Bleacher Report - Articles by Jessy Morris

The 10 Greatest Fights in TUF Finales

Jessy Morris — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:42:57 -0500

Tomorrow night, the UFC will present the finale of season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter. Jon Jones will fight Matt Hamill, Matt Veach will fight Frankie Edgar, and Brendan Schaub will collide with Roy Nelson to crown the new ultimate fighter.

It's safe to say that the finales of each season have produced some of the most entertaining fights in UFC history. Whether it was for the title of ultimate fighter or simply for bragging rights, fighters have been putting on memorable fights on finale night.

Here are some of the greatest fights to air on finale night throughout the many seasons of The Ultimate Fighter.

10. Joe Stevenson-Nate Diaz (TUF Nine Finale)

Joe Stevenson was coming off back to back losses to Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez, while Nate Diaz was coming off his first UFC loss against Clay Guida. It's safe to say that both men's backs were up against the wall in this fight.

Both fighters didn't disappoint in what was mostly a grappling match. Joe Stevenson did a good job avoiding damage standing up and taking the fight to the ground and avoiding submissions there. He ended up winning a much needed unanimous decision over Diaz.

The fight earned "Fight of the Night" honors.

9. Joe Stevenson-Luke Cummo (TUF Two Finale)

Four years before his win over Nate Diaz, Joe Stevenson was involved in The Ultimate Fighter Two finale against Luke Cummo for the right to be named the ultimate fighter champion. Both men engaged in a very entertaining fight that saw both fighters give it all they had.

They had entertaining exchanges on their feet, as well as nice transitions on the ground. In the end, Joe Stevenson was able to pull off a decision win to be crowned the winner of the second season.

8. Brad Imes-Rashad Evans (TUF Two Finale)

Stevenson and Cummo were not the only fighters fighting for The Ultimate Fighter crown. Brad Imes faced off with Rashad Evans in the heavyweight finale and like Cummo and Stevenson before them, they didn't disappoint.

Rashad was underestimated the whole season, especially by UFC president Dana White, and when he had to fight a man eight inches taller and 40 pounds heavier than him, Rashad was a heavy underdog. Rashad was known as a wrestler, but to everybody's surprise, he decided to strike with Imes the whole fight.

The exchanges between both men ended up keeping the fans on the edge of their seats. Rashad was able to drop Brad more then once in the fight, which most likely helped him win by split decision.

7. Chris Lytle-Kevin Burns (TUF Nine Finale)

Chris Lytle and Kevin Burns knew heading into this fight that they would have the fight of the night and well...they were right. Both men exchanged on their feet for most of the fight, swinging at each other like wild animals.

Kevin Burns was able to rock Lytle during the fight, but Chris got his senses back and continued on. Lytle displayed the heart of a lion coming back in the fight and landed big punches to finally win a decision over Kevin Burns.

6. Kendall Grove-Ed Herman (TUF Three Finale)

Since this epic fight between these two men, it's safe to say that not a lot has happened for either fighter. Both guys had a really hard time climbing the ladder of success in the UFC, but at The Ultimate Fighter Three finale, they put on a show that will be remembered for a long time.

Both men fought their hearts out for the UFC contract for 15 minutes. Wherever the fight took place, it was a great battle and the fans were really into it. At the very end of the second round, Herman locked in a triangle choke on Kendall, but Grove was saved by the bell.

In the end, Kendall Grove won by unanimous decision in a very close fight. For his efforts, Ed Herman also received a six figure contract with the UFC.

5. Clay Guida-Diego Sanchez (TUF Nine Finale)

In each UFC event, one fights earns "Fight of the Night" honors. On special occasions, two fights earn "Fight of the Night" honors, but it only happened once that an event had three "Fight of the Night" honors.

The Ultimate Fighter Nine finale saw Nate Diaz battle Joe Stevenson and Kevin Burns take on Chris Lytle. Each fight earned that honor prior to the main event of the evening between Clay Guida and Diego Sanchez.

Both guys came out like bulls ramming heads. They met a the center of the octagon punching each other in the face as if their life depended on it. Guida was the first to back up because he got rocked, but it didn't take time for him to get back in the fight. Later in the first round, Clay received a brutal head kick that knocked him down. Many fans thought Guida had died on the spot, but he was okay and got back up.

Guida was able to take Sanchez down in the next two rounds and do his damage there. In the end, Sanchez got the win in a razor close split decision.

4. Scott Smith-Pete Sell (TUF Four Finale)

This is probably the most crazy fight in UFC history. Scott Smith and Pete Sell had become very good friends on the show and now had to fight on the finale. Both men had a striking fight the whole time, but neither fighter wanted to take the fight to the ground.

Add to that the fact that both guys were smiling and laughing the whole fight and high- fiving the other after a good flurry of punches, and it made for quite a scene. On top of everything, Sell hit Smith in the abdomen and badly hurt him. He goes in for the kill with his guard down and gets knocked out by a right from Smith, who is still hurting from the body shot.

Both men collapse to the ground after the fight, but Scott Smith's hand is raised in victory because of the KO punch. This was the kind of ending you would see in a movie and you would probably be cursing on your couch. It was one of those moments.

3. John " Warmachine" Koppenhaver-Jared Rollins (TUF Six Finale)

Season six of The Ultimate Fighter was arguably the worst season ever, but then again, the finale didn't disappoint, as it featured two classic fights. The first one was between Jon Koppenhaver and Jared Rollins. Both guys had a falling out during the show and were now forced to fight in the finale.

It's actually pretty hard to describe this fight other then saying it was great. By the time they reached the third round, they were bloody and very tired, but both men still had a lot of heart left. When it seemed the fight would go to a decision, Koppenhaver was able to sweep Rollins on his back and finish him with punches from the top.

Both fighters were so tired after the fight they had a hard time standing. This was really a war.

2. Clay Guida-Roger Huerta (TUF Six Finale)

Another fight that took place that night and tore the roof down was the main event between Clay Guida and Roger Huerta. This was Roger's first big test in the UFC and it turned out to be a classic.

Clay Guida dominated most of the fight with take downs and sheer aggressiveness. He really rocked Huerta with a right uppercut in the second round that had Roger seeing stars for a couple of seconds. To his credit, Huerta survived the second round. As the third round was about to start, Roger Huerta, who had lost the first two rounds, came out with a menacing smile on his face as if he had been possessed between rounds.

He came out in the third and rocked Guida with a vicious knee and then choked him out with a rear naked choke in one of the most surprising turn of events in a fight.

1. Forrest Griffin vs Stephan Bonnar (TUF One Finale)

Most of you had probably guessed it as soon as you saw the title of the article. Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar had one of the greatest fights of all time at the first finale of The Ultimate Fighter.

Both men had a war standing up for 15 minutes. They were bloody and they were exhausted, but they still had the drive to win the show and be named The Ultimate Fighter champion. It's kind of surprising neither fighter got KO in this fight. At the end, fans in the building were on their feet, screaming their lungs out. Dana White was smiling like a little girl while clapping his hands together. Everybody knew they had witnessed a great fight.

Forrest Griffin ended up winning, but both fighters were rewarded with a six figure contract with the UFC.

Is a Nightmare About To Hit the UFC Lightweight Division?

Jessy Morris — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:45:06 -0500

Since Jan. 19, 2008, "The Prodigy" B.J. Penn has been unstoppable as the UFC lightweight champion.

His destruction of Joe Stevenson, Sean Sherk, and Kenny Florian have cemented his place as the greatest lightweight fighter in the world. He is also one of only two UFC fighters to hold championship gold in two different weight divisions.

At UFC 94, B.J. moved back up in weight to challenge UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre to avenge a previous loss. B.J. Penn found out the hard way that night that he wasn't on the same level as GSP. Penn was dominated the whole fight and his corner ended up throwing in the towel between the fourth and fifth rounds.

Meanwhile, Kenny Florian was waiting for his shot at the lightweight champion, Penn. The fight was scheduled for UFC 101 in Philadelphia. Several people thought that the loss to St-Pierre was so devastating that B.J. would not mentally recover and that Kenny Florian would use that to his advantage and win the gold.

Unfortunately for Florian, the loss to GSP lit a fire under B.J. and he found a new motivation to train. Penn ended up showing why he is the most feared lightweight in the world when he dominated Kenny and eventually choked him out in the fourth round.

Ever since UFC 95, the lightweight division has been experiencing a nightmare and now that nightmare is the No. 1 contender for B.J.'s title. Former UFC welterweight and winner of season one of The Ultimate Fighter, Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez is now fighting at 155 pounds.

At UFC 95 he defeated Joe Stevenson by unanimous decision and then won a split-decision over Clay Guida at The Ultimate Fighter Nine finale.

At UFC 107, Diego will challenge the seemingly unstoppable B.J. Penn for the UFC lightweight title. Diego could prove to be the biggest challenge for B.J. since he won the title.

What's very interesting in this fight, is the fact that neither fighter has ever been submitted or knocked out. B.J. Penn has a granite chin and fighters like Matt Hughes, Georges St-Pierre and Lyoto Machida were never able to knock him out. B.J. is also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with one of the greatest ground games in MMA today. The big question is, how can Diego win this fight?

It is highly improbable that Diego will win by K.O. or submission. If there is any weakness in B.J. penn (and even that is questionable) it's his cardio.

Diego Sanchez has great cardio and he always pushes the pace. His best strategy is going to be aggressiveness and always being in B.J.'s face. The only way Sanchez can win this fight is by decision. But can he survive that long?

B.J. has never lost to a lightweight fighter since UFC 35 against Jens Pulver. Other than that, Lyoto Machida, Matt Hughes and GSP are the only men to beat B.J. Penn. If there is any weakness in Diego's game, B.J. will be the man to capitalize on it.

UFC 107's main event between B.J. and Diego should be very interesting. It will be very interesting to see if Sanchez can do any damage on Penn, I personally doubt it. Diego should prove to be a worthy challenger, but I truly believe it's a bad time to fight "The Prodigy" B.J. Penn.

Stephen Farrelly: Taking A Closer Look At The Celtic Warrior Sheamus

Jessy Morris — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:05:28 -0500

Stephen Farrelly made his WWE debut as "The Celtic Warrior" Sheamus on June 30th as part of the ECW brand. He began a rivalry with Goldust on ECW before moving on to a higher profile rivalry against Shelton Benjamin.

It wasn't before being transferred to Raw that he got more exposure. His destruction of Jamie Noble was not really impressive, but it let the fans know that he had arrived. Survivor Series was his night to shine. Most fans, including myself thought that Sheamus was too aggressive and would get disqualified and that Team Morrison would pick up the win.

Instead, the WWE decided to push new superstars like Drew McIntyre and Sheamus which left me with a smile on my face. I won't lie, I heard of Sheamus O'Shaunessy before he made his debut in the WWE and became a fan and since his WWE debut, nothing's changed.

He's 6'6" and 280 pounds, but he's much different from most big men that have come across the WWE. Superstars like The Great Khali, Mike Knox, Festus, Vladimir Kozlov, Ezekiel, Snitsky, and some of the past big men too haven't been impressive in the ring. Sheamus doesn't come from the same mold as these guys. Instead, I think he's more like Undertaker, Batista, Big Show and Bam Bam Bigelow, a big man with a future.

Sheamus has pretty good in-ring skills, but you can't really agree with me if you've only seen his matches against Noble. He can actually talk on the mic and be good at it, most big men don't even know what a microphone is. Sheamus also has a pretty cool gimmick. He's working on the evil Irish gimmick pretty well so far and can't wait to see where he'll take it next.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross was also impressed with Sheamus and had this to say:

“The continued evolution of Sheamus, the big Irish guy with no last name, is something that I’m enjoying. Hopefully, this build will be consistent and not rushed as it is obvious to me that Sheamus, the big Irish guy with no last name, has marketable potential.

"I like his size, physicality, and obvious toughness and he also has a strong work ethic and desire to not just be a player to be be a main event player. Sheamus is one of the most intriguing personas in WWE right now for my money."

His performance at Survivor Series was really impressive and hinted that the WWE wanted to make an impact with him.

The fact that he not only eliminated Finlay but Intercontinental champion John Morrison to win the match, was actually enough to show the WWE universe that his push would come quicker then expected.

We now know that he will be challenging WWE champion John Cena at TLC in a table match. Most fans have been disappointed at the WWE title picture this year because it needed to change. All those same fans are now pissed that Sheamus is getting a championship match this early.

