There's been a rumor that Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Productions is going to start an MMA company. Any truth to that?
- Luis P.

It's certainly possible. I spoke to a Golden Boy representative last week who said that De La Hoya has mentioned the idea but only in passing. He stressed that De La Hoya is very busy with other projects including his own boxing career, his stable of fighters, and other ventures including the MLS's Houston Dynamo, a team which he recently bought a stake in. But of course he didn't rule out a future entry into the MMA market, saying only that it's not one of his immediate goals.

One thing I am a little shocked at is how little the UFC fighters get paid -- $170K for the last Rampage Jackson fight? Aren't they earning $40 million+  per fight from pay-per-view, sponsors and ticket sales? Relatively speaking, I get the impression that MMA has the worst ratio for income vs. player incomes. Something doesn't seem very fair about it.
- Ethan Kidhardt

For the record, we don't know Rampage's salary for his last fight at UFC 75 since it was overseas in London, and the UK has no athletic commission that releases them. At UFC 71, Jackson made $225,000 and also won the "Knockout of the Night" bonus of $40,000.

Regardless, we need to keep in mind that the sport of MMA has only been around for 15 years, and only began to truly make waves in the last 3-4 years. Zuffa spent a lot of time and money building up the company, and suffered deep financial losses for years. It took baseball, football, and other established sports decades to get to their current place, so it's not really fair to compare MMA to any of them.

Also, keep in mind that many of the top-level fighters get a percentage of pay-per-view receipts that can push their total take into seven figures.

That said, I think it's logical that salaries will naturally rise in the next few years as athletes gain a better understanding of the business aspects, higher-powered agents enter the fray, and upstart leagues compete for talent.

Anderson Silva is not muscle-bound but he hits harder and is physically stronger than most fight observers give him credit for. What is even more surprising is the fact that fight observers cannot seem to notice how tough his chin is.  He absorbed good shoots from Henderson, even Franklin, and did not even flinch.
- Paul Malvar

Paul, let me share a quick story with you. When I was in Columbus for UFC 82, I was shamelessly eavesdropping as ESPN Radio's Steve Cofield was interviewing UFC middleweight Jorge Rivera. The veteran told a story of when he fought Silva in Cage Rage back in 2005. At one point of their encounter, Silva had Rivera in a Muay Thai clinch and clearly allowed his opponent to hit him in the face several times. Rivera felt he connected solidly, but when he looked Silva in the eyes, the Spider winked at him! The demoralized Rivera soon after succumbed to a TKO loss.

So yes, his chin is very underrated.

As an avid fan of MMA, I cannot understand why so many give Fedor Emelianenko so many passes when it comes to rankings.  I understand his fighting successes have been impressive, but he has not fought a quality opponent since Matt Lindland.
- Torr Lewis

There are two schools of thought on Fedor. One believes that he was simply so dominant as the PRIDE champ that until someone beats him, he's the de facto best in the world. The other believes that as great as he proven himself to be, the pound-for-pound designation is a fluid ranking that should constantly be evaluated.

Few disagree that Fedor is a great fighter, but at some point, even those who belong in the latter camp will decide that inactivity or sub-par opposition must result in his stock dropping. Either way, the human body is like a car; it depreciates over time. Fedor can't stay No. 1 forever.

The fight that needs to be scheduled is Anderson Silva and Quinton Jackson, or Quinton Jackson and Minotauro Nogueira. Do you think anyone will sanction those fights?
- Joseph Hatcher

Nothing is impossible, but the fights are unlikely, simply because pitting one division's champion against another means one standing champion gets a loss on his record, and for what gain?

It might do a monster pay-per-view number for UFC, but if one of the champs loses some luster from the defeat, it might not be worth it. However, if Silva keeps winning, the UFC might not have a choice but to move him up. From a fan standpoint, it'd be spectacular to watch.

What happened to Mickey’s malt liquor?  Is Dana White going to dump them after they stayed with the UFC through all the hard years?  He needs to show some loyalty and remember his roots.
- Chris Wickham

It must be noted that there was more than one email about the fate of Mickey's. I never knew how loyal Mickey's drinkers are. But yes, the fine malt liquor will go the way of Rich's Tire Barn and other early UFC sponsors after the Bud Light deal officially kicks in at UFC 84.

As a tribute, next time you drink one, just remember to pour some out for your dead homie.

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