Bleacher Report - Articles by Nate Lawson

Regardless of Loss To Emelianenko, Rogers' Future Anything But 'Grim'

Nate Lawson — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:58:07 -0500

In only his eleventh professional fight, Brett Rogers was handed what many would consider a nightmare of a match up. While a victory over the Russian sensation Fedor Emelianenko would have launched Rogers into territory that remains uncharted, taking on such a dynamic fighter can have its downsides.

Rogers stated in the post-fight press conference that he “wanted to get the jaws dropping”. However, Emelianenko was the one who had the fans in awe.

Like the odds suggested, Rogers was well over-matched, losing to Emelianenko in the second round via technical knockout. The knockout was Rogers’ first ever loss, and, needless to say, he did not enjoy the experience, as he was clearly upset in both the post-fight interview and press conference.

He was also disappointed at the time of stoppage by referee “Big” John McCarthy stating in the press conference: "I was down, but I wasn’t out.”

Whether Rogers was indeed “down, but not out” is up to speculation. However, the loss that has been added to a record is as official as it gets. Rogers is not happy about the loss, but now understands what a loss is about.

“I’ve never felt a loss, but now I respect it,” stated Rogers, who also had a clear respect, and maybe even fear, for his mysterious opponent.

In fact, the respect he had for Emelianenko seemed to cause Rogers tentativeness to let his hands go, as he came out in a noticeably different manner than he did against Andrei Arlovski this past summer at Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields.

Rogers realized the negative changes and continuously stated that he needed to let his hands loose if he wanted to win. “If I threw more…” was the phrase Rogers’ used to sum up his unfortunate performance. However, the loss taught Rogers a vital lesson.

“I learned that I just need to trust in my instincts a little more,” explained Rogers.

The Illinois native's disappointment was extremely noticeable in the minutes and hours following the fight. Even though Emelianenko lands in the No. 1 heavyweight spot in the world, Rogers truly did not expect to lose the fight.

However, as disappointed as Rogers was, he believes he is a legitimate heavyweight and can roll with the best.

“I don’t see myself as a low class fighter,” explained Rogers. “I feel that I can fight with the best and I will fight with the best.”

Rogers certainly has come a long way since he made his professional debut in April of 2006. Although he may have earned his first loss this weekend, losing to Fedor Emelianenko is hardly something to hang your head about.

The fact that Rogers was even matched up with a fighter on the professional level of Emelianenko displays the progress of the Chicago native.

The result of the fight may have been “grim” for Rogers, but his future can hardly be described as such. Just eleven fights into his career, this 28-year-old has a lot of rounds left in him and a lot of opportunities to rebound from his loss to the greatest heavyweight mixed martial artist on the planet.

Strikeforce: Spectator Support Of Emelianenko Proves Marketability

Nate Lawson — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:44:20 -0500

Strikeforce and CBS had the honor this weekend of introducing Fedor Emelianenko to the millions that tuned in to watch the free card. However, the success of Emelianenko’s presence was astronomically better than many had expected.

Prior to Saturday night, questions loomed as to whether or not Emelianenko was marketable to the American public. Whether or not Emelianenko would meet the approval of the casual fans, or those watching the sport for the first time.

Those questions no longer remain.

Whenever Emelianenko’s face would grace the big screens surrounding the Sears Centre, the spectators would erupt in cheers. Rogers’ image brought on a different display of emotions. The fans clearly had picked sides with the Russian phenomenon.

The love for Fedor Emelianenko continued throughout the night, all the way to the main event.

Brett Rogers walked out to the resounding sound of disapproval, as the fans booed the undefeated heavyweight all the way to the cage.

Emelianenko’s welcome was the warmest of the evening, as the crowd reached its loudest state as the No. 1 heavyweight made his way to the battlefield.

The trend continued as the fight began, as on-lookers continued to scream for Fedor to win the fight. Perhaps the only moment when the crowd was not 100% behind Emelianenko was when a “U.S.A” chant broke out through a few sections of the stands.

However, those cheers were quickly muffled when a solid right hand dropped Rogers, leading to a technical knockout victory by Emelianenko.

The knockout immediately sent an undeniable electricity throughout the arena. Fans screamed in approval as Emelianenko calmly raised his hand in victory.

Emelianenko’s win was just another win for so many fans who had seen him fight before. But for the many who were watching him or the sport for the first time, it was so much more.

Fedor was cheered and appreciated by both the hardcore and casual fans alike. The entire crowd was behind the Russian and exploded in excitement when the calm heavyweight knocked out the American, answering the question of Emelianenko’s marketability.

Emelianenko may not be the same type of fighter or person as Brock Lesnar, but he is certainly closer to the UFC heavyweight champion in terms of marketability than most thought he would be by the end of the weekend.

With the exposure given by Showtime and CBS, Emelianenko has become one of the most famous and notable mixed martial artists in America.

His mystical manner and devastating style have brought mixed martial arts to the mainstream once again, and the next time around, you can be sure Fedor Emelianenko will again be the main attraction to the millions watching.

10 Greatest Upsets In MMA History

Nate Lawson — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:10:44 -0500

Every sport's history involves dynasties that last for several seasons, as well as underdogs that never seem to win a game.

However, every once in a while an enormous underdog pulls out an improbable victory that no one saw coming. Whether it be Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson, or Villanova upsetting Georgetown in the 1985 men's basketball championship game, upsets are an intricate part of the sporting world.

Mixed martial arts is no different. Whether it is just one punch, or capitalizing on an error by an opponent, the sport is filled with great upsets.

Brett Rogers, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, and Jason Miller will all be looking for an upset this Saturday night at Strikeforce: "Fedor vs. Rogers".

Rogers is a 4:1 underdog entering his heavyweight bout with Fedor Emelianenko, Sokoudjou is over a 3:1 underdog heading into his fight with Gegard Mousasi, and Miller is over a 2:1 dog in his middleweight bout with Jake Shields.

However, the beauty of sports, especially mixed martial arts, is that an upset is always in order.

In honor of the three men looking for the big upset victory this weekend, lets take a look at the ten biggest upsets in the history of the sport and the men that made them happen.

10. BJ Penn vs. Matt Hughes (UFC 46)

Penn and Hughes met at UFC 46 in a title fight for the UFC welterweight belt. The favorite was Hughes, who was expected to defend his welterweight gold for a sixth straight time.

“The Prodigy” had other ideas when he worked his way to Hughes’ back and locked in an inescapable rear naked choke at the 4:39 mark of the first round, robbing Hughes of his belt and halting his 13 fight win-streak.

Penn would leave the UFC for other endeavors, but would return to get his welterweight belt back. At UFC 63 he lost to Matt Hughes in a welterweight title fight, but his first fight with Hughes will forever be remembered as a true underdog story.

9. Houston Alexander vs. Keith Jardine (UFC 71)

Jardine had rolled to the top of the UFC light heavyweight division when he was matched up against Houston Alexander. The fight was Alexander’s UFC debut, and the odds had him a steep underdog at nearly a 5:1 underdog.

Both Jardine and Alexander came out swinging, but “The Dean of Mean” had no answer for Alexander’s inside shots. The official had to pull Alexander away from Jardine after “The Assassin” continued to pummel the light heavyweight contender.

The victory is to this date the biggest victory for Alexander, who lost his next three bouts. However, “The Assassin’s” quick technical knockout victory over Jardine will go down as one of the biggest upsets in the sport’s history.

8. Randy Couture vs. Tim Sylvia (UFC 68)

After over one year of absence, Couture returned to the octagon at UFC 63 to fight for the heavyweight belt against giant Tim Sylvia. The aging legend entered the cage on the wrong side of the odds against the enormous knock out artist.

From the opening bell, Couture managed to outclass his gigantic opponent with superior striking and wrestling. Five rounds passed, and the judges’ scorecards rewarded “The Natural” with the UFC heavyweight belt.

This heavyweight championship was just another opportunity in which Couture capitalized in a pivotal situation. As he continues to grow older, Couture has proven that his age does not dictate how he performs in the octagon. Tim Sylvia will attest to that.

7. Kevin Randleman vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (Pride Total Elimination 2004)

Mirko Filipovic was a human wrecking ball within the Japanese promotion heading into Pride: “Total Elimination 2004”,. Fight after fight ended in brutal knockout by the Croation, but underdog, and former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin “The Monster” Randleman had other plans.

A sharp left hook in the first round had the announcers saying something they probably never expected: Kevin Randleman had knocked out Cro Cop with an absolute bomb.

Cro Cop avenged his upset loss to Randleman several months later at PRIDE Shockwave 2004 with a guillotine submission . The upset delivered by Randleman, however, would prove to be one of the greatest upsets in the history under the Pride banner.

6. Anderson Silva vs. Hayato Sakurai (Shooto: “To the top 7”)

Hayato Sakurai entered his bought against Anderson Silva at Shooto–“To the Top 7” with an undefeated record. Having defended his belt seven times prior, Sakurai was the big favorite in the middleweight championship bout.

Three five minute rounds after the opening bell, Sakurai’s grasp on the middleweight belt had been removed as Anderson Silva took his turn at the top.

“The Spider” has continued to thrive as the king of the middleweight division. He is the UFC 185-pound champion and sits atop the pound for pound list. Yet regardless of how far he has come, his unanimous decision victory over the undefeated Sakurai enters the books as one of the most unlikely outcomes of all-time in mixed martial arts.

5. Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (UFC 70)

After three straight victories in the UFC, Gabriel “Napao” Gonzaga met mixed martial arts legend Mirko Cro Cop in a heavyweight showdown. Gonzaga entered the bout a 5:1 underdog.

While Cro Cop had made a career out of scalping his opponents with head kick knockouts, Gonzaga finished the bout in a fashion no one saw coming. Gonzaga gave Cro Cop a taste of his own medicine, delivering a vicious head kick at the end of the first round sent Filipovic into unconsciousness.

“Napao” was an enormous underdog on paper, and the manner in which he finished the fight made this upset all the more impressive. A perfectly timed head kick sent Cro Cop into a downward spiral, and sent Gonzaga into the top ten greatest upsets of all time.

4. Joe Lauzon vs. Jens “Lil’ Evil” Pulver (UFC 63)

Joe Lauzon began his UFC career with a lightweight bout against former and first ever UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver. Lauzon entered to cage over a 6:1 underdog. The 155-pound bout marked Pulver’s return to the promotion after leaving in 2002.

Merely 48 seconds after the opening bell, Joe Lauzon raised his hands in a celebratory display after upsetting the former champ with a hard left hook that sent Pulver to the canvas.

Lauzon’s stunning knockout victory has gone down as one of the greatest upsets in the history of the sport. Pulver never recovered from the defeat and has fallen on hard times with his WEC career. Lauzon went on to win his next two bouts, before losing to former UFC top contender Kenny Florian.

3. Nick Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi (Pride 33)

Takanori Gomi entered his bout with Nick Diaz at Pride 33 having won 13 of his last 14 fights and ranked as one of the top lightweights in the sport. Diaz had just recently rejuvenated a career with the UFC, only to leave the promotion for a failed stint with Gracie Fighting Championships.

Gomi looked to continue his roll through the mixed martial arts world and it appeared as he would when he knocked Diaz to his back just after a minute into the first round. Looking to finish the fight, Gomi entered Diaz's guard only to be submitted in the next few moments via gogoplata.

While the fight would later be called a no contest due to Diaz’s failing of a drug test, Diaz proved himself as a legitimate mixed martial artists and jiu-jitsu fighter. His insane submission over Gomi has gone down as one of the greatest upsets in the history of Pride.

2. Matt Serra vs. Georges St. Pierre (UFC 69)

After a split-decision victory over Chris Lytle, Matt “The Terror” Serra was sent into the octagon opposite UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. With the odds at 8:1 against Serra, noboby expected what unfold at UFC 69.

However, like so many upsets in the sport, Serra caught St. Pierre early and continued to put on the pressure with his heavy hands. Almost three and one half minutes into the first round, Serra had defeated the Canadian and gained the welterweight gold with some vicious ground and pound.

Serra would go on to get pummeled by St. Pierre in a rematch at UFC 83, losing a belt he never got to defend. Regardless of what followed, Serra’s first round destruction over St. Pierre will always be remembered as the greatest upset in UFC history.

1. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (Pride 33)

Sokoudjou entered his light heavyweight showdown with the Brazilian Nogueira an enormous underdog. Prior to this fight, Nogueira had run a guantlet, beating Dan Henderson, Alistair Overeem (twice) and losing a competitive decision to Maurcio "Shogun" Rua.

At nearly 15:1, Sokoudjou was given almost no shot at defeating the younger Nogueira brother.

Cleary Sokoudjou didn’t get the memo.

Just 28 seconds into the very first round, Sokoudjou knocked “Minotoro” clean out with a vicious left hook. The upset is the greatest victory in Sokoudjou’s career, and possibly the greatest upset in the history of the sport.

Honorable Mention:

Anderson Silva vs. Daiju Takase (Pride 26)

Takese entered this fight at an 8:1 underdog, and rightfully so. At the time of the fight, Takase had gained a professional record of 4-7-1. It was remarkable that the two were even matched up against one another.

However, Takase proved the impossible when he locked on a triangle choke at the 8:33 mark of the first round.

Takase has since gone on to put together a rather unimpressive record of 9-13-1. Anderson Silva, however, has destroyed his competition and ran his way to the top of the pound for pound rankings. Those two facts make Takase’s submission over “The Spider” one of the greatest upsets of all time.

Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell (UFC 43)

Randy Couture dropped down to the 205-pound limit and was granted a title shot against the champion Chuck Liddell. Couture was coming off two straight losses and was not expected to gain the light heavyweight belt.

However, the wrestling background of “The Natural” led to a third round stoppage of the champ after Couture was able to ground and pound Liddell from the full mount.

Couture became the first fighter to ever hold the belt in two divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The upset, one of several in Couture’s career, is just another reason this aging Hall of Famer is never counted out of a fight.

Forrest Griffin vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (UFC 76)

Forrest Griffin welcomed “Shogun” to the octagon, but it was Rua who held the advantage in both the fans eyes and the eyes of the odds-makers after the utter destruction of his previous four Pride FC opponents.

Griffin shocked the fans watching when he controlled “Shogun” for almost three full rounds. The only reason he did not spend fifteen minutes dominating Rua was because he finished the fight just before the fifteen minute mark when Griffin locked on a rear naked choke to end Rua’ night.

The fight was an underdog story for Griffin, who many gave little shot against the former Pride killer. Just as he has done his entire career, Griffin proved that he could roll with the very best. "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 1 winner capitalized on his improbable victory and went on to upset Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 86.

