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Thiago Silva, Phil Baroni Drop Out of Upcoming Fights Due to Injuries

(Remember, bend at the *knees* when you’re beating the crap out of Keith Jardine.)
Bad news for Team Brazil at UFC 117: Due to a back injury suffered in training, Thiago Silva has been forced to withdraw from his preliminary card matchup with Tim Boe…

Thiago Silva Keith Jardine UFC mma photos
(Remember, bend at the *knees* when you’re beating the crap out of Keith Jardine.)

Bad news for Team Brazil at UFC 117: Due to a back injury suffered in training, Thiago Silva has been forced to withdraw from his preliminary card matchup with Tim Boetsch. Silva had previously injured his back while preparing for his UFC 108 main event against Rashad Evans. After losing that fight by decision, the American Top Team light-heavyweight began a physical therapy program, but apparently it wasn’t enough to protect him from re-injury; no word yet on how long he could be sidelined. Stepping in to face Boetsch on 11 days notice is UFC newcomer Todd "Bulldog" Brown, who has compiled an 11-1 record in midwestern promotions. Boetsch is returning to the UFC after being cut last March, then winning three consecutive fights in smaller promotions.

Speaking of luckless s.o.b.’s, Phil Baroni is out of his UFC 118 fight with John Salter due to a collarbone injury. The fight was to mark Baroni’s return to middleweight after dropping two straight at welterweight, including a decision against Amir Sadollah at UFC 106. Baroni, who tends to get emotional on his Twitter account even in the best of times, had this to say: "I cant take it anymore. Im freaking out. anxiety im shot. beaten." Stay strong, NYBA…

Unintentionally Hilarious Quote of the Day: Vladimir Matyushenko on Race

(Props: YouTube.com/KarynBryant)
Bryant (starting at 1:02): "[You and Jon Jones] have been doing a lot of press, and pretty much the storyline is ‘experience vs. youth’. How do you feel about that, and do you feel that that’s really the decis…

(Props: YouTube.com/KarynBryant)

Bryant (starting at 1:02): "[You and Jon Jones] have been doing a lot of press, and pretty much the storyline is ‘experience vs. youth’. How do you feel about that, and do you feel that that’s really the decisive thing going in here?"

Matyushenko: "Well it’s not only that, experience and youth, it’s just like…black and white."

I know, right? Athletic explosiveness vs. hard-working blue-collar-ness. Finally, somebody says what we’re all thinking!

Okay, maybe Vlad was trying to make reference to their vastly different styles (or not, it’s kind of hard to tell). Anyway, this MMA H.E.A.T. interview is also noteworthy because Karyn asks the Janitor who he wants to fight next, even though she clearly realizes it’s a big no-no (skip to the 3:14 mark). For the record, he likes to take things fight by fight (shocking), but he wouldn’t mind avenging his losses to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Tito Ortiz. His entrance music on Sunday, as usual, will be "Deaf Forever."

Soukoudjou, Houston Alexander, Paul Daley Among the UFC Castoffs Added to Shark Fights 13

(The locals are going to be pissed when they realize that it’s just a bunch of dudes fighting, and not actual sharks. Buyer beware! Props: SharkFights.com)
Helping Keith Jardine transition into post-UFC life will be a familiar cast of characters who …

(The locals are going to be pissed when they realize that it’s just a bunch of dudes fighting, and not actual sharks. Buyer beware! Props: SharkFights.com)

Helping Keith Jardine transition into post-UFC life will be a familiar cast of characters who couldn’t quite hack it in the Octagon either. It was announced last week that a light-heavyweight battle between "The African Assassin" Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou and Houston "The Assassin of Non-Specific Origin" Alexander would co-headline Shark Fights 13: Jardine vs. Prangley (September 11th; Amarillo, TX).

