Bleacher Report - Fighting

TUF 10: So What About It?

Dorothy Willis — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:46:15 -0500

Will Big Country (aka Roy Nelson), the guy with the big belly, get the last laugh on Dana White and the fans of The Ultimate Fighter 10? The finale is coming up on Saturday, and I could use a few laughs after suffering through this season's dismal offering from the first Heavyweight TUF house gang.

Maybe the last laugh is on all the Kimbo fanatics who watched hopefully for a second Kimbo fight after the disappointment of seeing their former Elite XC hero pinned under said finalist Roy Nelson's massive gut early on in this series of disappointing fights.

As for me, I am still trying to figure out what Dana White thought made this "the best TUF of them all." If he was scamming the fans to increase the ratings, well "ha, f'n ha." Except for the chicken chasing and cotton candy pink warm up room, there weren't that many laughs to be had when all was said and done last night.

As for the finale, I will feel cheated if Roy Nelson of "the bubble gut" comes off the winner. I do not want to see any more of him. With Roy, less would definitely suit me better.

My hopes, and money, if I had any to bet, would be on Brendan Schaub. At least I could still lecture my grandson Kodi about the benefits of conditioning without appearing a dimwitted fool. Apparently, Roy Nelson doesn't run stairs as all the guys in my family who have wrestled had to do to stay in shape. Roy may run to the dinner table, but it hasn't benefited him any if he has.

Incidentally, I did love that beautiful pink room and would love to hire Rampage's team to help me paint and decorate a room for my granddaughters for when they visit grandma. Since we all love bears and horses, they could reuse some of those props, unless Rashad took them home.

A few years ago, a study was done which suggested that prisons and jails consider painting their walls a shade of pink, which was proved by their study to be less agitating than the institutional shades of green which were commonly used.

For fighters attempting to emulate the "cool" of the Iceman, Chuck Liddell, pink would be a serenely restful shade to prepare for their fight. Maybe that is why Rich "Ace" Franklin favors pink. (Didn't the guy who ended Kimbo's career with EXC paint his nails pink or have a stripe of pink in his hair?)

The chicken chasing episode came close to ripping off Sylvester Stallone's famous scene where Mickey has Rocky practice by chasing a chicken. It was funny this second time around too, when a similar thing happened after Rashad loosed the imprisoned cluck-clucks from his rented car.

One of the kind readers who commented on my previous TUF article alluded to Roy possibly saving a chicken to barbeque for a midnight snack. It seems doubtful that Roy could catch the fowl himself, but who knows what lengths he would go to for a nice fresh chicken meal. He is a country boy and would surely know how to dispatch a chicken, or he could just sit on it.

Dana amazed me by hinting constantly that Kimbo would figure prominently in the fighting on the show, then criticizing him in last nights two hour installment for not having the gumption to accept a second fight. He was also critical of Matt Mitrione for vacillating about wanting to fight after a "brain swelling injury" he incurred during a previous fight.

Of all things, Kimbo is now slated to fight in the finale, despite his arthritic knees which kept him out of taking a second TUF fight, with none other than Houston Alexander.

Now stop me if you have already heard someone say this, but isn't it exceedingly ironic that the man who became famous as a backyard brawler (made famous on YouTube) and Houston Alexander who was a disc jockey having up to 40 underground fights before being signed by the UFC? Well, it strikes me as an odd coincidence.

My hopes are on Houston. I was initially interested in Dana resurrecting Kimbo on the UFC after dissing him so much when he belonged to Elite XC. "Even BJ Penn could beat Kimbo Slice," Dana bragged. Well, is he is or is he ain't a good MMA fighter Dana? Please make up your mind!

Switching horses midstream seems to be a favorite ritual in which Dana frequently engages. First, Jon Fitch was a stand up good guy for fighting GSP, then he was persona non grata for not signing away his name and image to the for a video game.

Next, Dana publicly maligned the UFC's best pound for pound Middleweight, Anderson Silva, for "not having an exciting fight" with Thales Leites. Being a proud champion, this chastising did not go over well with Ed Soares or Anderson, (or me either).

I know that Houston is a hero for donating a kidney to his daughter, one of his six children, and that he rescued a small girl who was left alone in a vehicle by her mother and older sibling. Houston is a hero no matter how you look at it. He has fought and beaten some of the best fighters in the UFC as well. No, he has not fought Seth Petruzelli, but Kimbo really didn't last long enough to say he fought Seth either.

When Saturday night finally rolls around, I have no doubts who I will be cheering for at all. So I'll ask the rest of you: "Which fighters have got your bets?"

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The Ultimate Fighter Reaches a New Low as Season 10 Comes To a Close

Bryan Levick — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:43:12 -0500

This year's version of The Ultimate Fighter was by far and away the worst installment yet.

Marred by horrible fights, by horrible fighters, many of whom gassed before the three-minute mark of the third round.

On top of the poor fights, we had the constant immature catfights between coaches Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Rashad Evans.

To make matters worse, the show's true value was lost once Rampage pulled out of his grudge match with Evans.

One of the positives to come out of the show was completely killed last night as Kimbo's transformation to respectable human being and potential mixed martial artist, went out the window when he refused the opportunity to fight.

I truly thought that Kimbo had garnered a lot of respect by training hard and showing an intense and genuine desire to learn all aspects of the sport.

I am not saying I am wrong, but when he was given the opportunity to show the world what he was made of, he decided to do one thing, worry only about himself.

Enough of Kimbo, we have seen the rules in the house slowly deteriorate over the past few seasons.

From the immature pranks that turned outright disgusting, to the crazy, unreal antics of Junie Browning. I never thought the show could go any lower.

When James McSweeney decided to lock Zak Jensen in the bathroom, he obviously did so without any prior knowledge of Zak's so-called claustrophobia.

Not that would have stopped him, but what he did was generally harmless, especially considering some of the pranks that were pulled on season eight.

What ensued afterwards had me scratching my head. Since when was it all right to have a physical altercation in the house?

Not only were there punches thrown, there were kicks and even a choke hold applied. I believe McSweeney was just defending himself, but the fact that Dana White never even confronted the two men, left me befuddled.

I am no saint, but how many times did we have to hear the word bitch during the Rampage-Rashad altercation? Talk about kicking a dead horse, over and over again.

Now the season is over, and the finale is here. The man with the worst physique goes up against the man with one of the best.

It seems that the wanna-be's Bea were weeded out and in the end the two best fighters will be going against one another for a contract.

Last but not least, I give a lot of credit to Darrill Schoonover. He put up with Rampage's incessant, ridiculous name calling.

At 10-0 with 10 stoppages, the man has potential.

Now he is forced to put his mixed martial arts career on hold in order to serve this great country. I for one, hope he makes it back alive and continues his career.

Wait, one more thing, as I will try and end this on a positive note, it has been for the most part negative.

Marcus Jones, showed some potential, I would have loved to see him in the sport seven or eight years ago.

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TUF 10 Finals: Roy Nelson Vs. Brendan Schaub Set for Saturday

Josh Nason — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:18:03 -0500

While the 10th season of The Ultimate Fighter will forever be known as "The Kimbo Season," former IFL Champion Roy Nelson and young Brendan Schaub will look to make an impression this Saturday when the two fight in the TUF heavyweight finals.

As seen Thursday night during a double-shot of TUF , Nelson crucifixed James McSweeney and bloodied his head in a first-round TKO win, while Schaub took it to Marcus Jones, grounding and knocking him out in a first-round win.

The 33-year-old Nelson (13-4) has been a journeyman since the IFL shut down, an organization where he fought seven times. UFC President Dana White has been vocal on TUF about not being impressed by Nelson until his win over McSweeney, so it will be an interesting situation to see unfold if Nelson can pull off the win Saturday.

Nelson's not the most visually appealing guy, but the thought of having a fighter under White's employ that he publicly doesn't care for? Awesome.

Schaub (4-0) has been competing since June 2008 after retiring from the Arena Football League. In all four wins for regional promotions, he's won via first-round T/KO. He'll be an underdog, but has shown the type of power that can even odds quickly. If he does pull off the win, the UFC will need to put him against similarly experienced fighters for a while until they understand exactly what they have.

Also booked for this Saturday:

> Jon Jones (9-0) vs. Matt Hamill (6-2): One of the most exciting prospects in the 205 division against one of its best stories. I love it! Hamill is coming off a brutal first-round KO of Mark Munoz at UFC 96 in March, while the undefeated Jones last submitted Jake O'Brien at UFC 100. I can't wait to see this.

> Kimbo Slice vs. Houston Alexander: It was surprising to see Kimbo not take up Dana White's opportunity to fight during the Thursday shows, as it almost felt like White was vindicated for all of the trash he used to talk about him.

Regardless, he's giving Slice (3-1) a huge opportunity this Saturday—his first real fight since the Seth Petruzelli loss in October 2008. Alexander (9-4) will be looking to avoid his fourth straight loss in the UFC. Another fun fight to look forward to.

> Marcus Jones vs. Matt Mitrione: While billed as settling a score from the show, Jones was out of line in harassing Mitrione after he unintentionally caused possible career-ending damage to Scott Junk's eye.

Mitrione showed some power in his time on TUF , while Jones—originally thought to be an unstoppable beast—looked bad in his defeat to Schaub. Is this Jones' final fight?

> Frankie Edgar vs. Matt Veach
> Brian Stann vs. Rodney Wallace
> John Howard vs. Dennis Hallman
> Mark Bocek vs. Joe Brammer
> Justin Wren vs. Jon Madsen (TUF )
> Darrill Schoonover vs. James McSweeney (TUF )

Other than Edgar vs. Veach, I'm not sure how many of the undercard bouts are making it to live air. Saturday night should be a lot of fun with some interesting bouts featuring interesting personalities that have a lot on the line. I can't wait!

Josh Nason has published MMA, wrestling and boxing blog Ropes, Ring and Cage.com since 2007. He is a contributor to Fight Magazine and appears regularly on Fight Network Radio and Mauro Ranallo's The Fight Show . Follow him on Twitter .

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Rodney Wallace Makes His UFC Debut at the Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale

Todd Jackson — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:41:46 -0500

In the realm of mixed martial arts, there is one show, one name, one leader that truly sets the bar for the rest of the sport. Very few choose a career as a cage-fighter without the ultimate goal of reaching this pinnacle.

Rodney "Sho Nuff" Wallace has earned his chance to dance on the biggest stage in the sport. His high level of talent, dedication, success, and some sharp management have earned him a contract offer to fight for the UFC.

Wallace fights at 205 and carries a record of 9-0. Looking at Wallace's body of work thus far, the UFC will not be disappointed in their decision to sign him.

He represents the new era of MMA. Not unlike the blueprint made famous by Georges St. Pierre, Wallace is dangerous in multiple facets of the fight game.

Not just any fighter makes it to the UFC. It does not happen overnight. Only the best the sport has to offer are given the opportunity to compete, to bring their brand of fight to the world.

Only the best can say they fight for the UFC. Rodney Wallace can now say that with pride. He makes his UFC debut on December 5th at the Ultimate Fighter 10 Heavyweights Finale.

He is diving into the fires against a dangerous opponent immediately.

Some fighters ease their way into competition in the UFC. They fight other up and comers trying to make a name for themselves. Or in many cases they break in through The Ultimate Fighter.

Sometimes though, a fighter debuts against a known competitor right out of the gates. Former WEC LHW Champion Brian "The All American" Stann is Wallace's first test in the Octagon.

While Brian Stann is not necessarily elite in the LHW realm, he is a game and very dangerous competitor. He has a lot of pride in being a veteran U.S. Marine. His fights are a tribute to his brothers and sisters in uniform. This drives him to be an aggressive, and fierce warrior.