Here's what the WWE championship PPV matches have been all year long:

Royal Rumble: John Cena vs JBL

No Way Out: Elimination Chamber

WrestleMania: Randy Orton vs Triple H

Backlash: Randy Orton/Legacy vs Triple H/Batista/Shane

Judgement Day: Randy Orton vs Batista

Extreme Rules: Randy Orton vs Batista

The Bash: Randy Orton vs Triple H

Night of Champions: Randy Orton vs John Cena vs Triple H

Summerslam: Randy Orton vs John Cena

Breaking Point: Randy Orton vs John cena

Hell In A Cell: Randy Orton vs John Cena

Bragging Rights: Randy Orton vs John cena

Survivor Series: John Cena vs Triple H vs Shawn Michaels

So, if you hadn't noticed, John Cena, Randy Orton, Batista, and Triple H were in the main events all year long. JBL and Shawn Michaels were involved only in one main event match. That's four guys main eventing 13 straight events.

I think it's a good idea to refresh the WWE title picture with Sheamus. Even if he loses to Cena, it's new and cool. Sheamus will become a top superstar whatever the outcome of the match at TLC. If he loses, it won't be by pinfall or submission since it will be a table match, so it won't take any of his fire away.

Even in the scenario where Sheamus would become WWE champion at TLC, it would be nice to see what he can do with it. If he does leave with the title, he won't keep it long anyway since the WWE won't let him main event Wrestlemania just yet.

All I can say is, don't hate on the WWE or Sheamus. Wait and see what the WWE does with this angle first. I truly believe I will be all for the better whatever happens.

A Tribute To The Toughest Man In The UFC

Jessy Morris — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:49:12 -0500

In the sport of MMA, you have three kind of fighters. You have the fighters who talk shit and can't back it up, you have the guys who talk shit and actually back it up and then you have the guys who don't talk at all and fight through anything.

Being the toughest man in the world doesn't mean you're unstoppable or undefeated. Being the toughest means you'll fight anybody at anytime, put on a show and don't cry and moan about a loss.

To the hardcore MMA fans,most would agree that Chris "Lights Out" Lytle is that man. Although some of the new fans may not know him very well, Lytle is as tough as they come... trust me.

Chris Lytle was born on August 18, 1974 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Chris began wrestling in high school and to this day, still goes to his old high school to help his former coach with workouts

Some men were put on this planet to fight, Lytle is a former pro boxer, current MMA fighter and the guy even fights fires as he works full-time as a firefighter in Indianapolis.

The thing that I find remarkable about Chris Lytle is the fact that he has fought the best of the best in MMA and was never stopped. His MMA record is 27-17-5, he's fought 49 MMA fights and has never been knocked out or forced to submit.

He suffered two losses, one to Joe Riggs and the other to Thiago Alves that ended by TKO. But Chris was not really TKO'ed, he got cut and the fights were stopped because of it. All the other losses were by split or unanimous decisions. Even in his boxing career he never got knocked out. In boxing, he has a 15-1-1 record, his only loss coming by decision.

Chris Lytle has fought in the UFC 18 times and has fought top competition like Robbie Lawler, Karo Parisyan, Joe Riggs, Matt Serra, Matt Hughes, Thiago Alves, Josh Koscheck and Marcus Davis. I don't think anybody on this planet could fight top competition like that and not get stopped a single time.

He has great well rounded skills and always finds a way out when he's in trouble, he has great composure. Those skills were seriously put on display in his last fight against Kevin Burns. Lytle was rocked badly during the fight but kept his cool and survived on his way to win a decision.

He was also one of the 16 fighters on the fourth season of The Ultimate Fighter where he made it all the way to the finale. His finale fight against Matt Serra was one of the most boring fights I personally saw. Serra was able to pull off the win by decision and Lytle promised never to have a boring fight again. He adopted a more reckless style where he stands up and throws everything from kicks, punches and knees.

Since making this change, Chris Lytle has fought eight times in the UFC winning submission of the night honors once, KO of the night once and fight of the night honors on four occasions.

Rumors are now saying that Chris Lytle will fight at UFC 110 in Australia against undefeated Korean fighter Dong Hyun Kim. Kim has proved to be a worthy opponent for anybody in the welterweight division so far. Whether he is able to stop Chris Lytle or not, we will find out, one thing is for sure, it should be an exciting fight.

Is The UFC Ready for a British Invasion?

Jessy Morris — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:47:13 -0500

In recent years, the UFC has become one of the biggest sports on the face of this earth. To say that it's been the fastest growing sport would be an understatement. The expansion of MMA has been felt around the world, but maybe nowhere as much as England.

Last night at UFC 105 held in Manchester, England, 10 Brits were featured in a total of 11 fights. It seems the UK is slowly but surely taking over. The UFC has created stars coming from England in the past years and now, they are ready to make their mark.

Just to show how much the sport of MMA evolved in England, The Ultimate Fighter season nine featured an all UK team of fighters. To make it even more interesting, two UK fighters won the show.

Here's a look at some of UK's top talent in the UFC.

Ross Pearson

Pearson is the lightweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter season nine. He dominated the weight class on the show and defeated fellow UK fighter Andre Winner in the finale to win. Before his UFC 105 fight last night, we didn't know what Ross Pearson was all about. One day after, it's all changed.

Pearson dominated an MMA veteran in Aaron Riley and displayed better skills then ever before. Pearson looked much better then on the show last night and with such a decisive win over a tough fighter like Riley, that immediately puts him in the lightweight division's deep waters.

Andre Winner

Winner a finalist from the ninth season of The Ultimate Fighter. He lost in the finale to Ross Pearson but still displayed well rounded skills on the show. Winner is most known for his boxing skills and is said to have some of the fastest hands in the UFC.

Andre Winner surely proved that when he KO Rolando Delgado at UFC 105 in England. Although Delgado isn't anywhere near the top of the food chain at 155 pounds, it was still an impressive win for Winner. Andre also trains with Dan Hardy and that can't be a bad thing.

John Hathaway

I recently wrote an article on this young man saying that he was the future of the welterweight division and so far, he's proved me right. Hathaway is only 22 years old, and 12-0. He made his UFC debut at UFC 93 and has beat Tom Egan, Rick Story and now Paul Taylor.

Hathaway is a very well rounded fighter and at such a young age, he can only improve from here. At UFC 105, he had his first fight against a well known fighter in Paul "Relentless" Taylor and passed the test with flying colors. Hathaway kind of reminds me of Jon Fitch, he's passing under the radar for now, and then he'll beat a top fighter and everybody will wonder where he came from.

Terry Etim

Terry Etim began his UFC career at UFC 70 with a win. After that, he suffered back to back losses to Gleison Tibau and then Rich Clementi. But at the age of 24, Etim now looks better then ever. Since losing to Clementi at UFC 84, he's on a four fight win streak. In his last two fights, he earned submission of the night honors.

That doesn't mean he isn't a good stand up fighter. Etim is one of the tallest fighters in the UFC lightweight division and with his 73 inch reach, has caused problems for more then one fighter. I think it's time for him to have a step up in competition... how about Melvin Guillard or Spencer Fisher?

Paul Daley

Some UFC fans may not know Paul "Semtex" Daley since he only had his first UFC fight at UFC 103. Fact of the matter is, this man is for real. He took out Martin Kampmann in his debut fight and did it impressively. Daley has proved in the past that he had rock solid hands and that whoever is stupid enough to stand with him, will get knocked out.

Daley has also showed that his weakness was his ground game, but he still has time to improve it. With his recent win over Kampmann, now he'll be fighting Carlos Condit and that fight should show us exactly where Daley stands in the welterweight division.

Michael Bisping

Michael Bisping is England's biggest fighter currently in the UFC. He's the winner of the third season of The Ultimate Fighter and has proved to be a great fighter. He suffered a set back against Dan Henderson at UFC 100 and alot of people began doubting Bisping. At UFC 105, he changed everybody's mind.

He got rocked against Kang at 105, but he kept it together and got the win in the second round by TKO. It wasn't the best version of Michael Bisping the fans have seen, but he should get back to his winning ways and look better then ever.

Dan Hardy

Dan Hardy is the real deal, there's no other way to put it. He took the UFC by storm since his debut he there's no stopping him. Hardy has only had tough fights since his debut at UFC 89, Akihiro Gono and Rory Markham were tough challenges but Hardy won both fights. He mentally destroyed Marcus Davis and pulled off what alot considered and upset.

At UFC 105, Dan Hardy looked better then ever with an impressive win over top contender Mike Swick. Swick was always known for his fast punches, good stand up skills but Hardy showed that he could take a punch and deliver one too.

He rocked Swick more then once and never seemed to be fazed by Mike's punches, he walked right through them. Dan Hardy is now in line for a shot at Georges St-Pierre and the welterweight championship. Some will say that it's too early for Hardy to get this opportunity, I say whoever beats Swick this easily deserves it. He displays confidence in himself that nobody else has, his confidence is something that could get him far.

In my recent interview with Hardy, I asked him about an eventual fight against GSP and he didn't looked bothered at all, he looks very confident, it should be interesting.

Keep an eye out for all those UK fighters, I'm feeling a British Invasion soon.

Breaking Down the UFC 105 Card

Jessy Morris — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:55:07 -0500

The UFC is back in England for UFC 105 and twelve of it's fighters competing on the card are from Europe. The UFC is presenting a very interesting card especially considering it's free on Spike.

Randy Couture will headline against Brandon Vera in what should be an interesting fight to say the least.

Here's a small breakdown of each fights presented at UFC 105.

Undercard

Roli Delgado vs Andre Winner

Both men are projects from The Ultimate Fighter, Delgado from season 8 and Winner from season 9. Delgado proved to be tougher than alot of people expected in his fights against Junie Browning and Paul Kelly. Although Delgado will have a good reach advantage, I see Winner being faster and better standing up.

Andre Winner by Unanimous Decision

Alexander Gustafsson vs Jared Hamman

Okay, most people don't know these two guys and I honestly don't know them either. What to expect... I really don't know. Both men have good stand up and KO power, so expect a stand up war.

Alexander Gustafsson by KO round 1

Paul Kelly vs Dennis Siver

This should be a very interesting fight. Both Siver and Kelly have good stand up skills and good wrestling. The thing is, Siver has had a hard time in the past with strong fighters who had good stand up, good wrestling and that's exactly what Paul Kelly is.

Paul Kelly Unanimous Decision

Matt Riddle vs Nick Osipczak

I think this will be a great fight, maybe fight of the night. You got two young fighters with a ton of heart and talent. To add to that, both fighters have been in a war of words recently. I think Riddle will have the advantage in the stand up and wrestling. I also think he's good enough to avoid Nick's submissions.

Matt Riddle by Unanimous Decision

Terry Etim vs Shannon Gugerty

England's Terry Etim has been on a roll lately—expect it to continue at UFC 105. Gugerty is a good fighter, but Etim will outstrike him and really frustrate him with the reach.

Terry Etim Unanimous Decision

Paul Taylor vs John Hathaway

This will be Hathaway's coming out party. This kid has plenty of talent and it will be on display this Saturday.

John Hathaway by submission round 3

The Main Card

Ross Pearson vs Aaron Riley

This is actually a pretty tough fight for TUF winner Ross Pearson. He'll be fighting a well-rounded veteran in Aaron Riley. I don't think Pearson will outstrike Riley or be better then him on the ground, but Pearson is like a little pitbull. I think Ross will push the pace throughout the whole fight and get the win.

Ross Pearson by Unanimous Decision

James Wilks vs Matt Brown

I thought Ross Pearson had a tough debut in the UFC, but Wilks may beat him in that department. Matt Brown is a tough fighter with well rounded skills. Last time we saw him, he ran right through Pete Sell like butter at UFC 96. James Wilks is a talented fighter, but I just don't see what he can do to win this fight.

Matt Brown by TKO in round 2

Michael Bisping vs Denis Kang

Denis Kang has a ton of experience and he's still looking for his big win in the UFC and this is it. Should Kang beat Bisping, he would skyrock to the top of the middleweight division in the UFC. Unfortunately, this is a bad time to be fighting Michael Bisping. Michael is coming off the KO loss to Dan Henderson and he has to prove he's still in the run for the title. I expect Bisping to look better then ever and get a decisive win.

Michael Bisping TKO round 2

Dan Hardy vs Mike Swick

I'm torn in this fight, both guys are two of my favorite fighters in the UFC and whatever the outcome, I'll be happy and pissed at the same time on Saturday. Dan Hardy and Mike Swick have both looked good in the UFC so far. Swick has only one UFC loss and has dominated the welterweight division since dropping.

Hardy has also looked very good, especially in his last win against Marcus Davis. Hardy said he could do much better then what he has displayed so far in the octagon. If that's true, who knows what to expect from "The Outlaw". In a recent interview I did with Hardy, he said he had a surprise for Swick.

With that said, I would not be surprised to see Dan Hardy pull off the upset, but I think Mike Swick has to be favored in this fight.

Mike Swick by TKO round 2

Brandon Vera vs Randy Couture

I made an article dedicated to this fight recently and the people who looked at it know my opinion on this fight. Randy Couture is a legend and he still has the drive to compete, but he's not as fast or strong as he was. Brandon Vera picked Soszynski apart with strikes in his last fight and I see the same thing happening at UFC 105.

