Truth be told there are some intriguing match-ups on both the main card and the undercard which will be televised on Showtime Extreme. Gesias Cavalcante will take on the Greg Jackson-trained Isaac Vallie-Flagg and Virgil Zwicker will drop down to the light heavyweight division when he faces Guto Inocente of The Blackzilians. Known as “Rezdog”, the Native American Zwicker is fighting for the first time in over a year.

Judging by the excitement in Zwicker’s voice during a recent conversation with Five Ounces of Pain it seems it could be a long night for Inocente.

Bryan Levick: For those fans who aren’t all that familiar with you can you give us a little insight into your background both athletically and personally?

Virgil Zwicker: I played a lot of basketball and football while I was growing up. I played Pop Warner and during high school. My older brother John was fighting and he had gotten injured. He called me up to see if I was interested in replacing him and I took the fight with no training as I just needed the money. I wound up knocking the guy out in 43 seconds. I took my first few fights under similar circumstances. I had no experience what so ever I just went in there and used my hands.

Bryan Levick: I know you had spent some time in prison, can you tell me a little bit about that time in your life?

Virgil Zwicker: I was living on the reservation and got into it with the sheriffs. There was a problem on the mad and they told me to leave and when I didn’t react right away they started beating me with their Mag Lights. One of the Sheriffs swung and missed and by doing so he fell and was injured. I took off running ten miles barefoot and wound up losing all of the skin off of my feet. I went through all seven layers on the bottom of my feet. When it was all said and done I was charged with assault and battery as well as making terroristic threats.

Bryan Levick: Where are you currently training in preparation for this fight?

Virgil Zwicker: I am training with Team Quest in Temecula, CA. I train alongside Jesse Taylor, Dave Herman and Bryan Harper. The gym has a lot of great grapplers which has been a huge help to me. Ovince St. Preux recently came out and helped me get ready for this fight. He’s good to work with because of his size. We had fought in the past and now we are good friends, it’s weird how MMA is. You can beat the hell out of each other one minute and be friends the next. That’s what great about the sport, the respect that you have for one another is always evident.

Bryan Levick: How would you describe your fighting style?

Virgil Zwicker: My strengths are definitely when I am on my feet, but I have really worked a lot on my wrestling over the past couple of years. It’s really gone through the roof and that comes from working day in and day out with such an outstanding group of grapplers. It’s been a lot of fun to see myself progress. I am really enjoying putting the work in and seeing my hard work pay off. These fights aren’t going to get any easier so I know I need to keep working harder and harder.

Bryan Levick: What can you tell me about your opponent Guto Inocente?

Virgil Zwicker: He’s a real tough guy who is really big and tall, he’s going to be a tough opponent. I don’t know that much about him other than he’s a World Kickboxing Champion and he has a blackbelt in Jiu-Jitsu. He seems to be very well rounded and although he doesn’t have too much experience inside the cage he works with a very good camp in the Blackzilians.

Bryan Levick: How have you adjusted to the drop from heavyweight to light heavyweight?

Virgil Zwicker: My first few fights were at 205 and then I moved up to heavyweight until the fight with OSP. I went back up to heavyweight after that fight so this will be my first back at 205 in a few years. Right now I’m only three or four pounds away from where I need to be, I am feeling really good now. I am working with my friend Norm Johnson who works with Elite Fitness and he has really helped me with my diet. He has helped me prepare both mentally and physically, he is the reason why I feel so good.

Bryan Levick: How are you enjoying your time fighting for Strikeforce? How do you see the main event between Cormier and Barnett going?

Virgil Zwicker: It’s been awesome; they really are a great organization. They have really taken care of me and they are really respectful of my career. I am so excited to be on this card because I have been a huge fan of Barnett since I was a kid. He came down to train with us a couple of weeks ago. It was an awesome experience to be able to train with him for just one day. Cormier is just an absolute beast and it says a lot about him being in a fight of this magnitude so early into his career. I’m hoping that Josh pulls it out, but Cormier is no joke. I just hope that they put on a great fight and bring some positive attention to Strikeforce.

Bryan Levick: How did you hook up with Alchemist?

Virgil Zwicker: My striking coach Billy Scheibe was good friends with Nima Safapour and we went and lunch a couple of years ago and I’ve been with them ever since. At the time my wife and I were going out and getting sponsors on our own and I needed someone to help me out in that regard so I could concentrate on training. With Alchemist I have all the support I need they have done an amazing job for me. It’s like one big happy family with Nima, Lex McMahon, Jeff and MC Hammer; they really know how to take care of their clients. It’s a huge relief knowing that I can call them and know that they will take care of what I need; I have total faith and trust in them.

Bryan Levick: Do you have anyone you’d like to thank?

Virgil Zwicker: Definitely I’d like to thank my coaches Billy Scheibe, Bryan Harper and all of my training partners at Team Quest. I want to thank my mother, my father and my brothers and sisters. I’d like to thank Uei Water, TapouT, Pala Braves, Team Kupa, Baad Medicine, Rod Brothers, Fast Track Insurance and The Jalapeno Bar & Grill. I also have to thank Alchemist for all they do for me. Last, but not least I’d like to thank all the Native American fans who have supported me. If anyone wants to know what I am up to you can follow me on Twitter @VirgilZwicker as well as on Facebook. I’d also like to thank Kevin Duenas who is my strength and conditioning coach.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

After some time off to enjoy the birth of his son, Belcher is ready to climb back in the saddle and work his way towards a title shot, something he was getting very close to before he had problems with his eye. At one point he was scheduled to face former #1 contender Demian Maia in the main event of a UFC Fight Night event scheduled for September of 2010. They say that things happen for a reason and at just 28-years-old Belcher is preparing to reach his physical prime. In a sport as rough and tough as MMA the time off may have been a blessing in disguise.

“I feel great, stronger than ever and more athletic,” said an excited Belcher in an interview with Five Ounces of Pain. “I’ve come a long way over the past three years and I keep getting stronger and stronger. I’ve been eating really well and have changed my lifestyle to become healthier than any other point in my life. I’ve been training with Lyle Henley in Mobile for awhile and he’s got me feeling really strong.”

In Palhares he will face a fighter who has won ten of his fourteen victories by submission including six by heel hook. The Brazilian’s opponents know his leg-attack is coming, but very rarely can stop it from happening.  According to Belcher, when it comes to their fight this weekend at UFC on FOX 3, he is feeling as good as he ever has and knows what needs to be done to avoid those dangerous leg locks that Palhares has in his arsenal.

“I’ve been putting myself in certain situations so that when the fight comes I know what Palhares strengths are and I can avoid them. I’ve been training with some guys who are really good with leg locks and I’m learning how to fight those submissions off. Dean Lister has been a huge help and I’ve been training with a lot of BJJ blackbelts. The main thing is staying out of those situations. I know I can grapple, but I’d prefer to keep the fight standing.”

With the card being on FOX and the event in New Jersey the media attention has been extremely high. So, on top of fighting one of the best submission specialists in the middleweight division, Belcher has had more media obligations than ever before as well as the pressure of fighting in primetime on national television. Just like most other fighters, Belcher is intent on focusing his attention on the task at hand and isn’t worried about any of the outside influences. He also realizes what a win over Palhares can do for him and that is his primary concern.

“I don’t feel any added pressure to be honest with you,” Belcher admitted. “Actually I am grateful for being on such a big card and that Dana White and the UFC believe in me enough to put me in this spot. I feel like it’s a great position, I get to fight in front of more people and being a veteran I know I can handle it. I feel like this fight is coming at just the right time for me. I’m not too sure where a win puts me as far as title contention although a lot of people believe I can hang with anyone in the division. A win here would probably put me in a top spot, but there are a lot of top guys right now so it’s hard for me to say just where I would be. I know that a win isn’t going to put me backwards that’s for sure. Winning is always the right step and while it take me awhile as long as I don’t lose I’m doing well. I don’t plan on losing anytime soon. I’ve had losses, learning experiences and I’ve gone into fights unprepared, but I don’t plan on doing that anymore. I know I will be prepared and that is probably half the battle. I won’t lose because I’m out of shape or I underestimated my opponent. If a guy beats me it’s because he beat me on my best day and he was better than me. Let’s take it one fight at a time.”

Belcher has never been accused of being a boring fighter or doing just enough to get a win. That much is evidenced by all of the bonuses Belcher has won including Fight of the Night against Yoshihiro Akiyama a few years back. His war with Akiyama certainly set the tone for an exciting evening at UFC 100 and in 23 career fights he has only had five fights make it to the judges’ scorecards. Though winning a fifth bonus in his last six fights isn’t something clouding Belcher’s thoughts, he still has an opinion on which of the three options he’d like to win – Knockout, Submission, or Fight of the Night.

“If I had to choose one I would choose whatever one paid me the most,” Belcher joked. “I guess if I really have to pick one I would go with the Submission of the Night because it would be so unbelievable. I think the Knockout of the Night would probably be the most realistic choice. It would also mean that I am sticking to my game plan and keeping the fight standing. It means that I’d be staying out of those dangerous grappling situations and eventually hurt him and earn a knockout or TKO. Hopefully it’ll come true and I can earn another bonus. I really don’t try and go for a bonus at all I just fight and give 110%. I just go out there and do the best that I can, I never give up and when you are facing another fighter who never gives up it’s bound to make for an exciting fight.”

Fans can catch Belcher vs. Palhares as part of the main card this Saturday night. Things start up on FOX at 7:00 PM EST including a headlining tilt between Jim Miller-Nate Diaz.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Carmouche would go on to face another former champion in her very next bout when she took on Sarah Kaufman four months later on a Strikeforce Challengers card. Despite putting up a valiant effort she would go on to lose via Unanimous Decision. She hasn’t fought since, but she has used that time to strengthen up all areas of her game and she is looking to make it a rough night for her opponent former boxer Ashleigh Curry who is 1-0 in her MMA career. Carmouche a former Marine with three tours of duty in the Middle East is excited for Invicta’s prospects and looking to end her two fight losing streak with an exclamation point.

She recently sat down with Five Ounces of Pain and spoke about her career, fighting for Invicta FC, and much more…

Can you give us a little insight into your background and how you got started in MMA?

Liz Carmouche: I was in the Marine Corps for five years and I was looking for something that would offer me a physical and mental challenge. MMA seemed to meet every aspect. Mentally you have to be prepared for all the different forms of martial arts and physically it will push you to the next level. After week one of getting beat up and I was hooked.

