The UFC Octagon Girls rewrite the NFL rulebook ahead of Super Bowl Weekend by donning football gear and playing a little beach football as they gear up for UFC 143: Condit vs. Diaz. Arianny Celeste looks like she should get the MVP award for this particular game.

To see the rest of this smoking hot gallery, click here now.

Remember those plans to eventually replace your cable box with your game console? Sure the first steps were shaky, but first steps always are, of a larger plan that had been long in the works. One that included steaming content television content themself, dubbed the “Microsoft TV” project to some. Well, guess what? They’re officially on hold.

According to Reuters, the infrastructure was certainly built and operational; many, myself included, had assumed MS’s recent foray into providing a platform for cable providers via somewhat redundant apps had a grander purpose after-all, as a means to test the waters. But apparently, once MS discovered that acquiring the rights to said programming would be expensive… as in, VERY expensive… they decided to shelf the project entirely.

And for a while there, I had proclaimed that MS had finally won the cable wars, on the behalf of consumers. And once again, we are reminded why are paltry cable packages are so pricey in the first place.

But it’s worth noting that nowhere on the report does it state the Xbox 360 specifically. So, given how everyone is looking to see if Apple does produce an iTV, to then copy it… plus how the Xbox 720 is rumored to provide games and the such via downloads and streaming, and how television shows and movies would definitely sweeten the deal… I personally don’t think “Microsoft TV” is as heads as some believe. Could be totally wrong of course.

In other news, remember MS’s promise to compensate those who were unable to watch UFC 141 via their UFC on Xbox app? Along with my skepticism as to whether whatever they have planned with work? Well details have been revealed and they may work after-all: everyone is getting UFC 142 for free. Meanwhile, the app itself has basically reverted to closed beta status; the upcoming UFC in Brazil, dubbed UFC RIO, will not be available for purchase to the general public.

Well, at the very least, that completely does away with any fears of a repeat incident of the circuits being overloaded. They should have exact numbers as to how many streams they will be servicing out. Sure UFC RIO lacks the excitement of the previous card’s headliner, aka Lesnar vs. Overeem, but that fight turned out to be a bust anyway, so Aldo vs. Mendes might actually be the better showdown. Oh, also, everyone’s getting a complimentary month of Gold added to their memberships, because MS feels that bad about the mess up.

First, via Giant Bomb is a bug on Xbox.com; in the following, we see how one can accidentally purchase something on the XBL Marketplace instead of just nabbing a demo, if you’re not careful…

MS claims that they’re working on. Cool story bro. And here’s one that’s not; it’s pretty much a nightmare scenario in fact: Destructoid this morning wrote about a woman who discovered that her Xbox Live account had been hacked and over $214.97 worth of crap was charged to the card that’s connected. MS responded by giving her a complimentary 30 day code (which is not worth two hundred bucks, that’s for damn sure) and stating that her Live account would be frozen.

Well, turns out, that’s not true. Hence why the thief was about to charge an additional $124.98. When the woman pressed MS for insight into the matter, they literally confessed to not knowing what the hell is going on. It gets even better: in a totally cocky (but ultimately stupid) move, the victim was added as a friend by one of the thieves, and from that, she was able to track down the identity of her robbers. Though most of the things the victim had to resort to could have been easily accomplished if Microsoft gave a rat’s ass. But they don’t.

In other news, remember the UFC on Xbox Live debacle last week? Well, MS has since clarified things a bit; according to Joystiq, it wasn’t 25,000 but 30,000 folks who weren’t able to watch UFC 141. Along with who knows how many that actually paid for the damn thing.

So the good news is that all 30,000 folks who couldn’t get it will be getting a future show for free, but it may not necessarily be the very next event after-all. Oh well, UFC 143, headlined by Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit, is somewhat more exciting than UFC 142, José Aldo vs. Chad Mendes, IMHO. Still, the main issue is how MS has yet to acknowledge all the folks who couldn’t see the last bout but actually paid for it.

