The card at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City opened with possibly the worst in this year's string of terrible calls by locally assigned officials when Oklahoma-appointed Gary Ritter stopped the middleweight match between Ryan Jensen and Steve Steinbeiss. Jensen had Steinbeiss in a guillotine choke. Ritter tapped Steinbeiss' hand to see how he was doing and Steinbess gave a thumb's up sign to indicate he was OK. But the referee interpreted the tap as a submission and called the fight off at 3:56. The match was held over from UFN 18, when Jensen was not cleared to fight after he told the Nevada athletic commissions he had used the prescription drug Adderall.

Brock Larson's five-fight win streak came to a halt as he was outmuscled for 15 minutes by Mike Pierce (10-1) in a welterweight match. Pierce, a native of Vancouver, WA who was making his UFC debut, never came close to finishing Larson, but got the best of Larson in the clinch, outworked him on the ground, and won on straight 30-27 scores.

Iowa's Jeremy "L'il Heathen" Stephens got back into the win column by stopping Justin Buchholz in an entertaining slugfest. Buchholz mixed up a series of kicks early to set up his range and tagged Stephens in the eye with a punch, but Stephens stuck it out and rallied for the win. The end came when Stephens connected on a series of knees in the clinch and took the fight to the ground. Referee Kevin Nix stopped the fight to have the doctor check on a cut on Buchholz's forehead, and the fight was immediately stopped.

"This is exactly what I expected," said Stephens, who ended a two-fight losing streak. "I still can't see out of my left eye, he hits pretty hard, harder than I thought. I can take a hit and I don't stop, I keep pressing forward."

UFC president Dana White was initially furious with the call, though he backed off when he saw the replay. Still, he wasn't happy with the officiating in evening's early matches.

Read More »

Interested in finding out more about the writers who comprise the Y! Sports monthly Top 10 poll? Then check out the links to their sites:

*Carlos Arias covers boxing and MMA for the Orange County Register.

*Denny Burkholder is the boxing and MMA producer for CBSSports.com.

*Mike Chiappetta covers MMA for ESPN.com and Fight Magazine.

*Steve Cofield is the lead blogger for Y! Sports' Cage Writer and co-hosts the Cofield and Cokin show for ESPN Radio in Las Vegas.

*Neil Davidson of the Canadian Press is Canada's leading MMA reporter.

*Dave Doyle is the MMA/Boxing producer for Yahoo! Sports.

*Ben Fowlkes covers mixed martial arts for SportsIllustrated.com. and writers for the blog Cage Potato

*Josh Gross covers mixed martial arts for SportsIllustrated.com.

*Kevin Iole is the lead MMA and boxing writer for Yahoo! Sports.

*Damon Martin covers MMA for MMAWeekly.com.

*Todd Martin covers MMA for CBSSports.com.

*Franklin McNeil covers MMA for the Newark Star-Ledger and ESPN.com.

*Portland freelance reporter Brad McCray has covered MMA since the early days of Team Quest in Oregon.

*Dave Meltzer has covered the sport since UFC 1 in 1993. He is an MMA staff writer for Yahoo! Sports and has published the Wrestling Observer for 25 years.

*Pramit Mohapatra, who formerly wrote for SportsIllustrated.com and The Baltimore Sun, is the founder of Fightticker.com.

*Ken Pishna is the editor for MMAWeekly.com.

*Steve Sievert covers MMA for MMAjunkie.com.

*Michael David Smith covers MMA for the AOL Fanhouse

The selection of Ken Shamrock, a UFC Hall of Fame member, as the next opponent for Kimbo Slice has, predictably, drawn great criticism.

Shamrock has lost five in a row and seven of his last eight and hasn't win since 2004, when he defeated Kimo Leopoldo. He's also 44 and will be just four months shy of his 45th birthday when he meets Slice in the main event of an Elite XC card that will be broadcast live on CBS on Oct. 4.

It's the second opponent Slice has fought on CBS with a horrible record. When Slice met James Thompson on Elite XC's debut show on CBS on May 31, Thompson came into the fight having lost six of eight.

But Shamrock's adpoted brother, Frank, doesn't think Ken is in line to become yet another Slice victim. Frank Shamrock, who serves as a color analyst on the CBS broadcasts, said his brother has a legitimate chance to win.

The Shamrock brothers are not close, but that didn't stop Frank from conceding Ken has far more tools.

"Ken has 10 times Kimbo's ability, so if he can get just 10 percent of that, and he's focused, he can beat him," Frank Shamrock said. "If not, he's going to get clubbed horribly upside the head and fall down, all scary looking."

Slice, whose real name is Kevin Ferguson, only has three MMA fights. He's difficult for Elite XC to match, because he's just learning the game, but is by far its most popular fighter because of his street fight videos that are on YouTube.

He'd be beaten easily by even a mid-level heavyweight, and Elite XC, which is in grave financial difficulty and has lost $50 million in its 18 months of operation, doesn't want its biggest draw to be exposed.

