Along the way we discover that Jones is a far better fighter than he is a rapper or pitcher, but also that despite his recent rise to fame he still comes across as a nice guy.

Check out the video below.

—

Given that it’s produced by the UFC it’s very nicely put together and in the debut episode they offer up some never before seen footage from UFC 116, including the moment when Chris Leben is told by his trainers that it was the third round that he finished the fight (he admitted in the post-fight press conference that he couldn’t remember much of the fight and thought he’d won in the second).

There’s also a rare emotional moment from Brock Lesnar backstage as he thanks his former pro-wrestling pal ‘The Rock’ for his support.

Elsewhere Joe Rogan interviews with Jon ‘Bones’ Jones , plus we get to see the headline star of tomorrow night’s UFC On Versus 2 event in training at Greg Jackson’s gym. To top it off there’s also video footage from one of Arianny’s latest video shoots, and an interview with Forrest Griffin.

You can check out the full video at the UFC.com site here

Much of the talk was about the UFC’s hot prospect Jon ‘Bones’ Jones, but despite the hype surrounding him White was keen to stress that he may still be a year away from a title shot if he wins on Sunday night.

“One he breaks into that top eight [at 205lbs], your talking Shogun Rua, your talking Machida, your talking Rampage Jackson, Rashad Evans, you know, your talking all the best guys in the world right now,” White said. He’s got a long way for a title shot, it’s gonna take a while. He’s gotta knock off some serious competition.”

Moving on to the Yushin Okami Vs Mark Munoz fight, White had some unexpected words of encouragement for the Japanese fighter.

“Winning this fight would be big [for Okami]. I say it all the time, you know, Yushin Okami is one of the best 185lb’ers in the world and has been for a while. This guy’s due for a title shot.”

That’s somewhat surprising given that for much of his UFC career Okami appears to have been steered away from a shot at the title despite racking up an impressing 8-2 octagon record.

Perhaps with Anderson Silva suggesting earlier this week that he may just stay at 185lbs for the remainder of his career, the UFC is now looking to generate some interest in other fighters beyond Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort who could challenge the champion.

Given that Okami already holds a pre-UFC win over Silva makes him a solid choice in that regard.

Check out Dana White’s full preview on the show below.

—

Rothwell told the MMAJunkie site that he underwent surgery on Tuesday night to repair the damage, but he’ll now have to undergo physical therapy and look to return to the octagon early next year.

Rothwell had gone into the fight at UFC 115 in May knowing that a loss could have spelled an end to his brief spell in the promotion having been defeated by Cain Velasquez in his debut.

In the end he won by unanimous decision to take his record to 1-1, but it wasn’t a performance that set the octagon alight.  Considering that he tore his ACL early in the first round though, and that he later suffered a deviated septum from a head kick later in the round, it’s somewhat remarkable that he finished the fight at all.

In Rothwell’s mind none of that mattered, and feels that despite his ailments he should have performed better.

“I could have finished that fight.  Hurt knee, broke nose or not, I was still going to be throwing down. I didn’t want to make any excuses.”

—

Jon Jones Vs Vladimir Matyushenko

—

Yushin Okami Vs Mark Munoz Pre-Fight Interviews

It seems that UFC president Dana White has other plans though.

During an interview on ESPN’S MMA live show yesterday Shogun’s next opponent Rashad Evans, who is one of the programs analysts, asked White what he thought of Shogun’s desire to make a quick comeback.

“Let me tell you what, people keep asking me why he’s had so many knee surgeries – that’s exactly why he’s had that many knee surgeries,” White replied. “First of all we sent him to the best doctor in the United States to get his knee fixed, and this kid keeps pushing it and wants to get out there faster and faster.

“I completely respect him for that – he’s an animal I love it, but there’s no way he’s going to be ready by December. He’s looking at spring or early summer.”

Evans followed up by asking if White would be arranging an interim title in the mean time.

“I doubt it,” was his response which seemed to please Evans who struggled to hide a smile. The former champion has been less than enthusiastic about the idea of such a fight recently and appears happy to sit out and wait for his chance to fight Shogun.

Evans is probably the only one smiling at the news though, it’s definitely disappointing to have it confirmed that the 205lb title is going to be on ice for such a long period of time.

Having said that it is admirable that White is not looking to just throw his champion back into action at the earliest opportunity and will give him ample time to heal and get back to full fighting fitness. Hopefully that will prove to be a shrewd investment in Shogun’s future which will pay dividends with a longer career at the highest level.

—

It’s remarkable to think that just two years ago Jones was just another up and comer slugging his way through the regional promotions while learning fighting techniques from YouTube. Now, still only 23 years old, he’s about to headline his second ‘UFC On Versus’ event and is seen as one of the future superstars of the sport.

Check out the on-going series of Bones video blog’s with fellow UFC fighter Brian Stann in the build-up to their fights on Sunday night below.

