MMA-URLS

So, who's ready for another round of Josh Thomson vs. Gilbert Melendez? "The Punk" is ready for another six, actually, disappointed that his "epic trilogy" against "El Nino" ended in a controversial split decision loss last Saturday night (May 19, 2012) in the co-main event of Strikeforce: "Barnett vs. Cormier" at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. But do the fans want to see it? In victory, Melendez will likely move on to defend his 155-pound strap against rugged lightweight veteran Pat Healy, while Thomson gets his injuries checked out before getting back into training. Still, it hasn't stopped him from wondering aloud how his longtime nemesis can consider himself the division's best with such a hotly-contested decision lingering on his resume. Those comments (via Bloody Elbow) after the jump. "I was just looking on Yahoo, and there's a story there about our 'epic trilogy' not being settled, and I think that just says it all. The question shouldn't be asked of me, but should be asked of him. How can you consider yourself one of the best and leave something so controversial like this? The first thing people ask him is are we going to see a fourth fight. I know I don't want to leave it like this, but maybe it's easier said than done. The judges went his way that night. All three fights were great. I mean, we watch thousands of fights, and only a handful of them are great. We have the opportunity here to put on a fourth one, where it will probably end living up to the hype of the first three. There's some unsettled business, and we should just get it all out in the open. Let's add a round. Let's do six rounds. We could do it like the ultimate fighter, and go to an extra round if it's necessary. If you have a split decision coming out of the fifth round, that extra round let's it all get figured out. Something along those lines would be great. I think the very last straw that broke the camel's back is the judge that gave him the first round. I think they scored it for him because it was too close, and he's the champ, so they gave it to him. The champ comes in with that aura. He's the last one to get introduced, and his dad is running around the cage with the belt. Judges look at that. They remember that. So, when the first round is close, they're like, 'We'll just give it the champ.' I think that's why he won. It wasn't anything he did in the cage, that's for sure. Without a shadow of a doubt, I thought I won." Thomson defeated Melendez in their first encounter at Strikeforce: "Melendez vs. Thomson" in 2008. "El Nino" would successfully defend his belt in their 2009 rematch and temporarily settle the score with his second straight win over "The Punk" last weekend. It was the fourth time Melendez has gone to the judges' scorecards in his past five fights. So how about it fight fans? Are you ready to see these two mix it up once again? Or is it time to (finally) put this rivalry out to pasture and see what they can do inside the Octagon?

Posted in: fight, round, melendez, thomson, epic trilogy

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Dan Hardy talks about his upcoming UFC 146 matchup with Duane Ludwig and feels that in the best case scenario he beats him down in the 1st round. He also talks about training with Frank Mir and more.   in association with Fight Hub TV

Posted in: round, dan, case, duane ludwig, case scenario

Read the full article at Low Kick

Saturday night saw the end of the Strikeforce Heavyweight GP. The card was an exciting affair with several great fights. One of those fights, the lightweight title bout between Josh Thomson and Gilbert Melendez has become a point of contention for many. In a split decision, Gilbert took the win, but several saw it in favor of Josh. In a recent TapouT Radio interview, Thomson gave his thoughts on the fight and it's aftermath. *Note: Interviewer is either my co-host, Evan Shoman of TapouT Radio, or myself. When I don't conduct these interviews by myself, I just put "Interviewer" to eliminate having to bounce back and forth between three different names. Interviewer: How has everything been since the fight? Any injuries? Josh Thomson: Everything has been good. I'm on my way to the doctor to see if my hand is broken. We're going to go from there and hopefully get ready to fight again soon. Interviewer: What are your thoughts on the fight? Josh Thomson: I was just looking on Yahoo, and there's a story there about our "epic trilogy" not being settled, and I think that just says it all. The question shouldn't be asked of me, but should be asked of him. How can you consider yourself one of the best and leave something so controversial like this. The first thing people ask him is are we going to see a fourth fight. I know I don't want to leave it like this, but maybe it's easier said than done. The judges went his way that night. All three fights were great. I mean, we watch thousands of fights, and only a handful of them are great. We have the opportunity here to put on a fourth one, where it will probably end living up to the hype of the first three. There's some unsettled business, and we should just get it all out in the open. Let's add a round. Let's do six rounds. We could do it like the ultimate fighter, and go to an extra round if it's necessary. If you have a split decision coming out of the fifth round, that extra round let's it all get figured out. Something along those lines would be great. Interviewer: Do you take Gilbert's comments in the post-fight interview about not taking his training camp very seriously as a personal slight? Josh Thomson: A little bit, yeah. You have to be a fool to believe that, given the fact that our first two fights were obviously the toughest he's had in his whole career. I beat him in that first fight. The second fight, was a hard fought fight, but he won. Now we have this fight that's so controversial. You'd be an idiot to believe that it was hard for him to train for me. There were a lot of things that he didn't anticipate from me that went my way. I was more calm and collected in this fight. I didn't try to chase after him. I let him come to me, and obviously, it worked against me, but I should have probably thrown more. I thought I had done enough to win, though. When I looked at the stats, it said he hit me with forty something power strikes, but I sure don't feel like I got hit with forty power strikes. Nothing wobbled me. Nothing really rocked me. If anything got me, it was the elbows to the back of the head. I've got cuts all on the back of my head from those. Interviewer: Cesar Gracie tweeted that Gilbert went into this fight coming off a back injury. Do you feel that was a way to explain away his performance or your own? Josh Thomson: The only problem I have with that is he was saying it was hard for him to get motivated to fight me, and now Cesar is coming out with, 'Oh, he had a back problem', but when the rumors were flying around about me being injured, it was, 'Oh, he probably just wants a reason for when he loses.' I haven't said one thing about my knee. Nobody knows anything about it. I'm not the one making excuses right now. It's them. They're trying to justify the decision. It is what it is. I can't change it. I can only move on to the next fight. If he ends up fighting Pat Healy, Pat has the potential and a very great chance of beating Gilbert. Healy is one of the toughest guys I've ever fought. People like to discredit him for this or that, but he's a great fighter. Interviewer: What do you think the judges saw in Gilbert's game that won him the fight? Josh Thomson: I don't know. I think the very last straw that broke the camel's back is the judge that gave him the first round. I think they scored it for him because it was too close, and he's the champ, so they gave it to him. The champ comes in with that aura. He's the last one to get introduced, and his dad is running around the cage with the belt. Judges look at that. They remember that. So, when the first round is close, they're like, "We'll just give it the champ.' I think that's why he won. It wasn't anything he did in the cage, that's for sure. Interviewer: When the fight was over, before the decision was announced, did you think you had won the fight, without a shadow of a doubt? Josh Thomson: Without a shadow of a doubt, I thought I won. Interviewer: You seemed to have trouble getting a single or a double leg takedown, but the leg trip worked perfectly a few times. What was going on there? Josh Thomson: Honestly, it's hard to shoot on our canvas. If you noticed, every time I landed a push kick, I had to take a step back and wipe my foot. There were a few times that I slipped. The canvas that Strikeforce uses is like a vinyl or nylon one, and with any sweat, you're slipping and sliding. It's horrible, but it's one of those things you just have to take in stride and make the necessary adjustments as the fight goes on. Interviewer: Do you want the next crack at him or is it already established that Pat Healy is next? Josh Thomson: I don't really know what's going on. It's up to the promotion. If they want me to fight somebody else, than I fight somebody else. I'm ready to fight whoever. I'm going to get my hand checked out and then go from there. It's a little sore and swollen, so I just want to get it checked out, and get it healthy. I'd like to fight sometime in August or September. I'd like to try to get two more fights in this year if I can. Follow Josh via his Twitter, @THEREALPUNK

Posted in: fight, round, josh, thomson, interviewer

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Press Release - Nashville, TN will be the focal point of Women’s MMA fans on June 22nd when “Hurricane” Heather Jo Clark faces Sofia Bagherdai at XFC18: Music City Mayhem. Clark was on the wrong end of a controversial doctor’s stoppage against Marianna Kheyfets at XFC 16 earlier this year. Now back to 100%, Clark must get through Bagherdai in order to get a rematch with Kheyfets later this year. After reeling off four straight wins, the stars were lining up for Clark to become the top dog in the XFC Women’s flyweight division in February. The only thing standing in her way was one of the rising stars in Women’s MMA, XFC vet Marianna Kheyfets. After a back and forth first round Clark dug deep into her arsenal and used a judo throw to wind up on top of Kheyfets as the round ended. But somehow, during the final moments of the round, Clark’s right eye began to bruise. In between rounds the ringside physician determined that Clark was unable to continue due to the eye that was beginning to swell completely shut. ‘Hurricane’ pleaded with the doctor, but ultimately the swelling was too severe and the fight was called in favor or Kheyfets. Now with the bitter taste of a loss in her mouth, the Greg Jackson student will take on veteran Sofia Bagherdai who is coming off a tough loss of her own last month. Before the close decision loss to undefeated Ashley Cummins, Bagherdai had won four of her last five and was widely considered the top flyweight in the East Coast. At XFC 18, she will have a chance to fight live on HDNet to show the world what she can do and just how explosive she really is. XFC President John Prisco is passionate about women’s MMA and has been adamant about giving the top prospects an opportunity to fight on his shows live on HDNet. “Heather Clark is one of the top fighters in the world,” proclaimed Prisco. “She went toe to toe with Marianna in Knoxville and unfortunately they had to stop the fight due to the swelling under her eye. I was excited and ready for the second round. Marianna was pushing the pace but in the last minute or so of the round Heather threw her and got on top and finished in a dominant position. It was really getting good. I hate that it had to end like that. Since that fight, Heather has been asking me for another fight. She would’ve fought the next weekend if I would’ve had a fight for her. But, that’s just the type of warrior she is. Heather wants to compete and she wants to fight the best. In Nashville we have Sofia Bagherdai coming in to face her. Let me tell you, Sofia is no joke. She has been knocking opponents out since 2007. Sofia is a pioneer and has been helping build Women’s MMA before it became popular. I’m really excited about this fight and I think people who are on the fence about Women’s MMA will sit up and pay attention when these two ladies get in the cage on June 22nd.” XFC 18: Music City Mayhem is sponsored by ICRealtime Security Solutions and will air live on HDnet from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, TN June 22nd, 2012. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster.com. To learn more about the XFC, please visit www.officialxfc.com, Follow us daily on Facebook & Twitter (@officialxfc). MMAFrenzy.com

Posted in: fight, round, xfc, clark, sofia

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Relive last night's Strikeforce action with Daniel Cormier vs. Josh Barnett and Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thomson fight highlights, courtesy of Showtime Sports. Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier took place May 19, 2012, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA. Former Olympian Daniel Cormier (10-0) battled Josh Barnett (31-6) in the night's main event to determine the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix champion. In the co-main event, Gilbert Melendez (21-2) put his Strikeforce lightweight title on the line against longtime rival Josh Thomson (19-5, 1 NC). Catch the video highlights below. For more on Cormier's coming out party, check out the play-by-play from MMA Fighting's own Dave Doyle. Round 1: Josh Rosenthal is the main-event referee. Barnett with a couple quick jabs, slips throwing a kick. Quick clinch. Cormier goes inside. Cormier clearly not terribly afraid of Barnett's reach advantage. Cormier scores a knee. Another clinch. Cormier tosses Barnett aside and chases after him. Barnett with a jab, Cormier counters with several shots. Another Greco clinch. Barnett narrowly misses with a big standing elbow. Pace slows a bit. Barnett with a low kick. Two minutes left. Big right by Cormier. Cormier more active. Both guys land knees in the clinch. Cormier's punches are crisp. Barnett catches Cormier late with a nice knee and they finish the round cinched along the fence. MMAFighting scoresthe round for Cormier, 10-9. Round 2: Barnett with a jab and Cormier with a counter flurry. Barnett with a front kick. Barnett rocks Cormier backwards, but Cormier regains his footing. They clinch, and Cormier catches him with an elbow as they break. Shot to the body by Cormier registers. Cormier with a takedown midway through the round. Cormier in Barnett's guard. After a stalemate, Cormier lands an elbow that bloodies Barnett. Barnett goes for a leg lock, Cormier escapes, gets to his feet, then goes right back into Barnett's guard. Thirty seconds left. Cormier lands a couple shots as the round ends.MMAFighting scores the round for Cormier, 10--9 (20-18 overall).Round 3: They clinch along the fence in the opening minute. Barnett tries for a single-leg, abandons it. Back to center cage a minute in. Cormier lands a 1-2. Barnett misses a running knee. Cormier with a gigantic slam. Cormier has side control. Cormier tries for a choke as they get back up. They're standing. Barnett's face looks like it's been hit with a sledgehammer. He's not even showing hints of backing down, though. Slower pace. Cormier staggers Barnett with a head kick and a big knee. Barnett in trouble but won't go down. Big knee and a roundhouse by Barnett. My god, is Josh Barnett tough. Cormier behind Barnett, wants a big slam, doesn't get the leverage. Round ends with Cormier still hanging on to Barnett. MMAFighting scores the round for Cormier, 10-9 (30-27 overall). Round 4: Barnett catches Cormier with a big knee early. They clinch, Barnett throws a couple knees. Barnett with a left head kick followed by a right head kick. Barnett with a knee. Two minutes in, they clinch along the fence. Barnett whiffs on a spinning back fist. Cormier goes for a single leg and finishes it with a nifty trip. Cormier goes for either some sort of leg lock (can't quite tell what with a Showtime type standing up directly in front of me). It's very close, but Cormier slides out of danger. Cormier ends up in Barnett's guard. Rosenthal calls for a standup with 30 seconds left. Very close round, Barnett with a sense of urgency. MMAFighting scores the round for Barnett, 10-9 (39-37 Cormier overall). Round 5: Barnett with a kick to the body. A timeout called as the mat was wet, Rosenthal towels it off and we're back at it. Barnett throws a combo and we've got a positional battle along the fence. They end up back out in the center. Cormier appears content to simply not lose the fight, Barnett isn't yet doing anything to take it. Crowd gets a bit restless. Cormier with a combo. Two minutes left. Barnett with a spinning back first, Cormier scores a takedown and just misses with a slam attempt, as Barnett lands on his feet. The clinch, Barnett's back to the fence. One minute left. Both guys still standing and clinched. Down to the closing seconds. Cormier avoids contact, too many boos from the crowd at the end for a quality fight. MMAFighting scores the round for Cormier, 10-9 (49-46 overall). Strikeforce Barnett vs. Cormier results: Daniel Cormier wins via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45).

Posted in: round, barnett, kick, knee, cormier

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SAN JOSE -- The majority opinion in the HP Pavilion press room after Saturday night's Strikeforce event was Gilbert Melendez won the first three rounds of his lightweight championship fight against Josh Thomson, with the challenger taking the last two rounds. Thomson, who lost the bout on a split decision (Melendez took two of three 48-47 scores), didn't see it that way. At the post-fight press conference, Thomson said that if he was the one filling out a scorecard, it would have gone 49-47 in his favor. In his view, the first five minutes were a draw, Melendez won round two, and Thomson won the final three rounds. "I fight like the first round was a 10-10 round," said Thomson. "I should have went out and got it. It's my fault I left it in the judges hands. The third was a close round too, I thought I won that one, and then the fourth and the fifth. But, you know, whatever." Thomson's best shot at winning came during the fourth round, when he got Melendez in several rear-naked chokes. But he wasn't able to get the job done, as Melendez fended off the submission attempts as time ran out in the round. "The first one was probably close," said Thomson. "The rest of them, I was just trying to reach his chin. He's hard to submit. I trained with him for two-and-a-half years, I maybe subbed him two times that entire time. He's a tough man, he's almost impossible to finish. ... He's one of the greatest mentally strong fighters out there, that's what makes him so great." Thus ends a trilogy that began with Thomson taking Melendez's title in a 2008 upset and continued the following year with Melendez winning the rematch. As far as Strikeforce's Scott Coker is concerned, Melendez-Thomson belongs among the great fight trilogies. "I personally can watch this fight every month," Coker said. "It's going to go down in history as one of the great [trilogies] in the history of mixed martial arts. It reminds me of one of those great battles, let's say ‘Sugar' Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns or Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard. These guys have the chemistry to bring it. They both brought their A game tonight, it was an amazing fight, I'm proud of both of them." While Thomson wasn't happy with the judges' scoring, the American Kickboxing Academy fighter still saw the bright side of fighting in front of his home fans. "I started fighting in '98 for, like, $100," said Thomson. "With what I'm getting paid now, I mean of course I love it. I don't want to get a real job ever."

Posted in: fight, round, melendez, thomson, josh thomson

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When Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Grand Prix began 16 months ago, Daniel Cormier was just a promising up and comer and not a member of the tournament’s field of eight. Saturday night at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Cormier became the Grand Prix champ after defeating Josh Barnett by way of a near-shutout five round unanimous decision that announced his arrival as one of mixed martial arts’ premier big men.Scores were 50-45 twice and 49-46 for Cormier, a two-time US Olympic wrestler who replaced Alistair Overeem in the tourney and never looked back, scoring consecutive victories over Antonio Silva and Barnett to take the mixed martial arts world by storm.“It means everything to beat somebody like Josh Barnett,” said Cormier. “I’ve lost a lot of people in my life, and this is for all of them. My daughter Kaedyn, my dad. This means the world to me.”Barnett set a fast pace to begin the five rounder, and Cormier eagerly kept up, going on the offensive with hard punches to the head. Barnett looked to be a little flustered by Cormier’s attack, but by the midway point, the fight settled into a more manageable groove for him. Cormier continued to tag Barnett with a varied array of strikes, including punches to the head and body, knees, and push kicks. The former UFC champion finished strong though, opening a bruise under Cormier’s left eye just before the bell.Cormier started the second round off strong, but this time Barnett was able to answer a lot better with his strikes. Two minutes in, Cormier drilled Barnett with two hard body shots and then took “The Warmaster” to the mat. There, Cormier mauled Barnett, bloodying his face with ground strikes. Barnett tried to work a submission from the bottom, but the Louisiana native wasn’t having it.The pace dipped in the third, but Cormier still remained in the driver’s seat, slamming Barnett to the mat and later drilling and hurting him with a right head kick as he locked up another round.Barnett, refusing to back down, landed with two hard knees to open round four, making it clear to Cormier that he was still in the fight. Barnett’s punches were apparently not hurting Cormier, yet they were scoring some much needed points. Cormier, potshotting whenever he saw the openings, even landed with two more head kicks before another getting takedown. Barnett almost locked up Cormier’s leg in the process, but “DC” was able to escape, with his fans breathing a sigh of relief. In the final minute, referee Josh Rosenthal restarted the action, with Barnett making a final charge until round’s end.The two shook hands before the final round began, and with five minutes left in the fight, Cormier played it smart, but he didn’t stall, still picking off Barnett until getting a takedown with under two minutes left. Barnett didn’t stay on the mat long, but Cormier pinned him to the fence, not allowing the veteran to make a fight saving rally.With the win, Cormier ups his record to 10-0; Barnett falls to 31-6.

Posted in: fight, round, barnett, minute, cormier

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The finals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix finally went on - with Josh Barnett, the favorite from that half of the bracket, facing Daniel Cormier, an alternate who was not even supposed to be in the tournament. Cormier put on a star-making performance and came out with the decision victory - although both men obviously could compete with the elite of any heavyweight division in the world. The first round saw Daniel Cormier outstriking the much more experienced Josh Barnett, although both men landed significant blows. In the second round, Cormier took Barnett down after some crisper boxing from Josh made him think twice about engaging on the feet. Cormier's elbows made a mess of Barnett's face and he evaded the leglock and armbar attempts as well. A high altitude slam off a single leg was the best part of Round 3. Cormier tossed Barnett completely upside down after some relatively even striking trades. As befitting his nickname (The Warmaster), Barnett kept going and never broke mentally. Cormier slowed as the round wend on, but did enough to take it on most unofficial cards. In Round 4, Cormier displayed his excellent fight instincts by shifting seamlessly throughout all phases of the MMA game. Barnett fired back in an astounding display of resiliency, but again lost the round. Fifth round had Daniel Cormier easing down into cruise control, defending all of Barnett's attempts to get what would have been one of the greatest comebacks of MMA history started. In the end, Cormier took all five rounds and has vaulted from an alternate to this Grand Prix to its winner and perhaps one of the top five heavyweights on the planet. Barnett looked impressive in defeat as well and as a whole, this fight rocked.

Posted in: round, josh barnett, josh, barnett, cormier

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The Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix FINALLY concluded tonight (Sat., May 19, 2012) at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, as Josh Barnett met Daniel Cormier in the finals to determine who went home with the tournament belt. Barnett got here by submitting both Brett Rogers and Sergei Kharitonov via arm triangle while Cormier entered as an alternate in place of Alistair Overeem and knocked out Antonio Silva in the first round. And more than one year after it started, a winner was crowned. Congratulations, Daniel Cormier, the honor is yours. It's fitting, really, that an alternate was the man to ultimately win the fractured tournament. In reality, he deserves the victory, though, as he absolutely outclassed Barnett throughout five rounds of action. He was better in the standing exchanges, a better striker, was better wrestling and even showed solid submission defense. Take a bow, "DC," this one's all yours. Cormier showed his highly improved striking game early, landing both kicks and punches that appeared to make Barnett extremely uncomfortable. He also looked faster and more powerful than his opponent. They worked some in the clinch with Barnett landing some solid knees but Cormier looked very comfortable in there with the vested veteran. In fact, he was in control until the final 20 seconds when Barnett landed a knee and a big follow up punch that had Cormier aggressively trying to clinch to avoid further damage. Barnett was more aggressive to open the second round while Cormier stayed patient and picked his spots. Both men found success at various points, with Barnett's weapon of choice, a knee, doing solid damage when he employed it. The clinch game was mostly a wash, though Cormier was scoring with punches on the way out. The first takedown of the fight came with 2:30 remaining in the second, as Cormier tripped Barnett and ended up in his full guard. Barnett started throwing submission attempts, working for an arm and a leg but he was taking damage while doing so. In fact, his face was a crimson mask as the round came to a close. Round three came and Barnett pushed forward as the aggressor early. He worked for a takedown from a single to a double but Cormier's overhooks stifled that attempt. As pointed out by the commentators earlier in the evening, Cormier has never been taken down under the Strikeforce banner. Barnett didn't become the first to do so here. They went back to exchanging and Cormier continued showing off his new-found skill. Suddenly, Cormier used a single leg high crotch to send Barnett flying through the air with a big slam takedown right into side control. Wow. Barnett managed to get back to his feet without much issue but it made for a dramatic visual and showed more of Cormier's skill set. He teased another slam but instead landed a big head kick later that stunned Barnett. "The Warmaster" covered up against the fence but was subjected to big shots against the cage. He recovered enough to answer with a big uppercut that halted the onslaught but Cormier remained aggressive by taking his back standing up. The round came to a close with both men simply recovering in the clinch. Round four opened and Barnett had a sense of urgency that wasn't evident previously. He pushed forward and started working those big knees again but Cormier was able to keep a good distance and maintain the range he wanted the fight at. This led to more head kicks that were landing enough to create the sickening slap sound but not enough to put Barnett on his butt. "The Warmaster's" only offense came by way of knees rushing in and even a spinning back fist in this round. Cormier again worked a single leg takedown and got it but Barnett snatched a leg lock. The submission attempt failed and Cormier ended up back on top in full guard, once again in control of the contest. The referee stood them back up where they closed the round clinched against the cage. One more to go and Cormier was firmly in control. Round five was academic. Barnett needed a finish but Cormier was far too game to let it happen. It's too bad there was so little buzz for this event because this was the star making turn for Cormier, who turned in an outstanding performance. Just one more bout and he's UFC bound, folks. What do you think about that? Remember, too, to check out MMAmania.com's complete coverage of the Strikeforce: "Barnett vs. Cormier" event by clicking here.

Posted in: round, josh barnett, barnett, knee, cormier

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After 15 rounds of fighting between Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson, little is solved. Thomson won the first bout, Melendez won the rematch, and the trilogy fight at Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier was nearly a tossup. In the end, the judges scored it a split decision, with two judges scoring it 48-47 for Melendez and the third scoring it for Thomson 48-47. The fans seemed to believe Thomson deserved the nod, booing the decision. Melendez had been considered a huge favorite to win handily, coming in as a 6-to-1 favorite. He had to survive through several difficult situations to win. His most perilous moment came in the fourth, when Thomson scored a takedown, took his back and applied a rear naked choke. While he had his hands locked, he could never fully get his choking arm under Melendez's chin, and so Melendez eventually worked free. The second half of the fight was definitely Thomson's, as he landed the heavier blows and marked up Melendez's face. The Strikeforce lightweight champ left with a badly swollen left eye after taking several uppercuts and a head kick in the final two frames. Melendez couldn't really explain what went wrong late. "I had control and started cupcaking it out there," he said. "It wasn't my best performance. The early part of the fight belonged to Melendez. After a slow-paced first round, he began to assert himself in the second. Much of the action came in sudden, violent bursts after periods of respectful distance. Melendez seemed to inch closer in the second round after figuring out the distance, and had the round's best sequence with a flurry, takedown, and strikes against the cage just after Thomson returned to his feet. Melendez turned up his pace in the third, moving forward and putting Thomson on his heels. Thomson did get a brief takedown, but Melendez popped up to his feet in a flash and responded with a series of uppercuts. Melendez was the volume puncher, but Thomson did land a few power strikes, and by the end of the round, Melendez's right eye began to swell. One note to the fight was that Thomson suffered multiple eye pokes, but the referee never deducted a point from Melendez. If he had, the scores would have made the fight a majority draw. That could have led to yet another matchup between the two, a possibility Thomson seemed like he wouldn't dismiss. "Who wants to see a fourth fight?" he asked afterward. Melendez improved to 21-2 following his seventh straight win. Thomson fell to 19-5 with 1 no contest.

Posted in: fight, round, split decision, melendez, thomson

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SAN JOSE -- This is the Strikeforce live blog for Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier, a heavyweight bout on tonight's Strikeforce event from HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.Barnett, who has won eight straight fights, will face Cormier, who has never lost in his career, in the Strikeforce Heayvweight Grand Prix final.Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: Barnett vs. Cormier Results | Strikeforce News Round 1: Round 2:Round 3: Round 4: Round 5:

Posted in: strikeforce, round, heavyweight bout, cormier, prix finalcheck

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In a surprisingly competitive bout to defend the Strikeforce lightweight title, Gilbert Melendez outworked Josh Thomson early on to take the split decision victory and retain his belt. Rounds 1 through 3 saw Melendez generating more offense and negating most of Thomson's salvos and tactics. The fourth round saw Thomson finally capitalize on a trip and take Melendez's back to threaten a rear naked choke for some time. The fifth round again saw Thomson stay more active and take the round. Score card controversies could arise over how to score the fourth (10-9 or 10-8, Thomson) or how to score the first round (10-9 Melendez or 10-10). Melendez moves to 21-2 and has now capped off the trilogy with Thomson with a 2-1 advantage - although with some controversy. His lone other setback was a decision loss to Mitsuhiro Ishida back in 2007 and Melendez avenged that with a third round KO back in 2009. At this point, Melendez has very few Strikeforce-based challengers left in his division. Thomson drops to 19-5-1 for his career and probably has to be raring for a rare MMA quadrilogy to show that he can indeed beat Gilbert and take that belt for himself.

Posted in: round, melendez, thomson, thomsons salvos, mma quadrilogy

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The co-main event of the Strikeforce: "Barnett vs. Cormier" fight card taking place tonight (Sat., May 19, 2012) in San Jose, California, featured a lightweight championship showdown pitting titleholder Gilbert Melendez against a man he had met twice before, Josh Thomson. Indeed, these two tangoed in 2008 and 2009, respectively, splitting those bouts. Melendez wasn't just here to bring and emphatic end to the trilogy, however; he was here to prove once again he's one of the very best lightweights in all of MMA. He may not have done that in the emphatic fashion he had hoped but he did manage to pull off a split decision victory by scores of 48-47, 47-48, and 48-47 to retain his lightweight championship. The fans in attendance loudly protested this decision by booing boisterously. Melendez didn't mind, saying "I know some are booing but I got my boys cheering for me. I thought I won most of the rounds." All he needed were two judges to score him three of five and that's exactly what they did. Early game was patience but Thomson was getting off with fast punches. Melendez played with him there but looked to get the worse of the exchanges. A trip takedown didn't result in anything and they went back to standing. Melendez shot in for his first takedown and executed a double leg. Thomson used the fence to wall walk and managed to get back to his feet. Once they reset, the striking exchanges were fairly uneventful. Melendez worked a clinch a few times but it was his late takedown that helped seal the round in his favor. The second round saw Melendez get aggressive once again, shooting in for a takedown and mixing up strikes. Thomson was getting beaten to the punch consistently but wasn't throwing at nearly the same volume as his opponent. Again, though, it was mostly slow rolling in the second. That is until an errant eye poke from Melendez seemed to wake Thomson up. Still, "El Nino" was too strong, pushing the action and earning yet another takedown. "The Punk" tried to steal a late takedown but Melendez defended well and even landed a few elbows towards the end of the frame. The third round was the best offensively for Thomson, though, as he finally started throwing hands that were finding a home. In fact, contrary to the opening two frames, it was Thomson who was walking Melendez down in key spots. That's not to mention a nice trip takedown, though he failed to capitalize on it. That spelled trouble, too, considering Melendez finally started landing the lead uppercut he was throwing with such nasty intentions. There was a bit of restlessness from the live crowd after Thomson acted as though he was poked in the eye again but the referee wasn't having any of it and he immediately restarted the match. By this point, Melendez was comfortable again and pushing forward with punches. Thomson opened that round strong but Melendez may get it on the scorecards for regaining the momentum in the final two minutes or so. Into the championship rounds and both men still looked relatively fresh. Thomson landed a strong left hand early that looked to startle Melendez but once again, Thomson failed to capitalize on the opening. This led to a quick scoop slam takedown from Gil but they went right back to standing after "The Punk" wall walked back to his feet. Thomson landed another trip takedown but this time, he came down with Melendez and ended up taking his back with both hooks. he then locked in a body triangle and worked hard for the rear-naked choke with around one minute to go. Melendez defended with everything he had and managed to make it to the end of the round. The final round began with the crowd having come to life and the momentum firmly on Thomson's side. There wasn't a ton of urgency early in the final frame, however, with neither man particularly strong in his offense. Finally, they started working hard and throwing bombs at each other. Takedown attempts from both sides failed. Thomson got aggressive and started getting the better of the exchanges. Both men were still going strong with one minute to go. Another late takedown from Melendez was stuffed and Thomson started pouring on punches. They reset and Thomson scored another trip takedown with just 30 seconds left. Melendez got busy from his back, throwing punches galore. Thomson looked like he just wanted to ride out the rest of the bout on top with superior position while Melendez tried to stay busy. After five rounds, any combination of judges scorecards would have been understandable. Ultimately, they sided with Melendez and he's still the champion. Anyone still want to see him in the UFC? Remember, too, to check out MMAmania.com's complete Strikeforce: "Barnett vs. Cormier" results and live coverage of all the night's action by clicking here.

Posted in: takedown, round, melendez, trip takedown, thomson

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MMA Fighting offers Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier live play-by-play for the finals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. In the main event, former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett faces two-time Olympian Daniel Cormier in the finals of the tournament. SAN JOSE -- This is the Strikeforce undercard live blog for the Barnett vs. Cormier event from the HP Pavilion.There will be five fights on the undercard. Gesias Cavalcante vs. Isaac Vallie-FlaggVirgil Zwicker vs. Carlos Inocente, Gian Villante vs. Derrick Mehmen, Quinn Mulhern vs. Yuri Villefort, and James Terry vs. Bobby Green will be featured on the prelims.Check out the live blog below. James Terry vs. Bobby Green Round 1: Lightweight bout between former Affliction fighter Green and the AKA's Terry opens things up. Not much action in the first minute. Green throws a couple jabs, then Terry answers with a front kick. Terry barely misses with a head kick attempt. Terry more active midway through the round, but isn't doing much damage. Terry connects with a left hook. Terry connects with a left and walks into a Green counter. Green lands a combo. Green attempts a takedown and pushes Terry back to the fence. They end up center cage and Terry connects with the biggest punch of the round. MMAFighting scores the round 10-9 for Terry. Round 2: Terry connects with a left hand and a low kick after a minute of both fighters dancing. Terry finds a home with a big right hand and Green backpedals. Terry connects with a straight right. Green drops his hands and sticks out his tongue; Terry misses with a high kick in response. Terry with a combo. Green finally opening up a bit, connects with a straight left. Terry connects with a left to the jaw and follows with a right to the jaw. Green doing far more talking than fighting as the round ends. MMAFighting scores the round 10-9 for Terry (20-18 overall). Round 3: Another slow first minute. Green connects with a combo and opens a cut on the bridge of Terry's nose. Terry connects with a left and a low kick, and pushes Green into the fence. Green goes for a knee from the Thai clinch and just misses. Terry throwing with more volume, but Green's punches are landing on Terry's cut. Green lands a combo. One minute left. Terry throwing more, but Green's been more effective with his strikes in the round. Green with a pair of body kicks right before the horn. MMAFighting scores the round 10-9 for Green (29-28 Terry overall). The judges render a split-decision win for Bobby Green, as he took two out of three 29-28 scores. Quinn Mulhern vs. Yuri Villefort Round 1: Welterweight fight here. Mulhern is a Strikeforce Challengers vet. The 21-year old Villefort is 6-0 but hasn't fought in two years. An early exchange ends with Villefort throwing Mulhern to the mat. Villefort with a crisp low kick, Mulhern flicks a couple jabs. Mulhern with a takedown, briefly gets up, goes back into Villefort's guard. Villefort is clearly comfortable on his back, but Mulhern briefly gets his back. They're standing and clinching along the fence. Fight ends up back on the ground, Mulhern on the ground trying to work a shoulder lock. Villefort in Mulhern's guard as the round winds to a close. Villefort lands a late elbow. MMAFighting scores the round 10-9 for Mulhern. Round 2: Fight goes right back to the ground, Mulhern is in Villefort's half guard. They stand and Villefort drills Mulhern with a knee, which busts open Mulhern's nose. Mulhern transitions from side control to mount, but Villefort escapes. They're briefly back standing, then end back up on the ground. Villefort tries to grab a leg, but Mulhern goes for a choke. One minute left and Villefort is in Mulhern's guard. Villefort connects with several punches in the round's closing seconds. MMAFighting sores the round 10-9 for Villefort (19-19 overall). Round 3: An early scramble ends with Mulhern in side control. Three minutes left. Mulhern still in side control, but Villerfort spins out and they're both standing. Mulhern shoots, they end up on the ground again and Mulhern goes for a leg lock. Villefort escapes as they contunie scrambling on the ground. Mulhern trying for an arm bar, can't get it. He ends up in the mount with a minute left. More grappling over the final minute as the bout concludes. MMAFighting scores the round 10-9 for Mulhern (29-28 Mulhern). The judges score the bout a split decision for Quinn Mulhern, on scores of 30-27 and 29-28 for Mulhern and 29-28 for Villefort. Gian Villante vs. Derrick Mehmen Round 1: Light heavyweight bout. Villante, the former heavyweight, connects with an early uppercut, which drops Mehmen. He clinches Mehman along the fence and connects on knees to the body as Mehman tries to get up. They're back up, two minutes in. Mehmen flicking jabs. Mehmen rushes Villante but nothing comes of it. Mehmen has a mouse under his left eye. Villante pops him again and they clinch along the fence. Mehmen connects on a kick. MMAFighting scores the round 10-9 for Villante. Round 2: Not much of note in the opening minute as the two circle each other. Mehmen blocks Villante's attempted high kick. Midway through, a Mehmen counter catches Villante in the eye. Back to action after a brief break. They briefly clinch with about 90 seconds left. Mehmen picks up the pace, connects with a leg kick. Quick scramble on the ground and they're back up. Things open up in the closing seconds as both try to steal the round. MMAFighting scores the round 10-9 for Mehmen (19-19 overall). Round 3: After another slow opening minute, Mehmen comes in close and eats a couple Villante uppercuts. Villante connects with a leg kick that registers. Mehmen comes out swinging and Villante covers up and gets to safety. Mehmen walks into a jab. Villante stalking him, lands a low kick. Midway through the round. Mehmen breathing heavily. Villante landing straight lefts. The two clinch and Villante throws a knee. Villante lands a big right. Another leg kick. Mehmen shoots for a takedown and gets Villante to his knees along the fence as the fight ends. MMAFighting scores the round 10-9 for Villante (29-28 Villante overall). Gian Villante wins via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27). Virgil Zwicker vs. Guto Inocente Round 1: Marcos Rosales is your referee for this one. An early exchange ends with the fighters clinching. Inocente lands a head kick, but Zwicker shakes it off and gets a takedown. They're back up. Inocente opening up, connects with a couple kicks. Inocente just misses on a spinning back fist. Inocente lands a knee to the body and to the head. Credit Zwicker's toughness. Zkwicker with a spinning back fist of his own. Zwicker appears to be bleeding from the nose. Inocente with a knee. Zwicker with a sweet throw. They back standing late. Inocente clearly more skilled and Zwicker is clearly tough. First real crowd response of the night. MMAFighting scores the round 10-9 for Inocente. Round 2: Inocente slips going for a head kick and Zwicker ends up in his guard. We're back standing, 90 seconds in. Wild exchange of punches and kicks. Inocente lands a knee. Zwicker catches a Inocente kick and backs him into the cage. Two minutes left, standing, Inocente connects with a spinning back fist. They trade knees. Zwicker again catches a kick. Greco clinch, Inocente tries for a throw, doesn't get it. Back to their feet. Zwicker with a spinning back fist. Both fighters breathing hard, Zwicker goes for a late takedown. MMAFIghting scores the round 10-9 for Inocente (20-18 overall). Round 3: More of the same in the early going, just at a much slower pace. Zwicker really digs in for a takedown attempt but doesn't quite get it. Zwicker throws his billionth spinning back fist. Zwicker catches Inocente's kick for the billionth time. Inocente lands a knee to the head and Zwicker shakes it off. Two minutes to go. Both guys completely gassed. They clinch along the fence with about a minute left. Zwicker hits a standing elbow. Zwicker giving everything he has left in the closing minute. Thirty seconds left. Zwicker blocks an Inocente flying knee. Zwicker charges at him. Fight ends, crowd gives both guys a much deserved ovation for effort, if not technique. MMAFighting scores the round 10-9 for Zwicker (29-28 Inocente overall). Guto Inocente wins via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27). Gesias Cavalcante vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg Round 1: Cavalcante with a takedown a minute in and works for a submission. Has a guillotine, but it doesn't appear tight. They're back up. Vallie-Flagg seems to eat a kick every time he comes close, so he keeps his distance. Vallie-Flagg hits a running knee. Cavalcante pops him with a head kick, then misses with another late. MMAFighting scores the round for Cavalcante, 10-9. Round 2: Fight hits the ground. Cavalcante in Vallie-Flagg's half-guard. They're back to their feet. Cavalcante connects with a straight left and a low kick. Vallie-Flagg keeping his distance. Midway through the round. Vallie-Flagg has a streak of blood streaming below his right eye, which Cavalcante targets. Clinch work along the fence in the final minute. Cavalcante throws an elbow after the final horn. MMAFighting scores the round for Cavalcante, 10-9 (20-18 overall). Round 3: Vallie-Flagg starts with a flurry, backing Cavalcante into the fence. Back to center cage. Vallie-Flagg is fighting like someone who was told by his corner in between rounds that he's losing the fight. Vallie-Flagg connects with a standing elbow and a front kick. Cavalcante backs Vallie-Flagg into the fence, but Vallie-Flagg reverses. Vallie-Flagg's head kick lands. Two minutes left, Vallie-Flagg the more active of the two. Vallie-Flagg with a flying knee in the final minute. They finish with a flourish. Valiant third-round by Vallie-Flagg. MMAFighting scores the round for Vallie-Flagg, 10-9 (29-28 Cavalcane overall). Isaac Vallie-Flagg wins via split decision, getting two of three 29-28 scores.

Posted in: round, kick, terry, zwicker, mulhern

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SAN JOSE -- This is the Strikeforce live blog for Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thomson, a lightweight bout on tonight's Strikeforce event from HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.Melendez, who has won six straight fights, will defend his lightweight title against Thomson, who has won his last three Strikeforce fights, on the main card. It will be the third meeting between the two fighters.Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: Barnett vs. Cormier Results | Strikeforce News Round 1: Trilogy fight here. Thomson won the first bout and Melendez the rematch. Thomson got a mixed reaction from the crowd and Melendez a big ovation. Dan Stell is your referee. Thomson counters Melendez's early flurries. Melendez scores a takedown. They scramble back to their feet. Thomson clearly doesn't want a firefight. Brief exchanges. One minute left. Thomson with a combo and a high kick late, Melendez follows with a quick takedown. MMAFighting scores the round for Melendez, 10-9. Round 2: Round 3: Round 4: Round 5:

Posted in: strikeforce, round, melendez, thomson, rematch thomson

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MMAFrenzy’s coverage of Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier continues with our play-by-play coverage tonight’s card. Heavyweight Grand Prix Final: Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier Round 1 - Lightweight Title Fight: Gilbert Melendez (c) vs. Josh Thomson Round 1 - Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante vs. Mike Kyle Round 1 – (In progress…) MMAFrenzy.com

Posted in: round, vs, barnett, cormier, playbyplay coverage

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SAN JOSE -- This is the Strikeforce undercard live blog for the Barnett vs. Cormier event from the HP Pavilion.There will be five fights on the undercard. Gesias Cavalcante vs. Isaac Vallie-FlaggVirgil Zwicker vs. Carlos Inocente, Gian Villante vs. Derrick Mehmen, Quinn Mulhern vs. Yuri Villefort, and James Terry vs. Bobby Green will be featured on the prelims.Check out the live blog below. James Terry vs. Bobby Green Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Quinn Mulhern vs. Yuri Villefort Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Gian Villante vs. Derrick Mehmen Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Virgil Zwicker vs. Carlos Inocente Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Gesias Cavalcante vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

Posted in: round, vs, san jose, undercard, strikeforce undercard

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The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix is finally coming to an end tonight, and although it’s going to be a short one, it’s time for my breakdown of the card. First, some quick preliminary picks… James Terry defeats Bobby Green via Unanimous Decision Quinn Mulhern defeats Yuri Villefort via Submission Round 3 Gian Villante defeats Derrick Mehmen via Unanimous Decision Virgil Zwicker defeats Guto Inocente via Knockout Round 1 Gesias Cavalcante defeats Issac Vallie-Flagg via TKO Round 2 Now it’s time to show some love to the main card… Nah-Shon Burrell (8-1) vs. Chris Spang (4-1) I’m surprised this bout made the main card, especially with Cavalcante/Vallie-Flagg out there for the picking. However, it should be a damn good fight, as Burrell is a tough and very solid prospect, while Spang brings a lot to the cage as well. Spang will likely pressure Burrell early, but in the end Nah-Shon is getting a TKO win and a boost in that hilariously structured Strikeforce welterweight division. Winner – Nah-Shon Burrell defeats Chris Spang via TKO Round 2 Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante (11-3) vs. Mike Kyle (19-8-1) A rematch from an early Strikeforce bout features former champ “Feijao” taking on the hard hitting, hard headed Kyle. While both men are more than capable of stopping an opponent violently, as Kyle did to “Feijao” in their first meeting, Feijao is likely the better striker. Not to take anything away from Kyle, but Cavalcante looked terrible in that bout, and since then, he has taken training more seriously, and if he’s fully prepared, he’ll exact his revenge. Winner – Rafael Cavalcante defeats Mike Kyle via Knockout Round 2 Gilbert Melendez (20-2) vs. Josh Thomson (19-4) In the rubber match, “El Nino” and “The Punk” finally determine once and for all who is the better fighter. While both have improved since their previous meetings, it comes down to a question of just who is the better fight. Expect Melendez to take control early, and maintain that control for a full 25 minutes. Thomson is a fantastic fighter, and likely UFC bound in the future, but he won’t have much to offer Gil. Winner – Gilbert Melendez defeats Josh Thomson via Unanimous Decision Josh Barnett (31-5) vs. Daniel Cormier (9-0) There are so many factors in this bout that could play out tonight. Will the explosiveness and speed of Cormier lead him to victory? Will the experience of Barnett give him the advantage? Who will have the better gameplan, and will it even matter? I see Cormier putting the pressure on early, but I can’t imagine Barnett fading. Josh will use his deceptive strength to trip Cormier from a clinch late in the fight, and from there, it’s all Barnett. Cormier is the future at heavyweight, but Barnett is likely just too good. Winner – Josh Barnett defeats Daniel Cormier via Submission Round 3 Catch all the action tonight at 8:00 PM EST on Showtime Extreme for the preliminary card, and 10:00 PM EST for the main card on Showtime. Enjoy the fights!

Posted in: round, card, barnett, defeat, cormier

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Bellator Fighting Championships has wrapped up another Friday night fight card as Bellator 69: "Falcao vs. Spang" invaded the L'Auberge du Lac Casino Resort in Lake Charles, La., last night (May 18, 2012). The event was headlined by a bout between Maiquel Falcao and Andreas Spang to determine the winner of the Season Six Middleweight tournament champion. Due to some recent Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) wheeling and dealing, the winner, luckily unfortunately, will not have to get to fight former Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard, but the tournament championship and gigantic winner's check will have to do for now. Bellator 69 also featured an exciting Welterweight tournament semifinal match up between David Rickels and powerful French judo practitioner Karl Amoussou. Add to that the fierce women's throwdown that occurred when Japanese submission ace Megumi Fujii took on American Top Team's Jessica Aguilar, and the result was quite an explosive affair. Follow me after the jump, where we'll review all the highs and lows of Bellator 69: "Falcao vs. Spang:" The main event between Maiquel Falcao and Andreas Spang did not disappoint, delivering a middleweight mash up with blistering exchanges and diverse positions. After eating a big shot early on, Falcao recovered and came forward to put on a pretty dominant first round performance. Unfortunately, Falcao was deducted a point for an illegal knee, causing the round to, in all probability, result in a 9-9 tie. From that point on, it was all Falcao, who made great work of the clinch and his ground game to apply pressure on Spang and never let off the accelerator. For more than two rounds, Falcao was draped all over the back of Spang, who could not find a way to shake him, eating absorbing plenty of punishment to the sides of his head, his ribcage and quads via the short punches, hammerfists and knees of Falcao. After three full rounds, it was an easy decision, as Falcao took down the victory and the right to take on Alexander Shlemenko for the Bellator Middleweight Championship. The welterweight bout between David Rickels and Karl Amoussou featured two 170-pounders who did not like each other one bit. The prize, a slot in the final match opposite Bryan Baker, was a highly motivating factor for each fighter, and it was evident during each second of the highly anticipated match up. The first round produced a bizarre scene, wherein Amoussou's jock strap rip after a low kick from Rickels. The next few minutes were spent trying to find Amoussou a back up jock strap, before they finally opted to tape his cup onto his groin with athletic tape. I've never had to swear God I wasn't lying in an article before today. There's a first time for everything. After the unpleasantries were finally dealt with, the fight got back into full swing, and it was a raucous first two rounds, to say the least. "Psycho" appeared to clearly win the first round by making use of his striking, some good knees inside the clinch, a few nice judo throws and a dominant top game. At no point did it look like Rickels was in danger of being finished, but Amoussou did a good job of keeping him down and landing some decent ground and pound. The second round was close. Razor thin, really. Amoussou appeared to have outstruck Rickels again, but near the end of the fight, Rickels was able to throw on an armbar attempt that was very close to securing a submission, before Amoussou escaped at the bell. The third round saw Rickels score a takedown midway through, and he never relented, staying on top the entire time and landing some serious ground and pound. For two-plus minutes, Rickels used hammerfists and Sakuraba-esque two-handed palm smashes to takedown a very one-sided third round. Ultimately, the fight had to be decided by the judges, which was no easy task. The split decision went to Amoussou, which was met by the disapproval of the crowd, who seemed to believe Rickels was robbed of the win. Amoussou will go on to fight Bryan Baker in the Bellator Welterweight tournament final, sometime later this summer. Megumi Fujii vs. Jessica Aguilar pitted the top two 115-pound women's mixed martial artists in the world against each other in the Bellator cage. The fight started off somewhat slowly, as each fighter showed a good deal of respect for the other in the opening minutes. The early key to the fight that proved to be the overall difference in the bout was the stand up of Aguilar. "JAG" was able to use her movement and striking to get in and out and pepper Fujii with punches throughout the first and second rounds. Fujii came forward, much more aggressively, in the third round, as it appeared she knew she was down on the scorecard. Though she did make a good push, scoring a takedown and staying on top for the majority of the final frame, it was too little, too late. Aguilar earned the much deserved unanimous decision victory and was emotional in the cage afterwards. It was a nice moment to be sure. For complete Bellator 69 results and detailed round-by-round commentary of all the televised fights as well as the main event click here.

Posted in: bellator, round, falcao, amoussou, rickel

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For the first time under the Zuffa banner, Strikeforce returned to its spiritual home of San Jose, California for the Heavyweight Grand Prix finals between Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier, featuring a title defense by Gilbert Melendez against Josh Thomson. The undercard – televised on SHO Extreme – featured a roster of familiar Strikeforce names, local talent, and rising stars. JZ “Gesias” Cavalcante vs. Isaac Vallie-FlaggSeasoned lightweights JZ Cavalcante and Isaac Vallie-Flagg turned in a competitive scrap in the featured prelim bout, one that appeared to take place in fast-forward after the plodding light heavyweight third round that San Jose fans had most recently seen. After three rounds Vallie-Flagg’s endurance and versatility on the feet earned him a split decision nod.Gesias sped forward early on and got a huge takedown, then took Vallie-Flagg’s back on the way up, trying for a rear-naked choke and a guillotine against the cage. That was the high point of the bout for Cavalcante, who slowed gradually over the next 12 minutes as Vallie-Flagg only improved.Vallie-Flagg escaped that early exchange and came out swinging. He chased down his opponent with jabs and kicks, adding in a flying knee that connected for the first of several times throughout the bout. A body kick from Vallie-Flagg earned a head kick from Cavalcante, and the two stood and traded for the rest of the round.Gesias earned another takedown in the second, this one in the center of the hexagon, and worked to smother Vallie-Flagg. Vallie-Flagg remained calm, trapping one of Cavalcante’s legs before deftly spinning out of the position and returning to his feet. The two stood up trading punches, and for the rest of the bout, the advantage was Vallie-Flagg’s, who’d seemed to find his range. He peppered Cavalcante with jabs, overhand rights, front kicks (including one that snapped Cavalcante’s head back) and those flying knees. Cavalcante worked for takedowns, but was refused on all further attempts. Vallie-Flagg also capitalized in exchanges on the fence, mixing up body shots with hammerfists to the face and a half dozen brutal close-quarters elbows. Judges turned in scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29 for Vallie-Flagg, who is now 13-3-1; Cavalcante slips to 18-5-1. ““This is by far my biggest win,” said “Vallie-Flagg. “JZ has beaten top guys like Bart Palaszewski and this is huge for me to stand in there for three rounds and get the win. I knew he was going to tire in the third so I tried to turn up the intensity” Virgil Zwicker vs. Carlos “Guto” InocenteLight heavyweight Virgil Zwicker showed incredible heart and chin in a three-round slobberknocker against Brazilian kickboxing champ Carlos “Guto” Inocente, who showed off his brilliant technique and still-developing gas tank. Round one was a clinic for Inocente’s kicks, as he landed body kicks (spinning and otherwise), knees, and a huge high kick that would have dropped most men. Instead, Zwicker responded with an instinctive takedown, and the two worked their way back back to the feet. The end seemed imminent as Zwicker was wobbly, exhausted and staggered with his hands down, but he somehow survived the round and got a takedown on the way out. In rounds two and three, Zwicker caught few of Inocente’s kicks, using the leg to bull him against the fence or mat. Inocente stayed active with his own takedowns and landed a spinning back fist that cracked throughout the arena. By the end of round two, Inocente appeared nearly as exhausted as his opponent.Both men fought round three on fumes, with their hands held low as they winged sloppy fists at one another. The tide seemed to have turned as Zwicker connected several times, but Inocente rallied often enough to remind judges of the accurate kicks that had earlier made his win seem a foregone conclusion.Judges gave the bout to Inocente 30-27 and 29-28 twice, much to the disappointment of the crowd. Inocente stays perfect with a 6-0 record, while Zwicker drops to 10-3 plus one clear moral victory. “It was a difficult fight,” said Inocente. “He’s a very good fighter and I was very surprised he was able to take all of those shots from me.”“I was able to show my heart out there but I came up short,” said Zwicker, who said that his finger was broken by a kick in the first round. “I have to get back to the drawing board and come back stronger.”Gian Villante vs. Derrick MehmenLong Island light heavyweight Gian Villante used crisp strikes and nasty leg kicks to batter fellow wrestler Derrick Mehmen over three rounds. Villante set the tone early, dropping Mehmen with a right uppercut. Mehmen survived the follow-up attack, but the edge had gone to Villante, who continued a relaxed approach to delivering his short straight-body-uppercut combos. He staggered Mehmen again with a huge right hand and ended the round with a high headkick for good measure. Rounds two and three were more of the same, with Villante mixing in more low kicks and left jabs, both of which clearly affected his opponent. Mehmen tried for takedowns each round, but was refused by Villante save one at the end of round three. Mehmen launched two explosive offenses in the third, rushing forward with strikes, but none of them appeared to damage – or faze – Villante, who nimbly escaped the clinch attempts and returned to his post in the center of the cage. Villante easily nabbed a unanimous decision with scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28, boosting his record to 10-3; Mehmen stumbles to 12-5. “I played it a little too safe in there because I knew he was going to try to take it to the mat,” said Villante post-fight. “I found a home for my jab and did my best to keep the distance and capitalize on his mistakes.Quinn Mulhern vs. Yuri VillefortTwo welterweight brown belts engaged in a series of scrambles, and ultimately Quinn Mulhern used his long legs and experience to end the 21-year old Yuri Villefort’s undefeated streak. All three rounds started on the feet but quickly went to the mat. It was Mulhern who stayed busier with nonstop submission attempts, including omoplatas, a north-south choke, a guillotine and a solid-looking kneebar. It was also Mulhern who scored more consistent takedowns.For his part, Villefort showed excellent submission defense, nimbly reversing and escaping throughout the bout. In the first round, he drew blood with vicious elbows and scored with body shots, all from guard. But these attacks waned as the fight wore on and by round three, he was all reaction. Judges scored the bout 30-27, 29-28 and 28-29 for the underrated Mulhern, who now stands at 18-2, including three in a row in Strikeforce; Villefort drops to 6-1 in his Strikeforce debut. James Terry vs. Bobby GreenIn the night’s first bout (and only dark match of the card), two California lightweights fought tooth and nail for a full three rounds. In the end, it was SoCal’s “King” Bobby Green who pulled out the split decision win over San Jose’s own James Terry.The two standout wrestlers kept the bout on the feet for much of the action, obviously both looking for the knockout. Green stayed on the outside, looking for the counter, and both tested the waters with leg kicks. In the last 90 seconds, both men made thwarted takedown attempts and erupted in huge flurries. Round two went almost exactly the same way. Terry staggered Green twice with strikes, but Green just stuck his tongue out and waved Terry on. Green continued to hype the crowd up to open the third, taking the center of the cage and stalking Terry, who was now bleeding from the nose. This time, Green rocked Terry with a knee and punches, and the two stood and traded wild strikes, with Terry making one last-ditch effort at a takedown. It wasn’t enough, though, as judges had it 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29 for Green. “I got this fight on 18 days’ notice and that’s the longest I’ve had to prepare for a fight in Strikeforce,” said Green afterward. “I actually knew very little about James so I Facebooked him when I got the fight to let him know that I was looking forward to getting in there and bleeding with him. I’m excited to get back in there show the fans what I can really do on a full training camp.”Green’s record improves to 18-5, while Terry drops to 11-5 in this, his tenth Strikeforce appearance.

Posted in: takedown, round, villante, cavalcante, vallieflagg

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Maiquel Falcao has a date with destiny. The embattled Brazilian cruised to a unanimous decision victory over Andreas Spang (29-27, x3) in the main event of Bellator 69 on Friday night to claim the Bellator season six middleweight title. Falcao overcame an early point deduction from an illegal knee to the face of his grounded opponent, stifling Spang's attack from the clinch and pummeling the Swede with an endless barrage of strikes and knees to the body for the majority of fifteen minutes. "I've got the best team in the world," an elated Falcao said afterward through a translator. "My coach is the best grappling coach in the world. There's no way I won't improve my grappling game. I want to dedicate this fight to all the Bellator staff that believed in me and supported me, especially to Bjorn (Rebney), my boss." Falcao is now slated to meet season five tournament winner Alexander Shlemenko, with the winner earning Hector Lombard's vacated middleweight strap. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney announced the match-up after the judges' scorecards were final. "I thought it was a spectacular performance," Rebney gushed. "Next up, my friend -- Alexander Shlemenko for the word title." In the night's co-main event, Karl Amoussou edged David Rickels via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) in a wildly entertaining bout that saw both men exit the cage bloodied and bruised. Action stalled early as a Rickels push-kick to the groin resulted in Amoussou's cup snapping, leading to an interesting exchange in which a cornerman was ordered to, "Go see if someone has a cup he can borrow." After a suitable replacement was found, Amoussou and Rickels picked back into the swing of things, engaging in a furious slugfest that saw Amoussou control the opening frame with a relentless blizzard of strikes from guard, and Rickels mightily return the favor in round three. Round two was a bit more even, with both men trading fiery exchanges and Rickels nearly securing an armbar from the bottom. In the end, the judges favored Amoussou, though the Louisiana crowd booed lustily at the decision. "I think that fight was really close," Amoussou admitted afterward. "My whole respect (goes) to David Rickels. I can understand how sad he can be. ... He really earned my respect in that fight. And David, man, I'm really sorry for you about that decision." With the win, Amoussou advances to the Bellator season six welterweight finals, where he will meet Bryan Baker for a chance to challenge polarizing Bellator 170-pound champion Ben Askren. "Bryan Baker, I have two months to be more than ready for you," the Frenchman boldly declared. "Man, I'm going to come, I'm going to destroy, I'm going to do my job. And then I'm going to take care of the lay-and-prayer." Elsewhere, in a clash of top-ranked 115-pounders, Jessica Aguilar survived a torrent of submission attempts while working slick counterstriking to stun Megumi Fujii and claim a unanimous decision victory (29-28, x3). A back-and-forth stand-up war highlighted much of the opening two rounds, with Aguilar getting the better of the exchanges, blooding the face of her 38-year-old opponent and opening up a large cut under the eye of Fujii. Sensing urgency, Fujii pushed the pace in the final five minutes, pulling Aguilar to the ground and uploading an attack of elbows and short punches to try and steal the victory. However it would prove to be too little, too late. Afterward, a battered Fujii announced she would "take some time off" to figure out her next move. Rounding out the night, Mark Holata punched his ticket to Bellator's season seven heavyweight tournament by submitting UFC veteran Abe Wagner midway through the first round. Though, the fight probably won't win any awards for grace. After nailing a single-leg early, Holata engaged in a methodical leglock battle with Wagner before coaxing a verbal tap. The awkward finish was officially read as a heel hook submission at 2:24 of round one.

Posted in: bellator, round, decision, amoussou, rickel

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The main card fights of Bellator 69 start at 8:00 PM and can be seen on MTV2 or on Spike.com. The headliner between Maiquel Falcao and Andreas Spang caps off the Middleweight tournament and may be a fireworks-filled event due to some pushing and shoving the first time they met in the post-fight talks after Spang's victory over Brian Rogers. The preliminary fights start at 7:00 PM and can be viewed either by actually being there or viewing the live stream on Spike.com. Tune in there and enjoy your time in the comments. Due to the live updating, we ask that GIFs not be used, as to allow our readers to reload the page quickly. Enjoy the night and have fun here with us. Main Card: Maiquel Falcao vs. Andreas Spang David Rickels vs. Karl Amoussou Megumi Fujii vs. Jessica Aguilar Ron Sparks vs. Kevin Asplund Preliminary Card: Shanon Slack vs. Booker Arthur Josh Quayhagen vs. Cliff Wright Josh Burns vs. Richard Hale Emanuel Brooks vs. Kelvin Hackney Andrey Koreshkov vs. Derrick Krantz Mark Holata vs. Abe Wagner Ron Sparks vs. Kevin Asplund (Heavyweight): Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Notes: Jessica Aguilar vs. Megumi Fujii (Strawweight): Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Notes: Karl Amoussou vs. David Rickels (Welterweight tournament semi-final): Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Notes: Maiquel Falcao vs. Andreas Spang (Middleweight tournament final): Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Notes:

Posted in: round, vs, falcao, spang, note

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Bellator Fighting Championships returns TONIGHT (May 18, 2012) to L'Auberge du Lac Casino Resort in Lake Charles, Louisiana, with the continuation of the Welterweight tournament and a Middleweight tourney final fight. MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of Bellator 69 below, beginning with the MTV2 telecast at 8 p.m. ET. In addition, we'll deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the undercard action much earlier in the evening (beginning at 7 p.m.). Headlining the main event will be a Bellator season six middleweight tournament final featuring a pair of hot-headed strikers in Brazilian Maiquel Falcao and Swede Andreas Spang. Both men practically came to blows in their last staredown so this should be very interesting. Also on tap will be the second half of the Belaltor season six welterweight semifinals, which will pit undersized youngster David Rickels against powerful French judo practitioner Karl Amoussou. In female mixed martial arts (MMA) action, the number one and two ranked 115 pounders in the world will duke it out as Japanese submission ace Megumi Fujii takes on American Top Team's Jessica Aguilar. Lastly, heavyweights Ron Sparks and Kevin Asplund are expected to throw down in a tournament eliminator bout. Check out our complete Bellator 69 results after the jump (beginning at 7 p.m. ET). Main Card 185 lbs.: Maiquel Falcão vs. Andreas Spang 170 lbs.: David Rickels vs. Karl Amoussou 115 lbs.: Megumi Fujii vs. Jessica Aguilar 265 lbs.: Ron Sparks vs. Kevin Asplund Preliminary Card 145 lbs.: Shanon Slack vs. Booker Arthur 155 lbs.: Josh Quayhagen vs. Cliff Wright205 lbs.: Josh Burns vs. Richard Hale 155 lbs.: E.J. Brooks vs. Kalvin Hackney170 lbs.: Andrey Koreshkov vs. Derrick Krantz265 lbs.: Mark Holata vs. Abe Wagner Kevin here! 185 lbs.: Maiquel Falcão vs. Andreas Spang Round one: Round two: Round three: Find Result: -end- 170 lbs.: David Rickels vs. Karl Amoussou Round one: Round two: Round three: Find Result: -end- 115 lbs.: Megumi Fujii vs. Jessica Aguilar Round one: Round two: Round three: Find Result: -end- 265 lbs.: Ron Sparks vs. Kevin Asplund Round one: Round two: Round three: Find Result: -end-

Posted in: bellator, result, round, vs, lb

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"What had happened was a complete misunderstanding, a complete misapplication of the rules by me. We're in the fifth and final round, he locks on a submission and I acknowledge he has it tight by slapping my hand on his leg. I tapped. So what I thought is you go to the cards. I win four rounds, he wins that round. Apparently, if you tap, it ends the entire contest, which I was not ever made privy to. I gotta plead ignorance on this, Jim. Had anybody told me that tapping would cost me the entire bout, and not just the round, I wouldn't have done it." Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight number one contender Chael Sonnen has stopped calling himself the true 185-pound champion. Unfortunately, he's now transitioned to a new excuse for losing his title fight against Anderson Silva at UFC 117 back in August 2010. Apparently, Sonnen had no idea that tapping out in the fifth round, after dominating "The Spider" the entire fight, would cost him the contest, but he'll soon get the chance to make up for that "ignorance" when he ties up with his Brazilian nemesis once again at the UFC 148 pay-per-view (PPV) event on July 7, 2012 at the MGM Grand Garden Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more on their epic grudge match click here. To see the rest of the "Silva vs. Sonnen II" fight card and rumors click here and for all the UFC 148 news and notes click here.

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, sonnen, leg i

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On Fourth of July weekend people all across the United States will celebrate their independence by barbequing and lighting fireworks throughout the night in one of the most celebrated American traditions. The city of Las Vegas, Nevada is no different. If you've ever been to Vegas on the Fourth of July, you know that "Sin City," puts on one heck of a fireworks display on the infamous Las Vegas Strip that can be seen for miles on end all the way across the Mojave Desert. This year, however, the strip will be filled with fireworks in more ways than one. That's because the much-anticipated rematch that is two years in the making will finally go down at the MGM Grand Garden Arena as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion Anderson Silva will defend his title one more time against Chael Sonnen at UFC 148, which his set to go down on July 7, 2012. Before the two 185-pound elite mixed martial artist (MMA) rivals hit the strip for their rematch, Sonnen reflected back to that fateful night UFC 117 in Oakland, Calif., where he was literally minutes away from dethroning one of the longest reigning champions in the history of the UFC, or MMA for that matter, in his first encounter with "The Spider." Appearing on "The Joe Rogan Experience" with UFC color commentator Joe Rogan, Sonnen recounts with great detail the "devastating" loss in his "Fight of the Year" against Silva that occurred on Aug, 7, 2010. Check it out: "It was devastating, I had no idea what happened in that fight, none. When the fight was over, I was devastated. I came to, and I said to the ref, you know the typical thing like a doofus, 'What happened?' The referee, Josh Rosenthal, is a fantastic referee, simply says, 'You tapped out.' And he looks at me for a response like I was going to argue, and I simply say, 'I believe you.' Now, I knew that because ESPN zoomed in on it and showed it. But that's all I said was, 'I believe you.' I remember falling asleep, it's a very weird experience you know, when you're actually going to sleep but you're trying to stay within reality, and I remember having a dream thinking, "Well if I tap I can get out of this, nah, let's not tap. The fight was over. I had already tapped, I hit his foot and I really didn't fully know what happened. When it was over and I came too, I didn't fully know what happened, I was trying to figure out what just happened. So, aside from being choked, don't forget, I got fatigue issues, I got blood and Vaseline in my eyes, I have exhaustion, I have anxiety. I'm a normal human being, I feel every emotion. So many people say to me, 'Oh you're never scared.' Come on, I'm a human, I feel it all. So, I lose the fight, we got to the back and they bring me the Fight of the Night check. They pay you immediately if you get a bonus. Boom, here's your check. And I remember thinking, 'You gave me this out of sympathy because that was such a boring fight, nothing happened, you gave it out of sympathy, I'll take it. I'm fighting back the tears, I'm just devastated, I'm absolutely devastated by this defeat. Later the fight gets Fight of The Year from Fighters Only Magazine. So, it ended up being a really good fight. But the point I'm trying to make is , that is how out of touch I was with what was happening in the ring. At one point, my corner told me it was round five when it was round four or it was round four when it was round three, whatever it was, the corner had the rounds off. I just didn't fully know what was going on. In this next fight, I'd like to, as I visualize and plan for it, that's one of the things, I'd like to be a little more aware and in touch with what's happening. But it's hard, it's hard in the Octagon man. A lot of stuff goes out the window, you get hit, you get kicked, it's tough. It's tough to stay focused." Sonnen will have the chance to learn from his mistake(s) from UFC 117 and look to defeat one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the history of the sport and in the process, put an end to one of the longest lasting rivalries in recent memory. Can he prevail this time around? Or will history repeat itself in Las Vegas? One thing is certain, this fight -- unlike some poorly-made fireworks that will more than likely fail to go off -- will not be a dud.

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, sonnen, im

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Bellator Fighting Championships will head to "The Bayou State" this Friday night (May 18, 2012) at the L'Auberge du Lac Casino Resort in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The main card will air live on MTV2 and Epix HD on fight night, beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Headlining the main event will be a Bellator season six middleweight tournament final featuring a pair of hot-headed strikers in Brazilian Maiquel Falcao and Swede Andreas Spang. Both men practically came to blows in their last staredown so this should be very interesting. Also on tap will be the second half of the Belaltor season six welterweight semifinals, which will pit undersized youngster David Rickels against powerful French judo practitioner Karl Amoussou. In female mixed martial arts (MMA) action, the number one and two ranked 115 pounders in the world will duke it out as Japanese submission ace Megumi Fujii takes on American Top Team's Jessica Aguilar. Lastly, heavyweights Ron Sparks and Kevin Asplund are expected to throw down in a tournament eliminator bout. Our complete Bellator 69 preview and predictions are posted after the jump: 185 lbs.: Maiquel Falcao (30-4 1 NC) vs. Andreas Spang (8-1) Maiquel Falcao is one of the most volatile and unpredictable middleweights in the world. He cruised through his quarterfinal bout against Norman Paraisy like a cat playing with its food, but had a much sterner test against Russian "Slava" Vasilevsky in the semifinals, controversially eeking out a decision victory. Afterwards he almost came to blows in his tournament final staredown with Spang in Cleveland. Andreas Spang was an alternate for the Bellator middleweight tournament. A veteran of MFC and Strikeforce, the "Sweet Swede" absorbed a ton of punishment against hometown favorite Brian Rogers in the semifinals before landing a huge left hand in the second round to score a huge come-from-behind knockout victory and secure a place in the tournament finals. Spang should have a reach and technical edge in the striking department, but Falcao is very powerful and capable of closing the distance in a hurry. Falcao also should have a major advantage on the ground against the European striker. If he can close the distance, land with power on the inside and put Spang on his back, he should come away with a victory. Final Prediction: Maiquel Falcao via submission in round one 170 lbs.: David Rickels (10-0) vs. Karl Amoussou (14-4-2) David Rickels has really blossomed under the Bellator banner. "The Caveman" has gone 4-0 in the promotion with all four fights being stoppages but none were more impressive than his 22 second demolition of Jordan Smith in the quarterfinals of the season six welterweight tournament a month and a half ago. Rickels is hoping to keep the momentum rolling, but he's got a very stern test ahead of him. Karl Amoussou originally signed with Bellator as a middleweight but after controversially coming up short against Sam Alvey, he made the cut to 170 pounds and he has looked incredible ever since. He crushed Jesus Martinez with a first round TKO and then brutalized Chris Lozano, dropping the Greg Jackson product and then finishing him with a rear naked choke on the ground after scoring a beautiful sweep. Rickels is incredibly game both standing and on the feet, but I've a feeling that he's going to be physically overwhelmed by the bigger, stronger Amoussou, who just looked like a worldbeater ever since dropping down to 170 pounds. Final Prediction: Karl Amoussou via TKO in round two 115 lbs.: Megumi Fujii (22-1) vs. Jessica Aguilar (13-4) Megumi Fujii has widely been regarded as the greatest female mixed martial artist ever. She gained prominence in America after being offered a spot in the Bellator season three women's 115 pound tournament, where she submitted her way to the finals. In the championship match, she would lose an extremely controversial decision to Zoila Gurgel, which still currently stands as the sole blotch on her otherwise spotless record. Fujii has since won her last three fights including a first round submission at the New Year's Eve "Fight for Japan" event. Jessica Aguilar has developed quickly into one of the world's best 115 pounders. "Jag" rode a four fight win streak into the Bellator season three tournament as well, submitting Lynn Alvarez in the quarterfinals before also dropping an extremely controversial decision to Zoila Gurgel in the semifinals, this one perhaps even more egregious than the Fujii decision. Aguilar has bounced back nicely, winning four straight including two under the Bellator banner over Carla Esparza and Lisa Ellis in 2011. Fujii is a serious veteran of the sport and likely has the most aggressive ground game of any female below 135 pounds. Aguilar is an accomplished grappler herself but I don't see her doing anything other than playing defense if the fight goes to the canvas. Look for Aguilar to try to keep the fight standing against Fujii and work her seriously improved stand-up game, which has really come full circle in her last four fights. Aguilar doesn't have knockout power, but she can definitely outpoint the 38 year old for up to three rounds if she can keep it on the feet. Final Predicition: Jessica Aguilar via decision 265 lbs.: Ron Sparks (8-1) vs. Kevin Asplund (15-1) Ron Sparks is a big heavyweight powerhouse out of Kentucky. "The Monster" cruised to an 8-0 record which included a trio of first round stoppages under the Bellator banner, impressively knocking out Mark Holata in the Bellator season five heavyweight quarterfinals. Unfortunately, he ran into a big left hand counter from Eric Prindle which handed him his first professional defeat and he's eyeing another crack at a Bellator tournament. Kevin Asplund lost his first career MMA bout in 2002 but hasn't looked back since. After a five year layoff, "Concrete" returned to action in 2009 and has been a one-man wrecking machine, winning all 13 bouts since his return which includes 11 stoppages. The Minnesota veteran fighter is hoping to get a crack at the next heavyweight tournament if he can get past Sparks. Both Sparks and Asplund have knockout power, but in my opinion, it's going to be Asplund's ground game which will decide this fight. As long as he avoids getting cracked on the chin by Spark's power, I feel he can take "The Monster" down and work for submissions. Sparks is pretty limited on the canvas and if Asplund can put him there, he's got a terrific chance of winning this bout. Final Prediction: Kevin Asplund via submission in round two

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"He was just as tough as I expected. I expected a good fight, I'm just upset with myself. When it got to the later rounds he hit me with some good shots, I think it was the fourth round? I was never completely out of it but when I came back to realizing what was going on I could have sat out. I was in the D'Arce position, I felt it, but I just didn't defend it right and I feel like I let myself down. I'm upset about that. I had a really long training camp. I put 100 percent of myself into the training camp. I'm trying not to get emotional, I just care so much and I let myself down. I deserved to win. My wife deserved for us to win. I felt like I was in the best shape ever, I just took some bad shots and made some mistakes. I'm gonna go back to the gym and work on it and come back and get a W." Emotional UFC on FUEL TV 3 headliner Dustin Poirier reflects on his main event loss to Chan Sung Jung last night (May 15, 2012) in the "Fight of the Night" from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. "The Diamond" was cut down in the fourth round by "The Korean Zombie," who not only split the "Fight Night" jackpot with Poirier, but also kept one all to himself with his "Submission of the Night." To see what happened in the UFC on FUEL TV 3 network televised event check out our complete results and recap here along with video highlights here.

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In the dawning hours of arguably the biggest Strikeforce card this year, rumors have flown around regarding possible injuries to one of the athletes fighting in the lightweight title match. About a week ago, rumblings that Josh Thomson had suffered a serious knee injury started making their way across Twitter feeds, bringing to mind the question, 'Will The Punk be fighting on Saturday?' In a quick TapouT Radio interview, Josh discussed his feelings on how the MMA media handles rumors, and gave some insight to these final days leading into his third outing with lightweight champion, Gilbert Melendez. Frustration With MMA Media There's no injury, everything is good. I tweaked my wrist and I tweaked some of my other body, but nothing bad. There's always little injuries going into a fight, but nothing that is going to take me out of it. The thing that upsets me the most, is when the media, or whoever they are, come online, and let's just say a guy did have an injury, but the media guy guessed wrong. He's like 'Oh yeah, he hurt his wrist'. and let's just say his wrist was kind of bugging him, but he guessed wrong, and it wasn't anything too bad. Now that puts out a little bit of a target, and could end up basically affecting the guy's fight. At least verify with the camp, or just say, 'Hey, is there an injury?' Maybe the media will learn that if you do things like that for the fighters, you'll end up getting more interviews and coverage later on down the road. Maybe you'll get the inside scoop on something later on versus just throwing something out there. It kind of rubbed me the wrong way. It's just typical of the low level of MMA media stuff, where they automatically just jump the gun because they want to release this story, without ever verifying anything. It's just kind of gotten old, and after years and years of dealing with it, it kind of boiled over for me. You know, I'm always injured, so when am I not hurt is something that's always just bugging me [laughs]. Seriously though, if something had happened to my knee, and somebody just went and threw that out there, now I've got my opponent knowing something is hurt. That kind of rubs people the wrong way, I think. The big majority of MMA media are not journalists. They're just fans that picked up a pen and started writing. That's the problem with it. A lot of these guys haven't gone to journalism school, and a lot of them haven't developed any real relationships with the fighters. They take the most negative things in the article, I mean, the guy could have said a thousand nice things about his opponent, but they pick the one negative comment to post. Maybe that sells, but later on, I'll be thinking, 'No matter what I say, this guy is just going to write whatever the hell he wants.' The thing that was written about me said, 'Oh he has a torn PCL', but if you have anything torn, you wouldn't even be contemplating the fight. Even if there was an injury, at least give the fighter a chance to pull out of the fight, or at least confirm that there is an injury. I understand that it's up to the media people to break the news first, but the best part about it all, was how some of the media guys, especially this idiot that was on there. He gets on there (Twitter), and after I've denied it, says, 'I know I'm right. I've confirmed with three sources. I'm right and you're wrong. You're going to get your ass kicked on Saturday, anyway.' And I'm thinking, 'This is a guy that just wants to drop some information, whether it's true or not.' That's just so typical, I think, of the MMA media. These people are quick to say, 'Oh you're washed up. You're a has-been', but do they know I was fighting in the UFC back in 2000, when there was only five shows a year, and you knew you were the top fighter in the world. What does that tell you? Don't be disrespectful just because you're stuck behind a keyboard. You've got to calm down dude. Just slow down with your negative crap. It drives me insane to see guys like this just trying to slam fighters. It doesn't matter even if you're a kid on the undercard. At least that kid is trying to fulfill his dream. He's trying to do something that he really loves doing. You can't say that about 99% of the United States. Maybe the journalists are trying to fulfill their dreams, as well, but they just need to go about it a little bit differently. Thoughts On Upcoming Fight With Gilbert Melendez Really, this just comes down to me implementing my gameplan. In the second fight, I totally got away from the gameplan. I went in there pretty cocky and arrogant. After I felt like I won the first round, I felt like I could just go in there and do it again. It was going OK in the second round, but then I got clipped and dropped. From there, I felt like I was fighting from behind. When you have a fighter like Gil, with that kind of confidence, he stuck with his gameplan and was able to win. In this fight, I've got to come in with that same type confidence and arrogance, but I've just got to be smart about it. I think it has to be all about me following the gameplan, sticking with it, and making the needed adjustments here and there, from round to round. A five round fight is a long time. The two of us have fought a lot. Ten rounds is no joke, and not to mention all the rounds that we trained with each other before we fought. We know each other pretty well. I know he's got a big right hand, and there's a lot of talk that he's going to try and open up and take some risks. With all the talk about Gilbert being number one, and I do believe he is the number one guy in the world right now, especially with what's going on in the UFC. They don't really have a settled, number one guy there. They haven't really settled their championship there. That really leaves Gil to slide into that spot and be the number one guy. With that being said, he's really got to produce, with all that talk about beating all the best or fighting all the best. Now he needs to prove it. If he has a lackluster five rounds with me, it doesn't really show well for him, because I'm not ranked in the Top 10. When you look at the rankings, I really feel bad for the guy, because he knows it's going to be a tough fight. I think this is going to be different. He dominated Aoki. He dominated Masvidal. I'm the last guy he hasn't dominated. It's not going to be ab easy fight for him. Follow Josh via his Twitter, @TheRealPunk

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UFC on Fuel 3 is in the books, and it definitely had some highs and lows. An early contender for fight of the year in the main event was obviously a high, as was the earlier bout between Igor Pokrajac and Fabio Maldonado. Some poor refereeing and a dull co-main event might have dragged it down a bit, but not enough to say it was a bad card or anything. One thing that was poor was the attendance though - 4,592 fans in a 10,000 seat arena isn't that great, even on a Tuesday. Anyway, let's get onto the winners and losers: Winners Chan Sung Jung: This man is a warrior, folks. He came into the bout dealing with injuries and it didn't faze him at all. Yes he gassed early in the third, but who cares when you win the fight in the fourth? The Korean Zombie still gets hit a lot, but he put on a masterful display of grappling and transitions to control the first two rounds and get the finish early in the fourth. He was also very smart to try and connect with the audience by saying four words in English - "I want Jose Aldo". You couldn't ask for a better performance. Donald Cerrone: That was vintage Cowboy. After he got a feel for the range and knew Stephens was no match for him on the feet, he turned it into a 15 minute sparring session. He was trying out a bunch of fancy stuff, taunting a bit, and generally enjoying himself. It certainly won't be like that against guys that match him in reach and put more pressure on him, but Cerrone is clearly one of the best strikers at 155. A bout with Anthony Pettis next would be great. Yves Jabouin: Jabouin shouldn't have heard the final bell in that fight. After the spinning back kick in the first, the referee totally screwed him over by jumping in front of him when he tried to go in for the kill, then backing off and telling Jabouin to continue. You could see that Yves was all sorts of confused, and it probably impeded his ability to finish then and there. The ref was just as bad in the third when Yves was close to finishing as well, admonishing him and making a nuisance of himself. Still, Yves is one of the flashiest strikers at 135 and is now 3-0 as a bantamweight. Going back to the Mike Easton fight would make a lot of sense if Easton will be back relatively soon. Igor Pokrajac and Fabio Maldonado: One man lost the bout, but in the long run I think they are both winners coming out of this bout. They went to war, each using different styles which likely led to the scoring difficulties. Maldonado's boxing has flaws (as Brent pointed out last night), but his body work is second to none in MMA. Pokrajac took a ton of blows and continually came back with huge, damaging punches and knees. Both men showed off iron chins and a lot of heart, and I definitely want to see them both on a main card again soon. Does anyone else think that Maldonado should maybe consider 185 though, or is it just me? Losers after the jump. SBN coverage of UFC on FUEL TV 3 Losers Dustin Poirier: I wouldn't say he got "exposed" or anything like that, but he definitely needs to work on his takedown defense and striking defense. He's 23 years old though, so it's not like there's any panic. He showed a lot of heart in some bad positions and came back to win the third round, but the Zombie proved to be too much for him at this point in time. I still see a really bright future for Poirier though, and it should start with a bout they tried to make before - Poirier vs. Erik Koch, after Koch gets lit up by UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo in July. Amir Sadollah: Let's face it, Amir didn't really deserve that decision. Lopez handled him in the first round and Sadollah got taken down a lot. His saving grace was Lopez' gas tank, but I still don't believe he won two rounds with a few strikes here and there. Either way though, the worst possible thing happened to Sadollah's career last night - a boring fight. The UFC has constantly been giving him main card fights because his bouts are generally entertaining. That came to an end tonight, albeit partially because his opponent was content to clinch against the fence continually. But if there was still a tiny group of fans that wanted Amir on TV, well...it probably evaporated last night. Jorge Lopez: The man has skills. He just doesn't have the gas tank to match them. He came out and looked excellent in the first round, mixing up striking and grappling well and controlling the tempo. Once his tank was shot though, he had to resort to a tired gameplan that ended up costing him the fight and any place on the main card anytime soon. Just getting a win in the UFC would be a start. Jeremy Stephens: Totally. Outclassed. I'm not trying to be mean here, but Stephens has never seemed like a world-class fighter to me. His two biggest wins are probably over Rafael dos Anjos and Marcus Davis, and he was getting dominated for most of both fights before he pulled out the miracle popeye punch to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. He earned a split with Pettis because Pettis inexplicably tried to grapple instead of strike. Cerrone wasn't about to do that, and he showed the difference between a top lightweight striker and an average striker with big power. Stephens should be back on the preliminary card. Marcus LeVesseur: When your opponent has exactly one weapon, why in the world would you basically walk right into it? He just sat there and waited to be guillotined by Cody McKenzie. He also didn't take advice well from his corner, and just fought the wrong fight against a one-dimensional guy he could easily beat with a smarter gameplan. It goes to show how important fight IQ really is in MMA.

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In case you missed the spectacular bout between the Korean Zombie, Chan Sung Jung vs. Dustin Poirier which headlined UFC on Fuel TV 3, here are the highlights courtesy of Fox Sports. Related: UFC On Fuel TV: Korean Zombie Vs. Poirier Results And Post-Fight Analysis One more highlight video after the jump along with analysis from commentators Kenny Florian and Jon Anik. The victory provided Jung with two bonuses for Fight of the Night and Submission of the night, netting him a total of $80,000. Here's more on the fight from our play-by-play of the event: Chan Sung Jung vs. Dustin Poirier - Round 1 - Leg kick by Jung and Poirier lands a left hand. Jung catches a kick and gets a takedown, Poirier turns and looks for his own takedown as they stand up. Body shot by Poirier. Jung gets the fight to the ground again and he's on top. Poirier turns away from the cage. Jung with some good elbows. Poirier bleeding from the forehead already. Poirier with a nice reversal and he's on top now. Jung 10-9 round. Round 2 - Poirier throws a kick but is slow with it and Jung takes him down with ease. Jung on top landing very nice shots again. Big left by Jung lands. They get to the feet and Jung lands a flying knee. He's pouring on the big shots, Poirier witha big takedown but Jung sweeps right through into the mount. He's on top firing away. Poirier ends up sweeping and spending time on top. I didn't type much that round because I was amazed with how great it was. Great, great fight. 10-9 Jung. Round 3 - Poirier lands a bit, Jung firing back hard. Poirier looking to land haymakers now, not really setting up his shots. Jung traps him against the cage and flurries hard. Poirier was doing well in the stand-up for a bit before a huge takedown by Jung, but Poirier gets up quickly. Poirier using a good jab. Knee by Jung and some punches, Poirier comes back hard with shots of his own. Good left hand by Poirier. Good body kick by Jung and now he flurries hard coming forward and a big knee to the body. Big left by Poirier again. 10-9 Jung. Round 4 - Poirier landing some good shots early, Jung with a knee to the body. They're exchanging and Jung lands a hard uppercut and Poirier stumbles backward. He's hurt! Poirier looking for a desperation takedown and he gets caught in a deep choke and Poirier has to submit. What a tremendous performance by Chan Sung Jung! Chan Sung Jung wins by submission (d'arce choke), 1:07 of round 4.

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Relieve last night's heated grudge match with Donald Cerrone vs. Jeremy Stephens fight highlights, brought to you by FOX Sports. UFC on FUEL 3 was held on May 15, 2012, at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA. Brash lightweight contender Donald Cerrone (18-4, 1 NC) looked to rebound from his first UFC loss by taking on veteran bruiser Jeremy Stephens (20-8) on the night's main card. Catch the video highlights below. Video: Highlights: Cerrone - Stephens For more on Cerrone's bounce-back win, check out the play-by-play from MMA Fighting's own Ben Fowlkes. Round 1: Stephens goes to work with leg kicks, trying to get in close to land the big right early on. Cerrone seems like he's still getting loose out there. Good combo by Cerrone makes Stephens cover up, and Cerrone finishes with a chopping leg kick. Cerrone is doing a good job of staying out of Stephens' range, then rushing in all at once and attacking while Stephens is on the defensive. After one such combo, Stephens shows blood around his left eye. Jumping knee by Cerrone, but Stephens defends well. Stephens seems off-balance and unsure as the round winds down. He's too busy reacting to generate much of an attack. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Cerrone. Round 2: Cerrone seems to be only gaining in confidence as this one wears on. He mixes up the kicks and punches, throws in a spinning elbow, and it seems as if he can hit with Stephens with whatever he wants. An uppercut by Cerrone stings Stephens. He throws in a little samba as Stephens watches uncertainly. Stephens covers up after a Cerrone feint, and Cerrone looks like he's just trying to entertain himself in an easy sparring session. Stephens comes back with a one-two, throwing hard still, but he just can't get going. Cerrone dances in and chops Stephens down with another leg kick. Takedown by Cerrone in the final minute, just to be sure the round is his, and it is. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Cerrone. Round 3: Inside leg kick by Cerrone to start the third sneaks up into Stephens' groin. That's a hard one, and even Cerrone knows it right away. Stephens is going to take a moment, while Cerrone has the cut on the top of his head from a Stephens elbow at the end of the second tended to. Stephens is feeling better, and Cerrone apologizes as they restart. Cerrone ducks under a combo and tries a takedown, but can't finish. Stephens is bleeding from the eye and the nose, but still coming forward. Another chopping leg kick by Cerrone, and it takes Stephens' leg out from under him. Cerrone keeps on picking away at Stephens. He's not exactly going all out to end it, but neither is he showing much mercy on a battered Stephens, who looks as if he can barely see out of his cut and swollen left eye. Final minute, and Stephens shows that he still has that right hand in reserve, not that he can get close enough to land it. Flying knee attempt by Stephens, but Cerrone ducks under and makes it to the final horn. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Cerrone. UFC on FUEL 3 results: Donald Cerrone def. Jeremy Stephens via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

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If you missed out on one of the year's most thrilling brawls, check out Korean Zombie vs. Dustin Poirier fight highlights, courtesy of FOX Sports. UFC on FUEL 3 took place May 15, 2012, at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA. Upstart featherweight contenders Chan Sung Jung (13-3) and Dustin Poirier (12-2) squared off in the night's main event, with the winner likely becoming the next No. 1 contender in the UFC's 145-pound division. Check out the video highlights below. <A href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?videoid=30a7c063-2821-433b-88ce-01906dbbb04f&src=v5:embed:syndication:uuids&from=shareembed-syndication" mce_href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?videoid=30a7c063-2821-433b-88ce-01906dbbb04f&src=v5:embed:syndication:uuids&from=shareembed-syndication" target="_new" title="Highlights: Korean Zombie - Poirier">Video: Highlights: Korean Zombie - Poirier</A> For more on Jung's spectacular victory, check out the play-by-play from MMA Fighting's own Ben Fowlkes. Round 1: Jung catches a Poirer body kick early on and uses it to bring him to the mat. Poirer pops up quickly and clinches him against the fence. Short elbows in close by Poirer, but Jung gets the takedown and goes to work from Poirer's guard. Jung gets his posture and throws down some elbows from the top. Poirer seems to have a cut near the top of his forehead already, and those things sure can bleed. Jung gets a little space and eats an upkick before Poirer scrambles up and reverses to get top position. Jung gets to his feet against the fence and takes a hard left from Poirer. They both open up with hooks, and Poirer shoots for a takedown before the horn sounds.MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Jung. Round 2: Just like in the first, Jung catches a Poirer body kick and this time adds a straight right as he uses it to take Poirer down. Good ground-and-pound by Jung. He could really do some work here if he can maintain the top position. Jung fakes a pass attempt and slams a hard left home. He lets Poirer up, then moments later rocks him with a big knee and reverses a takedown attempt to wind up in mount. Poirer is holding on from the bottom, but Jung rolls for an armbar. He transitions to a triangle, then back to an armbar, then triangle. Somehow, Poirer holds on and gets the top position. Jung tries another triangle and it looks tight, but the horn saves Poirer. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Jung. Round 3: Poirer swings wildly to start the third, maybe trying to do too much all at once in order to get back into this. Jung resists the urge to brawl (for now, anyway), and keeps attacking with jabs and kicks. Jung slips a punch and gets a body lock takedown, adding a couple short punches on the mat before brining the action back to the feet. Poirer is lunging in with his punches, but Jung seems to be slowing way down. He may have expended too much energy trying to finish those submissions in the second. Jung keeps backing Poirer up, landing solid shots when Poirer's back hits the fence. The end the round hammering each other with big hooks. Poirer smiles through the blood on his way to his corner. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Jung. Round 4: Poirer tries to get the jab working to start the round. A big uppercut from Jung backs him up and a knee rocks him. A woozy Poirer shoots for a desperate takedown attempt. Jung locks up a D'arce choke and rolls to cinch it in. Poirer is stuck, and has to tap. Great performance and a big win for the Zombie.UFC on FUEL 3 results: Chan Sung Jung def. Dustin Poirer via submission (D'arce choke) at 1:07 of round four.

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Due to some kind of snarky collective unconscious, countless mixed martial arts (MMA) fans took to various avenues of social media to post the same thing following Chan Sung Jung's particularly brutal knockout at the hands -- or rather, foot -- of George Roop. "It takes a head shot to kill a zombie." I'll be here all weekend, don't forget to tip your waitress. Making his second appearance for World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), Jung was coming off a "Fight of the Year" performance against Leonard Garcia at WEC 48. And while it earned the Korean export thousands of new fans, he came up short on the judges' scorecards, suffering only the second loss of his career. Five months later, a perfectly placed head kick from Roop knocked the "Korean Zombie" out cold, sending his skull crashing into his own knee on the way down and busting his forehead open. It seemed the promise laid out after three back and forth rounds with "Bad Boy" would go unfulfilled. But like his moniker's namesake, Jung has resurrected his career in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) since then, capping off a three-fight win streak last night (May 15, 2012) with an absolutely remarkable performance against Dustin Poirier in the UFC on FUEL TV 3 main event from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. The other two wins? Just a never-before-seen submission and the fastest knockout in the promotion's history. So yeah, they were equally as impressive. After his loss to Roop, Jung was paired off against his old rival, Garcia. Despite how impressive his performance was the first time they tangled, a third consecutive loss would have likely meant the end of the Korean's UFC stint. His career in the UFC, seemingly on life support, suddenly came back to life after locking "Bad Boy" in a submission move ever before seen inside the Octagon. The twister, a spinal lock popularized by Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) wizard Eddie Bravo, forced Garcia to tap out with a second remaining in the second round. Jung needed the win and got it. The manner in which he actually attained it was simply a cherry on top. Nine months later, "Korean Zombie" stepped inside the cage opposite Mark Hominick at UFC 140 in front of over 18,000 of his opponent's countrymen. Seven seconds later, he had earned his second UFC win in as many fights. In a blink and you'll miss it moment, Jung opened the pay-per-view by connecting with a perfectly placed punch to "The Machine's" jaw which sent the Canadian crumbling to the mat. Suddenly, a fighter who was in danger of losing his job just a couple of fights ago was en route to a title shot. All that stood between him and the opportunity to challenge for the featherweight championship was Poirier, another young fighter with equally impressive wins over the likes of Josh Grispi and Pablo Garza. An underdog going into the UFC on FUEL TV 3 main event, "Korean Zombie" earned some risk-taking gamblers a lot of money while cashing in a 145-pound title shot for himself. The first two rounds were a whirling dervish of action with Jung often ending up getting the better of the exchanges. From the stand-up to takedowns to submission attempts, the Korean fighter seemingly fed off the energy of his countrymen in attendance in Fairfax and took the fight to his opponent. The third round saw Jung slower in pace than the 10 minutes previous. "The Diamond" made the most of this and likely came away the winner of the stanza on the judges' scorecards. Six months ago, the fight would have ended right then and there with Jung being awarded the fight, probably with a 29-28 score across the board. But now, since all main events are five round fights, fans were treated to more action and a definitive winner. It was in the fourth round where "Korean Zombie" shone brightest. A nasty uppercut staggered Poirier back and was followed up by an equally devastating knee. Hurt, "The Diamond" dove in for a takedown which was defended perfectly and promptly used to help sink in the fight ending D'arce choke. Eighteen months is essentially a lifetime in the fight game. It's the difference between Chuck Liddell going toe to toe with Wanderlei Silva for 15 minutes and getting knocked out by Rich Franklin. It's the difference between Brock Lesnar's MMA debut and his coronation as UFC heavyweight kingpin. For Chan Sung Jung, it's the difference between facing unemployment and facing his destiny.

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Featherweight Chan Sung Jung has long been one of mixed martial arts' most popular fighters. Win or lose, "The Korean Zombie" has always provided fans with bang for their bucks. But now he's no longer just an exciting name on the card. Now he's a legitimate title contender. Jung scored the biggest victory of his career on Tuesday night, finishing young hotshot Dustin Poirier in a tremendous main event to UFC on Fuel TV 3. Jung used a D'Arce choke to win the bout at 1:07 of the fourth round. The win was the third straight highlight-reel finish the Pohang, South Korea native, following his twister win over Leonard Garcia and flash knockout of Mark Hominick. Jung set the tone in the opening round, scoring a takedown and then delivering punishment from the mount. An elbow opened a cut on Poirier's head. Poirier had his moments, but Jung clearly won the round. The second round was a memorable five-minute blur of action. Jung dropped Poirier (12-2) with a big knee, then put on a ground clinic, transitioning from an armbar to a triangle to another armbar to yet another triangle. Jung sunk in yet another triangle in the round's closing moments, but Poirier was saved by the bell. Poirier had his best performance in round three. Jung was tired and dropped his hands. Poirier found his range with his left hand. But he never quite sized on the opening. The end came early in round four, as the "Zombie" hit an uppercut and followed it with a knee. The fight went to the ground, where Jung cinched in the winning choke. "He had me in trouble there at the beginning of the third round, the thought of giving up was in my head," Jung said through an interpreter. "But I just kept going and I got the win." The win seems to put Jung next in line in the featherweight division, waiting for the winner of July's bout between champion Jose Aldo Jr. and Eric Koch. Jung left no doubt what he wants for his next fight, giving his response in English: "I want Jose Aldo."

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Chan Sung Jung defeats Dustin Poirier via submission (D'Arce choke) at 1:07 of the 4th round The bout was as epic as everyone expected, but the Korean Zombie came out on top. After three rounds of amazing and beautiful brutality, Jung used a combination and flying knee to force Poirier into an ill-fated takedown attempt. The Zombie locked up a tight D'Arce choke and put Poirier to sleep at 1:07 of the fourth. Jung won the first two rounds with timely takedowns and plenty of violence, but seemed to fade in the third. Poirier was game all the way and probably won the third, but couldn't keep up the momentum and got choked out. The action started quickly as expected, with Poirier landing a nice left hand. Jung caught a kick and took it to the ground briefly, but Poirier got up and tried to work against the cage. Poirier landed a nice knee, but got tripped down by Jung. Zombie landed some nice elbows and opened up a cut. Poirier landed a light upkick and managed to sweep to the top position. Jung got to a crouch position against the cage, and got back up. They both landed some big shots for about 20 seconds before Poirier shot for an unsuccessful takedown to close out the first stanza. Jung once again caught a kick and got a takedown seconds into round two. He rained down some big shots while Poirier briefly looked for a leglock. Zombie continued with the ground and pound, landing a solid right and an elbow. Poirier kicked Jung off and go back up. Jung landed a glancing spinning backfist, then a huge flying knee and another. Poirier came back with a power double, but Jung rolled right through it and somehow ended up in mount with 2 minutes to go. Zombie suddenly jumped out for an armbar, then transitioned to a triangle that was locked up. He elbowed Poirier to the head, then transitioned to another armbar. Poirier rolled out though and ended up on top. Zombie locked up another triangle, but the horn saved him. Poirier was the aggressor early in the third round, wobbling Zombie slightly with a right. Thr pace slowed slightly, but both men were throwing a fair amount still. Zombie got a body lock and threw Poirier to the ground against the cage, but was quickly reversed and they reset in the center. Poirier landed multiple rights, but Zombie responded with a knee to the body against the cage. Poirier definitely landed more in the round, but Zombie might have landed the harder strikes. Zombie did close out the round with a nice combination. Jung didn't look any fresher open the fourth round, but he lived up to his Zombie nickname by coming forward and landing a huge combination and a flying knee. Poirier ducked for a takedown but Jung locked on a D'Arce choke on the ground and finally got the tap. SBN coverage of UFC on FUEL TV 3

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The main event of the UFC on FUEL TV 3: "Korean Zombie vs. Poirier" fight card, which took place tonight (Tues., May 15, 2012) at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia, featured fan favorite Chan Sung Jung taking on the streaking Dustin Poirier. While it wasn't explicitly stated by UFC President Dana White, a featherweight championship fight may very well have been on the line for the winner, especially considering the lack of depth at 145-pounds. That's why "The Korean Zombie" is all smiles tonight, as he put on what was undoubtedly the greatest performance of his career. In the main event of a UFC event with everything on the line, Sung Jung overwhelmed Poirier through three rounds and in the fourth, locked in a D'Arce choke to earn a submission victory. It's just too bad UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo is already booked to band with Erik Koch at UFC 149. Then again, I think his next challenger just proved he belongs at the top of the 145-pound heap. Both men were aggressive to start, though Sung Jung put Poirier on his back early by catching a kick and following through. He ended up getting reversed and pushed up against the fence, however. "The Korean Zombie" followed this up with another takedown, though, and an elbow opened up a cut on Poirier's head. Simple but effective offense with superior position. Precisely the way to win a fight. There's a reason Poirier was in title talks before this match-up, though, and he quickly swept Jung and took top position. They went back to standing and striking but Poirier shot for a takedown just as the round came to a close but Sung Jung stuffed it. The second stanza opened exactly the same as the first, with Sung Jung catching a kick and dumping Poirier onto his ass. Down into full guard for the "Zombie" and back to landing punches and elbows. As noted by commentator Jon Anik, this was the most impressive Sung Jung has looked in the UFC. He worked reversals and transitions and before we knew it, Sung Jugn was working for an armbar then a triangle then another armbar then elbows and more armbars and finally, Poirier was on top in side control. INSANITY. The third round saw Poirier land a few strikes early and gain a bit of confidence that he had to have lost in getting dominated in the second stanza. He pressed forward but Sung Jung was relentless with his offense, going toe-to-toe with "The Diamond." Suddenly, Sung Jung earned another takedown and immediately got into a crucifix position and started landing shots. Fortunately, they were near the fence and Poirier used it to bounce through and reverse to get back to his feet. They finished the round strong and Sung Jung was shaking his hand out going to his corner. The fourth round began just as insane as the previous three and before long, the "Zombie" had rocked Poirier with an uppercut that he followed up with a flying knee. On instinct, Poirier dove in for a takedown but Sung Jung grabbed a D'arce choke and used it to finish the fight. Absolutely unbelievable. Remember, too, to check out MMAmania.com's complete round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC on FUEL TV 3 event by clicking here.

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This is the UFC on FUEL 3 live blog for Chan Sung Jung vs. Dustin Poirier, a featherweight bout on Tuesday night's UFC event from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va.Jung, who has won his past two fights, will fight Poirier, who has won his past five fights, in the main event.Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC on FUEL 3 Results | UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Round 4: Round 5:

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This is the UFC on FUEL 3 live blog for Amir Sadollah vs. Jorge Lopez, a welterweight bout on Tuesday night's UFC event from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va.Sadollah, who has won two of his last three fights, will fight Lopez, who lost in his UFC debut this past September, on the main card.Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC on FUEL 3 Results | UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

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Yves Jabouin got everything but the finish on Tuesday night. The Montreal-based fighter dominated his bantamweight bout against Jeff Hougland at UFC on Fuel TV 3 in Fairfax, Va., earning a unanimous decision on scores of 30-27, 30-26 and 30-27. Round 1 was a one-sided affair. It looked to be finished when Jabouin connected with a spinning back kick to the midsection, which dropped Hougland. After initially hesitating, Jabouin began raining down punches and the fight appeared over, but referee Tom McGovern chose not to stop the bout as time ran out. The next round was the only one in which Jabouin didn't come close to finishing. But in round three, Jabouin nailed Hougland with a big left hand early and swarmed him. McGovern again chose to let the fighters keep fighting. To Hougland's credit, he was game and toughed it out until the final bell. Jabouin (18-7), who won for the fourth time in his past five UFC/WEC fights, said he wasn't surprised Hougland survived the big first-round kick. "Not really," said Jabouin, who was cornered for his fight by UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre. "Once that back kick sinks in, not a lot of guys can withstand it. He took it like a man, my hat's off to him." Hougland dropped to 10-5, ending a nine-fight win streak.

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This is the UFC on FUEL 3 live blog for Donald Cerrone vs. Jeremy Stephens, a lightweight bout on Tuesday night's UFC event from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va.Cerrone, who has won six of his last seven fights, will fight Stephens, who has won two his last three fights, on the main card.Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC on FUEL 3 Results | UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

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UFC on FUEL TV 3: "Korean Zombie vs. Poirier," which is going down tonight (Tues., May 15, 2012) from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia, featured a bantamweight battle pitting the unheralded Jeff Hougland against talented veteran Yves Jabouin. Hougland started his career 1-4 but hasn't lost since, including a decision victory in his Octagon debut in July 2011. Jabouin, meanwhile, has won consecutive fights after dropping down to the 135-pound division and he was looking to keep the gravy train rolling by notching another win in his newly preferred weight class. Mission accomplished. It was ugly, though. Real ugly. Hougland looked out of his element for all 15 painful minutes of the match-up, as though he was a sparring partner more than an actual live opponent. It was no surprise, then, that the judges awarded Jabouin the unanimous decision victory by scores of 30-27, 30-26, and 30-27. Move along folks, nothing to see here. Jabouin opened the fight with leg kicks, both outside and in. Hougland answered this with punches from far away that failed to do anything but slow Jabouin's pace. Yves busted out the spinning back kick about a minute and a half into the round, and it looked as sweet as it sounded when it slapped against Hougland's chest and had him bouncing back off the fence. It was mostly slow rolling early, though, with neither fighter willing to commit to anything. This was made doubly evident by the fact that fans had just been treated to the Pokrajac vs. Maldonado fight just before this. So seeing the little guys fight like they were conserving energy was frustrating to say the least. Nonetheless, that was the case throughout the first round. But suddenly, Jabouin landed yet another spinning kick and Hougland went down hard. "Tiger" pounced with a fury but Hougland managed to survive to the end of the round. His guts were undoubtedly upset that more punishment would be coming. Instead of playing around with the striking game to start the second, Hougland rushed in for a takedown. He failed, though, and was forced back into standing exchanges. He approached this differently this time, however, throwing a spinning attack of his own. Even if it was unsuccessful, it got Jabouin to back off just a bit. With two minutes remaining in the round, Hougland shot in for a double leg takedown but, once again, he failed and they reset. The round played out with the same inactivity as much of the first did and the restless fans sat on their hands wondering how it is that Jabouin hadn't finished Hougland by now. After all, he looked like nothing more than a glorified sparring partner. The third round started fast and loose with Jabouin landing a right hand that dropped Hougland. "Tiger" pounced and started unloading punches but once again, Hougland just went into his spasm routine on the floor and survived the onslaught. The fight would end after another dominant round from Jabouin. The scores in his favor were academic. Yawn. Remember, too, that MMAmania.com has LIVE ongoing coverage of the UFC on FUEL TV 3 main card, as well as complete results from the undercard, right here.

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MMA Fighting brings you UFC on FUEL 3 play-by-play and more for the Chan Sung Jung vs. Dustin Poirier fight card. Tonight's event is headlined by an featherweight fight between Jung and Poirier. This bout is scheduled for five, five-minute rounds. Also appearing on the main card is Amir Sadollah vs. Jorge Lopez, Donald Cerrone vs. Jeremy Stephens, Yves Jabouin vs. Jeff Hougland, Igor Pokrajac vs. Fabio Maldonado and Tom Lawlor vs. Jason MacDonald. Tonight's fights take place at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va. This is the UFC on FUEL 3 undercard live blog for the UFC on FUEL 3 prelims from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va.There will be six fights on the undercard. Brad Tavares vs. Dongi Yang, Cody McKenzie vs. Marcus LeVesseur, TJ Grant vs. Carlo Prater, Rafael dos Anjos vs. Kamal Shalorus, Jeff Curran vs. Johnny Eduardo and Alex Soto vs. Francisco Rivera will all be featured bouts.Check out the UFC on FUEL 3 undercard live blog below. Alex Soto vs. Francisco Rivera Round 1: Soto tosses out a head kick early, then tries to stay active on the outside. Another head kick lands more cleanly moments later, but Rivera answers with a right that drops him. Soto finds his way to his feet, but Rivera has found a home for that right and he keeps firing. Soto looks wobbly, but still in it. Another hard right drops Soto to his knees, but he keeps coming and nabs a takedown. Soto has top position briefly, but can’t do much before Rivera makes it back to his feet. Soto keeps trying to circle away with Rivera following. Rivera turns what initially looks like a jumping knee into a jumping head kick that catches Soto. Soto seems like he’s just trying to survive the round now, avoiding the serious engagements whenever possible in the final minute. They end the round with Soto still circling away from that power. MMA Fighting scores it 10-8 for Rivera. Round 2: Soto seems to have his legs under him again as they start the second. He works some kicks and bounces away from the counter. Clearly, he wants this fight on the outside, but every time he plants to fire off Rivera moves in with power shots. After a second inadvertent groin kick by Rivera, we pause for the briefest of moments, then it’s time in. Soto jabs on the run and Rivera answers with a heavy hook. Right hand by Rivera, followed by a knee. Soto mugs as if to show he’s not hurt, but Rivera quickly shows him there’s more where that came from. Now it’s Soto’s turn to land a groin shot. On the restart, Rivera’s back on the prowl. Rivera brings Soto’s head down with a punch, then nails him with a head kick. The horn sounds to end the round, and Rivera seems to be feeling the effect of that groin kick still. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Rivera. Round 3: After both Rivera and his cornermen expressed amazement and disappointment that Soto wasn’t knocked out yet, we start the final frame. Soto gets off to a nice start with a takedown, but can’t follow up. Soto misses with a punch and eats a right. Front kick from Rivera snaps Soto’s head back. Rivera lands another big right. There’s the jelly legs from Soto once again, but he just won’t give in. After a few seconds of wobbling he looks solid again, even if he can’t get much of an offense started. Soto has to know he’s way behind on the cards, but he seems content to keep circling away and lose this one by decision. It might be a moral victory to avoid getting finished after all that, but moral victories don’t pay as well as actual victories. Body kick by Rivera. Soto tries to push off the cage for a Superman punch, but nothing doing. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Rivera. Francisco Rivera def. Alex Soto via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Jeff Curran vs. Johnny Eduardo Round 1: Curran pumps the jab and feints a shot to see what Eduardo will do. Eduardo snaps out a couple quick leg kicks, while Curran responds with a kick to the body. Curran lunges forward with a big right, but seems to be coming up just short right now. Curran flicks out a backfist and eats some leather from Eduardo in exchange. The exchanges are relatively few as we close in on the final minute. Eduardo’s leg kick looks to be his best weapon, while Curran is putting much of his faith in the old one-two. Nether man is in a hurry to finish so far. Eduardo lands a nice right at the end of a combo, then another leg kick in the final ten seconds. His speed advantage is starting to become evident. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Eduardo. Round 2: Eduardo’s momma didn’t raise no fool. As soon as the second round starts, he goes right back to work on Curran’s leg. The Brazilian is chopping away at that left thigh, and Curran is clearly feeling it. All Eduardo has to do is move his hips and Curran lifts his lead leg to check. Curran’s still game, though. He fires off a punch combo in close, and Eduardo responds in kind. Eduardo dances around, avoiding the jab, snapping out a kick when he feels like it. He’s in control, but still in no rush. Curran gets busy with punch combos in the final minute, but Eduardo proves too elusive to deal much damage too. MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 for Eduardo. Round 3: Another round, and another leg kick attack by Eduardo to start us off. Judging by his comments to his corner between rounds, Curran knows he needs to do something, but what? Eduardo isn’t opening up enough to give him many opportunities. Takedown attempt by Curran is stymied. Curran fires off a left and Eduardo claims eye poke, but referee Rick McCoy doesn’t seem to be buying it. He tells Eduardo “you’ve got to fight,” but it does give him at least a temporary reprieve. Curran senses the opening and comes on with more punches, popping Eduardo’s head back. Again Eduardo claims eye poke, and this time nobody is buying it. With a minute left, Curran keeps looking to land that left, while Eduardo goes back to the leg kick. Good combo by Curran and Eduardo is in full-on backpedal mode. Might be too little, too late for the “Big Frog.” There’s the horn to end it. MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 for Curran. Johnny Eduardo def. Jeff Curran via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Rafael dos Anjos vs. Kamal Shalorus Round 1: After the requisite bit of dancing and jabbing in the opening minute, dos Anjos jacks Shalorus with a huge head kick that sits Shalorus down. Dos Anjos swarms on him as Shalorus tries to scramble. After some warnings from the ref about the back of the head, dos Anjos moves to the back, sinks in the rear-naked choke, and Shalorus has to tap. Impressive, quick finish from the Brazilian.Rafael dos Anjos def. Kamal Shalorus via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:40 of round one TJ Grant vs. Carlos Prater Round 1: After a brief feeling out period, they begin trading leg kicks, with Prater opting to go first and Grant countering well. Grant moves in for the clinch, but Prater eventually extricates himself. Grant again gets in close, gets double underhooks, but can’t quite haul Prater down. Prater turns Grant against the fence and looks for a takedown of his own, but Grant escapes and gets back to the center. Grant continues trying to strike his way into a clinch, it seems, but Prater is proving tough to catch. Grant eventually tracks him down and gets him to the mat, ending up on top after a bit of a scramble and a brief leglock attempt by Prater. Grant passes to side control without too much difficulty, but he’s already out of time. There’s the horn. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Grant. Round 2: Grant gets in close and clinches up early this time, pressing Prater against the fence and looking for an opening. He can’t find much, but he hammers Prater with a blistering elbow as they break. Prater wobbles backward, and Grant comes back in looking for another clinch. Prater still seems slightly out of sorts as they exchange in the center of the cage, but it isn’t long before Grant gets another takedown. This time he can’t secure top position, however, and Prater uses a front headlock as he gets back to his feet. Grant keeps after him and gets him back down, and this time he moves to side control with a little more time to work. Grant locks up a crucifix and punches away, but Prater stays calm and reverses from bottom to top just before the horn. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Grant. Round 3: Prater begins to attack more with his punches to start the final round. Perhaps he senses which way the judges might be leaning here. Grant hangs in there and fires back, but his punches seem a little more perfunctory, as if they’re only a preamble to the clinch. Grant ducks under a hook and finishes a double-leg, but Prater catches him in an arm-in guillotine on the way down. Grant isn’t panicking. He passes to side control and gets his head free. He nearly takes Prater’s back when he attempts to scramble up, but settles for regaining side control and then moving to mount with a little over a minute left in the fight. Prater rolls and gives up his back, but manages to escape before Grant can get anything going from there. Prater works back to his feet with Grant behind him, but is quickly slammed back down. Armbar attempt by Grant in the final seconds. It’s in deep, but Prater gets saved by the horn. Well, saved from the submission, anyway. Probably not from the defeat. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Grant. T.J. Grant def. Carlo Prater via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Cody McKenzie vs. Marcus LeVesseur Round 1: McKenzie comes right out and gets himself taken down by LeVesser. Not the greatest start, but okay. After a bit of ground work, LeVesseur steps back and gets upkicked in te groin. So now both goes have reason to be a little bummed, and we’re not even a minute in. LeVesseur takes a couple minutes and then goes on the attack almost immediately after the restart. He hammers McKenzie with an uppercut in the clinch, and McKenzie seems a little lost. LeVesseur gets him down and thinks about a choke, but settles for the top position in McKenzie’s guard. As he is known to do, McKenzie sits up and latches on a guillotine choke. LeVesseur isn’t exactly responding with the sense of urgency you’d expect, and McKenzie is only getting more comfortable. LeVesseur is stuck now, and the choke is all the way in. Too late now. He’s got no choice but to tap. Cody McKenzie def. Marcus LeVesseur via submission (guillotine choke) at 3:05 of round one Brad Tavares vs. Dongi Yang Round 1: They meet in the center of the cage and trade a few kicks from distance to start things off. Yang lands a couple nice lefts, and Tavares comes back with a right. Slow pace so far in the first round. Neither seems willing to throw more than one or two shots at a time. Yang gets poked in the eye after himself being warned for the same thing moments earlier. Referee Dan Miragliotta tells them both to watch their fingers. After the restart, Yang lands a kick and then pushes off and now it’s Tavares who’s complaining about an eye poke. Miragliotta seems increasingly frustrated with the both of them. Final minute now, and it’s Yang who’s pressing forward. He lands a heavy left and moves into the clinch, but gets turned and put against the fence by Tavares. They end the round in the clinch, battling for position. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Yang. Round 2: Between rounds Tavares said he was suffering from some blurred vision, but that seemed to clear right up when the doctor threatened to stop the fight. Funny how that happens. Both men get busier at the start of the second, trading kicks to the thighs and body and Tavares tries to get the right hand working. Tavares flicks out a kick and Yang comes back with jumping front kick that lands. Yang backs Tavares up and looks for an opening. Tavares keeps wiping his eye, as if it’s still bothering him. Yang is keeping the pressure on. Yang clinches up against the fence and then trips Tavares down, but Tavares is right back up. Yang trips Tavares back to the mat with a judo toss, but Tavares just won’t stay down for long. They end the round trading kicks from a distance, with Tavares looking still bothered by the eye. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Yang. Round 3: Once again they begin the round by firing away and picking up the pace. Tavares shoots for a takedown and puts Yang down against the fence. Yang tries to work back to his feet, but Tavares keeps bringing him back down. Unfortunately, he’s spending so much effort holding Yang there that he can’t launch much of an offensive attack. Miragliotta warns about the stalemate, then calls for a stand-up and a restart. Unintentional groin kick by Tavares, and we have ourselves another pause in the action. Like a savvy veteran, Tavares tosses off a head kick after the restart, perhaps hoping that Yang might still be worried about his junk. Yang defends well, but his offense seems to have fallen off a cliff in the final two minutes. More inconsequential kicks from Tavares, and a takedown after the horn by Yang. MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 for Tavares. Brad Tavares def. Dongi Yang via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Posted in: round, grant, rivera, tavare, soto

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This is the UFC on FUEL 3 live blog for Yves Jabouin vs. Jeff Hougland, a bantamweight bout on Tuesday night's UFC event from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va.Jabouin, who has won two of his last three fights, will fight Hougland, who won his UFC debut at UFC 132, on the main card.Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC on FUEL 3 Results | UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

Posted in: ufc, round, ufc debut, hougland, coverage ufc

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The main card of UFC on FUEL TV 3: "Korean Zombie vs. Poirier" that took place tonight (Tues., May 15, 2012) at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia, featured a light heavyweight showdown featuring Igor Pokrajac vs. Fabio Maldonado. While neither fighter came in with a ton of name value, Pokrajac's last 10 wins all came via finish and Maldonado's last bout was an absolute war, even if it was his first loss since 2007. In short, this one promised a war. And it delivered in a big way. Pokrajac and Maldonado exchanged punches and knees, both at distance and in the clinch, for three rounds and 15 minutes of awesome light heavyweight action before the judges were called upon to decide a winner. Ultimately, they awarded the victory to Pokrajac by scores of 29-28, 30-27, and 29-28. Maldonado opened with a looping overhand shot that missed badly. Pokrajac took advantage of the mistake by taking his foe's back and dragging him to the mat and straight into his half guard. Not a good start for the Brazilian. Instead of working towards a submission, Pokrajac simply rode out half guard and scored points with superior position and a mix of punches and elbows. Finally, Maldonado escaped and got to his feet, much to the delight of the live crowd. Once they got back to standing, Maldonado started unloading punches while Pokrajac just covered up his face and hoped to survive. That's what he did, too, grabbing a clinch at the earliest opportunity. They traded shots from the clinch with Maldonado landing hard to the body while Pokrajac was working a Thai Plum and scoring with big knees. What a crazy end to the round that looked like it was one-sided as could be in the first few minutes. Into the second round and Maldonado was winging his punches again. Pokrajac stayed patient, hoping to find his range from the outside. He found his most success when he jumped in, however, landing multiple shots to the chin that had the Brazilian backing up against the fence. This led to a clinch and the same offense we saw in the first round. Maldonado landing shots to the body while Pokrajac looked for big knees. But this time Maldonado looked to take clear control with a stunning amount of punches landed. Igor took a ton of damage in the second round but somehow remained on his feet. He even attempted a spinning back fist. As the round came to a close, Pokrajac attempted a weak takedown and ended up on his back with Maldonado getting scored a takedown himself. But after two, it looked like it could very well be split heading into the final frame. To open the third round, both men met in the center of the cage and hugged. What a sweet display of silliness in the middle of a cage fight. They went back into the clinch shortly thereafter and before long were back up against the fence and working the same offense as the previous two rounds. Maldonado tried to get a break by claiming he was hit in the nuts but referee Dan Mirgaliotta called him out on it and the fight continued. After more work from the clinch, they were separated and started throwing bombs. Pokrajac landed multiple clean shots to the chin that looked to stagger Maldonado but the big lug just would not go down. They reset again and went back to slugging it out. Both guys were landing hard shots but Pokrajac looked to have landed more by the time the horn sounded, at least in the third round. No matter the outcome, it was one hell of a scrap. In the end, the judges sided with Pokrajac but the bonus awards should more than make up for the pain inflicted upon both men in this thriller of a showdown. Remember, too, that MMAmania.com has LIVE ongoing coverage of the UFC on FUEL TV 3 main card, as well as complete results from the undercard, right here.

Posted in: round, punch, shot, pokrajac, maldonado

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This is the UFC on FUEL 3 live blog for Igor Pokrajac vs. Fabio Maldonado, a light heavyweight bout on Tuesday night's UFC event from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va.Pokrajac, who has won three of his last four fights, will fight Maldonado, who is 1-1 in his UFC career, on the main card.Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC on FUEL 3 Results | UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

Posted in: ufc, round, coverage ufc, patriot center, fairfax vapokrajac

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The action was intense during today's (May 15, 2012) UFC on Fuel TV 3: "Poirier vs Korean Zombie" "Prelims" under card, which stream live on the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion's Facebook page from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. Indeed, it was littered with exciting fights, with the final bout featuring The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 11 middleweight prospect Brad Tavares against Korean Top Team's Dongi Yang. Both Tavares and Yang came out swinging, although they weren't exactly using closed fists as there were at least three eye pokes in the first round. Tavares threw more volume, while Yang threatened with big power. Tavares was still bothered by the eye poke heading into the second round and it may have effected him as he repeatedly wiped his left eye to clear it up. Yang took advantage, landing some nice kicks against the more defensive Hawaiian. With his corner telling him to be more aggressive, Tavares exploded out of his corner with some big combinations and takedowns, repeatedly dumping "Ox" on the canvas although he couldn't do much with the position. Yang slowed down in the final round and that inactivity may have cost him as Tavares would be awarded a unanimous decision earning 29-28 on all three judges' scorecards. There was plenty of other action earlier in the night, which we've got recapped after the jump: In the third lightweight bout of the undercard, 155-pounders Cody McKenzie and Marcus LeVesseur put on an interesting display. The powerful wrestler LeVesseur rag-dolled McKenzie to the ground in the opening seconds, but failed to capitalize. Both men looked awkward on the feet, and after another big takedown from LeVesseur, he decided to quit playing offense and left his neck completely exposed with both hands on the canvas from within McKenzie's guard. After receiving the open invitation, McKenzie slowly snaked his arm underneath the Minnesotan's chin and forced him to tap just three minutes into the opening round to score his second UFC victory by way of his signature guillotine choke. Canadian T.J. Grant ground away on Brazilian Carlo Prater in a battle of two of the biggest UFC lightweights. Prater has previously made his UFC debut as a welterweight but decided to drop down to a more competitive 155 pounds. Throughout the fight, Grant kept constant pressure on "Neo" and repeatedly put the Brazilian in rough positions, outlanding him in the striking, controlling him in the clinch and even handling the BJJ black belt on the canvas on multiple occasions. Grant landed a thunderous elbow in the clinch in the second round, but his best offense was in the end of the third round where he threatened with multiple submissions after taking Prater's back, also advancing to mount and nearly ending the fight with an armbar at the closing horn. Lightweight Rafael dos Anjos put on a dominant display against British-Iranian wrestler Kamal Shalorus, crushing him with a head kick and then putting him away with a rear naked choke inside the first minute of round one. With the loss, Shalorus now falls to 0-3 in the UFC and this was not a very good way to go out. In bantamweight action, Brazilian Johnny Eduardo put a striking clinic on Jeff Curran for two rounds. Despite Curran seemingly having a grappling edge, he primarily chose to stand and trade with Eduardo, and his front leg paid for it. "Big Frog" held his own in the punching department, but Eduardo ate his lead leg for dinner with repeated powerful leg kicks. After a dominant first two rounds for Eduardo, Curran bounced back in the third, perhaps aided by a left punch in which his thumb caught the Brazilian square in his eye. With his opponent hurting, Curran went on the offensive and really began aggressively attacking with big punches and landing with consistency. Unfortunately for Curran, he couldn't get the finish and Eduardo was able to secure a 29-28 decision across the boards. In the opening bout of the evening, UFC debuter Francisco Rivera dominated fellow bantamweight Alex Soto to earn a unanimous decision. "Cisco" put a hurting on Soto throughout the fight, landing big power shots in all three rounds which hurt, wobbled and dropped Soto throughout the fight. To his credit, Sota stayed alive, but he he was constantly forced to move backwards and the best offence he could seemingly put forth was occasional taunts. In the end, Rivera easily was awarded a 30-27 decision on all three judges' scorecards. Here are the complete undercard results: Brad Tavares def. Dongi Yang via unanimous decisionCody McKenzie def. Marcus LeVesseur via submission (guillotine) at 3:05 of round oneT.J. Grant def. Carlo Prater via unanimous decisionRafael dos Anjos def. Kamal Shalorus via submission (rear naked choke) at 0:40 of round oneJohnny Eduardo def. Jeff Curran via unanimous decision Francisco Rivera def. Alex Sota via unanimous decision That's it for the "Prelims" portion of the UFC on Fuel TV 3 fight card. Be sure to hit up MMAmania.com for up to the minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of the rest of the night's UFC on Fuel TV 3 main card action by clicking here.

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, tavare, curran

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UFC Lightweight T.J. Grant dominated every facet of a good three round bout against Carlo Prater. Grant beat up his man on the feet, battered him in the clinch and thoroughly outgrappled him on the ground. UFC On Fuel TV 3 Results: T.J. Grant defeated Carlo Prater by unanimous decision (30-27 x3). In the first round Grant came out as the aggressor but Prater counter-struck competently. Grant then shot in and Prater fended him off with a whizzer. From there Prater rolled slickly for a leg lock but Grant fended him off. Grant passed guard just as the round ended. In the second Grant hurt Prater with an elbow off a break. Grant landed a number of knees and elbows in the standing clinch. Then Grant began to hurt Prater with punches at a distance. Prater really seemed a bit battered by the final minute of the second. Prater shot in for a single leg and Grant very nearly got a guillotine before he reversed Prater and took him down. Grant passed Prater's guard quickly. Grant then got a crucifix position that morphed into an unfortunate ass-on-head position from whence Grant punched the body. Prater reversed position just as the round ended. Round three saw Prater once again flinching at feints and sleeping his way into hard punches from Grant. Grant landed more strikes standing before shooting in for a double leg. On the ground Prater went for an arm-in guillotine choke that Grant used to pass into side mount. Grant looked sharp on top. At one point he seemed to be threatening for a twister or a banana split. Then he took Prater's back and fought for a rear naked choke. Prater escaped but Grant quickly moved to a front head lock. After more scrambling Grant landed a big slam then took Prater's back and fought for chokes and nearly got an arm bar as the fight ended. SBN coverage of UFC on FUEL TV 3

Posted in: ufc, round, grant, prater, front head

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Bantamweight Johnny Eduardo dominated Jeff Curran for the first two rounds and survived a late come back to take a decision. UFC on Fuel TV 3 Results: Johnny Eduardo defeats Jeff Curran by unanimous decision (29-28 x3). Eduardo came out and battered Curran with lead leg kicks and had Curran staggering back to his corner at the end of the first round. Curran, a gritty veteran fired back as he could, landing some strong side kicks to Eduardo's chest. In the second Curran came out limping a bit and Eduardo lept forward to hack at his legs with machete chop leg kicks. Curran staggered and waved like a palm tree in the breeze. Curran, primarily a grappler, was unable or unwilling to take the fight to the ground. His one strong shot of the second was stuffed effortlessly. As Curran weakened, Eduardo loosened up and landed a number of unusual spinning strikes as well as more leg kicks. Eduardo utterly outclassed Curran on the feet and that continued in the third round. Curran poked Eduardo in the eye and the ref didn't see it. Eduardo asked for a stoppage but the referee didn't see it and forced him to continue. Curran capitalized to land some punches and Eduardo complained to no avail again, apparently about a head butt or perhaps another poke. That seemed to give Eduardo the space he needed to recover but Curran began to connect with rights. He added a winging overhand left as the round ended. SBN coverage of UFC on FUEL TV 3

Posted in: round, leg, eduardo, curran, round curran

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This is the UFC on FUEL 3 undercard live blog for the UFC on FUEL 3 prelims from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va.There will be six fights on the undercard. Brad Tavares vs. Dongi Yang, Cody McKenzie vs. Marcus LeVesseur, TJ Grant vs. Carlo Prater, Rafael dos Anjos vs. Kamal Shalorus, Jeff Curran vs. Johnny Eduardo and Alex Soto vs. Francisco Rivera will all be featured bouts.Check out the UFC on FUEL 3 undercard live blog below. Alex Soto vs. Francisco Rivera Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Jeff Curran vs. Johnny Eduardo Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Rafael dos Anjos vs. Kamal Shalorus Round 1: Round 2: Round 3; TJ Grant vs. Carlos Prater Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Cody McKenzie vs. Marcus LeVesseur Round 1: Round 2: Round 3; Brad Tavares vs. Dongi Yang Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

Posted in: ufc, round, vs, undercard, fuel

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Respect the 'stache. In addition to his unforgettable fights, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and mixed martial arts (MMA) pioneer Don Frye has also had his share of unforgettable media appearances throughout his career. In fact, there may be too many to count over the last decade. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. To pay tribute to the hilarity of recent Fryisms, our friends at Round 5 -- the high end retailer responsible for combat sports' most recognizable collectible figurines and merchandise -- recently ran a contest on MMAmania.com, asking our faithful readers to share their favorite and/or wildest Don Frye anecdote, quote, video, memory or story, including the impact it's had (if any) on the history, progression and/or forum thread humor of MMA. We received several gut-busting submissions, none of which disappointed, and today we are pleased to announce the grand prize winner, "JNSJAY." Check out a sample of his winning entry after the jump: See the rest of his entry here. What's he taking home? None other than the entire "Ultimate Collector" Series 9, which is anchored by the UFC and PRIDE legend, commemorating his championship run through the David and Goliath Tournament staged at UFC VIII. That's not all. Series 9 also includes the meanest mug in the game, Nick Diaz, along with the homie he ain't scared of, Jason "Mayhem" Miller. Rounding out the collection is hard-hitting middleweight Chris Leben and UFC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson. Thanks again for everyone who took the time to participate. We'll certainly partner up with Round 5 again down the road and giveaway more free goodies. To see more from Round 5 including their incredible line-up of figurines and collectibles click here.

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Chael Sonnen is one of the most polarizing figures in mixed martial arts (MMA) today. With his quick wit, razor-sharp tongue and knack for selling a fight, or just simply telling it like it is, Chael has transformed himself into one of the most talked about fighters in the sport. When not bashing Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva and his relevance to MMA, Sonnen entertains fans and media alike with his wrestling-style promos and stand-up comedy when answering most of the questions aimed at the "American Gangster." So when the number one 185-pound contender gives an interview or makes an appearance, be it on a radio show, press conference or nationally televised program, fans tune in, ready to be entertained with cleverly expressed sound bytes. Ahead of his highly-anticipated rematch against "The Spider," which is set to go down on July 7, 2012 at UFC 148 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Sonnen made an appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast, "The Joe Rogan Experience." During his time spent with Rogan, a very honest Sonnen strayed away from his usual comedic punch lines and revealed a "secret" he says he's been carrying with him for some time and showed a rather different side of the rabble rousing republican. The secret, says Sonnen, is the reason why he went from a talented top 10 level fighter, to the number one middleweight contender you see today. Make the jump to see for yourself: "For me, I had a fight with Yushin Okami who was ranked number two in the world and I was one of those guys that was kind of looked at in the top 10. That was right before I fought Nate Marquardt and it gave me a lot of confidence, but here is what happened Joe. I have never lost a round of fighting, and when I say that, sometimes a guy will laugh because I have lost fights. But, I've never lost a round. I've never had a fight where a judge ever scored a round against me until my last match with Bisping. At the point of your story, though, I sit down one day, and I'm on Sherdog.com, and I'm looking at my record. I've won every round I have ever fought. I've never been in a tough fight. I've never had stitches, I've never broken anything, I have dominated everybody and I've lost eight fights, and I've lost all of them by submission and I've lost all of them in the second round. And I'm staring at that on the computer and I'm staring at these numbers like a CEO would his spreadsheet. And I'm saying, 'There is something going on here and it's not physical. There is something going on that I can dominate eight minutes of a fight, seven minutes of a fight, nine minutes of a fight and find a way out time after time after time in the same round with the same move.' So, I went and got help. I went and got professional help and I sought out a doctor, Ed Versteeg. I hate talking about this because this was a real secret. This was a real turning point for me was when I went in, worked on sports psychology and got hypnotized. I was never the same. I was never the same in practice, my attitude was different. Controlling my diet, being discipline, falling asleep, the way I approached battle, the way I approached the second round. Everything changed, and it changed to the point where, I hate to say what I just said and now it's too late because I felt like it was my secret. I discovered something and I don't want other people to know. I will write about it someday in a book, I will talk about it you know, when I'm retired , but I'm not going to tell anybody because it's competitive edge. So when I started seeing a sports psychologist and I finally came clean, it's like being an alcoholic, before you can get help, you have to admit you have a problem. When I finally admitted I got a problem, when I finally said, it, when I finally could acknowledge it and look somebody in the eye and tell them this is what's going on, I'm finding a way to lose as opposed to win. I work harder than these guys. I been at this longer, I know how to stop submissions, I'm finding my way into them, I'm finding a way out and that's what's happening. I had to acknowledge that and once I did it, I never lost again. I lost to Paulo which was the controversial one and then I lost to Anderson after dominating him, I've never been beat since I saw this doctor." It's rather refreshing to see that such a shadowing figure in MMA can indeed show vulnerability. He is, after all, just a human, and despite his never-ending quips, he is not afraid to be up front and honest about such a well kept secret. After apparently figuring out the source to his past issues, Sonnen has been on a roll and will have yet another chance to prove to himself (and to the world) that he indeed is the number one middleweight on the planet by defeating the man who has been occupying his mind for the last couple of years in "Sin City." But will it all pay off when he faces off against his arch-nemesis on Fourth of July weekend? Or will Silva prove that he has what it takes to defeat the powerful wrestling stalwart one more time? Opinions, please.

Posted in: fight, round, sonnen, im, ive

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FAIRFAX, VA, May 15 – The Tuesday fight between lightweights Cody McKenzie and Marcus LeVesseur at the Patriot Center lasted three minutes and five seconds. McKenzie maybe won 15 seconds of the action. But it was the 15 seconds that mattered, as The Ultimate Fighter vet survived some heavy leather early before cinching in his signature “McKenzietine” choke that provoked the Levesseur tap out in the first round. Levesseur (21-6) came out winging – but missing – early, yet he started to crack McKenzie from the top position after scoring a takedown. McKenzie (13-2) remained poised, sucked the former college wrestling standout into his butterfly guard, and summoned the move that everybody in the arena knew he wanted, as he got his finish and broke a two fight losing skid. BRAD TAVARES VS. DONGI YANG For two rounds, this was a really fun-to-watch, free-swinging middleweight affair. Both Brad Tavares and Dongi Yang were aggressive, both swinging with malicious intent. It seemed that Tavares got the better of the banging in round one, landing some big right hands and scoring downstairs with sizzling leg kicks. Yang responded with some powerful shots of his own, and both guys traded inadvertent eye pokes. In the second, Yang seemed the clear-cut aggressor as Tavares pawed at his left eye (the one that had been poked) numerous times. More heavy leather flew, but Yang’s stalking seemed to favor him. In round three, Yang inexplicably seemed to lose his sense of urgency after Tavares took him down several times. Yang did not seem fatigued, but instead fought conservatively like someone who presumed they were up two rounds to none. Tavares, meanwhile, became a little more methodical and diverse, mixing up his kicks and punches to clearly carry the round and take the decision via three scores of 29-28.In triumph, Tavares improved to 7-2; Yang fell to 10-3.T.J. GRANT VS. CARLO PRATERAfter compiling a .500 record at welterweight in the UFC, Canadian T.J. Grant’s reinvention at 155 pounds continued with a unanimous decision nod (30-27 three times) over Carlo Prater. Grant’s second straight win came courtesy of besting Prater anywhere the fight went. On their feet, Grant outstruck his foe 65 to 23. Takedowns: Grant 4, Prater 0. And though Prater (30-11-1) is a BJJ black belt, Grant (18-5) schooled him on the mat by winning scrambles, passing guard, and roughing him up with ground and pound in rounds two and three. Grant particularly heated up late in the third, slamming Prater hard to the canvas, mounting him, threatening with a rear naked choke and then a credible armbar as the final horn sounded. “I’ve been fighting the best in the world and let’s take the next step. I want to be on the card in Canada (Calgary in July, headlined by UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo vs. No. 1 challenger Erik Koch) and maybe Joe Silva can do something for me, I don’t know…” Watch Grant's post-fight interviewRAFAEL DOS ANJOS VS. KAMAL SHALORUSA left kick to the head spelled trouble for Kamal Shalorus early in the fight, as dos Anjos swarmed his fallen and foggied foe with punches. The ref came oh-so-close to stopping the lightweight contest, but intervened soon after when dos Anjos forced Shalorus to tap with a rear naked choke at just 1 minute 40 seconds of the opening stanza. Dos Anjos improved to 16-6 (5-4 in the UFC). Shalorus (7-3-2), who had been training out of Falls Church, Va., dropped his third straight. Hear what Dos Anjos had to say in his post-fight interviewJEFF CURRAN VS. JOHNNY EDUARDOJeff Curran came up short against Johnny Eduardo in bantamweight action. Who knows if the MMA pioneer, despite 35 pro wins, will ever notch his first UFC win. But I do know this: The “Big Frog” is a fighter’s fighter. He embodies that, “anyone, anytime, anyplace” mentality and has fought so many of the sport’s biggest names over the past 14 years. Curran is one of those gritty, never-say-die fighters who can be competitive with just about any fighter. But so often, by close margins, he finds himself on the short end of the judges’ scorecards. The seasoned bantamweight turned in another gritty and, at times, inspiring performance against Eduardo in Virginia, but again had to settle for defeat by 29-28 scores across the board. The first two rounds were competitive, with the lanky Brazilian cautious with his hands but repeatedly scoring with hard kicks to Curran’s lead leg. Curran landed the occasional overhand right, scored with his lead jab and kicks and a nice elbow off a punch. But Curran found it hard-pressed to land consistently against such a defensive-minded and athletic opponent (to the point where Curran at times dropped his hands low, hoping to entice Eduardo into more aggression and counterpunching or takedown opportunities). Eduardo did not oblige him. The third round told a completely different story. Curran (35-15-1) came on strong. He landed a beautiful 1-2 early on, snapping Eduardo’s head back and prompting the Brazilian to immediately appeal to the referee and claim an eye poke. Curran tagged him with another crisp shot and soon enough a trickle of blood began streaming around Eduardo’s left eye. With ever greater frequency, Curran began to land, bringing loads of pressure, enough to dent Eduardo’s armor but not destroy it. In victory, Eduardo improved to 26-9, 1-1 in the UFC. Watch Eduardo's emotional post-fight interviewFRANCISCO RIVERA VS. ALEX SOTOThere is no doubting Alex Soto’s toughness: He’s a U.S. Army vet, served a tour in Afghanistan and, oh by the way, the 28-year-old moonlights as a professional fighter. And Soto needed every bit of that toughness to weather a non-stop storm from Francisco Rivera, who rocked Soto in all three rounds of the night’s opening bout. If you prefer damage inflicted to strikes landed (as I generally do), then you likely would have awarded round one to Rivera, who dropped Soto with a hard right hand in the opening frame and walloped the U.S. Army veteran numerous times with his best punch. Rivera seemed perfectly content to stalk Soto and walk through his arsenal, even though it was the dancing Soto who landed more frequently with punches and kicks and threw in a takedown for good measure. In the second round, with Soto rightfully fixated on avoiding the right hand, Rivera surprised him with head kicks, one of which put Soto on the deck again. After eating a hard right hand and kick (and bleeding from his mouth), Soto defiantly blew a kiss to Rivera. Soto’s survival skills were impressive, and he continued to score throughout the fight, but his blows didn’t pack nearly as much pop as his adversary (Rivera, at one point, after Soto landed a combination, shook his head to say, essentially, ‘no effect.’) Rivera continued to pour it on in the third, landing a barrage of punches that made Soto do the so-called “chicken dance,” but the knockout ace could not finish the fight, settling instead for a unanimous decision victory via three scores of 30-27. Hear what "Cisco" had to say after his win

Posted in: round, eduardo, grant, curran, soto

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FAIRFAX, VA, May 15 – Leading up to their UFC on FUEL TV fight at the Patriot Center, Jeremy Stephens vowed to “break” Donald Cerrone, perceiving that Nate Diaz had done the same last December. But the “old” Cerrone emerged Tuesday night, the one who had annihilated six straight foes before Diaz. And that was bad news for Stephens, who received probably the worst beating of his seven-year career in losing a shutout 30-27 decision in the lightweight scrap. Stephens went the distance, but walked away with a sizable welt under a bloody left eye, and a left leg (his lead leg) that is sure to be plenty sore Wednesday morning following the dozens of Cerrone kicks that assaulted it. At times mocking and toying with Stephens, Cerrone seemed to do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, and he walked away relatively unscathed. He punished Stephens (20-8) with body kicks, knees and combinations to the head. And made somehow made it look easy. “Coming off my last loss, it feels good,” said Cerrone (18-4, 1 NC). “He came and brought it, that’s what I thought he would do.” As for his next move, Cerrone, a native Coloradan, is eyeing UFC 150: Henderson vs. Edgar (scheduled for August in Denver.) Said Cerrone: “I really want to get on that Denver card, man.” JORGE LOPEZ VS. AMIR SADOLLAHAmir Sadollah eked out a split decision win over Jorge Lopez in a slow-moving fight that left fans clamoring for the main event. The 23-year-old Lopez impressed early, clearly controlling the first round with a takedown, superior aggression and scoring with a bevy of punches and kicks. Lopez could have rightfully been awarded the second round as well, notching two more takedowns and controlling on top. Yet Sadollah (7-3) may have swayed judges by landing the better blows standing – particularly kicks to the ribs, stomach and shoulder that certainly didn’t produce devastation, but perhaps persuasion. If you prefer Octagon control, then perhaps a tiring Lopez deserved the third because of a pair of takedowns. There wasn’t much effective striking, but what little there was saw Lopez (11-3) looking reticent and Sadollah looking busier. Two judges deemed it 29-28 for Sadollah; the other gave the nod to Lopez by 29-28. YVES JABOUIN VS. JEFF HOUGLAND Perhaps the best summary of Jeff Hougland’s toughness comes from the mouth of Yves Jabouin. After punishing Hougland over three-rounds of total, one-sided domination, Jabouin expressed admiration for a fighter who never quit despite absorbing furious assaults that had the referee on high alert for intervention on several occasions. “Once that back kick sinks in, not a lot of guys can withstand it,” said Jabouin, who dropped Hougland with a vicious spinning kick in the first round. “He took it like a man. My hat’s off to him.” The Montreal-based bantamweight tormented Hougland early and often with a wide array of potent kicks, and further mashed him with an avalanche of ground and pound. At every turn, Houghland (10-5) fought on, showing no signs of quit despite never getting the desperation takedown he hoped might turn the tide in his favor. Judges awarded Jabouin the win by scores of 30-27 (twice) and 30-26. Jabouin, 18-7, has now prevailed in three straight. FABIO MALDONADO VS. IGOR POKRAJACFabio Maldonado loves nothing more than to bury his head in your chest, and dig away to the body. Nobody’s gonna confuse the Brazilian’s power with say, Joe Frazier, but it’s proved highly effective for the ultra-aggressive 205-pounder. While Maldonado generally relies on volume to wear opponents down, Igor Pokrajac specializes in power and knockouts. The collision of the two styles produced a back-and-forth war of attrition that ended with Pokrajac being awarded a unanimous decision by scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27. The bout was much closer than the scores indicated, as evidenced by a parade of fans who booed the decision. Pokrajac (25-8) scored a bear hug takedown early and controlled the first half of the round with top position and ground and pound. But the second half of the round belonged to Maldonado (18-5), who roared back on the strength of left hooks that stunned the Croatian. Maldonado followed up with nice flurry of punches against a covered up Pokrajac, and then went strong to body as Pokrajac seemed a tad winded. But as in the first, Pokrajac owned the early part of the second round, landing crisp 1-2 combinations to Maldonado’s grill. Down the stretch, however, the Brazilian ferociously attacked the body. Round three saw more toe-to-toe exchanges, with Pokrajac landing some of his best punches of the night, causing bruising and swelling under Maldonado’s right eye. Despite the damage, Maldonado tenaciously stalked and attacked until the final horn. JASON MACDONALD VS. TOM LAWLOR Well, that was quick. A straight jab, a power right hand to the head – and Jason MacDonald was free-falling to the canvas. At 50 seconds, Tom Lawlor was running around the Octagon in celebration of his victory and his 29th birthday. The verbose Rhode Islander dazzled the local crowd with gems such as “Virginia is for lovers” and “(Fairfax) is definitely one of the top 50 best cities to fight in.” Lawlor improved to 8-4 (4-3 UFC). MacDonald (26-16) has now lost three of his past four.

Posted in: round, pokrajac, cerrone, maldonado, lopez

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FAIRFAX, VA, May 15 – If Korea needs an MMA superstar, they have found their man. “The Korean Zombie,” as 25-year-old Chan Sung Jung is affectionately known in the sport, choked out Dustin Poirier in the fourth round Tuesday night to cap a thrilling UFC on FUEL TV main event at the Patriot Center that was certainly Fight of The Night and which stands a strong chance of being one of the most entertaining scraps of 2012. “I want to thank all the Korean fans and the Korean community that came here to support me today,” the exhausted featherweight said after winning his third straight. “He had me in trouble at the beginning of the third round. The thought of giving up was in my head but I just kept going …” While Poirier began to take control in round three, repeatedly cracking a barely-able-to-stand Jung with hard left hands, it was Jung (13-3) who delivered in most other moments of the fight. He jumped on Poirier early, catching a kick for a takedown and immediately cutting Poirier’s forehead with an elbow strike. Typically relentless in his attacks, Jung suffocated Poirier (12-2) with pressure and punches and takedowns in the second, even dropping the highly-regarded Louisianan with a punch. The crowd chanted “Zombie! Zombie!” as he ravaged the “Fightville” documentary star with flying knees and threatened with deep armbars and triangle chokes. After Poirier’s resurgence in the third round, it was proper to wonder if Jung had enough in his tank to survive and keep from squandering his lead. But he put any such thoughts to rest in round four by rocking Poirier with punches and then finishing him on the mat with a D’Arce choke, ending the bout at the 1:07 mark and leaving the wondering to center on what’s next for the charismatic Korean warrior, who fights in the mold of an in-his-prime Wanderlei Silva but also has a fearsome ground game to go with it. Jung’s plans?“I want Jose Aldo.”

Posted in: round, zombie, jung, fuel tv, poirier

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Promoted to the Front Page by Anton Tabuena K-1 returns with its first major event since 2010, as the K-1 World MAX 2012 Final 16 is set to occur on May 27th in Madrid, Spain. The event centers on the first round of action in this year's super welterweight (70 kg. / approximately 154 lbs.) tournament, and also includes a number of non-tournament fights to be contested at the heavyweight limit and in other divisions. The following post focuses solely on the super welterweight tournament, and highlights aspects of the bracket which those interested in the event should be aware of going in. Save the last one, all points highlighted are of direct significance to the fights that will occur and/or to understanding this event's importance despite its watered down field of competitors. The list of bouts for the event (from K-1.tv): K-1 World MAX 2012 Final 16 Mike Zambidis vs. Chahid Oulad el HadjAndy Souwer vs. Abraham RoqueniArtur Kyshenko vs. Su Hwan LeeXu Yan vs. Yasuhiro KidoGago Drago vs. Andy RistieYuji Nashiro vs. Reece McAllisterHarut Grigorian vs. Murthel GroenhartChris Ngimbi vs. Longern Superpro Samui Non-tournament bouts Mosab Amrani vs. Zeben DiazBadr Hari vs. Anderson 'Braddock' SilvaMirko 'CroCop' Filipovic vs. Loren Javier JorgeDaniel Ghita vs. Paul SlowinskiRico Verhoeven vs. Sergei Laschenko With the list of bouts out of the way, let's move on to the (first) five things you should know about the K-1 World MAX 2012 Final 16. 1. Mike Zambidis vs. Chahid Oulad el Hadj II When they first met in the K-1 MAX 2010 tournament's round of sixteen, Zambidis and el Hadj engaged in a high-paced, back and forth affair that many kickboxing observers consider a classic. Their bout went to an extension round (which seemed to be grounded more in an understanding of potential entertainment value than actual merit), and both were put on the canvas in the course of the bout. As these two fighters prepare to meet in the round of sixteen once again, their established identities provide the sense that another memorable battle may be in store. Mike Zambidis has posted a 3-2 record in his last five fights (just as he had prior to the 2010 tournament) and there are questions regarding how long the heavy-handed Greek fighter can remain on the biggest stage in kickboxing. As for Chahid Oulad el Hadj, he is the same banger that Zambidis planted overhand rights on nearly two years ago. The 23-year-old has been outclassed by many top kickboxers in the world today, but remains committed to an all-action style that is fan friendly if not the most likely to help build a sustainable career. What's more, Mike Zambidis always has interesting bouts in the K-1 MAX round of sixteen. In 2005, he obliterated Norifumi 'Kid' Yamamoto with a right hand that is well worth the look. The next year, Zambidis battled with lanky Japanese standout Yoshihiro Sato. 2007 saw him defeat Gago Drago by decision following an extension round. Zambidis was on the wrong side of a knockout in the extension round when he met Andy Souwer in the round of sixteen in 2008. 2. Andy Souwer will appear in his seventh K-1 MAX tournament Veteran kickboxer Andy Souwer has already appeared in a half dozen K-1 MAX tournaments, winning in 2005 and 2007 while finishing second in 2006 and 2009. The sport's embrace of the tournament format has done Souwer no favors in the past couple years, however. The Dutch fighter spent 2010 focusing on a return to form in the Japanese Shootboxing promotion, but was ultimately outdone by Toby Imada in the semifinal round of the promotion's S-Cup tournament. In 2011, Souwer looked to top the It's Showtime Fast and Furious 70 kg. tournament in the absence of Giorgio Petrosyan. Unfortunately for Souwer, Ukraine's Artur Kyshenko bested him in their semifinal bout. Back in the K-1 fold, Souwer has the opportunity to capture his third K-1 MAX title in a somewhat watered down bracket. He has a solid first round opponent in Abraham Roqueni, who defeated Souwer by a controversial decision February 2011. Assuming Souwer advances, he will be likely to have fighters like Mike Zambidis and the aforementioned Artur Kyshenko standing between him and tournament glory. Souwer may not be a lock for the final round in this tournament, but he is an iconic figure in super welterweight kickboxing and fans must watch the beginning of his tournament campaign here. Past Souwer glory here: K-1 MAX 2005 Final vs. Buakaw Por. Pramuk - K-1 MAX 2007 Final vs. Masato - K-1 MAX 2009 Final 8 vs. Artur Kyshenko 3. Artur Kyshenko may well be the favorite Since the end of 2010, Artur Kyshenko has looked unstoppable more often than not in an eight fight streak that has seen him lose only to Giorgio Petrosyan and Robin van Roosmalen. Kyshenko has entered the K-1 MAX tournament on four previous occasions, reaching the final and semifinal round once each. The 25-year-old Ukrainian has puzzled fans with his mixture of incredible skill and deep-seated ability to fall short at the most inopportune times. That said, Kyshenko has shown the best form of anyone in the field as of late. He also has a historical advantage over every other tournament competitor that he has faced: 2-1 against Andy Souwer, 2-0 against Gago Drago, and a win a piece over Mike Zambidis, Yasuhiro Kido, and first round opponent Su Hwan Lee. For good measure, here is Kyshenko's recent battle with Muay Thai standout Yodsanklai Fairtex. 4. Nine competitors are in their first K-1 World MAX tournament Abraham Roqueni, Xu Yan, Andy Ristie, Yuji Nashiro, Reece McAllister, Harut Grigorian, Murthel Groenhart, Longern Superpro Samui, and Chris Ngimbi. None of these fighters have competed in the K-1 World MAX tournament before. Of this grouping, the fighters most likely to find success would seem to be Murthel Groenhart and Chris Ngimbi. Groenhart trains at Mike's Gym in the Netherlands, has competed at higher weight classes, and has established himself as a strong contender under the It's Showtime banner. Ngimbi, despite his inability to win the It's Showtime Fast and Furious tournament last year, remains that promotion's super welterweight champion. Abraham Roqueni and Yuji Nashiro are other interesting first-time competitors. Expectations surrounding Roqueni have been tempered a bit following back-to-back wins over Andy Souwer and Gago Drago, as he has dropped three recent bouts. Nashiro enters the tournament having unexpectedly won last year's K-1 MAX Japan tournament. Japanese competitors may not have much of a shot in this tournament field, but Nashiro may fare better than countryman Yasuhiro Kido. Andy Ristie could well advance past the first round, as he has been matched up with the recently lackluster Gago Drago. Meanwhile, Xu Yan could advance with a first round victory over Yasuhiro Kido. Yan is perhaps not great, but a better fighter than a quick glance as his recent bouts would indicate. Harut Grigorian, Reece McAllister, and Longern Superpro Samui have all been given somewhat unfavorable first round match ups. 5. Gago Drago dance Unless the stars align, Gago Drago will not find much success in this tournament. That said, the Armenian-Dutch fighter has endeared himself to fans and has a bit of a cult following in the kickboxing world. He has fought most everybody there is to fight at super welterweight. He has notched some really awesome wins. He hasn't won a fight since 2010. None of that matters here, though. It's all about his entrance. Just watch this. Or this. Or this. Note the seamless transition from a Rich Boy-styled "dat ass" face to swagged out European trance dance. Are you not entertained?

Posted in: round, vs, tournament, max, souwer

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KSW 19: "Pudzianowski vs. Sapp" went down last night (Sat., May 12, 2012) at the Atlas Arena in Lodz, Poland, and featured the latest in a long series of dives from disgraced mixed martial artist (if you can call him that), Bob Sapp. This time he laid down for Marius Pudzianowski, who willingly unloaded as many punches as his oversized muscles could possibly deliver in the shortest amount of time he could deliver them. He even landed a takedown, though it looked like a grown man simply toying with a child. A very large child. Though this has become the norm when dealing with Sapp, it's beyond embarrassing that he continues to get fight bookings, even when the promoters may have done so simply because this was the result they desired. Pudzianowski also deserves criticism for the manner in which he conducted himself immediately following the referee's orders to stop the bout. In short, he didn't listen and had to be physically pulled off Sapp, who spent almost the entire fight just covering up. All in all, it was sad. But they weren't the only two competing on the card. In fact, middleweight mauler Mamed Khalidov did his thing on the undercard, knocking out Rodney Wallace in the first round. Matt Horwich was also victorious, winning a majority decision over Jay Silva. Complete KSW 19 results after the jump. Mariusz Pudzianowski def. Bob Sapp via TKO (punches) in round oneMamed Khalidov def. Rodney Wallace via knockout in round 1Michal Materla def. Jay Silva via majority decisionMatt Horwich def. Antoni Chmielewski via TKO (punches) in round threeAslambek Saidov def. Grigor Aschugbabjan via submission (kimura) in round 1Marta Chojnoska def. Paulina Suska via submission (armlock) in round 1Borys Mankowski def. Marcin Naruszczka via majority decision

Posted in: round, jay silva, bob sapp, sapp, pudzianowski

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Former World's Strongest Man, Mariusz Pudzianowski won for the first time since defeating Butterbean back in September of 2010. Sadly it was just against Bob Sapp who once again, came in solely to collect a pay check and didn't even pretend to try and show even an ounce of offense this time. Sapp just covered up, and took punches until the ref stopped it in 39 seconds, extending his embarrassing streak of losses. The fight headlined KSW 19, and while I know they desperately want Pudz to get a win, when will promotions ever learn that no one would take it seriously if it's against Bob Sapp? Related: Video: Bob Sapp returns to kickboxing. Try to find the "knock out" punch | Video: Bob Sapp rolls over and taps to strikes in 15 seconds Mamed Khalidov and Matt Horwich also picked up victories on the card, check out full results for KSW 19 after the jump. KSW 19: Pudzianowski vs. Sapp Results: Mariusz Pudzianowski (4-2) def. Bob Sapp (11-12) by TKO (punches) [0:39] - Round 1Mamed Khalidov (25-4) def Rodney Wallace (12-5) by KO (Punch) [1:55] - Round 1Michal Materla (17-3) def. Jay Silva (8-6) by Decision (Majority)Matt Horwich (27-21) def Antoni Chmielewski (22-9) by TKO (Punches) 2:19 Round 3Aslambek Saidov (12-2) def. Grigor Aschugbabjan (8-8) by Submission (Kimura) [4:51] - Round 1Marta Chojnoska (1-0) def. Paulina Suska (1-4)by Submission (Armlock) [0:42] - Round 1Borys Mankowski (12-4) def. Marcin Naruszczka (10-1) by Decision (Majority) [10:00] - 2 Rounds

Posted in: round, punch, bob, bob sapp, sapp

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Bellator featherweight Marlon Sandro did his best to earn a shot at redemption against current champion Pat Curran but came up short in the effort thanks to talented wrestler Daniel Straus. Though a competitive clash, Straus’ constant pressure and takedowns were the difference in the 145-pound tournament final and earned him the decision win. As a result of his success Straus received the final payout on a $100,000 prize as well as a crack at Curran’s title later this year. In other tournament action, BJJer Marcos Galvao again decided to stand and strike instead of rely on his grappling. Though a bit risky the approach paid off and earned him the judges’ nod, as well as a spot in the bantamweight field’s final. Read below for a full list of Bellator 68 results followed by highlights from the event: Fracois Ambang def. Gregory Milliard via Split Decision Anthony Leone def. Claudio Ledesma via Split Decision Aung La Nsang def. Jesus Martinez via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Don Carlo-Clauss def. Jacob Kirwan via Split Decision Marcin Held def. Derrick Kennington via Submission Round 1 (Heel Hook) Marius Zaromskis def. Waachim Spiritwolf via TKO Round 2 (Doctor’s Stoppage) Marcos Galvao def. Travis Marx via Unanimous Decision Daniel Straus def. Marlon Sando via Unanimous Decision PHOTO CREDIT – BELLATOR Tweet

Posted in: bellator, result, round, decision, strau

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Bellator Fighting Championships was at it again last night (May 11, 2012) with Bellator 68 from Caesars Hotel and Casino from Atlantic City, N.J., with the continuation of the Bantamweight tournament and a Featherweight tournament finals bout between Daniel Straus and Brazilian bomber Marlon Sandro. If fans were expecting the typical Marlon Sandro performance, they were left with befuddled looks after a by-and-large perplexing showing by the powerful striker. He was constantly put in rough positions by Straus over the course of three rounds, and was even outstruck at times by the American. Straus' pressure-based attack was on in full force, which never allowed Sandro to get anything going on his feet, always trading just long enough to set up the next clinch or takedown attempt. Straus did a terrific job of keeping Sandro guessing and wary of throwing his heavy strikes for fear of being dumped on his back. Sandro's only major threat was a standing arm triangle choke that he attempted in the third round for nearly two full minutes, but he simply couldn't finish it off as Straus defended it well and then slammed him to the canvas after escaping. The judges awarded the victory and the tournament title to Straus after three hard-fought rounds, earning him the $100,000 check you see above. The rest of the night featured some interesting action, too. Check it out: In bantamweight tournament semifinal action, Marcos Galvao continued his resurgent run with a unanimous decision victory against cagey veteran Travis Marx. Galvao pressed the action for much of the fight, moving forward constantly with heavy punches, but it was his kicks which were the difference. The Brazilian connected time in and time out with his kicks to both the legs and body, staggering Marx by the end of the fight with his nasty inside leg attacks. To his credit, Marx fought back valiantly, never giving up and constantly working for takedowns, although he almost never put the Brazilian on his back other than one or two times for only a few seconds. In the end, it was all about Galvao landing with more power and being more effective as he swept the scorecards with a unanimous decision victory. Lightweights Marcin Held and Derrick Kennington stepped up to the main card when Seth Petruzelli was a late scratch due to illness and they did not disappoint. Kennington nearly finished it early after solidly connecting with a huge uppercut in the opening seconds. Held survived and while his stand-up attack was extremely sloppy, it gave him all the opportunity he needed to close the distance, pull guard and force the bigger, stronger Kennington to tap out in the first round. Lastly, the main card opened with a rematch between welterweights Waachiim Spiritwolf and Marius Zaromskis, which had been 1.5 years in the making after a six second eye poke forced a no contest the first time around. This time, Spiritwolf looked to clinch and wrestle early but Zaromskis was game and fended him off with knees, punches and kicks. In the second round, Zaromskis appeared to be in full control of the tiring Spiritwolf, even opening up a big cut after a series of knees but the Native American bounced back, trapping Zaromskis against the fence and unloading with a huge flurry of punches that hurt the Lithuanian and sent him reeling to the canvas. Spiritwolf lunged into Zaromskis' guard and dropped punches and elbows, riding out the round in top position. The fight looked to be coming down to the deciding third frame, but shockingly, the cageside physician stopped the fight between rounds, awarding Zaromskis a technical knockout victory. The worst part was that the bleeding had been stopped for Spiritwolf and he seemed perfectly fit to continue. That makes it two straight Zaromskis vs. Spiritwolf fights which have ended in controversy. It appears we're destined for a third fight. So what did you think, Maniacs? Were you perplexed by Sandro's ineffectiveness throughout the night, or was that more of a credit to Straus' performance? Do you think Marcos Galvao is the man to beat in this bantamweight tournament? Do you want to see Spiritwolf vs. Zaromskis 3? Sound off! For complete Bellator 68 results and detailed round-by-round commentary of all the televised fights as well as the main event click here.

Posted in: fight, round, zaromski, strau, sandro

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Daniel Straus will get a chance to win Bellator gold. The featherweight captured the season six divisional tournament on Friday but outworking Marlon Sandro en route to a unanimous decision win. The judges scored it 30-27, 30-27, 29-28. Straus controlled most of the fight but had to withstand a third-round submission attempt from Sandro with a standing arm triangle in the final two minutes. He eventually escaped and put an exclamation mark on his win with a powerful late slam takedown and a rear naked choke attempt. By the time it was over, Straus was sure he had won. Sandro seemed to lose energy as the fight wore on. Though he had his moments in the first, it was Straus dictating the action while landing his straight left and initiating the clinch. It was more of the same in the second, and Sandro only put him in a few seconds of danger in the third before Straus again seized the momentum. Straus improved to 20-4 with the win while Sandro fell to 22-4. Straus will have to wait a while for his championship match, however. Current champ Pat Curran is scheduled to fight season four Patricio "Pitbull" Freire before Straus can face the winner. Freire has been sidelined due to a broken hand, delaying his own opportunity. "I'm just excited to watch them go at it," Straus said. "I've fought Pat earlier in my career, and I fought Pitbull last season. But I'm a different fighter from when I fought both of them. I'm going to keep getting better. I'm going to keep improving." Straus lost in the season four featherweight tournament final to Freire. He also previously lost to Curran by knockout back in April 2009. It was also the second straight tournament final loss for Sandro, who also fell in the 2011 featherweight tournament final, that time to Curran. In the first bantamweight tournament semifinal, Marcos Galvao advanced by beating Travis Marx in a unanimous decision. All three judges scored it 29-28 for the Brazilian. Galvao (12-5-1) got off to a good start in the first, scoring with overhand rights while denying Marx the takedown, but Marx rebounded in the second with a mixed attack. Galvao turned up the aggression in the third, walking forward and firing off offense until Marx tried to turn the tide late with a takedown. Galvao was able to get back to his feet quickly though, and that probably kept Marx from stealing the round. He advances to take on the winner of the other semifinal between Hiroshi Nakamura and Luis Nogueira, a fight which has yet to be scheduled. The televised opener saw a bizarre finish to an otherwise entertaining fight. Waachiim Spiritwolf spent most of the second round pounding on Marius Zaromskis, but when the round ended, the cageside physician looked at a cut over Spiritwolf's right eye and declared he couldn't continue, giving Zaromskis a TKO win. Spiritwolf was understandably livid, asking for the fight to continue. In several instances during the round, he looked close to stopping Zaromskis, but the former DREAM lightweight welterweight champ hung on and was soon handed the gift-wrapped win. The fight was actually a rematch of another bout that lacked a truly conclusive ending. In that one at a Strikeforce event in 2010, an accidental eyepoke left Spiritwolf unable to continue after just six seconds of action. "Maybe we meet again," said Zaromskis (17-6-1). In a lightweight fight promoted to the main card on fight day, Marcin Held beat Derek Kennington via submission due to heel hook. Kennington dropped Held early, but he weathered the storm and soon after attacked for the fight-ending sub. The finish came at 2:08 of the first round for the 20-year-old Held, who improved to 13-2. Held-Kennington was moved up after a planned catch weight fight between Seth Petruzelli and Carmelo Marrero was pulled from the card after Petruzelli was not cleared due to a medical issue. Through Twitter, Petruzelli said that doctors would not allow him to fight after hearing wheezing and sensing fluid in his lungs.

Posted in: fight, round, tournament, strau, sandro

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Bellator Fighting Championships returns TONIGHT (May 11, 2012) to Caesars Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, N.J., with the continuation of the Bantamweight tournament and a Featherweight tourney final fight. MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of Bellator 68 below, beginning with the MTV2 telecast at 8 p.m. ET. In addition, we'll deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the undercard action much earlier in the evening (beginning at 7 p.m.). Headlining the main event will be a season six featherweight tournament final bout between season four finalist Daniel Straus and "Summer Series" finalist Marlon Sandro. One will win his first tournament, while the other will come up short in the finals for the second time. Also on the card is a Bellator season six bantamweight tournament semifinal fight between former tournament semifinalist Marcos Galvao and upset-minded veteran Travis Marx. There are also two potential tournament qualifier bouts on the main card as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veterans Carmelo Marrero and Seth Petruzelli will clash at a 230-pound catchweight, while welterweight strikers Marius Zaromskis and Waachiim Spiritwolf try to settle some unfinished business from their six second 2010 no contest in Strikeforce. Check out our complete Bellator 68 results after the jump (beginning at 7 p.m. ET). Main Card 145 lbs.: Marlon Sandro vs. Daniel Straus 135 lbs.: Travis Marx vs. Marcos Galvão 230 lbs.: Carmelo Marrero vs. Seth Petruzelli 170 lbs.: Marius Zaromskis vs. Waachim Spiritwolf Preliminary Card (Spike.com) 175 lbs.: Aung La Nsang vs. Jesus Martinez 185 lbs.: Francois Ambang vs. Gregory Milliard135 lbs.: Claudio Ledesma vs. Anthony Leone 155 lbs.: Marcin Held vs. Derrick Kennington 155 lbs.: Don Carlo-Clauss vs. Jacob Kirwan Hemmi here! 145 lbs.: Marlon Sandro vs. Daniel Straus Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 135 lbs.: Travis Marx vs. Marcos Galvão Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 230 lbs.: Carmelo Marrero vs. Seth Petruzelli Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 170 lbs.: Marius Zaromskis vs. Waachim Spiritwolf Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end-

Posted in: result, round, vs, tournament, lb

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Josh Koscheck not surprisingly came out with some comments regarding his close split decision loss to Johny Hendricks at UFC on Fox 3 last Saturday. He felt that he did enough to win both rounds 1 & 3, rounds that Hendricks thought he won with as well. Either way, the bout was slightly controversial and Koscheck wants a rematch, saying the following via Twitter.com: Just watched the fight again.1&3rd; round where mine. Maybe a rematch 5 round fight this time? What U say Hindricks? — Josh

Posted in: round, josh koscheck, josh, johny hendricks, hendrick

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With UFC's newly minted 125 pound division in his cross-hairs prospect Sergio Pettis (4-0) did not flinch when he was booked versus the unknown Chris Haney (3-4). The 18 year old younger brother of UFC star Anthony Pettis, Sergio's flyweight bout with Haney was the top undercard draw for North American Fighting Championship's Colosseum event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After moonlighting as a bantamweight the fight versus Haney was Pettis' first at 125 pounds as a pro. Pettis surprised in round one by taking down Haney and beating up with elbows on the ground. In round two Pettis nailed Haney with a head kick that dazed the Illinois fighter against the cage. Pettis would spend the remainder of the round clipping Haney with strikes on the feet. Pettis saved his best round for the final frame when he mixed his precision striking with takedowns. Trained in Wisconsin, Pettis lit Haney up with elbows on the feet before he closed the round with an emphatic takedown. After 15 minutes all three judges scored the fight in favor of Pettis. Pettis went 3-0 as amateur and with the decision over Haney moves to 4-0 since turning pro in September 2011. Out of the famed Roufus Sport camp in Wisconsin, Pettis began to earn buzz as a prospect during his amateur MMA and kickboxing days in 2009. Now only eight months into his pro career Pettis continues to validate his label as a four star prospect with each passing bout. The 5'6 Pettis has the ability to compete at 135 or 125 pounds in the UFC. In the latest ULTMMA.com prospect rankings Pettis checks in as the number 14th rated bantamweight. If, Pettis keeps his MMA record on the plus side he should be signed up by the UFC in 2013 or sooner him he chooses to. NAFC Colosseum results Milwaukee, WI *Rick Glenn def. Charon Span by TKO (Punches) 0:29 R2Josh Robinson def. *Dustin Ortiz by Split Decision *Sergio Pettis def. Chris Haney by Unanimous Decision Matt Gauthier def. Israel Lozano by Split DecisionRobert Coulliard def. Aaron Carter by Submission Triangle Choke 4:33 R2Agostino Denatale def. Cody Osborne by TKO (Retirement) 0:25 R2Mike Rhodes def. Zak Ottow by Unanimous DecisionJames Barber def. Jamie Bowar by Submission Arm Triangle Choke 1:12 R1Elias Garcia def. Dillon Woods by TKO (Punches) 1:57 R3Nate Jennerman def. Doug Deback by Submission Rear Naked Choke 1:20 R2*Prospect to watch

Posted in: round, petti, prospect, haney, wisconsin pettis

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UFC on Fox 3 was about the best show that Zuffa could've hoped for. The four fights that made up the FOX broadcast were: first round KO, first round KO, close decision, 2nd round submission. From a personal standpoint, the fighters I was leaning towards didn't do too well, so I'm a bit disappointed there, but from a cold, scrupulous eye of an overall MMA fan, this was a pretty damn good night. The ratings are poor, but quite honestly this was about a perfect storm of bad that you could come up with. This card had the following poor factors going for it: No "stars". Josh Koscheck, Johny Hendricks and Nate Diaz are not on the radars of the casual fan. Cinco de Mayo. It's a big party weekend, and like it or not, a lot of people aren't MMA fans. I went to a party instead of watching the fights live, and I could count on one fist, the number of MMA fans of the ~30 people there. NBA and NHL playoffs, Mayweather card. Quite frankly, there were quite a few other sports happening that day, and while there are a few people who probably watched two or more of them, there are probably just as many who had to make the choice of which one to watch because of other commitments. Speaking of other commitments, it was opening weekend for the Avengers, and it just pulled down over 200 freaking million bucks. This SMASHED the previous record (the last Harry Potter movie) by 30+ million. All in all, I'm completely unsurprised by the bad ratings, and quite honestly felt this would be about right. The bad news out of the way, the people that did tune in who aren't already part of the die-hard crowd (and if you're reading this, you're probably in it) got a really good show. People may bag on the Fox Sports theme music, but as someone who likes traditional sports, I'm pretty OK with it. It's a brand and I identify it with Fox. Curt Menefee and the other folks in the top part of the broadcast did a solid job in their analyst roles, while Rogan and Goldie did pretty decent work covering it live. This isn't to say it was without rough patches - Rogan freaking out over Jim Miller getting caught with his tongue out in the guillotine was kind of uncalled for, but he also did a good job explaining basics and terminology for the neophytes watching. Lavar Johnson has passed the first real gate in his career, as he blasted out Pat Barry after a couple of rough moments early in the fight. Pat continued to show K1-level grappling skills and fight-IQ as he abandoned mount and proceeded to accomplish nothing with side control. Alan Belcher wins the balls of steel award for not being afraid of major knee surgery and dealing with Rousimar Palhares' incredible leglock game. Alan stifled Paul Harris for a solid minute and a half on the ground and ended up blasting him with punishing ground and pound to put a huge feather in his cap. Give him the winner of Boetsch/Bisping. I thought Josh Koscheck did enough to win the fight. He started off strong following the eyepoke that went unnoticed by ref Kevin Mulhall, and while Johny Hendricks did decent the rest of the round, I didn't think it was enough to overcome the strength of what Kos did for the first 2 minutes or so. The second was a Hendricks round, albeit a close one, but I feel pretty safe in guessing that all three judges scored it for Big Rig. The third started out leaning towards Johny - I thought he was getting the edge in the standup, but not in an overwhelming manner. Kos got the takedown and spent the last 90 seconds or so in dominant position landing damaging shots. I thought that should go to him. For the record, I'm not a big fan of Koscheck and I rather like Hendricks for what he did to Fitch, so I'm seeing this as being partially biased the OTHER way. Nate Diaz is for real. There's not much one can say otherwise at this point. He damaged Jim Miller on the feet both at range and in the clinch with knees, he stuffed takedowns from a fairly solid wrestler (given, not a hugely powerful one, such as Maynard) and finished a guy who'd never been finished in 24 previous contests. Nate is on a three-fight win streak that includes two top-10 opponents, all of which got him fight or submission of the night. This now puts him one win bonus away from notorious bounty-hunter Chris Lytle, and he's only 27. I'll assume he gets the title shot from the brass, but him against Pettis would be great, too. Floyd Mayweather is clearly one of the best boxers in the world, but he got pushed and pushed fairly hard by a very game Miguel Cotto. This might have been the best fight Cotto's ever fought, or perhaps it's Floyd showing a bit of aging and ring rust, but that was much more competitive than a lot of people were expecting. This was about the best outcome that the sport could have hoped for, because after Manny Pacquiao's lackluster win over Juan Manuel Marquez, it's made both of the top two fighters in the sport look human and vulnerable to each other. If the damn fight ever happens, these last two matches will serve as good fodder for each camp to talk about with the other side. SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3

Posted in: fight, round, fox, fan, people

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There's something about Jeremy Stephens. Put him inside the Octagon with just about anyone and if his opponent is willing to stand and trade with the knockout artist, fans will have themselves one hell of a scrap. There are, of course, instances where "Lil' Heathen's" opponent would rather fight to win as in the case when Stephens took on Melvin Guillard and Anthony Pettis. Each lightweight came away with a victory over the Iowa native and more power to them. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is a cut-throat business and only a couple of consecutive losses can find a fighter unemployed. Fortunately for fans at UFC 125, Marcus Davis isn't that kind of fighter. He's the go out on your shield kind of guy and when he and Stephens collided on the first night of 2011, they provided more than enough fireworks to ring in the new year. Stephens has a fight coming up which promises to be just as exciting. On May 15, he's set to take on World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) veteran Donald Cerrone at UFC on FUEL TV 3: "Korean Zombie vs. Poirier." He stepped in for an injured Yves Edwards and immediately fans began wringing their hands in anticipation of what is sure to be an all-out war. Before "Lil' Heathen" steps inside the Octagon in Fairfax, VA, let's take a look at his performance against Davis, one which earned him his third Knockout of the Night bonus. Let's go! Both lightweights nearly sprint to the center of the Octagon but Stephens soon forces Davis to back up against the cage. Unable to find an opening, however, Stephens allows his opponent to regain some ground. "The Irish Hand Grenade" uses his tried and true boxing skills to keep "Lil' Heathen" at bay, utilizing a snapping jab and constant footwork to frustate Stephens. The Iowa native finally has had enough and clinches up with his opponent, looking for a takedown. In a reversal of fortune, the former welterweight shifts positions on his opponent and Stephens ends up up on his back. Davis holds him down for a minute until Stephens is able to get back up. His luck on his feet isn't any better as a perfectly placed overhand left from The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 2 veteran wobbles him something fierce. Taking the bomb right on the temple and on rubber legs, Stephens staggers back against the cage. "The Irish Hand Grenade" pounces but instead of attempting to finish the job he started with his fists, he opts to clinch his opponent which actually allows Stephens to recover from the huge punch. It would end up being a lapse in strategy for Davis which would come back to haunt him. In the second round, Davis continues to use his boxing to outwork and outstrike his opponent. For his part, Stephens turns into a bit of a kickboxer as he attacks Davis' legs to take a little bounce out of his step. Unfortunately for "Lil' Heathen," it's just about all the offense he has accumulated midway through the round. Stephens once again clinches Davis against the cage in an effort to get the fight to the canvas but for the second time in as many attempts, Davis reverses his opponent and winds up on top. Perhaps it's what the Iowa native wanted as he immediately begins threatening with a kimura. "The Irish Hand Grenade" defends perfectly by transitioning into sidemount and despite getting pushed back to half-guard by Stephens, is able to escape the submission to end round two on top, landing ground and pound. Going into the last five minutes of the fight, Stephens knows only a stoppage will win him the fight as he's lost the previous two rounds on the scorecards. Being the heavy handed brawler he is, though, all it could take is one punch. He immediately springs into action, eating a jab from Davis but answering back with a hook. "Lil' Heathen" continues to push the pace, creating a sense of urgency which is often lacking from fighters who are down two rounds to none. Despite the pressure from Stephens, Davis is more than holding his own. In fact, he's using it against his opponent, countering extremely well off the Iowa native's huge, headhunting punches. It's enough for Stephens to shoot in with a half-hearted takedown attempt which "The Irish Hand Grenade" stuffs easily. As the seconds tick away, Davis continues to bounce around the Octagon, using constant movement to prevent Stephens are firing away at will. Another counter off a haymaker from "Lil' Heathen" draws a reaction from the crowd and Davis follows it up with a snapping straight left. As the third round reaches the midway point, Davis throws a right and ducks down into a monster of an uppercut from Stephens. "The Irish Hand Grenade" collapses back in a heap and takes a huge flying punch as he raises his head off the canvas. The one punch he needed, he found. Will he find it again against Cerrone?

Posted in: round, opponent, davi, stephen, lil

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Generally we break these things down fight-by-fight, but for this event we're going to do one recap for the whole undercard. This will give a brief description of each fight, what might be next for each fighter, and whether the fight is worthy of a watch or not. There will also be recaps covering the four main card UFC on Fox 3 fights. Tony Ferguson (13-3, 3-1 UFC) vs. Michael Johnson (11-6, 3-2 UFC) Johnson picked up a unanimous decision victory over El Cucuy to hand Ferguson his first loss in the UFC. Johnson's striking looked much improved, and he was able to control the pace and land a bunch of shots on the former Ultimate Fighter winner. It turns out that Ferguson broke his forearm in the first round, which certainly didn't help. If Johnson can keep improving (particularly his ground game), he might still have some potential in the division. Ferguson took a big step backwards with the loss though. You certainly don't need to go out of your way to watch this right now, so I'd save it for later. John Dodson (13-5, 2-0 UFC) vs. Tim Elliott (8-3, 0-1 UFC) Dodson won a unanimous decision over the late replacement Elliott with three 29-28 scores. Both fighters used some crazy offense in the entertaining flyweight bout, but Dodson's accuracy earned him two of the three rounds. The TUF 14 bantamweight winner now has his first win in the new division, and with one or two more he might be in like for a title shot. Elliott will undoubtedly be sticking around as well. I'd recommend watching this fight now. John Hathaway (16-1, 6-1 UFC) vs. Pascal Krauss (10-1, 1-1 UFC) Hathaway scored a unanimous decision victory with scores of 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27. The British fighter floored the German with a big knee in the first round but was unable to get the finish. He was on cruise control the rest of the way, working either from top position or using his length to stay on the outside standing. Hathaway now has six UFC wins, and he will probably get a top 15-20 guy in his next bout. You can leave this one until later. More prelim fights after the jump.SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3 Louis Gaudinot (6-2, 1-1 UFC) vs. John Lineker (19-6, 0-1 UFC) Gaudinot won his second UFC fight in a row by finishing Lineker with a guillotine at 4:54 of the second round. The bout was non-stop action, with the fighters racking up over 400 strikes in under two rounds. Gaudinot decided to take the fight to the ground in the second round, and caught Lineker in a guillotine as he tried to get up. Lineker went out without tapping. Gaudinot's first win in the new division was huge, and a matchup with Dodson looks logical right now. The bout won fight of the night and definitely is worth watching right now. Danny Castillo (14-4, 4-1 UFC) vs. John Cholish (8-2, 1-1 UFC) Castillo picked up a lackluster unanimous decision over Cholish, with all three judges having identical 30-27 scorecards. Castillo used timely takedowns and a little more accuracy on the feet to take the W over the highly-touted Renzo Gracie fighter. Castillo now has four wins in the UFC and a bout with Michael Johnson might make some sense. You can give this bout a pass for sure. Dennis Bermudez (8-3, 1-1 UFC) vs. Pablo Garza (11-3, 2-2 UFC) Bermudez won a dominating unanimous decision over Garza with three 30-27 scorecards. The TUF 14 runner-up used his strong wrestling and some big slams to throw Garza all over the cage. Other than a series of upkicks in the first round, Garza was stuck on the bottom for almost the whole fight and unable to generate any offense. A next fight with Marcus Brimage would probably make sense for Bermudez. I'd say you can wait until later to watch this. Roland Delorme (9-1, 2-0 UFC) vs. Nick Denis (11-3, 1-1 UFC) Delorme showed off an iron chin and tons of heart to pick up a come-from-behind submission victory over Denis with just one second left in the first round. Denis blasted him with two huge knees that would have turned the lights off for most fighters, but Delorme persevered and managed to hurt Denis with his own punches. He finally got the takedown he had been looking for for the whole round, and quickly slapped on a rear naked choke to get the tap. It might be a little early for this, but a bout between Delorme and Chris Cariaso would be excellent. You should watch this right now. Mike Massenzio (13-7, 2-5 UFC) vs. Karlos Vemola (11-2, 2-2 UFC) Massenzio was in control for a while, but Vemola turned it around and won via submission at 1:07 of the second round. Massenzio dropped for an attempted guillotine, but Vemola quickly slipped out and took Massenzio's back. He unloaded with some big punches, then latched on a rear naked choke to elicit the tap. The bout was Vemola's first at middleweight. You can probably save this bout for later. More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC on Fox 3: Mayweather Vs. Cotto And UFC On Fox Results: 10 Brightest Stars From Weekend's Combat Action - Brent Brookhouse UFC On Fox 3 Overnight Ratings Down Significantly - Brent Brookhouse UFC On Fox 3: Hendricks, Koscheck Both Injured, Complete Medical Suspensions - Kid Nate UFC On Fox 3 Video: Nate Diaz, Johny Hendricks Post Fight Interviews - Kid Nate UFC On Fox 3 Results: Winners And Losers - Tim Burke Video Highlights UFC On Fox 3 Diaz Vs. Miller - Kid Nate UFC On Fox 3 Post-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 162: UFC On FOX Results Review - Matt Bishop UFC On Fox 3 Diaz Vs. Miller Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Kid Nate UFC On Fox 3: Diaz Vs. Miller Live Results And Play by Play - Dallas Winston

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, fox, vs

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Earlier this morning, while most MMA fans were nestled snug in their beds with dreams of Nate Diaz’s dominance at UFC on FOX 3 filling their heads, Indian promotion Super Fight League put on their third show. The card was headlined by a bout between heavyweights James Thompson and Bobby Lashley with other notable fighters such as Zelg Galesic and Trevor Prangley also scheduled for action. In the main event it was Thompson who came out victorious though in a somewhat surprising fashion. Thompson, known primarily for his power punches, earned only the second decision win of his 32-fight career with an effective effort against Lashley albeit not necessarily a technical or aesthetically pleasing performance. The successful showing was his third straight, while Lashley’s stumble dropped his overall record to 7-2. Prangley and Galesic both emerged triumphant with the former notching a third-round TKO over Baga Agaev and the latter drilling ex-WEC champion Doug Marshall with a flying knee to pick up the knockout a little more than 30 seconds into their bout. Here is a complete list of SFL 3 results: Zelg Galesic def. Doug Marshall via Knockout Round 1 (Flying Knee) Gurdarshan Mangat def. Si Cong Liu via Submission Round 2 (Rear-Naked Choke) Lakwinder Sekhon def. Vladimir Biandov via TKO Round 2 (Retirement) Trevor Prangley def. Baga Agaev via Knockout Round 3 (Strikes) Kultar Gill def. Quinton Arendse via Knockout Round 1 (Strikes) Anup Kumar def. Chatmongkhon Simma via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Joanne Calderwood def. Lena Ovchynnikova via Unanimous Decision James Thompson def. Bobby Lashley via Unanimous Decision PHOTO CREDIT – FEG/STRIKEFORCE

Posted in: round, lashley, bobby lashley, thompson, baga agaev

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Arguably the pound-for-pound greatest boxer in the world, Floyd Mayweather, returned to the ring last night (Sat., May 5, 2012) to do battle against Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the super welterweight championship on the line. Mayweather came in with a jail sentence hanging over his head and a 42-0 career record to protect against a younger, stronger and hugely dangerous fighter in Cotto. He would need to dig deep into his bag of tricks to pull out victory number 43 but ultimately, that's exactly what he did. The two pugilists engaged in a classic war that needed all 12 rounds and 36 minutes to be decided. "Money" shot out of the gate early with his usual stick and move style that gave Cotto trouble, enough to put him down on the scorecards in the first few rounds. But as the bout wore on, the Puerto Rican started taking pages out of his opponents book, playing defense and staying loose on the outside. It worked, too, flustering Mayweather and leading to a few lost rounds in the middle of the contest. The seemingly inevitable happened, though, as "Money May" stepped on the gas pedal and got to counter punching, dipping his head behind his shoulder and avoiding the majority of Cotto's big punches. Ultimately, the outcome was never in doubt ... not really. Cotto had come to fight and put his best foot forward, providing perhaps the toughest test of Mayweather's career. Ultimately, though, the best boxer in the world maintained his spot as the king of the sport with a unanimous decision victory by scores of 117-111, 117-111, 118-110. Cotto was good. Mayweather was just better. He always seems to be, right? Now it's off to the slammer while fans of the sweet science continue to salivate at the thought of Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao before someone comes along who is just a bit better than Cotto and cuts the legs out from under what would be one of the biggest boxing bouts of all time. For complete Mayweather vs. Cotto results and blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of all the night's action click here.

Posted in: mayweather, round, vs, miguel cotto, cotto

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UFC on Fox 3 took place tonight live from East Rutherford, New Jersey. The action-packed card culminated in an impressive performance by Nate Diaz as he became the first person to ever finish Jim Miller. In other action, Johny Hendricks edged Josh Koscheck in a hard-fought affair, while Lavar Johnson and Alan Belcher both picked up impressive finishes as well. Diaz Submits Miller Nate Diaz made Jim Miller look like a newcomer in their fight tonight. Miller tried his best to control range and use his legkicks but Diaz proved too much for the New Jersey fighter. In the second, Diaz rocked Miller with a stiff punch that sent Miller into a desperation shot that Diaz quickly took advantage of. Diaz initially landed an ugly guillotine choke but was able to readjust his hands and transitioned into a powerful arm-in guillotine that forced Miller to tap for the first time in his career. Hendricks Edges Koschek Johny Hendricks advanced early and often in his fight with Josh Koschek as he threw power lefts that were effective through out the fight. Koschek more than kept it close however by landing power shots when Hendricks advanced that wobbled the former Oklahoma State wrestler in the first round after an accidental eye-poke. Hendricks also used takedowns to cause trouble for Koschek. While Hendricks was unable to keep Koschek down long either time, he used the opportunity to throw heavy knees into Koschek’s thighs. The third round ended as the most definitive round of the fight, as Josh Koschek was finally able to score a takedown. While Kos was constantly looking to advance and do damage, Hendricks effectively used the lockdown position that kept the Edinboro product from doing too much damage before the round ended. Belcher Impresses Against Palhares While many fighters brag about being fearless, Alan Belcher personified it tonight as he willingly went to the ground against the dangerous Rousimar Palhares and came away with the win. Belcher expertly countered a powerful single leg takedown by throwing in a leg and using a calf slicer to secure twister back control. Belcher looked for a twister and banana split but Palhares defended well and transitioned to kneebar/heel hook position. Belcher did an amazing job of defending against the leglock wizard, and was able to scramble into Palhares’s guard. From there, the fight was basically over once Palhares lost wrist control and Belcher put him away with devastating ground and pound. Johnson Blasts Barry Lavar Johnson appeared to be in trouble early when Pat Barry secured a reversal and had a strong americana wrist lock on Johnson. Barry was unable to finish the armlock and that proved fatal for Barry. The much larger Lavar Johnson powered up to his feet and hammered Barry against the fence. Barry tried his best to cover up and survive but a nasty knee followed by a powerful uppercut to hook combination sent Barry to the floor in an awkward position. Full Results: Main Card Nate Diaz def. Jim Miller via submission (guillotine choke) at 4:09 of Round 2 Johny Hendricks def. Josh Koschek via split decision (29-28,28-29,29-28) Alan Belcher def. Rousimar Palhares via TKO (strikes) at 4:18 of Round 1 Lavar Johnson def. Pat Barry via TKO (strikes) at 4:38 of round 1 Preliminary Card Michael Johnson def. Tony Ferguson via unanimous decision (30-27,30-27,30-27) John Dodson def. Tim Elliott via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) John Hathaway def. Pascal Krauss via unanimous decision (30-27,30-27,29-28) Louis Gaudinot def. John Lineker via technical submission (guillotine choke) at 4:54 of round 2 Danny Castillo def. John Cholish via unanimous decision (30-37,30-27,30-27) Dennis Bermudez def. Pablo Garza via unanimous decision (30-27,30-27,30-27) Roland Delorme def. Nick Denis via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:59 of round 1 Karlos Vemola def. Mike Massenzio via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:07 of round 2 MMAFrenzy.com

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The main event of the UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" event that took place tonight (Sat., May 5, 2012) at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, featured a lightweight title eliminator bout pitting Nate Diaz against Jersey native Jim Miller. Diaz, who has won both of his fights impressively since returning to the 155-pound division, is on the cusp of fighting for the division title if he can defeat Miller, a wrecking ball who had only ever lost to division champions and perennial contender Gray Maynard. Maybe Diaz didn't earn a title shot thanks to the logjam at the top of the division but perhaps Anthony Pettis will have a hell of a fight awaiting him when he returns from surgery. That's because the Stockton slugger used the Brazilian jiu-jitsu game he's been known to flash every now and again to submit Miller in the second round with a super slick guillotine. Overall, this was one hell of an evening for the UFC on FOX and the main event delivered. Right away, Miller started working leg kicks. Diaz, a strong boxer, didn't like this and clinched up fairly quick. They killed close to two minutes hanging out on the fence with neither fighter getting the better of the other. Once they reset, Miller went back to the kicks. And they were working well. Diaz's long arms started coming into play, however, as the Stockton slugger settled into a rhythm and landed a few solid shots. Unfortunately, the clinch game dominated the opening frame, and Diaz was dominant there. He was outlanding Miller 33-13 in the clinch at one point. Finally, Diaz landed a nice straight left that dropped Miller. He attempted a submission but Miller turned it over and took Diaz's back before he swept Miller and ended the round landing a knee on the way back up to their feet. Whew. Hell of a flurry to close out the opening round. The second stanza played out much like the first. Miller had to negate the reach advantage of his opponent, so he was forced to get inside, which would lead to tie ups and stalemates against the fence. It didn't make for the most exciting action but you can't blame these guys for doing the right thing at the right time. Miller finally started to loosen up and went for a flying knee. He missed -- and ate a few shots for his effort -- but his hometown crowd showered him with cheers for his reckless abandon. After another clinch, Diaz got confident and started taunting Miller by throwing lazy front kicks. Miller looked terribly tired and and shot forward with a lazy shot. The result was Diaz locking in a guillotine that was tight enough to get the tap. 209, represent. Remember, too, to check out all of MMAmania.com's blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the UFC on FOX 3 fight card by clicking here.

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The UFC on Fox 3 preliminaries took place earlier tonight on Fuel TV and Facebook and it was the little guys and TUF veterans that stole the show. In what will be a definite “fight of the night” contender TUF 14 veteran Louis Gaudinot, making his UFC flyweight debut, made an incredible comeback against young Brazilian prospect John Lineker. Gaudinot took some serious damage Lineker as bombarded Gaudinot by throwing over 200 strikes in less than two rounds. Gaudinot kept his wits about him though, and locked in a nasty arm-in guillotine choke that Lineker desperately tried to slam out of before being separated from consciousness. In other action, TUF 14 veteran John Dodson won a hard fought victory over a very game, not to mention unorthodox, Tim Elliot. The first two rounds were very close, as Dodson seemed to narrowly edge Elliot with crisp counters. The third round was a very strong round for Elliot as he twice caught Dodson’s kicks and made him pay with powerful strikes. This proved too little to late however, as Dodson got the nod on the scorecard. Elsewhere on the card, Karlos Vemola had an impressive comeback win against Mike Massenzio. While Michael Johnson, John Hathaway, Danny Castillio, Dennis Bermudez, and Roland Delorme all notched wins. Preliminary Card (Fuel TV) Michael Johnson def. Tony Ferguson via unanimous decision (30-27,30-27,30-27) John Dodson def. Tim Elliott via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) John Hathaway def. Pascal Krauss via unanimous decision (30-27,30-27,29-28) Louis Gaudinot def. John Lineker via technical submission (guillotine choke) at 4:54 of round 2 Danny Castillo def. John Cholish via unanimous decision (30-37,30-27,30-27) Dennis Bermudez def. Pablo Garza via unanimous decision (30-27,30-27,30-27) Preliminary Card (Facebook) Roland Delorme def. Nick Denis via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:59 of round 1 Karlos Vemola def. Mike Massenzio via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:07 of round 2 MMAFrenzy.com

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- This is the UFC on FOX 3 live blog for Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller, a lightweight bout on Saturday night's UFC event from the IZOD Center.Diaz, who has won two of his past four fights, will fight Miller, who has won seven of his past eight fights, on the main card.Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC on FOX 3 Results | UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Round 4: Round 5:

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EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey -- The UFC welterweight division has a new contender. In a close fight, Johny Hendricks outlasted Josh Koscheck to take a split decision win at UFC on FOX 3. The judges scored the bout 29-28, 29-28, 28-29. "That's one tough dude, man," Hendricks said. "I hit him with everything I got. Everything I could. Hat's off to that dude. He's a real fighter." Hendricks best moment came in the third when he clearly wobbled Koscheck with a series of left hands. But his worst moment came in the same round, when Koscheck took him down and worked from the top for the final two minutes. It was that kind of fight, with many momentum turns throughout. The first round was close, featuring Koscheck walking down Hendricks for long stretches. Hendricks seemed comfortable fighting with his back against the fence, but it opened up some holes for Koscheck to fire off and land. Hendricks did land the round's only takedown two minutes in, but he couldn't hold him there as Koscheck popped up quickly. The second was quite similar, with both men looking to land their big punch -- for Koscheck and overhand left, for Hendricks a left hook -- with little success. That left lots of jockeying for position against the fence, with both men trying to show off their wrestling pedigrees. Hendricks scored two in the round but again was able to do little with them. Hendricks had his best striking success in the third, rocking Koscheck with a looping left. A series of follow-up strikes had Koscheck moving backwards until he could initiate a clinch for recovery. That ended up being a wise decision, because moments later, Koscheck took him down and held him to the mat for the final two minutes. Though his strikes from the top weren't overwhelming, it seemed like it could be enough to let Koscheck steal the fight. But it was not to be. Instead, the welterweight division has a new contender. "Give me that title," Hendricks said. "Give me it. I want to bring it home to Texas." Hendricks' fourth straight win made him 13-1 overall. Koscheck fell to 17-6.

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MMA Fighting brings you UFC on FOX 3 play-by-play and more for the Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller fight card. Tonight's event is headlined by a lightweight fight between Nate Diaz and Jim Miller. This bout is scheduled for five, five minute rounds. Also appearing on the main card is Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks, Rousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher and Pat Barry vs Lavar Johnson. Tonight's fights take place at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J. This is the UFC on FOX 3 undercard live blog for the UFC on FOX 3 prelims from IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.There will be six fights on the undercard. Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson, John Dodson vs. Tim Elliott, John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss, Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker, Danny Castillo vs. John Cholish, and Dennis Bermudez vs. Pablo Garza will be featured on FUEL. Roland Delorme vs. Nick Denis and Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola won't be featured live.Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC on FOX 3 Results | UFC News Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola Round 1: Dan Miragliotta is your referee. Massenzio goes for a single-leg, but Vemola defends. They clinch along the cage, Massenzio throws an below and scampers to saety. Greco clinch in center Octagon, Massenzio hits a knee and unloads a couple shots. They wind up standing along the fence, Vemola goes for a choke as they hit the ground, but Massenzio escapes and he ends up in top position. They're up with about two minutes left and clinching along the fence. Vemola goes for a takedown, doesn't get it, and the end up on the ground with Massenzio holding a front face lock on Vemola. Massenzio gets side control and tries to work a North-South choke, but Vemola spins out of it and back to his feet. Veloma scores a slam as the horn sounds. MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Massenzio.Round 2: Massenzio gets Vemola in a guillotine on the ground early, but Vemola escapes, lands seven left hands to the side of Massenzio's head, gets his back and sinks in a rear-naked choke. Massenzio taps. Karlos Vemola wins by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:07 of round two. Roland Delorme vs. Nick Denis Round 1: Keith Peterson is your referee for this bout between two Canadian fighters. A burst of early action sees both guys attempt takedowns, and they end up in a Greco clinch. Delorme attempts a trip, but Denis resists and turns it into a judo throw. Denis follows him to the ground and nearly walks into an arm triangle for his troubles. The two work their way back to their feet two minutes into the round, and after some work in close along the fence they re-set in the middle of the cage. Denis gets the best of the standup, connecting with a big left, a big uppercut and a knee. They go to the ground and Denis ends up in Delorme's guard. Delorme works for a sub, but Denis slithers out and wants to bring it standing again. They're up, Delorme opens up with a flurry of punches and sinks in a rear-naked choke. Denis taps just before the horn sounds. Solid comeback win for Delorme. Denis was winning the round when he brought it back standing and paid the price. Roland Delorme wins by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:59 of round one. Dennis Bermudez vs. Pablo Garza Round 1: Kevin Muhall is the third man in the Octagon for this fight between TUF 14 finalist Bermudez and Garza, who is looking to rebound from a loss to Dustin Poirier. Crowd is strongly behind Bermudez, a Long Island native. Bermudez misses with a left, grabs a leg, and scores a slam. Garza up, Bermudez hangs on to a standing guillotine along the fence. Garza breaks it and hits a knee. Mulhall warns them to get busy and Bermudez responds with another slam. Both guys active on the ground as Bermudez ends up in Garza's guard. Bermudez creates some space, gets up, and basically walks into several upkicks. Garza winds up on his back again and is working for subs from the bottom, but Bermudez stays busy in the top position. Both fighters back to their feet with about a minute left. Bermudez, who appears to be bleeding from the nose, takes a front kick to the face. Bermudez scores a late takedown as the round ends. MMA Fighting scores round one for Bermudez, 10-9. Round 2: Early action finds the two clinched and working for position along the fence. That lasts until Bermudez scores another seemingly effortless slam. Bermudez connects with several looping lefts and Garza lands several elbows from the bottom. Still on the ground with about two minutes left, Bermudez the busier of the two but neither fighter doing much damage. Both fighters back up with a minute and a half left, but that doesn't last long, as Bermudez scores a pro-wrestling-esque slam. Garza trying to find an opening for a sub but there's nothing. They're up late and Bermudez scores a last-second trip. MMA Fighting scores round two for Bermudez, 10-9 (20-18 overall). Round 3: Twice Bermudez appeared to be going for a Superman punch and twice Garza stopped him. Garza looked to be going for either a flying triangle or arm bar, but Bermudez caught him and slammed him to the mat. Ground work is a repeat of the first two rounds, Bermudez more active but not doing a ton of damage. Mulhall stands them up midway through the round. Bermudez gets him to the mat and tries to take Garza's back, but can't. Bermudez stands, Garza threatens upkicks. Bermudez positions himself back on top of Garza and starts to open up with punches as Garza covers up. Bermudez gets his back and gets a rear-naked choke with 30 seconds left. Garza holds on for dear life and makes it to the final horn. Should be a clear-cut victory for the local favorite. MMA Fighting scores round three for Bermudez, 10-9 (30-27 overall). The judges score the bout 30-27 across the board for the winner, Dennis Bermudez. Danny Castillo vs. John Cholish Round 1: Kevin Mulhall is your referee for this lightweight bout. Cholish has won eight in a row and Castillo five out of six. Not much action in the first minute. They clinch and Castillo backs Cholish into the fence. Cholish breaks free, heads to center Octagon. Goes for a big head kick and just misses. Cholish catches Castillo with a single leg, gets a takedown, but Castillo gets right back up. Halfway through and they're back standing in the middle of the cage. Not much action, a few in the crowd boo. Round's still open for either to win with a minute left. A standing grappling match more or less ends in a stalemate. Kind of a pick 'em round, Cholish was a bit more active. MMA Fighting scores round one for Cholish, 10-9. Round 2: Cholish scores a takedown 25 seconds in. They're back on their feet, Castillo connects with an overhand but still not much action. Crowd booing. Still circling midway through the round. Cholish lands a jab. Cholish shoots for a takedown and doesn't quite land it. Back to their feet. Still circling and sizing each other up. Castillo lands a left. Castillo has Cholish backpedaling. This will not go down as one of the greatest rounds in MMA history. Castillo with a big slam at the horn. MMA Fighting scores round two for Castillo, 10-9 (19-19 overall). Round 3: Some of the crowd boos before the round even starts. Castillo with a slam 45 seconds in, but Cholish pops back up. Castillo has him pinned against the fence. Cholish hits the mat and tries to work a leg lock, but there's no opening. Two minutes in. Cholish back to his feet, and we're back standing in the middle of the cage. Neither guy engaging much, Cholish with an occasional jab. One minute left. Crowd jeers. Still a general lack of action. Cholish needs to do something to take the round, and he dives at Castillo and tries to wrap up a leg but can't. Round ends to the jeers of the crowd. Probably fair to say this won't end up being shown during the FOX broadcast. MMA Fighting scores round three 10-9, Castillo (29-28 for Castillo overall). The judges score the bout 30-27 across the board for Danny Castillo. Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker Round 1: A catchweight, 127-pound matchup here. Keith Peterson is your ref. Gaudinot, a green-haired Hoboken resident, is the crowd favorite. Lineker comes out swinging and Gaudinot answers. Wild flurries get a rise from the crowd. Lineker the more active striker. Gaudinot goes for a spinning back fist. Two minutes in, both guys throwing combos and Lineker starts to connect. The two play rock 'em sock 'em robots with about two minutes left and then pause to high five. Fight hits the ground with 1:30 left, Lineker on the bottom. Lineker lands three elbows from the bottom. Lineker works for what appears a heel hook from my vantage point, but Gaudinot escapes and gets side control. Lineker back to his feet as the horn sounds. MMA Fighting scores round one 10-9, Lineker. Round 2: Gaudinot kicks high and low in the early going. Lineker with a left, Gaudinot counters with a combo. They start trading and Lineker has Gaudinot backed up against the fence, doing damage. Gaudinot clears his head and we're back to center Octagon. Lineker with body shots. Gaudinot connects with a spinning back fist. Gaudinot scores a takedown. Two minutes left. More or less a stalemate on the ground. One minute left. Gaudinot connects with a series of lefts to the face. More ground and pound. Lineker up. Gaudinot leaps up and grabs a guillotine. They hit the mat and Gaudinot holds on for the victory. Lineker was put deeply out and took a couple minutes to get back to his feet. Louis Gaudinot wins by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:54 of round two. John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss Round 1: Both fighters open orthodox with Krauss doing the early stalking. Krauss appears to be more chasing and not cutting off the cage. Hathaway shucks off a takedown and follows it up with a right knee that drops Krauss to the mat quickly. He's recovered somewhat and now has Hathaway in full guard. Hathaway stands back and lets Krauss up. A flying switch kick from the Brit misses, but now he's doing the stalking. Outside leg kick from Krauss finds the mark. Another knee from Hathaway nearly finds the mark, but Krauss manages a body lock trip and he's on top in Hathaway's half guard. Krauss appears to have mostly recovered. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Hathaway Round 2: Hathaway manages to run down a double against the fence and he's starting to unload. Nothing major landing so far, but Krauss can't seem to do much with his butterfly guard. Hathaway stands back and Krauss gets up. Nice inside leg kick from Hathaway. Both fighters exchanging, but Hathaway seems to be getting the better of the exchanges as they seem to be at the end of his reach. Pascal working on a double and can't seem to get it. He also appears to be a bit more desperate. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Hathaway (20-18 total) Round 3: We're back to where we left off as Hathaway gets a trip takedown and is controlling position on top. From there it's a fair amount of ground and pound, but nothing significant. Hathaway lets Krauss stand and nearly lands a flying knee. Hathaway seemingly in total control. Krauss still chasing and eats a spinning back first for his efforts. Another flying knee from Hathaway and the two clinch. Hathaway lands a nice knee as they clinch break and Krauss looks hurt. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Hathaway (30-27 total) The judges score it 29-28, 30-27, 30-27 in a unanimous decision for John Hathaway. John Dodson vs. Tim Elliott Round 1: TUF 14 winner Dodson goes back to flyweight to meet Elliott, who has won eight straight fights. Keith Peterson is your referee. Elliott really wants to hit a spinning kick early, but has yet to find a home. Dodson goes for a high kick, both hit the ground, they scramble to their feet and the crowd gives the two an ovation. Pace slows a bit a couple minutes in, Dodson seems wary of a big kick. Dodson catches Elliott's leg on a kick and takes Elliott to the mat, but the two are quickly back up. Dodson gets poked in the eye and they call timeout. Doctor is in to check Elliott. Dodson plays to the crowd while this is going on. Elliott is cleared to continue. Both come out swinging after the restart and Dodson gets the better of it. Dodson goes for a flying knee late but doesn't connect. Close round. MMA Fighting scores round one 10-9, Dodson. Round 2: Dodson drops Elliott early, Elliott gets up and attempts a cartwheel kick and then feigns a couple more kicks, getting a rise out of the crowd. The two continue to stalk each other center Octagon, Dodson respecting Elliott's kicks and Elliott respecting Dodson's punching power. Elliott sends Dodson backpedaling with a few wild swings, Dodson tumbles backwards to the mat and scrambles back to his feet. Elliott connects with a low blow of a punch and is warned. They restart, but not before Dodson hugs Elliott, which Elliott didn't seem to want. Dodson takes down Elliott, but they're right back up. Another close round. MMA Fighting scores round two 10-9, Elliott (19-19 overall). Round 3: Not a ton of action over the first 90 seconds. Elliott hits a jab and Dodson responds with a couple elbows. Elliott mainly initiating and Dodson countering. Dodson grabs a leg but can't score the takedown. Elliott catches a Dodson kick but can't turn it into a takedown. Two minutes left, sill anyone's round. Elliott registers with a combo. and pushes Dodson back toward the fence, but Dodson escapes to safety. Eillott grabs Dodson's leg with his right hand and unloads with a couple big lopping left hands. Fight ends and the two embrace as the crowd applauds. Decision could go either way. MMAFighting scores round three 10-9, Elliott (29-28 Elliott overall). The judges score the bout 29-28 across the board for the winner, John Dodson. Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson Round 1: Dan Miragliotta is the ref for this lightweight bout, the final fight of the undercard. Johnson throws a leg kick that has the crowd buzzing. Two minutes in, neither guy finding their range yet. Johnson catches Ferguson with a left to the jaw that sends him backwards. Johnson with another leg kick. Johnson mixing up his kicks, going high and low, Ferguson keeping his distance. One minute left. Crowd gets a bit restless. Johnson connects with a couple left hands and a kick. Ferguson with a couple wild, late punches. MMA Fighting scores round one for Johnson, 10-9. Round 2: Round 3:

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Lavar Johnson said he had a feeling Pat Barry would try to take him to the ground. The feeling was right, and Johnson was prepared. He escaped a tenuous situation and came back to knock out Barry in the first round of their UFC on FOX matchup.The two kept a blistering pace for the entire round. They flurried early and often, and Johnson was the first to clinch and take a breather. Near the fence, he buckled Barry with an uppercut, and Barry shot in for the takedown. Johnson initially sprawled well, but Barry drove through and got him down. More Coverage: UFC on FOX 3 Results | UFC News From there, Barry had him in trouble, quickly moving to side control, where he tried an Americana. Johnson was visibly grimacing, but was able to free his arm and soon get back to his feet.It was all Johnson after that. He backed Barry against the fence and unloaded. Barry tried to cover up, but there was no way to avoid all of the firepower coming his way, and Barry eventually crumpled against the fence. Johnson pulled back before the ref even stepped in for the knockout win."I feel great," Johnson said. "Pat's a very tough guy and I'm very happy to be here in the UFC." The official time was 4:38 of the round. It was Johnson's second straight win in the UFC, and he's now 17-5 overall. Barry dropped to 7-5.

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The action was intense during today's (May 5, 2012) UFC on FOX 3: "Diaz vs. Miller" preliminary card. Both the FUEL TV and Facebook portions were littered with exciting fights, and the final bout featured winner of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 13 in Tony Ferguson against TUF 12 finalist Michael Johnson. Both men came out looking to stand and trade, but it was Johnson who drew first blood, landing a big left hand counter and dropping "El Cucuy" temporarily in a first round that was rather lacking in action until the final 10 seconds when Ferguson let loose with a big flurry. Throughout the second and third, Johnson consistently landed the better strikes, repeatedly scoring with his left hook flush to Ferguson's face. It was a frustrating night for Tony Ferguson fans as he continued to showcase some of the poor defense he showed in his last bout and was unable to land any really sustained offense. The judges agreed, awarding Johnson a unanimous decision with a 30-27 clean sweep across the boards, much to Ferguson's dismay, but he has no one to blame but himself. The rest of the undercard was littered with some very entertaining action as well. In the second to last fight of the undercard, flyweights John Dodson and Tim Elliot put on a hell of a show. Dodson was trying to land with more technique and power while Elliot fired back with crazy and wild attacks which included all kinds of flying and spinning offense. Dodson controlled much of the action early but he apparently hurt his left hand during the second round and from that point on, Elliot took over, landing a much sustained offensive attack and clearly was able to win the third round. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough as "The Magician" was awarded the first two rounds on all three judges' scorecards. Dodson was victorious, but he might be sidelined for a while after breaking his hand. Two talented young welterweights duked it out as British phenom John Hathaway had his way with previously undefeated German Pascal Krauss. Hathaway repeatedly scored some takedowns and utilized his slight reach advantage in the stand-up but the biggest factor for "The Hitman" were his knees. Hathaway dropped Krauss with a beautiful left knee in the first round and continued to land them throughout the event. Krauss was simply outclassed in just about all areas and was forced to play defense for extended periods. Hathaway bloodied him badly with a knee in the third round and easily was able to coast to a unanimous decision victory. in the first non-tournament flyweight fight in UFC history, 125 pounders Louis Gaudinot and John Lineker put on a massive show for the fans. Both men stood in the pocket and just threw bombs. Lineker was throwing more actively and effectively in the stand-up, keeping a tremendous pace and a long sustained offense but Gaudinot was able to secure takedowns to equalize. The second round was all Lineker at the beginning, hurting Gaudinot badly but the green-haired warrior scored another takedown. After some nice ground and pound, Gaudinot aggressively jumped for a guillotine choke as Lineker tried to get back to his feet. It was tight and Lineker refused to tap and was choked unsonscious with just six seconds remaining in the stanza. Lightweights Danny Castillo and John Cholish put on a slow-paced and rather grueling fight, just like Castillo wanted. Cholish was unable to get the fight to the ground and despite multiple tries. There wasn't much action but Castillo was able to do just enough in each frame, landing better strikes with a big right hand, even mixing in a few late takedowns to put stamps on the rounds to earn a unanimous decision. In featherweight action, The Ultimate Fighter season 14 finalist Dennis Bermudez put on a wrestling clinic against Pablo Garza. Garza was very active off his back, especially in the first round when he threatened with submissions and actually hurt Bermudez with his upkicks, but Bermudez was relentless, repeatedly slamming Garza to the ground and working his strikes. Bermudez wore Garza down as the fight wore on and the lanky 145-er put up increasingly less resistance, even giving up the mount in the end of the third round. Bermudez was awarded a dominant 30-27 unanimous decision on all three judges' scorecards. Perhaps the biggest highlight of the undercard was the incredible one-round bout between Nick Denis and Roland Delorme in the bantamweight division. Denis started incredibly strong, crushing Delorme with some heavy shots, knocking him down with a brutal knee and scoring some takedowns but he got too reckless, leaving his hands down and Delorme wasn't as hurt as he expected. Delorme recovered and started catching Denis clean, actually hurting him. When Denis got defensive, Delorme scored a big takedown and tapped him out with just one second remaining in the round with a rear naked choke. It was an incredible comeback and by far one of the most entertaining one-round fights of 2012. It will almost certainly make it onto the broadcast if any of the fights finish early. Opening up the Facebook portion was a middleweight bout between Mike Massenzio and Karlos Vemola. Vemola originally entered the UFC as a heavyweight and may have finally found his home. After a rough first round where Massenzio showcased better striking and overall wrestling, Vemola came out swinging in the second round, blasting Massenzio with ground and pound before sinking in a fight-ending rear naked choke without putting his hooks in. Here are the complete undercard results: Michael Johnson def. Tony Ferguson via unanimous decisionJohn Dodson def. Tim Elliot via unanimous decisionJohn Hathaway def. Pascal Krauss via unanimous decisionLouis Gaudino def. John Lineker via submission (guillotine) at 4:54 of round twoDanny Castillo def. John Cholish via unanimous decisionDennis Bermudez def. Pablo Garza via unanimous decisionRoland Delorme def. Nick Denis via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:59 of round oneKarlos Vemola def. Mike Massenzio via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:07 of round two That's it for the "Prelims" portion of the UFC on FOX 3 fight card. Be sure to hit up MMAmania.com's for up to the minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of the rest of the night's UFC on FOX main card action by clicking here.

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John Dodson def. Tim Elliott by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) John Dodsonis known for his flashy striking, and his opponent had some too. But Dodson's counterstriking was on point and he overcame a suspected broken hand to take a unanimous decision victory over Tim Elliott in their Flyweight bout at UFC on Fox 3. Elliott was very wild with his strikes and landed his share in the first two rounds, but Dodson was just more accurate. The tide turned a bit in the third and Elliott was able to up his accuracy rate, but it was too late. Both fighters opened the bout with a barrage of flashy offense, none of which landed. Dodson foot-swept Elliott down briefly, but he popped up and grabbed one of Dodson's legs. He was unable to get it to the floor though. Dodson landed a big knee to the head, but Elliott responded with all sorts of stuff. The pace slowed in the middle of the round, with Dodson landing the more significant strikes. Dodson accidentally poked Elliott in the eye late in the first stanza, which led a doctor examination. Elliott said he could see, so the bout continued. Elliott immediately showed more urgency but was a little while and caught some shots from Dodson instead. Elliott's eye was almost swollen shut by the start of the second round. Elliott threw a cartwheel kick and some more flashy strikes, but Dodson countered well. Elliott finally connected with a left hook. Dodson started to find his range with his counterstriking, and landed a lot more than Elliott over the course of the round. Elliott literally chased Dodson all the way around the cage but couldn't gain an advantage. Dodson landed a low blow with a minute to go. Dodson picked Elliott up for a big slam late, but Elliott popped up and landed a nice knee. Elliott came out aggressive again in the third and actually landed a few shots before he was pushed off by Dodson. Dodson's hand was apparently hurt, and it affected his striking in the last round. He was throwing more elbows than punches, and they were landing. Elliott responded well with several solid left hands though. Elliott caught a kick and landed a combination on Dodson, but didn't hurt him. The exact same sequence went down about 15 seconds later. They ended the bout by throwing jumping knees at the same time. Dodson picked up his first win since he won The Ultimate Fighter 14 at bantamweight. Elliott was a late replacement for Darren Uyenoyama, and will certainly get another UFC fight with that performance. SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3

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Good evening Maniacs! MMAMania is your home for complete coverage of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto WBA super welterweight championship bout TONIGHT (Saturday, May 5, 2012) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. We'll provide live play-by-play of the pay-per-view (PPV), which gets underway on HBO at 9 ET with a super welterweight scrap between Deandre Latimore and Carlos Quintana. That will be followed by a welterweight bout that sees Jesse Vargas taking on Steve Forbes, and then we have two super welterweight championships on the line. First up is the WBC belt, held by undefeated phenom Saul "Canello" Alvarez. He'll be defending his crown against "Sugar" Shane Mosley. And then it's Miguel Cotto's WBA strap on the line, even though we all know that the real prize for the proud Puerto Rican fighter is taking the zero found after the 42 on Mayweather's record and turning it into a "1." Mayweather and Cotto will get after it around midnight ET. Join us for live round by round updates of the televised card as soon as the action gets underway after the jump: 'MAYWEATHER VS. COTTO' QUICK RESULTS Super Welterweight Championship bout: Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel CottoSuper Welterweight Championship bout: Saul Alvarez vs. Shane MosleyLight Welterweight bout: Jessie Vargas vs. Steve ForbesSuper Welterweight bout: Deandre Latimore vs. Carlos Quintana 'MAYWEATHER VS. COTTO' PLAY-BY-PLAY RESULTS Floyd Mayweather vs Miguel Cotto -- WBA Super Welterweight Championship Round 1 -Round 2 -Round 3 -Round 4 -Round 5 -Round 6 -Round 7 -Round 8 -Round 9 -Round 10 -Round 11 -Round 12 - Final result: -end- Saul Alvarez vs Shane Mosley -- WBC Super Welterweight Championship Round 1 -Round 2 -Round 3 -Round 4 -Round 5 -Round 6 -Round 7 -Round 8 -Round 9 -Round 10 -Round 11 -Round 12 - Final result: -end- Jesse Vargas vs Steve Forbes -- Welterweight Bout Round 1 -Round 2 -Round 3 -Round 4 -Round 5 -Round 6 -Round 7 -Round 8 -Round 9 -Round 10 - Final result: -end- Deandre Latimore vs Carlos Quintana -- Super Welterweight Round 1 -Round 2 -Round 3 -Round 4 -Round 5 -Round 6 -Round 7 -Round 8 -Round 9 -Round 10 - Final result: -end- More Mayweather-Cotto Coverage From SBNBad Left Hook | SB Nation | MMA Mania | Bloody Elbow

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Louis Gaudinot and John Lineker showed everyone what the flyweight division is all about, but Gaudinot was the one that came out on top. After a series of hellacious exchanges on the feet in the first round, Gaudinot got a takedown in the second and when Lineker tried to get up, Gaudinot latched on a tight guillotine. Lineker went to sleep without tapping, and the referee jumped in at 4:54 of the second round. The fighters threw over 400 strikes in under two rounds. That's crazy. Lineker opened with a beautiful combination, but Gaudinot responded with his own. Both guys just swung for the fences for the first 40 seconds, which was pretty amazing. Lineker mixed up his punches and went to the body, but Gaudinot had a response each time. Lineker started to throw kicks, and continued the body work. They turned back into rock 'em sock 'em robots for a while, but Gaudinot switched it up and got a takedown with a minute to go. Gaudinot landed some solid strikes, and Lineker rolled into a heel hook. Gaudinot escaped, and finished the round with some elbows. Lineker came out throwing bombs in the second, while Gaudinot looked for combinations. Lineker landed a solid left hook, but ate a head kick in return. Lineker landed a dozen or so punches and looked to briefly have Louis hurt, but he seemed fine. Lineker continued to dig to the body. Just like the first round, Gaudinot had enough of that and took it to the ground, this time with two minutes to go. Lineker looked to tie up Gaudinot from the bottom and ate a bunch of body shots. Gaudinot opened up with the left and landed a series of punches. Lineker kicked free and got up, but Gaudinot locked on a guillotine. Lineker didn't tap, but he went to sleep. Gaudinot picked up his first UFC win with the submission, while Lineker dropped his debut bout with the organization. SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3

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Dennis Bermudez used his excellent wrestling to completely control Pablo Garza for 15 minutes, picking up a unanimous decision victory in the first televised preliminary fight at UFC on Fox 3. Bermudez took the fight to the floor whenever he felt like it and used solid positional control mixed in with some steady ground and pound to negate any Garza offense from the bottom, other than a flurry of upkicks in the first round. Bermudez got his first UFC win with the solid display, taking all three judge's scorecards with 30-27 scores. Bermudez came out and landed a big shot seconds into the bout, and looked for a slam takedown. Garza grabbed onto his neck though, and stopped it. After some clinch work, Bermudez landed the big slam. Garza locked on an inverted triangle but Bermudez popped out. Bermudez looked to land the big shot in guard while Garza hunted for subs. Garza landed five nice upkicks, one of which stunned Bermudez. Bermudez jumped back on top, but Garza looked for a kimura, then a triangle. Garza finally got back up. The fighters exchanged kicks, and Bermudez just tossed Garza to the mat at the end of the round. The fighters spent a a minute of the second round against the cage before Bermudez scooped Garza up for another slam takedown. Bermudez methodically landed punches in guard, with Garza pressed up against the cage and unable to attack from the bottom. Finally he got some room and threw elbows to the head. Bermudez eventually let Garza up, but slammed him right back down. Garza got up again at the end of the round but was unable to get anything going. After some wild shots to open the final stanza, Garza attempted to pull guard but was slammed for his troubles. Bermudez continued to grind away in Garza's guard, landing punches and elbows while stifling any Garza offense from his back. Even though Bermudez was working, the referee chose at stand them up. It didn't take long for Bermudez to take it back down though. Bermudez advanced to mount with a minute to go and eventually took the back, looking for the choke. Garza fought it off until the final horn. Garza was looking to bounce back from a submission loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC on Fox 1, while Bermudez was looking for his first UFC win. SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3

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Karlos Vemola didn't have a very good first round, but took advantage of an opportunity early in the second and latched on a rear naked choke to get the tap at 1:07. Massenzio controlled the first by mixing up his grappling and striking effectively. After landing a nice combination early, Mazzenzio decided to drop for an unsuccessful guillotine and it spelled doom for him. Vemola took his back, laid some heavy leather on him, and picked up the submission victory. Vemola threw wild punches and some awkward kicks early in the opening round while Massenzio looked for a takedown. Vemola stuffed it, and went back to more traditional leg kicks. Massenzio landed a nice knee in the clinch, and connected with a solid left. Massenzio went for antoher takedown, but fell right into a guillotine. It looked fairly deep, but Massenzio was able to pop out and tried to work in half guard. Mike landed a couple of glancing elbows, but Vemola got back to his feet. Massenzio landed the same nice left hand again, and used a front headlock to transition to the top position. Massenzio looked for a north south choke, but Vermola nicely used the cage to push out of it. Vemola landed a big slam to end the round. Massenzio landed a combo just seconds into round two, and Vemola responded with a big right. Massenzio dropped for a guillotine, but Vemola reversed and went for a peruvian necktie. He jumped on Mazzenzio's back, landed some very heavy punches to the head, and locked up a rear naked choke. Mazzenzio tapped quickly. Vemola picks up his first win at middleweight, while Massenzio might be looking at a second release from the promotion. SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3

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This is the UFC on FOX 3 undercard live blog for the UFC on FOX 3 prelims from IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.There will be six fights on the undercard. Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson, John Dodson vs. Tim Elliott, John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss, Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker, Danny Castillo vs. John Cholish, and Dennis Bermudez vs. Pablo Garza will be featured on FUEL. Roland Delorme vs. Nick Denis and Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola won't be featured live.Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC on FOX 3 Results | UFC News Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola Round 1:Round 2: Round 3: Roland Delorme vs. Nick Denis Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Dennis Bermudez vs. Pablo Garza Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Danny Castillo vs. John Cholish Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: John Dodson vs. Tim Elliott Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

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Disgust. For the first time in years as a fan of mixed martial arts (MMA), I found myself disgusted while watching the main event of MFC 33 last night (Fri., May 4, 2012) between Nathan Coy and Ryan McGillivray. It had nothing to do with amount of blood, or the pounding that McGillivray was going through. No, it had to do with the actions taken by McGillivray's head trainer, Greg Jackson, between the third and fourth rounds. After three brutal rounds of punishment at the hands of Coy, a clearly dazed and blood drained McGillivray had to be assisted to his corner by his coaching staff. His head coach, Jackson began slapping his face and shoulder while telling the near unconscious 25-year-old to "wake up" and that "he can still win this fight." Even veteran trainer and commentator Pat Militech, who was calling the fight for HDNet, couldn't believe what he was seeing and hearing out of the fighters corner, stating that Ryan's camp "should throw in the towel" for their unresponsive fighter. Luckily for McGillivray and his family, the referee and ringside doctor had seen enough and decided to stop the fight before he took any more unnecessary damage. Still, this is an issue in MMA that hardly seems to be addressed and Jackson is at the forefront of it. As the most recognizable trainer in the entire sport, he should be held to a higher standard. This also isn't the first time there have been issues with Jackson's instructions to his fighters between rounds. He also notably ignored Georges St. Pierre when the welterweight champion told him he couldn't see out of one of his eyes during his UFC 129 title defense against Jake Shields. It's entirely possible Jackson is simply trying to motivate his fighters to go above and beyond. It's a rough game, after all, and every little boo-boo isn't cause to throw in the white towel. Then again, it certainly looked like McGillivray needed someone to save him from himself. Maniacs, what are your thoughts on Jackson's actions last night? Complete MFC 33 results posted after the jump: Josh Kitchen def. Mike Scarcello via submission (triangle choke) in round oneMatt Jelly def. Garret Nybakken via submission (armbar) in round oneDerek Parker and Jared McComb fight to a drawDiego Bautista vs Sabah Fadai ends in a no contest due to illegal kneeJamie Toney def. Andrew Buckland via unanimous decisionLuke Harris def. Edwin Dewees via submission (guillotine choke) in round oneMukai Maromo def. Adam Lynn via split decisionNathan Coy def. Ryan McGillivray via TKO in round three Poll What Greg Jackson did while cornering Ryan McGillivray was ... Just a part of MMA. Worthy of review by the Athletic Commission.   61 votes | Results

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Much like yesterday’s look at Bellator 67, a very much-abbreviated version of my breakdown accompanies the UFC on FOX 3 fights thanks to some technical difficulties on my end. I’m just going to throw down my picks and how I think they win. If you have any analysis, opinions, or anything to say, feel free to let loose in the Comments section. Let’s just get right to it, shall we? Mike Massenzio defeats Karlos Vemola via Unanimous Decision Nick Denis defeats Roland Delorme via TKO Round 1 Dennis Bermudez defeats Pablo Garza via Unanimous Decision Danny Castillo defeats John Cholish via Unanimous Decision John Lineker defeats Louis Gaudinot via Knockout Round 1 Pascal Krauss defeats John Hathaway via TKO Round 2 John Dodson defeats Tim Elliott via Knockout Round 1 Tony Ferguson defeats Michael Johnson via Unanimous Decision Lavar Johnson (16-5) vs. Pat Barry (7-4) Johnson hasn’t been stopped since his professional debut but I think that streak will end tonight. It’s going to be a stand-up war and in such affairs I tend to go with the better striker who is undoubtedly “HD”. Truly, this will come down to which man lands the first punch since both are powerful dudes. Winner – Pat Barry defeats Lavar Johnson via Knockout Round 1 Rousimar Palhares (14-3) vs. Alan Belcher (17-6) Palhares is as one-dimensional as they come but damn is he good at his singular strategy! However, Belcher is a beast and has faced good BJJ guys before. As long as he can avoid Palhares’ leg-attack he should be able to pick him apart with strikes. Hell, even Dan Miller rocked Palhares, so Belcher should have no problem sealing the deal. Winner – Alan Belcher defeats Rousimar Palhares via TKO Round 2 Josh Koscheck (17-5) vs. Johny Hendricks (12-1) This fight is almost too close to call since both are similar in nature. Each has knockout power and a solid wrestling base. In fact I could even see a stalemate of sorts with the crowd raining down boos. Koscheck looked “suspect” (his word) against Mike Pierce in his last fight but I don’t think he’ll take any more risks tonight given Hendricks’ power. Winner – Johny Hendricks defeats Josh Koscheck via Unanimous Decision Nate Diaz (15-7) vs. Jim Miller (21-3) Diaz has struggled against other guys built in the mold of Miller – a top notch grappler with a good chin and respectable boxing. I also think Miller has better cardio than Diaz when it comes to a fight. Diaz might have him in a triathlon but, as you all know, this is MMA. As such, I think Miller will capitalize on the holes in Diaz’s game and come away with a hard-fought decision win. Winner – Jim Miller defeats Nate Diaz via Unanimous Decision I’ll be back next week with some actual depth instead of just my picks. The fights go down tonight with the preliminary card airing on Facebook at 4:00 PM EST, Fuel TV at 5:00 PM EST, and the main card on FOX at 8:00 PM EST. Enjoy the fights!

Posted in: diaz, round, decision, miller, defeat

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Bellator lightweight champ Michael Chandler maintained his perfect record last night with a dominating performance against Akihiro Gono in the main event at Bellator 67. The non-title “superfight” lasted less than a minute with the 10-0 Chandler clipping Gono’s chin to drop him, pounding out the TKO victory shortly thereafter. After the event the 37-year old Gono announced he was retiring from MMA as the result of suffering his third consecutive loss. In other Bellator 67 action, Bryan Baker’s run at welterweight continued with a solid showing against UFC veteran Ben Saunders. Baker came away with a decision win over Saunders after weathering an early storm full of near-submissions and a few stiff strikes. With the success Baker advanced to the Season 6 Welterweight Tournament final where he’ll face the eventual winner of David Rickels-Karl Amoussou. Check out highlights from the show below followed by a full list of results: Will Romero def. Matt Veal via TKO Round 2 (Strikes) David Harris def. Nick Kirt via Unanimous Decision Dom O’Grady def. Nathan Gunn via Submission Round 2 (Armbar) Nordine Taleb def. Matt McGrath via TKO Round 2 (Strikes) Cosmo Alexandre def. Lowrant-T Nelson via Unanimous Decision Ryan Ford def. Luis Santos via Knockout Round 2 (Knee) Damian Grabowski def. Dave Huckaba via Unanimous Decision Bryan Baker def. Ben Saunders via Unanimous Decision Michael Chandler def. Akihiro Gono via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) PHOTO CREDIT – BELLATOR Tweet

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Didn't seem to be any discussion yet on any of this so I figured I'd sum it all up in one post since I managed to watch most of it. Bellator: Chandler/Gono really exemplifies to me what is wrong with Bellator. Chandler looked fantastic and I actually think he could be a legit threat at 155, but facing guys like Gono does very little for him. Worst part that was Gono came out with no fanfare/dancing and announced his retirement afterwards. TUF:Live: I don't really watch TUF, but I was home so I watched this week's fight. I thought I had read that Ogle was a huge underdog so I was extremely impressed by him in this fight. His striking looked good, he managed to get to his feet quickly after being taken down in the 1st when I thought he'd end up losing the round on his back, and he surprised me by choking out Rio. Proctor/Vick and Chiesa/Lawrence should be good quarterfinal fights. MFC: Adam Lynn fought Mukai Maromo in the CME (I think) and dominated the fight. Adam rocked Maromo in the first and just dominated the fight. In many cases, I can see a fight being close, but this wasn't a close fight. When it was over, Maromo knew he lost and Lynn and his corner were all smiles. Yet, somehow, Maromo was gifted a split-decision that might be the worst decision I've ever seen in MMA. Just horrid. However, the worst part of the night was the Main Event, and any respect I had for Greg Jackson is gone. Nathan Coy fought Greg Jackson-cornered Ryan McGillivray in a 5-round title fight. McGillivray was outclassed by Coy and sliced up by some vicious GnP early and lost a lot of blood. I wondered if he'd come out for the 3rd, but he did. By the end of the 3rd, he was obviously out of it, though. In the corner between rounds, Jackson kept slapping McGillivray's face and shoulder and screaming at him to "wake up!" despite McGillivray being unresponsive and dozing/nodding. IMO, Jackson should have thrown in the towel to protect his fighter, and Miletich (the announcer) suggested the same, but Jackson sent him out for the 4th. Luckily, the ref was on top of his game and brought in the doctor who quickly called an end to the fight, but not before I lost respect for Jackson. Title fight or not he should feel responsible for protecting his fighters. Here's a report on the controversy. Anyone else catch any of this? submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [comment]

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Maximum Fighting Championship’s MFC 33 took place tonight live from Edmonton, Alberta. The main event featured Nathan Coy facing off against TUF-Alum Ryan McGillivray. The event aired live on HDNet. Coy battered McGillivray to the point that McGillivray’s coach, Greg Jackson, had to push his fighter in the shoulder and chest to get him to answer the fourth round. The fact that Jackson let McGillivray go out angered analyst, and MMA pioneer, Pat Militech but fortunately the doctor stepped in on behalf of the fighter. Fight Card Results Nathan Coy defeats Ryan McGillivray via TKO (Doctor’s Stoppage) at  5:00 of round 3 Mukai Maromo defeats Adam Lynn via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) Luke Harris defeats Edwin Dewees via guillotine choke at 2:05 of round 1 Jamie Toney defeats Andrew Buckland via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28) Sabah Fadai vs. Diego Bautista declared no contest due to illegal knee by Fadai at 1:00 of round 1 Jared McComb and Derek Parker fight to a draw (28-28,28-28,28-28) Matt Jelly defeats Garret Nybakken via armbar at 2:01 of round 1 Josh Kitchen defeats Mike Scarcello via triangle choke at 2:27 of round 1 MMAFrenzy.com

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ, May 5 – Fighting in front of his home state crowd at the IZOD Center, Hoboken’s Louis Gaudinot delivered the type of victory that will send his fans home happy Saturday night, as he submitted Brazilian newcomer John Lineker in the second round of a compelling flyweight scrap on the UFC on FOX 3 prelim cardAs soon as the two 125-pounders touched gloves to begin the bout, it was bombs away, with both going blow for blow in the center of the Octagon. It took until the second minute of the fight for the pace to dip slightly, as the fighters began planting their feet and adding some heat to each punch. With under two minutes left though, the slugging began in earnest once again, drawing cheers from the crowd and prompting the two to high five each other in appreciation. With 90 seconds left, Gaudinot switched things up on the Brazilian, taking him to the mat, where he unleashed some hard ground strikes. Lineker looked for a submission from his back, and the New Jersey favorite broke free with little difficulty before ending the round back on top.More measured in their attacks to start round two, the battle began again soon enough, with Lineker’s vicious body attack opening up Gaudinot’s head for a series of hard shots against the fence. Gaudinot weathered the storm, and with a little over two minutes left, he scored his second takedown of the fight. A steady stream of blows followed, with Lineker unhurt, but still getting outpoined. In the final minute, the Brazilian rose, but Gaudinot had his head locked in a guillotine choke. “Goodnight” then pulled guard, and it was good night for Lineker, who was rescued by referee Keith Peterson at 4:54 of the round.With the win, The Ultimate Fighter 14’s Louis Gaudinot upped his record to 6-2; Lineker falls to 19-6.Watch Gaudinot's post-fight interviewDODSON vs. ELLIOTTSpeed, flash, and entertainment. Flyweights John Dodson and Timothy Elliott delivered on all counts for three fast-paced rounds, with Dodson, The Ultimate Fighter season 14 winner, emerging victorious via a close, but unanimous, decision.All three scores were 29-28 in favor of Dodson, now 14-5; Elliott falls to 8-3-1.Elliott set a frenetic pace to start the fight, whether it was flashy kicks or a relentless attempt for a takedown. Dodson stayed cool in the pocket, but it wasn’t until the second minute that he found the opportunity to get his own offense going. Elliott took everything Dodson threw without flinching, and even a throw to the mat by “The Magician” was met by an Elliott submission attempt. An inadvertent poke to the eye by Dodson halted the action momentarily and brought in the Octagonside physician to check Elliott out in the final minute, but he was soon cleared to resume, opening the door for some of Dodson’s best striking of the fight thus far.Cartwheels and spinning kicks from Elliott got the crowd roaring early in round two, but the more solid and effective blows were being landed by Dodson, who was content to sharpshoot as his foe came in wildly. And Elliott only got wilder – in the best sense of the word – as he chased Dodson across the Octagon in search of a takedown. Another break in the action took place in the final minute after a low blow from Dodson, and again, it proved to be beneficial for the Albuquerque product, who threw Elliott to the mat briefly before the bell rang.Staying aggressive as Dodson countered, Elliott still couldn’t score the takedown in the third, but he never stopped trying to win. It was Dodson’s sharper technique and cool under fire that kept him in the lead though, even as Elliott delivered a final surge in the last 90 seconds.JOHNSON vs. FERGUSONLightweight up and comer Michael Johnson fought a disciplined three rounder against fellow Ultimate Fight alum Tony Ferguson, using slick striking and solid movement to win a shutout 30-27 unanimous decision.Johnson used his range well in the first round, keeping Ferguson at bay with kicks and using quick counters when “El Cucuy” engaged. One such shot, a left to the side of the jaw at the midway point of the round, sent Ferguson to the canvas, though the Ultimate Fighter season 13 winner quickly made it back to his feet.The left continued to pay off for Johnson as the fight progressed, with another shot to the jaw by the southpaw rocking Ferguson, who was having all sorts of difficulty cornering and scoring on his foe in the second. Ferguson got a little closer in the final round, but he wasn’t nearly able to put together the type of offensive finish to hurt Johnson or pull out the fight, as “The Menace,” who once again jarred Ferguson with the left, finished the bout strong.HATHAWAY vs. KRAUSSEntering tonight’s bout, both John Hathaway and Pascal Krauss were coming off layoffs of over a year, making the welterweight contest an apparent test of who had less ring rust. England’s Hathaway won that battle, impressively outpointing Germany’s previously unbeaten Krauss over three rounds to improve to 16-1.Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 for Hathaway.After a slow start to the bout, Hathaway got everyone into the action in the third minute with a left knee to the head that dropped Krauss (10-1) hard to the canvas. Hathaway moved in for the finish, but Krauss had cleared his head, and moments later he got back to his feet. From there, the German did his best to make up for any lost time with a takedown and some solid ground and pound before the bell sounded.Hathaway opened round two with a takedown of his own, and he effectively controlled his foe from the top position, being just busy enough to put some points in the bank until Krauss got back to his feet with a little over two minutes left. Krauss came forward trying to equalize things, but Hathaway’s accurate strikes jarred him on a couple occasions, even though it was the Brit who returned to the corner with a bloodied nose.The third was more of the same, with Krauss being competitive, but Hathaway one step ahead both on the ground and the feet. A knee from Hathaway appeared to break Krauss’ nose in the final minute, but despite a spirited effort, “The Hitman” was unable to finish his game foe before the end.CASTILLO vs. CHOLISHIt wasn’t a barnburner, but California’s Danny Castillo spoiled the homecoming of up and comer John Cholish, winning a three round unanimous decision in lightweight action.All three judges saw it 30-27.Castillo (14-4) led the action in the first round, with Cholish (8-2) nullifying most of his opponent’s attack’s until a strong late finish from “Last Call.”Cholish put his foot on the gas in the second round, but the equally matched battlers were locked in a stalemate that got the crowd restless until Castillo made his own noise with a thudding slam at the bell.After pulling off the same maneuver in the opening minute of the final round, Castillo appeared to be in control as he held Cholish against the fence. Even standing, Castillo, while not a ball of energy, was doing enough to push the pace as Cholish seemed one step behind. Hear what Castill had to say about his performanceBERMUDEZ vs. GARZALindenhurst, New York featherweight Dennis Bermudez earned his first UFC victory in dominant fashion, pounding out a three round unanimous decision win over Pablo Garza.Scores were 30-27 across the board for The Ultimate Fighter 14 finalist, who improves to 9-3; Garza falls to 12-3.Three slams and some effective ground and pound normally would be enough to win a round convincingly, but Dennis Bermudez was reminded by Pablo Garza to not get too confident, as a series of flush up kicks and the ever present threat of a submission kept “The Scarecrow” in the fight in the opening five minutes.Having learned his first round lesson well, Bermudez’ second and third round attack went from reckless to punishing, as he again threw Garza to the mat on more than one occasion, but this time he was disciplined with his positioning and ground and pound, capping off an impressive and one-sided victory.Watch Bermudez's post-fight interviewDELORME vs. DENISThe Ultimate Fighter season 14’s Roland Delorme made it two in a row in the Octagon, shaking off some rough early moments to roar back and submit Nick Denis late in the first round of their bantamweight bout.“I never quit,” said Delorme. “If you’re gonna fight me, 15 minutes, you better be prepared.”Throughout much of the first round, it appeared that Denis (11-3) was too strong and hit too hard for his Canadian countryman, but after getting staggered by punches and knees to the head, Delorme (7-2) shook the cobwebs loose and began swinging back, nailing and rocking Denis with his own shots in the final minute. Soon after the bout hit the mat, and Delorme pounced, sinking in a rear naked choke that produced a tap out with just one second remaining in the frame.Watch Delorme's post-fight interviewVEMOLA vs. MASSENZIOThe Czech Republic’s Karlos Vemola made a successful middleweight debut in the opener, submitting local favorite Mike Massenzio in the second round.“That’s my game,” said Vemola. “Once I get someone down and ground and pound, it’s over.”With the exception of a brief guillotine choke attempt and a late takedown by Vemola, Massenzio controlled the opening frame, with a stiff left hand being his weapon of choice en route to some solid grappling work.Vemola turned things around in the second though, getting Massenzio to the mat, where he proceeded to circle and take the New Jersey native’s back before sinking in the rear naked choke that ended matters at 1:07 of the round.With the win, Vemola improves to 10-2; Massenzio falls to 13-7.Hear what "The Terminator" had to say in his post-fight interview

Posted in: fight, round, minute, dodson, elliott

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ, May 5 – The rise of Nate Diaz continued in the main event of UFC on FOX 3 at IZOD Center Saturday night, as the ever improving Californian systematically broke down fellow lightweight contender Jim Miller before submitting the local hero in the second round to earn his third consecutive victory.Miller stayed busy as he closed the distance on Diaz, pinning him against the fence as the two traded knees. After breaking, Diaz tried to establish his long-range striking attack, but Miller’s kicks to the legs kept him from getting into a rhythm, prompting another clinch against the fence. As the two jockeyed for position, Diaz was able to get some knees off before separating, and he finally began to find his range in the final minute, dropping Miller with a quick left to the head. As Diaz looked to capitalize, Miller reversed effectively, but it was Diaz on top at the bell.Diaz opted for more close quarters action in the early stages of round two, perhaps looking to tire Miller out for the later rounds. Diaz was starting to mix his attacks up nicely, bloodying Miller’s nose and beginning to taunt his foe, with each drop of his hands bringing an immediate response from the New Jersey favorite. With less than two minutes left, Diaz continued to do good work both in the inside and outside, and Miller looked to be getting desperate in an effort order to turn things around. That outlook played right into Diaz’ hands, as a takedown attempt allowed the Stockton native to sink in a guillotine choke. Moments later, despite a solid effort from Miller to break free, Diaz got the tap out at the 4:09 mark, bringing his pro record to 16-7. Miller falls to 21-4.HENDRICKS vs. KOSCHECKThe first bout in UFC history pitting two former NCAA Division I national wrestling champions against each other was primarily a striking match, and it was the standup game that allowed Johny Hendricks to eke out a close three round split decision over former welterweight title challenger Josh Koscheck.Scores were 29-28 twice, and 28-29 for Hendricks, a two-time NCAA champ for Oklahoma State who ups his record to 13-1. Koscheck, a NCAA titleholder for Edinboro University, falls to 19-6.Koscheck came out firing kicks at Hendricks, who answered with one of his own before trying to land his big left hand. Koscheck got more comfortable as the round progressed, pinning Hendricks to the fence as he reeled off a series of right hands. Hendricks took the shots with little difficulty, and midway through the round he looked for a takedown, but was rebuffed. After the two were restarted by referee Kevin Mulhall, both got off solid shots at each other, and Koscheck again opened up as Hendricks got stuck with his back to the fence, finishing the round with a flourish thanks to a spinning back fist just before the bell.Hendricks fired off wild left hands to open the second round, missing all of them. A few moments later he repeated the barrage with the same result, and as he shot for a takedown, Koscheck turned him back and instead took his opponent’s back as the bout hit the mat. The two rose quickly, and Hendricks again shot, this time getting Koscheck to a knee against the fence. Koscheck rose to his feet with Hendricks holding on, and with a little over two minutes left, Mulhall restarted the action. Hendricks was finally starting to get his range with the left hand in the latter part of the round, and Koscheck’s right eye was beginning to show it.The action slowed in the opening minute of the final round, but after a restart from Mulhall against the fence, the two let loose with their go to punches – Koscheck his right and Hendricks his left. And while the two each took the other’s thunder, Koscheck’s eye continued to get worse, prompting him to look for and get a takedown with two minutes to go. Hendricks’ defense was solid, keeping him out of serious danger, but Koscheck stayed busy with his ground strikes as he looked to better his position, allowing him to keep his opponent on his back for the remainder of the fight.BELCHER vs. PALHARESAlan Belcher made a bold statement in his quest for a middleweight title shot, beating leg lock master Rousimar Palhares in the Brazilian’s area of the Octagon real estate – the mat – but doing it with a ground and pound attack that ended matters in the opening round.“That belt is mine,” said Belcher. “I’m coming for it and I think you know it.”After a brief feeling out process, Palhares (23-4) shot in and took Belcher to the mat 45 seconds into the fight. Belcher avoided any serious trouble from the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, showing off his own black belt ground game as Palhares looked for the finish. As the round hit the midway mark, the two remained locked up, looking for the smallest mistake on which to capitalize.  And while Palhares appeared to be close to catching Belcher, “The Talent” broke loose and fired off strikes to the head, much to the delight of the crowd. With under a minute left, Belcher drilled Palhares with a forearm and then opened up with both hands. After a series of unanswered blows, referee Dan Miragliotta intervened at the 4:18 mark, giving Belcher (17-5) his biggest win to date.JOHNSON vs. BARRYHeavyweights Lavar Johnson and Pat Barry delivered the back-and-forth action everyone expected from them when their bout was announced, but after escaping some rough spots on the canvas, it was Johnson who was the last man standing, as he halted Barry via strikes late in the first round.Barry’s first leg kick buckled Johnson briefly, but the Californian tied “HD” up and bulled him into the fence in order to work his deadly close range game. After a brief break where Barry landed a head kick, the two locked up again and a heated exchange ensued. Following this give and take, Barry sought and got a takedown, quickly settling into side control as he worked for a kimura. Johnson gamely struggled and then broke loose, but Barry stayed in control on the mat, mixing in strikes as he looked for the arm again. With a little over a minute left, Johnson got back to his feet and went on the attack. A knee and two high kicks rocked Barry, and Johnson began teeing off with punch after punch as the New Orleans native was pinned to the fence. Many missed, but the ones that did eventually dropped Barry, with referee Dan Miragliotta stepping in to halt the bout at 4:38 of the opening stanza.With the win, Johnson improves to 17-5; Barry falls to 7-5.Watch Johnson's post-fight interview

Posted in: diaz, round, koscheck, miller, hendrick

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MMA Fighting has a Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto live blog for round-by-round updates for one of the top boxing fights of the year.The main event will start a little after 11:30 p.m. ET. Check out our Mayweather vs. Cotto results page to find out what happened on the undercard.Check out the main event live blog below. Round 1:Round 2:Round 3:Round 4:Round 5:Round 6:Round 7:Round 8:Round 9:Round 10:Round 11:Round 12:

Posted in: boxing fights, round, vs, roundbyround updates, cotto

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MMA Fighting has live results of Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto fight card in Las Vegas on Saturday night.When the main event begins, around 11:30 p.m. ET, check out our Mayweather vs. Cotto live blog for live round-by-round updates. Prior to the main event, we'll have live updates and results on all the undercard fights below.Check out the Mayweather vs. Cotto undercard live blog below. Steve Forbes vs. Jessie VargasRound 1:Round 2:Round 3:Round 4:Round 5:Round 6:Round 7:Round 8:Round 9:Round 10:DeAndre Latimore vs. Carlos QuintanaRound 1:Round 2:Round 3:Round 4:Round 5:Round 6:Round 7:Round 8:Round 9:Round 10:Saul Alvarez vs. Shane MosleyRound 1:Round 2:Round 3:Round 4:Round 5:Round 6:Round 7:Round 8:Round 9:Round 10:

Posted in: mayweather, result, round, vs, cotto

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Bellator 67 took place tonight from the Casino Rama in Ontario, Canada. Though his title was not at stake, lightweight champion Michael Chandler took on crafty Japanese veteran Akihiro Gono in the main event and fan-favorite Ben Saunders battled Bryan Baker in a welterweight tournament semifinal. Gono stressed the need to stay relaxed in his pre-fight interview and may have over-committed. Chandler came out vivacious and bouncing on his toes while picking away with his jab and faking level drops -- Gono shuffled backwards lazily and with his hands down while resetting. Chandler launched forward with a combination that sent Gono into retreat mode and then blurred a stiff one-two that dropped him. The champion pounced mercilessly with a series of punches to elicit the referee intervention. The 1st-round TKO extends Chandler's flawless record to 12-0 while Gono drops to 32-18 at the tail end of an admirable 18-year career against reputable competition. Leukemia survivor and former middleweight Bryan Baker showed up big against potent technician Ben Saunders. Imposing his bulk as a hefty welterweight, Baker was able to follow behind his punches to tie up in the clinch and stifle the striking of Saunders. There, he stayed busy with dirty boxing, short knees and relentless takedown attempts. In the first, Saunders courageously threw on a flying triangle while Baker had his head buried in his waist. Baker defended that as well as an eye-pleasing transition to an omoplata by Saunders in an exciting start. Meet me after the jump for the full Bellator 67 results. SBN coverage of Bellator 68 Baker endured another outburst of offense from Saunders in the second, this time in the form of the deadly knees he's heralded for. Baker nailed a demonstrative takedown and finished out with flurry of heavy hammer-fists to secure the round. The last frame was all Baker, who came out winging a huge combination and powered Saunders to the canvas, this time negating his submission attempts by smashing him against the fence wall. Baker picked up a hard-earned unanimous decision, advances to the tournament finals and moves to 18-3 overall. The tough loss for Saunders (now 13-5) is the second in his last three. Heavyweights Damian Grabowski and Dave Huckaba riled up the crowd with a forgettable display. Grabowski threw a punch on the glove-touch and pursued takedowns throughout the first two rounds, though his inactivity inspired a few stand ups from referee "Big" Dan Miragliotta. Grabowski ran out of gas in the third but Huckaba was unwilling to capitalilze despite finding a home for his left hook when he threw it. All three judges gave Grabowski the first two rounds and the third to Huckaba, resulting in a unanimous decision win. The win was Grabowski's third in a row since losing to Bellator heavyweight champion Cole Konrad and he goes to 16-1 overall, while the loss snaps a 6-fight roll for Huckaba (17-5) in his promotional debut. The evening started with sparks in the Luis "Sapo" Santos vs. Ryan Ford affair. Santos took the first round by connecting with a cracking high kick after having a few blocked, which put Ford on roller-skates and into retreat mode. Santos kept the pressure on and had the opportunity to take a turtled Ford's back, but opted to attack with strikes instead. Ford was fully recovered in the second and aggressive with a leaping knee, then peeled Santos' arm away from his midsection in a clinch tangle and planted a hard knee on his chin. Santos didn't defend the flurry of punches that followed and Ford notched a dramatic come-from-behind TKO in the second. Ford (18-4) has won six of his last seven -- a streak that includes former UFCers Karo Parisyan and Pete Spratt -- while Santos stands at 50-8 overall. Complete Bellator results below. Michael Chandler defeats Akihiro Gono by TKO, Round 1 Bryan Baker defeats Ben Saunders by unanimous decision Damian Grabowski defeats Dave Huckaba by unanimous decision Ryan Ford defeats Luis Santos by TKO, Round 2 Cosmo Alexandre defeats Lorawnt-T Nelson by unanimous decision William Romero defeats Matt Veal by TKO, Round 2. David Harris defeats Nick Kirk by unanimous decision Dom O'Grady defeats Nathan Gunn by submission (armbar), Round 2 Nordine Taleb defeats Matt MacGrath by TKO, Round 2

Posted in: round, decision, defeat, saunder, baker

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Bellator 67 took place tonight live from the Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario. The Bellator card featured a non-title fight pitting lightweight champion Michael Chandler against Akihiro Gono. The card also featured the first welterweight semifinal as cancer survivor Bryan Baker faced off against for UFC fighter Ben Saunders. In the main event, Michael Chandler made quick work of Akihiro Gono by dropping the Japanese fighter with his quick hands and pouncing quickly to force a stoppage from the official. Chandler was determined to not be judged as a fluke after defeating Eddie Alvarez and he was very focused on putting Gono away. The win ran Chandler’s win-streak to 10 games (7-0 Bellator) and leaves the champion waiting on the winner of this season’s tournament for a possible summer bout. In the co-main event, Ben Saunders and Bryan Baker engaged in a hard fought battle for three rounds that saw Baker victorious. The fight looked like it would actually end early as Saunders secured a deep triangle choke on Baker but somehow Baker managed to escape. Baker showed no fear of the UFC-veteran’s striking as he swung hard powershots on their feet before securing takedowns and using effective ground striking to win rounds. While Baker was able to get the takedowns, the fight never stalled on the ground as Saunders was constantly attacking from his back while Baker pounded away and looked to advance. With the win, Baker becomes the first welterweight finalist. In other action, Damian Grabowski ground out a decision against Dave Huckba and Ryan Ford landed a stunning comeback victory with a vicious knee that dropped opponent Luis Santos. Main Card (MTV2) Non-Title Fight: Michael Chandler (c) def. Akihiro Gono via TKO (strikes) at :56 of Round 1 Welterweight Semifinal: Bryan Baker def. Ben Saunders via unanimous decision (29-28,30-27,30-27) Damian Grabowski def. Dave Huckaba via unanimous decision (29-28,29-28,29-28) Ryan Ford def. Luis Santos via TKO (knee) at 1:24 of Round 2 Preliminary Card (Spike.com) Will Romero vs. Matt Veal* David Harris vs. Nick Kirk * Cosmo Alexander vs. Lorawnt-T Nelson * Dominic O’Grady def. Nathan Gunn via submission (armbar) at 4:51 of round 2 Nordine Taleb def. Matt MacGrath via second-round TKO at 2:30 of round 2 Cosmo Alexander def. Lorawnt Nelson via unanimous decision *- aired after the main card MMAFrenzy.com

Posted in: round, chandler, saunder, baker, gono

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Calling all Boxing fans! MMAmania.com will be your home for results, updates and LIVE fight coverage of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto WBA light middleweight championship bout this Saturday night (May 5, 2012), at 10 p.m. ET from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. "Mayweather vs. Cotto" will be one of the biggest combat sports events of the year, as is usually the case whenever "Money" fights. To help get you better prepared for this weekend's festivities, we've laid out a breakdown of how each competitor has fared up to this point within their respective pugilistic careers, as well as a comparison of their common opponents and a couple of highlight videos so you can familiarize yourselves with each man's style. We'll start with none other than Floyd "Money" Mayweather after the jump: Floyd Mayweather The American-born Mayweather is widely considered to be the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. Not only that, his popularity amongst fans of the sport is rivaled only by that of Manny Pacquiao, whose Filipino compatriots treat every "Pac-man" fight as though it were a national holiday. Adding to his intrigue, Mayweather holds a professional record of 42-0, and we all know as mixed martial arts (MMA) fans that when an undefeated champion fights, it's just that much more exciting. He won his first world championship at 130 pounds in 1998 and since then, he has won four more world championships at 135 pounds, 140 pounds, 147 pounds and 154 pounds. He's beaten such great fighters as Oscar De La Hoya, Diego Corrales, Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley. At 35 years old, Mayweather is entering the twilight of his career and there is now a very real possibility that he will join Rocky Marciano and Joe Calzaghe as one of the greatest fighters in boxing history to go through his entire professional career undefeated. Of course, should he finish his career without facing Pacquiao, there will be a considerably large asterisk next to his name and he will forever be dogged by the question, "Did he avoid 'Pac-man' because he was afraid to lose?" Miguel Cotto Cotto hails from Puerto Rico and while he is not as well known as Floyd (in part due to his very reserved and humble public persona), he is a very accomplished and dangerous fighter. His professional record stands at 37-2, with his only two losses coming to Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito. The loss to Margarito was marred by a loaded hand-wraps controversy and when the two men met in a highly anticipated rematch, Cotto stopped Margarito in the tenth round, avenging his honor and giving even more credence to the theory that Margarito was only able to beat him because of the hardened plaster he placed in his gloves. If we ignore that loss, Cotto has only fallen to Pacquiao, which is certainly nothing to be ashamed of. He is an inch shorter than Mayweather, but he is a little bit bulkier and has fought most of his career in a class above that in which "Money" was competing. He won his first world championship in 2003 at a weight of 140 pounds. He has since won championships at 147 and 154 pounds. The biggest wins of his career are over Joshua Clottey, Zab Judah, Shane Mosley and the aforementioned Margarito. Despite having almost the same number of fights on his record as Mayweather, Cotto is just 31 years old, four years younger than Floyd. I'm not sure how long he plans of fighting for, but with the recent addition of trainer Pedro Diaz, Cotto could easily be in the game for five or six more years. When the curtain goes up on Saturday, he will become the fifth man to have faced both Mayweather and Pacqiao, something that he can definitely tell his grandchildren about when he is an old man. Common Opponents: Shane Mosley. Fought Mayweather in 2010, Cotto in 2007.How Mayweather did: The fight with Mosley brought some drama for Mayweather in the second round, as he was stunned and forced to cover up for a large portion of the round. Mosley was unable to capitalize on the damage and Mayweather would end up winning a unanimous decisionHow Cotto did: Cotto won a decision that was never much in doubt, outworking Mosley for the majority of the fight, making "Sugar" look rather slow in comparison. Zab Judah. Fought Mayweather in 2006, Cotto in 2007.How Mayweather did: In a fight that saw Roger Mayweather get tossed for entering the ring following a low blow in the tenth round by Judah, pretty boy Floyd won a unanimous 12 round decision.How Cotto did: Cotto knocked Judah down once in the fight and stopped him via technical knockout in the eleventh round. DeMarcus Corley. Fought Mayweather in 2004, Cotto in 2005.How Mayweather did: Mayweather won a unanimous 12 round decision over Corley in a pretty unheralded fight.How Cotto did: Cotto stopped Corley in the fifth round by technical knockout in a fight that took place in Cotto's home country. Victoriano Sosa Fought Mayweather in 2003, Cotto in 2004.How Mayweather did: Another unanimous 12 round decision for Mayweather.How Cotto did: Another stoppage for Cotto, this time in the fourth round, again by technical knockout. What can we make out of the fact that of the four common opponents they have, Cotto has stopped three, while Mayweather has stopped none? Well, not much. Mayweather has never been one to post gaudy knockout numbers (26 in his 42 wins), preferring to use a spectacular defensive style (and if defense could ever be called spectacular, Floyd's qualifies) to frustrate his opponents and win on points. Cotto is a much more of a power puncher, scoring 30 knockouts in his 37 wins, so don't look at these results against common opponents and expect that Cotto should be the favorite. To show you what I mean about their different styles, check out these highlight videos that HBO released just a few weeks ago. Mayweather: Cotto: If you missed any of the first three episodes, you can get up to speed with our recaps and full video of each installment of HBO's hype vehicle below: Episode OneEpisode TwoEpisode Three Saturday night is fight night, and we'll have everything covered, from live round-by-round results, a post-fight recap and quotes from the post-fight press conference. See you then!

