If Victor Henry was brought to Japan to become a “W” on someone else’s record, nobody told the Californian.

Henry gunned down local Japanese favorite and 60-fight veteran Hideo Tokoro on Sunday in the bantamweight main event of  Grandslam MMA “Way of the Cage.” Entering the fight at Differ Ariake arena in Tokyo, Henry had just seven professional bouts on his ledger.

Cornered by UFC heavyweight Josh Barnett, Henry looked to have the edge on Tokoro in strength and speed as he rebuffed takedown attempts and scored with straight right hands. Early in round two, a right cross sent Tokoro to the canvas, where he struggled to survive on his knees. Henry jumped on his wounded opponent’s back, flattened him out and unloaded with a dozen or more big punches until the fight was halted at 1:52 of the second stanza.

By way of celebration, Henry donned a pair of zebra-striped Zubaz pants and took a spin on the purpose-built stripper pole attached to the outside of the cage. The CSW fighter’s record now stands at 7-1 with five finishes, while Tokoro falls to 32-27-2.

Former UFC bantamweight Nam Phan saw his first action since parting ways with Zuffa in March, taking on longtime Zst staple Kenichi Ito in a 141-pound tilt. Ito started the fight bombing at Phan with overhand rights but was soon forced to move backward as Phan found his range. After thumping Ito with a series of body shots, Phan countered a low kick with a well-timed right hook that put Ito on the ground. The finish was academic from there, as Phan pounded out the turtling Ito for a TKO victory at 4:27 of round one.

Shunichi Shimizu’s first appearance since his one-fight UFC stint was a largely forgettable matchup with Shooto flyweight Yosuke Saruta, a.k.a. “Tobizaru No. 2.” Shimizu was taken down after botching an early shot and never seemed to find proper footing against the diminutive “Flying Monkey” over the ensuing rounds. Saruta kept busy with leg kicks and short bursts of offense throughout, earning him a unanimous decision with scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28. Combined with a January defeat to Kyung Ho Kang, Shimizu has now suffered the first back-to-back losses of his 48-fight career.

It was a literal no-win situation for Koji Mori, who came in overweight for his 155-pound bout with Fumiya Sasaki and thus would have had any potential victory overturned to a no contest. Mori appeared to be on his way to just that outcome after sprawling on an early takedown attempt and lumping up Sasaki’s left eye with jackhammer left hands. After surviving a consult with the cageside physician, however, “Kuwai D” stormed back to drop Mori with a spinning elbow and then rendered him unconscious with a rear-naked choke at the 2:25 mark.

New Zealand middleweight Bob Armstrong made short work of MMA neophyte Yosuke, assaulting the mononymous kickboxer with heavy hands and knees from the opening bell. An overhand right put Yosuke on the ground at the base of the fence, and a few follow-up punches from Armstrong brought on the referee stoppage after 31 seconds.

Daisuke Hoshino staved off nonstop submission attempts from Kota Okazawa and put in enough work on top to earn a unanimous decision. The Tsudanuma Dojo lightweight nearly finished Okazawa with a first-round brabo choke and did damage in the second frame with rough elbow strikes from top position. All three judges saw the bout 30-27 in Hoshino’s favor.

Muscly and aggressive Taku Kajikawa got in the face of Setsu Iguchi before their flyweight fight and then remained there for the better part of three rounds. Iguchi, who had not competed since 2007, was overwhelmed by the pace and takedowns of the younger man, and the judges rendered their first decision of the evening with unanimous 30-27s for Kajikawa.

Bantamweights Go Kashiwazaki and Takahiro Furumagi went sweep-for-sweep in an evenly matched opening round that saw both men score takedowns and top control. Kashiwazaki took the driver’s seat in round two, roughing up Furumagi with ground-and-pound before securing a rear-naked choke at 2:02.