I would love to see Randy winning, his strategy is to clinch and take Brandon down. Although I don't think Vera can submit Couture, if Couture clinches with Brandon, it could be a mistake.

Brandon Vera by KO round 3

What are your thoughts?

The Ultimate Fighter's Ten Greatest Fights

Jessy Morris — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:29:07 -0500

It's a concept that took the MMA world by storm and has helped to elevate the sport to where it is today.

In early 2005, the UFC created the Ultimate Fighter. Sixteen fighters from across the world would compete in a single elimination tournament and the last man standing would receive a six figure contract with the UFC.

After nine seasons, the UFC has crowned Diego Sanchez, Forrest Griffin, Joe Stevenson, Rashad Evans, Kendall Grove, Michael Bisping, Travis Lutter, Matt Serra, Nate Diaz, Mac Danzig, Amir Sadollah, Efrain Escudero, Ryan Bader, Ross Pearson and James Wilks as Ultimate Fighter winners.

The Ultimate Fighter TV show has treated the fans with some of the most memorable fights.

Listed here, are ten of the greatest fights from the show. The finale cards do not count, only the fights that took place while the fighters were still in the house are listed here.

Now, some of you will disagree for sure, but this is my opinion only.

10. Cole Miller vs Joe Lauzon (TUF season 5)

Both fighters had made it passed the preliminary round and they met in the quarterfinals. The fight was pretty good and very explosive with most of the fight taking place on the ground.

Lauzon was a heavy favorite heading in the fight thanks to his previous upset of Jens Pulver and total destruction of Brian Gerathy in the first round.

Miller held his own through the fight and even got Joe's back early in the fight. Unfortunately, Miller received an elbow in the back of the head which stunned him pretty bad. Lauzon was deducted a point but Miller decided to go on with the fight even if he was still rocked from the elbow shot.

Lauzon ended up getting the TKO win at the end of the second round to advance in the semi-finals, but who knows what would of happened if Lauzon hadn't hit Cole in the back of the head?

9. Jason Von Flue vs Jorge Gurgel (TUF season 2)

Jason Von Flue arrived inside The Ultimate Fighter house a little later than the others. He replaced an injured Josh Burkman and the fact that he was a replacement didn't sit well with the other fighters. He always seemed to be the odd man out of the team.

As his first fight inside the house, Von Flue was paired up against rival coach's best friend Jorge Gurgel. Most people were counting Jason out, but both men ended up having a war that lasted three rounds.

They were both bloody, bruised and tired and Jason Von Flue proved he belonged in the house with a unanimous decision win over Jorge Gurgel.

8. Ben Saunders vs Dan Barrera (TUF season 6)

Although there's not much to remember from season six of The Ultimate Fighter , the war Ben Saunders and Dan Barrera had was something to watch. Ben Saunders was taller and had more reach, but all that didn't seem to faze Dan Barrera.

Dan wanted that win more than anything and he gave it all he had. He rocked Saunders early in the fight and dropped him. Saunders was bleeding from the nose early in the fight but he never stopped smiling.

Ben Saunders was able to pull off the decision win but the fight was so good, that both men had a rematch in the finale.

7. Amir Sadollah vs Matt Brown (TUF season 7)

After his brutal KO win over Jeremy May in the preliminary round, nobody wanted to fight Matt "The Immortal" Brown. In the quarterfinals, Brown was paired up against best friend in the house Amir Sadollah.

Being friends, both men agreed to deliver a war to each other and they didn't disappoint. The fight mostly took place on foot where both men were throwing punches, kicks and knees to knock the other one out. At a certain point, Brown had Amir against the cage and began unloading with punches and Dana White was screaming, "Holy shit!" while jumping in and out of his chair.

In the end, Amir was able to weather the storm and got a submission win over his friend Matt Brown in the second round.

6. Jason Dent vs Ross Pearson (TUF season 9)

Jason Dent had made it to the semifinals of The Ultimate Fighter 9 with unimpressive wins against Rob Browning and Jeff Lawson. In the semifinals, he had to fight the tough Ross Pearson and that's when Dent said he would fight like never before.

Dent said he had kept his energy for the semifinals and that he would give a fight to Pearson, and that he did. Pearson proved to be the better wrestler and the stronger of the two, but Dent displayed some pretty good stand up skills. Dent was able to catch Ross with several punches that seemed to hurt the UK fighter.

After three rounds of action, Ross Pearson won a unanimous decision and then said to Jason that he was his toughest opponent yet and Dana also said that Dent had impressed him much more with this loss than with his last two wins.

5. Rob Emerson vs Corey Hill (TUF season 5)

Corey Hill was initially set to fight Gabe Ruediger, but since Gabe was unable to make weight, he was eliminated and sent home. Rob Emerson returned to the competition to fight the 6'4", 155 pounds Corey Hill.

Being much smaller, Emerson was at a distinct disadvantage in the reach department but he tried. He had a really hard time with the reach in the first round but came back in the second with better combinations and leg kicks. After two rounds, the fight was sent to a third round. Neither fighter really dominated the third round, but Dana White, and myself for that matter, had Rob Emerson as the winner.

Unfortunately, the judges saw it in a different way, and Corey Hill from team Pulver advanced to the next round.

4. CB Dollaway vs Tim Credeur (TUF season 7)

For the first time in the history of The Ultimate Fighter , a fighter had been eliminated from the competition after the show's end. Therefore, the UFC training center was opened for one last fight to determine a new finalist.

"Crazy" Tim Credeur and CB "The Doberman" Dollaway returned to clash for a spot in the finale. Both men had a war standing up and on the ground. Credeur showed some very good striking skills during the fight but CB's wrestling skills won him the war in the end after a back and forth fight.

Both fighters had been favorites at the beginning of the show and it seemed inevitable for them not to fight. When they actually did fight, they gave us a show to remember.

3. Rob Emerson vs Nate Diaz (TUF season 5)

Before Rob Emerson replaced Gabe Ruediger against Corey Hill, he had his own war with Nate Diaz. Both men had a rivalry heading into this fight because of what had happened in the house. Emerson was a better striker, while Diaz had a better ground game.

The first round was mostly on the feet with both fighters striking aggressively while the second round was more of a ground fight. It was on the ground that Nate Diaz used his better submissions to submit Emerson with a rear naked choke in the second round. Emerson gave it all he had a left a good impression in Dana White's head.

After the fight, Dana went to both mens' locker rooms and congratulated both fighters on what was one of the greatest fights on The Ultimate Fighter show's history so far.

2. Damarques Johnson vs Nick Osipczak (TUF season 9)

The semifinals of the ninth season of The Ultimate Fighter opened up with a fight between Team USA's Damarques Johnson and Team UK's Nick Osipczak. Heading into the fight, Johnson was a favorite by most and was said to be the best welterweight fighter in the house.

The whole fight was back and forth, on the ground and standing up.

It was a war.

Nick showed a lot of heart in the first two rounds, but Damarques had won the first two rounds when all of a sudden, both fighters got back on their feet and Nick threw combinations that caught Johnson on the chin and seriously rocked him.

Everybody thought Nick had done it, Dana was jumping out of his chair but Damarques survived.

Nick showed alot of effort but Damarques won the unanimous decision after three rounds to advance to the live finale.

1. Matt Riddle vs Tim Credeur (TUF season 7)

When you talk about an entertaining fight, this was it. Tim Credeur from Team Forrest was a veteran who began fighting in 2001. Matt Riddle, also known as "Chipper" had just began his MMA career and had his first official pro fight in the finale.

They had a war and the fight ended up everywhere, every inch of the octagon was used. They fought standing and on the ground.

In the clutch, Matt Riddle showed great skills against an experienced fighter like Tim.

Both fighters hurt the other, it was back and forth the whole time and finally, Tim Credeur was able to lock in an armbar in the second round with less than a minute left to get the win. Tim Credeur said that Matt was one of his toughest fights to date and that he earned his respect.

At the end of the fight, Credeur was so impressed with Riddle's skills and wanted to thank him for the war they had, Credeur bought Riddle an Xbox 360 with his earnings.

This is it, my personal list of the ten greatest fights in The Ultimate Fighter's history.

There have been memorable fights, some are not listed here, but I tried to list the best in my opinion.

A Bad Night Coming For All The Couture Fans

Jessy Morris — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:15:54 -0500

The Natural, Captain America and Father Time are some of the nicknames best suited to describe the legendary Randy Couture. Couture has fought inside the UFC octagon for over 10 years, won titles in both the heavyweight and light-heavyweight divisions and has been inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. At 46 years old, it's safe to say that Randy has done it all in the Mixed Martial Arts world, but still, he continues to compete.

At UFC 105, he will move back down to the 205 division for the first time in three years to fight former heavyweight fighter Brandon "The Truth" Vera. Some people have already counted Brandon Vera out of the fight due to his lackluster performances since dropping down to light-heavyweight, but it's a mistake.

Brandon Vera moved down from the heavyweight division at Ultimate Fight Night: Silva vs Irvin and failed to put on an impressive 205 debut against Reese Andy. Even with a win, Vera's weight cutting proved to be a bigger challenge then anticipated. He then suffered a loss a split decision to Keith Jardine at UFC 89 and his future at light-heavyweight was more then uncertain.

An impressive win over Michael Patt in his next fight at UFC 96 got the momentum flowing again. In his last fight, he took apart a dangerous opponent in Krzysztof Soszynski which Vera didn't get enough of credit for.

Brandon Vera looked very impressive against Soszynski, picking him apart on the feet. He now has the opportunity of a lifetime as he collides with UFC legend, Randy Couture. The fight was rumored to be a No. 1 contender's match for the light-heavyweight belt, but after the controversial ending to the Machida/Shogun fight at UFC 104,who knows what will happen.

Randy is coming off two straight losses and it seems time is finally catching up to him. He still loves to compete, he's still in shape, but he perhaps isn't as fast or as strong as he was five years ago. In his last fight, he was out-psyched by Nogueira and rocked on more then one occasion.

With all due respect to Nogueira, Brandon Vera is a much more accomplished striker and will most likely finish off Couture on the feet. It's no secret that Couture needs to clinch and get the takedown to win the fight, but will he be able to do so?

This is actually a much bigger fight then fans may think, the winner will move up really high in the rankings and may even get a title shot.

A win for either men would be huge at this point.

As much as it pains me to say this, I'm not liking Randy's chances at UFC 105. The old Captain America needs to show up, the man that dominated Liddell, Ortiz and Belfort but I'm afraid that man is no longer here.

UFC 105 Preview: An Interview with Dan Hardy

Jessy Morris — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:35:41 -0400

Back at UFC 89, Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy took the UFC by storm. That night, he defeated tough veteran Akihiro Gono by split decision. He then fought Rory Markham at UFC 95 and got the KO win in the very first round.

Still, no fight got Hardy on the map more then the Marcus Davis fight at UFC 99. The war of words between both fighters before the fight is legendary and will most likely go down as one of the greatest rivalries ever. Dan Hardy pulled off the win against Davis and at UFC 105, will fight for a shot at the UFC welterweight championship.

His opponent, the always tough Mike "Quick" Swick who is also looking at a championship fight if he can get through Hardy.

I recently had the privilege to talk with Dan before his big fight with Swick.

I heard you went to train in China back in 2002 with the Shaolin Monks, could you tell us a little about that?

It was crazy! two months in a temple, in the middle of nowhere, training with a small group of monks and a bunch of people from all over the world. I couldn't possibly cover it all in a couple of paragraphs, but I will say, it taught me alot about my capabilities and gave me a lot of mental strength.

You recently received you purple belt in BJJ from Eddie Bravo. How is it to work with Eddie and do you feel your BJJ skills have been improving?

Its great fun, I learn a lot each time I am over there and his students dedicate a lot of time and effort to helping me improve. Its a very innovative environment and you just can't help but improve.

Prior to your fight against Marcus Davis at UFC 99, you were working your hands with Freddy Roach, are you still training with him for the Mike Swick fight?

I haven't for this fight, I decided to bring in a different coach. Freddy is great, and I am looking forward to training with him again, it just wasn't convenient for this fight.

The build-up leading to your fight against Marcus Davis at UFC 99 is personally the greatest build-up I've ever seen. You two had a war of words because of him laying claim to the UK and it blew up from there, how much of it was personal and how much of it was part of your gameplan?

For me is was about 10% personal, 40% fun and 50% gameplan. He is still all bent out of shape over it though. I just like to have a laugh and get under people's skin a little, if I think it will help in the fight. Marcus doesn't seem to understand my sense of humour though!

You worked hard on the mental aspect of the fight against Davis, did you feel you had him beat before the fight actually began?

Only he can answer that, but I do think that it played a part in the outcome. Fighting is a very emotional game, and if you can't control that, you are at a disadvantage.

Are you planning on doing the same thing to Mike Swick before UFC 105?