Posted in: fight, mayweather, round, floyd, cotto

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I yam what I yam and that's all what I yam. - Popeye the Sailor The point of Nate Diaz and Jim Miller being the main event of UFC on Fox 3 on Saturday May 5, 2012 is that they are near mortal locks to put on an exciting fight. Both men are highly durable, very energetic and display a savage lust for finishing opportunities, whether by submission or by strikes. The matchmakers and the TV producers are counting on these men to be exactly who they have been in the past, figuring that it will combine for a very competitive and combative affair that makes for truly good sport and entertainment. But who are Nick Diaz and Jim Miller in terms of the ground game? What opportunities will they hunt for and which limbs will they seize against opponents that are similar to the fighter that will stand across from them Saturday night? First, we look at Jim Miller's bout against Mac Danzig at UFC 100 in 2009, before moving through the decision loss to Benson Henderson at UFC Live 5, then lastly at the recent victory over Melvin Guillard at UFC on FX. Then we move to Nate Diaz and his battles with Clay Guida, Joe Stevenson, Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald. Related: Judo Chop: The Southpaw Striking of Jim Miller | Judo Chop: The Unconventional MMA Boxing of Nick and Nate Diaz | Nick Diaz, Daniel Mendoza and the Sweet Science of Bruising | SBN Coverage of UFC on Fox 3 Jim Miller gets some boxing work in. Photo by Esther Lin of MMA Fighting. Miller's Fights Mac Danzig is no slouch on the ground. He is quite good at grappling if most normal measuring sticks - but within the context of elite level MMA, it was shown repeatedly that Mac could be bullied by an opponent with a strong top game. Jim Miller was able to do so, although some close calls threatened to derail his gameplan. Against Danzig, Miller quickly took him down in the first round and looked to pass immediately and stay tight to prevent any submission attempts. Danzig still managed to sweep and hit a guillotine off a takedown launched by Miller just as they stood back up. In the second round, Miller landed a double after a sprawl attempt by Danzig failed. Jim shrugged off a kimura attempt and threw several punches and elbows, trying repeatedly to land left-handed elbows and punches. A late guillotine by Danzig nearly worked, but time ran out in the round before Miller reached his breaking point. In the third round, Miller shot repeatedly with success and Danzig unsuccessfully tried for another guillotine. After a kimura attempt by Mac, Jim took the back and went for his favored rear naked choke (the one he finished Guillard with). Amazingly, Danzig broke free from a locked on choke and reversed Miller to land some punches. At UFC Live on Versus 5, Ben Henderson savaged Jim Miller for the two later rounds after losing the first (in the eyes of most armchair judges). The first round saw Miller essentially do his best impression of a Diaz brother, with a standing arm triangle and back take attempt that saw himself get deposited on the ground before a scramble yielded a standing kimura attempt. Bendo defended well and delivered some mean elbows, but Miller credibly threatened the future lightweight champion at multiple points in the round. A kidney infection on top of accumulated damage caused Miller to continue taking crazy chances over the next two rounds with a kneebar/heel hook combination, which was abandoned after Bendo escaped and started to pour on the strikes to Miller's head. Another kimura attempt failed in the face of the elbows and punches as well. A late mount by Henderson saw Jim covering up and successfully escaping back to the feet, showing commendable resilience and sticking to effective grappling even when hurt or extremely tired. Summation: Jim Miller has a very solid all around game, preferring to work from the top, displaying excellently timed defense to positional improvements by his opponents and scrambles quite well to neutral or advantageous positions. From the bottom, he displays a shrewd sense of how to isolate limbs while keeping the opponent mostly immobile. However, when going for broke, as he did against Henderson, Miller abandons position to hunt after submissions that are going to be very difficult to apply to slippery and smart opponents like Henderson or Nate Diaz. Nate works out for the press and photogs. Photo by Esther Lin of MMA Fighting. Diaz's Fights: The Gray Maynard fight was passed over for this article as very little of that fight took place on the ground and Diaz was largely able to deter an oddly complacent Maynard from working any takedowns with his boxing. Long ago, Nate showed his tendency to offer up his back while hunting hip tosses, kimuras or just plain getting away while battling Clay Guida at UFC 94. He is much better at selecting his opportunities, but it is worth noting that apart from one hammerlock Guida attempted, very little damage to Nate resulted from these tactics. Closer to the present day, the fight against Joe Stevenson at UFC Live on Versus was a terrific display of one fighter being one or two steps ahead of a very attack-minded opponent. Stevenson may be more famous for his Ultimate Fighter days or for his near sacrificial lamb bout against B.J. Penn, but he is a very good submission grappler. Each time Nate went for a kimura or a guillotine, Joe Daddy was defending and looking to improve position. Nate did come close with a guillotine and briefly had mount, but Joe bucked him off and secured his own top position well. An old Judo Chop explains the spladle Joe Daddy used to put Nate in a very uncomfortable position. As a bonus, I dug up a live blog of the Kurt Pellegrino fight done by Luke Thomas: Herb Dean is the ref. Pellegrino gets a quick single leg takedown and gets Nate's back. Diaz eating punches and trying to get up. Pellegrino swings to north-south and back to back control. Crowd chanting DIAZ DIAZ. Kurt puts Nate on his back, in the guard. Landing some shots from the top. Passes guard to side control. Batman is punishing Diaz in the beatdown position but a game Nate fights back to guard. Diaz certainly got his wish for tougher competition. Has a cut open on Nate's head. Diaz givea up his back and looks like he's out on his feet. Pellegrino has head control again, going for a d'arce. Diaz is struggling for a single and now has Kurt pushed against the cage standing. What a gamer! The round ends, I'd score it 10-8 for Pellegrino. Round 2: Feeling each other out on the feet, Pellegrino gets an easy single leg then moves from 1/2 guard to full guard. Rogan is puzzled. Elbows and hammer fists from the top. Diaz trying to get a kimura. Kurt escapes. Nate looking for a guillotine, nothing, goes for an omaplata, nothing. The stand and Diaz gets a good judo throw against the fence but Pellegrino reverses. No Diaz is standing and Pellegrino gets a slam, Diaz has a triangle! What a bad mofo!!!!! Damn Nate Diaz is for real. He took an asswhipping in the first round and comes back to submit Pellegrino! Great performance. Diaz did some great celebrating between locking in the choke and getting the tap. This is a star-making performance in my book. Pellegrino might have been the fighter to damage Nate the most on the ground in his career. Nate again hunted the kimura, guillotine and got a very quick triangle off a slam. Against Kim, Nate was taken down early in the first round by a fast double. While on the ground, Diaz showed some willingness to go for kneebars and the ability to consistently stuff a very good top game grappler's guard pass attempts. Just about every attempt by Kim to hop over a blocking leg was brought back down to the ground. Every positional advancement that Kim enjoyed was due to Nate offering up his back as bait for a kneebar or scramble. An inside trip in the second round secured another takedown for Kim, but little came of it as the elbows and active hips of Nate frustrated Kim again and again. Rory MacDonald has moved into MMA GIF history with his suplexes of Nate Diaz. However, the first of those suplex chains came from an inside trip that didn't exactly work. Nate gave up his back in an attempt to either get away or set up the Diaz brothers staple - the standing kimura roll. The third round suplex came off a failed ankle pick by Diaz, as he knew he was probably down two rounds to none on the judges' scorecards. The suplexes were spectacular, but Rory only got a few punches and elbows from them, as Nate was launching upkicks continuously and fending MacDonald off. The Takanori Gomi fight was rather unusual in that instead of being taken down, Nate was able to leap to the back immediately after dropping Gomi. He was shrugged off as Gomi worked his defenses, but transitioned to an extremely nice armbar/triangle/armbar combination. This combination was so sweet that it made Gomi look clueless on the ground. That is not the case, as Gomi was an ADCC qualifier several times in no gi grappling and being dazed from several punches does not excuse Nate slicing through his defenses like a hot knife through butter. Summation: Nate loves the figure four grip on the far side arm - which is something Dave Camarillo preaches himself - and will use that grip to defend single legs quite well. A very fast double leg can and usually will deposit Nate on his back, but his active hips and nimble feet make it very difficult to pass guard or to avoid the triangle/armbars that he loves to apply. Nate has undeniably improved his grappling since the days of Stevenson and Guida, but the attacking-while-risking-position mentality has never gone away and probably never will. He loves turtling up and rolling for a submission or a re-guard to a triangle or kimura. Prediction Time: Given the propensity for both fighters to work kimuras, it is possible for the top person (likely Miller) to counter a kimura with an armbar. However, I strongly suspect that Miller will come out like Pellegrino did and stay low and tight. I also believe that Miller will avoid slamming Nate down, unless he gets the back, as that triangle/armbar is lethal. As for submitting Nate, Miller's best shot is to take the back off a bait-and-roll and go for the RNC. As the Guillard fight showed, you do not give your back to Jim Miller lightly. Danzig was able to get out, but Miller has only improved since that day. We could see a submission finish in this fight that builds from a counter to a counter, despite the very good positional and striking defense of both fighters. The excitement of the main event should be at an even higher level than it is now for the fighters are who they are - excellent submission grapplers and competent to very good strikers with near endless stamina.

Posted in: diaz, round, miller, nate, jim

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Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller Brent Brookhouse: Miller is too tenacious and too hard to stop to lose this fight. Diaz has better stand-up, but he also is awful about maintaining distance and worse at defensive wrestling. Miller isn't likely to get caught in a dumb submission, and is likely to just work his way to a decision win. Jim Miller by decision. Fraser Coffeen: Maybe I'm wrong here, but I think people are way overrating Diaz. Yes, the Cerrone fight was a good one and Diaz looked good there, but his return to LW has been that fight and a win over the totally shot Gomi. Prior to that, he left LW after being controlled by dominating wrestlers. Which is exactly what's going to happen here. Jim Miller, Decision KJ Gould: Miller willingly goes to his back too much to be considered a dominating wrestler. He's tough, but so is Diaz, and Diaz has the trickier guard and better boxing. He's also probably got a fair reach advantage. Diaz batters Miller to a decision. Nate Diaz by Decision. Ben Thapa: Both fighters love to continuously deal out damage with punches and on the ground, both will hunt for a kimura. However, Diaz is less of a scrambler than Miller and may actually be at a distinct speed disadvantage here. Jim is going to put him down, pass that tricky guard and could latch onto a rear naked choke in the late rounds as Diaz gives up his back fairly often. Jim MIller, submission, Round 4. David Castillo: I'd say Miller is the worst possible matchup for Diaz insofar as you already have a blueprint for this fight: Nate's match against Joe Stevenson. There, Nate basically got outwrestled, and unlike his brother, he's not the explosive submission grappler that Nick is. And Miller is more than capable. Though I suppose it's possible Nate can win on the feet, but I don't take too much from the Cerrone fight: Donald simply looked terrible. Not that it wasn't a great performance, only that I don't think it tells us much. Jim Miller by decision. Dallas Winston: The overwhelming factor here seems to be wrestling. Miller is a legit 3-dimensional talent with striking, wrestling and submissions -- however, wrestling is the key to unlock and implement those other dimensions. If Miller can't put Nate on his back, he'll be relegated to enduring a steady shower of Stockton slaps. Miller's high fight I.Q. will come into play as well, as the timing, set-up and predictability of his takedown attempts will be just as crucial as his actual wrestling prowess, and Nate is more of a brawler than a tactician. I think Miller deserves a close edge but my sentimental side outweighs the balance. Nate Diaz by decision. Tim Burke: Nate Diaz is overrated. There, I said it. It's very easy to point at the Cerrone win and say that he's really good, but those are the types of fighters that Diaz is tailor-made for. He's not all that effective against grinders, and Jim Miller is one of the best grinders in the division. Nate's not gonna keep him on the outside standing, he's not gonna be able to stop the takedown, he's not gonna get into Jim's head, and he's not going to submit Miller from the bottom. This is all MillerBrother. Jim Miller by decision. Staff picking Diaz: KJ, Dallas, StephieStaff picking Miller: Fraser, Brookhouse, David, Thapa, Tim SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3 Johny Hendricks vs. Josh Koscheck Brent Brookhouse: Hendricks isn't exactly a diverse striker, but we know exactly what Koscheck is on the feet. He's an overhand right and little more. Hendricks is also better at dirtying it up and his skills translate better to a fight that is likely to be decided in the stand-up. Johny Hendricks by TKO, round 3. Fraser Coffeen: This is draft #2 of my pick. Draft #1 argued how Hendricks would win, but people were overrating his stand-up and underrating Koscheck's if they thought he was just going to stroll in and knock Kos out. Then I remembered - Kos really doesn't have great defensive stand-up. That's what cost him against Thiago, and that's what allowed Hughes to actually look halfway decent against him. He might try to fight super smart and control Hendricks to a win, but I think he gets caught eventually. Johny Hendricks, KO, R2 KJ Gould: Hendricks is a more accomplished wrestler on paper, Koscheck is a more experienced MMA fighter in actuality. Both throw with mean intentions, but I've honestly never seen Koscheck go for more than an overhand or rear headkick. Hendricks can drop you with much shorter range punches, and providing he hasn't neglected his wrestling for his MMA camps, he can pose a lot of problems for Koscheck who may be in the twilight of his career. Johny Hendricks by KO. Ben Thapa: I do not see Josh Koscheck taking Johny Hendricks down at all. If all Rick Story could do was push Johny up against the cage, I don't see the far less takedown-focused Koscheck sticking with it that long. Josh is going to battle this one out on the feet and that is where it gets tricky. Mike Pierce is the most recent common opponent and he arguably beat them both - Johny was taken down and looked ineffectual in the clinch, while Josh had similar problems. Others here have called Koscheck out for not being that diverse, but he does know how to work his game rather well. Hendricks has much more power in his hands and takedowns, but this is asking him to pick and choose the right moments to employ such power. I do not know if he is indeed ready for that. Going with the younger guy who has a shot of improving his game in the camps rather than refining it. Johny Hendricks, close decision. David Castillo: Tough fight to pick, but I like Hendricks in this one. I realize Koscheck is one dimensional on the feet, but if he makes this fight dirty, I could see him taking Hendricks down enough to convince the judges that half-takedowns are enough similar to how he "won" against Mike Pierce. So I'm tempted to pick Koscheck off a questionable decision, but because I'd prefer to see Hendricks win, I'll go with the arbitrary feeling. Johny Hendricks by TKO, round 2. Dallas Winston: I'd like to respectfully suggest that Koscheck has gotten away with predictable and mediocre striking for way too long. His fall-back was reverting to takedowns and that option will not come easy against Hendricks, though both have been prone to takedowns when committing on combinations. The tight and crisp boxing of Hendricks should allow him to score the higher volume of more effective blows. Koscheck has yet to encounter someone who can match his wrestling, striking, size, strength and agility, plus the only southpaw he's fought is Frank Trigg. The checklist of relevant factors is just too heavy for Hendricks here. Tim Burke: I'm going against the grain. The intangibles lean towards Hendricks - Kos still being worried about his face, and trying something new boxing-wise in the gym might lead to him trying too hard to test it out in a fight. But I still can't shake Hendricks getting outworked by Rick Story. Koscheck is way ahead of Hendricks in MMA wrestling, and he generally fights pretty smart. If he turns it into a grinding dogfight, it's his for the taking. I'm also still pissed off about the Fitch KO. I've never said this before and I'll likely never say it again, but - go Kos. Josh Koscheck by decision. Staff picking Hendricks: Fraser, KJ, Brookhouse, David, Thapa, DallasStaff picking Koscheck: Tim, Stephie Alan Belcher vs. Rousimar Palhares Brent Brookhouse: I really like Belcher here. Palhares is obviously going to go for submissions if he can get this to the ground, but I think Belcher is crafty enough to pick his spots to engage and not allow himself to play Pahares' game. I also think it only takes a few brief minutes of frustration for Palhares to break mentally. Alan Belcher by decision. Fraser Coffeen: This is a tough one for me. Palhares has less wear and tear, and he's a submission machine, whereas Belcher has been mostly sidelined for a long time now and seems to be winding up his career. But the flipside is that Belcher is a smart fighter, and Palhares is not. Toquinho is a bit one dimensional, and if Belcher can avoid that dimension, he can do this. The thing is, that's a hell of a dimension. Got to go with momentum here, but I'm shaky on this one. Rousimar Palhares, Decision KJ Gould: Palhares by being a human beartrap. Rousimar Palhares by Heelhook Submission. Ben Thapa: Belcher flat out destroyed Jason MacDonald last September. He looked amazing there - but he has never had to face an opponent who chases leglocks so relentlessly and from such odd angles. Rousimar has lots of trap cards to activate. In a Judo Chop, I took a look at Palhares's unusual set-ups and how he used those to catch Mike Massenzio, a black belt and good grappler in his own right, in a heelhook. The same is going to happen to Belcher. He can drill all the leglock escapes he wants, but the set-ups are so unusual and unexpected that one of them is going to allow Blanka to catch Belcher. Rousimar Palhares, submission, Round 2. David Castillo: Belcher is like Marquardt-lite, so I could see Palhares, for all of his heel hooking gifts, get worked since he has very little to offer on the feet. On top of that, I agree with Brent: I don't think Rousimar is mentally unstable (not that he hasn't proven that time and time again), and I could see him getting frustrated. Belcher's not some proven commodity, as I don't consider him a top MW (I'll never be able to shake the image of him getting thrashed by Kendall Grove), but I think his style is enough to take the tree stump. Alan Belcher by Decision. Dallas Winston: I think the unpredictable creativity of Palhares will be huge here. Belcher has phenomenal takedown defense and balance when striking and, considering Toquinho's lack of wrestling pedigree, should be able to stave off traditional attempts to work subs. Palhares, however, is anything but traditional and excels through a seething hatred for the human leg. I see Palhares having a puncher's chance to pull off some unorthodox submission attempt at any time but also exposing himself to Belcher's killer straight right in the process. Alan Belcher by TKO. Tim Burke: I can't remember the last time such a high-level bout had such a low fight IQ between the two fighters. Both of these guys find ways to lose fights they should be more competitive in, but who is going to blink first? I honestly don't think Belcher is smart enough to stay away from Palhares. Toquinho's wrestling is underrated, and Belcher's whole game (apart from technical muay thai) is overrated. Stumpy's taking another leg home. Rousimar Palhares by submission, round 2. Staff picking Belcher: Brookhouse, David, Dallas, StephieStaff picking Palhares: Fraser, KJ, Thapa, Tim Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson Brent Brookhouse: Johnson is bragging about how he has no intention to wrestle and will let submissions go if he has them because he wants to bang. To me, that indicates that he's coming in with the gameplan of fighting exactly like Barry wants and that means he loses. Pat Barry by TKO, round 2. Fraser Coffeen: Barry's problem has long been his Fight IQ, but he seems to have that under control lately. He's a superior technical striker to Johnson, who doesn't have the all around game to counteract that. If Barry plays smart, he's got this. Pat Barry, KO, R1 KJ Gould: Pat Barry is a more technical, arguably more powerful and definitely more experienced striker. Slowly but surely he's filling in the holes in his game through wrestling at Brock Lesnar's Death Clutch gym, and his ground game with BJJ ace Rodrigo ‘Comprido ‘ Medeiros. Johnson is a big, powerful guy out of AKA, and a natural athlete from his college football days. I just don't think he's refined enough to hang with Barry on the feet, and Barry is less a fish out of water on the mat these days. Pat Barry by KO. Ben Thapa: Lavar Johnson will make this as much like Kongo/Barry as possible once the exchanges start getting serious. There will be little defense from either man and punch-fist bombs are going to land on faces. I suspect that the ability of Christian Morecraft to land on Barry does not bode well for Barry's chances of winning this brawl. Both fighters are eminently likable, with Barry being easily one of the most relaxed and humorous people to interact with anywhere in the sport, but Lavar has more natural power in his hands than Pat does. I predict that they come out cautious and then pick it up towards the end of the first, while finishing things in the second either way. I call Johnson, KO, Round 2. David Castillo: Easy fight to pick. Pat Barry will only lose fights where he's either overzealous, or ends up on the ground. Johnson isn't skilled enough to capitalize on those weaknesses. Pat Barry by TKO. Tim Burke: Barry loses fights all the time. He's still getting submitted by Mirko Cro Cop in the gym. While he is technically superior and his leg kicks could very well be the difference, Johnson throws bombs and his boxing is better than he's getting credit for. No one's taking this to the ground, and Johnson's gonna knock out Barry on the feet. Lavar Johnson by knockout, round 1. Dallas Winston: Johnson made an intelligent change in style and stance against Beltran. Instead of squaring up and looping left hooks to set up his monster right hand, he adopted a closed stance to lengthen his jab (81" reach), crept forward more cautiously and waited until Beltran was cornered before bringing the thunder. Though a small and subtle adjustment, it definitely maximized his strengths and showed that he's evolving beyond the role of a primitive brawler. Barry has spent his entire UFC career finagling a way to use his quickness and footwork to dart in and out range without absorbing punishment from a larger and longer striker. He'll probe with leg kicks and commit hard to them when he's able, switch from orthodox to southpaw and mix up the angles he uses on the way in and out. Johnson has only been stopped by strikes once and 3 rounds is a long time to connect, but I think Barry's speed and footwork will prevail. Pat Barry by decision. Staff picking Barry: Fraser, KJ, Brookhouse, David, DallasStaff picking Johnson: Thapa, Tim, Stephie Anthony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson Brent Brookhouse: Johnson is really inconsistent and it makes it hard to really get a read on him. Ferguson doesn't strike me as a world beater, but he's a very capable fighter and certainly seems to be that level ahead of Johnson. Tony Ferguson by TKO, round 3. KJ Gould: Tony Ferguson has more upside than Michael Johnson as far as TUF alumni's go. He also has a killer instinct that has been missing from a lot of TUF contestants in seasons past, and Johnson doesn't really have that same mentality. I think Ferguson beats up Johnson pretty easily. Ferguson by TKO. Ben Thapa: I rather like this fight. Johnson beat the decision win out of Shane Roller (who was fighting on short notice) in his last outing and Ferguson took a decision from Yves Edwards. They are on roughly the same plane and match up evenly in most areas. I have a hunch that Johnson ducks under the wilder punches of Ferguson and grinds out at least two rouds. Michael Johnson, decision. David Castillo: I think this is a very competitive fight if Johnson fights like he's capable of. However, Ferguson is tough enough to break down Johnson. While his striking is a bit sloppy (ok, very), it's still incredibly effective. And he throws from a variety of angles. And Johnson may or may have his cardio in check. Tony Ferguson by Decision. Tim Burke: I think that Ferguson is clearly the better, more well-rounded fighter. He's not going to have a huge advantage on the feet, but it'll be enough. The obvious solution to Michael Johnson is get him on the ground, but Ferguson is probably not quite capable of that. El Cucuy is one of the few TUF winners I'm interested in though, and this should be a good evaluation of his improvement. Tony Ferguson by decision. Dallas Winston: Perceptive note from Thapa, as Johnson has been matched with grapplers who've forced him into a defensive-striking mode where Ferguson has been paired with strikers who are willing to stand and trade with no threat of takedowns. Johnson's boxing has been looking laser-straight and ultra-crisp and Ferguson's penchant for torquing wide-sailing hooks from the waist leaves him vulnerable for counters. Yves Edwards, who's still a phenomenal striker, used precision and quickness to find holes, and I think Johnson can replicate that strategy -- though do so with more size and the added threat of his wrestling. I think this one's razor-thin but, regardless of the differences in competition, I like Ferg here for his rugged chin, huge power, strong wrestling and overall gameness. Tony Ferguson by decision. Staff picking Ferguson: Fraser, KJ, Brookhouse, David, Tim, Dallas, StephieStaff picking Johnson: Thapa John Dodson vs. Tim Elliott KJ Gould: It's hard to gauge how good Flyweight fighters are because of the newness of the weight class to the UFC. Unless they were standouts at Bantamweight or Featherweight, a lot of it is up in the air as far as predictions go. We're familiar with Dodson from winning his season of TUF, and he's more experienced than Elliot, though Elliot is on more of a win streak and has a win over Jens Pulver on his resume (which unfortunately for Lil Evil, means very little these days). i'm going to go what we're familiar with, and Dodson has performed under UFC's bright lights before so that might serve him well. Dodson by KO. David Castillo: Elliot's a decent fighter (fluid on the ground, but workmanlike standup), but I'm a believer when it comes to John Dodson. I don't think he's elite, but he's incredibly talented, and his undeniable power will be the difference in this fight. John Dodson by TKO. Ben Thapa: I agree with David above. Dodson should be able to out-talent Elliot at this stage in their careers. Tim Burke: I'm not as high on Dodson as everyone else, but he's better than Elliott. John Dodson by TKO, round 2. Dallas Winston: If I were Dodson, I would have held off on dropping weight because his combination of blinding quickness and wrestling made for an imposing bantamweight and he could always fall back on dropping after a loss. Either way, Elliott is a good wrestler with stiff boxing, but Dodson's freakish quickness will still be unmatchable. John Dodson by TKO. Staff picking Dodson: Fraser, KJ, Brookhouse, David, Thapa, Tim, Dallas, StephieStaff picking Elliott: John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss KJ Gould: Krauss may have a submission heavy record, but who has he faced? Hathaway has surprised many with his athleticism from his Rugby days, and his wrestling ability honed at London Shootfighters. He also has wins over Diego Sanchez and Rick Story, with his sole loss coming at the hands of the crafty Mike Pyle. Injury has kept Hathaway out of action for a while, and this clearly seems to be a bounce-back fight for him. it's his fight to lose. Hathaway by Decision. David Castillo: Hathaway will never be as good as the wins on his record indicate, but that's not to say he isn't a decent fighter. Krauss will need to get this fight on the ground, although he's competent enough on the feet to make this a grinding, ugly fight (Hathaway doesn't do any one thing particularly well). Still, all things being equal, the better athlete usually wins, and Hathaway is the better athlete. Hathaway by decision. Tim Burke: I used to be quite high on Hathaway at one time, but it's become clear that his wrestling isn't elite. He had trouble with Kris McCray of all people. That being said, I severely doubt that Krauss can get his game going against Hathaway, and it should be a pretty easy win for the Brit. It'll probably be pretty boring though. John Hathaway by decision. Ben Thapa: Hathaway has a solid ability to put some knees on people and to catch them at exactly the right times to break their rhythm. Krauss has not fought the level of opponents that Hathaway has, but he has done something rather crucial - he beat almost all of them quickly and with finishes. I suspect that the decision against Scanlon came from a bit of Octagon jitters and despite the layoff, I believe Krauss will display his better natural talent for this fightin' thing and take out Hathaway with a guillotine. Krauss, submission, Round 2. Dallas Winston: It's odd but Hathaway really seems to have a rugby base. That, along with his length, diversity and natural instincts, has been surprisingly effective. I think this is a situation for his overall proficiency but absent specialization will come to light. Krauss is a technical boxer with strong wrestling, so I see Hathaway's reach being the biggest obstacle to overcome. Barring ring-rust or after-effects from his injuries, Krauss should revivify his rep here. Pascal Krauss by decision. Staff picking Hathaway: Fraser, Brookhouse, David, Tim, StephieStaff picking Krauss: Thapa, Dallas Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker David Castillo: Gaudinot has proven his toughness before, but he's gonna have have his hands full with the wild, heavy handed Lineker. Unless Lineker tires himself out throwing windmills, perhaps Louis can capitalize, but I don't think that's what we'll see. John Lineker by TKO, round 3. Tim Burke: Lineker throws bombs. Gaudinot eats bombs. This will be fun and will go a while, but eventually Lineker will get the W. John Lineker by TKO, round 2. Ben Thapa: This is my upset pick for Fight of the Night, over Barry/Johnson. Flyweights come to this game with the serious stuff. Lineker should have been the fourth entry into the flyweight mini-tournament a while ago over Urushitani. Gaudinot is entertaining, but eventually, he will succumb to the big strikes fo Lineker in the closing round. John Lineker, KO, Round 3. Dallas Winston: Gaudinot had a good rep coming into TUF as the Ring of Combat flyweight champion, but the fact that he's only 7-fights deep and yet to impress at the top-level makes this an easy pick for Lineker, who is a mean and brutal boxer with something to prove. Staff picking Gaudinot:Staff picking Lineker: Fraser, KJ, Brookhouse, David, Tim, Thapa, Dallas, Stephie Danny Castillo vs. John Cholish David Castillo: Despite some odd performances every now and then, I don't think you can deny that Danny Castillo is a talented fighter, but Cholish is scrappy enough to make this fight competitive, especially late. It's not a confident pick, but I think Castillo rips the early guillotine. Danny Castillo by submision, round 2. Ben Thapa: Castillo picking Castillo to win? Noooot a surprise at all. Unfortunately, he is wrong about what will happen. Cholish is a newcomer to the elite MMA scene, but is sneaky good with getting his takedowns or rolling kneebars. He might be the best finisher that Castillo has ever fought and despite his oddly stiff gait, I see Cholish actually putting Last Call out with some punches. Tim Burke: There are few things I dislike more than Last Call. The fighter and the literal meaning. Cholish is one of those newbies that won't get the respect he deserves till he beats someone of note. This is that time. John Cholish by submission, round 2. Dallas Winston: I don't know why but I've come to appreciate Castillo's tenacity and ruggedness; perhaps because he reminds me of a young Eugene Jackson when winging those nasty hooks. I think Cholish is a sleeper who can hang with Castillo in the wrestling department and has slightly tighter striking and a clear submission advantage. This is a coin-flip for me but the diversity of Cholish sways my vote. John Cholish by submission. Staff picking Castillo: Fraser, KJ, Brookhouse, David, StephieStaff picking Cholish: Thapa, Tim, Dallas Dennis Bermudez vs. Pablo Garza Fraser Coffeen: Bermudez is a lot of fun, but he's reckless. Garza should be able to keep focused, stay on target, and capitalize on Bermudez's style to catch him. I expect this will be short but action-packed. Pablo Garza, Submission, R1 Ben Thapa: We are jinxing this by saying it will end early. Garza loves throwing up the early submissions and often gets them, but I'm not sure his style is one that matches up with Bermudez's well. I suspect that this is going to be a scramblefest for the first round, while settling into sporadic stand-up engagements for the rest of the other two rounds. There, I pick the taller, longer Garza to win those engagements. Pablo Garza, decision. David Castillo: If Bermudez were taller, I'd take him, but he's not. Garza is relatively calculated, and a talented grappler to boot whereas Bermudez can only hope to force a slugfest which Pablo won't fall for. I consider it a miracle Dennis even made it to the TUF finals. Hell, even his fight to get into the house was a nightmare for him. Pablo Garza by submission. Tim Burke: I'm completely shocked that Garza is the underdog in this. Bermudez just isn't really that good. While Garza isn't going to win the title anytime soon, he's slick and should have little problem submitting Bermudez. Pablo Garza by sub, round 2. Dallas Winston: Garza has been so difficult to get a read on, what with the sub-loss to Zhang, decision to Michael Johnson on TUF and highlight-reel finishes by way of flying knee and flying triangle. He's a rangy fella with devastating Thai skills at close range and I'll take unpolished talent and inconsistency over a shorter fighter with a knack for eating punches. Pablo Garza by TKO. Staff picking Bermudez: KJ, BrookhouseStaff picking Garza: Fraser, David, Thapa, Tim, Dallas, Stephie Roland Delorme vs. Nick Denis David Castillo: Delorme looked fluid and composed in his last fight, but his competition wasn't exactly stellar. Denis should find the openings and land hard shots. Who knows, maybe he even scores another elbow combination knockout. Nick Denis by TKO, round 2. Tim Burke: This isn't gonna be the cakewalk for the Ninja of Love that some think. Delorme is a good grappler and if he can get Nick off his feet, it's going to be interesting. I still think Denis will get the KO though. Canada wins either way, so I'm good. Nick Denis by TKO, round 2. Ben Thapa: Canadians will never win with those beer prices. Denis looked nigh upon unstoppable in his last outing (22 second KO victory), but it is unlikely that Delorme falls victim to the same gong and dash style. Denis should be able to work several nice standing strikes in as Delorme hunts a takedown and I predict that we see a rather nice KO. Nick Denis, KO, Round 1. Dallas Winston: Delorme is slick on the mat but the necessity of clinching up to work his Judo for takedowns will be a tough aspect. Denis is an absolute madman on the feet and a brilliant finisher who should be able to emply Cuddle-Jitsu to survive on the ground if Delorme gets him there. Nick Denis by TKO. Staff picking Delorme:Staff picking Denis: Fraser, KJ, Brookhouse, David, Tim, Thapa, Dallas, Stephie Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola Fraser Coffeen: I know a lot of people are not impressed by Massenzio, and I admit, he's not fantastic. But he has shown good moments, particularly his win over Cantwell. Meanwhile, Vemola's only UFC win is over Seth Petruzelli. SETH PETRUZELLI. Come on, that's not an impressive credential. He's also dropping down too far in my opinion, and he's never exactly been a cardio machine. Only question is, can Massenzio close the show? I suspect so. Mike Massenzio, KO, R2 David Castillo: Vemola is gonna do what he usually does: attempt slams, and wing wild right hands. Then gas. Massenzio will weather the inconsistent storm, and take a comfortable decision. Mike Massenzio by decision. Tim Burke: I think Mike Massenzio is a mid-tier UFC middleweight. I think Karlos Vemola should be fighting bears in KSW. 185 is too much for Vemola, and Massenzio is smart enough to play his game. Mike Massenzio by decision. Ben Thapa: Massenzio has fought far better opponents than Vemola and has acquitted himself pretty well. Mike should quickly shove Karlos to the ground and start whaling away at him until the referee stops it. Mike Massenzio, KO, Round 1. Dallas Winston: Massenzio seems to be hitting his stride after the Cantwell fight and getting comfortable plying his wrestling and boxing together. We all know what to expect from Vemola and I'm quite skeptical about his endurance after shrinking his once-heavyweight frame down to middleweight proportions. Mike Massenzio by decision. Staff picking Massenzio: Fraser, KJ, , David, Tim, Thapa, Dallas, Stephie, DallasStaff picking Vemola:

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Horrible timing is having Akihiro Gono, Ben Saunders, and Cosmo Alexandre all fighting two hours away from your house and not being there to see it. However, I suppose I have a good reason. I’m on vacation in sunny Puerto Rico!!!! Well, that’s not true. Actually, I’ve been moving, and have no internet access, so I’ve put together an abbreviated version of my Bellator 67 breakdown, sent to the site via carrier pigeon. Preliminary Card: Nathan Gunn defeats Dom O’Grady via TKO Round 2 Nordine Taleb defeats Matt MacGrath via Unanimous Decision Cosmo Alexander defeats Lorawnt-T Nelson via TKO Round 1 David “Bo” Harris defeats Nick Kirk via Unanimous Decision Matt Veal defeats Will Romero via Unanimous Decision Main Card: Damian Grabowski (15-1) vs. Dave Huckaba (17-4) Grabowski is once beaten, and he’ll remain so when he takes out Huckaba. Winner – Damian Grabowski defeats Dave Huckaba via Submission Round 1 Ryan Ford (17-4) vs. Luis Santos (50-7-1) This is a great fight. I like Ford quite a bit, but, I just don’t seem him coming through here. Winner – Luis Santos defeats Ryan Ford via Unanimous Decision Ben Saunders (13-4-2) vs. Bryan Baker (17-3) Both of these men had a rough go of things in the quarterfinals, so this fight might just absolutely suck. I’m optimistic though, a good fight, with Saunders walking away with the win. Winner – Ben Saunders defeats Bryan Baker via TKO Round 3 Michael Chandler (9-0) vs. Akihiro Gono (32-17-7) Gono has seen it all in the cage, but Chandler is just a new breed of fighter and he should absolutely run through Gono. Winner – Michael Chandler defeats Akihiro Gono via TKO Round 2 Not much of a breakdown this week, but I’m confident that you’re all badass MMA fans, and all you care about are awesome fights. As always, Bellator airs live on Spike.com at 7:00 PM EST with some preliminary bouts with the main card going live at 8:00 on MTV 2, TheScore.com in Canada, or on Spike.com. Enjoy the fights! PHOTO CREDIT – BELLATOR

Posted in: fight, round, defeat, saunder, gono

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Bellator Fighting Championships returns TONIGHT (May 4, 2012) to Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario, Canada with the continuation of the welterweight tournament and a big non-title fight. MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of Bellator 67 below, beginning with the MTV2 telecast at 8 p.m. ET. In addition, we'll deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the undercard action much earlier in the evening (beginning at 7:00 p.m.). Headlining the main event will be a lightweight non-title bout as undefeated (9-0) Bellator 155-pound champion Michael Chandler takes on Japanese Pride, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and DREAM veteran Akihiro Gono. Also on the card is a Bellator season six welterweight tournament semifinal fight between former tournament finalists Bryan Baker and Ben Saunders in a fight that expects to bring some serious violence. There are also two potential tournament qualifier fights on the main card as heavyweights Damian Grabowski and Dave Huckaba will duke it out while welterweights Ryan Ford and Luis Santos will battle. Check out complete Bellator 67 live results after the jump (beginning at 5 p.m. ET): Main card 155 lbs.: Michael Chandler vs. Akihiro Gono 170 lbs.: Ben Saunders vs. Bryan Baker265 lbs.: Damian Grabowski vs. Dave Huckaba 170 lbs.: Ryan Ford vs. Luis Santos Preliminary card (Spike.com) 180 lbs.: Nordine Taleb vs. Matt MacGrath 145 lbs.: Will Romero vs. Matt Veal 135 lbs.: Nick Kirk vs. David Harris 155 lbs.: Cosmo Alexandre vs. Lorawnt Nelson170 lbs.: Nathan Gunn vs. Dom O'Grady Adam here! 155 lbs.: Michael Chandler vs. Akihiro Gono Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 170 lbs.: Ben Saunders vs. Bryan Baker Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 265 lbs.: Damian Grabowski vs. Dave Huckaba Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 170 lbs.: Ryan Ford vs. Luis Santos Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end-

Posted in: bellator, result, round, vs, lb

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Here we go again! We're back with another contest thanks to our friends at Round 5, the high end retailer responsible for mixed martial arts' most recognizable collectible figurines and merchandise. What's on the line this time? None other than the entire "Ultimate Collector" Series 9, which is anchored by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and PRIDE legend Don Frye, commemorating his championship run through the David and Goliath Tournament staged at UFC VIII. That's not all. Series 9 also includes the meanest mug in the game, Nick Diaz, along with the homie he ain't scared of, Jason "Mayhem" Miller. Rounding out the collection is hard-hitting middleweight Chris Leben and UFC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson. What do you have to do to win? It's simple ... follow us after the jump for complete details. In addition to his unforgettable fights, Don Frye has also had his share of unforgettable media appearances throughout his career. In fact, there may be too many to count over the last decade. That's where you come in. STEP ONE: Become a FAN at the official ROUND 5 FACEBOOK Fan Page by clicking here OR follow it on Twitter if you don't already by clicking here. STEP TWO: Share your favorite and/or wildest Don Frye anecdote, quote, video, memory or story (with links) in the comments section below, including the impact it's had (if any) on the history, progression and/or forum thread humor of MMA. Simple enough -- but be sure to get your answers in as soon as possible -- the contest ends at Noon ET on Mon., May 7, 2012. One submission per Maniac; therefore, make it count. Good luck! To see more from Round 5 including their incredible line-up of figurines and collectibles click here.

Posted in: ufc, round, championship ufc, pride legend, video memory

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Pic: Round 5 celebrates its "Ultimate Collector" Series 9 release with the limited edition debut of UFC and PRIDE veteran Don Frye, including his iconic mustache and American flag shorts. An exclusive UFC edition, limited to 750 pieces, commemorates Frye's championship run through the David and Goliath Tournament staged at UFC VIII and comes individually numbered and wrapped in retro packaging that features an autograph from "The Predator" on the back. Be on the lookout for another epic contest giveaway from MMAmania.com and Round 5 in the coming days, where you can win the entire series. Stay tuned!

Posted in: ufc, round, edition debut, ufc edition, goliath tournament

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Two of the most entertaining and violent heavyweights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will duke it out this Saturday night (May 5, 2012) as kickboxer Pat Barry takes on heavy-handed Lavar Johnson in the opening bout of the UFC on FOX 3 main card in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Barry has long been regarded as one of the most lethal strikers in the UFC, earning all four of his victories in the promotion with his hands and feet. The ground game has been his kryptonite, but he's got nothing to fear in that department with his upcoming opponent, Lavar Johnson, who will only be looking to knock his block off. Johnson might have the most powerful hands in all of mixed martial arts (MMA). He's never been to a decision and has won via strikes in 15 of his 16 career victories. He's going to be looking to land flush on Barry and he knows that if he could knock out Joey Beltran in his UFC debut, "Big" can knock out anyone in this entire division. Will Barry's technical striking skill be too much for Johnson? Can "Big" Johnson find a home for that lethal right hand and potentially end this fight with one blow? What's the key to victory for both heavyweights on Saturday night? Let's find out: Pat Barry Record: 7-4 overall, 4-4 in the UFC Key Wins: Christian Morecraft (UFC on FX), Joey Beltran (UFC Fight for the Troops 2), Antoni Hardonk (UFC 104) Key Losses: Stefan Struve (UFC on Versus 6), Cheick Kongo (UFC on Versus 5), Mirko Filipovic (UFC 115) How he got here: Pat Barry got his start in kickboxing and Sanshao. He competed in the striking arts for nearly six years on the international level before finally making the transition to mixed martial arts in 2008. After fighting professionally for seven months, he was already making his UFC debut against Dan Evenson that same year, winning violently with leg kicks in the first round. Barry would suffer his first defeat against Tim Hague, showcasing his serious lack of a ground game in the process but rebounded nicely against veteran kickboxer and former training partner Antoni Hardonk with a TKO victory at UFC 104. He would fight his former hero Mirko Filipovic at UFC 115 and despite dropping the Pride legend twice in the first round, eventually succumbed to a rear naked choke in round three. Barry rebounded with a dominant performance against the hard-headed Joey Beltran earlier this year and was moments away from finishing French kickboxer Cheick Kongo in the UFC on Versus 5 main event before suffering a stunning knockout of his own, the first of his career. His rebound fight was against Stefan Struve, a man over a foot taller than him. Barry hung with "The Skyscraper" for over half the fight but was eventually put into a triangle choke and despite an impressive powerbomb, he was forced to tap. He was potentially fighting for his job against Christian Morecraft the last time out, but showcased some improved submission defense, escaping a precarious position to knock the big man out in the first round. How he gets it done: Barry has some terrific kickboxing skills, and if he wants to win this fight, he's got two options. The first is to keep his distance and work his technical advantages with kicks, feints and set-ups. The second option is to test his improving ground skills by surprising Johnson and putting him on the ground. Barry's done this before against opponents with no ground game, taking down Antoni Hardonk and beating him up on the canvas. Don't be surprised if he tries it again here as Johnson has one of the worst ground games of any fighter in the UFC. When the bout is standing, expect to see Barry try to just destroy Johnson's legs and body with kicks. The more blows he can land early, the slower Johnson will be and the less "oomph" he's going to have in his lethal hands. He needs to avoid brawling or letting Johnson close the distance in the clinch at all costs. Lavar Johnson Record: 16-5 overall, 1-0 in the UFC Key Wins: Joey Beltran (UFC on FOX 2), Virgil Zwicker (Strikeforce Challengers 11) Key Losses: Shawn Jordan (Strikeforce Challenges 20), Shane del Rosario (Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva) How he got here: A big, powerful athlete, Lavar Johnson was a former standout football player, getting into MMA at 26 years old. Despite an early setback in his debut against Doug Marshall, "Big" Johnson would bounce back in a huge way, winning his next eight fights, all by stoppage and all but one being ended in the first round. After an injury suffered mid-fight took away over two years of his career, Johnson finally returned, blasting five straight opponents with five first round knockouts. He would be sidelined in 2009 after getting shot in the abdomen at a family reunion, but surprisingly returned to action just nine months later, scoring a second round knockout against Lolohea Mahe. Johnson crushed Virgil Zwicker in just over two minutes, but he would have issues dealing with the wrestling and submission games of his next two opponents, who both took advantage of his lack of ground game by scoring submissions against him. Despite a two fight losing streak, Johnson made his UFC debut this past January where he did the impossible, stopping Joey Beltran via strikes for the first time in "The Mexicutioner's" career and sending him down to 205 pounds. With that victory, he earned a shot on the big stage this weekend. How he gets it done: Johnson doesn't have the best technique, but good god almighty does he have power! He's never gone to a decision in his career and that's for good reason. All it takes is a one big shot and no one can stand in his way, not even the infamous iron chin of Joey Beltran. Johnson can't out kickbox Pat Barry so he needs to do what worked in his last fight, which is to close the distance, get inside, even though he has a bigger reach, and work his uppercuts. Johnson has the most powerful uppercut I've ever seen and Check Kongo was able to knock Barry out with a hook/uppercut combination last year so it's definitely doable. The uglier and less technical that Johnson can make this fight, the better odds he has of winning it. He absolutely should not sit back and try to use his reach advantage or he'll get his legs, body and potentially his head kicked to high heaven. Fight X-Factor: The X-Factor for this fight is simply technique vs. power. Pat Barry is definitely the more technical striker, likely able to land better counters, use footwork, throw more diverse strikes and can hurt his opponent from all kinds of angles while Johnson is much more obvious in his efforts to land that huge fight-ending uppercut. Both have their merits, but whoever is able to impose their will, whether it be Barry trying to keep his distance and turn this into more of a violent sparring session or Johnson trying to turn it into a life-and-death brawl, that is likely the biggest factor in determining the outcome of the fight. Bottom Line: This fight is tailor-made for entertainment. The second that UFC on FOX 2 ended with a boring night of decisions, this was the first fight booked for the UFC on FOX 3 event and with reason. Pat Barry has one decision in his career (against the iron chinned Beltran) while Johnson has zero. This fight is not going to go all three rounds. Both men are too powerful and dangerous for that to happen. This is going to be violent. It could last 10 minutes or 10 seconds, but someone is going go down, plain and simple. Excitement potential: guaranteed. Who will come out on top at UFC on FOX 3? Tell us your predictions in the comments below! Poll Which heavyweight will reign supreme on Saturday night in the opening bout of the UFC on FOX 3 main card? Pat Barry Lavar Johnson   5 votes | Results

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, johnson, barry

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Former Strikeforce 135 pound champion Marloes Coenen (20-5) showed no rust after a turbulent nine months away from the cage. Coenen headlined Invicta FC's first event with France's Romy Ruyssen (5-2) from the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. The fight was a rematch of an August 2008 won by Coenen via second round rear naked choke. Coenen dominated the three round fight over Ruyssen with strikes and timely takedowns. It was Coenen's first fight outside of Strikeforce since January 2009 and all three judges scored the fight 30-26 in favor of her. The undercard of the all female promotion was stacked with top ten fighters and prospects. Bellator vet Jessica Penne (9-1) and Lisa Ellis (14-8) fought in a bloody three round battle at 105 pounds. Penne stopped Ellis with punches after the Washington state fighter gave up her back and suffered a broken nose. The 29 year old Penne has won seven of her nine pro fights via stoppage or submission. 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Randi Miller (1-0) made her highly anticipated debut versus Missouri's Mollie Estes (1-1). After Estes battered Miller with knees and strikes on the feet, the Olympian took over in rounds in two and three. Miller landed a takedown in round three and finished Estes with heavy ground n' pound at the 3:27 mark. The 28 year old Miller will continue her MMA career as a 145 pound featherweight. Invicta FC 1 resultsKansas City, KSMarloes Coenen def. Romy Ruyssen via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)Jessica Penne def. Lisa Ellis via TKO (punches) 2:48 R3Liz Carmouche def. Ashleigh Curry via TKO 1:58 R1Kaitlin Young vs. Leslie Smith ruled a split draw (29-28, 28-29, 29-29)Sarah D'Alelio def. Vanessa Mariscal via submission punches 3:19 R2Sarah Schneider def. Sally Krumdiack via submission armbar 3:01 R1Amy Davis def. Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc via submission kimura 3:47 R2Sarah Maloy def. Michele Gutierrez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)Randi Miller def. Mollie Estes via TKO (punches) 3:27 R3Ashley Cummings def. Sofia Bagherdai via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)Cassie Rodish def. Meghan Wright via submission guillotine choke 0:36 R1

Posted in: fight, round, submission, miller, coenen

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This week on UFC The Ultimate Fighter Live, we were treated to another very entertaining fight in the opening round, albeit one that was somewhat tarnished by some questionable judging. But we'll get to that fight in a minute, because in many ways, the fight took a backseat to this week's guest judge - Strikeforce champion Ronda Rousey. It would have been easy for the whole Rousey segment to come off poorly, and at a few moments, it was in danger of getting too weird, with a bit too much drooling and "A woman in the TUF house!" vibe. But ultimately, this was a great segment that really highlighted how TUF can work well. Dominick Cruz brought in Rousey to show his team some throws from her impressive Judo repertoire. And those throws were intense. In her fights, it's clear she has a wide range of techniques, but this footage emphasized just how good she was with these throws. I seriously could watch an hour of just her teaching and demonstrating throws - great stuff. That was cut together with testimonials from the fighters about how badass she is, which, when combined with the training footage, came across as sincere and not pandering. If Strikeforce wants to keep pushing Women's MMA, Rousey is the key, and this was the perfect way to increase her exposure to the larger UFC audience. She came across as likeable, super talented, and a bit scary. A perfect way to use the show to build someone up. Once Rousey left, we focused on Sam Sicilia vs. Chris Saunders. Like I said, this was an entertaining fight, but the judging left many scratching their heads. After the second round, two judges gave Saunders the nod 20-18, while one went 20-18 Sicilia. Dana White post-fight praised the action, but said he saw it even after 2, which is how I had it as well. It's a TUF fight, so I'm not going to get crazy indignant here, but I did find all 3 scores off-base. Giving Saunders round 2 is bizarre - he clearly was getting hit more and fading as it went on. A third round may have gone Sicilia's way. As for round 1, some are arguing that it should go to Sicilia, but I say no based on the big headkick from Saunders. Maybe it's the kickboxing fan in me, but as I see it, one near KO trumps a round of back-and-forth, no matter who had a small advantage in that back-and-forth. I am curious to hear other thoughts here. How did you score it? Other thoughts: Man, Faber loves the shoulder rub after giving his pre-fight pep talk. It was more subtle this week, but he goes for it every time. Speaking of which, the less said about Team Alpha Male squirting oil all over each other while jumping around in their underwear the better. The guys were horribly awkward around Rousey in the house, but that was much better than being horrible douche-y, so props to them. Cruz describes Faber by saying he's nothing but overhand rights and guillotines, which is an interesting idea that I must think about more. I'll be curious to see how next week is structured. Will we get the first two quarter-finals announced? Or will we have to wait until the next week to find out? Sam Sicilia vs. Chris Saunders: Putting aside the judging issue, this was a fun fight, and for the second week, TUF showed the kind of scrappy war you want from the show. Saunders was more technical, but I didn't like how he faded in round 2. That, combined with his win in the prelims, makes me a bit concerned about his ability to pace himself over 3 rounds. The more I think about it, the more I think Sicilia really lost out here. He was definitely gaining momentum through round 2, and a 3rd round could have closed the deal for him. Now, he's in a must win situation for the finale if he hopes to stick around. Mike Rio vs. Andy Ogle: Our last opening round fight, and a tough one for Ogle. Rio's wrestling is good, and I'm not sure that I see a path to an Ogle victory at the moment. I like Ogle, but a Rio win puts us at 4-4 in the quarter-finals, which I kind of prefer. Check back Friday for more details. Poll How did you score Sicilia vs. Saunders after round 2? 20-18 Saunders 20-18 Sicilia 19-19 Draw Other   22 votes | Results

Posted in: fight, round, saunder, rousey, sicilia

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BloodyElbow.com was on deck at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, Philippines, where the Universal Reality Combat Championship's (URCC) 21st major event was held. It was a long and fun night of fights, so let's get right down to a quick recap and analysis. Headlining the event was Froilan Sarenas, the reigning URCC Middleweight (179 lbs.) Champion, who moved up in weight and took on Nicholas Mann, the current URCC Light Heavyweight (189 lbs.) Champion in a Super-Fight. While both fighters have been trying to round up their overall MMA game, there were clear advantages each competitor had over the other, and this was prevalent on the fight. Sarenas, a top notch grappler from Submission Sport Philippines, usually takes opponents down from the clinch, but when he couldn't buck the much bigger fighter, it became his downfall. Mann defended well in the clinch, forcing Sarenas to stand with the better striker from Hybrid Yaw Yan (a Filipino Martial Art). This was the case for majority of the fight, and it earned the Australian an impressive and well deserved decision victory. Also on the card, the duo from Team Buffet in Mark Striegl and Will Chope both picked up impressive victories. The Filipino-American fighter in Striegl came in on very short notice, but still imposed his game against Alcer Lozada. He got several takedowns and dominated on the ground until he eventually landed a huge knee that dropped Lozada and locked in a rear naked choke. Striegl, a high level grappler, who is one of the fastest rising stars in Asia, improved to 10-0 with the dominant performance, solidifying his case as one of the fighters to look out for in the region. His teammate in Chope on the other hand, moved up in weight, and took out former URCC lightweight champion, Angelito Manguray, a Karate expert in his 40's, who has been dominating guys half his age for most of his career. Manguray, like the UFC's Lyoto Machida, is great at using his karate base and out-striking opponents from a distance. Chope, a Muay Thai-based fighter, smartly took him out of his game, constantly pressuring him up close, and using the clinch effectively. He battered the former URCC champ, and finished the fight with a rear naked choke. With the win, the 21-year-old Chope won his fourth straight, and 8 of his past 9. As he improved his unbeaten URCC record to 4-0, he asked for a shot at the title, and he called out Manguray's teammate, current URCC interim featherweight champ, Ricardo Sapno. "I'm coming for your belt" he shouted to the crowd. Much more analysis along with full-results after the jump. Follow me on twitter -- @antontabuena. Quick Hits: Nicholas Mann, Mark Striegl, and Will Chope all picked up impressive victories, but fight of the night definitely went to the co-headliner between Alvin Ramirez vs. Roy Doliguez as the duo stole the show in an impressive display of heart and striking ability. Ramirez is such a huge fan favorite, because of his entertaining fighting style and his massive heart, and this fight is another testament to that. He came in with an injured and bandaged knee, and for the most part of the fight, it was the sole target of Roy Doliguez. He took dozens and dozens of chopping leg kicks, that clearly did damage, but Ramirez kept on battling, countering with his trademark spinning back fists, and back kicks with that 'swagger' he's known and loved for. Watching the fight ringside, I thought the fight was very close and extremely entertaining, with judges eventually giving Doliguez the nod after 20 minutes. Ramirez is still very young and he still has a lot of potential to improve, but even if he doesn't reach the elite levels, he will always have a spot in the hearts of Filipino fight fans for his heart and fan-friendly fighting style that just makes people gravitate towards him. Doliguez was a national level pro-boxer, but for someone who only has 1 URCC fight, the guy looked like a seasoned MMA fighter. He was known for his heavy hands, but he also displayed athleticism, strong leg kicks, and good defense on the ground. Mario Sismundo, looked a lot like Manny Pacquiao, and it was hilarious how the audience kept on chanting "Manny! Manny!". He was the better striker, but unfortunately for him, Miguel Alo was a good wrestler, and like Pacquiao, he didn't know what to do after he got taken down. He just closed his guard, and didn't attempt to sweep or get back to his feet. His face was swollen and disfigured from all the ground and pound work, and he eventually succumbed to an armbar in the 2nd round. Another fighter Filipino fans can look out for is Jonathan Sumogat. He's only 20 years old, but already shows a lot of promise, and looks more composed than guys more experienced than him. He passes the guard very well, and if his career is handled properly, he could eventually blossom to a top-level URCC fighter. Estoro and Transmonte was a fight between two Muay Thai experts. The fight may not have lived up to people's expectations during the build up, but it was still a very entertaining bout. Jerson Estoro may have won the fight easier with more combinations instead of looking for a solid one-shot counter, but his overall MMA game looks to be improving. Nicholas Mann has won two straight bouts against top notch MMA fighters and talented BJJ purple belts. I think ONE FC should start looking to match him up against the other Asian 185'ers. Interesting to note that URCC founder, and BJJ Black Belt Alvin Aguilar also celebrated his birthday at the same time of URCC 21. While Sismundo looked like Pacquiao, Charles De Tomas did look like a tiny Nogueira. It was an ugly fight, with a lot of blunders from both fighters, but referee Joey Lepiten did get a good reaction from the crowd every time he scolded fighters for spitting out their mouthpiece, or attempting to pass while they were being restarted. I'll have a photo gallery up soon, so keep an eye out for that. You can watch the video of the event here. If you don't have time to watch everything, skip to the 5th fight, and make you watch Jonathan Sumogat, Mark Striegl, Will Chope, along with that Doliguez vs. Ramirez bout. Full Results: - Adam Cacay def. Fred Lim Jr. by Submission (Armbar), 6:47 Round 2- Isaac Tuling def. Charles De Tomas by Submission (strikes), 9:29 Round 2- Rasel Iniong def. Mark Dialogo by Submission (Armbar), 7:20 Round 2- Miguel Alo def. Mario Sismundo by Submission (Armbar), 9:34 Round 2- Jonathan Sumogat def. Mark Joseph Abrillo by Submission (Rear Naked Choke), 6:37 Round 2- Mark Striegl def. Alcer Lozada by Submission (Rear Naked Choke), 3:24 Round 1 - Will Chope def. Angelito Manguray by Submission (Rear Naked Choke), 2:55 Round 1- Jerson Estoro def. Reysaldo Transmonte by Decision (Unanimous), 5:00 Round 3- Roy Doliguez def. Alvin Ramirez by Decision (Unanimous), 10:00 Round 2- Nicholas Mann def. Froilan Sarenas by Decision (Unanimous), 10:00 Round 2 [Super-Fight Title]

Posted in: fight, fighter, round, submission, urcc

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Invicta Fighting Championships made history last night by hosting the first ever all-female MMA fight card – and they did it at their inaugural event. Invicta FC 1 went down from the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas and saw a host of talented female mixed martial artists do battle. At the top of the card, former Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Marloes Coenen defeated past opponent Romy Ruyssen by unanimous decision. Following her victory, Coenen called out current Strikeforce 135lbs champion Rowdy Ronda Rousey. “Ronda Rousey, I’m coming for you,” said the Dutch fighter, who improved her record to 20-5 in victory. Check out the full list of results below. Marloes Coenen defeated Romy Ruyssen via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26) Jessica Penne defeated Lisa Ellis via TKO at 2:48 of round three Liz Carmouche defeated Ashleigh Curry via TKO at 1:58 of round one Kaitlin Young and Leslie Smith fought to a split draw (29-28, 28-29, 29-29) Sarah D’Alelio defeated Vanessa Mariscal via submission (punches) at 3:19 of round two Sarah Schneider defeated Sally Krumdiack via submission (armbar) at 3:01 of round two Amy Davis defeated Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc via submission (kimura) at 3:47 of round two Sarah Maloy defeated Michele Gutierrez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) Randi Miller defeated Mollie Estes via TKO at 3:27 of round three Ashley Cummings defeated Sofia Bagherdai via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) Cassie Rodish defeated Meghan Wright via submission (guillotine choke) at 0:36 of round one

Posted in: round, decision, submission, coenen, sarah maloy

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There weren't too many names which fans outside the Philippines would have been familiar with on the URCC 21 card but there was a full house at the SMX Arena who got to see some of the stars of the future in action. Eduard Folayang, Eric Kelly and Kevin Belingon are already well established internationally but back home a new generation is emerging which will soon be ready to challenge their status as the top fighters in the country. One name to look out for is Jonathan Sumogat. He is only 20 years old but he defeated Mark Abrillo in the first round of their fight at URCC 21 to make it three submission wins out of three in his professional MMA career. Sumogat is a product of Cenojas MMA in Davao and an accomplished grappler who won gold at the 2011 Pan Asian Games. He also looks remarkably young and is likely to quickly outgrow the flyweight division but clearly has the potential to develop into one of the best fighters in the Philippines Roy Doliguez is 10 years the senior of Sumogat and was up against 4-4 fan favourite Alvin Ramirez in what was only his second professional fight. You would expect a boxer who has challenged for world titles and been a champion at both a national and continental level to be over reliant on his hands but the 30 year old turned out to be surprisingly well rounded. He brutalized Ramirez's lead leg with low kicks throughout the fight and also looked much stronger on the ground where he seemed very comfortable. He didn't throw too many punches but plenty connected and he seemed to have no problem pacing himself sufficiently to be ale to dominate the two ten minute rounds and win a clear cut decision. Doliguez has boxed all over the world and has 46 fights under his belt but looks remarkably well rounded as a mixed martial artist, supposedly he has been studying MMA techniques for almost a decade. The 119 lbs division is one of the most competitive in the Philippines and both Rey Docyogen and George Lusadan are potential opponents but if he can move up to 125 lbs his boxing credentials could make him extremely attractive to an international promoter. There was not a boring fight on the card but one of the most entertaining was the battle between Muay Thai experts Jerson Estoro and Reysaldo Transmonte. Two ten minute rounds were not enough to separate these two as they went toe to toe exchanging kicks, punches and even elbows. The third and final round was also closely contested but Estoro, who is a Muay Thai champion with professional boxing experience, did just enough to edge it. A rematch would definitely be an entertaining prospect but Estoro is now 5-2 and the 25 year old will find no shortage of competition in the highly competitive URCC bantamweight division. In the main event Froilan Sarenas found himself moving up in weight to take on Australian Nicholas Mann. Sarenas holds a URCC belt in the middleweight division, which has an upper limit of 179 lbs, and was rumoured to be considering cutting down to welterweight so it was a surprise to see him taking a fight at 185 lbs. Mann is the URCC Light Heavyweight champion and he put in a dominating performance. Sarenas needed to take the fight to the floor where his purple belt in BJJ could have come to the fore but he was unable to secure a single takedown and the Australian controlled the stand up exchanges to take a decision win. Muayfit team mates Mark Striegl and Will Chope both improved on their perfect URCC records with first round rear naked choke wins. Former URCC lightweight champion Angelito Manguray made an unsuccessful comeback against Chope who moves up to 10-5 while Striegl overcame the challenge of Alcer Lozada to improve to 10-0. When this card was first announced I was a little disappointed to hear that the likes of Rey Docyogen, Eric Kelly, Honorio Banario, Jessie Rafols, Kevin Belingon and Honorio Banario would not be on it. However after watching the entire event from start to finish on a crystal clear stream I forgot all about the fighters who weren't in action and enjoyed the opportunity to see some stars of tomorrow in action. With promising fighters like Sumogat, Doliguez and Estoro coming up through the URCC ranks the future of Filipino MMA looks very bright indeed and I can't wait until the time comes for these up and coming fighters to clash with the existing champions. Colt 45 URCC 21 'Warpath' SMX Convention Centre, Manila April 28th, 2012 Results: Froilan Sarenas vs Nicholas Mann, Nicholas Mann wins via unanimous decision Alvin Ramirez vs Roy Doliguez, Roy Doliguez wins via unanimous decisionJerson Estoro vs Reysaldo Transmonte, Jerson Estoro wins via unanimous decision. Will Chope vs Angelito Manguray, Will Chope wins via rear naked choke in the 1st roundAlcer Lozada vs Mark Striegl, Mark Striegl wins via Rear Naked Choke in the 1st roundJonathan Sumogat vs Mark Joseph Abrillo, Jonathan Sumogat wins via rear naked choke in the 1st roundMario Sismundo vs Miguel Alo, Miguel Alo wins via armbar in the 2nd roundAdam Cacay vs Fred Lim, Adam Cacay wins via armbar in the 2nd round.Charles de Tomas vs Isaac Tuling, Isaac Tuling wins via tapout. Mark Dialogo vs Rasel Iniong, Rasel Iniong wins via armbar in the 2nd round www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder

Posted in: fight, round, vs, urcc, estoro

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Invicta Fighting Championships held it's first ever event Invicta FC 1 last night (April 28, 2012) from Municipal Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. The goal of the all-female fight card was to prove to on-the-fence MMA fans that girls can kick ass. After a ferocious night of entertaining bouts, I'd say: mission success. The main event of the evening was a 145 pound rematch between former Strikeforce women's bantamweight champion Marloes Coenen and upstart French submission specialist Romy Ruyssen. The bout wasn't as exciting as many expected, but Coenen was clearly in control throughout. Unlike the first time they fought, Ruyssen could not take Coenen down at all, instead being forced to jump guard on multiple occasions against the fence. Coenen, however, just blasted her with elbows whenever she attempted it. Coenen was in charge from start to finish and Ruyssen may have been flustered from a first round point deduction after grabbing the fence to stabilize some knee strikes in the clinch, and she was never really able to get off any serious offense. In the end, Coenen easily coasted to a unanimous decision with a 30-26 sweep across the boards on all three judges' scorecards and she then proceeded to call out Strikeforce women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. Perhaps she could be next in line, or at worst one win away if the promotion is interested in signing her back. The rest of the night has some major highs, especially the later half of the card. Atomweights (105 pounds) Jessica Penne and Lisa Ellis really stepped up their games by putting on what likely would have been fight of the night on any other all-women fight card. Both ladies brought it both in the stand-up and on the ground, mixing in some nice punches on the feet and some terrific takedowns, sweeps and submission attempts on the ground. Ellis took control in the second round after taking some damage to her right eye in the first, working hard in top position on the ground while trying to avoid Penne's sweep attempts from her dangerous guard. In the third round, after a strong start, Ellis was cracked with a big punch which bloodied her nose. She would be busted wide open seconds later, bleeding so badly that it affected her ability to defend herself and the referee stopped the fight shortly after Penne passed to mount and was dropping punches. In one of the most lopsided fights of the night, former Strikeforce title challenger Liz Carmouche showcased her strength and technique against overmatched former boxer Ashleigh Curry. Carmouche scored an early takedown, passed to mount easily and pounded away until the referee finally stepped in to put a halt to the onslaught. The victory snapped Carmouche's two fight losing streak and likely sets her up for a big fight in Strikeforce later this year. The clear "Fight of the Night" winner was the bantamweight scrap between strikers Kaitlin Young and Leslie Smith which featured a tremendous display of guts, endurance and some serious entertainment. Both Young and Smith bashed the hell out of each other for three straight rounds. Young had the better technique and power, landing some wicket leg and body kicks throughout the fight while Smith threw a huge volume of punches, so much so that commentator Muhammed Lawal nicknamed her "Lil' Diaz" for her Nick Diaz-esque offensive attack. The fight was so even and so entertaining that it was very difficult to decide a winner. The judges agreed, ruling the bout a draw which hardly anyone contested as neither lady deserved to win. Promoter Shannon Knapp announced that they would both get their win bonuses in what was the most entertaining women's fight of the year and one of the better fights overall thus far. In another bantamweight bout, Sarah D'Alelio bounced back from her recent submission defeat at the hands of Ronda Rousey by putting a hurting on Vanessa Mariscal. D'Alelio was simply too physically imposing, overpowering Mariscal on the ground and gaining dominant position quickly. After spending the majority of the first round glued to Mariscal's back and failing to secure a choke, she instead chose to pound her way to victory in the second, forcing Mariscal to tap out to strikes after crushing her with big blows from above. Highlights from the other preliminary fights were strawweight Amy Davis' Kimura against Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc, Olympian Randi Miller's late third round TKO of a very game Mollie Estes and Cassie Rodish's quick 36 second guillotine choke against Meghan Wright. For complete Invicta FC 1 results and detailed round-by-round commentary of all the streamed fights click here. So what did you think, Maniacs? Were you impressed by the ladies last night if you tuned in? Who stood out to you the most? Will you be watching the next event this upcoming July? Sound off!

Posted in: fight, night, bout, round, coenen

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Let's take it from the top. After liberating the WBC and The Ring light heavyweight belts from Jean Pascal and becoming the oldest champion in boxing history, living legend Bernard Hopkins took on once-beaten Chad Dawson in his first title defense. Things quickly took a turn for the UFC, however, as Dawson essentially flung Hopkins to the ground with his shoulder, in turn injuring Hopkins' shoulder and forcing an early end to the proceedings. While the referee inexplicably called it a TKO victory for Dawson, the result was eventually changed to a No Contest. MMAmania.com will have LIVE coverage of the pair's second go-round tonight, starting with the HBO broadcast at 10:15 p.m. ET. In addition, heavyweight prospect Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell will lock horns with veteran Chazz Witherspoon in the opening attraction. Live results and play-by-play after the jump. Light Heavyweight Championship: Bernard Hopkins (c) vs. Chad Dawson Heavyweight: Seth Mitchell vs. Chazz Witherspoon WBC and The Ring Light Heavyweight Championship: Bernard Hopkins vs. Chad Dawson Round One: Round Two: Round Three: Round Four: Round Five: Round Six: Round Seven: Round Eight: Round Nine: Round Ten: Round Eleven: Round Twelve: Final Result: -end- Heavyweight: Seth Mitchell vs. Chazz Witherspoon Round One: Round Two: Round Three: Round Four: Round Five: Round Six: Round Seven: Round Eight: Round Nine: Round Ten: Round Eleven: Round Twelve: Final Result: -end-

Posted in: round, heavyweight, vs, hopkin, dawson

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LAS VEGAS - Sam Sicilia lost the fight, but he got a vote of confidence from his potential future employer. During Friday's new episode of "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" on FX, Chris Saunders upset Sicilia via split decision after the opening-round fight surprisingly didn't go to a tiebreaker third round. "They both deserved to go to that third round," UFC president Dana White told MMAjunkie.com after the fight. "They both deserved a third round."

Posted in: fight, round, sicilia, sam sicilia, future employer

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In this week's episode of UFC The Ultimate Fighter Live, we saw our 7th opening round fight as Sam Sicilia from Team Cruz faced Chris Saunders from Team Faber. Heading into the bout, the two teams were even at 3 wins each. Sicilia was regarded as the favorite due to his huge KO win in the preliminary round, however it was Saunders who emerged as the victor, taking the fight via split decision after 2 rounds. This was an entertaining, if sloppy battle that saw both men in trouble at times. The story here was Sicilia's power vs. Saunders's technique. In round 1, Saunders managed to drop Sicilia and looked to be very close to stopping the fight, but the Team Cruz fighter managed to get back in it. Round 2 saw Sicilia push the pace and keep the pressure on Saunders, who looked to be tiring through the round. After two rounds, I had it 19-19 with Saunders taking round 1, Sicilia round 2. The judges did not see it my way and scored the fight as a split decision win for Saunders, with two judges scoring it 20-18 for him, and one going 20-18 Sicilia. All around strange scoring there that somewhat tarnishes what was an otherwise fun fight. Next week, the opening round wraps up with Mike Rio vs. Andy Ogle.

Posted in: fight, round, team, saunder, sicilia

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Invicta Fighting Championships debuts TONIGHT (April 28, 2012) at Municipal Hall in Kansas City, Kansaas, with the premiere of the all-female fighting organization. MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of Invicta FC 1 below, beginning with the live stream of the full card at 8 p.m. ET which can be viewed here. The main event will be headlined by former Strikeforce women's 135 pound champion Marloes Coenen as she takes on French submission specialist Romy Ruyssen in a rematch over three years in the making. Ruyssen missed weight yesterday by nearly four pounds and Coenen never took her eyes off her throughout a very intense 30 second staredown. Also on the card are former Bellator standouts Lisa Ellis and Jessica Penne as well as former Strikeforce title challenger Liz Carmouche, Olympic medalist Randi Miller and many, many more. Complete Invicta FC 1 results and play-by-play are after the jump: Main Event 145 lbs.: Marloes Coenen vs. Romy Ruyssen Fight Card 105 lbs.: Jessica Penne vs. Lisa Ellis 135 lbs.: Liz Carmouche vs. Ashleigh Curry 135 lbs.: Kaitlin Young vs. Leslie Smith 135 lbs.: Sarah D'Alelio vs. Vanessa Mariscal 115 lbs.: Sally Krumdiack vs. Sarah Schneider 105 lbs.: Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc vs. Amy Davis 125 lbs.: Sarah Maloy vs. Michele Gutierrez 145 lbs.: Randi Miller vs. Mollie Estes 115 lbs.: Ashley Cummins vs. Sofia Bagherdai 105 lbs.: Cassie Rodish vs. Meghan Wright Hemmi here! I'll be providing some play-by-play of all the girl-on-girl action! Reminder, you can watch every single fight on the card on the Invicta FC homepage right here beginning at 8 p.m. ET. 145 lbs.: Marloes Coenen vs. Romy Ruyssen Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 105 lbs.: Jessica Penne vs. Lisa Ellis Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 135 lbs.: Liz Carmouche vs. Ashleigh Curry Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 135 lbs.: Kaitlin Young vs. Leslie Smith Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 135 lbs.: Sarah D'Alelio vs. Vanessa Mariscal Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 115 lbs.: Sally Krumdiack vs. Sarah Schneider Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 105 lbs.: Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc vs. Amy Davis Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 125 lbs.: Sarah Maloy vs. Michele Gutierrez Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 145 lbs.: Randi Miller vs. Mollie Estes Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 115 lbs.: Ashley Cummins vs. Sofia Bagherdai Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 105 lbs.: Cassie Rodish vs. Meghan Wright Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end-

Posted in: result, round, vs, end, lb

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LAS VEGAS - Most viewers thought Friday's fight between Chris Saunders and Sam Sicilia on the eighth episode of "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" would go to a tie-breaking third round. Just don't count Saunders among them. After all, the upset specialist thought he actually deserved a 10-8 score in the first round, which would have made the result of the second round inconsequential.

Posted in: round, saunder, fridays fight, sam sicilia, chris saunders

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The judging was controversial, but it doesn't matter. Chris Saunders, picked dead last among all contestants on this season, defeated Team Cruz's overall second pick Sam Sacilia by split decision tonight on TUF: Live. Adelaide Byrd and Tony Weeks scored the bout 20-18 for Chris Saunders. Patricia Morse Jarman had it 20-18 for Sam Sicilia. The first round and the second didn't look dramatically different. Sicilia opened with intense cage pressure and overhands. Sicilia threw wild strikes constantly and was briefly taken down. Throughout the course of the round, Saunders worked knees to the body. Things changed, however, in the second half of the first round. A low kick got Sicilia thinking and that's when Saunders landed a head kick that nearly puts Sicilia's lights out. The Team Cruz standout hung on, but continued to eat shots throughout the course of the round. In round two, Sicilia managed to compose himself enough to not get caught with anything dramatic. He again pressured early and swung wildly for the fences, mostly with right hands. This round eventually featured more grappling scrambles as each fighter would take the other to the ground, but could not hold position. Saunders took Sicilia's back several times, but Sicilia was able to reverse and attempts guillotines. Generally speaking, though, the heavy hitting was done with Sicilia even if he was unable to put Saunders out. While many observes of the fight - including UFC President Dana White - felt the bout should have gone to a third round, but it wasn't to be. Saunders was announced the winner by split decision. "It wasn't exactly as I thought. I thought it would go just like this," Saunders told the UFC's Jon Anik. "I got a great team behind me. I have confidence. That's all you need." Team Faber has now recaptured control of the fight selection. As for next week, Team Faber's Andy Ogle will square off again Team Cruz's Mike Rio.

Posted in: round, team, split decision, saunder, sicilia

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Many experts thought Syracuse University defensive end Chandler Jones wouldn't make it out of the first round and those who did were right. That's because the brother of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones and Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Arthur Jones was selected by the New England Patriots with pick number 21 in the first round at tonight's (April 26, 2012) National Football League (NFL) Draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York, New York. The Patriots, who made it all the way to Super Bowl 46 this past February before losing to the New York Giants in heartbreaking fashion, coveted Jones tremendously, so much so that the team traded up to the number 21 pick to ensure it would able to draft him before another squad ripped him off the board. Jones, a member of America's most successful athletic family, according to the UFC, shot up draft boards in the months since last season ended. And while he was originally projected as a third round pick, Mike Mayock of NFL.com had him going as earlier as number 19 to the Chicago Bears. When the Bears went with Boise State linebacker Shea McClellin, it paved the way for New England to get on the phone and make a quick deal to move up to nab Jones. And considering how successful that franchise has been over the last decade, it's a pretty damn good spot to land. Expect to hear plenty more on Chandler Jones in the near future. For complete live first round coverage of the 2012 NFL Draft click here.

Posted in: jone, round, draft, york, england patriots

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"With the first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts select Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck." We're now just a few hours away from National Football League (NFL) Commission Roger Goodell speaking those words in front of the podium at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. That's because the 2012 NFL Draft is finally here and the first round will be broadcast TONIGHT (Thurs., April 26, 2012) starting at 8 p.m. ET on both ESPN and NFL Network. MMAmania.com will provide live coverage with up to the minute picks of the entire first round after the jump. We know, we know; it's not mixed martial arts (MMA), which is our usual realm of expertise. But we're all football fans around these parts and outside of the Super Bowl, there's hardly a more exciting time to be a fan of the NFL than the annual college draft. So strap in an enjoy. 2012 NFL Draft first round selections: 1. Indianapolis Colts Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck 2. Washington Redskins Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III 3. Cleveland Browns 4. Minnesota Vikings 5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6. St. Louis Rams 7. Jacksonville Jaguars 8. Miami Dolphins 9. Carolina Panthers 10. Buffalo Bills 11. Kansas City Chiefs 12. Seattle Seahawks 13. Arizona Cardinals 14. Dallas Cowboys 15. Philadelphia Eagles 16. New York Jets 17. Cincinnati Bengals 18. San Diego Chargers 19. Chicago Bears 20. Tennessee Titans 21. Cincinnati Bengals 22. Cleveland Browns 23. Detroit Lions 24. Pittsburgh Steelers 25. Denver Broncos 26. Houston Texans 27. New England Patriots 28. Green Bay Packers 29. Baltimore Ravens 30. San Francisco 49ers 31. New England Patriots 32. New York Giants

Posted in: round, draft, york, nfl, quarterback

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Chandler Jones, younger brother of UFC champion Jon Jones, will enter the 2012 NFL draft tonight as an almost certain first round pick according to NFL experts. While it was just weeks ago that he was viewed as more of a third or fourth round pick, he has shot up draft boards as more teams have given him a closer look. His selection will make him the third pro athlete in the Jones family, joining Jon and older brother Arthur, a defensive tackle in the NFL as well. Here's where a sampling of experts see Chandler being drafted: - Sports Illustrated - Pick 18 of Round 1 - San Diego Chargers - This is right about where I see a mini-run on pass rushers starting, and Jones may be the hottest name among them. Though he didn't crack my first round until the 4.0 version, in the first week of April, scouts say his game tapes have marked him a first-rounder all along. The Chargers are desperate for some edge pass-rush production in their front seven. - NFL.com - Pick 19 of Round 1 - Chicago Bears - The general public might not know a lot about him, but my view is -- and I'll take a lot of heat for this -- three years from now, he might be the best defensive player to come out of this draft. - Chicago Tribune - Pick 20 of Round 1 - Tennessee Titans - He has climbed the board this week. He could be a good complement to Kamerion Wimbley. - Pro Football Talk - Pick 15 of Round 1 - Philadelphia Eagles - Teams are smitten with Jones’ length and non-stop motor. Check out some video of Chandler after the jump... Here's a video talking about Jones' pros and cons: Chandler Jones' "Path to the Draft":

Posted in: jone, round, chandler, draft, nfl

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Fuel TV has been releasing a bunch of interesting clips on their youtube channel recently, and this recent one being dominant UFC champion, Anderson Silva's last title defense, a rematch Yushin Okami, who technically, is the last man who beat him. The fight happened at UFC 134, in front of his home country of Brazil. Watch the second round of their fight, which had Anderson Silva dropping his hands and landing laser accurate strikes that led to the finish: Related: UFC 134: Rio Judo Chop - Anderson Silva, Muhammad Ali, and the Anchor Punch | UFC 148: Anderson Silva Vs. Chael Sonnen 2 Official Poster Silva's next bout will be this July on UFC 148, and it will be a rematch against his rival Chael Sonnen. After the jump, check out how the first round of the fight went. Since the clip didn't show the first round, here's what happened, as detailed bout our live blog of the event: Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami - Round 1 - Leg kick by Silva early. Okami throws three punches and hits a lot of air. Okami lands a few short punches while Silva looks to lock up a muay thai clinch and they go back to distance. Nice right hand by Silva. Okami pushes Silva into the cage and Silva tries to lock up the clinch again. The struggle against the cage continues and Silva lands a sharp knee forcing Okami to shoot for the takedown and then back off. Silva starting to jab and now use head movement to avoid the punches from Okami. Head kick lands for Silva right before the round ends and that's enough to take the round on my card. 10-9 Silva. Round 2 - Silva comes out hard with leg kicks and punches and he stands in front of Okami with his hands down, avoids a punch and drops Okami with a right hand. He tells Okami to stand up and starts again with the hands down and countering. Now Okami is afraid to throw punches at a guy standing in front of him with his hands down. Silva does it again and drops him with a punch. Silva follows up with some ground and pound to get the stoppage. Anderson Silva is so far above the rest of the middleweights in the world, it's not even funny. Right hand dropped Okami for that finishing flurry. Anderson Silva wins by TKO (punches), round 2.

Posted in: round, silva, punch, anderson, okami

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The score was finally settled between former friends and teammates Jon Jones and Rashad Evans last night (April 21, 2012) with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight title on the line in the main event of UFC 145 from Atlanta, Georgia. Evans was hoping his prior experience working with Jones would give him an advantage, and perhaps his familiarity helped "Suga" take Jones the full five round for the first time in his UFC career. Jones entered the bout riding a tremendous wave of hype, being hailed as the next big thing and even being sponsored by the UFC clothing brand. So did he live up to expectations last night in victory? And what happens next to both elite light heavyweights?Follow me after the jump for our Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans UFC 145 post-fight review and analysis. To watch Jon Jones vs Rashad Evans full fight video highlights from UFC 145 right now click here: Jones was the aggressor, stalking Evans from the cage center throughout the fight while "Suga" was forced to play the outside game, constantly in danger of being backed into the fence. Despite Evans being in rough positions at times, he kept Jones at bay with his big right hand and some effective (although sloppy) leg kicks. Evans even landed a pretty solid head kick in the first round, but the tide began to turn after that. Jones went to work, more effectively utilizing his range and unpredictability in the second, actually hurting "Suga" with a beautiful standing elbow which caught him completely off guard. Jones' elbows were probably his most effective weapon throughout the fight and he didn't even have to spin to connect solidly with them. All he had to do was get relatively close and his lanky arms and technique did the rest. After the third round, although he wasn't completely gassed, Evans was definitely tired. He had to gut check himself to make it to the end of the fight but in both the fourth and fifth rounds, he was pretty much no threat at all to the champion, Jones, who remained very fresh all the way to the final bell. The champ was just too big, too strong and too long for Evans, despite the now-Imperial Athletics fighter's best efforts. In the end, Jones would win a unanimous decision taking four rounds on two judges' scorecards and five rounds on the other. For Rashad Evans, he actually did several things very well. He landed some nice punches whenever Jones got too close on the inside to keep "Bones" at bay and he was pretty effective with his leg kicks whenever he threw them with power. I really liked that he brought back the head kicks for this fight as he actually found a home for them a few times and may have caught Jones off guard a bit. I would have liked to see him commit to his takedown attempts more in the fight, however. I know it would probably have been even more exhausting to attempt them, but it would have been worth it if he could have put Jones on his back or at least made him think a little bit more about what he could do. Evans gave Jones his toughest test to date so he's not going to be dropping any spots in the rankings in my book. As long as he's still at light heavyweight, I want to see him against the best of the best. I'd love to see Evans face Mauricio Rua next if possible. If not, other options include Antonio Rogerio Nogueira or maybe even a rematch against Machida. For Jon Jones, this fight further cemented the gap between him and the rest of the light heavyweights in the world. I still believe Evans is the second best at 205 pounds but Jones is just on another planet. He fought conservatively at times, but that's not the end of the world. Do I wish he would have taken a few more risks to try and finish the fight? Of course I do, but that doesn't mean it was the right decision to make. Jones had a ton of respect for Evans' power and he wasn't willing to drop his guard in an attempt to finish the fight. We saw what can happen if you do that twice this weekend with Brendan Schaub and Brian Rogers. It's already been confirmed that he'll face Dan Henderson next, hoping to defend his title against one of the last legends remaining in the division. Jones was hit a few times pretty solidly by Rashad last night. It'll be interesting to see if he can survive if he eats the dreaded "H-Bomb." For complete UFC 145 results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here. So what did you think, Maniacs? Did the fight live up to the hype in the end? Could Jon Jones have done more here to get the finish? Is there anyone at 205 who can beat "Bones?" Sound off!

Posted in: ufc, fight, jone, round, evan

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While the main event certainly did not provide the amount of electricity in the prefight hype, or in the clouds of Atlanta, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones used his superior striking and reach to control Rashad Evans for the majority of their five-round bout. In the co-main event, Rory MacDonald survived early trouble to batter Che Mills to the point his face was a bloody swollen mess. In other action, Ben Rothwell survived an early scare to put away Brendan Schaub, while Michael McDonald, Eddie Yagin, and Mark Bocek also notched victories in their respective bouts. Jones Pummels Evans The “dark and stormy night” horror story cliche proved true for Rashad Evans as no matter how much hatred he held for his former training partner, he was never able mount much offense outside of a headkick early in the fight. Evans’s nightmare was perhaps the worst in the second round, as Jones pummeled the former champion with brutal elbows that left a nasty welt on the side of Evans face. After that round, Evans only showed flashes of meaningful offense and Jones picked Rashad apart from range and stuffed his takedowns. Jones showed an impressive array of striking techniques throughout the fight and kept coming from multiple angles that frustrated the smaller Evans. After the fight, a dejected Evans went and shook hands with Jones and also embraced his former coach and mentor, Greg Jackson. MacDonald Batters Mills, Insists on More Time To Develop Rory MacDonald had to overcome an early scare as Che Mills connected a hard shot early that forced MacDonald to get the fight to the ground in a hurry. From that point on the fight was all MacDonald, as he battered Mills for the remainder of the first round and until a referee’s stoppage in the second. After the fight, a very humble MacDonald insisted his opponent was much better than advertised and stated that he wants to start proving himself against the top fighters in the division. Rothwell Comes From Behind to Knockout Schaub Big Ben Rothwell proved tonight that sometimes he is most dangerous when he is fighting for survival. The big man found himself reeling as Schaub closed in for the kill. After being clipped by another Schaub cross, a wild Rothwell left hook found its mark and floored Schaub cold. When Schaub came to, he had no clue what happened. McDonald Floors Torres Michael McDonald showed impressive poise against a very game Miguel Torres tonight in Atlanta. The two fighters exchanged strikes before McDonald landed a blistering uppercut to jab to uppercut combo that separated Torres from consciousness. The impressive win vaults the young fighter into definite contender status. Yagin Victorious Over Hominick For Mark Hominick, it was too little too late, as a dominant third round was unable to make up for two rounds in which he was floored by the wild and powerful shots of Eddie Yagin. While Hominick recovered from both knockdowns in each round, he was unable to do enough to convince the judges he had recovered enough to win the round. Hominick did his best work in the third, as he staggered an exhausted Yagin with a barrage of strikes. Yagin showed heart however and held off the former number one contender. Bocek Cruises Past Alessio Mark Bocek’s ground game proved too much for veteran fighter, and late replacement, John Alessio. While Alessio gave it everything he had, Bocek was just that much better from start to finish in the bout. Full Results Main Card Jon Jones def. Rashad Evans via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 50-45) UFC Light Heavyweight Championship Rory MacDonald def. Che Mills via TKO (strikes) at 2:20 of Round 2 Ben Rothwell def. Brendan Schaub via TKO (punches) at 1:10 of Round 1 Michael McDonald def. Miguel Torres via knockout (uppercut) at 3:18 of Round 1 Eddie Yagin def. Mark Hominick via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) Mark Bocek def. John Alessio via unanimous decision (30-27,29-28,30-27) FX Preliminary Card Travis Browne def. Chad Griggs via submission (arm-triangle) at 2:29 of Round 1 Matt Brown def. Stephen Thompson via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-27, 30-27) Anthony Njokuani def. John Makdessi via unanimous decision (30-27,30-27,30-27) Mac Danzig def. Efrain Escudero via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) Facebook Card Chris Clements def. Keith Wisniewski via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27) Marcus Brimage def. Maximo Blanco via split decision (28-29,30-27, 29-28)

Posted in: jone, round, decision, macdonald, evan

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ATLANTA -- Shogun. Rampage. Lyoto. Rashad. Jon Jones successfully navigated the murderer's row of opposition, adding former training partner and friend Rashad Evans to his resume with a unanimous decision win in the UFC 145 main event at Philips Arena. The champ won by scores of 50-45, 49-46, 49-46. More Coverage: UFC 145 Results | UFC News "It's definitely my most satisfying victory," Jones said afterward. "I did a lot of things I didn't plan. I didn't want to make any mistakes. I didn't feel the cleanest, but who I beat, it was very important to me." The two fought a measured first. Jones took the center of the cage and walked Evans around the perimeter, keeping him at distance. Evans had trouble navigating the space, getting punished with a hard knee his first time wading forward. But he seemed to find the distance as the round wore on, and had his moment late as he landed a head kick that backed Jones up. Jones was never really in any trouble though, and landed a hard left of his own at the closing horn. Jones buckled him with an uppercut early in the second, but Evans bounced back quickly as he maintained his movement. Jones calmly followed him around and closed the distance with elbows. Evans got rocked with a right hand against the fence but he initiated a clinch, giving him recovery time. But Jones kept on with his attack, utilizing a series of standing elbows as a serious weapon. Jones also hurt Evans in the final seconds with a left hook that punctuated a dominant round. Evans showed his resolve in the third, landing his best punch of the fight, an overhand right that scored, but Jones took it without much issue. Jones wobbled Evans again with a flying knee midway through. Soon after, he scored with a body kick as Evans appeared to start to tire. The entire first three rounds were fought standing, but Evans finally attempted to bring Jones to the mat in the fourth. Jones, however, stuffed the attempt, as well as a follow-up moments later. Evans shot in again a minute later, and Jones latched on to his neck and fired a knee to the body before Evans could pull away. Though he was cruising towards a win, Jones didn't slow up in the last round, hurting the challenger with a crisp right. His varied offense continued but he didn't come close to putting him away. Jones scored his first takedown in the final minute, landing one strike but Evans was able to pop up and escape further trouble. Jones pulled guard in the final few seconds, but Evans landed a few strikes to close it out. "He was pretty crafty and tricky, stuff like that," Evans said. "Give him props, he kept me on my toes. The 24-year-old champ is now 16-1 following his third successful title defense. Evans is 17-2-1.

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After over a year's worth of build and a massive amount of hype along the way, the rivalry between UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones and his former friend and training partner, Rashad Evans, culminated inside the Octagon at tonight's (Sat., April 21, 2012) UFC 145 event at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. And the champion is here to stay. Jonny "Bones" may have proved tonight, without a shadow of a doubt, that he's the toughest light heavyweight in the world today. His long limbs kept Evans at bay throughout the duration of the fight. They also allowed him to score points where his opponent could not. Evans showed flashes of offense that looked as though it could turn the tide in his favor but Jones all too often shrugged off big overhand right punches that landed clean on his chin. By the time it was over, Jones had earned a unanimous decision victory to defend his 205-pound title and firmly establish himself as the very best in the world at his weight. Who can beat this man? Jones opened to the body early and fell. Rashad failed to capitalize, though, and remained at a distance. He clearly wanted to stay away from Jones' long limbs, though he wasn't doing a great job of it. Jabs, too. Evans first jump in was unsuccessful. Evans, interestingly, stayed at the distance he said others were mistaken to. Despite this, he was doing well to avoid a lot of the champion's offense, which included plenty of kicks, low, high, and everything in between. Patience was the name of the game, mostly. Both men were fighting smart. Jones was scoring with shots that weren't doing a lot of damage, simply because he was the only one able to land from so far away. Evans was failing to get inside and it was showing. Late in the round, Evans landed a head kick that looked to stagger Jones. This led to a failed takedown attempt to end the frame. Whew. So intense. They opened round two the same as round one, patient as ever. A clinch led to a short elbow from Jones but nothing too big. The exchanges didn't favor either man throughout the beginning of the frame. Evans started taunting here, as he easily slid away from "Bones'" offense. Jones continued to press forward but Evans was solid in his timing. Jones' started landing elbows, though, and one of them rocked Rashad and had him woozy against the fence. This led to a clinch, where Jones maintained the status quo. Once they reset, Rashad appeared to be okay. Jones kept coming with the elbows, though, and they were landing. Evans had no answer for them, either. A flying knee and a left hook from Jones had Rashad shaky to end the round and it appeared to be a matter of time before the champion asserted his will. It was a very bad round for the challenger. Total momentum shift. Evans gained some of his confidence back with a big right hand early but Jones seemed to shake it off well enough. "Suga" tried to keep the pressure on, however, just as his corner was shouting for him to. He started backing off a bit, though, and it allowed the champ to recover. Suddenly we were back to Jones pushing Evans against the fence and Rashad circling around. Not much going mid-way through the third after a dominant second round for Jones. Another flying knee into an elbow from Jones and Evans looked hurt ... again. He answered back with an overhand right but Jones proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that his chin could hold up. Through three, it still looked like Jones fight to lose. They tied up a bit more in the fourth round but once again, Jones proved too difficult to get to the floor. Granted, Evans didn't look too committed to the takedown but Jones was shrugging them off like he was playing with his children. It was a game of control and Jones had it all. Evans looked helpless by this point, swinging and missing while Jones was relaxed and confident in his approach, all while staying aggressive and keeping the pressure on. Jones even landed a few shoulder strikes. That's right, I said shoulder strikes. Headed to round five, it was clear Evans needed a stoppage to win the fight. He didn't look confident in the corner. He jut looked tired and worn. Evans came out looking far more fresh than in previous rounds. He had the urgency, he just needed to find a way to translate it into effective offense. Unfortunately, that's not what happened. Jones continued to push forward and played his game. Which is what it looked like, too. Jones was a kid with a controller, playing his game and having fun throwing whatever he wanted to throw and knowing his former teammate couldn't do a damn thing about it. By the time it was over, all was clear. Jon Jones is the best in the world at 205-pounds, and maybe beyond. Remember, too, to check out MMAmania.com's complete round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of UFC 145 by clicking here.

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This is the UFC 145 live blog for Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans, a light heavyweight bout on tonight's UFC event from Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga.Jones, who has won his past six fights, will defend his title against Evans, who has won four straight fights, on the main card.Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC 145 Results | UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Round 4: Round 5:

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Rory MacDonald made a statement to the rest of the welterweight division with a dominant second-round TKO victory over Che Mills in the co-main event of UFC 145. Mills started well, landing some kicks and and stunning the 22-year-old with an uppercut, but he was no match for MacDonald on the floor. "Ares" brutalized Mills with ground and pound for the rest of the first round and all of the second until he finally got the stoppage at 2:20 of the middle stanza. It was probably the best performance of MacDonald's UFC career so far. Mills landed strikes of the fighter with two solid leg kicks and walked down MacDonald to connect with a nice right hook. Mills then landed a nice uppercut that stunned MacDonald briefly, which led to a MacDonald takedown. Rory opened up with some brutal ground and pound, and moved to side control. Mills was bleeding from a cut on his face. MacDonald locked up a mounted crucifix and landed a ton of undefended shots to Mills' face. Mills powered out of it, but MacDonald maintained side control and continued his assault. Rory advanced to mount with 35 seconds in the round. Mills rolled to his back and MacDonald looked for the choke, but the round ended with Mills face all kinds of messed up. Mills looked to establish his jab to start the second round, but MacDonald scooped a single leg, put it on the ground, and moved to side control. After another 15 seconds, he moved to mount. Mills immediately rolled over to his back. MacDonald unloaded with some serious ground and pound and Mills was unable to defend, so the referee was forced to stop the bout. MacDonald entered the bout on a two-fight winning streak, with the last win coming via TKO over Mike Pyle at UFC 133 last August. Che Mills was looking to build on his excellent UFC debut, a 40-second TKO of Chris Cope at UFC 138. SBN coverage of UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans

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The co-main event of the UFC 145: "Jones vs. Evans" event taking place tonight (Sat., April 21, 2012) at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, on pay-per-view featured fast-rising welterweight prospect Rory MacDonald taking on British banger Che Mills. It was supposed to be a tough (but not too tough) test for the MacDonald, a Canadian badass who trains with Georges St. Pierre and is apparently the heir apparent to St. Pierre's 170-pound throne. The hype is justified, at least for one more fight, as MacDonald dominated the fight en route to a second round technical knockout victory. That's not to say the young Canadian wunderkind was flawless. He got himself in trouble early when he was rocked standing and only took control of the contest once he got the fight to the floor. But a win is a win and there's still plenty of time to grow. Watch out, welterweights. Here he comes. Mills was the early aggressor, backing MacDonald up against the fence and landing with a big right hand. This led to a clinch and a brief stalemate. Once they reset, Mills landed another hard shot and Rory had enough of it, to the point that he quickly grabbed a takedown. Turns out, "Ares" is a beast on top and he started dropping some serious punches and elbows. That opened Mills' guard and MacDonald passed to side control. Then he took it a step further and got a mounted crucifix with a full two minutes left in the round. Mills managed to get out of the bad position but he didn't come out clean. His face was a crimson mask and he looked as tired as I've seen a guy who had just spent a few minutes on his back. Abandoning side control, MacDonald moved to full mount. Brutal ground-n-pound followed. The round came to a close and Mills' face was absolutely battered. The second round started and quickly mirrored the first. Mills ended up on his back with MacDonald on top of him and dealing damage. It was only a matter of time, then, before he secured the stoppage victory via big time ground-n-pound. One more step up that 170-pound ladder. Remember, too, to check out MMAmania.com's live ongoing round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the UFC 145 fight card by clicking here.

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This is the UFC 145 live blog for Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills, a welterweight bout on tonight's UFC event from Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga.MacDonald, who has won three of his four fights in the UFC, will fight Mills, who won his UFC debut at UFC 138, on the main card.Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC 145 Results | UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

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The UFC 145: "Jones vs. Evans" main card going down in Atlanta, Georgia, tonight (Sat., April 21, 2012) featured a featherweight fracas showcasing Mark Hominick's quest to return to form against the unheralded Hawaiian Eddie Yagin. After rising through the ranks of the 145-pound division, Hominick was systemically destroyed by Jose Aldo. In his next bout, he was knocked out clean in just seven seconds by Chan Sung Jung. Could he get back on the hog against Yagin? In short, no. At least not when you look at his loss column. That's because Yagin was awarded a split decision victory after three-rounds of hotly contested action thanks mostly to two knockdowns in the first two frames. That's three losses in a row for "The Machine." No different than the last time we saw him, Hominick came rushing out to take the center of the cage. This time, though, he did so without reckless abandon. Last time it cost him a knockout loss and this time he was far more measured. Still, Yagin was landing clean punches far too often and before long, he had the Canadian rocked and on the floor. It looked like this one was over, too, but Hominick somehow managed to survive the ensuing onslaught to get back to his feet and continue on. Man's game. Hominick even scored a few nice punches of his own to close the round. But he went back to his corner with two busted up eyes and the mark of a man who's taken far too many shots in just five minutes of fighting. Once again, it didn't take too long into the second round for Yagin to land another hard shot that had Hominick falling backwards. No matter the outcome, at this point it was clear that Hominick simply isn't the same fighter he was before running up against UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo. "The Machine" managed to get back to his feet again, though, and repeated the close of the first round. He got off a few punches and dealt enough damage to see Yagin bleeding out of his face. After two rounds, Yagin was clearly tired as all hell. And his nose was nasty. Nonetheless, the final round came and both men came out like it was the opening frame and they were ready to get busy. Hominick was the more technical of the two, landing cleaner punches and with more volume. Yagin was simply head hunting, swinging for the fences in the hopes of connecting on that home run hit. As Joe Rogan described it, "it's the difference between someone who gets a lot of base hits and someone who's trying to knock out windows." The problem with Hominick's strategy was he needed the home run, seeing as he was already likely down two rounds to zero. He showed brief flashes towards the end but it was too little, too late. Three losses in a row for the former title contender. What to do now? Remember, too, to check out MMAmania.com's live ongoing round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the UFC 145 fight card by clicking here.

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This is the UFC 145 live blog for Mark Hominick vs. Eddie Yagin, a featherweight bout on tonight's UFC event from Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga.Hominick, who has lost his past two fights, will fight Yagin, who lost his UFC debut at UFC 135, on the main card.Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC 145 Results | UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

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This is the UFC 145 undercard live blog for the UFC 145 prelims from Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga.There will be six fights on the undercard. Travis Browne vs. Chad Griggs, Matt Brown vs. Stephen Thompson, John Makdessi vs. Anthony Njokuani, Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero, Keith Wisniewski vs. Chris Clements and Marcus Brimage vs. Maximo Blanco will be the fights featured on FX and Facebook.Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC 145 Results | UFC News Marcus Brimage vs. Maximo Blanco Round 1: Brimage lunges forward with a flurry to kick the night off, but nothing lands. Blanco shoots a body kick from inside the pocket but it's caught and countered. Brimage leaps in with another combination and backs out unscathed. He does it again, but Blanco is ready for it this time and throws Brimage to the mat. Both fighters stand back up and square off in the center of the cage. Blanco tossing out leg kicks from the outside, though Brimage is the aggressor. Thirty seconds left in the round and Brimage is staying active. A few more tentative shots and the horn sounds. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Brimage. Round 2: Brimage flashes a thumbs up and the round begins. Blanco eats a few leg kicks and answers with a front kick. Blanco hits another front kick, but Brimage powers through it and charges forward winging wild shots. Both fighters circling and staying patient, though Blanco seems to be find his range a bit better. Another trade of combinations but nothing is lands clean. Brimage slips from a leg kick but stands back up and presses forward. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Blanco. Round 3: Brimage's corner says it's 1-1 right now and they're probably right. Neither fighter seems willing to commit from the outset. Brimage finally sweeps out Blanco's legs with a counter leg kick. Blanco stands and half-heartedly shoots for a takedown, but he can't get it. The crowd is growing restless at the inaction. A minute left in the round and it's completely up for grabs. Blanco lunges for a takedown but Brimage defends and answers with a flurry. That's it. This could go either way. And now they're trading cartwheels in the cage, perhaps vying for the judges' favor. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Brimage. Marcus Brimage def. Maximo Blanco via split decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29). Keith Wisniewski vs. Chris Clements Round 1: Both fighters touch gloves and we're off. Clements tosses out a pair of overhand rights that can't find their mark. Wisniewski ties up and drags the fight to the ground, landing in side control. Wisniewski latches onto Clements back in a scramble then sweeps into half guard. Wisniewski is staying busy but the referee stands up the action. Joe Rogan promptly explodes, calling the stand-up "nonsense." Wisniewski, bleeding heavily from his forehead, lunges forward and eats a huge counter shot. Clements rushes in after flooring Wisniewski with a spinning back kick, but find himself in a triangle for his troubles. Regardless, it's not deep and they trade flurries one last time before the horn sounds. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Wisniewski. Round 2: A furious pace opens the round. Both fighters wildly swing for the fences before Wisniewski drags it back to the mat and lands in side control. Clements manages to work his way back to the feet and just misses his mark with another spinning back kick. Clements is opening up now, uncorking right hand after right hand but nothing lands flush. Clements pushes Wisniewski up against the fence, but again gets tripped to the floor. Wisniewski lands in mount, then works his way to Clements' back looking for a rear-naked choke. Thitry seconds left and Clements unloads a salvo of powerful back elbows. That was totally unorthodox but those shots looked nasty. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Clements. Round 3: Clements corner says he's up two rounds to none, though I don't know. It was close. Wisniewski slips a shot and works his opponent to the fence. Clements grasps for a single leg but Wisniewski defends and disengages. Clements is wild with his strikes, throwing out everything but the kitchen sink. Wisniewski fires back with a right hand straight down the pipe. Clements hands are at his waist but the right hands keep coming. Wisniewski needs to get something going. Clements charges forward with another flurry, punctuated by a knee to the head. Wisniewski drops and Clements starts unloading heavy ground and pound. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Clements. Chris Clements def. Keith Wisniewski via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27) Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero Round 1: Danzig lunges into the clinch, ending up with his back against the fence. Escudero scores with a loud short elbow, but Danzig recovers and drags the fight to the ground, landing on top. Escudero grasps for a heel hook and it's tight. Danzig staying calm, defends and scrambles out. Both men bouncing light on their feet right now. Danzig grabs double underhooks and takes Escudero's back, but he can't get him to the mat. Escudero circles out and shoots for his own takedown. Danzig keeps his balance and lands a stiff jab as the round comes to a close. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Danzig. Round 2: Danzig circles, eats a right hand and answers with a heavy leg kick. The two tie up against the fence but neither man can put together any offense. Boos are starting to rain down from the restless Atlanta crowd. Danzig is staying patient, picking his shots on the outside, though neither fighter is being overly aggressive. Danzig paws forward with his jab and a grin creeps across his face. Escudero finds himself against the cage wall, tries to reverse into a takedown but fails. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Danzig. Round 3: Danzig's right ankle is noticeably swollen, though he's still pushing the pace as the final round begins. Danzig works into the clinch and Escudero holds his ground, successfully defending the takedown. Danzig pushes the fight back against the fence, landing short shots to the body before taking Escudero's back. Escudero circles out and the referee separates the fighters. Danzig slips and counters with a straight right, followed by a sharp shot to the body. Danzig is completely controlling the pace of this fight, and strangely, doesn't seem to mind throwing kick after kick with his mangled ankle. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Danzig. Mac Danzig def. Efrain Escudero via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28). John Makdessi vs. Anthony Njokuani Round 1: Njokuani fires out a leg kick and Makdessi answers with a wild shot. Both fighters trades kicks, looking to gauge their range, but Makdessi is the one pressing forward. Njokuani is working hard to chop down the lead leg of Makdessi. Njokuani almost eats a side kick, then turns up the pace and charges forward with a volley of shots. Nothing lands clean and Makdessi gathers his bearings. Njokuani finds his mark with another pair of sharp kicks, finishing off with a clean shot to the body before circling away. Makdessi is stalking his opponent but can't put together any offense. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Njokuani.Round 2: Makdessi continues to walk forward, tossing out side kicks and trying to get inside the pocket of his larger opponent. Njokuani slips and counters, barely avoiding a spinning back kick. Njokuani catches a leg and hunts for a trip but can't get it. Makdessi's left thigh is starting to turn a dark shade of red after eating another pair of kicks. Makdessi swings wildly with a head kick but it's nowhere close. So far neither fighter is committing to combinations, instead throwing out one shot at a time. Makdessi misses high with an ax kick. Njokuani catches another kick but Makdessi scrambles back to safety. The round comes to a close as the crowd continues to voice their disapproval. MMA Fighting scores it 10-10. Round 3: Makdessi's corner tells their fighter to turn up the pace and it's probably good advice. Each fighter trades shots, but nothing lands clean and the Atlanta crowd voices their disapproval. Makdessi eats another body kick, charges forward and just misses with a wild spinning back fist. Njokuani is pummeling his opponent's leg and body with kicks, though Makdessi continues to stalk forward. 90 seconds left in the fight and neither man is showing any sense of urgency. Njokuani blocks a body shot and answers with another sharp kick to the ribs. Makdessi spins and misses a heel kick. Again the boos rain down and the horn sounds. Makdessi's left leg is going to look horrible tomorrow. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Njokuani. Anthony Njokuani def. John Makdessi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Matt Brown vs. Stephen Thompson Round 1: Wonderboy opens immediately with a front kick. Brown leaps in for a single leg but Thompson scrambles out. Thompson's hands are down at his waist as Brown grasps for another single leg and gets it this time. Brown postures up and rockets a hard shot down the pipe, before working to half guard. Brown stands looking for some more ground and pound, but Wonderboy successfully keeps him at bay and stands. Brown stays inside the clinch and takes Thompson's back, eventually working the fight to the mat. Brown sweeps looking for a calf crank and he nearly gets it, but Wonderbody manges to scramble back to top position. It's short lived though, and Brown closes out the round unloading body shots from the top. MMA Fighting scores is 10-9 Brown. Round 2: Round 3: Travis Browne vs. Chad Griggs Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

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The UFC 145: "Jones vs. Evans" pay-per-view taking place tonight (Sat., April 21, 2012) at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, opened with a lightweight scrap pitting Mark Bocek vs. John Alessio. Bocek has struggled against top competition but seemingly handles lesser fighters, as he did in his last contest. Alessio, for his part, was making his return to the Octagon after nearly six years away. It took a 10-1 run to get him back, too. True to form, Bocek was the superior fighter and he exercised his considerable skill advantage on the way to a unanimous decision victory by scores of 30-27, 29-28, 30-27. Alessio may have had the advantage when the two were standing but he failed in his takedown defense and simply couldn't hang with Bocek on the floor. Gotta be well-rounded in this sport, y'all. Right away, Bocek landed a hard right hand and set the tone early. Alessio was moving around quite a bit but the right hand was there. Nonetheless, Bocek worked hard for a takedown, switching from a single to a double leg. The takedown failed but he crowded Alessio against the fence and got back position. Bocek finally got the takedown despite Alessio holding the fence and it wasn't long before Bocek was in side control and raining down elbows. Alessio got to full guard but he was eating shots from the bottom. The round ended with Bocek having taken full back control with a body triangle. Utter domination. Alessio literally came running out to start the second but just stopped once he got to Bocek, like he wanted to throw something big but lost his nerve when it came time to deliver. It's too bad, too, because once Bocek decided to take him down, there wasn't much Alessio could do to stop it. And like a replay from the opening round, he found himself on his back with a red-headed monster on top of him dealing damage. By the time two rounds were in the books, Alessio's corner knew he was way behind. So they told him to "knock this motherf*cker out" in the final five minutes. To his credit, Alessio came out with a vengeance, throwing some heavy shots in the hopes of catching one clean on Bocek's chin. And then he threw a leg kick and Bocek timed him and took him down. And that was all she wrote, folks. Remember, too, to check out MMAmania.com's live ongoing round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the UFC 145 fight card by clicking here.

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This is the UFC 145 live blog for Mark Bocek vs. John Alessio, a lightweight bout on tonight's UFC event from Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga.Bocek, who has won two of his past four fights, will fight Alessio, who will have his first UFC fight since UFC 60, on the main card.Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC 145 Results | UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

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If you are a fan of decisions, you would have loved today's (April 21, 2012) UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans "Prelims" card. Both the FX and Facebook portions were littered with them, although the pace of the show picked up as the night wore on. Thankfully, the final fight of the undercard between heavyweights Travis Browne and Chad Griggs lived up to expectations as both men threw down. Browne was clearly the bigger man and the more technical fighter, landing a massive flying knee that cracked Griggs in the jaw. After closing the distance and scoring a takedown, Browne showed Griggs' inexperience on the ground by easily obtaining mount. "Hapa" latched on an arm triangle choke, and after some initial resistance from "The Gravedigger," Griggs was forced to tap the canvas. It was the lone finish of the "Prelims" card, but there were a couple entertaining fights beforehand. We've got a complete recap of the UFC 145 under card after the jump: Welterweights Stephen Thompson and Matt Brown battled it out in the second to last fight of the preliminary card and after a brief exchange early, Brown wanted nothing to do with Thompson on the feet, working for takedowns and clinches to close the distance and take away Thompson's striking advantage. Brown slowed down in the second round and Thompson picked up his aggression, hurting "The Immortal" with a huge flurry of strikes but Brown struck back, dropping Thompson with a big elbow standing and then busting him up on the ground. The third round featured some momentum shifts with Thompson landing some great combinations of punches, but again Brown scored a trip takedown and he dominated on the canvas, putting "Wonderboy" in the crucifix position and again landing a series of big ground strikes until the final horn. Brown easily won a unanimous decision to hand Thompson his first career loss. Two of the best strikers in the lightweight division collided as Anthony Njokuani battled John Makdessi. Njokuani was the larger man, although Makdessi was the one who failed to make weight for the bout. Throughout the fight, Njokuani kept his distance and worked his superior reach advantage primarily throwing solid leg kicks and mixing in head and body kicks with his opposite leg. As the fight wore on, the knockout artist continued to pour it on by mixing in his jab to keep Makdessi at a distance. Makdessi tried to throw his diverse arsenal of spinning attacks, but he simply couldn't set them up properly and he was never able to score significantly. In the end, Njokuani won an easy decision with a clean sweep 30-27 across the boards. In a battle of former Ultimate Fighter winners, Mac Danzig took on Efrain Escudero as both men needed a win. Escudero threatened early with a heel hook which looked like it might end the fight but Danzig twisted free, although damage had been done as Danzig's ankle was damaged. Despite the injured ankle, Danzig put the pressure on Escudero, outstriking him on the feet, putting him into the fence in the clinch and overall doing more than enough to win each and every round. Despite likely losing the first two rounds, Escudero didn't turn up the intensity nearly enough in the third round to get the needed finish and Danzig ended up winning a unanimous decision. In welterweight action, two veterans Keith Wisniewski and Chris Clements duked it out in a big sloppy brawl. Wisniewski wasn't helped much by the referee, who was quick to stand the fight up which hurt his chances of getting the submission. Clements did a solid job of working his power strikes, connecting solidly on Wisniewski, who's defense left something to be desired. A notable exchange occurred at the end of the second round as Wisniewski was draped on his back and Clements dropped a flurry of reverse elbows which nearly put the veteran out. In the end, Clements' superior striking was enough to outscore Wisniewski's grappling advantage and he was awarded a split decision victory to hand him his first career UFC win. Opening up the night was a very lackluster featherweight affair between TUF season 14 veteran Marcus Brimage and Sengoku alumni Maximo Blanco, who was making his featherweight and UFC debut. Blanco had a penchant for power and for exciting knockouts, but he decided not to show up as Brimage primarily controlled the stand-up with constant forward movement while flashing punches which kept the Brazilian at bay. There wasn't much excitement in this bout as neither man landed many strikes overall, but Brimage did just enough. Before the decision was announced, both featherweights did a gymnastics display, trading cartwheels and backflips while motioning that the other had been running the whole fight. If only they'd shown this much energy during their fight. Brimage was awarded a split decision victory although neither man managed to impress. Here are the complete undercard results: Travis Browne def. Chad Griggs via submission (arm triangle) at 2:29 of round oneMatt Brown def. Stephen Thompson via unanimous decisionAnthony Njokuani def. John Makdessi via unanimous decisionMac Danzig def. Efrain Escudero via unanimous decisionChris Clements def. Keith Wisniewski via split decisionMarcus Brimage def. Maximo Blanco via split decision That's it for the "Prelims" portion of the UFC 145 fight card. Be sure to hit up MMAmania.com's for up to the minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of the rest of the night's UFC 145 pay-per-view (PPV) action by clicking here.

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In a battle of Ultimate Fighter winners, Mac Danzig overcame a damaged ankle from an Efrain Escudero heel hook in the first round and picked up a solid decision victory. Danzig was the busier fighter, landing more strikes and working Escudero over in the clinch. Neither fighter landed any strikes that came close to ending the fight and the bout was slow at times, but Danzig looked fairly good.The judges had it 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28. Danzig looked to clinch immediately in the first, and worked over Escudero against the cage. Danzig got a trip takedown, but Escudero locked up a heel hook. Danzig managed to get out and take Escudero's back. They quickly returned to their feet though. Escudero landed some leg kicks, and they exchanged some punches. Danzig was the one backing Escudero up continually, preferring to fight near the cage. Danzig got Efrain's back, but had trouble dragging him to the floor. Danzig looked for the uppercut throughout the round. Escudero shot in for a takedown, but Danzig fended it off to close out the round. Danzig opened the second coming forward, and the fighters traded glancing shots for the first half of the round. Danzig clinched up against the cage and threw some knees, but they quickly reset at the center. After some more tentative striking, Danzig looked to clinch again but couldn't tie Escudero up for long. He tried again and was more successful, landing some solid body shots but taking knees from Escudero in the process. Escudero looked for a last second takedown but it wasn't there. The start of the final round looked similar to the first two, with some clinch work and both fighters throwing a steady stream of strikes. Danzig was still the one coming forward though, and was usually working Escudero against the cage. Danzig attempted to take Escudero's back, but settled for a few knees and punches. Escudero was able to land some knees in the clinch himself, but Danzig was just throwing and connecting more. He started to work the body in the last minute, and was quite effective doing it. They showed Danzig's swollen ankle as the fight ended. Danzig, the TUF 6 champion, was looking to get back in the win column after a decision loss to Matt Wiman at UFC on Versus 6 last October. He had won performance bonuses in each of his last two bouts going into this one. Escudero, the TUF 8 champ, was invited back to the UFC as a late replacement to face Jacob Volkmann, but dropped a decision. SBN coverage of UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans

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ATLANTA -- In an early bid for a Fight of the Night Award, Chris Clements out-struck Keith Wisniewski en route to a spirited split decision win. Clements survived some early trouble on the ground and was able to keep things standing throughout much of the rest of the way in scraping past the veteran Wisniewski for the victory. The judges scored it 29-28, 29-28, 28-29. It was the first octagon win for Clements, who was making his UFC debut. He improved to 11-4 overall. The first round was wild, with Wisniewski scoring an early takedown, only to see the referee stand them up even though he was in half-guard and working. Clements took advantage of the opportunity, dropping Wisniewski with a body punch and working him over from the top. The second was just as competitive, with Clements throwing a variety of spinning strikes, many connecting. Wisniewski later scored a takekdown, but Clements didn't surrender from the bottom position, landing a series of elbow strikes while Wisniewski had his back. The duo shared an embrace as the third round began, and continued the scrap, with Clements dropping Wisniewski late in the round with an overhand right. He looked for the finish from the top but couldn't get it. Still, it was enough to earn the victory. Wisniewski fell to 28-14-1 with his second straight defeat.

Posted in: round, keith wisniewski, wisniewski, clement, veteran wisniewski

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This is the UFC 145 undercard live blog for the UFC 145 prelims from Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga.There will be six fights on the undercard. Travis Browne vs. Chad Griggs, Matt Brown vs. Stephen Thompson, John Makdessi vs. Anthony Njokuani, Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero, Keith Wisniewski vs. Chris Clements and Marcus Brimage vs. Maximo Blanco will be the fights featured on FX and Facebook.Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC 145 Results | UFC News Marcus Brimage vs. Maximo Blanco Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Keith Wisniewski vs. Chris Clements Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: John Makdessi vs. Anthony Njokuani Round 1:Round 2: Round 3: Matt Brown vs. Stephen Thompson Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Travis Browne vs. Chad Griggs Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

Posted in: ufc, round, vs, blog, browne

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submitted by BreakfastGuru [link] [5 comments]

Posted in: jon, jone, round, evan, breakfastguru

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Bellator lightweight Eddie Alvarez made a statement last night in his much-anticipated rematch with Japanese submission-specialist Shinya Aoki by putting the polished grappler away early with some brutal ground-and-pound. The finish came a little over two minutes into their headlining fight at Bellator 66, improving Alvarez’s overall record to 23-3 and snapping a seven-fight winning streak for Aoki. After the fight Alvarez made it clear he is ready to get paid, asking Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney to “show” him “the money”. Alvarez only has four months remaining on his current contract and is expected to test free agency by year’s end. Alvarez Talks Changes Since Joining the Blackzilians, Future Beyond Bellator In other Bellator 66 action, Brent Weedman and Rick Hawn both moved on to the Season 6 Lightweight Tournament final with impressive performance, while Maiquel Falcao and Andreas Spang accomplished the same albeit in the middleweight field. Things got particularly heated between the 185-pound finalists during an in-ring face-off where Spang shoved Falcao, prompting the Brazilian to rush him and even throw a knee to his midsection before the two sides were pulled apart. Here is a highlights video from Bellator 66 followed by complete results below: Jessica Eye def. Anita Rodriguez via Unanimous Decision Julian Lane def. Joe Heiland via Submission Round 1 (Guillotine Choke) Donny Walkerdef. Frank Caraballo via Knockout Round 3 (Flying Knee) Attila Vegh def. Dan Spohn via Split Decision John Hawk def. Marcus Vanttinen via Split Decision Brent Weedman def. Thiago Michel via Split Decision Rick Hawn def. Lloyd Woodard via Knockout Round 1 (Strikes) Maiquel Falcao def. Vyacheslav Vasilevsky via Unanimous Decision Andreas Spang def. Brian Rogers via Knockout Round 2 (Strikes) Eddie Alvarez def. Shinya Aoki via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Tweet

Posted in: bellator, round, decision, alvarez, aoki

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Bellator 66 continued the Bellator Fighting Championship's sixth season last night (April 20, 2012) from the IX Center in Cleveland, Ohio. It was a night full of violence, comebacks and upsets. And former Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez may have had the showstopper. The Philadelphia, Pa., slugger battled Japanese grappling ace Shinya Aoki in a rematch that dated back to New Year's Eve 2008 in Saitama, Japan. Aoki was victorious way back then, but not this time. Not even close. After deciding to stand and trade over the first two minutes, Aoki failed to connect with anything particularly powerful. But, after a pair of short inside uppercuts landed and dropped the tapout artist, it was the beginning of the end. Alvarez cautiously threw some nice strikes from a distance once the fight went to the ground, but quickly followed up and swarmed Aoki the second he realized he was hurt, forcing both the referee and Aoki's corner to intervene. To check out a full fight recap of Eddie Alvarez vs. Shinya Aoki click here. And to see the .gif of the the first round finish click here. There was a ton of other great mixed martial arts (MMA) action from the main card posted after the jump: Cleveland fan-favorite Brian Rogers nearly brought the house down during his introduction and came within inches of finishing his Bellator Middleweight fight against Andreas Spang on a variety of occasions, but his failure to score the stoppage came back to bite him in the second round. Rogers was putting a beating on Spang in round two, but his hands were dropping over and over and Spang's counter left hook was finding a home nearly every time it was thrown in retaliation to the Rogers flurries. Eventually, Spang caught Rogers with a beautiful left hand again, which dropped "The Predator" and a follow-up strike on the canvas put him down for the count. In other middleweight action, Russian "Slava" Vasilevsky took on the combustible Brazilian Maiquel Falcao in a very intriguing contest. Vasilvesky came out strong, taking Falcao down repeatedly after a stalemate in the stand-up and really forcing the Brazilian to play defense. He did more of the same early in the second round, but Falcao responded with a takedown of his own followed by some actual ground and pound, something Vasilevsky didn't do much at all.In the third round, Falcao came out with a sense of urgency and nearly knocked Vasilevsky's head off with a huge flurry of strikes which put the Russian on queer street. Vasilvsky wisely used his grappling skills to survive, but they only kept him going, they didn't actually win the bout for him. In the end, the second round was the swing round, and the judges decided unanimously with Falcao. In lightweight action, former Bellator season four welterweight finalist Rick Hawn put down the hyped-up Lloyd Woodard after frustrating him greatly in the first round. Woodard came out looking to slug his big power strikes, but Hawn stifled him, frustrating the Montanan with some strong clinch attacks, some stalling and even a few brief takedowns. When the second round began, Woodard came forward way too aggressively and walked right into a huge counter right hand from Hawn which dropped the mustached mauler. Some quick ground and pound from the now former-Olympian was enough to punch "Genghis'" ticket to the finals. Lastly, soon-to-be-father Brent Weedman took on Brazil's Thiago Michel in a hotly contest bout which featured some impressive ground work on Weedman's behalf. Weedman held his own in the first two rounds of striking, but it was his grappling which saved the day for the Kentucky native. He took down Michel on myriad occasions and was able to repeatedly land in side control, which just so happens to be his strongest position. Michel fought back in the third two win the round, but he was too little too late to make a difference after dropping two rounds earlier on in the night and Weedman was awarded a split decision victory to advance to the finals. The finals match ups are: Andreas Spang vs. Maiquel Falcao at middleweight and Brent Weedman vs. Rick Hawn at lightweight. Spang and Falcao got into it in the announcement staredown, although Weedman and Hawn were much better behaved. For complete Bellator 66 results and detailed round-by-round commentary of all the televised fights as well as the main event click here and here. So what did you think, Maniacs? How much did Alvarez raise his stock with his victory last night over Shinya Aoki? Should Aoki's corner have thrown in the towel so quickly? Who do you believe will win each tournament when it is all said and done? Sound off!

Posted in: bellator, round, aoki, falcao, spang

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If you happened to miss Bellator 66 last night, maaaaaaaan, you need to look at your DVR (or the internet) now. Between this event and the news about Mir and Overeem (see the fanshot below), I'm amped up in a way I haven't been since McDonalds brought back the McRib. I mean, I hardly know where to begin, so I'll start by saying that Eddie Alvarez certainly acted like someone who had the weight of responsibility lifted off his shoulders after he beat Aoki near senseless. He celebrated like a man who'd won the lotto, and in many ways, he did. The now free-agent has all but guaranteed himself a big money contract from one of the three major US MMA promoters and is probably set for at least a couple of years. He erased the memories of a painful and almost embarrassing loss from three years ago and set himself up to make a lot of money. Congratulations to Eddie. OK the quick results, gifs and analysis after the jump: Julian Lane defeated Joe Heiland 2:49 of round 1 Submission (guillotine choke) Frank Caraballo defeated Donny Walker 2:25 of round 4 KO (knee) (NAAFS Featherweight title bout)Attila Vegh defeated Dan Spohn Decision (split) (29-28, 28-29, 30-27) John Hawk defeated Marcus Vanttinen Decision (split) (27-30, 29-28, 29-28) Jessica Eye defeated Anita Rodriguez Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Brent Weedman defeated Thiago Michel Decision (split) (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) Rick Hawn defeated Lloyd Woodard 0:10 of round 2 KO (punch) Maiquel Falcao defeated Vyacheslav Vasilevsky Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Andreas Spang defeated Brian Rogers 3:34 of round 2 KO (punch) Eddie Alvarez defeated Shinya Aoki 2:14 of round 1 TKO (punches) Let's start with the undercard and Frank Caraballo introducing himself to the hardcore MMA world. All gifs came courtesy of Zombie Prophet and ironforgesiron.com. He does 'em faster than anyone. Also the videos are up, too. Hi, Frank. Solid win, sir. Caraballo just dominated Walker all fight and finally ended it with the jump knee to the chin. Here's looking forward to seeing you in next year's featherweight tournament. Next up is Mr. Hawn chopping down Woodard like a banana tree. Hawn had to be incredibly satisfied with this particular KO because Woodard had made no bones about trying to turn this into a slugfest brawl a'la Nick Diaz, taunting included. Hawn was having none of that and fought a smart gameplan that meant a lot of counterpunching and using his outstanding (Olympic level) judo. I'm actually gonna jump the order a little here and show Eddie's highlight next, because quite frankly, the Spang fight is front-runner for comeback of the year so far. The astute viewer will note the cornerman in the angle where Aoki is on the right. Said gentleman throws in the towel literally fairly quickly, and yet the ref does nothing to stop it at that point. This is the point of some debate here. Despite what the commentating team of Jimmy Smith and Sean Wheelock had to say, here's what the unified rules state regarding this: REMOVED AS A FOUL- Throwing in the towel during competition A fighter's corner, at the Commission's discretion, should have the option to retire his fighter in the quickest and most efficient manner possible, during competition. A corner person having worked alongside a fighter may recognize and accept what their fighter's capabilities are from past experience. It makes sense from a safety perspective to allow a corner to retire the fighter. If there is consideration that debris in the form of a towel entering the ring or cage may contribute to a disruption or confusion in the contest, then colored towels or special towels might be a consideration to be used. Despite what they said and what I thought, it is apparently legal now to do this. There was always legitimate concern that someone in the crowd might throw a towel in, stopping a fight prematurely, but they seem to have addressed that to some extent. I think what happened in this situation might have been the ref was staring down intently at the action in the cage and the towel was thrown too far to register in what was assuredly a focused and concerned state. Jimmy and Sean got one thing absolutely right, however, and that is the ref's job is to be focusing on the action, not looking around the ring/cage for people throwing towels. In the end, I don't blame the ref because even if he missed it, he was focused on making sure Aoki wasn't getting clobbered beyond reason. Despite that being the main event of the evening, the real absurdity happened in the Spang/Rogers fight. Let's rewind a bit and give a little background info on these two. At the weigh-ins last night, Brian Rogers stepped up real close to Andreas Spang for the staredown photo op. Spang took offense to this for whatever reason and gave Rogers a good shove. The video is so stupidly titled that I refuse to imbed it here, but feel free to take a look at the clip. So Rogers was mad, Spang was mad... EVERYONE'S MAD! They didn't touch gloves when the fight started, and midway through round one after a good exchange, Spang held a glove up as a show of respect and Rogers gave him the old FU. In the fight itself, and I do hope you watched it over at IFI, you'll probably note that Rogers was treating Spang like his own personal punching bag. He hurt him in the first and had him on queer street in the second. However Spang apparently has a jaw of titanium, and kept on fighting. That led to what is the easy frontrunner for comeback of the year so far. BUT THE FUN WAS NOT. OVER. YET! So you recall like, two paragraphs ago, I told you the story of Spang shoving Rogers at the weigh-ins. Spang seems to have some sort of disorder that doesn't like close bodily contact while standing or something, because this was the aftermath. See, Maiquel Falcao had won his fight just a little while ago and Bellator brought him into the cage for a little hype for their upcoming tournament final. They've done this with all the combatants, and to contrast, the Hawn/Weedman showcase was a good display of sportsmanship, class and what appeared to be even friendship. Then Maiquel Falcao stepped up close to Andreas Spang. You can see where this is going even if there wasn't recorded imagery of the event. You can't really see it, but in the clinch, Falcao throws a nice knee to the body. I truly hope that Maiquel doesn't get suspended for the shenanigans, because Spang's got a great beard and this could be an absurd slugfest. So between that and this: Taking off to Atlanta!!!! May 26 th is now Mir vs JDS for the HW title in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand. — Dana White (@danawhite) April 21, 2012 It's been one hell of a start to the weekend.

Posted in: fight, round, roger, spang, towel

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ATLANTA, April 21 - Arguably the best MMA prospect to come out of Hawaii since the great BJ Penn, heavyweight Travis Browne ran his record to 13-0-1 with a speedy annihilation of an overmatched Chad Griggs in prelim action on Saturday’s UFC 145 card at Philips Arena. In a frightening display of athleticism for a 6’7” 250-pounder, Browne unleashed a flying knee and followed up with a hail of quick knees from the Muay Thai clinch that dropped the Tuscon, Ariz., fighter early in round one. An arm triangle not long thereafter forced Griggs (11-2) to tap out. “My kids go through so much with me being away for eight weeks,” an emotional Browne, who trains under Greg Jackson and Mike Winklejohn, said afterward. “I have two beautiful boys, man, it’s so hard.” Browne, now 3-0-1 in the Octagon, issued a message to everyone else in the division: “I belong here. UFC heavyweights, watch out, baby.” BROWN VS. THOMPSONThe uglier and grittier this fight was, the better it was for welterweight veteran Matt Brown. And so it was early on, with Brown eschewing his traditional brawling instincts in favor of a smothering wrestling style that put Stephen Thompson on the mat, where the Karate phenom proved much less dangerous. Brown controlled the unbeaten South Carolinian with four takedowns in the opening frame, depriving him of the distance needed to execute his potent array of kicks. But all that suffocating, not normally in Brown’s nature, took a toll on him. By round two, a resurgent Thompson sent a wobbly-legged Brown retreating with a ferocious storm of kicks and punches. Just when he seemed most vulnerable, Brown suddenly turned the tide and made Thompson pay for a habit of holding his hands low, flooring “Wonderboy” with a crisp right hand. An ensuing ground and pound assault opened a gash on Thompson’s forehead that would grow bloodier in the third round. Brown (16-11) ate more punches in the final frame but nevertheless scored another takedown and tormented Thompson (6-1) with ever more ground and pound en route to a unanimous decision victory by scores of 30-27 twice and 29-27. MAKDESSI VS. NJOKUANIThroughout round one of this lightweight clash, Anthony Njokuani switched stances often and pretty much landed whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. Behind a wide-ranging attack, the lanky standup specialist punished his shorter and stockier foe with left hooks, head kicks and kicks that welted John Makdessi’s lead leg. The one-sided domination left no doubt that if Makdessi was going to rally, it would hinge on a homerun shot or him quickly resorting to Plan B. Yet in round two, Njokuani’s beautiful dancing style continued, with the slower Makdessi kicking more but finding it difficult to land upstairs or close the distance to his liking. Not once did the heavy-handed Canadian (7 KOs, cornered by welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre) attempt a takedown, stubbornly sticking to his strength. In the final stanza, Njokuani (16-6) further demonized the Firas Zahabi protégé by fighting like a poor man’s Anderson Silva. Makdessi (9-2) never found his groove and Njokuani easily cruised to a unanimous decision nod with scores of 30-27 across the board. Watch Njokuani's post-fight interviewDANZIG VS. ESCUDEROIn a lightweight battle of past winners of The Ultimate Fighter, Mac Danzig and Efrain Escudero seemed about as evenly matched as it gets. So despite their best efforts and nonstop hustle, neither man was able to impose his will on the other or inflict much damage. You will be hard-pressed to find another fight where both men gamely stood in the pocket, let punches fly, and yet NO punches of great consequence ever landed. When they weren’t exchanging punches, the fighters spent a lot of time grinding away in the clinch. The ugly work may have been what swayed the judges, as it was Escudero, teammate to UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson, whose back was against the cage much of the time. Danzig (22-9-1), MMA’s most prominent vegan and also an accomplished photographer, escaped with a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27 and 29-28). Escudero lost his second straight, falling to 19-5.CLEMENTS VS. WISNIEWSKIWhen the fight was standing, it was all Chris Clements. When the action hit the mat, it was all Keith Wisniewski. But in a grinding and crowd-pleasing welterweight tussle, it was Clements’ cardio and damaging punches that proved the difference and carried him to a split decision triumph. The veteran Wisniewski (28-13-1), out of Hobart, Ind., found momentum early with a trip takedown, back control and ground and pound in round one. But his Canadian adversary stole his thunder shortly thereafter with a hard overhand right and a rippling body shot that froze Wisniewski in his tracks and dropped him to the canvas. Round two played out in similar fashion, with Wisniewski eating hard shots from Clements but retaliating with a takedown, threatening with a rear naked choke and scoring with ground and pound. Round three was not as suspenseful or close, as Clements (11-4), the fresher fighter, battered his flat-footed opponent with hard right hands and dropped him with a knee. Wisniewski survived but fell short on the judges’ score cards by scores of 29-28 and 30-27 for Clements and 29-28 for Wisniewski. Hear what Clements had to say about his UFC debutBRIMAGE VS. BLANCOIn the end, with their three rounds in the books, Marcus Brimage and Maximo Blanco squared off in an unprecedented back-flipping contest – probably the first time that’s ever been done in the Octagon (each man executing three backflips). The brief dance-off, combined with Brimage accusing Blanco of running for much of their fight, was much more entertaining than their 15-minute boxing match. Neither featherweight fighter seemed to really lay it all on the line, prompting sporadic boos from the live crowd. Brimage, a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 14, emerged as the more assertive fighter in round one, landing 1-2 combos with conviction, though they never seemed to disrupt the composure Blanco displayed in his UFC debut. In round two, Brimage countered a Blanco low kick with a hard straight left. Blanco would soon land his best blow of the fight, a kick to the face, that did little damage. Despite being unfazed even when on the short end of the exchanges, Blanco was never really able to find his rhythm or string together punches. Brimage, who threw punches with more conviction early and was the aggressor, was awarded a split decision victory via scores of 30-27, 29-28, and 28-29. He improves to 5-1. Blanco fell to 8-4-1, 1 NC. “I was watching him for a long time and waiting for the right opportunities. It wasn't the same guy I thought I was going to fight,” Brimage said. “He was running from me a bit. I was trying to pick my shots. I wanted to outdo the main event and even though it's not the fight I thought it would be, I'm happy.” Watch Brimage's post-fight interview

Posted in: fight, round, punch, brimage, blanco

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ATLANTA, April 22 - One of the UFC’s most bitter feuds saw Jon Jones pushed five rounds for the first time in his career Saturday night at Philips Arena, but friend-turned-enemy Rashad Evans was unable to overcome the 205-pound champ’s massive reach advantage, wicked elbows and relentless plethora of kicks in the UFC 145 main event.Jones, widely anointed as the skyrocketing sport’s Superman of sorts, did not steamroll his former sparring partner as many had expected. Rounds one and two were at times riveting and very competitive, but Jones was noticeably busier over the final three rounds to cinch the unanimous decision by scores of 49-46, 49-46, and 50-45. “Yeah, this was definitely my most satisfying victory,” the 24-year-old champ said. “I felt like my striking was a little more elementary (than usual), I just didn’t want to make a lot of mistakes.” Yet Jones (16-1) noted that the bout played out much different than their training sessions, before Evans departed Greg Jackson’s team over a year ago amid turmoil over teammates fighting teammates.“It felt completely different,” Jones said. “You saw tonight I threw a lot of elbows. I would never do that to a sparring partner … and I think my wrestling has definitely improved a lot. I had a goal to finish this fight and I didn’t. Hats off to Rashad. That’s the first time I’ve gone five rounds so I learned some things there, too.” After the final horn had sounded neither champ nor challenger shook hands or exchanged verbal pleasantries that would indicate the simmering tensions are squashed. But there was respect in the comments they gave to commentator Joe Rogan. “I give him props; he was creative and kept me on my toes, so I got to give it to him,” said 32-year-old Evans, the former UFC light heavyweight champ who fell to 22-2-1. “He had those sneaky elbows that kept getting in on me.”

Posted in: ufc, jone, round, champ, lot

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It was an explosive night of fights, that nearly added another fight after the bell, Friday night in Cleveland, Ohio. In the main event, former Bellator champion blasted Shinya Aoki to the point his corner threw in the towel to no avail. In the second middleweight semifinal, Andreas Spang pulled off a stunning comeback on Brian Rogers. The stunning comeback was marred by Spang flicking off the Ohio crowd and then nearly starting a brawl with fellow tournament finalist Maiquel Falcao. In other action, Rick Hawn and Brent Weedman both proved victorious in their lightweight semifinals and are now set for the finals. Main Card Results Eddie Alvarez def. Shinya Aoki via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 2:14 Middleweight semifinal: Andreas Spang def. Brian Rogers via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 3:34 Middleweight semifinal: Maiquel Falcao def. Vyacheslav Vasilevsky via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-29) Lightweight semifinal: Rick Hawn def. Lloyd Woodard via KO (punch) – Round 2, 0:10 Lightweight semifinal: Brent Weedman def. Thiago Michel via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) Preliminary Card Results Jessica Eye def. Anita Rodriguez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) John Hawk def. Marcus Vanttinen via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) Attila Vegh def. Dan Spohn via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27) Frank Carabello def. Donny Walker via knockout (flying knee) – Round 4, 2:25 Julian Lane def. Joe Heiland via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 2:49  

Posted in: round, decision, shinya aoki, brian rogers, semifinal

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Eddie Alvarez finally got his revenge, and it was violent. Nearly four years after losing to DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki, Alvarez dropped Aoki with a short right hand early in the first round at Bellator 66 on Friday night. Wary of Aoki's formidable guard game, Alvarez hesitated before leaping in and unloading an avalanche of unanswered shots that repeatedly bounced his opponent's head off the mat. Sensing their fighter was out, Aoki's corner quickly threw in the towel but referee Jerry Krzys failed to see it. Alvarez's barrage continued for a few more brutal seconds before Krzys jumped in to end the contest. Afterward, Alvarez, who is currently in tenuous contract negotiations with Bellator officials, was blunt when asked what the win meant to him. "It means Bjorn Rebney, show me the money," he elatedly declared. "Bjorn Rebney where you at? Show me the money." In the night's co-main event, Andreas Spang stormed back from early trouble to flatten Brian Rogers with a spectacular highlight reel finish. A late replacement for Bruno Santos, Spang found himself in danger from the opening bell, eating a salvo of shots before turning his back and running to the fence. In hot pursuit, an over-eager Rogers slipped while throwing a high kick and Spang leaped in to lock-up a tight rear-naked choke. A desperate Rogers fought off the submission attempt and recovered to land another volley of punches and flying knees on Spang, hunting for his second-straight sensational finish. Spang managed to survive the round, however he soon found himself back in trouble, as Rogers unloaded with lefts and rights from the opening bell of the second frame. But it was Spang who ultimately found his mark, hurling a gigantic counter left hook out of nowhere that floored Rogers. Evoking the sprit of Dan Henderson, Spang landed one more flying shot to cap off the stunning comeback at 3:34 of round two, and pave his road to the Bellator season six middleweight tournament finals. There he will meet former UFC veteran Maiquel Falcao, who snuck his way into the middleweight finals with a razor-thin decision victory over Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (29-28, x3). Falcao appeared to be overmatched early, falling victim to Vasilevsky's slick judo takedowns repeatedly throughout the first two rounds. However "Big Rig" ended the second frame on top, and used that momentum to climb back in the final five minutes, punctuating his win with a huge jab-cross combination that put Vasilevsky back on his heels. Nonetheless, in a bizarre turn of events, Falcao's post-fight faceoff with Spang erupted into a melee inside the cage. Falcao, taking exception to a push from Spang, feigned a punch before winging a wild knee from inside the clinch. Bellator ringside commentator Jimmy Smith promptly jumped in and grabbed Falcao, separating him from Spang before any more extra-circular activity could take place. Rounding out the night, Brent Weedman edged Thiago Michel via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) to slip into the season six lightweight finals. A former welterweight, Weedman controlled the pace of a majority of the opening two rounds, working for takedowns and staying busy inside. Michel finally found his range in the third frame, opening a large mouse under Weedman's right eye, however it would be too little, too late. Meeting Weedman in the tournament championship will be season four welterweight finalist Rick Hawn. Following a slow first round, the 35-year-old Hawn made a resounding statement against Lloyd Woodard, dropping "Cupcake" ten seconds into the second frame with a lunging right hook from inside the pocket. A few more unanswered shots from Hawn and referee Jerry Krzys called a stop to the contest.

Posted in: bellator, round, alvarez, roger, spang

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Tonight the Bellator Fighting Championships will offer up its finest card so far this year. Bellator 66 will be going down tonight at 8pm ET in Cleveland, Ohio. Sadly it is largely being buried in the build up to UFC 145: Jon Jones vs Rashad Evans. This card headline will feature a rematch between two of the best lightweights outside of the UFC. Dream Lightweight champion Shinya Aoki squares off with former Bellator Lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez. Aoki defeated Alavrez with an impressive heel hook the first time the two met and Alavrez has spent years lobbying for a rematch. The rest of the main card will feature Lightweight and Middleweight tournament semifinals. Thiago Michel will face Brent Weedman in the opening bout of the evening. Olympic Judkoa Rick Hawn will take on the man who upset tournament favorite Patricky Freire, Llyod Woodard in the other Lightweight match. At Middleweight the hyper-violent Maiquel Falcao will be matched with combat Sambo stand out Vyacheslav Vasilevsky. And in the other Middleweight match native Ohioan and knockout artist Brain Rogers will look to put his heavy hands on Andreas Spang. Here is the full card for the evening: Main Card Eddie Alvarez vs. Shinya AokiAndreas Spang vs. Brian RogersVyacheslav Vasilevsky vs. Maiquel FalcaoLloyd Woodard vs. Rick Hawn Brent Weedman vs. Thiago Michel Preliminary Card Julian Lane vs. Joe Heiland John Hawk vs. Marcus Vanttinen Dan Spohn vs. Attila Vegh Donny Walker vs. Frank Caraballo Jessica Eye vs. Anita Rodriguez Not we will not be doing live results for the preliminary card, but join us here at Bloody Elbow for main card action and discussion. Lightweight Semifinal: Thiago Michel vs. Brent Weedman Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Lightweight Semifinal: Rick Hawn vs. Lloyd Woodard Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Middleweight Semifinal: Maiquel Falcao vs. Vyacheslav Vasilevsky Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Middleweight Semifinal: Brian Rogers vs. Andreas Spang Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Super-fight: Eddie Alvarez vs. Shinya Aoki Round 1 Round 2 Round 3

Posted in: bellator, round, vs, card, middleweight

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Here are the UFC 145: Jones Vs Evans staff picks. We start off with the undercard this time around, as there are some pretty interesting fights taking place, including former TUF champions Mac Danzig and Efrain Escudero doing battle, as well as John Makdessi and Anthony Njokuani getting together for what should be an elite striking battle. Let us know who you are picking in the comments sections! Marcus Brimage vs Maximo BlancoEarl - Marcus Brimage is an awesome dude. We have learned that he loves BBWs, getting "white girl wasted", DragonballZ and farting on camera during intense pre-fight promos. I am going to be sad to see him get absolutely trucked here by Maximo. Maximo Blanco, KO, Round 1.Elliot - I actually really like Marcus’ striking, it’s fluid, technical, and he puts together good combos that have good snap. As much of a powerhouse Maxi is, I don’t think he should try to trade with Brimage here. If he puts Marcus onto his heels, and asserts his takedowns, then I see this being very one sided. Although I know Blanco likes to brawl, I think he will bully Marcus around for an eventual TKO or decision.Patrick - Brimage has potential: he’s both a total character and a fun offensive striker. Blanco, however, is on another level. Brimage is the guy who knew nothing about basic techniques from the guard nine months ago, so there’s no way he’ll be able to deal with Blanco’s top game; I think Maxi gets him down and punishes him. Blanco by TKO, Round 2.Cory - I have no reason to go against the grain here. Brimage has done some decent things in his stint on TUF, but not enough to convince me that he can hang with someone with the rugged power of Blanco. Blanco - TKOLuke - I thought of a couple of reasons to go against the grain here. First reason: Blanco has fought all but one of his fights overseas in Japan. He lost the one he didn’t. Second reason: Blanco is dropping down to featherweight for the first time in his career. I’m also not too high on Blanco’s strength of schedule over in Japan. Of course, Brimage hasn’t done too much in the professional world of mixed martial arts himself and as Patrick noted, he doesn’t have much of a ground game. I think he’ll wind up on his back any time he gets any momentum going but, since he’s fighting in his backyard, he should get to the judges scorecards. Blanco, Unanimous decision.Keith Wisniewski vs. Chris ClementsEarl - Clements is a striker with massive power who has finished all 10 of his victories via KO/TKO. Three of his four losses are via submission and I think "The Polish Connection" has the veteran savvy to weather the storm, drag this one to the mat and get the tap. Keith Wisniewski, Submission, Round 2Elliot - I only know Wisniewkski as the guy who Josh Neer mauled with elbows and then choked the hell out of. I have no knowledge of Chris Clements, other than that fightfinder tells me he stopped Clementi and Goulet recently. It looks like Clements loses by submission more than Wisniewkski loses by knockout, so I will copy the nobleman of Montclair, and say The Wis™ takes a submission win.Patrick - Clements is a significant favorite: Wisniewski is hittable, and Clements hits really, really hard. I’m not confident in this pick, but I’ll say Clements by TKO, Round 2.Cory - I’m with Patrick on this one for mostly the same reasons. It’s nice that the UFC is bringing back an old vet to give him one last shot at some glory, but I think that Wis drops his UFC record to 0-3 and is gone likely for good. Clements - TKOLuke - Wisneiwski didn’t look so great against Josh Neer, but then again, Neer is a very good and complete fighter who poses multiple risks. Clements is primarily a power striker, making this a scarier but likely easier proposition for Wisniewski. If he gets caught, well, he gets caught, but I’m on the same page as Earl and Elliot are. Wisniewski, Submission, Round 2.Mac Danzig vs. Efrain EscuderoEarl - Mac Danzig is 4-5 in the UFC (counting his awful loss to Matt Wiman via Yves Lavigne stoppage) and Escudero is just the kind of guy to allow him to even up his record. Efrain gets his walking papers after this one. Again. Mac Danzig, Unanimous Decision.Elliot - I’ll never forget seeing Danzig doing jedi training at Xtreme Couture, with a pole tied to his head, shadowboxing with a tennis ball attached to a string at the end of the pole. Mac is a true gym rat, and although he may not be the most physically gifted athlete, he has certainly maximized his abilities in a way that Escudero never has. Maybe Efrain has a reason for his weight problems, maybe he’s every bit as dedicated as Danzig... but I doubt it. And although Efrain is probably more naturally talented- hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. Danzig takes a decision, or perhaps a late sub.Patrick - A semi-interesting battle of lower-tier gatekeepers. I doubt this fight gets finished either way, but I think Danzig’s cardio will give him the edge late to take a Unanimous Decision.Cory - Efrain has done very little over the course of his career that has made me think he will be anything but a journeyman. None of his wins have been terribly impressive, and all of his losses were fairly convincing. Mac Danzig is kind of the same way, and I wouldn’t be too upset if both of them were cut after this, but I think Danzig does enough. Danzig - Decision.Luke - Neither of these guys have turned out to be much of anything after they won their respective seasons of The Ultimate Fighter. Danzig, who won season six, has been better than Escudero, the season eight winner. Mac has fought a higher level of competition, having gone up against Clay Guida and Jim Miller, two of the division's current contenders. He even holds a submission victory over Mark Bocek. As for Escudero, well, he struggled to a 2-2 record in his first go-round with the promotion and was cut after failing to make weight in his losing effort against Charles Oliveira. He went 5-1 outside the promotion, including victories over current TUF competitors Mike Rio and Jeremy Larsen. He returned to the UFC and lost a reasonably close decision to Jakob Volkmann in his last fight. This fight will probably come down to the wrestling of Escudero. If he can get Danzig down, he wins. I don’t think he can. Danzig, Unanimous decision.John Makdessi vs. Anthony NjokuaniEarl - After giving both guys matchups with grapplers in their previous outings and watching them both lose, Joe Silva wised up and decided to have these two strikers face each other. This one should be an exciting FOTN candidate if it goes the distance and is an easy KOTN candidate if it doesn’t. Anthony Njokuani, Unanimous Decision.Elliot - Should be a great fight, however- Mak already looks like he should be fighting at 145, and Njokuani is flippin huge for a lightweight. That said- Anthony has shown himself susceptible to the spinning attacks Makdessi is so very proficient with (the spinning wheel kick Barbosa hit him with; the spinning backfist Jewtuszko KO’d him with), which makes this fight very interesting. I will go against my better judgement, and give the exciting new prospect in John Makdessi the edge here, winning a decision, or perhaps drilling Njokuani with a spinning attack for the (T)KO finish.Patrick - For all of Njokuani's flaws - and there are many - his Muay Thai is absolutely top-notch. I think that Makdessi's an exciting prospect, but his future has to be at 145; I just don't see him closing the range against the much taller Njokuani, and he has zero track record of successfully implementing an alternative gameplan. Still, Njokuani is hittable, so there is a possibility that Makdessi will land one of his huge spinning strikes. I’ll take Njokuani by close Unanimous Decision.Cory - This is kind of a toss-up to me. Both fighters have their upsides, but I’ll play a hunch and say Makdessi takes the decision based upon some of the reasoning that Elliot mentioned.. Makdessi - Decision.Luke - Both men have been showing very impressive striking in their time inside the Octagon, but what makes this match up so intriguing is their backgrounds. Makdessi is a Taekwondo guy, while Njokuani comes from the Muay Thai school. In my mind this fight will be decided by the ability of Makdessi to close the distance, as he’s quite a bit smaller than Njokuani. Makdessi has shown a fairly dynamic attack with his use of side kicks and, as the other staff members have mentioned, spinning strikes. I believe it will be dynamic enough to get him on the inside. Will he be able to get a finish? I don’t think so. Makdessi, Unanimous decision.Matt Brown vs. Stephen ThompsonEarl - Matt Brown got his groove back by wrecking Chris Cope in his last outing. Nobody has ever defeated Matt Brown by KO/TKO but Stephen Thompson is an elite striker who has all the ability to do it. Dan Stittgen was just a warm up for Wonderboy. Don’t blink. Stephen Thompson, KO, Round 1.Elliot - I don’t think Thompson will be the first man to KO the ridiculously tough Matt Brown, but I think Stephen Thompson will be able to land the better shots throughout and outduel Brown to a decision.Patrick - Thompson isn’t quite the uber-prospect he’s being made out to be, though his striking is absurdly good. He’ll eventually be beaten by one of the many wrestlers inhabiting the top echelon of the division, but Brown isn’t the guy to do it. Thompson by dominant Unanimous Decision.Cory - I kind of want to say Brown, as he’s a tough grinder that stands a good shot at dragging this into quicksand, but how can I pick against Wonderboy when he’s so much fun? Wonderboy - TKOLuke - I think Patrick is on the right track, but I actually think Matt Brown is going to be the one to put a stop to the Wonderboy hoopla real quick. We’ve seen a ton of strikers come into the Octagon, win a fight or two with magnificent striking, only to lose to a mediocre gatekeeper who has a passable ground game. Wonderboy supposedly has a ground game, but I’m not buying it until I see him use it. You know what else has me down on Thompson’s chances? Matt Brown is a tough son of a gun, who himself has struggled with ground fighting. The opportunity to "pay it forward" and show Thompson what the UFC is really all about is something that I believe Brown will relish. Brown, Unanimous decision.Travis Browne vs. Chad GriggsEarl - The best sideburns in the business make their UFC debut and find themselves pitted against a gigantic man in Travis Browne. Browne may not be a top level HW (yet) but he is far superior to the jabronis Griggs was defeating in Strikeforce. This one should be dominant. Travis Browne, KO, Round 1.Elliot - Griggs is a puffed up light heavyweight, and although he’s tough as all hell, and very likeable, he is outmatched here. Travis Browne will beat Chad up something fierce, en route to a lopsided decision.Patrick - I’ll go one further, Elliot, and say that Griggs is downright lovable. Unfortunately, Browne is a monster with slick movement, great athleticism, and huge power. Browne by dominant decision.Cory - Yea, I can’t think of a reason to pick Griggs either. I like him, but he’s got very few avenues to win here. Browne - KOLuke - Browne has been equal parts awe-inspiring (his stoppages of James McSweeney and Stefan Struve) and disappointing (his draw with Cheick Kongo and his decision over Rob Broughton) in his Octagon career. Still, he’s a monster of a man and training at Jackson’s MMA should have improved him a lot since his last bout back in September. Griggs is a heavyweight Chris Lytle; fights fires outside the ring, fights inside the ring with the workmanlike ethic that such a day job provides. Like Lytle though, he has his limitations and I think Browne is a little bit much for him. If Browne is on his game, easy TKO victory. If not, he’ll struggle to a unanimous decision. I’m gonna go with the TKO. Browne, TKO, Round 1.Mark Bocek vs. John AlessioEarl - Alessio is making his return to the Octagon against submission specialist Mark Bocek who is coming off a victory of Nik Lentz. Alessio is coming in on fairly short notice but it is now or never for him to make a run in the big leagues and I say he seizes the opportunity. John Alessio, Unanimous Decision.Elliot - Alessio is a cool dude, and I took a few MMA classes under him at Xtreme Couture, so it pains me to say this, but Bocek has him beat here. He is the superior grappler, and has improved his striking to the point where Alessio won’t have a huge edge over him there. Bocek takes a decision, or late submission.Patrick - I’m glad to see Alessio back in the big show - he’s certainly earned it - but this is a bad matchup for him: Alessio tends to get subbed, and Bocek has a nasty submission game. Bocek by submission, round 3.Cory - This is indeed a rough matchup for Alessio here. Bocek wins this 4 out of 5 times I think. Bocek - Submission.Luke - A couple of Canadians going at it in this bout, with Alessio coming off a victory over a guy who reminds me of Bocek, Ryan Healy. Alessio is somewhat of a smooth operator who likes to use technical striking and slick grappling to get the job done. Bocek, like Healy, is a grinder extraordinaire who was able to win a unanimous decision over Nik Lentz despite spending much of the fight in a guillotine submission hold. Bocek simply got the takedown, defended the submission, prevented Lentz from doing much else, and happily got the judges nod. Not the most exciting way to win to be sure, but fairly effective. It’s been a long time since Bocek fought a "strike first" opponent, and the opportunity to showcase his offensive jiu jitsu is something he should welcome. Bocek, Submission, Round 1.Mark Hominick vs. Eddie YaginEarl - Squash match. Hominick, TKO, Round 2.Elliot - Hominick was obviously not in the right mindset for the fight with Jung. Yagin hasn’t impressed me much, and has been stopped by much lesser fighters than Hominick. Earl has it right- this will be a blowout. Hominick stops him with strikes.Patrick - Watching Hominick ply his technical kickboxing against infinitely less-skilled opponents is always a pleasure. Gamblers, don’t be seduced by the gaudy +450 line on Yagin: you’ll be wasting your money. Hominick by TKO, Round 1.Cory - I mean wow. Did Eddie do something to upset Joe Silva? Not too many rougher welcomes into the UFC rougher than Jr. Assuncao followed by Mark Hominick. Hominick - Pain.Luke - To put it simply, if Yagin wins, everyone in the UFC organization, from Lo Fer down to the mail room staff, is going to be very surprised. Squash match indeed. Hominick, TKO, Round 1.Miguel Torres vs. Michael McDonaldEarl - Fresh off RapeVanGate, Miguel Torres has got himself back in the UFC against a young man who has been on a gravy train with biscuit wheels. Mayday has absurd power and is very aggressive in his attack. I wish McDonald was fighting the 4 years ago version of Miguel Torres. Nevertheless, this will be the biggest win of his career. Michael McDonald, TKO, Round 2.Elliot - This isn’t as much of a blowout for McDonald as some people are making it out to be. Torres has had trouble with powerhouse wrestlers, which Mayday is not. When Torres decides to, he controls range extremely well with a telephone pole of a jab, and sharp kicks. This is important because the two things that McDonald had trouble with in his very close fight with Chris Cariaso were getting kicked, and Cariaso’s guard submissions (another thing Torres excels at). I think McDonald will take the decision, but it will be close, and Torres will have his moments.Patrick - Razor-close fight. Elliot’s breakdown is spot-on: Mayday can certainly be hit, and it’s imperative that he close the distance. I think he’s aggressive enough to do just that. McDonald by Unanimous Decision.Cory - Fine, I’ll be that guy who roots for Miguel Torres. Torres - SubmissionLuke - I don’t even think this fight is that close. Torres is going to win and kick off a run at the title. Renan Barao should get the next shot at the 135 pound title, and Torres will need one more win after this one to solidify himself as the next guy in line. McDonald is young and he hasn’t faced anyone that I would consider good just yet. For his first big fight to be against a former champion who is looking to both redeem himself in the eyes of his bosses and put himself into the title picture is simply too much, too soon. Torres, Unanimous decision.Brendan Schaub vs. Ben RothwellEarl - Brendan’s chin will be in question for the rest of his career and his win over Cro Cop was less than impressive. I see him winning this but it will not be spectacular. Brendan Schaub via plodding UD.Chris - Ben Rothwell has done absolutely nothing to impress me in any of his UFC performances. Schaub is by no means a top level heavyweight, but Big Ben shouldn’t give him much trouble here. However, the only time Ben’s been stopped in the UFC was by Cain Valesquez as he was in the process of standing up against the fence. Schaub shouldn’t struggle too much in taking the decision, but expect this fight to get really ugly in the second and not get better before the final bell sounds. Brendan Schaub by DecisionElliot - I expect Rothwell to be in better shape in this fight, and not fighting in Denver should really make a difference for him here. That said, Schaub is harder/ better/ faster/ stronger than Big Ben in pretty much every aspect... the only thing Ben has on Schaub is a titanium chin. I will follow suit and say Schaub takes the decision.Patrick - Rothwell is... not that great. He has a distinct tendency to get hit by anyone and everyone he fights, and Schaub hits pretty hard; he also has a poor track record against faster and more athletic opponents (Arlovski, Velasquez, etc.), a category to which Schaub definitely belongs. Still, Rothwell's a tough guy. Schaub by Unanimous Decision.Cory - There’s not much else to be said that hasn’t been covered already. I can see Rothwell putting the dangadadang on Schaub, and I’m kind of rooting for it to happen, but I think it’s unlikely. Schaub - DecisionLuke - I’m probably going to watch this card at a house party, which means that I’ll have an excuse not to watch this fight. I’ll just watch Schaub/Gonzaga if I really feel the need to see what happened. Schaub, Unanimous decision.Rory MacDonald vs. Che MillsEarl - Squash match No. 2 - Rory MacDonald, Submission, Round 1.Chris - I’m with Earl on this one. No reason for The Waterboy to lose this one (No, Rory, you can’t just change your nickname) Rory MacDonald - TKO Round 1Elliot - Che’s only chance is to get Rory into a slugfest, which he and Zahabi are too smart for. Rory can take Mills down basically at will here, and from there it will be slaughter. MacDonald via first round stoppage from strikes or submission.Patrick - I highly doubt Mills will be able to stuff MacDonald’s powerful and creative takedowns. Once he’s down, there's no way Mills can deal with MacDonald's top game. The Waterboy, TKO Round 1. Cory - If Rory somehow manages to lose this one, I will consider dunking a hat in ketchup and eating it live on cam. This is his fight to lose and everyone knows it. RMac - TKOLuke - Rory MacDonald is a great young fighter, who has already had his "eye opening moment" against Carlos Condit, and now it’s time to start his first run at the belt. Che Mills is a tough nut to crack, but so was Mike Pyle, who MacDonald put out with savage ground and pound from the top position. MacDonald will announce himself as one of the top 10 welterweights in the world tomorrow. MacDonald, TKO, Round 1.Jon Jones vs. Rashad EvansEarl - After an eternity of hype, injuries, petulant "no, you are" back and forth bickering and 2 of Jon Jones’ special nights being ruined these two will finally fight. Jon’s freakish length and wrestling background should be the keys for him to get through this fight. Rashad’s head movement is far too predictable and overrated. He may get a couple takedowns early and might win the first, possibly even the second round as well but once Jon gets his timing down it is going to be Stanky Leg 2.0....and STILL your Light Heavyweight Overlord, Jon Jones via Massive Elbows TKO, Round 3.Chris - My first thought on this fight is that it’s about 9 months too late and the UFC is trying to drown us in the drama that would have been capturing last summer. At this point, I just want the fight to be over. Fortunately for me, I don’t think the main event is going to last too long. Considering his dominating performances against Tito Ortiz and Phil Davis, many fans are looking toward Rashad as the one to push Jon Jones to his limits. I just don’t see any way he’s going to pull that off. Jones has shown no weaknesses that would allow Rashad to implement his strengths. Jones by Submission - Round 3Elliot - Rashad isn’t being given the credit he deserves. He has the wrestling to stuff Jon better than Page did, the foot and hand speed to get to Jon’s chin like Lyoto did, and the knowledge of Jon’s game to not get surprised by anything big. That said, JJ has the vastly broader repertoire, and should be able to disarm Rashad on the feet, do damage in the clinch, and get the better of the wrestling exchanges to get on top and let loose with those ridiculous elbows, en route to a Jones decision. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Rashad win a round or two, though.Patrick - There are two significant variables in this fight: first, Rashad's ability to use his movement to get inside, and second, Jones' clinch work. As for the first, I don't give Rashad much of a chance to land hard punches on Bones. He had trouble getting inside on Phil Davis, who doesn't use his length nearly as effectively as Jones: Rashad landed only eight power strikes on Mr. Wonderful at range the entire fight. As to the second major variable, if and when Jones gets ahold of him the clinch will be a nightmare for Rashad against the taller and probably stronger Jones. Rashad does have ways of winning this fight, by utilizing his superior footwork to take good angles, consistently moving in and then well out of range, throwing on the exit from the clinch, and grabbing opportunistic takedowns through caught kicks and the like. Unfortunately, he has absolutely zero margin for error, and at some point, Bones will land a big strike or put Rashad on his back and either get the ground and pound stoppage or a submission. I’ll take Jones by TKO, Round 4.Cory - I kind of want to write a novella about this, but my better sense is telling me that you’ve heard it all already. There are too many things working against Rashad Evans in this fight for me to pick him. Jones’ phenomenal reach advantage and the way he uses it. Jones’ infinitely more diverse striking attack. Jones’ outstanding wrestling in the clinch. Jones’ weight advantage. Jones’ submission game.Rashad has a puncher’s chance here. He’s got solid power and he transitions beautifully from striking to wrestling. There’s just too many things not to like. A number of the fighters that he’s finished (Forrest, Liddell, Ortiz) all ended up having chins and bodies that we look at as suspect. For example, Forrest is credited with being "rugged and durable" from the Bonnar fight, but that’s because Bonnar isn’t that hard of a hitter. The Evans KO was the third of five (T)KO’s that FoGriff has had, so it isn’t like that was his first time in la la land.As a fan, Jon Jones is rapidly turning into an Anderson Silva. I watch not just to see him win, but what new and exciting way will he win next. He was the first guy since Kazushi Sakuraba to submit Rampage. The first person to submit Machida. The first guy to TKO Shogun (not including the arm break against Coleman). As a fan, Rashad is one of the fighters I don’t care much for. The "suck my dick" tap he did to Forrest was disgusting sportsmanship. I hate his tedious wrestling style - HE HAS ZERO SUBMISSION ATTEMPTS IN HIS UFC CAREER! HE TOOK THIAGO SILVA DOWN EIGHT TIMES AND THREW THREE PUNCHES ON THE GROUND! Ugh. Yea, I’ll go with Bone Jones - SubmissionLuke - I think it’s pretty clear by now that I think this is going to be one of the all time great fights. I see it going back and forth, with both men having takedown success. Jon Jones has never gone to a fifth round, and I’d love to see he and Evans begrudgingly acknowledge each other before the start of a fifth round that will determine the winner of the match. Jones, Unanimous decision.

Posted in: fight, jone, round, tko, submission

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Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans Brent Brookhouse: As a big Rashad Evans fan, there's no doubt that I'll be rooting for him. But I think Jones is too much here. He's too long for Rashad to reliably win the striking game, his wrestling will be too good for Rashad to outwrestle him and even if Rashad does get a takedown, I don't think he's going to be aggressive enough to go for a finish before it's back on the feet with Jon taking back over. Basically, I'm worried Rashad has nothing more than a home run swing chance here. Jon Jones by TKO, round 4. Anton Tabuena: As a fan I will be rooting for Evans and will be hoping he lands that big punch, or is able to control position on the ground. Although as much as I want to see that, my head tells me that's less likely to happen. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm picking Jon Jones by Late Submission. T.P. Grant: Oh man, I can't wait for this fight. Not just for the back story but for the match up of styles. Both are excellent wrestlers, Jones is fantastic in the clinch with a hybrid greco-judo attack while Evans works a relentless attack on the legs. I think Evans presents a lot of interesting problems for Jones with his fantastic ability to mix striking and wrestling together. Evans presents the best chance we've seen to put Jones on his back. If Evans had shown any interest in submission offense I might even be tempted to pick him, but I'm done picking against Jones. He keeps Evans on the outside and hurts him on the feet. After a few rounds of striking and counter wrestler, Jones will take Evans down and lock on a submission. Jon Jones by Submission, Round 4. Tim Burke: I'm thoroughly bored with this fight by now. Many can look at the long lead-up and say it adds to the allure. Not me. This fight never really interested me, and nothing they've said has made it interesting. Jones is MMA 4.0. Evans is still updating at 2.5.11. The sub idea is ridiculous to me considering Rashad's grappling pedigree (which is highly underrated), but his chin ain't iron. Bone is gonna get to it. Jon Jones by TKO, round 3. Jack Slack: This one seems pretty cut and paste to me. Jones will establish methodical kicks and long punches and brutalise Rashad throughout this match up. Rashad does not have the head movement to keep attacking in and out, and Jones will catch him with a heavy counter sooner or later. Rashad's one hope in this fight is to close the distance immediately. When I say immediately, I mean swarm on top of Jones when Jones does his predictable crawl to the centre of the octagon. Jones has received so much hype in recent weeks that he is essentially carrying the UFC brand, in this fight he is even being sponsored by the company. Add to this the premature and borderline foolish comparisons to Muhammad Ali, and you have a man who has never been hurt and is carrying the weight and expectations of a great many people on his shoulders. A well timed punch to the jaw could break Jones mentally for the entire fight. Most likely though, Rashad is going to get push kicked to the knee for a couple of rounds, before having the theories around his own chin tested. Jones, TKO, Round 3 Fraser Coffeen: There's this weird part of me that keeps wanting to pick Rashad here. But the problem I keep coming back to is, how? How does Rashad win? I don't see him consistently taking Jones down and controlling him on the mat, and I don't see him outpointing Jones on the feet. Rashad is a smart fighter, but I think there's a skill gap here he can't overcome. Jon Jones by submission, round 4 David Castillo: I think Rashad Evans will make it a tentative fight early on, try to clinch, get in close, and do anything to avoid Jones at range, but I can't think of a single scenario in which he's able to instigate any sort of offense. If he keeps it on the feet, he gets destroyed. If he gets taken down, he gets destroyed. He can't play defense because Jones stalks well and being defensive won't do him any favors with that reach disadvantage. I personally think Evans put on a brilliant, calculated performance against Davis. And so I feel like he's a live dog, but Jones is every bit as good as the UFC says he is, unwise comparisons be damned. Jon Jones by TKO, round 2. Dallas Winston: Jones has offered only tiny shreds of vulnerability to analyze, but the dynamic that makes sense for Rashad is what Machida was able to do in the 1st. Jones is an unbelievably unorthodox and creative striker, yet Machida found success with simple, patient and frighteningly quick counter punching. Rashad has always been fast for a 205er and I'd say his biggest improvement is the way he's developed his footwork and hand speed to complement his wrestle-boxing approach. I expect Rashad to stay coiled like a spring and then explode with a flurry of cracking lefts and rights when Jones commits to distance strikes. Rashad has the most formidable combination of footwork, wrestling and striking that Jones has ever encountered. Still, the champ's jaw-dropping length, diversity and momentum are too hard to pick against. Jon Jones by submission (D'arce perhaps?). Staff picking Jones: Brookhouse, Grant, Anton, Jack, Stephie, Fraser, David, Tim, DallasStaff picking Evans: KJ, Thapa Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills Brent Brookhouse: Che Mills has good power, he'll beat a lot of C and B level talents in the UFC, but Rory MacDonald is not that guy. MacDonald has run through better guys than Che and I expect him to do it again. Rory MacDonald by TKO, round 1. Anton Tabuena: Contrary to what they've been saying during the build up, Che Mills is not "an elite elite fighter". He's a talented fighter, but he's taking a gigantic step up in competition and I don't think he's on the level of MacDonald. This will end up looking like a complete showcase fight for MacDonald, introducing him to the thousands and thousands of new fans buying the card for the main event. Rory MacDonald by Domination. T.P. Grant: A future title challenger, MacDonald is rising very quickly. Very skilled and physically gifted fighter at just 22-years-old, MacDonald has future title contender written all over him. Mills on the other hand was eliminated from Ultimate Fighter UK vs US in the preliminary round. MacDonald all day. Rory MacDonald by TKO, Round 2. Tim Burke: Bottom line - Che's not that good. He's a mid-level UFC welterweight at best, riding a sick KO into the only co-main event bout he'll ever see in the big leagues. Rory is a monster in every sense of the word, and I'll be waving my Canadian flag while he feasts on the mismatch Joe Silva set up. Rory MacDonald by submission, round 2. Jack Slack: Che Mills is an exciting prospect, but stands far too upright at all times. Rory MacDonald is a competent striker, as he proved against Carlos Condit, but I doubt he'll severely hurt Mills by taking advantage of this in their fight. More likely he is going to take advantage of Mills' rigid posture by taking him to the ground and submitting the Englishman. MacDonald, Submission, Round 2 David Castillo: Che Mills is a decent enough fighter. Rory is a certified blue chip prospect. Do the math. Mills has a decent enough chance on the feet, but Rory is more than capable, and I expect this one to end quickly enough. Rory MacDonald by TKO, round 2. Dallas Winston: Considering MacDonald's only loss was to the current interim champion in a fight where he dominated the first rounds and literally lost in the last few seconds, there's not too many welters I'd pick to beat him. The way he's matured into in an A-level fighter at such a young age is quite remarkable. Rory MacDonald by submission. Staff picking MacDonald: Brookhouse, Grant, Anton, Jack, Stephie, Fraser, David, Tim, Thapa, DallasStaff picking Mills: KJ Brendan Schaub vs. Ben Rothwell Brent Brookhouse: Picking Rothwell would be an insane overcorrection of expectations following Schaub's being KO'ed by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Nogueira crushed Mir with a punch also and had him about out, he's been sitting down on his power more and not looking for a ground fight. I don't think Schaub's chin is outstanding, but I don't see a reason to treat him like he's made of glass either. He's certainly better than Rothwell, who has looked pretty horrible in his UFC run. Brendan Schaub by lopsided decision. Anton Tabuena: Rothwell can turn this into an ugly fight tilting the odds a bit closer to his favor, but even then, I still think Schaub is likely to win. It could be a complete blowout, or a grueling bout, but I just don't see many avenues that Rothwell can win. Brendan Schaub by TKO. T.P. Grant: Schaub's still a pretty solid heavyweight prospect despite his knockout loss to the slightly larger Nogueira brother and Rothwell is a decent gatekeeper test for him. Rothwell's wins most come from being decently well rounded, but he doesn't seem like he will give Schaub much trouble. Schaub's biggest problems have come against heavy handed punchers and while Rothwell does have pretty solid striking, I don't think he'll be able to keep up with Schaub. I expect the Hybrid to be on his bike and use his jab to keep Rothwell on the outside. As the fight wears on Rothwell will fade and one of Schaub's heavy punches will find a home. Brendan Schaub by TKO, Round 3. Tim Burke: I hate fights like this. Logic says that Schaub owns Rothwell across the board and Big Ben will have nothing for him. But the bitter fight fan in me wants Ben to turn Schaub's lights out and brush his shoulder off afterwards. I have to keep up with Dallas and Fraser (sounds like a crappy lawfirm) though, so I'll go with the safe pick. Brendan Schaub by decision. Jack Slack: I am going to go against the grain here. Both fighters are pretty average in most areas, with massive shortfalls in others. In Rothwell's case it is an obvious lack of technique in his area of strength, brawling, and a seeming inability to fight for more than 2 rounds without almost collapsing from exhaustion. He does however have a big punch and a granite jaw. Brendan Schaub, on the other hand, has perhaps the most suspect chin in the UFC's heavyweight division. Getting knocked out by Roy Nelson is no shame on a man's chin, but by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira? Nogueira's only KO up to that point was over the barely 185lbs Sanae Kikuta. That's pretty indicative of Schaub's poor capacity to take a punch. Schaub takes the lead early, connecting big punches, then gets clipped and covers against the cage before being stopped again. Rothwell, KO, Round 3 Fraser Coffeen: I'm not sold on Schaub's power or his ability to survive being hit. But Rothwell has looked increasingly lethargic lately. Schaub should be able to use speed and movement to avoid Rothwell at first, then pick him apart slowly. Also, I have a sneaky suspicion this is going to suck. Brendan Schaub by decision David Castillo: I don't think much of Schaub, but he's capable, fast, and infinitely more polished than Rothwell, who seems to be deteriorating at an exponential rate. The Rothwell that fought Arlovski might stand a good chance, but we're far removed from that universe, and so are Ben's chances against the moderately competent Schaub. Brendan Schaub by Decision. Dallas Winston: Schaub has phenomenal size and athleticism for a heavyweight, along with tight and powerful boxing. Big Ben used to have comparable agility and either overpower quicker opponents or rely on quickness against powerful opponents. The only time we've seen the Rothwell of old was in the first 5-minutes against Yvel, but he came out flat in the 2nd and 3rd and was swept (and close to being finished). I'd give him a better chance if his punching power didn't deteriorate along with his cardio. He could catch Schaub or hop on his back in a transition, but I expect a competitive, back-and-forth 1st round before Schaub takes over. Brendan Schaub by decision. Staff picking Rothwell: JackStaff picking Schaub: Brookhouse, KJ, Grant, Anton, Stephie, Fraser, David, Tim, Thapa, Dallas Miguel Torres vs. Michael McDonald Brent Brookhouse: McDonald is very good, but I feel like Torres is going to be a bit too tough and too savvy for him. Even the new "patient" Torres tends to allow himself to get caught up in slugfests in moments where he gets hit so we may see a bit of slugging, but I think he can still win the majority of the fight standing. I think it's important to remember what Torres was able to do against the better Johnson when someone tried to outwrestle him. Torres just is a little bit too good here. Miguel Torres by decision. Anton Tabuena: I am absolutely stoked for this fight. Some people think this is one of those "hot young prospect vs. old dog" bouts, but considering that he already has almost 50 fights on his 12 year career, Torres is still relatively young. It could go either way, but I think Torres can win his 4th straight bout (we won against Johnson) and finally get a title shot on that terrific stylistic matchup against Cruz, or that long overdue super-fight against Faber. Miguel Torres by Submission. T.P. Grant: This has fun scrap written all over it. Torres' style has gone through a transformation from brawler to aggressive yet intelligent and McDonald seems like the kind of fighter to indulge him in the kind of high paced fight Torres thrives in. I think McDonald could win this fight as Torres does get reckless and he does have better wrestling, but Torres is very dangerous both on the feet and off his back. I think at some point the action will hit the mat and Torres will take the back. Miguel Torres by Submission, Round 1. Tim Burke: I'm the biggest Mayday fan in all the land, so don't look at me for an objective opinion. But this fight looks kinda weird to me - I honestly think the new Miguel Torres can't hang with McDonald. The old Torres that attacked with reckless abandon could, because as good as he is, Mayday's a bit gunshy at times. But the new Torres looks for the W rather than the finish, and that plays right into McDonald's hands. Sorry Miggy. Michael McDonald by decision. Fraser Coffeen: Torres is not the world beater he once was, but the only guys that beat him are next in line for title shots, and that's not where I see McDonald just yet. But if he drags Torres into a wild scrap, I think McDonald is crisp enough to take him out. I'll go with the young gun here. Michael McDonald, TKO, round 2 David Castillo: If this were for the WEC title, Torres takes an upset loss, but since his maturation, he's learned to avoid brawling, and those instincts will serve him well against the heavy handed McDonald. I'm not as high on McDonald as others, in part because I haven't found him that impressive against unimpressive competition. But he's obviously got a ton of upside. Still, expect Torres to stick the jab in his face, and work the clinch if McDonald starts firing. Miguel Torres by decision. Dallas Winston: Toughest call on the card. Mayday is a unique talent with the speed and footwork to cause fits, but Torres has a freakish reach length and the edge with intelligence and experience. This should be a range game, with Torres keeping McDonald on the fringe with a spearing jab and circling into open space and McDonald looking to shrink the gap to fire quick combos or shoot doubles. The length and more proven BJJ/Muay Thai medley of Torres should prevail in a Fight of the Night barn-burner. Staff picking McDonald: KJ, Stephie, Fraser, TimStaff picking Torres: Brookhouse, Grant, Anton, David, Thapa, Dallas Mark Hominick vs. Eddie Yagin Brent Brookhouse: Yagin is in there to play punching bag. Hominick is going to be upset ater his last loss and will be looking to prove a point. I think he does so and then some. Mark Hominick by KO, round 1. T.P. Grant: Hominick is on a two fight slide and this fight seems tailor made to get him back in the W column. Yagin is a game fighter, but Hominick should be another level. The death of Shawn Tompkins hit Hominick hard, as did Chan-Sung Jung's fist, but he has had time pull things together and get focused. Mark Hominick by TKO, Round 3. Tim Burke: Eddie Yagin might be the laziest fighter in the UFC. The UFC wanted Hominick to recover from that terrible Zombie murder death kill, and they picked the perfect opponent. Yagin will sit there and take everything Hominick has to offer, which is a lot. He's tough as hell though, so we'll hear a final bell. Mark Hominick by decision. Fraser Coffeen: There's just no reason for Yagin to win here unless Hominick is still really struggling to find his footing after Tompkins's death. Trouble is, that might indeed be the case. As a huge Hominick fan, I'm going to hope it's not, and that he finds his form here. Hominick should dissect him for 15. Mark Hominick, decision David Castillo: Hominick has always been prone to the odd, embarrassing loss, but Eddie Yagin isn't good enough to catch Mark even on his worst day. Mark Hominick by TKO, round 3. Dallas Winston: This is close to a gimme as you'll get in the UFC. Yagin is unquestionably durable and tough with legit power in his counters. Hominick will have to use his speed and technique to flit in and out without eating a monster right hand. Some of his techniques, like the wheeling left hook to the body, leave Hominick's chin dangerously exposed but he should cruise to a decision as long as he doesn't underestimate Yagin. Mark Hominick by decision. Staff picking Hominick: Brookhouse, KJ, Grant, Anton, Stephie, Fraser, David, Tim, Thapa, DallasStaff picking Yagin: Mark Bocek vs. John Alessio Brent Brookhouse: It's just a question of if Alessio can get through the fight without being finished. I'll go ahead and give him the benefit of the doubt. Mark Bocek by decision. Anton Tabuena: Pass, Pass, Choke. Mark Bocek by Submission. T.P. Grant: Bocek's grappling has made huge strides in recent years and is one of the best on the mat at lightweight. Alessio has recently dropped down and is a well rounded fighter. Alessio is something of a jack of all trades, master of none. Bocek is no stranger to dealing with welterweights descending a weight class and I think he takes this one. Mark Bocek by Submission, Round 2. Tim Burke: John Alessio is from Vancouver Island. This would normally be a default backing. But...sorry John. Mark Bocek's big grappling advantage over you is big. I'm leaning soulless ginger. Mark Bocek by decision. Fraser Coffeen: Alessio is one of those fighters who is fine, not great at anything, and at his prime just barely UFC caliber. Now that prime has passed, and he's going to struggle to hang in there I think. Mark Bocek, decision David Castillo: I think Bocek is one of the more underrated fighters in MMA. His grappling is elite, he knows how to apply it well even against opponents he should be outmatched by (like Miller), and he's fairly durable despite the terrible stoppage to Edgar. Alessio is simply a less talented Bocek. Mark Bocek by submission, round 2. Dallas Winston: I've been on the fence about this one and further tempted to pick Alessio just because no one else is giving him his due respect. People are quick to note his 7 submission losses and pick the BJJ black belt, but 5 of those catches were in his first 12 fights and against the likes of a prime Pat Miletich, Joe Doerksen (33 sub wins) and Egan Inoue (subbed Doerksen). His only 2 sub losses since are to BJJ world champ Andre Galvao and interim champ Carlos Condit. Alessio also shut down Diego Sanchez's takedowns better than anyone else (Sanchez was 1 for 16) and Bocek, while still capable with takedowns, is not a natural wrestler. Hell ... I've talked myself into it. John Alessio by decision. Staff picking Alessio: DallasStaff picking Bocek: Brookhouse, Grant, KJ, Stephie, Fraser, David, Tim, Thapa Travis Browne vs. Chad Griggs Brent Brookhouse: I gotta be me and pick an upset sometime and I think this is a good fight for it. Browne seems to have a bit of trouble with opponents who display much tenacity. He should have lost to Kongo if Kongo wouldn't have been stupid and got a point taken for fouls that weren't helping him a ton. He KO'ed Struve which was a good win but didn't prove a ton aside from having power and then the Broughton fight was an absolute embarrassing mess for Browne. Altitude in Colorado had something to do with that, but I think Griggs may be able to survive early and take over as Browne fades in round 2 and finish him in the third. I'm absolutely going out on a limb here, but Chad Griggs by TKO, round 3. T.P. Grant: Browne is an up and coming heavyweight who actually might have some skills. Griggs is a scrappy dude no doubts but his most impressive career performance came from allowing Bobby Lashley to tire himself out from mount. I'll go with Browne. Travis Browne by TKO, Round 2. Tim Burke: I think it's hilarious that people are riding some sideburns and insane dreams long enough to give Chad Griggs a chance here. He's gonna get tooled by a massive HW with much better skills. I want Strikeforce guys to succeed as much as anyone, but this is a terrible matchup for him. Hapa in the house. Travis Browne by TKO, round 2. David Castillo: Chad Griggs will get smashed here. Browne still gets too tentative for my liking, but the reach and the power will be too much for a guy who is already prone to slugging. This isn't a Strikeforce tournament reserve bout. Which is where Griggs belongs (and I don't mean that in a negative way). Travis Browne by TKO, round 3. Dallas Winston: I'll admit to under-rating Griggs in the past. The guy is a hard-nosed brawler with a big heart. Though Browne looked flat in his last outing, I think his striking is too clean and diverse for Griggs and he can always fall back on his solid ground game, which he hasn't shown a lot of in the UFC. Travis Browne by submission. Staff picking Browne: Grant, KJ, Anton, Fraser, David, Tim, DallasStaff picking Griggs: Brookhouse, Stephie, Thapa Matt Brown vs. Stephen Thompson Brent Brookhouse: Bad fight for Thompson. I want him to win because I think he has more upside and is a lot of fun to watch, but Brown is too much for him. Brown is going to push him into the cage, work in the clinch, get takedowns and eventually finish him with a submission. Matt Brown by submission, round 2. Anton Tabuena: Karate! Thompson by TKO. T.P. Grant: This is a fun match. The karate kid vs a muay thai brawler, speed vs power, technique vs brawn all of these and more will be used to describe this fight. Just looking at the fight, it seems Brown is the type to beat Thompson. That is how MMA works, the gritty muay thai guys beat up finesse traditional martial arts based strikers, right? Not this time, I may be drinking the kool aid but I feel like Thompson brings the right skills and attitude to succeed in MMA. I think at some point we see some of Thompson's vaunted ground game. Stephen Thompson by Submission, Round 3. Fraser Coffeen: The stand-up fan in me demands that I pick Thompson, and I am happy to oblige. Brown is a guy who has never impressed me much. I think he actually does have the tools to grind Thompson out, but he'll get pulled into a stand-up war, which he'll lose. Stephen Thompson, KO, round 2 David Castillo: The problem with Matt Brown is that he's crafty veteran in a journeyman's body. He's got a fairly diverse set of skills, and yet he often falters to bad mistakes, and average cardio. Thompson is an athlete, and the athlete usually wins. Especially athletes who happen to apply traditional martial arts into mixed martial arts seemlessly. Stephen Thompson by TKO, round 2. Tim Burke: I'm going out on the "incomplete fighter" limb here. Matt Brown isn't just the next victim for Wonderboy to me. Brown's not gettin' his head kicked off. I'd be surprised if he even had to block one, because he'll be too busy working the fight against the cage or on the ground. Matt Brown is 13-11, and everyone looks at his record and sees failure. I see a terrible style matchup for Stephen Thompson, and I'm going with Brown for the first time ever. Matt Brown by decision. Dallas Winston: Um, does everyone realize that Brown has never lost via strikes? I'm as excited for Wonderboy as anyone but it's crazy for him to be such a drastic favorite over one of the toughest S.O.B.'s at 170 while still being entirely unproven at the UFC level. Brown, "The American Kazushi Sakuraba", will push Thompson in every aspect that an inexperienced and one-dimensional newcomer struggles with. Matt Brown by submission. Staff picking Brown: Brookhouse, Tim, DallasStaff picking Thompson: Grant, KJ, Anton, Stephie, Fraser, David, Thapa John Makdessi vs. Anthony Njokuani Brent Brookhouse: Njokuani is awesome. Anthony Njokuani by TKO, round 2. Anton Tabuena: Taekwondo! John Makdessi by TKO. T.P. Grant: Njokuani fought Edson Barbosa, another Taekwondo based striker to a stand still, but I think Makdessi is a little more controlled in his approach. That might play into Njokuani's hands but I think Makdessi out-strikes him. John Makdessi by Decision. Tim Burke: Love the matchup. I'm tempted to take Njokauni if I thought it'd be a straight standup fight. But Makdessi is a more well-rounded fighter despite the loss to Hallman. I just think Makdessi has more options. John Makdessi by decision. Fraser Coffeen: This fight is awesome. Njokuani has shown that he's game to get in there and exchange with the skilled strikers, and that description fits Makdessi nicely. Hallman showed that Makdessi's ground game is a major liability at the moment, and he needs to tighten that up to progress his UFC career much. But Njokuani is not the man to test it. John Makdessi via decision David Castillo: Difficult matchup to pick in part because Njokuani has the power to put Makdessi away, but I think John is more polished, and makes less mistakes. He should be able to land just a few more punches and kicks, and once he gets comfortable, Anthony will be less willing to pull the trigger, as he's shown in the past. John Makdessi by decision. Dallas Winston: Makdessi is cleaner with his technique and has a bunch of tricks up his sleeve. Makdessi wins an artsy-fartsy kickboxing match but I think Njokuani will take him out of his element with clinching, close-quarters brawling and perhaps even a few takedowns. I'm hoping for some Makdessi hook-kick brilliance but logic steers me otherwise. Anthony Njokuani by decision. Staff picking Makdessi: Grant, KJ, Fraser, Tim, DavidStaff picking Njokuani: Brookhouse, Stephie, Thapa, Dallas Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero Brent Brookhouse: Close fight but I have to give the slight edge to Danzig in his abiity to control the fight a bit more than Escudero. Mac Danzig by decision. T.P. Grant: Two TUF champions in a match where the loser likely is out of the UFC. Escudero was actually having a fairly decent post TUF run until he was cut for missing weight. He fought his way back into the UFC and it has become pretty clear that the guys who beat Escudero are superior grapplers. I don't think Danzig is going to be able to stop Escudero's takedowns and I don't think he'll be able to tap Danzig. Either Escudero wrestles his way to a win or Danzig wins from the clinch or off his back. I lean Escudero. Efrain Escudero by Decision. Tim Burke: I want to have faith in Mac. He's friends with Tucker Max, after all. But I don't, at least in this bout. Efrain has some major flaws, but he's faster than Mac and if he can stay off his back, it's his fight to win. Efrain Escudero by decision. Fraser Coffeen: Two fairly seasoned fighters here; both with good all around games. I see Danzig being able to hit just a bit harder, control the ground just a bit better, which should sneak him by with the win. Mac Danzig via decision David Castillo: Escudero's strength might be a factor early on, but I like Danzig in this one. He's more well rounded, and craftier, and even though Efrain has the ability to control him on top, I don't see him doing it with any consistency. Mac Danzig by decision. Dallas Winston: I think Mac is a lock here. He's highly technical everywhere and has better stand up and BJJ with much heavier hands. Escudero is the better wrestler but I don't think he can keep Mac there. Mac Danzig by submission. Staff picking Danzig: Brookhouse, KJ, Anton, Stephie, Fraser, Thapa, David, DallasStaff picking Escudero: Grant, Tim Chris Clements vs. Keith Wisniewski Brent Brookhouse: Given that Clements is making his UFC debut, I doubt he's in a loser leaves town situation. Wisniewski isn't a bad fighter, but Clements has really huge power so I'm going to go with him to score the knockout and get KO of the Night honors. Chris Clements by KO, round 1. T.P. Grant: Two MMA veterans fighting in what is likely an another loser leaves town match. Wisniewski is likely best known as the guy Shinya Aoki put an Aikido standing armlock on and UFC newcomer Clements isn't much known to fans at all. Nothing seems to really give either guy an edge, I'll take Clements as he seems to be somewhat on the rise. Chris Clements by Decision. Tim Burke: Meh. Wisniewski has a helluva chin, but Clements is Canadian. I think it'll be fun, but it'll end with a Canadian getting his hand raised. Chris Clements by decision. Fraser Coffeen: Wisniewski has been around forever, and is your classic low level journeyman fighter. Which I respect, don't get me wrong. But I'm also not inclined to pick that person. Clements has wins over similar (and superior) journeymen in Clementi and Goulet, so he gets my nod here. Chris Clements by TKO, round 1 Dallas Winston: Clements should be a crowd-pleasing animal. He has monster stand up and, despite having a beefy chin and a serious experience advantage, I don't think Wisniewski can keep him at bay. Chris Clements by TKO. Staff picking Clements: Brookhouse, Grant, Stephie, Fraser, Tim, Thapa, David, DallasStaff picking Wisniewski: Anton Maximo Blanco vs. Marcus Brimage T.P. Grant: A regular slobber-knocker to start things off, both guys are hyper aggressive on the feet. Blanco started out as a high school wrestler but he has made his bones as a striker and Brimage has a strong aversion to ground work. While my inner child loves the homage Brimage pays to martial arts cartoons in his inspiration, I think Blanco's experience and take down ability carries this fight. Maximo Blanco by TKP, Round 3. Fraser Coffeen: I've been a big fan of Maxi since his Pancrase days. How can you not? The man is a whirling dervish of crazy, with fun (if raw) fight skills and some wild finishes to his credit. The loss to Healy was a bummer, but that's his only real loss since his 3rd pro fight. If he can avoid being DQ'd (which is, admittedly, a legitimate concern), he should stampede through Brimage here and earn a Paul Harris-esque place in the hearts of UFC fans. Maximo Blanco via KO of the Night, round 1 Tim Burke: Blanco worries me. He's a killer on the feet, but was carefully fed people that wouldn't put him on his back in Sengoku (because they were sponsoring him). Healy was clearly too big for him, and that was an easy fight to call. But a 145 TUF failure? I think Maxi will just go Tazmanian Devil nutso on him and be the perfect curtain jerker. Maximo Blanco by epic KO, round 1. David Castillo: Blanco should have an easy, though highly active time with Brimage. It's the perfect fight for him since Marcus won't have the strength to put him down, or keep Maximo's back against the cage. Maximo Blanco by TKO, round 2. Dallas Winston: I have no idea which Sengoku fighters could have possibly put Maxi on his back. He's a Pan-Am medalist in freestyle with violent striking who will unleash hell on earth as a featherweight. He's never been KO'd and I can't fathom Brimage taking him down or subbing him. Maxi Blanco by TKO. Staff picking Blanco: Brookhouse, Grant, KJ, Anton, Stephie, Fraser, Tim, Thapa, David, DallasStaff picking Brimage:

Posted in: fight, jone, round, he, schaub

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Bellator Fighting Championships returns TONIGHT (April 20, 2012) to the IX Center in Cleveland, Ohio, with the continuation of two tournaments and a huge non-title fight. MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of Bellator 66 below, beginning with the MTV2 telecast at 8 p.m. ET. In addition, we'll deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the undercard action much earlier in the evening. Headlining the main event will be a much-anticipated lightweight rematch between top 10 fighters Eddie Alvarez and Shinya Aoki. The Japanese submission wizard, Aoki, defeated Alvarez at Dynamite!! 2008 in Saitama, Japan and Alvarez has been begging for a rematch ever since. Also on the card, the Bellator season six middleweight tournament semifinals will be taking place as Maiquel Falcao battles Vyacheslav Vasilevsky and Ohio's own Brian Rogers takes on tournament alternate Andreas Spang. Lastly, the Bellator season six lightweight tournament will also be holding its semifinals as former welterweight finalist Rick Hawn battles underdog fan-favorite Lloyd Woodard and Kentucky's Brent Weedman takes on Brazilian kickboxer Thiago Michel. Complete Bellator 66 results and play-by-play are after the jump: Main Card (MTV 2) 155 lbs.: Eddie Alvarez vs. Shinya Aoki185 lbs.: Andreas Spang vs. Brian Rogers185 lbs.: Vyacheslav Vasilevsky vs. Maiquel Falcao155 lbs.: Lloyd Woodard vs. Rick Hawn 155 lbs.: Brent Weedman vs. Thiago Michel Preliminary Card (Spike.com) 155 lbs.: Julian Lane vs. Joe Heiland 205 lbs.: John Hawk vs. Marcus Vanttinen 205 lbs.: Dan Spohn vs. Attila Vegh 145 lbs.: Donny Walker vs. Frank Caraballo 131 lbs.: Jessica Eye vs. Anita Rodriguez Hemmi here! I'm live from Cleveland to give you guys all the updates on this event. 155 lbs.: Eddie Alvarez vs. Shinya Aoki Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 185 lbs.: Andreas Spang vs. Brian Rogers Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 185 lbs.: Vyacheslav Vasilevsky vs. Maiquel Falcao Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 155 lbs.: Lloyd Woodard vs. Rick Hawn Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 155 lbs.: Brent Weedman vs. Thiago Michel Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end-

Posted in: result, round, vs, alvarez, lb

Read the full article at MMA Mania

If I had started training in wrestling or Muay Thai when I was younger, I’d probably still be one of the most mediocre fighters at my gym.  Athleticism was never in my family’s genetics and I’m OK with that.  There’s no upbringing scenario where I’d have a cool folding chair with my name scripted upon it while a reporter sticks a microphone in my face and compares me to Muhammad Ali.  While I still enjoy staying in shape by practicing martial arts, I’ll leave it to guys like Michael Bisping and Chael Sonnen to beat each other up on big stages where fans have to spend $11.00 for domestic beers.  In fact, not only are these two some of the UFC middleweight division’s most successful athletes, their rematch is almost inevitable according to Michael Bisping. “I think Chael will out-wrestle Anderson and beat him this time, and then I’ll get the rematch with Chael considering how close our fight was.” “If I had Chael over five rounds, I’d definitely beat him. In that last fight, I’d have stopped him in the fourth for sure. He was spent after trying to submit me in that third round. Towards the end of that round I was raining down shots on him." If Michael Bisping’s prophecy comes to fruition, their rematch will definitely be contested over five rounds and the UK’s most famous MMA fighter will have his chance at redemption. Chael Sonnen has yet to respond because he’s still busy looking for a hotel in Brazil that offers presidential quality security for his June title shot against Anderson Silva. [Source]

Posted in: round, michael, michael bisping, i ’d, chael

Read the full article at Middle Easy

UFC middleweight Michael Bisping hasn’t forgotten how close his match-up with top contender Chael Sonnen was when the two met in January. The fight earned Sonnen a shot at champion Anderson Silva this summer, but many felt Bisping actually deserved the judges’ decision (and title-shot) based on his overall performance against the polarizing grappler. Though the 33-year old Brit has other things to focus on at the moment – mainly a bout with Tim Boetsch at UFC 148 – Bisping expects to earn a shot at redemption in the near future with the added bonus of a divisional belt being on the line. “I think Chael will out-wrestle Anderson and beat him this time, and then I’ll get the rematch with Chael considering how close our fight was,” said Bisping in an interview with Your MMA Magazine. Silva-Sonnen’s rematch is scheduled for June and revisits a rivalry seeing Sonnen nearly outpoint Silva in 2010 before being submitted in the final two minutes of action. If/when Bisping does indeed lock horns with Sonnen a second time he sees things going quite differently, especially within the parameters of a title-fight. “If I had Chael over five rounds, I’d definitely beat him,” explained Bisping. “In that last fight, I’d have stopped him in the fourth for sure. He was spent after trying to submit me in that third round. Towards the end of that round I was raining down shots on him.” While Sonnen would undoubtedly disagree with his peer’s extreme confidence in terms of procuring a victory, chances are he’s on board with being wary of the inherent danger in getting hit by “The Count”, paying Bisping a slew of compliments after their bout. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, round, bisping, sonnen, chael

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"Hotlanta" is about to boil. After becoming the first man since Chuck Liddell to successfully defend the Light Heavyweight crown more than once, Jon Jones will get a chance to satisfy some personal grievances as friend-turned-nemesis Rashad Evans steps up to the plate to challenge for the crown that once was his. UFC 145, the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) pay-per-view (PPV) event in almost two months, will also have a mess of talent on display beforehand when mega prospects Rory MacDonald and Michael McDonald square off against Che Mills and Miguel Torres, respectively, on the televised main card. However, first we've got some fine scraps to tide you over in the "Prelims" under card fights that will air live on fight night (April 21, 2012) thanks to a mixture of Facebook and FX programming. Yesterday, we took a look at the first three bouts of the under card, which features the debuts of two brutal knockout artists, right here. Today, we share breakdowns of the remaining three that will air live -- and for free -- on FX from the Philips Arena: 265 lbs.: Travis Browne vs. Chad Griggs The 6’7" Travis Browne (12-0-1) is not one to dally about inside the cage -- eight of his 10 stoppage victories have come in the first round. The most prominent of those wins was his one-punch wipeout of Stefan Struve, which left the lanky Dutchman splayed out across the Octagon floor. His most recent effort, however, was less-than-stellar, as he was one of the many fighers at UFC 135 whose cardio was compromised by the "Mile High" altitude. If "Hapa" manages to become the first man to knockout the iron-chinned "Grave Digger," however, it’s safe to say that all will be forgiven. Acquired as part of the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion's purchase of Strikeforce, Chad Griggs (11-1) was originally brought in as cannon fodder for Strikeforce's Heavyweight poster boy, Bobby Lashley. After surviving a tough first round, he bounced back to pummel Lashley until the latter quit between rounds. He followed up this effort with a stunning upset of the well-regarded Gian Villante and, most recently, wiped out Valentijn Overeem in little more than two minutes. As Griggs has never seen the judges (and the third round only once), it’s safe to say he’s not going out there to put in 15 minutes of work, and should he put Browne away in similar fashion, he could be knocking on the door of the division’s upper echelon. I want Griggs to win this. I want him to win it really, really bad. But, he won’t. He’s giving up about 20 pounds and four inches to a guy with crazy power. I’m not all that sold on Browne’s potential at the upper echelon of the division, regardless of his awesome knockout of Struve. That's because his fights with Cheick Kongo and Rob Broughton were just plain painful to watch. Even so, Griggs is easy to hit and doesn’t have a ground game to speak of, which should make him easy pickings for Browne. This will either be a psychotic slugfest or 15 minutes of Browne leaning on Griggs. Either way, things are not looking good for "The Grave Digger." He will always have the number one pound-for-pound mutton chops in the sport, but you can’t knock an opponent out with swag alone. Prediction: Browne via unanimous decision 170 lbs.: Matt Brown vs. Stephen Thompson (6-0) True to his "Immortal" nickname, Matt Brown (13-11) is the one constant in the ever-changing landscape of the UFC, his exciting style and disdain for going to the judges have kept him employed despite going 2-4 in his last six bouts. Most recently, he flattened The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) veteran Chris Cope in the second round, scoring his first stoppage win since 2009. Brown has made his skepticism of Thompson’s talents very clear, and if he can walk the walk, he could tape a big step toward becoming a legitimate Welterweight force. Tristar-based striking phenom Stephen Thompson (6-0), one of the most decorated kickboxers to ever step foot in the Octagon, entering the UFC with accordingly high expectations. Unfortunately for short-notice opponent Dan Stittgen, "Wonderboy" was only too eager to live up to them, pasting Stittgen with a beautiful right head kick in the first round. Touted by training partner Georges St. Pierre as the best striker the reigning 170-pound champion has ever seen, the sky seems to be the limit for Thompson. And should he slay "Immortal," there’s no telling how high he’ll be able to go. I acknowledge Thompson’s prowess on the feet, but I’m going to reserve my judgments on his ceiling until after I see him against a solid wrestler. Luckily for him, Brown is not a solid wrestler, despite seeming only too eager to dive headfirst into submissions nowadays. He’s badly outgunned on the feet and will most likely find himself too far on the outside to take effective shots. There’s always a chance that Brown can wrangle Thompson to the mat and puts the latter’s grappling to the test, but I consider it far more likely that "Wonderboy" keeps his distance and picks apart Brown with lead kicks all night long. Considering Brown’s durability, a knockout is unlikely, so expect some decently-entertaining target practice for three rounds or less. Prediction: Thompson via unanimous decision 155 lbs.: John Makdessi vs. Anthony Njokuani Speaking of lethal Tristar strikers, John Makdessi (9-1) impressed in his first two Octagon efforts, picking apart Pat Audinwood and crushing TUF veteran Kyle Watson with a spinning backfist. Just as his stock was about to skyrocket, however, Dennis Hallman came along. Before "The Bull" even had a chance to showcase his impressive arsenal, Makdessi was taken down and unceremoniously choked out. With his hype train skidding off the rails, Makdessi will need an impressive victory this Saturday to keep his name relevant in the crowded Lightweight division. Luckily for Makdessi, he’s got someone with which to share his trials and tribulations. After giving Andre Winner the beating of a lifetime, Anthony Njokuani (14-6) was paired up with late-replacement Danny Castillo, whose wrestling prowess proved too much for Njokuani. With another striker on the other side of the cage, though, there aren’t many meaner than "The Assassin," and he’ll look to bury Makdessi’s title aspirations for good. There are two big things going against Makdessi in this fight: He’s shorter than Njo and he’s passive. These two traits are about the worst combination you can have against someone with the length and power of Njokuani, who will be enjoying four inches of height and who knows how much reach over "The Bull." Njokuani will lose to anyone and everyone in the lightweight division with the tenacity and durability to threaten with takedowns for the whole fight, but luckily for him, Makdessi is just about the perfect opponent: Someone who only likes to strike and who isn’t as good at it as the Nigerian. Not sure if he’ll get the finish, but I expect a clinical dissection by Njokuani, who will demonstrate how to take a shorter man to pieces when he’s not making the effort to get inside. Prediction: Njokuani via unanimous decision Nothing adds seasoning to good violence like a nice feud behind it. Personally, I can't wait to watch Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans. See you Saturday, Maniacs. Remember, too, that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 145, beginning with the "Prelims" bouts on Facebook scheduled for around 7 p.m. ET. In addition, we will also provide LIVE, real-time results of the FX action at 8 p.m. ET and the the PPV main card action as it happens throughout the evening this upcoming weekend.

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Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Christian M'Pumbu will finally get an opponent to defend his title against as the promotion announced Monday they will once again run a Summer Series, this time featuring a 205-pound tourney that kicks off on June 22 in Chester, West Virginia. In the quarterfinals, Travis Wiuff (66-14-0-1) is booked but doesn't have an opponent, while Marcus Vanttinen (21-3) vs. Philipe Lins (5-0), Roger Hollett (13-3) vs. Attila Vegh (24-4-2) and Richard Hale (18-4-1) vs. Beau Tribolet (7-1) round out the main card. Wiuff took on M'Pumbu last October in a three round "superfight" and became the first opponent to beat a reigning champion with his unanimous decision win. Shlemenko Shelved, Interesting Predicament For Middleweight Division Sherdog first reported the news over the weekend that No. 1 middleweight contender Alexander Shlemenko was in a car accident last week, breaking his collarbone and dislocating his thumb in the process. He was in the passenger seat and the car was hit by a drunk driver. He is expected to be cleared for rehab after a month, putting his timetable at training for a return at several months away. For why this could put Bellator's middleweight division on ice for a while, keep reading after the jump. Where this puts Bellator's 185-pound division is an interesting question. There are rumors that current champ Hector Lombard has been negotiating with the UFC as the promotion doesn't have a champion's clause. Shlemenko won the most recent tournament and was expecting to fight Lombard, but if the champion doesn't want to wait around, that rematch might never happen. An option if Lombard leaves: hold another 185-pound tournament during this summer and have Shlemenko fight the winner for the title. When Fighting Gets You Arrested Raphael Davis was just looking to increase his stature in Bellator when competed on last October's Bellator 53 undercard, knocking out Myron Dennis in the second round. When he knocked out Berin Balijagic in the second round of a regional show this past March, he wanted to earn a couple bucks and keep his dream alive at 12-2. Those fights weren't the issue, but the seven during a stretch from December 2008 to May 2011 that were. Davis wasn't supposed to be fighting as he was making worker's compensation claims for injuries suffered during his full-time job as a Los Angeles firefighter. He was arrested and charged with four felony counts of fraud last week and faces up to five years in jail.

Posted in: bellator, round, shlemenko, champion, division

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It's friggin' on now, Maniacs. After a year of vitriol that would make Tito Ortiz and Frank Shamrock proud, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former division kingpin Rashad Evans will finally get a chance to settle things in the Octagon, headlining UFC 145 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga., this Saturday night (April 21, 2012). The first major UFC pay-per-view (PPV) event since February, the card will also feature Welterweight uber-prospect Rory MacDonald in action against the hard-hitting Che Mills in the co main event, while former World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) Bantamweight champ Miguel Torres locks horns with Michael McDonald elsewhere on the main card. But, before all that, we've got a lovely bunch of "Prelims" to get your blood pumping at a rolling boil. The first two (Keith Wisniewski vs. Chris Clements and Maximo Blanco vs. Marcus Brimage) will be shown on Facebook, while the remaining under card bouts can be viewed on FX. Check out part one of our UFC 145 "Prelims" breakdown after the jump: 155 lbs.: Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero Winning The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) usually gives an up-and-coming fighter some leniency when it comes to losing streaks, but Mac Danzig (20-9-1) might be skirting disaster. He’s 2-5 in his last seven, though one of those losses was because referee Yves Lavigne incorrectly assumed him to be unconscious from a Matt Wiman guillotine. Most recently, he failed to exact revenge, dropping an entertaining decision to Wiman during the promotion’s last trip to the Versus network. With only one win over a currently-employed competitor, it’s do or die for the TUF 6 champion. Meanwhile, Efrain Escudero’s (18-4) rope turned out to be a bit shorter. After missing weight against Charles Oliveira and succumbing to a rear-naked choke in the third round, "Hecho en Mexico" was released from the promotion, racking up a 5-1 record that included a win over current TUF competitor Mike Rio and a loss to Fabricio Camoes. He was brought back for UFC 141 as a late replacement for T.J. Grant, but was unable to overcome Jacob Volkmann’s stifling attack, though he did very nearly secure a guillotine in the waning seconds of the bout. While stepping up on short notice to face Volkmann undoubtedly bought him a grace period, it could very well expire with a loss this Saturday. I’ve been waffling on this one for a while, but I’m going to lean toward Escudero in this one. While his striking seems just as nonexistent as ever, his wrestling-heavy style is one that has historically given Danzig all sorts of trouble. I will admit that Danzig is probably better than many people give him credit for, but starching a freefalling Joe Stevenson and giving Wiman a good fight isn’t enough to convince me that he can make any sort of impact on the division. True, Escudero probably won’t be sniffing the gold, either, but he should have what it takes to keep Danzig on his back for 15 minutes. Prediction: Escudero via unanimous decision 170 lbs.: Chris Clements vs. Keith Wisniewski Fighting out of Team Tompkins, Canada’s Chris Clements (10-4) is probably best known for his hilarious three-second knockout of Lautaro Tucas, which saw the latter barrel across the ring directly into Clements’s fist. Proving that he’s pretty good at that sort of thing, "The Menace" has scored all his victories via knockout, including five in the first round. After an ugly 1-3 patch that saw him finished by UFC veterans Rory Markham, Jesse Bongfeldt and John Alessio, Clements has come back to rattle off three straight wins, most recently putting away Rich Clementi with punches. If he manages to do the same to the well-traveled Wisniewski, his name could definitely become one to remember. Not one to wilt in the face of adversity, Keith Wisniewski (28-13-1) went winless from Nov. 2005 to April 2008 before putting together six straight victories to earn a second go in the UFC. Unfortunately for "The Polish Connection," Josh Neer and about five dozen clinch elbows were waiting for him, and he was stopped on cuts after two rounds with a face that looked like someone had spent two hours going at it with a cheese grater. He’ll look to replicate his earlier bounce back with a win over the rising Clements. I have plenty of questions about Clements, especially since he’s fallen short against every recognizable foe he’s ever faced. In addition, there’s very little recent footage, and while Clementi isn’t a bad fighter by any means, I’m not sure what he was doing at welterweight. His old fight with Rory Markham also raises the issue of how durable his chin is. All of that is moot, however, because I can’t stop thinking about how absolutely horrid Keith Wisniewski’s strategy was in his last fight. Despite getting completely mauled in the clinch by Neer, he just kept trying to get inside, and when he was there, he never seemed to bother Neer with his strikes. I’m always wary of guys with records like Clements’s, but considering Wisniewski’s last performance, Clements shouldn’t have too much trouble, padded record or no. Expect an interesting striking affair before Wisniewski eats one too many bombs. Prediction: Clements via technical knockout in round two 145 lbs.: Maximo Blanco vs. Marcus Brimage I don’t toss the phrase "tornado of violence" around lightly, but there’s really no other way to describe the man they call "The Max Murderer." A Venezuelan wrestling star operating out of Japan, Maximo Blanco (8-3-1) made his name under the Pancrase and Sengoku banners, scoring seven hellacious knockouts (really eight, but one of his losses was a one-punch knockout win until he got jumpy and soccer kicked his opponent, who was about 90 percent unconscious at the time). Unfortunately, his first trip to North America was less successful, as "Maxi" succumbed to the size and grappling prowess of professional prospect-crusher Pat Healy. Dropping down to 145 pounds, Maximo will look to demonstrate the viciousness that made him a darling of Japanese MMA fans at the expense of Brimage. Anime aficionado Marcus Brimage (4-1) finally got his chance to compete on TUF after getting selected for seasons 8 and 9, but being stymied by injuries. After hitting Bryson Wailehua-Hansen with every conceivable strike in the book for a technical knockout win in the elimination round, "The 'Bama Beast" was submitted by Bryan Caraway, scuttling his shot at the "six-figure contract." Undaunted, he got a spot on the Finale, defeating Stephen Bass by decision, and should he spoil Blanco’s debut, he could very well establish himself as a major player in the division. I don’t know what Brimage did to piss off UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, but this is about as bad a match up for him as you can find. While he’s solid on the feet, his power doesn’t hold a candle to Blanco’s, and Maxi has the added advantage of a powerful wrestling game that found success even at a weight class where he was badly outsized. I have doubts about Blanco’s cardio, especially since he’s dropping a weight class, but I don’t put too much stock in the Pat Healy loss both on account of it being Blanco’s first fight outside of Japan and because Healy is the ultimate spoiler. When it comes to sheer, psychotic aggression paired with lights-out power, they don’t come much scarier than Blanco. Anything can happen, of course, but I will be astounded if they’re not peeling off Blanco from Brimage’s unconscious form within the first five minutes. Unless he manages to get himself disqualified again, Blanco by violence. Prediction: Blanco via knockout in round one Come back tomorrow for a look at the remaining three "Prelims" bouts on FX, featuring knockout machines like Anthony Njokuani, Chad Griggs and Travis Browne in action, among others. See you then! Remember, too, that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 145, beginning with the "Prelims" bouts on Facebook scheduled for around 7 p.m. ET. In addition, we will also provide LIVE, real-time results of the FX action at 8 p.m. ET and the the PPV main card action as it happens throughout the evening this upcoming weekend.

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Quinton Jackson had just won a hard fought unanimous decision against Keith Jardine in the main event of UFC 96. It was his second consecutive win -- the first being a brutal knockout against Wanderlei Silva three months prior -- since losing the UFC light heavyweight title to Forrest Griffin. It was supposed to be a moment for "Rampage" to enjoy, a moment where he stood inside the Octagon and made his intentions to get back the title he had lost less than a year earlier. He had bested a man who held wins over Griffin and longtime foe Chuck Liddell and figured out the riddle they could not. But instead of celebrating, the PRIDE Fighting Championships veteran was too busy talking. He traded in physical sparring for verbal when fellow former champion Rashad Evans stepped inside the Octagon after seeing his teammate get defeated. The two light heavyweight titans stood nose to nose, trading barbs back and forth, whetting the appetite of every fight fan in the process. To help promote their bout -- which would end up being one of the most successful in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) history -- the promotion pegged them both as The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) coaches and added internet street fighting sensation Kimbo Slice along to the already volatile mix. Evans is no stranger to bouts with bad blood. He is currently six days away (April 21) from yet another, this time against former teammate Jon Jones. He will meet the 205 pounds champion at UFC 145: "Jones vs. Evans" in a fight with hype not unlike the UFC 114 bout with "Rampage." Let's take a closer look at that bout. Jackson takes the center of the Octagon as soon as the bout starts and throws out a quick jab. Evans answers back seconds later with his own. He doubles up on a left jab all the while bringing a right hook across. It's a right hook "Rampage" never sees coming. It slams against the Memphis native's jaw and sends him staggering towards the mat. The fans in attendance explode in applause as Jackson tries to get back to a vertical base and reorganize his thoughts. Evans pounces, pressing his opponent against the cage. He looks for a quick takedown but momentarily begins working with punches before going back to working towards getting the fight to the mat. Imposing his will on "Rampage," Evans begins kneeing his opponent's thighs and punching the body. Every attempt Jackson makes to reverse position is squashed by the TUF 2 winner. After a couple minutes of jockeying against the chain-link fence, the two are broken up and reset in the center of the cage. Evans begins pawing his jab out, keeping Jackson at bay. He finally moves forward with a combination and changes level at the last possible second to avoid his opponent's counter. He latches onto Jackson's legs and dumps "Rampage" onto the mat. Jackson is able to get to his feet several seconds later but eats several punches in the process. And even though he's now vertical, Jackson still has Evans grinding against him, hoping to sap energy and will out of his opponent's body. The second round begins with both men trying to size the other up. Evans finally wades in, getting tags by several of Jackson's punches but none land with consequence. "Suga" is able to grab ahold of his opponent and once again forces him against the cage. Jackson is able to force his opponent off in much quicker fashion this time around but not before eating more body punches and knees to the thigh. The gameplan being employed by Evans goes unimpeded, however, and a stuffed takedown leads both men to the same position they were in only seconds earlier. A little over halfway through the stanza, they are broken up and reset. Throughout the rest of the round, "Rampage" lands basically nothing in the stand-up. His offense amounts to a couple of punches in the clinch combined with a handful of knees. Evans is absolutely having his way with Jackson. The final five minute period begins much like the previous did. Evans shoots in but is shrugged off by "Rampage." It seems Jackson isn't as tired as Evans' corner would hope. Still, though, he is down two rounds and needs something big to go his way if he hopes to come out victorious. Then, a little over a minute into the round, it happens. "Suga" dives in for a takedown which Jackson defends perfectly. As Evans begins to stand back up, "Rampage" nails him with a huge uppercut that sends the UFC 145 headliner straight to the mat. Much like they did in the opening round, the crowd lights up as Jackson begins to deliver ground and pound. Evans, for his part, is trying to simultaneously recover and avoid getting rocked for a second time. Jackson stops the onslaught, likely to avoid gassing himself out or possibly because he's already exhausted. Regardless, he works to improve and then maintain his position on top of Evans as opposed to attacking. Evans uses this reprieve to get back to his feet a minute later. Although Jackson still has ahold of a leg, he releases it and resets in the center of the cage, hoping to use his boxing to secure the win. At least, if this was Jackson's plan, he executes it horribly. He throws absolutely nothing in the next minute, allowing "Suga" to recover and then eventually nail a takedown. From there, Evans begins landing ground and pound until the round ends. Evans would win the decision that night and earn a title shot but opted to wait out Mauricio Rua's injury. In doing so, he suffered an injury himself and saw Jones take on -- and defeat -- "Shogun." Four fights and a ton of trash talk between them later, we're finally ready for the two to meet inside the Octagon. Can Evans become a two-time champion or will Jones add another notch in "Suga's" loss column?

Posted in: ufc, rampage, jackson, round, evan

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After 13 fights in the UFC, German-born mixed martial artist Dennis Siver made the cut to featherweight yesterday (April 14, 2012) and debuted at 145 pounds against Diego Nunes on the main card of UFC on Fuel TV 2 in Stockholm, Sweden. Nunes had experience taking on men who dropped from lightweight, having previously bested former Ultimate Fighter season 5 runner-up Manny Gamburyan and having given multiple-time title challenger Kenny Florian more than he could handle in his 145 pound debut. Both Siver and Nunes had flashy styles, with a diverse arsenal of kicks and spinning attacks, but it was Siver who would take a unanimous decision. So what was the veteran German's key to victory yesterday which set him apart? And what's next for both featherweights?Follow me after the jump for our Dennis Siver vs. Diego Nunes UFC on Fuel TV 2 fight review and analysis The biggest difference in this fight was Siver's ability to control the center of the Octagon and the fact that he never surrendered the center. Nunes was forced to battle from the outside and throw his long range attacks, which are almost completely ineffective. Nunes had a wide assortment of strikes, but he just can't land any of them with power or accuracy. He also telegraphs them pretty badly so Siver had no problem avoiding the big spinning wheel kicks or the spinning backfists. Nunes has a pressure-based style which can wear his opponents down, but Siver took the Brazilian down every time he got in too close and this forced the Nova Uniao fighter to be much more tentative with his attack. Also, whenever Nunes got a little too close, Siver would wing a huge left hook which occasionally would clip him on the exit. By the start of the third round, Nunes was already down two rounds to none and he tried to ramp up the aggression, even stunning Siver once or twice, but he couldn't get the 10-8 round or the stoppage that he so desperately needed. Thus, Siver easily took home a 29-28 decision across the boards. For Diego Nunes, this was a case of his fighting style coming back to bite him. He's simply not aggressive enough in terms of looking for the finish and when he needs to make something happen like yesterday, he doesn't have the experience to do it. He's gone to nine straight decisions and that means if he drops the first two rounds, he's almost certainly going to lose the fight. In my opinion, he should abandon all the flashy crap that he throws and focus on improving his leg kicks and his regular punching. If he can actually be more effective with those strikes, then he can start mixing it up with some flashy strikes to catch an opponent off guard but when he's winging spinning back fists from 10 feet away, he's not going to surprise anyone. For a next opponent, I think Nunes could take on someone like George Roop, Bart Palaszewski or Cole Miller. For Dennis Siver, he came into this fight with a strong gameplan of controlling the cage center and he executed it perfectly in the first two rounds. He did a great job of keeping Nunes at bay with his push kicks and threats of a takedown and that played into his long-range kicking game as well. He was simply the cleaner, more technical striker over the course of three rounds and that's the type of style he brings to the featherweight division. I'd like to see him step up against another top featherweight like Yuri Alcantara, Ricardo Lamas or even Erik Koch next if he came out of this bout with no injuries. He's 33 years old so if he's going to make a run in the division, he'd better do it soon. So what did you think, Maniacs? Were you impressed by Siver's featherweight debut? Or were you more frustrated by Diego Nunes' lack of effective attack in the first two rounds? Who would you match each fighter up against next? Sound off! For complete UFC on Fuel TV 2 results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.

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If you forgot about the existence of time zones and missed the UFC's debut trip to Sweden, here are Alexander Gustafsson vs. Thiago Silva fight highlights, courtesy of FUEL TV. UFC on FUEL 2 took place April 14, 2012 at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. Upstart Swedish star Alexander Gustafsson (14-1) welcomed dangerous Brazilian Thiago Silva (14-3, 1 NC) back to the Octagon after a year-long suspension. Check out the video highlights below. For more on Gustafsson's impressive victory, check out the play-by-play from MMA Fighting's own Ben Fowlkes. Round 1: The crowd is going nuts for Gustafsson all through the introductions, and it carries right into the fight. Chants of ‘Alex!' are deafening inside The Globe as the first round gets underway. Silva comes charging forward with straight punches. Gustafsson catches him coming in with a right hand that drops Silva to the mat. Gustafsson jumps on him with punches from the top. When he sees Silva is still in it, he backs off rather than wear himself out. Bakc on their feet, Gustafsson batters the Brazilian with a punch combo against the fence. Silva is cut and bleeding around his eye, but still game for the fight. He comes forward swinging hard and Gustafsson gives him a deft little ole maneuver. The crowd breaks into a chant that, I'm told, translates to ‘Hit him in the mouth!' Gustafsson is dancing around Silva, fighting him from a range that Silva can't quite figure out. The crowd's chants drown out the ten-second warning completely, and nearly the horn to end the first. MMA Fighting scores it 10-8 for Gustafsson. Round 2: Silva again comes out hard, but Gustafsson steps back and counters. A nifty little foot sweep by Gustafsson plants Silva on his back, but he declines to follow the Brazilian to the mat. Gustafsson seems to be picking him apart almost at will on the feet, but everything Silva throws is a power shot. He's not out of it yet. Uppercuts and body shots by Gustafsson back Silva up, but the Swede seems reluctant to go all in for the finish just yet. A lunging left by Silva misses badly, but he connects with a right seconds later and traps Gustafsson against the fence momentarily. The crowd senses the danger, but Gustafsson spins away and brings it back to the center. Gustasson keeps Silva on the outside with a pawing jab in the final minute of the round. Good front kick by Gustafsson before time rounds out in the second. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Gustafsson. Round 3: Silva is sporting a good deal of swelling around both eyes to start the third. Gustafsson still looks fresh, bouncing around on the outside and refusing to remain a stationary target. Good looping right hand by Silva. Gustafsson comes back with a right and a knee to the forehead moments later. Gustafsson dances away from Silva's strikes and comes back with a pitter-pat combo. Silva's leg kicks are working well, but it might be too late in the fight for them to make a difference. Straight right by Gustafsson finds its way through Silva's defense. Final minute now, and Silva must know he needs a finish to win. He stalks Gustafsson and eats a knee for his trouble. Silva keeps coming until the final horn, which is practically lost in the cheers and chants. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Gustafsson. Alexander Gustafsson def. Thiago Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

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After Ellenberger vs. Sanchez went only 3 when it should have been 5, Dana White said all main events from then on will be 5 no exceptions. Yet, last night's main event of Gustafsson vs. Silva was 3 rounds yet again. Did anybody hear if this was addressed after the fight? submitted by MarbledNightmare [link] [13 comments]

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At just 25-years-old, the #9 Ranked Light heavyweight, Alexander Gustafsson (14-1) fought Thiago Silva and made a statement in his home country of Sweden. The bout served as the headliner of UFC on Fuel 2, and if you missed it live, here are the highlights courtesy of Fuel TV: Related: UFC On Fuel 2 Results: Is Alexander Gustafsson Really Ready For A Title Shot, Really? | UFC On Fuel 2 Results: Winners And Losers | UFC On Fuel TV: Gustafsson Vs. Silva - Results And Post-Fight Analysis | UFC On Fuel 2 Results: Alexander Gustafsson Wins Unanimous Decision Over Thiago Silva Since that short highlight video might not be enough, here's the complete play-by-play of the fight from our live blog of the event: Alexander Gustafsson vs. Thiago Silva - Round 1 - Gustafsson coming out staying outside while Silva throws some power shots that miss. Leg kick from Silva misses. Gustafsson tags him and Silva is hurt but he can't finis him. They're back to standing, Gustafsson tees off and Silva is bleeding. Gustafsson lands hard again but Silva lands a nice counter punch. Gustafsson doing a good job with combination punching and keeping Silva from getting set for much more than the occasional leg kick. 10-9 Gustafsson. Round 2 - Gustafsson tossed him to the ground early but they're standing again and the Gustafsson combinations are still flowing. Tremendous combination by Gustafsson now that chases Silva backward. Silva is mainly just chasing and then Gustafsson tags him. Silva did land a nice right hand in the later part of the round though. 10-9 Gustafsson. Round 3 - More of the same early in the round as Silva can't catch up to his foe and is eating punches for his trouble. Silva is landing the occasional leg kick still, but Gustafsson's uppercuts and hooks are much more effective. Big Knee and an uppercut by Gustafsson, and another uppercut. Silva comes on strong at the end of the round but too little, too late. 10-9 Gustafsson. Official Scorecards: 30-27, 30-27, 29-28. Alexander Gustafsson wins by unanimous decision.

