A serious shoulder injury suffered by Cain Velasquez in his fight with Brock Lesnar will keep him out for a significant portion of 2011. It is disappointing news considering the momentum Velasquez had coming out of the win over Lesnar. Alistair Overeem followed his K1 Grand Prix victory with a rapid obliteration of Todd Duffee. Duffee looked visibly nervous to fight the feared Dutch striker.

Light Heavyweight

1. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

2. Rashad Evans

3. Lyoto Machida

4. Quinton Jackson

5. Forrest Griffin

6. Jon Jones

7. Gegard Mousasi

8. Thiago Silva

9. Ryan Bader

10. Dan Henderson

Gegard Mousasi impressed by winning a kickboxing bout over professional kickboxer Kyotaro on New Year's Eve in Japan. In the most significant light heavyweight MMA bout of the past month Thiago Silva won a dominant decision victory over Brandon Vera.

Middleweight

1. Anderson Silva

2. Chael Sonnen

3. Yushin Okami

4. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza

5. Nate Marquardt

6. Demian Maia

7. Vitor Belfort

8. Michael Bisping

9. Hector Lombard

10. Robbie Lawler

Chael Sonnen's 2010 downward spiral continued into 2011. Sonnen pleaded guilty to money laundering in Oregon and was suspended by the UFC. It was yet another blow to Sonnen's now badly sullied reputation. Vitor Belfort and Anderson Silva's middleweight title bout February 5 will be an interesting test of Silva's ability to deal with quick, precise boxing.

Welterweight

1. Georges St. Pierre

2. Jon Fitch

3. Jake Shields

4. Nick Diaz

5. Thiago Alves

6. Josh Koscheck

7. B.J. Penn

8. Martin Kampmann

9. Carlos Condit

10. Paul Daley

Georges St. Pierre made it look easy in a lopsided decision win over Josh Koscheck. Koscheck was able to keep the fight standing, but it proved to be a not particularly advantageous position for him. Jake Shields is next up for GSP and the Canadian will be the big favorite again in Toronto. Thiago Alves scored an impressive win over John Howard in Montreal. Alves' only losses since 2005 have come against the division's top two fighters.

Lightweight

1. Frank Edgar

2. Gray Maynard

3. Gilbert Melendez

4. Eddie Alvarez

5. Kenny Florian

6. Tatsuya Kawajiri

7. George Sotiropoulos

8. Evan Dunham

9. Jim Miller

10. Shinya Aoki

Gray Maynard moves into the number two position following a draw with UFC lightweight champion Frank Edgar. Maynard will immediately rematch Edgar to settle the 155 pound division's top fighter. Tatsuya Kawajiri moves up by controlling the tough veteran Josh Thomson. Shinya Aoki moves in the other direction after an embarrassing knockout loss in an MMA rules round to a kickboxer best known for crossdressing. Jim Miller enters the top 10 with his sixth consecutive UFC win. On the cusp of the top 10 is Anthony Pettis, who defeated Ben Henderson with the most spectacular kick in the history of MMA.

Featherweight

1. Jose Aldo

2. Diego Nunes

3. Michihiro Omigawa

4. Hatsu Hioki

5. Chad Mendes

6. Dustin Poirier

7. Bibiano Fernandes

8. Joe Warren

9. Marlon Sandro

10. Mike Brown

Following a chaotic month where four of the top six featherweight fighters lost, the 145 pound top 10 needed to be completely reworked. The division was already difficult to rank because there is a tricky mix of relatively untested fighters with gaudy records and well tested fighers with so-so records. Jose Aldo is clearly the king of the division with Diego Nunes, Michihiro Omigawa, Chad Mendes, Dustin Poirier and Mark Hominick angling for a title shot.

Bantamweight

1. Dominick Cruz

2. Urijah Faber

3. Joseph Benavidez

4. Brian Bowles

5. Miguel Torres

6. Scott Jorgensen

7. Takeya Mizugaki

8. Wagnney Fabiano

9. Masakatsu Ueda

10. Eddie Wineland

Scott Jorgensen hung in against Dominick Cruz but was able to mount little offense against the now UFC bantamweight champion. Cruz's speed-oriented style will present a unique challenge for all future challengers. Eddie Wineland won knockout of the night at the WEC's final show with a slam of Ken Stone.

--Todd Martin

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Weekly remarks: Obama vows more jobs are coming; Eric Cantor vows GOP will be party of 'cut and grow'

January 8, 2011, 3:00 am

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Weekly remarks by President Obama, as provided by the White House

Last month, our economy added more than 100,000 private-sector jobs and the unemployment rate fell sharply. This follows encouraging economic news, from increased auto sales to continued expansion of our manufacturing sector.