Where are you currently training in preparation for your bout with Curry?

LC: I’m currently training at the San Diego Combat Academy. My main trainer is Manolo Hernandez, I have Matt Fort who is my wrestling coach and Landon Piercy teaches Muay Thai. Fort is also my main training partner.

What can you tell us about your opponent Ashleigh Curry?

LC: She was a professional boxer who is now transitioning into MMA. Her record was 4-7-2, she is a southpaw, she won her one and only MMA fight via TKO.

What would consider your strengths in MMA?

LC: I feel like I consider myself to be more of a well-rounded fighter. I haven’t really decided to focus on just one aspect of the sport as I’d rather be capable in all areas.

What do you feel are the keys for Invicta FC being a successful MMA organization?

LC: I’m not exactly sure what the plans are for Invicta. I would imagine that this card is more or less like a test show to see how things go and what the reaction is to it. If it works out as well as everyone is expecting it to I would think that there would be more shows. I know that’s what I am hoping for; I am looking forward to going around the country putting on shows in venues like the one in Kansas City.

What were your thoughts on the Miesha Tate-Ronda Rousey bout that took place in March?

LC: I was thought it was a great fight and there were certainly a few moments when I was watching when I was like, “Oh my God!!” I thought they were both amazing and I don’t know how Tate was able to deal with that pain.

Who do you feel is the face of women’s MMA at this time?

LC: I don’t necessarily feel that any one fighter is the face of women’s MMA right now. I think there are three main names that everyone recognizes and they are Coenen, Rousey, and Tate. Tate and Coenen have been around longer than Rousey, but to say only one of them is the face of MMA wouldn’t be accurate.

Do you feel it will be tough for Cris “Cyborg” Santos to come back from her suspension and do you feel it was a black eye for women’s MMA?

LC: I think it was just one negative hiccup for us as it’s certainly been happening in men’s MMA for quite some time. I mean it’s constantly coming up. It seems like every other day there is another male fighter failing a test and this was just one for us out of every female fighter. She is certainly very well recognized and it kind of set us back a little bit. As far as her coming back I know she is still training so there won’t be any difficulty for her in that regard. She is going to be under a lot of skepticism and she will have some difficulty coming back from that.

How did you enjoy your time with Strikeforce and will you be fighting for them again?

LC: I’m still contracted through Strikeforce and still have three fights left with them. They are booked up for a few months so they allowed me to fight for Invicta because it’s been so long since I last fought. I’ll be fighting for Strikeforce again at some point.

How did you become involved with Alchemist?

LC: I was introduced to the organization through Alex Soto as he helped me with my sponsorship with Ranger Up and then talked to Lex McMahon about me. They came and met with me and I’ve been with them ever since.

What can your fans expect from you come Saturday night?

LC: It’s been quite a while since my last fight and I feel as though I didn’t get a chance to showcase all of my skills. I am looking to show them that during this time off I haven’t been slacking, but I’ve been growing as a fighter and that’s what I want to show them. I’ve adapted my game and I just want to keep growing.

Are there any sponsors or anyone else you’d like to thank?

LC: Other than Ranger Up I am also sponsored by Build and Destroy since day one they are an up and coming business and even though they don’t have much they always make sure to do whatever they can for me. I’d also like to thank Secret Savage and Out of Bounds. I’d like to give a special thanks to my mom and my girlfriend Lisa. They have been super supportive in all the fights I have ever had. I’d also like to thank Matt, Bill Crawford and Landon for all they do for me back home.

Fans can see Carmouche fight tonight for free through Invicta FC’s website along with the entire card when things start up tonight at 8:00 PM EST.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

“I really don’t have a prediction and I could make a case for either fighter winning the bout,” admitted Couture. “The favorite is probably Jones because of his range and he is so athletic with such a dynamic striking style. Rashad has the tools and the skillset to make it a tough fight for Jones, but he has to make it a wrestling match and take him down at every opportunity. That’s not the style we tend to see out of Evans since he landed that headkick on Sean Salmon. Being a stand-up fighter is not a great style match-up when you are facing a guy like Jones.”

“The question is can Rashad formulate a gameplan and make Jon wrestle with him? If he can do that he certainly has the ability he can win the fight, but I question he’ll be able to do that for a five round fight,” continued Couture. “The rage and hatred thing it’s overblown, Rashad has taken that road with other opponents. Yes they were training partners and there is some rhetoric going back and forth, but I’m not sure how heartfelt any of that really is. I think because they were training together they need to put it on a level so they can beat the hell out of each other. At the end of the day they will pick each other up and say great fight win or lose. This isn’t like Tito (Ortiz) and Ken (Shamrock) or Tito and Chuck (Liddell) where they really hate each other (though) they were close at one point.”

If by chance Evans isn’t the one legitimately defeat Jones for the first time in his career, the next question becomes one relating to whether or not anyone out there can. Essentially, what skills does that fighter have to possess to finally derail the Jones Express that has been running roughshod over the UFC light heavyweight division since his debut in August of 2008?

“I think a fighter like Dan Henderson or even Chael Sonnen who is a very big 185-pounder and used to compete as a light heavyweight with strong wrestling,” replied Couture to the topic. “They have to take him out of his comfort zone and take away his reach advantage. There is no longer in the division and maybe not in the sport as far as Jones reach. His takedown defense is good and he has very good wrestling. He has very unorthodox striking which makes him very dangerous. I think you have to use the fence, use your wrestling and force him to fight your fight. Either one of those guys can do that.”

As chance would have it, Henderson is in line for a shot at the light heavyweight title, possibly setting up the very fight Couture sees as being troublesome for Jones. Of course, “Bones” has to get by Evans first this weekend before it truly matters.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

McMahon has worn many different hats since he left the Marines and by the looks of it has donned them all with great success, no more so than his role with Alchemist where he has helped build one of the most exciting rosters of MMA fighters around. Anchored by such superstars as Nate Marquardt, Tim Kennedy, Brendan Schaub, and Stefan Struve, the group was recently joined by two of the best and brightest welterweights in the UFC in Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and Rory MacDonald. Each and every one of these fighters knows that having McMahon on their side they are in extremely good hands.

“After I finished up with all of my schooling I began a career as a venture capitalist because I felt as though that was a great industry for me to be in,” said McMahon in an interview with Five Ounces of Pain. “I had the opportunity to work with my dad for quite a few years as a talent scout for a show called The Next Biggest Star. I managed bands and promoted concerts.”

“I helped my dad put together contracts with both of my partners now in MC Hammer and Jeff Aronson who is owner of Cash For Gold,” McMahon continued. “During that process we begun talking about MMA and our relationship grew and we put together some sponsorships for about 27 fighters for Cash For Gold. We signed Nate Marquardt, Rashad Evans, Randy Couture and others. While we were working on those deals we sat down and said let’s put together a company and that is how Alchemist started.”

By utilizing MC Hammer’s contacts as well as his name Alchemist has been able to land some major deals for their fighters. McMahon is very quick to point out that MC Hammer does so much more than lend his name to the company; he is an extraordinary businessman with a great passion for the sport as well.

“I’ve been really fortunate to work with Hammer, he’s an incredible guy to work with and he is a visionary,” McMahon explained. “He has utilized social media and is a high level relationship guy. He is able to reach into international markets and he has had success in everything he has done. We really have a great team here at Alchemist with myself, Hammer, Jeff and another gentleman I haven’t mentioned in Nima Safapour.”

For those MMA fans who believe that working in the MMA business is a dream job they may be right, but as with anything there are positives and negatives. When you are part of a management team that is running a global enterprise such as Alchemist the responsibilities can seem endless and put a drain on everyone and everything around you if you aren’t careful.

“As much as this is a dream job for me there are some drawbacks,” offered McMahon. “I get to interact and work with some of the greatest fighters in the world and I have tremendous partners to help shoulder the responsibilities, but at the same time the travel is immense. In order to be successful I need to be away from my wife and my daughters quite a bit. I am very fortunate that my wife Ashley is very supportive and she is the rock that holds the family together. When I am home I make a big effort to spend quality time with all of them, but at the end of the day I am gone much more than I home.

There are also positives aspects of my job that you don’t get to hear about. Stephen Thompson, Ovince St. Preux, and I recently took twelve wounded Marines to Alabama hunting for 3-4 days. It was a really cool experience and Stephen took time out of his camp just so he could attend. We all believe that it’s so important to support the US Military. Then at UFC 145 we are bringing several of the Marines to Atlanta as our guests to watch the fights. They get to go backstage and the UFC has been wonderful to work with on this campaign.”

Being in MMA management McMahon always has his eyes open for the next big star. He has many young fighters who he is promoting that he believes that he can not only help develop a great career for, but also assist them in building themselves as a brand so they are able to support themselves when their fighting days are over.

“We look to sit down with our athletes and look to do something that is bigger than what we are about,” said McMahon. “It’s important to work hand in hand and support other people, I’ve been very fortunate to work in the MMA community. For me it has been a real blessing. We want to insure that our fighters are able to invest their money and prepare for the days when they can no longer make money fighting. To us we take it as our responsibility to point these guys in the right direction during and after their careers.”

“We have some incredible young talent,” McMahon elaborated. “Alex Soto is one of the fighters who I’ve worked long and hard with. He is a Mexican immigrant who was fighting in bare knuckle MMA fights in Tijuana for $50. He joined the Army and served in Afghanistan. We also have Liz Carmouche who has fought for Strikeforce and will be fighting next for Invicta FC 1 on April 28. She’s another former Marine and I have to take care of them. Then there is Walel Watson who has three fights in the UFC. Of course there is “Wonderboy” who has made such progress over the past six months. He is a truly special guy. George Lockhart, Eric Scallan, Chad Robichaux, and Alex Morono are all fighters to look out for. Just to be able to watch these guys make their way to the top is awesome.”

McMahon and Alchemist are in the business to help grow the sport and enhance the potential of all of their fighters. It is with that attitude that Mixed Martial Artists from around the world are lining up to be represented by them. You may read a lot of stories about misrepresentation or some management companies blatantly ripping off their clients, but you’d be hard pressed to hear anyone criticize this group. Their goals are quite simple in nature, but without their hard work they would never come to fruition.

“At the end of the day we are here to create value for our clients,” concluded McMahon. “Creating value for our clients includes commercial endorsements, getting them the best fight contracts, but like I have said it’s about building a platform for them to leverage their life outside of fighting. That could mean entertainment or having their own academy. Whatever it may be we want to build their name so they can make a living outside of fighting. We want our fighters to focus on three things and that is training fighting and winning. If we can take care of the rest them that means we have done our job.”

