The press conference started at 2:00 pm est. and here are some of the highlights from the conference call with UFC President Dana White via our good friends over at bloodyelbow.com. Enjoy!!!

• Dana says they tried everything possible to get Fedor in the UFC and went above and beyond, the only thing they wouldn't cave on is co-promotion.

• Dana White confirms that they have signed Vitor Belfort. Belfort will fight Rich Franklin at UFC 103 due to disapproval from fans of Franklin vs. Henderson match up. It is confirmed that Vitor vs. Franklin will be at light heavyweight.

• A 3 year deal has been signed with ESPN UK. Free, Hi-Def and will now broadcast UFC events and programming throughout the UK and Ireland starting with UFC 101

• Tito Ortiz is officially back in the UFC. Dana White says "Tito will retire in the UFC." Tito had this to say: "Time cures everything. Dana apologized to me....It was about competition...financially I'm ok...Dana stuck by his word." Ortiz felt that there was no one to fight if he went to Strikeforce and that he feels totally healthy. Ortiz is currently working with renowed boxing coach Freddie Roach and says he expects to fight by years end possible against Mark Coleman. He says you'll never hear him complain about money again as his new deal with the UFC is a offer he couldn't turn down. Dana White says he expects Ortiz to have some sort of ring rust.

• Dana says there is no network tv deal yet but they are always working on one, needing "the right deal" .

• Dana states that Dan Henderson is next in line for a title shot against UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva

• Dana says the UFC will be returning to Japan and it "can't be stopped"

• Dana had this to say about co-promoting with M-1 Global: "M-1's going to "co-promote"? They're going to help us? "That shit probably works in Russia. Not here."

• Dana says the UFC is shooting for a Vancouver event in 2010

• White slams boxing, stating that no one wants to watch Mayweather vs. Marquez, they want to see Mayweather vs. Pacquiao.

• Dana says he has no interest in bringing back former UFC heavyweight champions Tim Sylvia or Andrei Arlovski.

• White claims that M-1 can call him right now if they're ready to make a deal. He was very confident this was going to happen. Furthermore, White says that if co-promotion was off the table, Fedor would be in the UFC right now.

• White has no hard feelings toward Affliction or Tom Atencio

• Dana White is still working on the deal that would "change the UFC forever" and it wasnt the Tito Oritz deal

• More Fedor talk as Dana says the UFC is willing to make a deal almost at any cost for Fedor but he feels Fedor dont want to fight the best. White goes on to say that its his job to make Fedor/Lesner a reality since it is what fans want. And Fedor can do sambo every Thursday night for all he cares.

• Dana and Tito are in a good place with each other according to them. Tito chose the UFC because he would have smashed Babalu and Frank Shamrock in Strikeforce anyway. Tito claims he will fight in the UFC for the rest of his career, thinks Coleman would be a good test.

• Conference call has ended