ESPN Mixed Martial Arts

CARSON, Calif. -- Drip. Drip.

Red droplets won't stop falling from Steve Mocco's nose.

"It's been bleeding for a while," he said, not needing to be asked before saying something. "You just tap it and it starts bleeding."

Drip. Drip.

The pattern held steady during half-minute intervals, and Mocco made proper use of the paper towel that was balled up in his meaty right hand. Moments after his third professional MMA victory, a decision against Lew Polley, Mocco smothered a folding chair inside his StubHub Center locker room, nodded, dabbed the drips away, and smiled.

Accomplished wrestlers like the two-time NCAA super-heavyweight champion -- one of seven men that comprised the 2008 Olympic freestyle team -- seem to go about their business as if these type of scenarios are normal. Drip. Drip. It's comfortable. Almost reassuring.

Standing a shade under 6-feet, the 260-pound "Bear" is among four members from the '08 freestyle crew doing well in MMA. Mocco, Daniel Cormier, Ben Askren and Henry Cejudo have a smooth 31-0 combined record.

"We all did what normally you do after wrestling," Cormier said. "Just we fight, too."

Positive results have prompted chatter about their success to "pick up steam," said Cormier, who served as team captain at the Beijing Games. When kidney failure tied to weight-cutting prevented him from competing in consecutive Olympics, Cormier shifted his focus to MMA.

Today he's 12-0, widely considered a top-three heavyweight, and is closing in on a UFC title opportunity.

Prior to this new life, Cormier's old one in Oklahoma was uninspired.

Work and video games occupied much of his time, which wasn’t going to cut it after a lifetime pursuing pure competition. Cormier struggled, understandably, and a couple of times had to rely on his close friend and fellow national team wrestler, Muhammed Lawal, to help pay the mortgage.

"It was hard," Cormier said. "After retiring from wrestling, I didn't have much."

The sport of mixed martial arts became a legitimate option after Cormier saw how well "King Mo" did while fighting in Japan. "You should do it," Lawal liked to tell him. In fact, Lawal is credited with planting the MMA seed in the minds of the '08 wrestlers. Being repetitive and consistent, like Mocco's drip, drip, apparently worked.

MMA was familiar to the group, of course. They enjoyed discussing the sport, but it certainly didn't consume them during the run to Beijing.

"I don't think it was ever a 'plan,' " Askren said. "Just each of us found our own way to MMA."

Being in the right place at the right time had a lot to do with that.

During the 2004 Olympic cycle, UFC had yet to launch "The Ultimate Fighter" reality show. Four years later, UFC was pulling huge pay-per-view numbers and attracting many of the sport's best fighters because that's where the money was flowing after the demise of Japanese MMA.

It was no coincidence, Askren said, that "you've got the seven best [wrestlers in America], and four of them decide to do MMA."

Currently a free agent after defending the Bellator MMA welterweight belt last month for the fourth time, Askren (12-0) said he'd like to wind up in the Octagon, which would bring him closer to being the No. 1 welterweight in the world.

After falling short of qualifying for the 2012 Games, Cejudo and Mocco made their moves and have been busy. Cejudo, a gold medalist in '08, made his MMA debut this spring. He won his first four fights with little problem, and his next contest is expected to be announced on Monday.

Cejudo is regarded as a top prospect in the flyweight division. Mocco, meanwhile, stepped into the cage for the first time last year. Of the four Olympians, he most resembles a work in progress.

"I don't want to compare myself to them yet," Mocco said. "I feel like I have a lot more to prove. They're established, good fighters."

Facing a late replacement during Friday's Resurrection Fighting Alliance 9 card, Mocco engineered a decision win that didn't please many fans seated in the outdoor venue. Still, he showed up punching, and grappled as he pleased. Mocco and his camp, headed by American Top Team's Ricardo Liborio, sounded satisfied. As satisfied as they can be, at least.

"A lot of people expect too much from Steve," Liborio said. "He's a great name in wrestling. There's a lot of expectations of Steve as a contender, and there's no doubt that he's going to be. We just need more time. That's why he's in RFA now. I think there's enough contenders here, people with quality, that we can achieve our goal to get to the UFC and stay."

Competitors on Mocco's level understand the formula well. Work hard, make the most of what you have, and anything can happen. The heavyweight looked noticeably slower against Polley than he should have. He said he needs to work on resetting after exchanging on the feet. There are many nuances yet to be discovered.

"He'll get the most out of what he got," Liborio said. "He'll find out if he can be UFC champion or not."

"I'd like to think so," Mocco said between drips, "but we'll find out one way or the other."

Middleweight contender Chael Sonnen has been pursuing Wanderlei Silva for several months. As is common when Sonnen targets a fighter, especially a Brazilian, the verbal assault can turn vicious.

Silva has received some of the best trash talk in Sonnen’s repertoire, making a potential showdown between them enticing. A Sonnen-Wanderlei matchup has main event written all over it, especially if held in Brazil. But this fight, which seemed certain a week ago, lost a bit of its luster Saturday night in Boston.

When Sonnen submitted Mauricio Rua in the first round of their light heavyweight bout, he quickly became UFC’s most sought-after non-titleholder. Middleweights and light heavyweights alike began jostling for position to secure a fight with him.

Normally the hunter, Sonnen now finds himself being hunted. This comes as no surprise, really: Sonnen, once he starts yapping, becomes one of the biggest attractions in UFC.

Within minutes of Rua’s demise, fellow Brazilian title contenders Vitor Belfort and Lyoto Machida went public with their eagerness to be Sonnen’s next Octagon dance partner. Sonnen became such a hot commodity that even American light heavyweight contender Phil Davis announced that he wants in.

Overwhelmed by his newfound popularity, an excited Sonnen refused to reject any of his suitors, except Davis. That’s because Sonnen has a thing for Brazilians.

“I will beat up Vitor on the way to the ring to kick Wanderlei’s a--,” Sonnen said Saturday night. “And I will take care of that third guy [Machida], whose name I’ve already forgotten, in the parking lot on my way to my after-party. I would take all three.”

If given the opportunity, Sonnen would fight all three in one night. But let’s get back to reality. He can pick only one for his next date and that person should be Machida.

While Silva has been harassed by Sonnen for a while, and his overall career accomplishments are impressive, the former Pride middleweight champion has struggled since returning to UFC in December 2007. In his nine most recent UFC bouts, Silva is 4-5. As a result of his inconsistency, Silva hasn’t received 185-pound contender consideration in well more than a year. Silva just isn’t as attractive as he once was.

Belfort seems poised to fight Dan Henderson at an as-of-yet unannounced event in Brazil, according to a report on “UFC Tonight.”

That leaves Sonnen against Machida, which would be huge. Their contrasting fighting styles would be fun to watch. Transferring hostility from Silva to Machida will be a piece of cake for Sonnen. He’s been tossing verbal darts at Machida for a while, anyway. And it’s clearly gotten under Machida’s skin -- he is itching to get his hands on "The American Gangster.”

Despite a disputed unanimous decision loss to Davis on Aug. 3, Machida remains among the top contenders at light heavyweight; Sonnen is a contender at 185 pounds. But weight won’t be an issue for either -- Machida has hinted at dropping to middleweight, while Sonnen is comfortable at 205 as he proved Saturday night.

