Following up on the UFC's press conference today with Dana White, Lorenzo Fertitta, and Chief Financial Officer John Mulkey:

-- UFC estimates 485,000 buys for UFC 74 (Couture vs. Gonzaga).

-- UFC said Couture made $1.127 million for Gonzaga fight and $1.186 million for the Sylvia fight. They also said he was paid a $500,000 signing bonus ($250,000 up front, and $250,000 on the "back end," or after the Sylvia fight). They also said he was paid another $250,000 on top of that ($200,000 for "employment" and $50,000 for commentating on live UFC TV events).

-- They refuted Couture's statements that any payments (locker room bonuses, etc.) are made "off the books," indicating that everything shows up in taxes.

-- White addressed the locker room bonuses -- he confirmed that they do this, and justified it by saying no fight promotion he has ever heard of (besides the UFC) has paid fighters more than is on their contract.

-- White reiterated that all of this is "on the books." Nothing is under the table.

-- White said they will try to put together a title defense for Randy for early 2008, most likely against Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera. He said if Couture turns down the fight, it will be because he "retired," implying that if he rejects the fight UFC makes for him, he won't have the option to fight again anywhere else.

-- They said for two fights (Sylvia and Gonzaga), Couture will make an estimated $2.9 million for 2007. That includes money he's already been paid along with PPV money from UFC 74, which UFC hasn't been paid yet. The UFC will get paid once all the cable bills are paid, and then Couture will be paid his cut 10 days after UFC gets paid.

Thoughts: I'm really kind of tired of the whole story, and beyond the possibility of Couture fulfilling the two remaining fights on his UFC contract, I almost don't care who is right or wrong at this point. The UFC did a good job of presenting evidence (they did produce some documentation of the numbers to the media) that they're in the right, and as I brought up when the story first broke, Couture should have never signed a deal he wasn't happy with in the first place.

You also have to consider the intangible benefits Couture received from being a UFC fighter. Being with UFC got him far more attention than he would have had otherwise, and probably played a role in him landing acting roles, sponsorships, and other opportunities. Couture definitely did lots of work that benefitted UFC, not the least of which was being a great champion and a respectable spokesperson for MMA. But in terms of who got more out of the Couture-UFC partnership, one could argue that Couture did pretty well for himself, whether he was one of its highest-paid fighters or not.

At the end of the day, it's looking like the UFC will try and force Couture to either fight or retire (which is a right they purchased when they offered Couture a contract and he signed it). If Couture won't fight, the UFC will consider him retired even if Couture himself thinks otherwise. Which, to me, means that if Couture won't fulfill his remaining UFC fights, he won't fight anywhere else either, unless he wants to hear from UFC lawyers.

If that situation unfolds, I'm sure there'll be another press conference.

UFC will hold another press conference today at 4 p.m. ET with Dana White (UFC president and co-owner), Lorenzo Fertitta (UFC co-owner) and John Mulkey (UFC Chief Financial Officer) specifically to "address recent statements made by Randy Couture and answer questions for the media."

I'll probably have something from the press conference in this blog later today, if it yields something newsworthy (i.e., if the UFC announces they're suing Randy Couture for disclosing financial information to the media in his own presser last week.). I will not be "live blogging" it, but if you can't wait a few minutes for a little perspective on the hard facts of the presser, I gather there are about three dozen small blogs out there where you can probably get your fix in just under 12 seconds. Have at it.

I've made some observations about this recent glut of MMA press conferences and the way the mainstream media and bloggers alike have been reacting to them.

In journalism school, you learn that press conferences serve multiple purposes. For those who organize the press conference, it's a chance to encourage the media to seek your side of the story and use it in future news coverage. It's also a promotional tool and a time-management control tactic, because let's face it -- every minute a sports writer spends on your conference call is a minute he or she spent covering your business, and perhaps just as importantly, NOT covering something like the start of the NBA regular season, or boxing, or the NFL, or a competing MMA group in the same genre.

The press conference itself is not typically the story. It may break a story, or it may supplement an existing topic in the news with new comments. A writer would attend the presser to gather quotes for a future story or just to gain insight about a company like the UFC's stance on an issue, such as -- oh, I don't know -- Randy Couture waving his UFC bout agreements around in a room full of reporters and cameras and bloggers.

