There are some who feel that the UFC’s PPV numbers haven’t been all that great lately. However, there are three fights that are supposed to change that opinion--the first one being the grudge match between Rashad Evans and Jon Jones. The next one is the heavyweight title bout between Alistair Overeem and Junior Dos Santos. Then of course we have perhaps the biggest rematch in UFC history between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen.

I think that for the most part, everyone has accepted that Overeems failed prefight drug test will result in him not being able to compete at UFC 146. The real question is “who will take his spot?” The UFC is going to want to put in an opponent that will keep the PPV buy rate high for UFC 146. Enter Jonny “Bones” Jones.

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There are some who feel that the UFC’s PPV numbers haven’t been all that great lately. However, there are three fights that are supposed to change that opinion--the first one being the grudge match between Rashad Evans and Jon Jones. The next one is the heavyweight title bout between Alistair Overeem and Junior Dos Santos. Then of course we have perhaps the biggest rematch in UFC history between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen.

I think that for the most part, everyone has accepted that Overeems failed prefight drug test will result in him not being able to compete at UFC 146. The real question is “who will take his spot?” The UFC is going to want to put in an opponent that will keep the PPV buy rate high for UFC 146. Enter Jonny “Bones” Jones.

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Just over one week ago, Roy Nelson made it public that he made an intriguing wager.

The bet was that if he were to add 100,000 "likes" to his Facebook page within two weeks time, he would attempt to make the weight cut down to 205 pounds. Based on wall posts following his announcement, many fans (myself included) wanted to see "Big Country" make the drop.

It's always interesting to see a fighter make an attempt to compete in a new weight class and with Roy's unique physique for a professional athlete, it was even more so. With thousands of people "liking" his page daily, it was clear that fans wanted to see Roy make the cut.

However, there has been some recent confusion.

Roy now has over 100,000 "likes" on his Facebook page. This means that over 100,000 Facebook users are following him through Facebook. Starting at somewhere in the realm of 32,000 followers, it only took a few short days for Roy to reach this number which is impressive to say the least.

However, the pace has slowed significantly and I feel that it is due to a few factors.

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There's a red phone ringing somewhere deep in the bowels of the Burger King headquarters.

That's because potbellied power-puncher Roy Nelson is considering a drop to light heavyweight for his next fight under the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) banner.

Assuming he can rack up another 100,000 "Likes" on Facebook.

"Big Country" apparently made a bet with one of his cronies that gives fans two weeks to pile on the popular social media network and let their voices be heard.

Nelson explains his motives (via Bloody Elbow) after the jump.

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Chris Leben's reckless brawling style has been extremely entertaining  for mixed martial arts fans for several years. He has an excellent chin and has no fear of taking a punch. This combined with his heavy hands has been the source of the majority of his success in the octagon. However, a fighter can only take so much punishment before it begins to catch up with him. Many times in sports, brain trauma can become evident over time. A lot of the time, this sort of trauma can become noticeable based on an athletes speech pattern. A recent example of this would be what we witnessed in James Toney's interviews. A man that grew up in America speaking english needed the use of subtitles to help viewers understand what he was trying to say. This is amazing considering the fact that most english-speaking Brazilians don't even need subtitles. 

Now I'm no doctor, but I think that we can all agree that Toney's speaking ability likely deteriorated due to the many strikes he absorbed in the boxing ring.  In the fight hype for UFC 125 , Chris Leben sounded different to me. He seemed slightly slower and words didn't flow as easily as they once did. Not many people have really seemed to notice this, but it certainly sounded that way to me. Chris took a ton of punishment in his fight with Yoshihiro Akiyama. So much that he was quoted at the post fight press conference as not even remembering the entire fight. I am a big Chris Leben fan and I really hope that the punishment hasn't caught up with him, but it looks like it could be that way. Thoughts?

Before Fighting Akiyama

  UFC 125 Hype Video (Chris' Interview begins at 4:44)

Chris Leben's reckless brawling style has been extremely entertaining  for mixed martial arts fans for several years. He has an excellent chin and has no fear of taking a punch. This combined with his heavy hands has been the source of the majority of his success in the octagon. However, a fighter can only take so much punishment before it begins to catch up with him. Many times in sports, brain trauma can become evident over time. A lot of the time, this sort of trauma can become noticeable based on an athletes speech pattern. A recent example of this would be what we witnessed in James Toney's interviews. A man that grew up in America speaking english needed the use of subtitles to help viewers understand what he was trying to say. This is amazing considering the fact that most english-speaking Brazilians don't even need subtitles. 