This fight makes the most sense. Dana White and UFC matchmaker Joe Silva need to make it happen.

Not long ago, Uriah Hall was a highly touted UFC middleweight prospect; not anymore. Hall might soon be looking for another promotion to call home.

After Hall suffered his second consecutive loss, a split decision to John Howard at UFC Fight Night 26 on Saturday in Boston, promotion president Dana White cast doubt on the fighter’s future inside the Octagon. There’s no question that Hall possesses the physical skills to compete in mixed martial arts; what he lacks is a fighter’s mentality. And it’s leading to his downfall.

“I love Uriah Hall,” White said. “I have a great relationship with this kid. He’s one of the nicest human beings you could ever meet; he’s not a fighter, man.

“

Uriah Hall has all the physical attributes to be amazing. He's got speed. He's got power. He's just unbelievable. But he doesn't have what it mentally takes to fight [in the UFC].

” -- UFC president Dana White, on Uriah Hall's listless showing against John Howard

“If I could take [featherweight] Brad Pickett’s brain and heart and put it inside Uriah Hall’s body, there’d be some damage done. Uriah Hall has all the physical attributes to be amazing. He’s got speed. He’s got power. He’s just unbelievable. But he doesn’t have what it mentally takes to fight [in the UFC].

“I don’t know [whether Hall will be released]. I have to think about this one. I don’t like talking about stuff like that [at postfight Q&A sessions with media].”

Though White refused to say whether Hall will be released by the promotion, the topic is expected to come up for discussion when UFC officials gather at their next meeting.

What bothered White, and most onlookers Saturday night, was the constant friendly gesturing between Hall and Howard. The fighters gave each other high-fives, and occasional hugs, throughout the three-round affair. Their behavior brought a smattering of boos from the crowd of 12,539 at TD Garden during and after the bout.

“That was a high-five competition,” White said. “We’re not here to high-five; we’re not here to shake hands. You can do all that when the fight is over; you’re here to fight.”

The excitement over Hall began to build during his time on Season 17 of “The Ultimate Fighter” series. Hall was the most dominant fighter on the show. His high-level striking produced several memorable knockouts, leading to the belief that he would become a force in UFC.

The hype, however, started to fizzle April 13 when Hall was upset by Kelvin Gastelum in the TUF finale -- losing a split decision. Hall showed signs of weakness on the ground during that fight.

But it wasn’t Hall’s performance inside the cage that evening that raised concern from White; it’s what Hall said afterward.

“He was this killer [who] everyone was afraid of on TUF,” White said. “Then he comes into the big show where it all really matters, and this is going to make your livelihood and everything else, and he turns into this different person -- this super-nice guy.

“He was telling me after the Kelvin fight: ‘You know, I just really like him. He’s a really nice guy.’ OK. Well, that really nice guy just took everything you’ve ever wanted.

“Do you understand what I’m saying to you? Do you get that? Does that make sense to you? I guess it doesn’t make sense to him.”

Howard, who competed in UFC Saturday for the first time since getting cut by the promotion after his June 2011 loss to Matt Brown, secured another fight with the promotion. The showing wasn’t a memorable one for Howard -- that high-fiving act with Hall might have cost the Boston resident a few local fans -- but White isn’t holding it against him.

“He won,” White said of Howard. “He will fight again.

“He usually doesn’t fight that way. That’s not how he fights. Uriah is so nice that he makes the other guy really nice.”

When Howard does return to the Octagon it isn’t clear if he will again compete at middleweight. White has not yet decided whether to pencil Howard in at 185 pounds or return him to welterweight.

Hope, faint as it was in the moment Travis Browne found it, emerged in the form of a front kick.

Things had gone all wrong until he snapped off that gut-deflating kick to Alistair Overeem's midsection. Browne, 31, allowed Overeem the boost of confidence, which is just about the worst thing a person can do if they're fighting the Dutch banger. No matter what people think about Overeem in the wake of his drug issues and now, back-to-back knockout losses in the Octagon, he can still punch and hit and knee with devastating results.

And for the first half of the first round, Overeem did just that against Browne, who absorbed so much punishment it easily could be used as the counterclaim to the idea that heavyweights can't take more than one punch and survive. We know that's not true because Randy Couture showed it against Pedro Rizzo the same way Brock Lesnar did against Shane Carwin. Those were tremendous comebacks, each unique in their way. So was Browne's rally against Overeem.

The front kick appeared out of thin air. But that's what Browne wanted to do all along, it just took him suffering through a tentative start and subsequent beating to get there.

After finally managing to stand and shake off the assault from a 265-pound threat, Browne told himself he wasn't going down again. Nope, instead, he expected to kick Overeem in the stomach. And if that went well, maybe the face.

"I just felt him hitting me so I knew I needed to get up and get back to work," the 6-foot-7 Hawaiian said.

The front kick became part of the game plan because the brains at Greg Jackson's camp found Overeem's "common denominator for what he did and some of his openings," Browne said.

It was the way in which Overeem held his elbows too far out, Browne said. That led the group to think Overeem could be susceptible.

Brown flinched at the start of the fight. He backed away from Overeem's aggression, which only spurred on more attacks. For that he paid a hefty price, but it hadn't been enough. And when that first kick landed, Browne felt new life. Hope. So he kicked again. It landed. Overeem paused. Browne moved forward. Kicks were aimed at the head, and they landed, too. Finally, one connected with power, and Overeem hit the canvas.

"I kept going back to it and as he kept dropping his elbows further and further," he said, "that's when I saw the opening to the head and I took it."

Browne boasted that Overeem learned what his training partners are too familiar with.

"You can ask just about any of my training partners at Jackson's, because I've hit everybody with that shot," he said. "And they've all pretty much went down."

The win pushed Browne to 15-1-1. His lone loss: a technical knockout against Antonio Silva after popping a hamstring early in the fight. Knockout wins against Gabriel Gonzaga in April and now Overeem make Browne look like a force in the division. ESPN.com currently ranks Browne at No. 9, and he's in line to move up.

Browne said he'd like a fight with Fabricio Werdum (ranked No. 3), who has won three in a row over Roy Nelson, Mike Russow and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Many feel Werdum has done enough to merit a title shot, and the Brazilian's trainer, Rafael Cordeiro, told ESPN.com that their intention is to wait for a five-round fight.

Said Browne: "I've never said 'no' to a fight and I've always been ready for anything they've thrown my way.

"It's definitely not out of the question."

Based on his effort so far, neither is a championship.

BOSTON -- Chael Sonnen is never shy about saying who he wants to fight, when he wants to fight them and what he plans to do to them once the Octagon door closes.

But even Sonnen couldn’t have predicted what would take place Saturday night in the UFC Fight Night 26 main event against former light heavyweight champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

After spending the past few days before the bout favored to succeed, Sonnen walked into the cage at TD Garden as an underdog. It’s not that people were completely counting him out; maybe that two-fight skid made many of them forget what a highly skilled fighter he is -- though no fighter should be considered an also-ran after dropping consecutive fights to former middleweight champion Anderson Silva and light heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones.

