Should fans be thankful Rich Franklin is fighting Chuck Liddell as opposed to Tito Ortiz? If KJ Noons can get by Conor Heun next Wednesday should Strikeforce promote a rematch with rival Nick Diaz or let him focus on the lightweight division? Who will pull off the biggest upset at UFC 115? Will Saturday night mark Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic’s last appearance in the Octagon if he falls to Pat Barry? Are you interested in seeing “The A-Team” because of Quinton Jackson’s involvement or are you planning to skip it altogether regardless of “Rampage”?

Seven months ago, a crack commando journalism unit was sent to prison by a court of editors for a typo they didn’t commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Underground. Today, still wanted by the FCC, they survive as soldiers of fortune without the actual fortune involved. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire… The GWI-Team!

Please forgive me if this week’s introduction is brief, but I’m fairly certain I saw a Predator drone marked with Sherdog’s logo circle my current location so time is clearly of the essence. As always, Adam Tool (callsign: B.A. Tool) and myself (callsign: Brend-hannibal) are here to provide insight and opinion on topics plucked from the MMA landscape. However, this week’s edition has SEVEN savory subjects for the two of us to dissect in honor of Quinton Jackson’s potentially star-making role in “The A-Team”. However, just because we staffers get the fancy set-up, please don’t feel precluded from dishing out your own thoughts on each matter in the comments section at the bottom of the column…

Fastest finish come June 16th’s “Strikeforce – Los Angeles” card – Robbie Lawler vs. Renato Sobral or Marius Zaromskis vs. Evangelista Santos?

Adam Tool: I’ve got to go with Zaromskis vs. Santos for this one. Both men are highly-touted strikers with plenty of KO wins on their records. Santos is certainly more than capable of using his jiu-jitsu to get the job done, but I believe it’s more likely we’ll see these two come out aggressive right from the opening bell. If this fight makes it past the first round I’ll be somewhat surprised, but of course I have been wrong about this sort of thing before.

As for Lawler and Sobral, there’s certainly a chance this one could end quickly as well. Lawler will certainly be looking to lay into “Babalu” early and often, but at the same time I would hardly expect Sobral to try and get into a slugfest with such a dangerous opponent. Sobral hasn’t been seen since his devastating knockout to Gegard Mousasi and as such I would imagine he’ll be taking a more cautious approach in this fight. Don’t expect “Babalu” to stay in the pocket for too long, as he’ll likely try and keep his distance and pick his shots before looking for the takedown. Sobral has a steep advantage in the grappling department and he knows that Lawler is weak on the ground, so in the end this one will come down to which fighter can best implement their gameplan for victory.

Brendhan Conlan: Tool makes some good points yet I’m still inclined to pick Sobral/Lawler. Zaromskis and Santos are strikers to be sure, though I’m not sure “highly-touted” is the phrasing I’d use unless “touting” them after a few hours with Nick Diaz. “Cyborg” has been out-struck by a handful of relative nobodies in his career and Zaromskis’ biggest win to date is “Mach” Sakurai (who is on the backside of his career and currently riding a three-fight losing streak). They’re aggressive and have knockout power but neither is particularly technical or skilled in terms of overall striking ability. Granted, neither are Lawler or Sobral, but in the case of Zaromskis and Santos I think they’re comparable enough to cancel each other out. I can see their bout going into the second or third round, while in the case of “Babalu” vs. Lawler I think there’s a better chance of Sobral’s lights being turned out in the first round. His last three losses have all been by way of knockout and he’ll have to absorb some damage each time he attempts to drag Lawler to the mat in hopes of attacking with submissions. All “Ruthless” Robbie needs to do is land a single, relatively clean shot to the Brazilian’s chin to win and I don’t think it will take him very long to do so.

If KJ Noons beats Conor Heun next week, should Strikeforce focus on promoting him as a lightweight or instead on putting together a long-anticipated rematch Nick Diaz?

