UFC Fight Night 20 Fight Analysis

Following up on Sunday's WEC 46 card, the UFC makes a rare Monday night appearance, landing at The Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia for Ultimate Fight Night 20.

The show is a showcase of Ultimate Fighter winners and contestants, as eight of the 22 fighters on the card were a part of the hit reality show. Three of those eight won the whole thing, as Nathan Diaz, Amir Sadollah and Efrain Escudero took home the six-figure contracts at the end of their respective seasons.

Each of those three winners has an interesting night ahead of them, as Sadollah looks to build some consistency against Brad Blackburn, Escudero tries to remain unbeaten against fellow undefeated lightweight Evan Dunham, and Diaz faces top contender Gray Maynard, a man he submitted en route to winning Season 5 two-and-a-half years ago.

Lots to discuss, so let's get to it.

Nick Catone (7-2-0) vs. Jesse Forbes (10-3-0)

Forbes was a member of Season 3 of The Ultimate Fighter, and makes his return to the UFC after going 10-2 fighting all over Canada and the US since losing to Matt Hamill.

For Catone, his UFC experience can't get any worse. Unbeaten when he signed with the company, he was originally slated to meet Amir Sadollah in his post-TUF debut, but that didn't happen. Instead, he was beaten by "Crazy" Tim Credeur, and has since taken a second-straight defeat courtesy of Mark Munoz at UFC 102.

Winner sticks around, loser goes home in the first fight of the night. No idea which of these two I'm backing as of yet.

Gerald Harris (13-2-0) vs. John Salter (4-0-0)

Sadollah seems to be a recurring theme for this event, as Harris was eliminated from Season 7 by the then-unknown "murse" despite being one of the favorites to win the show. He most recently claimed the Shark Fights Middleweight title over former WEC competitor Nissen Osterneck.

John Salter comes in as a very late replacement for Mike Massenzio, but has a solid wrestling base and a win over former UFC competitor and BJJ ace Roberto "Spider" Traven. A last minute call-up is usually a tough task, so expectations need to be hedged going into this bout.

Kyle Bradley (14-6-0, 1 NC) vs. Rafael dos Anjos (12-4-0)

The lone win of Bradley's UFC career came in controversial fashion, as many believe his bout with Philippe Nover was stopped prematurely by Yves Lavigne. Prior to that victory, Bradley was beaten up by Chris Lytle and Joe Lauzon.

Rafael dos Anjos is one of the most frustrating fighters for me to watch. He's got talent and an assortment of skills in the cage, but I can't shake the image of him catching Jeremy Stephens' super-telegraphed "Uppercut from Hell" with his face at UFC 91 out of my mind.

He looked great utilizing leg kicks and solid grappling against Rob Emerson last time out, and if he does the same against Bradley, he'll get a bump up in competition. Of course, he could also catch another punch in the mouth and fall like a house of cards.

Mike Guymon (11-2-0) vs. Rory MacDonald (9-0-0)

"The Joker" is a tough veteran who finally gets a chance to compete on the big stage after stringing together five-straight wins on the California King of the Cage circuit. Unfortunately, it might be a short-lived stay, as Guymon is facing an impressive 20-year-old Canadian who has had some KOTC success of his own.

Rory MacDonald is one of the Top 5 prospects in the sport, and has ran through everyone who ever stood across from him in the cage. The supremely self-confident kid from Kelowna, British Columbia recently knocked out former KOTC Light Heavyweight champ Nick Hincliffe in just his second fight at welterweight.

Nine fights, nine stoppages; "The Waterboy" is for real.

Thiago Tavares (14-3-0) vs. Nik Lentz (17-3-1)

Once upon a time, the Brazilian was viewed as a possible title contender in the lightweight division, but then three losses in four fights put a halt on those plans. Now, after a year off, Tavares returns to face a tough wrestler looking to earn his second straight win inside the Octagon.

Since he comes from the same Minnesota Martial Arts Academy as Brock Lesnar and Sean Sherk, you have to know Nik Lentz has a strong wrestling base. If you're not convinced, take a look at Lentz' debut win over Rafaello Oliveira, where the former Golden Gopher won the final two round with takedown after takedown.

Tavares is better on the ground than Oliveira, but a year away from the cage makes it hard to know what kind of performance he's going offer.

Rick Story (8-3-0) vs. Jesse Lennox (11-1-0)

My sleeper pick for Fight of the Night.

Story put on a great performance last time out against Brian Foster, earning Submission and Fight of the Night honors for the battle he ended with an arm triangle from inside Foster's halfguard. He also holds a win over Jake Ellenberger, a fighter who has been extremely impressive to date in the UFC.

Lennox was in a war last time out too, earning a TKO over Danillo Villefort due to a cut from an undetected and unintentional headbutt. Previous to that, the Miletich Fighting Systems product scored a win over Blas Avena in the WEC, and enters on a four-fight winning streak.

Chris Leben (18-6-0) vs. Jay Silva (5-2-0)

Raise your hand if you're sick of Chris Leben.

For the record, my hand is held high. There is no doubting his charisma or his punching power, but "The Crippler" can certainly be questioned on his dedication, integrity and overall interest in being a UFC competitor. The original bad boy of The Ultimate Fighter, Leben could be on his last legs with the company that made him a household name having lost two-in-a-row.

Silva comes in off a loss to C.B. Dollaway in September, a fight he took as a late replacement to an injured Dan Miller. A purple belt in BJJ under Renzo Gracie, Silva has said in the build up to the fight that he's willing to stand-and-bang with Leben.

Apparently, the contents of Silva's cranium can be questioned as well.

Amir Sadollah (2-1-0) vs. Brad Blackburn (17-9-1, 1 NC)

Once again, Amir Sadollah has a very important fight in front of him. His post-TUF debut lasted only 29 seconds courtesy of a Johny Hendricks flurry, and while he bounced back and looked solid in beating Phil Baroni at UFC 106, it was Phil Baroni.

Now the former nurse and Ultimate Fighter gets a tough test in former IFL competitor Brad Blackburn. A win moves him up the ladder and validates some of the promise he showed early and the faith the UFC has shown as of late, while a loss could be catastrophic.

All of which makes Blackburn even more dangerous. The guy has nothing to prove and nothing to lose. He's 3-0 in the UFC and signed a new contract prior to injuring his knee, so a pink slip isn't in his future. A win moves him up the rankings, while a loss isn't all that bad, considering he's been out of action for almost seven months and it came to UFC darling Sadollah after all.

This bout has "trap fight" written all over it for Sadollah.

Tom Lawlor (6-1-0. 1 NC) vs. Aaron Simpson (6-0-0)

Simpson is undefeated, hyper-athletic and very well-respected by his Arizona Combat Sports teammates. He's looked great thus far in his UFC career and is in better shape at 35 than I have been in at any point in my life.

Remembered for his time on TUF 8 and his appearance at the UFC 100 Weigh-Ins as "The Just Bleed Guy," Lawlor is an unquestioned character who doesn't get enough credit for his talents in the cage. That's what happens when you walk out to your last fight with Seth Petruzelli on a leash and "Who Let the Dogs Out?" blaring through the arena.

Efrain Escudero (13-0-0) vs. Evan Dunham (9-0-0)

Someone is leaving Virginia with their first career loss, and opinions are split on whether it will be the lightweight winner of TUF 8 or the kid from Oregon who now trains with Xtreme Couture.

Escudero has solid wrestling chops and comes from an emerging camp, the MMA Lab in Arizona, home of WEC star Ben Henderson among others. He showed power in knocking Cole Miller to the canvas before finishing him with some serious ground-and-pound in his last bout, and admitted to wanting to fight Ghandi when we spoke earlier in the week.

Evan Dunham made a splash in his UFC debut, clocking veteran Per Eklund, and followed it up with a Unanimous Decision over Marcus Aurelio. Dunham probably has the edge when the fight is standing, and having a training camp filled with top-quality lightweight wrestlers like Gray Maynard and Tyson Griffin certainly won't hurt his chances in this fight.