But it also needs a name to sell as a headliner on CBS. Hence, the choice of Ken Shamrock, since Ken Shamrock was one of the pioneers in the UFC and is well-known to many from his days as a professional wrestler in the WWE.

Elite XC vice president Jared Shaw went a little overboard trying to hype Slice during an interview Monday with Steve Cofield and Dave Cokin on ESPN Radio 1100 in Las Vegas.

"Standing up, he's the baddest man on the planet right now," Shaw said of Slice during the radio interview. "There is nobody who can stand with Kimbo Slice."

Frank Shamrock laughed when told of Shaw's comments. And, despite working for CBS, he admitted that isn't close to being true.

"It's primitive, it's basic and it's powerful," Frank Shamrock said of Slice's striking. "He's far from the best striker on the planet, in any combat sport. Striking is a finite art that takes some time to develop. You can look at his body and see he's not working on the art of punching."

Fedor Emelianenko crushed Tim Sylvia on July 19, but it wasn't enough for the world's best heavyweight to take the top spot in this month's Yahoo! Sports pound-for-pound poll.

Emelianenko finished in second place, behind Anderson Silva, who took first for the eighth consecutive month. Georges St. Pierre dominated Jon Fitch to retain his welterweight title, but nonetheless dropped a spot to No. 3.

Should Fedor take the top spot? Is Silva where he belongs? Where do you rank GSP? Give us your thoughts on the Top 10 right here.

Interested in finding out more about the writers who comprise the Y! Sports monthly Top 10 poll? Then check out the links to their sites:

*Carlos Arias is a veteran boxing and MMA writer for the Orange County Register.

*Denny Burkholder is the boxing and MMA producer for CBSSports.com.

*Mike Chiappetta covers MMA for NBCSports.com

*Neil Davidson of the Canadian Press is Canada's leading MMA reporter.

*Dave Doyle is the MMA/Boxing producer for Yahoo! Sports.

*Josh Gross covers mixed martial arts for SportsIllustrated.com.

*Kevin Iole is the lead MMA and boxing writer for Yahoo! Sports.

*Damon Martin covers MMA for MMAWeekly.com.

*Todd Martin covers MMA for CBSSports.com.

*Portland freelance reporter Brad McCray has covered MMA since the early days of Team Quest in Oregon.

*Dave Meltzer has covered the sport since UFC 1 in 1993. He is an MMA staff writer for Yahoo! Sports and has published the Wrestling Observer for 25 years.

*Pramit Mohapatra, who formerly wrote for SportsIllustrated.com and The Baltimore Sun, is the founder of Fightticker.com.

*Ken Pishna is the editor for MMAWeekly.com.

*Steve Sievert covers MMA for MMAjunkie.com.

Sherdog.com reporter Loretta Hunt's employer has forbidden her from taking part in the poll. We thank Loretta for her contributions over the past year and wish her all the best in her future endeavors.

Yahoo! Sports poll pound-for-pound No. 1 Anderson Silva won his eighth consecutive fight in impressive fashion. The UFC middleweight champion stepped up to light heavyweight and rolled over James Irvin on Saturday, needing just 1:01 for a TKO win.

But Fedor Emelianenko reminded everyone why he is considered the world's best heavyweight. The former PRIDE heavyweight champion steamrolled two-time former UFC champ Tim Sylvia in just 36 seconds, winning via rear naked choke.

Emelianenko fell to No. 4 in the Y! poll in recent months (behind Silva, Georges St. Pierre and B.J. Penn) because of a lack of top-quality opponents over the past two years. But no one can make such claims after Saturday night.

So let us know: Who is your number 1?

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Both Fedor Emeliananeko and Tim Sylvia made weight for their Affliction: Banned main event Saturday night at the Honda Center. Sylvia, the two-time former UFC heavyweight champ, clocked in at 263 pounds, a 33-pound advantage over the former PRIDE heavyweight champ.

Full results:

Fedor Emelianenko 230 vs. Tim Sylvia 263

Andrei Arlovski 241 vs. Ben Rothwell 264

Pedro Rizzo 242 vs. Josh Barnett 256

Fabio Nasciemento 185 vs. Matt Lindland 185  

Mike Whitehead 206 vs. Babalu Sobral 201

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira 205 vs. Edwin DeWees 205

JJ Ambrose 171 vs. Mike Pyle 171

Terry Martin 185.5 vs. Vitor Belfort 185

Savant Young 145 vs. Mark Hominick 145

Ray Lizama 185 vs. Justin Levens 189

Notes: The planned match between Aleksander Emelianenko and Paul Buentello is off, as Fedor's brother was denied a license by the California State Athletic Commission an hour before the weigh-ins. … Emelianenko received by far the biggest reaction from the crowd of about 1,000 or so, with Sylvia receiving a mixed response. The second biggest ovation was for Arlovsk. All the name Brazilian fighters, from Nogueira to Sobral to Rizzo, got a warm reaction from the crowd. Washed-up metal act Megadeth, however, was greeted with dead silence when emcee Michael Buffer announced the band would perform Saturday night. … Affliction's ring is a massive 30 feet by 30 feet, which on paper would seem to play to Sylvia's plodding stand-up style.