His ground game leaves a bit to be desired but he is capable of ending a fight early with vicious striking. The man has no fear and attacks moving forward more often than not. A dangerous fighter without a doubt.

Wallace will have his hands full. He will need to weather a storm to impose his game. Surely he is prepared to do that. This is his chance to shine.

Rodney Wallace may not be a household name but the man is no slouch in this industry. There is plenty of fight footage displaying Wallace's striking and ground prowess.

He utilizes a combination of seamless grappling and precision striking to pick his opponent apart. His attack varies based on what his opponent does.

He has throws, submissions, knockout power, speed, agility, this fighter is the whole package. Add to that a killer instinct, and you have a recipe for success.

His ability to adapt is very impressive. A great example of Wallace's diversity would be his fights at Vendetta Fighting Championships. There he showed strength in every facet of the game, eventually winning the tournament. He won three fights in one night, two submissions and one decision.

What is an exciting aspect to Wallace's debut against Stann is the fact that Stann is a known name in the sport, with a reputation as a dangerous fighter.

If Wallace is able to defeat Stann, it instantly displays his ability to compete with a man who was a champion not that long ago. Stann may not have set any title defense records, but a champ is a champ.

Regardless of how the fight goes, Wallace will have his opportunity to show what he can do against the former WEC champ. It should be very fun to watch.

With Fight Legion Inc. managing him, a great sponsor like hurtsbad.com, and Team R.O.C. in his corner, Rodney is in good hands. He has a world of potential in front of him.

Look for him to make a splash in the big kid section of the pool real soon.

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Fight Week Previews: TUF 10 Finale, Part I

E. Spencer Kyte — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:35:41 -0500

My apologies for being gone for so long. I know you've missed me.

Quick and painful version: I had to get a real job, and it starts at five o'clock in the morning, so coming home and writing went on the back burner for a couple days.

Now that I'm in the groove, it's back to business, starting with the first fights on Saturday's Ultimate Fighter Season 10 Finale Show on Spike TV.

Tomorrow we'll tackle the co-main events, and Friday's focus will be the finals of the season long tournament, but today, we'll break down Bocek—Brammer, Howard—Hallman and Brian Stann—Rodney Wallace.

Mark Bocek (7-2-0) vs. Joe Brammer (7-0-1)

Bocek is a fellow Canadian who trains with American Top Team, and while this will be his first fight since April, he enters the Octagon riding a two-fight winning streak.

Brammer makes his debut after last beating former WEC competitor Chris Mickle via unanimous decision in September.

The only interesting point about this fight is that Brammer will be wearing a shirt courtesy of the Hoelzer Reich company and adorned with numerous Nazi-ish iconography.

A statement from the company says their interest in German imagery is strictly from a historical standpoint. My assumption is that it's similar to the way some folks in the South were very interested in ghost costumes with badges and nicknames for one another... the UFC needs to step in here.

Wow—that's far more than I ever thought I could write about this fight.

John Howard (12-4-0) vs. Dennis Hallman (41-12-2)

I absolutely love this fight, simply because I'm able to watch one of my all-time favorite comic book battles take place inside a cage, as this fight could rightfully be billed as "Doomsday vs. Superman."

The 26-year-old Howard (Doomsday) has been impressive while collecting split decision wins over Chris Wilson and Tamdan McCrory, pushing his winning streak to five fights.

Hallman (Superman) returns to the UFC after an MMA odyssey that saw him fight in Strikeforce, the now-defunct IFL, the "March Badness" show Roy Jones put on, and Valor Fighting.

While Superman has a serious edge in experience, Doomsday will be working hard to discover some form of kryptonite inside the cage and perhaps once again leave The Man of Steel in a lifeless heap.

Brian Stann (7-2-0) vs. Rodney Wallace (9-0-0)

I'm officially over everyone who came from the WEC divisional shrinkage that isn't named Carlos Condit.

Brock Larsen poo'ed the bed, watching a Chael Sonnen fight is the equivalent of drinking 12 bottles of NyQuil, and Steve Cantwell fights like, well, a robot.

Which brings us to Brian Stann, thrice Cantwell's opponent and twice the better man. Between those wins, Stann collected a win over Doug Marshall, a title-losing loss to "The Robot," and quickly tapped to a Kryzsztof Soszynski kimura.

Rodney Wallace earns high praise from my man TJ over at Bleacher Report and will prove a challenge for Bruce Buffer thanks to his insanely long nickname. Honestly, "Sho Nuff the Master" is more like a response from a friend than a handle if you ask me.

Both fighters have wins over Aaron Stark, but Wallace did so on the same night he stopped Strikeforce signee Antwain Britt and Gregory Millard to win the Vendetta Fighting Championship eight-man light heavyweight tournament in September.

Tune in tomorrow when we break down Frankie Edgar vs. Matt Veach and Matt Hamill vs. Jon "Bones" Jones...

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Strikeforce Signing Bonanza: Three Fighters and One Canadian TV Deal

E. Spencer Kyte — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:32:44 -0500

The phones must have been ringing off the hook these last couple of days at the Strikeforce offices, as the San Jose-based Mixed Martial Arts promotion announced a slew of signings and a television deal that will see the Dec. 19 Evolution card broadcast in Canada.

Melvin Manhoef, K.J. Noons, and Trevor Prangley have all been added to the Strikeforce stable, and we'll cover each momentarily.

But the biggest news of the day is the deal with Canada's only national pay television network, SuperChannel. Yes, that's how we spell it.

Beginning with the Dec. 19 card, SuperChannel will show all Strikeforce cards that are featured on Showtime in the United States. This means that instead of having to read the results on websites or stream the show to your computer, Canadian fight fans will be able to watch the event live, provided SuperChannel is part of their cable package.

I know one thing I'll definitely be asking for, for Christmas now...

Somewhat overshadowed by the television deal were the acquisitions of the three aforementioned veterans, all of whom carry impressive resumes and an array of skills into the Strikeforce cage.

Though Manhoef might be unknown to new or casual MMA fans, hardcore fans know that the Dutchmen is the definition of the world striker; a fierce fighter with an attacking style straight out of K-1.

In addition to having competed in a number of K-1 kickboxing events, "No Mercy" has also knocked out Mark Hunt, the legendary Kazushi Sakuraba, and the male "Cyborg" Santos, while coming out on the losing end against the likes of Paulo Filho, Gegard Mousasi, and Yoshihiro Akiyama.

Those who watched EliteXC on CBS for more than just Kimbo or Carano might recall Noons, the first and only lightweight champion in the company's brief history.

The 7-2 Noons won the belt by defeating Nick Diaz before he and his father got into a bit of an in-ring scrum with both members of The Fighting Diaz Brothers back in June 2008. For months, a rematch between Noons and the elder Diaz was rumored and offered, but instead of re-upping with Nick, Noons returned to boxing.

Now, "King Karl" returns to the cage and the talk of a rematch with Diaz will undoubtedly surface again, though there are two very good reasons why it won't likely happen: Diaz is fighting at welterweight and middleweight these days, so making the cut to 155 or finding an amicable catch weight is probably out; and Diaz would rather smoke weed than fight, no matter who the opponent

Getting the least attention of the trio of signing is Prangley, a UFC veteran who was recently stripped of the MFC Light Heavyweight title.

For what it's worth, Prangley replaced the Canadian company's gold with the Shark Fights version of the same belt this past weekend, stopping Marcus Sursa via rear naked choke.

Though the South African veteran and American Kickboxing Academy member is getting the least amount of press, he could be the first to take to the cage, as rumor has him stepping in for Benji Radach against "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler in two week's time.

All in all, a very exciting and interesting day for the steadily-improving Strikeforce organization.

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Strikeforce Signing Bonanza: Manhoef, Noons, Prangley, and Canadian TV Deal

E. Spencer Kyte — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:48:00 -0500

The phones must have been ringing off the hook these last couple of days at the Strikeforce offices, as the San Jose-based Mixed Martial Arts promotion announced a slew of signings and a television deal that will see the Dec. 19 Evolution card broadcast in Canada.

Melvin Manhoef, K.J. Noons, and Trevor Prangley have all been added to the Strikeforce stable, and we'll cover each momentarily.

But the biggest news of the day is the deal with Canada's only national pay television network, SuperChannel . Yes, that's how we spell it.

Beginning with the Dec. 19 card, SuperChannel will show all Strikeforce cards that are featured on Showtime in the United States. This means that instead of having to read the results on websites or stream the show to your computer, Canadian fight fans will be able to watch the event live, provided SuperChannel is part of their cable package.

I know one thing I definitely want for Christmas now...

Somewhat overshadowed by the television deal were the acquisitions of the three aforementioned veterans, all of whom carry impressive resumes and an array of skills into the Strikeforce cage.

Though Melvin Manhoef might be unknown to new or casual MMA fans, hardcore fans know that the Dutchmen is the definition of the world striker: a fierce fighter with an attacking style straight out of K-1.

In addition to having competed in a number of K-1 kickboxing events, "No Mercy" has also knocked out Mark Hunt, the legendary Kazushi Sakuraba and the male "Cyborg" Santos, while coming out on the losing end against the likes of Paulo Filho, Gegard Mousasi, and Yoshihiro Akiyama.

Those who watched EliteXC on CBS for more than just Kimbo or Carano might recall K.J. Noons, the first and only lightweight champion in the company's brief history.

The 7-2 Noons won the belt by defeating Nick Diaz before he and his father got into a bit of an in-ring scrum with both members of the "Fighting Diaz Brothers" back in June 2008. For months, a rematch between Noons and the elder Diaz was rumored and offered, but instead of re-upping with Nick, Noons returned to boxing.

Now, "King Karl" returns to the cage and the talk of a rematch with Diaz will undoubtedly surface again, though there are two very good reasons why it won't likely happen:

1. Diaz is fighting at welterweight and middleweight these days, so making the cut to 155 lbs. or finding an amicable catch weight is probably out.

2. Diaz would rather smoke weed than fight, no matter who the opponent.

Getting the least attention of the trio of signing is Trevor Prangley, a UFC veteran who was recently stripped of the MFC Light Heavyweight title.

For what it's worth, Prangley replaced the Canadian company's gold with the Shark Fights version of the same belt this past weekend, stopping Marcus Sursa via rear naked choke.

Though the South African veteran and American Kickboxing Academy member is getting the least amount of press, he could be the first to take to the cage, as rumor has him stepping in for Benji Radach against "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler in two week's time.

All in all, a very exciting and interesting day for the steadily improving Strikeforce organization.

Read more Fighting news on BleacherReport.com

Fight Week Previews: TUF 10 Finale, Bocek vs. Brammer, and More

E. Spencer Kyte — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:03:00 -0500

My apologies for being gone for so long. I know you've missed me.

Quick and painful version: I had to get a real job and it starts at five o'clock in the morning, so coming home and writing went on the back burner for a couple days.

Now that I'm in the groove, it is back to business, starting with the first fights on Saturday's Ultimate Fighter Season 10 Finale Show on Spike TV .

Tomorrow we'll tackle the co-main events, and Friday's focus will be the finals of the season-long tournament, but today, we'll break down Bocek against Brammer, Howard against Hallman, and Brian Stann against Rodney Wallace.

Mark Bocek (7-2-0) vs. Joe Brammer (7-0-1)

Bocek is a fellow Canadian who trains with American Top Team, and while this will be his first fight since April, he enters the Octagon riding a two-fight winning streak.

Brammer makes his debut after last beating former WEC competitor Chris Mickle via unanimous decision in September.