And finally, despite loving the look of the new Dashboard, the bloom is off the rose; it may be easy on the eyes, but functionality-wise, it totally blows. Though the one group of folks who hate it the most are those that created games for the Indie channel; the new set-up has made searching for stuff literally impossible. Which was why one guy decided to make an Xbox Indie game about it. Though it’s also neat that you get to shoot cats and how old consoles litter the landscape…

It was too good to be true, I guess. What was meant to be the perfect solution for those without cable that still wanted to witness the big Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem showdown, via their Xbox 360s, didn’t quite work out as well as promised or expected. Those interested may have to go back to their previous method for seeing UFC: by torrenting the thing.

I myself was not able to get the UFC on XBL app to connect to whatever servers, and according to Twitter, most folks had the same exact problem. In some instances, multiple attempts would eventually work (I personally gave up after trying for an hour straight).

But even then, quality of the stream was spotty (I heard more than a few reports in which it switched back and forth between HD and SD, endlessly), was many minutes behind what was actually happening, and in some instances, would just die and leave the person back to square one like the rest of us.

Once the show was winding down, Microsoft sent an email to members of the press stating that the problem was due to technical issues stemming from the 25,000 folks who got free access. Remember this? So once again, we have yet another instance of Dana White giving away the show for free, blowing up in his face.

But instead of folks flying out to the venue, hoping to score free live passes and not getting them, which thus results in all sorts of PR awkwardness, such superfans have now ruined the fun for those that actually paid for the damn thing. Just great. And given how the 360 is able to service countless Netflix and Hulu customers, and on a far heavier basis, the problem must lie with UFC somehow.

To make up for it, UFC 142 will be free, but given how 25,000 users managed to blow the whole thing up, I can only imagine how well it will perform next time, since I’m pretty sure more than that many of folks were inconvenienced tonight. Also, let’s be honest, is Aldo vs. Mendes as interesting as Lesnar vs. Overeem? God no. And btw, I sorta assumed that things would at least be working for the replay, but that hasn’t turned out to be the case either.

I speak, of course, of Dana White’s penchant for running around whatever city his next PPV is taking place, and giving away tickets (he’ll broadcast his location via Twitter, and its up to people to then find him). Which is meant to create buzz in that neighborhood, and that does happen.

Yet from what I hear, many flock to that town to score free tickets, and if unsuccessful, they don’t bother to put money down for seats and simply go home. Could that, or something along those lines, happen here as well?

Well, a brand new round of video apps just hit the Xbox 360, but the only one you need to know about is the UFC’s; it’s finally live. Now, to help promote its launch, the first 25,000 folks that downloaded the thing was given the next show, which is being headlined by Brock Lesnar vs Alistair Overeem, for totally free. That’s awfully nice of Dana White and company!

But here’s the thing: those who were late to the party and simply don’t mind paying for the show… and as previously noted, it’s a great way for folks who don’t have cable and don’t want to deal with all the logistical annoyances (as well as the dirty feeling inside) of pirating of the show… are not able to.

Anyone who tries will get a notification that it’s “sold out.” Huh? Can a PPV, that you’ll be watching at home, technically sell out? Apparently. According to its Twitter account: “additional free Pay-Per-Views for UFC 141 will be released prior to the event. Keep following for more details.”

So basically, they want people to keep an eye out on Twitter once again (great), for when the next load of free tickets are available. Presumably, one will be able to purchase the show as well, eventually, but not letting people to do so, and as soon as possible, is kinda silly. Even potentially damaging.

I’m not a marketing expert, and I guess it’s some kind of means to building anticipation. Yet if I want to see UFC 141, but am not allowed to succumb to impulses, and instead have to play some game of internet cat and mouse, that I’m not successful in the end, I might just become annoyed and say screw the show, since the notion of seeing it for free had burnt into my brain for so long. Maybe that’s just me.

But here’s another thing: it’s the day before New Year’s Eve. Not the day of, granted, but it’s going to be a busy weekend for many folks, with parties and such. The longer one has to wait to order the thing, the greater the chance that conflicting plans could be made. Just saying.