But there is a lot of fight left in Sonnen in more than one weight class. He not only proved that he remains among the best middleweights in the world with his first-round guillotine submission of Rua; Sonnen also added his name to the light heavyweight contender discussion.

Before meeting Rua in their 205-pound showdown, Sonnen repeatedly said he intends to return to 185 afterward. This was to be his final appearance at light heavyweight.

Not only has Sonnen softened his stance, but he’s now the guy other high-profile fighters are calling out. Immediately after improving his professional record to 28-13-1, Sonnen became one of the most sought-after fighter on UFC’s roster.

High-ranked middleweight contender Vitor Belfort made it known that he wants a piece of Sonnen. But he wasn’t the only Brazilian to toss his hat into the Sonnen sweepstakes -- former 205-pound champion Lyoto Machida also wants in.

It didn’t end there: Fast-rising light heavyweight contender Phil Davis is offering his services to Sonnen if need be. For a guy who has a reputation of talking his way into high-profile fights, Sonnen finds himself on the receiving end for a change.

Sonnen isn’t used to being the center of other fighters’ attention, especially those in two weight divisions, so he’s taking time to bask in the moment. All that talk about his next fight being at middleweight has come to an end -- at least for now.

He’s decided to explore his options a bit. Besides, remaining at 205 pounds a little while longer will allow Sonnen to continue enjoying dining out.

“That was the plan [returning to 185 pounds],” Sonnen said. “But I’m going to stick around Boston for a few days and visit a place called Regina’s Pizza.”

Don’t think for one second, however, that all the newfound attention Sonnen is receiving has lessened his desire to fight the one guy he most wants to get in the cage at this time -- Wanderlei Silva. He remains Sonnen’s top priority, though Belfort and Machida are now on his radar.

“Wanderlei Silva drives me insane,” Sonnen said. “Wanderlei Silva tells the media that he wants to fight me. I would love to fight Wanderlei. Wanderlei insists that the fight has never been offered.

“This company puts on marquee fights. To believe that fight hasn’t been offered is ridiculous, and it pisses me off. All I need from him is to say he doesn’t want the fight and I’m out. I’m not a bully; I’m not going to pick on him.

“I will beat up Vitor on the way to the ring to kick Wanderlei’s a--. And I will take care of that third guy [Machida] whose name I’ve already forgotten in the parking lot on my way to my after-party. I would take all three.”

And when Sonnen is done with those three, there is one more fighter still on his hit list. All the attention he is receiving hasn’t caused Sonnen to forget about the unfinished business he has with Anderson Silva.

Sonnen will be chasing a third fight with Anderson Silva as long as he is fighting competitively. He knows it’s all about timing.

“I’m not chasing the belt; sometimes I’m chasing guys,” Sonnen said. “I just wanted to fight Jon Jones. He just happened to have the belt.

“The biggest projected UFC event this year is Dec. 28. I’m not trying to interject myself into that. Anderson has his hands full [the rematch with current middleweight champion Chris Weidman]. But the reality is that [losing to Silva] frustrates me, and there are some losses that do.

“I’m a stubborn guy, and I know he has two wins over me, but I think I can get a win over him in a third [fight].”

For a man who recently had a two-fight losing skid hanging over his head, beating Rua in eye-pooping fashion has changed his fortunes for the better. It’s great being Chael Sonnen today.

The guy earned it. He is proof that being able to talk trash and fight at the same time has its benefits.

It could be perceived that Chael Sonnen, who will be fighting for the last time at light heavyweight Saturday night in Boston, has nothing to lose.

That, however, would be the furthest thing from the truth.

Sonnen, a former No. 1 middleweight contender who returns to the division after Saturday's bout, will step inside the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 26 against Mauricio Rua as determined as ever to win. This fight is as important to Sonnen as any he's had in his pro career, and he didn't cut a single corner while preparing for it.

He is hungry to defeat Rua, not only to end a two-fight skid, but to put himself in position to achieve his ultimate goal -- a third fight with former 185-pound champion Anderson Silva. And nothing motivates Sonnen like the mention of Silva's name.

"I want to fight Anderson Silva," Sonnen told ESPN.com. "It was never about titles, it was never about the title with Jon Jones; Jon just happened to have the title.

"I wanted to punch Jon in the face; I wanted to beat him up. I heard all his talk of who deserved it [the title shot]; I didn't even care about all that crap. If you want to fight a guy, go fight him. And if there's a belt on the line, that's just a byproduct.

"I want to fight Anderson Silva more than I want to wake up tomorrow morning. I don't care if he has got the belt or not. I don't accept the outcome of either of [our] fights; I don't acknowledge that for one day he was the better fighter than me."

With three title shots, all losses, in the past three years, Sonnen isn't focused on facing the middleweight champion at this time. At 36, the possibility of landing another title shot is fading.

“

I want to fight Anderson Silva more than I want to wake up tomorrow morning. I don't care if he's got the belt or not. I don't accept the outcome of either of [our] fights; I don't acknowledge that for one day he was the better fighter than me.

” -- Chael Sonnen

Still, Sonnen rules nothing out. A victory over Rua would get him back in the middleweight title conversation. And without a doubt, the quick-witted, trash-talking Sonnen will take over from there.

"Anytime you're in the top 10, you're in title contention," said Sonnen, who is ranked sixth among middleweights by ESPN.com and ninth by UFC.com. "We have a new ranking system and it's very important to operate within the confines of that system.

"Anybody in the top five will go for that title. Shogun is in the top 10 [at light heavyweight] and I haven't won a light heavyweight fight in a considerable amount of time. With that said, I have had only one light heavyweight fight. But it's always important to win, especially if you can beat a top-10 guy.

"Shogun is a true legend; he's a former world champion. He's the guy [Jon] Jones beat to win the title. And he's ranked No. 8 in the world [at 205 pounds by UFC.com]. So I have a lot of reasons and motivations to win, aside from my pride and ego."

But nothing is pushing Sonnen to succeed Saturday night more than the possibility of a third fight with Silva. The fact that Silva has a rematch Dec. 28 with the man who dethroned him, Chris Weidman, only serves to heighten Sonnen's enthusiasm.

Weidman shook up the mixed martial arts world July 6 by knocking out Silva in the second round at UFC 162. The loss was Silva's first in UFC competition.

The way Sonnen envisions things, Silva will no longer be in position to call the shots after his rematch with Weidman. With much less leverage, Silva-Sonnen III will look a lot more attractive to the former champion.

"I believe Chris Weidman will destroy him again," Sonnen said. "This is not a knock on Anderson Silva; he's an awesome fighter. And he's had an amazing career. But in the history of boxing, in the history of MMA, a rematch has never favored the older fighter.

"You're talking about a decade of an age difference. It's very, very unrealistic to believe that Anderson is going to win that [rematch]. This is not to say he can't do it, but it's unrealistic to see how that's going to happen.

"But it doesn't change that fact that he's a great fighter, and it doesn't change that fact that I want to fight Anderson Silva."

First, Sonnen must take care of business Saturday night in Boston. A solid performance will go a long way toward getting him a third fight with Silva, but a win certainly increases the probability. And if Weidman does what Sonnen expects him to do at UFC 168 in Las Vegas, Silva might be receptive to a third go-round.