Posted in: round, silva, gustafsson, alexander, fuel

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23-year old Brazilian Eduardo Dantas became the newest Bellator champion on Friday night with a career-defining performance, choking former title-holder Zach Makovsky unconscious in the second round of their headlining tilt at Bellator 65. The performance improved Dantas’ overall record to 14-2 and snapped Makovsky’s an eight-fight winning streak. Also on tap pat the event, 135-pounders Marcos Galvao and Luis Nogueira advanced to the semifinal round of the organization’s ongoing bantamweight tournament with decision victories over Ed West and Alexis Vila respectively. Daniel Straus also moved on to the Season 6 featherweight final by outpointing Mike Corey. As a result he will face Marlon Sandro later this season for an opportunity to win Pat Curran’s divisional strap. Here is a complete rundown of Bellator 65 winners/losers: Duane Bastress def. Plinio Cruz via TKO Round 2 (Strikes) Will Martinez Jr. def. Terrell Hobbs via Submission Round 1 (Rear-Naked Choke) Kenny Foster def. Jay Haas Submission Round 1 (Guillotine Choke) E.J. Brooks def. Mikhail Malyutin via Unanimous Decision Lyman Good def. LeVon Maynard via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Scott Heckman def. Lester Caslow via Submission Round 1 (Rear-Naked Choke) Kris McCray def. Ailton Barbosa via Split Decision Marcos Galvao def. Ed West via Unanimous Decision Luis Alberto Nogueiradef. Alexis Vila via Unanimous Decision Daniel Straus def. Mike Corey via Unanimous Decision Eduardo Dantas def. Zach Makovsky via Technical Submission Round 2 (Arm-Triangle Choke) Tweet

Posted in: bellator, round, decision, submission, danta

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The UFC came to Sweden for the first time in organization history with UFC on Fuel TV 2, and the Swedish fans went home happy as native Alexander Gustafsson was named the victor in the main event with a unanimous decision win over Thiago Silva. Fellow main card fighters Brian Stann, Siyar Bahadurzada, and Brad Pickett also impressed at the Ericsson Globe Arena from Stockholm, Sweden. Alexander Gustafsson defeats Thiago Silva via unanimous decision Gustafsson was impressive, specifically with his movement. Using his length and footwork, Gustafsson was able to move around the entire cage and kept Silva away from him the entire fight. Fighting in his home country, the Swede came out quickly, knocking the Brazilian down within the first 30 seconds. From there, “The Mauler” looked calm and composed the remaining fourteen minutes. Silva clipped Gustafsson in the second round, but Gustafsson was able to recover. After that, it was a return to normal, as he continued to pepper Silva with a litany of punches and kicks. Brian Stann defeats Alessio Sakara via knockout, Round 1 2:26 Stann and Sakara immediately went after each other, with Stann getting the better of it. Sakara tried to keep up with Stann’s pace, but was unable to. From there, Stann got “Legionarius” to the ground, and stifled him with a strong left punch, knocking Sakara out. Stann punched him again, and Sakara seemed to wake up. Stann immediately stopped, urging referee Marc Goddard to stop the fight, and the referee obliged. Siyar Bahadurzada defeats Paulo Thiago via knockout, Round 1 0:42 It took longer to his name than it did for Bahadurzada to knockout Thiago. As Thiago came rushing in, Bahadurzada countered him with a right hand that immediately sent Thiago to the mat face-first. “Siyar the killer” could not have lived up to his name more, as he stood over the unconscious Thiago, jubilant after he earned a win in his UFC debut. The remaining main and preliminary card results are as follows: Main card: Dennis Siver defeats Diego Nunes via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) John Maguire defeats DaMarques Johnson via submission (armbar) Round 2, 4:40 Brad Pickett defeats Damacio Page via submission (rear-naked choke) Round 2, 4:05 Preliminary card: James Head defeats Papy Abedi via submission (rear-naked choke) Round 1, 4:33 Cyrille Diabaté defeats Tom DeBlass via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28) Francis Carmont defeats Magnus Cedenblad via submission (rear-naked choke) Round 2, 1:42 Reza Madadi defeats Yoislandy Izquierdo via submission (guillotine choke) Round 2, 1:28 Simeon Thoresen defeats Besam Yousef via submission (rear-naked choke) Round 2, 2:36 Jason Young defeats Eric Wisely via unanimous decision (30-28, 29-28, 29-28) For complete coverage of UFC on Fuel TV 2, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com

Posted in: round, gustafsson, defeat, stann, thiago

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The main event of the UFC on FUEL TV 2 fight card taking place today (Sat., April 14, 2012) at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, featured native son Alexander Gustafsson fighting in front of his hometown crowd for the very first time inside the Octagon opposite the returning Thiago Silva. Gustafsson came into the bout as a fighter on the rise, a man widely regarded as the future of the light heavyweight division. In fact, many felt if he could win here, he should be in the discussion for a possible shot at Jon Jones. As for Silva, he's been out of action for over a year thanks to a failed drug test. While that definitely put a black mark on his professional career, the time off was a blessing in disguise, as it allowed the Brazilian to properly heal from all the injuries he was working through. So with all things equal on fight night, who was the better man? That would be Gustafsson, who once again showed a great deal of improvement since the last time we saw him despite the fact that he couldn't finish the fight. He came close in the first round but Silva was game all throughout. It was a hard fought battle but one "The Mauler" deserved to win. Bigger and better things forthcoming. Can't wait. Silva immediately took the center of the cage and got aggressive. His punches didn't land, though, and Gustafsson was aware enough to reset. And then the lanky Swede connected with a shot that put the Brazilian bomber down. It also opened a cut above Silva's eye. Still, he persevered and got back to his feet to continue the battle. The crowd at this point was insane, exploding for every movement from Gustafsson. We're talking Paulo Thiago in Rio type atmosphere, folks. Silva had climbed back into the fight by this time, however, and was back to pushing the action in the center of the cage. "The Mauler" wasn't afraid, though, and he continued to unleash sporadic shots that bothered his opponent just enough to keep him at bay. The opening round came to an end with a startling reminder that Silva couldn't win if he continued to fight from outside. Round two opened with a trip takedown attempt from Gustafsson and his bouncing back and forth between legs seemed almost like a taunt. Silva was baffled at how to handle his lanky foe. Finally, Silva cut off the cage and landed a strong right hand that had the Swede briefly in trouble. The Brazilian kept coming strong but couldn't land enough follow up strikes to finish the job. After 10 minutes, Gustafsson still appeared to be in control of the bout. He even punctuated that point with a front kick that smacked Silva straight across the face. The third round was essentially a repeat of the first two. Gustafsson circling out and jumping in with offense while Silva chased him down and looked for the kill shot that would never come. Maybe this wasn't the performance to make Gustafsson a breakout star but his name should definitely be on the map by now. Watch out, light heavyweights. This kid is scary good. Remember, too, to check out MMAmania.com's coverage of all the UFC on FUEL TV 2 action by clicking here.

Posted in: fight, round, silva, shot, gustafsson

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Dennis Siver's maiden voyage to featherweight was a success. Despite nearly missing weight at Friday's weigh-ins, the longtime lightweight showed good stamina in outlasting Diego Nunes at UFC on FUEL 2. All three judges scored it 29-28, 29-28, 29-28 for Siver. All three rounds of the fight were closely contested. The pair fought a spirited first round that was heavy on standup, with both having their moments. Siver often initiated the action with power strikes, but Nunes used his quickness to tally back, ending the round strongly with a series of knees from the clinch. The second began with the same pattern of standup, but Siver began to slow, perhaps wary of expending too much energy in his first time at 145. Nunes took over the middle part of the round with a series of kicks and spinning punches, but Siver closed out the round strong, landing perhaps his best punch of the fight with a scoring left hook. Nunes bloodied Siver's face in the third, but Siver turned up the pace and hurt Nunes with a left hook. With the fight hanging in the balance, Siver was the aggressor, and that might have been the difference in the eyes of the judges. The win was his first since a lopsided loss to Donald Cerrone that sent him moving down to 145 pounds. He's now 20-8 overall. Nunes dropped to 17-3, and has now lost two of his last three.

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STOCKHOLM -- This is the UFC on FUEL 2 live blog for Paulo Thiago vs. Siyar Bahadurzada, a welterweight bout on tonight's UFC event from the Ericsson Globe Arena.Thiago, who has won lost two his last three fights, will square off against Bahadurzada, who has won six straight fights and will be making his UFC debut, on the main card. Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC on FUEL 2 Results | UFC News Round 1:Round 2:Round 3:

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UFC on FUEL TV 2: "Gustafsson vs. Silva," which is taking place today (Sat., April 14, 2012) from the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, featured the featherweight debut of Dennis Siver against former top contender Diego Nunes. Siver made the drop down to 145-pounds after getting manhandled by Donald Cerrone at UFC 137 late last year. He had previously won four fights in a row. Nunes, meanwhile, is 4-1 in his last five bouts with his only defeat coming at the hands of Kenny Florian. Make that 4-2 in his last six. It was close after three hard fought rounds but Siver showed a ton of heart on his way to a grueling three-round, 15 minute unanimous decision win. Now if he can continue to make weight without issue, he could be a real force at featherweight. Siver, who looked drawn out at the weigh-ins yesterday, came out looking light on his feet and swift with his trademark kicks. So did Nunes. The two exchanged shots throughout the round, neither particularly getting the better of the other and neither wanting to throw caution to the wind. Sometimes finding rhythm, range and timing takes a round or two. This was evident in the second frame, as Siver seemed far more comfortable, finally landing the shots he couldn't time in the opening round. Nunes speed was still giving him a bit of trouble but his counter punches were finding their spot and it was starting to show. The glorified kickboxing match heated up big time to open the third. Nunes brought one home strong by putting Siver down but he was unable to truly capitalize on the brief advantage. To get a feel for how close the fight was at this point, with just three minutes remaining in the third, Siver had the striking advantage 57-54. The good news for the German stick of dynamite was his cardiovascular conditioning was holding up just fine 13 minutes into the contest. Losing the extra weight didn't seem to affect him much at all. He was going back and forth with Nunes all throughout the fight. Nunes greatest successes undoubtedly came in the clinch, where Siver looked lost. In fact, Nunes opened him up with a big knee close to the end of the contest. Alas, it wasn't enough and Siver is now 1-0 at 145-pounds while Nunes is once again left to pick up the pieces. Remember, too, to check out MMAmania.com's ongoing live coverage of all the main card action by clicking here.

Posted in: round, minute, nune, siver, couldnt time

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STOCKHOLM -- This is the UFC on FUEL 2 live blog for Dennis Siver vs. Diego Nunes, a featherweight bout on tonight's UFC event from the Ericsson Globe Arena.Siver, who has won four of his last five fights, will square off against Nunes, who has also won of four of his past five fights, on the main card.Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC on FUEL 2 Results | UFC News Round 1:Round 2:Round 3:

Posted in: ufc, round, blog, nune, coverage ufc

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The UFC on FUEL TV 2: "Gustafsson vs. Silva" main card taking place today (Sat., April 14, 2012) at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, kept right on rolling with a welterweight war pitting DaMarques Johnson against John Maguire. Johnson has been up and down throughout his career fighting inside the Octagon, having posted a 4-3 record. Not the case for Maguire, who has lost just three fights in his entire 20-fight career, including an impressive decision win over Justin Edwards in his UFC debut. Make that two in a row inside the eight-sided cage. That's because Maguire, a tough as nails Brit with a grappling game to watch for, used a kimura attempt from Johnson in the second round to jump a straight armbar to force a tapout. The win is nice but that "Submission of the Night" bonus that is surely coming will make it all the sweeter. Johnson came out early and set the tone with an inside leg kick that rode a little too high. They continue anyway and it wasn't long before they were on the floor with Johnson attacking with repeated submissions. He failed to finish any of them but the message was received. Not to be outdone, Maguire made sure to score some points with a submission attempt of his own. The back and forth first round closed out with no clear indicator of who would take over in the later rounds. The grappling display continued in the second stanza, as they quickly went to the floor and more submissions were thrown. Again, though, defensively, both men were on point. They clinched along the cage with a few minutes to go in the round and Maguire scored the all important takedown. It was Johnson who was busy from the bottom, though, as he shot off short elbow after short elbow. He also grabbed Maguire's arm for a kimura but the Brit used it against him by stepping over and locking in a straight armbar that forced Johnson to tap. Such sweet submission savvy. Remember, too, to check out MMAmania.com's ongoing live coverage of all the main card action by clicking here.

Posted in: ufc, round, submission, johnson, maguire

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STOCKHOLM -- This is the UFC on FUEL 2 undercard live blog for the UFC on FUEL TV 2 event from the Ericsson Globe Arena.There will be six fights on the undercard. Papy Abedi vs. James Head, Cyrille Diabate vs. Tom DeBlass, Francis Carmont vs. Magnus Cedenblad, Reza Madadi vs Yoislandy Izquierdo, Simeon Thoresen vs. Besam Yousef and Jason Young vs. Eric Wisely will be the matches streamed live on Facebook.Check out the live blogs below. More Coverage: UFC on FUEL 2 Results | UFC News Jason Young vs. Eric Wisely Round 1: Wisely bobs and weaves his way in with a left hook, then scores again with the left seconds later. Young is largely stationary in the center of the cage, while Wisely’s bouncing around all over from the outside. Young takes Wisely’s back standing but can’t get him down. After some knees to the thighs from behind, the ref grows bored and separates them. The crowd does not approve. Young plants Wisely on his back, but can’t get much going from inside his guard, so he opts to stand and, when that’s no more successful, waves Wisely to his feet. Wisely tries a clever little heel kick, but only succeeds in getting taken down again. A meek horn sounds to end the round. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Young. Round 2: Wisely tries to get the left working again, but Young backs him against the cage and flings him to the mat. It’s clear he can get the fight to the floor. It’s the next part where he seems to run into a dead end. Wisely does a good job tying him up from the bottom, so Young stands up and works kicks to the legs before diving back down with a good right hand. Young tries to get his ground and pound on, but there’s not much there. The ref moves in for another stand-up, this time with a mixed reaction. Young puts him down one more time before the round is up, but is again unable to do much more. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Young. Round 3: Perhaps sensing he’s down on the cards, Wisely comes out hard in the final frame. He lands a nice left and a body kick. This fires up the crowd, and Young tries a jumping knee in response. Young puts Wisely on his back once more and tries again to get some ground-and-pound started. They trade elbows on the ground before Young decided to stand and try the leg kicks again. Young dives in with another right, but the ref moves in seconds later to stand them up. Young flashes a baffled look at this stand-up, but he doesn’t get a vote in this decision. Wisely slips on a head kick and we end the fight on the ground, in guard, where much of it has taken place. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Young. Jason Young def. Eric Wisely via unanimous decision (30-28, 29-28, 30-27) Simeon Thoresen vs. Besam Yousef Round 1: Yousef comes in swinging with an early combo and Thoresen stings him right back. Thoresen looks for a takedown but is stymied, much to the crowd’s delight. Huge hook from Yousef flies just over a ducking Thoresen’s head. Thoresen sees the same opening moments later and uses it to nab a takedown. Chants of ‘Besam!’ from the crowd. Yousef doing good work off his back, battering Thoresen with hammer fists from the bottom. Thoresen postures up and fires back, but can’t seem to get much on it. Just as they’re hand fighting in the guard, the ref moves in to stand them up. Take note, everybody. You’re not going to get much time to work on the mat tonight. Thoresen grabs Yousef in the clinch and lets loose with some knees. Yousef turns and lands a hard right at the ten-second warning. Good battle so far, and we’re only one round in. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Thoresen. Round 2: Thoresen paws with a jab early, and both men are looking a little fatigued after that blistering first round. Yousef wades in with wide hooks and Thoresen shoots back a straight left. Thoresen looks for another takedown, but ends up taking a battering from Yousef, who smells blood. Thoresen recovers well, but looks exhausted. He gets Yousef down and nearly locks in a bulldog choke. Yousef rolls to his back to escape, and Thoresen tries an anaconda. Yousef is staying alive, but barely. Thoresen gets mount and unloads from the top. Yousef rolls and exposes his back, which gives Thoresen the perfect opportunity to wrap up the rear-naked choke for the win.Simeon Thoresen def. Besam Yousef via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:36 of round 2 Reza Madadi vs Yoislandy Izquierdo Round 1: Madadi gets a huge ovation on his way to the cage. He’s wearing trunks the color of the Iranian flag, as a nod to his birth place, but he carried a Swedish flag. The fans here love this guy. Izquierdo fires off a sharp combo, but Madadi gets the takedown as chants of ‘Reza!’ start up. He can’t get much going on the mat. Back on the feet, Izquierdo lands a stinging kick. Madadi clinches him against the fence and gets a brief takedown, but Izquierdo pops right back up. More clinch fighting against the fence, but the ref moves to stop it and separate them. Yep, it’s going to be one of those kinds of nights. Madadi dives for a foot, but can’t get it. Izquierdo has the fight where he wants it, and he nails Madadi with a good head kick, then unloads with a vicious punch combination seconds later. Madadi is hurt, but he gets a takedown that saves him in the final seconds. Guillotine attempt by Madadi at the horn, but he’s out of time. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Izquierdo. Round 2: Izquierdo goes right back to work with his combos to start the second, and it’s clear that Madadi is just waiting for him to open up enough for a takedown. Soon enough he does, and after being chased back against the fence with punches, Madadi drops down for a takedown and puts Izquierdo on his back. He looks for the guillotine in the scramble, and Izquierdo defends well until Madadi sweeps him onto his back and tightens the choke. Izquierdo taps with both hands, since he can’t get one free to defend.Reza Madadi def. Yoislandy Izquierdo via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:28 of round 2 Francis Carmont vs. Magnus Cedenblad Round 1: Stockholm’s Cedenblad is clearly the fan favorite against Montreal’s Carmont. Carmont starts us off with a takedown in the first minute. Cedenblad tries a guillotine on his way down, but Carmont pulls out easily. The lanky Cedenblad has a sticky, active guard, and as Carmont stands up to step away from it, Cedenblad grabs the oportunity for a takedown. Carmont tries to sweep Cedenblad from the bottom and ends up giving up mount, which then allows Cedenblad to take his back. Cedenblad nearly has the rear-naked choke, but can’t seem to finish. He settles for battering the side of Carmont’s head, but Carmont hangs in there and eventually manages to turn into him and get the top position in Cedenblad’s mount. He works a little ground and pound, but Cedenblad reverses just before the horn. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Cedenblad. Round 2: Carmont immediately shoots for the takedown and gets it, with Cedanblad again trying for an unsuccessful guillotine. Carmont passes the guard easily, then gets full mount and begins hammering Cedeblad with punches from the top. Cedenblad may be spent, and Carmont is mauling him right now. Cedenblad rolls to his stomach, and -- after several punches that might have been somewhere in the neighborhood of the back of the head -- Carmont sinks the rear-naked choke. Cedenblad is forced to tap.Francis Carmont def. Magnus Cedenblad via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:42 of round 2 Cyrille Diabate vs. Tom DeBlass Round 1: Referee Leon Roberts gives the signal and Diabate meets DeBlass in the center of the cage. DeBelass moves forward, reaching for the clinch. Diabate tries to keep his distance, but eventually gets trapped against the fence and single-legged to the floor. DeBlass tries to pass, but seems hung up in half-guard as the crowd grows antsy. Finally, after an extended position battle that this evening’s previous refs likely wouldn’t have stood for, DeBlass gets to side control with about a minute left. Once there, he mostly settles for holding Diabate down as the crowd voices its disapproval. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for DeBlass, reluctantly. Round 2: Diabate marches forward and lands a stiff body kick in the opening seconds. DeBlass takes it on the ribs and then traps the leg against his body and uses it to put him right back down. Diabate tries to turn into him and nearly gets himself guillotined, but DeBlass gives it up in exchange for securing side control. Diabate gets to his feet and -- surprise, surprise -- now he takes DeBlass down. At least it’s something new. Diabate manages a few good punches from the top, but DeBlass eventually reverses and uses the threat of a leg lock to go from bottom to top. The crowd is not pleased, though it’s possible that this night of action has spoiled them thus far. Diabate reclaims the top position and softens up Diabate’s body with punches in the final minute of the round. Good diving left hand smacks off DeBlass’ head in the last ten seconds. His corner is not pleased as they move in with the stool. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Diabate. Round 3: Despite his height and reach advantage, Diabate isn’t doing much to keep DeBlass at a distance. He waits until the American moves in for a takedown and then nails him with a knee to the body. DeBlass is looking fatigued. Diabate opens up with his striking and catches DeBlass with a couple nice shots. DeBlass looks for a takedown, but ends up on the bottom, mouth hanging open as he gasps for air. Diabate is content to stay on top and pepper him with punches. DeBlass rolls back for a straight ankle lock, but again it’s only successful in getting him off the bottom. ‘Tommy, you gotta go!’ shouts his corner. They urge him to look for a finish, but it doesn’t seem like he has it in him. Final minute of the fight, and Diabate is back on top, picking away at DeBlass with punches. There’s the horn, and both men lie back exhausted. The crowd seems not terrible impressed with their effort tonight, but they get some polite applause anyway. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Diabate.Cyrille Diabate def. Tom DeBlass via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28) Papy Abedi vs. James Head Round 1: Head goes on the attack with a punch combo early, then takes a couple leg kicks from Abedi before deciding to clinch up. Abedi whips him down with a single-leg, and the crowd launches into a chant of ‘Papy!’’ A lone person somewhere behind me starts up a ‘USA!’ chant, but sadly, no takers on that. Abedi maneuvers Head against the fence and tries to get some ground-and-pound going, but Head scrambles to his feet. Head finds a home for that right hand, and so he keeps throwing it. Abedi looks a little stunned as Head adds knees to the attack. Abedi’s on wobbly legs and another right from Head puts him down. Head uses a whizzer to get to mount, then sinks in the choke when Abedi turns. Abedi has to tap, and Head shoves him over as he gets to his feet. There goes that ‘USA!’ guy again.James Head def. Papy Abedi via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:33 of round one

Posted in: round, head, diabate, deblas, thoresen

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STOCKHOLM -- This is the UFC on FUEL 2 live blog for DaMarques Johnson vs. John Maguire, a welterweight bout on tonight's UFC event from the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.Johnson, who has won two of his past three fights, will fight Maguire, who won his UFC debut at UFC 138, on the main card.Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC on FUEL 2 Results | UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

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The main card of the UFC on FUEL TV 2: "Gustafsson vs. Silva" event taking place today (Sat., April 14, 2012) in Stockholm, Sweden, featured a bantamweight battle between two brawlers looking to rebound from tough losses. Damacio Page had competed just twice in two years headed into today's event, losing both contests by submission. His opponent, Brad Pickett, came in trying to erase his crushing tapout loss to Renan Barao late last year. Did he ever. Page came out fast and loose with his punches, swinging wild trying to hit a home run on the first pitch. But it was Pickett who stayed patient and eventually overwhelmed his opponent with precision striking and follow up ground and pound that paved the way for a rear-naked choke submission win in the second round. Welcome back to the winners circle, Mr. Pickett. It didn't take long at all for these two to meet in the center of the cage and start throwing blows with seriously bad intentions. Pickett was stronger pushing forward, as he fell down into a takedown. They got back up, though, and went right back to banging it out. We're talking legitimate slugfest here. Page continued to set a pace Pickett looked annoyed by, pushing in with punches and even scoring a takedown of his own as a receipt for the takedown his foe landed not long before. That was negated, however, when Pickett went beast mode and slammed Page down for yet another successful takedown. The remainder of the round was fought on the floor with Pickett on top and Page fending off ground and pound. The second round saw Pickett open up with a left hand and land that "One Punch" to put Page on his ass, seeing stars. The follow up punches were vicious but didn't land clean enough to finish the fight. At least not at first. Pickett continued the assault and while Page fought valiantly to survive, it was only a matter of time before the damage opened his neck up to be squeezed tight enough to force a tap. Good night. Remember, too, to check out MMAmania.com's ongoing live coverage of all the main card action by clicking here.

Posted in: takedown, round, punch, page, pickett

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STOCKHOLM -- This is the UFC on FUEL 2 live blog for Brad Pickett vs. Damacio Page, a bantamweight bout on tonight's UFC event from the Ericsson Globe Arena.Pickett, who has lost two of his past three fights, will fight Page, who has lost his two fights, on the main card.Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC on FUEL 2 Results | UFC News Round 1:Round 2: Round 3:

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Jason Young picked up his first win in the UFC with a solid unanimous decision victory over Eric Wisely in the first preliminary bout of UFC on Fuel 2. The scores were 30-28, 29-28, 29-28. Young landed a bunch of takedowns and spent over half the fight on top, landing some varied offense. Wisely did manage to look fairly good on the feet, but his constant feinting didn't work out too well because he wouldn't follow it up with much. The first round opened with Wisely throwing feints, trying to get Young to commit to something. After exchanging some high kicks, Wisely moved in and landed a nice left, but Young responded with a solid counter left. Wisely attempted to throw a spinning back kick, but Young clamped onto "Little Lee"s back.He attempted to get the slam, but there was nothing there. After a few knees to the butt, the referee separated the fighters. Young landed some solid shots after the break, then cauught a kick and got the takedown into Wisely's full guard. Young returned to his feet and landed a barrage of kicks to a downed Wisely. After landing a nice body kick, Wisely tried a straight kick and was taken down once again. Young finished the round with some nice ground and pound. Young opened the second stanza with some momentum, and was the fighter coming forward early. After about 30 seconds, Young scored a nice trip takedown. "Shotgun" worked patiently in Wisely's full guard for a while, and landed a big falling shot as well. After tenderizing Wisely with some ground and pound for over half the round, Young finally backed out of Wisely's guard and allowed Eric to stand. It didn't stay on the feet for long though, and Young landed another nice trip off a missed Wisely kick. The round ended with Wisely looking for some offense from his back, but there was nothing there. Wisely heeded his corners advice in between rounds and came out with a big kick, then clamped onto Young's back immediately. Young got loose though, and the fighters traded strikes in the center of the cage. Once again, Wisely's feints cost him as Young grabbed a leg and got the takedown. Young opened up with the GnP again, and continually stood up out of guard, looking to drop a big right hand on him. The referee eventually stood them up, but Wisely ran out of time. Young clearly won the fight. Young entered the fight on a two-fight losing streak and was probably fighting to continue his UFC tenure here. Wisely dropped his UFC debut to Charles Oliveira at UFC on Fox 2. SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel 2: Gustafsson vs. Silva

Posted in: ufc, round, guard, kick, wisely

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This is the UFC on FUEL 2 undercard live blog for the UFC on FUEL TV 2 event from the Ericsson Globe Arena.There will be six fights on the undercard. Papy Abedi vs. James Head, Cyrille Diabate vs. Tom DeBlass, Francis Carmont vs. Magnus Cedenblad, Reza Madadi vs Yoislandy Izquierdo, Simeon Thoresen vs. Besam Yousef and Jason Young vs. Eric Wisely will be the matches streamed live on Facebook.Check out the live blogs below. More Coverage: UFC on FUEL TV 2 Results | UFC News Jason Young vs. Eric Wisely Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Simeon Thoresen vs. Besam Yousef Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Reza Madadi vs Yoislandy Izquierdo Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Francis Carmont vs. Magnus Cedenblad Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Cyrille Diabate vs. Tom DeBlass Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Papy Abedi vs. James Head Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

Posted in: ufc, round, vs, fuel, vs eric

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Joe "The Nose" Wilk and Anthony "Lionheart" Smith both cemented their positions as rising stars in the Midwest mixed martial arts (MMA) scene last night (April 13, 2012), walking out of the cage with VICTORY Fighting Championship (VFC) titles wrapped around their wastes. Both fighters rose to the occasion at the Mid America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa, to finish two tough opponents and win their respective titles. Wilk has been tearing up the regional circuit with wins at Titan and VFC, while Smith was allowed out of his Strikeforce contract to fight for the VFC belt, so a loss for either fighter could have been a major setback. The professional portion of the card started with the only professional fight to go the distance, as Brian Houston and Josh Heath duked it out for three rounds. The only reason this fight made it to the judges scorecards is that, apparently, Heath has had a granite implant in his chin. He showed a ton of heart, but it wasn't enough to stop Houston from a unanimous decision victory. Brandon Pfannenstiel came into the cage undefeated and got to leave that way. He made fairly quick work of Jordan Eggli, winning via triangle halfway into the first round, improving his record to 4-0. Crowd favorites Vito Agosta and Drew Dober both put on impressive performances. Agosta got to retire on a win, beating Derek Rhoades by armbar in the second, while The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) hopeful Drew Dober put on a clinic against the always game Ted Worthington, forcing a verbal submission at the end of the second. The Middleweight title fight promised to be exciting -- neither Ian Berg nor Anthony Smith rarely let a fight get to the cards, much less a second round. With a hard hitting collegiate wrestler in Berg and a lanky striker in Smith, it was anyone's guess where this fight would go. Happily, both fighters were content to stand and trade, with Smith getting the better of the exchanges, and finishing Berg via arm triangle in the second round. Although Smith is already under contract with Strikeforce, he intends to defend his VFC belt, Strikeforce permitting. "If they will allow me to defend the belt, then I will. I didn't win it just to say I won it. It just depends on what's going on with Strikeforce," he said. When Joe Wilk and Aaron Steele stepped into the cage, it was a rematch for the VFC Featherweight title. The last time they were in the cage it was a four round war that saw Steele walk away with the belt. Tonight was Wilk's night to get revenge. From the opening bell both fighters looked to prove they were more than just talented grapplers. An early jab saw Wilk open up Steele's nose, and the sight of blood seemed to force him to press the action. The first round was a pretty hectic back and forth affair. Early in the second, Joe was able to sink in a mounted guillotine to claim the featherweight belt. As always, the VFC starts the night with some of the best amateurs in the Midwest, and tonight was no exception, with one of the fights getting the "Fight of the Night" award. VFC 37 amateur quick results: Josh Pfeifer def James Reed 2nd round arm triangle Dillon Grossman def Levi Handley via 2nd round armbar Josh Hopkins def Devin Dmetz via verbal submission Tecia Torres def Sarah McLeod via unanimous decision Corey Roberts def Darrick Minner via DQ Jacob Keifer def Aaron Wallace via 2nd round rear naked choke

Posted in: fight, round, belt, smith, vfc

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Bellator 65 continued the Bellator Fighting Championship's sixth season last night (April 13, 2012) from the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was a thrilling night of bouts and none were more impressive than the main event, a bantamweight title fight between champion Zach Makovsky and challenger Eduardo Dantas. In a back and forth first round, Dantas kept Makovsky on his toes with a pair of brutal body kicks which knocked the champion off his feet. "Fun Size" immediately decided to take the fight to the ground, but once he put Dantas on his back, he was still not out of danger as the Nova Uniao fighter threatened with a pair of omaplatas off of his back. In the second round, Makovsky quickly attempted to take the fight to the ground but this time, Dantas was ready for it and hit a "switch" which reversed the attempt and put the former Drexel wrestler somewhere he's never been in the Bellator cage, on his back. Dantas frustrated Makkovsky from top position, twice passing to mount and dropping some occasional elbows while threatening with a rear naked choke whenever Makovsky attempted to scramble out of danger. The second time he passed to mount, he transitioned to an arm triangle choke and immediately passed to side control to tighten the hold. Makovsky tried to hold out by creating space and grabbing his own knee but the choke was too tight and he was rendered unconscious. We have a new Bellator bantamweight champion. And at just 23 years old, this talented Brazilian looks completely unstoppable. The rest of the main card featured some very interesting bouts including one of Bellator's finest 2012 fights: in featherweight semifinal action, Vision MMA fighter Daniel Straus took on Team Curran's Mike Corey for the right to advance to the finals and take on top Brazilian Marlon Sandro. Straus, fighting with a heavy heart due to the recent death of his teammate, Chris Smith, started incredibly strongly by dropping Corey with his first combination and beating Corey soundly in the stand-up department in the first round. By the time the round was over, Corey's face was a bloody mess. In typical Mike Corey fashion, he bounced back by turning up the pressure in the stand-up, initiating clinches and even scoring a couple takedowns against Straus in the second round. He was especially effective along the fence, repeatedly gaining inside position and throwing some strong knees to the body while mixing in dirty boxing. Straus would take control in a tough third round, going back to his boxing where he was able to land the more effective strikes while mixing up his own clinch and takedown attempts to keep Corey guessing. Corey's face was tenderized by this point with his eye nearly swollen shut but he continued to battle back, even landing some solid strikes in a flurry with 30 seconds left but it wasn't enough as the judges sided with Straus unanimously to advance the Cincinnati-based fighter to the featherweight finals. In bantamweight quarterfinal action, season five finalist Alexis Vila got all he could handle from a very game Luis Nogueira in what was a rather lackluster bout. Nogueira used his size and speed to fluster Vila throughout the bout and was able to outstrike the former Cuban Olympic wrestler in both the first and third rounds, even taking Vila down at the end of the first. Vila used his wrestling a little more effectively in the second round but was unable to do much damage and in the end, the strong first and third rounds for Nogueira were enough for the Brazilian to pull off the upset, earning him a unanimous decision much to the dismay of the 41 year old Vila. In the opening bout of the main card, bantamweight quarterfinalists Marcos Galvao and Ed West put on a hell of a battle. Galvao, who'd been robbed in both of his Bellator losses against Joe Warren and Alexis Vila, vowed to finish this fight and boy did he ever try. The Brazilian opened with some extremely aggressive punching, closing the distance on West and landing effectively with heavy haymakers while mixing in strong takedowns and working his top control and jiu-jitsu. West attacked from bottom and repeatedly got back to his feet but Galvao was all over him in the stand-up, walking through many of his attacks to land power strikes. There was one beautiful exchange where West attempted a flying knee but was knocked out of the air by a vicious Galvao looping right hook and sent crashing to the canvas. The pace slowed down slightly in the second and third rounds, but Galvao continued to mount a strong offense in the stand-up while mixing in takedowns and the judges finally decided in his favor as he was awarded a unanimous decision victory with a clean sweep of 30-27 by all three judges which didn't tell the full story of how awesome this fight was. In undercard action, former Bellator welterweight champion Lyman Good starched LeVon Maynard with 13 second knockout. Good pushed forward extremely aggressively in the opening seconds and after landing some short punches, appeared to drop Maynard with an accidental headbutt. Once on the ground, he blasted Maynard with heavy ground and pound until the referee intervened. With the victory, he punched his ticket to the next Bellator welterweight tournament, which is likely taking place this fall. For complete Bellator 65 results and detailed round-by-round commentary of all the televised fights click here. So what did you think, Maniacs? Were you as impressed as I was by how dominant Eduardo Dantas looked against such a strong fighter like Makovsky? After finally seeing the full bantamweight quarterfinals and featherweight semifinals, who are your picks to win each tournament? Sound off!

Posted in: bellator, round, danta, makovsky, corey

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XFC 17: "Apocalypse" took place last night (Fri., April 13, 2012) showcasing an entertaining night of mixed martial arts (MMA) action for the fans in attendance at the Oman Arena in Jackson, Tennessee. The main event saw a thrilling lightweight war between Eric Reynolds and Luciano Dos Santos that included plenty of violent, precision striking. It was neck-and-neck up until the third round, when Reynolds was able to use his length and boxing advantage to win the final frame and, ultimately, the unanimous decision victory. In the co-main event, former XFC Featherweight Champion Jarrod Card looked to get things back on track in his contest versus Marlon Moraes. Unfortunately, it was not to be for Card, who found himself buried under a barrage of kicks and punches from Moraes, from the opening bell, right up until the referee finally stepped in and called a stop to the action. Moraes looked very impressive in his complete dismantling of a fighter who was once one of the sport's up and coming phenoms. Nick Newell has taken the MMA world by storm this past year. If you've not yet witnessed Newell and don't know what he's about, he's an undefeated fighter out of Springfield, Mass., who, up until last night, had finished all six fighters he'd faced, and done so in the the first round each time. But that's not even the most incredible thing about him. The crazy thing is that Newell is doing all this with one and a half arms. That's right, due to a birth defect, Newell was born with one arm that essentially ends at the elbow. At XFC 17, Newell faced his biggest challenge to date in Chris Coggins, a fighter who came into the bout at 5-1. In the first round, Newell was able to land an early takedown and work his top game effectively, taking the round easily. Things flip flopped drastically in the second, though, when Coggins was able to get Newell in some very bad spots, notably taking his back and nearly choking him out several times. Unfortunately for Coggins, Newell is not the kind of guy who says "Uncle." Last night was no different. After surviving a very one-sided second round onslaught, Newell was able to come back, win the third round with his grappling, and take the decision victory, all to the delight of fans in attendance. If it wasn't the most impressive show of heart I've ever seen, it was pretty close. The ladies took center stage with a strawweight (115 pounds) slugfest between Felice Herrig and Patricia Vidonic. Herrig came into the fight as the big favorite and although she was unable to get the finish, she certainly showed why she was picked ahead of time to win the contest. After an ugly first round that was largely spent up against the fence grappling for position, Herrig got rolling in the second, continually scoring takedowns and using her ground and pound to rough Vidonic up. The rest of the fight saw more of the same, as Herrig's newly asserted ground dominance proved to be the key in her earning the decision win. Before Johnny Davis' fight with Charles Blanchard, he made the comment that his goal was to make it an "ugly fight." He accomplished his mission (and then some), but I'm not sure it served him well. Every time the two fighters clinched up, Davis took the worst of it. Every time the action hit the canvas, Davis ended up eating an elbow or having to scramble to get out of trouble. Davis simply looked a step behind for the duration of the fight, which was aptly summarized by HDNet's Michael Schiavello when he stated, "You could hear a tumbleweed roll through here." Indeed. In the end, Blanchard did enough to earn himself the unanimous decision victory. The second bout of the main card featured lightweight match up between Jason Wood and Ronnie Rogers. It was a bit of an odd bout, as Rogers seemed to be daring Wood to submit him with the way he was going about his business. He continually dove headfirst into chokes, left arms exposed, and was essentially fortunate that he was not tapped out sooner than he was. Finally, Wood was given a gift, as Rogers, once again, dove headfirst into a guillotine with Wood on his back. Wood, who almost looked surprised at how available the choke was, applied the pressure, leaned back and waited for Rogers to tap. In the opening fight of the main card, middleweights Joel Cooper and Amaechi Oselukwue got things started with a fight that needed all three rounds and a judges decision in order to tie up the loose ends. The first round was all Oselukwue, who looked like he was trying to use every move in his arsenal, en route to landing a finishing strike on the feet. In the second frame, Cooper began to make some headway when, midway through the round, he was able to catch Oselukwue's kicks, score the takedown and work his ground game. It was obvious that Cooper's grappling and jiu-jitsu were more well-polished than that of his opponent. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to really ever give him a clear-cut lead, it just helped him manage to offset Oselukwue's athleticism and size advantage. The fight continued to be close, all the way up to the end, when all three of the judges gave Cooper the nod in the decision. Oselukwue has a lot of potential, but he'll need to refine his skill set and get some more cage time if he really wants to make an impact in this sport on the next level. XFC 17 RESULTS: MAIN CARD: 155 lbs.: Eric Reynolds def. Luciano Dos Santos via unanimous decision145 lbs.: Marlon Moraes def. Jarrod Card via KO at 0:48 of round one(Catchweight) 152 lbs.: Nick Newell def. Chris Coggins via unanimous decision 115 lbs.: Felice Herrig def. Patricia Vidonic via unanimous decision175 lbs.: Charles Blanchard def. Johnny Davis via unanimous decision155 lbs.: Jason Wood def. Ronnie Rogers via submission (guillotine) at 2:15 of round two185 lbs.: Joel Cooper def. Amaechi Oselukwue via unanimous decision PRELIMINARY CARD: 205 lbs.: Teddy Holder def. Bobby Carter by submission (armbar) at 3:27 of round one(catchweight) 187 lbs.: Bradley Stafford def. Tommy Roberts by unanimous decision145 lbs.: Steven Durr def. Michael Manley by unanimous decision

Posted in: fight, round, decision, lb, newell

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Bellator 65 took place tonight in Atlantic City, NJ. The event was headlined by a bantamweight title fight between champion Zach Makovsky and Eduardo Dantas. The card also featured the second featherweight semifinal and the opening round of the bantamweight title. In the main event, Dantas put on an impressive display of all-around skill by handily defeating Zach Makovsky. Also on the card, Daniel Straus, Marcos Galvao, and Luis Nogueira all advanced in their respective tournaments. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney has said he believes Dantas is one of the best bantamweight fighters in the world and Dantas did nothing to dissuade anyone from that position as he dominated Makovsky wherever the fight went. The only thing Makovsky had going early were his takedowns but it was those very takedowns that would lead to his defeat in the second. In the second, Makovsky was still unable to find an answer for Dantas striking and shot for a takedown. Dantas countered it beautifully with what is becoming a signature switch off his opponents’ takedown attempts. After Dantas took Makovsky’s back it was all but over as Dantas controlled his position and landed strikes from solid positions. Eventually, Dantas gained an arm-triangle off a beautiful transition. While Makovsky executed the right defense for the choke, Dantas simply overpowered him until he went unconscious. Full Results: MAIN CARD Bantamweight Championship: Eduardo Dantas def. Zach Makovsky via submission (arm-triangle choke) at 3:26 of Round 2 Featherweight semifinal: Daniel Straus def. Mike Corey via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) Bantamweight Quarterfinal: Luis Nogueira def. Alexis Vila via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Bantamweight Quarterfinal: Marcos Galvao def. Ed West via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) PRELIMINARY CARD Duane Bastress def. Plinio Cruz via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 2:52 Will Martinez def. Terrell Hobbs via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:13 Scott Heckman def. Lester Caslow via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:40 Welterweight qualifier: Kris McCray def. Ailton Barbosa via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) Welterweight qualifier: Lyman Good def. LeVon Maynard via KO (punch) – Round 1, 0:13 E.J. Brooks def. Mikhail Malyutin via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

Posted in: round, decision, bantamweight, danta, makovsky

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STOCKHOLM, April 14 - After losing his first two UFC fights, British featherweight Jason Young was under a lot of pressure going into his UFC on FUEL TV prelim bout against Eric Wisely at Ericsson Globe Arena Saturday. Not only would he likely lose his UFC contract if he was defeated, he would also have failed to demonstrate in the UFC the talent that got him signed in the first place. A lot on the line, but Young did not fold under the pressure. Rather, it seems to have refocused him and made him determined not to fail. His game was extremely tight and methodical, picking Wisely apart and restraining himself at moments when he could maybe have started letting go more, but risked creating openings for Wisely in the process. Wisely was also under pressure coming into the fight, having lost his previous bout, but he was soon seemingly out of ideas. Over the course of three rounds, Young had his way with takedowns, kicks and hard right hands to steadily rack up the points. Wisely started very strong in the third round after a ticking off from his corner team, but Young was quickly able to slow him and then get back into controlling the distance game. Knowing the fight was in the bag, Young let rip with some big shots for the last minute or so, but Wisely held on. Young won a unanimous decision via scores of 30-28 and 29-28 twice, but he will be equally happy with the fact that he demonstrated considerable skill and composure in what was a crucial fight for his career. Watch "Shotgun's" post-fight interviewTHORESEN vs. YOUSEFThis fight had a local derby element to it as Besam Yousef hails from Sweden while Simeon Thoresen is from neighbouring Norway. On paper, Thoresen was going to cruise to a win over his fellow UFC debutant, as he is an experienced international competitor while Yousef is a relatively novice pro with a 6-0 record from fighting in Sweden.But whether it was innate aggression or the fact he was fighting in Stockholm, Yousef came out of the gates hard. He looked to stamp his authority on the match early with hard left and right hands which forced the clinically calm Thoresen to wake up several notches from his usually ice-cold demeanour. Thoresen paced and prodded, his experience meaning that Yousef’s attempts to draw him into a phone-booth war were rebuffed. When he finally saw his opening he stepped in and took a single-leg, placing Yousef on his back ready to be worked on. Except Yousef wasn’t ready to be worked on and incredibly, he outstruck Thoresen while holding him in full guard. Yousef’s performance roused the crowd into making some serious noise, but the second round brought them back to earth. Thoresen maintained his policy of picking Yousef off from a distance, although there was a brief clinch which saw the Swede land some great elbow shots. Breaking from that clinch, Thoresen dropped the pursuing Yousef and was on him instantly with a D’arce choke effort. That wasn’t successful, but it was a sign of things to come; Thoresen has a deserved reputation as one of the better grapplers on the Euro MMA circuit. No sooner had the D’arce been shrugged off than he was into a guillotine. He used that to turn Yousef over, then took his opponent’s back and sank in a rear naked choke to get the tap at 2:36 of round two. Hear what Thoresen had to say after his big win.MADADI vs. IZQUIERDOA Swedish wrestling champion against a Cuban karate champion - this fight was never going to go the distance. The arena erupted when Reza Madadi made his entrance, the entire crowd standing and clapping along with the local anthem which he used as his entrance music.When he got Yoislandy Izquierdo to the floor before the one minute mark, it looked like it was going to be a short night for the Cuban. But he had other ideas - his first response on escaping back to his feet was to force Madadi backwards with a flurry of straight punches, then launch a flying knee that narrowly missed.Things turned in Izquierdo’s favour for a while - his darting style and precision kicking game will inevitably draw comparison with fellow karate master Lyoto Machida. He did not seem concerned at the prospect of Madadi catching his leg, almost daring him to try as he threw head kicks and push kicks with venom.Madadi was wary and that allowed Izquierdo to let his hands go, which created some tense moments for the Madadi fans as he was covering up against the cage for what felt like a long time, before dropping for a single-leg that put Izquierdo on his back and returned control of the round to him.Izquierdo was aggressive at the start of the second but Madadi was ready for him. He put Izquierdo on his back with a double-leg, landing in side-control, and then went round to North-South looking for the choke. Izquierdo rolled to his knees looking to escape, and here he was able to single-leg Madadi and put the Swede on his back for the first time in the fight. But just as Izquierdo got his hopes up, disaster - Madadi rolled him over and sank in a guillotine choke that was so tight Izquierdo had to tap almost as soon as it was in place, finishing the botu at the 1:28 mark of round two. An impressive debut from both men and both will probably get a call for their next UFC fights in the near future. Watch Madadi's post-fight interviewCARMONT vs. CEDENBLAD Hulking middleweight Francis Carmont looks to be a different weight class to his Swedish opponent. With more experience as well, plus his own UFC debut under his belt, it was a tall order for “Jycken” Cedenblad.Carmont opened the scoring with a double-leg, which made it look like Cedenblad was in for a short night. But then the Swede’s jiu-jitsu pedigree came into play - when Carmont stood in his guard, Cedenblad looked for the tripod sweep then used the leg-hook to get to his knees and hit a takedown of his own.The rest of the round was high drama - Cedenblad took Carmont’s back and looked for the rear-naked choke while the Frenchman had to fight like crazy to prevent being tapped. A technical jiu-jitsu battle ensued and had the crowd enthralled before Carmont was able to get out and serve up some revenge by taking Cedenblad’s back and looking for a choke of his own. Cedenblad escaped as the round ended, but his good fortune didn’t carry over into the next one, as Carmont came out with a fire underneath him.He put Cedenblad on his back fast and then hammered him with right hands as Cedenblad looked for an armbar. Cedenblad turned turtle to escape the damage and then Carmont took his back. A brief battle ensued, as Cedenblad tried to escape, but the only route out put him under full mount. Carmont battered him until he turned over again and that allowed the French middleweight to get a rear-naked choke locked up. The Swedish crowd went very, very quiet as Cedenblad tapped 1:42 into the second stanza. Hear Carmont's thoughts on the exciting winDIABATE vs. DeBLASSCyrille Diabate was originally set to fight a kickboxing stylist in Jorgen Kruth, but injury meant that DeBlass got his UFC call-up to step in on two weeks’ notice. A jiu-jitsu player, DeBlass wanted the fight on the floor and got it there quickly. Diabate is not noted for his own jiu-jitsu skills and so DeBlass was having the best of it on the ground, but was strangely passive. Instead of looking for a finish aggressively he was playing a stalemating, holding game which allowed Diabate both to avoid damage and to get his stamina together. That was DeBlass’ undoing because in the second and third rounds, Diabate was able to reverse him on the floor and this time there was no lack of aggression - DeBlass ate some serious shots from Diabate as his own energy ebbed away. He was exhausted by the end of the fight and was barely holding Diabete off. DeBlass lost a majority via scores of 29-28 twice and 28-28, and he will go back to New Jersey with a list of things to work on for his next outing.  Watch Diabate's post-fight interviewABEDI vs. HEADPapy Abedi gets the hometown cheer and duly opens the scoring with a right hand and a solid knee to the body from the clinch. Surprisingly, it is Abedi that goes looking for the takedown - possibly to negate the height difference - which he gets by running the pipe on a single leg against the cage. But James Head does a good job of keeping Abedi’s posture broken down so the Swede can’t get any decent offense off.Abedi passing to half guard allows Head to get back to his feet and suddenly he is in the driving seat, forcing Abedi across the cage with hard straight shots followed by a solid knee to the midriff and then a really nice overhand-elbow that stuns Abedi. Three hard right hands follow as Head goes for the kill. Abedi backpedaled frantically and offered nothing as Head closed the distance again, hit him and takes him down. The fight looks completely gone from Abedi; Head mounts him and lets his hands go, forcing Abedi to turn and look for escape. That allows Head to take his back and sink the rear-naked choke in; Abedi taps quickly at 4:33 of the opening round. 

Posted in: fight, round, abedi, yousef, cedenblad

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You couldn’t have found a more high pressure situation for 25-year old light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson, headlining the first UFC show in his hometown of Stockholm, Sweden, and doing it against a hungry knockout artist in the returning Thiago Silva. But Saturday night at the Ericsson Globe Arena, “The Mauler” continued to impress, decisioning Silva over three rounds to up his current winning streak to five. Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 for Gustafsson, who improves to 14-1; Sao Paulo, Brazil’s Silva, fighting for the first time since January of 2011 due to a Nevada State Athletic Commission suspension, falls to 14-3 with 1 NC. His record in his last five fights is 1-3 with 1 NC.The always intense Silva wasted no time getting acclimated to the Octagon in his return to active duty, swinging a hard combination at Gustafsson’s head to begin the bout. Gustafsson got out of the way easily, establishing a stick and move strategy that would pay dividends throughout the 15 minute bout. Around 30 seconds in, Gustafsson made his first statement, dropping Silva with a quick right uppercut. As the crowd erupted, Gustafsson looked to finish, but Silva survived and made it to his feet, albeit with a cut on his forehead.After clearing his head, Silva resumed his forward march as Gustafsson potshotted effectively while easily eluding any return fire. The partisan crowd chanted throughout, adding a soccer-like atmosphere to the proceedings as their favorite son calmly put the first round in the bank.The fast pace continued in the second, with Gustafsson mixing things up with a slick trip to the mat in the opening minute. Gustafsson opted to keep things standing, allowing Silva to get back up. Front kicks to the head and body were added to the Swede’s arsenal as the round progressed, but he refused to get overconfident, knowing that one swing from Silva could change the course of the bout. Just past the midway point of the round, that one swing almost arrived in the form of a right hand that rocked Gustafsson. “The Mauler” backed up and tried to clear his head, and Silva was right on him, looking to land the finisher. But as the long-limbed Gustafsson got some room, he got his legs back as well, foiling Silva’s big chance.That would be the Brazilian’s last stand, as while he continued to stalk his foe in search of a fight-changing exchange, Gustafsson wouldn’t play along in the final round, and his superior speed, movement, and striking variety sealed the biggest victory of his young career.

Posted in: round, silva, head, gustafsson, mauler ”

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Joe Proctor became the third straight Team Faber fighter to win his first round matchup, earning a first-round tapout win over Chris Tickle on Friday night's edition of TUF Live. Tickle came out with a strong striking game, scoring with a series of left hooks in the early part of the round. With about one minute left, Proctor ducked under a punch and took Tickle down. He immediately swarmed, taking his back and applying a rear naked choke. Tickle defended it at first, but Proctor reapplied it tighter, forcing his opponent to tap at 4:42 of the round. "That's my game," Proctor said. "Lauzon MMA. I'm a jiu-jitsu guy. I love to bang, I love to take punches off the chin, but I did my job here." Proctor had come into the fight as the favorite, but it was no walkover as Tickle found his mark with striking early. Afterward, Proctor said Tickle hit "like a truck," but found a way to move the fight to his strengths on the ground. Proctor follows in the footsteps of Mike Chiesa and Al Iaquinta with consecutive wins as Urijah Faber saw his team take the lead on the season with a 3-2 head-to-head tally. With control of the pick, Faber chose John Cofer to face Vinc Pichel in next week's bout. 4:42 of the first.

Posted in: round, joe proctor, proctor, tickle, chris tickle

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After six long weeks, the Ultimate Fighting Championship returns tomorrow for it's second UFC on FUEL TV offering. Half the staff decided to pass on giving their picks for this event, for reasons that I can't be sure of. Could it be that Earl and myself are dominating at the top of the standings?I'm not sure, but you can decide for yourselves when you see how we've faired at the end of the post. First though, check out the breakdowns from the four guys who did submit picks, including Patrick Wyman, in his staff picks debut:Alexander Gustafsson vs Thiago SilvaLuke - There is a nice contrast in the way our two headliners distribute violence. Hometown hero Gustafsson is a typical Swedish athlete: Soft spoken, with tempered aggression, who never lets himself get too high or too low. He is a consummate professional. Silva, on the other hand, is a classic Brazilian: Supremely aggressive, flashy and prone to poor decision making, as evidenced by his attempt to pass off animal urine as his own in order to beat a drug test, which is the reason he has been out since January of last year. As far as the fight itself, I thought Brandon Vera was winning the striking exchanges against Silva before being rag-dolled to the mat and beaten down. Vera didn’t seem to have much heart to fight back, which won’t be the case with Gustafsson, but I still see this fight going much the same way. My reasoning is that you see this sort of fight a lot in the UFC: an up and coming youngster with excellent stand-up and an untested ground game versus a veteran with less than great striking and an established ground game. It almost never goes well for the up and comer, especially a tall and lanky guy like Gus, who is just asking to be taken down in the clinch. Silva, unanimous decision.Cory - Thiago Silva is actually a step up from the original opponent for Gustafsson, Lil’ Nog. I think this is going to be a very hard-fought contest that might be closer than a lot of people are guessing. Gustafsson - split decision.Earl - I will confess to being a huge Thiago Silva fan. He is making his return to the cage for the first time in about 15 months due to his positive drug test, bongo playing, nose breaking domination of Brandon Vera. He really has a stiff test ahead of him here against The Mauler. Gustafsson has been on an absolute tear since getting tapped by Jon Jones er.....Phil Davis and could be a legit title contender by this time next year. As much as I want to see Silva make a serious run I just don’t think this is going to end well for him. Alexander Gustafsson via Send His Countrymen Home Happy KO, Round 1.Patrick - Gustafsson has the edge on the feet, Silva from top position on the ground, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise. The idea that Silva is some sort of Muay Thai wrecking machine seems to have popped up during his long layoff, and I don't see it: he has one legitimate knockdown (the Jardine KO, Evans didn't actually go down) in his eight UFC fights. Gustafsson has four in six. It's pretty simple: if Gustafsson avoids the clinch and the takedown, which I think he will given his prior performances, he wins this with ease; if he doesn't, Thiago's going to put a beating on him - James Te Huna was able to pass Gustafsson's guard, which doesn't bode well for him against Thiago. Silva's going to have an extremely difficult time grabbing ahold of him, though: Gustafsson moves well and takes confusing angles, so I'd imagine we'll see him playing matador and picking Thiago apart from the outside. If he catches him cleanly, it's Gustafsson by KO, and if he doesn't he should safely outpoint him. I think the former is more likely. Gustafsson by KO, round two. Brian Stann vs Alessio SakaraLuke - I’m not as confident as the other guys on this one. Stann has been telling us that he’s the hardest hitter in the middleweight division for quite some time and after he starched Chris Leben a lot of people bought into it, despite Anderson Silva doing things like knocking guys out with backstepping jabs. Sure, that isn’t necessarily an indicator of raw power; it’s more of a comment on Silva’s incredible technique and accuracy. Either way, Stann is a good brawler with a good chin, nothing more, nothing less. He knocked out Jorge Santiago but it took some doing. He’ll get the win here because Sakara doesn’t have the tools to beat him but I’m not completely sold on Stann as a destroyer of worlds. Great guy though. Stann, TKO, Round 2Cory - Despite me being listed higher on the pickings than Patrick, he already got in on this before I could and nailed it. Pretty sure 4 out of 5 matches go this exact same way (maybe even more). There’s a reason why Stann is around a -400 favorite and uh... yea. Stann - KOEarl - Stann is going to crush him so bad. So, so bad. Brian Stann, KO, Round 1.Patrick - I’m all for deep analysis, but sometimes it’s this simple: Stann has huge power, and Sakara’s been KO’d by every powerful striker he’s fought (Leben, Alexander, McFedries, etc.). Stann by KO, round one.Paulo Thiago vs Siyar BahadurzadaLuke - This is the fight I’m looking forward to most, for a lot of reasons. Siyar “the killer” against Paulo Thiago, who has almost surely killed more than a few bad bad dudes during his active duty with the Brazilian “Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais”, better known as BOPE. Bahadurzada has a lot of experience with bad acting humans himself, having grown up in war-torn Afghanistan before moving to Holland and joining Golden Glory. A question mark surrounding this event is how the fighters will deal with the early start and time change, being the first time the UFC has held a show in Scandinavia. Bahadurzada shouldn’t have this problem and to make matters worse for Thiago, he hasn’t fought a true striker since he battled Martin Kampmann way back at UFC 115, almost two years ago. I think Siyar is going to explode onto the scene in a big way. Bahadurzada, KO, Round 1Cory - I think I’ll go with the dog in this one. Look for Siyar to surprise Paul in the way that Paul surprised Koscheck in his debut. Siyar - decisionEarl - This is one tough debut for Siyar here in Paulo Thiago and although Siyar should have a good UFC career ahead of him, it is going to get off to a bad start. Paulo Thiago, Submission, Round 2.Patrick - Another fun scrap. If you don’t know Siyar the Killer already, you will after this fight. Still, I think Thiago is just a bit too much for him in his UFC debut. Thiago by submission.Dennis Siver vs Diego NunesLuke - You can’t miss weight and win, unless you are a pitbull of a grappler with finishing skills, like Dennis Hallman. It’s just too difficult for a striker to carry their explosiveness through a 15 minute fight one day after badly depleting themselves of food and water. With the addition of the 145 pound division, we’ve seen a handful of guys drop down and have a tough time. Add Siver to the list. Nunes, Unanimous decision.Cory - Earl called it, as Siver originally missed weight by a pound. I’ll go with Nunes by TKO lateEarl - I don’t think this cut is going to be good for Siver. Diego will get him in the third. Diego Nunes, Submission, Round 3.Patrick - This should be a fun scrap, but it’s a tough fight to pick. Both guys have a tendency to gas out late in the fight, which could be exacerbated by Siver’s weight cut; both guys like to throw unorthodox strikes; but Siver throws a higher volume of strikes, so I’ll take Siver by decision.DaMarques Johnson vs John MaguireLuke - Just from his wikipedia picture, Maguire looks like he came directly out of the film “Snatch”, which as you may recall, centered around a pikey bare knuckle boxing champion (played by Brad Pitt) with a love for caravans. Maguire is holding no less than five championship belts from organizations no one has ever heard of, and he is standing in front of what looks to be a very nice caravan. As for Damargues Johnson, he is a former military officer who has had an up and down UFC career. If Johnson had done any better in his seven fight career (4-3), I’d take him, but as it stands, I just can’t bet against a guy with five belts in front of a caravan. Maguire, Unanimous Decision.Cory - I’m not sure what to make of Maguire yet, but what I’ve made so far of DMJ has been fairly unimpressive. Maguire - submissionEarl - Maguire had a damn entertaining fight in his UFC debut against Justin Edwards and I think this will be a bit of a showcase for him. Johnson tends to wilt under pressure and Maguire will bring it and overwhelm him. John Maguire via TKO, Round 2.Patrick - I’m pretty high on Maguire, not so much on Johnson. The argument for Johnson seems to revolve around experience and athleticism: well, Maguire is hardly a novice, and he just beat an excellent athlete in Justin Edwards. Maguire will find a way to get his gypsy jiu-jitsu going and take this one by submission.Brad Pickett vs Damacio PageLuke - Last time we saw Pickett, he was in a back and forth slugfest with Renan Barao, who could be the guy to unseat Dominick Cruz. Last time we saw Page, he was getting choked out by Brian Bowles. Page was supposed to fight Kid Yamamoto back at UFC 135. Unfortunately for him, both he and Kid got hurt, and now that he’s healthy, he gets a massive step up in having to go against Pickett. I think we’ll see Page on the end of another submission. Pickett, Submission, Round 1.Cory - If Stann/Sakara wasn’t on the card, this might be the easiest pick of the day. Pickett - submissionEarl - Pickett’s got this one in the bag. Groundfighting clinic forthcoming. Pickett via Submission, Round 2.Patrick - Despite the “One Punch” moniker, grappling is Pickett’s bread and butter, and Page is always vulnerable to the submission. Pickett by submission (guillotine), round one.Papy Abedi vs James HeadLuke - Abedi had a tough matchup in his first UFC fight, having to take on accomplished striker Thiago Alves. James Head is a much easier proposition for Abedi, who will surely be looking to make a big impact here. Abedi, KO, Round 1.Cory - I’m not too sold on Abedi being a beast just yet, but I’ll agree that he’s more then enough for James Head. Abedi - TKOEarl - Don’t be swayed by Papy’s debut loss to Thiago Alves. He is going to be in beast mode here and it will not be pretty for James Head. Papy Abedi via Monster KO, Round 1.Patrick - Head has a better chance than most are giving him here, but Abedi’s an absolute monster. Abedi by TKO, round 2.Cyrille Diabate vs Tom DeBlassLuke - DeBlass will be making his UFC debut on short notice. He’s an accomplished Brazilian Jiu Jitsu player under Renzo Gracie disciple Ricardo Almeida. Diabate struggles with any kind of grappling and he’s going to get manhandled by DeBlass in the first round. It might not even take a minute. DeBlass, Submission, Round 1Cory - Cyrille Diabate is a pretty good stand-up fighter, but a not very good MMA fighter. Tom happens to be very, very good at what Cyrille is weak at. This is a gimme. DeBlass - SubmissionEarl - Even though DeBlass is coming in on fairly short notice, I think this is going to be a great fight for him. He just has to fight Diabate the right way: weather the storm on the feet, get the takedown, get the tap. Tom DeBlass via Submission, Round 1.Patrick - DeBlass is a very, very good grappler. Diabate tends to get submitted by very good grapplers. DeBlass by submission, round two.Francis Carmont vs Magnus CedenbladLuke - Georges St. Pierre had high praise for Francis Carmont going into his first UFC fight, a decision win over Chris Camozzi. I didn’t get a chance to watch the fight, but I did watch Stephen Thompson destroy Dan Stittgen. Thompson is another fighter who St. Pierre touted as a dangerous entry to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, giving Georges a pretty good track record for this type of thing. I don’t know much about Cedenblad other than his record. 10-3, mostly local Swedish shows. Unless he’s a real diamond in the rough, I’ll go with Carmont to continue moving through the middleweight division with a solid decision victory. Carmont, Unanimous Decision.Cory - Yea I’m pretty much undecided on this, but I’ll tag along with the crowd on this one. Carmont - decisionEarl - Carmont has a ton of upside and after another strong performance here, he will earn himself a step up in competition. Francis Carmont via late TKO.Patrick - Interesting matchup of two huge, strong middleweights. Carmont is the favorite, but this seems like a pick ‘em to me: Carmont trains with a better team and has a UFC fight under his belt, so I’ll take Carmont by decision.Reza Madadi vs Yoislandy IzquierdoLuke - Madadi is coming off three solid victories over UFC cast-offs Rich Clementi, Carlo Prater and Junie Browning, while Izquierdo has put together a 6-0 record on the Florida regional circuit. Usually guys in Izquierdo’s position lose, as this will be his first fight under the bright lights and on top of that it’s his first fight outside of Florida. Madadi has been fighting in Sweden for a few years now, and he just won the Superior Challenge lightweight title from Clementi, so momentum is on his side. Madadi, Submission, Round 1Cory - Dear Mr. Madadi, please win tonight so that I don’t ever have to look up how to type Yoislandy Izquierdo again. Madadi - decisionEarl - Holy lord, that is a wild name! When in doubt, go with the wrestler, Reza Madadi via UD.Patrick - Pretty straightforward striker vs. grappler matchup. Madadi by decision.Simeon Thoresen vs Besam YousefLuke - I’d like to say that I have some insights on this fight, but I’ve just not had the chance to see either of these guys in action yet. So I’m going to simply pick Thoresen, who has been training with former Pride lightweight star Joachim “Hellboy” Hansen. That is some impressive lineage. Oh yeah, he’s 16-2-1 with 14 submissions as well. That doesn’t hurt. Thoresen, Submission, Round 2Cory - Comic book nerd that I am (well used to be), I am forced to root for anyone named Thor. Norse god - submissionEarl - “Stranglehold” should be an appropriate entrance tune for Thoresen here. It worked for Randy Couture against Mark Coleman and Simeon is a monster on the ground. Thoresen, RNC, Round 1.Patrick - Thoresen is a highly-touted submission grappler, and comes in as better than a 3:1 favorite. I’ll take Thoresen by decision.Jason Young vs Eric WiselyLuke - Eric Wisely got submitted by Charles Oliveira via calf slicer in his UFC debut. Jason Young has dropped two decisions in the promotion, one to Dustin Poirier and one to Michihiro Omigawa. Wisely is a veteran, already having 26 pro fights at the young age of 27 and I like his chances in this fight. He’s never been knocked out and only been submitted once, with that rarely seen slicer. It’ll be a good fight that I see going back and forth during the early parts of the rounds but I fully expect Wisely to live up to his surname, get a couple takedowns at the end of rounds and seal the deal. Wisely, Unanimous decision.Cory - Complete toss-up to me. I’ll go with Wisely - decision for no real reason.Earl - I really enjoy watching Jason Young fight and although Wisely got manhandled by C”DB”O in his last outing I think he will be much more competitive here. Not competitive enough, though. “Shotgun” via decision.Patrick - I like Young’s technical kickboxing and athleticism here. Young by decision. Updated Standings Name Correct Picks % Correct Picks Made # Events Picked Earl 53 64.6 (53/82) 8 Luke 47 65.3 (47/72) 7 Cory 37 47.4 (37/78) 8 Chris 17 60.7 (17/28) 3 Jack 16 53.3 (16/30) 4 Rainer 15 75 (15/20) 2 Chad 8 80 (8/10) 1

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Alexander Gustafsson vs. Thiago Silva Brent Brookhouse: Anton nails it in the pick below mine. Silva has monster power, but he's wild and that leaves openings for opponents. Gustafsson is patient, good at picking his spots and makes people pay for their mistakes. This is a legitimately tough fight for Alexander, but it's a test he should pass. The future champ gets a big win on Saturday. Alexander Gustafsson by TKO, round 2. Anton Tabuena: For some reason, people seem to overrate Thiago Silva's striking skills. He has power, but he is definitely not as technical as people think he is, and he tends to get hit a lot. Vera, Jardine, and even Houston and Drwal were all able to land several shots, before Silva managed to overwhelm them on the ground, or land that big power shot to pull off a victory. It's a different story on the ground, but if this stays standing, and I expect it to be, Gustafsson will take this fight easily. Alexander Gustafsson by TKO. T.P. Grant: Gustafsson is a great prospect in a division that needs young talent badly. Jon Jones has somewhat ruined fans expectations for development of a prospect, and Gustafsson still needs times to round out his skill set. While he is coming along, he is still a step behind Phil Davis, mostly in the grappling realm. That said, Gustafsson is on the level with most of the contenders at 205. Silva is also a prospect but back and drug problems have lowered his ceiling a bit. His striking, while powerful, is not on the level of Gustafsson's but Silva does have very strong grappling. That is Silva's path to victory, but I don't know if he will be able to close the distance. Silva's huge layoff for a urine test violation tips my scales in favor of the Mauler. Alexander Gustafsson by TKO, Round 2. Tim Burke: I've been trying to find a way that Silva can win this, and I'm coming up with very little. His grappling is very good, but Gustafsson has criminally underrated wrestling. Silva has power, but Mauler plays the outside game really well. The only issue I see is that Gustafsson lacks the power to put away Silva, and it will be pretty damn hard to submit him. So, despite all the finishes on Alex's record, I'm thinking this goes the distance. Alexander Gustafsson by decision. David Castillo: I have to admit to being moderately impressed by Silva's handling of Vera. Sure, Vera is a complete underachiever, and really just not a good fighter in general, but he rarely gets embarrassed, and watching Silva handle him in the clinch where Brandon is quite respectable was pretty impressive, to be honest. I think it's the perfect fight for Alexander in that if he wins, it means he's ready for an upper level fighter. If he loses, I think he'll learn from it. Alexander should get his shots in, but I don't know that he has the power to put Silva away, although he should be able to avoid being punished. I see this fight going the distance with a lot of clinchwork, but I believer Alexander is more durable, which will net him the win. Alexander Gustafsson by decision. Ben Thapa: Upset special! Forget the cage rust here. Thiago was never much for exquisite timing or great movement. Where Thiago excels is in the application of brute force from close range, either through strikes or in his grappling. That's not a skill that drops off too much during a long lay off. Add into that my belief that the rangy Gustafsson hasn't the strength and footwork to push him off or ward him off. Murderface, decision. Dallas Winston: I like Thiago because he's a grouchy Sith Lord. Let's not forget this is an ATT bruiser with a BJJ black belt who nearly finished Rashad and has only been stopped by a prime Machida -- I'd say he's definitely an A-level fighter. I don't put a lot of emphasis on ring-rust, especially if it's not due to injury, but 1.5 years is a steep layoff. Gustafsson is one of the rare few who comes close to simulating Jon Jones' cartoonish proportions in height and length, and he's learned to employ those traits well by sniping long, hard punches from way outside. I agree with Castillo that the way Silva handled Vera in the clinch was borderline amazing because Vera held his own in a 3-round clinch war with Couture. Gustafsson will own things on the fringe but the question is how long he can keep it there. I can see Silva leeching onto his back in a tie-up and getting the sub, but it's more likely that Gustafsson will pot-shot him on the way in. Alexander Gustafsson by TKO. Staff picking Gustafsson: Stephie, Anton, Grant, Tim, David, Fraser, Dallas, BrookhouseStaff picking Silva: Thapa Alessio Sakara vs. Brian Stann Brent Brookhouse: Sakara is tough, Stann's power is overrated (but much better at 185 than 205) so I don't think this is a walkover. The guys who have stopped Sakara in the UFC are Houston Alexander (who, for all his flaws has rare power), Chris Leben (similar to Houston) and Drew McFedries (same as the other two in the "hits REALLY hard" department). In his eight UFC fights Stann has only finished a Leben who looked miserable and the fragile chinned Jorge Santiago. That's not to say that Stann can't get the stoppage, as I said, he has better power at middleweight than he did at light heavyweight. But I think people still think too much of his power based on wrecking middling competition in the WEC. If Sakara weren't very rusty I'd actually like him for the upset. Actually...you know what? Alessio Sakara by decision. Anton Tabuena: Sakara hasn't fought for over a year now. He may have slightly more technical boxing, but Stann is faster, has more power, and dare I say, more well rounded? Brian Stann by TKO. T.P. Grant: This seems to be Stann's match to win. Sakara pretty much just boxes in his matches and against Stann that is a big mistake. Stann has big time power and I think he connects hard on Sakara's face at some point. Brian Stann by TKO, Round 1 Tim Burke: I'm not a big fan of Brian Stann and don't think he really hits all that hard, but Sakara is a sitting duck. Stann would have to try pretty hard NOT to knock him out, in my opinion. Brian Stann by TKO, round 2 David Castillo: Sakara has had an interesting career trajectory: first a "blue chip prospect" with a win over Ron Faircloth (I think), then considered a jobber following his loss to Houston Alexander, and now a somewhat respectable middle of the pack middleweight with what I thought was an impressive performance against one of MW's best prospects in Chris Weidman: so I'm tempted to pick Sakara, who showed real spirit and durability. But I won't. Brian Stann by TKO, round 3. Fraser Coffeen: I would pick Stann in the best of circumstances, but after Sakara has been on the sidelines for a year and is returning from a torn ACL? No brainer here. Brian Stann by TKO, round 2. Ben Thapa: Thales Leites beat Sakara and got jobbed out of the decision win. Given how cursed the Jorge Rivera fight was and the subsequent injuries, I would not be surprised to see a very rusty Sakara. Stann has to be ticked off after getting blown out of the water by Chael Sonnen and raring to prove that he really does belong in the upper ranks of middleweight. Stann, sub, Round 2. Dallas Winston: Sakara's had such a strange run. Faircloth assailed his manhood in his debut, he was submitted by Lister and everyone was complaining that the match ups didn't allow him to show off his boxing. So they matched him with McFedries and he lost by TKO, though Sakara was handily defeating him before the shadow punch. He also swept Weidman and had a decent showing against the wrestling phenom in retrospect. Oddly enough, I think he's too much of a pure boxer. His combinations are elite but he tends to hunch down in the pocket as a defensive measure and put his melon in the exact same spot. Sakara is a better boxer than Stann yet Stann's boxing is better tailored to MMA. Like Silva vs. Gustafsson, I wouldn't be surprised to see Sakara surprise with a takedown to impose his under-rated ATT black belt game. Sakara will have his moments but I see Stann prevailing. Brian Stann by TKO. Staff picking Sakara: BrookhouseStaff picking Stann: Stephie, Anton, Grant, Tim, David, Fraser, Thapa, Dallas Siyar Bahadurzada vs. Paulo Thiago Brent Brookhouse: Siyar is too wild on the feet. He's very aggressive and has power but he is so all over the place with his striking that I think it allows Thiago to get the fight to the ground and get the finish. Paulo Thiago by submission, round 2. Anton Tabuena: Very close fight. Thiago hasn't looked that impressive lately, but he still has faced and beat much stiffer competition than Siyar. Thiago is better on the ground, but if he strikes with Siyar for most of the fight, he will lose this one. Tough fight to call, but I'm picking the guy who has been more active against better competition. Paulo Thiago by Decision. T.P. Grant: Two very aggressive guys here, should be a great fight. Siyar has some fights against UFC caliber guys, but he has lost the majority of those fights. Siyar is constantly moving forward on the feet and throws heavy artillery from all angles. Thiago has a similar style on the feet, but should have a clear advantage on the ground. If this stays on the feet, I'd give Siyar the edge, but I feel like Thiago will be smart enough to take him down and lock on D'arce choke. Paulo Thiago by Submission, Round 3. Tim Burke: I don't see this as close at all. If Thiago chooses to stand with Siyar, he's going to get tagged. But he holds an overwhelming advantage in grappling, and he's going to use it. This fight will be going to the floor ASAP, and Siyar will be tapping at some point. I'll go with midway through the fight. War Sam The Eagle! Paulo Thiago by submission, round 2 David Castillo: Paulo Thiago looked terrible against David Mitchell; a fighter that looked like he wanted nothing to do with mixed martial arts in Brazil. Bahadurzada, meanwhile, will get in his face. Siyar's an interesting upset pick, but I'm using submission math on this one: Thiago's chokes > Kazuo Misaki's. Paul Thiago by submission, round 3. Fraser Coffeen: I've been excited for Siyar's debut for some time now, and while this is a very tough fight for him, I think he has the chops to take it. He has the advantage in the stand-up and I think has enough grappling skills to survive the ground and avoid the takedown. Thiago is super tough, but it's been quite some time since he looked really impressive. Siyar Bahadurzada by decision Ben Thapa: I very much like Sam the BOPEagle's willingness to take on the very best at welterweight. Thiago threw Mitchell all over the cage last time out, but couldn't quite get the submission in front of the wonderful Brazilian crowd. I think he gets it here, despite Siyar's artillery and lovable insanity. It would be wonderful to see Thiago back in the top echelons again with his hard-beaked intensity. Thiago, submission, Round 1.. Dallas Winston: The interesting aspect of this match up is that almost all of Thiago's key opponents were grapplers who wanted to avoid his stand up and take him down. The best striker he's faced is Martin Kampmann ... who won by avoiding his stand up and taking him down. Mitchell is a stellar sub-grappler with weak stand up, so I thought Thiago executed a smart strategy in that fight. Striking-wise, this should be a slobberknocker. Siyar hurls nonstop home-run shots while Thiago awaits an opening and slings 3-piece meathooks. Neither are known for takedowns but Thiago's Judo gives him a fortified clinch. The option of threatening with takedowns and attacking the neck with subs from the front headlock should be too many weapons in Thiago's arsenal. Paulo Thiago by D'arce choke. Staff picking Bahadurzada: Stephie, FraserStaff picking Thiago: Anton, Grant, Tim, David, Thapa, Thiago, Brookhouse Diego Nunes vs. Dennis Siver Brent Brookhouse: I thought Siver looked "off" on his way to the scales earlier today and then he was a little overweight. I don't like the aggressive Nunes as a fight for a guy who is testing out a new weight and missed on his first trip to the scales. Diego Nunes by decision. Anton Tabuena: Nunes will strike with Siver, and that will be his downfall. Dennis Siver by late TKO. T.P. Grant: I'm not a huge fan of Siver dropping to Featherweight. If he feels the weight cut won't affect him too negatively then I'll trust him this time around. Siver will clearly be the bigger and stronger fighter, Nunes won't be able to take Siver down and on the feet Siver should have an advantage. Nunes' path to victory would be dragging Siver into deep waters, but I think Siver will be too far ahead by then. Dennis Siver by Decision. Tim Burke: I think Nunes will be able to take Siver down, and he can hang on the feet too. He holds the cardio advantage as well. I initially thought Nunes would get the sub finish, but he hasn't shown a lot of desperation in the UFC/WEC. I'll stick to the safe side and pick him to go the distance. Diego Nunes by decision David Castillo: Siver had a nice run, but he's been embarrassed before, and I don't expect a seasoned striker like Nunes to fall for Siver's tricks. Diego has better fundamentals, is faster, and that will be the deciding factor over the course of three rounds. Diego Nunes by decision. Fraser Coffeen: I'm in the camp that sees this cut as being too much for Siver. I think he's going to be really tired and drawn out here, and while he may have some early success, Nunes will push the pace, stay more active, and simply outwork him over 15 minutes. Siver's run was fun, but it's over. Diego Nunes by decision Ben Thapa: Kick-fest! Nunes sets his kicks up slightly better and is more mobile than the larger Siver. I do not see either fighter going down here and thus pick the man who's fought three hard rounds at 145 several times before. Nunes, decision. Dallas Winston: As mentioned in the Dissection, I'm not into Siver's cut either. It seems more like the chance to get a fresh start than a calculated decision. He was already a goliath in the clinch and with takedown defense at lightweight and relied heavily on quickness to plug in counters. Actually, I see this playing out a lot like Nunes vs. Gamburyan where Siver will be trying to behead Nunes with sledgehammers while Nunes flits in and out with a smattering of kicks. Speed kills and Nunes is one of the fleetest featherweights. I like him taking a decision unless he's foolish enough to lock horns straight on. Diego Nunes by decision. Staff picking Nunes: Stephie, Tim, David, Fraser, Thapa, Dallas, BrookhouseStaff picking Siver: Anton, Grant DaMarques Johnson vs. John Maguire Brent Brookhouse: Johnson isn't good enough at any one thing and has too many flaws. John Maguire by decision. T.P. Grant: An interesting match up, Maguire is a domestic champion in England before coming the UFC and is a very strong submission grappler. While no formal BJJ training, Maguire knows what he is doing on the mats with size and strength to boot. Johnson on the other hand I feel is a little more technical on the mats and little better on the feet. I feel like Johnson will walk away a winner from this one, but it will likely be close unless Maguire makes a big mistake. DaMarques Johnson by Decision. Tim Burke: I liked what I saw from Maguire in the Edwards fight, he was quite a surprise. Johnson is a step up from Justin Edwards, but I think he can handle it. John Maguire by submission, round 2 David Castillo: Tough pick, but Johnson is still too reckless for my liking, and be it on the feet or on the ground, I suspect Maguire will remain composed, and will capitalize on the mistakes DaMarques is prone to. John Maguire by submission, round 1. Ben Thapa: I think DaMarques catches Maguire with something early on and then finishes the fight. This is otherwise a coin-flip fight. Dallas Winston: I guess I wasn't as impressed with Maguire's debut. He got floored by Edwards early and came back with crafty clinch-work and grappling transitions but couldn't get the finish. While his clinch durability isn't as good, Johnson is on another level with his speed and striking and is probably just as good of a scrambler as Edwards. DaMarques Johnson by TKO. Staff picking Johnson: Anton, Thapa, DallasStaff picking Maguire: Stephie, Tim, David, Fraser, Brookhouse Damacio Page vs. Brad Pickett Brent Brookhouse: Great, great, great fight. Page is a wrecking ball when he's on and Pickett has proven to be one of the better guys at the weight. I think Pickett is simply better and that makes him the pick. Brad Pickett by submission, round 2. Anton Tabuena: Pikey! Brad Pickett by TKO T.P. Grant: I'm a big fan of Pickett, both as a video game nerd, as Pickett is a big gamer, and as a fight fan. Page is no joke, but I think Pickett is a developmental step ahead of Page, who relies heavily on his striking. As long as Pickett avoids getting drawn into a brawl, I think he has a good chance of exploiting Page's less than stellar grappling. Brad Pickett by Submission, Round 2. Tim Burke: I'll never forget The Angel of Death nearly killing Marcos Galvao in the WEC. That was scary as hell. I actually think Page's grappling is a little underrated as well (he beat Scotty Jorgensen back in the day and mounted Demetrious Johnson in their bout), but Pickett is just a beast of a bantamweight. He can grapple, hits hard, and fights smart. This is closer than it appears to me, and could be fight of the night. Gotta lean Brit though. Brad Pickett by decision David Castillo: Awesome fight. Pickett is the more polished fighter, and can match Page's aggression, but he shouldn't do against Damacio what he did against Barao: which was swing for a fence in every direction. Brad is better when he's more composed, and I suspect he will after such a tough loss in front of his home crowd. Brad Pickett by submission, round 1. Fraser Coffeen: This should be fun, but Page is built to lose fights like this. He's a fun fighter, but just a step below Pickett in pretty much every area. My only question is how does Pickett finish him off? Brad Pickett by submission, round 1 Ben Thapa: Page is a class act and comes with righteous fury each time out. It's been quite a while since he had a true training camp without injury and I suspect that he will not gas out like he did against Demetrious Johnson. However, Pickett is terrific in firefights - his battle with Ivan Menjivar was one of the uncut gems of 2010. The Barao knockout was bad, but Renan is a special talent. I pick Pickett to get back on the horse in a big way in a Fight of the Night. Pickett, KO, Round 2. Dallas Winston: BE comment junkie "wonderfulspam" helped to elicit a pretty clear path to victory for Pickett. He excels with launching for well-timed takedowns after he's mesmerized his opponent into trading and Damacio has been quite prone to submissions, particularly guillotines. Brad Pickett by guillotine choke. Staff picking Page:Staff picking Pickett: Stephie, Anton, Grant, Tim, David, Fraser, Thapa, Dallas, Brookhouse Papy Abedi vs. James Head Brent Brookhouse: This card is built on really good fights that are going to test both men, and this is another one of those bouts. Abedi took an incredibly risky first UFC fight and handled himself well. Head is decent and may even be built to beat better fighters by way of takedown/control. I think Abedi is a bit too strong and he is built to keep fights like this on the feet and do damage. Papy Abedi by TKO, round 1. Fraser Coffeen: Abedi was super entertaining in his loss to Alves, while Head was massively forgettable against Nick Ring. Thus, I want Abedi to win and stick around. And if he makes this a striking battle, I suspect he will win. But I think this will go to the ground, where the stronger Head will be able to control things. Sorry Papy. James Head via decision. T.P. Grant: Abedi is a pretty legit prospect at welterweight and he took a huge risk in fighting Thiago Alves in his first UFC fight. That risk did not pay off, but he is still a blue chip prospect. He has very good striking and is insanely strong in the clinch by way of a Judo background. While not great from off his back, I don't think Head is the guy to out grapple Abedi. Papy Abedi by Decision. Tim Burke: James is in over his Head here. Papy Abedi by TKO, round 2. David Castillo: I'm not that high on Abedi as others. After all, Thiago Alves continues to underperform. But he did show me enough on that bout to think he's the better fighter than James Head. Papy Abedi by TKO, round 2. Ben Thapa: Close fight here. I pick Makambo for his takedown defense and offensive striking. Head is going to have to pick his spots carefully or overwhelm Abedi to get those defenses to fall. That's difficult for Head to do at this stage in his career, despite his obvious talents. Abedi, decision. Dallas Winston: "Aye" Papi was out-striking Alves, which is a rare honor. Head is a stellar new prospect with high-level boxing and a freakish gravitation to sub-grappling. His boxing is tighter and cleaner and he's the smoother submission fighter, but Abedi puts a little more mustard on his punches and he's an animal in the clinch. I think he's in trouble if Head can engage him on the mat, but is James really in over his head? Abedi on it. *canned laughter* (The reserve option was "Abedi believe it.") Papy Abedi by decision. Staff picking Abedi: Stephie, Anton, Grant, Tim, David, Thapa, Dallas, BrookhouseStaff picking Head: Fraser Tom DeBlass vs. Cyrille Diabate Brent Brookhouse: What a drag this fight will be. DeBlass is at an extreme height disadvantage, but I think he can still get in, get the takedown and submit Diabate with disappointingly little resistance. Tom DeBlass by submission, round 1. Fraser Coffeen: The striking fan in me demands that I like Diabate, and I do. But like many strikers, he has the fatal flaw of a really underdeveloped ground game. As for DeBlass? He's a Ricardo Almeida trainee, which tells you pretty much how this one is going to play out. Tom DeBlass by submission, round 1 T.P. Grant: The Snake is a dangerous striker no doubts, Diabate is very accomplished in Muay Thai. While DeBlass is coming in on short notice, he is a stylistic nightmare for Diabate. A very season grappler, DeBlass trains under Ricardo Alemida, and while DeBlass isn't a world beater, he has competed on the international stage of submission grappling. He has more than enough grappling skill to take Diabate down and control him. Tom DeBlass by Decision. Tim Burke: Grant nailed it - DeBlass is a terrible fight for Diabate. He can hang on the feet long enough to get the fight to the floor, and once it's there it's night night for the Frenchman. Tom DeBlass by submission, round 1 David Castillo: Even in his "heyday" (which consists of landing a good strike here and there against Shogun before getting destroyed), I was never impressed with Diabate. He's tentative, is prone to gassing, and his bout with Steve Cantwell was just a god awful fight. Gustafsson also lit him up on the feet like Alexander was the "K-1 level striker". In short, even on the feet Cyrille is not some sort of world beater. On the ground, he's subpar. DeBlass isn't. Tom DeBlass by submission, round 1. Ben Thapa: DeBlass likes those leglocks and must be grinning sporadically as he thinks of mangling Diabate's long, skinny stems. Despite the short notice, DeBlass has the strength, talent and skill to get that leglock early on Diabate. DeBlass, submission, Round 1. Dallas Winston: Oddly enough, I think the inexperienced submissionist taking the fight on short notice might be the safer pick against the ultra-experienced world class kickboxer. I was geeked about Diabate's UFC potential but the Perosh loss really stung. While I'm nervous DeBlass will initiate a clinch and then roll into a kneebar or fake a level drop and catch Diabate with his hands down (as they often are), I'm going to stick with my boy Cyrille to blast uppercuts and spear long knees from a neighboring state away. Cyrille Diabate by TKO. Staff picking DeBlass: Stephie, Fraser, Grant, Tim, David, BrookhouseStaff picking Diabate: Anton, Dallas Francis Carmont vs. Magnus Cedenblad Brent Brookhouse: Carmont has a ton of upside, I'm not sure how anyone could think he doesn't. He's 30, so he's not likely to suddenly develop into world champion material, but he's better than Cedenblad unless I'm missing something with Magnus. Francis Carmont by TKO, round 1. T.P. Grant: I have to go with Carmont here just because he is a more known commodity to me. He has beaten Chris Camozzi and Jason Day in his last two fights, giving him legit wins. Cedenblad has an impressive highlight reel, but I'm sure what will happen when he faces a higher level guy. Wouldn't be shocked if Cedenblad gets a win, but going with Carmont. Francis Carmont by Decision. Fraser Coffeen: I didn't expect much from Carmont in the UFC, but he looked sound against Camozzi. Cedenblad hasn't been tested against anyone of note, though he is more than capable of ending this fight. I think Carmont survives an early onslaught to take this one, but it's close. Francis Carmont via decision Tim Burke: I never thought much of Carmont and I still don't. I don't know a lot about Cedenblad to be honest, so Carmont's pedigree sounds like it will be enough to get through this. I'll be rooting for Cedenblad, but I've gotta go with the safe pick. Francis Carmont by decision Ben Thapa: Almost picked the upset here. Arguing from authority is generally a fallacy and Tri-Star hasn't really molded a home-grown star yet. Carmont is not one of their transplanted stars either. At the same time, Cedenblad hasn't shown the talent to fend Carmont's wrestling off and impose his own will for three rounds yet. Magnus is a capable fighter, but this is a tough debut for the big prospect with submission skills from the top. I think Carmont takes this by decision with a few close calls as Cedenblad grabs a kimura or two. Carmont, decision. Dallas Winston: I'm pretty much on board with Fraser here. Carmont is tougher after dropping a weight class and he should be too diverse and durable for Cedenblad, who does, however, have some serious punching power. Francis Carmont by decision. Staff picking Carmont: Stephie, Grant, Anton, Fraser, Tim, Thapa, Dallas, BrookhouseStaff picking Cedenblad: Yoislandy Izquierdo vs. Reza Madadi Brent Brookhouse: Madadi is built to win fights against guys like Izquierdo and Izquierdo is built to lose fights against guys like Madadi. Reza Madadi by decision. T.P. Grant: Going with the wrestler and BE prospect Madadi here. Izquierdo has had trouble stopping takedowns in the past, Madadi is going to be all over him on the mat. Reza Madadi by Decision. Fraser Coffeen: Experience isn't everything, but it's big, and Madadi wins the experience game by a mile here. Wins over Prater and Clementi (and, I guess, Junie Browning) are all solid, while Cuba has not ventured outside of local Florida talent. Madadi's just a higher step up in my eyes. Reza Madadi by decision. Tim Burke: Was he actually a part of the helicopter robbery? Unlikely, but he's going to rob Izquierdo of his undefeated record. Mad Dog's relentless wrestling will be way too much for Cuba to handle. Reza Madadi by decision Ben Thapa: Madadi will charge forwards, evade the knees and chopping elbows and wrestle Izquierdo into tears and exhaustion. Only question is how long Izquierdo avoids the submission. I say a round and a half. Madadi, submission, Round 2. Dallas Winston: Cuba vs. Iran! I'm excited to see Izquierdo. He's a karate-based fighter who's been transforming his foundation to MMA under the great Eric "El Tigre" Castano. This is just a match up and experience nightmare for him though -- Madadi will beat on his chest like an enraged gorilla and wrestle-grind Izquierdo, thwacking ground-and-pound until a gimme-sub opens up. Reza Madadi by submission. Staff picking Izquierdo: StephieStaff picking Madadi: Grant, Anton, Fraser, Tim, Thapa, Dallas, Brookhouse Simeon Thoresen vs. Besam Yousef Brent Brookhouse: I feel like I'm spending a lot of time picking against the striker, and since I like strikers more than grapplers, I'm going to pick the guy who I think will lose just so I send some good vibes to the punch and kick men. Besam Yousef by KO, round 1. T.P. Grant: Two young guys, Thoresen has a nasty ground game and Yousef strong stand up. It is very possible that Yousef beats up Thoresen on the feet, but I'm going with the experience of Thoresen on this one. Simeon Thoresen by Submission, Round 1. Fraser Coffeen: Joachim Hansen says Thoreson is the future, and who are you to doubt Hellboy? He's also worked the ground a lot with Jon Olav Einemo who, despite his UFC run, is really, really good. Simeon Thoreson by submission, round 2. Tim Burke: I'm a big fan of Thoresen, and I think he's going to tear right through Yousef here. He can hang on the feet and is a monster on the ground. This is my pick for sub of the night. Simeon Thoresen by submission, round 1 Ben Thapa: What Burke said. However, Einemo is not that terrific on the ground as an MMA fighter - his teaching is probably worlds better than he's shown in the UFC. Thoresen should benefit from that enough to get the takedown and the quick finish. Thoresen, submission, Round 1. Dallas Winston: Experience and diversity are strong advantages for Thoresen here and I agree with everyone else. Simeon Thoresen by submission. Staff picking Thoresen: Stephie, Grant, Anton, Fraser, Tim, Thapa, DallasStaff picking Yousef: Brookhouse Jason Young vs. Eric Wisely Brent Brookhouse: Young hits too hard and is pretty strong for the weight. Jason Young by TKO, round 2. T.P. Grant: Young is a pretty nasty striker, good hands and strong kicks. But his ground game is lacking and while Wisely got caught in a nasty calf slicer in his last fight, he has the ground chops to deal with Young. Eric Wisley by Submission, Round 2. Fraser Coffeen: Young is a fun striker, but it's not a style that tends to win fights. My one concern is that Wisely is a replacement, and this is only his second fight at Featherweight, so is he still working out the cut? I think Wisely may tire as it goes on, but takes the early rounds and has enough in the tank to survive. Tim Burke: I've gone back and forth on this one. Young's striking has looked solid so far, and Wisely looked totally overmatched against Oliveira, but I'll lean Wisely here via superior ground game. Eric Wisely by decision Ben Thapa: Young should be able to batter Wisely throughout the fight and avoid most moments of trouble on the ground. Young, decision. Dallas Winston: Wisely is indeed a crafty grappler and Oliveira's calf-crusher was the first time he's been stopped. Still, Young's blistering kickboxing and feisty takedown defense was enough to cause fits for reputable grapplers in Poirier and Omigawa and I don't think Wisely has anything they do not, except an unstoppable chin and bigger punching power. Wisely can take a punch so this clash should be a mutual massacre. Jason Young by decision. Staff picking Young: Thapa, Dallas, BrookhouseStaff picking Wisely: Stephie, Grant, Anton, Fraser, Tim

Posted in: fight, round, decision, he, thiago

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Bellator Fighting Championships returns TONIGHT (April 13, 2012) to the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with the continuation of two tournaments and a title fight. MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of Bellator 65 below, beginning with the MTV2 telecast at 8 p.m. ET. In addition, we'll deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the undercard action much earlier in the evening. Headlining Bellator 65 will be a bantamweight title fight between champion Zach Makovsky and challenger Eduardo Dantas. Makovsky has dominated two non-title "superfights" in the interim while waiting for Dantas to win the Bellator season five bantamweight tournament. This bout should produce some fireworks. Also on the card, the Bellator season six featherweight tournament continues with a pair of strong wrestlers as Ohio's Daniel Straus battles Mike Corey in a semifinal match-up. The main card will be opened with a pair of solid season six bantamweight quarterfinal fights featuring former tournament participants. Season five finalist Alexis Vila will take on tough Brazilian Luis Nogueira and former title challenger Ed West battles the always-unlucky Marcos Galvao. Complete Bellator 65 results and play-by-play are after the jump: Main Card 135 lb. title: Zach Makovsky vs. Eduardo Dantas 145 lbs.: Daniel Straus vs. Mike Corey 135 lbs.: Ed West vs. Marcos Galvao135 lbs.: Alexis Vila vs. Luis NogueiraPreliminary Card (Spike.com) 155 lbs.: Mikhail Malyutin vs. E.J. Brooks 170 lbs.: Lyman Good vs. LeVon Maynard 170 lbs.: Kris McCray vs. Ailton Barbosa 155 lbs.: Terrell Hobbs vs. Will Martinez 145 lbs.: Scott Heckman vs. Lester Caslow 185 lbs.: Plinio Cruz vs. Duane Bastress 145 lbs.: Kenny Foster vs. Jay Haas Hemmi here. I'll be recapping all the action on the main card tonight. 135 lb. title: Zach Makovsky vs. Eduardo Dantas Round one: Round two: Round three: Round four: Round five: Final Result: -end- 145 lbs.: Daniel Straus vs. Mike Corey Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 135 lbs.: Ed West vs. Marcos Galvao Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 135 lbs.: Alexis Vila vs. Luis Nogueira Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end-

Posted in: bellator, result, round, vs, lb

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STOCKHOLM - This is the UFC on FUEL TV 2 live blog for Alexander Gustafsson vs. Thiago Silva, a light heavyweight bout on tonight's UFC event from the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.Gustafsson, who has won four straight fights, will square off against Silva, who hasn't fought since UFC 125 because of a one-year suspension from the NSAC.Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC on FUEL TV 2 Results | UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

Posted in: ufc, round, silva, coverage ufc, stockholm swedengustafsson

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The third episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil is in the books and Team Vitor has built on its lead over Team Wanderlei. Coach Vitor Belfort has the momentum with a win at his back and he choose Daniel Sarafian to face Team Wanderlei's Renee Forte. That proved to be a fortuitous choice as Sarafian had little trouble handling Forte. Fight blog after the jump. UFC.com details the drama in the episode: In the house, Pé de Chumbo, one of the most experienced men in the competition, brings up the subject of being serious from now on. According to him, the ideal is to regulate the routine more and separate the teams in the rooms as well, since the teams are already defined. This decision divides opinions. Without letting him pass unnoticed, here comes Gasparzinho, "the most discreet athlete of the house," who is still doing pranks with both teams. Some of the jokes were not well accepted, and even teammate Rodrigo Damm told him about the thin line between pranks and lack of respect. The differences of the teams are not only in the color of their jerseys, but also in their pre-fight approach: Team Vítor relied on faith, while Team Wanderlei stepped on the gas when it came to fooling around. In addition, a special visit from the heavyweight champion, Junior "Cigano" dos Santos, gave a special excitement to both teams before the moment of truth. Blow-by-blow of Sarafian vs. Forte after the jump. Fight blog by Matt Erickson: Daniel Sarafian (7-2) vs. Renee Forte (7-1)Round 1: Brittney Palmer introduces the first round, and then referee Mario Yamasaki gets things going. We open with jabs and kicks. Forte pushes the fight to the fence, but Sarafian winds up on top after a scramble that sees both fighters hit the floor. He works out of half guard, looking to do some damage with ground-and-pound. Forte scrambles to his feet after a minute on the ground, and Sarafian nearly lands a nice knee. He keeps the clinch on for a moment, looking for Muay Thai knees. But eventually they break. Sarafian lands a nice jab that backs Forte up, then a nice kick and a knee. Forte again looks to take the fight to the cage. Sarafian looks for the Thai plum, but it's not there. But he lands a decent trip takedown that he can't do much with. Back on the feet, the two exchange jabs and kicks, with Sarafian getting the better of them. With 15 seconds left in the round, he lands another nice takedown and finishes the round on top. It's a pretty clear 10-9 round for Sarafian, at least on the HeavyMMA card. Round 2: Ahhh, more Brittney. Forte takes the center and fakes a kick. He jabs and backs Sarafian up. Good kick from Sarafian to the outside of Forte's lead leg, which he attacked in the first round, as well. Then a high kick to the ribs lands, and Sarafian takes Forte down and looks for a choke. Forte gets up, but Sarafian lands a nice knee, then puts Forte on his back yet again. He looks to pass from half guard, and then slickly takes Forte's back and sinks in a rear naked choke. It's tight, and Forte taps pretty quickly. Result: Daniel Sarafian def. Renee Forte, submission (rear naked choke), Round 2

Posted in: round, team, land, forte, sarafian

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Your Monday morning rundown of the weekend's MMA action: Perhaps it wasn't the most exciting championship defense in MMA history, but Ben Askren got the job done on Friday as he defended the Bellator welterweight belt against Douglas Lima with a decision. Askren's wrestling once again took center stage as he took down and controlled Lima in round after round. Though Lima tried to sweep Askren and use submissions to create offense, Askren had no problem fending off every sub attempt. After the fight, Askren had a message for the fans who booed his ground-heavy style. "I was told you Canadians like fighting," he said. "If you don't like the ground work, there's a sport they call boxing. It's not as fun, though. I suggest you keep coming here and watching my [expletive] whippings." In other Bellator action, Marlon Sandro moved to the final of the featherweight tournament with a close decision over Alexandre "Popo" Bezerra. Popo never found a rhythm as Sandro landed more punches when they did engage each other. In the opening round of the bantamweight tournament, Travis Marx moved on with an upset decision over Makatsu Ueda. Hiroshi Nakamura also moved on in a decision win, holding off Rodigo Lima's leglock attempts throughout the bout. Chiesa takes decision On "The Ultimate Fighter," Michael Chiesa moved to the next round with a two-round decision over Jeremy Larsen. Chiesa used his significant reach advantage to move inside and score takedowns. In the final minute of the second round, Chiesa came close to getting a choke. That submission attempt was likely enough to give Chiesa the win. Next week's bout will feature Joe Proctor from Team Faber against Team Cruz's Chris Tickle who battled health problems over the course of the week.

Posted in: round, decision, lima, askren, chiesa

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Fans haven’t seen much of Todd Duffee since the massive 26-year old made an immediate impression by knocking out Tim Hague at UFC 102 in seven seconds, giving him what is officially listed as the fastest knockout in the organization’s history. Unfortunately, Duffee came up short in his subsequent outing, losing his spot on the UFC roster after making some inflammatory remarks, and has only fought a single time since. Duffee came out of more than a yearlong seclusion this weekend to serve as one-half of the main event at Super Fight League 2. However, the public still didn’t get more than a glimpse of the brawling behemoth after Duffee laid opponent Neil Grove out 34 seconds into their scrap. The first frame knockout was the sixth of Duffee’s seven total wins and third in less than 45 seconds. It also snapped a two-fight losing streak including stumbles against Mike Russow and Alistair Overeem. Comparably, Grove has now fallen in three straight and may need to reevaluate his future in MMA at the age of 41. Grove Was Hoping to Make Fight with Duffee a Technical Affair Also victorious at the event, Bellator star Alexander Shlemenko picked up his eighth consecutive win by stopping Ikuhisa Minowa with strikes in the opening round of action. Shlemenko improved his overall record to 45-7 with the successful showing. Read below for a full list of SFL 2 results: Ryan Healy def. Paul Kelly via Unanimous Decision Pierre Daguzan def. Chaitanya Gavali via Unanimous Decision Bharat Khandare def. Soro Ismael via Submission Round 1 (Strikes) Alexander Shlemenko def. Ikuhisa Minowa via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Anup Kumar def. Dilanga Rathnaveera via Submission Round 2 (Rear-Naked Choke) Ricky Singh def. Salika Senanayake via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Colleen Schneider def. Cherie Buck via TKO Round 2 (Strikes) Todd Duffee def. Neil Grove via Knockout Round 1 (Strikes) Tweet

Posted in: round, strike, grove, ikuhisa minowa, duffee

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Indian organization Super Fight League held its second show last night (or this morning if you live in North America), delivering an event highlighted by a number of impressive finishes including those turned in by Alexander Shlemenko and Todd Duffee. Shlemenko was on loan from Bellator where he’s currently the top contender to middleweight champion Hector Lombard’s crown, while Duffee hadn’t fought in more than a year before taking to the cage in Chandigarh. Duffee’s victory came against Bellator veteran Neil Grove less than a minute into the opening round of their headlining tilt after the hulking 26-year old heavyweight landed a well-placed hook dropping “The Goliath”. A few follow-up strikes from above quickly sealed the deal, forcing referee Herb Dean to step in and call for the bell. Duffee is now 7-2 in his career with all of his wins involving a strike-based stoppage. Meanwhile, Shlemenko took on a familiar face to MMA fans in the form of Ikuhisa Minowa. “Minowaman” was no match for “The Mauler”, succumbing to the Russian’s stand-up halfway into the first frame of the match-up. The performance marked Shlemenko’s fourteenth instance of success in fifteen fights including eight straight. Also worth mentioning, Ryan Healy got back on the winning track by outpointing Paul Kelly in earlier action. The bout was Kelly’s first in-ring appearance since being cut by the UFC in 2011. A full list of SFL 2 results can be found below: Ryan Healy def. Paul Kelly via Unanimous Decision Pierre Daguzan def. Chaitanya Gavali via Unanimous Decision Bharat Khandare def. Soro Ismael via Submission Round 1 (Strikes) Alexander Shlemenko def. Ikuhisa Minowa via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Anup Kumar def. Dilanga Rathnaveera via Submission Round 2 (Rear-Naked Choke) Ricky Singh def. Salika Senanayake via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Colleen Schneider def. Cherie Buck via TKO Round 2 (Strikes) Todd Duffee def. Neil Grove via Knockout Round 1 (Strikes) PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/BELLATOR

Posted in: round, shlemenko, strike, opening round, duffee

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At Bellator 64 welterweight champion Ben Askren once again showed why he’s one of the most dangerous wrestlers in MMA at the moment with another dominant performance involving his adversary spending the bulk of the bout on his backside. Though not conducive to putting together aesthetically pleasing performances, Askren’s uncanny ability to take opponents down and control them from on top is highly effective as opponent Douglas Lima learned last night in their title-fight. Askren picked up a Unanimous Decision win after five-rounds of raining down shots from above and avoiding the occasional submission attempt. The victory ran Askren’s perfect record to 10-0 since transitioning from being an Olympic wrestler to Mixed Martial Artist. A Closer Look at Askren’s Toughest Fight to Date Also worth noting, Marlon Sandro advanced to the Season 6 featherweight final by narrowly outpointing Brazilian countryman Alexandre Bezerra, while bantamweights Hiroshi Nakamura and Travis Marx moved on to their respective tournament’s semifinal round with decision wins. Read below for a full list of Bellator 64 results: Jason Fischer def. Taylor Solomon via Technical Submission Round 3 (Rear-Naked Choke) Kyle Prepolec def. Lance Snow via Submission Round 1 (Armbar) Elias Theodorou def. Rich Lictawa via Verbal Submission Round 1 (Eye Injury) Nordine Taleb def. Matt Secor via Unanimous Decision Mike Richman def. Chris Horodecki via Knockout Round 1 (Strikes) Chad Laprise def. Josh Taveirne via Submission Round 1 (Triangle Choke) Hiroshi Nakamura def. Rodrigo Lima via Unanimous Decision Travis Marx def. Masakatsu Ueda via Unanimous Decision Marlon Sandro def. Alexandre Bezerra via Split Decision Ben Asken def. Douglas Lima via Unanimous Decision Tweet

Posted in: round, decision, submission, lima, askren

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This week's episode of UFC's The Ultimate Fighter Live featured the fourth tournament fight as Michael Chiesa from Team Faber took on Jeremy Larsen from Team Cruz. In the end, Chiesa survived a 1 point deduction due to an illegal knee to take home the unanimous decision victory after 2 rounds. With that win, Team Faber ties up the competition at 2-2. Heading into the fight the battle plans were clear - Larsen wanted to keep the fight standing and make it a slugfest, while Chiesa wanted to use his wrestling to take it to the mat. At first, Larsen did good work defending the takedown, but Chiesa was relentless, switching between different takedown approaches to get the fight to the ground repeatedly. There, he had a distinct advantage. Near the end of round 1, Chiesa was looking to land a knee to Larsen from the clinch. Larsen dropped to one knee, Chiesa did not recognize it, and threw an illegal knee to the head. Referee Steve Mazzagatti took away a point for the illegal strike. Combined with Chiesa's control in that round, that made it a pretty clear 9-9 with the winner of round 2 poised to take the fight. Ultimate Fighter Live Cruz Vs. Faber Episode 4 Live Discussion & Results In the second round, Larsen had more success keeping it standing, but ended the fight with Chiesa on his back defending against the rear naked choke. That dominant position, and his general control of the ground game throughout the round, was enough to give Chiesa the round 10-9 and the unanimous decision win. Back in control, Urijah Faber set up next week's fight: Joe Proctor vs. Chris Tickle. Come back next week for an in-depth preview.

Posted in: fight, round, faber, larsen, chiesa

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Bellator 64 continued the Bellator Fighting Championship's sixth season last night (April 6, 2012) from the Caesar's Windsor in Windsor, Ontario. After such a strong start to the season, the upstart promotion was due for a dud. That just so happened to be last night's event. On a night filled with razor close decisions on the main card, none were more dominant than the headlining bout, a welterweight title fight between champion Ben Askren and season five tournament winner Douglas Lima. Lima had advanced through last year's tournament on the strength of his striking and jiu-jitsu, but Askren never gave him an opening to unload his power, quickly closing the distance in each round and dumping the young Brazilian on his back. It was a clinic on how to neutralize someone's powerful striking. For five straight rounds, Askren dominated from top control, occasionally fending off sweep and submission attempts from an increasingly exhausted Lima. He was clearly getting into Lima's head because by the third round, Lima wasn't even circling in the stand-up, just moving straight backwards until he was pinned against the fence and dumped onto the canvas. In the end, the judges scored unanimously with a 50-45 sweep across the boards in favor of the "Funky" champion Askren, which allowed him to retain his title for the second time. The rest of the main card featured some of the closest decisions in Bellator history. In featherweight semifinal action, a pair of talented Brazilians squared off as 35 year old Marlon Sandro battled the 24 year old Alexandre Bezerra. Both man had a considerable amount of respect for each other, perhaps too much as neither was able to put forth a consistent amount of offense over the course of the three round fight. Bezerra was looking to counter in the first round and gave way to Sandro's aggression. The second round was much closer as both men battered each other with leg kicks and neither really took the initiative. In the third round, Bezerra finally turned it on, pushing for takedowns and landing his best strike of the fight, a powerful right hand which briefly dropped Sandro although the Nova Uniao fighter was able to quickly recover. The bout was up in the air and hinged on the extremely close second round, but in the end the judges sided with Sandro, awarding him a split decision victory, much to the dismay of the clearly dejected and emotional Bezerra. Sandro will now await the winner of the Daniel Straus vs Mike Corey fight next week at Bellator 65. The Bellator bantamweight tournament also kicked off on this card, with two quarterfinal bouts. The most surprising of the evening was a match between current top 10 ranked 135-er Masakatsu Ueda and regional superstar Travis Marx. Marx was the prohibitive underdog in this fight, but he didn't act like it one bit, lifting Ueda up over his hand and slamming him to the canvas in the first round and attacking the Japanese veteran with his wrestling and grappling skills. Neither fighter was exceptionally gifted in the striking department and the closest either man ever was to landing any real damage were some occasional body kicks from Ueda. Almost all of the interesting action took place on the ground as both fighter worked for sweeps, submissions and occasional strikes on the canvas. Ueda came out with more of a sense of urgency in the third round, but it was not enough to offset Marx's strong start to the fight as Marx came away with the decision. Lastly, opening up the night was another bantamweight quarterfinal between Japanese veteran Hiroshi Nakamura and 20 year old undefeated Brazilian Rodrigo Lima. Lima held a striking edge, but his constant forward aggression created openings for easy takedowns from the Japanese judoka in the clinch. Lima was put on his back repeatedly, and was extremely active on the ground, constantly throwing up chain submissions attempt after submission attempt. It was a whirling tornado of armbars, Kimuras, omaplatas, triangles and leg locks from the Brazilian, but he was never able to actually threaten the finish as Nakamura remained very composed from above, working his way out of danger and then dropping occasional punches. Another factor in the bout was the fact that Lima had a point deducted in the second round after landing his second low blow of the fight. When his pace slowed down in the third and Nakamura was finally able to put forth some decent offense from top position. The fight could have been scored anywhere from 29-27 Lima to 30-26 Nakamura, but the judges unanimously decided 29-27 in Nakamura's favor as the Japanese veteran judoka advanced to the semifinals. The biggest highlight of the night actually took place on the undercard as hotshot prospect Mike Richman absolutely starched IFL veteran and Team Tompkins product Chris Horodecki with a brutal first round knockout after a nearly perfect combination of strikes. For complete Bellator 64 results and detailed round-by-round commentary of all the televised fights click here. So what do you think, Maniacs? With all the decisions on the card, was this event a major letdown for you? Did you find a diamond in the rough during the evening? Sound off!

Posted in: fight, night, bellator, round, lima

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Boom, pow. Punch kick, wow. This morning (April 7, 2012), starting at around 9:15 a.m. ET, the industry's newest addition, Super Fight League (SFL), will broadcast its second event LIVE and FREE on YouTube from the T-Box Mobile Arena in Chandigarh, India. To watch SFL 2: "Duffee vs. Grove" live online today for free click here. Headlining the international fight card are pair of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veterans, Todd Duffee and Neil Grove, two of the beefiest bruisers out there. In addition, a slew of local talent will be on display, as well as well-traveled veterans like Alexander Shlemenko, who will take on the one and only Ikuhisa Minowa. MMAmania will have LIVE coverage of SFL 2 below, starting with the YouTube broadcast at around 9:15 a.m. ET below. Be sure to check out our quick results and live play-by-play of all the action after the jump: SUPER FIGHT LEAGUE 2 QUICK RESULTS: Paul Kelly vs. Ryan HealyChaitanya Gavali vs. Pierre DaguzanBharat Khandare vs. Soro IsmaelAlexander Shlemenko s. Ikuhisa MinowaAnup Kumar vs. Dilanga RathnaveeraRicky Ranjeet Singh vs. Salika SenanayakeColleen Schneider vs. Cherie BuckTodd Duffee vs. Neil Grove Luke here! Todd Duffee vs. Neil Grove Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: -end- Colleen Schneider vs. Cherie Buck Round one:Round two:Round three: Final result: -end- Ricky Ranjeet Singh vs. Salika Senanayake Round one:Round two:Round three: Final result: -end- Anup Kumar vs. Dilanga Rathnaveera Round one:Round two:Round three: Final result: -end- Alexander Shlemenko vs. Ikuhisa Minowa Round one:Round two:Round three Final result: -end- Bharat Khandare vs. Soro Ismael Round one:Round two:Round three: Final result: -end- Chaitanya Gavali vs. Pierre Daguzan Round one:Round two:Round three: Final result: -end- Paul Kelly vs. Ryan Healy Round one:Round two:Round three: Final result: -end-

Posted in: result, round, vs, end, oneround

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Here's few of the big news coming out of the Asian MMA scene: Legend FC 8, which happened in Hong Kong last weekend, was originally supposed to be in Jakarta, headlined by Indonesia's home town hero, Fransino Tirta. Unfortunately, he ruptured his appendix before the fight, and had to be scrapped from the card. After several more injuries and a whirlwind of events, the promotion decided to move the show to their home-base of Hong Kong, just two weeks before the event.It was a tough task, but their co-founder Chris Pollack claims that they still broke attendance records in the country. "We had to uproot our show, change countries and come to Hong Kong and put on a fight with only two weeks notice," he said, "But despite all the challenges we faced, we still saw our strongest ever ticket sales in Hong Kong." Headlining the event was Jadamba Narantungalag taking on Nam Yui Chul for the Legend FC lightweight title. After winning the first round where Jadamba had dropped his Korean opponent, the Mongolian fighter locked in a guillotine on the second round to successfully defend his lightweight belt for the first time. For the co-headliner of the night, Yusuke Kawanago took home the vacant Legend FC featherweight title by submitting Chinese fighter, Ji Xian, who was stepping in on short notice. With the victory, Kawanago is expected to make his first title defense against Fransino Tita when the fight gets re-booked for that planned Indonesian card in July. Those title fights will obviously get the most attention, but the two bouts that stole the show were on the prelims. (You can watch them here). Filipino fighter Augustin Delarmino was losing all three rounds on his fight, showing lack of takedown defense and jiujitsu skills. He was able to survive though, and with just 29 seconds left he displayed his excellent Muay Thai, and KO'd Kai Kara-France to win his second straight Knockout of the Night bonus in as much fights. Rob Hill also made a splash as he made the most of his opportunity when he stepped in on short notice against a then undefeated Japanese fighter in Yusuke Kasuya. Interestingly enough, Hill, who is known for brawling, choked out Kasuya with a move which the Japanese submission fighter is well known for. He got Submission on the Night honors as a late replacement, on his birthday weekend. Quite an interesting night for the Australian. More Asian MMA news after the jump, focusing on the UFC TV deal in India. -- Follow me on twitter. Full Results for Legend FC 8:Jadamba Narantungalag (Mongolia) def. Nam Yui Chul (Korea) by submission 0:58 Round 2Yusuke Kawanago (Japan) def. Ji Xian (China) by submission 4:18 Round 2Sam Brown (New Zealand) def. Yuki Niimura (Japan) by unanimous decisionKeita Nakamura (Japan) def. Kim Hoon (Korea) by technical knockout (injury) Round 1Wu Haotian (China) def. Daniel Hooker (New Zealand) by submission 4:52 Round 2Rob Hill (Australia) def. Yusuke Kasuya (Japan) by submission 4:55 Round 1Wu Chengjie (China) def. Leonard Delarmino (Philippines) by unanimous decisionDanaa Batgerel (Mongolia) def. Jazor Ablasi (Philippines) by unanimous decisionAgustin Delarmino, Jr. (Philippines) def. Kai Kara-France (New Zealand) by knockout 0:29 Round 3Terrance Chan (Hong Kong) def. Alex Lee (Hong Kong) by submission 1:55 in Round 2 There are more than a billion residents in India, and the UFC has been hoping to tap into that market for quite some time now. They took the first step to that recently after signing a 4-year deal with Multi Screen Media, or MSM, to broadcast events in India. UFC programming will now be shown on a new channel called Sony SIX. This can be very instrumental in helping the sport grow in a country where MMA is still in it's infancy. There are currently 2 promotions running in India with 2 very different business models. There's Full Contact Championship (FCC), which has been quietly running shows since 2009, and has a model that believes in developing a true grassroots program that pits their local guys against each other to further develop talent. On the other hand, there's the more popular SFL, or Super Fight League who are grooming their Indian fighters by having them compete against foreign fighters from countries such as Sri Lanka, the Ivory Coast, and others. SFL spends more and gets more attention by bringing in familiar names from the US, along with several concerts, musical acts and Bollywood dances, while FCC takes the more typical and conservative approach by slowly building up a grassroots movement. Time will tell on which business model will succeed in the long run, but it's guaranteed that the UFC TV will do wonders for both promotions.

Posted in: fight, fighter, round, submission, hong

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Just weeks after the death of his father, Michael Chiesa won an emotional fight on TUF Live, defeating Jeremy Larsen by unanimous decision to advance into the tournament's next round. The fight ended up being closer than it otherwise would have been due to an illegal strike that cost Chiesa one point. He controlled nearly the entire first round with a pair of takedowns and his groundwork, but all that work was canceled out when he kneed Larsen against the fence while Larsen's knees were both grounded. Chiesa stayed composed though, and won the second round with his wrestling and elbows from the top. "This is strictly dedicated to my mom back home," Chiesa said after the win. "She had a rough year losing my dad. It was tough to get in here, but at least I got the win." Larsen questioned the decision, saying he thought it should have at least gone to an overtime round. He also admitted that the illegal knee affected him. "It was rattling, but rather than just sit there and pretend I couldn't continue, I was dazed but I'm a warrior and tried to continue," he said. Chiesa's win evened the TUF standings at two wins apiece for Team Faber and Team Cruz. It gave Team Faber control, and the team picked Joe Proctor to face Chris Tickle in next week's match.

Posted in: round, team, tuf, larsen, chiesa

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Bellator 64 took place tonight live from Windsor, Ontario. In the card’s main event, Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren dominated Douglas Lima for five rounds to retain the belt. The card’s co-main event was the first featherweight semifinal with Marlon Sandro edging Alexandre Bezerra by split decision. In the first two bantamweight quarterfinals, Travis Marx and Hiroshi Nakamura secured their spots in the semifinals with victories. Main Card Welterweight Championship: Ben Askren (c) def. Douglas Lima via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) Featherweight Semifinal: Marlon Sandro def. Alexandre Bezerra via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) Bantamweight Quarterfinal: Travis Marx def. Masakatsu Ueda via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Bantamweight Quarterfinal: Hiroshi Nakamura def. Rodigo Lima via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27) Preliminary Card Mike Richman def. Chris Horodecki via knockout (punches) at 1:23 of Round 1 Chad Laprise def. Josh Taveirne via submission (triangle choke) at 2:48 of Round 1 Kyle Prepolec def. Lance Snow via submission (arm-bar) at 2:54 of Round 1* Elias Theodorou def. Rich Lictawa via verbal submission (blindness) at 0:33 of Round 3* Nordine Taleb def. Matt Secor via unanimous decision(30-27, 30-27, 30-24) Taylor Solomon def. Jason Fischer via via technical submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:59 of Round 3 *- took place after the televised card

Posted in: round, decision, submission, card, alexandre bezerra

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Bellator Fighting Championships returns TONIGHT (April 6, 2012) to Caesar's Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, with a new tournament and a title fight. MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of Bellator 64 below, beginning with the MTV2 telecast at 8 p.m. ET. In addition, we'll deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the undercard action much earlier in the evening. Bellator 64 will be headlined by a welterweight title fight as champion Ben Askren looks to defend his title against season five welterweight tournament winner Douglas Lima. Askren is coming off a close title defense against Jay Hieron and he's hoping to continue his undefeated streak against the top prospect Lima. Also on the card will be the first Bellator season six semifinal tournament fight as top Brazilian featherweights Marlon Sandro and Alexandre Bezerra square off. Lastly, a pair of Bellator season six bantamweight tournament quarterfinals will take place as American Travis Marx battles top Japanese grappler Masakatsu Ueda and undefeated Brazilian prospect Rodrigo Lima takes on veteran Japanese scrapper Hiroshi Nakamura. Complete Bellator 64 results and play-by-play are after the jump: Main Card 170 lb. title: Ben Askren vs. Douglas Lima145 lbs.: Marlon Sandro vs. Alexandre Bezerra 135 lbs.: Travis Marx vs. Masakatsu Ueda 135 lbs.: Rodrigo Lima vs. Hiroshi Nakamura Local Feature Fights (Spike.com) 192 lbs.: Elias Theodorou vs. Rich Lictawa160 lbs.: Kyle Prepolec vs. Lance Snow 170 lbs.: Chad Laprise vs. Josh Taveirne 145 lbs.: Chris Horodecki vs. Mike Richman170 lbs.: Nordine Taleb vs. Matt Secor155 lbs.: Taylor Solomon vs. Jason Fischer Hemmi here. I'll be calling the action throughout the main card tonight. 170 lb. title: Ben Askren vs. Douglas Lima Round one: Round two: Round three: Round four: Round five: Final Result: -end- 145 lbs.: Marlon Sandro vs. Alexandre Bezerra Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 135 lbs.: Travis Marx vs. Masakatsu Ueda Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 135 lbs.: Rodrigo Lima vs. Hiroshi Nakamura Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end-

Posted in: result, round, vs, lb, lima

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It was about one month ago when Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall fought a match that was supposed to send the winner to a championship bout. Because the match was contested under a tournament format, the UFC had thought to add an unprecedented clause providing for an overtime-style fourth round in case of a draw. Despite seemingly having all their bases covered, the UFC was robbed of a victor that night due to simple math error that led to an incorrect decision. By the time the mistake was discovered, it was too late to correct. Instead of fighting an overtime round, Johnson and McCall will have to rematch. The mistake angered many, with UFC president Dana White memorably asking commissions to "get a f---ing calculator." According to one athletic commission, that blunder would have never happened on their watch. Why? Because they are already utilizing a new scoring application that takes human error out of the equation wherever possible, and they are hoping to spread the technology throughout both MMA and boxing. The new system, tentatively named "Ringside Scoring," was created by the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation in Connecticut. It is essentially an electronic application that replaces the longtime standard paper and pencil.Each judge is given a wireless, touch-screen pad that can only be unlocked by a personal code. During an event, a commission rep will have control of the mainframe, which will display the current bout on each pad. Readouts will include photos of the respective fighters in the blue and red corners, while extra identifying information including shorts colors can be added as well. At the conclusion of a round, judges will be prompted to enter their score, and asked to verify it a second time before transmitting. The mainframe computer then tabulates scores round by round.According to the department's director Michael Mazzulli, the Mohegan tribe, which has patented and copyrighted the system, originally conceived the design about four years ago with the goal of "moving boxing and MMA into the 21st century."The program was written by information technology specialist Michael Spellman in 6-8 months, and the tribe has quietly used for events ever since, making changes and addressing issues along the way. But after tinkering with it for three years, it's reached maturity, according to Mazzulli."I'm 99.9 percent confident that this is going to always work," he said. "We've always had paper backup, but I'm at the point today where I don't think we need paper backup. We'll always have it because it's easy, but this is a great system." During last year's Association of Boxing Commissions meeting, Mazzulli demonstrated it for several in attendance. At that time, even though reception was strong, the system was not quite ready to be spread around. Now it is. They'll soon demonstrate it to other Native American athletic commissions.One prospective issue in spreading the technology is cost. According to Mazzulli, the hardware and computer costs between $3,800-$4,000, but the tribe is discussing ways to make it more affordable or to lease it."We’re not looking to make money," said Mohegan Tribe information systems chief information officer Chuck Scharnagle. "There aren’t thousands of commissions to sell it to. This is just an opportunity for Mohegan to help spread its brand and help boxing and MMA."Because of the time they've spent developing the system, it has safeguards in place for security and has been designed for ease of use in scoring. When it comes to the latter, things like point deductions have been integrated, while the administrator in charge of the main computer can view scoring in real time for any inconsistencies. [Safeguards in place ensure accuracy with the Mohegan Tribe's "Ringside Scoring" system. Photo by Michael Spellman]"There’s no real way to interfere with the judges’ cards, but we can watch for impropriety," Spellman said. "If we have two judges scoring the bout 10-9, 10-9, 10-9, and one judge is scoring it 9-10, 9-10, 9-10, we have the opportunity to walk up to him between rounds and say, ‘Is everything going OK?’ just to make sure everything is on the up and up." When a fight concludes, the scores are automatically tabulated, or in the instance of a finish, the mainframe administrator can choose from a list of stoppage methods, including KO, TKO and over 45 submission varieties including little-seen ones like the Twister, Peruvian necktie and Electric Chair.The computerized aspect would allow for accurate results far faster than the current system, and because it was designed to be intuitive, a tutorial for new users would likely only take minutes. Given the sports' young demographic, a future version may include some type of interactive element, as well, according to the creators.The one downside? It's still up to the judges to interpret what they see and then key in a score. But at least we wouldn't have to worry about them being tabulated incorrectly. It's only happened a few times in MMA history, but given the rising stakes of high-level MMA, it shouldn't happen at all."The bottom line is, paper and pencil are cheaper and easier in some respects, but at the end of the day, these things are getting to be bigger and bigger events," Scharnagle said. "You don’t want a mistake over one point. Something like this prevents that from happening. The scores are in right away. There's no handwriting to figure out. Everything flows faster than it normally would."

Posted in: time, round, score, system, tribe

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Please excuse Brian Green if he's not acting like himself lately. That kind of thing tends to happen when the whole internet turns on you in a split-second that you can't quite remember happening. As most fight fans know by now, Green became the latest casualty of the Kimbo Slice traveling circus last weekend, when the 26-year-old suffered a stunning knockout loss to Slice with three seconds left in the final round of the pair's boxing match. Never mind that Green, a 185-pound submission ace with a non-existent boxing background, accepted the fight on late notice as a favor when Slice's camp became overzealous in their demands, and then proceeded to dominate Slice over the ensuing 12 minutes. But those kind of details offer the context that is impossible to garner from a grainy YouTube video shot at an unforgiving crowd angle, and unfortunately for Green, that video was all we got. The clip, which has already made the internet rounds to the tune of over 1.3 million views, quickly incited furor from an MMA community already reveling in a deep-seeded grudge against Slice, leading Green to become a pariah in his own world. "I can't even put into words how bad this sucks," Green regretfully admitted on The MMA Hour. "Hindsight being 20/20, I wish I would have gone out and ran from him for the entire fourth round or clinched him the entire fourth round. Anything to just last, because I was up on the official scorecards, three rounds to one. 11 minutes and 57 seconds of a boxing match with Kimbo Slice, what Kimbo Slice is good at, and I was winning." Green can accept the loss. After all, what's one more setback in a sea of thousands? No, it's the criticisms of his heart and accusations of throwing the fight that eat away at him. The idea that he would suffer four rounds of damage from an immensely larger foe, just to give up at the last moment. "He hit me with a left uppercut, a straight right, and a left hook, and those three all landed," Green thickly explained. "Three consecutive punches from a 250-pound man is enough to knock people out. I don't understand." As for the post-fight interviews fans are pointing to as proof of a fix, Green says he was so concussed he can't even remember any them taking place. The ultimate kicker is that there was more at stake than pride here. Before Kimbo ever entered the picture, Green was just another up-and-coming middleweight, cruising after finally landing decent management and finishing seven straight opponents. Everything was coming together, and Green's biggest payday was right around the corner -- a chance to avenge his last loss inside his home state of Iowa. But when an opportunity to fight a massive name like Kimbo Slice unexpectedly walks right through the front door, how do you say no? "For anybody that thinks I got paid to do it, why would they even feel the need to pay a guy that fights at 185 (pounds) who has an 80-percent win ratio by submission?" Green vehemently asked. "They though they were going to run right through me. "What do you think this would do for my career? If I'm an MMA fighter with an 80-percent win ratio by submission, and I go out there and I last to a decision with Kimbo Slice, or had I not got freaking caught in the last three seconds, doggone it, what would that have done for my MMA career?" "After everything that's happened, I almost wish I didn't even take the fight," Green sadly concluded. Believe Green when he says that. Between tearing his left ankle, right knee, and the right side of his groin in the fall, plus some potential orbital bone damage and the automatic medical suspension that comes with a knockout, Green's big MMA payday is now out of the question. But even after the most dramatic week of his life, Green can't help but be bluntly honest when asked about his opinion of Kimbo Slice as a fighter. "He's really overrated."

Posted in: right, round, kimbo slice, slice, kimbo

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Anyone in the mood for a good freak show fight? Good news. Mariusz Pudzianowski has agreed to fight Bob Sapp for KSW on May 12. Their super-heavyweight bout will take place in Lodz, Poland. Sapp, who has fought, starred in movies and played pro football, lost his last five fight. All five losses were in the first round. In fact, the last time he got to the second round was when he lost to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the second round in 2002. Sapp's last fight ended after he sustained a leg injury less than two minutes in. Pudzianowski, who won multiple World's Strongest Man competitions, is 3-2. His last fight ended as a no contest because of a judging error. Who will win this bout, besides the fans, of course? Tell us in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter .

Posted in: fight, round, sapp, pudzianowski, man competitions

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The Strikeforce heavyweight GP comes to an end on May 19, and with it, the end of the division. Daniel Cormier has a relatively young career, and in just two and a half years of professional competition, he's managed to not only remain undefeated, but has secured a spot in the finals against former UFC champ, Josh Barnett. I recently caught up with Daniel, and covered a variety of topics including training camp, thoughts on Barnett, and where his future lies. Stephie Daniels: When did you start your training camp for the Barnett fight? Daniel Cormier: I've been training, but I started actual training camp a little over two weeks ago. Somewhere around the 11th or 12th (of March). That puts me at 10 weeks out from the fight, which is ideal timing. I had been training pretty hard, I'd been doing my rounds in the cage before. I was trying to get used to doing five rounds, which is something I've never experienced before, but I wasn't in the shape to do five productive rounds. I was doing shorter times with the rounds. I'm used to doing five (minutes) every round, but not for five straight rounds, so sometimes I was doing 3 minute rounds. Then I worked my way up to four minutes, and now I'm up to five full minutes at five rounds. Fitch told me that when he was training for GSP, he started doing three rounds, when he went up to four, then went up to five. Well, I was doing 15 minutes, but I started with 3 minute increments across five rounds. Then I went up to 20, and then 25. I initially shortened the rounds, to make sure I was getting up every time, and going out to do all the rounds. That's psychologically big for me, because I've never fought or trained for a five round fight. Now I'm feeling much more comfortable with it, so that's a good thing. I feel confident, because I go with Cain, heavy in the gym. He got a new nickname recently. We call him "Hurricane Cain" because no matter what he's doing, he's going unbelievably hard. He always gets you in shape. You could be wrestling, and he's going 110%. Sparring, 110%. Jiu jitsu, 110%. Playing video games, 110%. Eating, he's trying to eat faster than you. It doesn't matter what it is, he's the most competitive guy on earth. He pushes you and helps you get better and gets you in shape. A lot of the reason I don't get too exhausted or winded is because I'm so relaxed. Javier really worked with me on relaxation and relaxing when I'm competing, and it's enabled me to fight these fights better. I've had two decisions, and I didn't feel too bad. When I fought Jeff Monson, I could have kept going after those 15 minutes. Against Bigfoot (Silva), I wasn't winded at all, and that was a pretty high pace for a first round. Stephie Daniels: How is your hand, and would you say it's fully healed? Daniel Cormier: It's finally good. I've gotten the green light from my doctor. I've been punching hard, and found some comfort in that, because when I punched Luke (Rockhold) in December, and re-broke my hand, I had barely touched him. As hard as I've been hitting guys in the gym now, and for my hand to not move, and to stay together, and be strong, I'm very confident going in to this fight. I was concerned a little bit. I was like, 'Man, I don't want my hand to break. I hope this doesn't become something that's recurrent.' Floyd Mayweather used to break his hand all the time, and there was concern that he wouldn't be able to fight very long, but he got it figured out, and did something with his wraps, and now he's protected. I just don't want to have to deal with anything that would put my career in jeopardy. Fortunately, it's healed, and now I'm really cracking with it. It feels good to be throwing it, I'll tell ya that. I've got some work to do, though. Seven months of sparring with a left hand, and not really using it, actually builds some pretty bad habits. I've got time though. I'll be ready. Stephie Daniels: Talk about the hype, going into this fight. Daniel Cormier: Oh yeah. We're competing at everything. Just because we're not sh*t talking each other doesn't mean we aren't competing. We've already competed twice. You guys just aren't aware of it, and on May 19, we're having a tie breaker. Josh and I were at a FIGHT! Magazine party, and Luke Rockhold made me aware that Josh was in the corner, dancing and having a great time. So, I walked over there, and I said, 'Josh Barnett, I challenge you to a dance off.' That was round one. We did it, and I completely kicked his ass. The next day, we went to the fights (Rousey/Tate fight), and I was going to bring a suit. I knew we were announcing the fight, so I thought to bring a suit for it. My girlfriend goes, 'You don't really need it. Just wear this nice jacket.' She bought me this nice jacket, and I was going to wear it, but I'm a big guy, so I get hot. There was this series of events that led to me losing the dress portion of our competition. I wore a polo, because my girl told me not to bring a suit. I had to corner Josh (Thomson). I'm walking downstairs, and Luke goes, 'Man, Barnett is looking pretty snazzy. You probably should go get that nice jacket.' So, I wear the jacket, and get into the arena, but I can't wear the jacket to corner Josh. Well, right after cornering him, I've got to run down and announce the next fight. I'm sitting there in a sponsor shirt while he's wearing a suit and tie. I openly admit that I lost that round of the competition. May 19, we'll be able to settle it. If there's time between now and then to do the best of five, we'll do two other things [laughs]. True competition is going to hype this fight, and we're competing at every level. Stephie Daniels: With Mo Lawal having been ill for much of the last two months, are you missing his presence in your camp right now? Daniel Cormier: Yes. I'm missing him so bad, but it's bigger than me. It's not about me right now. I try to explain that to Mo, because he will call me, and he's wanting to know how training is going. He'll say 'How's training going right now?', and I'm like, 'Don't worry about me, how are you?' He's still got that thing on him to put the antibiotics in him (PICC line), but once he gets that out, he said he's going to come to the gym and watch training. We know he's going to try to do stuff, but he's got a team of guys that won't let him lift a finger. He's going to have to sit his little ass in the corner and watch. That's what he'll be limited to, because I don't care how tough you are, you're not going to take all of us. I am missing his presence big time, and I know he's missing us. Every time that I've competed, and had the most success in my career, athletically, he's been a major part of it. In 2003, when I was 5th in the world championships, he was my main training partner. In the 2004 Olympic games, when I came in 4th, he was my main training partner. In the 2007 world championships, when I got 3rd in the world, he was my main training partner. Jeff Monson fight, main training partner. Bigfoot, same thing. He's still doing things outside of the camp. Mentally, he helps me. He talks to me, and is just there for me, and that, to me, in his situation, speaks volumes. Even right now, when he's down and out, he's concerned about everyone else. 'How's Cain looking? How's Thomson looking? How are you doing?' I tell him, 'Look man, we're worried about you, and you getting healthy. All this other stuff is so small in the grand scheme of things.' I think that's what enables our guys to compete at the high level that we do, because we keep things in perspective. I think Mo will be a better fighter, because it's not life or death going down into that cage. We're just going out there to have fun and compete, and make some money. Competing without the weight of the world on your shoulders makes it a lot easier. Stephie Daniels: Tell me areas you plan to use your smaller stature to your advantage in this fight. Daniel Cormier: I'm definitely a lot shorter than him. The last person he probably fought that was my size was Jeff Monson. They had a pretty decent scrap. Josh won by decision, but Jeff is a tough guy. The guy can grapple and take a punch. He's a gamer. That can be an advantage to him, but can also be an advantage to me. My low center of gravity allows me to defend takedowns a lot better than most people. It's very hard to get to my legs. It's going to be really hard to take me down. There are a lot of positives to being my size. I'm a lot quicker, and I move around a lot better and more fluidly than some of these bigger guys. I think one of my biggest advantages is that I move around these big guys very well. One thing I've found in mixed martial arts, is that not many guys fight to the advantage their height gives them. I think a prime example of it is Jon Jones. I think for the first time, against Rampage, you actually saw him use his length, and he completely stomped him. Leading up to that fight, he never really used his length, as he probably should have. Reach, and all that other stuff, doesn't play as big a part in MMA as it does in boxing. Guys don't really fight with their length all that much, because they have to worry about the takedown or kicks. They have to worry about so many other things, that they can't just fight real tall. Before the Bigfoot fight, everybody was talking about how he had a 12 inch reach advantage. I was like, 'Well, if he stands tall and tries to jab from the outside, I'm just going to take him down." You can't really stand tall. When we got in there, he was squatting down, and I was standing a little taller, because I'm very confident in my takedown defense, so we were close to the same height at that point. That's a big benefit to my height. Stephie Daniels: With both of you being highly accomplished wrestlers, your game plans are likely to be similar. What are your thoughts on that? Daniel Cormier: I think they may end up being pretty similar. Josh is a wrestler first. I'm a wrestler. I'm going to use my wrestling, too. We're going to grapple. I think a lot of our plans will be similar, but I'm going in there to fight Josh in all situations. I want to secure some takedowns, and I want to gain top control. He'll want to do the same. You're going to see who's going to be able to implement and follow their game plan better. I'm confident in my team. I'm confident in my coaches. I'm confident in my ability. I worked really hard to become a better mixed martial artist. I like to tell people that graduation day is May 19. I'm going to see if I graduate to the top of the sport, or if I still have a little time to go. Regardless of the outcome, this will not define my career. Beating Josh, or losing to him, it won't define who Daniel Cormier is at the end of my career. Either I'm going to continue to move up, or I'm going to go back and reassess where I need to get better. I'm excited. It's a great day for me. May 19 is my birthday. Stephie Daniels: There's lots of talk and rumors that you and Josh are UFC bound. Has Dana White or anyone at ZUFFA spoken to you or confirmed this? Daniel Cormier: It's really still a rumor, but, if you're a logical person, which most people are, it makes sense. You would think that it's a lock, but remember, there are no absolute locks in MMA, obviously. If you're part of the biggest thing this organization has, this heavyweight tournament, and you're the last two standing, you would think that since everybody else is over there, you would get your shot, too. They've really taken away all the mystery by taking everybody else over there. There's really no surprise to it. It just seems like a matter of time. A guy asked me yesterday if I was sad that I made it to the finals, but I'm stuck in Strikeforce. I'm not stuck in Strikeforce. I'm happy to be with them. It's where I started, and they've been great to me. It's a chance to win a belt, and to be the one holding that belt when the division dissolves, for me, after two and a half years of fighting, that's like a dream come true. As you've seen, when Strikeforce champions come over to the UFC, Overeem, Diaz, they didn't have to fight many times before they got title shots. You would assume that the winner of Josh and I would be in that same sort of situation. There is so much riding on this fight, that I can't even begin to tell you, but you know what? I'm not letting it hinder me. It's actually pushing me and motivating me to the point that I'm training like I'm getting ready for the Olympic team. I've really got to take care of business. I'm training like a mad man, because I know what's at stake. I know that this is a chance for me to fight on the biggest stage and really put a stamp on what I'm doing. With a great performance, that might just throw you in some real, live, championship type of conversation. This is a great opportunity and these are great times for me. Follow Daniel via his Twitter account @DC_MMA

Posted in: fight, round, daniel, he, im

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

This past Friday night on The Ultimate Fighter: Live, we were treated to the first sudden-victory round of the young season. However, that caused some problems with both the fighters, coaches and FX, as the network cut away for a three-minute commercial break after the second round. Normally, there is just one-minute breaks between the rounds, but FX went to a network commercial break and the UFC was left with nothing to do but wait. Al Iaquinta and Myles Jury sat and tried to stay ready inside the Octagon, but you could tell they were hindered by the extended break. UFC president Dana White informed MMA Junkie’s Dann Stupp and John Morgan that things will change from here on out if a third round is needed. We were on a network commercial break. You can’t break a network commercial break. We need to fix that. This is a live sporting event, and we need to be on our toes knowing that we can go to another round. We have a 60-second commercial, and you come right back to the fight. That was bad. What are you going to do? We can’t pull out of a network break, so we need to figure that out and fix it. Iaquinta earned a split decision victory over Jury, giving Urijah Faber’s team his first victory over Dominick Cruz. Faber and Cruz each were upset over the long wait, especially Faber, who thought it helped Jury recover. I would not think this would happen again, especially with White making such bold statements about it.

Posted in: round, network, faber, myles jury, fighters coaches

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One FC has posted video of the entire One FC: War of the Lions event, which took place yesterday in Singapore from the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Notable fighters such as Melvin Manhoef and Tatsuya Kawajiri participated in the promotion’s third event, after the organization debuted in 2011. The results for the entire 11-fight event: Main Card Zorobabel Moreira defeated Felipe Enomoto via submission (Armbar) at 1:04 of round 3 Tatsuya Kawajiri def. Donald Sanchez via submission (triangle choke) at 3:32 of round 1 Ole Laursen def. Eduard Folayang via split decision Fabricio Monteiro def. Yuya Shirai via unanimous decision Melvin Manhoef vs. Yoshiyuki Nakanishi – Fight ruled a no contest Eddie Ng def. Jian Kai Chee via TKO (punches) at 0:43 of round 1 Preliminary Card Masakazu Imanari def. Kevin Belingon via submission (reverse heel hook) at 1:18 of round 1 Nicole Chua def. Jeet Toshi via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:07 of round 1. Quek Kim Hock def. Juan Wen Jie via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:18 of round 2. Jiang Long Yun def. Yodsanan Sityodtong via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:28 of round 1 Danny van Bergen def. Richie Whitson via submission (armbar) at 1:17 of round 1 The entire event’s video is below:

Posted in: round, submission, video, event, submission armbar

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A number of familiar faces took to the cage last night in El Paso, Texas for WMMA 1 including those with Zuffa roots such as headliner Sean McCorkle, Karo Parisyan, Paul Buentello, Drew Fickett, and Lyle Beerbohm. In the end the card lived up to the hype, delivering a slew of stoppages and an upset or two as well. Parisyan looked solid in his outing against Thomas Denny, picking up a Unanimous Decision win to mark his first instance of success since July 2010. The victory moved Parisyan’s overall record to 20-8 and snapped a three-fight losing streak for the one-time UFC title-contender. Playing to the adage that “Everything is bigger in Texas,” the 6’7 McCorkle entered his fight as a clear favorite over journeyman Brian Heden (18-10) but exited as the loser after absorbing some stiff shots in the second stanza leading to a TKO defeat. With the performance, Heden picked up his sixteenth finish in eighteen wins, while the 16-3 McCorkle watched a six-fight streak go out the door with his stumble. Read below for a full list of WMMA 1 results: Lionel Lanham def. Brad Peterson via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Esteves Jones def. Deutsch Pu’u via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Chris Gruetzemacher def. Frank Gomez via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Darrill Schoover def. Paul Buentello via Unanimous Decision Rodney Wallace def. Derrick Mehmen via Unanimous Decision Willie Parks def. Jamaine Facey via Unanimous Decision Drew Fickett def. Kevin Knabjian via Submission Round 1 (Guillotine Choke) Lyle Beerbohm def. Cleburn Walker via Submission Round 1 (Guillotine Choke) Karo Parisyan def. Thomas Denny via Unanimous Decision Brian Heden def. Sean McCorkle via TKO Round 2 (Strikes) PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: round, tko, strike, mccorkle, parisyan

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

Two Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veterans -- Sean McCorkle and Karo Parisyan -- were in action last night (March 31, 2012), headlining the Worldwide Mixed Martial Arts (WMMA) event in separate fights at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas. Both men experienced different outcomes. In the main event, McCorkle -- who was on a six-fight win streak since his UFC release -- couldn't handle the overwhelming leg-kick attack of Brian Heden, who went on to wear down "Big Sexy" en route to a technical knockout victory in round two. Parisyan, meanwhile, steered himself out of a three-fight losing skid, earning a unanimous decision victory over Thomas Denny in the co-featured fight of the night. "The Heat" has been plagued by injuries, as well as substance abuse and anxiety issues, for the last few years, which are all hopefully behind him. When healthy and in top form, the fiery Armenian Judo practitioner is a very dangerous Welterweight competitor. McCorkle and Parisyan weren't the only notables on the WMMA fight card. Drew Fickett, Paul Buentello, Lyle Beerbohm and Darrill Schoonover, among others, were also on the bill. Checkout out complete WMMA 1: "Fighting for a Better World" results after the jump: Brian Heden defeated Sean McCorkle via technical knockout (punches) in round two Karo Parisyan defeated Thomas Denny via unanimous decision Lyle Beerbohm defeated Cleburn Walker via submission (guillotine choke) in round one Drew Fickett defeated Kevin Knabjian via submission (guillotine choke) in round one Willie Parks defeated Jamaine Facey via unanimous decision Rodney Wallace defeated Derrick Mehmen via unanimous decision Darrill Schoonover defeated Paul Buentello via unanimous decision Chris Gruetzemacher defeated Frank Gomez via technical knockout (punches) in round one Esteves Jones defeated Deutsch Pu'u via technical knockout (punches) in round one Lionel Lanham defeated Brad Peterson via technical knockout (punches) in round one For more on WMMA 1: "Fighting for a Better World" click here.

Posted in: round, decision, parisyan, wmma, knockout punches

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Many of you younger fans will not be familiar with Maurice Smith, the former UFC heavyweight champion. That's too bad because Mo had two HUGE accomplishments in MMA: he was the first kickboxer to take the UFC heavyweight title (at that time the best in the world); and he helped Frank Shamrock develop the first fully well-rounded skill-set in MMA history, sending Frank on one of the all-time title runs. Now Smith has added another unique accomplishment to his resume: he won a professional MMA bout at age 50, by KO. Smith (13-13, 4-3 UFC, 50 years old ) fought Jorge Cordoba (4-3, 0-0 UFC, age unknown) at Resurrection Fighting Alliance 2 in Kearney, Nebraska last night. MMA Mania's Adam Guillen, Jr reports on the fight: The 50 year-old didn't look a day over 30 in his performance, connecting repeatedly at will on his young counterpart. Throughout the fight, Cordoba was the aggressor, rushing in and swinging wildly at times, but catching air for the most part. While, Smith remained calmed and picked his shots carefully, battering Cordoba's face. With two minutes remaining the fight, it seemed Smith was well on his way to a unanimous decision victory, but that was not what the kick boxer had in mind. After eating a right hand from Smith, Cordoba tried to make some distance between he and the 50 year-old, but did so with his hands down. That was all Smith needed to connect with a clean head kick that put the young fighter out for the count. The event also saw UFC veteran Gilbert Yvel take on Houston Alexander, Tara LaRosa and The Ultimate Fighter not-quite contestant Dakota Cochrane. Complete results after the jump. Complete event results and animated gif of the KO after the jump: Gilbert Yvel beat Houston Alexander via knockout at 3:59 of round 1Cliff Wright Jr. beat Dakota Cochrane via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:40 of round 1Maurice Smith beat Jorge Cordoba via knockout (head kick) at 2:05 of round 3Tara LaRosa beat Kelly Warren via submission (armbar) at 4:59 of round 1Derrick Lewis beat Justin Frazier via knockout at 2:37 of round 1Tim Elliott beat Josh Rave via technical submission (darce-choke) at 0:28 of round 1Jared Downing beatAlessandro Ferreira via unanimous decisionLaramie Shaffer beatAaron Ely via split decisionElaina Maxwell beat Ashley Sanchez via unanimous decisionTyler Shinn beat Cody Land via submission (north-south choke) at 3:53 of round 3Aaron Derrow beat Jordan Johnson via submission (triangle choke) at 2:12 of round one 1Angelo Antuna beat Chad Obermiller via submission (rear-naked choke) in round 2Darrio Mobley beat John Gettle via technical knockout in round 3Tyler Perry beat Wayman Carter via submission (arm-triangle choke) in round 1

Posted in: ufc, round, submission, smith, cordoba

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Anyone up early enough to catch this morning’s mayhem in Singapore at ONE FC: War of the Lions enjoyed a breakfast of brutality, blood, and brilliant groundwork. The organization further cemented its place as a potential force in the Far East by presenting an entertaining card featuring a handful of familiar names including Masakazu Imanari, Melvin Manhoef, and Tatsuya Kawajiri. Though Manhoef’s bout with Yoshiyuki Nakanashi was ultimately ruled a No Contest, the clash still satisfied from a primal perspective after a clash of legs resulted in each suffering a gruesome wound. However, the damage didn’t dampen either’s spirits as both competitors looked ready to continue the clash had ringside officials allowed them to. Kawajiri and Imanari both scored slick submission wins, the former improving his record to 3-0 since dropping down to featherweight. Kawajiri made quick work of apt adversary Donald Sanchez, locking in a Triangle Choke, while Imanari needed half as much time to tap Kevin Belingon using a trademark Heel Hook to do so. Read below for a complete list of ONE FC 3 results: Danny van Bergen def. Richie Whitson via Submission Round 1 (Armbar) Long Yun Jiang def. Yodsanan Sityodtong via Technical Submission Round 1 (Rear-Naked Choke) Kim Hock Quek def. Majee Overall via Technical Submission Round 2 (Rear-Naked Choke) Nicole Chua def. Jeet Toshia via Submission Round 1 (Rear-Naked Choke) Masakazu Imanari def. Kevin Belingon via Submission Round 1 (Reverse Heel Hook) Eddie Ng def. Jian Kai Chee via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Melvin Manhoef vs. Yoshiyuki Nakanishi – No Contest Fabricio Monteiro def. Yuya Shirai via Unanimous Decision Ole Laursen def. Eduard Folayang via Split Decision Tatsuya Kawajiri def. Donald Sanchez via Submission Round 1 (Triangle Choke) Zorobabel Moreira def. Felipe Enomoto via Submission Round 3 (Armbar) PHOTO CREDIT – FEG

Posted in: round, submission, kawajiri, imanari, kevin belingon

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

LAS VEGAS - Down a round? That's no problem for Al Iaquinta. During Friday's new episode of "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" on FX, Team Faber's No. 1 pick upset Myles Jury - Team Cruz's No. 3 draft pick - with a late surge. Iaquinta needed to win the final two rounds to do it, but as he told MMAjunkie.com, slow starts are nothing new.

Posted in: round, iaquinta, al iaquinta, round thats, surge iaquinta

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In this week's episode of UFC's The Ultimate Fighter Live, Team Faber #1 picked Al Iaquinta faced Myles Jury from Team Cruz. The fight was set up by Dominick Cruz, who was looking to keep his 2-0 win streak going, and at the same time, take out another one of the top picks for Urijah Faber. Unfortunately for Cruz, that was not how things played out, and Iaquinta took the fight via split decision after an extension round. The first two round were incredibly close, with both men having success on the feet. Jury used more kicks and counter-strikes, while Iaquinta stayed focused more on his hands and his power. At the end of the first, they were close, though I gave Jury the advantage in round 1. Round 2 was the best back and forth round of action we've seen yet this season. At times, both men were rocked, only to come back swinging. Midway through the round, Jury looked to be fading away, but he came on strong at the end, looking to steal the round with a last second takedown. I still gave it to Iaquinta due to more damaging shots connected. After 2 rounds, the judges ruled it a draw and the fight went to a sudden death 3rd round. After both men gave it their all in round 2, the 3rd round was a bit slower paced. Iaquinta clearly seemed to control the action, and though one judge did give Jury round 3, Iaquinta walked away with the split decision. Despite the slower pace in the final round, this was a great fight, and an early contender for the fight of the season bonus. Team Faber gets on the board, taking out one of the big names on Team Cruz, and regaining control of the matchmaking. Next week: Mike Chiesa from Team Faber vs. Jeremy Larsen from Team Cruz.

Posted in: fight, round, team, jury, iaquinta

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Melvin Manhoef and DEEP champion Yoshiyuki Nakanishi were on there way to a spectacular fight, until both guys got cuts from a kick. Manhoef's shin hit Nakanishi on the knee, and both impact points suffered nasty cuts. Manhoef didn't realize it at first, cause the doctors checked on Nakanishi's cut, but as pictured above, Melvin definitely got the worst of that impact. The fight was turned into a no-contest despite both guys still wanting to get it on after the fight has been waived. Related: ONE FC 3: War Of The Lions Live Video Stream And Results There are more photos after the jump, and you can expect a full ONE FC gallery in the coming weeks. All photos taken by Anton Tabuena Full Results: Ole Laursen def. Eduard Folayang via Split Decision Fabricio Monteiro def. Yuya Shirai via Unanimous DecisionMelvin Manhoef vs. Yoshiyuki Nakanishi No Contest (Accidental Injury)Eddie Ng def. Jian Kai Chee via TKO (Punches) at 0:43 of Round 1Masakazu Imanari def. Kevin Belingon via submission (Reverse Heel Hook) at 1:18 of Round 1Yuji Shimada Nicole Chua def. Jeet Toshi via submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:07 of Round 1 Kim Hock Quek def. Majee Overall via technical submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 3:18 of Round 2Long Yun Jiang def. Yodsanan Sityodtong via technical submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 4:28 of Round 1Danny van Bergen def. Richie Whitson via submission (Armbar) at 1:19 of Round 1

Posted in: round, submission, submission rearnaked, manhoef, nakanishi

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Bellator welterweight Ben Saunders did a fine job washing the taste of defeat out of his mouth last night at Bellator 63 after having previously fallen in the Season 5 Welterweight Tournament final. “Killa B” implemented his unique combination of Muay Thai striking and aggressive BJJ in fine fashion, taking out tougher-than-expected Raul Amaya by way of a clear-cut decision. Three other welterweights joined Saunders in advancing to the semifinal round of the Season 6 tourney including Frenchman Karl Amoussou who turned in an excellent 170-pound debut, sweeping opponent Chris Lozano from the bottom to end up in mount and eventually take his back for the first frame submission finish. David Rickels and Bryan Baker also moved on to round out the final four. Here is a complete list of Bellator 63 results: Ryan Quinn def. Marc Stevens via Unanimous Decision Matt Bessette def. Saul Almeida via Unanimous Decision Brandon Flemming def. Pete Rogers via Submission Round 1 (Peruvian Necktie) Munah Hollanddef. Marianna Kheyfets via TKO Round 2 (Strikes) Andrey Koreshkov def. Tiawan Howard via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Dan Cramer def. Jeff Nader via Split Decision Ben Saunders def. Raul Amaya via Unanimous Decision David Rickels def. Jordan Smith via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Bryan Baker def. Carlos Alexandre Pereira via Split Decision Karl Amoussou def. Chris Lozano via Submission Round 1 (Rear-Naked Choke) PHOTO CREDIT – BELLATOR Tweet

Posted in: bellator, round, decision, welterweight, saunder

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Brian Stann was sitting pretty. A four-fight win streak in World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) earned the former Marine a light heavyweight title shot, one he made good on when he knocked out Doug Marshall in less than two minutes. Six fights into his career, Stann was already a champion and looked to be on his way to much more. But, an old opponent in Steve Cantwell challenged for the title in Stann's next fight and dropped the square-jawed American in the second round, ending all the momentum the now former champion had built up for himself. Cantwell would end up going down in the record books as the final WEC 205-pound champion after the weight class was absorbed into Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Stann would also make the jump to the larger promotion, but immediately lost his footing inside the Octagon. On April 14, 2012 in Sweden, Stann takes on Middleweight mainstay Alessio Sakara in the co-main event of UFC on Fuel TV 2: "Gustafsson vs. Silva." It will be Stann's fifth fight at 185 pounds, a drop in weight necessitated by his less than stellar performances at Light Heavyweight upon debuting in the UFC. We'll take a look back at the fights in question and in particular, his first fight at middleweight against Mike Massenzio from UFC on Versus 2: "Jones vs. Matyushenko." It was a three round war that won each man "Fight of the Night" honors and helped invigorate Stann's stalling career. Are you ready? Despite having just lost to Cantwell and also losing his title in the process, Stann's debut inside the Octagon was looked forward to by many fans and pundits. He was pencilled in against International Fight League (IFL) and The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) veteran Krzysztof Soszynski at UFC 97. Stann would wind up losing by submission in the first round. His next fight was the trilogy ending bout with Cantwell on a Fight Night card in Oklahoma City. Their first meeting ended brutally when Stann knocked his opponent out in less than a minute while their second fight ended when a barrage of punches from Cantwell left the referee no other choice but to step in to spare Stann any further damage. Thanks to these two violent finishes, it was safe to assume someone to going to sleep in OKC. Well, you know what they say what happens when you assume, right? Neither man ended up landing the killing blow and for the first time in Stann's career, his fight was left in the judges' hands. He picked up the unanimous decision that night and then another against Rodney Wallace less than three months later. The problem was, this wasn't the Brian Stann fans were used to seeing. The point was further hammered home when the former Marine took on Phil Davis at UFC 109 and was thoroughly trounced by "Mr. Wonderful." It was the Stann's third loss in five fights after he started his career by rattling off six straight wins. Something obviously needed to change. Stann decided soon after a drop to middleweight would be what was needed to help his stalling career. One more loss at light heavyweight and his walking papers very well could have been drawn up. It was something he simply couldn't risk. So he shed the 20 pounds and accepted a bout against Mike Massenzio in August 2010. Massenzio, like Stann, found success early in his career but floundered inside the Octagon. Both men were coming off losses and looking to save their jobs. Stann spent the early parts of the opening round on his back. It wasn't a good start for the former Marine who was throwing kicks which Massenzio was catching. Two times Massenzio did so and soon Stann found himself with a guillotine choke wrapped around his neck as the two grappled on the mat. The former WEC champion was able to pop his head out and survive and for the first time in the find, ended up in an offensively advantageous position. But from his opponent's guard, Stann couldn't land any ground and pound of consequence and the round ended with Massenzio taking his opponent's back. The second round seems almost like a carbon copy of the first. Massenzio secures the early takedown and puts Stann on his back. Another guillotine choke nearly ends the bout but for the second time Stann is able to get his head free. But just like the first round, he's unable to put together any meaningful offense. Going into the final round, it seems Stann's time has run out. It's in the third where Stann finally emerges. Defending takedowns, the former Marine is able to rock Massenzio which forces "The Master of Disaster" to take the fight the ground. From there, Stann is able to secure a triangle choke to secure the comeback victory and a successful middleweight debut. Stann won his next two fights before losing to Chael Sonnen at UFC 136 last year. Can he get back on track with a win over Sakara? Or will his middleweight aspirations derail much like his light heavyweight dreams did?

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, stann, massenzio

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Bellator 63 continued the Bellator Fighting Championship's sixth season last night (March 30, 2012) from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Fans in attendance and viewers watching on MTV2 were once again treated to a solid show that featured some great fights and very exciting finishes. The main event was a terrific capper on the evening, closing the night with some spectacular violence and technical skill on the canvas. Headlining fighters, Karl Amoussou and Chris Lozano had been jawing at each other all week and it all boiled over once Amoussou caught up to "The Cleveland Assassin." Lozano stayed on his bicycle early, but after finally engaging, he was on the receiving end of a powerful head kick (pictured above). The new Greg Jackson-trained fighter responded wisely with a takedown, but Amoussou beautifully swept him into full mount and after a flurry of powerful punches, Lozano surrendered his back. In the frenzy, Amoussou was able to take Lozano's back and sink in a rear naked choke, which forced the tap at just 2:05 of the first round. The rest of the Bellator season six welterweight quarterfinals also featured some interesting action, too: Former Bellator middleweight tournament finalist Bryan Baker made the cut down to 170 pounds for the first time and had his hands full with Brazilian veteran Carlos Alexandre Pereira. Baker, widely known for his aggressive fighting style almost to a fault, was considerably more reserved against the dangerous and powerful Nova Uniao striker. Neither man took the initiative, however and even though Baker spent the majority of the fight working from the outside, he was able to score more takedowns as well as mix in a relatively even amount of strikes, primarily his kicks to match Pereira and eek out a split decision in the least entertaining bout of the evening. A fight which definitely had the viewers' jaws dropping was the welterweight quarterfinal between prospects Jordan Smith and David Rickels. After landing a few leg kicks, Rickels swarmed Smith and blasted him with a flurry of punches which broke through his defenses and sent the former middleweight reeling to the canvas. When he was unable to defend himself, the referee stepped in and put a halt to the action just 22 seconds into the first round. Opening up the main card was an entertaining scrap between Bellator season five welterweight finalist Ben Saunders and undefeated and untested scrapper Raul Amaya. Amaya gave Saunders everything he had for two rounds, working for takedowns and adding some pressure in the stand-up, but he was unable to seriously threaten "KIlla B" albeit a brief instance where he was landing some aggressive punches from top position in the second round. Saunders remained composed whether he was fending off takedowns, on his back or pressed against the fence and constantly was on the attack with knees, punches, submission attempts and sweeps. Eventually, he overwhelmed Amaya in the third round and dominated from top position, threatening with a series of submissions but perhaps became too excited to score the finish and left openings for Amaya to escape danger. In the end, however, Saunders was easily awarded a unanimous decision, winning all three rounds on all three judges' scorecards. While his bout wasn't an official part of the tournament, Russian prospect and teammate of Alexander Shlemenko, Andrey Koreshkov showcased his tremendous potential by absolutely demolishing Taiwon Howard with a first round knockout which featured a spectacular combination of precision strikes. After initially stunning Howard, the Russian landed a beautiful uppercut and then put Howard away with follow-up strikes and some aggressive ground and pound. He cemented himself as a serious contender in a future welterweight tournament with his performance. For complete Bellator 63 results and detailed round-by-round commentary of all the televised fights click here. So what did you think, Maniacs? After last night, who's your favorite to win the whole thing? Did Karl Amoussou become the man to beat or was it the 23 year old Rickels and his 22 second knockout? Are you still on team "Killa B?" Sound off!

Posted in: bellator, round, lozano, bellator season, amoussou

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ONE FC, the Asian mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion that is working furiously to take over an entire continent, will host its third professional event when ONE FC 3: " War of Lions" invades the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore, TODAY (Sat., March 31, 2012)! MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of ALL the ONE FC 3 mixed martial arts (MMA) action below, beginning at 8:00 a.m. ET and running right on through to the end of the card, which can be viewed in its in entirety in HD on YouTube. The card features some very exciting match ups, including a main event between Zorobabel Moreira and Felipe Enomoto, who gained a good deal of notoriety after his submission win over Ole Laursen at ONE FC 2 in Jakarta, Indonesia on Feb. 11, 2012. Just a little more than a month later, Enomoto will take on a very tough Moreira, who comes into their bout riding a three-fight win streak. ONE FC 3 also will showcase Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran Richie Whitson, as well as Strikeforce and DREAM veterans Tatsuya Kawajiri and Melvin Manhoef (all three involved in separate fights). Many of our readers check-in before, during and after the fights to share their thoughts on all the exciting action. Therefore, feel free to leave a comment before you leave and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show -- it always turns out to be a great discussion. Keep in mind that we will also be on the spot for the latest news, recaps and post-fight analysis after "War of Lions." Without further delay, see below for the latest ONE FC 3 results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action.) MAIN EVENT: 155 lbs.: Zorobabel Moreira vs. Felipe Enomoto145 lbs.: Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Donald Sanchez155 lbs.: Eduard Folayang vs. Ole Laursen170 lbs.: Yuya Shirai vs. Fabricio Monteiro195 lbs.: Melvin Manhoef vs. Yoshiyuki Nakanishi155 lbs.: Eddie Ng vs. Jian Kai Chee135 lbs.: Masakazu Imanari vs. Kevin Belingon095 lbs.: Jeet Toshi vs. Nicole Chua155 lbs.: Quek Kim Hock vs. Major Overall135 lbs.: Yodsanan Sityodtong vs. Jiang Long Yun155 lbs.: Danny van Bergen vs. Richie Whitson ONE FC 3 PLAY-BY-PLAY LIVE MAIN CARD COMMENTARY (YOUTUBE):Haggerty here! Zorobabel Moreira vs. Felipe Enomoto (155-pound limit) Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: - end - Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Donald Sanchez (145-pound limit) Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: - end - Eduard Folayang vs. Ole Laursen (155-pound limit) Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: - end - Yuya Shirai vs. Fabricio Monteiro (170-pound limit) Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: - end - Melvin Manhoef vs. Yoshiyuki Nakanishi (195-pound limit) Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: - end - Eddie Ng vs. Jian Kai Chee (155-pound limit) Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: - end - Masakazu Imanari vs. Kevin Belingon (135-pound limit) Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: - end - Jeet Toshi vs. Nicole Chua (095-pound limit) Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: - end - Quek Kim Hock vs. Major Overall (155-pound limit) Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: - end - Yodsanan Sityodtong vs. Jiang Long Yun (135-pound limit) Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: - end - Danny van Bergen vs. Richie Whitson (155-pound limit) Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: - end -

Posted in: result, round, vs, end, lb

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A close, back-and-forth fight between Al Iaquinta and Myles Jury ended with Iaquinta winning and advancing on Friday night's live episode of The Ultimate Fighter. The fight was an entertaining one that went a full 15 minutes before the judges could pick a winner, and even in the end Iaquinta won a split decision that easily could have gone either way. Iaquinta hinted that he's expecting to win the cash bonus that goes to the participants in the Fight of the Year, and he explained how he'd spend that money if he gets it. "If that fight wins Fight of the Year, Mom, I'm going to go finish college like grandma always wanted," Iaquinta said afterward. Jury entered the fight a heavy favorites at the sports books that were taking bets on the live Ultimate Fighter fights, and that was no surprise: He entered The Ultimate Fighter with a 9-0 record, having won all nine fights by first-round stoppage, and he was one of the favorites to win on his previous stint on The Ultimate Fighter, when he had to withdraw from the show because of an injury. But Jury didn't seem too upset after he had been beaten. "Embrace the war. It is what it is. I'm a fighter," Jury said. Jury was expected to roll right through Iaquinta, but it became clear from the first round that it would be close, with Iaquinta holding his own against the man who was favored to beat him. The mere fact that Iaquinta got into the second round with Jury was something of a surprise. In the second round Jury appeared to have Iaquinta hurt with a backhanded punch, but when Jury charged forward, Iaquinta surprised him with a quick punch that had Jury reeling. It was a raucous round with both men swinging for the fences, and when they got up to end the second they weren't sure if the judges would call it even and tell them to fight a third, or declare a winner. After a lengthy delay including two commercial breaks, UFC President Dana White announced that the judges had scored it a draw, and they would go to a third sudden-victory round. The third round was close and even, too, and in the end both men raised their hands and celebrated with their teammates, believing they had won. Two judges scored the third round 10-9 for Iaquinta, while one scored it 10-9 for Jury, and Iaquinta had won the split decision.

Posted in: fight, fighter, round, jury, iaquinta

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Bellator 63 took place Friday night at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT. The  featured the opening round of the welterweight tournament and aired live on MTV2 and EPIX2 HD, with the prelims airing live on Spike.com. Welterweights Karl Amoussou, Ben Saunders, David Rickels, and Bryan Baker all advanced with wins tonight. Main Card (MTV2 and EPIX2 HD) Welterweight Quarterfinal - Karl Amoussou defeats Chris Lozano by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:05 of round 1 Welterweight Quarterfinal - Ben Saunders defeats Raul Amaya via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27 Welterweight Quarterfinal - David Rickels defeats Jordan Smith via TKO (strikes – referee stoppage) at :22 of round 1 Welterweight Quarterfinal - Bryan Baker defeats Carlos Alexandre Pereira (29-28 Baker, 29-28 Pereira, 29-28 Baker) Preliminary card (Spike.com) Munah Holland defeats Marianna Kheyfets via TKO (strikes – referee stoppage) at 4:45 of round 2 Dan Cramer defeats Jeff Nader via split decision (30-27 Nader, 29-28 Cramer, 29-28 Cramer) Andrey Koreshkov defeats Tiawan Howard via KO at 1:26 of round 1 Saul Almeida vs. Matt Bessette* Parker Porter vs. Randy Smith* Ryan Quinn vs. Marc Stevens* Pete Rogers vs. Brandon Fleming* *Took place after televised event

Posted in: round, vs, welterweight, defeat, baker

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As with every major show, Bloody Elbow will be here to bring you live results, play by play and commentary for Bellator 63. Our live coverage will start with MTV 2 broadcast (8 p.m. ET) so make sure to make Bloody Elbow your home for this event. We will not be doing play-by-play of the undercard, but you can discuss those fights in the comments as well. The Welterweights get into action tonight with the opening of the Bellator 170 lb tournament. The card is headlined by the quarterfinal match featuring Chris Lozano (9-2), an Ohio based fighter who lost to last year's winner of the Welterweight tourney. In his way is the French Judoka "Psycho" Karl Amoussou (13-4-2). Just before the main event Bloody Elbow community member and UFC veteran Ben Saunders (12-4) will faced off against the undefeated Raul Amaya (9-0). Another undefeated prospect David Rickels (9-0) will take on short notice replacement Jordan Smith (17-2), who got the call when UFC veteran Brian Foster failed him medical exam. The first match of the night will be between Brazilian Carlos Alexandre Pereira (33-9) and Bellator veteran Bryan Baker (16-3), who is dropping down from Middleweight to take part in the welterweight tournament. Join me here in the comments and let's have a rollicking good time tonight. Carlos Alexandre Pereira vs Bryan Baker Season 6 Welterweight Quarterfinal Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: David Rickels vs Jordan Smith Season 6 Welterweight Quarterfinal Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Ben Saunders vs Raul Amaya Season 6 Welterweight Quarterfinal Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Chris Lozano vs "Psycho" Karl Amoussou Season 6 Welterweight Quarterfinal Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

Posted in: bellator, round, vs, welterweight, quarterfinal

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The first edition of the Bloody Inbox went great, with debate stirred in the comments and a new flood of questions to the inbox. As promised, here's part 2 of our special double edition for the inaugural week of the feature. I'll also be using some questions to do special Bloody Elbow staff roundtables in the future. So if you think you submitted a great question but it isn't answered here, keep your eyes peeled. Remember, you can submit your questions to: BloodyElbowMailbag@Gmail.com Question from Zachary Kater: Simple question... what are your thoughts on fighters using TRT with a medical exemption through the commission? I personally feel like people are gaining advantages that aren't natural due to being allowed to take the treatment, as it's perfectly normal for testosterone to decrease in an aging human. Is it worth it to allow fighters to have more extended careers, or should we try to keep talent and natural abilities pure from anything such as this that may give an unnatural advantage? Nothing like saying "simple question" and then asking for thoughts on one of the biggest controversies going. I think one of the keys for all of this is for the commissions to set a benchmark for what they consider abnormally low testosterone levels. If someone requests a usage exemption and can provide proof through samples (given on different dates at least 1-2 weeks apart) that their testosterone level is significantly low for their age then they are allowed the exemption. But it should be treated like a license where it must be renewed once a year, and is subject to random testing. The commission issuing the exemption should have the right to phone up and request a test be taken at any point during the year. The levels returned should be within a defined range or disciplinary action taken. Of course, there are guys using now who are staying within the "normal range" without an exemption so that doesn't really get to the heart of the "is it fair?" debate. But this is at least a way to try and make sure that TRT is not being abused at any point. And this isn't even mentioning the difficulties in executing such a plan when all state commissions operate independently. So that part would have to be done at the promotion level. Which, if they're as serious about PEDs as they say they are with testing prior to signing..etc, should not be a problem. But back to the question of fairness. I'd say the only fair use of TRT is when your levels are significantly below normal for your age. Not just because you're starting to feel old. Question for Dallas Winston from wonderfulspam: When you posted your visualised scoring graph for Simpson vs Tavares, one of the main points of contention was your willingness to score 10-10s in every round where neither fighter clearly has an edge. Would you agree that rounds that leave you thinking "extremely close round, could be 10-9 either way" should more often than not be 10-10s? Draws could be settled by sudden death rounds or the judges picking a winner. Dallas: Thanks for the question -- I'm honored. One of the most difficult aspects with MMA judging is scrutinizing hypothetical versus actual scenarios. The graph was designed for actual scenarios to provide a visual value to many facets of judging that are difficult to quantify, especially in conversation (10-10 vs. 10-9 vs. 10-8 rounds, the impact of significant offense, who is/was winning the round and by how much). So, under the context that the suggested scenario in your question is hypothetical, and my answer will be too -- yes. I do feel that a round interpreted as "could be 10-9 either way" is what a 10-10 should be. I'm eternally baffled at the reluctance to score a 10-10 round, which is described as "when both contestants appear to be fighting evenly and neither contestant shows dominance in a round." I mean, it's not uncommon to witness that scenario, yet the 10-10 score is entirely uncommon. Even when I've posed a hypothetical question about scoring a round with no clear winner, many have insisted that they would still refrain from a 10-10 and prefer to force a winner based on some tiny shred of evidence. The idea that two evenly matched, high-level fighters cannot possibly stalemate in a five-minute window is ludicrous but, even beyond that, the result is distorting the window or value for a 10-9 score. In this case, it's stretching it wider by awarding one fighter one-third of the fight for the smallest detail, and typically a detail that's insignificant to the fight when the rules are based significant achievements. That mentality fosters an even bigger problem when the other rounds are won by a clear but not dominant margin, i.e. a standard 10-9 round, because they're awarded with the same value as the "forced winner" round that was decided by some miniscule activity. Finally, the 10-10 round is constantly associated with the fear of draws, yet the majority of recent draws we've seen were caused by 10-8 rounds, which is something almost everyone agrees we need to see more of. The conclusion should be that we can't control excitement or outcome through objective scoring. The job of a judge is to assess each five-minute frame to the best of his ability with no preconceived bias or concerns for "what might happen" because of it. Question for KJ Gould from Robert V-U: How meaningful are world-class wrestling credentials for a fighter? For instance, Jon Fitch, GSP and Rashad Evans have some of the most effective grappling in the sport, but none of them are particularly heralded as coming into the sport with good wrestling credentials. (I realize this part of the question is mostly speculation because it is all relative, but: are world-class wrestling credentials more or less valuable than legitimate K-1 striking credentials for a mixed martial artist?) What aspects of Olympic wrestling transition best to the sport? (I.e. what is it about Bubba Jenkins' wrestling that makes him more successful than Mark Ellis in MMA). Also, what is GSP's wrestling like? Is he similar to past wrestlers? Or, is his style unique to this sport? KJ:There's this general belief that if you're a Freestyle wrestler that's competed at the World or Olympic level, you must be awesome in all areas. This really isn't the case as there are usually individual styles among wrestlers who tailor their skill sets for success in the competition environment they take part in. Not all Olympic Wrestlers will have amazing takedowns; some depend on countering their opponent to score points with reversals. Similarly the converse is true, where some wrestlers' best defense is having a really strong offense by pursuing a takedown or throw until they get it. Just as in sport Jiu Jitsu or Submission Grappling, the skill types and abilities of a Roger Gracie, Marcelo Garcia and Pablo Popovitch differ wildly, but all can make it work for them at the highest levels. As it relates to MMA, certain skill sets and attributes from wrestling fit better than others. Bubba Jenkins is strong, and pulls of athletic moves like Super Ducks which require a combination of footwork, speed and agility. He also has the right mentality, embracing a chance to compete in MMA rather than showing any hesitation about it, so the mental game of a champion wrestler can also help with the transition. GSP's training in wrestling from day one has been tailored for the MMA environment. Sports specificity is key when it comes to training at the highest level, and GSP knows how to combine striking with wrestling so he can both avoid being hit, and force an error from an opponent that over-commits with their own striking, putting them off balance enough for GSP to seize an opening and follow through with a double leg or single leg takedown. The best attributes for wrestling for MMA are the same basic fundamentals of wrestling, but tailored for the MMA environment: Stance / position, motion, level change, penetration, lifting, back-stepping and a back arch. Question for KJ Gould from Paul G: What do you think will happen after the ESPN UK deal runs out? Will ESPN renew the deal despite the issues in recent times (UFC on Fox 1), or do you think Sky could come into the picture? KJ: I fully expect this to be the last year we'll see the UFC on ESPN as it pertains to live shows and new content. ESPN UK has said they hope to continue coverage if the right deal can be reached, but according to some brief tweets by Lorenzo Fertitta in February, it seems clear he's not happy with ESPN generally. That might in part be to do with the Outside The Lines feature on the UFC, in which Fertitta famously had his own video recording taken at the same time, but there's more to it than that. I think the UFC have realised the limitations ESPN have in helping grow the UFC in the UK, when ESPN themselves are having to play catch up to Sky Sports who have had a 20 year advantage in customer reach and service. I still maintain the key component in this is Fox Sports Chairman David Hill, who helped build Sky Sports originally in the UK. Sky Television and Fox Television are both partly owned by Rupert Murdoch and the News Corp group, and with rumblings of Fox wanting to create their own 24/7 sports channel I wouldn't be surprised to see a working relationship between Sky and Fox for content to continue to blossom. We already have FX in the UK, which hosted the Bisping vs Mayhem season of The Ultimate Fighter on a less than 24 hour tape delay. Sky Sports is already setup for live, international programming as they do with the WWE RAW series on Monday nights. Sky Sports have also shown a greater interest in MMA programming, with long running UK promotion Cage Warriors inking a deal with them not long ago, and having previously worked with the Cage Rage and Ultimate Challenge promotions. UFC may have had problems working with Sky in the past, dating back to the poor Box Office PPV numbers of UFC 38 10 years ago, but a lot has changed on both sides and with the current Fox deal, now would seem to be the right time to take the UFC in the UK to the next level with a new Sky partnership.

Posted in: mma, question, round, sport, level

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Bellator Fighting Championships returns TONIGHT (March 30, 2012) to the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., with a new tournament. MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of Bellator 63 below, beginning with the MTV2 telecast at 8 p.m. ET. In addition, we'll deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the undercard action much earlier in the evening. Bellator 63 features the season six welterweight tournament. The main event will be headlined by a welterweight quarterfinal bout between "Psycho" Karl Amoussou and Chris Lozano. Amoussou is a French judo specialist while Lozano is trying to comeback from a tough knockout loss to last year's tournament champion, Douglas Lima. Also filling out the card, undefeated prospect David Rickels takes on Jordan Smith, who stepped in on late notice for UFC veteran Brian Foster, who failed his medical scans before the event. Muay Thai specialist and fan favorite Ben Saunders will be fighting another undefeated prospect Raul Amaya as well. Lastly, former middleweight tournament finalist Bryan Baker drops down to 170 for the first time to battle veteran Brazilian Carlos Alexandre Pereira in what expects to be a violent way to open the main card. Complete Bellator 63 results and play-by-play are after the jump: Main Card 170 lbs.: Karl Amoussou vs. Chris Lozano 170 lbs.: Raul Amaya vs. Ben Saunders 170 lbs.: Jordan Smith vs. David Rickels 170 lbs.: Bryan Baker vs. Carlos Alexandre Pereira Local Feature Fights (Spike.com) 125 lbs.: Marianna Kheyfets vs. Munah Holland 185 lbs.: Dan Cramer vs. Jeff Nader 170 lbs.: Andrey Koreshkov vs. Tiawan Howard 145 lbs.: Saul Almeida vs. Matt Bessette 265 lbs.: Parker Porter vs. Randy Smith 165 lbs.: Ryan Quinn vs. Marc Stevens 145 lbs.: Pete Rogers vs. Brandon Fleming 170 lbs.: Karl Amoussou vs. Chris Lozano Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 170 lbs.: Raul Amaya vs. Ben Saunders Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 170 lbs.: Jordan Smith vs. David Rickels Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 170 lbs.: Bryan Baker vs. Carlos Alexandre Pereira Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end-

Posted in: result, round, vs, lb, lozano

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For the second week in a row, a first pick proved his worth with a victory in the TUF Live Octagon, as Al Iaquinta’s sturdy chin and full gas tank helped him overcome Myles Jury’s long reach. Team Faber's first pick scored the first win of the season for the blue team by weathering a rocky opening round and then outpacing Jury on the feet.Jury – two inches taller but with a five-plus inch reach advantage – used knees and kicks in the first round, connecting particularly well with his left shin up high. But Iaquinta walked through most of the blows, coming forward with jabs and responding with counters, all of which kept “Fury” on his heels. Jury shot for a takedown, and Iaquinta briefly popped back up before being pulled back down, where he tied up the ground game with a spladle (the wrestling term for a big limb-pretzel). Iaquinta worked back to his feet, but Jury sealed the round with a suplex.Round two started with an accidental low blow from Jury, but after a short break, Iaquinta moved forward even more aggressively than he had in the first. By this time, the differential in the two fighters’ gas tanks was on display, with Jury moving slowly and reactionarily. In an exchange that went from one fence to another, both men were wobbled – Iaquinta notably by a backhand from Jury; Jury getting clipped with a left on the exit. Iaquinta continued to stalk, finding his range and landing some wild overhands. In one close exchange, Jury clinched and took hold of Iaquinta’s back, worked to get one hook in, but Iaquinta pushed his way out. Both men livened up a little, trading kicks and body blows. With ten seconds left, Jury got a big takedown, and the two traded elbows on the ground. Jury’s forehead was cut in the exchange, his face visibly bloodied as he stood at round's end and lifted his arms in victory. But it was not to be, as the judges’ scorecards had the fighters drawn, requiring a sudden-victory round. Jury looked gassed as Iaquinta swarmed him with punches early on. He seemed on the verge of buckling, but managed to shuffle out of danger and backpedal to safety. Most of the rest of the round consisted of Iaquinta moving forward with one arm down, picking enough shots to keep Jury rattled. Jury threw halfhearted knees, whiffed high kicks and appeared to be struggling to see out his left eye. This time, Iaquinta easily shook off Jury’s last-minute takedown attempt, and the two went all-out with strikes in the final seconds of the round. Both men raised their hands at the bell, but it was Iaquinta who edged out his opponent with split third-round scores of 10-9, 10-9 and 9-10. "It was definitely a different routine getting ready; I’ve had the same guys helping me for every one of my pro fights," said Team Faber's Iaquinta, who trains under Matt Serra and Ray Longo at home in Long Island. "To get the win is great! It’s a whole new game now."UFC president Dana White agreed: "Faber wanted that win bad. To finally regain control is big for him. Team Faber is back in the game -- with a huge momentum shift.”

Posted in: round, team, faber, jury, iaquinta

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For the first time in several weeks, the weigh-ins for Bellator actually seemed to go as close to normal as possible. Bellator 63 will feature the quarterfinals of the season six welterweight tournament beginning at 8 p.m. ET on MTV2. For the first time this season, all fighters who stepped on the scale made weight, including main event competitors Karl Amoussou and Chris Lozano. The other main card welterweight tourney bouts include Raul Amaya vs. Ben Saunders, Jordan Smith vs. David Rickels, and Bryan Baker vs. Carlos Alexandre Pereira. Bellator 63 takes place from the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut. The prelims will stream on Spike.com. BELLATOR 63 WEIGH-IN RESULTS Main Card (MTV2) • Karl Amoussou (170) vs. Chris Lozano (171) – welterweight-tourney opening round • Bryan Baker (169.25) vs. Carlos Pereira (171) – welterweight-tourney opening round • David Rickels (168.25) vs. Jordan Smith (169) – welterweight-tourney opening round • Raul Amaya (170) vs. Ben Saunders (170) – welterweight-tourney opening round Preliminary Card (Spike.com) • Parker Porter (257) vs. Randy Smith (254.25) • Ryan Quinn (165) vs. Marc Stevens (164) • Saul Almeida (155.75) vs. Matt Bessette (154.5) • Andrey Koreshkov (170.5) vs. Taiwan Howard (171) • Dan Cramer (185.5) vs. Jeff Nader (184.75) • Marianna Kheyfets (126) vs. Munah Holland (126) • Pete Rogers (145.25) vs. Brandon Fleming (145.75)

Posted in: bellator, round, vs, opening, welterweighttourney

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When Kimbo Slice decided to go the pro boxing route, I figured he would be entering the realm of Don King style heads-I-win-tails-you-lose contracts and babying via cupcake opponents. But certainly it would be below boxing to organize something that wasn’t totally legitimate, savory, and above-board. In short, I figured that the days of James Thompson stoppages and standgate were behind us. But when I saw last weekend’s video of his knockout win over Brian Green with three seconds left in the fight, I had my suspicions that Gary Shaw was dicking us over from beyond the grave once again. Even steroid expert Sean McCorkle thinks that something fishy was going on. However, Kimbo’s opponent Brian Green (who is 27-17 in MMA and weighs all of 180 lbs) says he would never take a dive for anyone. NEVER! He made his impassioned plea on the world’s official PR platform, facebook: Finally the cloudiness of a KO Saturday night is wearing off mostly.... Still got a BROKEN ORBITAL BONE (even though I was supposedly taking a dive the whole fight and Kimbo wasn't REALLY fighting me apparently until the very last combination which he lands 3 consecutive punches ON THE BUTTON which turned out my lights) Well, I took this biggest opportunity I ever have been given, and gave it my all. In the end, Kimbo Slice Placed 3 consecutive punches together and all three connected clean. AFTER I was winning on all 3 judges score cards.. I put everything on the line with this fight, to have thousands of people hating on me claiming I took a dive. smh. I can not believe this, and it really makes me sick. 700,000 Youtube views of people watching ONLY THE LAST ROUND (after I was gassed in the second round) where I got KO'd and 80% of them claiming I took a dive with ONLY THREE SECONDS LEFT!!!! .... THREE SECONDS LEFT.... Who does that? seriously. . . Now I have a 60 day medical suspension and can not fight the last person who beat me in an MMA Fight 8 fights ago which leaves that promoter in a bad position :( Which I am sorry for. (A re match I have also been BEGGING for, for an entire year now) And I will be missing out on an opportunity to make the most money I EVER have in my hometown with all of my recent success of 7 consecutive Wins. (Sponsors backing me up, Selling more tickets than I EVER HAVE at home, my biggest purse yet to date with the organization, and lastly, the REVENGE of beating the guy who beat me at home.. I KNEW I HAD TO make it to a decision, so I only got a 7 day suspension, and i could fight my upcoming fight April 13, (20 days after Kimbo) I took the fight against Kimbo, because I truly don't feel he is a legit pro fighter.... He is a savage brawler, and also BACK IN HIS DAY, was very very dangerous.... Now he is old, and I knew I could last a decision... No way did I think I could actually WIN IT. Then at the end of the first round, I felt myself avoiding his bombs, and finding a home for my punches. THEN I also thought that he would REALLY be out of shape, because his original opponent had backed out and they hadn't found a replacement yet, so I figured he hadn't been training THAT hard. Avoid the BIG punches, and last a DECISION= Make a HUGE name for yourself, especially for me being a submission guy! You can see how hard he was throwing in the first round when he was fresh, and that he was trying to take my head off.... I think I got in his head at the weigh ins getting in his face, and telling him "I aint scared" and repeating that in the ring at fight TIME! I ate a couple good punches early, and felt him getting tired. after landing good shots on him, I eventually started telling him "You wasn't expecting THIS was you?!?!" Trying even more to get in his head, and make him doubt himself, and feel threatened. I WISH i would have got paid extra for all this CRAP I am receiving... And thanks to those of you who take the time to congratulate me. Those who KNOW I would NEVER take a dive in ANY fight. I ALMOST beat that Monster. Think I BS'd? BOOK THE FIGHT AGAIN. with an actual CAMP to prepare for him.... Even on only 2 weeks notice. I will SMOKE that fool. PEACE Well, that seals the deal: with all those caps, this guy has to be telling the truth. The world will keep on turning, Cris Cyborg's monthly steroid tests will completely clear her name, and we can all keep telling ourselves that it’s not a form of exploitation to be fans of Kimbo. However, now that Kimbo has the highest rate of suspicious occurrences in fights this side of Nobuhiko Takada, I invite all interested parties to post their photoshops of Kimbo hitting a gong in a diaper in the comments section. Videos of the other three rounds of the match can be seen here.

Posted in: fight, round, day, kimbo, dive

Read the full article at Fightlinker

There's been even more than the usual amount of buzz around Kimbo Slice's most recent boxing win this past Saturday over Brian Green. There's been a good deal of skepticism about the fourth round KO. Most notably by UFC veteran Sean McCorkle who took to the interwebs to declare it a work. Related Kimbo Slice Gets Even Smaller Replacement Opponent For March 24 Bout Video: Kimbo Slice Lands Come From Behind KO Win With 3 Seconds Left Brian Green, a veteran MMA fighter with a pro record of 27-17 isn't taking this lying down. He took to Facebook to declare his innocence (full post after the jump): Finally the cloudiness of a KO Saturday night is wearing off mostly.... Still got a BROKEN ORBITAL BONE (even though I was supposedly taking a dive the whole fight and Kimbo wasn't REALLY fighting me apparently until the very last combination which he lands 3 consecutive punches ON THE BUTTON which turned out my lights) Well, I took this biggest opportunity I ever have been given, and gave it my all. In the end, Kimbo Slice Placed 3 consecutive punches together and all three connected clean. AFTER I was winning on all 3 judges score cards.. I put everything on the line with this fight, to have thousands of people hating on me claiming I took a dive. smh. I can not believe this, and it really makes me sick. 700,000 Youtube views of people watching ONLY THE LAST ROUND (after I was gassed in the second round) where I got KO'd and 80% of them claiming I took a dive with ONLY THREE SECONDS LEFT!!!! ..... THREE SECONDS LEFT.... Who does that? seriously. . . Now I have a 60 day medical suspension and can not fight the last person who beat me in an MMA Fight 8 fights ago which leaves that promoter in a bad position :( Which I am sorry for. (A re match I have also been BEGGING for, for an entire year now) And I will be missing out on an opportunity to make the most money I EVER have in my hometown with all of my recent success of 7 consecutive Wins. (Sponsors backing me up, Selling more tickets than I EVER HAVE at home, my biggest purse yet to date with the organization, and lastly, the REVENGE of beating the guy who beat me at home.. I KNEW I HAD TO make it to a decision, so I only got a 7 day suspension, and i could fight my upcoming fight April 13, (20 days after Kimbo) I took the fight against Kimbo, because I truly don't feel he is a legit pro fighter.... He is a savage brawler, and also BACK IN HIS DAY, was very very dangerous.... Now he is old, and I knew I could last a decision... No way did I think I could actually WIN IT. Then at the end of the first round, I felt myself avoiding his bombs, and finding a home for my punches. THEN I also thought that he would REALLY be out of shape, because his original opponent had backed out and they hadn't found a replacement yet, so I figured he hadn't been training THAT hard. Avoid the BIG punches, and last a DECISION= Make a HUGE name for yourself, especially for me being a submission guy! You can see how hard he was throwing in the first round when he was fresh, and that he was trying to take my head off.... I think I got in his head at the weigh ins getting in his face, and telling him "I aint scared" and repeating that in the ring at fight TIME! I ate a couple good punches early, and felt him getting tired. after landing good shots on him, I eventually started telling him "You wasn't expecting THIS was you?!?!" Trying even more to get in his head, and make him doubt himself, and feel threatened. I WISH i would have got paid extra for all this CRAP I am receiving... And thanks to those of you who take the time to congratulate me. Those who KNOW I would NEVER take a dive in ANY fight. I ALMOST beat that Monster. Think I BS'd? BOOK THE FIGHT AGAIN. with an actual CAMP to prepare for him.... Even on only 2 weeks notice. I will SMOKE that fool. PEACE

Posted in: fight, round, slice, kimbo, dive

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

The first episode of TUF Brasil was unveiled Sunday night for audiences outside of Brazil with sixteen fighters in the middleweight and featherweight divisions advancing into the house on an evening full of highlights. Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort both clearly enjoyed what they saw during the episode based on the number of finishing performances, as each is serving as a coach on the first season of the Ultimate Fighter outside of America. The two, along with the finalists in both weight classes, will all compete at UFC 147 later this year in Brazil. While different in origin, TUF Brasil follows the same guidelines as the previous seasons of the standard version. Fans can catch new episodes every Sunday night on TUF.TV (with past episodes still available) though the season is expected to air later this year via FUEL TV for those interested in watching on a bigger screen or with limited bandwidth. Here are the complete results from the elimination fights earning each winner a spot in the house: -Featherweights- Rony Mariano def. Dileno Lopes by TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Godofredo de Oliveira def. Johnny Goncalves by Submission Round 1 (Triangle Choke) Hugo “Wolverine” Viana def. Alexandre Ramos by TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Rodrigo Damm def. Fabricio Guerrero by Submission Round 2 (Rear-Naked Choke) Wagner Campos def. Fernando Guerra by Unanimous Decision Anistavio Medeiros def. Rafael Bueno by Unanimous Decision John ‘Macapa’ Teixeira def. Giovanni Souza Jr. by Submission Round 1 (Armbar) Marcos Vinicius Pancini def. Peter Noble by TKO Round 1 (Strikes) - Middleweights - Francisco Drinaldo def. Charles Maicon by TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Cezar Ferreira def. Gustavo Sampaio by submission Round 2 (Guillotine Choke) Daniel Sarafian def. Richardson Moreira by Unanimous Decision Sergio Moraes def. Thiago Rela by Submission Round 1 (Heel Hook) Thiago Perpetuo def. Joao Paulo De Souza by Unanimous Decision Delson Heleno def. Gilberto Galvao by Unanimous Decision Renee Forte def. Fabio Bolinho by Unanimous Decision Leonardo Teixeira def. Samuel Trindade by Unanimous Decision

Posted in: round, decision, tko, submission, sunday night

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

The Weekend Boxing Wrap-Up is a companion to the weekly Boxing Beat column, providing closure to the weekend's action from the schedule of MMA's combat sports cousin. There was a whole host of action this weekend that I'd love to dive right into, unfortunately there is a bit of sad news that must be mentioned first. One of boxing's most iconic writers and personalities, Bert Sugar, passed away yesterday at the age of 74. Sugar, known best for his trademark fedora and cigar, was a former editor of The Ring and Boxing Digest as well as the author of more than 80 books. His quick wit and easy storytelling style made him even more interesting in the age of TV than he was as a writer. He also was someone who never let the sport pass him by, never dwelling on the old "glory days" of his youth but using the knowledge gained to provide more insight into the modern landscape of boxing. Kieran Mulvaney discusses Bert's passing over at HBO.com: He liked few things more than to pull up a bar stool and regale friends and strangers alike with tall tales and recollections, frequently convulsing in laughter as he did so. Often, during such sessions, he would pause, look at the drink in front of him and observe, "I have always said: I would rather be a good liver than have one." And that he certainly was. His was a life well-lived, and his was a presence that will be much missed. Best wishes to Bert's family. He will be missed. On to the results... Friday Night Fights - Antwone Smith did his usual screaming and barking routine with every punch but that wasn't enough to overcome a good effort from Roberto Garcia. Garcia isn't likely to make a big splash any time soon, but he's good enough to overcome Smith-level tests and get in as a tune-up opponent for big names. Basically the same role that he played against Antonio Margarito prior the the Pacquiao bout. - James De La Rosa romped to a lopsided win over Tyrone Brunson. Brunson held a crazy first round knockout streak over a bunch of bums a few years ago and, as Scott Christ of Bad Left Hook put it "His bogus 19-fight, first round stoppage streak did absolutely nothing for him, and when he has to go on the defensive now, he really looks like he doesn't know what to do." De La Rosa is similar to Garcia in that he simply has too many liabilities to be a top guy, but he'll be able to earn some decent paydays if he's handled correctly going forward. ShoBox - Undefeated prospect Diego Magdaleno ran his record to 22-0 with a stoppage win over Fernando Beltran. Beltran was a late replacement and, with that in mind, gave a commendable performance. Magdaleno was too much or Fernando, but Beltran did manage to score a knockdown in the middle rounds. Unfortunately, that knockdown seemed to do little more than anger Magdaleno as the rising star turned up the heat and forced Beltran's corner to throw in the towel in the seventh. - Yordenis Ugas came in as the highly touted and undefeated promotional darling. Despite an abhorrent performance earlier this year on Friday Night Fights, Showtime continued to throw out the line of Ugas being a Cuban who fought more like a Mexican (meaning a Cuban with a storied amateur career who didn't fight the safe, amateur style in the pros but rather a face-first action style). Instead, he fought Johnny Garcia with the same reluctance to engage that he showed on that Friday night in January. While it appeared clear that Ugas had done enough to win on the scorecards, the judges instead rewarded Garcia with the controversial split decision victory. It's hard to really discuss the decision with any emotion. No one thought much of Garcia coming in. His undefeated record was more a product of fighting bums on the midwest circut and he earned his ShoBox chance with a win over a 10-27-1 fighter. He was there to be an opponent to get Ugas some more exposure and ring time. So it's hardly the usual case of the little guy getting screwed over. The decision went the wrong way, but Ugas probably should be blaming himself for not coming out and pushing the pace against an inferior fighter. Bad Left Hook: Erik Morales Possibly Considering Retirement, Pondering Future HBO Championship Boxing - Erik Morales showed up to give everything he had against the much younger and favored Danny Garcia. In his prime, Morales would have ran through a man like Garcia, a talented fight but one seemingly lacking that "special" quality that defines the greats in this sport. Instead, Morales' toughness allowed him to fight Garcia more or less even until the championship rounds where a steady diet of body shots had seemed to sap Erik's energy. A crushing shot by Garcia left Morales on the mat and while he was able to recover, he was never quite the same as Garcia took the last rounds to claim a deserved decision victory and the WBC light welterweight title. For Morales, it may be the end of the road. He said that he will have to "really think about it" when asked if he would be retiring after the fight. Erik missed weight, unusual for him, and was forced to vacate the title that Garcia earned with the victory. This had people questioning if his heart is even in it anymore. But once Morales gets between the ropes, there is no denying his heart is filled with nothing but the love of being in a good scrap. If this is the end of the road for him, one can only hope people remember how truly great Morales is. One of the absolute best to ever lace up a pair of gloves. - Unfortunately what Morales represents about all that is right in boxing came in the shadow of a reminder of that which is wrong. The opening bout on the broadcast saw James Kirkland, one of the best action fighters on the planet, beat Carlos Molina via a very bizarre disqualification. Molina appeared to be up wide on the scorecards using a befuddling style of clinching and potshotting to disrupt the timing of Kirkland. With Kirkland reduced to trying to single-shot his way to victory rather than unleashing his usual whirlwind of violence, Molina was able to pick his way through the rounds. Somehow, despite looking completely out of sorts to that point, Kirkland landed a shot in the tenth round that floored Molina with just seconds left in the frame. Molina was able to climb to his feet, but as the referee issued a standing eight count, one of his cornermen accidentally entered the ring. Referee Jon Schorle told the cornerman to get out, finished the eight-count and then sent the fighters to their corners for the round break. Mere seconds later, Schorle waived his arms over his head, indicating the end of the bout prior to the start of the eleventh round. He had disqualified Molina for his corner entering the ring during a live round. While correct by the "letter of the law" it was an unnecessarily strict interpretation of the rules given that it was the Texas commission (which has members in each corner enforcing rules) who allowed the second to enter the ropes. Given the end of round confusion, there was no need to disqualify Molina for something that had no impact on the fight itself. What's worse, Molina looked to be fading while Kirkland was getting worked up and had scored the knockdown. With two rounds left to go, it's possible that Kirkland was just as robbed of a legitimate knockout in the final rounds as Molina was of trying to get to the final bell and take a decision. Of course, judge Gale Van Hoy, little more than a professional thief, stealing wins from deserving boxers, inexplicably had Kirkland ahead at the time of the stoppage. So who knows what would have happened had it gone to the scorecards after two more rounds. Only in Texas, I suppose. Bad Left Hook: Spotlight On Texas After Another Miscarriage Of Justice NBC Sports Fight Night - Bryant Jennings proved that he is one of the few American heavyweights worth keeping an eye on as he stopped former world champion Siarhei Liakhovich to improve to 12-0. Jennings appeared to take every round from Liakhovich, really busting up his face over the course of the fight and forcing Siarhei to quit. - Tomasz Adamek won a wild brawl with Nagy Aguilera in a fight that stuck out as the best of the weekend. Adamek won wide on the scorecards but had to truly earn it as Aguilera mixed it up with him and even had him rattled a few times. Aguilera was more live in this fight than expected and it made Adamek work just enough to turn into a fun slugfest that had the crowd really going. - The crowd was able to keep on going as hometown boy Zab Judah demolished a lost and overmatched Vernon Paris. Paris was the favorite coming in but hardly had a single moment worth noting all night. Judah's speed and power left Paris impotently covering up while waves of Zab offense crashed on his face eroding his will. In the ninth, Zab opened up with a big combination that left Paris covering up and about to fall, forcing the referee to call a stop to the bout and save Paris any further punishment (and embarrassment). It was the best Judah performance in years but it's worth noting that Paris didn't do the one thing people expected and the one thing that always seems to bother Judah, he simply didn't come forward. Judah has always crumbled under the weight of a pressure attack, instead Paris tried to be cute and pick his spots to box, which amounted to little more than making the decision to let Zab tee off on him. This likely lines Zab up for yet another shot at a title, but we'll have to see if that means anything the next time he steps through the ropes.

Posted in: fight, round, garcia, morale, molina

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

The Ultimate Fighter Brasil started the season out on the right note last night with an elimination round full of scintillating scraps including a number of brutal knockouts and vicious submissions. Not only was the presence of talent clearly evident, but the fighters also showed a great deal of personality ranging from enthusiastic youngsters to self-admitted villains to seasoned competitors simply happy to have an opportunity to finally shine inside the Octagon. Of the many highlights, not counting the inclusion of profanity based on different standards on Brazilian television and its American counterpart, were seven opening round stoppages. Well-known veterans Delson Heleno and Rodrigo Damm were also among the group of sixteen earning a spot in the house. TUF Brasil marks the first international version of the hit reality show, featuring Brazilian legends Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva coaching competing teams comprised of featherweights/middleweights. Silva-Belfort, as well as the divisional finalists, will then face off this summer at UFC 147 in Rio de Janeiro. The show is available for streaming through the UFC’s website with new episodes every Sunday at midnight EST. Here is a complete rundown of results with the first eight involving featherweights and the second group middleweights: Rony Mariano def. Dileno Lopes by TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Godofredo de Oliveira def. Johnny Goncalves by Submission Round 1 (Triangle Choke) Hugo “Wolverine” Viana def. Alexandre Ramos by TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Rodrigo Damm def. Fabricio Guerrero by Submission Round 2 (Rear-Naked Choke) Wagner Campos def. Fernando Guerra by Unanimous Decision Anistavio Medeiros def. Rafael Bueno by Unanimous Decision John ‘Macapa’ Teixeira def. Giovanni Souza Jr. by Submission Round 1 (Armbar) Marcos Vinicius Pancini def. Peter Noble by TKO Round 1 (Strikes) — Francisco Drinaldo def. Charles Maicon by TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Cezar Ferreira def. Gustavo Sampaio by submission Round 2 (Guillotine Choke) Daniel Sarafian def. Richardson Moreira by Unanimous Decision Sergio Moraes def. Thiago Rela by Submission Round 1 (Heel Hook) Thiago Perpetuo def. Joao Paulo De Souza by Unanimous Decision Delson Heleno def. Gilberto Galvao by Unanimous Decision Renee Forte def. Fabio Bolinho by Unanimous Decision Leonardo Teixeira def. Samuel Trindade by Unanimous Decision Tweet

Posted in: round, decision, tko, submission, strike

Read the full article at Fighters.com

The first international edition of The Ultimate Fighter got underway last night and featured the initial elimination round bouts held to determine this season’s cast members. For TUF: Brazil, the elimination round fights were contested over two, five-minute rounds with a sudden death round in place in case of any draws. UFC president Dana White, as well as coaches Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva, were in attendance to watch the proceedings. When all was said and done, the original field of thirty-two middleweight and featherweight fighters was pared down to sixteen. You can check out the full results below and don’t forget that TUF: Brazil is currently airing Stateside on Sunday nights via TUF.tv. Featherweight Rony “Jason” Mariano Bezerra defeated Dileno Lopes by TKO in round one Godofredo “Pepey” de Oliveira defeated Johnny Goncalves by submission (triangle choke) in round one Hugo “Wolverine” Viana defeated Alexandre Ramos by TKO in round one Rodrigo Damm defeated Fabricio de Assis Costa da Silva by submission (rear naked choke) in round two Wagner “Galeto” Campos defeated Fernando Duarte Guerra by decision Anistavio “Gasparzinho” Medeiros de Figueiredo defeated Rafael Bueno by decision John “Macapa” Teixeira defeated Giovanni da Silva Santos Jr. by submission with an armbar in round one Marcos Vinicius “Vina” Borges Pancini defeated Pedro Nobre by technical knockout in round one Middleweight Francisco Drinaldo defeated Charles Maicon by TKO in round one Cezar Ferreira defeated Gustavo Sampaio by submission (guillotine choke) in round two Daniel Sarafian defeated Richardson Moreira by decision Sergio Moraes defeated Thiago Rela by submission (heel hook) in round one Thiago ‘Bodao’ Perpetuo defeated Joao Paulo De Souza by decision Delson Heleno defeated Gilberto Galvao by decision Renee Forte defeated Fabio Bolinho by decision Leonardo Mafra Teixeira defeated Samuel Trindade by decision

Posted in: round, decision, submission, tuf brazil, richardson moreira

Read the full article at MMA Frenzy

One of the notable moments from the first episode of TUF Brazil? That photo of The Axe Murderer bragging about the size of his junk. The debut episode of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil aired last night, with Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort coaching featherweight and middleweight hopefuls. In case you missed it the first time, you can also watch the entire episode here. After the jump, quick results on the 16 fights from the show. Featherweights:- Rony Mariano def. Dileno Lopes by TKO Round 1- Godofredo de Oliveira def. Johnny Goncalves by Submission (Triangle Choke) Round 1- Hugo Viana def. Alexandre Ramos by TKO Round 1- Rodrigo Damm def. Fabricio Guerreiro by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) Round 2- Wagner Campos def. Fernando Guerra by Decision- Anistavio Medeiros def. Rafael Bueno by Decision- John Teixeira def. Giovanni Souza Jr. by Submission (Armbar) Round 1- Marcos Vinicius Pancini def. Peter Noble by TKO Round 1Middleweights:- Francisco Drinaldo def. Charles Maicon by TKO Round 1- Cezar Ferreira def. Gustavo Sampaio by Submission (Guillotine Choke) Round 2- Daniel Sarafian def. Richardson Moreira by Decision- Sergio Moraes def. Thiago Rela by Submission (Heel Hook) Round 1- Thiago Perpetuo def. Joao Paulo De Souza by Decision- Delson Heleno def. Gilberto Galvao by Decision- Renee Forte def. Fabio Bolinho by Decision- Leonardo Mafra Teixeira def. Samuel Trindade by Decision Three fighters from the World MMA Scouting Report won their bouts namely Rony Mariano, John Teixeira, and Thiago Perpetuo.

Posted in: round, decision, tko, submission, thiago

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Welcome to another edition of weekend warriors, your rundown of what happened while you were watching the state of Kentucky break out in a war over a round, orange ball. Bellator got to its lightweight final four. Watch the recap video above of Lloyd Woodard's fantastic win over Patricky Freire. (Seriously. It's worth your seven minutes.) Rick Hawn, an Olympic judo player, showed off striking skills with a TKO halfway through the first round. Brent Weedman advanced to the semifinals with a second-round submission of J.J. Ambrose. Thiago Michel rounds out the field after a split decision win over Rene Nazare. TUF Awkwardness This week's episode of "The Ultimate Fighter" started with last week's awkward fight pick. Since Dominick Cruz's team won the first fight, he had the next fight pick. When given the chance, he picked Justin Lawrence, the no. 1 pick from his own team. But he didn't name an opponent. Instead, Cruz asked Urijah Faber who he wanted to face Lawrence.

Posted in: round, secondround submission, lawrence advances, ball bellator, didnt name

Read the full article at Yahoo! Sports

The premiere episode of the first ever international edition of “The Ultimate Fighter” was a hell of a show. With 32 of Brazil’s top featherweights and middleweights competing to get into the house, fireworks were all but guaranteed. The show opened with scenes of Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo, Junior Dos Santos, Minotauro Nogueira, and Lyoto Machida as the narrator explained the growing popularity of MMA in Brazil. The 32 Brazilian fighters entered the HSBC Arena, walked into the empty octagon, and quickly began to familiarize themselves with their new surroundings. Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort entered from opposite ends of the arena and stood before the fighters. Dana White entered last, and all three took turns speaking to the fighters, but before the words could sink in, the first fight in “TUF Brazil” history, was under way. The first bout featured Rony Mariano Bezerra and Dileno Lopes. The two fighters exchanged leg kicks early, but it was Bezerra who, after a bit of hesitiation, clipped Lopes with a couple good punches before laying down some ground and pound. Lopes managed to survive and got back to his feet, but Bezerra landed a solid flying knee and followed it up with a few heavy shots to prompt the stoppage half way through the first round. Next up, Francisco Drinaldo faced off against Charles Maicon. The bout got off to a hellcaious start, and it didn’t last long. Drinaldo quickly hurt Maicon with a knee, threw him down, and finished him with vicious shots on the ground in under 15 seconds. In the third bout, two undefeated fighters. Godofredo Pepey and Johnny Goncalves stepped into the octagon. After a quick exchange, Pepey took his opponent to the ground with a very slick trip, but found himself on the bottom after a sweep. Wanting to prove he was adept on the ground, he locked in a triangle. He nearly found himself on the receiving end of a slam, but Goncalves just didn’t have enough in him to make it happen. Pepey perservered and kept the submission locked in, while working for an armbar as well. Ultimately, his patience paid off as he forced the tap at 1:23 of Round 1. In mere seconds, the cage was once again the center of attention as Cezar Ferreira and Gustavo Sampaio were going toe to toe. The story in this bout was the aggression of Ferreira, as he threw violent knees, threatened with submissions, and ultimately sliced up Sampaio with vicious elbows, which had Dana throwing expletives like it was nobody’s business. In the second round, the two exchanged heavy strikes, but ultimately, Cezar got his opponent to the ground and sunk in a fight ending guillotine choke. The Wolverine stepped into the cage next, as Hugo Viana took on Alexandre Ramos. Viana and Ramos both headhunted early, but all of that ended when Ramos attempted a flying triangle. Unable to finish the submission, he soon found himself underneath “The Wolverine”. Viana remained on top until 3:43 of the first round, when he put his opponent out cold with violent elbows. In the next contest, Daniel Sarafian took on Richardson Moreira. Sarafian was clearly the better striker, having his way with Moreria on the feet. After a failed heel hook attempt by Moreira, Sarafian ended up in mount. Moreira scrambled to his feet, but on the way up, ate an illegal knee. Two points were deducted immediately, but Wanderlei questioned the legitmacy of the affect it had on Moreira, who appeared to be milking it for extra rest. In the second round, Sarafian quickly found himself on top, and dominated with punches and elbows for the duration, winning a unanimous decision, despite the point deduction. Next up was Rodrigo Damm vs. Fabricio de Assis Costa da Silva. The two men, who were widely regarded as the favorites in the competition, went toe to toe throughout the fight, but Damm was not having much luck on the feet, so Rodrigo took his foe down and maintained top control for much of the first. In the second round, Damm got the fight to the ground once again, took his opponent’s back, and locked in a vicious neck crank to cause the tap. The action rolled on as Wagner Campos found himself matched up with Fernando Duarte Guerra. Campos was the aggressor throughout the fight, and clearly had the better hands, but the first round was lackluster to say the least. As the coaches became restless with the lack of action, they encouraged the fighters to finish. Fernando was hesitant to engage, and arguably lost both rounds. However, the fight, much to the shock of Dana White, went into the sudden death round. Much of the same ensued, as the two barely engaged. After the bell, the two fighters argued over Guerra’s gameplan, which ultimately was his downfall, as Campos was awarded the sudden death round, and advanced to the house. Two fighters who have only tasted defeat once stepped up to the plate next, as Sergio Moraes took on Thiago Rela. Rela went for a leg lock early, but he couldn’t secure it, and the two fighters were quickly engaged in a vicious striking battle on the ground. As the bout wore on, it was much of the same, but Moraes locked in a fight ending heel hook mid-way through the first round. Post fight, Moraes proclaimed “Damn it, I’m such a bitch” and laughed to himself. In Featherweight action, Anistavio Medeiros faced off against Rafael Bueno. In a fight that was as fast-paced as it was frustrating, Bueno attempted to pull guard several times, but constantly ended up getting held down and beat down. He did enough, however, to drag Medeiros into a sudden death round, but much of the same occured, and Medeiros was awarded the decision. Middleweights stepped up next when Joao Paulo de Souza and Thiago de Oliveira Perpetuo went at it for a hard-fought 10 minutes. After a brief exchange, the two fighters found themselves on the mat, exchanging strikes and submission attempts until the bell. Thiago took full control in the second, and continuously put De Souza on the mat, and pounded him violently. As the round ended, and the judges decision was rendered, de Souza couldn’t even get up to hear it, which was fine, as he was declared the loser after two rounds. Giovanni da Silva Santos Jr. and John Teixeira exchanged low blows to start their bout, but after the breaks, this fight was wild. A brief exchange on the feet was followed by a jiu-jitsu clinic as the combatants rolled, with Teixeria getting the better of the exchanges and getting the tap with a perfectly executed armbar. Two huge 185ers were locked in the octagon next as Delson Heleno squared off against Gilberto Galvao. The physically imposing middleweights fought hard throughout the first, but it was Heleno who got the better of his opponent, taking him down and dominating on the ground, ending the round with a neck crank attempt. The second was much of the same, as Heleno took Galvao down again, and easily controlled him on the ground, en route to a unanimous decision. Renee Forte and Fabio Luiz Vital da Costa had a rather lackluster first round, aside from some solid leg kicks and punches landed by Renee. However, in the second round, both men came hard, and each landed several powerful blows. Ultimately it was Renee who demonstrated the better striking, and that earned him the decision after two rounds. In the final featherweight bout, Marcos Vinicius Borges Pancini squared off against Pedro Nobre. The two engaged quickly, but Marcos made short work of Nobre. Having been dropped early by a right, Nobre got back to his feet, only to be dropped again by two violent punches. No ground and pound was necessary, as the ref stepped in 0:43 of the first round. In the final fight of the evening, undefeated Leonardo Mafra Teixeira faced off against once-beaten Samuel Trindade. Teixeira demonstrated some good striking early, and even dropped Trindade with a solid right hand. Trindade attempted to take the fight to the ground, but it was clear that Teixeira had no intentions of going there. The second round had much of the same, as Teixeira dominated on the feet, stayed off of the ground, and punished Trindade, wobbling him several times. After 10 minutes, Teixeira couldn’t put away his opponent, and the fight went into the sudden death round. In the third, the two exhausted middleweights exchanged blows, and once again, Trindade found himself on the receiving end of some heavy leather. Falling into takedown attempts, he finally secured one with 20 seconds to go in the bout, and even threatened with a triangle choke, but it was too late, as the judges awarded the decision to Teixeira. Dana, Vitor, and Wanderlei congratulated the 16 fighters who made it into the house, and the fighters celebrated their victories. Vitor and Wanderlei informed the fighters that it is their duty to do their best, and that they do represent the best fighters in Brazil, as the inaugural episode of “TUF Brazil” came to an end. Featherweight Results Rony Mariano def. Dileno Lopes by TKO Round 1 Godofredo de Oliveira def. Johnny Goncalves by Submission (Triangle Choke) Round 1 Hugo Viana def. Alexandre Ramos by TKO Round 1 Rodrigo Damm def. Fabricio Guerrero by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) Round 2 Wagner ‘Galeto’ Campos def. Fernando Guerra by Decision Anistavio Medeiros def. Rafael Bueno by Decision John ‘Macapa’ Teixeira def. Giovanni Souza Jr. by Submission (Armbar) Round 1 Marcos ‘Vina’ Vinicius Pancini def. Peter Noble by TKO Round 1 Middleweight Results Francisco Drinaldo def. Charles Maicon by TKO Round 1 Cezar Ferreira def. Gustavo Sampaio by Submission (Guillotine Choke) Round 2 Daniel Sarafian def. Richardson Moreira by Decision Sergio Moraes def. Thiago Rela by Submission (Heel Hook) Round 1 Thiago ‘Bodao’ Perpetuo def. Joao Paulo De Souza by Decision Delson Heleno def. Gilberto Galvao by Decision Renee Forte def. Fabio Bolinho by Decision Leonardo Mafra Teixeira def. Samuel Trindade by Decision

Posted in: fight, fighter, round, decision, ground

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A pair of promising English middleweights took center stage at BAMMA 9. From National Indoor Arena in Birmingham Tom Watson (17-4) and Jack Marshman (10-1) shared the main event spotlight. The younger Marshman came in as a highly touted UK prospect while Watson took the bout after a ten month injury layoff. Watson set the pace and slowed down a fast charging Marshman with well-timed punches and leg kicks. In round two a brutal spinning back elbow from Watson left Marshman dazed. On the mat Watson controlled Marshman and looked to finish him in the final moments of round two. Watson closed the show with a barrage of punches and elbows that Marshman could not escape from. The official time of the TKO in favor of Watson came at the 4:50 point of round two. Watson has won 11 of his past 12 fights since 2008. The 27 year old Watson has already notched resume building wins over Matt Horwich and Murlio Rua in his career. Watson has earned the right to compete in the UFC or Bellator before the end of 2012. Still just 22 years of age Marshman has plowed through regional competition on his way to a perfect record. A British paratrooper Marshman's nine career stoppage wins make him easy to book on the UK MMA scene. Marshman should keep up an active schedule in 2012 and seek out another win over a season veteran to bolster his case for an eventual call-up to the UFC or Bellator. Both Watson and Marshman are ranked in the top eight of the latest ULTMMA.com middleweight prospect rankings. BAMMA 9 Watson vs. Marshman resultsBirmingham, England Tom Watson def. Jack Marshman by TKO (Punches) 4:50 R2Colin Fletcher def. Jason Ball Decision (Unanimous) Jason Jones def. Przemyslaw Mysiala by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) 3:51 R1Jake Murphy def. David Round Submission Rear Naked Choke 1:40 R2Patrick Vallee def. Andrew Punshon by Submission Armbar 2:16 R2Tom Breese def. Mark Tucker by KO (Knee to the Body) 1:40 R2Dale Hardiman def. Antanas Jazbutis by Decision (Unanimous)Lee Barnes def. Matt Ewin by Submission Guillotine Choke 4:57 R2Rab Truesdale def. Sam Mensah by TKO (Elbows) 4:32 R1Mark Godbeer def. Catalin Zmarandescu by TKO (Corner Stoppage) 5:00 R1Luke Barnatt def. Lee Johnson by Submission Rear Naked Choke 2:36 R1

Posted in: round, tko, watson, marshman, uk prospect

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UFC and TUF veteran, Kevin Ferguson who is more known as Kimbo Slice had his fourth professional boxing fight last night. He took on Brian Green, a middleweight Mixed Martial Arts fighter who stepped in on short notice to face the much bigger fighter. Green, who has a 27-17 record competing at 185 lbs. in MMA, officially weighed in at 223 lbs. Slice on the other hand tipped the scales at 245.6 lbs. Related: Kimbo Slice Gets Even Smaller Replacement Opponent For March 24 Bout He may be severely undersized, and may not have the luxury of having a full training camp, but he still gave the former YouTube sensation a run for his money. Green, using his speed advantage, constantly landed hard shots throughout the fight and was clearly winning on the judges scorecards after the first three rounds. Coming to the last round of their 4-round fight though, Green, who took the fight on a few days notice, looked to have slowed down considerably. He was still able to land his share of power shots, but Green looked completely spent, and Slice was able to capitalize on the last seconds. Kimbo landed an uppercut, which dropped him to end the fight with only 3 seconds remaining. With the victory, the 38-year-old Slice improves his pro-boxing record to 4-0. He's clearly not the "injection to the heavyweight division" that the Shaws have been claiming, but it's nice to see him still 'getting his bread' and making the most of his opportunities given his skill level. Watch the video after the jump. Fourth Round KO: First three rounds:

Posted in: fight, round, kimbo slice, slice, kimbo

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One of the undisputed legends of boxing, Mexican warrior Erik Morales, will look to continue his unexpected resurgence tonight (March 24, 2012) against unbeaten Puerto Rican Danny Garcia at The Reliant Center in Houston, Texas. In addition, high-octane junior Middleweight fighters Carlos Molina and James Kirkland will be out to build off of their impressive upsets of Kermit Cintron and Alfredo Angulo by beating the tar out of one another. MMAmania will have LIVE coverage of the event, starting with the HBO broadcast at 10:15 EST. Morales, 35, is best known for his legendary trilogy with Marco Antonio Barrera and his victory over Manny Pacquiao, which many consider the only time a prime Pacquiao ever tasted defeat. After a horrendous 1-5 stretch that included two straight stoppage losses to Pacquiao, the best days of "El Terrible" seemed behind him. Unexpectedly, he gave Argentine knockout machine Marcos Maidana an incredible fight, taking the hard-hitting bruiser 12 rounds despite one eye swelling shut in the early going. After that bout, he defeated Pablo Cesar Cano to become the first-ever Mexican four-division champion. He would be defending his WBC title this evening, however, he weighed in two pounds over the junior Welterweight limit and was stripped of his belt. However, Garcia can still get the belt by defeating Morales in the squared circle. Check out out LIVE "Morales vs. Garcia" results and live play-by-play after the jump: Junior Welterweight Championship: Erik Morales vs. Danny Garcia Junior Middleweight: James Kirkland vs. Carlos Molina WBC Junior Welterweight Championship: Erik Morales vs. Danny Garcia Round One: Round Two: Round Three: Round Four: Round Five: Round Six: Round Seven: Round Eight: Round Nine: Round Ten: Round Eleven: Round Twelve: Final Result: -end- Junior Middleweight: James Kirkland vs. Carlos Molina Round One: Round Two: Round Three: Round Four: Round Five: Round Six: Round Seven: Round Eight: Round Nine: Round Ten: Final Result: -end-

Posted in: result, round, vs, garcia, morale

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Russian heavyweight Ruslan Magomedov steamrolled former UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez on Friday night in the headlining mixed martial arts bout of United Glory 15, held at the Dynamo Sports Palace in Moscow, Russia. Magomedov, a late replacement for fellow UFC veteran Denis Stojnic, peppered Rodriguez at-will on the feet and defended a slew of lethargic takedown attempts with ease to claim a unanimous judge's decision (30-27, x3). The loss marks another rough patch for the 34-year-old Rodriguez, who falls to 1-6 over his last seven bouts following a roller-coaster twelve-fight win streak. Magomedov, meanwhile, ups his record to 7-1 in his first action in eight months. In the night's featured kickboxing match, Semmy Schilt returned from an almost two-year layoff to overwhelm a game Brice Guidon and earn the unanimous judges' nod. A K-1 legend and four-time World Grand Prix champion, Schilt used his significant range advantage to perfection, battering Guidon from distance and knocking him down multiple times throughout the latter rounds to earn his first victory since the 2010 K-1 Grand Prix semi-finals. Elsewhere on the card, Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix semi-finalist Sergei Kharitonov dominated American upstart Mark Miller early, finding his mark with swarming combinations before mercifully ending the bout with monstrous right hook two minutes into the first round. The match marked Kharitonov's first appearance since his tournament loss to Josh Barnett, and moves the 31-year-old Russian to 3-2 for his occasional forays into kickboxing. United Glory 15: ‘World Series 2012' results can be seen below. Mixed Martial Arts: Ruslan Magomedov def. Ricco Rodriguez via unanimous decisionIlir Latifi def. Denis Bogdanov via submission (Americana) at 1:50 of round 1Gasan Umalatov def. Anatoly Safronov via submission (guillotine choke) at :51 of round 1Murad Machaev def. Cesario di Domenico via unanimous decision Kickboxing: Semmy Schilt def. Brice Guidon via unanimous decisionErrol Zimmerman def. Jerome Le Banner via TKO (knockdowns) in round 1Sergei Kharitonov def. Mark Miller via KO (punch) in round 1Ali Cenik def. Sergej Maslobojev via decisionZabit Samedov def. Igor Jurkovic via unanimous decisionJamal Ben Saddik def. Vitaly Oparin via TKO in round 1Dzhabar Askerov def. Maxim Vyrovski via split decision (overtime)Nieky Holzken def. David Kyria via unanimous decision

Posted in: mark, round, decision, rodriguez, magomedov

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Bellator 62 continued the Bellator Fighting Championship's sixth season last night (March 23, 2012) from the Laredo Energy Arena in Laredo, Texas. The original main event, a heavyweight finale between Thiago Santos and Eric Prindle was once again cancelled at the last minute, this time for good. Thankfully, the Bellator season six lightweight tournament competitors more than made up for it, putting on a tremendous show, no one more impressive than massive underdog Lloyd Woodard in the de facto main event against Patricky "Pitbull" Freire. "Pitbull" was expected to be a favorite to win the entire tournament after a trio of high profile 2011 knockouts, but he got more than he bargained for in the upset-minded Woodard. Both men traded knockdowns, takedowns and big strikes in a blistering back-and-forth first round which had the crowd on its feet. In the second, Freire and Woodard exchanged heavily, but after a big knee landed for Woodard, he took the fight to the ground and latched on a Kimura. Despite Freire's best attempts to roll to safety, the Montanan finished off the hold and forced "Pitbull" to tap out in one of 2012's best fights thus far. To check out a .gif of Woodward's arm-twisting, fight-ending submission click here. The rest of the main card was loaded with some equally compelling finishes. Former Bellator Welterweight tournament finalist Rick Hawn, dropping down to 155 pounds for the first time in his career, made an extremely strong impression in his bout against talented Brazilian Ricardo Tirloni. Hawn stalked Tirloni throughout the first round, unconcerned with the bevy of leg kicks he was absorbing from the retreating Brazilian. Once he had Tirloni cornered, Hawn struck with a devastating right hand which sent Tirloni crashing to the canvas. After following up with a flurry of ground and pound which put Tirloni's lights out, Hawn was on to the semifinals. Also making his lightweight debut was Kentuckian Brent Weedman, who'd come up short twice in 2011 in consecutive welterweight tournaments. Weedman also made his mark, dropping opponent J.J. Ambrose within the first 30 seconds of the fight but he was unable to secure a finish in the opening round. After nearly getting caught in a D'Arce choke in the second frame, Weedman turned the tables when Ambrose refused to release his neck and locked in a Von Flue choke from side control which caught everyone off guard and forced Ambrose to call it quits. Lastly, in the opening bout of the main card, Thiago Michel and Rene Nazare engaged in a spirited affair which featured two distinctly different styles. Nazare, after eating some big shots early, clearly wanted to take the fight to the ground and work his world class submission game while Michel wanted to showcase his superior kickboxing attack. Michel was able to keep the fight standing for the majority of the first round and all of the second but he got a little overconfident in the third round, seemingly attempting to coast to victory which enabled Nazare to land a big takedown and ride out the round from top position while working for strikes and even potential submission attempts. Due to his lackadaisical third round, Michel barely ended up squeaking by with a split decision victory despite the fact that he was clearly in control for much of the fight. During the post-fight press conference, it was announced that Michel will battle Weedman and Hawn will fight Woodard at the loaded Bellator show in Cleveland on April 20th. For complete Bellator 62 results and detailed round-by-round commentary of all the televised fights click here. So what did you think, Maniacs? Were you impressed by the two welterweights who dropped down? How big of an upset was Lloyd Woodard's submission of Patricky Pitbull? Who's your favorite to take home the tournament title now? Sound off!

Posted in: fight, bellator, round, hawn, woodard

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Bellator 62 may have lost its main event at the last second after heavyweight Thiago Santos failed to make the required limit for his bout with Eric Prindle but the card certainly didn’t suffer, as all four lightweight fights were memorable for various reasons and likely kept viewers glued to their sets throughout the two-hour broadcast. Capping things off was Lloyd Woodard’s surprising submission finish of Patricky Freire who came out swinging, hurting “Cupcake” early and seemingly being en route to a stoppage before the Montana native battled back in the second round to end things with a Kimura. The submission loss was the first in Freire’s career and ended his run at a rematch with champion Michael Chandler. Also worth mentioning, Rick Hawn and Brent Weedman looked solid in their 155-pound debuts after opening eyes as welterweights in previous tournament action. Hawn picked up a devastating knockout win over Ricardo Tirloni in the opening round of action while Weedman finished JJ Ambrose with a unique Shoulder Choke. Also joining Hawn, Weedman, and Woodard was newcomer Thiago Michel who took home a Split Decision over Rene Nazare. A Look at the Bellator Season 6 Lightweights Semifinal scraps will involve Hawn vs. Woodard and Michel vs. Weedman. Read below for a full list of Bellator 62 results: Luis Vega def. Sonny Luque via Submission Round 1 (Arm-Triangle Choke) Chris Jones def. Steven Peterson via Split Decision Rad Martinez def. Douglas Frey via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Sean Spencer def. Joseph Daily via Submission Round 2 (Rear-Naked Choke) Dave Jansen def. Jacob Kirwan via Unanimous Decision Thiago Michel def. Rene Nazare via Split Decision Brent Weedman def. JJ Ambrose via Submission Round 2 (Shoulder Choke) Rick Hawn def. Ricardo Tirloni via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Lloyd Woodard def. Patricky “Pitbull” Freire via Submission Round 2 (Kimura) Tweet

Posted in: round, decision, submission, hawn, weedman

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Bellator’s lightweight division headlined the Bellator 62 fight card in Laredo, Texas. The lightweights did not disappoint with some intense action. The event aired on MTV2 and EPIX HD. Tonight marked the first time event that Bellator aired the entire card live on Spike.com. In the bout’s main event, Lloyd Woodard pulled off a stunning upset by defeating Patricky Freire. Woodard came out with relentless aggression in both rounds and took some brutal shots from Freire in the process. In the second round, Woodard took a nasty shot from Freire but caught the Brazilian with a knee. Freire went for an armbar but in the ensuing scramble found himself caught in north/south position. Woodard attacked with a kimura and the Brazilian was forced to tap as his elbow popped. In other action, US olympic judoka Rick Hawn made his lightweight debut in explosive fashion. Opponent Ricardo Tirloni came in the cage intent on knocking out the judoka with his Muay Thai and he had some early success. That success was short lived however, as Hawn threw a nasty right hand that leveled the Brazilian fighter. Tirloni tried to recover but Hawn finished him with hammerfists. After the fight, Tirloni tried to protest the stoppage but that point as moot considering that he almost knocked the referee with an upkick in the fog of his knockout. In the second fight of the night, Brent Weedman made a successful lightweight debut by choking out J.J. Ambrose with an impressive Von Flue choke after Ambrose tried a guillotine. In the opening fight of the night, Rene Nazare seemed gun-shy for two rounds after the first loss of career in previous fight. When Nazare finally got something going it was too little too late for the Brazilian fighter. His opponent, Thiago Michel, utilized strong striking to give Nazare fits. With the win, Michel advances to the semifinals. MAIN CARD RESULTS (MTV2 and EPIX HD) Lightweight quarterfinal - Lloyd Woodard def. Patricky “Pitbull” Freire via submission (kimura) – Round 2, 1:46 – lightweight-tourney opening round Lightweight quarterfinal – Rick Hawn def. Ricardo Tirloni via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:36 Lightweight quarterfinal - Brent Weedman def. J.J. Ambrose via submission (Von Flue choke) – Round 2, 3:26 Lightweight quarterfinal - Thiago Michel def. Rene Nazare via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) PRELIMINARY CARD RESULTS (Spike.com) Joseph Daily vs. Sean Spencer Luis Vega def. Sonny Luque via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 3:43 Chris Jones def. Steven Peterson via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28) Dave Jansen def. Jacob Kirwan via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) Rad Martinez def. Douglas Frey via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:08  

Posted in: fight, round, freire, hawn, woodard

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As with every major show, Bloody Elbow will be here to bring you live results, play by play and commentary for Bellator 60. Our live coverage will start with MTV 2 broadcast (8 p.m. ET) so make sure to make Bloody Elbow your home for this event. We will not be doing play-by-play of the undercard, but you can discuss those fights in the comments as well. That undercard stream runs on Bellator.com and Spike.com and begins at 7 p.m ET. The very strange Eric Prindle and Thiago Santos saga is finally over and done with. Santos missed weight and Prindle wins (by default) the heavyweight tournament and the title shot against Cole Konrad, Bellator's reigning HW champion. As consolation, we get the rather stacked Season Six lightweight tournament as our main card for the night. The main event consists of last year's lightweight tournament finalist, Patricky "Big Pitbull" Freire (10-2) against Lloyd "Cupcake" Woodard (11-1). Getting second billing will be former welterweight and Olympic judoka, Rick Hawn (11-1) battling against Ricardo Tirloni (14-1), who was anointed the #2 lightweight prospect in the 2011 Scouting Report. Brent Weedman (18-7), another welterweight dropping down to LW, will fight J.J. Ambrose (17-3, 1 NC), a California striking fanatic. The fourth set of match-ups (and the television opener) has Thiago Michel (9-2), the #1 LW prospect from the 2011 Report, fighting against Rene Nazare (10-1). This is one solid card - even without the heavyweight headliner. Join me here in the comments and let's have a rollicking good time tonight. Thiago Michel vs. Rene Nazare Season 6 Lightweight Quarterfinal Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: J.J. Ambrose vs. Brent Weedman Season 6 Lightweight Quarterfinal Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Rick Hawn vs. Ricardo Tirloni Season 6 Lightweight Quarterfinal Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Patricky Freire vs. Lloyd Woodard Season 6 Lightweight Quarterfinal Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

Posted in: season, round, vs, quarterfinal, woodard

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MMAFrenzy’s Tournament of Upsets moves on to Round 2. After a strong first round with several close battles, we are down to the quarterfinals. We judged the upsets on the basis of fight odds, skills, fighter ranks, and the surprise factor. We tried to minimize a hindsight bias by focusing on where these fighters were at in their careers at the time of the upsets rather than where they are now. Voting will be open all weekend with the semifinals being announced Monday.   Loading…

Posted in: round, upset, surprise factor, hindsight bias, upsets moves

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Bellator Fighting Championships returns TONIGHT (March 23, 2012) to the Laredo Energy Arena in Laredo, Tx., with a new tournament. MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of Bellator 62 below, beginning with the MTV2 telecast at 8 p.m. ET. In addition, we'll deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the undercard action much earlier in the evening. The original main event, a heavyweight tournament finals bout between Eric Prindle and Thiago Santos had to be scratched at the last minute for the second time after Santos failed to make weight and Prindle was awarded the tournament title without having to fight. Stepping into headlining status will be the Bellator season six lightweight tournament fight between season four combatants Patricky Freire and Lloyd Woodard. Also on the main card will be the remainder of the lightweight tournament which features a pair of former welterweight tournament participants who are dropping down in Rick Hawn, who will fight Brazilian Ricardo Tirloni and Brent Weedman, who will battle Tiger Muay Thai fighter J.J. Ambrose. Lastly, opening up the main card will be a terrific stylistic match-up between Brazilian striker Thiago Michel and submission specialist Rene Nazare. Complete Bellator 62 results and play-by-play are after the jump: Main Card 155 lbs.: Patricky Freire vs. Lloyd Woodard 155 lbs.: Rick Hawn vs. Ricardo Tirloni 155 lbs.: Thiago Michel vs. Rene Nazare 155 lbs.: J.J. Ambrose vs. Brent Weedman Preliminary Card (Spike.com) 170 lbs.: Sonny Luque vs. Luis Vega 145 lbs.: Rad Martinez vs. Douglas Frey170 lbs.: Joseph Daily vs. Sean Spencer 145 lbs.: Steven Peterson vs. Chris Jones155 lbs.: Dave Jansen vs. Jacob Kirwan Hemmi here. I'll be providing the play-by-play of the main card. 155 lbs.: Patricky Freire vs. Lloyd Woodard Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: -end- 155 lbs.: Rick Hawn vs. Ricardo Tirloni Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: -end- 155 lbs.: Thiago Michel vs. Rene Nazare Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: -end- 155 lbs.: J.J. Ambrose vs. Brent Weedman Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: -end-

Posted in: result, round, vs, tournament, lb

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Barring any late-night problems, we will finally see the conclusion to the Bellator heavyweight tournament from season five Friday night at Bellator 62. After having their first match end in a no-contest, Eric Prindle and Thiago Santos were forced off last Friday’s card due to Prindle falling ill with flu-like symptoms. Now, the two are set to compete in the main event from Laredo, Texas this evening live on MTV2 beginning at 8 p.m. ET. The official weigh-ins for the card took place earlier today, and nearly all fighters were cleared for action. Joseph Daily came in over for his contest with Sean Spencer at welterweight, but was working to cut the necessary weight later in the night. As a reminder, MMA Convert will have complete coverage of Bellator 62 Friday night. Make sure you check back for all your MMA news and results. BELLATOR 62 Main Card (MTV2) •Eric Prindle (xxx lbs.) vs. Thiago Santos (xxx lbs.) (season-five heavyweight-tourney final rematch) •Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (155.6 lbs.) vs. Lloyd Woodard (154.8 lbs.) (lightweight-tourney opening round) •J.J. Ambrose (xxx lbs.) vs. Brent Weedman (xxx lbs.) (lightweight-tourney opening round) •Rick Hawn (155.6 lbs.) vs. Ricardo Tirloni (155.2 lbs.) (lightweight-tourney opening round) •Thiago Michel (154.8 lbs.) vs. Rene Nazare (155.8 lbs.) (lightweight-tourney opening round) Preliminary Card (Spike.com) •Sonny Luque (xxx lbs.) vs. Luis Vega (xxx lbs.) •Douglas Frey (145.6 lbs.) vs. Rad Martinez (145.8 lbs.) •Cosmo Alexander (xxx lbs.) vs. Oscar de la Parra (xxx lbs.) •Joseph Daily (173.2 lbs.) vs. Sean Spencer (170 lbs.) •Steven Peterson (145.2 lbs.) vs. Chris Jones (145.8 lbs.) •Dave Jansen (155.8 lbs.) vs. Jacob Kirwan (155.4 lbs.)

Posted in: bellator, round, vs, lb, xxx

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For those wondering what was next for Jake Ellenberger and Martin Kampmann, you now have an answer, courtesy of FX's the Ultimate Fighter website: Two top welterweights will wage war over five rounds in the TUF Live Finale main event, UFC president Dana White announced today. Verbal agreements are in for a June 1 matchup between Martin "The Hitman" Kampmann will take on Jake "The Juggernaut" Ellenberger. Ellenberger (27-5) is coming off a decision victory against Diego Sanchez, which was awarded the Fight of the Night and subsequent bonus. Kampmann (19-5) touts a late submission victory over Thiago Alves, which earned him the Submission of the Night bonus. With this five round battle of recent event headliners now set, both men are likely thinking about title shots after this fight - although neither will be an easy obstacle for the other to overcome. As a TUF Finale main event, this is likely to end the night on a terrific note although neither Ellenberger nor Kampmann are involved in the filming of either FX's TUF or Brazil's TUF.

Posted in: ellenberger, round, event, tuf, kampmann

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In honor of the “weekend of upsets” in the Men’s NCAA Basketball tournament, MMAFrenzy is taking a look back at some of the biggest upsets in MMA history. What started as a simple top ten list morphed into a full-blown 32-fight bracket. While no list is perfect, these were the top 32 upsets the staff agreed on. Voting on the first round will last two days, with the second round beginning Friday. We judged the upsets on the basis of fight odds, skills, fighter ranks, and the surprise factor. We tried to minimize a hindsight bias by focusing on where these fighters were at in their careers at the time of the upsets rather than where they are now. Again, voting on the first round will last two days, with the second round beginning Friday.   Loading…

Posted in: round, mma history, upset, surprise factor, hindsight bias

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The UFC officially announced today on their website the anticipated rematch between flyweights Ian McCall and Demetrious Johnson. The two remaining semifinalist in the first-ever UFC flyweight tournament will face one another at UFC on FX 3 on June 8th. No date or venue has been set for the event, however, fans will decide those details as part of the Hometown Throwdown contest. Just like their first meeting, the rematch between McCall and Johnson will also have a sudden-death fourth round in the event of a draw after the first three rounds. McCall and Johnson first fought at UFC on FX 2 in Sydney, Australia. In a tightly-contested contest, Johnson was initially declared to be the winner via majority decision. However, at the post-fight press conference it was announced by UFC President Dana White the score cards totals were incorrectly arithmetically added. Craig Waller, Executive Director of the Combat Sports Authority of New South Wales, added one round on one card as 10-9 rather than the actual 10-8. As a result, a fight that should've been a draw - and gone to a sudden-death fourth round - was declared a majority draw for Johnson. The winner of McCall vs. Johnson will face the finalist from the other side of the tournament bracket, Joseph Benavidez. The Team Alpha Male flyweight defeated Yasuhiro Urushitani the same evening to advance to the finals in the tournament.The UFC also announced for this card that Dustin Pague, season 14 contestant of 'The Ultimate Fighter', would face Jared Papazian in a bantamweight contest. Pague enters this bout having lost his UFC debut to John Albert via TKO at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale in December of 2011. Papazian also enters this bout on a loss, having dropped a majority decision to Mike Easton at UFC on FX 1 this past January.

Posted in: ufc, fx, round, johnson, mccall

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Like their first meeting, a rematch between featherweight-tourney participants Ian McCall and Demetrious Johnson will be contested over three rounds when they meet in June at UFC on FX 3. But unlike their first meeting, a sudden-victory fourth round will, in fact, be used if the fight is declared a draw after three rounds. MMAjunkie.com today confirmed the plans with event sources following the UFC's announcement of the rematch earlier today.

Posted in: ufc, round, demetrious johnson, event sources, ufcs announcement

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DARE Championship, Thailand's only professional mixed martial arts (MMA) organization, was formed last year and is already going from strength to strength. The card for the fourth event was the best to date, featuring 14 fighters from the region all of whom had professional experience and headlined by the historic clash between Arnaud Lepont (above) and Krzysztof Hajtalowicz. Both Lepont and Hajtalowicz are long-term residents of Thailand, although the Frenchman recently moved to Malaysia to join the team of Muayfit. Hajtalowicz, from Poland, booked his spot in the quarter finals of the DARE welterweight tournament courtesy of a second round submission win over Wiktor Svensson, while Lepont got past Jian Kai Chee. The fight between the two was the most eagerly anticipated MMA match ever held in Thailand and a capacity crowd gathered at the Insomnia Night Club to see which of these two warriors would book their spot in the semifinals and take a step closer to winning the $125,000 prize money. Loud music and lasers were the order of the day as the fans were treated to the sort of intense audio visual experience that they have come to associate with DARE. Hajtalowicz has won numerous Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions and is renowned for his ground game, while Lepont has more experience in the cage and has a reputation as being an extremely aggressive fighter. The Frenchman landed a couple of hooks early in the fight and Hajtalowicz ended up on his back with Lepont doing some damage from within his guard. However the Polish fighter was extremely active and after multiple submission attempts was able to reverse the position. Lepont looked a little uncomfortable and ate a few hard shots but was able to survive strikes and submissions and work his way to his feet. Hajtalowicz obviously had a gameplan and used his superior height to clinch and land a series of devastating knees some of which connected clean with the face of the French fighter. It appeared that the Polish submission specialist was getting the better of the stand up exchanges as he clasped his hands around his opponent's neck and dominated him in the clinch, landing shots which seemed to leave Lepont on wobbly legs. A Hajtalowicz win seemed inevitable at this stage but just when Lepont looked a spent force he was able to somehow sink in a standing guillotine choke while defending a takedown. The fight veered spectacularly, as only an MMA contest can, mere seconds after he had seemed to be firmly in the driving seat Hajtalowicz found himself forced to tap as Lepont pulled guard and squeezed for all he was worth. It was an incredible come from behind performance which saw Lepont pull out the guillotine from nowhere just as he appeared to be on the brink of defeat. With his fifth consecutive win the French fighter improved to 8-1 and progressed to the semifinals, sending out the following warning: "I will never give up and as long as I am alive the fight is never over because I am prepared to die in the cage. I knew I was losing the round but I was patient and waited for my opportunity. People think he is going to beat me because he is good on the ground, but it is not jiu-jitsu it is MMA. He was very strong in the clinch, I didn't think he would have the balls to strike with me but he did. This is my last fight as a welterweight, it is not my natural weight and after this I will be dropping to 155 pounds." Also celebrating was up and coming Thai fighter Shannon Wiratchai who is winning himself a lot of fans with his fun fighting style and willingness to adapt and learn the MMA game. He took on TDR Panjabutra who was looking for a little vengeance after Wiratchai defeated his brother at DARE 2/11. Wiratchai was appearing in the cage for only the second time but already has a significant fan following in Thailand. He made a slow start not really coming to life until the closing seconds of the opening round when he launched a flurry of punches and kicks. The second round was a different story as Wiratchai landed a couple of perfectly timed counter hooks which rocked Panjabutra and allowed him to take the fight to the floor. From there he was able to work diligently to take his opponent's back and sink in a rear naked choke which forced the tap. The win saw Wiratchai progress to the semi finals of the featherweight tournament and put him two victories away from the $125,000 prize money. The other five fights where all in the opening round and saw five more fighters book quarter final spots. Mark Striegl is one of the most exciting young fighters in the region and the 23 year old Filipino showed why he is so highly rated by dominating Marko Huusansaari. The tenacious Finnish fighter showed off a sophisticated submission defence to survive an opening round which he spent almost entirely on his back but in round two he was finally forced to tap to a modified arm bar. Striegl's friend and training partner Will Chope (above) was fortunate to have been allowed to fight after missing weight by almost 5 kgs. In the end he was able to submit Saengchot Parkaiphet with a rear naked choke in the opening round and afterwards, to his credit, apologized profusely for his struggles with the scales. The rematch between Bruce Loh and Shodiyor Jurabekov ended in disappointment as Loh was unable to continue after damaging his hamstring after some exciting early exchanges. Alexandro Machado was out-powered by Kristoff Petersson who stopped him with strikes in round two while Dan Kerr was submitted by the significantly larger Andre Marcolla. Complete DARE Championship 2/12 Results: Shodiyor Jurabekov defeated Loh Kainkai via TKO (injury) Will TheKill Chope defeated Saengchot Parkaiphet via submission (rear naked choke) Shannon Cai defeated Tondamrong Panjabutra via submission (rear naked choke) Kristoffer Persson defeated Alexandro Machado via TKO (strikes) Mark Striegl defeated Marko Huusansaari via submission (modified armbar) Andre Marcolla defeated Daniel Kerr via submission (armbar) Arnaud "TheGame" Lepont defeated Krzysztof Hajtalowicz via submission (guillotine choke) For more information about DARE Championship visit: www.darefightsports.com.

