MMAdness

UFC Live Jones vs Matyushenko Preview

2010-07-30T13:09:00.001-04:00

The UFC returns to Versus this Sunday featuring their biggest rising star Jon "Bones" Jones vs Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko. This is the UFC's first return to Versus since March and their first card in almost a month.

This card also features Mark Munoz vs Yushin Okami in a pivotal middleweight tilt. And Takanori Gomi looks to notch his first UFC win against the always tough Tyson Griffin. This should be a solid card filled with good young talent, so let's break it down:

Main Event:

Jon Jones vs Vladimir Matyushenko

Jones is 10-1 with eight wins by stoppage. He has a strong wrestling background and a very versatile striking game. He has slowly moved up the 205 lb ladder and his only defeat came by disqualification in a fight he was dominating.

Matyushenko is 24-4 with 14 wins by stoppage. He also has a strong wrestling background with some striking skills. He has fought a lot of tough competition and all of his losses have come against reputable opponents.

All signs point to Jones winning this fight. Jones has the better technical striking. He is younger, bigger, faster, more athletic, probably stronger, and has an enormous reach advantage.

The only thing Matyushenko has going for him is he has much more experience and his pure wrestling ability is probably greater than Jones'. If Matyshenko can stay smart, get inside, and put Jones on his back and keep him there for 15 minutes he might be able to steal this fight.

If Matyushenko can't do that he's going to be in a heap of trouble. I'm picking Jones to pick apart Matyushenko on the outside until he's able to stop the fight in the second round for the TKO victory.

Jones is a rising star in the UFC light heavyweight division. Hopefully they don't rush him along too quickly and we get to see Jones against a couple more high quality opponents before he's given a title shot.

Main Card:

Mark Munoz vs Yushin Okami

Munoz is 8-1 with five wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with a developing BJJ and striking game. He has fought some tough fighters with success in the middleweight division.

Okami is 24-5 with 13 wins by stoppage. He is also a wrestler with a strong Judo and striking pedigree. He has fought a lot of tough fighters with a lot of success.

These guys are essentially mirror images of each other but Okami has more experience and a more developed all around grappling and striking game. Unless Munoz has become much more proficient in his striking and submission game I can't see him out wrestling Okami for 15 minutes.

I'm picking Okami to grind out another tough decision victory against a game opponent.

John Howard vs Jake Ellenberger

Howard is 14-4 with 10 wins by stoppage. He is a grappler with some striking skill. He has faced some tough fighters with mostly positive results.

Ellenberger is 22-5 with 19 wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with a strong striking game. He has faced some tough opponents with mixed results.

I don't think Howard has the striking to stay with Ellenberger on the feet though anything can happen in an MMA fight. Howard will probably look to use his BJJ where he has an advantage but I don't think he'll catch Ellenberger even if he can get the fight to the mat. I'm picking Ellenberger to win by TKO in the first round.

Tyson Griffin vs Takanori "The Fireball Kid" Gomi

Griffin is 14-3 with eight wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler who likes to strike. He has fought a lot of tough fighters with mostly positive results.

Gomi is 31-6 with 17 wins by stoppage. He is a boxer with a solid wrestling background. He has fought the best in the business and was the Pride lightweight champion, but he has flamed out as of late (pun intended).

Neither of these guys is going to want to take the fight down even with their wrestling backgrounds so it should be a fun fight. Griffin is going to bring his entire striking arsenal at Gomi and I don't think Gomi is going to have the answer.

Gomi may only be 31 but this sport has passed him by and he hasn't done much about it over the last two years. I'm picking Griffin to win a fun and lopsided decision victory. This loss will probably spell the end of Gomi's UFC career and will help revive Griffin's.

Preliminary Card:

Paul Kelly vs Jacob Volkmann

Volkmann hasn't looked good since joining the UFC. However, I think moving down to lightweight was a good move for him and he should be more accustomed to the weight for this fight.

Kelly has seen more success in the UFC than Volkmann but I think both fighters are going to want to impose their will on the other and I think Volkmann's size and wrestling will be the difference. I'm picking Volkmann to win by submission in the second round.

DaMarques Johnson vs Matthew Riddle

Johnson has the better striking and more experience but I think Riddle has the better grappling and is the more talented fighter. I'm picking Riddle to grind out a decision victory.

James Irvin vs Igor Pokrajac

Irivin hasn't looked good in the last couple years but Pokrajac has never beaten anyone of note. It will be a classic striker vs grappler match up which I usually give to the grappler but I think Irvin will use whatever wrestling ability he has to stay up right and land the KO blow in the second round.

Brian Stann vs Mike Massenzio

Massenzio wasn't a bad fighter but he has been out of the game for two years and that's too long a layoff to jump back into the UFC against someone like Stann. Massenzio will rely on his grappling but I don't think it will be enough against Stann's boxing. I'm picking Stann to win by TKO in the first round.

Darren Elkins vs Charles Oliveira

Elkins has the advantage in wrestling and in experience against better competition. However, I think Oliveira has the answer wherever the fight goes. Normally I don't pick UFC rookies but I'm making an exception here. I'm picking Oliveira to win by TKO in the first round.

Rob Kimmons vs Steve Steinbeiss

Both of these guys are coming off losses and long lay offs so this is an important fight for both guys. Kimmons has faced more and better competition even if hasn't done so well against it. He also has the grappling advantage.

Stenbeiss could knock him out but I'm picking Kimmons to win by submission in the first round. This loss will put Steinbeiss on the chopping block most likely and resuscitate Kimmons' UFC career.

UFC 116 Preview

2010-06-30T16:05:00.002-04:00

This Saturday the UFC will put on their annual July 4th weekend spectacular in Las Vegas. This weekend also marks the long awaited return of UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar after a year off due to an almost life threatening health issue. Lesnar will battle the interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin in what must be literally the largest battle ever to take place inside the Octagon.

The rest of the card is made up of interesting match ups but very little star power. Let's break it down:

Main Event:

Heavyweight Championship: Brock Lesnar(c) vs Shane Carwin

Lesnar is 4-1 with three wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with brutal ground and pound. He is the current UFC champion, has beaten some of the best in the game to get there, and has avenged his only loss.

Carwin is 12-0 with all 12 wins by stoppage. He is also a wrestler with very heavy hands. Carwin has beaten a couple tough opponents on his road to the title shot.

The UFC is going to have to reinforce the cage to hold these two animals. Both men cut to 265 and there could easily be close to 600 lbs of beef in the cage by the time this fight goes down.

These two are almost mirror images of each other. They both have very good wrestling backgrounds and both are still developing their overall MMA game. They are also both freakish athletes for their size.

With that said this fight could very easily go either way. If Lesnar imposes his will on Carwin I can't see him lasting five rounds on his back. But Lesnar hasn't faced anyone with punching power anywhere close to Carwin's.

I'm picking Carwin's wrestling to be just good enough to keep it standing where he will touch Lesnar enough times to end this fight. I'm picking Carwin to win by TKO in the first round and become the new UFC heavyweight champion.

Main Card:

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs Chris Leben

Akiyama is 13-1 with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a grappler first with a solid striking game as well. Akiyama has faced some tough fighters with good results. In fact his only loss came in a K-1 open weight bout against a heavyweight.

Leben is 20-6 with 15 wins by stoppage. He is a striker with a decent grappling pedigree. He has fought a lot of tough fighters with mixed results.

Even though Akiyama has also been out for a year I don't see that being an issue in this fight. As long as Akiyama doesn't get stupid and tries to stand toe to toe with Leben he shouldn't have any issues in this fight. Akiyama will want to use angles and speed to set up a take down where he can put the fight in his world.

On the ground Leben can only survive for so long before he succumbs to Akiyama's superior jiu jitsu. I'm picking Akiyama to win by submission in the third round.

Chris Lytle vs Matt Brown

Lytle is 28-17-5 with 22 wins by stoppage. He is a grappler with some boxing skills. He has fought a ton of tough fighters but with less than stellar results.

Brown is 11-8 with all 11 wins by stoppage. He is a striker with some grappling skills. He has faced some tough fighters with mixed results.

This should be an interesting match up as both guys are looking to improve their record. Lytle obviously wants this fight on the mat while Brown will want to keep it standing against a grappler the calibre of Lytle.

I think Lytle's experience against some of the best in the game will help him get the job done here as long as he doesn't get caught by a lucky punch. I'm picking Lytle to win by submission in the second round.

Krzysztof Soszynski vs Stephan Bonnar

Soszynski is 19-9-1 with 18 wins by stoppage. He is a grappler with solid boxing. He has faced some tough fighters with mixed results.

Bonnar is 11-7 with nine wins by stoppage. He is a grappler who loves to strike. He has faced some tough fighters with mostly negative results.

This is Bonnar's last chance much the same way Keith Jardine got one last shot a couple weeks ago. Bonnar is riding a three fight losing streak courtesy of embarrassing losses to Jon Jones, Mark Coleman, and a controversial loss on cuts due to a headbutt to Soszynski back in Feb.

This fight pairs the two up again to hopefully clear the air after such a controversial decision and to give Bonnar one last (fair) chance to save his UFC career. I still feel that Bonnar would do himself a favor by trying to go to the ground but I don't see him wanting to do that or being successful there.

So they will stand and Soszynski should get the better of the stand up. That's why I'm picking him to win by decision.

George Sotiropoulos vs Kurt Pellegrino

Sotiropoulos is 12-2 with eight wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with a little boxing. He has faced some tough fighters with mostly positive results. In fact he avenged one of his two losses and his only other loss came to lightweight stand out Shinya Aoki.

Pellegrino is 15-4 with 11 wins by stoppage. He is also a grappler with some striking. He has faced some tough fighters with mixed results.

I get the feeling these two grapplers will cancel each other out on the ground leaving them to try and duke it out. This could go either way since neither is a noted striker but my gut feeling is that Pellegrino will have the edge. I'm picking Pellegrino to win by decision.

Preliminary Card:

Brendan Schaub vs Chris Tuchscherer

Schaub is still a young fighter and could make a stupid mistake against a veteran like Tuchscherer. However, I also think Schaub is more talented than Tuchscherer. He certainly is in the striking department.

So between Schaub's talent and his athleticism I'm picking him to win by TKO in the first round.

Seth Petruzelli vs Ricardo Romero

The Kimbo killer is back! Petruzelli returns to the UFC for the first time since 2007.

Romero has a nice well rounded game but he's going up against his toughest opponent to date while also making his UFC debut. I don't like those odds even if the kid is virtually undefeated.

I'm picking Petruzelli to overwhelm Romero with strikes and grab the TKO win in the first round.

Kendall Grove vs Goran Reljic

Neither of these guys look too good right now. However, while Grove hasn't been able to put anything consistent together in a while Reljic is still coming back from a major injury. So I think he looks much more promising to bounce back right now.

I'm picking Reljic to win by KO in the first round.

Gerald Harris vs Dave Branch

Both of these guys have a lot of upside but neither has proven much at this point in their careers. Harris has faced tougher competition and has fought in the UFC before.

Both have well rounded games but I'm betting Harris' striking and wrestling is better while Branch has the better jiu jitsu. But I'm going to throw logic out the window on this one because Branch represents Brooklyn! I'm picking Branch to stay undefeated with a decision victory.

Daniel Roberts vs Forrest Petz

This is an extremely tough fight to call. Petz is your typical journeyman and hasn't fought in the UFC since 2007. Roberts was a good looking prospect until being promptly KO'd in the first round in his first UFC fight.

I'm going to stick with the promise of Roberts' wrestling and BJJ to get him through this fight. I'm going to pick Roberts to win by submission in the first round.

Jon Madsen vs Karlos Vemola

Both of these guys are wrestlers who have the ability to finish fights. Madsen has been riding a nice little wave since being on TUF 10.

I see that continuing here. I think Madsen probably has the better wrestling and also has some UFC experience. I'm picking Madsen to stay undefeated with a decision victory.

Strikeforce Fedor vs Werdum Preview

2010-06-20T13:23:00.000-04:00

"The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko returns this Saturday to defend his status as the best heavyweight fighter in the world. Fedor takes on Fabricio Werdum in a non title fight, though should he win it will likely cement a title bout against Alistair Overeem later this year.

Also on the card is arguably the greatest female fighter on the planet Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos defending her Featherweight title. Rounding out the card is a rematch between Cung Le and Scott Smith as well as former lightweight champ Josh Thomson. Let's break down the card:

Main Event:

Fedor Emelianenko vs Fabricio Werdum

Fedor is 32-1 with 25 wins by stoppage. He has a strong background in Sambo, Judo, and Boxing. He has fought some of the best fighters in the world and is widely regarded as the best heavyweight fighter on the planet.

Werdum is 13-4-1 with 11 wins by stoppage. He has a strong background in BJJ, Judo, and Muay Thai. He has also faced top competition with slightly more mixed results but actually owns a win over Fedor's brother Aleksander and current Strikeforce heavyweight champ Overeem.

These fighters are actually more similar than people realize. Both have finishing power in their hands but both are actually more accomplished grapplers. However, if anyone has watched either of these two men fight even a newcomer can tell who is better.

This fight could be sloppy on the feet but that's just the way Fedor will want it. He'd rather take his chances there than go to the ground where it could turn into a stalemate. Werdum could land some magic on Fedor but no one's done it yet so I'm not going to start picking against him now.

I've got Fedor by KO in the first round.

Cyborg Santos vs Jan Finney

Santos is 9-1 with seven wins by KO. She is a vicious Muay Thai striker with a developing BJJ game. She has faced some tough fighters on her road to the championship with overwhelmingly positive results.

Finney is 8-7 with four wins by KO. She is a striker. As her record indicates she has faced a lot of tough fighters and often times comes out on the losing end (in one case three times to the same fighter).

This has brutal finish written all over it. Finney is a tough fighter but she is moving up a weight class and Santos is the strongest female fighter I have ever seen. Not to mention Finney won't want to take Cyborg down leaving the fight exactly where Cyborg wants it.

I'm picking Cyborg to win by TKO in the second round to retain her title. Is Strikeforce running out of competition for Cyborg? It certainly looks like it.

Cung Le vs Scott Smith

Le is 6-1 with all six wins by KO. He is a striker with a developing grappling game. He has faced a couple tough fighters with mostly positive results and was the former Strikeforce middleweight champ.

Smith is 17-6 with all 17 wins by stoppage. He is a striker with some wrestling ability. He has faced some tough fighters with mixed results.

This is a rematch of what some consider the fight of the year and what was certainly the comeback of the year in 2009. Both of these guys are good strikers. Le is better technically but Smith has more power and has a better chin.

This fight will most likely come down to whose conditioning is better and who has more heart just like the last fight. To be honest Le is seven years older and Smith definitely has the better chin. So with that in mind I'm picking Smith to win by KO in the third round.

Josh Thomson vs Pat Healy

Thomson is 16-3 with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a grappler with some kick boxing ability. He has faced some tough fighters with mostly positive results.

Healy is 23-15 with 19 wins by stoppage. He is also a grappler with some striking ability. He has faced quite a few tough fighters but unfortunately with mostly negative results.

As Healy's record indicates this is a "get right" fight for the former champ Thomson. Thomson has much better quality wherever the fight takes place. Not to mention Healy is normally a welterweight and will probably be extra drained for this fight trying to make 155 lbs.

I'm picking Thompson to get back on track with a submission victory in the first round.

WEC 49 Preview

2010-06-14T16:54:00.000-04:00

The WEC returns to free TV this weekend after a two month layoff. The main event features Jamie Varner looking to bounce back after losing his belt to Ben Henderson. Kamal "The Prince of Persia" Shalorus is looking to make a run at a title shot with a win over the former champ.

This card also marks the WEC's first jaunt in to Canada. Let's break down the card:

Main Card:

Jamie Varner vs Kamal Shalorus

Varner is 16-3 with 14 wins by stoppage. He has a very solid grappling background with strong boxing skills as well. He has fought some tough fighters with mostly positive results and was the WEC champion for almost two years.

Shalorus is 6-0-1 with five wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with strong ground and pound. This is definitely his toughest test to date.

This fight will come down to who can impose their will. Shalorus will want to take this fight to the ground. While Varner has a solid jiu jitsu game he'd much rather stand and strike.

I think with Varner's wrestling Shalorus won't be able to run rough shod over him. I'm picking Varner to effectively use his sprawl and brawl to earn a decision victory.

Mark Hominick vs Yves Jabouin

Hominick is 17-8 with 14 wins by stoppage. He is striker with a solid ground game. He has faced some tough fighters with mixed results.

Jabouin is 14-5 with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a striker. He has fought a couple tough guys and lost both fights.

Neither of these guys are exactly stand out fighters. However, it should be an entertaining bout. Jabouin will want to stand and if Hominick is smart he'll take it to the ground.

While Jabouin could catch Hominick I usually like the grapplers in these match ups so I'm picking Hominick to win by decision.

Josh Grispi vs LC Davis

Grispi is 13-1 with 11 wins by stoppage. He has solid striking and grappling skills. He has fought a few tough guys since moving over to the WEC with positive results.

Davis is 16-2 with 11 wins by stoppage. He has a wrestling background but a well rounded skill set. He has fought some tough fighters with mixed results.

Both fighters are up and comers which makes this a tough fight to call especially since both are so well rounded. However, I think Davis' wrestling will be the difference. I'm picking Davis to grind out a tough decision victory.

Chris Horodecki vs Ed Ratcliff

Horodecki is 13-2 with seven wins by stoppage. He is a kick boxer. He has fought some tough fighters with mixed results.

Ratcliff is 7-2 with six wins by stoppage. He is a striker. He has fought some tough fighters with less than stellar results.

This should be a fun stand up battle. This is another tough battle to call because I don't think either fighter is significantly better at striking. So I'm going to take a shot in the dark and pick Ratcliff to win by TKO in the first round.

Eddie Wineland vs Will Campuzano

Wineland is 16-6-1 with nine wins by stoppage. He has solid grappling and striking. He has fought some tough guys with mixed results.

Campuzano is 7-1 with six wins by stoppage. He is a striker with some submission ability. He has one fight against notable competition which he lost.

I think Wineland's experience and grappling should be the difference in this fight. I'm picking him to get the win by submission in the first round.

Preliminary Card:

Karen Darabedyan vs Will Kerr

Karen's experience against better competition and his wrestling should be the difference in this fight. I'm picking Karen to grind out a decision victory.

Wagnney Fabiano vs Frank Gomez

Fabiano was one of the top featherweights in the world before losing unceremoniously to Semerizer two fights ago. Since then he has dropped down to bantamweight only making him more dangerous.

I don't think Gomez will have an answer for Fabiano's jiu jitsu. I'm picking Fabiano to win by submission in the first round.

Erik Koch vs Bendy Cassimir

Both guys are talented grapplers. They may wind up cancelling each other out on the ground and this could turn into a stand up fight. However, I think Koch is the more talented fighter so I'm going to go with him to win by TKO in the first round.

Raphael Assuncao vs Diego Nunes

Assuncao is an extremely talented submission artist. Nunes is more well rounded but is also extremely talented. This should be a good fight no matter where it winds up but I'm picking Assuncao's experience and BJJ to carry him through. I'm picking Assuncao to win by decision.

Rafael Rebello vs Chris Cariaso

Both of these fighters and still looking to breakthrough for an organization. Rebello should have the advantage on the ground while Cariaso should have the advantage on the feet.

Both fighters are well rounded but Cariaso appears to be the better fighter at this point in their careers. I'll pick Cariaso to win by decision.

The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale Preview

2010-06-14T15:41:00.001-04:00

Now that the coaches have done battle it's time for The Ultimate Fighter 11 finale. The main event (surprisingly not the TUF championship fight) features Matt Hamill vs Keith Jardine.

This is a fight between fighters moving in two directions. Hamill has won his last three fights while Jardine has lost his last three. This is a critical fight for Jardine to remain in the UFC.

The co main event is the TUF 11 championship fight between Court McGee and Kris McCray. Both fighters impressed on the show having both lost an early fight and coming back to make it to the finale due to injury and winning the wild card fight respectively.

The rest of the card is littered with other TUF participants past and present as well as UFC journeymen. Let's break down the card:

Main Event:

Matt Hamill vs Keith Jardine

Hamill is 8-2 with five wins by KO. He is a wrestler with improving striking. He has fought some tough fighters with mixed results.

Jardine is 15-7-1 with nine wins by stoppage. He is a kick boxer first with an under rated ground game. He has fought the best in the business unfortunately with average results at best.

If Jardine isn't at his hungriest for this fight he's going to be in for a long night. Hamill's stand up has looked better with each fight and while it might not compare with Jardine's he can do enough on the feet to set up the take down which is what he'll really want.

Jardine always comes in well prepared but he unfortunately just doesn't have the most talent. In fact his greatest asset is his unorthodox striking style. That won't be enough even with his under rated ground game.

Hamill should be able to get this fight to the ground and control Jardine for three rounds and do some damage. I'm picking Hamill to get the TKO victory in the third round.

Court McGee vs Kris McCray

McGee is 8-1 (3-1 on the show) with four wins by stoppage. He has a very solid ground game but is fairly well rounded. He has faced a couple tough fighters off the show with mixed results.

McCray is 5-0 (4-1 on the show) with all five wins by stoppage. He also has a solid ground game but he likes to slug it out. He hasn't faced anyone of note.

McCray is probably the more overwhelming physical force but I think he throws caution to the wind a little too much and his conditioning isn't as solid as McGee's. I also think McGee will be more prepared mentally for this fight.

I'm picking McGee to win a tough decision to become the next Ultimate Fighter champion.

Chris Leben vs Aaron Simpson

Leben is 19-6 with 14 wins by stoppage. He loves to box but has developed his grappling skills as well. He has fought a lot of tough fighters but usually is not the winner in those battles.

Simpson is 7-0 with six wins by KO. He is a wrestler with strong ground and pound. This might be his toughest test to date.

Simpson hasn't been tested much in his very young career but I'm not sure this will be his first real test. Leben could catch Simpson with a big punch but if that doesn't happen I think Simpson will take him down and grind out the victory.

I'm picking Simpson to keep his undefeated streak alive with a decision victory.

Spencer Fisher vs Dennis Siver

Fisher is 23-5 with 19 wins by stoppage. He is a well rounded fighter with striking and jiu jitsu skills. He has fought a lot of tough fighters with average results.

Siver is 15-7 with 13 wins by stoppage. He is a grappler with solid kick boxing. He has fought some tough fighters but often does not come out on top of those fights.

Both fighter's have well rounded games even though each specializes on one end of the spectrum. Literally anything could happen in this fight but I think Fisher has more experience against better fighters and is simply the better overall fighter.

I'm picking Fisher to win a close decision.

Jamie Yager vs Rich Attonito

Yager is 2-1 (2-1 on the show) with both wins by KO. He is a striker. He hasn't fought anyone of note.

Attonito is 7-3 (2-0 on the show) with five wins by stoppage. He has solid striking and grappling.

Personally I just want to see Attonito smash Yager but I know it's not that easy with Yager's striking. Yager could easily catch Attonito but I'm hoping Attonito takes him down pounds the will out of him.

I'm picking Attonito to win by TKO in the third round.

Preliminary Card

John Gunderson vs Mark Holst

Gunderson has way more experience and Holst is making his UFC debut. Gunderson should have the advantage on the ground. Holst could pull this fight out but I never like rookies so I'm picking Gunderson to win a decision.

Brad Tavares vs Seth Baczynski

Seth has a stronger ground game but I think Tavares is the better overall fighter. If he can keep the fight standing he should have a pretty good chance. I'm picking Tavares to win by decision.

Kyle Noke vs Josh Bryant

Both guys are super tough and have solid wrestling backgrounds. I think Noke's jiu jitsu and stand up is a little better and Bryant's wrestling is a little better.

Noke also has much more experience against tougher opponents. I think when you put all that together Noke will pull out the decision win.

James Hammortree vs Chris Camozzi

Hammortree did not have a great showing and Camozzi was sent home with an injury so neither guy shined. Hamortree should have the better wrestling and ground and pound while Camozzi has the better jiu jitsu. The stand up is probably a toss up.

I think Hammortree's ground and pound will nullify Camozzi's BJJ. I'm picking Hammortree to win by decision.

James McSweeny vs Travis Browne

This should be a good stand up battle. Either fighter could pull this out and even though McSweeny got all the hype from being on TUF 10 I think Browne is the better fighter. I'm picking Browne to win by TKO in the second round.

Strikeforce LA Preview

2010-06-11T14:22:00.002-04:00

Strikeforce returns after a month off this coming Wednesday with a somewhat disappointing offering. Originally the main event was supposed to be Robbie Lawler and Jason Miller for the number one middleweight number contender's spot. But due to Miller's involvement in the brawl two Strikeforce cards ago the promoters didn't want to take any chances. Lawler now faces Renato "Babalu" Sobral at 195 lbs.

On top of the Miller issue is the injury to Bobby Lashley who was also supposed to compete on this card and would've made this card a little more palatable. Last but not least is the surprisingly not so publicized return of former EliteXC lightweight champion (and the last man to beat Nick Diaz) KJ Noons. Noons was supposed to fight Charles Bennet to avenge his only loss but Bennet also pulled out due to injury so Noons faces a dangerous but much less popular fighter.

This card is taking place in LA and coincides with the E3 gaming expo where no doubt the new EA MMA game that Strikeforce is partnering on is a big reason why there is even a card happening at all Weds.

Let's break down the card:

Main Event:

Robbie Lawler vs Babalu Sobral

Lawler is 19-5 with 17 wins by stoppage. He is a boxer with very heavy hands. He has had a very nice career in the top organizations in the world with mostly positive results.

Sobral is 35-8 with 23 wins by stoppage. He is a grappler first with a sick jiu jitsu game and his striking is always getting better. He has also fought a lot of tough competition with mostly positive results.

This is a great match up between two serviceable veterans who can finish a fight. Sobral needs to be very careful on the feet because even at 195 lbs Lawler's power will translate. And Lawler cannot go to the ground with Sobral and expect to not be turned into a pretzel.

So expect a classic striker vs grappler match up. I think Sobral can get this fight to the ground where he should dominate. I'm picking Sobral to pick up a submission victory in the third round.

Marius Zaromskis vs Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos

Zaromskis is 13-4 with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a kickboxer with some wrestling. He has fought a few tough fighters and Santos won't be anything new in the way of superior talent.

Santos is 17-13 with 13 wins by stoppage. He is a muay thai fighter first with a black belt in BJJ. He has fought some tough fighters with less than stellar results.

Santos comes out of the hyper aggressive Chute Boxe Academy and his aggressive fighting style will fall right into the gameplan of Zaromskis. Zaromskis is the better striker and a brutal finisher who will pick up a TKO victory in the first round.

Tim Kennedy vs Trevor Prangley

Kennedy is 11-2 with 10 wins by stoppage. He is a boxer with a solid jiu jitsu game. He has faced a couple tough opponents with mixed results.

Prangley is 22-5-1 with 13 wins by stoppage. He is a grappler first with a jiu jitsu and wrestling background but he also has a developing boxing game. He has faced some tough fighters with some less than great results.

Prangley has a vast experience advantage but that's where the distinct advantages end. Prangley could catch Kennedy on the ground but I would expect Kennedy to try and stand with Prangley where Kennedy has a bigger edge. I'm picking Kennedy to win a tough fought decision.

Conor Huen vs KJ Noons

Huen is 8-3 with six wins by stoppage. He is a grappler with a background in wrestling and jiu jitsu. Huen has fought a couple tough guys but this is easily his toughest test to date.

Noons is 8-1 with seven wins by KO. He is a striker with a background in professional boxing. He has fought a few tough fighters with mostly positive results.

Noons just fought in March but before then had been on almost a two year layoff so he's probably still fighting some ring rust. As good as Noons is this will not be an easy fight. Noons will want to stand and Huen will want nothing to do with that.

Obviously if Noons gets taken down he's in trouble and if Huen can't get him down Huen is in trouble. I want to pick Huen to pull the upset but I just can't. So I'm going chalk and picking Noons to win a tough decision.

UFC 115 Preview

2010-06-07T16:05:00.001-04:00

The UFC returns this weekend after only a two week lay off. UFC 115 will be the fourth show in Canada for the organization and the first one held in Vancouver which just sanctioned the sport in December of last year.

The main event was originally going to be Liddell vs Tito Ortiz 3 as the two had been the original coaches of The Ultimate Fighter Season 11. However, Ortiz pulled out with a neck injury and Rich Franklin has stepped in to fill his place. While this match up doesn't feature the pure hate it should actually be a more interesting fight as Franklin isn't as washed up as Ortiz is.

The rest of the card is filled with up and comers and plenty of fighters looking to bounce back or break through. Let's break it down:

Main Event:

Chuck Liddell vs Rich Franklin

Liddell is 21-7 with 14 wins by stoppage. He is a striker with solid wrestling. Chuck has fought the best of the best and held the UFC light heavyweight title for over two years.

Franklin is 26-5 with 23 wins by stoppage. He is also a striker but with a more advanced jiu jitsu game. He has also fought the best of the best but most of those fights were at middleweight where he held the UFC belt for over a year.

Both of these guys are living legends. One is already in the hall of fame and one is on his way. However, both have fallen on hard times recently. Franklin has been fluctuating between 205 and 195 for his last four fights just to get fights outside of 185 lbs. He also was recently destroyed by Vitor Belfort in the first round almost nine months ago.

Liddell hasn't fought in over a year after contemplating retirement and is riding his own two fight losing streak both by (T)KO. Both of these fighters claim they're not done but Chuck needs this much worse than Franklin. Chuck is five years older, hasn't fought in a longer time, and is riding a longer losing streak.

Whether or not this turns into greater motivation one can only hope. Either of these guys could easily knock out the other and I'm sure that's what they both plan on doing. I think Chuck is the bigger fighter and harder puncher. But I think Rich will be in better shape and has the better technical striking.

This could totally go Chuck's way but I'm leaning toward Rich ending Liddell's career for good. I'm picking him to win by TKO in the second round.

Main Card:

Mirko Cro Cop vs Pat Barry

Cro Cop is 26-7-2 with 23 wins by stoppage. He is a pure kickboxer. He has fought some of the best fighters in the world and was the Pride open weight grand prix champion in 2006.

Barry is 5-1 with all five wins by KO. He is also a pure kickboxer. Barry has not fought any tough competition yet.

Much like the main event this may not be the best fight you'll ever see but it should be fun to watch! Cro Cop's career is in even worse shape than Liddell or Franklin having not won a meaningful fight since 2006 and going 3-3 in the UFC against less than stellar competition.

Barry is on the rise in the UFC going 2-1 and coming off a KO of the night victory over another noted striker Antoni Hardonk.

I personally feel that Cro Cop shouldn't even be licensed to fight anymore. He could pull off the spectacular but my bet is on Barry to end his night with a KO in the first round.

Paulo Thiago vs Martin Kampmann

Thiago is 13-1 with 10 wins by stoppage. He is a noted grappler but has really come a long way with his striking. He has fought some tough fighters and his only loss is to Jon Fitch who everyone loses to but GSP.

Kampmann is 16-3 with 13 wins by stoppage. He is a very good striker with an underappreciated ground game. He has fought some tough fighters but can't seem to get over the hill to a title shot.

This is a very interesting match up. Kampmann will want to stand but he should not underestimate Thiago's striking. Thiago probably wants to take the fight to the mat but he shouldn't underestimate Kampmann's grappling.

This should make for a very interesting chess match where the slightest mistake at any level could end one of their nights. I like Kampmann but Thiago has really impressed me since coming to the UFC. I'm picking Thiago to win by TKO in the first round.

Ben Rothwell vs Gilbert Yvel

Rothwell is 30-7 with 28 wins by stoppage. He is a striker first with a better than you would expect ground game. Rothwell has fought some tough fighters but usually with less than stellar results.

Yvel is 36-14-1 with all 36 wins by stoppage. He is a noted kickboxer. Yvel has fought some tough guys as well but also hasn't usually come out on the winning end.

On paper this looks like an interesting fight but I'm not sure Rothwell is going to trade with Yvel. If he does it could be a quick night for either one of them. If Rothwell is smart enough to take it to the ground he'll grind out a decision victory.

I could be very wrong but I'm picking Rothwell to win by decision. I hope this ends this farce of a signing. Yvel doesn't belong in the same cage with the rest of the UFC heavyweight roster.

Carlos Condit vs Rory MacDonald

Condit is 24-5 with 23 wins by stoppage. He has a nice blend of striking and BJJ. He has fought a few tough guys with mixed results.

MacDonald is 10-0 with all 10 wins by stoppage. He also has a strong mix of striking and BJJ. This is far and away MacDonald's toughest fight to date.

MacDonald might be undefeated but I don't see that record staying unblemished for long. Both fighters have a very well rounded game but Condit is the better fighter at this point of his career in my opinion.

I'm picking Condit to win by submission in the first round.

Preliminary Card on Spike:

Tyson Griffin vs Evan Dunham

Dunham will want to take this fight to the ground but Griffin's wrestling is too good for that to happen. Expect Griffin to hurt Dunham on the feet and then ride out the decision victory in top control to end Dunham's unbeaten streak.

Mac Danzig vs Matt Wiman

This is a very tough fight to pick and really could go either way. I think Wiman's wrestling will be the difference. Danzig is good on the ground but I don't see him taking Wiman down. I expect Wiman to take down Danzig and grind out a decision victory most likely ending Danzig's UFC career.

Preliminary Card:

David Loiseau vs Mario Miranda

Loiseau has been brought back from the UFC dead more than Jason and Freddy Kruger combined (okay not really but it's been at least three times now). This is another tough fight to call. Loiseau is a very good striker and has experience against tough fighters. However, he hasn't won a fight in the UFC since 2005.

Miranda had an awful UFC debut and has never fought anyone of note. He is a grappler first and I tend to rely on the grapplers in these tough calls (esepcially ones with a strong wrestling background). I'm picking Miranda to grind out a tough decision victory.

James Wilks vs Peter Sobotta

Wilks, the TUF 9 champion, is looking to rebound from a tough KO loss. Sobotta is looking to notch his first win in the UFC after a less than stellar debut. Wilks has the better ground game while Sobotta is probably the better striker.

In this case I'm actually going to go with the striker since they might cancel each other out on the ground. I'm picking Sobotta to win by TKO in the third round.

Ricardo Funch vs Claude Patrick

This is another tough fight to call. Funch has a strong grappling background but enjoys to strike. Patrick is more of a pure grappler. Neither has fought great competition but Funch at least has gotten his first UFC fight jitters out of the way.

I'm picking Funch to win by decision.

Mike Pyle vs Jesse Lennox

This fight should be interesting. Lennox loves to wrestle and ground and pound while Pyle is a jiu jitsu fighter. As experienced as Pyle is compared to Lennox (and he has a lot more experience against better competition) I don't think he'll hold up on his back. I'm picking Pyle to win by TKO in the second round.

Strikeforce Heavy Artillary Preview

2010-05-10T16:41:00.002-04:00

This Saturday Strikeforce returns intent on restoring their reputation after the post fight melee in Nashville. They will be featuring their heavyweights in St. Louis including their champion's first title defense and first fight in the organization in almost three years.

Alistair Overeem won the first Strikeforce heavyweight title back in November of 2007. Since then he has fought exclusively outside of the US. Many speculate this is due to the strengthening of drug testing in the US compared to Japan (and Holland).

This is a perplexing fight for the challenger Brett Rogers. He is coming off a loss to arguably the best heavyweight in the world (Fedor Emelianenko) yet he is the one fighting for the title. If he wins, what happens then?

All in all this is an interesting situation but it should be an incredibly exciting fight based on both fighters striking pedigree and power. Also highlighting this card is former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski vs top contender Antonio Silva. Let's break down the card:

Main Event:

Heavyweight Championship: Alistair Overeem (c) vs Brett Rogers

Overeem is 32-11 with 31 wins by stoppage. He is a vaunted kick boxer but has a well rounded grappling game as well. He fought some of the best fighters in the world in Pride with less than stellar results.

Rogers is 10-1 with all 10 wins by stoppage. He is a boxer with some wrestling. Outside of Fedor he hasn't faced much top competition.

Even though Overeem hasn't fared very well against top competition in his career Rogers isn't exactly top competition. Both fighters are good strikers with a lot of power so anything could happen in this fight.

However, based on skill level I think Overeem is the better technical striker and is better on the ground if it went there for some strange reason. That is why I'm picking him to win by TKO in the second round.

Main Card:

Andrei Arlovski vs Antonio Silva

Arlovski is 15-7 with 14 wins by stoppage. He is a striker first with some grappling ability. He is a former UFC champion and has fought some of the best fighters in the world with mostly positive results.

Silva is 13-2 with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a striker first with some jiu jitsu background. He has fought almost no top competition.

This is an incredibly tough fight to call. Arlovski has looked awful in his last two fights and hasn't fought in almost a year. However, on paper I would say he's the more talented fighter.

Silva hasn't really fought anyone good and lost to a less than stellar Fabricio Werdum his last time out. He will be the bigger stronger fighter but shouldn't be better technically than Arlovski.

If Arlovski proves he can last more than one round I think he can take this fight with his superior technique and speed. But Silva could easily come out blasting and blow Arlovski's doors off. This is a really tough fight to call but I'm taking a shot in the dark and picking Arlovski too pull out a decision win.

Ronaldo Souza vs Joey Villasenor

Souza is 11-2 with 10 wins by submission. He is a jiu jitsu fighter. He has fought some tough fighters over the past couple years with mixed results.

Villasenor is 27-6 with 21 wins by stoppage. He is a well rounded fighter with boxing and jiu jitsu skills. He has fought some tough fighters with mixed results but hasn't fought in close to a year.

If Villasenor can keep this fight standing he has a distinct advantage. However, if it goes to the ground you have to give Souza the edge. But due to the disparity on the feet I'm going with Villasenor to win by KO in the first round.

Roger Gracie vs Kevin Randleman

Gracie is 2-0 with both wins by submission. He is a jiu jitsu fighter. He is still in the infancy of his MMA career but is a highly decorated jiu jitsu fighter (as you would expect from a Gracie).

Randleman is 17-14 with nine wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with solid ground and pound. He has fought a lot of good fighters but with average results at best.

This will wind up being a very boring fight for uneducated fight fans if it goes to a decision. It's going to hit the mat early and stay there.

Randleman will want to impose his will and deliver a beating while Gracie will look to grab a submission. Randleman is past his prime with limited jiu jitsu skills so even though Gracie is still green and hasn't fought in two years I think he can pull out the win. I'm picking Gracie by submission in the first round.

Rafael Cavalcante vs Antwain Britt

Cavalcante is 8-2 with all eight wins by stoppage. He is a muay thai striker. He hasn't faced any top competition to date.

Britt is 11-3 with nine wins by KO. He is a striker. He hasn't faced any top competition either.

This should be a solid stand up scrap. Neither guy has an overwhelming resume but I think Cavalcante is the more talented fighter from what I've seen.

Both fighters could land the knockout blow but I'm going with Cavalcante to pull off the decision win.

Preliminary Card:

Vitor Ribeiro vs Lyle Beerbohm

Beerbohm is in deep trouble in this fight even though he is the undefeated fighter in this bout. Even though Ribeiro has been out for almost a year he is a master jiu jitsu fighter who has only lost to Aoki, "JZ" Cavalcante, and Kawajiri. Beerbohm will try to stand but his strength is wrestling and ground and pound so the fight will get to the mat at some point.

Once the fight hits the ground it will be all Ribeiro which is why I'm picking him to hand Beerbohm his first loss by submission in the second round.

UFC 113 Preview

2010-05-07T11:47:00.001-04:00

This Saturday in Montreal is the rematch of one of the most disputed decisions of 2009. Lyoto Machida puts his title on the line against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua seven months after winning a very controversial decision. Does this fight have any chance of living up to the last one?

Most rematches in MMA look nothing like the first fight. Will Machida be more aggressive this time? Will Shogun take the title that he thinks is rightly his?

Only time will tell. Also on the card is a fight for the number one contenders spot in the welterweight division between Josh Koscheck and Paul Daley. This should be an interesting night of fights so let's break the card down:

Main Event:

Light Heavyweight Championship: Lyoto Machida (c) vs Shogun Rua

Machida is 16-0 with seven wins by stoppage. He is a karate practitioner with a black belt in BJJ. He has fought some of the best in the world and has come out almost completely unscathed.

Rua is 18-4 with 16 wins by stoppage. He is a muay thai fighter who also has a black belt in BJJ. He has fought many great fighters and won the Pride Middleweight Grand Prix 2005.

