Our good friend from MMARated.com, Ariel Helwani, conducted a very entertaining interview with Phil Baroni that I recommend you check out.

Baroni always gives a great interview, but he operating at a higher level while speaking with Ariel. For example, this three question exchange where at one point he asks Ariel if he's retarded:

Ariel Helwani: Were you happy with your performance against Hose?

Phil Baroni: What the fuck do you think? Was I happy with my performance against Hose? What are you retarded?

Ariel Helwani: There has been talk of a rematch in the works...does that interest you?

Phil Baroni: Fuck yeah it does. I'll fight anybody anytime, especially that guy. No hard feelings, Kala (Hose) is a nice kid. But I owe him an ass-kicking. And that Icon belt ain't too shabby. Fuck, I love Hawaii...sign me up.

Ariel Helwani: You're next fight is against Murilo Ninja Rua on CBS. Did you ever think, when you started out in this sport, that you would get a chance to fight on a network like CBS?

Phil Baroni: No, nobody did. Not the fighters anyway. Back then you weren't fighting to become rich or famous. You did it because you loved it. You wanted to compete (and) prove yourself.

Click here to read the interview in its entirety. 

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Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com

A middleweight match between Phil Baroni and former EliteXC middleweight champion Murilo "Ninja" Rua has been signed for EliteXC's debut show on CBS on May 31.

Stephanie Daniels, co-host of the Internet radio show Cageside Live was the first to break the news. Upon seeing Daniels' announcement, ProElite.com (SamCaplan.ProElite.com) confirmed with Baroni through text message that the match has been signed.

Baroni recently returned to active competition following a six-month suspension handed down by the California State Athletic Commission for testing positive for a banned steroid. The original suspension was for a year but was reduced following a December appeal hearing. Baroni continues to maintain his innocence.

Baroni, 10-9, returned on March 15 during an ICON Sport show in Honolulu, Hawaii. He challenged Kala "Kolohe" Hose for the vacant ICON middleweight title but lost via TKO at 1:45 into round 5 in spite of a strong showing in the first round of the fight.

Rua,15-8-1, won the then-vacant EliteXC middleweight title against Joey Villasenor during last June's EliteXC/Strikeforce co-promotion that was ironically headlined by Baroni in a fight against Frank Shamrock. He then lost the title to Robbie Lawler in his first defense, during EliteXC's "Uprising" show this past September.

Rua, the older brother of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, last fought for Cage Rage in the UK this past December where he recorded a second round submission over Xavier Foupa-Pokam.

EliteXC's first CBS show, which is scheduled to take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, will be headlined by Internet street fighting legend Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson against an opponent yet to be announced. Lawler is also scheduled to defend his EliteXC middleweight title vs. former UFC competitor Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith.

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Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com

MMAHawaii.com interviewed Phil Baroni following Saturday's press conference in Hawaii by ICON Sport to announce that Baroni and Kala Kolohe Hose will fight for the promotion's vacant middleweight title on March 15.

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Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com

Elite Xtreme Combat issued a press release Saturday night to announce the signing of middleweight Phil Baroni to a multi-fight contract.

Earlier in the day Baroni was part of a press conference held by ICON Sport in Hawaii to announce that Robbie Lawler has been stripped of the promotion's middleweight title due to inactivity. The decision has cleared the way for Baroni to face Kala Kolohe Hose for the vacant title on March 15 in Honolulu.

ICON Sport is owned by ProElite, the parent company of EliteXC.

EliteXC's announcement makes it unlikely that a reported bout between Baroni and Sanae Kikuta during World Victory Road’s inaugural Sengoku event on March 5th will actually end up taking place.

Baroni made major headlines in 2007 for a heated feud against Frank Shamrock that culminated in a June grudge match for the Strikeforce middleweight title. The bout saw Shamrock submit Baroni in the second round with a rear naked choke.

Soon after the fight, the California State Athletic Commission announced that Baroni had tested positive for steroids and would be suspended for a year. The suspension was later reduced to six months during an October appeal hearing.

