TAKE FIVE: ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP 67

By Jeff Haney (contact)

Saturday, Feb. 3, 2007 | 7:12 a.m.

Las Vegas Sun

Main event: Anderson Silva vs. Travis Lutter, UFC middleweight championship, 5 rounds

Time/site: Today at Mandalay Bay Events Center; doors open, 4:30 p.m.; first bout, 5:15 p.m.; main card begins, 7 p.m.;

Tickets: $200 to $750; ufc.com, mandalaybay.com, ticketmaster.com

TV: Pay per view, $39.95 suggested retail

Other featured bouts (3 scheduled rounds): Patrick Cote vs. Scott Smith, middleweights; Marvin Eastman vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, light heavyweights; Eddie Sanchez vs. Mirko Cro Cop, heavyweights; John Halverson vs. Roger Huerta, lightweights

Preliminary bouts (3 scheduled rounds): Diego Saraiva vs. Dustin Hazelett, lightweights; Sam Hoger vs. Lyoto Machida, light heavyweights; Frank Edgar vs. Tyson Griffin, lightweights; Terry Martin vs. Jorge Rivera, middleweights

Betting lines: Silva -400/Lutter +320; Jackson -700/Eastman +500; Cro Cop -1200/Sanchez +800;

1. Title at stake

Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, calls it "the opportunity of a lifetime" for Travis Lutter, who earned a title shot against hard-striking middleweight champ Anderson Silva in a decidedly postmodern way: by winning Season 4 of "The Ultimate Fighter" competition/reality show. "It's been an interesting journey, and I'm excited about my fight against Anderson Silva," said Lutter (12-3 mixed martial arts), a South Dakota native now based in Fort Worth, Texas. A well-rounded fighter, Silva (17-4) showed his Muay Thai expertise when he wrested the middleweight title from Rich Franklin last October. "I want to prove to the world why I am the middleweight champ," Silva, of Brazil, said.

2. 'Rampage' arrives

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, a familiar and flamboyant figure to longtime fans of mixed martial arts, makes his UFC debut in a light heavyweight bout against former UNLV football player Marvin Eastman (13-6-1). Jackson made his name by fighting in Japan for five years, later joined the now-defunct World Fighting Alliance and ended up with the UFC when it subsumed the WFA. He likens his move to the UFC to "going to the Super Bowl." "I just want to do my thing and show the American public what I have to offer," Jackson (25-6), a body-slamming specialist, said.

3. Cro Cop debut

Mirko Cro Cop (it's a fighting stage name derived from his position in the Croatian special police forces) was not in Las Vegas for prefight activities, but he figures to make his UFC debut with even more fanfare than Jackson. Originally a kickboxer, Cro Cop (21-4-2) established himself as one of the sport's top heavyweights fighting in the K-1 organization and on Japan's Pride circuit. His victory against wrestler Kazushi Sakuraba in front of 71,000 fans in Tokyo in 2002 created a sensation. Fans expect Cro Cop to take aim at the UFC heavyweight title.

4. No pressure

Eddie Sanchez (8-0) of Temecula, Calif., will try to play the role of spoiler against Cro Cop. "Everyone knows I'm supposed to lose the fight," Sanchez said. "There's no pressure on me to win. I have the whole world in front of me, and I'm going to surprise the mixed martial arts world." Sanchez earned the respect of White, who never misses an opportunity to praise a determined underdog. "Everyone's going to know who Eddie Sanchez is," White said. "I love people who step up to the plate and take an opportunity like this."

5. Next up

Befitting White's oft-stated plan to establish the UFC brand throughout the nation (and internationally), the organization's next big card will take place March 3 in Columbus, Ohio. Two-time former champion Randy Couture (14-8), the only fighter to have held the UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight belts, returns to the octagon for the first time since his loss to Chuck Liddell last February, taking on Tim Sylvia for the heavyweight title. Couture, 43, announced his retirement after the loss to Liddell but later changed his mind, saying he couldn't resist the urge to compete.