Tool: I see no reason why Strikeforce shouldn’t try to put together the Diaz/Noons rematch, as it’s a fight that people have been wanting to see since both guys were still getting paychecks from EliteXC. Noons has had his profile decrease substantially since moving over to the world of boxing, and if he has any desire to be a star in MMA then he needs to get that pot-smoking monkey off his back. Noons won the first fight, but it was due to a cut and Diaz has been unstoppable ever since. If KJ wants to prove that he’s still a threat in this sport then the best way to do that is to beat Diaz again.

Let’s be fair though, this fight makes more sense for Diaz than it does for Noons. KJ could potentially make an impact in the Strikeforce lightweight division, and there’s some intriguing match-ups to be made (assuming he can get past the unheralded Heun). At the same time Diaz has next-to-no competition left for his Strikeforce Welterweight Championship (except a potentially over-matched Tyron Woodley) and is going to be needing a fight soon. I’m sure Diaz would love to finally get his rematch with Noons, and since he’s one of the biggest stars Strikeforce has it makes sense to give him the most high profile match-ups possible.

If Strikeforce tries to put this fight together, and if Noons turns it down (again), then he can probably look forward to a spot on the next Strikeforce Challengers event. If Noons is willing to take the rematch then it’s a fight that could easily be featured on a regular Strikeforce card, and maybe even CBS (if that ship has not already sailed). Noons went over to boxing because the money was better, and right now he won’t have a better payday than the one he would get for fighting Diaz again. I hope Scott Coker can make it happen.

Conlan: I agree that Diaz is the better option between the two. Strikeforce doesn’t have a wealth of depth in any division so catch-weight attractions are something they should take advantage of when the possibility presents itself. There’s a great deal of personal heat between the two based on the outcome of their first fight and the miniature in-ring riot occurring two years ago after Noons successfully defended his EliteXC title against Yves Edwards. Each also brings an exciting style into every bout so from that standpoint it’s almost guaranteed to entertain as well.

Beyond that, current lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez is out of action until November/December based on the impending birth of his daughter, and likely on a collision course with Bellator title-holder Eddie Alvarez as is, while 155-pound contenders Josh Thomson and Lyle Beerbohm have already been rumored as a future match-up. Other than a few DREAM lightweights and Roger Huerta there aren’t a lot of available fighters who, when paired with Noons, have the potential to draw as much interest from fans as Diaz does. The same rings true in reverse, as Diaz’s best options at 170 pounds are Woodley and a handful of mid-tier free agents. He could definitely give middleweight a go to establish himself as a top contender and maybe even become a two-division champ in the process, but other than Jason “Mayhem” Miller I don’t think there are any 185-pound opponents fans are as interested in seeing Diaz face in comparison to Noons. Strikefoce needs to put them back in the cage together, promote it in the same way “Rampage” Jackson vs. Rashad Evans was hyped, and let fans sit back and enjoy two guys who legitimately dislike each other exchange some leather. Frankly, to not capitalize on their fading rivalry before it’s too late to do so would be an utter blunder on the part of Scott Coker’s team and maybe even a nail in their coffin.

What UFC 115 bout features the most potential for the biggest upset to occur?

Tool: When trying to figure out the answer to this question I started by looking up and down the card. Upon doing so I realized that it’s kind of tough to figure out who are the underdogs in a lot of these fights. I then looked up the betting odds for the show and soon discovered just how close the lines are on almost every fight this weekend. Seriously, the biggest favorite on the card is Ultimate Fighter season 9 winner James Wilks. Wilks is facing Peter Sobotta, who is 0-1 in the UFC and whose win column is filled with names you’ve never heard of. Rich Franklin is a slight favorite in the main event, but I’m sure that line will get closer now that we’ve all seen what tremendous shape Chuck is in. Mirko Cro Cop is a slight underdog against Pat Barry, but everyone (including Barry himself) knows just how dangerous Cro Cop can still be.

With so many fights being so evenly matched there’s not a lot of options as far as one guy being a “sure thing” to win his fight, so I‘m forced to resort to the betting lines. The underdog fighter I’d pick to pull off a victory would probably be Carlos Condit, although if you didn’t check the lines you probably would think that he’s the favorite to win in his bout with Rory MacDonald. MacDonald is undefeated and has finished every one of his fights, but Condit represents a huge step up in competition for the young man from British Columbia. The former WEC Welterweight Champion is extremely dangerous wherever the fight takes place, plus he’s got a will to win and the drive to never give up.

