While crossing paths with a Mixed Martial Artist in Las Vegas may not be an overly infrequent occurrence, the odds are certainly up for any fans visiting Sin City this week thanks to a Zuffa summit involving numerous fighters from both the UFC and WEC.

Representatives from the dual promotions included, but were not limited to, notable names such as Mauricio Rua, Yoshihiro Akiyama, “Minotauro” Nogueira, Rogerio Nogueira, Frank Edgar, Miguel Torres, Nate Diaz, Urijah Faber, Demian Maia, Tom Lawlor, Joe Lauzon, Mark Coleman, Mike Swick, Danny Castillo, Matt Serra, Muhsin Corbbrey, Frank Trigg, Junior dos Santos, Ben Henderson, and head-honchos Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta.

Those in attendance were treated to a group dinner on Monday night in order to set the tone of professional unity, with the meal also providing an increased camaraderie amongst the fighters through personal interaction and the opportunity to professionally network as well. The UFC President took to his Twitter account to show example of both these, as he posted pictures of Bantamweight ace Torres seated alongside fellow jiujitsu practitioner Maia, as well as “Shogun” Rua engaged in a playful headlock with one-time rival Coleman.

Topics at the actual summit ranged in degrees of seriousness, focusing on subjects like fighter-safety (weight-cutting, steroids, recreational drugs), professionalism (thanking sponsors, gambling, individual branding), and show production (swing bouts, etc.). There is no word whether or not the summit will become an annual occurrence for the UFC/WEC but it seems likely given the continued growth in popularity of Mixed Martial Arts and overall expansion of the UFC.

It appears as though Vitor Belfort will have to wait a bit longer for his shot at the UFC Middleweight Championship.

According to the current title-holder’s manager, Ed Soares, Anderson Silva is still undergoing physical therapy for recent surgery to his elbow and will be unable to compete on January 2nd at UFC 108 (as had been previously rumored). Soares made the comments in a brief statement to MMAJunkie, where he also reiterated his belief “The Phenom” is undeserving of an opportunity to win Silva’s belt.

“Like I said before, I don’t think he deserves a title shot, but that’s over with now,” explained Soares. “It is what it is. Whoever the UFC puts in front of us, we’ll fight. We’ve never picked our opponents.”

As far as a date “The Spider” will be ready to face Belfort, Soares continued, “We have to wait and see…Anderson went back to Brazil, and he’s continuing his physical therapy there, but there’s no set date yet. Anderson’s recovery is going really, really well. He’s coming back and his recovery is doing really good. His physical therapy is going really well. He’s getting better range of motion. He’ll be back 100% for sure.”

Is there currently any heavyweight in the UFC as frightening as Cain Velasquez? Which competitor on the DREAM 12 card would deliver the most treats to the Zuffa zipcode? Is it time for the grim reaper to lay Sakuraba’s career to rest? Does the current five-round structure in championship fights suck as much as the cast of Twilight? Cause they’re vampires, of course.

Keyboard varrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay! Twas a dark and stormy night vhen I first conceived this edition of “Grappling vith Issues”. I called upon my assistant Igor…not Vovchanchyn…to go to the local morgue and bring me back a single human brain. He returned not an hour later vith vhat appeared to be a fine specimen. However, after I’d attached the proper nodes and harnessed the power of lightning to extract the organ’s crucial knowledge, little did I realize vhat vas about to occur!!!

As the electrodes flared up I could immediately tell something vas wrong! I turned to my assistant and demanded he bring me the jar the brain had been kept in. He handed me the container filled with a murky liquid while cowering in fear I vould again force him to vatch the opening ceremony of “Dynamite!! USA” vhile listening to the DJ’s inane rambling on full volume as punishment for the error!

My eyes widened as I looked at the label. I handed glass instrument back to him vith a disapproving look on my face.

“I said the brain jar. Not Machida’s daily urine.”

Igor apologized and quickly brought back the jar vith a similar, but different, substance inside it. Alas, it vas as I’d feared!

“W-w-what does it say, sire? Not ‘Ab..abby N-normal’ again, I swear! I ch-checked this time!!”

“Vorse,” I shuddered, as the vind flared up to a howling gale and thunder crashed!

“Jason Polley!!!”

MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

But seriously…Happy Halloween, and thank you for your patience with my creative venture (unless of course you skipped ahead to this part)! Today’s guest contributor is indeed fellow 5 Oz. partner in literary stylings Jason Polley, whose work can be found on the site most days when it comes to breaking news from around the MMA world. He’s taking a break from dealing facts to opinions, so welcome him to GWI if you will with a nice warm round of applause. In your mind, of course, because clapping out loud in front of your computer screen might raise the eyebrows of any nearby people.

In light of Machida vs. Rua, do championship fights need to be seven rounds or are you comfortable with the current five-round format?

Jason Polley: I’m comfortable with the current format. I believe if 25 minutes aren’t enough time to win and win decisively, another ten are not going to matter. With that being said, I think the more appropriate question is, do we change the way championship, or any fights for that matter, are scored? Time and time again, we see fights go to judges’ hands who are clearly not qualified to score the bouts. I’m a huge Shogun fan, but I’m an even bigger Machida fan, and after watching and re-watching that fight, even I can’t see how the decision went to Lyoto. While not an absolute dominant performance, it was clear from the first round that Rua had taken Machida out of his rhythm, out of his game plan, and out of the fight. Had the fight gone another two rounds, it probably would have gone the exact same way, with Rua using punishing kicks with perfect timing, forcing Machida out of the fight. It’s unlikely either man would have
been finished off, but it was apparent Rua was getting the better of the match. But, without proper ringside judges, you leave your fate to the likes of Cecil Peoples, Nelson Hamilton and Marcos Rosales, all of which who are clearly incompetent at their respective positions.

Brendhan Conlan: I understand Polley’s point but disagree with his assertion ten extra minutes wouldn’t help sort out particularly close fights; where the extra rounds would act as a service to all involved with something as important as promotional gold on the line. Obviously a knockout or submission eliminates any speculation on how a judge scored the overall performance and it seems logical to say the longer a fight goes, the better the odds are a finish will occur.

Granted, there are also championship bouts that go the distance where a clearly defined winner has emerged in the first five frames and the additional two would be completely unnecessary. There’s also the increased risk of injury involved in lengthening a fight, not to mention a higher strike-count absorbed by each individual which could have long-term affects, and a possibility that a lack of conditioning or motivation to finish an opponent could lead to some atrocious seven-stanza affairs. Seriously, had Tim Sylvia’s title-defense against Jeff Monson (or Anderson Silva’s v. Thales Leites) been forced upon the public for any longer than absolutely necessary, there may have been justifiable cause to bring up criminal charges for stealing those moments of time from viewers’ collective lives.

I’m not exactly sure what the right answer is in regards to fixing (no pun intended) close fights, though I think it lies somewhere between seven-rounds and better ringside officiating. Maybe a situation where a “sudden death”-with-a-friendlier-sounding-name period is established in championship fights if neither competitor is two points ahead on each judges’ scorecard (i.e. 48-47 situations)? Then if no winner is established they thumb-war for the belt? Or would that lead to allegations of thumb-greasing? Perhaps the real solution is for everyone to acknowledge controversy has always been a part of sports. Baseball has been around for more than a hundred years – professional football more more than eighty – and not a season passes where a blown call, even with high-definition instant replay rules involved, doesn’t lead to a big play for one of the involved teams. Why should fans expect any different in Mixed Martial Arts?

Was Yushin Okami suffering from ring rust at UFC 104 or is Chael Sonnen simply THAT good?

Polley: We say it all the time; there is no cure for ring rust. Even with being a notorious slow starter, it was apparent Okami wasn’t comfortable in the fight with Sonnen. He couldn’t find his rhythm and Sonnen capitalized using good striking and takedowns to outscore his opponent. But, because there always has to be a “but” with Okami, he is a bit overrated in my opinion. I look at both Sonnen and Okami as Tier Two guys who will never quite be good enough for a title. These are the type of fighters that will put on competitive fights, but one step up in competition and they lose stock. The Team Quest member was quickly humbled when he faced ranked middleweight Demian Maia in his UFC debut. While he has legitimate wins over the likes of Dan Miller and Paulo Filho, I would like to see him against better competition like a Patrick Cote or Michael Bisping before I’m convinced.

Conlan: I think the performance was more a credit to Sonnen’s skill than any affect Okami’s layoff may have had. Okami relies on his size, strength, and wrestling to muscle his opponents around which is why nearly half of his twenty-three career victories have come by way of decision. The Team Quester is a big middleweight in his own right, and could easily fight at light heavyweight if he didn’t enjoy the advantage his stature provides in the 185-pound division, so the match-up ultimately boiled down to the Japanese fighter’s grappling acumen in comparison to Sonnen’s. And, if you consider where each man trains, not to mention Chael’s amateur background (NCAA Champion, All-American, and Olympic alternate wrestler) there really is no comparison between their mat-based abilities. He’s an extremely difficult draw for any fighter who relies more on taking things to the ground than delivering precise, damaging strikes.

I agree Cote or Bisping would make for suitable future opponents. A few other names I’ll throw out there are Nate Marquardt, Alan Belcher, and Yoshihiro Akiyama. I’m also interested to know if he’s willing to fight friend/teammate Dan Henderson at some point if it means title contendership, though I suppose it won’t really matter unless Sonnen beats any three of the afore-mentioned five UFC middleweights.

As far as Okami, he looked a little smaller than usual at the event so I’ll be interested to see if he puts on more muscle now that he’s able to fully train again or if the slimmer look is permanent. Regardless of what occurred against Sonnen, he’s still good enough to beat most of his peers and won’t run into too many other Olympic-level wrestlers who match his size other than Dan Henderson. I’d like to see him fight Demian Maia or Nate Marquardt simply because all three of them have been around the UFC’s middleweight division for a few years, are among the top 15-20 best 185-pounders in the sport, and yet Okami has yet to face either in his career.

True/False – After the beating Cain Velasquez put on Ben Rothwell he deserves to face the winner of Lesnar/Carwin for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.

Polley: False. While completely annihilating Big Ben, it doesn’t warrant a shot at the belt. While Cain has no doubt been impressive in his five victories since joining the UFC, his latest wins over the likes of Rothwell and Kongo don’t justify a title shot. However, adding more fuel to the Velasquez hype train at UFC 104, I think he’s forced the promotion into a corner. By all accounts Cain has lived up to all the hype the UFC has thrown our way, so credentials aside, I think he will for sure get the winner of Lesnar vs. Carwin match-up. I’m not sure there would be enough interest at this point in a Mir vs. Lesnar III, should Brock win and Mir beat Kongo. Mir vs. Carwin would be interesting, but I don’t see Frank getting another chance at the belt so soon. As for Kongo, he gets neither, should he win. Nogueira would be a possibility, but I think he needs one more decisive win before he gets another crack at the championship. So that leaves who? Cain Velasquez. An undefeated prospect that is clearly a UFC favorite and matches up well with both Lesnar and Carwin. Should Lesnar win, Cain is the young challenger getting a break early to prove himself, much like Brock did against Randy Couture. Should Carwin win, we have two undefeated heavyweights fighting for the title, a story like that writes itself.

