Internet issues kept the SRN from going live Thursday. However, TJ De Santis was back for a taped edition of "Beatdown."

Bellator puts on it's 67th show tomorrow night in Rama, Ontario. Bjorn Rebney joined TJ De Santis to chat about the current season of Bellator, its show Friday night, and the departure of middleweight champion Hector Lombard.

Get "Beatdown" here.

Jeff Sherwood and Greg Savage were back Wednesday for another edition of 'The Savage Dog Show' on The SRN.

The two were joined by UFC bantamweight Michael McDonald, following his UFC 145 victory over Miguel Torresand heavyweight Travis Browne, who also fought Saturday, following his arm-triangle victory over Chad Griggs.

TJ De Santis and Jared Koll were back Wednesday for another edition of 'Beatdown' on The Sherdog Radio Network.

Bellator lightweight Eddie Alvarez stopped by to discuss his victory over the weekend against Shinya Aoki.

Also on tap, the fallout from Alistair Overeem's NSAC hearing, the UFC's signing of Hector Lombard, and the rest of the fights from UFC 145.

Check out "The Savage Dog Show here.

Check out "Beatdown" here.

This weekend past was definitely a weekend that MMA fans should have been thankful for. We got to watch some MMA fights that weren’t just good, they were great -- true classics.

The UFC 139 card in San Jose ended with some bombs between “Shogun” and “Hendo.” You can easily argue that it could be the “Fight of the Year” for 2011. In a bloody fight that went back and forth, Henderson and Rua gave us a fight that showed why the UFC wanted five-round non-title fights in main events. I’m not even going to get into the Le-Silva fight, either, a fight that could’ve been “Fight of the Night” on just about any other night.

But, it wasn’t just UFC 139 on Saturday night. We also had the pleasure of watching Bellator coming to us live from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, Fla. The main event was Eddie Alvarez defending his lightweight strap against Michael Chandler. Chandler battled his way through the lightweight tourney to get the chance to fight Alvarez, while Alvarez was being mentioned by many as the best fighter not fighting in the UFC.

I will admit I expected Chandler to come out and look to wrestle Alvarez, but wrestling did not seem to be in the former Mizzou Tiger’s game plan as he started the fight with a bang and dropped Alvarez. Referee Troy Waugh seemed like he was about to stop the fight just as Alvarez was getting his bearings back and able to get back to his feet. As comes with lightweights, these fighters did not tire the entire fight and both had plenty of “Wow!” moments in the fight, trading dominant rounds back and forth.

Live radio was rocking Friday on The Sherdog Radio Network with new episodes of "Beatdown" and "The Savage Dog Show."

On "Beatdown" Jack Encarnacao chatted with Bellator fighter Michael Chandler. The season four lightweight tournament winner talked about his road through tournament and his upcoming title shot against Eddie Alvarez.

"The Savage Dog Show" was hosted by Jeff Sherwood with myself filling in for a traveling Greg Savage. On "The SDS" today we chatted with MMA fighters Paul Buentello and new UFC signee Cole Escovedo.

Check out the show and our archives by clicking here.

"The Savage Dog Show" and "Beatdown" radio shows returned to The Sherdog Radio Network Wednesday. Guests included Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker and Bellator Lightweight king Eddie Alvarez.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker joined myself and Jason Probst today on "Beatdown" for nearly 25 minutes to discuss the sale of Strikeforce to Zuffa. Coker addresses the events leading up to the sale, what the purchase means for Strikeforce, and how his roster of fighters feels the decision. Also, Coker touches on the relationships with Paul Daley, Showtime, and others going forward.

Greg and Jeff spent their broadcast day chatting with Eddie Alvarez. The Fight Factory produce looks to defend his Bellator Lightweight title against tournament champion Pat Curran on April 2nd. Alvarez talks about his place in Bellator, mixed martial arts, and what he has been doing with his off time.

Check out the shows and our archives by clicking here.

