ESPN Mixed Martial Arts

Business is picking up for World Series of Fighting, and the promotion's third event, Friday evening at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, provided a glimpse at the future of the company.

Jon Fitch, the highest-profile WSOF signee since it began promoting late last year, proved to his dismay that time and space can matter when matched against Josh Burkman. Seven years ago, the pair met in the Octagonal confines of the UFC and Fitch won by rear-naked choke. Friday, it was WSOF's decagon, and in just 41 seconds Burkman did to Fitch what B.J. Penn, Demian Maia and a host of other dangerous submission artists could not.

After scoring a pair of hooks that wobbled the longtime UFC welterweight contender, Burkman pounced on Fitch's neck. Despite a reputation for stellar defense, Fitch disregarded the threat and went for a lift. He said afterward that he was "a little overconfident with my choke defense and was going to try and slam [Burkman]. But he locked it in too tight. Mistake on my part. I should have fought the choke right away."

Burkman went to half-guard after feeling the strangle tighten.

"I didn't want to go for the choke, but I felt it was tight," he said. "So I stood up with him to get him to stand, and I felt it get really tight. I locked it when he grabbed that leg."

Referee Steve Mazzagatti didn't seem to notice that Fitch went limp, so Burkman released the hold and politely scooted away.

This marked Burkman's third appearance for the promotion, and to this point, the 10-year veteran said, WSOF had "done everything they said they were going to do."

For an upstart fight promotion company, that's about as good as it gets.

Credibility comes with delivery. "Showing more than talking," Burkman put it as he drove to Las Vegas on Tuesday from Salt Lake City, where he trains at The Pit Elevated.

With WSOF signing a three-year TV deal with the NBC Sports Network, building relationships with major venues across the U.S. and signing known commodities such as Fitch to go with talented kids such as Justin Gaethje -- an unbeaten lightweight who won by technical knockout Friday -- Burkman's optimism is genuine.

"They've done everything they said they were going to do and some," Burkman said. "They treated me really well anytime I had an issue or wanted to negotiate anything, they were more than happy and open to talking about it. As long as they treat their fighters like that, they'll continue to grow and do well."

The 32-year-old welterweight washed out of the UFC in 2008 after losing four of his last five fights in the Octagon. He said WSOF has given him a chance to fight quality opponents on a visible stage, and for that he is grateful.

"The difference is the UFC has so many guys coming in and out, wanting to be in their show, fighting for less money, that the UFC can get away with treating their undercard fighters however they want," said Burkman, who praised Zuffa as the "major league of this sport."

"I think with the WSOF, I'm in a different position," he said. "It's a small organization with less fighters. It's kind of being a bigger fish in a small pond. I can get to the top of that heap and help the organization and help myself. I think that's a unique opportunity with the WSOF that I wouldn't have necessarily had with the UFC."

Berkman, a participant of the second season of "The Ultimate Fighter," isn't alone in that regard. The current WSOF fighter roster sits at 80, according to Ali Abdel-Aziz, WSOF executive vice president and matchmaker, and will remain in that area through the end of year. The company wants to give fighters an opportunity to compete, allowing prospects such as 24-year-old Gaethje a chance to shine and grow, and veterans such as Burkman a chance at a new lease on a fighting life.

Abdel-Aziz said winning is important, but "not putting pressure on fighters benefits them and benefits us." This is all designed with fun MMA in mind, yet that's hardly a guarantee, just ask Jacob Volkmann who wrestled his way to a win over Lyle Beerbohm on the undercard.

Burkman appeared on the first three WSOF cards, winning each bout, and recently re-signed for four more contests. He said he offered suggestions from the start, and, to his delight, WSOF executives have been receptive. Championship bouts weren't a consideration in WSOF until Burkman chimed up about it earlier this year. After dropping the rematch, Fitch said he's open to a rubber match, preferably five rounds for the inaugural WSOF title. If it happens, he owes Burkman a beer.

"I think I asked the right questions in that first show and they had to give me answers," Burkman said after winning his fifth straight contest. "I was just asking them so they had an easier road with other fighters. It helped them treat fighters like they needed to be treated."

Abdel-Aziz and Burkman both suggested WSOF president Ray Sefo, a fighter turned promoter who announced he's fighting Dave Huckaba in California at WSOF 4 in August, has been instrumental in relationship building with the athletes. Sefo “gets people to listen,” Abdel-Aziz said.

The company’s vision is always focused down the road, according to Abdel-Aziz, who managed Frankie Edgar and others before joining WSOF.

Currently, their intention is to flesh out weight divisions, which at 170 pounds requires bringing in names like Fitch when they’re available -- despite knowing they could lose badly in 41 seconds -- and convincing prospects like Gaethje sign with them as opposed to UFC or Bellator.

"It's kind of cool to be part of an organization from the beginning," Burkman said. "I'll definitely take some pride in that. I'll also take a little pride in the fact that the better the fighters do, the better the organization does.”

Much has changed in the seven-plus years since Jon Fitch and Josh Burkman met in the cage: both are more seasoned fighters, experienced professional ups and downs and have new outlooks on life.

But each man intends to show just how much he has changed for the better Friday night during a welterweight rematch at World Series of Fighting 3 in Las Vegas.

The first fight, which took place during a UFC event on April 6, 2006, was dominated by Fitch, who won by unanimous decision. And while Fitch is prepared to face a more improved Burkman, he expects to dominate again during Friday night’s main event.

“You can’t put anything into [the first fight],” Fitch told ESPN.com. “This is a brand-new fight against a brand-new person. We’re both much better than we were back then. Our skill sets are much more developed than they were back then.

“But my skill set has progressed further. There will be a bigger gap between us than in the first fight, with where I am in my skill set, my career and my life right now. I’m peaking as a fighter, and the next four years will be the best of my fight life.”

Fitch (24-5-1 with one no contest) is excited to make his WSOF debut. And he intends to use this opportunity to change a negative perception fight fans have of him.

Despite being a perennial top-10 welterweight, Fitch has repeatedly come under criticism for putting on non-entertaining fights. But Fitch, a skilled wrestler who has relied heavily on this discipline to remain highly competitive in the welterweight ranks, proclaims that is about to change.

No longer hindered by concerns of being released by UFC, Fitch feels free to let it all hang out in the cage. He promises to be a more aggressive striker, especially while standing.

“I’m not going to be as reserved,” said the 35-year-old Fitch, who is ranked ninth among welterweights by ESPN.com. “I’m not going to be as fearful; I didn’t have a fight in UFC where I didn’t feel my job was in jeopardy. We got threats years ago about ‘if you lose this fight you’re gone.’”

Possibly being out of work after Friday night’s fight doesn’t cross Fitch’s mind. His thoughts are solely on defeating Burkman a second time and taking the next step toward becoming WSOF’s first 170-pound champion.

Competing in WSOF has given Fitch a new lease of life and professional MMA. He remains fully driven to being a champion, but doing so with WSOF will put him in position to make history in a unique way.

“I want to be the first, I want to be the best and I want to be the most memorable,” Fitch said. “I want to grow with this organization. And I want to help build it into one of the best organizations out there.”

To reach this goal, Fitch must first settle matters with Burkman. Despite Fitch’s very high confidence level heading into this rematch, Burkman is no pushover.

With a professional record of 25-9, Burkman also dreams of being the first man to wear WSOF's welterweight title belt. His motivation to succeed Friday night, however, goes much deeper.

Burkman became a father for the first time less than a year ago. The experience has changed his priorities and his attitude about being a professional fighter.

“Being a husband and a father has definitely made me grow up and expect the best out of myself,” Burkman, 32, told ESPN.com. “Now it’s not like I’m fighting for fun, I’m doing this to provide for my family and make a better life for my wife [Brandy] and my [8-month-old] son [Legend Joshua]. And that, at the end of the day, will bring out a new animal.”

As a mature family man, Burkman avoids the one mistake that dogged him during his previous loss to Fitch – taking the opposition lightly. While both were relatively unseasoned fighters when they first met, Burkman had two fights inside the Octagon; Fitch had one. And Burkman’s performances were more impressive -- a knockout and submission to Fitch’s unanimous decision win.

Under the circumstances Burkman had no reason to concern himself with Fitch, or so he thought at the time. In 2006, Burkman didn’t conduct himself like a professional fighter -- he didn’t study tapes of opponents or control his weight between fights. He struggled often to reach the 170-pound limit and it negatively impacted his performance against Fitch.