Hose is coming off a knockout victory over Frederic Belleton in Atlantic City during EliteXC's ShoXC event that was held on January 25. Hose had been scheduled to fight Lawler for the ICON middleweight title three different times last year with all three fights being postponed.

A June bout between the two was postponed after Lawler became injured. The fight was re-scheduled for August but was postponed again following ICON's acquisition by ProElite. After the acquisition, EliteXC wanted Lawler to challenge Murilo "Ninja" Rua for its middleweight title during its "Uprising" show on September 15 in Honolulu. A December meeting between Lawler and Hose was once again canceled after Lawler suffered a serious shoulder injury while training.

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Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com

World Victory Road is promoting the return of Phil Baroni to Japan. Baroni is slated to fight Sanae Kikuta on March 5 in Tokyo, according to Zach Arnold of FightOpinion.com.

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Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com

Phil Baroni has received recent offers to resume his fighting career from promotions such as EliteXC and WEC, he reveals in a new interview with PunchDrunkGamer.com:

I received an offer from Showtime’s Elite XC. And I received one from the WEC – which to me is different then the UFC, it’s a step down. I don’t see guys moving up to the UFC; I think there will always be WEC fighters. I don’t want to do that. I have a lot more fights in me then that. But I’ve received offers from Showtime and a new show in Japan that just opened up. I’m trying to figure out what I am doing next, but first I need to get in shape before I can do anything.

Baroni recently became eligible to fight after a one-year suspension levied by the California State Athletic Commission for testing positive for steroids following a June 22 fight vs. Frank Shamrock was reduced to six months.

Baroni would seem like ideal fits for both EliteXC and the WEC. Despite an unimpressive 10-8 record, his charismatic personality has allowed him to become a highly marketable fighter in mixed martial arts.

The Zuffa-owned WEC has been looking for name middleweight fighters for the past several months following the departures of Joe Riggs and Jason "Mayhem" Miller. The promotion had been negotiating with Frank Trigg at one point and was believed to have had an interest in Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza. 

The WEC, which is looking to hold shows outside of Las Vegas in 2008, would be able to promote a potential fight between Baroni and the promotion's current middleweight champion, Paulo Filho that could attract a lot of interest.

With EliteXC, Baroni would seem like a natural fit to challenge the promotion's current middleweight champion, Robbie Lawler, in a bout featuring two of the heaviest hitters competing at 185 pounds.

A potential Lawler vs. Baroni matchup could easily headline a Showtime card or even possibly serve as an undercard match on a potential PPV.

A a point of pure conjecture on my part (i.e. no inside information, just fantasy matchmaking), I think EliteXC possibly could draw the biggest non-UFC PPV buyrate ever in MMA if they promoted a card featuring Frank Shamrock vs. Ken Shamrock, Kimbo Slice vs. Sean Gannon, Lawler vs. Baroni, Takanori Gomi vs. Nick Diaz II, and Gina Carano vs. Tara LaRosa.

It's believed that Baroni already has an existing contract in place with Strikeforce. However, the contract is non-exclusive and Baroni has been very vocal about his desire not to fight in California anytime soon. Strikeforce is based in San Jose, Calif. 

Baroni also indicates that he could resume fighting as early as March:

I just got back in the gym and running a bit, doing some roadwork to get the weight off me. I plan on fighting again in March. I’ll be 100% in April or May, but I’ll be ready in March. I’d like a couple of back to back fights in March, April, May, or June – get in there and get a couple fights in.

During the interview, Baroni talks at length about the recent appeal hearing before CSAC in regard to his suspension for a positive steroid tests. He makes this interesting revelation at one point:

I never received paper work from the lab or the commission saying I failed. I never saw the test; I just received a phone call. I want to see the “dirty” test because the same sample I retested came back negative. How did they hear that I failed, over the phone? They called up a guy and said “this is who failed and this is what they failed for,” and scratch it down on some note paper? It’s ridiculous and I’m sick of talking about it. I want to move on, and it’s been hard to move on at this point.

Just click here to read the interview in its entirety.

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Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com