PHOTO CREDIT – ALCHEMIST MMA

Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller – UFC on FOX 3:

The winner of this bout will more than likely go on to face the winner of the Benson Henderson-Frankie Edgar rematch for the lightweight title. Miller, the hometown favorite, rebounded nicely from his loss to Henderson in August with a convincing first round submission victory over Melvin Guillard in January. The loss to Henderson snapped a seven-fight wining streak and derailed his title aspirations, but if he defeats Diaz in May he will be right back on track.

Speaking of Diaz, the move back to the lightweight division has certainly been the right one for the Stockton native and younger brother of UFC welterweight contender Nick Diaz. In his first fight at 155 pounds in 18 months, Diaz made short work of former PRIDE lightweight champ Takanori Gomi, winning a Submission of the Night bonus. Diaz and Donald Cerrone won Fight of the Night when they hooked up at UFC 141 with Diaz walking away the winner by unanimous decision. A third win in a row should put him in line for a shot at UFC gold and, given the quality of this bout, maybe even another bonus as well.

Josh Koshcheck vs. Johny Hendricks – UFC on FOX 3:

Koscheck has won his last two fights but hasn’t looked all that impressive in doing so. He won a split decision over Mike Pierce at UFC 143 in a bout where he looked slow and uninterested. Before that he defeated UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes via first round knockout , but in the early part of round one Hughes was able to target and land on Koscheck’s surgically repaired eye. This was the same eye that GSP jabbed repeatedly for 25 minutes in their title bout at UFC 124.

Hendricks on the other hand is coming off the biggest win of his career over Koscheck’s former AKA teammate Jon Fitch. It took the Oklahoma State All-American all of twelve seconds to hand Fitch only his second loss in nine years. A win here for Hendricks could see him either face Jake Ellenberger for the right to face the winner of the Carlos Condit-Georges St. Pierre unification bout tentatively scheduled for the end of this year or, if spectacular enough, it could see him jump over the winner of Martin Kampmann-JakeEllenberger and go straight to the head of the line. Comparably, Koscheck is in a tough spot as no one wants to see him face GSP again meaning a win here for him would cement either Ellenberger/Kampmann in the #1 contender’s spot.

Dustin Poirier vs. Chan Sung Jung – UFC on Fuel 3 (5/15):

With so few contenders available to challenge UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo, Poirier finds himself in a great position here to challenge for the title should he defeat “The Korean Zombie” on Fuel TV. Hatsu Hioki and Eric Koch are the only other featherweight fighters who have been talked about as possibilities for Aldo though neither has emerged as a true frontrunner. As far as Jung he would need another big win or two before he would be given any consideration as a viable challenger for Aldo’s title. If not Aldo, Poirier will almost certainly face Hioki with a win here.

Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier – Strikeforce: Grand Prix Final (5/19):

Barnett seems to finally have gotten his career in order and is looking to not only win the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix but also force the UFC’s hand in giving him another shot at fighting inside the Octagon. A win over the undefeated and dangerous Cormier would go a long way in helping him achieve all of his goals. Barnett has had his hand raised in eight fights in a row but this would be by far his biggest win.

Cormier is coming off a dominating first round knockout victory over Antonio Silva in September and has a solid scrap with Roy Nelson on his hands (also in May). The AKA standout is 9-0 and a win over the tough veteran Barnett would send him in to the UFC on one hell of a roll. He defeated Jeff Monson before Silva and is gradually facing tougher competition while certainly answering the call. Either way expect to see him fight in the UFC whether in his next bout or after the one-off the Grand Prix will be booked for to close out Strikeforce’s heavyweight division.

Junior Dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem – UFC 146 (5/26)

Assuming by some miracle Overeem gets licensed, Dos Santos will defend his title for the first time against the former Strikeforce, DREAM, and K-1 title-holder who retired former UFC champion Brock Lesnar when the two met at UFC 141 in December. This bout has fireworks written all over it as both men will look to stand and bang, likely meaning Las Vegas will be treated to two hard-hitting machines battling it out for the sport’s most coveted prize if Overeem’s drug test doesn’t get in the way.

JDS has the edge in boxing while Overeem holds the advantage with devastating knees and in being nearly 25 pounds heavier than “Cigano”. Overeem has shown that he can be hurt, but it’s been a long time since anyone has put him down. In fact, it’s been almost five years. Dos Santos has shown that he is tenacious and can keep a steady pace when necessary.

Frank Mir vs. Cain Velasquez – UFC 146:

Velasquez suffered the first loss of his career in September when he lost his title via first round TKO to Dos Santos. He will be looking to show the world that loss was an aberration and he wants his title back. He fought Dos Santos after being out of action for nearly a year and it showed as he seemed hesitant and slow. He can ill afford not to be prepared when he faces Mir because he will be facing of the most intelligent fighters to have ever graced the Octagon. He faces a man who has overcome injuries and adversity to wear UFC gold on two separate occasions.

Every time people want to count Mir out he comes back and proves everyone wrong. No one expected him to fight again after suffering serious injuries in a horrific motorcycle accident back in 2004. He was forced to relinquish his title and suffered some losses because he came back too soon. He became the first man to finish Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, also capturing an interim championship along the way in 2008 when no one gave him a chance. He lost to Shane Carwin at UFC 111 via first round KO and people said he was done, but he has since reeled off three straight wins and finds himself one win away from fighting for the title for the third time. Do not count Mir out against Velasquez. He has made a career out of doing what people say can’t be done.

UFC 146 has three other heavyweight bouts that are sure to excite the masses too with Mark Hunt vs. Stefan Struve, Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shane del Rosario, and Nelson vs. “Bigfoot” Silva rounding out the first ever UFC PPV card consisting of all heavyweight bouts.

May should prove to be extremely exciting and June should be just as fun beginning with The Ultimate Fighter Live Finale on June 1. That card will be headlined by the flyweight rematch between Ian McCall and Demetrious Johnson. On June 23 from Brazil we will finally get to see the long awaited rematch for the middleweight title as Chael Sonnen enters very hostile territory to take on Anderson Silva. Additionally, after nearly fourteen years Vitor Belfort gets his shot at going 2-0 against Wanderlei Silva on the same card after each serves as a coach on TUF Brasil. All that and more will set pace for a fantastic summer of MMA. The heat is just beginning!

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Both St. Pierre and Zahabi called “Wonderboy” the best striker in all of combat sports and also proclaimed that he was a future world champion, a point “Rush” reiterated last night on UFC Ultimate Insider. Certainly St. Pierre’s words are high praise coming from one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighters and, as Thompson’s debut revealed, they were not simply lip service. After winning the show’s Knockout of the Night bonus it wouldn’t have been all that surprising to see Thompson bask in his moment of glory and enjoy the fruits of his labor.

Maybe another fighter would’ve allowed the success to get to his head, but Thompson is not just any fighter. Foundation-wise, the 28-year old comes from some pretty good stock. His father Ray Thompson has been training Stephen since he was barely able to walk and he’s not the type of father/trainer to allow anyone under his tutelage to rest on his or her laurels. For those that know the Thompson family they knew right away that “Wonderboy” would keep his ego in check and he’d be right back in the gym preparing for his next big opportunity. That chance came quickly as Thomspon will face Matt Brown on April 21 in Atlanta at UFC 145.

“I’ve actually been pretty busy,” said Thompson in an exclusive interview with Five Ounces of Pain. “Two days after the fight I got back home and the UFC had a contract ready for me to fight Matt Brown. There was very little down time I took a few days off before I was back training and in the gym. I started camp about two weeks ago and I’m training hard. I’m down in Florida training with Rashad Evans and a few of his teammates. From here I’ll be going to Dallas to train with my brother-in-law and then Nate Marquardt will be coming down from Denver.”

Brown has been with the UFC since he first appeared as a contestant The Ultimate Fighter 7 back in 2008. Although his record is 13-11 he is as tough as they come and has never been finished by strikes. He does, however, leave a lot to be desired once the fight hits the floor as evidenced by his nine submission losses. So where will “Wonderboy” look to bring this fight considering Brown’s history?

“I know he’s got a really hard head who is really hard to finish,” Thompson explained. “He’s a very aggressive fighter and he has said he plans on trading with me, but I think he’ll eventually try and take me down. I’m ready for wherever the fight goes and I feel very confident no matter where the fight ends up. He’s been talking a little trash, but I’d rather do my talking inside the cage. I use his words as fuel and motivation which allows me to train harder. If the opportunity presents itself for me to submit him I will certainly take it, but I want to be the first fighter to actually finish him by knockout.”

At UFC 143 the 6-0 Thompson was joined by many of his friends, family member, and students in Las Vegas. This time around the drive will be much shorter as Atlanta is just two hours away from his homebase in Greenville, South Carolina. Still, it doesn’t appear the pressure to perform so close to home will be too much for the undefeated Kickboxing Champion even though he knows it will be unlike any of his previous fights.

“It feels great to fight so close to home,” said an excited Thompson. “I have a big following here and will have a lot of people behind me in Atlanta. I always fight better when I fight in front of my home crowd. We have about 750 students at our school and just about everyone has said they are going to try and make it down to Atlanta so the amount of support I am going to have will be tremendous. It’s a confidence booster and I think it’s really cool that I’ll be fighting on the FX portion of the card so anyone who can’t make it to Atlanta can at least watch me on television. It also helps to have so many Alchemist fighters on this card as well. We’ll have each other to help stay relaxed before our fights.”

A few weeks after UFC 145 Thompson will be attending the MMA Live Show May 12 and 13 at the NEC Arena in Birmingham, England. He will be joined by many of his Alchemist brothers including Brendan Schaub, Jorge Rivera, Rory MacDonald, Stefan Struve, Thiago Silva, Vladimir Matyushenko and President Lex McMahon. This will give him an opportunity to interact with all of his new fans and allow the fans an opportunity to interact with one of the more engaging personalities in the sport.

“I’m really looking forward to it, that should be a really cool event,” revealed Thompson. “I will be doing some autograph signings and a seminar. Lex has some really cool things that he is working on for me. It’ll be the first time in England for me. I’ve been to Hungary for a Kickboxing event, but never before in the U.K. I am looking forward to meeting my fans and running the seminars. I hope to give them something to help them and answer any of their questions. It’s all about having fun and interacting with the fans.”

In the meantime you can catch up with Thompson on Twitter @WonderboyMMA.