The only interesting point about this fight is that Brammer will be wearing a shirt courtesy of the Hoelzer Reich Company and adorned with numerous "Nazi-ish" iconography.

A statement from the company says their interest in German imagery is strictly from a historical standpoint. My assumption is that it's similar to the way some folks in the South were very interested in ghost costumes with badges and nicknames for one another...the UFC needs to step in here.

Wow—that's far more than I ever thought I could write about this fight.

John Howard (12-4-0) vs. Dennis Hallman (41-12-2)

I absolutely love this fight, simply because I'm able to watch one of my all-time favorite comic book battles take place inside a cage, as this fight could rightfully be billed as "Doomsday vs. Superman."

The 26-year-old Howard (Doomsday) has been impressive while collecting split-decision wins over Chris Wilson and Tamdan McCrory, pushing his winning streak to five fights.

Hallman (Superman) returns to the UFC after an MMA odyssey that saw him fight in Strikeforce, the now-defunct IFL, the "March Badness" show Roy Jones put on, and Valor Fighting.

While Superman has a serious edge in experience, Doomsday will be working hard to discover some form of kryptonite inside the cage and perhaps once again leave the "Man of Steel" in a lifeless heap.

Brian Stann (7-2-0) vs. Rodney Wallace (9-0-0)

I'm officially over everyone who came from the WEC divisional shrinkage that isn't named Carlos Condit.

Brock Larsen "poo'ed" the bed, watching a Chael Sonnen fight is the equivalent of drinking 12 bottles of NyQuil and Steve Cantwell fights like, well, a robot.

Which brings us to Brian Stann, thrice Cantwell's opponent and twice the better man. Between those wins, Stann collected a win over Doug Marshall, a title-losing loss to "The Robot" and quickly tapped to a Krzysztof Soszynski Kimura .

Rodney Wallace earns high praise from my man TJ over at Bleacher Report and will prove a challenge for Bruce Buffer thanks to his insanely long nickname. Honestly, "Sho Nuff the Master" is more like a response from a friend than a handle if you ask me.

Both fighters have wins over Aaron Stark, but Wallace did so on the same night he stopped Strikeforce signee Antwain Britt and Gregory Millard to win the Vendetta Fighting Championship eight-man light heavyweight tournament in September.

Tune in tomorrow when we break down Frankie Edgar against Matt Veach and Matt Hamill against Jon "Bones" Jones...

Read more Fighting news on BleacherReport.com

War Machine's Follies, Rogan, TUF 10 Picks and Other Happenings

Marcus Walker — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:02:36 -0500

This was originally going to be a preview of the TUF 10 Finale, but I decided against it for two reasons. First, I really can't get excited to write about a bunch of fat guys showcasing lay 'n' pray tactics and winging bombs that miss by two feet.

Second, I admittedly have no idea what is about to transpire this Saturday, and this notion is confirmed when you take a look at the Kimbo vs. Houston bout. Both have KO power, both are brash inside the ring, both have limited skills on the ground, and both are not to be trusted for a damn second.

Of course, I always want to see Houston get KTFO. I have nothing against Houston, it's just that I love the way he denies he was unconscious when that was clearly the case (see James Irvin fight for details).

So instead, you're getting quick picks and a bunch of opinionated blurbs about the recent happenings in the wonderful world of MMA. Please hold your applause until the end of the column.

- Strikeforce made another big splash today, signing fearsome kickboxer Melvin Manhoef to an exclusive multi-fight deal. The UFC has let yet another legitimate threat and unique fighter fall to Strikeforce. I can't wait for Dana White's next press conference, just to hear Dana call everybody SF just signed "overrated."

Although he's rumored to be fighting Robbie Lawler on Dec. 19 (now that's a tough "comeback" fight for Rob), I think it would be nuts to see him go at it with Dan Henderson, assuming that Hendo finalizes a SF deal, and assuming that Hendo stays at 185.

That's alot to assume, but who wins between Hendo and Melvin at 185? Would Hendo actually go for a sub here? Why not, right? Hendo is NOT a spring chicken. Could this be the fight where he finally gets KOd? If so, heres' a prime candidate to do it.

- Keeping it with Strikeforce, Fedor Emelianenko has two fights left on his deal, and they will almost assuredly be against Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum. In other words, there goes another year of Fedor's prime. Kiss it goodbye.

- Even though I'm on board the "Marcus Jones has potential" bandwagon, I must say, I enjoyed his work in the Green Mile much more than anything he could ever do in the Octagon.

- If you don't think Joe Rogan's announcing chops have improved over the years...no offense, but you are insane. Repeat: INSANE. They showed Ultimate KOs Three on Spike last night, with a Botox-ridden Kerri Kasem hosting.

I wonder whatever happened to her? She was delightful. Maybe her face inexplicably split open like the Red Sea parting.

Anyway, back in those days, Joe said like five things. It was either...

1. "He's rocked!"

2. "Those are baby four ounce gloves, Mike."

3. "When you take a hard leg kick, it's like in a video game where all your power drains down."

4. "OHHH! OH! OH! Wooooooow!"

5. "I'd describe what's going on, but I am WAY too stoned right now. Eddie Bravo had some Northern Lights Haze and you knew I was stepping in."

OK, I made that last one up. But Joe has improved sevenfold at describing ground action and stand-up action alike. I can understand why people find him inherently annoying no matter what, but he still has about 5,000 implausible metaphors to go before he even approaches Mauro Ranallo or the immortal Michael "Good night Irene!" Schiavello.

- This War Machine thing is so funny to me. I know I shouldn't make light of an unfortunate situation, but screw it, I know I'm a keyboard warrior who can't fight anyway, so why not twist the knife?

Just the fact that I legally have to call him War Machine would be laughable enough, but his attitude is even more of a joke. He wouldn't fight UFC castoff Brandon Wolff because he was "an unknown" and "tough as nails" under the old "If he beats me, he beat a big name, if I beat him, I beat a nobody" theory that has absolutely no basis in reality whatsoever.

Now, he's headlining small shows, filming porn, running from the police, and pretending that he actually has fans.

- I really hope this World Victory Road/DREAM hybrid card comes together. Even though WVR is in dire straits financially, it'd be cool to see some of their unheralded lightweights (Mizuto Hirota, Jorge Masvidal, Kazunori Yokota) take on some of the big names from DREAM (Joachim Hansen, Shinya Aoki, Tatsuya Kawajiri).

Also, I do not want to see Kazushi Sakuraba fight again unless it's against the intellectual and physical equivalent of a box of Tide.

Onto the picks ...

To get the semis out of the way, I think that Roy Nelson will decision James McSweeny tonight, and I see Marcus Jones having his way on the ground with Brendan Schaub, who should teach a class in grabbing the fence. Although I could see Schaub winning on the feet, I think it's Marcus and Roy in the finals.

And you know what?

Roy "Big Country" Nelson def. Marcus "Big Baby" Jones via KO, round one (I thought Roy would win when the show started, and I'm sticking with it...Big Baby is definitely intriguing, though).

Frankie Edgar def. Matt Veach via unanimous decision (expect another workmanlike performance from Edgar as he continues to climb the lightweight ladder).

Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson def. Houston Alexander via TKO, round one (even though I would not bet on it in a million kajillion years).

And...

Jon "Bones" Jones def. Matt Hamill via TKO, round two (Bones knocks off my favorite deaf fighter from Ohio and becomes a household name...can't wait for this one).

(LATE UPDATE: Big Baby decided to get knocked out in the semis, so I'm still going with Roy to decision Brendan Schaub and Big Baby to commit an evisceration on poor Matt Mitrione.)

(ANOTHER LATE UPDATE: Since Robbie Lawler is rumored to be fighting veteran Trevor Prangley, could that open the door for Manhoef-Henderson? Could it? Please?)

UFC 106: 2-7

Combined prediction record: 21-25

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Spoiler Alert! Is Kimbo Slice Back? TUF 10 Episode 11 and 12 Results

Leon Horne — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:44:37 -0500

Looking on Wikipedia this morning to see what episode we were in TUF 10; to my disappointment, I saw all the results to episodes 11 and 12 which are supposed to air tonight starting at 9:00.

I did further digging and confirmed what is on Wikipedia is true for episode 11, but could not find confirmation for episode 12.

Basically in episode 11, Kimbo Slice turns down a chance to replace Mitrione due to arthritis in his knee.

In the fights, James McSweeney defeats Matt Mitrione via submission (guillotine) and Marcus Jones defeats Darrill Schoonover via Knock out.

The episode can be watched on line.

Apparently in episode 12, Schaub defeats Marcus Jones via TKO doctor stoppage and Nelson defeats McSweeney via TKO as well. Although, this is not confirmed by any other source than Wikipedia.

It was surprising to Kimbo Slice turn the fight down, he was told he could get an injection to help the pain, but he refused it and chose not to fight.

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The Free Roll Review: Miguel Torres

MMAMadness.com — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:27:22 -0500

Written by Cameron Gidari

Miguel Torres did not have a conventional beginning to his fighting career.

"The way I learned, I didn't have an instructor for the first couple years, so we learned through video tapes and watching fights," Torres told the Free Roll Radio Program.

Torres stopped by the show to discuss his gym, his last fight, and his new approach to training.

"I'm the only top pro fighter in my gym," Torres said. "My last fight when I fought Brian Bowles, I had a great training camp, but I didn't have a proper training camp."

As a result of his last loss, Torres brought in Mark DellaGrotte and Kurt Pellegrino to help with training.

"For one thing, it boosts your confidence, because you know you're training with a guy who is at an elite level," Torres said. "Kurt trains different then I train, so when we get together we come up with the most insane workouts you can think of, and it's just good to have a different look."

While Torres is reaping the benefits of training with fighters from other gyms, he is also wary that those fighters might train with a future opponent one day.

"I'm very selective with who I choose to work with," Torres said. "Me and Kurt are really good friends, and if he went and trained with someone I was going to fight, I would hate him for the rest of my life, and I would try to kill him one day."

Coming off just his second professional loss, Torres is even hungrier to get back to work.

"[Brian Bowles] didn't knock me out. He woke me up," Torres said. "If anything, he awoke a sleeping giant."

Torres did not let the loss discourage him. Instead, he looks at it as an opportunity to improve himself as a fighter.

"If anything, this catapults me, it puts the spotlight on me for my next fight," Torres said. "How am I going to do in my next fight?"

Torres says that his next fight should be in February. No opponent has been announced yet, but whoever it is will face a Miguel Torres that is better than ever.

The Free Roll airs every Saturday at 4 PM ET, and is hosted by MMAMadness.com Assistant Managing Editor Cameron Gidari and renowned MMA trainer Keith Florian. Listen live at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mmamadnessradio, or download previous episodes to hear everything we couldn’t fit in the recap. To make sure you never miss an episode, subscribe to the podcast on iTunes by searching MMAMadness.

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Josh Thomson and Gilbert Melendez To Fight for Strikeforce Title

D Wizzle — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:35:20 -0500

Strikeforce recently announced that their lightweight champion, Josh "The Punk" Thomson will be taking on the interim champion, Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez on December 19 in San Jose, California.

The championship title match will be the co-main event of "Evolution" which is the final show of the year for Strikeforce.

Thomson has been out of commission since September 20, 2008, when he defeated Ashe Bowman at an event held at the Playboy Mansion.

Melendez is looking to avenge his loss to Thomson in their first matchup. Melendez defeated Rodrigo Damm this past April to capture the interim lightweight title.

Thomson had to pull out of his fight against Yves Edwards and Melendez this year due to ankle injuries.

Thomson said he is finally healed and he is excited to get back into the cage against Melendez.

