UFC 104: 10 Things I Learned Last Night

1. Shogun Was Robbed

Before the scores were read, I turned to my wife and said, "49-46 Shogun," feeling that was an accurate result of the fight I just watched. When Bruce Buffer announced all three judges scoring the bout 48-47, I was even okay with that.

Then he said Lyoto Machida was the winner and I was thoroughly confused.

For years we've been told that being the aggressor, landing the harder strikes and generally inflicting more damage is what leads to victory inside the Octagon. Apparently we never saw the asteriks and the fine print that says, "except if you're fighting the champion we just spent six months building up."

2. Newsflash: We Have Judging Issues

This certainly isn't brand new information, but when the Main Event of a UFC card draws as much attention for what many, including company President Dana White, saw as the wrong decision, something seriously needs to be done.

Last night's decision trumps the Chase Beebe / Mike Easton in that it took place on the biggest stage of them all. Two judges saw it the exact same way, with Cecil Peoples and Marcos Rosales giving Machida the first three rounds.

Somehow, judge Nelson Hamilton saw the fourth round for the champ, despite the fact that it was clearly the challenger's best round.

Honestly, I could go on for hours with this one and will be talking about it at length tomorrow, so I'll leave it at this: we gotta get this nonsense figured out and stop having these brutal decisions.

3. Welcome to the Big Leagues, Cain Velasquez

I'll be honest: I didn't think Cain Velasquez was ready yet. I also don't mind telling you I was dead wrong.

The AKA and Arizona State product dominated every minute of his fight with Ben Rothwell, setting the frantic pace he always does and overwhelming the overmatched former IFL titlest. Now, the question is what's next?

Originally slated to face Shane Carwin, Velasquez seems like the logical challenger for whoever emerges from UFC 106 with the shiny, gold belt around their waist. While the UFC might choose to go with the older, more experienced "Minotauro" Nogueira, Cain will certainly get his chance in the near future.

Don't be surprised if he makes the most of it.

4. Anthony Johnson, Middleweight

Injury or not, you don't head into camp looking to drop 50 pounds. While cutting weight in general isn't all that good for you, dropping those kind of lbs is big-time dicey.

All fighters want to gain whatever advantage they can and being the bigger fighter is certainly one of them. But Johnson was six pounds over, walks around above 200 pounds and has the frame, talent and overall athleticism to seemlessly move to 185 and maintain the hype he currently holds.

That being said, "Rumble" didn't sound like he was in any hurry to jump up in class after perfectly recreating the fight scene from Josh Koscheck vs. "Zenko" Yoshida from UFC Fight for the Troops.

5. How Does Josh Neer Still Have No Takedown Defense?

Last time he set foot in the Octagon, Kurt Pellegrino used superior wrestling abilities and myriad takedowns to score a Unanimous Decision victory over the Miletich Fighting Systems product known as "The Dentist."

So when he agreed to replace Sean Sherk against Gleison Tibau, I expected he would be prepared for the myriad takedown attempts that would be coming courtesy of the American Top Team lightweight gorilla.

In a word: Nope. Time after time like Cyndi Lauper, Tibau took Neer to the mat, scoring points en route to a clean sweep on the judges' scorecards.

Apparently, Josh Neer needs to stop agreeing to fight guys who like to work on the ground because he's apparently not planning on improving his takedown defense any time soon.

6. Welcome Back, Joe Daddy

Two fights into his time at Greg Jackson's in Alburquerque and Joe Stevenson looks to be back in the form that made him The Ultimate Fighter and a perennial top contender in the lightweight division.

He outworked and outclassed Spencer Fisher, taking the fight to the floor in the second round and pinning "The King" in an Ivan Salaverry-esque crucifix before forcing Herb Dean to stop the fight.

With back-to-back solid performances, Stevenson is back into the mix at 155. While he's not quite at championship contender level, he's certainly back in the conversation and one more good win could put him back into the title picture.

7. Really? Chael Sonnen?

Yushin Okami had all of one loss in the UFC heading into last night's action, that coming at the hands of former Middleweight champion Rich Franklin. Far more people were stumping for "Thunder" to receive the title shot he had to forgo due to injury than were picking Chael Sonnen.

