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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UFC 105 Fight Week Previews: Michael Bisping vs. Denis Kang

What a difference one fight can make...

Heading into his fight with Dan Henderson at UFC 100, it was widely believed that a victory would have put Michael Bisping at the top of the marquee for this event opposite Anderson Silva, the UFC Middleweight title on the line.

Five months later, Bisping's mouth guard still hasn't been tracked down and his return home is a
bounce-back opportunity against talented veteran Denis Kang.

Michael Bisping (17-2-0) vs. Denis Kang (32-11-1, 2 NC)

Normally, Kang's membership with American Top Team and Zahabi MMA would be more than enough to cement an easy decision over his opponent in the "where they train" portion of this analysis.

While it certainly factors into his win, the fact that Bisping's last outing seemed so poorly planned also weighs into things. No one has ever mistaken Wolfslair for one of the most acclaimed outfits in the game, they are home to a few notable names including Cheick Kongo and Quinton Jackson, as well as Bisping.

That being said, circling to his left and therefore into Dan Henderson's right hand was a tactical mistake of the worst kind. Maybe Bisping made the move himself, but if it came from his camp, he needs to reassess the situation.

In terms of experience, Kang has a clear edge, having fought a far tougher schedule than his more hyped British counterpart.

Neither actually possess a major victory to hang their hats on; Bisping's greatest triumph to date is either his win over Chris Leben or the shaky decision he earned over Matt Hamill, while Kang got the better of Murilo "Ninja" Rua at Pride Bushido 11, but that was three years ago.

But when you look at the entire list of opponents, Bisping has made his name getting the better of mid-level fighters and losing to former champions Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson, while Kang was gone toe-to-toe with the likes of Gegard Mousasi, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Akihiro Gono and Jason "Mayhem" Miller.

Stylistically, Bisping has said he's going into this fight looking for the big knockout and that is no different than his approach heading into most fights.

"The Count" is a stand-up fighter, relying on his boxing and kickboxing and not showing much interest at all in going to the ground. Conversely, Kang sports a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu but also has more of an interest in standing and trading with his opponents.

The combination the two styles could result in two very different fights. If Kang decides to stay on his feet and trade with Bisping, fans could be treated to a very entertaining slugfest that will offer up a few opportunities to collect a Knockout of the Night bonus.

Even going to the ground could yield an interesting fight, as Kang's superiority on the ground tactically will be challenged by the bigger, stronger Bisping. Remember, before becoming a middleweight contender, Bisping had a successful run at 205.

The biggest key could come from between the ears of both fighters.

Bisping certainly has a great deal to prove after being on the wrong end of a Knockout of the Year contender and often mentioned in conversations about the most overrated fighters in the game, not to mention being the hometown favorite.

For Kang, the knock has never been about talent, but the mental side of the game. In his UFC debut, the Canadian was showing all the tools that made him a crowd favorite in Pride before having a mental lapse and offering up his neck to an Alan Belcher guillotine.

While he rebounded nicely against Xavier Foupa-Pokam, Mike Bisping is not Professor X, and Kang will need the best of both his talents and mind to score the upset.


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UFC 105 Fight Week Previews: James Wilks vs. Matt Brown

Second fight, second TUF Season 9 winner stepping into the cage.

While James "Lightning" Wilks doesn't have as difficult a match-up as countryman and lightweight winner Ross "The Real Deal" Pearson, the welterweight winner faces a stiff test in fellow TUF alum Matt Brown.

Despite not advancing past the quarterfinals of Season 7, "The Immortal" has joined "Crazy" Tim Credeur as the true breakout stars of that particular season, earning a 3-1 record and enhancing his reputation as a gritty competitor who is hard to put away.

James Wilks (6-2) vs. Matt Brown (10-7)

This match-up is actually a much less one-sided affair than yesterday's bout between Ross Pearson and Aaron Riley.

Where Riley dominated every aspect on paper, Wilks showed enough throughout his journey to becoming The Ultimate Fighter to make this an interesting pairing.

Camp-wise, Brown wins hands down, training with Team Jorge Gurgel, while Wilks operates his own Lightning MMA gym.