He wasn’t supposed to win TUF as a small light heavyweight competing for the heavyweight title yet in the finale he defeated 6’7”, 265 lbs Brad Imes, impressive considering the size difference. After defeating a few fighters who were thought to be on par with his talent, Evans finally got his big chance against Tito Ortiz and gave the former champ all he could handle in what would go down as a Draw.

Soon thereafter, Michael Bisping, Chuck Liddell, and Forrest Griffin, the latter of whom he defeated for the divisional title, would find out just how far Evans had come. He had dynamite striking and was adept at using his wrestling to get the fight to the floor when necessary. In his nearly seven years with the UFC, Evans has lost only once and the stumble came in a title defense to accomplished 205er Lyoto Machida at UFC 98. That was nearly three years ago, though due to injuries and inactivity Evans has fought only four times since, winning against Thiago Silva, Quinton Jackson, Ortiz, and most recently Phil Davis.

The Davis victory set him up for a much anticipated shot at current champion and former training partner/friend Jon Jones next month at UFC 145 in Atlanta. The world already knows the history between the two and how Evans left Greg Jackson’s camp because of the animosity between him and Jones. However, there is much more to Evans than just the fight with Jones. He is as passionate about this sport as anyone else. He is a devoted family man who misses his best friend/big brother Lance Evans, presently stationed in Afghanistan. Evans knows that this fight is important, but he also knows that this one fight will not define his career. He is happy where he’s at and ready to reclaim the UFC championship.

“Things are going so good for me right now,” explained Evans in an interview with Five Ounces of Pain. “I feel good since my last fight and it’s just continued on with this training camp. I’d really like to fight three or four times a year. I like to have that feeling where I want to fight. As long as I have that feeling I’ll fight as much as possible.”

Evans had a lot riding on his fight with Davis this past January. If he had fallen he wouldn’t have received a chance to not only fight Jones but to also win back the title he lost to Machida. On top of all of that pressure, his bout with Davis was occupying the main event slot of a UFC on FOX card. It’s not that Evans hadn’t been in big fights before, but there were high expectations from all involved to produce an entertaining show after the UFC’s first foray on FOX lasted just a minute.

“It felt like there was a little bit more pressure,” Evans said. “Then again I really put the added pressure on myself because I wanted to put on a show and put on a good fight for the people of Chicago. The actual show itself was pretty much the same as any of the other fights I’ve been in. One thing I was worried about was the title shot, I really wanted to win and go after the title so that added some pressure as well.”

It seems all people want to do these days when they talk to Evans or Jones is get them to trash talk one another. For some, it’s gotten to the point where they want to tune it all out, anxious to simply see the fight to happen so the sport can move forward while the involved fighters move on to the next stage of their careers. Evans can relate to such a mindset, also having had his fill of people telling him what Jones is saying.

“I’m just looking forward to fighting him to be honest,” offered Evans. “A lot of the back and forth and a lot of the drama is so old. I’m tired of hearing people say Jon is going to do this to you and he said this about you. It seems everyone has their own opinion. For me, I am just looking forward to getting it on. I had a good experience in Atlanta when I fought Chuck and hopefully it’ll turn out the same.”

No longer training with Jackson in New Mexico, Evans has found a new home and a new family with the Blackzilians in Boca Raton, Florida. There, under the tutelage of Mike Van Arsdale, Evans feels comfortable and has formed a bond with many of his new teammates. Following him down to Florida thus far, amongst others, have Melvin Guillard and UFC heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem. Managed by Authentic Sports Management, Evans is at peace with his surroundings.

“Down here it’s more organized and there are a lot more talented guys,” Evans elaborated on his current circumstances. “There’s just a better overall atmosphere down here. I’m a silly dude and I like to joke around. I like to make things a little lighter and funnier. It’s crazy the way things are now and how they were when I first started. I thought things would always be the same, but now things have changed so much. Keith Jardine just came down to train with us for awhile and seeing him was nice. Keith and I said we would never fight and that’s the way things were supposed to be with John, but I guess he didn’t feel the same way.”

Should Evans get by Jones next month and recapture the light heavyweight title the UFC already has an opponent waiting in the wings. 41-year-old Dan Henderson, fresh off of his thrilling five round Unanimous Decision victory over former 205-pound champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, is next in line for the winner of Evans-Jones.

“I definitely think Henderson is next in line,” Evans proclaimed. “I heard he’s going to wait and face the winner of my fight with Jones. I mean it makes sense for him to wait. At his age he has every right to sit out and wait to fight for the belt. These opportunities don’t come around every day. He’s still going strong; he’s out there and still doing his thing.”

Evans is one of many UFC fighters who will be attending the MMA Show Live in Birmingham, England in May. Others scheduled to join him are Brendan Schaub, Frank Trigg, Stefan Struve, Stephen Thompson, and Brittney Palmer. No doubt happy to focus on something other than the Jones rivalry and get away from the spotlight of America, Evans is looking forward to meeting the English fans and seeing some old friends as well.

“I am going to be doing a seminar and a meet and greet with the fans,” revealed Evans. “I had a good time the last time I was in Birmingham to watch the fights. It’s definitely a different vibe over there, but I had a good time. I’m looking forward to spending some time with Schaub; it’ll be good to hang out with some of my old friends again. I watched Brendan go from a guy who came into the gym to get into shape and look where he is now, it’s nice to watch his progression.”

Also outside of the regular realm of the fight business, Evans brother Lance, who once tried out for The Ultimate Fighter and has fought for some regional shows in Michigan and the surrounding areas, has since gone on to enlist in the United States military and is stationed over in Afghanistan. Rashad will miss having his brother around come fight time, but he’s happy to see his sibling doing something he loves.

“He’s in Afghanistan right now, in fact he just went back,” Evans explained. “He won’t be able to attend the fight as he’s going to be there for awhile. He likes what he’s doing, it’s tough being over there and there’s a lot that they don’t show on the news over here. There’s a lot of violence and you never know what’s going to happen. Being away from your family is hard and you never know what you’re going to come back to, it’s tough on the soldiers. The thing about America is we follow fads and it goes that way as far as the troops are concerned. If it’s not cool to support them then people don’t support them and that’s a shame. I miss having my brother around and it’ll be nice to have him home when his time is up.”

Until Evans-Jones meet on April 21 you can keep up with Evans on his Twitter account (@SugaRashadEvans).

After recently speaking with Evans it became apparent very quickly that he is fiercely loyal and steadfast in his beliefs. While many will say MMA is an individual sport most of those people haven’t had the opportunity to spill blood, shed tears, and sweat alongside a teammate day in and day out. Evans values his relationships amongst his teammates more than he does a championship or a paycheck. That’s not to say he doesn’t desire to hold the UFC light heavyweight title or make a good living and be able to support his family. It just means he isn’t willing to sacrifice the relationships he has forged along the way and alienate the men who have helped get him where he is today.

Evans and Jardine quickly developed a bond when the two men were contestants on the Ultimate Fighter 2 back in 2005. They actually fought on the show with Evans winning by decision. As soon as taping was over Evans joined Jackson’s gym and quickly strengthened that bond with Jardine, one that is still going strong today. As the two fighters slowly but surely climbed the light heavyweight ladder talk began to grow that they could possibly face one another if their success continued. Beginning with his fight with Tito Ortiz at UFC 73 in July of 2007, Evans started to fight a higher level of competition. After the Ortiz bout he would go on to defeat Michael Bisping, Chuck Liddell, and then Forrest Griffin at UFC 98 in December of 2008. With his ensuing knockout over Griffin, Evans became the new light heavyweight champ.

Jardine on the other hand was going through a period of inconsistency and because of this talk of him fighting Evans seemed to temper off a bit, but that doesn’t mean that White would forget that both men publicly refused to fight one another. If Jardine had continued on with the success he had after the show had ended both he and Evans would have found themselves in a very difficult position. Jardine had defeated both Griffin and Liddell before Evans did, but lost to Houston Alexander and Wanderlei Silva after those wins. While those losses may have spared the two friends and training partners the headache of either fighting one another or risk losing their position with the UFC it remained in the back of White’s mind and would rear its ugly head the minutes Jones started making a name for himself.

Evans has gone on record as saying that he was not comfortable with Jackson bringing Jones in to the camp. He felt as though it would ultimately lead to the same drama that he and Jardine were forced to deal with. Eventually Evans gave in and agreed to train alongside Jones. It didn’t take long for the two men to develop a strong bond in and outside of the cage. Evans took Jones under his wing and didn’t hold back when it came to helping Jones become the best fighter he could be. Somewhere along the way they made an agreement not to fight one another or allow White to come in between them. Jones seemed to value his relationship with Evans in the same manner Rashad did with Jardine.

After beating Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 114 the UFC announced Evans would go on to face then champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua once the champion had recovered from knee surgery. The bout was to take place at UFC 128. As it turned out, while training for the match-up Evans injured his knee and was forced to pull out of the fight. In a surprise move, White awarded Jones the opportunity to face Rua after he defeated Ryan Bader at UFC 126. The move in itself wasn’t what upset Evans as he knew the UFC needed to find a replacement; it was the fact that Jones spoke out in an interview during the promotion for his fight with Rua and stated he would face Evans if the UFC offered him the fight. Obviously upset with Jones, Evans left Jackson’s camp and moved south to Florida.

Stung by Jones betrayal and for what he perceived to be a lack of support from Jackson, Evans needed to pull himself together quickly and regroup. He and a team of Brazilian fighters who used to train with American Top Team joined forces with some respected fighters to create The Blackzilians and began training under the tutelage of Mike Van Arsdale at Imperial Athletics in Boca Raton. Since he began working there Evans has defeated Ortiz and Phil Davis. These days “Suga” seems to be more at peace, and although he is still hurt by what went down he is forced to deal with the fact that this is a business; that not everyone abides by the same values he does.

In just six short weeks Evans will get the opportunity to punish Jones for stabbing him in the back and in the process he can win back the belt he lost to Lyoto Machida. The veteran has a chance to prove to the young lion that he made a colossal mistake by breaking the pact they made. Evans also gets to show Jackson that he chose to stand behind the wrong fighter. There is much more at stake here than the UFC title. Everything Evans believes in is on the line. Never has a fight been more personal and never before has a fight created such controversy. As if fighting Jones wasn’t difficult enough, Evans also has to fight the naysayers who have criticized him for taking this too personal. None of us know what went on behind closed doors between Jones and Evans, but we will get to see the fallout from it all come April 21.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

If Alves-Kampmann wasn’t thrilling enough then the introduction of the flyweights had to get your attention. Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall laid it all on the line for fifteen minutes and were it not for a scoring error fans would have gotten to witness the first ever “sudden victory” round during a live UFC event. Fans and both of these great fighters were robbed, but the UFC will more than make up for it given some of the action to come. Let’s take a look forward and see what lies ahead in the world of Mixed Martial Arts.