Don't expect this fight to hit the ground a lot much like the last fight. Both fighters love to strike and both have shown finishing power. Hopefully this fight will have a much more decisive finish.

Rua's attack is much more powerful but it is also slower and his defense is not as stout. Machida's striking is quicker and his defense is better but his finishing power is not as great. So even though both guys want to strike their styles couldn't be more different.

After how close the last fight was it's hard to see one guy running away with this fight no matter how much their game plans might change. Ultimately I think unless Rua lands the knock out blow I can't see Machida losing this fight. I'm picking Machida to win a much more definitive decision to retain his belt.

Main Card:

Josh Koscheck vs Paul Daley

Koscheck is 14-4 with nine wins by stoppage. He is an excellent grappler with improving kickboxing. He has fought a lot of tough fighters but can never seem to get over the hump for a title shot.

Daley is 23-8-2 with 19 wins by stoppage. He is a striker with a little BJJ and wrestling. Daley has fought some tough fighters intermittently throughout his career and is the hot new Brit in the UFC (aka Dan Hardy 2.0 or Michael Bisping 3.0 i.e. good striker with no ground game).

If Koscheck doesn't decide to be a mindless striking zombie and actually thinks a little during this fight he should take this pretty easily. His wrestling and jiu jitsu are far superior and if he's smart he'll prove it instead of trying to prove he's a better striker than Daley (which he's not).

Daley could always land a KO shot before Koscheck takes him down but those chances are slim if Koscheck implements what his game plan should be. So I'm picking Koscheck to win by submission in the second round.

Kimbo Slice vs Matt Mitrione

Slice is 4-1 with three wins by stoppage. He is a boxer. He is still in the infancy stage of his career.

Mitrione is 1-0 with that one win by KO. He is also a boxer. There isn't much to say about a guy with one professional fight.

Both these guys want to stand and bang. I love Slice and I despise "meat head" Mitrione but unfortunately I'm not feeling good about Slice's chances in this fight. I think Mitrione is more athletic and more powerful and he'll prove it on Saturday.

I'm picking Mitrione to win by KO in the second round.

Sam Stout vs Jeremy Stephens

Stout is 15-5-1 with nine wins by stoppage. He is a striker. He has faced some tough fighters with mixed results.

Stephens is 17-5 with 15 wins by stoppage. He is a striker with some jiu jitsu. He hasn't had great success against better fighters.

Both guys are going to want to stand and trade which will make an exciting fight for fans just like Slice and Mitrione. However, this fight will exhibit much higher level technical striking which is good for real fans.

I think Stout is the better striker even if he's not the more complete fighter. Because of that I'm picking him to win a tough decision.

Patrick Cote vs Alan Belcher

Cote is 13-5 with nine wins by stoppage. He is a striker first with a grappling background. He has fought a lot of tough competition with mostly positive results.

Belcher is 15-6 with 13 wins by stoppage. He is a striker with a strong BJJ game. He has also fought some tough fighters with mixed results.

Cote is finally coming back off that gruesome injury suffered against Anderson Silva almost 20 months ago. There is going to be a lot of ring rust here no matter how good a camp he trains with.

Both fighters have very similar strengths and sort of mirror each other in terms of performance. I think Cote's striking is slightly better along with his wrestling while Belcher probably has the better jiu jitsu. So I'm giving Cote the slight edge even with the rust to pull of a decision victory.

Preliminary Card:

Joe Doerksen vs Tom Lawlor

Doerksen wants this fight to go to the mat but I don't think it's going to help him much. I think Lawlor will take him down and pound him out in the second round for the TKO victory.

Marcus Davis vs Jonathan Goulet

This fight appears to be a make or break fight for Davis but also one that is tailor made for him. His striking should be superior to Goulet's and the ground game difference is probably negligible. If Davis loses this fight he would probably be cut and he would deserve it.

However, I think Davis has the upper hand here so I'm picking him to win by TKO in the first round allowing him to hang on to his UFC career a little longer.

TJ Grant vs Johny Hendricks

This fight is a tough one to call. Grant has the advantage in BJJ while Hendricks is the better wrestler. The striking is a tough one to call. However, I think Hendricks will sprawl and brawl his way to victory earning the decision.

Tim Hague vs Joey Beltran

Hague is desperately hanging on to his UFC career while showed lots of guts in his UFC debut. Hague is the more well rounded fighter but I'm not sure he can last against Beltran's striking. I'm picking Beltran to win by TKO in the second round.

Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs Mike Guymon

Both fighters offer a well rounded MMA game. However, I think Yoshida's skill set is greater and he's also faced much better competition. I'm picking Yoshida to get the win by submission in the first round.

Jason MacDonald vs John Salter

Salter is an up and comer and MacDonald is the definition of a grinder. Both guys are strong in their grappling but I think MacDonald is probably better and I'm guessing his stand up game is more advanced as well.

MacDonald gets the nod here for the reasons above along with his vast wealth of experience against an inexperienced fighter. I'm picking MacDonald to win by submission in the first round.

WEC 48 Preview

2010-04-21T14:16:00.002-04:00

The WEC hits the big time this week end as they put on their first PPV event this Saturday. They put together as strong a card as possible to get people to pony up the $45 this will cost as opposed to getting it free on Versus.

Two championships are on the line as one of the most dynamic fighters in the game, Jose Aldo, defends his featherweight title against the WEC poster boy and former champion Urijah Faber in his back yard of Sacramento, CA. Also, Ben Henderson defends his newly acquired lightweight title in a rematch of last October's interim championship fight with Donald Cerrone.

The WEC is even breaking out the UFC treatment with a "Countdown" show, Goldberg and Rogan on the mic, and Bruce Buffer making the introductions. It will be interesting to see how this goes over with the public as well as the WEC talent who should get their chance to shine in the spotlight of PPV which isn't only reserved for Goldie and co. All that aside this is a good card so let's break down the fights:

Main Event:

Featherweight Championship - Jose Aldo (c) vs Urijah Faber

Aldo is 16-1 with 13 wins by stoppage. He is a muay thai fighter with a black belt in jiu jitsu. He has faced some good fighters and this will be another solid test for him.

Faber is 23-3-1 with 19 wins by stoppage. He is a grappler first with solid kickboxing. Faber has fought the best in the division with mostly positive results.

Aldo has left a wake of destruction in the WEC the likes of which has never been seen. He has finished every fight by TKO and hasn't been out of the second round. Expectations and pressure don't seem to bother him.

Faber is also used to the spotlight and is probably the greatest champion the WEC has had to date. These two are on a collision course for an excellent fight.

Faber has the edge in wrestling but Aldo has the edge in jiu jitsu and striking. If Faber can rough up and smother Aldo without getting caught he can win this fight. However, I think Aldo has the striking ability and submission skills to catch Faber wherever the fight goes.

Faber is a very tough guy so I don't think this will be an easy victory for Aldo. I'm picking Aldo to finally make it out of the second round with a TKO victory in the third to retain his title.

Co-Main Event:

Lightweight Championship - Ben Henderson (c) vs Donald Cerrone

Henderson is 11-1 with nine wins by stoppage. He is a grappler with some striking. He has fought and beaten tough competition since his debut in the WEC.

Cerrone is 11-2 with 10 wins by submission. He is a jiu jitsu fighter who loves to strike. He has fought solid competition with mixed results.

These guys faced off only seven months ago. Each have had one fight in between and neither seemed drastically different from their previous fight. So I'm not sure that this fight will go down much differently.

Both have a strong grappling game and like to strike. This fight should be very competitive no matter where it takes place but Henderson seems to rise to the occasion where Cerrone seems to wilt a little bit. Also, I think Henderson has the edge in wrestling.

I'm picking Henderson to win by decision again to retain his title.

Mike Brown vs Manny Gamburyan

Brown is 23-4 with 17 win by stoppage. He is a wrestler with a strong jiu jitsu game and solid boxing. He is a former champion and has fought a lot of tough guys in his career.

Gamburyan is 10-4 with seven wins by stoppage. He is a judoka who likes to strike. He has faced some tough competition in his short career.

If this fight takes place on the feet Brown should be the victor. If they fight more of a grappling match it should be a very tight contest. I think Brown should use his grappling ability to keep the fight standing.

I'm picking Brown to pick Gamburyan apart on the feet and win a decision.

Anthony Njokuani vs Shane Roller

Njokuani is 12-2 with seven wins by KO. He is a muay thai fighter. He has faced some tough competition with mixed results.

Roller is 7-2 with six wins by stoppage. He is a grappler with some striking. He has also faced some tough competition with mixed results.

This is a classic striker vs grappler match up. Njokuani has the advantage standing and could take out Roller. However, Roller has the grappling advantage and if he fights smart and sticks to his gameplan he can pull out the win.

I'm picking Roller to win by submission in the second round.

Antonio Banuelos vs Scott Jorgensen

Banuelos is 17-5 with eight wins by stoppage. He is a boxer with a wrestling background. He has fought some tough competition with mixed results.

Jorgensen is 9-3 with five wins by stoppage. He is a grappler. He has also faced some tough fighters with mixed results.

These two met almost a year ago where Banuelos took a split decision victory. Since then both are undefeated but Jorgensen has been much more impressive.

Banuelos has the edge standing and his sprawl and brawl will be tough to overcome. However, Jogensen has been impressive and if he can get the fight to the mat he can pull it out.

Based on how close the last fight was and how good Jorgensen has looked I'm picking a reversal of fortune as Jorgensen pulls out the decision victory.

Preliminary Card:

Leonard Garcia vs Chan Sung Jung

Garcia is 17-5-1 with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a grappler who loves to strike. He has fought some tough fighters with mixed results since coming over to the Zuffa family.

Jung is 10-1 with eight wins by stoppage. He is a grappler with a strong kickboxing background. He is making his American debut after fighting exclusively in Japan and Korea.

I know very little about Jung but this sounds like a tough match up for Garcia. Jung seems like he has an answer no matter where the fight goes.

I could be way off on this pick but I'm picking Sung to win by decision. If Garcia loses that could be bad news for his WEC career.

Alex Karalexis vs Anthony Pettis

Karalexis is 10-4 with six wins by stoppage. He is a kick boxer with a developing jiu jitsu game. He has fought some tough fighters with limited results.

Pettis is 8-1 with seven wins by stoppage. He has solid striking and grappling. Pettis hasn't faced much top competition.

Pettis should want to take this fight to the mat. If he can get it there he should have a good shot to win. Pettis is still green but I think he can step up to this challenge.

I'm picking Pettis to win by submission in the third round.

Brad Pickett vs Demetrious Johnson

Pickett is 18-4 with 15 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with decent boxing. Pickett hasn't faced much top competition.

Johnson is 6-0 with all six wins by stoppage. He is a submission fighter with some striking. He is making his WEC debut.

This should be an interesting fight. I think it might wind up being two grapplers that wind up negating the other's ground game and they wind up striking.

If that's the case I like Pickett's experience and boxing background to win out. I'm picking Pickett to give Johnson his first loss by TKO in the second round.

Chad Mendes vs Anthony Morrison

Mendes is 6-0 with three wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with some striking. He hasn't faced any top competition yet.

Morrison is 15-8 with eight wins by stoppage. He is a striker. He has faced some tough fighters but without much success.

Morrison is not a pushover but I get the feeling the WEC is teeing this one up for Mendes. Morrison could obviously catch Mendes but I think Mendes will get the take down and grind this one out. I'm picking Mendes by decision.

Takeya Mizugaki vs Rani Yahya

Mizugaki is 12-4-2 with five wins by stoppage. He is a boxer with a developing grappling game. Mizugaki has faced some tough fighters with limited success.

Yahya is 15-5 with 14 wins by submission. He is a jiu jitsu ace. He has faced some tough fighters with mixed results.

This should be a good striker vs grappler match up and I'm disappointed it isn't being featured on the aired prelims on Spike. That aside I think Yahya's grappling will be too much for Mizugaki.

Unless Mizugaki lands a lucky punch I'm picking Yahya to win by decision.

Brandon Visher vs Tyler Toner

Visher is 13-0 with 10 wins by stoppage. He is a boxer with a developing grappling game. He hasn't faced any top competition yet.

Toner is 9-1 with seven wins by stoppage. He is a striker with some grappling. He hasn't fought many tough fighters.

This should be a solid stand up scrap. It's tough to pick who is going to come out on top so I'm going to take a shot in the dark.

I'm picking Visher to stay undefeated with a decision victory.

Strikeforce: Nashville Preview

2010-04-11T15:23:00.000-04:00

This Saturday marks the return of Strikeforce as they grace CBS again for Strikeforce: Nashville. Three titles are on the line. The middleweight, light heavyweight, and lightweight titles are all up for grabs in what is an exciting but probably the most top heavy card of all time.

The headliner is Jake Shields defending his newly acquired middleweight strap against the only man to hold two titles at two different weight classes at once, Dan Henderson. Henderson is Strikeforce's latest notable signing after Henderson couldn't come to terms with the UFC.

Gegard Mousasi will also defend his light heavyweight title for the first time against rising superstar "King Mo" Lawal. And rounding out the televised portion of the card is lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez welcoming Japanese jiu jitsu dynamo Shinya Aoki to the US for the first time.

I'll only be predicting the televised fights since the majority of the under card is comprised of fighters I have never heard of let alone seen. With that, let's break down the fights:

Middleweight Championship:

Jake Shields (c) vs Dan Henderson

Shields is 24-4-1 with 13 wins by stoppage. He is an excellent grappler with a strong wrestling background and a black belt in jiu jitsu. Most of his notable victories have been at welterweight but he has won his last two fights against solid opponents at middleweight.

Henderson is 25-7 with 12 wins by stoppage. He is an excellent wrestler with very heavy hands. Henderson has fought the best of the best in three weight classes and has beaten most of them earning two title belts in Pride.

This is a bad match up for Shields. Let's start with the size disadvantage. Shields has spent most of his fighting career at welterweight and has had only one true fight at middleweight.

Henderson on the other hand can easily transition from middleweight up to light heavyweight and has even fought at heavyweight. Henderson will have a significant size advantage. This will only amplify his advantage in the clinch and his striking power.

Henderson is also a superior wrestler to Shields. Shields will want to get this fight to the mat so he can use his one strength over Henderson, his jiu jitsu. Unfortunately between Dan's skill and size I don't see how Shields does this.

Last but not least is striking. Henderson may not be any better technically than Shields but he can certainly finish the fight standing and I'm not sure the same can be said for Shields.

My take is that this fight will take place standing up as Henderson uses his wrestling in reverse to sprawl and brawl until he lands one big punch for the victory. I'm picking Henderson by KO in the second round.

Light Heavyweight Championship:

Gegard Mousasi (c) vs Muhammad Lawal

Mousasi is 28-2-1 with all 28 wins by stoppage. He is a kick boxer first with a grappling background as well. While Mousasi has a lot of fights under his belt he hasn't faced the stiffest competition but has beaten some tough opponents.

Lawal is 6-0 with with five wins by KO. He is a wrestler with heavy hands. This will be far and away his stiffest test to date.

In my opinion this is too much too soon for Lawal. Unfortunately Strikeforce doesn't have much depth in the division and needed a good fight for Mousasi.

Mousasi has the advantage in the stand up in my opinion. Lawal could land a lucky punch but he would do himself a big favor by trying to take down Mousasi. Mousasi's take down defence isn't bad but it will be interesting to see if it can withstand Lawal's wrestling pedigree.

Overall, even though Lawal certainly has the tools to pull off the upset, I believe Mousasi is the better fighter at this point in their careers. I think Mousasi can do enough on the feet and defend the take down well enough to earn a well deserved but tough decision victory to retain his belt.

Lightweight Championship:

Gilbert Melendez (c) vs Shinya Aoki

Melendez is 17-2 with 11 wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with heavy hands and a developing jiu jitsu game. He has fought some tough opponents and even avenged both of his losses.

Aoki is 23-4 with 15 wins by stoppage. He is about as pure a grappler as there is in MMA. Aoki has fought many of the best lightweights in world with much success as he holds the DREAM and WAMMA lightweight titles.

As good as Melendez's wrestling is, I believe this will turn into a striker vs grappler match up. Everyone knows where Aoki wants to take the fight. The question is whether he can get it to the mat or not.

I believe that will be a tough task against Melendez who is a very good wrestler and his jiu jitsu is better than advertised. Melendez should be able to sprawl and brawl successfully.

If that is the case his striking technique and power are better than Aoki's and he will have a distinct advantage. That is why I'm picking Melendez to retain his title by TKO in the first round.

UFC 112 Preview

2010-04-05T16:29:00.002-04:00

The UFC continues its march to global supremacy as the octagon touches down in the Middle East for the first time. UFC 112 beams live from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. This event also marks the first time the UFC will occur in an open air arena.

This event features two championship bouts continuing their momentum from UFC 111. This bout features two pound for pound greats as Anderson Silva defends his middleweight title against Demian Maia. BJ Penn will also put his lightweight belt on the line (for possibly the last time) against Frankie Edgar.

This card also features two MMA legends as Matt Hughes welcomes Renzo Gracie to the UFC for the first time. Let's break down the fights:

Main Event:

Anderson Silva vs Demian Maia

Silva is 25-4 with 19 wins by stoppage. He is a striker first and foremost but with a dangerous jiu jitsu game. He is arguably the best fighter on the planet and has the resume to prove it.

Maia is 12-1 with 10 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with a developing boxing game. He has fought and beat some tough guys but the only reason he got this shot is because Vitor Belfort was injured and Maia beat the contender many people are clamoring for, Chael Sonnen.

Maia has been working non stop on his stand up but no one can get ready for Anderson Silva in a matter of months. Not to mention he took this fight on relatively short notice.

Only two things worry me in this fight about Silva. First is his lay off. He hasn't fought since August of last year and it was at 205 lbs meaning he hasn't had to make 185 lbs in a year.

Second is motivation. Obviously he is a supremely talented fighter both technically and athletically. However, at what point does running roughshod over the competition get boring?

Ultimately I don't think this is the fight Silva gets caught in. To me the fighter that beats Silva is a wrestler with heavy hands. Someone who can knock him out or hold him down and rough him up.

Leites has neither of these qualities. Silva's striking is too good and Maia's lack of wrestling prevents any opportunities on the ground to open up. Whether or not this fight ends quickly is entirely up to Maia.

If Maia comes in aggressive this fight will be over quickly. If he tries to stay in the fight and remain cautious this could turn into another snoozer. I think it'll end up somewhere in the middle so I'm picking Silva by TKO in the third round.

Co-Main Event:

BJ Penn vs Frankie Edgar

Penn is 15-5-1 with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter first but with very good boxing skills. He could also be in the conversation for best fighter on the planet and has fought the best in the world to prove it.

Edgar is 11-1 with five wins by stoppage. He is a grappler first but has solid boxing. He has scratched and clawed his way to the top but my personal opinion is that Gray Maynard deserves the shot ahead of Edgar.

Ever since Penn dedicated himself to conditioning with the Marinovich brothers we have seen a new BJ Penn. He has absolutely destroyed his last two opponents and even though both went to the championship rounds he looked like the fresher fighter which wasn't the norm in past fights.

I don't see how Edgar wins this fight outside of a lucky punch. Penn's jiu jitsu is far superior. His sprawl is excellent. And his boxing is technically superior to Edgar's. To top it off Edgar isn't exactly known as a finisher while BJ is.

Edgar is a scrappy kid but not someone Penn should fear. So assuming Penn doesn't get too cocky I see this fight ending in the later stages after Penn has beaten his opponent down. I'm picking Penn to win by TKO in the fourth round.

Assuming Penn wins this fight it will be interesting to see whether Penn moves up to welterweight full time. I would love to see Maynard get a shot before he goes up but he has pretty much cleaned out the division and wants revenge on Georges St. Pierre.

Main Card:

Matt Hughes vs Renzo Gracie

Hughes is 43-7 with 33 wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with active ground and pound and jiu jitsu. He was the best welterweight in the world for a period of about five years and has fought and beaten the best in the division.

Gracie is 13-6-1 with nine wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with better striking than expected. He has fought the best in the world but hasn't beaten anyone of note on the right side of their career in over 10 years.

Gracie makes his first appearance in the UFC after a long career that hasn't seen him fight in over three years. My own personal "conspiracy theory" is that he wants to leave a better taste in people's mouths of the Gracie name than the last two Gracies (Royce got destroyed by Hughes five years ago and Rolles was thoroughly embarrassed at UFC 109 before being cut).

Both of these fighters are well past their prime so I'm not expecting fireworks here. Both of them are legendary grapplers though in separate areas so it will be interesting to see who wins that battle.

Hughes has seven years on Renzo and the wrestling ability to lay on him for 15 minutes without getting caught. As much as it pains me to say it (because I hate Hughes and have a lot of respect for Gracie) I'm picking Hughes to win a boring decision as he begins his retirement lap on the geezer circuit.

Terry Etim vs Rafael Dos Anjos

Etim is 14-2 with 13 wins by stoppage. He is a grappler first with some muay thai. After a tough start in the UFC he has put together a nice string of victories.

Dos Anjos is 13-4 with seven wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter primarily. Dos Anjos also had a rough start but has put together two wins in a row.

This is an interesting fight between two up and coming lightweights. I'm betting Dos Anjos is better on the ground but probably not enough to end the fight. I'm guessing this is a fight where neither of them wants to be on the ground and you get two grapplers swinging for the fences.

If that's the case I think Etim has the advantage on the feet. I'm picking Etim by TKO in the second round.

Kendall Grove vs Mark Munoz

Grove is 11-6 with nine wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter who loves to strike. He has had his ups and downs in the UFC but has fought a lot of tough guys along the way.

Munoz is 7-1 with four wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with improving striking. He hasn't fought anyone of note except his devastating loss to Matt Hamill.

Munoz would be wise to take this fight to the ground even with Grove's jiu jitsu and suspect chin. Too much can happen on the feet especially with Grove's reach.

Grove has a puncher's chance especially if Munoz is dumb enough to want to trade with him. However, I think Munoz has enough wrestling and jiu jitsu skills to stay safe on the ground while scoring some points. I'm picking Munoz to win by decision.

Preliminary Card:

Alexander Gustafsson vs Phil Davis

Gustafsson is an impressive striker but Phil Davis is going to give him a wrestling clinic. Gustafsson has a puncher's chance but I don't see Davis being dumb enough to stand and trade. I'm picking Davis to use his superior athleticism and wrestling to grind out a decision victory.

Paul Taylor vs John Gunderson

This is a good striker vs grappler match up respectively. While Taylor hasn't had a stellar career in the UFC I think he has enough weapons to put Gunderson away. I'm picking Taylor by decision.

Nick Osipczak vs Rick Story

This is a tough fight to call. Both guys are tough and offer a good mix of skills. I'm going to take a shot in the dark and pick Osipczak by decision.

DaMarques Johnson vs Brad Blackburn

Neither of these guys are world beaters but it should be an entertaining fight. Both guys like to strike. However, I think Johnson has a more diversified skill set so I'm picking him to win a decision.

Paul Kelly vs Matt Veach

Veach should be able to use his wrestling to take down Kelly and control him. I don't think Kelly will have an answer for this. I'm picking Veach by decision.

Jon Madsen vs Mostapha Al-turk

Madsen is a wrestler and normally I would go with the wrestler. And even though Al-turk has looked like a complete tomato can against Kongo and Cro Cop I think he can handle a TUF reject. I'm picking Al-turk to hand Madsen his first professional loss by TKO in the first round.

UFC Fight Night Preview

2010-03-28T13:54:00.001-04:00

The UFC continues their barnstorming tour this Wednesday as they hold their third card in 10 days. UFC Fight Night returns as a lead in to the new The Ultimate Fighter season also beginning this Weds. In the main event lightweight contender Kenny Florian will take on Pride legend Takanori Gomi in his UFC debut.

Florian is looking to start a run at 155 lbs to get another shot at the title. Gomi makes his first appearance in the octagon after a long run in Japanese promotions and hasn't fought on American soil since losing to Nick Diaz at Pride 33 over three years ago. Let's break down the fights:

Main Event:

Kenny Florian vs Takanori Gomi

Florian is 12-4 with 11 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu artist first but with very strong muay thai skills. Florian has fought for the UFC belt twice and has fought against the best in the world in that division.

Gomi is 31-5 with 17 wins by stoppage. He is a boxer with good wrestling to implement his sprawl and brawl. He is the former Pride lightweight champion and has faced off against the best the division has had to offer.

Gomi has won his last two fights against no name opponent but lost the two fights before that. He hasn't shown his best form within the last year plus and I'm not sure his striking is what it once was. I think there are other factors that are also going to hamper Gomi.

The first being the weight cut. Gomi isn't used to fighting at 155 lbs. In Japan the lightweight division tops out at 160 lbs or over (Pride was 163 lbs) so I'm not sure how that will affect him. Also, this will be his first time in a cage. Hopefully he has trained dilligently how to work the angles in a cage and how to work against the cage in the clinch or on the mat.

You might think I would say that this fight is going to come down to whether or not Florian can get Gomi down but I'm not. This fight comes down to who has the better striking. The reason being is that I think Florian is going to have to beat Gomi to the punch not take him down.

With all that said Florian has a lot in his favor to go along with his superior jiu jitsu game. I think Florian is primed to wear down Gomi with strikes until Gomi crumples and Florian goes in the for the kill with a submission in the third round.

Main Card:

Roy Nelson vs Stefan Struve

Nelson is 14-4 with 11 wins by stoppage. He is a boxer with a surprising jiu jitsu game. He has fought some tough guys at heavyweight but his resume isn't overwhelming.

Struve is 19-3 with 17 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu artist with a developing kickboxing game. This will be his toughest fight since fighting Junior Dos Santos in his UFC debut over a year ago.

Nelson definitely has the advantage standing assuming he can get inside Struve's insanely long reach. If the fight goes to the ground I would expect Nelson to be on top and his jiu jitsu to be good enough to stifle Struve's submission attempts. All in all I think Nelson has the edge in this fight so I'm picking him by TKO in the first round.

Nate Quarry vs Jorge Rivera

Quarry is 12-3 with nine wins by stoppage. He is a muay thai striker with a wrestling background. He once fought for the UFC middleweight title and has faced some tough guys in the division.

Rivera is 17-7 with 13 wins by stoppage. He is a boxer with some grappling ability. He has faced the best in the division but with limited results.

Both guys have two wins in a row and are desperately seeking another one to establish themselves as a contender. That combined with their striking pedigrees makes this a fight of the night candidate.

Rivera has a penchant for getting caught up in exchanges that he isn't tough enough to survive. Quarry, outside of his devastating KO by Rich Franklin, is actually very tough to put away and Rivera doesn't have the ground game to submit him. That's why I'm picking Quarry by TKO in the second round.

Ross Pearson vs Dennis Siver

Pearson is 10-3 with seven wins by stoppage. He has a good ground game with some striking power. He hasn't faced many top fighters yet.

Siver is 15-6 with 13 wins by stoppage. He is a kickboxer with a solid ground game. He has faced some tough guys at lightweight but not many of the upper echelon fighters.

This should be a very evenly matched fight. I really don't know who has the overall advantage but I'm guessing Siver is better on the feet and Pearson is the better grappler. So unless Siver lands something to end the fight I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say Pearson will win by decision.

Preliminary Card:

Andre Winner vs Rafaello Oliveira

This is another tough fight to call but I'm picking Winner by decision. I think Winner will find a way to grind it out no matter where the fight goes.

Jacob Volkmann vs Ronnys Torres

Both guys are fighting for their UFC lives here. Torres is probably the better fighter but I'm not sure he'll have an answer for Volkmann's wrestling. I'm picking Volkmann to ride top control to a decision victory.

Rob Emerson vs Nik Lentz

Neither of these fighters are particularly impressive but Lentz should be able to control the fight with his wrestling. I'm picking Lentz to grind out a decision victory.

Caol Uno vs Gleison Tibau

The problem with both of these fighters is that they both beat guys they should and lose to guys they should. So when you match them up which category do they fall into?

They're both going to want to grapple and I think Tibau is the more active fighter at this point in their careers. So I'm picking Tibau to win by decision. This might be the end of Uno's return to the UFC.

Yushin Okami vs Lucio Linhares

Linhares is a great jiu jitsu fighter but I don't think he can compete with Okami's wrestling and ground and pound. I'm picking Okami by decision.

Gerald Harris vs Mario Miranda

I think Miranda will have a tough time in his UFC debut taking down Harris with his wrestling background. Harris should have the better striking so I'm picking him to win by TKO in the first round.

Charlie Brenneman vs Jason High

Both of these guys are tough wrestlers so I think it'll be tough for either to take the other guy down. I think this puts the pressure on High who likes the ground game more than Brenneman who likes to strike.

Both fighters are making their UFC debut which is always tough but High has more big promotion experience. So assuming Brenneman can handle the pressure I'm picking him to win by KO in the first round.

UFC 111 Preview

2010-03-24T20:51:00.001-04:00

As I prepare to attend my second UFC event I can't help but to wonder "what if." What if Georges St. Pierre gets shocked for the second time in his career by a guy with heavy hands that no one is giving a snow ball's chance in hell? What if Frank Mir's revenge on Brock Lesnar gets derailed by a 4XL fist, giving him a visceral reminder that he can't hang with the big boys?

UFC 111 takes place right across the river from me at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. This is far and away their biggest card to date of 2010. This will be GSP's first fight since UFC 100 and the co-main event features another title fight for the interim heavyweight championship between Frank Mir and Shane Carwin.

I can't wait for Saturday to arrive so let's open up the festivities and break down the card:

Main Event:

Georges St. Pierre vs Dan Hardy

GSP is 19-2 with 13 wins by stoppage. He is incredibly well rounded but his biggest strength is his transition game. He transitions between disciplines possibly better than any other fighter.

He has strong muay thai, wrestling, and ground and pound. He is also well versed in jiu jitsu but does not get to show it often. GSP is one of my top three pound for pound fighters around, has fought everyone there is to fight at 170, and has beaten all of them (as long you count avenging his two losses).

Dan Hardy is 23-6 with 15 wins by stoppage. He is a striker with heavy hands but has a jiu jitsu game that he's never really had to use. He has fought and beaten some very tough guys on his four fight win streak in the UFC.

If you have been watching Primetime you know that all GSP talks about is "taking the fight to Dan Hardy." I guess we'll find out what that means come Saturday but I don't think it means foolishly trading fists with Hardy and seeing who drops first.

GSP definitely has the better wrestling and it is his distinct advantage in this fight along with his freakish athleticism. He should use this and take the fight to the mat where Hardy can't knock him out and St. Pierre can do the most damage. At least that's what I would tell him if I was Greg Jackson or Firas Zahabi.

If St. Pierre wants to take the fight to Hardy we could see a new champion because Hardy has the skill and power on his feet to knock out anyone at 170lbs. As bad as GSP wants to make a statement on his feet I think his instincts will take over. He'll ground and pound Hardy until he makes a mistake and St. Pierre will capitalize for a second round submission victory to retain his title.

Co-Main Event:

Frank Mir vs Shane Carwin

Mir is 13-4 with 10 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu specialist first but has been working diligently on his striking lately. He is a former champion and has fought some tough opponents over his career.

Carwin is 11-0 with all 11 wins by stoppage (in the first round!). He is a wrestler who uses his skills in reverse to stay standing and lay guys out with his enormous and powerful fists.

Mir is hell bent on avenging his loss to Brock Lesnar and has really beefed up since UFC 100. He has added a ton of muscle to his frame to compete with monsters like Lesnar and now Carwin. This will be his first test to see if that training has paid off.

Obviously if Frank Mir gets this fight to the mat it could be a quick night but I can't see him doing that against Carwin who not only is a beast of a man but has the wrestling skills to back it up. This fight will take place on the feet and that's a scary proposition for Mir.

Mir is supremely confident in his striking since knocking out Rodrigo Nogueira and handling Cheick Kongo quickly. He also has striking guru Mark Dellagrotte in his corner now. However, all that training and skill can't overcome what happens when Shane Carwin's fist meets your jaw.

I'm really unsure whether to believe in Mir's skill or Carwin's power (though he certainly has skill learning under Greg Jackson's camp). Honestly anything could happen in this fight, but since I have to make a pick, I'm picking Carwin to catch Mir and end the fight in the second round by KO.

Main Card:

Jon Fitch vs Thiago Alves (Authors note: this fight has been canceled due to Alves failing a CAT scan)

Fitch is 21-3 with nine wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with some striking and jiu jitsu. He has fought a who's who list at 170lbs, has beaten everyone but GSP, and was the last guy to give GSP a fight since Matt Serra knocked him out three years ago.

Alves is 16-6 with 11 wins by stoppage. He is a striker with a developing jiu jitsu game. Alves has also fought a lot of top flight guys at welterweight and is looking to take out his frustrations of his embarrassing loss to GSP at UFC 100 on Fitch.

These two have actually already fought almost four years ago. Fitch got the win but this was back when Alves really struggled to make weight and would gas out quickly. Alves hasn't had any issues in his last two fights which should make for a more interesting fight this time around.

Obviously Fitch will want to take Alves down so if I was Alves, after the wrestling lesson he was given by GSP, I would've taken the last seven months and focused on take down defense. If he's done this he will have a great chance against Fitch on the feet. If he hasn't, this will be UFC 100 all over again for Alves.

I want to see an exciting fight but I don't think Alves has improved enough to stop Fitch's take downs. I'm picking Fitch to win another grind it out decision. I really hope I'm wrong though and Alves scores a spectacular KO.

Ben Saunders vs Jake Ellenberger

Saunders is 8-1-2 with seven wins by stoppage. He is a striker with a dangerous jiu jitsu game. He was on a tear until he met Mike Swick but has since rebounded and is looking to continue his run at 170lbs.

Ellenberger is 22-5 with eight wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with good striking and an improving jiu jitsu game. He has fought a couple tough fighters but his resume isn't stacked.

This should be a fun fight because both guys are talented no matter where the fight takes place. My guess is Saunders wants to stand and Ellenberger wants the take down to avoid Saunders' impressive stand up.

I think Ellenberger is going to have a tough time dealing with Saunders' length in terms of trying to get him down. I'm picking Saunders to stay outside and pick Ellenberger apart for the decision victory.

Jim Miller vs Mark Bocek

Miller is 16-2 with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with a strong jiu jitsu game. Miller has beaten some tough fighters and his only losses came to stand outs Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar.

Bocek is 10-2 with seven wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jistu fighter. He has fought a couple tough fighters without success.

In my opinion Miller is simply the tougher guy. I think his wrestling is better. Also, his jiu jistu is good enough to stay in advantageous positions and score points while staying out of Bocek's traps.

I'm picking Miller to grind out a decision victory. Plus I can't pick against Miller because the crowd will riot if the featured Jersey boy loses to a Canadian.

Under Card:

Nate Diaz vs Rory Markham

This is a tough fight to call. Diaz should be the better fighter in terms of striking skill and definitely on the mat. Also, Markham hasn't fought in over year.

The one thing that worries me is that Diaz is moving up in weight. However, his frame can handle it and he's tough as nails. So with that said I'm picking Diaz to use his length to pick apart Markham for the decision win.

Ricardo Almeida vs Matt Brown

Almeida is a tough out for anyone at 170lbs and this will be Brown's toughest test to date in my opinion. Brown has a solid ground game but nothing like Almeida's. I expect this fight to hit the ground early and I expect a submission victory for Almeida in the second round.

Kurt Pellegrino vs Fabricio Camoes

Pellegrino is no joke and will be all amped up in front of his home state fans. Camoes' introduction to UFC fans ended in a draw which was an inauspicious start for the Brazilian. I'm picking Pellegrino to grind out a decision victory "Dirty Jersey" style.

Rodney Wallace vs Jared Hamman

I honestly have no clue who to pick here. I've only seen both of these guys fight once and neither was great. I'm going to pick the guy who sucked the least in his UFC debut and pick Wallace to win by decision.

Rousimar Palhares vs Tomasz Drwal

This is a good striker vs grappler match up and both fighters have only lost twice. I usually like the grappler in these fights so I'm sticking with Palhares. I'm picking him to win by submission in the first round.

Matt Riddle vs Greg Soto

This is a very tough fight to call. Neither guy has a ton of experience though Riddle has only fought in the UFC so he knows what this stage feels like while Soto is making his debut. However, Soto will be all pumped up in front of his home state fans.

Both guys are grapplers so I think the fight will depend on who can get top control and keep it. I like Soto's skill over Riddle's UFC experience so I'm picking the rookie (something I rarely do) to win a decision victory.

UFC on Versus Preview

2010-03-15T19:36:00.002-04:00

This Sunday marks a new chapter for the UFC as they make their debut on the Versus network. Outside of the the fact that Versus is home to the WEC this move makes little sense as it seems to be a step down even from Spike. However, there are a few interesting fights so let's break down the card:

Main Event:
Brandon Vera vs Jon Jones
Vera is 11-4 with eight wins by stoppage. He is a muay thai fighter with a background in wrestling and jiu jitsu. Vera doesn't have a lot of fights but he has fought some very tough guys at heavyweight and light heavyweight.

Jones is 9-1 with seven wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with a multi faceted striking attack. Jones hasn't fought nearly the same level of competition as Vera and this will undoubtedly be his toughest test to date.

This is a very interesting fight due to the distinct contrasts in style. Vera is the grizzled veteran with great striking who uses his grappling to stay standing. Jones is the athletic up and comer who wrestles first and strikes second.

Personally I think this fight comes down to two factors, can Vera outsmart the ultra athletic but inexperienced Jones and can Vera stay standing? My bet is that as good a game plan as Vera might have it won't compensate for not being able to stay upright. I'm picking Jones to win a much talked about decision that will only feed the hype machine.

Junior Dos Santos vs Gabriel Gonzaga
Dos Santos is 10-1 with all 10 wins by stoppage. He is a striker who is learning the jiu jitsu game. Dos Santos has been on a tear in the UFC but Gonzaga may be his toughest test to date (depending on how you feel about Fabricio Werdum).

Gonzaga is 11-4 with all 11 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu artist with very powerful striking. He is the definition of a gate keeper, crushing the riff raff and losing to the top notch guys.

No matter what, this fight should be exciting as neither of these guys has gone to a decision. I don't think Dos Santos is riff raff so I expect him to soundly beat Gonzaga by TKO in the second round. This will be a major feather in the cap of Dos Santos who would become a legitimate title contender if he wins.

Cheick Kongo vs Paul Buentello
Kongo is 14-6-1 with 11 wins by stoppage. He is a kickboxer. He has had some wins in the UFC but has never beaten anyone of note (except an out of shape Mirko Cro Cop).

Buentello is 27-11 with 26 wins by stoppage. He is a kickboxer too. He has also never beaten anyone of note in his stints with the UFC, Strikeforce, and Affliction.

This has to be a candidate for fight of the night. Both of these guys love to trade shots and neither one will be looking for the take down.

Buentello is the older more out of shape fighter. Kongo also has more tools in his striking belt than just heavy hands. I would be really surprised if Kongo doesn't win decisively. I'm picking him to win by KO in the first round.

Alessio Sakara vs James Irvin
Sakara is 14-7 with 10 wins by stoppage. He is a boxer. He has had a mostly down career but did recently take a very surprising decision from Thales Leites.

Irvin is 14-5 with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a striker. He has fought some tough guys but with little success and is coming off almost a two year lay off.

This should be a good stand up fight as well but this one is much tougher to call. I would think Sakara is the better pure boxer and has the heavier hands. So I'm going to take a shot in the dark and go with Sakara by KO in the first round.

Undercard:
Clay Guida vs Shannon Gugerty
Gugerty should be right in Guida's wheel house stylistically. Guida's non stop pace and superior wrestling should allow him to control this fight from wire to wire. I'm picking Guida by decision.

Eliot Marshall vs Vladimir Matyushenko
Matyushenko is the superior wrestler and he will use it to stay standing and away from Marshall's strength on the ground. Matyushenko also has a serious experience advantage. I'm not sure Marshall is ready for this level of competition so I'm picking Matyushenko by TKO in the second round.

John Howard vs Daniel Roberts
Both guys are solid on the ground but this is Roberts' UFC debut and Howard has been in this rodeo plenty. I think Howard's striking and experience make the difference. I'm picking Howard by KO in the third round.

Brendan Schaub vs Chase Gormley
Schaub makes his comeback after getting KO'd in the TUF finale. Schaub should be the better striker and Gormley is more well rounded. This is a tough fight to call but I'm going with Gormley to use his wrestling to earn a decision victory.

Mike Pierce vs Julio Paulino
Pierce is no joke and this will be Paulino's UFC debut which makes for a bad combination. This battle between two wrestlers probably means a good stand up scrap. I'm going with my gut on this one and picking Pierce to win by decision.