Outside of a select few top-tier fighters, working on your own just doesn't make that much sense; everyone needs someone pushing you to take your game to the next level, championship-caliber competitors included.

On the experience front, Brown certainly has the edge inside the Octagon and under the bright lights of the UFC stage, but Wilks is no slouch.

To make it onto Season 9 in the first place, Wilks scored an upset over Che Mills, a fighter some (read: this guy) thought would excel on the show. While Mills is far from a household name in North America, he's a well-respected fighter in the UK and holds two wins over DREAM Welterweight Grand Prix winner and recent Strikeforce signee Marius "Whitemare" Zaromskis.

From there, the eventual welterweight winner dominated Frank Lester on back-to-back occasions before submitting DeMarques Johnson on the finale to secure his six-figure deal.

Some (again: this guy) would argue that Brown has yet to taste defeat since coming off Season 7, as his lone loss came via tight split decision to Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 88 in a fight some feel Brown had won.

Still, 3-1 in the UFC is better than finalist C.B. Dollaway and head-and-shoulders ahead of winner Amir Sadollah.

Additionally, Brown will be fighting with an angel on his shoulder come Saturday night, as this bout will mark the first time inside the cage since losing his father to cancer back in September.

Stylistically, Wilks should be looking to use the submission skills he demonstrated during his time inside The Ultimate Fighter house, bringing the fight to Brown and working from in tight.

Conversely, Brown has done very well when given space and has solid striking - just ask Pete Sell. Those he is continually improving on the ground, his Muay Thai is still his strong suit and to be effective, he'll need to keep Wilks at a distance.

Could the UFC have given their most recent welterweight winner an easier task? Absolutely; Brown has all the abilities needed to cut Wilks' coming out party short in a hurry.

That being said, this match-up is way more appetizing than the opener and could end up being the Fight of the Night.




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UFC 105 Fight Week Previews: Ross Pearson vs. Aaron Riley

With Strikeforce's debut on CBS over and done with, the focus shifts to the UFC's free offering this weekend on Spike, as UFC 105 hits the airwaves from Manchester, England.
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As is always the case with overseas events, the card features the usual suspects like the Pauls (Taylor and Kelly), Dennis Siver and Terry Etim. Joining the mix for the first (and probably not the last time) are the half of Team UK from Season 9 of The Ultimate Fighter.

Both Nick Osipczak and Andre Winner return to the Octagon after falling short on the program itself, while winners James Wilks and Ross Pearson hit the cage for the first time since securing their six figure contracts.

Wilks' match-up with Matt Brown goes under the microscope tomorrow; today, we're tackling Pearson's bout with Aaron Riley.

Ross Pearson (9-3-0) vs. Aaron Riley (28-11-1)

While the normal routine of the Fight Week Previews is to break down each fight bit-by-bit, the truth is that both this match-up and the fight featured tomorrow leave little to be dissected.

In every element of the usual analysis, Riley gets the better of Pearson.

He trains with Greg Jackson and Company in Albuquerque, he has just about as many losses as Pearson has fights and he's got 28 wins on top of that.

While Pearson has yet to face anyone whose name rings a bell with even the most hardcore fans, Riley can count the likes of Spencer Fisher, Jorge Gurgel, Eddie Alvarez and Chris Lytle among his opponents.

Not to take anything away from Pearson, a fighter fitting the moniker of "The British Bulldog" if ever there was one, but the lightweight Ultimate Fighter winner is thoroughly beaten on paper.

That being said, fights don't take place on paper, do they?

Riley should be coming into this fight on a five-fight winning streak, but a brutally-quick stoppage the first time he touched gloves with Shane Nelson leaves him riding just the rematch win into England.

Pearson comes in off what is undoubtedly the high point of his career, earning a decision over countryman and fellow UFC 105 participant Andre Winner to claim the lightweight contract back in June.

While it may have been the high point of his career to date, Pearson's performance was simply better than a poor performance from Winner. Neither fighter truly dominated during the 15 minutes they shared in the cage and "The Real Deal" will have to step up his game against the veteran Riley.

While both fighters reach 5'8" on the ruler, the biggest difference-maker come Saturday evening in England might be size.