Sokoudjou has gone 4-3 since being released by the UFC in 2008, and most recently scored a quick TKO over Joaquim Ferreira at Impact FC Brisbane. Alexander was cut by the UFC after dropping a decision to Kimbo Slice at the TUF 10 Finale, and has gone 1-1 in 2010 so far, suffering a TKO loss to Joey Beltran and notching a decision win over David Griffin. Also on the Shark Fights 13 card…

Gambling Addiction Enabler: ‘Jones vs. Matyushenko’ Edition

(Props: YouTube.com/UFC)
Things didn’t go so hot last time for your old buddy the Gambling Addiction Enabler. Sometimes you ride the bull, and sometimes the bull knocks two of your teeth out on a Russian game show. That’s life. But even if you nev…

(Props: YouTube.com/UFC)

Things didn’t go so hot last time for your old buddy the Gambling Addiction Enabler. Sometimes you ride the bull, and sometimes the bull knocks two of your teeth out on a Russian game show. That’s life. But even if you never take our betting advice again, you owe it to yourselves to at least check out the odds for Sunday’s UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko show, because whoever set the lines for the preliminary card must have been high on cheese. As always, the opportunity for profit is there, if you’re a little smart and very lucky. BestFightOdds.com with the numbers…

MAIN CARD
Jon Jones (-505) vs. Vladimir Matyushenko (+450)
Yushin Okami (-185) vs. Mark Munoz (+180)
Jake Ellenberger (-155) vs. John Howard (+145)
Tyson Griffin (-275) vs. Takanori Gomi (+260)

PRELIMINARY CARD
Jacob Volkman (-116) vs. Paul Kelly (+115)
Matt Riddle (-150) vs. DaMarques Johnson (+185)
James Irvin (-160) vs. Igor Pokrajac (+155)
Mike Massenzio (-150) vs. Brian Stann (+140)
Charles Oliveira (-300) vs. Darren Elkins (+300)
Rob Kimmons (-215) vs. Steve Steinbeiss (+175)

Let’s go to work…

Charles Oliveira: The New Guy at ‘UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko’

(As fighter highlight-reels go, this one’s pretty awful. But how ’bout that flying knee KO at 2:44?)
Rejoice! The UFC returns from its four-week hiatus this coming Sunday, when UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko goes down at the San Diego Sports Aren…

(As fighter highlight-reels go, this one’s pretty awful. But how ’bout that flying knee KO at 2:44?)

Rejoice! The UFC returns from its four-week hiatus this coming Sunday, when UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko goes down at the San Diego Sports Arena. (Versus, 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT) The only newcomer on the card is Brazilian prospect Charles Oliveira, who will be putting his undefeated record on the line against Darren Elkins — who won his own UFC debut in March when Duane Ludwig’s ankle exploded. Does Charles have what it takes to make it in the big leagues? Get to know him below and let us know what you think…

CHARLES OLIVEIRA (LW)
Experience: 12-0 record (6 KO/TKOs, 5 submissions), primarily in Brazilian promotions. Last competed in a four-man tournament at a Warriors Challenge event in February, where he defeated Rosenildo Rocha by rear-naked choke and Diego Bataglia by slam-knockout. It was the third multi-fight tourney that Oliveira has won during his career. He made his pro debut in March 2008, sweeping an eight-man tournament at a Predador FC event, then cruised through a four man bracket later that year at Korea Fight 1. So fighting just one guy in a night is like a day off for him.

Will be facing: Darren Elkins (12-1, 1-0 UFC)

Video: Tito Ortiz ‘Strictly Business’ Against Matt Hamill

(Props: dragonman34)
"UFC made the decision. I was bummed. I love Matt, I think he’s an awesome athlete, I think he’s an awesome person, but his time’s not now. You won’t see any shit-talking from me about Matt Hamill because I think he’s an …

(Props: dragonman34)

"UFC made the decision. I was bummed. I love Matt, I think he’s an awesome athlete, I think he’s an awesome person, but his time’s not now. You won’t see any shit-talking from me about Matt Hamill because I think he’s an awesome guy. But it’ll even make it a better fight when it comes October 23rd, when I cave his face in. No bad feelings. No bad emotions. Just punishment, and that’s what it’s about. So, we’ll see. October 23rd. As I look to beat down Matt Hamill. In a nice way. For once."

So says Tito Ortiz, after signing the contract to face his former pupil Matt Hamill at UFC 121. As he explains, his past dealings with Chuck Liddell taught him that business and competition should always come before friendship. But is the world ready for a trash-talk-free Tito? The oddsmakers currently have him as a solid +145 underdog in this match, which feels about right. As Ortiz has gone 0-3-1 since December 2006, he may need to score an upset to keep his job…