As reported in MMAPayout.com:

According to the Las Vegas Sun the attendance was 11,172 with a gate of $3.2 million. This was slightly off of NSAC Director Keith Kizer's prediction of a Top 5 gate, with the show coming at number 6.

In other news from the post fight press conference, Dana White said the UFC is trying to go to Chicago in October and Boston in November. As previously announced, the UFC also will being doing a show from Birmingham, England in October.

Fight of the night went to the Rampage-Griffin fight. Submission of the night went to Cole Miller. Knockout of the night went to Melvin Guillard. Bonuses for this show were $60,000 each, down $15,000 from UFC 84.

The Canadian Press is reporting Griffin made a purse of $250,000, including a $100,000 win bonus. Jackson collected $225,000.

WOW! If you were unable to watch UFC 86 tonight, I'll give you a recap here.

Allow me to start by saying, that I'm sitting here with a carton of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream, to remind myself that the world goes on! Yes, there were some surprises tonight!

Thanks to the guys who hung out with me tonight, Os, Jerry, Jay, and Cos, especially for reminding me afterwards that I should stand up and head for the door after it all ended!

Buchholtz def. Hill by Submission (RNC) at 3:57 of Rd. 2

Guillard def. Siver by TKO (strikes) at :36 of Rd. 1

Miller def. Gurgel by Submission (Triangle choke) at 4:48 of Rd. 3

Gonzaga def. McCully by Submission (Kimura) at 1:57 of Rd. 1

Griffin def. Aurelio by Unanimous Decision (30-27)

Koscheck def. Lytle by Unanimous Decision (30-26,29-27,30-28)

Stevenson def. Tibau by Submission (Arm In Guillotine) at 2:57 of Rd. 2

Cote def. Almeida by Split Decision (29-28 Cote, 29-28 Almeida, 29-28 Cote)

Griffin def. Jackson by Unanimous Decision (48-46, 48-46, 49-46)

I must admit, that I felt like I was watching a different fight when I heard the judges scoring, and the decision going to Griffin. I was amazed, shocked even, by his performance. But outside of the second round where he COMPLETELY dominated Rampage on the ground for most of five minutes, I didn't see how he possibly could have taken the belt away! You may disagree, please let me know! In any case, CONGRATULATIONS, Forrest Griffin, the NEW LHW Champion!

Written by Shinya Aoki in his weekly column for kamipro.com.

"I defeated Nagata without any injuries. I'm sorry that I was very intense since I was stressed out more than usual before that fight. I would like to write about the last DREAM event this time.

The most impressive fighter was Uenoyama. He is a young guy who holds a Jujitsu brown belt from Ralph Gracie Academy, which is famous about having very high standard to pass a test for a belt. He was very skillful as I expected. In a party we had after the event, he was asking other fighters to take pics together. He was very nice guy and not noticeable. I knew that was him after taking a pic with him. Both Ralph Gracie and Cesar Gracie Academy brought up many strong MMA fighters such as Nick Diaz, Jake Shields and Gilbert Melendez. I want to know how they can do this.

After the fight, I went to a sushi restaurant near my hotel. I saw other fighters there, like Alistair, Kin and Nagata as well. I was kinda uncomfortable seeing Nagata.

The top fighters I consider are all in the U.S. now. I want to defeat them and I believe I can do it. I have confidence becoming a No.1 fighter. I will be a top fighter with my techniques and in my way."

According to a recent interview in MMARated.com, Joe Stevenson says that he would like to fight Aoki next, if he had that opportunity. Who knows, maybe the UFC will be trying to woo Aoki before you know it!

We'd love to hear predictions from more of you too!! MADNESS

As reported in MMAPayout.com:

The New Hampshire Business Review gives details on the athletic commission in the state looking to add MMA to its purview. While the health and safety of the participants is always the first reason the state gives in extending oversight, the article also is honest about the financial aspect:

"The state can always use every little dollar we can bring in," he said.

The new law will allow the state to collect 5 percent of the gate for every professional MMA bout. Hardly a killing at an event like "Cagefight MMA: The Beginning," which drew 800 fans who paid an average $70 per ticket, but significant for a commission that brings in a total of $30,000 during a good year. UFC VP Marc Ratner is quoted in the article and NH looks to be a market that he has been cultivating for regulation for quite some time, having been in close contact with the athletic commission there for about a year and a half. The UFC's moves have been low key and less dollar intensive compared to the similar efforts in New York and Massachusetts. The bill regulating MMA cleared the state legislature on voice votes, and Gov. John Lynch was expected to sign it. The state may become attractive to some of the larger MMA companies because of one quirk in the law: Big time promoters like the UFC make as much of 75 percent of their money from television and pay per view broadcasts. Laws elsewhere require some of that money, generally about 2 percent to go back to the host states, a provision absent from New Hampshire's new law.