Joe Rogan Defends UFC 104 Commentary Via Twitter

Nate Lawson — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:19:10 -0400

Lyoto Machida’s unanimous decision victory over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 104 last weekend left baffled expressions on the vast majority who watched the light heavyweight title slip through the hands of the former PRIDE knockout king.

Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg called the action and were ecstatic about the performance Rua was putting forth after entering the fight a heavy underdog. And who’s to blame them for their excitement. Rua was the first man to ever take one round from Machida, let alone two (and it looked like it very well could have been three).

However, Rua did not win the fight, and fans were outraged. The fact that Rogan clearly was bringing up the name “Shogun” more often than Machida has now turned him into a target on the world wide web.

Earlier today on Twitter, Rogan left a message for those who were complaining about his commentary for the light heavyweight championship last Sat.

“folks complaining about my commentary saying that Machida clearly won I've got 2 links for you: http://bit.ly/4trAfJ http://bit.ly/2kQVrZ .”

The two links were shortened by Twitter, but the first is a link to fightmetrics.com, showing that according to their statistical analysis Lyoto Machida should have lost to Mauricio Rua .

The second link creates a sarcastic humor that Rogan seems to be a professional at. The link will take you to Lenscraft.com. The suggestion is clear.

And the suggestion is well warranted.

Rogan followed that message with another regarding the UFC 104 main event.

"For the record, I'm a HUGE Machida fan, but I thought Shogun won that fight. Majority of fans online agree with me, but for a few rude f***s."

Rogan may have been screaming “Shogun” throughout the majority of the fight, but just because Machida won does not mean Rogan was wrong in how he called the fight. An interesting fellow on Twitter made a homosexual reference about Rogan and Rua, to which Joe replied in a fantastic manner that I will not be including in this article. The sad part is that people are actually coming after Rogan for the way he commentated that fight.

The fact of the matter is that Rogan is a fantastic commentator for the sport. For the people that know him for more than the “Fear Factor guy”, he is a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Eddie Bravo, along with having a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

Basically, the guy knows his stuff.

Perhaps Rogan was giving Rua too much credit, but that is only a result of the fact that “Shogun” didn’t receive much of a shot at winning in the eyes of most. That being said, Rogan, like all of those watching, was caught up in the moment. Nothing more, nothing less. Attacking Rogan about his commentary that evening is a crime. He merely thought Rua was winning a fight he was never supposed to.

Rogan’s excitement that night was as warranted as the fans disappointment in the decision. Gunning after Rogan concerning this matter is just an immature response to an unfortunate decision in a UFC title fight.

UFC 104: Anthony "Rumble" Johnson Deserves Stiffer Competition

Nate Lawson — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:08:13 -0400

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson is an enormous welterweight, and that seemed to cause him problems on the day of the weigh-ins for UFC 104. The scales jumped past the ideal 170 pound weight up to 176, but his fight with Yoshiyuki Yoshida stayed on tap for the main card.

Johnson explained after the fight in an interview on UFC.com, that an injury before his scheduled fight with Matt Brown let his weight get into heavyweight range, as he claimed to bulk up to 220 pounds.

For the record, Johnson has really only had problems making weight once before, missing the weight limit before his bout with Rich Clementi. He claims that he could have cut the rest of the weight if he received a little extra time.

However, the fight went on Saturday night, as the man nicknamed “Rumble” absolutely rolled through Yoshida, who has been brutally knocked out in two consecutive fights. Unfortunately for Johnson, his weight problems prevented a $60,000 Knockout of the Night bonus from coming his way.

That being said, one thing that is undeniable is the fact that this guy is for real. After his loss to Kevin Burns at UFN 14, which was showered in controversy, Johnson has gone on to win his next three fights quite convincingly.

After avenging his loss to Burns, Johnson destroyed Luigi Fioravanti, and obliterated Yoshida. Regardless of the weight issue, this gigantic welterweight competitor is capable of putting together a great career if the UFC is willing to toss him a higher level of competition.

Unfortunately, this past week saw high ranked welterweights such as Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, and Martin Kampmann land future opponents. In fact, the vast majority of the top tier welterweights are already booked for future fights. However, one very big name is currently without an opponent after signing a rather large contract.

Matt Hughes is coming off a close decision victory over Matt Serra at UFC 98, and has yet to dive into the octagon after signing a big deal with the UFC several months ago. Johnson is in desperate need for some real competition, and Hughes certainly has the credentials.

However, Hughes does not seem anxious to get back into the welterweight picture, leaving one other big name as a possible match up.

Paulo Thiago suffered his first loss at UFC 100 to Jon Fitch via unanimous decision. However, like Hughes, he would be an immense leap up in competition for “Rumble”.

While either Hughes or Thiago would be fine opponents for Johnson, if neither of those two is willing to take on the giant 170-pounder, future match ups could clear a path for “Rumble” into the Top 10 of the division.

Mike Swick and Dan Hardy are set to dual at UFC 105 next month. The winner of that will likely receive a title shot against divisional kingpin Georges St. Pierre. However, the loser would become a very viable option for Johnson.

Yet regardless of his future opponent, Johnson has worked his way into a position deserving of sterner competition. The weight cut has rarely been a problem for Johnson, even though he drops possibly more than any other person who is a professional mixed martial artist, and is no reason to say this knock out artist should not receive tougher opposition.

“Rumble” has destroyed his last three opponents. He has heavy hands and the desire to succeed in the sport as a welterweight, as well as being one of the greatest athletes in the UFC.

With contenders at 170 pounds becoming harder and harder to find, it may be in the UFC’s best interest to increase his level of competition, for it may not be long before Johnson becomes an undeniable contender in the division ruled by Georges St. Pierre.

Anthony Johnson Talks UFC 104 and Beyond

Nate Lawson — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:17:01 -0400

After his first-round technical knockout victory over Luigi Fiorivantti, Anthony Johnson took some question’s from announcer Joe Rogan. In the post fight interview, one would have a hard time believing the disappointed Johnson had actually won the fight.

“The reason I was disappointed in myself with the Luigi fight is that I was just chasing him around the octagon too much, you know,” explained Johnson. “I’m trained to fight, not chase people around. So that’s why I was saying I was disappointed. I just felt like I couldn’t do what I wanted to do.”

Not only was he disappointed that he could not follow his plan, “Rumble,” a fan favorite for his exhilarating fights, was also unhappy that he “couldn’t give the fans what they wanted”.

This weekend at UFC 104, Johnson has an opportunity to entertain the fans and continue his roll through the UFC welterweight division.

Johnson’s match up at UFC 104 is Yoshiyuki Yoshida, who was put out cold by Josh Koscheck in his last performance. Yoshida walks into the cage against a true knockout artist in Johnson, who is an enormous and powerful welterweight always looking for the knockout.

“Like always man, I expect my performance to be the best that it can be and go out there and do my best, and, you know, always give something good for the fans,” states Johnson. “Of course I plan on winning, but I’ll take a win anyway I can. But everybody knows I’m gonna shoot for the knockout.”

While Yoshida has only been knocked out one time in his career, Johnson certainly holds as much power in his punches as Koscheck can claim. However, Johnson thinks if he is to knockout Yoshida, it will be even more vicious than Koscheck’s.

“I plan on my knockout being more devastating (than Koscheck’s),” explained Johnson.” I think his thing with Koscheck, he was just expecting Koscheck to shoot. Just didn’t think that Koscheck had any hands, which Koscheck does. Koscheck has evolved and he’s a great fighter and now he’s got hands, so he’s more dangerous. But I think my knockout would be way worse than his.”

Yoshida is one of Johnson’s most formidable opponents to date, as “Rumble” continues his rise in the 170 pound division. He is anticipating Yoshida’s plan and is ready for whatever “Zenko” will try to throw his way.

“He’s gonna try and get in on me because he doesn’t want to get hit, and I think he’s afraid to get hit after Josh Koscheck knocked him out,” explained Johnson. “But you never know. He might come with a different game plan, he might not. But no matter what, I will be ready for it because I train with some of the best.”

A convincing victory for Johnson would undoubtedly send the 6’2” monster of a welterweight into the upper echelon of the division. While he is not looking past Yoshida, “Rumble” is confident with whatever his next step may be.

“I don’t take anybody for granted, but I see myself beating each and every fighter that I face,” he stated. “It’s not just Georges St. Pierre, I see myself being able to beat every fighter.”

A dominant victory over Yoshida at UFC 104 in Los Angeles this Saturday could catapult Johnson into the top ranks of a division that is growing more and more desperate for contenders. “Rumble” realizes this, citing a fellow welterweight prospect as an example.

“Like Dan Hardy, he’s 3-0 in the octagon and he is already fighting Mike Swick,” he explained. “They could bump me up to anybody or anything, so I just gotta be prepared for whoever’s next.”

Pending the result of his UFC 104 bout, Anthony Johnson could either jump up or fall down in the UFC welterweight division. However, “Rumble” will enter his fight this weekend with the latter possibility not an option, as he looks to move forward, ever closer to a title shot against the dominant Georges St. Pierre.

UFC's Top 10 Light Heavyweight Championship Bouts

Nate Lawson — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:13:59 -0400

The UFC light heavyweight division has been described as the most competitive division in all of mixed martial arts. There have been ten total champions of the division, beginning with Frank Shamrock and rolling its way to the current champion Lyoto Machida.

Machida is set to face Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 104 this coming Sat. in Las Vegas, Nevada. Machida gained the light heavyweight hardware at UFC 98 this past summer, destroying Rashad Evans and keeping his undefeated record intact.

Rua enters the fight a steep underdog (+300 at Sportsbook.com), and many believe him undeserving of this title shot. However, the PRIDE days of “Shogun” still dwell in the minds of mixed martial arts fans and are reason to believe he could put up a fight.

Although this is not one of the most anticipated fights in UFC history, it is a fight featuring the light heavyweight champion and one of the most infamous strikers in PRIDE history.

In honor of the light heavyweight championship headlining this weekend’s card, we look back at some of the biggest names involved in the biggest events in UFC light heavyweight history with the top 10 UFC light heavyweight championship fights.

Note: Fights listed in chronological order.

Tito Ortiz vs. Wanderlei Silva—UFC 25

The Ultimate Fighting Championship travelled to Tokyo, Japan for UFC 25 with a title fight between Wanderlei Silva and Tito Ortiz.

After five rounds in front of the electric Japanese crowd, the two fighters went to the judges; scorecards with Ortiz edging out Silva with a unanimous decision victory.

This win sent “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” on a tear through the light heavyweight division, where he defended his title five times before losing the belt to Randy Couture at UFC 44. It may not have been the most exciting title fight of all-time, but it will forever be marked as the beginning of Ortiz’s lengthy reign as champion.

Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock—UFC 40

Tito Ortiz had lost to Frank Shamrock at UFC 22 and was hoping his luck against the other Shamrock would be a little different. Fortunately for “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” the outcome ended in a title defense for him.

The fight was scheduled for five rounds, but only needed three as Shamrock did not exit his corner for the fourth round. Ortiz had successfully defended his belt due to a corner stoppage.

The two would meet twice more over their careers with Ortiz winning the last two fights of the series, leaving Shamrock empty handed. Also one of the greatest trilogies of all time, the Ortiz vs. Shamrock series was fueled with the hatred they had for one another, leading to an all around great rivalry in mixed martial arts.

Chuck Liddell vs. Randy Couture—UFC 43

One of the greatest trilogies in mixed martial arts history, UFC 43 featured an interim light heavyweight title fight between Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture.

Couture and Liddell battled for the first two rounds, but “The Natural” was too much for Liddell, finishing “The Iceman” at the midpoint of the third round. This was Couture’s first belt at 205 pounds.

Although Couture won the first fight, Liddell got the last laugh, gaining victories in the last two fights of the trilogy. Liddell would go on to dominate the division more than Couture could as champion, but “The Natural’s” victory over Liddell at UFC 43 will forever be remembered as one of the greatest title fights of the UFC light heavyweight division.

Randy Couture vs. Tito Ortiz—UFC 44

After successfully defending his title five times after winning it over at UFC 25, Tito Ortiz ran into “The Natural” at UFC 44. Randy Couture dominated the entire fight with his superior wrestling and overall game plan, while Ortiz was unable to mount any offense whatsoever.

“The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” needed to end the fight to keep his belt and went with a last-ditch effort in the form of a submission. Couture pretended to tap out, mocking the defeated Ortiz.

Couture was awarded the unanimous decision and the UFC light heavyweight belt. Unfortunately, a man nicknamed “The Phenom” stole the belt away from Couture in “The Natural’s” first title defense.

Chuck Liddell vs. Randy Couture—UFC 57

The score was tied at one a piece. Couture drew first blood with his victory over Liddell at UFC 43, but “The Iceman” was back with a vengeance at UFC 52 where he took the light heavyweight belt with a knockout win.

After several title defenses, Liddell would have to put up his belt against Couture at UFC 57 to settle one of the greatest trilogies in the history of the sport.

Liddell and Couture battled for the rubbermatch and the belt, but Liddell secured the victory in the second round when he knocked out Couture, mirroring the method of victory from the second fight.

Liddell kept the belt, and Couture announced retirement, after the finale of a trilogies for the ages in which Liddell took two out of three.

Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz—UFC 66

Ortiz had been accused of dodging “The Iceman” for some time before the two finally met at UFC 47. Liddell defeated “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” and was looking to do the same when Ortiz stepped up as the number one challenger to his belt.

Liddell needed less than three rounds to repeat the result of the first fight, winning via technical knockout that Ortiz could not call an eye poke.

While Liddell would go on to lose his belt in his very next fight to Quinton Jackson, the victory over Ortiz was one of “The Iceman’s” and the division’s greatest moments.

Chuck Liddell vs. Quinton Jackson—UFC 71

Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell defended his belt for the first time at UFC 54 over Jeremy Horn. He then went on to defend it three more times before stepping in against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

Jackson was fresh off his destruction of Marvin Eastman at UFC 67 and was looking to continue his “rampage” through the UFC.

Less than two minutes into the first round, the belt had finally been passed after Jackson defeated Liddell via technical knockout. Liddell has yet to recover from this defeat, while Jackson went on to lose the belt to Forrest Griffin at UFC 86.

Dan Henderson vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson—UFC 75

It was the fight to name the undisputed champion at 205 pounds. Dan Henderson brought his Pride Middleweight belt, and “Rampage” brought his UFC light heavyweight belt to finally settle who was best at light heavyweight.

The fight lived up to the hype, going for five hard fought rounds. Twenty-five minutes of war between the two champions. The judges rendered their decisions in favor of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, successfully naming an undisputed champion at the 205 pound mark.