The show’s early prelims produced a bevy of first-round knockouts. Welterweight Yuji Fukawa turned out Masahiro Mizushima’s lights with punches after 2:05, while featherweight Daiki Kaneko felled Hiroki Mihara with a lovely counter right at 4:29. At bantamweight, Satoshi Fujiwara blasted Shinya Sugimura with a knee and punches at the 3:53 mark, and Takuya Hirano stopped Kohei Maruyama with a one-punch KO after 45 seconds. The fighter known only as “Morishiman” kneed Masaki Sakurazawa into oblivion at 1:57 of their 161-pound catch-weight affair.

Tetsuo Nakanishi knocked out Takayuki Komazawa in terrifying fashion just 95 seconds into their flyweight bout. With Komazawa working for a triangle from his back, Nakanishi lifted the AACC fighter in the air and slammed his head off the canvas. Komazawa went limp instantly, remained unconscious for several minutes and was eventually stretchered from the cage.

There was no shortage of submissions on the undercard, either. Flyweight Yuichi Miyagi latched on to Tokuaki Ninomiya’s back and stayed attached when Ninomiya stood to finish with a rear-naked choke at 4:03 of round two. Flyweight Kenta Nagatsuka made good on his “Hachioji of the Dead” moniker with a zombie-themed entrance, then engaged in a leglock battle with Keisuke Tamaru before tapping him with an omoplata at 4:32 of round one. Featherweight Kotaku Kawazu opened the professional portion of the card with a 4:08 guillotine-choking of Akira Omura.

http://www.sherdog.com

Rodrigo Damm-Al Iaquinta Lightweight Bout Set for UFC Fight Night in Connecticut

Brazilian veteran Rodrigo Damm and “The Ultimate Fighter 15” runner-up Al Iaquinta are set to meet in a lightweight bout when the  Ultimate Fighting Championship hits Connecticut in September.

UFC officials Saturday announced the matchup, which will take place on the undercard of  UFC Fight Night “Mousasi vs. Jacare.” Headlined by middleweights Gegard Mousasi and “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza, the Fox Sports 1-broadcast event goes down Sept. 5 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Conn.

Strikeforce transfer Damm, 34, joined the UFC two years ago and has amassed a 4-2 record inside the Octagon. The Alliance Jiu-Jitsu fighter recently had a two-fight winning streak halted when he came up on the wrong end of a unanimous decision to Rashid Magomedov on May 31.

Iaquinta, 27, hails from Long Island, N.Y., and represents the Serra-Longo Fight Team, home to the likes of Chris Weidman and Eddie Gordon. After falling to Michael Chiesa in the “TUF 15” final, Iaquinta racked up three straight wins, but that streak was snapped when Mitch Clarke choked him unconscious at UFC 173 in May.

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When the Legacy FC promotion rolls into town and joins forces with Fresquez Productions to host a monumental event inside the Route 66 Casino on Friday night, the storylines will be Holly Holm heavy with an emphasis on the Flyweight tile between two of the states premier local fighters. The Legacy FC 30 fight card is far from top-heavy however, the line-up is full of notable fights and fighters and within those fights it is easy to pick out storylines of intrigue. While we covered Holm in part one and the Bantamweight fight between Adrian Cruz and Henry Briones in part two, part three deals with a duo of fighters that are easy to recognize as two of New Mexico’s true MMA pioneers.

During the time period between 2007 and 2009, it would be hard to find two names more popular than that of Mikey and Lenny Lovato. The fighting Lovato cousins played a huge role in carrying New Mexico MMA on their backs for those three years as they would amass a combined record of 18-1 and become the most polarizing figures within the Southwest Cage Association promotion. The duo have fought on seven cards together, marking Legacy FC 30 their eight. In that span, in only one occurrence did both cousins not come out with wins.

Mikey Lovato vs. Gene Perez

A local match-up, Albuquerque’s Lovato (10-3) will take on Belen’s Gene Perez (3-6) in a Flyweight bout that screams redemption for both fighters as they are coming off of losses in their last outing. Lovato and Perez clash stylistically and couldn’t be more different in their fighting styles making this Legacy FC main card bout one of intrigue and the results undoubtedly will be decided by which fighter plays to his strengths the best.

