It wasn’t that long ago that the Ultimate Fighting Championship announced its network deal with FOX. The deal was reached in August of 2011, and since that time, the UFC has held six live events on the national network, with the seventh event taking place this Saturday.

The man behind all the action this weekend is UFC President Dana White, who took some time out of his busy schedule to talk with us about Saturday’s card, the UFC’s partnership with FOX, and the buzz around the new women’s bantamweight division. White, a Boston native, also gives his thoughts on the tragic Boston Marathon attack on Monday afternoon.

BULLZ-EYE: Thanks for your time Dana. Can you give everybody a little rundown of the UFC on FOX 7 event that is taking place this Saturday night in San Jose?

DANA WHITE: One of the things I was really excited about with this deal with FOX was being able to bring big fights back to free television. That has always been my goal since we bought this company. Coming off “The Ultimate Fighter” finale last weekend, every fight was sick, it was an amazing finale. We pulled 1.7 million viewers. We were the highest-rated thing on network and cable television with males 18-34. This fight on FOX is going to be a big one. Ben Henderson is defending his lightweight title again, this time against Gilbert Melendez, who is probably the toughest guy at 155 pounds that has never had a shot in the UFC. Everybody thinks this guy might be the best in the world, so we are going to find out on Saturday.

BE: When Ben Henderson came into the UFC from the WEC, what were your initial thoughts on where he fit in at 155, and have you been impressed with what he has done thus far in the octagon?

DANA WHITE: Absolutely. You never really know about a fight or a fighter until the fight happens, but Ben has been phenomenal. If you look at the guys that he has beaten since he has been here, he’s been outstanding.

BE: You have a lot of former Strikeforce fighters competing and being featured on this card. How have you assessed the Strikeforce fighters and their performance in the UFC thus far?

DANA WHITE: I have been thrilled with the Strikeforce fighters. A lot of bad stuff happened at Strikeforce. A lot of guys didn’t get paid for a while and these guys are hungry. First of all, they are happy to be back fighting and getting paid to do it. These guys want to prove to the world that they can fight and become the best in the world. The UFC is the place to do that. These guys have been fighting like maniacs, and I love it.

BE: There can be a lot of added emotion and pressure when you fight for the first time in the UFC. We saw that with Cat Zingano last Saturday as she was fighting back tears just walking out to the octagon. How do you think fighters like Melendez and Daniel Cormier will handle fighting in the UFC for the first time?

DANA WHITE: I think they are going to be fine. They have had big fights on TV before. I think it is tough if it is your first time on TV and you are making your UFC debut, but these guys have had big fights before. Cormier fought Josh Barnett — that’s a big fight. I think they are going to do fine.

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Since its inception in 1993, the UFC has revolutionized the fight industry. Started as a professional fighting organization, the UFC has evolved into a business where hybrid athletes are required to have mastered various disciplines, e.g., karate, jujitsu and wrestling. It’s the largest pay-per-view provider in the world. Every sport that has evolved to become wildly popular and lucrative has individuals that are credited for paving the way. Bas Rutten is one of the names that come to mind when people talk about legends of mixed martial arts (MMA). A true pioneer of the sport of MMA, Bas who has retired from fighting, has also established himself outside the ring. Find out what Bas had to say about MMA, his injuries, training, and working with stars like Kevin James on the hit movie, “Here Comes the Boom.”

Bullz-Eye: Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to do this interview.

Bas Rutten: Oh no. Thank you for doing the interview. This is great.

Bullz-Eye: Well, for our audience at Bullz-Eye, I’d like you all to know that I’m talking with Bas Rutten, who many, including myself, consider to be one of the top MMA fighters of all time, an absolute legend and pioneer of the sport. Throughout his MMA career, he was known as a submission artist and devastating striker who perfected taking out opponents with body shots to the liver and open-hand strikes. The list of competitors he’s beaten reads like a list of who’s who in the world of MMA. Undefeated in his last 22 fights, he’s a former undefeated UFC heavyweight champion, a Muay Thai champion, and a three-time undefeated King of Pancrase.