For this particular article I am only going to cover the UFC. The next installment will go over what they have going on in May, as well as feature the fantastic fights that Bellator has lined up in April including the Eddie Alvarez-Shinya Aoki rematch.

Papy Abedi vs. James Head – UFC on Fuel TV 2:

Abedi headed into his UFC 138 match-up against former welterweight contender Alves undefeated in eight bouts. I realize he was choked out, but he was making his debut at 170 pounds and there was something about him that caught my attention. I could be totally wrong, but I have a feeling we will see some special things from the Zaire native. Head also lost his UFC debut back in June at UFC 131 against Nick Ring though he had tasted defeat before. With seven finishes in his eight wins I am looking for Abedi to make a statement here.

It should also be said the bout between Alexander Gustafsson and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira would have made the cut though Nogueira has since been replaced due to injury.

Michael McDonald vs. Miguel Torres – UFC 145:

Torres is back in the UFC after being fired for a few weeks based on some outlandish remarks he made via Twitter. Torres does not appear to be the same fighter he was when he was the WEC bantamweight champ, or maybe it’s just the fact that the competition has gotten that much better. Case in point with McDonald, the 21-year-old has won his last seven fights and looks better in each one of them. This could be his breakout fight and vault him towards title contention. Then again, perhaps it’ll be Torres who has a rebirth and makes a run towards the top of the division. Either way it’ll be fun to watch.

Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills – UFC 145:

MacDonald is the future of the UFC welterweight division. The man has one loss and that was to current UFC Interim Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit. He trains alongside Georges St. Pierre and, similarly to his friend/mentor, has been steamrolling over his opponents. Who can forget the way he manhandled Nate Diaz at UFC 129? The sky is the limit for the British Columbia native. Meanwhile, Mills is on a five-fight winning streak and won his UFC debut against Chris Cope at UFC 138. No disrespect to Mills, but this is MacDonald’s fight all the way. I would expect to see Rory in title contention by the spring of next year.

Matt Brown vs. Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson – UFC 145:

Thompson certainly lived up to his hype at UFC 143. He nearly kicked Dan Stittgen’s head off with what he calls “The Moneymaker,” and earned himself the Knockout of the Night bonus in his UFC debut (lending credit to the move’s nickname). Firas Zahabi and GSP both have said Thompson has the best striking of anyone in combat sports. However, don’t sleep on his ground game as his brother-in-law is former world masters champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Carlos Machado. Brown is definitely a step up in competition, but his striking is nowhere near the level of Thompson’s and his ground game is not evolved enough to the point where he could possibly try and take advantage of Thompson’s inexperience on the ground. In my opinion, another breakout performance for Thompson is in store for the fans in Atlanta.

Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans – UFC 145:

This one has been in the works for over a year, though after speaking to Evans I know he is tired of the talking and ready to get inside the Octagon to fight. Jones has looked unbeatable and up until this point no one has even hurt him. Lyoto Machida landed a nice punch in the first round of their UFC 140 bout, but all that seemed to do was wake up a sleeping giant.

Evans is coming off of wins against Tito Ortiz at UFC 133 and the previously undefeated Phil Davis in January at UFC on Fox 2. Not many are giving this former champion a chance simply because no other fighter has been able to break “Bones”, but don’t sleep on Evans. He is a very proud man and feels he was wronged by not only Jones but by former trainer Greg Jackson as well. I think this fight will be the first time that we see Jones with his back against the wall and in some trouble. I’m not saying Evans will win, but rest assured he will gain some payback come April 21 in Atlanta, the very place where he knocked Chuck Liddell out cold.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Her big break came when she was hired in 2007 to work for the WEC and was moved over to the UFC when the two organizations merged. It wasn’t long afterwards that she discovered she had a legitimate talent for painting with one of her best portraits to date featuring none other than UFC President Dana White. Following in the footsteps of fellow Octagon girls Rachelle Leah and Arianny Celeste, Palmer recently showed off more of her “talents” in the March issue of Playboy magazine.

Life has been good thus far for the 24-year old beauty, but it hasn’t come without a ton of hard work. To keep up a schedule like the one Palmer has an individual needs to remain focused and committed. There’s not much time for a social life especially now that her issue of Playboy has come out. The demands on her time have become even greater, but Palmer is enjoying every minute of it. From traveling all over the world meeting new and interesting people, Palmer is living the dream and she couldn’t be happier.

“Everything has been amazing and the best thing is I truly am an MMA fan,” said Palmer in an exclusive interview with Five Ounces of Pain. “Being part of an organization as big as the UFC and part of the #1 growing sport in the world is something I am so thankful for. I am so grateful to be one of only three girls alongside Arianny and Chandella (Powell). It’s been a great journey and I’m just enjoying the ride. Working for the WEC was great and I am still working with the same people just on a larger scale. There are a lot more events, but being such a big fan that only adds to the experience.”

Getting to sit cageside and witness some of the most historic moments in the sports history is something that Palmer can share with her grandchildren when the time comes. She also gets to know and develop relationships with many of the world’s best athletes while watching them make history. She entered the sport at the right time and it’s only going to get bigger and better over the next few years.

“Getting to watch fighters like Jon Jones who is an amazing athlete, Anthony Pettis, Donald Cerrone, Urijah Faber, Dominck Cruz, and Clay Guida makes this job that much more enjoyable,” explained Palmer. “There are so many great fighters, there are too many to name, but they all have their own styles and that’s what makes it interesting to watch.”

Palmer is not the typical art prodigy whose talent was recognized when she very young. In fact it wasn’t all that long that she discovered drawing wasn’t just something she enjoyed it was an opportunity to showcase a talent and share it will millions of fans.

Posing in Playboy provides the type of platform that can really push someone into super stardom. Many women have gone on to have great careers in film and on television after posing in the periodical. However, while there are many positives that can come from being in the pages of one of the world’s most famous magazines there could also be some drawbacks as well. Family members can be embarrassed while strangers can be downright cruel and obnoxious. Palmer knew what posing in Playboy entailed and she seems to have no regrets what so ever, realizing the positives far outweighed the negatives.

“It’s been so great and surreal,” said an excited Palmer. “I’m so happy and lucky to be in the situation I am in. This is the happiest I have ever been, my career is on such a hot streak right now. I am counting my blessings because I am so grateful for everything I have right now. Being an art student I am used to being around nude figures so I wasn’t hesitant when I was approached by Playboy. I wouldn’t say this was a dream I had as a little girl, but this is a golden opportunity. My friends and family have been so supportive, they know every decision I have made has helped my career and led me to a better place.”

This coming May in Birmingham, England at the NEC Arena The MMA Show Live will join The Martial Arts Show for the first time. There will be over sixty fighters in attendance including Rashad Evans, Kenny Florian, Jake Shields, Brendan Schaub, Rory MacDonald, Stefan Struve, and none other than Ms. Palmer too. As such, lucky attendees will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the beauty live and in person.

“I am going to be signing autographs for fans,” Palmer said. “I will be giving away some of my Playboy calendars. I am really looking forward to going over there. It’s just another opportunity that this sport has given me. I plan on being in the UFC for many years to come and riding this wave. I am cloud nine and getting to meet my fans makes me even more appreciative of all that I have been blessed with.”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/TRACY LEE

“Uncle Creepy”, as he is affectionately known, is currently on a four-fight winning streak  including a victory over Jussier da Silva in February of 2011 under the Tachi Palace Fights banner. At the time Da Silva was considered by countless fans and pundits as the top 125-pound fighter in the world. A win over Dustin Ortiz just three months later earned McCall a shot at the TPF flyweight belt against Darrell Montague. Once again McCall made the most of his opportunity and walked away the new champion by choking Montague out in the third round.

Now that the UFC has added the 125-pound division, the 11-2 McCall can finally showcase his talents and unorthodox look in front of millions of MMA fans. A man like McCall shouldn’t be kept under wraps. His story is inspiring, his talents are plentiful, and his personality is charismatic and engaging. When Court McGee won The Ultimate Fighter Season 11 fans really took to his story given all of the trial and tribulations he went through as he battled addiction. As such, there is no reason to believe the fans won’t attach themselves to McCall in the same fashion.

With just a few days before the biggest fight of his career McCall is able to head to Australia feeling confident. He has a strong support group both in and out of the cage and a clear head that will allow him to focus on the task at hand. Many fighters are quick to point out that surrounding yourself with the right people is one of the most important aspects of the sport. For McCall, he has made sure to apply that philosophy into his personal life as well. Now that he is UFC bound, McCall knows it’s time to ramp his game up and be prepared for anything.

“My coaches have me really focusing on my wrestling right now,” McCall said in an exclusive interview with Five Ounces of Pain. “I don’t suck at wrestling, but now that I’m in the UFC and will be facing opponents like ‘Mighty Mouse’ and Benavidez I know I need to work on that aspect of my game. We’ve brought in some guys to help me out and I’m a big believer in that I always have room to learn and we’ve been doing just that. I’ve been trying to improve my Jiu-Jitsu and work towards getting my blackbelt.”

One advantage that McCall and Urushitani may have over Benavidez and Johnson is that they have been fighting at flyweight for awhile now. Although the ten pounds doesn’t seem like it would be that difficult to cut when you are as lean as these fighters are to begin with, cutting any amount of weight, especially for the first time, could provide an edge to the those already accustomed to the process.

“I think Benavidez will have a more difficult time that Johnson because Demetrius isn’t that big,” McCall explained. “I don’t think the cut will be that hard for him even though he hasn’t done it in awhile. I think he’ll be fine. Joe is a little bigger, but he’s an intelligent guy and I’m sure both fighters will get the weight cut down without any problems.”

Although he has to get passed Johnson first and that is where his focus should and will be, there has to be a tiny part of him that is thinking about who he may fight in the finals. Benavidez has fought a lot of top guys over the past few years including Cruz twice so McCall has been able to keep up with his career. It’s not as easy when it comes to following Urushitani, but McCall seems to have a winner of that bout in mind already.