Gray Maynard (8-0-0, 1 NC) vs. Nathan Diaz (11-4-0)

Not only is this a rematch of their semifinal battle from TUF 5, but an impressive performance from Maynard all but guarantees his a shot at BJ Penn's Lightweight title. Of course, all UFC guarantees need to be consumed with numerous grains of salt.

Diaz is a very talented fighter and highly opportunistic; if you give him an opening to sink in a submission, your night is over. That's what happened the first time around for these two, just as it did for Melvin Guillard when Diaz submitted him at Fight Night 19.

But the Gray Maynard who lost to Nate Diaz on the Ultimate Fighter isn't the same guy who stands across from him on Monday. Since that time, Maynard has greatly improved his boxing and become more aware of how to use his outstanding wrestling and strength to dictate where fights take place.

He's also beaten far better competition than Diaz, having earned wins over Roger Huerta, Jim Miller and Frankie Edgar, while Diaz was beaten by Clay Guida and Joe Stevenson before stopping "The Young Assassin."





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UFC 108: Full Card Preview and Predictions

UFC 108 takes the stage tonight from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, looking to silence the critics.

Over the last couple of months, injuries and illnesses have decimated this card, leaving few of the originally planned matches on the card and leading many to describe this event as lackluster, or worse.

While UFC 108 certainly doesn't measure up to the lofty standards of New Years shows gone by - or others from this passed year for that matter - the criticism is somewhat unfounded.

First, it's not like the UFC decided to pull fighters like Brock Lesnar, "Minotauro" Nogueira and Sean Sherk from this card; each of these fighters and countless others have been struck down by injuries that certainly could not have been forecasted.

Additionally, the fact that there is still an event at all speaks volumes about the UFC's commitment to giving fans the best show they can, regardless of unforeseen circumstances.

After all, they could have gone all Affliction and pulled the plug entirely, right?

Preliminary Card Previews

Rafaello Oliveira (9-2-0) vs. John Gunderson (22-6-0)

On a card that features an old school "Striker versus Grappler" style clash as the co-main event, it's fitting that someone representing an old school team makes an appearance, and Gunderson fills that role.

"Quick Guns" is a member of the famous Lion's Den, Ken Shamrock's long-time team that was once one of the most renowned and feared groups in the sport. Now, they come off much like their leader - hanging on by the name alone.

A veteran of the IFL, Gunderson has an edge in experience and has faced tougher competition thus far, having faced off with Ryan Schultz, Wagnney Fabiano and Bart Paleszewski in the past. Of course, each of those three defeated the 30-year-old Oregon native who makes his UFC debut tonight.

Rafaello Oliveiro debuted in August at UFC 102, dropping a Unanimous 29-28 decision to Nik Lentz. After winning the first round, the Brazilian who fights out of Knoxville, Tennessee could not do enough to counter Lentz' strong wrestling.

Originally slated to face Sean Sherk, Oliveiro must take advantage of the change in opponents and claim his first victory inside the Octagon or risk receiving a pink slip come Monday. The lightweight division is too deep at the bottom end for fighters with consecutive losses to keep a spot on the roster.

Mike Pyle (19-6-1) vs. Jake Ellenberger (21-5-0)

Ellenberger announced his presence to UFC fans during his three round battle with Carlos Condit at Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma.

Despite flooring the former WEC welterweight champion on a couple different occasions, the judges scored the fight in the favor of "The Natural Born Killer," though many disagreed. Regardless of the decision, Ellenberger made it known that he has power in his hands, the ability to compete with some of the top competitors at 170 and a motor that never quits.

While the name Mike Pyle may not sound familiar, chances are you've seen him a time or two. He's the guy in the corner of many Xtreme Couture fighters that can be heard shouting encouragement, strategies and curses from the opening bell.

In addition to being a potty-mouthed corner, Pyle is a submission specialist who has earned 15 of his 19 wins by way of submission, including forcing both Jon Fitch and Dan Hornbuckle to tap.

Mark Munoz (6-1-0) vs. Ryan Jensen (14-5-0)

"The Filipino Wrecking Machine" was one of a number of WEC additions who were thrown to the wolves in their debut with the bigger brand under the Zuffa umbrella.

After just five fights - including a win over Mike Pierce - Munoz was sent to the slaughter against Matt Hamill at UFC 96, falling victim to a devastating head kick that left the former All-American and National Champion unconscious.

Since then, Munoz has moved to middleweight, where he looks far more comfortable and better suited. In his debut at 185, the Oklahoma State product earned a win over Nicky Catone.

In all honesty, the lone win Ryan Jensen has earned from four trips inside the Octagon comes with an asterisk. Facing Steve Steinbeiss at Fight Night 19, Jensen latched onto a guillotine. When the ref asked Steinbeiss if he was okay, "The Hooligan" gave the thumbs up.

Somehow, the referee interpreted that to mean Steinbeiss was done, as the fight was called and Jensen earned a very suspect submission victory.

Spike TV Prelims Live Previews

Cole Miller (15-4-0) vs. Dan Lauzon (12-2-0)

The first of the two Lauzon brothers to appear on the UFC 108 card, younger brother Dan makes his return to the UFC riding an eight-fight winning streak, the latest of which was a submission of Bobby "Hood" Green at Affliction: Day of Reckoning in nearly a year ago.

Much like older brother Joe, Dan is a submission specialist, though his recent winning streak has been littered with stoppages due to strikes.

Another half of a fighting brother tandem will be standing opposite Lauzon, as Cole Miller returns, looking to bounce back from a loss to Efrain Escudero on the initial Prelims Live show for UFC 103.

"Magrinho" usually relies on his submission skills as well, which means we could very well be looking at a stand-up war in the making. Much like Rafaello Oliveira earlier on the card, Miller is in need of a win to solidify his status with the company.

Despite a solid pedigree and fighting out of American Top Team, Miller has yet to take that next step and become a real threat in the lightweight division, and continued inconsistency will have him looking for a new place of employment.

Martin Kampmann (15-3-0) vs. Jacob Volkmann (9-1-0)

Both fighters enter off losses, Volkmann suffering the first of his career at the hands of Paulo Thiago just five weeks ago at UFC 106, and Kampmann being the victim of bad decision making in his UFC 103 bout with Paul "Semtex" Daley.

Volkmann showed some flashes of talent and potential in his bout with Thiago, most notably securing a D'Arce choke from his back against the BJJ black belt and Brazilian police officer. Fighting out of Minnesota Martial Arts, the man nicknamed "Christmas" can earn a late belated present in the form of his first UFC win tonight.

Don't let Martin Kampmann's performance last time out fool you; "The Hitman" is still a legitimate contender in the welterweight division. Boasting an impressive combination of striking and submissions, Kampmann played with fire and got burned against Daley, choosing to stand with the striker, instead of taking the fight to the ground where he held a huge advantage.

Though he doesn't have a large an advantage on the canvas this time around, the Xtreme Couture trainee does have an edge in the stand-up, and has shown the power necessary to finish this fight during his middleweight days.

Main Card Previews

Junior dos Santos (9-1-0) vs. Gilbert Yvel (36-13-1, 1 No Contest)

The heavily-tattooed "Hurricane" Yvel is as lethal a striker as exists in the heavyweight division today. At 33, the former RINGS, Pride, and Affliction competitor (amongst others) has stopped Valentjin Overeem, Cheick Kongo, Tsuyoshi Kohsaka and most recently Pedro Rizzo, utilizing an array of finishers including strikes, head kicks and flying knees.

Oh yeah - he's a little bit crazy too, having been disqualified for biting an opponent and for eye gouging Don Frye. He also KTFO'd a referee once.

All of that adds up to a dangerous challenge for Junior dos Santos, the Black House heavyweight who somehow is repeatedly passed over by Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez in future champion discussions despite possessing a more impressive resume.