Here's the thing: The UFC spiked in popularity over the past couple of years. Along with that came more interest from the existing sports media. Along with that came more blogs from people who may or may not be professional writers, but often possess a wealth of MMA knowledge that makes their content worth reading either way. Along with the influx of non-traditional sports writers to MMA coverage came a non-traditional approach to press conference coverage.

In short: The presser used to be an avenue for bolstering news coverage. Now, at least in the MMA world, the presser *is* the news. In fact each new presser typically yields four different blog entries:

1) The hot tip that there will, in fact, be a press conference;
2) The live, up-to-the-minute blog of everything said, not said, implied, ignored, or bemoaned at the presser;
3) The reaction story to everything said, not said, implied, ignored, or bemoaned at the presser (our complete coverage of which can be viewed by clicking here, signing up, logging in, or a donation of non-perishable foodstuffs);
4) The immediate dash to secure reaction comments from all of the people mentioned during the press conference but who were not actually there for it (in this case, it will be Randy Couture and everyone he's shaken hands with since 1999).

In contrast to many bloggers, you'll notice the mainstream sports writers -- specifically those who cover other major sports with some regularity, and particularly those with experience -- approach these pressers in one of two ways:

1) Find out about said presser and decide whether to drop other work to participate;
2) If there is any news from the presser, report it. Once. And make sure it's proofread.

Before someone else points this out: Yes, I am a journalist for a larger mainstream sports media website, and yes, this is my blog. Believe me, I do not exempt myself one bit from the criticisms I'm making here. The whole nature of the MMA coverage beast is askew, and I'm just as wrapped up in all of that as everyone else.

It just seems as though some of the seasoned professionals are going out of their way to loosen the reins on what is considered a professional approach to journalism, while the casual, non-professional writers are trying way too hard to look otherwise.

There's my spleen, newly vented. Check here later for an absolutely non-exclusive, not even remotely up-to-the-minute reaction from the latest blockbuster MMA press conference.

Sigh.

UFC conference call news & notes

On the call: Dana White, Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva and Brock Lesnar.

-- Kevin Kay of Spike TV is also on the line to discuss the UFC TV deal.
-- Dana White: "Am I putting on a press conference right now to f--- Randy Couture's press conference? No."
-- The new Spike TV deal is four years and entails a minimum of 12 live UFC events over the course of 2009-2011 on the channel. Also, 26 episodes of The Ultimate Fighter per year.
-- On Randy Couture: "He just signed a new contract with us eight months ago. I got him."
-- Dana White claimed Randy Couture hasn't said himself that he's looking to fight anywhere else. He said all of that talk was "Internet, goofy bulls---."
-- White on the prospect of when he'll make plans for a new UFC heavyweight champion to replace Couture: "I don't declare it (the UFC heavyweight title) vacant until Randy Couture tells me face to face that he's retiring. ... As far as I'm concerned, he's the champion."
-- Regarding Andrei Arlovski, White said he's not really sure what Arlovski's doing right now, but he's been on the sidelines and they want to get him back into the mix.
-- They are working on a new UFC show for Spike TV for 2010, but White said they're still discussing what it will be. Other than saying it would be a "fight show," he could not elaborate.
-- Kevin Kay on Spike TV renewing UFC through 2011: "They have helped our network grow enormously."
-- White on whether fighters would take Brock Lesnar seriously as a fighter: "They better take him seriously."
-- Brock Lesnar: "This isn't a joke for me." On his win over Min-Soo Kim in June: "He was a tuna can, but whatever." On his training: "I am not setting myself up for defeat. That is not in my vocabulary."
-- Brock Lesnar on whether he is happy to be out of WWE due to the fact that a lot of wrestlers seem to be dying young: "Absolutely. I'm still alive."
-- White on Fedor Emelianenko: "Fedor sucks. Fedor's not even a top five heavyweight let alone pound-for-pound. The best heavyweight in the world is Randy Couture." White declined to say what things Couture believed that were not true. He said if Couture wants to discuss it, he will do it person to person. He said Chuck Liddell can attest that "Sometimes the Hollywood s--- can get a little crazy," alluding to the idea that Couture's "Hollywood" agent was part of the problem.
-- When asked to comment on Pro Elite, White said: "I think that all these companies that are getting into the sport are good for the sport. However, he added "This is a very tough business."
-- White grew angry when asked more about Fedor negotiations, and blamed Fedor's people for making unreasonable demands for themselves. "Not ever once during the negotiations with Fedor were they ever concerned about what Fedor was going to get." He called Fedor's manager "A f----n' liar." He also said at this point he doesn't care to ever have Fedor in the UFC, and said he thinks the lies told about the Fedor negotiations probably helped cause the Randy Couture situation.
-- Wanderlei Silva said he has not done any gambling in Vegas yet. "I love my money," he laughed.
-- White said Liddell vs. Silva is a more important fight now that both need to come back from losses. "This fight now, they're both in different places. Actually, the stakes are much, much higher now, which makes it an interesting fight." He said it would be "safe to say" the winner of Silva vs. Liddell would be the No. 1 contender in the light heavyweight division, but added that Forrest Griffin is in that discussion as well.
-- Brock Lesnar on Tim Sylvia: "Do I think I can beat him? Absolutely." He said he is anxious to get into the Octagon and prove himself.

