MMA Nation - UFC 140: Jon Jones Vs. Lyoto Machida

UFC 140's Tito Ortiz: Nothing Left To Prove

2011-12-09T14:39:33Z

When Tito Ortiz enters the Octagon this weekend at UFC 140 to face Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, he'll set another record: most UFC appearances (26), surpassing former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes. To hear Ortiz tell it, it's yet another milestone in his career where no stone has been left unturned.

In the weeks and days leading up to UFC 140, Ortiz has been vocal about his desire to retire. Not immediately, of course, but with only two fights left on his current UFC contract (and really only one if you count this weekend) Ortiz is beginning to consider life after fighting. With his ability to compete diminishing, his injuries piling up and financial health secure, Ortiz has openly wondered whether the juice is worth the squeeze.

There isn't a bitterness to his tone. In fact, quite the opposite. In our exclusive interview with Ortiz, he looks back on his career achievements and states plainly there's nothing he didn't do that he wanted done. From winning titles to setting television and pay-per-view records, Ortiz isn't just feeling a sense of accomplishment; there's also one of completion.

We also discuss his gameplan for Nogueira, his predictions for the main and co-main event and so much more.

Full audio and transcription:

Luke Thomas: Alright, joining me right now on the McDonald's hot line, he is not only the former UFC light heavyweight champion of the world, he returns to action this weekend. UFC 140, 9 p.m. It'll actually be in Toronto, Canada. He'll be taking on Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, the one and only, Tito Ortiz. Tito, how are you sir?

Tito Ortiz: I'm doing great man. Thanks for having me on the show. I appreciate it.

Luke Thomas: Happy to have you on here. Tito, I've gotta be honest, we'll go right to the big headlines you made kinda recently, kinda of sort of, suggested, hinted at that maybe you're thinking kind of towards retirement. Correct me if I'm wrong. What exactly did you say about it and how much are you thinking about retirement?

Tito Ortiz: Well, you know I have two more fights in my contract and I've gone through a lot of things in my history of fighting, surgeries and so forth. I've got three boys. I've got a family to take care of. My oldest son, Jacob, he's nine. For the first five years of his life, I wasn't there all that much because I was training nine months out of the year up at Big Bear defending world titles and I've got two more boys now that are two and a half and I want to watch them grow up. I've made my money. I've done my thing in the UFC and there's nothing else I can do in the UFC that I haven't already done.

I don't want to have any more injuries. My health, I want to make sure I'm able to throw a ball with my boys when they get older, be able to wrestle with them or run with them. My health and my family are number one for me. No money can surpass that I don't think and I've made my businesses, I've made my money doing that. Let's turn a chapter in my life and get into something a little less physical.

UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida Complete Coverage

Luke Thomas: It's actually funny, you sound almost like Miguel Cotto sounded in the Max Kellerman faceoff with Antonio Margarito talking about how he wouldn't extend himself past that his point, that his family and his health mattered down the line. But let me clarify here, are you saying that there's no way you'd sign an extension after the two fight deal once that contract us up?

Tito Ortiz: I wouldn't say, never say, "No way." You can never say, "Never," because you never know what the UFC will offer. I watched that thing with Miguel Cotto and they don't understand. Until they fight, they will never understand what we go through as fighters. This is the most loneliest sport in the world. Fighting is nothing like no other. The mind games we play with ourselves, the physical games we play with ourselves, it's just like no other. We have our families that support us, our fans that support us, but at the end of the night, we go to bed and we think of the things on our own and it's tough, it's difficult to get through the things we do.

Physically, mentally, emotionally, to get into the cage as I do and compete, it takes a strong will to do it and after the surgeries that I've had, it takes a strong will to do it year after year after year. I'm going on 15 years of doing it. I'm the longest competing competitive fighter in UFC history. I've got a couple more fights ahead of me and I'm thinking about it, I'm thinking about retiring and I think it makes sense to retire on my own terms.

Luke Thomas: Now I want to talk about your fight at UFC 140 against Nogueira in just a moment but I've got to ask you, you've accomplished a lot, you've defended the light heavyweight title more than anyone. You were the first breakout star for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Is there anything in your judgment that you wanted to do in MMA that you couldn't, any heights that were just out of your reach?