Conlan: Betting lines are certainly the mark of an “underdog” but definitely not the entire indicator of it. After all, am I to believe fans don’t consider Mario Miranda a huge underdog to David Louiseau or Gilbert Yvel to Ben Rothwell simply because the involved odds may not dictate it?

Moving on, the fight I see with the most potential for a significant upset is Evan Dunham’s clash with Tyson Griffin. Griffin has struggled to finish opponents in the Octagon, so he leaves a lot of time for his foes to slip in and steal bouts (Sean Sherk and Frank Edgar clearly being the best examples based on their actual success against the Xtreme Couture OG). Dunham is a solid grappler with nice hands and reminds me a bit of a 5′10″, stronger, paler version of the 5′6″ Griffin. It was hard not to be impressed by his submission of Efrain Escudero at Fight Night 20 last January, and he’s undefeated ten fights into his career, so I won’t be surprised if he walks away with a decision win against Griffin. However, I think a lot of fans will be and I don’t just mean the Zuffa Zombies out there.

Are you more excited about Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin than you would have been for Liddell’s third fight with Tito Ortiz?

Conlan: Absolutely. Neither of their original encounters were particularly competitive bouts and the only people clamoring for a third throwdown seemed to be Liddell, Ortiz, and UFC President Dana White. The former 205-pound champions’ mutual dislike of one another made it logical to pair them from the standpoint of producing an entertaining season of the Ultimate Fighter but not from one based on in-ring competition or fulfilling fans’ phantom wishes for a trilogy as necessary as “The Matrix: Revolutions”. Enter Franklin and you have a fresh match-up featuring two former title-holders and fellow icons of the Octagon. Although “Ace” may have dropped two of his last three fights he remains a credible threat against all opponents not named Anderson Silva and has the style to give Liddell a run for his money. He’s got multi-point striking, good power, and solid grappling. Unlike Ortiz, Franklin won’t have to rely on dragging the action down to the mat to procure a win, and similarly he’s a threat to knock Chuck out whereas Ortiz hasn’t TKO’d anyone other than Ken Shamrock in the last nine years. All the involved factors add up to a scenario far superior than the one created by a third helping of Liddell vs. Ortiz.

Tool: Brendhan hit the nail on the head here. Liddell and Ortiz’s rivalry makes for good reality TV, but there’s really nothing left to prove by pitting these two against one another in the octagon. Only the most die-hard Ortiz fan (does such a thing exist?) would be upset by this change in the lineup. Okay, I suppose Chuck’s fans are upset because they thought he had this one in the bag, and now Franklin presents a much bigger challenge.

Personally I wouldn’t be surprised if this main event goes down as the “Fight of the Night” when bonuses are handed out. Liddell and Franklin both know what they do best, and that’s hitting people in the face. Neither one has a “legendary” chin, but I’m pretty sure they can each still take their fair share of punishment. I expect both fighters to be tentative at the start, given their cage rust and the stakes involved, but I can certainly see a nice little slugfest erupting as the time ticks on.

Besides, if the fight had gone down as scheduled it’s safe to assume that Ortiz would have lost in dramatic fashion and blamed his neck injury for his performance. If the parties involved are serious about doing Liddell vs. Ortiz 3, then we may as well do it when Tito can fight without the slightest possibility of an excuse.

TRUE/FALSE – This will be the last time we see Mirko Cro Cop in the UFC if he loses to Pat Barry.

Conlan: I’m not 100% sure how his contract looks but, assuming the paperwork is in place, I think he’ll be around for a few more fights as long as he doesn’t look like a fish out of water against Barry. After all, like Mirko, Barry is a kickboxer by nature and the thought of him mopping the mat with Filipovic would significantly detract from the Croation’s remaining mystique.