Posted in: fighter, round, submission, lepont, hajtalowicz

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Alexander Emelianenko was back competing in Mother Russia this weekend (Fri., March 16, 2012), and this time he was able to last longer than 23 seconds. In fact, he was even able to score a stoppage of his own over Tadas Rimkevicius. The Heavyweight showdown was the centerpiece of M-1 Challenge 31 at the Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, which also featured former number one Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 265-pound contender, Jeff Monson, earning a split decision over Alexey Oleinik. Emelianenko, with is older brother Fedor Emelianenko in his corner, got into a back-and-forth brawl with the Lithuanian for most of the opening frame. He got the better of the exchanges for the most part, but was dropped with a big shot as it came to a close. Both men continued to battle in the second stanza until Rimkevicius seemingly had enough and waved off Emelianenko, tapping out to strikes while still upright. Weird. Monson, meanwhile, used every ounce of energy to take down Oleinik and implement his Brazilian jiu-jitsu game. It was a familiar "Snowman" strategy that won him the first and third rounds with the judges and zero points from the fans. Check out complete M-1 31 Challenge results after the jump: Alexander Emelianenko defeated Tadas Rimkevicius via technical knockout (strikes) in round two Jeff Monson defeated Alexey Oleinik via split decision Rashid Magomedov defeated Yasubey Enomoto via unanimous decision Alexander Yakovlev defeated Shamil Zavurov via technical knockout (retirement) in round three Deniss Smoldarev defeated Denis Komkin via split decision Abdulmajid Magomedov defeated Arthur Shumakov via submission (rear naked choke) in round one Vugar Bakhshiev defeated Jerome Bouisson via technical knockout (doctor's stoppage) in round two Marat Gafurov defeated David Kozma via submission (rear naked choke) in round two Ilya Doderkin defeated Alexey Martynov via submission (triangle choke) in round one Bruno Carvalho defeated Ramazan Esenbaev via split decision

Posted in: round, decision, emelianenko, monson, split

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Sergio Martinez, universally considered the number three-ranked pound-for-pound fighter behind Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., took on tough Irishman Matthew Macklin last night (March 17, 2012) at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. While Macklin had surprised many with his spirited effort against Felix Sturm, one which most considered enough to give him the win, few people expected him to have much to offer the champion on St. Patrick's Day. Well, those people were wrong. Then right. Then wrong again. Then very, very right. The slick Martinez started off the bout rather tentatively, dancing around on the outside and occasionally flicking out the jab, while Macklin pursued with heavy hooks. Aside from a short Martinez left that had Macklin reeling in the second round, the bout's early going was one of sound and fury, signifying nothing. After six close rounds, things then turned ugly. As the two tied up in the seventh round, awkward leg positioning caused Martinez to stumble from a Macklin right hand, and his own glove touched the canvas. The referee called it a knockdown, which made the already-close bout a dangerous one for the Argentinian superstar. He responded in the way a proper champion should: By turning up the heat. Martinez went on the attack, pressuring with his trademark left and doing more and more damage as time progressed. Near the end of the eleventh round, he connected with a missile of a left hand, sending Macklin tumbling down. The gritty challenger made it back to his feet, but another left hand crushed him at the bell. While he managed to get up and make it to his corner, he was deemed unfit to continue, granting Martinez his fourth consecutive stoppage victory. Not bad, "Maravilla," Not bad at all. In the first bout of the evening, hard-punching super middleweight prospects Edwin Rodriguez and Don George squared off in what had the potential to be a real slobberknocker. Sadly, "potential" alone doesn't pay the bills. Rodriguez expressed a desire before the bout to fight more technically, and he delivered. He kept his jab in George's face all night, throwing several dozen a round and keeping his hard-punching foe at bay. George just couldn't get close enough to land any of his heavy bombs and often found himself on the wrong end of slick combinations founded on those constant jabs. While he gave it his all, especially in a tenth round that saw him throw everything and the kitchen sink at Rodriguez, the latter's defense proved too solid. Rodriguez came away with a unanimous decision and his undefeated record intact in an active, but mediocre affair. For complete "Martinez vs. Macklin" results and play-by-play of the fight, as well as the under card action, click here.

Posted in: bout, round, martinez, rodriguez, macklin

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After two days of rigorous tournament action, the finals of the 2012 NCAA Wrestling Championships took place tonight (Sat., March 17) and Penn State wrapped up the tournament by winning three individual championships en route to the team championship. It's the schools second straight team championship under coach Cael Sanderson. Minnesota finished as runner up, with Iowa and Cornell coming in right behind them, but really this tournament was all about the Nittany Lions, as they sent a stunning five wrestlers through to the finals. To get up to date on how we got to tonight's finals, make sure you check out our comprehensive coverage of Days 1 (session one and session two) and Day 2 (session one and session two). Here's how the finals played out, with a brief breakdown of all the matches: 125 Final:Matt McDonough (Iowa) won by decision (4-1) over Nicholas Megaludis (Penn State) After a scoreless first period, McDonough and Megaludis traded single points for escapes before McDonough secured the match with a third period takedown. McDonough wins his second NCAA championship at 125 pounds while Megaludis' fairy tale run came up just short. Nevertheless, Megaludis was a big part of Penn State's championship victory. 133 Final:Logan Stieber (Ohio State) won by decision (4-3) over Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State)Oliver got off to a good start, getting a takedown early in the first period to take a two point lead. It was short lived, as Stieber escaped the position for a single point, tied the match with an escape to start the second period and got his own takedown at the end of the second period. Oliver would bring the match to 4-3 with an escape in the third period, but Stieber held on to get the upset victory. 141 Final:Kellen Russell (Michigan) won in overtime (6-4) over Montell Marion (Iowa) My stream had some problems during this match, so I wasn't able to catch how the scoring went down. A real shame, as it sounded like a real great match between two wrestlers with a bit of a history. Russell had beaten Marion three times prior in their collegiate careers and despite Marion putting on a valient effort, Russell was able to get an overtime victory and win his second consecutive 141 pound championship. 149 Final:Frank Molinaro (Penn State) won by decison (4-1) over Dylan Ness (Minnesota) Molinaro got a late takedown in the first round and took bottom to start the second. He got a quick escape to push his lead to 3-0, which he maintained through the second round. Needing to do something major to comeback, Ness was unable to escape from the bottom position until the final 30 seconds of the third round and Molinaro became the first Penn State champion for 2012, completing his undefeated season. 157 Final:Kyle Dake (Cornell) won by decision (4-1) over Derek St. John (Iowa) Dake opened the match with a takedown at the end of the first minute of action. Dake would get an escape from bottom in the second round, then was cautioned for stalling. He was penalized for stalling in the third stanza, but St. John couldn't muster up any offense and ultimately fell 4-1. Dake completes his third championship season in a row, having won at 141, 149 and now 157 pounds. Very very impressive. 165 Final:David Taylor (Penn State) won by technical fall (22-7) over Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh) It took a grand total of 7 seconds for Taylor to take Hatchett to the mat and start working for a pin. Hatchett actually got back up fairly quickly with an escape, but was taken right back down. This was repeated once more, and Taylor took a 6-2 lead into the second round. Taylor would start on bottom and quickly reversed the position, earning another two points. Hatchett had no answer for the takedowns of Taylor, although he should be given credit for being able to escape every time. The third round featured a wild sequence of takedowns and escapes, as Taylor took his foe down another five times, the fifth giving him a 15 point lead and earning him the technical fall. Four pins and a tech fall win for Taylor in the tournament. This guy would be perfect for MMA, although I'm sure the wrestling community is not going to let him go without a fight. 174 Final:Edward Ruth (Penn State) won by major decision (13-2) Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford) The final I was most looking forward to. Both guys undefeated, Amuchastegui the last man to have beaten Ruth, (in last year's tournament). Ruth got off to a great start with a takedown and a near pin, but Amuchastegui was able to reverse the position, before a last second escape by Ruth gave him a 5-2 lead. Ruth ran away with the match in the second and third periods, escaping from bottom and getting a takedown in the second and getting a takedown and another near pin in the third to win going away, avenging his loss and becoming the third Nittany Lion champion of 2012. 184 Final:Steve Bosak (Cornell) won in overtime (4-2) over Quentin Wright (Penn State) A low scoring and calculating match. There was no scoring in the first period, and Wright chose to start the second stanza on the bottom and got a reversal to take a 2-0 lead. Bosak would escape before the period ended and would chose to take bottom to start the third so that he could replicate the feat. Sure enough , Bozak got the quick escape to tie the match at two, sending it to overtime. Bozak would get a takedown with 16 seconds remaining in overtime to get the victory, preventing Wright from winning his second straight championship. 197 FinalCam Simaz (Cornell) won by decision (7-5) over Christopher Honeycutt (Edinboro) After a slow first round, Honeycutt would get a takedown with less than 30 seconds remaining in the period. Honeycutt might have been a little too content to just let the period run down and Simaz was able to score an escape, making the score 2-1 for Honeycutt after one. Honeycutt began the second round on bottom and got a quick reversal, building a three point lead. After watching his teammate come from behind to win the 184 pound championship, Simaz turned it on himself, escaping the position and getting his own takedown to tie the score going into the third period. He got another escape after starting the period on bottom and then secured a takedown to get his own three point lead. Honeycutt would escape but was unable to take Simaz down in the final minute and after finishing third in the last two tournaments, Cam Simaz finally won his championship. Impressive heart and determination shown by the Cornell finalists, as both men were trailing in the second period of their matches before coming back to win. Heavyweight:Anthony Nelson (Minnesota) won by decision (4-1) over Zachery Rey (Lehigh) There wasn't a ton of action in this match between the big boys. That shouldn't be too surprising I guess, as Nelson has a grinding style that doesn't lend to either he or his opponents scoring much. After a scoreless first period, Rey took bottom and fought his way to an escape after being warned twice for stalling. Nelson would tie the match with a quick escape to start the third and finally we got an exciting moment, as Nelson scored a takedown with just eight seconds left in the match to earn his first NCAA championship. So there you have it! Thanks for following along at MMAMania.com throughout the tournament. If you'd like to review the results from the rest of the weekend, here they are:Day 1:Session 1, Round of 32 resultsSession 2, Round of 16 results Day 2:Session 1, Quarterfinal resultsSession 2, Semifinal results

Posted in: takedown, round, championship, period, bottom

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Aleksander Emelianenko (19-5), who has had quite a checkered career in MMA thus far, stepped back in to the M-1 ring last night in St. Petersburg's Ice Palace at M-1 Challenge 31. He faced Lithuanian super heavyweight Tadas Rimkevicius (19-7) in the main event of the show, and had brother Fedor Emelianenko in his corner. The bout was pretty entertaining. Other than some brief clinching early, it was a slugfest for the whole first round. Emelianenko bloodied up Rimkevicius' face, but Tadas responded with a shot that dropped Aleks E. near the end of the round. Watch for Rimkevicius' amazing flying submission attempt with about 50 seconds to go in the round as well. The standnbang continues in the second under the bout is halted, in a somewhat underwhelming finish. Here's the video, and you can catch the full event results below the jump (which includes a win by Jeff Monson). M-1 Challenge 31 Results: Jeff Monson def. Alexey Oleinik via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)Alexander Emelianenko def. Tadas Rimkevičius via TKO (punches) at 1:52 of round 2Rashid Magomedov def. Yasubey Enomoto via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-47, 50-45)Alexander Yakovlev def. Shamil Zavurov via TKO (retirement) at 5:00 of round 3Deniss Smoldarev def. Denis Komkin via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)Abdulmajid Magomedov def. Arthur Shumakov via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:53 of round 1Vugar Bakhshiev def. Jerome Bouisson via TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00 of round 2Marat Gafurov def. David Kozma via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:10 of round 2Ilya Doderkin def. Alexey Martynov via submission (triangle choke) at 1:57 of round 1Bruno Carvalho def. Ramazan Esenbaev via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Posted in: round, decision, submission, emelianenko, tada

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Jeff Monson defeated Alexey Oleinik via split decision in the headlining bout of M-1 Challenge 31 at the Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia on Friday night. Monson (44-13), a former contender for the UFC's heavyweight belt, outclassed Oleinik (33-9-1) on the mat for a majority of the first and third frames, surviving a stifling second round to earn the narrow judge's nod via scores of 29-28, 28-29, 29-28. The 41-year-old Monson, who appeared to be running on fumes as the final bell sounded, has now split his last four bouts, rotating wins over Oleinik and Paul Taylor between losses to Fedor Emelianenko and Daniel Cormier. Also highlighting the card, former PRIDE standout Alexander Emelianenko (19-5) overwhelmed Tadas Rimkevicius (19-7) midway through the second frame to earn a dubious TKO victory. Emelianenko, with his brother Fedor shouting from his corner, found his mark with crisp striking throughout much of opening seven minutes, before Rimkevicius mysteriously turned away and tapped unprovoked while on the feet. Afterward Rimkevicius appeared to be unhurt and left the ring under his own power. Rashid Magomedov (14-1) outworked Yasubey Enomoto (9-4) to steal away the M-1 welterweight title via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-47, 50-45). The victory pushed Magomedov's win streak to seven straight since 2010. Elsewhere on Friday night, UFC veteran Mike Guymon (13-5-1) crushed Cris Leyva (9-4) for a second-round TKO win in the main event of BAMMA USA ‘Badbeat 5,' held at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, CA. Fresh out of retirement and making his lightweight debut, the 37-year-old Guymon survived a shaky opening frame to blast the fading Leyva with a mixture of hammerfists and knees to the body, before being mercifully stopped at the 4:10 mark of round two. It was Guymon's first fight in over 14 months and first win since 2010. In the co-main event, Scott Catlin (5-6) stormed back from early trouble to defeat UFC veteran and former WEC lightweight champion Gabe Ruediger (17-8) via TKO just 36 seconds into the second frame. Ruediger dominated the opening five minutes, locking in a body triangle and unsuccessfully hunting for a rear-naked choke throughout much of the action. His first win in two years within his grasp, Ruediger promptly ate a straight left from Catlin to kick off round two. Stunned, the TUF 5 contestant reeled backwards across the cage before being dropped with a commanding flurry and pounded out. Catlin now finds himself riding a surprising two-fight win streak since tasting defeat in five straight. Full M-1 Challenge 31 and BAMMA USA ‘Badbeat 5' results can be found below. M-1 Challenge 31 results: Jeff Monson def. Alexey Oleinik via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)Alexander Emelianenko def. Tadas Rimkevičius via TKO (punches) at 1:52 of round 2Rashid Magomedov def. Yasubey Enomoto via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-47, 50-45)Alexander Yakovlev def. Shamil Zavurov via TKO (retirement) at 5:00 of round 3Deniss Smoldarev def. Denis Komkin via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)Abdulmajid Magomedov def. Arthur Shumakov via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:53 of round 1Vugar Bakhshiev def. Jerome Bouisson via TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00 of round 2Marat Gafurov def. David Kozma via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:10 of round 2Ilya Doderkin def. Alexey Martynov via submission (triangle choke) at 1:57 of round 1Bruno Carvalho def. Ramazan Esenbaev via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) BAMMA USA ‘Badbeat 5' results: Michael Guymon def. Cris Leyva via TKO (punches) at 4:10 of round 2Scott Catlin def. Gabe Ruediger via TKO (punches) at :36 of round 2Chad George def. Shad Smith via submission (arm-triangle choke) at 1:56 of round 1Mychal Clark def. Josh Bennett via KO (spinning back elbow) at 2:36 of round 1Chris Beal def. Jose Morales via TKO (elbows) at 4:44 of round 1Joe Condon def. Ismael Gonzalez via split decisionJason Carbajal def. Bobby Sanchez via submission (triangle choke) at 3:05 of round 1Eric Brown def. Brandon Anderson via submission (guillotine choke) at :20 of round 1Gil Guardado def. Chris Costello via TKO (punches) at 2:21 of round 2

Posted in: round, decision, tko, submission, tko punches

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BAMMA USA's BadBeat 5 took place last night (Fri., March 16, 2012) at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif., and featured a nine-fight card with plenty of UFC flavor. The main event of the evening saw Mike Guymon make his return to active competition for the first time since announcing his retirement following a submission loss to DaMarques Johnson in Jan. 2011. Guymon took on Cris Levya, who proved to be a formidable foe, giving Guymon a run for his money in the opening frame. He faded in the second, though, and was eventually overwhelmed with punches. Welcome back to MMA, "Joker." Gabe Ruediger was also in action on the card, as he squared off against Scott Catlin, who boasted a career record of 4-6 heading into the night's festivities. Make it 5-6 after he ripped off a technical knockout in the second round. "Godzilla" who? That's not all the action from the card last night. Hit the jump for complete results (via Sherdog) from BAMMA USA BadBeat 5: Mike Guymon def. Cris Leyva via TKO in round twoScott Catlin def. Gabe Ruediger via TKO in round twoChad George def. Shad Smith via submission (arm triangle) in round oneMychal Clark def. Josh Bennett via knockout in round oneChris Beal def. Jose Morales via TKO in round oneJoe Condon def. Ismael Gonzalez via split decisionJason Carbajal def. Bobby Sanchez via submission (triangle) in round oneEric Brown def. Brandon Anderson via submission (guillotine) in round oneGil Guardado def. Chris Costello via TKO in round two

Posted in: round, tko, submission, gabe ruediger, guymon

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Even though Bellator 61 lost its main event match-up between heavyweights Thiago Santos-Eric Prindle at the last minute for health-related reasons the card didn’t skip a beat come showtime, delivering a number of exciting moments including one of the cleanest knee-based knockouts in recent history courtesy of Brian Rogers. The finish came in the first round of Rogers’ quarterfinal fight against Vitor Vianna in the organization’s Season 6 Middleweight Tournament when “The Predator” connected flush with the Brazilian’s jaw as he attempted a takedown. The blow sent Vianna spilling backwards to the mat, instantly unconscious. The victory marked the eighth TKO in nine total wins for Rogers. Prindle Pulled Off Bellator Card Due to Illness Joining Rogers in the semifinal round will be Bruno Santos, Vyacheslav Vasilevsky, and Maiquel Falcao who won their bouts by way of decision. The foursome will face off in April with the pairings being Santos-Rogers and Vasilevsky-Falcao. Read below for a complete listing of Bellator 61 results: Josh Quayhagen def. Brent Taylor via Unanimous Decision Trey Houston def. Jeremiah Riggs via Submission Round 1 (Armbar) Jason Sampson def. Jeremy Myers via Submission Round 3 (Rear-Naked Choke) Derrick Krantz def. Eric Scallan via Technical Submission Round 1 (D’Arce Choke) Brian Rogers def. Vitor Vianna via Knockout Round 1 (Flying Knee) Bruno Santos def. Giva Santana via Unanimous Decision Vyacheslav Vasilevsky def. Victor O’Donnell via Unanimous Decision Maiquel Falcao def. Norman Paraisy via Unanimous Decision Tweet

Posted in: bellator, round, decision, roger, vitor vianna

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It's about time. In a delightful change of pace, a boxing champion will actually fight someone worthy of the opportunity. Tonight (Sat., March 17, 2012), Argentinian superstar Sergio Martinez -- best known for his colossal one-punch annihilation of Paul Williams -- will return to action against Matthew Macklin at the Madison Square Garden Theater in New York, New York. While the WBC continues doing everything in its power to keep Martinez as far away as possible from current cash-cow Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., he will instead take on the well-regarded Irishman -- who was arguably robbed of a win over WBA champion Felix Sturm in his last effort -- on St. Patrick's Day. In addition, super middleweight prospects Edwin Rodriguez and Don George will go toe-to-toe as part of a double-header that will air live on HBO this evening. MMAmania will deliver up-to-the-minute LIVE coverage of the event, starting with the HBO broadcast at 10 p.m. ET. Be sure to check out our bell-to-bell coverage, including quick results and play-by-play of all the action, after the jump: HBO World Championship Boxing: "Martinez vs. Macklin" Quick Results: Middleweight Championship: Sergio Martinez (c) vs. Matthew Macklin Super Middleweight: Edwin Rodriguez vs. Don George HBO World Championship Boxing: "Martinez vs. Macklin" Play-By-Play Results: The Ring Middleweight Championship: Sergio Martinez (c) vs. Matthew Macklin Round One: Round Two: Round Three: Round Four: Round Five: Round Six: Round Seven: Round Eight: Round Nine: Round Ten: Round Eleven: Round Twelve: Final Result: -end- Super Middleweight Bout: Edwin Rodriguez vs. Don George Round One: Round Two: Round Three: Round Four: Round Five: Round Six: Round Seven: Round Eight: Round Nine: Round Ten: Round Eleven: Round Twelve: Final Result: -end-

Posted in: result, round, vs, martinez, macklin

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Canada's The Score Fighting Series held its fourth event in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, on Friday night, and it was highlighted by a former UFC veteran picking up what he hopes was his last win before getting another shot in the big leagues.John Alessio (34-14) defeated Ryan Healy (19-10) via unanimous decision in the main event, earning his 10th win in 11 fights. After the fight, the 32-year-old Alessio told The Canadian Press that he hoped the win was what he needed to get back in the UFC. "(Healy) had zero quit on him and is damn near impossible to finish," Alessio said. "I showed I can take a pounding and come back and pull of the win. I hope this is the one that can get me back to the big show." The 14-year MMA veteran is 0-3 in the UFC, losing to Pat Miletich at UFC 26, Diego Sanchez at UFC 60 and Thiago Alves at Ortiz vs. Shamrock III in 2006. In the co-main event, hometown favorite Josh Hill improved to 8-0 after defeating Eric Wilson via unanimous decision in bantamweight action, and after the win, he was showered with "UFC, UFC" chants by the partisan crowd. Check out the full results below, followed by a highlight video of the evening, courtesy of TheScore.com. Main Card: Lyndon Whitlock def. Corey Houston via KO (punch) – Round 1, 4:28Shane Campbell def. Derek Boyle via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)Alex Ricci def. Iraj Hadin via KO (punch) – Round 1, 3:16Forrest Petz def. Sergey Juskevic via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:25Josh Hill def. Eric Wilson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)John Alessio def. Ryan Healy via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)Preliminary Card:Craig Hudson def. John McPherson via KO (punches) – Round 1, 1:57Adam Assenza def. John Roche via TKO (verbal submission) – Round 1, 4:17Elias Theodorou def. Erik Herbert via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)Jason Meisel def. Mike Sledzion via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

Posted in: ufc, round, decision, ndash, alessio

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Bellator 61 continued the Bellator Fighting Championship's sixth season last night (March 16, 2012) from the Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City, Louisiana. The original main event, a heavyweight finale between Thiago Santos and Eric Prindle, was pulled on little more than 24 hours notice (read the reason right here). Thankfully, the debut of the Bellator season six middleweight tournament provided plenty of entertainment in its place. The new main event -- a middleweight battle between former UFC fighter Maiquel Falcao and French savate striker Norman Paraisy -- had both men pick up where they left off after a heated weigh-in staredown from the night before. Both men had trouble containing their emotions, landing late strikes after the bell in all three rounds. In terms of actual strikes during the bout, it was Falcao who was on the better end of them throughout the fight with his strong ability to mix up his attack. After landing a series of extremely powerful leg kicks, Falcao went high and had Paraisy on the ropes with a huge right hand in round two, but perplexingly decided to taunt the Frenchmen like a cat playing with his food rather than put him away. Paraisy would hold on to the end of the fight, but it was clear that Falcao was the better man, regardless of his strange strategy and he was announced the victor via unanimous decision. The remainder of the main card featured plenty of wild and crazy moments as well. Bellator season five veteran Victor O'Donnell earned another crack at a tournament slot with his strong performances against top competition outside the promotion and by brewing controversy from his defeat in the quarterfinals last year against Brian Rogers in which he complained about an early stoppage. He more than got the benefit of the doubt against top Russian prospect Vyacheslav Vasilevsky. After a very close first round which could have potentially gone to the Cincinnati native due to aggression and a pair of takedowns, Vasilevsky completely took over, dropping O'Donnell with a left jab and pummeling him on the canvas, doing more than enough damage from top position to potentially stop the fight. The referee allowed it to continue, however, and O'Donnell soldiered on, taking a heavy beating in the third round as well, this time both in the stand-up and on the canvas. In the end, Vasilevsky was awarded a unanimous decision in one of the most lopsided 29-28 fights you'll ever see. In a battle of prospect versus veteran, 24 year old Brazilian Bruno Santos outlasted the 40 year old submission wizard Giva Santana in a fight which was largely contested on the feet. Santana started strong, actually outstriking Santos early on, but he could never take the fight to the ground where he wanted it. In the second round, the passive Santos began to make his mark, landing a crisp right hand and a series of powerful leg kicks which began to slow Santana down. He would also put "The Arm Collector" into the clinch whenever the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt would put forth any threatening offense. By the third round, Santana was fading and Santos completely took over, even gaining the confidence to take the fight to the ground on occasion without fear of being submitted. It was more than enough to earn him a unanimous decision victory, his 10th straight win via decision. The biggest fireworks of the night occurred in the opening bout, a one round affair between season five middleweight finalist Vitor Vianna and season five semifinalist Brian Rogers. Both men were stopped in their tracks by Alexander Shlemenko last year and both seemed fueled by revenge for this tournament. Rogers started strong, but he was cautiously aggressive, seeming concerned about being put on his back by Vianna in case he was out of control with his striking. After a bit of a feeling out process in which "The Predator" fended off a series of Vianna's attempts to put him on the canvas, even mixing in a slick judo toss of his own, Rogers stunned Vianna with a very nice right hand during an exchange. When Vianna moved straight backwards on wobbly legs, Rogers capitalized by exploding forwards with a thunderous flying knee which cracked the world champion Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt on the jaw and sent him reeling to the canvas completely unconscious. Rogers didn't even have to follow up with ground strikes, instead raising both arms victoriously in what will clearly be pegged the "Bellator 61 moment" on YouTube and will be a contender for Knockout of the Year when it's all said and done. At the post-fight press conference, it was announced that Falcao will face Vasilevsky while Rogers will battle Bruno Santos in Rogers' hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. It will be the same night that Eddie Alvarez rematches Shinya Aoki. For complete Bellator 61 results and detailed round-by-round commentary of all the televised fights click here. So what did you think, Maniacs? Was Rogers' flying knee one of the best KOs of 2012? Who's your favorite to take home the tournament this season after watching each man in action last night? Sound off!

Posted in: fight, bellator, round, roger, falcao

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Last night (March 16, 2012), Score Fighting Series staged their fourth ever night of mixed martial arts (MMA) goodness as Score Fighting Series 4: "Alessio vs. Healy" went down at Hamilton Place Theatre in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main event featured a lightweight showdown between World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) veteran John Alessio and Ryan Healy, whose brother, Pat Healy, currently fights for the Strikeforce organization. The fight started off with Alessio's takedowns and submission attempts, transitioned to Healy having the edge in the striking category and then back to Alessio's wrestling again in the final frame. Ultimately, Alessio fought a smart fight and was able to control Healy long enough to earn himself a unanimous decision victory in front of hometown friends and family. After the jump, we'll take a look at the rest of the action from Score Fighting Series 4: "Alessio vs. Healey:" The co-main event featured a fight between Iron Tiger Muay Thai product Josh Hill, who was looking to extend his perfect record to 8-0, and fellow Canadian Eric Wilson. The story of this fight was the use of the takedown and the superior wrestling of Hill, who kept his opponent on his heels, when he wasn't keeping him on his back. For three rounds, Wilson was largely unable to defend the double leg takedown, and found himself on the bottom, unable to escape. While Hill was unable to get the finish, he certainly notched a very dominant decision win for his eighth consecutive victory. Sergej Juskevic came into the night's action riding a four-fight win streak during his campaign fighting in various organizations overseas. His opponent, Forrest Petz, held a nice three-fight win streak of his own, getting his most recent win with a nice first-round, TKO victory over the veteran Rudy Bears at C3 Fights: "Great Plains Sizzling Slamfest" on Jul. 30, 2011 in Newkirk, Oklahoma. Something had to give. After appearing to have been outstruck in the first round, Petz came out more aggressive in the second round, throwing multiple combinations and haymakers. It was only a matter of time before one of them landed and finished Juskevic's night prematurely. That time came at 3:25 of the second round, when referee Dan Miragliotta finally had seen enough of Juskevic taking huge, overhand rights to the chin and stepped in to call a stop to the action. Very nice comeback win for Petz. Thai Boxing aficionado Alex Ricci was one of several prospects coming into the night undefeated. He would be facing Iraj Hadin, a veteran of the sport who has competed versus some fairly big names and seen his fair share of highs and lows. File tonight's action under "lows" for Hadin, who was simply overwhelmed by Ricci from the opening horn. After a brief moment of being clinched up against the cage, Ricci finally was able to land a brutal left hook that had Hadin seeing stars. Goodnight, Iraj! (See what I did there?) In what may have been the closest fight of the night, lightweights Shane Campbell and Derek Boyle went to war for three furious rounds of action that ended up having to be decided by the judges onhand. It wasn't pretty. There was a lot of sloppy striking and flailing around in an attempt by both fighters to finish the other, saving them the trouble of having to endure any more cage time. It really could have gone either way, but the judges ruled in favor of Campbell, who now finds himself with his second MMA victory in a row. The first fight of the main card was a real thriller, as fans were treated to a featherweight fight full of flying fists. Corey Houston came out early, clearly looking to push the pace and impose his will on Lyndon Whitlock. It was a good show for most of the first round, until Houston got careless and Whitlock found his opening. As Houston went to throw a leg kick, he was countered with a beautiful right hook that landed squarely on the button, sending Houston crumbling to the canvas. Whitlock pounced on him immediately and landed another hammerfist, before referee Jerin Valel finally jumped in and saved Houston from taking further damage. SCORE FIGHTING SERIES QUICK RESULTS: MAIN CARD: 155 lbs.: John Alessio def. Ryan Healy via unanimous decision135 lbs.: Josh Hill def. Eric Wilson via unanimous decision170 lbs.: Forrest Petz def. Sergej Juskevic via TKO at 3:25 of round two155 lbs.: Alex Ricci def. Iraj Hadin via KO (Left Hook) at 3:17 of round one155 lbs.: Shane Campbell def. Derek Boyle via unanimous decision145 lbs.: Lyndon Whitlock def. Corey Houston via KO at 4:28 of round one PRELIMINARY BOUTS: (Catchweight) 157 lbs.:Jason Meisel def. Mike Sledzion via unanimous decision185 lbs.: Elias Theodorou def. Erik Hebert via unanimous decision155 lbs.: Adam Assenza def. John Roche via submission (strikes) at 4:17 of round one265 lbs.: Craig Hudson def. John Macphearson via TKO at 0:57 of round one

Posted in: fight, round, decision, lb, alessio

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As with every major show, Bloody Elbow will be here to bring you live results, play by play and commentary for Bellator 60. Our live coverage will start with MTV 2 broadcast (8 p.m. ET) so make sure to make Bloody Elbow your home for this event. We will not be doing play-by-play of the undercard, but you can discuss those fights in the comments as well. That undercard stream runs on Bellator.com and Spike.com and begins at 7 p.m ET. Due to the strange cancellation of the re-match between Thiago Santos and Eric Prindle, tonight's main event is a middleweight tournament quarterfinal bout between Maiquel Falcao and Norman Paraisy. The rest of the main card has the other middleweight quarterfinal bouts. Giva Santana will open up the television bout as he takes on Bruno Santos, the #5 ranked middleweight prospect from the 2011 Bloody Elbow Scouting Report. Vyacheslav Vasilevsky, the #4 ranked middleweight prospect from the same 2011 report, will fight Victor O'Donnell, the #9 ranked middleweight prospect from that awesome 2011 report. The now-shorn-of-his-amazing-dreadlocks Brian Rogers will battle Vitor Vianna, the Season 5 MW tournament finalist and #3 ranked prospect from the 2011 report in the third main card bout. Hit the jump for the live play-by-play and results. Have a fun time in the comments as we settle down for this night of fights. Giva Santana vs. Bruno SantosSeason 6 Middleweight Quarterfinal Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Vyacheslav Vasilevsky vs. Victor O'DonnellSeason 6 Middleweight Quarterfinal Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Vitor Vianna vs. Brian RogersSeason 6 Middleweight Quarterfinal Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Maiquel Falcao vs. Norman ParaisySeason 6 Middleweight Quarterfinal Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

Posted in: round, vs, middleweight, quarterfinal, middleweight prospect

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Another Friday is here, and with the end of the week trailing behind it today brings us another solid offering from Bellator. Bellator 61 rolls into Bossier City, Louisiana, and features the opening round of the Season 6 middleweight tournament. With tourney-veterans Vitor Vianna and Brian Rogers, as well as former UFC fighter Maiquel Falcao, tonight’s fantastic fight card promises some exciting and violent action! Before we get started here, my god does Bellator ever go crazy with where they place their fights on the card, so please note the order the fights appear here is almost certainly not the order in which Bellator will have them. I mean, come on, Alexandre Bezarra fighting in a tournament bout on the preliminary card last week? What was what?! Moving on, it’s time to get down to business and roll with the punches. Here is my breakdown of Bellator 61: Eric Prindle vs. Thiago Santos has been pushed back to next week’s Bellator 62 due to Prindle coming down with the flu. It’s also been reported that Santos weighed nearly 300 pounds on the day of weigh-ins, so there’s that, though no confirmation of that has been offered up by any officials (unlike Prindle’s health). Falcao vs. Norman Paraisy has been promoted to the new main event on the card. Jeremy Myers (3-3) vs. Jason Sampson (8-1) Myers is coming off of two straight losses and faces a tough challenge in 8-1 Sampson. I don’t know much about these two, but on paper Sampson takes this by decision or submission. Winner – Jason Sampson defeats Jeremy Myers via Unanimous Decision Derrick Krantz (10-5) vs. Eric Scallan (10-3) Krantz has never won a fight that has gone the distance. With five knockouts and five submissions to his credit, “D-Rock” is a finisher. Win or lose, he leaves it all in the cage. On the other side of the cage, Scallan has never scored, or been on the receiving end of, a knockout. With seven submissions in ten wins, this man loves to take the fight to the ground. I see this fight as a toss-up. Both are capable of finishing, but should Scallan avoid the striking of Krantz and get this fight to the ground he should take it. Winner – Eric Scallan defeats Derrick Krantz via Submission Round 2 Trey Houston (8-0) vs. Jeremiah Riggs (7-5) Undefeated “That Just Happened” Houston has never gone the distance. He has slick submissions and half of his wins have come in the first round. Riggs, most famous for wooing Daisy De La Hoya on VH1 as well as ALMOST winning WWE Tough Enough and then whining about it, is on a five-fight winning streak. I believe that run comes to an end tonight, and he’ll be cast away from Bellator just as we was from the WWE. Trey Houston defeats Jeremiah Riggs via Submission Round 1 Brent Taylor (0-0) vs. Josh Quayhagen (2-0) Taylor makes his professional debut after going 2-1 as an amateur. Much like some previous fighters on the card, there’s not much known about him, but he appears to be a sufficient enough striker to have both of his wins by TKO. Quayhagen shocked many by defeating Cosmo Alexandre in his professional debut. Cosmo was a hell of a striker, and Quayhagen passed the test against him, I expect he does the same here. Winner – Josh Quayhagen defeats Brent Taylor via Unanimous Decision Giva Santana (17-1) vs. Bruno Santos (12-0) In the first of four middleweight tournament bouts, “The Arm Collector” returns to Bellator and hopes to add some more limbs to his collection. With 13 of his 17 victories coming by Armbar, including a staggering  ten straight om the first round earlier in his career, the decorated grappler attacks from every angle, and if he gets your arm you’re best off just to tap. Santos is undefeated with ten of his wins coming by decision. The grappling heavy, grinding Brazilian is still young but has a lot of potential, especially as his striking and submission skills improve. I think Santos can take down Santana, but I don’t think he should. Giva will attack from any and every angle, and at even the slightest sign of ground and pound he’s giving up his arm for Santana to potentially latch onto. Winner – Giva Santana defeats Bruno Santos via Submission Round 1 Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (15-1) vs. Victor O’Donnell (11-3) Despite sneaky legal games being played by M-1 Global, “Slava” (i.e. Vasilevsky) enters the Bellator middleweight tournament on the strength of a fourteen-fight winning streak. The well-rounded Russian has only been defeated once in his career and has the tools to give any fighter a headache. O’Donnell looks for redemption following a poor performance against Rogers at Bellator 50. The submission-savvy Team Vision fighter has all but two of his wins coming by submission and has notable wins over Forrest Petz and Rafael Natal. “Slava” has the clear striking advantage in this fight and should be more than capable of handling himself on the ground if need be. This fight features two tough-as-hell middleweights, and I don’t see either succumbing to anything. Winner – Vyacheslav Vasilevsky defeats Victor O’Donnell via Unanimous Decision Brian Rogers (8-3) vs. Vitor Vianna (12-2-1) One of the more exciting middleweights in the tournament, Rogers always comes to fight. The former Strikeforce and two-time Bellator fighter is out to rebound from a loss to Alexander Shlemenko. Known for his violent striking, Rogers will definitely try to impose his will on his opponent and look for that oh-so-satisfying knockout. Vianna was a finalist in the last middleweight tournament in the promotion and is looking to take home the whole thing this season. With some great striking and submissions, Vianna can bring it to just about anyone. Rogers could very well win this fight, but he’s going to need to do it early if he wants to secure the victory. I expect the more cautious Vianna to weather any early storm, get the fight to the ground, and pull off a slick submission. Winner – Vitor Vianna defeats Brian Rogers via Submission Round 2 Maiquel Falcao (28-4 1 NC) vs. Norman Paraisy (10-1-1 1 NC) In the new main event, Falcao, a one-time UFC fighter and Brazilian phenom, makes his Bellator debut and is widely regarded as one of the favorites in this tournament. With 23 knockouts in his career, you do NOT want to be on the end of this man’s fists. A fantastic striker with sufficient grappling abilities, Falcao has the skills to pay the bills and he hopes to be a little richer after this fight. The Frenchman, Paraisy, is no slouch himself. With victories over Paulo Filho and Jack Mason to his credit, the 25-year old is very well-rounded although he seems to favor submissions ever so slightly. The only thing in question here is Paraisy’s heart. He has been broken down before and Falcao tends to give fighters all they can handle mentally/physically. Falcao will likely take control at some point in the first round, and if he doesn’t end it in that round he’ll end it in the second. Winner – Maiquel Falcao defeats Norman Paraisy via TKO Round 2 Overall, I believe this card will be awesome. I even think with the heavyweight tournament finals being postponed it is even better than it would have been since fans will see more technique on display. The action goes down at 7:00 PM EST on Spike.com before for the evening’s highlighted bouts head over to MTV2 (or TheScore.ca in Canada) an hour later. Enjoy the fights! PHOTO CREDIT – BELLATOR

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Bellator Fighting Championships returns TONIGHT (March 16, 2012) to The Horseshow Riverdome in Bossier City, La., with a new tournament. MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of Bellator 61 below, beginning with the MTV2 telecast at 8 p.m. ET. In addition, we'll deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the undercard action much earlier in the evening. While the original main event, a heavyweight tournament finals bout between Eric Prindle and Thiago Santos had to be scratched at the last minute, there is still plenty of terrific action in store for the fans. Stepping into headlining status will be the Bellator season six middleweight tournament fight between Norman Paraisy and Brazilian UFC veteran Maiquel Falcao. Also on the main card will be the remainder of the middleweight tournament which features a bout between season five standouts Brian Rogers and Vitor Vianna as well as some top prospects like former M-1 light heavyweight champion Vyacheslav Vasilevsky or Team Vision fighter Victory O'Donnell. Lastly, opening up the main card will be a terrific stylistic match-up between top control specialist and undefeated Brazilian Bruno Santos against Brazilian jiu-jitsu master and armbar technician Giva Santana. Complete Bellator 61 results and play-by-play are after the jump: Main Card 185 lbs.: Maiquel Falcao vs. Norman Paraisy 185 lbs.: Vitor Vianna vs. Brian Rogers 185 lbs.: Vyacheslav Vasilevsky vs. Victor O'Donnell 185 lbs.: Giva Santana vs. Bruno Santos Preliminary Card (Spike.com) 165 lbs.: Brent Taylor vs. Josh Quayhagen 185 lbs.: Trey Houston vs. Jeremiah Riggs 170 lbs.: Derrick Krantz vs. Eric Scallan 140 lbs.: Jeremy Myers vs. Jason Sampson Hemmi here! I'll be calling the action tonight. 185 lbs.: Maiquel Falcao vs. Norman Paraisy Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 185 lbs.: Vitor Vianna vs. Brian Rogers Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 185 lbs.: Vyacheslav Vasilevsky vs. Victor O'Donnell Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 185 lbs.: Giva Santana vs. Bruno Santos Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end-

Posted in: bellator, result, round, vs, lb

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Rematch, anyone? When Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White finally decided to bring a flyweight division to the world's largest fight promotion, he did so by holding a four-man tournament to crown a champion. This despite his disdain for such things. His dislike is borne from the inevitable issues that can -- and always seem to -- arise when trying to work elimination style matchmaking. Sometimes things go well, as they did when Joseph Benavidez knocked out Yasuhiro Urushitani to advance to the finals nice and clean, but sometimes they don't. That was the case when a scoring error led to a draw between Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall at the UFC on FX 2: "Alves vs. Kampmann" event this past March 2, 2012, in Sydney, Australia. After three close rounds, the two should have went to a fourth, sudden victory round to determine a winner. Instead, they'll have to wait until The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15 Finale scheduled for June 1 in Las Vegas, Nevada, to go 15 minutes more. MMAWeekly.com brought word of the booking just last night. The winner meets Benavidez later this year to determine the first ever UFC 125-pound champion. The first fight was controversial not just for the scoring error made by the commission in Australia but because fans and pundits alike couldn't agree on how to properly award the three rounds that actually happened. McCall recently told the Verbal Submission what his plans are to avoid a similar scenario a second time around: "Just put the pressure on him. I played into his game too much. I just need to go at him." Predictions, Maniacs? For a quick refresher course on all the controversy surrounding Johnson vs. McCall part one click here and here.

Posted in: round, vs, johnson, mccall, sydney australia

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Bellator Fighting Championships will head to "The Bayou State" this Friday night (March 16, 2012) at the Horseshoe Riverdome in Bossier City, Louisiana. The main card will air live on MTV2 on fight night, beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Headlining the main event will be a heavyweight tournament final that features two men with some serious unfinished business. Thiago Santos and Eric Prindle's original bout at Bellator 59 ended in a dreaded "No Contest" after a low blow from Santos forced a stop to the fight just 74 seconds into the first round. Now they're back and there's a heavyweight title shot on the line. The rest of the main card will comprise the Bellator season six middleweight tournament, which features top competitors like Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran Maiquel Falcao, as well as season five mainstays like Brian Rogers and Vitor Vianna. Also competing is the top Russian prospect Vyachaselav Vasilevsky and "The Arm Collector" Giva Santana. Check out our complete Bellator 61 preview and predictions after the jump: 265 lbs.: Eric Prindle (7-1 1 NC) vs. Thiago Santos (10-1 1 NC) Thiago Santos entered the Bellator season five heavyweight tournament as an alternate but proved his worth by dropping season three finalist Neil Grove with an overhand right and finishing him with a rear naked choke in just 38 seconds. Santos is large, powerful and while he's not the most technical guy on the ground, he's definitely dangerous with submissions if he can gain an advantage. Eric Prindle is probably one of the biggest heavyweights in the world. Originally cutting down from about 300 pounds to make the 265 pound limit. Prindle showcased his boxing skills in the semifinals by destroying the heavy hitter Ron Sparks in just 40 seconds, The key for this fight will be for Prindle to try and keep the fight standing or in the clinch while Santos also looks stand or score takedowns. Prindle has some terrific boxing skills and tremendous power, but this fight will hinge on whether he can remain upright. He was dumped on his back in the last fight before the ill-fated low blow, so he's going to have to put forth a better effort to stay standing if he wants to win this time around. Santos has proven he's capable both standing and on the ground and in my opinion, that will likely be the key difference. Final Prediction: Thiago Santos via submission in round one 185 lbs.: Maiquel Falcao (28-4 1 NC) vs. Norman Paraisy (10-1-1 1 NC) You might remember Maiquel Falcao, he's the man who was the reason for Gerald Harris' release from the UFC due to his funky fighting style and lack of action in the final two rounds. He also got screwed out of a potential fight-ending submission after the round was ended four seconds early and he had Harris on the verge of tapping out. He was released by the UFC after some legal trouble back home and has gone 2-1 since. Norman Paraisy might be known best for being the French fighter who failed to answer the bell for the second round against James Hammertree in a fight to enter the house for The Ultimate Fighter season 11, which drew plenty of jokes. Since then, however, Paraisy has gone 5-0-1 competing around the globe including a victory over former WEC champion Paulo Filho. One must questions Paraisy's heart a bit heading into this fight and how he will react if Falcao is able to take control. Also, Paraisy's lone career loss came under the Bellator banner in 2009 against Dave Menne so that will likely be wearing on him as well. Falcao is very powerful and he's skilled in both striking and submissions. I feel if he can begin to gain an advantage, he's going to break Paraisy at some point. Final Prediction: Maiquel Falcao via TKO in round two 185 lbs.: Vitor Vianna (12-2-1) vs. Brian Rogers (8-3) Vitor Vianna was widely regarded as one of the best middleweight prospects on the planet. He proved it in the last Bellator middleweight tournament, knocking Bryan Baker senseless before coming up short against Alexander Shlemenko in the finals via decision. Vianna has some extremely good jiu-jitsu skills and he mixes that well with some improving stand-up and power. Brian Rogers is one of the best middleweights in Ohio. "The Predator" entered the Bellator season five tournament on a six fight streak which included six first round knockouts. He kept the streak alive, stopping Victor O'Donnell inside two minutes at Bellator 50 but he also was halted by Alexander Shlemenko, although he gave the Russian quite a beating before fading in the second round. Rogers is at his best when he's swarming and overwhelming opponents early with his heavy power shots including kicks and knees. He's going to have to hurt Vianna with some punches and kicks in the opening minute if he wants to present himself with an opportunity to finish the fight. Vianna, on the other hand, should fire back by playing it cautious early or potentially taking the fight to the ground and working his world class submission game. If he can drag this fight into the second or third round, his odds of winning go up drastically. Final Prediction: Vitor Vianna via submission in round three 185 lbs.: Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (15-1) vs. Victor O'Donnell (11-3) Vyacheslav Vasilevsky is a very explosive and capable middleweight. A former M-1 light heavyweight champion, he's used to fighting men much larger than him and winning. Vasilevsky would prefer to keep this fight standing where he's most dangerous but if the fight goes to the canvas, that's not the end of the world either as he's highly capable on the ground. Victor O'Donnell was another Ultimate Fighter season 11 fighter who failed to make it onto the show. He fell short to Brian Rogers via first round TKO in the last tournament but he protested the stoppage and was given another shot for this tournament. O'Donnell trains out of Vision MMA in Cincinnati alongside top prospects like Roger Bowling and Daniel Straus and he's pretty dangerous everywhere. Vasilevsky will be trying to stand and trade with O'Donnell where he should have a power and technique advantage. He's got some terrific footwork and he can take a shot so he would be willing to eat one to give one. O'Donnell has some respectable striking, but he does most of his damage on the ground whether it's ground and pound or submissions. Both men are very tough and pretty evenly matched so I don't see this fight getting stopped. Final Prediction: Vyacheslav Vasilevsky via decision 185 lbs.: Giva Santana (17-1) vs. Bruno Santos (12-0) Giva Santana is an extremely dangerous submission expert. "The Arm Collector" has finished 13 of his 17 career victories via armbar including a ridiculous 10 in a row during a two year stint from 2005-2007. Santana also splits his time by being the head jiu-jitsu coach at Team Oyama where he trains current UFC fighters like Shane Del Rosario and Ian McCall. His age is getting up there, but he's still extremely nimble and is one of the most dangerous middleweights in the world on the ground. Bruno Santos is a very interesting Brazilian prospect. He's been able to develop a tenacious grinding style which has helped him win all 12 of his career fights. Santos does not have much finishing ability, however, and he's gone to decision in all nine of his most recent fights, winning them all unanimously. His submission and striking skills are still progressing and he's still young enough at 24 years old to add them to his arsenal. Santos has zero chance of submitting Santana but perhaps if he's got enough confidence in his defense, he could work for takedowns and try to ground and pound his opponent. I expect Santana to immediately be attacking from every angle, and if Santos leaves an arm even close to exposed, he's going to snatch it up and mount that sucker on his wall. Final Prediction: Giva Santana via armbar in round one So what do you think, Maniacs? Who do you see winning the Bellator heavyweight finals and do you think either man can challenge Cole Konrad? What are your picks for the Bellator season six middleweight tournament? Sound off!

Posted in: fight, bellator, round, submission, he

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Is Bellator featherweight champion Pat Curran one of the best featherweights in the world? A credible case can be made for Curran's place among MMA's elite 145 pound fighters and if you ask the new champion himself, he unequivocally sees the Jose Aldo's and Hatsu Hioki's of the world as peers. "I definitely see myself being one of the top fighters," Curran told MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. "If I compare myself to any one of those fighters, I'd do a great job fighting and putting on a great show against them," Curran insisted. "I know I can beat anyone if the top 5, top 10." Curran added ammunition to the argument that he belongs among the featherweight division's best when he put on a sensational performance Friday night at Bellator 60, snatching the featherweight title from Joe Warren with a third-round blistering TKO. It was Curran's fourth win in a row since losing to Eddie Alvarez at lightweight in April of 2011. The win also marked the second consecutive finish of a top-ranked opponent. The victory didn't come without an injury price to pay, however. According to Curran, he was able to stop Warren despite damaging his ankle in the very first round. "Yeah, I'm actually getting my ankle checked out tomorrow," Curran said yesterday. "I'm not sure really what's wrong with it. It popped early in the first round. It was shifting around and I'm pretty sure I tore something." "It was actually the first scramble once Joe tried to take me down," Curran noted. "I was getting back to my feet or trying to scramble away and it popped. I felt it pop. Right after that it started shifting around. It was early in the first round." "After the first round was done I mentioned to [my corner] right away that my ankle was shifting around. Felt like every time I was pivoting and moving and defending the takedown my foot was staying in place but my leg and ankle joint was moving around. It didn't feel right, so I definitely hurt it." Injury or not, it was arguably Curran's most impressive victory to date. Warren may lack the extensive resume of a Marlon Sandro or technical ground prowess of Toby Imada, but the standout amateur wrestler is incredibly durable and even in modern MMA, that counts for quite a bit. "He was definitely a tough opponent. He can take a beating," admitted a relieved Curran. "Especially after the first round. I knocked him down. He was able to pop back up and recover really quickly. I wasn't expecting that especially after his last fight coming off a knockout. I thought he was going to have a glass chin and not recover like that, so that definitely surprised me." If there's an Achilles Heel to Warren's game, however, Curran believes the former champion's bad techincal instincts cause him to absorb disturbing levels of damage. "He's a wrestler. Every time he starts getting hit his hands go straight out. He's not defending himself properly," Curran argued and then drew a distinction with himself. "As a striker when you start getting hit, your hands go up, you start protecting your head and he kinda just did the opposite. In my opinion, I think he needs to fix that. He needs to start defending himself a little bit better." Like many others within the MMA community, Curran also did not view the timing of the stoppage that night by referee Jeff Malott as a particularly good call for Warren's health. "Watching the fight over he definitely should've stopped it ten, fifteen seconds earlier," said an adamant Curran. "Nobody deserves to get a beating like that. I hope Joe has a quick recovery and no permanent damage." But as Curran eyes his next challenge - a title fight with Patricio Friere - he also has taken inventory of what got him to his current position. How has a fighter no one knew much about or expected to do so well exceeded all expectations? "To me, I really feel like it's the Bellator format, just having those three fights so close together," said Curran. "It's just one big, long training camp and you just really learn and gain a lot from that. I really think I'm living proof of that." "Your level jumps so much, you're focused on these three fights in such a short amount of time. You're constantly evolving, constantly improving. I really have to say it has a lot to do with my success." There's no timeline just yet on when Curran will return. There's also no telling when the MMA community may universally declare Curran of the featherweight division's best. Either way, he's not worried about rushing timelines. He's certain he's in the right place in Bellator and that this is the right time. In his mind, as long as focuses on winning and doing so spectacularly as he did on Friday, the rest of the pieces of his career will fall into place. "As long as I put on a good performance and keep finishing my opponents, I'll get the recognition."

Posted in: mma, round, featherweight, warren, curran

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Newly formed Indian promotion Super Fight League recently booked a “huge” main event between behemoths Bob Sapp and James Thompson and, as expected, things didn’t last long once the two giants hit the ring. Thompson, who has only seen the third round three times in 31 bouts in comparison to Sapp only exiting the first frame once in 22 total fights, surprised some by opting for a takedown within the tilt’s opening ticks instead of brawling as the Brit has been known to do in the past. After eating some shots from the top Sapp did the unthinkable and actually swept Thompson, who was in side control, and rained down strikes on “The Colossus” while nearly locking up a Crucifix position. However, shortly thereafter Sapp went to his knees and was taken down, quickly tapping out after apparently injuring his quad during the transition. The loss was Sapp’s fifth straight and eighth in his last nine fights with all of the stumbles occurring in the first few minutes of in-ring action. Meanwhile, the victory marked two in a row for Thompson who is now 17-14 in his career. Here is the full breakdown of results from SFL 1: Xavier Foupa-Pokam def. Joey Guel via TKO Round 1 (Cut) Jimmy Ambriz def. Satish Jamia via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Lakwinder Sekhon def. Madura Rathnayake via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Mohammed Shahid def. Mayura Dissanayake via Majority Decision Chaitanya Gavali def. Tiran Thakshala via Unanimous Decision Travis Bell def. Neil Natasadu via Submission Round 2 (Forearm Choke) Sanja Sucevic def. Lena Ovchynnikova via Submission Round 2 (Rear-Naked Choke) James Thompson def. Bob Sapp via Submission Round 1 (Injury) PHOTO CREDIT – DREAM/SFL

Posted in: round, bob sapp, sapp, thompson, james thompson

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The Dagger previews the South Region of the 2012 NCAA tournament. Read our previews of the East, Midwest and West. Three who can carry their teams: * Austin Rivers, G, Duke * Royce White, F, Iowa State * Jeremy Lamb, G, UConn Most intriguing opening round matchup: No. 5 Wichita State vs. No. 12 VCU The selection committee's irritating habit of pitting mid-majors against one-another in the opening weekend of the tournament prevented VCU and Wichita State from taking swings at high-major opponents. Nonetheless, this matchup between the Sweet 16-capable Rams and Shockers is still one of the opening day of the tournament's most intriguing games. Wichita State can be erratic on defense at times, but the combination of big man Garrett Stutz, sharp shooter Joe Ragland and slasher Toure Murray Shockers has made the Shockers both balanced and efficient on offense. VCU, on the other hand, can be spotty on offense after graduating four starters from last year's Final Four team, but it relies on the same "havoc" defense to create pressure and force turnovers. Best potential round of 32 game: No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 9 UConn Here's the problem with the potential matchup between last year's national champ and the favorite to win the title this season: There's a good chance it never happens. Iowa State's inside-outside duo of Royce White and Scott Christopherson is capable of toppling UConn in the round of 64, especially if the Cyclones slow the pace and get hot from behind the arc. If the Huskies do survive against Iowa State, then top-seeded Kentucky would have a round of 32 opponent who is one of the few teams in the field with comparable talent to the Wildcats. UConn underachieved in conference play to finish below .500, but there cannot be many No. 9 seeds with championship experience and two first-round picks in their starting lineup.

Posted in: round, opening, state, uconn, vcu

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For about 12 holes on Sunday afternoon it appeared the stage was set for Rory McIlroy to make an improbable final round comeback at the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral. After holing out from the bunker on the par-5 12th hole for eagle, McIlroy was only one back of the leaders with six holes to play. For a guy who appeared to be running on empty on Thursday and Friday, it suddenly looked like the No. 1 ranked player in the world was going to do something incredibly special. But in the blink of an eye, the magic suddenly disappeared, as McIlroy played the last six holes in 1-over and watched his comeback bid come up two shots short in his final tuneup before the Masters. While some might question his inability to capitalize on the lack of success the leaders were having behind him as he hit the closing stretch, you have to remember that going into Sunday's final round, McIlroy only had a outside shot to win the tournament. He was a full eight shots back of Bubba Watson,  so the fact that he was able to put together another impressive round on Sunday -- his 7-under 65 on Saturday was the second lowest round of the day -- and claw his way back into the tournament told us everything we needed to know about his game at the moment: He's ready for Augusta.

Posted in: round, sunday, hole, mcilroy, bubba watson  

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While there wasn't a major UFC card this weekend - and won't be for over a month - this weekend was packed with lesser action from across the world. I mean, this was just a ridiculous weekend. And one of the first things I want to say is props to some of the smaller places throughout the world for putting on good fights with decent available names, decent enough production and mostly well-run and -officiated. One of the pitfalls of smaller promotions is when they skimp and cut corners trying to make that extra buck. When things go well, it's usually because they did a good job trying to put on a good event. The organizers in Croatia packed 15,000 or so into their arena, brought over Michael Buffer and a former Miss America to work the mic (and look good), and got a decent mix of name kickboxers and prospects to compete. Super Fight League over in India had the right mix of carnival and sport, complete with concert, dancing hotties and they brought Herb Dean over to ref. Bellator had some ref problems, especially in the Jeff Curran/Joe Warren contest, but other than that, it was fairly decent. They need to work on their timing of getting fighters into the cage, but other than that, not too many complaints. Bellator reinforced that they're one of the best orgs outside of the Zuffa umbrella. The Ultimate Fighter season 15 kicked off, and while it wasn't revolutionary, their format change made it a nice switchup from the past few seasons. The one-round fights with $5,000 bonuses for finishes certainly helped bring some excitement to the fights, as a number of dudes were just flat-out going for broke to make an impression. There was also a ton of even smaller MMA cards that have been reported to Sherdog's Fight Finder, and beneath the jump, I'll try and pull the relevant information from them. Also beneath are gifs, full videos for Super Fight League, Mirko Filipovic vs. Ray Sefo and full results for the mid-majors. Young Danish striker Mikkel Parlo bumped his record to 7-0 at RA - Royal Arena with a win over some guy who will never get anywhere in this sport, the now 3-5 Martin Tondryk, who fought for the first time in almost 9 years. Well-traveled striker Radoslaw Piechnik from Poland went up to 6-0 by submitting (via punches) another can in Miroslav Kuban. This marks the sixth fight in six different organizations for the 29-year old and his first fight in three years. 24-year old grappler Albert Odzimkowski picked up two wins in a tournament style format last night to bump up his record to 4-0, all by submission. Anyone who has three heel-hook wins in four fights is alright by me. Shooto Brazil was nice to three Brazilian prospects. Sengoku and Bamma vet Leonardo Santos ran his record to 10-3 with an arm triangle. Fellow Nova Uniao fighter, light-heavyweight Francimar Barroso went up to 13-3 with a guillotine, and former Jon Jones victim Carlos Eduardo won his sixth in a row when his opponent quit on the stool. In the struggle to find more viable talent in the field of women's MMA, Vanessa Porto is struggling to climb her way into relevancy. With losses to Roxanne Modafferi, Cristiane Cyborg Santos, Carinna Damm AND Amanda Nunes on her record already, she may never get there, but she picked up her fourth win in a row last night, KO'ing Luana Teixeira to make her record a not-so-embarassing 14-4 at Pink Fight 2. Promising 2010 rookie standout Kyoji Horiguchi is now 7-1 after a TKO victory in Shooto Japan. Rather than bore you with details of my own, I'll just link to Tony Loiseleur's recap on Sherdog of the event. In boxing, Orlando Salido and Juan Manuel Lopez put on a fight that many are labeling as an early contender for Fight of the Year. It was Salido's second stoppage of Juanma, and it may have saved boxing from yet another controversy. SBNation's boxing blog Bad Left Hook had Salido up handily, as did the unofficial scoring on Showtime and much of the public from places like Twitter, but when they released the judges' scorecards after the fight, they had it as a win for Lopez. Fortunately for boxing, Salido saved them from themselves late in the fight with the TKO that can be viewed below (Skip to 1:10 if you just want to see highlights of that fight). Back in MMA, longtime home to some of the best flyweight and bantamweights in the world, Tachi Fighting Palace is probably going to struggle a bit with relevance now that the UFC has added those divisions into their fold. There are still quite a few good ones out there, however, and there were a few nice fights last night. Strikeforce veteran Casey Olson had himself a fairly dominating win over Cody Gibson in the main event, racking up the unanimous decision victory. UFC and Pancrase vet Rob Emerson nearly went the distance, but got himself the RNC with 30 seconds left in the fight over Savant Young. While some of you may recall Mexican fighter Antonio Duarte from the undercard of Affliction's Fedor/Arlovski card, he ended up getting himself KO'd early by UFC and WEC veteran Francisco Rivera. Full results: Bantamweight bout: Casey Olson def. Cody Gibson by unanimous decisionLightweight bout: Robert Emerson def. Savant Young by submission (rear naked choke) Rd 3 (4:29)Bantamweight bout: Francisco Rivera def. Antonio Duarte by KO (punches) Rd 1 (1:15)Lightweight bout: Bubba Jenkins def. Chris Gomez by submission (rear naked choke) Rd 1 (2:07)Heavyweight bout: Dave Huckaba def. Liron Wilson by TKO (punches) Rd 2 (1:05)Featherweight bout: Anthony Avila def. Art Becerra by submission (guillotine choke) Rd 1 (4:08)Flyweight bout: Alex Perez def. Edgar Diaz by submission (kimura) Rd 1 (2:33) Bellator 60 was definitely the most relevant of the events held this past weekend (you can tell because we had a live thread for it), and Pat Curran solidified his place as a top-10 (and possibly a top-5) Featherweight in the world. His third round destruction of Joe Warren is one of the most ridiculous finishes you will ever see in the history of MMA, due in no small part by some of the worst incompetence you will ever see from a ref in this sport. Warren ate about 40 unanswered shots, and was clearly only standing up because the cage was there to keep him there. If you haven't seen it now, check it out: via ironforgesiron.com Just ridiculous. Warren apparently suffered a pretty bad concussion and his Olympic hopes are almost certainly out the window along with his jaw. On a more positive note, Bellator's new tournament format kicked off, and Daniel Straus, Alexandre Bezerra, late-replacement Mike Corey and long-time stalwart Marlon Sandro advanced to the semis. UFC vets Travis Wiuff and Sean McCorkle all picked up wins as well. Travis is now 11-1-1 in his last 13 and Sean picked up his sixth in a row since getting cut. Young welterweight Josh Shockley looked to be a sacrificial lamb to UFC and Strikeforce vet Shamar Bailey, but he outgrappled Shamar en route to a unanimous decision win. Full results: Featherweight Championship bout: Pat Curran defeated Joe Warren via KO (punches) at 1:25 of round 3 to become the new Bellator Featherweight Champion.Featherweight Quarterfinal bout: Daniel Straus defeated Jeremy Spoon via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27).Featherweight Quarterfinal bout: Mike Corey defeated Ronnie Mann via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).Featherweight Quarterfinal bout: Marlon Sandro defeated Roberto Vargas via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:35 of round 1.Featherweight Quarterfinal bout: Alexandre Bezerra defeated Kenny Foster via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:57 of round 2.Bantamweight bout: Jake Nauracy defeated Cory Galloway via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:22 of round 2.Catchweight (215 lbs) bout: Travis Wiuff defeated Anthony Gomez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).Catchweight (280 lbs) bout: Sean McCorkle defeated Richard White via submission (neck crank) at 1:02 of round 1.Catchweight (165 lbs) bout: Josh Shockley defeated Shamar Bailey via unanimous decision.Catchweight (148 lbs) bout: Genair Da Silva defeated Bobby Reardanz via TKO (leg kicks and punches) at 0:51 of round 3. This morning's Super Fight league over in India is notable not only for being the first MMA card in the worlds largest or second largest nation, but for who they had on it. UFC washouts Jimmy Ambriz and "Professor" Xavier Foupa-Pokam both had early TKO's to open the action, with Jimmy getting the ridiculous 14-second clobbering in of his outmatched opponent. The main story was long-time MMA punchline Bob Sapp faced off against the slightly less of a punchline, James Thompson. To no one's surprise, JT bullied Sapp down early, but shockingly, Bob reversed the Colossus, even getting him into a mounted crucifix position, but then he apparently remembered that he's Bob Sapp, somehow allowed Thompson to roll out of the crucifix and double-leg him to the ground. In the midst of that takedown, Bob somehow injured his leg and tapped out. Of note, he walked back to the end just fine. SFL was kind enough to make the entire video available by stream, so if you've got hours to kill, enjoy: The Ultimate Fighter kicked off its 15th season with a revamp to their format that saw 16 live one-round fights to get into the house. I have no need to bore you with details, as Chris had a quality live thread complete with results right here. My personal predictions are that Marcello, Cruikshank and Jury will be amongst the early favorites to win it all. Finally, the "Final Fight" for Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic was most likely a retirement for his opponent Ray Sefo. I won't go too bonkers here, as my live thread coverage is awesome and you should definitely click there right now. Also here's the entire fight between CC and Sefo if you desire just to see that. Personally, the headkick KO from Ghita is nicer.

Posted in: fight, bout, round, submission, featherweight

Read the full article at Head Kick Legend

Malaysian Fighting Championships (MFC) was only formed last year but is doing a great job of giving a platform to local fighters to get some low level professional experience. This card also saw two of the better fighters in the region, Mark Striegl and Andrew Leone, who offered to step inside the cage at very late notice. Overtime, in Kuala Lumpur, is an upmarket bar which provides the perfect venue for an event of this scale. 500 people were packed inside for MFC 4 on Saturday night (March 10, 2012) which made for a fun atmosphere with the vast majority of the fights ending inside the opening round. Striegl is training in Malaysia for a fight with DARE Championships next weekend but when a 155 lbs fighter pulled out at the last minute he offered to replace him. He had a big advantage in terms of experience over Malaysian fighter Mohd Al Hafiz and put on a grappling master class for the crowd, shooting for an early takedown and then transitioning to finish the fight with a mounted triangle. It was a treat for the audience to see such a display of high level wrestling and Jiu Jitsu although Hafiz can count himself a little unlucky to have ended up with such an accomplished opponent at the last minute. Andrew Leone was also a late addition to the card and his Malaysian opponent, Izat Hisham, landed some good strikes standing before being taken down and submitted by the accomplished American wrestler. Two up and coming Malaysian fighters secured wins although one of them had to come from behind to do it. Sam Chan (pictured) was not getting the better of the stand up exchanges against Palestinian Mohammed Sami but managed to secure the second successive victory of his career when he slapped on an armbar. The only man to ever defeat Chan is Melvin Yeoh, who also holds a stoppage win over One FC veteran Raymond Tiew. He improved his record to 4-1 at MFC 4 with a highlight reel KO of local fighter Modh Zakhir who was taken out with a perfectly timed head kick. Much more, including complete results, after the jump. MFC promoter Paul Teo is a driving forces behind the rapid growth of MMA in Malaysia. He is the owner of Muayfit which was one of the very first places to offer mixed martial arts classes and is amazed at the explosion of interest in the sport, "Peter Davis started teaching MMA at Muayfit in March 2011, two months before we organized the first ever amateur MMA event in Malaysia. We made the move into MMA even before ONE FC but of course now ONE FC is recognized as the leading MMA organization in Asia." MFC uses a slightly modified version of the unified rules which restricts the use of elbows and is a great way for Malaysian based fighters to gain experience inside the cage. Organizationally the event continues to improve with experienced professional fighters now brought in to act as officials. It's still a relatively small show but with ONE FC 4 currently set for Kuala Lumpur in April MFC is helping to increase local interest in the sport as well as giving prospective professional fighters a bit of cagetime. Teo thinks that the show has a bright future, "I want to start doing events in more city centers like Penang and Johor Bahru. MFC was set up as a platform for fighters to showcase their skills inside the cage and so far we have attracted fighters from USA, Russia, Brazil and Singapore as well as local fighters. MMA is becoming more popular all the time in Malaysia and I like to think that MFC is one of the reason's why." MFC 4 Results1) SAM CHAN (W) vs MOHAMMED SAMI @ 3:28 (Round 1) – SUBMISSION ARMBAR2) VERNON APOSTOL (W) vs SYED HILMAN @ 0:55 (Round 1) - REAR NAKED CHOKE3) MUHD HAZRUL (W) vs DESMOND CHUI @ 3.02 (Round 1) – TRIANGLE CHOKE SUBMISSION4) WILL CHOPE (W) vs JULIUS LIM @ 0.46 (Round 1) – GROUND & POUND (ref stoppageTKO)5) MELVIN YEOH (W) vs MOHD ZAKHIR @ 0.27 (Round 1) – TKO (ref stoppage)6) ANDREW LEONE (W) vs IZAT HISHAM @ 0.29 (Round 1) – REAR NAKED CHOKE7) TEH KAH WEI (W) vs ALMAS ABDULLA @ 1.45 (Round 1) - (Doctor Stoppage)8) HANIF ZAINAL VS KEITH ALDEN @ FULL 3 ROUNDS – (Unanimous Draw)9) MARK STRIEGL (W) VS MOHD AL HAFIZ @ 0.47 (Round 1) – TKO (Triangle Choke)10) LACHLAN HAY (W) vs AZRIN KADRI @ 2.52 (Round 1) – TKO Both Hay and Kadri received an award for fight of the night11) WILL CHOPE (W) vs MOHAMMAD HOSSEIN SHABANPOUR @ 3.13 (Round 1) - REAR NAKED CHOKE12) MAXIMILIAN MUSUMALI (W) vs JIM KEONG @ 2.41 (Round 1) – Submission13) ANTONIO GRACEFFO (W) vs NIK HARRIS @ FULL 3 ROUNDS (win on points) www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder

Posted in: fighter, round, vs, ndash, mfc

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No longer will fans be left scrambling just after an event to catch the mixed martial arts (MMA) fights online before the promoter takes them down. This morning (March 11, 2012), starting at around 9:30 a.m. ET, the industry's newest addition, Super Fight League (SFL), will broadcast its inaugural event LIVE and FREE on YouTube from the Mumbai, Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai, India. To watch SFL 1: "Sapp vs Thompson" live online today for free click here. Headlining the international fight card are Pride FC veterans Bob Sapp and James Thompson, two of the beefiest bruisers out there. In addition, a slew of local talent will be on display, as well as well-traveled veterans Jimmy Ambriz and Xavier Foupa-Pokam. MMAmania will have LIVE coverage of SFL 1 below, starting with the YouTube broadcast at around 9:30 a.m. ET below. Be sure to check out our quick results and live play-by-play of all the action after the jump: Heavyweight: Bob Sapp vs. James Thompson Women's 115 lb.: Lena Ovchynnikova vs. Sanja Sucevic Light Heavyweight: Nail Natasadu vs. Travis Bell Featherweight: Chaitanya Gavali vs. Tiran Thakshala Welterweight: Mohd Shahid vs. Mayura Dissanayake Lightweight: Lakwinder Sekhon vs. Madura Rathnayake Heavyweight: Satish Jha vs. Jimmy Ambriz Middleweight: Xavier Foupa-Pokam vs. Joey Guel Bob Sapp vs. James Thompson Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- Lena Ovchynnikova vs. Sanja Sucevic Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- Nail Natasadu vs. Travis Bell Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- Chaitanya Gavali vs. Tiran Thakshala Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- Mohd Shahid vs. Mayura Dissanayake Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- Lakwinder Sekhon vs. Madura Rathnayake Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- Satish Jha vs. Jimmy Ambriz Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- Xavier Foupa-Pokam vs. Joey Guel Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end-

Posted in: result, round, vs, end, thompson

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For every "Godfather: Part Two" or "Empire Strikes Back," you get a dozen crappy sequels that completely fail to recapture the magic of the original, even cheapening it. When Orlando Salido and Juan Manuel Lopez squared off for the second time last night (March 10, 2012) inside the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, everyone agreed that it would be one hell of a fight; however, some wondered whether it could possibly match their first effort. Well, long story short, it did. The two went at each other like wild animals, swinging with reckless abandon. Salido's pressure looked to be getting to Lopez, who was attempting to turn it into a technical match, but he found himself dropped hard by a powerful right hook at the very end of the fifth round. Things then proceeded to get absolutely bonkers with both men digging deep and pummeling one another with everything they had. The ninth round in particular was one of the grittiest, most brutal, and most destructive rounds in recent memory, reminiscent of Micky Ward's epic clashes with Arturo Gatti. Finally, Lopez's enormous heart ran dry in the tenth, as he was badly rocked with Salido's signature winging right. He proceeded to eat two enormous uppercuts, both of which looked like they would have killed a lesser man, before a final left put him on the canvas. Though he rose to his feet, he was obviously gone, and the referee called it, capping off an incredible fight. Wow. Frankly, Salido and Lopez needed to put on something amazing to wash the taste of the first fight out of our mouths. And the pair did just that, with Salido retaining his WBO Featherweight title in the process. In other action, unbeaten Mickey Garcia took on Filipino veteran Bernabe Concepcion with a potential crack at Salido on the line. Somebody apparently forgot to tell them. Both guys were incredibly tentative, not throwing much besides the jab. Concepcion, in particular, just could not pull the trigger, and was mercifully put away by a hard combination in the seventh round. Luckily, the main event more than made up for it, and I for one feel honored to have seen these two fight their hearts out. For round-by-round coverage of the rematch between Orlando Salido vs. Juan Manual Lopez last night on Showtime be sure to check out our complete event coverage right here.

Posted in: fight, round, juan, lopez, salido

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Even though March is only 11 days old, Martin Kampmann’s come-from-behind, last minute submission win over Thiago Alves in the main event of the UFC on FX 2 event in Sydney, Australia marked the end of the first quarter of the event calendar in the UFC.With the Octagon not scheduled to make another appearance until it lands in Stockholm, Sweden for the first time in mid-April, I thought this would be a great time to look back at the highlights from the first three months.From the explosive knockouts and stunning submissions to the great fights and genuinely entertaining moments, here’s a look back at the best of best so far in 2012.KNOCKOUTSEdson Barboza KO, R3 (Spinning Wheel Kick) vs. Terry Etim — UFC 142Not only was this easily the best knockout of the year thus far, Barboza’s finish in Rio de Janeiro stands as one of the best knockouts in UFC history. The unbeaten Brazilian connected on a beautiful spinning wheel kick, stiffening Etim on impact, sending the Liverpudlian crashing to the canvas as everyone watching picked his or her jaw up off the floor.Barboza earned Knockout of the Night honors for the performance, and took home his third straight Fight of the Night award as well, making his next bout likely to be one of the most anticipated lightweight contests on the calendar.Stephen Thompson KO, R1 (Front Leg Round Kick) vs. Dan Stittgen — UFC 143If not for Barboza’s ridiculous finish a month earlier, “Wonderboy” would be leading the Knockout of the Year race for his first round finish of Dan Stittgen in his UFC debut back in February.The decorated kickboxer and undefeated welterweight connected with a combination he and his coaches call “The Moneymaker,” a right cross followed by a lead-leg round kick that — if delivered properly — the opposition doesn’t even see coming. Such was the case with Stittgen, who leaned out of the way of the right hand only to be laid out by the right leg of Thompson that landed flush on the side of his head.Next up for the 28-year-old South Carolina native is a meeting with TUF 7 alum Matt Brown at UFC 145 in April.Nick Denis KO, R1 (Standing Elbows) vs. Joseph Sandoval — UFC on FX 1“The Ninja of Love” didn’t waste much time making an impact in the UFC’s bantamweight division.Denis needed just 22 seconds to put away Sandoval in the opening bout of the UFC’s inaugural event on FX, grabbing a half collar tie with his left hand while unleashing a barrage of elbow strikes to the side of the Texas native’s head with his right.The Ottawa, Ontario native who holds a Masters degree in biochemistry will return to action against TUF 14 semifinalist Johnny Bedford in May on the UFC on FOX 3 undercard.Honorable Mentions: Issei Tamura KO, R1 (Punch) vs. Tiequan Zhang — UFC 144; Anthony Pettis KO, R1 (Head Kick) vs. Joe Lauzon — UFC 144.SUBMISSIONSDustin Poirier SUB, R1 (Mounted Triangle Armbar) vs. Max Holloway — UFC 143After going the distance in his first two UFC appearances, the 23-year-old featherweight contender has shown off his submission skills in each of his last two outings.In February, Poirier followed up his second-round submission win over Pablo Garza with a beautiful mounted triangle armbar finish of young Hawaiian Max Holloway on the Condit vs. Diaz undercard.A purple belt under TUF 7 alum and UFC middleweight “Crazy” Tim Credeur, Poirier returns to the cage in May to face “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung in the main event of UFC on FUEL TV 3 in Fairfax, Virginia.Charles Oliveira SUB, R1 (Calf Crusher) vs. Eric Wisely — UFC on FOX: Evans vs. DavisThe energetic 22-year-old Brazilian made his featherweight debut a memorable one by earning Submission of the Night honors for this first round finish.Wisely defended a series of submission attempts from Oliveira, avoiding both a heel hook and a kneebar before getting caught in the unexpected hold, which saw Oliveira triangle his legs around Wisely’s calf and pull him to the ground, putting immense pressure on the calf, as well as torquing his knee simultaneously.Oliveira looked comfortable making the cut to 145-pounds for the first time, rebounding from a three-fight winless skid after winning 14 straight as a lightweight.Vaughan Lee SUB, R1 (Armbar) vs. Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto — UFC 144The diminutive Birmingham native dealt the Japanese crowd a blow with his slick finish of hometown favorite “Kid” Yamamoto at UFC 144.While the former K-1 Hero’s standout was getting the best of things in the stand-up department, he made a mistake on the ground late in the opening frame, and Lee capitalized. The 29-year-old British bantamweight grabbed Yamamoto’s arm, and transitioned from a triangle choke into an armbar, becoming the first person to submit Yamamoto.The win leveled Lee’s record at 1-1 in the UFC, and sets the British submission specialist up as someone to watch in the coming months.Honorable Mentions: UFC on FX 2 Submission Trio — Daniel Pineda SUB, R1 (Triangle Choke Armbar) vs. Mackens Semerzier; TJ Waldburger SUB, R1 (Armbar) vs. Jake Hecht; Martin Kampmann SUB, R3 (Guillotine Choke) vs. Thiago AlvesFIGHTSFrankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson — UFC 144Regardless of whom you had winning this fight, there is no denying that it was one of the most exciting of the year thus far.Once again, Edgar showed the heart of the champion and the incredible resiliency that carried him through the dire opening rounds of his two engagements with Gray Maynard last year, continually pressing forward, never slowing down. Across from him, Henderson stood his ground, a calm look on his face, casually clearing the hair from his eyes between throwing heavy punches and kicks.The judges saw the fight in favor of Henderson, making him the second former WEC champion to claim UFC gold already this year, but each round was closer than the final scores show. For a third straight year, Edgar will fight in a rematch, as the two will meet again later this year in a bout that will most likely join this one on a list of the best fights of 2012.Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall — UFC on FX 2The flyweights finally made their UFC debut at the start of the month in Sydney, Australia, and the first fight in the history of the 125-pound division was one of the best of the year.As expected, former bantamweight title challenger Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall, the top-ranked flyweight in the world, paired off in a spirited affair that revved up to 100mph right out of the gate and never backed off the gas pedal.Like Edgar and Henderson, McCall and Johnson will also meet for a second time later this year. The fight, which is officially ruled a draw, should have advanced to a “sudden victory” round, but a transcription error led to the contest being declared a majority decision for Johnson.Three more rounds of “Mighty Mouse” vs. “Uncle Creepy” later this year? Sounds good to me.Mike Easton vs. Jared Papazian — UFC on FX 1These two bantamweights went toe-to-toe, meeting head on in the center of the Octagon in the middle of January before spending the next 15 minutes trading punches and kicks all over the cage.Easton emerged victorious, earning the majority decision with scores of 29-28, 30-27, and 29-29 to push his record to 2-0 in the UFC and 12-1 overall. “The Hulk” returns to the Octagon on May 15 to face Yves Jabouin on UFC on FUEL TV 3.Papazian, who took the fight on short notice after Ken Stone was forced from the bout due to an injury, put up a valiant effort, and established himself someone to keep an eye in the bantamweight ranks.Honorable Mentions: Matthew Riddle vs. Henry Martinez — UFC 143; Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez — UFC on FUEL TV 1.10 ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2012 THUS FARJose Aldo celebrates with the crowdAfter defeating Chad Mendes and defending his UFC featherweight title in the main event of UFC 142, the dynamic Brazilian champion ran from the Octagon and celebrated his victory amongst the crowd assembled at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. This was one of the most genuinely entertaining post-fight celebrations ever.Jorge Rivera goes out with a winHeading into his fight with Eric “Red” Schafer at UFC on FX 1, TUF 4 alum and UFC veteran Jorge Rivera announced he’d be calling it quits after the bout.Through the first round, it looked like the Milford, Massachusetts native would end his career on a three-fight losing streak, but in the second, Rivera took charge, earning the stoppage win just 91 seconds into the round. The 40-year-old finished his career with a 20-9 record overall, and an 8-7 mark in the UFC.WEC Champions Become UFC ChampionsBoth Carlos Condit and Benson Henderson wore gold during their days in the WEC. This year, the two World Extreme Cagefighting alums became UFC champions, Condit claiming the interim welterweight title at UFC 143, while Henderson earned lightweight gold at UFC 144.Counting featherweight champion Jose Aldo and bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz, four of the organization’s current champions are former WEC title holders. Flyweight tournament finalist Joseph Benavidez could become the fifth later this year.The WEC may be gone, but these boys are helping make sure it’s never forgotten.Round of the Year: Ivan Menjivar vs. John Albert — UFC on FUEL TV 1It may have only lasted three minutes and 45 seconds, but Ivan Menjivar and John Albert crammed an entire fight’s worth of back-and-forth action into that time in Omaha, Nebraska.Menjivar came out strong early, only to have Albert turn up the intensity and look like he was close to finishing midway through the fight. “The Pride of El Salvador” weathered the storm, and emerged on the other side to submit the Ultimate Fighter Season 14 alum shortly thereafter, earning Submission of the Night honors in the process.The Imperial March vs. The PRIDE ThemeThough the fight between Ryan “Darth” Bader and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 144 didn’t quite deliver as much excitement as expected, their choice in walkout songs produced the best pairing of the night.Bader strode to the cage to the sounds of Rage Against the Machine’s rocked-up version of the Imperial March — the music that announces Darth Vader’s presence in the original Star Wars trilogy — while Jackson came out to the theme from PRIDE.As a big Star Wars nerd, I’ve always loved the Imperial March. As an even bigger MMA nerd, the PRIDE theme still gives me chills, with Jackson’s entrance in Japan making it even more awesome than normal. Too bad the fight wasn’t as good as the entrances.The ComebackTim Boetsch made a lot of writers delete nearly completed fight recaps in his bout with Yushin Okami at UFC 144.After being dominated throughout the first two rounds, most believed the former title challenger would complete the clean sweep against Boestch as the third round began. “The Barbarian” had other ideas, coming out of the break looking to finish, and doing just that thanks to a series of uppercuts along the cage that flattened Okami.UFC President Dana White praised Boetsch’s performance after the event, holding it out there as an example of how he would like everyone who is down on the scorecards to approach the final round.Pat Barry defends submissions, knocks out Christian MorecraftThe charismatic heavyweight showed that all the time he’s been putting in with the heavyweight wrestling monsters who make up the DeathClutch team in Minnestoa has been paying off.In his UFC on FX 1 encounter with Morecraft, Barry escaped a pair of submission attempts on the ground before knocking out the 25-year-old New York native. Now that he’s shown everyone he can defend on the ground, Barry has vowed not to cut his hair until he gets a submission win over his own inside the Octagon.His next chance comes in May on the UFC on FOX 3 card against Lavar “Big” Johnson.Shawn Jordan’s BackflipAfter earning a second-round TKO victory over Oli Thompson in his UFC debut in Australia, Jordan, a former fullback at LSU, landed a perfect backflip in the center of the Octagon.Maybe he can give welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre some pointers next time he’s down in Albuquerque working with Team Jackson.Brazilian Dominance in BrazilBrazilian fighters went 10-4 when the UFC returned to Rio for the first time last August, with three of those losses coming in fights featuring two Brazilian fighters.In January, the local fighters continued their dominance, posting a 9-3 mark at UFC 142, with a pair of those losses stemming from fights pitting Brazilians against one another.Overall between the two events, Brazilians are 19-7 inside the Octagon, with five unavoidable losses. We’ll see if the trend continues when the UFC heads back to Brazil for the third time.All Kinds of Awesomeness AheadJones vs. Evans. “Cigano” vs. “The Reem” for the heavyweight title. Cruz vs. Faber 3. The list goes on and on, making the upcoming schedule filled with outstanding fights one of the biggest highlights of the year so far.

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The venue may have changed but for six holes on Saturday, it looked like Tiger Woods was back at PGA National, making another charge up the leaderboard, after he started his third round at the WGC-Cadillac Championship with three straight birdies. Even though Woods cooled over the last 12 holes, he still produced some pretty impressive shots, including the above video from the ninth hole. After finding the water with his tee shot, Woods hit a deft third shot from a precarious spot in the rough, lofting the ball high in the air before it came back to earth and rolled right into the hole for par. Woods only managed to shoot 4-under 68 on day, but based on the some of the shots he's been hitting of late -- including this one on the 18th -- you get the feeling his game is improving with every round he plays. And that's never a bad thing with the Masters right around the corner.

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They call it the Blue Monster, but for the first three rounds of the WGC-Cadillac Championship, the course at Doral has been anything but a monster test for the players in the field. After Bubba Watson fired a 10-under 62 on Friday, a handful of players -- including Rory McIlroy and Keegan Bradley -- ripped the course to shreds on a relatively calm Saturday afternoon that made you realize just how easy the Blue Monster has become in recent years. McIlroy went out in 6-under 30 and had it all the way up to 9-under thru 12 before he stumbled down the stretch, posting a 7-under 65 for the second lowest round of the day. After the round, McIlroy said he was "disappointed" with his score. Disappointed with a 65? If you're wondering how that's even possible, just look at the stats from today's round. The scoring average for the field was 70.11; only 15 players in the 70-man field shot over par on Saturday; and 13 players ended up with rounds of 67 or better. With the course's degree of difficulty at an all-time low and Donald Trump's recent acquisition and redesign announcement now official, it shouldn't come as a surprise that a number of guys took a moment to criticize the layout one last time before it was blasted into oblivion ... including Rory McIlroy. "It's a resort golf course, and it was a tough test 15 years ago but now it's just got outdated," McIlroy said after his third round. "They definitely need to do something with it, and it's great to see that Trump's taking over the place and he's going to do a good job with it, I'm sure." The current No. 1 also called the grass at Doral "scrappy and it's a little scruffy and aesthetically it doesn't look great." Hopefully Gil Hanse is listening, because McIlroy isn't the player feeling this way.

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With no major mixed martial arts (MMA) action on the docket, we turn our attention to professional boxing's squared circle to fill our combat sports void. After a fantastic, back-and-forth fight that produced one of 2011's most stunning upsets, Puerto Rican superstar Juan Manuel Lopez and Mexican slugger Orlando Salido will square off once again with the WBO featherweight title on the line later tonight (March 10, 2012) from the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In addition, unbeaten knockout artist Mikey Garcia will take on Filipino veteran Bernabe Concepcion to determine the next contender for the 126-pound belt. MMAmania will have LIVE coverage of the event, starting with the Showtime broadcast at 10 p.m. ET this evening. Check out complete Juan Manuel Lopez vs Orlando Salido 2 quick results and LIVE play-by-play after the jump: Featherweight Championship: Orlando Salido (c) vs. Juan Manuel Lopez Featherweight.: Mikey Garcia vs. Bernabe Concepcion WBO Featherweight Championship: Orlando Salido (c) vs. Juan Manuel Lopez Round One: Round Two: Round Three: Round Four: Round Five: Round Six: Round Seven: Round Eight: Round Nine: Round Ten: Round Eleven: Round Twelve: Final Result: -end- WBO Featherweight Eliminator: Mikey Garcia vs. Bernabe Concepcion Round One: Round Two: Round Three: Round Four: Round Five: Round Six: Round Seven: Round Eight: Round Nine: Round Ten: Final Result: -end-

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Last night’s Bellator card kicked Season 6 off on the right note with a number of entertaining fights including a title tilt between Joe Warren and Pat Curran. While Warren came out strong, recovering from some early shots to take Curran down and control him throughout solid portions of the bout, in the end it was the 24-year old challenger who brought home divisional gold after rocking Warren with a knee and then pouncing on top of him to score a brutal TKO victory. The performance improved Curran’s overall record to 17-4 with four consecutive wins at 145 pounds. Next up he’ll face Patricio Freire who earned the right by emerging as the last man standing in the Season 4 featherweight tournament. Also worth noting, advancing in the Season 6 version were Daniel Straus, Alexandre Bezerra, Mike Corey, and Marlon Sandro. Read below for a full rundown of Bellator 60 results: Genair da Silva def. Bobby Reardanz via TKO Round 3 (Strikes) Alexandre Bezerra def. Kenny Foster via Submission Round 2 (Rear-Naked Choke) Josh Shockley def. Shamar Bailey via Unanimous Decision Marlon Sandro def. Roberto Vargas via Submission Round 1 (Rear-Naked Choke) Mike Corey def. Ronnie Mann via Unanimous Decision Daniel Straus def. Jeremy Spoon via Unanimous Decision Pat Curran def. Joe Warren via TKO Round 3 (Knee/Strikes) Sean McCorkle def. Richard White via Submission Round 1 (Neck Crank) Travis Wiuff def. Anthony Gomez via Unanimous Decision Jake Nauracy def. Cory Galloway via Submission Round 2 (Rear-Naked Choke) PHOTO CREDIT – BELLATOR Tweet

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"The Ultimate Fighter," the reality show that helped jumpstart the UFC's success, began a new chapter on Friday night as it switched both channels and format. For the first time, fights were shown live and on FX. Though fights on TUF were previously two rounds with a sudden-death round when needed, the fights to get on the show were just one round. Fighters who needed time to find their rhythm did not fare well, but the ones who managed to win by submission or knockout got a $5,000 bonus. Some highlights from the fights: -- Sam Sicilia wasted no time making a name for himself, getting the fastest knockout of the day in just eight seconds. -- After Andy Ogle's win, he jumped onto UFC president Dana White for a full-body hug. -- Dakota Cochrane, the fighter whose past included acting in gay pornographic movies, did not make the house. He lost a split decision. -- On the way to losing to Al Iaquinta, Jon Tuck also sustained a broken and disfigured toe. Complete results:

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Bellator 60 kickstarted Bellator Fighting Championship's sixth season last night (March 9, 2012) from the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana. In typical Bellator fashion, the night ended with some serious violence. Perhaps too much this time. Undersized, overachieving champion Joe Warren was looking to defend his featherweight title for the first time, but he ran into the buzzsaw who is Pat Curran. While by now, people are all talking about the brutal third round finishing sequence by Curran and the referee's "deer in the headlights" ineptitude, one must give some credit to Warren for being able to implement his gameplan of closing the distance with takedowns and some hard work in the clinch over the course of the first two rounds. While MMAmania.com had it scored 19-19 heading into the third, Curran's corner told him he was likely down two rounds to none. That's all "Paddy Mike" needed to hear. Early in the third, when Warren ducked down for yet another takedown attempt, Curran was ready for him, blasting "The Baddest Man on the Planet" with a massive knee to the face that rocked him. Somehow Warren stayed standing for the next 20 seconds as Curran swarmed him with a huge flurry of unanswered blows, culminating in a pair of ridiculous uppercuts that finally sent Warren down for good. Pat Curran is the new Bellator featherweight champion. While the rest of the main card, which featured the Bellator season six featherweight tournament quarterfinals, wasn't quite as violent, it certainly had some entertaining moments: Daniel Straus, a finalist fo the Bellator season four featherweight tournament, faced a stiff test in Jeremy Spoon, who entered the tournament with a spotless 12-0 record. Spoon did his best to push a hard pace and work for repeated takedowns along the fence, pressing Straus into the cage on multiple occasions, but Straus' balance was impeccable and he remained upright for almost the entirety of the contest. The key factor in this bout was Daniel Straus' improved striking as he showcased a quick and powerful lead left hand and was mixing in some vicious inside leg kicks which connected with extreme prejudice, reverberating with a loud slap throughout the entire venue and leaving Spoon's thigh red and raw. It was more than enough for Straus to be awarded the unanimous decision victory. Perhaps the feel-good story of the entire event, Team Curran fighter Mike Corey, an alternate who stepped in for an injured Wagnney Fabiano with one week's notice, upset one of the top tournament hopefuls Ronnie Mann with a unanimous decision victory. Corey was hurt badly in the opening round by Mann in the stand-up portion, but the Brit was unable to finish him and Corey not only regained his senses, but completely turned the fight on its head by going to his bread and butter which was his wrestling. This wasn't basic wrestling either, Corey was extremely active from top position, looking to pass guard and hammer away with powerful punches. Mann was completely unable to get back to his feet and other than an armbar and leg lock attempt, he was not able to put forth much offense from his back which gave Corey all the momentum he needed to win the final two rounds and the fight. Also advancing to the semifinals was Marlon Sandro, one of the most dangerous and powerful featherweights on the planet. The Brazilian proved his status by clipping 12-1 Roberto Vargas with a slick right hand and he refused to let up his onslaught, pouring on punches in the opening frame and eventually forcing Vargas to tap to a rear naked choke. Sandro was knocked out by Pat Curran in the Bellator featherweight Summer Series finals and has made it his ultimate goal to work his way to a rematch. He'll have to win the entire tournament to earn that rematch, but if he keeps putting on performances like he did last night, he very well might be able to pull it off. Lastly, top Brazilian prospect Alexandre "Popo" Bezerra put forth a strong showing against extremely late notice tournament opponent Kenny Foster. Foster, who was a semifinalist in the Bellator season four tournament, stepped up on 24 hours' notice when Genair da Silva failed to make weight and was removed from the tournament field. Perhaps the late opponent switcharoo threw Bezerra off because he wasn't his usual aggressive self in the first round, although the fight certainly had its moments. The highlight of the bout was definitely late in the second round as Foster, hoping to perhaps steal the round with a takedown, was quickly reversed by "Popo," who dropped a large volume of blows from behind on the ground before locking in a rear naked choke and forcing the tap with just seconds remaining in the frame. At the post-fight press conference, it was announced that Daniel Straus will fight Mike Corey and Marlon Sandro will fight Alexandre Bezerra in the tournament semifinals, which will take place April 6 in Windsor, Ontario Canada. For complete Bellator 60 results and detailed round-by-round commentary of all the televised fights as well as a recap of the main event click here and here. So what did you think, Maniacs? Did Bellator kick off it's sixth season strongly in your eyes? What was the highlight of the night for you and is there anyone in this featherweight tournament field that you believe can knock off the current champion Pat Curran? Sound off!

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Bubba Watson is loving life these days, especially after carding his best-ever PGA Tour round, a 62, to take over the lead at the Blue Monster at Doral. The weekend is slated for spectacular weather, so we're looking at the potential for some outstanding scores on the weekend. Keep up with it all right here.

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Bellator 60 took place last night in Hammond, IN and the featherweights did not disappoint. In the main event, rising star Pat Curran took control of his title fight with Joe Warren to win the Bellator featherweight title. In the featherweight tournament, Daniel Straus, Mike Corey, Marlon Sandro, and Alexandre Bezerra all advanced. Curran demolishes Warren to win belt, the Pitbull awaits Before their fight Friday night two things were clear, one Warren held the clear wrestling advantage and two, Warren would take a lot damage. Both came true as Warren’s wrestling was impressive while his striking was not at all. Part of that is due to Warren trying to make the Olympic wrestling team, and thus spending most of his time there. Olympic training also explains why Warren appeared much smaller since he competes at a much lower weight class. Warren survived danger in both the first and second rounds before being knocked out in the third. Unfortunately, the bout should serve an example of why a fighter should not have to fall down to be considered knocked out, Warren was crushed by Curran and used the cage to remain standing with out actually mounting any real defense. While Warren did eventually go down, the beating he took arguably should have been halted earlier by the referee. Warren remained down for several minutes after the bout and had to be carried out of the cage when he finally came to. Interestingly enough, Bellator’s video of the KO was heavily edited to make the KO appear faster than it happened.   Official Fight Card Main Card (MTV2) Featherweight Championship bout: Pat Curran def. Joe Warren via KO (strikes) at 1:25 of Round 3 Featherweight Quarterfinal bout: Daniel Straus def. Jeremy Spoon via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) Featherweight Quarterfinal bout: Mike Corey def. Ronnie Mann via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Featherweight Quarterfinal bout: Marlon Sandro def. Roberto Vargas via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:35 of Round 1 Local Feature Fights (Spike.com) Featherweight Quarterfinal bout: Alexandre Bezerra def. Kenny Foster via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:57 of Round 2 Bantamweight bout: Jake Nauracy def. Cory Galloway via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:22 of Round 2 Catchweight (215 lbs) bout: Travis Wiuff def. Anthony Gomez via unanimous decision (29-28,29-28,29-28) Catchweight (280 lbs) bout: Sean McCorkle def. Richard White via submission (neck crank) at 1:02 of Round 1 Catchweight (165 lbs) bout: Josh Shockley def. Shamar Bailey via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27) Featherweight bout:  Genair da Silva def. Bobby Reardanz via TKO (strikes) at 0:51 of Round 3

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HAMMOND, Ind. -- Bellator's season six started with a new champ, a terrible stoppage, and four featherweights getting closer to challenging for the belt. Joe Warren started with a nasty takedown, and from the start, his wrestling controlled most of the bout. Curran's on big moment in the first round came when he knocked Warren down with a head kick, and followed it up with several strikes on the ground, but Warren survived. When Curran tried a flying knee, Warren used it for a takedown. Warren had more takedowns and control in the first round. Action slowed in the second round, as Warren was able to get takedowns, but not hold Curran down. After Curran's corner told him he was down two rounds, he came out in the third round with full intent to injure. Curran's bevy of strikes put Warren against the fence. The fence was the only thing holding Warren up as he withstood several shots from Curran. The fight went on much longer than it needed to, and was finally stopped at 1:25 in the third round. Warren went to the hospital after the bout. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney said he was complaining of nausea and also had a hand injury. Rebney also said he was surprised the stoppage wasn't sooner.

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What a ride it's been. Sixteen years to the day since his K-1 debut against Jerome Le Banner, Croatia's most brutal export, Mirko Filipovic, will step into the ring for the final time today (March 10, 2012) in his home country, taking on fellow legend "Sugarfoot" Ray Sefo in the former's first kickboxing bout in almost nine years. It will also likely be his last. In addition, newly-minted "It's Showtime" heavyweight champion Daniel Ghita will take on Sergei Lascenko in a rematch of their 2009 bout, which saw Ghita stop Lascenko in the first via leg kicks. Veterans Freddy Kemayo and Dzevad Poturak will also be in action. MMAmania will have LIVE coverage of the event, starting with the live Fight Now TV broadcast online at 1 p.m. ET from the Arena Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia. Check out our complete "Final Fight: Cro Cop vs. Sefo" quick results and live play-by-play after the jump, which will go from the bottom-up: Mirko Filipovic vs. Ray Sefo Igor Jurkovic vs. Freddy Kemayo Daniel Ghita vs. Sergei Lascenko Mladen Brestovac vs. Mourad Bouzidi Dzevad Poturak vs. Ismael Londt Mladen Kujundsic vs. TBA Agron Petreni vs. Guy Pacome Assi Stefan Jelicv vs. Michael Duut Ivan Posavec vs. Miran Fabjan Mirko Filipovic vs. Ray Sefo: Round One: Round Two: Round Three: Final Result: -end- Igor Jurkovic vs. Freddy Kemayo Round One: Round Two: Round Three: Final Result: -end- Daniel Ghita vs. Sergei Lascenko Round One: Round Two: Round Three: Final Result: -end- Mladen Brestovac vs. Mourad Bouzidi Round One: Round Two: Round Three: Final Result: -end- Dzevad Poturak vs. Ismael Londt Round One: Round Two: Round Three: Final Result: -end- Mladen Kujundsic vs. TBA Round One: Round Two: Round Three: Final Result: -end- Agron Petreni vs. Guy Pacome Assi Round One: Round Two: Round Three: Final Result: -end- Stefan Jelicv vs. Michael Duut Round One: Round Two: Round Three: Final Result: -end- Ivan Posavec vs. Miran Fabjan Round One: Round Two: Round Three: Final Result: -end-

Posted in: result, round, vs, end, sefo

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Okay, maybe it wasn’t exactly the right time to ask Dana White about this after they just forgot how to count to 28 in Australia (come on, guys, it really isn’t that much harder than knifey spooney), but he has now officially come down against the implementation of the half-point scoring system in MMA fights. The mere mention of the half-point system was recently enough to send White into one of his vintage f*ck-laced tirades, recorded by MMAFighting.com’s Mike Chiappetta: "We get into half-points? They better learn to count f---ing whole points before we get to half-points," he said. "You put a half-a-point in there, holy s---, every f---ing card will be destroyed. It’s a bigger problem than half-points. And I don’t want to smash these guys, they accepted what they did and they were stand-up about it, but Jesus Christ, there’s three f---ing numbers. There’s 10s and 9s. If you can’t count 10s and 9s, let’s not throw f---ing fractions in there." White said that during his career of promoting over 1,600 fights, a similar scenario has only occurred one other time, and though he didn't specify that instance, he's most likely referring to a UFC 41 bout between Matt Serra and Din Thomas. In that event, Serra was originally declared the winner by majority decision, but a scoring error was later discovered and New Jersey state regulators corrected the mistake, giving Thomas the win. "It’s the worst thing ever when you go back and you tell a guy, 'I need to talk to you, you didn’t win this fight,'" White said. "The guy’s already made his f---ing phone calls, he’s already made plans. You think you won the fight and find out the fight’s a draw, or what would have been worse if I would’ve had to go back and tell him, ‘You lost the fight. You didn’t win.’ "That’s why tallying the scores and doing what they do is so important," he continued. "Not only for all the selfish things for me, for the product and the sport and the brand and all that stuff, but these fighters... You literally have their lives in your hands. Get a f---ing calculator. You know what I mean? Do something. Take more time. Make sure that stuff is right." Dana has a point that you have to learn to do missionary before you can do the wheelbarrow or the reverse Mormon, but we really ought to have some faith that not every athletic commission is stuck at Sesame Street levels of math skill. In fact, I’m going to go ahead and speculate that the guy reading the scorecards in Australia was paid off by gamblers from Macau (source: absolutely nothing). In his statement, Dana didn’t really address the actual merits and/or decrepitudes of the half-point scoring system. Sure, the half-point scoring system could end up producing lots of three-round draws due to one 10-9 round for one fighter stacking up against two 10-9.5 rounds for the other. But then, what’s to stop the UFC from putting a tiebreaker round (we’re not allowed to say “sudden death” anymore, thank you Rebellion Media) in all future fight contracts to break the impasse? Judging by how MMA fans were salivating like a pack of wild hyenas at the prospect of a fourth round during the McCall-Johnson flyweight tournament fight and then collectively gushed pus from an infected ulcer when they found out it was a mistake that they didn’t get it, tiebreaker rounds might not be such a horrible thing for the sport.

Posted in: fight, round, ’t, fing, halfpoint

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Bellator, oh beloved Bellator, how I missed thee.  Tonight, the sixth season of the number two MMA organization in the world debuted on MTV2, bringing with it the quarterfinals of the latest featherweight tournament, plus a long-awaited championship tilt between reigning king Joe Warren and recent tournament winner Pat Curran.  How did it all play out?  Glad you asked! If not for a kick to the grill that came out of nowhere, Marlon Sandro would be fighting Warren in lieu of Curran.  But so it goes in MMA, and now the Brazilian Nova Uniao star was back in the tourney mix, taking on fellow 145-pound fighter Roberto Vargas in what was essentially a squash match.  For the first minute the two probed each other with kicks and punches, and for a moment it seemed as if we were in for a fight.  Yet at the minute-and-a-half mark Sandro flicked a switch, and began unloading – and catching –Vargas with overhands and uppercuts that put the American wrestler on jelly legs.  Vargas covered up, wobbled about, and instinctively shot for a takedown to no avail, and soon the jiu-jitsu black belt was on his back, flattening him out for the rear naked choke.  Vargas tapped after 3:35 had expired in the first round, and with the win Sandro moved on to the semifinals and one step closer to redemption. To earn his slot in this featherweight lineup, Ronnie Mann had to transition from a badass UK fighter to a solid Bellator repeat offender and Bellator Summer Series tournament semifinalist.  Conversely, to earn his slot, ex-Marine Mike Corey had to draw a very overrated Chris Horodecki.  Can you guess which one was a canny fighter and which one was outgunned?  If you said Mann, you’d be wrong.  For the first half of the first round, Corey kept stepping in swinging and ate two or three rapid-fire hooks for his troubles.  Then Mann put him on his butt with a right, and when the American popped back up, Mann sent him back down with the very next right hand he threw.  Eventually Corey recovered, and with thirty seconds left in the frame he got the takedown and delivered fists and forearms from above. The momentum shifted considerably in Round 2, as Corey began dinging his foe up on the feet then took him down and ground and pounded him for the vast majority of the period.  Mann seemed to have no answer other than swiveling his hips into a couple ill-fated armbar attempts, and in terms of scorecards, it was clear Corey had evened things up. Round 3 was the same as the one preceding, with Mann’s inability to escape from the bottom leading to a unanimous decision in Corey’s favor. By virtue of making it to the Season Four featherweight tournament finals, Daniel Straus had proven himself to be a force to reckon with among the Bellator 145ers.  His quarterfinal performance against Jeremy Spoon only further cemented that.  Employing superior wrestling that enabled him to dictate if the fight was going to be horizontal or vertical, and employing harder, crisper strikes that banged Spoon up throughout, Straus was a man on a mission.  The only real damage he took was an accidental knee to the junk in the first, whatever short punches Spoon managed to land during a brief wall-and-stall bid in the second and third, and whatever negative vibes Spoon mentally sent Straus’ way.  Straus easily took the unanimous decision when time ran out. Champ Warren has turned taking damage into an art form, but tonight the canvas he painted wasn’t pretty.  Wielding his usual Greco-Roman prowess, Warren looked to fight the visibly larger Curran on his own terms by making the challenger wrestle.  Curran had other ideas.  After three and a half minutes of Warren trying to throw his foe down, Curran blasted him with a high-kick and smashed him with a slew of punches and knees.  Warren survived, though, and came on strong in the second frame, where was successful in dumping the challenger to the mat twice.  Then came the third round, and Curran’s absolute murder of Warren with the kind of knees, hooks and uppercuts that would fell an oak tree.  The referee allowed far too many of those blows to land, and the subsequent knockout was brutal in the extreme.  The official time of the KO was 1:25 of Round 3, and Curran was crowned the new Bellator featherweight king. Results: -Pat Curran def. Joe Warren via KO (Punches) at 1:25 in Round 3 -Daniel Straus def. Jeremy Spoon via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) -Mike Corey def. Ronnie Mann via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) -Marlon Sandro def. Roberto Vargas via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:35 in Round 1

Posted in: bellator, round, warren, mann, curran

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Joe Warren loses in the most spectacular of ways, every one of his losses have been a highlight to remember. His weird 'no tap' loss to Bibiano Fernandes, his knockout loss to Alexis Villa. If you ask us, everything Joe Warren does is full of guts and a tenacity that normal mortals will never be able to wrap their minds around. When he was cheering on Hendo at Hendo Vs. Fedor he was louder than Russians four, possibly even five times his size, and that's no easy feat. Joe Warren half-asses nothing, and his round three loss to quickly rising star, nay, now established star, Pat Curran, was filled with Warren's usual amount of grit. Warren was outsized (Curran looked like Stefan Struve compared to Warren) and being outstruck by Curran from the beginning of the fight. Somehow, Warren found any way he could to close the distance and take Curran down to the best of his undersized abilities. It didn't work so well in round one, where Warren was rocked by a brutal and well timed knee, but Warren survived into the second round then revealed to his corner he had a possible broken hand. Then, through a never-ending supply of takedowns, Warren wins round two. Between rounds Curran's corner tells him he's down two rounds to nothing, so 'turn it up' and that he did. Curran poured it on Warren so bad I felt guilty that I lived a few short miles from Team Curran. Witness this massacre by your new Bellator featherweight champ, Pat Curran below. [Source]

Posted in: loss, round, joe, warren, curran

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Bellator Fighting Championships began its sixth season with a featherweight title fight that delivered great action, as Pat Curran took the title from champion Joe Warren, knocking him out with big punches in the third round. It was a great showing for Curran, who continues to look like not only the best featherweight in Bellator but one of the most powerful strikers in the featherweight division in all of MMA. For Warren, it was his second consecutive knockout loss. Warren is a great wrestler but has problems with his striking, and he has talked about attempting to qualify for the 2012 Olympics in Greco-Roman wrestling. It remains to be seen whether he returns to the cage at all. After Warren at first looked like he was going to control the first round with his superior wrestling and clinch work, Curran exploded with a high kick and a couple of flying knees that had Warren wobbling around the cage. Warren recovered nicely, however, and after being in big trouble he actually finished the first round by taking Curran down and getting on top of him as the round ended. The second round was less eventful, as Curran continued to win the stand-up exchanges but without any of the spectacular striking he showed off in the first round, while Warren managed to take Curran down but couldn't do anything on the ground. And then in the third round Curran's striking became spectacular: He bashed Warren against the fence with punches over and over again, and it was shocking that Warren could even stay standing. The referee allowed the fight to go on for a long time before Warren finally fell to the ground and it was stopped, making Curran the winner. In addition to Curran taking the featherweight belt, Bellator began the process of determining its next featherweight title contender with the quarterfinals of its eight-man tournament, with Marlon Sandro, Mike Corey, Alexandre Bezerra and Daniel Straus advancing: -- Sandro dominated Roberto Vargas, winning by first-round submission with a rear-naked choke after beating Vargas up with punches. Vargas showed toughness and a willingness to stand and trade with Sandro, but he also showed that he's just not on Sandro's level. -- Corey pulled off an impressive upset over Ronnie Mann, surviving a Mann onslaught in the first round and controlling the second and third to win 29-28 on all three judges' scorecards. -- Bezerra sunk in a rear-naked choke and forced Kenny Foster to tap out with just three seconds remaining in the second round. -- Straus beat Jeremy Spoon by unanimous decision, 30-27 on one judge's scorecard and 29-28 on the other two cards. In other Bellator action, Josh Shockley beat former Ultimate Fighter contestant Shamar Bailey by unanimous decision in a one-sided affair. Bailey entered the fight with a reputation as a good wrestler, but Shockley dominated him on the ground. And the show started with a brutal mismatch in which Genair da Silva, who was removed from the featherweight tournament for failing to make weight, repeatedly hurt Bobby Reardanz with leg kicks and finally put him away with punches on the ground for a third-round TKO.

Posted in: bellator, round, featherweight, warren, curran

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Bellator FC is back with a brand new season, same old format. Things kick off tonight in grand style on MTV2 with featherweight champion Joe Warren defending his belt against rising star Pat Curran. Curran earned his spot by winning a tournament last summer where he took out a handful of respected adversaries including Ronnie Mann and Marlon Sandro. Also set for tonight’s card, the opening round of the Season 6 featherweight tournament will take place where eight men battle it out for the right to lay claim to top contendership in the division as well as a six-figure paycheck. Adding to the entertainment, notable veterans Shamar Bailey, Travis Wiuff, and Sean McCorkle will also see action. The broadcast fires up at 8:00 PM EST with prelims streaming through Spike.com in the preceding hours. Read below for a full list of Bellator 60 results: Genair da Silva def. Bobby Reardanz via TKO Round 3 (Strikes) Alexandre Bezerra def. Kenny Foster via Submission Round 2 (Rear-Naked Choke) Shamar Bailey vs. Josh Shockley Cory Galloway vs. Jake Nauracy Eric Oria vs. Lance Surma Sean McCorkle vs. Richard White Travis Wiuff vs. Anthony Gomez Marlon Sandro vs. Roberto Vargas Ronnie Mann vs. Mike Corey Daniel Straus vs. Jeremy Spoon Joe Warren vs. Pat Curran

Posted in: bellator, round, vs, curran, curran curran

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Bellator Fighting Championships returns TONIGHT (March 6, 2012) to The Horseshow Casino in Hammond, Ind., with a title fight and a fresh tournament. MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of Bellator 60 below, beginning with the MTV2 telecast at 8 p.m. ET. In addition, we'll deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the undercard action much earlier in the evening. Headlining the main event will be a featherweight title fight as Bellator 145 pound champion Joe Warren looks to defend his title for the first time against rising promotional star Pat Curran, who was victorious in the 2011 Summer Series tournament. The remainder of the main card will be the Bellator season six featherweight tournament quarterfinals. There was some drama yesterday as Brazilian Genair da Silva failed to make weight and was removed from the season six 145 pound field. Stepping in his place will be Bellator season four featherweight semifinalist Kenny Foster. Foster will battle Alexandre "Popo" Bezerra while heavy-handed veteran Marlon Sandro takes on Roberto Vargas. Also on the main card, season four featherweight finalist Daniel Straus battles undefeated prospect Jeremy Spoon and well-rounded British fighter Ronnie Mann steps into the cage against on wrestler Mike Corey. Complete Bellator 60 results and play-by-play are after the jump: Main Card (MTV2) 145 lb. title: Joe Warren vs. Pat Curran145 lbs.: Marlon Sandro vs. Roberto Vargas145 lbs.: Alexandre Bezerra vs. Kenny Foster145 lbs.: Daniel Straus vs. Jeremy Spoon145 lbs.: Ronnie Mann vs. Mike Corey Preliminary Card (Spike.com) 135 lbs.: Cory Galloway vs. Jake Nauracy 215 lbs.: Travis Wiuff vs. Anthony Gomez 280 lbs.: Sean McCorkle vs. Richard White 165 lbs.: Shamar Bailey vs. Josh Shockley 145 lb. title: Joe Warren vs. Pat Curran Round one: Round two: Round three: Round four: Round five: Final Result: -end- 145 lbs.: Marlon Sandro vs. Roberto Vargas Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 145 lbs.: Alexandre Bezerra vs. Kenny Foster Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 145 lbs.: Daniel Straus vs. Jeremy Spoon Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 145 lbs.: Ronnie Mann vs. Mike Corey Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end-

Posted in: bellator, result, round, vs, lb

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After nearly every event, we hear complaints about judges and their scoring. A subjective system is always going to be imperfect, but one of the biggest issues people have with the current one is when seemingly dominant rounds are scored the same as ones in which a fighter ekes it out. That means that "10-9" rounds come in many different varieties. A round in which Fighter A lands one more punch than Fighter B can be 10-9, but so can a round in which Fighter A knocks down Fighter B, takes him down twice and threatens him with multiple submissions. What's the solution? One that's been offered up is half-point scoring, which was tested in California amateur MMA in 2011. The belief is that it would give judges greater latitude in scoring close rounds, cutting the controversy. That possibility was recently brought up to UFC president Dana White in the wake of the UFC on FX 2 mess left by Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall's draw. In that fight, the scores were tallied incorrectly by the commission's regulators, robbing the fighters of a sudden-death round to determine the winner. But judging from White's animated answer, he's not a fan of the half-point system anyway. "We get into half-points? They better learn to count f---ing whole points before we get to half-points," he said. "You put a half-a-point in there, holy s---, every f---ing card will be destroyed. It’s a bigger problem than half-points. And I don’t want to smash these guys, they accepted what they did and they were stand-up about it, but Jesus Christ, there’s three f---ing numbers. There’s 10s and 9s. If you can’t count 10s and 9s, let’s not throw f---ing fractions in there."White said that during his career of promoting over 1,600 fights, a similar scenario has only occurred one other time, and though he didn't specify that instance, he's most likely referring to a UFC 41 bout between Matt Serra and Din Thomas. In that event, Serra was originally declared the winner by majority decision, but a scoring error was later discovered and New Jersey state regulators corrected the mistake, giving Thomas the win."It’s the worst thing ever when you go back and you tell a guy, 'I need to talk to you, you didn’t win this fight,'" White said. "The guy’s already made his f---ing phone calls, he’s already made plans. You think you won the fight and find out the fight’s a draw, or what would have been worse if I would’ve had to go back and tell him, ‘You lost the fight. You didn’t win.’ "That’s why tallying the scores and doing what they do is so important," he continued. "Not only for all the selfish things for me, for the product and the sport and the brand and all that stuff, but these fighters... You literally have their lives in your hands. Get a f---ing calculator. You know what I mean? Do something. Take more time. Make sure that stuff is right."

Posted in: fight, fighter, round, fing, halfpoint

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Bellator’s sixth season kicks off this weekend with Bellator 60. The good news is for Bellator is they won’t have a single UFC or Strikeforce event to run against for six weeks. The bad news is they will have to compete against The Ultimate Fighter Live on FX each Friday night which will also include live fights. I’m going to include a list of events and the current cards below, but before I get to that there’s a few news items I’d like to note. — Eddie Alvarez’s long-awaited rematch with Shinya Aoki is finally official. The fight is scheduled to go down on April 20 in Cleveland at Bellator 66. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney recently described how difficult it was to book that fight in an interview with MMA Mania. Yeah, it only took me three and a half years. (laughs) I felt pretty good about that. If you put in the time, I think if we billed that one out on an hourly basis, i was making like 5-6 dollars an hour for that one. I tried to live up to what I promised and Ed Alvarez asked me literally three and a half years ago, he said, “Can you give me a rematch?” and Ed’s been so important to the growth of this company and he’s been with us and a fantastic face of the organization along with the likes of other fighters that we’ve got under contract but man, Ed was the first big contract ever made and I promised I would get him the fight and based on Strikeforce coming out of the dynamic they were in and substantially changing their direction and no longer being engaged in Japan and no longer where they once were, Dream became more available to work with and that alliance didn’t exist anymore. I was able to talk to the people at Dream and put things together. Moreso than anything, I was happy to be able to honor the commitment to a guy who’s as good of a guy as Ed Alvarez and get that fight done for him. I’ve got an amazing amount of respect for his courage and his confidence. He lost his title in dramatic fashion and boy, instead of looking for an easy fight back or a soft road to get back in the mix, Ed said, “I want to get the best you can get me,” and I said, “Do you still want the Aoki fight? It’s close,” and he said, “Absolutely.” There was never a moment’s hesitation in that guy’s voice so he’s just a class act and a great fighter and a great dude. It should be an epic fight. Rebney is still very interested in re-signing Alvarez. He understand though that if Alvarez beats Aoki, his value in the marketplace will increase and make him that much more difficult to re-sign. It’s pretty clear that Rebney understands Alvarez could end up leaving for another promotion. — Eddie Alvarez isn’t the only key Bellator fighter Rebney has to worry about re-signing. Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard is also nearing the end of his contract. Rebney confirmed with MMA Mania that they are currently in the middle of a negotiation period with Lombard, but it is possible he could hit the open market if they can’t come to terms before the period runs out. Well, Hector remains our champion right now. We are in the midst of a pretty substantial negotiation relative to his future with the organization. I’ve said many times I think he’s the best middleweight in mixed martial arts so it’s not an easy negotiation by any stretch of the imagination. Alexander Shlemenko, who has earned the right to face our champion, has been prepping for that fight for over a year, has been to a certain extent caught in the crossfire and he’s not the beneficiary of these negotiations. We’re in a state now where we’ve got to negotiate with Hector and potentially resign him. People forget, Hector Lombard and Ed Alvarez have been with this organization now for four years so you lose track of it because our initial distribution platform was ESPN Deportes and Fox Sports Net and it’s been a long build up but Ed and Hector have been with us from the very start. You know, all good things come to an end at some point and four years is a very long time on any kind of agreement. We’ve got the right to match on any deal. We’re either gonna sign him before he goes out the to marketplace or he’s going to go out to the marketplace and we’re gonna have a determination as to whether we’re gonna match or not match and we’re gonna see where it ends up. I love the guy and he’s an awesome talent. He’s been nothing but a pure pleasure for me to work with. He’s been a great guy for me to work with and he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do and every time I’ve put him in a cage, he’s knocked people silly. You can’t really ask for more than that from a guy. If Bellator isn’t able to re-sign him, it definitely looks like they’ll have competition if/when he becomes a free agent.  UFC president Dana White recently expressed interest in signing Lombard should he become available. “I guess he’s pretty popular down here. I’ve been hearing all about him since I’ve been (in Australia). But, he’s under contract with somebody else – so we’ll see. I’ll probably end up with him. If he wants to fight in the UFC, then we’ll probably end up with him.” — Recently crowned lightweight champion Michael Chandler has been booked in a non-title fight against Japanese MMA veteran Akihiro Gono at Bellator 67 on May 4. — Bjorn Rebney says Viacom is already gearing up for Bellator’s big move to Spike TV next year. They’re already investing time and money into the production and fighter promotion and expects they’ll hit the ground running at the start of 2013. Current Bellator Season Six Schedule All cards will air on MTV2, prelims on Spike.com. Current cards via MMA Junkie. Bellator 60 March 9th, 2012 Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, Indiana Champ Joe Warren vs. Pat Curran (featherweight title) Marlon Sandro vs. Roberto Vargas (featherweight-tourney opening round) Mike Corey vs. Ronnie Mann (featherweight-tourney opening round) Alexandre “PoPo” Bezerra vs. Genair da Silva (featherweight-tourney opening round) Jeremy Spoon vs. Daniel Straus (featherweight-tourney opening round) Cory Galloway vs. Jake Nauracy Anthony Gomez vs. Travis Wiuff Lance Surma vs. Eric Oria Sean McCorkle vs. Richard White Shamar Bailey vs. Josh Shockley Bobby Reardanz vs. Kenny Foster Bellator 61 March 16th Horseshoe, Bossier City, Louisiana Eric Prindle vs. Thiago Santos (season-five heavyweight-tourney final rematch) Maiquel Falcao vs. Norman Paraisy (middleweight-tourney opening round) Brian Rogers vs. Vitor Vianna (middleweight-tourney opening round) Vyacheslav Vasilevsky vs. Victor O’Donnell (middleweight-tourney opening round) Giva Santana vs. Bruno Santos (middleweight-tourney opening round) Bellator 62 March 23rd, 2012 Laredo Energy Arena, Laredo, Texas Patricky “Pitbull” Freire vs. Lloyd Woodard (lightweight-tourney opening round) Rick Hawn vs. Ricardo Tirloni (lightweight-tourney opening round) J.J. Ambrose vs. Brent Weedman (lightweight-tourney opening round) Thiago Michel vs. Rene Nazare (lightweight-tourney opening round) Bellator 63 March 30th, 2012 Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Connecticut Karl Amoussou vs. Chris Lozano (welterweight-tourney opening round) Raul Amaya vs. Ben Saunders (welterweight-tourney opening round) Brian Foster vs. David Rickels (welterweight-tourney opening round) Bryan Baker vs. Carlos Pereira (welterweight-tourney opening round) Bellator 64 April 6th, 2012 Caesars Windsor, Ontario, Canada Ben Askren vs. Douglas Lima (welterweight title) Featherweight tournament semifinal bout No. 1 Featherweight tournament semifinal bout No. 1 Chris Horodecki vs. TBA Bellator 65 April 13th, 2012 Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey Zach Makovsky vs. Eduardo Dantas (welterweight title) Middleweight tournament semifinal bout No. 1 Middleweight tournament semifinal bout No. 1 Duane Bastress vs. Pino Cruz Tim Carpenter vs. Ricardo Romero Bellator 66 April 20, 2012 I-X Center, Cleveland, Ohio Eddie Alvarez vs. Shinya Aoki Bellator 67 May 4, 2012 Casino Rama, Rama, Ontario, Canada Michael Chandler vs. Akihiro Gono (non-title fight) Ryan Ford vs. Luis “Sapo” Santos

Posted in: fight, bellator, round, vs, opening

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Bad Elvis Presley puns aside, Iowa fighter Elvis Mutapcic (10-2) continues on his trek for a deal with a national promotion. Mutapcic headlined the 39th edition of the Midwest Cage Championship versus middleweight Keenan Curry (2-4).On paper the match-up was a formality for Mutapcic but Curry was able to stretch the bout out for two rounds. In round one Curry came out the aggressor and scored two quick takedowns on Mutapcic. On the mat Mutapcic threatened with submissions including a heel hook and armbar that stifled Curry's offense. After a frantic opening five minutes round one closed out with both men connecting on power punches against the cage. To start round two Mutapcic changed the complexion of the fight with a flush knee that winded Curry. With the fight back up against the cage Mutapcic worked Curry's body with punches and knees. Mutapcic set up the fight ending sequence with a choke attempt that Curry wiggled from, in the ensuing scramble the Des Moines native grabbed a arm and forced a tap out. The official time of the submission win was 2:57 of round two in favor of Mutapcic.At 26 years old Mutapcic is ripe to be signed by a promotion like the UFC or Bellator in 2012. Mutapcic's name began to surface as a quality middleweight prospect after a five round decision victory over Strikeforce and Bellator vet Zak Cummings in June 2010. A powerful grappler Mutapcic suffered a hiccup versus Artenas Young (7-4) on year later at Shark Fights 16. In August 2011, Mutapcic earned his signature win versus highly touted Brazilian Cezar Ferreira (4-2). With promotions always chasing talent at 185 pounds Mutapcic next fight may be with a national MAM organization. Mutapcic is ninth ranked middleweight prospect in MMA and holds a four star grade in latest ULTMMA.com prospect listings. Midwest Cage Championship 39 Domination resultsDes Moines, IAElvis Mutapcic def. Keenan Curry by Submission Armbar 2:57 R2Steve Carl def. Mason Temiquel by Submission Kimura 3:01 R1Eddie Larrea def. Ronnie Britt by Submission Kneebar 3:14 R1Anthony Baccam def. John Milledge by Submission Punches 3:02 R1Benly Xamonty def. Nick Walker by KO (Punch) 2:09 R1

Posted in: fight, round, submission, cage, mutapcic

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This past weekend was full of mixed martial arts (MMA) madness as UFC on FX 2: "Alves vs. Kampmann" and Strikeforce: "Tate vs. Rousey" kept fans glued to the tube on March 2 and 3, 2012, respectively. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) unleashed the 125-pounders, as the first leg of the Flyweight tournament completed in epic fashion. The fans in Sydney, Australia were also treated to an exciting Welterweight showdown between Thiago Alves and Martin Kampmann, a fight that ended in somewhat surprising fashion. The following evening, Columbus, Ohio played host to another full and thrilling fight card as Strikeforce rolled through town with its "Tate vs. Rousey" event. The result was a new Women's Bantamweight Champion and a full head of steam for women's MMA. Out with the old, in with the new, folks, we're moving forward. After the jump, we'll take a look at some potential match-ups for the big winners from this past weekend: If you read my "What's Next" post from earlier (and if you didn't, get on that!), you already know that I think Martin Kampmann should either face Stephen Thompson or Dong Hyun Kim. You also probably already know that it's a virtual lock that Ronda Rousey will defend her belt for the first time against former champion Sarah Kaufman. We've addressed that. Let's discuss who the other main card winners may have in store in the way of future opponents. Let's start off on the UFC side of things and talk about the flyweights. Joseph Benavidez defeated Yasuhiro Urushitani with a fantastic early second round knockout. Benavidez looked amazing in the fight, and I think it's clear that he belongs at 125 pounds. For a moment, it looked as though he'd be fighting Demetrious Johnson, who had his hand raised as the winner over Ian McCall. Later, it was announced the score had been reported erroneously, meaning Johnson and McCall will have to do it all over again. There's no word yet on when that will take place, but fans will be glad to get to witness a sequel to what ended up being a very fun fight. Personally, I think Benavidez beats either one of them. He looks very much like a guy who could win the flyweight belt and keep it for a while. We'll have to wait and see. Also on the main card was a middleweight mash up between former Ultimate Fighter (TUF) competitor Court McGee and Constantinos Philippou. Philippou was looking to extend his win streak to three after scoring a great first round knockout win over Jared Hamman at UFC 140 on Dec. 10, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Serra-Longo Fight Team product looked great during his three round unanimous decision victory over McGee. He seems to just keep getting better with each fight, which is the goal anyway, right? So what's up next for Philippou? How about Tim Boetsch? "The Barbarian" is on a three-fight win streak of his own, notably winning his last fight in a tremendous comeback effort with a knockout win over Yushin Okami at UFC 144 on Feb. 25, 2012 in Saitama, Japan. They've both been making noise in the 185-pound division. They've both got a good deal of momentum. It makes for an exciting fight. Set it up, Joe Silva. At Strikeforce: "Tate vs. Rousey," lightweight contenders K.J. Noons and Josh Thomson took part in a three round decision affair that had the Ohio crowd standing and booing at multiple points of the fight. It wasn't exciting -- not by a long shot -- but Thomson did what he had to do to neutralize Noons' boxing and secure the win. What's next? If you ask him, I'm sure he'd tell you he wants and deserves a rubber match against current Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez. Truthfully, he might get it, just because of an utter lack of other options on the Strikeforce end. But, should he? I don't think so. It's not a fight that interests me. Sure, Thomson beat "El Nino" back in 2008, but that was a long time ago. Melendez is a much better fighter these days, as was exhibited when he beat Thomson at Strikeforce: "Evolution" on Dec. 19, 2009 in San Jose, Calif. If Strikeforce doesn't give Thomson the title shot, it may be an option to pair him up against Jorge Masvidal. I actually think this fight makes more sense, but, as previously stated, Strikeforce doesn't have a whole lot of options for other contenders to take on Melendez. (Aside: Can someone remind me why is Melendez still on the Strikeforce roster? I'm sure there was an awesome reason, I just forgot what it was. Thanks.) In summary, I think Thomson should fight Masvidal. He'll probably get Melendez. The main card also featured a welterweight bout between Paul Daley and Kazuo Misaki. The fight saw "Semtex" continue his slide down into the bowels of mediocrity and was witness to Misaki introducing himself in a big way to stateside fans. Though Misaki's win was not a knockout or submission, he did massively outstrike (41 power strikes to Daley's nine) a fighter who has a strong reputation for his hands and feet. So who should he get in his next fight? Roger Bowling was victorious in his welterweight debut on the same card, when he scored a second round TKO win over Brandon Saling. Throw them in there together. They're both fresh faces and both are coming off wins. It makes sense to me. Get it done. Lumumba Sayers looked really good in his submission win over veteran Scott Smith. It was only his third fight on the Strikeforce roster, and he's still fairly new to the promotion. He already fought Derek Brunson and lost, so we'll probably not see that match up again real soon. Robbie Lawler got himself back in the game recently with a win over Adlan Amagov at Strikeforce: "Rockhold vs. Jardine" on Jan. 7, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Lawler vs. Sayers is no headliner fight, but it doesn't need to be. They both need an opponent and have something to prove. If Lawler can beat him, it puts him one step further to getting back to where he used to be (if that's possible). If Sayers can get the win, it's one more "name" to put on his resume and makes him look that much more like a legitimate contender. Do it. Lastly, former Middleweight Champion Ronaldo Souza righted his ship with an arm triangle choke submission win over Bristol Marunde in the third round of their fight. So who should be on deck to fight "Jacare" next? It's another situation like that of Josh Thomson. Should Souza get a title fight against Luke Rockhold? Absolutely not. It was one win and while it was a nice victory, it wasn't anything that had people on their feet screaming for him to get another crack at the belt. The problem is that, just like in Strikeforce's lightweight division, the middleweight division is also absent of many exciting match-ups for current champion Luke Rockhold. There is a chance that Rockhold will take on Tim Kennedy for his next title defense. If this happens, it'll change the landscape a bit. Here's where I weigh in. If "Jacare" doesn't get a title rematch aganinst Rockhold, I say have him fight Derek Brunson, like he was originally supposed to before Brunson had to withdraw from their fight. It's really the only other fight out there that makes a lot of sense. That's my list of potential future matches for this past weekend's winners. But don't let me hog all the fun playing matchmaker. In the comment section below, feel free to leave your list of possible pairings. Do it now!

Posted in: fight, strikeforce, round, vs, thomson

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Last night felt like a big night for Women's MMA. Glancing around twitter at the beginning of the main event, there seem to be real energy in the hardcore fan base for Rousey vs Tate. What will be very interesting to me to find out how this fight played with non-hardcore MMA fans. Miesha Tate did this card no favors by telling everyone that Ronda Rousey was not a legitimate title contender every chance she got, it was a very odd way to try to hype a fight. But as Ben Thapa pointed out to me, to him it came off like a high school drama where a popular student is being threatened by the new girl, and this Mean Girls dynamic may have appealed to more fans than we give it admit. And it was a good thing the girls were there, because before Sarah Kaufmann and Alexis Davis took to the cage, it was a fairly pedestrian card. It was not bad by any stretch, but it was nothing to write home about. But Kaufmann and Davis gave Columbus, Ohio a shot of energy when they put on their wild, Forrest/Bonnar-esk brawl. And after that sloppy, but fun fight Rousey and Tate put on a fight that was technically brilliant. The girls stole the show last night and launched Women's MMA to the top of the discussion on a weekend that saw both a Strikeforce and UFC card. Rousey vs Tate was an excellent fight, one of the most enjoyable fights I've seen in a while. The ending was just brutal, Tate basically forced Rousey to not just break her arm but mangle it. Mark Matheny needed to step in and stop the fight on Tate's behalf before her elbow got turned inside out. I normally love a good armbar, but this one had me cringing. That arm will take a while to heal and could have a lasting impact on Tate's career. Rousey put on a judo clinic on Tate, throwing her all over the cage. Tate made a lot of the idea of Judo vs Wrestling in the lead up to this show, and I've heard this idea brought up before by other fighters. Ultimately judo, wrestling, catch wrestling, Brazilian jiu jitsu, sambo and other grappling arts are all just different approaches to the same thing: grappling. Some arts may be more complete than others but when two grapplers meet it is all about who is the better grappler. Tate is a good grappler, but it takes something special to get an Olympic medal in Judo or Wrestling, and we saw that something special last night. Josh Thompson, despite his own views on his fight, did a good job reminding fans that he is in fact a damn good lightweight. K.J. Noons had nothing for Thompson, as the Punk took Noons down pretty much anyway he wanted and took dominate positions seemingly at will. No matter how you scored the fight, Paul Daley did not look good. He worked more wrestling and takedowns than we've from Semtex before. This is a good sign for Daley because there is an expiration date on the pure sprawl-and-brawl style that he has used in the past. That is really the only good thing that Daley can take away from this fight. Jacare really put on a full ranging display of all his skills. His striking was more than up to the task to deal with Marunde, Jarcare also flexed some good wrestling and then performed a mercy submission in the third round. Not Jacare's best fight, but not a bad showing for him either. Part of this was due to Marunde appearing to know he had no shot at winning and focusing purely on not getting added to Jacare's highlight reel. Not going to get too much into this subject, but how the heck did a Neo-Nazi sex offender get on the main card? Seriously, does Strikeforce do background checks, or looking a guy's tattoos or just talki to the fighters for about ten minutes? If they did any of that it should have been pretty obvious what this guy was. That aside, it was deeply satisfying to watch Roger Bowling put a beating on that man, major props to Bowling. SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey UFC on FX 2 after the jump... UFC on FX 2 Time for some bonus perspective as we had a second fantastic cards this weekend. Down in Sydney, Australia the UFC had a great night as far of action inside the cage was concerned. But all that has been overshadowed by a mistakes that took place out side of the cage. Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson was awarded a split decision over Ian "Uncle Creepy" McCall, when actually the fight had been scored a majority draw. By the rules of the Flyweight tournament, a draw demanded a fourth "sudden victory" round. Not only were fight fans robbed of five more minutes of excellent action, but the Flyweight tournament is on hold now until the two can be re-matched so a proper winner can be declared. And what makes this really galling is that the fight had been flat out excellent, good busy stand up and on the mats great scrambles, sweep attempts and epic ground and pound from Ian McCall had fans wanting more. And the fact that is all stems for a basic literacy error makes this just unforgivable. We can only hope their April rematch results in as much action, but looking back on such a fantastic night of fights I don't want to linger on this too long. Martin Kampmann playing the role of comeback kid should have been the talking point coming out of Friday night. It was awesome. This was an excellent fight to have on FX because the much talked about casual fan got a window into what makes this sport so exciting. Kampmann showed great heart and technique and I'm willing to bet he converted a few new MMA fans. To bring back up the McCall/Johnson debacle, I think this is an excellent example of why 10-8 rounds should be used more liberally in MMA. There is plenty of debate on who won the first two rounds, but I think we can all agree that McCall won the third round by a sizable margin. But according the the score cards, Johnson won the second round by the same margin that McCall won the third round and that is not an accurate reflection of what took place in the cage. The 10-point must system can work as the scoring system for MMA, but it needs to be used in a manor where scorecards can accurately reflect fights. Joseph Benavidez was my pick to win the Flyweight tournament, and it was mostly based on his ability to finish fights, both with submissions and with his hands. He looked great a Flyweight and his KO of Yasuhiro Urushitani was excellent. The undercard rocked, which is sad because I had to watch it after the fact because I don't have Fuel (thank you very much Comcast). I love armbars, they are my favorite submission to see done and pull off in rolling and T.J. Waldburger's made my Friday. And that was right after Daniel Pineda locked on a sweet mounted triangle that turned into a triangle armbar. It was a bad night for elbows, though not as bad as Saturday night. The Aussie crowd was a little odd, laughing at weird times and booing at the drop of a hat. But it appeared to be a full house, so despite the idicoy with scorecards expect the UFC to return to the Land Down Under. SBN coverage of UFC on FX 2

Posted in: fight, night, round, fan, tate

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  MMAFrenzy’s own Steve Barnes was in attendance on Saturday night at Strikeforce: “Tate vs. Rousey” to help cover the event. While in attendance, he compiled his fight-by-fight notes including observations on the crowd, the fights, the post-fight conference, and more.   Strikeforce bantamweight title fight – Miesha Tate (c) vs. Ronda Rousey   As I said in the podcast preview, that is why you don’t do clinch work with a judoka, especially an Olympic level one. The koshi garuma that led to the ending armbar was gorgeous and that will be the bane of many future opponents.   At the press conference, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker mentioned a dislocated elbow for Tate, but nothing more specific than that. Judging by what we saw in the cage, though, if that’s all the damage, Tate should consider herself a bit fortunate.   Josh Thomson vs. KJ Noons   We can probably assume Josh Thomson is probably the second best lightweight in Strikeforce. He’s probably the best jiujitsu practitioner in the division as well. These two things made this fight kind of come out of the “Bizarro World.” I certainly didn’t expect Josh Thomson to play the wrestling control game with Noons, and I don’t think many other people did either. I understand wanting to play a ground game with KJ Noons. He’s a very good striker, I know, but still. The biggest reason I could guess he played that game was because he was trying to wear Noons out for the third round. And judging by his interview afterwards, he wasn’t real happy. It will be curious to see what he looks like his next time out.   Kazuo Misaki vs. Paul Daley   Oh, what a difference a year and a half makes. Then, Paul Daley was running rampant over guys with his trademark left hook. KO after TKO after KO were running onto his record and he had a title shot with Nick Diaz. Now, though, I don’t want to say he’s a shadow of himself, but he’s not the same fighter. I’m not going to pretend to know what’s in his head or in his training camp but it looks like he’s so gun shy about his wrestling and ground game that he’s overcompensating to the detriment of what got him where he is.   I think this was the first time I’ve ever seen Misaki and I was pretty impressed. He said he was disappointed to not finish the fight, but hey, you can’t finish them all. More interesting, though, was the scoring. Someone in the pressroom mentioned that usually during a fight, one of the fighters will be the stalker, the other will be the stalked but during this fight, they switched several times during the same round. It was a really odd fight to try to score. Paul Daley thought he won (and played the third round like he thought he was winning), and Misaki certainly thought he won. I had it for Misaki, but as I said on Twitter, any combination of scores would not have surprised me.   Lumumba Sayers vs. Scott Smith   I wrote down right as the fight started that “Scott Smith looks soft around the middle.” He didn’t look good and I mean he really didn’t look good. If he’s still in Strikeforce when you read this, it will be a mild surprise. If he’s still in Strikeforce a week after you read this, I will be absolutely stunned. Props to Sayers, he looked good and he did what he had to get a dominant win.   Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza vs. Bristol Marunde   I train in judo and jiujitsu. From that point of view, it really sucks competing against someone who is that much better than you are. It really does. There’s a feeling of helplessness, frustration, and “awe” of feeling the power and speed of someone who is in there basically doing whatever he (or she) wants and the best you can do is defend and try to do your best. That’s what Bristol Marunde did for the first five minutes and he survived. Which is better than I usually do, but that’s beside the point.   From where I was sitting, it looked like in between the first and second rounds Marunde loosened up and good for him. He had nothing to lose. He was coming in to fight a guy who before his last fight was the Strikeforce middleweight champ. Why not, as our British friends would say, go out there and have a go at it? I am giving a huge amount of credit for his job.   Jacare was never really in any danger in that fight but still went out there and did what he does. Good for him.   Preliminary Card: It was a fun watch. There was a little for everyone. There was the technical submission grappling in Healy/Fodor. There were two guys standing and slugging. There was an awesome women’s fight. And while the crowd was booing at the end, I don’t think it was that they were booing the women, as Mauro Ranallo kind of intimated they were; rather, I believe they were booing that one judge saw the fight as a draw and that was a little interesting, but I can also see why (but for the record, I disagree). Alexis Davis vs. Sarah Kaufman Alexis Davis is tough. I mean, really tough. She also doesn’t have any head movement. Both of which meant that she got a special visit by the ring doctor in the furst round for a nasty looking cut over her left eye. Of course, Kaufman came out looking like she had something to prove. Which she did and she should be commended for controlling the fight from the opening bell. It annoyed her that she should have had Rousey’s spot in the main event. That said, and nothing against Alexis Davis, but Davis is someone that if you’re complaining about not getting a title shot, you should be putting away. To be fair, I typed all that before the third round and wow, I’m not sure what else to say. A better grappler likely could have taken advantage of the way Kaufman left her arms out there. Maybe it was the let down of not having the title shot, but she certainly didn’t look impressive enough to make me complain about it. Roger Bowling vs. Brandon Saling* After the crowd was less than pleased with the grappling of the Healy match, they got their red meat with the first round. Both guys were legitimately stunned at points but Bowling showed better ground work to win the round. Bowling is a legitimately interesting welterweight prospect. He’s got solid standing work and it appears he has some good positional grappling skills (haven’t seen much, if anything, about his submission grappling). Keep an eye out. He could challenge what passes for the big boys in Strikeforce’s welterweight division. Pat Healy vs. Caros Fodor Solid win for Healy. Fodor showed really good promise on his feet and even showed some reasonably good takedown defense, but it wasn’t enough. Healy kept going for that arm triangle, but couldn’t get his legs free until the end. This clearly isn’t the end for Fodor; he has a future here. Fodor looks like he just needs reps on the ground. I think he had Jorge Gurgel in his corner (or at least someone who looked a lot like him), so he’s likely in good hands. To be fair, he was going against a crafty veteran who kind of worked him over. We’ve seen that story before, we’ll see it again. Conor Heun vs. Ryan Couture Heun looked good in the first round. He looked strong and showed good wrestling, securing a couple big takedowns, but nothing really devastating. I gave him the first round, but at the same time, I wouldn’t have complained at all if a judge had given that to Couture. In fact, all three judges did. It appeared, though, that Heun tired his arms out going for a big D’arce choke in the second, which ultimately ended his night. Not directly, but he wasn’t the same afterwards. Ryan did a good job securing a finish. *Viewers noticed during the fight that Saling was sporting some body art that was neo-Nazi in appearance. Scott Coker said that they did not know prior to the event, but he had been licensed in several states including Ohio. The official Strikeforce/Zuffa policy on the matter states that offensive body art is prohibited. Coker and Saling (and/or his management) have had a conversation about it and the state of Ohio’s Athletic Commission will be launching a formal investigation into the matter Monday. [Editor's note: the tattoos in question were an "88" tattoo and lightning bolts in the style of the Schutzstaffel, or SS, that served as Adolph Hitler's private military force. The tattoos are common prison tattoos representing Aryan Brotherhood gang. Strikeforce has also asked the commission to review whether or not he had properly documented his criminal record, and standing as a sex offender, on his licensing application. If Saling failed to do so, it could amount to perjury.]  

Posted in: fight, strikeforce, round, ’t, vs

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Here’s some advice. If Ronda Rousey ever puts you in an armbar, tap and tap immediately. Miesha Tate learned that lesson the hard way tonight in her bantamweight title defense against Rousey at Strikeforce “Tate vs. Rousey.” Tate actually escaped a nasty looking armbar early in the first round, but wasn’t so fortunate later in the round when Rousey snagged another one and torqued it to the point Tate’s elbow bent the complete opposite direction. As you can see from the gif’s below it was pretty painful to watch, let alone be trapped in. So moral of the story: Tap. Rousey’s striking may have a ways to go, but the girl knows how to put you on your back and rip your arm off. She’s had five professional fights and three amateur fights. She’s won every single last one of them via ambar in the first round. Crazy. Gif’s via IronForgesIron. Image via Dave Farra’s Twitter.

Posted in: round, tate, gif, ronda rousey, rousey

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CAN HE KEEP IT GOING?Martin Kampmann arguably scored the most significant win of his mixed martial arts career by stopping Thiago Alves with 48 seconds left in their main event bout on Friday night. The quality of the win puts him right in the thick of the welterweight mix. And the come-from-behind nature of the win creates a buzz among fans that probably puts him closer to the top of the mix than the middle.Kampmann now has back-to-back welterweight wins for the third time in his UFC career. But he has never won three in a row. Jake Shields and Paul Daley spoiled his last two bids for three straight. The big question in my mind is whether Kampmann will be able to take his career to the next level by racking up a third-straight win. If so, he may very find himself staring at a title shot.ALVES CONTINUES HIS BUMPY RIDEWhen the calendar turned the page for the start of 2009, Alves was the consensus number two welterweight in the world. He was in the midst of a seven-fight winning streak, including back-to-back one-sided wins over Josh Koscheck and Matt Hughes. Then, he ran into some guy named Georges St-Pierre and everything changed.Alves got dominated by GSP, and that sparked a bumpy ride for the Brazilian. The loss to Kampmann is his fourth loss in his last six fights. That is a stark contrast to the seven-fight winning streak that earned the “Pitbull” his first title challenge. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that Alves needs to change up something about his game, whether it is his preparation, his approach inside the cage, the amount of weight that he cuts or maybe just his mental state. I actually think the final item in that list is the big issue for him. Alves believed that he was invincible during his winning streak. He hasn’t struck me as having the same unyielding self-confidence since the GSP fight. BENAVIDEZ NOW THE MAN TO BEATMany thought that Ian McCall was the top flyweight in the world and the odds-on favorite to be the inaugural UFC 125-pound champion. Joseph Benavidez changed all that with a single counter right hand that destroyed Japanese Shooto 123-pound champion Yasuhiro Urushitani on Saturday night.Benavidez has long been viewed as a title contender, though as 135 pounds, not 125 pounds. In 17 professional fights heading into Saturday night, the Team Alpha Male standout had but two losses. Reigning bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz owns both of them. Nobody else solved the Benavidez riddle at bantam, so I was a bit surprised to see him labeled as the number three guy (behind McCall and Demetrious Johnson) in the four-man flyweight tourney. The win over Urushitani, particularly in light of the stalemate between McCall and Johnson, elevates Benavidez to the odds-on favorite, in my opinion, heading into the championship bout.JOHNSON-MCCALL SCORING ERROR THROWS A WRENCH INTO THE TOURNAMENTWe need to crown a champion in the newly minted 125-pound division, which is why UFC President Dana White arranged for the four-man tournament that began on Friday night. Unfortunately, the world will have to wait longer than anticipated because Johnson and McCall still have unfinished business.I obviously know that Johnson was announced as the winner in the Octagon following the fight. The result appropriately drew a raucous response from the crowd. Hearing Johnson named as the winner certainly stunned me. I had McCall a 29-27 winner. He completely dominated the third round, resulting in a 10-8 score on my card, whereas I split the other two rounds between the guys. But the first round was close enough that I can’t really complain about anyone scoring it even or one point in favor of either fighter. However you score that first round, I still think McCall deserved the win.Nevertheless, I’m going to skip the expected diatribe on the need for quality judging because the controversy wasn’t solely their fault this time. Instead, Craig Waller, the Executive Director of Combat Sports Authority of New South Wales, shares in the blame. He simply failed to correctly tabulate the judges’ cards. Johnson did not win. The fight was scored a majority draw.To his credit, Waller has stepped up to take ownership of his mistake. Hey, we are all human. Mistakes happen. Maybe a calculator is in order next time. Or, better yet, maybe there should be a procedure in place where someone has to check the math to avoid this type of situation in the future.Had someone checked the scoring, the combatants would have come out for a fourth round. Unlike with most other UFC fights, the tournament bouts were supposed to be draw-proof by implementing a fourth round where the judges had to decide a winner, regardless of how the action unfolded in that final stanza. But the mistake wasn’t identified until after the result was announced, so it was too late to rectify the situation.Depending on the timing of the rematch and the condition of the winner, Benavidez, not Johnson, may end up being the big loser in this whole situation. Johnson has to rematch a guy that he clearly struggled with, but Benavidez may be forced to sit on the sidelines for longer than he would like while Johnson and McCall finish what should have been finished on Saturday night.  

Posted in: fight, round, johnson, mccall, benavidez

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This is the Strikeforce live blog for Miesha Tate vs. Ronda Rousey, a female bantamweight bout on tonight's Strikeforce event from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Tate (12-2) is out to make her first defense after winning the title from Marloes Coenen in July 2011. Rousey (4-0) made her professional MMA debut in March 2011 and has won all her fights by armbar. Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: Tate vs. Rousey Results | Latest Strikeforce News Round 1: Round 2:Round 3: Round 4: Round 5:

Posted in: strikeforce, round, blog, tate, rousey

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Josh Thomson easily beat K.J. Noons on Saturday night's Strikeforce card, dominating him for three rounds in a fight that showed Thomson had superior takedowns and wrestling, but didn't show much else: The fight wasn't particularly aesthetically pleasing, and it left the crowd booing. All three judges scored it 29-28 for Thomson, who described his performance as "s--t" afterward. Now Thomson may get a rubber match with Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez. Thomson beat Melendez in 2008, then lost to Melendez in 2009. Melendez has steadily improved and Thomson hasn't, however, and Melendez will be a heavy favorite heading into a rubber match. Most of the first round of Thomson-Noons was a stalemate, with Thomson holding Noons down against the fence but not really advancing his position at all, and the fans began to boo the lack of action. Thomson deserved to win the round because he was the one in control, but it wasn't a particularly impressive round for either man. Early in the second round Thomson threw a head kick and slipped onto his back, allowing Noons to get on top of him on the ground. But Thomson was able to reverse positions and wind up on top of Noons, once again controlling things from the top position. The fans were growing restless again, and the loudest cheer of the fight came when the referee stood the fight up because Thomson was on top and not doing much of anything. It wasn't long, however, before Thomson took Noons down and got on top of him again near the fence, and that's how the round ended, with the fans booing again. In the third round it only took Thomson 30 seconds to use a trip takedown to get on top of Noons, and from the top position he sunk in an arm-triangle choke. Noons bucked Thomson off to escape that choke, but Thomson remained relentless on the top and wouldn't give up, and Thomson also got more active with ground and pound than he had been in the first two rounds. It was an easy round for Thomson and an easy win.

Posted in: fight, round, melendez, noon, thomson

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The co-main event of the Strikeforce: "Tate vs. Rousey" event going down tonight (Sat., March 3, 2012) in Columbus, Ohio, featured a lightweight scrap pitting K.J. Noons against Josh Thomson. And, thanks to the lack of depth in the 155-pound division of the San Jose based promotion, this was very likely a number one contender bout, as evidenced by Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez hanging cageside doing commentary for the match-up. Which means he got a first hand look at a familiar foe in Thomson, who used a stifling top game to completely neutralize Noons en route to a plodding three-round unanimous decision victory. It was ugly, and it didn't earn him any new fans, but it got the job done. Melendez vs. Thomson part three anyone? Anyone at all? Thomson's early strategy was to hit Noons hard, hit Noons fast and hit Noons first. He also worked his grappling game to nullify the strong boxing of his opponent. Control was the name of the game late in the round, much to the chagrin of the crowd at the Nationwide Arena. The boo birds were out in force but it's difficult to argue with a stifling game plan that earned the former champion the first round. Round two wasn't a lot different. Thomson's plan was to work Noons over on the mat and do just enough to get the judges to score the round for him. Noons inability to get back to his feet certainly helped "The Punk's" cause, though the referee provided some assistance with a stand up. Once again it didn't matter because Thomson got another takedown and worked top control. Noons was so frustrated, he threw his hands up from the bottom like a child. The third round started and Thomson quit playing the control game and started working his submission attack, quickly tripping K.J. and popping into an arm triangle. Noons went all grown man and escaped after nearly getting choked out, but the damage was done. A few minutes later, the fight was over with a clear winner. Bleh. Remember, too, to check out MMAmania.com's ongoing live coverage of the "Tate vs. Rousey" main card action by clicking here.

Posted in: round, game, control, noon, thomson

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This is the Strikeforce live blog for K.J. Noons vs. Josh Thomson, a lightweight bout on tonight's Strikeforce event from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Noons (11-4) snapped a two-fight losing streak in December when he defeated Billy Evangelista via unanimous decision. Thomson (18-4) last fought on New Year's Eve 2010, losing to Tatsuya Kawajiri in a decision. Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: Tate vs. Rousey Results | Latest Strikeforce News Round 1: Round 2:Round 3:

Posted in: strikeforce, round, vs, billy evangelista, decision check

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Kazuo Misaki turned in an impressive performance to defeat Paul Daley by split decision on Saturday night at Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey, controlling the fight in the early going and holding on despite an ugly cut on his face in the third round. The judges scored it 30-27 Misaki, 29-28 Daley and 29-28 Misaki. Misaki, a Japanese veteran who was fighting in Strikeforce for just the second time, undoubtedly gained a lot of new fans on Saturday night for a very good showing in an exciting and fun fight. More Coverage: Tate vs. Rousey Results | Misaki vs. Daley Live Blog Misaki was very effective in his striking in the first round, landing punches and then backing away before Daley could connect. Late in the first Daley -- who almost always prefers to stand and trade with his opponents -- took Misaki down, which was a strong indication of just how frustrated Daley was getting with Misaki's striking. Misaki definitely won the first. The second round was closer, but Daley remained hesitant to really let his hands go because he was frustrated with what Misaki was doing. At his best, Daley throws his punches very hard. That's not what he was doing against Misaki. A minute into the third round Daley executed a nice takedown and put Misaki on his back, then opened up a huge cut on Misaki's forehead with an elbow. The cut was big enough that the ref halted the fight to have the doctor examine it, but the fight was allowed to continue and Misaki showed a lot of heart, holding on and winning the fight.

Posted in: fight, saturday night, round, daley, misaki

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This is the Strikeforce live blog for Paul Daley vs. Kazuo Misaki, a welterweight bout on tonight's Strikeforce card from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Daley (29-11-2) last fought for Strikeforce in July 2011, losing to Tyron Woodley. He's since won two straight against Jordan Radev and Luigi Fioravanti in outside promotions. Misaki (24-11-2) is coming off wins against Mike Seal and Akira Shoji in Japan. The live blog is below. More Coverage: Tate vs. Rousey Results | Latest Strikeforce News Round 1: Round 2:Round 3:

Posted in: strikeforce, round, welterweight bout, luigi fioravanti, mike seal

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Strikeforce: "Tate vs. Rousey" kicked off its main card on Showtime tonight (Sat., March 3, 2012) with a middleweight showdown pitting former division champion Ronaldo Souza against the unheralded Bristol Marunde. Naturally, Souza was favored heavily coming in, mostly due to the fact that no one knows who Marunde was coming into the evening's festivities. They know who he is now. For all the wrong reasons, of course, due largely to his eating one of the sweetest spinning back kick's to the face you'll ever see. He walked through it, and managed to survive to the third round, but he was thoroughly dominated and eventually succumbed to an arm triangle choke. What's there to be said when the biggest criticism coming from this fight will likely be Souza's inability to finish sooner? To the surprise of no one, "Jacare" dominated the early action, avoiding strong shots from his opponent and taking his back in short order. He got a little dirty once he did, though, headbutting Marunde in the back, which the referee reprimanded him for. Then the Brazilian was reset due to illegal shots to the back of the head. No point was taken but the message was loud and clear. It turned out to be a good thing because Souza landed a strong counter that sent Bristol crashing to the floor. He survived the shot, not to mention the follow up guillotine, but the first round ended with the former champion having asserted his control. Easy peasy. Presumably because he wanted to entertain himself, Souza came out in the second throwing spinning shit, as Nick Diaz would call it, unloading with kicks and punches that had Murande flustered and falling backwards. "Jacare" also hit a late takedown (FTW) and played with a leg lock for a few seconds before the horn sounded. By this point it was just embarrassing how wide the gap between the two was. The third round came and it was only a matter of time before Souza locked in the submission and forced the tap. Move along, folks, nothing to see here. Remember, too, to check out MMAmania.com's ongoing live coverage of the "Tate vs. Rousey" main card action by clicking here.

Posted in: round, jacare, souza, bristol, marunde

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Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza had no trouble beating Bristol Marunde at Saturday night's Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey event, dominating him for two rounds before submitting him in the third. The fight was a mismatch from the moment it was booked: Marunde was a late replacement who just isn't on the same level as Jacare, one of the best Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioners in the world. Marunde knew he had nothing for Jacare and mostly played defense before finally getting finished in the third round. In the first round Jacare took Marunde's back and appeared to be working his way toward a submission, but when Jacare hit Marunde in the back of the head, the referee stood the fight up, giving Marunde new life. Jacare then dropped Marunde with a right hand and pounced on him on the ground, but Jacare wasn't able to submit Marunde on the ground, and Marunde survived the first. In the second round Jacare opened up his striking, with punches, front kicks and even a spinning back kick, hurting Marunde in the process. But when he took Marunde down and took his back, Marunde surprisingly shook him off and got back to his feet. Jacare dominated the striking, but Marunde once again survived the round. Jacare started the third round with a takedown, and now he was finally in the place he wanted to be: Jacare stayed on top of Marunde and worked to improve his position for a couple of minutes before finally sinking in an arm-triangle choke to end the fight.

Posted in: round, jacare, bristol marunde, marunde, round jacare

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The Strikeforce: "Tate vs. Rousey" event blew the roof off the Nationwide Arena tonight (March 3, 2012) in Columbus, Ohio, but before Miesha Tate put her Bantamweight title on the line against Ronda Rousey on Showtime, there was plenty of preliminary action going down over on Showtime Extreme. Alexa Davis and Sarah Kaufman put on quite a show for the Ohio crowd, in what was a potential number one contender's bout to earn the right to battle against the winner of tonight's main event, while the son of a mixed martial arts (MMA) legend also looked to make his own star shine brighter in Ryan Couture. Lightweights Caros Fodor and Pat Healy looked to climb the 155-pound division while Welterweights Roger Bowling and promotion newcomer Brandon Saling looked to make statements of their own. There was plenty of action to warm you up for the star studded main card later tonight. Make the jump for a complete recap of the under card action for Strikeforce: "Tate vs. Rousey." Ryan Couture looked to restart his win streak after his perfect MMA record was ruined by Matt Ricehouse last June. Conor Heun was standing in his way as he was trying to make a little bit of noise himself in a very shallow Strikeforce lightweight division, where a fighter is one impressive win away from possible title shot contention. After two rounds of back and forth action that was mostly dominated by Couture, Ryan picked up his intensity in the final frame as he looked to be the fresher of the two fighters heading into the third round. Couture used his grappling skills to take the fight to the ground and once it hit the mat, it was all she wrote for Huen as Ryan landed punch after punch that had no answer in return from Heun. The referee stepped in and put a halt to the bout, giving Couture a very impressive victory. Caros Fodor entered his lightweight clash against Pat Healy on a five win streak under the Strikeforce banner, while Healy was coming off of an impressive rear-naked choke victory over Maximo Blanco and a three fight win streak of his own. Fodor stormed out of the gates early looking for a quick finish, but Healy was able to fend of the early attack and make it a competitive fight. The two 155-pound fighters exchanged strikes and takedowns in what was a pretty even fight heading into the third round. However, Healy made sure this one wasn't going to the judges as he trapped on a tight arm triangle after a failed submission attempt from Fodor which forced the tap late in the third and final frame. Outstanding work from Healy, who ended Caro's five fight win streak and put himself in the lightweight map. Welterweights Roger Bowling and Strikeforce newcomer Brandon Saling took center stage next looking to put on a show. Both men came out swinging in the first round, rocking one another with powerful strikes. Bowling controlled the exciting first round, but newcomer Saling was not backing down one bit and proved to be a game opponent. Unfortunately for Saling, he left all of his energy in the opening frame as Bowling took advantage of an exhausted opponent and trapped him in a crucifix position and proceeded to land a series of right hand that gave the official no choice but to put a halt and save Brandon from taking anymore unnecessary punishment. Tate and Rousey aren't the only women looking to show off their fighting skills tonight at a possible number one contenders Bantamweight bout capped the undercard action between two of the best as Sarah Kaufman and Alexa Davis battled it out. And show of their skills they did. Both women came out swinging from the get-go with Kaufman cutting the eyed of Davis early with some clean shots, but Kaufman returns the favor with a nice elbow of her own. Both fighters continued their steady pace of exchanging combinations and by the end of the first round, both were covered in their own blood, in what was a very exciting first round. Round two was no different, both ladies picked off where they left off, exchanging kicks and strikes, though both were visibly winded from the furious opening frame. Heading into the third round, Davis was down on the scorecards and need a finish to pull out the victory and nearly mounted a what would have been a nice comeback, as she took Kaufman down and inflicted some ground and pound, but unfortunately for Davis, it was a too little too late. The judges awarded the unanimous decision victory to Sarah Kaufman in what was truly an exciting fight. Tate and Rousey will have to put on a great performance in order to top these two. That's a wrap for all the under card action, for full results and play-by-play action of the main card. Click here. Full preliminary cards results: 135 lbs.: Sarah Kaufman def. Alexis Davis via majority decision.170 lbs.: Roger Bowling def. Brandon Saling via TKO at 1:15 of round 2155 lbs.: Pat Healy def. Caros Fodor via submission (arm triangle) at 3:35 of round 3155 lbs.: Ryan Couture def. Conor Heun via TKO at 2:52 of round 3

Posted in: fight, round, action, healy, kaufman

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This is the Strikeforce live blog for Ronaldo Souza vs. Bristol Marunde, a middleweight bout on tonight's Strikeforce card from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Souza (14-3) is coming off a fight where he lost his Strikeforce middleweight title to Luke Rockhold. Marunde (12-6), who is making his Strikeforce debut, has won his last four fights. The live blog of this fight is below. More Coverage: Tate vs. Rousey Results | Latest Strikeforce News Round 1: Both fighters open orthodox with Jacare taking center cage. The two clinch and exchange hard body strikes and uppercuts, but nothing lands cleanly. Jacare clinches, lands a knee up the middle, a hard right hand and manages to take Marunde's back standing. Jacare now working the back while Marunde is on all fours. Jacare peppering Marunde with shots while referee Keith Peterson stands them up. He warns Jacare for punches to the back of the head. As they resume, Marunde eats a monster right hand that sends him crashing to the mat. Jacare attempts a guillotine from on top, but can't get it. Jacare is back on Marunde's back, though for now with no hooks in. Marunde stands, pummels in and now the two are clinched against the fence with Marunde pressing in. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 SouzaRound 2:Round 3:

Posted in: strikeforce, round, jacare, marunde, nothing lands

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This is the Strikeforce live blog for all four preliminary bouts on tonight's Strikeforce card from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The undercard features Sarah Kaufman taking on Alexis Davis to determine who will next challenge for the Strikeforce 135-pound title against the winner of Miesha Tate vs. Ronda Rousey. Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: Tate vs. Rousey Results | Latest Strikeforce News Sarah Kaufman vs. Alexis Davis Davis makes her way down the ramp to AC/DC's "Thunderstruck." The former champ Kaufman walks out to The Soft Boys. Round 1: Roger Bowling vs. Brandon Saling Saling, sporting a Chuck Liddell look, makes his Strikeforce debut entering to "Walk Hard." Bowling walks out to "I Put It On For My City" by Young Jeezy. Round 1: Bowling attacks with a leg kick that's almost caught. Bowling aims for the head this time and Saling counters with punches. Bowling and Saling exchange punches and it's Saling who arguably wins the trade. Fun slugfest. They trade wildly again and Bowling falls to the floor. He pops back up and takes down Saling. Bowling tries for an armbar, but loses the hold. Back up, Saling unloads on Bowling. Bowling grabs the Muay Thai clinch and lands knees to slow down Saling. Bowling scores his second takedown. Bowling lands left punches in crucifix/side control. With Saling stuck, Bowling bloodies him up with left elbows. Bowling takes full mount with six seconds left. MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 for Bowling. Round 2: Bowling immediately scores the takedown and works the ground and pound. Bowling beats up Saling with right hands while trapping Saling's arms. Dominant second round and the referee stops the fight. Bowling wins via TKO (punches) - Round 2, 1:15 Caros Fodor vs. Pat Healy Healy is out first, entering to "It Was a Good Day" by Ice Cube. The undefeated Fodor out of AMC Pankration walks out to "Welcome to Jamrock" by Damien Marley. Round 1: Healy soon attempts the takedown by clinching with Fodor. When they separate, Fodor lands a left and then rocks Healy with a right. Fodor takes Healy down with 2:53 into Healy's halfguard. Fodor throws punches and elbows as he tries to pass. Healy is bleeding from his nose. Healy escapes and trips Fodor for the takedown into Fodor's closed guard. Healy actively throws punches to try to win back the round. Fodor with wrist control and tries to trip Healy. Healy doesn't fall for it and continues to push forward. Healy's strong finish made this round close, but I give it to Fodor, still. MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 for Fodor. Round 2: Healy lands on punch combinations. Healy finds his range and proceeds to work for a takedown in clinch. Healy switches to a single-leg and he's working hard for it. Healy finally sits Fodor on his butt with a double and Healy advances to Fodor's halfguard. Healy passes to side mount and rains down left hands. Fodor escapes to halfguard. Healy gets in position for an arm-triangle. Healy passes to side control again with just over 30 seconds left. Healy takes full mount and drops punches and elbows. Fodor escapes to halfguard, but Healy is still able to score with strikes. MMA Fighting scores the second round 10-9 for Healy. Round 3: Healy appears more comfortable on his feet. Fodor finds angles to connect on punches of his own. Healy drives in for the takedown and Fodor is on his back within the first minute of this final round. Healy advances to full mount with 3:44 left to work. Fodor escapes to halfguard. Healy peppers away with left hands. Healy attempts the arm-triangle choke again, but he needs to pass to side. Fodor escapes and in a last-ditch effort, looks for a heel hook. Healy calmly escapes and quickly secures an arm-triangle choke for the submission to hand Fodor his first career loss. Healy wins by submission (arm-triangle choke) - Round 3, 3:35 Ryan Couture vs. Conor Heun Heun of 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu has rubber guard specialist Eddie Bravo in his corner. Meanwhile, Ryan has his father UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture in his corner. Round 1: Heun claims center of the cage as Couture pumps out jabs to measure the distance. Heun appears to be aiming for a counter power left hook. They clinch at 3:27 and battle for position. Couture lands a nice knee in clinch. Heun tries a right elbow as he pushes Couture off. Couture is winning on strikes, landing a straight right and also a kick to the body. Heun scores the takedown at 1:38. Couture immediately throws his right leg across for a triangle choke and Heun defends with a slam. Couture looks for the omoplata and ends up back on his feet. Heun scores a second takedown and moves into Couture's halfguard. Heun tries for a choke that lifts the two back to a stand up fight. MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 for Couture. Round 2: Heun has a cut under his left eye. Heun comes out more aggressive throwing jabs and lead hooks. Heun tries a spinning heel kick that looks cool, but doesn't do much damage. Couture, who has the reach advantage, finds a home again with his straight right. Heun goes for an ankle pick, but Couture escapes. Heun scores a big takedown at 3:18 and Couture hips out right away for a kimura to attack Heun's left shoulder. Heun drops elbows and punches to Couture's ribs as he tries to pass into side control. Couture releases the kimura and switches to a triangle/armbar. Heun escapes and applies a choke, standing. Couture dumps Heun on the floor and takes Heun's back with 1:22 left in the round. Couture is too high up and he slides off. Back to clinch and Heun pulls rubber guard. The round ends with Heun trying to pull Couture into his rubber guard. MMA Fighting scores the second round 10-9 for Couture. Round 3: Heun looks weary and Couture hits him with a straight right. Couture closes the distance and takes down Heun. Heun digs for kimura, giving Couture a taste of his own medicine. However, Couture climbs to full mount at 3:20. Heun walks the fence, but Couture turns with him to stay on top. Couture takes Heun's back and flattens him out. Couture finishes with unanswered punches for the referee stoppage. Couture wins via TKO (punches) - Round 3, 2:52

Posted in: round, fodor, healy, heun, bowling

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This is the Strikeforce live blog for Scott Smith vs. Lumumba Sayers, a middleweight bout on tonight's Strikeforce card from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Smith (17-9) lost his third straight fight last July in a decision loss to Tarec Saffiedine. Sayers (5-2) lost his Strikeforce debut to Derek Brunson but bounced back with a knockout win over Antwain Britt. The live blog is below. More Coverage: Tate vs. Rousey Results | Latest Strikeforce News Round 1: Round 2:Round 3:

Posted in: strikeforce, round, blog, smith, sayer

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Sarah Kaufman wins a majority decision over Alexis Davis. The judges scored the fight 29-29, 29-28, and 29-28. The two Canadian women immediately opened the first round trading punches. Alexis Davis found success with dirty boxing from the single collar clinch. Kaufman created distance and found a home for her punches. Davis hung in tough but was unable to to defend the onslaught of Sarah Kaufman. One of Kaufman's strikes opened up a nasty cut over Davis' left eye. The referee briefly stopped the fight for a doctor inspect the cut. The fight resumed and Davis went on the attack to try and put the hurt on Kaufman. One of Alexis Davis' elbows opened up a cut along the hairline and the round ended with the two fighters trading straight punches in the center of the cage. The ladies continued where they left off in the opening stanza trading punches in the center of the cage. Kaufman took the advantage early with multiple hooks to the head. Davis responded with uppercuts from the clinch. The ladies clinch against the fence with Davis trying to create space with knees to the body. They kept an incredible pace halfway through the fight. Kaufman threw combinations to the head and battered Davis from range. Davis threw knees to the head from the clinch. The two again trade punches with the round coming to an end. The final round started just as the first two with both fighters exchanging punches. Absolutely insane that they kept the pace of striking through twelve minutes. Alexis Davis hit an outside trip takedown and worked from side control. Alexis Davis threatened with an armbar and Kaufman used it to hit a sweep. Davis didn't release the arm and swept Kaufman to continue to work from the top. Davis took Kaufman's back but was unable to keep the position. Kaufman survived but clearly lost the round. SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey

Posted in: round, alexi, punch, davi, kaufman

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Pat Healy defeats Caros Fodor by arm triangle choke. The tap out came at 3:35 in the third round. The fighters didn't waste time and traded punches from the pocket. Healy initiated the clinch and looked for the early takedown. Fodor turned Healy into the cage but was quickly reversed with Healy opening up with dirty boxing. On the exit Fodor landed a a shot to the chin which stunned the fighter out of Team Quest. Fodor got the takedown and opened up with ground and pound. Healy hit a backdoor escape and tripped Fodor to the ground. Healy immediately started throwing punches from inside Fodor's guard as Fodor attempted to control the wrists. The round ended with Healy throwing punches from the top. Fodor landed an early snapping jab at the start of the second and Healy responded with his own jab-cross combination. Healy landed an inside leg kick before attempting a lazy takedown. Fodor defended well but Healy pressed him against the fence to transition to a single leg takedown. Healy was really working to get the fight to the ground and eventually pulled the legs out from under Fodor. Fodor was able to regain his feet but Healy dragged the fight right back down. Healy didn't do much much with the position as Fodor attempted to grab a leg lock. Healy defended and transitioned to mount to close out the round. Caros Fodor knowing he was down on the score cards attacked early in the round. Patrick Healy ducked down and hit a single leg takedown. Healy immediately transitioned to full mount and attempted to posture up but Fodor controlled the wrists. Fodor regained half guard but almost got caught in an arm triangle. Fodor defended and then grabbed a leg for an ankle lock. Healy sunk in another arm triangle and forced the tap. Impressive win for Pat Healy. SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey

Posted in: takedown, round, leg, fodor, healy

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Ryan Couture defeated Conor Heun by TKO. The stoppage came at 2:52 in the third round. Ryan Couture attacked early in the first with leg kicks to try and establish his range. As Ryan closed the distance Heun changed levels but couldn't get the fight to the ground. Ryan Couture clinched up and worked knees against the fence to soften up the legs of Heun. Couture worked a jab-cross combination and followed up with a kick to the body. Heun used the opening to take Ryan Couture to the ground. Ryan Couture threw his legs up for a triangle and Heun picked him up and slammed him to the mat. Ryan transitioned to an omoplata on the way back down and used it to scramble back to his feet. The round ended with Ryan throwing a punch combination. Heun opened up the second round with a single leg but couldn't get Couture to the ground. Couture found a home for his jab early in the round landing it multiple times. Heun changed levels and took Ryan down but was unable to take advantage of the opportunity with Ryan throwing up submissions. Ryan used an armbar to stand and took Heun to the mat. Ryan quickly transitioned to back control and looked to finish the fight with a palm to palm rear naked choke. Couture finished the round attacking. The third began with Couture likely ahead on the judges' score cards. Couture closed the distance well and used a body lock to take the fight to the ground. Couture passed to mount and used positional control to keep Heun on his back. Heun gave up his back as Couture sunk in both hooks and started to throw punches to the head. The referee gave Heun the opportunity to fight back but Couture was just too much. The referee stepped in and stopped the fight. SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey

Posted in: fight, round, ryan, heun, ground ryan

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This is the Strikeforce live blog for all four preliminary bouts on tonight's Strikeforce card from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The undercard features Sarah Kaufman taking on Alexis Davis to determine who will next challenge for the Strikeforce 135-pound title against the winner of Miesha Tate vs. Ronda Rousey. Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: Tate vs. Rousey Results | Latest Strikeforce News Sarah Kaufman vs. Alexis Davis Round 1: Caros Fodor vs. Pat Healy Round 1: Roger Bowling vs. Brandon Saling Round 1: Ryan Couture vs. Conor Heun Heun of 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu is inside the cage. Couture of Xtreme Couture is making his way down the ramp ... Round 1:

Posted in: strikeforce, round, vs, planet jiujitsu, vs heun

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Despite being a polished fighter with a cache of weapons in his in-ring arsenal, Martin Kampmann entered his headlining bout against Thiago Alves at UFC on FX 2 without a finish to his credit in more than two years. “The Hitman” changed that against Alves, picking up a submission win in as timely a manner as possible. With less than a minute remaining in the final round of their fight Kampmann latched on to a Guillotine Choke to procure the stoppage, avoiding the judges’ as he’d hoped and likely a loss as well based on Alves’ earlier efforts. “I was behind there, I’ll be honest,” said Kampmann in an interview with the UFC shortly after earning the victory. “Thiago was giving some good shots. I wanted to take him down and I was walking into too many punches even though that was not part of the strategy at all.” “Good thing I still got a good chin, I can eat some shots,” he continued. “I was getting him back. I shook him in the first round with that kick but I knew I probably had to finish him in that third round…so I grabbed on to that choke for dear life and squeezed him.” Kampmann improved his overall record to 19-5 with the victory, evening up his submission/TKO ratio at seven apiece in the process, while Alves’ career mark was dropped to 19-9 with four losses by way of submission. Check out the complete interview below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, round, alve, kampmann, shots i

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Main card (Showtime) Women's Bantamweight Championship bout: Miesha Tate (c) vs. Ronda RouseyEarl - In Ronda Rousey’s 7 fights (4 pro 3 amateur) she has armbarred all 7 of her opponents into submission in the first minute of the fight. That is certifiably insane. It may take more than a minute, but the result is going to be the same. Rondy Rousey, armBAR, Round 1.Luke - I think Rousey is going to be surprised at how strong and able Meisha Tate is. Rousey may have been training Judo with the boys but Tate has been wrestling with them since high school and I’m always impressed with her strength when I watch her fight. She choked out Marloes Coenen with a nice arm-triangle, and Coenen is a big girl with excellent grappling skills, so Tate has a great chance. Having said all that, Rousey might be shocked for a minute or two, but she’s just too good at her one move to not get it. Rousey, Submission, Round 1.Cory - Tate is being woefully undervalued here. She is not a noob at this fighting stuff and I think she’ll make this a much closer slugfest than anyone is predicting. And just because Rousey was a huge whiner about the result of the Diaz fight, I’m picking Tate to get a late TKO here. Tate - TKOJack- I’m not very familiar with either fighter but Tate has beaten Marloes Coenen and Rousey has beaten no-one. Hopefully a nice knockout from Tate so that I don’t have to hear about what either one said about the other on Twitter ever again. Tate, KO, Round 2Lightweight bout: K.J. Noons vs. Josh ThomsonEarl - This one is pretty simple in my eyes. If Noons can keep it on the feet, he is going to bust Thomson up something bad. I think that just might happen. KJ Noons, Brutal KO, Round 2.Luke - KJ Noons gave Nick Diaz a good fight last year, then regressed against Jorge Masvidal, (who is a tremendous fighter by the way) but I loved what I saw from him against Billy Evangelista. He seems determined to turn himself into a mixed martial artist. He was already very good at defending submissions and staying out of trouble on the ground and in that fight against Evangelista he showed that he’s trying to improve his kicks and his take down defense. I’ve always wanted to see KJ in the UFC and a big victory over Thomson might get him there. Noons, Unanimous Decision.Cory - Earl nailed it on the head about avenues to win, but I’ll guess that Thomson manages to take down a guy in Noons who hasn’t really demonstrated quality TDD and hasn’t really faced a decent grappler in some time like Thomson. Thomson - SubmissionJack - Noons is one of my favourite fighters and seeing how easily JZ Calvan dropped Josh Thomson, I consider KJ’s chances good. But considering how Thomson won that fight with Calvan while taking a spanking, KJ is going to have to make sure this doesn’t go to decision. Noons, KO, Round 1Welterweight bout: Paul Daley vs. Kazuo MisakiEarl - Speaking of brutal knockouts, Paul Daley is fighting. Paul was SO close to beating Nick Diaz for the belt just a few fights ago and now he will make his first Zuffa appearance since the Koscheck incident. Misaki will be fighting for the first time in nearly a year and Paul is not the guy you want to come up against after a long layoff. Semtex should be able to keep this on the feet using his ever improving takedown defense and plant a missile on Misaki’s mug. Paul Daley, KO, Round 1.Luke - If only Paul Daley had spent more time developing his mixed martial arts game, he’d have finished Diaz. Unfortunately, he spazzed out in the two moments that he had Diaz hurt and showed us what a difference having world class cardio can make. As for this little situation here, it seems like this fight is a good old fashioned squash match. I hope to see Daley fight Nate Marquardt while they are both under the Strikeforce brand. Daley, KO, Round 1.Cory - If he was 27 and not 35, I’d have much more confidence in Misaki. He’s not. I hope Kaz has plenty of liquid food at hand, because Daley is going to hit him very, very hard. Daley - Knockout of the NightJack - Daley has huge power, Misaki has a weak chin. Daley won’t learn or show anything new with this fight, designed to pad his record. Daley, KO, Round 1Middleweight bout: Ronaldo Souza vs. Bristol MarundeEarl - I don’t have a lot to say on this. Jacare has this one in the bag. Rockhold vs Jacare II incoming. Ronaldo Souza, Submission, Round 2.Luke - Jacare vs Rockhold II would be a nice fight. I like both guys and the first fight was very entertaining. There is a small chance that Marunde, being a late replacement, surprises Jacare but then again, it’s very difficult to surprise a guy who’ll be looking to take the fight to the ground anyhow, and there are no surprises on the mat for Jacare. Souza, Submission, Round 1.Cory - I’m almost surprised that the commission allowed this. Random tangent: go Google up "Bristol chart". This is going to be a loose 6, easy. Souza - SubmissionJack - Jacare should be able to get back on track with this. He could submit Marunde, or he could stand to a decision over 3 rounds while showing above average but ineffectual striking. Souza, Submission, Round 2 More after the jump Middleweight bout: Scott Smith vs. Lumumba SayersEarl - Scott Smith is fighting still and that makes me sad. Dude just takes way too much damage. This should be no different because that is what happens. Also, "Lumumba" is a fantastic name. Lumumba Sayers, TKO, Round 2.Luke - I agree with everyone who is a little hesitant to see Smith keep fighting. This could very well be his last fight with Strikeforce, as he’s up against a guy who finished his last opponent in less than 30 seconds. Sayers has never been to the second round in his career, winning quickly and losing quickly as well. I expect more of the same. Sayers, TKO, Round 1.Cory - I really fear for Scott’s long term health. He takes far too many shots than any human should absorb in their lifetime. Sayers - TKOJack - Smith’s chin is shot, and the more he tries to turn himself in to a faster starter, the worse he looks. Sayers, TKO, Round 1 Preliminary card (Showtime Extreme) Women's Bantamweight bout: Sarah Kaufman vs. Alexis DavisEarl - Kaufman needs to make a real statement here after getting passed up for the title shot by Rousey. Sarah Kaufman, TKO, Round 1.Luke - I had no idea Sarah Kaufman ended up with a fight on this card until very recently. Kaufman feels like she was passed over by Strikeforce in favor of Rousey and she was very upset about it. It’s a pretty fair way for her to feel, considering that she has a win over Tate. I’d like to see her fight Rousey after she takes care of Davis. Kaufman, TKO, Round 2Cory - Give credit to the Strikeforce matchmakers here. They’re helping the next in line set up for a title shot by giving Kaufman what should be an easy win. Kaufman - SubmissionJack - Kaufmann gets caught in armbars too often and uses her power to slam out. Davis, Submission.Lightweight bout: Caros Fodor vs. Pat HealyEarl - While Healy definitely has the experience factor on his side, Fodor pretty much has the skill to beat him wherever the fight may go. Pat won’t get finished here but it should be a clearly dominant performance. Caros Fodor, Unanimous Decision. Luke - Surprised you are going with Fodor on this one Earl. Healy has been really good lately, with two of his last three losses coming to UFC fighters Jake Ellenberger and TJ Waldburger. He also has a loss to Josh Thomson. He’s got eight wins against the lower level competition that he’s fought in between thos fights and as far as I know, Fodor isn’t a type of burger, so he should be good here. Healy, Unanimous Decision.Cory - There might not be anyone left on Strikeforce’s roster that has the scalps that Pat "Bam Bam" Healy has. He’s got wins over Carlos Condit, Paul Daley, Dan Hardy, Lyle Beerbohm, Maximo Blanco, etc. BUT HE’S FIGHTING FEDOR!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, wait. Healy - DecisionLightweight bout: Ryan Couture vs. Conor HeunEarl - Couture has made his way off of the Challengers cards and onto SF proper’s undercard. Couture should continue to roll here. I just hope they don’t bring him up the ladder too fast. Ryan Couture, Submission, Round 3.Luke - Again, I’m pretty surprised to see you are going with Couture here. Conor Heun is an animal of a fighter and I think he’s way too much for Ryan Couture here. Heun arguably defeated KJ Noons and gutted his way through a busted up arm to win his last fight against Magno Almeida. Couture could land something slick but I just question if he’ll be able to against a gritty and game Heun or if he’ll end up spending most of the fight on bottom getting beat down.Cory - This is certainly a big step up the ladder for Couture, and one I’m not sure he’s ready for. Couture’s been hard to finish, so I’ll say Heun - DecisionWelterweight bout: Roger Bowling vs. Brandon SalinEarl - Bowling should crush this dude with the quickness. Roger Bowling, KO, Round 1.Luke - Don’t know much about these two except that Bowling has had a trilogy of fights with a guy named Bobby Voelker, all under the Strikeforce: Challengers, banner. Kind of weird to have that many fights against one guy in a feeder style show, but whatever. Bowling lost the second two fights by TKO. He’ll get back to the win column here. Bowling, TKO, Round 2.Cory - Dare I say it, Bowling will roll over Salin. Bowling - TKO Name Correct Picks # of Picks Made # of Events Chad 8 8/10 80% 1 Chris 17 17/28 60.7% 3 Cory 31 31/69 45% 7 Earl 47 47/73 64.4% 7 Jack 14 14/24 58.3% 3 Luke 41 41/63 65.1% 6 Rainer 15 15/20 75% 2

Posted in: fight, round, vs, tate, daley

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When the UFC added a 'sudden death' clause to their flyweight tournament bouts, it was a cool nod to the slight possibility of a draw but no one really expected it would actually be needed. Crazily enough though, it was in the Demetrious Johnson vs Ian McCall fight. Crazier still, we didn't get that fourth round because someone from the Combat Sports Authority of New South Wales added up the score totals wrong, awarding the fight incorrectly to Johnson: Judge Sal D'Amato, who had given Johnson the opening two rounds with 10-9 marks, awarded McCall the third with a 10-8 score, which should have resulted in 28-28 total. With Anthony Dimitriou issuing a 29-29 score and Kon Papai awarding Johnson the fight 29-28, the fight should have been a majority draw, which under the special rules in place for the fight would have resulted in a fourth, sudden-victory round.But when transferring the scores issued by the judges to the tabulating sheets, Waller accidentally recorded a 10-9 round in McCall's favor on D'Amato's card. That meant D'Amatos' total was incorrectly announced as 29-28 for Johnson, giving "Mighty Mouse" a majority decision."It was a bit of an unfortunate situation," Waller said. "I take full responsibility for what happened. The fight should have been a majority draw. We should have gone to a fourth round. I sincerely apologize to both fighters, to Dana, and to every single fan of the UFC." Dana White, as you can imagine, was oh so thrilled: "As soon as the show ended, they came over and told me," White said. "After the card was done, they came up to me, and I said, 'You've got to be [expletive] me. How is this possible?'"..."Imagine if they would have come out and said, 'This is going to a fourth round,'" White said. "The crowd would have went crazy. People at home would have went crazy. It would have been an incredible atmosphere and an incredible moment."There's nothing good about this, but what can you do? The commission owned up to it, apologized for it, and all we can do is move on." Since we got screwed out of that sudden death sh*t via some commission yakkety sax, I guess we'll have to settle for a rematch between Mighty Mouse and Uncle Creepy. Who knows, maybe this bit of controversy will end up bringing more attention to the flyweights in the end, which can only be a good thing. See, there we go. Glass half full, glass half full. Don't think about that epic sudden death match we were jipped out of. Don't. Think. About. It. FFFFFFUUUUUUU! (pic via Tracy Lee's Combat Lifestyle photoblog)

Posted in: fight, round, score, johnson, death

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UFC President Dana White made quite the announcement during Friday night’s post-fight press conference for UFC on FX: Alves vs. Kampmann, as it was revealed the Ian McCall-Demetrious Johnson flyweight tournament semifinal should have gone to a fourth round. Johnson was given the victory based on the scorecards read at Octagon-side earlier in the night. However, it was later found out that one card was not added up correctly, meaning the bout should have been a majority draw and forced the two fighters into a “sudden victory” round to determine who would eventually meet Joseph Benavidez. The Australian Athletic Commission’s leader made an announcement following White’s remarks concerning the error, taking full blame for the situation. “One just actually scored the (third) round a 10-8. It was down on the tally card as a 10-9 round, which scored it as a majority win to Johnson. But that 10-8 would have made it into a majority draw,” said spokesman Craig Waller. “It was my error. I take full responsibility for the error that was incurred.” White added that, “Controversy has stuck to us like glue lately. These things happen, human error happens.” While Waller made mention of a rematch between McCall and Johnson taking place in April, White said no timetable has been set for the two to battle again. Benavidez also said he would remain idle until a finalist is determined to meet him for the UFC flyweight crown. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, round, johnson, error, “ controversy

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Anyone that follows sports has probably heard the line, "The best referees are the ones you don't know." While officials are a necessary evil of athletic events, the hope is they do their job, stay out of the way and don't do anything to get noticed. The NBA's refs? Not so great at this. You've read enough about bad judging and bad stoppages in the last few years to fill several repetitive books and this column isn't going to be about that. But after hearing that somehow the judges' scorecards for the Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall fight at UFC on FX 2 were misread and thus a fight that should have been a draw wasn't announced as such, a simple question has to be asked. It's 2012 and this is actually an issue? If you're new to the party, Johnson and McCall fought in a bout where the winner moved on to get a shot at the newly created UFC flyweight title. As it was a mini-tournament, both guys agreed to a sudden death round if the scorecards were locked after three rounds. The goal of that, of course, is to eliminate the possibility of a draw and have a decisive winner. Cue irony horn. It was a close fight and when the cards were read, Johnson was announced as a majority decision winner. However, that wasn't the case. Sal D'Amato gave two 10-9 rounds to Johnson and one 10-8 to McCall, a 28-28 tie, read as a decision for Johnson. Kon Papai had two 10-9s for Johnson and a 10-9 for McCall, a correctly read 29-28 for Johnson. Anthony Dimitriou had a 10-9 for Johnson, a 10-9 for McCall and a 10-10 draw for a 29-29 draw, incorrectly read as McCall winning. It wasn't until the post-event press conference that the issue was brought to light with Craig Waller of the New South Wales, Australia, Department of Sport and Recreation taking full responsibility for not compiling and relaying the correct information. That's great and all, but why didn't D'Amato or Dimitriou say something immediately when their scores were being read? Is there a system of double checking? Simply put, how does this happen? Look, I understand that people make mistakes but this is simply dumb. The UFC now has to figure out when to rematch these two, thus delaying plans for their title fight by months. Flyweight finalist Joseph Benavidez now has to wait longer because of the error. Johnson thought he won and was then told he didn't, which is bad. People are talking about commission work Saturday instead of in-cage action. Fans were robbed of what would have been a great fourth round. It's sloppy all the way around because a system wasn't in place to prevent this. I know I'm asking a lot, but I hope the Association of Boxing Commissions takes note and is proactive in making sure these types of issues don't happen in the U.S. Move to an electronic method, have several people in place to ensure the scoring is received and read accurately and have the judges actually listen to make sure the scores are being read correctly. It sounds like a lot, but Friday night proved that apparently some people need more help than others. However, the chances of any ABC change are as likely as the antiquated MMA scoring system suddenly correcting itself. Food for thought: how often do you think there are errors that we don't hear about, either with addition or otherwise? I stand corrected on an earlier statement as there was one winner in all of this: McCall, who will get the chance to avenge what many perceived as a bad decision to begin with. If there's one guy who is happily twirling his mustache today at how this all turned out, it's "Uncle Creepy." SBN coverage of UFC on FX 2

Posted in: ufc, round, johnson, winner, mccall

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There was controversy brewing last night (March 2, 2012) at UFC on FX 2 in the first flyweight bout in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) history between Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall. Both men set a blistering pace in which they flew across the cage in a blur, definitely keeping the cameramen on their toes. The crowd thought McCall won, but Johnson was announced the victor. It turns out that neither of those were true. Some scoffed at the announcement that the UFC would use a sudden death fourth round in the wake of a draw, but it turns out that's what the judges ruled when three rounds were over. Unfortunately, a commission mistake cost both men their opportunity to advance to the flyweight tournament finals. So now the big question remains, what happens next for both men? Follow me after the jump for our Ian McCall vs. Demetrious Johnson UFC on FX 2 post-fight review and analysis: Both men flew across the cage early, bouncing around on their toes and it was Johnson who scored with some swift leg kicks but McCall countered with a terrific trip takedown. In the striking, "Mighty Mouse" found a home for his right hand when he had space to lunge inside and land it, but when he did that, McCall countered in the clinch with some excellent short knees and elbows. After a failed takedown attempt of his own, Johnson landed the best strike of the fight with a sharp right hook which staggered McCall and definitely caught his attention. The AMC Pankration fighter would find a home for that right hand again as McCall would occasionally drop his left, but McCall fired back with some nice leg kicks attacking Johnson's lead leg. It was an entertaining and extremely close first round. The second round was just as close, this time McCall did not score any takedowns. In the open striking phase, Johnson was able to dart in and out with some nice right hands and both men traded powerful flurries of strikes. It was another round which was extremely difficult to score, although many impartial observers saw it for Johnson. The third round was the most decisive of the bout as after some more even striking exchanges, McCall got a trio of takedowns. While Johnson got back to his feet after the first one, McCall was all over him with big punches and advancement of position for the second and the third was the most damaging of all after "Uncle Creepy" passed to mount and dropped some serious punishment, even playing to the crowd as time expired. We all know what happened next, Johnson was announced the winner via split decision even though the judges had ruled it a draw. It all got sorted out at the post-fight press conference, but fans and both fighters were denied what would have been an amazing and decisive fourth round. For Demetrious Johnson, he was effective early in the fight with some nice leg kicks and when he had proper space, he was able to land some solid punches as well, especially that right hand which repeatedly found a home. His biggest issue was getting taken down five times throughout the fight and especially in the third round when he began to fade a bit and McCall was able to take over with his wrestling and ground and pound. In the rematch, he's going to have to stay in space a little more and really work that right hand. For Ian McCall, he definitely made a terrific UFC debut and gained a boatload of fans with his performance. He's a high energy guy who wears his heart on his sleeve and the fans appreciated what he was able to bring to the fight. He showcased some nice power in his leg kicks, some strong inside strikes in the clinch and his offensive wrestling and ground and pound was top notch. His biggest problem was dropping his hands and allowing Johnson to connect with some big right hands of his own especially in the first two rounds. There's no use speculating on who each man will fight next, it's already been announced that there will be a rematch once both men are recovered and ready to do it again. The first fight was very close and enthralling and I expect nothing less next time around. So what do you think, Maniacs? If things had been announced properly, who would have won the sudden death fourth round last night? Who do you favor heading into the rematch later this year? Can either man defeat Joseph Benavidez? Sound off! For complete UFC on FX 2 results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.

Posted in: ufc, right, round, johnson, mccall

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"I was happy that I was able to pick him apart. That was the plan, but unfortunately in the last 48 seconds, I got caught. It's devastating. But, it was out of my control -- I know I did my best in every aspect. I was winning the fight after three rounds, I just made a mistake and paid for it. I feel now that I should have kept him standing up and [continued to beat him up]. I'm not sure about that late takedown. I don't really know [how far this loss sets me back]. There is confusion in the weight class right now -- just 48 seconds later and it could be a totally different picture. Next I'll regroup, go back home and get better. I know I'm better than this, but unfortunately I got caught. That's life." C'est la vie! Former number one Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight number one contender, Thiago Alves, can't do anything about his loss to Martin Kampmann in the UFC on FX 2 main event now other than imagine what might have been had he kept the fight upright. "Pitbull" had "Hitman" hurt bad and on the defense late in the third round, connecting with a straight right, head-kick and then uppercut that had the Danish fighter clinging to survival. All this after Alves spent the first two rounds pretty much doing the same thing, which was beating up a very talented and dangerous fighter. But then, for some wild reason -- perhaps to score extra points with less than one minute remaining in the fight -- Alves opted to shoot for a takedown rather than continue his onslaught. It was a tremendous mistake because Kampmann grabbed a hold of his neck on the way down, reversed to top position with the choke firmly in place and squeezed the life out of the Brazilian to register a huge come-from-behind submission victory. An opportunity that should have never even presented itself had Alves stuck to the original script. But then again, with all these whacky decisions going on lately, perhaps Alves over-thought the situation and went for the takedown to impress the judges despite his natural instincts to finish the fight. Point fighting ... it's all the rage these days. Tsk, tsk ...

Posted in: fight, takedown, round, alve, kampmann

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) made history last night (March 2, 2012) at UFC on FX 2: "Alves vs. Kampmann" as the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion kicked off the first-ever Flyweight tournament to crown its first-ever 125-pound champion. Aside from two great battles put on by the four competitors who who were hand-picked to participate in the tournament -- Joseph Benavidez vs Yasuhiro Urushitani and Demetrious Johnson vs Ian McCall -- the event also, unfortunately, had the much dreaded "controversy" word attached to it. That's because the original decision that was announced inside the Octagon, which declared Demetrious Johnson earned a very close split decision victory over Ian McCall, was not the correct call. After further review it was discovered that Commissioner Craig Waller actually tabulated the judges scores wrong and the rightful decision should have been a majority draw. Prior to the event kicking off, the UFC instituted a new rule stating that if either of the tournament matches was a draw, they would go into a sudden death round, which is what should have happened last night, as UFC President Dana White explained it at the UFC on FX 2 post-fight press conference: "Unfortunately, controversy has stuck to us like glue lately. These things happen, human error happens. The Demetrious Johnson/Ian McCall fight was not scored properly. The fight was a draw. In the case of a draw, the fight was supposed to go to a fourth round. I mean I don't even know what to say, but the commission has taken responsibility." However, the mistake was discovered way too late and the damage had already been done. Unfortunately for "Mighty Mouse," his victory will be wiped away and will now be forced to take on "Uncle Creepy" one more time later this year to determine who in fact will meet Joseph Benavidez in the flyweight final. So what exactly happened? Commissioner Waller gave at the UFC on FX 2 post-fight press conference. "One judge actually scored the round a 10-8. It was down on the tally card as a 10-9 round, which scored it as a majority win to Johnson. But that 10-8 would have made it into a majority draw. It was on Sal D'Amato's card. Sal wasn't the one that made the error, it was my error. It was a bit of an unfortunate situation. I take full responsibility for the error that was incurred. Unfortunately I misread one of the scorecards which were transpired over the tally sheet. The fight should have been a majority draw. We should have gone into that fourth round. I sincerely apologize to both fighters, to Dana, and to every single fan of the UFC. It's great to see that it's been taken well by both combatants and their looking forward to a rematch hopefully in April. Once again, my sincere apologies to the error that was concerned and all I can do is apologize. I'm very, very sorry." A disappointed McCall stormed out of the Octagon upon hearing the judge's decision to award Johnson the victory. Now, he gets a chance to make things better for himself as he has a rematch against Johnson that will take place in the very near future. The good news is that the "do over" will determine a definitive winner. The bad news is that Benavidez will now have to sit tight a bit longer to fight again, waiting to see who will prevail in the rematch and who will meet him in the first ever UFC Flyweight title fight. History was indeed made in Sydney, in more ways than one.

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, johnson, error

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Tim Boetsch was five minutes away from losing his first bout since dropping down to Middleweight. Granted, he was facing off against perennial top-ranked 185-pounder Yushin Okami, who had only lost to champion Anderson Silva and number one contender Chael Sonnen, in the past five years. Still, it was surely a hard pill to swallow no matter who good his opponent was. No competitor enjoys defeat. "The Barbarian" had assumedly dropped the first two rounds on the judges' scorecard during the UFC 144 bout and needed to stop the Japanese fighter -- in Okami's home country, no less -- if he was hoping to walk out of the Saitama Super Arena a winner. With nothing to lose, Boetsch came out and blitzed "Thunder," catching him with thunderous uppercuts that dropped Okami to the mat and forced a reprieve from the referee. It was a strategy which goes unused so often by fighters who are behind on the scorecards going into the final round. Defeat is imminent but yet, time after time, fighters continue to play it safe rather than going for broke and swinging for the proverbial fences. It's exactly what Martin Kampmann did last night (Mar. 2) during his bout with Thiago Alves. Busted open and tired, "Hitman" couldn't have liked his chances to pull off a judge's decision. His Brazilian opponent continued to bully him around the Octagon going into the final minutes of the fight and it seemed -- when looking at how fatigued the Dane appeared to be -- like a foregone conclusion "The Pitball" would walk away the victor. But like Boetsch, Kampmann refused to be denied a critical win. And it paid off in spades. Aside from a kick that staggered the Brazilian early into the first round, Kampmann spent most of the bout on the defensive. Eating stiff leg kick after stiff leg kick, the Dane saw his chances of winning the fight dwindle with every tick of the clock. The first round -- thanks to the aforementioned kick -- may have gone to "Hitman" but Alves constantly walking his opponent down and also scoring a takedown added more than enough doubt. The Brazilian began to pull away in the second. It simply didn't appear Kampmann had any answer for Alves' leg kicks and striking combinations. Going into the third and final round, the Dane was showing the wear and tear of fighting the former welterweight title contender. The first four minutes of the final stanza were an exact duplicate of the previous round with Alves picking his opponent apart much like he did against John Howard a little over a year ago. The performances weren't flashy but they were solid and exactly what Alves needed if he ever expected to challenge for Octagon gold again. A right caught Kampmann flush and staggered him against the cage. Alves looked to overwhelm "Hitman" with striking but perhaps feeling the fatigue of fighting a world class 170-pounder himself, he opted to take his opponent to the mat presumably to ride out the final minute in a horizontal base. But Kampmann isn't known to be a quitter. In his welterweight career, he's only been stopped once. He has the heart of a fighter and it showed last night when he swept his opponent and sunk in a guillotine choke with less than one minute remaining in the fight. After Alves' hand tapped against Kampmann's back, "Hitman" stood up and let out a primal yell as blood poured from his face. It was an incredible sight, literally seeing defeat turn into victory in the blink of an eye. Like Boetsch a week prior, he refused to give up, refused to stop fighting. Perhaps their performances will inspire more fighters to throw a little bit more caution to the wind if they find themselves in a two round hole going into the final five minute period. It earned both of them respect from fans and from UFC President Dana White but more importantly, it earned them a win. Boetsch is 3-0 as a middleweight and Kampmann finds himself riding a two-fight win streak and a potential contender for Carlos Condit's interim title should the New Mexico native decide to defend his newly won belt. "Hitman" is, after all, the last man to defeat Condit. Two men minutes away from defeat. Two men who defied the odds and constructed brilliant comeback victories. They're the toast of the mixed martial arts (MMA) town. So why don't more fighters do what Boetsch and Kampmann did?

Posted in: round, boetsch, minute, alve, kampmann

Read the full article at MMA Mania

One of the reasons we love MMA is the feeling that a fight is never over. If a football game is 28-7 with a minute left in the fourth quarter we know which team is going to win. But in MMA there's always a chance, until the fight ends. Thiago Alves found that out the hard way on Friday night. In a 15-minute fight that he was winning for 14 minutes, Alves found a way to lose to Martin Kampmann at UFC on FX 2. Alves had already won the first two rounds of the fight and was cruising through the third on his way to what should have been a unanimous decision victory, when he did something inexplicable: While battering Kampmann against the cage, he ducked down and went for a takedown. Kampmann saw an opening, reversed the position and put Alves in a mounted guillotine choke, forcing a stunned Alves to tap. That was a terrible tactical mistake by Alves, but I kind of love him for it: I understand the fighters who fight safe and fight smart and are perfectly content to win a decision, but I love the fighters who do more than that, who put themselves on the line for every minute of every fight and try to finish until the final horn sounds, and Alves fought like one of those guys on Friday night. So was it dumb for Alves to go for that takedown in the final minute of the third and final round? Yes, it was. He had the fight won and gave it away by taking a chance he didn't need to take, reminiscent of the New York Giants fumbling a handoff when all they had to do was take a knee in The Miracle at the Meadowlands. But the day fighters stop taking chances they don't need to take is the day MMA becomes a lot less fun. I'm glad Alves fought the way he fought. But Kampmann is more glad. He looked as surprised as anyone after the fight, as if he knew Alves had handed him a gift-wrapped victory. UFC on FX Notes -- If T.J. Waldburger gets with a good striking coach and really develops a good stand-up game, he's going to be one hell of a mixed martial artist. Waldburger, who submitted Jake Hecht with a beautiful arm bar, is now 12-0 in his MMA career in fights decided by submission -- but only 1-5 in fights decided by knockout or TKO. He's purely a grappler who hasn't developed as a striker at all, but he's only 23 years old and has plenty of time to turn himself into a complete fighter. He's already got a great ground game. -- Kyle Noke turned in what looked like a lousy effort in his unanimous decision loss to Andrew Craig, but there may have been some extenuating circumstances. Noke had a great opportunity to finish Craig in the first round and then completely collapsed in the second and third rounds as Craig dominated him. After the fight, however, UFC President Dana White said that Noke blew out his knee in the first round and continued to tough it out through the second and third rounds anyway. UFC on FX Quotes --"Obviously the guy's got a good beard, and I'm not joking about that."--Ray Longo, in Constantinos Philippou's corner after the first round. Leave it to Longo to try to make his fighter chuckle between rounds, with a reference both to Court McGee's facial hair and his ability to take a punch. --"He's a very, very, tough cat. I expected a war and I got it. He's tough as hell." -- Steven Siler after beating Cole Miller. Siler and Miller expressed some ill will toward each other before the fight, but it's funny how 15 minutes of beating the crap out of each other can make that ill will disappear. Siler previously beat Cole's brother Micah Miller, and when asked who he'd like to fight next he said, "Hopefully not another Miller." --"I think my ego just wanted to be at heavyweight but athletically I need to be at light heavyweight. I'm strong, I'm fit, I'm competitive and no one is going to out-muscle me in this division."--Anthony Perosh, after beating Nick Penner. No one thought much of Perosh when he made his UFC debut in a loss to Mirko Cro Cop, but since then he's gone 3-0 with three finishes. The 39-year-old Perosh isn't ever going to be a Top 10 light heavyweight, but give him credit for doing a lot more inside the Octagon than anyone expected. Good Call It's too bad the controversial draw for Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall overshadowed the fact that the judges had a good night on the undercard. The 29-28 unanimous decisions for Steven Siler, Andrew Craig and Constantinos Philippou were exactly right. The judging was good on this card, and it shouldn't have been tarnished by the commission's mistake in tabulating the Johnson-McCall scores. Bad Call The UFC didn't make the first fight of the night, Shawn Jordan vs. Oli Thompson, available to watch live on Facebook or anywhere else. It did eventually air delayed on FUEL, but the UFC dropped the ball on not offering it live. It's 2012. Sports fans expect to be able to watch all their sports live. Every UFC fight should be available live somehow, whether it's Facebook, FUEL, FX, Fox or pay-per-view. Stock Up Daniel Pineda is now 2-0 in the UFC after his sensational submission victory over Mackens Semerzier. The 26-year-old Pineda submitted Pat Schilling in the first round of his UFC debut in January, meaning he's already won twice in the Octagon in 2012, and it only took him a total of 3 minutes, 42 seconds to win both fights. Stock Down Nick Penner built up an 11-1 record fighting for small promotions prior to making his UFC debut against Anthony Perosh, but Penner clearly didn't belong in the Octagon. Perosh pummeled Penner for 4 minutes, 59 seconds before the referee mercifully stopped the fight just as the horn was sounding to end the first round. It'll be back to the regional circuit for Penner. Fight I Want to See Next Ian McCall vs. Demetrious Johnson. I didn't agree with the draw -- I had McCall winning 29-27, with a 10-8 third round -- but I'm perfectly happy seeing these two go at it again. They put on a great show.

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, minute, alve

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Well it just wouldn’t be a UFC event without a little judging controversy now would it? I’m nearly tripping over myself saying this, but yes, despite there being a “sudden death” round in place to ensure that neither of tonight’s UFC flyweight mini-tournament fights could possibly end in a draw, the Demtrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall flyweight semi-final ended in a draw anyways. So how did it happen? Well, surprise, surprise, the athletic commission screwed up royally when tallying the judges scores from the fight. It should have been a majority draw (Sal D’Amato 28-28, Anthony Dimitriou 29-29, Kon Papai 29-28 Johnson) and the fight should have went into the “sudden death” fourth round to determine the winner. Instead, Craig Waller, executive director of the Combat Sports Authority of New South Wales, mistakenly transcribed D’Amato’s 28-28 as a 29-28 Johnson on the official scorecard seen above thus giving Demetrious Johnson the majority decision on the broadcast. Unfortunately, by the time they figured out what happened, it was too late. Speaking to MMA Junkie, Waller took full responsibility for the error. “It was a bit of an unfortunate situation,” Waller said. “I take full responsibility for what happened.” “The fight should have been a majority draw. We should have gone to a fourth round. I sincerely apologize to both fighters, to Dana, and to every single fan of the UFC.” “Sal wasn’t the one that made the error,” Waller said. “It was my error.” As you can imagine Dana White was pretty upset about the situation. “There is nothing positive about that result. I would rather have ended it tonight. We had two badass fights that everybody loved that would have led into the title fight. That would have been best-case scenario.” “As soon as the show ended, they came over and told me. After the card was done, they came up to me, and I said, ‘You’ve got to be [expletive] me. How is this possible?’” “Imagine if they would have come out and said, ‘This is going to a fourth round,’” White said. “The crowd would have went crazy. People at home would have went crazy. It would have been an incredible atmosphere and an incredible moment. There’s nothing good about this, but what can you do? The commission owned up to it, apologized for it, and all we can do is move on.” On one hand, I do kinda feel for Mr. Waller. He made an honest mistake, which he owned up to and apologized for, and I’m sure no one feels worse about this right now than him. You can’t ask much more than that. But on the other, seriously??? Can’t anything just go according to plan without a judge or a referee or a commission official screwing something up? If commissions only messed up every once in a while, it really wouldn’t be that big of a deal, but it continues to happen all the time. It’s utterly baffling and mind-numbingly frustrating. Image via Tracy Lee for Yahoo! Sports

Posted in: fight, round, johnson, commission, waller

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Let's be real here, Maniacs. Strikeforce has sold us on the tonight's (March 3, 2012) women's bantamweight championship between 135-pound champion Miesha Tate against rising star Ronda Rousey based on sex. Or rather, how sexy they are in addition to how very lethal these lovely ladies can be as highly-trained mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters. So why not take it the full nine yards? That's right, we here at MMAmania.com present you the very first (and likely only) sexiness battle. Our Commander in Chief, Tommy Myers, has humbly accepted the difficult undertaking of judging this contest. Tough job. Tate and Rousey will collide for real in the Strikeforce main event from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, in short order. In the meantime, the dynamic duo will go pic-for-pic for fake right here, right now. This sexiness battle will comprise five rounds: Round one is for beauty, round two is for abs, round three is for booty, round four is straight up and round five for intensity. We need your votes, Maniacs, to determine the winner. Let's get to it: Round 1: Strikeforce quickly set up a photo shoot for Tate and Rousey to showcase the fact that not only are they tough enough to beat you up, they're beautiful enough to knock your socks off. Obviously. Judge Myers: Both of these badasses clean up nice, eh? The wind-blown, model-esque look and feel of these pics is very well done. Kind of gives you the feeling that they are lonely, innocent and scanning the horizon for their knights in shining armor. Or, more likely, I'm just demented. I like Tate's rope prop, perhaps a bit too much, and I'd give the round to her hands down if it were a fair fight, but it isn't because Tate isn't clinging to anything phallic. That's grounds for disqualification, or in this case, a dreaded draw. Scoring after round one: Tate 0, Rousey 0 Round 2: Tate's abs are world-renowned, as she frequently gets requests on her Twitter account to post pictures like you see above. Rousey, though, is no slouch, even if she's admitted to having previous weight troubles in her youth. Now that she's down to 135-pounds, they're even more defined. Judge Myers: Rousey looked amazing at the weigh in recently -- she has never looked trimmer, in fact. However, Tate and her chiseled abdomen always bring the heat, and this weekend is no different. While I'd much rather rest my head on Rousey's tummy if we were snuggle buddies, we're not, so I've got to go with the shredded six of "Takedown." Scoring after round two: Tate 1, Rousey 0 Round 3: Obviously, Tate gets some credit for going all Wonder Woman on us, but look how Rousey fills out that dress. Sure, you may find it a little dirty of us to use this as an entire round of scoring, but there's a reason they're both posing this way while taking a pic of themselves. Judge Myers: Both these girls, and all others, need to stop taking pics in front of the bathroom mirror. Immediately. It's retarded. Tate looks completely foolish (I know, it's Halloween), and her best rear-facing asset is all but lost in this costume pic. Don't get me wrong, the wagon that Tate's draggin' is off the charts, but Rousey's surprising curves are giving her a run for her money here. She looks simple and sinister. It's an odd mix. But, I like it, a lot, even though she may not. Upset special. Scoring after round three: Tate 1, Rousey 1 Round 4: Here they are weighing in, straight up. Look at the hair ... the hair! Tate's smile shines through while Rousey's cool demeanor certainly gives her a more mysterious appeal. Judge Myers: Gah, this is tough. Tate's super long finger is disturbing and her hands look filthy. I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt, however, and chalk it up to ... poor lighting? Rousey's alligator arms are also a little off-putting, so I'm going to go strictly on what I should be considering in the first place, which is reproduction. That's what we're all on this planet for in the first place, right? I've got two kids and I certainly don't want any more, but if both these fine ladies approached me and requested my DNA, Rousey would have to get to the back of the line ... for just a few seconds. Scoring after round four: Tate 2, Rousey 1 Round 5: Judge Myers: Grr ... These pretty ladies threw all their beauty aside for one ugly moment immediately after making weight at the Nationwide Arena. Who can blame them, really, normal females are a handful, much less trained killers who haven't eaten much in days. Rousey has been talking all sorts of smack in the build up to this fight, which is perhaps the reason Tate got right up in her grill as quickly as she did. It looks like Rousey ended up getting the better of the head-jarring exchange, but Tate gets all the credit for standing up for herself and letting "Rowdy" know she ain't havin' that. She also steals a very close round in a very close superficial fight. Scoring after round five: Tate 3, Rousey 1 There we have it, Tate wins the Strikeforce sexiness battle via unanimous decision (3-1-0). It hasn't been easy, but the 135-pound champion pulled it off with her all-around hotness and her last-minute kitty cat puffy tale trick at the weigh in. Too bad that means diddly once the cage door closes in the "Buckeye State." Be sure to cast your unofficial vote below: Who's sexier, Miesha Tate or Ronda Rousey? Poll Who wins the very first sexiness battle? Miesha Tate Ronda Rousey Judge Myers   2 votes | Results

Posted in: round, judge, tate, myer, rousey

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Before the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight title fight headlined at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday night, the two ladies vying for the next shot at the belt – Canadians Sarah Kaufman and Alexis Davis - put on a championship-level battle that was arguably one of the best female fights ever seen in mixed martial arts.When it was over, Kaufman, the former 135-pound champion, scored the majority decision win.“I knew she was gonna come in tough and come in to fight,” said Kaufman. “I’m gonna come to fight, I’m gonna have that title. It’s my title.” Scores were 29-28 twice and 29-29 for Kaufman, who improves to 15-1; Davis falls to 11-5.Davis showed no fear of Kaufman’s striking attack as the bout opened, but Kaufman took advantage with some flush shots, including a hard left-right and a series of uppercuts at close range. Davis’ face showed the effects of this decision quickly, but Davis, as game as they come, wouldn’t back down. With 2:24 left, referee Jerry Krzys brought in the cageside physician to check out the cut over Davis’ left eye, but she was cleared to continue. Kaufman continued to fire away once the bout resumed, with Davis surprisingly not looking for the takedown. With under a minute left, Davis unleashed a blistering array of punches and kicks, returning the favor by cutting Kaufman on the forehead, capping off an action-packed round.There was no let-up to the close quarters standup action in round two, and whether it was in the middle of the cage or against the fence, each fighter tried to one-up the other. As the round progressed, Kaufman’s solid punching fundamentals allowed her to edge ahead of Davis’ more kick and knee based attack, but there was no question that neither was going to back down anytime soon.After nearly two minutes of compelling standup that matched the previous two rounds, Davis finally shot for – and got – her first takedown of the fight. Davis immediately scored with hard shots from side control, almost securing Kaufman’s arm, but the British Columbia native escaped. The two traded reversals on the mat, with Davis getting the last word by taking control with a furious ground and pound attack in the final minute. And while it wasn’t enough BOWLING vs. SALINGRoger Bowling got more than he bargained for from late replacement Brandon Saling in a battle of Ohio fighters, but eventually the welterweight prospect showed his dominance on the ground and finished off the ultra-game Saling in the second round.Bowling (11-2) tested Saling’s chin early and often, but the Byesville native passed with flying colors. A slugfest then ensued, with Saling (8-6) dropping Bowling with a right hand in the midst of the madness. Bowling soon decided that going toe-to-toe with his fellow Ohio native wasn’t the best course of action, so he took him down to the mat, where he could score with short strikes and wear his foe out. With under a minute left, Bowling locked Saling in the crucifix position and opened fire, cutting him in the process. Saling wouldn’t give in though, and the bell intervened.The second round picked up where the first left off, with Bowling getting Saling to the mat and then locking in the crucifix again. This time, Saling wouldn’t escape, with a series of unanswered strikes bringing in referee Mark Matheny to call an end to the bout at 1:15 of the second.HEALY vs. FODORStrikeforce’s resurrection man, veteran Pat Healy, did it again, winning his fourth consecutive bout by submitting tough rising star Caros Fodor in the third round of their lightweight matchup.Fodor (7-2) came out swinging, perhaps looking to match the result of his 13 second win over Justin Wilcox last December, but Healy (29-15) immediately locked up with his foe as soon as he got in range. After a brief scrum, Fodor landed with some flush shots to the face, and moments later put Healy on his back to work his ground and pound attack. With under two minutes left, Healy got to his feet and then scored his own takedown, landing peppering strikes until the bell rang.Round two was right up Healy’s alley, as it became a grueling grinder against the fence and on the mat. The fans didn’t necessarily approve, but Healy was controlling the action and fighting his fight, keeping Fodor from getting any offense going.There was more of the same in the first half of round three, but then Healy started looking for an arm triangle choke. Fodor escaped the first one, but the second one was even tighter, and this time, the Washington native was forced to tap out at 3:35 of the final frame. COUTURE vs. HEUNLightweight prospect Ryan Couture returned to the site of one of his father Randy’s greatest victories and he scored the biggest win of his own career, stopping veteran Conor Heun in the third round.Couture impressed early on with a slick striking game, but after tagging Heun twice with crisp left hands, the two locked up against the fence. Couture was unrattled at close range, controlling the action before breaking loose and resuming his effective stick and move strategy.  With 1:40 left, Heun got on the board with a takedown, apparently getting cut under his left eye in the process. Couture rose quickly and was taken down again, but after getting up a second time, he ended the round strong.Heun’s frustration was evident early in the second, but eventually he got the bout back to the mat. Couture stayed busy on the bottom, working for a kimura and then an armbar. Heun responded with a front choke as the two rose, Couture escaping and then scoring with a takedown and a choke of his own as he took his opponent’s back. Heun battled free and hit the mat with another submission attempt, capping off a back and forth round where both men had their moments.Fatigue began to play a role for Heun in the final round, yet Couture decided to forego his advantage standing in order to take the bout to the mat. Couture knew what he was doing though, as he nullified his opponent’s ground attack, and then after taking Heun’s back, he fired away with a series of unanswered strikes, prompting referee Jerry Krzys to halt the bout at 2:52 of the final round.With the win, Couture improves to 4-1; Heun falls to 9-5. The elder Couture defeated Tim Sylvia for the UFC heavyweight title at Nationwide Arena on March 3, 2007.

Posted in: round, davi, saling, heun, kaufman

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Rousey Armbars Her Way To Bantam TitleRonda Rousey’s first armbar didn’t finish Miesha Tate Saturday night at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, but you had a feeling the second would, and it did, crowning “Rowdy” Ronda as the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion via first round submission.“I came here to put on a fight,” said Tate. “I didn’t like her so I wanted to come out here and come out hard. I got a little overzealous, she caught the arm. I do respect her as an athlete.”Tate came out swinging, and not surprisingly, Rousey responded with a takedown. The expected armbar followed, and while it looked to hyperextended, Tate fought off the submission attempt, and with the crowd roaring, the champion got loose and took Rousey’s back. Rousey tried to slam her way out of trouble, but Tate wouldn’t let go. Midway through the round, Rousey got loose and the two locked up against the fence and then on the mat. After breaking, the fighters traded briefly before Rousey scored with a throw. Rousey transitioned into the mount and then took Tate’s back before moving back and securing the armbar again. This time, despite much resistance from Tate, she eventually had no choice but to tap, bringing a halt to the bout at 4:27 of the opening round.“She’s good, she’s legit, but I don’t feel too bad about it,” said Rousey of the finish. It was the first time she had gone past 57 seconds in a bout, pro or amateur.With the win, Rousey improves to 5-0; Tate, who was making the first defense of her title, falls to 12-3In his first bout since December of 2010, former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson returned to the cage and may have earned a rubber match against the promotion’s current 155-pound boss, Gilbert Melendez, scoring a solid, yet unspectacular three round unanimous decision over KJ Noons.Scores were 29-28 across the board for Thomson, who was sidelined by injury for the last 15 months.A front kick to the face from Thomson (19-4, 1 NC) got Noons’ attention as soon as the bout started, and “The Punk” showed little sign of cage rust as he stayed busy and potshotted his opponent. Thomson had to fight for a takedown two minutes in, but he eventually got it, adding to his scoring tally.  The action stalled on the mat, but Thomson remained in control, as Noons couldn’t find a way to get back to his feet.Noons (10-4) showed more urgency in his attack to start the second, and while a Thomson slip gave him a good opportunity to capitalize on, Thomson got out of trouble with little difficulty, with a takedown following seconds later. Noons still had no answers for Thomson’s control on the ground, and you could see the frustration on his face. On the other side, Thomson was working just enough to keep the bout from getting stood up, but with two minutes left, referee Keith Peterson did restart the bout. Noons, now bleeding from over the left eye, tried to force the action, scoring with some uppercuts, but Thomson put him on the seat of his pants for the rest of the frame.Looking to turn things around, Noons’ aggression led him into another takedown by Thomson, and this time, he almost got finished by an arm triangle choke. Noons rode out the submission attempt, but Thomson took his back and then got on top, where he drilled his foe with hammerfists that put more points in the bank and ultimately, more than he needed for the victory.MISAKI vs. DALEYPRIDE 2006 Welterweight Grand Prix champion Kazuo Misaki returned to the Strikeforce cage for the first time since 2009 and he picked up where he left off after his win over Joe Riggs more than two years ago, taking a split decision victory over British bomber Paul “Semtex” Daley.Scores were 30-27, 29-28, and 28-29 for Misaki, who improves to 25-11-2 with 1 NC; Daley falls to 29-12-2.There was little significant scoring in the opening two minutes as both fighters tried to find their range, and it was Misaki drawing first blood with a quick takedown to open the third minute. Daley got up fairly quickly, but Misaki’s confidence was growing as he fired off hard and fast shots at Daley, even jarring him briefly as the round progressed. In response, Daley actually shot for a takedown with 40 seconds left and got it, finally getting on the scoreboard.Misaki’s speed and willingness to trade kept paying off in the second, leaving Daley off-balance and throwing haymakers to try to keep the Japanese veteran at bay. Daley did score another takedown, but his ground strikes were sporadic and doing little damage. In the late stages of the round, Daley took Misaki’s back briefly, but Misaki reversed position and stood in Daley’s guard until referee Jerry Krzys re-started the action in the closing seconds.Daley’s third takedown of the fight in the third round provided his greatest chance for victory, as he was able to open a nasty cut over Misaki’s left eye while the two were on the mat. A check with the cageside physician kept Misaki in the fight, and “The Hitman” marched forward, taking a hard kick to the face but refusing to move back off as he stalked. A tired Daley got another brief takedown, but he couldn’t do anything with it as Misaki got to his feet and kept the pressure on until the final bell.SAYERS vs. SMITHMiddleweight up and comer Lumumba Sayers handed veteran Scott Smith his fourth consecutive loss, submitting “Hands of Steel” just 94 seconds into their bout.Sayers (6-2) opened up his scoring with a couple strikes before taking Smith to the mat. Sayers let Smith get up, only to slam him back to the canvas. Smith (18-10, 1 NC) looked for a choke as he went down, but it was Sayers who fought loose and sunk in his own guillotine choke, prompting an end to the bout via tap out at the 1:34 mark.SOUZA vs. MARUNDEFormer Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza got back in the win column in his first bout since losing his belt to Luke Rockhold last September, submitting Bristol Marunde in the third round of the main card.Souza took his time to start off the bout, working his standup before taking Marunde down to the mat a little more than two minutes gone. While on Marunde’s back, Souza fired off strikes, but shots to the back of the head prompted referee Keith Peterson to call a stop to the action to issue a warning. Having lost the dominant position, Souza wasn’t rattled, especially not after a right hand dropped Marunde with 1:40 left. Souza looked for the submission finish, but the Las Vegan was able to make it out of the round.“Jacare” mixed up his striking to open up the second, and he was successful, hurting his foe and taking him down the canvas. Marunde shot back up quickly, but he was unable to get any sort of offense going against the Brazilian, who easily put another round in the bank.After getting two rounds of work in, Souza closed the show in the third, taking Marunde down and eventually sinking in the arm triangle choke that made his foe tap out at 2:43 of the third round.With the win, Souza ups his record to 15-3, 1 NC; Marunde falls to 12-7.

Posted in: bout, round, daley, rousey, thomson

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UFC on FX 2 saw an unbelievable ending to the main event as Thiago Alves gave up what seemed to be a sure fire decision win when he went for a takedown and was caught in a guillotine choke. Martin Kampmann's comeback win put him "in the mix" for a UFC welterweight title shot sometime in the near future while it serves as a major setback for Alves. Here are the highlights of the action: Here's how our live blog detailed the action in the last round: Round 3 - Hard leg kick by Alves lands. Kampmann comes forward with some punches and now looks for the takedown. Kampmann still getting picked apart here by Alves. Nice right hand late int he round by Alves. Alves looks for the takedown for...some reason and Kampmann takes the guillotine and finishes Alves with the choke in the last minute of the fight! Oh my! That was out of nowhere. Just a miserably poor decision by Alves to go for the takedown there. Martin Kampmann wins by submission (guillotine choke), 4:12 of round 3. SBN coverage of UFC on FX 2

Posted in: ufc, takedown, round, alve, kampmann

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Combined the four men -- Ian McCall, Demetrious Johnson, Joseph Benavidez, Yasuhiro Urushitani -- involved in the flyweight tournament to determine the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) first 125-pound kingpin weigh less than the two behemoths who main evented UFC 141 three months ago, Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem. In fact, the heavyweights have nearly 30 pounds on the collective flyweights. But, talent isn't measured in pounds. And the point was never more evident than tonight (Mar. 2, 2012) at the Allphones Arena. After World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) folded and its feather- and bantam-weight divisions were moved into the Octagon, the 125-pounders were the last frontier for the UFC. Sure, the super heavyweight division isn't represented in the company, but the talent pool is so shallow it should be considered more of a talent puddle. Flyweights, on the other hand, have been steadily growing in numbers both across the Pacific in Japan and stateside. At UFC on FX 2 in Sydney, the aforementioned quartet introduced UFC fans to their division, giving them their first glimpse at the speed and technique flyweights have to offer. The appetizer was wolfed down. We're ready for the main course. The first semifinal bout, between Johnson and McCall, was a thing of beauty. "Uncle Creepy" entered the UFC with a mountain of hype preceding him. Stepping inside the Octagon as the world's number one flyweight after clearing out the ranks in Tachi Palace Fights (TPF), McCall was a no-brainer signing for the world's premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. His unique personality and even more unique facial hair have made him an easy fan favorite but he had a stiff test in front of him in the form of "Mighty Mouse." Johnson made the drop from bantamweight after a losing effort to Dominick Cruz and was eager to square off against fighters more his size. He is, after all, only 5'3." Their fight was a back and forth battle with a couple of rounds nearly too close to call. McCall pulled away in the third round and dominated his opponent on the mat, taking his back at one point and throwing hammerfists like a madman. Johnson, for his part, staggered McCall in the opening round while also mixing his striking and takedowns seamlessly to keep the former TPF champion on his toes during the first 10 minutes. After three hard-fought rounds, their fate was left up to the judges. In a decision immediately debated on the blogosphere and Twitter, Johnson earned the majority decision and a ticket to the flyweight championship bout. Despite losing, something tells me McCall will end up fighting for the title sooner rather than later. He's a star in the making and the UFC knows it. The second bout saw WEC stalwart Benavidez take on Octagon debutee Urushitani. The opening round belonged solely to the Team Alpha Male product and the former bantamweight title contender nearly finished off his opponent in the closing seconds with a rear naked choke. When the second round opened up, a high kick from the Japanese fighter was countered with a huge right that dropped Urushitani like a ton of bricks. The counter punch helps dispel the age-old belief that power shrinks as weight goes down. Even at the smaller 125 pounds, Benavidez had no problem dropping his opponent to earn his fourth straight win. Some ground and pound later and we have our title bout set. The two former WEC standouts will face off to determine the promotion's first 125-pound at some point in 2012. Based on the performances they put on in Australia, the pace they set and the fireworks provided, the UFC would be remiss not to have the bout on a future Fox card to give the fledgling division the most exposure possible. Fans need only to see flyweights in action to become instant proponents of the new weight division. After the 20 minutes and 11 seconds of flyweight action this evening, it should be no surprise fans want more. Plans for the division were announced over a year ago and it seemed at every other post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White would echo the same response when asked when the 125-pounders would step inside the Octagon. Soon, he would say. Well, soon is now. And it couldn't have been more of a success. Welcome to the UFC, flyweights. We can't make to get better acquainted.

Posted in: ufc, round, division, flyweight, mccall

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UFC on FX 2 took place tonight from Sydney, Australia at Allphones Arena. Along with the debut of the flyweight division, the Australian crowd was witness to an amazing comeback victory in the main event between Thiago Alves and Martin Kampmann. The flyweight tournament began with two matchups- Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall and Joseph Benavidez vs. Yasuhiro Urushitana. The tournament did not begin without controversy, as Johnson took home a majority decision win. Benavidez was much more decisive as he knocked out Urushitani. Opening the main card was a middleweight matchup between The Ultimate Fighter season 11 winner Court McGee and Costa Philippou. Be sure to check out our full UFC on FX 2 coverage including play-by-play, live results, and the event’s bonuses. Astonishing finish by Kampmann steals victory from Thiago Alves Thiago Alves controlled the fight for nearly all 14 minutes. Unfortunately for “The Pitbull”, fights are 15 minutes, and that still left some time for Kampmann. Alves was able to methodically strike against the Dane, as Kampmann showed a few holes in his striking defense. Kampmann seemed to want to bring the fight to the ground, repeatedly going for takedowns, but being denied every time. Alves rocked Kampmann a few times with counter strikes, but Kampmann never wavered. In the final round, Alves was still controlling the action. He stifled Kampmann, causing him to retreat. When Alves had him against the cage, for some reason, Alves went for a takedown. Alves was…successful with the takedown. But Kampmann was able to get his left arm under Alves’ neck as he was dropped to the ground. He then reversed Alves on top, gaining mount while keeping his choke in hold. Alves tapped, awarding Kampmann the big comeback victory. Controversy mars UFC flyweight debut, as Johnson wins close decision over McCall The flyweight division officially made its debut with this matchup between “Uncle Creepy” and “Mighty Mouse”. The fight started quickly, as expected. McCall was able to get Johnson down a couple of times, but was not able to hold Johnson down. Johnson landed a counter right that seemed to stun McCall for a bit. In the second round, the active pace continued. The round felt like it lasted for fifteen minutes with all of the action going on. Johnson was kicked right in the mouse trap by McCall, causing a brief break. The third round led to the most decisive round, with McCall dominating on the ground over the last three minutes. By the end, McCall was yelling while continually punching the turtled Johnson. But it was all for not for McCall, as Johnson took the split decision, much to the crowd’s chagrin. Benavidez welcomes Urushitani to the UFC, Urushitani wishes he declined the invitation This decision was much more evident this time around, as Benavidez was able to display his strength advantage throughout the 5:11 they fought. In the first round, Benavidez was able to muscle Urushitani to the ground, and nearly pulled off a guillotine in mount. He then took his back and had a neck crank in position as the bell rang to end the first round. Urushitani came out at the beginning of the second and sent a kick that Benavidez could see from a mile away. He countered with a strong right hook, and the ref was pulling him off of Urushitani not long after that. Benavidez will now take on Johnson to determine the first ever UFC flyweight champion. Costa Philippou keeps fight on the feet, crushing The Crusher’s hopes Philippou came out looking to dance, as he strayed away from McGee throughout the first 30 seconds. He connected with a knee and then an uppercut a few seconds later. The crowd doesn’t enjoy the action of the next few minutes; as the first boos make their appearance. Philippou started to find his range as he begun to catch McGee’s kicks and connects with counter punches. McGee closes the first round out strong with a great combination of punches. Philippou was much more active and much more accurate in the second round, as he connected on McGee throughout the round. That continued through the third round. Even though McGee had an array of head strikes via head kicks and spinning elbows, it was not enough for McGee. MAIN CARD (FX) Martin Kampmann def. Thiago Alves via submission  (guillotine choke) at 4:12 of Round 3 Joseph Benavidez def. Yasuhiro Urushitani via TKO (strikes) at 0:11 of Round 2 Demetrious Johnson def. Ian McCall via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-29) Costa Philippou def. Court McGee via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) PRELIMINARY CARD (Fuel TV) James Te Huna def. Aaron Rosa via TKO (strikes) at 2:08 of Round 1 Anthony Perosh def. Nick Penner via TKO (strikes) at 4:59 of Round 1 Steven Siler def. Cole Miller via unanimous decision (29-28,29-28,29-28) Andrew Craig def. Kyle Noke via unanimous decision (29-28,29-28,29-28) T.J. Waldburger def. Jake Hecht via submission (armbar) at :55 of Round 1 Daniel Pineda def. Mackens Semerzier via Submission (triangle armbar) at 2:05 of Round 1 Preliminary Card (Facebook) Shawn Jordan def. Oli Thompson via TKO (strikes) at 1:07 of Round 2

Posted in: round, johnson, benavidez, alve, kampmann

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UFC on FX 2 took place tonight from Sydney, Australia at Allphones Arena. Along with the debut of the flyweight division, the Australian crowd was witness to an amazing comeback victory in the main event between Thiago Alves and Martin Kampmann. The flyweight tournament began with two matchups- Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall and Joseph Benavidez vs. Yasuhiro Urushitana. The tournament did not begin without controversy, as Johnson took home a majority decision win. Benavidez was much more decisive as he knocked out Urushitani. Opening the main card was a middleweight matchup between The Ultimate Fighter season 11 winner Court McGee and Costa Philippou. Be sure to check out our full UFC on FX 2 coverage including play-by-play, live results, and the event’s bonuses. Astonishing finish by Kampmann steals victory from Thiago Alves Thiago Alves controlled the fight for nearly all 14 minutes. Unfortunately for “The Pitbull”, fights are 15 minutes, and that still left some time for Kampmann. Alves was able to methodically strike against the Dane, as Kampmann showed a few holes in his striking defense. Kampmann seemed to want to bring the fight to the ground, repeatedly going for takedowns, but being denied every time. Alves rocked Kampmann a few times with counter strikes, but Kampmann never wavered. In the final round, Alves was still controlling the action. He stifled Kampmann, causing him to retreat. When Alves had him against the cage, for some reason, Alves went for a takedown. Alves was…successful with the takedown. But Kampmann was able to get his left arm under Alves’ neck as he was dropped to the ground. He then reversed Alves on top, gaining mount while keeping his choke in hold. Alves tapped, awarding Kampmann the big comeback victory. Controversy mars UFC flyweight debut, as Johnson wins close decision over McCall, then doesn’t The flyweight division officially made its debut with this matchup between “Uncle Creepy” and “Mighty Mouse”. The fight started quickly, as expected. McCall was able to get Johnson down a couple of times, but was not able to hold Johnson down. Johnson landed a counter right that seemed to stun McCall for a bit. In the second round, the active pace continued. The round felt like it lasted for fifteen minutes with all of the action going on. Johnson was kicked right in the mouse trap by McCall, causing a brief break. The third round led to the most decisive round, with McCall dominating on the ground over the last three minutes. By the end, McCall was yelling while continually punching the turtled Johnson. But it was all for not for McCall, as Johnson took the majority decision, much to the crowd’s chagrin. But then it was all for not for Johnson, as Dana White announced at the post-fight press conference that the fight should have been scored a draw, as one judge scored the third round 10-8 for McCall. Johnson and McCall will rematch, with the the second matchup likely taking place in April. Benavidez welcomes Urushitani to the UFC, Urushitani wishes he declined the invitation This decision was much more evident this time around, as Benavidez was able to display his strength advantage throughout the 5:11 they fought. In the first round, Benavidez was able to muscle Urushitani to the ground, and nearly pulled off a guillotine in mount. He then took his back and had a neck crank in position as the bell rang to end the first round. Urushitani came out at the beginning of the second and sent a kick that Benavidez could see from a mile away. He countered with a strong right hook, and the ref was pulling him off of Urushitani not long after that. Benavidez will now sit back and watch the second McCall/Johnson matchup to see who he faces in the finals to determine the first ever UFC flyweight champion. Costa Philippou keeps fight on the feet, crushing The Crusher’s hopes Philippou came out looking to dance, as he strayed away from McGee throughout the first 30 seconds. He connected with a knee and then an uppercut a few seconds later. The crowd doesn’t enjoy the action of the next few minutes; as the first boos make their appearance. Philippou started to find his range as he begun to catch McGee’s kicks and connects with counter punches. McGee closes the first round out strong with a great combination of punches. Philippou was much more active and much more accurate in the second round, as he connected on McGee throughout the round. That continued through the third round. Even though McGee had an array of head strikes via head kicks and spinning elbows, it was not enough for McGee. MAIN CARD (FX) Martin Kampmann def. Thiago Alves via submission  (guillotine choke) at 4:12 of Round 3 Joseph Benavidez def. Yasuhiro Urushitani via TKO (strikes) at 0:11 of Round 2 Demetrious Johnson def. Ian McCall via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-29) Costa Philippou def. Court McGee via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) PRELIMINARY CARD (Fuel TV) James Te Huna def. Aaron Rosa via TKO (strikes) at 2:08 of Round 1 Anthony Perosh def. Nick Penner via TKO (strikes) at 4:59 of Round 1 Steven Siler def. Cole Miller via unanimous decision (29-28,29-28,29-28) Andrew Craig def. Kyle Noke via unanimous decision (29-28,29-28,29-28) T.J. Waldburger def. Jake Hecht via submission (armbar) at :55 of Round 1 Daniel Pineda def. Mackens Semerzier via Submission (triangle armbar) at 2:05 of Round 1 Preliminary Card (Facebook) Shawn Jordan def. Oli Thompson via TKO (strikes) at 1:07 of Round 2

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The beautiful thing about the fight game is how costly a single mistake can be. Thiago Alves was clearly on his way to winning a decision with roughly a minute left in high fight with Martin Kampmann at UFC on FX 2 before he decided to go for a takedown when it appeared Kampmann was hurt. Kampmann was able to lock up a guillotine and tighten it up and leave Alves with no choice but to tap out. For Alves, this has to be an incredibly frustrating moment in his career. Much of the talk heading into the fight revolved around Alves no longer looking to be the guy who had long been considered a top three fighter at 170 pounds. Having lost three of his last five, it was a clear moment in his career where he needed to pick up a victory and he was certainly on his way to doing so. The old Alves leg kick was back and Kampmann's tendency to wilt against men who do the simplest of things one can do in a fight (read: walk forward and throw punches at his head) were moving Alves toward a no-brainer decision victory. Now, Alves has to think about how costly his one decision will be for his career. Kampmann didn't look great by any means, but he did hurt Alves badly in the first round and have his moments. He still has huge liabilities in his defense that are always going to plague him against anyone willing to come forward and punch, but he finds ways to win and is versatile enough to never be out of a fight. For Alves, losses to Georges St. Pierre, Jon Fitch, Rick Story and Martin Kampmann aren't exactly shameful. But his time as a title contending welterweight may well be over. I don't want to sound like I'm being too negative, but Joseph Benavidez taking on Yasuhiro Urushitani always felt like a waste of everyone's time. Urushitani had nothing for Benavidez on paper and that carried forward into the fight itself. I really feel that Ian McCall did enough to win his fight with Demetrious Johnson, and if not win it, to at least have gotten a "sudden victory" round. McCall's dominance in the third round was clear enough in my eyes to have gotten him a 10-8 round. He had dominant position twice in the round, both times opening up with flurries of punches that were landing while Johnson did nothing but cover up. You shouldn't have to dominate all five minutes to get a 10-8 round, McCall really deserved to at least have a fourth round in that fight. Much more after the jump... SBN coverage of UFC on FX 2 Demetrious Johnson is a hell of a good fighter and a lot of fun to watch. Fighting Joseph Benavidez at 125 pounds will be a great fight to watch so I'm resigning myself to simply being happy with what we're getting and hoping McCall gets a shot at the title in the near future. James Te Huna isn't ever going to compete for a title in the UFC, but he's a brutal puncher. Aaron Rosa was just the latest in a long line of opponents who were clearly shell shocked once they felt the force of his punches. People forget but Te Huna did trouble Alexander Gustafsson in their fight before Gustafsson was able to get the upper hand and finish the fight. He's going to be a tough out for anyone at 205. Anthony Perosh joins Mark Hunt in the "really? three straight wins in the UFC? This is really 2012?" category. Perosh also picked up his third straight stoppage win and now he basically has to be put into a meaningful fight. Steven Siler looked much better than I expected. He was able to apply enough pressure to keep Cole Miller from ever getting comfortable and his combinations were sharp enough to offset any moments where Miller was able to pot-shot with single punches. Oli Thompson and Shawn Jordan put on one of the more entertaining heavyweight fights in recent memory. The two men really went all-out and Jordan's win was impressive enough to remind why he was seen as an interesting heavyweight prospect prior to coming to Strikeforce and losing to Devin Cole.

