Dana White posted the news from his Twitter account a little more than an hour ago. He says “Hey guys chuck liddell and charles “mask” lewis will be inducted into the ufc hall of fame at the ufc fan expo this friday at 630pm”

I suppose they’ll have a small ceremony on the pay-per-view at UFC 100?

Both guys definitely deserve to have spots in MMA’s Hall of Fame.

Man this is shitty news. Charles “Mask” Lewis is dead as a result of an automobile crash in Newport Beach, California. Dude was a character, and had his critics, but the guy truly loved the sport of MMA and was generous to fans and up-and-coming fighters. He was 45 years old.

Tapout posted this message on their website:

DEAREST FRIENDS AND FAMILY
It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that we must regretfully confirm the passing of our beloved friend, brother and co-founder Charles “Mask” Lewis following a car accident that occurred last night. We are currently in the process of setting up a memorial service in his honor and will release more details as they become available.

Many thanks to all for the outpouring of blessings and well-wishes during this incredibly difficult time.

RIP Mask.

TAPOUT FILMS BRINGS YOU THE LATEST EXCLUSIVE INTERNET RELEASE OF “PIT FIGHT REDUX” DIRECTED BY LEGENDARY MMA FILM MAKER BOBBY RAZAK. Starring Kevin Randleman, Mark Coleman, Seth Petruzelli and Siala-Mou “Mighty Mo” Siligia.

THE TAPOUT CREW CONTINUES THEIR SEARCH TO FIND THE NEXT MMA SUPERSTARS
Season Two of TapouT to Premiere July 24 on VERSUS on Demand;
Network Debut Scheduled for July 30 at 10 P.M. ET

New York (July 9, 2008) – VERSUS, the network that celebrates real competition, will debut the second season of the hit reality series TapouT on Thursday, July 24, on VERSUS on Demand and on Wednesday, July 30, at 10 p.m. ET on VERSUS. The second season includes 10 one-hour episodes that follow Mask, Punkass and Skyskrape—the crew behind the premier mixed martial arts clothing and gear line TapouT—on their cross country travels in search of the next MMA superstar. TapouT is produced by Pilgrim Films, of American Chopper and Dirty Jobs fame.

Traveling around the country in a tricked out tour bus, the crew is on the hunt to discover a fighter who has what it takes to represent the TapouT label; but before these up-and-comers fight their way out of the cage, they have to fight their way in with the TapouT crew. The crew bonds with their fighter as they test out his personality and, in between the usual TapouT mayhem, makes sure their new protégé gets the proper training before the big fight. In each episode, it’s all on the line as each fighter gets one shot to impress the crew and show off his skills in the cage.

“Since its debut a year ago, more than 40 million viewers have tuned in to see TapouT and we’re optimistic that the second season will have even greater success,” said Marc Fein, Executive Vice President of Programming, Production and Business Operations for the VERSUS. “This hugely popular original reality series, in conjunction with the monumental growth we’ve seen with our live World Extreme Cagefighting telecasts, solidifies VERSUS as one of the premier television destinations in the MMA category.”

In the season two premiere, the TapouT crew travels to San Luis Obispo, Calif. to ‘The PIT’ to see one of John Hackleman’s up-and-coming MMA fighters, Scott Lighty. Scott is accompanied by his best friend and training partner, Glover Teixeira and the crew quickly realizes the potential Glover has, and decides to sponsor both Scott and Glover who are fighting on the same card. UFC legend Chuck Liddell, who is both Scott and Glover’s trainer, makes a special guest appearance.

“MMA has exploded, and our Crew has been there since the beginning finding and supporting fighters,” said TapouT Founder Mask. “TapouT shows viewers what goes down on the road and lets fans be a part of the action. There are unbelievable fighters with incredible stories, as well as TapouT friends old and new, including MMA superstar Chuck Liddell and UFC President Dana White.”

New episodes of TapouT featuring the bad boys of MMA will premiere on VERSUS each Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET from July 30 through September 24. The full-length episodes will be available on VERSUS on Demand the Thursday prior to the network debut. For more information, including complete episode descriptions and complete schedule information, visit VERSUS.com.

VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 73 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Stanley Cup Playoffs as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, Davis Cup Tennis, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12 and Mountain West. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events that audiences can’t find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

An independently operated and owned mixed martial arts lifestyle company, TapouT boasts a sought-after clothing line for MMA enthusiasts, sponsors the best MMA Fighters (Chuck Liddell, Anderson Silva), and stars in a hit TV reality show on VERSUS. Their passion for the sport has turned into a full-on underground culture, as owners Mask, Punkass and Skyskrape extend the growing popularity of MMA through their presence at the most extreme events, supporting fighters and offering the hottest, edgiest apparel for men and women. TapouT most recently was named the first-ever exclusive apparel sponsor for season seven of “The Ultimate Fighter,” on Spike TV. Their distinctive logo graces everything from hats, tees and car windows, to their special limited edition 2007 Toyota Tundra TapouT truck. The TapouT logo has become so noteworthy that its most devoted fans are tattooing it on their bodies, demonstrating the ultimate in commitment.

Two Icons in MMA History Create Magic Together

Los Angeles, CA, June 25, 2008 – The latest TapOut commercial, directed by Bobby Razak, debuted on the UFC TUF Finale and created record traffic to the TapOut website as well as a hungry buzz to see more. The premiere of “Bloodlines”, a short film expanding on the commercial, kicks off with a pre-launch party this Saturday June 28th at Miyagis in Hollywood and will be posted exclusively on TapOut.com’s website on July 1, 2008.

As mixed martial arts (MMA) goes mainstream the most authentic films and programming will come from veterans in the business. Bobby Razak has spent the last 14 years filming documentary-style accounts of the growth from No Holds Barred competition to a sanctioned sport. TapOut has spent as many years building a respected empire of clothing, fighter sponsorships and reality programming.

Bobby Razak and TapOut Films presents “Bloodlines” which depicts the internal struggles of a man conquering his environment. A troubled man, Nikko Medina triumphs adversity through developing his physical, mental and spiritual morals.

On a path to saving his life and family from violence and poverty he discovers a physical outlet in mixed martial arts that shapes his character. He is exposed to the hardship of transforming his mindset while molding his physical skill set. His spirit is tested with each trainer to reach his core being. Can he make it or not? What are his alternatives? As a newcomer to the sport, Medina is forced to face his inner demons when faced with a deadly opponent. His destiny unfolds.

This mixed martial arts short is the brainchild of Executive Producer Bobby Razak and TapOut Films. The sport was born of ancient Roman Gladiators, Pankration and Bruce Lee in an effort to combine the mental game with the physical prowess of masters. For this reason some say that mixed martial artists are the best athletes in the world. “Bloodlines” gives a compelling taste of a true warrior in the making.

As MMA continues to ‘go global’ Razak documents MMA’s transition from underground to mainstream popularity as well as the legal, ethical and make-or-break career decisions that will mold the industry.