“Rampage’s” belt would soon trade hands, however, as he faced Forrest Griffin in his next fight and went the distance once again. The outcome was ill-favored for Jackson.

Dan Henderson dropped down to the 185 pound middleweight division after that fight and was welcomed by Anderson Silva, the division’s champion. Henderson lost that fight, but continued to make his presence known in the UFC. He is currently a free agent and his future with the UFC may be in question.

Quinton Jackson vs. Forrest Griffin—UFC 86

Fresh off a massive upset victory over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Forrest Griffin entered the octagon set for a five round championship bout with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 86.

Jackson gained the light heavyweight crown after knocking out Chuck Liddell at UFC 71. He had since defended it one time, in a five round war with Dan Henderson.

Griffin utilized hard leg kicks early in the fight that eventual left Jackson with an injured leg that hindered him throughout the rest of the fight. Griffin was able to throw submission attempts and solid offense the champions way. Jackson held his own, however, and the two went to the judges’ scorecards, where Griffin edged out “Rampage” to gain UFC light heavyweight gold.

Lyoto Machida vs. Rashad Evans—UFC 97

UFC 97 featured a title fight with two light heavyweights with undefeated records. Rashad Evans had just won the belt from Forrest Griffin at UFC 92, pushing his record to 13-0-1.

Machida entered the fight at 14-0, having never lost a single round out of the 34 he had previously entered.

After the first round, “The Dragon” had kept his streak alive, easily dominating Evans. Round Two was more of the same as Machida destroyed Evans, knocking him out cold from a flurry of precision punches.

Machida looks to defend his belt with a performance similar to the one he had when gaining the 205 pound hardware.

Jason "Mayhem" Miller Talks Jake Shields, Showy Entrances, Selling Title Fight

Nate Lawson — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:53:46 -0400

Strikeforce put on a media call today featuring Scott Coker, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, and Jake Shields, regarding the Nov. 7 show that will be live on CBS. Miller utilized his humorous side to make some interesting comments throughout the call.

Miller began the call on a funny note, saying that “it is great to have Fedora on the undercard.” Unfortunately for “Mayhem,” his fight will not be serving as the main event, while Emelianenko’s will.

Miller seemed okay with that fact, explaining that he was excited to watch Emelianenko vs. Rogers with the middleweight title around his waist.

However, before “Mayhem” Miller ever steps foot inside a ring or a cage, he is accustomed to putting on quite the show for his fans. There is never a dull moment when Miller makes his walk to the cage.

Miller hopes he can do something similar to what he has done throughout his career when it comes to entertaining entrances (for example his Dream 9 Entrance), considering he has become quite famous for them.

“I am almost gay with my showmanship flair,” stated Miller, hoping that Scott Coker will allow him to exhibit his style through his walk to the cage.

Yet whatever Miller has planned, Miller first obligation seems to be hyping this fight to a point where as many people as possible tune in.

“I want everyone to watch this fight, and if you miss it you are missing not just a great fight with me and Jake, but also the number one heavyweight in the world taking on the undefeated Brett Rogers,” stated Miller.

Miller also explained how Twitter, Myspace, and Facebook are a couple of ways he is getting the news out to hype his title fight with Shields.

When it comes to the actual fight itself, Miller summed it up by stating, “I will do everything better than Jake.”

Shields has not lost since 2004. If Miller wants to win the Strikeforce middleweight belt on Nov. 7, he will certainly have to do a lot of things better than his opponent.

Until then, however, Miller is focusing on training for his title fight with Shields, along with promoting his fight and the event as much as possible.

Regarding exactly how much Miller is promoting the fight, the man nicknamed “Mayhem” simply explained, “I might as well be spray painting about it on walls.”

UFC 104: Rothwell Enters UFC Debut Already a Winner

Nate Lawson — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:50:46 -0400

The Staples Center in Los Angeles, California will once again welcome the Ultimate Fighting Championship as UFC 104 rolls around on the 24th of this month. The main event of the card is a light heavyweight bout between Lyoto Machida and Mauricio Rua for the 205-pound championship.

While the title fight is expected to bring some fireworks to the fans, the card’s second most anticipated fight is sure to do the same, as Ben Rothwell and Cain Velasquez are set for a heavyweight showdown.

Velasquez has risen to stardom after only six professional fights. Considered a big contender in the division, he was scheduled to fight Shane Carwin. After Carwin was granted the title shot, Ben Rothwell was brought in to replace him.

Rothwell was scheduled to fight on Affliction’s “Trilogy” card, but the promotion’s fallout ended that. The UFC saw Rothwell’s statistics and history in mixed martial arts and decided to bring him in, needing to give Velasquez a tough opponent to legitimize a title shot in the near future.

The fight may have developed after an odd series of events, yet the bout has a lot to offer to the fans and fighters alike. A win for Velasquez makes him arguably the division’s number one contender, while a win for Rothwell gives the former IFL champion a shot at glory inside of the UFC.

Yet regardless of the result of his bout with Velasquez, perhaps Rothwell’s true victory has already come to fruition as he avoids fighting in the smaller organizations or the unsecure promotions that treated him poorly, as he trades that career for one in the pinnacle of mixed martial arts organizations.

Between Sept. of 2006 and 2007, Rothwell fought a total of eight times, winning every fight. However, the fights are not what wore down the 6’5” heavyweight, but rather the training involved with the profession.

“It’s the training,” stated Rothwell in Thursday’s UFC 104 media call. “The training is what breaks you down. You kind of become disconnected from normal life for eight, 10 weeks; whatever the training camps are.”

While Rothwell enjoyed eight victories and solid career advancement over that year, those twelve months were anything but enjoyable to him. The sport he had grown to love turned into more of a profession than a passion.

“Instead of being something that I am passionate about, it started to become a job,” exclaimed Rothwell. “As much as I fought it and didn’t want it to be that, it was becoming (a job), and that was really a problem.”

Rothwell spent several years paying his dues in the sport to the point where he struggled to even enjoy it. While a career in the UFC is not an easy route by any means, Rothwell has the opportunity now to fight for the most well-known organization in mixed martial arts.

Yet Rothwell is not only more than satisfied with an opportunity to fight in the UFC, the heavyweight is also extremely happy with the match up that lay ahead of him, as Velasquez is the caliber of fighter Rothwell is looking to fight.

“I want to be fighting with the guys that are the names in the UFC,” stated Rothwell. “I want to be a name in the UFC as well, and that’s the only way. You’ve got to be in there fighting the guys that people know, so I’m pretty excited for this fight.”

Rothwell’s opponent is seen by many as the future of the UFC heavyweight division. With the start that Velasquez has gotten off to, that point is hard to argue. However, a former IFL champion and veteran of the sport, Rothwell has the experience to upset the less experienced Velasquez.

A loss for Rothwell on Oct. 24 would signify his first loss in the UFC and a disappointing debut to say the least. However, regardless of result, Rothwell will be entering the octagon a winner that night as he finally puts his career with unpleasant organizations behind him for an opportunity with the UFC.

Forrest Griffin's Road to Redemption: Three Possible Opponents for UFC 108

Nate Lawson — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:22:17 -0400

Forrest Griffin re-emerged in the media this past week for the first time since his demoralizing UFC 101 loss at the hands of Anderson Silva.

Speaking with AOL Fanhouse, Forrest vocalized his interest in returning to action at UFC 108, which will serve as the UFC’s big year-end show.

Griffin has fallen on hard times since defeating the recently retired Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 86 for the UFC Light Heavyweight belt.

The fan favorite has gone on to consecutive knockout defeats at the hands of Rashad Evans and Anderson "The Spider" Silva.

For the first time in his career, Griffin has suffered consecutive losses, both ending in brutal fashion. The loss to Rashad Evans symbolized the loss of his light heavyweight belt. The loss to Anderson Silva symbolized the lowest point in Griffin's career.

Since his devastating loss to Silva, Griffin vanished from the media spotlight, only to appear most recently stating that he would be interested in joining the UFC 108 main card.

However, Griffin's options as far as opponent involve a very short list given the UFC light heavyweight division's current landscape.

With Rashad Evans, Thiago Silva, Lyoto Machida, Mauricio Rua, and many other top light heavyweights locked up for future events, three names come to mind when discussing Griffin's next obstacle: Rich Franklin, Keith Jardine, and Stephan Bonnar.

All three fighters are coming off of losses, with Bonnar and Jardine having consecutive losses alongside Griffin. These three fighters are available and make the most sense regarding Griffin's next opponent. While there are several young fighters available for Griffin, none really qualify as opponents as these three do.

All three of these men have proven themselves as solid and successful fighters in mixed martial arts. However, only one will be granted the opportunity to stand opposite Forrest Griffin inside the octagon.

Stephan Bonnar

Bonnar and Griffin are rooted deep in the UFC's successful history after their epic shoot out at the "Ultimate Fighter's" first season's finale.

However, Griffin traveled the road to success, while Bonnar fell short of the success of the original "Ultimate Fighter," including another loss to Griffin at UFC 62.

Bonnar has always been a solid fighter, yet he, like Griffin, has dropped two fights into the loss column, losing to Jon Jones and Mark Coleman.

A fight with Griffin could be a make-or-break situation for Bonnar. Three losses in a row is a scary situation, as is a fight with a Forrest Griffin who undoubtedly feels he has something big to prove.

That being said, a third installment would certainly round out a nice trilogy. Unfortunately, the fact that Bonnar lost each time causes a third bout to lose some of the allure it could claim had it been a rubber match.

While this fight is unlikely, the UFC could have a field day promoting it. With a tag line such as "the match up that started it all," the UFC could look back once again at the season finale of "The Ultimate Fighter's" first season, displaying how far the UFC has certainly come since that point.

Unfortunately for Bonnar, this fight makes little sense in terms of a match up based on rankings. The latter two options would certainly serve as better opponents for Griffin, who has risen to a level well above Bonnar's.

Keith Jardine

Keith Jardine has built a career off defeating big names and former champions. His record includes victories over Chuck Liddell, Brandon Vera, and Forrest Griffin.

However, his last two fights have led to unfavorable outcomes for "The Dean of Mean." After dropping a close decision to Quinton Jackson, his brutal knockout loss to Thiago Silva at UFC 102 has sent Jardine several steps back from a title shot that may forever be out of his reach.

However, while he may be on a two-fight downslide, Jardine has incredible value to the UFC, regardless of his recent performance. He is always willing to fight the best, and he is never to be counted out of a fight, as his bouts with Liddell and Griffin have proven.

A rematch with Forrest Griffin is an interesting match up for Joe Silva and the UFC. Jardine is always looking to fight big names, and Griffin is certainly a big name.

However, Jardine does not have nearly as much to gain from a victory in a rematch as does Forrest Griffin.

Jardine repeating past success would simply be proof that the first time was not a fluke. However, Griffin defeating Jardine would be revenge for the former champion.

If one fighter beats another fighter, then loses in a rematch, the second fight's result always holds more weight. Jardine may be best off with simply finding a different opponent.

However, a match up between Jardine and Griffin would give "The Dean of Mean" an opportunity to prove his worth once again, while Griffin would receive an opportunity for redemption.

Each fighter desperately needs this win to regain lost legitimacy in the division, which makes this rematch a very intriguing one.

Rich Franklin

Vitor Belfort's demolition of Rich "Ace" Franklin may be the last time the former middleweight champion fights below the 200-pound mark, as he looks forward to a stint in the light heavyweight division.

However, Franklin has built a reputation as one of the best all-around fighters in the UFC and will land a big name upon his entrance back into the 205-pound division. Forrest Griffin could very well be the big name that awaits him.

Griffin and Franklin have both become fan favorites over the years, and this fight would certainly be a huge opportunity for each fighter.

Another similarity the two share is that they have each been decimated by recently anointed pound-for-pound king Anderson Silva.

A bout between Griffin and Franklin makes the most sense out of the options presented. While the UFC would have a hard time pushing this fight as a main event at this point, each fighter is a huge name in the sport.

Fortunately, UFC 108 is not a sub-par card in the least, and this solid match up could find its way onto it.

However, this fight is not only a great match up, but the timing is also phenomenal. UFC 108 is scheduled for Jan. 2 of next year, giving each fighter plenty of time for preparation.

While this fight would not even serve as a co-main event on this card, it would certainly round out UFC 108 nicely, which makes a Franklin vs. Griffin bout possibly the UFC's best option in terms of finding an opponent for Forrest Griffin.

The UFC Light Heayvweight Division: Decline In Elite Competition

Nate Lawson — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:36:38 -0400

The UFC light heavyweight division has long been deemed the deepest and most popular division in the organization. Since the two year reign of Chuck Liddell as the division’s champion, which ended in May of 2007 by the hands of Quinton Jackson, the 205 pound division has seen four different champions. Jackson is the only one of those to successfully defend his belt.

That says quite a lot about the level of competition.

However, the meteoric rise of Lyoto Machida to championship status has serious implications for the fan favorite of UFC divisions.

Machida has gone through his career without the feeling of losing. Not only has he never lost a fight, he has never lost a single round. His run did not stop when he faced Rashad Evans at UFC 98 to gain the title.

Not since Chuck Liddell has the division seen someone run through the competition like Machida has. That being said, the potential many see in Machida, sees the champion flying well over the successes of “The Iceman”, which may pose a threat to the division’s competition.

Yet that is not the only factor in the division’s potential problems in the future regarding the level of competition.

Earlier this week, former UFC and Pride champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson announced via a blog on his website that he would no longer be fighting, as he pursues a career on the silver screen.

Dana White took the news with a laid back, unconcerned attitude, yet the decision by Jackson has serious implications for the division.

The light heavyweight picture rounds out with Forrest Griffin, Thiago Silva, Rashad Evans, Mauricio Rua, and, if he hangs at 205 long enough, Anderson Silva at the top of the list.

However, Anderson Silva refuses to fight Lyoto Machida. Dana White will probably not be able to make that fight happen considering Silva does not need to win that belt to stay atop the pound for pound list.

Yet another problem is the fact that two of the men listed above have already fought, and lost, to Lyoto Machida. Rua is fighting Machida at UFC 104. If he is to lose, the UFC may have to settle for unwarranted rematches.

Rashad Evans was brutalized by Machida, and was supposed to have the opportunity to rebound against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. The winner of that fight would undoubtedly receive a title shot, especially if “Rampage” hailed victorious.

However, that fight is not in the picture for the moment, and early rumor has suggested that Thiago Silva will fight Rashad Evans for the number one contendership.