For his debut, "Cigano" sent Fabricio Werdum packing, riding an uppercut all the way to Strikeforce. For an encore, the Brazilian overwhelmed up-and-comer Stefan Struve, needing just 54 seconds to finish the fight. From there, dos Santos pummeled Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, forcing the former Pride superstar to verbally submit.

While we've only seen dos Santos stand thus far, expect to see how legitimate his brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under "Minotauro" Nogueira is this time around, as going to the ground is poison for Yvel.

Jim Miller (15-2-0) vs. Duane "Bang" Ludwig (19-9-0)

"Bang" Ludwig is a tough veteran who has been in there with some top talents over the years, including holding wins over Jens Pulver, Jonathan Goulet and Yves Edwards. That said, how much can you expect from a guy coming in on no more than two weeks notice?

This is a serious statement fight for Miller, whose two losses came to Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar, the 1 and 1A of title contenders at 155. Originally scheduled to face Tyson Griffin, and then Sean Sherk, Miller needs to put on a dominant performance against Ludwig to solidify his standing in the stacked lightweight division.

Routinely beating up lesser opponents will keep you employed, but it won't earn you any title shots, so Miller needs to show he's ready to face either of his injured potential opponents and move into the upper ranks.

Joe Lauzon (18-4-0) vs. Sam Stout (14-5-1)

The fact that Sam Stout is just 25-years-old doesn't seem real. It feels like he's been around forever, probably because his classic battles with Spencer Fisher live forever on highlight reels and UFC specials galore.

The London, Ontario native and former Keyboard Kimura Interview Series participant has been patiently waiting since September for an opportunity to get back into the cage, as many will remember his fight against Philippe Nover was canceled on the day of the fight due to Nover suffering a seizure.

Stout has an iron jaw and enough power in his hands to change the course of the fight with one punch. That said, the chances of Joe Lauzon allowing this fight to remain standing longer than it absolutely has to are slim and none.

Coming back off major knee surgery, Lauzon has been out of the cage since defeating Jeremy Stephens in February. 5-1 over his six fight career with the UFC, Lauzon is in a similar position to Jim Miller, in that he needs to cement his place as an upper tier fighter, and a win over the tough-as-nails Stout would certainly help.

The biggest question heading in, of course, is how the extended time off will affect the Massachusetts native. We've seen guys like "Shogun" Rua have a difficult time in their first fight back off a similar surgery, so expectations and impressions of Lauzon tonight must certainly be tempered.

Dustin Hazelett (12-4-0) vs. Paul Daley (22-5-2)

The easiest preview of the card, as a classic "striker vs. grappler" battle shapes up in the co-main event.

While his striking has certainly improved during his time in the UFC, Dustin Hazelett is and always will be a submission specialist. A BJJ black belt under Jorge Gurgel, Hazelett will enjoy a four-inch height advantage in addition to his serious edge if the fight goes to the ground.

Unfortunately, all fights start standing and Paul Daley showed in his UFC debut that he likes to stand-and-bang.

Bravado and build-up for the fight aside, Daley knows that his best chance to secure another win is by knocking out "McLovin," and he'll look to stay as far away from the floor as possible. Of his eight career defeats, five have come by way of submission.

One thing that hasn't been discussed much in regards to this fight is where a win will put either of these fighters.

Daley would have two solid UFC wins and probably have earned himself a date with someone in the Josh Koscheck / Mike Swick range, while Hazelett would extend his winning streak to three and put himself at the top of the second tier of talent.

Rashad Evans (13-1-1) vs. Thiago Silva (14-1-0)

Both men lost to Lyoto Machida in 2009, Silva in January, a fight that propelled Machida into the title fight with Evans in May, where he took Rashad's belt and his soul, according to his mom.

While there is no denying the lethality of Thiago Silva's strikes, one thing that often gets overlooked is the trouble he's been in throughout his UFC career.

Yes, he clobbered Antonio Mendes, but the Brazilian kickboxer rocked the ATT product right off the bat in that bout, and failed to finish.

When he beat Houston Alexander, "The Assassin" was the guy who had just stopped Keith Jardine and Alessio Sakara. Now he's the guy who lost to Kimbo Slice by continually circling the outside of the cage.

Many will tell you James Irvin was winning their bout before blowing his knee, and Silva needed nearly two full rounds to stop Tomasz Drwal, a middleweight.

Can he knock Evans out with a single shot? Absolutely, but he's shown a vulnerability to a well placed punch and good gameplan in the past.

What compels fighters to ignore their greatest strength on a regular basis?

Rashad Evans, like many others, is a wrestler who has fallen in love with his striking. Trying to out-counter the best counter-striker in the company led to a devastating knockout at the hands of Lyoto Machida.

Now, Evans needs to get back on track after spending the last number of months involved with Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter.

Chances are we'll see the fight with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson regardless of the outcome of this bout, but entering on a win would help put some steam back into the rivalry and turn the grudge match into a #1 contender fight capable of headlining a summer show.

Punch Drunk Predictions
Record: 128-93-1

Preliminary Card

Rafaello Oliveira over John Gunderson - TKO, Round 2
Mike Pyle over Jake Ellenberger - Submission, Round 1
Mark Munoz over Ryan Jensen - TKO, Round 2
Dan Lauzon over Cole Miller - Split Decision
Martin Kampmann over Jacob Volkmann - TKO, Round 1

Main Card

Junior dos Santos over Gilbert Yvel - Submission, Round 1
Jim Miller over Duane Ludwig - Unanimous Decision
Joe Lauzon over Sam Stout - Submission, Round 2
Paul Daley over Dustin Hazelett - TKO, Round 1

And in the Main Event of the evening...

"Suga" Rashad Evans over Thiago Silva by TKO, Round 2.

Now touch gloves and come out swinging!




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UFC 107 Fight Week Preview: BJ Penn vs. Diego Sanchez

As great as watching Rampage and Rashad settle their differences Saturday night would have been, the headlining act for UFC 107 is actually a better fight, as Lightweight champion BJ Penn defends his belt against Diego Sanchez.

While people often talk about the "fairness" of different fighters' escalation to a title shot, little has been said of Sanchez' two fight foray into the lightweight division culminating in this bout. Diego Sanchez has won all of two fights at lightweight heading into this bout. Just remember that the next time someone is bashing Brock Lesnar's path to the heavyweight title.

Merited or not, this stands to be a great fight, as Sanchez will undoubtedly bring the fight to Penn. Over the last eight years, everyone who has done so in the 155 pound division has been defeated.

We've waded through the introductory bouts and the build-up to the big dance, but now it's time to tackle the main event in classic Fight Week Preview style.

"The Prodigy" BJ Penn (14-5-1) versus Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez (23-2-0)

Our usual point of origin in the FWP segments is training camps, where Sanchez earns the edge, but with an asterisk.

As a member of The Arena, Sanchez trains under Saulo Ribeiro and works alongside veteran MMA competitors Rani Yahya, KJ Noons, Fabricio Camoes and Xande Ribeiro. Previous to making the move to San Diego, Sanchez worked for a number of years with his hometown team at Jackson's Submission Fighting.

The asterisk comes courtesy of Penn being a bit of a lone wolf when it comes to training and the results that have accompanied that routine.

While there are other fighters who prepare for their bouts alongside Penn in Hilo, Hawaii (like Shane Nelson for example), Penn isn't surrounded by a stable of fighters or big name coaches with list of prized pupils. It's him, brother Jay Dee and The Marinovichs, his new strength and conditioning team.

Normally, solo training and being the clear Alpha male makes me shy away, but it's been that way forever with Penn and the results at 155 show that it works for him.

Strength of schedule is next up and a clear victory for "The Prodigy," having held belts in two weight classes and faced the likes of GSP, Matt Hughes, Lyoto Machida and countless other upper echelon opponents.