I don't think this fight needs it. For Swick, it is just a case of training hard and giving him the beating of a lifetime. I have already won this fight in the gym, without saying a word.

Have you talked to Marcus Davis after the fight, are you guys cool now or does he still hate you and wants a rematch?

From what I understand, he still hates me pretty bad. I'm cool with that, its no great loss to me. We probably wouldn't get along anyways! (laughs)

You were initially supposed to fight Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 105, has your training changed a lot since the opponent change?

I had only just begun the opponent-specific part of camp for that fight, so nothing had to change that much. We had only just started to build a gameplan, so we just threw that out and started studying swick instead. I don't feel like I ever really trained specifically for Kim.

How has the training been going for your upcoming fight against Mike Swick?

Awesome! Best camp yet, by far!

Mike Swick is known for his aggressiveness at the beginning of every fight, that's where he earned his nickname "Quick."

Both of you have displayed some great stand-up skills in past fights, What's your strategy for the first minutes of the fight and then later on into the later rounds and do you think your stand-up will get you the win?

I don't want to give away too much, because I have some special surprises for him. All I will say is that, if he is foolish enough to charge at me like a maniac, he might as well giftwrap his chin. I'm not thinking of the later rounds, because I don't plan on the fight making it there.

The Swick fight is now a No. 1 contender's fight for GSP's title, are you happy with the potential title shot or do you think it's still too early?

Hell yes I am! When you get an opportunity like that, you grab it with both hands.

Should you get pass Swick, how would you approach the fight against GSP? He's a great wrestler and people seem to be afraid to strike because of the takedowns, what would be your strategy?

I can't think past Swick. Ask me again on the morning of November 15th, I will already have a gameplan for him ready to go.

It's safe to say that England has a lot of talent and you are easily one of the best European fighters in MMA today. Michael Bisping has helped England get more exposure in the past years and he became the most popular fighter from England.

His loss at UFC 100 against Dan Henderson hurt his status, do you feel you have to pick up where he left off and represent England and become a sort of poster boy for it?

I just do my job, the UFC can use me as they see fit. We haven't seen the last of Mike though. He will be back, Im sure.

I would love your intake on some of these upcoming main events, can you give us your predictions:

Couture vs Vera - I want Randy, just because I don't like seeing him getting beaten up!

Carwin vs Lesnar - When it happens, probably Lesnar by TKO. The sooner Lesnar is beaten the better though.

Penn vs Sanchez - I'll take a chance and say Sanchez. His workrate and craziness could be the deciding factor.

Well thanks a lot for your time Dan, it was a pleasure to talk, good luck in your fight at UFC 105 against Swick, do you have any final thoughts or special thanks?

Thanks for the kind words mate, I would just like to thank the fans for the support and check out danhardymma.com

Could an Edge and Christian Reunion be Possible for WM 26?

Jessy Morris — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:20:53 -0400

A couple of months ago, Edge got injured while he was one half of the unified tag team champions along with Chris Jericho. Due to the injury, Jericho was forced to find a new tag team partner. That new partner was revealed to be The Big Show at Night Of Champions. Edge's injury also forced Jericho to turn his back on him saying that Edge was weak and not championship material enough to be his tag team partner.

This incident left us a hint that Edge would return as a face, and right into a possible rivalry with Chris Jericho. Since Edge's injury, Jericho has found a dominant partner in the 450 pound Big Show. They have dominated every team in their way so far, and still hold the unified tag titles.

Although it has not been revealed when Edge would make his return to the squared circle, an eventual return at Wrestlemania 26 could set up one of the most titanic tag team matches in history.

Chris Jericho and Big Show seem to be headed in a rivalry with DX right now, but it would still be nice to see them retain the titles, or at least hold the titles when Wrestlemania arrives.

The WWE fans have also been patiently waiting for an Edge and Christian reunion ever since Christian returned to the WWE. Things seemed to go in that direction while Edge was in the middle of his rivalry with Jeff Hardy. Rumors were stating that Christian was the one responsible for Jeff Hardy's recent bad luck, and that he would cost Hardy the match at the 2009 Royal Rumble.

The WWE changed their plans at the last minute, having Matt Hardy turn his back on Jeff, and sending Christian to ECW. Since then, everybody has been wondering when Edge and Christian would come back together. I say Wrestlemania 26 would be a great time to do so.

A potential tag team match for the unified tag team titles at WM 26 between Edge/Christian and Big Show/Jericho would be huge. The most dominating team of 2009 against one of the greatest tag teams of all time in the biggest wrestling on the planet. Edge and Jericho could have their rivalry, Edge and Christian would be back together, and the WWE fans would be a part of one of the biggest tag team matches in recent memory.

What do you think about that?

The Impact of Ortiz vs. Griffin 2

Jessy Morris — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:28:26 -0400

On April 15, 2006 at UFC 59, Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz clashed in an amazing fight. Tito Ortiz dominated Forrest the whole first round before Forrest actually came back in the second and third rounds to give "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" a serious run for his money.

When the third round ended, fans were on their feet wondering who would actually pull off the win.

Judge number one scored the contest 30-27 for Ortiz, judge number two scored it 29-28 for Griffin and judge number three scored it 29-27 Ortiz. Tito had pulled off the split-decision win over Griffin and a lot of fans were left wondering if the right choice had been made.

Both men had agreed after the fight, that a rematch should take place somewhere down the line. That line has led both men to UFC 106 in Las Vegas. Initially slated to fight Mark Coleman, the returning Tito Ortiz will now fight Forrest Griffin in a rematch that fans have been waiting for for the last three years.

The idea of having Tito fight Coleman was a good one since Tito would of most likely dominated Coleman in all aspects of the fight. Ortiz would have been back with a pretty big win and looking for top challengers for his next fight.

Forrest Griffin, as we all know, is coming off two crushing losses to Rashad Evans and Anderson Silva. Is a fight against Tito in his best interest?

Both men have potentially not much to gain with a win, and way too much to lose. Tito hasn't fought in over a year and despite him saying he's in the best shape of his life, is it really true. The initial fight against Coleman was a good one for Tito. A potential loss to Griffin in his return fight to the UFC could set him back quite a bit.

A loss for Griffin at this point would be devastating, who knows in what state of mind he is right now after his last two fights. If Forrest is broken down it could be Ortiz's chance to pull off the win and send Forrest in a downward spiral he could possibly never recover from.

With that said, both men are really different from the last time they fought.

Forrest had only fought twice since winning The Ultimate Fighter's first season. Up to date, he's fought Shogun Rua, Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans and he's a former UFC light-heavyweight champion. On the other hand, if Tito really is in the best shape of his life, it could be a long night for Forrest.

Either way you put it, the loser of this fight will suffer a crushing loss that could potentially affect the rest of his career. So looking back at it right now, was it a wise choice to meet Tito Ortiz Forrest Griffin in the ring for the second time?

Can Somebody Please Give Yushin Okami Some Love?

Jessy Morris — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:57:42 -0400

On Jan. 20, 2006, Yushin Okami had the privilege of fighting soon to be pound for pound king, Anderson Silva. The outcome of the fight was not as Okami would have expected, even though he won the fight.

Anderson hit Okami in the head with a kick while Okami was still on his knees and knocked him out. Unable to continue, Okami was declared the winner by disqualification.

Okami made his pro MMA debut back in 2002 fighting in the GMC and Pancrase promotions. His first six fights all took place in Japan and he was able to win all of them bringing his record to 6-0. Okami then fought Amar Suloev in Russia and suffered his first loss.

He later fought Falaniko Vitale back in 2004 in Hawaii and suffered his second loss to bring his record to 8-2.

In 2006, he competed in a tournament in Hawaii, winning against Silva by DQ in the first round, only to lose a decision against Jake Shields in the second round. With a win in his next two fights, the UFC gave Okami a contract.

Yushin made his UFC debut at UFC 62 against Alan "The Talent" Belcher and won a unanimous decision. He then defeated Kalib Starnes and Rory Singer, stopping both fighters before the end of the fight.

For his fourth UFC fight, Okami was put against highly regarded Mike Swick who was still undefeated in the UFC. Okami proved to be too much for Swick and won a decision sending Mike Swick down to the welterweight division.

With four fights and four wins, Okami was put up against former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin at UFC 72 in a No. 1 contender's fight. Okami fought well but lost a decision to Franklin in his only UFC loss so far.

Okami came back from the loss with a win over Jason MacDonald and a KO against Evan Tanner. With an impressive record of 22-4, the UFC scheduled the much anticipated rematch between Anderson Silva and Yushin Okami at UFC 90 for the middleweight belt. Unfortunately, Okami suffered an injury and was replaced by Patrick Cote.

Okami is now scheduled to fight Chael Sonnen at UFC 104, a fight he will most likely dominate. Okami is a top contender in the division, it seems only the UFC doesn't see that. After pulling out of the Silva rematch, he was matched up against Dean Lister in the undercard, which is pretty disrespectful.

Sonnen is a good fighter, but he isn't in Okami's league. Okami deserves a title shot against Silva and for a while now. It seems the UFC are keeping him as far away from a title shot as possible, do they know something we don't?

Yushin Okami should be fighting fighters like Michael Bisping, Dan Henderson and Nate Marquardt, I truly believe he belongs in the elite of the middleweight division and at some point, I hope even the UFC will see that.

If Okami can be decisive in his next wins, the UFC won't have much of a choice to put him in there against a top contender. It's just ashamed that he needs to work his way back up the ladder when guys like Vitor Belfort win a catch-weight fight and get an immediate title shot.

B/R Tag Team Tournament Results

Jessy Morris — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:51:39 -0400

After five articles, the final result for the tag team tournament has been revealed. Among 16 teams, only one has made it to the top and will win it all.

Some of you will not agree, some of you will, but the votes speak and this team received the most votes in each match they were involved in.

Before revealing the result, I would like to thank everybody for making this work out. Without your votes, this tournament would have been a big pile of nothing, so thanks to everybody.

The Hardy Boyz fought well, but Edge and Christian earned 15 votes, while Matt and Jeff only got 9. This makes Edge and Christian the winning team of this 16 team tournament.

As all of you may already know, Edge (Adam Copeland) and Christian (Jason Reso) are from Toronto, Canada and have been best friends since childhood.

They began wrestling as a tag team in the independent circuit before making their WWE debut in 1998 as part of The Brood.

Acting more like a gothic and mysterious tag team, Edge and Christian would have rivalries with such teams as The J.O.B. Squad, The Acolytes and The Hardy Boyz.

They even joined The Undertaker's Ministry Of Darkness in 1999 but dropped all of this in 2000 for a more comedic gimmick.

With this new gimmick, they really began to shine. They were good looking, funny, entertaining and most importantly, very good in the ring.

They began feuding with teams like Too Cool, The APA, X-Pac and Road Dog and Test and Albert, but they will be most remembered for their rivalries with The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz.

The rivalry led these three teams to battle it out in a triangle ladder match and two TLC matches all won by the awesome duo of Edge and Christian. Even superstars like Rhyno and Kurt Angle joined Edge and Christian from time to time.

In 2001, Christian turned his back on Edge to join The Alliance and that put an end to the team of Edge and Christian.

Together, Edge and Christian won match of the year in 2000 for the triangle ladder match and again in 2001 for TLC 2. They won the World Tag Team titles seven times and was names tag team of the year in 2000 by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Still today, a lot of fans would love to see Edge and Christian reunite one more time and dominate the tag team division, but only time will tell if that happens.

I'll leave you on some of Edge and Christian's most famous quotes from back then.

- "Now, for the benefit of those with flash photography..."

- "It must reek of awesomeness having the fightingest tag team champions out here, doesn't it JR?"

- "Come on! That was totally Chair-o-licous!"

- "Listen, you go take care of Triple H. Kick the snot out of his never-ending nose, come back here, and we'll all have cake!"

- "Greetings to our fans in...where the hell are we?"

- "We are totally zombolicious."

- "We not only have a plan...we not only have THE plan...we have a plan that REEKS of awesomeness."

WWE: B/R Tag Team Tournament Finals

Jessy Morris — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:58:57 -0400

The semifinals of the tag team tournament are now over and the finals are about to begin.

Sixteen tag teams started off and we are now down to the final two. Some great teams like Demolition, The Brain Busters, The New Age Outlaws, The Hart Foundation, and Team 3D have been eliminated.

The finale is between two of the most entertaining teams in WWE history. It's safe to say that there is no love lost between the four men involved in this match.

Edge and Christian vs The Hardy Boyz

What can we say about these two teams? They were popular, mysterious, and, most of all, very talented. They have fought for the world tag team title on several occasions. They fought in normal matches, Steel Cage matches, Ladder matches, and TLC matches.

Even later in their careers, they crossed paths again.

Edge had his problems with the Hardys later on in his career. Of course we remember the Lita incident with Matt, and his feud with Jeff over the World Heavyweight Championship. Even Matt and Jeff became rivals at one point.