Conlan: True. If Velasquez doesn’t deserve the next title-shot then who does? When you break it down, he is the most prominent UFC heavyweight available without some sort of significant stumble in recent history…at all, really. Velasquez’s wins over Kongo and Rothwell and previous showings are at least equivalent to anything the current top contender to Lesnar’s belt has done (or what the current champ did prior to earning his crack at the gold).

His perfect record, status as somewhat of a legend in the Gym, and appeal to the Hispanic demographic are storylines fans and media can buy into which equates to ticket and PPV sales. He comes from a solid wrestling background, can both take and deliver a hard punch, and appears to have a nearly bottomless gas tank. Sure, another win over an notable heavyweight like Gabriel Gonzaga, Mirko Filipovic, Junior Dos Santos, Frank Mir, or “Minotauro” Nogueira would go a long way in solidifying Velasquez’s place as the #1 threat to the championship – hell, one of those bouts may be necessary to keep him active since Lesnar/Carwin has been pushed back – but if the UFC needed a contender next week there is absolutely no other heavyweight currently as deserving as the former Arizona State Sun Devil.

Who on the DREAM 12 card would you most like to see in the UFC/WEC?

Conlan: For me it’s a toss up between Alistair Overeem and Marius Zaromskis with a slight edge going to “Ubereem”. Both are exciting strikers under the age of 30 with a high rate of finishing their opponents. The Lithuanian welterweight, who is quickly earning a place in fans’ minds as the second-coming of Mirko Filipovic based on three consecutive head-kick victories, would add some fresh blood to a 170-pound division looking for new contenders and make an excellent addition to the UFC’s stack of Euro-card regulars. He’s gone to decision once in his four-year career and ten of his thirteen wins are courtesy of a TKO. Comparably, the Dutch “Demolition Man” hasn’t seen the judges’ scorecards in more than three years and finished 97% of the opponents he’s beaten since first entering MMA ten years ago. In plain speak that means he’s either submitted or knocked out thirty of the thirty one foes he’s felled. Yes, there is speculation about how natural his shredded 265-pound physique actually is, but to my knowledge he has never tested positive for performance enhancing drugs while the same can’t be said about a number of currently employed UFC fighters, and in some cases even past champions.

While Eddie Alvarez certainly deserves consideration based on his style and skill I think he might get lost in the UFC’s ridiculously deep lightweight division, plus there’s a fairly realistic chance he will eventually end up in the UFC as it is while I’m not as certain in regards to his fellow DREAM 12 participants. Zaromskis has never competed in MMA on American soil in his career and Overeem has only done so twice in a 42-fight career. The rarity of their State-side appearances adds to my interest in seeing them step into the Octagon.

Polley: While I think Overeem would certainly tip the scale in the UFC heavyweight pool, I’m more interested in him defending his Strikeforce belt. I see a long awaited meeting with Fedor likely for “The Demolition Man’s” near future.

Zaromskis is interesting because with every fight, the guy seems to out do himself. He’s finished his last 7 of 8 opponents by either KO or TKO, with everything from punches, head kicks, to flying knees. He would bring even more depth to the striker friendly UFC welterweight division and could quickly become a force.

But I’m going with the popular answer with this one in Eddie Alvarez. You make a great point by saying he may eventually end up with the UFC, but I would like to see it happen sooner rather than later. He holds legitimate wins over the likes of Joachim Hansen, Tatsuya Kawajiri, and UFC vet Aaron Riley. Alvarez’s lone lightweight loss is at the hands of submission wizard, Shinya Aoki, so this proves to me he would hold his own in the UFC. His style of fighting would be a perfect fit in the lightweight division, with a ton of interesting match-ups. Could you imagine Alvarez in match-ups against the likes of Clay Guida, Frankie Edgar, or Tyson Griffin? These bouts have Fight of the Night bonuses written all over them. Its long been a question of mine of how Eddie Alvarez would fair in the UFC, so for me, he’s my pick from Dream 12.

Should Kazushi Sakuraba hang up his trademark orange trunks and call it a career?

Conlan: It was painful to watch the first 90 seconds of Sakuraba’s DREAM 12 offering against Zelg Galesic, though I suspect not nearly as excruciating as actually enduring the beatdown from his Croatian counterpart. However, as agonizing as those moments might have been for fan and fighter, the kneebar Saku secured for the submission win was as contrastingly pleasurable to observe. I thought it was a perfect example of both the beauty and beastliness inherent in Mixed Martial Arts and a great representation of Sakuraba’s career.

While “The Gracie Hunter” may no longer be the same force he was during the golden days of PRIDE he is still a force. He has the same heart that was present against “Cro Cop” and Wanderlei Silva (all three times); the same determination and refusal to quit unless his body forces him to. He has the same set of submission-wrestling skills that, with the aide of opponent Carlos Newton, put on a master class in technique at PRIDE 3. By the way, with Newton *still* competing how has a rematch never taken place? New Year’s Eve anyone? But I digress…

In summary, what I’m trying to say is Sakuraba should retire on his own terms. He shouldn’t be put out to pasture because a promoter, manager, or media outlet claims it’s time for him to keep his cauliflowered ears out of the ring. He’s got true warrior spirit, a grappling arsenal better than most, is perhaps the most iconic Japanese fighter in history, and a personality so affable it makes Forrest Griffin look like a total dick. Even if you go by the numbers, since 2007 Saku is 6-3 with two of those being decision losses (one of which was to a performance-enhanced Royce Gracie) and a singular devastating defeat courtesy of Melvin Manhoef’s sick striking and power. Those are not the statistics of someone who needs to be prevented from competing inside the squared circle.

Polley: This is a tough question. I had a whole thing ready about fighters past their prime and ruining their legacy, until I seen your response. If he still has a desire to compete and is not getting completely manhandled, it should be up to the legend himself when to call it quits. You’re absolutely right by saying he should leave on his own terms. I just hope he doesn’t wait until it’s too late.

In his match with Zelg Galesic, the first thing I noticed is how much wrap he had around his legs and arms, obvious signs of wear and tear from years of fighting. You could have also made a case for stopping that fight in favor of Galesic, due to the beating he was putting on Sakuraba for a good 30 seconds without defense. However, in classic come from behind fashion, Kazushi held on to the Croatians leg until he got the tap. This being his second win in a month, proves he still has what it takes to compete, just maybe not at the level he used to. He came back from a year layoff, before entering against a very “green” Rubin Williams, which he quickly dismantled by Kimura. His next opponent, Zelg Galesic, was a legitimate step up in competition with good striking ability, and we discussed the outcome of that. I think another fight with a higher-grade opponent will finalize my thoughts on retirement.

He turned 40 this year, so I can’t see him defying the odds for much longer, but I would still want to watch him compete. I could definitely see him in future “super fights”, with someone like a Newton, or perhaps even a rematch with Kiyoshi Tamura.

What Mixed Martial Artist makes the best Halloween costume?

Conlan: Ah, I feel like I’m in a cartoon and this question is one of those signs with arrows showing fifty different directions to take. One could dress as “Cecil Peoples”, complete with glasses with the lenses painted black (to simulate blindness of course). One could dress as “Nick Diaz” which simply requires a frown, a “tobacco water pipe”, and the willingness to whoop anyone who puts their mug on you. Then again, there’s always the “Arianny Celeste” outfit, but frankly I must warn you that “Grappling with Issues” cannot be held accountable for any legal ramifications spawning from your decision to put on a pair of Spandex booty shorts, brown wig, and walk the streets of your local township while blowing kisses and winking. There’s the “Dana White”. Put on a bald cap, throw a huge smile on your face, use the word “f*ck” whenever possible, and you’re on your way to simulating Zuffa royalty. You can dress like “Jared Shaw” and…wait, what is “$kala” doing these days and how much does a McDonalds outfit cost? Nevermind. And, for the less-athletically inclined, just dress as “Roy Nelson” and you can finally unleash that big belly of yours while eating Whoppers and claiming legitimate reasoning. Personally, I’ll be dressing as Anderson Silva, which means I’ll be at all of your parties but you won’t see me because I’m so elusive. Yes, I wanted to make that a Machida joke.

*NOTE* – Polley was a little quicker about this particular answer than I was, and I like all his suggestions. I’m especially glad to see that nipple rings are not a requirement for the “King Mo” costume.

Polley: I think the obvious answer would be Kimbo Slice. Complete with a fake beard, beanie cap, and a Mr. T starter kit, and you too can be an Internet sensation. It comes with no ground game and catch phrases like, “You know what I’m saying?” (Gold teeth and .45mm sold separately) Other honorable mentions include, Mohammed “King Mo” Lawal. Complete with jeweled crown, cane with cape, and dancing Japanese girls. Alistair Overeem, comes with Thor-like hammer, muscles the size of mountains and a Strikeforce belt. Sorry kids, only available in Japan. But the scariest Halloween costume would have to be Chuck Liddell. Not the “Iceman” we’ve come to love in the Octagon, but the one from “Dancing with the Stars”. Comes complete with Mohawk, tattoo on the side of the head, tight slacks, and sleeveless sparkly shirt with dangling fringe. Absolutely terrifying.

Reacting to the last few days’ worth of news regarding UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar withdrawing from UFC 106 due to an unidentified illness, top challenger Shane Carwin took to his website to express his thoughts on the situation in addition to a few other things.

In the posting he goes on to talk about the effects of swine flu, which he himself actually suffered a recent bout of, as well as offered his take on how he was informed of Lesnar’s decision, an extremely poignant moment he experienced with a young fan in Los Angeles, and what exactly fighting the UFC title means to him…

On Being Sick: “Last week was the first week that I actually started feeling better from a strain of the swine flu. I had lost almost 23 pounds (something I could not afford to lose) and had just pulled some muscles in my leg during training. As UFC 104 approached my manager said, ‘We should be thankful we are not fighting from your re-broken nose to the leg this wasn’t our time’. As I prepared to go to UFC I began to realize what I had ahead of me and I began to panic a bit. I was due to be fighting for the UFC Heavyweight title. I called Jason back and said you are right, but I can’t go to Los Angeles I need to train. I was reminded about my commitments to the fans at Kmart and the Q&A, and I knew I had to go.”