"Everything feels great now. Nothing is going to keep me out of this fight," said the 31-year-old Thomson. "I'm looking forward to getting back in there and going to work."

Thomson dominated the first matchup but this upcoming rematch should be more competitive. Thomson will have to shake off the ring rust and Melendez has looked great in his last two victories.

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UFC Newsflash: Matt Hughes To Return To Cage April 10

Dorothy Willis — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:36:53 -0500

Ah...that sneaky country boy Matt Hughes! Does he deliberately go out of his way to confound me? At times I do wonder if he does.

Being an outspoken old country gal myself, I often have voiced my displeasure with Matt Hughes for various reasons. Tonight I am concerned that butting heads with Matt Serra this past July may have done some lasting damage to Hughes' ego-swelled cranium.

He has stated that April 10 is when he will return to fighting, but there are currently no UFC events scheduled for that date. How curious!

Has Matt's ego overcome his senses or has he forgotten that the event is always scheduled before the matches are announced?

Dana White has made certain exceptions where his favorite pet fighters from the good old days are concerned. Sometimes it is out of concern for their health—announcing Chuck Liddell's retirement after the knockout loss to Rua, without first conferring with Chuck about it, would be such an example.

Or sometimes in the case of shear desperation for a main event, like in London 2008, when he asked Matt Hughes to step in to replace Liddell (who had torn his hamstring during training).

And possibly out of true affection, which may be why Rich Franklin is still with the UFC, after many losses and changing weight classes to avoid a three-peat with Anderson Silva, albeit remaining in an uncertain state of limbo without a clear plan for his future.

Theoretically, it may be possible to fill out a card for an arbitrary date such as April 10, around a particular fighter, though in all probability, it would most likely be Brock Lesnar and not "former" great WW Matt Hughes, to whom such a privilege would be granted.

Why that particular date appealed to Hughes, I don't know. Possibly a sign in a deer or chicken's entrails foretold this as being a fortuitous time for him to fight.

Being religious, Matt may have received a private message from God or a certain Biblical Queen suggesting that date. Wouldn't that be around Easter time, a traditional time of renewal and the Resurrection?

Of course however he got the news, he has not announced a place or opponent, but did promise to keep fans informed when a contract for said event is "formally" signed.

Ah my, is the world of MMA getting stranger, or is it just me?

Remember when Hughes proclaimed that 30 year old Josh Koscheck was not old enough to fight him? Is their another elderly former champion out there who is Matt's age that he is gunning for? Denis Hallman perhaps?

Pat Miletich is back in the graces of the UFC, owns the old establishment in Iowa where Hughes used to train and could feasibly be in Matt's sites, or at least of similar age. Maybe that is in the back of Hughes mind.

The Biblical theme of brother against brother could also be a goal, since Mark Hughes signed up with the UFC at least a year ago, but has not yet had a fight in the organization. Age-wise it would be only a matter of minutes, since they are twins.

If Mr. Hughes is true to his word, all will be revealed in time. Why I have the feeling it may turn out to be even more bizarre than my imaginings, I can't explain. I probably would have to say that some darn country boys just love to keep you guessing.

Talk about sneaky!

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Juiceboxing 101: Memphis Will Be Laid to Waste

Justin Orel — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:45:51 -0500

Welcome to another installment of Juiceboxing 101. This time, I'll be previewing UFC 107, and little else.

Let's get juicy.

UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez comes to you LIVE from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn.

This PPV, like every other UFC event this year, has undergone some serious reconstruction due to injuries, illnesses, and acting ambitions.

UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn vs Diego Sanchez

The main event pitting UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn and Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez has got to be a disappointment to many fans, considering this show was supposed to host the much-anticipated grudge match between Ultimate Fighter 10 coaches Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans.

Perhaps nobody was more disappointed than Dana White himself, who went out of his way to book that fight in Jackson's hometown of Memphis.

Alas, Jackson bailed to portray B.A. Baracus in the upcoming A-Team movie, and the title fight between Penn and Sanchez was given in the main event slot of UFC 107.

As much of a bummer as it was to some people, I wasn't exactly getting a chubby over that fight, and the Penn-Sanchez fight is much more appealing to me.

The reason why is because this fight can take all sorts of directions. With Rampage and Rashad, we can all basically imagine what a fight between those two would look like.

A lot of big right hands, some juking and jiving from Rashad, some birdcage defense from Rampage.

Of course it would've been an entertaining fight to see, but predicting what will happen between Penn and Sanchez, who don't mind standing or fighting on the ground, is a little more exciting...and difficult.

Exciting because we get to see the two best lightweights in the UFC going five rounds for a title. Difficult because as much as I want to predict a title change, I can't do it.

If you were one of the 257+ wonderful people who read my prior article, Know Your Juice, you know I listed Diego Sanchez as one of my favorite fighters.

He's insanely positive and positively insane.

He's a character and a great fighter, and one of my favorites in the lightweight division. The problem is, he's not BJ Penn. He's not on his level, and maybe never will be.

Diego has a tendency to win fights that go the distance, which will favor him against BJ, whose cardio has been scrutinized for years. He's got to realize that grinding out a decision probably isn't an option.

He's going to have to finish the champion somehow. As good as he is standing, BJ's boxing is better. As good as his wrestling is, BJ's BJJ is better.

I'll be rooting for Diego, no doubt, but I'm not going to be surprised to see Joe Rogan asking an exhausted Penn who his next challenger's going to be following the fight.

Frank Mir vs Cheick Kongo

We all know the story here. If it stays standing, Kongo will kill Mir. If it hits the mat, he's tapping like a bitch. I'm going to keep things interesting, if only for myself, and go a different route. Mir by vicious head kick in round 1.

Kenny Florian vs Clay Guida

I love watching Clay Guida fight. Besides his penchant for lay and pray, and a stupid nickname, Guida's won me over.

Florian's definitely a more well-rounded fighter, but if Guida's on his A-game, he could probably pull off a decision win.

I just hope he doesn't try and bang with Kenny and end up getting kneed like crazy.

Jon Fitch vs Mike Pierce

Okay, this was supposed to be Thiago Alves vs. Paulo Thiago . Jon Fitch was to fight Ricardo Almeida at UFC 106, but Almeida got hurt. Fitch was given Thiago Alves as an opponent, even though Alves was scheduled to fight Paulo.

Then Alves got hurt. Then they gave Mike Pierce a fight with Fitch at 107, while Paulo fought Jacob Volkmann at 106...I'm pretty sure.

Assuming everyone is alive and well by the time the show starts, Fitch gets a decision while I take a bathroom break and eat some wings.

Paul Buentello vs Stefan Struve

18 of Struve's 21 wins come by submission. Buentello has 16 wins by T(KO), and 17 by submission, but a lot of those submissions were from strikes and junk, so don't let the numbers fool you.

He's a striker, and a pretty damn good one. Also, he doesn't get submitted anymore. At 35, he's a wildcard in the heavyweight division.

He could either pummel the massive 21-year-old Struve, or he could give up a choke and head back to Strikeforce.

I say Buentello by TKO in round two. I hope I'm underestimating Struve; that kid's going to be excellent one day.

The prelims are stacked, with names like Alan Belcher, Wilson Gouveia, Matt Wiman, Johny Hendricks, Rousimar Palhares, and Ultimate Fighter runner-up DeMarcus Johnson all making appearances.

The Blecher-Gouveia and Wiman-Shane Nelson fights will most likely be showcased for free on Spike TV, and probably again on the PPV.

I'm pumped for this one, and all of you should be, too.

Drink your juice, kids.

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Vitor Belfort vs. Nate Marquardt: A True No.1 Contender Bout

Darren Wong — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:50:28 -0500

It's been recently reported that Vitor Belfort has been offered a No. 1 contender bout with Nate Marquardt. If it happens, this will be a great stylistic fight, and I feel the need to celebrate it just a little bit.

I wasn't happy to hear that Paulo Thiago is going to be thrown in against Koscheck again, or that Forrest is probably going to fight against Tito Ortiz in an unnecessary rubber match. In the case of Marquardt vs. Belfort I am quite happy, and so I feel it necessary to give the UFC some credit where credit is due.

Vitor Belfort was scheduled to fight Anderson Silva before the latter had to pull out due to an unexpectedly long recovery from surgery. This fight would have been exciting and had the potential to make a lot of money for the UFC, had they simply waited for Anderson's return.

Vitor Belfort has been an inconsistent performer over the length of his career, so there has been some concern that he hasn't yet displayed the kind of staying power of a true contender. The logic goes that if Belfort was given enough fights, he would somehow find a way to lose. Furthermore, he has yet to fight in the UFC at the 185 lb weight limit, where he was scheduled to battle for a title.

In Belfort's defense, there were many things going on in his personal life that probably were affecting him.

Marquardt, on the other hand, is still searching for a big win to put himself in the top contender position. Some might argue that the Demian Maia match was enough, but I personally feel that while the Maia victory was a good one for Marquardt, it did more to show how far Maia still needs to improve in regards to his striking technique.

Marquardt's wins over Gouveia and Kampmann were also good, but don't exactly make me believe he's ready for Anderson Silva. An impressive win over Vitor Belfort would.

I still look back to Marquardt's fight against Thales Leites, where Marquardt was dropped in the first round, and think that if Anderson Silva had been in Thales' place, it would not have gone well for Marquardt.

To his credit, Marquardt bounced back and fought a good fight against Leites. Still, it can't be a good thing when you're getting knocked down by the same guy who was so afraid of striking with Anderson Silva that he repeatedly flopped down to his back to avoid getting hit.

I suppose that if Belfort flakes out, or if Marquardt gets dropped early again, maybe nothing new will have been discovered, but at least we'll have a true contender.

The stylistic match-up should also be good, as both fighters have significant striking and grappling abilities, and both are dynamic fighters.

The winner of this fight will have proven himself to be the current UFC middleweight with the best chance of defeating Anderson Silva. Although this bout opens the door for a title fight between Silva and Dan Henderson, I think the winner of Vitor and Nate will stand a better chance.

Credit goes to the UFC for being willing to abandon a potentially lucrative bout (Vitor vs. Anderson) in favor of an interesting one that still has title implications.

Now if there was only something we could do about Couture vs. Coleman....

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Five Reasons BJ Penn Will Be Leaving Memphis with His Title

Robert Gardner — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:31:11 -0500

UFC 107 is less than two weeks away, and it seems as if there is very little hype surrounding the lightweight title showdown between BJ Penn and Diego Sanchez.

Perhaps it is because MMA fans are beginning to realize what many of us already knew: Sanchez has little to no shot of defeating the Prodigy.

The simple fact of the matter is Sanchez does not offer any unique challenges to the champion. That is not to take anything away from the tough and tenacious fighter from Albuquerque; he just is not on the same level as Penn. Here’s why.

5. Takedown Defense

There is no arguing that Diego Sanchez is a solid wrestler. Sanchez sets an incredible pace in his fights and uses that relentless attack to wear down his opponents and secure his takedowns. It just takes a lot more than tenacity to take down BJ Penn.

Penn is renowned for his ability to stuff takedowns. By using his incredible flexibility and amazing balance, Penn is able to thwart the takedown attempts of even elite-caliber wrestlers.

4. Explosiveness

While Sanchez is high energy, he lacks explosiveness. He doesn’t have the true knockout power or dynamic attack that is needed to take out an elite level fighter. Penn, on the other hand, is deceptively explosive and dynamic.

Penn does not look like a prototypical athlete; he has a slight build, chubby face, and a seemingly soft body. But the Prodigy can explode at the point of impact. Penn has power in both hands, and once he smells blood in the water, he does not hesitate to open up his arsenal of strikes, including his effective and devastating flying knee.