Eric Schafer vs Jason Brilz
The question in this fight is can Schafer's jiu jitsu overcome Brilz's wrestling. I'm betting yes. I'm picking Schafer to win by submission in the first round.

Duane Ludwig vs Darren Elkins
Ludwig has beaten some top fighters in his day but that day has come and gone. However, this will be Elkins' toughest fight to date and I'm not sure his stand up game is ready for Ludwig. I'm picking Ludwig to get a swan song in the UFC with a TKO victory in the first round.

WEC 47 Review

2010-03-07T12:47:00.005-05:00

If there is one word that could define the WEC it would be unpredictable. The WEC has more upsets than any other promotion I have seen. WEC 47 was no exception.

Whether or not this helps or hurts the promotion can be argued until the end of time but it certainly makes their cards more exciting! Let's break down the fights:

Main Event:

Brian Bowles vs Dominick Cruz

Cruz came out determined and prepared. He was light on his feet (even for a bantamweight) and threw punches with authority. Bowles is one tough customer but he simply had no answer for the combination of speed and power Cruz brought to the table.

Bowles simply relied too much on the belief that one punch would end the fight. Unfortunately for him it did, but instead of KO'ing Cruz he TKO'd himself. Bowles landed a right early in the second round that broke his hand.

Bowles finished the round but was obviously not himself. He barely threw his right and even went for a take down which was obviously not in his game plan. At the end of the round the doctor confirmed the break and the fight was stopped.

Even though Cruz won on a technicality he was the better fighter even before Bowles suffered the injury. It wasn't the fight anyone had hoped for but the result was deserved. Congratulations to Cruz for winning the title and hopefully Bowles gets healed up soon.

Main Card:

Miguel Torres vs Joseph Benavidez

There isn't much you can say except for "wow." This was supposed to be Torres' comeback fight, the one that put him right back in line for a title shot. Unfortunately there are no easy fights in the WEC.

Torres sat back way too much letting Benavidez bring the fight to him. I can understand his trepidation after the Bowles loss but this was too extreme in the other direction. Benavidez looked stronger, faster, more aggressive, and was in control of the entire fight.

Torres survived the first round but certainly lost it. In the second Benavidez took it to Torres again taking him down and landing some brutal elbows that cut Torres wide open and obviously had him shaken. This confusion lead to Torres making a terrible mistake and leaving his head out for Benavidez to lock on a guillotine choke and end the fight in the second round.

This is a huge win for Benavidez over a former champion and a former top 10 pound for pound fighter. However, where this leaves him in the title picture is a good question considering he has lost to Cruz less than a year ago.

This must be bitterly disappointing for Torres who has now lost two fights in a row and sets him way back in the title hunt. Fortunately he is too important to the promotion for them to cut him. However, I think it would be in his best interest to get back in the cage as soon as possible against a lesser opponent to get his confidence back.

Jens Pulver vs Javier Vazquez

I honestly gave Pulver's wrestling too much credit. Vazquez took him down with ease and submitted him much easier than I expected in the first round via arm bar. Vazquez got the win he needed and it's time for Pulver to hang the gloves up because no one wants to see him beat up tomato cans on the local circuit for chump change.

Deividas Taurosevičius vs LC Davis

This fight went exactly as I thought it would. Davis won the clinch game as both fighters spent the majority of the fight engaged against the cage wall. Neither fighter saw a distinct advantage on the feet. And each fighter had one take down.

Choruses of boos rained down from the crowd and for once I agreed. At least on the ground there are opportunities for TKOs and submissions. But if neither fighter is striking or looking for a take down, the clinch game is like World War I in that is purely a battle of attrition.

Davis won a majority decision that could not have inspired the WEC brass. He might be on a three fight win streak but with none of his performances being exciting I'm not sure he helped his cause too much. This is a small setback for Taurosevičius who should see more action soon.

Bart Palaszewski vs Karen Darabedyan

This fight, though not an upset, was very surprising. Darabedyan had a distinct advantage getting the fight to the ground quickly and landing some good ground and pound. Unfortunately his black belt in Judo didn't help him at all as he made a huge mistake leaving an arm out for Palaszewski.

Palaszewski capitalized quickly getting the win via arm bar in the first round. Palaszewski has now won two fights in a row and is slowly climbing back up the ladder at 155 lbs. This was a setback for Darabedyan but a small one in his very young career.

Preliminary Card:

Scott Jorgensen vs Chad George

You have to love a fighter like Jorgensen who comes out with his hair on fire. George made a huge mistake going in for an ill advised shot without setting it up. Jorgensen capitalized with a standing guillotine that not only ended the fight in the first round but knocked George out cold.

Jorgensen has won three fights in a row in impressive fashion and is making a charge up the bantamweight division. George is still very young in his career and should bounce back soon.

Danny Castillo vs Anthony Pettis

Pettis came out and took care of business efficiently and quickly with a brutal head kick to win by KO in the first round. Castillo has now lost convincingly twice in a row and I'm not sure how much longer he'll be around. This was a good bounce back fight for Pettis who lost his last match by a tough split decision.

Chad Mendes vs Erik Koch

Mendes won by a lopsided unanimous decision. Mendes made an impressive WEC debut. Koch will bounce back quickly at this early stage in his career.

Leonard Garcia vs George Roop

Even though this fight wasn't aired this had to be the strangest fight of the night. Roop was penalized for repeated groin shots. But the results still came out 29-27 Garcia, 29-27 Roop, and 28-28 ending this fight in a split draw.

I can't remember ever hearing of a split draw. Obviously this turned into a much tougher fight for Garcia than most people expected (myself included). However, I don't think a rematch is in order after the foul on Roop. I think both fighters just need to move on and look for a comeback win against somebody else.

Fredson Paixao vs Courtney Buck

Paixao won quickly and decisively by rear naked choke in the first round. This was a good first win in the WEC for Paixao. Buck has now lost two in a row and could be looking for work elsewhere.

Ricardo Lamas vs Bendy Casimir

Lamas came out banging, ending the fight quickly by KO in the first round. This was a nice second win in a row for Lamas who will see a step up in competition. However, it was a very bad first fight for Casimir. It will be interesting to see if he gets another shot.

Fight of the night went to Garcia vs Roop. KO of the night went to Pettis. And Submission of the night went to Benavidez.

WEC 47 Preview

2010-03-02T13:24:00.003-05:00

This year the WEC replaces the UFC at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio. The main event features Brian Bowles defending his bantamweight title for the first time against Dominick Cruz. This card also features WEC poster boys Miguel Torres and Jens Pulver. There are a lot of other interesting fights on the card so let's break it down:

Main Event:
Brian Bowles vs Dominick Cruz:
Bowles is 8-0 with all eight wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with heavy hands and solid boxing. He has beaten some of the best in his division over his time in the WEC even before his utterly shocking destruction of then champion (and pound for pound great) Miguel Torres.

Cruz is 14-1 with six wins by decision. He is also a wrestler with good boxing though his overall grappling isn't quite as advanced as Bowles. He was thrown into the fire in the WEC fighting for the featherweight title in his first fight losing badly to Urijah Faber. However, since then he has been on a tear and has looked solid if unspectacular.

Truthfully this is a very tough fight to call given how similar these fighters are. I'm tempted to say that Bowles has the advantage on the ground and more power which will set him apart in this fight. I'm picking Bowles to win via submission in the third round.

Main Card:
Miguel Torres vs Joseph Benavidez:
Torres is 37-2 with 31 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter who loves to strike with a strong muay thai game. He has fought some of the best in the world since migrating to the WEC and has recently started training with the renowned Team Sityodtong.

Benavidez is 11-1 with nine wins by stoppage. He is a grappler with some striking. He has fought some tough opponents since moving to the WEC but does not have the background Torres does. He trains with WEC poster boy Urijah Faber.

It's funny how you'll often see two fighter fight each other on the same card as the two guys who last beat them face off as well. This is the case here as Torres looks to bounce back from an embarrassing KO to Bowles and Benavidez looks to start a winning streak after bouncing back from his tough decision loss to Cruz.

Torres is far and away the more well rounded fighter. His striking is light years ahead of Benavidez and will only be helped from the tutelage from Mark Dellagrotte. However, he should be worried about Benavidez's wrestling even though Torres' jiu jitsu is better.

Torres, simply put, is the better fighter but I'm not sure he has the stuff to put Benavidez away. I'm picking Torres by decision.

Jens Pulver vs Javier Vazquez:
Pulver is 22-12-1 with 16 wins by stoppage. He is a striker with wrestling. He has fought the best in the world at two weight classes.

Vazquez is 13-4 with nine wins by stoppage. He is a grappler. He has fought some name opponents but no one outstanding.

This is your classic grappler vs striker match up. The question in this fight is whether Vazquez can get the fight to the mat but Pulver is no pushover. Both fighters need this win badly since Pulver has lost four in a row and Vazquez has lost two so motivation shouldn't be a factor.

Honestly Pulver has looked washed up in his last few fights and I'm not sure he has what it takes anymore. I'm not really sold on this pick but I'm cautiously taking Vazquez by submission in the second round.

Deividas Taurosevičius vs LC Davis:
Taurosevičius is 12-3 with eight wins by submission. He is jiu jitsu fighter with wins over some notable talent.

Davis is 15-2 with 11 wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with some striking. He has also fought some tough fighters.

Both fighters are looking to take that next step in the WEC and win here would be big. I think Davis has the advantage with his wrestling background and should have the ability to keep the fight off the mat. I think this will be a grind it out win for Davis by decision.

Bart Palaszewski vs Karen Darabedyan:
Palaszewski is 31-13 with 23 wins by stoppage. He is a striker with some grappling. He has a ton of experience and has fought some very tough guys but has had a very up and down ride in the WEC.

Darabedyan is 9-1 with four wins by stoppage. He is mostly a striker but does have a grappling background as well. He does not have the same experience as Palaszewski but is coming off a huge win in his WEC debut vs former champ Rob McCullough.

This fight may not win fight of the night but it certainly wins for toughest combination of names to spell. This should turn into a very interesting stand up fight. This is a very tough fight to pick but I'm going to go out on a limb and pick the upstart to win. I'm picking Darabedyan by decision.

Preliminary Card:
Scott Jorgensen vs Chad George:
Jorgensen definitely has the experience edge here. Both fighter are strong grapplers but I think Jorgensen is better. I'm picking Jorgensen to win by submission in the first round.

Chad Mendes vs Erik Koch:
This is a very tough fight to call. Both fighters are undefeated though this will be Mendes' first test in the WEC. But he does come out of Urijah Faber's camp so he trains with tough guys every day. I'm going to take a shot in the dark and pick Koch by decision.

Danny Castillo vs Anthony Pettis:
Another tough fight to call but I like Castillo's experience and pedigree here. I'm picking him to win by decision.

Leonard Garcia vs George Roop:
Both guys are UFC cast offs (but for different reasons). Roop has never beaten anyone of note and Garcia can be quite a handful. I'm picking Garcia by submission in the first round.

Fredson Paixao vs Courtney Buck:
Paixao has had a rough start to his WEC career but I think that ends here. This will be a nice grappler vs striker match up with Paixao playing the grappler. I think he will grind out a tough decision victory.

Ricardo Lamas vs Bendy Casimir:
Casimir has a lot more experience though not against almost anyone has ever heard of. He looks to be the better jiu jitsu artist while Lamas has the wrestling pedigree. Your guess is as good as mine as to who's the better striker. I think Lamas will ride top control and ground and pound to a decision victory.

UFC 110 Review

2010-02-21T15:06:00.002-05:00

The UFC put on a great show for their first trip to Australia. Based on the fans' response it looks as if it might become a yearly trip much the way England and Montreal have. There were some interesting developments coming out of this card so let's break down the results:

Main Event:
Cain Velasquez vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira:
This fight was short and sweet (unless you're "Big Nog"). Velasquez came out and showed up Nogueira in the striking game where he is no slouch. Velasquez simply beat Nogueira to the punch every time landing a quick KO in the first round.

I have to admit that as good as Velasquez looked I'm still not convinced he deserves a shot at the title right away. I would really like to see him fight the loser of the Shane Carwin vs Frank Mir fight for the next shot at the title. However, I will say that every time we see Velasquez he just gets better and better and I haven't seen a more complete athlete in the heavyweight division possibly ever.

So congratulations to Velasquez and for Big Nog it's back to the drawing board once again. Whoever Joe Silva matches Big Nog up against for his next bout it should be very interesting to see where the UFC feels Nogueira is at this point in his career.

Co-Main Event:
Wanderlei Silva vs Michael Bisping:
This fight had fight of the night written all over it but even though it didn't live up to the hype it was still very entertaining. Silva kept saying how he was going back to "the old Wanderlei", essentially throwing wild hay makers all over the place. While he used that aggression in strategically controlled spurts he actually looked a lot calmer than he usually does.

Whether or not that is because he is getting smarter or just getting older I don't know. But no matter the reason it is a much smarter approach that worked to his advantage in this fight.

Right off the bat you could tell neither fighter wanted to get into crazy exchanges and they both looked like they were "sticking to the game plan." Unfortunately for Bisping he was never able to capitalize on the feet or after his take downs. Silva had an answer for everything.

Anytime Bisping took Silva down he got right back up and Silva was more aggressive and inflicted the most damage on the feet. All this gave Silva the nod for a unanimous decision victory that I agreed with 100%. And being a Silva fan I was very happy to see him on the winning side once again.

This has to be a very frustrating loss for Bisping after such a great showing against Denis Kang. For Silva this has to feel very vindicating after some tough losses in the UFC especially when the fights went to decision. It will be very interesting to see who these guys get paired up with next.

Main Card:
Joe Stevenson vs George Sotiropoulos:
This was simply all George all the time. Stevenson foolishly went to the ground in the first round and got his butt whipped (outside of a nice up kick). The second and third rounds were more even.

Even so, George out scrambled Stevenson, neutralized him on the ground, and was simply too long and rangy for him on the feet. Even though I thought the third round could have gone Stevenson's way, George earned the well deserved unanimous decision in front of his countrymen.

This immediately puts George into serious consideration as a contender at 155. For Stevenson this has to be a very bitter pill and really knocks him down a peg.

Keith Jardine vs Ryan Bader:
In another case of young talent besting the old guard Bader came out and really took it to Jardine. Everyone, including myself, expected Bader to use his wrestling much more than he did. He simply stuck to the game plan and it paid off big time.

Bader kept his chin tucked, his hands high, and never got rattled by Jardine's herky jerky style. He just kept throwing bombs knowing that if one of them connected the fight was over. He finally connected in round three and finished him off with an impressive KO.

Jardine has officially become the gatekeeper at 205 and Bader introduced himself to the top echelon of the division. If he can get his striking technique to catch up to his power and continue to impose his will on people with his wrestling he could become very dangerous in the shark tank that is the light heavyweight division.

Mirko "Cro Cop" vs Anthony Perosh:
I'm not going to beat around the bush here. Cro Cop still looks old to me. Granted he put this guy away at the end of the second round but only due to a TKO on a cut. Cro Cop is still too slow to make any impact against the top echelon heavyweights no matter how good his striking is technically.

This fight will keep Cro Cop around for a little while but I honestly wouldn't know what to do with him if I was Joe Silva. Do you keep feeding him tomato cans or do you actually try to move him up the ladder? As for Perosh at least he got a chance to fight in front of his home town fans even if it wasn't a success.

Under Card:
Stephan Bonnar vs Krzysztof Soszynski:
Soszynski came out and just took the fight right to Bonnar. He clipped him a few times and was clearly the more powerful striker. Eventually the beating just caught up to Bonnar and he was cut so badly the doctor called the fight in the third round on a TKO.

Bonnar really needed this win and I'm not sure he's sticking around the UFC much longer. For Soszynski this is a huge rebound win after a very disappointing result against Brandon Vera.

Chris Lytle vs Brian Foster:
Like I said, Lytle just doesn't lose to guys like this. Foster looked good on the feet and looked way more athletic and powerful than Lytle. But unfortunately he made a mistake on the mat and Lytle capitalized putting Foster away with a knee bar in the first round that apparently caused serious damage to Foster.

This was a great win for Lytle but it was a double whammy for Foster. Foster looked really good in his last fight so to not only lose but now to be seriously injured is just a serious blow to his UFC career.

CB Dolloway vs Goran Reljic:
Dolloway took care of business earning a unanimous decision victory. This was a tough first fight back for Reljic having been out almost two years but hopefully he shook some rust off and will only get better in his next performance.

Jame Te-Huna vs Igor Pokrajac:
Te-Huna gets a big TKO victory in the third round. I'm not sure Pokrajac has much of a future in the UFC.

Fight of the night went to Stevenson vs Sotiropoulos which I think was very deserving based on what I saw. Submission of the night went to Chris Lytle by default even though it was a good one. And KO of the night went to Velasquez even with a little competition from Bader.

My big take away from this night was that some of the young talent in the UFC is finally starting to bubble up and take over the old guard. Fighters like Velasquez and Bader specifically are finally starting to fill the shoes that some of the legends of the sport have occupied for so long. Even though it's tough to see fighters like Big Nog get blasted it's good to know the future of the sport is in good hands with fighters like these.

UFC 110 Preview

2010-02-17T10:27:00.008-05:00

The UFC reaches another milestone as they add another continent to their expanding empire as they touch down in Sydney, Australia this Saturday. This card features an elite heavyweight scrap between former UFC and Pride champion Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira and the young gun Cain Velasquez.

The co-main event brings together two top middleweight strikers as MMA legend Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva bangs with Michael "The Count" Bisping.

The rest of the main card and under card is littered with notables like Joe Stevenson, Keith Jardine, Mirko "Cro Cop", Stephan Bonner, Chris Lytle, and CB Dolloway. While this card isn't stacked there are plenty of interesting fights to dissect. Let's break them down:

Main Event:
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs Cain Velasquez:
Noquiera is 32-5-1 with 22 wins by stoppage. He is a legendary jiu jitsu artist with an equally legendary chin and heart but he is also a high caliber boxer. He has fought the best in the world in the two biggest promotions for the last nine years. He was the original Pride heavyweight champions and held the interim title in the UFC and Pride.

Velasquez is 7-0 with six wins by KO. He is a monster of a wrestler with improving striking and heavy hands. Since coming to the UFC he has faced varying levels of competition with pretty good success.

This is the old dog vs the young gun; the legend against the upstart; insert cliched match up analogy here...

In all seriousness though this should be one exciting fight with plenty of implications on the heavyweight title picture. Most likely whoever wins this fight is one win away from a title shot.

The fight will be an interesting test for both fighters. Cain's biggest strength is his ground and pound but does he want to go to the ground with Nogueira? Nogueira probably thinks he can beat Velasquez on the feet but can he stay upright?

This fight has a lot of questions that can only be answered in the cage which makes it an incredibly difficult fight to pick. So I'm going with my gut and I'm picking Nogueira to pull out a submission victory in the second round.

Co-Main Event:
Wanderlei Silva vs Michael Bisping:
Silva is 32-10-1 with 26 wins by stoppage. He is a legendary muay thai striker. He has fought exclusively in Pride and the UFC for the last 10 years against the best fighters in the world. He held the Pride Middleweight title for 6 years and won one middleweight Grand Prix.

Bisping is 18-2 with 15 wins by stoppage. He is a solid kick boxer with pretty good power. He has had a nice career in the UFC since winning TUF 3. He has also beat better competition since moving down to middleweight.

This has all the makings of fight of the night (which both fighters are prone to do). These two have no qualms about going toe to toe for all three rounds (though no one expects it to last that long). Silva needs this worse than Bisping and Bisping is no Liddell, "Rampage," or Franklin (Silva's three UFC losses).

Obviously Bisping can hold his own on the feet and could wind up picking Silva apart. However, Silva proved he can still bang with his destruction of Keith Jardine. So I'm picking Silva to win via KO in the second round.

Main Card:
Joe Stevenson vs George Sotiropoulos:
Joe is 31-10 with 20 wins by stoppage. He is a very strong grappler and loves to scrap. He has beaten good competition in the UFC but can't seem to beat the upper echelon fighters.

George is 11-2 with eight wins by stoppage. He is almost exclusively a jiu jitsu fighter. Next to fighting Shinya Aoki this is far and away George's toughest fight to date.

The only reason George is on this card and fighting someone this high up on the food chain is because George is Australia's top MMA export in the UFC. No one expects George to win and neither do I.

Stevenson's top control and striking will overcome anything George tries to pull off on the ground. I'm picking Stevenson to win a lopsided though not enthralling decision.

Keith Jardine vs Ryan Bader:
Jardine is 15-6-1 with nine wins by stoppage. He is a kick boxer with an awkward style that often confuses opponents. He has had an up and down career in the UFC but has fought a lot of top fighters in the process gaining invaluable experience.

Bader is 10-0 with seven wins by stoppage. He is still a pretty raw wrestler with some good ground and pound. This fight is far and away his toughest test to date.

Jardine needs this win badly having lost his last two fights. Unfortunately no matter how good Greg Jackson's game plan going in to the fight will be to stop Bader's take downs I can't see Jardine executing. Also, Jardine's awkward striking will have no effect on Bader while lying on his back for three rounds.

I'm picking Bader to win a pedestrian decision. However, I'm really hoping to see a new wrinkle in the Bader's game because now that he's moving up the ladder he's going to run into guys who can neutralize his wrestling. Jardine is too good a fighter to be let go after his third consecutive loss but I'm not sure he would survive a fourth.

Mirko "Cro Cop" vs Anthony Perosh:
Crop Cop is 25-7-2 with 22 wins by stoppage. He was one of the most feared kick boxers in MMA history. He has fought the best in the world between Pride and the UFC and even won the 2006 Pride open weight Grand Prix.

Perosh is 10-5 with all 10 wins by stoppage. He is mostly a jiu jitsu fighter. He has fought almost exclusively in Australia where he lives and trains with Elvis Sinosic with a brief but winless stint in the UFC back in '06. He has lost against every notable fighter he has faced.

Perosh steps in for a sick Ben Rothwell literally at the last minute. As far gone as Cro Cop is at this point in his career he can still take care of someone like this as we witnessed when Cro Cop dismantled Mostapha Al Turk. I'm picking Cro Cop by KO in the first round.

Undercard:
Stephan Bonnar vs Krzysztof Soszynski:
Onto fights that matter... Bonnar needs to win in the worst way but I don't think he gets it. I know this is no way to pick a fight but honestly if you lose to a 45 year old Mark Coleman it's time to hang up the gloves. I'm picking Soszynski by decision.

Chris Lytle vs Brian Foster:
Foster got a great win against a tough Brock Larson and really surprised some people (myself included). However, Lytle doesn't lose to guys like this. I'm picking Lytle by submission in the second round.

CB Dolloway vs Goran Reljic:
Reljic was a very promising prospect back in 2008 after surprising everyone to beat Wilson Gouveia in his UFC debut. Unfortunately an injury derailed him for the last couple years. The question in this fight is if he can shake off the rust against Dolloway.

Based on talent Reljic should win but two years makes for a lot of ring rust. I'm not confident at all in this pick but I'm going with Dolloway by TKO in the second round.

James Te-Huna vs Igor Pokrajac:
I've never seen either fighter before though Igor fought in the UFC back in Sept. Te-Huna is a striker and Igor seems more well rounded and Te-Huna has only lost by submission. So I'm picking Igor by submission in the first round.

Author's Note: I have redone the Cro Cop prediction with the late addition of Perosh for the sick Ben Rothwell. Also, I have removed the Sinosic vs Haseman prediction since this fight has been scrapped due to Sinosic pulling out with an injury.

UFC 109 Review

2010-02-07T12:19:00.002-05:00

UFC 109 delivered last night bringing some good finishes, surprising performances, and the introduction of a promising young fighter. Randy Couture proved that he is the legend among legends besting his Hall of Fame counterpart while Chael Sonnen threw his name into the ring for the middleweight title. Let's break down the action:

Main Event:
Randy Couture vs Mark Coleman:
Couture came out with crisp boxing and his always impressive dirty boxing. Coleman had no answer for either as Randy picked him apart from outside and beat him up inside. Coleman survived the first round but he got hurt early in the second.

Couture smelled blood and went in for the kill. Couture took down the wrestling legend (a little too easily) and immediately proceeded to tap him out with a rear naked choke. There was great foreshadowing from Couture's entrance song "Stranglehold" and Joe Rogan who repeatedly claimed he felt Randy was looking for a submission.

This was a great performance for Randy even if it was against a washed up fighter. He seems to be slowly building toward another shot at the light heavyweight title. There are a lot of interesting potential match ups out there for Randy.

I don't think Coleman has a future with the UFC after this fight. Granted Couture is a legend but Coleman just looks used, though his smack talk was as good as ever based on his verbal confrontation with Tito Ortiz after the fight. Normally I would say Dana White should hold out and put that fight together (because real bad blood fights are few and far between these days) but would anyone even care about who won a fight between Tito Ortiz and Mark Coleman?

Ultimately these fight was exactly what most people expected. It was a one sided beating that will only expand Couture's legend while Coleman's career comes to a bitter, dark end.

Co-Main Event:
Nate Marquardt vs Chael Sonnen:
This was the most surprising fight of the night. Most people expected Marquardt to come out with a solid gameplan of stick and move striking that kept the fight off the mat. Unfortunately Sonnen's aggression sucked Marquardt into wild exchanges that allowed Sonnen to get the fight to the mat too easily.

Once there, Sonnen showed great top control, which everyone expected, but Marquardt had no answer with his jiu jitsu, which was surprising. Granted he slapped on a couple guillotine chokes and even opened Sonnen up with an elbow but ultimately he had no answer for Sonnen's ground and pound. Honestly Marquardt didn't win a single minute of that fight until the very last minute of the third round.

Sonnen, looking worse for wear than Marquardt, put together a dominating unanimous decision victory. After thoroughly dominating a fighter as talented as Marquardt he should be taken very seriously as the next number one contender. This has to be very disappointing for Marquardt and is sadly becoming a disturbing habit of getting so close but not being able to get over the hump.

Main Card:
Mike Swick vs Paulo Thiago:
Both fighters came out ready to strike but they both looked timid in the first round. Swick ultimately got a last second take down to win the round but neither fighter looked great. That all changed in the second round.

Both fighters loosened up and the striking picked up. Thiago landed a great counter left that dropped Swick. While Swick tried to just hold off Thiago while he recovered, he left his head open for a D'arce choke that Thiago used to turn Swick's lights out.

Swick has now lost two fights and will slide significantly in the division. But this is a huge win for Thiago that should catapult him up the rankings. This fight also proved that his fight with Josh Koscheck (lucky punch or not) was no fluke and he needs to be respected.

Demian Maia vs Dan Miller:
Maia came out ready to strike which was probably a surprise to Miller. While Maia's striking wasn't devastating it was effective enough along with his grappling in the third round to win him a unanimous decision. This was a good win over a tough opponent to get Maia back on the right track. If he keeps improving his striking he'll be that much scarier for his next opponent.

Matt Serra vs Frank Trigg:
Serra came out and did exactly what was expected of him. He went right at Trigg and tested his chin with the bombs in his fists and he took Trigg out quickly with a brutal TKO in the first round. This was a great win after two losses for Serra and for Trigg this might spell the end of his UFC career for good.

Undercard:
Mac Danzig vs Justin Buchholz:
Danzig went in and just did what he needed to do. He stood up with Buchholz until he could take him down where he had the best of it. Danzig won a very tough unanimous decision giving him at least one more fight in the UFC while Buchholz is most likely gone for a while.

Melvin Guillard vs Ronnys Torres:
This fight was very peculiar. Guillard was the better striker and got the best of it on the feet but most of this fight took place on the ground. But while it was there, even though Torres was in control most of the time, he didn't do much with his advantageous position.

The judges ultimately gave a unanimous decision win to Guillard but it was very strange given Torres had better cage control for most of the fight. Usually judges look favorably on that but I guess they just thought Guillard was more aggressive and was doing the most damage.

Brian Stann vs Phil Davis:
Hello Mr. Wonderful! Phil Davis is a superstar in the making. He is a superior athlete with a fantastic wrestling pedigree.

Stann tried to out strike Davis but Davis was having none of it, taking Stann down early and often. Davis' ground and pound was technically solid but wasn't doing a ton of damage. But he did enough to come away with a dominating unanimous decision.

Davis, much like Jon Jones, is going to be a part of the new wave of stars at 205 lbs. Light heavyweight is already stacked but a lot of the stars in the division are older guys. It's good to see that there is some fresh blood being infused into the division.

Rolles Gracie vs Joey Beltran:
Rolles Gracie far and away had the most disappointing performance of the night. He came out and was gassed mid way through the first round. I don't know if his cardio was just that poor or he was suffering from something else.

In either case Gracie was done when he looked like he had the fight won after getting into mount and then taking Beltran's back. But Beltran escaped and then put the hurt on Gracie pounding him out for a TKO victory in the second round.

Gracie, who trains with Renzo Gracie and Greg Jackson, has to figure out what went wrong and quickly. He brought serious shame to the Gracie name and it will be interesting to see if the UFC has any interest in retaining his services after a performance like that.

Philippe Nover vs Rob Emerson:
Emerson wins by unanimous decision most likely ending Nover's UFC career.

Tim Hague vs Chris Tuchscherer:
Chris wins by majority decision putting Hague's UFC career on thin ice.

Marquardt and Sonnen won fight of the night which was pretty surprising given how one sided it was. Matt Serra wins KO of the night almost by default. And Paulo Thiago deservingly wins submission of the night.

UFC 109 Preview

2010-02-03T22:48:00.002-05:00

The UFC returns this weekend for their customary Super Saturday card. This year the card is headlined by the first match between UFC Hall of Famers Randy Couture and Mark Coleman. The co-headliner features a pivotal match in the middleweight division between potential title challenger Nate Marquardt and the always tough Chael Sonnen.

The main card is also bolstered by a lot of big names such as Mike Swick stepping in on short notice for his injured team mate, Demain Maia looking to get back on the winning path, and two past their prime welterweights, Matt Serra and Frank Trigg, battling it out to stay relevant. The undercard also boasts a lot of fighters looking for new life or looking to make a splash on one of the UFC's biggest nights of the year.

Let's break down the fights:

Main Event:
Randy Couture vs Mark Coleman:
Couture is 17-10 with nine wins by stoppage. He is a former six time champion in two weight classes and has fought the best the game has to offer. He is a dominant wrestler, with solid striking (especially his dirty boxing), and great cardio for a man his age.

Coleman is 16-9 with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a former four time champion across two promotions at heavyweight and has also fought some of the best. He is arguably a better pure wrestler than Couture but his stand up game is suspect and his cardio even more so.

Outside of Coleman landing a hail mary punch I can't foresee any situation that ends with him winning this fight. Randy Couture should be able to keep this fight standing using his wrestling to negate Coleman's and then his striking and endurance will win him this fight. I'm picking Couture to win by TKO in the third round.

Co-Main Event:
Nate Marquardt vs Chael Sonnen:
Marquardt is 29-8-2 with 22 wins by stoppage. He has a great well rounded game. His base is in grappling but he has improved his striking dramatically winning his last three fights via strikes. He has fought all over the world against some of the best competition out there.

Sonnen is 24-10-1 with 10 wins by stoppage. He is mostly a wrestler who has great top control. He has also fought a lot of top competition and has put together two very good wins over his last two fights.

On paper Sonnen should be the better wrestler but in practice I don't see him grinding out a victory like he did against Dan Miller and Yushin Okami. I think Marquardt's striking is too good, he is too strong, and his wrestling is good enough to not let Miller hold him down for three rounds. I expect a grind it out win for Marquardt who will score plenty of points on the feet but won't put away the incredibly tough Sonnen. I'm picking Marquardt by decision.

Main Card:
Mike Swick vs Paulo Thiago:
Swick is 14-3 with 10 wins by stoppage. He is a striker with improving grappling. He has fought solid, but not stellar competition.

Thiago is 12-1 with eight wins by stoppage. He is a grappler first who likes to strike. He has not faced a lot of top competition until he came to the UFC very recently.

Swick seemed to have found a home at welterweight and appeared to be on course for a title shot until running into Dan Hardy in his last fight. Now he steps in for his injured team mate Josh Koscheck as a late replacement for the rematch that was supposed to occur between Kos and Thiago. Now Swick takes up the banner for AKA and is looking to get his title shot back on track.

Thiago certainly has the advantage on the mat but his tendency is to strike first which is a losing battle against Swick. Swick will be careful knowing the threat of Thiago's ground game looms but once Thiago lets his hands go so will Swick. I expect Thiago to get his first loss by stoppage. I'm picking Swick by TKO in the second round.

Demain Maia v. Dan Miller:
Maia is 11-1 with 10 wins by stoppage. He is as pure a jiu jitsu fighter as you will see in MMA these days. He has faced some quality competition since coming to the UFC.

Miller is 11-2 with seven wins by stoppage. He is also a grappler but with a better mix of wrestling and jiu jitsu. This will be Miller's biggest step up in competition to date.

Both of these guys are coming off tough losses to the guys in the co-main event. Both of these fighters will be hungry and are looking to make a statement in this fight to get back in the title hunt.

Putting a noted grappler like Miller against a jiu jitsu ace like Maia is like feeding lambs to lions. Miller thinks he's good enough to keep top control without being submitted because of his confidence in his own ground game. However, Maia isn't like anyone Miller has seen before.

Maia will be happy to let Miller take him down because that is the first step to him winning this fight. He'll bide his time until he finds his opening to strike and finish off Miller. I'm picking Maia to win by submission in the third round.

Matt Serra vs Frank Trigg:
Serra is 9-6 with five wins by stoppage. He is a grappler first but really likes to let his hands do the talking. He has fought a lot of good competition with mixed results.

Trigg is 19-7 with 14 wins by stoppage. His base is in wrestling but he loves to strike a little too much. Trigg has also fought a lot of good competition but without good results.

Serra and Trigg are both coming off bad losses (Serra is coming off two actually) and even though neither of them have a legitimate shot at the title they both want to remain relevant in the UFC. A win here will help those odds dramatically.

Both of these guys' bases are in grappling but both love to strike. I think Trigg's chin will be tested by Serra's heavy hands. I'm picking Serra to win by TKO in the second round.

Undercard:
Mac Danzig vs Justin Buchholz:
Neither of these guys has had much luck in the octagon lately with Danzig losing his last three and Buchholz losing two in a row. Whoever loses will probably be cut just in case either guy needed any more motivation. I like Danzig because I think he has the better stand up (their grappling could neutralize each other) and he showed promise in his first couple UFC fights. I'll take Danzig by TKO in the first round to put a stay on his UFC execution.

Melvin Guillard vs Ronnys Torres:
Guillard is a complete wild card and is coming off a loss making him a little more unhinged than usual. However, he has recently joined Greg Jackson's camp which means he'll at least come in with a gameplan if not more focused thanks to Jackson's influence. Guillard has a lot of potential he just has to harness it. I don't think he'll need it in this fight though going up against a UFC rookie who has never faced competition even like Guillard. I'm picking Guillard by TKO in the first round.

Phillipe Nover vs Rob Emerson:
Nover has been completely underwhelming since his time on TUF 8 (which is hard for me to say being a fellow Brooklynite). However, Emerson hasn't been any more impressive since his time on TUF either. It's a close fight to call but I'm going with the homer pick and calling Nover by (tough) decision, possibly sending Emerson out of the UFC.

Brian Stann vs Phil Davis:
Stann had a tough introduction to the UFC but since then has righted the ship. Davis is brand spanking new to the UFC and only has four professional fights. Stann might be one dimensional but he has been at this a lot longer against much tougher guys than Davis. I'm picking Stann to hand Davis his first loss and give him a tough introduction to the UFC with a TKO in the first round.

Tim Hague vs Chris Tuchscherer:
Hague is now infamous for his record setting KO at the hands of Todd Duffee but he is no pushover. Chris (I call him Chris because, really, who wants to keep spelling that last name) is also a solid fighter who has faced some decent competition. Both of these guys want to strike but I think Chris' grappling will be the difference. I'm picking Chris by decision.

Rolles Gracie vs Joey Beltran:
Rolles will be the first and only Gracie since Royce to fight in the UFC since Royce came back at UFC 60. Beltran is a powerful boxer. Obviously Gracie is the better grappler. Unless Beltran lands a lucky punch I can't imagine this fight ending any other way than Gracie by submission in the first round. Hopefully this tune up will be the first of many fights for Gracie in the UFC. It will be good to have that name back in the Octagon for awhile (even though his coach and relative Renzo will be making an appearance at UFC 112).

Strikeforce: Miami Review

2010-01-31T15:22:00.000-05:00

Everything went as planned for Strikeforce last night as they rang in the new year with a bang from Miami. Nick Diaz snatched the welterweight title while Cris "Cyborg" Santos proved once again why she might be the Fedor of women's MMA. Bobby Lashley and Herschel Walker both had successful debuts and Robbie Lawler has a candidate for comeback of the year and it's not even February!

Let's break down the card:

Main Event:

Nick Diaz v. Marius Zaromskis:

I figured Diaz was too arrogant to go to the ground but I also knew he was too good to need to do that. Zaromskis shot out like a cannon which could've taken some fighters out of their game but not the grizzled veteran Diaz. Diaz calmly deflected most of Zaromskis' power shots while accumulating punishment on his opponent.

Diaz's reach was a big hurdle for Zaromskis as he ate shots every time he tried to come in on Diaz. Diaz eventually finished off Zaromskis (though much quicker than I anticipated) with a TKO in the first round.

Diaz is now the welterweight champion and I truly believe this is his best weight class even though he's been successful recently at (or around) middleweight. His next opponent should be Jay Hieron but Diaz is obviously ducking him so it will be interesting to see who Strikeforce can get Diaz to fight.

Co-Main Event:

Cris "Cyborg" Santos v. Marloes Coenen:

Coenen surprisingly came out and took the fight to Cyborg. However, that strategy didn't last long as soon as she realized how strong and tough Cyborg was. Cyborg weathered the early storm and eventually fell into her game of power strikes and ground and pound.

Coenen did her best to get the fight to the mat but just took a beating the whole time she was there. Cyborg showed surprisingly good top control and submission defense after her struggles with Gina Carano (who is no Coenen on the ground). Cyborg had finally shown the ref enough winning via TKO in the third round.

While this wasn't the "car wreck" I had anticipated it wasn't a glowing moment for Cyborg. Though she showed improvement in her ground game I thought her striking was too wild and her air of invincibility was shaken a bit when Coenen came out and really took it to Cyborg in the first few minutes.

The question now becomes can Strikeforce find a woman as physically gifted as Cyborg? If so, Santos is far from invincible after what I saw last night. She just needs to fight a woman her own size. Strikeforce is pushing Erin Toughill. It's yet to be seen if she can do any better.

Main Card:

Herschel Walker v. Greg Nagy:

First of all, N-a-g-y is not pronounced "Nudge" I don't care what part of the world you come from so that's an automatic downgrade for Nagy. On top of that he let a 47 year old walk all over him for essentially 15 minutes and barely even fought back. I had a feeling Strikeforce would give Walker a tomato can but I didn't think it would be this bad.

It was apparent from the opening bell how stiff, old, and green Walker was. However, he also did not look 47, was very aggressive, and showed much better grappling than I expected so props to American Kickboxing Academy for that.

Walker came away with a nice third round TKO victory. Whether or not he ever fights again, I don't know. But whether he does or not this was a great accomplishment for an athlete of his age no matter who he fought.

Melvin Manhoef v. Robbie Lawler:

I thought we had seen it all with Scott Smith's series of fights in Strikeforce. However, I think there's a new "comeback kid" in town. Melvin Manhoef man handled Lawler from the opening bell. He blasted Lawler with leg kicks and body shots to the point where Lawler was visibly limping and grimacing every time Manhoef made him move.

But the beauty (unless you're Manhoef) of this sport lies in the unique ability for one punch knockouts to happen at any given moment. Lawler might've been down but with his boxing and heavy hands he's never out. As Manhoef moved in for the kill he dropped his hands and Lawler capitalized with a devastating over hand right that laid Manhoef out before Lawler KO'd him on the mat.

My prediction for this fight was on target up until the last five seconds of the fight. Manhoef was clearly the better striker but he made one mistake and paid for it dearly as Lawler got the KO victory in the first round. Manhoef deserves another shot in Strikeforce but I hope to see Lawler get a shot at the winner of Shields v. Henderson.