On the Importance of Fans: In L.A. I was reminded exactly why we do this sport. Fans were all over the place and every interaction was a positive one. While at Kmart I meet a young man who competes in the Special Olympics and he said he looked up to us fighters. I was so taken back by the fact that he put us fighters on a pedestal. Here was this young man who defied incredible odds in life to reach the Olympics and he pushes himself every day to do things you and I take for granted. I was bitching about a flu, my leg (that would heal), and taking time away from training and this young man looks up to me? He gave me his Octagon necklace and I do not think he realized what an impact he made on me.

I knew right then that I was going to suck it up and drive on. Edward and the rest of Team Carwin would be the fuel to carry me through the rough times and make sure that come fight night I will be the champion. Edward’s life has been nothing but full of twist and turns of which he has very little choice on what happened to him, his choice is to not let his twist or turns take him off the his path in life.”

On the Lesnar News: “…when my phone rang and it was Kevin Iole from Yahoo sports asking for my comment on Brock pulling out of the fight I was disappointed and in shock. I had just convinced myself to walk through hell to fight this guy and a respected member of the media was asking for a comment. I immediately called my manager who informed me that it was news to him as well but for me to stay calm, don’t talk to anyone and wait for his call. My wife and I were in shock, it was like the opposite of when we got the news that we were fighting for the title. I wanted nothing more then for Kevin to be wrong.

Thirty minutes go by and (my manager) calls me back to say he was able to reach the UFC matchmaker and the fight was not happening and that Brock had been ill for “six weeks”. He informed me that all the UFC executives were in the TUF tryouts and we really needed to sit tight until we could hear from them what the next steps were.”

On the Delayed Title Bout: “Fighting for the UFC belt is my path and honestly Brock coming down with his illness only gives me more time to be in that much better shape. It is a blessing if you want to know the truth. I would have never pulled out of the fight. I would wheel myself to the cage if it was my choice. I know this is my destiny and I don’t need everything to be perfect. I just need my opportunity to show the world what I can do and who I am.

As I write this I still do not know what is in store for me in the near future. I have my own training wounds that need to heal, I have teammates preparing for fights and they need my help, and I want to be ready for whatever the UFC brings my way. I am not the star of the show. I really do not have any say in the matter. My job is to be ready when they need me, I will be. I pray that Brock gets better soon and that he and I can put this fight together. The fans want this fight and so do I. So we will just have to wait and see what the UFC has in mind for Team Carwin.

As I said I feel blessed to have the extra time to rehab my injuries and recover from the flu. I think that I am blessed to have an amazing team of people helping me and supporting me that it really doesn’t matter about the twist and turns of life because I know I am on the right path. If Edward can so can I. Who can really complain about your dreams being delayed a bit? I am lucky to be fighting for the best fans in the World, I am lucky to have an amazing family and the best coaches and team mates in the game.”

For the entire entry and others please visit his website.

Though the main card fighters may have initially earned higher salaries entering Saturday night’s events it was the undercard’s participants who laid claim to all three UFC “…of the Night” bonuses.

Reigning supreme amongst the evening’s bonus winners was the affable Pat Barry, who overcame an early eye-poke to bring his professional MMA record to 5-1 with a hard-fought second round TKO victory over fellow kickboxer Antoni Hardonk. Barry earned an additional $120,000 on top of his previously scheduled purse for winning both “Fight of the Night” and “Knockout of the Night” honors. Hardonk was also awarded $60,000 for his participation in the bout.

“Submission of the Night”, and the sixty thousand dollar reward attached to the distinction, went to 6’11 Stefan Struve. Struve weathered an early attack from opponent Chase Gormley to lock in a Triangle Choke for the first round win.

Mixed Martial Artists spend countless hours in training centers around the world learning various skills in hopes of successfully fending off future opponents. However, there are some battles in life no technique obtained in a Gym can prepare an individual for or defend against. This past September, thousands of Filipino men, women, and children found themselves immersed in such a fight when two typhoons occurred less than a week apart resulting in hundreds of deaths and hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to an already impoverished nation.

Responding in their own unique way to the plight of thousands of those affected by the devastation in the Philippines, many in the Filipino-American Mixed Martial Arts community are showing they are still in the corner of their “kababayans” – their countrymen – courtesy of a special event this upcoming Sunday. “THEIR FIGHT IS OUR FIGHT” is an all-day seminar being held on October 25th at “Legends Mixed Martial Arts Training Center” in Hollywood, California.

Fans from the Los Angeles area and those still in town from the previous night’s UFC 104 festivities can register to participate in classes led by popular UFC fighter Brandon Vera, NCAA Champion wrestler Mark Munoz, 8-0 Shane Del Rosario, and Muay Thai ace Romie Adanza, each of whom will present exclusive high-level seminars and demonstrations of their specialties. Additionally, the always beautiful Arianny Celeste will be on hand to lend her support to the cause.

Tickets to participate in the all-day seminars are all-inclusive for $120. Non-participating spectators can attend to watch and take pictures for $5 admission. The event is being presented in conjunction with FilAm ARTS and SIPA, two established community non-profit organizations, and proceeds from the seminars will go directly to Typhoon Ondoy, Parma and Lupit relief via Red Cross Philippines.

For more information on how to get tickets or the event in general you can visit their website.

Seminar Schedule:

10:00-10:30 – Opening Ceremony / Warm-Up
10:30-12:00 – Brandon Vera – “Jiujitsu for MMA”
12:00-1:00 – Lunch / Group Pictures / Special Guest Announcements
1:00-2:00 – Romie Adanza – “Muay Thai Clinch Game”
2:00-3:00 – Shane Del Rosario – “Muay Thai for MMA”
4:00-4:20 – Break / Pictures / Awards
4:20-5:50 – Mark Munoz – “MMA Takedowns and Wrestling”
5:50-6:00 – Cool Down
6:00-6:30– Awards / Closing Ceremony / Raffle Winners Announcement

How many wins does Anthony “Rumble” Johnson need before getting a crack at the UFC Welterweight Championship? Would top WEC lightweights only be mediocre UFC lightweights? Should Okami vs. Sonnen be on the main card at UFC 104? Is the main event between Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers the best fight on the November 7th Strikeforce card?

Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay! Thanks for taking some time away from coordinating the next great balloon hoax to click on the latest edition of “Grappling with Issues”. As always, within these pages you’ll find the take of a guest commentator on six topics plucked from the MMA landscape, as well as my own spin on the subject matter at hand.

This week’s guest is no stranger to these parts, as he was at one time a regular 5 Oz. contributor who still pops in every now and then between other commitments. He’s dipped his toes in the Sherdog pool and been to a PRIDE event. He’s written feature articles for respected gaming magazines, including a number of pieces related to original launch “UFC Undisputed”. He doesn’t always drink beer, but when he does he drinks Dos Equis. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Caleb Newby to the hallowed halls of GWI!

For better or worse, which of the following four people has your opinion most-changed of since the newest Ultimate Fighter season debuted and why – Kimbo Slice, “Rampage” Jackson, Rashad Evans, or Roy Nelson?

Caleb Newby: Tough question. There is a case to be made for each, but for my money I’ll go with Rampage Jackson. To those that paid attention to the man behind the hype, Kimbo was already known to be humbly working on improving his game. A far cry from the murderous street thug promotion he was given. Rashad rubs many the wrong way with his in-cage antics but is a great diplomat for the sport outside. And I’ve been more indifferent to Roy Nelson than anything before this season of TUF, and while his standing in my eyes isn’t all that great, he was pretty much off the radar before.

Jackson has long been a favorite, and I still do like the guy. Unfortunately several things have come about that have hurt his image. Take his “retirement” from the sport due to Dana’s unwillingness to curb his public taunts of Quinton’s desire to star in the A-Team movie. Fans are split over whose side they take on this one and while neither is without fault I tend to come down more on the side of Rampage having the freedom to do what he wishes (which I got more in depth about a few weeks back in an article here on 5oz). Still, even siding with Rampage doesn’t leave him without fault. Take his poor ability as a coach and drafting strategy that seemed more focused on having airtime with Kimbo than trying to win and help his fighters and the myth of who Rampage is (or who we want him to be) has been broken.

Not to say he’s a bad guy. It’s just before TUF he was a funny dude with loads of charisma and one of the best 205ers in the world. He’s still all those things but the reality of his humanity has evened the score. Jackson has strengths and weaknesses like the rest of us and is more than a bigger-than-life caricature. Who knew?

Brendhan Conlan: Whew, talk about a tough act to follow! As Newby said, a case can be made for each man, and I suppose that is in part what has made the Ultimate Fighter such a successful franchise for Spike and the UFC. The airtime it affords Mixed Martial Artists fans are familiar with already, as well as those the show introduces to the world, allow viewers to become invested in the people they’re watching for both positive and negative reasons.

I can see why some would select Kimbo, as his tough exterior and YouTube fame afforded him as many marketing deals as they did preconceived notions from followers about who he truly was as an individual. However, my understanding of his character before TUF was based on interviews I’d seen him in and general feedback from those who’d met him, so I wasn’t surprised to see a humble, insightful guy who wanted to improve his skills in hopes of supporting his family. I can see why some would say “Sugar” ‘Shad, as he’s pulled a bit of a “Tito Ortiz” if you will in terms of reducing the number of people who dislike him based on the personality and honest investment in his team that he’s shown thus far. And of course Newby outlined why his opinion of “Rampage” has changed, though I personally think Jackson’s behavior is the least surprising knowing how he performed as coach opposite Forrest Griffin.

I’m actually going to pick Roy Nelson because I didn’t have much of an opinion of him before this season aired other than I appreciated his talent and knew he was somewhat of a jokester. Based on the Kimbo fight and some of the other scenes that have been shown I can definitely say my view on “Big Country” has soured. He no longer seems like an affable guy from the South but somewhat pompous and hard-headed. Nelson had a chance to impress Dana White and the rest of the world by highlight-reeling Slice and instead turned in a performance that was only memorable in how bad it was. While his strategy might have been a smart one, facing Kimbo on Spike was an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and not only did Nelson blow it, he celebrated blowing it.

Fact/Fiction – The main event bout between Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers is the best fight on the November 7th Strikeforce/CBS card.

Newby: Fact. Although I admit my take of “best fight” translates to “most interested in”. The rest of the main card has bouts I’m definitely interested in with known fighters the MMA community care about. But for my money, the Fedor/Rogers fight is the best and most intriguing if only for the same question as always: Is this the fight Fedor finally loses? Rogers easily has the knockout power to get the job done and Fedor isn’t shy about standing to trade. In fact, he’s made beating opponents at their strong suits part of his M.O. He beat Cro Cop on the feet. He beat Big Nog on the ground. Arlovski and Sylvia were finished for all intents and purposes on the feet. Not that Fedor always fights this way (He didn’t want to stand up with Hong-Man Choi after all) but it won’t be surprising if the stoic Russian tries to end this on the feet… a dangerous proposition against a heavy hitter like Rogers. Any fight that has Fedor against an opponent who has a way to beat him automatically overshadows anything else going on that night, at least in my humble opinion.