As if all your accomplishments — and I haven’t even read them all, obviously — in the world of MMA weren’t enough, Bas has also made a name for himself outside the ring as an actor, host and television personality. Rutten can be seen co-starring with Kevin James and Selma Hayek in the feature film “Here Comes the Boom,” which, by the way Bas, I have to say that film was awesome.

Bas Rutten: Right? Yeah, that’s what I thought. You come out with a happy feeling.

Bullz-Eye: My fiancé and I went to see it when it first came out, and I have to tell you, that was just an excellently well done film. The premise was awesome, and the fighting looked very realistic.

Bas Rutten: He did a good job. Kevin James, I know Kevin James for a long time, 16 years. I mean, pretty much right away when I came into the States. He had quite a different life at the time. He lived in a one-bedroom apartment that he shared with his brother. That was when the first season of “King of Queens” started. We became friends right away. And all these years, I’ve been doing a lot of projects with him and with his brother.

Bullz-Eye: Well, both my fiancé and I are into high levels of fitness and training. And when you see him jumping around, and moving about, even in that other film that you appeared in, “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” we both commented how extremely athletic he is.

Bas Rutten: He really is. I came home from my first time training, and I told my wife, true story. I said, “He’s like a bear. He’s fast and he’s very powerful, and he picks up things really fast.” Great student, great man. Great guy And he was actually at my last fight that I had in 2006, when I made a comeback, he was there 80 percent of the time for my training.

Bullz-Eye: Oh, no kidding.

Bas Rutten: He was there in the same room pushing, pushing, and pushing me because when he was in my corner, people went, ‘Ah, it’s just a publicity stunt,’ but he was really there all the time.

Bullz-Eye: He sounds like a good guy.

Bas Rutten: Yeah, he’s a really good guy.

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The hottest name in the UFC’s middleweight division belongs to Chris Weidman. Fresh off a beat down of leading middleweight contender Mark Munoz, it was just announced this week that he will next fight Tim Boetsch on December 29^th for the right to face Anderson “The Spider” Silva with the belt on the line.

His ascension to legitimate middleweight contender has been quick thanks to his willingness to fight (five fights in a year and a half) and a commitment to discipline, including a 32 pound weight loss in 11 days prior to fighting Damian Maia.

“I had to cut 32 pounds in 10 days on top of not being in great shape. I pretty much came right off the couch and took that fight. It definitely wasn’t a great idea for me and was probably the worst experience I ever had. So, I wouldn’t recommend anyone else doing that and I would never do it again myself.

“But it was a huge opportunity for me and I found a way to win against a guy who was top five in the world at the time. I was fighting at about 10% of what I generally feel like I fight at, but it did more for my confidence than any other fights, even the ones I’ve finished in the first round. After that fight I got a lot of criticism because it wasn’t a very exciting fight and I looked tired but it did a lot for my confidence regardless.”

What has created so much buzz about Weidman is his overall multifaceted skill set, and his ability to finish fights in different ways. In the course of going undefeated in his first five UFC fights, Weidman has collected both “Submission of the Night” and “Knockout of the Night” honors, an incredibly rare feat.

“I don’t really have a preferred way to end a fight, I just want to end it and win, “said Weidman. “It’s always a good feeling to knock someone out, but I don’t want to be one of those guys who only looks for knockouts and get caught because that’s what I’m looking for exclusively.

These days, Weidman’s name has been increasingly linked with middleweight champ Anderson Silva. Thanks to the way Silva has torn through every one the UFC has put in front of him, and the quick rise and exciting fights Weidman has fast become known for, it’s a fight the fans want to see.  But Silva’s camp has been reluctant to accept.