Add Penn’s natural explosiveness to his newfound dedication to a strength and conditioning regimen, and Sanchez will be in store for a nightmare.

3. Striking

Not only does Sanchez lack real power, but he also lacks technique. Sanchez has displayed poor footwork and wild striking in the past and his lack of technical striking could spell doom for his title hopes. His striking has been effective enough to lead him this far in his career, but it needs to improve if he ever intends to reach the pinnacle of MMA.

Being dynamic and powerful is only part of what makes Penn a dangerous striker. His biggest asset is his technical striking. Penn is one of the best boxers in all of MMA and is also one of the few fighters who actually utilizes an effective jab.

Penn uses his jab to perfection. He uses it offensively to keep his opponent off balance and to set up the rest of his attack, as well as a defensive tool to create space. With the jab alone Penn has the ability to dominate a fight, and if you have any feelings otherwise, just ask former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk.

2. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Sanchez may come from a strong wrestling and grappling background, but his skill set is minuscule compared to the grappling pedigree that Penn comes from.

Not only did Penn earn his black belt in just three short years, he won a gold medal at the Mundial World Championships as well, becoming the first non-Brazilian to do so. Penn personifies the very definition of world-class grappling.

Top or bottom, it doesn’t matter; Penn is dangerous from any position on the ground and can end the fight in the blink of an eye.

What makes Penn so dangerous in a grappling situation is his dexterity and flexibility. Penn can basically move and use his legs like another set of arms.

1. Calmness

The other day I was reading an article that Bleacher Report’s very own Stoker had written about this fight, and in the comment thread Stoker mentioned the calmness that great fighters maintain during their fights. That comment got me to thinking, and it helped me realize that this is Penn’s biggest advantage going into this fight.

Sanchez is known for his toughness and tenacity, but also the anger that he seemingly fights with. Anger can be a helpful motivational tool during training, but inside the cage it causes a fighter to lose their cool and get sloppy. For a fighter who has a tendency to be sloppy anyway, it could be disastrous.

Penn, much like the other current giants of the sport, fights cool, calm, and calculating. His expression inside the cage does not change whether he is on his back or going in for the kill.

By maintaining an even keel, Penn keeps himself from making the stupid mistakes a frustrated fighter would make.

Come Dec. 12, BJ Penn will not only defend his UFC lightweight title; he will not let Diego Sanchez even see the championship rounds.

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MMA Holiday Wishes: What I Want for Christmas and the New Year

Bryan Levick — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:35:20 -0500

Last week I wrote an article about the things in MMA I was grateful for. Today I wanted to talk about what I would like to see in the next month and for 2010.

Being a fan of Diego Sanchez since his days on The Ultimate Fighter, I would like to see him defeat BJ Penn at UFC 107.

Not only would I get to see another one of my favorite fighters capture a championship (Forrest Griffin), I would also get to see Penn lose again.

I would like to see the return of "The Iceman," Chuck Liddell. I would like to see him come back for one last fight, no matter who it is against, and be victorious.

Liddell deserves a proper sendoff, in my opinion.

Speaking of returns, I would like to see the UFC and John McCarthy kiss and make up. The best referee in the business belongs in the biggest mixed martial arts promotion in the world.

Next up on my list: Who wouldn't want to see a complete reform of the way MMA fights are judged?

New judges need to be trained properly and a system geared to MMA bouts needs to be set in place. Maybe Big John could be put in charge?

I pray for the return of Brock Lesnar and hope that he comes back at full strength. Love him or hate him, he is a great athlete and his best days are still ahead of him.

While on the subject of Lesnar, it is my sincere wish that at some point in 2010, the UFC and Fedor Emelianenko can come to terms.

A bout between Lesnar and Emelianenko would be awesome; at this point in their careers, I still believe Emelianenko would win, but he would take the beating of a lifetime.

I truly hope that Rampage Jackson will make his return to the Octagon and knock Rashad Evans out cold. Then maybe we can get a Rampage-Shogun rematch.

Being a lifelong resident of the great state of New York, I would have to say that having MMA legalized there would be one of my top wishes for 2010.

I hope the WEC remains in and of itself, as there are so many talented fighters who would get lost in the shuffle.

On the topic of the WEC, I hope that the fighters can be paid more in line with their talent.

In fact, I hope all of the great mixed martial artists can get paid more money for risking their lives. They do it for our enjoyment and deserve to be better compensated.

I hope that the year 2010 will mark the end of the Junie Browning and War Machine nonsense. By writing and reading about them, it only gives them the attention they crave.

I would love to see Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva mix it up sometime next year. Two of the best in the world going at it—what could be better than that?

I am looking forward to seeing the progress that some of the younger fighters have made this time next year.

Jon Jones and Anthony Johnson are two studs that come to mind; with another year under their belt, they may be ready to climb the ladder.

I look for the continued success of the Strikeforce promotion—and for more free MMA in general.

The Ultimate Fighter finales and UFC Fight Nights are great, but watching stars like Jake Shields, Gegard Mousassi, and Emelianenko fight for free is even better.

Last, but not least, my personal goal is to interview Forrest Griffin at some point next year.

I have had the fortunate opportunities to interview some great fighters who are also great human beings over the past two years.

Talking to Griffin is not only a professional desire but a personal one as well.

What are you guys and gals looking for in the next year?

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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.

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UFC 107: Will Hell Freeze Over in Memphis?

Dorothy Willis — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 06:12:50 -0500

Just before reading my friend Stoker's article on the Penn vs Sanchez fight, I was going to go through my archives to find the article I had written months ago with a similar title regarding the same fight. Instead of taking the time, I eagerly read Stoker's article because, like him I am a big fan of the film "Little Big Man."

For some reason, I kept getting a feeling of deja vu, and not because we had written similar articles. It went back much further than that in fight history. Someone mentioned the extremely close fight between Matt Serra and BJ Penn as being one of Penn's most dangerous matches.

Boom! My fickle mind made a strange connection. I began writing a comment on Stoker's article and realized that I had enough to write my own article. Oh happy, happy day! I do love to write an opinion piece with a twist!

So here I am in my element, and here is my article.

If it were not for Matt Serra's abiding love for pasta and Italian cooking, he would most likely be competing at Lightweight, rather than in the Welter Weight division. He has been called a "small man" by Matt Hughes, who was referring to his stature, not his heart. Matt Serra is a small man with an enormous heart.

Because of his love of pasta, his path crossed WW champion Georges St. Pierre's. It resulted in a fight that legends are made from, kind of like the movie The Mouse That Roared , another old timers film which Stoker may recall.

No one gave a snowball's chance in Hell for Matt Serra to be able to terrorise GSP and steal his title, but it sure did happen and like me, you may have witnessed it in shock and awe.

The family members that watched that fight with me fully expected me to break into tears at my idol's loss. No way! I also had strong feelings of affection for Matt Serra and thought of what joy his children would have when hearing the David and Goliath story of how their father brought down the mightiest WW champion of them all. Yes, I was predicting the future, correctly for once.

So, now comes Diego Sanchez to challenge the man who would be king and failed in that venture to separate GSP from his belt earlier this year. How strange, there goes the deja vu feeling again.

Yes, BJ Penn once successfully challenged then Champion Matt Hughes and won the gold belt. Why was he fighting at Welter Weight, one might query? Well, it goes something like this my friends.

Once upon a time, BJ Penn became very lazy and very fond of In and Out Burgers. He has admitted to this himself in the past, so don't think I am dissing him as I did back in the day. I actually admire the Prodigy now.

At any rate, Mr. Penn preferred to compete at WW and not have to try to watch his weight. Fighting at 170 suited his appetite and distaste for training and conditioning. Bah diets! Who needs them when they have been blessed with so much talent?

Most MMA fans can fill in the rest of this part of the story, so let's leap ahead.

But guess what? Like the days of old, when my grandson and I warred over the "who is the superior fighter, Matt Hughes or Georges St. Pierre," we are now waging a war of words over Diego Sanchez and BJ Penn.

Kodi, in his 16-1/2-year-old wisdom, feels that Diego will be Penn's worst nightmare and defeat the proud Hawaiian on Dec. 12, and Grandma Dee feels the Hawaiian Emperor will prevail.

Does nothing ever change? History is repeating itself in the Willis family, only the names have changed, but who is now the innocent?

Will Hell freeze over in Memphis and give Diego that snowball's chance to upset BJ?

Does a 16-1/2 year old wrestler who is ranked seventh in his 152--pound weight class in the state of Illinois know more about MMA than his soon-to-be-64-year-old sportswriting grandmother?

Any weather predictions for Tennessee on December the 12th, my friends?

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Demystifying Fighters' Heights, Auras, and Egos

Jung Soo Kim — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:24:38 -0500

You all know what I am talking about. I possibly cannot be the only one cracking up every time I see Shane Carwin listed as 6'3" in the UFC tale-of-the-tape segments. In a recent episode of Inside MMA, he was even listed as 6'5"! In fact, I have seen occasions where even Joe Rogan laughs at the inaccuracies.

I once pictured Carwin trying to walk towards the Octagon wearing high heels (make them pink). The sheer ridiculousness of the idea had me laughing hysterically.

It is quite ironic to think that a guy nicknamed "the Engineer" cannot measure his own height properly, but a man's ego can do wonderful things. Sometimes, it's not even his fault. The industry will always make their models look bigger and better.

The list is just starting.

I have seen Randy "the Natural" Couture listed as tall as 6'2". Then I saw the old man literally look up at Brock Lesnar's gigantic head, and I realized, Couture ain't 6'2". He's my size—around 6'0"! Lesnar is at least 6'3", if not 6'4".

I have noticed that this kind of statistical error is usually predominant in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions of the UFC.

It's not difficult to understand. Bigger, heavier guys draw more attention and more Pay-Per-View buys. Fabricating stats is nothing new to organizations such as the NBA, NFL or even MLB. Even high school coaches do it.

A casual fan, when told that Carwin is 6'5" and 260 pounds, will cry out, "Holy Moly, now that's a big son of a gun!" Reveal that he's 6'0"-6'1" and 260 pounds and the same fanatic will show only half of the excitement.

It is why Greeks made gigantic statues of their idols; the alpha-male should be stronger and bigger and be perceived in such a way. We all cheer for David to beat Goliath, but secretly in our hearts, we aspire to resemble Goliath and envy him.

In no way am I trying to diminish any of these fighters' reputation, but the truth just has to be told. That's it.

One might dispute: "How can you trust someone like me?"

Well, I think I've done my fair share of research and nosing around. Comparing Pride FC stats with UFC stats has helped, and getting good photos without deceiving camera angles also helps. So here goes...

Quinton Rampage Jackson is a solid 6'0", and not 6'1" as publicized.

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua is only 5'11". Wanderlei Silva and Rua are basically identical in height and many photos have proven this. Add in Rashad Evans.

Fedor "the Last Emperor" Emelianenko is also at a comfortable, but somewhat disappointing 5'11". He seriously looked like a midget next to Andrei Arlovski, who is a legit 6'4" fighter.

Lyoto Machida, Keith Jardine, and Rich Franklin are solid 6'1" fighters. Vitor Belfort is a very strong 6'0".

K-1 sensation Mirko "Crocop" Filipovic is only 6'1", and is identical in height to his nemesis Gabriel Gonzaga. Add in matador Cain Velasquez to the mix, and Frank Mir.

Chuck Liddell and Anderson Silva are at a good 6'2".

Silva is a particularly funny example because back in Pride, he was listed as short as 5'11". Even in his early UFC fights, he was still a lowly 5'11", but then the vitamins and nutritious hamburgers in America apparently did him some good.