Conlan: Fact. Another “fact” is that I was originally going with “fiction” until considering Newby’s logic. I think the bout featuring “Mayhem” Miller and Jake Shields has the potential to be the best technical fight on the card, and I think Antonio Silva vs. Fabricio Werdum is also intriguing for various reasons, but in truth the match-up I’m most excited about is definitely the headliner. There are too many ooh-inducing factors at play, including the mere fact the fight is on network television, to not consider it the prime draw on the card regardless of the difference in experience or overall skill level. Will “The Grim” land a solid shot and if so how will Emelianenko respond? Can the Russian deliver yet another legendary performance en route to handing Rogers his first professional defeat? Will the world stop spinning if Fedor actually loses, and if so, will Dana White’s maniacal laughter be audible outside of the State of Nevada? The truth is, while Emelianenko vs. Rogers may not be the best pairing from a competitive perspective, it will absolutely have the most people sitting on the edge of the couches while it unfolds, and because of that I have a hard time saying it is anything other than the “best” fight on the card.

Has Junie Browning entered the Octagon for the last time his career?

Newby: No. Of course this is just pure conjecture but at only 24 he’s got a lot of time to fix his wrongs. Here’s my guess. Browning gets help after hitting rock bottom from people that rally around him. I have no idea how the legalities will go with his assault case but Dana, while obviously not happy with Junie’s behavior, doesn’t strike me as a guy who will blacklist a guy who has worked on turning his life around if he’s earned his way back and, more importantly, has changed his life for the better. So that’s the question, does Browning rise above this or does this incident define him? Call me an optimist, but I think (hope) that Junie gets the help he needs from those that care for him and will one day return to the Octagon.

Conlan: I think Junie has drawn his last assignment in the Octagon and my reasoning isn’t solely related to his arrest, termination from the UFC, or history of personal problems. I simply don’t believe Browning is a good enough fighter to make his way back onto the roster. He got his crack because of his actions on the Ultimate Fighter, not because he was necessarily a blue-chip prospect that couldn’t be risked to another promotion. His recent actions are another testament to his apparent mental instability and most fighters will tell you how important a strong mind is to success inside the ring. Junie will pick up some decent paychecks fighting up-and-coming talent and tomato cans on local shows as so many other TUF castoffs have done, and similar to them, he’ll drop a few bouts along the way that show him to ultimately be an entertaining, albeit slightly above-average, Mixed Martial Artist.

Buy/Sell – Top WEC lightweights like Donald Cerrone, Jamie Varner, and Ben Henderson would only fair averagely if competing in the UFC.

Conlan: Buy. I equate the trio to Clay Guida – highly competitive, well-rounded, go full speed from start to finish but have a hard time finishing comparable opponents. Out of the three I could see Varner fairing a bit better since he’s got heavier hands, but then again he split two Octagon appearances earlier in his career so it’s hard to know whether or not he’s improved enough since then to make that much of a difference during a second go-round in the UFC. Also, I think “average’ in a division as deep as the lightweight pool is not that bad of a thing either. Very few men do better when it comes to consistently beating the UFC’s top shelf of 155-pound talent.

Newby: I think you hit the nail on the head there, particularly with being “average” in the UFC 155 pound division (or any division for that matter) isn’t really a bad thing. The only other point I would like to raise is Carlos Condit. At 170 he was on a tear in the WEC and consistently ranked in the top ten at welterweight. Anywhere from ten to as high as five, depending who you asked. After seeing him split a pair of tough fights I can’t think that the previously mentioned trio would fair any better at 155 than Condit at 170. Still, it would be even more depth to an already brimming division, and all it takes is a good couple fights to make the contender short list.

Sticking with a recent 5 Oz. Poll, should Yushin Okami vs. Chael Sonnen be on the main card of UFC 104?

Conlan: While the match-up certainly has the potential to be a plodding affair that goes the distance, the UFC desperately needs to establish new middleweight contenders and Sonnen vs. Okami is a perfect opportunity for them to do so. Okami has won nine of his last ten bouts (7-1 in the UFC) with the only loss coming via decision against former champion Rich Franklin. He was on the cusp of a crack at Anderson Silva’s belt a year ago before injuries left him on the outside looking in. Sonnen is coming off a dominant win against tough 185-pounder Dan Miller and is 8-2 in his last ten fights. Putting their fight on the main portion of the UFC 104 card, or at least on the televised portion of the undercard being shown on Spike, would give fans an opportunity to re-familiarize themselves with Okami while getting a feel for who might challenge for Silva’s shiny oversized beltbuckle once things are sorted out between Nate Marquardt, Dan Henderson, and Vitor Belfort. Instead viewers are being treated to a clash between Josh Neer and Gleison Tibau, who are both more-than talented but neither of which factors into the immediate title picture of their division. The same can also be said about Ryan Bader and Eric Schafer, though I at least understand the appeal of putting an Ultimate Fighter seasonal champion on Spike.

Newby: You make a good point, but let’s for arguments sake look at the other side of the coin. Okami and Sonnen both win the majority of their fights by decision and aren’t exactly looking to be poised for a barn burner. I cannot imagine Sonnen being anywhere near the line for a title shot so this really only applies to Okami, and that’s in doubt too as Zuffa hasn’t seemed too eager to throw him out there. But if this does turn out as boring as it could be, if it is untelevised the damage is kept to a minimum. Say Okami wins based in a dull affair. Should Dana and Joe Silva decide at some point that Anderson Silva’s next challenger will be Okami they can just pick and use the more exciting highlights for a video package and use that to sell the fight with Okami’s DQ victory over Silva. Sure, it’s a strictly business decision but this hedges their bets a bit more than gambling with these two on live PPV. That’s my “other side of the coin” take for contrarian sake.

Fill in the blank – Anthony Johnson is ____ wins away from a shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship.

Conlan: Three, maybe four. Though beating Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 104 would only give Johnson a modest 5-2 record in the Octagon, it’s important to remember his loss to Rich Clementi came in a fight he took on extremely late notice and cut a ridiculous amount of weight for, while the TKO win Kevin Burns has over him was more a result of repeatedly being poked in the eye than anything legitimate on Burns’ part. I think a dubya over Yoshida would elevate “Rumble” to the same level as probable future title contenders such as Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, and Thiago Alves. Considering Mike Swick, with only four wins in the UFC’s welterweight division, and Dan Hardy with only three, are fighting at UFC 105 for the right to challenge St. Pierre, it seems like two additional wins over notable welterweights including the afore mentioned folks or Swick, Hardy, Karo Parisyan, Marcus Davis, Matt Hughes, or Matt Serra should be more than enough reason to match someone as exciting and skilled as Johnson against whoever the champ may be at the time. Let’s not forget that thrill-factor is definitely something UFC President Dana White takes into account when making matches alongside Joe Silva and Johnson certainly brings the goods when it comes delivering jaw-dropping moments.

Newby: I have to say it could potentially be as low as two, counting after the upcoming Yoshida fight. As you said, if he wins, and looks good in doing it, he’ll be toward more of the forefront of the welterweight conversation and set to fight a Marcus Davis, Chris Lytle, or even Karo Parisyan. Win there and he could be looking at a bout with title implications against whoever else is on a role and towards the top of the welterweight food chain at the time. This is on the presumption that the UFC is still in need of new and exciting matches for GSP that gets the fans more interested than the Swick/Kampmann announcement did. If that’s the case, Johnson could be on the fast track. For his sake I hope that number is closer to four more wins instead of two. GSP is a whole different animal from anyone else in the division and it wouldn’t hurt Johnson to fight a couple more of the guys along the way should he keep his winning streak. A path to a title shot consisting of Lytle, Parisyan, Condit, and Fitch/Alves would do wonders.

This week’s announcement regarding the freshly-signed television distribution deal Bellator Fighting Championships inked with NBC, Fox Sports, and Telemundo brought a smile to the face of numerous fans and fighters. Included in that bunch was none other than host of ESPN’s “MMA Live” Jon Anik, who Bellator fans might also recognize as the play-by-play portion of the promotion’s broadcast team.

FiveOuncesofPain.com caught up with Anik who gladly took some time to offer his take on the prospect of Bellator making its way to the masses, as well as how big an impact he actually think it will have and whether or not his employment with ESPN will prevent him from stepping back into the booth for season two and beyond…

FiveOuncesofPain: What are your thoughts on the new distribution deal Bellator announced earlier this week?

Jon Anik: It’s a very exciting time for all of us associated with Bellator Fighting Championships. This television distribution deal was what Bjorn had envisioned for quite some time, and to see it materialize is a credit to all of the hard work put in by Bjorn and the rest of the Bellator team. Obviously there were a lot of moving parts, but the end result puts Bellator in position to grow exponentially. Viewers know they will be getting live MMA every Thursday night for 24 weeks in a 30-week span, and the tournaments will all play out live and in primetime. It was certainly worth the wait.

FiveOuncesofPain: How big of an impact on the mainstream – on MMA in general – do you think Bellator’s presence on Fox Sports, NBC, and Universal will actually have?

Jon Anik: Well, it’s irrefutable that the masses (MMA fans) crave more high-level MMA and MMA programming, and I think Bellator’s presence on Fox Sports Net, NBC, and Telemundo puts the organization in position to establish itself as a major player in the sport. From what I’ve been told, the promotional backing from the networks is off the charts, and that will help tremendously. I also think the tournament format is Bellator’s greatest asset and sports fans can really relate to it. There is continuity and a pure legitimacy there. One of my few complaints with other MMA promotions is that the fighters don’t always control their own championship destiny. Here, you win and you move on. And I expect that to have great appeal to MMA fans, hardcore and casual alike.

FiveOuncesofPain: How, to your knowledge, does this affect the organization’s relationship with ESPN?

Jon Anik: I’m not sure it’ll have any great impact on Bellator’s relationship with ESPN.

FiveOuncesofPain: Will you be returning to the broadcast booth for Bellator, does your association with ESPN prohibit that from happening, or is it simply too early to know yet?

Jon Anik: It is my intention to return to the broadcast booth for Bellator and I hope my work on Season 1 will afford me that opportunity. I also hope to continue my work for ESPN and MMA Live. Not exactly sure how it will all play out, but I am confident any conflicts can be resolved.

FiveOuncesofPain: Any closing words on Bellator’s future or that of promotional champions Eddie Alvarez, Hector Lombard, and Joe Soto?

Jon Anik: The biggest winners with this announcement are the fighters and that’s exactly how Bellator would want it. Eddie Alvarez and Hector Lombard, specifically, are two of the best in the world in their weight classes and they deserve a major showcase in the United States. This TV deal provides that for them, and their confidence in Bellator will be rewarded, not just with money but with mass exposure. The Bellator brass has worked so diligently to avoid pitfalls that have plagued other upstarts and I think this TV deal represents the beginning of a long run for the Bellator Fighting Championships.