Then the longtime Team Quest member came out and dominated his Japanese counterpart from the opening bell, securing his second consecutive upset and putting himself into the upper tier of talent in the UFC middleweight division.

Not that Sonnen is a slouch; after all, this is a former Olympic wrestler and the rightful last WEC middleweight champion, but he looked so bad against Demian Maia that back-to-back wins over Dan Miller and Yushin Okami weren't what you would call expected.

While Sonnen goes up the ladder, where Okami goes from here is anyone's guess. Chances are far fewer people will be calling for Main Card fights and title shots any time soon.

8. Stefan Struve Keeps Improving

Maybe Struve looked so bad against Junior dos Santos because "Cigano" is one of the top talents in the UFC heavyweight division, because for the second consecutive fight, the incredibly lanky youngster from The Netherlands looked really good.

Now, Dennis Stojnic and Chase Gormley are far from upper echelon fighters, but Struve has battled through a bad cut against Stojnic and secured back-to-back submission wins.

At just 21-years-old, "Skyscraper" has certainly shown promise heading into 2010.

9. Tough Night of Picking Fights

The aforementioned Cain Velasquez looked great and more than spoiled my Ben Rothwell upset pick, while the rest of the night was a 50/50 split, leaving me 5-6 for the evening.

Honestly, I feel a little dirty even saying I went 5-6 because really, if judges Hamilton, Peoples and Rosales would have scored the fight the rest of us watched, I would have gone 4-7 and that is not so hot at all.

10. There Is No Way Machida Won That Fight

Not to beat a dead horse, but honestly, there is no way for anyone to convince me that Lyoto Machida won that fight.

Yes, the champ landed some solid counterstrikes and did his karate thing as best as he could, but Shogun landed kick after leg-bruising kick, nulifying Machida's trademark elusiveness and connecting on the champion more than his previous UFC opponents combined.

Seriously, everyone had the fight in favor of Rua; Dana White, Fight Metric, you, me, everyone in the crowd and countless others. Everyone but the three blind mice sitting ringside.










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UFC 104 Punch Drunk Predictions

Despite being in the middle of moving across the province of British Columbia and having very limited access (or time, for that matter), Saturday night marks the return of the UFC after a longer-than-normal hiatus, so I thought I would make a brief return too.

With everything in boxes, the usual week-long Fight Week Previews series has been on break as well, but have no fear, this installment of the Punch Drunk Predictions features a quick synopsis of my thoughts on each fight.

It also carries with it a challenge, as fellow Bleacher Report writer Darren Wong has thrown down the gauntlet, looking to claim the bragging rights for successful selections for UFC 104. Never one to back down, I've gladly accepted and look forward to gloating about my win later this week.

Fight Week Previews - The Abridged Moving Version
(all records as per UFC.com)

Stefan Struve (21-3) vs. Chase Gormley (6-0)

Struve has the vast experience despite being just 21-years-old. Additinoally, he's fought twice under the bright lights of the UFC, losing his debut to Junior dos Santos before submitting Dennis Stojnic at UFC 99.

However, Stojnic cut "The Skyscraper" badly in that fight and while Gormley is short on experience, he's got the power to put his Dutch opponent on the canvas.

Kyle Kingsbury (7-2-0, 1 NC) vs. Razak Al-Hassan (7-1-0)

Really, does anyone outside of the Kingsbury and Al-Hassan calling circles care who wins this fight? Kingsbury is another former TUF contestant who hasn't found success in the Octagon, while Al-Hassan's debut had him on the wrong end of a very gruesome looking armbar courtesy of Steve Cantwell.

Reach in your pocket and pull out a coin.

Jorge Rivera (16-7) vs. Rob Kimmons (22-4)

Rivera is a seasoned veteran who has been in the cage with a long list of quality opponents. Now he's facing Rob Kimmons, whose biggest win to date is either over Joe Vedepo or Rob Yundt.

Yushin Okami (24-4) vs. Chael Sonnen (24-10-1)

Okami certainly deserves better than being buried on the undercard, having compiled a 7-1 record in the UFC and once being in line for a title shot against Anderson Silva, whom he holds a DQ victory over.

