Tulsa Football

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"It depends on which Kongo comes out. It totally depends if he's going for the take downs and trying to hold people down, or if it's the Kongo that wants to stand and strike. It all depends on which Kongo shows up. No matter what fight I get into, everybody knows which Paul Buentello is going to show up: It's going to be a stand up war. We're thinking he's going to go for a take down. He's not going to want to stand. That's our whole game plan, he's not going to stand at all."-Paul Buentello

Hard-hitting UFC heavyweight Paul Buentello talks about his game plan going into his upcoming fight against French striker Cheick Kongo at UFC on Versus 1 on March 21 in Broomfield, Colorado.

Having finished 17 of his 27 career wins by KO or TKO, Buentello is looking to put on a stand up war with Kongo, however, Buentello is cautious of takedown attempts from Kongo. Kongo's nasty clinch work, and ground-and-pound, has brutalized the likes of Mirko Cro Cop and Mostapha Al-Turk inside of the Octagon.

Helping Buentello with his ground work, has been UFC veteran and TUF 10 assistant coach Mike Van Arsdale, who is a decorated high school and collegiate wrestler, and won the 1988 NCAA Division I collegiate wrestling champion at 167 lb (76 kg), while competing for Iowa State University.

Buentello decided to move to a new camp for this fight, and has been training at Grudge MMA in Denver, Colorado under the guidance of Trevor Wittman, while working alongside UFC heavyweights Shane Carwin and Brendan Schaub.

As you may recall, less then a month before his Octagon return fight at UFC 107 in December, Buentello was suspended from his longtime team, American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California. The suspension stems from Buentello's decision to hire a manager other than ‘Crazy' Bob Cook, who is one of the head trainers at AKA.

"The Headhunter" will likely be fighting for his UFC job, as he is coming off a hard-fought majority decision loss to Stefan Struve at the aforementioned UFC 107 event in December. Prior to the loss, he put together 5-1 mark with rival promotions Strikeforce and Affliction. His only loss during the successful stretch came against Alistair Overeem in a bout for the first ever Strikeforce heavyweight title in November 2007.

Buentello sports a 3-2 UFC record, which includes a solid 3-1 record in his first stint with the promotion from February 2005 to February 2006, with other Octagon wins over the late Justin Eilers, Gilbert Aldana, and Kevin Jordan. His only other UFC loss came at the lethal hands of Andrei Arlovski in a UFC heavyweight title bout at UFC 55.

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Despite having been involved in the sport for years, most of the MMA community knows Andre Winner from his recent stint on "The Ultimate Fighter" season 9. The viewing public watched the up-and-coming British lightweight out-class his competition week after week, en route to a birth in the lightweight final.

Winner has since gone on to show that his performance on "The Ultimate Fighter" was no fluke, winning his official UFC debut with a jaw-dropping knockout. Its truly hard to believe that the man who had no inclination to be a mixed martial artist, stands before us now as a future powerhouse in the UFC lightweight division.

Winner recently sat down with FiveKnuckles.com in an exclusive interview to discuss his most recent win, his time on the show, his up-coming bout at UFC Fight Night 21, and his bright future in the sport.

FiveKnuckles.com: First of all Andre, on behalf of the FiveKnuckles.com staff and readers, I would like to thank you for taking the time to speak with us today.

Winner: Thank you to you guys for reaching out to me.

FiveKnuckles.com: After losing a closely contested bout with your teammate Ross Pearson, you bounced back with a devastating knockout victory over Rolando Delgado in your official UFC debut. How big of an impact did the win have for you considering the dominate fashion in which you won?

Winner: I was pleased with the fight, but if I hadn't had won like that I would have been disappointed. It has made people take notice, but you get K.O.'s in the UFC like that all the time. There are so many good fighters in the UFC, so i have not let it go to my head.

FiveKnuckles.com: In the Delgado fight, it seemed from the start that you lacked no confidence. You pressed the action the entire fight and looked to be timing the big right hand that eventually scored the knockout. Was this something you noticed Delgado was susceptible to during your preparation for the fight and trained to exploit, or was it something you picked up on during the fight itself?

Winner: My team told that he would circle towards the right hand, so I knew I just had to throw it out there.

FiveKnuckles.com: Many people feel that you should have won knockout of the night honors for your win over Delgado. Were you a little disappointed that you did not?

Winner: No, I am happy with the win and K.O., that is the main thing. Although that bonus would have been nice. The UFC has always treated me well, so I'm just happy to be fighting and winning in the UFC.

FiveKnuckles.com: Speaking of memorable knockouts, what was going through your mind when Michael Bisping, your coach on "The Ultimate Fighter", was violently knocked out at UFC 100 by Team USA coach Dan Henderson

Winner: To be honest, Mike kept circling towards that right hand and it was only a matter of time before it landed. I was so disappointed for Mike. Hendo is a great fighter so there is no shame in losing to him. I don't think there are many people in the world that could have taken a punch like that.

FiveKnuckles.com: Some people may not know this, but you tried out for The Ultimate Fighter 8 and didn't make the show on that attempt. Did this early setback have any negative effect on you mentally, or did it simply motivate you to improve and come back stronger?

Winner: I did apply for TUF 8, but it was very last minute, and I sent a really poor video of myself. I wasn't expecting to get chosen, so it did not bother when I didn't get in.

FiveKnuckles.com: Do you feel like The Ultimate Fighter route was best way to break into the UFC as a British fighter?

Winner: For me it was the best way to get into the UFC, but I think its a great way for any fighter, which ever country they come from.

FiveKnuckles.com: How did you enjoy your time on the show?

Winner: I loved my time on the show. While I was there i enjoyed it. You do get home sick and bored, but when I look back on it, it was amazing. I would do it all again.

FiveKnuckles.com: A lot of MMA fans have strong opinions about Bisping. He has a very divisive personality which causes most fans to either love him or hate him. How was your time with him on the show and where do weigh in on him as a person and as a fighter?

Winner: Mike is a very out going person and will speak his mind. I really got along with Mike, he made me laugh all the time. He is a great person and fighter. I think if most people actually spent some time with him, even the ones who hate, they would see that he is a good person.

FiveKnuckles.com: Team UK had a solidarity that is not often seen on the show. Team Rough House is also home to four of your Ultimate Fighter teammates. How did the time on the show affect your relationship with each other?

Winner: Well Ross was already training with us, and I had trained with Nick a few times also. So we already knew each other, but spending the time together on the show definitely helped make our bond tighter.

FiveKnuckles.com: You met Dan Hardy early in your MMA career while training at Leicester Shootfighters. What has knowing Dan Hardy meant to you, and how, if at all, has he influenced you as a fighter?

Winner: It has been a blessing knowing Dan Hardy. He is a great training partner and friend. Dan has strong self-belief. That type of attitude is needed if you want to get any where in life. It has definitely helped the confidence of myself and the team.

FiveKnuckles.com: At UFC 105, Team Rough House went 4-0 with all members on the card winning in dominate fashion. Paul Daley also won his most recent bout with Dustin Hazelett. Do you feel these wins will open even more eyes to the level of talent that is emerging from the UK, as well as Team Rough House in particular? Also, how does it feel to be on the forefront of the British invasion of MMA?

Winner: I was so happy to be a part of 105. The night could not have gone any better and with Daley's recent win we have a lot of people watching us; whether they want to see us win, lose or if we will live up to the hype. With the growth of MMA the standard of fighters from the U.K. will only get better. I don't think to deep into the whole thing of being a U.K fighter, it doesn't matter where you are from, you are going to get good fighters from all over the world.

FiveKnuckles.com: Your teammates Dan Hardy and Paul Daley both have huge fights coming up with Georges St. Pierre and Josh Koshceck respectively. What are your thoughts on both of those fights?

Winner: Dan has a huge test in GSP, but it's a fight I think he can win. It will be tough, but he can do it. Paul could also have a hard fight against Koscheck, but I see Paul knocking him out. Only time will tell though.

FiveKnuckles.com: How do you feel about Dan Hardy being the first British fighter to step in the cage for the title?

Winner: I am over the moon for Dan. He is doing something no other Brit has. If he does win, then not only will he be the first UFC champ from the U.K, but he would have beaten one of best fighters in world.

FiveKnuckles.com: Although you are more well known as a striker, you also have a solid ground game with three wins coming by way of submission. Is this something you would like to showcase more of inside the octagon as your career progresses? Also, what steps have you taken to further improve this aspect of your game?

Winner: I train all aspects of MMA. I prefer to strike because that is where I feel I have the advantage over most of the other fighters. If the fight goes to the ground and a submission presents itself, then I will take it. I have been training my ground game more, as I am going to come across a high level of grapplers. I would like to get myself abroad for a few weeks a few times a year to really develop my grappling skills.

FiveKnuckles.com: In the past, some people have accused you of not "going for the kill" during fights. Since that time you have gone on to finish four of your last five fights. Was this an area of your game that you focused on improving, and if so, what steps did you take to do this?

Winner: Yes, in the past i didn't finish fights, and that's something I should have done. I have not really changed anything except for my mentality. Now, I am fighting in front of millions of people. I want to be able to leave the cage, win or lose, knowing that I did the best I could and that the people watching have had a chance to see the best of me.

FiveKnuckles.com: There is a lot of talk these days as to whether or not teammates should face one another. With Dan Hardy and Paul Daley both making big waves in the welterweight division, as well as Pearson and yourself looking to do the same in the lightweight division, what are the chances of seeing teammates face off? Is this something that Team Rough House is open to?

Winner: I don't think that any of us would want to fight each other, God knows how the camps would work out. If all goes well for everyone, it's something that could happen, but I doubt it will. I can only speak for myself, and the only way I will be fighting a teammate is for the belt, or for some life changing amount of money, and only if they were also happy to do it.

FiveKnuckles.com: You were set to face Cole Miller at UFC Fight Night 21, but he has since pulled out of the fight due to injury and was replaced by Rafaello Oliveira. How have you adjusted your gameplan after the switch?

Winner: I have only had to make a few tweaks to my game plan, so it wasn't too bad of a change for me.

FiveKnuckles.com: Would you still like to face Cole Miller after he is healed?

Winner: I am not looking at Cole in particular. If we end up being matched up again then I'm sure it will be a good fight.

FiveKnuckles.com: Who else would you like to face in the lightweight division?

Winner: There is no one in particular I am looking to fight, there are so many good fighters out there.

FiveKnuckles.com: Well Andre, I would like to thank you once again for your time, it has been a pleasure speaking with you, and I wish you nothing but the best. Is there anyone you would like to thank?

Winner: Like I said earlier, thank you for reaching out to me. I would like to thank my family, teammates (everyone at Rough House, Nathan Leverton and Paul Barton at Leicester Shoot Fighters, Ollie Richardson and Emerson George), friends and fans.

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Chuck Liddell's one of the first men I ever saw fight. His mohawk was intriguing. Then I noticed his front side - how when he breathed out, he had abs, but when he breathed in, the abs disappeared. I love his striking, I love his stalking, I love his stand up. I love his passion. I love how nothing means more to him than being the champion. I love how he crushed everyone for years, waiting to get a shot at the title. And I just so badly love how he brought the sport more mainstream and helped MMA get into everybody's face.

Chuck's a pretty hard guy to bet against. He's got the power, the agility, the best sprawl in the game, and an unreal ability to pop back up like a Jack in the Box when he's taken down. Yes, he's lost his last few fights pretty convincingly, but remember when he used to be the one knocking people out left, right and center?

Look at what he's done for the sport! Maybe you don't like the skull tattoos or the grumbly voice, but how can you not like how he sat at the top of the light-heavyweight division for years, even when he didn't hold the title? When he fought Randy Couture, it was the most highly-anticipated fight yet; all three of them were. Goldie and Rogan repeatedly said that there wasn't one single person sitting throughout those fights. In the first fight, Chuck got caught in the third round. But in the other two fights, Chuck was on the prowl and left the Octagon with two knock out victories over the other man who's regarded as being the biggest legend of the sport.

That word - "legend" - what does it mean exactly, how do you define a legend? For Liddell, he defined it when he stalked the light-heavyweight belt, waiting for a chance to step into the Octagon and land a big, looping punch on the champion. He defined it with the most wins and most (T)KOs in UFC history. And, most importantly, he defined it in victory.

Liddell avenged his loss to Jeremy Horn. We already talked about his wins over Randy. He beat Renato Sobral twice, as well as Tito Ortiz twice. And let's not forget his fight against Wanderlei Silva. Both men were coming off of consecutive losses and were looking to redeem themselves. Well... Chuck did what he went in to do. That was three rounds of pure passion and love. Not for the other guy standing across the ring, but for the sport. Chuck went in there and gave it everything he had. Wanderlei's one of the biggest warriors of the sport, so for Chuck to come out on top really meant something.

Now, Chuck was supposed to fight Tito again, for the third time, after the culmination of The Ultimate Fighter 11. Dana White said that that's the fight that the fans want to see. Well, I don't know about that. Fans might be more interested in seeing them on TUF 11 instead of seeing them in the ring. While Tito's wrestling (and the strength of his upper body) is very impressive, taking down Chuck - who's also a wrestler - is one bloody tough task. And coupled with Chuck's kickboxing and karate, and especially with those huge hands, Tito would be in for a rough fight. But, it doesn't look like we're gonna get to see that fight after all. Next in line for Chuck? Looks like Rich Franklin.

So how does it stand? Chuck's one of the all-time greats in MMA. Whether you love him or you hate him, his place will always be cemented in UFC history.

Tennessee vs. Kentucky - March 13th 2010
Odds: Kentucky is currently set as a 4 point home favorite against Tennessee with the games over/under betting total posted at 140 points.
Pick: Click here for expert college basketball picks
Betting: Click here to bet on this game at BetUS

Head-to-Head ATS Trends:
Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
Volunteers are 1-5 ATS in the last 6 meetings.

Team ATS Trends:
Volunteers are 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 games following a ATS win.
Volunteers are 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 neutral site games as an underdog.
Wildcats are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games following a ATS loss.
Wildcats are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 Saturday games.
Wildcats are 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 neutral site games as a favorite.

Over-Under ATS Trends:
Under is 4-0-1 in Volunteers last 5 neutral site games.
Under is 5-0 in Volunteers last 5 Saturday games.
Under is 13-3 in Volunteers last 16 games as an underdog.
Over is 4-1 in Volunteers last 5 games following a ATS win.

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Houston Cougars vs. UTEP Miners
Pick: Click here for expert college basketball picks | Bet: Click here to bet on this game | Odds: Click here for current odds

If Conference USA ultimately has a chance of being a multiple-bid league to the NCAA Tournament, it’s probably going to take a Houston Cougars (18-15, 14-16 ATS) upset of the UTEP Miners (26-5, 14-13 ATS). Just one day after narrowly escaping with a huge upset over Memphis, Houston fired back with a comfortable eight-point win over Southern Miss. The Miners certainly asserted themselves as the best college basketball betting team in this tournament on Friday when they took out the hosts of this tournament, the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, by a 75-61 final tally.

G Aubrey Coleman has been one of the top scorers in the entire country all season long. After dropping 27 on the Golden Eagles, Coleman’s scoring average reached a lofty 25.9 points per game. He has put at least 25 points on five of his L/7 foes. Coleman and G Kelvin Lewis are the only scorers on this team that are averaging double digits. The Cougars have a very prolific scoring offense, but sometimes they can be awfully inconsistent. Even though they’re only shooting 41.8 percent from the floor for the season, they’re averaging 78.7 points per game.

The Miner boast a prolific scorer of their own in this Conference USA betting bash in the form of G Randy Culpepper. Culpepper snapped out of his funk of back-to-back poor outings by scoring 21 against Tulsa. He’s averaging 17.9 points per game this season, but has scored an average of 22.4 PPG in his L/8. As a team, UTEP is shooting a rock solid 47.6 percent from the field, which makes it a fantastic scoring threat every night it steps on the court.

Houston was the most recent team to knock off the Miners this year, winning 75-65 at home on January 13th. However, when these teams played each other in February in El Paso, UTEP got its revenge, winning by seven. The Cougars covered that day by the hook, which marked their third straight win against the NCAA basketball spreads in this Lone Star State rivalry.

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Toronto Raptors vs. Sacramento Kings
Free Pick: Sacramento Kings +1.5 (March 10th 2010 – Jimmy Boyd)
The Raptors have struggled on the road all season, winning just 10 of 30 games, and I expect those struggles to continue tonight. It will be extremely difficult for Toronto to get up for this one after getting its heart ripped out by Kobe Bryant and the Lakers last night. When the Raptors have been tired, they have been pure fade material. In fact, Toronto is 3-11 ATS when playing on back-to-back days this season, losing in these spots by an average score of 100.4 to 109.6. Toronto is also just 4-14 ATS when playing its 3rd game in 4 days this season, losing in these spots by an average score of 104.3 to 110.9. The home team is 7-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings and the Kings enter having covered the spread in 6 of their last 7. We’ll side with Sacramento.

Rice vs. Tulsa
Free Pick: Tulsa -14 (March 10th 2010 – Tom Freese)
Rice is 8-22 overall and 1-15 in League Play. Guard Tamir Jackson scores 10.7 points a game. Forward Arsalan Kazemi scores 10.4 points and 9 rebounds a game. Guard Connor Frizzelle scores 9.2 points a game. Center Trey Stanton scores 9 points a game. The Owls score 64 points a game. Rice is 2-5 ATS their last 7 Wednesday games and they are 1-5 ATS their last 6 mettings with the Hurricanes. Tulsa is 21-10 overall and 10-6 in League Play. Guard Ben Uzuh scores 15.4 points a game. Center Jerome Jordan scores 15.1 points and 8.7 rebounds a game. Guard Justin Hurtt scores 13.9 points a game while shooting 38.5% from behind the arc. The Golden Hurricanes score 71.4 points a game. Tulsa is 13-5 ATS their last 18 games vs. a team with win percentage of under 40%! PLAY ON TULSA -

Visit Handicapperspicks.com for more free NBA basketball picks and free college basketball picks from over 30 professional sports handicappers

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1. NBA Basketball Picks & Predictions for March 1st 2010
2. Friday Night NBA Basketball Picks & Predictions: March 5th 2010
3. Free NBA Basketball Picks for March 9th 2010

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A previously announced middleweight match up between sluggers James Irvin and Alessio Sakara has reportedly been moved from the un-aired preliminary portion of UFC on Versus 1 to take the vacated fourth and final spot on the televised main card portion of the card.

The fourth spot on the main card was vacated after UFC welterweight Anthony Johnson was forced out of his bout against John Howard due to a knee injury. UFC newcomer Daniel Roberts replaced Johnson against Howard, however, the bout was demoted to the preliminary portion of the card.

Irvin (14-5) hasn't fought since losing to UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in a featured light-heavyweight bout at UFC Fight Night 14 in July 2008. Following the loss, he tested positive for banned painkillers--Methadone and Oxymorphone-- and was suspended nine months for the transgression.

Irvin was set to return from his suspension and make his middleweight debut against Drew McFedries at UFC 98 last May, however, he withdrew from the event because of a torn meniscus. He tried again to make his middleweight debut against Wilson Gouviea at UFC 102 in August, but was forced off of that event after re-aggravating his knee injury.

Prior to the loss against Silva, Irvin had won two straight fights against Luiz Cane and Houston Alexander. He has put together an even 4-4 record in eight fights with the UFC, scoring other notable Octagon wins over Terry Martin and Hector Ramirez.

Sakara (14-7) is currently on a two-fight winning streak, most recently notching a split-decision win over Thales Leites at UFC 101 in August. He hasn't fought since the win over Leites, as he was originally set to face Rousimar Palhares at TUF 10 finale in December, but was reportedly forced off the event with an undisclosed injury.

Sakara sports a 5-4 (1 NC) UFC record, with other Octagon wins coming over Victor Valimaki, Elvis Sinosic and James Lee.

The UFC on Versus 1 event takes place on March 21 at the Odeum Colorado in Broomfield, Colorado, and will serve as the promotion's first televised live card on the Versus cable channel. 

The event is headlined by a much anticipated light-heavyweight bout between Jon Jones and Brandon Vera. In addition, rising contender Junior dos Santos will take on former UFC heavyweight title contender Gabriel Gonzaga in the night's co-main event.

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A welterweight bout between rising contenders Martin Kampmann and Paulo Thiago has been verbally agreed upon for UFC 115 on June 15 at GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. News of the bout was first reported by The Las Vegas Sun.

Kampmann was originally set to face Ben Saunders on the main card of UFC 111 on March 27, however, he was forced off of the event after suffering a deep cut over his right eye.

Kampmann (16-3) is coming off of a first round submission win over Jacob Volkmann at UFC 108 in January and is now 3-1 in his last four bouts. His lone loss over that span came in his previous fight against Paul Daley at UFC 103, which was his first loss since dropping down to the welterweight division.

The Xtreme Couture product is 7-2 in nine appearances with the UFC, with other notable Octagon victories coming over Thales Leites, Drew McFedries, Jorge Rivera and Carlos Condit; while suffering his only other UFC loss to Nate Marquardt.

Thiago is currently on a two-fight winning streak, with the wins coming over Jacob Volkmann and most recently Mike Swick in a very impressive second-round submission win over former contender at UFC 109 last month. Prior to the wins, he was handed his first career loss in his second Octagon appearance against Jon Fitch at UFC 100 in July.

Thiago holds a 3-1 UFC record including a shocking upset win over Josh Koscheck in his Octagon debut at UFC 95 last February. The Jungle Fight and Storm Samurai has put together a nearly perfect 13-1 MMA record over his four-year career, scoring stoppages in 10 of his 13 wins including eight coming by submission.

Though not officially announced, UFC 115 is expected to be headlined by a third fight between former UFC light-heavyweight champions and TUF 11 coaches Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz.

Other very interesting bouts rumored for the event include; Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Wanderlei Silva , Patrick Barry vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel and
Evan Dunham vs. Tyson Griffin.

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A highly rumored potential match up between street-fighting legend Kimbo Slice and boxing legend James Toney has been scraped for now.

After serious consideration, according to a source close to the UFC, the organization has decided that the ramifications of a Toney win against a name as big as Kimbo (dispite his relative modest MMA abilities) could serve as a big blow to the sport as a whole. 

Instead, it appears that the company will look to pit Toney against either a bonafide star, Randy Couture's name has been thrown out as a possibility, or a no-namer where the risk vs. reward would be more in the organizations favor.

The thought is that if Toney beats a no-name MMA fighter, with little experience, the organization, and the sport, can save face in the ongoing Boxing vs. MMA battle by simply writing the loss off as a warm up fight for Toney.

If Toney losses, however, then one of boxing's elite has lost to a no-namer, further enhancing MMA's viability in the eye's of mainstream boxing fans.

Slice (4-1), meanwhile, is definitively out of the running to face Toney, and will instead square off against Matt Mitrione in a heavyweight battle at UFC 113 on May 8. Slice is coming off of a win over Houston Alexander in his last outing in December at the TUF 10 Finale.

Mitrione (1-0) also last fought at TUF 10 Finale, earning a victory over fellow former NFL football player, Marcus Jones, in the second-round of their scheduled three-round grudge-match.

UFC 113 takes place in Montreal at the Bell Centre on May 8, and will be headlined by a highly anticipated rematch of Lyoto Machida and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

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Matt Mitrione expected to have the biggest fight of his career against Kimbo Slice on May 8 at UFC 113 in Montreal, but with the abrupt removal of that match up from the official fight card, the fights likelihood has been cast into doubt.

Though no public reason has been given for the change, there has been rampant speculation that move was made in order to facilitate an enticing scrap between Slice and newly-signed former middleweight boxing champion James Toney. Toney's camp has been very vocal in their insistence on a match up with Slice, and every indication has been given that the UFC is seriously considering the fight.

Mitrione admits to being in the dark himself, and says that he hasn't heard anything official as of yet. Though he has been reassured that he will still be fighting at UFC 113. 

"I have no clue what's going on; the last 15 hours have been pretty crazy," Mitrione told LasVegasSun.com. "To be truly honest, I haven't heard a thing from the UFC, and it's frustrating me. It's my understanding that it took awhile to get his (Toney's) paperwork signed, but I'm sure it's signed. Then again, that doesn't mean (expletive). When I was in the NFL I signed a contract, they signed a contract, and they can cut you whenever they want. I know that from first-hand experience."

Mitrione made an effort to get to the bottom of things with UFC matchmaker Joe Silva as soon as he heard about Toney's signing and the apparent cancelation of his own bout with Slice.

"Where there's smoke, there's usually fire," said Mitrione. "I texted Joe Silva (Thursday) night and asked what was happening, if there was any danger of this being cancelled. His response was basically that nothing was official and that I should keep preparing - that I'm still fighting in Montreal."

To prepare for a potential fight with Slice, Mitrione has planned an eight-week training camp, and he hopes he finds out soon what's going on so he can tailor his training accordingly.

"Fighting Kimbo is a phenomenal fight for me, and I think it's a bad fight for Kimbo," Mitrione stated. "I'm still preparing for Kimbo, and I firmly feel I would knock him out. Once I turn his chin and put him to sleep, that would be a great amount of exposure and a great stepping stone for my career. If it doesn't happen, it's not up to me to get pissed about it. It's not like I'm five days out of the fight, I still have a full camp ahead of me. But I would like to know so I can sit back and re-evaluate how I'm preparing."

For Mitrione, a high-profile fight with Slice would be a golden opportunity to get some positive exposure and move his UFC career forward. He says fans got an unfair impression of him from the editing on season 10 of "The Ultimate Fighter."

"They show what happened, but it was a very slanted view," Mitrione said of his time on TUF. "Like that part about me hearing voices - they took the setup of a joke and then didn't use the punch line. They want you to give exciting answers. So they sit you down and ask you, 'Why do you fight?' And you say, 'Dude, I've been fighting for six months. I fight because it's new and exciting.' Then they give you this look like, 'C'mon. Really?' So you say, 'OK. I fight because I hear voices and it's the only time I can be peaceful in my mind.' That's totally nuts and insane. But they take out the part where you laugh after and you say, 'Man, I'm sorry. I totally made that up.'"

Mitrione is 1-0 in his career, earning a victory in his Octagon debut with a knockout over Marcus Jones at The Ultimate Finale 10. Slice has a record of 4-1, and is also 1-0 in the UFC, earning a unanimous decision victory over Houston Alexander the same night Mitrione made his debut.