Randy Couture press conference news & notes

-- Couture thanked everyone for coming and said he had no idea that this was going to be such a big deal. He thanked his wife, his staff at Xtreme Couture.
-- Couture said he had issues with Zuffa since they bought the UFC in 2001. He said he got off on the wrong foot with them over control of the ancillary rights to his name and likeness, when they were going to include him in the first UFC video game. They pulled Couture from the video game and the ad campaign for it because he wouldn't "just sign those things away like most fighters had done to that point," in his words.
-- Couture said the "little things that make an athlete feel appreciated" weren't being done for him as they were for other people. "Everybody's trying to make a big deal out of the money. This was never a money issue. It's been a prevailing feeling of respect that wasn't being given. For 11 years of my life, I've tried to represent this sport with integrity. I've never felt like that was appreciated."
-- Couture said he could cite many examples over the years of little things that made him feel that way, but he didn't want to "sound petty." He did give Zuffa and UFC credit for helping save the sport of MMA, which Couture said he thought was going to die at one point.
-- On criticism that he signed a contract eight months ago that he was happy with, and now wants to change his mind: "No, I wasn't happy with that contract then. I asked for a signing bonus. I knew that a lot of other athletes were getting signing bonuses. In the year that I was out, the landscape changed financially for a lot of us, as athletes. Which is great -- it needed to. I felt like after all that I had accomplished and all the stuff that I had put on the line, and all the sacrifices that I made with my family and my team to represent this sport and do whatever needed to be done -- whatever I was asked to do. Whether they were booking the tickets or I was booking the tickets, I was running around the country trying to promote this sport and build this thing."
-- More on the contract: "I wasn't happy with the contract, but it wasn't really about that. It wasn't about the zeros. I still wanted to fight. And in a negotiation, if you're not willing to walk away, then you take whatever they're willing to give you."
-- On the UFC denying him a signing bonus in his contract: "I was told 'No, we can't give you a signing bonus.' I know Tim (Sylvia) and Matt (Hughes) and several of the other fighters had been given signing bonuses. I didn't really understand why I wasn't worthy of one. But it didn't really matter. What ultimately I wanted to do was fight. So I accepted the contract then, moved on, and fought."
-- To the media on hand: "If you look at yourselves as reporters who work for a particular company or a particular magazine, and made sacrifices and done the best you could, and they pulled another guy in from another organization because they want him, and they pay him coming in more than you've ever been paid, are you going to feel a little bit insulted and hurt about that? If you've been there for 11 years busting your ass? That was kind of the final straw for me. Seeing what a lot of these guys from Pride were getting paid or offered."
-- On Chuck Liddell: "Chuck Liddell made 17 million dollars last year from his fighting."
-- Couture produced his copies of the bout agreements for his fights with Tim Sylvia and Gabriel Gonzaga, which list exactly what he was paid for the fights besides his cut of the pay-per-view gross, which Couture said was "about $500,000" for the Sylvia fight and the last fight with Liddell combined. He said he hasn't been paid a PPV bonus for the Gonzaga fight yet because "it takes about 90 days for those numbers to come in." Couture then handed both bout agreements to Yahoo reporter Kevin Iole "because he's the one who wrote the article on Yahoo that stated some grossly inflated numbers about what I get paid." Couture said he was paid $250,000 for the Gonzaga fight, and estimated a $500,000 PPV bonus.
-- Couture reiterated that at his age and at this stage of his career, the Fedor Emelianenko fight was the only fight that made sense. He said Fedor signing with another organization was the final straw in his decision to walk away from UFC.