Conversely, the five biggest names Sanchez has ever gone up against are Kenny Florian, Nick Diaz, Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch and Joe Stevenson, and he's come away with a 3-2 record. While every fight could be your biggest win to date, having a proven track record certainly helps convince people of your ability to win the big one.

These two share two common opponents, though one is a bit of a stretch.

The Kenny Florian that Diego Sanchez defeated to become "The Other Original Ultimate Fighter" is a vastly different fighter than the man Penn submitted this past August in Philadelphia.

A win Saturday for "KenFlo" and a Sanchez loss could setup a much-welcomed rematch to help illustrate that point.

However, both also defeated Joe Stevenson; Diego in his lightweight debut and Penn to claim the lightweight title. Comparatively speaking, the two fights aren't even close.

Sanchez outboxed Stevenson in a fight that spent very little time on the mat, earning a Unanimous Decision. Thirteen months earlier, Penn battered Stevenson for just over nine minutes, earning a submission win and the Lightweight title while leaving the former Ultimate Fighter winner a bloody mess.

Tactically, Sanchez has the cardio and energy to push the pace against Penn. While Penn's endurance at 155 has never been a problem, Sanchez is on a different level than most fighters when it comes to the speed at which he fights. That said, he's never been beyond three rounds and never faced a champion before.

In terms of style, Sanchez holds the edge in the wrestling department, though he is facing one of the best in the business at maintaining balance and defending the takedown. And no, getting taken down repeatedly by GSP at 170 doesn't work as evidence to the contrary.

Penn is equal or better everywhere else; his boxing is among the best in the sport, his jiu jitsu is what earned him the name "The Prodigy" in the first place and his flexibility and balance is off the charts.

While the UFC could certainly be giving Diego Sanchez a serious media push heading into this fight because of his TUF ties and with an eye to the future, the other very real possibility is that they've learned something I've only recently come to accept: BJ Penn is the best to ever fight at 155 pound in the history of the sport.

Try selling the opponent with that as your opening...








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Fight Week Previews: Mir vs. Kongo and More

For all the mediocre cards we've suffered through over the last couple of months, UFC 107 takes to the Octagon this weekend in an effort to make up for things.

While some may not share my excitement for this card, we've got a main event that actually involves a title (which will be covered in-depth... tomorrow), a solid heavyweight tilt, a high-energy lightweight battle and a chance to answer some questions about two guys starting to make a little noise.

Though I certainly would have loved to see Rampage and Rashad tee it up in Jackson's hometown, this card more than makes up for the now unretired A-Team member's sudden 73-day hiatus from the sport.

"The Headhunter" Paul Buentello (24-10-0) vs. Stefan "Skyscraper" Struve (18-3-0)

For a guy who has been around for a while and has as much name recognition as he does, Buentello sure has an incredible lack of quality wins.

Though he's lost two championship fights - one to Andrei Arlovski at UFC 55, the other to Alistair Overeem for the Strikeforce title he never defends - Buentello's wins have come over faded pseudo-stars (Gary Goodridge, Tank Abbott), over-hyped young Russians ("Baby Fedor" Kiril Sidelnikov) or human punching bags (Bo Cantrell, Ruben Villareal).

Plus, he got suspended from his long-time gym earlier in the month for going outside of the AKA Family for representation.

Struve is an emerging young talent who, despite a kickboxing pedigree, has shown a strong submission game. Both of his UFC conquests have come via tapout, though he's yet to face someone with the experience of Buentello.

What bodes well for the Dutchmen is that he will sport a nine inch height advantage and the subsequent reach edge that goes along with it, giving him the ability to keep Buentello from getting inside and living up to his "Headhunter" moniker.

Kenny "KenFlo" Florian (11-4-0) vs. Clay "The Carpenter" Guida (25-10-0)

Mark my words: this is going to be awesome!

Both have switched camps since their last appearances; Florian left Team Sityodtong and brother Keith for Firas Zahabi's Tri-Star Gym in Montreal, while Guida has joined forces with Greg Jackson in Albuquerque.

Watching close friends and colleagues Zahabi and Jackson gameplan against each other alone will be interesting. Then you add Guida's high energy approach and Florian's tremendous all-around game to the equation and you have what should be a terrific fight.

Guida is a monster fan favorite and understandably so; he never stops, has crazy caveman hair and is an affable and charismatic guy. He's also a classic overachiever and someone whose standing in the division is elevated because of his popularity.

When you strip away the hair and the energy and the funny, Guida has never beaten a fighter on Florian's level. Please, I beg you, don't try to rationalize the win over Nate Diaz as being overly meaningful.

He puts on a great show and is a pain in the posterior for everyone who walks into the cage with him, but Kenny Florian's last two losses in the UFC came nearly three years apart and both were for the UFC Lightweight title.

Jon Fitch (20-3-0. 1 NC) vs. Mike Pierce (9-1-0)

The fact that neither man has a nickname speaks to the style they share inside the cage; both are gritty, collegiate wrestlers who grind down their opponents with takedown after takedown after takedown.

Pierce surprised many, myself included, by dominating Brock Larson in his UFC debut in September, and he did so by following the formula mentioned above. Doing the same to Jon Fitch will be a very difficult task.

The former captain of the Purdue Boilermakers wrestling team, Fitch is one of the best welterweights in the world not named Georges.

While he shares styles with his UFC 107 opponent, Fitch has faced far superior competition. Additionally, he lost once in the last six years, and that came courtesy of the best welterweight in the world.

Frank Mir (12-4-0) vs. Cheick Kongo (14-5-1)

In all honesty, this fight probably won't make it out of the first round, as Mir will drag the ground-deficient Kongo to the canvas and find a submission. From there, he'll continue to ramble on about how much he wants to fight Brock Lesnar again.

If there is any justice in the world, before the above scenario plays out, Kongo will get a number of solid blows in on the loudmouth Mir. For all the crap Brock Lesnar took for his ridiculous comments and antics post-UFC 100, Frank Mir is non-stop smack talk and disrespect leading up to his fights and no one really bats an eye.

We know Kongo has some serious power; if you're not convinced, ask Cain Velasquez how it felt to get drilled by those giant French frying pans. Unfortunately, we also know that a dazed and dizzy Velasquez was still able to bring Kongo to the ground with little resistance.

As much as I'm growing tired of the UFC Countdown shows, I have to admit I loved Cheick Kongo looking into the camera and calling Frank Mir, "Big mouth."

Tomorrow, full blown B.J. Penn versus Diego Sanchez coverage.








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UFC 107 Fight Week Previews: The Prelims

Can I just say how much day jobs suck? Always interfering with what I want to do...

Thankfully, Saturdays don't fall into my work schedule, which means I'll be seated in front of a television this Saturday to watch the very solid UFC 107 from Memphis, Tennessee.

Despite changes to the original plan ** cough Rampage cough ** this is an entertaining card, top-to-bottom, and we'll kick off our coverage by running through the preliminary card bouts.

Kevin "The Fire" Burns (7-3-0) vs. T.J. Grant (16-3-0)

Burns enters riding a two-fight losing streak and coming off a Fight of the Night bonus for his bout with Chris Lytle. Though he is strong on his feet, it's unlikely that Grant will be looking to stand and trade the way "Lights Out" was in June.

The Canadian collected most of his wins via submission and will certainly be keen on doing the same this time around as he looks to get back to his winning ways. Though he lost at UFC 100, Grant acquitted himself reasonably well, going the distance with the hard to handle Dong Hyun Kim.

DaMarques Johnson (13-7-0) vs. Edgar Garcia (7-1-0)

Here is what always amuses me about The Ultimate Fighter: the whole thing is based on winner the show to earn a six-figure contract with the UFC.

While that's all well and good, the fact that 2/3 of the cast always seem to make it into the company for two or three fights of their own makes the whole process a little redundant to me, outside of Bruce Buffer getting to introduce another middling prospect as "The Winner of Season 965 of The Ultimate Fighter."