That was then. Everything about Burkman today screams professional mixed martial artist; it is the man Fitch must overcome during their rematch Friday night.

“I underestimated Jon Fitch [in 2006],” Burkman said. “And I probably overestimated my abilities at that point in my career. I didn’t know who he was. I wasn’t quite the student of the game then that I am now.

“I’m a real mixed martial artist now. That’s what people will see from me in my next few fights. And everything I do in my life is to become better at it.”

Dan Henderson's past two fights in the Octagon couldn't have been any more different.

If Saturday's UFC 161 main event effort against Rashad Evans in Winnipeg manages to find the happy middle between Henderson's classic with Mauricio Rua and subsequent snoozer against Lyoto Machida, the 42-year-old American believes a victory should net him another championship opportunity.

However, "if I go out there and squeeze out a boring win," he said, "I wouldn't give me a title shot."

That's not necessarily something he controls. Henderson mostly blames Machida for one of the worst bouts of his illustrious career.

"Nothing notable happened in the whole thing," he said. "You can barely even call it a fight.

"I really should have and could have maybe been a bit more aggressive. But it's pretty hard to do when someone's running."

Coming off a split decision that was as frustrating for Henderson to participate in as it was for the rest of us to watch, the two-division Pride king isn’t sure what to expect from Evans, who looked bad in his two most recent fights -- a destabilizing effort versus his rival Jon Jones followed by a terrible performance against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in February.

"He just wasn't very aggressive at all," Henderson said of the Nogueira contest. "Even when you're being cautious you can do a lot more than that. It didn't show what he normally does or what he's capable of. Everybody has an off fight or is flat occasionally, and that seemed like his. It's not anything that I'm going to judge that that's the Rashad I'm going to fight. I don't think that at all. I'm sure he's going to come out a little more aggressive with more of a purpose.

"Either way, he doesn't run and move nearly as bad as Machida does. I don't think it'll be even close as bad as the last fight."

Henderson described Evans in all the expected ways. Well-rounded. Quick. Powerful with a solid wrestling base. "So you gotta be aware of all of it," Henderson said. "Have to be careful of everything. At the same thing I feel I have a bit more power and good take-down defense.

"Better in the clinch. There are some situations that I'm going to try and put him in that I think are good for me."

He claimed not to have a clue what was happening between Evans' ears, and explained that it doesn't matter. Because no matter how poorly Evans performed in his last outing, it would be foolish to expect anything less than the best from the former Michigan State University wrestler.

"I think Rashad definitely has some skills I need to really be careful with," Henderson said.

During a pre-event conference call, Evans expressed hope of moving beyond the recent disappointments. A good clash with Henderson would help.

“

I really should have and could have maybe been a bit more aggressive. But it's pretty hard to do when someone's running.

” -- Dan Henderson, on the frustration he faced in a February 2013 bout against Lyoto Machida

"You almost have to have a short[-term] memory on that kind of thing," Evans said. "Because if you dwell on it too long then it can definitely hinder you again. I know how to perform. I know how to go out there and fight to the best of my abilities. It's just a matter of going out there and doing it. Second-guessing myself is not going to get me any closer to fighting to the best of my capabilities. So I learned from that performance."

Henderson sounds willing to give him a chance to prove it. And while the Olympic wrestler admitted Evans' strengths might cause him to "be really patient, for sure, and not be overly aggressive," Henderson suggested the three-round fight could come down to making the most of a particular moment.

Rebounding after a troubled training camp leading up to the Machida contest, Henderson said his preparation for Evans was on point. He feels far more mobile than he did in February, and expects that to pay off in Canada. If so, Henderson is eyeing UFC champion Jon Jones, who is expected to defend his title against Alexander Gustafsson later this year.

Because a knee injury cost Henderson the chance to fight Jones at UFC 151, he said the pair has unfinished business. The way Henderson sees it, "I never got to take the test I studied for.

"I just feel like someone like Jon Jones is a challenge. I trust in myself and what I'm capable of doing."

Henderson has fought all manner of opponents since entering MMA in 1997, and he repeatedly proved what he’s capable of doing. As he boarded a plane for Canada earlier this week, Henderson tweeted how excited he felt to step into a cage again, in part because of just how badly he wants to wash away the stain of the Machida bout.

"It's typically not in my nature to be close to boring," he said, "but it happened recently."

As Evans noted, mixed martial artists are often pinned down by the result of their most recent outing.

For both men, then, there’s plenty of room for improvement.

Against better judgment, let’s talk about UFC 149 one last time.

The pay-per-view event took place on July 21, 2012, at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta. An interim bantamweight title bout between Renan Barao and Urijah Faber served as the main event.

It was, by most accounts, a terrible night. UFC president Dana White admitted he was “embarrassed” by the main card. It really was one awkward fight after another.

Cheick Kongo and Shawn Jordan embraced in a tired hug for 15 minutes. Brian Ebersole resorted to a series of strange karate slaps to James Head’s leg in a dull split-decision loss. Hector Lombard stood in place and ate jabs. By the time the main event started, the Calgary crowd had fallen in love with a “refund” chant.

To this day, White remains apologetic to the entire Canadian city for that event.

Well, meet the ill-fated UFC 149's brother, UFC 161. The similarities between these two events are eerie.

UFC 161 was originally headlined by an interim bantamweight title bout between Barao and Eddie Wineland, which fell through due to a Barao injury. Similarly, UFC 149 lost its main event, a featherweight title fight, when Jose Aldo was injured.

Mauricio Rua was supposed to fight at UFC 149 and 161. In both cases, he was removed when his opponent suffered an injury. Thiago Silva withdrew from the contest last year. This time it was an injury to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

Speaking of Nogueira injuries, Lil Nog may have just been following the example of his twin brother. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira was originally scheduled to fight Cheick Kongo at UFC 149, but he withdrew due to injury.

In both cases, a “name” fight was added by the UFC to give the card more value. At UFC 149, it was Lombard and Tim Boetsch serving as the co-main event. This weekend, it’s Roy Nelson and Stipe Miocic serving as ... the co-main event.

Kind of weird, right? Hopefully, the similarities stop come fight night.

FIVE STORYLINES

Roy Nelson’s gamble. Nelson has long considered himself an underpaid fighter. It’s not hard to see why. During his UFC career, Nelson has typically been one of the lowest-paid athletes on PPV main cards. For instance, his purse against Frank Mir in the co-main event at UFC 130 was a paltry $15,000. To that point, Nelson reportedly turned down an extension offer by the UFC and will finish out his current contact at UFC 161. A loss would certainly affect his leverage in future contract negotiations.

Glover Teixeira’s Twitter account. It’s nice and simple -- @gloverteixeira. You might want to keep an eye on it when the main event goes off. Teixeira has read the writing on the wall and it says “Alexander Gustafsson.” Feeling one win away from a title shot, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Teixeira comment publicly on the winner of Hendo, Evans.

Alexis Davis’ party. You see this from time to time -- Brazilian fights in Brazil or an Aussie fights in Australia. They don’t just look good. They ignite the crowd and win in such a way that you don’t forget about it when the next UFC card comes around. Alexis Davis is a dark horse in the women’s division. She’s well-respected, but few fans really know her yet. That could change here. She’s fighting on home soil and has a type of charm that once cameras find her, they might stick on her.

The evolution of Stipe Miocic. Miocic has the athleticism and the intelligence to turn into a legitimate heavyweight -- the question is when will it happen? He has good instincts and he comes with a game plan, but sometimes in martial arts you have to go off script. Can he surprise a guy like Roy Nelson? Miocic has the fundamentals. Has he added that element of unpredictability?

Seriously, don’t be UFC 149. UFC 160 was three weeks ago. UFC 162 isn’t for another three weeks. If UFC 161 does end up being the second coming of UFC 149 we can’t hide from it. The smell will linger.

FIVE QUESTIONS

Q: Is Rashad Evans still Rashad Evans?

He and his team would say yes. Certain critics would say he hasn’t been the same dating way back to the knockout loss to Lyoto Machida in 2009. That might be a stretch, he did dominate Phil Davis with three cracked ribs as recently as last year, but no doubt about it, this fight will answer questions about Evans after he didn’t look like himself in February.

Q: Is Dan Henderson still Dan Henderson?

It was hard to tell in his last fight. Machida stayed on the outside and refused to really engage with him. Henderson’s too smart to just sprint after him, so we were kind of left with a points fight that Henderson came out on the short end of. One right hand is all it takes for Henderson to get right back into title talk -- an opportunity many still feel he deserves. Can he still land it against the elite 205ers?