Microsoft’s official Xbox 360 blogger, Major Nelson, gave the head’s up earlier this morning, about the arrival of a plethora of media driven apps for the console. Some of which I’ve gotten the chance to play around with, and a few I have no, for various reasons.

The blog post has the full list, and as you can see, not everyone is getting everything. Since I’m here in the US, it makes sense that I’m not able to access blinkbox, MUZU.TV, Rogers On Demand, and SBS ON DEMAND.

Verizon FiOS TV, on the other hand, is not available, despite it being for this neck of the woods. Maybe it auto-detects if you’re a customer or not? So instead, I was able to give the following a spin…

TMZ – Eh, it’s cool if you’re into celebrity gossip and the such. I believe it pulls clips from their website, just short clips of celebs being hassled at the airport or on their way to a car outside whatever club.

SyFy – Was really hoping a lot of this, but was perhaps the most disappointing. All it does is serve up clips for their shows; was expecting full episodes of at least their original programming. There’s also a pair of online specific shows that you can watch on your TV, and that’s cool and all, but otherwise, the app seems awfully pointless.

DailyMotion – It’s like the MySpace of YouTubes. People still use it? Apparently. Works well enough, and the categories provided makes accessing specific content quite easy, though some of the stuff I stumbled across was rather ancient, by internet standards.

ESPN – Works as well as one would like or hope. Since I have little if no familiarity with the previous incarnation of ESPN on Xbox Live, I’ll simply take their word for it when it is stated that everything’s bigger and better and easier to use. Being able to watch two football games at the same time, or one live and highlights from another, all simultaneously sounds great. Would be better if I actually followed football!

YouTube – The crown jewel. This will be the app that everyone uses since, hey, who doesn’t love YouTube, right? Watching your favorite cat videos on a console has been around since the Wii, and then later on the PS3, but both of those required going through the console’s web browser, and did the job I guess. But this is by far the best iteration, thanks to the Metro UI. The way it integrates with one’s own YouTube account (which was possible on the Wii or PS3, but I’m certain most folks were not even aware of) is super simple, and the fact that all videos play at full screen at default is the real deal sealer.

… There’s also the UFC channel, which hasn’t gone live, but I was actually given early access this past weekend, to check out the show that just happened. Long story short, and as I had expected, it works flawlessly. Was able to watch the show without the need of having cable or pirate the damn thing. Which is not only illegal but a huge hassle.

Plus all the extras, at least the ones that were available (I couldn’t engage in any of the social aspects since no one else I know has the thing yet), worked as advertised, and is basically what everyone else cooking up apps, or have already done so, could seriously learn from (aside from ESPN or YouTube, which again, are pretty flawless in terms of features and functionality).

I’m assuming the one true app that everyone is legit waiting for, HBO Go, will also work well, but you’ll need to be a cable subscriber to enjoy its delights. But i not, and you can actually just pay for the thing directly, expect everyone to start singing and dancing in the street once word gets out and the app is live. No word yet on either.

You’ve got to admire Norton’s balls for taking a kick even as half-speed as that one. It has to be roughly equivalent to standing in front of a moving truck. Even moreso, you have to admire Jon Jones for his ability to keep his fashionable hat on while throwing a leg kick. Many guys can hit a leg kick. Few can look like a Benetton model while doing so.

Jones will move on to UFC 140 to face former light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida. Presumably, Norton will move on to face a severe limp and a grapefruit-sized contusion.

UPDATE: Three hours after the kick, here’s how Jim Norton’s legs looked. Per his Twitter, you should ignore the sassy Can-Can Danceresque pose:

@opieradio [Twitter]

What was supposed to come out today is actually being pushed back a little bit. Three weeks to be exact. I’m talking about the UFC app for the Xbox 360 that was announced alongside all the cable television offerings coming to the console.

But, unlike the aforementioned Verizon FiOS deal, which looks to be utter pointless, this one seems far more straightforward. The primary aim of the app is allow folks to order and view the upcoming show no. 141, which no doubt has many people interested, since it’s being headlined by Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem. Specifically those of us without cable.