-- Couture answere the charge of Dana White that Matt Walker is his "Hollywood agent", saying that he is not, nor does he get paid anything for his UFC business, and that Matt Walker is his sports agent.
-- Couture said he was always denied small things like extra tickets for family and friends or hotel rooms.
-- Couture on how he resigned: "I tendered my resignation after having a face-to-face meeting with Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta where I laid all this out in person, two and a half weeks before I left for South Africa. I told them exactly how I feel."
-- Couture said he had his letter of resignation with him at UFC 76 in Anaheim a few weeks ago and could have tendered it right there, but he wanted to give White and Fertitta a chance to respond. "I got no response."
-- On Dana White: "I don't think he's a bad guy necessarily. I think he wields a lot of power and a big stick, and he doesn't do that with the best of conscience all the time. But it's not about bashing Dana."
-- Couture said his understanding of his UFC contract was that there are a certain number of fights (in his case, four) and also a term, and that the fights have to happen within the set term.
-- He said he was offered $3 million to fight Fedor for Bodog over a year ago. "What did I do? I went to Dana and Lorenzo and told them 'this is what these guys are offering me to fight Fedor, in their show. I am interested in fighting again.' And they said 'Well if you're interested in fighting again, we need somebody to fight Tim Sylvia. Fight for the heavyweight championship with us.' And that's what I did."
-- On whether he is retired: "I am saying that I have simply left the UFC at this stage. It would be silly for me to sit here and say I'm going to retire again. Nobody's going to buy that crap anyway."
-- He doesn't know for sure whether he will fight again. "I certainly have fights left in me. There's only really one fight that makes a lot of sense, and I would have hoped that that could have happened in the UFC with Fedor. I don't think that's going to happen."
-- Couture is contractually obligated to the UFC for the rest of his contract term, which is nine more months. On a possible showdown with Fedor elsewhere: "Unless that fight happens in the UFC, it's not going to happen anywhere for at least nine months."
-- He said there have been no discussions or considerations given to fighting Fedor in UFC or M-1, and that at this point, it's just about his resignation.
-- "Certainly fighters still making $2,000 and $3,000 a fight is... it's a shame."
-- On fighter bonuses: "The UFC has stated time and again that I'm the No. 2 (highest paid) athlete on the books as far as my contract. But then what happens is they pay you a visit in your locker room after your fight and they give you a bonus check. It's not on the books anywhere. For some of the athletes, it's standard practice. You come to expect that. A lot of the marquee guys that are selling pay-per-views and putting butts in the seats get those bonus checks. We're happy to get the extra money, but it's at their discretion. I got that for the last Chuck fight. I got that for the Tim Sylvia fight. For whatever reason, I didn't get that for the Gonzaga fight. And I questioned that. It makes a big difference in my pay."

The week of the press conference continues. We started with Fedor Emelianenko at the M-1 announcement on Monday. Today, we have two press conferences practically right on top of one another.

UFC brings Brock Lesnar, Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva and Dana White on a conference call at 4 p.m. ET, while Randy Couture holds his own press conference at 4:30 p.m. ET. UFC conference calls typically last longer than a half hour, so the scheduling promises to make things tricky on those of us trying to cover everything. (Then again, that was probably the idea.)

Keep an eye on this blog starting at 4 p.m. ET today for updates on what all is discussed on the UFC conference call, and for an update from Couture's own media gathering.

The UFC middleweight title rematch between Anderson "The Spider" Silva and Rich "Ace" Franklin is up next. Let's see how loud the Cincinnati crowd is for their hometown boy. Franklin looks very confident this time, and if you remember the look on his face when he came out for their last fight, that's a good sign. The crowd loves Franklin.