Q: How good is Tyron Woodley?

He’s always been an eye-catching prospect. In the same way a loss to Jon Fitch might have gotten Erick Silva to turn a corner, maybe a loss to Nate Marquardt did the same for Woodley. He destroyed a tough veteran guy in Jay Hieron his first time out. If he looks half as good in his second UFC fight against a talent like Jake Shields, we might need to get this guy on the fast track.

Q: Can lightning strike twice?

The one saving grace of UFC 149 was Mr. Ryan Jimmo’s seven-second knockout over Anthony Perosh, followed by a strikingly good robot dance. Perosh was knocked out instantly, so much so that Internet users started Photoshopping his knockout face onto pop-culture images. What will Jimmo do in his Canadian encore?

Q: Is Sam Stout good or just entertaining?

It’s OK if it’s the latter, but it seems he has potential for more. He’s always good for a show. Six times he’s taken home bonus money, but he’s never set great expectations in terms of racking up wins with an overall 8-7 UFC record. That might be changing, as Stout has won four of his past six.

WHO’S ON THE HOT SEAT?

Jake Shields. The UFC’s acquisition of then-Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields was a big deal in 2010 -- but it’s failed to deliver much. Through five UFC appearances, Shields is 2-2 with a no-contest and a drug suspension last August. He can’t seem to figure out what weight class he wants to compete in, and his fighting style is such that even when he’s winning, he’s getting booed. He has little room for error here.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

Because even though it’s not the most stacked card in the world, it’s still Evans and it’s still Hendo ... because you don’t know Alexis Davis and you should ... because Roy Nelson is rolling the dice on behalf of disgruntled employees everywhere ... because there are sure to be live shots of Winnipeg, Manitoba -- which is quite lovely this time of year ... because Game 5 isn’t until Sunday ... because if it does turn into UFC 149 revisited, Dana White’s head will turn a bright red that should be visible regardless of what camera angle is being used ... because the H-bomb will be there.

The concern about Rashad Evans is understandable.

From an outside perspective, Evans has never recovered from that five-round loss to Jon Jones in April 2012. He was absent from the cage for 10 months after that, and then looked like a shell of his former self in a decision loss to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

Evans looked hesitant in that fight -- unsure of himself. Come to think of it, he even looked a little sad.

It might lead us all into thinking that competitively speaking, with the words “UFC champ” already on his résumé and money in the bank, we’ve seen the best of Evans. He gave it a good try against Jones at UFC 145, but that was the beginning of the end.

If the former light heavyweight champion is going through the motions now, or even if he’s just trying to relight a competitive flame on a burned-down wick, it’s going to show against Dan Henderson at UFC 161 this weekend.

Talk to those around Evans (17-3-1) though, and conversation doesn’t revolve around rekindling his love for the sport or rebuilding his confidence.

The Blackzilians actually can’t wait for Henderson on Saturday, the start of a title run and, you had better believe it, Jones again.

Glenn Robinson, Evans’ manager: It’s crazy to watch. People ask, 'Rashad, are you all right, are you sure you’re OK?' Like he’s got a sickness or something. He just lost a fight and people are treating him like a kid who lost football tryouts or something. Listening to these people talk, I thought they were going to take him for ice cream.

Tyrone Spong, teammate: For me, he’s the same guy he’s always been. He’s very hungry. I know what it is to be criticized, but sometimes I’m like, come on. Don’t talk stupid. Give the guy a break here. It’s two losses -- and it’s not like he got his a-- whupped [in the Nogueira fight]. He had less of a night. That’s the whole story.

Robinson: There was a point over the last couple of years where he’d been through a rough time. It’s one thing for you to know you’re getting divorced (Evans finalized his divorce in 2012), it’s another thing when it becomes official. He was with his ex-wife from the time he was really just a kid. That was all going on leading up to his last fight. Every one of us has bad times in life and that was Rashad’s bad time. That doesn’t mean he’s changed as a fighter or a person. He had a fight that didn’t go his way. That doesn’t mean he’s done.

Spong: People don’t know the real Rashad. They see him as a character -- the UFC fighter. What comes first is that we are all human beings with the same emotions as every other person. Not every camp is the same. We all go through different things emotionally and physically. Every camp is different, so every fight is different.

Kenny Monday, Blackzilians wrestling coach: From the first day I joined the camp (Monday joined the team in April), he’s been great. My message right away was, 'How do you want your career to be defined?' I asked about the possibility of being a champion and getting back to the top and he said, 'I want to be defined as one of the best in the sport.' He didn’t have to say anything else. I said, 'Let’s get to work.'

Robinson: I’ll tell you exactly what happened in the Jones fight. That training camp was a circus. I mean, I love Coach [Mike] Van Arsdale, but he ran that camp like he would have if he was fighting, not Rashad (Van Arsdale parted ways with the Blackzilians in mid-2012). Rashad had, at one point, five different striking coaches.

Spong: That Jones fight -- even during that camp a lot of stuff happened. It didn’t go as planned. He still went out there and fought his a-- off. He has no problem talking about it. If he looks back at it, things didn’t go as planned in the camp and he couldn’t do everything he wanted, but other than you can’t regret anything. He still went out there and gave Jon Jones a hell of a fight.

Robinson: It’s just not true [his confidence suffered after the Jones fight]. Rashad’s confidence never wavers. He had a lot on his mind after that, but he never lost confidence on who he was. When you have a bad day as an MMA fighter, you’re washed up and this and that but let me tell you -- Rashad completely destroyed the tackling dummy in the gym for this fight. His confidence level is just fine and he’ll show that.

Monday: I’ve been around the sport a long time and I can see it when a fighter is done. I can see it in their eyes -- see the passion is not quite there. They train, but they don’t have that edge. I still see that hunger of wanting to win in practice. When guys stop trying to win in practice, that’s when you see them looking for the exit door. Rashad still gets pissed off in practice.

Robinson: The most important thing for Rashad was he needed to enjoy fighting again, and he does. He’s in great shape. He and Tyrone were in my house watching Thiago [Silva] fight and they are flexing their arms to see who has bigger biceps. Rashad’s body is ripped. His legs are huge -- you can see the muscle in them. That came from hard work and you can’t put that hard work into something unless you enjoy it. That’s the biggest change in the last year.

Roberto Flamingo, Blackzilians striking coach: We expected a better fight against Nogueira. It didn’t go as it had to go. That night, Alistair was fighting right before so I walked him to the Octagon and wasn’t there to warm up Rashad. The preparation half an hour before the fight wasn’t where it needed to be. He has to prepare good before he goes to the Octagon. He couldn’t find his range.

Spong: It all felt good going into that fight. He was strong in everything. He just missed his rhythm and he couldn’t get into the fight. He was off the whole time. It was frustrating for me as it was for him.

Monday: After the Jones fight, he was doing more commentary and after the emotional drain from that fight I think he may have thought about wrapping it up. I don’t know, I wasn’t here. After that second loss though, I think he said, 'Nah, this is not how I want to go out.' We’ve talked about leaving a legacy of greatness. He knows in order to set that up, he needs this fight.

Spong: It’s your opinion if you don’t think he can beat Jon Jones, but I think it’s stupid. Look at Jon’s fights in the 205-pound division. When he defends his belt, he’s finished everyone easy but Rashad. Rashad is the only one to give him a fight. I know for sure if he had a proper camp he is the one to beat Jon Jones.

Robinson: The bottom line is who of all these great champions, some of them are in the title hunt right now, can say they went five rounds with Jon Jones? I asked him if he wants that fight again and Rashad told me, 'I’d love to get the belt again, but right now I just want to fight.' He’s not going to pressure himself into the belt. If he does the right job, the belt will come.

Monday: We talked about Jon Jones one time, about his mindset going into the fight and if he wanted him again. Absolutely [he wants him again]. If you don’t want that fight, you know, then I think you are done. The guy is the best out there. Who wouldn’t want that fight? I want to fight him.

Robinson: He trained harder for this fight than the [second] Tito [Ortiz] fight. Way harder. Rashad excels under pressure. In the Tito fight he had to prove to the world he deserved the title shot. He went into the Phil Davis fight with three cracked ribs. He really put 100 percent into this camp. Betting against Rashad because of what happened in the past is a foolish move. Rashad will be dangerous on Monday. Today, people are concerned -- on Monday, Rashad will be dangerous.