There is no secret to Lovato’s strength in MMA as the Flyweight fighter is a powerhouse wrestler with an impressive wrestling pedigree. A technical and methodical approach to takedowns and ground and pound is Lovato’s bread and butter. In 10-career victories, Lovato has compiled an eighty percent finishing rate with six TKO’s and two submissions; the smothering top game has played a huge role in each and every Lovato victory. Not only is Lovato a workhorse in his top-game grappling, but his takedowns can be powerful as well. Lovato has picked opponents up off their feet in the past, with deep single legs and blast double legs, and also with highlight-reel suplexes.

Being a shorter Flyweight, his height may be of detriment in the stand-up but it works positively in the grappling aspect of the fight as it makes his leverage ability and wrestling talents that much more dangerous. Lovato is very explosive and strong; when he latches on to the torso or a limb, most fighters will be headed to the mat.

Leading the operation of Team Perez out in Belen, Gene brings a boxing eccentric approach to the cage; embodying the epitome of a stand-up fighter, Perez has earned every career win by strikes and has fallen to submissions in each loss. Tough-nosed and durable, Perez is dangerous every moment the fight stays standing and he gains rhythm in his strikes. Perez has a very technical approach to striking and has the intangible of power in both hands making for the four-ounce gloves a detriment to anyone on the receiving end of his punches.

Lovato has fought since September of 2011 and much as changed in terms of the landscape of regional MMA here in New Mexico. To put the different in experience for these fighters, Lovato’s last career victory was just two months after the professional debut of Perez. This will be a true clash of styles and MMA status; Lovato represents the wrestling base while Perez contrasts with his striking foundation, Lovato represents the “old school” of New Mexico MMA and Perez is from the current era of developing fighters. The similarity is that both fighters are on losing skids and will come into this bout hungry to right their ship and get back on the winning track.

I believe the fight will be decided by which fighter imposes their game plan the best defensively. We know that Lovato can wrestler and Perez can strike, but which fighter will be able to fight in reverse to keep their strength dictating the pace of the fight? Can Lovato get past the long reach and striking talents of Perez in order to get inside for the takedown? Will Perez be able to implore the footwork to keep Lovato at distance and if taken down, can he get back to his feet?

Lenny Lovato vs. Kamarudeen Usman

“The Godfather” Lenny Lovato (8-2) is in a similar position to that of cousin Mikey; he is on a losing skid after winning his first eight career bouts and will be driven to get back on the winning track. During his run of eight wins, Lovato was primed to be the next flourishing star to emerge from New Mexico; after suffering his first two career losses, Lovato would struggle to stay healthy enough for active competition. Lovato was last seen fighting for Bellator MMA over a year ago and will now return to MMA action for a shot at redemption.

Looking to stop that from happening, 25-year old Blackzillian fighter Kamarudeen Usman (3-1) of Flordia comes into the bout on a two fight win streak and poised to make a name for himself on a televised event against a hometown fighter. Usman has been a force of nature in his short career; the powerful punching fighter has finished all three of his opponents in victory by strikes and in his last outing he needed little more than 91-seconds to put his opponent away.

Maybe unknown to most, Usman was an accomplished collegiate wrestler winning a NCAA Division II Championship in 2010. His power translates well into his clinch and grappling skills as Usman has the power and ability to drag an opponent down technically and forcefully. While he may look to come out in a striking stance, Usman has those collegiate credentials in his back pocket to use anytime he chooses.

Lovato Jr. (son of Coach Lenny Sr.) is a well-rounded fighter with his career victories nearly evenly split between knockouts and submissions. During his win streak, Lovato was very good defensively as he countered two opponents with front chokes leading to Brabo Choke submission victories. Lovato is a solid wrestling coming from the deep-rooted wrestling pedigree of the Lovato’s and will compliment his takedown talents with his very fluid striking skills.

As Usman’s record indicates, the Floridian will want to keep the fight where he is domination position, a place where he can unleash his knockout inducing power. Lovato can always rely on his wrestling background when the going gets tough on the feet, both of Lovato’s career losses have come via strikes and if he were to implore some of the takedown abilities he used to trail blaze through New Mexico MMA years ago, he will have an advantage on the ground. Usman’s lone career loss came via rear-naked choke. Should Lovato get top position and work his way to dominant positions, Lovato not only has the ground and pound to finish it, but he has the submission chops to secure an end to the fight.