Returning to his former hometown of Boston to put on a show Saturday night hasn’t been much fun for UFC president Dana White. UFC Fight Night 26 will go off as scheduled, but the promotion has faced many obstacles along the way.

The Massachusetts State Athletic Commission in June required all foreign fighters scheduled to appear on the card to obtain Social Security numbers. To save their event, UFC officials scrambled to meet the requirement.

Chael Sonnen, who has received testosterone replacement therapy exceptions in numerous jurisdictions, was challenged by the local commission just weeks before the event. Last week, he was cleared to compete.

That would have seemed to be the end of UFC’s troubles in Massachusetts, but there was more to come. According to White, Boston City Council President Steve Murphy has banned anyone 18 years of age and under from attending Saturday night’s event.

“When I come back East [to Boston] and have to deal with these blatant lying politicians, it’s unbelievable,” White said. “It’s the same stuff we’re going through in New York.

“Everyone knows why we are not in New York. It’s the same guy [New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver] who’s not making it happen. And everybody knows what’s going on with this Murphy guy -- it’s the [Culinary] union. It’s just ridiculous.”

The Las Vegas-based Culinary Union has been in a longstanding labor dispute with Station Casinos and co-founder Lorenzo Fertitta, who is also CEO and chairman of Zuffa LLC, the parent company of UFC.

Hard-hitting Alistar Overeem, who is ranked fifth among heavyweights by ESPN.com, hasn’t been getting much attention leading into his Saturday night bout in Boston against Travis Browne.

Overeem sat on the podium for nearly 30 minutes Thursday during a pre-UFC Fight Night 26 media conference as other fighters slated to compete at the event answered questions about their upcoming bouts. For the guy once considered a shoo-in to land a title shot, Overeem wasn’t even an afterthought.

It wasn’t difficult to notice the lack of media interest. But if Overeem felt any disrespect he immediately quashed that notion when a question was finally addressed to him. In fact, he welcomed the snub.

“I kind of actually like [being ignored] a little bit,” Overeem said. “I don’t have to fake it too much. I can just observe it.

“I’m paying attention to the new rising stars. And that’s fine with me, for today.”

While Overeem is enjoying his time away from the spotlight, he immediately made it clear that things will return to normal quickly. Without going into detail, Overeem plans to make a statement against Browne.

“I assume [the attention] is going to pick up after this fight,” Overeem said. “I expect it to pick up after this fight.”

With lots of fanfare surrounding his arrival in UFC, the former Strikeforce champion seemed headed toward a title shot with current promotion heavyweight titleholder Cain Velasquez. But a third-round knockout loss to Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva on Feb. 2 at UFC 156 derailed Overeem’s title quest.

He now sits behind Junior dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum and Daniel Cormier in the heavyweight contender pecking order. An impressive win Saturday night over Browne, however, is sure to get Overeem back in the title conversation.

And that is exactly what Overeem is seeking to accomplish, whether anyone is currently paying attention or not.

RUA NOT TAKING SONNEN’S BRAZIL REMARKS PERSONAL

Middleweight contender Chael Sonnen never shies away from making his harsh feelings about Brazil and its fighters known. He’s directed several strong words toward former middleweight champion Anderson Silva, and recently has targeted former Pride titleholder Wanderlei Silva.

His opponent Saturday night is former UFC light heavyweight titleholder Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua, a Brazil native and close friend of Wanderlei’s. But Sonnen has shown no interest in disparaging Rua.

On the contrary, Sonnen has expressed respect for the man whom he will face in the light heavyweight main event. And Rua, obviously, has taken notice.

“The only thing that bothers me is when he talks about my country and my friend Wanderlei,” Rua said. “But I’ve tried not to get too involved in that. I’ve tried to keep my focus on my training and make sure that I am 100 percent ready for the fight.”

After the fight, win or lose, Sonnen is returning to 185 pounds. He has lost two fights in a row, both at light heavyweight.

Urijah Faber is in line to win his third straight fight Saturday in Boston. Five years have lapsed since the 34-year-old "California Kid" stitched together more than two victories. Those were the heady days of Faber's World Extreme Cagefighting championship run, which ended when a 13-bout winning streak crumbled as Mike Thomas Brown stunned Faber in the opening round.

In November, Faber will hit the one-decade mark as a professional mixed martial artist. It's been quite a run for a man who is as well known as any fighter under 155 pounds in MMA.

Since 2008, Faber is just 8-5 in the cage. But because of the way his body has held up, and the manner in which he owned Ivan Menjivar and Scott Jorgensen earlier this year, Faber feels that his best days are in front of him. As such, he's pining for blockbuster matchups.

"I'd like to talk with Dana [White] and Lorenzo [Fertitta] about some meaningful fights here coming up," he said.

Any chance of having it happen is contingent upon a victory in the TD Garden against Yuri Alcantara (28-4), who is neither a pushover nor household name. This, Faber lamented, is the biggest professional disappointment he's currently dealing with.

"I just wish there were more names in my weight class," he said. "The only other name that people are talking about is Ronda Rousey, and we can't do that fight. I wish there was more steam behind some of the fighters. It's a little bit frustrating, but it is what it is."

A significant chunk of fighters, from their earliest days in the sport, focus on nothing but competing, improving and testing their fortitude. In their world, little else matters. Faber (28-6) was able to accomplish everything he wanted in the cage and added more outside the cage that satisfied his urges.

ESPN: Do you have a specific goal in mind before you're done? Get to 50 fights? A specific UFC record? Anything along those lines that you hope to accomplish?

Urijah Faber: Not particularly, no.

ESPN: Is there a reason for that? You've always been a goal-oriented guy.

Faber: I've always been a goal-oriented guy, but I've never been a great planner. I've never thought things out and planned things out.

I'm someone who follows his heart. So when I look at a career like that, it's about how I feel. And right now I feel great. I'm training hard. I feel as an athlete and as a mixed martial artist I'm coming up to the peak of my performances. My skill level is high. My body still feels great. And my motivation is there. I want to keep building on that, and when that starts to fade, then I'll begin to think about an exit strategy. But that's not the case right now.

ESPN: Is it hard for you to wrap your head around the fact that you're 34 now? You've been doing this for a while.

Faber: It is kind of crazy to think that it's been 10 years in the sport. It flew by. You know; you were there. It seems like yesterday we were fighting at Indian casinos and no one knew who the heck we were. And we were celebrating all these little victories in MMA along the way, like the legalization of MMA in California. Even the fact of when Zuffa bought the UFC. Getting on TV for the first time. All these little benchmarks that are now so far in the distance even though they're only a couple years ago. It has been a really cool process, and I'm glad to be a part of it.

ESPN: You've had a chance to fight during a stretch in which the sport has grown probably more than it will ever grow in its history. I've had a chance to cover it as a reporter. We're pretty fortunate to have been around during this period. Do you feel the same?

Faber: Yeah, 100 percent. This is all history. We're part of the history. That's part of wanting to do the superfights is just knowing that this is a monumental time and there will be historic names in the sport. And I've fought a lot of them, but there's more to fight. I want to fight the guys that people will look back on [and reminisce about]. I wish there were a couple more guys out there, but I feel like there's a couple within my reach. Not only going for titles, but outside of that as well.