A new episode of MMA Live airs every Thursday at 3 p.m. ET. MMA Live can also be seen whenever it fits your schedule.

What was fast-becoming one of the most heated feuds in Mixed Martial Arts could be simmering down now thanks to an apology issued by current WEC Lightweight Champion Jamie Varner on the popular Underground forum.

His statement comes on the heels of a hard-fought bout between personal rival Donald Cerrone and newly crowned interim champ Ben Henderson this past Saturday night. It reads as follows:

First of all I want to apologize to Donald Cerrone for every ill word I ever said about him. I’d also like to apologize to all his fans and anyone else I may have pissed off by my actions. Donald is a great fighter that fights with all heart and he’s my toughest fight to date. I wish him nothing but the best and it was an honor to fight a fighter with such heart and skill.

I have a tough test ahead. I’m really looking forward to getting back in there and proving to all of you why I am the WEC lightweight champ. I know there are always gonna be haters. I hope most of you accept my apology because you guys are the reason why I’m able to do what I love for a living. Thanks for taking the time to read this and its time to go train.

The bad blood between both fighters originated shortly after Varner defeated “The Cowboy” at WEC 38 earlier this year. The bout was stopped midway through the fifth frame when Cerrone landed an illegal knee which led to the champion complaining of some trouble seeing. A technical decision was issued in Varner’s favor leaving some, including his opponent, feeling as though he may have been trying to take an easy way out instead of risking a loss in the last few minutes of the round. Their rivalry was even alleged to have extended a backstage confrontation at UFC 101 of which Cerrone said, “Sh*t was about to go down. The things I said to him as a man, I can’t believe you would stand there and take…”

Thus far no response has been issued from Cerrone in regards to Varner’s extension of a proverbial olive branch.

After entertaining the crowd in attendance on Saturday night with a main event packed full of action, it seemed apparent newly crowned WEC interim lightweight champ Ben Henderson and fan-favorite Donald Cerrone were destined for “Fight of the Night” honors.

However, what few onlookers could have predicted was a phone call from Lorenzo Fertitta asking WEC head Reed Harris to double the amount based on their exciting performance.

The decision resulted in Cerrone and Henderson each netting an additional $20,000 on top of their contracted salaries for the five-round affair.

Anthony Njokuani took home “Knockout of the Night” honors – and an extra paycheck – thanks to his second-round TKO of Muhsin Corbbrey, while Mackens Sermerzier scored “Submission of the Night” by tapping out the heavily favored Wagnney Fabiano with a triangle choke in the first three minutes of their bout.

The following is a summary of WEC 43 bonuses:

Fight of the Night: Donald Cerrone ($20,000)

Fight of the Night: Ben Henderson ($20,000)

Knockout of the Night: Anthony Njokuani ($10,000)

Submission of the Night: Mackens Sermerzier ($10,000)

Will “The Hammer” drop on Tito Ortiz come November 21st? “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” doesn’t seem to think so and he’s taken to Twitter to assure fans Coleman’s absence from the card won’t prevent him from stepping into the Octagon at UFC 106. Ortiz recently posted the following in regards to the situation:

“Coleman,Coleman,Coleman. Too bad he sissies out!!! Who’s next??? I’m kicking someone’s ass on Nov 21st!”

No official announcement has been made regarding Coleman’s status. The former UFC Heavyweight Champion is 1-1 in his recent return to the promotion he started his career in with a decision victory coming in his most recent bout against Stephan Bonnar.

UFC 106 is set for Las Vegas and headlined by a title-fight between champion Brock Lesnar and undefeated challenger Shane Carwin. While it may be too early to speculate on possible replacements for Coleman if he does indeed have to withdraw, notable 205-pound fighters Luis Cane and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira are rumored to be facing each other at the same event so it is possible one could fill in as a substitute opponent for Ortiz.

::UPDATE::

Mike DiSabato ,(of CageFighter)  long time sponsor of Coleman, confirmed a second-degree tear of Coleman’s MCL knee ligament  today  to FightersOnlyMagazine and said that he (Coleman) has asked for the fight to be rescheduled for January 2nd.

DiSabato was also critical of the Tweet by Ortiz, “Tito says ‘sissy?’ The only thing Coleman is afraid of is contracting swine flu from that d-bag!”

It appears as though the time has come for reality television villain Spencer Pratt to actually head for “the hills”. Mostly known for his obnoxious behavior on MTV and “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here”, Pratt has finally run into someone who is likely to put up a little more of a challenge than a sucker-punched bar patron and is “more than willing” to silence his peach-fuzz laden jaw – Mixed Martial Artist Jason Chambers.

The color commentator for Bellator Fighting Championships, who is also familiar with a the bright lights of Hollywood due to his work on shows like “Days of Our Lives” and “Human Weapon”, is also a veteran of more than twenty-five professional fights and has finished 16 of the 19 opponents he’s beaten. Currently riding a three-bout win streak, Chambers’ interest in beating the blonde out of Spencer doesn’t stem from a competitive desire so much as Pratt’s own alleged challenge one night at a club and “tough guy” demeanor in general.

Read ahead as Jason sits down with FiveOuncesofPain.com to clarify how the situation originated, as well offer his thoughts on a few things such as how fans can offer their support of his cause, what people can expect from Bellator in the coming seasons, and whether or not Heidi Montag’s singing is as painful as a properly applied submission…

FiveOuncesOfPain: How much truth is there to a recent rumor floating around the MMA community regarding your desire to step into a ring across from reality television “star” Spencer Pratt?

Jason Chambers: I’m not really sure that it’s a rumor. You can go to www.scaredypratt.com and see that this is something I’m more than willing to do.

FiveOuncesOfPain: Can you shed some light on the situation in terms of where the bad-blood originally stems from and why you’re interested in fighting him?

Chambers: I had heard through a friend that he was making comments about how he would kick my ass while at a club. Someone posed that to me and asked if I would fight him. I have no personal quarrel with Spencer. However, if you are going to run around and talk about how thug you are while claiming to have a BJJ black belt, all while spitting out lines like “I ain’t afraid of no man”, you should probably be able to back it up.

FiveOuncesOfPain: Pratt has claimed to be between a purple and black belt in Gracie jiujitsu. Do you think there’s any legitimacy to his alleged skill level? Would you be willing to simply grapple against him or is the proposition of punching him in the face a necessity?

Chambers: To be completely honest I cannot attest to his actual rank. From my understanding, he has a purple belt from Kevin Casey. I’m not sure if the purple belt is even legit seeing as I’ve been told Kevin Casey gave himself a black belt. If Spencer was interested in a jiujitsu match I’d be more than happy to oblige.

FiveOuncesOfPain: How realistic do you think a scenario featuring you vs. him under Mixed Martial Arts rules actually is? Have you gotten any feedback from his representatives?

Chambers: Naturally there will be hindrances. I have over twenty fights; he has none (unless you count the time he jumped a kid in a bar…in that case I’d have to say he is at least 1-0). If this came to fruition I am sure we would have to fight somewhere like an Indian Reservation or overseas.

FiveOuncesOfPain: How would you see the fight unfolding if it actually took place?

Chambers: I hope it does…or at least a jits match. I think that it’s the perfect storm so to speak. He runs his mouth, reps being a “fighter” and general “tough guy”, runs his mouth 24/7, and isn’t the most liked person. When the situation was posed to me, my thought was, “Hey, this could be a great way to raise some money for charity.”

FiveOuncesOfPain: More painful to endure – a successfully implemented knee/ankle lock or Heidi Montag’s singing?

Chambers: *laughs* One can tear apart your knee, the other can tear apart your ears. So the question becomes, would you rather be crippled or deaf? I’ve had knee injuries so I’ll take listening to Heidi sing.

FiveOuncesOfPain: On a “real world” subject, fans recently saw you alongside Jon Anik at the Bellator Fighting Championships announce table. Any updates on the second season of Bellator?

Chambers: Nothing more than has been made public by Bjorn (Rebney – Bellator CEO). We have locked in two more seasons of shows which will follow the tournament format of Season One. Season Two will feature twelve weeks of live MMA shows followed almost directly by Season Three with another twelve live shows. The tourney format is fantastic. It’s something that I really missed as a fighter and fan. It speaks to the core of what this sport should be. The best fighting, the best opportunity created, and not manipulated.

FiveOuncesOfPain: As both an actor and Mixed Martial Artist, what is your opinion on the subject of “Rampage” Jackson’s fallout with the UFC over his role in “A-Team”?

Chambers: At the end of the day I think you have to look out for #1. “Rampage” had a difficult decision to make and he went with what he felt was going to behoove him the most.

FiveOuncesOfPain: Are there any other projects you’re working on or sponsors that you’d like to mention? Any final words on the subject of Spencer Pratt?

Chambers: I have a few projects I am working on but nothing I can disclose yet. Regarding Pratt, at the very least I’d like to know that he will stop to think before he runs his mouth.

FiveOuncesOfPain: Thanks for your time Jason. Best of luck with Bellator, as well as with your other endeavors. The public at large is definitely ready to see Spencer Pratt on the wrong end of a punch.

—

UPDATE: Since the completion of this interview, Chambers has stated, “Spencer Pratt agrees to fight???!!! I got a text message today that said he’s interested in setting this up! More details to come.”

Fans in Edmonton attending Friday night’s MFC 22 were treated to a night of exciting action helping the show live up to its formal name – “Payoff”. With a main card featuring a plethora of fighters previously calling the UFC home, including a headlining bout between Jason MacDonald and Travis Lutter, the event had it’s share of both highlights and lowlights for those with Octagon experience.

After struggling through a first round littered with successful takedown attempts, as well as a few well-placed knees to the body, Pete Spratt landed a devastating uppercut on opponent Nathan Gunn in the second round which provided the first blemish on the young fighter’s previously pristine record. The knockout improved Spratt’s professional record to 20-15.

Marvin Eastman stepped into the ring at the same weight as his scheduled competition for the evening, Ryan Jimmo, but appeared to be quite a bit smaller based on a five-inch height differential. The two felt each other out for a few minutes before Jimmo was able to lock up Eastman’s body and deliver a series of knees to his core.

The second round featured more of the same technique with little change in approach from the man otherwise known as “Beastman” until he was able to land a takedown on Jimmo and work some mild ground-and-pound from the top.

After apparently splitting the first two frames with Jimmo, Eastman was able to take control in the third with his superior wrestling ability, but it was the Canadian who instead took home the split decision thanks to what some fans might have seen as a “hometown” decision from the judges.

In a battle of power vs. technique, former Ultimate Fighter contestant Mike Nickels took on a man who had the unfortunate distinction of not only being ragdolled by Tim Boestch in the UFC, but was also involved in a match against current UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida that Zuffa pulled from a European PPV broadcast, and an extended choke that cost Renato Sobral his job with the UFC.