That being said, though “Cro Cop” is on the backside of his career, he’s still a viable commodity in terms of his ability to compete against mid-tier opponents and in his standing as a major draw in Europe. Technically he’s 4-1 since losing back-to-back bouts during his first run in the UFC (with a “No Contest” against Alistair Overeem after having his gonads launched into orbit by the Strikeforce heavyweight champ occurring along the way). Were the numbers reversed he likely would have already hung his checkered shorts up and called it a career, but seeing as how they aren’t and the single loss came to rising star Junior Dos Santos I think it’s premature to think Filipovic is finished in the UFC. He’s too valuable a name, and seems to have enough left in his tank, to give walking papers to unless “Cro Cop” comes out of UFC 115 with a horribly one-sided defeat to Barry.

Tool: I’ve got to go with True here. This is the last fight on Cro Cop’s current UFC contract, and a loss to Barry would put him at 3-4 in the octagon. Those three wins all came against meager competition and offered little to be impressed with. His losses just prove that “The Croatian Sensation” can’t hang with the current level of talent in the heavyweight division. The guy got out-wrestled by Cheick Kongo, is there any reason to think that he would hold his own against somebody like Cain Velasquez?

The name value and drawing power Cro Cop brought at the beginning of his UFC run is all but extinguished. Modern day fans have seen nothing in his fights that lives up to the terrifying reputation the hardcore fanbase has given him. His fans will keep tuning in for the hope that they’ll see some of that old Cro Cop magic, but there’s been no sign of the old Cro Cop since PRIDE went quietly into that good night. Unless Pat Barry is on the receiving end of a highlight reel knockout this weekend, I wouldn’t get my hopes up too high about hearing “Wild Boys” on the UFC PA system ever again.

If Paulo Thiago beats Martin Kampmann, should he be the next welterweight contender?

Conlan: No, because he’ll need to fight someone in the period between UFC 115 and George St. Pierre’s post-TUF title defense against Josh Koscheck. If all goes according to plan the Ultimate Fighter Season 12 coaches will face off in December meaning the eventual welterweight champ won’t be available for at least another 3-4 months after that. Asking Thiago to sit out for close to a year is ridiculous, especially in a class as deep as 170 pounds and with Jake Shields potentially showing up in a few months. A victory over Kampmann would definitely make Thiago more deserving of a shot at St. Pierre’s belt than some who’ve had a crack, so I see how “should” could apply in that instance, but as far as reality goes the timing isn’t right for it to occur. Rather, if the Brazilian police specialist emerges with his hands raised in Vancouver, I think he’ll have to serve as Shields’ debut opponent or fight the winner of Jon Fitch’s rumored rematch against Thiago Alves before receiving an opportunity at the title.

Tool: It’s a little weird how much Thiago has slipped under the radar in the welterweight. He’s got decisive wins over two of the top ten guys in the world (including the next #1 contender) and the lone loss of his career was against the second best guy in his weight class. Brendhan makes a solid point in that even with a win on Saturday, Thiago would still likely need at least one more fight to solidify potential contender status.

The idea of matching up this weekend’s winner with the almost-certainly-soon-to-be-signed Shields is not bad, particularly since Shields will likely be thrust right into the thick of things at the upper levels of the UFC. I can also support a potential match-up for Thiago with the winner of Fitch/Alves, although that may not be a bad idea for Shields’ debut either. I was certainly intrigued by the Paulo Thiago/Thiago Alves fight when it was initially rumored earlier this year, although a Thiago/Fitch rematch doesn’t excite me quite as much.

One fact that remains to be seen is whether or not Thiago can pull out the win this Saturday. Martin Kampmann may have been knocked around by Paul Daley last year, but in the meantime he managed to Jacob Volkman in a much more convincing fashion than Thiago did. It goes without saying that Thiago has a firm edge on the ground, but there are few strikers in the welterweight division that can stand toe-to-toe with Kampmann. For me this is easily one of the most exciting fights on the card, but it’s also a fight that could determine one of 2011’s welterweight contenders.

Do you have any interest in seeing The A-Team and if so how much of that interest is due to “Rampage” Jackson’s starring role?

