry Martin is going to face Scott Smith in what is going to be a slobber knocker.

Smith thinks the fight will be exciting.

This is one of the those match ups where there’s no chance it won’t be a great fight.

Martin was quoted to say that fighting is simply in his blood.

Fighting has always been a part of me. I come from a fightin’ family. You have to be aggressive to make it in MMA. I’m aggressive and agile and I think I have a very entertaining style.

Unless there are more matches being added between now and Friday, that should round out the card. Cactus Jim and I will be there and I’ll have a full report on Friday evening/Saturday morning.

Thanks to Mike Afromowitz for the information.

De La Hoya is running in Big Bear with a “Ring” jacket.

He says Big Bear makes him feel at home and re-engergizes him. It pumps him up.

Pacquiao says it’s the biggest moment in his boxing career. Freddie Roach says he’s ferocious. Roach trained De La Hoya for the Mayweather fight last year. De La Hoya says that Roach came into the fight with the wrong game plan. Roach says he lost because of a reason, but he’s not telling. He’s going to use it against him.

De La Hoya looks to be using some football training for his sprint work. He’s also doing electrostimulation which sends an electrical charge from his shoulder to hand. It moves the blood and energy around to find blockages.

Eleven of Pacquiao’s team members live in a two bedroom condo. They live to serve him and follow him everywhere. Roach says that Manny is special to him and he’s a product of the best work he’s ever done.
Roach says Pacquiao will over train if you let him. Pac says that if you train hard, the fight will be easy.

Ignacio Beristain is De La Hoya’s trainer and he says you can’t digest failure. He’s known simply as Nacho. He’s De La Hoya’s second choice since Floyd Mayweather Sr. chose to train Ricky Hatton instead. Oscar’s brother Joel says it’s a blessing in disguise because Mayweather wouldn’t have taught him anything different. Daniel Zaragoza was Nacho’s first world champion and he’s his right hand man now. They both trained Juan Manuel Marquez for Pacquiao and the first fight was a draw while the second was a split decision for Pacquiao. Angelo Dundee is also going to help De La Hoya as an advisor.

Jinkee Pacquiao says she left her children in the Philippines to be with Manny. They’re living in separate apartments and she visits him once every evening. They show Manny singing karaoke. He doesn’t really engage her.

A Filipino family drove from Salinas to LA just to meet Pacquiao because he inspires them. He’s the people’s champ. He’s the most famous man in his country.

Dundee says that Oscar has talent he doesn’t know he has. He says to do everything first, meaning beat Pacquiao to the punch. Dundee says the weight and height don’t matter. What will determine the fight is that Oscar’s a better fighter.

Roach says when he gets a hotel before the fight, he gets his own room, but Manny stays with 10 people because that’s what he likes. It’s part of the Filipino culture. Roach says he took the fight because he knows Oscar and said he told Manny that if Manny loses, he doesn’t have to pay him.

Dave Meltzer says it’s a changing of the guard.
Meltzer says that when Royce Gracie won the first UFC, it showed that size didn’t matter. Fifteen years later, Brock Lesnar shows that it does.

UFC gives out fight bonuses for UFC 91.
Knockout of the Night — Jeremy Stephens
Submission of the Night – Dustin Hazelett
Fight of the Night — Aaron Riley vs. Jorge Gurgel

Dana says they’re still waiting for the “right” TV deal at the post fight press conference.
He says the network deals are helping put some of these companies out of business because they are bad deals. He won’t let that happen.

Josh Gross wants to see Brock vs. Fedor.
Gross live blogged the main event and said he’d put Fedor as a 3-1 favorite.

Brock Lesnar punches Heath Herring

1. Demian Maia vs. Nate Quarry

It didn’t take long for Maia to get Quarry down. He got his back, put on a body triangle and eventually got the choke. Quarry never had a chance.

Winner: Demian Maia by way of 1st round submission

2. Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Josh Hendricks

Gonzaga just overpowered Hendricks in the clinch and was hitting him with knees. He knocked Hendricks down with a right hand and Hendricks just laid on the ground waiting for it to be stopped.

Winner: Gabriel Gonzaga by way of 1st round TKO.

3. Matt Brown vs. Ryan Thomas

Since the two fights ended early, they’re showing this fight from earlier in the evening.

It was a very active first round. Thomas got the upper hand of a takedown battle, but Brown tried for a triangle from the bottom, and transitioned to an arm bar. Thomas got out of it and got the top position again but Brown sunk in a guillotine. Thomas didn’t tap, but Brown wins the round for going after locking in submissions from the bottom and being closer to finishing the fight.

Thomas got the takedown again, but fell right into the arm bar again. Thomas struggled in it but finally tapped.

Winner: Matt Brown by way of 2nd round submission

4. Dustin Hazelett vs. Tamdan McCrory

They stood up and traded punches and kicks. Hazelett knocked him off balanced with a front kick to the chest. Late in the round, Hazelett went for an um aplata and locked in an arm bar from the rubber guard for the tap.