Bobby Lashley v. Wes Sims:

Lashley came out and took care of business like he was supposed to. I was a little disappointed because we didn't get to see his stand up, though I don't blame him with Sims' reach advantage. However, Lashley did show us his tremendous wrestling and ground and pound winning via TKO in the first round.

Lashley reminds me of exactly what Brock Lesnar looked like at this stage in his career. If Lashley can improve in his stand up and submission defense as quickly as Lesnar has you could have another monster at Heavyweight in Strikeforce. I know Lashley isn't looking for the big fight yet but I'm really hoping that in his next two or three fights we see him against a real challenger like a "Big Foot" Silva or a Brett Rogers before getting his shot at a Fedor or Overeem.

On a complete side note, I can't stand Wes Sims because he's more of a professional wrestler than an MMA fighter. However, when he held up his hand for a WWE "feats of strength" showdown I couldn't help but chuckle due to vast amount of irony.

Undercard:

Jay Hieron v. Joe Riggs:

Hieron took care of business as expected earning a unanimous decision victory. I hope Strikeforce gives Hieron a longer look at getting him on their main cards in the future. He should have the next title shot but it's obvious Diaz is ducking him.

As for Riggs he does not seem long for the world of Strikeforce. He used to be a Strikeforce mainstay but they've bolstered the roster so thoroughly that even their weakest division looks too strong for him.

Strikeforce: Miami Preview

2010-01-27T22:09:00.004-05:00

Don't call it a comeback! That's right ladies and gentlemen after almost 5 months out of the game your humble MMA junkie is back on the scene. I took my hiatus and now I'm coming back better than ever. I thought I'd take it slow and warm up with a preview of the upcoming Strikeforce: Miami event taking place this Saturday.

Strikeforce: Miami is highlighted by two title fights and two much publicized Strikeforce debuts. The main event is for the vacant welterweight title. Resident MMA bad boy Nick Diaz and DREAM welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis will go at it to see who rules Strikeforce's most lack luster division.

The co-main event features Strikeforce women's champion Cris "Cyborg" Santos v. dutch grappler Marloes Coenen. This is a "car accident" type of fight where people will be tuning in to see the wreckage that will be Coenen even if they might be sickened by it.

The two other headliners on the card are the Strikeforce debuts of former wrestling star Bobby Lashley and all time football great Herschel Walker. People are drawn to Lashley the same way they were to Brock Lesnar. They want to see if the fake fighter can hang in the cage. As for Walker, people are just hoping he has something left in the tank at 47 and doesn't get humiliated.

Let's break down the fights:

Main Card:

Nick Diaz v. Marius Zaromskis:
Diaz is 20-7 with 17 wins by stoppage. He has technical striking and great grappling even though he enjoys striking more as of late. He has fought around the world against some of the toughest competition out there in 3 weight classes.

Zaromskis is 13-3 with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a striker who recently went on a tear to win the DREAM welterweight grand prix and became the first DREAM welterweight champion. Zaromskis, even though he's a champion, is taking a huge step up in competition by taking this fight.

The good news for Zaromkis is that Diaz (cough, ducking Jay Hieron, cough) has a tendency to self destruct and Zaromskis has been on fire winning his last three fights by first round KO. However, I don't see this fight turning out well for him. Diaz has also looked strong since coming over to Strikeforce and he should have the experience edge as well as the advantage on the ground.

If Diaz can take the fight down into his world it could be a short night. However, if it stays on the feet I think Zaromskis has the ability to win. I think Diaz is the more technical striker and could wear Zaromskis down before putting him away like he did with Frank Shamrock. Zaromskis probably has the power advantage and could land a good punch/kick (though Diaz is very tough to finish).

Ultimately I think this fight will stay standing. Diaz is the more well rounded fighter and his experience will prove valuable. I'm picking Diaz to take home the title by TKO in the third round.

"Cyborg" Santos v. Marloes Coenen:
Santos is 8-1 with six wins by KO. She is a brutal Muay Thai striker with tons of power. She is the defending women's 145 lb champion and trains out of the prestigious Chute Boxe camp.

Coenen is 17-3 with 15 wins by stoppage. She is a grappler but has the ability to strike and finish. On paper I suppose Coenen could pose problems for Santos on the ground but I don't see the fight working out that way.

Even if Coenen was lucky enough to get Santos down (which is about as easy as getting Dana White not to drop the f bomb every other word) where she isn't as strong, Coenen wouldn't be able to keep her down long enough to do anything. Santos, until proven otherwise, is untouchable right now. This fight turns into the train wreck everyone is tuning in for with a brutal KO of Coenen in the first round.

Melvin Manhoef v. Robbie Lawler:
Manhoef is 24-6-1 with 23 wins by KO. He is a notorious kickboxer who is making only his second US appearance and his first with a US promotion. He has a ton of experience in Japan and has fought some of the best in the world.

Lawler is 18-5 with 16 wins by stoppage. He is a heavy handed boxer and is looking to bounce back from a tough loss to Jake Shields. Lawler has also fought top competition in the past which combined with his style should make this a very exciting fight.

I can't imagine this fight unfolding in any way other than an all out war on the feet. Neither of these guys has any qualms about standing toe to toe and trading for our amusement. As heavy handed and tough as Lawler is I just don't think he can beat Manhoef in a pure striking battle. I'm going to pick Manhoef to win and go out on a limb by predicting it will come via KO in the second round.

Herschel Walker v. Greg Nagy:
Walker is making his MMA debut. Nagy is also a relative newcomer who I have no background on. This fight is as close to a complete coin flip as you could get.

On the one hand Walker was a tremendous athlete but you have to wonder if at 47 he has what it takes to compete in a sport like MMA. On the other hand Nagy is a complete wild card that almost no one knows anything about. The one thing I'm basing my pick off of is the fact that I can't imagine Strikeforce would build up Walker only to pair him up with someone they didn't think he could beat. Using that logic I'm picking Walker by decision. (I really hope Walker doesn't get embarrassed but it is a distinct possibility)

Bobby Lashley v. Wes Sims:
Lashley is 4-0 with three wins by stoppage all against suspect competition. Even though this is his first big MMA show he's used to the bright lights after his time in the WWE and I don't think that will phase him. Lashley has a great amateur wrestling background and a great training camp in American Top Team. At this point in Lashley's career he's little more than a ground and pound machine that overwhelms you physically.

Sims is 22-12-1 with 20 of those wins by stoppage. Sims has a mix of standing and grappling skills but isn't particularly strong in either area. He's pretty much the definition of a journeyman even though he briefly resurfaced on the 10th season of the Ultimate Fighter recently.

Lashley shouldn't have any problem taking Sims down and putting a beating on him a la Mark Kerr in his "Smashing Machine" days of UFC 14/15. I'm picking Lashley to win by TKO in the second round after he breaks Sims' will in the first.

Undercard:

Jay Hieron v. Joe Riggs:
Even though Riggs is younger he has a lot more wear on his body than Hieron and hasn't developed the way many thought he would by this point in his career. Hieron at this point in time is the more complete fighter who can dictate where the fight takes place though he most likely will want to keep it standing. There should be some exciting exchanges but Hieron won't wear out the way Phil Baroni did in Riggs' last Strikeforce appearance. I'm putting my money on Hieron by TKO in the second round.

MMA Fighter Rankings for September

2009-08-30T14:38:00.001-04:00

Time for this month's fighter rankings. Please comment and let me know where I got it right or wrong. Enjoy!

Heavyweight (265 pounds)

1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Brock Lesnar
3. Frank Mir
4. Josh Barnett
5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
6. Alistair Overeem
7. Randy Couture
8. Shane Carwin
9. Brett Rogers
10. Cain Velasquez

Also receiving consideration: Jeff Monson, Mirko Cro Cop, and Fabricio Werdum

Note: Nogueira moves up a spot after his win over Couture at UFC 102.

Light Heavyweight (205 pounds)

1. Lyoto Machida
2. Rashad Evans
3. Gegard Mousasi
4. Quinton Jackson
5. Forrest Griffin
6. Luis Cane
7. Renato Sobral
8. Mauricio Rua
9. Thiago Silva
10. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

Also receiving consideration: Rich Franklin

Notes: Mousasi moves into third after his destruction of Sobral as Sobral slides down to seventh. Griffin moves back to fifth after being destroyed by Anderson Silva. Rua moves down to eighth by default. Silva moves up one spot after crushing Keith Jardine who now moves out of consideration. Nogueira moves down one spot by default as does Franklin due to the inclusion of Mousasi on this list.

Middleweight (185 pounds)

1. Anderson Silva
2. Dan Henderson
3. Nate Marquardt
4. Demian Maia
5. Yushin Okami
6. Vitor Belfort
7. Robbie Lawler
8. Jorge Santiago
9. Yoshihiro Akiyama
10. Nick Diaz

Also receiving consideration: Chael Sonnen, Kazuo Mizaki, Hector Lombard, and Mike Bisping

Note: Even with Marquardt's destruction of Maia I haven't moved either fighter as I don't believe Marquardt to be better than Henderson until he proves it and I don't believe Maia to be worse than Okami until it's proven. Also, Thales Leites falls off the consideration list after his loss to Alessio Sakara at UFC 101.

Welterweight (170 pounds)

1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Jon Fitch
3. Thiago Alves
4. Jake Shields
5. Mike Swick
6. Martin Kampmann
7. Carlos Condit
8. Dan Hardy
9. Frank Trigg
10. Jay Hieron

Also receiving consideration: Matt Hughes, Paulo Thiago, Josh Koscheck, Brock Larson, and Marius Zaromskis

Note: Hieron moves into the top ten after his win at Strikeforce this past month. Brock Larson moves back into the consideration pack.

Lightweight (155 pounds)

1. BJ Penn
2. Shinya Aoki
3. Eddie Alvarez
4. Tatsuya Kawajiri
5. Kenny Florian
6. Gesias Calvancante
7. Josh Thomson
8. Gray Maynard
9. Frankie Edgar
10. Diego Sanchez

Also receiving consideration: Sean Sherk, Satoru Kitaoka, and Spencer Fisher

Note: Florian moves down one spot after his loss to Penn at UFC 101. Kitaoka moves out of the top ten with his loss at Sengoku Nine. This makes room for Sanchez to crack the top ten.

Featherweight (145 pounds)

1. Mike Brown
2. Wagnney Fabiano
3. Urijah Faber
4. Jose Aldo
5. Hatsu Hioki
6. Leonard Garcia
7. Takeshi Inoue
8. Rafael Assuncao
9. Bibiano Fernandes
10. Joe Warren

Also receiving consideration: Nam Phan, Hideki Kadakowi, Hiroyuki Takaya, Marlon Sandro, Joe Soto, and Josh Grispi

Note: Hioki and Garcia flip flop after Hioki had the better performance in August even though both fighters won. Warren moves into the top ten by virtue of Sandro losing and Warren beating former top featherweight "Kid" Yamamoto.

Bantamweight (135 pounds)

1. Brian Bowles
2. Miguel Torres
3. Masakatsu Ueda
4. Dominick Cruz
5. Damacio Page
6. Akitoshi Tamura
7. Takeya Mizugaki
8. Rani Yahya
9. Joseph Benavidez
10. Will Ribeiro

Also receiving consideration: Chris Cariaso, Antonio Banuelos, Marcos Galvao, Manny Tapia, Atsushi Yamamoto, and Wilson Reis

Note: Bowles and Torres flip flop after Bowles victory at WEC 42. Cruz moves up to fourth after knocking off Joseph Benavidez at WEC 42. Yahya moves up to eighth after winning his last fight at WEC 42. This slides Benavidez, Ribeiro, and Galvao down. Mark Oshiro fall off the list due to inactivity and Jeff Curran fall off the list due to losing his fourth fight in a row, the second in a row at bantamweight.

POUND-FOR-POUND

1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Anderson Silva
3. Fedor Emelianenko
4. Lyoto Machida
5. BJ Penn
6. Brian Bowles
7. Miguel Torres
8. Rashad Evans
9. Gegard Mousasi
10. Mike Brown

Also receiving consideration: Jon Fitch, Quinton Jackson, Thiago Alves

Notes: Penn moves up after Torres lost to Bowles. Bowles moves into Penn's old slot moving Torres down to seven and Evans down to eight. Mousasi moves into the ninth spot after his destruction of Sobral in his first fight at 205 pushing Brown back to 10 and Fitch to the consideration list. Griffin moves off the list all together after his destruction at the hands of middleweight Anderson Silva.

UFC 102 Recap

2009-08-30T12:54:00.001-04:00

On paper last night's UFC 102 seemed like a bit of letdown after the stacked cards the UFC put on with 100 and 101. However, what the card lacked in star power it more than made up for in exciting fights. Let's recap the action:

Televised Bouts:

Randy Couture v. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

This fight took home fight of the night and for good reason. These two grizzled veterans put on a show befitting men 10-20 years their junior (20 in the case of Couture). For a fight between an Olympic calibre wrestler and possibly the best submission heavyweight of all time these two really traded leather.

Randy was unable to implement his clinch game against the fence and he payed for it. Nogueira stayed outside and implemented his effective boxing from distance using his technique and reach advantage to land some solid shots. Randy was dropped a couple times and wobbled a few more.

Couture landed some solid shots with his dirty boxing but nothing Nogueira hasn't survived before. It was amazing how good Nogueira looked after his last fight against Mir but that's the difference between a healthy Nogueira and one with an injury and a staph infection.

This Nogueira, who not only dominated Randy on the feet, but also on the ground almost sinking in an arm triangle and an anaconda choke, looks like a true contender again. Carwin might have the next shot at Lesnar but Nogueira is definitely back on the radar for a title shot.

Couture showed the grit and heart of a champion as he was in bad shape on multiple occasions but always found a way to keep his cool and surivive. Unfortunately he was so throroughly dominated that Nogueira took home an impressive unanimous decision. It will be interesting to see who Couture fights from here having lost two fights in a row and being out of the title picture for the moment.

Being 46, Couture only wants the biggest fights. Maybe a showdown with Frank Mir is looming?

Keith Jardine v. Thiago Silva

Silva brutalized Jardine winning by TKO in the first round. Jardine's usually confounding, unorthodox style proved to play no part in this fight as Silva moved straight forward until he landed the winning blow.

Silva looked very impressive against a guy who lost a very close split decision against former UFC champion Quinton Jackson. Could Silva be the next Rich Franklin? Could he be better than almost everyone else in his division but still so far behind the champion that Silva is left in limbo only to see lesser fighter's pass him by?

As for Jardine this is a crushing blow. He thought he proved something in the loss against Jackson. However, now that he's lost in brutal fashion to two Silvas (Wanderlei and now Thiago) is his KO switch getting shorter and shorter a la Chuck Liddell? Unfortunately Jardine is looking more and more like a gatekeeper than a contender. Someone who can keep the trash from rising to the top and can surprise a contender but not a real threat to the title.

Nate Marquardt v. Demian Maia

It seemed like everyone was riding the Maia bandwagon. Well, back to the drawing board bandwagon riders. Marquardt dispatched Maia in 21 seconds knocking him out cold. If the fight had lasted long enough for it to get to the ground who knows what could have happened but that question will have to be answered some other time.

Marquardt is now pushed to the front of the line for a shot at Anderson Silva's title with the likes of Dan Henderson. Both guys are looking to put on a better showing than their last title shot. Maybe this title eliminator could be the first marquee non title fight the UFC could showcase in a five round fight now that the NSAC has sanctioned such fights?

For Maia this is a significant setback. Hopefully this will only push him harder to work on his striking and become a better and more well rounded fighter. I can't wait to see him back in the cage turning lesser fighters into human pretzels.

Chris Leben v. Jake Rosholt

Everyone also seemed to be riding the Leben bandwagon. The hometown kid, made good, comes home for his moment in the sun. Unfortunately for him Rosholt was having none of that.

This turned into a much more exciting fight than I had anticipated. Rosholt's stand up actually looked solid. He stayed outside of Leben as much as possible trying to stick and move knowing getting into a fire fight with Leben could mean a quick night.

Rosholt had a little trouble in the beginning getting Leben to the ground which was somewhat surprising given Rosholt's All-American wrestling background but once he did it was game over. Rosholt passed Leben's guard at will raining down blows until finally Leben gave up an arm triangle choke as Rosholt put him to sleep before Leben even had a chance to tap.

This was a very disappointing loss for Leben who has now lost two fights in a row, this time in front of his hometown, and he was looking for redemption coming off a steroid ban. All around this was a huge step back for Leben.

On the other hand, this fight went exactly as planned for Rosholt as far as the UFC is concerned. They've been trying to push this kid ever since he came in from the WEC but unfortunately he lost his first UFC fight. Now though Rosholt has a submission win over a big name UFC fighter and they can start pushing this kid up the ladder. I hope Rosholt is prepared because it isn't going to get any easier from here.

Brandon Vera v. Krzysztof Soszynski

This was a very lackluster and unimpressive unanimous decision victory for Vera. He was obviously the faster and more technical striker. However, what frustrated Soszynski most was his inability to get the fight to the ground. Vera was able to stand up almost the entire fight and pick Soszynski apart.

This setback is minor for Soszynski given his recent success in the UFC but hopefully he will have a lot to work on and improve after this fight that will make him a better fighter down the road.

As for Vera he's now on a two fight winning streak but this fight wasn't nearly as impressive as his last one. It will be interesting to see who the UFC puts him up against next. I think it's time to throw him in to the fire against the next level of competition. Do they put him up against his original opponent Matt Hamill or do they up the ante?

Ed Herman v. Aaron Simpson

Herman might've lost by TKO due to injury in the second round but this fight was all Simpson from the beginning. Simpson's striking looked more crisp and powerful right from the start. He dropped Herman a couple times but Herman somehow survived.

Then on a routine double leg takedown Herman injured his knee. He made it to the end of the first round and tried to keep fighting in the second but as he went for a head kick his knee gave out on him and the fight was stopped. However the injury was irrelevant as Simpson was looking to make mince meat out of Herman anyway.

Unfortunately almost none of the hometown products had a successful night as Herman, another Oregon product, has now lost three of his last four fights. Simpson retains his undefeated record with his second win in the UFC.

Tim Hague v. Todd Duffee

Duffee, the American Top Team product, tied the fastest KO ever, laying Hague down in seven seconds beating the mark of eight set by Don Frye and James Irvin. Duffee laid Hague down with a stiff jab and finished him on the ground with a crushing left hook.

Duffee makes his UFC debut an impressive one. No offense to Hague but I'm excited to see Duffee against stiffer competition. Hague will be back. This is only his first loss in the UFC and he's a scrapper. He'll be back filling in undercards in no time.

Marcus Aurelio v. Evan Dunham

Finally an Oregon product comes through as Dunham wins by split decision. The first round was all Dunham as Aurelio looked really complacent and almost drained. Dunham lit him up with his striking to take the first round easily.

The second round got very interesting as both guys were trading shots. This was the swing round that really could've gone either way but two judges gave it to Dunahm.

The third round appeared to me to be all Aurelio even though one of the judges scored it for Dunham. He was landing the better shots and got a couple takedowns and looked good on the ground.

Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be. Aurelio took this fight on short notice so it's tough to say how prepared he was for this fight given his slow start. Hopefully next time out he's ready to go from the opening bell because if this had been a five round fight I honestly don't think Dunham would've won.

For Dunham he is now 2-0 in the UFC but for Aurelio he is 2-4. It will be interesting to see if the UFC brings him back after a strange fight like this. Do they think they will get the Aurelio from round one or round three?

Untelevised Bouts:

Gabriel Gonzaga v. Chris Tuchscherer

Gonzaga wins by first round TKO. Gonzaga unfortunately is turning into the gatekeeper of the heavyweight division. Granted he had his title shot already but he can't seem to get over the hump against the really tough competition but he just destroys all the lesser fighters.

Justin McCully v. Mike Russow

Russow wins by unanimous decision on a crazy scorecard. One judge had the fight 29-28 while another had it 30-26. Russow makes his UFC debut a solid one while McCully goes back to the drawing board with a 2-2 UFC record.

Mark Munoz v. Nick Catone

Munoz wins by split decision. Munoz rebounds nicely from his brutal KO loss to Matt Hamill. Catone is hoping to hang on to his job having lost his last two fights in the UFC.

Fight of the night was an obvious choice going to Couture v. Nogueira. There was stiff competition for KO of the night between Marquardt and Duffee but Marquardt took home the prize. And Rosholt took home submission of the night by default.

UFC 102 Preview

2009-08-24T13:41:00.001-04:00

The UFC invades the pacific northwest for the first time this Saturday as UFC 102 beams live from the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. The local hero Randy Couture (actually from Washington state but coached at Oregon State and started Team Quest in Gresham, OR) will take on the legend Antonio "Minotauro" Rodrigo Nogueira for one last shot at the heavyweight title. For both of these men, a loss here will be a major stumbling block to overcome in getting another title shot.

Both of these men lost their last fight in the "heavyweight tournament" that culminated in Brock Lesnar's destruction of Frank Mir for the undisputed heavyweight title at UFC 100. Couture and Nogueira need a win to prove they still belong in the title picture. However, for both men, Couture due to his age and Nogueira due to the punishment he's taken over the years, another loss would be devastating.

This fight is a battle between champions and legends of the spot that any true MMA fan has been longing for ever since the two were champions simultaneously for the UFC and Pride back in 2001. These are two of the best that ever put on the fingerless gloves and hopefully they come out at their best and put on a show worthy of their lofty status in the annals of MMA greatness that they inhabit. A loss here wouldn't only take away another shot at the title but it would set them down a peg in the all time heavyweight rankings.

As great as this fight is there are other fights on the card. While Jardine v. Silva is the co-headliner (for good reason as they should put on a striking war) another fight should be getting more attention. The fight between Nate Marquardt and Demian Maia has serious title implications in the middleweight division and it is a fight many hardcore MMA fans should be salivating over. Let's break down the card:

Main Card:

Randy Couture v. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Couture is 16-9, 13-6 in the UFC, with nine wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with solid boxing. Nogueira is 31-5-1, 2-1 in the UFC, with 22 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter also with good boxing.

Couture put up a much better fight his last time out than Nogueira however there were rumors of an injury and illness that plagued Nogueira before his lackluster performance against Mir so it will be interesting to see which Nogueira shows up this time around. This will be a very interesting match up of very different grapplers. Couture loves to stay in the clinch, pressure his opponents, and take away their will. Nogueira lays in wait like a spider waiting for its prey to get caught in its web and pounce on them with his slick jiu jitsu.

If these two men come out at their best it's going to be a very tough fight. Nogueira probably has the better pure boxing skills but if Couture can keep him in the clinch his dirty boxing can be very effective. If Couture can keep the pressure on Nogueira in the stand up I think he has a very good chance to win but if it goes to the ground it could get very dicey for Couture who is a great wrestler but is not one for jiu jitsu.

This is a very tough fight to call. I think Noguiera will come out much better than his last fight but I'm picking Couture's clinch game and the pressure of his grappling over Nogueira's more technical style. I'm picking Couture to win by a very tough decision.

Keith Jardine v. Thiago Silva

Jardine is 14-5-1, 6-4 in the UFC, with eight wins by stoppage. He is a kickboxer. Silva is 13-1, 4-1 in the UFC, with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a muay thai fighter.

These two guys have very different but effective striking styles. Jardine is a very unorthodox kickboxer while Silva brings lethal and brutal muay thai to the table. Both guys love a stand up war and they are both looking for redemption coming off loses.

This should be a great brawl. Jardine has been in the cage with some of the best in the world and hasn't always put his best foot forward though Jardine will be the second best fighter Silva has fought behind Lyoto Machida.

As good as Silva is I think Jardine poses a lot of unusual problems and usually comes in with a good gameplan from Greg Jackson. I'm picking Jardine to win a very close decision.

Chris Leben v. Jake Rosholt

Leben is 18-5, 8-4 in the UFC, with 14 wins by stoppage. He is a boxer with some grappling ability. Rosholt is 5-1, 0-1 in the UFC, with all five wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler.

While this looks like an interesting match up on paper I'm not so sure it's going to be an exciting fight. If Leben catches Rosholt with a big punch it could end dramatically but that's not how I see it going down. Leben has a lot more experience on a big stage against better competition and Rosholt looked terrible in his last fight.

However, I think that's exactly why the UFC put this fight together. If Leben wins he starts climbing back up the ladder but I think they gave Rosholt the perfect opponent to start his climb in the UFC. It's a big name with not much of a ground game.

Rosholt should be able to take Leben down and lay on him for the majority of the fight which wouldn't be exciting but a win over Leben would get Rosholt noticed. Leben is a tough guy and could probably fend Rosholt off but it wouldn't score him any points. I'm picking Rosholt to win by a very boring decision.

Nate Marquardt v. Demian Maia

Marquardt is 28-8-2, 7-2 in the UFC, with 20 wins by stoppage. He is a grappler with good boxing. Maia is 10-0, 5-0 in the UFC, with nine wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter.

This is a very interesting fight on many levels. On the surface it looks like two great grapplers who could put on a very technical battle. However, I believe this fight won't even come down to who has the better fighting skills. It will come down to who is the smarter fighter.

This fight will be the ultimate chess match. Whoever can think two steps ahead of his opponent and execute will wind up with the win. Marquardt obviously has the more well rounded game but Maia is probably the best functional jiu jitsu fighter in MMA.

Marquardt is the best grappler Maia has faced to date so if the fight goes to the ground he could survive longer than most but it's still not a smart move. Maia on the other hand has never really been tested on his feet and Marquardt is more than capable of putting Maia down with his striking. This is another very tough fight to call but to me Maia is too one dimensional. I could wind up being very wrong with this pick but I'm picking Marquardt by TKO in the third round handing Maia his first loss and putting Marquardt behind Dan Henderson for a shot at Anderson Silva.

Brandon Vera v. Krzysztof Soszynski

Vera is 10-3, 6-3 in the UFC, with eight wins by stoppage. He is a muay thai fighter with some grappling. Soszynski 18-8-1, 3-0 in the UFC, with eight wins by submission. He is a grappler with some boxing.

Vera was originally supposed to fight Matt Hamill but Hamill pulled out due to injury. This is a more classic striker v. grappler match and this is a good test for both fighters at 205 lbs. This will be Soszynski's toughest fight to date in the UFC and the last time Vera faced anyone good he got beat by Keith Jardine.

I usually go with the grapplers in these cases and Soszynski has really been on a roll lately. I think he has enough stand up to survive until he can get the fight to the ground where he should be able to control Vera and threaten with submissions from the top. I'm picking Soszynski to win by decision.

Preliminary Card:

Ed Herman v. Aaron Simpson

Herman is 15-7, 4-4 in the UFC, with 13 wins by stoppage. He is a grappler. Simpson is 5-0, 1-0 in the UFC, with all five wins by KO. He is a striker.

This fight was originally billed as James Irvin v. Wilson Gouveia but both fell off the card due to injury so we're left with a much lower level fight. Herman has the experience advantage over Simpson and I like his grappling ability to be able to control the fight. I'm picking Herman by submission in the second round.

Gabriel Gonzaga v. Chris Tuchscherer

Gonzaga is 10-4, 6-3 in the UFC, with all 10 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with solid muay thai. Tuchscherer is 17-1, making his UFC debut, with 13 wins by stoppage. He is boxer and wrestler.

This is Tuchscherer's first fight in the UFC and I never like rookies in the cage. Also, Gonzaga has fought much better competition. It will be tough to get Tuchscherer down but I think Gonzaga's muay thai and pure brute strength will be able to take care of business. I'm picking Gonzaga by TKO in the first round.

This will be a nice rebound fight for Gonzaga who had a tough loss to Shane Carwin in his last fight. Gonzaga is nowhere near a title shot right now but this win will hopefully put him back on to main cards where he belongs.

Justin McCully v. Mike Russow

McCully is 9-4-2, 2-1 in the UFC, with five wins by submission. He is a grappler. Russow is 11-1, making his UFC debut, with two wins by KO. He is a wreslter with some boxing.

This is a tough fight to call. McCully has the better experience but I'm not sure his jiu jitsu is good enough to overcome Russow's wrestling. Normally I don't pick rookies, as I mentioned, but in this case I'm making an exception. I'm picking Russow to win a low level grappling battle by a very boring decision.

Tim Hague v. Todd Duffee

Hague is 10-1, 1-0 in the UFC, with eight wins by stoppage. He is a striker with some grappling. Duffee is 4-0, making his UFC debut, with all four wins by KO. He is a striker.

This will probably end up being a solid striking battle as I don't think Hague will be as intimidated by Duffee's stand up as he was Pat Barry's. I think Hague has the upper hand in this fight though it could go either way. I'll stick with Hague though and pick him to win by TKO in the second round.

Nick Catone v. Mark Munoz

Catone is 7-1, 1-1 in the UFC, with six wins by stoppage. He is a grappler and boxer. Munoz is 5-1, 0-1 in the UFC, with three wins by KO. He is a wrestler with solid muay thai.

Catone has the more well rounded game but I like Munoz in this fight due to his wrestling. I think Munoz can out wrestle Catone and Munoz should be much bigger and stronger now that he's dropped down to 185 lbs.

I think Munoz will use his wrestling to impose his will on Catone and wear him out until he can go for the kill. I'm picking Munoz to win by TKO in the second round.

My pick for submission of the night goes to Ed Herman. My pick for KO of the night goes to Gabriel Gonzaga. My pick for fight of the night goes to Keith Jardine v. Thiago Silva.

Strikeforce: Carano v. Santos Recap

2009-08-16T13:20:00.001-04:00

If you were judging by the crowd response during the first female MMA main event in histroy you could only come to one conclusion: it was a smashing success. Last night Gina Carano and Cris "Cyborg" Santos brought the house down during their fight that highlighted an already exciting evening of action. A heavyweight contender validated his status, a title changed hands, and a long awaited rematch remains on tap. Let's recap the card:

Gina Carano v. Cris "Cyborg" Santos

This fight was a roller coaster ride from start to finish. Cyborg tried to remain on top of Gina the entire fight, dragging her to the ground, keeping her pushed up against the cage, keeping her in the clinch etc. Whenever Gina got back to the middle of the ring she was able to fire off some good straight punches.

Carano was not ready for the overpowering strength and aggressiveness of Cyborg but Cyborg looked a little surprised at how tough Gina was along with how wily she was on the ground. Gina did a great job of escaping whenever Cyborg brought the fight down and one time even got in mount. Unfortunately the pressure of Cyborg was just too much and eventually she wore down Gina until she didn't have the energy to defend herself and Cyborg picked up the TKO victory at the very last second of the first round.

Cyborg is now officially the greatest female MMA fighter in the world and she has the Strikeforce belt to prove it. Unfortunately I don't think she'll ever take the moniker of the "Face of female MMA" as Carano is too big a name even with this loss to lose that title. However, Cyborg now has the target on her back that comes with the title and it will be interesting to see who Strikeforce has lined up for her that can actually challenge her.

This was the biggest female fight in history and it will be nearly impossible for Strikeforce to replicate it so they will need to find opponents for Carano to keep her name on the cards (should she choose to keep fighting MMA). They will also need to start building up one or two new fighters for Cyborg because even though she is the champ she won't draw like Carano would.

Renato Sobral v. Gegard Mousasi

In Mousasi's American and 205 lb debut he impressed big time. Sobral is a very accomplished and talented fighter who has fought across weight classes against the best in the world. Mousasi came in and made taking his belt him look like child's play.

Mousasi picked up the TKO victory only seconds into the first round. It was eerie how he came in as nonchalant as Fedor Emelianenko (who he has been training with not surprisingly) and just dismantled Sobral immediately. While it would've made sense to stand and strike with Sobral, a noted jiu jitsu expert, he took the fight down immediately and smashed through Sobral's guard like a hot knife through butter.

Mousasi's debut was overwhelmingly impressive. The only problem is that Strikeforce's 205 lb division is very underwhelming. I'm not sure who they can put up against Mousasi who can compete with him if Sobral looked like an amateur out there considering Sobral was in many people's top ten lists before this fight.

Gilbert Melendez v. Mitsuhiro Ishida

While this fight went much longer than the rest of the main card fights it wasn't any less one sided. Outside of the first round where Ishida was able to out wrestle Melendez and land a take down or two this fight was all Melendez. Melendez stuffed almost all of Ishida's take down attempts.

The rest of the fight was Melendez flicking out a very effective jab helping him keep Ishida at bay while getting his range for his power punches that often came in bunches. These softened up Ishida to the point that Melendez was able to land take downs of his own against the noted grappler.

Finally in the third round he softened up Ishida to the point where Melendez was able to take his back and pound out Ishida for the TKO victory. Melendez avenged his first career loss and retained his interim lightweight belt. Now he looks to avenge his second career loss and get the real belt back in a match up against Josh Thomson once he finally heels from his broken leg.

Mike Kyle v. Fabricio Werdum

Although this fight didn't even make the two minute mark it was more interesting than I expected. I expected Werdum to take this fight to the ground quickly and tap out Kyle, which he did by guillotine choke. But what surprised me was that Kyle, normally only a light heavyweight, looked very powerful and a little scary for Werdum on the feet.

For Werdum this is a very bad sign. He was coming off a devastating KO to Junior Dos Santos in his last fight in the UFC and now he's supposed to be a contender for the heavyweight belt? Granted he's already beaten Alistair Overeem once but that was a long time ago and he is a different fighter now. Plus with ridiculously heavy handed fighters like Brett Rogers and Fedor Emelianenko in the fold I can't imagine Werdum being a top contender when someone like Mike Kyle gave Werdum trouble on the feet.

Jay Hieron v. Jesse Taylor

This fight was not televised but Hieron won a unanimous decision getting all three rounds from all three judges. I'm hoping we get to see more of Hieron in the future as he is a talented and under valued fighter in my opinion. Taylor wasn't ready for this opportunity (and I don't mean just because he took the fight on short notice). But I'm sue this was a good experience for him and the loss should help him in the long run if he learns from it.

Hieron will hopefully get thrown in the mix of top welterweights now in Strikeforce like Nick Diaz, Jake Shields, and Joe Riggs.

UFC Champions: Too Good For The Health Of The UFC?

2009-08-12T23:28:00.001-04:00

It has come to my attention recently after watching the last two UFC events exactly how good the ruling class is in the UFC today. We have seen dominating champions in the past such as Tito Ortiz, Frank Shamrock, Pat Miletich, Matt Hughes, and Chuck Liddell to name a few. However, I don't think we've seen an entire stable of champions rule the UFC the way the current champions have in the history of the sport. Having champions that are too good for the rest of the division can only hurt the UFC and they need to find a way to spice up the hunt for the titles across all five weight classes.

Let's take this division by division starting with the lightest weight class first. After watching BJ Penn's win over Kenny Florian at UFC 101 that is when this idea hit me. Penn has only lost one fight at lightweight in his entire career (11 fights in the UFC). He owns the lightweight title and has defended it twice already.

Kenny Florian was supposed to be Penn's toughest test to date at 155 lbs and was the clear number one contender. However, he never put Penn in danger once over the three plus rounds of action this past Saturday. Now they are promoting Diego Sanchez as Penn's next opponent.

What exactly does Diego offer that makes him any more worthy than Florian? Diego is a better wrestler for certain and also is a bigger fighter than Florian which we have seen both of those things cause Penn a lot of trouble in the past. However, at 155lbs they are on equal footing. If this fight were at 170 lbs I might be more inclined to drink the Kool Aid.

Penn has proven that his takedown defense with fighters his own size is top notch, his brazilian jiu jitsu is world class, and his boxing is both technical and powerful enough to end fights. Does anyone really believe Sanchez (or any other up and coming lightweight) has a legitimate chance of beating Penn in the near future?

Penn has rededicated himself to cardio and weight training finally matching his preparation with his talent. At this rate we could be seeing the next fighter ready to challenge Matt Hughes/Anderson Silva/Tito Ortiz's record for consecutive title defenses (five).

But isn't that boring? Don't we want to see guys who come in and inspire the underdog fervor we give to other professional athletes who come up winners just like a real life Rocky Balboa? Don't get me wrong, I love watching Penn display his considerable talent inside the cage but at what point do we start looking for someone to knock him off his perch because it gets old watching him beat down lightweights again and again?

Unfortunately it is also blatantly clear that Penn cannot move up to welterweight and be successful but that is not the point. The point is that having BJ Penn clean out the entire lightweight division is getting old and after Sanchez (and possibly Gray Maynard, who are similar fighters) is there anyone even worth putting in the cage with Penn? That's the problem.

Speaking of welterweights that brings us to the next problem: Georges St. Pierre. In my opinion he is the greatest fighter in the world and he has cleaned out his entire division so thoroughly that Dana White is actually considering letting him fight at 185 lbs which I honestly don't like. Mike Swick and Martin Kampmann are fighting to see who gets the next crack at St. Pierre.

No disrespect to Swick and Kampmann but if Thiago Alves couldn't beat a hurt GSP what could Swick or Kampmann do? GSP totally outclassed a monster and a top notch striker in Alves for five rounds thoroughly imposing his will on Alves to which Alves had no answer. Swick and Kampmann offer longer reaches but I don't think either of them have the striking skill or pure violence of Alves.

Does anyone really think that GSP won't just put those two on their back for another five rounds (or less if they can't survive)? GSP has now defended his welterweight title three times and is even closer to catching Hughes/Silva/Ortiz than Penn is. The welterweight challenger pool is deeper than 155 but not necessarily better.

So once again I raise the question. When does it get old watching GSP out wrestle guys who you know have nothing more than a puncher's chance of beating the future hall of famer? Maybe letting GSP fight at 185 is a smart move but it doesn't help out the welterweight division in the slightest.

Now on to the biggest problem of all: Anderson Silva. This man has tied Matt Hughes and Tito Ortiz for the most consecutive title defenses in UFC history. He has so thoroughly cleaned out the 185 lb division (which is arguably the most shallow division in the UFC) that there were rumors flying after UFC 101 that he would fight at 205 lbs full time.

Silva has already won two fights at 205 lbs and neither went past the first round. In his last fight at UFC 101 (another reason why this card sparked this idea) he toyed with Forrest Griffin, the former UFC light heavyweight champion lest we forget, before getting the TKO victory. This man doesn't just win, he dominates.

He holds the record for most consecutive wins in the UFC. Only one man has even taken a round from him in his past seven fights (Dan Henderson) and that's the only reason Henderson is even being considered for a rematch, whereas other fighters like Demian Maia are afterthoughts even though they look great compared to everyone but Silva.

Silva has now started to dominate two weight classes simultaneously and I wouldn't be surprised to see him fight for the light heavyweight title before he's done in the UFC. However, this does no good for the middleweight division. His last two title defenses have been horrendous and he hasn't even been threatened in a fight since Travis Lutter had him in mount back in February of 2007.

He has so thoroughly dominated his weight class that the UFC can't even seem to figure out who to put in there because no one seems to challenege him anymore. When Silva fights I don't even think people have to put together a conscious thought before knowing instinctively who is going to win that fight. It gets old after a while no matter how good he is to watch.

The division in which they have the least of these issues, and in my opinion why it is the most popular division in the organization, is the light heavyweight division. Right now the champion is newly crowned Lyoto Machida. Including him, the title has changed hands three times in the past three fights.

This is what this sport is all about. The challenge and the excitement of that next hungry fighter coming for his title shot. Knowing that the champion has a worthy opponent who can take his game to the next level once that cage door closes. Unfortunately this seems to be the only division in which we're getting this type of action.

I have no qualms declaring my admiration for Machida's skills and I hope he is a great champion. However, I just don't see him hanging on to his belt as long as guys like GSP and Silva (and possibly not even Penn). I think Rua will be a nice fight for him though I would bet Machida is a heavy favorite. But overall the division is so deep it's hard to see him not getting caught at some point.

In this case that's a good thing! Seeing a challenger come in and make you go "Oh I don't know who's going to win this one," is what the fight game is all about. Promotions can make a lot of money off of stars who win all the time but they build fan bases by putting on fights where people are actually interested in seeing the match ups and with the possibility of the underdog winning. It's the culture that we live in.

With that said let's move on to the heavyweights. This is only division the UFC has where everyone knows that the champion of the UFC is probably not the best heavyweight in the world (and don't freak out fight fans, I think Fedor is better too but we can't KNOW until they actually fight). Brock Lesnar is a mountain of a man who has incredible athletic ability and great wrestling to go with the rest of his improving MMA game. As Randy Couture and Frank Mir both proved, no matter how talented you are, sometimes sheer size and strength can be too much even for some of the most talented fighters in the sport.

For the purposes of this argument let's leave Fedor out of the conversation because I'm trying to get at the lack of competition for the belt in the UFC specifically, not for the title of best heavyweight in the world without promotional affiliation.