These two teams have given the fans many matches by which to remember them. As good as Matt and Jeff were as a team, it seemed Christian and Edge were always one step ahead in winning the triangle ladder match at WM 2000, the TLC match at Summerslam 2000, and TLC 2 at WM X7.

The Hardy Boyz also had their wins over Edge and Christian at Unforgiven back in 2000, when they won the tag title inside a steel cage.

As far as in-ring wins, however, Edge and Christian were often on the winning end against the Hardys, and Edge and Christian would tell you that "It was totally reeking of awesomeness."

Who wins the tag team tournament?

Change of Plans For Dan Hardy at UFC 105

Jessy Morris — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:03:59 -0400

At UFC 105 in Manchester, England, Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy was scheduled to fight undefeated Dong Hyun Kim. With the recent complications in the welterweight division, Mike Swick seems to be back and ready to fight. Although it has not been confirmed by the UFC, Mike Swick will most likely step in for Kim and fight Dan Hardy at UFC 105.

This would prove to be an interesting fight that could put things back in place for the division. Both men are coming off impressive wins at UFC 99 and this fight could catapult the winner to the number one contender spot.

Mike Swick wrote on his Twitter: I am back guys! You will see me in the octagon again in 7 weeks! I can Hardy wait!

So it seems all is set in motion for these two warriors to fight it out at UFC 105. The UFC has yet to confirm it, but it shouldn't take much time before it's made official.

John Hathaway Ready To Make His Mark

Jessy Morris — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:29:30 -0400

Some of you may know him, heard about him at least and most of you may not know who he is, but that's all about to change. John "The Hitman" Hathaway was born in Brighton, England and burst on the MMA scene in 2006.

He currently trains in Brighton at ZT Fight Skool but also trained at the fames American Top Team in America. Having fought 12 fights so far in his MMA career, Hathaway is still undefeated and ready to make waves in the UFC.

He is still a very young fighter at 22 years old and he can only become better with time. He is already very well rounded having ended fights by both TKO and submission.

He had his UFC debut at UFC 93 in Ireland against Tom Egan. Hathaway proved to be too much for Egan and finished him in the very first round by TKO. He followed up that impressive win with a decision over Rick Story at UFC 99.

With 12 wins under his belt, Hathaway is now preparing for his toughest challenge yet. At UFC 105, he will battle UFC veteran Paul "Relentless" Taylor in what should prove to be an explosive fight. Taylor is tough as nails and has won "Fight of the Night Honors" three times out of the six times he fought in the UFC.

This will be Hathaway's first fight against a well known fighter and this is his opportunity to make a statement. With Michael Bisping and Dan Hardy's recent popularity, the fans are really starting to pay attention to the fighters coming out of England and John Hathaway is a young man to keep an eye on for sure.

B/R Tag Team Tournament Semi-Finals

Jessy Morris — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:50:22 -0400

We've made it to the semi-finals of the big tag team tournament. Only four teams are left and some would say that they are four of the greatest tag teams of all time. Every team from TNA wrestling has been eliminated so let's get to the matches.

The Hardy Boyz vs The British Bulldogs

The Hardyz got through a tough first round coming close to elimination against The Rockers. They pulled through and went on to eliminate The Hart Foundation and Harlem Heat. The British Bulldogs pretty much dominated all competition against The British Invasion, Legacy and The Motor City Machineguns.

An eventual match between these two teams would be great to see. Both teams are fan favorites and work very well as a team. The Hardys are without a doubt faster while The Bulldogs would easily dominate in power.

This match could be decided by which team wants it more. Both teams have proved not only to be a great team but to be great solo superstars.

Who wins?

Edge and Christian vs The Road Warriors

Now what a match this is. Some would say that whoever wins this match will go on to win the whole tournament... only time will tell for sure.

Edge and Christian defeated The Natural Disasters, Los Guerreros and Beer Money Inc. to get to the semi-finals while The Road Warriors were able to eliminate MNM, Demolition and Team 3D.

In a match between these two teams, Hawk and Animal would have the advantage in power but Edge and Christian have proved that being a smart tag team is often the most important thing. Edge and Christian have outsmarted several tag teams during their time and there is no doubt that they could do the same with The Road Warriors.

Both teams are very experienced and have a list of accomplishements in wrestling. The Road Warriors never really dominated the tag team division in the WWE like Edge and Christian have, but they did dominate like no other in the AWA and NWA.

Who advances to the finals?

There you have it, after this, only two teams will be left to battle it out in the finals. Please leave your votes in the comment section and have a nice day.

UFC Rankings After UFC 103

Jessy Morris — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 13:58:11 -0400

After a big week of fighting action from the UFC with Ultimate Fight Night on Wednesday and UFC 103 last night, the rankings for each division has changed. Some fighters have cemented their place in the top five, others dropped out of title contention in a flash.

Let's take a look at each division's current top five challengers.

Lightweights

Champion: BJ Penn

1. Diego Sanchez

Since dropping down to the lightweight division, Sanchez has looked impressive. Although he wasn't able to finish Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida, he cemented himself a place as the current No. 1 contender and will fight BJ Penn for the title at UFC 107 on Dec. 12.

2. Frankie Edgar

It's safe to say that Edgar was a sleeper in the division before his dominating win over former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk. With that win, I think it's time for him to meet the winner of Sanchez vs Penn. His fight against Pellegrino might just be to cement his place as the next challenger while BJ and Diego battle it out.

3. Tyson Griffin

With his recent win over Hermes Franca, Tyson Griffin became the only fighter in UFC history to finish Franca in a fight. Having won seven of his nine UFC fights, Griffin has cemented his place as one of the top fighters in the division. Tyson should get another high profile fight soon and he'll be good for a title fight.

4. Gray Maynard

Gray Maynard is still undefeated in the UFC and his last win over top contender Roger Huerta may have opened the eyes of the UFC. For some reason, the UFC don't seem to give Maynard a shot, as if they're keeping him back. There is no holding him back anymore, one more fight against a top five fighter and he gets his shot.

5. Kenny Florian

Florian suffered a set-back with his loss to BJ Penn at UFC 101, but Kenny stays one of the top fighters in his division and he'll have a chance to prove that against Clay Guida. I would imagine that if Kenny can beat Clay and then defeat a fighter like Edgar or Maynard, he would get another title shot.

The thing with the lightweight division is that BJ looks unstoppable and it doesn't seem anybody can beat him at 155. Diego has the best chance and if he can't do it, chances are BJ will continue to dominate for as long as he wants.

Welterweights

Champion: Georges St-Pierre

1. Jon Fitch

Jon Fitch is a top contender in the division there's no doubt about that. His only loss is to current champion Georges St-Pierre and since the loss, he has dominated all opponents. Fitch also expressed interest in a rematch for the title. A win against Ricardo Almeida in his next fight would surely get him the title shot he wants.

2. Mike Swick

It's too bad Swick got injured before his fight against Kampmann at UFC 103 because I really think he would have won. Swick has dominated all opponents since dropping down to welterweight and has suffered only one loss in his 10 UFC fights. When he returns, he should get a fight against any top contender and expect him to fight GSP in the future.

3. Thiago Alves

Even in defeat, Alves put on a good show against St-Pierre at UFC 100. Alves is still very dangerous and expect him to get a couple more wins soon. With the lack of top contenders in the division, it's safe to say that Alves will most likely get another shot at the gold down the road.

4. Josh Koscheck

Koscheck suffered a couple of set-backs but his place as one of the top fighters in his division is cemented. After his dominating win over veteran Frank Trigg, Koscheck is back in the win column and closer to a title shot. He said he wanted to fight Matt Hughes next; a win there could finally get him a title shot.

5. Carlos Condit

Condit came in the UFC with a very close split decision loss to Martin Kampmann that is questionable. He's still young and has a long way to go, but as former WEC welterweight champion, Condit is getting closer to a title shot. He defeated a tough fighter in Jake Ellenberger and expect Condit to shine in the near future.

I don't know if anybody in the division is much of a threat for St-Pierre right now, but there are a couple of contenders for his title and more will come with time. I think that the top five fighters right now all have a decent shot at becoming champion with a little more time.

Middleweights

Champion: Anderson Silva

1. Nate Marquardt

Nate has been doing great since coming to the UFC. His only losses were to Anderson Silva and a very controversial split decision loss to Thales Leites. Other than that, he's been winning some impressive fights. His recent win over Demian Maia made him an immediate contender for Silva's gold.

2. Dan Henderson

Dan Henderson proved he was still a force to be reckoned with at UFC 100 with a brutal KO over Michael Bisping. He wanted a rematch against Silva as soon as the fight against Bisping ended. Now it's hard to argue as to who the No. 1 contender for the title is, but it seems Henderson and Marquardt will have to fight to find out.

3. Vitor Belfort

Dana White said before UFC 103 that if Vitor Belfort would beat Rich Franklin, he would put himself in top contention against Anderson Silva. With Marquardt and Henderson fighting for the top spot, it's safe to say that Belfort is sitting tightly at No.3, waiting for things to clear up.

4. Yushin Okami

Having suffered only one loss in his UFC career, Yushin Okami is a contender that the UFC seem to keep as far away as possible from the No. 1 contender spot. With wins over some top competiton in the division, Okami should of gotten his shot at Silva a while back. Okami would only need a win over any top five fighter to get his shot.

5. Demian Maia

When talking about BJJ experts, look no further then Demian Maia. Maia lost his last fight against Marquardt but he's still very dangerous on the ground and a big win would put him right back in title contention. With improved stand-up skills, Maia could get right back in the running and seriously challenge some of the top fighters.

With Vitor winning over Franklin, the middleweight division got interested again. The problem stays that Anderson can't be challenged at this weight division. It will be interesting what happens with the Hendo/Marquardt dilemma.

Light-Heavyweights

Champion: Lyoto Machida

1. Quinton Jackson

Jackson is a former champion and he wants his title back. His loss to Forrest Griffin sent him on a rampage (no pun intended). He came back and looked great against Wanderlei Silva and Keith Jardine. If he can beat Rashad Evans, he will challenge for the title.

2. Rashad Evans

When Rashad fought Machida, he got dominated. Machida made him look like an amateur. Now, it's time for him to get back up and move forward. His next fight will be against "Rampage" Jackson and a win there would easily put him back in the title hunt and a rematch against Lyoto.

3. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

It's highly questionable that Rua gets the title shot against Machida, but with Evans and Rampage as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter, the UFC turned to Rua for a title shot. I don't think he's a top contender yet, I would of loved to see him fight better competition then Mark Coleman and Chuck Liddell.

4. Thiago Silva

Thiago Silva was highly criticized for his loss to Lyoto Machida, which is his only loss, by the way. Lyoto made Silva look bad, but then again, Machida makes everybody look bad. Thiago got a nice victory over Keith Jardine at UFC 102 and that put him right back in the title picture. Silva should get a top fighter next and that would surely put him back on top to get a rematch.

5. Forrest Griffin

Forrest Griffin has suffered two tough losses against Rashad Evans and Anderson Silva but the fact remains that he defeated both "Shogun" and "Rampage." He's still a very talented fighter that would easily get right back in the title run with a win over a top fighter. I see Forrest fighting Thiago Silva in the near future, a potential No. 1 contender's fight.

Who knows how long it will take for Rashad and Rampage to settle their score. For now Rua is stepping in as top contender but I see Forrest or Thiago getting their shot pretty soon too. If Rua pulls out the upset of beating Machida, then Anderson Silva becomes an interesting challenger at 205.

Heavyweights

Champion: Brock Lesnar

1. Shane Carwin

When you think about impressive, you think about Shane Carwin. He has 11 fights that all ended with a win in the first round. Since coming to the UFC, Carwin has skyrocketed to the top of the division and will now challenge Brock Lesnar for the heavyweight championship at UFC 106.

He could possibly be the man that tests Lesnar's chin the most and we'll see how Brock does against that.

2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

He's a former UFC interim heavyweight champion and his recent win over hall of famer Randy Couture could get him another crack at the title. With the heavyweight championship fight at UFC 106, Nogueira could possibly be waiting for the winner of that fight just to get his shot.

3. Junior Dos Santos

Dos Santos made an immediate impact in the UFC with wins over Fabricio Werdum and Stefan Struve. But it was at UFC 103 that he shined the most with a dominating performance against the legend that is Mirko Cro Cop. Junior Dos Santos still needs a big win before getting the title shot, but he has proved to be a fierce competitor.

4. Cain Valasquez

The undefeated Cain Valasquez was supposed to fight Shane Carwin at UFC 104 in a No. 1 contender's fight. Instead, he'll be fighting Ben Rothwell in hopes of a title shot. With a win against Rothwell, Valasquez could mix it up with a fighter like Gonzaga, Dos Santos, or Mir for his opportunity.

5. Frank Mir

Since his fight against Antoni Hardonk at UFC 74, Mir has looked impressive. He was dominated against UFC champion Brock Lesnar at UFC 100 and he'll try to get back in title contention at UFC 107. Frank could get another title shot if he can get through the top fighters in the division right now.

Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin will headline UFC 106 and whoever leaves champion better keep his eyes open. With Dos Santos and Valasquez ready to make their mark, we could be seeing some very interesting fights for the heavyweight championship in the near future.

B/R's Tag Team Tournament: Quarter-Finals

Jessy Morris — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:03:54 -0400

With the second round now over, only eight teams are left standing, and it's time for the quarter-finals to begin. The second round featured some upsets, and such teams as LAX, Legacy, Los Guerreros, and The Hart Foundation have been eliminated.

Let the quarter-finals begin.

The Hardy Boyz vs. Harlem Heat

It's safe to say that, in my opinion, The Hardy Boyz pulled off the upset in the second round, eliminating The Hart Foundation.

Harlem Heat also did well with the elimination of LAX. Although these two teams have never met in the ring, this would be an exciting match.

Harlem Heat is much bigger and stronger than Matt and Jeff, but the Hardy's would have the advantage in speed. Both teams work well together and this would prove to be an interesting brothers vs. brothers tag match.

Who wins?

The Motor City Machineguns vs. The British Bulldogs

The Machineguns were able to beat Paul London and Brian Kendrick in the last round while The Bulldogs got through Legacy.

I referred to Sabin and Shelley as tag team specialists in an earlier article, and I'm not taking it back. They are smaller than most teams, but what they can accomplish as a team in the ring is exceptional. They would easily be faster than The British Bulldogs and in my opinion would work better as a tag team.

With that said, Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid were a team to fear. They were very aggressive and powerful, and not many tag teams could match strength with them.

Who advances?

Edge and Christian vs. Beer Money Inc.

Edge and Christian eliminated the great tag team of Los Guerreros in the last round and Beer Money Inc. also pulled off an upset when they won against the APA.

Edge and Christian are probably one of the smartest teams in history. They weren't the biggest, they weren't the fastest, but they were simply the best.

Roode and Storm have looked great together, and they continue to evolve, but their experience as a team is their weak point in this match.

Beer Money has won against some of the best teams in TNA, but Edge and Christian can say the same.

Who's the better team?

Team 3D vs. The Road Warriors

Both these teams have each eliminated a great tag team in the last round. Team 3D took out The New Age Outlaws while The Road Warriors eliminated Demolition.

These two teams have done it all; together they have won tag team titles in the WWE, WCW, ECW, NWA, TNA, and AWA. If that's not impressive, I don't know what is.

Although Team 3D have won gold more times than The Road Warriors, it also means they lost them more often, too.

Who would have the strength advantage or the speed advantage? I don't know, these two teams are as evenly matched as any other duo. Both teams work so well together and have beaten some of the most dominating teams in history.

Who advances?

There you go: the eight remaining teams all competing to get into the semi-finals. Please leave your votes in the comment section.

Frank Trigg: Can He Still Be Relevant In The Welterweight Division?

Jessy Morris — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:23:06 -0400

At UFC 103, Frank "Twinkle Toes" Trigg will return to the octagon to fight top welterweight contender Josh Koscheck. I say return, because Trigg was a top challenger in the division only four years ago.

Trigg was born on May 7, 1972 in a family of seven children. At a young age, Trigg had a sudden interest in martial arts and began wrestling when he was 12 years old.

From there, his interest in different martial arts only intensified. Frank was recruited by Jack Spates to wrestle at the University of Oklahoma.

In 1995, Trigg began training in judo and was introduced to Mixed Martial Arts by his judo trainer Patrick Burris. Today, Frank Trigg is a second degree black belt in judo even though he is most known for his striking and wrestling skills.

Frank had his first pro fight in 1997 and went on to win his first seven fights all by KO, TKO, or submission.

After 11 pro fights in MMA and only one loss, the UFC offered Trigg a contract with his first fight being against UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes at UFC 45.

Trigg lost the fight only to win his next two fights and challenge Hughes in a rematch at UFC 52. A second loss to Hughes and then a devastation loss to Georges St-Pierre sent Frank Trigg out of the UFC.

Outside of the UFC, Trigg fought nine times and suffered only two losses, one to Carlos Condit, and the other to Robbie Lawler.

Now, four years after his crushing defeat at the hands of Georges St-Pierre, Frank Trigg is back for another shot at glory. His opportunity at redemption will begin against Josh Koscheck at UFC 103. Both men have said that they would be fighting a mirror image of themselves. Both men are good wrestlers, good strikers, and have a pretty good cardio.

Frank Trigg agreed to a four fight deal and the fight against Koscheck will be the first; where do we go from there?

It will be interesting to see in what shape Trigg is in at UFC 103. If "Twinkle Toes" shows up in great form, he may have a decent shot against "Kos" and could possibly get a shot at the title in the future.

If Koscheck beats up Trigg and wins, Trigg won't have much of an impact as he can only move down from there. I personally would not mind a rematch against Matt Hughes, considering how entertaining the first two fights were.

After his fight on Sept. 19, we will know which road Trigg will take, either up or down the ladder. Can he still be relevant in the division and become champion?

Only time will tell for sure.

There is one thing you can count on; Frank Trigg will give everything he has to make an impact and beat Josh Koscheck.

B/R's Tag Team Tournament (Round Two)

Jessy Morris — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:41:57 -0400

The first round of the tag team tournament is over, and 16 tag teams have already been eliminated, including The Rockers, The Steiner Brothers, The Nasty Boyz and The Brainbusters.

For the next round, the 16 teams that have advanced will clash on to get closer to being the best tag team in wrestling history.

Let the games begin.

The Hardy Boyz vs. The Hart Foundation

In the first round, The Hardy Boyz picked up a hard fought win against The Rockers by a 9-5 vote. The Hardy Boyz are six-time tag team champions with the WWE and are most know for their daredevil attitudes. Their classic matches with the Dudley Boyz and Edge and Christian will remain in the fan's minds forever.

The Hart Foundation easily passed in the first round with a 14-0 vote over The Hart Dynasty. They became WWE Tag Teams champions on two occasions first beating the British Bulldogs and later Demolition. With their devastating finishing maneuver, the Hart Attack, Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart were a force in the WWE.

Who wins?

Harlem Heat vs. LAX

Harlem Heat got through the first round against The Steiner Brothers with a 9-5 vote. Although they never evolved as a tag team outside of the WCW organization, Booker T. and Stevie Ray won the WCW tag team titles for a record 10 times. They are without a doubt the most dominating tag team in WCW history.

Homicide and Hernandez proved to be a better tag team then Shad and JTG when they eliminated them by a 13-1 vote in the first round. They are two time NWA tag team champions and won the TNA tag titles once. Their tactics have led them to many victories against some of TNA's best teams.

Who wins this match?

London and Kendrick vs Motor City Machineguns

London and Kendrick dominated round 1 with a 11-3 win over Lethal Consequences. Paul and Brian were an exciting young tag team that captured the World tag team titles and WWE tag team titles. They are in fact the longest-reigning WWE tag team champions since the titles were created in 2002. Their reign lasted 331 days.

The Motor City Machineguns wiped the floor with the Colons in round 1 with a 14-0 vote. Although they have never won the TNA tag titles, Sabin and Shelley remain one of the most entertaining tag teams in any organization. They may one day capture gold in TNA.

Which team advances?

The British Bulldogs vs. Legacy

The Bulldogs destroyed their fellow Englishmen, The British Invasion with a clean sweep in the first round. The Bulldogs captured the World tag team titles only once but have proven time and time again that they were one of the best tag teams out there in the 80's.

The team won the titles at Wrestlemania 2 after one year of feuding with the champions, Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine.

Although still young, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase dominated La Resistance in round 1 with a 14-0 vote. Legacy's Rhodes and DiBiase are two-time World tag team champions and have shown in recent weeks that they could hold a candle to Shawn Michaels and Triple H and that's impressive.

Who wins?

Edge and Christian vs Los Guerreros

The duo of Edge and Christian is arguably the most popular tag team of their time. In the first round, they eliminated The Natural Disasters by a 15-0 vote. Edge and Christian dominated the tag team division in the WWE with wins in the triangle ladder match, TLC 1 and TLC 2. They bested The Hardyz and Dudleyz in most of their matches and have captured the World tag titles seven times.

Los Guerreros easily eliminated Cade and Murdoch with a 15-0 vote in round one. Los Guerreros won the WWE tag team titles on two separate occasions and together they formed one of the most funny and popular teams in WWE at the time. They even defeated the duos of Edge/Rey Mysterio and Benoit/Angle to win their first tag titles together.

Who wins?

APA vs Beer Money Inc.

Faarooq and Bradshaw defeated The Nasty Boyz in round 1 with a 14-1 vote. Their size, strength and bad attitude made them a feared tandem in WWE. Together they won the tag team titles three times and have left a trail of broken bodies behind them.

Roode and Storm eliminated Money Inc. in the first round with a 9-6 vote. Although they haven't been together for very long, Storm and Roode have won the TNA tag titles three times and have defeated some of the best teams on the roster. There will surely be much more gold around their waists in the future.

Who gets the win?

Team 3D vs The New Age Outlaws

Team 3D dominated The Bushwhackers in the first round with a unanimous 15-0 vote. Out of all the teams left in the tournament, Team 3D or The Dudley Boyz are the only team to have won the ECW, WCW, WWE, and TNA tag team titles. That is a very impressive accomplishment that nobody else has.

The New Age Outlaws won in the first round which I consider an upset. They eliminated The Brainbusters with a very close 8-7 vote. As members of DX, Road Dog and Mr. Ass won the World tag team titles five times and had rivalries with some great teams like The Legion of Doom and The Rock and Sock Connection.

Who advances?

The Road Warriors vs Demolition

The Road Warriors eliminated MNM from the run with a unanimous 15-0 vote. It was said earlier that Team 3D was the only team to win the WWE, WCW, ECW, and TNA tag titles.

Well The Road Warriors is the only team to win the tag team titles in the NWA, AWA, WWE, and WCW. The Road warriors were easily one of the most dominating teams in history.

Demolition's Ax and Smash had quite a challenge in the first round, but they eliminated the World's Greatest Tag Team with a 10-5 vote.

They won the World tag team titles on three occasions and can say that they are the longest reigning tag champions in WWE history. Their reign lasted 478 days and as champions, they retained the titles against some of the best teams like The Hart Foundation, The British Bulldogs, and The Brainbusters.

Who wins?

There you have it, the round two matches are set. Please leave your votes.

Is Joe Lauzon The Dark Horse Of the Lightweight Division?

Jessy Morris — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:58:07 -0400

Born on May 22, 1984, Joe "J-Lau" Lauzon has made one of the biggest impacts in UFC history.

Joe was raised on a small farm in Massachusetts and was interested in computers at a very young age. He would have fun breaking computers and then putting them back together.

In 2006, Lauzon graduated from Wentworth Institute of Technology in computer technology. Lauzon began training in MMA in his junior year of High School. Joe trained in grappling and had his first amateur fight in 2002.

Two years later, Joe had his first pro fight in a local organization of Massachusetts. He won an eight men tournament and was crowned WFL Grand Prix Tournament back in 2006. Later in the year, Joe was named fighter of the year by a local MMA outlet. Now that his pro career had taken off, Joe made an impact by winning his first eight fights, all by submission, including one against current WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown.

With a record of 13-3, Joe was offered a UFC contract. He was supposed to be an easy win for the returning Jens Pulver at UFC 63, but things didn't go according to planned. Joe crashed Pulver's party in 47 seconds and got a KO win.

With a UFC debut as explosive as this, Joe was offered a place as one of the 16 contestants on season five of The Ultimate Fighter which featured only lightweights. Joe was chosen to be on team BJ Penn to compete against team Jens Pulver.

Joe defeated Brian Geraghty and then Cole Miller only to lose a decision to Manny Gamburyan in the semi-finals. The rise to the top was only beginning for Joe who defeated Brandon Melendez at the finale.

From there, Joe mowed right through Jason Reinhardt at UFC 78 in 1:14 and got a shot at top competition against Kenny Florian. Joe put on a pretty good performance against Florian before getting TKO'ed in round 2.

The loss sent Lauzon back a little but he came back strong with back to back wins against Kyle Bradley and Jeremy Stephens. During the fight, Joe got injured and has now been sidelined for an undetermined period of time.

With impressive wins against some of the division's best fighters, Joe will most likely get some very interesting fights when he comes back. Joe has one of the best ground game in the lightweight division and that makes him very dangerous fighter for anyone.

It would be very interesting to see Joe comeback and get a fight against a top 10 fighter like Gray Maynard or Nate Diaz. I truly believe that Lauzon can be a force to be reckoned with in the future. He's only 25 years old and still has plenty of years of fighting left.

