FanHouse DiegoSanchez

The UFC formally announced Tuesday the first three bouts for UFC 107 on Dec. 12 at the FedExForum in Memphis: BJ Penn vs. Diego Sanchez, Frank Mir vs. Cheick Kongo and Thiago Alves vs. Paulo Thiago.

The promotion had booked the show with the location in mind to coincide with Memphis-born light heavyweight Quinton "Rampage" Jackson's expected fight against Rashad Evans as the culmination of their coaching feud on The Ultimate Fighter 10 series. However, Jackson's film pursuits will stall the grudge match and Penn vs. Sanchez was moved from UFC 105 to UFC 107 to have a championship bout round out the final UFC event of 2009.

Rashad Evans has yet to be officially informed that his UFC 107 main-event matchup with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has been scrapped, according to his manager, Jervis Cole.

FanHouse contacted Cole on Saturday to find out whether the ex-UFC light-heavyweight champion had been informed of any change in scheduling. As of yesterday afternoon, he had not.

"Haven't heard anything yet," Cole wrote in a text message to FanHouse. "As far as we know the fight is still on. Until the UFC tells us something different, Rashad Evans starts training in mid-October."

UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn will defend his title against Diego Sanchez at UFC 107 on Dec. 12 in Memphis, Penn and UFC President Dana White revealed Thursday in a video posted at BJPenn.com.

The fight will serve as the main event on a very strong UFC 107 card that is also expected to feature Rampage Jackson vs. Rashad Evans in a battle of Ultimate Fighter coaches, Frank Mir vs. Cheick Kongo in a heavyweight clash, and Thiago Alves vs. Paulo Thiago in a fight between two Top 10 welterweights (and two Brazilians named Thiago).

BRISTOL, Conn. -- Kenny Florian looks healthy and happy 19 days after his loss to B.J. Penn at UFC 101, and he says he's hoping to get back into the Octagon in November, with Clay Guida as his likely opponent.

I caught up with Florian here at ESPN's headquarters, where he moonlights as an MMA analyst for the Worldwide Leader, and he said he's feeling good and hoping he doesn't have to wait any longer than November to fight again. He said a fight with Guida at UFC 106 on November 21 in Las Vegas has not been finalized, but that he's optimistic it will get done.

In B.J. Penn's seven fights since returning to the UFC in 2006, he's 4-3. That record doesn't even come close to telling the story of Penn, the most dominant lightweight fighter in MMA history.

PHILADELPHIA -- Anderson Silva walked into UFC 101 surrounded by boos, a goat, and left bathed in adulation, the G.O.A.T., or at least something close.

Needing a highlight-reel worthy performance to quiet the sudden doubts emanating from two straight lackluster performances, Silva -- fighting for only the second time at 205 pounds -- toyed with former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin before putting him away with a stunning short right in just 3:23 of the first round.

LAS VEGAS -- After Diego Sanchez defeated Clay Guida last month at the UFC's Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale, speculation began that perhaps Sanchez was in line to get the next crack at the lightweight title after BJ Penn and Kenny Florian finish their business at UFC 101 in August.

Now comes word from Sanchez himself that the UFC has indeed promised him that he will take on the Penn-Florian winner, likely later this year.

"This comes from Lorenzo [Fertitta] and Dana [White]," Sanchez told FanHouse during UFC 100 weekend. "They're flying me out to Philadelphia. I'll be sitting there ringside. I'll probably be in the ring afterward. It's on."

The year is half over, so we're giving out some MMA half year awards. Today we'll discuss the best fight of the year so far.

The year is half over, and we're recognizing the best in MMA in the first six months of 2009. Up first is our Fighter of the Half Year, Lyoto Machida.

Diego Sanchez's split decision victory over Clay Guida at Saturday night's Ultimate Fighter Finale was one of the best UFC fights of the year, but MMA fans have been talking almost as much about the judging of the fight as the fight itself.