Lesnar has now beaten two former UFC heavyweight champions for the outright UFC heavyweight championship. If you deem his fight against Mir a title defense then he has defended his title once already (I don't want any arguments about this so I'm leaving this purposefully vague so you can interpret it whichever way makes you more comfortable). He has also beaten tough journeyman Heath Herring and avenged his only loss.

His skill set is no doubt nowhere near some of the other fighters in the division but his size and freakish athleticism more than make up for that. His last two fights have proven how devastating he can be. The question is who can stop this runaway train?

The only guys even in the picture at this point are Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez (I've left Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira out of the running since he lost to Mir for a shot at Lesnar). I don't think Velasquez has any shot in hell at taking on a man like Lesnar at his current skill level. The only reason I would give Carwin a chance is because in terms of his sheer size he might actually be able to match up with Lesnar in some regards.

Unfortunately I would also think Lesnar would be a heavy favorite against Carwin if they were to fight. So is there really anyone in the heavyweight division people think could actually challenge Lesnar for the belt? Sure there are contenders but I really don't see anyone getting in his way of a shot at the record Silva/Hughes/Ortiz hold.

Ultimately having champions who don't have any true challengers becomes boring. No one gets excited because no one believes the contenders have any real chance no matter how much the UFC wants you to buy into their marketing propaganda. A record is only exciting until it's broken but after that it gets old watching the same champion beat up challenger after challenger without any real threats.

Americans love an underdog but ones that are live. I have nothing but respect for the fighters working their butts off at a title shot but maybe the champions in the UFC are too good for the health of the organization? BJ Penn has fought for the title at 170 lbs. GSP might move up. Anderson Silva is already campaigning at light heavyweight.

These are all reactions to the lack of competition within their own division. And if Machida gets on a winning streak like the others we will probably see the same thing. I don't have an answer for the UFC other than to try and find the next version of those fighters to challenge the ones they already have in place. Because until they do the next few years in the UFC could get awfully predictable. Who would've thought having so many of the best fighters in the world could turn into too much of a good thing?

Strikeforce: Carano v. Santos Preview

2009-08-12T20:26:00.001-04:00

Strikeforce returns this Saturday for the first time since June. They will be live in their home base of San Jose, CA and this time they will be bringing you the biggest female MMA match up in history. Gina Carano, the "Face of women's MMA", will take on the most destructive force in women's MMA Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos for the women's championship at 145 lbs.

This fight has been on people's minds ever since they were first brought to the mainstream by EliteXC back in October of 2008. It is very fortunate that the main event of this card has remained in tact because little else of the card originally planned remains.

There was supposed to be a fight between Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum for the heavyweight title but Overeem pulled out due to a hand injury and now Werdum has been pushed to the preliminary card. Josh Thomson once again has been forced out of a defense of his lightweight title due to injury so now challenger Gilbert Melendez takes on Mitsuhiro Ishida for Melendez's interim title.

To top it all off Nick Diaz was supposed to fight Joe Riggs for the inaugural welterweight title but Riggs had to pull out due to an adverse reaction to a drug he had taken. Jay Hieron stepped in for Riggs once Affliction collapsed but then Diaz was not given a license to fight after missing a pre fight drug test. So now Jesse Taylor of Ultimate Fighter infamy has stepped in for Diaz but this bout is no longer for a title.

Obviously a string of bad luck has ravished this card but fortunately there are still some great fights this Saturday so let's break down the important fights on the card:

Gina Carano v. Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos

Carano is 7-0, making her Strikeforce debut, with four wins by stoppage. She is a muay thai fighter. Santos is 7-1, 1-0 in Strikeforce, with five wins by KO. She is a muay thai striker with jiu jitsu skills.

This has been a mega fight in the making for months and it's about time these two finally met to settle once and for all who the best female MMA fighter in the world is. Carano has the looks and the fame but Santos is a beast who is hungry for the title.

Both women are strong muay thai strikers. Carano is probably the more technical striker while Santos has the power edge but that's not to say Carano doesn't have power and Santos is wild. Santos has the better ground game and also is the more aggressive fighter, though Carano loves to stand and trade.

I think Santos will look to overpower Carano with clinches and takedowns, wearing her down before going in for the kill on the feet. Carano is a great fighter but I don't see her beating a similarly talented fighter who is much more aggressive and violent than her. I'm picking Santos to give Carano her first loss by TKO in the third round, making her the inaugural Strikeforce women's champion.

Renato Sobral v. Gegard Mousasi

Sobral is 35-8, 1-0 in Strikeforce, with 20 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with strong wrestling and some muay thai skills. Mousasi is 28-2-1, making his Strikeforce debut, with 22 wins by stoppage. He is a kickboxer with grappling ability.

This fight for the light heavyweight championship worked out well for everyone. This fight was supposed to take place on the scrapped Affliction Trilogy card but got moved over once that organization fell apart. Now Mousasi makes his debut at 205, for a title, against a well respected veteran. Not a bad way to make your debut at a new weight class.

This should be a great fight between two seasoned veterans and it should also be a classic grappler v. striker match up. If Mousasi can keep the fight standing he can win. But if he gets taken down he's going to have a tough time with Sobral's size and skill advantage. Mousasi can survive on the ground but I can't see him winning the fight from there.

I like Sobral to put a damper on Mousasi's debut. Sobral has fought the best in the world at different weight classes for years and he should feel no pressure here. I think there's a lot of pressure on Mousasi fighting for a title, in front of an American audience for the first time, at a new weight class. I'm picking Sobral to win a tough fight against a game opponent by submission in the fourth round to keep his light heavyweight title.

Gilbert Melendez v. Mitsuhiro Ishida

Melendez is 15-2, 5-1 in Strikeforce, with 10 wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with good hands. Ishida is 18-5-1, 1-0 in Strikeforce, with five wins by stoppage. He is a grappler.

Ishida is a very tough opponent with great grappling who can control his opponents and wear them down. Unfortunately he is running into a wrecking ball of a wrestler in Melendez and I think Melendez controls where the fight takes place and will impose his will on Ishida. Melendez should keep the fight standing where he has a distinct advantage. I'm picking Melendez to win by TKO in the first round to retain the interim lightweight title and the right to finally face Thomson again for the real thing.

Jay Hieron v. Jesse Taylor

Hieron is 17-4, making his Strikeforce debut, with nine wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with solid hands and jiu jitsu. Taylor is 13-3, also making his Strikeforce debut, with nine wins by stoppage. He is also a wrestler with solid hands and some jiu jitsu.

This is a very good match up but it might be one where the fighters are so similar they cancel each other out. The difference lies within Hieron's technique v. Taylor's power. If Hieron can stay on his feet and use his technique to win the fight he'll be in much better shape then getting into any clinches or grappling matches that Taylor can use his power to his advantage.

Hieron has hopefully finally found a home for the long term in Strikeforce and this is a big re-entry into the U.S. mainstream for Taylor since his embarrassing loss to C.B. Dolloway over a year ago after getting kicked off the Ultimate Fighter. I think that's a lot of pressure for Taylor who might get over aggressive and leave one too many holes for Hieron to pick apart. I'm picking Hieron to win by decision.

Mike Kyle v. Fabricio Werdum

Kyle is 12-6-1, 1-1-1 in Strikeforce, with 10 wins by stoppage. He is a striker. Werdum is 11-4-1, making his Strikeforce debut, with nine wins by stoppage. He is a well rounded fighter with strong muay thai and jiu-jitsu.

While it looks fairly even on paper the level of competition Werdum had to go through to get his 11 wins was much tougher than what Kyle had to go through to get his 12. So while their records look similar Werdum is definitely the more accomplished and experienced fighter. Also, I like his versatility on the ground to be a difference maker. I'm picking Werdum to win by submission in the first round.

Fedor Signing With Strikeforce: The Wrong Move For Everyone

2009-08-03T21:22:00.000-04:00

Today's signing of Fedor Emelianenko by Strikeforce is the biggest story in MMA and for good reason. Not only does Fedor's signing have significant ramifications inside the ring but quite possibly it could be even more impactful outside the ring. Strikeforce signing Fedor leads them down a slippery slope where no one, not Fedor, not the promotion, and especially not the fans, wins.

Fedor Emelianenko is the best heavyweight fighter in the world bar none. The man is virtually undefeated and has held the heavyweight title in any organization he has fought at least two fights for. When he was released from his contract by the folding Affliction Entertainment Group this man had every organization in the world begging for his services.

So this begs the question as to why Fedor would choose Strikeforce and why Strikeforce would bother to sign him. Here is why: because Strikeforce believes that signing the greatest heavyweight in the world will finally allow them to compete head to head with the UFC.

There are only three legitimate fights for Fedor in the promotion: heavyweight champion (and former Pride star) Alistair Overeem, (former UFC product) Fabricio Werdum, and up and comer Brett Rogers. None of these men, with the exception of possibly Overeem, would threaten the top five heavyweights in the UFC, let alone the greatest heavyweight in the world.

Fedor's presence ultimately makes no sense for Strikeforce. They will pay him insane amounts of money and split promotional rights to any card he is on so he can walk over their lack luster heavyweight competition therefore discrediting the promotion’s entire heavyweight division for when he leaves.

Ultimately the short term effects will be positive for Strikeforce. This signing has created quite a buzz especially among the more knowledgeable fans who knew Fedor long before he signed with Affliction. People will want to see him fight the three guys listed above. But after that, what’s next?

That is where the long term problems set in. If Fedor fought in the UFC you would have a line of fighters at least six deep who people would love to see him fight. Three fights will barely get Strikeforce two years of service. You can't manufacture opponents for him like Pride did. People in America won't tune into that. It's already tough enough being on a pay cable network and not being the UFC. So what is the long term goal for Strikeforce?

In order for Strikeforce to get the most out of Fedor they only have one shot over the next year and a half. Strikeforce needs to pit their three biggest heavyweight stars against Fedor and build mind blowing competitive main cards. Use catch weights, put on all title fights, let Fedor fight a bear; do something, anything to capture people's imaginations while you have their attention. If they're lucky maybe they'll have an Ultimate Fighter moment that changes the entire course of their organization. This is a one in a million shot but it's the only shot Strikeforce has. They decided they wanted to step up into the big leagues and they have to prove that the fighter doesn't make the promotion.

If anyone knows about that mantra it is the UFC. That is why this will only have an impact on the UFC in the very short term. Some fans will be angry that Dana White didn't do more to land the Last Emperor but UFC fans, casual and hardcore, will go on watching the cards and getting to see the best heavyweights in the world not named Fedor clash for an empty title. Why? Because we've never had Fedor so we don't know any better.

If Fedor came to the UFC and then left maybe people would care more. But because he hasn't, the mainstream fan simply won't complain enough to stir up any real reaction to the UFC heavyweight belt being a fake until Fedor comes to claim it.

The UFC has the best MMA product in the world. In the long run they won’t feel the effects of not signing Fedor in any significant way. They were doing fine without Fedor. So while it has to be frustrating not to land him the UFC will carry on with business as usual, growing exponentially, and making money hand over fist.

Strikeforce sold their soul to try and compete with the UFC by banking that Fedor can give them a leg to stand on over the UFC’s product. Unfortunately this tactic may be too short sighted and may destroy their entire long term strategy. Fedor had a chance to be a part of the most popular MMA organization in the world where he could make a lot of money proving himself against the best fighters. Now he’s stuck with three fighters most Americans have barely ever heard of. And for the fans, we all lose because Fedor will never be able to prove that he is the best heavyweight by beating the UFC champion, that is, at least until he becomes a free agent again.

Sengoku Nine Recap

2009-08-02T10:37:00.002-04:00

World Victory Road's Sengoku 9 took place early Sunday morning (EST) in Saitama, Japan at the Super Arena. A featherweight champion was crowned and the lightweight title was on the line. Let's recap the card:

Featherweight Grand Prix

Marlon Sandro v. Michihiro Omigawa

This fight was originally scored a draw but because someone had to win to move on to the finals the judges determined that Omigawa would move on. This was a huge upset. This was Sandro's first loss ever and it was to an opponent who had a sub .500 record before beating him.

However, Omigawa has been the biggest Cinderella story of the tournament so this win isn't exactly unprecedented but it's still very shocking none the less.

Hatsu Hioki v. Masanori Kanehara

Hioki beat Kanehara by unanimous decision. This fight basically went as expected.

Omigawa v. Kanehara

Unfortunately Hioki was unable to continue due to a concussion. Kanehara won a very tough match by split decision to be crowned featherweight champion and to end Omigawa's Cinderella run. However, this leaves a lot of unhappy fans.

I think Hioki has the right to challenge Kanehara immediately for a title shot considering he already beat him and should've been in the finals. As for Omigawa, winning a title by split decision, while still fair, is not really how a title should be won. I think he should also have some say in the title picture but he will probably get passed over for some bigger names.

Main Card:

Satoru Kitaoka v. Mizuto Hirota

Hirota won by TKO in the fourth round to become the new lightweight champion. This was another big upset. It's not as shocking as Omigawa beating Sandro but it was still quite a surprise. Hopefully Kitaoka can get back on the horse soon and get another shot at the title.

Kazuhiro Nakamura v. Kazuo Misaki

Misaki won by submission, guillotine choke, in the first round.

Kazuyuki Fujita v. Blagoi Ivanov

Ivanov won by split decision. This was both a good and bad first showing for Ivanov. While it's always good to get a win your first time out especially on a big stage he wasn't exactly impressive. On top of that Fujita isn't exactly top notch competition.

Hopefully Ivanov learned a lot from the fight and got the first time jitters out of the way if he wants to make a real go at MMA.

Akihiro Gono v. Dan Hornbuckle

Hornbuckle won by KO in the third round. This was supposed to be a return match for Gono who was coming off an unsuccessful stint in the UFC but Hornbuckle spoiled those plans. Gono is now on a real slide having lost his last three fights in a row.

Eiji Mitsuoka v. Clay French

Mitsuoka defeated French by submission, guillotine choke, in the first round.

Yoshiro Nakao v. Choi Mu Bae

Nakao defeated Choi by unanimous decision.

WEC 42 Preview

2009-08-01T21:37:00.001-04:00

This coming Sunday the WEC is back in business as they return to Las Vegas for the first time since December. This card features a bantamweight championship bout between Miguel Torres and Brian Bowles that was supposed to take place back in April before Bowles got hurt. Also on the card are top bantamweights Takeya Mizugaki, Joeseph Benavidez, and Rani Yahya along with top featherweight Leonard Garcia.

Let's break down the card:

Main Card:

Miguel Torres v. Brian Bowles

Torres is 37-1, 5-0 in the WEC, with 29 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with great muay thai. Bowles is 7-0, 4-0 in the WEC, with all seven wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with good boxing.

This should be a great match up. Bowles has the size and wrestling advantage. Torres will have the stand up and jiu jitsu advantage. I like Torres' experience in this fight as he has fought the best in the world and has a ton of cage experience. This will be Bowles' first dive into the deep water.

Torres, simply put, is a wrecking ball of a fighter. He keeps a non stop pace that is very hard for fighters to keep up with and I can't imagine Bowles being able to do what really no one else has done. I think Bowles will put up a good fight but ultimately Torres should come out the winner. I'm picking Torres to give Bowles his first loss by submission in the third round.

Jeff Curran v. Takeya Mizugaki

Curran is 29-12-1, 2-3 in the WEC, with 19 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with some boxing skills. Mizugaki is 11-3-2, 0-1 in the WEC, with five wins by stoppage. He is a striker.

This is a good striker vs. grappler match up. Mizugaki put up an excellent effort against the best fighter in the division (Torres) his last time out and I don't see Curran testing him like that. Curran can be dangerous if the fight goes to the ground but I see Mizugaki earning a decision victory.

Curran really needs to win this fight. It will be interesting to see what happens to him should he lose his fourth in a row in the WEC even at a different weight class than he started.

Joseph Benavidez v. Dominick Cruz

Benavidez is 10-0, 2-0 in the WEC, with eight wins by stoppage. He is a grappler with some striking ability. Cruz is 13-1, 3-1 in the WEC, with six wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with heavy hands.

This is another solid striker vs. grappler match up and this is a great bantamweight fight. I like Benavidez due to his better striking and his competent grappling. I'm picking Benavidez to win by submission in the second round.

Ricardo Lamas v. Danny Castillo

Lamas is 6-0, 1-0 in the WEC, with three wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with solid hands. Castillo is 7-1, 2-1 in the WEC, with six wins by stoppage. He is a grappler with decent striking.

I'm not sure how this fight made the main card with fighters like Leonard Garcia and Rani Yahya on the undercard but so be it. I think Castillo is the better grappler so I'm going to give him the slight edge in this fight even though these guys are similar. I'm picking Castillo to give Lamas his first loss by decision.

Preliminary Card:

Leonard Garcia v. Jameel Massouh

Garcia is 12-4, 3-1 in the WEC, with all 12 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with good hands who likes to brawl. Massouh is 21-5, 0-1 in the WEC, with 17 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with decent striking.

As long as Garcia plays it smart he should have the edge here. If he gets into a brawl who knows what could happen. My guess though is that coming off a devastating loss to Mike Brown for the title Garcia wants to get back on track in the worst way.

The WEC is not doing Massouh any favors by matching him up with Garcia after having to fight Rafael Assuncao (another top featherweight). I don't see it getting any better for Massouh this time around either. I'm picking Garcia to win by submission in the second round.

Marcus Hicks v. Shane Roller

Hicks is 8-2, 3-2 in the WEC, with all eight wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with decent striking. Roller is 5-2, 2-1 in the WEC, with all five wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler.

Hicks has gatekeeper written all over him but unfortunately for Roller I don't see him as a top contender so I'm saying the gate stays closed for him. I'm picking Hicks by TKO in the second round.

Rani Yahya v. John Hosman

Yahya is 13-4, 3-1 in the WEC, with 12 wins by submission. He is a jiu jitsu fighter. Hosman is 13-4-1, making his WEC debut, with 11 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with decent hands.

This is a very tough debut for Hosman going up against a monster of a grappler. Even though Hosman has a solid submission game he is also prone to being tapped out. That is not good when you go up against Yahya. I'm picking Yahya by submission in the first round.

Fredson Paixao v. Cole Provine

Paixao is 8-3, 0-1 in the WEC, with five wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter. Province is 5-1, 0-1 in the WEC, with four wins by submission. He is a grappler.

Both of these guys want this fight on the ground and I doubt either of them are willing to stand so as to not fight against the other guy's strength. If Province can use his wrestling to negate Paixao's jiu jitsu and maintain top control he should get the win. I'm going to say that will be the case and pick Province to win by decision.

Diego Nunes v. Rafael Dias

Nunes is 12-0, 1-0 in the WEC, with 11 wins by stoppage. He has good jiu jitsu with good kickboxing. Dias is 12-5-1, 1-1 in the WEC, with nine wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with decent hands.

Nunes has a more well rounded game and I would expect him to try and keep the fight standing where he has a more distinct advantage. I'm picking Nunes to win by TKO in the second round.

Ed Ratcliff v. Phil Cardella

Ratcliff is 6-1, 2-1 in the WEC, with all six wins by stoppage. He is a striker with some submissions. Cardella is 8-3, 0-1 in the WEC, with seven wins by submission. He is a jiu jitsu fighter.

This is a good striker vs. grappler match up. If Cardella can get the fight to the ground he should win but he's got to get it there first. This is a tough fight to call but I'm going to pick Ratcliff to pull out the win by decision.

Javier Vazquez v. LC Davis

Vazquez is 13-2, making his WEC debut, with nine wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter. Davis is 13-2, also making his WEC debut, with 11 wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with solid submissions and striking.

This fight was supposed to be an undercard fight at Affliction Trilogy until the whole organization folded. Both of these guys are good fighters and it's a tough fight to pick. However, I like how well rounded Davis is and I like his ability to control where the fight takes place with his wrestling.

If Davis is smart he'll use his wrestling to keep the fight standing where he has the advantage. I Like Davis to win a tough decision.

UFC 101 Preview

2009-08-01T20:27:00.001-04:00

A week from today marks the beginning of the UFC's first step toward their next 100 cards. UFC 101 is live from Philadelphia, PA next Saturday also marking the UFC's return to the north east for the first time since UFC 78 in Newark, NJ. Hopefully this is the first step toward a sweep of the three big north east markets (including New York and Boston) which should be opening up within the next year or so.

This card is top heavy though what the rest of the card lacks in star power it more than makes up for in interesting match ups. Let's break down the card:

Main Card:

BJ Penn v. Kenny Florian

Penn is 13-5-1, 9-4 in the UFC, with 10 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with strong boxing skills. Florian is 11-3, 9-2 in the UFC, with 10 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with strong muay thai skills.

This is a superb match up. Penn defends his lightweight title after coming off a devastating loss to Georges St. Pierre at welterweight with the whole "grease gate" ordeal. However, before that he had destroyed three solid opponents to win back and defend his lightweight title.

No offense to Joe Stevenson or Sean Sherk but Florian will be Penn's toughest test since fighting Caol Uno way back at UFC 41 as far as lightweight competition goes. Florian is riding a six fight win streak. Florian brings so much to the table and both fighters are so similar in their skill sets it's a tough fight to predict.

With that said though I think what this fight will come down to are the qualities both men posses outside of their skills. I think Florian has the better cardio so the farther the fight goes the better for him. However, Florian can also be over aggressive giving Penn a chance to counter either on the feet or the ground.

I think Florian has the better and more diverse stand up while Penn has the slight advantage in the jiu jitsu department. I didn't like what I saw out of Penn in terms of his spirit and will in the last fight and I know Florian would never give up like that.

In this man's opinion Florian holds the intangibles edge as well as the cardio edge and possibly the stand up edge. In other words unless Penn catches him early (in the first three rounds) I see Florian pulling this off. I'm picking Florian to finally win the title by TKO in the fourth round.

Anderson Silva v. Forrest Griffin:

Silva is 24-4, 9-0 in the UFC, with 18 wins by stoppage. He is a muay thai fighter with good jiu jitsu skills. Griffin is 16-5, 7-3 in the UFC, with 10 wins by stoppage. He is a kickboxer with underrated jiu jitsu.

This fight carries more star power than the main event but ultimately means little for both men in regards to their career paths. This is a keep busy fight for Silva who awaits his next opponent for his middleweight title and Griffin took this fight for the money and the notoriety even though it carries little weight in terms of getting another title shot.

The UFC picked Griffin on purpose knowing he's a scrapper and should pose more problems for Silva than his last two lackluster opponents (Leites and Cote). However, don't count on this being a slug fest. Griffin isn't stupid and watching Silva's last two fights he seems very hesitant to mix it up.

With that said though this should be a much better fight than Silva's last two. Griffin will stand and trade and the fight is only three rounds so they're more apt to push the action earlier.

In terms of skills we all know Silva is the more complete fighter and is simply at another level than Griffin. However, Griffin is a much stronger opponent than Silva has faced in a long time (possibly ever). Will Silva's striking power hold up and can he avoid Griffin smothering him as I'm sure Griffin wants to try and do early on?

Ultimately I think Silva's speed and technique will win out over Griffin's size and heart. I think it will be a solid fight due to Griffin's ability to make any fight fun. I'm picking Silva to win by TKO in the second round.

Amir Sadollah v. Johny Hendricks

Sadollah is 1-0 overall and in the UFC with that one win by submission. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with some muay thai skills. Hendricks is 5-0, making his UFC debut, with four wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with heavy hands.

This will be Sadollah's first fight since winning the seventh season of The Ultimate Fighter over a year ago. Unfortunately he has had a couple of injuries that have kept him out of the cage but he's looking to make a strong impression after his surprising run to the title. Hendricks comes over from the WEC after their welterweight division folded looking to make a name for himself.

Normally I would pick the wrestler because he can control where the fight takes place but I think taking Sadollah down is a bad idea for Hendricks. I think he's got a better chance keeping the fight standing. Sadollah, even after winning TUF is still a bit of an unknown quantity especially having been away from the cage for a year. However, I'm sure training at Xtreme Couture has given him some new tools to work with.

This is a very tough fight to call however I'm going to pick the upset and say that Hendricks will win by TKO in the second round.

Kendall Grove v. Ricardo Almeida

Grove is 10-5, 5-2 in the UFC, with eight wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with decent muay thai skills. Almeida is 10-3, 3-3 in the UFC, with four wins by submission. He is jiu-jitsu fighter.

This fight unfortunately is a bit of a letdown after Almeida announced that he will be moving down to welterweight after this fight. This doesn't give either man much incentive to win this fight other than not to lose. It will be interesting to see who comes in more focused.

Almeida has the advantage in the grappling and if he can get the fight to the mat (which he might be able to) he should have the advantage. If it stays on the feet I think Grove's gigantic reach advantage and muay thai skills will give him the edge.

I think Grove will come in more focused and can keep the fight on the feet long enough to get the win. I'm picking Grove to win by TKO in the second round.

Josh Neer v. Kurt Pellegrino

Neer is 25-7-1, 4-4 in the UFC, with 21 wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with good muay thai skills and solid jiu jitsu. Pellegrino is 13-4, 5-3 in the UFC, with 10 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with solid wrestling.

This fight sounds like an undercard or a Fight Night fight in my estimation but it should be a good scrap for a couple of guys who could use a little more publicity. Pellegrino is on a two fight win streak and Neer is coming off a big win over Mac Danzig and both guys are looking to stay rolling in the tough lightweight division.

Neer brings the better striking and Pellegrino brings the better jiu jitsu. I think whoever can use their wrestling to their advantage wins this fight. However, I think Neer can hold his own on the ground better than Pellegrino can on the feet. Due to that I'm picking Neer to win by decision.

Preliminary Card:

Shane Nelson v. Aaron Riley

Nelson is 12-3, 2-0 in the UFC, with five wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with OK hands. Riley is 27-11-1, 1-3 in the UFC, with 17 wins by stoppage. He is also a jiu jitsu fighter with decent hands.

This is a rematch from UFC 96 where Nelson got a very controversial TKO win and both of these guys deserve a rematch. I think Riley is going to come out with something to prove and will look to dominate Nelson. However, I foresee a tough fight which is why I'm picking Riley to win by decision.

Tamdan McCrory v. John Howard

McCrory is 11-2, 3-2 in the UFC, with 10 wins by stoppage. He is a striker with decent jiu jitsu. Howard is 11-4, 2-0 in the UFC, with eight wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with some muay thai skills.

This is a good striker vs. grappler match up. I think McCrory is the better all around fighter so I'm going to give him the edge. I'm going to give McCrory a tough decision victory.

Thales Leites v. Alessio Sakara

Leites is 14-2, 5-2 in the UFC, with 11 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter. Sakara, stepping in for an injured Rousimar Palhares, is 13-7, 4-4 in the UFC, with 10 wins by stoppage. He is a boxer with some jiu jitsu.

This is an even better striker vs. grappler match up than the fight before. Honestly I'm not sure why this is on the undercard over Neer v. Pellegrino but my guess is that this is punishment for Leites' less than stellar performance against Anderson Silva his last time out.

With that said I think Leites is the better fighter and will find a way to get this fight to the ground. I'm picking Leites to win by submission in the first round.

Matt Riddle v. Dan Cramer

Riddle is 2-0 overall and in the UFC. He has solid wrestling, boxing, and jiu jitsu. Cramer is 1-0 overall and in the UFC. He has solid jiu jitsu and boxing.

These guys were team mates from The Ultimate Fighter Seven. They know each other very well so this is a very tough fight to call. This is totally a toss up so I'm going to pick Riddle by decision and pray for the best.

George Sotiropoulos v. George Roop

George is 9-2, 2-0 in the UFC, with six wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter. Roop, stepping in for an injured Rob Emerson, is 9-4, 1-1 in the UFC, with five wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with solid wrestling.

In another match up of TUF non winners we also see a match up of two grapplers. I think George's grappling game is better than Roop's so I'm going to pick George by submission in the first round.

Jesse Lennox v. Danillo Villefort

Lennox is 10-1, making his UFC debut, with all 10 wins by stoppage. He is a striker with solid submissions. Villefort is 9-2, also making his UFC debut, with eight wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with solid judo skills.

Both of these guys are coming over from the WEC and are looking to make a name for themselves. Lennox is the more well rounded fighter and I like how he matches up on the feet and my guess is even with Villefort's judo Lennox will be tough to take down. Even if the fight got to the ground Lennox is no dummy there either. I'm picking Lennox to win a tough fight by TKO in the third round.

My pick for submission of the night goes to Thales Leites. My pick for KO of the night goes to Anderson Silva. And my pick for fight of the night goes to Penn v. Florian.

Sengoku Nine Preview

2009-07-26T13:14:00.002-04:00

Next Sunday World Victory Road returns for the first time since May with Sengoku Nine. Live from Saitama Super Arena they will put on the semi final and final of their featherweight grand prix as well as a lightweight championship fight. While no one on this card will be familiar to those who do not follow Japanese MMA there are a lot of good fighters on this card. This should be a very interesting night so let's break down the card:

Featherweight Semi Finals:

Marlon Sandro v. Michihiro Omigawa

Sandro is 14-0, 2-0 in World Victory Road, with seven wins by stoppage. He has good striking and submissions. Omigawa is 6-7-1, 2-0 in WVR, with three wins by KO. He is a judo fighter with solid hands.

Omigawa is the upset special of the tournament but he is running into a brick wall in Sandro. Sandro is too well rounded for Omigawa and I don't see the Cinderella story going any further. I think Sandro has the advantage wherever the fight takes place but I think he'll try to keep it standing and away from Omigawa's superior clinch game. I'm picking Sandro by KO in the first round.

Hatsu Hioki v. Masanori Kanehara

Hioki is 19-3-2, 2-0 in WVR, with 14 wins by stoppage. He is a submission grappler with improving striking. Kanehara is 13-5-5, 2-0 in WVR, with 10 wins by stoppage. He is a submission fighter with decent stand up.

Simply put Hioki is the better fighter. However, this fight is more dangerous than it looks on paper as these two fighters mirror each other's skill sets. With that said though Hioki is more talented and tougher than Kanehara. I'm picking Hioki to earn a decision victory in a much tougher fight than people would expect.

Final:

Marlon Sandro v. Hatsu Hioki

If everything goes as I expect it to here is what I foresee in the finals. Sandro should still be fresh after quickly dispatching Omigawa while Hioki will be worn down after a tough fight with Kanehara. I like Sandro's stand up to be the difference as I believe they would cancel each other out on the ground. I'm going to pick Sandro to earn a tough decision victory over a game but tired Hioki.

Main Card:

Lightweight Championship: Satoru Kitaoka(champion) v. Mizuto Hirota

Kitaoka is 25-8, 5-0 in WVR, with 14 wins by submission. He is a jiu jitsu fighter. Hirota is 11-3-1, 1-1 in WVR, with seven wins by KO. He is a striker.

This should be a great match up of striker v. grappler. If Kitaoka can get the fight to the ground he can win but he'll have to get it there first. I still foresee Kitaoka winning but it will be by a tough decision over a very game Hirota.

Eiji Mitsuoka v. Clay French

Eiji is 15-6-2, 3-1 in WVR, with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with some striking. French is 17-5, 0-1 in WVR, with 12 wins by stoppage. He is also a submission fighter with some striking.

This fight will go one of two ways. Either they will go to the ground where they will most likely cancel each other out or they will slug it out on the feet in a sloppy but entertaining fight. Unfortunately I expect the former. In that case I expect French to pull out a tough decision against Eiji.

Kazuhiro Nakamura v. Kazuo Misaki

Nakamura is 13-9, 2-1 in WVR, with four wins by stoppage. He is judo fighter with decent striking and submissions. Misaki is 21-9-2, he is 2-1 in WVR, with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a submission fighter with solid striking.

Ironically both men are coming off losses to Jorge Santiago and are looking to rebound. Misaki is more talented and I expect him to have an advantage anywhere the fight goes outside of the clinch. I think he will try to take this fight to the ground where he has more control over the fight. I'm picking Misaki by submission in the second round.

Kazuyuki Fujita v. Blagoi Ivanov:

Fujita is 15-7-1, 1-1 in WVR, with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with solid striking and submissions. This is Ivanov's first MMA bout after gaining notoriety for beating Fedor Emelianenko in a Sambo match. Nothing is known about Ivanov other than he is a great Sambo fighter.

While Fujita isn't a world class opponent Ivanov is really getting thrown into the deep end for his first match. It's on a big stage against a solid opponent who is well rounded. Ivanov probably has the advantage in the grappling but Fujita is no slouch and can probably hold his own. I think Fujita would have the advantage in the striking so he'll probably want to keep the fight standing. I'm picking Fujita to win by TKO in the first round.

Yoshihiro Nakao v. Choi Mu Bae

Nakao is 7-2, 1-1 in WVR, with five wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with some kickboxing experience. Choi is 8-3, 1-1 in WVR, with seven wins by stoppage. He is also a wrestler with some striking.

These two are almost identical so hopefully someone can find an advantage somewhere but I get the feeling this could become a boring wrestling match. I'm picking Nakao to win a boring decision victory.

Akihiro Gono v. Dan Hornbuckle:

Gono is 29-14-7, making his WVR debut, with 14 wins by stoppage. He has solid striking and submissions. Hornbuckle is 17-2, 0-1 in WVR, with 14 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with solid striking.

Hornbuckle has a great record but hasn't beaten anyone of consequence. Gono has always been eccentric and erratic in the ring. This is going to lead to one interesting fight. Gono needs a win badly after a very poor showing in the UFC and if Hornbuckle wins this fight he'll put his name on the map especially in Japan where Gono is very well recognized.

Both guys are well rounded so it's very tough to choose. This fight could go either way but I'm going to flip a coin and say that Gono is going to win by submission in the first round.

John Shubert is a staff writer for InsideFights

MMA Fighter Rankings For August

2009-07-26T12:20:00.002-04:00

Time for this month's fighter rankings. Please comment and let me know where I got it right or wrong. Enjoy!

Heavyweight (265 pounds)

1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Brock Lesnar
3. Frank Mir
4. Josh Barnett
5. Alistair Overeem
6. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
7. Randy Couture
8. Shane Carwin
9. Brett Rodgers
10. Cain Velasquez

Also receiving consideration: Jeff Monson, Mirko Cro Cop, and Fabricio Werdum

Note: Lesnar and Mir flip-flop after Lesnar's one-sided victory at UFC 100.

Light Heavyweight (205 pounds)

1. Lyoto Machida
2. Rashad Evans
3. Forrest Griffin
4. Quinton Jackson
5. Renato Sobral
6. Luis Cane
7. Mauricio Rua
8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
9. Thiago Silva
10. Rich Franklin

Also receiving consideration: Keith Jardine

No changes made to this list as everyone was inactive in July.

Middleweight (185 pounds)

1. Anderson Silva
2. Dan Henderson
3. Nate Marquardt
4. Demian Maia
5. Yushin Okami
6. Vitor Belfort
7. Robbie Lawler
8. Jorge Santiago
9. Yoshihiro Akiyama
10. Nick Diaz

Also receiving consideration: Thales Leites, Chael Sonnen, Kazuo Mizaki, Hector Lombard, and Mike Bisping

Note: Bisping falls out of the top ten after being destroyed by Dan Henderson but is still in consideration. Nick Diaz replaces him after beating Frank Shamrock and Scott Smith at catch weights above welterweight.

Welterweight (170 pounds)

1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Jon Fitch
3. Thiago Alves
4. Jake Shields
5. Mike Swick
6. Martin Kampmann
7. Carlos Condit
8. Dan Hardy
9. Frank Trigg
10. Brock Larson

Also receiving consideration: Matt Hughes, Paulo Thiago, Josh Koscheck, Jay Hieron, and Marius Zaromskis

Note: Fitch and Alves flip-flop after Alves got destroyed by GSP and Fitch beat a very game Paulo Thiago at UFC 100. Trigg moves up after Thiago's loss and Larson moves into the top ten riding a five-fight win streak.

Thiago stays in consideration even after losing to Fitch, as there's no shame in that. And last but not least Marius Zaromskis, winner of the DREAM welterweight grand prix, moves into consideration after beating former top welterweight Hayato Sakurai. Sakurai moves out of consideration.

Lightweight (155 pounds)

1. BJ Penn
2. Shinya Aoki
3. Eddie Alvarez
4. Kenny Florian
5. Tatsuya Kawajiri
6. Gesias Calvancante
7. Josh Thomson
8. Gray Maynard
9. Frankie Edgar
10. Satoru Kitaoka

Also receiving consideration: Sean Sherk, Diego Sanchez, and Spencer Fisher

Note: Joachim Hansen moves off the list after being inactive for a year but can immediately jump back on after his fight with Aoki in October. Everyone else moves up a spot and Satoru Kitaoka moves into the top 10.

Featherweight (145 pounds)

1. Mike Brown
2. Wagnney Fabiano
3. Urijah Faber
4. Jose Aldo
5. Leonard Garcia
6. Hatsu Hioki
7. Takeshi Inoue
8. Rafael Assuncao
9. Bibiano Fernandes
10. Marlon Sandro

Also receiving consideration: Nam Phan, Hideki Kadakowi, Hiroyuki Takaya, Joe Warren, Joe Soto, and Josh Grispi

No changes made to this list, as everyone was inactive in July.

Bantamweight (135 pounds)

1. Miguel Torres
2. Brian Bowles
3. Masakatsu Ueda
4. Joseph Benavidez
5. Damacio Page
6. Akitoshi Tamura
7. Takeya Mizugaki
8. Will Ribeiro
9. Marcos Galvao
10. Rani Yahya

Also receiving consideration: Manny Tapia, Atsushi Yamamoto, Mark Oshiro, Dominic Cruz, Chris Cariaso, Jeff Curran, Anotonio Banuelos, and Wilson Reis

No changes made to this list, as everyone was inactive in July.

POUND-FOR-POUND

1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Anderson Silva
3. Fedor Emelianenko
4. Lyoto Machida
5. Miguel Torres
6. BJ Penn
7. Rashad Evans
8. Mike Brown
9. Jon Fitch
10. Forrest Griffin

Also receiving consideration: Quinton Jackson, Thiago Alves

Note: Alves falls out of the top ten allowing Brown to move up and Fitch to move in.

Please check out my weekly news article on InsideFights "No News Barred" every Wednesday. Until next time,

Soccer kicks and head stomps...

John Shubert is a staff writer at InsideFights

DREAM 10 Recap

2009-07-21T21:07:00.001-04:00

DREAM 10 brought us one big surprise, one big comeback, and a card full of entertaining fights. A new welterweight grand prix winner was crowned while Paulo Filho and Shinya Aoki made significant comebacks.

Welterweight Grand Prix Semi Finals

Jason High v. Andre Galvao

High earns a tough victory winning by split decision. He moves on to the final.

Hayato Sakurai v. Marius Zaromskis

In the biggest upset of the night Zaromskis puts away Sakurai by KO (head kick no less) in the very first round. Zaromskis’ only chance was to win on the feet but he took full advantage knocking off the Japanese veteran to move on to the finals against High.

Final

Zaromskis showcases his stand up yet again KO’ing High by head kick in the first round. Unless you’re an avid Cage Rage fan this guy has come out of nowhere to win this tournament. He beat a legend in Sakurai while his only two losses of his career have come against Che Mills who was recently on The Ultimate Fighter Nine but was eliminated in the first round by eventual winner James Wilks.

Zaromskis is still a bit of a mystery. But after beating guys like Sakurai and High in impressive fashion, on the same night, he is definitely someone to keep an eye on.

Main Card

Vitor Ribeiro v. Shinya Aoki

Aoki used his still developing but much improved striking game to beat Ribeiro by unanimous decision. While beating a notorious grappler like Ribeiro on the feet is not impressive it was still a tough fight to come back to after moving up in weight and getting crushed by Sakurai.

This showed that Aoki is still a top contender at lightweight and will be a dangerous test for his next opponent Joachim Hansen. Ribeiro on the other hand probably took this fight too soon having only had one fight since his almost two year layoff. Hopefully he can come back and show why he was considered a top lightweight back in 2007.

Paulo Filho v. Melvin Manhoef

Filho came out and showed the world that he can still be dangerous winning by arm bar in the first round. While beating a noted kickboxer by submission isn’t exactly impressive what is impressive is that Filho appeared to come out focused and prepared for this fight. This was in serious question after his last two perplexing outings but it appears Filho is back on track to become a serious middleweight contender again.

Jesse Taylor v. Dong Sik Yoon

Taylor wins an unfortunate fight by TKO after Yoon goes down with an injury in the first round. While this isn’t the way Taylor wanted to win I’m sure he’ll take the victory which extends his streak to seven. Hopefully we’ll see him against tougher competition soon.

