Another busy day in the world of MMA as the UFC's light-heavyweight picture has been shuffled, Matt Hughes pinpoints who he wants next and much more surrounding the fastest growing sport on the planet.

UFC light-heavyweight picture

With the recent announcement that Quinton (Rampage) Jackson and (Sugar) Rashad Evans have been designated as coaches for Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter, many have been wondering if Rampage's title shot was in jeopardy vs. Lyoto Machida.

At the UFC 98 post-fight press conference, I asked Dana White to confirm that Jackson would be Machida's first title shot and he did. Since then, the UFC's direction and plans for the light-heavyweight division have changed.

Rumours are circulating that Machida's first title defence may be against fellow Brazilian Mauricio (Shogun) Rua. Multiple sources have informed me that the fight looks to be scheduled for either September or October.

Hughes wants the winner of GSP vs. Alves

After his victory over Matt Serra at UFC 98, former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes has stated that he has one fight left and he wants it to be a big one.

Hughes has his sights set on the winner of the Georges St. Pierre-Thiago Alves fight, which is scheduled as the co-main event at UFC 100. Not only do I believe that Hughes will not fight the winner, I believe he may not even get a crack at the loser. If GSP loses the bout, I doubt he will want to fight Hughes, somebody that he soundly defeated two straight times. Neither of the past two fights were even close, so I cannot see it happening for Hughes.

If Alves wins the title, Hughes should not get a crack at the title. He does not deserve a title shot, but if Alves loses, he can make a strong argument for a rematch, seeing as the first time they fought, The Pitbull did not make weight.

Koscheck vs Trigg?

Frank (Twinkle Toes) Trigg is making headlines across a variety of internet sites since the UFC announced his Octagon return. Adding fuel to this hot story is welterweight Josh Koscheck, who would be more than happy to welcome the former No. 1 contender to the cage.

Koscheck also referenced Hughes as a potential opponent and that's a fight I would rather see. It would prove whether Hughes still has what it takes to compete with the upper echelon of the division or whether the torch will be passed from one of the sport's greatest to a fighter who has what it takes to be a champion in the division.

Documentary featuring Jon Fitch

Koscheck's teammate Jon Fitch has an upcoming documentary titled "Such Great Heights." It is scheduled to be released in the fall of 2009.

The documentary will feature Fitch's training camp leading up to his epic battle with GSP at UFC 87. I had the chance to catch up with Fitch at UFC 98 and he stated he enjoyed the overall experience and would definitely do it again.

Stay tuned to upcoming episodes of "MMA Connected" where Fitch and I discuss everything surrounding "Such Great Heights."

Yves Lavigne taking unnecessary criticism

It continues to baffle me why referee Yves Lavigne is still being criticized and berated for his stoppage during the Kyle Bradley- Phillipe Nover bout at UFC 98.

Lavigne was booed mercilessly throughout the night, even after the replay of the stoppage aired multiple times at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Every bout thereafter, when Lavigne was introduced as the ref, the crowd was all over him.

The replay, in slow motion, showed that Nover's body went limp after being struck by Bradley. Lavigne, in simply doing his job, shot in to stop the fight. It was obvious to any real MMA fan that Lavigne did a great job by stopping the fight.

What is really impressive to me is that Lavigne did this in real time -- not in slow motion. As Jason MacDonald said, we should "tip our hats" to Yves for getting the call right.

I spoke to Lavigne after the event and he explained to me he is not bothered by the criticism as he firmly believes he made the right call -- as do most people who understand the sport.

What I wonder is if commissions should start looking at fighters during these isolated incidents. The reason why Lavigne stepped away after stopping the fight was that Bradley and Nover continued to fight, and for his own personal well-being, I'm sure he got out of dodge to avoid being struck. Once the fighters slowed down and stepped away, he made it clear that the fight was over.

Do referees now have to start tackling fighters, ala professional football linebackers? Or should fighters be fined for continuing to strike after the ref has signalled an end to the bout? Last time I checked, be it boxing, Muay Thai or MMA, the ref is the man in charge during a fight.

UFC to bypass Chicago in favour of Indianapolis and Memphis

I can't say I am surprised that the UFC will not be returning to Chicago in 2009. I recall attending UFC 90 last year in "The Windy City" and vividly remember that the atmosphere was not as grand as other UFC road shows like Montreal, Atlanta or Minneapolis. The weigh-ins were held in a much smaller venue than normal and it just didn't have that feeling that the big show was in town.

Mind you, the night of the show you could definitely feel the buzz, but unlike the aforementioned other cities, you just didn't feel as if the UFC was visiting. I am told the Illinois market is a big pay-per-view buyer but I wonder if this simply did not translate into live event ticket sales.

The UFC is now looking at other new cities, namely Indianapolis and Memphis for 2010.

While Indy would make for an excellent city to hold a UFC event, I really hope Memphis is one of the stops for a pay-per-view event, specifically if Rampage, one if its own, could headline a show.