For all his talk on Season 9, Johnson had one strong performance and it came in the semifinals against Nick Osipczak. Edgar Garcia was robbed of a win last time out against "Bad" Brad Blackburn and will prove to be a far more daunting debut for Johnson than Peter Sobotta would have been at UFC 105.

Rousimar "Toquinho" Palhares (11-2-0) vs. Lucio "Spartan" Linhares (13-4-0)

A battle of Brazilians with BJJ black belts, Linhares makes his UFC debut after a successful stint with M-1, while Palhares fights for the first time since defeating Jeremy Horn back at UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland last January.

Though unknown to many, Linhares has excellent all-around skills and enters this bout with a five fight winning streak, including victories over well-regarded Karl "The Psycho" Amoussou and UFC veteran Sean Salmon.

Palhares, a member of Brazilian Top Team, is a submission specialist who will either make you tap or take you to the scorecards. Originally slated to face Alessio Sakara at last weekend's TUF 10 Finale, "Toquinho" actually gets a stiffer test with the submission savvy Linhares.

Johny Hendricks (6-0-0) vs. Ricardo Funch (7-0-0)

The battle of the unbeaten fighters as Team Takedown's Johny Hendricks returns to the cage to take on undefeated Team Link member Ricardo Funch.

For being described as a BJJ fighter, Funch has just one submission in his seven wins to date. Instead, Gabriel Gonzaga's teammate has earned most of his victories by way of T/KO and will look to do the same this time around.

Hendricks notably ruined Amir Sadollah's long-awaited debut in just 29 seconds at UFC 101 in Philadelphia, and brings an outstanding wrestling base into the cage.

Additionally - and totally unrelated to actually analyzing this fight - the dude loves The Baconater and could potentially have a Star Wars character in his corner should Marc Laimon decided to stick with the Ecko Star Wars gear he's been wearing as of late.

"Handsome" Matt Wiman (10-5-0) vs. "Sugar" Shane Nelson (12-4-0)

In the night's battle of horrible nicknames...

Honestly, is there a rule somewhere stating that if your name is Shane, your nickname has to be "Sugar?" And I just can't take a fighter, no, a person seriously if they refer to themselves as "Handsome" anything.

Besides being a battle of maddening monikers, this is probably a Loser Leaves Town match, as Wiman comes in off back-to-back losses, while Nelson was thoroughly dominated by Aaron Riley and would be far better suited to fighting at 145.

If there is a coin in your pocket, you'll need it for this one.

Alan "The Talent" Belcher (14-6-0) vs. Wilson Gouveia (12-6-0)

Belcher was extremely impressive (at least to me) in his UFC 100 bout with Yoshihiro Akiyama, dropping a paper-thin Split Decision to the debuting Japanese star. That said, his biggest win to date is either the recently released Denis Kang or the long-ago-released Jorge Santiago.

Gouveia is in a similar position; he looks great against lesser competition, but comes up short when faced with a stern test. Originally scheduled to fight James Irvin at UFC 102, a back injury forced the American Top Team trainee to withdraw from that bout, leaving him out of the cage for close to ten months.

This is one of those fights where one guy (Gouveia) has a distinct advantage in one area (submissions) but has shown a lack of interest / desire to utilize that portion of this skill set as of late.

If that changes, the Brazilian has a big advantage. If not, find that coin you had earlier and put it to use one more time.








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Fight Week Previews: TUF 10 Finale, Part III

We've covered the undercard and we've covered the co-main events, now the time has come to turn our attention to the fights featuring the cast of The Ultimate Fighter. First up, a Kimbo rant.

While I don't begrudge Dana White for capitalizing on the income potential of Kevin Ferguson, we're at a point now where it needs to be about more than the money he brings in. The dude needs to show something in the cage, giving credence to the tremendous opportunity he is receiving.

Otherwise, it's a farce and the hype and marketability of the man called Kimbo will die and take some of the UFC's credibility with it.

Onto the fights...

Jon Madsen (3-0-0) vs. Justin Wren (10-1-0)

Wrestler versus wrestler here, though the chances of it turning into a slugfest like often happens when similar styles clash are fairly low.

Madsen is 100% based on the ground and Wren showed in his fight against "Big Country" that he's got about four minutes of serious standup in him before the gas tank reads empty.

When they get to the ground - and it will happen quickly - Wren is the bigger of the two and has decent enough submission skills to put away his former teammate.

Darrill Schoonover (10-0-0) vs. James McSweeney (3-4-0)

Somehow, the UFC website has McSweeney showing a record of 12-5-0... interesting.

The Brit proved to be a bit of a douche on the show, though he looked better early against Roy Nelson than he did in his wind-sucking contest against Wes Shivers. "Titties" beat the last guy picked and then got owned by Marcus Jones.

Honestly, this is one of those, "Well, they made it to the semis so we should give them a fight on the Finale" type deals that I could certainly do without.

"Kimbo Slice" (3-1-0) vs. Houston Alexander (9-4-0, 1 NC)

For a guy portrayed as a serious tough guy, Kimbo sure had a solid list of excuses for not stepping in for Matt Mitrione when Dana gave him the opportunity. And for all the talk about his hands, the only guy he's ever knocked out clean was a 43-year-old Tank Abbott.

Houston Alexander dropped Keith Jardine.

Now, "The Assassin" was also on the receiving end of the fastest knockout in UFC history courtesy of current middleweight James "The Sandman" Irvin, making him the perfect opponent for the glorified puncher with a greater drawing power than Fedor Emelianenko.

This ends early and for the sake of the sport and all things right in the world, I hope Alexander is the one left standing.

By the way, nothing like having Kimbo fight after Frankie Edgar... one is a win or two away from a title shot, the other is Kimbo friggin' Slice.

Roy "Big Country" Nelson (13-4-0) vs. Brendan Schaub (4-0-0)

The heavy favorite going in - emphasis on the heavy - Nelson has coasted into the finals as many expected, easily beating Kimbo and punching James McSweeney in the mouth the second he got too big for his britches.

Many people liked Schaub going in and he too has done nothing to disappoint, choking out Demico Rogers, knocking out Jon Madsen and escaping the mount against Marcus Jones en route to dropping "The Darkness" in the semis.

Nelson is still the favorite and rightfully so; he has the pedigree and the professional experience, but don't count Schaub out. He's a terrific all-around athlete and has the benefit of being training with the best team in the business.

As always, Fight Day means Punch Drunk Predictions, so come back tomorrow to find out who I'm picking.






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Fight Week Previews: TUF 10 Finale, Part II

Yesterday we tackled the three undercard bouts and tomorrow we'll talk about everything involving the cast of Season 10.

As for today, it's time to discuss one of the most talented prospects in the sport facing a tough TUF alum, and an unbeaten newcomer stepping into the cage against a serious challenger for the lightweight crown.

Forgoing the normal flow of the Fight Week Preview pieces, consider these look-ins on the two main event matches your cheat sheets for figuring out who will emerge victorious on Saturday night.

Matt Hamill (7-2-0) vs. Jon Jones (9-0-0)

The former Season 3 cast member Hamill has compiled a 6-2 record inside the Octagon and will be looking to extend his winning streak to three at the expense of his young opponent.

While Hamill has been around far longer than Jones, the latest addition to Team Jackson actually has the more impressive resume of the two, as "Bones" holds wins over Andre Gusmao, Stephan Bonnar and Jake O'Brien. Of Hamill's six wins, the biggest name "The Hammer" has beaten is Seth Petruzelli.

Both fighters possess terrific wrestling bases, which often leads to a war being waged on the feet. Though Hamill has some solid ground and pound, Jones is one of the most dynamic and creative strikers in the game.

Even though many are calling this a step up in competition for Jones, this is a big bout for both fighters; the winner goes forward to face the stiff challenge of the Top 10 light heavyweights the UFC has to offer, while the loser remains stuck in the middle like Jimmy Eat World.

