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The Ultimate Fighting Championship and Fox Sports on Thursday announced that the fight promotion has signed a seven-year distribution contract with the Fox Broadcasting Company.

UFC President Dana White was on hand for the press conference in Los Angeles, as were fighters Rashad Evans, Georges St. Pierre, Frankie Edgar and Chuck Liddell.

“There have been a lot of big milestones in the last 10 years, but this is the biggest,” said White. “This was it for me. This is what I always wanted. This was the pinnacle -- for us to get a deal with Fox, not just to be on the No. 1 network in the country but to be on the network with all the other major sports. It’s going to take this sport to the next level.”

Fox now holds the rights to broadcast four live UFC events per year on its flagship network, the first of which will take place on Nov. 12, likely from Anaheim, Calif. Additionally, the promotion will air 32 weeks of live fights annually on Fox-owned cable station FX, including two runs of an all-new, live version of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series.

More specifically, FX will broadcast six live UFC Fight Night events, and “The Ultimate Fighter” will now air live fights in 24 weeks over the course of two seasons, culminating with two live season finales. Beginning with the show’s 15th season, the audience will vote on who will fight on the following week’s episode. Each new show will document the week leading up to the current episode, leading into a new live fight each week.

Fox subsidiary Fuel TV will also benefit from UFC programming. According to Fox executive Eric Shanks, live pre- and post-fight content will air on Fuel TV for both Fox-broadcast events and pay-per-views. Additionally, White confirmed that programs such as “UFC Unleashed” and the “Prelims Live” specials will now be carried on Fuel TV.

The UFC was rumored to be in talks to purchase struggling cable network G4, with plans to transform it into an independent UFC network. However, those plans have been scrapped in favor of the aforementioned arrangement with Fox. The promotion’s broadcast contracts with Spike TV and Versus will expire at the end of 2011.

The UFC’s relationship with Spike TV was a long-standing one, lasting six years. The promotion partnered with the cable network to produce 13 seasons of “The Ultimate Fighter,” and 24 UFC Fight Night live specials at the time of the Fox deal. Though the promotion’s relationship with Spike TV is coming to a close at the end of this year, Sherdog.com has learned from a source close to the situation that Spike retains the rights to re-broadcast select UFC programming through 2012.

“‘The Ultimate Fighter’ Season 14 in September will be our last,” a Spike TV official wrote in a statement sent to Sherdog.com. “We are increasing our commitment to distinctive, original series that we own such as ‘Auction Hunters’ and ‘Bar Rescue,’ which are delivering on our goal to reach a broader audience. Our six-year partnership with the UFC has been incredibly beneficial in building both our brands, and we wish them all the best in the future.”

Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem may not be in Strikeforce any longer, but that doesn’t mean he won’t end up in the UFC.

The K-1 Grand Prix champion and now former Strikeforce champion was released from the promotion after a contract situation arose between Zuffa and Overeem’s management group at Team Golden Glory.

Overeem, along with his teammates Marloes Coenen, brother Valentijn Overeem, and Jon Olav Einemo, were all released after the promotion opted not to do business with the Holland based team any longer.

Now it appears that Zuffa and Team Golden Glory are back on speaking terms, and UFC president Dana White is hoping to strike a deal with Overeem.

“We’re talking to Overeem,” White confirmed when speaking to Dan Le Batard on ESPN 790 in Miami. “When everything fell apart, you heard me say we can’t do business with these guys the way they want to do business, meaning his management.

“Well, they’ve changed their opinions on how they can do business with us, so now we can.”

The business was essentially Team Golden Glory asking Zuffa to pay them for any fighters they managed, and then in turn they would pay the athletes. Zuffa officials were only willing to pay the fighters directly, and when the negotiations came to a standstill on that point, everything broke down.

Overeem and his teammates were released, but now with the Dutch striker back on speaking terms with the UFC, it could be only a matter of time before he’s Octagon bound.

Golden Glory’s leader Bas Boon said that a deal could be done with Overeem ending up in the UFC.

“We are even willing to make an exclusive deal for Alistair Overeem to fight in the UFC, if the terms are right,” Boon stated.

With the two sides now talking, Overeem could very well be in the UFC before it’s all said and done

I would like to make a statement regarding the recent news of the separation from my long-time management Golden Glory. As with any relationship, there are good times and bad times - you have your common ground and your differences. As with any relationship, you have trust. When differences lead to a breach of trust, there's no turning back and no way to continue a positive, working relationship. I don't air my dirty laundry. I would appreciate the respect regarding my privacy to not disclose any further details on this matter.
Again, I would like to thank team Golden Glory for all the years we worked together and wish them success for the future.