That being said, he hasn't been able to stay healthy and has to work his way back up the ladder, starting with Sonnen, who enters the fight off a dominating upset win over Dan Miller at UFC 98.

Antoni Hardonk (8-5) vs. Pat Barry (4-1)

In the UFC's unofficial first kickboxing match, the veteran Hardonk takes on a fellow leg kick enthusiast and former training partner in the less experienced Barry.

This fight will be entertaining while standing, but painful if it somehow hits the floor, as Barry's ground game is almost nonexistent and Hardonk isn't much better.

Get that coin you had out earlier and give it another flip. Or, use this time to refill your cup and get a few snacks before things get interesting.

Ryan Bader (10-0) vs. Eric Schafer (13-3-2)

"Darth" Bader was impressive in his post-TUF debut against veteran ATT member Carmelo Marrero and the win was made even more noteworthy upon learning the Arizona Combats Sports product tore his MCL and PCL during the fight.

Schafer is a BJJ black Belt under Pedro Sauer riding a two fight winning streak since returning to the UFC. That being said, Houston Alexander and Antonio Mendes do not possess the strength and promise of the former two-time All American from Arizona State.

Anthony Johnson (7-2) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-3)

Yes, Anthony Johnson is a tremendous athlete and has a very bright future in the sport. That being said, Yoshida represents a big step up in competition for "Rumble" after having earned wins over Kevin Burns, Luigi Fioravanti and Tommy Speer.

While Yoshida hasn't defeated anyone of great consequence either (War Machine and Brandon Wolff), his move to Greg Jackson's School of Awesomeness in MMA is enough to pique my interest in this opening match-up of the broadcast.

Joe Stevenson (35-10) vs. Spencer Fisher (24-4)

Speaking of guys who have moved to Albuquerque... Stevenson was back to the Joe Stevenson of old last time out against Nathan Diaz, utilizing his strong wrestling base and not getting into a boxing match where he is can get beat.

While Fisher has solid skills on the ground as well, his bread and butter is standing and banging, as he's got a good chin and enough weapons on his feet to trade with the best the lightweight division has to offer.

Gleison Tibau (29-6) vs. Josh Neer (25-8-1)

Just because they don't belong in the middle of the PPV broadcast doesn't mean these two don't deserve coverage.

Tibau is replacing Sean Sherk and brings a vast edge on the ground against Neer, who was outwrestled and ultimately defeated by Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 101 using a very similar ground-related approached.

Cain Velasquez (6-0) vs. Ben Rothwell (30-6)

Don't get me wrong: I think Cain Velasquez has as bright a future in the UFC as just about anyone, but he's not there yet in my books. He's got as many career fights as Rothwell has losses.

While that may not mean much to some, the former Affliction and IFL heavyweight has far more experience and has been to deeper waters than the Arizona State standout has ever faced. Cheick Kongo and his deficient ground game were a perfect opponent for Velasquez last time out, but now he needs to step it up a notch and I don't know if he's truly ready for the next level.

Lyoto Machida (15-0) vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (18-3)

My analysis of this fight is actually quite simple:

Lyoto Machida has never been beaten, never lost a round in the UFC and barely gets touched when he steps into the cage, while Shogun looked horrible against a fighting fossil (Mark Coleman) and earned the title shot by defeating a defensively-deficient Chuck Liddell.

You don't get to 15-0 by accident... The Machida Era continues.

Punch Drunk Predictions
Record: 86-64

Preliminary Card
Chase Gormley over Stefan Struve (TKO R1)
Razak Al-Hassan over Kyle Kingsbury (TKO R2)
Jorge Rivera over Rob Kimmons (Submission R1)
Yushin Okami over Chael Sonnen (Unanimous Decision)
Antoni Hardonk over Pat Barry (Submission R1)
Ryan Bader over Eric Schafer (TKO R2)

Main Card
Yoshiyuki Yoshida over Anthony Johnson (Submission R2)
Joe Stevenson over Spencer Fisher (Unanimous Decision)
Gleison Tibau over Josh Neer (Submission R3)
Ben Rothwell over Cain Velasquez (TKO R2)

And in the Main Event of the Evening...

Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida over Mauricio "Shogun" Rua via TKO, Round 3 to retain the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.