DREAM 10 Preview

2009-07-19T10:41:00.000-04:00

This Monday DREAM returns after a two month layoff at the Saitama Super Arena for DREAM 10. This card will feature the semi final and final of their welterweight grand prix. Also on the card are solid match ups between Vitor Ribeiro v. Shinya Aoki, Paulo Filho v. Melvin Manhoef, and Dong Sik Yoon v. Jesse Taylor.

A lot of fighters have a lot to prove on this card. Aoki needs to prove his dominance back at lightweight after being demolished by semi finalist Hayato Sakurai at welterweight. His opponent, Ribeiro, needs to prove he can handle this step up in competition only two fights back after a two year layoff following an accident.

Paulo Filho needs to prove he can be the fighter he was back when he beat Joe Doerksen for the WEC middleweight title and everyone considered him a threat to Anderson Silva’s king of the middleweights status. And Jesse Taylor needs to prove that he can win on the big stage after his only fight in the UFC was an utter disaster.

This should be a very interesting card, so let’s take a look:

WELTERWEIGHT SEMIFINALS

Jason High v. Andre Galvao

High is 7-1, 1-0 in DREAM, with six wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with a solid submission game and some striking. Galvao is 3-0, 1-0 in DREAM, with all three wins by submission. He is a jiu-jitsu fighter.

Galvao trains with the better teams (Wanderlei Silva and the Nogueira brothers) but he is a very one dimensional fighter so early in his career. He is world class at what he does but he doesn’t strike me as an overpowering force like Demian Maia. I like High who should have the better stand up and should use his wrestling to sprawl and brawl. I’m picking High to win by TKO in the second round.

Hayato Sakurai v. Marius Zaromskis

Sakurai is 35-8-2, 3-0 in DREAM, with 21 wins by stoppage. He is wrestler with good submissions and kickboxing. Zaromskis is 9-2, 1-0 in DREAM, with eight wins by stoppage. He is a kickboxer with some wrestling.

Zaromskis is outclassed here. Sakurai is a legend with a boatload more experience in these pressure situations. If Zaromskis has an advantage anywhere it’s on the feet but even that isn’t a given. I like Sakurai to take the fight to the ground and use his superior grappling to get the job done. I’m picking Sakurai by submission in the first round.

Final

Assuming Sakurai and High win this will be a very intriguing final. High probably has the better wrestling but Sakurai probably has the more complete stand up and submission game making him dangerous wherever the fight goes. High’s only chance is to take him down and hopefully stay active enough to earn a decision or land a lucky punch. I think this gives Sakurai too many other chances to win. I’m picking Sakurai to take the title by KO in the first round.

MAIN CARD

Vitor Ribeiro v. Shinya Aoki

Ribeiro is 20-2, 1-0 in DREAM, with 14 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu-jitsu fighter. Aoki is 20-4, 6-2 in DREAM, with 13 wins by stoppage. He is also a jiu-jitsu fighter with some judo skills.

This is a grappler enthusiast’s dream match. These two guys are both going to want this fight on the ground and the better grappler will win. I’m hoping that they don’t just cancel each other out and it becomes a boring stalemate but it’s certainly a possibility. However, I think Aoki’s aggressive style will either lead to a decision victory for him or leave an opening for Ribeiro to pull off the submission win. This is a really tough fight to call but I’m going to pick Aoki to win a decision by being the more active and aggressive fighter.

Paulo Filho v. Melvin Manhoef

Filho is 16-1, making his DREAM debut, with nine wins by stoppage. He is a jiu-jitsu fighter with some judo skills. Manhoef is 23-5-1, 2-1 in DREAM, with 22 wins by KO. He is a muay thai fighter.

This should be a great match up of grappling v. striking. The question here really is whether Filho has his head together after his last two fights where looked lost in a cloud in the cage. If he has his head together I think his grappling will get him the win. However, if it’s not, Manhoef will knock his head clean off. Unfortunately there’s just no way to know so based off of Filho’s last two fights I’m picking Manhoef to win by TKO in the second round.

Dong Sik Yoon v. Jesse Taylor

Yoon is 4-6, 1-2 in DREAM, with three wins by submission. He is a judo fighter. Taylor is 12-3, making his DREAM debut, with nine wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with solid submissions and striking.

Taylor has really gotten his career back on track since getting crushed by C.B. Dolloway in his only match in the UFC after his infamous Ultimate Fighter debacle. He is on a six fight win streak having won two titles and beating veteran Drew Fickett.

Yoon is definitely not top competition for Taylor but this is the first time he will be back on the big stage since his embarrassing loss one year ago. I think this is a good situation for Taylor to get back in the spotlight away from the US against an opponent who he shouldn’t have much trouble against. Taylor has the better striking and his wrestling should negate Yoon’s ground skills. I’m picking Taylor to win by TKO in the second round.

UFC 100 Recap

2009-07-19T10:40:00.000-04:00

Last night was the biggest night in MMA history and it did not disappoint. The heavyweight championship was unified under the monster that is Brock Lesnar. Georges St. Pierre cemented his pound for pound status by retaining his welterweight title in dominating fashion, and Dan Henderson may have put himself back in the mix for the middleweight championship.

Main Card:

Brock Lesnar v. Frank Mir

You could tell right from the beginning that Lesnar was in a bad way walking into this fight. His eyes looked cold and distant in a way that would probably characterize someone who was about to enter a fight to the death. Unfortunately for Frank Mir, who looked fairly calm and jovial, this spelled trouble.

Mir, for the total of 30 seconds that this fight was on the feet, actually looked pretty impressive. Unfortunately Lesnar played it smart and took the fight to the ground early in both rounds.

He smothered Mir by staying chest to chest (he actually probably reveled in them) and doing just enough to keep referee Herb Dean from standing the fight up. Mir looked very puffy after the first round but not really any worse for wear.

The second round was a completely different story. I thought as the rounds went on Mir could slowly implement his ground game as Lesnar tired and got more slippery giving Mir more room to work. However, that’s when Lesnar turned it on.

Lesnar flattened out Mir against the cage, got wrist control, and just pounded Mir’s face in. Lesnar won by TKO in the second round. After the fight Mir looked like tenderized beef. In fact the beating was so bad that in the replay you could see Mir’s father trying to wave off the fight from his corner. Fortunately Dean stepped in and stopped the fight in short order after a few unanswered punches.

Lesnar and Mir got right in each other’s faces after the fight but fortunately cooler heads prevailed. Lesnar again reveled in the boos after the fight and actually flipped off the crowd. Lesnar may not be the people’s champion but you tell me who’s going to go in there and take that belt from him?

Georges St. Pierre v. Thiago Alves

This fight was textbook Georges St. Pierre from start to finish. He used his reach advantage to stick and move on the feet until a takedown opportunity presented itself and he landed almost every attempt.

He absolutely smothered Alves on the ground not giving him any space to move and completely neutralizing any ground game Alves had. Alves was able to stand back up once or twice only to be taken back down quickly.

St. Pierre unfortunately injured his groin in the third round so he began to coast in the last two rounds, otherwise I felt he could’ve finished the fight. He’s lucky that his star is so bright because almost any other fighter would’ve been booed for basically laying on top of his opponent for five rounds.

However, the fans love him and he stayed active enough on the ground with punches, elbows, knees, and passes to keep the crowd sufficiently entertained. St. Pierre won a unanimous decision winning all five rounds and even getting one 10-8 round. St. Pierre absolutely dominated Alves, who was supposed to be his toughest opponent to date, and cemented his position as the best pound for pound fighter in the world as far as I’m concerned.

Dan Henderson v. Michael Bisping

You knew exactly how this fight was going to go from the moment it started. Henderson looked so good right from the beginning you knew Bisping was in deep, deep trouble. Henderson stalked Bisping from the opening bell.

He stalked and cut off angles loading up his right hand. Bisping tried to fire off counter strikes but those didn’t faze Henderson one bit. Henderson landed some good shots but nothing too punishing in the first round.

The second round began exactly like the first. Henderson stalked and loaded up his right hand as Bisping unwisely kept circling to his left (into Henderson’s right). Bisping stayed in the pocket one too many times and Henderson landed a shot so violent that Bisping went stiff on impact as he fell to the ground. Henderson won by second round KO.

But that wasn’t enough for Henderson who wanted to take a little more out of the hide of Bisping who had been the thorn in his side the entire ninth season of the Ultimate Fighter. Henderson dove in with a brutal elbow to the jaw before the referee could step in that curled Bisping’s toes.

Henderson, with this type of performance, simply cannot be ignored any longer at middleweight. He might’ve lost his first fight with Silva but especially after this fight, he must get the next title shot at middleweight. Hopefully Dana White keeps good on his word about giving the winner of this fight the next title shot.

Jon Fitch v. Paulo Thiago

This fight went pretty much like I expected it to. Fitch used his technically superior striking to keep Thiago off guard and then he would go in for the takedown. Once on the ground Thiago looked good in the first round, as both men were dry, trying to lock in a couple different submissions.

However, as the fight wore on, Fitch just wore down Thiago and smothered him. Unfortunately Fitch doesn’t have the kind of finishing power on the ground to put Thiago in any serious danger. But he completely neutralized Thiago’s ground game while landing some good ground and pound. Fitch earned the unanimous decision victory.

Yoshihiro Akiyama v. Alan Belcher

This was the most controversial fight of the main card. Both guys stood and traded for the majority of the fight but it was not the smartest strategy by Akiyama.

It was obvious that Belcher was the more powerful striker though Akiyama certainly landed some shots of his own. Akiyama was able to get a takedown in the second and third round but wasn’t able to do much from there. This was an incredibly tough fight to call though Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan both felt that Belcher had won.

Akiyama amazingly pulled off a split decision victory with one judge even giving him all three rounds. In my personal opinion I felt Akiyama won but only 29-28. Belcher almost spoiled another big Japanese fighter’s UFC debut but it was not to be. However, Belcher certainly proved that he belongs at the top of the middleweight division.

Preliminary Card:

Mark Coleman v. Stephan Bonnar

Coleman earns an absolutely stunning unanimous decision victory over Stephan Bonnar. The scores were 29-28 across the board.

Mac Danzig v. Jim Miller

Miller earns a not so shocking unanimous decision victory with all judges scoring the bout 30-27.

Jon Jones v. Jake O’Brien

Jones keeps on rolling earning the submission victory by guillotine choke in the second round.

Dong Hyun Kim v. TJ Grant

Kim dominates Grant earning a unanimous decision victory with all judges scoring the fight 30-26. Grant was deducted a point for repeated groin strikes, but the point wouldn’t make a bit of difference in this fight.

C.B. Dolloway v. Tom Lawlor

Lawlor wins by a shocking submission, guillotine choke, in the very first round. He even choked Dolloway unconscious.

Matt Grice v. Shannon Gugerty

Gugerty also wins by submission, another guillotine choke, in the first round.

UFC 100 Preview

2009-07-06T23:14:00.001-04:00

This is it, the biggest card in MMA history comes to you live this Saturday from Las Vegas. The UFC will put on it’s 100th numbered show and they are ushering in the next 100 cards with a bang. We will see two title fights, the first time since UFC 92, as well as The Ultimate Fighter nine coaches battling for a title shot.

In the main event Frank Mir will battle Brock Lesnar to unify the heavyweight championship. This is a rematch of Lesnar’s first fight in the UFC where he looked dominating early but got caught in a submission giving him his only loss of his MMA career. Both guys are coming in hungry to prove that they are the legitimate champion.

The co-main event boasts another title match between pound for pound great and welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre v. Thiago Alves. St. Pierre has basically wiped out the welterweight division save for Alves. Alves doesn’t have the same grappling prowess St. Pierre has but his size and muay thai skills will make for a very interesting match up.

Last but certainly not least The Ultimate Fighter nine coaches, Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping, will square off for a title shot at Anderson Silva’s middleweight belt. The winner of this fight has been promised a title shot by UFC president Dana White. While these guys didn’t stir up too much of a rivalry on the show they obviously got on each other’s nerves so hopefully those emotions will bubble up in this bout.

Let’s break down the entire card:

Brock Lesnar v. Frank Mir:

Lesnar is 3-1, 2-1 in the UFC, with two wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with heavy hands. Mir is 12-3, 10-3 in the UFC, with 10 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu-jitsu fighter with good muay thai.

In their last match Lesnar imposed his will on Mir by taking him down quickly and showing his power. However, he was still very raw and Mir used his slick submission game to catch Brock in a kneebar to get the win. This fight will be nothing like that fight.

Lesnar has a much improved game now and Mir is not the same fighter either. Both fighters will be prepared for what they saw last time. Mir should come out and try to pick Brock apart with his technically superior striking like he did with Nogueira and try to stay away from Brock’s power. He also needs to forget about kicks as he’ll be asking for takedowns by throwing those out there.

Lesnar cannot go to the ground with Mir. Brock will be able to dictate where the fight takes place due to his size advantage but taking the fight to the ground is a risky proposition. Lesnar needs to keep this fight on the feet and in the clinch. He needs to use his power advantage to wear down Mir in the clinch a la Randy Couture and then use his devastating power to finish Mir just like in the Couture fight.

Lesnar finished off a legend of the sport in Randy Couture proving that he is a legitimate fighter. However, Couture is an older and smaller version of Lesnar. Mir has a much more diversified game and showed surprising power against Nogueira. I think Mir will have the better game plan and can improvise better than Brock if things get out of hand. Mir has too many ways to win this fight. I’m picking Mir by submission in the third round.

Georges St. Pierre v. Thiago Alves:

St. Pierre is 20-2, 12-2 in the UFC, with 13 wins by stoppage. He has good muay thai, boxing, jiu-jitsu, and is probably the best effective wrestler in MMA. Alves is 16-3, 9-2 in the UFC, with 11 wins by stoppage. He is a brutal muay thai fighter with some jiu-jitsu skills.

This will be the first fighter St. Pierre has faced where has not had the size advantage. If St. Pierre is to retain his belt he needs to focus on staying inside of Alves to get the fight to ground while avoiding the clinch. If he can get the fight to the mat he should be use his ground game to earn the victory.

Alves on the other hand needs to negate St. Pierre’s wrestling above all else. He showed very effective sprawls against the former king of MMA wrestling Matt Hughes. St. Pierre proved his wrestling has surpassed Hughes’ back at UFC 79 so Alves will have to step his game up again. If he can stay off the mat and use his power advantage in the striking game, either from distance or in the clinch, he should be able to pull off the (T)KO victory.

Both of these fighters are top 10 pound for pound in my book. However, GSP is just in another stratosphere at this point in time. I like St. Pierre to win by submission in the second round.

Dan Henderson v. Michael Bisping:

Henderson is 24-7, 4-2 in the UFC, with 11 wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with heavy hands. Bisping is 17-1, 7-1 in the UFC, with 15 wins by stoppage. He is a kickboxer with some muay thai and jiu-jitsu skills.

This is a classic striker v. grappler match up. Bisping wants to stand and trade while Henderson, if he’s smart, will take the fight to the ground and pound on Bisping. Unless Bisping catches Henderson in a wild flurry (which has never happened) I can’t see Bisping winning this fight.

Henderson has the better power and most importantly the better wrestling so he will decide where the fight takes place. My bet is that Henderson will stand and trade, which he likes to do, until he gets tired of Bisping’s pitter patter shots and takes him down. Neither man has been finished by (T)KO and I don’t see that trend ending here. I’m picking Henderson to earn the decision.

Jon Fitch v. Paulo Thiago:

Fitch is 18-3, 9-1 in the UFC, with 9 wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with good jiu-jitsu and kickboxing along with some muay thai. Thiago is 11-0, 1-0 in the UFC, with 8 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu-jitsu fighter with good muay thai and some judo.

Thiago gets this shot at the highly regarded Fitch after shocking the world with his first round TKO victory over Josh Koscheck back at UFC 95. Fitch badly wants to get back into title contention and a win here would be a big step toward that goal.

Thiago is a good grappler when it comes to jiu-jitsu but Fitch has the better wrestling. Fitch is the more technical striker but Thiago has the power advantage. Fitch has proven his toughness time and time again while Thiago is a bit of an unknown quantity.

This is a very tough fight to pick. However, I’d like to think that unless Fitch makes a major mistake and gets caught, on the feet or the ground, his technique, wrestling, and toughness should earn him the advantage in this fight. I see Fitch earning a very tough decision victory to give Thiago his first loss.

Yoshihiro Akiyama v. Alan Belcher:

Akiyama is 12-1, making his UFC debut, with all 12 wins by stoppage. He is a judo fighter with good kickboxing. Belcher is 14-5, 5-3 in the UFC, with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a muay thai fighter with solid jiu-jitsu.

Akiyama is the latest import to come to the UFC looking to challenge Anderson Silva for his middleweight title. Akiyama brings an exciting, well rounded game over from Japan and is looking to make an early impact. Alan Belcher is a bit of spoiler though. He ruined Denis Kang’s long awaited debut in the UFC back at UFC 93.

Akiyama is more of a grappler and Belcher is more of a striker however both have enough tools in their belt to be good wherever the fight goes. Both of these guys are exciting fighters who love to finish fights so this should be an exciting match that doesn’t go the distance.

I am always a little concerned about fighters coming to the UFC for the first time, even fighters like Akiyama who have been in front of huge crowds before. The crowds in America are different and fighting in a cage has nuances that must be learned through experience.

I think Akiyama is the better fighter but I think it will be a closer fight than people expect. I like Akiyama to be competitive standing but to use his judo to get the fight to the mat where he can end it by submission. I’m picking Akiyama by submission in the second round.

Mark Coleman v. Stephen Bonnar:

Coleman is 15-9, 6-4 in the UFC, with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler. Bonnar is 11-5, 5-4 in the UFC, with 9 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu jitsu fighter with solid boxing and muay thai.

Coleman is simply over the hill and shouldn’t be fighting anymore. However, the commissions keep clearing him and Dana White lets him fight simply because he’s a UFC hall of famer. Bonnar shouldn’t have any issues in this fight. He has the better striking and conditioning. And even if Coleman gets the fight to the ground Bonnar can submit Coleman. I’m picking Bonnar by submission in the first round.

Mac Danzig v. Jim Miller:

Danzig is 18-6-1, 2-2 in the UFC, with 14 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu-jitsu fighter with solid boxing. Jim Miller is 13-2, 2-1 in the UFC, with 10 wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with good jiu-jitsu.

This should be a very good match up of grapplers. I like Miller because he can do a better job of where the fight takes place. I think he will take the fight to the mat but he should have top position most of the fight giving him more offensive opportunities and points in the judges’ eyes. I’m picking Miller to win by decision.

Jon Jones v. Jake O’Brien:

Jones is 8-0, 2-0 in the UFC, with six wins by stoppage. He is a wreslter with good muay thai. O’Brien is 11-2, 4-2 in the UFC, with eight wins by KO. He is a wrestler with good striking.

These are two similar fighters in terms of skill sets. However, I think Jones is more athletic and has the better technical skills in both the striking and grappling. I’m picking Jones to win by TKO in the first round.

Dong Hyun Kim v. TJ Grant:

Kim is 11-0-1, 2-0 in the UFC, with seven wins by stoppage. He is judo fighter with good kickboxing and some jiu-jitsu. Grant is 14-2, 1-0 in the UFC, with 13 wins by stoppage. He is jiu-jitsu fighter with some muay thai skills.

Both of these fighters are good grapplers and I think they will probably negate each other on the ground. That leaves it up to who has the better striking. I believe this to be Kim who has shown better finishing power and good technique. I’m picking Kim to win a tough fight by decision to keep the undefeated streak alive.

CB Dolloway v. Tom Lawlor:

Dolloway is 8-1, 2-1 in the UFC, with seven wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with good muay thai and solid jiu-jitsu. Lawlor is 5-1, 1-0 in the UFC, with four wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler.

In this match up of Ultimate Fighter alumns the fight will come down to who can impose his will on the other. Whoever has the better wrestling will dictate where the fight takes place. If it takes place on the feet I like Dolloway’s chances but if the fight goes to the mat and Lawlor’s on top I think he could come out the victor. I think Dolloway has the more well rounded game so I’m picking him to win by TKO in the second round.

Matt Grice v. Shannon Gugerty:

Grice is 9-2, 1-2 in the UFC, with six wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler. Gugerty is 11-3, 1-1 in the UFC, with all 11 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu-jitsu fighter with decent striking.

Grice can control where this fight takes place and I like his chances better on the feet than on the mat. With that said both guys are susceptible on the feet so this fight becomes a real toss up. I’m going to pick out of a hat and go with Grice who seems to me to have better finishing power. I’m picking Grice by TKO in the second round.

MMA Fighter Rankings For July

2009-06-21T13:41:00.001-04:00

Time for this month's fighter rankings. Please comment and let me know where I got it right or wrong. Enjoy!

Heavyweight (265 pounds)

1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Frank Mir
3. Brock Lesnar
4. Josh Barnett
5. Alitair Overeem
6. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
7. Randy Couture
8. Shane Carwin
9. Brett Rodgers
10. Cain Velasquez

Also receiving consideration: Jeff Monson, Mirko Cro Cop, and Fabricio Werdum

Note: Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia both fall out of consideration after losing badly to fighters who were not in consideration until now. Brett Rodgers and Cain Velasquez have taken their places after Rodgers beat Arlovski and Velasquez beat fellow contender Cheick Kongo. Kongo falls out of consideration after that loss.

Light Heavyweight (205 pounds)

1. Lyoto Machida
2. Rashad Evans
3. Forrest Griffin
4. Quinton Jackson
5. Renato Sobral
6. Luis Cane
7. Mauricio Rua
8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
9. Thiago Silva
10. Rich Franklin

Also receiving consideration: Keith Jardine

No changes made to this list as everyone was inactive except Rich Franklin who fought at 195 lbs.

Middleweight (185 pounds)

1. Anderson Silva
2. Dan Henderson
3. Nate Marquardt
4. Demian Maia
5. Yushin Okami
6. Vitor Belfort
7. Robbie Lawler
8. Jorge Santiago
9. Yoshihiro Akiyama
10. Mike Bisping

Also receiving consideration: Thales Leites, Chael Sonnen, Kazuo Mizaki, Hector Lombard, and Nick Diaz

Robbie Lawler lost but to an elite fighter outside of his weight class so it won't be counted against him on this list. Hector Lombard was added to the considered list after winning the Bellator middleweight tournament. Nick Diaz was added to the considered list after beating Frank Shamrock and Scott Smith.

Welterweight (170 pounds)

1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Thiago Alves
3. Jon Fitch
4. Jake Shields
5. Mike Swick
6. Martin Kampmann
7. Carlos Condit
8. Dan Hardy
9. Paulo Thiago
10. Frank Trigg

Also receiving consideration: Hayato Sakurai, Matt Hughes, Brock Larson, Josh Koscheck, Jay Hieron, and Karo Parisyan

Note: Shields moves up to the fourth spot after beating Robbie Lawler in a higher weight class. Kampmann moves down due to Swick's impressive win over Ben Saunders. Hardy replaces Marcus Davis who has fallen off the list after losing to Hardy. And Nick Thompson falls off the list after losing to Tim Kennedy.

Lightweight (155 pounds)

1. BJ Penn
2. Shinya Aoki
3. Eddie Alvarez
4. Joachim Hansen
5. Kenny Florian
6. Tatsuya Kawajiri
7. Gesias Calvancante
8. Josh Thomson
9. Gray Maynard
10. Frankie Edgar

Also receiving consideration: Sean Sherk, Satoru Kitaoka, Diego Sanchez, and Spencer Fisher

Note: Caol Uno comes off the considered list after his loss to Spencer Fisher.

Featherweight (145 pounds)

1. Mike Brown
2. Wagnney Fabiano
3. Urijah Faber
4. Jose Aldo
5. Leonard Garcia
6. Hatsu Hioki
7. Takeshi Inoue
8. Rafael Assuncao
9. Bibiano Fernandes
10. Marlon Sandro

Also receiving consideration: Nam Phan, Hideki Kadakowi, Hiroyuki Takaya, Joe Warren, Joe Soto, and Josh Grispi

Note: Fabiano and Faber switch places after Faber's second loss to Brown. Aldo hops Garcia after an impressive win over Cub Swanson. Antonio Cavalho falls off the considered list after a year of inactivity. Joe Soto is added to the considered list after winning the Bellator featherweight tournament. And Josh Grispi is added to the list after his impressive win over Jens Pulver.

Bantamweight (135 points)

1. Miguel Torres
2. Brian Bowles
3. Masakatsu Ueda
4. Joseph Benavidez
5. Damacio Page
6. Akitoshi Tamura
7. Takeya Mizugaki
8. Will Ribeiro
9. Marcos Galvao
10. Rani Yahya

Also receiving consideration: Manny Tapia, Atsushi Yamamoto, Mark Oshiro, Dominic Cruz, Chris Cariaso, Jeff Curran, Anotonio Banuelos, and Wilson Reis

Note: Scott Jorgensen falls off the considered list after losing to Antonio Banuelos. As a result Banuelos takes his spot on the list. And Wilson Reis is added to the list after a good run in Bellator.

POUND-FOR-POUND

1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Anderson Silva
3. Fedor Emelianenko
4. Lyoto Machida
5. Miguel Torres
6. BJ Penn
7. Rashad Evans
8. Thiago Alves
9. Mike Brown
10. Forrest Griffin

Also receiving consideration: Quinton Jackson

Note: Brown moves up to number nine after beating Faber again. Faber moves off the list while Griffin and Jackson slide down.

Please check out my weekly news article on InsideFights "No News Barred" every Wednesday. Until next time,

Soccer kicks and head stomps...

John Shubert is a staff writer at InsideFights

The Ultimate Fighter Nine Finale Recap

2009-06-21T12:32:00.001-04:00

This card delivered in full with two barn burners, a great finish, and two more very competitive fights. Clay Guida and Diego Sanchez stole the show while the Brits cleaned house to claim both prizes on this season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Unfortunately, four out of the five main card fights went to decision so no preliminary bouts were shown.

Jason Dent v. Cameron Dollar: I predicted that it would end by submission in the first round and that's exactly what happened. Dent comes away with a victory by anaconda choke. Dent may wind up being the biggest sleeper from this season, just like Ben Saunders was from season six.

Nick Osipczak v. Frank Lester: No suprises here as Nick wins by rear naked choke in the first round. I gave Frank a little more credit for the toughness that he displayed during the show but I definitely got the pick right. Nick will challenge Dent for biggest sleeper from this season and could wind up having a better career than the lightweight winner.

Mike Ciesnolevicz v. Tomasz Drwal: Mike came in three pounds over the 205 pound limit, so this battle was contested at a catch weight. Drwal finished the fight by TKO in the first round.

Brad Blackburn v. Edgar Garcia: Blackburn pulls out the split decision victory here. I definitely didn't give Garcia enough credit for how tough he is. However, I will note that during the broadcast Joe Rogan pointed out that the decisions on the under card were iffy at best. So with this being a split decision I'll take the credit for getting the pick right but I'll take it with a grain of salt.

Melvin Guillard v. Gleison Tibau: Another split decision gave the fight to Guillard. Again I didn't give the competition enough credit for his toughness as Tibau lasts the whole fight. I got the pick right but again I'll take it with a grain of salt apparently due to iffy judging.

Joe Stevenson v. Nate Diaz: What a difference a camp can make. I was unaware of the fact that Stevenson had gone to train with the famed Greg Jackson camp. He looked like a completely different fighter than in his last two fights.

Stevenson was not predictable, he was prepared, he looked improved, and he had a rock solid gameplan. Stevenson said it best when he remarked about having Jackson in his corner, "it's like having Chuck Norris in your corner, it's almost unfair."

Stevenson came in and just took it to Diaz. He played it safe and kept the pressure on Diaz while making sure the fight took place on the mat. He didn't give Diaz any distance on the feet with the exception of the last minute of the fight when he already had the fight won.

On the ground he did the same thing making sure that he always stayed close to Diaz and trying to stay aggressive. He did a great job of posturing out of any of Diaz's submission attempts and almost finished a guillotine of his own. Neither man was in a whole lot of trouble in this fight but it was obvious who was in control the entire time.

Diaz looked totally overwhelmed in this fight and must work on his wrestling in order to avoid another loss like in his last two fights. This was a great comeback win for Stevenson who looks like he can still be relevant in the lightweight division now that he's moved camps. Diaz needs a win badly in his next fight to remain in the UFC.

I got the prediction right but didn't pick the right fighter. Stevenson took the unanimous decision victory.

Andre Winner v. Ross Pearson: This was a very competitive fight. Both guys traded shots on the feet though Winner obviously had the better technical striking. However, Pearson definitely landed the more damaging shots. I was a little surprised though that Pearson wasn't as good with the takedowns.

This was still a very competitive fight from start to finish but it went nothing like I thought it would. Pearson picks up the unanimous decision victory picking up the first win for the Brits along with the six figure UFC contract. I got the pick right but not the prediction.

I think there's a very good chance Dent and Osipczak could wind up being better than Pearson. He just doesn't impress me. And even though I know there's no chance of this happening, I would love to see Pearson fight Dent next.

Chris Lytle v. Kevin Burns: This would have been fight of the night on any other card. These guys, who are both accomplished grapplers, went toe to toe for three rounds. They battled like warriors.

Both guys came out swinging and Burns caught Lytle with a good uppercut in the first round that had him rocked. Lytle hung in there and was able to recover between rounds. In the second round Lytle bounced back and was pounding away at the body of Burns which was visibly wearing him down.

In the third Lytle poured it on and bloodied up Burns pretty good. It was a great war but one that Lytle definitely deserved to win as he got the unanimous decision victory.

Damarques Johnson v. James Wilks: What an impressive display by Wilks. I thought this would be a close fight and boy was I wrong. Wilks came out and just battered Johnson on the feet.

Wilks eventually got the fight to the ground, secured Johnson's back and finished the fight with a rear naked choke right at the end of the first round. This was a very disappointing showing for Johnson who was supposedly the best the Americans had to offer this season.

Wilks picks up a well deserved win and six figure UFC contract. This win made it a sweep for the Brits on this season of TUF which is very disappointing for me. Hopefully if the UFC decides to do another country v. country season the U.S. team will have a better showing.

Diego Sanchez v. Clay Guida: In an opening stanza reminiscent of Don Frye v. Yoshihiro Takayama these two opened up on each other like wild wolverines in heat. Sanchez had Guida up against the proverbial ropes but Guida battled back to get back in the fight.

Sanchez went on to land a brutal head kick that would've finished 99% of the fighters in the UFC, but not Guida. He got right back up and kept plugging. The first round was so one sided one judge gave Sanchez a 10-8 round which is almost unheard of in mixed martial arts.

The second round was definitely Guida's as he took Sanchez down right away and kept the pressure on with some solid ground pound though nothing hurt Sanchez. Sanchez landed some good elbows that bloodied up Guida but didn't seem to phase him.

The third round belonged to Sanchez. He scored some points on the feet and then slipped up going for a submission and wound up on his back. However, he totally neutralized Guida's ground and pound with another submission attempt to lock up the round.

Sanchez pulls away with a split decision victory and a fight of the night award.

It was a great fight and there's nothing for Guida to be ashamed of. He'll be right back in the mix at 155 in no time.

This is a huge victory for Diego Sanchez. I think he is one win away from a title shot. I'd like to see him face a top level guy like Gray Maynard or Frankie Edgar for a shot at the winner of Penn v. Florian.

The Ultimate Fighter Nine Finale Preview

2009-06-21T00:08:00.000-04:00

Another season of The Ultimate Fighter has come and gone. This season saw the Brits take on the Americans for MMA supremacy. The Brits finished with three out of the four finalists guaranteeing themselves at least a tie for which team won this season.

The main card features both the lightweight and welterweight finals as well as two pivotal lightweight match ups. Two Brits duke it out for the lightweight title while the lone American, Damarques Johnson, battles rival James Wilks for the welterweight crown.

In a match that will probably lead to a number one contender’s match Diego Sanchez will take on fan favorite Clay Guida. Rounding out the card is Joe Stevenson v. Nate Diaz who are both in need of a win. In fact both fighters lost to one of the two guys in the main event in their most recent fight.

Surprisingly only four fighters from the show will round out the undercard. Let’s start to break down these fights:

Jason Dent v. Cameron Dollar: Dent is 18-9, 0-2 in the UFC, with 18 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu-jitsu fighter. Dollar is 2-1, making his UFC debut, with both wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler.

Dent is a really tough dude with a good ground game. Dollar is a good wrestler but he is susceptible on the ground. I like Dent due to his experience and prior fights in the UFC so he’s used to the big stage. I’m picking Dent to win by submission in the first round.

Nick Osipczak v. Frank Lester: Nick is 3-0, making his UFC debut, with all three wins by stoppage. Nick is a striker. Lester is 3-2, also making his UFC debut, with all three wins by KO. He is also a striker.

This is going to be another tough fight for Lester who undoubtedly was the toughest guy in the house this season. Nick is long and a more technically sound striker than Lester, just like James Wilks, who had to beat Lester twice to make it to the finals. I expect Nick to pick Lester apart, wear him down, and get the finish. I’m picking Nick to win by TKO in the third round.

Mike Ciesnolevicz v. Tomasz Drwal: Mike is 17-3, 1-0 in the UFC, with 13 wins by stoppage. He is a well rounded fighter with solid striking and submissions. Drwal is 15-2, 1-1 in the UFC, with 13 wins by stoppage. He is a striker.

Mike would be smart to put Drwal on his back. I think Mike’s wrestling and submission game is too good for Drwal’s striking which Mike is no slouch at. Plus Mike comes out of a great camp in Team Miletich so he should have a solid gameplan coming into this fight. I’m picking Mike by submission in the first round.

Brad Blackburn v. Edgar Garcia: Blackburn is 16-9-1, 2-0 in the UFC, with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a striker. Garcia is 7-0, making his UFC debut, with six wins by stoppage. He is also a striker.

This should be an entertaining stand up battle. I like Blackburn’s experience to be the difference especially on the big stage. I’m picking Blackburn to win by TKO in the first round.

Melvin Guillard v. Gleison Tibau: Guillard is 21-7-2, 4-3 in the UFC, with 16 wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with good muay thai. Tibau is 16-6, 5-3 in the UFC, with 10 wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler and jiu-jitsu fighter.

This should be a good clash of styles. The key to this fight is whose wrestling is better. If Guillard can sprawl and brawl he will have the advantage. If Tibau gets the fight to the mat he has the advantage. I like Guillard’s wrestling so I’m picking Guillard by TKO in the second round.

Chris Lytle v. Kevin Burns: Lytle is 26-17-5, 5-9 in the UFC, with 22 wins by stoppage. He is grappler with good wrestling and jiu-jitsu but also has decent boxing. Burns is 7-2, 2-1 in the UFC, with all seven wins by stoppage. He is a jiu-jitsu fighter.

Burns may have the better record but Lytle has a more well rounded game and a world of experience against better competition. Lytle would be smart to use his wrestling to keep the fight standing and use his boxing where he probably has an advantage. Burns can certainly hold his own and this will be a tough fight but I see Lytle pulling out the decision victory.

Joe Stevenson v. Nate Diaz: Stevenson is 29-10, 6-4 in the UFC, with 19 wins by stoppage. He is wrestler and jiu-jitsu fighter. Diaz is 10-3, 5-1 in the UFC, with nine wins by stoppage. He is jiu-jitsu fighter with some boxing.

As much as I like Joe “Daddy” this is going to be a really tough fight. He hasn’t looked great on his feet in his last two losses and Diaz has the length advantage to keep him at bey and outpoint him all night. Stevenson’s wrestling is better but once the fight is on the mat he’ll have to be very careful with Diaz’s jiu-jitsu. Stevenson is no slouch on the ground but his wrestling isn’t as good as Guida’s who used it to stall Diaz in their last match.

This fight will come down to two things. Can Stevenson get inside of Diaz’s reach to score points on the feet? Or can he do any damage once on the ground without getting caught by Diaz? I think in both cases Stevenson is going to have to take a lot of risks to win this fight and I just don’t like the odds. I think Diaz will use his reach to stay outside and away from Stevenson’s takedowns. He doesn’t have the KO power to finish the fight but I expect him to outpoint Stevenson on the feet for the decision win.

That would make it three losses in a row for Stevenson who can’t afford to give up any more ground in the division. If he loses this fight it’s going to be a very long, hard road back to title contention.

Andre Winner v. Ross Pearson: Winner is 9-2, making his UFC debut, with four wins by stoppage. He is a boxer. Pearson is 8-3, also making his UFC debut, with seven wins by stoppage. He is a jiu-jitsu fighter.

This will be another good clash of styles. The winner here will be the one who can impose his will on the other to get the fight to where they want it. I like Pearson’s style and toughness to get the fight to the mat where he should have the advantage. I see Pearson winning the first six figure contract by submission in the second round.

Damarques Johnson v. James Wilks: Johnson is 9-6, making his UFC debut, with eight wins by stoppage. He is a well rounded fighter with solid boxing and jiu-jitsu skills. Wilks is 5-2, also making his UFC debut, with all five wins by stoppage. He is a jiu-jitsu fighter with solid stand up.

This should be a good scrap between two guys who have no love lost for each other. I don’t think either will let their emotions get in the way of that contract but you never know. I think both showed well rounded skills but I liked what I saw out of Johnson more.

I don’t think Johnson is significantly better than Wilks so I think Johnson will earn a tough decision victory for the second UFC contract. This will leave the season tied between the two teams though there should be an asterisk in regards to the fact that there were three Brits in the finals.

Diego Sanchez v. Clay Guida: Sanchez is 20-2, 9-2 in the UFC, with 15 wins by stoppage. He is a a wrestler with solid jiu-jitsu and muay thai. Guida is 25-9, 5-3 in the UFC, with 16 wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with solid boxing and muay thai.

I love Clay Guida but Sanchez is simply the better fighter. Guida relies on his wrestling far too much and it just won’t carry him to a win in this fight. Sanchez is as good as, if not better than, Guida at wrestling and Sanchez has a distinct size advantage. This fight will take place where Sanchez wants it to and I don’t think he’ll take it to the ground unless he has to.

I think Sanchez has the better stand up and it will show in this fight. Guida is a tough guy and has never actually been KO’d so it will be interesting to see if Sanchez can put a chink in that armor. I think Sanchez will beat up Guida pretty good on the feet to earn himself a decision victory.

This should be a solid night of free fights and a good end to another season of The Ultimate Fighter. My pick for submission of the night goes to Mike Ciesnolevicz. My pick for KO of the night goes to Brad Blackburn. My pick for fight of the night goes to Sanchez v. Guida.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for my TUF 9 Finale recap and as always No News Barred every week on InsideFights. Until then,

Soccer kicks and head stomps...

The Ultimate Fighter Nine: Episode Twelve Review

2009-06-18T21:25:00.000-04:00

Well this was the last week on this season of The Ultimate Fighter. It featured the final welterweight semi-final to find out who the last finalist is to move on to the finale this Saturday. All in all it was a solid end to a solid season.

The episode starts off with Dan Henderson going over to the house for one last meal with the boys. Everything goes off without a hitch. Though there is some light hearted ribbing of Dan's fairly mockable cauliflower ears - not as subtle as BJ Penn but not alien looking like James Thompson.

We move on to the training sessions where Henderson implores Frank Lester to not brawl with James Wilks and to throw straighter punches. Frank looks much more relaxed than their last time fighting each other.

In fact it's so noticeable that the U.K. team warns Wilks not to underestimate Lester. They all tell Wilks he has an even better puncher's chance than before due to his new found state of mind.

We even see Wilks and Lester hanging out cutting weight and Lester got all philosophical on Wilks. The producers also decided to show a nice moment between the two where they signed each other's jerseys and talked about Lester's daughter. I found this to be odd but it was still nice to see that just because you fight each other doesn't mean you have to hate the other guy.

After that we move on to the U.K. team's final dinner where they brought their coaches over. There was a particularly great moment where Wilks tricks Bisping into trying to slap a non existent coin off his forehead in what was a pretty funny party trick.

After that the dinner degenerated into a food fight and eventually Andre Winner getting thrown in the pool with a bag of flour dumped on his face. Yes it was juvenile but I still laughed my ass off.

Finally we get to fight day. Lester fares slightly better on this go round but ultimately it wasn't enough. Lester couldn't get off. Wilks was the aggressor the majority of the time and showed much better technical striking skills.

Lester would've been smart to listen to his coaches and use his jab to set up his power punches but instead he loaded up which let Wilks pick him apart. Ultimately the knees did in Lester again. He was exhausted in the third round and once Wilks started landing the knees the fight was over.