Yet, whoever wins that fight will be entering a fight with Machida (assuming he wins at UFC 104) with a serious chip on his shoulder. Machida tore both Evans and Silva apart, and it is hard to imagine that either would be ready for a rematch by early spring of 2010.

The UFC would have a difficult time promoting either of those fighters in a rematch as neither gave Machida a problem during their first bout.

While each of those fighters are extremely talented, and Thiago Silva showed his resilience by destroying Keith Jardine at UFC 102, neither are at the point where they can really challenge the champion. In a year or two, either of those men could be champion, especially Thiago Silva, who is still very young and has a hunger for that belt that is similar to that of Machida’s.

This whole scenario could have been put off for the moment with “Rampage” Jackson still in the picture. If Jackson fought Evans and pulled off a victory, that would leave the UFC with a clear contender, and one who hadn’t lost to Machida before.

Yet, it seems that fight is not to be, considering Jackson’s decision to leave for a career as an actor.

Outside of the top five in the division, the UFC has brought back several fighters, as well bringing in a new one, to benefit the division’s competition.

Both Rich Franklin and Tito Ortiz are familiar with the light heavyweight division. Ortiz even held the belt for a time. However, one thing the two have in common is that they each have lost to Machida.

The UFC also recently announced the signing of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Maybe the best thing he has going for him is that he has not lost to Machida. With a solid skill set, Noguiera may be able to climb into title contention.

However, none of these three pose a serious threat to Machida’s belt. Ortiz has been gone for quite some time, Franklin was demolished by Vitor Belfort (whose performance was eerily similar to one that Machida would put on), and Nogueira has not seen the competition level the UFC can offer in quite some time.

With the three older fighters attempting to make a run towards Machida’s belt, at least the UFC does have some young guns with good potential.

Both Jon Jones and Luiz Cane have risen in the toughest division with several impressive performances. Either could turn into a phenomenal fighter, yet they are each years away from reaching the full potential they need to. Speaking of young fighters, Thiago Silva makes the cut considering he is only 24 years old. This seriously helps Silva’s case considering his career could last for another decade, along with Jones and Cane.

With the young stars rising in the divison, as well as the new and returning stars of the division who have been around for years, the UFC has some great competition. Add the four top contenders and the division seems as competitive as ever.

However, Lyoto Machida, at this point, is in a class of his own. The division is basically Lyoto Machida, and then everybody else. He has yet to have much of a challenge, running through opponents, and the top of the division is filled with fighters he has already victimized.

The UFC light heavyweight division is still the most competitive division in the UFC, and it is safe to say that it is the most competitive division in mixed martial arts. However, the competition begins to fall off when Lyoto Machida enters the picture.

With Anderson Silva refusing to fight “The Dragon”, it is growing increasingly difficult to find the champion a fighter who can actually give him a run for his money. Until the UFC reaches out to grab a guy like Gegard Mousasi, who has all the potential in the world, the organization better hope for vast improvements out of fighters such as Thiago Silva, Forrest Griffin, and Rashad Evans.

At this point, it is hard to argue that T. Silva has the most potential out of the three to hold the belt before his career is over. He continues to improve and the loss to Machida extremely hurt the light heavyweight star.

But until Silva reaches a point well above where he is right now, the UFC looks towards coming to terms with Mousasi, or if Mauricio “Shogun” Rua of PRIDE decides to reappear, the UFC light heavyweight division’s competition at the highest level will be greatly hindered.

The division still holds elite status when it comes to depth. However, the depth of the division may not be able to make up for the void in competition at the championship ranks.

Kampmann Loses, UFC Welterweight Division in Chaos

Nate Lawson — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:04:57 -0400

When a fighter enters the cage with the nickname of "Semtex," that usually means playing the stand up game with him is not in your best interest.

Someone forgot to tell that to Martin Kampmann.

Kampmann met Paul Daley last evening in a welterweight match up. Daley entered the fight with heavy hands, but no ground game whatsoever. Kampmann entered with solid muy-thai and a great skill set on the ground.

However, the fighters never hit the ground, and Daley was able to knockout "The Hitman" early in the first round.

Kampmann was one of the top contenders in the welterweight division and was scheduled to fight Mike "Quick" Swick for the position of number one contender of the UFC welterweight division.

Now, Kampmann has fallen out of title contention in a division that needed him to step up, as the 170 pound weight class of the UFC continues to fall into chaos thanks to three top contenders who refuse to fight one another.

Josh Koscheck, Mike Swick, and Jon Fitch all have two things in common. They all are close to the top of the division, and they all train at the same camp, American Kickboxing Academy.

The camp affiliation and friendship these men share is causing quite the mess for the welterweight division, and quite the headache for Dana White and Joe Silva.

The three top welterweights have no desire to fight one another, yet they each find themselves in positions where bouts opposite one another make sense.

Koscheck defeated Frank Trigg very convincingly last evening. Jon Fitch defeated Paulo Thiago at UFC 100 in a dominant decision victory. Mike Swick has run through all competition at 170 pounds. These three have all put themselves in a position very close to a title shot.

The problem is deciding who the top contender is between three welterweights who will not fight one another.

Koscheck’s victory over Trigg was convincing, yet his first match up with Georges St. Pierre was nothing to be proud of. Fitch was also dominated by Georges St. Pierre.

That leaves Mike “Quick” Swick.

He has never fought St. Pierre, but Swick has plowed through everyone in the welterweight division. With his exciting fighting style and quick finishes, he could pose a threat to St. Pierre. The fact that he has never fought the champion also makes the scenario more interesting.

If Swick can get back into the octagon fairly shortly and pick up a victory over someone like Matt Hughes, denying him the title shot would be a tragedy, especially given the situation. With St. Pierre recovering from an abductor injury, the timing may just work out perfectly.

However, if Swick is to lose his next fight, the division will fall into further chaos and a fight between two of the three AKA teammates may become inevitable.

After Martin Kampmann's upset loss to Paul "Semtex" Daley, the welterweight division has fallen into further chaos. If Swick is unable to win his next fight, a legitimate opponent for Georges St. Pierre is going to be hard to find.

While a bout between Swick and Fitch would help clear up the divisional chaos, the fighters continue to refuse to fight one another, which is undoubtedly irritating Dana White.

The boss may not be willing to put up with this aspect of mixed martial arts much longer, as camp affiliation is greatly hindering the UFC welterweight division's effort to find a clear number one contender.

Updated UFC 103 Weigh-In Results: Belfort, Escudero Make The Cut

Nate Lawson — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:20:24 -0400

The UFC rolls into the Dallas Convention Center Arena this evening to conduct the weigh-ins for UFC 103, which is set to take place Saturday evening in Dallas, Texas.

UFC 103 is headlined by Rich "Ace" Franklin and Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort, as the latter is set to make his return to the UFC.

Although Mike Swick was scheduled to fight Martin Kampmann on this card, the rest of the bouts fill out the card nicely.

Mirko Filipovic is set to take on Junior Dos Santos, while Kampmann will face late-minute replacement Paul Daley.

The entire card is listed below with the results being available starting at 5 PM EST.

UFC 103

Main Event:

Catchweight (195): Rich Franklin (195) vs. Vitor Belfort (196.25) Must lose one-quarter pound.

Main Card:

Heavyweight (265): Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (226) vs. Junior Dos Santos (236)

Welterweight (170): Martin "The Hitman" Kampmann (170) vs. Paul "Semtax" Daley (169.5)

Welterweight (170): Josh Koscheck (170) vs. Frank Trigg (170)

Catchweight (159): Hermes Franca (159) vs. Tyson Griffin (155)

Under Card:

Lightweight (155): Efrain Escudero (157) vs. Cole Miller (155) Escudero must lose one pound.

Lightweight (155): Jim Miller (154.5) vs. Steve Lopez (154.5)

Lightweight (155): Rafaello Oliveira (155.25) vs. Nick Lentz (155)

Middleweight (185): Tomasz Drwal (185) vs. Drew McFedries (185.25)

Welterweight (170): Brian Foster (170.75) vs. Rick Story (170)

Light Heavyweight (205): Eliot Marshall (204.75) vs. Jason Brilz (205.25)

Light Heavyweight (205): Vladimir Matyushenko (205) vs. Igor Pokrajac (203)

Lightweight (155): Rafael Dos Anjos (155.5) vs. Rob Emerson (155.5)

Update: Both Efrain Escudero and Vitor Belfort were able to make their respective weights. Escudero cut to 156, while Belfort was able to lose the quarter pound he needed to.

According to Jeremy Botter at Inside Fights, Belfort's cut took a lot out of him.

Escudero seemed to be affected as well. He updated his Facebook status just over 20 minutes ago (8:20 EST). His status read, "made weight but this was the worst 156".

Both fighters seemed to struggle with the weight loss, which could cause some concern heading into tomorrow night's fights.

Roger Huerta: The Heart of "El Matador"

Nate Lawson — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:41:19 -0400

Roger Huerta’s decision to leave the UFC over one year ago to pursue a film career among other ventures presented the feeling that he no longer had the will to fight. That fighter’s mentality that is necessary to compete in the sport.

After three rounds with Gray Maynard at Ultimate Fight Night 19, Huerta showed that though he may be indecisive on his career path, he still has the heart, skill, and, apparently, the pain tolerance to compete at the highest level of mixed martial arts.

Regardless of what Cecil Peoples will tell you, Huerta won the first round through the use of solid combinations (a set of which even stunned Maynard fairly badly), along with incredible takedown defense against one of the best and biggest wrestlers in the division.

Unfortunately, fatigue caught him in the second and third round as his takedown defense was not enough against Maynard’s wrestling.

Yet the true moment that belonged to Roger Huerta in that fight was in the third round. Maynard had stuck Huerta to the mat, and even he was unable to scramble out of it. Maynard worked for a kimura, and it looked like a very good one.

With tremendous amount of torque put forth on his shoulder and arm, Huerta continued to remain calm. He quite simply refused to quit. Maynard let it go, and several minutes later the fight had ended.

Huerta came up short on the judges’ scorecards, though one judge saw it fit to give him the victory due to the close second round.

This was Huerta’s first bout since August of 2008, a fight he lost to former number one contender Kenny Florian. After the fight, Huerta announced his indefinite hiatus from mixed martial arts and the UFC to pursue a career on the silver screen.

The irony of the matter is that the Hollywood movies about the man who came from humble roots to success and stardom mirrors Huerta’s life in an uncanny way.

Spending several years of his life on the streets due to a tragic fallout of his family, Huerta stayed in school and became involved in wrestling. The same person that coached him into the wrestler he is today adopted Huerta when Roger reached the age of 19.

Shortly after, Huerta became involved in mixed martial arts, participating in his first fight on Aug. 2 of 2003. Working his way through lower echelon organizations and promotions, Huerta rose to a career in the UFC.

After two victories inside the octagon, Huerta took on a bout with Leonard Garcia. Sports Illustrated was looking to have a mixed martial artist featured on the cover of one of their magazines, believing Randy Couture was the man for the job.

However, after three rounds of non-stop excitement and a tremendous photograph of Huerta in action, Sports Illustrated decided to give the boy from humble beginnings a place on the front of one of their magazines.

Since that day, Huerta managed to win three more fights, along with gaining the support of fans worldwide, who were sad to see him walk away with such a promising future ahead of him.

Yet, he stepped back into the octagon last evening with the same ability and desire to win that all of his fans had grown so accustomed to, as he showed the kind of heart it takes to be a fighter.

While he may have came up on the short end a decision, Huerta came to fight, and showed no signs that he could not compete with the best in the lightweight division. He was able to strike well, utilize kicks, and avoid an almost sure submission.

Roger Huerta may go on to a career in the movie industry, or move on to another profession he finds more passion in. Just know that on the night of Sept. 16, 2009, Roger Huerta’s heart was as visible as the tribal tattoo running down his left arm.

Justin Wren's Take On "The Ultimate Fighter 10"

Nate Lawson — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:03:46 -0400

After a tumultuous road to “The Ultimate Fighter”, which included several fights being cancelled due to no-shows, Justin Wren hopped on a last minute flight to Las Vegas, Nevada for the interview portion of “The Ultimate Fighter” selection. The interviews went well and Wren was given the opportunity to participate as one of 16 heavyweights featured on the show’s tenth season.

Wren’s opportunity came with mixed emotions, as he was planning on flying over seas to train and fight. However, the realization that this opportunity was, in fact, a once in a lifetime chance, Wren decided the shot at a UFC contract was definitely worth a couple of months of work.

“I only wanted to go into it if I thought I could win it,” stated Wren. “I thought I could be very competitive and possibly win it. I was excited man. I was pumped up. It was a great experience being on the show.”

Wren is a part of a cast which includes a handful of former NFL stars, many accomplished mixed martial artists, and the Youtube sensation who goes by the name of Kimbo Slice.

However, Slice’s presence was not made known to the other contestants until the very last minute.

In the sneak preview released by the UFC, after all fighters lined up, Dana White announced that there were only 15 fighters present. He then announced Kimbo Slice would also be participating. Kimbo then proceeded to walk into the room as fighters left and right seemed excited to get a shot against him.

“If you see me on that video, I am just smiling ear to ear,” stated Wren. “I was pumped. I just started clapping and I was excited. I’ve been wanting to fight that guy even before I started fighting professionally. To have him in the house was awesome.”

Slice entered the house with more street credibility than anyone else on the show. Yet Wren says that side of Kevin Ferguson is not visible throughout the show.

“He’s really personable,” said Wren. “He’s making jokes with us. He’s cooking dinner for almost all the cast.”

Speaking of dinner, with 16 heavyweights living in the same house the amount of food consumed had to be record-breaking.

“I think we tripled or quadrupled the food budget,” said the young heavyweight. “The season before was 155 pounders and 170 pounders, and they all had to worry about their weight and stuff. It was just a really cool experience to get to eat whatever we wanted whenever we wanted.”

The food consumed may have led to a much larger tab for the UFC, yet the action that comes with the heavyweights will more than make up for the bill.

The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 features an enormous cast, both in talent and in size. The heavyweight season is set to premiere on Sep. 16, and the hopes are high for what many are considering will be the best season yet.

“Absolutely. This season of the Ultimate Fighter is by far the best season,” stated Wren. “I have been a fan of MMA since I was thirteen, and have been a fan of the show since I was in high school. This is by far the best season.”

While the 16 big guys will certainly garner plenty of viewers, the drama from the reality show brings in quite a few as well. With Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Rashad Evans opposite one another, the coaching drama will reach an all time high. According to Wren, the hatred between the two is extremely genuine.

“I thought the whole thing was an act. I thought they were just trying to sell more tickets, but these guys really do hate each other. They do not like each other one bit. There was one time where me and some of the guys had to pull them off of each other.”