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney could’ve used some perspective before releasing photos of his cell phone displaying texts to Strikeforce’s Scott Coker over the weekend. The photos, intended to contradict Coker’s assertion that he was never contacted about a potential Eddie Alvarez/Gilbert Melendez co-promotional bout, are a bizarre overreaction: this is MMA, not a federal investigation. Submitting evidence for the court of public opinion rarely ends in a resolution.

Let’s say Coker got the requests for a meeting. He clearly ignored them. What does that tell you? He’s not interested in a dialogue about unifying belts. Or his television partners -- which absolutely dwarf Rebney’s deal with Fox Sports and their hide-the-show programming strategy -- have no interest in devaluing talent by seeing their opposition return to a rival promotion. Let’s say Alvarez, Bellator’s champion, beats Melendez into paste. What was the upside for Showtime again?

Maybe Rebney is more self-aware than I give him credit for, and the melodrama is a way for a promoter to promote. I get it. But part of what makes the UFC the dominant brand is the idea, whether it’s true or not, that they’re the ones being pursued. You will never see Dana White issuing a press release about unanswered text messages to HBO. Rebney is a presence with some good ideas and solid talent, but he needs a delay button. Too bad he’d probably prefer a wiretap.

“Co-promotion” remains the biggest pipe dream in prizefighting. (Even though it happened years too late, I remain amazed HBO and Showtime got together to promote the Mike Tyson/Lennox Lewis bout in 2002; it was the equivalent of Coke spooning with Pepsi.) Ego and money have done more to scratch big fights than anything, and the noble notion of finding out who “the best” is only goes as far as who that is that also happens to be under contract.

The UFC has been the most adamantly anti-cooperation, with Dana White repeatedly scoffing at any attempts to consummate with M-1 (Fedor Emelianenko’s handlers), Strikeforce, or any one of a dozen “partners.” The reality is that while it would be fun to see Alistair Overeem or Emelianenko fight Brock Lesnar or Cain Velasquez, there’s no practical incentive for the UFC to boost the profile of a competing promotion. Unlike Tyson and Lewis, the promotional brands are more valuable than the athletes they host.

At least White has been candid enough to admit it. The problem with Scott Coker and Strikeforce allegedly wavering on discussions to make an Eddie Alvarez/Gilbert Melendez fight is that Coker has long advocated promotional marriages. He’s even flown in athletes from Dream (Shinya Aoki and Melvin Manhoef, among others) to meet his fighters. The difference? If Aoki happened to beat Melendez, the waves would only have been felt in Japan. If Bellator’s Alvarez beats Melendez, Bellator would have some kind of bragging rights license in the U.S.

For Coker, the premise can’t be that appealing. Alvarez is not a name brand in the States, having competed under Bellator’s minimal exposure on Fox Sports Network -- shows often preempted by ball sports, hardly the method for building an audience. But as an advocate of the co-promotional fantasy, surely Coker realizes that not every fight of that kind will be in his best interests.

Melendez/Alvarez probably won’t happen: there’s no great demand for it outside of a small hardcore fanbase, and promoters remain paranoid that a loss will somehow tarnish their entire brand. In reality, fans are intelligent enough to understand that Alvarez beating Melendez does not make Bellator better than Strikeforce -- it simply makes him better than Melendez.

Eddie Alvarez on the “Savage Dog Show” last week describing his training sessions with UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar:

“Me and Frankie are crazy competitive. We sort of have the same mentality, the same sort of work ethic. The relationship’s unbelievable. It’s like a fight every time. I don’t want him to get over on me. He doesn’t want me to get over on him. It’s tit for tat, back and forth. We get in each other’s faces and we make each other better. We trade secrets. … He’s the top in the world right now. He’s with the top organization in the world, and I’m looking to become the number one lightweight outside of the UFC. I find Frankie as no threat to me and I think he feels the same way. … What we’re both trying to achieve doesn’t conflict. We just make each other better every time we get together.”