Wilks moves on to face Damarques Johnson for the welterweight crown. These two have a nice little rivalry going and I'm pretty excited to see them meet in the cage. It's a pretty one sided rivalry since Wilks had nothing to say about Johnson but it's good to have a little spice in the finale since the lightweight final is between two Brits.

After the fight Lester was pretty down but Henderson seemed proud of (almost) all of his fighters (ahem, Jason Pierce, ahem). Bisping was even more proud considering there were low expectations for his crew.

There was some buzz ginned up between Henderson and Bisping for their fight at UFC 100. Henderson straight up called Bisping a d-bag and Bisping feels disrespected because he thinks Henderson doesn't take him seriously. I really don't think these guys dislike each other all that much. I think it's just talk due to the nature of the show and the fact that they're fighting each other.

All in all I thought this season was a success. It didn't carry with it any of the garbage from last season where things at the house got out of control. There was some personal drama, some good fights, and some good laughs to boot.

Obviously I'm pretty disappointed the US didn't produce a better result but that's the breaks. The country v. country format worked for me but I don't want to see it back too soon. I'm happy the next season will focus on one weight class with no elimination fights - kicking it old school!

As always I end with my quote of the week. This week Damarques has the final honors as he tries to describe the level of hatred he carries for his opponent in the finale, James Wilks: “That dude, I don’t know what it is, his mannerisms, his f'ing face just tugs on my life cord and makes me want to hurt somebody.” Indeed Mr. Johnson... indeed.

Well that's it for this season everyone. I hope you enjoy the finale Saturday and if you want to read my preview or recap of the events please check them out at InsideFights along with my weekly news recap No News Barred every Weds. Also, make sure you keep it locked for my monthly fighter rankings coming soon. Until next season,

Soccer kicks and head stomps...

John Shubert is staff writer for InsideFights

UFC 99 Recap

2009-06-15T13:31:00.000-04:00

Well I have to say this card wasn’t what I expected. I was one of a minority of people who thought this card was worthy of a PPV. However, with hindsight being 20/20, I don’t believe it lived up to expectations.

Don’t get me wrong, there were some exciting fights and a couple good finishes, but overall it wasn’t what I expected. I really expected some more exciting finishes but I think the real letdown here was Joe Silva’s match making. Styles make fights and this time I think Silva goofed on a couple match ups where the fighter’s styles basically neutralized each other.

Hats off to the guys who tried to keep the fights exciting but I think in a couple instances some fighters got dragged into a boring fight even if it wasn’t in their nature. Let’s do a brief recap of the undercard (which wasn’t shown due to having six fights on the main card) and then we’ll review the main card fights:

John Hathaway v. John Story: Hathaway wins by unanimous decision. He is now 2-0 in the UFC and hopefully we’ll get to see him start to fight some guys with UFC experience. I picked this fight right on the nose.

Denis Stojnic v. Stefan Struve: Struve wins by rear naked choke in the second round. I got the pick right but not the prediction. I was right Struve would get the fight to the ground but I gave Stojnic’s ground game too much credit. I doubt we’ll be seeing Stojnic back in the UFC.

Paul Kelly v. Rolando Delgado: Kelly gets the win by unanimous decision. I got the pick right but not the prediction. I didn’t give Rolando enough credit for his toughness to last the whole fight with Kelly.

Paul Taylor v. Peter Sobotta: Taylor picks up the win by unanimous decision. I got the pick right but not the prediction. Again, I didn’t give the loser enough credit for how tough he was to last the whole fight. It was a sad showing in front of the home country fans for one of only two German fighters on the card.

Denis Siver v. Dale Hartt: Siver picks up the win by rear naked choke in the first round. I picked this one right on the button. After a rough start to his UFC career Siver has thrown together a couple wins and this was a big one in front of his countrymen. Hartt has been completely unimpressive in his UFC career and I wouldn’t expect to see him back.

Terry Etim v. Justin Buchholz: Etim picks up the win by d’arce choke in the second round. I got the pick right but not the prediction. I totally underestimated Etim’s ground game on this one thinking Buchholz would neutralize it being a submission fighter himself. It’s back to the drawing board for Buchholz but Etim has thrown together a nice little win streak after a brief rough patch.

Marcus Davis v. Dan Hardy: This was one of the fights that did not live up the hype. Davis’ aggression played against him often looking to punish Hardy instead of making the smart decision. It often backfired on Davis causing him to be the one who took most of the punishment.

The fighters didn’t spend nearly as much time on their feet as I thought they would. Davis tried repeatedly to get the fight to mat, which was a smart tactical decision, but it just didn’t work out the way he wanted. He was very aggressive off his back but Hardy just shrugged him off and delivered some good ground and pound.

Neither fighter was ever in any serious danger but Hardy delivered the better damage and had better position most of the fight. He won a hard fought split decision which I agreed with. I got the prediction right but I picked the wrong fighter.

Davis appeared beside himself after the loss. I’m not sure if it was due to the decision or if it was just losing to Hardy. In either case he showed very little class which was a surprise coming from Davis.

This really skyrockets Hardy up the standings in the welterweight division. I would love to see him fight someone like Martin Kampmann next.

Unfortunately for Davis this is a costly set back for him since he is already 35. I’d like to see him take on someone like Brock Larson so he can get right back in the mix at 170.

Spencer Fisher v. Caol Uno: In another fight that really didn’t live up to my expectations, this was a perfect example of how styles not only make fights but can kill them. Uno knows just enough on the feet to negate Fisher’s striking and Fisher knows just enough on the ground to negate Uno’s grappling. Hence these two wound up in a stale mate for the majority of the fight.

Joe Rogan tried to play it off like it was a fascinating technical battle but really it wasn’t. Fisher did enough on his feet to earn the win by unanimous decision. I got this pick right but not the prediction.

Caol Uno was a good test for Fisher but I’d like to see him take a step up like a Sean Sherk. For Uno this was not the reintroduction he wanted. If he can’t beat Spencer Fisher there’s no reason to stay in the UFC. I don’t know how long his contract is but if I was him I’d go back to Japan where he’s enjoyed much more success.

Mike Swick v. Ben Saunders: This fight had a great finish but was underwhelming overall. Saunders, in a very unusual move, pulled Swick into his guard almost immediately. This sparked some lively smack talk which the audience was privy to since they were right next to the announce table.

Saunders continually tried to keep Swick close to him either in the clinch or on the ground. Swick proved why, blasting Saunders away in the second round for the TKO victory. I got the pick right but was one round too late on the prediction.

Saunders was just over matched on his feet and apparently even he knew it. Swick was simply too fast and too strong even with Saunders’ length and size.

If you ask me Swick is probably one win away from a title shot and I’d love to see him face the winner of the Fitch v. Thiago fight or the loser of the St. Pierre v. Alves fight for that opportunity. For Saunders it’s back to the drawing board but I think this is one of those losses that will ultimately wind up being a positive experience for him in the long run.

Mirko Cro Cop v. Mustapha Al-turk: This fight went exactly as everyone predicted with Cro Cop getting the TKO victory in the first round. I picked this one right on the nose.

It was a bitter sweet end as Cro Cop hunted him down the entire round but couldn’t put him away until Al-turk got caught by an unintentional eye poke which allowed Cro Cop to get on top of him and finish the fight. I’m not sure what’s next for Cro Cop since he only had a one fight deal but hopefully we’ll see him back in the UFC soon. For Al-turk another loss almost guarantees his exit from the UFC.

Cain Velasquez v. Cheick Kongo: This fight was the craziest fight of the night by far. Velasquez got dropped by two brutal punches early in the first round but he was able to get the takedown on Kongo. He rode Kongo the entire round landing some good ground and pound and almost finishing him with a rear naked choke.

It was like deja vu in the second round as Velasquez got hurt again early by a Kongo punch but again was able to get the takedown. He continued to ride Kongo the entire round and deliver some more good ground and pound.

Both fighters were visibly tired by the third round which lead to a more competitive round. Velasquez didn’t even bother trying to stand and immediately went for the takedown. Kongo did a better job stuffing his shots and getting back to his feet when on the mat but ultimately he was overmatched in the grappling department.

Velasquez delivered more ground and pound to earn himself a unanimous decision victory. I got the pick right on the button again. This fight opened up big questions about both fighters though.

You have to question Velasquez’ striking now. Yes he’s powerful but a great technical striker like Kongo could pick him apart. Fortunately at the top of the heap at heavyweight there aren’t any guys like Kongo. However, he could be in serious trouble against a guy who could outwrestle him and may be a better striker i.e. Couture, Lesnar, and Carwin.

For Kongo it’s the same old question. Can he ever get his grappling good enough to not get dumped head first on the mat or be good enough to pose a threat to someone once he is on his back? The answer is looking like no which will forever keep him from the top of the heap at heavyweight. Because everyone at the top of the heap is a great grappler whether it be wrestling or jiu-jitsu.

Kongo is going to have to start over but for Velasquez this opens up a world of opportunity for him. I’d like to see him take on the loser of the Couture v. Nogueira match as the UFC is grooming him slower than Carwin.

Rich Franklin v. Wanderlei Silva: This will probably win fight of the night by default but it probably couldn’t touch some other fights of the night. It was also very disappointing as I think everyone expected a KO in this fight. But Both of these guys really went at it for all three rounds and that’s all you can really ask for.

The first round was mostly controlled by Franklin who had the better technical striking and also was able to get some top position on Silva. The second round was totally different as Silva finally found some room to work inside and caught Franklin a couple times and had him rocked. Unfortunately he couldn’t put him away.

In the third round Franklin was the more effective striker landing the better blows. Silva started going for broke but Franklin wisely took him down securing the round for him. Franklin picks up the unanimous decision victory. I got the pick right but not the prediction.

This was a big win for Franklin who needed a win like this to prove that he can hang at 205. For Silva it’s another disappointing loss but at least this time he put on a real show for the fans and he wasn’t KO’d either. What this means for him at 185 I don’t know.

I know Dana White and co. were trying to hype a fight between him and Anderson Silva had he beaten Franklin but now that’s not in the cards. It will be interesting to see who Silva’s first opponent is at 185 as that will be very telling of where the UFC thinks Silva is at in his career.

All in all this was an underwhelming show with only a few bright spots. One of them being my absolutely crazy record tonight as I went an absolutely unconscious 11-1 plus four bonus points for getting predictions right. If only I could do this every time out!

Alright that’s it for now folks. Stay tuned for my Ultimate Fighter Nine Finale preview and as always No News Barred every Weds. on InsideFights. Until then,

Soccer kicks and head stomps...

The Ultimate Fighter Nine: Episode Eleven Review

2009-06-11T22:40:00.000-04:00

This week featured the two semi final bouts in the lightweight tournament. I always love when we get two fights in one episode because it cuts out almost any time for the drama in the house and focuses solely on the fights and only the most pertinent information from outside the cage.

The first fight is between Cameron Dollar and Andrew Winner. It is revealed in training that Dollar has some very bruised ribs but nothing that should keep him from competing. We get a glimpse at Winner's training but there isn't any news there.

However, the one good bit back at the house this episode was the piece on how Winner sucks his thumb. Apparently this has been going on all season without the audience hearing a word about it until now.

He claims that he barely ever does it anymore and that they haven't caught him on camera because he only does it in order to get to sleep. However, big brother is always watching and at the end of the piece we are given a blatant thumb sucking shot as he relaxed on the couches. Sorry Andre, you won't be able to live this one down.

From there we move into the fight where things get a little crazy on the feet which is not the strategy Henderson wants Dollar to implement. He begs him to get the fight to the mat but is having a lot of trouble against the more explosive and agile Winner.

The fight finally gets to the mat but Winner quickly sweeps Dollar and winds up in mount. From there he quickly transitions into a triangle choke and easily submits Dollar in the first round.

This was a poor showing by Dollar who was one of the surprise semi-finalists. Dollar's inexperience showed as he didn't listen to his corner at all and just went pedal to the metal without any real strategy. Now the US and UK each have a member in the finale.

Up next is the fight between Ross Pearson and Jason Dent. Both guys are training hard for this fight and seem to be taking the opportunity very seriously. Dent was not very impressive in his last win and vows to put on a better performance this time around.

All three rounds looked very similar. Pearson kept the pressure on Dent at all times never giving him any time to breath. He was consistently the more aggressive fighter even if he never had the accuracy or power to put Dent away.

Dent showed some good flashes of crisp striking but was too technical for his own good. He probably needed to stay in the pocket and let it all hang out to try for the (T)KO because he was never going to win the fight just picking and choosing his spots to counter attack like he did. However, Dana White seemed pretty impressed with his performance and Dent more than likely earned an undercard spot at the TUF 9 finale.

Pearson went on to win a unanimous decision making the lightweight final an all English affair and putting the UK team up 2-1 for the finale. While Henderson didn't comment on his feelings about the lightweight final you know it has to burn him up not seeing one of his guys fight for the title.

This week's quote of the week (which fortunately is making a comeback after a shabby show last week) goes to Dollar talking about his upcoming fight with Winner:

"I can't lose to a guy that sucks his thumb!"

Ouch... he must feel like he just lost to Linus from Peanuts, blankie and all. Cameron had his tongue firmly in cheek on that quip but I bet it still stung a little to know you just lost to a guy that needs the same safety mechanism to get to sleep as toddlers.

Next week is the last show before the finale as Frank Lester takes on James "The Dentist" Wilks in a rematch from the quarter finals. That's not his real nickname but after their last fight it should be. Will we see Lester get some revenge and make it an all US final at welterweight evening up the score between the two countries? Or will Wilks rearrange Lester's grill one more time on his way to giving the UK a 3-1 edge in the finale?

Until next time,

Soccer kicks and head stomps...

UFC 99 Preview

2009-06-09T16:13:00.000-04:00

This Saturday the UFC makes its first trip to Germany as UFC 99 emanates live from the Lanxess Arena in Cologne. There has been a lot of controversy over there about the merits of the sport and the local government has gone so far as to prohibit minors from coming to the show. Fortunately this controversy has done little to mar my excitement across the pond about some potentially great fights.

Taking a cue from Strikeforce that catch weight bouts are not the end of the world the UFC has let two of the world’s most feared strikers meet at a catch weight of 195 lbs as one moves up to light heavyweight and the other moves down to middleweight. Rich Franklin, former UFC middleweight champion, takes on Wanderlei Silva respectively, former Pride light heavyweight champion, in a fight that should produce fireworks.

Franklin is moving up to light heavyweight permanently but is taking a bit of a detour to take on a formidable opponent in Silva who is working his way down to middleweight. These two vaunted strikers should put on quite a clinic and the chances of this making it to a decision are slim.

Also on the card is much hyped heavyweight Cain Velasquez taking on his first real test in the UFC against fearsome kick boxer Cheick Kongo. Welterweight contender Mike Swick takes on up and comer Ben Saunders. In a bad blood match Marcus Davis takes on the next British sensation Dan Hardy. And UFC 99 also marks the return of Caol Uno and Mirko Cro Cop to the UFC.

All that and we haven’t even made it to the undercard! Let’s start to break this bad boy down:

John Hathaway v. Rick Story: Hathaway is 10-0, 1-0 in the UFC, with eight wins by stoppage. He is a striker. Story is 7-2, making his UFC debut, with four wins by stoppage. He is a striker and wrestler.

I think Hathaway has the advantage here in terms of striking and in UFC experience. While Story could be the better wrestler I think Hathaway will pick Story apart and avoid the ground game. I like Hathaway to stay undefeated with a win by decision.

Denis Stojnic v. Stefan Struve: Stojnic is 5-2, 0-1 in the UFC, with two wins by KO. He is a striker with a background in karate and sambo. Struve 16-3, 0-1 in the UFC, with 15 wins by stoppage. He is a submission fighter with some striking.

This is a cutting the fat fight as both guys are 0-1 in the UFC and most likely the loser of this fight will get cut. This is a great match up of striker v. grappler. I usually go for the grappler in this situation and I’m not veering away from that here. I’m picking Struve to get the fight to the ground where he can control it and earn the decision victory.

Paul Kelly v. Rolando Delgado: Kelly is 9-1, 2-1 in the UFC, with seven wins by stoppage. He is a striker with some submission ability. Delgado is 6-3-1, 1-0 in the UFC, with five wins by stoppage. He is a jiu-jitsu fighter.

Again this is a striker v. grappler match up. Kelly has more experience against better competition and Kelly is coming down from welterweight so he should have the power advantage. Normally I would pick the grappler but I like Kelly’s chances in this fight. I’m picking Kelly’s heavy hands to get him the win by TKO in the second round.

Paul Taylor v. Peter Sobotta: Taylor is 9-4-1, 2-3 in the UFC, with seven wins by stoppage. He is a striker with some submission ability. Sobotta is 8-1, making his UFC debut, with all eight wins by stoppage. He is a striker with some submission skills.

This should be a fairly even match up however I think there is a lot of pressure on Sobotta being at home in Germany and making his UFC debut. With that in mind I’ll give Taylor the slight edge and I’ll pick him to win by TKO in the second round.

Denis Siver v. Dale Hartt: Siver is 13-6, 2-3 in the UFC, with nine wins by stoppage. He is a submission fighter with some striking. Hartt is 6-1, 1-1 in the UFC, with all six wins by stoppage. He is a striker.

Siver would be smart to get this fight to the mat quickly. While Hartt’s record says he’s 1-1 in the UFC that win came via Corey Hill’s gruesome injury so Hartt hasn’t had any success in the UFC really. I think Siver can do enough on his feet to get the fight to the ground where he should have a decisive advantage.

I’m picking Siver to win by submission in the first round.

Terry Etim v. Justin Buchholz: Etim is 12-2, 3-2 in the UFC, with 11 wins by stoppage. He is a submission fighter with solid muay thai. Buchholz is 7-2, 1-1 in the UFC, with all seven wins by stoppage. He is a submission fighter with solid striking.

This should be a fairly even match up. Both these guys are submission fighters at heart but I think that will cancel each other out and it will come down to who is the better striker. In my opinion Etim should have the advantage. Due to that I’ll pick Etim to get the TKO win in the first round.

Mostapha Al-turk v. Mirko Cro Cop: Al-turk is 6-4, 0-1 in the UFC, with all six wins by stoppage. He is a striker. Cro Cop is 24-6-2, 1-2 in the UFC, with 21 wins by stoppage. He is a kickboxer.

This is a match tailor made for Cro Cop’s return. Al-turk is simply a striker and is definitely not on the level of a Gonzaga or Kongo who beat Cro Cop in his last run. I don’t see Cro Cop having much trouble here. I’ll pick Cro Cop by TKO in the first round.

Spencer Fisher v. Caol Uno: Fisher is 22-4, 7-3 in the UFC, with 19 wins by stoppage. He has good striking and submissions. Uno is 27-11-4, 3-3-1 in the UFC, with 15 wins by stoppage. He is a grappler with good wrestling and submissions.

Uno makes his first appearance in the UFC in six years. Uno has been working his way back up the lightweight ladder and is not taking any cupcakes in his return to the UFC. Fisher has won two fights in a row and is always dangerous on the feet and the ground.

The key here is can Uno get the fight to the ground or can Fisher keep it on the feet. Both are solid wrestlers so it will come down to who can impose his will. I think Fisher is good enough on the ground to survive with Uno but I don’t think Uno’s striking can compare with Fisher’s.

I think Fisher has the decided advantage in one area and will use it to his advantage. I’m going to pick Fisher to win by TKO in the second round.

Marcus Davis v. Dan Hardy: Davis is 16-4, 8-2 in the UFC, with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a boxer with good jiu-jitsu. Hardy is 21-6, 2-0 in the UFC, with 15 wins by stoppage. He is a striker with a background in muay thai, tae kwon do, and has some jiu-jitsu skills.

If Davis was smart he would get this fight to the mat but I know he loves to strike and wants to beat Hardy at his own game especially after all the smack talk between the two. I do think Davis has the advantage on the feet but obviously it’s a dangerous game playing right into Hardy’s hands.

I’m still going to pick Davis to win by decision. Hardy is a tough kid so I don’t see him getting KO’d. This should be a fantastic war and possible fight of the night.

Mike Swick v. Ben Saunders: Swick is 13-2, 8-1 in the UFC, with seven wins by stoppage. He is a kickboxer with some submission skills. Saunders is 7-0-2, 3-0 in the UFC, with six wins by stoppage. He is a striker with a kickboxing and karate background along with some submission skills.

Saunders hasn’t faced anyone at the level of Swick yet and it will be interesting to see how he compares to a true contender. I think Saunders would be best served taking the fight to the mat but I’m not sure he could get it there even if he wanted to.

I think Swick will get the win here easily living up to his nickname “Quick.” I’m picking Swick by KO in the first round. I would love to see Swick take on either Jon Fitch or Martin Kampmann for a shot at the title after Thiago Alves.

Cheick Kongo v. Cain Velasquez: Kongo is 19-4-1, 7-2 in the UFC, with eight wins by KO. He is a muay thai fighter. Velasquez is 5-0, 3-0 in the UFC, with all five wins by KO. He is a wrestler with strong hands.

This will be Velasquez’ first real test in the UFC. Kongo will be the best striker Velasquez has seen and Velasquez has to be careful on his feet and in the takedown. However, Kongo is not a top level grappler as was proven against Heath Herring and Carmello Marerro who can’t hold a torch to Velasquez’ wrestling.

Velasquez should be able to hang in with Kongo on the feet until he can take him down and rough him up. Kongo is a tough guy so I don’t see Velasquez stopping him but he should do enough to rack up points. I’m picking Velasquez to win by decision. I’d like to see him go to the next level against a Randy Couture or Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira after this fight with Shane Carwin taking on whoever doesn’t get Velasquez.

Rich Franklin v. Wanderlei Silva: Franklin is 24-4, 11-3 in the UFC, with 22 wins by stoppage. He is a striker with some submissions. Silva is 32-9-1, 1-2 in the UFC, with 26 wins by stoppage. He is muay thai fighter with jiu-jitsu skills.

We all know that this will be a toe to toe war. No one is looking to duck the other guy’s punches. Someone is getting knocked out here the question is who?

Silva’s striking is more diverse but he also has the weaker chin. Franklin is tougher but for whatever reason is really susceptible to the muay thai clinch. Both guys should be about the same size as Silva is moving down and Franklin was always a huge middleweight so the power factor here should be negligible.

If Franklin can stay outside where he has the reach advantage he should be able to pick his spots and land the KO after he’s worn down Silva a bit. If Silva can get inside in the clinch and deliver some punishing knees and punches he could end this fight quickly.

I hate to say it because Silva may be my favorite fighter of all time but I think he’s been in too many wars and his body is breaking down. His chin appears softer and he doesn’t have the same burst that he used to. Franklin has really only been beaten by the best of the best in Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson, and Lyoto Machida. Franklin has also done a better job of staying out of those wars that take such a tremendous toll on the body.

I think Franklin will stay outside and use his length to keep Silva at bay. He will wear Silva down and eventually finish him late in the fight. I’m picking Franklin to win by TKO in the third round.

Silva is in no danger of losing his UFC contract even with his third loss because he’s such a big draw. However, he should really ask himself if it’s worth fighting anymore and maybe it’s time to move on to training. For Franklin this win doesn’t do much for his standing at light heavyweight but it puts him back at the top of people’s minds in terms of popularity.

My pick for submission of the night goes to Denis Siver. My pick for KO of the night goes to Mike Swick. And my pick for fight of the night goes to Marcus Davis v. Dan Hardy.

This should be a really great night of fights as the UFC treats us to an unusually large card of 12 fights including an unheard of six on the main card. I can’t wait to see how everything shakes out!

Stay tuned for No News Barred every Weds. on InsideFights. Until next time,

Soccer kicks and head stomps...

WEC 41 Recap

2009-06-09T16:10:00.001-04:00

Last night was another great show for the WEC. The main event between Mike Brown and Urijah Faber brought the house down and the whole show was highlighted with great finishes.

Scott Jorgensen v. Antonio Banuelos: This was a crazy brawl from start to finish. I was really surprised Jorgensen wanted to stand and bang but it didn’t appear as though he could get Banuelos to the ground. This was a great war that eventually Banuelos won by split decision. I was way off on this fight.

Manny Gamburyan v. John Franchi: I picked this one right on the nose as Manny picks up the unanimous decision victory winning all three rounds across all cards.

Jens Pulver v. Josh Grispi: This fight was very sad for me. I’ve long been a fan of Pulver and his “rags to riches” type story. Unfortunately it appears as though his fight game has just fallen off a cliff and he won’t get it back.

He’ll always be a warrior and come into the fight well trained, in shape, and ready for war but he just doesn’t have that edge anymore and the game has passed him by. Josh Grispi put this fact on full display last night choking out Pulver via a guillotine 30 seconds into the fight. I got this pick wrong.

Pulver got very emotional after the fight and it seems as though he might be hanging up the gloves. I don’t blame him after the way his last 3-4 fights have gone. It’s just sad to see the old guard (who I like) start to fade away.

Donald Cerrone v. James Krause: This fight was way out of Krause’s league. Cerrone came out very cocky but backed it up with some great striking that rocked Krause and allowed him to take his back and finish the fight via rear naked choke at the end of the first round. I got the pick right but not the prediction.

Krause did better than I thought holding his own in the stand up for awhile and even getting some takedowns on Cerrone. Unfortunately his ground game wasn’t good enough to keep Cerrone down and eventually he got caught in the stand up. Overall though for the situation he was put in I thought Krause did well. I’m looking forward to seeing what he does next against an opponent more on his level.

Jose Aldo v. Cub Swanson: Ho-ly crap! Is there anything Aldo can’t do!?

Swanson is an extremely tough fighter who has never been KO’d and Aldo took him out in eight seconds with a flying knee! This kid has to get a title shot within his next two fights or I’m boycotting the WEC. I got the pick right but not the prediction.

Mike Brown v. Urijah Faber: This fight was great. It wasn’t all that technical and there wasn’t a flashy KO or submission. But from a guts stand point these two put on the toughest performance I’ve seen from almost any two fighters through a five round fight.

Brown was obviously the bigger fighter and was having his way with Faber in the takedowns. However, Faber’s explosiveness and athleticism kept him in the fight on the ground where he was able to use that to sweep and get back to his feet.

On the feet these guys were pretty much even until Faber broke his hands sometime around the second round and had to resort strictly to kicks and elbows. Unfortunately I think the broken hands negated any chance Faber had at winning the fight as Brown picked up the unanimous decision.

I got the prediction right but I picked the wrong fighter. However, I still think a trilogy is in order given Faber’s handicap through most of the fight. I think if Faber’s hands had held up he could’ve been in a good position to get a couple submissions or even out strike Brown.

Overall this was a great night of fights. I went an average 3-3 plus one bonus point for getting the prediction right. On a brief side note Strikeforce could learn a lot from the WEC in the way of showcasing young, athletic, hungry, and talented fighters rather than pay too much for over the hill stars of yesterday. In any case, stay tuned for my UFC 99 preview and No News Barred every Wednesday on InsideFights. Until next time,

Soccer kicks and head stomps...

Strikeforce: Lawler v. Shields Recap

2009-06-09T16:09:00.001-04:00

Last night left two resounding notices on the doorstep of MMA. The young guns are coming and it’s time for the old guard to step down. And Cesar Gracie’s camp is quickly moving up into superstar camp status.

Strikeforce put on a hell of a show last night in St. Louis as the two catchweight bouts stole the show and the proverbial passing of the torch was put on full display. Nick Diaz, Brett Rodgers, and Jake Shields were the big winners of the night all winning in impressive fashion and setting up potentially huge bouts down the road. I’m excited to bring you the results so let’s see what went down and how my picks went.

Rafael Cavalcante v. Mike Kyle: I picked the finish perfectly here. Unfortunately I just chose the wrong fighter. Kyle pulls off the upset with a KO victory in the second round.

This kills any chance Cavalcante has at fighting Renato Sobral for the light heavyweight title later in the year. What Strikeforce does to gin up interest in a lackluster division for them I don’t know.

Kevin Randleman v. Mike Whitehead: This fight unfortunately was one of the most disappointing fights on the card. Both guys appeared to gas by the end of the first round and the rest of the fight was very sloppy both on the feet and the ground.

Whitehead did enough in the way of takedowns to win the fight but neither guy looked impressive and if I was Strikeforce I’d look to showcase some younger up and coming talent than to bring back either of these two. It was a shame for Randleman who seemed to have finally gotten over the injury bug. He looked like he was in good shape and I don’t know if it was just an adrenaline dump that sapped him but he wasn’t ready to fight.

Even if it was an adrenaline dump, his wrestling looked poor and he barely even threw any strikes. At his advanced age I’m not sure Randleman has any good fights left in him but I think he at least deserves a second chance on an undercard to prove it once and for all.

Whitehead’s wrestling looked good but his striking looked poor and even though he got the win I’m not sure he has much of a future in Strikeforce long term. Obviously he’ll keep fighting until he loses but if you tried putting him in there with Sobral he’d get crushed.

I was really dissapointed in Randleman’s wrestling which I thought would win him the fight. Unfortunately I was way off on this one as Whitehead picks up the unanimous decision.

Phil Baroni v. Joe Riggs: While this fight also went to a decision it was much more entertaining. Baroni, as always, came to fight but as usual he was not the better fighter. Riggs came in with good striking, in good shape, and controlled the entire fight.

By the third round Riggs was taunting a beat up and exhausted Baroni who simply had no answer for Riggs diverse striking game. I picked this one right on the nose as Riggs wins by unanimous decision.

Nick Diaz v. Scott Smith: What another brilliant performance by Nick Diaz. He’s an absolute jerk and I can’t root for him but he’s hard to pick against when he fights like he has in his last two performances. Smith was totally overwhelmed in this fight.

Diaz worked his boxing brilliantly with combinations you almost never see in MMA. However, he had little to worry about in the takedown department which gave him the confidence to go in and land ridiculous combinations. He also crushed Smith with body shots just like Frank Shamrock in his last bout.

Eventually Smith got dropped by a body shot and Diaz finished him easily by rear naked choke in the third round. I didn’t give Smith enough credit for how tough he is but ultimately I got the pick right but not the prediction (only off by one round on the submission!).

Brett Rodgers v. Andrei Arlovski: This was the ultimate tale of two careers headed in different directions. The fight was over in the blink of an eye as Rodgers hit Arlovski on his no longer suspect, but weak, chin to get the KO victory in the first round.

Arlovski’s mind is obviously not in MMA anymore and after his last two brutal KO losses he needs to re-evaluate his career in MMA. If he wants to do boxing that’s great, go do that full time. Don’t pretend to be an MMA fighter anymore if you come in with performances like that against a guy you should’ve been able to beat.

For Rodgers this was the win of a lifetime. He KO’d a former UFC champion and big name opponent in under 30 seconds and this vaulted him to a title shot in a couple months. Don’t get me wrong, Rodgers is no joke but this win isn’t as big in the grand scheme of things as Rodgers and Strikeforce would like you to believe. We’ll see what happens when he goes up against Allistair Overeem in August.

I got this pick wrong. However, I would like to note that I pointed out if Arlovski’s mind wasn’t right he’d get KO’d quickly.

Robbie Lawler v. Jake Shields: Shields’ win wasn’t an upset but it was surprising how quickly he was able to put Lawler away. Shields did not look good on the feet and was unable to take Lawler down. However, his superior grappling was able to capitalize on a stupid mistake by Lawler which gave Shields a huge win.

Shields pulled off the win with a very slick guillotine choke in the first round. I don’t think Shields should move up to 185 because Lawler just out muscled Shields right up until he got tapped out. Shields needs to stay at 170 where he is a top fighter.

I got the pick right but was a couple rounds off on the submission prediction. I gave Lawler too much credit in the grappling department.

Between Shields, Diaz, and Gilbert Melendez (amongst other talented fighters including Nick’s brother Nate) the Cesar Gracie camp is starting to prove they are amongst the best in the country. They aren’t quite at the level of an Xtreme Couture or Jackson’s Submission Fighting but I think they are in the category of a Sityodtong or Arizona Combat Sports.

Outside of the Randleman v. Whitehead fight this was a great night of fights. The torch has been officially passed from veterans like Randleman, Baroni, Arlovski, and Lawler to the new generation in Strikeforce like Whitehead, Riggs, Rodgers, and Shields. I think Whitehead will probably get the next title shot at Sobral after Cavalcante got KO’d (even though he probably doesn’t deserve it after this performance).

I would love to see Riggs fight Shields for the vacant welterweight title. And Obviously Rodgers will fight Overeem for his heavyweight title.

For guys like Randleman and Baroni I’m not sure they have anything left in the tank. Baroni is 33 and Randleman is 37. They’re too old school for this sport no matter how athletic they may be. For Arlovski, he needs to just move on to boxing because his chin is too weak to fight at heavyweight with these small gloves. Also, it’s pretty obvious his heart just isn’t in it anymore.

The lone exception here is Lawler. I think Lawler is still young enough and talented enough to be competitive at 185. Unfortunately he just ran into a more talented fighter in Shields.

I went an average 3-3 with one bonus point for getting a prediction right. I can’t wait for the next Strikeforce event in August. Stay tuned for my WEC 41 review and my UFC 99 preview coming this week. And as always please read my weekly news article No News Barred every Weds. on InsideFights. Until then,

Soccer kicks and head stomps...

The Ultimate Fighter Nine: Episode Ten Review

2009-06-06T12:27:00.001-04:00

This week started out pretty slow but the fight that capped it off ended the show on a great note. This week marked the beginning of the semi-finals. I was hoping for a two fight episode but you can't always get what you want (well, at least until next week).

The show started off with the fight announcements. Dana White was toying with the idea of team mate vs. team mate to ensure a US v. UK finale. However, White made an unusually sensible choice and stuck to the US v. UK format for the semis. White still toyed with the fighters though asking them who they wanted to fight and then giving them someone else.

The breakdowns of the semis goes like this:

Osipczak v. Johnson

Winner v. Dollar

Pearson v. Dent

Wilks v. Lester

White is obviously hoping he can get some bad blood match ups in the finale to gin up some interest. Johnson v. Wilks would be great and you really can't go wrong at lightweight with any match up but UK v. UK. The only part about the match ups I didn't like was the rematch between Wilks and Lester.

Fortunately for Lester he doesn't have many more teeth to lose. Rematches are always toughest on the team/person who won the last match up but I don't see this match up going any better for Lester than the last one.

Also, noted during the fight announcements was that Frank Lester is the only fighter to ever get beaten, comeback, and win his fight. I didn't realize that but that's an impressive feat considering all the good fighters that have been on the show in the past eight seasons.

There is some lame controversy back at the house during a BBQ between Pierce and Whitson about Pierce's heart and how he may as well go over to team UK. Pierce half heartedly stands up for himself but is totally unconvincing. He then goes on to share inside information about his teammates with the UK team turning him into the Benedict Arnold of the season.

Henderson confronts Pierce at training and of course Pierce denies it even though they have him on camera. I have no pity for Pierce and as far as I'm concerned I feel sorry for the guy because he's the one who will have to live with himself and his actions on the show.

There are the requisite training montages and fortunately they move quickly into the fight between Johnson and Osipczak. Let's break it down:

Round 1: Both fighters come out landing some good shots. Johnson takes the fight to the ground but both times Nick gets back to his feet quickly before any real damage can be done. Right before the end of the round Nick rocks Johnson.

Johnson survives the round while also landing some shots as the two go toe to toe for the last thirty seconds of the round. They both get a standing ovation but that was Nick's round after the shots he landed on Johnson.

Round 2: This round was all Johnson. He took Nick down early and stayed on top landing some good ground and pound. He almost finished Nick at the end of the round but Nick lucked out and the round ended before the ref could call the fight.

Round 3: This was a close round to call as both men were exhausted and didn't do much on the feet. Johnson landed a take down and dropped some good ground and pound. But then Nick reversed him but couldn't do much damage with the limited time left.

This was a really exciting fight and both guys should've been proud of their performance. However, the winner was Johnson who moves on to the welterweight finale in three weeks.

I'm not going to harp on this the way I did last week but I still don't like that the producers kept Mask from the Tapout crew in the show.

And I hate to end on a down note but this week nothing was worthy of my quote of the week so it'll have to wait for next week. Next week looks fantastic as both lightweight semi finals will be on display to see who will get to the finale. And Frank Lester (who needed the most rest) will square off last in two weeks against Wilks.

Until next week,

Soccer kicks and head stomps...

WEC 41 Preview

2009-06-04T20:25:00.000-04:00

Mike Brown and Urijah Faber meet up for the second time to determine who the best 145 lb fighter in the world is. This time though Faber will have the hometown advantage in Sacramento, California. This should be an awesome match up and something tells me it won’t be over as quick as the last fight. We should be in for a barn burner!

Also on the card are three other interesting featherweight match ups. Rising star Jose Aldo takes on the always tough Cub Swanson. Jens Pulver looks to rebound from three consecutive losses against up and comer Josh Grispi. And last but not least Manny Gamburyan makes his debut at 145 lbs after coming down from the UFC’s lightweight division. There are some very interesting fights on this card so let’s start breaking them down:

Scott Jorgensen v. Antonio Banuelos: Jorgensen is 6-2, 2-1 in the WEC, with three wins by submission. He is a grappler with good wrestling and jiu-jitsu. Antonio Banuelos is 15-5, 6-4 in the WEC, with eight wins by stoppage. He is a striker.

This should be your classic grappler vs. striker match up. Jorgensen is a fast riser at bantamweight and I always like the grappler over the striker. Banuelos has good coaching coming out of The Pit with trainer John Hackelman and training with Chuck Liddell et al.

I like Jorgensen in this fight who has never been KO’d and who has the grappling skills to put Banuelos, who is prone to submissions, away. I’m picking Jorgensen by submission in the first round.

Manny Gamburyan v. John Franchi: Manny is 8-4, making his WEC debut, with seven wins by stoppage. He is grappler with strong judo. Franchi is 5-0, 1-0 in the WEC, with all four wins by stoppage. He is striker with some submission ability.

Manny is a huge 145 lb fighter who has fought as high as 170 lbs. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Manny over 160 lbs by fight time so he should have a big size advantage. The problem with Manny though is that he is a great grappler but sometimes goes out throwing bombs to entertain instead of win the fight.

If Manny can stay within himself and do what he does best I like him in this fight due to his size, experience on the big stage, and his grappling ability. But if he goes out swinging for the fences I think Franchi will catch him. My gut here is that Manny is looking to show the WEC that he is a contender at 145 and will not be happy with a loss even an exciting one.

I’m picking Manny by decision. I think he’ll control Franchi and take him to the mat rendering his striking inefficient. Franchi can still be dangerous on the ground but given how big Manny should be, as long as Manny has top control, I see him earning a decision win with his strong grappling game.

Jens Pulver v. Josh Grispi: Pulver is 21-11-1, 1-3 in the WEC, with 16 wins by stoppage. He is a striker with solid wrestling. Grispi is 12-1, 2-0 in the WEC, with 11 wins by stoppage. He is a striker with some submission skills.

Pulver has looked over the hill as of late but considering his three losses have come from Urijah Faber (twice) and Leonard Garcia I don’t think he’s as over the hill as he’s looked. This fight will tell the real truth. Obviously both guys could stand and bang in which case I would give the advantage to Pulver.

However, if Grispi is able to get the fight to the mat, which is tough against Pulver, I think Grispi could put himself in good position to win the fight. I think the x factor in this fight comes down to how bad Pulver wants this win. If he gives it 110% and is able to stay on his feet the whole time I think Pulver can get the win. If Pulver is over MMA mentally I think Grispi could easily knock Pulver out or take him down and finish the fight.

You can call me naive but I think Pulver still has something left in the tank. I think he’ll use his wrestling to stay on the feet. Grispi is a tough kid so I don’t think Pulver will get the KO but I think he can pull out a decision victory.

Donald Cerrone v. James Krause: Cerrone is 9-1, 2-1 in the WEC, with eight wins by submission. He is a jiu-jitsu fighter with good muay thai as well. Krause is 10-0, making his WEC debut, with all 10 wins by stoppage. He is also a jiu-jitsu fighter with solid striking.

Cerrone comes out of Greg Jackson’s camp which has produced many successful fighters. He is coming off his only defeat, a controversial split decision loss to Jamie Varner for the WEC lightweight championship. I think Cerrone will want to come out and crush his next opponent to get another title shot as soon as possible. Cerrone is incredibly talented and Krause has never faced anyone on Cerrone’s level before.