Usman’s wrestling credentials could stifle Lovato’s wrestling efforts and this fight may come down to a war of attrition where Lovato has to pick shots avoiding Usman’s power and Usman will have to be careful not to make a mistake when looking for takedowns as the crafty Lovato is very talented from the sprawl and front-headlock position.

The Lovato fighting cousins return to MMA action fighting on the same card once again. We encourage the fight fans to come out and support the locals and the Legacy FC promotion’s first ever event within our state lines. Stay tuned to SWFight for more event coverage, bout breakdowns and analysis.

http://swfight.com

Bellator MMA is going all-in for its head-to-head showdown with the  Ultimate Fighting Championship on Sept. 5.

The promotion revealed the entirety of the Bellator 123 main card on Wednesday, which will be headlined by a featherweight title tilt between Pat Curran and Patricio Freire. In addition, UFC veterans Cheick Kongo and Lavar Johnson square off in a heavyweight clash, while 205-pound contender Muhammed Lawal collides with Tom DeBlass. Rounding out the main card will be Total Nonstop Action Wrestling champion Bobby Lashley, who battles Josh Burns in another heavyweight affair.

Bellator 123 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., and will mark the second event under new president Scott Coker, who recently replaced former company head Bjorn Rebney. That same night, UFC Fight Night “Mousasi vs. Jacare” will go down at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Conn. The Las Vegas-based promotion’s lineup includes a middleweight clash between Gegard Mousasi and Ronaldo Souza as well as a heavyweight scrap pitting Alistair Overeem against Ben Rothwell.

The Bellator 123 main card will air on Spike TV, while the UFC offering will appear on Fox Sports 1.

Curran recently recaptured Bellator’s 145-pound strap, submitting Daniel Straus with 14 seconds remaining in their Bellator 112 showdown in March. Freire, meanwhile, carries a four-fight winning streak into his rematch with Curran, besting Jared Downing, Diego Nunes,  Fabricio de Assis Costa da Silva and Justin Wilcox during that time.

A longtime UFC talent, Kongo came up short in his bid for Bellator gold, dropping a five-round verdict to Vitaly Minakov in April. He has since rebounded, stopping Eric Smith via second-round TKO at the promotion’s pay-per-view event on May 17. The heavy-handed Johnson is 1-2 in the Bellator cage, beating Ryan Martinez while falling to Vinicius Kappke de Quieroz and Blagoi Ivanov.

Lawal is coming off a controversial decision loss to Quinton Jackson at Bellator 120. Despite being heavily promoted, “King Mo” has had mixed results with Bellator, posting a 4-3 mark overall. DeBlass, who temporarily retired following a loss to Riki Fukuda at UFC on Fuel TV 6, has won two straight fights under the Bellator banner.

Lashley, who is currently the TNA heavyweight champion, is 10-2 as a professional mixed martial artist. He last competed in November, taking a five-round verdict against Tony Melton at Xtreme Fight Night 15. Burns is 8-7 overall but has yet to capture a victory in four Bellator appearances.

http://www.sherdog.com

UFC Fight Night 43 – Albuquerque, Tingley Coliseum Tickets on Sale Today

Today, at 10am MT, Ticketmaster.com will open sales for June 7th’s UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Khabilov (aka UFC Fight Night 43) event  at the Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the general public. The main event will feature a lightweight bout between former UFC champion Benson Henderson (20-3) and Albuquerque trained Rustam Khabilov (17-1) of Jackson’s-Winkeljohn’s MMA.

Tickets can be purchased by clicking Ticketmaster and run between $60 for the furthest bench seats, and $170 for cageside. These prices are actually more affordable than similar UFC shows in Cincinnati and San Antonio.

UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Khavilov, will also feature native New Mexicans, Diego Sanchez in a lightweight contest against England’s Ross Pearson, and John Dodson against Phoenix, Arizona’s John Moraga.