Now touch gloves and come out swingin!










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Strikeforce on CBS: A Tremendous Opportunity for the Growth of Mixed Martial Arts

Early next month, the men featured in this terrific photo by Esther Lin will take part in two of the four stellar match-ups schedule for the debut of Strikeforce on CBS.

Light heavyweight champion Gegard "The Dreamcatcher" Mousasi (left) will face Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou in a non-title match, one that was originally slated to take place in the DREAM Super Hulk Tournament.

In the main event, consensus #1 heavyweight and MMA legend Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko (right) will step inside the cage for the first time to face undefeated challenger Brett "The Grim" Rogers.

In addition to being arguably the best televised fight card of the year, this is an incredible opportunity for Strikeforce to showcase their brand, their stars and the sports of Mixed Martial Arts as a whole.

Over six million viewers tuned into Spike TV two weeks ago to watch what amounts to an amateur bout between Kimbo Slice and "Big Country" Roy Nelson. Now, mixed martial arts fans across the country will be given a chance to watch one of the greatest fighters the sport has ever seen and three additional outstanding bouts live on network television.

While Spike is a niche network geared towards the core demographic of the sport itself, Strikeforce will be shown on CBS, the home of some of the best and most-watched programs on television today and the hands-down king of televised sports, the NFL.

Never before has the sport been given an opportunity to promote itself in a manner like this; though EliteXC was previously featured on CBS, the organization was promoted on the back of the aforementioned Kimbo Slice, a backyard brawler of Internet fame.

Now, we have arguably the greatest fighter of the modern era of mixed martial arts, a young fighter who some believe could be the next to carry that torch and well-known opponents Jake Shields and Jason "Mayhem" Miller to use as selling points and showcases for what top level MMA really looks like.

It's not as if we're asking people to find a channel some don't even have like Versus; even if you don't have cable, chances are you have CBS and instead of presenting the street certified Slice, we have the 30-1 Fedor Emelianenko to top the marquee.

We have been talking for months about the sport's push to break into the mainstream and this could be the watershed moment. Four outstanding fights, eight talented fighters and one major network with the ability to promote the event to an entirely new audience, as well as the millions of current fans of the sport and those who tune into AFC action every Sunday afternoon.

Additionally, this is a chance to expand the horizons of those who believe that MMA and UFC are synonymous. While the UFC is certainly the biggest name in the business, they are not the one and only organization worthy of attention in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts and this event proves it.

For the low, low cost of zero dollars, fans and curious onlookers alike are going to have the opportunity to watch one of the most anticipated and stacked fight cards of the year without a single glimpse of Dana White. As blasphemous as that may seem to some, it is a more than welcomed opportunity to many, this writer included.

The sport will only grow through the flourishing of numerous organization, Strikeforce included, and this is a grand opportunity to move closer to that end.

Should CBS decide to put their considerable marketing muscle behind this event, and Strikeforce do everything they can to promote these well-known combatants, new ratings records won't be the only result.

We could have an incredible night of fights that helps break down the barriers preventing mixed martial arts from entering the mainstream, a display of talent, skill and respect that showcases the beauty and artistry of the sport and not the bloodshed.

Hardcore fans are sure to tune in, regardless of any marketing or promotion. You needn't say more than "free Fedor" to entice many MMA fans to choose CBS on November 7.

But if done correctly, this event could draw entirely new fans and those trapped in the UFC vacuum to an emerging organization and outstanding collection of fights, helping push MMA closer to crashing the mainstream media party.

And if we're really lucky, maybe some of the critics of "human cockfighting" will sit down and see what mixed martial arts is really about, seeing as they won't have to spend a dime or search for some channel buried in the upper regions of their satellite or cable service.

Whether all or none of these dreams come true is yet to be determined. One thing that is certainly already is that Strikeforce on CBS is a tremendous opportunity for growth knocking on the door.

Let's just hope someone answers.





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Long Live Ultimate Punching

There was a time when being on The Simpson's was the height of pop culture cool and mainstream acceptance. If you showed up in Springfield, you were at the top of your game and this was your animated standing ovation for excellence.

But 1997 was a long time ago...