Now, we know that these numbers can bounce around from month to month. But the trend is clear. We saw 12 straight months of private-sector job growth -- the first time that’s been true since 2006. The economy added 1.3 million jobs last year. And each quarter was stronger than the last, which means the pace of hiring is picking up.

Now we’re seeing more optimistic economic forecasts for the year ahead, in part due to the package of tax cuts I signed last month. I fought for that package because, while we are recovering, we plainly still have a lot of work to do. The recession rocked the foundations of our economy, and left a lot of destruction and doubt in its wake.

So, our fundamental mission must be to accelerate hiring and growth, while we do ....

... the things we know are necessary to insure America’s leadership in an increasingly competitive world and build an economy that will provide opportunity to any American willing to work for it.

I’m absolutely confident we will get there. I am confident, first and foremost, because of you; because of the ingenuity of our entrepreneurs and business owners; the tenacity of our workers; and the determination of the American people. This is what has made our economy the envy of the world. But we have to do everything we can to help our businesses and workers win in this new economy.

Yesterday, I visited the Thompson Creek Window Company, a small business in Maryland. Over the past year, sales there have grown by 55% thanks, in part, to an energy tax credit we created. And this year, they’re also planning to take advantage of a new tax incentive for businesses. For one year, any business, large or small, can write off the full cost of most of their capital investments. This will make it more affordable for businesses like Thompson Creek to expand and hire.

So, if you’re a business owner, I’d encourage you to take advantage of this temporary provision. It will save you money today and help you grow your business tomorrow.

This incentive is part of the economic package I signed into law last month -- a package that also includes a payroll tax cut that will mean $1,000 more this year for a typical family. In fact, 155 million workers will see larger paychecks this month as a result of this tax cut.

Twelve million families will benefit from a $1,000 child tax credit and an expanded earned income tax credit. Eight million students and families will continue to benefit from a $2,500 tuition tax credit to make college more affordable.

And millions of entrepreneurs in big cities and small towns across the country will benefit not only from the business expensing plan I mentioned, but from additional tax cuts that will spur research and development.

Independent experts have concluded that, taken together, this package of tax cuts will significantly accelerate the pace of our economic recovery, spurring additional jobs and growth.

And that is our mission. That should be the focus, day in and day out, of our work in Washington in the coming months, as we wrestle with a challenging budget and long-term deficits. And I’m determined to work with everyone, Republicans and Democrats, to achieve that goal. What we can’t do is refight the battles of the past two years that distract us from the hard work of moving our economy forward. What we can’t do is engage in the kinds of symbolic battles that so often consume Washington while the rest of America waits for us to solve problems.

The tax cuts and other progress we made in December were a much-needed departure from that pattern. Let’s build on that admirable example and do our part, here in Washington, so the doers, builders and innovators in America can do their best in 2011 and beyond. Thanks everyone, and have a nice weekend. ####

Weekly remarks by Rep. Eric Cantor, as provided by Republican Party leadership

Hi, I’m Eric Cantor from the 7th District of Virginia and the majority leader for the 112th Congress.

This week, the transition of power in the United States Congress took place and John Boehner was elected speaker of the House. We know that we have been given a golden opportunity to listen, lead, and deliver results.

From the start, I think you’ll see that our actions will define us as the ‘cut and grow’ majority. We are going to cut spending and cut job-killing government regulations while growing the economy and private-sector jobs. We will abide by a three-part rule:

Each day, we will come to work asking: One, ‘Are our actions focused on job creation and the economy?’ Two, ‘Are our actions focused on cutting spending?’ Three, ‘Are our actions focused on shrinking government while protecting and expanding liberty?’ If not, why are we doing it?

It is in this spirit that we’ve opened Congress by cutting our own operating budgets by 5%. Our next step is to fulfill our pledge to repeal the trillion-dollar job-killing healthcare law that was rammed through Congress last year by the previous majority -- despite the public outcry against it.

This week I joined Speaker Boehner and other key Republicans in releasing a new report that documents how the healthcare law is destroying jobs and piling up more debt. It makes a compelling case for taking immediate action to repeal ObamaCare and replace it with reforms that will lower costs and protect jobs.

At a time when we need to do everything in our power to encourage job creation, the healthcare law hangs around the necks of businesses small and large, causing them to not hire new workers -- or worse, be forced to let current employees go.