“It’s frustrating,” said Weidman about trying to orchestrate a fight for the title. “Since I got into the sport anytime I’d tell people I was doing MMA they’d ask what weight class and I’d say middle weight and they’d say “Isn’t that Anderson Silva’s weight class? Oh, you’re screwed. You better change weight classes, pal.” That motivated me and he deserves that type of respect ‘cause he’s earned it, but it motivated me to take risks like fighting on short notice and I’ve worked really hard to be the #1 contender and for him to just kind of downplay me, more his managers, it’s kind of frustrating. So I hope the UFC makes the fight happens but if not, I will fight someone else.

Currently Chris is a member of “Team Edge” shaving gel and is in the running to become the next “Face of Edge.”

“Basically it’s a contest,” said Chris. “There are four guys in the running to be the face of Team Edge Shaving Gel from the beginning of July to the end of September. The winner becomes the next “Face of Edge” so basically the winner will have their face on a couple million cans of edge shaving gel cans. I’m trying to win but I’m in second place and I’m down by a lot, these numbers are weird man. I think there’s some cheating going on (laughing).”

To listen to the full audio interview click here.

Follow Chris on Twitter at ChrisWeidmanUFC

Check out Edge Shaving Gel and vote for Chris at Edgeshave.com/ufc

We’ve already hit March, but winter is still at full strength in most of the country. With that in mind we’ve put together a slideshow from the Bullz-Eye archives to take you mind off the cold and snow and shift your attention to more pleasant thoughts. Hopefully you have a beach vacation coming soon so you can enjoy the sites of blondes in bikinis in person!

The first photo has the amazing Ali Sonoma in a blue bikini on a terrace overlooking Miami Beach. The former UFC Octagon Girl looks amazing! Next we have Playboy Playmate Kimberly Holland in a sporty yellow and black bikini from her Bullz-Eye photo shoot in Florida in 2006. Then we’re off to Australia for a beautiful photo of Nina in a polka dot bikini on the beaches of Sydney.

The fourth photo has Australian model Sophie Turner in a light blue bikini from her amazing Bullz-Eye shoot from 2008. With the fifth photo we’re off to Hollywood with British beauty Holly Kishere sporting a pink bikini next to the pool in the SoCal sunshine. Holly was once a ring girl for the International Fight League. For #6 we’re staying on the West Coast as the stunning Sammi Maben sports a striped bikini on the roof of a beach house in Santa Monica soaking up the late evening sunset.

Next we’re off to The Bahamas and the lovely Lindsey Eller and a lime green bikini on the sandy beaches near the Wyndham hotel from the Racey Girl finals. We round out the group with Elaine Alden as she sports some sexy shades and a shiny, dark bikini with the late evening sun shining on her.

Enjoy the slideshow, and then book your trip anywhere you can find some sunshine and bikinis!

The AMP Energy/WEC Hometown Takedown (WEC: Henderson vs. Pettis) is almost here – and AMP Energy is back with another opportunity to give MMA fans exclusive, unprecedented access to the sport and its best fighters.

AMP Energy is inviting fans to a live chat with superstar fighters Urijah Faber and Chad Mendes hosted by PRO MMA Radio host Larry Pepe on AMP Energy’s USTREAM tomorrow, December 14th at 9 p.m. EST.

Faber and Mendes will field questions from fans about the AMP Energy Hometown Takedown at Jobing.com Arena, which is the final WEC card ever, as the organization announced last month that it will be merging with the Ultimate Fighting Championship® in 2011. The event is headlined by a fierce matchup between WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis. Check out Bullz-Eye’s recent interview with Anthony Pettis.

The chat is just another example of AMP Energy providing fans access to fans that no other sponsor has provided in any other sport. To get fans pumped for the upcoming fight, AMP Energy partnered with Bullz-Eye.com earlier this month and gave two fans the chance to have the ultimate experience at WEC Henderson vs. Pettis with the “Best Seat in the House” contest and the “Walk Out With a Fighter” contest, featuring Pettis.