Though Riley and Pearson will weigh the same when they step on the scales Friday, Riley is a big lightweight who spent the early part of his career competing at welterweight, and that size different played a pivotal part in his domination of Shane Nelson the second time around.

Putting Pearson in this tough is both admirable and a little confusing; while no one wants to see a parade of tomato cans put before the winners of The Ultimate Fighter as was done in the past, you also don't want your latest reality star to take a loss right out the gate.

We'll find out Saturday night whether it was a decision that quickly puts Pearson on the map or leaves him stranded on the sidelines of the lightweight division.


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Strikeforce: 10 Things I Learned Last Night

1. This Picture Might Be Accurate

Anyone else would have been finished.

Broken nose on the very first punch, from a jab no less, before taking some serious ground and pound from a guy known explicitly for his big hands? We've seen talented fighters succumb to less.

But Fedor? The increasingly mythical entity that is "The Last Emperor" stood tall and remained calm, weathered the storm, landed some shots of his own and put an exclamation point on the evening with a precision knockout of Brett Rogers less than two minutes into Round 2.

More and more, Fedor is looking like an unbeatable fighting machine.

2. Brett Rogers is a Top 5 Heavyweight

After defeating Andrei Arlovski back in the June, Rogers' trainer Mike Reilly proclaimed his fighter to be a Top 5 Heavyweight, prompting a certain someone (read: we're talking about me here) to counter on Watch Kalib Run. Now, five months and a fight with Fedor later, let me assure you that Brett Rogers is a Top 5 heavyweight.

Results aside, Rogers busted up Fedor and showed the hands to put just about anyone into some serious trouble. What impresses me most about "The Grim" is where he can go from here.

Right now, he's still a brawler, but there is potential there to harness those hands and build a serious striker. Add in some semblance of a ground game - because there isn't one yet - and Brett Rogers could be deadly, and that's saying something, because he's already pretty damn dangerous.

3. 30 More Seconds and Mayhem is Champ

For all the talk about Jake Shields' phenomenal submission game, he was the one in the most danger last night.

While the Cesar Gracie student earned a Unanimous Decision and the Strikeforce Middleweight title, Jason "Mayhem" Miller came closest to finishing the fight with a very deep Rear Naked Choke at the close of the third round.

Had there been any more time in the round, we're talking about an upset and Mayhem is rolling with some new gold around his waist. Instead, we're talking about something we already knew: Jake Shields has zero - REPEAT ZERO - stand-up, no matter what he tries to tell everyone.

4. The Fans Booed a Grappling Match? Didn't Someone Say That Would Happen?

I remember, it was me, yesterday, when I was talking about The Jorge Gurgel Theory.

As if on cue, the action in the Shields - Mayhem match went to the ground and the chorus of complaints started ringing through the Sears Center. Admittedly, there were points in the action where it certainly was boring, but there were also some terrific scrambles and reversals and still the boos came crashing down.

If this is the way casual fans are going to react when a fight goes to the floor (and it is), pushing Jake Shields is going to be a tough task, 13-fight winning streak and shiny, gold belt or not.

5. Sokoudjou Added to the Dictionary

Sokoudjou (verb): the act where a person routinely looks good in their chosen profession before pulling a complete 180 and getting their ass handed to them.

Example: Mark Sanchez was on a roll in New York before he sokoudjoued against the Bills.

What makes it even harder to stomach is that Soko won the first round and looked good doing it; great balance, a couple nice throws, kept Mousasi from doing much damage, but then it was done.

My new question is whether it is a cardio issue or a "Sokoudjou simply quits" issue?

6. Mousasi is the Next Fedor

You can see it in his demeanor; both just look so calm and almost disinterested before the fight begins and once it's underway, nothing seems to phase them.

There are going to be those who jump all over this idea, citing Mousasi's lack of Top 10 opponents and that's fine. Renato Sobral is better than a lot of people give him credit for and the kid can only beat up whoever they put in front of him.

As stated earlier in the week: Gegard Mousasi will be considered the best MMA fighter on the planet inside the next three years.

7. Nothing Like Talking About the UFC

Here's an idea for the next Strikeforce card: have the announcers try even harder to advertise for the competition, and by "the announcers" I mean "the two guys who aren't Mauro Ranallo."