B/R's Tag Team Tournament Round 1, Part 2

Jessy Morris — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:27:36 -0400

Two days ago, 16 of wrestling's greatest tag teams battled it out in part one of the first round. It's now time to present the next 16 teams that will face off in part two of this article.

Like the first article, please leave your votes in the comment section. For those who still haven't voted for part one, here's a link for you to get those votes in:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/250775-brs-tag-team-tournament-round-1-part-1

Let's get started, shall we.

Cade and Murdoch vs. Los Guerreros

Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch are two tough guys. Put them in a tag team and you're sure to have a fight. When fighting, they will use any tactic to get the win, even if it means cheating. They have proved to be a force to be reckoned with inside the squared circle on several occasions.

Los Guerreros know exactly what it means to cheat. Eddie and Chavo made a living of lying, cheating and stealing if it meant getting them closer to their goals. In the ring, they could very well use high flying moves or ground their opponents and use technique. However they did it, Los Guerreros gave it every bit of effort they had.

Who wins?

The Natural Disasters vs. Edge and Christian

Earthquake and Typhoon were one of the biggest tandems in WWE history. Tipping the scale around 400 pounds, The Natural Disasters were as imposing as any other tag team in wrestling. Their size and power sure made up for their lack of speed inside the ring.

Edge and Christian will go down in history as one of the funniest tag teams in history. From their five minute poses to their catchphrases, Edge and Christian had it all. Don't be fooled, they could get the job done in the ring and compete with the best and come out on top.

Which team advances?

The A.P.A vs. The Nasty Boyz

Faarooq and Bradshaw did not care about fame or titles; all they cared about was beer, money and kicking ass. They were two powerhouses that were very popular with the fans. It was simple, you pay the A.P.A, and they protect you from anything. It seemed they were inseparable and not a single team on the roster wanted anything to do with these big boys.

When it comes down to illegal blows, foreign objects and distracting the referee, look no further then Knobbs and Saggs, The Nasty Boys. They didn't care for rules, and they loved a good old brawl which was often in their advantage. Add a little bit of Jimmy Hart in the mix, and The Nasty Boys were a team to be feared.

Beer Money Inc. vs. Money Inc.

Robert Roode and James Storm have a natural in ring talent. Together, they can be as nasty as any other team in TNA, but they get the job done. Roode was coming from team Canada, while Storm was coming from America's Most Wanted, but Beer Money Inc. may have surpassed both teams. It's safe to say that we will be hearing a lot of them in the future.

Back in the 80's, there was probably no man more hated then The Million Dollar Man. When I.R.S arrived in the WWE and teamed up with Dibiase, they formed one of the most hated tag teams in recent years. Money Inc. was a very smart tag team that always stayed one step ahead from their competition.

Who gets the win?

The Bushwackers vs. Team 3D

Luke and Butch were crazy, bizarre or whatever you want to call them. One thing though, their opponents never knew how to prepare for them thanks to their awkward style in the ring. Whether it was swinging their arms in the air while walking to the ring or licking the fans in the face, Luke and Butch were fan favorites all the way.

Whether it's under the name of Team 3D or The Dudley Boyz, Bubba Ray and D-Von are one of the most successful teams in wrestling. They were feared in every organization they went to, ECW, WWE or TNA. They were tough and didn't mind taking a lot of damage if that meant getting the win. At the end of the day, if they could put somebody through a table, that would put a smile on their faces.

Who wins?

The Brain Busters vs. The New Age Outlaws

When you had Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson in front of you, you knew you were in for the fight of your life. The Brainbusters were a part of the awesome stable of the Four Horsemen and together, Tully and Arn were the perfect mix of power and brains. They were hated, no doubt, but nobody could deny how good they were in that ring.

The Road Dog and Mr. Ass were two proud members of one of the greatest stables in history, DX. Together, they were known as The New Age Outlaws and they knew how to break rules. Road Dod and Billy Gunn were very talented in single's competition, but together, they were unstoppable.

Who wins this tough match?

MNM vs. The Road Warriors

Joey Mercury and Johnny Nitro were cocky, good looking and most importantly, good. With the beautiful Melina in their corner, MNM were very successfull in the WWE. After one of the best debuts in WWE, Mercury and Nitro continued evolving and became the WWE's top team at the time.

When talking about legendary tag teams, The Road Warriors are it. Hawk and Animal mastered their craft as one of wrestling's greatest tag teams. They were fear by their opponents eyes through the AWA, NWA, WCW and WWE. Hawk and Animal did not know the meaning of the word fear, unless it meant striking fear in their opponents.

Who is the winner?

World's Greatest Tag Team vs. Demolition

Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas came to the WWE to help out Kurt Angle. They were the greatest pure athletes you could put in a tag team, and together they were great. Benjamin is a former amateur wrestler while Haas performed on the independent circuit for a while. Their in ring skills were not matched by any other duo at the time.

Like the name of the team would suggest, Demolition would demolish every tag team put in their way. Ax and Smash were one of the most imposing teams in the WWE at the time. With their face paint, they were a feared tag team on the roster. Wherever they went, Ax and Smash left a trail of broken bodies behind them.

Who wins?

So there you have it, part two of the first round is complete. Leave your votes and check out the next article to find out which 16 tag teams have advanced to the next round.

B/R's Tag Team Tournament Round 1, Part 1

Jessy Morris — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:20:56 -0400

Through the years, pro wrestling has featured some great tag teams.

Whether they were teams from ECW, WCW, TNA, or the WWE wasn't important, because they were all special in their own way.

I had been planning on doing a Top 10 of wrestling's greatest tag teams but instead decided to create a tournament between 32 tag teams from past and present and you would decide who's the greatest.

Featured here are 32 of the greatest tag teams in history. They will compete in a tournament every week and you will decide who advances and who gets eliminated.

I tried to pick the best possible teams from the from the past 20 years from any organization.

One superstar can only appear for one team, which means that Miz/Morrison and MNM can't both compete in the tournament since John Morrison would appear twice.

With that said, let's get started with the first part of round one. Please leave your votes in the comment section.

Thank You.

The Hardy Boys vs. The Rockers

Matt and Jeff Hardy are without a doubt one of the most popular tag teams in wrestling history. They have captured the imagination of many fans with their high flying style, heart and dedication.

Although they are not the biggest or strongest, they are willing to put their bodies on the line just to win the match, and that makes them a force to be reckoned with.

Before being a proud member of DX, Shawn Michaels was one half of the Rockers with Marty Jannetty. Making their debut at the end of the 1980's in the WWE, nobody had seen anything like them before.

They were flashy, fast and good looking and were often referred to as "Tag Team Specialists." No other tag team could move like they did in a ring back at the time.

Who would win?

The Hart Foundation vs. The Hart Dynasty

Back in the 80's, there was not many teams better then Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart. They had chemistry like no other in that ring.

Bret was the technician of the team while "The Anvil" was the brute strength. There was no better time to fear the pink and black attack then when fighting against these two.

In recent months, the tag team of Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith have been making waves in the WWE.

Both have been trained by the likes of Davey Boy Smith, Bret Hart, and Stu Hart. Both young men have a lot of talent and will continue to grow in the tag team division.

Who wins?

Cryme Tyme vs. The Latin American Exchange

Shad and JTG are one of the most popular tag teams right now. Their funny promos and attitudes have made them crowd favorites right away.

JTG is the speed and agility while Shad is the size and power of the team. But don't let their funny side fool you, they can get the job done in the ring when it comes to competition.

Homicide and Hernandez formed one of TNA's best tag teams. They represent the TNA version of Cryme Tyme and have proved to be no joke in the ring.

Like Cryme Tyme, Homicide represents the speed and big Hernandez the power.

Who would win this one?

Harlem Heat vs. The Steiner Brothers

Like them or hate them, Harlem Heat was one of the most dominant tag teams in WCW history. Together, Booker T. and Stevie Ray had a mix of size, speed, and agility and also had Sherri in their corner for support.'

During their time, it is safe to say that Harlem Heat fought and defeated every tag team that was put in their way.

Rick and Scott Steiner were arguably the greatest brother tag team of the 90's. They dominated the ranks in both the WWE and WCW organizations and also made quite an impact in Japan.

They used a variety of powerslams and suplexes against their opponents and nobody seemed to do it better.

Who wins?

Paul London and Brian Kendrick vs. Lethal Consequences

When two high-flyers like Paul London and Brian Kendrick join forces, you know it will make for an entertaining tag team.

Agility and speed was the way to go for them since most teams were much bigger. London and Kendrick were heavy underdogs each time they wrestled, but came out on top most of the time.

Lethal Consequences is one of TNA's young, up and coming tag teams. The chemistry between these two men is great and they seem to improve with time.

Still under 25 years old, Lethal and Creed haven't even reached their prime yet and should make an even bigger impact on the roster with time.

Who advances?

The Colons vs. The Motor City Machineguns

Carlito came to the WWE and made an immediate impact becoming U.S. champion. When his little brother Primo came to the WWE, both men became a tag team and fired up the ranks in the WWE. Using high-flying moves, The Colons soon became fan favorites in the organization.

Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin are two of the best high-flyers in TNA today. As a tag team, they are simply phenomenal.

The double team moves these two men put to use are some of the most interesting in wrestling history. Not since the Rockers back in the 80's, has a tag team worked so well in wrestling.

Who wins here?

The British Bulldogs vs. The British Invasion

The British Bulldogs were very popular back in the 80's. Davey Boy Smith was a powerhouse and the Dynamite Kid was one of the most technical superstars of his time. Evan if they didn't get along outside the ring, they worked great together inside of it.

The British Invasion composed of Brutus Magnus and Doug Williams didn't make any allies when they first came to TNA. They are arrogant, cocky but they back it up even if it means having help from Rob Terry. As time goes by, it will be interesting to see if they can continue their run.

Which English tag team advances?

Legacy vs. La Resistance

Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. are second-generation superstars and one of the hottest tag teams in WWE today.

With the guidance of Randy Orton, Legacy is getting better with each match. The thing with them is, they haven't reached their prime yet and the best years are ahead of them.

Sylvain Grenier and Robert Conway were one of the most hated tag teams in WWE when they made their debut. The team was arrogant, but they were good and they backed it up in the ring.

They used brains to stay one step ahead of their rivals and sometimes cheated, but they did anything to get their hands raised.

Who wins?

So there we have it. Part one of the first round is over. We have already gone through 16 of the best tag teams. Now it's your job to vote and eliminate eight of them before next week.

10 Best/Worst Comebacks In UFC History

Jessy Morris — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:30:39 -0400

With the return of Vitor Belfort, Tito Ortiz, Vladimir Matyushenko and Dustin Hazelett, this is a good time to take a look back at some of the best and worst returns in UFC history. Sometimes taking time off from the octagon can benefit you, sometimes a return becomes a nightmare. Here is a list of UFC returns, some went very well, some others not so well but one thing about all these returns was that they were memorable.

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Taking a Closer Look at the UFC Weight Divisions

Jessy Morris — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 12:42:36 -0400

Each UFC division is very exciting and unpredictable and after UFC 102 last night, let's put things into perspective for each weight classes. We have five champions right now that look unstoppable. Each of them have simply dominated their last opponents and retained their titles.

BJ Penn made an example out of Kenny Florian who was thought to be his toughest test to date. Georges St-Pierre did the same against Thiago Alves. Although he did not finish the fight, GSP showed why he is the top fighter in the world at welterweight.

Anderson Silva is Anderson Silva, he dominates competition at middleweight and now at light-heavyweight. Lyoto Machida sits atop his throne in the light-heavyweight division and it doesn't seem anybody will be able to take him off of it.

Of course, there is Brock Lesnar who erased all doubts with a dominating victory over top contender Frank Mir at UFC 100.

Now let's take a closer look.

Lightweights

BJ Penn won the UFC lightweight championship back at UFC 80 against Joe "Daddy" Stevenson and has since then knocked off Sean Sherk and Kenny Florian from contention.

BJ looked incredible in all his lightweight fights since winning the title and top contenders are pretty rare in the division right now. It now seems Diego Sanchez will be next in line for a shot at Penn's title. Sanchez poses a serious threat to the title because of his cardio and his willingness to push the pace non-stop.

Problem is, I was not impressed with Sanchez in his fight against Guida, he'll need to perform much better then that if he hopes taking the title.

Frankie Edgar is coming off an impressive win over Sean Sherk at UFC 98 and that should certainly be enough to get him a title shot very soon. A title fight against the winner of Sanchez vs Penn could be very interesting unless the UFC decide to put Kenny Florian as an obstacle in front of Edgar.

Another fight that alot of people may not consider very important but I personally think it's very interesting is the Huerta vs Maynard fight at UFN. Why it's not the main event of that show is a shock to me. Maynard is still undefeated in the UFC and Huerta is (although he was gone for a while) a top contender in the lightweight division.

Whoever wins that fight could easily be one fight away from a title shot.

