Mixed martial arts used to be a one-horse kind of town, but not anymore.

Next week three MMA organizations will host separate fight cards on the same weekend, headlined by Ultimate Fighting Championship's “Nemesis” show at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

UFC 79, a top-heavy fight card Dec. 29 featuring future Hall of Fame MMA stars Matt Hughes and Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell, is a pay-per-view show and the other MMA shows are not.

The other cards aren't chopped liver. International Fight League and the new HDNet Fights have combined forces to televise fights on Dec. 29, while HDNet is also allowing the new M-1 Global use of its transmission sources to show Russia’s Fedor Emelianenko’s fight Dec. 31.

Still, the top fighters are at UFC 79. Along with Hughes and Liddell, UFC has Canada’s Georges St. Pierre, Brazil’s Wanderlei Silva, Africa’s Rameau Sokoudjo and Brazil’s Lyoto Machida. Each possesses enough explosive power to light up Las Vegas.

Liddell, in particular, despite a knockout defeat from the fists of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and a decision loss to Keith “Dean of Mean” Jardine, seems to have shaken off the strings of doubt.

“I’m just excited to get back in the ring,” said Liddell, the former UFC light heavyweight champ. “It’s a very important fight for me. It puts me back in the hunt.”

Also looking to get back into the hunt is former welterweight star Hughes, who faces St. Pierre, who snatched the UFC welterweight title from his grasp with a stunning knockout in 2006. It’s their third meeting, with each winning once. This time it’s a five-round fight for a newly devised interim UFC welterweight title.

“I just wanted it to be a five-round fight,” said Hughes, who was scheduled to meet current UFC welterweight champ Matt Serra, but the New York fighter was felled by injury. “I’m just worried about my training for George.”

St. Pierre wasn’t preparing to fight Hughes, but when the opportunity arose the Canadian fighter leaped at the chance.

“I never been so pumped up for a fight,” St. Pierre said.

UFC pulled all its destroyers in for this battle against rival organizations and wants a decisive result.

Grand Prix
The IFL stages its first World Grand Prix finale at the Mohegan Sun Casino on Dec. 29. But what’s surprising is with the help of billionaire Mark Cuban, they’ve partnered with HDNet Fights and will use HDNet to televise its tournament that features several rising MMA stars such as lightweight Chris Horodecki and welterweight Jay Hieron.

HDNet is owned by Cuban, who also owns the NBA Dallas Mavericks.

One of the participants in the Grand Prix is lightweight finalist Horodecki. He’s seen three scheduled opponents drop off, but now fights Ryan Schultz, whom he stopped in a previous encounter last year.

Horodecki, 20, said he’s getting a bit antsy and wants to step in the ring.

“I’m just glad there is a set opponent now,” he said. “It was getting hectic.”

In a welterweight challenge Hieron, 31, faces Brazil’s Delson Heleno.

No problem, says Hieron.

“I think he’s a great fighter, I’ll give him that,” Hieron said. “He likes to force the take down and I think that’s what will kind of play into my stand up.”

Hieron feels he can’t be punched out by the Brazilian jujitsu expert.

“Without a doubt, I think my striking is a level above his,” Hieron said. “The game plan is to keep the fight standing up.”

New Year’s Eve
Two days later, M-1 Global brings out its big gun when Emelianenko makes his debut for the organization.

Considered the best MMA fighter pound for pound, Russia’s Emelianenko fights in Saitama, Japan against Korea’s Hong-Man Choi, a fighter who failed medical examinations by the California State Athletic Commission when doctors said they found a tumor in his head.

Choi actually fought in a K-1 fight card in Las Vegas in 2006, but was forced out of a card in Los Angeles this past June. But the seven-foot giant Korean striker fought five times this year, winning three.

EliteXC signs Smith
Middleweight star Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith signed a contract recently with EliteXC, president Gary Shaw said.

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It was his fight against UFC’s Pete Sell that made Smith’s reputation, when he played possum and caught that fighter with a big right hand to end the match.

“The fans know I come to war,” said Scott (12-4). “I think they love the fact that I love to engage, that I keep punching until I knock you out.”

Fights on Saturday

Sportfight: Season’s Beatings at Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Ore. (877) 789-7673.

Gladiator Challenge: High Noon at Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento. Doors open at noon. (800) 225-2277.

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