The plan to reschedule the UFC heavyweight championship bout between champ Brock Lesnar and challenger Shane Carwin at UFC 108 on Jan. 2 has been nixed.
Brock Lesnar says he has the flu, and has been too ill to train effectively and prepare for the biggest challenger of his title reign: 6-foot-2, 260-pound Shane Carwin. Because of an extended illness, he's pulled out of their scheduled UFC 106 fight, leading to a postponement that will probably place the bout in the early part of the new year.
That seems perfectly rational and logical. But apparently it's not enough for some, all because of a video of Lesnar appearing at an Oct. 18 Minnesota Vikings game. The cynics believe that video is proof positive that Lesnar is healthy and that something else is afoot in regards to the date change.
What is with the MMA world lately that makes them want to turn every story into a soap opera?
In a major blow to the Nov. 21 UFC 106 card in Vegas, the heavyweight championship bout between titleholder Brock Lesnar and challenger Shane Carwin has been scrapped.
Shane Carwin was originally scheduled to fight Cain Velasquez at UFC 104 this past weekend, but the UFC decided to change its plans and have the big man face Brock Lesnar for the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 106 on Nov. 21 instead. It's an opportunity of a lifetime for the former NCAA Division II wrestling champion and two-time All-American football player at Western State College who has yet to lose in his first 11 professional bouts. 
Forrest Griffin has stepped into the UFC 106 slot vacated by Mark Coleman due to injury, and will take on the returning Tito Ortiz, according to a report from Yahoo Sports, citing confirmation from UFC President Dana White.
On this week's edition of The MMA Hour, we were first joined by WEC lightweight contender Ben Henderson. "Smooth" talked about his Oct. 10 interim lightweight title bout against Donald Cerrone, his recent eye surgery and his love of tooth picks.
DALLAS -- With a small sample size of fights to analyze, it's sometimes difficult to accurately assess whether a young fighter is a contender or pretender. But in the case of Junior Dos Santos, it seems safe to say he falls into the first category.
The Brazilian striker looked crisp and powerful in his demolition of Mirko Cro Cop. The Croatian verbally submitted after complaining of vision problems, but the outcome was virtually assured by then. Dos Santos was simply bigger, faster and better.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Randy Couture are both old and past their primes. But even old and past their primes, Nogueira and Couture are plenty good.
Next month, the UFC and Spike TV will unveil its newest edition of The Ultimate Fighter. Because of the presence of former internet phenom Kimbo Slice, it is expected to be the highest-rated of the show's 10-season run. But for the sport's long-term growth, the more important element could be the inclusion of four former NFL players.
Witness for example a piece penned by New York Times writer R.M. Schneiderman, which discusses the participation of the four athletes: Marcus Jones, Matt Mitrione, Brendan Schaub and Wes Shivers.
The New York Times only occasionally writes about MMA, so any mention is hugely important. And with the NFL clearly in the lead as America's favorite sport, athletes who cross over from the gridiron to the cage will almost certainly bring along some curious followers.
Less than a month before his UFC 99 fight against Cain Velasquez, Heath Herring was forced to withdraw from the bout after getting sick. Had he won that fight, Herring would have immediately become a player again in the UFC's heavyweight division.
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