Tool: In all honesty, my interest level for this movie begins and ends with “Rampage” Jackson. I don’t have some huge attachment to the original series and overall the movie looks a little bland to me. I’ve seen Jackson’s acting before (there’s my review of direct-to-DVD crapfest Never Surrender somewhere out there on the internet) and it’s not terrible. Of course, at the time I was comparing it to the acting chops of BJ Penn and Heath Herring. I’ll catch this one at home in the future, but don’t look for me in line at the theater this weekend.

Conlan: It was basically a prerequisite to love “The A-Team” if you grew up in the 80s like I did. As such, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the movie and the fact “Rampage” is in it as “B.A. Baracus” makes the pot THAT much sweeter. After all, he apparently read against the likes of Ice Cube and Common so his presence is not only excellent from a MMA enthusiast’s standpoint but also in terms of being appropriately cast for the role. The action sequences I’ve seen look good and the other three actors involved are all entertaining in their own way. I don’t know if I’ll spend $20 to catch it at the theater, as it takes a lot for me to throw that kind of cash down on any movie, but I’m absolutely planning on seeing it at some point in the near future.

To accommodate a media day for "The Ultimate Fighter 12" today in Las Vegas, MMAjunkie.com Radio has shifted to a "PRIMETIME" show, which airs tonight from 8-11 p.m. ET (5-8 p.m. PT).

UFC ring girl Chandella Powell joins us an in-studio guest host as we
also talk to UFC 115 fighters Carlos Condit, James Wilks and Rory
MacDonald and Bellator 21 competitor Mike Hayes.

MMAjunkie.com Radio airs live from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino's Race & Sports Book. Listen to and watch a video stream of the two-hour show at www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

To accommodate a media day for "The Ultimate Fighter 12" today in Las Vegas, MMAjunkie.com Radio has shifted to a "PRIMETIME" show, which airs tonight from 8-11 p.m. ET (5-8 p.m. PT).

UFC ring girl Chandella Powell joins us an in-studio guest host as we also talk to UFC 115 fighters James Wilks and Rory MacDonald and Bellator 21 competitor Mike Hayes.

MMAjunkie.com Radio airs live from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino's Race & Sports Book. Listen to and watch a video stream of the two-hour show at www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

Click here to view the embedded video.

UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin is set to take place on June 12, 2010 from GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The fourth ever UFC event in Canada will feature a main event bout between Chuck”The Iceman” Liddell and Rich”Ace” Franklin. Other notable bouts include Mirko Cro Cop vs. Pat Barry and Paulo Thiago taking on Martin Kampmann. Here’s the complete list of fights, as it currently stands:

Main Card

Light Heavyweight bout: Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin
Heavyweight bout: Mirko Filipović vs. Patrick Barry
Welterweight bout: Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann
Heavyweight bout: Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel
Welterweight bout: Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald

Preliminary card (Spike TV)

Lightweight bout: Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham
Lightweight bout: Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman

Preliminary card

Middleweight bout: David Loiseau vs. Mario Miranda
Welterweight bout: James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta
Welterweight bout: Ricardo Funch vs. Claude Patrick
Welterweight bout: Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox

UFC welterweights DaMarques Johnson (11-7) and Matt Riddle (4-1) appears to be in the works for UFC on Versus 2 event later this summer.

A report by MMAjunkie.com has confirmed that both fighters have made verbal agreements to meet at the August event. No word on whether this fight will make the broadcast portion of the event or not.

UFC on Versus 2 is believed to take place on Aug. 1st at the Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Johnson is riding a two fight win streak since after dropping his first UFC bout in “The Ultimate Fighter 9″ Finale to welterweight winner James Wilks last June. His last two victories have netted him an extra $140,000 for “Fight Night” bonuses after earning “Knockout of the Night” at UFC 112 against Brad Blackburn, and earning “Submission of the Night” at UFC 107 against Edgar Garcia.

Another “TUF” competitor, Riddle a veteran of “The Ultimate Fighter 7″ season, is 4-1 in the UFC winning his last bout against Greg Soto after the fighter used an illegal upkick at UFC 111. Soto was disqualified for the move giving Riddle the victory, this ended a one fight losing skid after a TKO loss to another “TUF 9″ fighter, Nick Osipczak at UFC 105.