Tito Ortiz:. Everything I did, I wanted to do. I set my goals and I achieved those goals. I think being the first to be the main event in Las Vegas, I did that. Being the first main event in California, I did that and I was very happy with things I've been so successful and big thanks have gotta go to Lorenzo Fertitta, Frank Fertitta and Dana White for giving me the opportunity to be a great fighter as I am and I've got a couple more fights ahead of me so let's just break some more goals and break some more records.

Luke Thomas: Alright so you're taking on Antonio Rogerio Nogueira this Saturday. You were originally slated to fight him at UFC Fight Night 24 and he wound up facing Phil Davis. Phil Davis, sort of notably, as Joe Rogan made a point of it during the fight, had trouble with the double, switched to the single and it was lights out for him. What I'm asking you is, you had to do one camp for him or at least a partial camp and now a full camp. How different were the two camps for the same fighter?

Tito Ortiz: I really think they both kinda mixed and matched together perfectly. It was nice to see Phil Davis try and hit the double and have pause with it and switch it up to the single and it was like taking down a kid and he took note of that and I will take note of that on Saturday night also but in July, I got Submission of the Night against Ryan Bader and I fought Rashad 10 days later and got Fight of the Night so I'm gonna try to get Knockout of the Night and finish out the year.

Luke Thomas: Talk to me about why Nogueira had so much trouble with the single. Obviously, they're different techniques, there's different ways to balance, different ways to defend, but why is it, is there something to the idea that more fighters spend more time learning how to defend the double versus the single or is the single a more potent but less-used offensive weapon?

Tito Ortiz: I think the single is less used just because guys, when they plant their feet, the double's easier to hit. Little Nog, he learned the defense when he trained at Black House, those guy know how to defend away from the fence but the single, itself, you've got to add technique into it and it takes a lot of gray area to work in collegiate wrestling and I've worked so long at doing and finishing that move and it takes the repetition of doing it over and over again and learning the defense of the head position, getting your hips in the right area and sprawling in the right area to defend the shot. There are so many different ways to take a person down with a single that it takes a lot of work to learn that.

Luke Thomas: What do you make of the state of Nogueira's boxing? Initially, there was a time there he was training with the Cuban Olympic boxing team as we saw, as a matter of fact, former trainer of them, Pedro Diaz was with Cotto, this is a reputed team. Do you believe his boxing is as good as it's always been or is he a little more trigger shy? How would you evaluate the striking today of Nogueira?

Tito Ortiz: I think his hands are as great as they were in the beginning but he's just a little trigger shy because he doesn't want to get taken down. If he exposes himself, he gets taken down and he doesn't want that to happen. That's one thing, if he exposes himself, I'm gonna take him down. If he kicks at me, I'm gonna take him down but I've been working on my hands a lot with Jason Parillo who's been working with B.J. Penn and I hit Ryan Bader with a right hand and dropped him and I would like to do the same thing to Little Nog.

Luke Thomas: I want to ask you, this is kind of funny. I wasn't planning on doing it, but now that I have you on the line, it's a great idea. You had patented, in many ways pioneered how to trash talk at least in mixed martial arts and to an effective degree. Today in the UFC on FOX press conference, Rashad Evans sort of alluded to the Jerry Sandusky scandal to make a point about the abuse he was going to inflict on Phil Davis. In your judgment, is that over the line, or is that sort of acceptable in the game of trash talk?

Tito Ortiz: It's all acceptable in the game of trash talk. If you know how to sell a fight and you say things that are true when you say them, that's when they mean the most. There's a guy that was a little better trash talker than me in Chael Sonnen and the guy speaks the truth and when you speak the truth, people listen. It's part of selling the fight because as long as you can back it up come fight time.

Luke Thomas: Tito, what expectation do you have, fighting in Canada, semi-neutral territory, right? Because you're American and he is Brazilian. What kind of crowd response are you expecting?

Tito Ortiz: I expect the crowd to go crazy. We had the open workout today and there was over 300 fans there just going nuts and I did a light workout and they were just screaming and they were pro-Tito. It was so cool to see the support I have. I have my clothing company, Punishment Athletics, and our number one seller is Canada. Go figure, I guess this is the second capital or the number one capital of the world, knowing that Vegas was the capital of the MMA world of fighting and I guess Toronto is number two because they sold out the last arena at 65,000 people but I don't think I'll have a problem with 18,000.

Luke Thomas: What are your theories on why Canada is so popular? I went to UFC 129 and I saw it with my own eyes. In your judgement, MMA is popular in Canada to an extraordinary degree. Why?