Frankie Edgar (10-1-0) vs. Matt Veach (11-0-0)

Originally slated to square off with fellow Jersey native Kurt Pellegrino, title threat Frankie "The Answer" Edgar will instead meet H.I.T. Squad member Matt Veach.

Much like the Hamill - Jones tilt, both Edgar and Veach are high-level wrestlers, which could certainly lead to a stalemate and a standup battle nobody would complain about.

Here's the thing: Frankie Edgar has wins over Sean Sherk, Hermes Franca, Spencer Fisher and Tyson Griffin.

Now he's stepping in against a youngster who earned his first UFC victory in February over Matt Grice.

Tomorrow, we look at the battle to decide The Ultimate Fighter, "Meathead vs. Big Baby" and the official debut of Kimbo Slice.




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Fight Week Previews: TUF 10 Finale, Part I

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, 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 versus 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 versus 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 8-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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UFC 105 Fight Week Previews: Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin

A lot of people are lamenting this bout being atop the marquee for UFC 106.

They complain about two fighters coming in on losing streaks; one not having stepped into the cage for over a year, the other coming off an embarrassing defeat less than four months ago.

While this may not be the best main event the sport has ever seen, injuries and illness are to blame, not Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin. Besides, the inclusion of Griffin over the aging Mark Coleman is an upgrade and the last time these two met in the center of the Octagon, fight fans were treated to a tremendous back-and-forth bout.

Now Tito's healthy and Forrest has something to prove. Expect a repeat of Round 1.

"The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) vs. "The Original Ultimate Fighter" Forrest Griffin (16-6-0)

Tito Ortiz is Team Punishment; he is the driving force behind the camp and while he certainly has a wealth of experience and a routine that works for him up in Big Bear, Forrest Griffin's affiliation with Xtreme Couture gets the nod in the opening assessment category.

While Ortiz can bring in any number of well-known partners in advance of this bout, Griffin spends each day working with some of the best in the business, not to mention striking coach Ron Frazier, wrestling coach Neil Melanson and grappling / jiu jitsu instructor Robert Drysdale.

Thankfully, the 2007 ADCC Absoulte champ didn't make any bold predictions heading into this bout.

Experience and strength of schedule fall to the longest reigning UFC light heavyweight champion in history. While some will diminish Tito's run atop the 205 pound division because it involved a good year or two of dodging friend and challenger Chuck Liddell, Ortiz still handily beat every opponent put before him over a three-and-a-half year span, including earning the belt over Wanderlei Silva.

Of course, he also has the edge head-to-head against Griffin as well, though some would argue differently.

Their first fight was one that cemented Griffin's standing as a fan favorite and helped begin his transformation into an eventual champion. For Ortiz, it was the last good win of his impressive career and a win that was achieved with a back that required major surgery.

But things have changed this time around, as Griffin is no longer the brawler who simply tried to trade blows with his opponents that Tito fought the first time. Though he's lost his last two fights, Griffin has matured into a more technical fighter, at least he had previous to the Anderson Silva debacle.

That being said, Ortiz is essentially a big bag of question marks coming into this fight, as more than 18 months have passed since we last saw him in the ring, losing a unanimous decision to current light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida.

While Ortiz is always one to sell himself to the hilt and do what is necessary to hype a fight, who can truly say how much the back problems affected him all this time. Could a surgically-repaired back lead to a return to relevance for Ortiz?

Obviously, this isn't the fight the UFC and fans were hoping to have as the Main Event of UFC 106; it wasn't even the fight originally booked for Ortiz in the first place.

But in terms of last minute replacements and compared to the likes of UFC 97 (cough Thales Leites cough), this really isn't that bad of a bout.

Chances are that by the time Sunday rolls around, you'll have been pleasantly surprised.

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UFC 106 Fight Week Previews: Anthony Johnson vs. Josh Koscheck

Quickly put together in the wake of Brock Lesnar's inability to headline UFC 106, this is a welterweight matchup many fans have been looking forward to since it was announced.

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson is widely considered one of the top prospects in the sport, an entertaining young striker who many feel is destined for greatness and championship gold.

Standing across the cage will be the always eager to fight Josh Koscheck, an Ultimate Fighter 1 alum who is never afraid to speak his mind or test himself against the best available opponents.

This fight may have been a reactionary move, but it's a good one and could certainly end up proving to be the most exciting fight of the night.

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson (8-2-0) vs. Josh Koscheck (13-4-0)

Without question, Koscheck takes the opening element of analysis - training team - as he is a part of the welterweight trio that works together with Dave Camarillo and "Crazy" Bob Cook at American Kickboxing Academy, while Johnson doesn't present any real team affiliation.

Along with Jon Fitch and Mike Swick, the three all reside inside the Top 10 in the division and work well together, preparing each other for their upcoming fights along with the rest of the AKA team.

Experience and strength of schedule certainly come out as wins for Koscheck as well, as the bleach-blond battler will be making his 16th appearance inside the Octagon, twice as many as his opponent.

While Johnson has certainly delivered some memorable finishes inside the cage, Koscheck has faced the far stiffer competition, having gone toe-to-toe with the likes of Frank Trigg, Thiago Alves and Dustin Hazelett, in addition to having spent 15 minutes fending off divisional kingpin Georges St-Pierre.

Johnson's most noteworthy win to date came in his last fight against the one opponent he shares with Koscheck, Yoshiyuki "Zenko" Yoshida.

As impressive as Johnson's striking was in the brief amount of time it took to knockout Yoshida, it was also a carbon copy of Koscheck's performance against the Japanese fighter at UFC Fight for the Troops last December. Johnson may have been a little quicker to the finish line, but this isn't a race.

Where Johnson earns his one edge in this matchup is in the style department.

Both are accomplished wrestlers, and while Koscheck certainly owns an advantage if the fight goes to the ground, he's shown a penchant for punching as of late and that could spell danger against a lightning-quick powerhouse like Johnson.

A lot of attention will be paid to this bout even before the step into the ring, as Friday's weigh-in will be under the microscope when it comes to Johnson.

Last time out, a knee injury and need weight-cutting routine left him an unacceptable six pounds overweight, leading many to wonder whether his future resides in the middleweight division.

While Johnson insists that he'll come in on weight without issue this time around, many are taking a wait-and-see approach.

If you're placing bets on which bout produces the "Knockout of the Night," this is the horse you want to be backing.




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UFC 106 Fight Week Preview: Amir Sadollah vs. Phil Baroni

Am I the only one who looks at this picture of Phil Baroni and immediately thinks of a stylized-MMA version of "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff?

While Jason "Mayhem" Miller brings flare to the fight game, he additionally backs it up inside the cage and has a number of quality wins to speak of. Baroni? Not so much.

Pair that with Amir "The UFC Segment Host" Sadollah and you have a very, very unappealing fight that has been promoted to the main card courtesy of a number of injuries and illness and the name recognition of two middle-of-the-pack-at-best fighters.

Can you tell how excited I am?

Amir Sadollah (1-1) vs. "The New York Bad Ass" Phil Baroni (13-11-0)

Remember last week when my predictions for the first two fights on the UFC 105 card were horribly wrong and lacked depth?

Well, the shocking lack of depth returns and we'll see about the results later in the week.

This could certainly be a very exciting fight, as Baroni has seriously heavy hands and Sadollah showed - albeit against one of the worst seasons of TUF competition out there - some skills but standing and with submission.

That being said, the TUF 7 winner lasted just 29 seconds in his official UFC debut against Johny Hendricks at UFC 101 and while he is extremely charismatic, self-deprecating and people seem to like him, none of those things help him in the cage.

As for Baroni, the last fight he won with any relevance whatsoever was quite some time ago depending on your opinions of Yuki Kondo, Ryo Chonan and Ikuhisa Minowa. If those guys don't register with you, we're going all the way back to UFC 39 where Baroni beat the first middleweight champ, Dave Menne.