Round 1: They touch gloves and show respect to start. The crowd is cheering loudly for Franklin. They stand and Franklin lands some punch combos. Silva attempts a clinch and Franklin immediately spins away from it and holds an arm. Silva puts Franklin against the cage. Franklin takes Silva down. They stand again and Silva lands a spin kick to the body. Silva lands fists and knees, and Franklin looks at the clock (1:24 remaining in the round). Silva gets the clinch long enough to land a right knee to the head and Franklin escapes. Franklin throws combos and Silva bobs and weaves in animated fashion. They trade again and Silva drops Franklin with a right hand to the jaw. Franklin was in very deep trouble and if the buzzer hadn't sounded, it would have been over. 10-9 Silva on account of nearly winning the fight in the final seconds.

Round 2: Franklin is swinging but he's clearly hurt. Silva connects with a few including another right to the jaw that hurts him again. Silva rushes in with fists and knees, and a hard right knee crumples Franklin to the mat for the stoppage at 1:07. Silva by KO.

Result: Anderson Silva def. Rich Franklin via TKO due to strikes at 1:07 of Round 2 to retain the UFC middleweight title.

Here come the big boys: Sylvia vs. Vera is next.

And right before we get the fight, Joe Rogan makes it official by dragging a cameraman over to Brock Lesnar to interview UFC's latest signee. Rogan welcomed Lesnar to the big dance by accidentally calling him Brock Larson (WEC fighter). D'oh!

Round 1: They clinched immediately and spent the majority of the round jockeying for position. Vera couldn't take Sylvia down and Sylvia wouldn't let Vera off the cage. They separated briefly and exchanged blows with Vera landing one good punch, but it didn't phase Sylvia. Sylvia landed some shots of his own and continued forcing Vera back against the fence. 10-9 Sylvia, but he's not doing a whole lot other than use his weight to keep Vera from swinging.

Round 2: Vera lands another good shot early before they clinch again and Sylvia goes back to pushing Vera against the cage. The crowd is booing loudly every time Sylvia clinches Vera against the cage. Referee Yves Levigne separates them and they exchange shots. Vera with elbows and fists, Sylvia with fists of his own. Sylvia right back to the clinch, and the crowd is now chanting "boring." Vera finally takes down Sylvia and gets side control near the fence. Sylvia eventually escapes and Vera lands a big knee, but Sylvia's knee was still planted. Levigne stops the fight to warn Vera about the knee to a downed opponent (but no point deducted). Sylvia takes a breather, and as they finish the round, Vera lands body kicks and a right hand, slipping on a high kick attempt to end Round 2. I give it to Vera 10-9 due to Sylvia doing almost nothing while in the clinch.

Round 3: Sylvia tries to clinch and Vera avoids it briefly. Sylvia lands a couple of good right hands and gets his clinch against the cage yet again. He still doesn't appear to be working for anything in particular other than to hold Vera against the cage with his girth. Vera got him off the cage and Sylvia actually landed a bunch of fists and elbows. Back to the clinch, but Levigne separates the fighters briefly to fix the tape on Vera's glove. Sylvia lands more fists and cuts open Vera's head before going right back to the clinch. Off the cage and Sylvia throws combo strikes at Vera as the round ends. Vera just couldn't stay off the cage, and when they did separate, he didn't get the better of the striking war. 10-9 Sylvia. This could go split for Sylvia or even unanimous, but Vera's not winning. Vera told his corner he broke his hand, which definitely looks broken when he removes the glove.

Result: Tim Sylvia def. Brandon Vera via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds.

Next up: Alvin Robinson vs. Jorge Gurgel. I know who Gregg Doyel is rooting for. I should say, I know who Doyel better be rooting for.

Round 1: They trade briefly, and Gurgel ends up on top after a brief scramble. Gurgel passes Robinson's guard. Robinson attempts to arch out from the bottom and Gurgel holds on from the side, so Robinson works him back into full guard. Gurgel passes guard again. Robinson moves constantly but Gurgel won't give up side control. Robinson throws a few kicks from the bottom and Gurgel gets full mount before the round ends. 10-9 Gurgel.