Tito Ortiz: Because people love hockey and hockey is very, very brutal too. Guys get their noses broken, their teeth knocked out and they come back and continue playing. The fans just like the aggressiveness that MMA is about and how technical the fighters truly are. They really respect the sport for what it really is.

Luke Thomas: Let's talk real quickly about the two other main fights on this card, I'd love to get your thoughts on them. In the co-main event, your fighting his brother, it's Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira taking on Frank Mir. How do you see that one playing out? Of course Mir won the first one, does he do it again?

Tito Ortiz: I think it'll be a little different. I think Nogueira will actually have had hip surgery so I think he'll be a little more healthier, little more faster and you never know. Mir could be on a tear, blast right through him and really have his card. You never know and of course the main event itself, Johnny Bones Jones versus Machida, I would have to go with Bones Jones because I want to see the guy excel. He's got a great attitude, he's a great guy, very positive and Machida just runs a lot so if Johnny gets in his face and keeps pushing the pressure, he'll win the fight.

Luke Thomas: One quick question about Machida and we'll let you go, there was a video that came out about his training methods. He had a smaller cage, he brought in Muhammed Lawal, he had put on something like 10 pounds of muscle and a whole bunch of different stuff and I'm sort of wondering what that all amounts to. If realistically, the way he attacks is sort of linear and on the outside, I don't know if he can throw kicks. If you are Lyoto Machida, what sort of options do you really have to attack Jon Jones with a 10-inch reach advantage?

Tito Ortiz: I don't know, that's a question he's gonna have to answer himself on Saturday night and that's what makes the fight so interesting. Machida coming in as a southpaw fighter and I know Johnny 'Bones' Jones switches back and forth from orthodox to southpaw and it's gonna be a good fight to watch.

Dan Henderson Makes His Case For Being A Tough Test For Jon Jones

2011-12-06T17:31:28Z

Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson appeared on The Savage Dog Show recently and essentially argued his best case for why he'd be uniquely troubling for UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. After recently besting Mauricio Rua at UFC 139, Henderson is hoping he can fast-track to a title shot even if the Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis winner at UFC on Fox 2 is more likely to do so. Still, here's Henderson's argument:

"I think I’m a tough fight for anybody," Henderson said. "If you’re in a fight with me, you’re definitely going to know you’re in a fight. I don’t know if really Jon Jones has felt that too much in his career. I definitely would test that out. I think style-wise I match up real well with him."

...

"It’s unfortunate that Rashad got hurt, but you know, it’s happened twice now," Henderson said. "He’s had people step in. … All I know is, if I have to, I’ll pull out the age card and just say I should have seniority here. I’m getting older. Rashad’s got a little more time than I do."

...

"That’s pretty much one of the last things I’ve got on my list for my career," Henderson said, "to get a UFC title and keep it for a little while."

There isn't a ton of X's and O's discussion here. In short, Henderson believes Jones hasn't been really roughed up in a fight and as a fighter who presses the attack with hard strikes (especially early), he'd force Jones to answer the still (sort of) unreasolved questions about his recovery abilities.

He might have a point. I'd certainly like to see Henderson get the opportunity. But the two-time Olympian kind of overstates the case. He's right that no matter who you are, eventually someone is going to tag you in MMA. And when they do, all bets are off. Some fighters respond favorably. Others do not. A fighter who has made it as far as Jones without really ever having to work out of terrible spots may not respond as appropriately as a fighter who has had to a take a few lumps in bad spots as he rose through the ranks.

Still, Henderson notes Jones hasn't been in that spot yet precisely because he's difficult to hit. Second, other fighters have made contact with Jones. Andre Gusmao and Quinton Jackson chief among them. They didn't land on Jones flush, no, but it's not as if Jones hasn't faced meaningful adversity with potent offenses. Getting rocked is admittedly a different experience to deal with. But Jones doesn't turtle at the slightest inclination of pain and makes putting him in a position to be badly hurt a very daunting challenge.

Oh, and Henderson predicts Jones will defeat Lyoto Machida at UFC 140 this weekend.

Poll

Do you agree Dan Henderson's fighting style matches him up well with UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones?

Yes

119 votes

No

102 votes

I Don't Know

17 votes

238 votes | Poll has closed

UFC 140 Fight Card: Jon Jones And Lyoto Machida Meet In A Culture War

2011-12-06T14:48:27Z

It's a classic tale of East versus West. A non-romantic version of the Karate Kid. When Lyoto Machida and Jon Jones collide this weekend in Toronto for the UFC light heavyweight title, it will be a battle between more than mere men. It's a culture war.