ESPN: Having been in the sport for 10 years and having been a champion holding major titles and headlining pay-per-views, where do you think your name belongs among all-time great fighters in MMA?

Faber: I don't really have time to sit back and evaluate my situation at this point. I'm just moving forward. I'll do that in a couple years when I decide to hang 'em up. I'll see where I stand.

ESPN: So you're not there yet. But do you feel comfortable enough with the things you've accomplished that at the end of the day people will talk about you in those terms? Does that matter to you?

Faber: I'm sure that I'll be a guy that's talked about for years to come. I sit and think about myself as a fan of boxing when I was a kid and the guys I think about and talk about, and it's kind of cool to be in a reverse situation, where I'm a guy that would influence some people's lives and a piece of entertainment for kids growing up and had monumental fights that people will talk about. Remember the Jens Pulver fight? The Mike Brown fight? That kind of thing. I like that aspect of it, and that's another reason I want to do these superfights. I want these fights that matter.

ESPN: The fight this weekend against Yuri Alcantara -- he's a guy that people don't really know. But he's dangerous, and based on his record, it's obvious he knows how to win fights and stop opponents. What kind of test are you expecting?

Faber: I'm expecting a test of the utmost. This guy is as tough as anyone I've fought. His record is 28-4, and he's been fighting in big shows in higher weight classes for a long time. I'm expecting to be pushed to the utmost, have to bring my A-game, and everything has to go as planned to get my hand raised. That's what I'm going to do.

ESPN: So when you get offered a guy like Alcantara, with no name, and you want these big superfights, what's the thought process for you in terms of taking the fight or not taking the fight?

Faber: I didn't realize that people are out there not taking fights, because for me it's been, they offer you a fight, from the position [UFC matchmakers] Joe Silva and Sean Shelby have, and you take it. This is all new to me. I'm going to fight that guy; I'm not going to fight this guy. I didn't know guys have been doing this the whole time.

ESPN: You've never been offered an opponent and thought "This won't do anything for me. I don't want to take it"? That's never happened?

Faber: I've been in a pretty unique position where I've been one of the biggest names in my weight class, so it's always been like I'm the bigger name in the situation. For me, I'm the guy that people are going to be talking about. In my situation right now, I just want to make sure I go out there and perform. Make sure that I have an exciting fight and I get the win.

ESPN: If everything goes the way you expect it will on Saturday, is there anyone you're going to call out? Maybe one or two guys who match what you want to do in terms of superfights and the right kind of exposure?

Faber: We'll have to see. I just want to focus on this fight first, and we'll speak from the heart when the time comes.

UFC Fight Night 26 suffers from the same ailment nearly every UFC card will suffer from the rest of the year: It's not UFC 168 … or 167 … or 166.

Chris Weidman versus Anderson Silva is a fighting fan's Christmas. Georges St-Pierre versus Johny Hendricks is Thanksgiving. And Cain Velasquez versus Junior dos Santos III will feel like a second birthday to us all this year.

Chael Sonnen versus Mauricio Rua this weekend at TD Garden in Boston sort of feels like Flag Day in comparison.

But that said, there's a lot to like about Flag Day. Top to bottom, this is one of the stronger UFC cards fans will witness this year. Some events are structured around one fight and one fight only. Boston, on the other hand, features plenty to watch for.

FIVE STORYLINES

The legend of Conor McGregor

We are all getting way too carried away about McGregor -- but it's impossible not to. Simplest way to put it: When McGregor fights, you want to watch, and when he talks, you want to listen. It's not just that he's entertaining; he has this contagious passion about what he does. During a recent visit to Las Vegas, McGregor said he was so excited he stayed up shadowboxing in his hotel room until 5 a.m. He's in a hurry to be at the top, and Max Holloway wants to slow him down.

The curious case of Uriah Hall

You hear all the time how important the mental aspect is in martial arts. Hall has shown he has the physical tools, and on the surface, nothing seems out of sorts for him mentally. But that loss to Kelvin Gastelum in The Ultimate Fighter Finale was awkward. His team said he liked Gastelum too much to hurt him. Many of those watching called it cockiness. Neither is really an acceptable excuse for a fighter as talented as Hall. Expectations are high for him against John Howard.

The resurgence of Mike Brown

Brown hasn't really been under the spotlight for years, but for longtime martial arts observers he'll always be a name that jumps off the page. Two wins over Urijah Faber in the WEC put him on the map, but truth is Brown was just one of those guys who was always fun to watch. Something went wrong along the way, and the now 37-year-old endured a 2-4 stretch amid rumors of distractions in his personal life. He's back on a two-fight win streak coming into this fight against Steve Siler.

The quiet contenders

Since 2011, Matt Brown and Mike Pyle are a combined 11-2 in the Octagon, yet you won't find them on any top 10 welterweight rankings. Neither is willing to make a big point of that publicly, but there's no question both are getting a little anxious. After his last win, Brown said, "Just because a bunch of media people don't believe I'm good enough for a title shot doesn't mean it's true." Pyle, winner of four in a row, is itching to sign a fight against a top-10 opponent.

That Faber guy is back again

You can almost see the bile form in Faber's throat when forced to answer the same questions over and over leading up to these nontitle fights. "How much you got left in the tank, champ?" "Getting close to another title shot, Urijah, what's that feel like?" "Is the belt still the goal, buddy?" We should all come to this understanding that Faber feels great, he's excited to fight, and he wants a title shot, but the UFC won't give him one yet so he needs to keep winning. This fight against Yuri Alcantara might not feel big, but it's big for Faber. Any loss is a major setback.

FIVE QUESTIONS

What does Alistair Overeem look like?

He was Superman against Brock Lesnar and Clark Kent against Antonio Silva. No stranger to performance-enhancing drug accusations, Overeem is in a critical spot. He didn't look the same in February, his first appearance since producing a high testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio in Nevada last year. He told ESPN.com he would never apply for testosterone-replacement therapy, despite tests that showed low levels after his last fight. There are a lot of variables floating around. Can Overeem be Superman again in the midst of them?

Is Travis Browne for real?

Browne passes the eye test. He moves. He has heavyweight knockout power. His grappling is underrated. He seems like he's in shape, and his only loss came after his hamstring busted in the opening minute of a fight. Overeem -- whether he's at his best or not -- is going to test him, though. If Browne is spectacular, he could be the biggest winner of the entire night.

Is 'Shogun' still elite?

Rua is slowing down. It never really felt as though he was going to lose to Brandon Vera last August, but we were sort of expecting a windmill dunk and got a weak layup instead. Then in December, it seemed like he was operating on fumes against a physical Alexander Gustafsson. Three of the last five men Shogun has defeated are now retired. How worried should we be about this?

Is the self-proclaimed 'Gangster' going to lose three in a row?

Whether you like Sonnen or not, this is a man who does not avoid tough fights. He has gone from Silva to Jon Jones to a light heavyweight contest against a former champion in Rua. Sonnen is undersized for this division -- a fact made obvious by his decision to return to middleweight regardless of what happens in Boston. Sonnen can survive a loss if it comes to it, but a proposed fight against Vitor Belfort can't.

Is Michael McDonald the third-best bantamweight in the world?