However, despite the fall-off in The Simpson's over the last decade-plus, the never-aging family stepped into the cage with Mixed Martial Arts last night, producing a great back-and-forth match that saw MMA come away victorious in the end.

While The Simpson's certainly doesn't have the cultural sway that it had in the past - or the audience for that matter - the first family of Fox presented both sides of the argument for and against MMA last night and did it very well.

"Call me a killjoy, but just because something isn't to my taste, I don't think anyone should be able to enjoy it," was Marge's initial suggestion to the rest of the well-known women of Springfield (Luann Van Houten, Mrs. Krabappel, Dr. Hibert's wife Bernice and Helen Lovejoy) before launching her attempt to shut down the sport as a whole.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand the intelligence of the comment; a clear cartoon jab at the anti-MMA set who don't enjoy the sport and can't fathom how anyone can. Here in Canada, we call them members of the Provincial Legislature of Ontario...

After taking to "The Septagon" at the next Ultimate Punch, Kick and Chop Championship, Marge accepts the challenge of Ultimate Punching's Chet Engelbret, a southerner with a multitude of titles including "the public face of the sport" not unlike a certain well-known bald gentlemen.

Instead of providing an complete episode recap and ruining your plans for searching the Internet all afternoon while at work, we'll cut to the chase.

Last night, The Simpson's did a great job of showing both sides of the challenges facing Mixed Martial Arts, best illustrated (pun-intended) by the the resident bullies with KILL spelled out on their stomachs being joined by an S on the stomach of one of the known nerds to create SKILL.

There is no question that there is a segment of the population who simply cannot stomach Mixed Martial Arts; there is too much violence, too much blood and simply no interest whatsoever and that is perfectly okay to me.

I can't stomach the CFL, with their points for failure, three downs and elongated field and no matter what the staunchest supporters say to change my mind, nothing is going to make me enjoy the Canadian Football League.

The argument shouldn't be about whether people like the sport or not anyway, as it's readily apparent from the stack of gate receipts and pay-per-view dollars that MMA is massively popular.

To me, the true debate is one that doesn't even make sense in my head:

We have karate studios, boxing clubs and high school wrestling programs in just about every city across North America, but the thought of combining all three with jiu jitsu, tae kwon do and other disciplines, then having talented practitioners of all the styles compete against each other in a structured and regulated environment is too much to take?

"Who cares that it brings massive amount of money to each town that hosts an event, and thousands of people thoroughly enjoy it, they're doing things they do in the Olympics inside a fenced-off stop sign for chrissakes!"

On a much smaller scale and more in tune with last night's episode, I can't help but recall Tom Farrey's question to Dana White from the ESPN E:60 piece as to whether or not it's okay for kids to train in MMA.

Marge Simpson was able to surmise in her post-fight speech that at the very least she got in shape and made some new friends through her cartoon dalliance with Ultimate Punching.

How would that differ at all in the non-animated world?

Heaven forbid we let our kids or society in general make friends and get in shape, especially through something as barbaric as a combination of sports built on respect, discipline and honor.

Last night, Mixed Martial Arts scored a cartoon convert in the matriarch of the Simpson family.

Hopefully the sport also score a couple in the real world too.

Long live Ultimate Punching...





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WEC 43: 10 Things I Learned Last Night

1. FIGHT OF THE YEAR

Ben Henderson and Donald Cerrone went toe-to-toe for five non-stop rounds and along with earning the respect of anyone who wasn't already in their corners as legitimate lightweights, these two probably earned Fight of the Year last night too.

For me it had all the things I look for: close fight, both guys putting in work on both offense and defense, close calls and nothing but action. Add in that the lightweight strap was on the line and this five round war certainly has to be on everyone's list at the end of the year.

2. NOT EVERYONE AGREES WITH THE JUDGING

Sherdog's Jordan Breen called it a "bullshit decision." Josh Gross of CNNSI stated he's "getting tired of judges overlooking close sub attempts," and Zach Arnold at Fight Opinion called it a 49-46 win for Cerrone.

Personally, I scored it in Cerrone's favor as well, and agree with Gross that more weight needs to be put on submission attempts and reversals, but this is what happens when you go to the scorecards.