Machida is the traditionalist. When he prepares for his bout, the central figure in his life is his father, Shotokan karate master Yoshizo Machida. The techniques he's mastered are as old as time - or at least as old as the art itself, pieced together from a mishmash of styles by Gichin Funakoshi in the early 1900's.

If Machida represents the past, Jones is a fighter for a new generation. He famously developed his unorthodox style, which includes unusual spinning strikes and cartoonish throws, from watching YouTube videos of judo matches, pro wrestling, and actual fights. The central figure in his public life on a fight week isn't a withered karate sensei. Instead, Jones is followed closely by Malki Kawa, a swaggering sports agent who has mastered the art of social media.

Complete Coverage of UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida

It's a fight that hasn't been easy to prepare for in either man's case. Machida has brought in rangy fighters like fellow Brazilian Glover Texeira to mimic Jones's reach and striking from a distance. But no one can truly simulate the champion's physical prowess and ability to change the fight from a standing battle to a ground fight in a blink of an eye.

Jones has had trouble of his own. While plenty of people in mixed martial arts come from a karate background, most are from the tough guy Kyokushin tradition of Mas Oyama. It's a style built on force - Oyama used to attract students in new towns by punching out bulls and other manly feats of strength - a far cry from Machida's artful and careful defensive movement. It's made the bout a tough one to prepare for, much tougher according to Jones than his last title defense against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

"I guess the biggest difference is Rampage has a style which is easier for sparring partners to mimic," Jones said in a media conference call. "I have... had (training partners) mimic Machida to the best of their ability. But Machida is harder to mimic than Rampage.

"Lyoto's a unique challenge, (but) really there's nothing to fear when you're prepared," the champion continued. "(If) you know yourself and you know your opponent... there's no fear when you do your work and you study."

The pressure surrounding Jones is about more than fighting. It's a constant buzz of meetings, opportunities, and Tweets. Jones is, perhaps, MMA's first modern athlete. He spends as much time marketing and networking as he does training. Like UFC President Dana White, the mainstream is on his mind.

"I think it's important to always just be yourself and always put your best foot forward," Jones said. "As far as my image, this may sound weird but my image - I'm just myself and I don't think of it. It's enough being myself. I'm a pretty solid guy with good intentions.

"And I think a solid character and personality is good for the UFC. We've got a lot of fans that get to know us, there's another audience that get to know us, let mainstream people get to know that we're college educated guys and that we are intelligent athletes and not just guys who show up and beat each other up in the cage."

For Machida, further from the spotlight and pressures of being the champion, the bout represents the opportunity for redemption. He lost the first fight of his career last year against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and dropped his next fight to Jackson as well. After seven years of perfection, a humbled Machida finally knew what losing felt like.

"There's ups and downs at some point," Machida said during a media call with the press. "I learned a lot from the experiences - since winning the title and then losing it and then losing to Rampage and then coming back through a lot. I am a completely different fighter nowadays."

With just days remaining before the fight, the time for training is over. Jones will look for tranquility in the sprawling Canadian metropolis. Machida, too, will look to find a moment of calm before the storm. When the two meet it will be with the weight of enormous expectation on their broad shoulders. What happens when the most modern of fighters meets the most traditional? On Saturday, we'll have our answer.

UFC 140 VIDEO: Jon Jones' Professional MMA Debut

2011-12-05T21:57:24Z

It wasn't too long ago that Jon Jones was just a 20-year-old kid who idolized Anderson Silva and wanted to try his hand at mixed martial arts.

Of course, four years later Jones is the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion set to make his second title defense at UFC 140 on Saturday. But still, to those that were in Foxborough on April 12, 2008 for FFP: Untamed 20, "Bones" will likely forever be the unnaturally talented rookie who streamrolled his way through a terrified Brad Bernard.

Professional debuts are fascinating because we can often catch the first glimpse of certain character traits -- and in Jones' case, greatness -- that eventually becomes routine for fighters. And "Bones" sure doesn't disappoint.

