So just what will Affliction announce on Saturday night in Las Vegas at the Golden Boy Promotions boxing event? Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio told me that it had nothing to do with MMA's biggest free agent Tito Ortiz and really at this stage of his career, the Huntington Beach Bad Boy isn’t going to "change the dynamics of mixed martial arts." Those were the words Affliction MMA COO Michael Cohen used to describe the forthcoming proclamation. There was talk awhile ago of Oscar De La Hoya’s boxing promotion getting involved in MMA. The company has the financial resources and just as important, it has a great relationship with HBO. There has also been conjecture that the announcement may include a merger with another MMA promotion. Pro Elite, which has lost millions of dollars in its nearly two-year existence has two television partners in Showtime and its Viacom family member CBS. I contacted Pro Elite head honcho Chuck Champion and he told me that he had held preliminary talks with a variety of promotions including Affliction. The guessing game will continue until Saturday, but something tells me that the announcement will be that Golden Boy will provide the clothing company with the proverbial golden egg which should hatch a much more stable future for the fledgling MMA group. If not? Well I guess the yolk’s on me.

Upon hearing the huge news that Randy Couture was returning to the UFC fold, I was reminded of the Edwin Starr tune that contained the lyrics “war what is it good for? Absolutely nothing.” Obviously, the Natural and UFC head honcho Dana White figured that out as they ended their legal battle and made nice during a media conference call on Tuesday where it was announced that the hall of famer and the promotion’s only three-time heavyweight champion will return to the octagon on Nov. 15 against former WWE superstar Brock Lesnar for the title. White, ever the promoter, called it the “biggest fight in UFC history." I don’t mean to disagree with the man who never met an expletive he didn’t like, but I think this will be the biggest fight in MMA history. With all of the crossover fans Lesnar will bring from his pro wrestling days and the fact that Couture is one of the most beloved fighters in the sport, all the ingredients are there for a buy rate bigger than Lesnar's traps. At the end, it comes down to the dead presidents on the American currency. Couture didn’t want to continue burning cash in the waiting room that is the American legal system and with the one opponent who no one can beat, father time, knocking at the door, couture made the "natural" pick.

Evan Tanner was a guy who definitely marched to the beat of his own drum. He was peripatetic to say the least, rarely staying in one place for more than a few months. He seemed to love the vagabond lifestyle he led. I never had the chance to get to know evan but I was always curious to see where he would pop up next. I loved the
fact that he didn’t subscribe to society’s rules. He didn’t have a 9 to 5 job or a white picket fence although he did once say the reason he started a career in MMA was because he was looking for stories to tell his kids. While he didn’t live long enough to have a family of his own, his legacy is secure. He was a champion, a philosopher and I would venture to guess that like most deep thinkers, he was a tortured soul as well. Some of his personal battles were well documented but now is not the time to dwell on such trivial matters. After all, we all have our own crosses to bear. While the details surrounding his death are still sketchy, i can’t help but take solace knowing that if this was his time to go, Evan Tanner did so in a place where he was most comfortable, the great outdoors. Rest in peace Evan and thanks for the memories.