The current rumored UFC on Versus 2 event card appears as follows:

- Jon Jones vs. Vladimir Matyushenko*
- Takanori Gomi vs. Joe Stevenson*
- Jake Ellenberger vs. John Howard*
- DaMarques Johnson vs. Matthew Riddle*

* – Not officially announced

The UFC Undisputed 2010 playable demo for PSN and Xbox Live will be released this THURSDAY, APRIL 29TH. Visit the Undisputed Community for all the details on how you can be the first to receive a free code to download it!

The moment you’ve all been waiting for is almost here! The UFC Undisputed 2010 playable demo for PSN and Xbox Live will be released this THURSDAY, APRIL 29TH, and as a member of the UFC Undisputed Community, YOU WILL HAVE EXCLUSIVE FIRST ACCESS TO DOWNLOAD IT FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY.

Featuring 4 Light Heavyweight Fighters — Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida, “Sugar” Rashad Evans and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, the demo will allow you to jump right into Exhibition Mode or challenge friends offline with Tournament Mode.

The Demo will be available for you to download in the Community AT NO COST TO YOU beginning this Thursday, April 29th but will be limited to ONE CODE PER PERSON for either Xbox Live or PSN.

The full roster of fighters for “UFC Undisputed 2010″ after the jump

Heavyweights

- Mostapha Al-Turk*
- Andrei Arlovski
- Pat Barry*
- Shane Carwin*
- Junior Dos Santos*
- Todd Duffee*
- Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson*
- Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic
- Gabriel Gonzaga
- Antoni Hardonk
- Heath Herring
- Marcus Jones#
- Cheick Kongo
- Brock Lesnar
- Justin McCully
- James McSweeney#
- Frank Mir
- Roy Nelson#
- Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
- Eddie Sanchez
- Brendan Schaub#
- Dan Severn@
- Stefan Struve*
- Cain Velasquez
- Fabricio Werdum

Heavyweight/Light heavyweights

- Mark Coleman
- Brandon Vera

Light Heavyweights

- Ryan Bader
- Stephan Bonnar
- Jason Brilz*
- Luiz Cane*
- Steve Cantwell*
- Rashad Evans
- Forrest Griffin
- Matt Hamill*
- Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
- Keith Jardine
- Jon Jones*
- Chuck Liddell
- Lyoto Machida
- Tito Ortiz
- Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
- Thiago Silva
- Krzysztof Soszynski*

Light Heavyweight/Middleweights

- Vitor Belfort*
- Michael Bisping
- Rich Franklin
- Wilson Gouveia
- Dan Henderson
- Anderson Silva

Middleweights

- Yoshihiro Akiyama*
- Ricardo Almeida
- Alan Belcher*
- Patrick Cote*
- Kendall Grove
- Dennis Kang*
- Chris Leben
- Demian Maia
- Nate Marquardt
- Drew McFedries
- Dan Miller*
- Yushin Okami
- Nate Quarry*
- Chael Sonnen*

Middleweight/Wetlerweights

- Martin Kampmann
- Mike Swick

Welterweights

- Thiago Alves
- Carlos Condit*
- Marcus Davis
- Jon Fitch
- Royce Gracie@
- Dan Hardy*
- Dustin Hazelett*
- Matt Hughes
- Anthony Johnson
- Dong Hyun Kim*
- Josh Koscheck
- Chris Lytle
- Karo Parisyan
- Amir Sadollah
- Georges St-Pierre
- Paulo Thiago*
- Frank Trigg*
- James Wilks*

Welterweight/Lightweights

- B.J. Penn
- Diego Sanchez
- Matt Serra
- Sean Sherk

Lightweights

- Nate Diaz
- Frankie Edgar
- Efrain Escudero
- Terry Etim*
- Spencer Fisher
- Kenny Florian
- Hermes Franca
- Tyson Griffin
- Clay Guida*
- Joe Lauzon
- Gray Maynard
- Cole Miller*
- Ross Pearson*
- Kurt Pellegrino*
- Jens Pulver@
- Dennis Siver*
- Joe Stevenson
- Caol Uno*

* – New fighters to the “UFC Undisputed” franchise
# – Fighters accessible exclusively with retail promotions (i.e. GameStop in the U.S.)
@ – “Legend” fighters exclusive to the PlayStation 3

Thanks to MMAjunkie.com for making the list easy.