It’ll also allow fans to enjoy all the pre-show build-up, like the press conferences, weigh-ins, and the countdown special (presumably). There’s also something called the Interactive Fight Card with Fight Picks in which folks can place bets and compete with pals. Whatever. The most important thing is that one can purchase and view the show without the need of being a cable subscriber. This is big, REALLY big.

I’ve looked all over Joystiq‘s write-up and can’t find any mention of having to be a subscriber, which is the main reason why, despite being a UFC fan, I’ve rarely been able to enjoy their big shows firsthand. For me, it’s either going to a friend’s place or going to a bar. Though for the most part, I always see it after the fact, via… unscrupulous means. In virtually every scenario, it’s always a hassle.

I would gladly pay full price to see the show live, but without also having to also deal with Time Warner or Comcast, and I have a feeling many others feel the same way. UFC’s head honcho, Dana White, is once again ahead of the game, tapping into contemporary technology and trends to advance his product. It’s a shame that so few others are as forward thinking.

Lesnar vs. Velasquez. Silva vs. Belfort. “Shogun” vs. Jones. St-Pierre vs. Shields. These are some of the top matches of the year, the ones that fight fans want to relive over and over again. On December 6, Anchor Bay Entertainment and the Ultimate Fighting Championship® give them the chance with UFC®: Ultimate Fight Collection 2011 Edition, an awesome anthology of the epic battles fought between July 2010 and June 2011.

This 20-disc DVD set captures every important moment with over 40 hours of footage – including 10 hours of content never before available on DVD. Featurettes include Best of Unguarded, Best of Rogan 1-On-1 and Best of Fight School. The set will get an exclusive roll out at Best Buy on November 8.

In celebration of the release of UFC: Ultimate Fight Collection, 2011 Edition we’re going to be giving you a chance to win your own set (approximate value $135). All you have to do to be entered to win is like Guyism on Facebook and keep a watchful eye there because that’s where we’ll be giving the prize away. (Contest open to US residents only.)

It’s been a busy day for Xbots. First we learned how Halo was at one point an Apple thing, and if it had remained as such, there’s a good chance that there wouldn’t have been a Xbox 1, let alone a Xbox 360. Next we discovered the existence of the Xbox 720 via Real Steel. Supposedly. And now we have a look at how watching cable television on your console will work…

… Right off the bat, one has to assume that the Kinect won’t be the only means of managing everything. It’s been successful I realize, but not everyone has one quite yet. Still, one can never be too sure about these kinds of things.

At least we finally have a full list of all the “Entertainment Partners” that are participating, via the Major Nelson blog. I’ve taken the liberty to skip the ones that we already have access to, like Netflix, Hulu, and Facebook. BTW, does anyone seriously Facebook on their consoles?

• ABC iView – Australia
• AlloCiné – France, Germany, Spain, U.K.
• Antena 3 – Spain
• Astral Media’s Disney XD – Canada
• BBC – U.K.
• blinkbox – U.K.
• Bravo – U.S.
• Canal+ – France, Spain
• Channel 4 – U.K.
• Channel 5 – U.K.
• CinemaNow (Best Buy) – U.S.
• Comcast – U.S.
• Crackle – Australia, Canada, U.K., U.S.
• Dailymotion – Available in 32 markets
• EPIX – U.S.
• GolTV – Spain
• HBO GO – U.S.
• Hulu – Japan
• iHeartRadio (Clear Channel) – U.S.
• LOVEFiLM – Germany, U.K.
• Manga Entertainment – U.S.
• Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment/Real Sports – Canada
• Mediaset – Italy
• MSN with MSNBC.com – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, U.K.
• MUZU.TV – France, Germany, Italy, Spain, U.K.
• Rogers On Demand Online (RODO) – Canada
• RTVE – Spain
• SBS On Demand – Australia
• Syfy – U.S.
• Telefonica – Spain
• Televisa – Mexico
• “The Today Show” – U.S.
• TMZ – U.S.
• UFC – Canada, U.S.
• Verizon – U.S.
• VEVO – Canada, U.K., U.S.
• YouTube – Available in 22 markets
• ZDF – Germany

… Things are starting to become clearer; those with Comcast or Verizon will be able to watch all their regular content via an associated app (or at least heavy hitters like MTV, Spike, Food Network, Comedy Central, CNN and Nickelodeon; no word yet if my favorite channel, Game Show Network, will be included). Otherwise, certain networks have their own dedicated portals, like Bravo, Syfy, and HBO. Though it remains to be seen if each will have it’s own subscription fee.