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Martin Kampmann defeats Thiago Alves by submission (guillotine choke). The stoppage came at 4:12 in the third round. The two welterweights traded punches early in the first round. Alves landed several leg kicks before Kampmann clinches up and punches and knees. Kampmann eventually took Alves down momentarily but Alves popped right back up. Kampmann threw a high kick that landed clean to the jaw and stunned Alves. Unfortunately, Kampmann was unable to take advantage of Alves being hurt and Thiago recovered. Kampmann attempted another takedown from a body lock but Alves reversed position and took Kampmann to the mat. Alves transitioned from half guard to side control and finally to mount before throwing short punches to the head. Kampmann attempted to buck Alves off but Thiago stayed heavy. The round ended with Kampmann regaining his feet. Thiago Alves opened the second round with uppercuts inside. Kampmann came forward with punches but left himself open for a jab-cross combination. Kampmann left himself open to Alves' punches as he gave up on counter-striking. Martin Kampmann attempted to shoot a double but Thiago defended well and responded with punches. Thiago landed his leg kicks and followed up with a huge right hand. Kampmann's nose was busted up by Thiago's boxing. Kampmann with a flurry and closed with a knee. The round ended with Thiago Alves as the aggressor. Martin Kampmann was tentative as the final round opened up allowing Alves to land a leg kick and combination. Alves tried to shoot a takedown but Kampmann defended well with heavy hips. Kampmann pressured in the clinch with knees but opened himself up for punches. Alves with a cutting leg kick and another as the fight entered the third minute of the round. Kampmann pushed forward but left himself open for Alves to land a straight right. With a minute left in the fight, Thiago Alves landed a huge right hand and followed up with a takedown attempt. Alves left his neck open and Martin Kampmann sunk in a guillotine choke. Alves was forced to tap. Martin Kampmann entered the fight 9-4 in the UFC. He is now 9-5 in the promotion and 19-5 overall. Thiago Alves entered the fight 11-5 in the UFC. His MMA record is now 19-9 and 11-6 in the promotion. SBN coverage of UFC on FX 2

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This is the UFC on FX 2 live blog for Thiago Alves vs. Martin Kampmann, a welterweight bout on tonight's UFC event from the Allphones Arena in Sydney Australia. Alves (19-8) won his last fight by submitting Papy Abedi with a rear-naked choke at UFC 138. Kampmann (18-5) won a decision in his last fight against Rick Story at UFC 139. Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC on FX 2 Results | Latest UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

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Joseph Benavidez defeats Yasuhiro Urushitani by TKO. The stoppage came at :11 in the second round. Joseph Benavidez started round one slow trying to find his range against Urushitani. He was unable to complete his first takedown attempt but followup chaining attempts together and finally hit the single leg to drag Urushitani to the ground. He transitioned on the ground from guard to side control and finally to mount. Urushitani gave up his back and Benavidez worked to finish the fight with a rear naked choke. Urushitani was able to survive the round but it was clearly Joe's round. Joseph Benavidez opened the second round with a massive counter right hook that dropped Urushitani. Joseph followed him to the mat and threw punches until the referee stopped the fight. The stoppage could have come a bit sooner as Urushitani was covering up and taking unnecessary damage. Joseph Benavidez was considered the favorite of the UFC's Flyweight tournament after success in the Bantamweight division. He is 3-0 in the UFC and 16-2 overall. Yasuhiro Urushitani entered the fight 19-4-6 in his career and is now 0-1 in the UFC. SBN coverage of UFC on FX 2

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Joseph Benavidez is one step closer to establishing himself as the best flyweight in the world after beating Yasuhiro Urushitani by second-round TKO on Friday night's UFC on FX 2 card. Benavidez was long one of the best bantamweights in the world even though he was small for that weight class, and now that the UFC has instituted a flyweight class, Benavidez appears poised to reign over it. He dominated Urushitani and will now prepare for a title fight with Demetrious Johnson. In the first round Urushitani made Benavidez work for it, but Benavidez eventually took Urushitani down and got on top of him on the ground, and with about 40 seconds to go in the first round Benavidez transitioned into full mount and then took Urushitani's back. There wasn't enough time for Benavidez to finish the fight, but he clearly won the first round. And then he ended the fight at the start of the second round: When Urushitani threw a kick, Benavidez countered it with a right hand to the chin that knocked Urushitani down, and then Benavidez pounced, punched him several times on the ground and forced the referee to step in to stop the fight. Up next is a sure-to-be exciting title fight between Benavidez and Johnson, one of whom will earn the UFC flyweight belt.

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This is the UFC on FX 2 live blog for Joseph Benavidez vs. Yasuhiro Urushitani, a flyweight bout on tonight's UFC event from the Allphones Arena in Sydney Australia. Benavidez (15-2), who defeated Ian Loveland and Eddie Wineland in UFC fights last year, makes the drop down to flyweight in this semifinal bout. Urushitani (19-4-6) is coming off a successful Shooto 123-lb. title defense in July 2011 against Yuki Shoujou. Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC on FX 2 Results | Latest UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

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The first ever flyweight fight in Octagon history took place at tonight's (Fri., March 2, 2012) UFC on FX : "Alves vs. Kampmann" event in Sydney, Australia, as Demetrious Johnson made the drop from bantamweight to 125-pounds to take part in the four-man tournament opposite freshly signed division deity Ian McCall. For those unfamiliar with the little guys, McCall was widely regarded as the very best in the weight class coming into tonight's event, despite his never having competed in the world's largest fight promotion. Johnson, of course, contested for the 135-pound title just last year. In short, these dudes can fight and they were supposed to bring it tonight. Did they ever. Both guys came with that hot fire, as expected. But after three rounds and 15 minutes of intense action, it was difficult to tell exactly who the winner was. With the sudden victory round available if necessary, it would seem the judges had more leeway with their scores. Turns out, it was unnecessary. That's because two of them agreed that Johnson won the first two rounds and he was awarded the split decision victory to advance to the flyweight tournament final and a chance at the 125-pound title. The good -- and sometimes bad -- thing about these smaller guys is their speed is so overwhelming, sometimes you can barely keep up with the action. Such was the case in the opening minutes of this one, as Johnson showcased his quickness, bouncing in and out while landing a few hard shots. McCall battled back with takedowns, earning a few throughout the round, but Johnson negated them by popping back up to his feet. He also landed the hardest punch, staggering "Uncle Creepy" with a big right hand. It was close, though. The round, I mean. The second was mostly the same, save for the takedowns from McCall. He was scoring at various points, hitting hard with punches that opened Johnson up. Two rounds in, though, and it was so very close. McCall picked it up in round three, working hard to achieve back mount and raining down shots on a helpless Johnson, who was flattened out and fighting for dear life. He managed to get back to his feet but it was only a matter of time before McCall had him back on the floor, once again unloading with big punches. It looked as though McCall may have done enough for a 10-8 but the judges didn't agree and Johnson was given the nod in an extremely close but highly entertaining bout. More of that, please. Remember, too, to check out MMAmania.com's ongoing live coverage of the UFC on FX 2 main card by clicking here.

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In the first flyweight fight in UFC history, Demetrious Johnson won a controversial, close split decision over Ian McCall, leaving the fans at UFC on FX 2 booing what they thought was a robbery. Two judges scored it 29-28 for Johnson, while one scored it 29-28 for McCall. It's disappointing that the questionable decision may overshadow the fact that the 125-pounders put on a very good show and demonstrated why so many of us have wanted the UFC to launch a flyweight class for so long: This is a weight class with some tremendous athletes. "I have to give it up to Ian McCall," Johnson said. "I felt I won the first two rounds. In the last round he put it on me." More Coverage: UFC on FX 2 Results | Johnson vs. McCall Live Blog Johnson was moving in and out and doing a nice job in the striking exchanges in the early going, but McCall surprised Johnson by taking him down and getting on top of him on the ground. Johnson got back to his feet without any trouble, however, and landed more punches. They then repeated it with McCall getting another takedown and Johnson again getting back to his feet. Late in the first round Johnson landed some big punches, and he may have done enough to win a very entertaining first round. Early in the second round there was an exchange of punches, with McCall landing harder and forcing Johnson to back away. Almost the entire round was fought standing up, and Johnson landed more strikes -- including some impressive leg kicks -- but McCall's punches appeared to have more power on them, and that may have been enough for him to win the round. Two judges, however, apparently gave both the first and the second to Johnson. An odd exchange took place at the start of the third round, as McCall appeared to feel as though he had been hit by a low blow and paused as if the referee would step in -- but Johnson didn't stop, and the referee didn't make them stop. However, McCall recovered nicely and controlled most of the rest of the third round: McCall took Johnson down, mounted him and dominated with ground and pound at the close of the third round. The third round was dominant for McCall, but all three judges scored it 10-9, and no judges gave McCall a 10-8 round. And that makes Johnson the winner. Now Johnson will watch to see who wins between Joseph Benavidez and Yasuhiro Urushitani, with the winner of that bout facing Johnson for the inaugural UFC flyweight title.

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Constantinos Philippou defeats Court McGee by Unanimous Decision. The three scorecards were 29-28, 29-28, and 29-28. Court McGee landed an overhand right hand to open the fight as Costa Philippou circled away. Philippou responded with his own combination that had Court McGee shoot for a low takedown. McGee's body kick was countered by a right hand. Philippou landed an uppercut that found McGee's chin. Big left hook from Philippou stunned McGee. A right hand backed McGee up. Philippou did well with establishing his range in the first round that kept McGee on the defensive. The round ended with a left hook from Court that stunned Costa. A left hook from Philippou backed McGee up at the start of the second round. Costa landed a clubbing right hand and followed it up with a stiff jab. McGee continued to stalk but was a step to slow. McGee clinched up but was unable to complete an outside leg trip. Philippou attacked with crisp boxing. McGee attempted another takedown but was stopped by a Philippou uppercut. Three punch combination landed for Philippou off of McGee's single leg attempt. Philippou landed a clean uppercut as McGee dropped for a takedown. The round ended with Philippou landing punches. Court McGee aggressive at the opening of the third. McGee desperate for the takedown and he's gotten battered with uppercuts because of poor technique. An accidental shot to the groin caused a break in the action. Replays showed that it was was from a kick. Court McGee successful on the high crotch single lift but couldn't keep Philippou on the ground. Philippou completed a knee tap but didn't follow court to the ground. A flying knee from Court landed as did the switch kick to the head. A strong outside leg kick from Court was countered by a massive right hand. Court continued to look for the single leg and was denied on every attempt. Court threw kicks towards the end of the round and the two threw punches from the clinch as the horn sounded. Court McGee entered the fight 3-0 in the UFC and 12-1 in his career. He is the Ultimate Fighter season 11 winner. This was his first defeat in the octagon. Constantinos Philippou came in 2-1 in the UFC and 9-2 (1) in MMA. He is now on a three fight winning streak in the promotion. SBN coverage of UFC on FX 2

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Court McGee has suffered his first loss since being crowned the winner of The Ultimate Fighter two years ago. Constantinos Philippou defeated McGee by unanimous decision on the first fight on the main card of Friday night's UFC on FX 2 event in Australia. It was a solid victory for Philippou and an uninspiring performance by McGee, who just didn't look like he had much to offer. All three judges scored the fight 29-28 for Philippou, and I scored it the same way. Philippou landed a couple of big punches in the early going and generally got the better of the punching exchanges for most of the first round. McGee did wobble Philippou with a couple of hard punches late in the first round, but Philippou had done enough before that to win the first, 10-9. It was more of the same for Philippou in the second round, landing more effective punches than McGee and generally out-striking him however he wanted. McGee's corner told him after the second that he would have to finish the fight in the third. Knowing he needed a stoppage, McGee got more aggressive in the third round, with takedown attempts and flying knees, but Philippou was ready for everything and able to stop McGee's attacks. The third round was McGee's best of the fight, but it wasn't enough to win the fight. Philippou improves to 10-2 with the win, while McGee drops to 14-2 with the loss.

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MMAFrenzy is doing live play-by-play for tonight’s UFC on FX 2 main card. Be sure to tune in at 9pm as we bring full coverage of tonight’s card. MAIN CARD (FX) 9 PM EST Martin Kampmann vs. Thiago Alves Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall Joseph Benavidez vs. Yasuhiro Urushitani Court McGee vs. Costa Philippou Round 1 -   MAIN CARD (FX) 9 PM EST Martin Kampmann vs. Thiago Alves Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall Joseph Benavidez vs. Yasuhiro Urushitani Court McGee vs. Costa Philippou PRELIMINARY CARD (Fuel TV) 6 PM EST James Te Huna def. Aaron Rosa via TKO (strikes) at 2:08 of Round 1 Anthony Perosh def. Nick Penner via TKO (strikes) at 4:59 of Round 1 Steven Siler def. Cole Miller via unanimous decision (29-28,29-28,29-28) Andrew Craig def. Kyle Noke via unanimous decision (29-28,29-28,29-28) T.J. Waldburger def. Jake Hecht via submission (armbar) at :55 of Round 1 Daniel Pineda def. Mackens Semerzier via Submission (triangle armbar) at 2:05 of Round 1 Preliminary Card (Facebook) 530 PM EST Shawn Jordan def. Oli Thompson via TKO (strikes) at 1:07 of Round 2

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FUEL TV was home to tonight's (Mar 2. 2012) UFC on FX 2 preliminary card action from the Allphones Arena in the "Land Down Under," Sydney, Australia. In an action filled undercard, fans who tuned in to catch the early action were not disappointed. Opening up the under card action was heavyweight newcomers Oli Thompson and Shawn Jordan, who provided fans with an all-out striking brawl, while the preliminary card was capped by 205-pound clash between Jame Te Huna and Aaron Rosa. In between, there was plenty of action from lighting fast featherweight Daniel Pineda, who displayed his impressive submission skills against Mackens Semerzier, and T.J. Waldburger wasn't too far behind with his show of jiu-jitsu skills, as he ended Jake Hecht's night early. From submissions to knockouts, FUEL TV was filled with exciting action to gear you up for the main card later on tonight on FX which features an exiting welterweight main event tilt between Thiago Alves and Martin Kampmann. Make the jump for a full recap of tonight's preliminary action of UFC on FX 2: 'Alves vs. Kampmann': Making their Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debuts, Oli Thompson and Shawn Jordan kicked off the preliminary action on the Facebook portion of the event, and the big boys came out swinging. The two exchanged blows early and often, but it was Jordan that was getting the better of the exchanges as he dropped Thompson early in the first round with a nice punch/knee combination that had Oli tasting canvas and seeing stars out of his badly swollen eye. After an exciting first round, the two heavyweights picked up where they left off, swinging heavy leather, but at a much slower pace. Taking advantage of his deeper gas tank, Jordan connected some well placed uppercuts and a perfectly timed knee to Thompson's chin that dropped him yet again. This time, Jordan went in and got the finish, delivering some unanswered strikes that forced the referee to stop the action. Great Octagon debut for "The Savage!" A couple of featherweights took center stage next as Daniel Pineda looked to keep his winning streak alive and extend it to seven as he took on "The Menace" Mackens Semerzier. Mission accomplished. After exchanging a few kicks and punches early on, "The Pit" got the better of the exchanges on the feet and dropped Semerzier. He quickly displayed his impressive jiu-jitsu skills, too, as he trapped Mackens in a very deep and tight triangle choke that had him gasping for air. He was eventually forced to tap after Pineda transitioned smoothly into an armbar. Pineda remains undefeated inside the Octagon. Mackens, on the other hand, has now dropped four of his last six bouts. Both welterweights Jake Hecht and T.J Waldburger entered their fight tonight coming off impressive victories in their last outings and looked to keep their momentum rolling. If you blinked, you may have missed the action as this one was over fast, folks. After a brief exchange on the feet, Waldburger landed a takedown on Hecht and quickly snatched his right arm in an armbar that forced the tap in the opening minute of the fight. Great performance by Waldburger who made it two consecutive submission wins and put a halt to the "Hitman's" five-fight win streak. Andrew Craig entered his UFC debut undefeated (6-0) as he took on the four time UFC vet Kyle Noke in a middleweight clash. And fortunately for the American, he will go home that way as he bested the hometown Aussie after three rounds of action. Craig displayed great composure for a newcomer, peppering Noke often on the feet and displaying some nice ground-and-pound. After attempts to keep the fight on the ground, Noke simply didn't have an answer for Craig once the bout was back on the feet. Showing aggressiveness and confidence, Andrew controlled the majority of the fight and all three judges saw it the same to award him the unanimous decision victory. Craig looked impressive in his debut while Noke has now dropped two in a row. After a heated exchanged at the weigh-ins, Cole Miller and Steven Siler couldn't wait to step inside the cage and have the doors locked behind them. In a mostly stand up affair, the two Featherweights battled for 15 minutes in a back and forth affair that saw Siler be the aggressor. Unsurprisingly, the ground specialist Miller decided to cooperate and play the stand battle with Siler in what turned out to be a bad decision by "Magrinho" as Siler clearly got the better of the striking department. In the closing moments, Miller was able to get the fight to the ground, but did not have enough time to work and Siler walked away with a unanimous decision victory sending the American Top Team (ATT) trained fighter back to the drawing board. Anthony Perosh looked to please the hometown crowd as he took on promotion newcomer Nick Penner in a heavyweight bout. "The Hippo" looked for the takedown early and scored a couple after damaging Penner's right eye. After his second successful takedown, Perosh unleashed flurry of punches that forced the official to step in and save Penner with only one second remaining in the opening round. The "Aussie" crowd loves it and Perosh ups his streak to three consecutive wins. The final fight of the under card featured yet another Australian as James Te Huna took on Aaron Rosa in a Light Heavyweight scrap. Te Huna simply was too much for Rosa as he wailed away, connecting time after time on Rosa with hard punches, leaving him a bloody mess. With simply no answer from Rosa, referee Leon Roberts had seen enough and put a halt to the bout at just over two minutes of the opening round. James looked vicious and mean! That's it for the action packed preliminary action, here are the complete UFC on FX 2: "Alves vs. Kampmann" under card results: 205 lbs.: James Te Huna def. Aaron Rosa via TKO at 2:02 of round 1205 lbs.: Anthony Perosh def. Nick Penner via TKO at 4:59 of round 1145 lbs.: Steven Siler def. Cole Miller via unanimous decision185 lbs.: Andrew Craig def. Kyle Noke via unanimous decision170 lbs.: T.J. Waldburger def. Jake Hecht via submission (armbar) at 0:55 of round 1145 lbs.: Daniel Pineda def. Mackens Semerzier via submisison (triangle armbar) at 2:05 of round 1265 lbs.: Shawn Jordan def. Oli Thompson via TKO at 3:53 of round 2 Make sure to stay tuned to MMAmania.com for up to the minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of the rest of the night's UFC on FX 2: "Alves vs. Kampmann" event by clicking here.

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It’s Friday night and four of the top flyweights in MMA are set to face off at UFC on FX 2 in the opening round of a tournament to determine the UFC’s first 125-pound champion. Specifically, the evening features Ian McCall-Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benavidez-Yasuhiro Urushitani, as well as TUF winner Court McGee in action, not to mention a headlining tilt between talented 170ers Martin Kampmann and Thiago Alves. The show starts on Facebook/Fuel TV at approximately 6:00 PM EST with main card clashes following on FX at 9:00 PM EST. As always, Fighters.com will be watching, ready to report live results back to readers. Read below for a rundown of winners/losers from UFC on FX 2: Shawn Jordan def. Oli Thompson via TKO Round 2 (Strikes) Daniel Pineda def. Mackens Semerzier via Submission Round 1 (Armbar) T.J. Waldburger def. Jake Hecht via Submission Round 1 (Armbar) Andrew Craig def. Kyle Noke via Unanimous Decision Steven Siler def. Cole Miller via Unanimous Decision Anthony Perosh def. Nick Penner via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) James Te Huna def. Aaron Rosa via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Court McGee vs. Constantinos Philippou Ian McCall vs. Demetrious Johnson Jospeh Benavidez vs. Yasuhiro Urushitani Martin Kampmann vs. Thiago Alves Tweet

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This is the UFC on FX 2 live blog for all the preliminary bouts on tonight's UFC event from the Allphones Arena in Sydney Australia. The six bouts to air on FUEL TV are Aaron Rosa vs. James Te Huna, Nick Penner vs. Anthony Perosh, Cole Miller vs. Steven Siler, Andrew Craig vs. Kyle Noke, Jake Hecht vs. T.J. Waldburger and Daniel Pineda vs. Mackens Semerzier. Meanwhile, Shawn Jordan vs. Oli Thompson will be streamed on Facebook. Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC on FX 2 Results | Latest UFC News Daniel Pineda vs. Mackens Semerzier Round 1: Semerzier measuring distance with early jabs. Pineda comes over the top with a straight right hand that backs Semerzier against the fence. They reset. Semerzier with a knee off a clinch. Pineda takes it well. Pineda throwing nothing but power strikes early. Pineda drops Semerzier with a left hook. He moves straight into mount and locks on the top-side triangle. He's also got the arm. The triangle/armbar is sunk and Semerzier is forced to tap. The UFC officially announces it as an armbar tapout. Winner: Daniel Pineda via submission (armbar), Rd. 1 (2:05) Jake Hecht vs. T.J. Waldburger Round 1: Waldburger with a sharp leg kick and a left hook to open things up. Waldberger scores an early takedown and transitions immediately into an arm bar as Hecht was attempting a whizzer. It's sunk and Hecht taps. A super-slick finish that will certainly make him a submission of the night favorite. Winner: TJ Waldburger via submission, Rd. 1 (0:55) Andrew Craig vs. Kyle Noke Round 1: Noke opens with a series of kicks, then takes Craig down quickly. Noke takes his back but Craig fights off a choke. Noke on his back with a knee to the face. Noke drags him down again and has his back. He goes for a choke again. Craig isn't in any trouble and Noke moves into his full guard. Noke with elbows from the top as we hit the midway point. Craig back to his feet and they reset. Noke with a series of kicks, but jumps into a left hook. Noke controlling the distance and landing the cleaner strikes as the round closes. It's Noke's, 10-9. Round 2: Craig starting to close the range with his jab, and he's the one moving Noke around. Noke tries a takedown with a single leg, but Craig defends and throws elbows that land. Noke trips to the ground and Craig ends up on top. Craig postures up with punches from the top. Craig gets stifled a bit and lets Noke up with :40 left. Noke appeared to slip down again and Craig capitalized with punches from the top, riding out the round in the position. It's Craig's round, 10-9. Round 3: Noke has done good work with front kicks during the fight but something seems off with his footwork. Perhaps he has an injury he's hiding but he's off a bit. Noke goes low again but Craig defends with short elbows again. It's anyone's fight. Noke punches his way into a takedown try. They end up against the fence, and Noke finally drags him to the mat. Craig has no problem getting back to his feet though. Craig is the fresher of the two as we go to the final two minutes. Craig powers forward for a takedown. That might win him the fight. Craig with short punches as Noke tries to get to his feet. That slows Noke's attempt. Craig with punches from the back as Noke tries to escape. This is going to be an upset, as Craig takes the round, 10-9. Winner: Andrew Craig def. Kyle Noke via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Cole Miller vs. Steven Siler Round 1: Miller with an early body lock. Siler punches his way out. Siler with heavy leg kicks. A straight right hand by Siler lands square. Siler looks comfortable with his standup, stepping into all of his offense, mixing things up. Miller snaps Siler's head with a right hand but he eats it and fires back an aggressive combination. Siler buckles Miller with a left hook/uppercut combo. Miller backs up to shake out the cobwebs. Siler takes him down to finish a strong 10-9 round. Round 2: Miller lands a hard right from the clinch but that angers Siler who comes forward with a flurry. Miller can't return fire and backs up and out of range. He may be a bit surprised by what he's seeing out of Siler. Miller worked hard for a takedown but couldn't get it. Siler with a series of stiff jabs as he works Miller against the fence. Siler's got some blood around the lip and Miller looks to work it attacking against the fence. A good flurry from Miller but Siler looks unphased. Siler targets the ribs with a solid body shot. Siler is just faster to the punch and he takes the second 10-9. Round 3: Siler catches a kick and slams the right off its target. Miller with a stiff right that stops Siler in his tracks. A moment later he shoots back a combo. Miller backs him to the cage with a clinch but can't use his size advantage as Siler turns off the cage and gets free. Siler with a right behind the ear. Miller wants a takedown looking to steal the round. Siler stays on his feet but takes some knees to his thighs. Miller finally scores a takedown with :45 left. He's in half-guard but gets into full mount with :20 left. It's a race against the clock. Miller looking for the heavy shots but can't get the finishing blow. It's MIller's round 10-9. Winner: Steven Siler via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Nick Penner vs. Anthony Perosh Round 1: Aaron Rosa vs. James Te Huna Round 1: Shawn Jordan vs. Oli Thompson Jordan defeated Thompson via second-round TKO. The finish came at 1:07 of the round.

Posted in: round, miller, siler, craig, noke

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This is the UFC on FX 2 live blog for all the preliminary bouts on tonight's UFC event from the Allphones Arena in Sydney Australia. The six bouts to air on FUEL TV are Aaron Rosa vs. James Te Huna, Nick Penner vs. Anthony Perosh, Cole Miller vs. Steven Siler, Andrew Craig vs. Kyle Noke, Jake Hecht vs. T.J. Waldburger and Daniel Pineda vs. Mackens Semerzier. Meanwhile, Shawn Jordan vs. Oli Thompson will be streamed on Facebook. Check out the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC on FX 2 Results | Latest UFC News Aaron Rosa vs. James Te Huna Round 1: Nick Penner vs. Anthony Perosh Round 1: Cole Miller vs. Steven Siler Round 1: Andrew Craig vs. Kyle Noke Round 1: Jake Hecht vs. T.J. Waldburger Round 1: Daniel Pineda vs. Mackens Semerzier Round 1: Shawn Jordan vs. Oli Thompson Jordan defeated Thompson via second-round TKO. The finish came at 1:07 of the round.

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Miesha Tate vs Ronda Rousey Anton Tabuena: I won't be surprised if Miesha Tate can win this since she will obviously have better striking than Ronda, but I just can't pick her knowing that her strong suit, wrestling, hasn't really been that dominant. I don't think she can keep things standing against a fighter like Rousey, as the Olympian has taken down far superior wrestlers and Judokas than Tate... and once it goes to the mat, it's definitely going to be, Ronda Rousey by Armbar.Fraser Coffeen: I don't buy the idea that Rousey is invincible. She's incredible on the ground, and at the takedown from the clinch, but her ability to secure that clinch could still use some work. Against a precision striker, she'll struggle to grab the clinch, and she'll pay. But Miesha Tate? Not that precision striker. Ronda Rousey by armbar, round 1Ben Thapa: I don't think a precision striker would beat Ronda. She needs to get straight up kneed in the gut as punishment for the upright judo-ish stance she loves so much. That's where Cyborg could come in (if she can make 135 by hook or crook). Miesha is going to drive forwards into Ronda for takedowns as the rush and adrenaline kicks in. Ronda knows exactly how to toss people doing that and then armbar them lickity-split. I'd love to see Miesha work some Dan Hardy-like armbar defense and work her way out while retaining top position. Hoping I get to see that here before Ronda adjusts and gets that arm even faster. Rousey, sub, Round 2.Tim Burke: Sarah Kaufman has a chance to beat Ronda. Miesha Tate? No way. This fight is so easy to call that some MMA pundits and I weren't debating the winner, or even the finish. We were debating what minute of the first round the sub happens. Most took the first. I took the second. Ronda Rousey by armbar.T.P. Grant: Man everyone is picking Rousey. I thought at least someone would pick Tate. Don't look at me, there is just something I like about Rousey. Tate is the better striker, but I don't think she has the accuracy or power to put Rousey down as she comes into the clinch. On the mat, I think Tate is very able, but if Rousey is on top she has a massive advantage. I think at some point the former Judo Olympian grabs onto an arm. Ronda by Armbar. Dallas Winston: Mr. Grant, I am that someone. I was initially thinking Rousey, like everyone else seems to be, but Miesha is consistently under-rated and has really earned my respect. She's far from a one-dimensional wrestler and has good submission knowledge and defense, she defeated a reputable Judoka in Hitomi Akano -- which was her second fight of the evening -- and she's far more experienced. Miesha Tate by decision.David Castillo: Rousey is simply one of those fighters who will get by on one dimension at the highest levels because that dimension is simply that good. Her transitions are phenomenal, and I honestly think Tate is gonna get clowned. Tate's game is too blue collar for Ronda, resume be damned. Ronda Rousey by armbar. Staff Picking Tate: DallasStaff Picking Rousey: Fraser, Thapa, Tim, Grant, Anton, KJ, David, Roth SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Tate vs. RouseyK.J. Noons vs Josh ThomsonFraser Coffeen: Poor Thomson has gotten totally lost in the shuffle in recent years, mainly due to injuries and his loss to Melendez. But the guy is still 10-2 in his last 12 and is a very dangerous striker. Noons vs. Masvidal really opened my eyes on Noons as a guy with very good boxing, but who can be figured out and defeated. Thomson's huge layoff gives me pause, as there is a worry that his time is done, but I think he's still got life left in him. Josh Thomson by decisionBen Thapa: Thomson might be the one guy who can tell J.Z. Cavalcante and Jason High that he has seniority in the line to the fightmakers' door. The injuries have had their toll, but he's had terrible luck just getting a fight. If this is the Thomson that fought Kawajiri to a decision, I like his chances. Noons is really hard to keep on the ground or hurt much, but Thomson can probably deal with the boxing and the hair flips effectively enough to take a few rounds. Thomson, decision.Tim Burke: I love this fight. For all the hype KJ gets for his boxing, he seems to fight down to the level of his opposition. He looked horrid against Conor Heun and Jorge Masvidal. Thomson has a much more varied striking game and if he goes back to using the push kick as a pseudo-jab like he did against Melendez the first time, KJ will never get near him. I don't even think The Punk takes this to the ground. He doesn't need to. Josh Thomson by decision.T.P. Grant: As said above, Josh Thomson is really quite a good lightweight and KJ Noons might be one of the more overrated lightweights out there. Thomson is going to jab KJ at range and take him down once in the pocket. Josh Thomson by Decision. Dallas Winston: Wow. Well, all the pro-Thomson picks make my inspirational speech about his unappreciated skill unnecessary. I've also been impressed with Noons though his technical boxing seems to be getting sloppier. I don't hold the Masvidal loss against him because I think Jorge is a brute and I do buy into the notion that a broken hand waylaid his performance against Gil. However, Josh has been on the shelf forever and did not look sharp in his last two, so I think this is the biggest fight of his life by far. Josh Thomson by decision.David Castillo: Kind of shocked at the universal agreement, because it's not like Thomson is immune to a lackluster performance, but I think he'll be motivated against the increasingly overly fond of his own quixotic boxing (?) KJ Noons. It's not a great matchup for Josh on paper, but he should get by in a closely contested affair. Staff Picking Noons: Staff Picking Thomson: Fraser, Thapa, Tim, Grant, Anton, Dallas, KJ, David, RothPaul Daley vs Kazuo Misaki Anton Tabuena: This is going to be ugly. Paul Daley by KO.Fraser Coffeen: Last time Misaki fought a heavy-handed slugger was Melvin Manhoef. Misaki, as he is prone to do, waded in and slugged it out. And he got knocked out. Substitute Daley for Manhoef, and you've got the same result this time. Paul Daley by KO, round 2Ben Thapa: Kazuo Misaki has the warrior spirit. However, employing the tactics of "engaging the enemy in his preferred milieu" does not make him a winning warrior every time out. His ferocious battles with Jorge Santiago are the stuff of legend, but he lost them both. Daley should find plenty of opportunities to throw those left hooks and to display his improving sprawl. Daley, KO, Round 1.Tim Burke: Love this fight too, but a ton of unknowns on the Misaki side. The cut to 170, Stateside for the first time in a while, etc. He's got a lot of miles on him, and while he does have cool takedowns, they're not going to work on Paul Daley. And he sits around in the pocket way too long to avoid getting tagged. Semtex all the way. Boom. Paul Daley by KO, round 1.T.P. Grant: Interesting fight because you never know with Paul Daley, because if he gets take down he in is in deep trouble. That said Miskai gets his way too much on the way in and Daley's the owner of the most lethal left hook in MMA. I think Daley lands a heavy punch before Misaki gets a takedown. Paul Daley by KO, Round 1. Dallas Winston: I was geeked when this fight was first announced and haven't had time to think about it much. I'll never forget Misaki holding his own with Hendo in the clinch and then kind of handling him in their rematch. As burly as he is in tie-ups, Daley's takedown defense is actually solid for clinch-based takedowns and he still has one of the (if not the) best left hooks in the sport. Semtex by genuinely angry and something-to-prove knockout.David Castillo: Daley can get stuck in fights where the bout that should heavily favor him on paper manifests itself in counterintuitive fashion: see the Masvidal, and Thompson fights. That's why I think it's so interesting that he's fighting Misaki, who in his prime seemed to take bouts that were terrible for him on paper (Henderson, Akiyama, and Kang when he was on a tear despite the injury in the tournament). That avant garde, new age logic leads me to believe Misaki will take this in an upset. In addition to Daley's one dimensional-ness, and general lack of professionalism (and the fact that I what had to have been the worst week of anyone for UFC 144 on picks). Kazuo Misaki by decision. Staff Picking Daley: Fraser, Thapa, Tim, Anton, Dallas, KJ, RothStaff Picking Misaki: DavidRonaldo Souza vs Bristol Marunde Fraser Coffeen: I don't want to be a jerk here, but this fight is ridiculous. Ronaldo Souza by submission, round 1Anton Tabuena: Yes, Fraser, this is ridiculous. Jacare by anything he wants.Ben Thapa: Bristol Marunde might be one of the best names I've ever heard. His brother Jesse (give me a quiet moment to remember the departed) had immense potential as a strongman, which is a combination of good genetic potential and an otherworldly work ethic. That combination probably runs in the family, but Marunde's home turf of Northwestern America hasn't exposed him to the level of grappler that Jacare Souza resides upon. Souza might be the single best athlete to come out of the Brazilian jiu jitsu world in the last ten years, but his MMA career hasn't shown the same levels of success. I still think he beat Luke Rockhold though. Kudos to Bristol for the step-in, but this is a rough, rough match-up for him. Souza, submission, Round 1.Tim Burke: Big opportunity for Marunde. Too bad there's an angry Jacare on the other side of the cage. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. Jacare Souza by submission, round 2T.P. Grant: Jacare should win this fight any way he pleases. I think this goes very similar to the Robbie Lawler fight; Jacare takes him down, gets a dominate position, lets Marunde wear himself out trying to escape and locks in a submission. Jacare Souza by Submission, Round 2. Dallas Winston: The Crocodile by hunger, all day. Jacare by submission.David Castillo: No chance for an upset here. Jacare was dangerously close to winning that fight against Rockhold, and so I think we're talking about a minstay in the division. Against an absolute lamb. Jacare Souza by submission.Staff Picking Souza: Fraser, Thapa, Tim, Grant, Anton, Dallas, KJ, David, RothStaff Picking Marunde: Scott Smith vs Lumumba SayersBen Thapa: Sayers should have a fun time feasting on the punching bag that is Scott Smith. I picked Antwain Britt over him last time I saw Sayers in action and was shown up by a quick KO. Smith has been basically fighting to make a check for years now and he might have forgotten how to win. Sayers, decision.T.P. Grant: Smith seems like a spent force to me, too many wars over the years have worn him down. Sayers is a brawler, so Smith has a chance in this fight for sure but I think Smith's amazing ability to weather storms is going to fail him. Lumumba Sayers by TKO, Round 1. Tim Burke: Sayers is a mover by trade who used to box that knocked out Antwain Britt somehow. He doesn't even really have heavy hands. I'm not sure how that happened. But Scott Smith has been one my favorite underdog fighters forever and how often is he boring? He's got one more sick KO in him. I know it. Scott Smith by KO.Dallas Winston: 100% picking with my heart here. Scott Smith by KO.David Castillo: Scott Smith is the proverbial "spent force". Credit where credit is due: he was a .500 fighter who got name recognition off of improbable comebacks, but his chin has clearly deteriorated, and I don't see how he manages another miracle against a rugged fighter like Sayers. Lumumba Sayers by TKO, round 2. Staff Picking Smith: Fraser, Tim, Anton, Dallas, RothStaff Picking Sayers: Grant, Thapa, KJ, DavidSarah Kaufman vs Alexis DavisBen Thapa: Over/under on how many Tweets we'll see from Tim Burke tonight during the Kaufman fight? Five? Seven? I like Davis, but Kaufman's got some really fine combination boxing. Hopefully, she's working on putting some pep in her game, instead of cruising to another decision win by onslaught of head punches. Kaufman, KO, Round 2.T.P. Grant: Kaufmann has got this one. Sarah Kaufman by Decision. Tim Burke: @MMASarah all day. I hate it when two Canadians fight each other and I'm a Davis fan too, but come on now. She's gotta get Sarah to the floor, and that's really, really tough. Victoria represent. Bring on Rousey. Sarah Kaufman by decision.Dallas Winston: Kaufman beat main-eventer Miesha Tate and will be determined to get back into the spotlight. Sarah Kaufman by TKO.David Castillo: Good, competitive little scrap. At least on paper. Two highly ranked fighters, but it's a terrible style matchup for Davis, who will be forced to box with Kaufman who is the superior striker by a wide margin. Sarah Kaufman by decision. Staff Picking Kaufman: Fraser, Grant, Tim, Anton, Dallas, KJ, David, RothStaff Picking Davis: Caros Fodor vs Pat HealyBen Thapa: This is the fight that should be in place of Sayers/Smith. These two fighters are in their athletic prime and coming off two very fun finishes of decent-to-good fighters. Oh, Maximo, you broke my heart - and Pat Healy, you won it with your ruggedness. Fodor won't go down without throwing everything he possibly can though. This is gonna be a SCRAP. Healy, decision.T.P. Grant: Again I'm going with experience here. Both are fighters are young men, but Healy has some serious scalps under his belt and much more time under the bright lights. Pat Healy by Decision. Tim Burke: Healy's a hoss with a ton of experience for sure. But Fodor has impressed me greatly in his last two fights against James Terry and Justin Wilcox. Those are both big, physical dudes like Healy and this is gonna be a great, close fight. I'm gonna lean towards The Future though. Caros Fodor by decision.Dallas Winston: Damn, this is a reminder of how stacked this card if for Strikeforce and what a shame it is that it's being counter-programmed by their big brother. I'd say these are two of the most underlooked lightweights around. Pat Healy has an enormous fight IQ but I've under-rated Fodor too many times in the past. The Future by decision.David Castillo: Like Dallas, I'm just now realizing how solid this card is, and this fight is a perfect example. Fodor has consistently fought above my expectations, and continues to improve, so I feel like momentum will the deciding factor in this fight, and Fodor has it. Again, it's such a close fight on paper, I'm going with my gut on this one. Caros Fodor by decision. Staff Picking Fodor: Tim, Dallas, KJ, David, RothStaff Picking Healy: Fraser, Grant, AntonRyan Couture vs Conor HeunBen Thapa: Heun is bigger, stronger and has more power than Mini-Couture. The Magno Almeida elbow-break notwithstanding, I don't see Couture isolating an arm. If Couture wins, it's by triangle or guillotine and it's probably after getting beat up for a while. Heun should take this, but I'll take a chance on the improbable. Couture, submission, Round 2.T.P. Grant: If Ryan Couture is going to step up and get a his first serious lightweight win, this is the time. Heun is a solid veteran and ideal for testing out a prospect like Couture. While it is entirely possible that Couture could slap a submission on Heun, I think the veteran pulls this one out. Conor Heun by Decision. Tim Burke: I'll never get over Couture being choked unconscious at the end of the second round in a fight, and the fight not being stopped. They woke him up, sent him out for the 3rd, and he came back and won. I'm not sure if it's good or bad, but it's a story at least. He's not physical enough to hang with Heun though. Sorry Randy Jr. Conor Heun by TKO, round 2.Dallas Winston: This is a reasonable step up for Couture but Heun is a gamer who will look to make a statement. Conor Heun by submission.David Castillo: I think Ryan Couture is a decent fighter, but it's a terrible matchup for him because he's a young, inexperienced, and not very talented fighter with a lot of pressure on him fighting an experienced, rugged, moderately dynamic veteran. Conor Heun by decision. Staff Picking Couture: Thapa, KJ Staff Picking Heun: Fraser, Grant, Tim, Anton, Dallas, David, RothRoger Bowling vs Brandon SalingT.P. Grant: Two local guys on the undercard. The difference is Bowling has fought on five Strikeforces cards, while Saling is being brought on purely as a local guy. One look at their film and it is clear Bowling is lightyears ahead of Saling, crisper stand up and much better wrestling. Roger Bowling by TKO, Round 1. Ben Thapa: I'm so glad Bowling isn't fighting Bobby Voelker anymore. Let him show if he's got any more improvements left in him with a series of steps upwards in opponents. After the super quick KO victory last time, the proper step up would be to get a fun battle with a fighter who loves getting finishes or going out on his shield - like Brandon Saling! Bowling, KO, Round 2.Tim Burke: I like Bowling. I prefer Darts though. Roger Bowling by TKO, round 2Dallas Winston: Bowling still has a huge upside despite his disappointments in the Voelker trilogy. Roger Bowling by athleticism (TKO).David Castillo: What a great card for Strikeforce, but just as Renzo Gracie vs. Michiyoshi Ohara was to Pride, this fight is an example of Strikeforce matchmaking at its most expedient. Saling is toast. Roger Bowling by TKO, round 1. Staff Picking Bowling: Fraser, Grant, Thapa, Tim, Anton, Dallas, KJ, David, RothStaff Picking Saling:

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Hello again, fellow Legends. We’re going to switch up this round of picks a little bit for UFC on FX 2. It seems that all of us, when we do our picks, tend to peter out a bit as we get to the bottom of the cards. Certainly part of it is that the fighters are lesser known, and as such we have less to say about them than we would, oh... Anderson Silva. There’s also the possibility that your esteemed authors’ eyes start to glaze over as they sink deeper into their alcoholic stupor as the writing progresses. So in the interest of trying to be nicer to the undercard, we’ll be starting with them first. Preliminary card Heavyweight bout: Oli Thompson vs. Shawn JordanCory - Oli is an imposing man. The former Strongman competitor, once Britains’s Strongest Man, is now a 7-2 UFC neophyte looking to gain a win over former Bellator and Strikeforce heavyweight Shawn Jordan. Jordan’s the person with the more impressive win on his record, as he submitted Lavar Johnson with a Keylock last September. Lavar, as we probably all remember, dangadadanged Joey Beltran with gravity-defying uppercuts recently. The only "name" on Oli’s record is the bottom-of-the-ladder (for the UFC) heavyweight, Rob Broughton, to whom he lost to a couple years ago. While Oli’s shown some skill beyond huge muscles (lookin’ at you, Marius Pudz) in racking up multiple submissions, I’m going to go with the slightly more seasoned Jordan here. Jordan - TKOEarl - Both of these guys are making their UFC debuts here but Jordan has fought much stiffer competition than Oli and I think that will prove very important. Shawn Jordan, TKO, Round 2.Chris - Oli Thompson is a giant of a man. Aside from that, I don’t see a lot of advantages for him in this fight. He keeps his hands low and his striking is limited at best. He uses his size and strength to get the takedown, but doesn’t really know where to go when he gets it there. Shawn Jordan is no striker himself, so no one gets the advantage there. Jordan did prove against Lavar Johnson that he is a much more talented wrestler than Oli and he’ll be able to use that to get the win. Jordan by TKO.Luke - Okay, first things first. Thompson beat Broughton in the finals of an 8 man one night tournament on January 30, 2010. Thompson had actually lost in the semi-finals to a blown up middleweight, Joe Vedepo, but for some reason Vedepo was unable to compete in the finals, so the one big win on Thompson’s resume is seriously questionable. Jordan meanwhile is a Jackson’s fighter, who has fought for Bellator and Strikeforce. He took care of Lavar Johnson with a second round submission. I imagine it’ll be a similar fate for Thompson. Jordan, Submission, Round 1. The rest are after the jump Preliminary card (Fuel TV) Featherweight bout: Mackens Semerzier vs. Daniel PinedaCory - Former Marine Mackens Semerzier has not had a good run as of late. His last fight ended in a No Contest, as they went and looked back on film and saw that he got headbutted (accidentally) and not just blasted with the punch that Robbie Peralta threw. Before that, he managed to take out Alex "Bruce Leroy" Caceres, but that seems to be before Alex’s mini career resurgence. Suffice it to say, I’m not terribly impressed with the former boxer turned submission artist Semerzier. Pineda is riding a 6-fight win streak and also holds a win over TUF competitor Johnny Bedford. I don’t see either of these guys as future champs, but I think Pineda has the higher ceiling at this point. Pineda - DecisionEarl - Pineda has bounced back from a four fight skid in 2009 to win 8 of his last 9 bouts. Mackens has really been underwhelming since the merger and I don’t really see that stopping here. Daniel Pineda, Submission, Round 3.Chris - No reason to to disagree with Earl or Cory here. PinedaLuke - I’m not sure why you guys haven’t given Semerzier more credit for his competition. He’s fought good guys and has only lost once inside the distance, to jiu jitsu ace Javier Vasquez. I think some fighters take a little while to adjust to fighting top competition on a regular basis, and Semerzier has gone through that adjustment period, while Pineda put together his 16-7 record in mostly regional promotions. In his brief stints with Elite XC and Bellator he was 0-3. He does have the in-cage experience edge, with more than twice the number of fights that Semerzier has. That being said, I’m going to go with the guy who’s been fighting Zuffa caliber fighters since 2009. Semerzier, Unanimous Decision.Welterweight bout: T.J. Waldburger vs. Jake HechtCory - Both of these under-30 prospects are looking to come into their own and this is a really good matchup to see who’s where. Hecht is 11-2 and on a 4-fight win streak, including a great come from behind win over veteran Rich Attonito. Hecht has demonstrated a wide arsenal of finishing techniques in his career, as he’s got wins by triangle, rear-naked, north-south and multiple TKO wins. He’s got decent conditioning as well. TJ’s had one loss in his last six, and it was to Johny Hendricks. Seeing as how Hendricks is knocking on the door to a title shot, there’s no shame in that whatsoever. A fine grappler - probably better than Hecht - TJ has a slightly suspect chin that makes me think that Hecht takes it. Five of his six losses have come by way of strikes, and Hecht has shown the capability of tagging someone now and again. Hecht - TKOEarl - Waldburger and Hecht are each looking to get their 2nd straight win in the UFC in this matchup. Somebody is going to get a spectacular finish here. It will either be Waldburger with another beautiful submission or Hecht using his power to put TJ out. I think TJ is just a little too slick and he will seize the first opportunity Jake gives him. TJ Waldburger, Submission, Round 1.Luke - Waldburger is another guy who, like Pineda, has a dozen losses but is super young. Usually you don’t see fighters with more than one or two losses at the highest levels of prize fighting until they get into the twilight of their careers. MMA has been seeing a lot more guys like Waldburger and Pineda lately;many young fighters choose to rack up fights, win or lose, rather than build their careers in a slow and calculated manner. In an interesting twist, Hecht is a guy who has taken the slower route, fighting just three times in his first three years as a pro (Waldburger had 13 in his first three). As for the fight, Earl sums it up pretty well. I’ll go the other way though and take Hecht, who was very impressive against Rich Attonito, to get the stoppage. Hecht, TKO, Round 2.Middleweight bout: Kyle Noke vs. Andrew CraigCory - Noke was going on a nice little streak before he ran into the rejazzed Ed Herman. He had himself a nice little 5-fight streak going, including three in the UFC. Craig comes in on semi-late notice to replace Jared Hamman. He had enough time to get most of a camp in, but I’ll just stick with a guy who I know has been around the block and is a proven winner against some decent enough names (wins against Sotripoulos, Ebersole, Camozzi and a draw with borderline top-10’er Hector Lombard). Noke - DecisionI had that whole paragraph typed out, and then I remembered that Noke is coming off of a knee injury. I can’t recall the last time I saw a guy come back from surgery and perform well. I’m changing my pick. Craig - DecisionEarl - Kyle Noke is making his second UFC appearance in his native Australia here looking to rebound from his recent near limb removal at the hands of Ed Herman. He will be taking on an undefeated fighter making his promotional debut. I am hoping for a strong showing by Craig. New blood in the Middleweight division is a very good thing. Andrew Craig, Unanimous Decision.Luke - You know Earl, I’m hoping that Andrew Craig looks good too, because you are right, we need some new guys in that division. When I wrote about age demographics a few weeks ago the middleweight division was the oldest at the top levels. Surely we’re not going to get a shot in the arm from Craig though. Undefeated fighters with less than 10 wins rarely grab my attention unless they have a string of first round knockouts or perhaps have won all their fights with the same submission. Craig has gone to the judges three times already, in over half of his fights. Add in the fact that Noke is fighting at home and this becomes a bit of a no-brainer. Noke, Submission, Round 2Featherweight bout: Cole Miller vs. Steven SilerCory - Not a whole lot to say about this fight, other than I wouldn’t be surprised if Submission of the Night came out from here. Assuming the cut doesn’t make him Mechanic like, I’ll go with Miller - SubmissionEarl - This should be an awesome bout between two very solid submission fighters. Both guys have a ton of experience and are only in their mid 20’s so this should be dynamic. Cole will be fighting at 145 for the first time in years and I think he may have a bit of trouble. "Super" Steven Siler, Unanimous Decision.Luke - Cole Miller has an awesome picture on his wikipedia page. I suspect not too many fighters would be okay with a close up of their beaten face as the first thing that many new fans see, but Miller doesn't seem to give a damn. On top of that, he was 7-3 as a lightweight in the very tough UFC lightweight division, so he’s a real talent. In Siler he’s fighting a well rounded but limited guy who isn’t the flashiest but can get the job done when the fight goes to the mat. I’ve been picking against young guys with a lot of losses this event and I’m going to do the same again with this one. Siler might have stoppage Cole’s little brother to essentially get into the UFC, but big brother is going to get sweet revenge in this one. Miller, Submission, Round 1Light Heavyweight bout: Anthony Perosh vs. Nick PennerCory - Ever since he was fed to the ghost of Cro Cop, Perosh has looked like an actual for real MMA fighter. I don’t really know much about Mr. Penner, so I’ll go say that Hippo takes it. Perosh - SubmissionEarl - I cannot help but be a fan of a guy who is nicknamed "The Hippo" because Hippos kill more humans per year than any other animal. "The Hippo" has won 2 straight via RNC and I will not bet against him getting another one here. Anthony Perosh, Submission, Round 2.Chris - Penner is a Muay Thai fighter that wants to hurt whoever is placed in front of him. He likes to set up his combos with painful leg kicks from distance, while mixing in powerful head kicks when his opponent tries to work his way in. That said, he relies very heavily on kicks, much more than punching. Against a grappler like Perosh that’s most likely to leave him open to takedowns, where Perosh is going to have the advantage. On top of that, Penner is making his UFC debut, which gives a lot of people problems. Anthony Perosh by SubmissionLuke - Heard Nick Penner on the MMA Show with Mauro Ranallo this week and I really enjoyed hearing him talk about his experiences training at ATT with Ricardo Liborio. I think Chris has this fight pretty well nailed. Perosh can take a beating in order to get the fight to the ground and once it’s there he is efficient if unspectacular. I expect we’ll see another win for Anthony Perosh, which would amazingly bring his UFC record to 3-1. Perosh, Submission, Round 2.Light Heavyweight bout: James Te Huna vs. Aaron RosaCory - James Te Huna might end up being a top 25 LHW. I don’t know if Rosa ends up in the top100. Te Huna - KOEarl - Rosa at 205 is much better than Rosa at Heavyweight. James Te Huna is a monster whose last 6 wins have come via KO/TKO. The home crowd will get another chance to erupt for their fellow countryman here. James Te Huna, KO, Round 1.Chris - Despite his win over Matt Lucas, Aaron Rosa did not look good in his return to the Light Heavyweight division. He had almost no control over distance and his punches were looping. Te Huna is going to pick him apart and most likely embarrass him en route to a KO victory. Te Huna by KOLuke - I like James Te Huna, who has really showed some crisp striking in the UFC recently. I especially thought his hand speed has been much better than his opponents. Rosa used to be a heavyweight and while he is a more natural 205 pounder like Earl mentions, the speed difference is going to be hard for him to deal with. Te Huna should end this fight early. Te Huna, TKO, Round 1. Main card Middleweight bout: Court McGee vs. Constantinos PhilippouCory - McGee is a gritty, grind you down and go-for-the-choke when it presents itself kind of fighter. Philippou is a YOU-GOT-KNOCKED-THE-FUCK-OUT-MAN kind of fighter. Good luck to Court here, I think he’s gonna need it. Philippou - TKOEarl - Court McGee has flaws in his striking defense and Costa absolutely has the power to put one on Court’s chin and put him away. Costa comes from a better camp and I think he hurts Court here real, real bad. Costa Philippou, KO, Round 2.Chris - I’ve never been overly impressed with Court McGee. He’s solid pretty much all around, but not really more than good any where. Phillippou hits like a truck and I think he’ll find his chance to land on Court. Phillippou by (T)KOLuke - Court Mcgee has never really excited me, but he won the ultimate fighter by grinding down his opponents, which isn’t an exciting style. He can deal with adversity well and he took saavy vet Jeremy Horn to a decision in his only defeat. As for Phillipou, well, it wasn’t too long ago that he was eeking out a decision over Jorge Rivera, a guy that I think Mcgee would handle with relative ease. I think my esteemed peers are a little high on Costa based on his devastating knockout of Jared Hamman in his most recent performance. Mcgee will survice the early onslaught and grind it out. Mcgee, Unanimous decision.Flyweight bout: Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCallCory - McCall is as dynamic as it gets at this weight. He’s fast, strong and technical. That said, he’s going to get taken down and taken down often. McCall probably isn’t going to be able to submit a guy that Miguel Torres couldn’t tap either. DJ is one of the best wrestlers in two divisions, and he’s going to grind out Uncle Creepy. Johnson - SubmissionEarl - McCall is being criminally undervalued coming into this fight purely based on not fighting in the big leagues yet. Make no mistake, "Uncle Creepy" belongs here and has all the tools to give Johnson hell in this fight. Demetrious will be fighting at his natural weight class which should add to his quickness and help him get the fight where he wants it which is on the canvas. I’m so torn but I’ll go with the man who just went 5 rounds with the best Bantamweight on earth to get the W. Demetrious Johnson, Unanimous Decision.Chris - I’ve heard nothing but good things about Ian McCall. That said I’ve never seen him fight. Mighty Mouse, on the other hand, has been competing with the best of the best at Bantamweight, a division where he’s typically well undersized. On top of that, he’s got great combinations and can transition from striking to grappling faster than pretty much anyone in the sport. Johnson by DecisionLuke - Ian McCall shares the same rocky path that brought Court Mcgee to fighting: Both had serious drug problems in their lives that they eventually would replace with mixed martial arts. It just goes to show the trans-formative power that martial arts can have. McCall and Johnson share a decision loss to current UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, although Johnson would likely argue that he not only faced a better Cruz but performed better against him as well. I really don’t know what to expect from this fight but I just feel like it's going the distance. Johnson has the wrestling to win any kind of close match, so I'm going with him. Johnson, Unanimous Decision.Flyweight bout: Joseph Benavidez vs. Yasuhiro UrushitaniCory - Speaking of "about to get outwrestled", I really don’t need to say much more about this fight other than there’s a reason that Joe is a quadruple-digit favorite at some bookmakers. Benavidez - SubmissionEarl - Finally, Joseph Benavidez gets the showcase he has deserved since the merger. Team Alpha Male will be represented in full force here and I can’t wait to see a little "Joe-Jitsu" @ 125. Joseph Benavidez, Submission, Round 2.Chris - Again, I’m looking at another fight where I only know one fighter. And again Joe, like Mighty Mouse, has been competing with the best at BW so I’m going to favor him and Joe-Jitsu. I’ll also be hoping for another brutal guillotine in the process. Benavidez by SubmissionLuke - Alpha Male is one of the best fight camps in the world in terms of overall talent. Faber, Mendes and Benavidez are among the best two or three guys in their weight class and Danny Castillo and TJ Dillashaw are well on their way to carving out a place in the top 10 of their divisions. The fact that so many talented little guys are training together is an element that other many other gyms don’t have. The only other camp with an excess of stars in the smaller weight classes at the moment is Nova Uniao. Urushitani has an incredible 6 draws on his record, including two against the same man! I don’t really have much else to say about him, as he’s a huge underdog in this fight and is in very tough against a motivated Benavidez, who should be able to get the tap in this one. Benavidez, Submission, Round 1. Welterweight bout: Thiago Alves vs. Martin KampmannCory - Thiago Alves has four losses in his last fifteen fights. All of them came at the hands of wrestlers who pressed him hard, made him work to fend off takedowns and not let him get his striking off. I like Kampmann, but that’s not what he brings to the table at all. I’ve got a feeling that Kamp tries to trade with Alves in center ring, and that’s generally a recipe for disaster and very bruised legs. Alves - TKOEarl - I am so thrilled that this fight is happening. Two of the best strikers at Welterweight will finally face off and with serious title implications to boot. Alves has the raw power but Kampmann is so technically sound and will have a lot of opportunities to land crisp counters. Kampmann’s main problem has always been that he fights to his opponents strength and not to his own. He played that game against Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez and lost decisions (one controversial and one atrocious). I just think Kampmann is on the rise and Alves is just the same guy he has always been. Martin Kampmann, Unanimous Decision.Chris - This is great stylistic matchmaking for a striker vs. striker match. Kampmann is a great technical striker able to use his reach and distance to pick his opponents apart. Thiago Alves, on the other hand, likes to punish with power. Kampmann will have some success on his part in being able to land when Alves misses. He’ll use straight punches to try to keep Thiago at bay. However, Kampmann rarely throws a lot of power behind those punches. On top of that, Kampmann has a habit of letting himself get in to bad position. Eventually, Alves will get Kampmann’s back against the cage and be able to land a brutal combo. Thiago Alves by TKOLuke - I think this fight has all the ingredients to be the elite welterweight slug fest that we thought we were going to get from Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit. In a division that has suddenly become very wide open, the winner of this match could well find themselves in the title picture with just one more victory. It makes for quite a fight, though Alves needs a win more than Kampmann does; Martin has been denied wins in some very controversial decision losses to Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez recently and likely will have one more chance to prove himself against top competition like before becoming a gatekeeper. Alves has beaten Papy Abedi and John Howard. By comparison it’s not even close, and the fact that Kampmann knocked off Rick Story while Alves struggled with him has me convinced that Kampmann is just on another level. While I think it’ll be a close and bloody affair, I see Kampmann coming out with his hand raised. Kampmann, Unanimous decision.

Posted in: fight, guy, fighter, round, submission

Read the full article at Head Kick Legend

When it comes to bad luck, Josh Thomson has endured more than his share. He once was one of the top lightweights in the UFC, at least until the organization dropped the weight class for nearly two years. Then he became one of Strikeforce’s bright lights and that promotion’s champion, but then injuries had him sitting more than fighting. It’s enough to make a young man want to ask ‘what in the world am I doing this for?’“I’ve gotten to that point several times, but then it’s a fire thing,” said Thomson. “As soon as you step away from the sport for a while, you get that itch and it’s hard for people to walk away. I am at the point in my career where I am starting to look and focus on opening my own gym, starting my own career, and starting my own businesses and stuff. So those are things you start to think about; it’s like how much more can your body take? And you start looking towards your future. That’s realistically what you start doing.”But like anyone with a fighter’s heart steeled in battle, Thomson isn’t ready to give up yet. This Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, nearly 15 months after his last fight against Tatsuya Kawajiri in December of 2010, “The Punk” returns to Strikeforce to face KJ Noons. It’s a fight that Thomson sounds like he’s looking forward to as much as diehard MMA fans are. “He’s a very talented, very athletic kid,” said Thomson. “He’s very explosive, and he’s becoming more well-rounded. If you notice in the last fight, he took Billy Evangelista down two or three times, he shot three or four times, and he’s definitely trying to open up his game. And not only did he do that, but he was able to avoid getting submitted in the third round and he’s going to be a dangerous fighter. He’s opening up his kickboxing, you can tell he’s working his kickboxing more instead of just being a flat-footed boxer, and we’ll see what happens. He’s really trying to open his game right now, and I think with the time off, he’s just getting back to his true MMA form. I told everybody this, I’m gonna end up getting the best KJ that you guys have seen since he’s returned.”But the question most have is whether everyone will get the best Thomson. And the scouting report there is ‘so far, so good.’ And that’s welcome news considering all he’s been through, not just in the last few years, but throughout his 11 year pro career. A shooting star who always showed great potential, Thomson flew out of the gate in 2001, and by the end of his first year as a pro, he was fighting Japanese superstar “Kid” Yamamoto. Four fights later, he was in the UFC, and after back-to-back wins over Gerald Strebendt and Hermes Franca, he was knocked out by Yves Edwards at UFC 49 in August of 2004. It was to be the last lightweight fight in the UFC until 2006.Undaunted, Thomson fought and beat Daisuke Sugie in PRIDE Bushido and then fought in the first Strikeforce event against Clay Guida in 2006. He lost to Guida that night, but it began a long relationship between the San Jose native and the promotion, particularly CEO Scott Coker. To date, Thomson has competed 11 times in Strikeforce, winning and losing the lightweight belt against Gilbert Melendez, and if the 33-year old has one wish, it’s to get back to the form he showed during the 2006-08 stretch where he won eight in a row.“I was able to stay healthy and go on a good run, like an eight fight win streak, and then I beat Gilbert and then I ended up breaking my ankle,” said Thomson. “That whole year I just spent re-breaking my ankle over and over. I broke the same bone in the same ankle three times in a year. I noticed that my game never got back to that level. And I’m still, at this moment, trying to get it back to that level. I know my conditioning and all that stuff has been spectacular, but my technique and everything else has kinda dwindled a little bit. I have been working a lot more on trying to get back to that and focusing on that, but we’ll see what happens.”Winner of two of his three bouts in his last active year in 2010, Thomson now returns to an organization that looks a lot different than it did then. Zuffa is now in control of the promotion, giving it the behind the scenes muscle to take Strikeforce in an even bigger and better direction. And Thomson’s eager to get started.“Scott Coker is still the CEO, and I’m a huge fan of Coker,” he said. “He brought me up from taking me over from PRIDE in Japan and bringing me here, and fighting in Strikeforce. I also have a lot of respect for Dana (White) and Lorenzo (Fertitta) and those guys at the UFC because back in the day Dana took a chance on me and signed me against some of the other guys that said I wasn’t quite ready. But the UFC signed me in Japan after I fought Kid Yamamoto, he loved the way I fought, and I owe a lot of my career to him as well. So honestly, I’m fighting in the best and the biggest promotion in my eyes because I helped build Strikeforce to the level where it is. Honestly, the benefit of it all is that it doesn’t matter if Dana is the promoter or Scott’s the promoter – it doesn’t change the way I fight. I’m gonna fight my ass off and train my ass off and go out there and give the best show I can.”And if he can recapture his prime form and get past the dangerous Noons, Thomson will be in a prime spot in the weight class, as it won’t take too much to promote a rubber match between him and Melendez. It may even be the biggest match Strikeforce can make at 155 pounds. Thomson agrees, and after all the ups and downs, what sweeter ending would there be than a title fight in which he regains the title? That may just make all the aches and pains from over the years worth it.“I definitely think I’m the one that poses the biggest threat against Gilbert, and I’ve proven it before,” said Thomson. “I’ve beaten him and beaten him convincingly all five rounds, and I was beating him in the second fight in the first round and three quarters of the second round, but I got a little arrogant and cocky and got dropped at the end of the second round. I look at it as if the fight was actually mine and it was going the way I wanted it to go, but I think my confidence got the better of me, and it ended up costing me. The tide turned after that. Had we finished out those last 15-20 seconds of the round, I would have been up two rounds to none in a five round fight and all I would have needed to do was win just one more round. So yeah, I’d say I pose the biggest threat in Strikeforce right now to beat him. And the person that’s gonna beat him is somebody who’s well-rounded like myself – someone who can wrestle, someone who can stand, and there is a submission threat there. I haven’t really seen a whole lot of guys in the sport right now that can do that to him.”  

Posted in: fight, strikeforce, round, year, thomson

Read the full article at UFC

It appears that the UFC will be instituting something new for the semi-finals of their four-man flyweight tournament that will be contested this weekend at UFC on FX 2. If the fight is a draw after three rounds, there will be an extension or sudden death round afterward. Demetrious Johnson, who meets Ian McCall in one of the semi-finals, discussed it on Tapout Radio recently: "I don't know if anybody has said anything about it, and this is the first time I'm mentioning it, is that we (McCall and himself) had to sign for a ‘sudden death' bout. If it goes to three rounds, and the judges can't decide who the winner is, then we'll do a fourth round." ... I'm assuming that it's for me and Ian McCall. I can't say if it's going to be for Joseph (Benavidez) and Yasuhiro (Urushitani), because I'm not gonna say that the UFC made those guys sign, too. I'm telling you, specifically, that I signed a contract for an extra round on the bout agreement. I'm not gonna say that they did. I'm assuming, in my unprofessional opinion, that they did as well." Joseph Benavidez and Yasuhiro Urushitani will indeed have the possible extra round as well for their bout. There will be no extension round for the finals, just the semis. Interesting concept. SBN coverage of UFC on FX 2: Alves vs. Kampmann

Posted in: ufc, round, im, joseph benavidez, extension round

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

When you picture the elite welterweights in the UFC, Martin Kampmann is always hovering near the top of the division. The Xtreme Couture fighter has been extremely close to earning a title shot on multiple occasions, but it's just been out of his reach, and the judges haven't been the most helpful. Following a string of tough decision losses, both hotly contested and controversial to Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez, "The Hitman" bounced back at UFC 139 against Rick Story, handily winning the final two rounds to get back on track. Kampmann hasn't been given an easy fight in years and he'd prefer to keep it that way. Thus, when the UFC came calling with former title challenger and perennial top contender Thiago Alves, he graciously accepted a headlining bout. The Dutch-transplant will be taking on Alves this Friday night (March 2, 2012) at UFC on FX 2 in Sydney, Australia and I had an opportunity to speak with him during an appearance on Bloody Elbow Radio. Kampmann spoke about resisting the urge to brawl, having the reach advantage for once and where a victory over Alves would put him in the division. Check it out: Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): They had a three round fight in the main event of the UFC on Fuel TV show between Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez and afterwards, everyone was like, "Why was this three rounds?" Dana White then said that all of those fights are going to be five rounds from now on. Now I'm pretty sure that because your contract says three rounds, it'll stay three rounds but did anyone approach you about potentially moving it to an extra two rounds? Martin Kampmann: No. Actually, when I signed for the fight, I wasn't sure whether I was fighting for three or five rounds because I heard that all main events were going to be five round fights and then my bout agreement that I signed said we would only be fighting three. I texted Joe Silva just to be sure a couple weeks ago, "How many rounds am I fighting?" and he said, "Three rounds." I later heard that it was only on pay-per-views and FOX for the five rounds but now they're gonna change it. I don't think they're gonna change it for my fight but they're gonna change it for future contracts or whatever. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): That's unfortunate because I think a fight like Sanchez-Ellenberger, a fight like you against Thiago Alves, those would be incredible five round fights. It seems like they dropped the ball there a little bit. Martin Kampmann: Yeah, I'll be honest. I really wanted to see two more rounds when I was watching the fight (between Sanchez and Ellenberger). I thought two more rounds would have been great and five rounds between me and Alves would be really cool. The only problem with it is it's two more rounds that you can get banged up and two more rounds you've got to improve your cardio for. It's definitely tough too. I would have definitely preferred to know more than two weeks in advance if I was fighting five rounds, though. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): I have one question about your last fight. It was really good to get a win. That was something you were really hoping to do after two tough decision losses in a row. You said that you were kind of disappointed with winning via decision, that you thought you could have got the finish. What I want to know is, what was it that you could have done against Story that would have helped you get the finish because I thought you put on a terrific performance? Martin Kampmann: Thank you very much but I really wanted to get the finish because I was tired of getting stricken by the judges. I feel the judges don't see my way and even when the decision against Story got announced, one of the judges had it for Story which was completely ridiculous. I don't know how come they don't seem to like me. I said that I was disappointed because I just really wanted to get that finish and I don't like decisions especially because they don't seem to get my way. I had his back in the last round so maybe I could have got that choke in but my arms were dead tired. They were heavy and I didn't have much left to squeeze with but maybe if I had a little more time. Maybe this, maybe that. I'm happy that I got the win but just disappointed I didn't get the finish. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): I know that the beginning of that fight, Story got some momentum going but once you shifted to being more technical with your striking and mixing in some takedowns, you really took over. Is it difficult to resist the urge to brawl when you're in a fight like that? Martin Kampmann: Yeah. Sometimes it's been my weakness in my past. I get hit with a good shot and I'm like, "Fuck this. I'm gonna hit you back!" and then I throw caution to the wind and start swinging. Sometimes it would go the right way for you and sometimes when you go in hot and start swinging and banging, you do get hit yourself too and that can put you in trouble. Also, I was fighting a little more cautious with Story. In the beginning, I got hit with some big shots that I shouldn't have been hit by but I got my composure back and I started being more methodical with my boxing and I also started mixing it up with some takedowns. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Something that I've got a question about. You're fighting in Australia for this event and I read something that Jay Hieron said he had to be CPR certified just to be in your corner. Is that correct? Martin Kampmann: Yeah, that's true. All my cornermen have ot have a CPR certificate. All the cornermen in Australia. That's a demand they have. It's kind of stupid because that's why they have doctors there for. I mean, you've just got to get that course done and then they'll be good. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Is there anything else kind of kooky about fighting in Australia that is special there that you have to get used to? Martin Kampmann: Ehh, there's some forms you have to fill out, a couple of things and of course I've got to get a work permit so I'm allowed to fight there because it's gonna be work and I'm gonna be taxed over there. There's a lot of smaller things when you fight overseas compared to fighting in the US which makes it a little bit more of a hassle. It's all good, though. It's just a little extra paperwork and UFC has got a bunch of people working on it and that's their whole job. Just take care of visa issues and medical issues and whatever. Actually, when I go out there, we have to do a blood test and physical one more time. Even though we already did it here in the US, all the fighters in Australia have to do it in the last week before the fight which is kind of extra. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Talking about this upcoming fight with Thiago Alves. I kind of see this as more of a technical battle between two of the best technical strikers in the welterweight division. Is that what you see too, at least in the stand-up portion? Martin Kampmann: Yeah, I think it's definitely going to be a hell of a fight. Thiago Alves is a hell of a striker and I think a lot of this fight is going to take place on the feet. I know Thiago has other skills, you see in his last fight he went for some takedowns and if he tries to take me down, I'll take him down and beat him up on the ground too but I'm expecting a lot of this fight to stay standing. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): If this fight stays standing, how much of a factor do you think your reach advantage will be? He doesn't have the longest arms for punches. Martin Kampmann: Yeah, I don't have the longest arms either but this is like the first fight where I fought a guy where he's got shorter arms than me so it's gonna be nice for a change to have a reach on an opponent but I don't think it'll be by much. I've got itty bitty T-Rex arms, you know? Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Whenever anybody fights Thiago Alves, I think one of the key things they have to worry about is those leg kicks. Is that just a spacing thing, a footwork thing that you'll have to work with in preparation for those? Martin Kampmann: Oh, he's definitely got some mean leg kicks. I've just got to check 'em because when you check them, it hurts the guy that's kicking too. That might hold him back a little bit. He's good at setting those leg kicks up with his hands and that's definitely something that I've been working on as well because otherwise you'll be walking out of that fight with sore legs if you walk out at all. I'm prepared for it, though. I'm prepared to counter those and I'm prepared to kick him right back. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You're debuting a weight-cut blog on your website. I was checking that out. Is that something you're doing to be more interactive with the fans, showing some preparation for a big fight like this? Martin Kampmann: Oh, it's something I started. People would ask me when I talked to them and they say, "How do you lose so much weight in such a short time? and blah, blah, blah," so I decided I'd document it and take a picture every week or so and update where my weight was at. I think I started at 195 at the start of my training camp and I was down to 185 and I think I took a picture this morning and I'm gonna upload it to my website. I don't know shit about the webpage stuff but I'll get it up there and people can follow it if they're interested. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): I was reading up on some of the interviews you've done before this fight and you said you think one of the biggest advantages you have over Alves is how much more well-rounded you are. He's a guy that's really good at keeping a fight standing if he wants it to, so how do you think you can utilize those extra well-rounded skills you have say on the ground or anything against him? Martin Kampmann: I'm not taking anything away from Alves. I think he's got good wrestling especially takedown defense. I think he's really hard to hold down. Even when he lost to Story, Story was taking him down and Alves was popping back up. I expect him to be really hard to hold down too. I'm prepared for that as well. That's why I'm saying that a lot of this fight is going to be standing but if I see an opportunity for a takedown, I'm going to take it and I'm going to beat him up on the ground too. I'm expecting a lot of this fight to stay standing. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): I usually try to avoid questions about training camps because they're cliche, but this caught my eye. There's been a bit of an exodus of coaches at Xtreme Couture. Gil Martinez, Robert Drysdale and Ron Frazier all left so has that been distracting at all while you're preparing for this big fight? Martin Kampmann: No, Gil Martinez and Ron Frazier left recently, but Robert Drysdale left a long time ago, a couple years ago I think. He left to go open up his own gym. I still go to Drysdale's as well. I didn't go as much for this camp but he's a great jiu-jitsu instructor. We've got Vinny [Magalhaes] at Xtreme Couture as well and he's a great jitsu instructor too. Like I said, I haven't been focusing that much on jiu-jitsu in a while because Alves is not much of a jiu-jitsu player. He's got good jiu-jitsu, but he usually just uses it to stay out of submissions and get back to his feet. His last fight, he did submit the other guy so I can't take nothing away from him. My primary coaches, I work mostly with Ray Sefo for my striking so it hasn't affecting me at all. The guys will be missed, but they had to do their own thing and do what's best for them. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): This is a really important fight between you and Thiago Alves especially with some of these big fights going on at 170 lately. How far up does a win put you in the welterweight division right now? Martin Kampmann: We'll see. I'll leave it up to the UFC but sometimes it's not only if you win, it's how you win. If you win in spectacular fashion, you can definitely get more momentum than if you have a boring fight. We've seen that before when the winner of Thiago Alves and Jon Fitch was promised a title shot and it was kind of a boring fight and they took a different route. You've definitely got to win in impressive fashion and you can sort of take a short cut. It definitely puts me closer. I'd love to fight GSP, of course he's out now and now Condit is the guy now. I had the pleasure of fighting him before and was lucky enough to get the win. Of course I'd love to fight him again and I know he'd love to fight me too and get that loss off his record but right now I've got to focus on Alves. I've got to beat him first and he's a tough guy too so that's where my focus is. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): In your opinion, do you think Carlos Condit should defend his title once before waiting say eight or nine months to fight Georges St. Pierre? Martin Kampmann: I'd just say it depends how long he's got to way for Georges. That's the "if" that nobody knows. I think that eight or nine months is a long time to wait so if it's eight or nine months, he can definitely take another fight, put a fight in between that but if it's only six months, then maybe he should wait. It's really up to Carlos Condit and it's up to the UFC and it also depends on Georges St. Pierre and how he's coming along with his injury. I've had that knee surgery. I've had that ACL and the LCL where they do open knee surgery too and it's tough, man. I was out for a long time and my knee, to be honest, it's tough to come back from not only physically but mentally as well. It's a mental barrier and for me, it took a while to be confident in my knee and not be scared of re-hurting it. We'll see when he'll be back and it's up to the UFC not Condit. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): My last question for you Martin. When you're picturing victory against Alves, what do you see? Martin Kampmann: I want to get the finish. I want to go in and I want to beat him up and I want to get the finish. I want to put a beating on Thiago Alves and that's what I'm going to do on March 3rd. (It'll be March 3rd in Australia, March 2nd in the US). Martin would like to thank the fans supporting him, his gym Xtreme Couture, his training partners, his sponsors Venum, The Gun Store and everybody else. You can follow him on twitter @MartinKampmann. So what do you think, Maniacs? Can Kampmann get back into contention if he can soundly beat Thiago Alves? Would you have any interest in a rematch with Carlos Condit if so? Sound off! If you'd like to listen to the audio of my interview with Kampmann, click here. (Interview starts at the 48:00 mark).

Posted in: fight, round, alve, kampmann, martin

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The UFC's first-ever flyweight bouts could each potentially go four rounds now that the promotion has instituted a "sudden victory" round in the case of a tie. MMAjunkie.com today confirmed the plans, which were first revealed by tourney participant Demetrious Johnson in an interview with TapouT Radio. However, an additional round will not be scheduled for the finals, which will utilize a five-round format to crown the UFC's first-ever 125-pound champion, MMAjunkie.com was told.

Posted in: ufc, round, victory round, victory rounds, tapout radio

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A DIFFERENT LEVELThere are MMA strikers. And then there are pure strikers.Cheick Kongo is a striker, one of the best in mixed martial arts. Mark Hunt is a pure striker, one of the best in the world.We use the phrase “world-class” way too much, when it comes to describing skills of a particular MMA fighter. There are very few world-class strikers in MMA. You can probably count them on one hand. Hunt is among them. That isn’t me going out on a limb. This guy is the former K-1 champion. For those who don’t know, K-1 is the top of the food chain, in terms of striking competitions. I’ll take the K-1 heavyweight champion over the heavyweight boxing champ any day.Hunt’s reaction after the fight says it all. He is a man of few words. He expected to win. He knows he is the best striker in the heavyweight division. Next question.I am struggling to think of another fighter in the UFC who has improved more in his late 30s than Hunt. He turns 38 in less than a month, and he is now on a three-fight winning streak after surviving a six-fight losing streak. Yes, you read that correctly. Mark Hunt lost six consecutive fights from 2006 to 2010. Approaching his 38th birthday, this is the best Mark Hunt that the world has ever seen. I can wait to see what’s next for the Super Samoan. I’d love to see him scrap with Pat Barry, by the way. That would be a standup fan’s dream matchup.HUH?Wow….I’m left speechless….or, as is the case here, wordless.Jake Shields DID NOT win every round against Yoshihiro Akiyama on Saturday night. Look, I don’t have a dog in this fight. It’s not like I have an Akiyama bias. If anything, I have a Shields bias – he is a great guy, a lot of fun to hang out with, and one of the true gentlemen in the sport. But he didn’t win all three rounds. Shields even admitted as much in his post-fight interview. This is yet another example of why we need to further educate the judges in our sport. That score was bizarre, absolutely bizarre.  For the record, I scored the fight 29-28 for Shields. I scored the first round for Akiyama. He controlled the action with effective aggression, landed several meaningful strikes, and put Shields on his back. Shields won the second, in my opinion, because he completely dominated the standup game. He didn’t land anything of consequence, but he kept touching his foe over and over. The third was easy to score. Shields almost finished it, and Akiyama should have lost a point for grabbing the fight two (or maybe even three) times.This was a fight where judges got it wrong and right at the same time. Shields won; just not every round.By the way, the fight proves to me that Akiyama should stay at welterweight. That is the best he has looked in the UFC, in my opinion. I’m less convinced that Shields should remain at welter. He seemed exhausted midway through the second round. Thus, I think the weight cut is too much for him at this point in his career. The “man weight” he has added in the last four or five years makes welterweight too difficult. I’d like to see Shields move up to middleweight and see what he can do. Sure, he needs to fix his striking deficiency, if he wants to compete with guys with great takedown defense. But I think that 185 pounds might be the best weight class for him at this point.“THE BARBARIAN” HAMMERS HIS WAY INTO CONTENTION People who suggest that a cornerman is irrelevant probably didn’t watch Tim Boetsch come back from oblivion to knock out Yushin Okami. Boestch got dominated in the first two rounds. Then, as he stood from his stool for the final stanza, his head cornerman, Matt Hume, said “You’ve just got to be super aggressive this round, son.” Translation: You are losing the fight and need a stoppage to win.Boetsch took those words to heart and obliterated Okami in the final round. It was one of the more impressive final round comebacks in recent memory. There was nothing in the first two rounds that suggested that Boetsch had any shot at winning. Instead, it seemed like just another routine unanimous decision for Okami, who is one of the most difficult riddles to solve in the middleweight division. Yet, “The Barbarian” refused to be denied, and he somehow found a hole in his foe’s game – defending the uppercut in the clinch. Okami had no answer, so he went to sleep.Boetsch didn’t just make himself relevant in the division. He is now an instant contender. How can I be so certain? In his last 23 Okami fights, only five men, including Boetsch, hold a victory over him. Anderson Silva. Rich Franklin. Chael Sonnen. Jake Shields. And Tim Boetsch. Yep, he is now legit.PETTIS GOES “SHIN TO CHIN”Joe Rogan is the best in the business. I’m going to take that one step farther. He is the best color man in any major sport. I said it. Flame away. I don’t care. I’ll still read the comments anyway. Rogan coined a phrase that I’m going to use again and again. Anthony Pettis went “shin to chin” with Joe Lauzon, resulting in the most spectacular high kick knockout of 2012 to date. For anyone who wasn’t a WEC fan back in the day, Pettis holds a win over Benson Henderson. Actually, it was more than a win. It was a win punctuated by a ninja kick that swiped the WEC lightweight championship from Henderson’s grasp. But for a hiccup against Clay Guida in his UFC debut, Pettis would have been fighting Frankie Edgar tonight, not Lauzon.Pettis is absolutely among the 155-pound Preferiti. It will be interesting to see what Dana White and Joe Silva have in store for him next. YAMAMOTO CONTINUES HIS RAPID FALLThere was a time, not that long ago, when purported hardcore fans and fan blogs searched for any reason to anoint a non-UFC fighter as the “best in the world.” In my opinion, it was their way of showing the message board world that they knew something that the rest of us supposedly didn’t. Sometimes those folks had it very wrong. Sometimes they didn’t.There is an argument that in 2005 those folks had it exactly right. Those were the days that many viewed Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto one of the very best fighters in the world, pound for pound. That year, he won an elite Japan-based lightweight tournament. He followed up a perfect 4-0 in 2005 with a four-second knockout of Kazuyuki Miyata in what remains one of the fastest knockouts in the history of the sport.Suffice to say, Yamamoto was a beast back then, and at a paltry 5’4, he was almost always fighting much bigger opponents. Yamamoto remained in the pound-for-pound discussion through 2007, racking up a total of 14 consecutive wins. But injuries and a long hiatus from the sport changed everything. Yamamoto has now lost five of his last six fights, including three in a row, despite dropping all the way to bantamweight. I’m not sure what has gone wrong with one of the most popular fighters in Asia. Maybe dropping a couple of fights in a row crushed his confidence? Maybe he is just on a stretch of bad luck? Maybe?If we are being honest with ourselves, Yamamoto is in very real danger of becoming just another opponent, if he doesn’t right the ship soon. Three straight losses in the UFC often results in a man to go find himself in a smaller promotion before returning to the bright lights of the Octagon. I don’t know if that fate awaits Yamamoto or not. Only Dana White can answer that question. What I do know is that a man who used to be viewed as one of the best is in the midst of a dramatic fall from grace.GOMI DOESN’T FOLLOW IN YAMAMOTO’S FOOTSTEPSEverything I said above about Yamamoto being a legend before ever coming to the UFC applies to Takanori Gomi as well. I’ll go so far as to say that he absolutely was the very best lightweight in the world when he was the reigning PRIDE Lightweight Champion. I don’t think there was any doubt about it.Like Yamamoto, Gomi fell on extremely hard times, though his struggles started half a year earlier, at the end of 2008. He dropped five of eight fights from November 2008 through September 2011. Riding a two-fight losing streak (both by stoppage) heading into UFC 144, Gomi needed a win as badly as anyone on the card. Mission accomplished. Well done, “Fireball Kid.” Well done.  The win certainly keeps him relevant in the UFC’s lightweight division. The living legend needs to do more in order to move into actual title contention, but he certainly is still relevant.

Posted in: fight, shield, round, ’t, yamamoto

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Of all the crazy fights that happened last night (Feb. 25, 2012) at UFC 144 in Saitama, Japan, only one of them had Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) commentator Joe Rogan marking out like a maniac, and that was the Middleweight match up between Tim Boetsch and Yushin Okami. Okami was coming off a failed attempt at the title and he looked sharp early on, crushing Boetsch over the course of the first two rounds as both Rogan and Goldberg were weaving a nice narrative of his brilliant response to the loss at the hands of Anderson Silva. But then Boetsch had to go and pull off by far the biggest comeback victory of 2012 thus far. So how did "The Barbarian" pull it off? And what happens next for both talented 185-pounders? Follow me after the jump for our Tim Boetsch vs. Yushin Okami UFC 144 post-fight review and analysis: Early on, it was the Yushin Okami show. "Thunder" danced around Boetsch, repeatedly scoring with jabs and straight punches which were not only landing, but they busted up the AMC Pankration fighter's face. Boetsch even admitted that one of the straight jabs even had him feeling woozy for a bit in his post-fight interview. If it wasn't bad enough that Boetsch was outstruck badly in the first round, the second round was even worse as Okami scored an early takedown and pummeled him with ground and pound for the majority of the five minute frame. He had now lost a round both via striking and grappling. While Boetsch did offer a few nice push kicks and front kicks, he wasn't really connecting with anything else and he knew it. Down two rounds to none, he knew he needed a finish, not just to stick to the gameplan and boy did he! "The Barbarian" came out a man possessed at the start of the third round, attacking Okami with a wide variety of strikes which included a beautiful head kick and a large volume of punches coming from different angles. Some of the strikes got through and stunned the former title challenger, and Boetsch poured it on, unloading with a flurry of blows along the fence and then putting a stamp on it by pinning Okami's head with his left hand while dishing out some of the most awkwardly brutal uppercuts of all time. The final uppercut sent Okami reeling to the canvas where Boetsch followed up with some ground and pound before the ref had seen enough. Seeing the first two rounds, you'd have never believed Tim Boetsch was capable of something like that, but thankfully his conditioning held up and he was able to catch Okami napping to score the improbable victory. For Yushin Okami, this loss has to be especially devastating. He was five minutes away from a dominant return performance to the Octagon and putting the loss to Anderson Silva behind him. His striking was better than ever, his grappling was on point and he looked terrific. He just couldn't finish the job. Hopefully, this loss isn't too discouraging as he was doing so many things right for the bout. Depending on how slowly the UFC wants to bring him back, I could see Okami facing anyone from Michael Bispoing, Demian Maia or Aaron Simpson next. For Tim Boetsch, that was exactly what someone needs to do when they're down on the cards. He was the paradigm of showcasing a sense of urgency and coming out with a mindset of "get the finish no matter what." Time and time again, we see fighters who are down on the cards just patiently follow the gameplan thinking things will magically turn around for them. It was refreshing to see someone throw caution to the wind because the gameplan wasn't working. Major props to Boetsch for stepping up when it mattered. With that huge victory, Boetsch has earned himself another top level opponent for his next fight. The timing could work out for him to battle Chris Weidman next. If that doesn't work out, perhaps Mark Munoz or the upcoming winner between Rousimar Palhares and Alan Belcher. It appears for now that "The Barbarian" is here to stay at 185 pounds. So what did you think, Maniacs? Did your jaws collectively hit the floor when Boetsch came out a man possessed in the third round? Where do you rank this fight in terms of best comebacks of all time? Sound off! For complete UFC 144 results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.

Posted in: ufc, round, boetsch, okami, yushin

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This FanPost was edited and promoted to the front page by Cory Braiterman Photo by Esther Lin via MMA Fighting I think the whole MMA community can unite in agreement that UFC 144 was a great card. I personally missed the Mizugaki fight and most of the Fukuda-Cantwell fight, but everything else that I saw, I liked. Correction, I LOVED it. The thing I liked more than the great knockouts, the back and forth fights, and the incredible comebacks was that there were so many upsets on this card. I don't pay attention to upsets betting-wise, but in terms of rankings... there were certainly more than usual. I personally love it when guys win and shake up the rankings, so let's take a look. Bantamweight - Unranked Chris Cariaso defeats #12 Takeya Mizugaki via Unanimous Decision. From what I understood, this was a decision most saw the other way, and Dana F. White gave Mizugaki his win bonus. That being said, the Bloody Elbow play-by-play noted that it was a 'close fight' after the first two rounds and they scored round 3 for Cariaso...so I feel Cariaso's upset is worth mentioning, even if it wasn't the best call by the judges. Middleweight - #23 Tim Boetsch defeats #3 Yushin Okami via Knockout. God bless Tim Boetsch for going for it like he did. Too often you see fighters down two rounds in a 3 round fight essentially stop trying to really change the fight in the 3rd. Boetsch was down two rounds, and had nothing to lose. He was either going to drop a decision or get finished. His only option for victory was to get a finish himself, and he came out in the 3rd, went for broke, and made it happen. Hats off to him. Heavyweight - #22 Mark Hunt defeats #12 Cheick Kongo via Knockout. Mark Hunt's MMA career is illustrated by a few high peaks and low valleys: He lost his first fight, followed it with a 5 fight winning streak, then suffered 6 straight losses and has now resurged with 3 straight victories. The fights that the UFC were contractually obligated to give him were his last chance to make something more of his MMA career, Hunt knew that and has risen to the occasion beautifully. Light Heavyweight - #16 Ryan Bader defeats #5 Quinton Jackson via Unanimous Decision. In all likelihood, Jackson's alleged knee injury which resulted in him eventually missing weight probably had an effect on his performance tonight. Would Rampage necessarily have won without the knee injury is anyone's guess, but Bader went out there and did what he needed to do for 3 rounds. Bader losing to Jon Jones is what almost everyone expected, him losing to Ortiz is what nobody expected. Everyone seemed to want to permanently write him off after the loss to Tito. 'He lost to Tito Ortiz, in 2011, he's THAT bad!' or 'He's the only guy to lose to Tito Ortiz since 2006!' were repeated often. I don't like using the 'oh he just got caught' excuse for upsets in MMA, or for any outcome...it seems to just write off what the winner did. But sometimes, one guy just happens to land the right punch on someone who would likely beat him 9/10 times. I didn't think it was fair to write him off completely just because of that loss. I love that he's shocked everyone by doing what nobody expected him to do and defeated Rampage. Lightweight - #4 Benson Henderson defeats #1 Frankie Edgar via Unanimous Decision. It wasn't a huge rankings upset, but it was an upset nonetheless. The fight was certainly competitive, but it felt to me like Henderson did enough to take the rounds he needed to win. I love this, people were quick to say that the WEC lightweight division was built with lower caliber fighters. Josh Thomson was quick to criticize journalists for putting Ben Henderson in the top 10 of the division. Well, now look at what has happened. You have the former(and lineal) WEC Lightweight champion becoming the UFC Lightweight champion, and his first challenger is likely going to be a rematch of a WEC Lightweight title fight with another former WEC lightweight champion in Anthony Pettis. I couldn't be happier, I'll leave you all with this: WEC NEVER DIE! Poll Which was the biggest upset of UFC 144? Bader over Rampage Bendo over Frankie Boetsch over Okami Hunt over Kongo Cariaso over Mizugaki   1 votes | Results

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, decision, wec

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The morning after the UFC Lightweight Title changed hands from Frankie Edgar to Ben Henderson at UFC 144, it is clear and cold and I'm bursting with things to say about the UFC return to Japan. It was a night in which pretty much all my picks were array and I didn't care even a little because the card was just that good. Seeing the UFC in Japan was a lot of fun, but to me this doesn't seem like a move the UFC is going to repeat any time soon. Historically big, American spectacles appearing in Japan have huge opening nights but after that have diminishing returns. There is certainly enough of a hardcore MMA fan base in Japan for the UFC to go back there maybe in a year or a year and half and do another solid show. But I don't expect a TUF Japan or any of the moves the UFC is making Brazil for several of reasons. But that doesn't mean we can enjoy and revel in what happened last night. So in no particular order here are thoughts and musings on UFC 144. Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar was a fun fight. I'm not sure what to make of Edgar on the feet, clearly he is an excellent offensive striker but he gets hit and hurt in every fight. It is going to catch up with him at some point his career, so I'd like to see Frankie work on ways to not get hit. Henderson did a wonderful job on the feet, a place many people thought he would get worked over, and also Henderson's cardio looked excellent. In WEC title fights, Henderson slowed down in later rounds, but not the case tonight, he looked ready for seven rounds (hint, hint UFC). Tim Boetsch's come back was awesome. In that third round Boetsch did what so fighters do when they are down 2-0, he came out like a madman looking to win or be carried out on his shield. He used the most interesting delivery position for uppercuts I think I've ever seen and it clearly generated power as Okami's lights went out. And I'm fairly sure Joe Rogan's mind got blown right in front of his face. On a side note, before that third round Okami looked outstanding. He was moving well, jabbing well and was in clear control of the fight. The only thing I'd like to see from him was maybe more takedowns as he made his bones as a ground-and-pound specialist and seemed to get away from that somewhat. Speaking of absolute blitzes, Takanori Gomi. The Fireball Kid had a vintage stoppage over an underplayed Japanese MMA veteran Eiji Mitsuoka. That said, the first round was more a modern Gomi performance than a classic, as Gomi looked awful. It was a very fun fight and awesome finish but I don't think Gomi can be tossed back in with the sharks at Lightweight. Speaking of looking both good and bad in the same fight, Yoshihiro Akiyama. He looked very good in his fight in the sense of his movement, his cardio and two really nice takedowns. But Akiyama did not do much of anything in his fight as Jake Shields out-landed him more than 2-to-1. I saw some scorecards for Akiyama, and I think that could be a product of Akiyama exceeding lowered expectations and stopping Shields takedowns. He kept the fight standing but then did nothing in a phase of the fight he should have had the advantage. Then again does anyone love the irony that a Cesar Gracie fighter just won a fight with superficial, volume strikes? Rampage's showing was just sad. I'll withhold judgment, there might have had a legitimate injury because despite his reputation for not training as diligently as he should, Rampage has always been fairly professional when it comes to making weight. And this fight cannot be blamed on Rampage's weight, the fact of the matter is Rampage only has one range he can fight at, in close where he can land hooks and upper cuts. But Rampage makes no attempts to close distance, he stands on the outside and waits for his opponent to come in to get punched and as a result Rampage only landed 30 strikes last night. When Rampage was a beast of the Light Heavyweight Division he was taking guys down and beating them up on the ground. Mark Hunt is on a three fight winning streak in the UFC. And that was an awesome KO win over a pretty durable Heavyweight in Kongo. Matt Mitrione seems like a decent matchup for Hunt going forward. This fight put the cherry on top of Gomi's wins for all my Pride fan friends and made this their favorite for years to come. Cardio all around looked quite good tonight. Benson Henderson, while never having serious issues with his gas tank, looked very fresh after five rounds. Akiyama, who has had lots of trouble with cardio, looked pretty solid through three rounds, as did Ryan Bader a notorious gasser. I think for both Akiyama and Bsader the difference was they lost quite of bit of muscle bulk, which looks great on the beach but about half way through the second round because just extra weight. SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson Anthony Pettis looked like a beast. He set up that head kick wonderfully and Pettis put some hard shots on Lauzon after he had dropped him. I can't wait to see Pettis get in the cage again and all signs point to a title fight rematch with Henderson which, in my opinion, is a must for a Fox card. Vaughan Lee's triangle to armbar from guard on Kid Yamamoto made me happy. I love good guard play and armbars from the back are so rare these days. It was a great job by Lee to attack when he had a dazed Kid in his guard and not let him recover. Stinks that it had to happen to Yamamoto, but still an awesome submission. Hatsu Hioki looked excellent. I want to see this guy in with Jose Aldo, I don't know if Hioki will be able to win but I think he represents the best chance to submit Aldo at Featherweight. Steve Cantwell is still young, but maybe Strikeforce or Bellator is the place for him. His skills have just not come together and the UFC is clearly not the place for him to learn on the job. Tiequan Zhang does not appear to be a UFC level fighter, but we've known this for some time. He has a nice Guillotine Choke, but he needs to train in the States and a week at Xtreme Couture isn't going to cut it. There just isn't enough MMA in China right now to produce elite, well-rounded fighters. The crowd there was awesome. Yeah they booed a little at times, but gotta love a crowd with that much appreciation for technique and strategy. Rogan and Goldberg had an off night last night, and it was bad at times. But jet lag isn't just something that effects fighters and I think that might have some role in a lot of the poor commentary last night. Props to Joe Rogan though for walking back his greatest upset ever comment. Sure Frankie Edgar's KO over Maynard is up there but what about Brock Lesnar's arm triangle on Shane Carwin after getting almost KOed in round 1. Or, gee I don't know, Anderson Silva's epic triangle armbar over Chael Sonnen just seconds before Sonnen would claim the belt. UFC 144 Results: Ben Henderson And Anthony Pettis Ready For Rematch - Nate Wilcox UFC 144: Edgar Vs. Henderson Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Brent Brookhouse UFC 144 Results: Dana White Says Anthony Pettis Will 'Likely' Get Next UFC Lightweight Title Shot - Bloody Elbow UFC 144 Post-Fight Press Conference Video UFC Japan Video: Georges St. Pierre Gets Attacked By A Mob Of Kids With Samurai Foam Swords - Bloody Elbow Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 139: UFC 144 Results Review UFC 144 Results: Ryan Bader Dominates Rampage Jackson To Decision - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Mark Hunt Knocks Out Cheick Kongo In The First Round - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Jake Shields Wins Hard Fought Decision Over Yoshihiro Akiyama - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Tim Boetsch Upsets Yushin Okami In The Third Round - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Post-Fight Press Conference Video UFC 144 Results: Hatsu Hioki Defeats Bart Palaszewski By Unanimous Decision - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Anthony Pettis Knocks Out Joe Lauzon In The First Round - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Takanori Gomi Stops Eiji Mitsuoka In The Second - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Vaughan Lee Submits Kid Yamamoto With An Armbar - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Riki Fukuda Dominates Steve Cantwell To Decision - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Chris Cariaso Defeats Takeya Mizugaki By Unanimous Decision - Matthew Roth UFC 144 Results: Issei Tamura Knocks Out Tiequan Zhang - Matthew Roth

Posted in: ufc, fight, result, round, matthew

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Ah, controversy. It wouldn't be a memorable night of mixed martial arts (MMA) without it. Last night (Feb. 25, 2012) at UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, was no exception. In the main event of the evening, Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson put on a thrilling back-and-forth, five-round fight that was exciting to watch, but difficult to score. Edgar -- the Lightweight champion coming into the night -- used movement and quick strikes to score points, while Henderson leveraged power and creativity to do the same. If there was a post-fight beauty contest, Henderson would have won hands down -- it didn't look like he had a scratch on him. Edgar, meanwhile, appeared as though he was stuffed through a meat grinder, with his eye swollen shut and nose likely busted thanks to a "Smooth" heal to the schnoz. The ringside judges, fortunately, score fights based on what happens inside the cage, not what the fighters look like when all is said and done. Regardless, in this case, the trio sided with Henderson, awarding him a unanimous decision. One that was apparently controversial, with fans, fighters and even Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White thinking the judges got it wrong. White explains his difference of opinion after the jump (via MMAFighting.com): "Again, I'm not a judge and my opinion doesn't matter but I had it even going into that last round and I gave the last round to Frankie. (Four rounds to one for Ben Henderson) is crazy. Most of the judges had (Edgar) losing the last round, I don't know how you have him losing the last round. But I was on Twitter going into the third, fourth and last round asking people how they had it and there were some people who had it just like I had it and there were other people who had it the other way for Henderson. I said, 'Get ready for some controversy, this is going to be a controversial decision.'" It's a hot topic for debate, one which will seemingly never be put to rest. Henderson clearly did more damage and created more fight-ending opportunities. On the flip side, Edgar caught kicks, flicked punches and slipped shots. He also attempted, and secured, more takedowns ... even though he didn't do much with them, just like his strikes. Damage vs. Volume, one that UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, among others, feels that "Volume" wins -- at least last night -- by a "landslide:" "I’m not a judge, but I had the fight even going into the last round and I gave the last round to Frankie. Joe Silva had this scored for Frankie by a landslide, as well. But a lot of judges score on damage and Henderson didn’t have the damage. There wasn’t any question where the damage was done. I’ve got nothing but respect for Henderson, look at what he did tonight. I’m not going to make a decision about the rematch right now." That's an extreme view, considering that the FightMetric stats actually affirmed the judges collective decision -- Henderson scored more in the striking across the board, save for leg strikes. Then again, perhaps perception really is reality, especially when many feel it's required for a challenger to beat the champion definitively to get the nod. Where do you stand? For more on the controversial UFC 144 main event between Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson click here.

Posted in: round, judge, henderson, edgar, frankie

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When Anthony Pettis unveiled his famous "Showtime Kick" to seal a victory over Ben Henderson for the World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight title in 2010, we knew we had witnessed a great fight. As it turns out, the fight was even greater than we realized. At the time, we knew Pettis vs. Henderson was wildly entertaining, but we didn't know just how good those two guys were. The WEC's lightweight division was widely regarded as second-rate, and few MMA fans thought the lightweights in the WEC could compete at the upper levels of the UFC. Now we know better, as Henderson just beat Frankie Edgar for the UFC lightweight belt at UFC 144, and Pettis got the pay-per-view show started with a sensational knockout of Joe Lauzon. Now it's time to book a Henderson-Pettis rematch for the UFC lightweight title. Some will say Pettis doesn't deserve a UFC lightweight title shot because he was already declared the No. 1 contender once before, and lost that status when he lost to Clay Guida. But Pettis got a bad break when he didn't get the title shot that was promised to him upon his entry to the UFC, and there's no better time than now to rectify that. UFC President Dana White said after Saturday night's fights that he plans to give Pettis the first crack at Henderson's belt, and I believe that's the right call. The first Pettis-Henderson bout was sensational, and if we get 25 more minutes of that kind of action, no fan will complain. The rapidly changing face of the UFC lightweight division could be perilous for the promotion, as neither Henderson nor Pettis has proven to be a pay-per-view draw. I'd love to see the UFC put the Henderson-Pettis title fight on FOX in August, as a way to give major exposure to its two young lightweights who have the potential to develop into stars, but Henderson-Pettis 2 is a fight that's certainly worthy of pay-per-view. This fight is going to be great. UFC 144 Notes -- Memo to every fighter who ever falls behind two rounds to none: What Tim Boetsch did at the start of the third round against Yushin Okami is exactly what you're supposed to do. You're supposed to go for broke and come out swinging. Too many fighters who know they're down 2-0 at the start of the third round don't go for a finish. Boetsch knew he had to finish the fight, and that's exactly what he did. -- Rampage Jackson looked as bad as he's ever looked against Ryan Bader, and he hasn't really looked good in a fight since he knocked out Wanderlei Silva in 2008. His wins since then were decisions against Keith Jardine, Lyoto Machida and Matt Hamill, none of which was particularly impressive. Rampage says a knee injury was to blame for his lackluster performance, but even if he returns to 100 percent health, I don't think we're ever going to see Rampage as a light heavyweight title contender again. -- The UFC's one-minute introduction to its pay-per-view broadcast, a tribute to martial arts in Japan, was great. Much, much better than the longtime gladiator opening. I also like the way the UFC is incorporating more statistics into its broadcast, but it's important for Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg to remind viewers that simply landing more strikes isn't the way to win a fight. Effective striking is more important than high-volume striking. -- A lot of people disagreed with the judges who gave Chris Cariaso a unanimous decision victory over Takeya Mizugaki, but one thing that must be said for Cariaso is that he's a prime candidate to move down from bantamweight to flyweight, now that the UFC has started up a 125-pound class. Cariaso was giving up four inches of height to Mizugaki, and at flyweight he won't be at such a disadvantage. If he does move down to 125, he's a fighter worth keeping an eye on. UFC 144 Quotes -- "It's a dream come true. Being in the UFC is a dream come true. Fighting in Japan, fighting one of my favorite fighters of all time, Kid Yamamoto, a legend, I'm just the happiest person in the world right now."--Vaughan Lee after beating Kid Yamamoto. -- "All I can say is I am disappointed. I really, really wanted to win in Japan."--Kid Yamamoto after losing to Vaughan Lee. -- "I knew less than a knockout or finish would win that fight for me. Yushin was beating me up for two rounds. But my heart was in it, I knew I could take him out if I just stuck with what I train to do. You see what happens if you do what you train to do."--Tim Boetsch after his great comeback win. --"You've got to win this last round for sure. I think you won that round."--Gilbert Melendez, telling Jake Shields in his corner that the fight was tied heading into the third round. In reality, Shields had won the first two rounds and would also win the third, but Melendez did the right thing. It's better for a cornerman to tell a fighter he needs to win the round than to tell him to coast. Good Call Although it looked a little awkward, referee Marc Goddard handled it exactly right when Yoshihiro Akiyama's mouthpiece came out against Jake Shields. Goddard stepped between the fighters quickly and handed Akiyama his mouthpiece back, but didn't take the time to rinse the mouthpiece off, which could have given Akiyama an unfair advantage by giving him extra time. Akiyama fumbled his mouthpiece briefly and it took a few seconds longer to get the fight restarted, but Goddard handled the situation appropriately. Bad Call It only took referee Herb Dean a couple of minutes into the first round of the first fight to make a bad call, standing up Issei Tamura even though he had a dominant position and was hammering Zhang Tiequan with punches on the ground. Dean's stand-up was totally unnecessary and continued a rough run for Dean, who has made far too many bad calls recently. Stock Up Riki Fukuda returned to the Octagon after a year off following his close decision loss to Nick Ring in his UFC debut, and he looked great in beating Steve Cantwell. I love Fukuda's punching combinations, the way he changes levels and mixes in uppercuts -- Cantwell had no answer for it. Stock Down Zhang Tiequan is the only Chinese fighter Zuffa has ever signed, and the company carefully brought him along in the hopes that he could win some fights and grow the promotion's presence in Asia. But it just isn't happening. Zhang didn't look good at all in his second-round knockout loss to Issei Tamura. If Zhang keeps his job in the UFC it will solely be because of the importance of the Chinese market, and not because Zhang is good enough. He's not. Fight I Want to See Next Anthony Pettis vs. Ben Henderson. Let's do this.

Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, round, petti

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UFC 144 took place in Saitama, Japan Saturday night and the card did not disappoint. In the main event, Ben Henderson put his full set of skills on display to defeat the now former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar in a fantastic fight. Also on the card, light heavyweight Ryan Bader was victorious over Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in the co-main event while Mark Hunt, Jake Shields, Tim Boetsch, Hatsu Hioki, and Anthony Pettis were all victorious. MAIN CARD (PPV) Ben Henderson def. Frankie Edgar via unanimous decision (49-46,48-47,49-46) UFC Lightweight Championship Ryan Bader def. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson via unanimous decision (30-27,30-27,30-27) Mark Hunt def. Cheick Kongo via TKO (strikes) at 2:11 of Round 1 Jake Shields defeats Yoshihiro Akiyama via unanimous decision (30-27,30-27,30-27) Tim Boetsch def. Yushin Okami via TKO (strikes) at :54 of Round 3 Hatsu Hioki defeats Bart Palaszewski via unanimous decision (30-27,29-28,29-28) Anthony Pettis def. Joe Lauzon via KO (head kick) at 1:21 of Round 1 PRELIMINARY CARD (FX) Takanori Gomi def. Eiji Mitsuoka via TKO (strikes) at 2:21 of Round 2 Vaughn Lee def. Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto via submission (armbar) at 4:29 of Round 1 Riki Fukuda def. Steve Cantwell via unanimous decision (29-28,30-27,30-27) Chris Cariaso def. Takeya Mizugaki via unanimous decision (29-28,29-28,29-28) (Facebook) Issei Tamura def. Tiequan Zhang via KO (punch) at 0:32 of Round 2  

Posted in: round, decision, card, defeat, tko strikes

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And we open with the Rogan/White screamfest into BRINGTHEPAINSNOICANTEVENTYPETHESELYRICSFMLKONICHIWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! Thank you, Bruce Buffer. WE AAAAAAAAAAARE LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVEShowtime vs J-Lau top opens us up, and we've got a small standup feeling each other out process... Joe with a right punch and PETTIS CLEAN KTFO'S HIM WITH A LEFT HIGH KICK! GOODNIGHT, IRENE! BIG KABOSH! LOUD NOISES! ETC! Yup, sorry to Issei Tamura, but Anthony Pettis just took your Knockout of the Night bonus.Hioki vs Palaszewski also started off slow in round one, but Bart got stunned with a straight jab, and Hioki jumped all over him. The rest of the round was Bart surviving the creative grappling of Hioki - in that last two and change minutes, he survived an armbar, omoplata, rear-naked choke, mounted triangle and I think something else that I can't even remember. That's reeeeeaaally close to a 10-8. The second started off much better for Bart, as he spent most of the round on the feet. He landed a number of 1-2's, got some good high-kicks, and avoided most of the hands and feet of Hioki. Bart ate a solid low-blow and managed to shrug it off and continue accumulating points. Hioki got a late takedown at the last second, but I don't think it was enough to overcome Bart's crispness on the feet. In the third, Hioki landed a quick takedown and spent 3 minutes on his back before turning over and giving UP his back. Hioki threatened with the RNC for most of the rest of the round and took the solid decision from a game Palaszewski. No 10-8 for the first, which is kind of ridiculous. Hioki landed something like 10 strikes to every one from Palaszewski (I hate typing that name), had the takedown, controlled for minutes and attempted like five submissions. So much variance. Thunder vs Barbarian now, and as I predicted in the Predictions post, "I now feel thoroughly confident in examining his game and predicting that he’s going to outstrike Boetsch on the feet and earn another decision win." Okami spent the first round mostly jabbing the hell out of Boetsch, cutting him up on both sides of his face, throwing powerful kicks and taking the 10-9 in my opinion. Not really much to say about the second round other than Okami did what Okami does. He punched hard, landed the takedown and was in top control for the remainder of the round. In between the 2nd and 3rd rounds, Tim Boetsch's cornerman, Matt Hume, told him that he had to go for broke and try and finish it. He wasn't kidding, as he was easily losing the fight. Redneck Judo heeded the call and started firing away with huge power shots. About 10 seconds into the round, one of them landed and Timmeh kept up the pressure with huge uppercuts, hooks and occasional high kicks. About 20 huge shots later, Yushin slumped to the canvas from some huge uppercuts and Tim followed up with with mostly unnecessary shots to get the TKO win. Fight of the night?Akiymama vs Shields up next and we've got Andrea Bocelli vs Rage Against the Machine in the entrance music battle. Class vs rock n' roll. Close first round, Shields tried to take Akiyama down multiple times and only succeeded with a falling low single that Akiyama stood right back from. Shields landed a number of non-power punches and some nice body kicks, but Akiyama got the takedown late so who knows how that's going to get scored. In the second, Akiyama landed a nice spinning backfist and again stuffed every one of Shields' attempts. Goldberg points out that Shields is landing the volume of strikes, so again, we'll see how this turns out. Halfway through the first, and Akiyama is stalking Shields despite not being very successful with his striking attempts. Yoshi got a really nice low kick, and doesn't seem to respect what Shields is trying to do. Never mind, very nice judo toss, but Shields popped right back up. Another close round that I'm not sure how to score. Broken record time - failed takedown attempts from Shields, amazing defense from Akiyama, more low-power shots from Shields. Akiyama hit a nice uppercut, stuffed a double and reversed Shields up against the cage and landed a few good body shots against the fence. Lotta hugging against the cage, and Shields finally got a takedown. After Akiyama grabbed the fence a couple times (with no point deduction!), Jake got back control, but there wasn't enough time left to end it. Not sure, but I think I score this 29-28 Shields. Wow... 30-27 Shields? I don't agree with that, but Jake won regardless.Before the Cup-Check/Super Samoan fight, Goldberg busted Rogan's balls about the "GREATEST COMEBACK IN THE HISTORY OF THE UFC" line, bringing up Kongo's win against Barry, and Rogan busted back with the "While you were in the bathroom, I already backtracked. Take a drink, world."AND MARK HUNT SHOWS WHAT WORLD CLASS STRIKING IS! SUCK IT JACK SLACK! MARK HUNT IS IN THE MIX AND IT IS 2012! THE MAYANS WERE RIGHT!Co-Main time as Bader walked out to a great version of the Imperial March, while Rampage trumps him with the PRIDE opening music. Yea, entrance songs of the night from this fight. Bader took round one with quality in and out and avoiding the counters of Jackson. Rampage looked a bit hesitant and was working to figure out the timing. In the second, 'Page backed up Bader into the fence and caught a knee and BUSTED OUT SLAMPAGE BY DUMPING DARTH ON HIS HEAD! Bader landed awkwardly on his shoulder, but seemed ok. Page landed some other good shots, but Bader surived and got a takedown, where he worked ground and pound for a good minute and change. Bader managed to return the slam favor and ended the round in Rampage's guard. Rampage avoided the first couple of takedowns from Bader in the third, but eventually Ryan got it and landed some solid damage from side control for a couple of mintues. Rampage really has nothing offensive from his back, and was unable to get up from under Darth. This crowd is actively booing here and I'm kind of shocked. I'm guessing the high number of foreigners? Tony Loiseleur confirmed this anecdotaly on Twitter, as he said the boos started in English-speaking pockets of the crowds This is a good night for Bader tonight, not only did he get 20% of Rampage's purse - something like $50,000 - but his show money, win money and a win over Quinton Jackson. Very impressive.Frank's walkout music of Biggie - Kick In the Door KO's Ben's rap version of "Our God Is An Awesome God" with one punch. Man that was a squash.Edgar looking good at the start - he caught a kick from Bendo and ducked an awesome enziguri attempt from Bendo. He landed a nice takedown, but let Ben up. Frank caught another kick and used the opportunity to land a few strikes. This is a lot of what I expected so far - Bendo not throwing power hand strikes, but attempting a lot of solid body kicks. Bendo I think takes the first perhaps based on the strength of the kicks despite the takedowns from Frank? Solid right from Bendo, despite Frank catching his body kicks. Ben's balance is great - every time Frank catches the kick, he just stands on one foot and throws more strikes. Frank just seems to be having trouble with the kicking of Ben. He hasn't been able to really get comfortable on the feet, so Frank took Ben down again. He did some great ground and pound, but then ate an ENORMOUS upkick that broke his nose. He insta-started gushing and Ben got on top and landed a couple nice power shots to end the round. That said, now that Frank's busted up, that's when he gets better, so let's see what happens now. A couple of minutes into the round, and indeed it looks like this is Frank's best round. Just as I typed that, he slipped in a scramble and got his back taken. He immediately got up without too much damage, but that scored for Ben. Henderson has improved his foot movement and defensive boxing pretty well - Frank isn't able to score on the feet like he did against Gray or BJ. A slightly slower round four so far, as they pick and peck on the feet for a while. Frank ate a big groin shot and took a minute to breathe. Frank went for a takedown and got caught in a guillotine. He managed to become possibly the first person to escape a Bendo guillotine, but he still didn't get in any effective offense. Pretty sure this round goes to Bendo, and I have it three rounds to one for Henderson so far. I think Frank's having a decent round here, he landed some good shots and knocked him down as well, but I just don't see that his offense is enough to take this. Ben ended on top after ragdolling Frank on a guillotine attempt. Well, we'll find out in a minute... Either way, this was a great, great fight for Japan, they have to be loving this warrior spirit that's been a key talking point all week. Yup, Ben wins the close decision. Heh, he gave good credit to Donald Cerrone on the upkick, remembering that he got caught with it as well. Great, great card. Top to bottom, great card for Japan.

Posted in: shield, takedown, round, ben, shot

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The UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" pay-per-view going down last night (Sat., Feb. 25, 2012) in Japan culminated with a thrilling main event lightweight championship showdown pitting titleholder Frankie Edgar putting his belt up for grabs against Ben Henderson. It had all the makings of a battle for the ages. Both men both well known for their propensity to battle through adversity and find a way to win close fights, both nearly impossible to finish. So who would wilt? As it turns out, neither man. Both fought valiantly until the very end, all five rounds and 25 minutes they were contracted to. When the final horn sounded, no one was sure who won. Until Bruce Buffer read the scorecards, of course, and announced to the world that Ben Henderson had dethroned the lightweight king to win the 155-pound title. It was close and scores will vary around the MMA world. Immediate rematch anyone? Henderson opened the fight throwing kicks, one of which Edgar caught. So what did "Bendo" do about it? He attempted a freaking Enzuiguri. If you don't know what that is, it was Henderson launching a head kick with his free leg while Edgar held the other one. He missed but it looked incredible. The rest of the round played out in a manner befitting how close a fight many thought it would be. They exchanged kicks and punches with neither taking the advantage. Takedowns happened, sure, but guys popped right back up. It was very close to say the least. The second round was exactly the same, though Edgar landed a late takedown. It looked like that would score the round for him, too, until Henderson landed an upkick straight to "The Answer's" nose that had him squirting blood like a leaky faucet. After two, it was still close. Henderson stayed aggressive in the third, scoring shots and even landing a takedown or two. He looked as fresh as could be, not a mark on him, while Edgar's nose continued bleeding and his eye closed up more and more. He was still bouncing around the cage, though, always moving. He was also landing a few punches of his own, keeping it close. Not only that, he made sure to get a late takedown just to score some more. That's three rounds, still extremely close. Round four saw much of the same action. In and out with punches and kicks, many times too close to call comfortably. At one point, "Smooth" locked on a tight guillotine but Edgar slipped out. More punches and kicks and more unease through the mixed martial arts world on who the hell was winning. The final round opened with both men looking to throw hard. It was Edgar who landed with a big shot first, tagging Henderson with a strong left hand that stopped "Bendo" short. They continued trading shots, neither man backing down. Henderson went to his ass at one point but that may have been a slip. As the bout came to a close, Henderson landed blows from top and the Japanese crowd exploded with glee. It was a great fight between two awesome competitors. How did you score it, Maniacs? Remember, too, to check out all our UFC 144 fight night coverage with blow-by-blow of all the night's action by clicking here.

Posted in: fight, round, henderson, punch, edgar

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The UFC has a new lightweight champion. Ben Henderson defeated Frankie Edgar by unanimous decision in the main event at UFC 144, taking the lightweight belt. It was a tremendous performance by Henderson, who came in with a great game plan heavy on kicks to the body and executed that game plan well. Henderson showed he was bigger and stronger than Edgar and showed that he had more than enough gas to last 25 minutes with the champion. Two judges scored it 49-46 and one scored it 48-47. And now the UFC belt is around Henderson's waist. Things got interesting early as Edgar caught a Henderson kick and held him by one foot in a takedown attempt, only to have Henderson throw a head kick with his other foot. Henderson kept throwing kicks throughout the first round, and Edgar threw a few as well. Edgar also moved in and out with punches, but a Henderson punch gave Edgar a black eye. Edgar got the better of the brief grappling exchanges, but Henderson got the better of the striking. More fast-paced striking exchanges ensued in the second round, with Edgar catching more Henderson kicks and Edgar also taking Henderson down a couple of times. Edgar's takedown late in the second round appeared to have Henderson in trouble, but Henderson completely changed things with an upkick to Edgar's nose, followed by a choke attempt. Henderson probably took the round because of what he did in the final seconds. Henderson continued hurting Edgar with strikes in the third round, but Edgar wouldn't quit and kept on attacking, and he took Henderson down at the end of the round. Henderson probably won the third round, but it was close. Midway through the fourth round Henderson had Edgar in his guard and attempted a guillotine choke, and although he wasn't able to finish it, Henderson controlled the fourth and appeared to be taking control of the fight. In the fifth round Henderson hammered away at the bloodied and bruised face of Edgar, and although Edgar wouldn't quit, it was clear in the end who had won: Henderson fought like a champion.

Posted in: round, henderson, edgar, game plan, round henderson

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UFC 144 took place in front of an excited crowd at the Saitama Super Arena Saitama, Japan. Fighters Jake Shields, Tim Boetsch, Hatsu Hioki, and Anthony Pettis all picked up big wins on the PPV card. Be sure to check out our full UFC 144 coverage including play-by-play, bonuses, and recap of the preliminary card. Shields outpoints Akiyama in close fight Despite some beautiful throws in front of his home crowd Saturday night (or Sunday morning locally), Yoshihiro Akiyama was out-pointed by former number one contender Jake Shields. While Shields did not do much damage with his strikes, his activity made up for it against Akiyama. Akiyama hit beautiful throws in both the first and second rounds but his inability to follow up and lack of striking numbers hindered his chances of winning. One reason Akiyama was unable to settle in against Shields was Shields relentless takedown attempts set up off his strikes. With Akiyama being forced to keep his hands busy with blocking Shields, he was unable to attack with them. Shields relentlessness was rewarded in the the third as Akiyama missed a trip and found himself in a precarious position as Shields took his back to end the fight. The win stopped Shields losing streak at two and extended Akiyama’s losing streak to four. Boetsch roars back to steal victory from Okami For two rounds, Yushin Okami did everything right in his dismantling of Tim Boetsch. That however, proved to not be enough against Boetsch as the American left the Japanese crowd stunned with a technical knockout of the hometown fighter. Boetsch entered the third round way behind the scorecards and rather than yield the fight he heeded the advice of corner and laid it all on the line. He stunned Okami in the opening minute of the round and sent the former number one contender reeling with a barrage of powerful strikes that eventually sent the Japanese fighter to the canvas. With the win, Boetsch remained undefeated in the UFC middleweight division. The loss marked the first time in Okami’s career that he has lost two in a row. While Okami looked fantastic the majority of the fight, his letdown in the third left both him and the crowd stunned and disappointed. Hioki puts on grappling clinic against Palaszewski After a disappointing showing in his UFC debut against George Roop, Hatsu Hioki put on an incredible display of MMA as he handled Bart Palaszewski. While the fight was relatively close on their feet, when the fight hit the ground Palaszewski was constantly scrambling to avoid being finished. Hioki made the BJJ blackbelt expend a ton of energy defending submission attempts and superior passing attempts the whole fight. With the win, expect Hioki to likely be named a challenger for UFC featherweight champion Jose Also. Pettis blasts Lauzon In a somewhat fitting moment, Anthony Pettis kicked off (no pun intended) the UFC 144 card with a devastating knockout of Joe Lauzon. Pettis caught Lauzon looking for a legkick and rocked the Brockton fighter unconscious with a wicked headkick. Pettis will likely now go from the opening fight to the main event in his next fight as he is expected to be the next challenger for his WEC 53 opponent, and new UFC lightweight champion, Ben Henderson. Quick Results: MAIN CARD (PPV) Ben Henderson def. Frankie Edgar via unanimous decision (49-46,48-47,49-46) UFC Lightweight Championship Ryan Bader def. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson via unanimous decision (30-27,30-27,30-27) Mark Hunt def. Cheick Kongo via TKO (strikes) at 2:11 of Round 1 Jake Shields defeats Yoshihiro Akiyama via unanimous decision (30-27,30-27,30-27) Tim Boetsch def. Yushin Okami via TKO (strikes) at :54 of Round 3 Hatsu Hioki defeats Bart Palaszewski via unanimous decision (30-27,29-28,29-28) Anthony Pettis def. Joe Lauzon via KO (head kick) at 1:21 of Round 1 PRELIMINARY CARD (FX) Takanori Gomi def. Eiji Mitsuoka via TKO (strikes) at 2:21 of Round 2 Vaughn Lee def. Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto via submission (armbar) at 4:29 of Round 1 Riki Fukuda def. Steve Cantwell via unanimous decision (29-28,30-27,30-27) Chris Cariaso def. Takeya Mizugaki via unanimous decision (29-28,29-28,29-28) (Facebook) Issei Tamura def. Tiequan Zhang via KO (punch) at 0:32 of Round 2

Posted in: fight, shield, round, boetsch, akiyama

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SAITAMA -- This is the UFC 144 live blog for Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson, the main event of tonight's UFC pay-per-view from the Saitama Super Arena. Edgar (14-1-1) retained his title last October by knocking out Gray Maynard in their third encounter. Henderson (15-2) went undefeated in 2011, earning decisions over Mark Bocek, Jim Miller and Clay Guida. Follow the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC 144 Results | Latest UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Round 4: Round 5:

Posted in: ufc, round, henderson, blog, clay guida

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Rampage Jackson came in five pounds overweight and looked doughy at Friday's weigh-ins, and Saturday night he looked even worse: Ryan Bader easily beat Jackson by unanimous decision at UFC 144. It was the worst Rampage has looked in a long, long time: He didn't get blown out the way he did in his last fight, a loss to Jon Jones, but at least in that fight he appeared to be in shape and ready to go. This time he just didn't have anything in him, and Bader dominated him. All three judges scored it 30-27 for Bader. Bader looked good in the first round, getting the better of the stand-up exchanges and controlling Jackson in the clinch. Jackson looked tentative and tired, and Bader looked confident. At the start of the second Bader looked good as well, although Jackson turned things around with a big slam, picking Bader up and dropping him head-first on the ground. But Bader recovered nicely, took Jackson down and got on top of him on the ground. From there Bader dominated the rest of the round, and although Jackson's slam was the most dramatic thing that happened in the second round, it was another round for Bader. In the third round Bader executed a beautiful takedown into side control and dominated the fight on the ground, grinding out an easy decision.

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SAITAMA -- This is the UFC 144 live blog for Rampage Jackson vs. Ryan Bader, a light heavyweight bout on tonight's UFC pay-per-view from the Saitama Super Arena. Jackson is coming off a loss to champion Jon Jones at UFC 135 last September. Bader (13-2) bounced back from losses to Jones and Tito Ortiz by knocking out Jason Brilz at UFC 139 in November. Follow the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC 144 Results | Latest UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

Posted in: ufc, round, tito ortiz, jason brilz, arena jackson

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Jake Shields returned to the Octagon tonight (Sat., Feb. 25, 2012) at the UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" pay-per-view event in Saitama, Japan, to take on Yoshihiro Akiyama, who was making his welterweight debut. Both men badly needed a victory, as Shields came in having dropped two fights in a row while Akiyama hadn't won since July 2009, losing three times since then. Score one for the American, as Shields worked as hard as he ever has to earn a unanimous decision victory by scores of 30-27 across the board. The win starts the slow climb back up the 170-pound ladder for the former Strikeforce champion. For Akiyama, this marks four consecutive losses, although just one has come at welterweight. Is this the end of the road for "Sexyama?" Stay tuned. The fight was ugly in the early going, as Shields did everything he could to get to the floor but Akiyama refused to cooperate. In turn, everything looked sloppy and neither fighter really took an edge. That is until "Sexyama" used a sweet judo trip to viciously send Shields crashing to the mat. It was a thing of beauty. The first round had come and gone, though, and Shields was actually landing a few shots on the feet. He wasn't exactly showing a strong boxing game but he was doing something. Better than nothing, after all. The second round came and Shields stayed busy, throwing a lot of punches that were failing to do much damage. UFC judges, though, definitely love to see a fighter stay active. Akiyama earned another takedown late in the second stanza, though he did nothing with it. Shields attempted to do the same but couldn't get it done before the horn sounded. As the final round played itself out, it became less and less clear how the judges cageside would score the contest. Shields was far more aggressive and his volume was unquestionable. However, he did very little damage and the offense Akiyama got in was as pretty as it gets. The horn sounded with Shields having executed a takedown and taken Akiyama's back to look for a late submission. As it turned out, he did enough to earn the decision win with perfect scores across the board. It was tough getting there but he got there. That's four losses in a row now for "Sexyama." Is he done in the UFC? Should he be? Remember, too, to check out our ongoing live coverage of the UFC 144 main card action by clicking here.

Posted in: ufc, shield, round, sexyama, akiyama

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Jake Shields won a hard-fought unanimous decision over Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 144, getting stronger as the fight went on and ending up victorious after 15 minutes. All three judges scored it 30-27 for Shields, but it was closer than those scores suggest: Akiyama easily could have won the first or second rounds, although Shields definitely won the third. The win snaps a two-fight losing streak for Shields, and it's the latest blow to Akiyama, who just hasn't been successful in the UFC. Early in the first round Akiyama showed off outstanding takedown defense when Shields shot on him, and late in the first round Akiyama showed off textbook-perfect judo to trip Shields and put him down. Shields was the more active striker in the first round, but Akiyama's grappling was superior. The second round was more of the same: In the striking Shields was more active but Akiyama was more effective, and in the grappling Akiyama shrugged off all of Shields' takedown attempts and secured a beautiful judo throw of his own. The third round was by far the best for Shields: He finally took Akiyama down and did it twice, and he ended up taking Akiyama's back late in the third round and attempting a rear-naked choke, although he ran out of time before he could finish it. But Shields didn't need to finish the fight: He won every round, according to all three judges.

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Everything Yushin Okami did for the first ten minutes of the fight worked perfectly. On the feet, on the ground, Okami had Tim Boetsch bleeding and going into the third round knowing he needed a finish or he was leaving Japan with a loss. As the bell rang to open the final round, Tim Boetsch marched forward, looked Yushin Okami straight in the eyes and uppercutted him to oblivion, Shoryuken style. We aren't sure if Tim picked up this ancient Japanese technique in his recent trip to Japan or if he's been pulling it off since back in the day when you had to put your quarter on the arcade cabinet to signify 'you're next'. Regardless of when he learned the technique, he employed it to perfection on Yushin Okami's face. Check out this unbelievable comeback in what is fast becoming a magical night in Tokyo, but aren't they all? [Source]

Posted in: round, tim boetsch, tim, okami, yushin

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Yushin Okami dominated Tim Boetsch for two rounds at UFC 144 on Saturday night. Unfortunately for Okami, it was a three-round fight. In the third, Boetsch delivered a stunning turnaround and pummeled Okami with punches, finishing him on the ground for a dramatic third-round TKO. It was one of the great comeback performances in MMA history, as Boetsch had been completely destroyed for 10 minutes only to win the fight in the third round. It only took Boetsch 54 seconds in the third round to finish the fight. "I knew less than a knockout or finish would win that fight for me," Boetsch said afterward. "Yushin was beating me up for two rounds. But my heart was in it, I knew I could take him out if I just stuck with what I train to do. You see what happens if you do what you train to do." More Coverage: UFC 144 Results | Boetsch vs. Okami Live Blog Okami landed a hard jab in the early first round and as that continued to work, Okami continued to go back to it. The first round was all standing up, and it was all Okami: He landed repeated hard punches that Boetsch couldn't answer, and by the end of the round Boetsch had cuts on both cheeks. At the start of the second round Okami continued to batter Boetsch standing. Eventually Okami went in for a takedown and as they went to the ground Boetsch attempted a guillotine choke, but once Okami pulled his head free he was in a dominant position, and he transitioned to full mount, where he finished the round. It was another clear round for Okami. And then came the third round, in which Boetsch came out on the attack, landed hard punches that had Okami on the run, and then chased Okami down to land more punches, knock him down and finish him off on the ground. It was a brilliant comeback to cap off a great fight.

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Tim Boetsch defeats Yushin Okami by TKO. The stoppage came at :54 in the third round. Tim Boetsch landed an early leg kick and straight right hand. Okami with a straight left that landed flush. Tim responded with a high left kick. A beautiful jab from Okami backed Boetsch up. Another and Boetsch put his back against the cage. One of the jabs opened a cut on Tim's cheek. Tim attempted to keep distance with teeps. Boetsch dropped for a takedown but Okami stepped out. Okami's boxing looked incredibly crisp early in the first. Two kicks to the body land for Tim Boetsch as does a leg kick. Okami with a head kick with may be the first time he's gone high with a kick in his UFC career. Boetsch countered with an overhand right but ate a heavy knee to the body as the first round ended. Tim Boetsch's cheeks were both cut as the second round began. Okami landed several straight punches before another heavy kick to the body. Boetsch clinched up but was muscled around the cage by the much stronger Okami. Okami dropped for the takedown but fell into a guillotine. Okami did well to survive allowing Boetsch to burn out his arms. Okami worked to pass to side control and set up a double wrist lock. Okami used the submission to pass to mount and threw punches to an arm triangle attempt. Dominant second round by Yushin Okami. The two fighters clinched to open the final round trading in the clinch. Tim Boetsch pushes forward with kicks and Okami is moving backwards. Boetsch kept the pressure and knocked Yushin Okami out with a ridiculous uppercut. Okami was OUT COLD! This was arguably one of the biggest comebacks in UFC history. It was also a huge upset. Tim Boetsch came back from adversity to steal the win in the final round. SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson

Posted in: round, boetsch, tim, kick, okami

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SAITAMA -- This is the UFC 144 live blog for Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch, a middleweight bout on tonight's UFC pay-per-view from the Saitama Super Arena. Okami (26-6) is coming off a loss in a middleweight championship fight against Anderson Silva at UFC 134 last August. Boetsch (14-4) won both his fights last year, claiming decisions over Kendall Grove and Nick Ring. Follow the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC 144 Results | Latest UFC News Round 1: Boetsch paws forward with a jab and front kick. Okami comes back with a sharp left. Good right hand jab from Okami gives Boetsch something to think about. Boetsch tries to reset and Okami knocks him off with another right. Boetsch charges in with right hooks, but Okami avoids them well. Takedown attempt by Boetsch, and Okami shuts it down without much difficulty. Good one-two by Okami batters Boetsch. Okami seems to have a clear edge on the feet so far. Boetsch attacks the body with kicks. Short jab by Okami has Boetsch checking to see if his nose is still there. Boetsch is bleeding from his cheeks and clearly off-balance as the opening round ends. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Okami. Round 2: Round 3:

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Hatsu Hioki went back home to Japan and turned in a great performance on Saturday night at UFC 144, beating Bart Palaszewski in a one-sided unanimous decision. The judges scored it 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 for Hioki, and it easily could have been more one-sided than that. The victory improved Hioki to 2-0 in the UFC, and after that impressive performance, he may be next in line for featherweight champion Jose Aldo. "I think I really showed what I trained for," Hioki said. Hioki dropped Palaszewski with a hard jab just a few seconds into the first round and took control in the stand-up, although when Hioki went for a takedown Palaszewski briefly attempted a guillotine. However, Hioki had little trouble pulling free and then getting on top of Palaszewski in side control. Hioki went to town with ground and pound, and when Palaszewski finally bucked him off, Hioki then nearly finished the fight with an arm bar. Palaszewski survived the first round, but it was a dominant round for Hioki -- I scored it 10-8. The second round was much better for Palaszewski, who started landing leg kicks and punching more effectively. It was a close and mostly even round, and a round in which Palaszewski had to feel much better about his chances. At the start of the third Hioki clinched and threw Palaszewski to the ground, getting on top of him and then transitioning into side control. When Palaszewski bucked Hioki off, Hioki took his back and remained there for the rest of the round. It was an easy win for Hioki.

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Hatsu Hioki defeats Bart Palaszewski by Unanimous Decision. The judges scored the fight 30-27, 29-28, 29-28. Hatsu Hioki dropped Bart Palaszewski early with a straight right hand. Bart recovered but was unable to defend a heavy body kick on the way up. Leg kicks from Hioki landed early. Hioki's boxing and timing looked great early in the round. Hioki dropped down and completed a single leg. Palaszewski threatened with a guillotine but Hioki survived and passed to side control. Hioki softened Bart with short punches to the head not giving any room to hip escape. Short elbows and punches bloodied up Palaszewski's face. Bart gave up his back and Hioki quickly transitioned to an triangle armbar. Bart defended but was getting completely dominated. Hioki landed massive shots while postured up in the guard. Bart survived the round but Hioki made a case for 10-8. Hioki landed a head kick to open the second round. Bart Palaszewski landed a round house of his own. He followed up with a combination that landed cleanly. Hioki pressed the attack and found his range by mixing up his strikes. Palaszewski landed to the body. He followed up with a combination that ended with a leg kick. Left leg head kick from Hioki was blocked. Bart looked much more confident in the second round with his combinations. A left front kick landed low but Bart fought through it. Bart found a home for his leg kicks. Hatsu Hioki hit a double leg as the round ended. Bart threw punches as the third round began only to get tripped to the ground. Hiok landed in an empty half guard and started to work for for side control. Hioki threw punches which allowed him to transition to side control. Hioki attempted to pass to mount but Bart defended and Hioki reset back to half guard. Hioki passed to side control and threw short punches from a high side control. Bart threw knees to the body from the bottom. Bart hip escaped but gave up his back which allowed Hioki to sink both hooks in. Big elbows to the head from Hioki while he tried to set up the rear naked choke. Hioki was unable to sink his arm under the chin and looked for an armbar as the horn sounded. SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson

Posted in: round, leg, palaszewski, hioki, bart

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SAITAMA -- This is the UFC 144 live blog for Hatsu Hioki vs. Bart Palaszewski, a light heavyweight bout on tonight's UFC pay-per-view from the Saitama Super Arena. Hioki (25-4-2) won his UFC debut last October at UFC 137 by beating George Roop in a split decision. At the same event, Palaszewski (36-14) also won his UFC debut by knocking out Tyson Griffin. Follow the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC 144 Results | Latest UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3:

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SAITAMA -- This is the UFC 144 live blog for all the preliminary bouts in support of tonight's UFC pay-per-view from the Saitama Super Arena. Takanori Gomi vs. Eiji Mitsuoka, Vaughan Lee vs. Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto, Steve Cantwell vs. Riki Fukuda and Chris Cariaso vs. Takeya Mizugaki are the four bouts to be televised on FX. Issei Tamura vs. Tiequan Zhang is the one bout to be carried on Facebook. Follow the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC 144 Results | Latest UFC News Issei Tamura vs. Tiequan Zhang Round 1: Tamura lands a lead left hook. Moments later, Zhang drops Tamura with a hook of his own. Wild start and Tamura is quickly back to his feet and drills Zhang with a combo and now Zhang is down. Tamura follows him to the mat with ground and pound. Tamura holds the position well and repeatedly lands hammerfists from the top. Tamura works well from the half-guard but ref Herb Dean stands them up with about two minutes left. On the restart, Tamura goes low for the takedown. Zhang attempts a guillotine to no avail. Tamura still on top and he rides out the ride there. Tamura 10-9. Round 2: Some back and forth standup to start the round. Bad idea for Zhang, who eats a crushing overhand right. He crashes to the mat unconsious, and UFC 144 begins with a bang. Winner: Issei Tumura via KO, Rd. 1 (0:32) Chris Cariaso vs. Takeya Mizugaki Round 1: Cariaso wastes little time coming out with a head kick. It misses. Cariaso lands a right-left combo that snaps Mizugaki's head back. Miguzaki dove low for a takedown but Cariaso sidestepped him. Mizugaki got inside, secured a body lock and took Cariaso down midway through. Cariaso threatened with an oma plata. Mizugaki escaped and retained top position, peppering him with short punches to the ribs. Mizugaki stayed in Cariaso's guard, limiting his effectiveness, but he probably did just enough to win the round, 10-9. Round 2: Cariaso's shorter, more compact strikes are landing more often in the standup. Mizugaki is looking for power punches. Good start to the round for Cariaso. Mizugaki shoots in and bulls Mizugaki against the fence. Mizugaki again is able to take him down. Mizugaki is slow with the offense. Cariaso sweeps out and free. Cariaso lands a short elbow as the close round ends. Cariaso 10-9. Round 3: Cariaso tried a takedown, hoping to turn the tables. Mizugaki defended. Cariaso connects with a combination as they break and reset. A clinch against the fence. Cariaso with a nice short elbow. They break again. Cariaso tries a high kick and slips down. Mizugaki immediately swarms him, taking top position in what could be a crucial turning point. Cariaso working hard from the bottom but Mizugaki works offense from the top with elbows and short punches. Cariaso gets to his feet with 10 seconds remaining, but it's Mizugaki's round, 10-9. Winner: Chris Cariaso via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Steve Cantwell vs. Riki Fukuda Round 1: Cantwell lands a headkick as Fukuda was leaning forward to move into a takedown. Fukuda ate the kick and completed his takedown. Cantwell looked for an arm bar. No dice. Fukuda peppered Cantwell with a series of left hands from the top. Fukuda then postured up and switched to rights. Cantwell with an active guard but he's eating punches. Finally, Cantwell creates space and gets to his feet. Cantwell lands a hard right hand. Fukuda shoots low, and Cantwell stops the attempt. Fukuda moves forward with a combo, finishing with a hard left. Cantwell with a series of kicks late. A competitive round that MMA Fighting scores for Fukuda 10-9. Round 2: The two trade leg kicks early. Fukuda scores a takedown. Cantwell snatches a guillotine. Fukuda wouldn't let him close his guard and snakes free. They move back to their feet and Cantwell lands some strikes from the clinch. Fukuda with a left hook, then a kick to the body as he continues his diverse striking game. He backs Cantwell to the fence and fires off a series of strikes. Cantwell may be tiring. Cantwell works out and the crowd cheers the exchange. The duo begin to trade late in the round. With :35 left a leg kick lands low on Cantwell, and the illegal strike leads to a timeout. Cantwell takes Fukuda down with :20 left but can't do anything with it as the round ends. It's Fukuda's round 10-9. Round 3: Fukuda lighting Cantwell up early. Cantwell's gas tank is low and he's more of a stationary target now, and Fukuda's finding him. Fukuda takes him down two minutes in. Cantwell is active from the bottom, but Fukuda ends up taking his back. Cantwell escapes quickly and he's back to his feet. Fukuda going to the body. His striking isn't textbook but he comes from different angles and targets every part of the body. Fukuda is teeing off late as Cantwell fades. Cantwell has lost his last four and it looks like his losing streak will go to five as it's another Fukuda round. Winner: Riki Fukuda via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) Vaughan Lee vs. Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto Round 1: Yamamoto dancing along the outside of the octagon as Lee follows him around. One minute in and little action, but Yamamoto blasts a right hook that just misses. Yamamoto with another right hook, Lee ducks underneath it. Moments later, another one and this one finds its mark. Lee stumbles backwards and Yamamoto follows with a series of punches, carefully trying to pick his target. Lee covers up well though. Yamamoto sees he's OK and backs off. On the reset, Lee lands a knee that rocks Yamamoto. Lee hurt Yamamoto again, this time with a right hook. Lee rushed him but Yamamoto took him down. Lee went for a triangle, then switched to an arm bar, and Yamamoto had to tap. Winner: Vaughan Lee via submission (arm bar), Rd. 1 (4:29) Takanori Gomi vs. Eiji Mitsuoka Round 1:

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The televised FX portion of tonight's (Sat., Feb. 25, 2012) UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" preliminary card from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, is officially in the books. The final bout of the preliminary portion was expected to be a barnburner between Japanese lightweights Takanori Gomi and Eiji Mitsuoka, and that's exactly what is was. After an even first four minutes, Mitsuoka dropped Gomi and immediately pounced with his grappling attack, latching on a mounted triangle. Gomi, however, was able to survive until the final horn to make it to the second round. After being told by his corner that Mitsuoka had gassed himself out, Gomi came out guns blazing in the second round, swarming his Japanese counterpart with pure aggression, overwhelming him with a large volume of wild punches. "The Fireball Kid" eventually took Mitsuoka's back and dropped enough uncontested punches to force the referee to intervene in a crazy comeback. The rest of the undercard was just as wild: In one of the night's biggest surprises, Vaughan Lee and Kid Yamamoto waged a spectacular entertaining one round fight. Yamamoto had Lee on the ropes early after hurting him and unleashing a wild flurry of strikes against the fence, but Lee covered up and blocked enough to shake out the cobwebs. Lee then fired back with a knee which hurt the Japanese legend and then he stunned him again with a heavy hook. When Yamamoto tried to recover with a takedown, Lee immediately locked in a triangle choke and then transitioned to a beautiful armbar which forced a tap from a clearly dejected Yamamoto. The beatdown of the undercard award went to Riki Fukuda, who laid the smack down on former WEC light heavyweight champion Steve Cantwell. Now battling at middleweight, Fukuda was able to utilize some occasional takedowns, although the large majority of his offense came from the clinch where he pounded Cantwell inside with short uppercuts, hooks and elbows. Fukuda's dirty boxing was just plain nasty and he poured it on in the second and third round as Cantwell began to tire out. The judges unanimous sided with the Japanese fighter with scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 to hand him his first UFC victory after a robbery of a loss in his debut last year. In the most controversial fight of the preliminary card, bantamweights Takeya Mizugaki and Chris Cariaso battled very evenly in the stand-up over the course of three rounds although Mizugaki was able to mix in at least one takedown in each round. The Japanese fighter Mizugaki, spend a good amount of time in top position, occasionally dropping strikes, but he was unable to advance any further than half guard on the canvas. It could be argued that Cariaso got a slight edge in the stand-up and while on his back, he was relatively active with sweep and submission attempts while defending reasonably well with his guard, but the crowd, much of twitter and especially myself were all stunned when the judges unanimous sided with Cariaso via identical 29-28 scorecards. While it didn't take place on the FX portion, the first and only Facebook fight of the night was a doozy between Issei Tamura and China's Zhang Taiquan in the featherweight division. Tamura and Taiquan blasted each other early, coming out guns blazing but Tamura scored a takedown and kept Zhang down for the majority of the first round. In the second round, however, Tamura set up with a left hand beautifully and blasted "The Mongolian Wolf" badly with a huge right hook which knocked him out instantly and will be a serious contender for a big fight night bonus. Here are the complete undercard results: Takanori Gomi def. Eiji Mitsuoka via TKO at 2:21 of round 2Vaughan Lee def. Norifumi Yamamoto via submission (armbar) at 4:29 of round 1Riki Fukuda def. Steve Cantwell via unanimous decisionChris Cariaso def. Takeya Mizugaki via unanimous decisionIssei Tamura def. Zhang Taiquan via knockout at 0:32 of round 2 That's it for the preliminary card portion of the card. Be sure to hit up MMAmania.com's for up to the minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of the rest of the night's action by clicking here.

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Issei Tamura KTFO's Tie Quan Zhang @ :32 of the 2nd round with a nuclear blast right hand. There was a wild striking exchange to start the fight off that ended with Tamura on top landing powerful shots from full guard at very odd angles. After a nonsense stand up from Herb Dean they ended up back on the ground where Tamura finished it out on top. The second round kicked off with more heavy punches being throw until Tamura put Zhang to bed with that huge right hand. It was a fantastic debut from Tamura, especially on 2 weeks notice. Takeya Mizugaki defeated Chris Cariaso by Unanimous Decision. In all 3 rounds Takeya was content to play the stand up game with Cariaso until around the halfway point of each round and then he secured takedowns to lock up the victory. Aside from an omoplata attempt in the first and a great sweep in the second, Cariaso didn't have a whole lot to offer which allowed Mizugaki to earn the decision in a grueling but unspectacular contest.. I mean, Chris Cariaso defeated Takeya Mizugaki by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3). I don't even have the words. This is an atrocious decision and I would love an explanation from the judges about what they saw that gave Cariaso 2 rounds. That is shameful. Riki Fukuda defeated Steve Cantwell by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x2 and 29-28). After a fairly close first round, Fukuda hit his stride and Cantwell got tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiired. This lead to Fukuda really opening up his striking arsenal and punishing Cantwell mercilessly with vicious leg and body kicks as well as blasting him up against the fence in tight with uppercuts especially. Cantwell has just awful cardio and freezes like a deer in headlights while getting pressured. This should likely be the last time we see him in the cage. Great performance from Riki Fukuda. Vaughan Lee submits Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto via armbar @ 4:29 of the first round. WOW! What a fight! Both men had each other badly wobbled from strikes (Kid via punches and Vaughan via knee) then Lee got in close and landed a sick combo that ended with a huge right hand that nearly dropped Kid. Vaughan charged and got taken down. He immediately locked up a triangle that Yamamoto pulled out of but Lee immediately grabbed his left arm and got the tap via armbar. Just a tremendous one round fight and a great finish for Lee. Find this one however you can. Takanori Gomi gets a comeback TKO victory over Eiji Mitsuoka @ 2:21 of the 2nd round. Gomi lost the first round handily as Mituoka clearly won the stand up. He dropped Gomi when The Fireball Kid ran right into his right hand then pounced on Gomi locking up a mounted triangle from the back. Gomi ALMOST tapped but held on to the end of the round. Gomi came out in the second frame and lit a tired Mitsuoka up with strikes and finished him off halfway through the frame on the ground. Eiji was exhausted and just standing in front of Gomi eating shots. Great comeback from Gomi but still not a performance that bodes well for his future prospects, honestly. Great Prelims. Thanks for reading.

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MMAFrenzy continues our coverage of UFC 144 with our play-by-play of tonight’s main card. Coverage will begin at 10pm EST. Be sure to check out our complete coverage of UFC 144 including recaps, live results, and more. Play-by-Play UFC lightweight championship fight – Frankie Edgar (c) vs. Ben Henderson Round 1 - Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Ryan Bader Round 1 - Cheick Kongo vs. Mark Hunt Round 1 - Jake Shields vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama Round 1 - Joe Lauzon vs. Anthony Pettis Round 1 - Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch Round 1 - Hatsu Hioki vs. Bart Palaszewski Round 1 - (10 PM EST)

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Takanori Gomi's return to Japan was successful: The former Pride lightweight champion beat Eiji Mitsuoka by second-round TKO at UFC 144. But it wasn't easy, as Mitsuoka almost beat Gomi in the first round before Gomi finished him in the second. Gomi landed a couple of big knees to the body in the first round and looked good early on, but Mitsuoka clipped Gomi and knocked him down at the end of the round, then sunk in a mounted triangle choke and nearly forced Gomi to tap. Gomi managed to survive the first round, but just barely. More Coverage: UFC 144 Results | Gomi vs. Mitsuoka Live Blog The second round, however, was all Gomi. When Mitsuoka went for a single-leg takedown, Gomi began pummeling him with punches, and although no individual punch was particularly powerful, Gomi stayed in a dominant position and battered Mitsuoka over and over and over again, and eventually the referee had no choice but to step in and stop the fight. Gomi isn't the same fighter he once was -- he's no longer among the best lightweights in the world -- but he can still hit hard. And he hit Mitsuoka hard enough to earn a victory in his return to his homeland.

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Riki Fukuda defeats Steve Cantwell by Unanimous Decision. The judges scored the fight 29-28, 30-27, 30-27. Steve Cantwell opened the first round with a head kick but was quickly taken to the ground by Riki Fukuda. Fukuda landed plenty of punches from the guard and didn't allow the former WEC light heavyweight champion to control his posture. Fukuda stood up and allowed Cantwell enough space to stand as well. Fukuda threw a basic 1-2 combination and then a lazy shot but couldn't complete the takedown attempt. Fukuda established his boxing well and used head movement to stay out of danger. Cantwell pushed forward with a combination but couldn't find his range. Kicks from Cantwell to close the round. Cantwell opened the second round with leg kicks. Riki Fukuda attempted a takedown and Steve Cantwell locked in a guillotine choke on the way down. Fukuda was in a bad situation but remained calm and regained his feet. Fukuda landed three uppercuts and followed up with kicks to the legs and body. Fukuda came forward and teed off on Cantwell with punches and knees to the body. Steve Cantwell allowed Fukuda to land his uppercuts at multiple occasions. Cantwell didn't attempted to circle away, instead opted to allow Fukuda to land punches. Fukuda threw a kick that landed low which caused a stop in the action. Steve Cantwell hit a takedown as the round ended. Fukuda the aggressor as the third opened. Cantwell resolved himself to allowing Fukuda to throw punches. Fukuda completed a takedown. Cantwell threw his legs up for a gogoplata but lost the position which allowed Fukuda to eventually take his back. Fukuda stood up and landed to the head and body. Cantwell was essentially a heavy bag as the third round entered the final minute. Cantwell essentially too tired to get knocked out. SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson

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Issei Tamura defeats Tiequan Zhang at :32 in the second round via knockout. The first round commenced with Tiequan Zhang landed early but Tamura responded with his own power shots. It's obvious that Tamura has legitimate power as he drops Zhang and quickly dove into the guard with a flying punch. Tamura sat in Zhang's half guard and landed hammer fists and short elbows to the head. Zhang had absolutely no game off his back and no ability to get back up. Herb Dean stood the fighters off and Tamura quickly shot for a takedown. Zhang attempted a guillotine but as Tamura completed the takedown he ended in half guard. Zhang attacked with an arm-triangle from the bottom but he was unable to complete them. The round ended with Tamura landing punches from the top. Zhang opened the second round with leg kick and Tamura responded by coming forward with a wild combination. Zhang landed several leg kicks. Tamura landed a massive right hand that dropped Zhang. He followed up with punches before Herb Dean could stop the fight. Huge win for Issei Tamura. SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson

Posted in: round, zhang, herb dean, tamura, power shots

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SAITAMA -- This is the UFC 144 live blog for all the preliminary bouts in support of tonight's UFC pay-per-view from the Saitama Super Arena. Takanori Gomi vs. Eiji Mitsuoka, Vaughan Lee vs. Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto, Steve Cantwell vs. Riki Fukuda and Chris Cariaso vs. Takeya Mizugaki are the four bouts to be televised on FX. Issei Tamura vs. Tiequan Zhang is the one bout to be carried on Facebook. Follow the live blog below. More Coverage: UFC 144 Results | Latest UFC News Issei Tamura vs. Tiequan Zhang Round 1: Takanori Gomi vs. Eiji Mitsuoka Round 1: Vaughan Lee vs. Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto Round 1: Steve Cantwell vs. Riki Fukuda Round 1: Chris Cariaso vs. Takeya Mizugaki Round 1:

Posted in: ufc, round, vs, yamamoto, mitsuoka

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Forever underrated despite being an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) world champion, Frankie Edgar brings the ruckus with a chip on his shoulder and the tireless desire to prove that the guy in front of him simply doesn’t want it as badly. And who can argue? Since taking the title from B.J. Penn, he’s proven to be one of the most improved products in mixed martial arts (MMA), showcasing a nifty, ultra-busy stand up style that mixes in great movement, footwork and a work rate that few can match. Small for 155 pounds, he finds a way to win, with an outstanding sixth sense of what to do in a crisis, be it a mat scramble, dangerous exchange, or simply having his bell rung by Gray Maynard so badly that the most rational cageside bettors would lay 3-1 he wouldn’t finish the round. But thus far, he always has, and he still holds the belt because of it. His opponent in the UFC 144 main event tonight (Feb. 25, 2012) at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, Ben Henderson poses a compelling challenge. With his southpaw stance, improved striking and power, he’s steamrolled three UFC opponents, showing the kind of complete game that’s much better than the relatively one-dimensional one that won him the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) belt. Punishing wins over Jim Miller and Clay Guida showed Henderson to be, perhaps, the most overpowering grappler presently in the UFCs Lightweight division. Follow me after the jump for a complete breakdown of the UFC 144 fight between Frankie Edgar vs Ben Henderson: The Breakdown Henderson’s improved stand up has come a long way in recent fights, proving serviceable enough for him to present a credible threat on the feet, which has opened up his great takedowns and suffocating top game. "Smooth" makes excellent decisions from that position -- witness how brutally he worked over the incredibly tough Jim Miller, delivering vicious elbows in spots, improving position in others, and giving a real clinic on how to control, punish and demoralize a world-class opponent. He also looked outstanding in his decision win over Clay Guida, one of the toughest outs in the division. Henderson’s phenomenal upper-body strength is one asset, backed by tree-trunk legs that make him incredibly hard to take down. He’s also submission-proof, with freakish flexibility. Henderson is a fighter who has really come into his own since going on a 3-0 run in the UFC, hence him landing a title shot here. The Pick Henderson has stated that catching Edgar is the hard part, while taking him down -- once locked up -- is not. But therein lies the fallacy – Edgar’s blend of movement, angles and timing on his strikes is a kind of impenetrable rhythm, somewhat like bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz, albeit without as many crazy feints and bodily histrionics. Edgar avoided most of Maynard’s takedown attempts because he never stays in front of his opponents, unless he's whapping a quick strike or combination, and then he vanishes. Edgar’s ability to explode out of tie-ups and to scramble will be key because it’s Henderson’s crushing upper-body strength that will be integral to him slowing down the bout, pressing Edgar against the cage, and draining him of energy. To say nothing of taking him down and holding him there, which is where Edgar could absorb significant damage. Gameplans are everything when you’re the smaller fighter, and Edgar’s key priority is to win the battle on the feet. Henderson’s left kick is a thudding one, and his weapon -- he doesn’t try to do more than he should standing, which is throw quality strikes and then close the gap to force a wrenching, clinching, eventual ground fight. Over five rounds, it’s not hard to see Henderson winning a couple rounds, and certainly not ringing Edgar’s bell. The former WEC champ is incredibly gifted and strong, and he’ll land more on the feet than most people would think, especially give his southpaw stance, which he uses smartly to attack on straight lines, which is the lefty’s natural advantage. But, Edgar’s deeper realm of the stand up game – kicks, combos, angles and tireless rhythm – will eventually force Henderson to take medium and low-percentage shots as the bout wears on. Expect Henderson to get a takedown or two early, but few fighters scramble up and away from their back as quickly and effectively as Edgar. "The Answer" will rally hard down the stretch in a close fight, landing more on the feet as the fourth and fifth round drag on, with Henderson tiring from chasing him and trying to corral the elusive champ. They will let it all hang out in an epic fifth round, with Edgar mixing in takedowns and some gut-check style flurries to take a memorable decision win to retain his title. Edgar via decision Be sure to join MMAmania.com this evening for LIVE, detailed UFC 144 results of all the "Edgar vs. Henderson" pay-per-view (PPV) action. It will include blow-by-blow coverage of the Facebook video stream, FX "Prelims" bouts, and of course, the PPV broadcast. We'll start RIGHT HERE at around 7:30 p.m. ET and carry straight on through early Sunday morning. See you later! Jason Probst can be reached at www.twitter.com/jasonprobst and at jason@jasonprobst.com.

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, henderson, edgar

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It's amazing how much one fighter can affect a weight class. In the case of the 155-pounders under the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) banner, the fighter in question is Frankie Edgar. Almost two years prior and halfway across the globe from the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion's homebase of Las Vegas, Nevada, Edgar battled against B.J. Penn -- a man who many thought would be buried with the title being contended -- for 25 minutes. In the dry Abu Dhabi heat, the New Jersey native outboxed and outworked "The Prodigy" and won a controversial decision at the end of the night. Four months later, "Iron" earned a more one-sided and decidedly less questionable nod from the judges. If there was any doubt left in the Middle Eastern desert about his superiority over "The Prodigy," Edgar erased it in Boston. The Lightweight division was blown wide open. "Iron" had removed Penn as the constant in the 155-pound equation and any number of fighters -- all thought to have no chance at beating the Hawaiian and becoming champion -- suddenly became title contenders. One such fighter was Gray Maynard. "The Bully" held the distinction of being the only man to best Edgar and on the night the New Jersey native solidified his place as lightweight champion, Maynard punched his ticket as number one contender after defeating Kenny Florian. Their bout at UFC 125 was the first "Fight of the Year" contender for 2011. Less than 24 hours into the New Year, the two lightweights battled it our for five rounds and placed the bout of the shortlist for when MMA media outlets began tabulating year-end awards. Edgar survived the first five minutes -- an utter shellacking -- but the 10-8 scorecard on all three judges' scorecards factored into a split draw after 25 minutes. A third fight was needed. Before "Iron" steps inside the Octagon to take on former World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) champion Ben Henderson at UFC 144 later tonight (Feb. 25, 2012) in Japan, we take a look at Edgar's third bout with Maynard. It was a fight where the New Jersey champion put to rest yet another series of doubters. Many thought he couldn't defeat Penn. He did. And maybe thought he couldn't best Maynard. He did that, too. The fight starts off like their first and second. The faster Edgar jabbing away and circling around while the more heavy handed Maynard stalks him. Two minutes in, "The Bully's" gameplan pays off as a vicious uppercut connects and knocks more than a few screws loose from Edgar's skull. The champion staggers around the Octagon, trying to compose himself. He lands a stiff jab that stops the challenger in his tracks but Maynard continues pressing forward, undaunted by Edgar's offense. A perfectly placed cross from the Xtreme Couture fighter catches the champion on the jaw and suddenly it seems like a replay of their UFC 125 bout. Edgar is stumbling around, legs seemingly unstable underneath him while Maynard throws everything but the proverbial kitchen sink at "Iron." Punches and knees from the challenger find their mark and Edgar does everything he can to survive. The uppercut continues to find its mark and by the end of the round, Edgar's face is a bloody mess. It looks like Dana White will be wrapping championship gold around a new man in Houston. Perhaps not wanting to expel any unneeded energy, Maynard takes his foot off the gas going into the second round. He realizes -- thanks to his previous bout with Edgar -- that championship bouts are often a marathon, not a sprint. While it allows "The Bully" to preserve his conditioning, "Iron" also finds himself regaining his composure from the first round beating he just received. The champion begins to find his rhythm. He sticks and moves likes he did against Penn. The glassed-over eyes are clear, the buckled knees are now solid. He begins to fight his fight. He continued the performance into the third round but after 15 minutes of action, the champion had to expect he had only evened up with his challenger on the scorecards. By the time the penultimate round begins, Edgar begins to pull even further away from Maynard. Putting together combinations, slipping punches and connecting with stiff punches, "Iron" begins chipping away at the armor surrounding "The Bully." Halfway through the round, a "Frankie" chant erupts among the Houston crowd. While Maynard begins to slow down under the weight of nearly four rounds of action, Edgar doesn't lose a step. In fact, the champion seems to be getting faster. He dives in for a takedown, attempting to wrangle a leg from Maynard but "The Bully" defends perfectly. In the ensuing scramble, Edgar lands a ... well, a Maynard-esque uppercut and the challenger is stunned. A big right hook staggers "The Bully" against the cage. An even bigger right hook drops him to the mat. A handful of almost perfunctory punches on the ground end the fight. Edgar and Maynard shared nearly an hour worth of fighting. After 15 minutes, three men decided "The Bully" had done enough to earn a victory through the rules of a sport. 25 minutes later, three other men decided -- once again through the rules of a sport -- that a winner couldn't be decided. Twenty more minutes passed and sport was out the window. It came down to only Edgar and Maynard. A knockout -- the most basic form of conflict resolution -- was what put the rivalry between the two lightweights to rest. No sport, just two men ... two fighters. And it was "Iron" Frankie Edgar -- the champion with immeasurable heart -- who came out on top.

Posted in: round, champion, minute, edgar, maynard

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Legacy Fighting Championships (LFC) -- the self-proclaime "number one mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion in Texas -- set up shop in Houston last night (Fri., Feb. 24, 2012), giving the fans in "Space City" a memorable and exciting night of combat sports action. LFC 10 featured a main event that was originally scheduled to feature a match up between Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran Gerald Harris and D.J. Linderman; however, unfortunately, "Da Protege" came in 10 pounds overweight, forcing him out of the main event and off the card altogether. After some shuffling of the deck, a new main event of Pat Audinwood vs. Justin Reiswerg took center stage with a lightweight showdown that sealed the deal on the evening, once and for all. In the first round of the main event, Reiswerg appeared to roll his left ankle when planting his foot after a kick. It was an injury that didn't cause the fight to be stopped, but it certainly hampered him all throughout. Reiswerg fought through it valiantly, and he even put forth some very solid offense in the third round that had his opponent shrinking back and taking a defensive posture. Unfortunately, it was all for naught when he slipped while throwing a kick, finding himself on the back and underneath Audinwood who jumped all over the opening. It was instantly clear that Audinwood's ground game was far superior, as he transitioned from one submission attempt to another, until he finally cinched up a tight armbar that left Reiswerg no option but to tap. After the jump, we'll take a look at the rest of the action from LFC 10. In the co-main event, Gerald Harris' range and size proved to be an obstacle too tall to overcome for the undersized Eric Davilla. For three rounds, "Hurricane" used his grappling and cage control to frustrate Davilla and outpoint him on the way to a unanimous decision. Though Harris was able to score a few exciting powerbombs, he never threatened to finish or looked to seriously hurt his opponent. Near the end of the final round, Davilla appeared to have hurt Harris with a strike during a scrum that caused Harris to "turtle up" and cautiously make it out of the round and the fight. It may have had a different conclusion if Davilla had really seized the moment, but it's likely that he was too gassed and worn out by Harris' wrestling by that point in the fight. Harris won the fight by decision, but did little to win many fans in the process. In what ended up being the quickest fights of the night, Rey Trujillo defeated Munil Adriano after rushing in and landing a perfectly placed "superman punch" to the chin of his opponent, sending him spiraling to the mat instantly. It was over almost as soon as it started, leaving Adriano wondering what happened and what day it was. Very impressive KO win for Trujillo. Sometimes you witness an MMA fight that just makes you feel bad for a fighter -- and in awe of the other. LFC 10 featured just such a match up as Chidi Njokuani made easy work of the hometown hero Jon Harris en route to a first round TKO. It was all about Njokuani's muay thai clinch work, as he used filthy knees to repeatedly bludgeon his opponent into his eventual demise. After one particular knee to the midsection, Harris crumbled to the canvas instantly and was pounced on before the referee jumped in and saved him from taking further damage. It was a fantastic TKO finish for Njokuani who looks to have a lot of potential as a fighter. Carson Beebe started off by overwhelming Tim Snyder from the very opening bell. It looked like it would be a short night for Snyder, but Beebe's inexperience shone as he was unable to figure out a way to secure a finish after spending the majority of the round in dominant top position. The second round was basically a re-run of the first as Beebe spent much of the time on top, but did not ever get close to finishing. If anything, Snyder did more damage by opening up a cut with a short punch in one of the exchanges, but it barely made a dent in the scorecard after he spent almost the whole round on his back. For a summary of the third round, see the prior two paragraphs and imagine new words. Seriously. This whole fight could be summarized as follows: Bell rings. Beebe gets takedown. Beebe lays on top and stays just active enough to not get stood up. Hey, it's a strategy that worked (as Beebe scored the unanimous decision victory), but I'd be lying if I told you this was a fun fight to watch. The first main card bout was an explosive and violent welterweight affair between Alex Morono and Rashon Lewis that saw neither fighter wasting any time getting down to business. The early exchanges in the first round were fairly even and full of back-and-forth volleys of lightning quick kicks by both men. Finally, Morono was able to take advantage of an opportunity by clipping his opponent with a big right hand that landed right behind the ear and had him staggering backwards. It was only seconds later when the referee called a stop to the action to save Lewis who was in the middle of taking a ton of punishment. LFC 10 QUICK RESULTS: MAIN CARD: 155 lbs.: Pat Audinwood def. Justin Reiswerg via submission (armbar) at 3:33 of round three185 lbs.: Gerald Harris def. Eric Davilla via unanimous decision155 lbs.: Rey Trujillo def. Munil Adriano via KO (punch) at 0:24 of round one179 lbs.: Chidi Njokuani def. Jon Harris via TKO (strikes) 1:54 of round one135 lbs.: Carson Beebe def. Tim Snyder via unanimous decision170 lbs.: Alex Morono def. Rashon Lewis via TKO (strikes) at 4:02 of round one

Posted in: fight, round, lb, beebe, harri

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SAITAMA, February 26 - The UFC’s first event in Japan since 2000 started strong, with a loud fan base soundly in place for the event, which began at 9:30 am local time. But if there’s anything that can wake up a crowd, it’s a massive KO from a hometown hero, and from the first fight on, the Saitama Super Arena was in full-on MMA mode. While they politely applauded every win, the cheers for their countrymen were deafening, as Japan eventually went 3-3 in the first five fights (one being a bout between two Japanese fighters). Takanori Gomi vs. Eiji MitsuokaIn the “headlining” bout of the UFC 144 prelims, two Japanese fighters and PRIDE vets met inside the Octagon, with Takanori Gomi ruining the UFC debut of Eiji Mitsuoka via 2nd round TKO. Though Mitsuoka was heralded as a submission expert, the lightweight appeared to pack power in his hands, too. Gomi started in the center of the cage with his hands down, but one touch from Mitsuoka was all it took to inspire Gomi to keep his hands up. Mitsuoka found a home for his right straight and left hook, then went for a takedown that Gomi avoided. Gomi landed some solid kicks and goaded Mitsuoka forward with some flapping jabs reminiscent of the Diaz brothers, both of whom he has fought. After scoring with a kick, “The Fireball Kid” came in wild, and Mitsuoka caught him flush with a right, dropping  Gomi. Mitsuoka took his opponent’s back high up and locked him in a mounted triangle choke from behind. Though Gomi looked like he was about to tap, he waited out the round and survived. The wounded Gomi came alive in the second, as his counters connected regularly and he became much more aggressive with his striking. A wild slugfest left Mitsuoka backpedaling, and uppercuts and knees from the clinch seemed to overwhelm the UFC newcomer. Mitsuoka desperately dove for a leg and tried to drag Gomi to the ground, but Gomi used the cage to stay in control and chipped away at his opponent with body shots. Finally, the former PRIDE champion spun into top position and hammerfisted away at Mitsuoka, who could do little more than curl up as the ref called the fight at 2:21 of the second round. Gomi’s latest win leaves the legend with a 33-8 (1 NC) record; Mitsuoka departs 18-8-2.Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto vs. Vaughan LeeBirmingham, England’s Vaughan “Love” Lee got his first Octagon win against one of his heroes, the hugely popular Dream, K-1 and Shooto vet Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto.Lee staked out the center of the Octagon to begin, as Yamamoto circled. Though each one tested his range, there was no clear advantage between the two bantamweights. But that quiet two-minute feeling-out process paid off for the fans as Yamamoto connected with a punch that rocked Lee. Sensing that his opponent was hurt, Yamamoto swarmed, unleashing lefts, rights and knees as the crowd screamed and Lee covered up against the cage. Having weathered the onslaught, Lee came out more confidently, charging forward with his own combos. A right hand clipped Yamamoto, and as Lee moved forward to capitalize, the wrestler in Yamamoto took over. Despite being jarred, Yamamoto instinctively and easily got the takedown. From the bottom, Lee quickly worked for a triangle choke, delivered elbows to Yamamoto’s head, then locked in an armbar and got the tap 4:29 in. The win – Lee’s seventh by submission – improves the Brit’s record to 12-7-1; Yamamoto slips to 18-6 (1 NC). Riki Fukuda vs. Steve CantwellA US vs. Asia middleweight matchup between a striker and a wrestler sounds like a recipe for three rounds of lay and pray, but when the American in the formula is the striker and the Asian fighter the grappler, things can look mighty different. Such was the case as Riki Fukuda took on Steve “The Robot” Cantwell  in a three-round war that featured the kind of non-stop action usually seen between bantamweights.  Fukuda brought the night to 2-1 for the Japanese fighters by outstriking and grappling the American to a unanimous decision win.In the wild first round, Fukuda immediately caught a Cantwell kick and bulled him to the mat. Fukuda came on hard, relentless with blows to the body, then elbows and finally hammerfists to the face, the crowd reacting happily to each connect. Cantwell alternated between submission attempts and survival mode, and eventually Fukuda let him up and pushed Cantwell against the cage briefly before returning to the center of the cage. From there it was a back-and-forth stand-up match, with Fukuda moving forward but Cantwell connecting with strikes of his own, “The Robot” closing the round with a loud kick. The second round started with an emphasis downstairs, as both men scored with huge leg kicks. Fukuda  got a single-leg that landed him squarely in a guillotine, with one leg caught in Cantwell’s guard. Cantwell rolled to shore up the choke, but apparently decided it wasn’t going to work and stood up. From there, Fukuda took the offensive on the feet, and though both landed throughout the round, Fukuda pushed the action. Twice Fukuda stunned Cantwell into dropping his hands, but the Las Vegan's inhuman chin let him weather the storm despite an increasingly swollen, bloodied face. As Cantwell moved forward despite the punishment, the crowd – nearing 20,000 – cheered loudly mid-round. The combatants' power began to fade in the third, but their pace didn’t, with more of the same from both and an impressive head kick from Cantwell. Fukuda used the fence to drive the exhausted Cantwell to the mat, where again a struggle for an armbar ensued. Fukuda briefly took Cantwell’s back in the scramble, but both men were back on their feet soon after. With about 90 seconds left, Cantwell stood with his arms down, and Fukuda came forward with hooks and uppercuts. For the last 40 seconds, the crowd screamed as Fukuda unloaded punches, body blows and kicks as the former WEC light heavyweight champion struggled to muster up any sort of offense (or, at times, defense) .Judges scored the bout 29-28 and 30-27 twice for Fukuda (one judge gave the first round to Cantwell). The loss was Cantwell’s fifth in a row, sending him to a 7-6 record; Fukuda is lifted to 18-5. Takeya Mizugaki vs. Chris CariasoThe television portion of the preliminary card opened with what’s usually a surefire recipe for fireworks – two bantamweight strikers. Kanagawa, Japan’s Takeya Mizugaki faced fellow WEC vet Chris Cariaso, and while Cariaso scored few Japanese fans with the nickname “Kamikaze” and his stifling ground defense, he did enough to please the judges, who gave him a 29-28 unanimous decision win. Mizugaki set the pace to open, as the two tested one another with an assortment of kicks and jabs. Cariaso fired off a few successful strikes from the clinch, countered well when Mizugaki whiffed, and shook off a takedown attempt. More confident with the reach differential, the shorter Cariaso then chased Mizugaki backward until – bulled against the fence – Mizugaki scored from the inside with a huge trip. With Mizugaki positioned low in his guard, Cariaso rolled into a convincing armbar, but Mizuagki stood up and shook him off. For the rest of the round, the two struggled for position, the biggest action coming as Mizugaki postured up on his knees to land one crowd-pleasing blow from the top.In the standup to start the second round, Mizugaki got off a few more combos and kicks, while Cariaso scored more on the exits. Another takedown attempt from Mizugaki landed them back on the cage, but this time it was Cariaso working harder for the takedown until Mizugaki got the trip. Again, Mizugaki was able to land a few big shots from inside guard, but was otherwise smothered by the NorCal fighter’s close guard. Cariaso landed a significant head kick at the beginning of the second, but the next couple of minutes were spent against the cage, mostly with Mizugaki on the outside, both men using kicks and working for takedowns. A second high kick from Cariaso caused him to slip to the mat, and Mizugaki followed into guard for more of the moves we’d seen so far. Mizugaki worked his way into half guard for just a second until going back into guard for essentially the rest of the fight.The decision – resoundingly booed by the Tokyo crowd – lifts Cariaso to 13-3 as a pro, while Mizugaki falls to 15-7-2. Tiequan Zhang vs. Issei TamuraIn the morning’s first bout, Chinese guillotine specialist Tiequan Zhang fought Tokyo’s own Issei Tamura. The Krazy Bee-trained Tamura, a late replacement for the injured Leonard Garcia, turned the one-in-a-million opportunity into a star-making turn, scoring a huge KO win in front of his hometown crowd. The fight opened with both featherweights swinging wildly -- Tamura connected first, Zhang dropped Tamura, and  then Tamura dropped Zhang and followed him to the ground. The Japanese fighter did damage from the top with elbows and hammerfists, but Zhang eventually neutralized him enough that referee Herb Dean called for a standup with two minutes left. Back on the feet, Tamura made an impression with with two counter rights, then worked for a takedown. He succeeded, but landed with his head inside one arm of Zhang’s vicious guillotine. Tamura weathered the risk, popped out and finished the round on top. Zhang opened round two more cautiously, the China Top Team product throwing several low leg kicks. As he began his flurry, however, Tamura landed a perfect right hand that sent Zhang to the mat for several minutes. Herb Dean called the fight 32 seconds in, and the crowd – nearly at capacity by the end of the first bout -- erupted into thunderous cheers. The loss drops Zhang to a record of 18-3, with all of his losses coming inside the Octagon; Tamura now stands at 7-2.

Posted in: round, gomi, mizugaki, cantwell, fukuda

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SAITAMA, February 26 – In a grueling fight between two hard-hitting light heavyweights, Ultimate Fighter season eight winner Ryan “Darth” Bader won a unanimous decision over former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in the UFC 144 co-main event at Saitama Super Arena.Bader used leg kicks to keep Jackson at bay during the first round and managed to disturb the former PRIDE star’s rhythm to the point he couldn’t land a single hard attack the entire round. A high slam by Rampage after catching Bader’s leg on a kick led to an awkward landing for the man fighting out of Tempe, Arizona in round two, but he couldn’t swing the overall momentum of the bout. Shortly after this highlight, Bader got a takedown and worked from Jackson’s guard. After getting back to his feet, the former champion soon found himself on the receiving end of another takedown. The final round was also all Bader. It was clear at this point that both men had expended a lot of energy. Towards the end of the round, Bader worked for a kimura on the ground but failed to lock it in.All three judges scored the fight with 30-27 in favor of Bader, who now moves to 15-2 with the win, while Jackson, who failed to make weight for the bout reportedly because of a training camp injury, sees his record drop to 32-10. Watch Bader's post-fight interviewMARK HUNT VS. CHEICK KONGOUFC 144’s sole heavyweight battle between 2001 K-1 Grand Prix winner and former PRIDE star Mark Hunt and French kickboxing ace Cheick Kongo promised to be exciting on paper and delivered on all its promise.Only one year removed from having his back against the wall and desperately needing a win against Chris Tuchscherer in Sydney to save his career, Mark Hunt seems to now be on an upward trajectory in the UFC with three wins in a row, the most recent one being today’s first round TKO win over Kongo.Hunt hurt his foe with a left about 1:30 minutes into the fight, and hit the mark again with a right about thirty seconds later, which made the Frenchman back up against the cage. Smelling blood, Hunt kept chasing after him, hitting him with one right after the other until Kongo collapsed on the floor and the bout was stopped at 2:11 of the first round.“You've got to be ready for anything. I caught him through the gloves and I knew it dazed him before I went in for the finish. I'm built to last and ready to fight on next week's card in Australia. Dana White, what's up with Sydney?” asked Hunt.With the upset win, Mark Hunt’s MMA record improves to 8-7, while Kongo’s record drops to 27-7-2 with the loss.YOSHIHIRO AKIYAMA VS. JAKE SHIELDSDropping down to his natural weight class of welterweight, Yoshihiro Akiyama returned to Japan to do battle with former UFC title contender and Strikeforce champion Jake Shields in what many expected to be a great battle of technical prowess and true Japanese samurai spirit.Shields and Akiyama didn’t disappoint. The American spent the first two rounds trying for takedowns and not getting them while Akiyama managed to sweep him several times. Shields did, however, press the action with striking while Akiyama didn’t engage as much, particularly during the first round, where he seemed very stiff.Shields finally got his takedown in the final round. Akiyama grabbed the cage twice in order to improve his position on the ground and was lucky no penalty point was called. Shields ended the round and the fight in back mount, working for a rear-naked choke with both hooks in.“It was a tougher fight than I wanted at first and I have great respect for Akiyama,” admitted Shields. “He has pretty heavy punches, so fortunately only about two landed.  You never know what's going to happen. I'd like to fight Carlos Condit next, as he has a controversial win against my teammate. I can't believe how loud and enthusiastic the Japanese fans were; it was great.”All three judges scored the fight 30-27 for Jake Shields, whose record improves to 27-6-1 with the win, while Akiyama’s drops to 13-5 with two no-contests. Hear what Shields had to say in his post-fight interviewYUSHIN OKAMI VS. TIM BOETSCHYushin Okami went from being an outsider challenging UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in Brazil in his last fight to coming home to Japan and battling tough middleweight contender Tim Boetsch. To say he received a hero’s welcome in Saitama would be understating things.Okami dominated Boetsch standing over the course of the first round, using his crisper striking and kicks to give the American a sizable mouse under his left eye. Aside from an arm-in guillotine choke by Boetsch off a double-leg takedown by his Japanese opponent, round two was all Okami as well. The former title challenger worked for an arm triangle but couldn’t get out of half-guard. Then he used a kimura attempt to gain full mount. Okami rained down punches but Boetsch managed to buck him off into his guard to end the round.Boetsch rushed Okami to start the third round and kept hitting him with lefts and rights. Okami seemed rocked, ate a head kick and several uppercuts, the last one of which dropped him, causing referee Leon Roberts to step in and stop the contest at 54 seconds of the third round in a major upset. “It still hasn't settled in yet”, an emotional Boetsch emphasized. “The first two rounds weren't good, but I won the third round and that's what counts. Yushin hit me harder than I expected, but I was standing at the end of his range so it was kind of my fault.  I knew I had to move forward, but the uppercuts were a spur of the moment thing.  Awesome night overall. The next fight I'd like is Dan Henderson because he is a hero of mine and part of being great is beating your heroes.”With the win, Boetsch’s record improves to 15-4 while Okami’s record drops to 27-7. Watch Boetsch's post-fight interview nowHATSU HIOKI VS. BART PALASZEWSKIHighly regarded former Shooto and Sengoku featherweight fighter Hatsu Hioki was likely the toughest opponent Bart Palaszewski had faced since debuting in World Extreme Cagefighting more than three years ago. Yet, the 28-year old was more than up for the challenge, coming off his quick knockout win over Tyson Griffin last October.While there was no question who controlled the action in round one, where Hioki quickly dropped Palaszewski and proceeded to dominate from top position for the rest of the round, his opponent found the perfect defense for every situation the Japanese grappler put him in. Among the holds Palaszewski got out of in one fluid succession of motions were a straight armbar, a triangle choke and an omoplata shoulder lock.The second frame was considerably more evenly contested, mostly standing. Palaszewski kept kicking Hioki’s left leg, which reddened considerably over the course of the round. Shortly before the five minutes were up, Hioki faked a punch and finally got the takedown he was looking for, but Palaszewski had little trouble getting back to his feet.Hioki managed to get his opponent back to the ground quickly in the third and final round with a beautiful leg trip from the clinch. He transitioned into side control and landed strikes from that position, but was unable to step over into full mount. Palaszewski gave up his back, Hioki sunk both hooks in and went for a rear-naked choke. The Poland native defended the position properly and ended up not getting in trouble at any point until the round and the fight ended.All three judges gave the victory to Hioki via scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28. “I am very happy to have won the fight”, said Hioki through an interpreter. “I was able to show my unique fighting style, although it wasn't perfect. I was expecting a standup fight from Bart, so there was nothing that really surprised me. I would like to get back to fighting as soon as my body has time to heal.”With the win, Hioki improved to 26-4-2 while Palaszewski dropped to 35-15.ANTHONY PETTIS VS. JOE LAUZONFew fighters have gained as much notoriety as quickly as Milwaukee-based Anthony “Showtime” Pettis. The former WEC lightweight champion and master of spectacular kicks faced a man today in Saitama who entered the UFC with a bang by knocking out former champion Jens Pulver more than five years ago and has continually improved ever since.While Joe Lauzon has acted as a spoiler a number of times in his UFC career, he was no match tonight for Pettis, who knocked him out cold with a left high kick to the head only 1:17 after the start of the first round. After Pettis followed Lauzon to the ground, referee Marc Goddard called a stop to the bout at 1:21 minutes of round one.“Winning that fight is an amazing feeling. I was on a bit of a down streak in 2011, but 2012 is my year and I'm getting a title shot. I'm back, focused and ready to go, I didn't get touched. I think I confused him with my southpaw (stance), had him biting on the jab, and then I threw the high kick and it landed. I wanted to put on a good show for the fans because without them, I wouldn't be Anthony Pettis.”Through possibly the most dominant showing of his career against a very dangerous opponent, the 25-year old is now in a very favorable position to resume his quest for a title shot. With the win, Pettis improved his professional MMA record to 13-2, while Lauzon fell to 20-7. Hear what "Showtime" had to say after the fight

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SAITAMA, February 26 – In one of the most exciting fights in UFC history, Ben Henderson defeated Frankie Edgar by unanimous decision to win the UFC lightweight championship in the main event of UFC 144 at the Saitama Super Arena near Tokyo, Japan.At two separate points, Henderson had Edgar on the brink of defeat, once sending blood flying from the champion’s nose with a brutal upkick in the second round and later locking him in a guillotine choke from the mount mere seconds before the end of the fifth round. One recurring theme was Edgar catching his opponent’s kicks but not being able to capitalize on the situation. Another was Edgar taking Henderson down over and over and the challenger getting right back up within seconds.The fighters set a frenetic pace right from the onset of the bout, exchanging hard punches, leg kicks and knees. In the second round, Edgar landed the fight’s first combination when catching Henderson’s leg after a kick, only to be hit himself with a hard counterpunch by the challenger.The pivotal moment of the second frame came after Edgar had taken down his adversary and postured up in order to deliver a hard shot. Henderson landed an upkick to Edgar’s face that sent the champion spinning mere seconds before the end of the round, and it could have ended the fight had there been a few more seconds in the round.How Edgar recovered enough to start strong in the third round will likely forever remain a mystery, but he managed to engage his challenger with good striking combinations before failing to secure a takedown. Henderson managed to take down the champion but was unable to capitalize. Edgar got back to his feet and hit his opponent with a hard right followed by a combination that found its mark.In the fourth round it seemed like Henderson had hurt the champion - first with a kick to the ribs near the beginning of the round and again later when delivering a hard kick to Edgar’s sternum. Henderson also managed to secure a guillotine choke on a takedown attempt during the round.Edgar and Henderson kept going at an extremely fast pace in the final frame. They kept trading kicks, striking combinations and takedown attempts. The difference maker in the round was Henderson landing a hard knee and then securing a guillotine choke in full mount before transitioning to elbow strikes from the mount as the time limit expired.As the fans at Saitama Super Arena gave both men a standing ovation, Bruce Buffer announced Henderson as new UFC lightweight champion by scores of 49-46, 48-47 and 49-46, making Henderson only the second person to ever defeat Edgar.With the win, Henderson’s record improves to 16-2, while Edgar’s record drops to 14-2-1.

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Two of the best 155-pounders on the planet will meet and the UFC lightweight title is on the line tomorrow night (February 25, 2012) as UFC champion Frankie Edgar takes on former WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson in the main event of UFC 144 in Saitama, Japan. Frankie Edgar has finally started to come into his own as champion after putting on a serious of some of the best displays of heart in UFC history last year in both of his "Fight of the Year" candidates against Gray Maynard. You can never count him out of a fight and that's why he's champion right now. He's hoping to win decisively on Saturday night and not have to rematch his opponent. for once. Ben Henderson was an afterthought when he entered the UFC after losing his WEC title, but three straight big wins in a row, including two against top title contenders earned him his shot at the championship belt. He's been on a mission ever since he was brought over and he's staring at the end game on Saturday night. Will Edgar have "The Answer" for Henderson's grueling pressure-based attack? Can Henderson slow down Edgar's speed and footwork long enough to land his own attack? How does each elite lightweight secure a victory on Saturday night? Let's find out: Frankie Edgar Record: 14-1-1 overall, 9-1-1 in the UFC Key Wins: Gray Maynard (UFC 136), B.J. Penn 2x (UFC 113, UFC 118), Jim Miller (Reality Fighting 14) Key Losses: Gray Maynard (UFC Fight Night 13) How he got here: Frankie Edgar has been a perennial underdog. He never won a state championship, falling just short twice and did the same thing at Clarion University in Pennsylvania. He made the transition to fighting professionally in late 2005 and in just the sixth fight of his career, he was already making his debut in the UFC. He competed as a lightweight because the UFC didn't have a featherweight division yet and won his first three fights impressively against top competition like Tyson Griffin, Mark Bocek and Spencer Fisher. His momentum was halted by the bigger, stronger Gray Maynard in April 2008, but that loss only fueled him to improve. Just one year later, Edgar put on the best performance of his career against former lightweight champion Sean Sherk, outstriking his bulkier foe and stuffing the elite wrestler's takedowns. After an impressive stoppage of the then-undefeated Matt Veach, Edgar was handed a title shot because Gray Maynard hadn't defeated Nate Diaz decisively enough. Edgar made the most of his opportunity, utilizing his speed and conditioning to outpoint the plodding B.J. Penn at UFC 113 in Abu Dhabi to shock the world and win the UFC lightweight title. He proved his victory wasn't a fluke by dominating Penn in the rematch at UFC 118, blasting the ex-champ with more powerful strikes, adding kicks and even takedowns to his arsenal. His next defense was against Gray Maynard at UFC 125 last year and after surviving a horrible first round in which he was dropped four times, Edgar bounced back in Rocky-esque fashion to win three of the remaining four rounds and force a draw. He squared off with Maynard once more last year and this time, he took care of business after a rough first round to score a fourth round knockout victory. In Ben Henderson, Edgar will be fighting a fresh opponent for the first time in nearly two years. How he gets it done: Edgar's key to victory is his speed. He's got terrific footwork and tight, technical boxing. He's fast enough to dive into the pocket, land punches and exit at angles to get out of the way of his opponent's attack. He can definitely outpoint Henderson in the striking department if he's on his game. What Edgar has to avoid is a defensive lapse early in the fight as he has tended to be a slow starter. They key for him is to find a rhythm in his stand-up and get comfortable out there as quick as possible. Once that happens, he's nearly impossible to stop. Footwork and movement is going to be vital for Edgar as Henderson's biggest threat is the takedown and clinch. He needs to avoid getting cornered or surrendering a takedown at all costs as "Bendo" is big and strong enough to keep him in one place for an extended period of time. If he can avoid those takedowns and accumulate some damage with his punches, he might get to the point like in the Maynard fight where he's comfortable enough to start throwing with some real power. Henderson doesn't have the best striking defense so there's a real possibility that Edgar can take over in the later rounds and put a beating on him with his superior boxing skills. Ben Henderson Record: 15-2 overall, 3-0 in the UFC Key Wins: Jim Miller (UFC on Versus 5), Donald Cerrone 2x (WEC 48, WEC 43), Mark Bocek (UFC 129) Key Losses: Anthony Pettis (WEC 53) How he got here: Ben Henderson was a two-time All-American at Division II Dana College while earning a double degree in criminal justice and sociology. Instead of pursuing a career with his degree, he tried out amateur cagefighting, compiling a 2-1 record and loving the sport enough to make it his job. It didn't take him long to be noticed. Henderson was fighting for Mark Pavelich's MFC within 18 months and earned an invite to the WEC just over two years into his professional career. He was thrown into the fire immediately, earning stoppage victories over Anthony Njokuani and Shane Roller which earned him an interim WEC lightweight title shot against Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone at WEC 43. Henderson was still green at the time, but he gutted through a multitude of submission attempts from the former bullrider, using his wrestling to outscore him positionally in what was voted Sherdog's 2009 "Fight of the Year." With the victory, he became the interim WEC lightweight champion. He unified the titles by defeating incumbent champion, Jamie Varner with a third round guillotine choke and would once again have to face Cerrone for the title at WEC 48, the first and only pay-per-view the promotion ever attempted. In what was expected to be a repeat of their first epic war, the "Smooth" one, choked out Cerrone in less than two minutes to defend his belt. Henderson would fight one last time for the WEC against the upstart Anthony Pettis. We all know how that played out, with the kick heard 'round the world. What some may forget, was the fight was incredibly close, entirely up for grabs until the final minute of round five. In his UFC debut, Henderson put on a strong showing against submission specialist Mark Bocek and he followed it up with the most impressive victory of his career, a three round domination of then-number one contender Jim Miller at UFC on Versus 5. With the victory over Miller, he earned a match against Clay Guida and put on a show en route to another dominant and very exciting decision victory to earn his crack at the championship. How he gets it done: Henderson has the overall skills to keep this fight standing if he wants to, but when was the last time you really saw someone put Frankie Edgar on his back and keep him there? If anyone can do it in the UFC lightweight division, it might be "Bendo." I feel that the former WEC champ should have an advantage in the clinch, as this is an area where his size and strength advantage will benefit him the most. If he can cut off Edgar's escape routes along the fence, he could definitely wear on "The Answer" over the course of five rounds and really tire him out. Henderson put a real beating on Jim Miller and Clay Guida when he scored takedowns and had his opponents trapped against the fence. He's got some ferocious knees In the strand-up, Henderson would be wise to avoid regular exchanges in the pocket as his defense still needs some work. He definitely should try to keep from plodding around and letting Edgar utilize his movement and footwork to outmaneuver him. Henderson is the stronger man, so if he can close the distance and try to tire Edgar out with pressure, that could be key for him. Fight X-Factor: The biggest factor for this fight has to be speed. Can Ben Henderson keep up with Frankie Edgar for up to five rounds? He's big and strong, but how effective are those attributes going to be against someone as quick as Edgar who's going to be darting all around the cage? If Henderson can't cut Edgar's escape routes off and close the distance either with clinch or takedown attempts, it could be a very long night for him. Likewise, if Edgar can't avoid being pinned against the fence or remain off his back, out in the open, it could feel like he's drowning slowly, except he'll also be getting punched in the face. Bottom Line: This is such an intriguing stylistic match-up. It's all about speed versus strength and size. Both men are masters of their craft and watching them try to impose their will against each other for potentially up to five rounds is going to be a real treat. It's tough to remember the last time either of these men were in a boring fight as they've accumulated a large amount of post-fight bonuses recently. Even if Henderson can keep Edgar in the clinch or score takedowns, this fight should still be very exciting as I expect reverses, sweeps and some very active strikes over the course of 25 minutes. I have incredibly high expectations for this fight so stay tuned. Who will come out on top at UFC 144? Tell us you predictions in the comments below! Poll Who will walk out of the cage at UFC 144 as the UFC lightweight champion? Frankie Edgar Ben Henderson   1 votes | Results

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Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson (UFC Lightweight Championship)Earl - Every single time Frankie steps into the cage to defend his belt I think that this is the time he is going to lose the title. Ben Henderson has been on a gravy train with biscuit wheels ever since arriving in the UFC. Bocek, Miller and Guida have all been mere speed bumps on a relatively "Smooth" path to a title shot. This time I will be thinking the same thing when Frankie Edgar steps into the cage. This time, it will happen. Benson Henderson, Unanimous Decision.Jack - Frankie Edgar is consistently the underdog, but I honestly wonder how much his repeated rematches have affected his career. Shogun and Machida, Randy and Chuck, Holyfield and Bowe, all re-matched each other out of relevancy. I think the fresh, powerful contender in Benson Henderson should be able to pull this off by slowing Frankie down with low kicks and clinch work, before catching him clean as he circles and finishing with his signature guillotine . Henderson, Submission, Round 2Cory - I’ve been thinking back and forth about the different avenues that each fighter has to win. Edgar rarely knocks people out, and Henderson has never been knocked out. Henderson rarely knocks people out and Edgar has never been knocked out - and has taken tremendous shots from an extraordinarily powerful 155’er. We can take that off the table of things likely to happen. Frank rarely submits people and has never been subbed. He’s beaten BJ Penn twice, and one of the better 155 grapplers in Mark Bocek. Bendo has been submitted once, but it was early in his career, and he’s shown to be incredibly resilient in defending submissions in his wins over Donald Cerrone and common opponent Mark Bocek. It’s not terribly likely that we’ll see a sub in this one either.So the odds state that this’ll probably head to a decision. I went back and looked at some of the fights that each man has had, and something about the striking of Bendo had me curious. He rarely throws anything with full power. He has some very solid kicks, courtesy of his Tae Kwon Do background, but very few of his punches and headkicks were launched with the malice of say, Pat Barry. Against the last dynamic striker he faced in Anthony Pettis, he ate a number of very solid counter shots from all angles - kicks and punches. He had very little success in the standup other than a few hard body kicks and work in the clinch. If we’re going to say it’s a decision, doesn’t that seem like something that Edgar would be able to exploit? Edgar’s shown a very high level of cage IQ, and has been able to attack peoples’ deficiencies with regularity.Edgar is definitely the best wrestler on the list of fighters that Bendo’s faced - Miller and Bocek are great submission folks, but they aren’t pure wrestlers (Jim has a background in it, but he also only competed for one collegiate year at Va. Tech). Guida got outwrestled by Kenny Florian, so I don’t really rank him terribly high, despite his rep. I don’t really think he’s going to be terrifically successful in keeping on top of Frankie Edgar for five rounds, and I think that Edgar’s boxing acumen and footwork (and Henderson’s mediocrity at that aspect) makes me want to take Frank. Edgar - DecisionChris - I’ve been split on this fight since it was announced. Frankie Edgar has been the perennial underdog in pretty much every single one of his fights, because of his extreme size disadvantage. He’ll be facing the same deficit again on Saturday, but since he’s overcome that throughout his career, I’m pretty much discounting Bendo’s advantage there. After a lot of thought, I’m starting to think Frankie has the advantage in every area that will matter at UFC 144. He’s got a clear advantage striking, through his great footwork and stick-and-move style. On top of that, Frankie rarely uses his wrestling for top control-grinding victories or to set up subs. For the most part, he goes for the takedown to open up his striking game and won’t spend too much time on the ground. Henderson, on the other hand, does not have great striking at distance. He will throw absolutely brutal shots from the clinch or in a scramble, but as Cory said, he’s not as effective at range. And that’s what leads me to my pick. Frankie will use his movement to pick Henderson apart on the feet. He’ll mix in a few takedowns, but even when successful, he won’t spend enough time on the ground for Bendo to gain the advantage through a sweep or scramble. Frankie Edgar by Unanimous DecisionLuke - In the days leading up to Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis for the WEC title, way back in December of 2010, I was arguing with a buddy about just how good the WEC guys were in comparison to their UFC counterparts. I was taking the WEC side, while he was all about the UFC. Things got a little heated and I brashly claimed that "Henderson would guillotine the sh** out of Edgar in less than 30 seconds, if they ever meet up". Part of me wants to go with that prediction because if the fight does play out that way I would forever be able to bask in the glory of it. I just can’t bring myself to do that though, since I wouldn’t be surprised if neither man even throws a strike within the first 30 seconds. So I guess I’m kind of making two predictions here....You know what, screw it. As the old Def Squad homie Redman says: "If I gotta go out I’m going out full metal jacket style." Henderson - Submission, Round 1 . The rest of the picks after the jump Quinton Jackson vs. Ryan BaderEarl - Page is significantly better at everything than Bader. Don’t blink. Quinton Jackson, KO, Round 1.Jack - Bader’s stand up is full of holes, and as predictable as Jackson’s, but he has shown to be chinny where Rampage has taken shots from the best of them (when was the last time Tito Ortiz finished anyone not named Ken Shamrock?). Either Jackson catches him clean and puts him out in spectacular fashion - sparking premature talk or a return to form, or we see another lackluster decision. Quinton Jackson, KO, Round 1Cory - After writing a page for the main event, I’ll keep this a lot shorter. I expect this fight will look like a carbon copy of the Hammill fight. Jackson - DecisionChris - There’s absolutely no area of MMA where I think Ryan Bader has an advantage over Rampage Jackson. He’s got decent power in his right hand, but Quinton has fought harder hitters. He’s got good wrestling credentials, but Rampage has some of the best takedown defense in the business. On top of that, a 2011 Tito Ortiz was able to drop Bader standing. However, Rampage hasn’t KO’d anyone since he fought Wanderlei Silva. So, I’ll say Rampage by DecisionLuke - I truly enjoyed the Rampage Jackson/Ariel Helwani walk about Tokyo that Cory posted up yesterday. Jackson was incredibly candid about his life experiences as a black man from the south and during that segment of the interview, he talked at length about the love he has for the Japanese MMA fans. It’s pretty clear that Jackson is very sensitive to other people’s perceptions and in his shorter interview with Helwani this week, Jackson said that he felt like he "got some stick" from the fans for the way he’s fought recently. Sounds to me like Jackson has been doing everything he can to stay on his feet just to avoid getting booed and a return to Japan might just be the tonic he needs to showcase his offensive wrestling and really put on a show. If he does that, he’ll walk through Bader in a fight of the night performance. Quinton Jackson, KO, Round 1Mark Hunt vs. Cheick KongoEarl - I would love for Hunt to floor Cheick in Japan. It may happen but I think Cheick’s takedowns, range and effective low blow striking game will be enough to get him the nod here. Kongo, Unanimous Decision.Jack - Hunt’s career renaissance has been fun to watch. As much as he was mocked for his armbar attempt on Ben Rothwell, he outgrappled a much bigger, more experienced man. Kongo, for his part, has continued to live off of the hype from his kickboxing career in which he used his savage kicks and knees to make up for his questionable chin and sloppy hands - unfortunately he cannot kick in MMA without being put on his back. Mitrione made Kongo look very average on the feet before the Frenchman pushed him into the wall and leaned his way to a decision, something he will struggle to do against Hunt if the Kiwi’s new wrestling chops are present. Mark Hunt, KO, Round 2Cory - I’m not particularly sold on Hunt’s overall grappling game just yet. I think the Dean of Earl has it correct in this case, in that Kongo stays out of trouble on the feet as much as he can and does enough to earn the judges’ nods. Kongo - DecisionChris - I refuse to do a reasoned and thought out stylistic breakdown of this fight. I’m rooting for the most awesome outcome, which is Mark Hunt in 2012 actually being a contender in the UFC’s heavyweight division. Hunt - KO, because: Awesome.Luke - I’ve seen some people suggest that Kongo will have no qualms taking this fight to the ground in an effort to get the win. I’m not sure I believe that, since both men are over 35 and the chance that the winner will proceed to a title shot is incredibly slim. Especially if it’s Kongo and especially if he does take it to the ground and wins a boring ass decision. So why not shoot it out kickboxing style in front of a crowd that will really appreciate it? That’s what I’m hoping for, but if there is one thing you can say about MMA in 2012, it’s that winning is paramount, so Kongo is probably going to ruin the party for everyone. Kongo, Unanimous Decision.Jake Shields vs. Yoshihiro AkiyamaEarl - "Sexyama" has lost 3 straight including his last fight in which Vitor Belfort dribbled his beautiful head off the canvas like a basketball @ UFC 133. He is dropping to 170 in an attempt to re-invigorate his career and drew the former #1 contender in his first fight. Shields has the cardio to tire Akiyama out and he damn sure has the BJJ to get the tap. Jake Shields, Submission, Round 3.Jack - This fight can go one of 2 ways and neither will be good for Akiyama’s career. Shields could sub the judoka who refuses to do anything but swing haymakers and run out of breath, or Akiyama could knock Shields out and finally have some justification for fighting in the self-sabotaging way that he has during his UFC tenure. One to watch, eye-rakes and heavyweight level cardio on full display if both fight to recent form. Shields, Submission, Round 2Cory - I hate, hate, HATE Joe Silva with a burning passion for what he’s done to Sexyama. He’s probably the only guy in the world who keeps getting harder opponents after every loss. He went from Leben to Bisping to Belfort! I don’t see him staying out of Shields’ submissions for more than a couple of rounds. Shields - SubmissionChris - Jake Shields has not looked good in a single outing since he was brought in to the UFC. I’m not saying this to diminish his talents or accomplishments, because he has great wins over top tier talent. It’s just a fact. And, really, the same can be said for Akiyama. There’s one shining point in Sexyama’s record though that I think will play an important role: he’s never been taken down in the UFC. Now, I know he hasn’t exactly faced a murderer’s row of wrestlers but it’s still pretty amazing. Added to that, Shields does not have great takedowns. He just doesn’t mind failing the takedown and gaining position in the scramble. And his striking is terrible. I’m going against the grain here, Akiyama by DecisionLuke - Cory, that is truly incredible when you consider that Akiyama lost each of those fights. Why has the UFC given him such hard fights? Well, Dana White said this week that he thought Akiyama should have started off at 170, not 185 and that he told him after every fight that he wanted him to go there. Could the organization have been sending him a message by giving him two of the bigger middleweights around in Bisping and Belfort? That wouldn’t be surprising to me at all if it were the case. Shields has really never had a good showing in the UFC, sneaking past Martin Kampmann, losing a weird stand-up fight with GSP and getting evaporated by Jake Ellenberger in his most recent effort. At 33 years old, I fear that Shields is entering the twilight of his career. I don’t think this fight is going to do much to dispell that notion, as I have Shields winning a fairly textbook three round decision from Akiyama but not submitting the Japanese star. Shields, Unanimous decision.Yushin Okami vs. Tim BoetschEarl - Boetsch has looked fantastic since dropiing to 185 and he is getting the biggest test of his career in Okami. Yushin got clowned by Anderson Silva in his last appearance and given his style, losing 2 straight is not anything he wants a part of. Yushin Okami, Unanimous Decision.Jack - This is a great match for Okami whose stand up is passable, if unremarkable and whose wrestling is edging on elite. Okami is very much a spoiler - unspectacular but makes great opponents look very average. This may be a great match for Okami’s appeal, however, Boetsch is 3 inches shorter than the Japanese wrestler, who destroyed Evan Tanner in the Thai clinch and out-jabbed Nate Marquadt with his height advantage. Yushin Okami, DecisionCory - In the leadup to Okami’s match against Anderson Silva, I was but a fledgling noobie here at HKL and was given the task of doing a background history of Thunder’s road to the title shot. While watching a dozen Okami fights is decent grounds to cure insomnia, I now feel thoroughly confident in examining his game and predicting that he’s going to outstrike Boetsch on the feet and earn another decision win. Okami - DecisionChris - it seems impossible not to be a fan of Boetsch and his special style of Redneck Judo. However, he’s generally a mid level talent throughout every area of the game. Okami’s a solid striker with great work in the clinch. I don’t see Boetsch overcoming that. Okami - DecisionLuke - Boetsch was forced to leave 205 after Phil Davis mauled him on the ground. As Earl points out, he’s been great in his first two fights at middleweight. Okami is basically a smaller version of Davis: A rangy, elite wrestler with decent stand up. So that means the fight basically hinges on whether or not Boetsch can match Okami’s strength. I think he’ll be able to keep it really close for the first two rounds before the jeg-lag and Okami get the better of him. Okami - Unanimous Decision.Hatsu Hioki vs. Bart PalaszewskiEarl - This is a great fight between two veterans coming off victories in their respective UFC debuts. Hioki won a split decision over the lanky George Roop and Bart demolished Tyson Griffin in the first round. I can see this one going either way and I really can’t decide. But, since I have to.....Bart Palaszewski, Split Decision.Jack - Hioki looked very average in his UFC debut against George Roop after years of decimating top competition in his homeland. He did, however, drop his significant reach advantage and fight with the shorter reach for the first time in his recent career against Roop, and will be back in his homeland against a much less lengthy opponent for this match. Hioki uses his reach to safely jab away, before getting the takedowns and picking up a late sub. Hatsu Hioki, Submission, Round 3Cory - I’m not really sold on either man being forces in the upper echelon of their weight class, but I’m gonna guess that Hioki gets a late round victory. Hioki - TKOChris - Hioki did not look great against Roop, who’s better than most people give him credit for, but he’s still a middle of the road talent. Bart destroyed Tyson Griffin, who I don’t think ever fulfiled his potentially, but is still a talented fighter. Based on that, I’m gonna say Bart by DecisionLuke - Palaszewski looked great in his last fight. Hioki looked poor in his last fight. That being said, there were outside factors at play in both situations: Griffin missed weight by a bunch, clearly suffering in the fight because of it and he was ripe for an early knockout. Yes, Palaszewski still had to make that happen and he gets full marks for doing it but I need to see him do that against a top 145er who is on weight and on their game before I annoint him as a contender. Hioki was fighting outside of Japan for the first time in three years and as Jack mentioned, he was fighting against an opponent with an equal reach to his, a rarity for the tall Japanese grappler. Hioki was brought into the UFC in the hopes that he would be a good challenge for Jose Aldo and I have to imagine they didn’t book him at home against Palaszewski with the thought that he’d lose. This will be the most thrilling fight on the card for the crowd and it’ll end quick. Hioki, Submission, Round 1Anthony Pettis vs. Joe LauzonEarl - I can’t help feeling that this is purely a showcase for "Showtime". Joe has shocked us all before (more than once) but not this time. Anthony Pettis, Submission, Round 2.Jack - Can’t pick against Pettis. Too many kicks coming from weird angles, you never know when one will stick. Pettis - DecisionCory - This fight is Pettis’ to lose. J-Lau is dangerous, but he’s not bringing anything to the table that Showtime hasn’t faced already. Pettis - TKOChris - I don’t know why, but I’ve got a good feeling about Lauzon in this fight. When I break it down, Pettis probably has most of the advantages, but I’m gonna go with my gut. Joe Lauzon - First Round WonderboyLuke - Anthony Pettis was on top of the MMA world in December of 2010 after landing the most creatively spectacular kick in MMA history on Ben Henderson, winning the final fight in WEC history and securing himself an instant title shot against the winner of Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar. He stayed on top for a grand total of three weeks, as Maynard and Edgar overshadowed him by fighting to a draw in one of the most scintillating fights in the past five years. His title shot lost, he manned up and took on Clay Guida in a fight that he had to think he might lose. Sure enough, Guida controlled him en route to a decision and Pettis would find himself smack-dab in the middle of the toughest division in MMA, with what looked like a long road back to title contention. After getting past Jeremy Stephens in a tough fight, fate shrugged it’s shoulders, said "Hey Ando, I owe ya one", and helped Joe Lauzon come from nowhere to take out Melvin Guillard. You see, Lauzon is truly the perfect opponent to showcase Pettis’ elite skills, as there is no way that J-Lau is strong enough to get this fight to the ground, where he needs it. I’m with the people who are suggesting that the winner of this fight gets a title shot. Pettis - TKO, Round 2Takanori Gomi vs. Eiji MitsuokaEarl - Mitsuoka has 11 professional victories by submission and Gomi has been getting submitted lately. A lot. Eiji Mitsuoka, Submission, Round 2.Jack - Gomi has looked so lackluster since the UFC picked him up when he was on 3 - 3 streak. He’s the most accomplished lightweight in MMA history, basically cleared out the top 10, but if he keeps fighting as a one dimensional swinger he’s going to keep getting submitted. Mitsuoka, Submission, Round 2Cory - This is the problem when you aren’t the first person writing your picks, sometimes people say exactly what you’re thinking and make you look a bit foolish. What Earl said. Mitsuoka - SubmissionChris - KO of Tyson Griffin aside, Gomi has not looked good in the UFC. After reading Dallas Winston’s breakdown of the fight, I’m convinced Gomi will fail to impress once again. Mitsuoka - SubmissionLuke - I really want to say that Gomi returns to his form in his return to his homeland against Mitsuoka but I just can’t see it happening. One of the cool aspects for me of the UFC returning to Japan is the number of old Pride fights that I’ve watched this week. A few of them were Gomi fights and man has he looked like a shell of his former self in his time in the UFC. I hate suggesting that any fighter is just showing up for a paycheck, since I truly believe that MMA is the second most difficult job in the world behind war fighting, but Gomi has looked uninspired and content to simply wing power hooks until he either lands one or gets taken down and tapped out. I really want to be proven wrong tomorrow. Mitsuoka, Submission, Round 2Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Vaughan LeeEarl - What makes this event even sadder is that Gomi will not be the only Japanese MMA icon to (hopefully) ride off into the sunset. Vaughan Lee, Unanimous Decision.Jack - I spent about 3 months training at Kid Yamamoto’s gym, so have an enormous fondness for the man. Unfortunately he just hasn’t looked the same since his 2 year lay off. This whole match comes down to whether he can get the right hook off. Ah hell, for old time’s sake Yamamoto, KO, Round 1Cory - C’mon Kid, I’m rootin’ for ya here. Not betting, mind you, just rooting. Yamamoto - TKOChris - Kid has not looked good lately, but I haven’t heard any thing good about Vaughan either. Yamamoto - KOLuke - Like the Gomi fights that I watched with amazement this week, I took in a handful of Kid Yamamoto scraps and was incredibly impressed with his all out ground attack. I wish every wrestler in the UFC attacked with such reckless abandon once they got their opponents to the ground. Like Gomi though, Yamamoto is many years removed from those days, so the odds that we’re going to see a revival of such violence are pretty slim. He isn’t fighting much of an opponent though in Vaughan Lee, so a decision victory is there for the taking. Yamamoto - Unanimous Decision.Riki Fukuda vs. Steve Cantwell Earl - Cantwell has dropped 4 straight in the UFC. He won’t have the Dan Hardy Magical Job Security after this one. Riki Fukuda, Unanimous Decision.Jack - Fukuda is a smaller Yushin Okami - bringing lay and pray to Asia. He should be able to grind this one out. Fukuda - DecisionCory - I don’t think you will ever see me pick a person that’s lost an MMA fight to Cyril Diabate. Fukuda - SubmissionChris - I can’t say anything more than what Earl, Jack, and Cory haven’t already said. Fukuda - DecisionLuke - I can say more. Fukuda beat Nick Ring in his UFC debut, despite what the judges said. That was his UFC debut. Prior to that robbery, Fukuda put together seven straight wins in Deep and Dream, dating back to August of 2008. So he really should be on an 8 fight win streak, including a victory over Ring, who would beat the piss out of Cantwell. One other piece of information about the Ring fight: Fukuda was awarded his win bonus by the UFC. I don’t have the numbers in front of me, but when the UFC awards a win bonus to a losing fighter, they usually throw them a bone in their next fight. Cantwell is a tasty morsel indeed. Fukuda - Unanimous Decision.Takeya Mizugaki vs. Chris CariasoEarl - I think Mizugaki keeps rolling here but this is far from a lock. Takeya Mizugaki, Unanimous Decision.Jack - Mizugaki can hang with the best around. He should be able to pull this off. Mizugaki, DecisionCory - I am astounded that I have pretty much no idea who Mr. Cariaso is, despite this being his sixth WEC/UFC fight. I do, however, know that Takeya is a hell of a warrior in the cage and as such, I’m going with him. Mizugaki - DecisionChris - Mizaugaki is a good fighter and I have no idea who Cariaso is. Mizugaki by DecisionLuke - I think for the next set of staff picks we should start with the undercard and work our way up, since it seems like we all run out of steam by time it comes to predicting the last three fights. Mizugaki has been on a maddening stretch of win one, lose one, over his last eight fights. His losses in that stretch? Brian Bowles, Urijah Faber, Scott Jorgensen, Miguel Torres. That is some darn good competition, and only Faber finished him. His wins? Cole Escovedo, Ruben Duran (both pretty meh), Rani Yahya and Jeff Curran, (both pretty decent). Cariaso is a serviceable guy who has also only lost against tough competition recently (Michael McDonald and Renan Barao). So I’m not sure who to take in this fight, as both seem to be in that "just below elite" category. I’ll go with the home town guy to take a close decision. Mizugaki, Unanimous Decision.Tie Quan Zhang vs. Issei TamuraEarl - Zhang, Submission, Round 1. The end.Jack - I’m by no means a Jiu Jitsu ace, but having spent some time trapped under Issei Tamura during my stint in Tokyo, I have developed a new sympathy for victims of top control. The man is like a gigantic sand bag - Zhang will struggle to get anything going from underneath Tamura as the latter grinds his way to a win which is unlikely to get him a repeat showing in the UFC. Tamura, DecisionCory - I want to see a Zhangotine Saturday night. Zhang - SubmissionChris - I didn’t really know what to pick on this one until I read Jack’s analysis. Zhang won’t get the guillotine. Tamura by decisionLuke - Jack, that must have been an awesome experience. Tell us more about it sometime, will you? I usually take civilians combat experiences training against the pro’s with a grain of salt, but you are clearly a knowledgeable gentleman when it comes to combat, I’ve already written enough about this card and I also have basically no opinions on these two fighters, so I’m going with Tamura. I just want to get something clear, you don’t think he’s going to get invited back if he wins? That would be strange. Has that ever happened before? Tamura, Unanimous Decision.

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, hersquo, irsquom

Read the full article at Head Kick Legend

Draws have never been a major issue in North American MMA. Sure, they happen from time to time but before Frankie / Gray 2 and Penn / Fitch they'd never really reared their ugly heads in the UFC. Now it sounds like the UFC wants to make sure they have all their bases covered. Check out what Demetrious Johnson says they've added into the contracts for the upcoming 4-man flyweight championship tournament: "I don't know if anybody has said anything about it, and this is the first time I'm mentioning it, is that we (McCall and himself) had to sign for a ‘sudden death' bout. If it goes to three rounds, and the judges can't decide who the winner is, then we'll do a fourth round." I've always loved sudden death rounds in K-1 ... they did them to the point of insanity where sometimes you'd have two or even three in a row to determine a winner. Epic moments were had, and fighters occasionally ragefaced as they were forced to fight another round of a match they thought they'd already won. But it certainly beats an anti-climactic draw, and now we have a tiny, tiny chance that we'll see sudden death in the UFC.Unfortunately, you probably shouldn't expect this to become as common as the five round main event. The UFC's flyweight tournament goes down in Australia, one of the international locations where the UFC takes care of a lot of it's own regulating. Stuffy athletic commissions in the US probably wouldn't be as open to the suggestion, even though it represents pure awesome for fans everywhere. Hopefully that will change someday. If judges are ever going to have the balls to score extremely close rounds 10-10, it'd be nice if we had a way to then deal with the inevitable draws that would follow.

Posted in: ufc, time, round, death, round ive

Read the full article at Fightlinker

We’re thoroughly satisfied by the UFC’s decision to make all main events five rounds. We’re also cool with that change arriving immediately after the preexisting contracts for three round main events are contested. It’s one of the many changes MMA fans have been itching to see since the Zuffa purchased the UFC and installed sanctioning bodies to MMA. The next change we’d like to see is the implementation of “sudden death” rounds in the event that the judges can’t render a clear and decisive winner, regardless of the number of rounds in the fight. While the phrase “sudden death” isn’t the kind of thing you want to hear in the context of MMA, we completely support the rule because it would make things infinitely easier to sort out when the degenerate gamblers out there have their bar tabs at stake. If you’re reading this, Noel, you still owe me for two Yuenglings because Frankie ended up beating Gray and their draw was finally settled. Stop trying to pretend like they’re 1-1-1 and that we have to wait for a 3rd rematch. Luckily, the UFC has agreed to give the sudden death rounds a chance for their upcoming featherweight tournament. Demetrious Johnson told Tapout Radio that he signed a contract where a draw with Ian McCall would not be possible: "I don't know if anybody has said anything about it, and this is the first time I'm mentioning it, is that we had to sign for a ‘sudden death' bout. If it goes to three rounds, and the judges can't decide who the winner is, then we'll do a fourth round." “I’m assuming that it’s for me and Ian McCall. I can’t say if it’s going to be for Joseph (Benavides) and Yasuhiro (Urushitani), because I’m not gonna say that the UFC made those guys sign, too. I’m telling you, specifically, that I signed a contract for an extra round on the bout agreement. I’m not gonna say that they did. I’m assuming, in my unprofessional opinion, that they did as well.” As far as we know, this is the first time that this rule has been applied to the UFC’s talent pool; while it’s something we’re used to seeing in Japan, notably in K-1. Both fighters are confident they won’t need the 4th round, but we’re happy it’s there just like that paper sleeve sitting between your plastic tray and your Whopper value meal at Burger King. It adds that extra layer of security that no part of your hamburger’s toppings will hit the plastic in the event of the pickles shifting the onions around when you lift the burger from its cardboard shelter – all lettuce will fall atop an illustration reminding you how healthy the food is. [Source]

Posted in: ufc, round, i ’m, ’m, ’re

Read the full article at Middle Easy

Frankie Edgar vs Ben Henderson Brent Brookhouse: I bounced back and forth a lot on this fight over the last week. Edgar's striking and wrestling are very, very good and he should have the slight edge in both departments over Henderson. But Henderson's tenacity, pacing and toughness may be enough to overcome that. Still, I have to try to be smart here and go with the way I see the fight most likely to play out. I just think Edgar is good enough to win a clear but competitive decision by controlling the fight in pretty much all areas. Frankie Edgar by decision. Anton Tabuena: I've been having a real hard time deciding on which guy to pick, and while the easy pick would obviously be Edgar, I do think Frankie has finally found an opponent that he cannot out-grind, outwork, or out-grapple. Because of that I think this will be much closer than what everyone thinks. Henderson has been stepping up his game lately improving in all areas, and I think he can pull off the upset. Ben Henderson by Decision. KJ Gould: Ben Henderson has pleasantly surprised me since his crossing over from the WEC. The loss to Anthony Pettis really focused him and helped him take his game to the next level. In particular the way he smashed Jim Miller was a real eye opener, though reports of Miller suffering kidney problems in the run up to the fight should be taken into consideration. Frankie Edgar is the ultimate over-achiever and it's criminal so few people have been watching his title fights with Gray Maynard - something that's unlikely to change by sticking him on an international PPV instead of showcasing him on the big Fox show. Henderson has a more diverse striking skill set than Maynard and that might prove problematic for Edgar, who despite his footwork still manages to get tagged in every fight, but his ability to recover and his will to endure and find a way to win is unmatched in the sport. Edgar's grappling is more wrestling predominant, where Henderson is developing his Jiujitsu skills focusing on a passing top game that nets him back control, plus has a strong guillotine choke that can end almost anyone's night. I think Edgar's speed and pressure might be the deciding factor, and he may be able to put on a pace Henderson can't quite keep up with, but Edgar may not be able to finish. Frankie Edgar by Unanimous Decision. Tim Burke: Holy wall of text, KJ. Personally, I think this is Frankie's fight all the way. Yes I'm a huge WEC homer, but I think Frankie's too fast to get caught on the feet by Henderson, who doesn't have excellent standup (people underestimate Gray Maynard's boxing), and Bendo's not going to be able to smother Frankie like he did to Guida and Miller. Henderson decided to add size too, which will work against him late. I think Edgar cruises to an entertaining but wide decision. Frankie Edgar by decision. Fraser Coffeen: It's all about the stand-up here, which is where Frankie really outclasses Henderson. Not that Hendo's striking is bad - it's not - but Edgar's is better, and his wrestling will allow him to keep the fight standing enough to do damage every round. Frankie Edgar via decision David Castillo: I think this is the one fight where Edgar won't look so vulnerable, and people may finally stop underestimating him. But I doubt it. However, it's a great match for Edgar on paper. Most of Henderson's opponents were grapplers who had trouble hanging on the feet. While Benson has steadily improved, he's still pretty sloppy and he's not at all imposing. In addition, his defense is pretty shoddy. He's an awesome fighter, but his best chance will be on the ground, which just ain't happening. Edgar's boxing is just plain beautiful, and Benson is gonna make him look like Sweet Pea out there. He'll find openings all day in my opinion. Frankie Edgar by TKO, round 3. T.P. Grant: Edgar's boxing and footwork are excellent, and everyone agrees, but he gets hit a lot for as good a striker as he is and that makes me nervous. I don't think Henderson is the guy to finally make Edgar go to sleep, but rest assured that if Henderson has Edgar hurt he won't fail himself into gassing. Henderson is a very dangerous grappler but Edgar has excellent scrambles and survived BJ Penn on his back. I think Edgar is going to enjoy a clear advantage on the feet and the last time we say Henderson go five rounds he slowed down badly. Edgar will swarm all over him if that happens again. I expect back and forth action with Edgar commanding the later rounds. Frankie Edgar by Decision. Ben Thapa: The speed advantage Edgar possesses will last throughout the fight and I frankly don't see Bendo putting Edgar down for any length of time if Maynard couldn't do it. We are in for another splendid display of evasiveness and smart, smart gameplanning. Edgar, decision. Dallas Winston: Along with Anderson Silva, Edgar has the best footwork in the sport and it gives him just as much control on the feet as an unstoppable wrestler on the ground. I see the clinch-battle deciding this fight, as Bendo is a beast when sliding into tie-ups and doesn't fire off doubles from outside like many of Edgar's past foes. Bendo will also be the first opponent Edgar's faced who can match his lightning quickness in hand-speed and cage motion. Broken record alert: Edgar's conspicuous size might come into play. Bendo will have 3" in height (but 2" less reach) and he's one of the most explosive and athletic fighters in the game. In a razor-thin match up, I think Edgar's stellar shuck and jive, in-and-out striking will be the difference. Frankie Edgar by decision. Staff Picking Edgar: KJ, Tim, Fraser, David, Grant, Brookhouse, Thapa, DallasStaff Picking Henderson: Anton Quinton Jackson vs Ryan BaderBrent Brookhouse: I’m not sure what the argument for Bader is here beyond the whole "puncher’s chance" thing or the "maybe Rampage isn’t motivated and looks old" thing. And that’s not a good enough reason to pick him. Rampage Jackson by TKO, round 2.Anton Tabuena: This is a really bad stylistic match up for Bader. Rampage Jackson by TKO.Fraser Coffeen: What is there to say here? If Rampage loses, he might as well retire. Sorry Bader. Rampage Jackson by KO, round 1KJ Gould: Bader losing to Jones is forgivable, but losing to Ortiz the way he did is hard to ignore. Bouncing back against Jason Brilz is a good sign, but is a fight with Rampage too soon for Bader who’s in the process of rebuilding himself? If fighting back in Japan doesn’t re-energise Rampage for perhaps one last time, nothing will. Bader could possibly play spoiler and grind out a wrestling based decision if Rampage hasn’t prepared for all facets of MMA, but I only see one of these fighters being able to get a definitive finish. Rampage Jackson by KO.Tim Burke: Bader hits hard, but his boxing isn’t very good. Obviously his defense on the feet isn’t either if he’s getting dropped by Tito Ortiz. Bader’s going to have a hard time taking Rampage down, and he’s going to get beaten up. I want to see a Rampage KO and howl, but my guess is that this will be more like the Rampage/Hamill fight. Bader gets a taste of Rampage’s power, and awkwardly looks for takedowns while avoiding shots the rest of the fight. I hope it’s better than that, but it probably won’t be. Quinton Jackson by decision.David Castillo: This has all the makings of an incredibly ugly fight. Bader won’t initiate, and I can’t remember the last time Jackson really unleashed on anyone. Hopefully he’ll be fired up in what seems to be his "hometown", and he’ll be amped by more Asian reporters to harass. Still, it’s a terrible fight for Bader who just isn’t dynamic enough to threaten Quinton in any one aspect of the game. Quinton Jackson by decision. T.P. Grant: The way Rampage wins fights these days is when guys play his game, and Ryan Bader will play his game. I expect this to be a slightly more competitive Hamill/Rampage, I think Bader will hang in there but in the end he will not be able to take Rampage down or out box him and it will become pretty clear that Rampage is the better fighter. Rampage Jackson by Decision. Ben Thapa: I agree with Grant, that this is going to look like a much better version of Jackson/Hamill. Bader has probably been tearing himself up for months now over being caught out against Tito and putting in the hours of training to fix that. However, Jackson’s been at this stand-up game far longer than Bader and we’re going to see a plod-a-thon with sporadic moments of excitements. It would be magnificent if Rampage would return to his days of utilizing offensive wrestling, but those days are seemingly gone forever. Jackson, decision.Dallas Winston: I do envision Bader being able to replicate the Rashad Evans strategy of using his quick hands and feet to catch Rampage off-guard with set-up takedowns. I still think Rampage has some of the best takedown defense in the division and his on-balance boxing and simple but powerful punching keeps his hands in the ideal position to shuck off takedowns. The talk of retirement is a concern but I see Rampage winning via street-smarts, Dad-strength and a decapitating left hook. Rampage Jackson by TKO.Staff Picking Jackson: Fraser, KJ, Tim, David, Grant, Brookhouse, Anton, Thapa, DallasStaff Picking Bader: Mark Hunt vs Cheick KongoBrent Brookhouse: I feel like I’m living in some alternate universe...people really like Hunt to beat Kongo? Really? Kongo isn’t exactly an elite level mixed martial artist, but he’s a step up the ladder from Hunt. Hunt and Rothwell looked like they were about to die in the final stages of their fight, Kongo is pretty capable of managing his energy and wearing on guys by working them against the cage. To top that off he has decent enough wrestling to make Hunt work constantly. Mark Hunt has...power. I don’t really expect this to be close. Cheick Kongo by decision.Anton Tabuena: Yup, Kongo is really a step up the ladder from Hunt. Styles make fights though, and Kongo won’t be able to stand with a guy like Hunt. He will most likely try and outwrestle Hunt, and while that could happen, I think Hunt can fend off a few takedowns, and stop Kongo on the feet to pull off the huge upset. Mark Hunt by KO.Fraser Coffeen: Kongo is more experienced and is really good at taking other kickboxers, putting them on their back or against the cage, and grinding out the decision. But here’s the thing - Hunt is good at takedown defense and and regaining his feet. His huge flaw is submission defense, but that’s not Kongo’s strength. I’m going out on a limb and saying Hunt is able to outstrike Kongo and keep his miracle run going. Mark Hunt by decision.KJ Gould: Mark Hunt’s chin is legendary, though it has been cracked by Melvin Manhoef back in 2008 much to the surprise of many. Kongo has good hands but lacks the ferocity of Manhoef, and it seems Hunt has rededicated himself after a 6 fight losing streak that included a submission loss to Sean McCorkle. Kongo has looked good recently and is on a roll, but I find it hard to imagine him being able to bully the ‘Super Samoan’ up against the fence or put him on his back to pound on him. I think Hunt manages to do what Pat Barry was unable to, and that’s put Kongo away without snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Mark Hunt by KO.Tim Burke: People are actually picking Hunt? Awesome. I’m obviously a huge Hunt fan and completely lost my mind during the Rothwell fight, but...this is still Mark Hunt. He’s a lumbering, flawed MMA fighter. Kongo has shown to be at least somewhat versatile at times and while I don’t think he’s gonna sub the Super Samoan, he has the game to stay on top of him against the cage or take him down and rough him up. My heart says Hunt all the way, and I really want this pic to be wrong. But...Cheick Kongo by decision.David Castillo: Tough pick. One the one hand, Kongo’s submission game is nothing to write home about. On the other hand, he can’t wrestle, while Hunt can’t. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this one end up on the ground with Hunt actually positioning for submissions. It’s a bizarre prediction I guess, but Kongo has shown a penchant for taking fights to the ground. The fact that he got caught in a firefight against Barry was pure chance in my opinion. It’ll be cool if Hunt wins, but not meaningful: he’ll just get submitted against his next opponent. Cheick Kongo by decision. T.P. Grant: Kongo is a much better fighter than many fans give him credit for, he has stood in the cage with some of the best Heavyweights in the sport and accounted for himself well. The same cannot be said about Hunt, and his win over a gassed out Rothwell doesn’t really change much. I am nervous about picking Kongo by decision because he is always a threat to get himself penalized a point, but I don’t think Hunt will have much to offer Kongo after the first round. Chieck Kongo by TKO, Round 3. Ben Thapa: Hunt has a sneaky good uppercut and I think he’ll catch Kongo with it. If Pat Barry can almost knock out Kongo, I think Mark Hunt can put Cheick all the way out with a couple of good strikes. Hunt, KO, Round 2.Dallas Winston: Before Kongo improved his wrestling, this would have been a case of a good kickboxer squaring off with an elite kickboxer. Kongo’s size, athleticism and natural instincts with wrestling make him more of a diverse threat, but Hunt has also made promising strides in takedown defense and his defensive guard. Plus, he’s deceivingly agile despite his Super Samoan girth. Thapa nailed it by keying in on the uppercut, which Hunt has employed brilliantly against anyone trying to keep him hesitant with takedowns. I have nothing against Kongo but Pride nostalgia and being a Hunt fan influences my pick. Mark Hunt by uppercut TKO.Staff Picking Hunt: Fraser, KJ, Anton, Thapa, DallasStaff Picking Kongo: Tim, David, Grant, BrookhouseYoshihiro Akiyama vs Jake ShieldsBrent Brookhouse: Akiyama got subbed by Chris Leben. Shields has outwrestled better wrestlers/grapplers than Akiyama. Akiyama also has huge defensive issues in the stand-up. Jake Shields has not fallen to the point where I even dream that Akiyama beats him. Jake Shields by submission, round 2.Anton Tabuena: Akiyama finally decided to drop down and fight guys his size. He will have the striking advantage, and he will also have the luxury of fighting in his home country where he won’t be feeling Jetlag, or any bad effects from travelling for more than 14 hours. That being said, he is being fed to the wolves once again as this is very a bad match up for him. Shields will take him down and he will be grinded out and submitted. Jake Shields by Submission.Fraser Coffeen: I wrote this whole thing about Shields crashing and burning in the UFC and Akiyama making it a brawl and blah blah blah, but then I realized that my Japan MMA love can only go so far. Shields knows he’s got a lot riding on this, and he is more than capable of going into grinding decision mode when needed. It’s needed, and it will happen. Though I still think he will ultimately amount to nothing in the UFC. Jake Shields by decision.KJ Gould: Akiyama is finally at the weight class he was always meant to be in, and his striking power is enough to cause a lot in the welterweight division problems. Shields striking has always been poor, and it’s hard to think he won’t be even more gun-shy after he got laid to waste by Jake Ellenberger - though the loss of his father in the run up to that fight has to be taken into consideration regarding his mindset going into it. I think Shields returns to what got him to the dance, and that’s putting on his superlative ‘American Jiu Jitsu’ to use in taking Akiyama down and submitting him. Jake Shields by Submission.Tim Burke: I’m not jumping off the Shields wagon just because he got blasted by Ellenberger. He’s an enormous 170 and his MMA wrestling is still top-notch. Akiyama has shown that he won’t fight to his strengths in previous UFC fights and I don’t expect that to change in Japan. He’ll look to land a home run shot, and forget his judo. Shields is gonna put him on his back, pass his guard a lot, and...win a decision. I am curious to see if Akiyama gets booed though. Jake Shields by decision.David Castillo: I think Shields is still great, and it sucks that people constantly try to take away from his win over Dan Henderson, but it’s hard to really harmonize his incredible resume and total lack of anything resembling standup: though to be fair, he nearly beat GSP with a jab of his own, at least according to some of the idiot judges at 129. For this reason I think Akiyama stands a really good chance, but his cardio has, and will be a problem, and Shields will capitalize. It’ll be a tough first round, but Jake has this, and given what has gone on in his personal life, I’ll be rooting for him. Jake Shields by submission, round 3. T.P. Grant: Shields is a better wrestler, a better grappler, has better cardio and his stand up took some serious strides forward in the GSP fight. I’ve never been very impressed by Akiyama either by his skills or his attitude, as greasing scandals following his constantly. I think Shields wins this one rather easily. Jake Shields by Submission, Round 2. Ben Thapa: This is a closer fight than people here are making it out to be. Akiyama has terrific takedown defense skills and is finally fighting at his "real" size. Presumably, while studying fight tapes, Akiyama saw the same thing that Georges did - Shields shoots in for a takedown from two angles/situations. I think Akiyama can shut those angles down and force Shields into a standing battle for a decision win. Akiyama, decision.Dallas Winston: On board with Thapa again -- I think this is a horrible match up for Shields, who struggles against strong grapplers with sharp striking who can stay upright. Still, Akiyama’s newaza makes him tough in the clinch but I expect Shields to drop and hover in for low singles that he’ll relentlessly pursue like a rabid dog gnawing on a nicely tanned and hopefully not over-moisturized leg. Shields is a lunatic sub-grappler from the top and will take over from there. Jake Shields by submission.Staff Picking Akiyama: ThapaStaff Picking Shields: KJ, Tim, Fraser, David, Grant, Brookhouse, Anton, DallasYushin Okami vs Tim Boetsch Brent Brookhouse: I feel like there’s a repeating story in these picks where one guy is totally likeable (Akiyama, Hunt, Boetsch) but reality is that they are facing guys who are proven better fighters. And in each case it’s been proven over lengthy careers on both fighters’ part, so it’s not like we don’t have the data to base our decisions on. Yushin Okami by decision.Fraser Coffeen: Boetsch has looked good at MW, but he’s also been rather one-dimensional, and it’s a dimension Okami knows how to deal with. My only worry is that Okami won’t be as dedicated anymore - his career is getting long, and he’s made it to the top and lost, so will he have the drive to make it back up again? Something tells me he won’t. Tim Boetsch by decision.KJ Gould: I like Boetsch, he’s put on exciting fights and demonstrated some interesting ‘Redneck Judo’, but Okami is just a better all around fighter who won’t be intimidated by his opponent this time out. Okami’s use of stiff jabs to weaken an opponent, combined with his wrestling and ground and pound to wear opponents down makes this a fairly easy pick for me - especially with Okami fighting on home soil. Yushin Okami by Decision.Tim Burke: I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more fitting nickname than "The Barbarian". Boetsch is a caveman in the cage, and I love it. But Okami is much more polished and he’s not going to get bodied around like Kendall Grove did. Okami has never been known as a top striker, but he’s definitely got the edge in that department as well. He can do whatever he wants in this fight, methinks. For those counting, I’ve picked five straight decisions now. Yushin Okami by decision.T.P. Grant: Boetsch has a very entertaining and interesting skill set and I love watching him fight. He combines over-powering strength with some nice Judo and pure aggression. The problem is Okami is on a different level in terms of skills, and Boetsch likely can’t throw anything at Okami that he hasn’t already seen. Expect a grinding Okaimi win. Yushin Okami by Decision. David Castillo: I can’t really get on the Boetsch bandwagon. His "redneck judo" was fun while it lasted, but the dude is a career .500 fighter in the UFC. Okami is a perennial contender. As always, it’ll be a plodding fight, but I expect Okami to dominate on the ground, and on the feet in typical Okami fashion. Yushin Okami by decision. Ben Thapa: I’m still angry that Okami was so tentative in the cage against Anderson Silva. He is much better than the performance he put on that night and I look forwards to seeing the statement he makes with this fight. The thing about Boetsch is that he’s VERY good at taking advantage of balance shifts to get those trips and throws, but Okami is perhaps the very definition of "a fighter with a solid base". Yushin should be able to batter Tim standing and force him into the clinch now and then. Okami, decision.Dallas Winston: I’m treading on thin ice after crediting Akiyama’s bronzed quadriceps and will push the envelope by proclaiming that Boetsch is the only considerable candidate for the Conan-style trappings of a leather loin cloth. I’m just saying -- you know you would cringe at first, then shrug it off because it just coalesces perfectly with his acceptably uncivilized savagery. All of Boetsch’s losses were to wrestlers he couldn’t take down. His frustration showed in barreling into range with flying meathooks, which only resulted in getting tagged with counters or put on his back. Okami’s boxing has advanced significantly and his unwavering balance and composure along with his snapping jab and straight combinations should be an antithetical mixture. Yushin Okami by commanding decision. Staff Picking Okami: KJ, Tim, Grant, David, Brookhouse, Anton, Thapa, DallasStaff Picking Boetsch: FraserHatsu Hioki vs Bart PalaszewskiBrent Brookhouse: I really like Hioki but something about this fight for him is just bothering me. I’m going to take Bart here because I think he’s too big and will spend time on top landing elbows that Hioki isn’t going to be comfortable taking, but I’m doing so with great reservation. Palaszewski by decision.KJ Gould: Hioki all day, hopefully by an awesome sub this time. Plus, you know, Polish surnames are a huge gripe of mine. OK, Palaszewski beat Tyson Griffin but that doesn’t mean anything remotely like it used to a few years ago. Hioki had a ropey debut against Georges Roop, but I expect to see he’ll have adjusted this time out and in a more favourable timezone. Hioki by Submission.Tim Burke: I’ve never been a Bartimus fan, but I have to give him props for his devastation of Tyson Griffin. I still see him as a very flawed fighter, and when Hioki is dialed in, he’s awesome and finding those flaws in opponents and exploiting them. Bart’s got a big size advantage and could plant Hioki on his back for three rounds, but I think Hioki will work his magic, mount Bartimus, and put him away with an armbar. Hatsu Hioki by submission.T.P. Grant: Hatsu Hioki is an excellent fighter and under a lot of radars because of the Roop fight. While many decried Roop as a light weight, he has proven a solid featherweight. Palazewski is a solid fighter and a good enough grappler to not get tapped out but I think Hioki is the better all-around fighter. Hatsu Hioki by Decision. David Castillo: Man, I’ll do it and call the upset on this one. It’s not that Bart is the better fighter, because he’s not. It’s that Hioki is a maddeningly inconsistent one. Which is not really reflected in his record, but that still shows up in his performances, like the Roop fight. I expect Bart to keep it on the feet just long enough, and for Hatsu to indulge him just enough on the feet to allow Bart to find an opening, and crack Hioki’s chin through his shoddy defense. I hate making this pick, but I gotta go with my gut on this one. Though Hioki has never been finished by TKO, Bart has just enough power to make this interesting. Bart Palaszewski by decision. Ben Thapa: I doubt anyone outside of Aldo "cracks" Hioki’s chin. The man is durable in a way that’s been proven time and again. He’s also a relentless grappler that grind his opponents to dust. Bartimus is a great person and a fun fighter to watch, but I don’t think he has the chops to fend Hioki off for all three rounds and score points on top of that. Hioki, decision.Dallas Winston: Bart’s keen edge is his overall versatility and the obvious knowledge of Hioki’s intentions. The gateway for 100% of Hioki’s success is getting to the clinch and working his nefarious trips and throws and Bart’s cage motion and footwork will dictate that success. Bart’s a crafty and scrappy gamer with a knack for thwacking power punches without leaving himself exposed for takedowns. Hioki’s not nearly the poor striker everyone paints him as and won’t be burdened with the mile-long reach that Roop had. Bart will make him work hard to implement his strengths but I see Hioki eventually doing so and wreaking top-side havoc on the mat. Hatsu Hioki by late submission.Staff Picking Hioki: Fraser, KJ, Tim, Anton, Thapa, DallasStaff Picking Palaszewski: David, BrookhouseAnthony Pettis vs Joe LauzonBrent Brookhouse: When facing top level talents, Lauzon has historically come up short. The Guillard fight was the exception rather than the rule, at least for now. If Lauzon wins this fight I’ll need to reevaluate my stance on him, but I think Pettis is just too versitile, too athletic and not prone to the kind of mistakes of a Guillard. Anthony Pettis by TKO, round 2.Anton Tabuena: Tough fight to pick. Lauzon can end it early, but Pettis is the more logical pick as he has better striking, better cardio, and has serviceable grappling. He just has to survive the early onslaught and from there it is his figh to lose. Anthony Pettis by Decision.KJ Gould: Joe Lauzon has been training diligently to improve his grappling with Ricky Lundell, a Pedro Sauer BJJ Blackbelt and a Cael Sanderson Iowa Cyclones Division 1 Wrestler who helped coach Frank Mir to his amazing arm breaking win over Antonio Nogueira. Joe Lauzon was already pretty good, and I think working with Lundell will make him that much better. Pettis is still less developed than Lauzon as a MMA-ist, and it’s hard to tell if he’s improved of regressed in the last couple of fights despite working with the likes of Ben Askren and Duke Roufus. Pettis’ benefits from reflexes and athleticism, but I think Lauzon is enough of a veteran who’s cunning enough to take advantage of any mistake Pettis might make. In some ways a similar fight to Lauzon vs Guillard. Joe Lauzon by Submission.Tim Burke: I like Joe Lauzon and have always considered him to be a bit underrated, but I don’t think this is a good fight for him. His takedowns aren’t good enough to put Pettis on the mat for long periods of time, and despite catching Guillard flush, his standup doesn’t measure up to Showtime’s. I think this will go like Lauzon vs. Sam Stout at UFC 108 - Lauzon threatens early, but is controlled standing the rest of the way. As long as Showtime sticks to the basics and doesn’t get too flashy, he can pick up a respectable win. Anthony Pettis by decision.Fraser Coffeen: I really have not been impressed at all by Pettis in the UFC, and I think if he gets hot-shotted into a title fight it won’t be pretty, but this is a good fight for him. Lauzon is a tenacious submission fighter, but Pettis have enough defense to avoid being tapped, and over the course of 15 minutes, I see him controlling enough of the stand-up to get the win. Anthony Pettis by decisionT.P. Grant: Lauzon likes to swarm in the first round and go for submissions while both fighters are still dry. I don’t think that strategy will work out for him here as Pettis is quite able off his back and tends to get stronger as fights go on. I think Lauzon wins the first round and then Pettis takes over in rounds two and three, getting a late TKO win. Anthony Pettis by TKO, Round 3. David Castillo: The trouble with picking this fight is that I think Lauzon is not as good as his last fight showed, and that Pettis is much better than his last performance revealed. Still, Pettis looked flat, while Lauzon looked like he was shot out of a cannon. But Pettis won’t make stupid mistakes, and he doesn’t consider jiu jitsu a joke. Lauzon’s finishing skills, which only ever occur before the seven minute mark, won’t be a factor here. Pettis is a better striker, and his grappling is more than capable. Joe’s a massive front runner, but only against lesser fighters will he look like a world beater. Pettis is not a lesser fighter, and should take a comfortable victory. The real question is whether he’s improved enough to make us forget his fight against Stephens. Anthony Pettis by decision. Ben Thapa: I believe that Sergio Pettis is already the best fighter at Roufus’s camp. We’ll see both brothers in the UFC in a couple years and how well my prediction holds up. Lauzon has the grappling to climb onto the back and finish Pettis and the boxing to counter Pettis’s leg kicks and one-twos. This is an extremely fun match-up and I’d not be dismayed to be wrong though. Lauzon, submission, Round 2.Dallas Winston: Lauzon is laudably aggressive and highly technical on the ground, but his mediocre wrestling means he has to rely on an insane flurry of leather to set up his shots. If he can get his hands on Pettis consistently, I think his sub-grappling will be too creative. Pettis has to play the tactical kickboxer here and evade the wild bull-rush with tight countering and precise circling. I lean slightly towards Pettis but Lauzon’s trend of sputtering out after the first seals it for me. Anthony Pettis by decision.Staff Picking Pettis: Tim, Fraser, Grant, David, Brookhouse, DallasStaff Picking Lauzon: KJ, ThapaTakanori Gomi vs Eiji MitsuokaBrent Brookhouse: As much as I’d love to see Gomi get a win in front of his home crowd on a big stage and then hang up the gloves, I think it’s much more likely that Mitsuoka outworks him to a decision. Mitsuoka by decision.Anton Tabuena: I’ll be really sad if Gomi can’t beat a guy like Mitsuoka. Takanori Gomi by KO.KJ Gould: Man, what the hell happened to Gomi? We saw a flash of the Fireball Kid against Tyson Griffin, but as I mention in the Hioki vs Palaszewski prediction, that kind of win means very little these days. Mitsuoka is the right sort of opponent Gomi can shine against, someone with a decent enough record in Japanese MMA but doesn’t look like a can either. If Gomi can’t win this, it’s got to be the end of his UFC career if not his MMA career. Gomi by KO.Tim Burke: I like this fight better than Gomi/Sotiropoulos, but come on man, can’t we give Gomi a striker for once? Why is it always wrestlers and sub guys? Gomi can knock out anyone, but Mitsuoka has a really good chin and a crafty ground game. Problem is, he doesn’t really have great takedowns, and despite Gomi being put on his back a lot in the UFC, Mitsuoka isn’t a UFC-caliber fighter. I picked against Hunt and it hurt my soul, but I am NOT picking against Gomi. Not now. Not ever. Takanori Gomi by epic KO.T.P. Grant: I sadly get the feeling that Gomi’s motivation has almost completely worn away. I just have a bad feeling that KO win over Griffin was Gomi’s last moment of glory. Eiji Mitsuoka via Submission, Round 1. Fraser Coffeen: Tim is correct, Mitsuoka is not quite a UFC caliber fighter. But neither is Takanori Gomi in 2012. Mitusoka had a very good run in Sengoku, a win over Joachim Hansen, and his last fight was a solid win over Bruno Carvalho. He’s not a known Japanese fighter exactly, but he’s solid, and that’s enough to get by Gomi here. Eiji Mitsuoka via submission, round 2.David Castillo: Takanori Gomi is looking to pay for his tab, and his car payments these days, and nothing much else. The guy’s head was really never in the game when you think about it, but at least his body fought against his mind to produce brilliant violence. Now his body is right there with his brain: in a caged river without a paddle. Even worse, Mitsuoka is a solid veteran, and has been pretty consistent, only losing to underrated fighters themselves, like Yokota, Boku, and Kitaoka...only 3 losses since 2006. Easy pick here. Eiji Mitsuoka by submission, round 2. Ben Thapa: I am refusing to make a pick here because I do not want to jinx Gomi in any way, shape or form. To tide you over, I remind you of the Tyson Griffin knockouts at the hands of Gomi and Bartimus. Ka-BLAAAOOW versus "Bap, bap, bap bap bap bap, boom."Dallas Winston: I agree with Burke on everything but the statement that Mitsuoaka isn’t a UFC-level fighter. I’d say he is for sure. No offense to these guys but let’s not forget that we have lightweights like John Cholish and Mitch Clarke on the roster. Mitsuoka has already finished UFC-caliber opponents in Tibau and Strebendt by TKO and Schiavo and Cobb by sub. That being said, my lifelong career accomplishments include creating the legendary "Gomi Head". Google it to recognize my gushing adoration for "The Fireball Kid." Takanori Gomi by soul-rending KO.Staff Picking Gomi: KJ, Tim, Anton, DallasStaff Picking Mitsuoka: Fraser, Grant, David, BrookhouseStaff Refusing to Pick: ThapaNorifumi Yamamoto vs Vaughn LeeBrent Brookhouse: Yamamoto is faded, but still good enough to beat a Vaughn Lee. Yamamoto by decision.Anton Tabuena: See Gomi vs. Mitsuoka prediction. Kid Yamamoto by TKO.KJ Gould: Another Japanese juggernaut reduced to a shell of his former self, ‘Kid’ Yamamoto needs this win just as badly as Gomi, and Vaughn Lee is the perfect opponent for him to do so against and keep his job. Lee’s still young enough to develop as a fighter, while Kid’s injuries over recent years means there aren’t many good fights left in him. Kid should still get this, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see the final sad chapter play out in Yamamoto’s fight career. Kid Yamamoto Tim Burke: Lee’s...not very good. He did okay in the first round against Chris Cariaso, but he got mounted five times in the last two rounds. And Cariaso isn’t even that great of a grappler. Somehow one judge gave him one of those rounds, which boggles the mind. Sure, Kid has looked pretty bad in the UFC so far. But if there was ever an opponent that would make him look good, this is him. Leg kicks aplenty, and eventually a finish. Kid Yamamoto by TKO.T.P. Grant: Not sure what to make of Yamamoto these days. Injuries have worn him down, but Lee’s lack of wrestling makes me think this is Yamamoto’s fight. Kid Yamamoto by Decision. David Castillo: Unlike Gomi, I think Kid is still halfway in the game. Injuries have been the biggest threat to his career, and hasn’t even looked so bad, but rather, just tentative. He still clocked Darren pretty good. Still, he doesn’t need to be terrible aggressive to beat Lee. Kid Yamamoto by TKO, round 2.Ben Thapa: Yamamoto has been hindered by a set of injuries for a while, but his biggest flaw is his defensive grappling. Uyenoyama made a fool of him for three rounds last time out and was able to do because Kid was making rookie mistakes. Lee is not as good as Uyenoyama at forcing the takedown and climbing to the back, so Kid should be able to smash him into oblivion while standing. Kid, KO, Round 1.Dallas Winston: Well Kid, here’s your slow-moving softball right across the center of the plate. Kid Yamamoto by flying knee KO (please).Staff Picking Yamamoto: KJ, Tim, Fraser, Grant, David, Brookhouse, Thapa, DallasStaff Picking Lee: Riki Fukuda vs Steve CantwellBrent Brookhouse: Cantwell is one of the biggest disappointments in MMA in recent memory for me. He was developing well and I thought the sky was the limit for him. Then his growth not only stopped, but he seemed to regress. He’ll be fighting for his career, basically. So I’m going to think he pulls it out. Cantwell by TKO, round 1.Anton Tabuena: Riki is coming off an unfortunate car accident, and there are also rumors that he hasn’t been able to train properly on this camp. Steve Cantwell by TKO.KJ Gould: Riki Fukuda should have beat Nick Ring and was robbed on the scorecards. However he’s not fought in just over a year, and while Steve Cantwell is on a 4 fight skid, fighting more recently in October of last year might be a factor. Despite the lay off, Fukuda appeared to have more career momentum going for him so it’s still hard to pick against him. Riki Fukuda by Decision.Tim Burke: This one’s tough. Fukuda is coming off a bad car accident, and there’s no telling how good he’ll look. Yes, Steve Cantwell loses all the damn time, but he is actually a pretty skilled fighter. He just doesn’t fight up to his potential. Fukuda is extremely durable normally, so I’ll lean that way. But I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Cantwell ground out a W. Riki Fukuda by decision.T.P. Grant: Cantwell used to be an interesting prospect at Light Heavyweight, but things just have not panned out for him. He has been trying his wares at middleweight and it isn’t going much better. That said, Cantwell is still very young and is still quite talented. I think he gets off the slide and notches a much needed win. Steve Cantwell by Decision. David Castillo: I can’t dismiss what Fukuda has had to go through during his layoff. Even without the layoff and the accident, it’s a tough fight for Riki, but only because he’s always been such a grinder. Will he be able to wade through what should be a very gritty and tough affair? Given the layoff, I‘m inclined to say no. Injuries have plagued Cantwell’s career too, but at least he’s been fairly active. Steve Cantwell by decision. Ben Thapa: Tough pick here, due to the recent injury suffered by Fukuda and the dojo wandering he’s had to do in order to train for this fight. Cantwell has the benefit of stability and the youth, but Fukuda is going to push him into the cage for three rounds. I’m ultimately going with Riki here because I believe Cantwell is going to have a devil of a time getting off the cage and into his own offense. Fukuda, decision.Dallas Winston: I had high hopes for Cantwell too and love watching his creative kickboxing. Unfortunately, it’s heavy on intricate technique and light on raw effectiveness and I kind of lost faith after four-straight letdowns. Fukuda is oddly similar to Massenzio as a southpaw wrestle-boxer who pressures with alternating attacks of crisp combos and double-legs. I’m giving Cantwell a little lenience for his last fight because it was his first-run at 185 and he’ll also be the most dangerous submissionist that Fukuda has encountered. Riki Fukuda by decision.Staff Picking Fukuda: KJ, Tim, Fraser, Thapa, DallasStaff Picking Cantwell: Grant, David, Anton, BrookhouseTakeya Mizugaki vs Chris Cariaso Brent Brookhouse: Yeah, this isn’t too hard. Mizugaki by decision.KJ Gould: Mizugaki’s career in the last 3 years has been the very definition of hit and miss, but he has been in there with some of the best in his weight class. He’s a bit more experienced and has faced better fighters than Cariaso and based on that alone I have to give it to Mizugaki - even if the pattern of his record shows a loss is due. I expect the cycle to be broken, though. Mizugaki by Decision.Tim Burke: Mizu all the way. He’s much bigger than Cariaso and has the better grappling. It’s pretty clear-cut to me. Takeya Mizugaki by decision.T.P. Grant: This seems like a match meant to give the home crowd a reason to cheer, Mizugaki should be all over Cariaso. Takeya Mizugaki by Decision. David Castillo: Mizugaki is not immune to an off performance, but he’s never been a dumb fighter, and the only way he loses to Cariaso is if he gets reckless, or makes multiple mistakes. Instead he should do what he’s able to do on paper: bully, and beat Chris Cariaso who will be feeling like John Lithgow in the Twilight Zone on his trip to Japan. Takeya Mizugaki by TKO, round 3. Ben Thapa: Who still watches Twilight Zone in this day and age? Adventure Time is where it’s at and it’s a better show than the new or old Serling versions ever were. Mizugaki, decision.Dallas Winston: Mizugaki by more height and reach and technical brawling. Takeya Mizugaki by decision.Staff Picking Mizugaki: KJ, Tim, Fraser, Grant, David, Anton, Brookhouse, DallasStaff Picking Cariaso: Zhang Tiequan vs Issei TamuraBrent Brookhouse: They’re just going to keep trying to give Zhang all the softballs they can. He’s not good. Tamura is also not good. Before anyone gets all weepy about saying a fighter isn’t good, it’s in the context of "UFC level." But whatever, this is set up to give Zhang a win, even though he can botch that. Tiequan by decision.Anton Tabuena: I don’t even know why they even placed Zhang on this card in the first place. Why would the Japanese crowd be interested in seeing a Chinese fighter against an American (his original opponent)? Either way, Tamura isn’t as good, and he’s coming in on short notice, so he will probably get stopped by the former URCC champion. Zhang Tie Quan by Submission.KJ Gould: I have not been even remotely impressed with Tiequan at all, anf he’s had a couple of favourable match ups thrown his way. Tamura may be another one of those bones, but I could easily see Tamura take a decision. There’s a reason this is the first fight of the preliminary card, so if it ends up being good consider yourself fortunate. Tamura by Decision.Tim Burke: Tamura has no finish, and he’s going to get outwrestled. Even if Zhang drops for 600 guillotines, he’s gonna get up 604 times and get back on top. And so what if I suck at math? What’s it to you? Tiequan Zhang by decision.T.P. Grant: Tamura is a late replacement, with moderate success in Shooto in a young career. This is a huge jump for him and he isn’t ready for it. Tiequan Zhang by Guillotine, Round 1. David Castillo: While I think KJ is being a little tough on Zhang, he’s still correct. But for all of his faults, I don’t think he’s a sub-par fighter. If he was a bit smarter, he might have saved himself from the loss to someone like Danny Downes (ok so maybe ‘sub par’ is apt, but whatever), and Elkins is pretty underrated, despite not being a spectacular fighter. Tamura is not the fighter to replicate some of their success. Plus, no matter how silly he is about guillotine attempts, it’s still a pretty good guillotine. Tiequan Zhang by submission, round 1. Ben Thapa: Zhang is a brown belt now. That kind of boggles my mind because he was just a blue belt when he first came onto my radar. That kind of dedication and work ethic is a great thing to have and I think it shows more improvement than Tamura has been able to accomplish in his short career. I do hope Tamura gets another shot after this, because he can be entertaining and a threat in the right spots. Zhang, decision.Dallas Winston: Tamura is actually a decent wrestler with great submission defense and I’m with K.J. in that Zhang’s yet to impress. That’s all I got. Tiequan Zhang by submission.Staff Picking Zhang: Tim, Fraser, Grant, David, Anton, Brookhouse, DallasStaff Picking Tamura: KJ

Posted in: fight, hunt, round, edgar, hersquo

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

With Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) poised to make its return to Japan with UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" at the Saitama Super Arena, there have been quite a few questions on some of the competitor's minds. For instance, what's it like to fight in Japan versus the United States? Well, for one thing, it's much quieter in between rounds. That's according to former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz, who told ESPN.com that he could "literally hear a pin drop." "You can literally hear a pin drop in between rounds. Some fighters fight off that adrenaline. I myself feed off fans. There, everything was so quiet. I could hear my elbows bust off Wanderlei Silva's face." Ortiz went to war against "The Axe Murderer" for three rounds at UFC 25, held at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan, on April 14, 2000. "The Hunting Beach Bad Boy" took home a unanimous decision win, which kicked off a six-fight winning streak that lasted until he met Randy Couture at UFC 44 in September 2003. More on the promotion's return to Japan right here.

Posted in: ufc, round, japan, elbows bust, pin drop

Read the full article at MMA Mania

In their ongoing quest to improve MMA it appears the UFC has a new system they’ll be testing out starting next month when four flyweights meet to determine the two men who will fight for the division’s inaugural championship. Apparently, if either fight is ruled in a Draw a “sudden victory” format will be implemented featuring an additional round of action. Demetrious Johnson, who lost in his quest to claim the bantamweight title from Dominick Cruz last year, told TapouT Radio recently that he has signed a contract for such a situation against opponent Ian McCall if the bout is even at the end of three frames. Along with Johnson-McCall, Joseph Benavidez and Yasuhiro Urushitani will meet in the other semifinal on March 3 at UFC on FX 2: Alves vs. Kampmann. “I don’t know if anybody has said anything about it, and this is the first time I’m mentioning it, is that we (McCall and myself) had to sign for a ‘sudden death’ bout,” Johnson said. “If it goes to three rounds, and the judges can’t decide who the winner is, then we’ll do a fourth round.” Johnson added that he does not know if the UFC made the other semifinal pair sign the same deal but it is likely that they did. Along with the 125-pound semifinals, talented welterweights Thiago Alves and Martin Kampmann will collide in the main event. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, round, johnson, bantamweight title, martin kampmann

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

Not only will the UFC debut its brand spankin' new flyweight division on March 3 at the UFC on FX 2 event in Australia, it will apparently also debut a "sudden death" round for those fighters booked in the 125-pound tournament to crown a new champion. Demetrious Johnson, a participant in said tournament who will take on Ian McCall, told TapouT Radio (via Crooklyn's Corner) he signed a contract that included these details: "I don't know if anybody has said anything about it, and this is the first time I'm mentioning it, is that we (McCall and himself) had to sign for a ‘sudden death' bout. If it goes to three rounds, and the judges can't decide who the winner is, then we'll do a fourth round." Considering the fact that UFC is crowning a new champion in a new division, it seems likely they instituted this new rule simply to ensure they don't hit any roadblocks along the way. Like one of those pesky draws. Really, it's not any different than what they already do on The Ultimate Fighter, albeit with one less round. This certainly isn't a perfect solution, as there are still issues with even this, but at the very least it's a decent safety measure to ensure they crown a new division champion. Johnson was also asked if Joseph Benavidez and Yasuhiro Urushitani, the other two tournament participants, were made to sign similar contracts. Here's what he said: "I'm assuming that it's for me and Ian McCall. I can't say if it's going to be for Joseph and Yasuhiro, because I'm not gonna say that the UFC made those guys sign, too. I'm telling you, specifically, that I signed a contract for an extra round on the bout agreement. I'm not gonna say that they did. I'm assuming, in my unprofessional opinion, that they did as well." As stated, it would seem to make very little sense to have a sudden death round for one of the two fights and not the other. Again, UFC wants to make sure it crowns a new flyweight champion without a big headache. In all likelihood the sudden death round won't even be necessary. UFC on FX 2 is scheduled to take place on March 3, 2012, and will feature the semi-finals of the flyweight tournament. Johnson will battle McCall for the right to face the winner of Benavidez vs. Yasuhiro at a later date. No word on whether or not sudden death will be instituted for that bout but it's safe to assume as much. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for any updates to this story.

Posted in: ufc, round, tournament, death, im

Read the full article at MMA Mania

The UFC will take the first step toward naming its first Flyweight Champion when the promotion travels to Australia for UFC on FX, a fight card that will take place on March 3. Four fighters will compete in the first round of the mini-tournament to decide who will wear the Flyweight crown. In one bout Joseph Benavidez will face Yasuhiro Urushitani, while the second bout will feature Demetrious Johnson versus Ian McCall. Both fights are scheduled for three rounds. Concerns of a tie have lead the UFC

Posted in: ufc, round, demetrious johnson, yasuhiro urushitani, flyweight champion

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Fight week, blog week! The world's largest fight promotion returns to "The Land of the Rising Sun" this coming Sat., Feb. 25, 2012, with UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" from the Saitiama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. And UFC President Dana White is pumping out blogs to get us ready for it. Highlights from episode one, which centers around backstage goings on from UFC 143, include: White thought Matt Riddle vs. Henry Martinez was "the worst mismatch in UFC history" when it was made and congratulated both fighters on a job well done after a close contest that went the distance. Alex Caceres doesn't even remember hitting Edwin Figueroa in the balls the second time. Roy Nelson thought he won at least one round and maybe even two. So "Big Country" actually thought he beat Fabricio Werdum. Nick Diaz felt like he won the first, second and fifth rounds and maybe lost the third and fourth. He also made a conscious decision not to chase Carlos Condit down during the fight. You get to see plenty of Diaz backstage as he passionately describes his view of the action in the cage. The video ends with UFC poking fun at Nelson as he lays out his case for winning the second and third round against Werdum. Stay tuned for the next one, Maniacs.

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, vs, blog

Read the full article at MMA Mania

One-half of the most dominant duo in boxing, Vitali Klitschko, put his title on the line against British contender Dereck "Del Boy" Chisora today (Sat., Feb. 18, 2012) in Germany. Controversy blossomed at the weigh-ins yesterday when Chisora slapped Klitschko, which cost him a quarter of his purse. Chisora continued his mind games up until the bell, spitting on Wladimir Klitschko during the pre-fight staredowns. Many expected an infuriated Vitali to run roughshod over Chisora. Not so much. While the opening rounds were fairly one-sided in favor of the champion, Chisora upped his punch output, forcing the enormous Klitschko to backpedal and taking him out of his comfort zone. While his winging overhands tended to fall short, Chisora's constant body attack looked to be paying dividends, making Klitschko look every bit the 40-year-old man that he is. Unfortunately, Klitschko, being such a veteran and all, took control in the later rounds with his range and powerful right hand. And while Chisora did manage to give a solid effort in the final round, "Del Boy" still came up short, losing on scores of 118-110 (x2) and 119-111. MMAmania.com, admittedly turned off by Chisora's antics, had it 119-109 for Klitschko. While Vitali got the win, as expected, he looked much more vulnerable than he has since returning to the sport, and it will be interesting to see where he goes from here. Chisora proved himself a durable, gritty contender capable of giving any heavyweight a headache. It will be interesting to see where they both go from here. For complete results and blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the fight click here.

Posted in: round, klitschko, chisora, vitali, punch output

Read the full article at MMA Mania

The doctor is in. Heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, fresh off an unmerciful annihilation of Tomasz Adamek, will be putting his titles on the line against British contender Dereck “Del Boy” Chisora. Most recently, Chisora battered the highly-touted Robert Helenius for twelve rounds, only to be screwed out of a win by terrible hometown judging. Chisora sparked some controversy at the weigh-ins by slapping Vitali and being subsequently fined a quarter of his purse. Just now, he spit on Wladimir Klitschko’s face. The fight is set to begin at 5:30 EST; stop by after the jump for live coverage and play-by-play. Round One: Lots of movement from Del Boy early; Klitshcko potshotting with his jab. BIG right hand for Vitali forty seconds in, Chisora clinches. Left hook from Vitali, then another jab. Big one-two for Klitschko, Chisora whiffs on a winging right. Left from Chisora actually lands. Body shot from Vitali, Chisora barely lands a return right. Another whiffed right from Dereck. Jab landing all day for Vitali. Hard right from Vitali, then one to the body. Right straight again. Whiffed left from Chisora, brutal right from Vitali. Easy 10-9 for Dr. Ironfist, who is dominating so far. Round Two: Clinch on the inside. Left from Vitali, then a hard right straight. Chisora whiffs again. Jab from Klitschko and again. One-two lands again for Klitschko. Again. Jab from Vitali. Whiff again from Chisora. Left from Vitali, then a clinch. Right from Vitali, Chisora responds and actually lands. Another one-two from Vitali. BIG right hand from Vitali and again and again. Left from Klitschko. One-two from Klitschko. Target practice for Vitali. 20-18 Klitschko. Round Three: Clinch early. Body blow from Vitali and another. Chisora unable to land anything. Hard right from Klitchko gets through. Good body blow from Chisora, his first real hit of the night. Good shot from Vitali and a right. Jab and one-two from Vitali. Right hand lands for Klitschko and another. Right uppercut connects for Vitali. Both fighters miss an exchange. One-two from Klitschko again. Hard right from Vitali. AGAIN. Chisora completely misses a left and right at the bell. He has nothing for Klitschko so far. 30-27 Vitali. Round Four: Pawing from both; Chisora more active this round. One-two from Vitali. Jabs from Vitali and Chisora misses an overhand right. Good jabs from Vitali. Right from Vitali; Chisora is throwing punches but hitting air, arm, or shoulder every time. Clinch. Left from Vitali misses, Vitali avoiding Chisora’s wild shots. Left from Vitali. BIG counter right straight from Vitali. Glancing body blow from Chisora, who then gets hit by a right. Clinch. Lunging shot from Chisora misses, brutal right from Vitali doesn’t. Another easy round for Vitali; 40-36. Round Five: Hard right straight from Vitali, then another inside. Chisora in a tight shell and Vitali smacking it from all over as Dereck approaches. More wild blows from Chisora, who finally lands a decent body shot. Big right hook from Vitali, who is keeping Chisora at arm’s length easily. Good right from Vitali again. AGAIN. Short shots from Chisora in the clinch. Chisora unsuccessfully stalking Vitali, who is still potshotting. Short shots again from Chisora in the clinch and a good left to the body. Better round for Dereck, but still Vitali’s round. 50-45.

Posted in: right, round, klitschko, chisora, vitali

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Fortunately for those with little interest in the Vladimir Klitschko vs Dereck Chisora Boxing match - either because it costs money or because it's Boxing - Cage Warriors 45 is airing live from London right now at MMA Junkie, and it's absolutely free. Bound to excite on some level, Cage Warriors puts on some of the best rookies and emmerging talent from the United Kingdom, Europe and even the Americas. So crack open a beer, grab a high carb potato based snake, and satiate your Mixed Martial Arts cravings from the other side of the pond. Fight Card and results: Bobby Brents (11-2) vs. Rogent Lloret (11-2-1) James "J.P." Reese (5-2) vs. Brad Wheeler (7-5) Chris Fields (8-3) vs. Jack Mason (17-9) - middleweight-tourney opening round Steve O'Keeffe (6-1) vs. Conor McGregor (9-2) - Steeve O'Keefe def Conor McGregor by KO, Round 1 Eddy Bengtsson (4-2) vs. Dave Keeley (5-4) - Dave Kelley def by Eddy Bengtsson by TKO, Round 1 Brett Bassett (7-2) vs. Brett Sizeland (4-1) - Brett Sizeland def. Brett Bassett by TKO, Round 2

Posted in: round, vs, cage, warrior, brett

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Any chance of former Ultimate Fighter winner Kendall Grove earning another crack at success inside the Octagon took a major hit last night after the lanky Hawaiian was handled with relative ease by Jay Silva, an 8-5 competitor who has now won three of his last four fights. The loss came at Superior Cage Combat 4 where a few other UFC veterans took to the ring as well including Justin Buchholz and Jamie Yager. Silva finished Grove off in the second round after hurting him with strikes, then taking advantage of his damaged state by locking in a fight-finishing Arm-Triangle Choke. Grove did not tap and was put to sleep, resulting the first submission loss of his career and the first submission win of Silva’s. The 29-year old Grove had found success in back-to-back scraps entering his fight against underdog Silva, picking up wins over Joe Riggs and Ikuhisa Minowa since receiving a pink-slip from the UFC. “Da Spyder” now holds an overall record of 14-10 including an 8-7 mark since winning TUF 3. Meanwhile, Team Alpha Male fighter Buchholz had a three-fight winning streak snapped by John Gunderson, another name dedicated fans may remember from his handful of UFC appearances. Also notable, controversial Ultimate Fighter alumnus Yager quietly picked up his fourth straight victory by outpointing Danny Davis Jr. Yager is now 6-2 in his career and could be poised for a return to the UFC with another win or two. Here is a full list of SCC 4 results: Jimmy Jones def. Joao Victor via Submission Round 3 (Rear-Naked Choke) Walter Harris def. Anthony Hamilton via Knockout Round 1 (Strikes) Brandon Bender def. Marlin Weikel via Submission Round 3 (Triangle Choke) Paulo Silva def. Dominique Robinson via Unanimous Decision Jamie Yager def. Danny Davis Jr. via Unanimous Decision John Gunderson def. Justin Buchholz via Submission Round 3 (Kimura) Jay Silva def. Kendall Grove via Technique Submission Round 2 (Arm-Triangle Choke) PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, round, submission, silva, grove

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

UFC veteran Jay Silva became the first man to ever submit Ultimate Fighter winner Kendall Grove last night at Superior Cage Combat 4 in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the co-main event (also featuring two UFC vets) lightweight John Gunderson submitted Justin Buchholz to take the SCC LW title. Sherdog was at the scene: Silva didn't just walk right through his much taller opponent; he had some difficulty in dealing with Grove's long reach and quick hands. Grove landed several thudding kicks to Silva's leg and his jab and hooks were causing his opponent some grief. Still, the Huntington Beach, Calif.-based fighter was resilient and wanted to stand and bang with Grove whenever he could. He got his wish in the second, and it paid dividends as an errant right hand landed on Grove's temple, buckling his legs. "Da Spyder" tried to regroup and hide the fact that he was hurt, but his rubbery legs betrayed him and he eventually crumbled to the canvas. Silva (8-5) pounced and doled out a vicious attack, but Grove (14-10) was able to survive and pull guard. However, Silva scrambled out and latched on the choke, ending the fight when Grove was rendered unconscious. Complete results: Jay Silva def. Kendall Grove via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) at 1:52 of Round 2.John Gunderson def. Justin Buchholz via submission (Kimura)at 2:34 of Round 3. Jamie Yager def. Danny Davis Jr. via unanimous decision.Paulo Goncalves Silva def. Dominique Robinson via unanimous decision.Brandon Bender def. Marlin Weikel via submission (Triangle Choke) at 2:30 of Round 3.Walter Harris def. Anthony Hamilton via KO at 1:15 of Round 1. Jimmy Jones def. Joao Victor via submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 3:49 of Round 3.

Posted in: round, silva, kendall grove, grove, justin buchholz

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Let the El-Lensanity begin! Well…maybe not. After a strong performance on Wednesday, Jake Ellenberger emerged victorious with a win over the always tough Diego Sanchez. He might have the rulebook to thank for it, due to the match being scheduled for just three rounds. After a dominating first two rounds, Sanchez began to get comfortable, and was able to get Ellenberger to the ground late in the round. However, even with a few submission attempts and strong ground-and-pound, he was unable to finish “The Juggernaut”. Afterwards, the judges all agreed, and Bruce Buffer announced the 29-28 score in favor of Ellenberger. So, what now? Earlier this month at UFC 143, Carlos Condit defeated Nick Diaz by decision to win the interim welterweight title. Because of just how closely contested the fight was, a rematch was discussed and likely would have taken place later this year. However, Diaz failed his post-fight drug test for marijuana, thus throwing that rematch out the window due to Diaz being suspended. Now Condit will likely wait for welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre to return from a torn ACL. That means Condit will wait on the shelf until later this year, likely November. Nine months. That means the Duggar family (famous for having 19 kids…and counting!) will likely have another child before we see the pair step foot in the Octagon. This begs the question- what was the point of having the interim belt? If Condit is only going to fight once during St. Pierre’s downtime, why have an interim belt at all? Why not just make him the number one contender with the win over Diaz, and at least not make the interim belt even more of a phony than it already is? Or even better, do not label the fight with Condit and Diaz at all, and let the division sort itself out to determine who the proper contender for St. Pierre is for when he returns. Now, with the win on Wednesday over Sanchez, Ellenberger is stuck. He is at least a year away from a title shot, if not more, depending on how St. Pierre’s recovery goes. A fantastic rematch between Condit and Ellenberger is sitting in Dana White and Joe Silva’s lap, but instead they will just give us something else, just like Santa Claus at the mall. Ellenberger, who fought nine times in 2005, does not have the benefit of waiting around. That does not get him anywhere, especially due to not being a number one contender. But, the one benefit of him fighting a few more fights this year is that he will get to fight in five-round matchups. He was visibly tired in the third round; something Sanchez was able to take advantage of. Now he can work on his fitness and gradually work his way up to being ready for that title shot whenever it is awarded to him. Biggest winner: Stefan Struve Before the fight, Struve stressed how much he just wants to continue growing in the cage. His maturity and growth may have never been more evident than on Wednesday against Dave Herman. After a slow first round, Struve picked his spots very well in the second round, eventually knocking Herman down with an uppercut. From there he was able to finish the fight. A year ago, Struve might have grown impatient midway through the first round, perhaps putting him in trouble. At 23, he still has plenty of time to develop. After entering the Octagon for the tenth time, Struve might finally be on his way to reaching his potential. Biggest loser: Dave Herman Herman just had to know that scarf did not go well with that sweater. Fashion mistakes aside, Herman’s lack of focus on his career might be catching up to him. The raw talent is evident, but for a guy that has never taken his career overly serious, he might have reached the peak of where natural skills can take him. After testing positive for marijuana prior to UFC 136, and not really confirming or denying it, and then his antics throughout the week, Herman might get a talking to from UFC brass before he gets cut. And yes, Pee-Wee, that’s the word of the day. Biggest question: Did anyone get to see the excellent debut on FUEL TV? With an attendance of just over 6,000 in the Omaha Civic Auditorium, that still might be a larger audience than the amount of people that watched on television. With just a few months between the signing with FOX late last year and the debut on FUEL TV, it would have been a good idea to have all cable events take place on FX in 2012, and then hold events on FUEL TV in 2013. Instead, thousands of fans will be unable to watch multiple events throughout this year, as it is a much more difficult process to change cable providers or demand a channel than some people in the UFC believe. Future matchups to make: Jake Ellenberger vs. Johny Hendricks/Josh Koscheck winner: I would love to put Ellenberger/Condit II here, and I think it might still happen. But for now, it sounds like Condit will wait for St. Pierre. Hendricks/Koscheck takes place in May at UFC on FOX 3. This will allow Ellenberger some time off, and put together an excellent matchup between “The Juggernaut” and the victor later this year. Diego Sanchez vs. A return to lightweight: After the fight, Sanchez discussed how tough it is to put on enough muscle in order to take on the stronger welterweights. While he did not like the cut to 155 pounds, Sanchez looked at his best in the division. Let him have some time to cut the weight, and let him return to his stronger division. Stefan Struve vs. Mike Russow Struve seems to be on the right track after hitting a few rough patches throughout his career. Russow has yet to see a rough patch, winning the first four fights of his UFC career. He deserves a tough test, something “The Skyscraper” would provide. Ronny Markes vs. Ed Herman Markes is a huge middleweight who made his debut at 185 pounds on Wednesday. That cut seemed evident at times, as the fight dragged at some point in every round. But with his size and skill, Markes poses a strong challenge to the entire division. Coming off of a win against Clifford Starks at UFC 143 earlier this month, Herman would test Markes both on the feet and on the ground.

Posted in: ufc, fight, ellenberger, round, year

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(When your face regularly looks this mangled after fights, perhaps 'The Dream' isn't the most fitting nickname) While the internet is busy proclaiming Diego Sanchez has passed his best before date, Greg Jackson seems slightly more positive: "We were trying to get that fire back in Diego. Get him to really push forward, get him to fake and feint, mess with his timing so we could get our entrances well and do what he did in the third round. [Sanchez] is really just getting started in his MMA career, Ellenberger is one of the top, top 170-pounders, so losing a close decision, it was two rounds to one, close decision like this, especially if we had two more rounds to work, I really don't think it hurts his career at all. He won a lot of fans with his intensity and he'll continue to do great things." Numbers may not lie but they can certainly mislead - Ellenberger boxed the snot out of Diego for two rounds and was on his way to more of the same in the third when he gave up that bad position. But Greg Jackson has proved that he can perform miracles from time to time - how else do you explain Keith Jardine's 5 year UFC career? He's also taken guys who are 'last generation' and managed to stretch their validity out a little further than it would normally go. The Joe Stevenson that Jackson retooled and brought in to fight Nate Diaz was possibly the best Joe Stevenson we'd ever seen. That didn't stop Joe from slumping afterwards and retiring. Moxie and a good gameplan will only get you so far, but between that and Diego's natural abilities he should be able to hang around in the middle of the pack for a few years to come (which is basically where we knew he fit since 2007 anyways). Longer if he stops being a BJ Penn and drops back down to 155 where he belongs.

Posted in: round, diego, joe stevenson, things numbers, dream isnt

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ELLENBERGER BECOMING TOUGH TO IGNOREJake Ellenberger added to his rapidly growing win streak by overwhelming a game Diego Sanchez on Wednesday night. It was an easy fight to score. Ellenberger controlled the action on the ground and on the feet through the first two rounds. A spirited rally by Sanchez wasn’t enough to offset the 10-minutes of effective work Ellenberger put in during the early parts of the fight. But the back-and-forth was enough to earn each man a $50,000 check for the “Fight of the Night” award.Ellenberger now has six consecutive wins on his resume, after suffering a loss in his UFC debut. Think about it for a moment. Other than Nick Diaz’s multi-year winning streak that recently got abruptly ended courtesy of Carlos Condit, who else in the division has put together a run over the last couple of years that is more deserving of a number one contender standing than Ellenberger? Jon Fitch? No. Josh Koscheck? No. Sanchez or maybe Thiago Alves? Certainly not. Jake Shields or Johny Hendricks? Try again.For my money, Ellenberger now stands alone behind Condit in the 170-pound pecking order. It will be interesting to see if the interim champion chooses to take an optional defense, or if he will sit on the sidelines and wait for the true welterweight kingpin, Georges St-Pierre, to return from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. That decision will likely impact whether Ellenberger gets the much coveted first shot at Condit or if he will need to win yet another fight in order to secure a shot at UFC gold.My guess is that Condit will wait, rather than risk his pending bout with GSP. I wouldn’t advise him to go down that path, but all signs seem to be pointing in that direction right now, which means Ellenberger will likely fight in an official title eliminator next. Could that be a bout with the winner of the May 5 bout between Kos and Hendricks? Sounds like the perfect matchup to me.BIGFOOT SIGHTING!Man, Dave Hermann is one furry guy. From the bushy beard that extended down to his Adam’s apple to the body-hair sweater he rocked inside the Octagon, I don’t think I can recall someone who has recently competed in the UFC who more closely resembled Bigfoot. Andrei Arlovski could also be confused for a Wookie when he doesn’t partake in the phenomenon that has become known in recent years as “manscaping.” But he doesn’t quite rise to Herman’s level in the Bigfoot look-alike contest. The crazy amounts of fur may have been exaggerated because Herman was competing against a guy who could easily be confused with Mr. Clean. Stefan Struve appeared hairless from head to toe. It was quite the contrast in human appearance. Of course, none of that is relevant to the actual fight. Herman’s bushy beard did not save him from getting knocked out. And the sweater didn’t factor into the outcome, other than possibly contributing to a good warm up. Yet, a day later, Herman’s physical transformation remains the most memorable part of what was a pretty entertaining fight. SIMPSON-MARKES HIGHLIGHTS THE WEAKNESS IN THE CURRENT SCORING SYSTEM Mixed martial arts is a tough sport to judge. No question about it. But I’m struggling to understand a few of the scorecards. Aaron Simpson nearly knocked out Ronny Markes in the first round of their contest. He also dished out a pretty good beating on the ground – to the tune of 19 unanswered ground strikes. The second round was a much closer round. Neither man really hurt the other. The only significant moment was a takedown by Markes, but he didn’t do much with the takedown, aside from landing a couple of decent ground strikes that were a far cry from the frequency or savagery of Simpson’s ground strikes in the opening round.In the absence of any other differentiatior, a takedown is certainly an appropriate data point to determine the winner of a particular round of completion. But was it enough to justify awarding Markes the same score that the judges awarded Simpson one round earlier? The easy answer is the score was absolutely appropriate under the current scoring system. Markes won the round. A 10-10 score in the second would have been a complete travesty. Similarly, a 10-8 round for Simpson in the first would have been a crazy outcome. So, what other choice did the judges have, other than scoring the fight even through two?I think those two rounds perfectly illustrate the need for a new scoring system, one that takes into account squeaking out a round versus nearly getting knocked out or submitted versus taking a savage five-minute beating. The issue, of course, is that I don’t really know how to score the round, apart from the 10-point must system. Do we add half points? Is there a different answer?  I don’t know. I only know that there has to be something better than the current status quo.HAS MENJIVAR FOUND HIS GROOVE?Ivan Menjivar was going nowhere fast when the calendar turned to 2011. The Salvadorian mixed martial artist entered the year having lost three of his last four fights, including his long-awaited debut in the bantamweight division. Honestly, it seemed like he was on a fast track to the mid-major shows.Then something happened. I don’t know what it was. But Menjivar found something. Three fights. Three wins, one by each flavor (submission, decision and knockout). Menjivar is now 3-1 as a bantamweight. After a career spent fighting much larger guys, he finally seems to have found his true home competing against guys who are closer to his natural size. Another win could very well put him into title contention. If we are being honest with ourselves, the bantamweight division remains a work in progress, in terms of pecking order.  Sure, there’s reigning champion Dominick Cruz, and former champion and MMA poster boy Urijah Faber is the next in line. Renan Barao arguably stands third. After that, it is anyone’s guess.Does Menjivar’s three-fight winning streak put him in that next level below Barao? Or, does he need a bigger body of work, after suffering a rough 2006 that lead a temporary retirement that lasted nearly four years?You tell me. Spell it out in the comments below.

Posted in: fight, ellenberger, round, ’t, ground

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You often discover whether you possess fight or flight instincts when the going gets tough. Is it our instinct to escape the situation and run to the nearest safe haven, or do we decide to stand and fight, despite obvious risk, pain and embarrassment? Sometimes we wait our whole life to find out the answer to this kind of question, yet, luckily for me, my moment of realization arrived in my very first mixed martial arts amateur bout in 2006.I was 19 years of age at the time, had wrestled for four years, but had no clue what MMA was and had never before heard of the UFC. In fact, I had no desire to ever fight at this stage. I was just interested in learning a bit more about submission wrestling, having wrestled with the boys’ team since during high school.  As I became more and more interested in the sport of mixed martial arts, though, I started to contemplate the idea of actually competing and using my wrestling skills as a solid foundation in the sport. One day I decided to attend my first mixed martial arts fight and, though it was only an amateur event, it appealed to me and was something I wanted to see more of in the future. Then, as the event ended, the announcer grabbed the mic and revealed to the crowd that he would be hosting an all-female fight card in three weeks and that all fighters were welcome to try out and compete.  So, with only my wrestling background and just three weeks of striking training, I decided to give it a go and compete at that event. I went up against a dangerous Muay-thai kickboxer that night and, knowing how little striking experience I had, naturally realized I would be up against it. She and her husband owned their own Muay-thai gym and, of course, she was very well-drilled on her feet and had been doing it since she was a young girl.  I won the first round thanks entirely to my wrestling skills. I was able to go out there, take her down very quickly and then keep her there for the majority of the round. I used a little bit of ground-and-pound once I had secured the takedowns, but, for the most part, was just looking to control and outmaneuver her. When I went back to the corner, I was told by my trainer that I needed to punch more when we were on the ground and that I should look to score more damage when in advantageous positions.  The idea of doing physical damage to my opponent was something completely new to me at this stage, though, as I was still very much in pure wrestling mode. I went out for the second round and remember throwing a flurry of one-twos, which backed my opponent up to the corner. It was then that she put me into a Thai clinch and started going to work. I had no idea what this thing was that she had me caught in and had no clue how to defend or escape it. So, while I tried desperately to take her down, she was happily kneeing me in the face over and over again. One of the knees then shattered my nose, breaking it immediately.  Nevertheless, I kept trying for that double-leg and eventually got it. By this time, though, I was very dazed and didn't really know what was going on. This allowed her to capitalize and get her hooks in when we did finally hit the ground. I was now curled up in a ball, wary of being hit and choked out. I basically had nowhere to escape. She then postured up and began raining down punches on my ears, just for good measure.  This was a very pivotal moment for me in my career, because after taking severe punishment like that for the first time in my life, I reached an unexpected moment of clarity. I watched the blood pour from my nose and accumulate in a red pool beneath my face, and yet wasn't at all intimidated or scared by what was about to come. It was a strangely serene moment, one that highlighted just why I was there and what I needed to do to get myself out of this situation.  I thought to myself, 'Well, this is the route you chose, Tate – now you've got to get your ass off the floor and deal with it'. I finally realized what I was there to do, and accepted the harsh truth - this wasn't a wrestling match... it was a fight!  Without a second thought, I tried everything in my power to get out of a potential submission and start kicking her ass again. I bucked her off like crazy, she slipped into the guard position and that allowed me to get up on my tip toes and wail away with punches as hard as I possibly could. Blood was going everywhere. It was all over my face and her gloves. I didn't care anymore.  Now fully amped and excited, I walked back to my corner at the end of the round with a spring in my step, eager for the next round to hurry up. I now understood what I was there to do and realized what being a fighter was all about. I wanted more of it. Unfortunately, it was at this very moment that my trainers looked at me with disgust, in a way that suggested my nose and face were beyond repair and that I had no chance whatsoever of going another round. They made an executive decision and pulled me out of the fight, something which obviously bummed me out a little bit, but, in hindsight was the right decision. After all, I wasn't getting paid for the fight and all medical expenses were on my head. Still, I quickly knew after that fight - after the blood had dried and my nose returned to its normal place – that MMA was the sport for me. I was pushed beyond my limits, physically and emotionally, and yet was still craving more at the end of it all. I was all fight, not flight.  My March 3 challenger and opponent, Ronda Rousey, has never faced this type of make or break moment during her 4-0 mixed martial arts career. Yes, she was very accomplished as a judo player, winning a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics, but she has yet to taste her own blood in a grueling MMA bout. She’s yet to prove she can battle back from any adversity at all. Questions have never been asked of her.  All four of her MMA wins so far have arrived inside the first minute, and she has yet to face anybody that has so much as tested her, let alone come close to disfiguring her face and beating her. She’s been carefully matched, she’s been pampered and she’s been protected. The truth is, going into this world title fight with me, Ronda is still to discover whether she is even a real fighter.  However, on March 3rd, the night we meet for my STRIKEFORCE world bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey will learn just how hard and horrible the sport of mixed martial arts can be. I will take great pleasure in dragging her into deep waters for the first time in her life and then drowning her there... For more updates from Miesha Tate, follow here on Twitter @MieshaTate

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Dana White’s post-fight interview with FUEL TV’s Ariel Helwani along with a rundown of UFC on FUEL 1 post-fight news and notes… — 6,283 fans attended UFC on FUEL 1 at the Omaha Civic Auditorium for a $405,895 live gate. — Stipe Miocic picked up an extra $50,000 for knocking out Phillip De Fries in a mere 43 seconds. Ivan Menjivar was awarded the Submission of the Night bonus for coming back and choking out John Albert in the first round. Headliners Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez earned “Fight of the Night” for their thrilling three round battle. — Were you expecting a fourth and fifth round to last night’s Sanchez vs. Ellenberger main event? If so, you weren’t the only one. Following last year’s announcement that all main events would be five rounds going forward, many expected Diego Sanchez to get two additional rounds to continue his comeback against Jake Ellenberger last night, but it didn’t happen. Instead, the fight ended at the conclusion of the third round allowing Ellenberger to win the fight two rounds to one. It turns out the UFC decided not to do five-round non-title fight main events for the FX and FUEL cards, but that’s going to change says Dana White. “We blew it it should have been a five round fight. As I was sitting here again tonight I’m looking at the fight going yeah, this should have been five rounds. I think that when Diego and Ellenberger went back in for that fourth round the place would have gone crazy, people were ready for it at home. I’m not gonna throw anyone under the bus … but we blew it. We should have done it. They will be five round fights from now on. Everyone’s asking if it’s because of FUEL, FUEL would let us do 33 round fights if we wanted to. Yeah, they’ll be five rounds from here on out. Other than contracts that have already been signed.” To clarify, that means UFC on FX 2′s Thiago Alves vs. Martin Kampmann, UFC on FUEL 2′s Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Alexander Gustafsson and I believe UFC on FUEL 3′s Dustin Poirier vs. Chan Sung Jung will be three-rounders but all other FX and FUEL main events will be five-rounds moving forward. — Ellenberger’s win over Sanchez was impressive, but it probably wasn’t enough to put him in the title picture with Carlos Condit. Following last night’s fight, Dana White thinks Condit should wait for GSP in lieu of fighting Ellenberger again. “If you’re Carlos Condit, (and) you just fought Ellenberger not too long ago, I’d wait for GSP,” White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) following UFC on FUEL TV 1. “We’ll see what happens over the next few months, here,” White said after Wednesday’s event. “Had Diego won, it probably would have been a little bit more interesting.” It’s probably not what Ellenberger hoped to hear, but he seems to be cool with Dana’s line of thinking. He just wants to stay active. “The rematch with Condit, I would love to do that, but my job is to be prepared every time I get in there,” Ellenberger said. “I’d like to stay active,” he said. “Maybe late spring, early summer. I don’t choose who I fight, so it’s up to Dana and the UFC, and I’m always ready.” — Unfortunately for Sanchez, he finds himself in the L column once again after pulling off consecutive victories over Martin Kampmann and Paulo Thiago. He’s not sure what he’s going to do next, but returning to lightweight could be a possibility. “There’s always a chance of me going back to 155. I have one loss at that weight class,” Sanchez said after his loss to Ellenberger on Wednesday night. “I’m wish-washy whether I’m going to stay at 70 or 55 because it’s real hard for me to stay at 70. I have to be able to lift weights a lot, like I really have to be able to lift weights a lot. “I’m stuck in between both of the weight classes. It has its ups and downs. At 70 and 55, I have to cut more weight at 55, at 70 I have to lift more weights.” Either way, as long as Sanchez continues to fight his heart out like last night, he always have a place in the UFC. — As we noted earlier this week, Tim Sylvia is actively campaigning to get back in the UFC. The fan response has been surprisingly good, but it hasn’t convinced Dana White to give Sylvia another shot. “I have no beef with Tim Sylvia whatsoever, I have nothing against the guy, but I say it all the time, that was when the division was the weakest, when he was champion. And for him to make a statement like he could come back and beat 80-percent of the fighters in the UFC? I don’t know what Tim Sylvia’s been doing. The last time I saw him, he got knocked out by a 50-year-old boxer in like 10 seconds. Who’d he beat? They guy’s just out there trying to get back into the UFC, trying to make a living, I get it, but he fought in the UFC when the UFC heavyweight division was its weakest. Him and Arlovski were knocking each other out every weekend.” Poor Tim. — And last but certainly not least, here’s a screen cap of Diego Sanchez’s vampire hunter walkout last night. Sanchez has always had the most intense ring entrances, but he took it a whole (strange) new level last night. Definitely check out some of the memes fans have already created with it. My favorite is the Exorcist one. Hilarious. Screen cap via The UG

Posted in: ufc, fight, ellenberger, round, fuel

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Jake Ellenberger's homecoming was probably a bit more harrowing than he'd have liked, but a win is a win when those cage doors shut. The 26-year-old slugger withstood a furious final-minute rally from Diego Sanchez in the main event of UFC on FUEL, earning his sixth straight victory and vaulting his name into title contention inside his hometown of Omaha, Neb. Video highlights of Ellenberger's triumph can be seen below. For more on Wednesday night's key welterweight tilt, follow the play-by-play from MMA Fighting's own Mike Chiappetta. Round 1: Ellenberger throwing fire early, nothing but power strikes. Sanchez respects it, as his usual breakneck pace is nowhere to be seen. Sanchez comes forward with a 1-2 combo. Ellenberger with a body kick as Sanchez looks for an opening. A pawing right by Sanchez grazes its target. Ellenberger lands a knee. Sanchez checks for blood but he's OK. Ellenberger with a left hook. Ellenberger initiates the clinch, lands a knee to the body. He looks for a takedown but is denied. The two exchange punches and back away. Ellenberger drops Sanchez with a counter right hand. Sanchez closes the distance. Ellenberger breaks free. He buckles Sanchez with a right on the jaw in the final seconds. It's 10-9 for Ellenberger. Round 2: Sanchez misses with a spinning kick. Ellenberger with a head kick. Sanchez partially deflects it. Ellenberger briefly switches stance and lands a straight left. Sanchez starting to show some frustration as each time he moves forward, he misses and Ellenberger is in perfect position to fire back something with evil intentions. Sanchez clips Ellenberger with a right hook with 2 minutes left, maybe his best punch of the fight. Ellenberger ducks under a Sanchez hook and takes him down. Huge elbows from Ellenberger late in the round as he looks for the finish. Sanchez's face is bloodied and bruised but he makes it to the horn. Ellenberger 10-9. Round 3: Ellenberger snaps Sanchez's head back with a left jab. He staggers Sanchez again. Sanchez comes forward and lands a hook. Ellenberger goes low threatening with a takedown but lets it go and instead fires a knee to the body. Sanchez lands a left hand and Ellenberger's bloodied now. Sanchez suddenly starting to find his range, but Ellenberger takes him down. Sanchez reverses and ends up on Ellenberger's back. Sanchez bursts with energy trying for the finish. He's throwing everything he can. Ellenberger escapes in the final moments and the two trade shots to close the round. A great comeback try for Sanchez but he'd need a 10-8 to win and it's probably only deserving of a 10-9. UFC on FUEL results: Jake Ellenberger def. Diego Sanchez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Posted in: ellenberger, round, diego sanchez, sanchez, land

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As of now, only main events on PPV and FOX cards span the duration of five rounds. If you're expecting Shogun Rua vs. Dan Henderson levels of five-round epicness, FX and Fuel TV are not viable options. For reasons unbeknownst to us, ZUFFA decided not to implement five-round main events for the sister stations of FOX. Dana White also agreed that he will never use the word 'unbeknownst' because it's a really cheesy way of saying 'unknown.' This just in, Zeus at MiddleEasy.com did not come to a similar agreement, so expect the term 'unbeknownst' to show up on the site even more in 2012. After UFC on Fuel TV's inaugural event, Ariel Helwani interviewed the most famous person with the first name 'Dana' and he admitted the UFC 'blew it' by not letting Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger go five rounds. [Source]

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) just conducted its first ever full fight card on FUEL TV as UFC on FUEL TV 1: "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" sought to entertain the fans in attendance at Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska, on Feb. 15, 2012. The main event featured a very tough match up between welterweight top contenders Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger. Mixed martial arts (MMA) fans and pundits expected the winner to catapult himself into "the mix," and possibly place themselves next in line for a title shot (after Carlos Condit, of course). The main event rendered a bloody, all-out war that will go down as one of the better fights of the year. Both men emerged with what appeared to be broken noses, but not broken spirits. In victory, Ellenberger not only proved his toughness, but also that he is ready to fight for the belt. It may not happen immediately, but the opportunity is coming. Follow me after the jump and we'll discuss the big winners and lowliest of losers from UFC on FUEL TV 1: WINNERS Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger -- I know Ellenberger won, but I have trouble separating these two and calling either of them a loser. Call it a cop out. That's fine, but I'm not gonna do it. This was a fantastic fight. For two rounds, Ellenberger poured it on in dominating fashion. He dealt Sanchez a gruesome broken nose and all kinds of added punishment, to boot. But in the third round, Sanchez proved his heart by mounting a comeback effort that very nearly won him the fight. Ellenberger will go on to get a high profile fight and is now inches away from the title picture. I'm just saying that Sanchez should be right behind him. Stefan Struve -- You can tell a lot about a fighter by how they overcome adversity. In the first round of his fight against Dave Herman, Struve looked overwhelmed. He was getting outstruck badly. He wasn't using his length. He was playing right into Herman's hands. In the second round, Struve came out like a totally new man. He scored a takedown early on that set the tone for the way the rest of the fight would go. Though "Pee Wee" was able to escape the first submission attempt, Struve poured it on, eventually getting a stoppage when Herman failed to respond under a barrage of punches. Stipe Miocic -- Wow. After looking to be hurt early on, Miocic (aka: "Cro Cop Part II") responded with a furious flurry of punches that sent Philip De Fries to the canvas and caused the fight to be stopped at just 0:43 of the very first round. It almost as if De Fries' punches made him angry. He punished him for it and looked like an absolute monster in victory. I'm excited to keep seeing what this Croatian sensation is really capable of. Jonathan Brookins -- After winning season 12 of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), Brookins has been fairly inactive due to some injury problems. Last night, Brookins fought a very game opponent in Vagner Rocha who is capable of finishing a foe at any moment. It was Rocha's first fight at featherweight, and supposedly, he'd found his true and natural weight class. Early on, the two exchanged and Brookins looked very comfortable. Then it happened. Brookins clipped Rocha and pounced on him instantly. Rocha resorted to his jiu-jitsu roots and desperately went for a heel hook. As he did, he left his chin exposed. It was all Brookins needed, as he took advantage of the moment, landed several very hard punches from short distance and knocked out Rocha to notch a big win and get things back on track. Brookins is just a good dude; one of the nicer guys in MMA. Congrats. Ivan Menjivar -- What a tough guy! After being very nearly finished by John Albert, Menjivar took the abuse, was patient, and used his experience to grab the submission victory. The win was the third in a row for "The Pride of El Salvador." He looks great at 135 pounds and it looks like the move to bantamweight was really the right one. Who says Jackson-trained fighters don't finish fights? Afterwards, he posed a question that is sure to be seen on t-shirts and internet memes all over when he asked: "What would Sakuraba do?" Good question, Ivan. Ronny Markes -- After looking like he was in trouble in the first round, Markes did a great job of coming back, using leg kicks and an overall weight and strength advantage to control the fight. The move to middleweight looks like a good one, at least for now. It will be intriguing to see if the move lasts and what kind of impact the Nova Uniao will be able to make at 185 pounds. T.J. Dillashaw -- Sometimes, you'll see fighters who lose on TUF, go home, start over, absorb the lessons they've learned during their time on the show and rebound as much better fighters upon their return. Thus appears to be the case for Dillashaw, the Alpha Male product and training partner of everyone's favorite "California Kid," Urijah Faber. Dillashaw's fight versus Walel Watson was an ambush. He bum rushed Watson from the opening horn and never backed off. Though he wasn't able to finish him, he did a tremendous job of pressing the pace and inflicting damage at every turn against a very good and seasoned fighter in Watson. In the third round, when Dillashaw got away from the success of his wrestling, Watson got vey close to putting him in a bad spot, maybe even finishing him. Kudos to Dillashaw for fighting through it and keeping his composure, on his way to earning a well earned decision victory. Big Braveheart fan in the crowd -- At one point during the T.J. Dillashaw vs Walel Watson fight, a passionate fan (who had, no doubt, enjoyed his fair share of "beverage") screamed out "freedom!" Maybe I'm easily amused, but that cracked me up. We hear dumb "USA" chants at almost every event. People boo. people yell things about fighters mothers. But clutch movie quotes? That's a new one on me and I'm tipping my cap to you, random fan. LOSERS Dave Herman -- I was really excited when the UFC signed this guy. Every fight I've ever seen him in was a slugfest. Though it didn't totally live to the hype, his win over Jon Olav Einemo was a nice way to enter the Octagon. He looked to build on that against Stefan Struve, and for a round, it looked like he was going to. Unfortunately, he did exactly what his corner told him not to. He stood right in front of Struve and was not making good use of lateral movement. After getting caught with a massive uppercut and plummeting to the canvas, he had no answer at all for Struve who jumped all over him. I like Herman. He's a fun fighter and has body hair that rivals that of Andrei Arlovski. I just don't think he'll ever be a guy who makes a serious run at the title. Vagner Rocha -- They say potential gets coaches fired. It also gets fighters cut sometimes. Though it's unlikely Rocha's loss to Jonathan Brookins will be worthy of him losing his job, it puts him on wobbly footing. Whenever you see a guy who can't quite pick a weight class, it makes you nervous. Is he a lightweight or a featherweight? Not sure. But if he's a featherweight, he's got a long way to go. His jiu-jitsu is famous. But MMA is more than that. You have to be well rounded, and so far, he hasn't looked that way. Aaron Simpson -- I hate calling a loser here, because for a round and a half, I thought he looked fantastic. He was striking well and really controlling the fight. Things just took a turn for the worse for "A-train" halfway through the second round. Simpson couldn't get the fight to the ground and he looked flustered by that. In fact, it was Markes who actually did the better job of getting takedowns and using ground control. Overall, it just wasn't a strong showing for Simpson. FUEL TV pre-fight show -- After watching the Facebook prelims, I flipped back over to FUEL TV to watch the pre-fight programming with Jay Glazer. Right when I switched over, I was treated to 10-plus solid seconds of a close-up camera shot of the fence, accompanying audio of Glazer waxing eloquently. As they transitioned back to their shot of the fellas in the booth, I was shocked to see that a cameraman or some type of assistant was cleaning the lens off with a cloth. You could see him. Right on camera. They didn't go to break. They didn't use a different camera. They just kept shooting as homeboy cleaned off the camera lens with a bright green cloth. It was one of the most amateur things I've ever seen. FUEL TV has really got to figure this out. I know they were a virtual throw-in with the FOX deal, but the FUEL TV aspect of things can't keep being this bush league. You never saw garbage like this with Spike TV. For complete UFC on FUEL TV 1: "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" results, including blow-by-blow details of all the action, click here.

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Pardon the tardiness of this post, I am aware that it usually gets posted earlier in the day following a UFC or Strikeforce event. I had some computer issues last night entering the main event and was unable to do the write up as the show went off the air. Those issues have been resolved, at least temporarily, and that means I can bring you the biggest winners and losers of the first UFC on Fuel event. WINNERS Jake Ellenberger: Fighting in front of his hometown, Ellenberger came out like a man on fire and dominated Diego Sanchez for the first two rounds of the fight. Though Sanchez was able to come back in the third and make the fight a lot closer than it should have been, Ellenberger proved that he's one of the top welterweights in the division. Huge win and great performance. Stefan Struve: He still hasn't figured out that he's a 6'11" fighter with a 84" reach but last night showed that Struve continues to improve in developing his punching power and stand up. He also looked to have filled out a bit more as well which will help him as he gets older. Not bad for a guy who turns 24 on Saturday. Stipe Miocic: He allowed himself to get into early trouble by letting Phil de Fries land some powerful strikes but maintained his composure and was able to finish the Brit in under a minute. While his boxing credentials may be a bit overstated, he has crazy power and moves well for a heavyweight. Ivan Menjivar: Like Miocic, Menjivar found himself in trouble early and was almost finished by John Albert. Menjivar was able to weather the storm and finish Albert with a rear naked choke. Gutsy performance from the veteran fighter. Jonathan Brookins: Brookins continues to develop as a fighter against someone who I thought would give him trouble. The knockout was vicious and which was a result of Rocha leaving his face open while in an awful position. I don't know what Brookins ceiling is but it's higher than originally though. The Omaha Crowd: 7,000 people in Omaha rivaled the crowds in both Toronto and Rio. While Dana White may have deemed Brazil the new (old) mecca of MMA, I think the locals in Omaha have an argument for best fans in the sport. Losers and other thoughts after the jump... SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel TV LOSERS Dave Herman: If you're gonna try and be the funny guy looking like a werewolf and coming out to 'Do you really want to hurt me', you have to go out and win in impressive fashion. He didn't do that. He looked like Cat Stevens and fought like Cat Stevens. I doubt he's giving another shot. I hope this is the case since I hate terrible schtick. Aaron Simpson and Ronny Markes: I'm grouping these two together because it took both of them to make for an absolutely horrible fight. The highlight was Simpson dropping marks with an uppercut in the first round. From there it was a myopic affair of clinch work against the fence. Anton Kuivanen and Justin Salas: I understand they are both prospects so the expectations can never be the same had they been veterans. That being said, they fought a fight that wasn't memorable at all and the takeaway is that neither fighter is close to being UFC ready. Obviously they won't drop Salas but he's not as good as advertised. Three Round Main Events: Are you serious, bro? Obviously not every fight will turn out to be Hendo/Shogun or Henderson/Guida, but there is no reason for a fight with title implications to be a three rounder. They'll be fighting for a championship sooner or later, why not allow them to get the experience of going five rounds? OTHER THOUGHTS Diego Sanchez lost last night but he is in no way a loser. He brings the fight every time he enters the cage and shows a toughness that is rare in this sport. While he may never capture UFC gold, he'll be remembered as one of the most entertaining guys in the sport. As a fan I feel cheated because had that fight gone two more rounds I believe we'd be talking about Sanchez vs Condit for the interim belt. But such is life. T.J. Dillashaw has a ton of potential but a terrible fight IQ. He could have likely finished the fight if he didn't abandon his ground and pound to continuously look for the rear naked choke. He's still young and hopefully his coaches will go over the fight with him so he doesn't make the same mistakes again. I loved the commentary of John Anik and Kenny Florian. They have great chemistry together and weren't trying to oversell the action. This is key as people are tuning in to see the fights, not to be distracted by the commentary team. Brian Stann was absolutely incredible in the booth for the pre and post fight shows on Fuel TV. He was able to give great analysis of the fights that night as well as the upcoming fight between Rashad Evans and Jon Jones. I wouldn't mind if he became a permanent fixture for future Fuel coverage. The presentation of Fuel was great and the addition of statistics made MMA feel more like a 'legitimate' sport. Small additions like this can help change how people view MMA and will help grow the UFC product.

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, fuel, loser

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"We were trying to get that fire back in Diego. Get him to really push forward, get him to fake and feint, mess with his timing so we could get our entrances well and do what he did in the third round. [Sanchez] is really just getting started in his MMA career, Ellenberger is one of the top, top 170-pounders, so losing a close decision, it was two rounds to one, close decision like this, especially if we had two more rounds to work, I really don't think it hurts his career at all. He won a lot of fans with his intensity and he'll continue to do great things." Famed mixed martial arts (MMA) coach Greg Jackson talks about the adjustments Diego Sanchez made in between rounds during his "close decision loss" to Jake Ellenberger at UFC on FUEL TV last Wednesday night (Feb. 15, 2012) at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska. "The Dream" was battered across two and a half rounds of the event headliner, but made a spirited comeback late in round three to take advantage of a tired "Juggernaut" and get the crowd on its feet. But was the fight as close as Jackson suggests? Or a one-sided beatdown with a last-minute comeback?

Posted in: ellenberger, round, decision, career, round sanchez

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If the evil forces of cable TV conspired to keep you from seeing the first UFC on FUEL event, sorry, but you missed a good one. Now that it’s all over, time to sift through the rubble for the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between.Biggest Winner: Jake EllenbergerHe might have taken his foot off the gas too soon in the third round, but he survived for a big win in front of his home crowd. Before he went from trying to win the fight to just trying to get through it, Ellenberger looked great. His quickness and variety kept Sanchez guessing, and his wrestling skills provided to be a nice escape pod when he needed it. For those first two rounds, he definitely looked like a guy who’d give Carlos Condit a run for his interim title. Then again, it’s not just how you start, but also you finish. Ellenberger did manage to get to his feet under his own power in the final seconds of the fight, but he came uncomfortably close to giving that fight away at several points. If you want to be an elite welterweight in the UFC, you just can’t do that sort of thing. You certainly can’t do it against a fighter like Sanchez, who has more guts than physical tools at this point. Maybe Ellenberger needed to walk right up to the ledge to learn that lesson, but so much in the 170-pound division depends on appearances these days. When they look at you, fans need to feel like they’re looking at someone who could maybe, possibly beat Georges St-Pierre. Spending the last couple minutes of a fight bleeding beneath your opponent probably isn’t the best way to accomplish that. Biggest Loser: Dave HermanIt’s nice to get noticed. It’s nice to have fans talking about you before your fight. Herman’s hairy hipster routine accomplished both in the days leading up to this event, and he rolled right into fight night with the same sense of humor about the whole thing. He followed that up with a great first round, and everything seemed to be going according to plan. But when Herman’s corner told him that it was time to turn it up, it was Struve who heeded their advice. Herman fought like it was a Saturday afternoon sparring session, while the big Dutchman cranked up the pace and intensity. Maybe that’s just how Herman’s fighting style looks from afar. He doesn’t panic, but maybe he also doesn’t always recognize the urgency of the situation right away. That cost him in this fight, and his pre-fight demeanor seemed to make his boss wonder if he was taking this seriously enough. It reminds me of the time that Akihiro Gono and his cornermen made their entrance in sparkling evening gowns, doing a choreographed dance routine before a fight with Jon Fitch. The crowd ate it up, and then Fitch mauled Gono on the mat for three rounds. Even White was entertained by the pre-fight antics, he admitted, "but when you wear a dress, you’d probably better win." Perhaps the same could be said for a scarf and an all-natural sweater in this case.Best Mid-Fight Epiphany: Ivan Menjivar asks WWSD?Perhaps getting kicked and kneed and battered about the head region knocked some brilliance lose in Menjiver’s brain. Right as things were going badly for him, he told Jon Anik in the post-fight interview, he asked himself: What would [Kazushi] Sakuraba do? The fact that he suffered through the beating and pulled out a submission shortly thereafter tells us that he came up with a pretty good answer. As philosophies go, that’s not a bad one for a fighter to live by. It involves less internal struggle than What Would Jean-Paul Sartre Do? and nowhere near as much off-key singing as What Would Brian Boitano Do? It obviously worked for Menjivar, who got the win and a Submission of the Night bonus, which I assume he will spend on a pair of orange trunks, some sake, and a series of masks.Least Impressive in Victory: Ronny MarkesHe survived the early knockdown and came back to turn the rest of the fight into a bit of a monotonous grind. Usually, that’s Aaron Simpson’s job, but this time Markes stole his thunder and stole the victory. I suppose that after getting rocked like that you’ll take a win any way you can get it. Still, it doesn’t do much to increase Markes’ fan base. When the most exciting part of the fight is the part where you’re getting the snot knocked out of you, you might have a problem on your hands.Most Impressive in Defeat: Diego SanchezOne way or another, he makes sure you get your money’s worth. From his vampire-fighting entrance to his late resurrection, Sanchez reminded us once again why we like having him around so much. He’s not the best, but he is among the toughest. He doesn’t mind pouring out his soul in interviews and pouring buckets of his own blood onto the mat. Whatever he’s doing -- even when he was partying more than training -- he does it all the way. He’ll probably never be UFC champion no matter what weight class he fights in, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for him in the big show. There’s only one Diego Sanchez, and that’s probably a good thing.Most Surprising: Stefan StruveThe lanky Dutchman answered some questions about his chin in the first round, then came back strong in the second with power shots of his own. Maybe it’s just because he’s faced so many tough heavyweights already, but it’s easy to forget how young Struve is. He’s just about to turn 24, and yet he’s already been in there with guys like Junior dos Santos, Roy Nelson, and Pat Barry. Sure, he’s taken a couple of knockouts, but maybe that’s just life as a young heavyweight learning the ropes the hard way. If he can stay conscious, Struve has the all-around game to give plenty of guys fits at this level. To make him even more of a more potential nightmare, the 6’11" kickboxer is still filling out and putting on weight. Don’t write him off just yet.Best Prospects: (tie) T.J. Dillashaw and Stipe MiocicBoth proved their superiority over their respective opponents in different ways and on different timelines. Dillashaw spent three rounds absolutely dominating Walel Watson, while Miocic took just enough punches to get mad at Phil De Fries. Both Dillashaw and Miocic notched wins over opponents they were expected to beat, but also signaled to the UFC brass that they’re ready for a higher level of competition. It’s too soon to know for sure how far either of them could go, but it sure will be fun to find out.Born for the Broadcast Booth: Brian StannHow is it possible that a former Marine and current pro fighter could also be a really, really good TV analyst? It almost doesn’t seem fair. Other people spend their entire careers trying to achieve that level of ease and confidence on camera. Stann’s such a natural, it’s hard not to feel like he’s being wasted on pre and post-fight shows. Don’t stick this man on FUEL, where so few people even have the chance to see him. Put him on FOX and make the most of him while you can. With his talent for public speaking and thinking on the fly, it shouldn’t be too long before he abandons this MMA stuff for a run at the U.S. Senate.

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If you were woefully undereducated like I am, you were probably expecting the Diego Sanchez vs Jake Ellenberger to go an extra two rounds last night. I was expecting it right up until both guys started victory flexing for the judges. It turns out that the UFC's 5-round main event policy only applies to PPV events and FOX broadcasts, not FX and FUEL shows. No more, according to The Dana: "Cause we blew it it should have been a five round fight. As I was sitting here again tonight I'm looking at the fight going yeah, this should have been five rounds. I think that when Diego and Ellenberger went back in for that fourth round the place would have gone crazy, people were ready for it at home. I'm not gonna throw anyone under the bus ... but we blew it. We should have done it. They will be five round fights from now on. Everyone's asking if it's because of FUEL, FUEL would let us do 33 round fights if we wanted to. Yeah, they'll be five rounds from here on out. Other than contracts that have already been signed." The original limitation to FOX and PPV events made sense to a degree: you don't want a scrubby fight on top of a weak card to hit debacle levels by having both guys gassing out halfway through. Maybe the UFC can just use their brains when deciding if a fight should be three or five? Alas, you start picking yourself and it may be perceived as stacking the deck for either favoring lazy asses like BJ Penn or cardio machines like Nick Diaz.Just so you know, those already signed 3 round main events: Thiago Alves vs. Martin Kampmann at UFC on FX 2 and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Alexander Gustafsson at UFC on FUEL 2. Both of which would have been even better with an extra two rounds.

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"We blew it," UFC President Dana White said. "It should have been a five round fight." After UFC on FUEL TV's thrilling main event between Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez last night, media and fans alike questioned why a headlining bout of significance between two known action fighters would only be scheduled for three rounds. Sanchez himself wondered aloud in his post-fight comments with UFC announcer Jon Anik why the fight wasn't longer. In fact, the UFC had previously announced all main events would be five-rounds whether a title was on the line or not. According to White, it should have been and that mistake won't be repeated. "I was sitting here again tonight looking at the fight going, 'Yeah, this should have been five rounds.' I think that if Ellenberger and Diego went back in there for a fourth round the place would have went crazy. People were ready for it at home," White lamented. Contrary to suggestion, the decision to make Ellenberger vs. Sanchez was not a directive from FUEL. "FUEL would have let us do 33 rounds if we wanted to," White noted. Remaining coy about who had responsibility for the decision, White hinted the choice was made internally at the UFC, but not one they'll make again. "I'm not gonna throw anybody under the bus but we blew it, we should have done it." The only caveat to UFC's plans for universal five-round main events would be existing contractual limits. "There will be five round fights from here on in," White continued, "other than contracts that have already been signed." The UFC first hinted at the possibility of holding non-title five-round main events in April of 2011. By June, the UFC formally announced the change. "From this day forward, any fight that is signed after right now today will be a five-round fight," White announced days prior to UFC 131. The move to five rounds is designed to reduce the possibility of controversial or indecisive endings as well as to add a measure of grandeur to main events. The first UFC main event non-title bout took place at UFC 138 in Nottingham, England in November of 2011 between middleweights Chris Leben and Mark Munoz.

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After an exciting end to an action-packed third round in the main event between Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger, hundreds of fans went to Twitter proclaiming they wanted more. Many were actually expecting more and were surprised and confused that they were not about to get their wish. Last June, the UFC announced that all main events would be scheduled for five rounds. However, due to scheduling issues such as contracts already being signed for three rounds and fighters withdrawing from fights, the first five round main event that was not for a title did not occur until UFC 138 in November. Since then, two main events have gone the distance- UFC 139 with “Shogun” Rua vs. Dan Henderson and UFC on FOX 2 with Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis. However, when the UFC signed a deal with FOX Sports, they only included five round main events on FOX, not FX or FUEL TV events. After last night’s main event on FUEL TV, which saw Diego Sanchez mount a comeback after being pummeled throughout the first two rounds, White immediately made the decision to have five round main events at every UFC event. “We blew it tonight. It should have been a five-round fight,” White said at the post-fight press conference. “They will be five-round fights from now on.” Because of contractual obligations, future main events, including Thiago Alves vs. Martin Kampmann at UFC on FX 2 on March 2nd, and Alexander Gustafsson vs. Antonio Rogerio Noguiera at UFC on FUEL TV 2 on April 14th, will both be three round main events as scheduled. White did not announce whether UFC on FUEL TV 3 headliners Dustin Poirier and Chan Sung Jung will be a three or five round matchup. For more coverage of UFC on FUEL TV 1, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com

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For the first two rounds of last nights UFC on Fuel TV headliner, Jake Ellenberger looked like the same fighter who had Carlos Condit on the run in the early going of their 2009 bout. Sadly, he had the same issues in the final round of his bout with Diego Sanchez that cost him a decision loss to Condit. Let's face it, in the early going Jake Ellenberger is a true force of nature. He abolished Jake Shields in 53 seconds. He only needed 5:22 to dispose of Mike Pyle. He damaged John Howard's eye enough in the first frame that by the third the fight had to be stopped. But we also have to face the reality that few welterweights fade like Ellenberger. He gave the second half of the Condit bout away and very nearly gave the whole face to Sanchez last night in the third round. Looking at Fight Metric we can see the way the Ellenberger tide roared into the Octagon with big wins in the first and second rounds and the tide slipped out with a big deficit in the third round as Sanchez got top control and rained down punches and looked for the choke. If Ellenberger is going to be challenging Carlos Condit for the UFC interim welterweight title anytime soon, he's going to need to focus on finishing Condit early OR rejiggering his whole game to avoid fading in the late rounds, because a five round fight is a whole 'nother ballgame.SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel TV

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Unless you already signed on the dotted line and committed to a three rounder for an upcoming event, it looks like every fight card under the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) banner will now feature a five round headliner. That's according to UFC President Dana White, who admits he "blew it" with the Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger fight at the UFC on FUEL TV event last Wednesday night (Feb. 15, 2012) at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska. Ellenberger was in cruise control for the first two round of their featured bout, but as the clock began to wind down in the third and final frame, Sanchez was able to turn on the jets and take advantage of a winded "Juggernaut," flattening him out and pounding him into the floor. "The Dream" was unable to secure what would have been one of the craziest comebacks in UFC history, but also demonstrated why he, along with countless other Octagon warriors, can never be counted out. And why every big fight can benefit from a pair of extra rounds. White breaks it down for Ariel Helwani, after the jump. "We blew it, it should have been a five round fight. I was sitting here again tonight looking at the fight going, 'Yeah, this shoulda been five rounds.' I think that if Ellenberger and Diego went back in there for a fourth round the place would have went crazy. People were ready for it at home. I'm not gonna throw anybody under the bus but we blew it, we shoulda done it. There will be five round fights from now on. FUEL would have let us do 33 rounds if we wanted to so yeah, there will be five round fights from here on in -- other than contracts that have already been signed." White suggests there were other factors in the decision to keep Sanchez vs. Ellenberger a three round fight, but FUEL TV wasn't one of them. Regardless, it looks as if this fight, if nothing else, has been the catalyst to make a permanent change. No more "championship rounds." Not all fans have stood in staunch support of the decision to have non-title fight main events go five rounds, leaving little to differentiate regular headliners from the specialness of title fights. What's your take? Did Sanchez vs. Ellenberger prove to you that all main events should be five rounds? Or that main event fighters need to make better use of the clock? Thoughts?

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It was a main event with a multitude of high expectations last night (February 15, 2012) at UFC on Fuel TV 1 between top welterweights Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez, and it somehow managed to meet or surpass every one of them. For three straight rounds, both men battled, threatened to finish and bloodied each other up. Unfortunately it was only for three rounds, but UFC President Dana White stated he won't be making that same mistake again moving forward. Ellenberger dominated early, but how did Sanchez almost rally late? Also, what's next for both welterweight warriors? Follow me after the jump for our Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez UFC on Fuel TV 1 post-fight review and analysis: Early on, it was all Ellenberger, as he was fueled by a very receptive home crowd and a distinct technique and power advantage. He was able to get the better of every striking exchange utilizing solid movement and excellent timing. Sanchez tried to make up for his lack of technique with aggression, often bullrushing forwards with wild flurries and combinations but "The Juggernaut" did a terrific job of sidestepping most of them and landing counter punches and knees, even dropping Sanchez briefly with a beautiful straight left counter. At the end of the first round, the Nebraska native hit Sanchez with one of the hardest right hands I've ever seen and somehow "The Dream" walked right through it, practically unfazed. That had to be demoralizing for someone as powerful as Ellenberger. Round two was more of the same except this time, on top of looking to counter, Ellenberger also mixed in takedowns when Sanchez charged in wildly. He was able to bust up the Greg Jackson-trained fighter's face pretty badly and at the end of the round, he let loose with a violent display of ground and pound with some powerful elbows and punches which could have potentially ended the fight if he had more time. In the third and final round, Ellenberger was one again in control, but he wasn't quite as energetic as before. This came to bear in the final 90 seconds when he slipped while getting up from the ground and Sanchez seized the initiative, taking top position and hammering away with ground and pound from both mount and back mount. "The Juggernaut" seemed quite vulnerable here, but survived the last minute surge and got back to his feet just in time for a fun exchange of big strikes at the final horn. His domination of the first two rounds was plenty enough to earn him a unanimous decision victory with a 29-28 score on all three judges' cards. For Diego Sanchez, he simply didn't have enough time. While his skill-set and overall technique were trailing Ellenberger, he still almost came back and won the fight. That's just the type of competitor he is. He has the biggest heart, a great chin and cardio for days and that would suit him much better for five round fights. Unfortunately, this was a three round affair. With the way he finished the third, he might have been able to pull off the upset in the fourth had there been one. "The Dream" proved that you can never count him out of a fight. Sanchez hinted at a possible return to lightweight at the post-fight press conference so there's plenty of options for him at either weight class depending on where he goes next. If he stays at welterweight, a fight with Rick Story or Mike Pierce would be very interesting. If he drops to lightweight, perhaps a fight with the upcoming loser of Joe Lauzon vs. Anthony Pettis could be made. Either way, this isn't the last we've seen of Diego Sanchez. For Jake Ellenberger, he looked nearly unstoppable for about 13 minutes last night. His striking technique continues to improve, his power is as dangerous as ever and he did a great job of both countering and mixing in takedowns to keep Sanchez guessing. The big cause for concern is the final minute and a half of the fight. He looked tired, which doesn't bode well for a potential five round title fight. He also had some serious issues with his defenses while on his back. Sanchez was having his way with him at the end of that bout and that's something he can't afford to do against the top 170-pounders in the division. Regardless, he's still a major force at welterweight. If he came out healthy, I'd love to see him get a crack at interim champion Carlos Condit in a rematch as their first fight was a "Fight of the Year" candidate. Other options include the upcoming winner of Martin Kampmann vs. Thiago Alves if they don't think he's ready for his shot. So what did you think, Maniacs? Did the final 90 seconds sour you on Ellenberger at all? Do you feel he deserves an interim title shot or would you rather see Condit wait for GSP? Sound off! For complete UFC on Fuel TV 1 results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.

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Jake Ellenberger's UFC on FUEL victory over Diego Sanchez on Wednesday night was an entertaining battle, but it was more than that: It was a demonstration that Ellenberger is one of the best welterweights in the world, and a fighter who's ready for a title shot. So let's not wait. Let's see that title shot right away. Let's see Carlos Condit defend the UFC interim welterweight title against Ellenberger as soon as possible. It's not so much that Ellenberger is the clear No. 1 contender as that it's just the right fight to make right now. It makes sense based on timing -- Ellenberger and Condit should both be ready to take the fight by the summer -- and it also makes sense because Condit and Ellenberger have already fought once, in 2009, and it was a split decision. Condit and Ellenberger had a close 15-minute fight last time. Let's see if one of them can finish it within 25 minutes this time. UFC President Dana White said after the fight that he sees Condit waiting to fight until champion Georges St. Pierre is healthy. But Condit said that if GSP won't be ready to go until November or later he'd be up for fighting again in the meantime, and GSP has said he thinks November is as soon as he'll be ready. There's no reason for Condit to be sitting on the sidelines just because St. Pierre is hurt. (Ask Rashad Evans how that usually works out.) Ellenberger was classy after his victory on Wednesday night, praising Sanchez as a tough opponent. But I wish he had also called out Condit and asked for a rematch. The fans in his native Nebraska would have roared for that, and when the fans ask for a fight, the UFC usually delivers. Even if Ellenberger isn't demanding the fight, this is the fight the UFC should book. The UFC has a whole lot of fight cards it needs to fill up on pay-per-view, FOX, FX and FUEL, so it can't afford to pass up booking great fights. And a great fight is just what an Ellenberger-Condit rematch would be. This is the fight that needs to happen. UFC on FUEL notes --I continue to be impressed by the UFC fighters who are commenting on the FUEL, FOX and FX broadcasts. Although Kenny Florian isn't quite as smooth in his delivery as Joe Rogan, he makes up for that by drawing on his experiences as a professional fighter. As UFC newcomer Bernardo Magalhaes walked out to the Octagon before the first fight, Florian talked about the jitters he felt when he made his own UFC debut at the first Ultimate Fighter Finale. And Brian Stann was outstanding as the studio analyst next to Jay Glazer. In other pro sports leagues we're accustomed to former athletes offering those types of perspectives on TV broadcasts, but the UFC has rarely had that. Florian and Stann bring something new to the table. --The planned preliminary fight between UFC newcomers Buddy Roberts and Sean Loeffler was called off at the very last minute when Loeffler suffered an ankle injury while warming up. It's disappointing for both guys, but it happens. The list of fighters who have pulled out on fight day include Ken Shamrock before his fight with Kimbo Slice, Kevin Randleman before his fight with Pedro Rizzo, Matt Riddle before his fight with Luis Ramos and Alessio Sakara before his fight with Jorge Rivera. Not a list Roberts and Loeffler were hoping to join. --Jonathan Brookins had every reason to be excited after knocking out Vagner Rocha, but I wish Brookins would have tempered his celebration: Brookins did a backflip in the Octagon, and when he landed the canvas shook while the referee was trying to check on Rocha. It's not a good idea for one fighter to be jumping around inside the Octagon while another fighter is unconscious, and the UFC should urge fighters to restrain themselves when fallen opponents are being attended to. UFC on FUEL quotes --"I was thinking about Sakuraba and just like, 'What would Sakuraba do in this moment?' And I did it."--Ivan Menjivar on how he withstood a barrage of punches from John Albert. Perhaps "What Would Sakuraba Do" will replace "What Would Jesus Do" in the MMA lexicon. --"Three weeks after the Martin Kampmann fight [Diego Sanchez] was back in sparring. He still had the stitches in his face. The coaches had to tell him, 'Diego, this probably isn't a good idea.'"--Brian Stann, discussing how quickly his teammate Diego Sanchez got back to work after his brutal fight with Martin Kampmann last year. Sanchez was under medical suspension and should not have been sparring three weeks after that fight. The coaches were right to tell him not to spar. --"Anton's a bad dude. ... He's a tough, physical, guy, hard to take down and hits hard, but once I get in my flow of fighting I'll be going all day long."-- Justin Salas after his unanimous decision victory over Anton Kuivanen. Salas looked good in his UFC debut. Good Call I was glad that two judges gave Tim Means a 10-8 round in his unanimous decision victory over Bernardo Magalhaes, and that all three judges gave T.J. Dillashaw at least one 10-8 round in his unanimous decision victory over Walel Watson, with two judges giving Dillashaw two 10-8 rounds. Judges should award 10-8 rounds more often. Bad Call 1. Unfortunately, as much as I'd like to see more 10-8 rounds, I can't imagine how one judge scored a 10-8 round in the Salas-Kuivanen fight. All three rounds were close, and yet one judge scored the fight 29-27, which would mean that judge scored a round 10-8. Hard to understand. 2. Nebraska referee Bo Nesslein was trying a little too hard to create his own catch phrase by starting every round by saying, "Let's make it hot!" Refs shouldn't try to make it about themselves, and Nesslein should simply tell the fighters to start fighting. Stock Up Lightweight Tim Means looked very good in his UFC debut. Means has great height and reach for a lightweight and was able to use it effectively to keep Magalhaes at bay and batter him with jabs, and I particularly like the way Means uses punches to the head to set up punches to the body. Means had 20 pro fights before making his UFC debut, mostly in King of the Cage, and he looked very comfortable and ready to do big things inside the Octagon. Stock Down Aaron Simpson landed one hard uppercut in the first round of his split decision loss to Ronny Markes, but after that Simpson didn't impress me at all: Simpson has a good wrestling pedigree, but it was Markes who was controlling Simpson in the clinch and on the ground. After going 3-0 in 2011, Simpson is off to an unimpressive start in 2012. Fight I Want to See Next Ellenberger-Condit 2. When they fought last time, two judges scored it 29-28 for Condit, and one judge scored it 29-28 for Ellenberger. Condit is 4-0 since then and Ellenberger is 6-0 since then. The time for the rematch has come.

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It was a battle of youthful size and exuberance versus veteran experience last night (Feb. 15, 2012) on the main card of UFC on Fuel TV 1 in Omaha, Neb., when Brazilian prospect Ronny Markes took on two-time All-American wrestler Aaron Simpson. While the eight-fight Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran Simpson appeared to be in control early, scoring an impressive first round knockdown with a massive uppercut, it was Markes who would turn the tides in the later rounds. Apparently, Octagon experience isn't everything. So how was Markes able to bounce back? And what's next for both middleweights? Follow me after the jump for our Ronny Markes vs. Aaron Simpson UFC on Fuel TV 1 post-fight review and analysis: Early on, Markes looked to establish his leg kicks and wear Simpson down in the clinch. He was having his way until he was suckered into a punching exchange with "The A-Train." The Brazilian was stunned with a nice left hand and as he backed straight up, Simpson made him pay with thunderous uppercut which floored him. To his credit, Markes didn't panic and was able to recover to the point where Simpson actually backed away from him on the ground and allowed him to get back to his feet. In both rounds two and three, Markes wisely avoided punching exchanges as they simply aren't his strong suit yet. Instead, he muscled Simpson around against the fence with his huge size advantage (he looked like a light heavyweight in there). The Nova Uniao fighter also managed to score takedowns in the final two rounds and when he was forced to stand with Simpson, he made sure to attack with heavy leg kicks instead of getting suckered into a brawl. In the end, Markes' ability to impose his will on Simpson was just barely enough as he was awarded a split decision victory (29-28, 28-29, 29-28). For Simpson, his stand-up looked solid, but he let himself get pushed around way too much last night. Markes was so big and so strong, he should have been avoiding the clinch but a majority of the fight took place there. He had his moments with his powerful punching, but not nearly enough of them in the final two rounds. He didn't do nearly enough to fend off Markes' clinch game or his takedowns. There are several possibilities for a next fight. I'd like to see Simpson take on someone like Jason Miller, Cung Le or perhaps Tim Credeur. It would be nice to see him step in against a fellow veteran for once. For Ronny Markes, that was a solid display of guts, coming back from getting hurt in the first round to impose his will in the latter two frames. His size is definitely something that's going to be very difficult to deal with and as long as he continues to train with a top camp like Nova Uniao, everything else will come. His punching still needs a lot of work as he doesn't use his hips or the rest of his body at all, but his leg kicks were solid. He's got perhaps the most energy sapping clinch in the middleweight division right now, he just needs to add some more variety to his attack. I think at 23 years old, he's got a pretty bright future. I'd like to see Markes take on someone like Ed Herman or the upcoming winner of Constantinos Philippou vs. Court McGee. Let's see what this prospect is made of. So what did you think, Maniacs? Did you feel Markes did enough in the final two rounds to earn the nod? Where do you think both fighters should go from here? Sound off! For complete UFC on Fuel TV 1 results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.

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I'll start with the results, along with a brief sentence or two about the fight, then I'll go into the relevance of said results. Tim Means def Bernardo Magalhaes, Unanimous Decision.Means somewhat legitimized his credentials as a two division KOTC champ, dominating Magalhaes en route to a pair of 30-26 scorecards for his unanimous victory. Justin Salas def Anton Kuivanen, Unanimous Decision.Koivanen is a big bodied lightweight champion from the Finnish MMA scene but this was his first fight against an American bred wrestler. Salas is going to be in tough in the future but his conditioning got him through the first and he was able to push for take downs and wear out the Fin in the second and third rounds. Jonathan Brookins def Vagner Rocha, KO, 1:32, Round 1.Brookins is good; when he was on TUF, Georges St. Pierre said he didn't know how good he can be. If this is only a taste, look out 145, a rematch with Jose Aldo could be the golden goose at the end of the next 24 months if Brookins keeps it up. Ivan Menjivar def John Albert, Rear Naked Choke, 3:45, Round 1.The real fight of the night, these two had a war, exchanging hard on the feet, interspersed with a few spirited ground exchanges, Menjivar on top landing well, while Albert looked for an arm. In the end, Menjivar got the first dominant position, back mount, and finished. T.J. Dillashaw def Walel Watson, Unanimous Decision.Another classic case of wrestling conquers all. Dillashaw was relentless in bringing the fight to the ground and Watson had no real response. Dillashaw needs to work on his finishing but he did fight smart, which sometimes isn't the case in the Octagon, so full marks to him. Stipe Miocic def Philip De Fries, KO, :43, Round 1.De Fries punched Miocic, which angered Miocic. Miocic punched De Fries back, harder, better. De Fries fell. Cursory ground and pound. The fight was as simple as that. Ronny Markes def Aaron Simpson, Split Decision.Probably the least interesting fight of the night for me. Not to say it was a bad fight, but it was mostly clinching and on the cage grappling. I didn't think there was a clear winner and clearly the judges couldn't agree. Stefan Struve def Dave Herman, TKO, 3:52 Round 2.A good fight between two exciting young heavyweights. Struve was trailing throughout, but remained composed, eventually landing an uppercut that sent Herman to the mat and then he used what might be his most effective attack, ground and pound from the mount position, to end the fight. Jake Ellenberger def Diego Sanchez, Unanimous Decision.Sanchez proved his heart yet again, enduring a tough two and a half rounds before finally backing Ellenberger into a corner and forcing a scramble, which led to Diego getting back control. From there he landed a good 40 strikes in a bid to stop the fight and he very nearly pulled it off. Ellenberger did enough to get to the buzzer, but questions remain about his ability to fight five rounds at a high pace against one of Carlos Condit, Georges St. Pierre, and yes, Nick Diaz. The relevant storylines and potential matches after the jump Starting at the bottom, Tim Means and Justin Salas are likely going to get matched up. I've noticed that the UFC does a lot of four man tournaments on the prelims, pitting two winners from the same card together quite often. This would make sense for these guys, they both won by decision in their UFC debuts. The winner, with two straight wins to start their UFC run, would be yet another name to add to the list of lightweights to watch. Jonathan Brookins is a good story. He is a pretty soft spoken young man, who comes off as genuinely humble. After he won the Ultimate Fighter, he had a few injuries and only got one fight in, a decision loss to one of the best fighters in the division in Erik Koch. Brookins showed a complete game against Rocha, who seems destined to be one of those guys with great jiu jitsu but no way to get to it, and this knock out could be a career changer for Rocha. Will he take the Roger Gracie approach and dedicate himself further to the sport or will he decide he's had enough of it? I'll be interested in seeing what happens with him. Brookins would be a great fight for Jim Hettes, who beat housemate Nam Phan. Two lengthy grapplers coming off dominant performances sounds good to me. Ivan Menjivar and TJ Dillashaw don't quite fit the same profile as Salas and Means, as Menjivar is a bit more of a UFC veteran, but Dillashaw has royal bloodlines through Team Alpha Male. He'll be getting big fights that can move his career forward quickly. A step up like Menjivar would be ideal for him. He struggled with a quick and powerful John Dodson, and Menjivar is a similar styled fighter. Dillashaw is going to have to learn how to handle the quicker guys; why not use a Randy Couture style game plan and get them up against the cage. He also needs to work a bit on his finishing from the back mount. He had the position multiple times and couldn't sink the choke or do enough damage with strikes to force a stoppage. He's young though, and he has a lot of upside. I'll be watching for his next match up closely. It won't be the big story, but the fighter to watch off this card is Stipe Miocic. He's now 2-0 in the UFC, with a decision and a knockout win. He's 8-0 in his MMA career and he beasted Philip De Fries. He is a quick and powerful striker with wrestling credentials who could beat a ton of guys in the heavyweight division tomorrow. Jon Anik, (or was it Kenny Florian? They sound the same!) said that he didn't think guys would be lining up to fight Miocic, which is an understatement. Looking at the division, he could fight Russow or he could move right up to the winner of the Mark Hunt and Cheick Kongo fight going down at UFC 144. As the Stefan Struve vs Dave Herman fight unfolded, I thought that Struve was going to lose. He was taking a fair amount of kicks to his leg and was being forced to defend multiple punch combinations from Herman. The thing about Struve is that he's incredibly game, and he fights best when under duress. If he's going to be successful against the big boys, as he said he wanted in his show open video clip, he'll need to get off first and establish his game. His best asset is his ground game. It's uncomplicated and simple, as it should be for a man of his stature. He effortlessly achieved mount on Herman twice and also finished Sean McCorkle with the quickness from the position. I think Mike Russow is the best match for him. Russow is a guy on a four fight win streak but who hasn't been overly impressive. Struve is probably not quite ready for the Fabricio Werdum's of the world, and every other top guy is already booked. Herman looked good in defeat and I'd like to see him wait for the loser of one of the next few heavyweight fights. The loser of the Hunt/Kongo fight I mentioned earlier would fit him well. Finally, I thought Diego Sanchez did enough in the third round to give his fight with Jake Ellenberger some drama, but he's simply just not an elite welterweight anymore. Everyone knows his game and is ready for him. That being said, I'm just not sold on Ellenberger as a welterweight contender. I mentioned the three men who could give him problems in a five round match and until I see him dominate a three round fight from start to finish I am going to say that he doesn't deserve a title shot. Everyone is hot on the idea of a Condit/Ellenberger rematch and I think it will probably happen but I hope it doesn't. In fact, if I was Ellenberger, I'd push for a fight against the winner of Martin Kampmann and Thiago Alves, on a big ppv card this summer. Run up a few hills, get himself into championship shape and make some money while he's at it. Parlay a victory into a shot at the winner of Condit/St. Pierre. He'd have a great case at that point and if he takes on Condit and loses, his chance of ever fighting the true champion would be all but gone. All told it was a very good night of fighting. These smaller shows on free TV have really delivered so far this year and if Fuel TV was happy with the ratings before this event, I suspect they'll be overjoyed after it.

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'We blew it'. It was as simple as that according to UFC President Dana White, who said after an exciting three round war between Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez, that it should have been a five round fight.

Posted in: jake ellenberger, round, diego sanchez, dana, round war

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OMAHA, Neb. - If you were left begging for two more rounds after Jake Ellenberger's thrilling three-round victory over Diego Sanchez, you weren't alone. Following Wednesday's UFC on FUEL TV 1 event in Omaha, Neb., UFC president Dana White admitted he "blew it," and all future main events will feature five rounds. "Already thought and done," White told MMAjunkie.com. "I'm actually pissed at myself about it, so yeah."

Posted in: ufc, round, event, wednesdays ufc, jake ellenbergers

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I'll get to giving Jake Ellenberger his credit in a few minutes, but first I have to ask the most important question of the evening: Why was the main event between Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez not five rounds? We were told that Diego was a win away from a title shot and we know that Ellenberger is in the proverbial "mix" at the top of the division. I fail to see how this fight didn't deserve the same treatment as all other main event fights between contenders. We were robbed of the drama of a final two rounds between two men who were putting on a great show and should have been proving their ability to go five rounds and be ready to be fully in the conversation for a title shot. Ellenberger deserved the win, but I think rounds four and five would have proved a lot about both men and their readiness for a shot at Carlos Condit. Update: As soon as I hit publish, Dana White said at the press conference that they blew it and the main event should have been five rounds and they will be in the future. On to the notes from the evening: Jake Ellenberger looked great for the majority of the first two rounds. He is one of the few fighters where moving around the cage is actual solid and legitimate footwork, not just walking in different directions. His movement sets up his strikes and he transitions from movement to sitting down with power on his punches beautifully. He is worthy of a shot at Carlos Condit over the summer and that's a fight that the UFC should look to make. Diego could have mentally broken as the fight seemed to slip away, but in round three it was Diego looking to make something happen from the opening bell. He was getting the better of striking exchanges in the third and Jake got the takedown but Diego was able to take advantage of a small mistake and get dominant position and fire away with strikes. It was a bit short of a 10-8 round, but Diego made sure that he put on a performance that keeps him as a viable top-end fighter at 170 pounds. Ellenberger became the last fighter on the night to not understand that when Jon Anik asks what you want next, that they want a soundbyte to use hyping up a future fight. Calling out Condit in front of a ravenous fanbase would have been a great moment. Bust out a "you know I won the first time" or something. Hype up a fight and make fans want to see it. Stefan Struve remains one of my favorite fighters on the planet. He is flawed enough to make fights exciting, but good enough to pull out wins in exciting fashion. For all of Struve's faults, Dave Herman is just as flawed and even more vulnerable to allow other men to exploit those flaws. And that's exactly what happened as Struve managed to find his rhythm in the second round and use combinations to drop him, get mount and finish. More after the jump... SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel TV Ronny Markes looked good, but for some reason I'm still not a big fan. His toughness getting through being blasted by Aaron Simpson in the first round was commendable, but I'm still waiting to see just a little more from Markes before I'm ready to really jump on that bandwaggon. Philip De Fries pushes his punches so much that getting into a firefight with Stipe Miocic was destined to end poorly. Miocic's striking is not as good as advertised due to the (almost always pointless) "golden gloves champion" title, but he has more snap on his punches so he was able to finish him off. T.J. Dillashaw put a beating on Walel Watson that was simultaneously dominant and disappointing. While Dillashaw put a beating on Watson, he wasn't able to get a finish despite constant dominant position, it left a bit to be desired even while being impressive. Poor Ivan Menjivar and John Albert. Those two had a fantastic one round battle that Menjivar won with a rear naked choke but it was so early in the broadcast that it was basically forgotten by the main event, and the main event was a better fight anyway. But those guys deserve credit for going out and putting on a fun show in the broadcast opener. Jonathan Brookins is a legit talent. He was able to survive some early good moments by Vagner Rocha, take advantage of getting mount and then show real killer instinct. I think the next two years are going to show some real growth on the part of Brookins as he establishes himself. I'd rather not talk about Justin Salas against Anton Kuivanen. I though that fight was horrible. Tim Means looked really impressive in his fight against Bernardo Magalhaes in the show opening bout. I think Magalhaes should be released on this performance, but Means was very solid in using the knees and combination striking that just dominated Magalaes.

Posted in: fight, ellenberger, round, event, diego

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A back-and-forth 15-minute main event on Wednesday night ended in Jake Ellenberger taking a decision over Diego Sanchez in the first UFC on FUEL card. It was an excellent fight featuring two of the sport's top welterweights, and it was a good display of both Ellenberger's great skill and Sanchez's tremendous heart. Ellenberger was the better fighter in the Octagon, but Sanchez deserves credit for making it through 15 minutes. In the end, the judges all agreed that Ellenberger had won the first two rounds and Sanchez had won the third, and the scorecards were unanimous, 29-28. Ellenberger had the crowd on his side in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, and they carried him through a close first round in which both men had their share of effective strikes. Ellenberger knocked Sanchez down with a punch, and that knockdown may have been the difference in a close round. In the second round Sanchez appeared to grow more frustrated as Ellenberger continued landing punches and then moving out of Sanchez's range. With a minute left in the round, Ellenberger ducked under a Sanchez punch and executed a takedown, and he landed some big elbows from the top, clearly winning the second round. Sanchez wouldn't go down without a fight, and in the third round he did some damage to Ellenberger in the striking exchanges. Ellenberger took Sanchez down with just over a minute to go in the round and appeared to be in good position to ride out the victory, but Sanchez did a sensational job of transitioning into a dominant position and pounding away on Ellenberger. Sanchez had Ellenberger in big trouble as the third round drew to a close, but he wasn't able to finish the fight, and Ellenberger held on for the decision. "Diego's known for that -- he's the toughest guy I've ever fought and he's a true warrior," Ellenberger said. "It's an honor to fight him." It's an honor for UFC fans to watch Ellenberger. He's a future title contender, but he demurred when asked if he wanted to call out interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit. "I'm not sure, that's up to the UFC," Ellenberger said. Ellenberger is willing to wait for his title shot, but he won't have to wait too long. Ellenberger has the talent and the toughness to be a champion.

Posted in: ufc, ellenberger, round, sanchez, minute

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The main event of the UFC on FUEL TV 1 fight card that took place tonight (Wed., Feb. 15, 2012) at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska, featured Diego Sanchez returning to take on hometown boy Jake Ellenberger. How important was this fight? Well, before the broadcast hit the air, UFC President Dana White told SB Nation's Ariel Helwani that it's entirely possible the winner would earn a title shot in the event Carlos Condit decides not to wait and Georges St. Pierre's recovery takes longer than expected. This was kind of a big deal. That's why it's so huge that Ellenberger managed to pick up such a hard fought victory after three rounds and 15 long minutes of action. "The Juggernaut" dominated the first two frames and survived a late surge from Sanchez to take a decision on scores of 29-28 across the board. Was he good enough for UFC to want to book Carlos Condit vs. Jake Ellenberger part deux? We shall see. As expected, the staredown was intense. Thankfully, it carried over to the fight, at least at the start. Ellenberger wanted to please his native fans with a big knockout early, throwing a haymaker in an attempt to get the party started sooner than we all thought. Swing and a miss. Somewhat surprisingly, Sanchez was tempered in his attack, far more patient than we're used to seeing him. It's not that he was tentative or even weary of Ellenberger's power. He simply stayed cool under the pressure of the moment. Even when he rushed in and got caught with a big counter shot that put him on his ass. Thanks to that, Ellenberger definitely had round one on the scorecards. It wasn't long into the second round when Sanchez's frustration started showing. His calm demeanor slowly started to fade in favor of a less-than focused scowl and pushing punches. His attacks became predictable and Ellenberger was reacting to them perfectly. To mix it up nicely, "The Juggernaut" threw in a takedown late in the round, timed impeccably to shoot underneath a charging Sanchez. He also punished Diego with monster elbows that furthered the damage to "The Dream's" nose, which was already busted up big time at this point. The stats? 23 ground strikes from Ellenberger, one from Sanchez. They battled back and forth into the third, Sanchez slowly making his way back into the fight. He landed enough to open a cut on Ellenberger and even reversed a takedown into back mount where he ended the fight by unloading a ton of punches. Ellenberger fought back to his feet and the bell sounded with the two men throwing wild haymakers. Freaking awesome. Sanchez fought valiantly until the very end but because of his dominance in the first two rounds, Ellenberger came away with a victory that could catapult him to a welterweight title shot. Stay tuned. In the meantime, check out MMAmania.com's complete coverage of the UFC on FUEL TV 1 action by clicking here.

Posted in: ufc, fight, ellenberger, round, sanchez

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This is the UFC on FUEL live blog for Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez, the main event of tonight's UFC card from the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha.Ellenberger (26-5) has won five in a row in the UFC and won the biggest fight of his career last September, stopping Jake Shields in 53 seconds. In his last two fights, Sanchez (23-4) recorded wins by decision against Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann in "Fight of the Nights."The live blog begins below. More Coverage: UFC on FUEL Results | Latest UFC News Round 1:Round 2:Round 3:

Posted in: ufc, fight, jake, round, coverage ufc

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Stefan Struve made it through a difficult first round against Dave Herman at Wednesday night's UFC on FUEL event, then poured it on in the second round, using his ground and pound to win the fight by technical knockout. It wasn't a great showing for Struve, but it was good enough to get the job done, and he now has a two-fight winning streak and a 23-5 overall record. The first round had the fans booing, as both fighters looked a little tentative on their feet. But Herman landed the more effective punches, getting inside, connecting and then backing away, and Struve failed to use his reach advantage effectively. Struve started the second round with a great takedown directly into mount, but Herman did a nice job of bucking Struve off and getting back to his feet. Standing up Struve began to land more effectively, with punches getting through and doing damage to Herman's face. Eventually Struve knocked Herman down, got on top of him in full mount, and pounded away at his face until the referee stopped the fight. The loss drops Herman to 21-3 in his MMA career.

Posted in: round, struve, dave herman, herman, hermans face

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This is the UFC on FUEL live blog for Dave Herman vs. Stefan Struve, a heavyweight bout on tonight's UFC card from the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha.Herman (21-2) won his UFC debut at UFC 131 in June, stopping John-Olav Einemo in the second round. Struve (22-5) is coming off a win over Pat Barry at UFC on Versus 6 in October.The live blog begins below. More Coverage: UFC on FUEL Results | Latest UFC News Round 1:Round 2:Round 3:

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Ronny Markes withstood a hard punch from Aaron Simpson in the first round and fought hard enough in the second and third to win a close split decision at Wednesday night's UFC on FUEL event. The victory improves Markes' record to 13-1, and shows that he's a promising young fighter in the middleweight division. But it wasn't easy. Markes tagged Simpson with several hard punches in the first 30 seconds of the first round, but Simpson maintained his composure and clinched with Markes against the cage. After the referee separated them, it was Simpson who took control by landing a huge uppercut that knocked Markes down. Simpson then pounced and tried to finish Markes with ground and pound, but Markes stayed active from his back and survived. Simpson won the first round, but Markes did a nice job of staying alive when it looked like Simpson was ready to finish him. More Coverage: UFC on FUEL Results | Ronny Markes vs. Aaron Simpson Live Blog The second round was slower, with a lot of clinch work and fighting for position. Simpson is a strong wrestler, but Markes more than held his own in that department, taking Simpson down and getting on top of him late in the round. The third round featured more clinch work, and the crowd started to boo, wanting more hard-hitting action like the first round delivered. As Markes controlled him against the cage, Simpson asked the referee to separate them, and the referee obliged. That gave Simpson his last, best chance, and he came out swinging, but Markes soon grabbed hold of him again, and the round ended without a lot of action. The judges scored it 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29 for Markes. The fans booed, but it wasn't a bad decision: After Simpson's early flurry, he didn't do much of anything in the second and third rounds, and Markes did just enough to win.

Posted in: round, simpson, aaron simpson, middleweight division, marke

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T.J. Dillashaw defeats Walel Watson by unanimous decision. The judges scored the fight 30-25, 30-25, and 30-26. T.J. Dillashaw came out aggressive early with a superman punch and then an immediate takedown attempt. Walel Watson did a decent job to to avoid the first attempt but was taken to the mat after Dillashaw swept his legs out from under his body. Dillashaw sunk in his hooks and started to soften up his opponent with punches and choke attempts. While Watson didn't submit submit to the multiple attempts, he was never able to any sort of offense. Compustrike tweeted that Dillashaw landed 35 strikes to Watson's 0. Round two was more of the same for Dillashaw. He landed an overhand right and then quickly got the fight to the ground. Once on the mat it was a strikingly similar round as the first with Dillashaw seamlessly transitioning between mount and back mount. Watson, to his credit, survived but through two rounds he was out struck 148-4. The third round was when Watson finally came alive on the feet. He was able to land some some strikes and threaten with submissions but he was dominated for the second half the round. Dillashaw outstruck Watson 172-12 over the course of three rounds. SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel TV

Posted in: round, attempt, watson, dillashaw, body dillashaw

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T.J. Dillashaw dominated Walel Watson for 10 minutes at Wednesday night's UFC on FUEL event, then hung on for five more minutes as Watson mounted a surprising comeback, with Dillashaw winning the fight by unanimous decision. It was a highly entertaining battle that showed Dillashaw off as a very powerful fighter in the bantamweight division, but also showed that Watson has a lot of heart -- not to mention long limbs that make him a danger to submit his opponents from the bottom. Dillashaw wanted to get things started with a takedown and worked at it non-stop for the first 40 seconds of the first round before finally getting Watson to the ground and getting on top of him. Dillashaw transitioned to Watson's back and nearly sunk in a rear-naked choke, and although Watson managed to defend himself against Dillashaw's submission attempts, it was a dominant first round that I scored 10-8 for Dillashaw. At the start of the second round Dillashaw hit Watson and then jumped on top of him on the ground again, and then it was more of the same: Dillashaw switched back and forth between vicious ground and pound from mount and attempts at rear-naked chokes, and it was a wonder that Watson even survived. It was another 10-8 round on my scorecard. Amazingly, Watson came back from that brutal beating for the first 10 minutes and put on a great showing in the third round, putting Dillashaw in serious trouble with submission attempts off his back. But Dillashaw managed to escape and get back on top and in control, and he finished the fight where he had been for much of it, battering Watson from the top. I gave the third round to Watson 10-9 and therefore gave the fight to Dillashaw, 29-26. The three judges scored it 30-25, 30-25 and 30-26.

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Justin Salas defeated Anton Kuivanen by Unanimous decision. The judges scored the fight 30-27, 30-27, and 29-27. To be honest, this was no a good fight. It was a fight between two top prospects but that doesn't change the fact that neither fighter was impressive in their UFC debuts. The first round saw Anton Kuivanen back Salas up with punches and just more activity keeping the Grudge Gym member on his toes. Round two was more of a competitive fight with Salas settling in and establishing his wrestling. Kuivanen remained a threat but wasn't able to really push Salas around the cage as he did in round one. The final round was Justin Salas' best round. Finally finding his range at stand up, he was able to keep Kuivanen uncertain about when the fight would be taken to the ground. Salas hit a big double leg takedown that essentially sealed the fight for him. Justin Salas successfully made his octagon debut. Anton Kuivanen will be brought back as he is still considered a blue chip prospect and the UFC always needs fighters for international cards. SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel TV

Posted in: fight, round, kuivanen, sala, anton

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This is the UFC on FUEL live blog for all the preliminary bouts on Facebook in support of tonight's FUEL-televised card from the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha.The live blog begins below. More Coverage: UFC on FUEL Results | Latest UFC News Tim Means vs. Bernardo Magalhaes Round 1: Means taking the center of the cage early. After some slow action in the opening moments, Means lands a hard knee to the face. Magalhaes counters with an overhand right. Means with another knee to the face, this one knocks Magalhaes down. Means attacks with a D'arce but Magalhaes defends it and they go back to their feet. Means takes round 1 on damage, 10-9. Round 2: Means walks out confidently to start the second. Magalhaes dances around the outside but Means finds his target with long jabs and power punches. Magalhaes has some blood leaking from his nose now. Magalhaes shoots but Means stuffs him easily. Means stalking Magalhaes around and pressing forward. He lands a hard body shot with :20 left. Magalhaes goes down and Means lands hard strikes from the top. Another 10-9 round for Means. Round 3: Magalhaes fires off an overhand right that misses, then lands a left hook. Magalhaes shoots in for a single leg takedown, but he's rebuffed by a nice sprawl. Magalhaes' strategy of taking the fight to the ground has come up empty thus far, and he's getting tagged in the process. Means with another body shot. Magalhaes goes down, but he might be trying to lure Means down, and Means doesn't go for it, inviting him back to his feet. Means with another hard right and this time he follows Magalhaes down and punishes him with elbows. Magalhaes is in trouble but Means lets him up again. He controls the standup to the horn, 10-9. Winner: Tim Means via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26) Anton Kuivanen vs. Justin Salas Round 1: Both fighters are UFC newcomers. Salas walks out southpaw while Kuivanen is orthodox. Salas tries an early takedown that fails. Kuivanen landing some early kicks to the body. He backs up Salas with a right hand to the body. Kuivanen stops another takedown. Salas lands a nice lead right hook. Salas scores his first takedown with two minutes left. Salas lands one overhand right but Kuivanen sweeps and gets free and back to his feet. Kuivanen with another kick to the body. He's the one moving forward. Salas completes another takedown at the final horn. A very close round that MMA Fighting scores for Kuivanen 10-9. Sean Loeffler vs. Buddy Roberts Jonathan Brookins vs. Vagner Rocha

Posted in: right, round, magalhae, kuivanen, sala

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Diego Sanchez vs Jake EllenbergerCory - Ya know what, I think I’m willing to buy into the fact that Diego has been surpassed in this division. His talent and energy were great for a while, but at the moment, I think that Ellenberger has the skills to stuff his shot and the standup and offensive takedowns to get the win. ‘Berger - DecisionEarl - Diego Sanchez’s time as a title contender is up. His fight with Paulo Thiago was incredibly entertaining and a great victory for him but Ellenberger is a monster on the rise. Carlos Condit, be prepared. Jake Ellenberger, TKO, Round 2.Jack - Diego has looked very suspect in 3 of his last 4 appearances. His takedowns aren’t good enough to trouble Ellenberger and his stand up lacks power and finesse. I see Ellenberger stopping him at some point but it should be a barnburner! Jake Ellenberger, TKO, Round 2Luke - If Jake Ellenberger can’t finish Diego Sanchez, he’ll have only his cardio to blame, as I can’t really see Sanchez mounting much effective offense in this one. I want to agree with Earl and Jack and say that after an epic first round beating, Ellenberger finishes the job in the second. For some reason though, I can’t seem to get the image of a gassed Ellenberger out of my head. I kind of thought Ellenberger lost to Rocha and I kinda don’t think he’s too good past the first round. I mean, part of that is the fact that he usually unleashes a severe beating in that first round but some guys you just can’t put away and you should train to fight accordingly. Sanchez will stay in it and take the second and third in at least one judges eyes. Jake Ellenberger, Split decision.Dave Herman vs Stefan StruveCory - It feels strange to think of Stefan Struve as the "old guard", but the kid’s been around for years, and has still yet to really find his rhythm. He lets strikers get in on him often, and while he looked better in the Barry fight, I’m not sure it’s enough to get him by the underrated Pee Wee. Herman - TKOEarl - On one hand, I know Struve doesn’t know how to control distance. On the other hand, Herman had his hands full with Jon Olav Einemo standing. This could really go either way but I’ll go with The Skyscraper in what should be a wild one. Stefan Struve, TKO, Round 1.Jack - As much as I want to see Herman submitted, I think Struve’s inability on the feet has become obvious, and his takedowns aren’t enough to trouble Herman. Herman via coming down the middle while Struve is pre-occupied throwing jumping knees and other nonsense. Herman, TKO, Round 2Luke - Jack, I can agree that it’d be appropriate to see Herman, who said he "doesn’t believe in jiu jitsu" and "it might work, but it doesn’t work on me" get put to sleep by Struvey. I also agree with your assessment that it’s not going to happen. Despite those transgressions about jiu jitsu, Dave Herman is my kind of fighter. He doesn’t take himself too seriously outside of the cage (you couldn’t say such rubbish without being a bit of a joker plus he’s a great interview) and inside it he is a finishing machine. If you’ve never seen his fight against Jim York, congratulations, having read this post entitles you to go directly to youtube and watch it. Do not pass go, do not receive $200 dollars. Herman, TKO, Round 2Ronny Markes vs Aaron SimpsonCory - Markes is kind of intriguing. He’s very much a prospect at this point, but a pretty hot one, with only one loss on his record and riding a 5-fight win streak, including the likes of Paulo Filho and the uninspiring Karlos Vermola. That said, he’s cutting to middleweight for what I believe to be the the first time and it’s always rough to see how that plays out. I’ll take the safe bet with Aaron at the moment. Simpson - DecisionEarl - Hopefully Ronny Markes enjoys the feeling of being squashed between a man and chainlink fence for 15 minutes. Aaron Simpson, Unanimous DecisionLuke - At first glance this looks like a pretty easy pick, Aaron Simpson, decision. Simpson is 7-2 as a Zuffa fighter, which is pretty impressive. His losses to Chris Leben and Mark Munoz are acceptable and he was actually winning the Leben fight before tiring. It would seem that Ronny Markes is a little green to be able to handle Simpson’s wrestling, as he’s only had one fight stateside, spending nearly all of his young career in Brazil. Markes fights out of Nova Uniao, a camp that is having a ton of success against wrestlers as of late. So it’s a very close call in my opinion. Markes is 23, while Simpson is 37. I can’t go with a dog that old. Markes, TKO, Round 2. John Albert vs Ivan MenjivarCory - Ivan is kind of a feel good story, having come out of a four-year retirement to go 3-1, including two straight in the UFC. Again, that said, I like Prince Albert to can Ivan with a late stoppage. Albert - TKOEarl - Jeez. Another UFC fighter with a penis reference nickname.......Ivan Menjivar, Unanimous DecisionLuke - I kind of liked what I saw from Albert through the Ultimate Fighter. He took John Dodson to a decision and he ran through Dustin Pague at the Finale. He’s from the North West and got his first good training with Dennis Hallman. Apparently he was quite an amateur, and his pro record is littered with first round stoppages. Menjivar is a big step up, he has fought a lot of very good fighters. The thing is, he’s lost to just about every one of them. Albert is a very good fighter. Albert - TKO, Round 1.Philip De Fries vs Stipe MiocicCory - Phil is the current Great Brit Hope after senor Bisping (who has no shot at beating Andy). He’s undefeated in the weakest division, and that’s as good a reason as anyone to get matched up higher and higher. Miocic is a midwestern fighter, and that normally raises eyebrows, but for once in recent memory, it looks like someone from that area might be the real deal. Continuing the trend of opening with the guy I think will lose, I’m picking Miocic - TKOEarl - Stipe beat former UFC entertaining brawler Joey Beltran in his debut. De Fries is about to get honorarily Mexicuted. Stipe Miocic, TKO, Round 2. Luke - I remember Miocic from the Bloody Elbow Scouting Report of 2011, where he was ranked 5th. His first fight with Joey Beltran confirmed the findings: He moves well, has good hands and can kick. I am pretty excited to see what this guy can do. This card is full of good young prospects and Miocic could be the best one, as he fights in the relatively shallow heavyweight division. As for Philip De Fries, well, I’ve yet to see him on any scouting report. I put my faith in Leland Rolling! Miocic - TKO, Round 2T.J. Dillashaw vs Walel WatsonCory - I still think that Dillashaw can do very well for himself in this sport. I don’t think Walel is all that good (having lost to Jabouin and even lesser competition). Dillashaw - DecisionEarl - Consider my opinion the exact opposite of Cory’s. Walel Watson, TKO, Round 3.Luke - I thought Walel Watson deserved the victory over Yves Jabouin. Dillashaw failed to impress me with either his attitude or his skills on TUF. Despite that, I feel like this one is pretty easy: Watson isn’t going to be able to keep this fight standing and on the ground he is at a big disadvantage. Dillashaw - Unanimous Decision.Jonathan Brookins vs Vagner RochaCory - I’m not sold on Vagner ever making waves in this sport, but I’m even less sold on Brookins. I just think he gets overpowered here. Rocha - SubmissionEarl - Hopefully this can at least be fun. Jonathan Brookins, Unanimous Decision.Luke - Jonathan Brookins is born on the same day as I am, making him a winner in life. After absorbing just enough of Georges St. Pierre to win the Ultimate Fighter 12, Brookins got dynamo Erik Koch right out of the gate. Tough love. That he took a finisher like Koch to a decision is pretty good in my books. Rocha is a pretty one dimensional, ground fighter and he’s nowhere near as dangerous as Koch. I’m a big believer that when you fight a dangerous guy, your next fight is just that much easier. Brookins - Unanimous Decision. Sean Loeffler vs Buddy RobertsCory - Man I’ve got zero clue about these first three fights. I went ahead and asked BE scouting expert Smoogy for some dishes on these and here’s what he had to say. "lolfler vs. roberts is like, barely Bellator prelim quality" Loeffler via funnier name - TKOEarl - Loeffler has only had 1 of his 25 victories come by way of decision. Carlos Condit-esque in his finishing abilities is Sean Loeffler, Joe. Sean Loeffler, Submission, Round 1.Luke - Sean Loeffler seems like a pretty serious young man. He’s 29 and aside from fighting, he’s the head instructor of grappling and MMA at a pretty sizeable gym in Oceanside, California. He’s put together a 25-5 record over 30 fights and is making his UFC debut. His opponent is Buddy Roberts, who hails from Jackson’s MMA. Sigh. Another tough pick. Loeffler likes to go for submissions so we’ll probably see Roberts keep the fight on the feet. I feel like a decision is pretty likely. Loeffler, Unanimous Decision.Anton Kuivanen vs Justin SalasCory - Kuivanen is on the scouting report as the #8 LW prospect in the world. Justin Salas doesn’t have a Wikipedia page. F it. Kuivanen - KOEarl - I gotta give the nod here to Finland in this one. Kuivanen, Submission, Round 2.Luke - Yet another good fight at the bottom of the card. Justin Salas is a good young prospect. He fights out of a good camp, Grudge Training Center in Colorado. He may not be too heralded, but I think he’s been tested. Kuivanen is bringing over a substantial amount of experience, but it’s all been in the Finnish and Estonian MMA scene. That can’t be considered of equal value to whoever Salas has fought and certainly on a daily basis the training partners he’s going with are far better than anyone Kuivanen is able to have on a regular basis. Salas, Unanimous Decision. Bernardo Magalhaes vs Tim MeansCory - Again, "Means is a KOTC bum with a reinhardt like record." - Smoogy. Magalhaes by also having the last name of a real MMA fighter.Earl - Um......sure. Bernardo Magalhaes, Unanimous Decision.Luke - Maghales isn’t related to the more well known Vinny, with whom he shares a last name. His record is one of the stranger ones I’ve ever seen for a Brazilian born fighter: He’s had 9 decision victories on his way to a 11-1 record. Then again, he fought his entire professional career in Australia up to this point, so that could have something to do with it. I’m sort of torn on this one, since Means does have a pair of KOTC titles. Oh well, I’ll go with Magalhaes. Magalhaes, Unanimous Decision. OVERALL STANDINGS for 2012NAME Correct Picks Picks Made # of Events Chad 8 8/10 1 Chris 6 3/8 1 Cory 16 16/36 4 Earl 27 27/40 4 Jack 5 5/10 1 Luke 23 23/30 3 Rainer 15 15/20 2

Posted in: fight, ellenberger, round, vs, hersquo

Read the full article at Head Kick Legend

Twenty-three year old prodigy Stefan "The Skyscraper" Struve extended his winning streak inside the Octagon to two, this time defeating Dave Herman via TKO in Round 2. Despite the result, Herman was the one in charge of the action early on, managing to outstrike Struve during round one. Leg kicks were Herman's main weapon, alongside simple, but yet effective striking combinations. Herman connected with his strikes on several occasions, as it looked the victory is heading Pee-Wee's way. However, Struve

Posted in: round, struve, herman, prodigy stefan, outstrike struve

Read the full article at Low Kick

Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego SanchezBrent Brookhouse: Maybe I’m just riding high on my being the only BE staffer to pick Condit over Diaz, but I’m going to be alone on another main event for this show. I really like Ellenberger in the first round but I think Sanchez’s tenacity and pace wears him out over the second and third and he takes a narrow decision. Ellenberger is very good, but there’s something about Sanchez’s toughness and ability to draw slugfests out of people despite it being a bad idea for them that has me leaning his way. Diego Sanchez by decision.KJ Gould: As durable as Diego Sanchez is known to be, I just can’t see any other result than him getting trucked by Jake Ellenberger. Sanchez almost always gets himself into a firefight, and Ellenberger seems like one of those power punchers in the division that can end anyone’s night just by connecting. Ellenberger is also on a curve where he can continue to get better, but this will be as good as it gets with Sanchez. Jake Ellenberger by KO.Leland Roling: Ellenberger’s power will undoubtedly find a home on Sanchez’s chin in this fight. It’s inevitable when Sanchez’s means to winning stand-up battles is solely based on output and gutsiness rather than actual skill. Furthermore, he doesn’t have the wrestling to take down Ellenberger and impose his will from top control. In my mind, that’s his only means to victory unless he’s improved dramatically on the feet. Jake Ellenberger by unanimous decision.Anton Tabuena: Ellenberger has better wrestling, better striking, and more power in his hands. Sanchez is very durable and he will be tough to stop, but I don’t see how he wins this, unless the judges somehow gives it to him again. Jake Ellenberger by Decision.David Castillo: Not only has Sanchez plateaued, but he’s sort of gotten worse. He’s no longer the incredible scrambler he used to be on the ground (how does he sweep Koscheck effortlessly and then get laid on by Guida?), and his striking is just not good. I don’t think this is a gimme for Ellenberger, who still has cardio issues. But I’m picking him because this matchup is just evil for Diego on paper. He’s not gonna get Jake down, and any punch that lands will have him doing those ‘yes’ cartwheels of his. Ellenberger by Decision. Fraser Coffeen: Once upon a time, I think Diego had the skills to win this on sheer determination and work. But he seems to be slipping lately, and his return to WW has not been fantastic. I think he is too predictable, and a more skilled fighter like Ellenberger takes him. Add in Ellenberger’s big punching power, and I think this is a rough night for The Dream. Jake Ellenberger by KO, round 1T.P. Grant: I’ve been beating this drum for a while, but there is a new breed of Welterweight on the rise. The old guard of 2007 and 2008 fame is on the way out and kids like Ellenberger are on the rise. Diego has some good skills, but Ellengerger is a better wrestler, a better striker and has the best KO power in the division. Sanchez is still the same fighter he has been 2007: high energy, fast pace, boxing and GNP attack. He also keeps his chin out and head up straight. Ellengerger lands a big bomb or two and the night is over. Jake Ellenberger by KO, Round 2. Dallas Winston: Fraser read my mind. In fact, Diego’s sheer determination and hard work have been his best attributes, but unfortunately his only ones. Predictability is a huge concern, as Diego has gotten by for years by wildly flailing his hands while bull-rushing forward to work takedowns. His striking has definitely improved to an adequate level, but adequate won’t cut it against a brick-fisted boxer like Ellenberger, who has the heaviest hands in the division by a wide margin. Plus, Diego’s rabid frenzy secured him more takedowns than his skill or technique and the Berger is more polished than him in that department as well. I respect Diego’s heart and spirit but expect him to take a prolonged beating. He’s only been finished once and I think this will be the second. Jake Ellenberger by TKO.Tim Burke: 1. Not sure how a guy can have the heaviest hands in a division that has Paul Daley in it. 2. Jake Ellenberger does get hit a fair amount, and tends to have some trouble with guys that have an active guard. I’m not really on the Ellenberger bandwagon as much as everyone else (the Howard and Rocha fighters should have been bigger eye-openers for people) and I think this fight is a lot closer than people are saying it is. But Ellenberger has the wrestling to negate Sanchez, and that’s enough for me. Jake Ellenberger by decision.Ben Thapa: I agree that the Howard and Rocha fights show that Ellenberger has trouble putting away feisty opponents. However, he did ride out the tumults and win rounds, which is exactly what he is going to do against Sanchez. Sorry Diego, but unless you can pull out a submission, I don’t see any route to victory for you. Ellenberger, decision.Staff picking Ellenberger: David, Anton, Leland, Fraser, KJ, Grant, Dallas, Tim, Ben, RothStaff picking Sanchez: Brookhouse SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel TVDave Herman vs. Stefan StruveBrent Brookhouse: Utilizing reach is not as easy as people ike to pretend it is. Tall does not mean it’s just "jab and you win." It takes years and years of dedicated training and carefully bringing a fighter along for boxers with great jabs to really master the skill. Struve is getting a bit better at it but the rules of MMA make it really easy to rush inside range. Luckily, Struve is good inside when he isn’t just being reckless (which is a major issue for him). I just look at the level of competition between these two and what I think they both bring to the table and I think Herman is a fun fighter, but one with even more flaws than I see with Stefan. Stefan Struve by submission, round 2.KJ Gould: Reach advantage is pointless if the fighter doesn’t know how to use it, and that seems to describe Stefan Struve to a T. Herman can neutralise Struve’s submission attempts while beating him up fairly easily on the ground, and I can’t see Struve having anything on the feet that will phase Herman. Dave Herman by Decision.Leland Roling: I was going to pick Struve here, but... it’s tough to look past guys walking right through his defenses and bombing on him consistently. Herman opens up from the start and zaps Struve. Dave Herman by TKO.Anton Tabuena: I have a bad feeling that Stefan Struve will get KO’d again here, and while that has a very real chance of happening, I think Struve has all the tools to win this if he fights smart(er). Stefan Struve by TKO.David Castillo: Struve doesn’t have to worry about his total lack of distance perception in this one. Herman will oblige him anywhere, and watching him struggle with Einemo, who we know is terrible, doesn’t reflect well on his chances against Struve, who despite having terrible fight IQ at least fights with the intent to finish at all times. I’m shocked Struve is still relevant, but for all of his faults, he’s exciting to watch. Stefan Struve by submission, round 2. Fraser Coffeen: Both of these guys excel in their ability to take a beating and stay dangerous in a fight. The difference maker for me is that Herman will keep fighting for the finish, and I think that will get him by, but it’s close. Fun fight. Dave Herman by TKO, round 2. T.P. Grant: A pretty interesting heavyweight fight, if not terribly relevant. Karmatic justice demands that Herman get caught in a classic Struve triangle. But I find that pretty unlikely as Struve, despite being a great grappler, never looks to take fights to the mat. On the feet I think Herman walks right up to Struve and puts hands on him. Dave Herman by KO, Round 1. Dallas Winston: Along with Pat Barry, these are probably my favorite heavies on the roster. Egads! Struve has nine UFC fights and twenty-seven overall and he’s still just a wee twenty-three years of age. Yes, he’s undoubtedly a bit uncoordinated on the feet -- but go put a four-foot broomstick in each hand and try to box someone gracefully. He reminds me of Kampmann in that he prefers his somewhat awkward striking when his ground game is actually silky smooth. We have plenty of straight-laced, consummate sportsmen in MMA. That’s why I enjoy having a guy like Dave Herman, who stumbles into the cage looking like an unshaven miscreant that was just resuscitated after a three-day bender, babbling about how Jiu Jitsu "doesn’t work" and casting an equal amount of dazed smiles and wild haymakers. I give Struve a good chance because Herman loves being punched in the face and making stupid mistakes, but … Dave Herman by something awesome in a ridiculously entertaining decision.Tim Burke: I’m with Castillo on this one. Dave Herman doesn’t seem to know what he’s doing in the there half the time. A bigger, stronger Struve has the ability to submit him (despite Herman saying BJJ doesn’t work). Herman will win the first round. But Struve should win the fight. Stefan Struve by submission.Ben Thapa: This is one of those fights where anything can happen. Both these guys cast aside any regard for defense when attacking and since this is at heavyweight, a KO could happen at almost any given time or a submission could be slapped on. In his past fights, Struve has shown that he has to be outright knocked out or he’ll claw his way back to victory and that Herman doesn’t quite have the power to put him down and out immediately. Struve, submission, Round 2.Staff picking Herman: Fraser, Leland, KJ, Grant, Dallas, RothStaff picking Struve: David, Anton, Tim, Ben, BrookhouseRonny Markes vs. Aaron SimpsonBrent Brookhouse: Three fights in and I’m remembering what a good card this is. I’m writing in my picks ater pretty much everyone else had already written in theirs and I’m pretty amazed that there is only one person right now who is picking Simpson. I just feel like Simpson has beaten guys who are better than Markes and don’t feel like Markes has anything that Simpson can’t handle. Aaron Simpson by decision.KJ Gould: I’m generally wary of calling a fighter too old to compete, as that’s when they go out and surprise people. I just think Markes being younger and having proven conditioning will be too much for Simpson. Markes fighting out of one of the top emerging Brazilian camps in the world doesn’t hurt, either. Ronny Markes by decision.Leland Roling: Excellent match-up, although it won’t be a crowd pleaser if Markes gets his grips on Simpson. As David pointed out, durability is a key factor along with conditioning. Markes has the larger capacity, and he’s gone the distance consistently without completely sapping himself. He can endure Simpson, possibly finishing him in the later rounds. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt though. He survives, but loses. Ronny Markes by decision.David Castillo: It’s precisely because Simpson is not a 6 time Czech Republic National Wrestling Champion that Markes will have a much more difficult time putting Simpson on his back. So it’s a good matchup. Simpson, like Sanchez, hasn’t progressed much, and if anything, his flaws seem to be increasingly on display, regardless of his competition. Whether due to cardio or just bad gameplanning, I like Markes as the more durable fighter in this one. Ronny Markes by decision. Fraser Coffeen: Simpson by decision is the obvious and smart pick, but I’m not sure. The fact that Markes comes from Nova Uniao makes me think hard here. Simpson is very predictable, and the Nova team is smart. I think Markes comes in prepared, stops the takedown, and is able to take this. Ronny Markes by decision.T.P. Grant: We’ve seen a lot of ageless wonders in MMA, but I think Simpson’s age is starting to catch up with him. A fantastic wrestler, I’ve never loved the rest of his skill set. If he was going to make a run in the UFC, it was in 2010, not in 2012. He is a great athlete and wrestler who started to focus on MMA a little too late. Markes is a young killer who comes in looking to put hands on Simspon, wear him out and then finish him. Ronny Markes by TKO, Round 3. Dallas Winston: I’d say Simpson’s boxing has definitely sharpened up and he stringing it together with his takedowns nicely. Markes is unique for a high-level BJJ guy in that he’s an adept wrestler with good cardio and malicious Muay Thai. The way he handled Vemola at 205 bodes well for his prowess at 185 as long he doesn’t suffer from the steep cut. Ronny Markes by decision.Tim Burke: As Dallas said, my main concern for Markes is the cut. It might sap his cardio, and a grinder like A-Train (who admittedly has had cardio issues as well) might be able to take advantage of it. Despite all the talk of Simpson being older and his skills degrading, he’s 6-2 in the UFC and on a three-fight winning streak. I’m very torn on this one, but I’m going to lean slightly towards Simpson (and an ugly fight). Aaron Simpson by decision.Ben Thapa: Jair Lourenco is the best coach out there that you probably haven’t heard of. Renan Barao is another one of his products in the UFC and there are more gestating like those facehuggers from the Alien movies down there. Simpson is a warrior through and through, but I believe that Markes will have a speed advantage and a timing advantage to do enough damage to win rounds. Markes, decision.Staff picking Markes: David, Leland, Fraser, KJ, Grant, Dallas, BenStaff picking Simpson: Anton, Tim, Brookhouse, RothPhilip De Fries vs. Stipe MiocicBrent Brookhouse: I’m hoping like hell Miocic’s debut was an issue of nerves or something along those lines. The video I’d seen of him before his debut was so much better than what he showed against Joey Beltran so I’ll stick with him. Stipe Miocic by decision.KJ Gould: Blech. This has horrible fight written all over it. I’m not sure anyone wins, really. Miocic’s first impression was far from a good one, and we’ve not had many British fighters pan out recently. Having said that, De Fries’ win over Broughton was more impressive than Miocic’s win over Beltran in my opinion. I can see De Fries getting the takedowns early and try to work a top control BJJ game but may not finish. De Fries by Decision.Leland Roling: De Fries is an enticing underdog pick here, mainly because Miocic looked like crap against Beltran. If Miocic hasn’t fixed those conditioning issues, De Fries could be dangerous late in the ballgame. He’s a submission specialist with a lot of success from back control. Miocic needs to maintain distance, pepper De Fries, and stay away from the ground. Stipe Miocic via TKO.David Castillo: I’m sure Stipe has potential, but I have a difficult time forgetting the sting of listening to Joe Rogan sell him as some sort of blue chip prospect while watching him struggle against Joey Beltran, and look downright lethargic at times. Miocic won’t have to look much better in order to win. Stipe Miocic by decision. T.P. Grant: I get tired just thinking about this fight. This is going to be a good old fashion heavyweight huff-and-puffer. I think Miocic is better than he showed in his first UFC fight. He passed through the first fight and honestly a pretty tough test for a young heavyweight in Beltran. I feel pretty good about taking Miocic for a stoppage win. Stipe Miocic by TKO, Round 3. Dallas Winston: I have a feeling that many will change their tune on Miocic after this fight. He lived up to his gushing praise by dominating Beltran in the first but then his cardio flatlined. However, that was his UFC debut and the first time in his career he’d seen the third round. He’s a burly 240-pounds with elite agility and athleticism for a heavy, and his wrestling pedigree makes him difficult to manipulate. De Fries is a pimp on the mat but average at best with striking and takedowns, so I expect Miocic to employ his D1 wrestling to stay afoot and shower De Fries with an endless barrage of low kicks. Stipe Miocic by TKO.Tim Burke: Stipe is still an top heavyweight prospect to me, despite his UFC debut not being what people thought it would be. Beltran is a grinder that works to sap guys cardio. It worked on Stipe. The Fries is not the same type of fighter, and if Stipe can stay off his back (which he should be able to do with his wrestling), he’s going to light the Englishman up. Stipe Miocic by TKO.Ben Thapa: Burke said it well and Miocic has the benefit of having gone through a stiffer test than The Cooked Potato Strips did (Beltran > Broughton). Miocic, KO, Round 2. Staff picking De Fries: KJStaff picking Miocic: David, Anton, Leland, Fraser, Grant, Dallas, Tim, Ben, Brookhouse, RothT.J. Dillashaw vs. Walel WatsonBrent Brookhouse: I don’t feel like I’ve gotten a good read on either guy, which is probably an issue given how many times I’ve seen them. But I’m a sucker for freakish reach and haven’t found Dillashaw to be particularly impressive. Walel Watson by TKO, round 2.KJ Gould: Watson may be being slept on. He’s starting to put his long limbs to good use in his striking, and he’s always had a penchant for using his long arms to get a variety of fight ending chokes on opponents. Dillashaw is a solid, athletic wrestler, but may be a bit gun shy after getting TKO’d by John Dodson. Watson’s also a bit more seasoned and had a pretty close fight with Yves Jabouin his last time out. Dillashaw can get the takedown but might put himself into a guard submission if he gets lazy. T.J. Dillashaw by Decision.Leland Roling: Dillashaw will wrestlebox his way to an easy victory, Team Alpha Male style. T.J. Dillashaw by decision.T.P. Grant: I normally pick against non-TUF winners, but I think Dillashaw is a solid fighter. Waston is an interesting prospect but Dillashaw is a well rounded fighter and I think he out works Watson. T.J. Dillashaw by Decision. David Castillo: Dillashaw is a solid fighter despite getting knocked out by Dodson’s forearm, but then again, Dodson is pretty much "for real". Watson isn’t more spectacular on any one area than TJ, so I expect him to pick up the comfortable victory. T.J. Dillashaw by TKO, round 3. Dallas Winston: Realizing I might be ripe for a post-fight revelation, I’m not sold on Dillashaw and think that he’s coasting on the Team Alpha Male laurels thus far. Realistically, he’s five fights deep with decent striking and good wrestling, but got tagged by Dustin Pague because of his predictable head-movement and position just like he did with Dodson. Watson has an unfathomable reach length of 75" and will have nearly a half-foot in height on Dillashaw. He’s also shown a clever knack to hurl uppercuts and vicious kicks directly to the same striking zone where Dillashaw always puts his melon. It might be a longshot but the slithery grappling skills Watson showed against Jabouin lead me to believe he can pull off the upset. Walel Watson by TKO.Tim Burke: I was going to say pretty much exactly what Leland already said. So, just look up for what I think. T.J. Dillishaw by decision.Ben Thapa: Like Dallas, I see some good potential and timing in Walel Watson’s game and I think Dillashaw will be immobile enough to be hit, stunned and then submitted.The Jabouin fight was a draw in my opinion and I don’t think Dillashaw is up to that level yet. Watson, submission, Round 1.Staff picking Dillishaw: Grant, David, Anton, Leland, KJ, Fraser, Tim, RothStaff picking Watson: Dallas, Ben, BrookhouseJohn Albert vs. Ivan MenjivarBrent Brookhouse: Blah, I’m not exactly excited to watch this one, but I like Ivan. So...there’s that. Ivan Menjivar by decision.KJ Gould: Menjivar is a veteran finally able to fight at a weight class he’s not severely undersized for. Albert may be a Dennis Hallman product, but he has a horrid nickname, and I won’t pick him out of principal. Ivan Menjivar by TKO.Leland Roling: I can’t believe Albert made it as far as he did. Kudos to him, but this is way too much, too soon. Ivan Menjivar by TKO.Anton Tabuena: This isn’t going to be close. Ivan Menjivar by Submission.T.P. Grant: Hmmmm UFC veteran vs TUF contestant that didn’t win the show.... I’m going with Menjivar, he has been in the cage with top flight Bantamweights and held his own. Albert is in over his head here I think. Ivan Menjivar by TKO, Round 2. Dallas Winston: I’m open to Albert surprising us and showing us he’s better than a typical TUF castaway. He absolutely brutalized Dustin Pague and snatched the gift-wrap ala Shamrock vs. Lober 1 to exact a "gimme your lunch money" type of beatdown. Menjivar is easily the more polished and diverse fighter, but I wouldn’t rule out Albert thwacking him on the feet. Ivan Menjivar by decision.Tim Burke: Ivan Menjivar is one of my favorite fighters of all time and if you don’t pick him in this fight, we’re gonna have problems son. Ivan Menjivar by TKO.Ben Thapa: Albert working Pague over was awesome and really opened my eyes to the possibility that TUF isn’t a wasteland designed to sell advertising, instead of building/showcasing real talent. Menjivar is a gigantic step up from Pague though. That’s a really rough opponent for a second UFC fight. I bet this is Fight of the Night and Menjivar takes a good, solid decision. Menjivar, decision.David Castillo: I think Albert will acquit himself well, but Menjivar is not the type to make dumb mistakes, and he continues to look sharper the older he gets. He’s a fine wine, that Ivan. And he’s a fine wine that’s gonna whoop some ass with flair. Ivan Menjivar by TKO, round 2. Staff picking Albert:Staff picking Menjivar: Grant, Anton, Leland, KJ, Fraser, Dallas, Tim, Ben, Brookhouse, David, RothJonathan Brookins vs. Vagner RochaBrent Brookhouse: I expect Brookins to show a lot of improvement heading in here. This is a great fight in a lot of ways. Jonathan Brookins by close decision.KJ Gould: I’m not sold on Brookins, from over all skill to durability. Of Rocha’s two losses, one was to Donald Cerrone and he went the distance. Both haven’t fought since September of last year, but I think Rocha is just the better over all fighter and could TKO or Sub Brookins without too much trouble. Vagner Rocha by Submission.Leland Roling: Brookins should be able to beat up Rocha on the feet in this match-up. His fight IQ hasn’t been good in recent bouts, but his training camp should be able to fix that here as it is relatively easy to see where Rocha’s strength lies. Brookins showcases his strikes, wins on the feet over three rounds. Jonathan Brookins by decision.Anton Tabuena: Rocha is coming in on relatively short notice, and I think Brookins will be able to avoid sub attempts and win this one by being relentless with his takedowns. If I’m right, this fight won’t look very pretty. Jonathan Brookins by Decision.T.P. Grant: For all the flak Brookins takes for his boxing, his grappling is really quite good, but it always seems to be Plan B for him. While Rocha’s A game is on the mat, he doesn’t have much to fear from Brookins on the feet. I think Rocha’s only way to loose this fight is being too laid back and allowing Brookins to dictate the fight, because I think he has an edge everywhere but a standing clinch. Vagner Rocha by Decision.Fraser Coffeen: Rocha’s complete inability to deal with Cerrone’s stand-up was a surprise. It’s not that he was beat up on the feet (Cerrone does that to people), it’s that he didn’t have any plan for how to avoid that, which is pretty much exactly how everyone knew the fight would go. He strikes me as one of those fighters that must have the fight in his preferred area, and if it doesn’t go there, he’s stumped. Hopefully Brookins is smart enough to not fall into that trap. Jonathan Brookins by decision.Dallas Winston: Man, I love JB, but I can’t see this as anything other than a horrible match up for him. I’ve yet to see him use his striking effectively and his bread and butter is his lateral drop, single leg against the cage and his overbearing submission grappling. Rocha will be quite a leviathan for 145 at a wide-shouldered 5’11". His striking isn’t flattering either, but he has a kitchen sink for a chin, he’s a decent wrestler and his BJJ credentials are top-notch. Brookins’ best bet is to phase-shift and use his control advantage to keep forcing Rocha into different positions with busy offense, but never allowing him to settle in. I’m not sure Brookins’ wrestling, size and striking will be enough to compensate for Rocha’s scorching ground game. Vagner Rocha by decision.Tim Burke: Brookins has never looked impressive to me. His standup is weak his grappling is way too loose for my tastes. Rocha is surprisingly solid I think he’ll look very good against someone his own size. Brookins has the wrestling, but Rocha has the better sub game, and dare I say it, the better standup. This is Rocha’s fight to lose, IMO. Vagner Rocha by decision.Ben Thapa: Rocha with a real camp behind him and fighting at the right weight class beats Jonathan Brookins any day. I do like the calmly intense demeanor of Brookins inside the cage and the lateral drop, but I don’t think he’s put together enough standup or anti-grappling to stay out of Rocha’s wheelhouse. Rocha, decision.David Castillo: Even though Brookins has a fantastic ability to eat shots for no reason whatsoever, he’s a damn good grappler. I expect him to win a pretty lackluster decision Jon Fitch-style (although to be fair, I don’t consider Fitch boring, and certainly not in the Hendricks fight). Jonathan Brookins by decision. Staff picking Brookins: Anton, Leland, Fraser, Brookhouse, DavidStaff picking Rocha: Grant, KJ, Dallas, Ben, Roth, BurkeSean Loeffler vs. Buddy RobertsBrent Brookhouse: Sean Loeffler is alright, but Buddy Roberts is named BUDDY ROBERTS! Badstreet USA really IS the baddest street in the whole USA. I’ve also been informed that Badstreet USA is nasty and hot...and the further down the block you went, the badder it got. Old Man Loeffler he done give the cops a call. He might as well call the Army or the United States Marines,'cause can't nobody handle this Badstreet scene. (also I think Buddy is actually the better fighter). Buddy Roberts by TKO, round 2.KJ Gould: Loeffler has more than twice the experience on the regional circuit, Roberts trains out of the better camp. Both make their UFC debut, and both have a similar win-loss ratio, while height and age are almost identical. Both are capable of finishing through TKO or Submission, so it could be a pick ‘em. I’ll lean towards Loeffler on the experience factor. Sean Loeffler by Decision.T.P. Grant: I’m going to go with Loeffler because I feel he has more offensive tools in his belt than Roberts. Sean Loeffler by TKO, Round 2. Dallas Winston: Roberts is a solid light-heavy out of Jackson’s MMA who is dropping to 185 for the first time and fresh off a respectable win over the hard-nosed Tony Lopez. Loeffler is a good-sized and experienced middleweight with thunderous hands and penchant for stoppages and I think he’ll be more composed on the big stage. Sean Loeffler by TKO.Tim Burke: If Buddy Roberts comes out to Badstreet USA, he’ll be my new favorite fighter. I think he has the tools to avoid Loeffler’s bombs and control the fight. FREEBIRDS! Buddy Roberts by decision.Ben Thapa: In a very even match-up, I go with the larger man with the better camp and corners. Roberts, KO, Round 1.David Castillo: Tough matchup for both men. It’s even, and they have to consider the "octagon jitters" the announce team will write dissertations about. All things being equal, I like Loeffler because Dallas picked him, and I almost always agree with him. Sean Loeffler by KO, round 2. Staff picking Loeffler: Grant, Anton, Leland, KJ, Fraser, Dallas, David, RothStaff picking Roberts: Tim, Ben, BrookhouseAnton Kuivanen vs. Justin SalasBrent Brookhouse: Salas should just grind away here and take the decision. Justin Salas by decision.Leland Roling: Pitting two Scouting Report prospects against each other? How dare you Joe Silva. I’ll go with the man we ranked higher, Justin Salas. He’s improving in all areas, and Kuivanen is still a hesitant striker who doesn’t react to pressure that well. Salas’ wrestling should be the difference. Justin Salas by decision.Anton Tabuena: I’m picking the guy with the better and more awesome first name. Anton Kuivanen by Submission.T.P. Grant: I’m going to pick the upset here. Kuivanen is a very hyped prospect out of Europe, but I think Salas’ wrestling chops see him through on this one. Salas has fought some notable fighters and come out on top and I think he is getting overlooked for a glossy record. Justin Salas by Decision. KJ Gould: I’ll defer to Leland Rolling’s scouting report and pick who he has ranked higher. Kuivanen is on a slightly longer streak than Salas, and may have turned a corner in his career, but Europe as a whole is still behind North America from an MMA gym standpoint, and Grudge in Colorado has been doing this for a while now. Justin Salas by Decision. Dallas Winston: I really like Kuaivanen and I’m pleased he’s been picked up. He’s a crafty and well rounded gamer with admirable technique across the board. His biggest concern -- takedown defense -- is unfortunately the exact area where Salas excels. I’ll be rooting for Kuivanen but just don’t think his takedown defense can hang with Salas D1 wrestling or that he’s dangerous enough off his back to submit. Justin Salas by decision.Tim Burke: Like they said. Kuivanen’s from Europe. Salas can wrestle. Seems like an obvious one to me. Justin Salas by decisionBen Thapa: Rough match-up for Scouting Report fans, but should be a very fun early bout for us to watch. The match-up here depends on whether Kuivanen can keep Salas from smothering him and deal enough damage on the feet to take rounds or knock him out. I don’t think he can, but it should be a great tactical battle to watch. Salas, decision.David Castillo: Even though Salas has the easy path to victory, I expect this to look like a Tyron Woodley/Nathan Coy fight. A little more interesting than expected, but with a predictable result. Justin Salas by decision. Staff picking Kuivanen: AntonStaff picking Salas: Grant, Leland, KJ, Fraser, Dallas, Tim, Ben, Brookhouse, David, RothBernardo Magalhaes vs. Tim MeansBrent Brookhouse: Means is fodder here. Bernardo Magalhaes by submission, round 2.Anton Tabuena: Trekko is a very bright prospect, and has wins over quality guys like Adrian Pang (twice), and Rob Hill. Bernardo Magalhaes by Decision.T.P. Grant: Means is a tough dude and has put together a hell of a run in KOTC, but I don’t think his grappling is up to snuff for the UFC Lightweight Division. Means is a banger and I think Mahalhaes is going to take him down, wear him out and tap him. Bernardo Magalhaes by Submission, Round 1. KJ Gould: At this stage in both their careers, Magalhaes is more than capable of getting a decision win over Means. Magalhaes by Decision.Dallas Winston: "Dirty Bird" Means is a tough S.O.B. with good wrestling, strength and considerable punching power. He’ll have a size advantage here as well, all of which are the makings for an upset, especially if Means can keep it standing. I’ll side with the precarious BJJ of "Trekko" to earn him a catch or a decision, though I’m hesitant on the pick. Bernardo Magalhaes by decision.Tim Burke: Means is a nasty fighter, and there’s a terrible strip club not far from here nicknamed the Dirty Bird, so I’m tempted to take him. But coming in on such short notice is very tough, and what little I’ve seen of Magalhaes has been impressive. I’ll go with the groupthink. Bernardo Magalhaes by decision.Ben Thapa: Swami Guru predicts that we see a repeat of the Rafael Natal and Michael Kuiper match, with Magalhaes grinding out a decision despite being lit up a few times. Late notice bouts are tough and I would love it if the hungry Means surprised us all and walked off with a KO victory and another fight coming. Magalhaes, decision.David Castillo: KOTC produces some interesting fighters every now and then, but Tim Means is no Diego Sanchez. Magalhaes should get to the ground, eventually, but expect a blowout if he doesn’t and gets winded early. Still. Bernardo Magalhaes by decision. Staff picking Magalhaes: Grant, Anton, Leland, KJ, Fraser, Dallas, Tim, Ben, Brookhouse, David, RothStaff picking Means:

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OMAHA, February 15 - The final fight on the UFC on FUEL TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger Facebook prelim broadcast at the Omaha Civic Auditorium Wednesday pitted two featherweights fighting out of Florida: wrestler Jonathan Brookins vs. BJJ ace Vagner Rocha. And after two early bouts that went to the judges, the crowd erupted after the free-spirited Brookins clocked a quick KO win. Despite being ground specialists, both men showed crisp striking in the opening minute, trading kicks, straights and targeted hooks that stunned one another. When Rocha caught one of Brookins’ kicks and went for a takedown, Brookins landed on top and quickly landed half a dozen powerful blows with his right hand that put Rocha to sleep at 1:32 of the first round. Brookins, the TUF 12 season winner, upped his record to 14-4, netting his first knockout win since his first pro bout in 2006; Rocha departs 7-3.Anton Kuivanen vs. Justin Salas Two debuting lightweights met in a closely-matched second fight of the night. Using his full arsenal of wrestling skills and strategic striking, Colorado’s Justin Salas bested the Estonian-born, Finland-based Anton Kuivanen by scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28.Both men started by moving forward, the Finnish Kuivanen opting for more flashy kicks as the Trevor Wittman-trained Salas stuck to power punches. After a few struggles for takedowns, Salas finally scored with a huge one. Unable to pass into mount, he stood over Kuivanen, landing one blow from above before being tripped to the mat by Kuivanen’s long limbs. Bouncing back to their feet, Salas added in low kicks while Kuivanen scored with more shins to the body.In round two they both circled, and though only a two-inch reach differential separated the fighters, Salas struggled to get inside and found himself throwing far more strikes than Kuivanen and landing far fewer. Kuivanen connected a couple of times early on before being bulled to the fence by the former college wrestler.  As the chessmatch threatened to turn into a stalemate, Kuivanen turned up his standup and Salas answered with another trip to the wall, dragging Kuivanen down to the mat briefly.  Salas switched it up and controlled the center to start the third, coming out aggressively with fists that backed Kuivanen against the wall. “J-Bomb” used  momentum and speed to lift his opponent and dump him on his back against the wall. As he started to work his ground and pound, Kuivanen went for a heel hook and Salas appeared to be briefly in trouble. Salas worked his way out and as the two stood up, Kuivanen landed one kick, then traded low blows with Salas. Salas again shot in, trapping Kuivanen against the wall, where scored with one connecting fist. As Kuivanen became more aggressive, Salas used that kinetic motion to scoop Kuivanen into the air for yet another impressive slam to end the round. Kuivanen’s nine-fight win streak is snapped as he falls to 16-5; Salas’ pro record now stands at 10-3. Tim Means vs. Bernardo Magalhaes Two lightweight newcomers tested the Octagon in the night’s first fight, with Tim “Dirty Bird” Means earning the unanimous decision over Bernardo “Trekko” Magalhaes via scores of 30-27 and 30-26 twice The first round built steam, as the two UFC newcomers circled cautiously for the first minute or so. Means, with a 5-inch height advantage, tested his range but kept his distance, trying to avoid the BJJ black belt’s all-but-sure takedown attempts. The first one came two minutes in, and Means countered with a nasty knee – one of nearly a dozen he would land in the round.  With that, Means’ confidence grew, and he took the center of the cage, peppering Magalhaes with punches at will and grabbing him in the clinch to deliver knees – five in a row at one point. One knee dropped the intrepid Magalhaes, and Means followed him to the mat, but when “Trekko” reversed, Means quickly slipped away to the safety of his feet, and the end of the first round drew cheers from the half-full Omaha Civic Auditorium. Round two played out much like the recent Diaz vs. Condit did... in the eyes of Diaz' fervent fans, anyway . Means stalked his increasingly frustrated opponent around the Octagon, backing him against the fence and delivering punch combinations. With no luck on his feet, Magalhaes desperately dove for a takedown, earning another knee in the process, and Means again pulled himself out of harm’s way. “Come on,” yelled Means, as Magalhaes used lateral footwork to avoid damage but mounted no real offense on the feet. The goading eventually spurred a couple of wild overhand attacks from the smaller lightweight, and Means cut off his opponent into closer and closer quarters. Again dropped, Magalhaes curled up as Means delivered body blows, then returned to his feet, forcing Magalhaes to follow. In the third, Magalhaes became more aggressive with his takedown attempts, and paid for those as well. During two attempts at a single-leg, Means issued vicious hammerfists and elbows from the top, until his opponent let go of the hold. Exhausted or out of game plans, Magalhaes stayed on the ground, and several times had to be directed by the referee to stand up. At the end of the fight, the bloodiest Magalhaes again returned to the ground, this time of his own accord. The Brazilian-born, Aussie-based Magalhaes’ record falls to 11-2 with the loss, while Means returns to New Mexico with a record of 17-3-1.

Posted in: round, brookin, magalhae, kuivanen, sala

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OMAHA, February 15 - It would be hard to put together a bout between two tougher, more well-rounded welterweights, but UFC matchmaker Joe Silva managed to do just that in Wednesday's UFC on FUEL TV main event at the Omaha Civic Auditorium by pairing cardio machine Diego Sanchez against knockout king Jake Ellenberger. The roaring hometown crowd desperately wanted one of Ellenberger’s knockout fists to somehow break through Sanchez’ granite chin, and although that didn’t happen, the local was consistent enough to score the unanimous decision win.After a classic Sanchez staredown, the two went right at each other, with Ellenberger swinging for the fences that he saw hidden in Sanchez’ chin. Sanchez kept his distance early, and his every kick and jab was met by Ellenberger’s power punches. Both men’s takedown attempts were neutralized by the other, but they did connect with solid knees and hooks on the exits. As Sanchez surged forward, a left hook from Ellenberger knocked him backward and to the ground. Ellenberger pounced, but Sanchez bounced up with the durability of a man who withstood four-plus rounds of BJ Penn at his best. Round two was mildly more subdued, with Diego having less luck making contact with his striking and Ellenberger’s footwork keeping him fairly safe. After landing one blow that sent a resounding cracking sound through the arena, Ellenberger shook out his right hand, threw a close-quarters elbow and immediately took Sanchez down. Sanchez did his best to stifle him from the bottom, but Ellenberger worked tirelessly to break free and eventually was able to score, doing the most damage with a massive elbow that left Diego with his traditional bloodied face by round’s end. Both men meted out their punches in round three, with a left hook knocking Sanchez off balance. Ellenberger increasingly relied on his left jab in this round, plus takedown attempts that – although he didn’t get them – he followed up with solid knees. With time running down, Sanchez’ reckless side came out, chasing Ellenberger with strikes until Ellenberger got his arms around his opponent for a solid double-leg takedown. Sanchez struggled up, then took Ellenberger’s back with just over a minute left, throwing nonstop hooks from back mount as he tried to snake an arm under Ellenberger’s neck for a choke. Judges’ scores were 29-28 across the board for Ellenberger, who received a thunderous ovation from his hometown crowd. Sanchez falls to 25-5, Ellenberger improves to 27-5, with both men praising the other as the toughest opponent they’d ever faced. Stefan Struve vs. Dave HermanTwo fascinating and well-rounded heavyweights, Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve and Dave Herman, promised to be one of the most unpredictable matchups in memory. And after a slow start for the 23-year-old Struve, he showed the full power that his 83-inch reach can wield when precision meets potential, TKOing Herman in two. Round one was as much a staring contest as an MMA match. The two stood face-to-face with Herman – who had allegedly dyed his body hair to seem more dramatic – showing more movement as he tried to back Struve against the cage. He launched an uppercut-right combo there, but Struve slunk away. After that, the two traded occasional kicks and strikes – including a few more of Herman’s uppercut-right combos – with nothing of any real effect landing from either man. Perhaps sensing that he’d experienced the best Herman had to offer, Struve found his range and his rhythm in round two. Striking his way to the clinch, Struve easily tripped Herman backward and took mount, threatening with a rear-naked choke as Herman spun away. Struve’s long limbs provided a sizable back door through which Herman escaped, and Struve reluctantly got back to his feet. But he became more aggressive, landing a few solid kicks and blows, and by mid-round, it was Struve standing in the center of the cage, controlling the fight as Herman retreated. An inside leg kick from the Skyscraper took Herman off balance, and Struve worked with physics to deliver a perfectly-placed uppercut that dropped the smaller man. Pouncing on his prey, Struve stayed in mount this time, using the full weight of his 6-11 frame to paralyze Herman as he swung down lefts and rights. Herman curled with his hands over his face and tried to spin away to no avail, forcing Josh Rosenthal to intervene.The official win came at 3:52 of the second round and bumps Struve’s record to 27-5, including seven wins in the UFC. Herman slips to 21-3. Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny MarkesBrazilian finisher Ronny Markes’ first challenge at a new weight class of 185 was a test against the always tough, wrestling-based Aaron Simpson, but he managed to pull off the victory by split decision. Squared off in orthodox stances, Simpson threw one punch, only to be chased around the Octagon by a wild flurry of punches from the Brazilian. Markes got Simpson to the wall but couldn’t take him down, so the ref moved the action to the center of the cage again. This time, it was leg kicks followed by strong combinations from both men, until a perfect right uppercut from Simpson dropped Markes. Simpson followed him to the mat and though the ground and pound was plentiful, Markes survived, and eventually returned to his feet. He again played the aggressor, chasing Simpson around the Octagon while swinging, until the two wound up in a clinch on the cage as the round ended.Simpson circled his opponent in the second until grabbing hold and, unable to get the trip, pushed him against the cage. Back in the center, Markes responded with a leg kick, and Simpson came in with more frantic combinations before going for a double-leg that – you guessed it – ended with him pushing Markes against the cage. And then it happened again, with the two struggling primarily for outside control. Eventually it was Markes who got the trip and wound up on top of Simpson, where he used his one free elbow to punish as Simpson worked to control from below. As Simpson curled away, Markes was able to get in a few more punches, before ending the round back on the wall. Simpson came out with a massive right, which ended in a clinch and Markes again defending a takedown. Markes then pushed Simpson into the cage, where he used some footstomps and quad kicks to try to further weaken his opponent until the ref returned them to the center. Both men threw combos that didn’t connect until Markes pushed the action, such as it was, back to the fence, prompting the ref to move them yet again to the center and instruct “let’s fight!” This time, both complied – if briefly – with  powerful strikes before returning to the safe embrace of the crowd-displeasing clinch. But then Simpson went down to the mat and Markes followed him to the ground with some hammerfists, controlling Simpson from behind as they rose before dumping him double-legged back on the mat. The war of attrition – scored 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29 - improves Markes’ record to 13-1, while Simpson hits 10-3. Stipe Miocic vs. Philip De FriesNo one expected the battle of undefeated heavyweight finishers to go to decision, and Stipe Miocic didn’t disappoint, scoring a signature KO finish inside a minute. It was grappler Philip De Fries who came out swinging, and his windmilling punches kept Miocic on his heels. But Miocic watched and then countered with a straight right that connected and wobbled his foe. It was then the Ohio-born Miocic who moved forward, connecting again with a right that dropped De Fries against the cage. Powerful follow-up strikes from the top were all it took for the ref to wave things off after just 43 seconds. In the battle of perfect records, Miocic keeps his at 8-0, as the Brit De Fries tastes his first defeat and moves to 8-1.TJ Dillashaw vs. Walel WatsonAfter being upset in the TUF 14 Finale by John Dodson’s lethal hook last December, bantamweight TJ Dillashaw came to Nebraska with a vengeance to win. Though Walel Watson possesses impressive-looking striking skills and submission wins, his long limbs were no match for the Urijah Faber-trained wrestling of Dillashaw, who dominated throughout and got the decision win. The 5’11” bantamweight Watson was able to use his length to avoid being finished in the first round, but that was about all that could be said for his output in the opening stanza. Wrestler Dillashaw opened with a wild superman punch to move Watson backward, then struggled against the cage for a takedown. Thirty seconds in, he slammed Watson to the ground, and though Watson bounced up, 10 seconds later he was slammed again. The rest of the round took place on the ground. With Dillashaw postured up on top, Watson tried to roll away, allowing Dillashaw to sink in a rear-naked choke. Watson was consistently able to pry off one of Dillashaw’s hands and roll out far enough to escape the choke – and his length did give him the leverage to do so - but Dillashaw would follow with another choke. In round two, Dillashaw’s poison was ground and pound, but the pattern was the same. Dillashaw came out with strikes that were met with Watson’s signature kicks before Dillashaw got his takedown. He worked his way through wild upkicks, finally smothering his way into top position, where he spent the rest of the round elbowing and punching Watson in the head – at one point midway through the round, the in-arena stats showed Dillashaw with 110 strikes to Watson’s 2. Though Watson again used his length to stay alive – pushing away time after time – it only served to give Dillashaw different perches from which to issue punishment.Down but not out, Watson came out with his dramatic high kicks in the third, and the two had several crowd-pleasing exchanges on the feet. This time when Dillashaw went for his single leg, Watson caught him in a guillotine, but Dillashaw muscled his way out on the ground again and the two rose to the cheers of the crowd. Again Dillashaw worked for a single-leg, and Watson pulled him down in a triangle, which turned into an armbar and then a kneebar as the Team Alpha Male product worked to disentangle himself. Out of danger and back in Watson’s guard, Dillashaw transitioned into yet another RNC attempt to finish the round in back mount, then full mount. The scores of 30-25, 30-25 and 30-26 win brought Dillashaw’s record to 6-1, Watson is now 9-4.Ivan Menjivar vs. John AlbertUFC veteran Ivan Menjivar has fought at weights ranging from 135 to 170 against opponents including Georges St-Pierre, Urijah Faber and Joe Lauzon – all outside Zuffa organizations – but Wednesday night it was his skill at bantamweight that netted him his third UFC win in a row. He and his opponent, TUF 14’s John “Prince” Albert put on a wild show that saw Albert nearly score a TKO, not to mention a half dozen limb-locks (all inside a single round), but it was Menjivar who came out with the submission win.Both men exchanged early and often with kicks and frantic combinations. In the clinch, Albert threw two knees and a body shot that made Menjivar visibly wince. But he rebounded immediately with a spinning backfist that took Albert off-balance. After a struggle for a takedown, Menjivar wound up on top, brutalizing Albert’s body with elbows as Albert controlled his hands. But the lankier Albert went for a triangle, then an armbar as the crowd roared.Menjivar’s experience showed as he used his knee to get leverage over his opponent and hammerfisted his opponent with his free hand until he was out of danger. But the wily Albert again went for a kneebar as Menjivar simultaneously tried for a heel hook, then spun out and kicked his downed opponent for good measure. Back on the feet, Albert got Menjivar against the fence and unleashed a torrent of blows that buckled the shorter man, who seemed to be near defeat as he huddled against the fence and took more punishment – including several knees. As he struggled to his feet, Albert jumped for a standing front guillotine, which took both men to the ground. Although Albert was still working for an armbar, Menjivar took the back of Albert, where he softened him up with elbows to the ribs. He expertly sunk in one hook, then another, flattened out the taller man, and locked in a rear-naked choke that drew a tap 3:45 minutes in.“The Pride of El Salvador” Menjivar returns to his training base in Montreal with a record of 24-8; Albert now stands at 7-2.

Posted in: ellenberger, round, watson, dillashaw, simpson

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UFC on Fuel's Aaron Simpson and Tim Means highlight Tuesday's edition of MMAWeekly Radio as well as new debate topics in the Sixth Round.

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The main card of Wednesday's UFC on Fuel TV event will pit Stipe Miocic vs. Philip De Fries, both of whom are undefeated heavyweights making their return after successful Octagon debuts. Stipe Miocic (7-0) was a ranked NCAA D1 wrestler at Cleveland State University and also a former Golden Gloves boxing champion. He typically handles things with his stand up, having finished all six of his pre-UFC opponents by strikes -- three in the first round and one by forced submission due to an endless stream of leg kicks. In the past, Miocic employed his wrestling in reverse to repel takedown attempts and stay upright but sputtered out in the third and reverted back to his roots in his UFC debut against Joey Beltran at UFC 136. He came out sharp and took the first round convincingly with smooth single-legs and crisp handiwork. There was a slightly noticeable lull in Miocic's output in the second; then he was flat-out drained in the final frame and had no zip on his punches nor spring in his step. Despite the power outage, the Croatian won two rounds on two of the judges' score cards and all three on the third to take a unanimous decision and remain unbeaten. Philip De Fries (8-0) is a twenty-five year old fighter from Sunderland, England, and a longtime Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner. He won a few smaller tournaments overseas as a purple belt and, excluding one No Contest due to illegal punches, steamrolled his first eight MMA opponents by submission. De Fries ended seven of those contests in the first frame and five by rear-naked choke. His first foray in the Octagon was at UFC 138 versus Rob Broughton, where the pair engaged in a three-round grapple-fest that was rife with constant momentum swings, mutual reversals and alternating submission attempts. While it was a fairly technical, back and forth grappling match, there was literally a quarter-ton of beef rolling around in the cage and the action transpired at a labored rate. De Fries was given two of three rounds and earned a hard-fought unanimous decision to start his UFC tenure on the right foot. Gifs and analysis in the full entry. SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel TV At 6'4" and a well-muscled 240-pounds, Miocic is a mid-sized heavyweight with an exceptional level of agility and athleticism. His wrestling pedigree makes up for what he may lack in sheer brawn, so Miocic generally has a quickness advantage but is still a beast in tie-ups. In fact, he's assumed the role of the bully in every contest save the later rounds against Beltran when he gassed. Like De Fries, Miocic experienced the third round for the first time in his career during his UFC debut. His D1-level wrestling is evident in the ease with which he snares the low single on Beltran (right). Availability on video bytes of De Fries' bout with Broughton were scarce, so I had to dig back into some of his older fights. Since De Fries is basically a pure submissionist, he'll be out-matched on the feet and likely finding himself in desperate need of grounding the fight. I imagine the outcome will hinge upon the sole aspect of De Fries' takedown abilities, which will need to be ultra-sharp against a wrestler of Miocic's caliber. De Fries isn't the most nimble cat on the block so, historically, he's mashed foes into the cage to work clinch takedowns. In the sequence above, De Fries was getting stuffed on a double-leg against the cage wall, but wisely capitalizes on having a left-side underhook and switches to a high single. By doing so, he can jam his head deep into his opponent's waist, explode upward with the leverage from his grasp, peel his adversary off the cage and run the pipe to complete the takedown. You can see his instincts kick in as he immediately traps the right knee and passes to side control. Miocic will be well aware of De Fries' intentions and won't be easy to corner and clinch, so the way De Fries sets up his incoming advances will be crucial. We see his tactics to close distance above: De Fries gets the collar-and-elbow clinch and shrinks the space between them, cracks a few punches when his opponent disengages and then drops for a double leg against the fence. This is where Miocic's physical attributes of being extremely agile but still strong as a bull will serve him well. He should wreak havoc on many a heavyweight with his combination of stellar wrestling and sound striking. He'll be hard to catch and even harder to contain. I expect Miocic to replicate the pre-UFC strategy he used so well, which is to needle straight punches and cleave with low kicks on the fringe while staying active with evasive footwork. His lead-leg, inside low kick is a quick release strike that doesn't compromise his defense, but he torques his hips over to load up power on his rear-leg, outside low kick when he has more room to operate. Miocic is no slouch on the ground and has shown good scrambling skills, yet there is no reason to engage De Fries in his comfort zone unless forced. De Fries is a crafty submission grappler, but as long as Miocic respects his skill he should be able to shuck off takedowns and exploit his glaring advantage on the feet. I expect Miocic's endurance to improve, resulting in many crushing low kicks and a very long night for De Fries. My Prediction: Stipe Miocic by TKO. Miocic gifs via Zombie Prophet of IronForgesIron.com De Fries gifs via "Caposa" Poll Stipe Miocic vs. Philip De Fries Miocic De Fries   15 votes | Results

Posted in: ufc, takedown, round, miocic, fry

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Stipe Miocic had heard about the dreaded "Octagon jitters." People told him all the usual horror stories, the tales of guys who froze up in their first UFC fight and got run over like a deer trapped in the headlights of an oncoming semi. But he knew that wouldn’t be him. The heavyweight had been on big stages before, both in college sports and in the Golden Gloves. He could handle the pressure of his UFC debut. He knew he could.Then he walked out into the Toyota Center at UFC 136, and suddenly he wasn’t so sure."It was a little overwhelming," Miocic said from Omaha, where he’ll face Phillip De Fries at Wednesday’s UFC on FUEL TV event. "I thought I was going to be okay, but I was nervous. I felt it right when I walked out. You’re always nervous before a fight. But it really hit me when I walked out and saw all the people there. Then you look up and see your name on the screen." For Miocic, it was a moment he’d been planning for and working toward since his pro MMA debut in February of 2010. With the great expectations heaped on him after his early performances, the former Cleveland State wrestler and baseball player knew that someday he’d end up in the UFC. He just didn’t know it would feel quite like this, or take this much out of him. Neither did his coach, Marcus Marinelli, who thought everything was going according to plan in the opening round of the fight with Joey Beltran on the pay-per-view prelims."I couldn’t really tell until I saw him in the corner after the first round," Marinelli said. "Then I knew that he was having a little bit of a letdown. He had a really good first round, but he just looked more tired than he should have been."The sudden jolt of adrenaline was taking its toll on Miocic. Both fighter and trainer could see it when he turned to go back out for the second round."Your heart beats faster. You think about all the time you spent thinking about being in the UFC, and now it’s here," Miocic said. "It took more out of me than I thought. The second round I really felt it."Miocic still had enough left in the tank to get through the round and win a unanimous decision over Beltran, which is what makes the story of his UFC debut seem more like a comedy than a tragedy when he retells it now. He was naive enough to think he’d be different. He thought he’d have some sort of immunity to the Octagon jitters. He was wrong.The good news is, you only have to go through it once. Or so Miocic is hoping as he heads into his second UFC fight and looking to keep his perfect 7-0 record intact. "I think some of it is just going through it," said Marinelli, who’s trained Miocic at Ohio’s Strong Style Fight Team since the start of his MMA career. "The first time you’re in there, it’s like you need to go through it to realize that there’s not that much to be nervous about, and you do belong there. When you see him come out for this one, you’ll see a lot less of that. ...I still think that was about 60 percent of what I see in the gym. There’s a lot more he can bring to the night of the fight."He’ll probably need to against De Fries, who is also unbeaten. The British heavyweight made his Octagon debut at UFC 138, earning a decision victory over Rob Broughton. It was the first of his eight wins that didn’t end in a submission, so Miocic is expecting De Fries to try and get him to the ground early on, he said, "but I think I’d like to keep it standing."To help strengthen his ground game, among other things, Miocic spent a portion of this training camp working with Phil Davis at the Alliance gym in San Diego. He also went through an especially tough grind back in Ohio, where Marinelli said he "threw everything but the kitchen sink" at Miocic, "and he held up incredibly well." Now that Miocic has his nerve-wracking debut out of the way, De Fries might be in for a rough night, according to Marinelli "The guy’s a grappler. His takedowns are just average, and he’s not a great striker. He is a heavyweight, and if a heavyweight hits you, you could be in trouble. But we’re prepared. I think if Stipe does what he’s supposed to do, I don’t think it’s going to be much of a fight." As for Miocic, he's just happy to have his own pair of trunks this time. In his first UFC bout, the pair he was supposed to wear "fell through at the last minute," he said, which resulted in his homage to MMA great Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic with the checkered Croatian flag-inspired trunks. This time he got his sponsor Hayabusa to make him a pair of his own, so he hopes to avoid any difficult comparisons to a legend of the sport -- especially so early in his career. "I saw people afterwards calling me a fake 'Cro Cop.' It was funny. I wasn’t trying to do that, but at the last second I needed a pair of shorts," he said. Then again, if you have to be a fake anybody, you could do a lot worse, Miocic pointed out. "I don’t really care what anyone says about it. Cro Cop’s one of my favorite fighters, so I'll take that."

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, debut, miocic

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In cased you missed Legend FC 7 this past weekend, the videos of all the fights from the entire event are after the jump, and here's a quick recap: Legend FC's seventh show happened in the City of Dreams, in Macau, and it had two title fights headlining the stacked card. Sanda fighter, Jumabieke Tuerxun or 'Bieke' made the jump from top prospect to champion as he defeated decorated Chinese Wrestling champ, Yao Honggang to take his bantamweight title. Bieke, who is a standout of Xian Physical Education University, looked to have benefited greatly from Team Quest's visit on their camp as he looked sharp on the ground, scoring multiple takedowns and beating the decorated Chinese Wrestling champion at his own game. Yao's striking looked to have improved, and is probably a results of spending several weeks training in the top MMA gyms in Vegas, but it wasn't enough to derail Bieke rise to the top. Tuerxun improved his record to 11-0, and cemented himself as one of the top fighters in the region. On the main event, the 'Wolverine' Bae Myung Ho (13-5), bucked what appeared to be a prior knee injury and still successfully defended his welterweight title against China's top welterweight, Li Jingliang. The Korean, who is known for talking a lot of smack, backed up all his words as he constantly out-struck and out-worked the Chinese fighter en route to a decision. This was Bae's 5th straight win, and he remained undefeated since joining Legend FC. Also on the main card, Yang Hae Jun (7-2) displayed much improved boxing skills as he constantly peppered Hideto Tatsumi, until he scored an impressive finish that won him the Knockout of the Night honors. Two Filipinos shined on the prelims as rising star, Mark Striegl (7-0) avenged his teammate's loss by choking out Ev Ting unconscious, and Agustin Delarmino (5-1) quickly dispatched of Sung Min Yen. Check out all the fight videos from the event after the jump. Bae Myung Ho vs. Li Jingliang [Legend FC Welterweight Championship] Yao Honggang vs. Jumabieke Tuerxun [Legend FC Bantamweight Championship] Liu Wenbo Vs. Matt Cain Hideto Tatsumi vs. Yang Hae Jun Wang Sai vs. Gareth Ealey Entire Preliminary Card (video starts at 5:40): Complete Legend FC 7 results: Main Card:- Bae Myung Ho (Korea) def. Li Jingliang (China) by decision (unanimous) [Welterweight Championship]- Jumabieke Tuerxun (China) def. Yao Honggang (China) by decision (split) [Bantamweight Championship]- Liu Wenbo (China) def. Matt Cain (Australia) by submission at 4:37 in round 1- Yang Hae Jun (Korea)] def. Hideto Tatsumi (Japan) by KO at 3:35 in round 1- Wang Sai (China) def. Gareth Ealey (Australia) by doctor stoppage at 5:00 in round 2 Preliminary Card:- Ji Xian (China) def. Leonard Delarmino (Philippines) by submission at 4:42 in round 1- Michael Mortimer (Australia) def. Taiyo Nakahara (Japan) by disqualification (illegal strikes) at 4:24 in round 1- Koji Ando (Japan) def. Damien Brown (Australia) by submission 2:27 in round 1- Mark Striegl (Philippines) def. Ev Ting (New Zealand) by submission at 3:51 in round 1- Agustin Delarmino, Jr. (Philippines) def. Sung Ming-Yen (Chinese Taipei) by TKO 0:44 in round 1 Video Source: Legend FC, JMMANow

Posted in: round, legend, welterweight, fc, china

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When the last name “Gracie” is mentioned in conjunction with a win it’s expected to have involved some form of submission given the clan’s storied history of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. However, at ONE FC 2: Battle of Heroes, Rolles Gracie tapped out Bob Sapp less than 90 seconds into their fight without the aid of his family’s craft. Gracie stopped Sapp with strikes in their match-up at the event to pick up his third straight win since falling to Joey Beltran at UFC 109. The performance improved his record to 6-1 with the entire lot coming by way of submission. Comparably the loss was Sapp’s fourth in a row and seventh in his last eight outings. Read below for a full list of ONE FC 2 results: Zuli Silawanto def. Agus Nanang via TKO Round 1 (Strikes) Pete Davis def. Ngabdi Mulyadi via Submission Round 3 (Triangle Choke) Irshaad Sayed def. Jessie Rafols via Knockout Round 1 (Strikes) Geje Eustaquio def. Alex Silva via Unanimous Decision Victorio Senduk def. Raymond Tiew via TKO Round 1 (Injury) Rolles Gracie def. Bob Sapp via Submission Round 1 (Strikes) Gustavo Falciroli def. Soo Chul Kim via Submission Round 1 (Rear-Naked Choke) Rustam Khabilov def. Rodrigo Ribeiro via Unanimous Decision Bae Young Kwon def. Honorio Banario via Submission Round 1 Felipe Enomoto def. Ole Laursen via Submission Round 2 (Rear-Naked Choke)

Posted in: round, submission, gracie, bob sapp, sapp

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Feb. 11, 2012 -- Indonesia -- ONE Fighting Championship's first show in Jakarta introduced Indonesian fans to mixed martial arts (MMA) in unforgettable style with submission and knockouts throughout the course of the 10-fight card. The main event was an all out war between Ole Laursen and Felipe Enomoto. Both fighters came out swinging in the opening round and exchanged wild shots with the Filipino getting the better of the exchanges, but taking some solid hits in the process. After having not fought for over a year Laursen appeared to enjoy being back in the cage as he repeatedly dropped his hands and grinned at Enomoto. Laursen looked to be ahead in the second round as he repeatedly tagged his opponent with left hooks and hard low kicks. Just as it appeared that Laursen was firmly in control of the fight, Enomoto dropped him with a solid head kick and followed him to the ground, taking his back and sinking in a rear naked choke. The crowd at the BritAma arena sounded their appreciation for both fighters at the end of the frantic battle. Despite being hit multiple times, Enonomoto exhibited an iron chin and admitted afterwards that he had been rocked several times during the fight. "Ole's a real warrior, a real fighter and the only way to fight a guy like this is to be a warrior yourself. Two times I was really hurt but I knew I just had to believe in myself and keep on going. My brother kept telling me to go for the high kick and that's what I did and luckily it worked." Earlier in the night Bae Young Kwon showed why he is rated as one of the top featherweight fighters in Korea when the Road FC veteran sunk in an inescapable rear naked choke submitted unbeaten URCC Champion Honorio Banario early in the opening round of their fight. It was a better night for Banario's Team Lakay training partner Geje Eustaquio, who took on Alex Silva in what turned out to be one of the most entertaining fights of the night. The Brazilian is a BJJ world champion and secured an early takedown but found himself on the receiving end of some vicious ground and pound which opened up a deep cut above his eye. After lengthy treatment, Silva was allowed to continue and almost finished the fight with a rear naked choke at the end of the first round, but Eustaquio showcased some outstanding submission defence. It was a close contest going into the third round when Eustaquio began to dominate the stand up exchanges to ultimately win a unanimous decision victory. Four local fighters were in action on the undercard with Victorio Senduk defeating Malaysian Raymond Tiew by TKO. The Indonesian appeared to be in trouble early on as he was mounted and repeatedly punched, but he was able to recover and secure a deep leg lock. Tiew showed great heart to fight his way out but sustained a serious knee injury and was unable to continue. A highly entertaining all Indonesian affair kicked off the evening, which ended with Zuli Silawanto knocking out Agus Nanang. ONE FC CEO/Owner Victor Cui was delighted to see so many Indonesian fans in the BritAma Arena, particularly given that MMA has been largely absent from Indonesia since 2007. "Tonight fight fans in Jakarta got a glimpse of exactly why MMA is the fastest growing sport on the planet. The fights were fantastic and had a little bit of everything, submissions, knockouts and some real battles. At ONE Fighting Championship we want to put on exciting, action packed fights and I feel that's exactly what we did tonight." Complete ONE FC: "Battle of Heroes" results: Felipe Enomoto vs Ole Laursen -- Enomoto wins via submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 3:49 of round two Bae Young Kwon vs Honorio Banario -- Kwon wins via submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 0:56 of round one Rustam Khabilov vs Rodrigo Ribeiro -- Khabilov wins via decision (Unanimous) Gustavo Falciroli vs Soo Chul Kim -- Falciroli wins via submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 1:12 of round one Rolles Gracie vs Bob Sapp -- Gracie wins via submission at 1:18 of round one Victorio Senduk vs Raymond Tiew -- Senduk wins via TKO (Knee Injury) at 4:02 of round one Geje Eustaquio vs Alex Silva -- Eustaquio wins via Decision (Unanimous) Irshaad Sayed vs Jessie Rafols -- Sayed wins via KO (Punch) at 1:49 of round one Peter Davis vs Ngabdi Mulyadi -- Davis wins via Submission (Triangle Choke) at 3:54 of round three Zuli Silawanto vs Agus Nanang -- Silawanto wins via TKO (Punches) at 0:47 of round one For more on ONE FC: "Battle of Heroes" be sure to check out our complete event archive right here.

Posted in: fight, round, submission, vs, enomoto

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It didn't take long for kickboxing ace and undefeated MMA fighter Stephen Thompson to get his next fight after a first round knockout win in his UFC 143 debut. He'll take on fellow UFC 143 victor Matt Brown at April's UFC 145 in Atlanta, GA. Thompson (6-0, 1-0 UFC) used a great head kick to knock out Dan Stittgen in the opening bout of UFC 143, but he'll face a much more experienced fighter in Brown (13-11, 6-5 UFC) who beat Chris Cope by second round TKO on the same event. After three straight second round submission losses, the 31-year-old came through and beat John Howard in a must-win situation. Brown then proceeded to lose again by second round submission to Seth Bacysinki in November before his recent win over Cope. While Thompson will likely want to keep the fight standing, he does have one submission victory in his young career. Brown has been submitted nine times in his career, but has never been knocked out. The fight is expected to be on the Fuel prelims broadcast of UFC 145, headlined by Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans.

Posted in: ufc, round, submission victory, thompson, kickboxing ace

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  At a time when males all over the world are looking for the definition of what a man is, Felipe Enomoto and Ole Laursen were epitomizing it in the ONE FC cage in Jakarta. This was without a doubt the best fight of a fantastic card but unfortunately the stream cut out for around three minutes in the first round and I have no idea what we missed. What we didn’t miss however was the tight Thai clinch game of Laursen who demonstrated his Muay Thai expertise with sweet knees and accurate standing elbows. Not to be out-done, Enomoto fired back with his own elbows giving us a beautiful elbowathon in the center of the cage that had me leaping out of my seat in the cafe I watched the fights in. Headphones and coffee both went flying when in the second round Enomoto turned the tables and landed a fantastic kick to the head of Laursen which set up the rear naked choke finish at 3:49 of the second round. Check out the video/gif below while I try to explain to a pretty girl why I spilled coffee all over her stuff. {iframe}http://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/xojw92_untitled_sport{/iframe}

Posted in: round, laursen, enomoto, felipe enomoto, cafe i

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A change of opponent on roughly one week's notice and the news that his light heavyweight title defense would become a heavyweight title bout didn't hinder Tom DeBlass from doing what he does best. Winning. The #3-ranked light heavyweight on the 2012 World MMA Light Heavyweight Scouting Report dispatched of sizable veteran Randy Smith in forty-one seconds flat to win the Ring of Combat heavyweight crown on Friday night at the Tropicana Resort and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. DeBlass used speedy footwork early to avoid Smith's advances before pulling guard and transitioning to his defenseless leg, locking down a heel hook to win. The victory undoubtedly shines a spotlight on DeBlass as one of the best up-and-coming light heavyweight talents in the world. Despite the change in opponent and the obvious skill difference between Smith and himself, a win is a win, and DeBlass has won seven straight, remaining unblemished in his professional fight career. It's time for DeBlass to get his shot in the big leagues. Pellegrino MMA's Jeff Lentz implemented a high-flying karate striking game to cruise to a dominant unanimous decision victory over Giovanni Moljo to win the vacant Ring of Combat featherweight regional crown. The 22-year-old TUF alumni scored 30-25 scores across the board, punishing Moljo with a steady diet of heavy leg, body, and head kicks. His best chance to finish occurred in the second round after he buried a body kick into Moljo's midsection. Unfortunately, Lentz wasn't aggressive enough to finish, and Moljo proved throughout the fight that he was a tough competitor despite landing little offense. Lentz will face Ring of Combat featherweight national champion Deividas Taurosevicius next. UFC veteran Pete ‘Drago' Sell rebounded from a tough loss at the hands of heralded prospect Nordine Taleb in November to beat Mitch Whitesel by unanimous decision. Whitesel proved to be a tough cookie in the opening minutes of the fight, wielding a strong jab and quick footwork to keep Sell at bay. As the fight dragged on, however, Sell found a way to bring the fight to the ground, slowing down Whitesel and controlling him to a point in which his offensive abilities weakened. Sell dominated the second and third rounds from top control, easily taking home a win to start out this year on a good note. Tiger Schulmann's Uriah Hall survived an opening round scare at the hands of Daniel Akinyemi, submitting the Iron Ring finalist via heel hook with only ten seconds left in the round. Akinyemi took it to Hall early, blasting through his weak takedown defense and putting him on his back repeatedly. It looked as if Akinyemi was well on his way to winning the first round before Hall found his opportunity in Akinyemi's exposed limb. Serra-Longo prospect Ed Gordon narrowly edged David Tkeshelashvili of the Republic of Georgia, winning by majority decision on the scorecards, 29-29, 29-28, 29-28, in light heavyweight action. Neither fighter was overly impressive or dominant in the affair, but Tkeshelashvili did hurt Gordon with a stray punch in the second round after a grappling intense first that saw Tkeshelashvili come up short trying to throw Gordon to the mat repeatedly. Gordon rebounded in the third with a more calculated approach on the feet, using footwork and speed to move in and out of Tkeshelashvili's range. It paid off, winning him the round and the fight. Rookie Jarred Mercado extended his undefeated record to five, dominating Rafael Fagundes Machado with an aggressive, relentless takedown game that he couldn't defend. It was so dominant, in fact, that one judge scored two 10-8 rounds in favor of Mercado. Fellow prospect James Jenkins had similar success, stomping the surprisingly game Dwayne Shelton with ground and pound for two rounds before finishing him in the third round with strikes on the feet. The Serra-Longo prospect improves to 5-0 with the win. One of the most impressive performances of the evening came from 22-year-old Ricardo Almeida prospect Frankie Perez. Over the course of two rounds, he uses slick Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills to dominate newcomer Jeremy Uy. Only Uy's heart saved him from a stoppage as he willed his way out of submission holds to survive to the judge's decision. Perez remains undefeated at 3-0. Dutch import Duane van Helvoirt proved that good grapplers can come from the Netherlands as he cinched up a triangle choke in a minute and forty-nine seconds, putting his opponent, Lester Caslow, to sleep almost instantly. Andre Harrison used explosive takedowns and quick transitions to bury Carlos Fonseca into the canvas for two rounds, extending his record to 2-0. Fonseca was game for most of the fight, escaping to his feet on multiple occasions, but Harrison's wrestling was menacing to the striking gameplan that Fonseca was attempting to execute. Harrison scored 20-18, 20-17, and 20-18 scores from the judges. In women's action, Munah Holland came back in the final two rounds after losing the first to defeat grappler Pearl Gonzalez at her own game. Gonzalez was able to easily take the opening frame by controlling Holland from a headlock position, punching her repeatedly to remain active enough to stay in the position. The tide changed in the second when Holland pressed the action from the start, eventually taking down Gonzalez and scrambling to get her back. From there, Holland threatened with the choke and sustained the position to win the round. She managed to work over Gonzalez in the same manner in the third, finding a way to back control to steal the round and win the fight narrowly by majority decision. In the opening bout of the evening, welterweights Whitney Francois and Pat Defranco went to battle quickly from the start, throwing down in wild exchanges that saw both of them wobbled before the one minute mark passed. After a stoppage of action due to an eye poke, the insanity continued, but Francois was the first to land cleanly, connecting two heavy rights to Defranco's chin. Defranco hit the canvas immediately, and referee Kevin Mulhall jumped in to stop the fight despite Defranco reaching for Francois' leg. It could be deemed a questionable stoppage, but Defranco was clearly rung by the shots. Quick ResultsAnthony Harrison def. Carlos Fonseca via unanimous decision (20-18, 20-17, 20-18)Whitney Francois def. Pat Defranco by KO at 2:31 of Round 1Frankie Perez def. Jeremy Uy via unanimous decision (20-16, 20-17, 20-17)James Jenkins def. Dwayne Shelton via TKO, 1:51 of Round 3Munah Holland def. Pearl Gonzalez via majority decision (29-29, 29-28, 29-28)Jarred Mercado def. Rafael Fagundes Machado via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-27, 30-27)Ed Gordon def. David Tkeshelashvili by majority decision (29-29, 29-28, 29-28)Duane van Helvoirt def. Lester Caslow via submission (triangle choke) at 1:49 of Round 1.Uriah Hall def. Daniel Akinyemi via submission (heel hook) at 3:58 of Round 1.Pete Sell def. Mike Whitesel via unanimous decision (30-29, 30-28, 29-28)Jeff Lentz def. Giovanni Moljo via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-25).Tom DeBlass def. Randy Smith via submission (heel hook) at 0:41 of Round 1.

Posted in: fight, round, decision, heavyweight, deblas

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On Fri., Feb. 10, 2012, former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) veteran Jamie Varner took on fellow UFC castoff Drew Fickett in a lightweight leather fest for the fans in attendance at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium in Knoxville, Tenn. Varner was coming off a very impressive first round knockout victory over Nate Jolly at XFC 14 on Oct. 21, 2011, in Orlando, Florida. He looked to keep the streak going against a desperate man in Fickett, who was hoping to avoid his fourth consecutive mixed martial arts (MMA) loss. Fickett was the aggressor at the outset, delivering a leg kick that ended up being more trouble than it was worth. Varner walked through it before landing a right cross that floored his adversary. He quickly pounced on him, using his killer instinct to vanquish his foe. It was quick and it was violent. It showed that Varner still may have some "warrior" left in him while Fickett looked like a fighter who has probably fought past his career's expiration date. After the jump, we'll take an in-depth look at the rest of the XFC 16: "Jamie Varner vs. Drew Fickett" fight card from top to bottom. The co-main event saw Josh Hamman implore his "double punch" method of bludgeoning an opponent when he faced off against Mikey Gomez in an explosive middleweight mash up. Gomez shot for a takedown early in the first round, but Hamman's sprawling ability and overall agility made him a tough man to get to the ground. The couple of times he did find himself on his back, he didn't stay there long and was quick to make Gomez pay for the attempts. With a little more than a minute left in the first frame, Hamman was able to get Gomez's back and began to rain down some vicious ground-and-pound. Referee Gary Copeland finally waved the white flag on Gomez's behalf at 3:37 of the first round, giving Hamman the TKO victory. In a women's flyweight showdown, Marianna Kheyfets used her a massive striking advantage to completely overwhelm Heather Clark from the moment the opening horn sounded. Though there was a good deal of back-and-forth, and Clark did land a few good strikes (including a few thunderous knees to the body) of her own, Kheyfets' punches and kicks just seemed to continually get through and cause infinitely more damage. After absorbing a large amount of punishment and a terribly swollen left eye, Clark received the news in between the first and second round that the doctor had called a stop the fight, giving Kheyfets the TKO win. Len Cook and Chris Wright went to war in a fight that was a little bit more than flyweight and a little less than bantamweight as they met in the middle at 130 pounds. Wright used his ground game and grappling skills to control Cook for most of the fight. He also used some short, damaging strikes to cut Cook on the forehead near the end of the first round. The combination of having to deal with the blood running down his face and Wright's top game was too much for Cook to overcome. Wright was the victor by way of a unanimous decision. It's often been said that the Super Heavyweight division is for fighters who are not disciplined or conditioned enough to make the 265 weight limit for heavyweight. (See: Tim Sylvia). Last night's fight between Chase Gormley and Brandon Sayles did little to dispel those theories. For three painful rounds, the two behemoth's leaned all over each other, threw wild shots and spent a lot of time on the mat being far from effective. Mercifully, the fight eventually came to a close and Gormley was awarded the unanimous decision victory. He may have won the fight, but he and Sayles did little to win over many fans. The tone of this card was set early on with quick knockouts, and Amaechi Oselukwue was one of the first to put his opponent to sleep. Almost right out of the gate, Oselukwue's opponent, Julio Gallegas shot for and scored the takedown. While he did get the upper hand, it didn't last. Oselukwue quickly made his way back to his feet, landed several brutal knees and then used a bevy of furious punches that had Gallegas seeing stars in no time. Good night, Irene! In the opening fight of the televised card, things started off with fireworks as Dustin West looked determined to set the striking bar high for the rest of the card. Almost right away, Stoney Hale shot for a takedown, but was unsuccessful. The action ended up against the cage as Hale continued to work for the takedown. Unfortunately, all he ended up with was a face full of leather and repeated punches. At 1:23 of the very first round, the referee mercifully called a stop to the fight, giving West the impressive TKO win to kick off the XFC 16 broadcast. XFC 16 QUICK RESULTS: MAIN EVENT: 160 lbs.: Jamie Varner defeats Drew Fickett via TKO (strikes) at 0:41 of round one185 lbs.: Josh Samman defeats Michael Gomez via TKO (strikes) at 3:37 of round one125 lbs.: Marianna Kheyfets defeats Heather Clark via TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00 of round one130 lbs.: Chris Wright defeats Len Cook via unanimous decisionSuper Heavyweight (over 265 pounds): Chase Gormley defeats Brandon Sayles via unanimous decision185 lbs.: Amaechi Oselukwue defeats Julio Gallegos via KO (punches) at 1:23 of round one185 lbs.: Dustin West defeats Stoney Hale via TKO (strikes) at 1:23 of round one UNDERCARD: 155 lbs.: Scott Holtzman defeats Brandon Demastes via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:44 of round one155 lbs.: Chris Coggins defeats Jay Meneghello via submission (armbar) at 2:48 of round one185 lbs.: Daniel Crockett defeats Shane Machette via unanimous decision

Posted in: fight, round, tko, lb, defeat

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Former World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight champion Jamie Varner earned his most impressive win since being released by the WEC on Friday night, defeating Drew Fickett by first-round TKO at XFC 16. Varner floored Fickett with a huge right hand just 10 seconds into the first round, then pounced on him and continued swinging wildly until Fickett turned over and turtled up, and that's when the referee stepped in to stop it. The whole fight lasted just 41 seconds. Afterward Varner credited Fickett, a longtime friend, for inspiring him to get into MMA. "Drew Fickett is the guy that got me into this sport," Varner said. "I was a junior in high school and I went to a fight, and I saw him fight -- he was a wrestler, he was well rounded, he had all this heart. I looked up to him before I knew him and all I wanted to do was meet him. I had the opportunity to meet him, he took me under his wing and taught me how to train. ... I love the guy. I wouldn't be here without him." It was a solid showing from Varner, and a show of class afterward. Varner says he wants to sign with the UFC, and this was the kind of performance that could get him into the Octagon. In other XFC 16 action: --The co-main event was a mismatch, as Josh Samman dominated Mikey Gomez, getting on top of him in the first round, brutalizing him with ground and pound and forcing him to tap out to strikes. --Marianna Kheyfets and Heather Clark battled through a good first round, but late in the round Clark's eye became badly swollen, and after the first the doctor urged the referee to stop the fight. Clark, to her credit, wanted to keep fighting, but the referee and the doctor decided she shouldn't go on, so Kheyfets won by TKO. --In a 130-pound fight, Chris Wright easily beat Len Cook by unanimous decision, 30-27 on all three judges' cards. Wright improved to 6-1-1, and if he can cut another five pounds he's worth keeping an eye on as the UFC begins to fill out its new flyweight division. --In a superheavyweight fight that showed just how ugly it can be when 600 pounds of flesh rolls around in the cage for 15 minutes, Chase Gormley beat Brandon Sayles by unanimous decision, 29-28 on all three judges' cards. --Amaechi Oselukwue landed a devastating right hand to the chin of Julio Gallegos, knocking him cold in the first round. --Dustin West got things started with an entertaining first-round TKO of Stoney Hale. The fight was sloppy and quick but fun while it lasted.

Posted in: fight, pound, round, varner, fickett

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Hey guys! It's Friday night which means that HDNet is showcasing some regional MMA. The show is headlined by two former UFC fighters in Drew Fickett and Jamie Varner, which could be a fight between two of MMA's biggest headcases. HDNet is set to broadcast a total of seven bouts according to the XFC website. XFC is the biggest regional promotion in Tennessee and with the deal with HDNet have improved their roster of fighters. Satarma from Gals Guide to MMA is at the arena covering the fights live and I, Matthew Roth, will be providing play by play for the televised card. As always results will be after the jump. Join Bloody Elbow at 9:00 PM ET/6 PM PT for the fights which air on HDNet. Also please NO REQUESTS FOR STREAMS IN THE COMMENTS. UNDERCARD: Daniel Crockett def. Shane Machette via unanimous decision Chris Coggins def. Jay Meneghello in round one via sub (armbar). Scott Holtzman def. Brandon Demastes via RNC, round 1 TELEVISED CARD: Dustin West vs Stoney Haley Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Official Result: Amaechi Oselukwue vs Julio Gallegos Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Official Result: Chase Gormley vs Brandon Sayles Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Official Result: Len Cook vs Chris Wright Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Official Result: Heather Clark vs Marianna Kheyfets Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Official Result: Josh Samman vs Mikey Gomez Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Official Result: Drew Fickett vs Jamie Varner Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Official Result:

Posted in: result, round, vs, official, hdnet

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We've seen MMA evolve at a rapid rate since its inception yet we're still bound by the unified scoring criteria that was written over a decade ago. Judging controversy is an ever-lurking beast. Dana White proclaimed that reffing and judging is "one of the big problems" in MMA and requires attention in his Presidential Address following UFC 143. The NSAC will boldly host an open forum to entertain suggestions from the public on improving their rules and regulations. My suggestion is to eliminate control, aggression and defense while updating the definitions for effective striking and grappling. The question is two-fold: how should the descriptions for grappling and striking be revised and improved? What are your personal suggestions to improve the existing the scoring criteria? (Warning: this is a lengthy, detailed and in-depth discussion. Prepare yourself accordingly.) Kid Nate: A criteria for "fighting to finish" should be added. I've got nothing against smart game plans but I loathe point fighting. I have nothing against a slow, methodical strategy if the goal is to dominate and win but I can't stand the hit and run, run up the score style of fighting that Jackson seems to be encouraging his fighters to adopt. Even lay and pray is much preferable to point fighting because it shows a clear dominance of one fighter by another. I also hate the 10 point must and think it was never a good fit for 3 round MMA fights. There has to be a way for the judges to express who they thought won the fight as a whole and weigh that in. Tim Burke: My personal suggestion is to NOT adopt the half-point scoring criteria. It doesn't change anything to me at all. Brent Brookhouse: Nate and I have never been close to the same page when it comes to this stuff. As soon as you start determining that things like "point fighting" should be punished, you're moving back away from this being a sport, and I really hate that idea. It takes a lot of skill to execute a gameplan like, say, Carlos Condit utilized against Nick Diaz. It takes being aware of spacing, cage positioning, timing, etc. I fall into the camp where people tend to go with lay and pray...if you can't stop it, that's your own fault. Diaz chased Condit, he didn't cut him off and that's a fault of MMA having a real problem with fighters understanding footwork and movement in terms of owning the cage. I'm a big fan of the 10-point must as, again, I think it provides us with a better sense of "sport." If a fighter has a lead after two rounds, he shouldn't lose that lead in the third without a major effort from the other fighter to earn a 10-8 round and a draw. What needs to happen is what I've said for years. Judges need to be held accountable. There should be more oversight that sees each fight reviewed and any judges who turn in questionable scores be brought in and questioned about the logic and reasoning behind their decisions. If a judge has multiple fights where his scores are not able to be logically defended within a revised and more clearly defined judging criteria, he should be suspended. That oversight, combined with an increased search for competent judges and a better training program should create a more stable judging pool within a year. Leland Roling: Brent's logic has been my own logic for years. The biggest problem with oversight, however, has been the ineptitude of those reviewing scorecards and asking the questions to judges. Nevada is the perfect example. Kizer is the sole reviewer, and we've seen on multiple occasions that he has agreed with a completely ridiculous outcome, thus eliminating the judge in question from any punishment. Only time will eliminate that problem as the system is heavily political. There's a reason why commissioners sitting on the board have ties to things that have nothing to do with combat sports. 10-point-must works, and you can look no further than Jimmo vs. Sokoudjou as a prime example of the half-point system failing in epic fashion. Interpretations of the scoring criteria are the major fault here. And the reality is that the only fix in the foreseeable future is people moving into those judging roles having lengthy experience watching MMA fights and understanding what matters when it comes to winning a round of action. How do you go about improving the scoring criteria? There isn't any way you can create a criteria that is objective, so the goal, I assume, is to try to minimize the wiggle room for differing interpretation. That's the root of the criteria discussion, and it's impossible to solve without judges who understand what's going on. Leland's comments continue after the break. Possible Changes Striking: The word effective can be interpreted in a million different ways, so many ways that judges, for the most part, interpret it today as who landed more strikes. Bzzz... wrong. This isn't a change so much as it is a guideline. Effective needs to be defined and emphasized in the rules, i.e. Effective doesn't mean more landing strikes. Furthermore, there is an emphasis currently on efficient and effective. How exactly is one supposed to weigh one over the other? If I light up my opponent with 20 jabs for four minutes, then he lands an overhand that downs me for a second, who wins the clash between 20 clean strikes versus one massive land and some glancing shots? Again, it's subjective, and judges vary greatly in how they handle these situations. According to the 2008 NSAC Scoring Criteria, landing heavier blows with efficiency should get more credit. If the striking power between the fighters was equal, total number landed is used. Total number of strikes landed should be a sufficient quantity favoring a fighter to earn a winning round. See all the problems here? What exactly constitutes efficiency? Over 50%? How does one know if the striking power was equal? What if one fighter reacts differently than another to strikes? Clay Guida's hair flies in the air after each land, guess he's screwed, huh? Grappling: Cleaner takedowns get more points according to the criteria. Who cares. If you can get a fighter down and actively more to a dominant position or land, it should score on both clean strikes and effective grappling. This wouldn't pertain to slams though, since they can do both in one instant. I think they hold a little more weight if the aggressor can remain effective. Judges still don't recognize fighters on their back effectively throwing elbows or working for submissions, and I think a huge culprit to favored scoring of the top controlling fighters is the definition of clean, effective strikes on the ground. Sorry, but short punches while chest-to-chest with an opponent holding down your posture are worthless and shouldn't be scored heavily unless those strikes were 90% of the offense in the fight. Guard to mount is specifically stated in the scoring criteria as effective grappling. This is outdated. There are plenty of cases and reasons to suggest that side control has more benefits. But the criteria shouldn't favor or name any transition specifically. "A clean reversal is equal to a clean takedown" - I'm willing to bet a handful of judges understand this concept. Aggression, Octagon Control, Defense: Who gives a shit. Octagon Control? What exactly is Octagon Control? The fighter who dictates the pace, place, and position of the fight, i.e. a striker who defends takedown attempts and effectively strikes is considered Octagon Control. Conversely, a grappler who can get takedowns to ground fight and create submissions, dominant transitions, or clean striking opportunities. In other words, who is more effective? Again, there isn't any suggestion of which is more weighted, but I wouldn't expect there to be. If there was, the more weighted would likely be the more emphasized by training camps. I'm sure Dana White would love for it to say striking > grappling. Aggression is interesting because it comes into play often when fights are at a stalemate. I think there is some credence to its inclusion in the criteria in cases in which a fighter is clearly attempting to counter and having little success. But I don't think it should be weighed as heavily as it is today. Defense is worthless. If you can't defend, the other fighter is scoring, amassing points on their side of the scorecard. Those are just thoughts off the top of my head. Overall, most of this can't be fixed because you can't truly define effective and efficient in a tangible way. Efficiency could be calculated on the fly and shown to judges, but we all know how bad Compustrike is. Effectiveness is completely subjective. Brent Brookhouse: To expand on Leland's thoughts, I really think a takedown should not count unless you are able to A) land a few meaningful strikes OR B) advance position OR C) control the opponent for a sustained amount of time. Taking someone down for 10 seconds, having them get to their hip, create space and immediately get back to their feet is not effective and should not be scored as such. TP Grant: Oh boy, where to start with this ... Let me first say that I don't think 10-must system is broken or a bad fit for MMA. I think most of our problems are with judges and not the system. That said I think certain parts of judging criteria need to be amended. I fall in with Brent as I'm not in favor of adding "damage" or "intent to finish the fight" as criteria. Mainly because how the hell can you score that? Is damage the face test? Whoever looks more jacked up at the end of the round is the most damaged isn't a real way to score a fight. There are fighters like BJ Penn that just do not show damage and paper skinned that get cut easily. And 'intent to finish' is even more difficult. With the exception of a very few, I don't think there are many MMA fighters that go into a match not trying to score a KO or Submission victory. Sometimes it works out, other times it doesn't. I think all this addition would do is encourage more wild haymaker fights. I think Octagon Control needs to be redefined at the fighter who is dictating the fight. Right now it seems far to many judges simply see the man in the center of the Octagon or the one moving forward as 'being in control', rather it should be which fighter is putting himself in the best position to inflict effective offense. Doesn't matter if the fighter is moving backwards, forwards, side-to-side or shooting for takedowns, if he is setting up effective offense he is in control of the fight. In terms of grappling I think non-dominate positions (i.e. guard, half guard) should be defined as neutral or near-neutral positions. You are given a round simply for being on top in one of these positions, you must either effectively pass guard or land offense from that position. In short, you must out work the fighter on the bottom. If your attempts to pass guard are stuffed and your not striking because the bottom man is constantly threatening with sweeps or submissions the round should belong to the bottom fighter. Dallas Winston: Brent, your last point reinforces my suggestion to do away with the lesser criteria. What you're saying is that all indirect accomplishments (takedowns, control, aggression, etc.) need to be "effective" in order to score. The word "effective," however, can be defined as something that leads to effective striking or grappling. This idea is received poorly, but I think takedowns should be eliminated from the effective grappling category. Does anyone care about a takedown resulting in no offense or one that is immediately countered? Right now a takedown that leads to absolutely nothing scores for grappling, control and aggression, which gives it an enormous value. A takedown merely shifts the phase of combat from free-movement (standing) to grappling. The effective striking and grappling that ensues is what should be scored -- not the act of forcing the grappling phase in itself. Tim Burke: This is gonna be the longest roundtable ever. TP Grant: Dallas, the takedown should be scored, but it is wildly over-valued right now. It is effective grappling but one takedown shouldn't out-weigh 4 minutes of losing. Dallas Winston: Why should a takedown be scored alone? If no offense ensues or the defender gets back to his feet, then the takedown lends absolutely no advantage. Landing effective strikes, advancing position or threatening with submissions signify that the takedown was effective, so why not just score what is unquestionably effective? And Tom, part of my emphasis to redefine effective grappling will deem the guard as neutral, half-guard showing a very minor intent to pass, and side-control, mount and back-mount assessed as dominant positions. TP Grant: You have my 100% support for that. As for a takedown, I just feel it should be rolled into grappling and control, so I think we agree? Dallas Winston: No, because I want to eliminate everything but striking and grappling, including control. A takedown epitomizes control because it forces an opponent to a different phase of combat. Having control over where the action takes place doesn't win the fight -- it merely implies an advantage -- whereas effective striking and grappling wins fights and proves superiority. Leland Roling: So, how would you define a fighter who is actively evading his opponent while landing minimally? I understand your point, and I would get rid of control. But aggression has a place in a very narrow instance, although I'd change Aggression to Common Sense. If Fighter A is running down a guy who is visibly avoiding the confrontation while barely landing more blows, Common Sense would suggest Fighter A wins even if Fighter B landed a few more clean strikes that, from all accounts, weren't effective in stopping his forward progress. Dallas Winston: Right now, we are becoming careful to note the "effective" aspect of aggression. A fighter that moves forward and connects is being effectively aggressive, but he is not when his opponent counter-strikes more effectively. That means whoever is being the most effective striker, regardless of direction, is winning, so my point is to cut to the chase by only scoring the effective striking. The debates that ensued from Diego Sanchez vs. Martin Kampmann are a prime example. Currently, I think a problem is that the lower criteria are fleshed out as separate aspects and then reapplied to the total sum of effective striking/grappling. This makes them an ever-present animal with a strong voice instead of having a more subtle influence to arrive at the total sum as they're intended. In other words, control and aggression don't win fights and are just clouding the issue now. Effective striking and grappling wins fights and proves superiority without a doubt, so I say we dissolve control and aggression and just expand effective striking and grappling. Leland Roling: I actually don't think your final point is reality. I think judges turn to lower criteria when they truly believe there wasn't a clear winner in effectiveness, and again... that's a subjective conclusion. I don't think it's seen as separate and can somehow overcome the overall result of the round. When it has done that, those judges are simply idiots who are obviously interpreting the criteria wrong and not in a common sense manner. I think, overall, that's an exception rather than something that happens very often. KJ Gould: The more complicated you make scoring, the more it will trip up judges trying to utilize it - the more things that can go wrong invariably will go wrong. Scoring needs to be simplified, and if we're stuck with the 10 point must system examples need to be given of what justifies 10-10, 10-9, 10-8 and even 10-7 rounds. For example, rounds that are close are 10-10's, rounds that were mostly dictated by one fighter over the other is a 10-9. The notion of Control and Aggression to decide a round that could conceivably be a 10-10 draw needs to go. Out of people who like draws the least, it's likely the fighters and there'll be less belief or bad information from a corner telling their guy won a close round. 10-8's have a few different scenarios for consideration. 1) they can be considered if a round is one sided with virtually no form of offense by the fighter on the receiving end i.e. they're just a punching bag, 2) a round that features a fighter close to finishing the other after a knockdown should be 10-8 if no offensive come back is made, only survival, 3) A fighter on his way to a 10-9 round if the opponent is clearly locked in a submission or clearly knocked down and saved by the bell. 10-7's follow similar criteria to 10-8, only the instances occur more than once in that one round with the opponent somehow able to survive and avoid the finish. Use of these scored rounds ought to be encouraged. By far it seems easier to score a 10-8 in Boxing than it is in MMA, and that's something that has to be addressed. Effective Striking and Grappling has everything to do with the purpose of finishing a fight - and not stalling or neutralizing a fight - and as mentioned 20 jabs should not trump a single shot that floors an opponent and has them in clear cut danger. Referees might need to consider stalling to count as timidity, which is already deemed a foul in most MMA state rule sets. 1st instance warning, 2nd instance point deduction. As for fouls that involve groinshots, back of the head shots and eye pokes, fighters should know by now to not have their hands open when measuring distance, and that inside legkicks and shots to the head have to be done methodically to avoid them rising up or hitting the wrong area. Fighters are warned about these fouls before the fight backstage when their minds are clear and their adrenaline is normal. 1st instance warning, 2nd instance 2 point deduction. In any foul or potential foul case, the referee has to be as loud and vocal as possible. Fighters going berserk and hitting as many times as possible without taking care of where they're aiming should not be tolerated. Referees also need to continually keep themselves informed of the latest offensive strategies in an MMA fight so as not to stand up or break apart fighters too early when they are in fact working. Fighters should never be separated when one fighter either has double underhooks or a double collar tie (Thai Plum) against the fence, and a fight should never be stood up if a fighter as Top side control, mount or back control. Leland, if there isn't a clear winner in effective grappling or striking, then the round is a draw. The less decisions judges need to make, the better - particularly with some of the geriatrics with zero relevant past experience who are constantly being brought back to judge. Scorecards absolutely need to be presented at the end of each round and on the display. It greatly benefits the fighters causing at least one to push the action and look for a finish if there's a fear the opponent will coast the last round. The opponent also can't coast if it appears he's being timid and avoiding the fight to run the clock down, as that could cost him a point. Brent Brookhouse: The idea of "close rounds" being 10-10 bothers me SO deeply. Judges SHOULD be making the call in almost every case that someone won a round. 10-10 rounds should remain rare. Judging isn't easy, clearly defined criteria should allow for judges to award close rounds to a deserving winner. KJ Gould: Judges are incapable and incompetent, and are a necessary evil to legitimize a fight as a sporting activity. Leland Roling: Leland, if there isn't a clear winner in effective grappling or striking, then the round is a draw. The less decisions judges need to make, the better - particularly with some of the geriatrics with zero relevant past experience who are constantly being brought back to judge. I disagree. If a fighter is actively seeking out a finish and simply can't run down a guy who is clearly evading action, that fighter should be rewarded the round if there wasn't a definitively amount of effective grappling or striking. This is obviously an extreme case, and it is common sense in my opinion. Why would you award a fighter who is trying to avoid a fight with a draw round? Be aware, I'm not talking about Condit-Diaz. If both fighters are engaging and it's close, a draw round is sufficient. Judging isn't easy, clearly defined criteria should allow for judges to award close rounds to a deserving winner. Yeah right. Criteria would still be open to interpretation, and we haven't even touched on the physical limitations of sitting on one side of the cage and being unable to see the other side. Even with small monitors, it's clear some judges don't have the capacity to keep up with the pace of quicker, lighter weight bouts or focus on the strikes landing. Brent Brookhouse: Close is not even. That's my problem. MMA fans are always so terrified of having to score close rounds for one fighter or the other. Saying that you're scared they'll get close rounds wong because judges suck isn't fixing judging criteria. It's the exact opposite. If it's a problem with the judges involved, the fix is weeding them out, not making the sport worse because of them. KJ Gould: Since commissioners like Keith Kizer do a sweet pile of nothing to weed out notoriously bad judges - and instead keep bringing them back - the less decision making these judges have to do the better. We have weight classes, rounds, time limits, referees and doctors that make it enough of a sport and less of a fight as it is. If the threat of draws forces at least one fighter to actually #gasp# make it a fight, the sport benefits as a whole. If a fighter can lose a round from disengaging the fight and timidity, it's less likely to happen. To truly take it out of the hands of the judges, fighters have to be put in a position where coasting is not an option. Brent Brookhouse: But the discussion here isn't about mitigating the moronic nonsense that plagues the sport...it's about fixing it. Yeah, Kizer doesn't do enough right now, so my solution is to get more involved, get better judges, hold them accountable for their decisions. Not run from making difficult decisions. Fixing judging means making it as good as it can be, not trying to make it matter less. Decisions are always going to be important and accepting draws when we should be able to determine winners is flat out unhealthy. TP Grant: While I feel 10-10 rounds should be used rarely, I feel 10-8 rounds need to be more common and even 10-7 rounds used occasionally. Right now in Judging in MMA there is no distinction between victorious rounds, and that is absurd. Through the eyes of the scoring system the final round of Diaz vs Penn and the final round of Gerald Harris vs Falcao were won by the same margin. That needs to change. Josh Nason: To me, a 10-7 round means you've been finished. Ben Thapa: To me, a 10-7 round means there is no finish. If there's a finish, then the round is over and not scored. Are you being facetious here? TP Grant: So the first round of Edgar/Maynard II or one of the rounds were GSP almost tapped Dan Hardy doesn't deserve special scoring above and beyond a simple 10-8? KJ Gould: More 10-10 rounds should be used, because as others have stated there's too much variance in 10-9 rounds as it is. Round 5 for Diaz against Condit was a clear 10-9, and to me 3 & 4 were clear 10-9's for Condit, yet the first two rounds were scored 10-9's and weren't anywhere near as definite or clear and some will disagree on who should have got it 10-9. Since there was nothing in rounds 3-5 to warrant a 10-8, logically Rounds 1&2 ought to be scored 10-10's, still giving Condit the fight which I think is the right call to make. Edgar vs Maynard II, Round 1, could arguably be a 10-7. I really couldn't remember GSP vs Hardy, but if he didn't get a few 10-8's he certainly should have. GSP didn't put a beating on Hardy though in addition to his submission attempts, so I'd find it hard to score anything he did as a 10-7. Dallas Winston: 10-7's should be ultra-rare but can still fit one dimension beyond 10-8 as described. A 10-7 to me is a round where it's viable for the referee to stop the fight. Brent -- my problem with selecting finite details to avoid 10-10 rounds is that it distorts the value when a fighter wins a clear 10-9. I don't get the hesitancy with 10-10 rounds. Sometimes, especially between two high-level fighters, five minutes of combat doesn't elicit a clear winner, and our interpretation of round scoring will never change that. David Castillo: There's nothing I can add to this discussion that hasn't already been covered by everyone else, and in far more eloquent ways, but to me the biggest threat in trying to "emphasize damage" and discouraging point fighting, to respond to Nate's point is how it such a mentality encourages 'laziness'. What I mean by that is I want to see fighters evolve to adapt to point fighting, and lay and pray. Trying to change behavior in the cage needs to be organic. It needs to come from the fighters themselves. Donald Cerrone is, or at least, was a great example of a talented fighter with a deficiency that he worked hard to improve on. He became a much more dangerous fighter as a result of being able to defend the takedown. I don't want to see refs like Dan Miragliotta stand up fighters after 30 seconds on the ground or in the clinch just because impatient viewers become vocal. And this goes back to the central point, which is accountability on the part of the judges and refs. A quick point on the issue of the 10 point must system: it's fine, but I think this only looks like a problem because 3 rounds is simply not enough. In a perfect world, 5 rounds would be mandatory for every professional fight. Yes, five rounds of Einemo/Russow would kill the sport, but that's why you don't put crap like that on a main card. Leave it to the professionals, like Bendo, Edgar, Diaz, Shogun, etc. KJ Gould: I seem to remember a few years ago Dana White wanting all fights 5 rounds, and title fights to be 7. MMA title fights would be 35 minutes to Boxing's 36. TP Grant: I'm starting to think that wouldn't be a terrible idea. Fewer fights per card, longer fights and thus the UFC isn't spread so thin with the sheer number of cards and hell I think MMA fighters are at the point were most fights need more than 3 rounds to be settled. David Castillo: I just think we've been robbed of too much awesome: Guida/Henderson, Griffin/Edgar, Condit/Ellenberger, a crapload of flyweight fights in the future, etc. KJ Gould: 3 rounds for prelims, 5 rounds for main card fights, 7 rounds for title fights. I'd be OK with that, and it might force the UFC not to put crap on a main card while burying genuine talent on the undercard. Fraser Coffeen: I am late to the party, so will just add this: I continue to pound my drum in favor of open scoring. It's a K-1 concept, and it's great - at the end of every round, you show the audience and the fighters to official judges' scores so far. Part of the big problem here is that we are asking fighters to guess how judges are interpreting the rules and how they are weighing the action. Why? Why should fighters and corners have to make these assumptions? Why not just tell them during the fight when they have the ability to do something about it? I see it as something like this - imagine an NBA game where you shoot with your foot right up against the 3 point line. Instead of immediately seeing if it was 3 or 2, the score is kept a secret and you just have to guess. That makes no sense, yes? So why does it make any more sense to keep the scores secret in an MMA fight? Open scoring helps fighters know what judges are looking for in this particular fight, and that is key. I can't see any reason not to do it. Dallas Winston: I missed this comment from Leland earlier: "I disagree. If a fighter is actively seeking out a finish and simply can't run down a guy who is clearly evading action, that fighter should be rewarded the round if there wasn't a definitively amount of effective grappling or striking. This is obviously an extreme case, and it is common sense in my opinion. Why would you award a fighter who is trying to avoid a fight with a draw round? Be aware, I'm not talking about Condit-Diaz. If both fighters are engaging and it's close, a draw round is sufficient." This is an excellent point and an aspect I didn't address. Aggression, control and defense will always bear some significance, but the present hierarchy and the way it's interpreted give them too much clout. Using aggression as an example, I'd prefer to include more subtle verbiage under effective striking such as "initiating engagements with more offensive success" rather than the blunt "moving forward and landing a strike or takedown." Moving forward is far from the sole qualifier for effective aggression, nor the only. I think that borrowing Pride FC's simple "effort to finish the fight" is a legitimate option. The other idea I failed to mention is breaking down the scoring to fit the three phases of combat, with a list of values that are specific to free-movement (striking), clinching and grappling. I like the thought of tailoring the criteria to the three phases because the goals and dynamics of striking and grappling change in each phase.

Posted in: fight, fighter, round, judge, criteria

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Ring of Combat 39 will take place on Friday, February 10 from the Tropicana Resort and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The main event will feature highly-touted light heavyweight Scouting Report prospect Tom DeBlass as he battles late replacement Randy Smith at a 240 lb. catchweight. Also on the line is the Ring of Combat featherweight crown, lying vacant for either The Ultimate Fighter 14 contestant Jeff Lentz or Illinois' Giovanni Moljo to take. UFC veteran Pete Sell and 2011 Scouting Report prospect Uriah Hall will also make appearances alongside a bevy of great prospects in James Jenkins, Frankie Perez, Ed Gordon, and Jarred Mercado. The card will air live on GFL.tv at 8:30 PM ET, cost is $14.99. If you're unable to follow along with the action on GFL.tv, BloodyElbow.com will provide live results and play-by-play at that time. Catchweight (240 lbs.): Tom DeBlass (6-0) vs. Randy Smith (14-9-1): DeBlass weighed in at 209, Smith at 238, Smith was a short notice replacement 2012 World MMA Scouting Report prospect Tom DeBlass will attempt to defend his light heavyweight strap on Friday night for the second time as he battles heavyweight power puncher Randy ‘The Wolf' Smith in the main event. DeBlass was originally scheduled to battle Tiger Schulmann's Carlos Brooks (3-1), but an injury forced him out of the bout and opened up an opportunity for Smith to play spoiler on short notice. Smith's track record of knocking out opponents is a concern, but DeBlass should find comfort in knowing he has fought far tougher competition despite only fighting in six professional bouts to Smith's twenty-four career appearances. Smith isn't the sharpest defensive fighter either, and his record is a clear indication that he's fallen prey to more technically sound competition. DeBlass fits that description, highly-credentialed on the ground while improving by leaps and bounds in the stand-up department. The intrigue here is the enormous weight difference and the fact that DeBlass has been on a training surge as of late. We'll likely get the best version of DeBlass we've ever seen, but he's up against a mediocre fighter who may have nearly 40 lbs. on him by fight time. Technique will beat size on Friday night. Tom DeBlass via submission Vacant Featherweight Title: Jeff Lentz (8-2-1) vs. Giovanni Moljo (4-4): Your favorite smoker, TUF 14's Jeff Lentz, returns to his roots on Friday night after running into a brick wall when the opportunity of a lifetime called. Despite losing to future WEC'er Anthony Morrison at Ring of Combat 27 in November of ‘09, Lentz was selected to appear on The Ultimate Fighter reality series, beating Daniel Head by rear naked choke during the elimination round to get into the house. Once in the house, however, Lentz was spotlighted by the cameras, drinking and smoking with complete disregard for his upcoming bout against Alex Cacares. Cacares beat Lentz in the second round by triangle choke. Since the show, Lentz has recorded a 2-1-1 record, losing by unanimous decision to UFC veteran Ryan Roberts while beating WEC and Strikeforce veteran Anthony Leone in a lone stint with Bellator in May. Like his brother Nik, Jeff is an aggressive, pressuring menace inside the cage, utilizing a wrestling background that's been supplemented with submissions and a decent striking game. Moljo isn't exactly a cakewalk for Lentz in this showdown. Despite his .500 record, Moljo is a capable wrestler/grappler who can put opponents in danger repeatedly off his back. It would be keen for Lentz to maintain range and pepper Moljo with strikes, avoiding any ground exchanges that up the chances for Moljo to pull off a win. I think that's exactly how Lentz plays it, winning by decision. Jeff Lentz via unanimous decision Notable Feature Bouts Catchweight (180 lbs.): Pete "Drago" Sell (9-6) vs. Mitch Whitesel (17-20): Whitesel might have almost 40 fights to his name, but it isn't good when roughly half of them have been in the loss column. Despite such a lopsided record, Whitesel has been in the cage with the who's who of future UFC fighters. Unfortunately, he didn't beat any of them, and it's likely he won't be beating a former UFC fighter in Pete Sell on Friday night. If Whitesel's lacking submission defense wasn't enough, his chin is going to have a hard time withstanding Sell's power. In either case, Sell wins handily inside the first frame. Pete Sell via TKO, Round 1 Middleweight: Uriah Hall (5-2) vs. Daniel Akinyemi (2-0): Not surprisingly, nobody has any clue who Daniel Akinyemi is... unless you happened to watch BET's Iron Ring. In the show's finale, he defeated Bellator's Brian Rogers by decision, notching his first win on his professional record. Unfortunately, Akinyemi hasn't been very active, taking his next fight over two-and-a-half years later, knocking out Rich Bianchi in two minutes flat. Fast forward to today, and it's been over a year since Akinyemi has been in the cage, and his opponent is as tough as they come. 2011 World MMA Middleweight Scouting Report prospect Uriah Hall hasn't been as active as one would hope. After losses to UFC veterans Chris Weidman and Constantinos Philippou, Hall knocked out Aung La Nsang in April at Ring of Combat 35. He hasn't fought since. Undoubtedly, the Tiger Schulmann product will be chomping at the bit to show a rookie the kind of power he brings with his brand of Muay Thai. Akinyemi is in over his head here unless he's been training extensively during his time away. Hall beats him down, finishing by the second round. Uriah Hall via TKO Light Heavyweight: Ed Gordon (2-0) vs. David Tkeshelashvili (8-4): Serra-Longo Fight Team member Ed Gordon will skip a few steps in his progression toward the top when he take on M-1 veteran David Tkeshelashvili in light heavyweight combat. Gordon hasn't fought the stiffest competition since making his debut at June, but that's to be expected due to his novice status. But this bout could prove to be his undoing as the brutish strength and grappling skills of Tkeshelashvili might be too much. Gordon has a great training camp, however, and his athletic background in both football and wrestling have put some buzz behind him. Ed Gordon via decision Quick Picks Catchweight (150 lbs.): Lester Caslow (7-5) vs. Duane van Helvoirt (8-4): Caslow is the far more experienced fighter, sharing the cage with veterans such Kenny Foster, Andy Main, Felipe Arantes, Daniel Straus, Eddie Fyvie, and Pat Audinwood. Helvoirt is a Dutch grappling whiz, but I think that's tough for a lot of fight fans to digest. A Dutch grappling whiz? Is that possible? We'll find out. I'll take Caslow due to his experience, but there is definitely some intrigue in seeing what Helvoirt can do. Lester Caslow via decision Featherweight: Jarred Mercado (4-0) vs. Rafael Fagundes Machado (4-8): Mercado is one of the Grudge Training Center's more impressive rookies, sporting three wins in the Colorado regional ranks before turning his eye on the Northeast regional scene. He hasn't been overly convincing yet, but Fagundes isn't going to provide the stiff challenge Mercado needs. Jarred Mercado via submission, Round 1 Featherweight: James Jenkins (4-0) vs. Dwayne Shelton (9-9-1): Another Serra-Longo prospect to keep an eye on is James Jenkins, who has finished three of his four opponents in the first round. Shelton is a layup win for him. James Jenkins via submission, Round 1 Lightweight: Frankie Perez (2-0) vs. Jeremy Uy (0-0): The 22-year-old Perez is the hot prospect here, a Ricardo Almeida-trained submission machine who blew through his first two tests with first round finishes. He wins again. Frankie Perez via submission, Round 1 Rest of the CardWelterweight: Pat Defranco (1-0) vs. Whitney Francois (1-2)Featherweight: Andre Harrison (1-0) vs. Carlos Fonseca (2-4)Women's: Munah Holland (2-1) vs. Pearl Gonzalez (0-0)

Posted in: round, vs, smith, lentz, deblas

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Here’s a quick quiz for the readers out there: guess which weight class produced the following averaged output per round at UFC 136? 60 strikes thrown and at least two takedowns attempted? Did you guess “heavyweight”? Probably not; maybe more like lightweight. Yet the old days of slow, plodding heavies slothfully slugging it out inside the Octagon are long forgotten. There is a new breed of athletic heavyweights taking over that are just as ready to mix it up for three rounds as their fellow fighters in the smaller divisions. The stat line in question is from one of the most recent additions to the UFC’s next generation of gigantic gladiators: Stipe Miocic.At 6’4” and just shy of 240 pounds, the Ohio native with the Croatian name took to the UFC cage for the very first time that Saturday night in early October against iron-chinned veteran Joey Beltran. Prior to his debut, Miocic was an undefeated 6-0 as a professional in MMA and had won a local title in his last fight with a second round submission via leg kicks. In his first matchup inside the Octagon, Miocic was thrown to the wolves against “The Mexicutioner”. At the time, Beltran was 13-5, never been stopped by strikes, only submitted once (over four years earlier), and was known for his love of a good ol’ fashioned brawl. “When I got the call from the UFC and they said 'Joey Beltran', I was real excited because he's a tough dude,” remembers Miocic. “It was a real tough fight for my first fight, but it was awesome and I loved every minute of it. He had never been knocked out, which was all I heard, so I prepared myself for three rounds no matter what. I was nervous. I definitely got those ‘jitters’. But I got the win, so I'm happy. I didn't start out the fight the way I wanted probably because of the nerves. I felt a lot better in the third round and felt fresh. Overall, I feel good about the performance, but wish I could've done better. But I'm happy for the first time being in there.”If that unanimous decision performance was Miocic affected by the infamous first-time Octagon jitters, then Heaven help who gets into the cage when he’s even keel. Miocic went toe-to-toe with “The Mexicutioner” for all three rounds, which is self-evident on their strike counts (180 for Miocic, 182 for Beltran). Also, Miocic showed off his ground game with several takedowns and guard passes. Besides never scrapping inside the Octagon before, Miocic had never been to a third round before with all of his previous fights ending by stoppage in the opening two rounds (five TKOs, one Sub).“I wasn't used to it, but I caught onto it quick (laughs),” jokes Miocic about still trading punches into the final round. “In a perfect world, everyone you fight gets knocked out in the first round, but that doesn't happen when you have tough guys like Joey Beltran who keep coming. In that third round, I knew I had to keep moving, keep trying stuff, and keep trying to find a way to win - that's what I did. In that third round, I learned a lot about what I need to do and how to get better in every aspect of the game. You have to have that heart to keep going and to not stop.”Up next for the 29-year old, a showdown with the similarly undefeated Philip De Fries on the UFC on FUEL TV card. The submission specialist from Sunderland, England, made his Octagon debut against fellow countryman Rob Broughton at UFC 138. De Fries also tasted for the first time what it’s like to win a decision and even to fight in the third round in his entry bout in the UFC. De Fries is a high ranking purple belt in BJJ under Rodrigo Cabral with all seven of his wins outside of the UFC coming by the tapping variety, with six of them coming in the first round. “I know he’s from the UK, 6'5", and he's a grappler,” says Miocic sizing up his opponent. “Tough, big dude, strong probably, good grappler on the ground. That's his forte, so hopefully I can keep it standing. I think you always work on everything going into a fight, but depending on the guy, you work a little more on his tendencies. I have an attacking style, so I'm ready for wherever the fight goes and to push the pace there.”In preparation for his second UFC bout, Miocic has been busy training at his home gym, StrongStyle MMA, alongside notable pros like Brian Rogers, Chris Lozano, and, UFC veteran Forrest “The Meat Cleaver” Petz. On top of that, Miocic got a surprise call from a well-known California gym to workout with one heavyweight he knows can push him like no other. “I actually went out for two weeks to train at Alliance with Phil Davis and Joey Beltran. They have a great camp out there. It's been a great camp overall for this fight.”Besides great training and the confidence from a big win against a stalwart like Beltran, Miocic has a deceptive amount of experience for only being a pro for two years. For his ground game, Miocic is a former NCAA Division I wrestler for Cleveland State University. For his standup, Miocic is a former Golden Gloves champion, and he started training MMA back in college. As if that wasn’t enough of an athletic acumen, Miocic played collegiate baseball, which he believes helps with his overall mental toughness.“You always have to be focused in sports,” says Miocic. “When you're 0-2 swinging at the plate, you have to stay focused looking for that curveball or a fastball in the dirt. You always have to be focused and see what's coming at you. It's the same as in fighting.”On February 15th in Omaha, Nebraska, someone’s “0” has got to go when two undefeated heavyweights clash. “I've gotten a lot better, I keep getting better, and I've gotten a lot stronger in every aspect of the game,” asserts Miocic, who wants to show UFC fans that the slugfest with Beltran was just the beginning and that De Fries needs to be ready for even more. “I don't care who you are, if you're not nervous you're not ready. I'll be nervous, but I think I'll be okay going into this fight. I'm grateful for this opportunity and, hopefully, I just keep winning.”If he produces more stat lines like a fighter half his size, then Miocic’s spot among the top of his division will never be in question.

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, miocic, beltran

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Matthew Roth: So UFC 143 is over and the new champion was crowned. What I want to know from you guys is did the judges get the decision right and why? Did Carlos Condit run away or was he remaining elusive while breaking down Nick Diaz for 25 minutes? Fraser Coffeen: Condit won. He avoided Diaz's shots while landing strikes of his own. That is counter striking, and it's a perfectly acceptable and legitimate aspect of striking. Condit did it beautifully. Tim Burke: What Condit did was very smart. Did it make for a very good fight? No. Was he on his bike a lot? Yes. I don't believe that was simply counterstriking though. He was literally running across the cage at some points. Still, you can't argue with effectiveness. I believe the bout could have gone either way. Diaz has a case for 1, 2 and 5. I scored it 48-47 Condit, but it was close. Josh Nason: I thought the judges got it right and if there were 10-10 rounds actually given, I think the fifth round was that even that it would be a draw. Instead of calling out Condit for a rematch though, Diaz decided to "retire" when there's a great case to see them hook it up again. Some of the MMA community calling out Condit for "running" was a little nuts though, especially from fellow fighters. It's a really polarizing fight which should mean rematch. Matthew Roth: I've read a bunch of people saying what Condit did was bad for the sport. Which is ridiculous to me. Lots more after the jump... KJ Gould: Condit won. He aimed to hit without getting hit. You know, 'Sweet Science' stuff. And some of the combos he landed were absolute doozies. That left hand, left leg kick, right head kick combo? Fans of striking got semi-hard watching that. You can't win fights from just running. Kalib Starnes infamously ran, and I think he lost every round 8-10 on almost every judge's scorecard as a result. Fans that were disappointed are likely the victims of UFC promising something they never have control over in delivering. Lesson learned: don't believe the hype. TP Grant: Condit won, the judges got this right. Condit came in with a very smart game plan, and I don't think that game plan here is a dirty word. Diaz has good hands but he is flat footed and really goes to work once he has trapped his victim on the fence. Condit wanted to keep Diaz just out of range and land sharp leg kicks, which Diaz doesn't check. And if he found himself on the cage he looked for an opening to escape. Accusations of running thrown at Condit are over blown, the man was ripping off combinations and landed over 150 strikes. I was entertained by the fight and found it exciting, and my only thought afterwards was wanted to see more rounds of it. I though the main problem here was that Diaz had no Plan B, Condit had a more diverse striking game mixing together kicks, punches, knees and elbows while Diaz limited himself to just punches and the occasional b*tch slap. Josh Nason: I hope all the fighters that are giving Condit crap on the interwebs go balls out their next fight Leonard Garcia style. Something tells me they won't. Condit won, Diaz lost. I think this is simply residual bitterness from not getting to see GSP vs. Diaz. Blame GSP's knee for that folks, not the new interim 170-pound champ. David Castillo: Dave Walsh put it best: 'controlling where the action is taking place is not the same as controlling the action itself'. And lo and behold, the numbers from fight metric illustrate this basic fact, which is that Condit, despite being elusive, was still active, and effective. The only reason this fight has garnered such a reaction is that a) Nick Diaz has a large devoted fanbase and b) it didn't meet the expectations we all built up or it. On first watch, I felt like Diaz had a stronger case (though I had it a draw as a result of Diaz taking the 1st and 5th, with Condit taking the 3rd and 4th with the second being a draw). On repeat viewing, that was not the case, as Nick looked more effective than he actually was. Josh Nason: It's pretty nuts (and indicative of our culture to run those we perceive as wronged) that suddenly the MMA community is rallying around Diaz when they've been just fine to treat him as a pariah for the past few years. Tim Burke: I think a lot of people are just analyzing the fight the way they would analyze any fight. I've torn a strip off Diaz multiple times, but he DOES have a case for winning three of the five rounds. A case doesn't mean I'm saying he won the fight. But it was close. KJ Gould: I don't understand how anyone could give Condit the last round though. That's bats*it crazy. TP Grant: Well there are people out there who don't reward position, they want a fight to "do something with it". KJ Gould: Understandable when you take someone down and stall in guard. Diaz took Condit down, took his back and had complete control. In MMA that's the best position because in Condit's position he has the least number of offensive options. Even from under mount Condit had more punching and elbowing options available to him - even if strategically it'd be a bad idea giving someone like Diaz a limb. Out of concerted efforts to finish a fight, Diaz had it when he had Condit's back with over a minute left. Clearly, Condit was on the defensive. TP Grant: Oh I agree, mostly the people who argue position shouldn't be scored are those who say the only measure of a fight is damage and also seem to think that Pride rules never resulted in bad decisions. Matthew Roth: Cage side I thought that Condit fought an amazing fight. There have been other talented fighters who have abandoned their game plans because of Nick's taunting and shenanigans. Carlos didn't. He forced Nick to fight his fight and the stats prove that. A minute of back control doesn't negate four minutes of getting out struck. And even on the ground, Carlos was still throwing strikes which is why he ended the fight with top position throwing elbows I'm okay with the judges decision though the media room was pretty split on the matter. Dallas Winston: Diaz taking Condit's back has more to do with effective grappling than "control" or "position". Effective striking and grappling are the main two credentials and significantly outweigh the lower categories. That means Diaz clearly won effective grappling in the 5th and that Condit would have to noticeably out-strike him to compensate. It's disturbing that there's an argument for either fighter in rounds 1-3 and everyone agrees they were close rounds, but almost no one scored any of them 10-10. I think this fight is a classic fit for 10-10 rounds. I just don't get the reluctance in using that score for what everyone agrees were competitive rounds with no clear-cut winner. Overall, I walk away from Diaz vs. Condit with the feeling that the fighters were extremely evenly matched and neither really proved themselves superior to the other. Even Pierce vs. Koscheck from this card and other fights like Rampage vs. Hendo and Shogun vs. Hendo awarded one winner in matches I thought could've gone either way.

Posted in: fight, diaz, round, condit, dont

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"Going back to the Diaz/Condit fight, my point about missing things, is I watched the fight at home and when I watched the fight at home, I had a slightly different opinion. When I watched it live I thought that Carlos Condit won it. In the fourth round I said that Condit was winning this fight and when I said that, I was a little bit out of school, because on the scorecards maybe necessarily he wasn't winning, in my head even, but, there was a trend in round three and four where Condit was scoring way more than Diaz was, that's why I was saying that Condit was winning that fight. The bottom line is when I watched it at home I gave Nick Diaz round one, round two and round five. At home when I watched it, I thought Nick Diaz won that fight." UFC color commentator Joe Rogan talks about why he originally thought Carlos Condit "might have edged" Nick Diaz on the scorecards in "The Natural Born Killer's" five round unanimous decision win at the UFC 143 pay-per-view (PPV) event last Saturday night (Feb. 4, 2012) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rogan also explains the difficulty in accurately predicting the outcome of a fight while simultaneously deconstructing it for the viewing audience at home, therefore leading to a change in opinion when he re-watched the Interim Welterweight Championship title fight at home, in a more controlled environment. He also names specific rounds that he believes should be scored in favor of Diaz, but is this an effort to bolster the company's decision to announce a possible rematch? Or does he simply make a convincing argument for a Diaz win?

Posted in: fight, diaz, round, condit, home

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While paying the same price to watch a PPV on the UFC's website as you would to see it on TV may seem like a bit of a rip, at least there's some cool bells and whistles attached to the internet version. You have your choice of cameras to watch, and your choice of audio. Sick of Goldy hawking Corn Nuts? Turn the announcers off. Wanna feel like you're sitting in your favorite fighter's corner? They've got an isolated audio feed for each corner too. That's what Bloody Elbow user KGNLuc used to transcribe everything going on between Nick's cornermen Nate Diaz and Richard Perez. Here's some highlights: (before the fight)Red Corner (probably talking to the corner-team): Be calm in the corner. That’s where the cameras are, they’re tryin’ t make us look bad. The camera [...] is makin’ us look bad for freakin’ out so be calm on the cameras (round 1)Nate: He’s tryin to make you chase him too. Cut him off real good. He’s tryin to coast for five rounds. Cut him off good!(round 2)Nate (to a teammate, 4:03): He’s got nothin on him, dude. He’s just tryin to set stuff up. (right here, Condit throws a spinning elbow at around 3:58) See, that’s the kind of ass*ole-sh*t he’s got. But ... he better land a good one if he wants to end it cause he can’t really do too much.Red Corner (somebody else than the staff that could be heard so far 3:08): Condit you pussy!Red Corner: You can run all day!(between rounds 2 and 3)Nate: You ain’t gonna have to chase him so much, too. You can if you want but you don’t have to. He’s trying to make you chase him around some hard shit (?). You can wave him down like "Come to me motherf*cker!". [...]You won the last two rounds so keep doin what you’re doin. But you can make him come to you too. Or do what you want. You can do that too, he ain’t doin nothin. (round 3)Nate (no clock yet...right at the start oft he round): It’s lookin goodRed Corner: You think so?Nate: Yah, two – zero.Red Corner: Sometimes though, they...Nate: Nah, two to zero. Everybody knows that. F*ck that! The guy ain’t doin nothin. He’s doin what he can though. After the jump, rounds 4, 5, and the aftermath: Greasing allegations and Nate Diaz's scorecard. read more

Posted in: round, ’t, nate, corner, ’s tryin

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Bellator Fighting Championships returns to Connecticut's Mohegan Sun on Friday, March 30, with the opening round of their welterweight tournament, one that features two former UFC fighters mixed with some undefeated prospects that want to make a name for themselves at their expense. Karl Amoussou (13-4-2) vs. Chris Lozano (9-2) Former middleweight Amoussou has lacked consistency in the last two years, amassing a 2-2-1 record in Bellator, Strikeforce, Pancrase and Dream. He now drops to 170 pounds and his November 175-pound Bellator catchweight fight against Jesus Martinez turned out just fine with a first round KO victory. He'll face Lozano, a late sub for the soon-to-be imprisoned War Machine. Lozano entered last year's tourney and was knocked out in the second round by eventual tournament winner Douglas Lima. He was 3-2 overall in 2011 with both losses coming in the Bellator cage. Ben Saunders (12-4-2) vs. Raul Amaya (9-0) Saunders' dream run in his debut Bellator tournament ended in the finals with a second round knockout loss to Lima. The UFC veteran is 4-1 since getting released by Zuffa in 2010 with finishes in all four of his wins. He will face promotional newcomer Amaya who has rung up an undefeated streak in Florida's Art Of Fighting promotion with six submissions and three T/KO's. Brian Foster (18-5) vs. David Rickels (9-0) Foster makes his Bellator debut on the heels of a four fight win streak. Released from the UFC after health issues threatened his career, the 27-year-old has finishes in all of his wins and has never gone to a decision. He'll have a tough challenge in the undefeated Rickels, a fixture on Bellator undercards for most of 2011. The submission machine has six tapout wins to his credit with three of his last four coming by triangle choke. Bryan Baker (16-3) vs. Carlos Pereira (33-9-1) Like Amoussou, Baker is dropping down to 170 pounds after getting TKO'd by Vitor Vianna last October, snapping a three fight win streak. A promotional fixture since 2009, Baker is 7-2 in his Bellator career and is a former middleweight tournament finalist. He faces the debuting Pereira, a well-traveled veteran who is unbeaten in his last four. Baker should be wary as "Indio" has 22 wins by T/KO. The event -- entitled Bellator 63 -- will air at 8 PM EST on MTV2. Look for more Bellator-related Season Six news after the jump. Prindle vs. Santos, Middleweight Tournament Brackets Announced Featherweight Tournament Matches Announced 145-pound champ Joe Warren To Defend Against Pat Curran

Posted in: bellator, pound, round, vs, tournament

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Promoted from the FanPosts by Kid Nate. A lot has been said and written about Nick Diaz’ fight with Carlos Condit. One point of discussion has been Diaz seeming inablility to adapt in a fight that was at least close or – in the opinion of many fans and more importantly the judges – he was losing. Personally I thought Diaz did win the fight, but this is definitely a case of "could’ve gone either way". More interesting to me is the question, what was going on with Nick, wether he was following a gameplan, if he really did get bad advice by his corner and so on. Luckily, the UFC provides an audio-stream straight from the corner of Nick Diaz. Even more luckily for you gentlemen I had the insane idea to make a transcript of the high-points for the poor suckers who do not get these streams for free like us germans. Obviously I did regret that decision by the time I tried to decipher the screaming of Nate Diaz and the Gracie-Team for the first minute. But well…gotta finish what you started and give back to the community and such. So I pulled through. However: I was unable to identify any other speaker than Nate Diaz, so I just labled them "Red Corner". Most oft he time, it probably was probably Richard Perez (that was the white-haired guy that came out between rounds, right? The boxing coach?). I left out the inconsequential stuff such as "you want water?" most of the time. Whenever you see [...] I couldn’t understand what was being said and that piece is missing. Whenever you don't see that I probably still left out a bit. All these are direct quotes however, as precise as was possible. The timecodes are from the clock in the round and not extremely acurate but they’ll give you an idea, what was said when and it's the only way to sync everybody regardless of the source. Before Rd1: Nate: Fuck this guy, be smart a’right? Nate: Wake up, Dude! Wake up! There you go! Red Corner (probably talking to the corner-team): Be calm in the corner. That’s where the cameras are, they’re tryin’ t make us look bad. The camera [...] is makin’ us look bad for freakin’ out so be calm on the camera’s Nate: Watch that straight right left hook he’s gonna try, straight right – left hook. Red Corner: Let’s go Diaz! Be smart! Let’s do it!Round 1: Red Corner (right after the first leg kick): Check that kick Nate: Watch that straight right – left hook! Nate (4:43): Put that chin down! Red Corner (4:05): Box him up, Nick! Nate (4:07): Feints too! Feints! Make him throw! Red Corner (3:45): Turn it up! He’s trying to run! He’s trying to run! Nate (3:36, probably talking about Condit): Yeah, he gets hit. He gets hit with shots. Nate (3:34): Feints too, make him throw! Red Corner (3:30): Turn it up! Turn it up! Right there! Nate (commenting as Condit slips away): Hit and run... Nate (3:!4): Body! Body! Red Corner (3:08): You got him against the cage! Nate (3:04): Cut him off, don’t chase him! Red Corner (3:02): Cut him off, don’t follow! (The command is repeated many (!) times from here on out till the end of the round) Nate (answering to a question I can’t understand at 2:36): Trying to tag with a hard shot, that’s why. He’s probably tryin to win with a hard shot.. Red Corner (2:22): Cut him off, don’t let him get out! Nate (2:20): Let’s get on that body too! Nate (2:04): There you go! Set up the body! Red Corner (2:01): You stand up tall! Nate (after a spinning elbow by Carlos at 1:58): Fuckin’ dick! Red Corner (1:45): Get in and get out! Don’t let him get off! Work that body [...] Nate (after another leg-kick, 1:42): Check that shit! Red Corner (1:31): He’s landet the better shots so far Nate (1:30): Yah. Nate (1:27): He’s tryin to pace for five rounds. Nate (as Nick is pressing Carlos against the fence): Shorter! Shorter! Red Corner (1:14): Flank him! Come on! Get him against the cage! Body! Nate (0:56): Cut him off good! Red Corner (0:55): Get that body again! Keep that pace Nick! Red Corner (after Condit escapes again and a lot of "Cut him off!" previously): You let him get off again! Don’t let him get off! Red Corner (0:26): Back him up! Take a step forward! Set it up! Step forward! Turn it up!At this point I realized this would take forever and decided to drop most of the redundand stuff or sum it up!Before Rd 2: Nate: Sit down, sit down. Richard Perez: Don’t let him circle, you hear? When you got him against the cage... Nate (interrupting): Deep breaths, deep breaths. Richard Perez: Deep breaths, put of your mouth! Now...when you back him up against the cage Nick, you gotta stay in his face hard, you understand? So what you’re gonna do is your gonna pump that jab... Nick: (to Nate, interrupting) Gimme the bottle of water. Richard Perez: And you go to the body and then back to the head. Head-Body, it’s wide open, you can get him. Nate: He’s tryin to make you chase him too [him and Perez talking over each other] Cut him off real good. Nate: He’s tryin to coast for five rounds. Cut him off good!Round 2(I’ll leave most of the constant screams of "cut him off" here. Know that they are there till the fight ends) Red Corner (4:35): Here comes the headkick! (Actually there’s another leg kick) Red Coner (4:10): Keep comin. You have it there, dog! Nate (to a teammate, 4:03): He’s got nothin on him, dude. He’s just tryin to set stuff up. (right here, Condit throws a spinning elbow at around 3:58) See, that’s the kind of asshole-shit he’s got. But...he better land a good one if he wants to end it cause he can’t really do too much. Red Corner (3:41): You gotta throw your punches down the middle! Nate (3:32): Make him come to you! *somebody applauds after Nick taunts and slaps Carlos* (3:21) Red Corner (somebody else than the staff that could be heard so far 3:08): Condit you pussy! Red Corner: You can run all day! Nate (2:50): Make him chase you! Make him chase you a little bit! Let him chase you too he ain’t got shit! *Lot’s of calls for cutting Carlos off, going to the body and some feints from here on out * Red Corner (1:40): Make him miss! Make him miss! Let your hands go! Nate (after the flurry on the fence around 1:20): Good job Nick Red Corner (1:24): He’s tired now! He’s tired! He’s getting desperate right now, he’s getting tired! Down the middle! Nate: Nicks gonna pick up the pace later in the thrid-fourth round and if [...] Red Corner (0:37): Come on, Nick! You can’t win like that! You can’t win like that! Red Corner (0:17): Throw! Throw!Before Rd 3 Nate: Ok, sit down Red Corner: You can’t finish him by follwoing him. Your doin good [...] and come back with the uppercut. Nate: Keep doin’ what you’re doin. Red Corner: You’re doing good. You got him runnin now. He’s gassin out from runnin. Nate: You ain’t gonna have to chase him so much, too. You can if you want but you don’t have to. He’s trying to make you chase him around some hard shit (?). You can wave him down like "Come to me motherfucker!". [...]You won the last two rounds so keep doin what you’re doin. But you can make him come to you too. Or do what you want. You can do that too, he ain’t doin nothin. -- Can’t understand what Richard Perez is saying here, unfortunately Nate: Feints too, ok? Make him throw, make him throw. Good job brother, you’re doin good.Round 3 Nate (no clock yet...right at the start oft he round): It’s lookin good Red Corner: You think so? Nate: Yah, two – zero. Red Corner: Sometimes though, they... Nate: Nah, two to zero. Everybody knows that. Fuck that! The guy ain’t doin nothin. He’s doin what he can though. Red Corner: He’s running. He’s running the whole time. Red Corner (4:25): Right now! Right now! Red Corner (after Nick flurries on Carlos 4:23): Oh, nice! Nice left hand! Red Corner (4:21): He’s hurt! He’s hurt Nick! He’s hurt! Red Corner (4:12, as Carlos turns his back briefly and jogs to the middle of the cage): Get on top of him! You gotta be on top of him when he does that! He’s not set. Now down the middle! Come on! Cesar Gracie: (3:43) You got it dog! Keep going! Keep doing it! Keep doing it! He don’t know what to do no more! That’s it right there! He’s turning! He’s turning! Step over! Step over, down the middle! (This gets repeated a while with calls to let his hands go and go fort he body) Nate (2:51): Heartrate, Nick! Cesar Gracie (2:30): Don’t let him bounce around! Cesar Gracie (2:07): Come on now, Nick! Don’t stand in front of him! Back him up, there you you go! Mix it up, Nick! *Lots of "cut him off", "turn it up", "make him come to you" and all his corners favorites so far* Red Corner (to Nate): He’s gotta get the punch-combos going Nate: Yeah. It’s hard though when you’re chasing the fucker all over the place. Nate (0:16): Don’t chase him, walk him down, Nick! Nate (after Condit slipped): What happened? Did he fall? Red Corner: Yeah, he fell. Before Round 4 Nate: Here, sit down, brother Nick: Did I get hit? Nate: Nah, you’re not even cut. Richard Perez: He’s got nothin no more, dog. You hear me? He got nothin no more. All you gotta do is go down the middle, get that body-shot. Don’t stand in front of him though cause you may get hit [...] Nate: You can make him come to you as well cause he’s just running from you. Don’t chase him. Wave "Come to me, motherfucker", you know what I mean? [..] You can keep doin what you do the whole fight. You gotta cut him off really good, ok?Round 4 Red Corner: [...]man, they’re trying to cool him off. That was a lot of water. Red Corner: His heatrate seems still alright Nate (4:49): That’s what they do, they make him all wet so the punches slip off and shit. Red Corner (4:44): Ist that allowed here? Nate (Yelling over to the other corner): Ey, y’all put too much water on that motherfucker, man! Nate (4:32): Ref! Dry him off, ref! Dry him off! Nate (4:23): He’s slippin all over the place cause they put water all over him! That’s weak. Nate (3:48): Okay let’s go and pick your shots right now, let’s not go for the fence right now! Quicker shots that land, Nick! They don’t got to be hard now, just make’em land! Red Corner (3:25): He’s gonna run in a circle all night. Let’s get some hooks, make him stay in there! Red Corner (3:19): That body shot hurt him, do it again! Red Corner (3:12): He’s trying to run again. He always runs out to the same side. Right hook as soon as he turns out! Red Corner (3:05): Right hook, left hook, keep him in there! Red Corner (3:02): Body lock! Nate (3:01): He all wet! Red Corner (2:59): It’s aweful. Yeah, referee’s gotta [...] Nate (2:50): He’s wet, dude! He’s all wet. Red Corner (2:48): Let your hands go! Don’t stand in front of him! Nate (still about Condit being all wet): That’s weak dog. That’s weak. Nicks corner is clearly frustrated that he let’s Condit escape from the cage so often, exclaiming "aw man!" and calling for him to stay on Condit. Nate (1:50, as Condit sprints away again): Call for a yellow-card! Red Corner: He’s running all day Nate: That’s the best he can do man. He’s just surviving the fight! Nate (1:15): Step on the outside! Red Corner (1:13): Take the center! Make him come to you! Red Coner (0:50): Put him in a war, Nick! Make him waste his...let’s get his heartrate up! *again, there’s a lot of "let your hands go", "cut him off" and "Let him come to you" all throughout this round* Red Corner (0:07): Takedown!Before the 5th round Nate: Hey ref! Ref! Ref! Ref! Ey, they keep wetting him! He’s all slippery because they keep pouring water all over him. Referee: Alright, alright! Nate: There’s water... Somebody says: What do you think. Maybe Nick Nate: No. No, no, no, no, fuck that, you got every round. Somebody, maybe Nick (Although it doesn’t sound like him) says: "Don’t lie to me" Nate: He might have got that last round but that’s it. You got the rest. You’re up three to one, okay? Rinse it out, take a drink. Let’s get a couple of ten second intervals in this one, ok? Whenever you want, whenever you’re ready.5th round Nate: This is the last round, right? Red Corner Is this the fifth round? Nate: Yah. Fifth round. Nate (4:14 after the usual calls): Be smart Nick, make him miss! Nate (4:02): Quick punches that land, alright? Red Corner (3:38) You just stand in front of him! Come on Nick, come on! Red Corner (3:26): Don’t stand on the outside! Red Corner (3:12): Take him down when he stands like that! Red Corner (2:32 as Nick gets a body-lock): There it is! V-lock! (?) Lots of calls to "set that hook up", plus the usual stuff. Nate informs Nick oft he time at the 2 and 1:30 mark. Nate: Yeah! (as Nick takes it tot he ground, 1:20) Nate (1:10): He’s gonna finish somethin, dude. Red Corner: Relax! You got a minute! You got a minute! Nate: One minute! Nate (0:50): Yeah, he’s trying to get that armbar. Red Corner (0:40): Grab the chin! Red Corner (0:30): Break his nose! Nate: 30 seconds, go on top! Now, Nick, now! Nate (0:17): Ey, let’s get some elbows, get some punches! 15 seconds! Red Corner (0:09): Set that choke up!After the fight: Official: Nobody goes in until I say. Stay right here, please Red Corner: Yes, Sir. Nate: Fuck yeah! Red Corner: Get his shirt! Nate: Ey, gimme his shirt! Gimme his shirt! Nate: You won that shit! Official: Now get in there. You know what to do? Red Corner: Yes, Sir! Nate: Gimme that shirt! Dana White: Good job, dude! Nate: Ey! For sure four to one, a’right? Nick: I got that? I got that homie? Nate: Yeah Fuck yeah, you got that. Nick: I pushe him back the whole time Red Corner: Yeah, yeah, he ran. Nate: All we got is the sweatshirt. Ey yo, put this on. I tell you [...] four to one for sure. No problem. Red Corner: He ran too much. Nick (probably looking at the replay): They’re showin only (?)his shit. Nate: Yeah, that was the last round. But you got four to one for sure. There’s no way... Nick (interrupting): I almost finished that armlock. Nate: Yeah, yeah, I know. He knew he was biding (?) his time too. Hey look, Nick, you guaranteed no matter what won that fight. Nate (shaking Greg Jacksons hand): Good fight! Nate (shaking Carlos’ hand): Good fight, Carlos Nick (after a few steps): Ran too much Nate: Yeah Nick (talking to Lorenzo Fertitta. Unfortunately, this is very hard to understand) : [...]You asked me to fight, I came here to fight. I’m not gonna[...]I came in a little heavy. It was either I could cut the calories or cut the sparring [...]Nate pulls him away as the scores are ready to be read. Nate: "Hey, listen. Listen: He did what he had to do, alright? That’s what. So he’d get through that fight" And that was how Nick went into these last seconds before the decision was read. Listening to that was really kinda tragic. Unfortunately no further conversations were recorded although you can clearly see Nate and Nick talking in the background during the Condit-interview.

Posted in: nick, round, nate, hersquo, corner

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Rhode Island based promotion Classic Entertainment and Sports returned to the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln for their first card of 2012. One of the top prospects in the state of Massachusetts, Saul Almeida (12-1) was booked for the undercard. Normally a featherweight fighter Almeida moved up to 155 pounds for a three round contest with Rhode Island's Jeff Anderson (10-6).Almeida's three rounds of cage time with Anderson quickly transformed into a grappling showcase for the Team Nogueira fighter. Round one saw Almeida threaten with both a rear naked and arm triangle choke attempts that Anderson was able to escape. In round two Almeida's wrestling kept the fight on the floor. The final round was more of the same with Almeida nearly landing a kimura lock and a rear naked choke in the final moments of the period. At the end of 15 minutes Almeida was awarded a unanimous decision victory over Anderson. The 22 year old Almeida has won his last five fights, all via decision. At 6'1 Almeida is a prospect capable of competing in either the 155 or 145 pound weight division at the next level. A 2010 Bellator open tryout winner Almeida continues to improve his game at the regional level.Ranked number two at 145 pounds in the ULTMMA.com prospect rankings, Almeida awaits a call up to the national MMA scene sometime in 2012. CES MMA Extreme Measures resultsLincoln, RIKevin Horowitz def. Shawn Summey by Unanimous Decision Joe Pingitore def. Pedro da Silva by TKO (Punches) 1:25 R2Brennan Ward def. Josh Mellen by TKO (Punches) 1:32 R1Andres Jeudi def. Tim O'Connell by TKO (Punches) 1:46 R3Andre Soukhamthath def. Santos by Submission Guillotine Choke 0:44 R2Sean Soriano def. Lee Metcalf by KO (Punches) 0:34 R1Pete Jeffrey def. Lionel Young by Unanimous Decision *Tyler King def. Eric Bedard by KO (Knee) 4:17 R1*Saul Almeida def. Jeff Anderson by Unanimous Decision Mike Stewart def. Greg Rebello by Submission Kimura 1:16 R3Josh Hendricks def. Josh Diekmann by Submission Arm Triangle Choke 2:21 R1*Prospects to watch

Posted in: round, decision, almeida, punch, anderson

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Figuring out how Cecil Peoples scores a fight could be analyzed by understanding how well he fares in a spirited session of playing Angry Birds. If a red bird takes out a couple of pigs in one swift swipe of the finger, he looks positively towards the fighter from the red corner. However, if the flight trajectory of a blue bird (the one that splits into 3 separate birds) takes out the entire house of pigs in gratifying display of handheld destruction, the round goes in favor of the blue corner. Whether or not Cecil Peoples actually watches the fights or he’s busy playing Angry Birds is uncertain, but he did give Nick Diaz the 3rd round, while awarding the 5th round to Carlos Condit - which at the very least makes the analogy plausible. In a world where that scoring makes sense to anyone, there lives Cecil Peoples and his collection of addicting smartphone games. I suppose we should all be thankful that Greg Jackson isn’t a judge, because in an interview with Sherdog, he says he feels that Condit clearly won every minute of every round; then compares Condit’s performance to Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard.   [Source]

Posted in: nick diaz, round, condit, carlos condit, bird

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Ed Herman posted a photo of his eye, a day after his win over Clifford Starks. If you look at that photo alone, you wouldn't think that this guy won his fight in the 2nd round, but I guess that's just one of the things a fighter has to deal with when he steps inside the cage. In case you missed the bout, here's the complete play-by-play of the fight from our live results page: Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks - Round 1 - Herman landing some straight shots and Starks lands an uppercut that hurt Herman. Another shot and Herman is getting tagged a bit here. Starks has Herman pushed into the cage now. Not a lot happening here aside from small punches and knees to the body and they finally break. Starks with a straight right and a jab. Nice overhand right by Starks goes right over a punch from Herman. Now Herman lands a left hand. Now it's a clinch battle against the cage but Herman lands a few knees to the head and a few nice uppercuts. Herman still landing a bit here and now he gets a takedown with a little over a minute left in the round. Elbows by Herman. Starks manages to sweep and does little before the round ends. 10-9 Starks for me as he landed the better punches. Round 2 - Herman slips to the mat after a kick but Starks wants him back up after his corner told him to try to box here. Herman with a takedown into side control and as Starks tries to get up, Herman takes the back and Herman is working for the rear naked choke and he locks it up and that's it. Ed Herman wins by submission (rear naked choke), 1:43 of round 2.

Posted in: round, ed, herman, stark, herman lands

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Part of post-fight banter is comparing scorecards, be it with other fans or journalists covering the sport. But a note to all who venture to go there: the only true and legitimate way to compare them is to score a fight precisely like judges do, by making one decision at the end of a round with no option whatsoever to change it. This puts a whole new tone on scoring fights. Anyone who says they had it "49-46, maybe 48-47" is waffling in a way that no real judge can. It's a one-and-done thing, which adds some extra element of pressure, especially in a close fight. This can be hard, especially when you're scoring a close fight where one guy seems to have a consistent edge in action where the tone and pace has few, if any wild swings. That was precisely how the UFC 143 main event bout between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit last night (Sat., Feb. 4, 2012) in Las Vegas, Nevada, felt, but that's also why I scored the fifth for Diaz, with a final card of 49-46. The fifth could legitimately be classified as a makeup round for Diaz, who'd been close in a couple others, but without either guy getting visibly hurt, or a tempo change, Condit was simply doing too much for me to mount a big case for Diaz. Nick definitely threatened in the final moments of the fifth, which was much closer than Condit ever came to finishing him. The second round was the only one where Diaz outlanded Condit -- 30 to 25 -- and even then it was very close. I must add that it's also a lot easier to score the fifth for someone like Diaz in that situation where there's little to no question that the fight has already been decided. Would I score the fifth round of, say, Frankie Edgar-Gray Maynard II with that approach? Definitely not. There's no room for makeup round to reflect the competitiveness of the fight when the whole thing is nip-and-tuck. But Condit-Diaz didn't feel that way at all. At least not to me. You may feel otherwise. That said, I was surprised with how many fans on Twitter interacting with me on the fight felt Diaz one. I'm loath to rely too heavily on strike and other statistics, because a five-round fight is, in its essence, five separate contests independent of one another. Translation? Just because one fighter has a big edge in strikes may not accurately reflect the tone of the entire bout. You can pile up a huge edge in one round with several others that are close (Maynard-Edgar II is a perfect example of this, with Maynard landing a 44 of his 99 total strikes in that wipeout opening round). It also doesn't take into effect that's landing the more effective shots and getting a bigger reaction out of landing. Throw in takedowns and submissions attempts, both of whom have no clearly delineated equivalency in scoring compared to strikes, and it can get really murky. Does a takedown equal getting up from one? How many solid leg kicks are equal to a submission that is barely escaped? Are failed takedown attempts points for the defending fighter? The only person I know who obsesses over these more than me, and certainly more then the average fight judge, is my man Dallas Winston at Bloody Elbow. And he never sleeps. On that score, Condit vs. Diaz was remarkably simple. Save for Diaz' threatening back control in the waning seconds of the bout and two missed submission attempts, it was almost entirely striking that comprised the action Saturday night. Given that neither guy was able to visibly rock, stun or floor the other, there was little to tilt the scales in favor of either being the power puncher that should get more credit for shots landed. Condit was 146 of 273 overall, Diaz 110 of 223. Going forward and getting outlanded is a hard argument for a winner unless you're rocking the other guy (which Diaz never achieved) or landing the bigger shots (which he didn't). I think a lot of the anti-Condit sentiment came from a mixture of fans expecting a bloodbath and people just flat-out unable to accept that Diaz lost, fair and square. Tomorrow's another day, and hopefully Diaz's retirement talk is just post-fight emotion taking over. But on this one, Nick was beaten on every front, plain and simple. Jason Probst can be reached at twitter.com/jasonprobst and Jason@jasonprobst.com

Posted in: fight, diaz, guy, round, condit

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The UFC 143 preliminary fights on the promotion's Facebook page were an action-packed treat for fans willing to watch fights streamed over the Internet for free. In the opener welterweight karate prodigy Stephen Thompson (6-0, 1-0 UFC) wowed with a first round finish of Dan Stittgen (7-2, 0-1 UFC) . Thompson, an undefeated kickboxer with a 57-0 record in striking competitions, started slow but quickly finished Stittgen once he opened up. Thompson followed up a 1-2 punching combination with an amazing lead leg roundhouse over the top that started out with a fake to the leg. Stittgen had no idea it was coming. The referee stepped in to stop the fight at 4:13 of the first round, declaring it a TKO. "No words can describe how I feel right now." Thompson said after the fight. "I'm beyond happy to have this win. It's my first win in the UFC and I can't wait to get back out there and do it again. I took my time and felt him out. GSP is my training buddy and before the fight he gave me some words of encouragement and told me to focus on what I am going to do and block everything else out. That was amazing advice and exactly what I did.""I took the fight on late notice and didn't perform my best. I should have listened to my coach more. I'm very disappointed with what happened out there but I will certainly be back better," said Sittgen, a late notice substitute for Justin Edwards, after the fight. In the second bout of the Facebook stream middleweights Rafael Natal (14-3-1, 2-1-1 UFC) beat Michael Kuiper (11-1, 0-1 UFC) by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) in a fight that would have been the Fight of the Night on many cards. More on that fight after the jump. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Natal, a decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter who trains under the legendary Renzo Gracie, dominated Kuiper for the first two rounds but had to hang on to survive in the third. Kuiper, a decorated Judoka with the kickboxing expertise requisite for a Dutch fighter, hurt Natal in the final round but was unable to finish. Natal came back to end the round and the fight on top of Kuiper, working for an arm triangle choke but was unable to finish the Dutchman. "Michael is a good fighter but I was better. I am very happy to pick up this win and that my family was watching. My jiu-jitsu saved me again," said Rafael Natal "You never know what is going to happen when you fight. That was a very tough fight," said Michael Kuiper after the fight. More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC 143: Rafael Natal Wins Unanimous Decision Over Michael Kuiper - Tim Burke Stephen Thompson Knocks Out Dan Stittgen With Deadly Head Kick - Tim Burke Live Results And Play-By-Play For Undercard Fights - Brent Brookhouse Matt Riddle Picks Up Split Decision Victory Over Henry Martinez

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, thompson, kuiper

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The UFC 143 preliminary fights on FX featured a nice mix of action with Dustin Poirier, Matt Brown and Matthew Riddle picking up decisive wins and Edwin Figueroa getting a split decision thanks to Alex Cacares getting 2 points deducted for low blows. The FX telecast also included a broadcast of Stephen Thompson's dramatic first round TKO win over Dan Stittgen. UFC 143 FX fights complete results: Welterweight: Matthew Riddle (6-3, 6-3 UFC) defeated Henry Martinez (8-2, 0-1 UFC) by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28). Welterweight: Matt Brown (13-11, 6-6 UFC) defeated Chris Cope (5-3, 1-2 UFC) via KO at 1:19 of round 2. Bantamweight: Edwin Figueroa (9-1, 2-1 UFC) def. Alex Caceres (6-5, 1-3 UFC) by split decision (28-27, 27-28, 28-27) with Cacares having 2 points deducted by referee Herb Dean for repeated low blows. Featherweight: Dustin Poirier (12-1, 4-0 UFC) submits (triangle choke/arm bar) Max Holloway (4-1, 0-1 UFC)at 3:23 of round 1. Ultimate Fighter veteran Matthew Riddle had some trouble early on with late replacement Henry Martinez but got the fight under control in the second and third rounds. Martinez, a late replacement for an injured Jorge Lopez who usually fights at 155 pounds, surprised Riddle with his sleek striking attack. Riddle was able to retake control of the fight mid-way through the first round when he forced the fight into kicking range and out of Martinez' punching range. "This fight was a war, but it's nice to be back on the winning end again. Henry hit hard and his hands were quick. I was impressed by him and that's why I picked it up in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Everytime I go in there I want to put on a show and fight as hard as I can," Riddle said after the fight."I had fun out there. It was a great fight and Matt is a tough guy. Even if you go in with the best plan in the world and study your opponent, they can change it up on you. We pushed each other hard but had a great time," Martinez said after the fight. More on the rest of the FX card after the jump. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Matt Brown dominated Chris Cope in the first round with a mix of take downs and striking on the feet. In the second he poured it on and got the finish. Brown hurt Cope with a right hand then dropped him with a left, followed him down and forced the stoppage with a battery of ground and pound. "I just did what I know I'm capable of doing." Brown said after the fight. "I'm happy with the win but there are always things I can improve. I don't want guys to find holes in my game. This is a step in the right direction for me. My striking has improved and I'm going to keep on working on things. When the fight started, within three to four exchanges, I immediately saw weaknesses in his game and I was able to capitalize on it. I was shooting and throwing jabs to his body and head and trying to switch it up. That's when I noticed he had a tendency to drop his hand, which was to my advantage.""It was a tough fight but I'll be back," Cope said. Alex Cacares did everything he needed to do to beat Edwin Figueroa except heed Referee Herb Dean's warning to avoid kicking below the belt. "Bruce Leroy" Cacares caught Figueroa early in the first and forced and extended stoppage while Figueroa recovered. Dean gave Cacares a "hard warning" and when Cacares hit low again in the second, Dean docked him not one but two full points. Figueroa did land a head kick that virtually finished Cacares in the second but he was unable to finish. Otherwise Cacares held his own on the feet and utterly dominated on the ground. Unfortunately for Cacares, he wasn't able to get the submission and lost on 2 of 3 judges cards. "I felt like it was a hard earned paycheck," said Figueroa. "He was a good fighter. I had to dig deep for this one. He came out and landed a few shots early. It was a tough fight but I came out the winner." "I don't know what happened. I thought I had that one. I guess they took points away from the low blow I delivered. I didn't take that much damage. I'm very disappointed," said Cacares. In the final live fight airing on FX, Dustin Poirier finished Max Holloway with a vicious mounted triangle choke plus arm bar. Hollway, a late replacement for an injured Erik Koch, acquitted himself well on the feet early on but was way out of his depth on the ground against Poirier. "I never underestimated Max," said Poirier after the win. "I was in his shoes before. He's a tough fighter and good kickboxer. He was quicker than I expected though and hit me with a few shots. I wanted to come out strong and mix it up with some kicks. I came here to get a win, and I got the finish. I'm one step closer to being a champion.""Dustin is a tough guy. It was a fun fight and I can't wait to get back in there again," said Holloway.

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, figueroa, cacare

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Josh Koscheck was hoping to walk through Mike Pierce last night (February 4, 2012) on the main card of UFC 143 while on the comeback trail to the top of the welterweight division. Instead, the incredibly game Pierce pushed him to his limits for three straight rounds. Pierce was a heavy underdog heading into the fight due to being significantly lower ranked than "Kos," but the Oregon-based welterweight proved for the third time he can hang with the big boys, although he once again found himself on the wrong side of a close decision. So what did Pierce do which made this fight so close? And what's next for both fighters? Follow me after the jump for our Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce UFC 143 post-fight review and analysis: From the opening seconds, Pierce made Koscheck realize he was in for a tougher fight than expected when he faked a jab and dove in for a takedown, pressing the former All-American wrestler into the fence and making him expend a significant amount of energy to get off of it. In the striking, Koscheck seemed very content to leave his left hand out straight, not using it to strike but to gauge distance, instead loading up on his big right hand. By doing this, he allowed Pierce to take an advantage because he used both hands in striking exchanges along with some solid angles in his footwork. Koscheck was warned repeatedly for leaving his left hand open, once during the second round and again in between the second and third rounds. I was pretty surprised that he wasn't deducted a point when he failed to heed the warning and poked Pierce directly in the eye in the third round. A large majority of this fight was spent in the clinch and both men were effective with some nice dirty boxing. In regular striking exchanges, Pierce began to land a nice left jab which repeatedly landed near Koscheck's previously injured eye and this seemed to rattle The Ultimate Fighter season one veteran. Perhaps a saving grace for Koscheck was the fact that he closed both the second and third rounds with a takedown, although in my opinion, he didn't do nearly enough with it in the second round to win back the round. Pierce fought a tremendous fight, but wasn't rewarded for it as the judges ruled in favor of Koscheck via split decision. For Mike Pierce, he's once again put up one hell of a fight against a top 10 welterweight and come out on the losing end of a decision. This one has to be the toughest to swallow because it looked like he did enough to beat Josh Koscheck, who didn't seem prepared for his aggressive striking, clinchwork and occasional takedown attempts. I don't ever see Pierce contending for a title, but he's a top welterweight who will always be incredibly hard to beat simply due to his fighting style and the pressure he exerts on opponents. I'd move Pierce up in the rankings after this fight so some solid potential opponents for him could be Charlie Brenneman, Rick Story or Dong Hyun Kim. For Josh Koscheck, this was an ugly fight. He looked very limited in the stand-up and he wasn't ready for what Pierce brought to the table. He did a good job to secure takedowns at the ends of both round two and three, but he was pushed around in most of the striking and clinch game. It would be a lot better for him if he used his left hand to jab instead of poke his opponents in the eye. Hopefully he closes it for his next fight or he could find himself in trouble. It's almost guaranteed that Koscheck will fight Johny Hendricks next as long as both remain healthy but if that somehow doesn't work out, I think we could see him in a fight with Nick Diaz as well. One final possibility could be the Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger winner, although that's not very likely. If all else fails, he could move up to middleweight and take a fight there depending on if he can find the right fight. Hopefully we can see something better out of him next time around. So what did you think, Maniacs? Who's side were you on for this fight, Pierce or Koscheck? Did either fighter leave an impression on you with their performance? Speak up! For complete UFC 143 results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.

Posted in: fight, round, koscheck, hand, josh

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On overcast and dreary Superbowl Sunday morning, all I can think about is UFC 143 and the fallout from that card. Twitter and Facebook exploded with personal score cards and outrage following the announcement of Carlos Condit's decision victory over Nick Diaz. Full disclosure I had the fight 48-47 Condit. Condit clearly won rounds 1 & 4, while Diaz clearly won 2 & 5 and round 3 seems to be the swing round. Now some people are saying that Diaz needs to be given rounds based on Octagon Control and Aggression. Carlos Condit's performance here is a prime example that Octagon Control does not simply mean "the guy coming forward". Condit controlled the distance for much of the fight but in the rounds he won he had clear generalship of the space between fighters. Condit's ideal distance for striking seemed to be an inch further away than where Diaz felt comfortable, and the cat-and-mouse game over that distance made for a very interesting fight. More thoughts: On social outlets and here on Bloody Elbow I've seen people accusing people of a Kalib Sterns leveling of running. First of all, I highly suspect that people who claim that have not watched the infamous Sterns vs Quarry match, because if you have seen that you would know nothing we have seen before or since has ever come close to that. Secondly, escape situations that are disadvantageous is a completely legitimate part of fight. Go look at Nick Diaz fights and you'll see that Diaz's offense comes from trapping guys against the fence, getting them to shell up and overwhelming them with punches. Every time Condit felt his back on the fence, he slipped a punch and escaped out back to the center of the Octagon. This happens in boxing all the time, guys don't want to get trapped in corners. It isn't running, it is escaping a bad position, like how guys get out of side control. Can we please stop acting like Roy Nelson is a weight-watchers membership away from being a Top 10 Heavyweight? Nelson is a nice fighter at Heavyweight but he does not have elite level skills and Fabricio Werdum showed this pretty clearly. Werdum has always had good clinch striking, but his striking at range looked much better and on the ground, well Nelson wanted nothing to do with Werdum's guard. Yes, Nelson is a Renzo Gracie black belt, but there are black belts and then there are ADCC champions. Werdum beat Nelson in every aspect of that fight, and Nelson's weight had nothing to do with it, he was not skilled enough to resist. Oh and please don't start beating the 'Nelson needs to go to 205' drum. More athletic, more skilled opponents are not going help Nelson's career. Nelson is at the right weight for him, he is just never going to contend at that weight. Josh Koscheck looked awful. And we shouldn't be surprised, Kos was a member of the original TUF cast. How many guys from that original season are still winning relevant fights in the UFC? The old guard is fading out at Welterweight and it seems Koscheck is the next perennial contender who will no longer be contending. Mike Pierce should have won that fight. Oh and Herb Dean needed to take a point from Koscheck for that eye poke, at least. After taking two points from Alex Caceres, how can Dean justify not taking one point from Koscheck after warning him about extending those fingers moments before the eye poke? more after the jump... SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Ed Herman's takedown was sweet. Love seeing Judo techniques working their way into more and more MMA fighter's clinch game. Matt Riddle looked like complete garbage and won based on the "Leonard Garica Effect". Riddle fights to his detriment and does not listen to his corner. He gets put in with a real, serious UFC welterweight and he gets killed. On the other end of the spectrum, Matt Brown did an excellent job of listening to his corner. In the break between Rounds 1 and 2, Brown's corner told him that Cope dropped his left hand when Brown punched to the body. First thing Brown did in Round 2 was throw a jab to the body and then an overhand right. Coming after the Matt Riddle fight, it was impressive to see a fighter accepting coaching so well. And the fight ending sequence was set up by a body shot followed by right hand. Alex Caceres deserves another shot in the UFC. I thought he won that fight. He arguably won all three rounds before point deductions. That said, this was not a very technical fight. Brookhouse said it on Twitter, it looked like two BJJ white belts who had been rolling for 2 and 3 months respectively. One was bad and the other was worse. Figueroa is turing into giving up his back into an art form and Caceres didn't seem to understand that the arm has to be under the chine to finish a choke. Joe Rogan's love affair with both Gable Grip RNCs and Diamond MMA cup talk continued in the Caceres/Figueroa fight. I liked the new opening, but I would have liked to seen one submission or ground position in the damn thing. BJJ started the UFC, but it seems the UFC brass wants to come across as a wrestle-boxing league.

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, condit, nelson

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) just conducted a textbook campaign of mixed martial arts (MMA) fights, was an accomplice in a robbery and then exited the scene of the crime. At least that's the story Nick Diaz will be telling his grandchildren in 30 years. The main event at UFC 143 on Feb. 5, 2012, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, saw a hard fought and close decision victory go to Diaz's opponent Carlos Condit. Diaz felt like he won ... and he wasn't the only one. Afterward, he was so upset by the decision that he stated he will be retiring from the sport. If he really follows through, it would be a loss for him, as well as for MMA as a whole. Speaking of losses, let's take a look at the laundry list of losers from UFC 143. It doesn't have to be all "doom and gloom." We can talk winners, too: WINNERS Fabricio Werdum -- In his UFC re-entrance, "Vai Cavalo" was given no tomato can by drawing Roy Nelson, one of the toughest guys in the business. Everyone knows this guy is one of the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners in the world. What they might not know is that his stand up is very good and just keeps getting better. He's now fought two of the best strikers in the heavyweight division in Alistair Overeem and Nelson, and he hasn't really been hurt at all. At UFC 143, Werdum outstruck "Big Country," outgrappled him and outclassed him. He's back and shouldn't be going anywhere for a while. Renan Barao -- He fought a three round war with a very tough Scott Jorgensen. True, he couldn't put Jorgensen away, but that's easier said than done. Barao outstruck Jorgensen 118 to 58, including several huge spinning back kicks that had the crowd on their feet. He was faster, more precise and just flat out better in every aspect. Afterwards, he called for a shot at Dominick Cruz and his championship belt. Of course, this can't happen, as "The Dominator" is currently slated to fight Urijah Faber after they coach against each other in the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). The title shot for Barao may not come next, but it's coming soon. Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit -- I'm gonna keep it short and sweet because I didn't like how this one turned out (scroll down to the "Losers" section for more on this). Despite my disappointment in the results, this was a fantastic fight that mostly lived up the hype. Stephen Thompson -- In his UFC debut, this new welterweight acquisition made a great first impression by brutally knocking out Dan Stittgen with a pretty head kick in the first round. His karate background was evident, as his unorthodox stance clearly confused his opponent. He kept his hands low, his distance elusive, and he used a beautiful combo that lead to a finish in his inaugural Octagon appearance. I expect big things from this fighter in the future. Matt Brown -- "The Immortal" looked solid tonight, coming off a loss to Seth Baczynski at UFC 139 on Nov. 19, 2011 in San Jose, Calif. The fight was a war, and it was clear that Chris Cope was trying to make things as chaotic as possible, in the hopes that he might land a chance, finishing blow in one of the scrums. Unfortunately for Cope, it was Brown who landed the first big shot. After catching a leg kick in the second round, Brown countered with a big left hook, then a combination of several other short, quick punches that left Cope crumpled up in a ball on the floor. It wasn't a massive win, but it was much needed and he looked solid in so doing.Dustin Poirier -- In the early portion of his fight with UFC newcomer Max Holloway, Poirier was kept on his toes by a young prospect, looking to make a name for himself in his debut. The fight saw Holloway getting the better of the stand up in the first round, but eventually, Poirier took the fight down to his world where he was able to pull off a very nice armbar submission from the top triangle position. Very high level stuff. The win is Poirer's fourth consecutive UFC win. He's undefeated in the Octagon and just keeps getting better with each performance. LOSERS Alex Caceres -- "Bruce Leeroy" was putting on an exhibition of kicks in his fight versus Edwin Figueroa. The problem is that two of those kicks landed squarely in the nether region, eventually meriting him a two point reduction penalty by referee Herb Dean when it happened the second time in round number two. It's a shame, because he really looked impressive overall. You just can't give fights away by doing stuff as dumb as that. Kick me in the groin once, shame on you. Kick me there again -- well -- still, shame on you. Stop that. Josh Koscheck -- After a long media campaign where Koscheck publicly declared that Mike Pierce essentially didn't belong in the cage with him, he certainly didn't show it at UFC 143, if this is, in fact, the case. He may have notched the split decision win, but it was close -- really close. Afterwards, his victory interview was almost entirely interrupted by the crowd in attendance who seemed dead set on booing him out of the building. While he did try and pretend it didn't bother him, he appeared bothered as he walked out of the cage with his head down. It makes me ask the question: "Is this a guy who wants to be the heel, or has he just embraced it to save face?" Chris Cope -- Being a tough guy that can take a beating will only get you so far in this sport. He's now lost two UFC fights in a row and is probably on thin ice. In his fight versus Matt Brown, the disparity was very clear. They weren't on the same level. If that's the case, he's going to have a lot of trouble against some of the division's elite. Go ahead. Think of a fighter you could match Cope up against that would be a good fight and would also be one you'd want to watch. Be honest. See what I mean? MMA Judging -- I'm probably going to get mauled for this. I'm sorry. I don't care. Nick Diaz won that fight. I'm not even a Diaz fan, but come on! He pushed the pace. He was the aggressor the entire fight! He landed the bigger shots and never looked hurt at any point. Was it close? Sure. But I just don't see how you don't give Diaz rounds one, two and five. I'm not buying it. Moreover, how in the hot Hell do you give Condit four of the five rounds?? It's true that Condit outstruck Diaz by a margin of 146 to 110. But don't be deceived by that. Of Condit's 146 strikes landed, 104 of them were leg strikes. How many kicks did Diaz absolutely walk through during this fight? How many leg kicks did Condit throw just to keep Diaz at bay and not even intending to do damage? I'll re-watch this fight again later and maybe I'll be less upset about it, but right now, I disagree 100 percent. Nick Diaz -- I get that he was mad after his loss. It sucked. He felt like he did what he needed to win. He felt like he got robbed. But he probably should have sat on his emotion for a night and made a statement the next day. He also may say he wasn't denigrating Condit's performance by his rant, but he did nonetheless. If he really does retire over this, it will be a crying shame. So that's my list of winners and losers. Be sure to show me how much better your list than mine by bringing your well thought out barbs and jabs to the comment section below. For complete UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" results, including blow-by-blow details of all the action, click here and here.

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Going into UFC 143's welterweight interim title fight between Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz, the expectations were that Diaz would inevitably outstrike and wear down Condit with his unique blend of high-volume punching and incredible conditioning. Diaz was expected to corner Condit up against the cage and box him up with barrages of arm punches that would slowly but surely accumulate and grind Condit down. Just like Diaz beat down B.J. Penn, Evangelista Santos, Paul Daley and so many others. But it didn't happen like that because Condit and his coach Greg Jackson put together a game plan that defused Diaz' advantages and because Condit's conditioning proved to be more than a match for Diaz'. Diaz did back Condit up throughout most of the fight. Diaz relentlessly walked Condit down and struck when he backed against the fence. But just as often, Condit counter-struck and spun away, back to the center of the cage. Judges Score Cards From Condit Vs. Diaz | Nick Diaz Announces Retirement After Loss And while Diaz did out-punch Condit, Condit out-struck Diaz by out-kicking, out-kneeing and out-elbowing him over the course of the fight. Condit also picked up the pace in the championship rounds and really had Diaz frustrated in the fourth round. Diaz did come back at the end of the fifth to get a take down and attack Condit's throat and left arm, but he was unable to get the finish. In the end, Condit took home a unanimous decision with all three judges agreeing that he'd won three rounds. They didn't agree about which three rounds he won but they all agreed he won three. CompuStrike showed that Condit outstruck Diaz 146-100, despite being outpunched 42-86. FightMetric scored it 306-274 for Condit with their unique but very apt scoring system. The long and short of it is that Greg Jackson and Condit figured out how to beat Diaz and Condit executed on it. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, round, condit, greg jackson

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It took five erratic months and a slew of last-minute lineup switches, but Carlos Condit earned a date with Georges St. Pierre after all. The former WEC kingpin defeated Nick Diaz to claim the UFC interim welterweight strap at the main event of UFC 143, snatching the judge's nod after 25 grueling minutes in front of the packed Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Full video highlights of Condit's stunning upset can be seen below. For more, catch the play-by-play by MMA Fighting's own Luke Thomas. ROUND 1 - Diaz opens southpaw while Condit is orthodox. Diaz starts out doing the stalking while Condit doing a lot of moving. Two outside leg kicks from Condit land. Diaz backing Condit into the fence, but he manages to circle out. Left straight from Diaz finds the mark. Brazilian kick from Condit whiffs over the head of Diaz. Condit with two more outside leg kicks to Diaz's lead leg. Diaz begins talking to Condit now. Spinning back fist from Condit misses and Diaz lands a right against the fence and a hard body shot. Left straight now from Diaz. Right hook to the body from Diaz and Condit misses on another spinning back elbow. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Diaz. ROUND 2 - Condit whiffs again on a Brazilian kick, but Diaz is still pressing. Outside leg kick from Condit lands, but he misses on a flying. Diaz backs Condit into the fence, but can't get much. Spinning back fist from Condit partially lands, but not with a ton of authority. Diaz switching stances and taunting Condit with a slap. He eats several front leg kicks, but nothing major. Body kick now from Condit. Left straight to the body, right hook to the head lands for Diaz with Condit on the fence. Middle kick again for Condit but eats a jab for his efforts. Against the fence both fighters exchange in the pocket and now Condit is landing a bit more. Diaz rips several hard shots to the body, but works his way off the fence. Condit more active and more mobile this round. Diaz reaches for a takedown, but is stuffed. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Condit. ROUND 3 - It's more of the same to start round three and Condit lands a hard body shot and inside leg kick. Now a head kick finds the mark for the New Mexico native. Diaz lands a three punch combination to the body and head. Right hand now for Condit, though not with a ton of authority. Right hook to the body from Condit and he moves out of the pocket. Diaz still stalking, but hitting nothing but air. Now Diaz eats a short outside leg kick. And another. Condit lands a punch-kick combo, but Diaz retaliates with two hard left hands. Hard right knee from Condit plus a right to the body. Condit lands an outside leg kick, but slips in the process. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Condit. ROUND 4 - Condit again sticking and moving, mostly with leg kicks. Diaz tries to clinch, but Condit breaks it and circles away. Front kick from Condit, but not with much power. Diaz presses Condit into the fence and changes levels, but eats two punches for his efforts. Diaz's offensive output has slowed consideriably. Outside leg kick from Condit. Body kick from Condit partially lands and he circles away. Body shot and outside leg kick from Condit, plus a head kick on a second combination. Condit is opening up now. Diaz tries to grab a single, can't and eats a knee to the middle. Jab now from Condit. Diaz again trying to get Condit against the fence, but can't do it. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Condit. ROUND 5 - Condit sticking with the game plan and landing lead outside leg kicks. Diaz misses with a hook to the body and Condit circles out. Diaz lands his own inside leg kick, but Condit is still strong in the pocket. Condit throwing kicks to stay busy, but not landing anything big. Condit misses on a spinning back elbow. The fighters trade leg kicks, but Condit lands harder. Then Condit fires a left hook and a hard head kick. Diaz gets double underhooks, but Condit escapes. Diaz lands a right hook, but eats a knee to the middle from Condit. Diaz gets Condit's back standing and drags him to the floor. He's got Condit's back and is working feverishly to get something going. Diaz locks up the rear naked choke grip, but Condit pushes him off. Condit escapes. The round ends. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Diaz and the fight 48-47 Condit. UFC 143 results: Carlos Condit defeats Nick Diaz by unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46)

Posted in: diaz, round, leg, condit, kick

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Carlos Condit used a solid, measured gameplan to capture the UFC interim welterweight title by winning a unanimous decision over Nick Diaz in the main event of UFC 143. Condit ignored all of the mind games Diaz tried to employ in the fight, and landed a ton of damaging kicks while staying away from situations where Diaz could truly open up on him. The scores were 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 for Condit. He now has a date with UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre when he recovers from his injury. Diaz claimed he was going to retire in his post-fight interview. Diaz took the center of the cage immediately, but it was Condit firing first with kicks. Diaz continued to walk down Condit and landed a couple of nice shots, while Condit responded with leg kicks. Diaz threw some kicks of his own, and started to drop his hands and talk to Condit. Diaz dug to the body with a big shot, but Condit again responded with a leg kick. Condit tried a couple of spinning elbows without success. Diaz closed out the first round by clowning a bit, but not landing anything. Condit opened the second with a variety of flashy strikes, but nothing landed. Condit continued to work the legs, and he actually landed a spinning backfist. Diaz actually dropped his hands and begged Condit to him him, then open-hand slapped him when he didn't. Diaz talked some trash, but didn't land much until a good right connected halfway through the round. Condit landed a body shot, and Diaz clowned some more. Finally Diaz landed a solid combination, but Condit stayed calm and landed more kicks. Diaz stared Condit down to close out another close round. The third saw more of the same as the first two rounds. Solid kicking game from Condit, and Diaz continually coming forward with solid combinations. Condit did a good job of circling away so he wouldn't get cornered and be prone to a Diaz flurry. Diaz landed a very big left hand with a minute to go, but it had no effect on Condit. Diaz upped the pace late, but ate a lot of leg kicks over the course of five minutes. Diaz looked visibly frusrated at Condit's gameplan early in the fourth, but couldn't do much to keep Condit in front of him. Diaz dropped down for a single two minutes in, but Condit shrugged it off and landed a strike as he escaped. Condit started to land a lot more in he latter half of the round with nice combinations. Condit bloodied up Nick's eye with a jab late in the round. Diaz continued to chase Condit around the cage in the fifth and opened up his own kicking game a bit more. The pace slowed ever so slightly, and less strikes were being landed by both for the first half. Condit landed a big head kick that didn't face Nick at all. Finally Nick clinched up with Carlos, but Condit escaped again and went back to attacking the legs. Diaz managed to land a nice right, but Condit responded with a good knee. Diaz managed to get Condit's back with 75 seconds to go and secured back mount. After locking up a body triangle, he tried valiantly to sink in a choke but Condit fought him off. The round and the fight ended in a big scramble, but the fighters hugged after the final horn.Diaz is a former Strikeforce welterweight champion that expected to take on Georges St. Pierre for the UFC welterweight title here, but an injury to GSP gave Condit the spot and the bout was for an interim title. Condit, a former WEC welterweight champion, was on a four-fight winning streak entering the bout, with the last two wins coming by brutal knockout. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: ufc, diaz, round, welterweight, condit

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After 25 minutes of action inside the Octagon, Carlos Condit defeated Nick Diaz in a hard-fought unanimous decision at UFC 143. The victory earns Condit the UFC interim welterweight champion and the right to face No. 1 welterweight Georges St. Pierre, who is recuperating from a knee injury and expected to return late this year. The judges scored the fight 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 for Condit. "Hats off to Nick Diaz," Condit said afterward. "He's a warrior. I've got nothing but admiration and respect for how he fights." Diaz was so unhappy with the decision that he said afterward he might retire from the sport. "That ain't right," Diaz said. "I pushed him back the whole fight. ... I think I'm done with this MMA. ... I don't need this s--t." In a very close first round, both men took some time feeling each other out and then they proceeded to engage in a tough and even kickboxing exchange, with the fight never going to the ground and neither man wanting to take it there. Diaz appeared to be more comfortable with the pace of the fight as the first round ended. In the second round it became more Diaz's fight, as he began to land more of his trademark high-volume punching. He also started to do more of his taunting. In his corner after the round, Condit's coach Greg Jackson said, "Don't fall for it when he's talking to you," apparently concerned that Condit was getting sucked into Diaz's fight. In the third Condit began to make it more his own fight, mixing knees and elbows in with his punches and kicks and diversifying his striking. But Diaz landed some hard punches as well in a very competitive, exciting round that was just heating up after five minutes. Condit was coming alive in the fourth round, landing good solid shots and maintaining just as active a pace as Diaz. The fourth was a very good round for Condit, who had to feel good about his chances heading into the fifth. And at the start of the fifth Condit looked great, and Diaz looked like he was wearing down. However, as the fifth went on Diaz got a second wind, and in the final minute of the fifth round Diaz took Condit down and took his back. Diaz wrapped Condit up in a body triangle and nearly sunk in a rear-naked choke, but Condit managed to pull free just before the fight came to an end, and the judges decided that Condit had won it. And now Condit will prepare to face St. Pierre.

Posted in: fight, diaz, nick diaz, round, condit

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The main event of the UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" pay-per-view, which took place last night (Sat., Feb. 4, 2012) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, featured a former Strikeforce welterweight champion taking on a former WEC welterweight champion for the interim UFC welterweight championship. Nick Diaz came in with all the hype in the world, the favorite to move right along to a fight against Georges St. Pierre (the actual 170-pound king) later this year. But Carlos Condit has been pushing himself as the man to spoil the party. So did he? Indeed he did, as he worked one of the smartest game plans of his career en route to a five-round, 25-minute unanimous decision win to earn the title and a promise to meet St. Pierre later this year to unify the belts. When asked afterwards, Condit thanked his camp for preparing him to win this fight. He also tipped his hat to his opponent, Diaz, who worked his ass off and was shocked when the decision was announced. I'm sure many fans are feeling the same. This one is going to be debated for a long time. Condit opened with a leg kick and a circle to the outside while Diaz pushed ahead like he usually does. It was clear from the outset that Carlos was averse to ever letting Nick get him up against the cage in an exchange, though Diaz was able to walk him down plenty. Considering the cardiovascular conditioning of both fighters, hopping on the bicycle early wouldn't be detrimental in a five-round fight. It wasn't long, however, until Diaz started putting his hands down and talking trash in an attempt to lure Condit into the war he came in hoping for. It didn't work, though, and Condit stayed true to his game plan. Boy, what a close opening round. The second round saw more of the same. Diaz pushing forward, Condit firing off kicks. In fact, "The Natural Born Killer" was circling out and looking to land spinning back fists. His varying offense wasn't having the intended effect, however, and Diaz just kept coming. Like he always does. Condit's game plan for the purpose of his opponent and how he operates was solid in the early going. He was sticking and moving, never staying in one place for longer than a second or two. While it was effective in keeping Diaz at bay, it's not something the judges look favorably on. Through two, it was still extremely close. There wasn't much change in the third round, other than the fact that Condit was opening up more on his strikes and getting far more comfortable. In short spurts it looked as though he would take the heavy edge but Diaz would always answer back with a well timed and even better placed punch that made the Greg Jackson trained fighter back up again. After three rounds, the judges were going to have to earn their paycheck in a big way. Again in the fourth, Diaz started talking, hoping his words could force a sustained exchange where Diaz is best. Condit, of course, was hearing none of it and was content to pick his spots with solid shots from the outside. And it was working, too, as he was landing cleaner and more often. Four rounds and who the hell knows, Cecil Peoples was cageside probably just as confused as the rest of us. As the two got going deep into the final frame, it was no more obvious who the victor would be. Diaz attempted more and more to drag Condit to the ground or work from the clinch but Carlos was too slippery from sweat and too smart to get caught. Diaz finally got Condit down and took his back while working a rear-naked choke as time ran down in the fight. He couldn't quite make the submission happen but it was a thrilling end to a close fight that seemingly could have gone either way. In the end, it went Condit's way and he'll fight St. Pierre later this year. Thoughts? Don't forget to check out our complete results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the main card action.

Posted in: fight, diaz, round, welterweight, condit

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As of the time of this writing, we have it three rounds to one for Carlos Condit over Nick Diaz at UFC 143. While Diaz was strong early, Condit has gained in strength every subsequent round. ROUND 4 - Condit sticking with the game plan and landing lead outside leg kicks. Diaz misses with a hook to the body and Condit circles out. Diaz lands his own inside leg kick, but Condit is still strong in the pocket. Condit throwing kicks to stay busy, but not landing anything big. Condit misses on a spinning back elbow. The fighters trade leg kicks, but Condit lands harder. Then Condit fires a left hook and a hard head kick. Diaz gets double underhooks, but Condit escapes. Diaz lands a right hook, but eats a knee to the middle from Condit. Diaz gets Condit's back standing and drags him to the floor. He's got Condit's back and is working feverishly to get something going. Diaz locks up the rear naked choke grip, but Condit pushes him off. Condit escapes. The round ends. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Diaz and the fight 48-47 Condit. UFC 143 results: Carlos Condit defeats Nick Diaz by unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46)

Posted in: diaz, round, condit, land, condit diaz

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Moving into the fourth round of UFC 143's main event between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit, we've got the former WEC champion ahead two round to one. In the third round the Greg Jackson product used better movement, angles and combinations to keep Diaz guessing. The story of this fight so far is Condit getting better with each passing round. ROUND 4 - Condit again sticking and moving, mostly with leg kicks. Diaz tries to clinch, but Condit breaks it and circles away. Front kick from Condit, but not with much power. Diaz presses Condit into the fence and changes levels, but eats two punches for his efforts. Diaz's offensive output has slowed consideriably. Outside leg kick from Condit. Body kick from Condit partially lands and he circles away. Body shot and outside leg kick from Condit, plus a head kick on a second combination. Condit is opening up now. Diaz tries to grab a single, can't and eats a knee to the middle. Jab now from Condit. Diaz again trying to get Condit against the fence, but can't do it. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9

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We have even with each fighter taking one round a piece for Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit (the main event of UFC 143). Diaz took the first round on our score cards. Condit claimed the second and did so with better movement and more volume striking. ROUND 3 - It's more of the same to start round three and Condit lands a hard body shot and inside leg kick. Now a head kick finds the mark for the New Mexico native. Diaz lands a three punch combination to the body and head. Right hand now for Condit, though not with a ton of authority. Right hook to the body from Condit and he moves out of the pocket. Diaz still stalking, but hitting nothing but air. Now Diaz eats a short outside leg kick. And another. Condit lands a punch-kick combo, but Diaz retaliates with two hard left hands. Hard right knee from Condit plus a right to the body. Condit lands an outside leg kick, but slips in the process. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Condit.

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In the first round of Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit at UFC 143, it was Diaz who the slightly more effective of the two. MMA Fighting scored the first frame for Diaz, but it was by no means a blow out. ROUND 2 - Condit whiffs again on a Brazilian kick, but Diaz is still pressing. Outside leg kick from Condit lands, but he misses on a flying. Diaz backs Condit into the fence, but can't get much. Spinning back fist from Condit partially lands, but not with a ton of authority. Diaz switching stances and taunting Condit with a slap. He eats several front leg kicks, but nothing major. Body kick now from Condit. Left straight to the body, right hook to the head lands for Diaz with Condit on the fence. Middle kick again for Condit but eats a jab for his efforts. Against the fence both fighters exchange in the pocket and now Condit is landing a bit more. Diaz rips several hard shots to the body, but works his way off the fence. Condit more active and more mobile this round. Diaz reaches for a takedown, but is stuffed. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Condit.

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The main event of UFC 143 is Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit. This is a welterweight bout, meaning 170 pounds. This bout is airing on pay-per-view. Diaz is the former Strikeforce welterweight champion, while Condit is the former WEC welterweight champion. This is for the UFC interim welterweight championship. The referee in charge of the action is Steve Mazzagatti. Follow Luke Thomas @SBNLukeThomas on Twitter for more updates. ROUND 1 - Diaz opens southpaw while Condit is orthodox. Diaz starts out doing the stalking while Condit doing a lot of moving. Two outside leg kicks from Condit land. Diaz backing Condit into the fence, but he manages to circle out. Left straight from Diaz finds the mark. Brazilian kick from Condit whiffs over the head of Diaz. Condit with two more outside leg kicks to Diaz's lead leg. Diaz begins talking to Condit now. Spinning back fist from Condit misses and Diaz lands a right against the fence and a hard body shot. Left straight now from Diaz. Right hook to the body from Diaz and Condit misses on another spinning back elbow. MMA Fighting scores this round 10-9 Diaz.

Posted in: diaz, round, welterweight, condit, welterweight championship

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Fabricio Werdum dominated Roy "Big Country" Nelson for 15 minutes in a heavyweight battle at UFC 143 on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Although Nelson was game, Werdum was simply too much for him. Werdum was favored, but the biggest surprise in the fight was how easily Werdum won the stand-up battle: His muay Thai striking looked tremendous. All three of the judges scored it 30-27 for Werdum. "I know Roy Nelson is a very tough guy," Werdum said afterward. "Just wait until the next fight." Early in the first round they went to the ground and Werdum got Nelson's back, and it looked like Werdum might win by quick submission. But Nelson did a good job of getting free and getting back to his feet. Unfortunately for Nelson, from there Werdum turned Nelson's nose into a bloody mess with some huge knees to the face from a Thai clinch. Nelson deserves credit for just making it out of the first, but it was a round Werdum won handily. In the second round Nelson did better, landing some overhand rights and starting to feel himself standing up, although Werdum also connected with more knees and kicks and probably did enough to win a closer second round. At the start of the third Nelson actually attempted a standing guillotine choke, but it was clear that Werdum wasn't going to tap, and once he broke free of that he continued to control the fight standing up. It was Werdum's first fight in the UFC since he lost to Junior dos Santos in October of 2008, and it was a very impressive performance. He showed that he's one of the top heavyweights in the world.

Posted in: fight, round, werdum, nelson, roy

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LAS VEGAS -- This is the UFC 143 live blog for Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit, the main event of tonight's UFC pay-per-view at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.While UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre heals from a knee injury, Diaz (26-7) and Condit (27-5) will battle it out for the interim title in the mean time. The live blog is below. More Coverage: UFC 143 ResultsWalkout Shirts: Nick Diaz | Carlos Condit | Roy Nelson Round 1: Round 2:Round 3:Round 4:Round 5:

Posted in: ufc, diaz, round, condit, carlo

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Josh Koscheck edged Mike Pierce for a split decision win on Saturday at UFC 143 in Las Vegas to remain in the hunt for another shot at the welterweight title. Koscheck improves to 17-5 after winning five of his last six fights, with his only loss coming to welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, while Pierce falls to 13-5 after losing 2 of his last 3 trips to the Octagon. MMAFrenzy.com’s play-by-play of Koscheck vs. Pierce by Chris Leslie is below: Round 1 – Herb Dean is our referee and we are underway. Pierce reaches to touch gloves but a peeved Kos declines. Pierce with a single but Kos defends and we are against the cage. Short knees and punches by both fighters against the cage. Dean implores the fighters for more action but Pierce declines. Kos works free but Pierce with a good uppercut. Pierce with a wild combo to a takedown attempt but is blocked again. Kos uses the over/under tie to get Pierce to the fence. Nice combo as the fighters break by Kos. Nice jab by Kos. Combo by Kos gets countered by a right by Pierce that staggers Kos briefly but Pierce gets rocked advancing and both fighters back away for a minute. Nice kick by Kos. Combo by Pierce is answered by a stiff shot by Kos. Pierce goes for another single but Kos uses the whizzer to get his leg back. Very close round that’s tough to score. Kos seemed more accurate in the round however. MMAFrenzy gives a slight advantage to Kos 10-9. Round 2 – Right hand by Pierce lands and he looks for yet another takedown to start the action. Kos again whizzers the arm of Pierce and get’s his leg free. Kos reverses Pierce along the cage but as the fighters break Pierce with a nice uppercut. Left hook misses by Kos, Pierce with a nice jab. Kos is loading up the right hand. Pierce was cut by an accidental headbutt on the side of his head and he’s bleeding badly but it’s not affecting his vision. Pierce with another takedown attempt. Dean breaks the action to warn Kos about open hand strikes. Kos measures up Pierce and then lands an easy double. Pierce is tangled against the cage but Kos can’t advance without giving up his advantage. Kos does advance and lands a powerful strike before Pierce escapes as the round ends. Dean again warns Kos about measuring Pierce up with the open hand jab feints. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 Kos. Round 3 – Pierce combo gets answered nicely by Kos. Kos is clearly being affected by the warning by Dean. Pierce gets a brief takedown but Kos quickly works back and reverses Pierce against the cage. Nice elbow by Kos as the clinch breaks. Nice combo by Kos and he’s picking up the pace. Pierce with a nice knee in the clinch. Nice jab by Pierce. Lead left hook by Pierce lands and Kos with a single leg. Pierce uses the whizzer and cage to stay up though. Dean is being very impatient with the fighters tonight and breaks up the clinch. Kos lands an accidental eye poke and Dean gives him a final warning. Nice combo by Kos. Pierce with a bad takedown attempt. Kos answers with beautiful double with :25 left. Pierce working a switch but gives up his back as he stands. Spinning back elbow lands by Pierce as the round ends. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 Pierce but the fight goes to Kos (29-28). Josh Koscheck defeats Mike Pierce via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) Pictured: Josh Koscheck 

Posted in: ko, round, cage, combo, dean

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A close and even 15-minute fight between Josh Koscheck and Mike Pierce ended up a split decision at UFC 143 on Saturday night in Las Vegas, with Koscheck coming out just barely on top. One judge scored it 29-28 Pierce while two scored it 29-28 for Koscheck. The fans loudly booed the decision, leading Koscheck to label himself "the most hated man in MMA" afterward. Koscheck told the fans they need to deal with it, because he came out the winner. "Mike Pierce is a tough guy, man," Koscheck said. "I knew that coming into this fight." The first round was close to even, as Koscheck and Pierce spent much of the round clinching with each other against the fence without a lot of action, and once they separated and started throwing punches they landed about evenly. The second round was close as well, with both men landing some punches and Koscheck getting a takedown but not doing a lot with it. An accidental clash of heads opened a cut on Pierce's forehead, and Koscheck was warned by referee Herb Dean to close his fist because his fingers were getting too close to Pierce's eyes. The third round was a close contest, with a lot of clinching and the striking about even. Koscheck poked Pierce in the eye at one point and easily could have had a point deducted because Dean had already warned him. However, Dean simply warned Koscheck a second time, rather than taking a point away. If Dean had deducted a point, it would have been a majority draw. But Koscheck ended up getting the win and improving his record to 17-5. Pierce falls to 13-5.

Posted in: saturday night, round, koscheck, point, dean

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LAS VEGAS -- This is the UFC 143 live blog for Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce, a welterweight bout on tonight's UFC pay-per-view at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.Koscheck (16-5) fought once in 2011, knocking out Matt Hughes at UFC 135 in September. Pierce (13-4), who has won four of his last five fights, is coming off a split decision win over Paul Bradley last November at UFC on FOX 1. The live blog is below. More Coverage: UFC 143 ResultsWalkout Shirts: Nick Diaz | Carlos Condit | Roy Nelson Round 1: Round 2:Round 3:

Posted in: ufc, matt hughes, round, blog, split decision

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The UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" pay-per-view main card, going down tonight (Sat., Feb. 4, 2012) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, kicked off with a middleweight mash-up pitting Ed Herman against Clifford Starks. After suffering a horrific knee injury and taking almost a full two years off, Herman made his way back to the Octagon and ripped off a pair of wins. Starks, meanwhile, came in undefeated in the UFC (1-0) and in his career as a whole (8-0). Undefeated no more. That's because Herman proved to be the better man with a second round rear-naked choke submission victory after a back-and-forth battle. It appeared as though this one would go the distance being well-rounded will take you places in the fight game. Like next to the referee getting your hand raised. The two started by wasting little time meeting in the center of the cage and letting their fists fly. Both men landed solid shots, enough so that a clinch was initiated to slow things down. They reset eventually and went back to doing the damn thing, unloading uppercuts and overhands, jabs and hooks. All of these punches were thrown with the deadliest of intentions, I assure you. Herman hooked a "late takedown FTW" strategy to close the opening frame but Starks reversed and ended up on top raining down blows. The second round saw much of the same, until Herman snagged a takedown and immediately took the back and locked in a rear-naked choke. It took some work but it paid off in the end. That's three in a row, folks. Don't forget to check out our complete results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the main card action, which currently rolling right along on pay-per-view. Click here for all the coverage you need of the UFC 143 event.

Posted in: ufc, round, herman, stark, clifford starks

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Ed Herman continued his streak of excellent performances with a second-round rear naked choke victory over Clifford Starks in the first main card bout at UFC 143. Starks looked very good in the first, landing big right hands many times and arguably winning the round, but Herman tripped Starks to the mat in the second and took full advantage, quickly advancing position and slapping on a fight-ending choke. The official time of the finish was 1:52 on the second. Both fighters came out throwing and connecting early. Starks controlled Herman against the cage for a while, but was unable to land anything appreciable. Starks landed right hands a few times in a row, and pushed Herman against the cage again. Somehow, Herman started bleeding from the ear. Herman finally got off the cage and landed a few shots, but Starks responded with another solid right that caused Herman to look for a takedown. After some work, he was successful and moved to half guard. Starks reversed though, and landed a few punches to close out the round. Herman looked for an armbar, but it was too late. Starks and Herman started the second round a little more cautiously, and eventually it returned to Starks holding Herman against the cage. Herman pulled off a really nice trip takedown though, and jumped into mount immediately. Starks quickly flipped over and Herman locked on a rear naked choke. Starks tried to fight it off but was unsuccessful, and had to tap. Herman entered the cage on a two-fight winning streak, both quick finishes. He was out for almost two years with a major knee injury. Starks won his only UFC bout before this, picking up a unanimous decision over Dustin Jacoby at UFC 137. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: ufc, round, cage, herman, stark

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In the first pay-per-view fight of Saturday night's UFC 143 card, Clifford Starks fought Ed Herman in a middleweight bout. For Herman, it was his third consecutive win after missing nearly two years with a knee injury. For Starks, it was the first loss of his MMA career. "He was laying some good right hands on me. Fortunately I've got a good chin because he hit me hard a few times," Herman said. "When I started attacking with the choke I didn't feel him fighting it so I kept going and thankfully got the finish." The first round was fairly even, with Starks and Herman clinching against the cage early and going to the ground late, and neither man gaining much of an advantage. Starks appeared to land the harder punches and probably deserved to win the round. But at the start of the second round Herman did exactly what he needed to do, throwing Starks on the ground and getting into side control, then transitioning into full mount before taking Starks' back and sinking in the rear-naked choke to force Starks to tap. Herman improves his professional MMA record to 20-8, and he's been looking great since returning from that injury. Short Fuse is back.

Posted in: round, herman, stark, clifford starks, force starks

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Rising featherweight Dustin Poirier pushed his win streak to five-straight as he forced newcomer Max Holloway to submit to a mounted armbar/triangle choke combo to cap off Saturday’s UFC 143 preliminary card in Las Vegas. Earlier on the UFC 143 prelims, Edwin Figueroa claimed a split decision over “Bruce Leroy” Alex Caceres in an exciting fight marred by a two-point deduction to Caceres for low blows, while welterweight fan-favorite Matt Brown blasted Chris Cope for a second-round knockout. UFC 143 got underway with welterweight prospect Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson knocking out fellow newcomer Dan Stittgen in the opening round before Rafael Natal outpointed Michael Kuiper and Matt Riddle edges Henry Martinez for decision wins. MORE: UFC 143 Results and Live Play-by-Play for “Diaz vs. Condit” The complete UFC 143 preliminary card results were: Dustin Poirier def. Max Holloway via submission (mounted armbar/triangle) – Round 1, 3:23 Edwin Figueroa def. Alex Caceres via split decision (28-27, 27-28, 28-27) Matt Brown def. Chris Cope via KO (punches) – Round 2, 1:19 Matt Riddle def. Henry Martinez via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) Rafael Natal def. Michael Kuiper via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) Stephen Thompson def. Dan Stittgen via KO (kick) – Round 1, 4:13 Pictured: Dustin Poirier

Posted in: ufc, round, decision, split, poirier

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LAS VEGAS -- This is the UFC 143 live blog for Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks, a middleweight bout on tonight's UFC pay-per-view at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.Herman (19-7) finished both his fights last year, stopping Tim Credeur and submitting Kyle Noke. Starks won his UFC debut last October, outpointing Dustin Jacoby in a unanimous decision. The live blog is below. More Coverage: UFC 143 ResultsWalkout Shirts: Nick Diaz | Carlos Condit | Roy Nelson Round 1: Round 2:Round 3:

Posted in: ufc, round, blog, tim credeur, stark

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The prelims are for UFC 143 have completed. Here they are. Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson destroyed Dan Stittgen with a head kick knockout @ 4:13 of the first round. Stittgen stood with him for some odd reason and damn, he paid a serious price for it. This will be your Knockout Of The Night. I don't care what else happens. Rafael Natal won a Unanimous Decision over Michael "Judo?" Kuiper (30-27x2 and 29-28). This one turned out to be pretty entertaining. Natal completed 5 takedowns in the first round alone prompting Joe Rogan to praise Michael Kuiper for his takedown defense (seriously). The second round was pretty much Natal landing absurd haymakers while Kuiper plodded forward and landed a number of strikes on his own. The third opened up with Kuiper crushing Natal with a right uppercut and nearly finishing the fight before Natal turned the tide and got Michael back to the ground, nearly submitting him with an arm triangle. I enjoyed this fight quite a bit. Matt Riddle defeated Henry Martinez by a garbage split decision. Martinez, despite a HUGE size disadvantage absolutely lit Matt Riddle up on the feet for the first round and a half. He landed crisp counters and dominated the fight until Riddle discovered body kicks and started mashing buttons at the very end of the second. Riddle clearly dominated the 3rd round but in no way deserved that decision. Martinez should get another chance and hopefully at his real weight of 155. Martinez got flat out jobbed here. Someone needs to make sure that isn't Leonard Garcia inside a Matt Riddle suit. Matt Brown put Chris Cope to sleep with a right-left combo in the second round. The first round was on the close side but a clear 10-9 for "The Immortal". Brown really started to get loose in the 2nd frame and it felt like a matter of time before he landed the deathblow and that was certainly the case as he dazed Cope with a right hand and then put him down with a left to the temple. A few shots on the ground and that was all she wrote. Edwin Figueroa defeated Alex Caceres via Split Decision in the LONGEST THREE ROUND FIGHT EVER!!! Caceres absolutely jackhammered Figueroa with a penis head kick (hat tip to Dennis Bermudez) in the first round. After a long recovery period and a "strong warning" from Herb Dean, Edwin came back and dropped Alex with a MASSIVE head kick (to the correct head) and nearly stopped him. Alex ended up getting out of it and taking his back before the round ended. Then in the 2nd round, Alex lands yet another vicious penis head kick on Figueroa. After another long recovery period, Herb Dean takes *2* points from Caceres. The third round was full of more back and forth action with Figueroa being vulnerable to infinite submissions but surviving due to Alex's inability to lock up a choke. After the fight, Caceres can't believe that there is not one more round. That head kick really scrambled his brains. I can't even get too mad at the judges decision, though. The fight was a complete cluster and easily one of the more bizarre fights I have ever watched. Dustin Porier submitted Max Holloway @ 3:23 1st round in what should be YOUR Submission of the Night. Porier got the takedown and went straight to mount. He locked up a tight armbar, transitioned to a triangle choke and rolled into mount. He finally got the tap from a nasty mounted triangle/armbar. Holloway is apparently only a white belt in bjj so that kind of stuff is likely to happen when you are in there with a monster like Porier. That was fantastic stuff. Thanks for stopping by!

Posted in: fight, round, head, kick, alex

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Matt Brown picked up his second victory in his last three bouts with a knockout of Chris Cope on the preliminary card of UFC 143. After a fairly even first round, Brown caught Cope with a shot that seemed to mess with Cope's equilibrium early in the second, and Brown finished him off soon after. The official time of the finish was at 1:19 on the second round. The fighters opened the bout with some solid striking exchanges, and Brown looking to control against the cage. Cope managed to reverse it though, and strafed Brown with an elbow. He ate a big knee on the break though. Brown ducked a punch and briefly got a takedown, but Cope popped back up immediately. After an extended period of time against the fence, Brown managed to sweep a leg and briefly get another takedown, but once again Cope was right back to his feet. Cope tried to stay at range and land strikes, but Brown got the better of it with a solid right hand and some kicks to close out the first. The fighters once again stood toe-to-toe in the second, with Brown getting the early advantage on the feet. Cope then attempted to stay at range again, but Brown landed a big right hand to the ear that stunned Cope. Brown then dropped him with a left, and two more shots ended the bout.Brown entered the fight with just one win in his last five fights, and the bout was vital for him in terms of continued employment in the UFC. Cope was a member of Team Lesnar on TUF 13 and was coming off a quick knockout loss to Che Mills at UFC 138. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: ufc, round, right hand, che mills, team lesnar

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Rafael Natal looked quite impressive in picking up his second straight UFC victory, winning a unanimous decision on the preliminary card of UFC 143. Sapo controlled most of the fight with solid takedowns, despite a major scare early in the third where Kuiper had him hurt and curled up against the cage. The judges had it 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28. After exchanging kicks early in the first, Sapo immediately got a takedown and jumped into mount. It only lasted about two seconds though, and Kuiper was back on his feet. Sapo got three more takedowns over the next couple of minutes, but Kuiper was able to get up again and again. Natal worked hard to pass when it was on the ground, but Kuiper was able to stifle him. A fifth Sapo takedown led to a Kuiper sweep, but Natal latched on an armbar. Kuiper popped out though, and the round ended back on the feet. The second round opened with some solid exchanges on the feet, and Natal looked a little tired. Sapo's takedown attempts were coming in slower, and Kuiper was controlling Natal against the cage. Natal landed two huge right hands, but Kuiper didn't even blink. Sapo then took control against the cage, landing knees and some punches but still couldn't get the takedown. Natal threw two spinning back fists, both of which glanced off Kuiper's head. Kuiper responded by continually walking down Natal, shrugging off his takedown attempts, and trying to land punches. Natal finally got a takedown with 20 seconds to go in the round. Kuiper turned it around in the third round though, coming out and dropping Natal with a huge uppercut. Sapo was pushed up against the fence, eating many big shots from Kuiper. Sapo tried to curl up around Kuiper's leg, but Kuiper switched to big body shots and more solid punches to the head. Natal managed to weather the storm though, and got to his feet. Then he took Kuiper down with a big slam. Natal worked from side control and elbowed the side of Kuiper's head, then moved to mount. Natal locked on an arm triangle, but Kuiper managed to hold on until the final bell. Kuiper was making his UFC debut tonight, after going 11-0 on the European circuit. He is a judo black belt and BJJ purple belt under Carlos Machado. This was Natal's fourth bout in the UFC, and he held a 1-1-1 record coming in. He was coming off a broken hand suffered in his win over Paul Bradley at UFC 133 in August. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: ufc, takedown, round, kuiper, sapo

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LAS VEGAS -- This is the UFC 143 live blog for all the preliminary bouts in support of tonight's UFC pay-per-view at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.On the FX portion of the card are Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier, Jorge Lopez vs. Matt Riddle, Alex Caceres vs. Edwin Figueroa and Matt Brown vs. Chris Cope. Featured on Facebook are Rafael Natal vs. Michael Kuiper and Dan Stittgen vs. Stephen Thompson. The live blog is below. More Coverage: UFC 143 ResultsWalkout Shirts: Nick Diaz | Carlos Condit | Roy Nelson Dan Stittgen vs. Stephen Thompson Round 1: Rafael Natal vs. Michael Kuiper Round 1: Alex Caceres vs. Edwin Figueroa Round 1:Matt Riddle vs. Henry Martinez Round 1:Matt Brown vs. Chris Cope Round 1:Dustin Poirier vs. Max HollowayRound 1:

Posted in: ufc, round, vs, matt, vs chris

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Dave Camarillo is one of the most respected grappling instructors in mixed martial arts (MMA) today. With his acumen for injecting all forms of sambo, judo, wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu into his teachings, he's developed a ground-specific version of MMA and it's translated into a lifelong friendship with top American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) fighters like Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck. While Camarillo is no longer affiliated with AKA, choosing instead to focus on his two grappling gyms full-time, he will continue to corner fighters like Koscheck and Fitch until they call it quits. During a special guest appearance on The Verbal Submission last night, Camarillo, who will be in the corner of Josh Koscheck tonight (Feb. 4, 2012) in Las Vegas, Nevada, for UFC 143, closed our interview by discussing his specific tactics for cornering a fighter, using several instances with Cain Velasquez in great detail. Check it out: Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): I know you're planning on cornering Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck for the remainder of their careers. Are you flying out to Vegas to corner Josh [on Saturday] night? Dave Camarillo: Yeah, I leave [Saturday] morning and I'll be in his corner and it'll be in and out for that one but yes. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): I have corner strategies. We see guys like Greg Jackson, he's more about calming his fighter down, just getting them to relax in between rounds and you see corners like Frankie Edgar's boxing coach [Mark Henry] give him specific advice, ideas, things to work on and and adjustments to make. What type of cornerman are you when you're in there helping your fighter out between rounds? Dave Camarillo: Okay, I'll just give an example, Cain Velasquez versus Ben Rothwell, if you watch the fight you can hear me say something like, "I want his shoulders flat." I'll talk about that in a second, but for me, it's simple commands of what I see out of the first round. Of course we have our say before the first round but that's in camp. We don't have too much to say but simple things like, "Keep your hands up. Give me some aggressive footwork. I want you in and out. Don't hang out in the pocket." Little things like that are very important especially the first round because that's when everyone has the most power but after the first round or even analyzing a fighter, when I was in the corner for Cain and we saw Nogueira, Nogueira's not very athletic. That's no disrespect to him, he's just not very athletic. That's genetics. So when he was jumping up and down, I was looking across and thinking, "We got this fight," because Cain is super-athletic. He's super-quick. He can change directions very quick. He can be up and be down, be left and be right faster than probably anyone in the heavyweight division so when I looked at that, I was like, "We got this. Nogueira's slower. He's not so athletic. We're gonna keep moving," so after that first round with Ben Rothwell, I saw the same things. [Rothwell's] not very athletic. He's a power guy, he's got some power in his hands, he's a heavy guy but if you put him down, he's got to get all that weight back up and a guy who's not so athletic can't get to their feet real quickly so, for example, I just said, "Get those shoulders flat like it's a wrestling game." Simple, clear-cut. Get those shoulders flat because I want him to be flat and to have to spend all that energy getting back up and what happened was the storm was never weathered. Cain kept coming and that guy exhausted himself and he just couldn't even defend punches so I look for athleticism. I look for people's strengths, trying to avoid that and the first round tells me a lot because you don't really know what's going on until your fighter has fought him for five minutes, if that makes sense. To listen to the full 50+ minute audio of our interview with Dave Camarillo, click here. It begins at the 60 minute mark. Mobile users can download the episode here. So, Maniacs, does Camarillo make some intriguing points? Do you expect Josh Koscheck to run through Mike Pierce tonight? Will the former AKA trainer be able to keep his fighter confident and in charge? Speak up!

Posted in: fighter, round, josh koscheck, he, camarillo

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LAS VEGAS, February 4 - Dustin Poirier ran his win streak to four in a row in UFC 143 prelim action Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, tapping out Hawaii’s Max Holloway with an armbar from a mounted triangle at 3:23 of round one. Holloway, the youngest fighter on the UFC roster at 20, was the aggressor early on the feet, but he was unable to stop a Poirier double leg slam that forced the action to the canvas. “I’m happy. You know, I’m 4-0 in the UFC now. I’m for real now,” said Poirier, who keeps inching his way into title contention against UFC featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo. “(Max Holloway) is tough. He’s a great kickboxer. A lot of people don’t know him but I trained for him like I would train for Anderson Silva.” EDWIN FIGUEROA VS. ALEX CACERESEdwin Figueroa walked away from the Octagon holding his crotch. Alex Caceres walked away wondering … well, who really knows? Surely the 23-year-old bantamweight could learn a valuable lesson after controlling Figueroa for much of their scrap – but he was unable to overcome a two-point deduction for the second of two killer low blows that made Figueroa collapse to the canvas, writhing in pain and requiring minutes to recover. Only Figueroa can say how much those devastating illegal kicks to the groin weakened him. But Texas’ Figueroa was performing early in round one – finding “Bruce Leroy’s” chin on a few occasions, even though Caceres did momentarily drop him with a shot.Then came a brutal low kick from Caceres. Upon the first infraction, referee Herb Dean warned Caceres but did not deduct a point. After taking minutes to regroup, and visibly miffed, Figueroa fought on and landed a hard kick to the face that dropped Caceres, who absorbed some ground and pound shots but later turned the tide, forcing a ground war and hanging on Figueroa like a backpack but unable to finish him with a rear naked choke. Caceres was finding his groove early in the second, scoring with a front kick and a hard right hand. Then came a second, hard blow to the crotch. Again Figueroa lay on the canvas in agony. When they resumed, referee Dean signaled for the two-point deduction, and urgency set in for Caceres to make up the deficit on the judges’ scorecards. The Miamian was impressive for the remainder of the bout against a weakened Figueroa, whom he dominated in the grappling realm. But at every turn Figueroa fought off Caceres’ choke attacks, triangles and armbars. In the end judges scored it 28-27, 28-27 and 27-28 for Figueroa, now 9-1. Caceres fell to 6-5. CHRIS COPE VS. MATT BROWNA right-hand missile from Matt Brown put Chris Cope on the deck in their welterweight bout, and four blistering ground and pound shots sealed the deal at 1:19 of the second round. The right hand that rocked Cope (5-4) caught him behind the ear. “That’s exactly what I need to be doing,” Brown said of his knockout. “I got away from who I am. I’m back. I had always been trying out new things and this ain’t really the place to be trying them out. So enough of that. I got a right hand that will knock out anybody so I believe you’ll see more of that.” MATT RIDDLE VS. HENRY MARTINEZSometimes you have to think that Matt Riddle just doesn’t give a damn about strategy and doing whatever it takes to win. Foremost for the free-spirited welterweight, is to put on a show for fans, snatch a Fight of The Night bonus and be involved in the bloodiest battle possible. The more damage, the better – even if Riddle is the punching bag. And that he was for most of the first round, when the much speedier Henry Martinez repeatedly cracked him with hard punching combinations, bloodying Riddle’s eyes, ears and nose. Interesting to note is that Riddle is the much larger fighter, 6’1” to Martinez’s 5’7”. While Riddle is eating punches – and apparently enjoying it – you can’t help but wonder, “Why not throw more kicks?” “Why not mix it up with a little Muay Thai clinch or even some wrestling?” Why not put that much bigger body on the smaller fighter and make him carry your weight and maybe get tired down the stretch?” Well, Riddle did adapt in round two, unloading with a much greater volume of hard kicks to Martinez’s body and head. Finally the Las Vegas transplant had broken the groove of Martinez, a very crisp boxer, who countered punches very well but could not stop the array of kicks coming his way. As a now-bleeding Martinez began to tire, Riddle amped up his assault and the two southpaws treated fans to toe-to-toe exchanges as the second round ended. Riddle did his best Ray Lewis impersonation on the way to his stool between rounds, screaming at the top of his lungs and imploring fans to get fired up. In the third round, Riddle suddenly employed strategy, whacking Martinez with hard kicks to the leg and liver. Then he finally decided to put that big body on Martinez, taking him down and taking his back. Riddle would score another takedown and rain down with ground and pound as time expired, earning a split decision from judges by scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29. MICHAEL KUIPER VS. RAFAEL NATALThere were moments when Rafael Natal, a BJJ black belt, repeatedly outstruck newcomer Michael Kuiper, popping The Netherlands’ standup specialist with some solid right hands, scoring with leg kicks and even a spinning backfist. But it was Natal’s bread and butter – grappling – that cemented his unanimous decision victory and dealt Kuiper (11-1) his first professional loss. The first round wasn’t a barnburner, but Natal scored five takedowns. He was reversed late in the round and ate a few shots on the bottom, but seemed to have done enough to win the round. In round two, fatigue seemed to afflict both fighters in what was mostly a standup battle that saw Natal possibly get the better of the exchanges (Kuiper just kept coming forward, with little head or lateral movement, and ate quite a few right hands as a consequence). Seconds into the third, a Kuiper uppercut dropped the New York transplant to his knees. Kuiper swarmed on top but could not find the shots that would put away his woozy adversary. The second half of the round belonged to Natal, who somehow mustered the strength for an explosive slam, dominated with top position and threatened with an arm triangle as time expired. After the fight, Natal spoke of the wicked right uppercut that rocked him.“It was bad because it was the beginning of the round. I felt everything was dark,” said Natal, a Brazilian native who is now 14-3-1 and has won two straight in the UFC. “But my jiu-jitsu saved me again (when) I got him in the half-guard.” STEPHEN THOMPSON VS. DAN STITTGENFor one fight at least, Stephen Thompson was as good as advertised. The highly-touted kempo karate and kickboxing ace showed remarkable poise and grace in his UFC debut, essentially toying with Dan Stittgen before putting him out cold with a roundhouse kick to the jaw. Unorthodox throughout, the lanky South Carolinian (6-0) patiently picked Stittgen (7-2) apart with a wide variety of kicks. Most interestingly, Thompson held his hands very low, almost daring Stittgen to be aggressive so he could counterattack. Yet Stittgen maintained a low punch volume. When the Illinois fighter did attack, he threw a left hook and stepped to his left – unwittingly walking right into a perfectly placed roundhouse to the jaw. At 4:13 of round one, it was a wrap. “No words can really describe it,” said the 28-year-old Thompson, unbeaten in 50-plus kickboxing fights as well. “Those round kicks, we use them a lot in Karate. They can pack a lot of power and people don’t see ‘em.”

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LAS VEGAS, February 4 - In a battle of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts, Fabricio Werdum brutalized and bloodied Roy Nelson in the Muay Thai clinch for most of their UFC 143 co-main event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday night, winning a unanimous decision. And yet a slimmed down “Big Country” never stopped coming forward, even briefly dropping Werdum with his signature overhand right in what was otherwise a grossly lopsided first round. The whuppin’ Werdum delivered also featured high kicks, front kicks to the face and crisp punching combinations. The world champion grappler’s unpredictability served notice to future heavyweights that Werdum, after nearly 3 and ½ years away from the Octagon, can beat opponents in so many different ways. “This was the strategy. I know Roy Nelson is a tough guy, but I do Muay Thai every day,” said Werdum, whose closest call came when Roy Nelson trapped him in a tight standing guillotine choke.Scores for Werdum were 30-27 across the board.MIKE PIERCE VS. JOSH KOSCHECK Up and coming welterweight Mike Pierce called out longtime contender Josh Koscheck and did his best to back it up, but it was “Kos” who grinded out a split decision in UFC 143 main card action Saturday.In what was predominantly a standup affair between two high-level wrestlers, a couple of Koscheck takedowns, some timely right hands and being busier down the stretch likely proved to be the difference. Koscheck bled from the mouth and Pierce from the nose by the end of the fight. As they often do, when “Voice of the Octagon” Bruce Buffer announced the winner, fans indulged the opportunity to massively boo Koscheck, which didn’t faze the welterweight contender too much. “You guys boo me all the time. I’m the most hated man in MMA,” he said nonchalantly. “Guess what? I win. Deal with it, man. I win.” Two judges scored the bout 29-28 for Koscheck (19-5); the third saw it 29-28 for Pierce (13-5).RENAN BARAO VS. SCOTT JORGENSENFast and accurate puncher? Check.Hard leg kicks. Check.Distinguished BJJ black belt? Check.Superb takedown defense? Check.Future UFC champ? Well, the verdict is still out on whether Renan Barao will reach MMA’s Promised Land, but after stretching his unbeaten streak to 30 fights (tops in the UFC) with a commanding win over Scott Jorgensen, it does not seem far-fetched to think the 24-year-old Brazilian just might follow in the footsteps of teammate and featherweight superstar Jose Aldo. Through the first two rounds, Barao virtually put on a clinic, loading up on his jabs, low kicks, and cracking Jorgensen hard with combinations that occasionally snapped the Idahoan’s head back. A lesser opponent would have folded, for sure, but Jorgensen is nothing short of a battering ram, and he just kept brushing off the carnage and charging forward (and occasionally landing some hard shots himself). Jorgensen, a decorated Division I wrestler in his day, tried in vain for takedowns but was always rebuffed. Entering the third round, this much was clear: Jorgensen would need a finish to pull it out. One of his cornermen tried to inspire that sense of urgency in Jorgensen as he stepped off his stool to begin the final round. “Win this fight right now! Come on let’s go!” he yelled. Jorgensen (13-5) remained super-aggressive and had his best round, drawing blood on Barao’s face with his punches. Yet Barao, despite losing a little bit of steam on his punches, always retaliated and usually got the better of the exchanges. Judges handed him a unanimous decision via scores of 30-27 across the board. “I came here to fight three rounds. He was a very tough opponent and I expected that,” Barao said. “We trained a lot the distance and the kicks. That was exactly the gameplan.” Before leaving his interview with commentator Joe Rogan, Barao had a message for everyone else at 135 pounds.“I want the belt!” he yelled. ED HERMAN VS. CLIFFORD STARKSEd Herman couldn’t stop the heavy right hand of Clifford Starks. And Clifford Starks couldn’t stop the Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills of Ed Herman. In the end, it was Herman’s BJJ that triumphed, knocking Starks from the ranks of the unbeaten with a rear naked choke at 1:43 of the second stanza. “He was landing some good right hands on me; luckily I got a good chin because he was hitting me hard,” said Herman, his left eye swollen and beginning to close. “I was surprised I was getting hit with them. I shouldn’t have been standing right in front of him, but I pulled it off.” Herman improved to 20-7. Starks, a former Arizona State University wrestler, fell to 8-1.

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LAS VEGAS, February 4 – Georges St-Pierre longs to punish the only fighter he hates. But instead of facing bitter rival Nick Diaz for the UFC welterweight title, GSP must now mentally prepare to battle a teammate of sorts in Carlos Condit. With GSP watching cageside, Condit uncharacteristically and methodically danced and kicked his way to a unanimous decision victory over Diaz Saturday night in the UFC 143 main event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. The triumph earned Condit the UFC interim welterweight title, and he will meet St-Pierre for the belt sometime later this year depending on St. Pierre’s pending recovery from a torn ACL.  “It was pretty sweet. My coaches and teammates prepared me for this fight,” said Condit, the former World Extreme Cagefighting champ who pushed his record to 28-6. “I did what they told me to do and it carried me to victory. Hats off to Nick Diaz. He’s a warrior. I’ve got nothing but respect for how he fights.” Regarding his future date with GSP, who trains at Tri-Star in Montreal under Firas Zahabi but who has also trained extensively with Condit trainer Greg Jackson, Condit had this to say: “It is an honor. Georges is a guy I’ve looked up to since I was young and before I was in the UFC. I’m completely honored.” Diaz, who stalked Condit nearly all of the fight and had his moments with combinations – including an impressive 8 or 9-punch combo to Condit’s body in round two – surprised everyone in the post-fight interview, effectively announcing his retirement at the relatively tender age of 28. “I’m not going to accept the fact this was a loss,” said Diaz (27-8), who hadn’t lost in over four years. “I’ve lost fights before…but that (decision) ain’t right. I pushed him back the whole fight, I walked him back …Carlos is a great guy. I think I’m done with this MMA ... I had some fun. I don’t need this s---. I pushed this guy backward the whole fight. He kicked me with little baby leg kicks the whole fight. I don’t want to fight this way anymore. I’m out of this s---.” Diaz had made things very interesting late in the final round when he took Condit down, took his back and tried for a rear naked choke. To chants of  “Diaz! Diaz!” the usually ultra-aggressive Condit came out in the first round way more mobile than usual, firing away with leg kicks. In the second half of the round, however, Diaz, ever-stalking and now verbally taunting, scored with his boxing, included a beautiful shot to the body followed up with a crisp punch to the face. By round’s end, Diaz was still sticking out that chin and taunting and Condit was bleeding under his left eye. In round two, Condit was more reticent and dancing. Greg Jackson’s were fingerprints all over it and Diaz was the one constantly pushing the action. In Diaz’s best sequence of the fight, he caught Condit against the fence and unleashed a volley of eight or nine punches to the body. Condit wasn’t nearly as busy as he had been in the first stanza. In rounds three and four, Condit started attacking Diaz with more vigor, primarily behind an assortment of kicks to Diaz’s lead leg, midsection and head. Never did it seem as if the charging Diaz was wounded, but perhaps the noted boxer became frustrated by Condit’s constant mobility and refusal to stand in the pocket to exchange. Nevertheless, it was an intelligent and effective strategy, one that allowed Condit to cinch rounds three and four in the eyes of many in media row. Simply, Diaz’s fists had trouble finding any part of Condit’s body. Judges scored it 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46 for Condit.

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MMAFrenzy.com will have live results and play-by-play from tonight’s UFC 143 event in Las Vegas, which is headlined by Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit for the interim welterweight title and a shot at champion Georges St-Pierre. Our live coverage will begin at 7pm ET for the preliminary card, which airs on Facebook (7pm) and FX (8pm), and 10pm ET for the pay-per-view main card. Enjoy the live UFC 143 results below, share your thoughts in the comments, and stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for the latest UFC 143 coverage. UFC 143 Live Results MAIN CARD Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Interim UFC Welterweight Championship Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce Scott Jorgensen vs. Renan Barao Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks PRELIMINARY CARD Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway Alex Caceres vs. Edwin Figueroa Matt Brown vs. Chris Cope Matt Riddle vs. Henry Martinez Rafael Natal vs. Michael Kuiper Stephen Thompson vs. Dan Stittgen UFC 143 Play-by-Play (refresh for updates) NICK DIAZ vs. CARLOS CONDIT Round 1 - ROY NELSON vs. FABRICIO WERDUM Round 1 - JOSH KOSCHECK vs. MIKE PIERCE Round 1 - RENAN BARAO vs. SCOTT JORGENSEN Round 1 - ED HERMAN vs. CLIFFORD STARKS Round 1 - Pictured: Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit (via @danawhite)

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Nick Diaz vs Carlos Condit Brent Brookhouse: I keep wanting to pick Condit here and then I think of all these reasons not to. Diaz has the relentless attack on the feet and solid grappling on the ground. But there's something that just keeps sticking out for me and that's that I really think Condit's wrestling is being overlooked here. I really do think he has it in him to score takedowns and do damage from the top while being cautious enough to not get caught in a submission. Diaz is going to have great moments and absolutely could (and probably even should) win the fight. That's not hedging my bet, it's just accepting reality. But in the end I think Condit can do enough to win a very close decision by working an underrated takedown/ground and pound attack. Carlos Condit by decision. Leland Roling: After Nick Diaz completely destroyed B.J. Penn, it's difficult to see a path of victory for a fighter such as Carlos Condit. While he does possess solid wrestling, above average striking, adept grappling chops, and toughness, Diaz is a well-oiled machine that doesn't even stop when Paul Daley lands an atomic bomb on the chin. Lemme correct that. He stops for a split second, gets up, then continues wailing on his opponent. Unless Condit can smother Diaz with positional dominance for the entire fight, I see Diaz battering Condit to victory. Nick Diaz via TKO, Round 3. Anton Tabuena: My prediction, the fans win regardless cause this will be a great bout no matter how it turns out... As for the fight itself, I think Condit will win the earlier moments, but Diaz will be able to take those shots, then overwhelm him when he gets to set his pace, and make it a Diaz-type of fight. Nick Diaz by late TKO. Fraser Coffeen: Though I have tried, I just can't see a path to a Condit victory here. Diaz is very hard to KO and he's significantly better on the ground. That just leaves a decision, but I don't see Condit being able to withstand the Diaz barrage for 25 minutes, much less withstand it AND outpoint him at the same time. This should be a great fight, and Condit will make it fun, but I can't see any other outcome. Nick Diaz by TKO, round 4. Tim Burke: I see two ways Condit wins. One is that bomb he dropped Hardy with, because as much as people point to Nick's stellar chin all the time, he does get dropped a fair amount. The other is something I hadn't thought about until a jiu-jitsu guy from Santa Cruz mentioned it - Condit could stop him via cuts. Both are pretty low-percentage though. I think Nick wears him down with his relentless attack, and Condit will try and tangle on the ground in the latter half of the fight due to losing the standup. And...Diaz will submit him. Yup, I said it. Nick Diaz by submission, round 4. T.P. Grant: Both Condit and Diaz are great fighters, but at this point I feel Diaz is just better in most regards. Could Condit knock Diaz out? Certainly, Diaz's defensive fundamentals are not present at all and Condit has the killer instinct to be the first guy to finish Diaz. But to really hit Diaz, you have to find time in between punches to throw your own. I think Diaz digs to the body wears Condit down. Nick Diaz by TKO, Round 4. Ben Thapa: In my head, this is the kind of fight that should be one of the first few videos people cue up to their friends and make new MMA fans. People should be proselytizing with Diaz and Condit fights to begin with, but this could be the modern equivalent of the Frank Shamrock/Tito Ortiz match that got me seriously into the sport. I spent quite a bit of time rambling about narratives and the one storyline I believe has the momentum and the power to continue on in victory is that of Nick Diaz. His boxing, his tenacity, the doubtful impact Condit's kicks are going to have and the pace should have his hand raised in victory. Nick Diaz, KO, Round 4. David Castillo: As great as this fight is on paper, I'm having trouble really predicting how it'll actually play out. I suspect it won't be quite as chaotic as people think. Both guys, despite being in a lot of great fights are more calculated then they're given credit for, and a lot of those wars have come against fighters who caught them ala Condit/Ellenberger and Diaz/Daley. Still, I think Nick takes this fight. I would have picked Condit, but after watching Diaz beat Penn, I just don't see Carlos weathering the storm over the course of five rounds. And Nick has shown some newfound instincts in being interested in preventing the takedown, and getting right back up: even though Condit isn't a great wrestler to begin with. Even so, Nick is more polished on the ground. Nick keeps the fight standing, and Condit dies by the thousand cuts. Nick Diaz by decision. Dallas Winston: There are so many weird parallels here to Nate's fight with Cerrone, and I envision the same outcome. Condit is an aggressive, slightly stronger (physically), Muay Thai technician with sick BJJ. I just see Nick trudging into phone-booth range with his incessant and off-tempo boxing and completely owning the rhythm. This match up features a scintillating medley of impenetrable chins, fluid BJJ, technical brawling and raw toughness; I give Nick a fraction of an edge in each category. Nick Diaz by decision. Staff Picking Diaz: Fraser, Anton, Tim, Grant, Leland, Ben, David, DallasStaff Picking Condit: BrentStaff Picking the Fans: Roth, (And Anton) SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Roy Nelson vs Fabricio Werdum Brent Brookhouse: I'd roll with picking Nelson if I trusted him to be able to fight at a high level for three full rounds. But I think we're to the point now where we need to start really treating the whole "looks are deceiving, Nelson has great cardio" talk as what it is. A myth. Nelson is fine when he's controlling the action, but Werdum was confident enough in his striking to have moments against Overeem, if he'd have not abandoned it for the butt scoot. The opening for a knockout is there for Roy, but it's a fast closing window as the fight wears on. Werdum can pick his way to an ugly decision win. Fabricio Werdum by decision. Leland Roling: The argument against Werdum winning is rooted heavily on Junior dos Santos knocking him out of the UFC back at UFC 117. For some reason, Werdum's chin has been questionable ever since despite going 3-1 in his next 4 fights and going to decision with power puncher Alistair Overeem. Nelson has knockout power, but he's far from an elite striker. Werdum beats him wherever he wants, but I think it turns into a stand-up affair with Werdum edging Nelson the scorecards. Fabricio Werdum via decision Anton Tabuena: Tough fight to pick, and I expect this to be a really close bout. Werdum has better BJJ, but I don't think he'll be able to keep Nelson down or submit him, and I don't think he can knock him out either. So I think his only path is to outpoint him, and while that can very well happen, I think it would be hard for him to spend 15 minutes trying to avoid that right hand. I'm going with the upset, Roy Nelson by KO. Fraser Coffeen: This fight gives me troubles. On the one hand, I think Werdum is the superior striker, the superior grappler, and should take this. But he also isn't great about protecting his head, which is bad against a heavy one punch KO guy like Big Roy. He also has a habit of fighting off his back, which is frowned on by judges. So there are a lot of ways Roy can win, and I have a tough time picturing how Werdum wins. All that said, I think Werdum is faster and has more dimensions, so gets it done, but it's close. Fabricio Werdum by decision Tim Burke: I don't really see this is a a close fight at all. Werdum is better everywhere. Yes, Werdum could get caught by the big right hand, but honestly, Werdum has a good chin despite his defensive woes. His standup still looks sloppy, but it's a lot more varied than Roy's. If Roy works a takedown and tries out his top game, he COULD ride out a decision. But I highly doubt that. It's not going to be a pretty fight, but it's Werdum's to lose. Fabricio Werdum by decision. T.P. Grant: Werdum struggles with elite strikers who are difficult to take down and good enough on the ground to stand back up. That is not Roy Nelson. Big Country has passable striking, but nothing special and has good top control but he isn't going to stick Werdum in a crucifix position. I think if he tries to roll with Werdum on the mat Nelson will get tapped out. Fabricio Werdum by Submission, Round 3. Ben Thapa: I believe Roy Nelson will come out and try to implement the same gameplan he had against Two Saints. It likely has a better chance of working too. Werdum is more vulnerable to the takedowns against the cage and Nelson certainly isn't going to get knocked out by Werdum's punches. That being said, I think Werdum fights off the takedowns and barely outpoints Nelson, who'll be hunting the big right hand while recuperating from the energy expended trying to drive Werdum down without giving any limbs up for grabs. It pains me to vote against the Battle Beard, but I'm picking the rangier guy with the better ground game here. Werdum, decision. David Castillo: Werdum absolutely baffles me. One minute he's going toe to toe with Overeem (in whatever sense you want to interpret that), and the next minute he's getting picked apart by Gonzaga (2nd fight, before the TKO), and Silva (early). I think this is a pretty good matchup for Nelson. He can avoid being submitted, and he packs that raw power that should come in handy against the still awkward-on-the-feet looking Werdum. However, Werdum has a habit of simply getting it done. I have to think he'll get it done against Nelson, who to me didn't look all that great last time. Fabricio Werdum by decision. Dallas Winston: Big Country is a high level grappler but a master of position rather than submissions. Werdum's credentials trump Nelson's, which only leaves Nelson with landing the overhand meathook, and Werdum compensates for a lack of power in his Muay Thai with excellent quickness for a heavy. Fabricio Werdum by decision. Staff Picking Nelson: AntonStaff Picking Werdum: Fraser, Tim, Grant, Leland, Brookhouse, Ben, David, Roth, Dallas Josh Koscheck vs Mike Pierce Brent Brookhouse: I think Tim nails it a few picks down. While Pierce is good, Koscheck is better. If Pierce wins I think it's only if Koscheck gets stupid and I think this is the kind of fight Josh takes far more often than loses. Josh Koscheck by TKO, round 2. Leland Roling: As far as underdog picks go, Mike Pierce is as legitimate as they come. And Matt Hughes was absolutely outstriking Josh Koscheck until the hammer landed. So, the possibility is there for Pierce to take advantage of Koscheck's obsession with landing the knockout blow. In this fight, Koscheck must wrestle to win. If he doesn't, we could be in for a shocker. Josh Koscheck via decision. Anton Tabuena: Pierce always has a chance to upset anyone with his style of fighting, but Koscheck is just the better fighter overall. Josh Koscheck by Decision. Fraser Coffeen: A part of me is still thinking about Fitch/Hendricks and wanting to pick Pierce for the upset, but no. Koscheck is just a lot better, that's all there is to it. Josh Koscheck by KO, round 1. Tim Burke: Pierce is good. Koscheck is better. Kos is still lazy with his standup and could get caught Sam The Eagle-style again, but I don't see it happening here. Kos will get 15 minutes of cage time in and move onto bigger and better things (like Carlos Condit). Josh Koscheck by decision. T.P. Grant: I want to pick Pierce. We didn't see Kos really get hit against Hughes, and his surgically repaired eye will be a target for Pierce. That said, Kos is just a better overall fighter, and while I think the fight is competitive, Kos comes out on top. Josh Koscheck by Decision. Ben Thapa: Knocking out Matt Hughes is not meaningless. BJ Penn gave Diaz a heck of a fight for a while and lost to Diaz 29-28. At the same time, Pierce doesn't get knocked out. He gets outwrestled and outstruck. Koscheck is capable of both, but probably not at the same time. Given his recent pattern of fights, I think Koscheck looks to outstrike Pierce and drops a round while doing it. The upset is certainly possible for Pierce if he can put Koscheck down like St-Pierre did. Koscheck, decision. David Castillo: Fools. All of you. Well, not really, but I think this is the easiest upset pick of all time. Mike Pierce gave Hendricks and Fitch all they could handle, except both are more durable than Koscheck and can take a much better punch than Koscheck, whose knockout losses to guys like Thiago, and what's-his-face from the TUF card way back when still linger. Pierce will get in his face, and land strikes on Koscheck, who will be rattled early and often. The fact that Kos will have a hard time getting the fight to the ground, and that he loves to indulge the same left jab-right hand combo means Pierce will get his chances. I'll look stupid when Pierce loses. But not this time. Mike Pierce by TKO, round 2. Dallas Winston: I haven't been able to mull this fight over yet. It's not that I'm unimpressed with Koscheck's wins -- but AJ, Semtex and Hughes are his only of significance and he struggles against other elite fighters. I just don't know if Pierce is elite. He can't hang with Koscheck's wrestling, but should stuff his share of takedowns or nullify a few with escapes. Pierce isn't a big power striker but has a nice in-fighting arsena, good, quick elbows and he's never been finished. I'll make my official prediction in the upcoming Dissection but will go bold in the interim. Mike Pierce by TKO. Staff Picking Koscheck: Fraser, Anton, Tim, Grant, Leland, Brookhouse, Ben, RothStaff Picking Pierce: David, Dallas* Renan Barao vs Scott Jorgensen Brent Brookhouse: This is a really great fight. Jorgensen is a really rugged guy who can go in there and mix it up in an exciting fight with anyone, but he's a flawed enough fighter that Barao's game can exploit some holes. He's much less of a defensive puzzle like Cruz, but more of an attacking force that I think Jorgensen can't withstand for three rounds. Renan Barao by submission, round 3. Leland Roling: At a glance, I'd go with Jorgensen's experience and wrestling to work over Barao. But beating down Brad Pickett in impressive fashion is no small feat. Barao showed us improvements in that fight, and I think we'll see more against Jorgensen. Renan Barao via decision. Anton Tabuena: Jorgensen is not good enough to beat Dominick Cruz, but he's still better than almost every single bantamweight out there, and I think that includes Barao. Scott Jorgensen by Decision. Fraser Coffeen: Like Werdum/Nelson, this one is a tough pick. Jorgensen is really good, with great wrestling and ability to control the fight. He has the skills to grind Barao down here. But so did Pickett on paper, and he got smashed. Barao has the momentum, and I think that, plus his sub games, wins the day here. Renan Barao by submission, round 1. Tim Burke: Again, I don't see this as all that close. While I've always really liked Jorgensen and root for him, he's in over his head here (literally). Barao's too athletic and Scotty's going have major trouble getting his hands on him. I really think Barao is the guy to give Dominick Cruz a real fight, and he'll prove it here by winning a handy decision over Jorg. Or He'll catch him in a leglock. I'll go with the more likely outcome. Renan Barao by decision. T.P. Grant: Barao's win streak is amazing, but I'm thinking it ends here. Jorgensen is still a great fighter can beat any Bantamweight not named Dominick Cruz on any given night. Jorgensen is going to grind Barao in the clinch and from top position. Scott Jorgensen by Decision. Ben Thapa: Jorgensen is going to come in with the intent to wrestle Barao into the ground and fully aware of the power of Barao's knees. If Barao's handlers are as smart as I think they are, they had him working with Grey Maynard when he was in town for Jose Aldo's training camp. Barao's coach, Jair Lourenco, must be a brilliant teacher because I've not seen someone skip steps and go right to the finish in striking or jiu jitsu so successfully before in MMA. As good as Jorgensen is, I don't think he can ward off Barao for a full three rounds. Something is going to slip through and when it does, Barao finishes. Barao, KO, Round 2. David Castillo: Awesome fight. I'm tempted to pick Scott because I think he do to Barao what he did to Curran. It's easy to be mesmerized by Renao's win over Pickett, and pretend he's the better fighter just because he's the hotter fighter but...no wait, yea that win was damn amazing. Still, I think Jorgensen will fight the conservative fight, and that'll make it tough for Barao, but I think momentum is on his side, along with the fact that he continues to improve while Scott is more or less the same fighter he's been for the last year or two. Renan Barao by decision. Dallas Winston: I would've liked to had the time to scrutinize Jorg's fight with Curran because I thought there was a legit case for "Big Frog" taking the decision. I thought he out-struck him in the second and third and forced Jorgensen to freeze from the top with dynamic guard activity. Barao might have not have the same level of takedown defense, but his offense is scintillating and Jorgensen's best way to win is least favored by fans. Renan Barao by decision. Staff Picking Barao: Fraser, Tim, Leland, Brookhouse, Ben, David, Roth, DallasStaff Picking Jorgensen: Anton, Grant Ed Herman vs Clifford Starks Brent Brookhouse: I really find something neat about Ed Herman's UFC stint. He's been mostly forgettable as a "lost in the shuffle guy" or a "long injury layoff guy" but has finished five of his six UFC wins over some very tough names. Starks is going to get trashed. Ed Herman by TKO, round 1. Leland Roling: Starks is a one-trick pony while Herman has consistently improved inside the Octagon. He has more tools, is more technical in both the stand-up and ground departments, and has fought better competition. No brainer. Ed Herman via submission. Fraser Coffeen: As much as I'd like to see the newcomer get ahead of the veteran midcarder, I don't see it happening. Starks will want to use his wrestling to win, but Herman is too experienced, too wise to let that happen. Look for Herman to avoid the takedown, get back to his feet, and outstrike Starks over 3 rounds. Ed Herman by decision. Tim Burke: Herman beasted Credeur and Noke, both solid fighters. As Fraser said, Starks will have to rely on his wrestling, and that's not easy against a (former) TQ guy. I like the new savage Herman, and it's going to continue Saturday night. Ed Herman by TKO, round 2. T.P. Grant: Herman has been impressive of late and is riding some good momentum. Herman seems more well rounded than Starks. Herman may drop a round, but I think he wins at least two. Ed Herman by Decision. Ben Thapa: Starks took that fight with Jacoby on short notice. We have not seen him at his best and he'll certainly come in this bout in better shape and with more energy than the grindfest we saw last time out. That being said, Herman has finally gotten over the knee injuries that kept him sidelined for so long and has put together some unusually good finishes. I'm hoping he can deal with the wrestling and get a leg like he did against Noke, but it may be trickier if Starks doesn't look to take many chances. I think Starks can pull off the UD and play it relatively safe. Herman won't be able to stand up or get a limb. Starks, decision. David Castillo: Herman is the guy that manages to win when it seems like no one else is looking. No one will be looking at him or Starks. Herman is simply the better fighter, and I think he'll get it to the ground and score the submission. Ed Herman by submission, round 2. Dallas Winston: All of Herman's UFC losses are extremely respectable. He's better everywhere but in pure wrestling and is quite dangerous from his guard. Ed Herman by submission. Staff Picking Herman: Fraser, Anton, Tim, Grant, Leland, Brookhouse, David, Roth, DallasStaff Picking Starks: Ben Dustin Poirier vs Max Holloway Brent Brookhouse: Takedown, violent ground and pound, game over. Dustin Poirier by TKO, round 1. Leland Roling: Holloway is a fun fighter, full of energy and an insane pace. If Poirier tries to stand and bang with him, it might get risky for him. If he's smart, however, he'll recognize Holloway's weaknesses on the ground. Rooting for Holloway here, but Poirier has more experience and the means to exploit Holloway's weaknesses. Dustin Poirier via submission. Tim Burke: Damn you, injuries. If Poirier vs. Erik Koch had actually happened, the main card would have been AMAZING. Unfortunately for both of them, Poirier is now on the undercard against a 20-year-old Hawaiian (the youngest fighter in the UFC) with just 4 fights of pro experience. He has some amateur experience, but still. Poirier is way too much, too soon for Holloway. Dustin Poirier by submission, round 1. T.P. Grant: Holloway is a blitzing banger with out much ground work. He has great hand speed and good boxing, but he just doesn't have the ground skills to hang on this level. Poirier gets him down once, the fight is over. Dustin Poirier by Submission, Round 1. Ben Thapa: Holloway is going to want to drive the pace in this fight through the stratosphere. Poirier should be able to recognize that and plant Holloway down to keep things more sedate and under control. As that happens again and again, Poirier should be able to get a submission finish on the frenetic Holloway. Poirier, submission, Round 2. David Castillo: Poirier is part of a very small stable of contenders to Aldo's throne. While I don't think he's ready now, and probably not ever given how awesome Aldo has looked, he's still beyond most in the division, and it's simply criminal to expect Holloway, who is completely inexperienced, to be a proper opponent. The Kock fight would have been insane. Dustin Poirier by submission, round 1. Dallas Winston: Holloway's insanely frenetic striking should make him a fan-fave. Still, this is a cat with four fights being thrust into the limelight against a top-ten featherweight. Also, Holloway goes by "Lil Evil" and that is borderline blasphemy. Some things are just sacred. Dustin Poirier by submission. Staff Picking Poirier: Fraser, Anton, Tim, Grant, Leland, Ben, David, Roth, DallasStaff Picking Holloway: Alex Caceres vs Edwin Figueroa Brent Brookhouse: Yeah, I'm not believing in the Alex Caceres improved ground game thing off one fight. He's still weak there and he'll get finished. Edwin Figueroa by submission, round 1. Leland Roling: Incredibly, Caceres made us all eat crow in his last outing against Cole Escovedo. But that doesn't change anything yet. He needs one more test, and Figueroa should provide that. I can't get on the Cacares bandwagon yet, but that could change if he beats Edwin. Edwin Figueroa via TKO. Anton Tabuena: Yes I'm picking Bruce Leeroy. I know it's probably a stupid decision that will lower my prediction percentage, but Figueroa's lone UFC win was against Jason Reinhardt, and Caceres just beat Escovedo. I will probably regret this pick a few seconds after the fight starts, but I'm still picking Alex Caceres by Decision. Tim Burke: Figueroa is a beast on the feet. He hung with Mayday for three rounds in a hell of a fight, and blasted Jason Reinhardt (not much of an accomplishment, I know). Well, Cacares is Reinhardt-level of opponent to me (ie. punching bag). Cacares is a much better standup fighter than ground fighter though, so at least he has that going for him. Still though. It's Alex Cacares. Figueroa drops him and submits him. Nighty night. Edwin Figueroa by submission, round 2. T.P. Grant: Really? Alex Caceres? Really? No. Stop it. Edwin Figueroa by TKO, Round 2. Ben Thapa: That MacDonald fight is why I'm picking Figueroa here. Lots of spirit, better technique and more savvy movement. Caceres has a charmed streak going here and it was more Escovedo being awful than Caceres being good in that match. Figueroa, KO, Round 1. David Castillo: I'm not on the Caceres bandwagon like everybody else, but I can't deny the improvements in his game. Even though Escovedo was a zombie in that fight, I was still impressed with how he dominated Cole when it got there. Figueroa beating Reinhardt means a lot less than Cacares beating a foot in the coffin Escovedo. I wouldn't mind being wrong, but watching Edwin indulge with MacDonald makes me suspect he'll indulge with Cacares' silly parlor tricks. Alex Caceres by decision. Dallas Winston: I just see Caceres as a diamond in the rough that is slowly being polished. He's tough as nails and has always shown great instincts for the game, and now his frame (5'9") and length (73" reach) is an advantage at bantamweight because he's still lightning quick. It could be uncharacteristic in retrospect, but I keep imagining the ghastly haymakers Figueroa was hurling in round one against McDonald, whose hands were too fast. The glow ... Alex Caceres by decision. Staff Picking Caceres: Anton, David, DallasStaff Picking Figueroa: Fraser, Tim, Grant, Leland, Brookhouse, Ben, Roth Matt Riddle vs Henry Martinez Brent Brookhouse: I guess I'm picking Riddle, but good god...the horrors of his stand-up game. Matt Riddle by decision. Tim Burke: Martinez is a natural lightweight out of Jackson's camp. Riddle is a large welterweight with good wrestling and bad standup. I'm just gonna go with the bigger man. Matt Riddle by decision. T. P. Grant: Still waiting for Matt Riddle to do something with his physical abilities and I wonder about his maturity. He started out 5-1 in the UFC and looked to be a solid prospect but it has been a year and half since a win for him. Riddle may be fighting for his job for the first time and I think he may finally be fighting hungry again. Matt Riddle by TKO, Round 3. Ben Thapa: The size differential is too big here. Riddle should hopefully not be fighting a hallucination of an opponent who stands three inches closer than his actual opponent this time and showcase his wrestling and standup. Riddle, decision. David Castillo: What everyone else said. Riddle is the much bigger guy, and will be able to bully Martinez. Riddle is never a sure thing, especially with that Billy Blanks crap, but he doesn't need to be sharp to egt the victory in this one. Matt Riddle by decision. Dallas Winston: MMAMania juggernaut "Ain't No Sunshine" threw me off when he said Martinez, a Greg Jackson product, had a pile of solid wrestling/grappling credentials and was a BJJ black belt. "This is our concern, dude." I give Riddle a little leeway for losing to two deceivingly game newcomers in Benoist and Pierson and respect his resilience for turning it around in the third against Benoist. By God, he will not abide another toe, sir. Matt Riddle by decision. Staff Picking Riddle: Tim, Grant, Leland, Brookhouse, Ben, David, Roth, DallasStaff Picking Martinez: Fraser, Anton Matt Brown vs Chris Cope Brent Brookhouse: There are some really, truly bad fighters (from a "fighting in the UFC perspective") on this card. And Cope is probably the worst of them. Matt Brown by submission, round 2. Leland Roling: Seriously.. Joe Silva must LOVE Matt Brown. Matt Brown via decision. Tim Burke: U-G-L-Y, this fight ain't got no alibi. It's ugly. Cope has never shown a submission game. Brown's been submitted nine times. Guess that one's out. Brown likes to take guys down if he can. Cope's only real skill is takedown defense. Okay. So we're got a standnbang. Who wins? I'm not gonna go with the TKD guy, that's for sure. So...Matt Brown by decision. T.P. Grant: Do I really have to pick between two TUF washouts? I'll go with Brown based purely on experience. Matt Brown by Decision. Ben Thapa: I suspect if I pick against Brown, I may not come back from the PPV party I'm headed to on Saturday night. Jamey, this one's for keeping me safe in your house that night. Hopefully, Brown has wised up to his own atrocious submission defense and keeps this fight standing where he can let his natural craziness go and do something that leads to a win. Brown, sub, Round 3. David Castillo: Matt Brown may be a journeyman but he's a journeyman technician, whereas Chris Cope is just a journeyman. From TUF. Matt Brown by submission, round 2. Dallas Winston: Damn ... tough crowd. I will continue to call Matt Brown "The American Kazushi Sakuraba" even though it makes absolutely no sense. He's a killer on the feet, he roasted John Howard in the clinch (and hit a nice foot sweep on him), Hume has improved his offensive grappling but -- obviously -- his sub defense needs some work. Cope can't exploit that, but he kind of grew on me as a poor man's Chuck Liddell for his methodical sprawl-and-brawl. Plus, I respect the comments he gave on Brown leading up to this fight. Matt Brown. "Like water." Matt Brown by TKO. Staff Picking Brown: Fraser, Anton, Tim, Grant, Leland, Brookhouse, Ben, David, Roth, DallasStaff Picking Cope: Dan Stittgen vs Stephen Thompson Brent Brookhouse: Drag that this one isn't going to be on the FX portion of the card. Stephen Thompson by TKO, round 2. Leland Roling: Scouting Report, holla! Stephen Thompson via KO. Tim Burke: Thompson has like 738 straight victories in kickboxing, and 5 in MMA. Great standup. Trains BJJ with Carlos Machado too. Stittgen is a grappler that trains with Clay Guida. How good is Stittgen's wrestling? Dunno. I'll go with Thompson though, since he isn't your average straight kickboxer. Stephen Thompson by TKO, round 1. T.P. Grant: Most BE readers have heard about Thompson's kickboxing background. An elite striker who also is receiving top notch grappling coaching, Thompson is lethal when he finds his timing and range. Stittgen has a tendency to blitz opponents, but I doubt he can keep up that pace for three rounds or finish Thompson. I think Thompson survives early assault and then finishes after Stittgen slows down. Stephen Thompson by TKO, Round 2. Ben Thapa: Like Grant says, Thompson has to get past the blitz and then settle into the groove. I think he can do it and we will see one of the better striking exhibitions for a round a half before Stittgen succumbs. Thompson, KO, Round 2. David Castillo: Thankfully this fight will make the telecast because this fight will end early given the violence the two men's games allows. Stephen Thompson by TKO, round 1. Dallas Winston: Odd that Thompson will get a clean sweep by the staff, because I think the match up favors Stittgen. Thompson's kickboxing is not the type that transfers well to MMA: it's an upright, hands-low, kicking-centric style that's deadly from the perimeter. Stittgen is a mean, stocky little bull with good boxing and power in tight quarters, plus he seems to be a savvy submission wrestler. I think he's the safer pick, but we all want to see "Wonderboy" go all John Makdessi in his debut. Stephen Thompson by TKO. Staff Picking Stittgen:Staff Picking Thompson: Fraser, Anton, Tim, Grant, Leland, Brookhouse, David, Roth, Dallas Rafael Natal vs Michael Kuiper Leland Roling: I was ready to pick Kuiper, but then I remembered... he wasn't exactly our highest pick for the Scouting Report before he was signed, and that was mostly based on the fact that he's unproven against better competition. He's crushed every can in Western Europe, but can he blow away an improving Rafael Natal? I can't take a chance yet. Rafael Natal via decision. Tim Burke: I've been high on Kuiper for a while now. Wow, that sentence sounded weird. Anyway, I used to think Natal was quite good, but he doesn't really fight up to his skill level. Kuiper's judo will either keep it standing or put him on top if he so chooses, and I think he can win the standup over a somewhat-sloppy Sapo. Say that three times fast. I'm calling the upset. Michael Kuiper by decision. T.P. Grant: After watching Kuiper I was quite impressed at how well rounded his skills appear to be. I think Judo guys have a very tough transition to MMA between taking off the gi and the restrictive rules of modern Judo but Kuiper appears to have navigated it quite well. Natal presented the biggest challenge Kuiper has faced and on the ground I think Natal enjoys a sizable edge, if he can get to top position. I think Kuiper works a stand up fight, keeping things on the feet, but mixing in a few throws to keep Natal honest. Michael Kuiper by Decision. Ben Thapa: Going with the Brazilian decision machine here. As long as he worked his wallwalking skills, Natal should take this easily from Kuiper. I do like Kuiper's long term potential (The kid's 22 years old!) and think that his attitude of focusing on his striking will help him progress faster than if he went the other route and tried to judo his way up the ladder. Too bad he has to run into Sapo this early. Natal, decision. David Castillo: Natal has thankfully shored up what holes his game had. That doesn't make him a great fighter, but it does make him a deceptively well rounded fighter. He throws with authority on the feet, and is seasoned on the ground. Kuiper's no pushover, especially for a guy like Natal, but I think he'll pick up the competitive win in this one. Rafael Natal by decision. Dallas Winston: Kuiper has big power on the feet but I'd say Natal, especially when restricting himself to short, controlled bursts, probably has the more polished striking. Kuiper also looks really smooth for a young purple belt and his newaza is strong, yet he was still taken down a few times fighting on the European circuit. The key for Natal is to refrain from dropping his hands when throwing those four and five-piece combos that get a little sloppy and respecting Kuiper's power. I think "Sapo" can latch a sub in a scramble. Rafael Natal by submission. Staff Picking Natal: Fraser, Anton, Leland, Ben, David, Roth, DallasStaff Picking Kuiper: Tim, Grant, Brookhouse

Posted in: fight, diaz, round, decision, werdum

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight contender Dan Henderson isn't interested in fighting inside the Octagon unless it's for the 205-pound title. Fortunately for "Hendo," he may not have to wait very long. That's because Jon Jones is expected to defend his strap against Rashad Evans in the main event of UFC 145, currently scheduled for Sat., April 21, 2012, at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. If "Bones" retains, it's not out of the question for him to compete again in early-to-mid summer, having already mapped out an ambitious 2012 fight campaign. Here's what White told media members (via Tom Ngo at 5th Round) about Henderson's future: "Dan Henderson’s in a position right now where it looks like he wants to wait for Jon Jones. We’ll see what happens with this Rashad [Evans] fight." Henderson was recently offered a headlining bout opposite former PRIDE FC rival Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, who submitted the Greco-Roman wrestler via first round armbar at "Total Elimination" back in 2005. The rematch, as well as the opportunity to avenge his loss to "Little Nog," was a fight he "didn't think the fans would be interested in." In addition, he wanted "more time to prepare for a five round main event." Considering Henderson recently went to hell and back against Mauricio Rua at UFC 139, it's a valid concern. The former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion told the powers that be "thanks, but no thanks," and Nogueira was quickly paired off against Alexander Gustafsson for the UFC on FUEL TV fight card on April 14 in Sweden. Now Henderson sits and waits. Smart move? Or opportunity lost?

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, henderson, dan

Read the full article at MMA Mania

Tomorrow night is the night where we finally see who will be crowned the Interim UFC Welterweight Champion. Nick Diaz will take on Carlos Condit in a fight that legitimately cannot disappoint. I have thought about this fight for months and have yet to think of a single way it could be bad or even average. These two guys are going to go in there and tear the house down, which will be something we have not seen in a VERY long time in a Welterweight title fight. The co-main event of the evening is a Heavyweight collision between Fabricio Werdum and Roy Nelson. Add in some Bantamweight action with Renen Barao facing Scott Jorgensen, a clash of wrestlers with Josh Koscheck squaring off with Mike Pierce and Ed Herman looking to make it three straight wins since his return to the Octagon against main card newcomer Clifford Starks and you have got an exciting Super Bowl weekend card. Predictions! Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit (Interim Welterweight Title)Earl - Diaz wins his fights through a systematic breaking down of his opponent’s bodies and wills. This leads me to believe that Carlos Condit’s main route to victory is by blasting Nick early. Condit might not hit harder than Paul Daley but he is far more versatile with his striking than Semtex is. I would not be shocked in the least with a late round TKO for Diaz, but I can’t get the Daley fight out of my head. Carlos puts one to his chin and finishes him for the belt. Carlos Condit, TKO, Round 1.Cory - Diaz is... worth a lot more than a paragraph. So is Condit. I really can see this fight ending a number of different ways. I can’t really think of an eloquent way to sum up my guesses on this fight, so I’ll just say that I think that Diaz gets a mid-round Luke - Everything has gone Condit’s way in the lead up to this fight. He got to see teammate Donald Cerrone fall prey to the Diaz mind games just over two months ago and lose control of the fight. The mania around GSP vs Diaz has made it easy for him to keep his head down and just prepared to play his game, not Nick’s. Unfortunately it’s "damned it you do, damned if you don’t" for Condit in this fight. You see, despite finishing his last two fights in the first round, Carlos has a nasty habit of starting fights slowly before picking things up in the later rounds. Against Nick Diaz, you can’t start slow or you’ll never catch up. Yet in a five round fight with him, you can’t really start fast either or you run a real risk of gassing out after three. I think Condit will take the former approach, work his way into this one and rely on the gameness Luke Thomas spoke of to get him through the championship rounds. It won’t. Nick Diaz, TKO, Round 4.Rainer - Ladies and germs, I present you with...my last contribution as an HKL staff member! Condit has so much going for him--varied striking game, excellent scrambles, and great submission acumen, all resulting in an almost unparalleled rate of finishing, with no less than 26 of 27 victories ending in TKO or submission (and with those 26 split down the middle, to boot). Unfortunately, against Diaz, I believe he’ll be running into someone who edges him out both in striking and grappling. Diaz, TKO, Round 5. Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio WerdumEarl - Fabricio was oddly winning the striking battle against Overeem but cost himself the fight with the flopping nonsense. Roy Nelson has a rock head and he withstood a devastating onsalught from Junior dos Santos so I doubt Werdum is going to be able to put Roy away. Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em boys because we may be in for a long fight. Fabricio Werdum, Unanimous Decision.Cory - I keep picturing Roy landing an enormous overhand right that sends Werdum crumpling to the canvas with a goofy smile on his face. Make it happen, Roy. Nelson - KO.Luke - Earl, you don’t actually believe that Werdum was winning the striking battle with Overeem do you? He might have landed more blows but he never really committed to any of them and Overeem never looked hurt or even concerned. Fabricio was only interested in getting the fight to the ground. It’s funny that you mention it though, because Fabricio and his camp seem to think that if he had committed to the strikes with Overeem, he would have won that fight. He told Roy Nelson that he’d better keep his hands up for this one and it’s just terrible logic if Werdum thinks he can strike with anyone because of the Overeem fight. Nelson, TKO, Round 2.Rainer - This fight is, in a strange way, quite a bit like the main event, albeit, like, a million pounds heavier. Nelson has a well-developed, multi-faceted game, but I think Werdum overtakes him in every dimension. It’s tempting to weigh Werdum’s surprising KO loss to dos Santos in Nelson’s favor, but a closer look at the details--dos Santos’ subsequent UFC run and the fact that it’s Werdum’s only KO loss--kind of deflates its significance. Werdum, Unanimous Decision.Josh Koscheck vs. Mike PierceEarl - Mike Pierce nearly took out Jon Fitch a few fights ago and Kos was still very rattled about getting hit in the eye when fighting Matt Hughes. Koscheck is the favorite in this fight and after watching the Countdown show, I think he is a little too comfy going into this fight. I think we have an upset on our hands. Mike Pierce, Unanimous Decision.Cory - I think Sneaky Earl has a good point here. We haven’t seen Kos get outwrestled in ages, but I’m willing to bet nothing that it happens this weekend. Pierce - Decision.Luke - Koscheck is a fantastic wrestler. Since he was so badly outclassed by GSP on the feet, people seem to forget that not only did he take GSP down once, he got to his feet quickly when the champion put him on the mat. As Koscheck said at today’s press conference, with St. Pierre on the mend, the welterweight division is all of a sudden very interesting. There is no way he’s overlooking Pierce and on top of that, Pierce tends to lose to other good wrestlers. Koscheck, Unanimous Decision.Rainer - Tasty Earl makes some compelling points, but I can’t help but go with the more conventional choice. A Paulo Thiago-like upset is definitely in the wings, but I think Koscheck drops the curtain before Pierce can take center stage. Don’t tell me I bungled that theatre metaphor. The theatre metaphor was good.Renan Barao vs Scott JorgensenEarl - I am very happy this is getting on the main card because it should be a very dynamic fight. Jorgensen is looking to get closer to another crack at Dominick Cruz and Barao is looking to get his 17th consecutive victory. Renen looked fantastic against Brad Pickett and I expect that to continue here. Renen Barao, Submission, Round 2.Cory - The hype train ends at the speckled feet of the WEC/UFC veteran Young Gun. Jorgy - TKO.Luke - I think Renan Barao is the man to beat Dominick Cruz. Jorgensen is a tough guy and I think he’s going to prove it, but not in a winning effort. Barao, Unanimous Decision.Rainer - With superior speed and what I think is a more advanced offensive arsenal, Barao takes this fight. Barao, Unanimous Decision.Ed Herman vs. Clifford StarksEarl - Ed Herman has been on a tear since returning to the UFC and he should earn himself a step up in competition after this one. Ed Herman, Submission, Round 1.Cory - Starks hasn’t really shown me much that screams "I am a top-flight Mixed Martial Artist". To be fair, I can’t see Ed with 12 pounds of gold around his waist, either, but I think that he’s closer to the mountain than Cliffy. Herman - Decision.Luke - Starks is in over his head, I think. Herman, Submission, Round 1.Rainer - Starks will likely see his only recourse to be top control, but even there I doubt he’ll find much relief against the far more well-equipped Herman. Herman, Submission, Round 2.Dustin Poirier vs Max HollowayEarl - Max Holloway stole Jens Pulver’s nickname. He must be taken out. Dustin Poirier, TKO, Round 2.Cory - Poirier on the other hand looks like he might go places. Max is 4-0 against people I haven’t heard of. Poirier - TKO.Luke - Dustin Poirier is an excellent prospect. I don’t know too much about Holloway but I can’t imagine that he’ll have much to offer, especially because he the third guy the UFC wanted to put against Poirier. I really want to see the original fight, which was Poirier vs Erik Koch. Poirier, TKO, Round 1.Rainer - I think it’s worth mentioning that Dustin Poirier, in his first four fights, also fought guys who none of us had likely heard of. Having said that, it’s too much too soon for Holloway. Poirier, TKO, Round 1.Matt Riddle vs. Henry MartinezEarl - Riddle is just not a UFC caliber fighter. This is made even stranger by the fact that every fight in his career has been in the UFC. Martinez should put an end to that. Henry Martinez, Unanimous Decision.Cory - I can’t get the image of Matt Riddle shadowboxing his way to something like 30 missed punches in a row out of my head. I believe it was against Ross Pearson, and man, that was just embarrassing. Martinez - Decision.Luke - Seeing as Riddle is 5-3 in the UFC, he sure looks like a UFC caliber fighter to me. He might be a little basic, relying on the 1-2 and takedown attempts to sway the judges in his favor, but he has the heart of a lion and I can’t help but think that he’s eventually going to put it all together. What better time than now, against a UFC rookie? Riddle, TKO, Round 2.Rainer - I’m with Luke on this one. Riddle turned in a pretty ridiculous-looking performance against Pierson, but the idea that he’s a laughable competitor is a meme that’s run its course, I think. Going 5-1-0 in your first six pro fights is nothing to sneeze at, and doing it in the UFC is even more un-sneeze-able. Miller may come with the game plan to once again foil Riddle, but I think in this instance the TUF vet will put his raw power and size advantage to good use. Riddle, Unanimous Decision.Alex Caceres vs. Edwin FigueroaEarl - Caceres stunned everyone who had ever seen him fight by dominating Cole Escovedo in his Bantamweight debut. Figueroa ought to put a stop to that nonsense here. Edwin Figueroa, TKO, Round 3.Luke - I like Bruce Leroy. I don’t think he’s a very good fighter, and while it’s very possible that he turned a corner against Escovedo, the fact is that Escovedo has not been good for some time now. Figueroa will hurt him and finish with the choke. Figueroa, Submission, Round 2Rainer - I have to agree that people have made a bit too much of Caceres’ win over Escovedo who was, after all, 1-4 in his last five heading into that fight. On the other hand, Figueroa’s win over general hard-ass Johnny Bedford speaks pretty well of him. Figueroa, TKO, Round 2Matt Brown vs. Chris CopeEarl - Speaking of "how on earth are you still here?" this fight is happening. Matt Brown, TKO, Round 1.Luke - Matt Brown has had a bad run but he’s been up against better competition every time and he has never looked terrible. It appears that Cope doesn’t have a great chin and I think that Brown will be able to beat a fighter that he should beat in this one. Brown, TKO, Round 1Rainer - I’ll never understand the appeal of Matt Brown. The nickname, the overblown reputation for toughness, it just rubs me the wrong way. I guess, though, Brown himself isn’t as much to blame as, ahem, certain broadcast teams that want to bill him as some sort of Ultimate Foghorn Leghorn. That aside, Brown should have this wrapped up. Brown, TKO, Round 1.Dan Stittgen vs.Stephen ThompsonEarl - I’ll say Stephen Thompson, KO, Round 1Luke - I have to pick the guy who is 62-0 in kickboxing and MMA competition, since he started fighting at 15. Thompson, KO, Round 2Rainer - I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Stittgen fight a few times live and I have to say that, while his stand up is indeed a little rough, he has a real knack for creating scrambles and locking in the submission. I’ll look for Stittgen to do the same here. Stittgen, Submission, Round 1.Rafael Natal vs. Michael KuiperEarl - Boy, do I ever love me some judo in my MMA. Kuiper is undefeated and he is a finisher, too. Michael Kuiper, TKO, Round 1.Luke - I think judo will be the future of the takedown game. Another young guy with good judo who fought recently was Jimy Hettes, and he used it very well en route to a dominant decision victory over Nam Phan. Natal doesn’t stand a chance if he can’t get this fight into the position he needs it: On the ground, with him on top. Kuiper keeps his perfect streak alive with. Kuiper, TKO, Round 2Rainer - Kuiper’s record makes him a pretty attractive pick, but I think he has a couple things going against him. The first, of course, is the "Octagon jitters," which, while sometimes overstated, nevertheless seem to play a part. The second thing is that I’m not really convinced of the strength of the European circuit. I expect Natal to be a beast that Kuiper isn’t, in this instance, quite prepared for. Natal, Unanimous Decision.

Posted in: fight, diaz, round, tko, vs

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Nick Diaz fights Carlos Condit at UFC 143 on Saturday for the UFC interim welterweight championship. Diaz is a favorite here at the Bloody Elbow Judo Chop headquarters both for his very technical Jiu-Jitsu and also for his unique "pitter shatter" approach to boxing for MMA. Heading into UFC 143 we wanted to refresh everyone's appreciation for Diaz' technical acumen with a review of our past Judo Chops on the fighter. Enjoy these previous Judo Chops: Nick Diaz's Ground Game by Ben Thapa Nick Diaz Gogoplatas Takanori Gomi by Kid Nate The Unconventional MMA Boxing of Nick Diaz by Kid Nate I also wanted to highlight this comment from John Nash (formerly nottheface) regarding the provenance of Diaz' unusual approach to boxing in MMA: Diaz' style of boxing resembls some of the techniques used in old London Prizefighting ("bareknuckle") matches. Now I doubt he and Gracie went out and studied old Jem Mace fights but because grappling played a part in those fights (clinching and throwing your opponent to the ground was a big part of the game, and many fighters depended more on a good wrestling game than their striking ability. If one looks at Ed James's 1878 The Science of Boxing half the techniques shown are headlocks, throws, and trips.) and Diaz doesn't have thunderous power they have stumbled into a style for him that greatly resembles the proven techniques of yore. More from John Nash plus a bunch of animated gifs in the full entry. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit On the right is a nice gif that illustrates Diaz' approach to MMA striking in his October 2010 rematch with K.J. Noons. Note how Diaz rarely commits more force than necessary to his punches, generally throwing from the shoulders, but sometimes just throwing arm punches. The important thing in Diaz' approach is volume, volume, volume. He pitters, batters and plain wears down his opponents with a variety of low energy punches from a number of different angles. More from John Nash: Jean Joseph-Renaud an amazing pioneer in martial arts and specifically Defense Dans La Rue at the beginning of the 20th century described what bareknuckle fighting entailed. Formerly, in England, when fights took place without gloves, they lasted immensely longer. While the combatants employed wrestling techniques and threw each other to the ground with great force, perhaps five or six times each quarter of an hour, they were still at least as vigorous of those of today. They ought to have finished very quickly and yet their fights always lasted a long time; they most commonly ended because one of the adversaries was exhausted rather than beaten. Prizefighters fought this way because they didn't have gloves to protect their hands and because the rules allowed for grappling and throwing each other to the ground, often incorporating Devonshire, Cumberland, and Westmorland style wrestling. A new round started any time a fighter was knocked down and went to his knee, he was then given a 50-count to get back up and begin again. Because there is a time limit in mma Diaz has sped up the pace. Joseph-Renaud also described a type of fighter who stood outside and threw straights but without all his power so as to not to break his hand (even describing one type of punch as a "slap" and considering it effective), unlike the in-fighting that glove boxing developed. This slap fighter wouldn't lung so at to leave himself open to be grappled and would throw repetitive straights from the outside to the head and, more importantly, the body of his opponent. The goal with this style of scientific boxing was to wear down your opponent until they collapsed from cumulative damage and exhaustion. Sound familiar? ...And while I think Diaz fights a lot like Michael Nunn - and perhaps based his style on the same sources as Nunn - the modifications they've made to make it work in MMA have resulted in something that resembles something from old prizefighting: less upper body movement, less slipping and ducking, less lunging from the outside, less dancing. All the stuff that Nunn uses but could put you in a bad spot where grappling is allowed as it is in MMA - and London Prizefighting. The following is some analysis from The Unconventional MMA Boxing of Nick Diaz: On the right we've got the penultimate moments of Nick's 2009 early retirement party for Frank Shamrock. Note the way he sticks his left hand in Shamrock's face to bait Frank into putting up his guard. Once the ribs are unprotected Diaz actually winds up and unloads a vicious right hook to Shamrock's ribs. Here's MMA Fighting talking about the CompuStrike record that Diaz set in that round: Nick Diaz spent three minutes and 57 seconds swarming Frank Shamrock in the second round of their fight Saturday night before referee Big John McCarthy finally stopped it. If you watched the fight, you know that already. But you might not know that Diaz had what may have been the most active round in the history of MMA. CompuStrike, which tabulates statistics from MMA fights, says that Diaz attempted 181 strikes in the second round, making it the most total strikes thrown in any round that CompuStrike has recorded. The previous record was held by Michael Bisping, who threw 141 strikes in the first round of his UFC 70 fight with Elvis Sinosic. Diaz breaking that record is even more impressive when you remember that Bisping didn't finish Sinosic in the first round, meaning he had a full five minutes to throw 141 strikes. Diaz shattered the record in less than four. Of course, Diaz has never been the most accurate or powerful of punchers, and he only landed 79 of those 181 strikes. So Bisping still owns the record for strikes landed in a round. And here's a little taste of his grappling acumen from Nick Diaz's Ground Game by Ben Thapa: Gif via Grappo In this gif, we see Diaz in a position where he could move into side control, as Shamrock’s left side is relatively undefended. However, Nick chooses to move his left knee to pin down Shamrock’s right thigh, while maintaining the underhook on Shamrock’s left arm/allowing Shamrock to keep the overhook. The resulting position contorts Shamrock into an awkward position where his head is twisting in the opposite direction from his legs and Nick’s good top pressure allows him to stay there. As the gif shows, Nick takes the opportunity to punch Frank a few times in the head before Frank later regains guard (not show in the gif). Here's hoping we get to see more of Diaz great standing and ground technique against Condit who should be a stern test for the ex-Srikeforce champ in all ranges of fighting.

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Middleweight prospect Perry Filkins (6-1) picked up the biggest win of his career on the undercard on Combat Zone 40. CZ 40 took place at Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire. A promising prospect out of the New England region of the US, Filkins beat down former Strikeforce fighter Louis Taylor (7-3) over the course of two rounds. In round one Filkins peppered Taylor with punches and pressured him with a barrage of strikes. Taylor scored with a pair of takedown attempts but Filkins was able to make his way back to the feet with little damage. The second frame saw Filkins continue his assault in the stand-up game. A combo punctuated with an uppercut dropped Taylor in back half of round two. Filkins unloaded with punches on a fallen Taylor until the referee stopped the bout at the 4:02 point of round two. The 23 year old Filkins has now won four straight bouts all via TKO.At 185 pounds Filkins is a solid prospect to track out of the North East area of the US. Training out Miletich Fighting Systems NH, Filkins lone blemish on his record came at the hands of Team Bomb squad wrestler Cornelius Murray (3-1). Filkins ranks as a three star prospect who is a dangerous finsher and will gravitate to stronger competition in 2012. Combat Zone 40 resultsSalem, NHTim Lightfoot def. Jay Parrin by Unanimous DecisionLloyd Fernandes def. Cleon Hoggard by Unanimous DecisionMike Materkowski def. Derek Shorey by Submission Rear Naked Choke 0:55 R2Cody Anderson def. Ahsan Abdullah by TKO (Punches) 2:11 R1Jared Cuomo def. Hassan Mahmood by Submission Brabo Choke 1:16 R2David Spero def. Nick Berube by Split DecisionPeggy Morgan def. Fernanda Aurajo by Submission Armbar 2:54 R2Zack Lange def. Walter Smith-Cotito by Unanimous Decision Perry Filkins def. Louis Taylor by TKO (Punches) 4:02 R2Ray Shawdee def. Brandon Cyr by KO (Punch) 1:17 R1Don Carlo-Clauss def. John Ortolani by TKO (Punches) 2:53 R2*Prospects to watch

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Prepare your meanest mugs, Maniacs, because it's about to get real street up in here. Returning the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, which has served Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) so well over the years, the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion is poised to deliver another pay-per-view (PPV) event after two free weeks of combat sports action. With 170-pound champion Georges St. Pierre on the sidelines recovering from major surgery to repair a torn ACL, former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz and former World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) champion Carlos Condit will go toe-to-toe for the interim welterweight title in the UFC 143 main event. It's teed up to be a fantastic scrap. In addition, Roy Nelson will welcome Fabricio Werdum back to the Octagon in a clash of two of the best grapplers in the heavyweight division, while Scott Jorgensen will look to quell the rise of the man with the longest unbeaten streak in MMA, Renan Barao. Before all that, however, we have a solid set of "Prelims" bouts on the under card, which is filled to the brim with entertaining prospects and hard-hitting veterans. Join us after the jump for part one of our UFC 143 "Prelims" breakdown, including the two fights that will be shown on Facebook -- Daniel Stittgen vs. Stephen Thompson and Rafael Natal vs. Michael Kuiper -- and the one the will start the FX portion of the telecast (Chris Cope vs. Matt Brown) 170 lbs.: Chris Cope vs. Matt Brown An amateur kickboxing veteran, Chris Cope (5-2) was selected as the fifth member of Team dos Santos on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 13. He went on to score two impressive upset victories before being knocked out by eventual finalist Ramsey Nijem. Undeterred, he was paired up against Chuck O’Neil on the show’s Finale, scoring a dominant decision in an all-stand up affair. Unfortunately, Che Mills refused to let his long-sought UFC opportunity slip through his fingers, and he absolutely dusted Cope in 40 seconds. With his back against the wall, "C-Murder" will need to get his C-Murdering on in short order if he wants to remain a member of the stacked UFC welterweight division. Muay Thai menace Matt Brown (12-11) looked to be doing alright against TUF alum Seth Baczynski back at UFC 139, going blow-for-blow with the well-rounded vet all through round one. An ill-advised takedown attempt in the early going of the second, however, left "Immortal" caught in a guillotine, forcing him to tap four the fourth time in five fights, all in the second round. While Dana White has expressed an immense liking for the hard-hitting striker, there’s only so far an exciting style can take you, and at 1-4 with four submission losses in five fights, this could be "The Immortal’s" last stand in the UFC if he can’t put away Cope. I don’t know if he doesn’t train it enough or if it’s just something he’s not good at, but Brown’s submission defense is absolutely atrocious. He’s been submitted a whopping nine times, and while he’s certainly effective on his feet, that effectiveness pretty much ensures nobody’s going to play that game with him. Luckily, Cope will, because it’s the only one he knows how to play. While he definitely shouldn’t be falling by submission this often, the people who make Brown tap are at least legitimate submission threats, which Cope isn’t. He can strike and has the takedown defense to make people strike with him, but he doesn’t have a Plan B for someone capable of thrashing him in the stand up department. Mills did it and Brown is going to do it, too. "The Immortal" will live to fight another day, crushing Cope in the early going with punches. Prediction: Brown by first round technical knockout 170 lbs.: Dan Stittgen vs. Stephen Thompson Submissions expert Dan Stittgen (7-1) is not one to waste time. His recent victory over Mark Stoddard was not only the first bout in his brief career to go the distance, but the first one to go past the first round. The grappling prowess of "The Anvil" has been instrumental in all seven of his wins, which include five subs and a technical knockout stoppage from ground-and-pound. Replacing Justin Edwards against the kickboxing prodigy Thompson, Stittgen has a tall task ahead of him, but could send one hell of a message to the rest of the division by pulling off another quick submission. Stephen Thompson (5-0) has been kickboxing since he was three, and his resume in the sport reads like the biography of a Jean-Claude Van Damme character. A champion in an obscene amount of stand up organizations, "Wonderboy" switched to MMA in 2010 and has gone unbeaten in the sport. Thompson replaces Mike Stumpf and -- as one of the most decorated kickboxers to ever enter the UFC -- has some high expectations to fulfill against fellow late replacement Stittgen. There’s always a question with high-level kickboxers of not only their ability to stay on their feet, but their ability to maintain an effective offense despite the threat of a takedown. Cosmo Alexandre, one of the top 155-pound kickboxers in the world, was outstruck in his MMA debut by an opponent who kept him stifled with the threat of a takedown. Judging by his credentials, though, "Wonderboy" has that covered. He’s a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Carlos Machado, his brother-in-law, and has proven himself more than competent on the ground. Neither he nor Stittgen have faced high-quality MMA competition (aside from Stittgen’s guillotine loss to Justin Edwards), so there’s no telling how that black belt will hold up against top-tier grapplers, but it should be enough here. Stittgen has solid submissions, but Thompson has experience in deeper waters and a striking game the likes of which you’re not likely to find anywhere outside the elite of the division. He’ll catch Stittgen with something nasty after shutting down the latter’s grappling offense. Prediction: Thompson via third round knockout 185 lbs.: Rafael Natal vs. Michael Kuiper A grappling specialist out of Gracie Fusion, Rafael Natal (13-3-1) finally notched his first UFC victory at UFC 133, defeating wrestling specialist Paul Bradley by decision. "Sapo," now 1-1-1, had previously fallen to Rich Attonito and drawn with Jesse Bongfelt under the ZUFFA banner, and owns victories over Danilo Villefort and Travis Lutter in other organizations. Against Kuiper -- one of the most lauded European prospects on the map -- he’ll be out to prove he’s more than just a barometer for new talent. A black belt in his eponymous martial art, "Judo" Michael Kuiper (11-0) has been carving a path of destruction through the European circuit, finishing all but one of his foes in the first or second round. In addition to his excellent grappling pedigree, Kuiper has displayed some serious pop in his hands, knocking out five of his last six opponents with punches. He’ll need to utilize his entire game to make a dent in the vicious middleweight division, starting with the experienced "Sapo." I’m always skeptical about undefeated prospects, especially ones who, like Kuiper, have primarily fed on inferior competition. What makes me lean toward him anyway in this case is twofold: He actually has experience fighting in a cage and Natal isn’t all that great. Kuiper’s striking isn’t the cleanest, but he has legitimate power in his hands and, by the looks of things, the takedown defense necessary to use them. He could be in trouble if Natal drags him into deep water with a wrestling attack, but if Kuiper can stay on his feet, he’ll put away Natal. It is my firm belief that he can do so in the early going. Prediction: Kuiper via first round technical knockout That's it for now. Stop by tomorrow for a look at the remaining bouts comprising the remaining FX "Prelims," featuring the likes of Dustin Poirier, Matt Riddle and Alex Caceres, among others. See you then! Remember, too, that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 143, beginning with the "Prelims" bouts on Facebook scheduled for around 7 p.m. ET. In addition, we will also provide LIVE, real-time results of the main card action as it happens throughout the evening this upcoming weekend.

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The opinions surrounding Saturday night’s UFC on FOX 2 card are too numerous to count. However, one viewpoint worth hearing is of course that of UFC President Dana White who has never been afraid to offer his honest take on any topic. White spoke about the show in an interview on Fuel TV’s post-event coverage where he said Rashad Evans looked off and credited Phil Davis with going the distance against a fighter of Evans’ caliber even if in defeat. “I think the fact Rashad Evans blazed through Tito (Ortiz) and the fact that he went five rounds tonight I would say, yeah, Davis did fine tonight and he was ready for this,” White explained of how the previously unbeaten grappler did. “This was definitely the biggest stage he’s ever been on but…he went five rounds with Rashad Evans tonight.” A Full Rundown of UFC on FOX 2 Results As far as the middleweight match-ups, White revealed he “had Bisping two rounds to one” and also sang the praises of Chris Weidman for handling Demian Maia on short notice. Check out the entire interview below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

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MMAWeekly Radio returns on Monday with UFC 143 headliner Carlos Condit leading the show as well as UFC on Fox 2 debate in 'The Sixth Round'.

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The last World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) welterweight champion finally has his chance at earning gold inside the Octagon. Carlos Condit, who was the only 170-pound champion the Zuffa-owned WEC ever had, is taking on Nick Diaz in Saturday's (Feb. 4) UFC 143 main event. At stake is an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) interim welterweight title and a date with injured champion Georges St. Pierre later in the year. But more than that, it's a chance for both men to take on the man many consider to be the perfect mixed martial artist (MMA) in the French-Canadian. Seemingly without weakness, St. Pierre outwrestles wrestlers, outstrikes strikers and pretty much makes each and every opponent look bush league. For Condit, a chance at facing "Rush" and beating him means MMA immortality. "The Natural Born Killer" has already had his brushes with greatness which include his WEC 35 title bout with Japanese fighter turned boxer Hiromitsu Miura. Their back and forth war was the final 170-pound title fight the promotion had as the weight class -- along with middle- and light heavyweight -- was absorbed into the UFC six months later. Let's take a closer look at that bout. Condit starts his attack by unleashing kicks to both Miura's legs and body. Nearly a minute and a half into the round, the Japanese fighter clinches with the champion and attempts a judo toss which Condit defends perfectly. But seconds later, the New Mexican is slammed onto his back when Miura attacks with a vicious O-goshi throw. Condit is able to get back to his feet quickly but a beautifully executed sweep -- aided by a diversionary one-two punch combination -- gets the champion on the mat for the second time. A third toss drops "The Natural Born Killer" but as with the previous two, Miura has difficulty holding him down. As they reset on their feet, both sets of hands begin to fly and the Japanese fighter finds himself stunned when a looping hook is perfectly countered with a vicious straight. Miura drops to the canvas and Condit dives in after him, looking to finish off his staggered challenger. From sidemount, Condit rains down short elbows before trapping Miura in a crucifix, allowing for more strikes to land while also working towards a submission. The attempt finally comes when Condit spins around and looks to extend his opponent's arm but Miura, grappling savvy and tough as nails, slips out and drops a couple bombs in retaliation. The champion gets to his feet but yet another hip toss drops him back down. The commentator states it might be the most impressive display of judo technique inside the cage fans have seen yet and it's hard to disagree. Early into the second round, fortune smiles on Condit as Miura loses his footing and falls backwards onto the mat. From there, the champion takes over and the first four minutes -- save for a nice upkick from the challenger -- are all Condit. Ground and pound from sidemount leads to a smooth transition to full mount which culminates in a tight armbar attempt with 90 seconds remaining in the round. Miura defends beautifully and is able to wiggle his arm free and ends up on top. Neither fighter does much of anything and are stood up. A botched hip toss leads to Miura back on the mat with "The Natural Born Killer" on top, the position the challenger had been in for most of the round. The third round opens with both fighters exchanging and it seems Condit has found his range. He's using his reach advantage impressively, keeping Miura at bay while also using his strikes to set up takedowns. Condit ends up behind his challenger and wrestles him to the mat, threatening with a guillotine momentarily. Once released, however, "The Natural Born Killer" is once again in full mount, this time with over four minutes remaining in the stanza. Short elbows are the name of the game but two minutes in, Miura explodes out and sweeps his opponent, ending up in half guard. The Japanese fighter gives the champion a taste of his own medicine as he unloads a bevy of punches before both fighters end up in a vertical base. The crowd roars as the two begin to exchange wildly but an ill-timed takedown attempt from Miura leads to Condit once again ending up on top. A kimura attempt is shrugged off by the challenger but "The Natural Born Killer" once again gets full mount and begins to brutalize Miura with punches and elbows. He gives up his back to Condit but is able to fend off the rear naked choke until the horn sounds. The round may have been demoralizing for Miura but you wouldn't suspect it judging by his performance in the fourth round as an early flurry had the champion reeling. Midway through the round, the two fighters -- Miura on top of Condit -- are stood up and upon restarting immediately begin throwing heavy leather. A spectacular takedown from the champion looks to be the beginning of the end for the spirited challenger as Condit achieves full mount for the charmed third time but Miura, tough as he is stubborn, refuses to relent and once again sweeps the American on to his back. Miura unloads ground and pound until Condit is able to kick him away, creating enough distance to get vertical. The challenger storms in and "The Natural Born Killer" barrels a knee into the Japanese fighter's chin, dropping him to the mat where several hammerfists give the referee all the incentive he needs to halt the bout. Condit showed a toughness that cannot be taught in the gym that night, the same toughness on display when he survived an early onslaught from Jake Ellenberger and came from behind to finish off Rory MacDonald. Will it come into play on Saturday when he steps inside the Octagon against Nick Diaz?

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This is a guest post by Rory MacLeod (smoogy) A year ago, we selected the inaugural class of fighters that would make up the first edition of the World MMA Scouting Report. It's been a gratifying experience to see some of the athletes we selected go on to succeed in major fight opportunities, and a heartbreaking one to see others come up just short. For each pick that claimed a significant title in 2011, there were at least two that didn't make their breakthrough, or fell off the rails entirely. Here's a recap to give you a sampling of the highlights (and lowlights) from a tumultuous time in the careers of these MMA prospects. 1. Guram Gugenishvili (11-0) If there is one fighter whose profile among mixed martial arts fans benefited the most due to his inclusion in the 2011 World MMA Scouting Report, it was M-1 Challenge Heavyweight Champion Guram Gugenishvili. At the very least, his top ranking produced the report's most surreal meta-moment in the form of a forboding, WWE-like promotional video teasing Guram's imminent arrival in America. Sadly, a series of training injuries have delayed his second defense of the title several times. In the meantime, M-1 Challenge top contenders and previous victims Maxim Grishin (11-6) and Kenny Garner (8-3) put on an atrocious five-round fight to determine the next challenger. It was so bad that when Guram finally does return in 2012, M-1 Global should consider importing a more credible opponent. 2. Shamil Abdurahimov (12-2) Shamil Abdurahimov captured the Abu Dhabi Fighting Championship tournament title in March, stopping Marcos Oliveira (5-3) with strikes in the finals. On top of his earlier round victories over UFC veterans Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou and Jeff Monson, the tourney win was thought to be enough to put Shamil over the top for a major fight opportunity stateside. But such a booking never came, so he was left to compete in the main event of December's World Ultimate Full Contact event in Dagestan, facing off against American gatekeeper Tony Lopez (28-8). Abdurahimov blasted Lopez to the mat with strikes early, cruising through the early rounds with his superior top control. Cruising, that is, until Tony framed up a triangle choke early in the third round, forcing Shamil to submit in front of a shocked partisan audience. 3. Tony Johnson Jr. (6-1) As a former high school wrestling star, Tony Johnson Jr. promised to go far as a heavyweight fighter, and he took his first step toward the big time when he made his Bellator Fighting Championships debut in June. His superior grappling made the difference in a three-round decision victory over fellow Bellator newcomer Derrick Lewis (6-2). Unfortunately, Johnson hasn't been called on by Bellator for a sophomore scrap, having been passed over for inclusion in their second heavyweight tournament. Whether Tony is focusing on improving his skill-set, nursing injuries or just hasn't come to terms with Bellator on a multi-fight agreement, here's hoping he makes his return soon. 4. Gerald Turek (11-2) Gerald Turek started the year riding a six-fight win streak with recognition as heavyweight champion of Slovenia's World Free Fight Challenge (WFC). The win streak and the title were snatched in shocking fashion by dangerous Brazilian journeyman Jair Goncalves (9-4). The Rio-based fighter survived an early onslaught by Turek, securing an armbar submission win midway through the first round to upset the Austrian champ at WFC 13 in Belgrade, Serbia. Incredibly, Goncalves accomplished the feat without any cornermen, having traveled to the country alone. Turek returned to action in Austria on January 20th, stopping Serbian Dragan Berich (0-3) with punches in the opening round. 5. Stipe Miocic (7-0) As was projected, 2011 saw Stipe Miocic parlay his heavyweight crown in Ohio's North American Allied Fight Series into a shot with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The Strong Style Fight Team representative fittingly won his final NAAFS fight in June by using his signature power low kicks to chop out the legs of Chicago's Bobby Brents (11-2). Miocic made his anticipated UFC debut in October, edging past Joey Beltran (13-7) via decision after both fighters noticably faded toward the end of the bout. Next up for Stipe is a February 15th encounter with undefeated English submission specialist Phillip De Fries (8-0). 6. Jared Rosholt (4-0) Jared Rosholt fights alongside his brother Jake as a member of Team Takedown, and so far he has followed a similar early career trajectory. After an untelevised win over Ray Clayton (2-2) on May 21, Jared made his TV debut on HDNet a week later, stopping Kirk Grinlinton (2-3) with punches in the first round. The following week, Rosholt took out Robert Haney (0-2) to bump his record to 4-0. Since that burst of activity, Rosholt hasn't fought again, opting instead to spend time sharpening other skills to compliment his wrestling base. He was spotted in December training kickboxing with K-1 World Grand Prix Champion Alistair Overeem. 7. Vitaly Minakov (6-0) As a hulking heavyweight Sport Sambo champion, Vitaly Minakov is already an imposing figure in Russia MMA early in his pro career, and has trouble finding willing, quality opposition. He improved to 6-0 in 2011, walking over Juan Espino (1-2) and Ivan Frolov (0-1) in a combined 54 seconds of action. Minakov capped off the year by claiming his third Sambo World Championship title in the over 100 kg division, defeating Belarusian Yuri Rybak in the final. If Minakov can add improved kickboxing to his unquestionable grappling prowess, he'll be on the fast track to a major fight opportunity. 8. Konstantin Gluhov (20-8) For the most part, Konstatin Gluhov did what he does best in 2011: win obscure heavyweight tournaments across Europe. He took France's four man Pancrase Cup in April, submitting Arnold Oborotov (0-1) with a toehold before roasting Jessie Gibbs (10-5) for a body punch knock out in the final. At Ukraine's Warrior Honor tourney in May, Gluhov put away Yuri Gorbenko (4-9) and Ruslan Magomedov (6-1) with the exact same techniques (seriously, look it up). Most recently he entered Dagestan's Challenge of Champions invitational on Christmas Eve, dropping a decision to Alexei Kudin (7-3) in a rather dull two round semifinal. Konstantin next enters February's Draka Governor's Cup field in February, where he will face Austalia's Peter Graham (4-5) in the opening round. 9. Nick Gaston (5-1) It wasn't long ago that everything seemed to be going great for Nick Gaston. "Afrozilla" was undefeated, made an appearance on MTV's Bully Beatdown, and found himself winning fights on HDNet as a feature fighter for King of the Cage. He has continued to fight exclusively in KOTC, but the promotion was off television by the time he took an easy win off of Jerry Burns (6-18) in April. Gaston's winning streak came to an end in June at the hands of mercurial big man Tyler East (10-3) in a bout to crown the new KOTC Heavyweight Champion. Gaston hasn't fought since, but with East subsequently being stripped of the title, Nick may be recalled for another shot at the belt. 10. Mark Potter (4-2) Added to the 2011 report at the last minute, England's Mark Potter made the list based on his ongoing destruction of his peers on the UK heavyweight MMA circuit. As a former boxer who famously lost to a one-armed Danny Williams, Potter excels at crushing the unrefined brawlers who populate the division, as he reiterated by knocking out Ireland's Mark Walker (0-1) in March. Ground skills, however, are not Potter's forte and Oli Thompson (9-2) proved as much in June, shooting early for a takedown, then softening Mark up with punches before latching an easy rear naked choke submission win. On the paper-thin UK circuit, such a win was enough to propel Oli to the UFC. At 37 years old, Potter seems down and out but he could still be a factor regionally in 2012.

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Chael Sonnen was hoping to set up a megafight in Brazil later this summer, but first he had to get past Michael Bisping last night (Jan. 28, 2012) in the co-main event of UFC on Fox 2 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Bisping is perhaps the most despised fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) today, with one of his primary criticisms being a lack of top quality opposition in the middleweight division. Well, if "The Count" could beat Sonnen, the consensus number two ranked 185 pound fighter on the planet, he'd have more than proved his worth as a title hopeful. Sonnen, meanwhile, was expected to steamroll the Brit with his superior wrestling. So how did the fight end up nearly being a toss-up? And what happens next for both elite middleweights? Follow me after the jump for our Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping UFC on FOX 2 post-fight review and analysis: The fight began just as many predicted, with Sonnen scoring a huge takedown and immediately throwing a heavy volume of punches into Bisping's face. But instead of wilting until the onslaught, "The Count" remained composed and actually worked his way back to his feet. Once there, he became the first man to ever outstrike Chael Sonnen in the UFC, actually sitting on his punches and throwing with more power than fans were used to. Sonnen, on the other hand, looked very wild with his stand-up, throwing almost exaggerated overhand rights to try to close the distance and work for more takedowns. Sometimes he would get the takedown, other times he would get stuffed, but Bisping always popped back to his feet regardless. To me, it looked like Bisping was the first fighter to not have Sonnen's wrestling stuck in his head, and this allowed him to throw as hard if not harder than he normally throws his strikes. He found a home repeatedly on Sonnen's face and a frustrated Sonnen spent a large majority of the first two rounds battling the Brit along the cage with both men trading inside position. He surprisingly allowed The Ultimate Fighter season 3 winner to grab double underhooks repeatedly to fend him off along the fence. With the first two rounds being very close, as Bisping's striking was evenly matched with Sonnen's takedowns, the third was all Sonnen, as he scored a huge takedown and did not let his opponent up for well over half the round, even taking Bisping's back and passing to mount before letting "The Count" slip from his clutches at the end of the round. While it was close, the judges unanimous sided with Chael Sonnen, although two of the judges gave Bisping one round. For Michael Bisping, he actually fought a terrific fight last night. He gave this new and improved Chael Sonnen his toughest test since his UFC return against Demian Maia. Bisping was landing the harder shots with significantly bette technique, stuffed a decent amount of takedowns and usually got back to his feet quickly. He also more than held his own with the Oregonian in the clinch as both men battled back and forth from that position. The only fault to Bisping's performance was giving away the third round and when the first two rounds are close while the third is guaranteed for a fighter, it usually winds up that the fighter with a guaranteed round will win. I actually moved "The Count" up in my middleweight rankings after his performance last night so he should not be ashamed one bit. Some intriguing future opponents for Bisping include fellow main card loser and originally intended opponent Demian Maia, the winner or loser of Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch or perhaps Brian Stann if he gets past Alessio Sakara. For Chael Sonnen, this wasn't nearly as dominant a showing as was expected, but he still did enough to win. He was wildly aggressive in his striking, perhaps to a fault, but the openings he gave Bisping might have even been intentional as he was able to put the Brit on the ground when he fired back with counters. He was active with strikes when he had Bisping stuck in a rough spot against the fence, but he was not nearly top heavy enough to keep him there. Sonnen will need everything to be clicking in his next fight, which will be the much anticipated rematch against Anderson Silva in a soccer stadium in Brazil later this summer. If he shows up with the same holes in his striking that he had last night, it could be a very short rematch for the promo-dropper. So what did you think, Maniacs? Who's side were you on in the close decision? Will Chael Sonnen be Anderson Silva's kryptonite later this year? Sound off! For complete UFC on FOX 2 results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.

Posted in: ufc, round, bisping, sonnen, chael

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The co-main event of UFC on Fox 2 saw Michael Bisping put on a much better performance than most expected against Chael Sonnen. While many expected that Sonnen would be too strong and too good for the Brit, Bisping showed that he was more than capable of not taking damage on the times he was taken down and looked more than able to compete in the strength department. Sonnen took the fight by what was announced as a unanimous decision, but it turns out that the fight was actually a split decision for Bisping making it the second consecutive fight with incorrect scores announced on the Fox broadcast. Via F4Online: In the Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping fight, Judges Brad Odom and Otto Torriero gave Sonnen rounds one and three and Bisping round two. Judge Clay Goodman gave all three rounds to Bisping. UFC president Dana White told Ariel Helwani during the Fuel broadcast that he also scored the fight for Bisping: I actually, I did score that fight, I had Bisping two rounds to one. I was actually saying before the fight, this isn't a five to one (under)dog. Bisping wrestled with Rashad, the way Bisping wrestled with Hamil...Bisping has great wrestling, good stand up and great submissions, too. Edit: Front Row Brian points out in the comments that it actually was a unanimous decision, not a split. Not sure what happened with Meltzer's report, but it appears to be inaccurate. SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2

Posted in: fight, round, bisping, chael sonnen, sonnen

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Rashad Evans had two key goals in his UFC on Fox 2 headlining bout against Phil Davis last night (Jan. 28, 2012), at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois: Win decisively and don't get injured to preserve his rightful title shot. Mission accomplished. Davis entered the fight with significantly less experience in mixed martial arts (MMA) than Evans, but also with much higher collegiate wrestling credentials, even winning a national championship for Penn State University in 2008. So why did he find himself repeatedly put on his back throughout the five round affair? And what's next for both talented light heavyweights? Follow me after the jump for our Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis UFC on FOX 2 post-fight review and analysis: Early on, Phil Davis looked strong, controlling most of the action in the stand-up as Evans sized him up, trying to figure him out. With Evans focused more on gauging distance, Davis was able to attack rather efficiently, throwing some crisp kicks and putting some decent pressure on the former champion with some improved punches. That was, until Evans got "Mr. Wonderful's" timing down, caught a leg kick, took him to the canvas and started blasting him with punches from the crucifix. Davis' confidence in his kicks after that, perhaps his only real advantage over Evans in his MMA skill-set, was decimated after that first round. It seemed like "Suga" was able to catch Davis' kicks about 25 percent of the time he threw them and in the fourth round, he even checked one so badly that "Mr. Wonderful's" kicking leg began to bleed profusely out of his shin. While Evans didn't light up his opponent in the stand-up exchanges, he clearly began to get comfortable with his punching, landing some nice flurries during random spots in the bout, although he never got so aggressive that he gave Davis anything to really work with. In the end, Davis simply didn't have enough to challenge Evans as he lost every round on all three judges' scorecards with a 50-45 unanimous decision. For Phil Davis, this was simply too much, too soon for the former national champion wrestler. He's still got a ton of talent, as evidenced by his improved striking, but this was a fight he shouldn't have waited one more year before accepting. He still need time to catch up to the elite in the division with his overall skills before he can present a legitimate threat to the title. The potential is still there, and the fact that he never gave up speaks volumes for his mental fortitude. As long as Davis continues to round out his game and shore up his technique, he'll be an elite 205-pounder someday. I'd like to see him given a top level veteran opponent also coming off a loss who would still be beatable, someone like Forrest Griffin, Rich Franklin or Vladimir Matyushenko. For Rashad Evans, despite putting on a dominant show, it wasn't the most crowd pleasing performance. He was patient almost to a fault and the brief explosions of violence didn't make up for much of the posturing. He did what he had to do, however, and showed some marked improvements in key areas. The first was his movement. He finally stopped that herky-jerky head movement in his stand-up which featured a ton of wasted body motion and likely contributed to him gassing in the third round of several fights. He also went past the third round for the first time in his career and looked strong doing it. He wasn't bouncing around like he was before the fight started, but his conditioning was on point. It's obvious who's he's fighting next, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones at the UFC 145 event in Atlanta. While there was a ton of buzz surrounding this fight, Jon Jones didn't do much to sell it last night with his ho-hum appearance in the broadcast booth and his choice to stay there instead of confront Evans in the cage ruined a potential verbal sparring match which would have hyped up some fans to see the future pay-per-view. So what did you think, Maniacs? Did Rashad Evans' 50-45 sweep across the boards against Phil Davis make you a believer he can beat Jon Jones? Does Phil Davis still have the potential to be an elite light heavyweight? Sound off! For complete UFC on FOX 2 results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.

Posted in: round, phil davis, phil, evan, davi

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Rashad Evans dominated Phil Davis to score a unanimous decision victory in the main event of UFC on Fox 2 and set up a showdown with rival UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones at UFC 145 on April 21 in Atlanta if he’s injury-free. In the co-main event, Chael Sonnen narrowly outpointed Michael Bisping to set up an anticipated rematch with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. The complete UFC on Fox 2 results were: MAIN CARD (Fox) Rashad Evans def. Phil Davis via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) Chael Sonnen def. Michael Bisping via unanimous decision (30-27,29-28,29-28) Chris Weidman def. Demian Maia via split decision (29-28,28-29,29-28) PRELIMINARY CARD (Fuel TV) Evan Dunham def. Nik Lentz via TKO (doctor stoppage – cut) – Round 2, 5:00 Mike Russow def. John-Olav Einemo via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) Cub Swanson def. George Roop via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:22 Charles Oliveira def. Eric Wisely via submission (calf slicer) – Round 1, 1:43 Michael Johnson def. Shane Roller via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Lavar Johnson def. Joey Beltran via KO (punches) – Round 1, 4:24 Chris Camozzi def. Dustin Jacoby via submission (guillotine) – Round 3, 1:08

Posted in: ufc, round, fox, decision, phil davis

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Rashad Evans defeats Phil Davis by Unanimous Decision. All three judges scored the fight 50-45. Phil Davis was the first to commit to the attack with kicks though none of them landed to Rashad's body. Davis slipped following a kick and Evan's swarmed. Davis attempted a takedown but Rashad defended with a front headlock. Rashad had trouble finding his range though he did land a solid counter left hook. Another failed takedown from Phil Davis was stuffed by Rashad Evans. A lazy body kick from Phil Davis resulted in a Rashad Evans takedown. Rashad was able to stay heavy from the top as he attempted to pass to side control. Rashad secures the mounted crucifix and rained down punches with 30 seconds left in the round. The round ends with Rashad Evans maintaining controlling position. Head kick from Phil Davis to open the second round failed as Rashad Evans backed away. The two fighters clinched and traded knees in the center of the octagon. Rashad pressed the action with punches and then closed the distance quickly to clinch against the fence. Again the fighters trade in the center of the cage with Evan's the clear winner of the exchanges. Thirty seconds left in the third and Rashad caught a kick to the body and took the fight to the ground. The third round began with both fighters pawing out punches to keep their range. Davis shot a low single leg takedown and was stuffed by Rashad. Davis continued to push forward and got Rashad to the ground. Evans hit a switch and took Phil Davis' back with both hooks in. Rashad let go of both hooks as Davis was looking to reverse the position. Phil Davis was able to complete a takedown after Rashad landed several punches to his grill piece. Davis completed a takedown but Rashad was able to scramble out and regain his feet. As the fourth round opened up Rashad Evans looked to play the counter-fighte role. Davis was unable to press the action as Evans kept him at bay with punches. A Phil Davis takedown attempt was countered with a front headlock. Davis reversed position and secured his own front headlock. Phil Davis attempted a low single but Rashad was able to sprawl out and land punches to the head from the turtle position. With a minute left in the round both fighters looked to establish position from the clinch. The round came to a close with Rashad Evans stalking Phil Davis. Phil Davis opened the final round with some urgency looking to push the action. Evans was able to circle away and land punches to keep Davis at bay. Davis attempted another kick to the body which Rashad Evans caught. Evans used this advantageous position to land several punches and then hit the takedown. Rashad passed to another mounted crucifix though the position was only secured momentarily. Davis escaped and regained his feet. Huge right hand landed for Rashad which forced Davis to shoot a low single. Evans attempted a trip which Phil Davis defended well. WIth under a minute left Phil Davis nearly landed a high kick. Rashad Evans cruised for the final thirty seconds and the fight went to the judges' score cards. Rashad Evans entered the fight knowing that a title shot was on the line. Riding a three fight win streak, Evans came into the fight 11-1-1 in the UFC. Phil Davis is considered a blue chip prospect at light heavyweight. He entered the fight undefeated in his MMA career. He was 5-0 in the UFC. SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2

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Chael Sonnen narrowly beat Michael Bisping by unanimous decision in the co-main event of UFC on Fox 2 on Saturday night to set up an anticipated rematch with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Bisping nearly spoiled the rematch as he staved of most of Sonnen’s early takedowns and countered with punches, but Sonnen mounted Bisping in the final round and attacked with submissions and ground and pound to earn the unanimous decision with 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28 scores from the judges. MMAFrenzy.com’s play-by-play of Sonnen vs. Bisping is below: Round 1 – Big John is our referee and we’re underway. Sonnen storms out and immediately counters a Bisping hook with a takedown. Bisping escapes and Sonnen pokes Bisping on the way and Sonnen attacks. Sonnen looking for takedowns now and Bisping defending. Sonnen with a nice clinch to a back trip takedown. Nice punches by Sonnen from the top but Bisping escapes. Bisping turns Sonnen along the cage and then goes for a takedown of his own that Sonnen defends. Sonnen clinches Bisping against the cage and Bisping with a nice knee. Bisping turns Sonnen against the cage and is working shots to the ribs. Chael throws a wild combo that misses and Bisping counters beautifully. Chael’s takedown attempt is blocked and Bisping turns him agains the cage. Nice knee by Chael but Bisping with another nice one. Wild strikes by Sonnen miss and Bisping lands a nice combo. Chael misses another takedown and ends up pinned to the cage again. Bisping misses a slow spinning kick and the round ends. Chael started strong but struggled late with Bisping’s takedown defense and more accurate strikes. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 Bisping. Round 2 – Chael extremely rigid with his standup and goes for another failed takedown attempt. Bisping then reverses Chael against the cage and goes to work with dirty boxing ala Randy Couture. Sonnen has not looked good grappling so far. Nice combo by Bisping. Sonnen with another double and finally gets Bisping down. Sonnen looking to smother, Bisping being active with strikes off his back. Bisping is controlling posture well. Sonnen lets Bisping up and lands some nice strikes as the Brit stands. Bisping with a nasty overhand left. Bisping works Sonnen against the cage again and lands some nice dirty boxing strikes. Bisping briefly attempts a single and misses but keeps Sonnen pinned to the cage. Nice pair of elbows from Bisping. Sonnen grabs a thai clinch but does nothing with it. Bisping with a nice knee. Ugly spinning kick attempt by Bisping misses. Bisping is fighting like Couture tonight. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 Bisping (20-18). Round 3 – Fighters touch gloves and we’re off. Another double from Sonnen and he lands this one. Sonnen controlling posture and lands a nice strike but Bisping is staying active. Bisping threatens with a leglock but lets it go. Sonnen lands a few shots and Bisping tries to position for an armbar but misses it. Bisping gives up his back to escape and Sonnen immediately seizes the opportunity to look for a finish but Bisping ties him up. Sonnen gets back to full mount and is looking for an arm triangle. Sonnen is basing out and not landing much damage now. Shoulder slams from Sonnen. Bisping hip escapes to half-guard and throws punches to the ear of Sonnen. Sonnen is looking for an arm triangle but Bisping regains full guard. Bisping grabs a whizzer and gets back to the cage with thirty seconds left. Bisping gets back on his feet and reverses Sonnen against the cage and lands a takedown of his own. Big elbows from Bisping to end the round leave Sonnen dazed at the end. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 Sonnen but the fight should go to Bisping (29-28). Chael Sonnen def. Michael Bisping via unanimous decision (30-27,29-28,29-28)

Posted in: takedown, round, cage, bisping, sonnen

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Chael Sonnen defeated Michael Bisping by Unanimous Decision. The judges scored the fight 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28. The win earned him a rematch with Anderson Silva. Chael Sonnen opened up the first round with a fast takedown. Bisping was able to regain his feet but the relentless Sonnen pressed the action and attempted a second takedown. Bisping defended well and circled away. Chael's third attempt was successful and resulted in some ground and pound from Michael Bisping's guard. Bisping was able to get back to his feet and surprisingly he attempted his own take down. He was unsuccessful but was able to clinch Chael against the fence. They released and against Chael attempted another takedown only to be stuffed by Michael Bisping. With a minute left in the first round the two fighters traded punches before another clinch. Bisping attempted a spinning kick as the round came to an end. The second rund opened with both fighters trading punches before Chael Sonnen attempted a takedown. Bisping defended well and clinched Sonnen against the fence. The two fighters traded punches from the clinch before John McCarthy split the fighters. Sonnen completed a power double against the cage and there was some blood trickling down the face of Michael Bisping. Huge punch from Chael Sonnen and then a knee on the break. Bisping clinched with Sonnen against the cage but he was unable to do any damage from the position. Bisping attempted a single leg but was unsuccessful. With thirty seconds left in the round Michael Bisping attempted a hook kick but it didn't land. Chael Sonnen opened the third round with a left hand and followed it up with a power double. Sonnen landed some punches to the body and worked to pass MIchael Bisping's guard. Bisping defended the pass with a leg lock which forced Sonnen to reset back to guard. Bisping attempted to regain his feet but Sonnen swarmed his back and got both hooks in. Sonnen transitioned to mount and started raining down punches to the body. The crowd started the "U-S-A!" chants. Bisping hip escaped and regained his half-guard. Bisping scooted his hips back in order to wall walk but Sonnen stayed heavy in his positioning. Michael Bisping stood up and got his own takedown as the round came to an end. SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2

Posted in: round, michael, bisping, sonnen, chael

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Middleweight prospect Chris Weidman remained unbeaten with a split decision over Demian Maia in a slow and sloppy opening fight on Saturday’s UFC on Fox 2 main card in Chicago. MMAFrenzy.com’s play-by-play of Weidman vs. Maia is below: Round 1 – Our referee is Herb Dean and we are underway. Maia comes out southpaw against the orthodox Weidman. Weidman with a wild shot but swept Maia’s leg but Maia jumps back to his feet. Nice knee from the thai clinch by Maia. Weidman throwing a flicking jab that’s not landing early. Nice knee by Maia. Body kick by Maia. Poor superman punch attempt by Weidman and Maia evades. Maia counters a Weidman shot with a crisp left. Weidman goes for the clinch but Maia rotates out of it. Nice body kick by Weidman. Leg kick by Maia that’s caught by Weidman and Weidman fires his own leg kick. Single leg to a double by Weidman and he briefly has Maia down. Maia tries to attack quickly after getting up but slips. Brief over/under clinch and we’re separated. Round ends with both fighters standing. All things fairly even in that round but Maia was a little more accurate and Weidman couldn’t do much on the takedown. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-10. Round 2- Beautiful clinch to a bear-hug takedown by Weidman starts the action but Maia escapes before Weidman can do any damage. Weidman looks more confident with the striking. Nice uppercut by Maia. Weidman is breathing heavily with a minute and thirty left, that 11-day prep time is showing a little. Maia is not capitalizing though. Double leg attempt by Weidman with a minute left but Maia defends. Nice knee from Maia. Clinch and a knee from Maia, but Weidman secures a back trip takedown. Round ends with Weidman attempting an arm-in guillotine. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 Weidman. Round 3 – Over/under clinch starts off the action but Maia fights out. Weidman with a wild combo that misses before taking Maia down with a double-leg. Maia does a great job controlling posture and escapes. Maia misses a pair of takedowns as Weidman defends with a front-headlock. Maia attempts another and again Weidman defends with a front-headlock. Maia attempts another sloppy shot. Both fighters loo exhausted and the crowd is booing. Maia is pressing though and lands a nice knee. Nice uppercut from Maia. Nice knees by Weidman. A minute left and both fighters are just swinging with no heat behind their strikes. Nice knee from Maia but Weidman lands a nice hook to the body. Headkick from Maia ends the round. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 for Maia based on activity but the fight  a draw, though a Weidman victory would not be a surprise. Chris Weidman def. Demian Maia via split decision (29-28,28-29,29-28)

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Middleweight prospect Chris Weidman remained unbeaten with a unanimous decision over Demian Maia in a slow and sloppy opening fight on Saturday’s UFC on Fox 2 main card in Chicago. Weidman initially earned a split decision, but UFC President Dana White announced on Twitter that Weidman actually scored a unanimous decision MMAFrenzy.com’s play-by-play of Weidman vs. Maia is below: Round 1 – Our referee is Herb Dean and we are underway. Maia comes out southpaw against the orthodox Weidman. Weidman with a wild shot but swept Maia’s leg but Maia jumps back to his feet. Nice knee from the thai clinch by Maia. Weidman throwing a flicking jab that’s not landing early. Nice knee by Maia. Body kick by Maia. Poor superman punch attempt by Weidman and Maia evades. Maia counters a Weidman shot with a crisp left. Weidman goes for the clinch but Maia rotates out of it. Nice body kick by Weidman. Leg kick by Maia that’s caught by Weidman and Weidman fires his own leg kick. Single leg to a double by Weidman and he briefly has Maia down. Maia tries to attack quickly after getting up but slips. Brief over/under clinch and we’re separated. Round ends with both fighters standing. All things fairly even in that round but Maia was a little more accurate and Weidman couldn’t do much on the takedown. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-10. Round 2- Beautiful clinch to a bear-hug takedown by Weidman starts the action but Maia escapes before Weidman can do any damage. Weidman looks more confident with the striking. Nice uppercut by Maia. Weidman is breathing heavily with a minute and thirty left, that 11-day prep time is showing a little. Maia is not capitalizing though. Double leg attempt by Weidman with a minute left but Maia defends. Nice knee from Maia. Clinch and a knee from Maia, but Weidman secures a back trip takedown. Round ends with Weidman attempting an arm-in guillotine. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 Weidman. Round 3 – Over/under clinch starts off the action but Maia fights out. Weidman with a wild combo that misses before taking Maia down with a double-leg. Maia does a great job controlling posture and escapes. Maia misses a pair of takedowns as Weidman defends with a front-headlock. Maia attempts another and again Weidman defends with a front-headlock. Maia attempts another sloppy shot. Both fighters loo exhausted and the crowd is booing. Maia is pressing though and lands a nice knee. Nice uppercut from Maia. Nice knees by Weidman. A minute left and both fighters are just swinging with no heat behind their strikes. Nice knee from Maia but Weidman lands a nice hook to the body. Headkick from Maia ends the round. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 for Maia based on activity but the fight  a draw, though a Weidman victory would not be a surprise. Chris Weidman def. Demian Maia via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Posted in: round, decision, knee, maia, weidman

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Evan Dunham stopped Nik Lentz to cap off the preliminary card at Saturday’s UFC on Fox 2 event in Chicago, as a doctor ended the lightweight matchup after two rounds due to a cut and swelling under Lentz’ eye. Chicago police officer Mike Russow was also victorious on the prelims as he notched a unanimous decision over fellow heavyweight John-Olav Einemo. Also on the preliminary card, featherweight Cub Swason knocked out Geroge Roop, Charles Oliveira made his featherweight debut with a rare calf slicer submission of Eric Wisely, lightweight Michael Johnson topped Shane Roller, heavyweight Lavar Johnson debuted with a knockout of Joey Beltran, and middleweight Chris Camozzi submitted Dustin Jacoby. The complete UFC on Fox 2 preliminary card results were: Evan Dunham def. Nik Lentz via TKO (doctor stoppage – cut) – Round 2, 5:00 Mike Russow def. John-Olav Einemo via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) Cub Swanson def. George Roop via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:22 Charles Oliveira def. Eric Wisely via submission (calf slicer) – Round 1, 1:43 Michael Johnson def. Shane Roller via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Lavar Johnson def. Joey Beltran via KO (punches) – Round 1, 4:24 Chris Camozzi def. Dustin Jacoby via submission (guillotine) – Round 3, 1:08 Pictured: Evan Dunham

Posted in: round, dunham, johnson, nik lentz, lentz

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Nik Lentz took on Evan Dunham in a lightweight clash between two talented fighters looking to establish their place in the lightweight division. The fight saw Lentz dominate the first round with punches and takedowns. Unfortunately, his holes in his boxing led to some ridiculous damage in the second round that resulted in a doctors stoppage due to the cut under his left eye. Brent Brookhouse provides the play by play: Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz - Round 1 - Dunham walking forward and throws a head kick that is blicked. Lentz pushes forward and Dunham stings him with a combo. Lentz with a takedown, Dunham tries to stand up and Lentz tries to catch the head but can't. Dunham with a nice punch. Dunham is working combinations and looking good so far. Looping left lands for Lentz. They're trading and Dunham is tagging him. Lentz with a takedown, Dunham stands up and Lentz is trying for a guillotine but can't get it. Lentz with a body kick but gets hit with a punch. Dunham landing hard short elbows. Dunham tags him a few more times and gets a takedown. 10-9 Dunham. Round 2 - Dunham with a takedown early and was in side control before Lentz managed to scramble back to guard. Good grappling exchange but Dunham remained on top. Lentz with a nice series of punches as they stand up. Two hard punches by Dunham and a leg kick in return. Now they're both trading hard punches. Big right hand by Dunham and he gets a takedown into the guard of Lentz. Dunham goes for a choke and it's a weird angle but he had it deep enough to threaten. Dunham gives it up and lands an elbow. Dunham landing a series of strikes. Big punch by Dunham and Lentz manages to stand. Knee by Dunham. Big left by Dunham. Lentz pushing forward. Lentz's eye is in bad shape. 10-9 Dunham. The doctors stop the fight due to a very bad cut by Lentz's eye. Evan Dunham wins by TKO (doctor stoppage), 5:00 of round 2. SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2

Posted in: takedown, round, dunham, punch, lentz

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(Pic) of Nik Lentz's cut eye after after two rounds inside the Octagon with Evan Dunham on the UFC on Fox 2 "Prelims" portion of the mixed martial arts (MMA) event from the United Center in Chicago, Ill., on Jan. 28, 2012. The bloody mini axe wound forced the ringside physician to call a halt to the lightweight bout between the second and third rounds. For more on the stoppage, as well as the rest of the "Prelims" action, click here.

Posted in: round, evan dunham, nik lentzs, ringside physician, ufc pic

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Filed under: UFCCHICAGO -- Rashad Evans out-slugged Phil Davis for 25 minutes to win a unanimous decision in the main event of Saturday night's UFC on Fox 2 show. With the win, Evans will earn a UFC light heavyweight title shot against Jon Jones, assuming Evans suffered no injuries and is healthy enough to fight in April. The fight wasn't the kind of barn-burner that the UFC and Fox were surely hoping for, and many in the crowd at the United Center booed as the event drew to a close. But it was the win Evans needed to get another crack at the title. All three judges gave all five rounds to Evans. "I fought at a pretty high pace but I felt like I wanted to put it away and just didn't get the chance," Evans said. "I'm kind of disappointed by that." Evans said the fight with Jones is the fight he's focused on. "It was hard to focus on this fight because everybody kept talking about that fight," Evans said. "Now I get an opportunity to fight Jon and I'm very excited about that." Davis employed some powerful leg kicks in the early going and seemed to be using his reach to get the better of the stand-up exchanges. However, with a little over a minute to go in the round, Evans took Davis down and then transitioned into side control, where he battered Davis's head on the ground. That was enough to win the first round for Evans. The second round was slow most of the way until, with only 30 seconds left, Davis threw a kick that Evans caught, and Evans once again took Davis down and got into side control. Evans didn't do as much on the ground at the end of the second as he had at the end of the first, but given how little action there was before that, it was probably enough for Evans to win the round again. Early in the third Davis attempted a takedown, but Evans sprawled and managed to end up on top of Davis, and even briefly took his back before they stood back up. Evans then got the better of an exchange of punches, and although Davis was finally able to get Evans back down after that, he couldn't do anything on the ground, and Evans won yet another round. Davis landed a hard body kick that made a sound like the crack of a bat early in the fourth round, but there wasn't much significant striking in the round after that. Both Evans and Davis were tiring out and not getting much done as the fourth went on. Early in the fifth Davis threw a kick that Evans caught with one hand while hitting Davis with the other, and he knocked Davis down and got on top of him. Evans played it safe for the rest of the round, knowing he had won. And knowing he's got Jones next. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: fight, round, phil davis, evan, davi

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Filed under: UFCCHICAGO -- This is the UFC on FOX live blog for Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis, the main event of tonight's event from the United Center. Ex-champ Evans (16-6-1) is on a three-fight win streak (Thiago Silva, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Tito Ortiz) since losing his belt to Lyoto Machida at UFC 98 in May 2009. Davis (9-0) last fought in March 2011, outpointing Antonio Rogerio Nogueira on a UFC Fight Night card. Evans-Davis was originally scheduled for UFC 133, but Davis pulled out due to a knee injury. The live blog is below. More Coverage: UFC on FOX 2 Results | Latest UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Round 4: Round 5: %VIRTUAL-Gallery-145874% Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, round, fox, davi, knee injury

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Filed under: UFCCHICAGO -- Chael Sonnen has the rematch with Anderson Silva he so desperately wants. Sonnen beat Michael Bisping by unanimous decision at Saturday night's UFC on Fox 2, winning 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 on the judges' scorecards. As he usually does, Sonnen turned the post-fight interview to an exercise in absurd self-promotion. "When you're the greatest fighter in the world today they've got a name for you," Sonnen said. "They don't call you a great fighter, they call you Chael Sonnen." The win will earn Sonnen a shot at Silva, the UFC middleweight champion, likely this summer in Brazil. Sonnen took Bisping down just seconds into the first round, eliciting a huge cheer from the crowd. Bisping popped back up quickly, but within another minute Sonnen had taken him down again. Bisping was able to shrug off that takedown, too, and most of the first round was fought standing up, but Sonnen clinched with Bisping for most of the first round and controlled the pace of the fight, even though he couldn't do much damage. At the start of the second round Bisping appeared to be doing a better job landing punches and avoiding the clinch, but after a couple of minutes Sonnen took Bisping down and got on top of him again. Before Bisping could get back up he ate some hard punches. However, Bisping did better on the feet once they stood back up. It was a close fight through two rounds. Sonnen went for an immediate takedown at the start of the third and got on top of Bisping, and when Bisping briefly stood up, that just allowed Sonnen to take his back. From there Sonnen transitioned into full mount, and he was in control on the ground for most of the rest of the round. Bisping did get back on top in the final seconds of the fight, but Sonnen had done enough to win -- and his second shot at the title. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: round, bisping, chael sonnen, sonnen, round bisping

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Filed under: UFCCHICAGO -- This is the UFC on FOX live blog for Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping, a middleweight bout on tonight's event from the United Center. Sonnen (26-11-1) won in his return from suspension against Brian Stann at UFC 136 last October. Bisping (22-3) has won his last four fights and is coming off a dominant win over Jason "Mayhem" Miller last month at TUF 14. The live blog is below. More Coverage: UFC on FOX 2 Results | Latest UFC News Bisping walks to his entrance song, Blur's Song 2. The music is loud enough that you can't hear the boos. Once the music fades out, the crowd lets him have it. Sonnen enters next to a country song. The crowd loves Sonnen. Fans in Chicago have been cheering him every time he's appeared on the screens. "Big" John McCarthy is the referee. Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: %VIRTUAL-Gallery-145874% Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, round, bisping, sonnen, country song

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Filed under: UFCCHICAGO -- Chris Weidman is still undefeated, and he has just earned the biggest win of his MMA career on the biggest stage. Weidman, who accepted his fight with Demian Maia on UFC on Fox 2 on just 11 days' notice, came through with a split decision victory, improving his record to 8-0. Two judges scored the fight 29-28 for Weidman, while one scored it 29-28 Maia. The win was bit for Weidman, but it was not a particularly good fight: Both men seemed tired and tentative, and the crowd booed through long stretches of it. Weidman briefly knocked Maia down in the early going and seemed fairly comfortable standing up, and with a minute to go in the first round he surprisingly took Maia down. Maia quickly got back to his feet, but it had to be a big confidence boost for Weidman that he could go to the ground with Maia and not find himself in any trouble. Early in the second round Weidman took Maia down again, and again they didn't stay down long but Weidman found himself none the worse for wear once they stood back up. By the midway point of the second round the crowd started booing, as neither fighter was taking a lot of chances standing up. Maia started landing combinations late in the second and appeared close to winning the round, but at the end Weidman executed an impressive takedown and may have done enough to take the second. There was more booing in the third, as both men looked exhausted and out of gas and it turned into a sloppy kickboxing match. The Chicago crowd that had loudly cheered throughout the preliminary fights gave thumbs-down to both Maia and Weidman as the fight ended. That wasn't the way the UFC and Fox wanted to kick off Saturday night's televised card. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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Filed under: UFCCHICAGO -- This is the UFC on FOX 2 live blog for Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman, a middleweight bout on tonight's event from the United Center. Maia (15-3) is coming off a win against Jorge Santiago last October at UFC 136. Weidman (7-0) hold wins in the UFC against Alessio Sakara, Jesse Bongfeldt and Tom Lawlor. Weidman enters this fight on 11 days notice. The live blog is below. More Coverage: UFC on FOX 2 Results | Latest UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: %VIRTUAL-Gallery-145874% Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, round, fox, middleweight bout, weidman

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With K-1 all but dead, It's Showtime has taken the opportunity to grab the reins and become the premiere kickboxing organization in the world. Their first 2012 event, which kicks off this afternoon on HDNet, is suitably a doozy. After one of the most entertaining (not to mention) erratic careers in kickboxing history, the legendary Badr Hari will officially retire from the sport to pursue boxing after his showdown with the vicious Gokhan Saki, while Daniel Ghita will look to get his hands on both revenge and the It's Showtime heavyweight title in his rematch with Hesdy Gerges MMAmania will deliver complete LIVE action from It's Showtime 55, starting with the HDNet broadcast at 3:00 PM EST. Quick results and live play-by-play after the jump Main Card Heavyweight.: Badr Hari vs. Gokhan SakiHeavyweight Championship.: Hesdy Gerges (c) vs. Daniel Ghita70MAX: Murat Direkci vs. Robin van Roosmalen Heavyweight: Rico Verhoeven vs. Errol Zimmerman 70MAX: Harut Grigorian vs. Chris Ngimbi Heavyweight: Michael Duut vs. Anderson "Braddock" Silva Undercard: Heavyweight: Tyrone Spong def. Melvin Manhoef by Unanimous Decision 73MAX Championship: L'houcine Ouzgni def. Yohan Lidon by Unanimous Decision Heavyweight: Ben Edwards def. Ricardo van den Bos by Unanimous Decision 95MAX: Sahak Parparyan def. Mourad Bouzidi by Unanimous Decision 70MAX: Andy Ristie def. HINATA by 1R TKO (3 Knockdowns) 70MAX: Hafid el Boustati def. Henri van Opstal by Unanimous Decision Badr Hari's Farewell: Badr Hari vs. Gokhan Saki Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- It's Showtime Heavyweight Championship: Hesdy Gerges (c) vs. Daniel Ghita Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 70MAX bout: Murat Direkci vs. Robin van Roosmalen Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- Heavyweight bout: Rico Verhoeven vs. Errol Zimmerman Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- 70MAX bout: Harut Grigorian vs. Chris Ngimbi Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end- Heavyweight Bout: Michael Duut vs. Anderson "Braddock" Silva Round one: Round two: Round three: Final Result: -end-

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Filed under: UFCAfter two rounds of hard-fought action at UFC on Fox 2, Nik Lentz couldn't make it for a third, with Evan Dunham defeating Nik Lentz by technical knockout. Lentz looked good in the third round, but in the second round Dunham battered his face with hard shots, and when the doctor examined Lentz after the second, he advised referee Big John McCarthy to stop the fight. "In the first round I felt like I was a little bit flat and came out slow," Dunham said afterward. "One round doesn't determine the next, so I came out for the second round knowing if I had him on the ground I just needed to be aggressive. I was hoping for a third round because I thought I had him." The win, Dunham's second in a row, improves Dunham's professional MMA record to 13-2. Dunham isn't quite a Top 10 lightweight, but he's an impressive fighter who is continuing to improve. He has big fights in his future. As for Lentz, who falls to 21-5-2 in his career, it's tough to see where he goes from here. With two losses and a no contest in his last three bouts, Lentz's job in the UFC may be in danger. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: round, dunham, nik lentz, lentz, nik

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Filed under: Fighting, NewsBadr Hari closed out his kickboxing career in style, knocking out Gokhan Saki in the first round of his farewell fight during an It's Showtime event in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. Hari knocked Saki down three times in the first en route to the win, with the first coming on an uppercut. He battered him throughout the rest of the round in scoring the stoppage for the 64th knockout of his carer. His career record now stands at 78-11. The 27-year-old will know turn his attention to the heavyweight boxing scene. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Hari has long been considered one of the top kickboxers in the world, having won the K-1 world heavyweight championship twice. Saki fell to 75-15 with the loss. In other action during the event, longtime MMA fighter Melvin Manhoef lost a decision to Tyrone Spong. Spong is one of UFC light-heavyweight contender Rashad Evans' striking coaches. Full Results Hafid el Boustati def. Henri van Opstal via unanimous decision Andy Ristie def. Hinata Watanabe via KO, Round 1 Sahak Parparyan def. Mourad Bouzidi via majority decision (4-1). Ben Edwards def. Ricardo van den Bos via unanimous decision. L'houcine "Aussie" Ouzgni def. Yohan Lidon via unanimous decision. Tyrone Spong def. Melvin Manhoef via unanimous decision. Anderson "Braddock" Silva def. Michael Duut via unanimous decision. Harut Grigorian def. Chris Ngimbi via TKO (cut) in Rd. 2. Errol Zimmerman def. Rico Verhoeven via KO, Round 1. Robin van Roosmalen def. Murat Direkci via majority decision (4-1). Daniel Ghita def. Hesdy Gerges via KO, Rd. 1 Badr Hari def. Gokhan Saki via KO, Rd. 1  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ko, round, decision, saki, hari

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Filed under: UFCCHICAGO -- This is the UFC on FOX undercard live blog for all the preliminary bouts on tonight's card from the United Center. The opening bout kicks off at 4:30 p.m. ET with Chris Camozzi vs. Dustin Jacoby. After, the rest of the six preliminary bouts will happen at 5:00 p.m. on FUEL TV. The main card will begin at 8:00 p.m. on FOX. The live blog is below. More Coverage: UFC on FOX 2 Results | Latest UFC News Chris Camozzi vs. Dustin Jacoby The United Center looks about 70% packed already. Round 1: Jacoby opens with a leg kick followed by one to the body. Camozzi throws to est up a takedown but Jacoby grabs his next and throws Camozzi towards the cage. Camozzi catches Jacoby with a kick below the belt and Jacoby takes a breather. Camozzi, the southpaw, lands a hard leg kick. Camozzi with a nice uppercut followed by a right hand. Jacoby connects with a kick to the body. Camozzi is now hit low with a kick and he takes a rest. Jacoby lands with left hooks. Camozzi tries to rush Jacoby. Camozzi lands a nice left hand. Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz Round 1: Michael Johnson vs. Shane Roller Round 1: Jon Olav Einemo vs. Mike Russow Round 1: George Roop vs. Cub Swanson Round 1: Charles Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely Round 1: Joey Beltran vs. Lavar Johnson Round 1: Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: round, vs, kick, jacoby, camozzi

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Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC) 32: "Bitter Rivals" took place last night (Fri., Jan. 27, 2012) at the Mayfield Inn Trade and Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In the main event, a pair of former MFC title challengers squared off as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran Wilson Gouveia battled veteran Canadian scrapper Dwayne Lewis in what was planned to be the first five round non-title headlining bout in MFC history. MFC CEO Mark Pavelich promised this wouldn't need all five rounds, or even three, and his prediction rang true as Gouveia made mince meat of Lewis' lead leg with a series of brutal leg kicks in the opening frame, although the veteran hung tough. The damage became evident by the second round as Lewis began to visually react to each kick, limping, and when he paused briefly to grab his own shin after a particularly nasty kick, Gouveia pounced, taking down Lewis and finishing the fight after attaining backmount and pounding out a technical knockout victory. It was Gouveia's first win in more than three years, and was a much needed strong conclusion to a very up-and-down night of fights. Here's what the rest of the MFC 32 card looked like: In the co-main event, Antonio McKee, who hours earlier had been stripped of his title for missing weight by seven pounds, got off to a hot start against his originally scheduled title challenger Brian Cobb, working a multifaceted attack that included stand up striking and his patented wrestling. McKee repeatedly floored Cobb with takedowns and even kicks to the gut early on, but the 41 year old began to fade and Cobb took over in the third round, in which he spent the majority of his time on McKee's back looking for a rear naked choke. It's kind of humorous, but by taking away the extra two rounds of the title fight, Pavelich may have cost Brian Cobb an opportunity to defeat McKee, a man he dearly wanted to see exit the MFC on a loss. Since they both missed weight, Pavelich promised to cut both men if Cobb were to lose. No word on if the brash promoter will follow through. In a highly anticipated welterweight match up, undefeated prospect Dhiego Lima was completely controlled and outclassed by veteran grappler Nathan Coy. Coy repeatedly took Lima down throughout the course of the fight, seven times in all, and never relented, even scoring in the stand up when Lima became too wary of his vaunted All-American level wrestling. When all was said and done, Coy easily took a unanimous decision victory, handing the Brazilian prospect his first professional defeat and giving him a very important learning experience. In other welterweight action, former Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 13 participant, Ryan McGillivray stepped up against previously undefeated Diego Bautista and tapped him out with a third round armbar. It wasn't a good night to be an undefeated welterweight prospect in Edmonton. Bautista had his moments, opening up a big gash on the TUF 13 veteran's head, which bloodied up the ring for the rest of the evening, but it simply wasn't enough as McGillivray used his aggression against him, locking up an arm and rolling over over, belly-down to finish the fight. McGillivray and Coy will now battle for the vacant MFC welterweight title, last held by Dhiego Lima's older brother, Douglas. Here are the full results from the MFC 32: "Bitter Rivals" main card: Wilson Gouveia def. Dwayne Lewis via TKO at 3:19 of round twoAntonio McKee def. Brian Cobb via unanimous decisionRyan McGillivray def. Diego Bautista via submission (armbar) at 2:25 of round threeNathan Coy def. Dhiego Lima via unanimous decision Jamie Toney def. Kyle Jackson via unanimous decision Alberta. To check out our complete MFC 32: "Bitter Rivals" event archive click here.

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CHICAGO, January 28 - Evan Dunham, who hadn’t finished a fight in over two years, promised to finish Nik Lentz in UFC on FOX preliminary card action Saturday night. And after a less-than-idyllic start, Dunham turned up the heat in the second, unloading on Lentz with a wicked 12-punch sequence and bullying the Minnesotan with takedowns and threatening with a tight guillotine. Lentz, his face covered in blood, gamely survived the onslaught but doctors halted the fight at the end of the round due to a deep cut near Lentz’s badly swollen left eye. “The first round I felt a little flat and came out slow,” said Dunham, who improved to 13-2. “I just remembered what my coach Ray Sefo always told me, ‘One round doesn’t determine the next.’ So I came out just knowing I needed to be really aggressive, which I was. I was hoping for the third round, because I was hungry for that third round.” The bout had been nip-and-tuck early, with both fighters trading combinations and Lentz (23-5-2) edging Dunham 2-1 in the takedown department. JOHN-OLAV EINEMO VS. MIKE RUSSOWScratch one off Mike Russow’s Bucket List, and this one ranked pretty high up there. With Hall-of-Famer Matt Hughes barking instructions cageside, the Chicago police officer treated hometown fans to a unanimous decision win over world-class grappler Jon Olav Einemo. “It’s a dream come true,” said Russow (15-1, 1 NC). Russow wrestled for and graduated from Eastern Illinois University – the same alma mater as welterweight legend Hughes – and his repeated takedowns and top control proved to be the difference. Einemo, known for his submission prowess, actually had his best moments with right hands and knees to the body and face. But every time the 6’6” Norwegian rallied, Russow blunted the attacks with takedowns and the grinding of his 255-pound frame. Einemo also managed a deft butterfly sweep in the first round, achieving mount, but the horn saved Russow from damage. Chants of “Let’s Go Russow!” and “CPD! CPD!” filled United Arena – those initials standing, of course, for Chicago Police Department. GEORGE ROOP VS. CUB SWANSONA back-and-forth featherweight bout took a dramatic turn when Cub Swanson uncorked a highlight reel right hand, knocking out an aggressive adversary who had given him a run for his money up until then. Roop (12-10-1) had experienced success early, particularly utilizing his length advantage to score a myriad of kicks. Both men traded combinations in the first round, with Swanson’s blows having a little more heat on them and drawing blood under the Arizonan’s nose. The most memorable moment in the round came when Swanson stuffed a takedown attempt and immediately executed a textbook judo throw of his own. In the second, a hemotoma the size of a baseball began forming on Roop’s power leg (possibly the result of Swanson checking the kick). Roop continued to kick with the leg and was competitive until Swanson baited him with a jab, then stepped in with that fateful and textbook right hand that sent Roop’s mouthpiece flying and body falling. “That’s a combination we work all the time at Greg Jackson’s back home with my boxing coach,” said Swanson (16-5), who earned his first-ever UFC win. CHARLES OLIVEIRA VS. ERIC WISELYCharles Oliveira’s reinvention at 145 pounds could not have gone much better. The native Brazilian caught a low kick early, putting Eric Wisely on his back. The 22-year-old was having much success landing hard punches on top but, out of nowhere, risked his dominant position by diving for a heel hook Rousimar Palhares-style. Wisely rolled out of the heel hook but Oliveira transitioned to a leg lock from the back, awkwardly torquing Wisely’s leg back to earn the tap out at 1:43 of the opening frame. “I felt the cut a little to 145,” said Oliveira (15-2, 1 NC), “but my gym helped me and I did it.” SHANE ROLLER VS. MICHAEL JOHNSONMichael Johnson, lightweight finalist on TUF 12, relied on superior speed and boxing en route to a unanimous decision win over Shane Roller. The classic striker versus grappler match saw Johnson imposing his style by rebuffing all of Roller’s takedowns in the opening two rounds, and scoring with crisp combinations. Roller thoroughly disrupted Johnson’s groove to open the third, scoring a takedown and immediately transitioning to the back and flattening Johnson. Things were looking really bad for Johnson as Roller (10-6) teed off with punches on his trapped opponent. It was the kind of position where, as a fan, you watch and wonder how many punches the ref will jump in and stop it because a fighter is not “intelligently defending” himself. As it turns out, referee Herb Dean did stop the action – but only to warn Roller about punching to the back of the head. Dean allowed the fighters to restart in a similar position, but Johnson – perhaps benefitting from the restart -- now found space to eventually wiggle free. Though he dominated most of the round, Roller’s opportunity for the come from behind win came and went. Judges scored it 29-28 across the board for Johnson (11-6). LAVAR JOHNSON VS. JOEY BELTRANDurability had defined Joey Beltran’s six-fight UFC tenure. Never had the “Mexicutioner” been finished inside of the Octagon. Until tonight, when knockout specialist Lavar Johnson simply overwhelmed his fellow Californian from the opening horn. In the first 30 seconds, Johnson dropped Beltran with a right hand. As the round played out, Johnson landed at will. Jabs. Leg kicks. Body shots. Knees to the body. Combinations. As the one-sided bashing continued, Beltran leaned against the cage and ate a dozen hard punches – at least four of them clean uppercuts to the chin with much of Johnson’s 240 pounds behind them. It was too much for any man to take, sending Beltran to the canvas out cold at 4:24. “Those were four nice good uppercuts. Usually I knock people out with just one,” said Johnson, a former Strikeforce standout who improved to 16-5 after winning his UFC debut. Beltran fell to 13-7. DUSTIN JACOBY VS. CHRIS CAMOZZIWhen two southpaws collide, the right hook can be the most difficult weapon to see coming. In this middleweight bout, the right hook was an absolute game-changer. Dustin Jacoby, hungry in pursuit of his first UFC win, came out guns blazing and landed combinations and low kicks at a high clip. The 23-year-old Marc Fiore protégé seemed to have the opening round in the bag, as they say, until a booming right hook in the waning seconds exploded out of nowhere and briefly put him on the deck. Jacoby survived the round but never seemed the same thereafter, and the veteran Chris Camozzi took full advantage of his opponent’s newfound reticence. In what was entirely a standup affair, Camozzi kept the momentum in the second round with combinations that bloodied Jacoby’s nose and, by all indications, assaulted the young fighter’s confidence as well. Entering the third round, you could have judged the fight at 1-1 or 2-0 for Camozzi. But the judges were rendered irrelevant after a Camozzi leg kick took Jacoby’s legs out from under him. As Jacoby (6-2) scrambled back to his feet, Camozzi greeted him with a front headlock and immediately sank in a “10-finger guillotine” and earned the tap at 1:08 of the round. Camozzi (16-5, 3-2 UFC) said afterward that he dislocated a finger in the second round, but re-aligned and kept grinding.

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CHICAGO, January 28 –Rashad Evans knocked Phil Davis from the ranks of the unbeaten Saturday night with a conservative five round performance in the UFC on FOX main event at the United Center, but he will probably need to take more risks when he faces friend-turned rival Jon Jones for the UFC light heavyweight crown. The title bout may take place April 21 in Atlanta, Evans’ post-fight medical report permitting. Uncharacteristically playing it safe, Evans rarely tried to unload heavy leather on Davis, despite clearly owning superior standup skills to his less experienced foe. Perhaps it was Evans’s way of respecting the explosive wrestling skills of Davis, a former NCAA champ at Penn State University. Or perhaps it was also the pressure of another title shot on the line. “I fought at a pretty high pace. I felt like I wanted to put him away but I just couldn’t land those big punches,” said Evans (22-1-1), who won his fifth straight since losing the world title to Lyoto Machida at UFC 98. “I’m excited. The monkey has been on my back; it was hard to get up for this fight because everybody kept asking about that fight (with Jon Jones). But I got my shot and I’m very excited.” Though cautious offensively, Evans was masterful defensively, pretty much deflecting most of Davis’s strikes and takedowns. The exception came in round four, when Davis landed a nice kick to the body and left hand to the face, and in the third round, when Davis (9-1) recorded two takedowns. A big key for Evans was making Davis pay for low kicks by scoring takedowns and ground and pound. In the first round, Evans’s strongest, he trapped Davis on the canvas and unloaded punches before Davis escaped.   Judges awarded the bout to Evans via scores of 50-45 across the board. Watch Rashad's post-fight interviewIn the evening’s co-main event, Chael Sonnen, the UFC’s silver-tongued and beloved Big Mouth, once again backed up his over-the-top smack talk with a smothering win over a feisty Michael Bisping, setting the stage for one of the most anticipated rematches in MMA history. Anderson Silva: Penny for your thoughts?While the newly-minted top contender has contended the UFC middleweight champ wants no parts of a sequel, UFC president Dana White has said that if Sonnen prevailed there would be a rematch at a soccer stadium in Brazil later this year.  Triumphant in five of his past six bouts, Sonnen did not immediately afterwards call out Silva, the only fighter to beat him in the past three years. But he left no doubt as to his own grandeur and place in the UFC hierarchy when commentator Joe Rogan attempted to interview him inside the Octagon.“Joe Rogan, tonight is not for questions for me, tonight is about questions for you,” Sonnen said with the royal air of a king. “I want to know how you feel being inches away from greatness? Do you not have chills down your spine? You’re in Chael’s Octagon, holding Chael’s microphone … When you’re the greatest fighter they got a name for you -- Chael Sonnen. Beat me if you can.” Originally slated to face Mark Munoz (who dropped out two weeks ago with an elbow injury that required surgery), Sonnen had his hands full with Bisping (22-4), who had been victorious in four straight entering the contest. The well-rounded Brit is notoriously difficult to take down and hold down, and he gave Sonnen fits in rounds one and two in that regard. But Sonnen did get his takedowns, did score with punches on top, and never let Bisping get into the stick-and-move groove that would have been ideal for the British star. Rather, as he does with every opponent, Sonnen largely cornered Bisping and made him fight in close quarters and in the clinch. Bisping was solid in the clinch (with knees and dirty boxing) and occasionally landed combinations, but the ultra-aggressive Sonnen held his own there and also landed timely right hands and straight lefts. The crowd sporadically showered Sonnen with “U-S-A!” chants. Quite simply, Sonnen made Bisping fight his fight, leading to a unanimous decision by scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28. Hear what Chael had to say after the fightIn other main card action: DEMIAN MAIA VS. CHRIS WEIDMANFighting on only two weeks’ notice, undefeated Chris Weidman eked by former No. 1 contender Demian Maia via unanimous decision in what qualifies as the signature win of his career and a big statement to the rest of the division. Scores were 30-27 and 29-28 twiceA replacement for Michael Bisping, the New Yorker predominantly exchanged blows with the Brazilian, though it was Weidman’s several takedowns that may have swayed judges in the closely contested opening two rounds. When he did take Maia down, Weidman wisely Maia threw a lot of left hands, and when they landed they mostly hit Weidman’s head, perhaps hurting Maia’s hand more than Weidman’s head. The standup action was steady, perhaps explaining why both fighters were fighting on fumes by midway into the third round. On the most rubbery of legs, they barely seemed able to stand. Watch Weidman's post-fight interview

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Rashad Evans vs. Phil DavisBrent Brookhouse: Davis is going to have his moments, Rashad gets going slowly sometimes and does fade late in fights due to some cardio concerns. But I don’t buy that Davis doesn’t have similar cardio issues and I think the better, more well rounded fighter wins this fight. Rashad Evans by decision.Leland Roling: I’ll be honest. I’m not a Rashad Evans’ fan. But, on paper, it’s difficult to believe he can’t beat Phil Davis. Davis has better wrestling, period. Evans’ reasoning that he wrestled in a weak division doesn’t erase Evans’ barely above .500 record in college. Davis was a beast when he wrestled to a NCAA championship. Unfortunately, that’s where Davis’ edge ends. Evans has experience, better striking, and enough takedown defense to keep it on the feet where he has a significant edge. Rashad Evans via decision.Matt Roth: This is one of those fights that is completely dependent on which Rashad Evans decides to show up. The way the UFC has booked this event, it’s almost a sure bet that fights are going to decision. This is a total change from the first Fox show which ended in a minute. But back to my original point, this fight depends solely on which Rashad shows up because if he is fighting for a decision, this could be a terrible card. I’m thinking he’s gonna want to put a stamp on Davis. Rashad Evans via second round TKO.Anton Tabuena: So I just had to erase an entire paragraph explaining how I think Rashad will have the edge because he’ll be good enough to avoid the first few takedowns and score points standing... but f*** it. Rashad has been a slow starter, and even if he does get off early on this fight, I don’t think he’ll be able to stop Davis, or outwork the guy. It will be a close fight, but I believe Davis’ toughness, better endurance, and better wrestling will be able to earn him the nod with the judges. Phil Davis by Decision.T.P. Grant: If this fight goes more than a few minutes, it is going to come down to who is the better wrestler, and the answer is Phil Davis. Rashad is the more powerful striker, but how much of an advantage he will enjoy is unknown as Davis has shown strides on his feet. In the clinch and on the mat I think Davis will enjoy an advantage that will only increase as the fight wears on. Rashad has shown that prolonged grappling will drain his gas tank and Rashad has never been impressive off his back. Davis will survive on the feet, drag Rashad onto the ground, and then finish him in the later rounds. Phil Davis by TKO, Round 4. Fraser Coffeen: This all comes down to Rashad’s takedown defense. If he can stay on the feet, he will toast Davis, who has serious holes in his stand-up game that the faster Rashad can expose. I think Rashad is a smart enough fighter to know this, and I think he’ll avoid spending too much time on his back. Rashad Evans by KO, round 3.David Castillo: I’m still not sold on Davis. His striking leaves a lot to be desired, and Evans is the perfect foil against such a green prospect: intelligent, quick, and a capable grappler. I can absolutely see him winning, but I think Evans will keep the match on the feet. He’ll win the early rounds with striking and sturdy takedown defense and lose the late rounds to Phil’s durability and takedowns. Very close match, and one I could see carrying with it some controversy when all is said and done. Rashad Evans by Decision. Tim Burke: I’m sold on Davis. While his standup is rudimentary, Rashad has always been a bit of a slow starter, and I think his takedown defense isn’t going to keep him upright. The later rounds will decide the fight, but I actually think the Rashad/Jones bout gets derailed again by a grinding, almost boring performance by Mr. Wonderful. Phil Davis by decision.Dallas Winston: I see this is fairly even across the board with Davis having the slight edge in pure wrestling and Rashad having that same narrow advantage in striking, submission grappling, quickness and experience. I think Rashad’s sharp boxing and agility (both in footwork and hand speed) will be the difference, and he’s a smart fighter as well. Rashad Evans by decision.Staff Picking Evans: Fraser, David, Leland, Brookhouse, Roth, DallasStaff Picking Davis: Grant, Anton, Tim SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2Chael Sonnen vs. Michael BispingBrent Brookhouse: I actually really like Bisping’s chances here because of his takedown defense and tricky game off his back. He’s very hard to hold down and get shots off against, if you posture up, he uses the space to work back to his feet. In the end, it’s Bisping’s lack of power that will be his downfall here. He doesn’t hit hard enough to keep Chael from closing distance and repeatedly putting him on the floor. Bisping will make it a bit more competitive than most people are expecting but will likely lose the decision. There’s also the ever present chance that Chael gets subbed. I’m going to be smart even though I want to pick Bisping. Chael Sonnen by decision.Leland Roling: Bisping’s takedown defense and ability to scramble to his feet against solid wrestlers are two attributes that will help him win this fight. He can outbox Sonnen on the feet, but I think his skill is deceptive. He has been tagged in almost every fight, which leads me to believe Sonnen can do the same. Ultimately, I think it comes down to Sonnen’s size at fight time coupled with his relentless wrestling attack. It could get rather boring, but Sonnen wins with a repeated takedown clinic. Chael Sonnen via decision.Matt Roth: Bisping really has improved as much as it pains me to admit. However, I don’t believe he possesses the scrambling ability to get out from Chael Sonnen’s takedowns. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bisping can keep distance for a bit and work his boxing but I’m pretty positive that Sonnen takes this. Chael Sonnen by Decision. Anton Tabuena: Michael Bisping is good with scrambling up to his feet when someone takes him down, but Sonnen will be relentless and will constantly out work and try to keep him down there for 15 mins. He will have better MMA wrestling than any other guy Bisping has faced, and I don’t think he’ll be able to submit him off his back, so it’s going to be Chael Sonnen by Decision.T.P. Grant: My head and my heart are at war here. My head tells me that the last time Bisping beat a wrestler was his 2007 split decision over Matt Hamill and Sonnen is the most relentless takedown artist in the division. My heart tells me that it seems everyone is looking past this fight to Silva/Sonnen II expect Bisping and the stage is perfectly set for an upset. While I do think it is possible Bisping could fend off takedowns, scramble to his feet and kick-box his way to vicotroy. But I don’t think it is unlikely. Chael Sonnen by Decision. Fraser Coffeen: There’s no secret to how to defeat Sonnen (Hint: it starts with “sub” and ends with “mission”). But that tool is not in Bisping’s skillset. I see Bisping’s game as being relatively similar to that of Brian Stann, and Sonnen had no trouble there. Sonnen grinds this victory out all day, every day. Chael Sonnen by decision.David Castillo: I’ll be the dummy and say that I’m not sold on Chael’s “reinvention”. He deserved his title shot, so I’m not here to play revisionist, but I don’t know what’s changed between now and his embarrassing performance against Babalu. Bisping has good hips, and should be looking for submissions. He’d be wise to stick to his guns on the ground rather than on the feet since there’s no way in hell he’d ever KO Sonnen. I think he does, especially since Sonnen is active on the ground. And I think he shocks the world. Michael Bisping by submission, round 2.Tim Burke: Bisping can sub him from the bottom. A lot of people seem to think because he hasn’t done it in the UFC, he can’t do it at all. I don’t buy that. I think the bigger problem for him though is that he doesn’t have the power in his hands to put Chael away if he can keep it standing or is able to get up. I think it’s a closer fight that the odds indicate, but good ole Chael with the first grinding decision of the main card. Chael Sonnen by decision.Dallas Winston: I was floored at how solid Bisping’s takedown defense was against reputable LHW wrestlers in Rashad and Hamill. I think the odds are jacked up and Bisping presents an extremely viable threat. He’ll tommy-gun punches and the lack of power is a double-edged sword: a KO/TKO is unlikely, but the style allows Bisping to stay light on his feet, react quickly with changes of direction and sprawling and avoid planting his feet too far and heavy in the pocket. Unfortunately, the takedown battle will be so pivotal that it will seem like Sonnen is winning if he can get one, even if it leads to nothing. That will stand out more than Bisping’s steady edge on the feet when scoring the round. I do think Bisping is a great bet at the +350 (and above) odds. Chael Sonnen by decision.Staff Picking Sonnen: Leland, Grant, Fraser, Brookhouse, Roth, DallasStaff Picking Bisping: DavidDemian Maia vs. Chris WeidmanBrent Brookhouse: I think we’re about a year away from Weidman having developed the game to run through Maia. As it is right now, Maia’s striking is better and Weidman isn’t likely to have an easy time working from the top if he tries to work takedowns. In a year? Maybe. Saturday night? No. Demian Maia by decision.Leland Roling: The most interesting fight on the card in my mind. Maia’s striking has improved considerably, and he still possesses a brilliant BJJ game that can catch Weidman. Weidman’s wrestling is an obvious factor, but I imagine he’ll try to keep this on the feet to test Maia’s striking. A year or two ago, Weidman would have been my pick, but Maia’s striking has improved enough to where I’m comfortable he can pull it off over three rounds. Demian Maia via decision.Matt Roth: I like Chris Weidman and how he’s developed so far as a fighter. The issue is that he really is making a huge leap in competition. I’m gonna pick Weidman because I think Demian has stepped away from his BJJ and isn’t pushing himself with tougher competitors in the gym. Chris Weidman by Decision. Anton Tabuena: If Weidman isn’t coming in on short notice, I think he blows Maia out of the water. Now, I’m not that confident with my pick anymore, but I’m still picking him. Chris Weidman by TKO.T.P. Grant: I love this match making right here. It isn’t often that an injury replacement creates a more interesting fight than the one it replaces. It seems like many fans undervalue Maia at this point in his career. His grounds skills and improved striking make him a solid Top 10 middleweight, even if he will likely never win a title at that weight. Weidman is an up-and-comer with excellent grappling skills, he gave Andre Galvao everything he could handle at the 2003 ADCCs. On the feet, I feel like Maia has the cleaner punches and Weidman the more powerful strikes. On the ground, Maia should have an advantage but Weidman’s ground skills are no joke and it would not be a major upset if he slapped a D’arce on Maia. I’m not sure were to go with this fight, if Weidman had a full fight camp to prepare I’d favor him, but the short notice gives me pause. I’m going to go with Maia, but he has a serious fight on his hands. Demian Maia by Decision. David Castillo: Even though I’d prefer to see Weidman in smaller matchups, this is the perfect matchup for him if he wants a ‘big win’. Weidman is no slouch on the ground, as his match against Galvao revealed (as ‘Dr. Grant’ pointed out). That’s where Maia will have trouble. His jiu jitsu, while elite, is too traditional to threaten someone equally crafty. And while his striking has improved, he still looks uncomfortable. He throws the same combination over and over, and he throws them somewhat brazenly. I think Weidman catches him ala the Maia/Maruqardt fight minus the somersault flip. Chris Weidman by TKO, round 3. Fraser Coffeen: This is a really tough one for me to call, and a fight I am seriously excited about. I really want Weidman to win here, but I’m not sure. I think they’re pretty close on the feet. On the mat, Weidman can get Maia down, no trouble. The question is, can Maia sub him off his back. I think with Maia’s recent focus on stand-up, plus the late change from Bisping (who would have definitely been a stand-up focused opponent) Maia has probably not been as focused on his subs. I think he gets drawn into a striking battle, and I think it costs him, but this is really close. Chris Weidman by TKO, round 2.Tim Burke: I’m pretty much repeating what others are saying. Weidman can hang on the floor in a grappling battle. And he’ll probably have top position, a Weidman decision looks like the easy call. But I don’t see it. I think Maia actually has the better standup now (shockingly) and Weidman is going to resist taking it down due to Maia’s rep. I want to see a finish, but I doubt it. Demian Maia by decision.Dallas Winston: Fun Fact: Maia has faced nine BJJ black belts and beat seven; the two he lost to (Silva, Marquardt) won with strikes. Munoz broke new ground by being the first to courageously duel with Maia on the ground, and I’d say Weidman is a better submission grappler than Mark. I agree that Maia will have the edge on the feet but the kicker is that Weidman, while unquestionably bursting with potential, has yet to even encounter an A-level opponent. I could see a sub but Maia’s been killing it with positional dominance. Demain Maia by decision.Staff Picking Maia: Grant, Leland, Brookhouse, Tim, Dallas,Staff Picking Weidman: David, Anton, Fraser, RothEvan Dunham vs. Nik LentzBrent Brookhouse: Not only can Dunham keep this on the feet, he can blow Lentz up. Evan Dunham by TKO, round 2.Leland Roling: Dunham can stop Lentz from wrestling him to death. Once that happens, it’s over for Lentz. Dunham beats him up for three rounds, avoiding the ground and winning on the scorecards. Evan Dunham via decision.Anton Tabuena: Dunham is just the better fighter overall. Evan Dunham by Decision. T.P. Grant: Evan Dunham I think is bad stylistic matchup for Nik Lentz. Lentz relies on his wrestling and clinch fighting to control fights and I think Dunham can match him in those areas. Dunham is the superior striker and on the ground has much more diversity in his skill set. I think Dunham recaptures some of his 2010 luster with a victory over the Carny. Dunham by Decision. David Castillo: I never understood how Lentz became this symbol for elite top control wrestlers. He got throttled by Charles, and his two high profile matchups were utterly misleading re: the Tavares and Griffin fights. He’s not a bad fighter, but Dunham is the more dynamic one, and that’s what you need to beat Lentz. Nik won’t stand with him, and because Evan nearly choked out Sherk, I have to think he’ll be capable of submitting Lentz. Evan Dunham by submission, round 1. Dallas Winston: Lentz has grown on me a little. He’s an unassuming, respectful cat who uses what he has. I was impressed with his scrambling and guard technique against Bocek, but he should be a tailor-made opponent for Dunham’s three dimensional onslaught. I’m tempted to take Dunham by catching his back in a transition, but … Evan Dunham by decision.Tim Burke: Dunham is way too athletic and methodical for Lentz. I still think Dunham is a top contender at LW, and while I doubt he finishes the somewhat-crafty Lentz, it’ll be domination for Dunham. Evan Dunham by decision.Staff Picking Dunham: Grant, Leland, Fraser, David, Anton, Brookhouse, Dallas, Tim, RothStaff Picking Lentz: Mike Russow vs. Jon Olav EinemoBrent Brookhouse: I kept shouting about Russow not really being good because I watched him fight guys who were bad even for the weak midwestern scene and was never impressed. But he has managed to make some noise in the UFC, so what do I know? Well, I know that Einemo, while massively overrated before his first UFC fight, is good enough to beat Mike Russow. Jon Olav Einemo by submission, round 3.Leland Roling: This fight gives me a headache, mainly because I have no idea who will show up to this fight. Russow, at 35, is going to hit a ceiling quickly, but his last two performances suggest the opposite. And Einemo? How about that sloppy performance against Dave Herman? How about using those ADCC credentials? Tough call, but I’ll go with Einemo waking up and hitting a takedown for some grappling wizardry. Jon Olav Einemo via submission, Round 2.Anton Tabuena: Russow? Really? JOE by Submission.T.P. Grant: Jon Olav Einemo used to be one of the best heavyweight grapplers on the planet. His 2003 win over Roger Gracie and ADCC gold medal had grappling geeks like myself drooling at his future prospects. But sadly after a case of flesh eating bacteria cost Einemo three years of training and part of his left foot, he has never really looked the same. If he can get Russow to the the ground, the fight will end quickly, but Russow is a gritty figther with one hitter power. While a Russow KO win wouldn’t shock me, I think Einemo gets his first UFC win. Jon Olav Einemo by Submission, Round 1.Fraser Coffeen: I’d love to see Einemo make that serious UFC run, but I think that ship has sailed. Russow is an underrated fighter who is incredibly good at just staying alive in there until he can take you out, and that’s what I expect to see once again. Mike Russow via KO, round 2. David Castillo: Something about Einemo’s terrible performance against Herman impressed me, whereas something about Russow’s impressive KO against Duffee did not. Russow may have the edge in power, but they’re workmanlike fighters, except Einemo is much more talented. He also reminds me of that dude from Detroit Rock City who plays the roided out brother of the little kid with a Stretch Armstrong. Which isn’t worth noting, but whatever. Jon Olav Einemo by submission, round 2. Dallas Winston: Russow has been hard to gauge and fighting only once per year. I think he’s a really deceivingly equipped heavy with powerful boxing, under-rated wrestling and subs and decent agility -- especially compared to the lumbering style of JOE, who is 36 himself and highly predictable. I don’t see why he can’t do the same thing Pee-Wee did only with more intelligence. Mike Russow by TKO.Tim Burke: This is gonna be a sloooow fight. JOE’s more qualified on the ground, but Russow’s okay there. They’re both a bit ugly standing. My mind says JOE, and my heart says...JOE too. Einemo it is! Jon Olav Einemo by decision.Staff Picking Russow: Fraser, DallasStaff Picking Einemo: Grant, Leland, David, Anton, Brookhouse, RothCub Swanson vs. George RoopBrent Brookhouse: I have some sort of unfair, over-the-top dislike for Cub Swanson. Roop is better, Roop will win. George Roop by decision.Leland Roling: Roop should be able to win this fight in any capacity, but I anticipate him using his footwork and ranged striking ability to batter Swanson to a decision. George Roop via decision.Anton Tabuena: Roop will be able to use his length en route to a decision, continuing his red green red green wikipedia record. George Roop by Decision.T.P. Grant: Despite his win one, lose one pattern Roop has developed good skills and gave Hatsu Hioki real problems. Swanson is an able featherweight also, and I’m about 50/50 on this fight. I’ll go Roop just because I’ve seen more from quality outings from him in the recent past than Swanson. George Roop by Decision. David Castillo: Even though Roop has put up respectable performances, I still don’t think of him as elite. Swanson isn’t either, but he’s every bit as gritty as Roop, and in an exchange, I like Cub as the better man. So long as he keeps it standing, I think Swanson shocks the Roop momentum. Cub Swanson by decision. Dallas Winston: When this was first announced, my assessment mirrored Leland’s. I’m actually pretty high on the strides Roop’s made in the clinch and by using his length. Cub is a BJJ black belt with hints of Judo, wrestling, Capoeira, kickboxing and a little bit of everything. He’s his own worst enemy because he’ll just scrap wherever instead of exploiting his strengths. That mentality along with his height disadvantage make me nervous, but he’s my pick. Roop should get the better standing but he still has some clunky tendencies and leaves his chin out, and Cub has only been finished with strikes once (Aldo), by decision once (Mendes) and Roop isn’t subbing him. Cub Swanson by submission.Tim Burke: Cub’s gonna have trouble with Roop’s range, but he’s a way a better standup fighter. If he can avoid a sub, he’ll get the decision. Cub Swanson by decision.Staff Picking Swanson: David, Dallas, TimStaff Picking Roop: Grant, Leland, Fraser, Anton, Brookhouse, RothCharles Oliveira vs. Eric WiselyBrent Brookhouse: I actually like Wisely’s game in this fight. He brings a bit more patience and, while my brain is telling me to pick Oliveira, I think he’ll be able to pick his spots in the first round and take over in the second and third for the upset. Eric Wisely by decision.Leland Roling: Wisely isn’t a terrible prospect out of the Midwest. He’s definitely at the apex of the talent pool in the region, but Oliveira should snuff him out easily as he’s far more skilled everywhere. Charles Oliveira via TKO, Round 1.Anton Tabuena: Aaaaand Oliveira easily gets back on the win column. Charles Oliveira by Submission.T.P. Grant: At first glance this seems like a complete squash match. Eric Wisley is coming out of small time Midwestern shows, but two wins over Hermes Franca and a win over Mike Veach suggest he may be a notch above “regional level fighter”. That said the hyper aggression of young Oliveira is going to be a stiff test. The Brazilian may be in a funk right now but this kid is just too skilled to keep losing. So this second glance confirms the first glance, squash match. Charles Oliveira by TKO, Round 1. David Castillo: Wisely’s a decent fighter but he’s up against a guy who is simply too dynamic. Even though I think Charles needs to tone down his game, now is not the time. Not against Wisely. Charles Oliveira by submission, round 2. Dallas Winston: Wisely is a mini-Spencer Fisher and tough as nails; he’s a TDK black belt with good boxing and his ground was solid enough to fend off Hermes Franca and sub Matt Veach. Oliveira is wildly talented and should win, but this might be a test for his mettle and endurance. Wisely has never been finished while “do Bronx” only has one decision win and twice lasted to the third in his career. Charles Oliveira by decision.Tim Burke: I’m surprised a few of you are picking Do Bronx to KO him. That’s not what I expect at all. His superior athleticism and talent will keep him in the drivers seat for the whole fight, but Wisely’s apparently pretty tough to finish. Charles Oliveira by decision.Staff Picking Oliveira: Grant, Leland, Fraser, David, Anton, Dallas, Roth, TimStaff Picking Wisely: BrookhouseMichael Johnson vs. Shane RollerBrent Brookhouse: There’s no area where I think Johnson is superior, so that makes this easy. Shane Roller by decision.Leland Roling: Roller possesses superior wrestling and the solid conditioning to support a relentless attack that will likely wear Johnson thin at the fight progresses. Shane Roller via decision.T.P. Grant: Michael Johnson’s original opponent of Cody McKenzie suited him much better. Shane Roller is a better wrestler, better striker, better grappler and just better overall fighter than Johnson at this point. Roller is an aggressive wrestler, who sets a frantic pace and Johnson has a history of slowing down in fights. Roller takes Johnson’s back at some point and sinks a choke. Shane Roller by Submission, Round 2. David Castillo: Johnson may be the less skilled fighter, but Roller’s liabilities on the feet are not something to be underestimated. Oh right. His opponent is Michael Johnson. Shane Roller by submission, round 3. Dallas Winston: I think Johnson has shown excellent potential and he’s still a young kid. His strong wrestling on TUF hasn’t panned out offensively, but he employs it well in reverse to stay standing and I really like his hands. That being said, five of his six losses are by submission and he’ll be reduced to trying KO Roller before he’s taken down. Shane Roller by submission.Tim Burke: I don’t like either of these guys, to be honest. Roller’s standup is mechanical and he’s never done a great job of converting his wrestling to MMA. He’s got heavy hands, which have saved him in the past. Johnson just isn’t UFC-caliber in any area to me. Maybe wrestling, but Roller’s better there. Roller can get it to the mat and get an opportunity sub. Shane Roller by submission, round 2.Staff Picking Johnson: Staff Picking Roller: Grant, Leland, Fraser, David, Anton, Dallas, Brookhouse, Roth, TimJoey Beltran vs. Lavar JohnsonBrent Brookhouse: Lavar Johnson in the UFC just feels...wrong. He’s on a sweet two fight losing streak too. I’m no fan of Beltran. While I’m a lover of all things violent, there’s a point in “wild brawling” where fights are just so ugly as to not be particularly entertaining. Still, give me Beltran. I hope this one ends quickly one way or the other. It won’t though, and it’ll be really ugly by the second round. Joey Beltran by decision.Leland Roling: I’ll probably regret this decision, but I’m going with the Mexicutioner. Why? I have no idea. I’m just not confident enough in Johnson to outlast Beltran, even if Joey turns this into a sloppy slugfest. Joey Beltran via TKO.T.P. Grant: Two journeymen heavyweights meeting up in what is clearly meant to be a stand up war. Johnson has been brought over from Strikeforce to inject some action into Heavyweight division. And action is what Johnson promises, in his 20 fight career he has never once seen the judge’s score cards. Johnson either knocks out his opponent or gets tapped out when the fight hits the mat. Beltran is known for his heart and ability to absorb damage, but generally he fights Johnson kind of fight, sloppy brawling. If Beltran spent his time at Alliance well and worked on his ground game, he should beat Johnson fairly easily. But if he stands, like I expect him too, I think Johnson’s heavy artillery puts the Mexicutioner down. Johnson by TKO, Round 2David Castillo: What an ugly fight. Why can’t we ever get these standup slopfests in grappling form? Sloppy grappling is less embarrassing than sloppy striking, Dave Huckaba notwithstanding. Beltran should be ok while both men look stuck in quicksand. His chin is actually kind of unbelievable, and he can throw in combination. Joey Beltran by TKO, round 2. Dallas Winston: Similarly styled heavies except Beltran will be slightly quicker in movement and with his hands, plus he’s shown the ability to prey on opportunistic takedowns as he did against (an albeit gassed) Stipe Miocic. Joey Beltran by rear-naked choke.Tim Burke: This is a King of the Cage main event. I can’t see either one knocking the other out, and I can’t see Beltran ripping off some fancy submission unless it’s very late in the fight. He knows his position in the UFC lies as a crowd-pleasing brawler and while winning is the most important thing, he also knows what brought him to the table. Ah hell, let’s go with that. 3rd round sub. Joey Beltran by submission, round 3.Staff Picking Beltran: Leland, Fraser, David, Anton, Dallas, Brookhouse, Roth, TimStaff Picking Johnson: Grant,Chris Camozzi vs. Dustin JacobyLeland Roling: Camozzi’s experience should put him in the winner’s circle here. Jacoby doesn’t have the grappling chops to catch Camozzi, so I imagine Chris beats up Jacoby from range and wins a lackluster decision. Chris Camozzi via decision.T.P. Grant: Jacoby is a young, up and coming KO artist. His stalking, powerful striking is impressive but how well rounded he is as yet to be truly tested. Chris Camozzi is a veteran fighter with a solid striking and decent ground work. The only fighters Camozzi really struggles against are superior grapplers and I don’t think Jacoby has the chops on the mat to beat the TUF veteran. Chris Camozzi by Decision. David Castillo: Jacoby has that “puncher’s chance” I guess, but Camozzi is pretty durable, and he’ll control the fight if it goes to the ground, which it should. Chris Camozzi by decision. Dallas Winston: Jacoby’s height and length could pose problems and I’m tempted to take him here. He was taken out by a D1 wrestler in his debut and Camozzi is more of a jack of all trades like Jacoby. This will be a prime opportunity for Jacoby to shine, but the odds favor Camozzi winning an grind-out decision. Chris Camozzi by decision.Tim Burke: I’m with them. Camozzi has a good chin. Jacoby’s not the one to crack it. Chris Camozzi by decisionStaff Picking Camozzi: Grant, Leland, David, Anton, Fraser, Dallas, Brookhouse, Tim, RothStaff Picking Jacoby:

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The UFC is set to return to Fox with a 3 fight main card with major title implications. Rashad Evans will try once again to earn yet another shot at the Light Heavyweight title that may or may not come to fruition against rising star Phil "Mr. Wonderful" Davis in the main event. Polarizing Middleweights Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping will lock horns to determine who will be the next man to climb the mountain of dead bodies that pound for pound king Anderson Silva has built his throne upon and Demian Maia will do battle with Serra-Longo product Chris Weidman in the opening bout. All preliminary fights will be aired LIVE on Fuel so be prepared for a day jam packed with great action from what is, on paper, a fantastic card. Let's get it started with the HKL staff's predictions. Rashad Evans vs. Phil DavisEarl - This is too much too soon for Phil Davis. Rashad is the #2 Light Heavyweight on the planet and Phil is still very raw. Rashad will use his takedown defense and superior striking to put the first blemish on Mr. Wonderful’s record. Rashad Evans, TKO, Round 2.Jack - I suspect this will be another decent showing for Rashad as the UFC continues to get us excited for a match with Jon Jones. I believe Rashad can keep ahead with his passable stand up, heavy hands and excellent work rate, but he will struggle to lay and pray on Davis. While Rashad is not difficult to hit, it all hinges on how hard Davis can hit him. Rashad Evans, Unanimous Decision.Luke - After seeing Rashad Evans link up with Tyrone Spong immediately after leaving Jacksons and after watching Jon Jones struggle with Lyoto Machida until he got him to the mat, I deduced that Evans believes the way he’ll beat the Martian Manhunter is by avoiding the ground at all costs and out pointing him in a kickboxing match. If my sleuthing proves correct, Evans will surely test out the strategy against Davis. I’m not sure this fight will be particularly exciting if that is the case but I do think Evans will execute perfectly. Rashad Evans, Unanimous Decision.Cory - Ill-timed Sandusky comments aside, I kind of like Phil Davis. I tend to like the the quieter folks that don’t really talk too much. Phil has been a damn solid fighter that’s impressed in various ways. His standup, however, has not been one of those ways. Rashad Evans is one of the more complete MMA fighters at light-heavyweight. He has a very solid top-control game, quick hands and knockout power. I loathe his ground and, and his in-ring crotch grabs are eye-rollingly annoying. Davis just doesn’t have the standup to hang with Rashad on the feet, and I’m going to guess that much of the fight is spent there, as so often happens with two wrestlers. The only caveat I’m going to put in here is this, Rashad has shown suspect cardio throughout the years. If this goes into deep waters, Davis could eventually overwhelm a tired Evans. Evans, TKO. Michael Bisping vs. Chael SonnenEarl - This is the fight that should have been scheduled all along to get the new top contender to Anderson Silva’s throne. Chael should be dominant here because his wrestling will keep Bisping from opening up with his strikes as much as he did against guys like Leben, Miller and Rivera. Chael is going to brutalize Mike here and it is not going to be pretty. It will be beautiful. Chael Sonnen, Unanimous Decision.Jack - It’s no secret that Bisping is a well protected fighter but he is coming off the most legitimate win of his career over Jason Miller. The fact that this fight is not taking place in the UK should give readers a hint of what Joe Silva expects to happen. Chael will almost definitely take Bisping down at will and hit him harder than expected in the stand up when Bisping is worried about sprawling. The rest will be vintage Chael Sonnen, lots of big punches but not much damage, perhaps a late stoppage if he’s really on form. Chael Sonnen, Unanimous Decision.Luke - I wasn’t sure Miller was the most legitimate win of Bisping’s career but a look back at his schedule shows that it just might be. That doesn’t bode well for his chances against a world class fighter like Chael but the truth is that Bisping is a bad match-up for Sonnen. Bisping has calculated stand up, making takedowns difficult. He also has good defensive jiu jitsu and gets back to his feet very well. Sonnen is at his best when he can take you down and work from the guard. When forced to work hard to keep you down, he opens himself up for submissions. Bisping will give us one "oh my!!" moment and catch Sonnen in something but I think the American will survive to get that second fight with Silva. Chael Sonnen, Unanimous Decision.Cory - Ya know what... I’m gonna do it. I’ll go with the upset here. Sonnen’s submission defense is bad. Historically bad. Nearly every time he’s gone against a solid submission grappler, he’s tapped. He can outwrestle people. He hits somewhat hard on the feet. Bisping is not a superior submission grappler. However, he isn’t stupid either. He knows what works for him and who he’s facing. If he isn’t a dimwit and lets Sonnen control the cage the way Henderson did, I can see him realizing his best avenue is through Jiu Jitsu. If Bisping can outwork Sonnen, I’ll be surprised. If he takes an arm and bends it in ways it isn’t supposed to go, I won’t be. Bisping, Submission.Demian Maia vs. Chris WeidmanEarl - In his quest to improve his stand up game, Demian Maia has seemingly forgotten that he is a world class BJJ practitioner. The man who had amazing grappling displays against Jason MacDonald and Chael Sonnen has seemingly vanished and that makes me sad. Weidman is on a serious roll right now but, especially on short notice, he is in the same boat as Phil Davis on this night. Demian Maia, Submission, Round 3.Jack - Calling it now, Maia surprises everyone with improved stand up again! As this is a late replacement, and Maia was already training for a striker, I suspect we’ll see Maia work Weidman over on the ground - but Weidman may be strong enough on the ground to hold out. Demian Maia, Submission, Round 2.Luke - I’m going with the youngster in this one. As Earl points out, Maia has not shown off his remarkable grappling game in years, having spent much of his time working on his striking game. I think he’ll be surprised by the strength and technical acumen of Weidman, who puts Maia on the ground and keeps him there for the entire three round fight. Chris Weidman, Unanimous Decision.Cory - Weidman is a good fighter. He might be really good. Demian Maia IS really good. He’s been with some of the best in the sport and doesn’t lose very often. Maia, Decision.Evan Dunham vs. Nik LentzEarl - Nik Lentz is looking to rebound from his loss to Mark Bocek and he has a tough match-up in Dunham. Lentz has been dabbling in exciting fights recently but if he tries it against Evan, he is going to get busted up. Evan Dunham, TKO, Round 2.Jack - Would love to see Lentz lose here, I cannot stand lay ‘n’ pray. Dunham should be able to stuff the takedowns and use better stand up to beat Lentz down. Evan Dunham, TKO, Round 1.Luke - I was disappointed in Lentz after his fight with Bocek. He essentially spent the entire fight trying to secure a guillotine choke on Bocek that clearly wasn’t happening and he looked frustrated and surprised when the judges gave Bocek the nod. Top control will beat submission attempts from the bottom every time Nik, even in Canada. Lentz doesn’t have anything for Dunham here. Evan Dunham, TKO, Round 2.Cory - There’s no real convincing argument you can give me at this point that would make me think that Lentz wins this fight more than 1 or 2 times out of 10, tops. Dunham, TKO.Mike Russow vs. Jon Olav EinemoEarl - Mike Russow is seeking his 11th straight victory against JOE. Einemo was in a wild brawl with Dave Herman in his first Octagon appearance. Russow has crazy power (especially in his hammerfists) and should take this one. Mike Russow, TKO, Round 1.Jack - As physically unimposing as he is, it’s hard to pick against a guy who is on a double digit winning streak since the death of PRIDE. It is in Einemo’s interest to beat up Russow’s legs and body early to remove the chance of getting caught down the line, then look for a submission. Mike Russow, KO, Round 2.Luke - Could everyman Mike Russow actually win four fights in a row in the UFC Heavyweight division? I was thinking he could, but watching his interview with Ariel Helwani and realizing that he only trained full time for one month before this fight has me thinking otherwise. Jon Olav Einemo looked good against Dave Herman but he probably should have gone to his grappling game a little sooner. He’ll do that this time. Jon Olav Einemo, Submission, Round 1.Cory - I am in nearly perfect agreement with Luke. Einemo, Submission.Cub Swanson vs. George RoopEarl - George has been steadily improving and I pay for it every time I bet against him, save the Hominick fight. I have learned my lesson. George Roop, Unanimous decision.Jack - Roop uses his range to beat up Swanson, knocks him out with a flying knee or head kick and everyone starts talking about Roop vs Aldo. George Roop, KO, Round 1.Luke - Roop is coming off of two very good performances, despite losing to Hatsu Hioki in his last fight. Swanson is not that great and Roop should dispatch him with ease. George Roop, KO, Round 1.Cory - I would not be surprised at all if this is the fight that gets Cub Swanson cut from the UFC. Roop, TKO.Charles Oliveira vs. Eric WiselyEarl - "C DB O" is dropping down to Featherweight where he belongs. He is going to be in beast mode. Charles Oliveira, Submission, Round 2.Jack - On most cards there is an upset. I like this as the upset of UFC on Fox 2. Oliveira keeps coming in and looking as if he buys his own hype. Don’t play guard against Jim Miller or Donald Cerrone; should be pretty obvious to a guy with the talent of Oliveira. Eric Wisely, TKO, Round 1.Luke - If Charles Oliveira loses, could it really be considered an upset? He’s lost his last two outings and didn’t look particularly great against Donald Cerrone. I guess the fact that he’s dropping down a division to face a newcomer to the UFC would make it qualify as an upset. Wait, why did I just spend two minutes working that out? Charles is going to win. Charles Oliveira, Submission, Round 1Cory - Eric Wisely strikes me as a tailor made individual to get Charles Oliveira back into the win column. Unless he suffers from a bad weight cut going down to featherweight for the first time, South Bronx (get it, he’s from South America), should roll right over Wisely. Oliveira, KO.Michael Johnson vs. Shane RollerEarl - Coin flip, I guess. Michael Johnson, Unanimous Decision.Jack - I’m going with Roller, just because I feel he’s tougher. Shane Roller, Unanimous Decision.Luke - Michael Johnson is a disappointment to me. I felt he could have done more against Jonathan Brookins in the TUF final and I also thought he had the fight IQ to avoid getting subbed by Paul Sass. If he can’t beat Roller, he doesn’t belong in the UFC. Michael Johnson, Unanimous Decision.Cory - Michael Johnson has done very little to make me think he’ll succeed against the upper echelon of the division. Shane has already failed against the upper echelon (and T.J. Grant), but I think he’s just better than MJ. Roller, Decision.Joey Beltran vs. Lavar JohnsonEarl - I love a Joey Beltran fight. I hope the UFC never cuts him. Lavar Johnson is making his UFC debut on a 2 fight losing streak. Sadly for him, it will be 3 after he gets MEXICUTED! Joey Beltran, TKO Round 2.Jack - Gonna go with Beltran. Joey Beltran, TKO, Round 1.Luke - Joey Beltran has embraced his role as a UFC gatekeeper, according to his pre-fight interview with Ariel Helwani. Lavar Johnson would have had much better luck if he had tried to get into the UFC through a side door somewhere, instead of through a cage with Beltran inside it. Joey Beltran, TKO, Round 1.Cory - I can’t believe that the Tigers are going to be paying a 35-year old, probably broken-down husk of Prince Fielder 20 million dollars+ in the year 2020. They’re gonna be hating life and … oh wait, Joey Beltran vs. Lavar Johnson? Well, they both have a middling record, the difference is that Joey has been losing to the likes of Pat Barry and Matt Mitrione while Lavar has swum in shallower waters. Joey Beltran, TKO.Chris Camozzi vs. Dustin JacobyEarl - This fight will happen. Dustin Jacoby, Unanimous Decision.Jack - Camozzi has a significant edge in experience over the young finisher. Should be a decent scrap at any rate. Chris Camozzi, Unanimous Decision.Luke - I like Camozzi. He was cut after going 2-1 in his first go-round with the UFC, then was brought back after a single win. Weird. Dustin Jacoby was completely unimpressive in his UFC debut against Clifford Starks and I don’t think much of his chances here. Chris Camozzi, Unanimous Decision.Cory - In my due diligence on looking into young Mr. Jacoby, I was able to find very little about him other than he trains with Robbie Lawlor. That isn’t really a great indication of anything. Tons of midwestern prospects have flamed out, and quite frankly, Jacoby has shown me nothing so far to indicate that he won’t join that long list. Camozzi, Submission.

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, rashad, evan

Read the full article at Head Kick Legend

This is a guest post by Rory MacLeod (smoogy) A year ago, we selected the inaugural class of fighters that would make up the first edition of the World MMA Scouting Report. It's been a gratifying experience to see some of the athletes we selected go on to succeed in major fight opportunities, and a heartbreaking one to see others come up just short. For each pick that claimed a significant title in 2011, there were at least two that didn't make their breakthrough, or fell off the rails entirely. Here's a recap to give you a sampling of the highlights (and lowlights) from a tumultuous time in the careers of these MMA prospects. 1. Marcos Rogerio de Lima (8-1) Marcos Rogerio de Lima caught the attention of the MMA world when he took a decision win over former WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho (22-4-2) last October in the main event of Sao Paulo's First Class Fight series. It took a while, but the win eventually propelled him to an opportunity in Strikeforce. "Pezao" was given another step up in competition upon arrival, drawing American Kickboxing Academy's Mike Kyle (19-8-1) as his Semptember debut opponent. In three rounds of cage kickboxing, Lima failed to find an answer for Kyle's tight defense and snapping low kicks. Marcos held his own, but in the end found himself on the wrong end of a unanimous decision. Four months later, no sophomore match in Strikeforce has materialized for Pezao. 2. Gian Villante (9-3) As the Ring of Combat light heavyweight and heavyweight champion and the primary bro to UFC middleweight rookie sensation Chris Weidman, Gian Villante seemed poised for instant success when he made the jump to Strikeforce early in the year. Those expectations needed adjusting after he debuted as an alternate in the Strikeforce World Grand Prix against unheralded, mutton-chopped heavyweight Chad Griggs (11-1). Griggs engaged Villante in a savage one-round brawl that thrilled the crowd. Gian took the balance of the hits, almost mounting a comeback after bloodying Griggs' nose before being put away with strikes just short of the three-minute mark. Gian may have come back early when he took a light heavyweight booking with then-undefeated Lorenz Larkin (12-1) just four months later. Villante was outmaneuvered by Larkin from the outset, resigning to a decision loss for most of the latter half of the contest. Since the losses, Gian has brought his Strikeforce record back to .500; he outpointed Keith Berry (11-8) in August, before laying the smack down on Trevor Smith (9-2) in January. 3. Jimi Manuwa (11-0) Rather than rely on the assessments of others to gauge his readiness for the big show, Jimi Manuwa has carefully chosen his own career path. He turned down a Zuffa contract in favor of continuing to sharpen his skills in the UK, fighting as a main event for the Ultimate Challenge promotion before agreeing to terms with the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts series. In his BAMMA debut, "The Poster Boy" only needed one round to put away French journeyman Antony Rea (22-14), stringing together a damaging spinning backfist and high kick to take the fight out of Rea, who called it quits between rounds. Manuwa figures to continue as a main event attraction for BAMMA in 2012, provided they can keep their schedule on course. 4. Glover Teixeira (17-2) It appears that the seemingly never-ending saga of Glover Teixeira and his quest to gain full-time entry to the United States is finally over. Glover has gone through the application process for his green card and now looks to return to California, where his career started. In the meantime, he went a perfect 5-0 last year, running his overall winning streak up to 15. Among the victims were UFC veterans Marcio "Pe De Pano" Cruz (7-3), Antonio Mendes (17-11), Marvin Eastman (17-14-1) and former champion Ricco Rodrigeuz (48-15). 5. Jan Blachowicz (14-3) As the preeminent Polish light heavyweight in MMA, it stands to reason that Jan Blachowicz would have to make it on the world stage for any of his divisional compatriots to stand a chance. Unfortunately, Jan has come up short even when the world stage comes to Poland for him. In March he dropped his KSW light heavyweight strap to PRIDE and UFC veteran Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (12-10), quitting on his stool at the end of the second round. He bounced back in May with a submission win over Finnish journeyman Toni Valtonen (24-13) before KSW lured Sokoudjou back for a seemingly dubious rematch with Blachowicz in November. However, this time it was Sokoudjou who appeared to have motivational issues, fading in the later rounds and opening the door for Jan to ground him and lay just enough offense down to reclaim the title on the judges' scorecards. The jury is still out on whether or not Blachowicz can ever ascend beyond the Polish national MMA circuit. 6. Yoel Romero (4-1) After making this report and producing a viral moment among MMA fans with his incredible standing ankle pick takedown against Michal Fijalka (8-2), Cuba's Yoel Romero garnered insider buzz as an emerging superathlete that could seriously shake things up in the light heavyweight division. Strikeforce came calling for his services, booking Romero into a doozy of a debut against former title holder Rafael Cavalcante (11-3) in September. Yoel's normal whirlwind style wasn't on display, however, as he curiously danced around for most of the first round. Eventually, referee Dan Mirgliotta issued him a rare warning for inacivity. Romero responded in the second round, scoring takedowns and engaging Cavalcante in brawling exchanges that favored the former champ. Late in the frame, "Feijao" missed a high kick but stunned Yoel with a follow-up backfist, chasing him down with more punches to force a stoppage. Romero hasn't been back in action since the loss. 7. Ryan Jimmo (16-1) The unique career path of Canadian karateka Ryan Jimmo stayed course in 2011. He continued to reign as Maximum Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion, successfully defending the belt three more times. He sent Fort McMurray's Dwayne Lewis (12-7) home with a busted eye socket in February, then notched consecutive five-round decision wins over Strikeforce veteran Zak Cummings (13-3) and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. His steady presence was finally rewarded in the form of a UFC contract offer, which he happily signed near the end of the year. A planned January debut was scratched due to injury, so Jimmo will have to wait for another slot to open up on the schedule before he makes his promotional debut. 8. Nik Fekete (5-1) Given his status as a former NCAA Division 1 All-American at Michigan State University, there were high hopes for Nik Fekete (5-1) when he was invited to compete in Bellator Fighting Championship's inaugural light heavyweight tournament. Combine his wrestling credentials with Muay Thai tutelage from Xtreme Couture's renowned Marco Van Den Broek, and it seemed like Fekete may be able to overcome his experience disadvantage to go deep in the tourney. Those pipe dreams were dashed quickly in the quaterfinals by Tempe, Arizona's Richard Hale (18-4-1). The 6'4" Koncrete Gym representative turned Nik into fodder for submission highlight reels in less than two minutes by reversing a Fekete takedown attempt into a rarely-seen inverted triangle choke. Fekete was quickly rendered unconscious, creating a scary scene as the referee took several seconds to realize the fight was over. After the humbling defeat, Fekete quietly made his Bellator return in August, overwhelming Mark Griffin (3-3-1) with strikes in the second round. 9. Marcus Vanttinen (21-3) Marcus Vanttinen, Finland's preeminent light heavyweight hope, kept his busy schedule going in 2011, continuing to fight primarily for the long-running Fight Festival series in Helsinki. He started the year off with dominant first-round TKO wins over faded former UFC fighters Ron Faircloth (33-20) and Edwin Dewees (37-15). Marcus had his eleven fight win streak snapped by Slovakian powerhouse Atilla Veigh (24-4-2) via unanimous decision at May's Rock and Brawl show in Kouvela. Vanttinen came back in October at Fight Festival 31 to elbow France's Malik Merad (11-8) into submission. Shortly after, Marcus was signed by Bellator; he will likely make his debut in the upcoming sixth season. There is no 205 lbs. tournament in this cycle, so Vanttinen will likely have to win a fight or two to qualify for the next one. With Veigh also making his way to Bellator, Marcus may get a chance to avenge his only recent loss. 10. Ronny Markes (12-1) Though he barely made our 2011 report, Ronny Markes went on to have the most visible, successful campaign among the light heavyweight selections. The Shooto Brazil 93 kg Champion took a step up in competition in April, facing former WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho in Recife. A convincing decision win in that bout catapulted Markes into the UFC, where he made his August debut against Czech tackler Karlos Vemola (8-2), an intimidating former heavyweight who was fresh off a first-round destruction of Kimbo-killer Seth Petruzelli. Surprisingly, it was Ronny who dominated with takedowns right from the start, cruising to an easy decision win. In another twist, he opted to cut down to middleweight after the fight, and he'll make his divisional debut February 15th in Omaha, Nebraska against eight-fight UFC veteran Aaron Simpson (11-2).

Posted in: fight, round, heavyweight, light, debut

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MMAWeekly Radio returns on Monday with a big show including interviews with UFC on Fox 2 headliner Phil Davis, women's superstar Gina Carano and debate in the Sixth Round.

Posted in: round, mmaweekly, phil, monday, gina

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Photo by Mark Johnston, Daily Herald Name: Jan Jorgensen Nickname: Janimal Age: 25 Height: 6'2" Location: Utah Jan Jorgensen (1-0) is no stranger to the sound of two burly heavyweight athletes clashing in the midst of a heated battle for real estate. That was, in a nutshell, his job when he played defensive end for Brigham Young University, pushing, pulling, juking, and spinning his way past his opponent to sack the quarterback. Now, his aim isn't to move past his opponents. It's to break them. Jorgensen's foray into the sport began in September of 2010, beating fellow collegiate football player Jerzy Siewierski by technical knockout in the third round of an amateur bout at Showdown Fights: Respect. He followed up the victory with a first round technical knockout of Felix Guel four months later at Showdown Fights: New Blood, then submitted Jeff Prescott in the first round at Showdown Shootout in April, improving his amateur record to 3-0. In his pro debut at Showdown Fights: Evolution in November, Jorgensen continued his dominance, defeating Lolo Tuiaki by technical knockout when he couldn't answer the bell in the third round. It was an expected outcome considering Jorgensen's talented background and surprisingly well-rounded skill-set. Feeding off a high school wrestling background and the skills it takes to move powerful, explosive offensive lineman out of his path, the 25-year-old is expectedly effective in the takedown department. He has a basic understanding of position on the ground, and he can control opponents from the top while he moves to more dominant positions or beats up opposition with ground and pound. His stand-up game is surprisingly diverse for a novice fighter. He can work from the clinch, the Thai Plum, and from distance, mixing up his strikes and throwing combinations. He also possesses sufficient conditioning, enough to keep a pace that surpasses his opponent's rate of attack. The jury is still out on whether Jorgensen can compete against better competition. Fortunately, the division isn't deep, and a few more wins should bring bigger names into the mix. Despite only having one fight under his belt as a pro, Jorgensen is worth keeping tabs on. He could make considerable progress in 2012. Look for him at Showdown Fights: Breakout on February 24 when he battles fellow prospect Aaron Magro. Footage of Jan Jorgensen after the jump... FlyweightBantamweightFeatherweightLightweight #1 - #2 - #3 -#4 -#5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 - #1 - Rony Mariano#2 - Aljamain Sterling#3 - Chris Holdsworth#4 - Josh Hill#5 - Fabiano Fernandes#6 - Claudio Ledesma#7 - Sirwan Kakai#8 - Kyoji Horiguchi#9 - Leandro Hygo#10 - Pedro Munhoz #1 - Hacran Dias#2 - Joey Gambino#3 - Brandon Bender#4 - Lance Palmer #5 - Jim Alers#6 - Anthony Gutierrez#7 - Max Holloway#8 - John Teixeira#9 - Cody Bollinger#10 - Bubba Jenkins #1 - Fabricio Guerreiro#2 - Alessandro Ferreira#3 - Adriano Martins#4 - Justin Salas#5 - Neilson Gomes#6 - Eduard Folayang#7 - Zorobabel Moreira#8 - Anton Kuivanen#9 - Jordan Rinaldi#10 - J.P. Vainikainen WelterweightMiddleweightLight HeavyweightHeavyweight #1 - Andrey Koreshkov#2 - Dhiego Lima#3 - Brandon Thatch#4 - Nordine Taleb#5 - Hernani Perpetuo#6 - Brock Jardine#7 - Alan Jouban#8 - Mohsen Bahari#9 - Andre Santos#10 - Stephen Thompson #1 - Antonio Braga Neto#2 - Marcelo Guimaraes#3 - Claudio Silva #4 - Bojan Velickovic#5 - Ildemar Alcantara#6 - Michal Materla#7 - Elvis Mutapcic#8 - Tor Troeng#9 - Jack Hermansson#10 - Tim Ruberg #1 - Wagner Prado#2 - Phelipe Lins#3 - Tom DeBlass#4 - Misha Cirkunov#5 - Kyle Cerminara#6 - Robert Drysdale#7 - Artur Alibulatov#8 - Thiago Perpetuo#9 - Steve Bosse #10 - Juha Saarinen #1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - Jan Jorgensen #10 - David Oliva Check out profiles from local news stations here. Jan Jorgensen vs. Felix Guel Jan Jorgensen vs. Jerzy Siewieski

Posted in: fight, round, showdown, jorgensen, jan

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Last night Ultimate Fighter 3 winner Kendall Grove picked up his second straight victory since being released by the UFC after outpointing Japanese legend Ikuhisa Minowa in the main event of ProElite’s latest offering, a show also featuring Olympic wrestler Sara McMann in action against respected grappler Hitomi Akano as well as the semifinal round of the organization’s ongoing heavyweight tournament. Grove dealt with little adversity throughout the bout with “Minowaman”, using his size to control the 36-year old in most positions while fending off the occasional submission attempt and doing damage whenever Minowa shot in for a takedown. The performance improved Grove’s overall record to 14-9 and gave him his first winning streak in nearly three years. Grove Takes Out Joe Riggs in ProElite Debut McMann was also impressive en route to a decision win, using her strength and athleticism to repeatedly put Akano on her back. The Silver Medalist is now 5-0 since transitioning to MMA. Read below for a full list of results from ProElite: Grove vs. Minowa: Sean Rush def. James Schulte via Submission Round 1 (Rear-Naked Choke) Collin Mansanas def. Bryson Kamaka via Submission Round 1 (Rear-Naked Choke) Toby Misech def. Steven Saito via TKO Round 1 (Strikes/Knees) Tatsuya Mizuno def. Ilima Maiava via Submission Round 2 (Arm-Triangle Choke) Brent Schermerhorn def. Kaleo Gambill via Knockout Round 1 (Strikes) Patrick Cummins def. Tasi Edwards via Submission Round 1 (Arm-Triangle Choke) Ryan Martinez def. Cody Griffin via Unanimous Decision Richard Odoms def. Jake Heun via Submission Round 2 (Rear-Naked Choke) Sara McMann def. Hitomi Akano via Unanimous Decision Kendall Grove def. Ikuhisa Minowa via Unanimous Decision PHOTO CREDIT – PROELITE Tweet

Posted in: round, decision, submission, proelite, grove

Read the full article at Fighters.com

On the same night that reigning Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe Warren defends his title against No. 1 contender Pat Curran, the road for a new challenger begins in Hammond, IN. The March 9th season debut will feature the featherweight tournament's first round with mix of several Bellator vets, a couple new faces and a former top 145'er returning after a long layoff. Marlon Sandro (19-3) vs. Roberto Vargas (12-1) The 34-year-old Sandro advanced to the featherweight summer tournament finals and was knocked out by Curran in the second round. He returned to the winner's circle with a first round submission victory over Rafael Dias in November and is 5-2 in the last two years. Vargas returns to Bellator after a near three year absence, riding a six fight win streak in regional promotions. Ronnie Mann (20-4) vs. Wagnney Fabiano (14-3) The 25-year-old Mann was also a victim of Curran, dropping a unanimous decision to him in the tourney semifinals. He rebounded with a first round submission win over Kenny Foster in October and has won five of his last six. In Fabiano, Mann will face someone once regarded as one of the best featherweights in the world. The former IFL 145-pound champion won two straight after joining the WEC, but went 2-2 with defeats to Joseph Benavidez and Mackens Semerzier before being cut. When he steps into the cage, it will be his first action in 15 months. Alexandre Bezerra (12-1) vs. Genair da Silva (11-4) After ripping through four non-tourney opponents in 2011, Bezerra finally gets his shot in a Bellator tournament. He's a finisher with stoppages in 11 of his 12 wins and hasn't been in a fight that's gone the distance in over three years. da Silva returns to Bellator after being dispatched by Sandro last year in the summer tournament's opening round. He's coming off a first round submission win over Brian Goldsby and is 5-1 in the last two years. Daniel Straus (17-4) vs. Jeremy Spoon (12-0) Straus did just fine in his first 145-pound tourney, advancing to the finals of the spring tourney against Patricio Freire. The unanimous decision loss that night snapped a 12-fight winning streak, but he bounced back with an October decision win over Jason Dent in a non-Bellator fight. The undefeated Spoon gets his first crack in a tournament after two Bellator wins last year with Straus as his toughest competitor in his young career. Last week, Bellator confirmed that this event will be their season opener, originally slotted for March 2nd. The aforementioned Freire has also earned a title shot with his spring 145-pound tournament victory but a hand injury prevented him from taking the first shot at Warren.

Posted in: bellator, round, year, tournament, featherweight

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Pro Elite 3 took place last night (January 21, 2012) from the Neil S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. With the UFC holding an event on Friday, the fledgling promotion actually had the whole night to themselves. Headlining the main event was a battle between native Hawaiian and Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season three winner Kendall Grove and Japanese underdog Ikuhisa Minowa, better known as "Minowaman," who was competing in the United States for the first time. While Grove was initially hoping to score an emphatic knockout victory, Minowa was having none of the stand-up, instead choosing to close the distance and work for takedowns and top control. The perpetual Japanese underdog surprised Grove in the first round, riding out the final two minutes of the frame in top position, but that would be the last time he held any real advantage in the fight. In both rounds two and three, not only were the part-time pro wrestler's takedowns stuffed, but Grove was able to gain the upper hand on the ground, taking "The Punk's" back and locking in a body triangle. Despite his best efforts to finish the fight either with punches or with a rear naked choke, Minowa proved durable and refused to be finished. A frustrated Grove was content with a victory, but was not pleased with his performance, calling himself a derogatory name in the post-fight interview with Pat Miletich. There was plenty more action which aired live on HDNet and we've got it detailed after the jump. In the co-main event of the evening, Sara McMann, the first US woman to ever win an Olympic medal in wrestling, put her undefeated record on the line against the very dangerous and experienced Hitomi Akano. McMann originally intended to showcase some of her new striking skills, but Akano proved to be her equal in that department, thus she went to her bread and butter, and boy did she do it with authority. For three straight rounds, McMann slammed Akano viciously to the canvas, never allowing her opponent to get comfortable and powering out of every submission attempt the Japanese veteran threw her way. As the fight progressed, Akano began to wear down and the slams became more and more violent. McMann couldn't threaten to finish with strikes or submissions, but her top control, slams and occasional strikes from above were more than enough to secure an easy unanimous decision victory. In heavyweight tournament action, Jake Heun surprised both the fans and commentators by shooting out of the gate against undefeated Richard Odoms. Heun took Odoms down repeatedly, threatening with punches and multiple submission attempts but everything was a bit too sloppy to actually finish. Heun may have started a bit too strong as he began to tire in the second round. When Odoms reversed position, he easily took Heun's back and forced the tap with a rear naked choke proving that endurance is perhaps the most important key in a fight. On the other side of the heavyweight semifinal bracket, Ryan Martinez took on a showboating Cody Griffin in what was entirely a lackluster stand-up affair. Griffin was looking almost exclusively to counter punch throughout the bout and Martinez wasn't giving him many opportunities, instead throwing repeated leg kicks which Griffin was unable to check or counter. The bout was very slow-paced and the crowd got restless at times. Griffin repeatedly tried to taunt Martinez into losing his composure and give him openings to counter but he never really went on the offensive, losing a ho-hum decision. Also on the card, Pat Cummins, a wrestler out of Reign MMA gym in California, took on native Hawaiian Tasi Edwards. Cummins quickly secured a takedown and after multiple positions and submission attempts, he finally secured a fight ending arm triangle choke to pull of a first round stoppage victory. As long as Cummins is brought along at a measured pace, he could have a bright future. Lastly, in the opening bout of the evening, middleweights Brent Schermerhorn and Kaleo Gambill promised a stand-up war and they delivered, although it certainly didn't last long. Schermerhorn connected with a left hand right out of the gate as both men traded heavy blows. He then put Gambill down for good with another huge left hook which scored a clean and very exciting knockout victory. Perhaps Gambill will keep his right hand up next time. All in all, it was an up and down night full of entertaining fights and some disappointing ones. We'll see if the new collaboration agreement between ProElite and Dream will continue to deliver intriguing battles in the future. For complete ProElite 3 results and detailed round-by-round commentary of all the televised fights click here. So what did you think, Maniacs? Are you a believer in ProElite? What did you make of last night's event? Did it live up to your expectations? Sound off!

Posted in: fight, round, grove, victory, submission attempts

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ProElite returns TONIGHT (Nov. 19, 2011) to the Neil S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, with a middleweight main event featuring an Ultimate Fighter winner and a Japanese fan favorite. MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of ProElite 3 below, beginning with the HDNet telecast at 10 p.m. ET. In addition, we'll deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the undercard action much earlier in the evening. This card will feature a main event between former Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season three winner Kendall Grove and perpetual underdog Ikuhisa Minowa, AKA "Minowaman." Grove looked solid in his first fight with ProElite and is hoping to continue a strong run of performances outside the UFC. Also on the card will be the semifinals of the Pro Elite heavyweight grand prix as Jake Heun takes on undefeated Richard Odoms and Cody Griffin battles Ryan Martinez. Martinez notably handled former NCAA Division I champion Mark Ellis in his quarterfinals of the grand prix. Lastly, Sara McMann, the first American female Olympic medalist in wrestling, puts her undefeated record on the line against highly ranked former Smackgirl champion Hitomi Akano in what should be her toughest test to date. Complete ProElite 3 results and play-by-play are after the jump: Main Card (HDNet) 185 lbs.: Kendall Grove vs. Ikuhisa Minowa265 lbs.: Cody Griffin vs. Ryan Martinez265 lbs.: Jake Heun vs. Richard Odoms135 lbs.: Sara McMann vs. Hitomi Akano265 lbs.: Tasi Edwards vs. Pat Cummins185 lbs.: Brent Schermerhorn vs. Kaleo Gambill Preliminary Card 145 lbs.: Steven Saito vs. Toby Misech205 lbs.: Ilima Maiava vs Tatsuya Mizuno170 lbs.: Collin Masanas vs. Thomas Sedano170 lbs.: Sean Rush vs. Jaymes Schulte155 lbs.: Ray Cooper vs. Kyle Foyle135 lbs.: Zach Close vs. Keli'i Valencia165 lbs.: Sebastian Mariconda vs. Dan Ige Hemmi here! 185 lbs.: Kendall Grove vs. Ikuhisa Minowa Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: -end- 265 lbs.: Cody Griffin vs. Ryan Martinez Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: -end- 265 lbs.: Jake Heun vs. Richard Odoms Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: -end- 135 lbs.: Sara McMann vs. Hitomi Akano Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: -end- 265 lbs.: Tasi Edwards vs. Pat Cummins Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: -end- 185 lbs.: Brent Schermerhorn vs. Kaleo Gambill Round one: Round two: Round three: Final result: -end-

Posted in: result, round, vs, end, lb

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While neither men were household names heading into their UFC on FX main card showdown last night (January 20, 2012), bantamweights Mike Easton and Jared Papazian put on a terrific show for the fans in a thrilling back and forth battle in Nashville. From the opening seconds, fans knew they were in for a treat as both men closed the distance and began unloading quick strikes to each other's faces. Papazian, taking the fight on very short notice, certainly won over some new fans with his tenacious fighting style and willingness to trade blow for blow with anyone, but it was Easton who came away with a close majority decision. So what helped "Hulk" pull out the victory? And where do both men go from here? The crowd was quickly roaring as both men exchanged powerful short strikes in the clinch early, colliding in the center of the cage with neither man backing down. The bout quickly transitioned into a grueling clinch battle along the fence with both men switching positions and grinding against the fence. In the regular striking exchanges, Papazian looked to stay on the outside and circle while Easton hunkered down and stalked his foe, trying to cut him off with his footwork, constantly moving towards his opponent. When the clapper signaled 10 seconds remaining in the round, both men exploded in violence, finishing it just like they started and having to be separated by the referee when the horn sounded. Easton continued to utilize constant forward pressure in the second round, but this also became slightly predictable as Papazian began looking to land a big right uppercut on his slightly forward-leaning foe. After trying and missing several times in the first round, Easton finally found a home for his powerful leg kicks, knocking "The Jackhammer" off balance and following up with a right hand. With the round extremely close, "Hulk" likely earned some brownie points with a pair of takedowns in the final minute, although he wasn't able to do much with either. Papazian's corner implored him to go for broke in between rounds and he took their advice, pushing a tremendous pace in the third and throwing a very large volume of strikes. Easton was happy to oblige him as both men threw down in a third round that may have been the most entertaining of them all. "The Jackhammer" found a home for his right uppercut with 15 seconds remaining in the fight, but he couldn't do enough to offset Easton's pressure from the first two rounds, as the judges sided with "Hulk" via majority decision. The only complaint I had about this fight was the absolute travesty that it wasn't awarded "Fight of the Night." In my opinion, both men put on by far the most entertaining bout of the evening and both deserved an extra $45,000 for their performance. Hopefully they were awarded backstage with some large discretionary bonuses. For Jared Papazian, he has nothing to feel sorry about. He stepped up on short notice against a highly touted fighter and put on a tremendous show. He was in this fight from start to finish and refused to back down, trading blow for blow for fifteen straight minutes. He finished just as strong as he started and he definitely left the Octagon with a significant amount of new fans. If there was one complaint about his fight, he might have focused a little too heavily on countering and circling away instead of initiating some of the action at times. If he's serious about dropping down to flyweight next, he's going to be a huge 125 pounder and at just 23 years old, he could be a big player in the division down the road. If he stays at bantamweight, an interesting fight would be someone like Walel Watson, but if he does indeed cut to flyweight like he says, there aren't many potential 125 pounders on the UFC roster at the moment. For now, potential flyweight opponents could be The Ultimate Fighter 14 cast members Josh Ferguson or Louis Gaudinot. For Mike Easton, he put on a good performance, but this also wasn't the type of dominant victory that will launch him into contender status. He did a good job with his constant forward pressure, but he could not get off nearly as many leg kicks as he should have. His kicks are one of his most dangerous weapons and either that's a testament to Papazian's preparation, or he simply didn't utilize one of his greatest strengths enough, focusing instead on punching. Easton is still a strong bantamweight and has potential to be an upper-mid level fighter in the division for years to come, or maybe even better if he can continue to improve. I'd like to see him step in against the winner of Chris Cariaso vs. Takeya Mizugaki next. Other possible opponents include Yves Jabouin or maybe even TUF 14 winner John Dodson (if he stays at 135 pounds). So what did you think, Maniacs? Should this bout have been awarded "Fight of the Night?" Did Easton do enough to win? What did you think of Jared Papazian in his UFC debut? Sound off! For complete UFC on FX results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.

Posted in: fight, round, men, easton, papazian

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Jim Miller weathered some early damage to submit Melvin Guillard just over two minutes into the lightweight matchup, which headlined UFC on FX 1 on Saturday night in Nashville, Tennessee. Guillard got off to a strong start as he dropped Miller with knees early in the opening round, but Miller persevered and found his way onto Guillard’s back, where he locked in a rear naked choke for the submission finish. Miller improves to 21-3 with the win and is back on track following his August loss to fellow contender Ben Henderson, while Guillard has now dropped two straight to fall to 29-10-2 after a fight-fight win streak. A similar scenario played out in the co-main event between welterweights Duane “Bang” Ludwig and Josh Neer, as Ludwig took control early with his striking, but was quickly choked unconscious with a guillotine by Neer. In other main card action, bantamweight Mike Easton outpointed newcomer Jared Papazian in an entertaining slugfest that a majority of the judges saw for Easton, while Pat Barry escaped several near-submissions to knock Christian Morecraft out cold in the opening round. The UFC on FX 1 prelims saw Jorge Rivera retire with a TKO win over Eric Schafer, while Khabib Nurmagomedov, Charlie Brenneman, Fabricio Camoes, Daniel Pineda, and Nick Denis also picked up wins. The complete UFC on FX 1 results were: MAIN CARD Jim Miller def. Melvin Guillard via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 1, 2:04 Josh Neer def. Duane “Bang” Ludwig via technical submission (guillotine) – Round 1, 3:04 Mike Easton def. Jared Papazian via majority decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-29) Pat Barry def. Christian Morecraft via KO (punches) – Round 1, 3:38 PRELIMINARY CARD Jorge Rivera def. Eric Schafer via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:31 Khabib Nurmagomedov def. Kamal Shalorus via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 3, 2:08 Charlie Brenneman def. Daniel Roberts via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) Fabricio Camoes def. Tommy Hayden via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 1, 4:03 Daniel Pineda def. Pat Schilling via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 1, 1:37 Nick Denis def. Joseph Sandoval via KO (elbows) – Round 1, 0:22

Posted in: round, submission, miller, guillard, neer

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The televised FUEL TV debut portion of tonight's (Jan. 20, 2012) UFC on FX: "Guillard vs. Miller" preliminary card from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., is officially in the books and boy, did the "Prelims" get off to a fast and furious start! Closing out the preliminary card was a middleweight match up between two veterans in Jorge Rivera and Eric Schafer. Rivera had prematurely announced that no matter the outcome, this fight would be the last mixed martial arts (MMA) bout of his career. Early on, "El Conquistador" was in major trouble as "Red" took him down and looked to pass his guard, drop ground and pound and potentially work for submissions. The 39-year-old showed signs of life at the end of the round, reversing Schafer and busting up his nose badly. Rivera turned up the heat in the second round, stuffing Schafer's takedown attempts and turning the tide, dropping big strikes. As Schafer wilted, the referee warned him to fight back and eventually stepped in as the crowd roared, chanting "Jorge" over and over as he celebrated in the Octagon. It was a strong finish to what was a very action packed under card. We've go a recap of the action after the jump: Lightweight Russian Habib Nurmagomedov made his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut against World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) veteran Kamal Shalorus and he looked strong, The undefeated fighter (16-0) blasted Shalorus with an uppercut right on the button which floored the Iranian and he never truly recovered from it. Nurmagomedov surprised Shalorus with aggressive wrestling, taking down Shalorus repeatedly and in the third round, he finally attained mount and finished the fight with a rear naked choke when Shalorus gave up his back. The 23-year-old Russian won the fight with some constant albeit sloppy aggression. Hopefully his work with AMA Fight Club will help him shore up his technique as he advances through the lower levels of the UFC lightweight division. Both welterweights Charlie Brenneman and Daniel Roberts entered their fight coming off losses. Brenneman may have wanted to showcase some of his other skills early, but when the fight got going, his instincts took over and "The Spaniard" went to his bread and butter, his wrestling. The Pennsylvania native took Roberts down repeatedly throughout the fight, passing to side control and dropping pitter patter ground and pound. Brenneman's biggest threat was the crucifix, which he attained at least twice, trapping Roberts' left arm and dropping some right hands on his head. Roberts threatened at the end of the second and third round with submissions, but it simply wasn't enough as "The Spaniard" easily took a unanimous decision. Lightweight Brazilian Fabricio Camoes made his return to the UFC against injury replacement Tommy Hayden. Hayden's southpaw stance frustrated Camoes early and he was able to score some in the striking and stuff all of the veteran grappler's takedowns. Hayden gained confidence and even shot in for takedowns but eventually, Camoes' experience was too much for him, scoring a sweep, taking Hayden's back and locking in a rear naked choke. After an odd sequence of "near taps," Hayden finally lightly tapped Camoes' arm and the fight was called with just one minute remaining in the first round. It was the first UFC victory for "Marongo," who had previously drawn and lost in his two prior UFC fights during his first stint with the promotion. In featherweight action, Daniel Pineda came out strong against "Thrilling" Pat Schilling and never let up. Both men looked to strike early but Pineda was clearly getting the better and he only compounded Schilling's problems when he took the Minnesotan down, advancing to mount within seconds. After softening him up, Pineda locked in a rear naked choke. Schilling attempted to escape by standing up but eventually succumbed to the choke, falling to the canvas and tapping out. Pineda looked strong, admitting in his postfight interview that his goal was just to "push and push" Schilling because he hadn't faced anyone like him before. Both men were making their Octagon debuts, but it was Pineda who stood out by a mile. Bantamweight Nick Denis got things off to a tremendous start, blitzing his opponent Joseph Sandoval from the onset of the fight. After closing the distance, Denis held onto Sandoval's head with his left hand and began blasting the right side of his head with repeated short elbows from the opposite arm. After three straight blows, Sandoval dropped like a sack of potatoes, completely unconscious. It was a tremendous debut for the 27 year old Canadian. Here are the complete UFC on FX 1: "Miller vs. Guillard" under card results: Jorge Rivera defeats Eric Schafer via technical knockout at 1:31 of the second roundKhabib Nurmagomedov defeats Kamal Shalorus via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:08 of round threeCharlie Brenneman defeats Daniel Roberts via unanimous decisionFabricio Camoes def. Tommy Hayden via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:03 of round oneDaniel Pineda def. Pat Schilling via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:37 of round oneNick Denis def. Joseph Sandoval via knockout at 0:22 of round one That's it for the preliminary card portion of the card. Be sure to hit up MMAmania.com's for up to the minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of the rest of the night's UFC on FX: "Guillard vs. Miller" action by clicking here.

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, card, hayden

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Jorge Rivera ended his MMA career on a high note on Saturday night, as the middleweight veteran retired after scoring a second-round TKO of Eric Schafer to cap off the UFC on FX 1 prelims on Fuel TV from Nashville, Tennessee. Rivera finishes his career at 20-9 overall and 8-7 in the UFC after snapping a two-fight losing streak with the win. Earlier on the preliminary card, Charlie Brenneman wrestled his way to a unanimous decision over Daniel Roberts and Fabricio Camoes scored his first UFC win with a first-round submission of Tommy Hayder, while three newcomers successfully made their Octagon debuts, as Khabib Nurmagomedov choked out WEC vet Kamal Shalorus, Daniel Pineda forced Pat Schilling to tap in the opening round, and Nick Denis stopped Joseph Sandoval with elbows in just 22-seconds. The official UFC on FX 1 preliminary results were: Jorge Rivera def. Eric Schafer via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:31 Khabib Nurmagomedov def. Kamal Shalorus via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 3, 2:08 Charlie Brenneman def. Daniel Roberts via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) Fabricio Camoes def. Tommy Hayden via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 1, 4:03 Daniel Pineda def. Pat Schilling via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 1, 1:37 Nick Denis def. Joseph Sandoval via KO (elbows) – Round 1, 0:22 For complete UFC on FX 1 coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

Posted in: ufc, fx, round, joseph sandoval, eric schafer

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Nick Denis KO's Joseph Sandoval with standing elbows in 22 seconds. It was quick, it was nasty and it was one hell of an impressive debut for "The Ninja Of Love". What a phenomenal performance by Denis as he was working the left right combo very effectively, grabbed the clinch and started putting them elbows to Sandoval's dome. Daniel Pineda decided he didn't want to stay in the cage for long either as he quickly got the takedown on Pat Schilling, moved directly to mount and secured a submission victory by rear naked choke @ 1:37 of the first round. Pineda opened up Schilling with strikes and then took his back. Schilling got back to his feet but Pineda held on, drug him down and got the tap. Another impressive performance to kick start this card. Fabricio Camoes kept the first round stoppage train rolling with a rear naked choke victory over Tommy Hayden. This was a very competitive fight for the first couple minutes but the tide turned for Fabricio when he landed a massive hammerfist. From there Camoes took the back and sunk in a deep RNC and initiated the tap from a fully stretched out Tommy Hayden. Hopefully Hayden gets another shot in the UFC because he showed some good potential. Charlie Brenneman Charlie Brenneman'd Daniel Roberts. Daniel Roberts should be gone after this one. After the fight, Brenneman acknowledged that he needs to take the next step and start finishing if he wants to advance his career. It is nice to hear that kind of self awareness from him and hopefully he can follow through on that. Khabib NurmagomenovKamal got flattened by a huge left hand in the first round and spent the next couple minutes scrambling to get his wits about him but he managed to survive. Khabib cllearly dominated the second round. Kamal asked his corner TWICE in between the second and third round which round it was going to be. He really got his bell rung in that first round. Kamal really had nothing to offer Khabib here. Khabib got a takedown in the third, took Kamal's back and tied a bow on this fight with a rear naked choke submission victory. Kamal really had nothing for Khabib here. He got outstruck and outwrestled by a wide margin. Another great UFC debut on this fight card. Joe Silva, you are my hero. Jorge Rivera announced that tonight will be his final fight. Win or lose. The first round did not go well for Jorge as Eric had him on his back for the majority of the round but in the 2nd round Eric got tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiired and Jorge made him pay by puttin his hands on him until the fight was stopped. Jorge "El Conquistador is hangin up his gloves and he has had a great career that he can be very proud of. All the best to you, sir. Thank you very much for all you gave to the sport. What an awesome prelims show. Jon Anik is a damn professional and he did a hell of a job despite some visible early jitters. Kenny Florian was solid in the booth as well and they make quite the nice little team.. Stephan Bonnar and Jay Glazer were......bad. Prelims on Fuel are excellent.

Posted in: fight, round, jorge, khabib, kamal

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Jorge Rivera defeats Eric Schafer by TKO. The stoppage came at 1:31 in the second round. The big news entering this fight was that no matter the outcome, Jorge Rivera had made up the decision to retire from MMA. The 11 year veteran had fought every top fighter in the division over the course of his career. The first round didn't start out well with Schafer scoring an early takedown and controlling Rivera on the ground. Rivera was able to sweep and do damage on top but the first round was clearly a win for Schafer. The second round was vintage Rivera. After hitting a sweep and then stepping out of a takedown, he pummeled Schafer with punches. The referee gave Schafer multiple chances to improve his position or fight back but he was unable to stop the onslaught. Herb Dean was forced to step in and stop the fight. Rivera gets to do what very few fighters get to do: retire on a win. He was emotional in his post fight interview. SBN coverage of UFC on FX

Posted in: fight, round, jorge, rivera, schafer

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Habib Nurmagomedov defeated Kamal Shalorus by rear naked choke. The submission came at 2:08 in the third round. Habib Nurmagomedov entered the fight as an undefeated Eastern-European prospect. Having fought seven times in 2011, Nurmagomedov caught Joe Silva's attention. His opponent, Kamal Shalorus was making his return to the cage after some time away following a loss to Jim Miller. For three rounds it appeared that Nurmagomedov was several moves ahead of Shalorus, landing numerous power punches and preventing Shalorus from getting the fight to the ground. In the first round, Nurmagomedov clipped Kamal with an uppercut following a failed takedown attempt. He attempted to finish the fight but was unable to do so before time expired. In round two Shalorus looked to have regained his senses but still couldn't cut the cage off from Habib. Nurmagomedov completed several takedown attempts and battered the Iranian fighter with punches. The third round came to an end after Nurmagomedov sunk in a rear naked choke. Shalorus was forced to tap. Habibi Nurmagomedov keeps his perfect record and improved to 17-0. It was his UFC debut. Kamal Shalorus drops to 0-2 in the UFC and 7-2-2 overall. SBN coverage of UFC on FX

Posted in: ufc, round, nurmagomedov, shaloru, kamal

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Charlie Brenneman defeats Daniel Roberts by unanimous decision. The judges scored the fight 30-27, 30-27, 29-28. Charlie Brenneman dominated Daniel Roberts in the first round after a successful well-timed takedown. Brenneman passed from half-guard to side control before finally settling into a crucifix. From the dominant position he peppered Roberts with punches. He changed his position back to half-guard and ended the round with punches. Roberts landed a combination before Brenneman could get the fight to the ground. On the way down Roberts sunk in a guillotine choke and Brenneman quickly passed to half-guard to alleviate the pressure. He then passed to side control and continued his assault on Roberts with more punches to the face. Roberts was able to close the round with a very slick transition from an armbar to back control to an inverted triangle. Brenneman survived and the round came to an end. The final round began like rounds one and two. Brenneman quickly got the takedown and advanced to side control. He obtained another crucifix before attacking Roberts again. Referee Herb Dean beckoned Brenneman to work and when Roberts regained his guard, Dean stood the fighters up. Roberts failed on his takedown attempt before getting taken down by Brenneman. The round ended with Roberts locking in a kimura. Brenneman entered the fight riding a loss to Anthony Johnson. He is 4-2 in the UFC. Daniel Roberts was coming in on a two fight losing streak and is now 3-4 in the UFC. SBN coverage of UFC on FX

Posted in: round, robert, side control, brenneman, daniel roberts

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Filed under: UFCThis is the UFC on FX live blog for Melvin Guillard vs. Jim Miller, the main event of tonight's fight card from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. Guillard (29-9-2) had a five-fight UFC win streak snapped last October against Joe Lauzon at UFC 136. Miller (20-3) had a seven-fight UFC win streak end when he lost to Ben Henderson last August at UFC on Versus. The live blog is below. More: Latest UFC News | UFC on FX Results Dana White is set to speak on the telecast. Guillard vs. Miller will follow ... Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, fx, round, miller, guillard

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Filed under: UFCThis is the UFC on FX live blog for Duane Ludwig vs. Josh Neer, a welterweight bout on tonight's main card from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. Ludwig (21-11) aims for his third straight UFC win after taking decisions over Amir Sadollah and Nick Osipczak. Neer (32-10-1) returned to the UFC last October and stopped Keith Wisniewski in a bloody brawl. The live blog is below. More: Latest UFC News | UFC on FX Results Josh Rosenthal is the referee. Round 1: No touch of gloves. Neer immediately gets in Ludwig's face. Ludwig lands a right hand that staggers Neer. Neer recovers and presses Ludwig against the cage. Round 2: Round 3: Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, round, neer, amir sadollah, ludwig

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Filed under: UFCIn a highly entertaining bantamweight bout, Mike Easton took a hard-fought majority decision over Jared Papazian at Friday night's UFC on FX event. "He's a tough dude," Easton said of Papazian after the fight. "I knew he was going to be tough. He was the champ back in the division he was at. I knew he was going to come and show up and all we wanted to do was give a show to the fans. And we wrecked. We fought tonight." The fight got off to a great start as both men clinched with one hand and punched with the other, a la Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Takayama, in the first 30 seconds. The entire first round was fought standing up, with both men landing hard strikes and putting on a good show. I had Easton winning a close first round. The second round was more of the same until the final minute, when Easton got the first takedown of the fight and did a little damage on the ground, and although Papazian got back to his feet for a moment, they went right back down and Easton finished the round on top. Easton was likely up two rounds to none at the end of the second. More: UFC on FX Results | UFC News In the third Easton and Papazian traded some of their hardest punches yet, and Papazian showed a lot of heart and continued throwing to the final bell, but Easton had won. The judges scored it 30-27, 29-28 and a bizarre score of 29-29, with Easton winning by majority decision. The win improves Easton's record to 12-1. Papazian falls to 14-7. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, round, easton, papazian, jared papazian

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Tonight the UFC debuts on FX with a pivotal match up between two top lightweights looking to rebound from recent losses in Melvin Guillard and Jim Miller. There will also be a Welterweight bout between Duane Ludwig and Josh Neer as well as a Heavyweight clash between Pat Barry and Christian Morecraft. The Bantamweights will also be getting some main card love when Mike Easton battles Jared Papazian. There is plenty of promising undercard action on Fuel as well so lets get to the card and the predictions.... Melvin Guillard vs. Jim Miller Earl - Melvin got subbed by Joe Lauzon with the quickness in his last fight and will most certainly be looking to get his name back "in the mix" @ 155. I believe he will be too aggressive in his attempt to do so and Jim will make him pay. Jim Miller, Submission, Round 2.Cory - Melvin is one of those strange fighters that has three or four awesome looking fights in a row, and then wakes up one day and found out he dookied all over the bed last night. He had his Depends moment last fight, and I think he manages to keep it together this time. Guillard, TKO, Round 2.Duane Ludwig vs. Josh NeerEarl - "Bang" got a long overdue accolade when he was finally recognized as the man with the fastest KO in UFC history. I don’t think he finishes the notoriously tough Neer and certainly not quickly. I do think he has what it takes to outpoint Josh on the feet and bust him up to a dominant victory. Duane Ludwig, Unanimous Decision.Cory - Josh Neer has just been one of those dudes who, for whatever reason, hasn’t impressed me all that much. I think Ludwig gets him with a latesub Duane Ludwig, Submission, Round 3.Mike Easton vs. Jared PapazianEarl - Easton will be looking to make it 2 in a row in the UFC and Papzian is looking to make a name for himself in his UFC debut. Papazian has a tattoo that says "Pain is temporary". His UFC career will be too. Mike Easton, TKO, Round 3.Cory - I pretty much agree with Earl the Pearl on this one. I don’t think that Papz’s skills will hold up through the lower and middle rungs of the UFC. The only fighter he’s ever faced who’s name I’ve even recognized is Abel Cullum, whom some may remember for getting armbar’d by Imanari this fall at DREAM 17. Mike Easton, Submission, Round 2.Christian Morecraft vs. Pat BarryEarl - Pat Barry is absolutely one of my favorite people in mixed martial arts. He has a great personality, exciting style and is endlessly hilarious. It is really too bad he hasn’t felt compelled to round out his game inside the cage. Training at Team DeathClutch didn’t save him from Stefan Struve and it damn sure won’t save him against Morecraft. So long, Pat. Christian Morecraft, Submission, Round 1.Cory - Damnit, E-Mo, why must you read my mind about this fight? Pat Barry is absolutely one of my favorite people in mixed martial arts. He has a great personality, exciting style and is endlessly hilarious. It is really too bad he hasn’t felt compelled to round out his game inside the cage. Training at Team DeathClutch didn’t save him from Stefan Struve and it damn sure won’t save him against Morecraft. So long, Pat. Christian Morecraft, Submission, Round 1.Jorge Rivera vs. Eric ShaferEarl - I think the El Conquistador Retirement Defying Train rolls on here in vicious fashion. "Red" is in deep here. Jorge Rivera, TKO, Round 2.Cory - Eric is another dude who I just can’t see climbing the ladder in this sport. His best win to date was... Houston Alexander? Meh. Jorge Rivera, TKO, Round 2.Kamal Shalorus vs. Khabib NurmagomedovEarl - Please Kamal, save me from having to type that name ever again. Kamal Shalorus, Unanimous Decision.Cory - The smart writer just copy/pastes the difficult stuff like that to ensure typos don’t occur. Editing process aside, I don’t really have a lot to say about this fight, so I’ll rock with the name I’m slightly familiar with. Kamal Shalorus, Decision.Charlie Brenneman vs. Daniel RobertsEarl - Charlie got his head almost kicked into the 10th row in his last fight. Thankfully for him, he is not going to be fighting someone 2 weight classes above him this time. Roberts is....not so great at anything other than bjj. Charlie got this. Charlie Brenneman, Unanimous Decision.Cory - I’m legally obligated to root for anyone who’s name vaguely resembles my own. Fortunately, I also think that Brenneman wrestles the pants off of Roberts and manages to stay out of getting his limbs turned in ways they aren’t supposed to go. Charlie Brenneman, Decision.Fabricio Camoes vs. Tommy HaydenEarl - I fully expect Brazil to roll here, just like at the last card. Fabricio Camoes, Submission, Round 1.Cory - Yup. Fabricio Camoes, Submission, Round 1.Daniel Pineda vs. Pat SchillingEarl - Much has been said about Pat Schilling’s lack of legit competition. Pat Schilling has had a severe lack of legit competition. Daniel Pineda, Unanimous Decision.Cory - Yup. Daniel Pineda, TKO, Round 2.Joseph Sandoval vs. Nick DenisEarl - Denis is a savage. This should not be close. Nick Denis, TKO, Round 1.Cory - Aaaaaaaaaaaaand yup. Nick Denis, TKO, Round 1.

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Filed under: UFCThis is the UFC on FX live blog for all the preliminary bouts televised on FUEL in support of tonight's FX card from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. The six undercard bouts are Jorge Rivera vs. Eric Schafer, Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Kamal Shalorus, Charlie Brenneman vs. Daniel Roberts, Fabricio Camoes vs. Tommy Hayden, Daniel Pineda vs. Pat Schilling and Nick Denis vs. Joseph Sandoval. The live blog is below. More: Latest UFC News | UFC on FX Results Nick Denis vs. Joseph Sandoval Round 1: Jorge Rivera vs. Eric Schafer Round 1: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Kamal Shalorus Round 1: Charlie Brenneman vs. Daniel Roberts Round 1: Fabricio Camoes vs. Tommy Hayden Round 1: Daniel Pineda vs. Pat Schilling Round 1: Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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Melvin Guillard vs. Jim MillerBrent Brookhouse: Miller’s striking is good enough to hang for the little bit of the fight he’s going to have to spend on the feet. That isn’t to say that Guillard doesn’t have the pop to end it if he gets in a few good shots, but I think Miller’s game is more suited to win this match-up than Guillard’s. Melvin isn’t easy to take down but Miller will mix things up enough to confuse him, get to the ground and work to a submission. I think Melvin is way too in his own head, when he’s got a good run going he’s more dangerous and I think, coming off a loss, the second the fight hits the ground he’s going to freak out a bit and leave the opening for Miller to finish. Jim Miller by submission, round 1.Leland Roling: I have a creeping suspicion that Guillard may somehow destroy Miller’s chin in the opening frame and shock fans. But I’ll subdue my gut feeling and go with the grinding, blue-collar efforts of Miller here. His wrestling is solid, and he has savvy submission skills. Hopefully, he knocks off the low percentage attempts and puts himself into more dominant positions in this fight. I wouldn’t sleep on Guillard, but if pressed for a decision, I’ll go with Miller. Jim Miller via submission, Round 2Tim Burke: Joe Silva did well with this matchup. On the surface, this is a very tough fight to pick. Guillard has better hands, Miller has a better chin. Both have great wrestling. Miller has the sub advantage. Guillard has the size advantage. To me, it’s about takedowns. Despite what people think about Guillard, he gets taken down a fair amount. He’s just very adept at getting up, normally. I think Miller can keep him there enough to win the fight, and could even get the sub. It’s that simple for me. Jim Miller by decision.Anton Tabuena: I think Jim Miller is by far the better overall fighter, but as always, their stylistic match up makes it harder to predict. I think Guillard is good enough to keep this on the feet long enough to land a few hard shots. The question is, when he lands, will he be able to stop Miller who has a strong chin and is known to be one of the toughest dudes in the UFC? Cause if he can’t finish, I don’t think this bout will be staying standing for 15 mins, and the longer it gets, the more chances Miller gets to lock in a submission. It’s never happened before, but I’m going with my gut here and picking the upset. Melvin Guillard by TKO, Round 1.T.P. Grant: A lightweight barn burner. Burke hit this right on the head, fantastic bit of match making by Joe Silva. Guillard and Miller are excellent stylistic foils, both are aggressive fighters: Miller with a grappling background, Guillard from striking. Guillard has very good counter wrestling, but he isn’t immune to takedowns. I think MIller gets him down and locks on a submission. Jim Miller via Submission, Round 1. David Castillo: This is easily one of the worst matchups for Guillard in the division: a scrappy, tough as nails, crafty grappler who also happens to be a competent boxer with a lights out submission game. Melvin can’t rely on one big punch to end it, meanwhile, Jim has just enough power to rattle Guillard’s sort of questionable chin (well not really, but I don’t like the fact that Lauzon and Stevenson hurt him with minor punches), and once he latches on to a submission it’s over. I don’t mean to be overly critical of Guillard, but his five fight win streak convinced some people that he was elite when his competition in those wins, and his losses combined to argue otherwise: of Melvin as simply a very talented, but limited gatekeeper. With Guillard’s back against the wall, I wouldn’t be surprised by a Stephens-like performance. Thankfully, Miller would never allow that. Jim Miller by rear naked choke, round 3. Fraser Coffeen: When Guillard wins, it comes from outworking his opponents on the feet and landing that big power punch. That’s not going to work here. Miller has a tough enough chin to not get KO’d and is a workhorse. Henderson brought the perfect strategy against him and executed it flawlessly, but that kind of game just isn’t in Melvin’s playbook. Jim Miller by submission, round 1KJ Gould: Both guys are coming off less than stellar outings where obvious mistakes in strategy were made. The question is who has made a better correction and will they be able to implement their strongest area to beat the other man. Guillard relied too much on his athleticism to try and blast Joe Lauzon out early, he got reckless with his own defense resulting in him getting countered on the feet and submitted on the floor. Miller tried an all-or-nothing standing arm triangle on Ben Henderson and then got smashed on the ground when he spent too long looking for a finish off of his back. I’m almost certain Guillard has had it drilled into him by Greg Jackson to be more composed and methodical, coupled with his physical talents that might be enough to defeat Miller, who I suspect may drop to Featherweight for his next fight. Guillard by TKODallas Winston: At first glance, Miller’s triple threat of BJJ, boxing and wrestling would seem to be sheer Kryptonite for Guillard’s known weaknesses. What makes this intriguing is that he’s not an outright dominant wrestler or a power puncher and Melvin has made great strides in footwork, takedown defense and scooting his back to the fence to stand. The swaying factor for me is Miller’s pure toughness and rugged chin, which should see him through the rough spots and bide him enough time to finagle a sub. I could see Melvin forcing the ref to step in if he catches Miller and/or stuns him and pounces with GnP, but Miller’s big heart and sick BJJ should prevail. Jim Miller by submission.Staff Picking Guillard: Anton, KJStaff Picking Miller: Tim, Grant, David, Fraser, Dallas, Leland, Brookhouse, Roth SBN coverage of UFC on FXDuane Ludwig vs. Josh NeerBrent Brookhouse: This might be kind of fun. Neer is dangerous but I think Ludwig is better suited to the kind of fight they’re going to have here. I also can’t stand multiple time drunk drivers (especially ones that run from the cops at 100 MPH, risking hundreds of lives and then have the balls to say the cops were too rough after the arrest) and I’ll never pull for Neer to win another fight in his life. Duane Ludwig by KO, round 1.Leland Roling: Neer looked great against Keith Wisniewski, but that was a given considering Wisniewski couldn’t even push away Neer in the clinch. Ludwig comes from a kickboxing and Muay Thai background, and the clinch isn’t an unknown place for him. I imagine Ludwig maintains range and peppers Neer from distance while avoiding his sharp elbows, taking the decision. Duane Ludwig via decision.Tim Burke: I can’t believe this is co-maining in 2012. Ludwig owns the standup advantage, but anyone with any brains (and wrestling) puts Ludwig on the floor. Neer floors it and elbows him into oblivion before setting up the sub. Josh Neer by submission.Anton Tabuena: Neer might be a bit undersized at welterweight, but Ludwig isn’t the biggest guy either. I think Neer wins this on the ground. Josh Neer by TKO.T.P. Grant: Neer is going to take Ludwig down and beat him up on the ground. It seems pretty straight forward to me. Josh Neer by TKO, Round 2. David Castillo: I didn’t realize how utterly thin this card was until having to predict this co main event. To be fair to both guys, they’ve more or less earned a proper fight (not TV time per se). Ludwig had a pretty good scrap with Amir, but expect Neer to do as everyone says: take him down and beat him up. However, I believe Ludwig is rejuvenated now that he’s the official record holder for fasted knockout in the UFC. That’s my scientific analysis on top of that fact that Neer doesn’t always fight to his strengths. Duane Ludwig by TKO, round 2. Fraser Coffeen: Ludwig is better standing, Neer is more well rounded. Normally there I go with the well rounded guy, but I’ve liked Bang in his recent outings, and I think he pulls Neer into a kickboxing battle here, which he wins. Duane Ludwig by decisionKJ Gould: I’m not sure why Ludwig is still competing in the UFC, other than an additional token gesture for finally correcting his fastest KO in UFC history accolade. While Neer’s not a world beater he is by far more complete and can finish by strikes on the ground. Neer by TKO Dallas Winston: I have a ton of respect for both guys. Neer is a raw scrapper and his natural toughness is his best aspect. He has good length, solid boxing and has really made his slashing elbows a key part of his arsenal. Ludwig is one of the better Thai purists in the game so this should be a case of "Bang" trying to out-finesse the brawler. I expect him to employ good footwork to chip away from the fringe. Neer will look to follow behind his one-twos and clinch up to either smash Ludwig with dirty boxing and short elbows or work takedowns. Ludwig will have to be selective with his kicks so Neer doesn’t snatch his leg. Earlier in the UFC, Neer had to focus heavily on his wrestling and BJJ but, while he’s improved there, I think the gap on the feet is much larger. Duane Ludwig by decision. Staff Picking Ludwig: David, Fraser, Dallas, Leland, Brookhouse, RothStaff Picking Neer: Tim, Anton, Grant, KJMike Easton vs. Jared PapazianBrent Brookhouse: I don’t really buy Easton as being all that great, maybe I’ll be proven wrong eventually but I don’t think this is the fight that proves much. Mike Easton by decision.Leland Roling: Papazian is a solid addition to the UFC, although he should be in the flyweight division. Easton’s power is the major difference here. Mike Easton via TKO.Tim Burke: Papazian’s actually not bad at all. His fight with Abel Cullum was pretty good, and he’s got a good chin. Easton’s at a different level though. Mike Easton by decision.Anton Tabuena: I agree with Tim. Both are talented, but I think Mike Easton is better. Mike Easton by decision.T.P. Grant: Prospect vs Prospect! Young fighters clashing, anything can happen. That said I’ve been a fan of Easton for a while and the guys at Alliance MMA rave about this kid. Mike Easton via Submission, Round 3.David Castillo: Papazian will prove to be game, but being ‘game’ doesn’t mean much in the context of winning, and Easton is simply the more talented fighter. His original opponent, however (Ken Stone), would have been my pick. Mike Easton by decision. KJ Gould: I like to support Hayastan guys and see them do well, but Papazian doesn’t fit the typical mold of crazy Armenian with judo and possible leglock skills. Easton is with a more proven MMA camp plus has his first UFC fight under his belt and out of the way, in front of his hometown no less. Just wild speculation, but I’d imagine Easton will just look more comfortable fighting his second UFC fight with Papazian feeling the pressure of his UFC debut. Easton by Decision. Dallas Winston: I’m usually the last one to whine about things like this but, out of all the match ups on this card, this just strikes me as an odd choice for the main. Still, I love watching the Hayastan crew and these are worthy prospects. It’s quite unsettling that Papazian was triangled by Shad Smith (not for that reason) and Easton is just a tough S.O.B who won’t be so tentative in his second go-around. Mike Easton by rear-naked choke.Staff Picking Easton: Tim, Anton, Grant, David, Fraser, KJ, Leland, Dallas, Brookhouse, RothStaff Picking Papazian: Pat Barry vs. Christian MorecraftBrent Brookhouse: I’d much rather watch Pat Barry fight than Christian Morecraft, but I like Morecraft to grind out an ugly win here where he gets in trouble early but rides out the last two rounds. Christian Morecraft by decision.Leland Roling: Does time heal all wounds? How about your fight IQ? If Barry has learned anything from his recent roller coaster ride, he should win here. He must remain patient and stop going berserk at the first sign that a guy is hurt. If he can do that, Morecraft will get finished quickly. Pat Barry via KO, Round 1.Tim Burke: Can Morecraft get it to the ground? I don’t think it’s an automatic win if he can, but he’s not gonna win the standup. I’ll go with the sentimental pick though, because everyone knows HD’s a good dude. Pat Barry by KO.T.P. Grant: Pat Barry is just an awesome dude, but his MMA career is not a good place right now. Since the end of 2008 Barry is 2-4 in the UFC, and while Morecraft isn’t a world-beater he is an up-and-comer who is consistently improving his game. I think Morecraft is going clinch with Barry, take Barry down and wear him down. Christian Morecraft via TKO, Round 3. David Castillo: Until Barry picks up some kind of killer instinct, I’ll never pick him with confidance, even against a journeyman like Morecraft. I still can’t shake that image of Mirko Filipovic of all people scoring the RNC with no hooks. Unbelievable. The guy will never be any good, but at least he’s entertaining when he’s upright. Morecraft is more well rounded, and can submit once they go to the ground. Christian Morecraft by submission, round 2.Fraser Coffeen: Reread everything I wrote about Neer and Bang, and apply it here. Although Barry has not much impressed me lately, I am hoping the change in camps will help him improve TD defense and force the fight to stay standing. I hope. Pat Barry by TKO, round 2. KJ Gould: Come on Pat, Morecraft is tailor made for you to look good against. Destroy his legs and take his head. Barry by KODallas Winston: I was shocked at how fluid the massive Morecraft was off his back versus McCorkle, who finished in the top-five of the ADCC qualifiers with only 6 months of BJJ. As mentioned in the Dissection, Barry should be able to revert back to his steady stream of leg kicks and use his monumental speed advantage to dismember Morecraft or sting punches and get out of dodge. Morecraft is a goliath with decent wrestling and a slick sub-game, so he’ll devour "HD" for the slightest mistake. Pat Barry by TKO via leg kicks (!).Staff Picking Barry: Tim, Anton, Fraser, KJ, Leland, DallasStaff Picking Morecraft: Grant, David, Brookhouse, RothJorge Rivera vs. Eric SchaferBrent Brookhouse: Rivera is a weird guy to watch. He has fights where he looks completely shot and then goes on a little run where he looks like a new man. This is a good match-up for him where he should be able to keep it on the feet and bust up Schafer. Jorge Rivera by decision.Leland Roling: Rivera should have the takedown defense to avoid Schafer’s shots, leaving him in a well-known predicament... being beaten to a pulp while he turtles to the ground. Jorge Rivera via TKO.Tim Burke: Schafer possesses a good ground game and a good chin. But I’ve never been all that impressed with his takedowns, and Rivera is still a crafty, tough fighter. I think Rivera beats him up on the feet and Schafer just takes it. Jorge Rivera by decision.Anton Tabuena: Schafer will win this on the ground, and Rivera will get cut. Eric Schafer by SubmissionT.P. Grant: Two veterans on the downside of their careers. Both are moderately well rounded and entertaining but aren’t going to set the world on fire. I just have a weird feeling Schafer pulls this one out. Eric Schafer via Decision. David Castillo: My brain cells have had to organize themselves to make sense of fights involving Duane Ludwig, Josh Neer, Pat Barry (all featured), and suddenly it hit me: this card is basically UFC 55 minus Sean frikkin Gannon. It’s utterly mediocre, but I expect it all to be a bizarre, fun sort of mediocre. Rivera against Schafer is not what I singed up for, but I think Jorge will score on the feet, and pick up the win. If there’s one thing that has been moderately impressive about Jorge’s career it’s that he’s improved steadily on the feet and even developed power along the way. I still maintain he was looking alright agaisnt Bisping, even though his cardio doesn’t exist. Jorge Rivera by TKO, round 3. KJ Gould: These guys have really lucked out to still fight under the UFC banner. Rivera is getting too old and Schafer has never come across as well rounded or athletic. Schafer is younger, and he ought to have been improving his striking with team Duke Roufus, right? I don’t know. It’s hard to pick a guy who’s been used to pad Michael Bisping’s record, and both of them have played that role. Schafer by Decision.Dallas Winston: Castillo?!?! Sean Gannon is the man -- plus he’s a police officer and your comments and personal info have already been passed along. Focus, Dallas! OK. I see this fight going exactly like Simpson vs. Schafer with the caveat that Rivera can’t wrestle as well as Simpson, but people’s heads just fall off when he punches them. Yes … their heads just fall off. Jorge Rivera by referee intervention due to strikes.Staff Picking Rivera: Tim, David, Leland, Dallas, Brookhouse, RothStaff Picking Schafer: Grant, Anton, Fraser, KJKamal Shalorus vs. Khabib NurmagomedovBrent Brookhouse: Not a fight I’m looking forward to live blogging. Luckily, copy-paste makes Nurmagomedov not a huge pain. Shalorus should get a win here. Kamal Shalorus by TKO, round 2.Leland Roling: I’m definitely interested in this fight, mainly because we axed Khabib on the 2012 Scouting Report due to his soft strength of record and seemingly one-dimensional style. Can AMA Fight Club improve his weaknesses and make him well-rounded? We’ll find out. Shalorus can wrestle, and I’m going with what I know of Khabib already... he possesses good wrestling, and a suspect technical grasp of the submission game. Gotta go with Kamal. Kamal Shalorus via decision.Matt Roth: Early vote for fight that I really don’t want to do results for because the names are just too impossible. Shalorus is just better at everything than Nurmagomedov. The only question for me is that this is the first fight where Kamal has changed camps and that can kill a fighter’s career if it was a bad move. But I’m going with the known known and picking Kamal Shalorus by Decision.Anton Tabuena: Easy. Shalorus by Decision.Tim Burke: Shalorus has ugly standup but heavy hands, a terrible tank, and really good wrestling. Nurmagomedov, from what I’ve seen, has pretty good wrestling, okay subs, and okay hands. I think Shalorus is a bad matchup for Khabib, and Shalorus will take a decision (if he doesn’t pass out from exhaustion before the final bell). Kamal Shalorus by decision.T.P. Grant: Kamal is going to refuse to use his wrestling, he is going to fling wild hooks, he is going to gas out in three minutes and he will win a split decision. Kamal Shalorus by Decision. David Castillo: I wasn’t even sure Shalorus was still fighting. Still, I think he’s an interesting fighter. The only thing that has defined him is his wrestling, and his ability to completely withstand that high kick that landed flush from Jim Miller that didn’t even cause Kamal to blink. That wild, sloppy as hell striking of his will ge tthe job done. He’s nothing if not good at intimidating his opponents, and Nurmagomedov will be intimidated. Kamal Shaluros by TKO, round 2. KJ Gould: I believe since his loss to Jim Miller, Kamal made the decision to move from Austin, Texas to Santa Monica, California, with a brief stop at Las Vegas, Nevada to train his submission game - which was already partly Catch and Wrestling based - with Neil Melanson at Xtreme Couture. He’s also been improving his striking at Anthony Hardonk’s gym in CA, so could we see a more technical, well rounded Prince of Persia take the stage? Most are picking him based on his raw striking power alone. Shaluros by TKO.Dallas Winston: Shalorus is a straight up bruiser who seems to genuinely dislike his opponents in the heat of battle and, sometimes, their nether regions. He’s got a wicked (albeit inaccurate) inside low kick, he’s a wild brawler on the feet with a decent chin and can always fall back on his wrestling. Nurmy has made impressive strides for such a young fighter and he’ll be pretty good everywhere but excellent nowhere. Kamal Shalorus by TKO.Staff Picking Shalorus: Tim, Anton, Roth, Grant, David, Fraser, KJ, Leland, Dallas, BrookhouseStaff Picking Nurmagomedov:Charlie Brenneman vs. Daniel RobertsBrent Brookhouse: Clearly the UFC sees Brenneman’s win over Rick Story as a fluke. Bouncing him way down to the prelims for an FX card seems to show that. Still, better fighters usually win. Charlie Brenneman by decision.Leland Roling: Brenneman gives Roberts the blue-collar treatment. Grinds him out to a decision with superior wrestling. Charlie Brenneman via decision.Tim Burke: I’ve never really felt that Roberts was UFC-caliber despite his submission game, and Brenneman is just a lot better than him. Easy pick for me. Charlie Brenneman by decision.Anton Tabuena: Brenneman is one of the more talented guys in the division, and I think he’s much better than Roberts. Charlie Brenneman by Decision.T.P. Grant: This one seems pretty easy to me. Brenneman’s only UFC losses are to a LHW (Anthony Johnson) and an elite wrestler (Johny Hendricks) and Daniel Roberts is neither of those things. Charlie Brenneman via Decision. David Castillo: Easy pick here. Roberts is heralded for his jiu jitsu, but compared to other grapplers, there’s nothing about his game that especially stands up, and he’s not dynamic enough from his back to counter Brenneman’s top control. Charlie Brenneman by decision. KJ Gould: Picking the stand out wrestler here. It just makes the most sense. Plus that hair … Brenneman by decision.Dallas Winston: Wow … I’m a little surprised no one picked Roberts, even though I’m not either. Brenneman is fairly one-dimensional and Roberts has the edge standing and with subs. Still, that one dimension should be good enough to negate the rest. Charlie Brenneman by decision.Staff Picking Brenneman: Tim, Grant, Anton, David, Fraser, KJ, Leland, Dallas, Brookhouse, RothStaff Picking Roberts: Fabricio Camoes vs. Tommy HaydenBrent Brookhouse: Camoes probably should win this, but I’m going with the young American with the high finishing rate to make a big splash with an impressive win. Tommy Hayden by decision.Leland Roling: Nothing I’ve seen from Hayden has impressed me, but this will be the step-up in competition he needs. This should give us a better sense of where he stands. Unfortunately, I think it’s too much. Camoes is far from a world beater, but he can beat Hayden. Fabricio Camoes via decision.Tim Burke: I’m happy Morango got another chance in the UFC. Aaand that’s all I have to say about this fight. So...what did the fisherman say to the bartender? "Pick a cod, any cod!" Fabricio Camoes by decision.T.P. Grant: Another salty veteran vs undefeated prospect match up, Camoes getting a second shot in the UFC, this time at Featherweight. Hayden trains under Jorge Gurgel, and like Gurgel he has great jiu jitsu and unlike Gurgel he uses it. Camoes is no stranger to the ground game being the proud owner a Gracie black belt. I think Camoes gets this fight to the mat and gives the youngin’ a lesson. Fabricio Camoes by Decision. David Castillo: Camoes is an alright figher with just the right matchup in this one. his win over Efrain Escudero got him back into the UFC, and a win over Hayden, who isn’t all that special on the feet, will keep him there. Fabricio Camoes by decision. Dallas Winston: I actually think Camoes is kind of a beast. He’s a frenetically paced scrambler with good wrestling and sick submissions and I never really thought he deserved the axe originally. Fabricio Camoes by submission.Staff Picking Camoes: Tim, Grant, Anton, David, Fraser, KJ, Leland, Dallas, RothStaff Picking Hayden: BrookhouseDaniel Pineda vs. Pat SchillingBrent Brookhouse: Pineda is going to trounce him. Schilling’s record is meaningless (see Dallas’ pick) Pineda by TKO, round 1.Leland Roling: I’ll go against the betting line here as Schilling took a play out of the Jason Reinhardt school of record padding. Pineda has fought far better competition. Both guys are aggressive, so anything can happen... but I’ll go with experience. Daniel Pineda via TKO.Tim Burke: I haven’t taken the time to watch tape on either guy, but all the early betting was on Schilling so I’ll go with him. Crappy analysis FTW. Pat Schilling by submission.T.P. Grant: Pineda is an aggressive top position beast, but he is not a well rounded grappler. Schilling is aggressive on the feet and on the mat, with a good submission attack. Schilling has the means to win the fight where ever it ends up, so I’ll play those odds. Pat Schilling via Submission. David Castillo: Tough fight to pick, in my opinion, mainly because both guys are aggressive and the exchanges will likely turn it into a coin flip. But Schilling is a bit more polished. Pat Schilling by TKO, round 2. Fraser Coffeen: Schilling has never been pushed past the first, and if Pineda can do that, in Schilling’s UFC debut, it could cause him troubles. But I don’t think he can. Pat Schilling by KO, round 1Dallas Winston: When Leland says "record padding," that’s putting it lightly. From the prelims Dissection: "While Pineda will have a significant edge in experience with four-times as many fights, Schilling's past level of competition leaves much to be desired. His opponents have a poor cumulative record (14-31) and two are yet to win (0-1, 0-7). In fact, he's only beaten one fighter with a winning record, which was Tom Waters (4-3)." Daniel Pineda by TKO.Staff Picking Pineda: Leland, Dallas, Brookhouse, RothStaff Picking Schilling: Tim, Grant, Anton, David, Fraser, KJJoseph Sandoval vs. Nick DenisLeland Roling: Nick Denis. What can I say... dude slammed Nick Mamalis into unconsciousness after he was being wrestled to death. Nick Denis by TKO.Tim Burke: The Ninja of Love finally gets his long-overdue callup to the big leagues. Nick’s puttin the stamp on kids, son! Nick Denis by KO.T.P. Grant: Nick Denis is an interesting fighter and powerful Bantamweight. Denis is a very active and aggressive fighter from all positions, wearing down opponents. I think Denis starts off his UFC run with a W. Nick Denis via TKO, Round 2. David Castillo: Despite the image of Denis in my head of him getting his head dribbled off the canvas like a basketball with Sandro’s right hand, he’s the perfect matchup for Sandoval, whose wild striking will be neutralized by Denis’ top game. Nick Denis by decision. Fraser Coffeen: Kyokushin karate? Awesome. Go Denis go! Nick Denis by decision.Dallas Winston: The Ninja of Love via cuddle-jitsu. Which means knockout. Nick Denis by TKO.Staff Picking Sandoval: Staff Picking Denis: Tim, Grant, Anton, David, Fraser, KJ, Leland, Dallas, Brookhouse, Roth

Posted in: fight, round, miller, neer, hersquo

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I didn't publish the fight camp rankings yesterday, as I think I'm going to start doing those bi-weekly, or perhaps monthly. The schedule is pretty busy so I'm going to let the fighting play out and analyze it less often. UFC Rio was such a great event, with incredible story lines and action at the very top of the card, so much so that some of the undercard action maybe wasn't given the attention it should deserve. Gabriel Gonzaga had a very clinical performance in his victory over Edinaldo Oliveira, there are plenty of fights he could win in this division in that style. Perhaps the winner of Barry/Morecraft is in his future? In other undercard action, the first round of the featherweight bout between Michihiro Omigawa and Yuri Alcantara had some of the best technical fighting of the night and included a spinning back elbow knockdown and a very deep armbar at the buzzer. I thought I'd recap the round, including a couple clips of the most impressive techniques. I'm new at trying to incorporate gifs into posts, so I wasn't able to put in all the clips that I would have liked. In place of clips I noted the time on the UFC round clock, so you can refer to those when watching, or re-watching, this fight. Bout breakdown after the jump. Gifs from http://ironforgesiron.com The fight started off in bit of a strange manner. Omigawa awaited the start of the bout by standing next to the Octagon, one hand on the fence, his eyes cast downwards. Both Alcantara and referee Leon Roberts seemed visibly unsure of what he was watching. It was no matter as the fight started though. Omigawa continued his odd behavior, walking out to the center of the cage with a zombie like determination, until Alcantara met him with a stiff knee to the body. (4:58) Joe Rogan immediately noted that Omigawa was hurt by the blow, and the Japanese fighter spent the first ten seconds of the fight trying to shake the blow off. Does Omigawa start all his fights like this? I honestly can't recall, but if this was a spur of the moment attempt to make himself one with the cage, it certainly didn't seem like it worked well. The first minute of the round was spent with Alcantara utilizing his longer reach to score on the shorter Omigawa. Rogan was very on point in this fight and was already stating the need for Omigawa to control the distance better. The Japanese fighter would find a bit of success, jumping inside and scoring a nice left hook. (3:47) In general though, the early part of the bout belonged to Alcantara. He found the most success with a well timed one two combination that he landed cleanly on Omigawa twice. (3:11, 2:16) Other than those two combinations, Omigawa did well to limit the damage to single strikes while he struggled to find the range to land his own strikes. Shortly after the 2:00 mark, an incredible exchange of techniques occurred between the two fighters. By this point in the round, Alcantara has noticed that Omigawa tends to bob down to his left as he closes the distance and he starts to attack the tendency, first with the one-two combination, then with another one-two and a knee from the thai clinch. He is able to establish the clinch because he cuts Omigawa's movement off with the one two, catching him slightly with the second punch, (the left) and leading Omigawa's head into his waiting right collar tie. Omigawa separates from the knee and backs off as Alcantara throws a front kick and a reaching left hook. As Omigawa steps in again, Alcantara times his tendency to sway down and to the left perfectly and connects with as beautiful a spinning back elbow as we've ever seen in the Octagon. As this was happening, Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg had gotten into a conversation about the durability of Omigawa, and as if on cue, he is forced to display it following the elbow strike. Alcantara swarms on him with punches and Omigawa does a good job of avoiding any finishing blows as he works to grab a leg. To cap off the exchange, Omigawa briefly grabs hold of a single leg and attempts to spin Alcantara to the mat. He is probably a bit too disoriented to be able to power through the technique, as Alcantar seems to easily slip out of the single leg, take Omigawa's back and drag him to the ground, all the while establishing both hooks. The whole exchange takes place over the course of about 25 seconds, from 2:02 to 1:37 and you can see it all in this gif: via 1.bp.blogspot.com The technical wizardry wasn't done with after the fight hit the ground. Omigawa continued to show the durability that Rogan and Goldberg were discussing, absorbing a number of blows from Alcantara as he defended himself from the rear naked choke. Omigawa is a judo champion, which means he has fantastic balance and core strength, also known as "base". He utilizes this to stand up with Alcantara on his back and as the Brazilian pulls him backwards, Omigawa finds a way to twist himself around, winding up on top, inside Alcantara's full guard. (1:25) This move in particular was very impressive to me. To be able to take the amount of punishment Omigawa did during the previous 30 seconds and find away to stand up and twist around with a BJJ black belt on his back was awesome. Unfortunately for Omigawa though, there would be little time to rest, as Alcantara immediately secured wrist control on Omigawa's left arm. Alcantara thought about attempting an armbar at (0:45) but did not have control of Omigawa's posture and didn't pursue it. Both fighters seemed content to get a little bit of rest, and Omigawa worked some light ground and pound before working a pass into Alcantara's half guard, on Alcantara's right side. (0:34) The final sequence of the round was started by Alcantara recovering his full guard with a neat technique, shifting Omigawa off balance to his left and pushing his leg that way, back into his waiting guard. From there he showed the ability to learn from past exchanges in real time during a fight, as he secured the posture of Omigawa before working for wrist control. As Omigawa postured up, Alcantara opened his guard and again perfectly timed his technique, locking an armbar on with just 0:05 seconds left on the clock. Here is a look at the lock from multiple angles. via 2.bp.blogspot.com Oh my Omigawa! Either he is extremely flexible or he suffered non debilitating damage, or his elbow was dislocated and re-located. On the overhead camera angle it looks like his arm flops down with the joint at a weird angle and then it pops back in when it bumps Alcantara's ankle. It also could be argued that he tapped once, although most accounts I've read do not agree with this theory. In any case, it's a gruesome lock and the fact that he didn't tap out or get hurt bad enough that he couldn't continue is quite stunning. Joe Rogan exclaimed "this fight is over", and Joe Silva nearly entered the cage, adamantly claiming that he saw a tap. Yet Omigawa made it back to his corner, took his minute of rest and continued to fight on. The second and third rounds of the fight were not nearly as entertaining or violent, but both fighters earned full marks from me for this incredible round of fighting.

Posted in: fight, fighter, round, omigawa, alcantara

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-Jose Aldo is a perfect a 11-0 in his UFC/WEC career with eight stoppage wins -Aldo has not lost since a November 2005 to defeat to Luciano Azevedo ; a span of 14 bouts for the 25 year old Brazilian -Aldo is the sixth fighter in UFC's 18 year history to record a knockout with one second left in a round- Aldo's first round finish of Chad Mendes was his first opening round win since joining the UFC in April 2011-Of his 21 career wins, 12 have come inside the first round for Aldo-Mendes is now 3-1 in fights that end in the first round-Mendes is 1-1 versus Brazilian born fighters in his MMA career-The loss for Mendes snaps an 11 fight winning streak to begin his career, it also marks the end to a four fight run of decision wins. -Per FightMetric Mendes went 0 for 7 on takedown attempts -Vitor Belfort had not fought in his home country of Brazil since 1998-Belfort is 2-0 when he fights in Brazil -The first round win for Belfort is his fifth straight fight that has ended in the opening round. -Belfort is 4-1 in his past five fights-In his UFC career Belfort has 10 first round wins. All 10 of Belfort's UFC wins have come inside the opening five minutes-11 of Anthony Johnson's 14 professional MMA fights have come inside the UFC's Octagon-The loss ends a two fight winning streak for Johnson-Three of Johnson's four losses in the UFC have come via a rear naked choke submission -Per Compustrike Belfort went 34/52 on total strikes 34/52 while Johnson connected with 5/25-With UFC 143 and 134 both held in Brazil, Brazilian fighters are now 14-2 against foreign born fighters at those two events-Betting favorites at UFC 142 went 8-1 on the night. The lone underdog to pay off was Felipe Arantes at a mere +175

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, belfort, aldo

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UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo knocked out previously unbeaten challenger Chad Mendes with just one second remaining in the opening round to retain his title in the main event of UFC 142 on Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mendes unsurprisingly tried to take Aldo down early and often, but found no success as Aldo managed to remain on his feet and countered with his trademark leg kicks. With the round winding down, Aldo stunned Mendes with a knee and followed it up with punches on the ground to earn the win. Aldo immediately sprinted into the crowd to celebrate the win in his home country and was returned to the Octagon on the shoulders of fans. Aldo improves to 21-1 with the win and solidified his status as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters, while Mendes falls to 11-1 with his first career loss. Three other fights on the UFC 142 main card also ended in the opening round, as Vitor Belfort choked out Anthony Johnson, Rousimar Palhares submitted Mike Massenzio, and Erick Silva was disqualified against Carlos Prater, while Edson Barboza knocked out Terry Etim with a spinning head kick in the third round. The complete UFC 142 results were: MAIN CARD Jose Aldo (c) def. Chad Mendes via KO (knee and punches) – Round 1, 4:59 UFC Featherweight Championship Vitor Belfort def. Anthony Johnson via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:49 Rousimar Palhares def. Maike Massenzio via submission (heel hook) – Round 1, 1:03 Carlo Prater def. Erick Silva via DQ (strike to back of head) – Round 1, 0:29 Edson Barboza def. Terry Etim via KO (spinning heel kick) – Round 3, 2:32 PRELIMINARY CARD Thiago Tavares def. Sam Stout via unanimous decision Gabriel Gonzaga def. Edinaldo Oliveira via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 1, 3:22 Yuri Alcantara def. Michihiro Omigawa via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27) Mike Pyle def. Ricardo Funch via TKO (strikes) – Round 1. 1:22 Felipe Arantes def. Antonio Carvalho via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Posted in: ufc, round, aldo, mende, terry etim

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Jose Aldo defeated Chad Mendes with an official time of 4:59 of the first round. This makes Aldo the sixth fighter to win with just one second left on the clock in Round 1. The others are:Mike Kyle vs. Wes Sims at UFC 47Matt Hughes vs. Georges St-Pierre at UFC 50Tim Sylvia vs. Tra Telligman at UFC 54Lyoto Machida vs. Thiago Silva at UFC 94Josh Koscheck vs. Matt Hughes at UFC 135

Posted in: ufc, round, vs, jose aldo, aldo

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Edson Barzoa scored one of the best knockouts in UFC history to open UFC 142′s pay-per-view main card on Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro, as the Brazilian knocked out England’s Terry Etim with a spinning head kick in the third round. The finish came 2:32 into the final round and was the first spinning heel kick knockout in UFC history. MMAFrenzy.com’s play-by-play of Barboza vs. Etim is below: Round 1 – Dan Miraglotta is our referee and we are underway. Neither fighter wastes anytime as Etim looks to grapple immediately but Barboza has none of it. Action slows as both fighters look for an opening. Barboza lands a wicked leg kick off a fake. Another powerful legkick from Barboza in response to a light combo from Etim. Etim with a lazy left that gets countered twice by Barboza. Etim with a nice left hook and he attempts a takedown. Barboza defends using the cage and we’re centered now. Barboza doubles up with some inside legkicks and Etim replies with one of his own to Barboza’s thigh. Short time now, and both fighters look for opening until the bell rings. Etim looked good early, but Barboza took the round late with more effective striking, MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 Barboza. Round 2 – Barboza picks right back up from where he started with more leg kicks. Etim attemps a legkick to headkick combo but Barboza defends. Barboza with another crushing kick. Etim is stuffed on another takedown attempt. Etim stalks forward but Barboza is still finding openings as he evades Etim. Barboza starts off a nice combo with a body shot that he seals with a kick to the body. Most effective combo of the round so far. Etim finally lands a takedown with 1:40 left but Barboza bounces right back up and we’re centered again. Nice body shot by Barboza. Outside legkick by Barboza lands again. Barboza lands a body kick right before the round ends. Barboza is controlling the fight with his striking and takedown defense. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 Barboza (20-18) Round 3 – Barboza opens the round with another strong kick. Etim fakes a shot and looks for a duck under but Barboza snuffs it out quickly. Fighters trade but nothing of significance lands. Etim fails on another takedown attempt. Barboza with an amazing spinning wheel kick that lands flush and Etim is out before he hits the mat! Etim was gone on impact and Barboza just walks away. Edson Barboza defeats Terry Etim via KO (spinning heel kick) at 2:32 of Round 3

Posted in: round, barboza, kick, land, etim

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The televised FX portion of tonight's (Jan. 14, 2011) UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" preliminary card from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is officially in the books. Closing out the under card was a lightweight showdown between feisty Brazilian Thiago Tavares and Canadian kickboxer Sam Stout. Tavares utilized his grappling early, taking Stout down multiple times, but he couldn't keep him there. Tavares was unable to take down "Hands of Stone" again for the remainder of the fight, but he held his own in the striking, staying in the pocket with the Canadian and landing some nice left hooks and leg kicks. Stout rocked Tavares with 15 seconds left in the fight and has his opponent hurt, but he didn't press on the gas enough to score a stoppage and when it was all said and done, Tavares scored a unanimous decision victory. Stout will likely be kicking himself that he didn't try to do something similar earlier. The remainder of the preliminary card featured some very exciting decisions and some terrific first round finishes as well. See for yourself after the jump: After about a two minute feeling out process, former UFC heavyweight title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga went to work against undefeated striker Ednaldo Oliveira. Gonzaga, who'd professed to go back to his Brazilian jiu-jitsu roots, took Oliveira down and completely dominated the fight once it went to the canvas. When "Lula" attempted to get back to his feet, Gonzaga took his back and locked in a rear naked choke to force the tap. It was Gonzaga's first UFC victory in over two years, and he looked very sharp considering he came out of retirement just three months ago. Rising Brazilian featherweight prospect Yuri Alcantara put a whooping on Japanese star Michihiro Omigawa over the course of three rounds. "Maranjo" dropped Omigawa with a beautiful spinning back elbow in the first round and nearly finished the fight with a brutal ambar. Omigawa, ever durable, proved himself tough as nails by enduring the submission and pressed on, refusing to be finished even after getting smashed again in the second round with strikes. Alcantara slowed drastically in the third but Omigawa couldn't take enough advantage, only winning the final round on one judges' scorecard as Alcantara took a unanimous decision. In the opening bout of the FX preliminaries, Xtreme Couture fighter Mike Pyle destroyed Brazilian Ricardo Funch via technical knockout in just 80 seconds. "Quicksand" started strong in the striking and stunned Funch with a big right hand and he put a stamp on it with a huge knee to the face. When Funch went down, Pyle followed up with big ground and pound until the referee put a halt to the action. The Brazilian fans were not pleased with the result, booing heavily and an excited Pyle egged them on with some taunts in the cage before asking Joe Rogan if he can come on Fear Factor with his wife. Also, while it didn't take place on the FX portion, Felipe Arantes overcame a tough first round to bounce back and beat up Antonio Carvalho in the only Facebook bout. Carvalho put Arantes on his back in the opening frame and showcased his superior grappling skills, but couldn't repeat his performance in rounds two and three. Arantes outpointed the Portuguese fighter in the stand-up and even pounded Carvalho with ground and pound in the third stanza to pull out a 29-28 unanimous decision victory. Here are the complete undercard results: Thiago Tavares def. Sam Stout via unanimous decisionGabriel Gonzaga def. Ednaldo Oliveira via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:22 of round 1Yuri Alcantara def. Michihiro Omigawa via unanimous decisionMike Pyle def. Ricardo Funch via TKO at 1:22 Felipe Arantes def. Antonio Carvalho via unanimous decision That's it for the preliminary card portion of the card. Be sure to hit up MMAmania.com's for up to the minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of the rest of the night's action by clicking here.

Posted in: round, decision, card, tavare, omigawa

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Filed under: UFCThis is the UFC 142 live blog for Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes, the main event of tonight's UFC pay-per-view from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Aldo (20-1) aims to make his third successful UFC featherweight title defense, having already defeated Mark Hominick and Kenny Florian last year via decisions. Mendes (11-0) is a wrestler out of Urijah Faber's team Alpha Male who holds UFC wins over Michihiro Omigawa and Rani Yahya. The live blog is below. More: UFC 142 Results | Latest UFC News Mendes is all smiles as he makes his way to the cage to "Paradise City" by Guns N' Roses. Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Round 4: Round 5: Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, round, blog, mende, paradise city

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Filed under: UFCThis is the UFC 142 live blog for Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson, a middleweight bout on tonight's UFC pay-per-view from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Belfort (20-9) failed to capture the UFC middleweight title in February 2011, but bounced back with a first-round TKO over Yoshihiro Akiyama in August. Johnson (10-3) is a knockout artist coming off a head kick finish against Charlie Brenneman at last August's UFC on Versus. The live blog is below. More: UFC 142 Results | Latest UFC News According to UFC president Dana White, Belfort and Johnson weighed-in two hours ago at 205.6 and 211, respectively. Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, round, johnson, middleweight bout, belfort

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Filed under: UFCThis is the UFC 142 live blog for Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio, a middleweight bout on tonight's UFC pay-per-view from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Palhares (13-3) won both his fights in 2011, beating Dave Branch and Dan Miller. Massenzio (13-5) made his return to middleweight last October and scored a win over Steve Cantwell. The live blog is below. More: UFC 142 Results | Latest UFC News Massenzio walks out to "Lose Yourself" by Eminem. Palhares is next ... Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, round, palhare, massenzio, hsbc arena

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Filed under: UFCEdson Barboza is still undefeated, and he ran his record to a perfect 10-0 with an absolutely sensational knockout of Terry Etim at UFC 142. After getting the better of Etim in the stand-up in the first and second rounds, Barboza put on a show in the third, with a spinning wheel kick that landed perfectly to Etim's chin and knocked him cold. Etim was obviously out cold the instant the kick landed, and he fell straight backward onto the canvas. Etim immediately went for a takedown in the opening seconds of the first round, and it was obvious that he didn't want to stand with Barboza, who's a lethal striker. But Barboza showed great takedown defense and did a nice job of sweeping Etim when the fight did go to the ground, and it was Barboza who kept the fight standing, landed solid leg kicks and controlled the first round of the fight. The second round was more of the same: Barboza got the better of the striking exchanges, and when Etim managed to take Barboza down, Barboza popped right back up. Etim actually landed a couple of effective kicks in the second round, but Barboza was the one landing the harder kicks and following them with punches, and it was Barboza controlling the fight in the stand-up. And then came the third, when Barboza had one of the greatest highlight-reel knockout kicks you'll ever see. It was a brilliant striking display from a great young fighter. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: fight, round, barboza, etim, terry etim

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Filed under: UFCThis is the UFC 142 live blog for Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim, a lightweight bout on tonight's UFC pay-per-view from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Barboza (9-0) holds UFC wins over Mike Lullo, Anthony Njokuani and Ross Pearson. Etim (15-3), who has won five of his last six UFC fights, fought once in 2011 and submitted Edward Faaloloto at UFC 138. The live blog is below. More: UFC 142 Results | Latest UFC News Etim is out first, entering to "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins. Barboza makes his way down to the cage to Brazilian hip hop.Dan Miragliotta is the referee. Round 1: Etim is aggressive to start. The Brit shoots for the takedown but Barboza defends. Etim stalks with jabs. Etim fakfes a punch and shoots. Etim almost gets Barboza down but Barboza reverses and they are back to their feet. Round 2: Round 3: Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, round, barboza, ufc fights, etim

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Filed under: UFC, NewsIn a hard-fought 15-minute battle at UFC 142, Thiago Tavares defeated Sam Stout by unanimous decision. It was a fight that easily could have gone either way, and in fact all three rounds were close enough that they could have gone either way. The individual scores were not announced at the end of the fight, but Tavares won on all three judges' cards. The win improves Tavares's MMA record to 17-4-1. Stout, who was fighting for the first time since the death of his coach, close friend and brother-in-law Shawn Tompkins, suffers a tough loss and falls to 17-7-1. More: UFC 142 Results | Latest UFC News Early in the first round Tavares made it obvious that his game plan was to get the fight to the ground, and he generally executed that game plan effectively, clinching with Stout, slamming him down and briefly attempting a guillotine choke. But Stout did a nice job of getting out of the choke and into a dominant position before getting back to his feet and landing some good punches late in a close and fairly even first round. In the second round it became much more Stout's kind of fight, as he kept it standing and began to land effectively, although Tavares also landed a kick that opened up a cut on the side of Stout's head. Each of the first two rounds was close enough that it was conceivable for the judges to score it either way. Tavares seemed to be comfortable and in control for most of the third round, and it appeared that the fight was going his way. At the end of the round, however, Stout began to unload, landing some hard shots in the final 20 seconds of the round. Tavares appeared to be hurt as the fight came to a close, but Stout hadn't done quite enough, and Tavares escaped with a win. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, tavare, round tavares

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Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes Rainer - I nearly forgot about Aldo’s fight with Faber, and my initial impulse was to say that the champ hasn’t yet faced a wrestler of Mendes’ caliber. And while it’s true that Mendes may be a little faster than Faber and less enamored of the striking game, suggesting a more distinct threat of top control, I don’t think those advantages will be enough to see Mendes to victory. With excellent timing and superb finishing power, Aldo will retain his belt. Aldo, TKO, Round 3.Earl - Mendes is in the unfortunate spot of being the best available option and completely not ready for this. If Chad can’t get it to the ground, he is going to get crippled just like Faber did. I think Chad will get it to the ground eventually but Aldo is a black belt and will finish Chad off his back. Aldo, Triangle Choke, Round 3.Chad - Although I think Mendes has a better chance than most of the MMA Community is giving him, I can’t pick against Aldo right now. He’s looked unstoppable inside the cage, and should have the takedown defense needed to keep the fight standing. Aldo, TKO, Round 3. Chris - I agree completely with Earl. Mendes is a good wrestler but he’s no where near where he needs to be to upset Aldo. As far as Aldo is concerned, in his last couple fights he hasn’t looked comfortable unleashing his vicious striking while being ready for the takedown. Unless he’s really improved there, I’d expect to see a repeat of the Florian fight. Aldo by Unanimous Decision.Cory - I’m just going to be a contrarian for no good reason. I’ll actually be surprised if Mendes does it, but i’ll go with an upset. Mendes by Decision. Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony JohnsonRainer - Johnson by wrestle-brawling. Belfort has never fared well against takedown-minded opposition, and though Johnson isn’t a grappler on the level of Dan Henderson or the Tito Ortiz of yester-year, I think he’ll nevertheless manage to confound Belfort with a multifaceted plan of attack. Of course, I feel like I’m constantly over or underestimating Belfort, so who really knows. Johnson, TKO, Round 2. Earl - I wanted to pick Anthony Johnson here and then he crushed the scale @ 197 pounds so now I REALLY want to pick him here. Win or lose, Rumble will get cut. Here is hoping Vitor sends him packing in devastating fashion. Vitor Belfort, KO, Round 1.Chad - I sincerely hope Rainer made his pick before yesterdays weigh ins, because I see very few reasons to go with Johnson now. It’s been reported he’s ill, and prior to the weigh ins, the doctor had given Johnson "tons" of fluids. Combine that with the stipulation that he must weigh in under 205 before he enters the cage, and it seems the odds are now stacked against Johnson. Belfort, KO, Round 1.Chris - I’m torn on this fight. Rumble proved in the Hardy fight that he’s got enough fight IQ to fight smart when he needs to. With his size, wrestling pedigree, and Belfort’s historical weakness against opponents willing to grind out a win, I’d be inclined to give Johnson the nod. On the other hand, Rumble is coming off being hospitalized because of his cut and probably won’t be able to fully hydrate as he has to hit the 205 weight limit tomorrow. That could give Vitor just the edge he needs to land some brutal power shots. I’ll flip the coin and go with Belfort via KO, Round 2Cory - I can’t, in good conscience, root for someone who has screwed the pooch as much as Johnson has done at this point. Vitor Belfort, TKO. Mike Pyle vs. Ricardo FunchRainer - Funch hasn’t had much to offer in previous Octagon appearances, and that he’s coming in on short notice this time will only emphasize his lack of seasoning. Pyle all the way. Pyle, Submission, Round 2.Earl - Funch is exactly the type of fighter Pyle should manhandle. Pyle, Submission, Round 1.Chad - Mike Pyle should win this fight decisively. After the tough loss to Macdonald, he has a lot to prove, and I don’t see Funch offering much offense. But to his credit, Funch survived three rounds against Hendricks, so I wouldn’t expect a finish here. Pyle, Unanimous Decision.Chris - I don’t know anything about Funch, so I’m gonna go with the crowd. Pyle by SubmissionCory - Earl the Pearl stole my line almost word for word. So here it is. Funch is exactly the type of fighter Pyle should manhandle. Pyle, Submission, Round 1. Thiago Tavares vs. Sam StoutRainer - When confronted with a grappler vs. striker match-up, I tend to put greater faith in mat work. However, both Tavares and Stout have managed to shore up their weaknesses a bit. Muddying waters further are the intangibles at play: Tavares’ recent, uneven performances, and the recent loss of friend and trainer Shawn Tompkins suffered by Stout. I’ll guess that on home soil Tavares works doggedly, and succesfully, for top control. Tavares, Split-Decision.Earl - Maybe I am still buzzing from that sickening KO on Yves Edwards, but I think Stout has got a sequel in store for us here. He needs about 3 more of those to truly be "Hands of Stone" and I think he gets one of those here. Sam Stout, KO, Round 1.Chad - This is a very even match up, and I’m not confident in picking either fighter. Stout has the power to end it at any point, but I see Tavares mixing up his strikes with some effective takedowns, controlling the majority of the fight. Tavares, Unanimous Decision.Chris - I’ve been a Sam Stout fan for a long time now and always rooting for him. He’s always in fun fights and I just don’t see Tavares having what it takes to get past him. Stout by DecisionCory - I think Stout is a live dog and will be able to grind out a decision. Stout by Split Decision Edson Barboza vs. Terry EtimRainer - Barboza’s recent, surprisingly competitive fight with underdog Ross Pearson has cast the Brazilian in a slightly dimmer light. However, I don’t think Etim possesses Pearson’s speed or accuracy on the feet, and I doubt he’ll be able to take bring the fight to the mat where the Brit has snagged most of his finishes. Barboza, Unanimous DecisionEarl - Edson is going to be far too active on the feet in this fight and I think he makes Terry pay everytime he tries to close the distance and get the fight to the floor. Barboza, TKO, Round 3.Chad - Besides maybe Sam Stout, Etim has yet to face a striker like Barboza. Unless he’s able to secure an early submission, it could be a long night for Etim. Barboza, Unanimous Decision.Chris - I really like both of these guys as rising contenders in the Lightweight division. But I have to agree with Chad on this one. Barboza’s striking is sharp enough that he should be able to manage the distance and keep Etim from taking him to the ground. Barboza by DecisionCory - I’ll be the ornery guy again. I think Etim is wily enough to latch onto a limb or neck and turn it in ways it shouldn’t go. Etim, Submission, round 2 Erick Silva vs. Carlo PraterRainer - We didn’t get to see much of Silva in his last appearance, as he put away Luis Ramos in under a minute, but, you know, one gets the impression that he’s hell on wheels. Prater enjoyed a resurgence in 2011, going 4-0-0, but you can’t ignore the fact that all of those victories came at lightweight. Though he has an edge in experience, I believe Prater will be at a loss against the bigger Silva. Silva, TKO, Round 2.Earl - It is great to see Carlo in the UFC but Silva is an absolute savage. Erick should impress once more. Silva, TKO, Round 2.Chad - Silva may have some serious hype behind him, but Prater is a veteran and shouldn’t be underestimated. I expect Silva to finish the fight in impressive fashion, but wouldn’t be surprised if Prater manages to pull of f the submission. Silva, TKO, Round 3.Chris - Silva looked incredible against Ramos, so I’m jumping on that hype train. Silva by KO, Round 1Cory - Same reason as Chris, Silva looked incredible against Ramos, so I’m jumping on that hype train. Silva by KO, Round 1 Michihiro Omigawa vs. Yuri AlcantaraRainer - On the one hand, you have Omigawa, a quality competitor with a dispiriting record thanks to over-ambitious matchmaking early in his career. On the other hand is Alcantara, whose record is great, though most of it was composed on the regional circuit. Upon closer examination, however, it becomes apparent that though Alcantara wasn’t fighting international world-beaters, he was indeed putting away some journeymen of respectable record and superior experience. I’ll be pulling for the durable Omigawa, but Alcantara is the real deal. Alcantara, Unanimous Decision.Earl - I can’t pick against Omigawa. Michihiro Omigawa, Unanimous Decision.Cory - I think Omigawa manages to break out of his half-funk and wins a close one here. Michihiro Omigawa, Decision.Chad - Alcantara has looked spectacular, and I don’t have much confidence in Omigawa. Alcantara, Unanimous Decision.Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Edinaldo OliveiraRainer - Gonzaga has never reacted well to getting hit, but hitting things extremely hard just happens to be Oliveira’s forte. Oliveira, KO, Round 1.Earl - I am very happy to see Gonzaga back in the big show but I hope it is in better form than when he left. I think it is going to be a horrendously ugly fight but "Napao" will grab an arm late. Gabriel Gonzaga, Submission, Round 3.Chad - Rainer pretty much summed it up. Oliveria, KO, Round 1. Chris - Gonzaga didn’t look great toward the end of his first run in the UFC. I think the time off will remind him that he’s a grappler first and not a kickboxer. Gonzaga by SubmissionCory - Oliveira looked about as doughy as I’ve seen since Roy Nelson. That said, he still packs a punch and Gonzaga gets packed by punches. Do Brooklyn by TKORousimar Palhares vs. Mike MassenzioRainer - When it comes to striking, Massenzio might be a little more eager and confident, but the threat of a takedown will likely cause some hesitation. That leaves the grappling, where Palhares has a distinct edge. Palhares, Submission, Round 2.Earl - Massenzio is a solid fighter who looked very good against Steve Cantwell in his last outing. Unfortunately for him, Rousimar is a human dismembering, scatterbrained tree stump and he will add another appendage to his collection here. Palhares, Submission, Round 2.Chad - Massenzio is a decent grappler, but he’s not prepared for what Palhares brings to the table. Palhares, Submission, Round 1Chris - Palhares by Submission. ‘Nuff said.Cory - If Paul Harris doesn’t take home a limb here, I’ll consider eating my hat on live cam. - Miniature Ape by _CL destroying submissionFelipe Arantes vs. Antonio CarvalhoRainer - I can’t say I have much direct knowledge regarding either of these featherweights. However, I expect that Arantes’ edge in Octagon experience will be offset by Carvalho’s long-standing position among the upper levels of the division. Carvalho, Unanimous Decision.Earl - I will pick Carvalho in this one and hope for the best. Carvalho, Unanimous Decision.Chad - Both fighters have identical records, and are the same height, but Arantes is much younger. Hopefully youth prevails. Arantes, Split Decision. Cory - I don’t have too much to go on here, so let’s coin flip and go with Arentes by TKO.

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Filed under: UFCThis is the UFC 142 undercard live blog for all the preliminary bouts in support of tonight's UFC pay-per-view from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Stout vs. Tavares, Gonzaga vs. Oliveira, Alcantara vs. Omigawa and Funch vs. Pyle will be televised on FX. Arantes vs. Carvalho will be streamed on Facebook. The live blog is below. More: UFC 142 Results | Latest UFC News Sam Stout vs. Thiago Tavares Round 1: Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Ednaldo Oliveira Round 1: Yuri Alcantara vs. Michihiro Omigawa Round 1: Ricardo Funch vs. Mike Pyle Round 1: Felipe Arantes vs. Antonio Carvalho The bearded Canadian Carvalho is the first man to make his way to the cage and he's heavily boo'd. Carvalho speaks Portuguese, so he's also clearly understanding the chants of "You're going to die." Arantes enters with his trademark cowboy hat. Round 1: Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, round, vs, carvalho, canadian carvalho

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It was two in a row in Rio for Florianopolis lightweight Thiago Tavares Saturday night, as he earned a close, but unanimous decision over Sam Stout in UFC 142 preliminary action at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Tavares, who stopped Spencer Fisher at UFC 134 in Rio last August, closed the distance almost as soon as the bout started, getting Stout to the mat with relative ease. Stout fought hard to get back to his feet and succeeded, but a few moments later he was grounded twice more in succession. Stout kept getting up, but Tavares was piling up the points. With a little over a minute left, Stout was able to score with some shots to the head, but Tavares fired back and stayed busy, even when his last takedown attempt of the round came up short.Stout was able to keep it standing for much of the second round, but it was Tavares still holding the edge, as his darting movement and quick counters kept him in the lead, with a kick to the side of the head opening a cut around Stout’s left ear. Slowly, but surely, Stout was getting his rhythm, and with kicks and punches to the body and the occasional punch upstairs, the Canadian was letting Tavares know he was in a fight.An inadvertent low kick by Stout sent Tavares to the mat and brought a brief halt to the action in the opening minute of the final round, but both picked up where they left off in the second, with solid standup work being done by both men. Stout’s takedown defense was impressive throughout the final frame, his quick punches to the head brought blood from Tavares’ nose, and a late series of right hands hurt the Brazilian, but it was not enough for him to pull out the victory.With the win, Tavares improves to 21-4-1; Stout falls to 18-7-1.GONZAGA vs. OLIVEIRAAfter a 15 month absence, former world title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga returned to the Octagon and got back in the UFC win column, submitting previously unbeaten newcomer Ednaldo Oliveira in the first round.“It felt great to be back in the Octagon,” said Gonzaga. “I showed that I still have my BJJ skills in there tonight. My time away from the UFC was good for me. I dealt with some personal business in my life and came back refocused. Before, I was training well, but my mind just wasn’t in it. Now, I’m back, I feel great. I’m focused and I showed that.”There was little action in the first two minutes, with Rio de Janeiro native Gonzaga ending the dry spell with two thudding takedowns of the newcomer. After the second takedown, Gonzaga was able to keep the action on the mat, and despite Oliveira’s efforts, he was not able to escape, allowing Gonzaga to take his back and end matters with a rear naked choke that produced a tap out at the 3:22 mark.With the win, Gonzaga improves to 13-6; Oliveira falls to 13-1-1 with 1 NC.ALCANTARA vs. OMIGAWAA gritty effort from ultra-tough Japanese veteran Michihiro Omigawa wasn’t enough to overcome a well-rounded attack from Brazil’s Yuri Alcantara, as “Marajo” won an impressive three round unanimous decision in featherweight action.“This was like the World Cup for me tonight,” said Alcantara, who has now won 13 straight. “To fight against a veteran like him was a true honor. I hope this win proved to the UFC that I’m ready for the main card. I felt like a complete fighter in there tonight.”Scores for Alcantara were 30-27 twice, and 29-28.Omigawa (13-11-1) ate a knee to the body as soon as the two finished touching gloves, and he kept his hands low, apparently favoring his lower torso. Alcantara (26-3) continued to score well as the round progressed, this time from long range, with Omigawa bouncing around but unable to close the distance on his foe. With a little less than two minutes left, Omigawa was rocked with an elbow to the head, and though Alcantara got the dominant position on the mat, he was soon reversed by the Japanese fighter, who finally found the real estate of the fight to his liking. But just before the bell rang, Alcantara locked up an armbar and torqued it, with only the bell keeping the bout from being finished.Omigawa courageously came out of his corner for round two, but was hurt again by a punch in the second minute, pushing the bout to the canvas. The two scrambled, with Alcantara taking Omigawa’s back. Omigawa tried his best to get out of trouble, and with under two minutes remaining, he was bloodied around his ear, but out of immediate danger as he got to his back. Alcantara ended the round with more ground strikes, adding to his lead.Both fighters were understandably winded as the third round opened, but that didn’t stop them from continuing to scrap, with each solid shot looking to be the one that could turn the tide for Omigawa or give Alcantara the finish. Omigawa got the bout to the mat with under two minutes left and scored well with punches and elbows, but the bout was stood up by referee Leon Roberts with under 20 seconds left, leaving Alcantara the opening for a final takedown before the final bell tolled.PYLE vs. FUNCHWelterweight veteran Mike Pyle spoiled the Octagon return of Ricardo Funch, stopping the late replacement via strikes in the first round.“After my last fight, I took a step back and readjusted some things in my training,” said Pyle, who lost at UFC 133 to Rory MacDonald. “I knew that I had to really take a look at my whole MMA game and I think you saw some of the adjustments and improvements tonight. My striking and my overall game have evolved. This was an important fight for me in my career and I appreciate Ricardo taking this fight on short notice.”Funch, 8-3, was replacing Paulo Thiago, who was forced from the bout due to injury.After taking some time to find his range, Pyle (22-8-1) struck first and made the most of it, wobbling Funch with a straight right. Pyle moved in for the finish, dropping his foe with a right knee. The follow up barrage of strikes brought in referee Mario Yamasaki to halt the bout at the 1:22 mark.ARANTES vs. CARVALHOBrazilian featherweight prospect Felipe Arantes got the night off to a good start for the home team, earning a three round unanimous decision win over debuting Canadian Antonio Carvalho.“I’m very happy with this win because I went out there and proved to the people of Brazil that I belong in the Octagon,” said Arantes. “He was a very tough opponent. I had a tough camp and battled some injuries, but I was able to get in there tonight and control the striking and win.”All three judges scored it 29-28.A wild exchange resulted in Arantes losing his balance and falling to the mat in the opening moments, with Carvalho quickly taking advantage but unable to secure a submission. Midway through the round, Arantes escaped the grasp of his foe and got his offense into gear, scoring mainly with kicks as he kept the bout standing for the remainder of the first five minutes.There was more solid standup action in the second frame, but the action favored the Brazilian, a standup specialist who calmly potshotted in between the rawer rushes of Carvalho. In the second minute of the final round, Carvalho got the bout back to the mat, which is right where he wanted it, but Arantes reversed position and got into his opponent’s guard, opening a cut under Carvalho’s left eye with his ground strikes. Arantes smoothly got back to his feet with a minute left, and he finished strong, capping off a solid performance that earned him his first UFC win.With the win, Arantes improves to 14-4 with 2 NC; Carvalho falls to 13-5.

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Jose Aldo vs Chad MendesBrent Brookhouse: I think we’re due for Aldo to crush someone in the first round, but I’ll play it a bit more safely here. Mendes isn’t a finisher and Aldo is, which means that Mendes has to get takedown after takedown for five rounds. While he certainly has the wrestling credentials to do that, I think Aldo is actually going to prove a pain to get to the ground and after two rounds of tactially picking Mendes apart, he finishes him in the third. Jose Aldo by TKO, round 3.Leland Roling: Mendes isn’t invincible or without flaws despite many fans putting his NCAA credentials on a pedestal. Omigawa outlasted the onslaught and seemed to be wearing on Mendes by the third frame of their bout at UFC 126. An amazing feat considering Omigawa wielded no head movement and sloppy technical boxing. Aldo is a completely different animal, and bringing in bulky lightweight wrestler Gray Maynard to help him was a brilliant move. Aldo neutralizes Mendes, wears on him, and bombs on him late. Jose Aldo via TKO, Round 4.Matthew Roth: Honestly I’ve been a Mendes mark since the WEC days and always thought he was the guy to dethrone Jose Aldo. I’m sticking with that and saying he’ll be able to get Aldo down and keep him there for 25 minutes. Chad Mendes by Decision.Ben Thapa: Given Aldo’s vulnerabilities against Hominick and Florian, I think there is a very real chance for Mendes to bully Jose and take that belt. However, given the state of his striking skills, he probably has to do it for five rounds. That is a very long time to stifle Aldo’s offense and I’m assuming we get a more energetic Jose than the last two times out. Aldo, KO, Round 4.T.P. Grant: Chad Mendes is a fantastic wrestler, but his striking hasn’t developed like many fans hoped it would. On the feet Aldo has a clear advantage, but Aldo hasn’t looked the same since his surgery. In most other sports it takes athletes a season after a surgery to return their old self and I think we see the Aldo of the WEC. Jose Aldo by TKO, Round 2. Fraser Coffeen: There’s no doubt how each man approaches this fight (unless Mendes decides to go nuts and try his stand-up, in which case he gets lit up). So the question is, can Aldo avoid being grounded for 25 minutes? I think he can. His takedown defense is good, and though Mendes may get him down some, he won’t do anything with that position, allowing Aldo to beat him up on the feet. Still, I expect Aldo to be cautious again, so no firework KO finish. Jose Aldo by decisionTim Burke: I’ve never been all that impressed with Mendes. But he obviously has excellent wrestling and all that, and what he preaches about standup cardio being different than ground cardio actually makes sense. After seeing Aldo’s weight cut video for the Hominick fight, I’m always worried about how drained he might be in the cage if that happened again. I know Aldo went 5 with Florian no problem, but Mendes is a different animal and if Aldo doesn’t put him away early, you might be looking at a close 48-47 decision. I was going to Aldo by TKO, but the more I think about it, the more it doesn’t seem that likely. Aldo starts great and fades late. This is odd, but I’m going Jose Aldo by split decision.Dallas Winston: Not only is Mendes an incredible wrestler, but he’s freakishly quick and agile and I’ve been impressed with his strides in boxing. He was able to carefully avoid the dangerous guard-clutches of Javi Vazquez and has shown a solid chin and great cardio. Aldo has solid takedown defense and his low-range or flying knees will be a factor if Mendes telegraphs his shots in the slightest bit. A control-based strategy might incite a riot, but Mendes will sacrifice his status with Brazilian fans to snare the belt. Chad Mendes by decision.KJ Gould: Aldo’s understandably the favourite, but I think too many are sleeping on Mendes. If Aldo genuinely thinks Mendes is more of the same as Faber, he’s going to have a rough time and get beat up on the ground. I see this going the same as Sonnen vs Silva, only without the Hail Mary triangle choke to save the champion. Chad Mendes by Decision.Staff Picking Aldo: Leland, Brookhouse, Thapa, Grant, Fraser, TimStaff Picking Mendes: Roth, Gould, Dallas SBN coverage of UFC RIO 142: Aldo vs. MendesVitor Belfort vs Anthony JohnsonBrent Brookhouse: Belfort’s KO resurgance hasn’t exactly come at the expense of strong, dangerous strikers. Terry Martin isn’t exactly big and strong and he’s quite "knockoutable." Matt Lindland’s chin is far from granite these days. Rich Franklin is talented but not exactly someone Belfort had to worry about one-punching him in a firefight. And Yoshirhio Akiyama was massively undersized at 185. In Johnson, Belfort faces a guy who hits very hard, can muscle him around and can take the fight down if he really wants. This is a miserable fight for Belfort. Anthony Johnson by TKO, round 2.Leland Roling: I’ve had a tough time trying to figure out how this fight may go down. Reach and size are obvious factors, but Belfort’s style will undoubtedly involve slipping inside Johnson’s hammers and devastating his chin. Johnson’s best course of action? Dominate the clinch early and eliminate Belfort’s quick hands. If he does that, this should be cakewalk. Anthony Johnson via TKO, Round 2.Matthew Roth: Have you seen Johnson? Have you seen him? Dude is looking like a monster at this weight. I’m not sold on Belfort and never have been. I think Rumble has the skills to put an absolute hurting on an older Belfort. If he can’t win the stand up he’ll go to his wrestling. It’s not like Belfort has ever used his BJJ anyways. Anthony Johnson by TKO. Ben Thapa: Belfort is vastly better than Johnson on the ground, even with Belfort’s preference to use the ground game to feed into his strikes. I believe Rumble wants no part of a ground battle and will stand and deliver in a striking war. People (who are not Anderson Silva) that choose to stand early with Vitor lose. Vitor, KO, Round 1. T.P. Grant: I’ve been a big fan of Rumble since UFN 14 and I’ve picture him doing big things down the road, if he would move up to Middleweight. The move has been made and now he is free to actually weight train in the lead up to fights and he is in a shallower talent pool. Vitor is a stiff test, but I think his physical gifts are beginning to fade and Johnson is starting to hit his stride. Johnson’s jiu jitsu sucks, but I don’t think Vitor has the interest or the ability to take Rumble to the mat. Anthony Johnson by KO, Round 3. Fraser Coffeen: Screw all of you guys, I still believe! Vitor Belfort by KO, round 1Tim Burke: I’m very surprised people are putting so much stock into Anthony Johnson and his skills here. People were always hyped on him because of the KO’s, but he never really beat anyone highly-ranked at welterweight. And I don’t think the weight cut is an excuse for that. Vitor is, by far, the best opponent he’s ever faced. Johnson’s a slow-ish striker, and Vitor’s got very fast hands. Vitor’s better on the ground as well, if it goes there. This isn’t Pride Vitor, it’s UFC Vitor and he’s going to blow Crumble out of the water. Then people will discredit it because "he beat a welterweight, big deal". Vitor Belfort by TKO, round 1.KJ Gould: Johnson has power and youth on his side, Belfort has speed, accuracy and experience. It starts on the feed and Belfort is a fast finisher, so I have a feeling it won’t get a chance to go to the ground with Johnson wanting to stand and trade to begin with. Vitor Victorious in front of his home crowd. Vitor Belfort by KO, Round 1Dallas Winston: AJ is an extremely gifted wrestler and striker and it’s hard not to appreciate the momentum he debuted with. However, at the top level, I’m not quite sold on him yet, even though I think he has the right tools to get there. With Vitor, it’s either a nostalgic first-round flurry of death or a gradually fizzling disappointment. Johnson has to stay in phone-booth range and smother him on the feet or drown him with takedowns. I’m really not impressed with Vitor’s guard but his takedown defense is solid and his hands are blindingly fast. Vitor Belfort by KO.Staff Picking Belfort: Thapa, Fraser, Tim, Gould, DallasStaff Picking Johnson: Roth, Leland, Brookhouse, GrantRousimar Palhares vs Mike MassenzioBrent Brookhouse: I want to say this is a waste of everyone’s time, but it’s always fun to watch guys get leglocked. Rousimar Palhares by submission, round 1.Leland Roling: Palhares remains the quintessential power grappler, and he’ll make quick work of Massenzio’s already bad knee ligaments. Rousimar Palhares via heel hook, Round 1.Matthew Roth: Is anyone giving Massenzio a shot to win this fight? I’m really surprised they hate his ACL, MCL, and PCL so much as to match him up with Palhares. Rousimar Palhares by Submission. KJ Gould: There will be a bidding war for Mike Massenzio after this fight. Not by promoters, but by arthroscopic surgeons salivating at the work coming their way at the hands of a Palhares leg destruction. Massenzio’s getting uprooted by the ADCC Silver Medaling Tree Stump. Rousimar Palhares by submission, Round 1.Ben Thapa: I like Massenzio’s moxie in taking the short notice fight with Soszynski back in June. I also like his willingness to take a tough bout in the return to the octagon. However, I do not like his submission defense against a guy who has several different set-ups to leglocks and already has three-quarters of the division worried about their legs. The question to me is whether Palhares goes directly to the leglocks or if he spends some time showing off his striking and scrambling with Massenzio. I pick the latter. Palhares, submission, Round 2.T.P. Grant: My knee hurts just thinking about this. Rousimar Palhares by Submission, Round 1. Tim Burke: I’m a huge Toquinho fan, but I don’t think this is the blowout that everyone keeps mentioning. Massenzio is a black belt with decent hands and good wrestling. For all of his leg-ripping skills, Palhares still doesn’t have a great chin or great cardio. If it goes past the first round, things are looking up for Massenzio. Either way though, I’ll go the safe route and take Rousimar Palhares by submission, round 1.Dallas Winston: The medley of striking and boxing Massenzio showed against Cantwell marked a key evolution for him. I would give him a chance here because of his wrestling/sub-grappling combo and Palhares’ unpredictable nature but obvious intentions. Not enough of a chance though. Rousimar Palhares by submission.Staff Picking Palhares: Roth, Leland, Brookhouse, Thapa, Grant, Fraser, Tim, Gould, DallasStaff Picking Massenzio: Erick Silva vs Carlo PraterBrent Brookhouse: Silva is very good, Prater is a bit more dangerous here than people have acknowledged but it’s an appropriate step for Silva at this point. Erick Silva by decision.Leland Roling: This should be a showcase fight for Erick Silva. He’s definitely on the rise, and Anderson Silva already thinks he’s the future at welterweight. Hopefully we see some improvements in terms of conditioning and pace. Erick Silva via TKO, Round 2.Matthew Roth: Erick Silva is the future of 170. And shout out to my dawg Leland for recognizing it last year on the scouting report. Erick Silva by TKO.Ben Thapa: Roth, Yuri Villefort should have been the blazing star of 170 in 2011. Let us take a moment to reflect on the sadness that is severe knee injuries to young prospects. Prater’s win in Strikeforce back in February by anaconda was awesome enough for Kid Nate and KJ Gould to do a Judo Chop on it. Since then, Prater has picked up three more submission victories. Erick Silva has his work cut out for him if he’s to live up to the hype. I think he can do it, but it’s contingent on his ability to stay disciplined on the feet and keep Prater from bullying him to the ground early and often in each round. Silva, decision.T.P. Grant: I’d like to echo Roling, this is a showcase for Erick Silva. He is a fantastic prospect and is ticketed for the upper levels of Welterweight. Silva is going to win, and the UFC is going make sure as many people as possible can see it. Erick Silva via Submission, Round 2. Tim Burke: Silva showcase, just like they said above. Prater’s scrappy, but not a UFC-caliber fighter. I think Silva wins by sub, but all I want to really see is another awesome cage flip from him when he wins. Erick Silva by submission, round 2.KJ Gould: Neither guy sticks out to me that much. I’m having a hard time remembering either of these guys’ last fights. Vaguely remember Silva pleasing the crowd on the first Rio card, so I’ll assume he’s being given a winnable fight that sees his star continue to soar. Erik Silva by Submission.Dallas Winston: Another version of the under-dog having a legit chance -- especially with his complex ground game -- but not enough to capture my vote. Prater is highly experienced and creatively technical on the mat, but Silva is comparable on the ground (I think) and better standing. Erick Silva by TKO.Staff Picking Silva: Roth, Leland, Brookhouse, Thapa, Grant, Fraser, Tim, Gould, DallasStaff Picking Prater: Edson Barboza vs Terry EtimBrent Brookhouse: This card keeps feeling more and more like a lot of fights with matchups that benefit the Brazilians. Which makes sense in terms of return business. Etim is tough and skilled but Barboza is going to be able to control this fight reasonably well. Edson Barboza by decision.Leland Roling: Most fans see Etim has a one-dimensional submission specialist, but his long frame and powerful Muay Thai is a means to an end on the ground. The problem, however, is that Barboza is a highly-credentialed Muay Thai specialist who also happens to possess solid Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. That will wreak havoc on Etim’s strategy as I think he’ll lose the striking exchanges early and be forced to shoot for takedowns. Not his cup of tea. Edson Barboza via decision.Ben Thapa: Upset special! Swami Guru says that Terry Etim will employ some kind of magic to finish this fight by submission early. He cannot get any more specific because of the Heisenberg Principle. Etim, sub, Round 1.T.P. Grant: Barboza is on a tear of late and his energy is going to be through roof with a Rio crowd behind him. Etim is an excellent grappler, but he isn’t infallible on the ground and he has often been handed lesser fighters on European cards. I think Barboza punishes him on the feet and survives him on the ground. Edson Barboza via Decision. Fraser Coffeen: I’m with Ben again. Barboza just barely squeaked by Pearson, and I thought Pearson should have taken that decision, and Etim is comparable to Pearson standing. Difference is, Etim is a finisher. I think he gets the job done here. Terry Etim via submission, round 2Tim Burke: This is a much closer fight than the oddsmakers say (Etim’s floating around +225, but was +260 earlier in the week). I think Etim has a fair chance of submitting Barboza, but not enough to think he’s going to win over 50% of the time. Etim can strike, but not at the level of Barboza’s last two opponents. I think this will probably be fight of the night, but I’ve gotta go with Barboza. Edson Barboza by decision.KJ Gould: When’s the last time Etim fought? I’m sure Barboza has been active more recently, and more dominating. I think momentum is on his side, so if it doesn’t end early it’s going to be a really fun scrap that might be a surprise Fight of the Night candidate. Barboza by decision.Dallas Winston: I fully agree on the "Upset Alert" for Etim. He’s long and lanky like Barboza and a talented kickboxer, though not quite on the Brazilian’s level. I do think Etim’s Luta Livre background could open up takedowns and he’s a dual-threat in the clinch with strikes and subs. I’m playing it safe with Barboza with the disclaimer that Etim is probably the best bet on the card. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him submit Barboza or out-hustle him to a decision. Edson Barboza by decision.Staff Picking Barboza: Roth, Leland, Brookhouse, Grant, Brookhouse, Tim, Gould, DallasStaff Picking Etim: Thapa, FraserThiago Tavares vs Sam StoutBrent Brookhouse: I have been picking too Brazilian heavy here so we’ll go with Stout to pick up two rounds with striking from range. Sam Stout by decision.Leland Roling: Not sure where to go with this fight. Stout can falter against better technique on the feet, but his chin is made of granite and Tavares isn’t exactly a world-class striker. His game is more effective on the ground, and Stout isn’t easy to smother in Jiu-Jitsu. I’ll go with Stout, but it’s a toss-up in my mind. Sam Stout via decision.Ben Thapa: Tougher fight to pick than Barboza/Etim. Swami Guru left for lunch before I could pin him down on this. I hazard a guess that this ends up more like the Jeremy Stephens fight Stout had, with Tavares picking up the decision win. Tavares, decision.T.P. Grant: This is a tough fight to pick! Two lightweight scrappers getting in the cage, this is a sure thing action fight. I think the energy of the home crowd will make the difference. Thiago Tavares via Decision. Fraser Coffeen: Stout is not going to get KO’d, which means Tavares will need to outpoint him on the feet for at least 2 rounds. And I don’t see that happening. Barring some wacky Brazilian judging (which is a strong possibility) I go Stout here. Sam Stout via decisionTim Burke: Tavares isn’t going to keep this standing. He’s going to try and smother Stout and take him down quickly and often. Can he though? It seems that the betting segment of fights fans believe that he can, given all the late money on Tavares. Another thing to consider is that this is Stout’s first fight without Shawn Tompkins in his corner, and he has a lot riding on him after the way Hominick went out. Pressure sucks, but I think Sammy can live up to it. Sam Stout by decision.KJ Gould: Tavares used to be an up and comer at Lightweight everyone should have been keeping an eye on, but then his performances kind of fell apart against guys he had a decent chance at beating. Stout is a solid journeyman for the weight class, and has started living up to his Hands of Stone moniker. Tavares might initially start strong, but I think he wilts and the more experienced Stout shuts him down and takes a decision. Sam Stout by decision.Dallas Winston: I’ve never been a huge fan of Stout but think he takes this one handily. His kickboxing is oddly slow but technically stellar and he’s fended off better wrestlers than Tavares in the past. Tavares is quick as hell with electric scrambling but has paid the price for having sloppy stand up, which Stout should expose. Sam Stout by decision.Staff Picking Tavares: Roth, GrantStaff Picking Stout: Leland, Brookhouse, Fraser, Tim, Gould, DallasGabriel Gonzaga vs Edinaldo OliveiraBrent Brookhouse: Bright lights, big stage, old news for one of these guys. Gabriel Gonzaga by TKO, round 2.Leland Roling: Oliveira would have ranked at #1 on the 2012 World MMA Scouting Report. He is bar none the best heavyweight prospect in the talent pool, and Gabriel Gonzaga’s chin can’t withstand his attack on the feet. Edinaldo Oliveira via TKO.Ben Thapa: The most recent fight of I saw Squidward showed me a fighter with bad head movement. Gonzaga may not be the world beater his skill set makes him out to be, but the guy who nearly finished Schaub in the third round can batter Oliveira into unconsciousness. Gonzaga, KO, Round 1.T.P. Grant: MMA is a quickly evolving sport, and the heavyweight division feels change quicker than any other division. Gonzaga could win if he can get this fight to the mat and work his excellent grappling, but Oliveira brings serious artillery into the cage, and I don’t think Gonzaga will survive the barrage. Edinaldo Oliveira via KO, Round 1.Tim Burke: I doubt a brief retirement has changed the fact that Gabriel Gonzaga is too in love with his own striking to be a force any more. If he can’t batter and intimidate immediately, he crumbles. And he doesn’t take punches well. If he has somehow evolved to the point that he realizes he’s awesome on the ground and takes it there, it’s no contest. But my guess is that’s not gonna happen. And Oliveira will break him down and knock him out. Edinaldo Oliveira by TKO, round 2.KJ Gould: Gonzaga channels his inner-Blanka and goes full beast mode in Brazil. Which might mean he rolling somersaults into a dragon punch and gets himself KO’d. Oliveira may be on the up but who’s he beaten? Gonzaga has faced the better competition and is used to fighting in the UFC. Debuting for the UFC in Rio may be too much for Oliveira if we’re to believe Octagon jitters effects most people. I’ll stick with what I’m familiar with. Gonzaga by KO.Dallas Winston: I’m with Thapa here. What I’ve seen of Oliveira’s striking was rather clumsy and awkard boxing that hasn’t been tuned to the dynamics of MMA, especially in the realm of stance, footwork, defense and head movement. This should be Gonzaga’s fight to win as long as he employs his strengths and only strikes to set up takedowns. Gabriel Gonzaga by submission.Staff Picking Gonzaga: Thapa, Brookhouse, Fraser, Gould, DallasStaff Picking Oliveira: Roth, Leland, Grant, TimYuri Alcantara vs Michihiro OmigawaBrent Brookhouse: Put me down as a guy who has no faith in Omigawa here. Alcantara by decision.Leland Roling: Don’t let me down, Omigawa! Michihiro Omigawa via decision.Matthew Roth: At this point in time, can anyone honestly make the case that Michihiro Omigawa is still a top featherweight? Actually scratch that. Can anyone honestly say that Omigawa was ever a top featherweight? Though he’s got the skills to be competitive he just can’t put it together in the UFC. While Alcantara is more of a known-unknown, I’m rolling with him tomorrow. Alcantara, Decision.Ben Thapa: I have a feeling we see Alcantara display some dominant top control for two rounds. Omigawa got robbed against Elkins and rebounded against Young, but he’s not been as impressive as his hairline. Alcantara, decision.T.P. Grant: Omigawa has had rough go of it in the UFC thus far, but he is in fact a very good fighter. Alcantara is a solid WEC veteran, but due to injury he has fought once since 2010. I think Omigawa finally show cases his skills and gets a win. Michihiro Omigawa via decision. Tim Burke: Many will scoff at this, but I truly believe that Yuri Alcantara is the biggest sleeper in the featherweight division. I think he’s an excellent, aggressive fighter and Omigawa won’t be able to handle the onslaught. Alcantara might end up on his back at some point, but it’s not going to be enough for Omigawa to take two rounds. Sleeper beware (even though he’s the favorite)! Yuri Alcantara by decision.KJ Gould: Yeah … outside of Okami, you just can’t pick the Japanese guy in the UFC these days. Ever. Alcantara wins an ugly, one sided affair. Alcantara by Decision.Dallas Winston: Put me down as the guy who has no faith in Alcantara here. Peek-a-boo boxing + elite Judo + iron chin + vastly superior experience = Michihiro Omigawa by decision.Staff Picking Alcantara: Thapa, Brookhouse, Fraser, Tim, GouldStaff Picking Omigawa: Roth, Leland, Grant, DallasRicardo Funch vs Mike PyleBrent Brookhouse: Pyle eats guys like Funch for...dinner. Mike Pyle by TKO, round 1.Ben Thapa: Kudos to Funch for the late replacement. However, Pyle is probably going to work him on the ground. Pyle, KO, Round 2.T.P. Grant: To echo Ben, respect to Funch for taking this fight. I expect Pyle to take him down and get the win. Mike Pyle via DecisionTim Burke: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Mike Pyle is a superstar in the gym and an average fighter in the cage. Funch probably isn’t good enough to beat him, but I wouldn’t be shocked at all to see Pyle turn in a terrible performance and drop a decision. I’ll still go with the obvious though. Mike Pyle by dreary decision.KJ Gould: I don’t like the name Ricardo Funch. Just reading it in my head irritates me. Mike Pyle by decision.Dallas Winston: Funch actually exhibited shades of brilliance in shutting down the powerhouse takedowns of Johny Hendricks and thwacking him with short elbows. He’s a tall, game BJJ black belt with so-so striking, which is not unlike Pyle. Plus, "Pyle" isn’t the most flattering last name either, but his striking has been much sharper and I think he’s starting to put things together much better. Mike Pyle by decision.Staff Picking Funch: Staff Picking Pyle: Roth, Leland, Thapa, Grant, Brookhouse, Fraser, Tim, DallasFelipe Arantes vs Antonio CarvalhoBrent Brookhouse: Arantes is going to do something spectacular here. Arantes by KO, round 1.Leland Roling: Carvalho is a better striker, and he has enough acumen on the ground to neutralize Arantes’s attacks. Antonio Carvalho via decision.Ben Thapa: Arantes can be put down and held down for a time. Carvalho looks like he has the skills to do exactly that - and deal out damage too. Carvalho, KO, Round 3.T.P. Grant: Carvalho isn’t immune to damage and has been hurt in the past. Arantes certainly can KO guys and he will certainly have the crowd behind him and a KO win would bring huge energy. But I think the more likely outcome is a Carvalho win. Antonio Carvalho via decision. Tim Burke: Finally Pato gets his shot. Took long enough. Carvalho should comfortably take a decision here, because he’s better than Arantes in pretty much every area. Antonio Carvalho by decision.KJ Gould: Err … who are these guys? #flipacoin Carvalho by Decision.Dallas Winston: Carvalho was building up quite a reputation as a hot prospect when he started out 8-0 with a win over "Lion" Takeshi. He lost to Curran and then Lion (in the rematch) but also added wins over Rumina Sato and Hatsu f**king Hioki. Even though he hit the skids shortly after, he’s a decent kickboxer with good wrestling and an ace ground game. Antonio Carvalho by decision.Staff Picking Arantes: Roth, BrookhouseStaff Picking Carvalho: Leland, Thapa, Grant, Fraser, Tim, Gould, Dallas

Posted in: fight, round, silva, aldo, mende

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Hold your horses. Remember when every UFC show moving forward was supposed to feature a five round main event? That no longer appears to be the case. According to Matt Bishop of the Detroit News, unless a title is on the line, all UFC on FX and UFC on Fuel shows will feature three round main events. The five round non-title bouts will be reserved for pay-per-views and for the big network UFC on FOX shows. Fuel TV is planning six events in 2012 and considering that two UFC events are already scheduled for FX by March 3, it appears FX could be landing a similar amount of shows this year. We've got the list of affected main events after the jump. UFC on FX 1: Melvin Guillard vs. Jim Miller UFC on Fuel 1: Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez UFC on FX 2: Martin Kampmann vs. Thiago Alves UFC on Fuel 2: Alexander Gustafsson vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira In 2011, four events featured five round non-title bouts, UFX 138, UFC 139, The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale and UFC 141. Only the incredible fight of the year winner between Dan Henderson and Mauricio Rua was actually able to utilize the bonus rounds as the other three fights were finished by the third. The "Shogun" vs. "Hendo" fight was incredible because of the two extra rounds. Otherwise it would have been a pretty lopsided three round decision victory for Dan Henderson. Do you Maniacs feel deprived that the above fights won't be going for five? Does it affect your picks for who will win considering fighters like Martin Kampmann and Diego Sanchez tend to turn it on in the later rounds? Speak up!

Posted in: ufc, fx, round, event, fuel

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Some names have started to be released for Bellator's 185-pound tournament that kicks off in March with Maiquel Falcao and Giva Santana announced as joining the fray Wednesday. Sherdog first reported the news of Falcao's involvement, who will be making his promotional debut in the tourney's first round. Falcao (28-4-0-1) was notably released from the UFC even after his only Octagon fight was a win over Gerald Harris at November 2010's UFC 123. He pulled out of a fight with Alessio Sakara due to an injury and following issues stemming from a 2002 assault on a woman, the UFC cut ties with the 30-year-old. Falcao has fought three times in Brazil since then, going 2-1 with a pair of quick first round TKO wins. Santana (17-1) made his Bellator debut last October with a first round submission win over Darryl Cobb, his 13th career win by armbar. He's won six fights in a row and is a veteran of EliteXC, M-1 and Tachi Palace Fights. Brian Rogers (8-3) is the only other middleweight that is confirmed for the tournament, his second for Bellator. In season five, he lost in the semifinals to eventual winner Alexander Shlemenko.

Posted in: fight, bellator, round, darryl cobb, falcao

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After a three event schedule in 2011, Indiana based Colosseum Combat returned to their home base of the Kokomo Event Center for CC19. In the main ex UFC lightweight Shamar Bailey (13-5) looked to snap a two fight skid versus Hoosier state journeyman Darrell Smith (16-19).The 155 pound scrap turned into a game of survival for the overmatched Smith. Bailey went back his wrestling roots and planted Smith on his back repeatedly in rounds one and two. On the floor Bailey pattered Smith with punches that forced his opponent to fight off submissions advances from the three time UFC fighter. In the final round Bailey finally secured a fight ending choke on Smith. After a barrage of punches Bailey latched on a D'Arce choke that induced a quick tap out from Smith. A cast member of the Ultimate Fighter 13 Bailey won his UFC debut in June 2011. Bailey was released from the promotion in November after back to back losses. 19 year old flyweight prospect James Porter (4-0) impressed in the co main event slot of the card. Matched up with Ohio gamer Carson Gainey (8-8), Porter's high octane offense led to a finish early in the second round. The first round saw Porter stifle Gainey with submission attempts and mat acrobatics off his back. Round two began with a takedown from Gainey. In the transition from feet to floor Porter slipped a triangle choke around Gainey's exposed neckline. A power slam out of the submission was for not as Gainey tapped out of the 1:17 mark of round two. With armbar and rear naked choke pro wins under his belt Porter adds triangle choke to his list of stoppages. The win at 125 pounds keeps Porter firmly on the UFC's radar for potential additions to their newfound flyweight division. With the UFC looking to add a new weight class to their ranks in the first half of 2012, Porter may be a mere one to two wins away from a call up to the biggest MMA promotion in the land. Colosseum Combat 19 resultsKokomo, INTerry House, Jr. def. Henry Goonen by Unanimous DecisionAtsuhiro Takano def. Michael Shields by Submission Arm Triangle Choke 2:16 R1Michael Eikenberry def. Jason Wilson by TKO 3:32 R1Bobby Emmons def. Matthew Perry by Unanimous DecisionCory Mahon def. Brady Hovermale by Submission RNC 1:22 R1*James Porter def. Carson Gainey by Submission Triangle Choke 1:17 R2Shamar Bailey def. Darrell Smith by Submission D'Arce Choke 3:53 R3*Prospects to watch

Posted in: round, bailey, submission, smith, porter

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For some time now, Greg Jackson and his gym have had a reputation of being the very elite of strategic fighting. For the most part, this stemmed from the ever-increasing risk-averse style of Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. Since UFC 94, where GSP completely broke BJ Penn, St. Pierre has fought more and more to his opponents weaknesses; content to take decisions instead of striving to finish. Specifically, in GSP's title defense against Dan Hardy, between rounds Jackson told the champion not to pass guard. This was seen by many as irrefutable proof that Greg Jackson encouraged his fighters to take the easiest way to victory. Yet, there's much more evidence to the contrary. The problem with the stigma Jackson's gym carries, is that the logic just doesn't follow it. If Jackson was such an amazing strategist, we'd see drastic style changes in the gym's fighters fight-to-fight. Granted, we've seen this from GSP before, but rarely from any other of Jackson's fighters. In fact, thinking over the last couple of years, I'm inclined to think Jackson is highly overrated as a strategist. via a.espncdn.com Despite the reputation of Jackson as a strategist that encourages his fighters to play it safe, he has several fighters under his banner that never adhere to that. First is the oft-mocked Leonard Garcia. Garcia is well reputed to win fights on heart and missed arm punches alone. His first bout against TUF vet Nam Phan is a prime example. Despite his detractors, Garcia wins fights by relentlessly pressuring his opponent swinging for the fences. Despite being battered by fighters like Nam Phan and Chan Sung Jung, no one seems to be able to slow down Garcia's propensity for engagement. However, despite his advantage in resiliency and cardio, Garcia's fighting style is never tempered to exploit his opponent. There's never any doubt that when Leonard Garcia steps into the cage that he'll march forward winging looping punches hoping to out work his opponent. The same can be said for long time Jackson-fighter Keith Jardine. Any time the Dean of Mean steps into the cage, the audience is treated to rhetoric concerning Jardine's "unorthodox striking". In this case, "unorthodox" means sloppy. Jardine is a long armed fighter with unconventional movement. This served Keith well earlier in his career and, at his peak, he was able to defeat two former Light Heavyweight champions in Forrest Griffin and Chuck Liddell. However, it didn't take long before his opponents realized that, by not succumbing to Jardine's off beat tempo, they could defeat him with technical striking. Now, by no means, am I trying to discredit either Garcia or Jardine, who have both enjoyed success at the highest levels of MMA. However, in both cases, the fighters seem to lack progression in making their offense reach its most effective. This seems especially peculiar since both train at a gym where strategy is reputed to be the main focus. In this case of both fighters, we've yet to see Garcia refine his relentlessness with straight punches to pressure his opposition, or Jardine improve his footwork and lateral movement to make his herky-jerky style more effective. This problem was never more apparent than the Fight of the Night between Donald Cerrone and Nate Diaz at UFC 141. Throughout the first round, Cerrone was barraged by Diaz throwing a multitude of quick, straight punches. For those 5 minutes, Cerrone made the mistake of planting his feet waiting to land his own strikes while Diaz overwhelmed him. Going in to the fight, this may have been part of Cerrone's game plan - to counter the Stockton Slap with power punches. However, after 5 minutes it was clear that wasn't going to be the case. My problem here isn't with Cerrone's performance, it's with Jackson's inability to recognize the problem. via www.blogcdn.com In between rounds 1 and 2, Jackson never once mentioned distance or movement to Cerrone. He didn't tell him to counter or circle away. He observed Diaz's overwhelming style and told Donald to "end your leg kick with punches and look for the takedowns." This is by no means bad advice, but in the second round Cerrone repeatedly showed that he was not willing to follow Nate to the ground. He found some success sweeping Diaz's leg with low kick sweeps, but never followed him to the mat. Again, late in the round he was eating punches at the the end of Nate's reach. Between rounds 2 and 3, the only thing heard from Jackson is for Cerrone to "give [him] five minutes of Hell!" Despite the rousing pep-talk, from the start of the round we see Donald making the same mistake he made in the first two rounds in standing right at the end of Diaz's punches. Now, I'm not here today to negate the achievements of Greg Jackson's fighters opponents. However, to me, there is a problem when so many fighters under the banner of an elite strategist are unable to evolve. For Cerrone, Jackson was impotent in his attempt to adjust his fighter's strategy to gain the advantage. For both Garcia and Jardine, Greg Jackson has been completely unable to develop these fighters in a way that maximizes their strengths and negates their weaknesses. As an analyst this pattern makes me very skeptical of how Carlos Condit will be able to handle Nick Diaz when the two fight for the Interim Welterweight Championship at UFC 143. Condit is known as a powerful and creative striker and grappler. Nick is a relentless volume puncher and elite grappler, known for overwhelming his competition. Condit, with out a doubt, is up to the challenge, but I question how helpful his corner will be if he's troubled by Diaz's unrelenting attack.

Posted in: jackson, fighter, round, cerrone, garcia

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This is a guest post by Rory MacLeod (smoogy) A year ago, we selected the inaugural class of fighters that would make up the first edition of the World MMA Scouting Report. It's been a gratifying experience to see some of the athletes we selected go on to succeed in major fight opportunities, and a heartbreaking one to see others come up just short. For each pick that claimed a significant title in 2011, there were at least two that didn't make their breakthrough, or fell off the rails entirely. Here's a recap to give you a sampling of the highlights (and lowlights) from a tumultuous time in the careers of these MMA prospects. 1. Yuri Villefort (6-0) Yuri Villefort was signed to a Strikeforce contract in 2011 along with his brother Danillo, and they were supposed to debut on the same Strikeforce Challengers card. But training injuries forced Yuri to withdraw from his scheduled debut against Travis Bush (5-2-1). No subsequent make-up date was set for the fight. Factoring in Danillo's defeat at the hands of Nate James in his Strikeforce debut, 2011 was a lost year for the Villeforts. At just 20 years of age, Yuri can afford the delay, but he needs to get back in the cage soon. 2. Alex Garcia (7-1) As a member of the famed Tristar gym in Montreal, Alex Garcia was on the fast track to the world stage. That is, until his momentum was halted at the hands of jumbo-sized UFC welterweight Seth Baczynski in April. "The Dominican Nightmare" scored a big slam on Baczynski early, but appeared to tire quickly in the grappling exchanges, losing dominant position about midway through the first round. Garcia succumbed to ground and pound in the second round for his first career loss. He came back in October to take on Canadian circuit regular Matt McGrath (10-7) at Ringside MMA 12: Daley vs. Fioravanti. It was a return to form for Alex, winning by knockout early for his sixth career first round stoppage victory, lifting his Ringside MMA record to 5-1. 3. Erick Silva (13-1) As expected, Erick Silva was able to parlay his 2010 Jungle Fight welterweight tournament championship run into a contract with the UFC. His debut came against then-Shooto Brazil welterweight champion Luis Ramos (19-7) at UFC 134 in Rio. Erick made it look easy, dropping Ramos with an overhand bomb early in the first. The flashy knockout finish in his debut has garnered Silva a lot of buzz among UFC fans. Next up for Erick is a UFC 142 clash with journeyman debutant Carlo Prater (29-10-1). 4. Douglas Lima (21-4) If you want an example of a fighter who jumped from prospect to champion, look no further than Douglas Lima. He already held the Maximum Fighting Championship title when he chose to trade up for a spot in the season five Bellator welterweight tournament. Douglas got off to a rocky start, but recovered from a first round knockdown to take a decision from tournament veteran Steve Carl (15-3) in the quarterfinal. The semifinal and final rounds were a different matter, however; Lima found range with his counter boxing attack, scoring one punch knockouts over Chris Lozano (9-2) and Ben Saunders (12-4-2) to take the tournament. Next up is a shot at the Bellator world 170lb. title against immovable Champion Ben Askren (9-0). 5. Luis Santos (50-7-1) The Scouting Report committee of two were anxiously hoping for an all-report Bellator welterweight tournament final between Luis Santos and Douglas Lima, and it seemed like it might actually happen. Santos outgunned Bellator mainstay Dan Hornbuckle (22-5) in the quarterfinal round with a superior mix of speed, footwork and power roundhouse kicks. In the semfinals, Luis got off to a good start early against UFC veteran Ben Saunders with punches and a takedown, but found himself stuck for much of the fight in an unusual high guard attack from "Killah B" that prevented Santos from mounting any offense. The recurring position eventually led to a keylock submission win for Saunders in the third round. Sadly, "Sapo" has not been invited back for the upcoming Season 6 welterweight tournament. 6. Jesse Juarez (17-7) Jesse Juarez suffered a broken arm and and broken leg in his third round submission loss to Douglas Lima for the Maximum Fighting Championship welterweight championship last December. To add insult to injury, there was a dispute with MFC promoter Mark Pavelich over reimbursement for medical bills accrued as a result of the bout. Jesse parted ways with MFC in favor of a June main event against UFC regular Josh Neer (32-10-1) at Shark Fights 16 in Texas. It was another setback, as Juarez's corner stopped the fight after the first round due to an injury. Jesse finished the year in style though, successfully defending his Cage Fighting Championship strap against Manuel Rodriguez (8-2) in August, then making his Russian MMA debut in a winning effort over Gadji Zaipulaev (16-6) in December. 7. Gunnar Nelson (8-0-1) With a nine fight unbeaten streak to kick off his career, grappling sensation Gunnar Nelson was tabbed for a quick transition to the upper echelon of MMA. But Gunnar defied expectations by opting to take a sabbatical from pro competition in order to give himself time to perfect all aspects of his fighting style. He stuck to the plan, staying off the radar for the entirety of 2011. Nelson has declared his intention to return in 2012, however, and the first match in his return is scheduled for February 25 as the main event of Cage Contenders 12 in Ireland. 8. Quinn Mulhern (17-2) After multiple defenses of the King of the Cage welterweight championship, Quinn Mulhern was picked up by Strikeforce and placed in their Challengers Series, debuting at the 16th edition of the program in June. It was an inauspicious debut for Mulhern, dropping a unanimous decision to UFC veteran Jason High (15-3). But since then Mulhern has been solid, notching Challengers victories over Danny Davis Jr. (6-5-1) and David Hulett (18-10) to close out 2011. As the Challengers Series comes to a close, Mulhern is expected to join the main Strikeforce welterweight division. 9. Alberto Mina (8-0) Though Alberto Mina won the Ultimate Challenge UK (now Cage Rage UK) welterweight championship and defended it in 2010 against The Ultimate Fighter 9 veteran Dean Amasinger, he languished on the shelf for 16 months without a fight due to shoddy representation by his management and the shambolic state of the UCUK promotion. A fed-up Mina abandoned the title and moved to join Gracie Barra's Greece affiliate academy in 2011. The Brazilian-born grappler returned to the cage in Greece against Dutchman Boy Eggels (3-1) in August, snatching a first round submission win via armbar. Alberto is currently in negotiations that could see him make his major organization debut early in 2012. 10. Joe Ray (6-3) One step forward and two steps back seems to be the prevailing pattern in Joe Ray's campaign to get his breakthrough opportunity. He came up on the short end of a dubious decision to South Africa's Jeremy Smith (6-0) in last December. He rebounded with a submission over fellow Floridian John Kelly (5-4) in June. He was called up for a slot on the prelims of July's Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum card, but was stifled by fellow newcomer Nah-Shon Burrell (8-1). Another defeat followed at the hands of Chris Spang (4-1) in September at Strikeforce Challengers 19. He returned to Florida in December, easily winning a tuneup over local Levi LaLonde (2-5). With his Strikeforce stint apparently over, Ray needs to continue to improve his grappling if he intends to consistently win fights.

Posted in: fight, strikeforce, round, welterweight, debut

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submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [comment]

Posted in: round, spoiler, mattyblayze, mattyblayze link, tarec saffeidine

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Image courtesy of Esther Lin Here are the results from Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine: Main Card: Luke Rockhold defeats Keith Jardine via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:26 Robbie Lawler defeats Adlan Amagov via TKO (knee and punches) – Round 1, 1:48 Muhammed Lawal defeats Lorenz Larkin via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:32 Tyron Woodley defeats Jordan Mein via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27) Tarec Saffiedine defeats Tyler Stinson via Split Decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28) Prelims: Nah-Shon Burrell defeats James Terry via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) Gian Villante defeats Trevor Smith via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:05 Ricky Legere defeats Chris Spang via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Estevan Payan defefeats Alonzo Martinez via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Posted in: round, decision, tko, punch, defeat

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We’ve almost reached the end of the 2011 unofficial awards season, and after counting down the imports, newcomers, upsets, knockouts, and submissions, it’s time to pick the fights that defined the past year and made you say ‘this is why I’m a mixed martial arts fan.’10 – Edson Barbosa-Anthony NjokuaniIt says something about Anthony Njokuani’s character that after watching Edson Barboza finish Mike Lullo with leg kicks that he would step up to the plate and offer himself up for the same type of punishment. But hey, that’s what a real Muay Thai fighter would do against one of his peers, and his willingness to do so at UFC 128 in March led to one of the purest displays of the Art of Eight Limbs that you will ever see in the Octagon. For striking aficionados, this bout, won by Barboza via close, but unanimous, decision, was gold.9 – Kyle Kingsbury-Fabio MaldonadoFormer college football player Kyle Kingsbury wasn’t the most highly-touted prospect to emerge from the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter, but quietly and steadily, “KingsBu” began to make his mark, most notably with a Fight of the Night win over Jared Hamman and a 21 second destruction of Ricardo Romero. But against Brazil’s Fabio Maldonado, an undefeated pro boxer, in June, Kingsbury showed not only his growing skill set, but his heart, as he and Maldonado engaged in one of those grueling, blood and spit flying brawls that make you want to stand up and cheer when it’s all over. Kingsbury won the bout via unanimous decision, and while you would love to see the light heavyweights do it again, you get the impression that after their 15 minute blood and guts scrap, they’ll want a little break from each other for the moment.8 – Wanderlei Silva-Cung LeYes, all true mixed martial arts fans can appreciate a tense ground battle or the ability of top-level wrestlers to control where and how a fight takes place, but when it comes to pure savage beauty, nothing compares to the visceral thrill 30-something veterans Cung Le and Wanderlei Silva bring to the table, Le with his action movie moves and Silva with his pure aggression and callous disregard for defense once the fists start flying. At UFC 139, both delivered the only way they know how, and after Le turned in a strong first round, Silva roared back and finished the former Strikeforce champ in the second. Who said MMA was just for the young kids?7 – Diego Sanchez-Martin KampmannIn talking to one of Diego Sanchez’ peers last year, he said that the fearless Albuquerque warrior has engaged in so many wars that his “cuts are starting to have conversations with each other.” This was never more evident than in Sanchez’ March battle with pinpoint striker Martin Kampmann, who opened his opponent’s face up by the middle of the second round and appeared to be on his way to a possible stoppage victory. But Sanchez refused to back down, and his rapid fire flurries and relentless attack not only inflicted damage on his opponent as well, but allowed him to eke out an exciting unanimous decision victory in a bout that proved why fans never get disappointed when “The Dream” takes to the Octagon. UFC President Dana White agreed, giving $160,000 bonus to both fighters.6 – Nate Diaz-Donald CerroneFrom the time this one was signed, the anticipation began for what couldn’t help but be an exciting fight, and lightweights Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone didn’t disappoint. From the press conference to the weigh-in to the final bell, this one was all fire, and while Diaz took the decision, controlling the majority of the bout with his pinpoint striking accuracy, as soon as Cerrone warmed up in the second round, it became a fight, and one that lived up to the hype to boot.5– Frankie Edgar-Gray Maynard IIIMany times when you say something was a carbon copy of an earlier event, that’s an insult. Not here. At UFC 136 in October, Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard met for the third time, and as was the case in their second fight last January (which you know is coming further up the list), Edgar got rocked and almost finished in the first round by “The Bully,” only to shake off the cobwebs and get himself back in the fight. This time though, he wasn’t going to let the judges decide his fate. New Jersey’s finest had his fists do the talking, and in the fourth round, he stunned the Houston crowd with a knockout of Maynard, capping off one of MMA’s great series in emphatic fashion.4 – Dominick Cruz-Urijah Faber IIThe grudge between bantamweight stars Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber was real, so before their UFC 132 main event earlier in July, there was a fear that the fighters wanted so badly not to lose to their rival that they would be too cautious. Not a chance. Instead, Cruz and Faber fired off all their tricks at one another, fought at the insanely high pace 135-pounders are known for, and gave the fans a 25 minute fight to remember that Cruz won by unanimous decision. In the process, he evened the score with the only man to ever beat him, and also set the stage for an Ultimate Fighter 15 coaching stint for both, as well as a third fight later in 2012.3 – Ben Henderson-Clay GuidaCardio machines Ben Henderson and Clay Guida met in November for a shot at the lightweight championship, and both fought for 15 minutes as if THAT was their title fight. Filled with fast paced grappling, knockdowns scored by each, and submission attempts that once again put Henderson’s rubber neck to the test, this was high level stuff that showed why this sport is continuing to set the standard in combat sports. When it was all over, Henderson secured the win and his February shot at Frankie Edgar, but when he’s finished with that business, no one would complain if they saw “Smooth” and “The Carpenter” run it back one more time.2 – Frankie Edgar-Gray Maynard 2 This UFC 125 bout between UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and number one contender Gray Maynard nearly ended in the first round when “The Bully” rocked and dropped the champ and nearly finished him. But Edgar remarkably made it out of the opening frame and began the task of not just surviving, but getting back on track to retain his title. And he did just that, stunning the Las Vegas crowd with a show of resilience that cemented his place on top of the 155-pound weight class. And kudos go to Maynard as well, who battled past a gas tank depleted by his frenzied first round attack to continue to go after Edgar in a quest to repeat his first win over “The Answer” and take home the championship belt. In the end, the two fighters were disappointed by the five round draw verdict, but no one who saw that 25 minute bout would ever say that they felt the same way.1 – Dan Henderson-Mauricio “Shogun” RuaIf you watch a fight and you get to see top-level technique or an action-packed brawl or an amazing display of heart, you’ll undoubtedly be happy to see at least one of the three. Two? That’s a Fight of the Year candidate. All three, like we saw in the UFC 139 bout between Dan Henderson and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in November? That’s all-time great territory right there, and that’s what this fight was. From start to finish, you saw everything that makes mixed martial arts great, and you saw two of the sport’s superstars doing it, fighting as if there was more than a win on the line in San Jose. To add to the intrigue, the bout was five rounds, only the second non-title fight in UFC history to be scheduled for that length of time, and the first to succeed in going 25 minutes. So for nearly half an hour, Henderson and Rua traded blows that would have knocked out lesser men, pulled off amazing escapes and comebacks, and truly left everything they had in the Octagon. Even before Henderson left the Octagon with the decision victory, it was clear that we had our 2011 Fight of the Year, and it may be safe to say that every year from here on out will have a tough act to follow.Honorable Mention - Cheick Kongo-Pat Barry, Chris Lytle-Dan Hardy, Nam Phan-Leonard Garcia II, Renan Barao-Brad Pickett, Diego Brandao-Dennis Bermudez, Nick Diaz-BJ Penn, Jon Jones-Lyoto Machida, Matt Wiman-Mac Danzig, Jose Aldo-Mark Hominick, Michael McDonald-Edwin Figueroa

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The Strikeforce: "Rockhold vs. Jardine" main card tonight (Sat., Jan. 7, 2012) in Las Vegas, Nevada, kicked off with a welterweight war pitting title contending hopefuls Tarec Saffiedine vs. Tyler Stinson. The winner would have a legitimate case for a shot at the vacant 170-pound strap. Lack of depth plays a part in that, of course, but it is what it is. And the contenders have to come from somewhere. Tonight, it was Saffiedine who emerged from this three round battle as a potential candidate for a championship fight. It's not so much that he was altogether impressive in victory -- he struggled a great deal, actually -- but a win is a win and Strikeforce doesn't exactly have a lot of options. A pair of takedowns in the second and third rounds for Saffiedine negated Stinson's power striking for a split decision victory. "It wasn't the best performance but I got the job done, so I'm pretty happy," Tarec said in the post-fight interview. Will he occupy one of the two vacant slots in the upcoming welterweight championship fight? We shall see. Stinson came out firing shots, looking to land that crushing knockout blow he's become known for. Saffiedine, of course, has been in the cage before and had no plans to let himself get knocked out. Some nifty footwork kept his face from getting caved in early. In fact, Tarec worked a few kicks to keep his foe at bay and it worked with a calm efficiency. A couple head kicks and Stinson was noticeably slower. That is until they clinched and pummeled against the cage. Saffiedine was in control for the most part, although Stinson attempted an armbar that didn't come close to finishing the fight. He kept the pressure on, though, and by the time the round was up, Saffiedine was contending with a cut under his eye. The second round opened with a lot of the same. Stinson winging huge punches after lunging in without setting anything up. I'm not sure he threw a single jab the entire fight, which was odd because his reach advantage was considerable. Despite the fact that Saffiedine was getting lit up with big shots, he remained cool and worked his game, earning a takedown about halfway through the frame. And that's where the second stanza ended, Saffiedine on top staying busy. Points, points, points. It's no surprise, then, that Saffiedine went right back to the well with another quick takedown to start the third. With the fight close and the scores undoubtedly questionable, "The Sponge" used the old top control game to grind it on out. Whatever works, right?

Posted in: fight, round, stinson, saffiedine, tarec

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Tarec Saffiedine defeats Tyler Stinson by Split Decision. The judges scored the fight 29-28 Stinson, 30-27 Saffiedine, 29-28 Saffiedine. Stinson got off first landing a straight left landing flush to Saffiedine's chin. A Saffiedine leg kick was checked as was the kick to the head. Saffiedine was content playing the counter fighter role. Stinson walked through a front kick to the face. Stinson caught Saffiedine with an elbow which stumbled the welterweight contender. He chased and was put on his back. Tyler Stinson threw his legs up for an armbar. Left hook from Stinson stumbles Saffiedine. They threw punches as the round came to an end. Stinson landed several kicks to open the round. He then attacked with a one-two-one combo. Saffiedine played the defensive role, constantly circling away from Stinson's power. Saffiedine drove forward with a takedown and put Tyler Stinson flat on his back. Saffiedine worked his ground and pound from within Stinson's guard. Stinson maintained control of Saffiedine's posture, minimizing damage. Stinson had no offense from the guard and as the round came to an end Saffiedine landed elbows. Tyler Stinson was popped in the groin with a kick. When action continued they traded head kicks until Saffiedine hit a high double. Saffiedine landing elbows and punches from the guard. Stinson attempted an armbar but Saffiedine defended. Saffiedine stayed active on the ground throwing punches. Referee stood the fighters up with a minute left. Knee from Saffiedine lands. Stinson punching to close the round. Tarec Saffiedine entered the fight 11-3 and 4-1 in Strikeforce. He previously defeated Scott Smith by a unanimous decision. Tyler Stinson entered the fight 22-7. It was his second fight in the promotion after a successful debut. SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine

Posted in: round, kick, tyler, stinson, saffiedine

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Filed under: StrikeforceThis is the Strikeforce live blog for Luke Rockhold vs. Keith Jardine, the main event of tonight's Strikeforce on Showtime event from the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Rockhold (8-1) is putting his Strikeforce middleweight belt on the line for the first time after beating Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza last September by way of unanimous decision. Jardine (17-9-2) made his Strikeforce debut last April, battling Gegard Mousasi to a majority draw. Jardine will be making his middleweight debut. The live blog is below. More Coverage: Rockhold vs. Jardine Results | Latest Strikeforce News Herb Dean the referee. Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Round 4: Round 5: Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: strikeforce, round, vs, rockhold, jardine

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Filed under: StrikeforceThis is the Strikeforce live blog for Robbie Lawler vs. Adlan Amagov, a middleweight bout on tonight's Strikeforce on Showtime event from the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Lawler (18-8), who lost both his fights in 2011 against Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and Tim Kennedy, is looking to prevent the first three-fight skid of his career. Russia's Amagov (9-1-1) is taking a step up in competition after winning twice on Strikeforce Challengers shows in 2011. The live blog is below. More Coverage: Rockhold vs. Jardine Results | Latest Strikeforce News Round 1: Lawler aggressively moves forward only to have Amagov dump him down with a quick double-leg. Lawler tries to get up and Amagov holds a front headlock. Amagov lands an illegal knee and loses a point. Lawler lands a flying knee and finishes with left hands. Robbie Lawler wins via TKO (flying knee followed by punches) - Round 1, Round 2: Round 3: Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: strikeforce, round, lawler, amagov, showtime event

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Filed under: StrikeforceThis is the Strikeforce live blog for Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal vs. Lorenz Larkin, a light heavyweight bout on tonight's Strikeforce on Showtime event from the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Lawal (8-1), a former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion scored a knockout against Roger Gracie in September. Larkin (12-0) earned this spot on the card by winning three times last year on Strikeforce Challengers cards. The live blog is below. More Coverage: Rockhold vs. Jardine Results | Latest Strikeforce News King Mo's entrance is rather mellow, as he makes his way towards the cage with his crown on. Kim Winslow is the referee. Round 1: Lawal throws first, a jab that comes up short. Lawal follows with a takedown and he's on top 30 seconds into the round. Lawal pounds away with Larkin trapped against the cage. Larkin tries to scoot out but Lawal steps over into Larkin's halfguard. Larkin turns towards Lawal and eats shots. Larkin tries to sit up only to have Lawal return him to his back. Lawal carefully scores with punches. Round 2: Round 3: Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: strikeforce, round, larkin, lawal, lawal return

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Filed under: StrikeforceTyron Woodley is a perfect 10-0 in his MMA career. Woodley defeated Jordan Mein by split decision at Saturday night's Strikeforce event, winning his tenth fight in much the same way he has won his last couple of fights: He used his superior wrestling to control the fight for 15 minutes, and got booed afterward by fans who didn't find the fight entertaining enough. It was surprising that one judge scored the fight 29-28 for Mein, who drops to 23-8. The other two judges scored it 30-27 and 29-28 for Woodley, who said he would like to fight for the Strikeforce welterweight title. "I should be fighting for the title next," Woodley said. Although Mein landed some hard punches in the early going, Woodley did exactly what he wanted to do in the first round, taking Mein down and controlling him on the ground. Woodley had a good first round. The second round was similar, in the sense that Woodley took Mein down and stayed on top of him, although this time Mein was much more active from his back, landing elbows from the bottom and at least attempting to do some damage. At the start of the third round Mein threw a kick, and Woodley made him pay for it, catching Mein's leg and planting him on his back. Woodley stayed on top on the ground for most of the round and although they did get back to their feet at the end of the round, Woodley clinched with Mein and remained in control. It was an easy decision win for Woodley, even if one judge didn't see it that way. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: fight, round, jordan mein, woodley, mein

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Filed under: StrikeforceTarec Saffiedine took a hard-fought split decision over Tyler Stinson on the first fight of Saturday night's Strikeforce on Showtime card. The first round appeared to be Stinson's and the second and third seemed to be Saffiedine's although only one judge scored it 29-28 for Saffiedine. One judge scored it 29-28 for Stinson, while another scored it 30-27 for Saffiedine. The win improves Saffiedine's professional MMA record to 12-3, while Stinson falls to 22-8. Stinson hit Saffiedine with an elbow that bloodied up his right eye in the first round, and after that he battered him with punches, with Saffiedine unable to see Stinson's left hand coming because there was blood in his right eye. It was a good first round for Stinson. Saffiedine had a better second round, getting on top of Stinson in the early going and staying on top, landing some hard punches from inside Stinson's guard and generally looking to be in control of the fight. It was a good second round for Saffiedine. The third round got off to a bad start as Saffiedine kicked Stinson in the groin, causing a lengthy delay. As soon as that delay was over, Saffiedine exploded for a takedown and put Stinson on his back, and that's where he stayed for about four minutes before Stinson finally got back up. By that point, however, Saffiedine had controlled the round enough to win the decision. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: round, stinson, saffiedine, tyler stinson, right eye

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Filed under: StrikeforceThis is the Strikeforce live blog for Tarec Saffiedine vs. Tyler Stinson, a welterweight bout on tonight's Strikeforce on Showtime event from the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Saffiedine (11-3) out of Team Quest is coming off a decision win over Scott Smith last July. At the same event, Stinson (22-7) made an immediate impact in his Strikeforce debut when he scored a 15-second knockout over respected veteran Eduardo Pamplona. The live blog is below. More Coverage: Rockhold vs. Jardine Results | Latest Strikeforce News Both fighters are in the cage. Round 1: Stinson with his five-inch reach advantage stalks Saffiedine. Saffiedine remains light on his feet as he looks for an opening. Saffiedine, switching into a southpaw stance, lands a nice inside leg kick. A Saffiedine head kick is blocked. Stinson scores on a leg kick. Stinson charges in and Saffiedine avoids. Another roundhouse kick to the head by Saffiedine is blocked. Saffiedine lands an inside leg kick and circles away. Saffiedine scores on a front kick to the face. They clinch with two minutes and 10 seconds remaining. Stinson lands a left elbow from clinch that stumbles Saffiedine. Stinson charges and the fight goes to the ground. Stinson attempts an armbar, but Saffiedine escapes. Stinson connects on a flurry that should steal him the round. Stinson turned the fight around starting with the elbow strike. MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 for Stinson. Round 2: Round 3: Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: strikeforce, round, kick, stinson, saffiedine

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Filed under: StrikeforceThis is the Strikeforce live blog for the four preliminary bouts in support of tonight's Strikeforce on Showtime event from the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The undercard bouts are Nah-Shon Burrell vs. James Terry, Trevor Smith vs. Gian Villante, Ricky Legere vs. Chris Spang and Alonzo Martinez vs. Estevan Payan. The live blog is below. More Coverage: Rockhold vs. Jardine Results | Latest Strikeforce News Alonzo Martinez vs. Estevan Payan Martinez is making his way out ... Round 1: James Terry vs. Nah-Shon Burrell Round 1: Gian Villante vs. Trevor Smith Round 1: Ricky Legere vs. Chris Spang Round 1: Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: strikeforce, round, vs, martinez, villante

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Tate will survive the first round after being taken down once or twice, and maintain distance with jabbing and front kicks. Rousey will be gassed by the third minute but will tough it out for 3 rounds, if it's a five rounder, the fight will stop by TKO at around mid-way of the fourth round in Tate's favor. Post your own predictions, they have to be at least as specific as mine, and the closest acceptable post will get Reddit gold on my dime. submitted by skaijo [link] [10 comments]

Posted in: round, tate, reddit gold, decision tate, meisha tate

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This is a guest post by Rory MacLeod (smoogy) A year ago, we selected the inaugural class of fighters that would make up the first edition of the World MMA Scouting Report. It's been a gratifying experience to see some of the athletes we selected go on to succeed in major fight opportunities, and a heartbreaking one to see others come up just short. For each pick that claimed a significant title in 2011, there were at least two that didn't make their breakthrough, or fell off the rails entirely. Here's a recap to give you a sampling of the highlights (and lowlights) from a tumultuous time in the careers of these MMA prospects. 1. Thiago Michel Pereira Silva (9-2) After falling to Alessandro Ferreira in his first post-scouting report fight, Thiago Michel came back strong, notching two 2011 first round stoppages in front of his partisan home crowd in Minas Gerais, Brazil. After his last bout, he announced to the crowd that he would be making his North American debut next as part of Bellator's sixth season. Michel enters a tournament field stacked with talent including returning finalist Patricky Freire (10-2), 2011 #2 Lightweight selection Ricardo Tirloni (14-1), and former welterweight tournament fighters Rick Hawn (11-1) and Brent Weedman (18-7-1). 2. Ricardo Tirloni (14-1) Ricardo Tirloni earned his place in Bellator's season six lightweight tournament via a dominant second round submission victory over Steve Gable (5-2) in his promotional debut. Tirloni showed some of his kickboxing ability, but the fight was memorable mainly for his complete shutdown of Gable's takedown attempts. Most shots resulted in Ricardo casually reversing the attempt into top position for himself. Now he presumably heads into the tournament behind in the odds to favorites Freire and Hawn, but it would be unwise to count him out. 3. Magno Almeida (9-3) Although he graduated to Strikeforce in 2011, Magno Almeida finished the year in a precarious position. His June debut at Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum against Conor Heun (9-4) was a hit. Magno nearly submitted Heun with a leglock combination and then an armbar, inflicting injuries to both limbs targeted. But the judges favored Heun's escape artistry and third round comeback, awarding him the decision. It still could have been a source of career momentum for Almeida if not for his follow-up effort at Strikeforce Challengers 19 in September, a one punch knockout loss to James Terry (11-3) on the unaired preliminary portion of the card. With Zuffa and Showtime reducing the number of Strikeforce events for 2012, it remains unclear if he will have another chance with the promotion. 4. Yui Chul Nam (13-3-1) Yui Chul Nam started 2011 on the wrong foot with another dubious judge's decision against Adrian Pang (19-8-2) at Legend Fighting Championship 4, dropping a split loss after being dealt a draw in the first meeting. But since then "The Korean Bulldozer" has been better than ever, finishing the year on a three fight winning streak. Sometimes Nam even finds the self-discipline to rein his wild, brawling style now. His July win over Aussie Rob Hill (9-5-1) at LFC 5 put him back in the promotional #1 contender slot. Nam is expected to challenge Sengoku standout Jadamba Narantungalag (7-2) next for the belt Jadamba took from Pang at LFC 6 in October. 5. Henrique Mello (12-4) Henrique Mello entered 2011 on an eight fight winning streak with five straight finishes. An opportunity with a major promotion seemed inevitable. But the worst year since his 2006 debut puts him at the back of the line in an increasingly competitive Brazilian circuit. After dropping a decision to Luta Livre specialist Julio Cesar de Almeida (15-6) on April 16th, Mello opted to fight just 13 days later against WEC veteran Carlo Prater (29-10-1). Prater, a double black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Luta Livre, dismantled Mello for a rear naked choke win in under a minute. Now Prater awaits his UFC debut while Mello tries to figure out where to begin rebuilding. 6. Reza Madadi (11-2) Reza Madadi rappelled his way onto the rooftop of our hearts last year with his bombastic demeanour and complete victories over UFC veteran Junie Browning (4-5) and UFC newcomer Carlo Prater. He capped off his run in Stockholm, Sweden's Superior Challenge series by edging Rich Clementi (42-21-1) in a three round affair. From the pre-fight chatter to the highly disputed outcome, there was no love lost between the two. Madadi recently infiltrated the UFC and will make his debut January 20th at UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller in Nashville, Tennessee. He is facing the toughest opponent of his six year career, Brazil's Fabricio Camoes (13-6-1) 7. Alexander Sarnavskiy (17-0) Alexander Sarnavskiy ran his record up to a gaudy 12-0 within two years of his pro debut, but why stop there? In 2011 the 22 year old collected five more wins to reiterate his status as one of the most fearsome young fighters in Europe. A May submission over UFC veteran Doug Evans (13-10) proved he can handle a step up in competition. He almost took another against Francisco Drinaldo (10-1) at M-1 Challenge 30 in December, but he had to settle for steamrolling late replacement Sergio Cortez (7-7) instead. Sarnavskiy is the obvious #1 contender for Daniel Weichel's M-1 Lightweight Championship, but with his contract set to expire soon, Alexander could take a break from his busy schedule and test the free agent waters rather than challenging for the belt. 8. Ole Laursen (5-2) A 2010 three fight win streak in Martial Combat transformed Ole Laursen from a forgotten K-1 castoff into one of the most popular Southeast Asian circuit fighters. After his selection for the 2011 report, Ole was signed to the ambitious new pan-Asian promotion, One Fighting Championships, a spiritual successor to Martial Combat. Laursen was matched with Eduard Folayang (10-1) for the September 2011 main event of One FC's inaugural card in a battle for bragging rights between Thailand and the Philippines. Unfortunately an injury suffered by Laursen in training forced him to withdraw from the bout. A planned fight on the sophomore One FC event against Bernardo Magalhaes (11-1) was also turfed; now Laursen will face Felipe Enomoto (5-3) at the February 11th, 2012 show in Jakarta, Indonesia. 9. Guillaume DeLorenzi (9-1) If all had gone to plan, Guillaume DeLorenzi would be the Next Big Quebecois Thing in the UFC. The Zahabi MMA fighter had built big buzz on the Canadian circuit with a four fight win streak including three in Ringside MMA, Montreal's biggest pro series. Being a prominent training partner to UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre didn't hurt either. But lingering, recurring injuries have forced DeLorenzi away from the cage since a June 2010 win over UFC veteran Dale Hartt (6-3). Guillame has continued to train in the interim, and in 2011 he underwent surgeries on both of his knees. With a major hurdle cleared, Delorenzi is hitting the comeback trail, but he's far from his fighting weight and admits he will need some time to get back to top condition. Expect to see him return no sooner than the latter half of 2012. [Thanks to Clement Delestrade (@ClementH2) for translating DeLorenzi's comments] 10. Al Iaquinta (5-1-1) It was a mixed 2011 campaign for Serra-Longo Fight Team's Al Iaquinta. Continuing exclusively under the Ring of Combat banner, he first engaged in a terrific three round dust-up with Vitor Shaolin Jiu Jitsu's Gabriel Migloili (2-3) which Iaquinta was lucky to come away from victorious. An immediate rematch was staged in September, this time for the vacant 155lb. ROC title. This time it was over in a matter of seconds due to a front snap kick from Iaquinta that blinded Miglioli and sent him reeling back for the referee to save. Al's good luck would run out in November against UFC veteran Pat Audinwood (10-2-1). The towering Team Bombsquard lightweight relieved Iaquinta of his title with a tight armbar submission in the opening round.

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, year, debut

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MMAWeekly Radio returns for 2012 with a big show to kick off the new year with guests including Ronda Rousey, Keith Jardine and the debut of 'The Sixth Round'.

Posted in: round, radio, mmaweekly, debut, ronda

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Two of the UFC’s up-and-coming bantamweights will each be looking to start an official winning streak inside the at UFC on FX: Miller vs. Guillard as the organization has confirmed Mike Easton and Ken Stone will square off at the January 20 event. The 11-1 Easton was last seen at UFC Live 6 where he picked up a victory in his UFC debut, stopping Byron Bloodworth with strikes in the second round of their scrap. The performance marked his sixth straight instance of success including triumphs against Chase Beebe and John Dodson. Comparably, Stone has been around Zuffa a little longer than Easton and had been knocked out in both of his previous appearance under the company’s banner before picking up a first round submission over Donny Walker at UFN 25. He holds an overall record of 10-3 with all ten wins involving some form of stoppage. The addition of Easton-Stone caps off a ten-fight card headlined by a battle between lightweight contenders Jim Miller and Melvin Guillard. Other bouts on the lineup include Pat Barry vs. Christian Morecraft and Duane Ludwig vs. Josh Neer. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, round, vs, easton, stone

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The first week of 2012 has arrived, and though 2011 may not have delivered on the public’s long-standing dream of flying cars and laser-blasters it was certainly a period filled with memorable months from a Mixed Martial Arts viewpoint. We witnessed champions fall in dramatic fashion, prospects rise from the ranks to become divisional kings, and numerous fighters emerge victorious by the skin of their teeth. We saw shocking signings and ridiculous releases; countless classics and numerous nod-offers; moves in the ring unlike any other before and some hopefully never seen again. With the close of the year, Five Ounces of Pain is bringing you our annual awards as we wind things down and get ready for the adventures the coming twelve months will undoubtedly bring. Today we’ve arrived as the “meat and potatoes” otherwise know as Knockout of the Year, Submission of the Year, Fight of the Year, and Fighter of the Year. As always, 5 Oz. invites our readers to offer their own opinions in the “Comments” section on who should have taken home the hardware (or in this case digital love). We would not be here without you, and rest assured the Staff not only appreciates your contributions from a “page view” standpoint, but genuinely enjoys reading our community’s take on topics. And HAPPY NEW YEAR! - Knockout of the Year - Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort: “OHHHHHHHHH, HE FRONT KICKED HIM IN THE FACE!” – Joe Rogan. For once, the commentating crew’s blatant stating of the obvious was forgivable, as there simply was nothing else Rogan could have said in that instant to describe what had just happened. After spending the better part of three minutes engaging in a staring contest, Silva and Belfort remembered they were in a fight. “The Phenom” was the first to draw blood by scoring with a one-two, but it was a combo that seemed to have awakened the beast. After a quick takedown, both fighters regained their feet, where Silva somehow had the audacity to drop his hands while standing in front of one of the most feared strikers in MMA history. Seconds later, Belfort found himself staring at the ceiling courtesy of a front kick to the jaw. From there, Silva nonchalantly walked over, threw his compatriot’s legs to the side, and finished him off with a couple of extra punches. It was truly one of the most amazing displays of technique, speed, timing, distancing and creativity you’re ever going to see in this sport. - Submission of the Year - Frank Mir’s Kimura of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: There were other contenders to be sure but no tap-out had the drama of Mir’s stomach-turning submission of “Minotauro” at UFC 140. Leading up to the fight there was a bit of animosity between the two stemming from Nogueira’s excuses about losing their first encounter. Shortly after action started in the second scrap it seemed apparent Nogueira would win, dropping Mir and nearly pounding him out before making the ill-fated decision to go for a Guillotine Choke instead. As fate would reveal, Mir then rolled out of it while procuring a Kimura he ultimately broke the Brazilian’s arm with based on the veteran’s refusal to tap. In the process Mir, often overlooked as one of MMA’s greats, not only solidified a likely 2012 shot at winning the title but also became the first man to submit Nogueira (while already being the first to TKO him). - Fight of the Year - Mike Chandler vs. Eddie Alvarez (Bellator 58): Alvarez was considered to be a top five, if not top three, lightweight in the world when he stepped into the cage on November 19 while Chandler was just a prospect who was in over his head at this point in his career. Alvarez was the long reigning Bellator champion and the poster boy of the organization while Chandler was just another fight who Eddie could put on a show against. The only problem was, nobody told Chandler that it wasn’t supposed to be his time to shine, and the result made for the best fight of the year. From the opening bell, Chandler wanted to prove that he wasn’t impressed with Alvarez’s accomplishments by immediately charging out and throwing a barrage of punches that had the champion on the defensive and nearly out of the fight. Alvarez managed to survive the early flurry though, compose himself, and get back into the fight before getting dropped again at the end of the first round. It was a round that proved Chandler wouldn’t be backing down despite the experience difference and told Alvarez that he was in for the toughest fight of his life. The one minute break between rounds served Alvarez well as he found his rhythm in the second round and started to get the better of the young challenger with his hands. It looked as if Chandler may have blown himself up in the first round as he dramatically slowed down in the second round, but still kept things competitive with his wrestling. The third round was seemingly the turning point of the fight as Alvarez really turned up the pressure and nearly put Chandler away with a variety of combinations and shots to the chin and body. At one point, Chandler reached down to check his foot after throwing a kick, a sign that he was hurt and was moments away from being done. Despite looking completely gassed out and getting hit with every punch in the book, Chandler never once went down, but did look out on his feet for the majority of the round. Alvarez appeared to be in complete control heading into the championship rounds, but like the champion did between rounds one and two, the challenger used the one minute break between rounds three and four to refocus himself and get an extra wind. All of a sudden, Chandler looked like he was back in the first round, pressing Alvarez and forcing the champ to fight his fight. The end came when Chandler dropped Alvarez with an overhand right, got on top, improved his position, got the back, and sunk in a rear naked choke for the tap out. This fight had everything. Dramatic momentum swings in both directions, both fighters showing a ton of heart, striking, wresting, grappling, a title on the line, and a conclusive finish. Alvarez vs. Chandler is truly what MMA is all about. Make sure to check out the bottom of this article for complete video of the 5 OZ Fight of the Year! - Fighter of the Year - Jon Jones: Was there really any other choice? Samer Kadi: “Bones” Jones not only had the best year of any fighter in 2011, he may have had the best year of any fighter ever. He won four fights, one man was undefeated at the time, the other three were former champions, and he finished all four opponents. In a year where he was supposed to just be built up as the next contender in the division, he immediately jumped into the title picture thanks to a Rashad Evans injury and never looked back. The way he handled top lightweights such as “Shogun” Rua, Quinton Jackson, and Machida was once in a lifetime beauty. He absolutely destroyed Rua, turning him into his personal punching bag. He made Jackson look like a one-dimensional amateur. And, facing a bit of adversity for the first time in his career, he choked out Machida with a Standing Guillotine Choke, which is an extremely difficult hold to finish against a top level fighter like “The Dragon” Think of all the great years fighters like Chuck Liddell, Georges St. Pierre, Fedor Emelianeko, Wanderlei Silva, “Spider” Silva, and Kazushi Sakuraba put together when they were at their best. None of those years compare to what Jones did in 2011. It’s rare that a top guy fights four times a year, it’s even more rare that he looks as impressive as Jones, especially considering the level of talent he faced. Jeremy Lambert: When 2011 began, Jones was widely regarded as the hottest prospect in MMA, and many tipped him to be the next ruler in the heavyweight division. However, few could have imagined it would happen as early as it did. In fact, Jones himself couldn’t have possibly anticipated such overwhelming success in a calendar year. A lucky break saw former teammate and now bitter rival Evans pull out of his scheduled bout with champion “Shogun” Rua, and Jones was called upon to serve as a replacement. Just five weeks after his handling of Ryan Bader, Jones turned in the performance of his career and a violent beatdown of the much more experienced Rua, eventually stopping him with strikes in the third round in what was a brutal display of domination from start to finish. From there, Jones cemented his status as one of the absolute best fighters on the planet by out-classing “Rampage” Jackson four three-and-a-half rounds before submitting Machida inside two rounds to cap off what could well be the most sensational year in MMA history for a single fighter. Brendhan Conlan: There’s not much to be said beyond what Lambert/Kadi have mentioned but a few points to further demonstrate why Jones’ 2011 was so impressive. 1.) He out-wrestled Bader, a NCAA wrestling champion, 2.) He was the first person to finish Jackson in more than five years, 3.) He was the first person to submit Jackson in a decade, 3.) He was the first person to ever stop Rua with strikes, and 4.) He was the first person to ever stop Machida via submission. Jones’ 2011 was akin to the greatest feats in any sport and unquestionably made him the year’s top fighter. — As a special treat, courtesy of Bellator, you can re-live Alvarez vs. Chandler below:

Posted in: fight, round, year, chandler, alvarez

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

Here's video of Kimbo's third boxing fight which quietly went down this past weekend on an Indian reservation in Oklahoma. If you don't wanna watch the 13 minute fight, here's a good summary of what went down: His first two bouts ended in quick knockouts, but when Slice took on Charles Hackmann, a debuting fighter who also works as a fitness trainer, things didn't exactly go the same way. He still eventually won the four round affair with the scores 39-37 across the board, but not before almost losing the fight during the second round.After winning the first round, Kimbo began to slow down a bit before eating several hard shots that had him severely rocked and leaning to the ropes to try and recover. Hackmann, almost pulled off the upset, but unfortunately for him, those were the only significant shots he landed, as both men looked sloppy and completely exhausted on the third and fourth rounds. Not a great result, but the whole reason he's fighting under the radar right now is so people don't end up seeing him struggle his way through the beginning of his career. I dunno ... it seems pretty obvious that he isn't going to go very far in a professional sports capacity. Better make some fast money off gimmick fights like the Dada 5000 one instead.

Posted in: fight, round, boxing fight, kimbos fight, round kimbo

Read the full article at Fightlinker

Fedor Emelianenko knocked out Olympic judo gold medalist Satoshii Ishii in 2:29 in the main event of DREAM New Year’s Eve 2011 on Saturday in Saitama, Japan. In other featured matchups, DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki beat Satoru Kitaoka, featherweight champ Hiroyuki Takaya topped Takeshi Inoue, and Bibiano Fernandes stopped Antonio Banuelos in the final of the bantamweight grand prix. The complete DREAM New Year’s Eve 2011 results were: Fedor Emelianenko def. Satoshi Ishii via KO (punches) – Round 1, 2:29 Shinya Aoki (c) def. Satoru Kitaoka via unanimous decision DREAM Lightweight Championship Hiroyuki Takaya (c) def. Takeshi “Lion” Inoue via unanimous decision DREAM Featherweight Championship Megumi Fujii def. Karla Benitez via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 1:15 Tatsuya Kawajiri def. Kazuyuki Miyata via submission (arm triangle) – Round 2, 4:54 Ryo Chonan def. Hayato “Mach” Sakurai via unanimous decision BANTAMWEIGHT GRAND PRIX Bibiano Fernandes def. Antonio Banuelos via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:21 – final Bibiano Fernandes def. Rodolfo Marques via unanimous decision – semifinal Antonio Banuelos def. Masakazu Imanari via split decision – semifinal Yusup Saadulaev def. Hideo Tokoro via KO (slam) – Round 1, 0:42 – reserve bout

Posted in: round, decision, dream, bibiano fernandes, fedor emelianenko

Read the full article at MMA Frenzy

It wasn't easy, but the 37-year-old former YouTube sensation and MMA fighter, Kimbo Slice is now 3-0 on his professional boxing career. His first two bouts ended in quick knockouts, but when Slice took on Charles Hackmann, a debuting fighter who also works as a fitness trainer, things didn't exactly go the same way. He still eventually won the four round affair with the scores 39-37 across the board, but not before almost losing the fight during the second round. After winning the first round, Kimbo began to slow down a bit before eating several hard shots that had him severely rocked and leaning to the ropes to try and recover. Hackmann, almost pulled off the upset, but unfortunately for him, those were the only significant shots he landed, as both men looked sloppy and completely exhausted on the third and fourth rounds. It didn't look good, and it's definitely not the "injection to the heavyweight division" the Shaws were hoping for. Check out the video after the jump. HT: JMMANow via IronForgesIron

Posted in: round, slice, boxing fight, youtube sensation, boxing career

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Night-owls received a treat last night in the form of DREAM New Year! 2011, a memorable lineup featuring a mixture of professional wrestling, kickboxing, and of course Mixed Martial Arts offerings. The card was a tremendous throwback to PRIDE days of old, especially with a main event involving Fedor Emelianenko’s return to New Year’s Eve in Japan after a four-year absence from what was once an annual appearance. Emelianenko came away with a convincing victory, holding off a few basic grappling attempts by opponent Satoshi Ishii before dropping the Olympic Gold Medalist judoka with a series of rights to seal the win. The showing marked the popular Russian’s second straight instance of success, building off a November win over Jeff Monson. A More Detailed Look at DREAM New Year! 2011 Action Other notable competitors who came away with their hands raised included Megumi Fujii, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Hayato “Mach” Sakurai, and Shinya Aoki. Also worth mentioning, Bibiano Fernandes emerged as the last man standing in DREAM’s bantamweight tournament, beating both Rodolfo Marques Diniz in semifinal action and Antonio Banuelos in the final. Here is a complete list of outcomes from last night’s show: Yusup Saadulaev def. Hideo Tokoro via KO Round 1 (Slam) Antonio Banuelos def. Masakazu Imanari via Split Decision - Bantamweight Grand Prix Semifinal Bibiano Fernandes def. Rodolfo Marques Diniz via Unanimous Decision – Bantamweight Grand Prix Semifinal Hayato Sakurai def. Ryo Chonan via Unanimous Decision Tatsuya Kawajiri def. Kazuyuki Miyata via Submission Round 2 (Arm-Triangle Choke) Megumi Fujii def. Karla Benitez via Submission Round 1 (Armbar) Bibiano Fernandes def. Antonio Banuelos via TKO Round 1 (Punches) – Bantamweight Grand Prix Final Hiroyuki Takaya def. Takeshi Inoue via Unanimous Decision Shinya Aoki def. Satoru Kitaoka via Unanimous Decision Fedor Emelianenko def. Satoshi Ishii via KO Round 1 (Punches) Tweet

Posted in: round, decision, dream, bantamweight, emelianenko

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There was a big fight that went down last night (Fri., Dec. 30, 2011) and I'm not talking about Brock Lesnar getting retired by Alistair Overeem at UFC 141 in Las Vegas, Nevada. No, I am, of course, speaking of the big Kimbo Slice vs. Charles Hackmann boxing match that was all set to light the world on fire. Or maybe just the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Oklahoma. Kimbo, real name Kevin Ferguson, was expected to blow Hackmann out of the water with yet another first round knockout in what looked like a comical mismatch. But that's not how it went down. World Boxing News has more: Slice, who turned pro in August, took the four-rounder 39-37 as his opponent frustrated him and enjoyed a good second round, rocking Slice back on the ropes as he looked tired. Hackmann failed to land anything substantial in the following rounds but can hold his head up high after becoming the first boxer to go past the first round against the brawler from Miami. Hackmann, a fitness trainer, will go down in history as just another one of Kimbo's victims but let us all remember his heroic effort and near monumental upset of the street fighting legend. Watch the video of Slice doing his thing after the jump.

Posted in: round, boxing, slice, kimbo, hackmann

Read the full article at MMA Mania

UFC 141 was a very entertaining show that changed the landscape of the UFC considerably. The fighters and men in charge, like UFC president Dana White, talked to the media at the post fight press conference. Here's the full video so you can check out everything said by the evening's winners and losers. Full UFC 141 results: Alistair Overeem defeated Brock Lesnar by TKO (liver kick and punches), 2:26 of Round 1Nate Diaz defeated Donald Cerrone by unanimous decisionJohny Hendricks defeated Jon Fitch by KO (overhand left), 0:12 of Round 1Alexander Gustafsson defeated Vladimir Matyushenko by TKO (strikes), 2:35 of Round 1Jim Hettes defeated Nam Phan by unanimous decisionRoss Pearson defeated Junior Assuncao by unanimous decisionDanny Castillo defeated Anthony Njokuani by split decisionDong Hyun Kim defeated Sean Pierson by unanimous decisionJacob Volkmann defeated Efrain Escudero by unanimous decisionDiego Nunes defeated Manny Gamburyan by unanimous decision SBN coverage of UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem

Posted in: ufc, round, anthony njokuani, decisionross pearson, decisionjacob volkmann

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Fedor Emelianenko returned to action against Satoshi Ishii last night. If you don’t want to be spoiled before watching the fight, then I suggest you stop reading right now. … Fedor did exactly what he was supposed to do. He stood in front of Ishii, looked for his openings and picked him apart until he delivered a right-left-right combination that knocked Ishii down and out in the first round. It didn’t look like the most devastating combination we’ve ever seen, but it clearly rung Ishii’s bell considering he was laid out on the canvas for several minutes following the fight. It was a solid performance from Fedor, but considering the quality of opposition it’s difficult to get too excited about the win. It will be interesting to see where Fedor goes from here. Who’s left for him to fight? You can check out a full recap of DREAM New Year! 2011 here. Results after the jump. Results Fedor Emelianenko def. Satoshi Ishii via Knockout at 2:29 in Round 1 Shinya Aoki def. Satoru Kitaoka via Unanimous Decision Hiroyuki Takaya def. Takeshi “Lion” Inoue via Unanimous Decision Bibiano Fernandes def. Antonio Banuelos via TKO (Strikes) at 1:21 in Round 1 (wins bantamweight grand prix) Megumi Fujii def. Karla Benitez via Submission (Armbar) at 1:15 in Round 1 Tatsuya Kawajiri def. Kazuyuki Miyata via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) at 4:54 in Round 2 Ryo Chonan def. Hayato “Mach” Sakurai via Unanimous Decision Bibiano Fernandes def. Rodolfo Marques Diniz via Unanimous Decision Antonio Banuelos def. Masakazu Imanari via Split Decision Yusup Saadulaev def. Hideo Tokoro via KO (Slam) at 0:42 in Round 1

Posted in: round, decision, fedor, satoshi ishii, ishii

Read the full article at MMA Convert

After Johny Hendricks knocked out Jon Fitch, after Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone settled their differences by beating the tar out of each other and even after Alistair Overeem body kicked Brock Lesnar out of the UFC, a wholly different type of mixed martial arts (MMA) show was taking place a world away. The latest -- and quite possibly the last -- in a long line of New Year's Eve combat sports offerings from Japan took place in the wee hours of the morning for those of you living stateside. "Genki Desu Ka Omisoka" replaced "Dynamite!!" as the year-end extravaganza but the name wasn't the only change that was made. In addition to the usual mixture of kickboxing and MMA bouts, this year's show also included professional wrestling matches courtesy of Inoki Genome Federation (IGF) founder Antonio Inoki. While that may seem odd to American fans, having all three on the same card made perfect sense in Japan where the histories of each are intertwined much more closely than they are here in the states. The entire event clocked in at just under nine hours, beginning right about when UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem went off the air and ending just in time to catch the breakfast menu at McDonald's. Featuring the likes of Kazushi Sakuraba, Josh Barnett, Tim Sylvia and of course Fedor Emelianenko, "Genki Desu Ka Omisoka" -- which translates to "How Are You! New Year!" -- provided all the action and wackiness that has become par for the course as Japanese fight fans ring in the new year. Read on if you dare! Starting off the show were a trio of MMA bouts in the bantamweight division. All part of a 135-pound grand prix, the first fight was a reserve bout that very well could have stolen Knockout of the Year at the last second. Ever since winning a tournament held earlier in the year, Hideo Tokoro hasn't been able to get back into the win column and that streak continued tonight when he was the victim of an absolutely brutal slam at the hands of Russian Yusup Saadulaev less than a minute into their tilt. With the win, Saadulaev earned the right to take the place of either Bibiano Fernandes or Antonio Banuelos -- who defeated Rodolfo Marques and Masakazu Imanari, respectively -- should they have gotten injured. But the Russian's services wouldn't be needed as both winners were healthy enough to take part in the finals. There, the former DREAM 145-pound kingpin once again became champion albeit in his new, smaller weight class. Representing kickboxing were two K-1 MAX bouts that pitted Masaaki Noiri against Kengo Sonoda and Yuta Kobo against Nils Widlund. Noiri took his bout by unanimous decision but Kobo ended his fight a bit more dramatically. The Japanese kickboxer lit up the Swede with a head kick and then finished him off with a knee that put him down for the count. In MMA action, Japanese veteran Hayato Sakurai outlasted Ryo Chonan, earning "Mach" his first win since April 2009. He had since lost four straight which fueled rumors that he may soon be hanging it up. Picking up his second straight win at 145-pounds, Tatsuya Kawajiri disposed of Kazuyuki Miyata in easy fashion. "Crusher" forced his opponent to tap to a second round arm triangle after dominating the pace of the fight with his perfectly timed takedowns. And in women's action, Bellator veteran Megumi Fujii made quick work of Karla Benitez when she secured an armbar in 75 seconds. The win was "Mega Megu's" 25th of her career. There were a total of four IGF pro wrestling bouts on the card but only two of them were worth watching. The matches between Tim Sylvia and Jerome LeBanner -- huh? -- and Kazuyuki Fujita and Peter Aerts were essentially a waste of time but Josh Barnett's catch wrestling bout with Hideki Suzuki was fantastic and reminiscent of the classic UWF-i wars from the early 1990s. Japanese legend Kazushi Sakuraba teamed up with Katsuyori Shibata to take on the duo of Atsushi Sawada and Shinichi Suzukawa. That match ended with "Saku" sinking a choke in on Sawada and was followed by an all-out brawl. But the pro wrestling wasn't even the craziest part of the show. Just like last year, K-1 MAX star Yuichiro Nagashima was involved in another mixed rules fight that saw the first round play out as a kickboxing match while the second round had an MMA ruleset. But unlike last year where the costume play fan knocked out Shinya Aoki, Nagashima was on the receiving end of a beatdown as Katsunori Kikuno was able to get a stoppage victory in the second round. The gems of the show, however, were the two title fights and the main event. Hiroyuki Takaya looked to defend his 145-pound title against Takeshi Inoue. Inoue is also known as "Lion" but fought like anything but. He allowed the champ to control the pace of the bout for the entire 25 minutes and offered little to no offense. It was a disappointing effort form the challenger but marks the second defense for Takaya who won the belt from the aforementioned Fernandes a year ago today. Shinya Aoki returned to New Year's Eve after an embarrassing showing last year that saw him avoid a K-1 round against Nagashima only to get kneed into unconsciousness mere seconds into the MMA round while shooting in for a takedown. He came back in impressive and dominant fashion, beating Satoru Kitaoka in every aspect of the fight over the course of 25 minutes. The first two rounds were a grappling affair as excepted but rounds three and four included glimpses of the submission specialist's ever-improving striking. And in the main event of the evening, Fedor Emelianenko made his return to Japan for the first time since the 2007 New Year's Eve show where he submitted human giant Hong-Man Choi. An equally impressive win was his reward as he knocked out Olympic judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii. The MMA newcomer had absolutely nothing for "The Last Emperor" who knocked out his opponent with a powerful jab that crushed the Japanese fighter's nose. Emelianenko has now won two in a row after dropping three straight during his Strikeforce tenure. If this is indeed the final year-ending show in Japan, it's only fitting that it included a little bit of everything: MMA, kickboxing and pro wrestling. For complete DREAM: "Genki Desu Ka Omisoka" results, including blow-by-blow coverage of the MMA portion of the eclectic fight card, click here.

Posted in: mma, show, bout, round, year

Read the full article at MMA Mania

Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone claimed the Fight of the Night bonuses after UFC 141, in an exciting fight that saw the younger Diaz brother batter his opponent over three rounds. Here is how MMA Junkie summed up the fight: After the fighters refused to touch gloves just prior to the bout, Cerrone rushed forward at the start of the fight. Diaz, though, got the better of the clinch work before each traded heavy punches. Once back in the center of the cage, Diaz unloaded a steady stream of punches, many of which landed flush. With Cerrone pinned against the fence, Diaz unloaded more punches that landed. Cerrone finally slowed the attack with head and low kicks, but Diaz quickly returned to effective combinations that ended a dominant first round. Cerrone worked low kicks in the second round, but it simply delayed the inevitable. Diaz quickly returned fire and picked away with punches that left Cerrone’s mouth oozing blood. Cerrone scored a knockdown with a head kick and again sent Diaz to the mat with a sweeping leg kick. Diaz lost a step, but his punches remained accurate, and Cerrone continued eating far too many of them as the round wore on. Cerrone’s low kicks knocked Diaz to the mat a few times in the third round, but he didn’t get the stoppage he desperately needed. The WEC vet continued eating punches, and he was bleeding badly from his nose and mouth by the bout’s conclusion. “I want to thank Donald Cerrone for the fight,” Diaz noted in the cage post-fight. “Sorry about all the s**t that went down.” Leading up to the fight, both fighters exchanged trash talk — but all personal feelings and grudges were left behind post-fight.

Posted in: fight, diaz, round, punch, cerrone

Read the full article at MMA Opinion

I am so incredibly confused and mildly frustrated by last night. Jon Fitch got blasted in possibly an early stoppage in round one. Brock Lesnar now has one opponent that he's never taken down, and his name isn't Cain Velzsquez or Randy Couture or Shane Carwin, it's Alistair Overeem???????????? A professional fighter let a Diaz brother's juvenile antics completely obliterate any semblance of a gameplan and made him ignore the advice from his Greg Jackson led corner. I can't even wrap my head around it. First off, I watched the main and Spike portions only of the card at a TGI Fridays out near Clifton, NJ. Jersey City (where I live) is kind of weird in their PPV regulations in that they force restaurants to pay per their maximum capacity. So if a place can hold 200 people, like a standard chain place can, they'd have to pay $50 (or whatever PPV's cost these days) times 200. For those not quick on the math, that is ten thousand dollars that a place has to shell out to show a PPV, which is why no one in this city (the 2nd largest in the state) shows them. The plus and downside is that I could barely hear the audio of the fights. Yes, I didn't have to listen to Mikg Goldberg Mike Goldberg his way through another event, but some of the intricacies may have been lost on me, and if it wasn't on the main or the Spike card, I didn't see it, and can't comment on it just yet. Perhaps the undercard had even more badonkas shiznit happen, I don't even know. Back to the topics at hand. I'm not sure how other people feel, but I think the stoppage was just a tad early. That said, I'd rather see early stoppages than late stoppages. Fitch went slack from a flush punch on the jaw and his head hit the canvas, so I'm not protesting too much, but I kind of want to give some more leeway to someone who's got a history of being notoriously tough and hard to finish. Pretty sure that attempting to control the ref from your guard means you're out of it, though, so whatever. Donald Cerrone fought one of the most maddeningly bizarre fights I've ever seen. Nate Diaz (and Nick) have had a long-standing problem with top-control grapplers. Now, I realize that Cerrone isn't exactly Gray Maynard, but why in the hell would you not attempt to wade down into the ground after you've just head kicked him into doing a little stanky leg? Don't just dive into his guard, no one's suggesting that, but posture, rain down some blows, and hell maybe you tag him real good with one and you can finish the fight. Or maybe win rounds 2 and 3. I'm not even sure what to say about Lesnar. I realize that he was trying to set up his takedowns and 'Reem was in a very low stance, but why would you not attempt to put your head into his chest, plow forward, and wrap that 81" wingspan around his legs until you've got him on the mat or against the other side of the cage? Not once? Your defensive standup looked a bit better, and you held up for a bit, but man. The last time someone was this tentative against Overeem, Brett Rogers got embarrassed on Showtime. Even Werdum went three rounds with him mainly because he kept pressuring him. This has been a fairly successful gameplan against him for years. Liddell, Kharitonov, Rua, Nogueira... Letting Overeem back you into the cage and pick shots at you is suicidal, and that's what happened. I will give props to Overeem for his gameplan, however. He stayed very low and when he saw the Brock's hands were high, he switched immediately from the big overhand and hooks to short knees and low kicks to the body. He was in a very low stance that made takedowns difficult, and stopped the one single-leg that Brock went for off of a caught kick. This has been one of the most confusing evenings of MMA I can recall in years, and it's set three divisions for loops. Please bring me sanity in Rio, my brain can't take this too often. I don't want to see Vitor Belfort try and take down Rumble for 2 rounds and tire out his arms. I don't want to see Chad Mendes not attempt takedowns. Gameplans are important in this sport, and tonight was a good example why.

Posted in: overeem, round, head, i dont, dont

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Filed under: DREAMFedor Emelianenko returned to Japan on New Year's Eve and earned an easy first-round knockout victory, leveling the Olympic judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii with a right-left-right combination that ended the fight quickly. Fedor's performance in the main event at the Dream New Year's Eve show at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan was impressive, but it also showed just how mediocre a fighter Ishii is: His striking and stand-up defense are extremely rudimentary, and he just wasn't ready for an opponent of Fedor's level. The two had a good exchange in the early going that started with Fedor throwing a kick, Ishii catching it and going for a takedown, a brief clinch and ultimately Fedor knocking Ishii down, and after that it was all Fedor: The Last Emperor had settled in and gotten comfortable, and then he was going to win handily. For Fedor, who left Strikeforce on a three-fight losing streak this summer, the win over Ishii was his second in a row, having previously beaten Jeff Monson by decision. Fedor is no longer fighting high-quality competition, but he is winning again. In other Dream New Year's Eve action: -- Shinya Aoki defended his Dream lightweight title with a one-sided unanimous decision victory over Satoru Kitaoka. Aoki wasn't able to finish the fight despite repeatedly getting dominant positions on the ground, but he won this fight handily. -- Hiroyuki Takaya won an easy decision over Takeshi "Lion" Inoue in the Dream featherweight title fight. Inoue simply looked like he didn't come to fight, as Takaya repeatedly battered him with punches, and Inoue spent most of the 25-minute affair backing away. -- Bibiano Fernandes won two fights to take the Dream bantamweight title, first defeating Rodolfo Marques by unanimous decision in the semifinal bout, then beating up Antonio Banuelos by first-round TKO in the final. Fernandes looked great, and he may just be the best bantamweight outside the UFC. -- Tatsuya Kawajiri looked very good in his featherweight fight with Kazuyuki Miyata, winning with an arm-triangle choke in the second round. Kawajiri is now 2-0 since dropping to featherweight. -- Megumi Fujii, one of the best female fighters in the world, did exactly what everyone expected her to do: She made short work of the overmatched Karla Benitez, winning with an arm bar in the first round. -- In a highly entertaining mixed-rules match, Katsunori Kikuno defeated Yuichiro Nagashima with a second-round TKO. Kikuno battered Nagashima in the first round of the fight, which used kickboxing rules, and then finished him off on the ground in the second round of the fight, which used MMA rules. Full results are here. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: fight, round, dream, fedor, ishii

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Nate Diaz outstruck Donald Cerrone to score a unanimous decision victory in their lightweight showdown,which co-headlined UFC 141 on Friday night in Las Vegas. Diaz battered Cerrone with combination after combination in a fast-paced opening round to put “The Cowboy” behind early. As the pace slowed in the following rounds, Cerrone tripped Diaz to the ground with kicks and scored some counters, but Diaz kept the pressure on as he continued to land punches and ultimate took the unanimous decision with 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28 scored. After the fight, Diaz and Cerrone put their rivalry to rest as they shook hands after the final round and applauded one another for putting on a “Fight of the Night” front-runner. More UFC 141 coverage: UFC 141 Results: Pearson, Castillo Win Preliminary Card Decisions UFC 141 Results: Hendricks, Gustafsson, and Hettes Score Main Card Wins Nate Diaz vs. Donald Cerrone play-by-play: Round 1 – Cerrone rushes to the center of the Octagon and both misses with wild punches. Diaz gets Cerrone under control and looks for a takedown, but Cerrone stays on his feet. Diaz knees the body before Cerrone lands a punch as he escapes. Cerrone shrugs off another arm triangle set up. Diaz’s punches are getting through early as Cerrone can’t find the mark with his won. Diaz snaps Cerrone’s head back as more punches get through. Cerrone sneaks in a head kick, but Diaz picks him apart with combinations for the rest of the round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the first for Diaz 10-9. Round 2 – Diaz picks right back up with punches to start the second. Cerrone chops him down with a leg kick, but lets him back up. Diaz lands with more punches before Cerrone kicks his legs out again. Diaz briefly gets behind Cerrone, but they go back to trading punches. Diaz connects with more punches and Cerrone answers with a head kick, but slips and both fighters return to their feet. Cerrone counters Diaz’ combinations and finally connects with solid punches. Diaz stalks forward, but Cerrone doing a better job blocking them in this round. The pace slows with 90 seconds left as Cerrone trips Diaz again, but refuses to go to the ground. Cerrone slips as Diaz peppers him with more combinations in the final seconds. MMAFrenzy.com scores a closer second for Diaz again 10-9, putting him up 20-18. Round 3 – Diaz flips off Cerrone before the start of the third. Diaz finds the mark with combinations early in the final round. Cerrone finds the mark with some counters, but Diaz continues to connect with combinations. Cerrone knees the body, weathers some more combos, then trips Diaz again but won’t follow him to the ground. Another knee by Cerrone, but Diaz pours on more punches. Cerrone kicks out the legs again, but Diaz goes back to work with combinations. Cerrone counters, but is clearly being outstruck. Cerrone misses with a flying knee with 45 seconds to go. Diaz pummels Cerrone with more punches. Cerrone misses with a head kick and Diaz finishes with another flurry of punches. Cerrone and Diaz shake hands after the fight ends. MMAFrenzy.com gives the third to Diaz 10-9, giving him the fight 30-27. Nate Diaz def. Donald Cerrone via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) Pictured: Nate Diaz

Posted in: diaz, round, punch, cerrone, combination

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The co-main event of the UFC 141: "Lesnar vs. Overeem" pay-per-view taking place tonight (Fri., Dec. 30, 2011) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, featured a highly anticipated match-up between two top lightweight contenders. Highly anticipated because Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone created plenty of hype for the bout by getting into it with each other at both a UFC gym a few months ago and at the pre-fight press conference. This one felt personal heading in. But did it deliver inside the cage? You bet your ass it did. Diaz put in what was easily one of the best performances of his career, absolutely overwhelming "Cowboy" en route to a unanimous decision win. He might not be fighting for the title anytime soon but he certainly sent Cerrone to the back of the pack. In style. You knew it was going to be intense when Cerrone kicked things off by flipping Diaz off at the staredown. True to his word, Cerrone went running across the cage as soon as Herb Dean told them to get busy. Both guys were swinging big punches but no one was landing. A short clinch didn't lead to much and they disengaged before finally slowing down. It didn't last long, though, as Diaz employed the typical Diaz game plan of throwing punches in bunches. It was working, too, as "Cowboy" was just eating punch after punch. Cerrone seemed content to land low leg kicks while Diaz simply kept the pressure on. By the time the first round was done, Greg Jackson was telling Cerrone in his corner that he was getting overwhelmed. Talk about an understatement. The second round featured a whole lot of Cerrone kicking Diaz's legs out from underneath, which made the crowd "oh" and "ah" but didn't exactly make for a sound strategy to win the fight. A head kick finally landed clean about halfway through but as luck would have it, "Cowboy" fell down and was unable to capitalize on his short burst of effective offense. It wasn't long after that Diaz went back to brutalizing him. By the time round two was over, Cerrone had clawed his way back into the bout but volume was clearly still on the Stockton slugger's side. Cardiovascular conditioning could be the most underrated aspect of a fighter's game and in the third round, Diaz had it while Cerrone looked tired. Whether that was because his tank was simply running dry or he was punched so many times he was fading didn't quite matter. Cerrone continued to sweep the leg in the final frame but as good as that looks and sounds on TV, it's not a winning fight strategy. Diaz kept up the pace and pressure that was winning him the fight in the first two rounds and while Cerrone kept it close, Diaz was simply too much. All that aside, this was fun. Really fun. Be sure to hit up MMAmania.com's for up to the minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of the rest of the night's action by clicking here.

Posted in: diaz, round, punch, cerrone, donald cerrone

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Jim Hettes defeats Nam Phan by Unanimous Decision. The judges scored the fight 30-25, 30-25, and 30-26. Nam Phan came out looking to establish his boxing and was quickly taken down by Jim Hettes. Nam hip escaped and then wall walked back to his feet only to get dragged down to the ground with a one arm guillotine. Hettes opened up with heavy punches from inside Nam Phan's guard and Nam looks to just survive. Some of those punches landed to the back of the head. Nam rolled and gave up his back but Hettes stayed relentless with his ground and pound. Nam eventually regained his feet, a testament to his chin and experience. Nam faked a jab and then landed an upper cut as Hettes came forward with a shot. Hettes completes a beautiful hip toss and quickly transitioned to mount. Hettes grabbed Nam's right arm and fell back for an armbar. Nam defended well but Hettes opened up with hammer fists to work his spider guard. The round ended with Hettes battering Nam Phan from mount. It was an incredible first round by Jimy Hettes who was completely dominant. Hettes quickly clinched Nam Phan and attempted a trip takedown. Nam defended well and looked to establish his boxing only to get dragged down to the ground again. Hettes worked his ground and pound inside Nam's half guard. Nam rolled for a leg lock but just didn't have the it in him to finish the submission. Hettes locked in a solid arm triangle but it wasn't as tight as it could have been. Nam used the space to sweep to top but was unable to maintain position. Hettes remained relentless in his attack, regaining his feet. Hettes tripped Nam to the ground again. With a minute to go in the round Nam looked exhausted from Hettes' constant attack. Nam uses a wizzer to prevent a hip toss but Hettes' second attempt was successful, landing in side control. Nam regained his feet but was unable to create any offense as the second round came to a close. Hettes anxious as the third round opened up. Nam looked to find his range but Hettes closed the distance too quickly and got another takedown. Hettes stayed heavy as Phan wall walked back to his feet. It was all for naught as Hettes hit another takedown with three minutes left in the fight. Nam regained his feet again but was unable to create distance from a smothering Hettes. Nam landed a solid right hand but was unable to follow it up with a combination. Hettes clinched and then go another takedown landing strikes from mount. Hettes locked up an arm triangle but Nam defended well. Hettes used Nam's defense to transition to mount and rain down punches. Huge elbows form Hettes with 30 seconds left in the round. Nam Phan looked to survive the attack as the round came to an close Nam Phan entered the fight 1-2 in the UFC and 17-9 overall. Jim Hettes entered the fight as a perfect 9-0 and 1-0 in the Octagon. SBN coverage of UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem

Posted in: round, feet, phan, nam, hette

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The UFC 141: "Lesnar vs. Overeem" main card pay-per-view broadcast kicked off with a fun featherweight fracas featuring the unheralded Jim Hettes taking on former Ultimate Fighter (TUF) contestant Nam Phan. While largely unknown, Hettes came into the bout sporting a perfect 9-0 record with six first round finishes. He would most certainly provide a stiff test for Phan, who was looking to climb further up the 145-pound ladder. Who put their best foot forward? That would be Jim Hettes, who simply overwhelmed Phan on the way to a decidely dominant unanimous decision victory by scores of 30-25, 20-25 and 30-26. That's a blowout, folks. Phan was game throughout, surviving a tough first round and staying composed the entire fight but the outcome always looked clear. This Hettes kid can throwdown. Here's how the bout played out: Right away, Hettes grabbed a leg and put Phan on his back. Nam managed to get back to his feet but the pressure Hettes applied was simply too much for the former TUF guy. It wasn't long before Hettes was on top working a guillotine and using it to unload a flurry of big punches that had Phan scrambling to get away. He eventually got back to his feet but simply had no answer for Hettes' pressure game. Round one, really, was a one-sided beating and Jim Hettes was throwing the hammer. Phan was competitive to start the second round, mostly because it took Hettes about a minute to earn the takedown again. But, rest assured, it was there for the taking and Jim obliged, scoring more and more points. Phan looked overmatched and overworked. The third round featured more of the same. Phan doing his best to get some kind of offense off and Hettes just stifling him before dragging him to the floor and pounding away at his skull. Quite the pay-per-view debut. Big things ahead, perhaps? Be sure to hit up MMAmania.com's for up to the minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of the rest of the night's action by clicking here.

Posted in: hette, phan, jim hettes, round, jim

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Ross Pearson defeats Junior Assuncao by Unanimous Decision. The judges scored the fight 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27. The two fighters opened the first round circling and it was Junior Assuncao who made the first offensive commitment getting the fight to the ground early. As Pearson stood up Junior Assuncao took his back. Pearson escaped and tried to find his range. Assuncao closed the distance and worked for a body lock but was unable to get the fight to the ground. Junior attempted another takedown and Pearson landed with his first significant strike of the fight. Kick to the body landed for Ross Pearson. With 10 seconds left Ross Pearson committed to a superman punch. It didn't connect. Pearson was unable to find his range in the first round. Ross Pearson far more aggressive as the second round opens up coming forward with punches and kicks. Junior closed the distance and looked for the takedown. Ross sprawled out and then stepped away with Junior looking to work off his back. Two minutes into the round and Ross was still unable to find his range with Junior constantly closing the distance and clinching up. Huge body punch by Ross Pearson hurt Junior Assuncao and allowed Ross to establish his stand up. Unfortunately he was drawn in and Junior Assuncao clinched up. Assuncao landed an inside elbow which forced Pearson to back away. Pearson tripped Junior to the ground and as he stepped away was taken to the mat by an aggressive Assuncao. The round ended with the fighters trading on their feet. Junior Assuncao had a cut open up under his right eye. Ross Pearson came out aggressive and was caught by a stiff jab and then quickly taken to the ground. Junior then transitioned to Pearson's back and began working for an arm bar. Pearson used the submission attempt to get back to his feet but couldn't back away to reestablish his range. Junior clinched the body and again looked for takedown. On the exit Junior landed a stiff strike. Junior relentless with his takedown attempts and on every failed attempt he landed a damaging strike. As Junior came forward with two minutes remaining he was kneed in the face, the first significant strike for Pearson in the third round. Pearson landed a head kick and springing knee before Assuncao clinched up. Pearson worked to finish the fight with 20 seconds left in the round while Assuncao attempted a takedown to survive the onslaught. Ross Pearson entered the fight 4-2 in the UFC and 12-5 in his career. Junior Assuncao entered the fight 2-2 in the UFC and 13-4 overall. SBN coverage of UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem

Posted in: fight, round, pearson, assuncao, ros

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Lightweight Danny Castillo accepted a fight against knockout artist Anthony Njokuani on late notice in the first Spike TV preliminary fight on the UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem undercard. Despite the short notice, and having recently fought just more than one month ago, Castillo got off to a terrific start, throwing "The Assassin" all across the cage and outgrappling him thoroughly. Njokuani was able to pop back to his feet for the most part, but he was completely on the defensive for the majority of the round. Castillo began to wear down a bit in the second, perhaps showing signs of fatigue from the short notice, and Njokuani capitalized with superior stand-up technique and even hurting "Last Call" with some knees in the Muay Thai plum. The Team Alpha Male fighter bounced back in the latter half of the round with his wrestling to make it close, but it was likely not enough. The third round decided the fight. Castillo again took over in the third round, repeatedly taking Njokuani down but failing to pass guard. "The Assassin" proved to be a game opponent and was able to eventually rise back to his feet, but he was constantly on the defensive. Castillo lacked much offense, but his top control was enough to be awarded a split decision victory, taking two cards 29-28 on the judges' scorecards. "Last Call" won over the fans with his post-fight speech, discussing the fact that he took three of his last four fights on extremely short notice in the UFC. Perhaps next time, he'll finally be allowed to have a full training camp. He's more than earned it. Be sure to hit up MMAmania.com's for up to the minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of the rest of the night's action by clicking here.

Posted in: fight, round, spike tv, castillo, njokuani

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The Facebook portion of tonight's (Dec. 30, 2011) UFC 141: "Lesnar vs. Overeem" preliminary card is in the books. The start of the fights were delayed when undercard fighter Matt Riddle unexpectedly dropped out of his bout with Luis Ramos because of an illness. The final Facebook fight of the evening was a welterweight match up between Dong Hyun Kim and Sean Pierson, who were both coming off rough first round losses to top contenders Carlos Condit and Jake Ellenberger respectively. Kim showed steady improvement in his striking, landing consistently to steal every round and he even nearly finished the fight with a jumping front kick to the face that had Pierson on wobbly legs in the end of the second round. His footwork and movement were more than enough to score an easy decision victory despite his inability to secure a finish going 30-27 on all three judges' scorecards. The remainder of the Facebook "Prelims" comprised close battles in the cage, to, which you can catch up with in the extended entry: Lightweights Jacob Volkmann and Efrain Escudero put on a grappling match that was primarily dominated by Volkmann. The Minnesota fighter was all over Escudero for the first two and a half rounds with top control and occasional threats of submissions but he couldn't put The Ultimate Fighter season 8 winner away. The only serious drama of the fight came in the final minute when Escudero latched on a power guillotine and threatened to finish the fight after tightening his hold and transitioning to multiple choke attempts while Volkmann tried to squirm free. Volkmann eventually freed himself and once time ran out in the third round, he was easily awarded the first two rounds to give him a pretty easy 29-28 unanimous decision victory. Opening the night was a thrilling back and forth battle between featherweights Manny Gamburyan and Diego Nunes. Nunes did a terrific job in the first and third rounds of gauging his distance and peppering his Armenian opponent with repeated kicks and occasional jabs and follow-up crosses. Gamburyan had his moments, most notably landing a pair of power shots in the second round combined with a big takedown, but Nunes persevered and was able to come back strong. In the end, it was Nunes' ability to control the stand-up portion which allowed him to win a unanimous decision victory going 29-28 on all three judges' scorecards. Here are the complete Facebook "Prelims" results: Dong Hyun Kim def. Sean Pierson via unanimous decisionJacob Volkmann def. Efrain Escudero via unanimous decisionDiego Nunes def. Manny Gamburyan via unanimous decision That's it for the preliminary card portion of the card. Be sure to hit up MMAmania.com's for up to the minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of the rest of the night's action by clicking here.

Posted in: fight, round, facebook, nune, volkmann

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The last ever UFC Facebook prelims have concluded but the effects they have had on my life will certainly remain. I have a new found appreciation for feet warmers, The UFC drinking game, and whooshing blue smoke. Let's review the UFC's Facebook Prelim Finale, shall we? Matt Riddle is ill and his bout with Luis Ramos has been removed from the card. Hopefully it is nothing too serious. Diego Nunes defeats Manny Gamburyan via Unanimous Decision (29-28 across the cards) - This fight was won by the effective kicking of Diego Nunes. By the end of the first round it looked like someone smeared grape jelly on Manny's leg. Manny came back in the second and won the round on the strength of a massive right hand to Nunes' eye. He was unable to put Diego away and in the third was on the receiving end of another assault of leg, body and head kicks. This was a solid fight and a good start to the card. Diego and Manny also make nice after the fight and squash "You Signed On My Face Bro Gate 2.0". Jacob Volkmann defeats Efrain Escudero via Unanimous Decision (29-28 across the cards) - Efrain Escudero executed the Zhang -Elkins Gameplan to perfection here. He went for the guillotine at the start of every round and pulled side control for Volkmann every time. "Christmas" absolutely dominated Escudero for 14 minutes until Efrain nearly choked him out with a north south choke into a power guillotine. Volkmann survived and earned himself another dominant victory. He follows the fight up with a stammering, awkward warning to Frankie Edgar who I am sure will be informed of it or something I guess. He also says Obama has his head up his butt in joke form. Sigh. Rogan is not empress with his comedic performanz. Dong Hyun Kim defeats Sean Pierson via Unanimous Decision (30-27 across the cards) - This fight was a fairly even affair when it came to grappling but it was the distance control in the stand up for Kim that won him this fight. The highlight of the whole night so far has Dong Hyun Kim's brutal crane kick that had Pierson on queer street in the final seconds of the second round. Pierson recovered well enough between rounds to survive until the final bell. It was a very solid return to the win column for Kim who showed vastly improved stand up and seemed to have improved cardio as well. So long Facebook Fights. It was good for me and I hope it was good for you as well.

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, facebook, card

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Jacob Volkmann defeats Efrain Escudero by Unanimous Decision. All three judges scored the fight 29-28. Escudro opened the round with a lazy leg kick and Jacob Volkmann used it for a takedown. Efrain immediately looked for a guillotine but was unable to control the posture of Volkmann who passed to side control and started to work his technical grappling from the top. Efrain threw heel strikes from half guard to Volkmann's leg but those didn't do any damage. Volkmann was working from half guard but not doing much the damage Escudero. The crowd was restless booing with 45 seconds left. The round ends with Volkmann throwing wild punches from the top but none landed with any accuracy. Volkmann dove for a low takedown to open the second round. Again Escudero looked for a guillotine but he was unable to control Volkmann's legs. Volkmann passed to side control to escape the choke and then went back to half guard to start working from the top. The crowd really is restless from this kinda fight. Escudero regains full guard and starts to try and control the posture. Herb Dean stood the fighters up and Volkmann came forward with a wild flurry where none of the punches landed accurately. Volkmann gained a body lock and then took Escudero's back. Volkmann eventually got the fight to the ground and has Escudero's back who was turtled up. Volkmann got both hooks in and looked to finish the fight with a choke as the round hit the final minute. Volkmann stayed super heavy from the top when Efrain attempted to stand and ended the second getting manhandled by Volkmann against the fence. Volkmann closed the distance quickly in the third and again Efrain dropped for an unsuccessful guillotine choke. Efrain Escudero gave up his back and Volkmann swarmed. Herb Dean stood the fighters up and again Volkmann dropped for a low single. Escudero defended with hammerfists but Volkmann switch and took Efrain's back with a single hook in. Volkmann turns for a double and Efrain attempts to stop with elbows. Efrain locked in a north-south choke and then changed to a power guillotine. Volkmann is still awake and survives with Efrain releasing the submission. The round ends with Efrain Escudero in mount but unable to finish the fight. Jacob Volkmann entered the fight 4-2 in the UFC and 13-2 overall. He improves to 5-2 in the UFC with his victory. Efrain Escudero is 18-4 now. SBN coverage of UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem

Posted in: fight, round, escudero, volkmann, efrain

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Filed under: UFCLAS VEGAS -- This is the UFC 141 live blog for Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem, the main event of tonight's UFC pay-per-view from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Lesnar (5-2), who is returning after another bout with diverticulitis, last competed at UFC 121 in October 2010 where he lost his UFC belt to Cain Velasquez. Overeem (35-11) is making his UFC debut coming off a decision win over Fabricio Werdum at Strikeforce in June. The live blog is below. More Coverage: UFC 141 Results | Latest UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Round 4: Round 5: %VIRTUAL-Gallery-142683% Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, round, ufc debut, fabricio werdum, ufclas vegas

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Filed under: UFCIn the grudge match in the co-main event of UFC 141, Nate Diaz whipped Donald Cerrone for 15 minutes, turning Cerrone's face into a bloody mess and easily winning a unanimous decision victory. Cerrone and Diaz had been talking trash to each other in the run-up to the fight, had to be restrained from fighting each other at a pre-fight press conference this week, and declined to touch gloves before the fight, with Cerrone instead giving Diaz the finger. But once the opening bell rang, it was Diaz who did all the fighting. In the first round Diaz brutalized Cerrone with high-volume punching, hitting Cerrone in the face again and again and again. By the middle of the round Cerrone's mouth was bleeding and he appeared to have trouble keeping it closed, as if he might have had a jaw injury. It was a dominant first round for Diaz. More Coverage: UFC 141 Results | Nate Diaz vs. Donald Cerrone Live Blog Cerrone was better in the second round, changing up his approach to attack more with leg kicks and knocking Diaz off balance with trips and sweeps. However, Cerrone wasn't able to do much of anything when he succeeded in knocking Diaz down, and Cerrone still ate a lot of punches from Diaz. The second round was closer, but I still gave it to Diaz. By the third round Diaz knew he was in command and was cruising with his high-volume punching, easily battering away at Cerrone and clinching the win. The only question in the final moments of the fight was whether there would be any type of ugly post-fight scene, but instead the men shook hands and hugged afterward, and shook hands again when the judges' scorecards were announced, with Diaz winning 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28. The win improves Diaz's record to 15-7, and it was as good as he has looked in the Octagon, Cerrone, fighting for the fifth time in 2011, looked tired and worn down, and his record falls to 17-4. In the end, Diaz was classy as he walked out of the Octagon. "I want to thank Donald Cerrone for the fight," Diaz said. "Sorry about all the s--t that went down." %VIRTUAL-Gallery-142683% Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: diaz, round, cerrone, donald cerrone, donald

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Filed under: UFCLAS VEGAS -- This is the UFC 141 live blog for Jon Fitch vs. Johny Hendricks, a welterweight bout on tonight's UFC pay-per-view from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Fitch (23-3) fought B.J. Penn to a majority draw at UFC 127 in February. Fitch has only lost once (against Georges St-Pierre) in the last eight years. Hendricks (11-1) won both his fights this year against T.J. Waldburger and Mike Pierce. The live blog is below. More Coverage: UFC 141 Results | Latest UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: %VIRTUAL-Gallery-142683% Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, bj penn, round, fitch, february fitch

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Filed under: UFCLAS VEGAS -- This is the UFC 141 live blog for Alexander Gustafsson vs. Vladimir Matyushenko, a light heavyweight bout on tonight's UFC pay-per-view from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Mayushenko (26-5) has won his last two fights since losing to Jon Jones in August 2010. Gustafsson (12-1) has won his last three fights and is coming off a TKO win against Matt Hamill. The live blog is below. More Coverage: UFC 141 Results | Latest UFC News Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, round, jon jones, matt hamill, ufclas vegas

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