Welterweights

Right now, it doesn't seem anybody can beat Georges St-Pierre. He is as dominant a champion as there can be beating top competition in the process. Since winning back the title from Matt Serra at UFC 83, he has successfully defended against Jon Fitch, BJ Penn and Thiago Alves who were all thought to be serious contenders for St-Pierre.

It will be interesting to see what happens next with Thiago Alves, but Jon Fitch is certainly ready for a rematch against GSP. I love Fitch, he's one of my favorite fighters in the division but what can he seriously bring new to the table in such a short amount of time?

UFC 103 will showcase a number one contender's fight between two former middleweight fighters, Mike Swick and Martin Kampmann. The fight should be very interesting but can anyone of these two pose a serious problem to GSP? I doubt it. I like Swick's chances more them Kampmann but still.

That, is pretty much it as far as top contenders go in the division right now. UFC 106 will feature the return of everybody's favorite nerd, Dustin "McLovin" Hazelett. A win over Karo Parisyan would certainly be a great thing for the young Jiu-Jitsu specialist but he is still far away from a title shot against.

Middleweights

Being dominant is beating everybody in your weight class and doing it easily. So I ask all of you, what do you call somebody who cleans out his whole division, makes every fighter look bad and then moves up in weight and dominates bigger fighters and makes them look like they never fought before?

Well that ladies and gentlemen is Anderson "The Spider" Silva. His list off fallen foes since winning the title against Rich Franklin at UFC 64 is a who's who of top fighters. From Nate Marquardt to Rich Franklin to Dan Henderson to Patrick Cote and Thales Leites, Silva has mowed through these guys with ease.

A lot of people were wondering a while back who was the top contender for Silva's title. Well in recent fights, this question got answered. Dan Henderson eliminated Michael Bisping from the run while Nate Marquardt eliminated Demian Maia from the run.

Now Marquardt and Henderson are left standing and a fight between these two men is the only way to go in my opinion.

Whoever wins this fight should become the real number one contender and challenge Anderson Silva for the title. There doesn't seem to be anybody else in the division left for Silva to fight.

Yushin Okami is a favorite to get the title shot among the fans, but it seems the UFC is keeping him as far away from Silva as possible...but why?

Light-Heavyweights

It would be an understatement to say that the light-heavyweight division is the most stacked division in the UFC right now. Quinton Jackson, Rashad Evans, Rich Franklin, Shogun Rua, Vitor Belfort, Forrest Griffin, Thiago Silva, Tito Ortiz are all fighting for the top spot to get a shot at the champion Lyoto Machida.

With Forrest Griffin caught up with Anderson Silva and the rivalry between Rampage and Rashad, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua will be getting the next title shot at the seemingly invincible champion. The winner of the Jackson/Evans fight at UFC 107 should get to fight the winner of Shogun/Machida.

Griffin probably took a couple of steps back from his loss to Anderson Silva, by the way has anybody found him yet?

Tito Ortiz still needs to show us if he still has "IT" before becoming a top contender and a win against Mark Coleman would certainly NOT do that.

Thiago Silva eliminated Keith Jardine from the race last night at UFC 102 in dominating fashion. Thiago Silva could possibly be much more dangerous then a lot of people think. Don't take his loss to Machida too seriously, Machida tends to make the best fighters look like idiots.

It would certainly be interesting to see what Thiago could do against a challenger like Rampage or Rashad. Don't be surprised if Thiago gets a shot the the light-heavyweight championship in the future.

Rich Franklin will fight the returning Vitor Belfort at UFC 103 in a fight that will eliminate one fighter from the race and move the other in serious title contention.

Thiago Silva vs the winner of Franklin/Belfort could be very entertaining and would continue seperating the real contenders from the posers.

Heavyweights

UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar is certainly no joke. With his first title defense succesfull, Lesnar proved he was ready for anybody at heavyweight.

Cain Valasquez and Shane Carwin were the top challengers for Lesnar's title and they were about to fight at UFC 104. Now I'm using the word "were" because everything has changed. Shane Carwin no longer has to pass through Cain Valasquez, instead he will fight Brock for the title at UFC 106 in what we should call the battle of the titans.

Cain Valasquez takes a step back and will now have to fight Ben Rothwell at UFC 104. I don't see the winner of this fight getting a title shot after that. Whoever gets the W would most likely have to beat another top challenger before getting a shot at the heavyweight championship.

Antonio "Minautoro" Nogueira is coming off a win over Randy Couture and that certainly puts him in a good position in the heavyweight division. Nogueira even expressed being interested in fighting Lesnar for the title down the road.

UFC 103 will feature a fight between Mirko Cro Cop and KO machine Junior Dos Santos in what should be an explosive fight that has title opportunity written all over it. It is also rumored that Frank Mir will fight Cheik Kongo at UFC 107. This is an opportunity for both men to get back in the title picture.

Since it's official that Carwin and Lesnar will lock horns, well in their case muscles at UFC 106, that leaves all the others mentioned above to duke it out for the number one spot. I would personally love to see Nogueira take on the winner of Rothwell/Valasquez and have the winner of Mir/Kongo take on the winner of Cro Cop/Dos Santos.

Wait a minute...is it just me or does this smell like a little elimination tournament?

Brock Lesnar vs Fedor Emelianenko Sounds Good, Actual Bout Would Be Even Better

Jessy Morris — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:45:39 -0400

Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko has been striking fear in the eyes of most heavyweights around the world.

With victories over the best fighters in the world, Fedor has been highly considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Since Pride was bought by Zuffa LLC. Fedor has fought for rival organizations. He fought for Affliction as its heavyweight champion and made two former UFC heavyweight champions look bad.

After defeating Tim Sylvia at the first Affliction event, he showed signs of weakness in his second fight against Andrei Arlovski. But it wasn't long before he stepped right back into "super god mode" to KO Arlovski with a single blow.

With the third Affliction event coming up, Fedor was scheduled to defend his title against Josh Barnett but then tested positive and Affliction died not long after that.

With Fedor now a free agent, the UFC began negotiating a fight with their top name, Brock Lesnar. Negotiations failed and Fedor signed with rival company, Strikeforce.

Brock Lesnar took the Mixed Martial Arts world by storm. A former pro wrestler turned MMA fighter, a lot of people doubted him at first.

His first UFC fight was against Frank Mir and Lesnar submitted in the very first round.

Brock showed what he was made of when he dominated Heath Herring at UFC 87. A lot of people were shocked at how easily Lesnar defeated Herring.

With only three pro fights on his record, Brock received an opportunity of a lifetime when he challenged Randy Couture for the UFC heavyweight championship at UFC 91.

Lesnar silenced the critics once again when he TKO'ed Couture in the second round and became heavyweight champion. The fight Lesnar really wanted was a rematch against Frank Mir and when Mir won against Nogueira, his dream came true.

It was now official, Frank Mir vs Brock Lesnar 2 at UFC 100. Brock Lesnar continued his reign of dominance with an impressive win over Frank Mir and established himself as one of the top heavyweight fighters in the world.

Final Analysis

When the UFC was in negotiations with Fedor it was primarily for him to fight its top heavyweight, Brock Lesnar.

If Brock Lesnar would ever fight Fedor Emelianenko, it would be the clash of the titans. Fedor has proved to be a very well-rounded fighter with exceptional ground and pound skills. Fedor is also explosive, as he showed in his last fights against Sylvia and Arlovski.

The big problem here is the size difference. Lesnar cuts down to make the 265-pound weight limit, while Fedor weighs 220 pounds.

His smaller size has never stopped Fedor from winning before, but against a wrestler as good as Brock, this could pose a serious threat. Could Fedor stop the takedowns and prevent Lesnar from getting top position and staying there?

Lesnar seems to improve with every fight but Fedor has shown to be an exceptional fighter. This would prove to be a great fight but maybe too early for Lesnar to take on.

Prediction: Fedor Emelianenko by Unanimous Decision

What do you guys think?

Brian Bowles: Shocking the World One Fight at a Time

Jessy Morris — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:03:39 -0400

It was on Aug. 9, 2009 that history was made in the bantamweight division of the WEC. Long-time champion Miguel Torres was sporting a 37-1-0 professional MMA record, and was considered by many fans and Web sites as one of the top pound for pound fighters in the world.

Heading into WEC 42 with the bantamweight championship on the line, Brian Bowles was a heavy underdog against the champion. Bowles was also undefeated, sporting an impressive 7-0 record with every fight finished before the final bell.

Brian Bowles made history becoming the only fighter to actually stop Miguel Torres. And even did it in the very first round. Everybody in attendance and everybody watching at home was shocked at the turn of events that had just occurred.

Bowles became the new champion and Torres was left looking at the lights wondering what had just happened.

Now considered the best bantamweight fighter in the world, and considered the 10th best pound for pound fighter in the world by Sherdog.com, Brian Bowles' career has finally taken off.

Having made his WEC debut at WEC 28, Bowles dominated every contender on his way to getting a shot at the champion. His heavy hands have won him several fights, but Bowles also showed some good Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills with several submission victories.

Now that he is champion, we will see what Bowles is really made of, as his first test to prove he's a champion will be to defend that title.

It's safe to say that former champion Miguel Torres will likely get a rematch down the road and try to avenge that loss; whether he can do what Urijah Faber was unable to do against Mike Brown is unknown.

One thing is for sure, you can't count Brian Bowles out of a fight until the final bell has rung, as this fighter may very well continue to impress and shock the world fight after fight.

What Should Anderson Silva Do With His Three Remaining Fights?

Jessy Morris — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:20:16 -0400

After UFC 100, Dan Henderson was promised a rematch against UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and until Saturday night, everything seemed to point in that direction.

After UFC 101, nothing is sure anymore. Anderson Silva destroyed one of the best fighters in the light-heavyweight division in Forrest Griffin and made it look way too easy. After the fight, Ed Soares hinted that Silva could. perhaps, give up the middleweight title and fight at light-heavyweight for the next three fights.

With only three fights left on the contract of "The Spider", fans are left speculating what will happen next.

Will Anderson Silva give up the middleweight championship? Maybe, but Dan Henderson was already promised a rematch for the title against Silva and at this point it seems the fight will take place next. UFC 105 will be on November 14, and will be held in England. Dana White has promised that the England fans would get a title fight next time and what better way then Silva vs Hendo 2?

The problem with this fight is, at this point, Anderson Silva would love to stay in the light-heavyweight division to challenge himself for his remaining fights. I also doubt Silva is interested in a rematch against a man he has already beat.

On the other hand, Anderson Silva said he would never fight Lyoto Machida and going up in weight and fighting the likes of Tito Ortiz, Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson could possibly end up in Silva cleaning out the division and leaving Machida without a worthy challenger.

At UFC 104, Lyoto Machida defends his light-heavyweight championship against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Although the odds are against Rua, he still has chances of beating Machida and becoming the new champion. At this point, Anderson could move back up to the 205 division and immediately challenge Rua for the title and letting go of the middleweight championship in the process.

Even if "Shogun" Rua loses to Machida, he could still end up fighting Anderson Silva at UFC 110 or 111, I think it could be an interesting fight considering Rua would be coming off a title fight and it would be another worthy opponent for Silva.

So with only three fights remaining, his first fight could be a middleweight title defense against Dan Henderson in England at UFC 105.

His second fight could be against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua whether Rua is light-heavyweight champion or not.

For his third fight, it gets a little more complicated. If Silva fights "Shogun" in a non-title fight, I think we could see Anderson fighting his last fight at 185 against either Nate Marquardt or Demian Maia. If Silva fights "Shogun" for the light-heavyweight title and wins, we could see Anderson defending the title against the winner of the Quinton Jackson/Rashad Evans fight at UFC 107.

Another interesting thing here is that the UFC rules state that a champion cannot leave the organization until he loses his championship. This is probably one of the good reasons why Anderson Silva would forfeit the middleweight championship to go fight his last three fights at light-heavyweight and never challenge for the title so he can retire once his contract expires. The thing is...love him or hate him, Dana White isn't stupid and he'll probably see the move coming.

I know this is a lot to digest but think about it, what are Anderson Silva's options with only three fights left on his contract?

The 10 Greatest Performers in WWE History

Jessy Morris — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:56:27 -0400

Many fans argue as to who is the greatest WWE superstar in history is, but who is the greatest performer in WWE history? The list that follows counts down the ten WWE superstars that have been able to put on the best matches, the men that give everything they have whether they fight in New York's Madison Square Garden or in a ranch in Arkansa. Popularity, championships and overall exposure won't get you in this top ten, but if you have the ability of having a good match with anybody whether it's Triple H or Funaki, you deserve a spot on here. Randy Orton, CM Punk and Shelton Benjamin are three men that came very close to making the list and in a couple of years probably will, but for now, they don't have the experience of the following superstars. If you hope to see Hulk Hogan's name in this list, you will be disappointed. Hogan was a great entertainer and was very popular, but he just wasn't that good of a wrestler. With that said, here is the list.

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