LOS ANGELES -- On Saturday night, it took UFC on Fuel 10 -- a card where the martial arts were very much mixed -- exactly 1:52 to produce its first submission. On Sunday, it took Metamoris II, a no-points jiu-jitsu showcase specifically geared toward submissions, approximately 108 minutes before anybody tapped.

Oh, the irony.

The "anybody" who tapped in this case was none other than Shinya Aoki, who fought aggressively against Kron Gracie in the main event yet got caught at the edge of the apron with a guillotine. Gracie was aided by a spectator who came over, stood at the lip of the elevated platform just as the fighters were about to topple over and presented his back as a barrier.

Was it legal? Who knows. The referee was watching the choke. It looked like Aoki might have been trying to drag the action out of bounds to temporarily get rid of the lock around his neck. But it worked out for Kron Gracie, who finished the match seconds later. Now he’s 2-0 in Metamoris (his first victory came over Otavio Souza at Metamoris I). As for Aoki, the spectators appreciated that he passed guard and went for submissions. He played the game the right way (aggressively).

Which was sort of the whole point, exactly how it’s supposed to work and just the way everybody imagined it.

The second Metamoris event was well-run and pretty interesting. Part of the allure was names like the UFC’s Brendan Schaub and Dream’s Aoki -- people with followings in MMA -- to direct some crossover appeal to what amounts to a Brazilian jiu-jitsu exhibition. In that way, Metamoris is the full-circle return to what the Gracie family introduced to the UFC 20 years ago, stripped of all the violent frills.

The legend himself, Royce Gracie, was on hand to accept a lifetime achievement award at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion. It was him who ruled UFC’s 1-4 and proved the old Gracie Academy flagship that jiu-jitsu is a “triumph of human intelligence over brute strength.” Now he and his nephew Ralek Gracie have made Metamoris all about that jiu-jitsu in its purest form. And instead of eight matches going on simultaneously (how traditional jiu-jitsu events are normally executed), it was one match, front and center, where the game of “kinetic chess” could play out for all to see.

How did it come off? One curious onlooker said it’s like “watching a couple of the NBA’s sharpshooters play Horse rather than compete in a game.” A description like that hardly justifies the $19.95 asking price of the Internet pay-per-view. As tempting as it is to agree with an assessment like that, it also feels a little extreme. ESPN.com’s Josh Gross, who was on hand, said it better -- “for MMA fans it’s like going to the opera.”

There was something operalike going on with Metamoris, right down to the cathedral hush that came over things as each fight started.

In fact, it almost felt the like the exact opposite of your typical MMA event. It was so quiet through fights that you could hear the zip of the bare feet on the mat. The audience -- made up of Gracie students, Gracies themselves, celebrities of many stripes, and plenty of the hardcore curious -- was thoroughly tuned in to the technical side of what was playing out. When somebody tried to advance their position or pass guard, the cheers were passionate and informed. When Andre Galvao and Rafael Lovato Jr. toiled relentlessly for inside grip, the keener eyes knew. Ditto when Rodolfo Vieira finally passed Braulio Estima’s guard 10 minutes into the project.

People were several steps ahead, watching the set-ups, seeing the intentions unfold and be thwarted. As it should be with a fluid sport. The idea is to educate the eye. Jiu-jitsu’s tension ebbs and flows through anticipation.

Yet, when the UFC’s Brendan Schaub refused to go to the ground with Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu, the hecklers came alive in the tense quiet and let him know. Schaub, who forced Abreu to butt-scoot for nearly 20 minutes (and occasionally drift off in siestas, it seemed), said he was playing it smart.

“I make my living in the UFC,” he said. “If he takes my leg, I’m not going to be able to make a living. I’m not letting the crowd pressure get to me. If I do that, he’s taking home my leg.”

Abreu left empty-handed, but was given the decision. Schaub got a workout in ahead of his UFC fight with Matt Mitrione in July (Mitrione was in attendance, too). In the six bouts, two were draws, three were black-and-white decisions, and only the last one ended in a tap. Four of the battles were in gi, and two without.

Did Metamoris II achieve what it wanted in drawing more attention to the technical battle of the ground game? Probably. At least for those who watched. If you go in for bloodsport, this might have been a little too specific, but it couldn’t help but inform MMA fans just how many layers an MMA practitioner must have to be a complete fighter. For the hardcores in attendance (and there were plenty), the slick jiu-jitsu on display further distanced what they already know to be true from the casuals who have no idea.

All in all, not a bad second showing by Metamoris. The matinee setting with the ominous red lighting gave the thing the right feel. The final “bell” to each fight sounded like a baby grand crashing to the ground from eight stories. That couldn’t help but jar the onlookers. And really, it was necessary from the trancelike state that comes with watching a 20-minute battle between two honed specialists in the very specific field of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

At some point, Metamoris believes, more people will know exactly what they’re watching.

Heavyweight Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira has been on a roller-coaster ride for nearly four years. He’d win a fight then lose, win a fight then lose again.

Consistency has eluded Nogueira, who has not won back-to-back bouts since February 2008, when he capped a three-fight streak by claiming the UFC interim title with a third-round submission of Tim Sylvia. He is 3-3 since.

But "Big Nog," who submitted Dave Herman during his most recent outing at UFC 153 on Oct. 13, 2012, vows to win his second straight fight Saturday night when he faces Fabricio Werdum in the UFC on Fuel TV 10 main event in Fortaleza, Brazil. He has never been more determined to keep a prefight promise.

Despite his recent ups and downs, the 37-year-old Nogueira hasn’t relinquish his goal of making one more run at a title shot. A win over Werdum, who is ranked No. 4 among heavyweights by ESPN.com, could land him a fight against No. 3-rated Daniel Cormier.

Wins over Werdum and Cormier would extend Nogueira’s streak to three and almost assure him of a title shot. But first, he must pull off the upset Saturday night.

Nogueira is a big underdog, but he likes it this way. Proving that he is still a force in the heavyweight has increased his determination. Big Nog has covered all the bases during preparation for this fight.

“I see myself in a good position, going against a high-level fighter like Werdum,” Nogueira told ESPN.com. “He’s a tough fighter, but I’m very motivated. And sometimes the motivation makes you train more. I’m in good shape.”

The former Pride champion has been in many tough battles en route to compiling a 34-7-1 professional record. Nogueira has experienced many bumps and bruises throughout his 14-year MMA career, but after a solid training camp, he is fully healthy and feels like a man in his physical prime -- and Nogueira is injury-free.

It also helps that he already has a win over Werdum. The two fought on July 1, 2006, while in Pride. Big Nog exited the ring that night a winner by unanimous decision.

Nogueira admits that his opponent is a much better fighter now than when they first met, but he adds that his own skills are also more refined.

There is one area, however, where Nogueira expects to have the advantage -- experience, especially standing. Both Nogueira and Werdum have advanced jujitsu skills, but whoever wins the stand-up battle will have the edge on fight night.

“He has improved in kickboxing, but I am comfortable doing kickboxing and boxing,” Nogueira said. “I’ve been doing this a long time.

“He’s strong, he pushes, and he has a lot of tricks in jujitsu. I know he’s improved, but so have I. I know it’s not an easy fight, but I believe in myself.”

Nogueira has never experienced an up-and-down run like the one he’s on. Some observers have begun hinting that his time as an elite heavyweight has passed. It’s even been whispered that maybe it’s time for him to call it a career.

But Nogueira doesn’t entertain such thoughts; retirement is not on his agenda. He’s focused solely on making it two wins in a row -- over Werdum and on his current ledger. If Nogueira accomplishes this feat Saturday night, talk of a title shot is sure to heat up.

“If I win this fight, there is a good chance I will be in a good position to get that pot of gold, to have a chance to get the belt,” Nogueira said. “This is real important to me, and I don’t want to miss that chance.”

Daniel Cormier is a highly ranked heavyweight contender, but a title shot is not in his foreseeable future thanks to a roadblock that he doesn't intend to trespass -- UFC champion Cain Velasquez.

The level of respect Cormier has for Velasquez is so great that he will never consider challenging his close friend. As long as Velasquez holds the belt, Cormier will not step in the cage with him -- no ifs, ands or buts.

In fact, Cormier is convinced that there isn't a heavyweight on the UFC roster who can defeat his American Kickboxing Academy teammate. With that in mind, Cormier has shifted to Plan B: He will fight once more at heavyweight before taking his talents to the 205-pound division.

"This is it, my next fight will be my last at heavyweight," Cormier told ESPN.com. "I want to try to fight a little lighter this time, and by the end of this year or early next year, I will fight my first fight at 205 pounds.