Silva grew an astounding three inches during his meteoric one-year rise in the UFC middleweight division.

Forrest Griffin is 6'3"—something that the UFC got right. Cheick Kongo and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira are 6'4", with Junior Dos Santos being somewhere between 6'3" and 6'4". Brock Lesnar is also somewhere around there.

I can go on, but I think I have made my point.

UFC still has a long way to go in getting their fighter's heights right, and they may never even attempt to correct the "facts" they have right now. Some are minimal errors that can be understood, but Shane Carwin at 6'3"?

You gotta be kidding me. He stands victorious while all of his opponents are lying on the mat; that's what matters. Carwin is human-sized, and in fact is a human, believe it or not.

Perhaps this is why I love MMA. It shows how imperfect we are. Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant might be able to play a game without making a single mistake, and Tiger Woods might play a flawless game of golf. Apparently, in a YouTube video, Woods can even walk on water, but in the world MMA, no one is perfect. No one can be perfect.

Disregarding a few flash knockouts that end in a matter of seconds, every fighter leaves the Octagon or ring in a bruised or battered state.

We will cheer for our fighters, regardless of whether they are 5'5" or 6'5". As long as they bring a good fight, we will pay, and we will watch.

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UFC: Was TUF 10 the Best One Ever?

Dorothy Willis — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:52:44 -0500

Although MS is eating away at my memory, I distinctly remember Dana White promising the UFC fans and viewers on Spike that the TUF 10 of the series was "the best one I have ever seen!"

After watching the 10th of the series of TUFs with great expectations and baited breath, I am left to wonder if Dana was referring to a different version, perhaps the one left on the cutting-room floor.

With a great deal of frustration and more than a little confusion, I am concerned that I may have somehow missed something. In fact, at this point, with one episode left to watch, I am rethinking my decision to once again be sucked into watching something labeled UFC, which Dana has sworn to heaven "is the greatest one ever."

Yes, I have listened to Dana in spite of our differences, expecting him to deliver and fulfill my desire to see "the best." Most of the time when I have had to shell out money for yet another "spectacular" event on PPV, I end up doubting my own sanity for listening to the Don King of the MMA world.

Elite XC, Strikeforce, and Affliction were not as big of disappointments as these false promises of Dana "the UFC's head honcho" White.

Gosh darn that man!

Can someone please agree with me that he is totally guilty of false advertising? I am tired of being the only one not singing his praises and worshipping his sneakered feet.

All the "Kimbo is going to fight" come-ons dragged me to the TV set, eager to see what he made of his opportunity to meet Dana's challenge and prove his merit to "the big UFC boss man." Was I the only fool who bought into this hype? I guess it wouldn't be the first time.

Not only was this so totally not the best ever TUF, it did not even come close to TUF 4 or 6, which were my personal favorites.

True, there was not one instance of food contamination to make viewers gag or vomit, no "Junies" weighing over 225 pounds, running amok during the six weeks (although there were small instances of lunacy). No glasses were thrown, the million-dollar mansion was not demolished, and despite my expectations, Roy Nelson did not eat any shrubbery on camera.

The usual injuries occurred and lots of bickering and backstabbing (though only verbal in nature) did take place, and many moments reminded me of teaching kindergarten. Otherwise, the season was rather bland.

Fight-wise, this episode was devoid of talent, good cardio, or excitement in my admittedly inexpert opinion. I had more excitement breaking up fights in the Dunlap High School quad than I had watching Kimbo and "Big Country" panting around the octagon, evil-eyeing each other until Roy finally fell on top of Kimbo.

My reaction to this, being a rather hefty old gal myself, was, "Why, I could do that to my grandson (who wrestles at 152 pounds)," knowing full well that Kodi would find a way to get out from under me. Boy, Kimbo. What have you been practicing for the last three years?

From now on, I know that I will be much less willing to believe anything that MMA expert Dana White (or as I call him, "that other DW") ever states as being true.

(I know my readers will believe that in spite of what I have written here, I do not take anything Dana says as the truth, but they would be wrong.)

MMA is my only form of recreation and I keep wanting to believe in Dana. When I watched Peter Pan I clapped my hands numb while reciting, "I do believe in fairies, I do believe in fairies," just to save Tinkerbell.

Yes, it's corny but it's true. I am a big Disney fan and very sentimental too. I have the type of nature that wants to believe. However, I may never clap my hands and believe in Dana White's version of the truth ever again.

So let me just end by saying,

"I do believe in Fedor, I do believe in Fedor..."

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Massachusetts Legalizes MMA, UFC Preparing For Late-Summer Event

Josh Nason — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:40:59 -0500

Amidst one of the most embarrassing Patriots defeats in recent memory, a beam of bright freakin' sunshine shone through as Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed a bill legalizing mixed martial arts in the Bay State, clearing the way for the UFC to put Boston in its rotation of major cities for future shows.

For those of us in New England, who have waited and clamored for this moment, it's finally happened and there's no turning back.

Massachusetts becomes the 42nd state to legalize the sport and one of the few major markets left to tackle. While the fight to do the same in New York City, Toronto and Vancouver are going to be a bit more dogged, one of the two major jewels of the Northeast sports scene is now secure.

UFC VP of Regulation and Govt. Affairs Marc Ratner told the Boston Herald Monday night that he has already contacted the TD Garden to confirm previously held dates and said there will likely be an event in Boston in either July or August.

This would seem to contradict previous reports that the UFC would debut at Fenway Park, given the Red Sox will be in full season swing. However, the Red Sox do go on major road trips in July and have three open weekends in August as outside possibilities. But you'd think that for the first event, the threat of rain might be enough to warrant staying inside. A UFC rainout? That would be weird.

Regardless, Monday night marked another major milestone for the sport and a huge step forward for us here in New England that have previously been forced to travel to see a major event. The local promotions will also get a major benefit here as well as the region will get more and more events featuring the stars of tomorrow in more intimate settings.

Despite the Pats, it's a good night after all.

Josh Nason has published MMA, wrestling and boxing blog Ropes, Ring and Cage.com since 2007. He is a contributor to Fight Magazine and Bleacher Report and appears regularly on Fight Network Radio . Follow him on Twitter .

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Wanderlei Takes in Some Great Fights At Tuff-N-Uff's Future Stars of MMA

Todd Jackson — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:32:25 -0500

Tuff-N-Uff broke their own mold this past Friday night. The official results are in and they are impressive. With superstars and MMA moguls in attendance, the warriors put on a fine display of MMA.

With Pride and UFC legend Wanderlei Silva sitting cage side, as well as WEC President Reed Harris looking on, these mixed martial artists ended fights with a consistency that really left an impression.

Imagine for a moment as an amateur fighter how it must feel to make your walk to the ring, you take your spot in your corner, you look down into the front row and who do you see?

None other than "Axe Murderer" Silva. As if that is not inspiring enough, you also see Reed Harris, the equivalent of Dana White to the WEC. These fighters could realistically be fighting for him some day.

What an absolute honor for these young fighters, imagine the drive to perform that they felt with these very important MMA people looking on as they performed their art.

Perform they did, these fighters lit it up.

14 fights, four submissions, seven TKO victories, and three decisions. Of the 11 fights ended early, eight were ended in the first round. Now that is an explosive night of fights.

Wanderlei and Reed must have been riveted to see such potential at the amateur level of the sport.

While there were many fights that ended early, it is important to mention the three hard fought battles that went the distance too. These fights were not won easily and deserve their due also.

One of which was the main event between amateur female mixed martial artists LaTasha Marzolla vs. Kate McGray . In a hard fought battle that showed heart and gameness from each warrior, Marzolla emerged the victor.

In a unanimous decision Marzolla overpowered McGray with superior strength, grappling, and striking. This was not for lack of McGray's honorable attempts to stop the attack.

McGray put up a great fight and tested Marzolla's chin on more than one occasion. In the end, Marzolla was just too strong and durable as she outlasted the attacks of her opponent and took the edge, improving her record to 2—0 as an amateur.

Tuff-N-Uff is very proud of the show they put on Friday night, and they should be. When you bring in some of the most highly trained talent in the sport, you get quality amateur MMA.

“We feel it is our mission to bring the state of amateur MMA to the next level," Tuff-N-Uff productions President Barry Meyer said. "We are raising the bar for the fighters, as well as ourselves on the show production side. Our last event clearly proved that we are growing and improving simultaneously.”

When you have the support of people like Randy Couture and Wanderlei Silva you know your doing something right in the realm of mixed martial arts. And the reputation does not stop at the super stars.

Many fighters and components of the sport appreciate this promotion for who they are and what they do. Simply put, they are a priceless addition to the careers of young fighters fortunate enough to compete for them.

Visit their website to view not only more information on their efforts but some footage of the actual fights also. If you do visit the site, be sure to take a moment to take in the short video of the ring girl contest , if you're into that sort of thing. Enjoy fight fans!

The official results are as follows:

Chris Alvanado defeated Colt “45” Bowler by unanimous decision

Marcus Aven defeated Eric Center by submission (armbar), round 1

Jordan Wright defeated Justin Rote by submission (triangle choke), round 1

Tommy Gavin defeated Rob Isenor by submission (arm triangle choke), round 1

Joden Seiders defeated Chris Holiday by TKO (strikes), round 1

Tim Bowman defeated Dan McCoy by TKO (strikes), round 1

Edmond Xhelili defeated Brandon Sheard by TKO (strikes), round 2

Evva Johnson defeated Kristen Mason by submission (armbar), round 1

Victor Henry defeated Cory Jeffers by TKO (Jeffers was unable to answer the bell for round 3)

Eddie Jackson defeated Jesse Bowler by TKO (strikes), round 1

Joe Ray defeated P.J. Dombrowski by TKO (strikes), round 1

Cory Turner defeated Anthony Lee by TKO, round 3

Gor Mnatsakanyan defeated Chris Brady by unanimous decision

LaTasha Marzolla defeated Kate McGray by unanimous decision

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M-1 Global and HDNET Team Up to Anoint Fedor Emelianenko As God

Bryan Levick — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:55:19 -0500

For those of you who have criticized the UFC media train for being embarrassingly one-sided, I give you M-1 Global.

Fedor Emelianenko's management group teamed up with HDNET to produce a half-hour-long stroke job about the man many consider the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Talk about waxing poetic. I was so turned off by the piece that I stopped watching it halfway through.

M-1 proceeded to parade out executive after executive, who each took turns at kissing Fedor's Russian a**.

From Dana White's favorite target, Jerry Millen, to Jimmy Smith, Ian Freeman, and Joe Kelly, they all basically anointed Fedor as a God.

Also included in the video were Sports Illustrated 's Josh Gross and HDNET's Bas Rutten, Kenny Rice, and Ron Kruk.

I completely understand the need to build Fedor up in the eyes of the American fans. As great a fighter as Fedor is, he has yet to prove he is a pay-per-view draw.

I was excited at the prospect of the video, but what killed me was the fact that there was not one mention of his failure to lead Affliction to the promised land, nor was there any mention of the failed negotiations with the UFC.

If you are going to produce a documentary about a fighter, it is my belief that it should never be as one-sided as HDNET and M-1 Global have made it out to be.

I am not here to argue Fedor's place in the sport of mixed martial arts.

Before I watched him destroy two former UFC champions and hand Brett Rogers his first career loss, I was not a believer in his standing as the best fighter on the planet.

He has gotten as far as he has because he is so damn good—there can be no argument there.

I do not need Kenny Rice to tell me how great he is, and I don't really care what Jerry Millen has to say; he has made a big enough fool of himself already.