3. QUICK TURNAROUND FOR HENDERSON?

With Jamie Varner ringside and a title unification bout needed, early reports have the WEC looking at a mid-December card for Varner to return to the ring and take on the new interim champ.

While it's certainly dependent on a laundry list of things including medical suspensions, injuries and overall fatigue, if I'm Henderson, I sign on the dotted line as quickly as I can. The guy just proved again that he has the heart of a lion and as much stamina as the Energizer Bunny, so why not stay in fighting shape and get right back in there with a guy who is coming off nearly a full year on the sidelines?

Jamie Varner is no joke, but after spending the better part of the last year unable to train, you would assume there is going to be some ring rust there and Henderson could look to capitalize quickly.

4. CURSE? WHAT CURSE?

Scott Jorgensen said he wasn't superstitious and that he was going to push the pace against Noah Thomas. Last night, "Young Guns" did just that, dropping the former Ultimate Fighter contestant at 3:13 of the first round to lock up his seventh win and continue his climb up the bantamweight ladder.

Did I mention that Jorgensen is the first member of the K2 Interview Series to score a win? While I knew all along that spending time answering my questions certainly wasn't the reason the fighters featured in the series had been suffering losses (or having their fights canceled), it certainly is nice to mark one in the win column.

Maybe now we can start a winning streak...

5. ASSUNCAO'S ASCENT

As much as I would have loved to see the Canadian Yves Jabouin come away with a win in his WEC debut, Rafael Assuncao proved why he is one of the best featherweight fighters in the world.

By extending his win streak to six and boasting a 14-1 record overall, Assuncao is certainly on a very short list of challengers for the winner of the upcoming Mike Brown vs. Jose Aldo title fight at WEC 44 in Vegas next month.

6. ONE NAME NOT ON THAT LIST ANYMORE...

Is Wagnney Fabiano, as the Brazilian was submitted by newcomer Mackens Semerzier at the 2:14 mark of the first round.

Going into this fight, many, myself included, had Fabiano as a Top 3 featherweight and sizable favorite, but "Mack da Menace" delivered the massive upset, making a lasting impression on the WEC and fight fans in the process.

Despite being way wrong on my prediction, upsets like this remind me why I love Mixed Martial Arts so much.

7. YET ANOTHER JUDGING QUESTION

Somebody needs to ask judge Ruben Carrion what fight he was watching, because there is no way in the world that Yves Jabouin earned a 30-27 score in his fight with Rafael Assuncao. Did he maybe get the two fighters confused?

Now, this is certainly nowhere near as bad as the Chase Beebe / UWC incident of last weekend, as Assuncao correctly came away with the win thanks to the other two judges, but once again we have a completely unimaginable score being read at the conclusion of a fight.

Seriously, there is no way Jabouin even comes close to 30-27... we need to fix this nonsense, quickly.

8. DAMACIO PAGE VS. MIGUEL TORRES?

With the WEC announcing that Bantamweight champ Brian Bowles would first face Dominick Cruz, former champion Miguel Torres needs an opponent in the interim. From where I'm sitting, Damacio Page fits the bill nicely.

The Greg Jackson product has won his last two fights in a combined 80 seconds, as he submitted newcomer Will Campuzano is 62 second last night.

The only blemish on Page's WEC record came courtesy of the current champ and with both he and Torres clearly established at the top of the heap, having the two square off would only make sense.

9. DAVE JANSEN: MY BAD

Everyone gets one wrong from time-to-time and sometimes we completely shit the bed.

Such was the case with my lead in to the Rich Crunkilton - Dave Jansen fight. Here I was thinking the clear experience advantage held by Crunkilton would stymie the youthful exuberance and strong wrestling game Jansen. Yeah... not so much.

Doesn't help either that I totally neglected Jansen's training with Team Quest in breaking down the fight, as if a whole gang of top level wrestlers haven't come out of Temecula and Gresham over the last, I dunno, ten years of MMA...

Sorry Dave... I'll get you next time.

10. PEOPLE NEED TO BE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE WEC

I've actually known this for quite some time, but I thought I'd throw it out there today.