"I've gotten my plan together, and I'm tackling it head-on so I will be able to [cut weight] in the right way and feel pretty good competing. It's obviously going to be a process and not an easy process, but I'm willing to take that challenge. I want to be champion."

Cormier reiterated that he would love to challenge light heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones, but it's not the source of his motivation for moving down in weight. If Jones is still competing at 205 when Cormier arrives, that would be terrific; if not, so be it. He plans to snatch the belt from whoever is wearing it at the time.

But first, Cormier has business to take care of at heavyweight. UFC officials have him penciled in to face the winner of Saturday's showdown between Fabricio Werdum and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the UFC on Fuel TV 10 main event in Brazil or Roy Nelson.

Cormier will fight whomever UFC places in front of him, but he would prefer that person to be Nelson. During a recent media call to promote the June 15 UFC 161 card in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Nelson said Cormier turned down an offer to fight him at the event.

"I got offered Daniel Cormier," Nelson said. "And he turned it down, and then [UFC officials] went down the list -- Travis Browne and so forth and so forth and so forth. I think [the fight] was already on the card, and you know, everybody in the UFC, you know, was waiting for -- was ready for a fight, and Stipe [Miocic] is the one who said 'yes.'"

Cormier, who is ranked third among heavyweights by ESPN.com, strongly denies Nelson's allegation.

"I didn't turn down a fight with him," he said. "I had issues early in my career with people not wanting to fight me, and I wouldn't want to do that to anyone else. Even my last fight in Strikeforce it was hard for me to get an opponent.

"Roy actually said that he was willing to fight me in Strikeforce, so it's a fight he obviously wants. But for him to say that I turned down the fight is not true. I couldn't fight him because I wasn't medically cleared. I did [ligament] damage to my hand during my last fight with Frank Mir. If I was medically cleared, I would have taken the fight. I'm not afraid of Roy Nelson, so let's fight."

While Miocic has heavy hands, Nelson is expected to leave the cage victorious -- and, hopefully, injury free. This is the outcome Cormier wants most. If Nelson comes through unscathed, Cormier would like to fight him in August or September.

"I've wanted to fight three or four times this year, and if I get this fight [with Nelson], that will make three," said Cormier, who is currently carrying 235 pounds on his 5-foot-11 frame. "Then I can begin focusing on other things, like changing my body to make [205]."

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- The update prompted a nod and smile.

Sitting inside a modest conference room at Viacom's MTV Networks, Quinton Jackson was clearly relieved to learn that the number of participants on a conference call about his wide-ranging deal with the media conglomerate had jumped from three to 44.

"That's better," Jackson said before phone lines opened a little after noon Wednesday. He looked at Spike TV president Kevin Kay, who agreed, then swiveled to his left toward Bellator CEO and chairman Bjorn Rebney. There would be more nods and smiles over the next hour, as Kay and Rebney lauded Jackson, a 34-year-old fighter no longer at his best, as the "biggest name in MMA" and an "icon" of combat sports.

Talk like this gave "Rampage" license to describe his new relationship with everyone involved -- there are several groups -- with a broad, sloppy brush.

"We tongue kissing right now," he joked.

Fresh off the announcement that Jackson signed a heavily textured deal to fight MMA for Bellator, pro wrestle for TNA, star in reality programming for Spike TV, pitch feature films to Paramount, and just generally have access to the Viacom lockbox of properties -- a first of its kind, Rebney said -- the former UFC champion suggested this contract is the result of hard work as much as it is his distaste for Zuffa, a company that, he admits, helped turn him famous over the past five years.

When "Rampage" first joined the UFC in 2007, he did so as a relatively unknown commodity after Zuffa purchased the World Fighting Alliance.

He was excited for the chance after feeling unappreciated in Pride.

Three wins later, Jackson was champion, a budding superstar, and the first fighter to unify a weight division by holding UFC and Pride titles at the same time. The rest of his experience in the UFC was a mixed bag, leading to an unceremonious departure from the organization after losing to Glover Teixeira at the start of 2013.

"I'm here to entertain people," said Jackson, who lost his last three bouts and went 4-4 in the UFC after dropping the belt to Forrest Griffin in 2008. "I've done a lot in the sport. I come from the Pride generation, where it's entertainment first. I know realistically that I probably won't win all my fights in Bellator, but I'll be damned if I won't entertain people. I want to put on the most exciting fights.”

Jackson enters Bellator with a knee that's not yet 100 percent. Rebney said he is "completely comfortable" with Jackson's physical condition, which will be tested when the fighter starts doing roadwork after his birthday June 20. The demands of Bellator's eight- or four-man tournaments may be too much for Jackson. He didn't rule out participating in the format -- he said it was one of the reasons he was drawn to Bellator -- but he didn't embrace it either. Rebney said if Jackson wants a title opportunity, he'll have to earn it like the rest, however the promoter also said he'd be willing to work with “Rampage” and sign fights that make sense for everyone involved.

Said Rebney: "This deal is about putting all those pieces together so that that brand becomes bigger than it ever was, and if it comes together effectively it's going to be great for him and awesome for us.”

Vying for Jackson's attention could prove challenging. He said his focus will reliably train on MMA, but he also mentioned writing movies (he has a couple of scripts complete, including one that takes place in the MMA world), and a suddenly serious commitment to pro wrestling, which despite not being a sport undoubtedly requires skill and athleticism. Jackson's participation in the pro wrestling space starts immediately; he'll make an appearance on "TNA Impact Live" Thursday night on Spike TV, and hopes to get intertwined in the fantastical story lines soon. First, there will be many hours of practice.

Already, "Rampage" is pondering a tag-team partnership with Muhammed Lawal, who was the first mixed martial artist to get a taste of the wide-ranging Viacom opportunities available to certain "unique" personalities. Jackson said he remains open to fighting Lawal, a bout some consider the most marketable Bellator could promote at the moment.

No matter whom he fights (Jackson hopes and expects others will follow his lead and defect from the UFC), the expectation from executives at Spike TV is that Jackson’s return on investment will at least produce ratings successes. "Rampage" drew nearly 6 million viewers for his unification fight with Henderson in 2007, and coached on the highest rated season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” though that had a lot to do with another entertainment-centered fighter, Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson.

It’s no wonder Kay described Jackson's appearance in Bellator as a homecoming.

He’ll be healthy enough to return to the cage in a few months and squeeze another four to five years out of his body. (He wouldn’t say whether or not he remained on testosterone replacement therapy. If so, that would make Jackson the first fighter in Bellator to face this issue.)

"I've done a lot in this sport,” he said. “I think a lot of fans forget I'm the first-ever unified champion. That's my most proud achievement in the sport. I did that. I've been champion before. Now I don't really care about it. I want to entertain the fans and put on great fights and go to pro wrestling."

Jackson grew up in Memphis, Tenn., watching and mimicking his favorites, so much so that on consecutive Halloweens he dressed up as WWF superstar The Ultimate Warrior. TNA president Dixie Carter expects Jackson to be "very serious" and "committed to be the best at what we do." Jackson nodded and smiled as Carter spoke via speakerphone.

"I could be one of those old dudes still entertaining my fans," he said while discussing the likes of mainstays Hulk Hogan and Sting.

This was where he perked up most Wednesday. "Rampage" fondly recalled the success of Pride and how it was tied to pro wrestling in Japan, a major reason he believes Bellator is on the right track, and why sharing time between MMA and pro wrestling makes sense.

As foundations go, Jackson’s new relationship appears strong, though he cautioned and history corroborated that “after a while things get stale. You don't even tongue kiss no more.”

His prefight agenda has remained constant for years: train properly, win and move one step closer to a title shot. More often than not, this approach has proved beneficial to UFC heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum.

Under normal circumstances, Werdum would spend the final few days before fight night relaxing, while his handlers rehash the game plan’s finer points.

But the fight slated to take place Saturday night, in the UFC on Fuel TV 10 main event, is anything but normal. Werdum is returning to his native Brazil to face a fellow countryman and a legend in mixed martial arts -- Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (or "Big Nog" for short).

Heading into this fight, Werdum is excited. Don’t mistake his excitement as a sign of nervousness, however. He is eager to get in the cage against a man he respects immensely.

“Winning this fight will definitely be a big step forward for me in the division,” Werdum told ESPN.com. “But the fact that it’s Big Nog, who is a big guy in the division and who has made a lot in history and continues to make history in the UFC.”