Which would suck, since that would be a ton of digital receipts to keep track of. Yet I don’t see any other way. Though we might finally have what everyone’s wanted, and that’s the chance to cherry pick the channels we actually watch (though the only way that would actually work is if EVERY network is accounted for). BTW, about damn time that YouTube made an appearance, it’s absence this long has been borderline inexcusable. Also, I’m predicting the UFC one to be a runaway hit.

Anyhow, all will be known when the new service launches later this winter, which is actually quite soon!

They have a new game out, called UFC Personal Trainer, that professes to offer some of the same degree of fitness training that the folks who do battle in the octagon utilize. The workouts were all been designed by The National Academy of Sports Medicine, along with a few of the actual fighters themselves, which by itself sounds promising already.

Looks-wise, it appears to be like the real deal actually. Now, every workout testimonial has to be taken with a grain of salt, though the following looks might promising. Here we have three folks that spent 8 weeks with the game and the results. First, meet Matt…

… While I’m not in quite the same shape as the dude who has my same name started out as, I’m still somewhat in the same boat, so naturally I’m interested. Moving on, we have Stephanie…

… And finally we have another dude, Alfonso…

… I’m actually sold! Though, not to make excuses, but I’m afraid my tiny ass Manhattan apartment might be an issue. Then again, I could always get this.

Now, it’ll take a little time before media gets distributed, and since there’s also no real to regurgitate all the PR jargon that was spilled, how about I just pass along my two cents to everything as it was said, in the order it was said, in real time?

Basically, this is me reposting my Twitter feed during the event, with some tightening up. Because game journalists believe that they’re so damn funny during such occasions, and this particular egotist wants to make sure his nuggets of truth have not been missed:

1. Re: the new Call of Duty, it’s nice to know enough time has passed in which game makers can go back to blowing up buildings in lower Manhattan without a second thought.

20. In the end, no hint of a Xbox 720, thank goodness. Was afraid with Nintendo about to make official a new system, they might be a bit trigger-happy. Then again, this is MS we’re talking about. They know when a cash cow is still giving milk. Look how long it took them to properly update XP?

UFC 130 has had more twists and turns than a midday soap opera. There’s been so much drama they should do the weigh-ins on Maury. Wait — is that still on? (Ed.: please check and e-mail me if it is so I can set DVR.) It’s had fighter’s breaking rules, breaking ribs and in the case of Roy “Big Country” Nelson, no doubt breaking wind. Let’s check the board for UFC 130.

This Not Your Pee-Pee!
Thiago Silva was initially scheduled to fight on this card against Quinton “Rampage’ Jackson. But after reviewing his post-UFC 125 urine samples, the commission ruled that the results “were inconsistent with human urine”. How does one do that? Apparently as Silva was going to issue the sample — make pee — he turned towards the toilet, palmed a bottle, grabbed his penis in his other hand, pretended like he was urinating but added the contents of the bottle to the sample cup.

Silva later confessed to using a “urine adulterant,” which isn’t a punk band but should be. So Silva is out and Rampage will fight Matt Hamill. That will be the main event on the card because…

You’re Hurt? Okay, I am too
UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard were supposed to battle for a third time with Edgar’s belt on the line. They fought to a draw at UFC 125, and Edgar retained his title. But then Edgar broke some ribs during training and had to withdraw. Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, he of the Matrix-like kick that shocked the world, was going to replace Edgar and get a shot at Maynard. But Maynard then said he had a knee injury. So then the rest of the team grabbed all the gloves and bats and went to get a Slurpee. Then they threw stuff at cars. And ran.