However, hatred aside, Wren credits the two rivals for being excellent coaches.

“They have been where I want to go,” stated Wren. “They have been world champions and just to learn from them, being under their tutelage was just the best.”

With a combination of the coaches’ hatred and the heavyweight action, the tenth installment of the Ultimate Fighter will give the fans what they are looking for, along with giving 16 fighters a chance for further advancement in their young careers.

Along with 15 other guys, Justin Wren entered the “Ultimate Fighter” house, bringing with him great size, skill, and heart to match. With those three qualities, he could very well leave that house as the winner.

Yet regardless of the end result, the future holds big things for this heavyweight, as he takes on the most competitive cast of “Ultimate Fighter” hopefuls the series has ever had.

Dave "Pee Wee" Herman: Exclusive Interview

Nate Lawson — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:11:37 -0400

Between December of 2006 and November of 2008, Dave “Pee Wee” Herman had gained victories in all of his bouts. On the fourth day of 2009, Herman finally felt the agony of defeat, and it changed him for the better.

While Herman continued to win fight after fight, leading to a remarkable 13 fight winning streak, his preparation was not at the level necessary to continue his climb in mixed martial arts.

Four months after his first taste of defeat, Herman stormed through Josh Barnes to a TKO victory at Bellator Fighting Championships 4. Perhaps a new and lengthy winning streak was about to begin.

Yet with another victory, Herman has gained attention in the fighting community, along with gaining stiffer competition for future fights.

The second part of a possible winning streak begins with a man with over a decade’s worth of experience. At 43, Don Frye has undoubtedly seen it all in the sport.

At almost 20 years younger than Frye, Herman still has a lot to prove, as the two men are set to meet at Shark Fights 6, taking place on Sept. 12.

Serving as the main event of the evening, Frye vs. Herman will undoubtedly give the judges a break, as neither man is fond of going to a decision. Fyre has gone to the scorecards four times throughout his career. Herman has not gone once.

A knockout is in order for this fight, and it will cap off the evening with a bang, as Shark Fights presents its sixth event.

For Frye, it is a night to prove that his age cannot hold him back, as he looks to continue his legacy. For Herman, it is a night to begin his own legacy. Through better training, a new camp, and the undying will to succeed, Herman plans to do just that.

Dave Herman sat down for an interview discussing his latest fight and all things MMA. The interview transcript is available below, detailing his thoughts on Don Frye, what he wants his new nickname to be, and what he thinks Kimbo Slice’s chances are on “The Ultimate Fighter”.

Nate Lawson: Well I’ll begin with your next fight, which is at Shark Fights where you will be fighting Don Frye. What is it like to fight a guy like Frye, who has been fighting professionally since 1996?

Dave Herman: I’m pretty excited about it. He definitely has a lot of experience and he’s been fighting a while. I don’t really know what it’s like yet. I’ll know a little better probably on Sunday.

Nate Lawson: How has the training for this fight been compared to your previous fight?, considering Frye is quite notable figure in mixed martial arts.

Dave Herman: Well, I switched my training a little. Just, you know, trying different things out. See what works best for me, but training wise I really didn’t do anything different just for this fight. It was kind of, in general, it didn’t matter who I would be fighting.

Nate Lawson: Frye is almost 20 years older than you. Do you see this as a disadvantage because of his experience, or an advantage due to your youth?

Dave Herman: Man, I mean it’s both. He definitely has more experience, but I’ve got youth on my side, so it’s kind of a split.

Nate Lawson: You have never once went to a decision, and Frye as only gone to a decision like four times. And you have only entered the third round once, and it was pretty quick. I am sure in your eyes the judges can take the night off for your fight, but how do you see yourself winning this fight in specific?

Dave Herman: I am more than happy to win any way he will let me, but I don’t see it going to a decision either.

Nate Lawson: Many fighters say that you learn much more from a loss than from a win. What did you learn after your second round defeat to Choi Mu Bae? How did that loss benefit you? What was the good you found?

Dave Herman: Well, once it happened, I actually moved to Nashville and I am now training at Nashville MMA. Prior to that I was not really training, just kind of exercising and working out at my house.

Nate Lawson: You are undoubtedly looking to launch another impressive winning streak. Aside from that, what are your goals for the rest of 2009, besides beating Don Frye?

Dave Herman: Well, I would really like to fight in Japan again on Sengoku if I can. Or they can book really another fight anywhere. I’m open to anything.

Nate Lawson: A common outlook on fighting is taking your career one fight at a time, but what long term goals, as far as organizations or championships, do you have? Have you thought about that a lot or are you just focusing fight to fight?

Dave Herman: I mostly focus fight to fight. Organizations or what not. Ill probably happy no matter where I end up, so long as I am getting fights.

Nate Lawson: You fight in a weight class that features some of the biggest names in the sport, including Fedor Emelianenko and Brock Lesnar. When do you see your name being a part of that list? How much longer until you believe your name reaches that status?

Dave Herman: I have no idea. Probably to get there I would have to beat one of those guys, so we’ll see if that ever happens.

Nate Lawson: Are there any specific fighters you would like to face at some point in your career? Any names?

Dave Herman: Not really. You know, I’m open for anything, anybody. It’s pretty much whatever opportunity I am offered, I plan on taking full advantage of it.

Nate Lawson: Your nickname is Pee Wee, yet that is hardly fitting as many of your opponents will attest to. How did that nickname come about?

Dave Herman: I actually didn’t want to have a nickname, and people were throwing out some that I was not that big of a fan of. And I was like, “Think of a stupid nickname? How about Pee Wee.” I probably should have kept my mouth shut because that’s what it is now.

Nate Lawson: And it stuck. You ever think about changing it?

Dave Herman: Yeah, to the Blueberry Muffin.

Nate Lawson: Why the Blueberry Muffin?

Dave Herman: Because I love blueberry muffins.

Nate Lawson: The Ultimate Fighter 10 is set to air next week. What are your thoughts on “The Ultimate Fighter” as a show, and what about a fellow former Elite XC heavyweight in Kimbo Slice?

Dave Herman: I mean, “The Ultimate Fighter” as a show. I think it has done a lot to the sport, especially at the beginning. It seems like a lot of the later shows are less about talent and more about what’s going to get people to watch the show, but that’s TV. Kimbo, I was never really that impressed with him. I met him in Florida, and he’s a good bare-knuckle boxer. But in MMA? Not so much.

Nate Lawson: How do you think he is going to do on the show against some big guys that really mean business?

Dave Herman: He might win a fight or two, but there’s no way he will ever win the show.

Nate Lawson: Did you ever think about at some point in your career being involved in “The Ultimate Fighter”?

Dave Herman: Right at the very beginning, yes. But at this point, no.

Nate Lawson: That about wraps it up. Anything you want to add? Anyone you want to thank?

Dave Herman: I would like to thank my manager Mike Camp and F1 Management. I would also like to thank the gym here in Nashville, Ed Clay’s Nashville MMA, for having me down and letting me be a part of it.

Nate Lawson: Thanks for your time and I wish you the best of luck.

Dave Herman: Thank you.

Bob Arum Labels MMA Fighters Homosexuals, Fans Skinheads

Nate Lawson — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:02:31 -0400

Bob Arum is one of the most well known promoters in all of boxing, and his spot in the limelight often yields interesting (more like ignorant) comments.

That was the case once again as Ariel Helwani of AOL Fanhouse interviewed Arum at Yankee Stadium, location of the Pacquio-Cotto press conference.

The first part of the interview went fairly smoothly, with Arum taking his stand against Floyd Mayweather once again, calling him a "defensive" and "scared" fighter.

However, his first interesting comment came almost four minutes into the interview with Arum stating that Mayweather is not entertaining in the ring, but outside of it.

"Outside the ring, he shoots up cars. He does other things like that and he entertains," stated Arum. "But in the ring, he is not an entertaining fighter."

Arum does not think that a Pacquio-Mayweather superfight will ever come to pass. That is a fight that boxing desperately needs. For Arum, preserving the sport should come to mind, and that fight needs to happen.

However, the 77-year-old's finest moments were yet to come, as the topic of mixed martial arts was brought to the forefront.

In his typical manner, while continuing to refer to MMA as UFC, Arum bashed the sports fans, labelling them as "a bunch of skinhead white guys".

And it did not stop there.

Arum moved from the fans to the fighters, stating that the fighters are "guys rolling around like homosexuals".

These comments were quite bold. Yet they were not as bold as they were purely ignorant. Arum continues his run of being the grumpiest man in sports, and, with the way mixed martial arts is taking over boxing, it is probably hard for him to put much cognitive thought elsewhere as long as he is busy bashing mixed martial arts and trying to figure out how boxing can continue without a Pacquio-Mayweather fight.

While boxing continues to fall out of favor with fight fans, mixed martial arts continues its rise. Arum clearly is not handling it well as once again he his brash comments will fail to convince any mixed martial arts fan that his sport is superior.

On another note, I have to commend Ariel Helwani for the way he handled himself in the interview. Arum took a negative and ignorant stance against MMA, and Helwani defended himself, the sport, and pushed back at Arum. The result, a great interview. Great job by Ariel Helwani of Fanhouse.com.

Leo Howard: From the Mats to the Movies

Nate Lawson — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:15:05 -0400

G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra brought together an impressive list of actors and actresses, including Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Robert Park, and Marlon Wayans. The film garnered high hopes and proved itself worthy of those heightened projections as it grossed well over $200 million.

While the cast may have been a solid list of actors, one kid on the cast stands out in a big way.

Leo Howard has been featured as the host of Disney Channel’s Leo Little’s Big Show, as well as gaining the lead roles in the movies Shorts and Logan. He has accomplished all of this in his acting career before even reaching the age of 13.

However, Howard’s love for acting is matched by yet another big part of his life—something that sets him apart from many who call the silver screen home.

For the past several years, Howard has been involved with a martial arts-based group called Side Swipe Performance Team. The team travels the country performing highly entertaining shows featuring the members using their backgrounds in martial arts.

Howard described it as “mixtures of all types of martial arts” and an “acrobatic mirage.” The team is headed up by Howard’s trainer, Matt Mullins, a man for whom he holds a great deal of respect.

“My instructor Matt Mullins is just the best guy in the world,” Howard said. “He’s awesome.”

Howard began training under Mullins at a young age after his instructor made an exception by letting such a young participant into his class, and Howard has taken full advantage of the opportunity by staying as actively involved as possible.

“I’ve done all kinds of martial arts,” explained Howard. “I have my blackbelt in Shorei Ru. I’m doing Wu Shu. I do all kinds of different martial arts.”

With an impressive list of successes in the movie industry thus far, Howard has still made plenty of time for his love for martial arts, describing his interest as a “passion.”

At a younger age, Howard took his passion for acting and martial arts into consideration when he told his parents he wanted to be the next Chuck Norris. However, his goal has since changed from striving to be like Norris or Bruce Lee.

“Bruce Lee only played himself. Chuck Norris is a martial artist that does acting,” explained Howard. “I want to be an actor that does martial arts.”

In terms of acting, Howard wants to be like two of his favorite actors, Jack Nicholson and Anthony Hopkins.

While Howard has plenty of experience in martial arts, both he and his parents are not interested in a career as a mixed martial artist, as a fighter. However, he is interested in one of the arts many successful fighters use to be successful.

“I wanted to learn BJJ for a while now, just for fun. But I wouldn’t be a fighter,” stated Howard.

Though fighting in a mixed martial arts organization seems out of the question, Howard lists Brock Lesnar and Georges St. Pierre as two of his favorite fighters, in a sport he is beginning to really appreciate.

While he may be years away from attaining the fame of Bruce Lee, and several movies away from gaining the status that Chuck Norris has achieved, through his work in martial arts, Side Swipe Performance Team, and his face being shown on movie theatre screens across the nation, Howard is growing ever closer to his goal.

No matter the fame he gains or the awards he wins, Howard claims he will always remember his roots in martial arts.

“I would be nowhere without martial arts,” concluded Howard. “It’s a passion.”

Making Sense of the UFC Middleweight Madness

Nate Lawson — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:03:17 -0400

There was a time in the UFC middleweight division where all qualified contenders to Anderson Silva's thrown had been disposed of. The time following created title fights with one of the world's best against the likes of Thales Leites and Patrick Cote, ending with disasterous results.

Now, two of the former once thought to be quality contenders are back, as Dan Henderson and Nate Marquardt each ended their last fight with a brutal knockout.

Both of these 185-pounders are the clear contenders to face Anderson Silva, yet neither may recieve it just yet.

The scenarios available for the middleweight division have grown numerous since UFC 100. Whether Marquardt recieves the title shot, or Henderson, the possibilities seems endless. Will they have to fight one another for the shot? Will Anderson Silva never return to Middleweight?

There are several possibilites for the fighters atop the division. Yet the question remains as to which one can clear up the madness of the UFC middleweight division.

Nate Marquardt or Dan Henderson Recieves Title Shot

Both Marquardt and Henderson feel they deserve the title shot, though the latter mentioned clearly wants it more.

Henderson has stated that if he does not get the title shot immediately, he will leave the division, sending him to the light heavyweight division. However, Marquardt said he will fight whoever the UFC puts him up against, whether it be Henderson or Silva, he would be fine with it.

If Henderson gets the title shot, Marquardt would easily be the number three ranked middleweight in the UFC. He would likely fight Yoshiro Akiyama or a fighter of similar status, fighting once again for the top contender spot.

If Marquardt receives the green light to fight Anderson Silva, then Dan Henderson would no doubt stick to his word and jump to light heavyweight.

While either of the two top contenders could recieve the title shot, it seems unlikely that either of the scenarios will actually happen.

Dan Henderson and Nate Marquardt Fight for the Title of Top Contender

Anderson Silva believes that Marquardt and Henderson should fight one another to prove who truly deserves a rematch with the champion. Henderson disagrees.

A fight between Henderson and Marquardt is highly unlikely, unless Henderson is not planning on sticking to his threat to change landscapes if he does not get the shot.

It is hard to believe that Henderson wants to waste his work at middleweight to jump into the shark pool that is the UFC light heavyweight division, but one wonders how many fights he has left, and he may not want to waste one fighting for a title shot he believes he should already have.

As previously stated, Marquardt would be fine with fighting Henderson. He possibly is not as anxious as he once was for a rematch with Anderson Silva.

While this scenario is obviously the most sensible, it is also the most unlikely, unless Henderson has a change of heart.

Anderson Silva Vacates Title; Marquardt-Henderson Fight for Belt

The most interesting scenario would be Anderson Silva leaving the Middleweight division for good to focus on his light heavyweight and heavyweight endeavors.