Werdum is convinced this fight will strengthen his case for a title shot in the not-too-distant future. But a victory Saturday night serves additional purposes for the 6-foot-4, 250-pound fighter.

This is a showcase bout for Werdum, who is in his fighting prime. No longer just a jiu-jitsu practitioner, the 35-year-old is equally confident in his striking skills.

It’s a major reason he expects to win impressively while exacting revenge on Nogueira. The two fought July 1, 2006, in Pride FC. Nogueira defeated Werdum by unanimous decision.

“

I'm more of a professional fighter. I really took the time to perfect myself in all areas. Back then, I was just a jiu-jitsu fighter. Today I'm at a more advanced stage in my career.

” -- Fabricio Werdum, on being a more complete mixed martial artist ahead of Saturday's rematch with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

But that was then. A lot has changed since, and just about all the changes favor Werdum.

“I’m a lot more experienced now,” said Werdum, who is 16-5-1. “I’m more of a professional fighter. I really took the time to perfect myself in all areas. Back then, I was just a jiu-jitsu fighter. Today I’m at a more advanced stage in my career.

“Back then, when I first fought Big Nog, he was at his peak; now I’m at my peak.”

Werdum might be at his professional and physical peaks as a fighter, but Nogueira isn’t ready to concede anything in either area. At 37, and with 42 pro fights under his belt during a 14-year span, Nogueira remains convinced he can make one more run at the heavyweight title.

He had a solid camp and says his body feels terrific. Nogueira is prepared to push Werdum to the limit Saturday night.

Nogueira (34-7-1) intends to neutralize the excitement Werdum claims to feel heading into the fight with additional motivation he will get from the love showered on him by the Brazilian fans. The determining factor Saturday night, according to Nogueira, will be experience.

“I have more experience than him,” Nogueira said. “And physically, I am in very good shape. I know I can push more in this fight. But I am more experienced than him.

“The people [want] to see who is the better fighter or who is the better coach. It’s extra motivation for me to fight in front of them. He is a very tough guy, but the people motivate me to do better.

“I’ve fought this guy before. I’ve felt him body to body, what he is. He’s strong, he pushes, and he has a lot of tricks in jiu-jitsu. I know he’s improved, but so have I. I know it’s not an easy fight, but I believe in myself.”

Nogueira, however, is going up against a more refined Werdum, who wants to become the UFC heavyweight champion. Before, during and after each training session, Werdum is thinking of the day when UFC president Dana White places the heavyweight title belt around his waist.

A victory Saturday night might catapult Werdum in position to face the Cain Velasquez-Junior dos Santos winner. But an official date for Velasquez-dos Santos III has yet to be announced.

“I really hope I don’t have to wait long for the next fight,” Werdum said. “I want to fight as soon as possible. But I also want to fight for the belt as soon as possible.

“If the UFC says ‘you can fight for the belt, but you will have to wait awhile,’ I will keep training and keep waiting. But if they say [a title shot] is not in your near future, then I will fight whoever they want me to fight.”

If you like fights, Tuesday was a head spinner.

I opened my podcast this week discussing the quality mixed martial arts on tap for June. Forget that. With all the bouts now announced, August is officially out of control. UFC will pull four events, two on pay-per-view, starting with Jose Aldo's featherweight title defense against Anthony Pettis in Rio de Janeiro. A lightweight title fight at UFC 164 closes out the month, when Benson Henderson defends against TJ Grant. And sandwiched in between, the first and second UFC events on FOX Sports 1 are loaded.

Henderson tweeted early Wednesday that he learned the date and location of his fight with Grant, which headlines a terrific card in Milwaukee, via Twitter. I'd hazard a guess that the UFC lightweight champion isn't the only fighter who found out like this. Plenty of them, men and women both, ought to be fired up. That goes the same for fans, which is why you shouldn't need to try hard to rattle off 10 contests that are worth getting excited about.

Including the title fights, my list is Brad Pickett-Michael McDonald, Carlos Condit-Martin Kampmann, Sara McMann-Sarah Kaufman, Frank Mir-Josh Barnett, Lyoto Machida-Phil Davis, Alistair Overeem-Travis Browne, Matt Brown-Thiago Alves, Eric Koch-Dustin Poirier. I like each for their style, relevance and expected level of competition, and could have chosen others -- that’s how deep August has turned out to be.

It's strange how some factors, such as time to prepare, can influence perception. On Monday I thought a fight between Chael Sonnen and Mauricio Rua next weekend in Winnipeg would have been a nice way to fill the void left by Antonio Rogerio Nogueira's injury. Visa issues prevented Sonnen from getting into Canada, so the UFC scrapped Rua's appearance and transferred him and the American to the main event of the Aug. 17 card in Boston. Now with two months to prepare as opposed to two weeks, I really don't expect Sonnen to do much against Rua, and I’m not so into the fight.

Recognize Sonnen’s M.O., though, because I think it's fair to call it that. When Sonnen steps up to fight on short notice, he ends up taking on the same guy at a later date. Good fortune, I suppose. But as Sonnen always says, you don't get anything you don't ask for. In and of itself there's nothing wrong with this. Yet, even with the extra time, Sonnen doesn't appear to have much hope at 205. He's a middleweight fighting a larger man's game, and that could make him more susceptible to getting hurt. Shogun Rua needs no help in this department. That's why I didn't list his fight among the best in August.

However: Since I highlighted my top 10, why not choose a favorite?

Upon further inspection (I could easily have gone several directions and no one could have argued otherwise) Sara and Sarah get the nod. Women have lived up to their billing in the Octagon. McMann is on the cusp of something big. Kaufman can rise to the top again if she handles the physical grappler.

There's a lot to like here, even for McMann's crew, who were disappointed that they didn't hear from the UFC when Cat Zingano was injured. The story line between bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and McMann needs some fleshing out, and TUF comes off as a perfect place for both Olympic medalists to take the next step. Alas, we know that'll have to happen some other way, and the first step would be McMann toppling Kaufman.

In part, I felt the need to highlight it because of just how much news poured out of the UFC last night.

Owning the news cycle

Bellator MMA had designs on owning the news cycle Wednesday, when it was set to unveil Quinton Jackson as its latest addition. Up against nothing, Jackson’s ability to stir up press is formidable. But with so much stuff breaking the night before, that’s unlikely to happen. At the very least, Jackson’s news conference in Los Angeles won’t get the kind of play it could have.

Would it be cynical to suggest all this news was released as a response to the Jackson signing?

Take it as little more than speculation, and not even the informed kind. But having said that, I wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out to be true. Either way, this is undoubtedly part of the budding war between Zuffa and Viacom, which isn’t so cold these days.

Jackson did the smart thing by laying low for six months and allowing his deal to lapse so Zuffa couldn’t match even if it wanted to. This shouldn’t be a tough concept to grasp. Patience is key, and based on Eddie Alvarez’s experience, fighters in position to control even a little bit of destiny in their own hands is something that must be taken seriously.

Next on the list is Roy Nelson. If he beats Stipe Miocic on June 15, it’s worth watching closely to see what he chooses to do.

The word “popularity” trumps a word like “retread” six days of the week. It did in the case of Quinton Jackson -- the popular, yet polarizing, former UFC champion who just became Bellator’s latest acquisition, according to a Spike TV press release. “Rampage” is presumably headed to the so-called “toughest tournament in sports.”

And with him comes an ounce of that hard-to-find intrigue.

Bellator will hold a news conference Wednesday in Los Angeles to make the announcement. If a 34-year-old on a three-fight losing streak and with strong associations to a rival league seems like an odd choice for a multiyear contract with Bellator, that’s because it is. Traditionally, Bellator has steered clear of picking up the UFC’s sloppy seconds, with a few exceptions. Just last week, Bellator inked prospect Bubba Jenkins, a collegiate wrestling champion from Arizona State who is 3-0 in MMA. That’s a signing that falls more in line with the Bellator ideology of unearthing talent. Landing Jenkins was a major boon.

But Jackson isn’t exactly a cast-off either. He was a disgruntled UFC employee who openly battled with Dana White and the UFC over pay, treatment, integrity, the reinvention of B.A. Baracus, fighting boring wrestlers and a descending scale of pettier issues over the past few years. He’s not known as an “entertainer” for fighting alone. That’s why he fits with Spike, where he can roam into pro wrestling waters under the TNA platform (an idea he’s flirted with before) and play a role in the network’s reality programming. With “Rampage” comes drama, and in his case, that’s interchangeable with “baggage.”