Friday night was a bit less conspicuous for Heath, who was able to fend off most of Nickels’ stand-up attempts before being rocked by a few hard shots in the second round. After receiving a warning for his mouthguard falling out multiple times, Heath did his best Rocky Balboa impression and went toe-to-toe with Nickels, at some points even baiting the tattooed Coloradan in for a shot or two. However, though the first fourteen minutes of the contest took place on the fighters’ feet, the finish came on the ground with Nickels finally getting Heath to the mat and locking in a Rear Naked Choke.

American Top Team’s Luigi Fioravanti faced XTreme Couture’s John Alessio in a battle for the rights to an official winning streak, as both are 1-1 in their last two fights with first-round finishes in the “W”.

In the end it was Alessio who walked away with the second consecutive victory, the win a courtesy of a well-timed right hand which left the former Marine Fioravanti laid out on his back.

In what was originally scheduled to be a clash for the MFC Lightweight Championship, Antonio McKee instead locked up with Carlos Prater without any gold on the line due to Prater’s inability to weigh in at 155 pounds.

McKee dominated the bulk of the first round, as well as the second and third, with grappling acumen and ground striking. Coupled with Prater’s relatively poor performance, the ground and pound in addition to a smattering of stand-up led to an obvious win on the judges’ scorecards and brought McKee’s total career decision wins to eighteen of twenty-three total victories.

Perhaps the most notorious Mixed Martial Artist known for not making weight in a previously scheduled title fight, Travis Lutter, entered the ring hoping to have a better showing than he did against Anderson Silva by preventing Canadian Jason MacDonald from improving his MFC record to a perfect 11-0.

Lutter was able to gain MacDonald’s back in the middle of the first but his foe was able to fend off the former TUF champion’s strikes and submission attempts.

The second stanza saw Lutter using his top-level grappling skills to again hold MacDonald on the canvas, eventually even mounting “The Athlete” in the process, but he did little once the dominant position was secured.

The local crowd had a bit more to cheer about in the third round when MacDonald ended up in half-guard after a successful takedown to deliver some minor ground and pound, but the bit of offense was too little too late, and Lutter was able to survive long enough to take home the decision victory.

Below are full list of results from MFC 22:

Joe Christopher def. Andrew Buckland – Submission – RD 1
Jason Heit def. Paapa Inkumsha – TKO – RD 2
Dwayne Lewis def. Jared Kilkenny – TKO – RD 1
Nick Hrynchshyn def. Jesse MacDougall – TKO – RD 2
Pete Spratt def. Nathan Gunn – KO – RD 2
Ryan Jimmo def. Marvin Eastman – Split Decision
Mike Nickels def. David Heath – Submission – RD 3
John Alessio def. Luigi Fioravanti – KO – RD 2
Antonio McKee def. Carlos Prater – Unanimous Decision
Travis Lutter def. Jason MacDonald – Unanimous Decision

Is Quinton Jackson really retiring the chain and howl in favor of lights, camera, and choreographed action? Will “Shogun” Rua see the fourth round against Lyoto Machida? Should John McCarthy have been approved as a referee in Nevada regardless of NSAC policy? Herschel Walker? Really? Really?!?

Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay! Thanks for the click, as you’ve either stumbled across the hottest sensation on the internet not associated with cute, immobile puppies or are a returning customer to “Grappling with Issues”, Five Ounces of Pain’s home for original content in an unoriginal format. As is the case every week, GWI will bring you the take of a guest commentator on six topics plucked from the MMA landscape, as well as my own spin on the subject matter at hand. This edition’s contributor is an interesting fellow who I can only assume is related to a fabulous list of historical figures including great-great-grandpappy Jesse and distant cousin LeBron – it’s Dustin James, b****! Dustin helps keep all you fine folks up to date with his news pieces. Join him, as he steps away from the comfy confines of un-opinionated journalism to the seedy realm of op-ed, won’t you?

Buy/Sell – “Rampage” Jackson has made his last appearance inside the Octagon.

Dustin James: Sell. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s current problems with the UFC are the same sort of problems that Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz have had with the UFC in the past. It’s just a matter of the fighter feeling as though the company is somehow disrespecting them. If you read the posts made by “Rampage” on his personal website then you can kind of see where he’s coming from. Jackson’s main problem with Dana White and the UFC is the fact that they refused to back him up after he managed to score his role of a lifetime in the upcoming “A-Team” movie. After busting his ass for the UFC the last few years, Jackson thought the company would be supportive of him in his decision to head to Hollywood. However, Dana White and the UFC were pretty much just the opposite of that. White has gone on record stating that he hates it when his fighters try to branch out and do something different and that made “Rampage” a little mad. I can totally understand where both sides are coming from here. Dana thinks that fighters should “stick to fighting”, but Jackson knows that he’s not going to be fighting much longer (if he wants to stay healthy) and he needs to help expand the “Rampage” franchise as much as he can in case he decides to retire within the next few years. This is just a case of both sides saying “you need me more than I need you”. In the end I think it’s all going to be resolved and I truly believe we will see “Rampage” vs. Rashad Evans in either March or April of 2010.

Brendhan Conlan: I pity the fool who doesn’t think this is a “sell”. Quinton Jackson and Dana White are cut from a similar cloth and their similarity in certain regards contributed to this entire fiasco taking place. Both men wear their emotions on their sleeves and neither is known for possessing a proverbial filter preventing them from translating private thought into public statement. While some people find those to be endearing characteristics, others question why two highly-paid professionals aren’t more careful when it comes to saying unnecessary things that might ultimately have negative consequences. In terms of Jackson’s alleged retirement and the circumstances behind it, I’d say the latter group is a bit more on point as I believe both White and “Rampage” are verbally writing checks neither is willing to cash.

The UFC President knows Jackson is good for business or else he wouldn’t have structured a second Ultimate Fighter around his fight with Rashad Evans. On the other hand, the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion has fighting in his blood and faces strong odds in terms of breaking into mainstream Hollywood. He has bills to pay and a competitive fire burning inside him. Both Jackson and White need each other, especially given the potential selling power of a future bout featuring “B.A. Baracus”. My prediction is that a meeting or two behind closed doors will take place, perhaps at the urging of a Fertitta brother, and Jackson will be back in the Octagon within nine months (say, June 2010 when the movie comes out).

Should people read anything into Nevada’s decision to deny “Big” John McCarthy’s application or is it in reality a non-story?

James: Yes, people should read something into this story and it actually IS pretty big news. For those of you who don’t remember, McCarthy retired from officiating back in December of 2007 in order to pursue other MMA-related jobs. Once he retired, McCarthy was very critical of MMA officiating and that didn’t sit too well with Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. So what happens once McCarthy goes to reapply for a license in Nevada? He gets turned down because Nevada “[does] not anticipate adding any additional referees at this time.” Is that really a legit excuse for not giving “Big” John his license? Is Keith Kizer so upset with McCarthy’s comments regarding MMA officiating that he refuses to license the man in the state of Nevada? McCarthy is widely regarded as one of the best (if not the best) MMA officials of all-time and in my opinion, the commission should suck it up and license the man. Besides, who hasn’t been openly critical about MMA officiating in the past? It’s something people are always going to argue about in life and the NSAC needs to learn how to deal with it.

Conlan: It’s a non-story. Sadly, life in the public sector is a steady dose of policy first, common sense second. If the NSAC is truly not adding additional referees – and I’ve yet to see any evidence to the contrary – then they cannot make an exception for McCarthy no matter how much we’d like to see him “get it on” in Nevada. In fact, if he had received unique treatment, the commission would open themselves up to the possibility of litigation from other applicants who were brushed over in favor of McCarthy’s popularity. Likewise, if the NSAC denied “Big” John his license based on personal reasons while approving others’ submissions, he would be in a position to potentially sue them for discrimination. Government entities can’t afford to play around when it comes to matters like that.

Worst transaction involving Herschel Walker – Strikeforce signing him at age 47 or the Minnesota Vikings trade with the Dallas Cowboys to obtain his rights?

James: Are you kidding me here? This shouldn’t even be a question! While Strikeforce may be doing something entirely stupid by bringing in an untested 50-year old Herschel Walker to fight, it’s nothing compared to what the Minnesota Vikings did back in 1989. I don’t know how many of you are NFL fans, but for those of you who hate football…just bare with me here. NFL trades are rare. It’s not often you see a trade in the NFL, but every now and then you get a blockbuster trade like “Champ Bailey for Clinton Portis” (don’t even get me started on how stupid is to trade a star CB for a star RB). Well, when the Minnesota Vikings traded for Herschel Walker, it may have well been the stupidest trade of all-time. By trading Walker, the Cowboys ended up getting FIVE players and EIGHT draft picks! That’s right….EIGHT DRAFT PICKS! You know what the Cowboys did with those EIGHT draft picks? Well, they used two of them to draft Emmitt Smith and Darren Woodson. Perhaps you have heard of those guys? With this trade, the Vikings pretty much helped the Cowboys become a little “dynasty” in the early 1990’s. Not only that, but Sports Illustrated recently proclaimed this trade as the #1 WORST SPORTS TRADE OF ALL-TIME! I dare you to try and tell me that the “worst sports trade of all-time” is a worst transaction then bringing Walker in to try and compete in an MMA fight. If Walker gets knocked out in 10 seconds, it still gives Strikeforce a little bit of publicity so how is that a bad thing? In my opinion, you can’t even compare the two…..

Brendhan Conlan: Oh, but I can and I will! Strikeforce’s signing will never be viewed with the same infamy as the Vikings/Cowboys trade, but in large part that’s due to the fact football is far more popular than MMA and the NFL is a global brand in comparison to Strikeforce, a company still trying to find firm footing on American soil. That being said, what it boils down to for me is the amount of positive derived from each individual situation (or potential positive since Walker hasn’t even fought yet). Sure, the Cowboys made out like bandits and helped carry the NFL to new heights as they laid claim to the title of “America’s Team” while the Vikings only received a player with average statistics for three seasons. But still, the NFL won, the Cowboys won, and the Vikings…well, at least they made the playoffs in 1989. The only positive I see thus far from his deal with Strikeforce is the mild attention it has receive from the mainstream sports media, much of which has been in the vein of comic amusement rather than legitimate interest in what Walker brings to the table. He’s a 47 year old with no professional fighting experience. Trading away your self-respect for a cheap blurb in news, as Strikeforce has in this situation, will forever remain a worst transaction in my mind than a football team sacrificing any amount of draft picks.

How interested are you in seeing Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva eventually sign with an American promotion?