“Joseph is a bad, bad man,” McCall explained. “Quite simply he goes out there and he f*cks people up. I think that the Japanese fighters have a hard time with fighters like Benavidez. Not to take away from them, especially Urushitani who has beaten a lot of good fighters, but I think Benavidez will be able to finish. Still, you never know since the Japanese fighters are real tough and sneaky. I think Urushitani has a tougher fight than I do as far as styles are concerned.”

Since the UFC created the flyweight division there has been a lot of talk about what other fighters are going to be brought into the UFC. There are certainly a lot of talented guys competing in Tachi Palace, Japan and Brazil for the UFC to go out and sign. McCall offered his own opinion on who he feels would be successful in the UFC.

“Without a doubt Jussier da Silva,” McCall said confidently. “He just keeps getting better and better each and every time out. The win he had over Mamoru Yamaguchi is a feat in and of itself. I think they will sign Mamoru because he is who he is. I know there are a few other Brazilian guys, plus guys like Dustin Ortiz and Darrell Montague who are fighting in TFC. John Dodson is a stud – he’s a badass. Some people may not like him because of his time on TUF, but he’s a great fighter.”

Now that the flyweights are here they can finally begin to receive the recognition and the salaries they deserve. As we have witnessed with the additions of the bantamweight and featherweight divisions in the UFC, fans are quick to accept and embrace these smaller fighters. For many of them it’s been a long time coming taking fights in the middle of nowhere for very little pay. Now it’s their time to shine and McCall is promising the fans they won’t be disappointed.

“Everyone fighting at 135 and 145 has paved the way for us,” McCall said appreciatively. “Look at the fights they have been putting on. They have great champions like Dominick Cruz and Jose Aldo. Then you have fighters like Urijah Faber and Mark Hominick who are consistently putting on great fights. When have you seen a boring fight in the UFC in either one of those two divisions? Even their slowest fights are more exciting than a lot of the fights in the bigger weight classes. We have so much energy and don’t need to conserve it. We have fought so hard to get to where we are at we aren’t going to do anything to jeopardize our position. We’re going in there and we are going to try to take each others’ heads off!”

Fans can tune in to watch McCall battle Johnson when the main UFC on FX 2 broadcast starts at 9:00 PM EST with prelims on Facebook/Fuel starting a few hours earlier. The night’s headliner features widely respected welterweights Martin Kampmann-Thiago Alves doing battle in hopes of moving one step closer to a divisional title-shot.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Today I spoke with 21-year-old Alex Morono, a welterweight who will be fighting this Friday night for Legacy Fighting Championships 10 on HDNet. Morono is one of those guys that doesn’t take anything for granted. Mature beyond his years, he appreciates the opportunity he has in front of him and realizes that Rome wasn’t built in a day. He’s willing to be patient and when the times right for him to fight for a bigger promotion he’ll be ready. When it’s all said and done these fighters are pretty much the same, they love to compete and are willing to do whatever it takes to be successful.

Bryan Levick: Where are you currently training for your fight on Friday night?

Alex Morono: I’m training at Gracie Barra up in North Houston. My coach Chad Robichaux has two schools and one of my coaches Todd Moore has fought for the WEC, DREAM, and Strikeforce. He actually fought Shinya Aoki at DREAM 6 in 2008. My striking coach Michael Chase Corley has fought some of the best strikers worldwide. We have a great group of guys here in Houston.

BL: How did you get into MMA in the first place?

Morono: I didn’t do much when I was young other than play soccer. I was pretty overweight, but I had a couple of friends who were boxing and training in Jiu-Jitsu. We would always get together and watch the old PRIDE fights and one year I asked for a membership to a boxing gym. I was 15 or 16 and fell in love with it; I lost a bunch of weight and had my first Muay Thai fight at sixteen. I won with a headkick knockout and the rest is history.

BL: What do you know about your opponent Rashon Lewis?

Morono: I know he’s a big strong guy who played college football. We have a mutual opponent and while he lost I ended up submitting the guy in under a minute. I think I’m years ahead of him on the ground and striking, but he’s real athletic and that goes a long way in MMA. Technically I think I’ll smash the guy, but I know I have to deal with his strength.

BL: What area of your game would you say is your biggest strength?

Morono: I think my footwork is my best attribute. I have managed to take very little damage in my fights which to me is always ideal. It was good to start out in boxing and it’s carried over to MMA. I’ve never really been hit that hard in any of my fights. I think I need to work on my wrestling and I’ve been doing a lot to improve in that area. I have noticed since I began focusing on wrestling my cardio and strength have gone up.

BL: What does your family think about you fighting professionally?

Morono: At first my mom wasn’t into it and my dad didn’t care. He used to come to all of my Jiu-Jitsu matches. Now they are all at every one of my fights cheering me along. I don’t think they have ever missed a fight. I know my dad is worried that I’m getting hurt, but I’ve never been injured or taken any serious punishment.

BL: Where do you see yourself in the next year?

Morono: I’m definitely going to take my time; I am not in any rush. My coaches are my guides and since I am only 21 I’m going to take things slow and fight guys that are at my level. This fight for Legacy is great as it’s going to be televised on HDnet. There are some UFC and Strikeforce vets on the card so I’ll be able to get some good experience fighting locally. I really enjoy fighting for Legacy and have been with them since I was amateur.

Make sure to check out the 3-1 Morono’s fight out when things start at 10:00 PM EST. Other bouts include action from UFC alums Pat Audinwood and Gerald Harris.

PHOTO CREDIT – ALEX MORONO/LEGACYFC

Edgar is coming off of two brutal fights against Gray Maynard where, in both bouts, he was nearly finished in the first round only to show unbelievable resiliency in coming back to earn a Draw in the first go-round and a knockout victory in the second. By watching those wars Henderson has taken away a great deal of understanding about his upcoming opponent, a fact he revealed in an exclusive conversation with Five Ounces of Pain.

“The first thing I took away is that he does make mistakes and can be hurt,” stated Henderson matter-of-factly. “He got hurt very badly in both fights in the first round. He does leave openings and make mistakes. He has holes and there are opportunities where you can go after him and throw him off of his game. You also have to take away the fact that he has a huge heart, a very good chin, and a never say die attitude. That’s not something that should ever be discounted.”

With all the publicity surrounding his success in the UFC and his upcoming bout with Edgar, Henderson also has something else to be thankful for. Along with his coach he is now the proud owner of the only gym he has ever trained at, the MMA Lab in Glendale, Arizona.

“It’s about 98-99% done, John Crouch and I purchased the gym from the old owners,” said an excited and proud Henderson. “We are not going anywhere; this is where I am going to be at for the duration of my career. In a few years time we plan on opening other affiliates around the country. This is home for me and we hope to offer opportunities to some young fighters in the area looking to make their way in the sport.

“I’ve got the same guys training with me that I had in the beginning,” the 28-year old continued. “For this fight I am bringing in UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz to lend us a hand. He’s a bit quicker and faster than I am. He can emulate Frankie and help me deal with the speed and footwork Edgar possesses. Other than that it’s all the same guys, a bunch of hungry guys trying to make a name for themselves.”

Being so confident in his abilities, Henderson uses visualization as a core component of his training. He puts himself in different scenarios, concentrating on how he can go about getting out of them. The technique also allows him to see himself with his hand raised when the fight is over and done with.

“Visualization is a big part of the mental aspect of my game,” offered Henderson. “I tend to use this three or four times a week. I will get in the cage and shadowbox all the while I am thinking about what I am going to do against my opponent. As the fight gets closer I will get into more specifics and imagine the walkout to the cage, hearing the crowd and the music.

“I will visualize my opponent making his way out to the cage and the Herb Dean or whoever the referee maybe giving us our instructions,” said Henderson, elaborating on what goes into the process. “I can actually hear ‘Big’ John (McCarthy) asking. ‘Are you ready? Are you ready? Let’s get it on!’ I will see how my opponent will react and how I counter his counters. The one thing I visualize is at the end of the fight and that is having my arm raised as the winner.”

The former WEC champion also envisions a fight similar to that in the minds of many others as far as a back-and-forth battle likely to earn Fight of the Night honors.

“This fight is going to be good,” explained Henderson. “It’ll be like two cats trapped inside of a bag. He’s a pretty aggressive fighter who moves a lot, but he remains very active and goes after it. He’s not a guy who will get on the bike and not engage. He moves around a lot, but comes to fight each and every time. We both have aggressive natures so you can expect us to get after it and put on a great fight.”

Henderson is a very confident fighter, but throughout the conversation let it be known he truly understands how important the people around him are to his success and how much they have helped him grow as both a human being and a fighter. He spoke very highly of his training partners and his coaches at the MMA Lab, showing that as incredibly skilled as he is he is also equally humble.

Catch Henderson vs. Edgar this Saturday night as part of a seven-fight PPV card including Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields and Quinton Jackson vs. Ryan Bader.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The reason the interim title was created in the first place was because of the severity of the knee injury GSP had suffered. Surgery would force the Canadian to be out of action until late fall of this year. By having Diaz or Condit become interim champion the UFC could keep the title active until St. Pierre was healthy enough to face whoever was champion at the time of his return. It’s not like there was a shortage of competent challengers waiting to face the winner of the UFC 143 match-up.

After what many felt was a controversial decision that went in Condit’s favor the talk turned to having the two rematch sometime in the middle of the year. This would allow the title to be defended at least once before GSP was ready to unify the championship. As luck would have it Diaz was popped for smoking pot and is facing a lengthy suspension. There goes a high profile rematch between the two, but does that mean Condit should remain on the shelf for the next 9-10 months?

I can name a few legitimate challengers to Condit’s title beginning with Jake Ellenberger. Back in September of 2009 Condit narrowly defeated “The Juggernaut” in his UFC debut. During the first round Condit was floored three times but came back to win a Split Decision. Ellenberger has since won six fights in a row highlighted by a first round knockout over Jake Shields and last night’s thrilling unanimous decision victory over a dangerous Diego Sanchez.

Not only is the story line already in place, but Ellenberger is a legitimate threat to both Condit and St. Pierre. Fans and media are both clamoring for the match-up not only to see the title defended but to see what could be a potential fight of the year. Both fighters have been on a tear since they fought and a case could be made that Ellenberger has improved greatly; that if not for some Octagon jitters would have walked away the victor that night in Oklahoma City.

If not Ellenberger why not the winner of the Josh Koscheck-Johny Hendricks bout scheduled for May in New Jersey? Koscheck has been near the top of the division for years now and would give Condit all he could handle should he be able to get by the man who knocked out Koscheck’s former teammate Jon Fitch in just twelve seconds. Hendricks is 7-1 in the UFC and 9-1 overall under the Zuffa umbrella. He is a dynamic fighter with power in his hands and an ever growing legion of dedicated fans.

