Dana White was his usual talkative self in an a Boston Herald interview yesterday. White addressed several topics.

On EliteXC’s deal with CBS:

“The next company that was going to take me out has been coming for the last eight years,” White told the Herald last week. “Every time somebody puts something new together, it’s been ‘Oh, these guys are gonna kick Dana’s (expletive) and put his ego in check.’ There ain’t anybody kicking our (expletive). It isn’t going to happen this year with CBS and Elite XC or any year…”

“It’s a lot trickier than people realize,” White said. “The reality is that Elite XC didn’t sign a deal with CBS, that’s not what happened. CBS bought Elite XC — big difference. I don’t think it’s a great deal at all. I’ve talked to every network, including CBS. The thing is with me — I say it all the time — I’m not going to cut a stupid deal.”

(more…)

In a recent interview with HollyScoop.com, Tito Ortiz bashed the UFC and Dana White. Here’s what he had to say:

“I’m done with the UFC, I’m done being taken advantage of I’m done being disrespected. I’ve been in the sport for eleven years. I gave them a third of my life and they give me no respect. They don’t ever put me on TV, they never do anything for me, they never go out of their hand to help me with anything and you know it just shows that the president Dana White is full of himself…his biggest victim is himself. And, I think he’s going to be a person who’s going to ruin the company…he treats fighters really horribly, and the fighters who have a problem here in the United States, those are the ones he takes advantage of.”

Wow. More venom from Tito toward the UFC. I guess it really is over.

Tito also talks Kimbo Slice and Frank Shamrock in the interview. Sounds like Ortiz to EliteXC is on. You can watch the interview right here:

It was a night of KO’s at Wembley Arena yesterday. The most important of the night was in the main event as Ken Shamrock was KO’d in round 1 by Robert ‘Buzz’ Berry. All but two of the fights ended in the first round in what was a crazy night of MMA. It was particularly sad to see ‘The worlds most dangerous man’ beaten in his first fight for 17 months.

Forgive the pun but Ken seemed very ‘cagey’. It made sense for Ken to fight like that due to the fact that ‘Buzz’ is a KO artist. Ken landed a couple of punches as I waited for him to ’shoot’ on Berry…but it never came. In the 3:26 fight, Ken didn’t attempt to takedown Berry.

I was in attendance last night and seeing Ken get KO’d was a sour note on an otherwise explosive night of MMA action. The televised fights came across pretty well live and it was an awesome atmosphere all night. Apart from the fact that the majority of fans booed as soon as any fight went to the ground. These idiots just want to see blood spilled and don’t appreciate mixed martial arts.

The main event of Cage Rage 26 has been announced as the returning Ian ‘The Machine’ Freeman faces off against Paul Cahoon at the NEC Arena, Birmingham in May. I’m very much looking forward to seeing Freeman fight for the first time since September 2006. Freeman holds a first round TKO victory over Frank Mir back at UFC 38.

Chuck Liddell recently did two interviews with The Sun newspaper out of the UK. It looks like he’s got two guys that he’d like to face in the coming year–Fedor Emelianenko and “The Dean of Mean,” Keith Jardine. Chuck had a lot to say about the possibility of a fight with Fedor and a move up to the Heavyweight division:

“I think I could take him. I think I match up well with him.

“As far as I know he’s never knocked anyone out from his feet and I think he’d have a hard time taking me down.”

And The Iceman admitted a move up to the heavyweight division could happen once he has achieved his goals at light heavyweight.

He added: “A move to heavyweight is a possibility for me. If I’m done with everything at light heavyweight I might move up.

“The top guys up there aren’t all that big heavyweights. Randy was but I knocked him out twice.”

It sounds like Chuck would try and turn it into a stand-up fight with Fedor. He’s certainly got the knock out power to take him down. With Fedor now making overtures toward the UFC, this fight could happen sooner rather than later, although you’d have to think Fedor would get his fight with Randy Couture, first.

In the same interview, Liddell revealed that he wouldn’t mind taking on Wanderlei Silva again. That would be one rematch that people would be clamoring for.

In another interview with the Sun, Chuck said he’d like a rematch with Keith Jardine. Well, at least, after he gets a light heavyweight title shot at the Forest Griffin/Rampage Jackson winner. So if you’re scoring at home, Chuck wants to Rampage or Forrest Griffin fight for the light heavyweight title, Keith Jardine, Wanderlei Silva and Fedor Emelianenko. That’s all well and good, but Chuck better not forget about Rashad Evans at UFC 85. With the winner of that matchup likely getting the next title shot, I’d say Evans will be pretty damn focused.

ESPN the Magazine has a piece up about Fedor Emelianenko’s current free agency situation. Fedor’s agent, Apy Echteld, had this to say on a potential move to the UFC:

“We’re open to a discussion,” says Echteld. “If everybody is willing to put a little wine in the water, then we have something to work with. There is space for this to happen.”

Dana White is also open to Fedor in the UFC, according to ESPN:

Would the head of the UFC be willing to enter the Fedor fray again? “Absolutely, 100 percent, in a heartbeat,” says White. “People think he’s the best—I don’t, not even close. But if it’s somehow possible, I would make it happen.”

This is getting to be quite the little soap opera between Dana White and Fedor. Just sign the guy already and get it over with. It would solve the Randy Couture problem, as well, and the fans would be getting what they want. Personally, I’d love to see Fedor get destroyed in the ocatgon.