The UFC Undisputed 2010 playable demo for PSN and Xbox Live will be released this THURSDAY, APRIL 29TH. Visit the Undisputed Community for all the details on how you can be the first to receive a free code to download it!

The moment you’ve all been waiting for is almost here! The UFC Undisputed 2010 playable demo for PSN and Xbox Live will be released this THURSDAY, APRIL 29TH, and as a member of the UFC Undisputed Community, YOU WILL HAVE EXCLUSIVE FIRST ACCESS TO DOWNLOAD IT FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY.

Featuring 4 Light Heavyweight Fighters — Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida, “Sugar” Rashad Evans and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, the demo will allow you to jump right into Exhibition Mode or challenge friends offline with Tournament Mode.

The Demo will be available for you to download in the Community AT NO COST TO YOU beginning this Thursday, April 29th but will be limited to ONE CODE PER PERSON for either Xbox Live or PSN.

The full roster of fighters for “UFC Undisputed 2010″ after the jump

Heavyweights

- Mostapha Al-Turk*
- Andrei Arlovski
- Pat Barry*
- Shane Carwin*
- Junior Dos Santos*
- Todd Duffee*
- Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson*
- Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic
- Gabriel Gonzaga
- Antoni Hardonk
- Heath Herring
- Marcus Jones#
- Cheick Kongo
- Brock Lesnar
- Justin McCully
- James McSweeney#
- Frank Mir
- Roy Nelson#
- Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
- Eddie Sanchez
- Brendan Schaub#
- Dan Severn@
- Stefan Struve*
- Cain Velasquez
- Fabricio Werdum

Heavyweight/Light heavyweights

- Mark Coleman
- Brandon Vera

Light Heavyweights

- Ryan Bader
- Stephan Bonnar
- Jason Brilz*
- Luiz Cane*
- Steve Cantwell*
- Rashad Evans
- Forrest Griffin
- Matt Hamill*
- Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
- Keith Jardine
- Jon Jones*
- Chuck Liddell
- Lyoto Machida
- Tito Ortiz
- Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
- Thiago Silva
- Krzysztof Soszynski*

Light Heavyweight/Middleweights

- Vitor Belfort*
- Michael Bisping
- Rich Franklin
- Wilson Gouveia
- Dan Henderson
- Anderson Silva

Middleweights

- Yoshihiro Akiyama*
- Ricardo Almeida
- Alan Belcher*
- Patrick Cote*
- Kendall Grove
- Dennis Kang*
- Chris Leben
- Demian Maia
- Nate Marquardt
- Drew McFedries
- Dan Miller*
- Yushin Okami
- Nate Quarry*
- Chael Sonnen*

Middleweight/Wetlerweights

- Martin Kampmann
- Mike Swick

Welterweights

- Thiago Alves
- Carlos Condit*
- Marcus Davis
- Jon Fitch
- Royce Gracie@
- Dan Hardy*
- Dustin Hazelett*
- Matt Hughes
- Anthony Johnson
- Dong Hyun Kim*
- Josh Koscheck
- Chris Lytle
- Karo Parisyan
- Amir Sadollah
- Georges St-Pierre
- Paulo Thiago*
- Frank Trigg*
- James Wilks*

Welterweight/Lightweights

- B.J. Penn
- Diego Sanchez
- Matt Serra
- Sean Sherk

Lightweights

- Nate Diaz
- Frankie Edgar
- Efrain Escudero
- Terry Etim*
- Spencer Fisher
- Kenny Florian
- Hermes Franca
- Tyson Griffin
- Clay Guida*
- Joe Lauzon
- Gray Maynard
- Cole Miller*
- Ross Pearson*
- Kurt Pellegrino*
- Jens Pulver@
- Dennis Siver*
- Joe Stevenson
- Caol Uno*

* – New fighters to the “UFC Undisputed” franchise
# – Fighters accessible exclusively with retail promotions (i.e. GameStop in the U.S.)
@ – “Legend” fighters exclusive to the PlayStation 3

Thanks to MMAjunkie.com for making the list easy.