Doors at the Tingley Coliseum for UFC Fight Night - Henderson vs. Khabilov, on Saturday June 7th will open at 2:30pm MT with the first bout set to take place at 4:30pm MT with the main Fox Sports 1 televised portion of the card starting at 8pm MT.

UFC Albuquerque – Ticket Prices: $61.25, $92.00, $113.75,  $166.25

UFC Fight Night 43 (Albuquerque) Full Fight Card (subject to change):

Lightweight – Diego Sanchez vs.Ross Pearson

Welterweight – Bobby Voelker vs. Lance Benoist

Flyweight - John Dodson vs. John Moraga

Bantamweight - Sergio Pettis vs. Yaotzin Meza

Lightweight – Yves Edwards vs. Piotr Hallmann

Light Heavyweight - Patrick Cummins vs. Francimar Barroso

Bantamweight – Erik Perez vs. Bryan Caraway

http://swfight.com

There’s always a way of staying ahead of yourself and staying ahead of this evolving MMA game. That’s motivating in itself, and there’s no way I want to lose this third time out. - Frankie Edgar

UFC featherweight Frankie EdgarThe topic at the center of this Sunday’s third fight

between Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn has been a persistent one since it was announced. Will Penn, the former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion, who fought his last fight in December of 2012 at 168 pounds, make weight for his first featherweight bout?

All signs point to yes, but even before seeing “The Prodigy” show up downright svelte for fight week in Las Vegas, his opponent wasn’t too concerned.

“I’m not,” said Edgar. “I don’t think he’s got a big frame, and when we filmed the show (The Ultimate Fighter) it seemed like he was in striking distance, and he’s working with (Mike) Dolce, so I’m not really concerned with it. I’m just worrying about me.”

And if you know Edgar, you’ll realize that if Penn showed up at 185 pounds instead of 145, the New Jersey native would likely strap on the gloves and scrap anyway.

“I probably would, I’ll be honest,” he said. “But maybe we’ll make him work out for that hour and get a little off. (Laughs)”

That’s Frankie Edgar, who probably wouldn’t even do that. It’s just the way he’s made. He’s a fighter, and as far as all the other drama that comes along with the fight game goes, he’s not interested. It’s the same way he’s been his entire UFC career, making him not just one of the sport’s top competitors, but one of its best people as well.

“I’m not really a big ego kind of guy,” he said. “I just treat everybody how I would like to be treated, no matter what. Even on the show, I didn’t think I was any better than the guys there, or the guys behind the camera. I don’t think I’m better than anybody. Everybody’s got their own life, and that’s about it.”

It may come from his blue collar background, one where he used to have to juggle his fight career with a full-time gig as a plumber. Sure, he was a great athlete, but he wasn’t a coddled one. And that makes a big difference.

“I had to juggle two things,” he recalls. “I had to work and do some degrading things at times, like busting up urinals and digging holes, and then had to go to the gym right after. It definitely puts things in perspective.”

Consequently, you won’t see Edgar with an entourage, won’t have to go through five people to get one interview, or hear him engaged in any trash talk wars. That’s just not his style. Jeez, even Penn, who always enjoyed a little verbal sparring over the years, won’t say a cross word about the man who already holds two wins over him.

So with no bad blood between the two former lightweight champs, and Edgar already 2-0 against the Hawaiian, you had to wonder if the Toms River product was surprised when he got the call to face Penn a third time.

“At first I was,” he said. “I think at the time, he was supposed to be retired, or at least inactive, and not at 145. And when they first offered it to me, I thought it could possibly be at ’55, so I didn’t really know what to expect. But I’m a gamer. I’m always willing to do what is asked of me. I keep it simple, and when you do that, you don’t let things get out of hand.”

And it is a high-profile fight against one of the sport’s superstars on the biggest UFC weekend of the year. All enticing prospects indeed, but after being out of action since his July 2013 win over Charles Oliveira, Edgar is just happy to be back in action.