James: I have to admit, I’m a little interested in seeing if “Bigfoot” finally signs with an American promotion after that huge steroid debacle from last year. I’m very intrigued as to how Silva would do if he were in the UFC. Just admit it, you are intrigued as well! While the UFC continues to say that the heavyweight division is the “best it’s been in years”, by adding someone like Silva it could only help to improve the division. Silva may have tested positive for steroids last year, but everyone deserves a second chance (right Josh Barnett?) and Silva should get one as well. “Bigfoot” is an incredible 13-1 in MMA, was the first (and last) EliteXC heavyweight champion, and hasn’t really been tested in his MMA career. I’d love to see how the man fares against challengers like Cain Velasquez, Shane Carwin, and hell, even Brock Lesnar. My gut feeling tells me that Silva would bomb in the UFC but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to see it. The main problem with getting Silva in the UFC (or even in Strikeforce) would be finding an athletic commission willing to license him. I’m sure Silva angered more than a few people when he decided to fight in Japan after the CSAC decided to suspend him for a year for that failed drug test. One thing you don’t want to do is piss off an athletic commission, just ask “Big” John McCarthy.

Conlan: I’m extremely interested in seeing him compete in the United States, as I also am with every MMA standout currently calling Japan their professional home. Silva, at 13-1, is a great technician for someone with his size and has decent power as well. I don’t think the steroid issue should come into play since his last fight on American soil took place eighteen months ago and the standard suspension for anabolic agents is only a year. It might be harder for him to get licensed in California than other States based on the positive test occurring there, but I seem to recall a guy named Vitor Belfort doing something similar in 2006, then going overseas for a little less than two years before returning to fight Terry Martin at “Affliction: Banned”. How’s “The Phenom” doing at the moment? And oooh….check out that smooth transition into the next topic…

Is Vitor Belfort’s title shot well-deserved or evidence that UFC contendership is based on marketability, not one’s accomplishments inside the Octagon?

James: Vitor Belfort’s shot at the UFC middleweight title is not well deserved and IS based on marketability. Maybe it’s just me, but I thought you had to win at least ONE fight in the UFC’s particular weight division in order to earn a title shot? While Belfort has looked tremendous in his last two fights (defeating both Rich Franklin and Matt Lindland via first round KO’s), does that REALLY mean the man has earned a title shot in the UFC? Are we saying that Belfort earned a UFC middleweight title shot since he defeated Lindland while in another MMA promotion and then came in and beat Franklin at 195lbs? Is that really more impressive than Dan Henderson’s wins over Michael Bisping, Rich Franklin, and Rousimar Palhares? Is it MUCH more impressive than Nate Marquardt’s wins over Martin Kampmann and the previously undefeated Demian Maia? Are is this just a case of the UFC running out of challengers for Anderson Silva so they want to bring in someone who is a “name” that hasn’t fought Silva yet? DING DING! We have a winner folks! The UFC desperately needs to release a set of official rankings so the fans know exactly where the fighters stand in the eyes of the promotion. Otherwise we will continue to remain confused when a guy like Belfort (who will have a hard time making weight….just watch) earns a title shot over the likes of Henderson, Marquardt, and Yushin Okami.

Conlan: Fans need to start admitting to themselves that the business of Mixed Martial Arts is becoming more and more like it’s half-retarded step-cousin, professional wrestling, with every passing day. That’s not a knock on the sport that the people reading this, as well as the one writing it, loves. It’s a statement on what creates interest from the masses and how catering to a broader audience (as opposed to a more-knowledgeable one) is a necessity in terms of a MMA promotion staying afloat. The reason Belfort received a title-shot is the same reason BJ Penn got a crack at St. Pierre’s championship after two consecutive losses in the welterweight division and Brock Lesnar was afforded the opportunity to maul Randy Couture in his fourth professional fight. Regardless of what Henderson and Marquardt have done, a bout between Belfort and Silva is “sexier” to advertisers, as well as “Zuffa Zombies”, than a rematch between “The Spider” and one of two men he’s already beaten with authority. Dana White might tell fans the company’s #1 priority is putting on the best fights possible but that’s a tagline, not an actual policy. The UFC is a business first and foremost and their top priority is turning a profit. Don’t ever forget that…well, except for when you fork out $44.95 to watch UFC 108.

Will Mauricio “Shogun” Rua make it into the championship rounds against Lyoto Machida at UFC 104?

James: As much as I like Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, I have to say the man will be lucky to get out of the third round when he faces Machida. Actually, if you ask the majority of MMA experts, they are actually still bewildered at how the UFC decided to give Rua a shot at the title considering he’s been less-than-impressive since making his UFC debut at UFC 76 in a losing effort to Forrest Griffin. I personally can’t see how Rua will be the one to finally solve the mystery known as “Lyoto Machida” when he struggled with the likes of Mark Coleman back at UFC 93. When I play the fight out in my mind, it goes something like this. Lots of stalling at first, “Shogun” finally gets brave and decides to push the action against Machida (doesn’t everyone?) and ends up getting caught which costs him the fight. It will more than likely play out just like every other Machida fight has played out the last few years….with Machida on top. I just can’t see how “Shogun” picks up the victory here considering Machida has the advantage everywhere. Can we just bribe Machida and Anderson Silva with TONS of cash so that those two will finally square off? It’s the one fight that I’d like to see the most in the UFC, but since the two are “BFF’s”, I doubt we will ever get to see it.

Conlan: The answer to this question lies in which Rua will show up to UFC 104. Will he be the out of shape “Shogun” whose made an appearance or two as of late or will he be the crisp, technical fighter that fans became familiar with during his run in PRIDE? The further away Rua gets from the significant injuries he’s sustained over the past three years, the better the odds are he may return to form (albeit one free of soccer kicks and stomps). Still, Machida has been so ridiculously impressive in his last three fights it’s hard to envision many scenarios where Rua of 2009 lasts more than fifteen minutes against him.

I don’t see “The Dragon” getting submitted regardless of how slick his fellow Brazilian’s jiujitsu is. The Triangle Choke that Tito Ortiz locked on in their 2008 fight was as close as he’s come to tapping out and, according to Machida, the attempt was as surprising to him as it was to fans. He’ll be far more brushed up on BJJ come UFC 104 based on Rua’s skill-set. In terms of striking I think “Shogun” has more potential for landing the one-shot knockout, but he throws a bit wildly and I can see Machida taking advantage with superior footwork and the angles he chooses to attack from. The only “X” factor I see involved is the possibility Machida fights tentatively because of the championship’s involvement, as hoisting up promotional gold can definitely affect the way a Mixed Martial Artist approaches training and in-ring implementation. However, I think Machida will elude any negativity associated with the pressure of being champion, show up as good as he’s ever been, and walk away with the first successful defense of the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship since “Rampage” Jackson beat Dan Henderson more than two years ago.

Is it time for “Cro Cop” to grow out the flat-top and call it a career? How close is Gray Maynard to a championship bout? Should Vitor Belfort get a shot at Anderson Silva’s belt after his “Phenom”-enal performance against Rich Franklin? Will the remaining puns in this article be as bad as Quinton Jackson’s stint as a TUF coach or stink to “Wagner vs. Madsen” proportions? Read ahead to find out!

After the positive response from last week’s column, and a crisp twenty-dollar bill to 5 Oz. Editor Cory Brady, “Grappling with Issues” is back for another run at op-ed dominance! As always, we’ll be discussing six savory subjects from the MMA landscape ranging from silly to serious. Joining me this week to spice up things is Five Ounces of Pain’s very own John Curry. Curry can be found submitting the occasional interview, event review, or general opinion on any given topic in the wild world of Mixed Martial Arts.

1. Fact or Fiction – Gray Maynard is one win away from a shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship.

John Curry: Fiction. While Maynard is on a roll, reeling off six straight wins since his No Contest with Rob Emerson at the Ultimate Fighter 5 finale, none of his wins have been jaw dropping impressive. It has been two years since Maynard actually finished a fight. I am still a purist in terms of accepting decisions as an acceptable means of winning and dictating fighter quality. However, I do want to see a guy who can finish a fight. I was completely against Machida until I saw him KO Rashad Evans. That right there proved to me that Machida was championship caliber. I think Maynard is still one or two fights away from proving to me that he can handle a champion, be it Diego Sanchez, BJ Penn, Kenny Florian or whoever. I wouldn’t mind seeing Gray Maynard vs. Kenny Florian. If Maynard could finish Florian, I would give him props and stump for his chance at the Lightweight title.

Brendhan Conlan: Fact. While he may not be the most exciting option for contendership once Diego Sanchez gets his crack at Penn’s belt, it’s almost impossible to argue against Gray Maynard’s production in the Octagon. He’s won six of his seven appearances inside the eight-sided cage and would be batting 1.000 if he hadn’t knocked himself out in the process of finishing Rob Emerson off with a slam. His last four opponents have a combined record of 78-21 and three of them are widely considered amongst the top twenty lightweights in Mixed Martial Arts. The UFC doesn’t currently have any other 155-pounder under contract who can boast similar accomplishments while also laying claim to an undefeated record. If Maynard can score another win over one of his ranked peers, and assuming the UFC doesn’t sign someone like Eddie Alvarez or Shinya Aoki in the next six months, I think “The Bully” is a lock for a title-shot. The winner of Florian/Guida, XTreme Couture teammate Tyson Griffin, or former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk would all be suitable opponents.

2. Is Tim Sylvia once again a relevant heavyweight after taking home a first-round TKO win over Jason Riley at Adrenaline IV?

Curry: No. No. No. Sylvia is not relevant whatsoever in the Heavyweight Division. I am sorry to say it considering “The Maine-iac” was one of my favorite fighters during the late 90’s to early 2000’s. The truth is Tim’s loss to Fedor was not a blemish on his record because it was against Fedor. Even the speed in which he lost was not hurt that bad. It was the fact that Ray Mercer beat Tim faster that Fedor that destroyed his relevancy. Not only did Tim get beat he was knocked unconscious at a local house show against an overage former boxer who is new to the sport. Combine this with Tim’s obvious nonchalant approach to fighting anymore, namely his weight gain and lack of conditioning, and you have a guy who has no plans to ever fight for a major heavyweight title. I hope that I am just being too hard on Tim and the rough patch that has plagued him for the past two years or so has passed and Tim is going to set his sights higher than fighting at Fairs with the occasional Adrenaline paycheck thrown in.

Conlan: No, but only because he never stopped being a relevant heavyweight. Beyond the difference in our reasoning I can’t disagree with anything else Curry is saying. Yes, Ray Mercer snatched victory from him faster than a coyote nabbing Jessica Simpson’s Maltipoo. Yes, his conditioning since losing to Fedor Emelianenko should have his fans as concerned about his future as Rascal Scooter executives are thrilled about the marketing possibilities. But facts are facts and “The Maine-iac” is still a two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion with the ability to render his opponents unconscious in highlight reel fashion. Sylvia is also a polarizing figure, meaning that whether MMA fans want to bask in his past accomplishments or would rather see him fall flat on his face instead, they’ll still buy tickets to see him compete. I’d wager you could put Tim-meh in a lineup that included Fedor Emelianenko, Cain Velasquez, Shane Carwin, Junior Dos Santos, and “Minotauro” Nogueira the first person an average schmo would recognize is Sylvia. That in itself says all you need to know when considering whether or not he is a “relevant” heavyweight (or ever ceased to be one).