In just a minute-and-a-half, two things become quickly apparent: Jones' otherworldly athleticism and his penchant for arrogance. Bloody Elbow's Fraser Coffeen explains:

Things start off going along as you would expect from the debut of a future champion. Jones is controlling the ground, looking good in the process, and then he hits this stunning suplex seemingly out of nowhere, hurling Bernard straight onto his head. From there, we get a glimpse of the Jon Jones that a lot of people don't love, as he gloats over the fallen body of Bernard, then throws some shots, gets up, and viciously punts Bernard straight in the ribs. Nothing illegal about any of this, but it's certainly not the most sportsmanlike conduct you've ever seen. Still, it makes an impression, and 92 seconds into his career, it's clear this is a kid to watch.

UFC 140: Jon Jones Vs. Lyoto Machida Preview On The Fight Fix

2011-12-05T17:23:45Z

In a huge weekend for combat sports, Dustin Green (host of CSN Washington's 'The Fight Fix') and I sit down to discuss UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida. This Saturday, December 10th, at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada UFC light heavyweight Jon Jones defends his title for the second this year. He'll face Lyoto Machida in the main event.

Green and I break down the new training methods of Lyoto Machida, whether bringing in Muhammed Lawal will be a factor in helping Machida achieve, what Machida needs to do to win and Jones can counteract that.

We also offer predictions for UFC 140's co-main event (Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira) and featured bout (Tito Ortiz vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueria).

You can also see The Fight Fix at CSNWashington.com.

SBNation and Comcast SportsNet are proud to bring you The Fight Fix on BloodyElbow.com and MMA Nation every week.

VIDEO: UFC 140 In-Depth Preview

2011-11-30T18:19:58Z

The UFC has released this nearly 10 minute video previewing UFC 140 which features a light heavyweight title fight between champion Jon Jones and former champ Lyoto Machida. The co-main event will feature former heavyweight champs Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in a re-match of their 2008 bout. Full fight card after the jump.

Main Card

Jon Jones (14-1) vs. Lyoto Machida (17-2)

Frank Mir (15-5) vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-6, 1 NC)

Tito Ortiz (16-9-1) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19-5)

Mark Hominick (20-9) vs. Chan Sung Jung (11-3)

Claude Patrick (14-1) vs. Brian Ebersole (48-14-1, 1 NC)

Preliminary Card:

Mark Bocek (9-4) vs. Nik Lentz (21-3-2, 1 NC)

Dennis Hallman (50-14-2, 1 NC) vs. John Makdessi (9-0)

Igor Pokrajac (23-8) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (26-11-1)

Rich Attonito (10-4) vs. Jake Hecht (10-2)

Mitch Clarke (9-0) vs. John Cholish (7-1)

Yves Jabouin (16-7) vs. Walel Watson (11-2)

Jared Hamman (16-3) vs. Constantinos Philippou (11-2, 1 NC)

The UFC's Five Greatest Grudge Matches

2011-10-12T15:42:28Z

Jon Jones and Rashad Evans are building what looks like it might be an all-time great feud. The two have all the ingredients necessary to create a fight fans will remember forever: personal animus, superlative skills in the cage, and the gift of gab to paint a picture. While we wait for the two to finally make it into the Octagon, let's look back chronologically at the five greatest grudge matches in UFC history.

5. Don Frye vs. Mark Coleman (UFC 10)

The most heated fight in the early history of the UFC came at the promotion's tenth event in Birmingham, Alabama. Mark Coleman didn't really know Don Frye - but Coleman's manager Richard Hamilton certainly did. Hamilton had been Frye's manager as well and some believe that after the two parted ways, Hamilton recruited Coleman to the sport specifically to dismantle the undefeated Frye. He certainly did that. With Hamilton screaming "Kill him! Kill him!" from the corner, Coleman literally broke Frye's face with headbutts, elbows, and punches.

Winner: Mark Coleman

Money Quote: "The stuff Hamilton was telling me made me want to go in there and hurt Don." - Mark Coleman.

4. Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock (UFC 40)

Tito Ortiz's fight with Ken Shamrock was a long time coming. The two had almost come to blows after Ortiz beat Ken's student Guy Mezger at UFC 19. When they finally met in the cage at UFC 40 three years later, the intensity was still there. Shamrock was returning to the UFC to help legitimize a new generation of fighters. Some still believed he could compete with young guns like Ortiz - those people soon learned a hard lesson. Ortiz battered the brave Shamrock for three rounds before the 38 year old's corner threw in the towel. A new star was born that night and Ortiz became the UFC's most potent box office weapon.