That was in 2002.

Now, he's lost a boatload of name brand fights since then, dropping bouts to Matt Lindland, Evan Tanner, Kazuo Misaki, and Frank Shamrock, but just like Sadollah's smile doesn't help his cause, the list of guys that have beaten Baroni doesn't change the fact that he's a bare minimum of two years removed from being relevant.

How Jake Rosholt beats Chris Leben on the PPV portion of UFC 101 and gets relegated to the preliminaries when these two come in off losses and get middle of the broadcast coverage is beyond me...




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UFC 106 Fight Week Previews: Luis Cane vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

After years of being considered one of the top 205-pound talents outside the UFC, Antonio Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira will make his debut against fellow Brazilian light heavyweight Luis Arthur Cane.

From here on out, The Noguiera's will be referred to by their middle names, Rodrigo and Rogerio. It's just easier that way, especially when they have the same nickname.

While his debut is hotly anticipated, this match-up is certainly not a showcase fight, as Luiz Cane has been dominating fights and putting on impressive performance after impressive performance since joining the UFC in 2007.

Both men have a lot to prove with this fight, as one will climb higher up the ladder, while the other will be forced to regroup.

Luis Arthur "Banha" Cane (10-1-0) vs. Antonio Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira (17-3-0)

It's not often that the breakdown of training camps results in a push, but what other decision can be rendered when one fight trains with the vaunted Black House team and the other spends his days in Coconut Creek with American Top Team?

Both have great partners and great teachers, meaning both will have great game plans and be in optimal shape coming into this fight. This is a clear cut push.

Experience and strength of schedule goes to Nogueira, as in addition to having nearly twice as many fights as his younger counterpart, Rogerio holds wins over Dan Henderson, Alistair Overeem and "The Gracie Killer" Kazushi Sakuraba to name a few.

Despite looking strong in wins over Sokoudjou and Steve Cantwell, Cane cannot hold a candle to the number of rounds Nogueira has logged inside the ring and under the bright lights of the Pride stage.

Interestingly enough, these two fighters share an opponent, the aforementioned Thierry Sokoudjou.

While Cane dominated "The African Assassin" in earning a stoppage victory at UFC 89, Sokoudjou's 23 second victory over Nogueira served as the first of his back-to-back upset wins that put him on the map and propelled him to serious prospect status following the fall of Pride.

Advantage Cane.

Stylistically, this has the potential to be an interesting bout, as Nogueira isn't one to shy away from a boxing match and Cane has shown strong stand-up skills of his own, as well as a good chin.

However, if this fight goes to the floor, Nogueira has a serious advantage, as just like his brother, Rogerio is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with an ability to snatch the minute you leave it exposed for too long.

Just ask Dan Henderson.

One of these fighters will push their name forward into the title discussion after this bout, while the other will have to take a step back before trying to advance again.

Both want to keep climbing the ladder, so expect one hell of a fight come Saturday night.




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WEC 44 Fight Week Previews: The Prelims

As the signage says, WEC 44: Brown vs. Aldo takes place this Wednesday night from The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada.

With such a short time frame before the fights take place - and coming off the busy week that was UFC 105 - the week-long Fight Week Previews series will be coming to you in condensed form over the next two days, beginning with The Prelims.

Before we get there though, a recommendation to all those claiming MMA fandom who have no idea who Mike Brown or Jose Aldo are: you need to check out this show and old WEC shows and future WEC shows.

Without fail, each and every WEC event delivers some of the best bell-to-bell action in the sport and while these guys certainly do not receive anywhere near the acclaim and attention of their UFC counterparts, you're not going to find a more exciting brand of action than the WEC.

Onto the previews...

Seth Dikun (7-3-0) vs. Frank Gomez (7-1-0)

Dikun enters the fight off a fantastic flying triangle submission of Rolando Perez at WEC 41 that leveled his company record at 1-1. Gomez comes in off a rebound win over TUF veteran Noah Thomas following the first loss of his career. Regardless of who comes away with the win, expect a finish, as these two have just four decisions between them in 18 fights.

Ricardo Lamas (6-1-0) vs. James Krause (10-1-0)

Both fighters are coming off the first defeat of their careers, Lamas dropping a decision to Danny Castillo and Krause getting stopped by Donald Cerrone. Though Krause comes in off the bigger name fight, Lamas is a fast and promising prospect who was on the wrong end of an excellent punch last time out and looks to be the stronger of the two.

Antonio Banuelos (17-5-0) vs. Kenji Osawa (15-8-2)

Banuelos is a WEC mainstay, making his eighth appearance for the company and coming in off a win over Scotty "Young Guns" Jorgensen back in June. Osawa has 25 fights under his belt, including a win over title contender Takeya Mizugaki, as well as having lost to the aforementioned Jorgensen.

Cub Swanson (13-3-0) vs. John Franchi (5-1-0)

If you're not a huge follower of the WEC and are wondering where you've heard the name Cub Swanson before, it could be because he was the guy on the receiving end of a double flying knee from Jose Aldo last time he stepped into the cage. While he hasn't quite found his footing in the WEC as of yet, Swanson is still a very talented prospect with a bright future ahead of him.

The verdict is still out on John Franchi. He suffered his first loss last time out, losing to UFC veteran Manny Gamburyan, but wasn't overly impressive in his WEC debut against Mike Budnik.

Diego Nunes (13-0-0) vs. LC Davis (14-2-0)

This is going to be your Fight of the Night.

The unbeaten Nunes has looked dominant in two, three-round victories over Cole Province and Rafael Dias, while Davis has come over following the fall of Affliction and looks to continue his success as a part of the Featherweight division.

Davis' two losses come to Sengoku Featherweight Grand Prix finalist Michihiro Omigawa and highly-regarded Wagnney Fabiano and the skilled wrestler will surely be the toughest test to date for the Brazilian.

Kamal Shalorus (4-0-1) vs. Will Kerr (8-1-0)

Shalorus is a wrestler who has competed in a number of submission grappling events in addition to making the transition to MMA, while Kerr is a replacement for injured Alex Karalexis.

Normally, when you're replacing a solid veteran against an guy with little experience or name recognition, it means the guy no one has heard of is pretty solid and you could be in for a painful night.

Watching video of Shalorus slamming Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen at the 2005 European Qualifiers for the ADCC's only confirmed that suspicion.




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UFC 106 Fight Week Preview: Karo Parisyan vs. Dustin Hazelett

Nothing like starting off a Monday morning with a little McLovin!

Fresh off the heals of Saturday's free show from Manchester, the Frankenstein monster of UFC cards lands in our laps from Las Vegas this weekend. Illness and injuries are the story of this card, as the once impressive card is now a mixed martial arts mash-up of available fights and marketable names.

Despite all the shuffling and changes, we've still got McLovin on the pay-per-view and any chance to reference Superbad can't be all bad, right?

Karo "The Heat" Parisyan (18-5-0, 1 NC) vs. Dustin "McLovin" Hazelett (12-4-0)

Even though Hazelett trains with a solid group of guys and earned his BJJ black belt under Jorge Gurgel, Parisyan gets the easy edge in terms of training by being a member of the Jackson's Submission Fighting team.

While Aaron Riley may have been on the wrong end of a serious beating on Saturday in England, more often than not, Jackson fighters are primed and ready when the cage door closes.

Couple that with Parisyan having been out of competition for nine months following his positive test for painkillers and there is no doubt in my mind that Parisyan will look better than he has before in this fight.

These two fighters share one opponent, "The People's Warrior" Josh Burkman.

Both Parisyan and Hazelett earned wins over the former TUF 2 competitor; "The Heat" earned a Unanimous Decision at UFC 71, while Hazelett pulled off an amazing armbar that earned Submission of the Year honors from Sherdog at the finale of The Ultimate Fighter 7.