As great as the UFC can be, WEC shows deliver more bang for your buck than anything their big brother at Zuffa can put on and more people need to recognize that and start paying attention. Every card offers a complete collection of exciting fights, upsets and absolute wars, yet even those who consider themselves hardcore fans often miss out on the action.

This isn't intended as an "I'm a better fan than you" expression or anything like that; I just want to keep spreading the world that there is life outside of the UFC bubble and the WEC deserves your attention.




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WEC 43 Punch Drunk Predictions: The Curse Ends Tonight!

More than a day late, but certainly not dollars short, WEC 43 will finally go down tonight in San Antonio, Texas featuring an Interim Lightweight Title bout between Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and Ben "Smooth" Henderson.

Overall this is a pretty solid card; some of the preliminary card fights certainly have a chance to outshine a couple of the main card fights and the main event will undoubtedly be awesome.

In addition to a great lineup, WEC 43 will also prove the end of the Keyboard Kimura Curse, as interviewee Scott "Young Guns" Jorgensen will have his hand raised in victory over former Ultimate Fighter cast-off Noah Thomas.

Good luck Scotty... now onto the picks.

Punch Drunk Predictions
Record: 81-59

Preliminary Card
Javier Vazquez over Deividas Taurosevicius
Charlie Valencia over Coty Wheeler
Manny Tapia over Eddie Wineland
Wagnney Fabiano over Mackens Semerzier
Scott Jorgensen over Noah Thomas
Anthony Njokuani over Muhsin Corbbrey

Main Card
Raphael Assuncao over Yves Jabouin
Damacio Page over Will Campuzano
Rich Crunkilton Jr. over Dave Jansen

And in the Main Event of the evening...

Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone over Ben "Smooth" Henderson.

Now touch gloves and come out swingin!

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Fight Week Previews: Donald Cerrone vs. Ben Henderson

While a couple of fights this week have gotten the quick and dirty treatment, this one is getting the full monty.

Originally slated to take place a little more than a month ago in Youngstown, Ohio, WEC 43 was moved to San Antonio, Texas due to Ben Henderson's eye surgery, poor ticket sales and the need to have ice motorcycle racing and a series of concerts in the Covelli Center instead of high-caliber MMA.

Despite the setbacks and changes, we've still got a serious main event to break down, so let's get to it.

Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone (10-1-0, 1 NC) vs. Ben "Smooth" Henderson ( 9-1-0)

Earning the edge in the "Where you train" category was going to be hard for Ben Henderson and it has nothing to do with the work he puts in at the MMA Lab in Glendale, Arizona. He works with a solid bunch of guys and has looked great since entering the WEC, but "Cowboy" earns this win easy.

Plain and simple, there isn't a better breeding ground for championship level fighters in the sport today than Greg Jackson's in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Moving to the next area, Cerrone and Henderson share one opponent, Anthony Njokuani, who will also be appearing the WEC 43 card.

In their joint WEC debuts, Henderson sunk in a guillotine choke on the talented, young Texan early in the second round. Almost two years earlier, Cerrone secured an arm triangle late in the first round to come away with a similar result and making this match-up essentially a wash.

Strength of competition is next and is another category that Cerrone wins hands down. This will be the second time in his WEC career that he's fighting for a title, and the first time resulted in an outstanding fight with champion Jamie Varner.

In addition to his title experience, Cerrone has scored wins over former champ "Razor" Rob McCullough, Urijah Faber training partner Danny Castillo and made it look academic at WEC 41 against James Krause.

On the flip side, Njokuani and Shane Roller are the two toughest tests to date for the man called "Smooth," and while both have bright futures, they're not quite there yet.

Despite the clear edge in camps and compe, Henderson could have one distinct and determinant advantage heading into this fight.

Jamie Varner is going to be in attendance at this event, as the close-to-healthy Lightweight champ will meet the winner of this fight in a title unification bout somewhere next year. If you have been paying attention to the WEC Lightweight division at all lately, than you know that Donald Cerrone is obsessed with Jamie Varner.

While that could certainly serves as motivation to run through Ben Henderson as he did James Krause, it could also be too much of a distraction and give "Smooth" an added opening in this Interim Lightweight Title bout.

As always, picks come tomorrow with the popular Punch Drunk Predictions series.

See you then.

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