Winner: Tito Ortiz

Money Quote: "If I was you, I hope to God you come ready, 'cause if you don't, I'm going to beat you into a living death." - Ken Shamrock.

3. Tito Ortiz vs. Chuck Liddell (UFC 47)

Ortiz and Liddell, both managed at one time by UFC President Dana White, had been tight. Not best friends, but more than just acquaintances. Liddell didn't think that should stop them from fighting. Ortiz had other thoughts. A bout between the two was delayed for more than a year. Liddell accused Ortiz of ducking him. Ortiz scoffed at the idea - he was actually in the midst of a contract dispute.

It didn't matter which side you took - by the time the fight finally rolled around in April, 2004 if you were a UFC fan you had an opinion. Liddell, it turned out, could back up his tough talk. After an eye gouge, a one-two combination to the chin floored the Huntington Beach Bad Boy. Ortiz may have won the war of words, but Liddell spoke loudest in the Octagon.

Winner: Chuck Liddell

Money Quote: "He'll never fight me. The guy is a coward. He's not a real fighter." - Chuck Liddell.

2. Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar (UFC 100)

Brock Lesnar was still seething a year and a half after his loss to Frank Mir. Lesnar had fallen victim to a kneebar in his first UFC fight, caught dead to rights by a savvy veteran. That hurt, especially since Lesnar had been dominating the fight to that point. What hurt worse was Mir's continuing verbal assault. Mir was one up on Lesnar - and let everybody know it. When they met for the second time, Lesnar was out for blood. He physically manhandled Mir, outwrestled him, and after it was all over he let spittle fly, getting in Mir's face and letting him know how he felt. It was an epic moment - and a fitting capper for the UFC's biggest event of all time.

Winner: Brock Lesnar

Money Quote: "Frank Mir had a horseshoe up his ass. I told him that a year ago. I pulled it out of him and beat him over the head with it. [Now] I'm going to drink a Coors Light. That's right a Coors. Bud Light don't pay me nothing. I may even get on top of my wife tonight." - Brock Lesnar.

1. Rashad Evans vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (UFC 114)

Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson took what could have been a standard fight after a season coaching The Ultimate Fighter and turned it into something special. The two just didn't like each other. Combine that instant dischord with a pair of great trash talkers and suddenly reality television seems important again. It was a television blockbuster, setting record ratings and amping up the fanbase for their eventual battle in the Octagon. The fight between the two men was more strategic than many had hoped, with Evans controlling Jackson with his superior wrestling. But more than a million people bought it on pay per view making the end result a commercial, if not artistic, success.

Winner: Rashad Evans

Money Quote: "You perpetuate stupidness. 'Oh don't use those big words, I don't know what that is,' motherf*cker, you're not stupid. Stop acting like you're stupid. Stop acting like just because you're black, you're stupid. I can't stand that attitude." - Rashad Evans.

'UFC Live' On Xbox 360 Debuts For UFC 140

2011-10-07T18:49:47Z

The UFC made an unexpected showing at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), when UFC President Dana White announced the promotion's new mega-partnership with Microsoft and debuted the above trailer for an upcoming service dubbed "UFC Live." Little has been heard about the service since then, until now.

The UFC's newest digital foray will be accessible through gamers' Xbox 360 consoles via the monthly subscription service Xbox Live. As of Friday, "UFC Live" has been tapped to debut on December 10th for UFC 140, as Jon Jones defends his light heavyweight belt against Lyoto Machida in Toronto, Canada. Here are some of the features fans can expect, detailed from the official press release.

Live and On-Demand Video: Event previews, UFC Countdown, press conferences, weigh-ins, interviews, workouts, highlights, and more, together for the first time on your big screen.

Streaming HD Quality in 720p: UFC fans demand stunning HD viewing, and Xbox LIVE brings the most premium streaming HD to the big screen.

Pay-Per-View with Ease: The biggest pay-per-view fights available to all Xbox LIVE members in HD and SD pricing options. Purchase directly with your credit card, Microsoft Points not required.

Interactive Fight Card with Predictions: Size up the fighters with the tale of the tape and view their past fight results. Predict upcoming fights, compare results with friends for points and bragging rights, and see where you stand against them on the leaderboard, all accessible while watching the fight so you'll never have to leave the excitement of the Octagon.

Control the action with Kinect: Focus on the fight instead of looking for the remote. Navigate through the video content, bring up the Interactive Fight Card, or play, pause, and rewind that big punch, kick or submission...all with the magic of Kinect.