This would leave Marquardt and Henderson as the obvious choices to fight for the belt, while Yushin Okami would not be far behind.

However, the reason that this scenario would be most intriguing lies in the fact that for once in several years, the division will actually be competitive regarding title fights. Silva has been a tyrant at 185 since his entry into the UFC. His departure would make the division more interesting than it has been in years.

The chances of this actually occuring is probably unlikely. The fact that the light heavyweight belt is out of the question for Silva as long as Lyoto Machida holds it makes it unlikely that Silva wants to just hand over his belt.

This option would clearly be the best option for all middleweight fighters in the UFC, while it would also make the division much more competitive, which is a plus for the UFC.

The UFC Middleweight division has been ruled by Anderson Silva ever since his first fight in the organization. He has disposed of the top competition in the division, and now a couple of his victims are back for revenge.

Both Marquardt and Henderson should have to fight one another for a chance at the title, but that is unlikely due to Henderson's thoughts on the fight.

Regardless of the scenario that actually takes place, only one will really benefit the middleweight division, and that is the departure of Anderson Silva. If he remains, than we can expect more of the same for several fights to come.

The Stock Report: UFC 102

Nate Lawson — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:22:18 -0400

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s journey to Portland, Oregon provided a stellar card with an absolutely phenomenal main event, leaving the Rose Garden exploding with cheers of approval.

The fighters that made the card as successful as it was include Nate Marquardt and Thiago Silva, who were the events biggest winners, while Keith Jardine, Demian Maia, and Chris Leben now watch as they fall back in the division. The event’s winners and losers now see where they stand with the rising, or falling, of their respective fighter stock.

Rising Stock:

Nate Marquardt:

Marquardt has already fought Anderson Silva, and did not fair as well as he hoped. At UFC 102, he fought the man some were saying could beat Anderson Silva, simply because of his Brazilian jiu-jitsu wizardry. However, Marquardt made quick work of Demian Maia, setting himself up for a potential title shot.

However, another top contender and victim of Silva’s believes he deserves the fight against “the Spider”. Dan Henderson stated that if he is not given the title shot, he would move up to the 205 pound division. However, the most sensible fight would be one for top contendership between Henderson and Marquardt.

If Henderson moves up to the light heavyweight division, that would seem to be the green light for Marquardt to face Silva once again. However, the curveball of the story is the fact that Anderson Silva only has three fights remaining on his contract, and the UFC wants to make each one of them worth every penny. The rumor that Silva could be staying about 200 pounds (either at Heavyweight or Light Heavyweight) makes the situation all the more interesting.

If that is the case, Silva may choose to give up his belt for future endeavors outside of the middleweight division. That would leave Marquardt and Henderson the best matchup for a title fight. However, whether or not Silva gives up his belt, Marquardt and Henderson makes complete sense. The UFC is not going to waste one of Silva’s remaining fights on someone who they feel needs to prove himself further.

Marquardt and Henderson having already lost to Silva does not help either’s case in getting the fight they both extremely desire.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira:

Nogueira’s performance at UFC 102 displayed that everyone who thought he was done was dead wrong. “Minotauro” brought his thought to be extinct boxing prowess, along with his ever-dangerous ground game into the fight, and left with a unanimous decision victory over Randy Couture.

However, the winner of Lesnar versus Carwin seems to be out of the question for Nogueria. He will likely be matched up in a fight with the winner of Dos Santos-Cro-Cop, or perhaps even the winner of Velasquez-Rothwell, though the latter seems more unlikely. A matchup with Gabriel Gonzaga, while also unlikely, would have perfect timing, along with being an interesting matchup in itself.

Although a future opponent for Nogueira remains unclear, his performance last evening was the true victory. Displaying great standup, and even better ground game, Nogueira has once again proven that even though at times he may be down, he never is out.

Thiago Silva:

Thiago Silva’s last fight ended with a brutal knockout at the hands of current divisional champion Lyoto Machida. At the time of the bout, Machida had not gained the reputation he now can claim, sending Silva further down the light heavyweight rank.

However, the dominance of Lyoto Machida displayed at UFC 98, along with Silva’s equally dominant performance last evening has launched the powerful 205 pounder well into the top ten of the division to once again be tested by divisional elite, possibly beginning with a former light heavyweight champion.

Forrest’s Griffin’s first round fallout to Anderson Silva leaves the first Ultimate Fighter with something to prove. Having always been placed against the highest of competition, Griffin may end up against the rising Thiago Silva.

This fight would allow Griffin redemption against a fighter who in one night has been launched into the top tier of the division. At the same time, Silva would be given another opportunity at one of the division’s top five.

The UFC will undoubtedly look to bank off of Silva’s skyrocketing stock, while Forest Griffin remains a fan favorite. The fight, like every one of Griffin’s, will garner tremendous hype. The recent success of Thiago Silva will only aid in making this fight a bout the fans cannot wait for.

Other possible opponents include Luiz Cane, Jon Jones, or Brandon Vera, as Silva and the other three look to make a run for the division’s top five.

Unchanged Stock:

Randy Couture:

Couture may have lost his battle to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira last night, but after three exciting rounds, Couture showed everyone why he is one of the most popular figures in mixed martial arts.

While Couture’s post fight interview with Joe Rogan left everyone with a feeling of uncertainty, the post fight press conference alleviated all doubts. Couture has signed a six fight contract over 28 months.

The first fight of his new contract will likely pit “The Natural” up against another heavyweight, and a good one at that. With the young Cain Velasquez fighting at UFC 104, the timing may work out for those two heavyweights to meet, while several other potential opponents would remain. Depending on the outcome of the Mirko Cro-Cop-Junior Dos Santos fight, Couture may find an opponent in one of those two fighters.

Also, Todd Duffee stated after his record-breaking knockout performance that he wanted the fast track towards the top. A bout with Randy Couture would be an interesting matchup, allowing Duffee’s rise to continue, or leaving Randy Couture with another win over someone nearly half his age.

However, if Couture decides to move down to light heavyweight, the possibilities seem nearly endless. Couture would obviously gain a skilled opponent from the division’s top ten. With Brandon Vera and Thiago Silva each gaining wins at UFC 102, Couture could be placed up against either one, though a bout with Vera seems the more likely of the two.

Brandon Vera:

Brandon Vera may have won his fight over Krzysztof Soszynski at UFC 102, but, in a fight that garnered boos from the Portland fans, Vera did little to show that he will be able to roll with the top tier of the division.

That being said, Vera will likely net an opponent in the top ten of the division, giving him a chance to prove his worth.

The timing aspect would make a fight with Thiago Silva or Jon Jones a possible matchup. Those two fighters are on the brink of breaking into the division’s elite, and the UFC will have some weeding out to do.

With an unimpressive victory last evening, Brandon Vera will have to prove himself in his next fight. If he would have ended the fight early, it would have been a different story. However, after completely controlling that fight, his inability to finish “The Polish Experiment” has brought up more questions of Vera’s ability to make a run at the divisional elite.

Falling Stock:

Keith Jardine:

Jardine falls into the unfortunate column of “Falling Stock”, but he his time with the UFC is far from over. Jardine has never been much of a contender for the belt, but his ability to roll with, and even defeat, some of the division’s best makes him an incredible asset for the UFC.

To further aid Jardine’s case, he faced a very tough opponent in Thiago Silva. Silva’s only loss came to current champion Lyoto Machida, a loss which garnered more negative energy for Silva than it every should of, given Machida’s status.

Jardine has always fought the best in the division, and the trend will not be ceased. “The Dean” will find a future opponent in another one of the stacked division’s top ten. A fight with Luiz Cane or Jon Jones would be a sensible matchup for the UFC to make. However, newcomer Antonio Rogerio Nogueira could find Jardine as his “welcome back”, with each fighter looking to declare their legitimacy in fighting the division’s elite.

Jardine’s loss to Silva may have been an enormous disappointment. However, his continued willingness to fight the best, and sometimes even beat them, will allow Jardine to stick around with the organization for a while.

Demian Maia:

Maia was hailed by several as the man who could potentially defeat Anderson Silva, although it seems more like hype now than a legitimate statement. Maia entered the fight with Marquardt with poor standup, and lost because of it.

While he remains one of the greatest submission artists in the sport, his lack of skill in several other areas leaves Maia with a lot of work ahead of him. If he can gain solid striking, and even better striking defense, along with solid takedown offense, Maia will be able to potentially defeat fighters similar to Marquardt.

However, his next fight will be up against another one of the division’s best. Yoshiro Akiyama would be a great matchup for Maia and the UFC. The timing is excellent, and each fighter has something to prove.

If Maia should win his next bout, whether it be against Akiyama or someone else, he still has an enormous amount of work ahead of him if he ever wishes to be a contender, let alone a champion. His submission offense is arguably the best in mixed martial arts, but when that is your only strong point, it rarely proves to be enough to beat fighters like Nate Marquardt.

Chris Leben:

Leben’s disappointing loss to Jake Rosholt leaves a lot of questions for “The Crippler”. His striking looked very good, and he had Rosholt running from him at several moments in the fight. However, an anaconda choke in the third round left Leben unconscious.

Leben once again takes a step back in the division, leaving him miles back of where he was just a few years ago. However, he was fighting a phenomenal wrestler in Rosholt. When Leben can brawl, he usually can pull out a victory. However, Rosholt was having none of it, or at least trying his best not to.

Leben will now find himself up against a middle of the pack middleweight. A likely matchup would be a fight between Leben and Alan Belcher. Belcher is coming off a close decision loss to Yoshiro Akiyama at UFC 100. Each fighter has quite a lot to prove, making a fight between the two extremely important for each one’s career.

WEC 43 Postponed Due to Benson Henderson Injury

Nate Lawson — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:56:51 -0400

Donald Cerrone’s plea for a WEC interim lightweight championship after Jamie Varner’s injury continued to sideline the champ was received well by the company’s executives, and by Cerrone’s opponent Benson Henderson.

Unfortunately, the opportunity for Cerrone’s thirst for a title to be quenched has been postponed, as Benson Henderson has gone down with an injury that will make him unable to participate in the September 2 fight in Youngstown, Ohio.

The entire card has now been postponed to October 10, giving the WEC an exciting October show, although Youngstown may no longer be the host.

The move simply displays how important a lightweight championship is for the WEC. With Jamie Varner's continued absence due to injury, Cerrone and Henderson will feature the first lightweight championship of the organization since last January.

With explosive championships in the featherweight and bantamweight divisions, the lightweight division has some catching up to do. This fight being salvaged displays how much a championship in the 155 pound division is desired.

Stock Report: Strikeforce: Carano vs. Santos

Nate Lawson — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:15:59 -0400

San Jose, California welcomed Strikeforce to the HP Pavilion this past Saturday, while 13,000 eager fans continued to stream into the venue before the fights commenced.

The card featured a mixed martial arts first, with a bout between two of the best women fighters headlining the card, as Gina Carano and Cris “Cyborg” Santos battled for the women’s 145 pound belt.

Throughout the fights leading up to the much anticipated main event, the electricity in the stadium began to grow exponentially. With fireworks, knockouts, and just all around great fights, the fans of San Jose cannot complain.

The dust has settled and the results are in. While Gegard Mousasi’s fighter stock soared this weekend, Renato “Babalu” Sobral cannot boast the same accomplishment.

However, neither of the two are alone in their respective categories as another great card has led to recognition and growth in the sport for some, while others are left with serious repercussions and plummeting stock.

Rising Stock:

Gegard Mousasi:

Mousasi has spent his entire career fighting outside of North America, leaving him unnoticed by many of the fans in that region of the world. However, those who were aware of his talent believed his fight with Renato Sobral would be exactly the fight to put the young Armenian on the map.

With a brutal and swift first round knockout of the Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, Mousasi has turned heads and opened eyes in the mixed martial arts community and now looks towards his first title defense of his new belt.

Unfortunately, Strikeforce will be hard pressed to find anyone who can remotely compete with Mousasi with their current roster.

At this point, Strikeforce’s best bet would likely be to sign a fighter currently outside of the organization, seeing that Mousasi will not gain the competition he is looking for with the current division roster.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira would be a solid acquisition for Strikeforce, and it would be difficult to argue that he did not deserve a title shot, especially considering the level of talent the rest of the Strikeforce division holds.

However, if a deal cannot be made to bring in Noguiera, Mousasi will likely fight one of Strikeforce’s own. With Kevin Randleman and Bobby Southworth coming off of losses, it is hard to argue that either deserves a shot at the title, leaving a man who has won 15 of his last 16 fights as arguably the top contender.

Mike Whitehead defeated Randleman at Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields, and possibly looks towards a title shot against Mousasi. His last loss came at the hands of Sobral, but so has pretty much everyone else in Strikeforce’s light heavyweight division.

While a Whitehead-Mousasi fight may not be very intriguing, nor will it headline a Strikeforce show, when dealing with the current light heavyweight roster of Strikeforce, Whitehead may just be the next step in Mousasi’s career.

Cris “Cyborg” Santos:

Headlining the main card Saturday night, Cris Santos and Gina Carano put on an exciting, yet short, fight. With Santos finishing Carano in the waning seconds of the first round, she gained the Strikeforce 145 pound women’s belt, catapulting her to a level no other woman mixed martial artist has attained.

Carano entered the fight an underdog, and Santos proved why. Now, she will look to defend her title against another of the world’s best in Marloes Coenen.

Coenen is already being considered as “Cyborg’s” first test as champion, and a tough one at that. Holding a record of 16-3, Coenen has been stopped only one time, having lost two decisions to round out her loss column.

However, 11 or her victories come via submission, and, with the extended rounds of a title fight, her great cardio and submission skills could be the key to defeating the heavy-handed Santos.

While months of speculation lay ahead, it is nearly undeniable the Coenen-Santos is the next big women’s event, as Strikeforce continues to pioneer women’s mixed martial arts.

Jay Hieron:

Hieron was originally set to face Nick Diaz for the Strikeforce welterweight title. However, after Diaz’s failure to attend his drug test, Hieron was put in the octagon against Jesse Taylor. Taylor had stayed busy, having had six fights already in 2009, and Hieron proved Taylor may need a little time off.

After a dominant performance in a fight where Taylor looked gassed early Hieron lands on top of the list to fight Nick Diaz for the title.

The fight, while it is not ideal for a main event, could easily become one simply because of the title that would be on the line, and the fact that Nick Diaz has gained much notoriety in mixed martial arts.

If Diaz can pass his drug test and keep his license to fight, a bout against Hieron is inevitable, likely to occur at the end of 2009.