Both ESPN.com and UFC rankings still have McDonald trailing Faber. Both fight on this Boston card. No doubt, a certain contingent of MMA fans would rank McDonald ahead of Faber heading into this weekend, but it's close. If the 22-year-old runs through Brad Pickett, it will be difficult not to bump him up.

WHO'S ON THE HOT SEAT?

Michael Johnson

The once promising career of a TUF runner-up has hit a major crossroads. Johnson looked like a tough matchup after disposing of Shane Roller and Tony Ferguson, but he was nearly knocked out by Danny Castillo before suffering back-to-back losses. He's still not out of his league against Joe Lauzon -- at least we think.

Manny Gamburyan

Seems like a lifetime ago that Gamburyan fought his way to a WEC title shot against Jose Aldo. Fighting Gamburyan is like fighting an angry fire hydrant; he's compact and seemingly made of metal. He also has a long history with the UFC, although a 1-3 record in his last four fights is tough to look past.

Cole Miller

Might as well discuss Gamburyan's opponent as well. These two know each other well from their days on the TUF 5 reality set on Team Jens Pulver. Now, Miller needs a win just as badly as his former teammate, having gone 1-2 since his drop to featherweight last year.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

Because there's still more to 2013 than a middleweight rematch, even though it doesn't feel like it sometimes … because over the course of his career, Shogun is 6-for-6 when it comes to knocking out opponents following a loss … because two of the most explosive heavyweights are incredibly hungry going into the same fight … because Brown and Pyle are fighting each other with the exact same chip on their respective shoulders … because McGregor might be the most fun athlete the UFC has on its roster.

From the moment Travis Browne signed with the UFC in 2010, he believed he was good enough to win the heavyweight title.

Not after a few fights. Not after testing himself against the division’s lower tier. Browne says that in his mind, he was ready to wear the belt immediately.

“When you fight with the UFC, you have to be ready to fight for the championship the day you sign,” Browne told ESPN.com. “If you’re in it for the right reason, you have that heart.

“You also have to have a management to help you along, because fighters are dumb. We have that mentality. We will go out there and fight anybody, even though everybody else knows we’re going to get our ass whupped.”

Browne (14-1-1) is now seven fights into his UFC career -- but he has not fought for the heavyweight title. He’s getting close to it, though. The 31-year-old faces Alistair Overeem this weekend in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 26 in Boston.

Fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M., Browne is the No. 9-ranked fighter in the division, according to ESPN.com. His only loss came in a first-round knockout against Antonio Silva last year after suffering a crippling tear to his hamstring muscle.

See what the heavyweight contender had to say leading up to this high-profile bout.

ESPN: This feels like a big fight in Boston, facing a former multi-promotional champion in Overeem.

Browne: I wouldn’t say it’s any bigger than any of my other fights. I don’t put any more pressure on myself. Some people say it’s a win-win situation for me. If I win, great -- if I lose, it was against one of the top guys. I don’t look at it that way. I have a lot to lose. If I go out and lose to Overeem, I’m back at square one. Where do I fit in the division? People are counting me out and it’s like, “Bro, we haven’t started yet. The bell hasn’t rung yet.”

ESPN: You feel like you have anything still to prove to yourself in terms of, “Can I hang with the absolute top guys like Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos?”

Browne: If you don’t believe that about yourself, you risk catching a serious ass-whupping. I don’t plan on catching those at all. I’m here to be a champ. I’m always out to prove something.

ESPN: What did you think of Overeem’s last performance, a knockout loss to Antonio Silva at UFC 156?

Browne: From what I remember of the fight, he was winning pretty handily. He was ahead both of the first two rounds. I don’t remember if he looked good or looked bad. He was winning and that’s all that really matters. He got caught, got stopped. That’s just the way things go.

ESPN: After the bout, the Nevada State Athletic Commission revealed Overeem had low testosterone levels in a post-fight drug test. Did you have any thoughts on that?

Browne: When you’re an athlete, you depend on your body -- it’s not like a freak accident with him, like, “Oh my gosh, one day he woke up and had a huge tumor that needed to be removed.” It’s pretty clear what happened with him. For me, you reap what you sow. There are consequences for your actions and he’s dealing with them. And I don’t know if he’s on [testosterone replacement therapy] now or he’s back to doing what he used to do or whatever. That doesn’t concern me. For me, steroids don’t make you a better fighter. It increases certain things that intimidate other people. I don’t care about that stuff. He’s going to do what he needs to do to feel ready for the fight.

(Note: Overeem told ESPN.com, “I’m not planning to apply for TRT and I’m not planning on applying for TRT in the future.” Massachusetts Department of Public Safety spokesperson Terrel Harris confirmed Overeem did not apply for a TRT exemption for Fight Night 26, “to the best of my knowledge.”)

ESPN: Do you feel confident in the job athletic commissions are doing to monitor performance-enhancing drugs?

Browne: I think they make it pretty easy on us [to cheat]. I think all athletic commissions need to come under one umbrella. It needs to be one big thing. One thing I actually applauded the Nevada commission on is that if you have ever been caught for steroids or any PED, you will not get any kind of TRT exemption. So a lot of fighters aren’t going to be fighting in Las Vegas anymore, you know what I mean? There are consequences for your actions. Just like we try to teach our kids every day, there are consequences. That’s the way I feel stuff like this needs to be. People need to be held accountable.

ESPN: A teammate of yours, light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, is expected to eventually move to heavyweight. This might be years away, but have you discussed at all what would happen if you were holding the belt when Jones moves up?

Browne: I respect Jon and I believe he respects me. He’s kind of made comments about if I’m a contender or holding the belt, he wouldn’t make a run for it because in a way, that’s a little disrespectful. But if the cards play out and he’s fighting heavyweight and I’m holding the belt and he wants to come after it, then that’s what we’re here for. I don’t take that personally.

Bellator MMA settled with Eddie Alvarez and secured the former champion's rematch with Michael Chandler for its Nov. 2 pay-per-view in Southern California.

For several reasons, this is significant news.

Let's explore.

The real main event

Mark my words: Even with the gravitational pull of fighters such as Quinton Jackson and Tito Ortiz, Chandler-Alvarez 2 will earn the bulk of media and fan attention. That's a good thing, as it should receive the spotlight, even if their names aren't front and center on the marquee.

"I think the true-blue MMA fans will see this one, even though it's the co-main event, and think it's definitely as interesting if not more than Tito-Rampage," said Chandler, who made sure to pay his respects to the light heavyweight pair.

Chandler-Alvarez 2 provides something for the pay-per-view that Rampage-Ortiz could not: legitimacy. All of a sudden the card elicits a new feeling, one far less frivolous than the fun time implied by Jackson-Ortiz.

This lightweight rematch is, as Chandler described, the best contest Bellator can make right now, in part because it's the most promotable, which if done right looks like a useful combination for selling pay-per-views.

"There's been a lot of tension and drama built up since that [first] fight," said Alvarez's manager, Glenn Robinson. "I think people will tune in to see."

Said Chandler, when asked how to effectively promote a matchup that fans saw for free the first time: "All you got to do is hop on YouTube, type in 'Michael Chandler versus Eddie Alvarez' and you will be entertained for 21 minutes."

