Straight Talk

"Diego [Sanchez] has moved to California to reconnect with his son out there. He’s always a part of the team, but he’s going to train out there for a while. We love him to death, he still loves us; it’s just kind of a thing where he wants to get out there and get to know his boy and live a good life. He’s such a great kid and we all love him to death, the whole team, and we wish him the best of luck while he’s out there and can’t wait for him to get back."

- Famed MMA trainer Greg Jackson on Diego Sanchez leaving Team Jackson

Morning Droppings

- Top-notch heavyweight free agent and former UFC champ Josh Barnett says that he has spoken with UFC president Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta recently, that the UFC is well aware that he has "no beef with them," and that there are no personal issues keeping Barnett from signing with the UFC. "I just have not received any offers from them yet," he explained. Get on it, Dana!

- Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic told Dana White that if he beats Chiek Kongo at UFC 75 in London, he wants a shot at Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

- UFC officials confirmed this weekend that UFC 77 will be held on October 20 at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, where hometown product Rich "Ace" Franklin will get a chance to reclaim his middleweight title in a rematch with Anderson Silva.

- First Sakurai, then BJ Penn, now Jon Fitch? A fight between welterweights Jon Fitch and Diego Sanchez is supposedly in the works for UFC 76 on September 22. I wrote a while back that a Fitch-Karo Parisyan fight would make perfect sense for the division, but what do I know.

- Also rumored is a welterweight fight between Anthony Johnson and Jess Liaudin at UFC 75, MMAWeekly reports.

- On Saturday night at the Arco Arena, 26-year-old Eraldo Cano reportedly fell 30 feet from the second level of the arena, and Sacramento County Sheriff's officials have confirmed Cano's death. There's no word so far as to whether alcohol played a role in this tragic death, and all signs seem to indicate that this was an accident.

Penn-Sanchez Denied; And I Quote...

Earlier, I wrote the following about the reported BJ Penn-Diego Sanchez fight: "This is a big deal, and I hope this news is true."

Well, it turns out that as far as BJ Penn's camp is aware, the UFC never offered the fight for UFC 74 in August.

It seems that someone's been making shit up.

Either way, I really think that BJ has his sights set on the lightweight belt before anything else, and I look forward watching him run through the division.

Possible BJ and Diego UFC 74 Fight?

And I thought that a Diego Sanchez-Hayato Sakurai fight was big!

Sources tell Sherdog that welterweight contender Diego Sanchez and sometimes welterweight BJ Penn have agreed to fight on August 25 at UFC 74. This is a big deal, and I hope this news is true.

My guess is that The Prodigy will be dropping back down to 155 lbs. after the Sanchez fight to face the winner of this weekend's Sean Sherk/Hermes Franca lightweight championship match. With that said, don't be surprised to see a certain Hawaiian UFC lightweight champion gunning for the welterweight belt, as well.

Morning Droppings

- Despite rumors about a possible Michael Bisping-Ken Shamrock fight at UFC 75, Bisping is still scheduled to face Matt Hamill, his original rumored opponent.

- In a CBS Sportsline interview, UFC lightweight Jens Pulver has confirmed reports that he’s interested in dropping back down to 145 pounds and fighting for the WEC.

- It looks like the Joey Villasenor-Ninja Rua June 22 Strikeforce/EliteXC fight is back on. The CSAC said last night that the medical issues surrounding Rua were "likely" resolved.

- The International Fight League World Team Championship, scheduled for September 20, has be moved from The Forum in L.A. to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL.

- On Tagg Radio yesterday, Frank Trigg said that, according to Hayato Sakurai's trainer, Sakurai hasn't been contacted about this reported - and highly anticipated - fight with Diego Sanchez. Does this mean the fight is off? Was it ever really on? We'll see.

- I refuse to talk about Kimbo Slice until he wins an MMA fight (legitimately).

- Nikkan Sports is reporting that the "newborn" PRIDE will hold its first new event on August 18 at Saitama Super Arena. The theme of the show will be a “Japanese all-star” presentation, centered around Hidehiko Yoshida. No one reports baseless rumor like the Japanese media, so I'll believe this when I see it.

- Pride middleweight and light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson said that the UFC's $20,000 offer to Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou "was an insult."