Russian fighter Fedor Emelianenko has topped the list of all-time heavyweights released by the influential Sherdog.com mixed martial arts portal.
The 34-year-old legend of the sport, who is the only Russian representative on the list, has been praised for his 10-year-long unbeaten streak.

“For the better part of a decade, he was untouchable, a larger-than-life figure whose stoicism and humility masked a ruthless competitor within. From December 22, 2000 until June 26, 2010, Emelianenko was unbeaten in 28 appearances – 27 victories and a no contest. The most dominant and successful fighter in the history of Pride Fighting Championships, he arrived in the Japanese promotion in 2002 and passed every test set before him, including wins over Brazilian great Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (twice), UFC Hall-of-Famer Mark Coleman (twice), former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman, four-time K-1 World Grand Prix winner Semmy Schilt and 2006 Pride open weight grand prix winner Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic,” the article on the portal said.

Emelianenko has been defeated in three of his last bouts, but the Sherdog.com analysts are clearly looking at the bigger picture.

“Emelianenko won the Pride heavyweight title in March 2003, later unified it and remained champion until the company sold out to the Ultimate Fighting Championship four years later. Post-Pride, he defeated 2000 Olympic silver medalist Matt Lindland, the 2.18-meter-tall Hong Man Choi and former UFC heavyweight titleholders Tim Sylvia and Andrey Arlovski, finishing all four of them in 3:14 or less. A three-time sambo world champion, Emelianenko has delivered 24 of his 31 professional victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission, 21 of them inside one round. In more than 11 years of active MMA competition, he has never lost a decision,” the article concluded.

Emelianenko, nicknamed the Last Emperor, is now scheduled to face Jeff Monson at the upcoming M-1's event to, finally, take place on the Russian soil on November 12.

As for the finalists of the Strikeforce World Grand Prix, which were decided on Saturday night, only one of them, Josh Barnett, is present in the Top 10, while Daniel Cormier still has a lot of work to to become an all-time great.

MMA's All-Time Heavyweights by Sherdog.com:

1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3. Randy Couture
4. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic
5. Josh Barnett
6. Frank Mir
7. Tim Sylvia
8. Mark Coleman
9. Cain Velasquez
10. Fabricio Werdum

Sorry about your luck Rashad Evans…

Twelve UFC 135 participants have been medically suspended following their efforts at last weekend’s “Jones vs. Rampage” event including the light-heavyweight champion who could be out up to six-months for injuries suffered during the night’s main event.

“UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage” took place last Saturday, September 24 live on pay-per-view from Denver’s Pepsi Center. The card featured a light-heavyweight title fight in its main event between champion, Jon Jones and challenger “Rampage” Jackson in the champs first ever title defense. The bout ended in the fourth round with Jones securing a submission to retain his title.

Next up for the champion is long-time number one contender, Rashad Evans whose aspirations to regain his title originally lost at the hands of Lyoto Machida have been sidelined month after month and year after year due to injuries to both himself and his opponents.

After originally being scheduled to face Jones, he was leap frogged yet again when Jones was forced to withdraw from the scheduled meeting due to injury. The set back put Evans against Ortiz and the healed up Jones against Rampage.

With the possibility of another extended layoff from the champion, the division could become stagnant yet again; the UFC has already planned the next number one contender showdown at UFC 139 between Dan Henderson and “Shogun” Rua this November.

No details regarding the cause of suspensions were given by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies’ Office of Boxing.

The full list of suspensions is as follows:

• Jon Jones: Suspended 180 days (or 45 days with physician clearance)
• Quinton Jackson: Suspended 60 days with no contact during training for 45 days
• Matt Hughes: Suspended 45 days no contact for 30 days
• Mark Hunt: Suspended 45 days no contact for 30 days
• Ben Rothwell: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
• Takanori Gomi: Suspended 30 days
• Aaron Riley: Suspended 180 days (or 90 days with physician clearance)
• Nick Ring: Suspended 30 days
• Eddie Yagin: Suspended 30 days
• Cole Escovedo: Suspended 45 days no contact for 30 days
• Ricardo Romero: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
• James Te Huna: Suspended 180 days for injuries (or a minimum 30 Days with physician clearance)