You know what else he brings? Star power and accessible validity.

After all, as of UFC 135, Jackson was name enough to challenge Jon Jones for the UFC’s light heavyweight belt. He didn’t make good, but the UFC sold more than 500,000 pay-per-views, which was the most since UFC 129 when Georges St-Pierre fought Jake Shields. It was the most pay-per-views sold for all of the UFC 130s. When he fought Dan Henderson on Spike, there were 6 million viewers.

Even in a sport where yesterday is a distant memory, that wasn’t so long ago. Yes, the Japan homecoming at UFC 144 against Ryan Bader was a disaster, with the missed weight and the swirling chaos of his TRT/groveling over how the UFC had handled him poorly. And yes, his sayonara bout with Glover Teixeira wasn’t exactly the barn burner he (or we) imagined. Just like Rashad Evans, Henderson and anyone who’s been in the fight game long enough, he’s capable of duds. Ennui is a hard thing to shake.

Yet even with all of that, what’s not to like about this signing? It was Josh Koscheck who said that fans can love him or hate him, it doesn’t matter, so long as they care. Signing “Rampage” will get people to care. And realistically, Bellator could use some love and caring, especially for its tournament structure that stubbornly makes a star of attrition. That concept’s not a fit for everyone. Maybe not even for Jackson, who has had trouble with motivation and weight in the past. It's tough to maintain health, weight and mindset through three fights in three months for anybody. But for a millionaire who doesn't particularly need to?

Then again, remember that he made a name in those Pride Grand Prix’s back in the early days fighting the likes of Wanderlei Silva, Chuck Liddell and Mauricio Rua. Those yesteryear names now become Attila Vegh and his longtime off-limits rival Muhammed Lawal -- not to mention Emanuel Newton, who knocked “King Mo” out in February with a spinning backfist. There’s something about those Memphis “bungalows” that tuned people in, even if they’re being flung at the more curious retread cases of Renato “Babalu” Sobral and Vladimir Matyushenko.
There are always exceptions to the exceptions.

The thing is, Bellator hasn’t strictly adhered to anything other than its own bracketology. Hard to imagine it giving Jackson special treatment and holding him out of the 205-pound tournament. And the promotion has loosely gone about its business of bringing up the next best names over the past couple of years. It's scored with Michael Chandler, Ben Askren, Pat Curran, Eduardo Dantas and Eddie Alvarez (now the subject of a fierce tug-of-war). This is its traditional model, insomuch as tradition exists.

Yet while Jon Fitch didn’t raise the Bellator eyebrow when the UFC released him with a 14-3-1 record under Zuffa, Jackson -- 7-5 in the UFC -- did. Why is that? Fitch will never be confused with entertainment, that’s why. He was never a champion. He doesn’t use words like “bungalows,” much less throw them. Eyeballs aren’t as likely to follow his every move.

Jackson, on the other hand, doesn’t feel too much like the UFC’s leftovers. Kudos to Bellator for thinking inside the box enough to see it.

In the sheer spectacle days of those first UFCs, when things were barely above ground and still so merrily ominous, Royce Gracie struck a chord with the everyman. He was, at first blush, nothing more than a very unimposing skinny dude in a gi. He was any of us.

Yet, unlike most of us, he entered a tournament of strongmen and brutes in 1993 and wrecked them all. This was very easy to admire. He did the same thing in the spring of 1994, at UFC 2. In fact, UFC’s 1-4 were all about the cult of Royce and, in turn, his father, Helio, and all Gracies. At UFC 5, Royce fought a 36-minute round with Ken Shamrock.

To this day, that remains the UFC’s most unbeatable record (even seven five-minute rounds doesn’t get there). Yet, even then, it wasn’t the most unthinkable. For that, he battled Japan’s Kazushi Sakuraba for 90 minutes in PRIDE, which made Andy Bowen’s 111-round boxing match with Jack Burke back in 1893 seem somehow less fictional.

These feats are part of the reason 46-year-old Royce Gracie is an icon in MMA. Half the UFC's current roster wouldn’t be fighting if Royce hadn’t shattered our notions of what’s effective in a “no holds barred” fight. Most discovered him through VHS and morbid curiosity. Many discovered Brazilian jiu-jitsu -- that game of “kinetic chess” -- at the same time. Here was Royce Gracie, forgoing the violent impulse through the world’s bloodiest assembled bracket, presenting a trump card to bullydom with superior technique.

His secret has long been out, but in a roundabout way, Metamoris II --happening June 9 at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion -- is a return to the spirit of the early UFCs. It’s trying to get at the original muse, as filtered through the Gracie lineage. Only, rather than being a proving ground for the gamut of opposing disciplines, it’s been honed to take the training wheels off of grappling tournaments specifically. Royce’s nephew Ralek Gracie came up with the idea. And that idea, in its relative infancy, is this: Metamoris seeks to bring Brazilian jiu-jitsu closer to “as real as it gets.”

That means getting rid of points.

“Ralek and I talked a lot ... about it, and the thing is, martial arts in general were not built for points,” Royce told ESPN.com. “Martial arts in general, besides maybe tai chi -- which is more for meditation -- were built for self-defense. It was for a street fight situation, not to score a point. Sometimes you watch a tournament with a point system, and it’s not the best fighter that wins. It’s the guy who scores more points and then he runs away and hides. So Ralek took away all the points. There’s no point system.”

In a nutshell, Metamoris combines the totality of a fight with the technical side of grappling. Stalling strategies, so common to BJJ tournaments, aren’t rewarded. As Ralek points out, “submissions are the only goal.” If a submission can’t be pulled off in a single 20-minute round, the three judges -- all of them known Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners, whom Ralek refers to as “curators” -- conspire to pick a winner. There are no draws.

“That’s how it should be,” Royce says. “The three referees watch the match like a spectator would. Like a fan. Just observing. And, since there’s no points, they’ll decide who controlled the fight the most.”

Metamoris II, a PPV event being offered on the Metamoris site for $19.95, will feature some brand names in MMA and will split six bouts between gi and no-gi action. UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub will face Roberto Abreu, and the main event pits DREAM and OneFC lightweight champion Shinya Aoki against Kron Gracie, also in a no-gi fight.

“Aoki is a very tough opponent,” Royce says. “He finishes all his fights by submission, so he likes to submit people. And not just submit them but break them. He’s always breaking people’s arms, and people tap and he keeps hanging onto it.”

And here, Royce laughs a little sadistically. “It’ll be good.”

The other three fights are gi matches: Braulio Estima versus Rodolfo Vieira, Mackenzie Dern against Michelle Nicolini and Andre Galvao against Rafael Lovato Jr. -- heavy hitters in the jitz world. All fighters will weigh in the morning of the show, yet there aren’t strict weights that a fighter must adhere to. It’ll be ballpark. Very loose and negotiable. Very Gracie.

“In the future, we’ll have weight classes and belts, but we might also have an open-weight division, too, where a guy who’s 250 pounds could fight a guy who’s 150 pounds.”

Ring a bell? That sort of matchmaking harks back to Royce’s heyday. Yet Royce, 20 years after making his mark, just wants to see his bread-and-butter discipline in a more realistic context.

“If somebody comes up and pinches your girlfriend on the behind, you’re not going to say, ‘Hey, hold on, honey, I’ll take care of this,’ then turn around and say, ‘How much do you weigh?’ Royce says. “In a street fight situation, there’s no weight division, there’s no time limits.”

There is a time limit in Metamoris, but the design is to show off the entire game within the game of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Striking is prohibited, which allows the many branches and dialects of grappling to stand out.

“What I personally love is that each competitor can come in with his or her own style, and use that style to best of their ability, and not get judged for things like being on bottom,” Ralek says. “I like that we’re going to see a full spectrum of jiu-jitsu. Points systems can’t help but create the style that people come in with, which makes it one-dimensional. And that’s all backwards because jiu-jitsu is multidimension.”

That’s a lot of high-minded concepts under one roof. Here is a promotion in which judges go off of general gut feeling and the eye-test -- the way a seasoned fan might -- and practitioners are asked to do away with the tactical conservatism of normal BJJ competitions all at once. Crazy? Maybe.

Then again, Metamoris could help educate fans and officials alike with the many intricacies of the ground game -- the one area in MMA where more education is needed.

“Or it could be a disaster and not work at all,” Ralek laughs. “But we’ve got to try.”

There are only a handful of fights remaining in Cung Le’s professional mixed martial arts career, and he would like each of them to be meaningful.