Now I'm no doctor, but I think that we can all agree that Toney's speaking ability likely deteriorated due to the many strikes he absorbed in the boxing ring.  In the fight hype for UFC 125, Chris Leben sounded different to me. He seemed slightly slower and words didn't flow as easily as they once did. Not many people have really seemed to notice this, but it certainly sounded that way to me. Chris took a ton of punishment in his fight with Yoshihiro Akiyama. So much that he was quoted at the post fight press conference as not even remembering the entire fight. I am a big Chris Leben fan and I really hope that the punishment hasn't caught up with him, but it looks like it could be that way. Thoughts?

Before fighting Akiyama

UFC 125 hype video (contains Chris' most recent interview starting at 4:44) 

After coming out strong in the first half of his fight against Cain Valasquez, Brock Lesnar was battered and beaten until referee Herb Dean had no choice but to stop the bout. Everyone seems to be discrediting Brock but lets not forget that this guy has only been training in MMA for a little over 4 years. To be competing against top heavyweights like he does is very impressive to say the least. However, I feel that maybe it would be good for Brock to work his way back up to the likes of these top heavyweights. Brendan Schaub recently compared Lesnars camp to a bunch of dinosaurs and said that they do very little to evolve. Schaub looked impressive against Gabriel Gonzaga and I am sure that he would be more than happy to step into the octagon with Lesnar. Another option would be Cheick Kongo. Prior to the return of then heavyweight champion Randy Couture, it was rumored that Lesnar would be fighting against Kongo in his next fight. Kongo has good stand up and was even able to rock Valasquez a few times in their bout. Lesnars wrestling could easily spell disaster for Kongo though. There is also Roy Nelson as an option. (this is of course after he fights Carwin) Roy is easily in the mix and is very tough to put away. He is excellent on the ground and he was even able to stand toe to toe with Junior Dos Santos taking him to a 3 round decision. This would be a stiff test for Brock. I also see Antonio Nogueira as a potential option. Nog may not have the chin that he used to, but he is probably one of the best brazilian jui jitsu practitioners in the heavyweight division. This could give Lesnar trouble should he decide to wrestle which I can't imagine him not doing so. Also, Nogs stand up, although not great, is decent enough to give Brock some trouble on the feet as well. Cro Cop even spoke about fighting Lesnar at some point for the title. He thought it would be interesting to see how Lesnar handled one of his leg kicks. While this wouldn't be for the title, it would be Lesnar against a veteran in a fight that he should win. And it certainly wouldn't be the snoozefest that Cro Cop/Mir turned out to be.  These are just some ideas and thoughts I have had after seeing Lesnar lose the title. Thoughts?

An individual posted this idea on a different website and I felt that this was a great idea. I was hoping to get your thoughts on it.

"Numerous sticking points have been reported as complicating the negotiations between the UFC and Fedor Emelianenko. One issue is that M-1 Global wants additional Red Devil fighters brought to the UFC along with Emelianenko. Also, Emelianenko wants to continue Sambo competitions. Of course, there's also the obvious multi-fight deal required by the UFC as well. The best solution appears to be a U.S. vs. Russia season of "The Ultimate Fighter," which would provide Emelianenko with massive publicity in the U.S., and Red Devil fighters would have the opportunity to prove themselves and earn contracts. UFC president Dana White would have to compromise on the Sambo competitions, and Emelianenko would have to compromise on accepting a multi-fight deal. Further details would obviously have to be worked out, but I see this as the best win/win situation for both parties.  Either Brock Lesnar or Randy Couture could be the U.S. coach leading up to a grand season-ending superfight that will interest hardcore and casual fans alike."

I personally felt that Randy should be the coach being as this was part of the agreement for him coming back to the UFC. (they try to make a fight between him and Fedor happen.) Also, Randy would make a great team USA coach being as he used to be a US olympic wrestler. Randy also has much more experience in the fight game than Brock Lesnar and would have much more to offer to the team in my opinion. Thoughts?