Unfortunately, coolness of finish doesn't change the fact that both fighters earned wins, so common opponents is a push. Strength of schedule, on the other hand, goes to Parisyan.

While part of the result comes from the Armenian-American simply having more experience inside the cage than his Cincinnati-born counterpart, Parisyan has been a staple in the middle tier of the UFC welterweight division for some time now, while McLovin is working his way up the ladder.

Where this fight gets real interesting is in the clash of styles and the opportunities that could be presented therein.

Parisyan is a high-level judoka who likes to control the action on the cage, work for a throw or takedown and then utilize his ground and pound to finish the fight. More often than not, that translates into "battle the other guy against the cage for position, control the action and win by decision."

What makes Parisyan's approach interesting in this fight is Hazelett's equally high level jiu jitsu game. While having a bigger and stronger judo practitioner laying into you on the fence for 15 minutes doesn't sound overly appealing, the closeness that will surely transpire should offer a number of opportunities for Hazelett to snatch an arm, look for kimuras and try to finish the fight.

Don't expect fireworks on the feet; Hazelett will mix in a few leg kicks early and to find range, but most of this fight will be spent pummeling and positioning, with whoever exploits the first opening probably coming away with the win.




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UFC 105 Fight Week Previews: Randy Couture vs. Brandon Vera

Two weeks ago, this fight was of little interest to me. Last week, I was looking forward to a free show on Spike TV, a couple of the fights on the undercard and a little interested in seeing who came out on top in the Main Event.

Now, a day and change away from UFC 105, the headlining act has emerged as an intriguing fight that has certainly piqued my interest and will provide a definitive answer to one of two questions, if not both:

1. What does Randy Couture have left in the tank?
2. Is Brandon Vera finally ready to capitalize on his tremendous potential and become a force in the UFC?

Before the questions can be answered, we need to break it down.

Randy "The Natural" Couture (16-10-0) vs. Brandon "The Truth" Vera (11-3-0)

With all due respect to both Lloyd Irvin and the talented team at Alliance MMA, Randy Couture and his namesake gym in Las Vegas is a Top 5 facility and earns "Captain America" a win in our opening area of analysis.

In addition to having a plethora of experienced and talented fighters to train, roll and spar with at his disposal, Couture also has an outstanding list of coaches pushing him through the ridiculous routine that has kept the ageless wonder in peak physical condition for the last decade.

Obviously, the multi-time former champion earns the edge in strength of schedule and experience over his younger counterpart as well.

Amazingly, this is the first time since his initial foray into the UFC that Couture has fought in back-to-back non-title events.

For all the critics who will challenge Couture's success and place in the sport right now, nothing can change the fact that "The Natural" has fought in 15 UFC title fights, more times than Vera has stepped into the cage in his professional career.

The two share Tim Sylvia as an opponent and the outcomes were very different, despite both facing the former champion after a year on the shelf.

Couture's bout with "The Maine-iac" is one of his more legendary fights, coming out of retirement and toppling the giant heavyweight to earn the UFC Heavyweight crown for a third time courtesy of a Unanimous Decision.

On the flip side, the once meteoric rise of Brandon Vera stalled after a one year hiatus courtesy of a contract dispute and Sylvia was the first opponent waiting for "The Truth" when he returned to the UFC.

In that fight, Vera broke his hand and his winning streak, dropping a decision to the former champion before a second straight loss to Fabricio Werdum led to a relocation to light heavyweight.

Stylistically, this one could be highly entertaining or insanely boring, depending on what happens.

Couture's bread and butter is his wrestling and he's said repeatedly leading up to this fight that a return to his roots is in the works. What that means is repeated attempts to get inside and get Vera on the ground, a game plan that could lead to close fought clinch game along the fence as the two battle for position.

For Vera, a former D-1 Greco-Roman wrestler himself, the plan is to utilize his reach and length through his precision Muay Thai, consistently being first to strike and keep Couture on the outside and guessing.

As often as it is said, this one will really come down to who imposes their will.

If Couture gets this fight to the ground, Vera could be in serious trouble, as few have the ground and pound of the 46-year-old former champion.

Conversely, if Vera can keep Couture at bay with his impressive stand-up arsenal, we could witness the fight that propels Brandon Vera into the next level of challengers in the deep 205 pound division of the UFC.

Either way, I'm officially amped to see this fight.
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UFC 105 Fight Week Previews: Dan Hardy vs. Mike Swick

Though many are looking at this fight simply as a match-up to decide who will become the next victim of Georges St-Pierre, looking beyond this fight will cause you to miss some fireworks.

Regardless of where you stand on whether either of these fighters have rightfully earned the right to be one step away from a title shot opposite the best welterweight in the world, both Dan Hardy and Mike Swick will undoubtedly come out firing and chances are that one of them will connect... early.

Dan Hardy (22-6-0, 1 NC) vs. Mike Swick (14-2-0)

While Hardy comes from one of the best camps in Britain, the emerging Team Rough House that houses fellow UFC 105 competitors Andre Winner and Nick Osipczak, as well as top British prospect Jim Wallhead, Swick trains with one of the best camps in the business period, the San Jose-based American Kickboxing Academy.

Unlike the four other match-ups that make up the UFC 105 main card, these two offer an opportunity to look at a shared opponent, as both have spent 15 minutes inside the cage with "The Irish Hand Grenade" Marcus Davis.

Swick met the Boston-based former boxer at UFC 85 and came away with a Unanimous Decision win, while Hardy enters this #1 contender test off a split decision win over Davis just five months ago in Germany.

Once again, it's advantage Swick, though this one is closer than the first comparison.

In terms of overall strength of competition and experience levels, Swick again shows an edge, but not by as much as you might think.

While his opponents are more household names, the truth is that neither of these fighters have a laundry list of big name wins on their resumes. Though he's been a part of the UFC since the original season of The Ultimate Fighter, Swick's strongest win to date remains unclear.

Is it his win over an out-of-shape and overconfident Joe Riggs?

His defeat of David Loiseau, a fighter who has been released and re-signed by the UFC on multiple occasions?

The aforementioned win over Marcus Davis or solid performances against mid-level guys like Jonathan Goulet and Ben Saunders?

While defeating Davis is clearly the biggest win of Hardy's UFC career, both that win and his victory over Akihiro Gono came via split decision, leaving just his knockout of Rory Markham as the only win without someone asking questions.

So while Swick earns an edge for taking down more well-known names than Hardy has to date, the two biggest names on his list of opponents are his two career defeats, one to Yushin Okami and the other to Chris Leben, both at middleweight.

Stylistically is where this fight proves most interesting, as hands will be flying fast and furious like a bad Vin Diesel movie.

Though Swick earned his nickname "Quick" for the speed of his hands, an attribute he's displayed on multiple occasion during his UFC career, Hardy has some hands of his own. Just ask Rory Markham...

The most interesting wrinkle in the whole fight might be the additionally intangibles each fighter brings to the cage.

Hardy is a notorious trash talker and this fight is no different, as he presented Swick with a runner-up trophy at Wednesday's Press Conference. Though some see his actions as childish and unnecessary, the back-and-forth between Hardy and Marcus Davis certainly took the American off his game heading into their bout at UFC 99.

On top of his infamous mouth, Hardy brings an often unmentioned tae kwon do background and solid jiu jitsu game into the cage. So far, he hasn't displayed those skill sets in his three fights with the UFC, but that certainly doesn't mean they don't exist.

As for Swick, his former life as a top-ranked middleweight could certainly play a part in the outcome. After competing on TUF 1 at Light Heavyweight, Swick went 5-1 at 185 before starting his unbeaten run at 170 back in January 2008.

While the two are comparable in height, Swick could certainly be the bigger of the two come fight night. something he could use to his advantage up against the cage if need be.

Most likely, that won't be necessary. This one probably won't last very long.

Both will come out blazing and whoever lands the first flush shot will have their hand raised.

Then they get to meet GSP and take their first welterweight loss in the UFC.



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