Dave Meltzer over at Yahoo! Sports posted an article yesterday saying that Tito Ortiz will end his 11-year career with the Ultimate Fighting Champpionship after UFC 84. This isn’t too surprising, but what was surprising is that Dana White claims Tito made almost $6 million in 2006. I’m not sure how he came up with that number, maybe Ortiz is a large stakes holder in his girlfriend’s company, Vivid Video?

Also of interest (as always) is what Dana White had to say about Oritz as their business relationship finally winds down. A sample of Dana’s thoughts on the matter:

“He’s one of the most dishonest human beings I’ve ever met. I put up with him when he was a good fighter. He’s not anymore. He’s done. I’m no longer in the Tito Ortiz business.

There’s not going to be any bidding war, Gary Shaw (promoter at Elite XC) should offer him $30 a fight, because we’re not going to match it.

This guy went on Howard Stern and said he was getting $200,000 a fight. That was such a lie. Tito made $5.8 million in 2006. He only fought once in 2007. He made $710,000 for that fight (with Rashad Evans) and that was the third match from the top (on the card). He goes around saying we made $231 million last year. He’s a moron. This guy talks about what a businessman he is, and he was on ‘The Apprentice’ and he doesn’t know the difference between revenue and profit.”

Tough words as always from the UFC president. To see Tito’s thoughts, check out the full article on Yahoo! Sports

After getting lambasted by the MMA community for his less than spectacular performance against Nate Quarry at UFC 83 Kalib has released an official statement. RawVegas.com has picked up the story and posted the entire release on their site. Here is a snippet:

This sport is as much about losing as it is about winning. There is a winner and a loser in every fight. I tried to win but on that night I couldn’t do it and I lost. Instead of allowing me to lose with dignity I was booed and called names and ridiculed beyond anything which seems reasonable to me. I tried to box with him and I couldn’t find my range, I tried to kickbox with him and I broke my foot, I tried to take him down and grapple with him but I was unable to, I tried to work in the clinch but that didn’t work either, in short, I failed. No excuses.

During the fight I received a broken bone in my right foot and I find out tomorrow if I need to have surgery and get a pin put through it so that it will heal properly. I also have severe bruising on my left thigh, lumps on my head, a fat black eye, a sprained jaw and damage to the nerves in my molars.

Honestly I have no sympathy for Starnes. Kalib has been given the amazing opportunity to fight with biggest organization in the fastest growing sport in the world. So he broke his foot during the fight, boo hoo. This is mixed martial arts and injuries are part of the sport, deal with it. See Kurt Pelligrino as his tooth actually busted a hole through his skin during a fight, leaving a hole just below his bottom lip. Did this slow him down, hell no.

Also, remember the time Kalib quit in the middle of a fight on The Ultimate Fighter due to a rib injury? Dana White should have learned his lesson then. Get this guy out of the UFC and make room for fighters who are truly hungry and will do all they can to put on a good fight.

Check out the full Kalib Starnes release here.

If Anderson Silva is not the best fighter in the world who is? According to Frank Shamrock, Frank Shamrock is the best MMA fighter in the world. Frank is never shy about proclaiming his mixed martial arts prowess so this comes as no surprise. Gary Shaw of EliteXC agrees while UFC pres Dana White say that anyone who thinks Silva is not the top dog is “out of their mind.”

In an article by the Canadian Press, Shamrock is quoted as saying, “I think he’s probably one of the best guys in the UFC, but all the best fighters are not in the UFC. So hopefully he can hang onto that and make something out of it and gain some fame. But I have 100 percent confidence if I ran into him, they’d be calling me that guy.”

Are we seeing the beginning of a Silva vs. Shamrock super fight? Knowing the distaste Dana has for Frank (and any other non-Zuffa MMA organization for that matter) this might be a tough one to orchestrate but damn would it be sweet. So which would be the bigger fight right now, Fedor vs. Couture or Silva vs. Shamrock?

Click here to view the entire Shamrock article

Just days before UFC 82, Heath Herring sits down with 107.5 DJ Dave Farra to give his thoughts on a number of topics. I dig this guy Dave, his voice is the epitome of a radio DJ, but I wish he would have pushed Herring more on his thoughts about his UFC 82 opponent, Cheik Kongo. Of Kongo, Herring basically says, “I know he’s French” and then moves on completely.

Check out how Heath tries to tip toe around the issue fighter salaries. He so badly wants to slam the UFC but obviously can’t as they sign his pay check. DOH!

It’s pretty obvious that Kimbo Slice is the hottest name in MMA and everyone seems to be jumping onto the “calling out” bandwagon. First you had Tank Abbott, who subsequently got KTFO. And you had Ricco Rodriguez calling Kimbo a “dancing monkey” recently.

Now Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello had a make a big statement on Carson’s Corner with a message for Kimbo: bring it on!
Buentello calls out Kimbo in no uncertain terms and says he’ll give the internet star his first real MMA test. Promising to always fight for the fans and give them what they want, Buentello vows to stand and bang until one man is left standing. After this interview, the ball is clearly in the court of Team Kimbo. How will they respond to this challenge? How will Gary Shaw and EliteXC respond?

In addition, Buentello covers a variety of topics,including the Arlovski fight, Alistair Overeem, Carter Williams, the Sean Sherk steroid scandal, Sean
Gannon and much more.

Bob also covers recent news and rumors, including Strikeforce, Bob Sapp, Joe Riggs, Rich Franklin, Diego Sanchez and Jeff “Fabes” Faberman. Additionally, more outrageous listener emails are answered. The Mac Danzig show seems to have brought the wild side out in our listeners and it’s reflected in the emails that Bob addresses.

To listen to the show, click here

According to “The Beast,” yes. In an interview with the Seattle Times, Sapp recounts his early battle with depression and his ultimate rise uber-celebrity status in Japan.

After a lackluster football career in which he only played game in four years, Bob Sapp hit rock bottom. He hung black blankets over the windows of his Atlanta home, living inside his darkened cocoon. He refused to answer the door when friends knocked. Eventually they began leaving food on his doorstep, knowing that Sapp was too depressed to cook and worried that he was too depressed to live.

“It was very, very bad,” Sapp says, sitting on the couch in the living room of his Kirkland home Tuesday. “Finally some of my friends were telling me, ‘Dude you’re down to about $3,000 to your name. You got to do something.’ “

Fast forward to today and Sapp is a millionaire times ten. After a trip to Japan in 2000, Bob’s life changed in every conceivable way. His participation in pro wresting and Pride Fighting Championships catapulted him to superstar status. To say that Sapp is “big in Japan” is an understatement. Bob is a merchandising and marketing machine that has saved more then $10 million dollars.

“You name it, I’ve done it,” Sapp says. “I’ve gotten to live so many people’s dreams. People dream of playing in the NFL, of having a hit CD, of being in Hollywood movies, or being a pro wrestler, or playing college football. They dream of being able to travel the world. I’ve done all that. They say success is the best revenge, so I guess I’ve gotten my revenge on the NFL.”

Sapp is likely the richest mixed martial arts fighter of all time, who would of thunk it? Check out the full interview here at SeatleTimes.com.