Winner: Dustin Hazelett by way of 1st round submission

5. Jeremy Stephens vs. Rafael Dos Anjos

Dos Anjos dominated the positioning on the ground and went from side control to the 69 position but could never get the mount. He went for the uma plata as well, but ended up in a crucifix position and I thought he was going to roll him up for a pin.

Lots of jiu jitsu from both guys, but neither guy was in trouble. Stephens had the better position for the first half of the round and then Dos Anjos tried a submission from the guard, but didn’t get it. Stephens was back on top near the end and probably won the round.

Stephens knocked him out with a huge uppercut. He wound up, called his mom, smoked a cigarette and still hit it. He finished him with punches on the ground, but Dos Anjos was out.

Winner: Jeremy Stephens by way of 3rd round TKO.

6. Joe Stevenson vs. Kenny Florian

Stevenson was aggressive early on and setting the tempo. Florian was patient, got on top, got the mount and punched from the mount until Stevenson turned over and gave up his back. Florian sunk in the choke and Stevenson tapped.

Winner: Kenny Florian by way of 1st round submission

7. Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture

Here we go.

Brock is coming out to Enter Sandman.

It was a greco match early on with both guys up against the cage. Brock tried a few knees, but it went back in the middle. Brock shot in and eventually got the takedown. Randy tried to get a takedown, but Brock grabbed his leg and swept him back down. He tried to pin one of Randy’s arm on the ground and punch him. Couture got back up and put Brock up against the cage.

Brock nailed Randy with an elbow that slightly staggered him. Randy had him up against the cage and it turned back into a boxing match. Randy beat him to the punch and bloodied him above his eye. Randy’s head movement bothered Brock and Brock shot in. Brock hit Randy over the ear and Randy went down. Brock finished him on the ground.

Winner: Brock Lesnar by way of 2nd round TKO

8. Jorge Gurgel vs. Aaron Riley

Really good first round. Both guys were standing up and throwing.

More of the same. I’m not really watching it closely, but from what I’ve seen, it’s good. They are battling.

Great fight. It was just a slugging match.

Winner: Aaron Riley by unanimous decision

9. Mark Bocek vs. Alvin Robinson

I had friends over and didn’t get to see the fight, but Bocek choked him out in the third round.

Winner: Mark Bocek by way of 3rd round submission

Photo of Brock was shared at wikipedia.

The preview says that a fighter gets knocked out in the house. Uh oh.

They recap the fight from last week and Team Nog chants, “Assassin Phillipe!”

Krzysztof Soszynski is in the last light heavyweight fight and his thumb is jacked.

Tom Lawlor and the just defeated Dave Kaplan are drinking and Kaplan is getting ripped. Kaplan says he’s never been knocked out. Shane says that Kaplan and Lawlor only brought speedos to the house because that’s all they wear. Shane talks exactly like BJ Penn.

Junie is all for the drinking because it takes the attention away from him. A drunken Kaplan begs Lawlor to hit him and he finally does and Kaplan just goes out. Kaplan says he wasn’t knocked out. But he really was. He couldn’t stand up straight. Kaplan says he wasn’t unconscious. He must watch the tape of himself.

Vinnie says Krzysztof has good stand up, but can’t stop takedowns. He faces Kyle Kingsbury in the fight. Team Nog pranks Krzysztof by putting any movable object in the house into his room. Dan Henderson comes in and train with Krzysztof, but it’s a short segment. They don’t really put him over like they put over Silva.

Krzysztof enjoys the prank, but his team doesn’t look like they’re going to help him clean up his room.

It’s coach’s challenge time. It’s Mir! It’s Nogueira! It’s soccer! Nog says he was the worst soccer player growing up. Mir thinks it’s rigged and that Nog has had to have played soccer before. It’s basically a bunch of penalty kicks. One fighter kicking, one fighter as the goalie. Mir keeps kicking it right to Nog. Nog is putting some angles on his kick and Mir won’t even move. Nog is so kicking his ass in December. Kingsbury screams, “Goal!” after every Nog score. Mir gets upset and says it’s disrespectful but then says he realized that they are all just losers and will never be studs. Yep, that’s a guy with a coach’s mentality. Dana says that Mir doesn’t want to move so that he won’t mess up his hair. Nog scores and does a Hulk Hogan/Ultimate Warrior body building pose. He’s a great man. He eventually wins 10-6, wins $10,000 for himself and $1,000 for his team. He says that he was happier to win the money for his team. Mir is all sour grapes and a bag of chips. He says he’s 200 times the athlete than Nog. Nog went back to the house and played water basketball with his team.

Kingsbury was born in San Jose, CA like me. He says that the pressure is off him because he wasn’t a top pick.

Krzysztof decides to prank the boys again. He lined up all the dishes and kitchen utensils on the outdoor basketball court. Doesn’t that hurt his team too?

Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Kyle Kingsbury

Really boring fight. Kingsbury looked nervous. He got a takedown which really seemed like Krzysztof just pulling guard. And then he put on the world’s slowest arm bar which Kingsbury still got caught in. Game over.

Winner: Krzysztof Soszynski by 1st round submission.

Nog says he wants to train Kingsbury and help him get better.

Next week is George Roop vs. John “The Hugger” Polakowski.