If their main goal was to make Fedor look like a great fighter, they failed.

At the end of the video, they showed his bouts with Hong Man Choi and Andrei Arlovski.

Of course, both of these bouts were produced by none other than HDNET, or were at the very least called by their announcers.

I am the type of fan that likes to hear both sides of the argument. This production was a complete snowjob and will do nothing to increase Fedor's visibility with the fans.

They never even interviewed any of his previous opponents. No referees, no former Pride execs.

Any rational fan would realize that anyone associated with M-1 Global or HDNET would never risk their jobs by saying anything other than Fedor is the greatest.

If I had to hear one more time, how special, how kind or how warm Fedor is, I would have gotten sick.

I am not sure how to attach a video to this post, but if you are interested in watching the Fedor special, you can click on this link.

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The Debate Is Over: Fedor Emelianenko Is the Greatest Fighter Alive

Gary Herman — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:32:19 -0500

Fedor is the best in the world.

The two most important elements when putting together such hypothetical lists are: the past three years, and the complete body of work.

There is nobody with his complete body of work, and there is no one who has beaten the same level competition in recent years.

I’m tired of hearing any discussion otherwise.

The first argument against Emelianenko comes on behalf of Anderson Silva. With all due respect (and more), Silva has just not fought the same class of fighters that Fedor has. Dana White constantly boasts that his champions fight the best opponents in the world three times a year.

Really?

Let’s take a look at Silva’s last four fights:

Most recently was Forrest Griffin. That was a tremendous victory. There is no doubt about it. Silva looked awesome, and he quickly disposed of the former light heavyweight champion.

Prior to that, Silva took on (in succession) James Irvin, Patrick Cote, and Thales Leites. I don’t think much needs to be said on James Irvin. The fact that Silva moved up a weight class doesn’t matter when he’s fighting a glorified jobber, and Irvin played his part well.

Patrick Cote? Umm...The only person who thought he was a deserving top contender was nobody. He only got the shot because he pulled a major upset and defeated Ricardo Almeida. Make no mistake, Almeida was the guy the UFC thought would make for a good fight with Silva.

Cote belongs nowhere near anyone’s top 10—unless we’re talking about 10 guys that had no chance to win the middleweight championship.

Thales Leites is just plain awful. He got the shot because he squeaked out a split decision (partially due to a point deduction) against Nate Marquardt. Leites proved he was completely undeserving of a title shot by uncorking what may have been the worst performance in the history of UFC title fights.

Before the Cote and Leites debacles, Silva amassed a very impressive run. He defeated Dan Henderson, Rich Franklin (twice), Nate Marquardt, Travis Lutter, and Chris Leben.

However, of those names, only Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin are likely to be remembered as all-time greats.

Before his UFC tenure, Silva did not have many notable wins. The best victories were against Carlos Newton, Roan Carneiro, and Hayato Sakurai.

I’m definitely not saying Silva isn’t a great fighter. He’s the second best mixed martial artist in the world. What I will say (and prove) is that there is a huge gap between No. 1 and No. 2.

The second man in the discussion always seems to be Georges St. Pierre.

First (and most importantly), St. Pierre lost to Matt Serra by knockout in the first round. Let that re-sink in for a while.

Ok, now let it drown.

Also, you could make a serious argument that Serra won the fight by submission. St. Pierre was clearly tapping at the end of the contest.

No fighter that is embarrassed by Matt Serra in recent history deserves to be ranked ahead of Fedor Emelianenko.

Since the loss to Serra, St. Pierre has looked awesome though. He’s torn through Josh Koscheck, Matt Hughes (second time), Matt Serra (in the rematch to regain the belt), Jon Fitch, B.J. Penn (second time), and Thiago Alves.

Prior to losing the welterweight title, St. Pierre did amass a notable list of victims. The list includes B.J. Penn, Matt Hughes, and Sean Sherk.

Of that list, Hughes and Penn are the likely hall-of-famers, but the loss to Serra did not occur at the beginning of St. Pierre’s career. It occurred about two-and-a-half years ago when St. Pierre was the champion.

In looking back at the bout, St. Pierre has used the excuse that he had personal problems leading up to the fight. To me, that means he was not focused.

The most important job of any fighter when he steps into battle is to be fully locked in on his opponent. He is fighting another man inside of a cage for goodness sake.

Has anyone ever said that about Emelianenko?

While St. Pierre has decimated the top contenders in the UFC welterweight division, the big question to look at remains: is the UFC welterweight division really any good?

Josh Koscheck is a solid fighter, but also a very beatable one. The losses to Paulo Thiago and Thiago Alves keep him from being a true championship contender.

Alves is a huge Muay-Thai specialist, but he is also somewhat overrated. His marquee wins are against Koscheck and the loony Karo Parisyan.

Sure, Alves also beat Hughes, but it’s hard to dole out too much credit when he came in four pounds overweight.

Fitch is a good, workman-like fighter, but I don’t really view him as a future champion. He also hasn’t finished a fight since his Jun. 2007 submission win over Roan Carneiro.

Are these really top contenders that the sport will remember? Being a big fish in a little pond is nothing like being the big fish in a huge ocean.

On Inside MMA , St. Pierre even chimed in with his answer when asked who the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world was.

“Fedor Emelianenko,” he said.

Obviously, St. Pierre isn’t going to vote for himself, but he just as easily could have voted for Anderson Silva. That would have made much more sense since the two UFC champions seem to be on a collision course for sometime at the end of 2010.

So, now we come back to the real candidate for the top fighter in the sport—Emelianenko.

Let’s take a quick snapshot of some of his marquee wins: Andrei Arlovski, Tim Sylvia, Mirko Cro Cop, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (twice), Kevin Randleman, Mark Coleman (twice), Heath Herring, Renato “Babalu” Sobral, and Ricardo Arona.

Of that list, Arlovski, Sylvia, Nogueira, and Coleman are all former UFC heavyweight champions (so is Randleman, but I just don’t see him in the same class.)

Plus, Emelianenko beat Cro Cop when he was at the (ahem) top of his game.

Next, over the past three years, Emelianenko defeated Mark Hunt, Matt Lindland, Hong Man Choi (why did that fight happen?), Sylvia, Arlovski, and Brett Rogers.

Do not underestimate Rogers. He is a very talented heavyweight who belongs in the top 10. He is not the most technically sound, but who says you have to be in order to be a success? Whatever Rogers does inside the cage certainly does work.

People are also quick to knock down Arlovski and Sylvia.

“Arlovski has a glass jaw” is the popular comment.

Prior to the Emelianenko fight, Arlovski was knocked out once (by Sylvia) in the past seven years. So who is it exactly that shattered Arlovski’s jaw?

The answer is Fedor.

Sylvia is certainly not the most beloved fighter in history, but let’s give him some due. He has won multiple UFC championships. He also defeated Ben Rothwell, Ricco Rodriguez (when he still mattered), Arlovski (twice), and Brandon Vera.

Yes, he has had a rough time of late, but there is no question he was viewed as a top heavyweight when he fought Fedor.

Not to ever be understated is the fact that Emelianenko is undefeated. He has never lost. I’m not going to count the silly cut stoppage (if you have any doubts, please check out this link to the fight ).

The big argument against Emelianenko is that he does not fight in the UFC. As a writer and a fan of the sport, I would love to see him fight in the world’s top promotion, but no one can force him to. This is his job. He has the right to work wherever he wants.

His next opponent may very well be Fabricio Werdum. People are quick to knock Werdum, but is he really that much worse than Thales Leites or Matt Serra? No, he’s not. In fact, he’s a better mixed martial artist than both of them.

Also, keep in mind that evaluating Werdum is forward thinking. A true ranking system should not be based on whom you will fight, but rather on whom you have fought.

Finally, to think Emelianenko is ducking opponents is completely absurd. We’ve already identified the top-notch list of fighters he has beaten. Plus, there are certainly two big fights potentially in store for him.

The first and most likely fight would be a matchup with Alistair Overeem (I’d love to see Overeem pass a steroid test).

The second match could be a reincarnation of this summer’s disastrous Affliction Trilogy main event. Josh Barnett is still a highly regarded heavyweight, and he could serve as a quality opponent for Emelianenko. He’d be a challenger that many fans would certainly get behind.

But Overeem and Barnett have nothing to really do with Emelianenko’s current standing. Unfortunately, the fact that Emelianenko is not in the UFC does cloud people’s judgment.

“The Last Emperor” has ripped through 31 opponents, and no one has truly stunned Emelianenko since Kazuyuki Fujita. Oh yeah, that fight occurred in Jun. 2003.

He has beaten everyone thrown at him, and he has done it decisively. Not one of his matchups has gone to a decision since Cro Cop in Aug. 2005. That’s over four years. Neither Anderson Silva nor Georges St. Pierre can say that.

What more does Emelianenko have to prove? He has beaten the top fighters in the sport’s history. He has done it convincingly, and he has done it in the past few years.

When putting a pound-for-pound ranking together, please start at No. 2. Then, you can argue between Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre all you want.

Without a doubt, Fedor Emelianenko is truly the world’s best fighter. There is no argument—nor is there need for discussion.

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Ikuhisa Minowa: The Top Ten Freak Shows

Marcus Walker — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:02:45 -0500

“Kidding on the square.” If you’ve read Al Franken’s entertaining-yet-nit-picky book "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them", you probably remember the term. It means kidding, but also really meaning it. And I could not think of a better term to begin this article with. In other words, yeah, I’m making fun of the fact that Ikuhisa Minowa has stepped into the ring with more freakshows and circus attractions than the Ringling Brothers. But I’m also paying tribute to a career that has to have more outlandish stories and snapshots than Verbal Kint and Albert Finney’s "Big Fish" character combined. What a career. The man has a professional record of 43-30-8. He’s fought Cro Cop, Wanderlei, Sakuraba (in whitey tighties, no less), Rampage, Filho, Funaki, Tamura, Semmy Schilt (who is the only freak too good to be considered a “freakshow”), Evan Tanner, Chris Lytle, Phil Baroni twice, and Yuki Kondo … he even, somewhat fittingly, fought MMA iron man Travis Fulton to a draw back in 1998. And that’s BEFORE we get to his sideshow attractions. Of course, none of this would be fun without pictures, so without further ado, I give you the top ten (yes, there are TEN) …

Begin Slideshow

The Strange Saturday Night of Fighters Junie Browning and Jon Koppenhaver

Josh Nason — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:47:07 -0500

There must have been something in the air Saturday as two of The Ultimate Fighter alums had quite the controversial night; despite being hundreds of miles apart with one not even in competition.

Let's begin with Junie Browning who was featured in the main event for MMA Big Show at the Belterra Casino in Indiana. He easily handled an inexperienced Scott Cornwell (1-1) by submitting him with relative ease via first round triangle at 3:13.

You'll remember Junie as the centerpiece of controversy for the eighth season of TUF: Mir vs. Nogueira, which was focused nearly every week on Browning's bizarre bipolar behavior and the countdown to when he eventually would be kicked off.

While that never happened, UFC Prez Dana White still gave him a chance to compete after the show was completed, once on that season's TUF finale show (a Fight Of The Night win over Dave Kaplan) and this past April on an Ultimate Fight Night event, a submission loss to Cole Miller.

Saturday was to be notable for the 4-1 Browning as it was his first fight since being cut from the UFC in October due to an assault incident in a Nevada hospital.

Browning took too many anti-anxiety pills in an apparent suicide attempt and wasn't too nice to the nurses there upon being admitted.

Quite a guy this Junie Browning is, so much so that he's apparently also still wanted by Nevada authorities for missing his court date for said offense.