Who do you think will win? Tell us whether you think Fedor or Sylvia will take the main event Saturday night and why, or tell us about any match on the show.

Forrest Griffin scored a unanimous decision win over Quinton "Rampage" Jackson for the UFC light heavyweight title on Saturday. The judges' scores were 48-46, 48-46, and 49-46.

Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports scored it 48-46 Griffin; Dave Meltzer and I both scored it a 47-47 draw.

How did you score it?

The Association of Boxing Commissions met in Montreal this week. Among other items, the group, which represents state and provincial athletic sanctioning bodies, decided to institute a new series of weight classes in mixed martial arts.

Mind you, there was virtually no clamor in the mixed martial arts world for a drastic overhaul in weight categories. And yet, the ABC is now recommending the institution of 14 weight classes, ranging from flyweight (105-lb. maximum), to super heavyweight, which would remain the domain over the over-265 set.

We have no quibble with fleshing out the weight divisions to give smaller competitors a chance to square off against guys their own size.

But we can tell you this: there is absolutely no good reason to divide the current light heavyweight division into a "middleweight" division of 185.1-195 pounds and a "super middleweight" division of 195.1-205. Likewise for new categories of "welterweight," at 165.1-175, and "super welterweight," 175.1-185.

Not when current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva can finish former PRIDE light heavyweight champ Dan Henderson and then credibly consider a permanent move up to the next level. Not when B.J. Penn can win a title at 170, and then slim down four years later dominate the 155 class. And certainly not when Randy Couture can hold the light heavyweight title in his 40s, retire, return, and whip a man 40 pounds heavier to take the heavyweight crown.

How many of those memorable scenarios would have come about if Penn was fighting in a "super lightweight" division and Matt Hughes at "super welterweight;" if Silva held a belt at 185 and Henderson one at 195; and Couture could have settled for a specially-made "light heavyweight" title of 205-225 pounds?

Fans have turned to mixed martial arts in large part because of the simplicity of its structure. With five champions in the UFC, there's little dispute of the best in each weight class. Where would be the intrigue if say, Ken Florian or Roger Huerta decided to fight at "super lightweight" instead of lightweight and avoid both Penn at 155 and Georges St. Pierre at 170?

These headache-inducing scenarios are no doubt similar to how boxing fans got tired of the absurd number of weight classes and pencil-pushing organizations in their sport.

But no, the commissions can't be content with their attempts to kill one sport; they have to try to step in and ruin the best thing to happen to combat sports in a generation while they're at it.

There were two notable omissions from the ABC meeting: representatives from the Nevada and California commissions, which just happen to be the two most powerful such bodies in the country. My esteemed colleague Steve Sievert already caught up with NSAC executive director Keith Kizer, who expressed reservation over the proposed changes.

The present weight-class system isn't perfect, and could stand a tweak here and there, but no one was asking for a fix for something that wasn't broken. UFC should keep its five current classes. The WEC should continue to focus on the present bantamweight and featherweight divisions. If Elite XC wants to set a lightweight crown at 160, well, God bless 'em.

The leading MMA promotions in North America would be best advised to treat the ABC's new weight classes the same way one should treat any attention-seeking grandstanders who act like they know: Pretend to thank them for their input and then continue carrying on with their business.

NEWARK, N.J. -- Gina Carano missed weight for her Elite XC Saturday Night Fights matchup tomorrow night against Kaitlin Young at the Prudential Center.

With the bout contracted at 140 pounds, Carano, looking like she was about to pass out, checked in at 144.5 pounds. Young was at 140.5 (fighters are allowed up to a pound over the limit to account for minor discrepancies in the scale).

Since the match isn't a title fight, Carano does not need to shed the excess weight. However, she'll forfeit 12.5 percent of her fight purse to Young as a penalty.

Everyone hit their goal at the weigh-ins, which were held before a sparse crowd outside the arena. The only fireworks of note came in an intense staredown between Phil Baroni and Joey Villasenor. The crowd also reacted to a surprise cameo by Shaquille O'Neal, who walked past the stage and into the building.

Live card results:

Kimbo Slice (235.5) vs. James Thompson (257)

EXC middleweight title: Robbie Lawler (champion; 184.5)  vs. Scott Smith (184.5)

Gina Carano (144.5) vs. Kaitlin Young (140.5)

Jon Murphy (260.5) vs. Brett Rogers (263.5)

Phil Baroni (185) vs. Joey Villasenor (184.5)

Preliminaries:

Carlton Haselrig (263) vs. Carlos Moreno (261)

Jim Bova (160.5) vs. Chris Liguori (161)

Matt Makowski (171) vs. Nick Serra (167)

Wilson Reis (140.5) vs. Justin Robbins (140.5)

James “Binky” Jones (154.5) vs. Calvin Kattar (155.5)

Zach Makovsky (135) vs. Andre Soares (134)

Mike Groves (154) vs. Joe Sampieri (155)