“A hundred percent,” he said. “I’m a little ornery (Laughs), and it’s funny, I always get to this point where I’m sick of training. I’m ready to fight. But a week after the fight I’ll be twiddling my thumbs saying, ‘all right, let’s get back in the gym.’”

He’s seen enough of the gym over the last year, and when he wasn’t working on his game and staying sharp he was spending time with his family, which got a new addition when he and his wife Renee welcomed a daughter in June.

“I really didn’t take much time off,” said Edgar of life after his Fight of the Night win over Oliveira at UFC 162. “I probably didn’t take off more than a week at a time at any given point in this year. I went on vacation with my wife and my family, and even then I was running on the beach. I can’t really sit too idle; I’m just not that guy. So I was in the gym and working constantly to get better. I didn’t go there and beat myself up the whole year, but I was definitely in there trying to improve my skills, and helping my teammates get ready helps also.”

Edgar also faced off with Penn without gloves on, as the two coached on season 19 of The Ultimate Fighter. It was an opportunity for Edgar to introduce himself to the public in a way they hadn’t seen before, and before he takes care of his business on Sunday, both TUF 19 final bouts will be contested by fighters Edgar coached on the show.

“It’s a testament to how we do things, and I don’t want to take all the credit because I brought my coaching staff – the guys I work with on a daily basis – there with me and I think it has a lot to do with the chemistry that we have, and I’m just following the lead of the guys before me,” he said. “I notice a lot of my coaching techniques are what I get from the guys that coached me. So it’s definitely nice to know that we’re doing the right thing. And if we can do it with myself and then with guys we were only with for six weeks, then we’re on the right track.”

And probably about to get a lot of calls about training with him and his team in Jersey. It’s not for everyone though.

“It’s unique what we have here in Jersey,” he said. “We’re not really a one-stop shop. You’ve got to really want to do this because you’re got to travel, you’ve got to adjust your schedule, and it’s not like you go to one gym and everything’s there; we kinda move around a little bit, so it’s not the easiest thing for guys to do.”

Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway traffic in the summer is no joke either, and Edgar agrees, but for now there is only Penn, who the 32-year-old defeated twice in 2010. And while the first fight was close, the second one was a clinic by Edgar. So how does he top that fight this weekend?

“I don’t think it’s about topping the last BJ fight, it’s just topping my last fight, period, and just trying to be a better fighter,” he said. “It will be over four years since we fought, so I just want to show the world that I’ve been doing things these past four years. I’m not the same fighter. I don’t think I’m the same fighter I was a year ago or even three months ago. There’s always a way of staying ahead of yourself and staying ahead of this evolving MMA game. That’s motivating in itself, and there’s no way I want to lose this third time out.”

www.ufc.com

BJ Penn: The Last Run

BJ Penn looked bored. There was plenty of action on the stage at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in May as fighters like Ronda Rousey, Chris Weidman, and Chael Sonnen entertained fans who showed up for the press conference to kick off the promotion for this weekend’s UFC 175 / TUF 19 Finale shows.

And you don’t want a bored BJ Penn. You want a fired up “Prodigy” talking about what he does for a living in the way only he can. So having covered Penn extensively over the course of his storied career, I had an idea that involved a reach into my bag of tricks. I simply read him a quote he gave me years ago when I asked why, through the ups and downs of his career, his fans never left him.

“There’s just something about BJ Penn that gets people amped up. You don’t know what’s gonna happen, but something’s gonna happen.  He might disappoint you, he might make you happy, he might make you cry, he might make you jump out of your chair, but he’ll do something to you.”

He listened intently and then I asked him “is that guy still there?”

Penn smiled and grabbed the mic.

“That guy’s still there. He’s sitting right here. He’s right here everybody.”

Just like that, Penn wasn’t bored anymore, and neither were the fans that roared when he made his declaration of relevance to the world. It’s the only thing they wanted to see, the fire that epitomized his best performances and made him a two-division UFC champion and one of the most intriguing figures to ever set foot in the Octagon.