Winners of both contests also received a trip for two to Phoenix, two tickets to the fight, and a dinner with Faber.

This summer, WEC and AMP Energy teamed up for the Hometown Takedown contest, which gave fans the chance to vote and bring a WEC event to their area. Phoenix was announced as the fan’s choice for the December 16 fight.

Here’s a video shout out from Urijah Faber inviting Bullz-Eye readers to join the chat tomorrow night. See you there!

The biggest day in Anthony Pettis’ life is quickly approaching. At age 23, the World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight is set to contend for the WEC title against champion Ben Henderson on Thursday, Dec. 16 in Glendale, Ariz. in the final WEC event in the history of the organization. As if fighting for the title wasn’t enough, the winner of this showdown will immediately become the No. 1 contender to the UFC lightweight title as the premiere MMA organization will absorb the WEC starting in January.

It has been whirlwind year for Pettis, who picked up a major sponsorship with AMP Energy and was featured on MTV’s “World of Jenks” over the past few months all while climbing the WEC lightweight ladder. With his lifelong dream and a world of opportunity within his grasp, Pettis took some time from preparing for Henderson to speak will Bullz-Eye.com about this.

Bullz-Eye: Well, Anthony, the fight is getting closer, how do you feel your training is going as you are winding down your camp?

Anthony Pettis: I am feeling great. I have had a great camp. I am ready. I have pushed myself to the limits everyday. I leave it all in practice. If Ben is going to beat me it is because he is truly better than me, not because I didn’t prepare the right way.

BE: What about the concept of a five-round fight? How have you been working on your cardio for this fight and how do you feel about your conditioning if it goes into those later rounds?

AP: I hired a great strength and conditioning coach that I have been working with for the last two fights and we have been pushing it. The only way to prepare for a five-round fight is to push your cardio and push yourself to the limits. I have been doing that everyday and I have been sparring six-minute rounds and I have been feeling good. My coach, Duke Roufus, really knows how to get ready for a fight and he is pushing me hard.

BE: Do you have to change your mindset for this fight knowing you may have to go an extra 10 minutes than a normal bout?

AP: I am not changing anything. I am training myself to give 100 percent every second of every round. I am pushing myself to the limits. I really am pushing myself to my limits. I want to be able to go, go, go. I want to take the fight anywhere and everywhere. I am not going to be looking to take it easy for a couple of rounds. I am going to push a fast pace and do my all to keep winning the fight at all times.

BE: What do you see when you watch Ben Henderson on film? What stands out about him? He seems like he just has a little bit of everything and doesn’t excel in any one area.

AP: Yeah, I am glad you said that because clearly Ben is a great fighter and he is a great champion that is tough in every aspect, but he has holes in his game just like everyone does. I mean, I have holes in my game. My coach has been watching a lot of tape on him and he has been training me for certain positions and situations that are going to help me capitalize and get a win in this fight. I have some great training partners that even look like Ben. The thing I have to look out for is his cardio because he is relentless and I can’t let myself lose focus.

BE: Without giving away your strategy for the fight, in what areas do you feel you are superior to Henderson?

AP: It is simple, for this fight I want to be the better fighter everywhere. His wrestling is great, his striking is good, and his cardio is good. I have to be ready for anything and be just a little bit better.

BE: How important will the mental aspect of this fight be given that it is your first title fight?

AP: It is big. Each fight I have had over the last few years has been a peak fight where it was the biggest fight of my career to that point. Now, I am 23-years-old and fighting for a world title and a chance to fight for the UFC belt. It is kind of overwhelming, but I know no matter what I do, I am going to have some nerves. I really just need to focus on doing what I did to get to this point and push myself a little further than that. I don’t want to overdo it or under do it.

BE: Are you going to try and enjoy the moment of reaching this milestone come fight night?