When you add up the GSP reference and talking about Sokoudjou losing to Machida with Johnson calling him something like "the emerging UFC superstar," the only thing missing was Brock Lesnar and some reference to Fedor avoiding the UFC like the plague.

Strikeforce presents: the prime-time UFC info-mercial with your host, Gus Johnson.

8. While We're on the Topic of Announcers...

Frank Shamrock has got to go.

Repeatedly saying he couldn't score rounds whenever Ranallo gave him the lead in was bad enough, but not quite as bad as calling Sokoudjou "Sujoku" all night.

Frank, he's a fighter, not a tricky little numbers game in the Sunday morning paper. That's called Sudoku. You'll have time to attempt one next time Strikeforce is on CBS because you shouldn't be at the announce table.

9. Fights Good, Production Bad

You can't control the outcome of fights (sorry DMX...), but you can control the timing of the event and Strikeforce failed in my books last night.

Everything felt really slowed down and while I understand that being on network TV and needing to mix in commercial breaks and such plays a part, things just looked amateurish.

On a night where Strikeforce could have entrenched themselves as a legitimate opponent to the UFC, the fighters came through in spades, but the production crew seriously dropped the ball.

Did I mention an entire fight was just scrapped for no real reason? To quote Ron Burgundy, "that's just Bush. It's Bush League! Audrey!"

10. EA Sports MMA Looks Gooooooooood!

Two words: Me Likey





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Mixed Martial Arts in the Mainstream: The Jorge Gurgel Theory

With Strikeforce's long-awaited network television debut tonight, the mainstream media will be turning their often-occluded eye towards Mixed Martial Arts.

So too will millions of viewers, some long-time fans flocking at the chance to see the great Fedor Emelianenko fight for free, others in sheer curiosity towards this sport they keep hearing about called MMA.

Over the last few months, a great deal has been made about the potential push of Mixed Martial Arts into the mainstream and tonight's groundbreaking event opens the door for that discussion once more.

Except this isn't going to be a discussion of how MMA will make it to the mainstream; this is about why it will never happen and it's called The Jorge Gurgel Theory.

* * * * *

Let's get one thing straight: Jorge Gurgel is a terrific athlete, a great fighter and an outstanding performer. Unfortunately, he's also a terrific example of why Mixed Martial Arts will never ascend to the rarefied air occupied by the NFL, NBA and MLB.

By no means is this meant to diminish his talents, accomplishments or success in the sport or incur the wrath of the always popular "At least he's man enough to step into the cage and not hide behind a keyboard" advocates.

This is simply a commentary on the progression of the sport, and Gurgel serves as an incredible example.

* * * * *

Jorge Gurgel is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Marcus Aurelio, though you wouldn't necessarily know it from his most recent fights and therein lies the basis for this theory.

Despite being supremely talented on the ground, Rich Franklin's jiu jitsu coach prefers to stand and bang with his opponents. While it has earned him a couple "Fight of the Night" bonuses from the UFC, it also earned Gurgel his pink slip from the organization.

Before fighting under the bright lights of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Jorge Gurgel was 9-1 with all nine of his wins coming via submission.

Once the cameras started rolling and the crowds got bigger, the Brazilian jiu jitsu expert shifted gears, fighting more for the excitement and enjoyment of the fans, forsaking his acumen on the ground in favor of the stand-up battles that draw the biggest cheers.

Since his appearance on Season 2 of The Ultimate Fighter, Gurgel is 4-5 with all but one of those fights going to the judges scorecards. The one-time submission specialist has become a boxer, choosing the cheers and a coin-flip over jeers and a victory on the ground.

While there can be no guarantee that Gurgel would have won any or all of the five fights he's lost since entering and subsequently being released from the UFC, one would have to believe that an accomplished Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt stands a better chance using those talents than he does trading punches.

The pinnacle of the paradox is best illustrated by Gurgel's fight at UFC 91 with Aaron Riley.

On a card that also featured Brock Lesnar's heavyweight title win over Randy Couture, it was Gurgel and Riley who took home Fight of the Night honors for the 15 minute battle that saw Riley come away with a Unanimous Decision.