Those same fans hope that fire is still burning this Sunday, when Penn returns to the Octagon for the first time since December of 2012 to face a man who has already beaten him twice, Frankie Edgar. To the oddsmakers, it’s a steep mountain for the 35-year-old Penn to climb, especially after losing two straight to Nick Diaz and Rory MacDonald, having a long layoff, and doing it all at 145 pounds for the first time. “The Prodigy” knows all of the above, but facing a stiff challenge never scared him.

“I took a lot of time off,” he said. “I’ve been getting some mixed results in the fighting and I had to regroup, watch the sport, see how far it’s evolved, and come back in, revamp myself and see if I can compete at this level.”

He already hinted at retirement after his one-sided loss to Diaz in October of 2011, but after a similar defeat 14 months later against MacDonald, most believed that they had seen the Hawaiian fight for the last one. Penn was one of those believers.

“After the fight with Rory and losing another decision, I’m sitting there thinking that maybe I made the correct decision the first time,” he said. “Maybe I shouldn’t be here fighting at the top level anymore. I believed I was done after the Rory MacDonald fight.”

But for any fighter, the itch never goes away that easily. Eventually, Penn felt like he was ready to give it one more shot. The goal? Frankie Edgar. But why?

“I just don’t like how my lightweight reign ended,” said Penn, whose two losses to the New Jersey native came in 2010. “Frankie came in and he beat me the two fights, which is an amazing accomplishment on his part. Frankie’s one of the best of all-time and one of the best to enter the UFC, and you’ve got to know that coming in to fight him.”

So those losses haunt him then? He says no, but after a pause, he reconsiders.

“Maybe the fights do haunt me.”

Determined to make one more run at redemption, he called up UFC President Dana White and told him how he felt.

“If I get a few victories, I can fight Frankie Edgar,” said Penn.

White wondered why Penn still wanted to compete, but he also knew how stubborn the former two-division champ could be. He also wanted someone to go against Edgar as a coach on season 19 of The Ultimate Fighter.

At featherweight.

“I said, I’ll take the fight, I’ll drop the weight, and here I am now.”

He laughs.

“This might be my real weight. We’ll find out.”

We will on Sunday, but more importantly, Penn will find out if he still has the right stuff to fight on the UFC level. “The Prodigy” might be stubborn, but he’s not delusional, and if “it” isn’t there anymore, this might be the last time we see him in Octagon.

Or maybe not, and once again, Penn’s response to such speculation both entertains and intrigues. It’s just his way.

“I could make another run all the way and wipe everybody out, or…I think that’s about it,” he said. “I think we’re going to make a run at this point. There’s not much else to do. Go make a run, go see if we can become the greatest of all time, right at the finish line. Right at the very end.”

www.ufc.com

Undefeated unified junior featherweight world champion and Cuban sensation Guillermo “El Chacal” Rigondeaux (13-0, 8 KOs), of Miami, Florida, has promised to provide “a lot of fireworks” when he defends his titles against Top-Five contender and two-time world title challenger Sod Looknongyantoy (63-2-1, 27 KOs), of Srithep, Thailand, on Saturday at The Venetian Macao’s Cotai Arena. Rigondeaux will need them if he is to derail the “Looknongyantoy Express,” who enters this fight riding a nine-year, 37-bout unbeaten streak.

Guillermo Rigondeaux: “I had a 10-week training camp with George Rubio where we focused on honing my combinations and power punching. I am taking nothing for granted with Looknongyantoy. He has an impressive record and he is a smart fighter.

“I intend to give UniMás and its boxing audience a great show. I plan to be more aggressive to be more impressive. But let me make this clear, I have been a world champion and an Olympic gold medalist for one reason – I do not make mistakes in the ring. I fight my fight, not my opponents’ fights. In baseball, great hitters do not swing at bad pitches.

“Hard training and discipline are my greatest assets as a fighter. I am dedicated to being the best boxer in the world and perfecting my technique. I am always the last man out of the gym in training camp. I never weigh more than 129 pounds between fights.

“I feel great and I think I can keep fighting at this elite level for many more years because I have never taken any punishment in the ring.