Mended fences

In speaking with Alvarez and Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney on Monday, it's clear neither man is happy with the other at the moment. They're glad the litigation is over. They're glad a contract and fight is in place. But they're not on the best of terms with each other.

Alvarez said regardless of how they feel, they'll do business together. Rebney basically said the same thing.

Asked if he was happy that Alvarez, who has been with Bellator since it began in 2009, returned in time to participate in the promotion's first pay-per-view, Rebney was cool in his response.

"I like the fact that Ed Alvarez is a world-class lightweight," Rebney said. "I like the fact that I've been able to make the rematch between Chandler and Alvarez, which was a fight that a lot of MMA fans ask me about and talk about. I like both of those facets a great deal."

One interesting point about the closing of this deal is the involvement of Bellator president Tim Danaher, who's thought of as a level-headed counterweight to Rebney's sometimes manic people skills.

"He's an incredibly talented executive and was able to step in and bring this entire matter, after a very long and involved negotiation, to a conclusion," Rebney said. "He did an amazing job. It was about time. It was about reaching a resolution."

Robinson called Danaher a "really, really great guy." And Alvarez said "we owe it to him for being able to nail this down and put this behind us."

Rebney suggested his feelings about Alvarez (and vice versa) don't matter. Focusing on them takes away from the point of the whole negotiation: getting both fighters into the Bellator cage again.

Free-agency lessons learned

Alvarez's experience as a free agent isn't typical. But it was valuable.

"Everybody wants to know their true value and what they're worth as a fighter," Alvarez said. "It's a rare occasion where you get to go out and do that."

Alvarez said when the UFC offer became public, he learned of five or six fighters who immediately received raises as a result.

"That made me feel regardless of what happened, a little bit of power was put back in the fighters' hands and guys got raises," he said. "We deserve it. We work hard."

Alvarez was willing to go to the UFC, which he called a "great" organization, but based on his history, it's fitting that, for now, the move won't happen.

Since his pro debut, Alvarez has bounced around the globe, landing some of the biggest non-UFC fights he could find in his division. Participating on the first Bellator MMA pay-per-view makes sense considering Alvarez was one of the company's first stars.

Alvarez said the most important lesson was not becoming emotional, which was easier said than done.

"I'm guilty," he said. "I got emotional about it because I was in it."

Did Bellator one-up the UFC?

UFC made a play for Alvarez.

Bellator countered and prevailed.

This is only one example, but it's an important boost for people inside the Viacom-tied promotion. The fact that Zuffa couldn't nab Alvarez means very little for UFC business. Joe Silva is swamped with terrific lightweights, and the Octagon will continue to host important fights at 155 for as long as it wants. But this news marks a rare loss for Zuffa outside the Octagon on the contractual/legal front.

Bellator has shown itself willing and able to make the most out of courtroom maneuvers. Against a litigious behemoth like Zuffa, this is incredibly important when it comes to competitive viability.

As for Rebney: Despite having to back off to nail down the deal with Alvarez, he comes out looking like a guy who can make good things happen.

BURBANK, Calif. -- Tyrone Spong stands with a presence. He fights with one, too.

A legit 6-foot-2, Spong's height is aided by good posture. The well-proportioned 27-year-old Surinamese-Dutchman has made good use of his frame, and is reputed to be among kickboxing’s best athletes and technically superior combatants.

Spong is well aware of how he's viewed, and is comfortable saying so.

This is why he was driven to YouTube to search for videos of Bo Jackson after media comparisons caught his attention. He hadn't heard of Jackson, though it didn't take more than a few clips for Spong to understand why the iconic hybrid is universally lauded among the dominant athletes of his generation.

"It's not to sound cocky, never, because I'm a real humble guy," the light heavyweight said this week during a media lunch promoting a World Series of Fighting card Aug. 10 in Ontario, Calif. "But some guys are blessed with that ability. And I'm blessed even more."

The "King of the Ring" has lived kickboxing since he was 13 and randomly stumbled into master trainer Lucien Carbin's gym in Amsterdam. Carbin is old-school. Water breaks during an hour and a half of hard training didn’t happen. The gym was kept stifling, like a wet sauna. Condensation poured off mirrors and walls. If there wasn't enough steam in the atmosphere, Carbin would dial up the temperature and intensity.

Looking back on it, Spong says this style of training is "not right."

"But," he said, "for me as a young kid at 13 years old, starting like that in a gym, it gave me a mentality like I don't care what situation I'm in, I'm always going to work hard."

Spong split from Carbin a few years ago and now lives in Boca Raton, Fla., where he teamed up with the Blackzilians. Yet the mental fortitude forged at Carbin's remains deeply ingrained in who he is and how he conducts business.

Since he's gifted with the ability to copycat technique, Spong said his progression in MMA and boxing has come quickly.

"Sometimes," he said, "it goes automatically and I surprise myself. I pick it up so good I can probably teach it to somebody, too. That's not the hard part. You have to be able to apply it in that moment, under the pressure, and that's the hardest part."

Spong's focus this week is MMA.

For the second time as a pro, he'll enter a cage this Saturday against Californian Angel DeAnda in the main event of World Series of Fighting 4 (NBC Sports Network, 10:30 p.m. ET). Ali Abdel-Aziz, the upstart promotion's matchmaker (among other things), made Spong the headliner because it reflects his potential and the kickboxing convert is "the biggest draw on the card."

"Right now this is a step up for me already," Spong said. "[DeAnda] is 11-2; that's not a bad record. For me, I'm 1-0 in MMA. Let's not forget I'm a kickboxer, but I don't want to be labeled just a kickboxer. I'm building my legacy. I want to be an all-around combat sports athlete. I want to be the Bo Jackson of martial arts."

Splitting time between boxing and MMA, Spong has not abandoned kickboxing, though it's less of a priority, he said, because it's as natural as breathing -- all he needs to do is show up in shape. His next contest on Oct. 12, promoted by Glory, is a rematch against Nathan Corbett in Chicago.

"I've been doing it for so many years," he said. "At the same time you need something new to bring a spark. I found that in MMA and boxing."

Spong's commitment included, not inconsequentially, transplanting a life in Holland, where he and two sisters were raised by his mother in a tiny apartment, for Florida. With the chiseled fighter came his three children, six dogs and 15 finches (known for their aggressive tendencies, singing ability and difficulty to breed). Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort, Thiago Silva, Alistair Overeem and others have helped Spong on the MMA side. For boxing, trainer Pedro Diaz took the reins.

Spong should be used to Diaz's M.O. because it's similar to Carbin's -- ritualistic 5 a.m. training sessions replaced hotter-than-hell gyms. Known for his work with Miguel Cotto, Diaz is a perfectionist. Spong is fine with this, and his first attempt at pro boxing could come later this year.

Spong envisions opportunity and enrichment in his chosen trifecta of combat sports.

"For all the sports it comes down to the athlete," he said. "Who are you? How marketable are you? How good are you? So it depends. In all of the sports you can make good money. You see even in all these sports the guys really making the money are the best guys."

World Series of Fighting signed Spong to a nonexclusive deal that allows him the freedom to pursue other things. Abdel-Aziz said because of the light heavyweight’s fighting prowess, WSOF "didn't have the right to ask Spong [72-6-1 in kickboxing] to focus only on MMA." Perhaps it wasn't the best business decision, the promoter conceded, but it's how WSOF intends to operate. But, more to the point, Spong will have space to develop his MMA game, which mostly means getting his grappling right.