Assuming the winner came away injury free they could be ready to face Condit in August or September. That would set up a bout between the winner and GSP for the New Year’s Eve card in Las Vegas. Not only would the UFC be giving fans a great fight between Condit and anyone of the three contenders I have mentioned, but they would allow GSP to be fully prepared to face the winner on a card that has historically been a very successful show.

No matter who Condit faces it is completely unfair to ask him to sit on the sidelines for nearly a year while waiting for St. Pierre to rehab his knee. It also is a slap in the face of the fans that paid good money to watch Diaz and Condit vie for a title that will never be defended. What sense does that make? It’s not like everyone is dying to see Condit take on “Rush” anyway. In all likelihood GSP will out-wrestle “The Natural Born Killer” on his way to another dominating decision.

Against Hendricks or Ellenberger he would face two very good wrestlers who can use their grappling both offensively and defensively all the while having the ability to land that one punch knockout to the long reigning champion. Obviously the only drawback to having Condit face the Hendricks-Koscheck winner is the possibility of GSP having to face “Kos” for a third time. If that’s the case let Ellenberger and Hendricks go at it with the winner facing Condit. The timing makes sense and so do the match-ups, make it happen Dana!

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The 12-1 Hendricks, recently announced to a bout with Josh Koscheck at UFC on FOX 3, sat down and spoke with Five Ounces of Pain where he talked about the win over Fitch and his thoughts on a title-run, as well as the support group he has in a great team and loving family who help make him the fighter he is.

“The day before I told (matchmaker) Joe Silva I wanted knockout of the night,” Hendricks admitted on the subject of his UFC 141 win. “I wanted to make Jon Fitch forget his name for one night. The week before everyone was saying I didn’t deserve the fight with Fitch. I was being overlooked by everyone so I used it as motivation. I went in there I’m going to hit him as hard as I could and try and knock him out. Silva smirked at me because no one had finished him.

“As soon as I hit him he fell and then the ref jumped in. The first thing I thought was, ‘This is awesome!’ Then I saw Joe Silva walk in and I asked him, ‘Was that good enough for Knockout of the Night,’” Hendricks reflected. “It’s not something that’s going to happen every time. It was a combination of the anger I had built up and all of the hard work I put in. This was the hardest camp I have ever been through.”

Everyone that Hendricks surrounds himself with he counts as his biggest supporters. He is not one to take anybody or anything for granted. Whether it’s family, a friend or training partner, Hendricks realizes the importance of surrounding himself with good people.

“My wife is my biggest supporter without a doubt,” said the 28-year old. “Then there is my dad, my mom, Team Takedown, all of my managers, everyone who is around me are huge supporters. I like being an open book so if I have something bothering me I like to talk about it. It’s nice to have all of these great people who keep me happy and are willing to listen to me. Keep good people around you and good things will happen.”

Now that Carlos Condit is the interim champion and Nick Diaz is out for the foreseeable future a huge opportunity may just open up for the right fighter. Although the UFC has talked about having Condit face Georges St. Pierre to unify the titles once he returns from injury, the date of such a thing happening is still a long way off. Hendricks has his opinion on how things should go down.

“I have heard a couple of times that Condit may defend the title once before GSP comes back, I don’t know if it’s true or not,” Hendricks explained. “It might just be a rumor, but I’m hoping that it’s not and of course I’d love to be the one to get a shot at it. I want a shot at that belt. I’m 7-1 in the UFC with four KO’s and 9-1 with Zuffa; I’m ready to make that run.

“For four years Fitch was the number two ranked welterweight in the world and I knocked him out,” Hendricks went on, his voice becoming more and more filled with excitement. “The bigger the fight the better I come out. That is the way I was when I wrestled and that’s they way I am in the UFC. The more pressure that’s on me to lose the better I perform. I like to meet my challenges head on. I’m at a point where others believe in me and it makes me feel good. To have Mr. Fertitta and Dana White appreciate me is great, but I know I need to keep performing.”

With Koscheck on the horizon he will certainly get the chance to do just that.

As he has stated Hendricks likes his life to be an open book for the entire world to see. Never one to hold anything back, he does have one secret that up until only he and his daughter knew about. I am honored that he felt comfortable enough to share this with me.

“I will tell you something that no one knows except for my daughter and that is I am a horse half the time,” Hendricks said while laughing. “My daughter will jump on my back and I let her ride me like a horse. I buck around like a Bronco and she’s screams go daddy go! Whenever I have to leave she has as sad look on her face and I have a little saying and it goes, Daddy’s gotta go make some money and she says Daddy go make me some money. That’s my motivation.”

You can follow Johny on Twitter @johnyhendricks or @teamtakedown.

You can visit the Team Takedown site at www.TeamTakedown.com

Author’s Note: Special thanks to Johny’s manager Janet Jenkins for setting this interview up. It was a real pleasure spending time talking to Johny. One of the more memorable conversations I have had with a fighter.

Diaz would go on to defeat Penn via Unanimous Decision and called out St. Pierre in a profanity laced attack claiming that GSP wasn’t really injured and instead was ducking a potential fight with him. At the UFC 137 post fight press conference White claimed that GSP was as angry as he had ever seen him and demanded his next fight be against the Stockton, CA resident as opposed to Condit. White also stated that Condit was okay with the situation and instead would face a yet to be named opponent at UFC 143 in the co-main event. As we would learn later on, Condit was not happy with the situation.

Of course, as luck would have it, GSP’s knee injury would turn out to be much more severe than anyone first thought and he would require surgery keeping him out until the fall of 2012. The natural thing to do for the UFC was to match-up Diaz and Condit which was scheduled for the main event of UFC 143 and would be for an interim title. The winner would then face “Rush” once he was healthy for the right to become the undisputed 170-pound champion.

The anticipation for Diaz-Condit was incredible as the UFC marketing machine was in full effect. White was telling anyone who would listen that this bout could be one of the best the UFC had ever seen. Based upon both fighters’ histories he wasn’t off as both men liked to stand and bang. They also brought a lot of intensity, toughness, and heart into every one of their fights. GSP felt uncomfortable rooting against the fellow Greg Jackson trained Condit, but still harbored a lot of ill will towards Diaz and made no secret of who he was pulling for.

The much anticipated tilt took place this past Saturday night and did not go anywhere near as well as planned. Condit fought a methodical, well-planned fight. He avoided Diaz’s pressure by keeping his feet moving at all times and landed a great deal of leg kicks and seemed to be ahead on the judges scorecards. When Bruce Buffer announced “The Natural Born Killer” as the winner it did not sit well with Diaz or his legion of fans who felt that Condit was awarded for avoiding Diaz at all costs and doing the bare minimum to take home the victory. As Joe Rogan interviewed Diaz after the fight he went into full tantrum mode and claimed he was done with MMA; that he no longer needed to be part of the sport.

It seems as though his threats and promises have worked to his advantage once again as word leaked out yesterday that Condit had not only agreed to, but asked for a rematch with Diaz before his scheduled bout with St. Pierre. Apparently Diaz was able to get under the skin of Condit in much the same way he did with GSP. The entire thing just goes to show you that self promotion is just as important as the fight you put on inside of the cage. The real story here is whether or not the UFC is hoping for a Diaz win so they can finally get the money bout everyone wanted in the first place, but has been canceled on two separate occasions – St. Pierre vs. Diaz.

Diaz lost the bout on all three judges’ scorecards. He won just one round on two of the judges’ cards and was awarded two rounds by the third judge. No one is arguing the fact that Condit fought a safe fight, but is there really a need for an immediate rematch based upon the outcome of the first fight? However, to be honest, this is the best call the UFC could make. Without trying to placate Diaz who seems to know how to push White’s buttons along with his opponents, if this fight doesn’t take place there is a potential nine-month gap between fights for Condit. If that is the case then what was the need to create the interim title in the first place if it was just going to be held up for nearly a year anyways?

The fight was close enough to get these two guys back in the cage as soon as possible. As we have learned in the past the judges aren’t always the most educated, responsible people in the arena at any given time. It’s certainly not fair to ask Condit to wait a minimum of nine months before GSP is ready to fight. This fight will kill three birds with one stone, it keeps Diaz happy, even if it means bowing down to his demands once again, it keeps Condit fresh and it gives more meaning to the interim title. For once the UFC is making the right call.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The younger Thompson takes a great deal of pride in teaching the younger generation the intricacies of the martial arts as he is also an instructor. He’s a fine role model for the kids he teaches as he is a throwback, he believes in the true meaning of the martial arts. His principles go far beyond kicking, punching and grappling, he teaches them that martial arts is a lifestyle and helps to build confidence. Thompson also volunteers his time reading to children and teaching them the importance of living a clean, healthy lifestyle. If that isn’t enough he spends time teaching martial arts to the elderly when he visits them in their nursing homes.

If anyone wants to question his credentials one needs to look no further than his incredible 57-0 record in kickboxing. He has amassed an astounding thirteen titles throughout his career and has started his MMA voyage with a 5-0 record. While striking is obviously his strong suit, opponents should not sleep on his ground game as he is trained by his brother-in-law Carlos Machado. A cousin of Carlos Gracie Jr., Machado has also trained with Helio, Carlson, Rolls, Rickson and other members of the famed Gracie clan.

Getting the call to the UFC has been a lifelong dream of Thompson’s and this Saturday night he has the opportunity to showcase the skills that many of today’s top MMA stars have been lauding about for some time now. The journey has been a long, arduous trip, a serious knee injury kept him out of action for nearly three years. That’s all in the past now and Thompson is ready to show the world that the hard work he and his family have put in honing his skills has all been worth it.

“Growing up we never really had time for any other sports,” explained Thompson in an exclusive interview with Five Ounces of Pain. “We basically lived and breathed the martial arts. We were always entering in Karate tournaments, grappling tournaments and that’s continued over the last 25 years. Being trained by family helps keep me grounded and I love it, but I also get a lot of opportunities to travel. I’ve traveled to Tri-Star and trained with Georges St. Pierre; I’ve been to Jackson’s in New Mexico and Los Angeles to train with Lyoto Machida and Anderson Silva. I’ve had some great opportunities to train with some of the best fighters in the world.”