Gilbert Melendez:

Melendez looked excellent last Saturday, as he was able to finish Mitsuhiro Ishida in the third and final round of their lightweight bout. With such a great display, Melendez may have catapulted himself into a contest for the lightweight belt.

Melendez once held the Strikeforce 155 pound belt, until a five round decision went Josh Thomson’s way, leaving Melendez without the title, but with an intense yearning to gain it back.

Thomson has not stayed busy since gaining the title, and it seems Melendez’s hard work will make him and Thomson meet as the champion looks to defend his title for the second time.

Although speculation on when this fight will take place is unclear, it will likely occur before the end of the year as a possible main event, or co-main event. Placing this fight on the same card as Diaz-Hieron would be another great move by Strikeforce, and likely make the two bouts co-main events of the evening.

Stock Falling:

Renato “Babalu” Sobral:

Sobral entered his fight with Mousasi at the age of 33, and perhaps left the octagon feeling every bit of it. The first round knockout left Sobral without a belt, and seemingly a long way away from a rematch with the new champion. Sobral proved helpless against Mousasi and was simply out of his league, which is something he has never felt during his time with Strikeforce.

Unfortunately, that leaves Sobral in quite the bind, seeing that he is going to have a difficult time finding a light heavyweight fighter from Strikeforce that he has not beat, but is still on his level.

The likeliest of scenarios will probably be a bout with Kevin Randleman, who is coming off a disappointing loss to Mike Whitehead. Randleman may be coming off of a loss, but he is still considered one of the best of the organization’s 205 pound division.

Not only will this fight give each fighter a chance at redemption at this point in their careers, but it is also a bout featuring two names that are well known in mixed martial arts. It will be difficult for Strikeforce to find an opponent for Sobral better than Randleman when it comes to gaining the interest of the fan’s.

Gina Carano:

Carano was the face of women’s mixed martial arts before her fight with Cris Santos. While she remains as one, if not the most notable woman figures in the sport, her devastating loss shows her game needs a lot of tuning up.

After gaining the mount early in the fight, but failing to do any damage, Carano displayed that she was still far off from the skill set her opponent entered the fight with. Now, Carano will look to show why she is so prominent in the sport as she is ready for her next step back to a title bout.

Erin Toughill has gained victories in her last four fights and is the likely candidate to face Carano next. She has never won a fight via submission, which would likely lead to a stand-up war, and another exciting event featuring Carano.

However, Toughill is ruled out as an option, top featherweights Yoko Takahashi and Kelly Kobold step in as the possible opponents, and stepping stones for Carano to once again step into the octagon with a title on the line.

Jesse Taylor:

It is difficult to bash the young fighter, but Taylor’s return to a prominent organization once again left him empty handed. After Jay Hieron proved too much for the former “Ultimate Fighter” hopeful, Taylor once again takes a step back in his career.

With his ability to step up and take a fight on such short notice, however, Taylor should remain with Strikeforce. However, even though his loss with Hieron is another step back for Taylor, his next opponent could put him right back into contention.

After pulling out of his fight with Nick Diaz, Joe Riggs is undoubtedly looking to make a run for the title. With Taylor’s ability to fight whenever he is needed, a fight between Taylor and Riggs may come to pass in the near future, depending on Riggs’ condition and his recovery.

This fight would give Riggs the opportunity to jump to the top of title contention, while a win for Taylor would likely put him one fight out of a fight for the welterweight belt.

However, whether or not Taylor fights Riggs, his ability to fight on extremely short notice has made Taylor a solid acquisition for Strikeforce. Basically taking the opposite role as Nick Diaz, Taylor’s constant availability may someday be rewarded within Strikeforce.

Two-time Olympian Daniel Cormier Discusses Move to MMA

Nate Lawson — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 02:51:36 -0400

Daniel Cormier’s career as an amateur wrestler has taken him to many places in this world, all while gaining a reputation as one of the world’s finest along the way. Now the two-time Olympian’s background in wrestling brings him to the world of mixed martial arts.

“I had an idea that I wanted to do it (mixed martial arts), but when I made the full commitment would have been like two months ago,” stated Cormier. "When I went to AKA I fell in love, and that was pretty much it."

American Kickboxing Academy, or AKA, is known worldwide for its reputation in the sport of mixed martial arts. The same training facility that sold Cormier on a career in mixed martial arts is called home to Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, Mike Swick, Cain Velasquez, and several other prominent figures of the sport.

Cormier, who plans on beginning his career as a heavyweight will undoubtedly use the talent surrounding him to make himself a better fighter. Cain Velasquez, a fellow heavyweight and strong wrestler, is the quintessential example for Cormier to follow.

“Anytime you are in a camp with a guy that is as highly rated as Cane, you have to gauge yourself off of that. He’s such a good striker. He’s well rounded right now in mixed martial arts. When I feel like I can do the things that he is doing, I’ll know that I am ready to compete for a championship, as I think Cain is right now.”

Velasquez is a heavyweight contender in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Cormier hopes to put himself in similar position to his AKA teammate, regardless of organization.

“Strikeforce and UFC; being the champion in one of those organizations is my ultimate goal,” continued Cormier. “It’s either one really, for me. I just want to be the champion in either one of those two organizations.”

With Alistair Overeem, Brett Rogers, and Fedor Emelianenko hailing out of the Strikeforce Heavyweight division, along with Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez, and Randy Couture heading up the best of the UFC Heavyweight division, Cormier will certainly gain a level of heavy competition.

However, the young prospect still has a ways to go to face any of the aforementioned. While Cormier is without a contract or a scheduled debut in mixed martial arts, he explained that his first time inside the cage will not prove as intense a situation as it does for many.

After his years of international competition, including televised Olympic performances, Cormier stated that “doing mixed martial arts here in front of a lot of people shouldn’t be that bad,” when it comes to competing in front of sold-out arenas during pay-per-view events.

His experience against the best competition on the planet also helps Cromier in his quest for dominance in mixed martial arts, along with making his place inside the octagon a little more comfortable than the average first-timer of the sport.

Through his time in amateur wrestling, Cormier has competed in some of the world’s most difficult tournaments, winning many of them. He has gained the experience of facing the world’s best, and, aside from a mere ten times, walking away from those encounters with a victory.

As Cormier enters into a new world of competition, he brings with him a solid and skillful base in wrestling, a quality past as an amateur wrestler, and one of the top tier camps in the sport. The combination of the three is perhaps the precise equation for Cormier’s success in whatever organization he falls into, and his career in mixed martial arts as a whole.

Jesse Taylor: "I Want To Be Tested In This Sport"

Nate Lawson — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:58:57 -0400

July 19, 2008 was the last time Jesse Taylor lost a fight.

Since his devastating loss at Ultimate Fight Night 16, Taylor has managed to stay extremely busy. With a 7-0 record since his final fight with the UFC, Taylor has worked his way into the Strikeforce organization, as he replaces Nick Diaz on Saturday’s card.

Taylor’s opponent is Jay Hieron.

The card originally slated Diaz to take on Joe Riggs for the Strikeforce lwelterweight belt, but now that each of the original fighters are off of the card, the bout no longer is of title proportions. This is something Taylor does not agree with.

“I still think this fight should be for a belt,” stated Taylor. “It kind of sucks for Jay because he was fighting for a belt, then all of a sudden he’s not fighting for a belt just because they brought me in. I think I earned it.”

Now that a belt no longer goes to the winner of this bout, the fight undoubtedly is a battle for the number one spot on the list for a title shot. Taylor realizes this and explained his appreciation for the opportunity.

“It’s an awesome opportunity. I want to be tested in this sport. Jay (Hieron) is a great test.”

Through his time jumping from one organization to another, Taylor has yet to face consistently challenging opponents. A contract with Strikeforce guarantees a higher level of competition along with being a better, more secure organization to fight for.

A win over Hieron will once again bring Jesse Taylor into the spotlight; only this time it will be under better circumstances than his “Ultimate Fighter” days.

For now, Taylor’s path towards success in mixed martial arts continues with a win over Jay Hieron or is abruptly stopped with a loss. However, “JT Money” just wants to show the viewers and his organization what he is all about.

“I just gotta show the world and Strikeforce that I am ready for a belt.”

A win over Jay Hieron will do just that.

While he may enter this fight as the underdog, don’t try to explain that to him. Jesse Taylor will enter the octagon with the utmost confidence in his abilities, saying his "hand is going to be raised any way possible" at the end of the fight.

Taylor will fight Hieron on Saturday, August 15 with the thought of victory, a future shot at the lightweight belt, and a successful stint in Strikeforce on his mind.

U.S. Olympic Wrestler Set on Career in MMA

Nate Lawson — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:50:42 -0400

Daniel Cormier's resume as a wrestler is impressive to say the least. With a list of accolades seemingly a mile long, it is hard to find something this young warrior has not yet accomplished.

Through his collegiate years, Cormier wrestled his way to a 117-10 record, along with lifting himself to the status of All-American three times.

After his success at Oklahoma State University, he moved on to bigger and better things, all the way to a spot on the United States' Olympic roster, where he competed in the Beijing and Athens Olympic games.

After such an impressive list of accomplishments, Cormier looks to continue using his wrestling background, while picking up some new skills along the way, by competing as a professional mixed martial artist.

Cormier has just recently signed on with Zinkin Entertainment & Sports Management, and joins Chuck Liddell, Mike Swick, Forrest Griffin, and Jon Fitch under the Zinkin banner.

The two-time Olympian's career in mixed martial arts will begin with his training, which will take place at the world renowned American Kickboxing Academy. "Crazy" Bob Cook, Javier Mendez, and Dave Camarillo will be his three main trainers.

With such a great wrestling background, Cormier will certainly be able to dictate fights, especially against fighters who struggle on the ground. If he can put together a strong skill set on the feet, along with solid submission defense, Cormier has all the makings for a successful run at mixed martial arts.

While this 6-time U.S. Senior National Champion has yet to even think about what organization his first fight will be in, Cormier is off to a great start with an incredible camp, and hopes are high for the wrestling sensation, as he is the most recent to join the world of mixed martial arts under Zinkin Entertainment & Sports Management.

Spike TV Full of Pride as it Launches Series On MMA History

Nate Lawson — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:41:35 -0400

"As the destination for the best mixed martial arts on television, Spike TV is always looking for ways to give fight fans more of the incredible action and competition they crave," stated Kevin Kay, President of Spike TV.

Yet another mixed martial arts series set to premiere early next year will certainly help with the fans' "craving" Kay speaks of.

Jan. 11, 2010 will mark the premiere event of "Best of Pride Fighting Championships" on none other than Spike TV, a series featuring the most memorable bouts from the now defunct organization.

The list of fights the series will present will be quite extensive, no doubt including bouts such as Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson, Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Chuck Liddell vs. Quinton Jackson, only to name a few.

This series marks the eighth show on Spike TV dealing with mixed martial arts. However, it is the first show that is not dealing exclusively with the UFC, as the fans are given an opportunity to look to the past at one of the best organizations in this sport's history.

Prior to its purchase by Zuffa, LLC, Pride was a leader in mixed martial arts. Holding over 60 events, including a single event holding an audience of over 70,000 people, Pride Fighting Championships made waves in MMA, and now Spike TV looks back on the organization's glory days.

"Best of Pride Fighting Championships" will give fans an opportunity to watch some of the great fights from a formerly great organization. However, it will also allow the many new fans of mixed martial arts an opportunity to watch and learn a little bit about the sport's history.

As Miguel Torres Can Attest, Brian Bowles' Heavy Hand Is Not To Be Taken Lightly

Nate Lawson — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 23:59:46 -0400

At UFC 101, Anderson Silva defeated Forrest Griffin in dramatic fashion, futher proving his place in the top three pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

In the UFC lightweight championship, B.J. Penn defeated Kenny Florian, securing his place in the pound for pound top five.

At WEC 42, Miguel Torres, considered by many a top five fighter in the world today, did not follow suit with his fellow members of the exclusive list.

Torres looked to extend his 17-fight win streak to eighteen this night, but failed when his effective combo led to over- aggressiveness.

Torres landed a three punch combination to the head of Brian Bowles. As Bowles was pushed back to the cage, Torres looked to finish what he started, but simply got caught by the heavy hand of Bowles. Torres was sent to the mat, where Bowles finished him off with an aggressive session of ground and pound.

The after fight "vibe" can be described as surreal. The year 2003 was the last time Torres lost, and his losing to such a young, inexperienced fighter truly is astonishing.

However, Bowles spent several weeks down at American Top Team, home of Mike Brown, WEC featherweight champion, who upset the seemingly unbeatable Urijah Faber not too long ago. ATT is making its name heard in the WEC, one fight at a time.

After the first Faber-Brown fight, and Torres' loss to Bowles, the WEC is proving just how unpredictable it can be.One of the organization's poster boys may have lost his belt, but this fight just goes to show how dynamic these three low weight divisions are.

UFC 101: Stock Report

Nate Lawson — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 04:17:01 -0400

The UFC gave Philadelphia, Pennsylvania a great event Saturday night, featuring a card filled with potentially great fights. However, after several boring bouts, the co-main events delivered, as “The City of Brotherly Love” witnessed two of the world’s best fighters, in B.J. Penn and Anderson Silva.

Silva and Penn headlined the section of winners from UFC 101, as their fighter stock shot through the roof, along with their pound for pound standings. However, with rising stock, comes falling stock, and none fell harder than Forrest Griffin and Kenny Florian.

The first event in Pennsylvania gave rise to big winners and enormous losers. Divisional ranks were altered, fan favorites were tested, and two of the sports elite reigned victorious. Now the winners and losers may see where they stand as the fighters’ stocks have soared or sunk per UFC 101.

Rising Stock

Anderson Silva

Not only did Anderson Silva absolutely demolish Forrest Griffin in the evening’s co-main event, he displayed his devastation in a first round demolition, marking his second first round destruction in the UFC’s 205 pound division.

After two lackluster performances in defense of his UFC middleweight belt, Silva has done everything to silence the critics for now, along with rising in status among the world’s elite. Doubts of Silva taking the number one spot on the pound for pound rankings have to be erased after a performance of such magnitude, where the former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin simply could do nothing.

Now, the UFC is in yet another bind with the man who has to be considered the world’s best, as Anderson Silva took down what was considered his toughest opponent to date.

Silva’s next move will most likely be a title defense of his 185 pound belt, unless the UFC keeps him at the explosive 205 pound division. However, the difficult part remains in finding a competitor who has even the most remote chance of ending Silva’s middleweight reign.