In news that comes as no surprise to FiveOuncesofPain.com readers, the UFC has confirmed that  Chuck Liddell  will face off with Rich Franklin as the main event of UFC:115 .   The bout which wasreported by FiveOuncesofPain.com  on March 13,  has been the subject of much speculation by some, and flat denials by others.

I guess the only question left to be answered is “What happened to Tito?”

UFC 115 will take place in the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at General Motors Place on Saturday, June 12.

The confirmed fight card thus far includes.

MAIN CARD

• Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin
• Patrick Barry vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic
• Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann
• Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald
• Evan Dunham vs. Tyson Griffin

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman
• Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel
• Peter Sobotta vs. James Wilks
• Ricardo Funch vs. Claude Patrick
• Jesse Lennox vs. Mike Pyle

The City of Vancouver will host it’s first Ultimate Fighting Championship event on June 15 beginning with UFC 115. There has been some controversy over the event over several issues including insurance for the event.

The event will be held at General Motors place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada with efforts from the UFC, Canucks Sports and Entertainment and the City of Vancouver to get the event back on track after stumbling this past week.

“Our Canadian fans are among the most loyal and enthusiastic in the world, and we are thrilled to bring the UFC to Vancouver,” said Dana White, UFC President. “We want to thank Mayor Gregor Robertson and our partners at Canucks Sports and Entertainment for helping to make UFC 115 become the first UFC event in British Columbia.”

“We are pleased to be the host venue for this first ever UFC event in Vancouver,” said Harvey Jones, Vice President and General Manager, Arena Operations, Canucks Sports and Entertainment. “We know the UFC is very popular in Canada and that UFC 115 will be an incredible event for the city, the venue, and all the sports fans here.”

The current line up for UFC 115 is as follows:

Main Card

- Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin*
- Patrick Barry vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic*
- Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel*
- Evan Dunham vs. Tyson Griffin*
- Martin Kampmann vs. Paulo Thiago*

Preliminary Card

- Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman*
- Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald*
- Jesse Lennox vs. Mike Pyle*
- Peter Sobotta vs. James Wilks*
- Claude Patrick vs. TBA*

* – Not officially announced

UFC.com

A recent report has UFC welterweights Martin Kampmann (16-3) squaring off against Brazilian fighter Paulo Thiago (13-1) in Vancouver as part of the UFC 115 event.

While not yet officially announced, UFC 115 is expected to take place June 12 at GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia. The event’s main card will air on pay-per-view.

The Las Vegas Sun was the first to report the possible matchup, and MMAjunkie.com has since confirmed the bout and noted that both fighters have made verbal agreements to meet at UFC 115.

Kampmann, who was recently forced from a UFC 111 bout against Ben Saunders due to a cut to his forehead suffered during training, enters the match with a fight win streak after submitting Jacob Volkmann at UFC 108. The victory ended a one bout losing streak after losing to Paul Daley via TKO at UFC 103. The Danish fighter has amassed a 7-2 record in the UFC since his debut in August of 2006.

Thiago is on a two fight win streak after suffering his first career loss at UFC 100 last summer. Since then he earned a unanimous decision victory over Jacob Volkmann at UFC 106 and recently submitted Mike Swick at UFC 109.

The current rumored UFC 115 card appears as follows:

MAIN CARD

- Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz*
- Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Wanderlei Silva*
- Patrick Barry vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic*
- Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel*
- Evan Dunham vs. Tyson Griffin*

PRELIMINARY CARD

- Martin Kampmann vs. Paulo Thiago*
- Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman*
- Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald*
- Jesse Lennox vs. Mike Pyle*
- Peter Sobotta vs. James Wilks*
- Claude Patrick vs. TBA*

* – Not officially announced