This will also be a tough fight for Krause who is making his first appearance on a big show on the main card against a name opponent. While this is a great opportunity for him it might be a little overwhelming. While both of these guys are solid jiu-jitsu artists I think Cerrone will want to keep the fight on the feet where he should have the advantage.

I like Cerrone to put an end to Krause’s undefeated streak. I’m going to go out on a limb and pick Cerrone to get his first TKO victory in the second round.

Jose Aldo v. Cub Swanson: Aldo is 14-1, 4-0 in the WEC, with 11 wins by stoppage. He is a striker with some submission skills. Swanson is 13-2, 3-1 in the WEC, with six wins by submission. He is a wrestler with some jiu-jitsu.

This should be another good clash of styles. If Swanson can use his wrestling to get the fight to mat he will have a chance in this fight. However, Aldo has really been on a tear and has looked really good. I think Aldo will be able to keep the fight standing and use his vastly superior striking to win the fight.

Swanson is a tough guy so I don’t think Aldo will KO him. However, I do think Aldo is just the overall better fighter so I will pick him to win by decision.

Mike Brown v. Urijah Faber: Mike Brown is 21-4, 3-0 in the WEC, with 16 wins by stoppage. He is a grappler with strong wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and heavy hands. Faber is 22-2, 7-1 in the WEC, with 18 wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with good striking and improving jiu-jitsu.

This rematch should be a very different fight than the lest time these two met. Faber didn’t respect Brown’s striking enough and paid for it by getting KO’d trying an unorthodox elbow strike. Faber who badly wants his belt back and to avenge his loss should come in much more prepared and probably a little more cautious.

Brown is the real deal at 145. He has no true weaknesses though technically his striking is probably not as good as Faber’s but his power makes up for it. Urijah is the better wrestler but Brown is probably the better all around grappler with his impressive submission game.

Brown comes out of a great camp at American Top Team where he trains with some real animals. These guys are both great fighters and it’s a really tough fight to pick. I think whoever wins, it should be a good fight. But I’m here to make predictions so that’s what I’m going to do.

I’m think Faber will implement a more tactical and technical striking game than last time. He will be more cautious of Brown’s power now that he knows what it feels like. I think his cardio will keep him away from Brown’s power and will create angles on his strikes that will generate points and frustrate Brown. Brown will be unable to take Faber down where he would have the advantage due to Faber’s superior wrestling.

Brown is a tough guy who should be able to last all five rounds. With all that in mind I’m going to pick Faber by decision in what might start out as a somewhat boring striking match but I think as the rounds wear on will become increasingly exciting. This win will flip flop these two atop the 145 lb rankings and set up the first super trilogy in WEC history. Until next time,

Soccer kicks and head stomps...

Strikeforce: Lawler v. Shields Preview

2009-06-04T20:24:00.001-04:00

Live from St. Louis on Saturday June 6th, Strikeforce returns with their second major card since their purchase of EliteXC. The main card is pretty stacked and I can’t wait to see how a lot of the new additions to Strikeforce will shake things up. Let’s start breaking down the fights:

Rafael Cavalcante v. Mike Kyle: Cavalcante is 7-1, making his Strikeforce debut, with all seven wins by stoppage. He is a muay thai fighter. Kyle is 11-6-1, 0-1-1 in Strikeforce, with nine wins by stoppage. He is also a striker.

Kyle is stepping in for Renato Sobral who backed out of the fight due to his wife’s due date with their child being too close to the fight. So instead of Cavalcante getting a title shot on the main card he’s been relegated to the undercard. I think this could either really motivate him or totally drain him of motivation.

I’m betting on the former and I think Cavalcante has the better striking. I’m expecting this fight to have a brutal finish. I’m picking Cavalcante to win by KO in the second round.

Kevin Randleman v. Mike Whitehead: Randleman is 17-12, making his Strikeforce debut, with nine wins by stoppage. He is a wrestler with strong ground and pound. Whitehead is 23-7, also making his Strikeforce debut, with 17 wins by stoppage. He is wrestler with solid boxing.

Randleman is the better wrestler and I expect him to do what he always does and take Whitehead down and try to pound him out. Whitehead, a solid grappler in his own right, is not dangerous off his back and I don’t expect him to pose any threat once Randleman takes him down. I’m going to pick Randleman to win via TKO in the second round using his brutal ground and pound.

Phil Baroni v. Joe Riggs: Baroni is 13-10, 0-1 in Strikeforce, with 10 wins by stoppage. He is a boxer with solid wrestling. Riggs is 29-10, 2-2 in Strikeforce, with 27 wins by stoppage. He has solid boxing, wrestling, and jiu-jitsu.

Pure and simple I think Riggs is the better fighter with more tools in his belt. I expect him to come out and handle Baroni. I don’t know if Riggs could get Baroni to the mat so I think he’ll have to win on his feet. I’m picking Riggs to win by decision.

Nick Diaz v. Scott Smith: Diaz is 19-7, 1-0 in Strikeforce, with 16 wins by stoppage. He is a jiu-jitsu fighter with really good boxing. Smith is 15-5, 2-0 in Strikeforce, with all 15 wins by stoppage. He is striker.

Diaz is lucky to have a promotion cater so much to him giving him his second catch weight bout in a row as he can’t decide whether to stay down at 170 or move up to 185. This fight will take place again at 179 lbs. In any case, he gets a strong opponent here in Smith who is as tough as they come and is an excellent striker. Unfortunately for Smith, Diaz is a very good boxer but his grappling game is light years ahead of Smith’s.

If Diaz has any brains at all he will use his striking to set up a take down where he should have a pretty easy time with Smith. I’m picking Diaz to win by submission in the second round.

Andrei Arlovski v. Brett Rogers: Arlovski is 15-6, making his Strikeforce debut, with 14 wins by stoppage. He is well rounded but mostly utilizes his boxing and wrestling now in a sprawl and brawl style. However he also has sambo, kickboxing, and jiu-jitsu backgrounds. Rogers is 9-0, 1-0 in Strikeforce, with all nine wins by stoppage. He is a also a striker.

This will be Rogers first major test at heavyweight. He will be the bigger fighter as usual but he will be facing a more technically sound fighter who can actually use his speed to his advantage. I don’t think Rogers is ready to handle the type of striking Arlovski brings to the table.

In the past I would’ve suggested Arlovski try to get the fight to the mat but since he’s bouncing back and forth between this and boxing he’s stuck to striking in his most recent fights. However, in this fight it shouldn’t be an issue. He’ll move around and create angles on the much bigger but slower Rogers.

The only thing that concerns me in this fight is Arlvoski’s frame of mind. He’s coming off a devastating loss and has been flirting with switching to boxing. If his mind is in the right place I like him in this fight. If not it will be a short night for him. However, I’m betting that his head will be in this fight and he’ll frustrate Rogers and wear him down until he can go in for the kill. I like Arlovski to win easily in the fight with a TKO victory in the first round.

Robbie Lawler v. Jake Shields: Lawler is 18-4, making his Strikeforce debut, with 16 wins by stoppage. He is a striker. Shields is 22-4-1, also making his Strikeforce debut, with 11 wins by stoppage. He is a grappler with strong wrestling and jiu-jitsu.

This should be a great clash of styles match at a catch weight of 182 lbs. Shields is moving up for this fight so Lawler should have the size advantage. If Shields can get Lawler to the mat he should be able to get the win. However, if he can’t get the fight to mat he will be in for a short night.

I usually go for the grappler plus I think Shields is just the better fighter but I’m more cautious than usual due to the size difference between him and Lawler. I think I’m going to stick with my instincts though and say that Shields uses his wrestling technique to take down the larger Lawler.

Once he has him on the ground his vastly superior jiu-jitsu will take over and I expect him to submit Lawler. I’m picking Shields by submission in the third round.

This should be an exciting night of fights and I can’t wait to see all the new additions to the Strikeforce roster. Until next time,

Soccer kicks and head stomps...

MMA Fighter Rankings For June

2009-05-31T15:55:00.000-04:00

Time for this month's fighter rankings. Please comment and let me know where I got it right or wrong. Enjoy!

Heavyweight (265 pounds)

1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Frank Mir
3. Brock Lesnar
4. Josh Barnett
5. Andrei Arlovski
6. Alistair Overeem
7. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
8. Randy Couture
9. Tim Sylvia
10. Shane Carwin

Also receiving consideration: Jeff Monson, Cheick Kongo, Mirko Cro Cop, and Fabricio Werdum

No changes were made to this list with none of these fighters in action over the last month.

Light Heavyweight (205 pounds)

1. Lyoto Machida
2. Rashad Evans
3. Forrest Griffin
4. Quinton Jackson
5. Renato Sobral
6. Luis Cane
7. Mauricio Rua
8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
9. Thiago Silva
10. Rich Franklin

Also receiving consideration: Keith Jardine

Note: Due to Wanderlei Silva's eventual move down to 185 and Tito Ortiz's inactivity of a year they have both been removed from the consideration list. Gegard Mousasi, who is moving up to 205, will be considered once he has a legitimate fight against a 205 lb fighter.

Middleweight (185 pounds)

1. Anderson Silva
2. Dan Henderson
3. Nate Marquardt
4. Demian Maia
5. Yushin Okami
6. Vitor Belfort
7. Robbie Lawler
8. Jorge Santiago
9. Yoshihiro Akiyama
10. Mike Bisping

Also receiving consideration: Thales Leites, Chael Sonnen, and Kazuo Mizaki

Note: Mousasi loses his No. 2 ranking due to his move to LHW. This moves everyone up a spot and opens up the number 10 ranking for Mike Bisping. Chael Sonnen also moves onto the consideration list after a strong win over Dan Miller this month. Wanderlei Silva will be considered once he has a fight against a true 185-pound fighter.

Welterweight (170 pounds)

1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Thiago Alves
3. Jon Fitch
4. Martin Kampmann
5. Mike Swick
6. Jake Shields
7. Marcus Davis
8. Carlos Condit
9. Paulo Thiago
10. Frank Trigg

Also receiving consideration: Hayato Sakurai, Matt Hughes, Brock Larson, Josh Koscheck, Jay Hieron, Nick Thompson, and Karo Parisyan

Note: No changes to the top ten due to none of those fighters being active this past month. Hughes doesn't gain any ground with a lackluster win over Matt Serra. Sakurai doesn't gain any ground for beating the much smaller but highly touted Shinya Aoki. However, Brock Larson does move onto the consideration list after an impressive win this month.

Lightweight (155 pounds)

1. BJ Penn
2. Shinya Aoki
3. Eddie Alvarez
4. Joachim Hansen
5. Kenny Florian
6. Tatsuya Kawajiri
7. Gesias Calvancante
8. Josh Thomson
9. Gray Maynard
10. Frankie Edgar

Also receiving consideration: Sean Sherk, Satoru Kitaoka, Caol Uno, Diego Sanchez, and Spencer Fisher

Note: Kawajiri and Calvancante flip-flop after Kawajiri's win over Calvancante this month. Frankie Edgar comes out of nowhere to replace Sean Sherk after wiping the floor with him at UFC 98. So Sean Sherk now moves down to the consideration list. And Matsuhiro Ishida moves off the consideration list after a bad loss to Mizuto Hirota.

Featherweight (145 pounds)

1. Mike Brown
2. Urijah Faber
3. Wagnney Fabiano
4. Leonard Garcia
5. Jose Aldo
6. Hatsu Hioki
7. Takeshi Inoue
8. Rafael Assuncao
9. Bibiano Fernandes
10. Marlon Sandro

Also receiving consideration: Nam Phan, Hideki Kadakowi, Hiroyuki Takaya, Antonio Carvalho, and Joe Warren

Note: Norifumi Yamamoto could've gotten back onto the list after being inactive for over a year but lost to Joe Warren at DREAM 9, which prompted Warren's move to the consideration list after only two pro fights.

Nam Phan moves to the consideration list due to his terrible loss to Michihiro Omigawa at Sengoku 8. Bibiano Fernandes moves into his place who beat former member of the consideration list Masakazu Imanari also at DREAM 9. Obviously, Imanari moves off the consideration list.

Also coming off the top ten list is Dokonjonosuke Mishima due to inactivity for a year. Taking his place is the undefeated Marlon Sandro. Last but not last Hiroyuki Takaya moves on to the consideration list after making it to the semi finals of the DREAM FW tournament this month.

Bantamweight (135 points)

1. Miguel Torres
2. Brian Bowles
3. Masakatsu Ueda
4. Joseph Benavidez
5. Damacio Page
6. Akitoshi Tamura
7. Takeya Mizugaki
8. Will Ribeiro
9. Marcos Galvao
10. Rani Yahya

Also receiving consideration: Manny Tapia, Atsushi Yamamoto, Mark Oshiro, Dominic Cruz, Scott Jorgensen, Chris Cariaso, and Jeff Curran

Note: No movement on the top ten due to inactivity of the fighters this month. However, as my knowledge of the division gets deeper I've added some fighters who should be included in the consideration list for the time being: Mark Oshiro, Dominic Cruz, Scott Jorgensen, Chris Cariaso, and Jeff Curran.

POUND-FOR-POUND

1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Anderson Silva
3. Fedor Emelianenko
4. Lyoto Machida
5. Miguel Torres
6. BJ Penn
7. Rashad Evans
8. Thiago Alves
9. Forrest Griffin
10. Quinton Jackson

Also receiving consideration: Mike Brown and Urijah Faber

Note: Machida moves up three spots after his huge win over Rashad Evans. Torres, Penn, and Evans all move down a spot.

Please stay tuned for my Strikeforce and WEC previews coming tomorrow. Also stay tuned for my TUF episode review later this week. And please check out my weekly news article on InsideFights "No News Barred" every Wednesday. Until next time,

Soccer kicks and head stomps...

John Shubert is a staff writer at InsideFights

The Ultimate Fighter Nine: Episode Nine Review

2009-05-28T21:35:00.001-04:00

Last night was definitely an improvement over last week but overall was not an incredibly strong episode. The fight was sloppy however the rivalry between Henderson and Bisping is growing which I always like to see. Hopefully now that we are into the semi finals the fights should get better and the show should pick up a little steam after two less than stellar weeks.

After the end of last week's show where we found out Dana White wouldn't let Jason Pierce fight he brings in the only two back ups on the U.S. team, Frank Lester and Mark Miller, to ask them if they want to fight. Both of them say yes convincingly but Miller couldn't be cleared medically due to a broken nose so Lester got the nod. Also, White loves a guy who's begging to fight whose teeth are still stuck in his mouth guard from his last fight... (insert "wah wah" sound effect here).

Back at the house the U.S. team talks more smack about Pierce and Santino Defranco, in what has to be the most high brow literary reference of all time on TUF, pulls out a Lord of the Flies reference to describe Pierce. Yes, you heard me correctly, the most high brow literary reference on TUF is from a book we read in fifth grade.

There are some worries at training about how much pain Lester is in but everyone knows he's all heart and will fight through it. There is also a big fuss made over training times which finally gets the coaches all riled up.

The U.S. team has been doing the early training for a month when technically they could've been switching back and forth. Henderson asks Bisping to switch and Bisping (who I'm liking less and less as this season progresses) takes it the wrong way and starts throwing a hissy fit. He assumes that Henderson is making a power play just because he's "Dan Henderson, two time Pride champion" and Bisping feels the need to stand up to him.

Bisping proposes a wager to Dan that whoever's team wins the next fight can choose when they want to train. Dan declines but in a classic moment offers to play Bisping again in tennis for it.

As part of Bisping's hissy fit he and Damarques Johnson have words (as they've been having all season) and Bisping squirts water in his face. Johnson throws his hat at Bisping and the two are separated before anything can happen. Bisping tries to apologize but Johnson won't have it and Bisping goes right back to rationalizing his actions.

As a last ditch effort David Faulkner, whose troubles keeping his mouth piece in were well documented last week, went to a hypnotist to try and cure his inability to keep his mouth piece in. Apparently it worked because he only lost his mouth piece once in a ten minute fight whereas last week he couldn't keep it in for more than a couple minutes at a time.

Finally we make it to the fight. The first round is pretty much all Faulkner. His striking looks better and he's generally pushing Lester all over the cage Round one belonged to Faulkner.

The second round was a totally different story. Lester digs deep and starts fighting back landing some good shots and Faulkner looks gassed. Lester wins round two. By the end of the second round Faulkner's spirit is obviously broken even though he looks fine physically. He refuses to answer the bell for the third and decisive round and Lester wins via TKO.

So the long shot alternate to even make the show and lose his quarterfinal fight still somehow manages to make it to the semi finals. It was good to see the U.S. team even the score 4-4 but I did feel bad for Faulkner. He obviously had some talent but his heart and mind just aren't in the sport (as was clearly evidenced by his thoughts on leaving MMA to pursue an acting career in horror movies or become a professional wrestler)

Also, was it just me or did it seem sort of disrespectful to show the Tapout crew (the late "Mask" included) at cageside? Maybe I took it the wrong way but to me it just seemed kind of wrong to highlight the Tapout crew including Mask so soon after his tragic passing. Hopefully the UFC only had the best intentions when it came to keeping that footage in the episode.

After the fight Bisping is furious that one of his best prospects just quit on him. So he takes his four remaining fighters out to the hall way and basically tells them that if they're going to quit on him that they should just leave now. They all emphatically tell him no and coming from the four who are left I believe them.

I can't wait to see how the semi finals shake out. In the promo for next week they leave the idea in your head that White may have the team mates fight each other to ensure a U.K. v. U.S. final but I'm not so sure that will actually happen. In any case I'm hoping that with the semi finals approaching the show begins to heat up as the pressure mounts for the fighters and the coaches.

As always I leave you with my quote of the week. This week's gem comes from Mark Miller who, in one of the funniest dry comedy moments this season has seen, tries to tell Dana that broken nose or not he wants to fight: "It’s just a nose, I’m not getting any prettier.”

Alright everyone that's all for this week. This should be a big weekend for me so please check out my WEC and Strikeforce previews and my June fighter rankings. Also, stay tuned as always for my TUF episode recap next week and please check out my weekly news recap No News Barred over at InsideFights every Wednesday. Until next time,

Soccer kicks and head stomps...

John Shubert is a staff writer at InsideFights

The Ultimate Fighter Nine: Episode Eight Review

2009-05-27T09:56:00.000-04:00

This was your pretty standard week on The Ultimate Fighter. The fight was a little underwhelming and nothing really stood out otherwise. Let's see what I can spin out of this "filler" week.

The episode opened up with your standard training montages and fight announcement. Due to Jason Pierce's injuries Henderson was forced to match up Jason Dent and Jeff Lawson.

There was a lot of back and forth between Pierce and his trainers about his leg injury (which had morphed from cellulitis to staph) and whether or not he could fight. Pierce's negative energy permeated the house, and it was easy to tell he didn't want the fight. His teammates complained about how he only responds to the U.K. team but still eats all the U.S. food without pitching in.

On the U.K. side, they show us a bizarre problem David Faulkner is having with his mouthpiece. Every time he puts it in his gag reflex kicks in and he immediately has to spit it out. Obviously this is going to cause serious problems in a fight and Bisping seemed pretty disturbed by the situation.

The best part of the whole episode came right before the fight. Lawson has slowly started coming out of his shell (while Dent really hasn't) and he puts on a little show for the boys. At first he's just clowning around wearing silly stuff and being stupid.

This general tomfoolery turns into a full on professional wrestling match (including masks and homoerotic outfits) between Lawson, Faulkner, and Dean Amasinger that was capped off by a suplex off the diving board into the pool. Amasinger then promptly had a bag of flour dumped in his face. I found the whole situation to be absolutely hysterical, and it brought some levity to an episode with a lot of negative energy.

We move on to the fight, which had a good ending but left me unimpressed with both fighters.

Round one saw some lackadaisical stand up for the first minute or so and then Lawson took Dent down quickly. He tried some submission attempts but nothing was ever close to finishing Dent. Lawson basically spent the whole round in top control.

Round two went much differently. Lawson gassed out quickly but Dent still wasn't able to capitalize on the feet. He took Lawson down and was finally able to cinch in an anaconda choke for the victory.

It was a shame Lawson gassed out like that. Dent got the victory but I don't see him making it past the next round after this performance. This leaves the tally at 4-3 in favor of team U.K.

Earlier in the episode Dana White brought Pierce in to ask him how he felt and whether or not he could fight next week. Pierce gave him a terrible answer saying that he was mentally ready but physically he wasn't there yet. Pierce's body language was bad as was his attitude (as it has been all season, even before the infection).

White brought him back in after Dent's win and informed Pierce that he won't let him fight next week. Now one of the defeated U.S. welterweights will get another shot against Faulkner next week. The question is who?

As always I leave you with my quote of the week. This week's gem comes from Lawson explaining why people underestimate him as a fighter:

“I’m a ginger for God sake. Everyone underestimates a ginger don’t they?”

I'm not sure where this distaste for red heads comes from. Outside of the infamous red-headed step child Americans don't usually have such negative feelings about "gingers." Brits, I'll never understand them...

That's it for this week folks. Next week looks promising as Bisping and Damarques have words and next week's fight should be interesting if it can live up to the hype of the preview. Until then,

Soccer kicks and head stomps...

Dream 9 Results

2009-05-27T09:48:00.003-04:00

Dream brought a lot of controversy and a major upset to the table as Dream 9 took place early this morning for those of us in North America. Jose Canseco’s MMA debut went as planned with him getting TKO’d early and getting injured. The main event Middleweight title fight ended in a disappointing no contest.

However, the Featherweight tournament lead to what has to be the biggest upset of 2009 so far as “Kid” Yamamoto couldn’t even win his first match. I felt a big upset coming on this card but unfortunately I just didn’t pick it. Let’s recap the fights and see how my predictions went:

Jason Miller v. Ronaldo Souza: Their title match ended in a no contest after Miller accidentally kicked Souza in the head resulting in a cut that caused the doctors to stop the fight. There is no word as to if or when a rematch will be scheduled.

Tatsuya Kawajiri v. Gesias Calvancante: Kawajiri wins by unanimous decision. I picked this one right on the nose.

Norifumi Yamamoto v. Joe Warren: Warren was supposed to be “Kid’s” sacrificial lamb with only one MMA fight under his belt. However, he came out and earned a split decision victory giving MMA the biggest upset of 2009 so far. Yamamoto, once thought to be the best at 145, probably looked past Warren and got caught sleeping here.

It will be interesting to see how Warren does now that he won’t sneak up on anyone. It will also be interesting to see how Yamamoto responds to this loss, his first since 2002 and only his second overall. I got this fight way wrong.

Masakazu Imanari v. Bibiano Fernandes: Well I correctly called that the fight would go to a decision unfortunately Fernandes won. I got this fight wrong too. The young upstart moves on to the second round.

Yoshiro Maeda v. Hiroyuki Takaya: I also correctly called the end of this fight with a TKO in the first round but again I just picked the wrong fighter. Takaya took out Maeda to send my record even lower.

Abel Cullum v. Hideo Tokoro: I was way off on this fight as Tokoro wins by submission (rear naked choke) in the second round. I didn’t pick one fight correctly in the featherweight tournament… ouch!

Gegard Mousasi v. Mark Hunt: Mousasi earns a quick submission (Kimura) victory in the first round. I got the pick right but not the prediction.

Jan Nortje v. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou: Sokoudjou wins by TKO in the first round. I picked this one right on the button. Hopefully this win gets the ball rolling again for Sokoudjou.

Hong Man Choi v. Jose Canseco: Choi wins by submission (strikes) in the first round. I refused to pick this fight but it went exactly as I expected. This better be the last time I ever have to mention Jose Canseco’s name in an article of mine ever again.

Bob Sapp v. Ikuhisa Minowa: Minowa won easily by submission (achilles lock) in the first round. I got the pick right and was close on the prediction (submission in the second round) but no cigar.

All in all I’m sure this show brought a ton of ratings to Dream and it seemed as though there was a good mix of exciting finishes and compelling fights. Unfortunately events like this bring so much bad press that it can overshadow the good fighters/fights on the card. Hopefully Dream can focus on more serious cards in the future.

Overall I had an average night going 4-4 plus two bonus points. Until next time,

Soccer kicks and head stomps...

UFC 2009 Undisputed Review

2009-05-27T09:48:00.002-04:00

Memorial Day weekend could not have come at a better time. What better way to spend a glorious three day weekend than behind the controller of the latest UFC game to hit the street in years!? I had three days of finger blistering fun and I’m here to share the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Presentation:

The look and feel of this game stay very true to the UFC brand and product right down to the nu-metal soundtrack. Personally as a UFC fan I don’t mind this obvious branding play but to some players who are learning what MMA is or aren’t particularly fond of the UFC I could understand how some of the presentation could get repetitive and annoying.

Maneuvering through the layout is a little awkward whether it’s having to cycle through options on the opening screen in a circle as opposed to my preferred drop down menu or the unusually long load times it makes for a chunky feel when you aren’t actually fighting.

One part of the UFC experience I wish had been included was fighter entrances. I know it’s not vital to the fight but it would’ve made the presentation so much cooler. Otherwise the presentation of the fights is solid. You have the fighter preview, then the tale of the tape, Bruce Buffer introducing the fighters, a pre fight stare down (depending on how big the fight is), and even the ring girls get their 15 minutes of fame.

To end this section on a bright note though is that the roster in each division is very impressive. There were some odd inclusions such as Tito Ortiz and the unfortunate inclusion of the late Evan Tanner which I think was in poor taste on the part of the UFC. However, overall you get at least ten, if not more, solid fighters to play with in each division giving you about 50 total fighters that you can create your dream match ups with. This includes the option of fighters who can move between weight classes like BJ Penn or Brandon Vera. All in all the roster is very impressive and deep.

Graphics:

The graphics are phenomenal and capture every detail of the fighters, referees, trainers, Bruce Buffer, ring girls, and even the Octagon itself. This is my favorite part of the game actually. It looks so true to life when you fight you really do feel like you’re in the action.

As with any sports game sometimes the physics engine has blips but overall it’s very solid and you never see anyone’s fist literally going through someone’s face. The look of the people outside the cage and of the arenas is limited but fortunately once you’re in the fight you never even notice it so it’s understandable why the developers spent such little time making it look good.

Sound:

The sound was a downer for me as it is in most games. The soundtrack here is made up mostly of nu-metal, some original scoring, and the only cool part - clips from post fight interviews with some of the biggest stars in the UFC. Some of the transitional sound clips are cheesy with a lot of metal on metal clanging.

Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan actually sound pretty good in this game and it’s obvious the developers worked hard to not let the commentary get too repetitive. Of course as in any sports game once you play it enough you’ve heard all the lines a thousand times but fortunately in UFC 2009, you’re focused so intently on the fighting that the repetitive commentary doesn’t really bother you.

Game play:

Here is the key factor in any game. How good is the actual game play. No matter how fancy it looks, no matter how many stars you put in the game, it all comes down to whether or not the fighting is enjoyable.

The answer here people is yes. The fights themselves, once you get to a high level of competition, are incredibly strategic and you have to be a master of many crafts just like in real life. If you’re a great striker get prepared to get taken down. If you’re a Jiu Jitsu master be prepared to get KO’d.

Practice is essential to learn all the combinations, the clinch game, and the take downs from the feet. The ground game takes even more practice to learn the subtle position changes, striking, and most importantly submissions (and how to escape them).

Of course you can fight as Anderson Silva in an exhibition and destroy people with little to no experience. However, in career mode where you’re starting from scratch, it takes a lot of hard work to not just learn the moves but also how to actually apply them strategically in the game.

The fighting itself has its little glitches, like guys are way to prone to getting kicked in the head and very few guys attempt submissions on the ground unless that’s their only means of winning. But overall the fighting is fun, intense, and competitive while not being impossible to learn. In fact I enjoy the fact that it seems slower than in real life because 99% of the people who play this game aren’t professional MMA fighters and we need something a little more our speed.

My favorite part (and on occasion least favorite part) of the game is the “rocked” and KO system. Just like in real life no one gets a health bar in this game. You can be rocked or KO’d at a moment’s notice. You do get a stamina bar which the lower it gets, the more likely you are of being KO’d, but it’s not the be all end all giving you a puncher’s chance until the bell rings.

Lasting Appeal:

There are your standard game modes: exhibition, career, and a very cool historic fights option. The historic fights option is very cool as it lets you go into battle during some of the best fights in UFC history and earn prizes for finishing the fight the same way it ended in real life. Exhibition and career mode will have you playing for hours fighting in dream match ups or trying to get your fighter to the hall of fame.

The career mode is very deep in this game. Dana White introduces you to the career mode where you set up your fighter however you want and then you are immediately thrown into a two round fight to prove yourself to White and co. Don’t worry this guy is a tomato can and you should have no problems destroying him.

From there you have the option of a brief tutorial taking you through all the aspects of career mode. They could’ve done a better job of explaining more of the outside the cage aspects like visiting trainers and other activities you can do besides training and fighting. This is good though especially during your first go round.

From there you book your first fight and begin to train. Your email is your main source of communication where you can agree to fights, read the UFC newsletter, and check in with some personal emails that will tell you about new sponsors etc.

The training regiment is simple but still takes some strategy. Just like in real life training can take a toll on you whether you’re training for physical gain or for technical expertise it all takes energy. You need to balance your time between training, sparring, and resting to come into your fight in peak physical condition.

Each time you fight or participate in an activity you can gain “Cred” points which will unlock new clothes, new sponsors, etc. The better you do in your fights the more “Cred” you earn.

As your fighter progresses you climb the ladder up whatever weight class you’ve chosen to dominate. Don’t even think for a second that you’re going to go undefeated though. There’s only one Lyoto Machida and you’re not him. You’ll hit your bumps in the road and it’s important to get back on the winning track quickly as Dana and Joe Silva don’t keep losers around for long.

Ultimately the goal is to climb the ladder, win the belt, and defend the belt until you’re a UFC Hall of Famer. However, it’s as tough as it is in real life. There can only be one champion and there are only a hand full of hall of famers. It’s a tough road that takes a lot of hard work but it’s addictive, fun, and will have you coming back for more.

Out of a ten point grading system here is what I would give UFC 2009:

Presentation - 7.5

Graphics - 9

Sound - 8

Game play - 9.5

Lasting Appeal - 9

This averages out to a total score of 8.6 which is a “Good” game in my book. This is a great starting out point for the guys at THQ and hopefully the game only improves in the years to come. I already can’t wait to see what these guys will add to the next game but until then I’ve got my hands full!

DREAM 9 Preview

2009-05-25T15:08:00.002-04:00

Emanating from the Yokohama Arena in Japan DREAM returns tomorrow with some massive fights. This card includes the second round of their Featherweight tournament, a Middleweight title fight, and the first round of their now infamous "Super Hulk" Grand Prix.

Some of these fights are great but some of them are jokes. Dream is bringing a little something for everyone on this card. Hopefully this short sighted approach to garner ratings doesn't hurt their long term viability. With that said let's start breaking down the fights:

Jason Miller v. Ronaldo Souza: Miller is 22-6, 1-1 in DREAM, with 17 wins by stoppage. He is a grappler. Souza is 10-2, 3-1 in DREAM, with nine wins by submission. He is a BJJ fighter.

This fight is taking place after Gegard Mousasi vacated his title to move up in weight and he will be competing in the Super Hulk GP also on this card. Miller and Souza are both good grapplers. Souza is stronger in submissions but Miller has better wrestling.

Souza owns a win over Miller but Miller took a long break after that fight to refocus and I feel that mentally he is more ready for this fight. My guess is that Miller will use his wrestling to stay on his feet and use his striking. I'm picking Miller to win by KO in the first round. It will be interesting see how both fighters feel though as Miller fought just last month and Souza hasn't fought in almost nine.

Tatsuya Kawajiri v. Gesias Calvancante: Kawajiri is 23-5-2, 3-1 in DREAM, with 16 wins by stoppage. He is a striker with some BJJ. JZ is 14-2-1, 0-1 in DREAM, with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a BJJ fighter with some kickboxing.

JZ hasn't fought in over a year and he may be a bit rusty and Kawajiri is a tough test to come back to. I think Kawajiri has the advantage striking and can survive on the ground with JZ. I'm picking Kawajiri to earn a decision victory.

Norifumi Yamamoto v. Joe Warren: "Kid" Yamamoto is 17-1, making his DREAM debut, with 14 wins by stoppage. He is a Muay Thai fighter with some wrestling. Warren is 1-0 in DREAM and overall with that win coming via KO. He is a wrestler with strong hands.

"Kid" is making his Grand Prix debut due to him getting a bye because of an injury. Warren just doesn't have the experience to match up with the caliber of fighter like "Kid". I'm picking "Kid" via TKO in the first round.

Masakazu Imanari v. Bibiano Fernandes: Imanari is 16-6-1, 1-0 in DREAM, with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a BJJ fighter. Fernandes is 4-2, 1-0 in DREAM, with two wins by submission. He is a BJJ fighter.

Both of these guys are good grapplers but Imanari just has more experience against better competition. I'm picking Imanari to win by decision.

Yoshiro Maeda v. Hiroyuki Takaya: Maeda is 24-6-2, 1-0 in DREAM, with 16 wins by stoppage. He is a striker. Takaya is 9-6-1, 1-0 in DREAM, with six wins by KO. He is also a striker.

This should be a fun war to watch but Maeda is the better fighter. I'm picking Maeda to win by TKO in the first round.

Abel Cullum v. Hideo Tokoro: Cullum is 14-2, 1-0 in DREAM, with 12 wins by stoppage. He is a BJJ fighter. Tokoro is 20-14-1, 2-2 in DREAM, with 15 wins by stoppage. He is a grappler.

Both fighters are talented ground fighters but Cullum is the better fighter overall. I'm picking Cullum to win by decision.

Gegard Mousasi v. Mark Hunt: Mousasi is 27-2-1, 4-0 in DREAM, with 22 wins by stoppage. He is a kickboxer. Hunt is 5-5, 0-1 in DREAM, with three wins by KO. He is also a kickboxer.

This should be a good stand up war. Mousasi gives up a lot of weight to Hunt. While it won't be an issue on the ground as neither of them want to be there Hunt should have the power advantage. I still like Mousasi to win but he has to be very careful and keep moving. I'm picking Mousasi to win by decision.

Jan Nortje v. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou: Nortje is 2-5, making his DREAM debut, with both wins by KO. He is a kickboxer. Sokoudjou is 5-4, also making his DREAM debut, with four wins by KO. He is a Joduka with good striking.

Again Sokoudjou will be giving up a lot of weight but he is the better fighter. As long as he keeps moving he should be fine. I'm picking Sokoudjou to win by TKO in the first round. Hopefully this is the win that can get Sokoudjou's MMA career back on track.

Hong Man Choi v. Jose Canseco: This fight is a joke and I refuse to preview it even though we all know what's going to happen.

Bob Sapp v. Ikuhisa Minowa: Sapp is 10-3-1, making his DREAM debut, with nine wins by stoppage. He doesn't really have a style other than just being huge. However, he wins most of his fights by TKO. Minowa is 41-30-8, 1-3 in DREAM, with 30 wins by stoppage. He is grappler.

Minowa's career as a competitive fighter are over. However, Sapp is a side show for the most part and even though Minowa is giving up a lot of size I like him to somehow get this fight to the mat and win via submission in the second round.

This should be a very interesting card for a variety of reasons and I definitely feel like some big upsets are possible. I'll be back with my DREAM 9 review later this week. Also, stay tuned as always for my TUF 9 review and look forward to my Strikeforce and WEC previews coming this weekend. Until then,

Soccer kicks and head stomps...

UFC 98 Review

2009-05-25T14:23:00.002-04:00

Last night was exactly what the UFC needed after a disappointing UFC 97. All the fights that aired last night were solid and the main event delivered in full.

Let’s delve into the fights:

Dave Kaplan v. George Roop: Roop won by split decision. I got the pick right but not the prediction. I don’t think we’ll be seeing Kaplan again any time soon.

Yoshiyuki Yoshida v. Brandon Wolff: Yoshida picked up the win via guillotine in the first round. Again I got the pick right but not the prediction. It will be interesting to see if Wolff gets another shot in the UFC.

Phillipe Nover v. Kyle Bradley: Bradley won by TKO in the first round. I was way off on this fight. I really hope Nover gets another shot but I’m not so sure he will. It’s amazing how bad he’s looked in the big show after how good he looked on TUF.

Krzysztof Soszynski v. Andre Gusmao: Well I was right that KS wouldn’t win by Kimura but man did his striking impress me. He just walked right through Gusmao’s striking and destroyed him for the first round KO victory. I was kind of curious why Gusmao didn’t even bother trying to go to the ground.

In any case I got the pick right but not the prediction. I can’t wait to see KS fight again. He’s really on a roll!

Patrick Barry v. Tim Hague: This was one of the best comeback victories I’ve seen in a long time. Barry came in and landed some good shots including a head kick that had Hague rocked. But Barry got cocky and let down his guard which allowed Hague to take him down and tap him out with a guillotine choke in the first round for the win. I got this pick wrong but boy was it a fun fight to watch!

Brock Larson v. Mike Pyle: Pyle was a last second replacement for Chris Wilson who didn’t file his medical papers on time. Larson dominated this fight taking the fight to the mat quickly where Pyle should’ve been more competitive. Unfortunately Larson made quick work of him landing some good shots and easily getting into position to finish Pyle by arm triangle in the first round. This fight won’t count against my record due to the last minute replacement (but just as a reminder I did predict Larson to win by submission).

Sean Sherk v. Frank Edgar: Edgar looked really impressive in this fight. He had great cardio, more diverse striking, and used great angles and movement. Sherk just plodded straight forward and outside of some good shots in the first round he didn’t do much.

I was really surprised Sherk didn’t go for more takedowns but Edgar is a good wrestler so Sherk may not have been able to get him to the ground anyway. But when you’re losing like he was on the feet it’s worth a shot. In any case I got this fight wrong as Edgar won the unanimous decision. If Sherk can’t beat guys like Edgar I’m not sure where his career goes from here.

Dan Miller v. Chael Sonnen: In what was definitely the most boring fight of the night Sonnen came in and executed his game plan to perfection. He out wrestled and muscled Miller all over the cage. He laid on top of him and stayed busy enough on top to keep the fight from going back to the feet.

Miller had no answer for Sonnen who earned his first victory in the UFC since 2006 by unanimous decision. I was way off on this fight.

Drew McFedries v. Xavier Foupa-Pokam: McFedries stepped into the cage and just demolished Pokam. He landed one big punch and Pokam was just reeling as McFedries kept landing punches until the ref called it off for the TKO victory in the first round. McFedries picks up a huge victory and Pokam takes a devastating defeat that could really hurt his UFC career. I didn’t get this one right.

Matt Hughes v. Matt Serra: This fight went exactly like I thought it would. Serra landed some good shots (including an unintentional head butt) that hurt Hughes. However, Hughes hung in there and took Serra down and kept control of him for the last two rounds earning him the unanimous decision victory. I picked this fight right on the nose.

At first I was angry Serra lost (even though I picked Hughes simply because I can’t stand the guy). However, I was a more disappointed that the bad blood seemed a little fake after the fight. Serra was upset he lost but once the fight started it didn’t seem like there really was any hard feelings. I really hoped this wasn’t just hype but it looks like it was definitely a big show even if they actually don’t like each other.

Rashad Evans v. Lyoto Machida: And another TUF alum champion bites the dust. Joe Rogan said it best, “Welcome to the Machida era.” This guy really does look unstoppable. Just like I figured would happen we saw the evolution of striking in MMA last night even if it only was for a round and a half.

Both guys came out and went through a long feeling out process. After Machida found his rhythm though the fight was on. Machida began darting in and out as Evans looked to counter strike. Evans never got frustrated with Machida and didn’t start rushing forward. However, he couldn’t catch Machida either.

The second round picked up where the first left off as Machida darted in and out landing solid shots until he rocked Evans. That’s when we saw the killer instinct from his last fight come out again. Machida began efficiently moving forward and picking the hurt Evans apart until he landed the knockout blow in the second round for the victory.

I didn’t get this pick right but was happy to see Machida finally get some recognition. I also couldn’t believe what I was hearing when people where chanting his name during the fight. This is the same guy people booed for the same exact style when he fought Tito Ortiz a year ago. Congratulations are in order to the new champion and I do believe we will see him hang on to the belt for quite some time. Machida can now be mentioned in the same breath with the Penn’s, GSP’s, and Silva’s of the world.

I went a miserable 4-6 with one bonus point for getting the Hughes prediction right. Hopefully UFC 99 will work out better for me. My terrible picks aside it was a good night of fights and hopefully it only gets better as we approach UFC 100. Until next time,

Soccer kicks and head stomps...