Following his victory, the Belterra crowd showed their love by showering Browning with boos. Of course, the 155-pounder wasn't going to let them have the last word. From ProMMA.info:

"Then the microphone was handed to Junie and the arena filled with boos. Junie said, “I try to come out here and put on a show. If you don’t like it, then f*ck ya’ll!” This actually brought out a few cheers. Then Junie had a special message for the ladies. He said, “LADIES, AFTER THIS I WANT TWO LINES, ONE FOR SUCKING, AND ONE FOR F*CKING.” He dropped the mic to the ground and walked out of the cage. The boos were deafening."

Fantastic. Is there any doubt as to how this story will eventually end?

In the second half of our co-main event of strangeness, we have the man now legally known as War Machine, the former Jon Koppenhaver. Since being cut by the UFC in the summer of '08 due to comments about the late Evan Tanner and refusing to take a fight against newcomer Brandon Wolff, Machine has been working the regional circuit and been staying active with a 5-1 post-UFC mark.

He's also been staying quite active on the Internet while doing so and has shown no filters in going after opponents, fighters or people's viewpoints. You'll remember Koppenhaver from the sixth season of TUF, the Matt Serra vs. Matt Hughes edition that came in the fall of 2007.

Somewhere along the way, Machine decided he wanted to also work in porn and recently filmed his first scene. How the two correlate for careers is beyond me, but they intersected Saturday night at an adult film get-together where Machine went ballistic.

From porn news/gossip site AdultFYI.com:

"This looked like something out of a bad Vince McMahon script as this guy War Machine went nuts and began taking everyone on at this party," The Vizier says. "We're talking multiple assaults and battery with the cops after him."

"War Machine’s own agent, Derek Hay, looked to be the primary target with a couple of shots to the head. Mika Tan’s Ex was KO’d as well & sent to hospital."

“I never saw anything like it,” continued The Vizier. “War Machine was in kill mode. His fists were lethal weapons. Anyone who tried to get between him and Derek got taken down – hard.”

According to some eyewitness reports sent to Figure 4 Online, Machine took off before the cops got there but it's not clear whether the cops want to talk to him. Machine hasn't exactly been laying low and has been pretty active on his Twitter feed which you can see here in all its glory, complete with interactions from other porn stars who were there.

He is saying now there were five drunk guys in his face giving him grief about something which set him off. I'm sure we'll hear more about this nonsense soon enough.

In a weekend where there were no mainstream events taking place, it's always good to know there is still MMA news being made...positive and negative.

Josh Nason has published MMA, wrestling and boxing blog Ropes, Ring and Cage.com since 2007. He is a contributor to Fight Magazine and Bleacher Report and appears regularly on Fight Network Radio. Follow him on Twitter.

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Junie Browning's Saturday Night: Win a Fight, Insult the Fans

E. Spencer Kyte — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:24:06 -0500

Last night at MMA Big Show: Onslaught, former UFC lightweight and TUF firecracker Junie Browning (4-1) forced Steve Cornwell (1-1) to tap via triangle choke just beyond the three minute mark of the first round.

While the performance during the fight served as further proof that Browning has undeniable raw talent, his antics on the microphone afterward solidified this writer's stance that the kid from Kentucky still has a lot of growing up to do and it should be done outside of the cage.

According to Jack Bratcher of Pro MMA , who was covering the event in Florence, Indiana, when "The Lunatik" was handed the microphone post-fight, the boos rained down and Browning responded in kind, stating "I try to come out here and put on a show. If you don't like it, then f@*k ya'll," before adding "Ladies, after this I want two lines, one for s*@king and one for f*@king."

Nothing like a nice show of class to validate the boo birds.

As brutal as Browning's post-fight comments are—and they're absolutely brutal—the more troubling part of all of this for me is the numerous references being made today to what a great guy Junie is outside of the ring and how all this is simply a persona he puts on to garner attention.

I don't know Browning from Adam, but don't doubt he is a charming and engaging guy outside of the cage. This "loose cannon, bad boy" is most assuredly an image Browning has chosen to portray inside the cage and as a fighter, but a major conflict lies within said image.

"The Lunatik" himself has said that part of the cause of his various antics is an inability to deal with the pressure and attention that came from being on The Ultimate Fighter, and that he just wants to be like everyone else .

He doesn't like the attention and doesn't know how to cope with it at times, which is, at least in part, what led to his allegedly downing a handful of anti-anxiety pills just two months ago in what his trainer Shawn Tompkins refered to as "not a cry for help; Junie tried to end his life."

So if he's admitted on a number of occasions that he doesn't know how to deal with the attention and pressure of being "The Lunatik" Junie Browning, what good can come from putting him out there in front of hundreds of people who are going to poke and provoke him into giving them exactly what they came for—a Junie Browning outburst?

This isn't about trying to say how or when Browning can earn a living or capitalize on the attention his latest outburst has already received; this is about being concerned for a kid who has shown dangerous and destructive tendencies very recently after being put under the spotlight he admittedly doesn't know how to handle.

Why not keep him out of the public eye for a while, help him learn a thing or two about professionalism, and how to deal with the attention that is going to come whether he likes it or not?

For every fan that shows up to see him fight and wish him well, there are going to be far more in attendance trying to set the ticking time bomb off, and that group succeeded last night.

They can now tell the story of being there when Junie Browning cursed out the crowd, and all the fighter is left with is another black eye in the media and, as hard as it is to fathom, an even more damaged reputation.

All accounts of Browning being a great guy when the lights go out are probably true, but as a professional fighter, his job entails performing under those lights, so learning how to handle himself accordingly is part of the job.

No one is saying he has to be a boy scout, but there is a lot of room between boy scout and Browning right now. Finding some kind of middle ground is going to be essential if he wants to keep fighting for a living.

The kid has admitted he has a problem, yet a majority of people seem to have no issue with not taking any real time to address that problem.

I love watching fights as much as the next person, but if the kid is stepping up and admitting that he doesn't know how to deal with the attention and pressure of "being Junie Browning," wouldn't it make sense to spare him the spotlight and let him figure things out for a while?

If he's in the cage and on a fight card, people are going to want that Junie Browning.

He proved last night that he's going to give the fans what they came for.

Unfortunately, that's nowhere near as admirable as it sounds.

This kid needs to sort things out and grow up, two things that he won't do inside a cage operating under his "Junie Browning persona."

How come more people can't see that?

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Will the Next UFC WW Champ Look Like This?

Dorothy Willis — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:46:16 -0500

Next to Georges St. Pierre's layoff, my hiatus from Bleacher Report was a short speck in time.

Georges has been rehabbing from an injured groin muscle incurred during the fourth round of his fight with Thiago Alves. The trademark phrase which evolved from that incident in fight history was made by Greg Jackson when in reply to Georges stating, "I hurt my groin in that round," Coach Jackson said, "I don't care...hit him with your groin!"

In response Georges finished the fifth round without the injury being noticeable and defeated the larger fighter, receiving a unanimous decision.

This is the stuff that legends are made of...there is no quitting in Georges' nature.

Now a brash young Britain is stepping forward to challenge the French Canadian for the UFC Welter Weight Championship title. Although Dan Hardy of the pointed Mohawk haircut has only been in the UFC for one year, he has all the confidence in the world that he can overcome Georges' athleticism and win the belt.

All that is well and good, confidence would be an extremely important necessity to take into the ring against "Rush" who has destroyed all other challengers, (since he recovered his belt from Matt Serra in Montreal in April of 2008). Each opponent appeared to be tougher and more worthy of taking the title from the humble Canadian, but each fell far short of that goal giving GSP the air of invincibility which all fighters covet.

The "Outlaw" surely would love the chance to steal the gold and be the second man to deal Georges a knockout blow, he has no doubts that his feared fist will meet Georges' chin more than a few times during the five rounds.

One would only have to view his recent duel with Texan Mike Swick to recognise the threat that fist represents to a fighter whose chin many doubt could withstand a hard blow.

If only that were the secret, then I feel that BJ Penn or John Fitch would have floored Georges in their contests with the athletic dynamo who seems to have no ceiling to his ever increasing abilities.

Out wrestling Josh Koscheck surprised many sports writers, preventing the "prodigy" from entering the fifth round of their January event also amazed others who predicted that Georges would fall prey to BJ's strikes or BJJ skills for which he is so well known.

Hardy insists that Georges may be a superior athlete, but states that he is not a great fighter. Hm...I wonder if the gladiators thought that about the lions as they stepped into the Colosseum?

Everyone knows my feeling for Georges, so I am sure all my readers know who my bet will be on March 27, 2010 at UFC 111. It is not just sentiment, but years of watching the amazing progress that he has made. All things being equal, meaning that if neither fighter has contracted the dreaded swine flu, a staph infection, or training injury, I feel that Georges will make a believer of yet another challenger.

Dan Hardy may speak the more proper version of the English language, being a British citizen and all, but Georges will be speaking better MMA in every sense, on his feet or on the mat, he will rule the cage with his many skills.

And yes, I would take that to the bank!

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Mariusz Pudzianowski: The Strongest Man and the Greatest Sport

Flying Knee — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:47:16 -0500

Pudzian, Dominator, Super Mariusz (Super Mario ), Pyton (Python ), and Duży Pyton (Big Python ) are some of the many nicknames of five-time World's Strongest Man winner Mariusz Pudzianowski.

Pudzianowski will be making his MMA debut in the Polish promotion KSW in December 2009, at KSW VII , against fellow Pole and professional boxer Marcin Najman.

The World's Strongest Man

Born on February 7, 1977, thirty-two-year-old Mariusz stands at 1.86 metres (6'1"), and weighs an impressive 142 kg (313 lbs).

Pudzianowski started strength training since he was thirteen, and at sixteen he entered his first national bench press competition and bench pressed 160 kg (353 lbs). Two years later, he joined the four wheel club and set a lift of 205kg (452lb).

He entered his first World's Strongest Man (WSM) competition on 1999, and achieved major success in 2000, finishing fourth. He won his first WSM title in 2002, and retained his title in 2003.

He would go on to win the WSM title again in 2005, 2007 and 2008, and was runner up in 2006 and 2009.

Steroids

Pudzianowski placed third in the 2004 WSM contest, but was was disqualified after an illegal performance enhancing substance was found in his body. He never disputed the violation.

It is uncertain what his long term goals are in MMA, but if he wishes to fight regularly in the USA, he surely must fight clean, due to regular drug testing.

However, drug testing in Japanese promotions is still considerably lax, and he may find the prospect of fighting there more appealing.

Skills

Pudzianowski has trained in Kyokushin Karate since he was eleven, and is currently a fourth kyu green belt. He also claims to have seven years of competitive boxing experience to his name.

Recent training pictures appear to suggest that he has been practicing wrestling and ground and pound.

That makes sense I'd say; when you say "world class striker," his body type isn't exactly the first thing that would jump to mind—his bulkiness and sheer size would not lend much in the way of speed or nimbleness.

One notable issue is his lack of any grappling background, but how much training will be necessary to solve that? Consider how Bob Sapp of 2002 was able to escape most of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira's submission attempts just by sheer strength.

Honestly, picture a fighter trying to triangle choke Pudzianowski.

Outlook

If he intends to fight in the USA, one can assume that Pudzianowski has intentions of fighting clean, due to regular drug tests performed by the athletic commissions.

A second problem fighting in the US would be that he would either be fighting in the talentless superheavyweight division, or else he would be cutting massive amounts of weight to get to 265 lbs.

Japan may be a more realistic option: lax drug testing, and no upper weight limit on the heavyweight division.

Fedor vs. Pudzianowski on Dynamite 2010 anyone?

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