First the opponent, now the weight class?

Former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin’s (25-4 MMA, 12-3 UFC)
training plans continue to change, and a recently announced UFC 103
main-event bout with Vitor Belfort (16-8 MMA, 7-4 UFC) will now take
place at a catchweight of 195 pounds instead of the originally
announced light heavyweight class.

“Just found out I will be fighting Vitor at a catchweight of 195
(pounds) as per his request,” Franklin today posted on his Twitter
account.

Frank Curreri, UFC – “Going into the Benavidez fight I never had any intention of being in this situation.” — Jeff CurranWhen it comes to litmus tests for championship contenders, three seems to be the magic number. As in: Lose three straight fights and the odds are overwhelmingly stacked against you winning a world title down the road.

Josh Barnett, the would-be “Affliction: Trilogy” headliner who was denied a license for the fight because of a failed drug test, wasn’t cleared of any wrongdoing by his “B” sample.

In an email to MMAjunkie.com, a California State Athletic Commission representative confirmed the sample tested positive for a metabolite of the anabolic steroid Drostanolone.

The initial sample, which forced Barnett out of a scheduled and hugely anticipated Aug. 1 bout with Fedor Emelianenko, detected the same drug.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC – It was said that the bad blood between UFC President Dana White and former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz ran so deep that reconciliation wasn’t even a remote possibility. But after a twitter exchange between the two surfaced recently, fans began speculating that a return to the Octagon wouldn’t be too far off for ‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy.’ On Friday, White made it official, announcing Ortiz’ re-signing with the UFC during a media teleconference.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC – It’s a staple on the list of most longtime UFC fans’ favorite images – Vitor Belfort, just 20 years old, blasting through his opponents with blistering hand speed and power. These displays rightfully earned him the nickname of ‘The Phenom’, and even as he matured into a man who eventually held the UFC light heavyweight title in 2004, the fans never left his side. On September 19th, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, Belfort returns to the Octagon for the first time in over four years to take on former middleweight champion Rich Franklin in the light heavyweight main event of UFC 103.

London, England – ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports, is the new home of the UFC(R) in the UK and Ireland, the Ultimate Fighting Championship(R) organisation and ESPN announced today.

Mark Hominick (16-8 MMA, 0-2 WEC), a former UFC and WEC fighter who was slated to fight at “Affliction: Trilogy” before the recent cancellation of the Aug. 1 event, has signed a multi-fight deal with World Extreme Cagefighting and will debut at the organization’s WEC 43 show in September.

WEC officials today told MMAjunkie.com the featherweight has been added to the WEC 43 card, though no opponent has been set. UFC president Dana White first mentioned the signing of Hominick during a media call today.

WEC 43 takes place Sept. 2 at the Covelli Center in Youngstown, Ohio.

Dan Henderson will no longer fight Rich Franklin at UFC 103 and will instead get the first shot at UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva’s title at an event to be determined.

During a UFC media conference call today, UFC president Dana White said he pulled Henderson from a previously announced rematch with Rich Franklin at the upcoming UFC 103 event because of the poor reaction it got from fans.

Franklin instead will fight new signee Vitor Belfort in the main event of UFC 103, which takes place Sept. 19 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

Despite perhaps the most advanced negotiations ever between the two parties, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is unlikely to sign Fedor Emelianenko to a UFC deal.

UFC president Dana White today suggested he gave his best effort but that ultimately even offering Emelianenko “the most amazing deal” wasn’t enough.

As Emelianenko’s manager, M-1 Global co-owner and president Vadim Finkelchtein, suggested during a Wednesday press conference, the UFC’s refusal to co-promote shows with M-1 was likely the negotiations’ biggest hurdle.

Following the demise of Affliction Entertainment, Vitor Belfort (16-8 MMA, 7-4 UFC) has signed with the UFC, replaced Dan Henderson (25-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and will fight Rich Franklin (25-4 MMA, 12-3 UFC) in the main event of UFC 103.

UFC president Dana White today announced the new headliner, set to take place at 205 pounds, during a media call while also saying Henderson will instead likely get the next shot at Anderson Silva’s middleweight title.

UFC 103 takes place Sept. 19 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas and airs on pay-per-view.