Round 2: Robinson takes down Gurgel immediately and they scramble again for position. Robinson gets over-under control but can't get Gurgel's back, and Gurgel reverses him. Robinson uses an omoplata to reverse position on Gurgel. Great ground work here from both fighters. Robinson lands some fists to Gurgel's face from the top and Gurgel is now cut on the bridge of his nose. Gurgel is eating lots of fists while trying to neutralize Robinson's arms. Robinson was getting Gurgel's back as the round ended. Easy 10-9 round for Robinson, and Gurgel's face is now a mess.

Round 3: Robinson back on top on the ground. Gurgel's face is now a weird shade of purple from all the punches. Gurgel keeps Robinson in guard but continues to eat fists. Gurgel is beaten up pretty bad. Gurgel rolls to try and escape from the bottom with a minute to go and winds up with Robinson nearly gaining back control as the round ended. Another 10-9 round for Robinson, so he should win this fight. And he does, with two of the three judges even giving Robinson a 10-8 round.

Result: Alvin Robinson def. Jorge Gurgel via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27) after three rounds.

Bonnar vs. Schafer is next. The fighters are in the cage for intros.

Round 1: Lots of grappling for control in the beginning, with Schafer taking Bonnar down and maneuvering to back control as Bonnar tried to stand up. Schafer had both hooks in briefly and tried for a rear naked choke. Bonnar was able to neutralize Schafer's arm and roll through for top control as the round ended. 10-9 Schafer.

Round 2: Bonnar got Schafer down early and started to ground and pound. Bonnar connected with some strong punches to the face. Schafer took half guard. (Side note: That's definitely Brock Lesnar in the crowd.) Bonnar is just unloading on Schafer as Schafer tries to keep his guard, and eventually Schafer stops with the guard and covers his head. Bonnar unloads with fists until Big John McCarthy stops it at 3:47.

Result: Stephan Bonnar def. Eric Schafer via TKO due to strikes at 3:47 of Round 2.

Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva is sitting at Octagonside. Let's see if they announce his opponent for UFC 79 tonight (believed to be Chuck Liddell, despite early rumblings that the fight wouldn't happen... again.)

I believe Brock Lesnar was also caught on camera, in the distance behind the Starnes-Belcher action. Either way, look for Lesnar to sign with UFC very soon. UFC needs another good heavyweight prospect, and Lesnar should be all for a UFC deal, if he's still serious about MMA.

Belcher enters the arena to Queen's "Under Pressure."

Round 1: Starnes was bleeding from the head within seconds as the two tied up. Tremendous standup round with Starnes unloading with lots of fists about halfway in, and Starnes answering with fists and knees. Very even round, but I'd give it to Belcher 10-9. Doctors are checking Starnes' cut between rounds.

Round 2: They come out swinging again with Belcher actually smiling at Starnes as he connects with strikes. Not long into the second round, the fight was stopped again and the officials waved off the fight due to Starnes' cut. Starnes' corner apparently got upset at the stoppage, which prompted Starnes to yell obscenities and "he saw my skull!" back to them. The cut was directly over Starnes' right eye, which was the apparent cause for concern.

Result: Alan Belcher def. Kalib Starnes via TKO due to referee stoppage at 1:19 of Round 2.

Here are the UFC 77 prelim results as we approach the live PPV broadcast:

1) Matt Grice def. Jason Black via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28). (This fight was originally announced as a draw, as one of the judges' scores was announced at 28-28 when in reality it should have been 29-28 Grice. Crowd was not pleased with the draw announcement.)
2) Josh Burkman def. Forrest Petz via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29).
3) Demian Maia def. Ryan Jensen via submission to a rear naked choke at 2:40 of Round 1.
4) Yushin Okami def. Jason MacDonald via unanimous decision after three rounds.

...right now.

Reload, refresh, and revisit frequently for the latest updates from tonight's UFC 77 card in Cincinnati. In the meantime, if you haven't checked out our new, exclusive Head to Head UFC preview & expert picks, please do so.

CBSSports.com was the first mainstream media website to cover MMA as a true sport, and we're now the first to bring you an enhanced preview of the entire card, including the prelims. (Look for cheap knockoffs of this format on other sites very soon... or better yet, keep it right here for the real thing!)