Just as harmful, businesses that would currently be hiring more employees are reevaluating their decisions and in some cases sitting on large piles of cash.

With each day that ObamaCare remains law and continues to engulf our healthcare system, this destructive pattern continues and too many Americans remain without a job.

It has now been 10 months since ObamaCare was signed into law. And it is telling that the more Americans learn about it, the more discouraged they are by its harmful effects. The law is fundamentally flawed because it enables federal bureaucrats to come between patients and their doctors, limiting choices. And because of its mandates, ObamaCare has already caused the cost of healthcare to increase, while forcing some Americans to give up the healthcare they have even if they like it.

Despite claims of reducing deficits and saving taxpayer dollars, the new law is riddled with budget gimmicks that double-count savings, offset six years of benefits with 10 years of tax increases and rely on cuts to Medicare and tax increases to fund a new entitlement.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office works hard to provide accurate accounting, but they are only able to score the legislation put in front of them -- even if it includes budget gimmicks and fiscal shell games designed to hide its true cost. The reality is that this trillion-dollar, new government entitlement will lead to one-size-fits-all care and put our country on a path to bankruptcy.

Republicans care about healthcare. We simply disagree that excessive government regulation and sweeping mandates on individuals and businesses are the right way to go about it. The status quo is unacceptable, and we understand that the key to real healthcare reform is to lower costs and improve access.

That is why after the House passes repeal of ObamaCare, we’ll begin a two-step process of conducting continued oversight of the continued harm that it is doing to our economy and our healthcare system, as well as beginning work on a new vision to improve our healthcare system without bankrupting our country.

We will provide Americans with the mainstream solutions they were denied when Democrats used dubious procedural tactics to jam through the bill along strictly partisan lines.

Looking ahead, the best boost that Congress can provide to the economy is to send a credible signal that we are serious about cutting spending and eliminating job-killing regulations. Our surging debt burden hangs over the economy like a dark cloud, waiting to unleash a storm of inflation, higher taxes and higher borrowing costs upon businesses and families. Only when the cloud is lifted can we get on the path to long-term growth.

America stands at a crossroads, and the decisions we make today will determine the type of country that we leave to our children and grandchildren. We face some very tough decisions and the coming weeks and months will not be easy, but it’s time to make government accountable to the people. For years, families have been doing more with less, while government has been doing less with more.

We will work each and every day to reverse that trend so that America can return to opportunity, responsibility, and success. ####

Weekly remarks: GOP's Kelly Ayotee stresses debt reduction; Obama vows more jobs

Weekly remarks. GOP Rep. Joe Pitts and Obama hail those who serve their communities, country

Weekly remarks: Cornyn sees D.C.change already; Obama wants START treaty

Weekly remarks: Kristo Noem and Obama agree on need to avoid tax hikes

Weekly remarks: Mark Kirk says the unelected should not raise taxes; Biden hails military families

Weekly remarks: Obama says not the worst Thanksgiving; GOP's Scott sees hope in new Congress

Weekly remarks: Obama wants earmark reform; Greg Walden heads GOP House transition

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Photos: Pete Souza / White House; Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press (lone worker vents hot air from the Capitol); Steve Helber / Associated Press (Cantor).

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WikiLeaks says U.S. is demanding its Twitter account info

January 8, 2011, 3:02 am

≫ Next: Dispatch from New York: A soprano's second debut

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Dispatch from New York: A soprano's second debut

January 8, 2011, 5:00 am

≫ Next: 'Hungry Girl' heads to TV

≪ Previous: WikiLeaks says U.S. is demanding its Twitter account info

“Sono pronto per il mio close-up, Meester Gelb.”

Saturday at the HD Broadcast of Puccini’s “Fanciulla del West,” Sondra Radvanovsky will be making a very 21st century Met debut (or re-debut).

The American soprano makes her debut as the on-air host of the Met’s HD broadcast. The HD host is essentially the show’s Ryan Seacrest. But in a shrewd move, Peter Gelb didn’t hire a TV personality for the gig when the broadcast series began four years ago. Instead, he tapped telegenic stars from the opera world like Plácido Domingo and Renée Fleming. (In contrast, PBS telecasts were for years hosted by Garrick Utley of NBC, and Sunday’s LA Phil Live broadcast is hosted by Vanessa Williams.)

Radvanovsky is not unaware of the fact that hosting the show is as in some ways as high profile as singing the lead: “How many millions of people are going to be watching this? Yikes, don’t think about it, don’t think about it, don’t think about it,” she said.