Mullet Fabulous
Mohawks are cool, but real men show their attitude by going with the mullet. It’s the ultimate fashion statement when you want to tell the world that you don’t care one iota about what people think about you. Mullets are also fun to play with and twirl around when you are bored.

UFC 130 features two of the best MMA mullets ever in Miguel Torres and everybody’s favorite fatty fighter, Roy Nelson. These guys have harnessed the power of the mullet, and it’s surprising that more fighters haven’t opted for its greatness. Torres is the former WEC bantamweight champion and is looking for his 40th win. Nelson is the former IFL heavyweight (duh) champion and also won season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter. His physique may be rotund, but he has an incredible skill set. He is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Renzo Gracie and is also known for his power right.

The Last Rampage?
Rampage Jackson has been talking retirement from MMA for years. The only problem is the checks are too big to pass up. Rampage makes somewhere around $500k per fight, so he keeps fighting. He has stated that he will retire for sure by age 35, when he wants to go to movies full-time. Not sure how much work there will be for him — I don’t see that A-Team sequel coming anytime soon — but if the price is right, Rampage will be there!

But if the desire isn’t there for him at UFC 130, Hamill will repeatedly take him down, overpower him and beat him up badly. Would that then signal the end of Rampage’s career? No chance. Even if Rampage goes away and does movies for a spell, there will always be fans that want to see him walk into the arena, do his howl and possibly beat some fighter up.

The Skyscraper
Not to be outdone by mullets, howls and large bellies, Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve is always a nightmare matchup for his opponents. Standing 6’11″, the long, strong and lean Struve loves to stand and bang, but is also very skilled on the ground, where he takes those long limbs and ties up opponents in submission holds.

But he must be wary of his opponent, Travis Browne. Browne has some of the best power in the heavyweight division. Before his recent draw with Cheick Kongo, Browne was putting together an impressive streak of making his opponents go night-night. He had 5 straight KO/TKOs before the Kongo bout, and might have had another if Kongo didn’t keep grabbing his shorts. I’m calling it now — this will be the “Fight of the Night”.

Quick Picks
Matt Hamill over Quinton Jackson
Frank Mir over Roy Nelson
Miguel Torres over Demetrious Johnson
Rick Story over Thiago Alves
Stefan Struve over Travis Browne
Brian Stann over Jorge Santiago
Kendall Grove over Tim Boetsch

Kendra Wilkinson: DWTS has been “great” for my sex life
“I’m definitely bringing the splits into the bedroom tonight!”

Gisele Bundchen: Tom Brady’s hair is “his choice,” not mine!
“Brady has joked that his wife prefers his longer locks and makes him wear it that way.”

Ryan Seacrest preps for his own NBC music show
“Seacrest has no plans to have a show that would compete with Idol…”

Eclipse, Inception lead 2011 MTV Movie Awards nominations
“For the second time in three years, the vampires of Twilight are leading the charge at the MTV Movie Awards.”

Jesse James: I have started life over
“I always felt out of place my whole life.”

Cops investigate UFC legend over alleged bar attack
“UFC Hall-of-Famer Matt Hughes is at the center of a police investigation… after a female bystander told cops she suffered a broken nose when the fighter went off on another man…”

Scott Pelley to replace Katie Couric on CBS Evening News
“He has the experience, the credibility and he is among the very best reporters ever to work at CBS News.”

Andy Dick arrested — allegedly wasted in public
“The downward spiral continues.”

Jennifer Love Hewitt & Alex Beh have broken up
“The Party of Five star was previously romantically linked to funnyman Jamie Kennedy.”

Cary Grant’s daughter opens up on his devotion, style and sexuality
“Grant’s mother, Dyan Cannon, divorced the screen legend when Jennifer was only a year old…”

TODAY’S VIDEO
Candice Swanepoel, Alessandra Ambrosio, Gracie Carvalho, Erin Heatherton and more in bikinis for a sexy new Victoria’s Secret commercial.