Danzig seeks UFC validation

The stigma attached to mixed martial artists who entered the Ultimate Fighting Championship through the organization’s reality show is quickly disappearing.

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 2 winner Rashad Evans knocked out former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell in Atlanta on Sept. 6 to earn a title shot against Season 1 winner Forrest Griffin.

Season 4 champion Matt Serra owned the welterweight title for a time after a shocking upset of Georges St. Pierre.

Las Vegan Mac Danzig, the winner of Season 6, has noticed.

“It helps legitimize the whole situation of everyone who’s been on the show,” he said.

Danzig, who moved to Las Vegas in March to begin training full time at Xtreme Couture, will fight Clay Guida on Wednesday (8 p.m., Spike TV, Cable 29) in Omaha, Neb. The card will serve as the lead-in to the premiere of Season 8 of the popular reality show.

Danzig understands the perception of some fans that the show is just a gimmick.

“There have been at least three or four guys on the show every season that don’t belong, so a lot of people look at that and think, ‘I can kick that guy’s ass,’ ” Danzig said. “But it was a great opportunity for me and it got my name out there.”

Though Danzig, 28, competed at 170 pounds on the show, he is fighting as a lightweight (155) in the UFC. In Guida, he will be facing a popular fighter who poses an opportunity to greatly advance Danzig’s career.

“He’s like a gatekeeper to the top five,” Danzig said. “This is a career-maker if I can do this right. It’s even bigger than fighting someone else who may be at the same level (because of his fighting style and his popularity).”

Nate Diaz, another former winner of the reality show, will face Josh Neer in the main event of the card. The Season 5 champion is 4-0 in the UFC.

• MACHIDA-SILVA OFF — The highly anticipated light heavyweight clash between contenders Thiago Silva and Lyoto Machida that was scheduled for a Spike TV card in England on Oct. 18 has been canceled.

Silva has been experiencing back problems and will not be able to fight. A replacement opponent is not expected to be named, so Machida likely will not appear on the card.

The fight was expected to help straighten out the pecking order in the UFC’s most loaded division. Both fighters are 13-0 in their MMA careers but possess markedly different styles.

Machida presents problems to nearly every opponent, partly because his conservative style frustrates opponents (and sometimes, fans). He is 5-0 in the UFC, but only once has he stopped an opponent.

Silva is 4-0 in the UFC, with all four wins coming by stoppage, three in the first round.

The fight has not been rescheduled.

• LAS VEGAS CARDS — The UFC is in the midst of a run of out-of-town shows, and the Affliction card scheduled for Oct. 11 has been canceled. But local fans will be rewarded for their patience.

The Nov. 15 card at the MGM Grand features Brock Lesnar against Randy Couture for the heavyweight championship in what could be the most lucrative MMA fight in history.

Tickets, priced from $75 to $1000, will go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The UFC also will host a card featuring championship fights on Dec. 27 in Las Vegas. Griffin will defend his light heavyweight crown against Evans and Las Vegan Frank Mir will take on Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the latter’s interim heavyweight crown. The two heavyweights will serve as coaches on the upcoming season of the reality show.

Looking ahead to 2009, St. Pierre is expected to take on B.J. Penn in a megafight between the welterweight and lightweight champions on Jan. 31.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at jhawk@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509.