“I am frustrated that the two other champions in my division – Leo Santa Cruz and Kiko Martinez – will not step up to fight me in title unifications to determine the true world champion. I do not understand that mindset. How do you not want to prove you are the best? I do. Nonito Donaire did when we fought in our title unification battle in New York last year. The fans deserve better from Santa Cruz and Martinez. The media should be holding them accountable. A real champion fights and accepts the challenges from the best in his division. Back in the day, world champions accepted the top challenges. I get criticized by the media for my style of fighting. Maybe the media should be criticizing the champions who deny the fights boxing fans crave?”

Sod Looknongyantoy: “I have eight years of Muay Thai fighting experience, including over 400 victories. That has helped me to become a good boxer. I bring vast experience and intelligence. I trained hard for this fight. I trained to fight the perfect fight because that is what it will take to beat Rigondeaux. I do not fear him. I am up to the challenge. I am prepared to defeat Rigondeaux. I am ready to become world champion.”

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Lex McMahon has long since made his name as one of the top agents in mixed martial arts, with a roster that includes the likes of Rory MacDonald, Brandan Schaub, Jake Shields, Stefan Struve, and Liz Carmouche.

Now, McMahon will try his hand at the promotional game. McMahon announced on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour that he has joined the Titan Fighting Championships as Chief Operating Officer. He'll work alongside TFC CEO Jeff Aranson.

My job is to make the machine work, to make sure all that Jeff's vision is being executed on, McMahon said. That's kind of at the end of the what my role is.

Making the jump from working as a fight manager to promotion is far from unheard of - Dana White was Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell's manager before becoming UFC president. It's a bit more rare for someone to hold both positions, but that's been done as well. Most notably on the current scene, Black House's Ed Soares runs the successful Resurrection Fighting Alliance out of Los Angeles.

Of course, the potential for conflict of interest is obvious. But McMahon says the way to handle such potential situations is through open dialogue and transparent business dealings.

The best thing you can do is be 100 percent transparent, McMahon said, and put a team in place which will work through issues. At no point are you self-serving. You try to do your deals at arm's length, and keep the best interest of both the entity as well as the athlete. If there's ever any questions, you sit down and work through it.

With that, McMahon sets about to work in his new gig. The first card he'll oversee is TFC 29 on Aug. 22 in Fayetteville, N.C., which includes Ben Saunders vs. Matt Riddle and Efrain Escudero's TFC debut.

With a roster full of recognizable veteran names and a television clearance on the CBS Sports Network, McMahon sees a promotion which isn't going to attempt to challenge the UFC's dominance in the market, but can give the established names their platform for their second chance at the big stage.

Jeff's taken a regional brand in Titan, and expanded it to a national and soon international brand, McMahon said. Getting a great deal with CBS Sports, signing some great athletes. He's doing all the right things.

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There isn't merely one, but two UFC events this week. First up on the docket is tonight's UFC Fight Night 45, an event held in Atlantic City, New Jersey that is headlined by a lightweight clash between two absolute go-getters in Donald Cerrone and Jim Miller.

On Saturday, the UFC moves to Dublin, Ireland for the return of featherweight phenom Conor McGregor. Can he get past Diego Brandao? Is he really the future of the division? On one level or another, we're going to get some answers.

Since our last chat, the UFC has also signed bantamweight Holly Holm. I personally think everyone should manage their expectations about her upside, but it's a good signing and the right one for all parties involved.

Lastly, the UFC announced the co-main event for UFC 177: Demetrious Johnson vs. Chris Cariaso. it's so underwhelming, it's hard to describe, but it's worth a bit of discussion.

There's a lot going on, so join me today to discuss all of this and more. In terms of today's chat, anything is up for discussion, but I will lead with this and it all kicks off at 1 p.m. ET.

As is customary, I'll post the video window here as the event draws near and I'll answer any questions you may have if you post them in the comments section below. Be sure that you click the 'rec' button for those comments/questions you believe most deserve a response.

Be sure to link this page and use the hashtag #chatwrappers on Twitter or even Facebook when you're watching this to let everyone know you're taking part is this activity of ours.

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