There is a reason why all of these top mixed martial artists call upon Thompson to come and train with them. Besides the fact that his striking is world class he is humble, respectful and very loyal. You will never hear anyone utter a bad word about this man, in fact GSP and his head coach Firas Zahabi said in an interview that Thompson has the best striking in all of combat sports and is without a doubt a future world champion. That kind of praise could cause some to have an inflated ego, but that’s not the case with Thompson.

“Hearing that really feels great,” said an excited and proud Wonderboy. “Whenever the opportunity arises to train with those guys it’s an honor and to get that kind of praise from them is awesome. I met GSP while fighting in a kickboxing match in Montreal; my opponent was training at Tri-Star and was cornered by GSP and Firas. I won the fight and afterwards GSP asked me to come up and train with him. We do some sparring to help prepare him for his fights, but he has really worked with me to improve my ground game. GSP has also introduced me to Rashad Evans who I trained with before his fight with Machida. The experiences I’ve had have been truly amazing.”

Thompson prides himself on his striking, but is quick to point out that his ground game is not one that should be overlooked. He has taken bits and pieces from all of the fighters he has trained with and found that he can be dangerous once the floor hits the canvas. Fans will always look for the knockout in his fights, but Thompson has no problem throwing a wrench into his opponents’ gameplan and showing off his grappling skills.

“We are constantly working on my ground game,” Thompson stated. “Georges has really helped me improve my grappling skills and I feel like I’m always progressing. I feel as though my ground game is very good. When you have a phenomenal wrestler like St. Pierre training you it’s impossible not to improve.”

Making it to the UFC is the goal of every mixed martial artist worth their salt. For some it comes late in their career and for others like Thompson the call comes very early and unexpectedly. Taking a fight on short notice is never easy, but you never know if an opportunity like this will come up again. Thompson understood how important this decision was and didn’t hesitate when the fight was offered.

“We jumped on the fight when it was offered,” Thompson said excitedly. “I was actually in Montreal when the UFC called. Fighting inside the Octagon has always been my goal and when my manager Lex McMahon got a hold of me I told him yes immediately. I knew there was no time to hesitate, I thought to myself, hey you got go ahead and do it, short notice or not. The UFC is where I want to be and I plan on making the most of it.”

Will the words of St. Pierre and Zahabi ring true come February 4? Will all of the years of hard work and the countless hours training with a who’s who of mixed martial arts superstars equate into success for Thompson? While we have to wait until the fight takes place, Thompson is confident enough in his abilities and plans on showing the world that he belongs in the cage with the best in the world.

“Fans are going to see a war when I step inside the Octagon this Saturday,” said a confident Thompson. “I’ve trained really hard for this opportunity and I’m ready to throw down. I plan on scoring a knockout and coming home with the win. One thing is for sure, I will not disappoint, I am going into that cage to put on a show and nothing less than that will be suffice.”

To read Thompson’s weekly blogs with us you can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. His third and last blog will be up at the end of this week.

Thompson would like to thank his management company Alchemist Management, his family and training partners at Upstate Karate and Pitchblack MMA. His father Ray Thompson, Thomas Lee, Machado and Billy Jeffries have all been there for him and he wants to thank them for all they have done.

What to do with Maia was the question at hand. There was an immediate call for Brazilian leg lock specialist Rousimar Palhares to face his fellow Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace, but such a scenario would have given Palhares a mere two weeks in between his fight at UFC 142 against Mike Massenzio and the match-up with Maia on the UFC on FOX 2 card. Even though “Toquinho” suffered no damage and needed all of 63 seconds to dispatch of Massenzio, it was simply not going to happen.

Enter undefeated Serra-Longo student Chris Weidman. The Long Island native and two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler was last seen submitting Tom Lawlor at UFC 139 in November. That night he earned his third UFC win in three tries and ran his overall record to 7-0. Taking on anyone in the UFC on two weeks notice is a daunting task, but it’s even crazier when your opponent is one of the best grapplers in the world.

Questions will arise, such as what type of shape is Weidman in physically and mentally; what is his weight, has he been in the gym, etc. These are all legitimate questions and ones that only Weidman himself can answer. Now he has, and as indicated by his attitude he is definitely a warrior ready to make the most of this opportunity.

“I’ve been training and working hard,” said Weidman in an exclusive interview with Five Ounces of Pain. “I was preparing to fight April 22, but I got the phone call and I knew I couldn’t let an opportunity like this pass me by. It’s going to be tough, but at this point it’s all mental, being confident and getting my cardio where it needs to be. I’m pretty confident and I know he’s tough, but in the UFC there are no easy fights. I have a lot of respect for Maia, but I’m not going to get to his level of BJJ in two weeks, I have to work with what I have.”

Fans have seen many fighters struggle with weight cuts in the past. Anthony Johnson is the first that comes to mind and he not only had a whole training camp to prepare but he was also moving up a weight class. As such, one would have to think that dropping a decent amount of weight in such a short period of time is not easy and one would be correct in assuming so.

“When I got the phone call I was 216.8 and I am down to 207 now,” explained Weidman. “A week out before a fight I would normally be around 205 so I am not that far off. I’ve had to cut my meals to very small portions and eat really light. I am eating a lot of tuna, grilled chicken and egg whites. The worst part is we are about to have a party at my house right now to find out if my wife is pregnant with a boy or girl. There’s a ton of food here and cake so I have to watch everyone else eat.”

Weidman spoke briefly of how he felt when he got the call to face Maia, laughing, “I was home about to eat dinner, my wife was making Sloppy Joes. “I got a call from my manager that the UFC called and wanted me to fight Maia. Joe Silva mentioned to my manager that the fight was in a week and my manager said, ‘Let me talk to Chris first’. Silva said if I accepted the fight they’d try to make it in March or April, but Maia wanted to be on FOX. I knew I had to take this opportunity and said let’s do it. So instead of eating Sloppy Joes I went and worked out instead.”

Everyone in the sport realizes the magnitude of this card. It may be the second card on network television but this time around it is loaded with three exciting fights as opposed to one. Being from New York, Weidman has a large group of family and friends who will be watching and rooting him on. There’s no doubt the 27-year old realizes the significance of being on this card and he plans on coming out on top.

“I haven’t had time to really wrap my head around it,” Weidman said. “This being the first true FOX card I realize it’s going to be an awesome experience. Getting a win over Demian Maia will definitely change my life and my career. This is a huge opportunity and opens up a lot of doors for me. I could never let this opportunity go.”

Being confident seems to be in Weidman’s nature. He sees himself putting on a great performance and having his hand raised when it’s all said and done. A win here runs his UFC record to 4-0 and will include a former title contender on his resume. So where exactly does a win over Maia place Weidman in the ranks of the UFC middleweights? In line for a title-shot in 2012 according to the self-assured grappler.

“I can see it going three different ways, I can see me knocking him out in the first round, winning by submission or by decision,” revealed a very confident Weidman. “I wish I knew how the outcome would be, but I don’t. What I do know is a win puts me as one of the top contenders. This is such a huge opportunity for me. Whatever the UFC thinks, I am down for. I’ll fight Sonnen or Silva. You never know guys get hurt and you have to be prepared for everything. I visualize MMA being legalized in New York and me winning the title here in NY. I want my title shot at the first MMA event in the state.”

Catch Weidman-Maia as they open the card on Saturday night at 8:00 PM EST with Bisping-Sonnen and Rashad Evans-Phil Davis set for later in the evening.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

“I don’t see how I wouldn’t have the advantage in wrestling,” a confident Davis stated in a conversation with Five Ounces of Pain. “When I say it like that it sounds cocky, but Rashad Evans’ wrestling record was barely over .500 while my record was well above that. Numbers can be misleading at times so I will give him the benefit of the doubt. I’m going to go ahead and say that I am probably the favorite as far as wrestling is concerned.”

The UFC has been trying to match Evans up with Jones for some time now and because of injuries to both men it just hasn’t come together. Dan Henderson recently staked his claim to the number one contender spot with a thrilling, Fight of the Year candidate with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 139. The assumption here is a win by Evans will finally see him face Jon Jones in a grudge match that could sell a million pay-per-views, but what happens if Davis walks away with his arm raised that night in light of Henderson’s recent success?

“I like to think that a win would put me in line for a title shot,” said a confident Davis. “At the end of the day let’s just see what a win over Rashad Evans in impressive fashion will mean for me. It kind of goes like this, if I beat him let’s find out what will happen, but if I don’t beat him I don’t really care either way. I’ve heard that I may or may not get a title shot if I win, but it doesn’t bother me. Winning will only point you in one direction and that’s up.”

Speaking of Jones, no one has yet to come close to figuring him out, yet Davis has seen a few things thus far he’s taken away and could utilize in the event that the two meet inside the Octagon in the near futur.

“Anyone who is going to beat Jones is going to need a first round that Machida had,” Davis explained. “He’s going to need a lot of things to go his way, but since no one has really done it it’s tough to say what is necessary to beat him. When someone defeats him then I can tell you what is needed to win. He has done very well for himself and will continue to do so.”

The UFC’s light heavyweight division has always been considered one of its deepest and until Jones defeated Machida at UFC 140 no one man had been able to defend the title more than once. In fact, before Jones three of the last four champions (Forrest Griffin, Evans, and Rua) were all unsuccessful in defending the title even a single time. So with the top five fighters at 205 constantly changing, who does Davis have on his personal list?

“To be 100% honest that’s a question that is tough for me to answer,” said a puzzled Davis. “Sometimes I catch myself following the sport, but not enough to know who’s in the top five. I would say Evans, Rampage, and Machida who are all former champions. Dan Henderson is up there, but after that I start drawing a blank.”

Many fighters are very confident and have no problem offering a prediction while other fighters have enough confidence in themselves without having to brag to anyone who will listen. Davis has been competing long enough to know that anything can happen, but he is the one who controls his own destiny.

“I do have a prediction, however I am not very descriptive,” offered Davis. “I’ve never been a very descriptive person ever since I was in school and had to write book reports. If I had to point out one of my faults it’s I lack detail. I definitely see this fight ending in a victory for me.

“I don’t really know how it will end and I’d rather not say,” Davis continued. “I don’t want to script an ending and say I am going to knock him out. That paints me into a corner. I am going to take what’s there, if a knockout is there I’ll take it, if a submission is available I’ll grab it. More than likely I’m going to take a win anyway that I can get it.”

Fans can catch Evans-Davis mix it up on January 28 in headlining action at UFC on FOX 2. Other bouts on the card include Michael Bisping-Demian Maia and Chael Sonnen-Mark Munoz.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC