Rosenthal before reffing a bout at UFC 150. (Getty)

Well-known MMA referee Josh Rosenthal has been a part of some of the UFC's most famous bouts, including Brock Lesnar's championship win over Shane Carwin and Dan Henderson's Fight of the Year win over Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Now, it turns out he was also part of an illegal drug operation.

In a story that could have been the plot of the show "Weeds," Rosenthal plead guilty to charges of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana. He and an associate owned a warehouse that kept 1,356 marijuana plants with a street value of $6 million. According to MMA Junkie, he could spend more than three years in prison:

The government is recommending 37 months in jail, fines and five years of probation, during which he would be subject to random searches, according to the agreement. Without a deal, he faced 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and a minimum of five years' probation.

The court will ultimately decide Rosenthal's fate. He is scheduled to appear on May 17.

Rosenthal was once a mainstay on the UFC refereeing rotation, but hasn't been in the cage recently. His license lapsed in California as he dealt with his legal troubles and healed from a staph infection. Though referees are assigned by state commissions, not the UFC, Rosenthal had earned the praise of UFC president Dana White for his role in the Lesnar-Carwin bout.

(Getty)Chael Sonnen is the best in the fight game when it comes to promoting fights. People who know nothing about MMA know about Chael P. Sonnen and how he can use his mouth to make you tune into a fight.

Sometimes, his opponent will try to match Sonnen's promotional antics. Anderson Silva did it in a conference call where he promised to rearrange Sonnen's teeth. Jon Jones, who is fighting Sonnen in a light heavyweight title bout next weekend, is leaving most of the promoting to his opponent. This led to the bizarre interview during last weekend's "The Ultimate Fighter" finale, where Jones basically ignored Sonnen's existence.

Or perhaps Jones was just waiting until his appearance on Fuel's "UFC Tonight" to start talking trash. During his interview, Jones said Sonnen has been on steroids his whole career.

"Chael Sonnen is a guy who people know he's done steroids throughout his career," he said. "It's probably the reason why his testosterone is low now. I don't think that's the heart or an attitude of a champion. That's what I meant when I said he lacks a championship soul."

Sonnen tested positive for illegal substances after UFC 117, a fight he lost in the final minutes to Silva. However, he said in testimony in front of the Nevada State Athletic Commission that he has never taken steroids. Before his July rematch with Silva, another loss, Sonnen was granted a therapeutic exemption for testosterone use.

UPDATE: Jones posted an apology to Sonnen on his Twitter account.

I had no right to accuse chael of being a career long steroid user I apologize. See what had happened was....

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) April 17, 2013

UFC heavyweight Pat Barry has probably entertained you in some way. Whether it's in a knockout, like when he knocked out Shane del Rosario in December, or in one of his hilarious videos, the man knows how to keep you entertained. But now he needs your help entertaining someone important in his life.

Barry's mother is in the hospital and doctors can't quite figure out what's wrong. This is taking a toll on the family's spirits, so Barry has turned to his fans. He wants his fans to come up with a short video or photo impersonating his mother. It's not likely that you know Barry's mother, so he's hoping fans come up with what they think his mother is like.

He will make a compilation of the entries, and his mother will choose the best one. The winner will get tickets to a UFC event. Barry has a fight coming up against Shawn Jordan at UFC 161, but he says it doesn't have to be that fight. So, pull out your creative side, make a woman in the hospital laugh, and maybe win tickets to a fight. It's not a bad way to spend an evening.

Have you ever watched an MMA fight in a cage or a ring and thought, "This needs a multilevel playing surface without adequate padding?" Or have you watched a fight and said to your buddy, "One fighter facing another? YAWN." If so, the Hip Show in Russia has you covered.

According to the website, the show features two-on-two battles in a three-level arena. The video shows people yelling, fighters falling off of platforms, and a huge potential for injury. I would think this is a fake video produced by a late night talk show, but no actor can fake knocked-out-face that well. Here are the rules:

-- If during a round one of the team members is eliminated (knockout, knockdown, submission hold, disqualification) - the fight continues 1 vs 2 for 1 minute.

-- Once a fighter has been knocked down, the opponent stands by the referee during the 10 count.

So, it's MMA meets "American Gladiator" with a touch of dodgeball thrown in.

Thanks, With Leather.

Cat Zingano won in her UFC debut on Saturday with a TKO of Miesha Tate in the third round. Her emotional walk-in didn't make the broadcast, but it's definitely worth watchin now.

Crying is not a sign of weakness. It's just one way to show emotion, no different than yelling, punching the air or jumping up and down. Zingano was so moved by the moment of her first UFC fight that she was moved to tears, but then showed minutes later just how strong she is.

(Getty)Ronda Rousey has already made history as the first woman to sign with the UFC, and its first female champion. Now, she and Cat Zingano will make history as the first female coaches of "The Ultimate Fighter."

She has appeared on TUF as a guest coach twice, and was comfortable acting as a coach. The upcoming season will feature male and female bantamweights. Though Rousey has shown that she is comfortable coaching both men and women, it's the female fighters she has special advice for.

Since men and women will be living and training together, there is a chance fighters will hook up. However, Rousey will warn the women against focusing on anything but their fights.

"If they're the chick that's screwing around in the house, for the rest of their career they'll be known as the chick that was screwing around in that house. Sponsors are going to be looking at that, everybody's going to be looking at that. So if you think it's worth $100,000, that lay, then go for it. But I'm just going to remind them that there's going to be a lot of very permanent consequences to how they carry themselves in house."

Rousey is right that a reputation earned on TUF sticks with fighters well past the airing of the show. Rashad Evans was booed by crowds for years after TUF. Josh Koscheck's bad boy reputation was started on the show. When you hear the names War Machine or Junie Browning, do you think of their fighting skills or their antics on the show?

But it's not just about a reputation for that one fighter. It's how female fighters are viewed. She says it's important for the women to show they're professionals and serious about the fight game.

(Getty)After Saturday's finale of the 17th season of "The Ultimate Fighter," the UFC has a new TUF winner, a new TUF coach, and a new star from a small town in New Zealand.

No. 1 star -- Cat Zingano: Miesha Tate had plans to fight UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey in a rematch of their Strikeforce bout, but Zingano happily spoiled them. She withstood Tate's early submission attempts and then came through with a third-round TKO. Now, she is walking away with a title shot, a coaching spot on "The Ultimate Fighter," and a $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus.

No. 2 star -- Kelvin Gastelum: While filming TUF, Gastelum watched Uriah Hall in fights and in practice. He knew what Hall was capable of, but it didn't bother him when in the cage with Hall on Saturday night. He used takedowns to grind out a win, stop the Hall hype train, and win "The Ultimate Fighter." He also found out that he won a $25,000 Submission of the Season bonus for his first-round rear naked choke of Josh Samman during the semifinals of the show.

No. 3 star -- Dylan Andrews: Along with Gastelum, Andrews was the last-picked man on the show. How did he respond? He got to the semis. After losing to Hall, he fought Jimmy Quinlan during Saturday's preliminary card and won with a first-round TKO. Every kid who has been picked last for dodgeball should take note.

Who were your three stars from Saturday night? Speak up in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.

(FX)

The UFC wasted no time in promoting the next season of "The Ultimate Fighter." Minutes after Cat Zingano defeated Miesha Tate to win a shot at the UFC women's bantamweight belt and a coaching spot on the next season of TUF, advertisements publicizing their season appeared. First, it was a commercial during Saturday's "The Ultimate Fighter" season 17 finale, then the above on-screen ad.

This season, which will premiere in September, has high stakes attached to it. It will be the first time women are involved in the show as both coaches and fighters. The season will bring together both female and male bantamweights as they train and compete for a spot in the UFC.

Beyond the historic implications, the upcoming season will also be important in the UFC's relationship with Fox. The show, which previously aired on FX, will move to Fox's new all sports channel, Fox Sports 1, and will air on Wednesday nights. Both the UFC and Fox will want TUF to score big.