Joe Ferraro

Welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre will share his training space with Gegard Mousasi.

The story spillover from one of the more popular segments on MMA Connected can now be read online.

Our weekly Inside The Octagon report is a favourite segment among MMA Connected viewers, with ever increasing requests for more. Unfortunately (due to time constraints) we can only offer up the major headlines, but as mentioned at the end of the segment, there is more to be found on sportsnet.ca. Now that you're here, I'll give you some thoughts and analysis on what's happening in the wide world of MMA.

Rogers Sportsnet To Broadcast UFC on Versus 1: Vera vs Jones

Last week on the show we told you to circle March 21 on the calendar as the UFC will invade Broomfield, CO, for UFC on Versus 1: Vera vs. Jones. I have great news as this stellar event will be airing exclusively on Rogers Sportsnet. In upcoming episodes of MMA Connected we'll break down the fight card, and what a great one it is:

MAIN CARD

Jon Jones vs. Brandon Vera

Junior Dos Santos vs. Gabriel Gonzaga

Paul Buentello vs. Cheick Kongo

John Howard vs. Anthony Johnson

PRELIMINARY CARD

Shannon Gugerty vs. Clay Guida

James Irvin vs. Alessio Sakara

Spencer Fisher vs. Duane "Bang" Ludwig

Eliot Marshall vs. Vladimir Matyushenko

Chase Gormley vs. Brendan Schaub

Rob Kimmons vs. Mike Pierce

Jason Brilz vs. Eric Schafer

GSP and Mousasi team up

During a recent visit to the TriStar Gym in Montreal, a few of Georges St-Pierre's training staff informed me that Gegard Mousasi (one of the best fighters not in the UFC) was being sought out as a training partner for the UFC weltwerweight champ. A great move on their part, and it looks like the first of many meetings will take place in Miami this week. While GSP prepares for Dan Hardy, Mousasi will train towards his next opponent in King Mo Lawal, likely to take place in April.

Do you believe King Mo can pull this fight off? I don't.

Liddell wants to fight four more times

Having lost four of his last five fights, Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that after he defeats Tito Ortiz, he wants three more fights -- the last being a title shot. The odds (and light heavyweight talent pool) are seriously stacked against the 40-year-old. I wish him the best, but I also believe he will not get past Ortiz in their trilogy bout. (Here's a pic with both guys on the set of TUF 11)

Strikeforce: Miami - Hieron-Riggs to air live on EaSportsMMA.com

Hardcore MMA fans are smiling ear to ear as Strikeforce's recent press release announced the much anticipated undercard bout between Jay Hieron and Joe Riggs will not go unnoticed, and will air live on EaSportsMMA.com. This welterweight bout was worthy of the main card, but in an already stacked event it fell just short. 

Here's why:

MAIN CARD

For Vacant Welterweight Title: 

Nick Diaz vs. Marius Zaromskis

Women's Featherweight Title bout: 

Champ Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos vs. Marloes Coenen

Robbie Lawler vs. Melvin Manhoef

Bobby Lashley vs. Wes Sims

Greg Nagy vs. Herschel Walker

Better Pay Up, If You Want To Play In New York

That's the message the UFC was recently given courtesy of a Legislative Gazette article that claims a gate tax of 8.5 per cent (with no cap) as well as broadcasting tax of 3 per cent (capped at $50,000). That's what you get when you want to set up the octagon in the media capital of the world. For a great breakdown of what all of this means, check out my pal Kelsey Phillpot's perspective; I can just imagine how some folks in the Ontario parliament are planning to gauge the UFC. Then again, I know a few folks in there that "get it" and understand that legalizing MMA is a great source of revenue for the province.

Karo Parisyan Hoping To Rebound Soon

Many fans and critics were down on "The Heat" after he pulled out of his UFC 106 welterweight bout with Dustin Hazelett. He was chastised for doing the same thing in the past, and in his last bout, tested positive for an illegal substance. Still, having met Karo on numerous occasions and spoken to him about the hardships, I do feel he deserves another chance, as he asks in this video clip. Maybe not with the UFC, but he should be allowed to build his career back. 

Misc MMA News

*** Nearly 10,000 people showed up to the opening of the first UFC Gym - yes, 10,000 people

*** Round 1 in the courtroom battle goes to M-1 and Fedor over Affliction Entertainment. This scenario could get ugly

*** UFC Legend Don Frye is ticked that Herschel Walker and James Toney think it's easy to just jump into MMA

*** Great to see the Toronto Sun finally joining the "Enough is Enough - legalize MMA in Ontario" bandwagon

*** Out with the old, in with the new: Former WEC bantamweight champ Miquel Torres is now with Mark Dellagrotte and Robert Drysdale

*** W1 signs Denis Kang; will be in main event on March 20th while Carlos Newton takes on Chris Clements in co-main

*** File this under "Great move" - Joachim Hansen is dropping down to where he belongs (145 lbs) and may take on champ Bibiano Fernandez at DREAM 13

*** Adoption of non-Unified Rules of MMA, causing a stir in Edmonton; promoter Pasqualino Santoro responds to his critics

*** Fans waiting to see what's in store for the next version of the UFC video game can check out these videos here and here

*** Not exactly MMA related, but Jean Claude Van Damme is in for a world of hurt if he is serious about competing in a K1 bout vs Somluck Kamsing.