AP: I am going to love every moment. I am loving it now. This is what I have wanted to do with my life and this is all I have wanted to do. I am going to enjoy every moment and this is the last event ever in the WEC and I am going to be part of that. It will be great.

BE: With the nerves, how long does it take for your nerves to settle on fight night?

AP: I don’t think my nerves go away until I am lying in bed that night and when the fight is over, the interviews are done, and after the celebrating is over. It is one of those things you can’t explain. I love the feeling, but I just can’t explain it. You have to get up for these fights, but for me the nerves don’t go away until I am sleeping.

BE: How have you envisioned yourself winning this fight?

AP: Everyone asks me that and I honestly don’t know. This is one of those fights where it could end standing or it could end on the ground or even in the clinch. We are both good fighters, it is just going to come down to who makes the first mistake and how that guy capitalizes on that mistake. I will tell you this, no matter how the fight ends, my hand will be raised and that belt will be around my waist.

BE: Is it hard not to think about the feeling of becoming champion and just focus on the opponent or do you allow yourself to get lost in that moment?

AP: That has been my dream and that is what pushes me, so I think about it a lot. I am not trying to be overconfident or cocky, but my goal has always been to be champion, so I just have to be prepared to do anything and everything to make that happen. The next 25 minutes inside that cage decided the rest of my career. I think about that all the time.

BE: Would going a full 25 minutes in this fight prove something to you or do you not need to prove anything to yourself?

AP: I don’t think I need to go 25 minutes to finish this guy. It is going to be a war and we are both going to be looking to finish at all times. If it does go 25 minutes, that is just more time for me to prove to this guy that I am the better fighter. I think it would be a plus for me if it went 25 minutes because I can just put on more of a show. If I can finish this guy in 25 minutes, I should be able to finish him in 15 minutes.

BE: With the UFC merger starting in January, is it hard to not look forward to being a UFC fighter soon?

AP: It is not playing a big factor right now. Right now I am a WEC fighter and my next fight will be in the blue octagon and my hands will be wrapped in the WEC logo. What ever comes after that, I will prepare for it then.

BE: Why should fans that haven’t seen much of the WEC or seen you fight tune into this fight?

AP: If you haven’t seen me fight, every time I go into the cage I bring something new. I put on a show. It’s not that I am trying to put on a show for the fans, that is just my style. I have so many moves that the world hasn’t seen yet. Also, Ben Henderson is a great fighter and it is going to be two true warriors fighting in that cage. It is the last WEC event ever and we are going to put on a show.

BE: Alright Anthony, I appreciate your time and best of luck to you in your title fight.

AP: Thanks a lot. It will be a great fight.

The Third Annual World MMA Awards are on tap for this Wednesday, December 1st, at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The show, which is presented by Fighters Only Magazine, will be hosted by UFC Hall of Famer Randy “The Natural” Couture and MMA broadcaster Molly Querim.

Each year the MMA Awards honors the best in MMA for the previous 12 months. Fans voted in categories like The Charles “Mask” Lewis Fighter of the Year, Fight of the Year, Submission of the Year, KO of the Year, and many others. Fighters like Anderson Silva, Brock Lesnar, Frankie Edgar, and Jose Aldo are among the top nominees.

The Palms is offering some incredible packages for the event, so book your room and join in the festivities. We’re huge fans of The Palms and we had a great time there recently for the PlayerXT Latina event. The casino should be packed for this event, so it’s the place to be this week if you’re an MMA fan!

If you are looking for a Fighter of the Year in 2010, you perhaps have to look no further than Anthony “Showtime” Pettis. With three wins already under his belt this year, Pettis looks for his fourth when he faces WEC Lightweight Champion Ben “Smooth” Henderson at WEC 53: Henderson vs. Pettis on Dec. 16, 2010.

At just 23 years of age, the Milwaukee native has taken the MMA world by storm with his flashy fighting style. For his upcoming title bout with Henderson, Pettis is inviting a lucky Bullz-Eye.com reader to walk with him to the cage in Glendale, Ariz. I had a chance to talk to the WEC lightweight contender about his title opportunity, his
sponsorship with AMP Energy, as well as the upcoming merger between the WEC and
the UFC.

Bullz-Eye: Anthony, how is everything going?

Anthony Pettis: Things are going great.

BE: That’s great well tell me about training for this title fight on December 16 against Ben Henderson.

AP: Training going great. This is a huge fight for me. There is a lot riding on it and I am taking this fight very seriously. I have been training hard and just excited for the fight to come.

BE: What makes Ben Henderson so tough and successful?

AP: He is just very well rounded. He is good everywhere and he looks to finish the fight at all times. He really brings it. He has great conditioning and he is dangerous everywhere the fight goes no matter if it is standing or on the ground.

BE: Talk a little bit about your last fight with Shane Roller. That was the fight that really pushed you to the title shot.

AP: Shane was dominant wrestler so I really worked on my takedown defense heading into the fight. I can really pick things up quickly and I worked with a lot of great guys to get ready. I drilled takedown defense every day for a long time leading up to that fight so when the fight finally happened, I was prepared for everything that happened.

BE: Did you expect to get the title shot following your win over Roller?

AP: I didn’t expect to get the title shot. I thought I might have to win another fight or two, but they offered it to me and I was thrilled.

BE: How much of a better fighter are you now since your last loss to Bart Palaszewski on December 19 of last year?

AP: I am a way better fighter now. My skills have come up so much and just my motivational skills have improved since that loss. It is incredible how much I have learned and how much I have improved in the last year.

BE: The WEC is going to be absorbed by the UFC at the start of 2011. What were your initial thoughts when you heard about the merger?

AP: I loved it. My whole goal when I started competing was to face off with the best in the world and now there is no doubt that I will get to do that and the opportunities that fighting in the UFC will provide are tremendous.

BE: How does the merger change this title fight for you, if at all? The winner of your fight with Henderson gets to face the UFC Lightweight Champion.

AP: It doesn’t change much. It may push me a little more, but I am already motivated. This is an exciting time for the WEC and for me. Really, this was the best time for me to get a title shot. This is the last WEC event, I am in the main event, I am fighting for a title, and the winner gets a UFC title shot. It is crazy.

BE: How does the merger change your future?

AP: All of us guys in the WEC are excited about this because we all put our heart into it. We don’t feel like we have been disrespected, but we feel like we don’t get as much recognition. Now, the money will be much better and we will be put on the big stage. There are some guys in the WEC that will definitely make some noise in the UFC.

BE: AMP is having a fan walk out with you during the title fight, what is the experience like when you are walking to the cage – Walking out is crazy. The music is blaring loud and the crowd is going nuts. As you are walking out to the cage it is the point of no return. You know the next 15 minutes and for that fight, the next 25 minutes will decide the rest of my career. It is cool that AMP is having a fan walk out with me for the event and for anyone interested, they can register to win the contest at Bullz-Eye.com and I will announce the winner during WEC 52 on Versus.

BE: What is it like having a company like AMP backing you now as a sponsor?

AP: Being backed by AMP is great and they get behind the right guys in this sport. It is an honor to have them want to associate with me and I am looking forward to doing a lot of great things with them.

BE: You recently were featured on the MTV documentary series “World of Jenks.” How have things changed for you since that appearance?

AP: I get recognized more for being on “World of Jenks” than I do for fighting. It was great because fans got a chance to see me prepare and see how hard I work. I have had a lot of people tell me that my story was motivational as well, so that is really cool.

BE: You are from Milwaukee and like to represent the city. How badly does Milwaukee need a world champion?

AP: We need one bad (laughs). It would be great to bring a world championship to the city. We haven’t had one in a long time and we deserve one.

BE: Is there anything you would like to say to your fans?

AP: Just thank you to all that support me. Your support means a lot and there is a lot of exciting times ahead.