On Monday night (after a full day’s rehearsal of her upcoming “Tosca”) she rehearsed for her Met Debut 2.0 and channeled her inner Ann Curry: “I have a tendency of talking very fast, I have to remember to slow it down and just get the words out.”

For three hours backstage, Radvanovsky navigated crew members, fake snow and moving sets as she juggled a constant flow of scriptwriters, assistant cameramen and sound people checking her microphones, all in the tight halls of the Met — and with a live performance of “Fanciulla” going on in the front of the hall. After the second intermission, when she interviewed stand-ins for the stars and conductor, she sighed, “and I have to be back here to sing again at 10 a.m.”

It’s a challenging assignment—especially for someone with little to no on-camera experience. “They didn’t teach this at conservatory,” the UCLA and USC graduate quipped after a teleprompter problem occurred while interviewing one of the stunt men (“Fanciulla” features a full-out barroom brawl). Indeed, the HD rehearsal felt more like a reality show or an episode of “30 Rock” — at one point in the broadcast Saturday the soprano will chat with the animal trainer and five horses as they wait in their dressing room: the parking lot of Lincoln Center.

The reality is that opera singers are going to have to be more and more media savvy as the arts go HD. Gone are the days where they can just worry about their voice — in time singers’ HD debut may be as important as their Met 1.0 debut. And perhaps one day, the Met’s broadcasts will help push opera stars into the mainstream celebrity limelight; until then, there’s the coveted HD host gig. “When I got an e-mail about a month ago saying ‘We would really love for you to host the HD broadcast,' I proceeded to start crying," she said. " 'Really, you want me to do this?’”

Radvanovsky admits she thinks about an acting career after singing: “William Friedkin, the director of ‘Suor Angelica’ [at LA Opera in 2007] wanted me to be on ‘CSI’ but it didn’t work with my schedule.… I always wanted to be an actress. Maybe it will happen?”

After the hectic rehearsal though, Radvanovsky was tired and all she was dreaming of was changing back into comfortable shoes. “It’s slightly overwhelming,” she said leaving the theater. Only once before has the soprano performed in front of an audience of millions: “Barbara Walters asked me to be a guest on ‘The View’ once, she knew who I was through Plácido Domingo. It was about weight loss and how I maintain that with a busy life.

“And so I jumped rope on national television — in heels, by the way,” she laughed. “I’ll be ready for Saturday.”

--James C. Taylor

Above: Radvanovsky singing a duet with Plácido Domingo in New Orleans in 2009. Credit: Lee Celano/ For The Times

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'Hungry Girl' heads to TV

January 8, 2011, 5:33 am

≫ Next: Retail roundup: retail sales, Kardashian Kard drama, new Starbucks logo, Borders and Pinkberry

≪ Previous: Dispatch from New York: A soprano's second debut

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Retail roundup: retail sales, Kardashian Kard drama, new Starbucks logo, Borders and Pinkberry

January 8, 2011, 6:00 am

≫ Next: Home tour: Spanish Revival meets flea-market mania

≪ Previous: 'Hungry Girl' heads to TV

-- The nation's retailers scored their best holiday season since 2006, but uneven spending and winter storms across the country disrupted December sales, which came in below expectations.

-- The infamous Kardashian Kard -- the debit card released by reality TV stars and sisters Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian -- may end up costing the famous sisters big bucks. The prepaid card was pulled off shelves in November after reports of exorbitantly high user fees; now Fresno-based Mobile Resource Card, the creators of the card, have filed a $75-million lawsuit against the girls, claiming breach of contract.

-- Starbucks announced that it would roll out a new logo starting in March. The latest iteration of the famous green logo eliminates the word "Starbucks" and "Coffee," and enlarges the sea nymph/mermaid/siren/whatever you want to call her (she also becomes green). As with Gap's announcement a few months ago that it would change its logo (the apparel company later changed its mind), loyal fans have taken to social media sites and message boards to protest the change.

For its part, Starbucks says it's trying to bring the brand forward as it looks to expand into more non-coffee-related enterprises.

-- Borders, which has struggled in recent years as online sellers, bigger chains and mass merchants grab share of the book-selling market, is in talks with restructuring advisors, according to the Wall Street Journal.

-- Pinkberry is kicking off the new year with its latest flavor, blood orange. The Los Angeles yogurt company said the flavor would be available in all stores by Jan. 14 for a limited time.

-- Andrea Chang

Photo: Starbucks introduced the latest version of its logo, set to roll out in March. Credit: Starbucks

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