—

Now Munoz faces a stern test at UFC on Versus 2 this Sunday night against a UFC veteran in Yushin Okami who’s made ten previous visits to the octagon and emerged with a loss just twice.

Watch two new videos from MMA Heat below in which he talks about his last fight, a bruising encounter with Kendall Grove, and reveals how Anderson Silva has been helping Munoz prepare physically and mentally for a fight with the last man to beat the current middleweight champion.

—

Mark Munoz Interview:

Mark Munoz And His Training Partners:

August 1st: UFC On Versus 2

Getting right down to business, Sunday, August 1st finds the UFC in San Diego for UFC On Versus 2, headlined by arguably the promotions best young talent Jon Jones going up against seasoned veteran Vladimir Matyushenko.

The card also features an interesting middleweight bout between Yushin Okami and Mark Munoz while former PRIDE star Takanori Gomi faces a tough test in Tyson Griffin.

See the full UFC On Versus 2 fight card here

—

August 8th: UFC 117

Just a week later the UFC will have packed up the octagon and moved to Oakland for UFC 117 where Chael Sonnen will have to back up his words with actions if he wants to take home Anderson Silva’s middleweight belt.

This is a seriously stacked card throughout with Junior Dos Santos Vs Roy Nelson and a rematch between Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves amongst the many highlights.

See the full UFC 117 fight card here

—

12th August: Bellator Season 3 Premiere

After a brief hiatus Bellator returns for their third season starting on the 12th of August which means plenty of Thursday night entertainment in store over the next couple of months as they seek to crown new champions in a host of weight classes.

This time round the woman get their chance to shine in a 115lb tournament along with the men’s bantamweight and heavyweight tournaments, plus last seasons winners get the opportunity to take on the current champions in their respective divisions.

—

13th August: Strikeforce Challengers 10

A day later on Friday, August 13th Strikeforce returns for the 10th in their Challengers series headlined by Joe  ‘Diesel’ Riggs and Louis Taylor, while Randy Couture’s son Ryan Couture makes his pro-debut against Lucas Stark.

The woman’s135lb tournament also begins as the promotions seeks to find a future challenger for the title.   There’s four competitors lined up for the tourney including fan-favourite Meisha Tate, Carina Damm, Hitomi Akano and Maiju Kajula.

—

August 14th: PWP: War On The Mainland

On Saturday the 14th another up and coming promotion, Powerhouse World Promotions, looks to make it’s mark with a card filled with familiar names.   Headlining is ex-UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia who’s square off against respectable opposition in the shape of recently released UFC fighter Paul Buentello as both look to find a way back to the promotion that made them famous.

The card also features Jens Pulver who gets set for life after the WEC when he takes on the 4-1 Diego Garijo.  With other former UFC fighters like Jason Lambert, Thales Lieties and Terry Martin on the card it’s worth keeping an eye on this one.

—

18th August: WEC 50

On the following Wednesday the WEC celebrates it’s 50th event with a rematch between current bantamweight champion Dominic Cruz and Joseph Benavidez.

Urijah Faber won’t be on the card after pulling out injured, but with fights like Chad Mendes Vs Cub Swanson and Anthony Pettis Vs Shane Roller including in the line-up this is definitely one that’s not to be missed.

View the full WEC 50 fight card here

—

21st August: Strikeforce: Houston

I wasn’t kidding when I said it was an action-packed month.  Just a few days later another major event, Strikeforce: Houston, gets underway with two title fights taking center-stage.  In a light-heavyweight tilt Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal attempts to defend his title for the first time against Rafael ‘Feijao’ Cavalcante.

Meanwhile the jam-packed event also features Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza and Tim Kennedy scrappiing for the middleweight title vacated by Jake Shields, while KJ Noons takes on Jorge Gurgel and Bobby Lashley also gets back in the cage.

—

August 28th: UFC 118

The month comes to a close in style on Saturday 28th with UFC 118 which plays host to a lightweight title rematch between Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn.

Much of the attention leading up to this event is going to focus on the much talked about c0-main event bout between UFC hall-of-famer Randy Couture and boxing legend James Toney.  Meanwhile Kenny Florian Vs Gray Maynard should decide who will be the next challenger for the winner of the headline bout.

See the full UFC 118 fight card here

—

Major MMA Events In August At A Glance:

• 1st August: UFC On Versus 2: Jones Vs Matyushenko
• 8th August: UFC 117: Silva Vs Sonnen
• 12th August: Bellator 24 (Season 3 Premiere)
• 13th August: Strikeforce Challengers 10
• 14th August: PWP: War On The Mainland – Slyvia Vs Buentello
• 18th August: WEC 50: Cruz Vs Benavidez 2
• 19th August: Bellator 25
• 21st August: Strikeforce: Houston
• 26th August: Bellator 26
• 28th August: UFC 118: Edgar Vs Penn 2