Dan Henderson seems to be Silva’s next opponent at middleweight, in a rematch that, if Silva fights the way he did last night, is more ill-fated for Henderson than their first. However, the Team Quest star may be the best option for matchmaker Joe Silva, and it is naïve to count anybody, especially middleweights top contender, out of a fight. Unfortunately, squashing “The Spider” remains the most unlikely of scenarios, at least at middleweight.

The obvious match up for Anderson Silva is seen by many as a fight with Lyoto Machida. However, the friendship held by these two elite make this fight seem highly unlikely, bridging the gap towards nearly impossible. However, neglecting a fight’s possibility, especially one of this nature, falls under the category of criminal, justifying any speculation surrounding the bout, even with the chances of this fight happening extremely thin.

B.J. Penn

B.J. Penn’s last couple of months following his devastating loss to Georges St. Pierre left the lightweight champion of the UFC in a sticky situation. The greasing scandal from UFC 94, the comments about Georges St. Pierre and steroids, and his long time battle with the media have left Penn with a lot to prove.

And he proved it.

After a four round disection of Kenny Florian, Penn reminded the fans of the sport exactly where he stands as a mixed martial artist, and that is at the top of the 155 pound division, along with a certain spot in the top five pound for pound elite.

Penn’s next opponent will be Diego Sanchez, who is coming off an absolute war with Clay Guida. The Hawaiin will look to further strengthen his grasp on the UFC lightweight belt against “The Nightmare”. While Sanchez will prove a difficult opponent, perhaps Penn’s biggest opponent will remain the media.

Penn’s war with the media just hit a major lull, as last night’s fight showed a disciplined and prepared B.J. Penn. If he can avoid another firestorm of media turmoil, Penn may enter into the favor of the fans.

However, for the moment, B.J. Penn is basking in the wake of a stellar performance back in his 155 pound kingdom, making him one of UFC 101’s biggest winners.

Johnny Hendricks

Amir Sadollah’s path since his victory at “The Ultimate Fighter” has led him through ups and downs, but plenty of the latter. The streak continued as Sadollah ran into a some big upper cuts compliment of UFC newcomer Johnny Hendricks.

Hendricks picked up his sixth win with a quick knockout victory, while keeping his unbeaten record intact. While Hendricks is not even close to a big name from the UFC 101 card, his victory over “The Ultimate Fighter” winner is enormous for his young career.

The UFC stands by their reality series at all times, as they rightfully and unconditionally should. However, that also involves their desire for “The Ultimate Fighter” winners to succeed in their organization. Hendricks realized that and did not let it bother him for a moment.

Hendricks is undoubtedly many fights away from gaining a spot on a UFC welterweight contender list. However, defeating an “Ultimate Fighter” winner is always a giant step for any mixed martial artist in gaining legitimacy in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Fans of the Sport

Fans of mixed martial arts worldwide were treated to a stellar performance from the organization’s best Saturday night. With B.J. Penn’s phenomenal performance and Anderson Silva’s continual unstoppable tendencies, the viewers witnessed what the best of the sport can truly do.

B.J. Penn fought a great fight in his return to the 155 pound division, reminding fans exactly what “The Prodigy” can do in his ideal weight division. With the media troubles aside for the last fight of the evening, Penn displayed who he is as a fighter. If Penn can avoid another controversy with the media, perhaps the fans will grow to like him a little more as a person, as well.

However, Anderson Silva’s performance was the largest victory for the fans, as the Brazilian no longer has any excuses for a lackluster fight, such as the two previous bouts he was a part of. Boring and uneventful no longer will be allowed to describe an Anderson Silva fight without “The Spider” gaining scrutiny to the maximum.

Falling Stock

Forrest Griffin

Griffin’s fight with Anderson Silva was an opportunity for the first “Ultimate Fighter” winner to gain another victory upset for his record. With memories of his fight with Mauricio Rua floating around the minds of mixed martial arts, this fight was thought to have the capability of gaining a “Fight of the Year’ nominee.

However, Mauricio Rua’s debut in the UFC had nothing remotely related to Anderson Silva’s second fight at the UFC light heavyweight division, as Griffin was knocked out in the first round through Silva’s superior striking.

To add to the tragic outcome for the former light heavyweight champion, Griffin exploded out of the octagon and the arena in an emotional withdraw from the outside world, as his whereabouts remained unknown to even Dana White hours after the event had transpired.

The demolition at the hands of Anderson Silva now catapults Griffin further down in the light heavyweight ranks, leaving him several fights out of a title shot that seemed a lot closer before tonight’s beat down.

Griffin’s next fight will undoubtedly be with a fighter in the division’s top ten. The winner of Keith Jardine and Thiago Silva at UFC 102 could prove a solid match for Griffin, while Rich Franklin could be another name tossed into the hat, pending his results at UFC 103. However, it will be interesting to see how anxious Griffin will be to get back into the octagon after that performance. In all likelihood, he will be ready to bounce back as soon as possible.

Kenny Florian

Forrest Griffin’s results at UFC 101 were abysmal. However, after losing his second shot at the UFC lightweight title, Kenny Florian’s results could be described similarly. Florian has now failed to secure UFC lightweight gold for a second time, and, as the UFC veteran grows in age, a third go around seems extremely unlikely.

That being said, Florian still remains one of the greatest lightweights in the division at this time. His path to a third title shot will likely begin with another top 155-pounder.

Clay Guida is coming off a loss to the division’s number one contender, Diego Sanchez, and could be Kenny Florian’s next opponent. A battle between “Kenflo” and “The Carpenter” would certainly aid in sorting out divisional ranks, while a victory for Florian would likely put him two wins away from what may prove to be an evasive third title shot.

Frank Edgar, who is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Sean Sherk, could also be matched up against Florian, while Joe Stevenson remains another likely option.

Amir Sadollah

Sadollah’s career with the UFC can best be described as short and painful. After winning “The Ultimate Fighter 7,” Sadollah battled through a leg infection. Shortly after, a broken clavicle further hindered the young UFC prospect.

At UFC 101, Sadollah fought Johnny Hendricks, and, unfortunately, his streak of ill fortune continued, as Hendricks defeated him with a series of powerful punches.

To add to the loss, the stoppage has been labelled premature, marking what could be yet another unlucky turn in the short career of Sadollah. Now, the welterweight will fight another fighter with a status such as Hendricks’.

With such a streak of luck, things could turn for Sadollah, as his potential far outweighs the minor fall he has taken. Unfortunately, with a possible premature stoppage, Sadollah is one of the losers at UFC 101, as the “Ultimate Fighter” winner cannot catch a break.

Kendall Grove

Kendall Grove’s unanimous decision defeat to Ricardo Almeida continues “Da Spyda’s” long streak of inconsistency, along with bringing him into the range of “Ultimate Fighter Busts.”

At 5-3 in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Grove has managed to do absolutely nothing to better his position. While his record may be somewhat respectable, the high hopes garnered by Grove are withering away, as his third loss in the UFC puts him back in familiar territory—miles behind the division’s elite.

Grove will now be matched up with a fighter similar in caliber to Ricardo Almeida. For his sake, a winning streak will need to be on the horizon if Groves plans to ever climb closer to the top of the middleweight division.

Thales Leites

From title shot to a possible release from the UFC, Thales Leites has fallen far from where he was a mere six months ago. A controversial, yet disappointing loss has sent Leites miles back in the 185 pound division, if he still will remain under contract with the UFC.

While the judge’s decision on the fight was not at all what it should have been, Leites entered this fight coming off of a bout with one of the world’s greatest, Anderson Silva. Now, that title shot seems years in the past, as Alessio Sakara runs away with the victory.

Leites’ next move in the middleweight division would likely be against someone such as the aforementioned Kendall Grove. While the fight is a confusing match up, it would allot the fighters an opportunity to compete for higher ground in the division, while one would be sent spiraling towards the bottom of the pile.

UFC 101 War Report: Forrest Griffin Will Defeat Anderson Silva

Nate Lawson — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:12:19 -0400

UFC 101: Declaration is set to air live from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania this coming weekend. While the card may not fall under the same category as UFC 100, which was described as a card for the ages, a certain fight may just turn out to make the cut. Anderson Silva versus Forrest Griffin is a fight that has “All-Time Great” written all over it.

Forrest Griffin is the former UFC light heavyweight champion, and looks to get back on track for the title with a victory over one of the best pound for pound fighters on the planet. Griffin has always been known for his all out brawl mentality, leading to his fights being some of the most exciting the sport has to offer.

Anderson Silva, cannot be described as exciting when referring back to his previous two fights, which were criticized heavily by the mixed martial arts community. Forrest Griffin will certainly be the test that “The Spider” seems to need, as Silva once again exits his 185 pound kingdom for the uncertainties of the 205 pound division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The following segments will break the fight down into different categories, displaying the advantages and disadvantages held by Anderson Silva and Forrest Griffin as they enter their light heavyweight showdown at UFC 101.

The Stand-Up

Anderson Silva has created a legacy through his stellar striking, leading to several rather devastating knockouts. Silva is accurate, and he is powerful. His Muay Thai is phenomenal, and if he catches you in the clinch, forget about finishing the round.

While Forrest Griffin will never boast knockout power or precision striking, his stand-up game remains a threat to everyone he faces.

Against Quinton Jackson, Griffin was able to use leg kicks effectively to absolutely destroy the lower limbs of his opponent. While Silva will not be as easy a target for leg kicks as Jackson, Griffin’s kicks will allow him to keep distance from his opponent, along with possibly making Silva hesitant to move in.

Silva may bring a better striking skill set into this match, but the brawling nature of Forrest Griffin, along with a solid game plan in the stand up (leg kicks, etc.) may be enough for him to win the striking battle. However, each fighter brings their own weapons in this area, and it is going to be an interesting and close fight on the feet.

The Ground

Both Griffin and Silva have ground games that are virtually unknown to the majority of the mixed martial arts community, mainly due to the fact that neither prefers to use their Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but rather stand and strike. On August 8, it is unlikely that either will greatly utilize his jiu-jitsu background.

With both men having an underrated ground game, it is hard to give an advantage, especially when it comes to submissions. However, strength may prove a factor if the men hit the mat.

It remains no secret that Forrest Griffin is big, even for a light heavyweight. While Silva is strong himself, Griffin’s size and strength will be his greatest advantage in either neutralizing any advantage Silva has on the ground, or simply winning the fight on the floor.

At this point the ground segment of this fight would likely prove a draw.

The Intangibles

Forrest Griffin boasts several advantages when entering Saturday’s fight, and almost none are physical, as the two fighters are similar in size. Griffin’s biggest advantage is his heart. For the millions who watched his battle against Stephen Bonnar on “The Ultimate Fighter,” Griffin displayed how far he is willing to go to win a fight. There is zero quit in this man.

Anderson Silva, however, seems to have had anything but heart in his past couple of fights. His lackluster performances have displayed little of his will to win, and have left the fans upset. Whether or not Griffin can beat “The Spider,” Silva will be tested, and his heart will be on display.

In a contest of heart, no one is going to beat Forrest Griffin. Along with his skill set, Griffin’s “never say die” attitude will allow the former champion to keep this fight going.

The Grand Finale:

Forrest Griffin has spent his time in the UFC as a fan favorite, and also as an underdog in several of his fights. However, that has not stopped him before, and it will not stop him now. With undying heart, vicious kicks, and a stellar game plan, Forrest Griffin takes the fight all fifteen minutes, defeating Anderson Silva via Unanimous Decision.

Jessy Morris' half of the War Report can be found using the link below. See what he has to say about the match up!

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/231613-ufc-101-war-report-anderson-silva-will-beat-forrest-griffin

Extreme Makeover: B/R's Interview With Crafty WEC GM Reed Harris

Nate Lawson — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:14:48 -0400

Reed Harris has spent the last several years as the General Manager of the UFC’s sister organization. However, though a lot of the attention towards mixed martial arts lies on the UFC, the ever-explosive WEC is climbing the ranks with Harris at the head.

Reed Harris’ duties with the WEC were described by him as “varied and also pretty extensive," as he handles the business side of the WEC, including addressing the media and dealing with managers to list a few.

Harris also is a very pleasant and readily available individual for the media, making him a very likeable figure.

Ever since he co-founded the WEC in 2001, Harris has strived to bring the best of mixed martial arts to his organization. Taking a look at the current roster would definitely rule that endeavor a phenomenal success.

“If you look at the current rankings, in the Bantamweight division I have nine of the top ten guys,” stated Harris.

“In featherweight, I think I have eight of the top 10 guys. As we build our company, the thing that we focus on is building our weight divisions, and to make sure that there are a number of people in those divisions that are competing for the title.”

While dominating the competition with the stacked bantamweight and featherweight divisions, the WEC certainly ranks number two in regards to organizations, and Harris could not agree more.

“Certainly as far as viewers and television, we’re solidly the number two organization in the world. As far as attendance to shows we are (number two), and also as far as the depth in our division.”

And who could argue with him?

The leaps and bounds taken by the WEC in the past year alone is enough to set them one spot behind MMA organization giant, the UFC. Harris has noticed the development and sees it as limited to what can be expected in future years.

“I’m extremely happy about where we’ve come in the last year, but I also believe that in the next couple years, we could be in a position similar to UFC where we’re a household name. Our goal is to build our brand, and deliver consistent shows to the fans. I think our claim to fame right now is that our fights are really considered some of the best fights in the business.”

The WEC is taking all of the right steps towards acquiring a similar status to that of the UFC. However, while the UFC is partners with Spike TV, they also air their fights live on Pay-Per-View, something the WEC does not do.

With their partnership with Versus, the WEC gains exposure through free fight cards, along with a good amount of reruns and WEC specials. However, many see Versus as a roadblock for World Extreme Cagefighting, and Pay-Per-View cards for the WEC seem close to becoming a reality.

“We are in the process of planning and putting together a Pay-Per-View. The thing about the WEC and Zuffa in general is that we plan things. We know what we have to do to make it work. So we didn’t want to rush into the Pay-Per-View model like some companies do."

"We believe that when the time comes when were ready to do a Pay-Per-View, it will be a compelling enough card where people will want to pay for it and buy it.”

With a Mike Brown—Urijah Faber trilogy no doubt in the making, the WEC may have just the fight necessary to sell a Pay-Per-View. However, for the moment, the WEC will remain on Versus, as WEC 42 is set to air this Sunday, live from Las Vegas, Nevada.

With the 42nd event of the organization fast approaching, Harris looks back at the growth of the company over the last several years, and predicts the continued growth that seems so promising for the future.

Nestled comfortably one spot behind the UFC, the WEC continues to rise in the world of mixed martial arts with Reed Harris at the reigns. The WEC’s fighter roster and explosive events ensure that this rise will continue for many events to come.