"Sometimes I ask myself what do the fans want? They want me to fight Jon Jones tomorrow? Is that fair? If Jon 'Bones' was 1-0 in kickboxing, would he fight me?" Spong pondered. "I guess not. I'm the champion. So give me some time. I'm working on it."

An anniversary Dominick Cruz wouldn't wish to celebrate is fast approaching.

Oct. 1 will mark two years since the UFC bantamweight champion was healthy enough to defend his belt in the Octagon. That's 24 months of prime real estate for a world-class fighter, meaning rather than competing against the likes of Renan Barao, he has been forced to recuperate through two ACL surgeries.

Cruz has dealt well with various disappointments over these many months. A blown-out knee in May 2012 cost him a trilogy bout against his heated rival Urijah Faber. At the end of last year, he required a second surgery after his body rejected an anterior cruciate ligament pulled from a cadaver.

Less than three weeks after Cruz turns 28 on Sept. 3, Barao will attempt his second defense of the UFC interim bantamweight title against Eddie Wineland in Toronto. By then "The Dominator" is hoping to have progressed to the point that he won't need to nurse his knee and, instead, can spar hard as he's wont to do.

Cruz's life right now is a series of eight-week training camps, said his longtime trainer Eric Del Fierro. There isn't a timetable for a full recovery because Del Fierro is concerned if Cruz has a firm date planted in his head the 135-pounder will "start pushing too hard." Instead, the trainer has established specific goals that are met incrementally.

"He's a special kind of athlete," Del Fierro said, "so I have to control his mind sometimes."

Cruz told ESPN.com Thursday that he had just been cleared by doctors to drill grappling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu sequences. A far cry from full-on sparring, though that may not be so far away if everything falls into place as he and his team hope.

"If it were up to him he'd be going 100 percent," the trainer said. "We're just following doctors' orders."

In an interview with MMAFighting.com this week, Barao claimed Cruz told him February 2014 had been targeted for a unification fight. Cruz, however, said Barao "misunderstood due to the language barrier," and it's merely a goal at the moment.

"Right now I'm doing no weight-bearing training -- that's why I'm just getting cleared to grapple now because grappling would be considered weight-bearing exercises," Cruz said.

In an attempt to keep things fresh, and, more important, stop Cruz from overexerting and hurting himself, Del Fierro set up a series of mini training camps "to show progress with his rehab." Cruz, a famously hard worker in the gym, bought into the "step-by-step" recovery sessions and experienced steady progress.

Next on the list is returning to the mat at Alliance MMA in Chula Vista, Calif., even if it's just to drill technique and position. Once that hurdle is cleared, live sparring should follow.

"So now I begin that portion of the eight weeks," Cruz said. "Then I get cleared to kick and add things together until I can do everything."

Cruz's extended absence hasn't caused Del Fierro to believe his charge needs a tuneup when he's finally able to return. They're not expecting or wishing for anything less than the best possible opponent.

"I wouldn't put anyone in a fight that didn't have a good camp, or wasn't 100 percent focused in camp," Del Fierro said. "Literally you're going to face every single scenario in camp that you would in a fight. If Dominick's running through a camp at 100 percent, there's no reason he shouldn't be able to face anybody in competition in the cage."

The manner in which Jose Aldo successfully defended his featherweight title on Aug. 3 at UFC 163 against Chan Sung Jung wasn’t memorable. There were a few slightly tense moments, but Aldo was never in any serious danger.

Folks were expecting an action-packed bout, but that never materialized. The usually aggressive Jung was passive for much of the night, while Aldo’s fight plan was altered when he injured his right foot in the opening round. It was later learned that Aldo broke the foot, and is likely to be sidelined for the remainder of this year.

Aldo is a devastating kicker, but with that option unavailable he was forced to rely almost exclusively on his boxing skills. Using straight left jabs, superior hand speed and advanced standup skills, Aldo was able to limit Jung’s offensive options. Aldo’s textbook boxing wasn’t fun to watch, but it was effective -- leading to a fourth-round TKO after Jung suffered a dislocated right shoulder.

This brings us to featherweight contender Ricardo Lamas. The former lightweight has been dominant since dropping to 145 pounds in 2011. He’s 4-0 in his new fighting home and is ranked fifth among featherweights by ESPN.com.

When Aldo is healthy enough to return to action Lamas wants to face him -- and he deserves the fight. It's his turn. Actually, Lamas should have gotten the nod over Jung. He was ranked higher and Jung hadn’t fought in more than a year due to injury.

But UFC officials went with Jung, who was originally slated to face Lamas on July 6 in Las Vegas. It was the second time in a row that Lamas had been passed over -- in February, lightweight contender Anthony Pettis asked for and received a shot at Aldo. But an injury forced Pettis to pull out of the fight, opening the door for Jung.

Despite it all Lamas never complained. It’s not his nature to do so. But that is changing; he is no longer sitting quietly on the sideline waiting for UFC officials to do right by him. Lamas is now speaking publicly -- he wants a title shot. And he won't accept anything less than being the next featherweight contender to face Aldo.

“The people in UFC told me the reason Jung was picked over me was because they had promised him a title shot a year ago before he got hurt,” Lamas told ESPN.com.

“That's a once in a lifetime opportunity, you never know when you will get it again. So if they offer me the [title shot] I’m going to jump all over it. That’s actually what I am hoping for.”

“

That's a once in a lifetime opportunity, you never know when you will get it again. So if they offer me the [title shot] I'm going to jump all over it. That's actually what I am hoping for.

” -- featherweight contender Ricardo Lamas, on his ongoing quest for a title shot

There isn’t a featherweight contender more deserving of a title shot at this moment than Lamas. But being most-deserving isn’t enough to guarantee he will get his wish.

If there is a knock on Lamas it’s that he lacks the name recognition of several other contenders. When talk of who will likely get the call to fight Aldo next, Frankie Edgar and Chad Mendes immediately get mentioned. And lately Cub Swanson has been tossed in the mix.

But Lamas has a strong counter-argument. Edgar and Mendes, who ESPN.com ranks third and fourth, respectively, among featherweights, have each lost to Aldo not too long ago. And Lamas’ second-round submission of Swanson in November 2011 still gives him the edge in the pecking order.

Lamas told ESPN.com, before Aldo-Jung, that he’d be willing to fight Edgar or the Mendes-Clay Guida winner -- those two are set to meet Aug. 31 at UFC 164 in Milwaukee. But that would be Lamas' Plan B, in the event Aldo isn’t able to return to action by early 2014.

Another factor that could work against Lamas is inactivity. Lamas hasn’t fought since Jan. 26 when he knocked out Erik Koch in the second round. That’s a long time be outside the cage, especially when trying to make a convincing case for a fight with Aldo.

It’s possible that Lamas might have to turn to Plan B. He might agree to implement it, but only if UFC officials guarantee him a title shot with a victory. Lamas deserves that much; he’s earned it. And he won't sit quietly while another fighter cuts in front of him.

It’s his turn; UFC needs to do right by Lamas and give him the next shot at Aldo.