Though Gurgel earned a $60,000 bonus in defeat, he also earned an exit from the company.

Everyone, Dana White included, thought the fight was phenomenal, but the bottom line is that a loss is a loss and winners move on while the loser goes home.

Despite the boos that accompany a fight going to the ground, the cheers that echo each time Jorge Gurgel goes toe-to-toe with an opponent don't change the fact that he's lost more than he's won since switching from submissions to striking.

The fans might like him more, but his employers are the ones he needs to be trying to impress the most.

* * * * *

More football fans are going to tune into a 50-47 shootout than a 10-7 defensive battle, but that doesn't lead defensively-minded teams to eschew their bread and butter in favor of airing it out and hoping to score more points than the other guy.

While Dave from Fresno probably cheered last night as Gurgel stood up for 15 minutes with Billy Evangelista as the headlining fight on the latest Strikeforce: Challengers series event, hearing boos could have meant a victory for Gurgel.

Instead, the fans kept cheering and he took a loss.

The problem is that right now, a large number of fans are going to boo every time a fight hits the ground, because to them that doesn't fit the definition of a fight.

Two guys on the ground is wrestling or grappling or boring or hard to understand or difficult to see or the always-popular-with-those-opposed-to-the-sport homoerotic, as if homosexuality is a taboo and unspeakable horror in 2009. Homophobia is so 1986...

A fight is two guys swinging for the fences, trying with every punch to knock the other guy out, and if they are going to grapple, they should do it standing up where there is at least the possibility that one guy slams the other to the ground.

After all, any time Mixed Martial Arts makes an appearance on SportsCenter that's what they're showing.

Matt Hughes carrying Frank Trigg across the cage and driving him into the ground.

Chuck Liddell trading blows with a beaten and bloody Wanderlei Silva.

Dan Henderson launching Michael Bisping's mouthguard back to Britain.

While Anderson Silva's technical performance in a victory over Thales Leites got panned and little airplay, his first round devastation of Forrest Griffin was in heavy rotation.

Lyoto Machida was viewed as boring before knocking out Thiago Silva at UFC 94, now he's a household name and pushed as one of the greats of the sport.

For everyone who cheers when Demian Maia drags another opponent into his guard, trapping them like a fly in a spider's web, there are 20 people booing and hissing, pleading for the fight to be stood back up so someone can catch a fist with their face.

Until it's not just knockouts and slugfests getting all the applause and attention, Jorge Gurgel is going to remain a boxer who keeps his Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt hanging in the cupboard for safe keeping.

And Mixed Martial Arts will remain on the outside looking in.



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Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers Punch Drunk Predictions

Tonight's the night!

If it hasn't been said enough throughout the MMA community this week, let me remind you one more time:

Anyone who has even a passing interest in Mixed Martial Arts needs to be watching this card on CBS tonight. Not just because it's Fedor and a great card and it's free (but those are three pretty solid reasons, you have to admit...) but because if you're a real fight fan, you want to see a second Strikeforce CBS card and perhaps that mythical unicorn Dana White always mentions - the UFC on network TV.

Don't get me wrong: I'm always going to watch fights, whether I have to pay for them or not, but if this sport is every going to hit that level of mainstream acceptance that so many are itching for, it's not going to come at $50 a pop on PPV. It's going to come through network TV... starting tonight.

Punch Drunk Predictions
Record: 91-70

Preliminary Card
Christian Uflacker over Jonathan Novaes (Submission, Round 1)
Louis Taylor over Nate Moore (TKO, Round 2)
Shamar Bailey over John Kolosci (TKO, Round 1)
Jeff Curran over Sam Thao (Submission, Round 2)
Mark Miller over Deray Davis (TKO, Round 2)
Roxanne Modafferi over Marloes Coenen (Unanimous Decision)

Main Card
Fabricio Werdum over Antonio Silva (Submission, Round 3)
Gegard Mousasi over Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (Submission, Round 1)
Jason "Mayhem" Miller over Jake Shields (Split Decision)

And in the Main Event of the Evening...

"The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko over Brett "The Grim" Rogers via first round submission to retain the WAMMA Heavyweight title.

Now touch gloves and come out swinging!


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