Le is interested in main card-caliber bouts; a main-event showdown against middleweight contender Michael Bisping brings a smile to his face. He’d have to get in line, these days everyone seems to want a piece of Bisping.

But first, Le must resolve a more pressing issue: getting his right elbow back to 100 percent. He had surgery on the right elbow (bone spurs) shortly after a first-round knockout of Rich Franklin in November.

Le hasn’t specified how he injured the right elbow, but it’s likely the result of a near-perfect right hand that found Franklin’s face and sent him to the canvas. The punch was delivered at the 2:17 mark.

The left elbow, which was operated on before the fight with Franklin, appears normal but his right elbow isn’t responding positively to extensive workout routines. Until that injury fully heals, Le’s return to the Octagon remains uncertain.

“I’m still going through rehab,” Le told ESPN.com. “But my right elbow keeps getting reinjured whenever I try to step it up in training. So, I’m not going to push the issue.”

At 40 years old, Le can see the finish line. MMA has been good to Le: he’s compiled a respectable 9-2 professional record and claimed the Strikeforce middleweight title along the way.

His success as a mixed martial artist opened doors to an acting career. Le has made several movie and television appearances. He intends to continue acting when his MMA career comes to an end.

For now, MMA remains a major part of his life. But in the time remaining, there are a few things Le intends to check off his to-do list. A UFC middleweight title fight would be nice, but that isn’t where his focus is right now.

“I’d like to have high-profile fights and a shot at coaching on TUF, whether it’s here [in the United States] or in China, wherever,” said Le, who has won two fights in a row. “I have a few more fights and they should be good fights for me.

“I’m not going to accept just any fight, and at this point in my career I don’t have to. I’ve worked hard to be where I am. I’ve had a few setbacks, but other than that, I’m just going to heal up and whatever happens, happens.”

What he’d like to happen upon his return is a fight with Bisping. Le isn’t one to call out an opponent, but he isn’t shy about expressing his desire to take on Bisping -- who is the target of several middleweights these days.

Franklin (a former UFC middleweight champion) and Luke Rockhold, the ex-Strikeforce titleholder who suffered a first-round knockout May 18 to Vitor Belfort in his Octagon debut, have also expressed interest in facing Bisping next.

A fight with Bisping makes sense for Le; he currently isn’t ranked among the top 10 middleweights, but has looked good in his most recent outings. Besides, Bisping is the high-profile fighter Le covets.

Bisping versus Le warrants main-card status -- possibly a main-event slot. It would be a fun fight to watch. Plus, a win over Bisping secures a top-10 middleweight ranking for Le.

“That would be a great fight for the fans,” Le said. “That would be a big fight. But I’m not the one to make that decision. Whether I’m at the top of that list for the fight or on the bottom, it ultimately comes down to who Joe Silva and the UFC decide who we fight.”

Bisping, however, might be given some say-so in the matter. That would be good news for Le.

“Of those three, Cung Le would be the most attractive,” Bisping told ESPN.com. “He’s on a two-fight win streak. He just knocked out Rich Franklin. So I would fight him.”

The UFC lightweight division is the deep end of the pool. It’s nondebatable.

According to the new ESPN.com rankings, a well-rounded talent like Jim Miller no longer cracks the Top 10. Same for Nate Diaz -- and he fought for the title six months ago. Athletic knockout artist Melvin Guillard is facing potential unemployment.

With as loaded as the division is, it’s pretty unbelievable Benson Henderson has already tied BJ Penn's record for all-time wins in a UFC lightweight title fight. Breaking that record in his next fight against TJ Grant is far from a given.

In 2011, I wrote a similar column to this, laying out the qualities it would take to beat Frankie Edgar. I ultimately said Henderson was the guy. I feel about 75 percent correct today. Edgar won that rematch, but you know. Spilled milk.

Question now is, who beats Henderson -- if anyone? Here are the lightweight contenders and pretenders, revisited.

The best of the rest: Mark Bocek, Guillard, Joe Lauzon, Miller, Ross Pearson.

These guys deserve to be in the conversation, but stars would really have to align for them to go all the way. Miller is terrific, but the evidence is there: When he runs into big, athletic lightweights he can’t push around, he struggles. I’d love to see him take his style to the featherweight division, which could use a mean, durable, bearded former lightweight willing to wear a farmer’s tan around. But Miller has long resisted the idea. We know Guillard is good for a handful of knockouts and an equal number of face palms Pearson could still develop, but he’s been beaten at his own game twice in his past five fights. Never a good sign.

That somebody that you used to know: Nate Diaz

Someone should probably stage an intervention for Diaz. Going back to his title fight against Henderson in December (not that long ago!), Diaz has tanked in back-to-back fights, talked about a return to welterweight (makes sense, given his vulnerability to bigger, stronger opponents) and been suspended for using a gay slur in a tweet (which he then said he wasn’t sorry about). How confident are you right now the Diazes aren’t at least thinking about a future WAR MMA card headlined by Nate? Not very, right?

The fantasy keeper league: Edson Barboza, Rafael Dos Anjos, Rustam Khabilov, Jorge Masvidal, Khabib Nurmagomedov

Every one of these guys is under 30 years old. Say you set up a fantasy keeper MMA league, where wins are worth one point and title wins are worth three. What order are you drafting these guys in? Tough call.

Barboza, Khabilov and Nurmagomedov are the Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson of the UFC lightweights. Of the three, there’s something I really like about Khabilov. Even without the first-round finishes, you can just tell this guy does everything well and he’s on opponents from start to finish. Barboza has made that weird jump from slightly overrated to underrated, thanks to a TKO loss to Jamie Varner. It seemed like everybody wanted to talk about this guy, despite the fact he barely, barely squeaked by Anthony Njokuani and Ross Pearson. Now, I don’t think we’re talking about him enough. It’s tough to pick a future champion in this very young group, but I like Khabilov’s chances the best, then probably Barboza.

The head case: Donald Cerrone

It’s possible nobody beats Cerrone when it comes to looking awesome in a win and then fairly terrible in a loss. Cerrone referenced a sports psychologist after his latest win over KJ Noons -- if you’re unaware, that’s been going on for a while now. When he’s on, he’s similar to other Greg Jackson fighters Jon Jones and Cub Swanson. He mixes it up, he reacts, he doesn’t think. Other times, it’s like he’s trying to solve for “x” out there and he seizes up.

At this point, I admit I’m skeptical of Cerrone ever holding the belt. He doesn’t fight particularly well in the big moments and quite frankly, he’s never been that guy who expresses a burning desire to be a champion anyway. Worth mentioning though, I thought he beat Henderson at WEC 43 in 2009. As far as controversial Henderson decisions go, that’s right up there.

The threats: Grant, Pat Healy, Gray Maynard, Gilbert Melendez, Josh Thomson

These guys are somewhat close to a title shot (with the exemption of Maynard, but I’m not willing to count him out). Thomson is going to make a lot of noise. He’s not afraid to ask for things right now because at 34, his window at a title is smaller than it used to be. Melendez will be around. He’s well-rounded, consistent, mentally tough and we know he can go five rounds, let alone three. I like Grant a lot. He’s got the power to hurt Henderson and change the fight. As good as Healy is, and I like the welterweight-to-lightweight move right now, he’s not quite as good as Grant, so if Grant falls to Henderson, it’d be tough to pick Healy over him. Interesting that these are some of the bigger guys at 155. Did small ball pack up and leave with Edgar?

The future champ: Anthony Pettis

What just happened? Pettis had been waiting around for a title shot forever. For various reasons, mostly Edgar rematches, it never happened.

So in a move to speed up his title hopes, he called Dana White and asked to drop to 145. He fights Jose Aldo on Aug. 3. It’s possible (not official) Henderson will defend the lightweight title against Grant 14 days later in Boston on Aug. 17. So basically, Pettis agreed to drop to a weight class he’s never fought in to earn a title shot just two weeks sooner, and the UFC signed off on it. Seems like we all could have handled that better.

Anyway, win or lose, I don’t think Pettis is long for 145 pounds. He has always seen 155 as his division and he’s confident he has Henderson’s number. I’ve always believed Henderson’s claim he got caught up in the moment of the last WEC fight ever and strayed from his game plan against Pettis. I think that’s real. I just don’t think it matters. Even if Henderson goes into a rematch with a strategy more reliant on his size and pressure, Pettis beats him. Bold prediction time: Pettis is your UFC lightweight champion at some point in the next 12-18 months.