As reported in MMAWeekly.com:

Since emerging in the Ultimate Fighting Championship two years ago, Anderson Silva has clearly proven his position as the No. 1 middleweight fighter in the world. Many have also bandied about the label of best pound-for-pound fighter in the same breath as the UFC middleweight champion.

Now he's out to prove it. And for the first time in the promotion's history, UFC president Dana White is giving his blessing to allow one of his champions to move among divisions in an attempt to hold two belts in two classes.

"(Ricarod Almeida) and Patrick Cote are going to fight on Saturday night and see who's next in line for Anderson Silva's 185-pound title," said White at Thursday's pre-fight press conference in anticipation of Saturday's UFC 86 card in Las Vegas.

"Anderson Silva, being the monster that he is, you all know is going to move up to 205 on July 19. He's going to fight at 205. If everything goes well, he wants to move back to 185 and fight Sept. 6 in Atlanta, probably against Yushin Okami, then he wants to fight again two months later," he continued.

That's not where the blueprint ends. White later spoke to MMAWeekly.com, saying that not only are Silva's next couple of middleweight fights lined out, but he also has White's confidence in making a go at both retaining the middleweight belt and hunting down light heavyweight gold.

"When I talk about real fighter, this is the kind of guy I'm talking about. This guy sat down in a meeting with us, literally, two months ago and said you're not fighting me enough, I want to fight more," explained White. "And he wants to keep proving himself. He's one of these guys that said my window is this big and I want to get everything in before this window closes.

"He wants to fight (July) 19. He wants to fight again Sept. 6 (at UFC 88), back down to 185 (pounds); he wants to defend his title, then again two months later. Anderson Silva might fight three or four more times this year. He might fight three or four more times this year and it's almost August!"

The only catch thus far is Silva has to get by James Irvin at the UFC Fight Night on July 19. He doesn't have to win, at least to defend his middleweight belt, but he does have to come out unscathed.

"He just has to be healthy," said White about being ready for a Sept. 6 defense. "I assume if he didn't win, he's probably not going to come out healthy unless it's a quick submission or something." And he added an emphatic "yeah" when asked if Silva's defense in Atlanta would be against No. 6 ranked Yushin Okami.

The idea then is to return to the Octagon a couple of months later, assuming he defeats Okami, and then face the UFC 86 winner between Ricardo Almeida and Patrick Cote said White.

"Yeah. Then he'll bounce back up to 205. He wants to fight 205 again, then go back to 185. He wants to keep sticking his foot in the 205 division to feel it out. Because what he's testing is, I think he wants both belts," said White.

"He wants to hold both the 185 and the 205 pound belt and he wants to defend them both. Normally I won't let guys do stuff like that because it's just… stupid. I'll let Anderson Silva do it."

As reported in Sherdog:

A revised edition of the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts were passed Thursday by the Association of Boxing Commissions via a majority vote at the ABC's annual conference.

The amended document, drafted by the ABC's MMA Chairman Dale Kliparchuk, New Jersey State Athletic Control Board Deputy Attorney Nick Lembo, ABC President Timothy Leuckenhoff and veteran referee "Big" John McCarthy, primarily provided clarifications to the already existing Unified Rules instituted in April 2001 that serve as a regulatory beacon for the sport throughout North America.

The motion to pass the revised document was introduced by Commissioner Gary Litchfield of Massachusetts, and Utah representative Bill Colbert seconded the motion.

Forty regulatory bodies were in attendance for the annual event, which convened state and tribal athletic commissions from the United States and Canada. The California State Athletic Commission and the Nevada State Athletic Commission, both known for regulating a large share of MMA events, did not have representatives in attendance.

Within the revised regulations, verbiage was added to further define what constitutes an illegal strike to the back of a competitor's head. The revised rules now distinguish the back of the head as the "crown of the head down the centerline of the skull into the spine, with a 1 inch variance to each side." This is commonly referred to as the "Mohawk" definition.

read full article >

MMAmadness' own Ryan McKinnell was on hand for media day before UFC 86 to interview Forrest Griffin.

MMAmadness' own Ryan McKinnell was on hand at media day before UFC 86 to interview UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.