3. Should the UFC be more concerned about Strikeforce’s November 7th event than they have been about any other MMA event to date?

Curry: This is a tricky question because the question is should the UFC be concerned about the November 7th event not what about the November 7th Strikeforce event should the UFC be concerned about. Should the UFC be concerned about the November 7th event, no. The card is being built around Fedor vs. Brett Rogers. Ask any casual MMA fan who either of those guys are and you will probably get a very cold response. If the UFC decides to air a “special” TUF with a red herring about Kimbo fighting at the same time as the Strikeforce event, I guarantee that the UFC will pull in almost a majority of the fans who might have tuned in to see the Strikeforce event on CBS. The biggest problem that Strikeforce has selling the public on primetime is going to the failure of EliteXC to put on a decent show on CBS and the kinks that needed worked out of the Showtime shows. If Strikeforce runs 40 minutes early, CBS will cut them immediately. The marketing is bare to nonexistent and what little marketing there is not geared to bringing in the casual fans who know UFC but not Strikeforce. Until Strikeforce learns to capture the attitude that the UFC has or even what the WWE used to have, they are always going to play second fiddle to the UFC.

Conlan: Yes, they should. Does that mean Dana White should put protective booties over his thousand-dollar loafers on November 7th to avoid soiling them when the card airs? Absolutely not. If by “casual MMA fan” Curry is referring to a “Zuffa Zombie”, i.e. an individual whose knowledge of the sport is limited to what they’ve seen on Spike TV, then of course their interest in two men who have never fought in the Octagon might be lacking (even though Fedor has been shown nearly unanimous respect by UFC fighters/announcers in interviews and on broadcasts). However, most people I know that follow Mixed Martial Arts to a lesser extent than I do are definitely aware of Emelianenko’s accomplishments and if they don’t know who Brett Rogers is they do know who the “big black dude with the Mohawk that knocks people out” is.

Let’s also not forget MTV’s Jason “Mayhem” Miller will be taking on Jake Shields, Cris “Cyborg” Santos is rumored to be in action, and there are a ton of other marketable, highly-skilled fighters Strikeforce can pull from to round out the card (Robbie Lawler, Gegard Mousasi, Kazuo Misaki, Gilbert Melendez, Josh Thomson, etc.), not to mention their cross-promotional relationship with DREAM. As long as they’re able to avoid the same injury bug that nearly decimated their last event I think Strikeforce could make a significant impression on anyone who tunes in to the broadcast. Getting rid of the poorly constructed CGI-skeletons would also be a positive thing where viewer buy-in is concerned but I digress. While the November show won’t be grounds to put Frank Fertitta on a Palace Station ledge it should still be of great concern to the UFC that a real MMA promotion – not the $kala-infested EliteXC – is showcasing genuine talent on network television instead of attempting to build a business around Kimbo Slice.

4. Over/Under/Push – Mirko Filipovic will beat one more “Top 10” opponent before calling it a career.

Conlan: Under. Most fighters will tell you that a battle can be lost before a single punch has been thrown depending on what an individual’s mental state is. It appears clear Mirko is at a point in his career where he has doubts about his ability as a top-level fighter. And frankly, when you’re an athlete who has accomplished what “Cro Cop” has, you don’t necessarily want to keep competing when you’ve become an afterthought in the sport. “Pride” isn’t just the name of a Japanese MMA promotion he used to fight for if you know what I’m sayin.

I believe Filipovic has stated he wants to fight one more time before retiring and mentioned Japan in the same breath, but I’d actually like to see him step into the Octagon with Randy Couture before heading overseas and hanging up his checkered shorts. I know “The Natural” is set to fight Vera at UFC 105 in November but there’s no reason the bout couldn’t come together in early 2010. Couture vs. “Cro Cop” is a fight that fans have wanted to see for a long time and delivering a battle between the PRIDE vs. UFC icons could be a nice farewell from Filipovic to his followers. As far as a win over “Top 10” competition I don’t see it happening, though that isn’t to say that’s a bad thing since there are plenty of interesting heavyweights outside of the UFC (Andrei Arlovski, Bobby Lashley, “King” Mo Lawal, etc.), plus a rematch with Fedor Emelianenko on New Year’s Eve wouldn’t be too shabby either.

Curry: Under. Cro-Cop is done. The guy is having difficulty just finding the will to fight anyone these days. I watch him fight and am reminded of Mickey Rourke’s character in The Wrestler. A guy who at one time had the glory of being considered one of the best heavyweight fighters in the world, often just after Fedor, who millions of fans looked up to and adored. The truth is Cro-Cop is essentially an outdated fighter in the cage. No longer do his opponents fear his kicks because they know that he is not as well rounded of a fighter as many of the “modern” heavyweights. I think that, given his post-loss conversation, Cro-cop knows that he is too old and not dedicated enough anymore to go back to the drawing board and start picking up new skills.

5. In lieu of his three-minute, TKO victory over Rich Franklin at UFC 103, should Vitor Belfort leapfrog Dan Henderson and Nate Marquardt in terms of contendership for Anderson Silva’s middleweight championship?

Conlan: Absolutely not. In fact, he hasn’t even fought at 185-pounds in the UFC as far as I know. Why not have Marquardt or Henderson face Belfort to help clarify the situation first? Sure, that would leave one of the two an odd man out, but I’d have no problem seeing the third wheel face someone like Yoshishiro Akiyama or Yushin Okami in the interim.

I also want to add that while I’m not necessarily a Franklin homer, there is little doubt in my mind that Belfort’s win over him was influenced by at least one brutal shot to the back of his head. “Ace” may have been done before that and perhaps it had little effect on the outcome but the strike was clear on the replay and definitely of a nature that could do more damage than a regular punch.

Curry: No. While many people will say that both Henderson and Marquardt both lost to Silva before while Belfort has not which makes him more deserving than either of those guys, I think Henderson is the guy who is most deserving of the fight if he can beat Marquardt and vice-versa. From a PPV perspective, the money is in the Silva vs. Belfort fight. There is nothing better than a fight between friends that are familiar with each other’s fighting style. The question is how to pick a winner between these three when Marquardt vs. Henderson was supposed to dictate the next championship challenger. Would it be fair for Zuffa and the UFC to bump the winner into a fight against Belfort to determine number 1 contender status?? No.

6. More embarrassing element of the Ultimate Fighter Season 10 debut – Abe Wagner’s lackluster display in the cage or Quinton Jackson’s comical attempt at coaching?

Conlan: I’ve got to go with Wagner’s deer-in-headlights beatdown. While I understand “Rampage” may not have been the most articulate coach, and certainly never told Abe anything as profound as “hit him with your groin” or “breeeeeeeeeeeeeathe Drago, breeeeeeeeeathe”, I don’t expect much from Quinton in that department. He’s there to be a talented fighter with an extremely charismatic personality, not Greg Jackson, Matt Serra, Mark Dellagrotte, or anyone who manages his own high-level training center. Wagner was there to be a fighter and fight he did not. Massive respect to him for continuing with the canyon Madsen cut into his forehead though.

Curry: Easily Abe Wagner’s lackluster display in the cage. I have never seen a guy lay there and take that kind of ass whooping without any intentions of turning the fight around. Wagner just stayed in open guard and let himself be destroyed, earning easily one of the sickest lacerations MMA has ever seen. I really don’t see what the problem is with Rampage’s coaching that many others are talking about. He sat there and told him that he needed to get up, to turn in, to throw elbows and punches from the bottom. Between the rounds he told him exactly what would happen. He is going to try to take you down immediately, keep your distance. Did Abe listen to any of this, not one thing. I can’t blame Rampage for walking off. The Ultimate Fighter was supposed to be about the best unseen or unsigned talent fighter for that one position, and while it has drifted away from that, Abe Wagner showed he was nowhere near ready for this level of competition.

Quinton Jackson has been involved in countless battles throughout his life but perhaps none as important as his ongoing feud with UFC President Dana White and Rashad Evans. On the heels of comments from both White and Evans, who were in turn responding to Jackson’s recent decision to leave Mixed Martial Arts for acting, “Rampage” once again took to his blog to fire back some criticism of his own.

In his most recent posting, Jackson again referred to a feeling of gross disrespect on the part of White and made it clear that, in reference to Evans’ statement about fighting for free, he would “gladly meet him at any gym and fight him just to shut his mouth up.” The following is the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion’s word-for-word take:

Make no mistake the UFC treated me a lot better than Pride. If you get hurt in training in a UFC fight then will send you to the best doctors. If you get hurt in a Pride fight most of the time they will tell me “oh you better take care of that!” The UFC will always let you know in a timely matter who you will be fighting & give you enough time to train but with Pride if I knew 4 weeks ahead I would be happy cause most times they just give you a 2 weeks notice. Pride will rip you off on your merchandising but the UFC would find someway to hook you up on merchandising deals. Pride will make fights easier for certain fighters inside the ring (like standing up fights early). With the UFC whatever happens, happens. The only thing I see the UFC needs to fix in this area is to get better judges. Ones who know about MMA & not from the boxing world.

The reason why I’m talking about all this is that I feel like this whole situation could have been avoided if UFC would have respected me more & rescheduled the fight about a month or more in my hometown, which I know fights can be rescheduled because of the Matt Hughes & Matt Serra was postponed due to injuries. Instead, Dana went on the internet and started talking bad about my decision. All we had to do was come to a certain type of agreement or understanding, which later came after a lot of trash talk from Dana. My manager flew to Vegas and talked to them and tried to work things out like a MAN. And still I keep quiet and I didn’t talk trash back on the internet. The only reason why I’m even talking now is because I feel like I owe my fans an explanation because I am a MAN…a real MAN. Yeah, I made good money with the UFC – more than Pride – but I made both shows more money than they made me. I didn’t care too much about Pride treating me like crap cause I was an American in a Japanese company. Now in my own country, I feel like I’m being disrespected. Everything is not about how much money you make. You could be the richest man in the world but if nobody respects you then it don’t mean shit. You can’t buy respect. It should be earned. And that’s what I’m all about.

Now Rashad wanna put his two cents in. Rashad remains to be a boy under me. He wins a few fights, and some of them I thought the judges fell asleep during the fight and woke up and saw him playing with his nipples and guessed he won. He knocked Chuck Liddell out when Chuck wasn’t even the same man anymore. And now he thinks he’s on my level. Yeah he talks about how he beat Forrest and I lost. But when I fought Forrest that was the worst Rampage I had ever seen. And I still know in my heart I won that fight. So now he’s Mr. All Cocky and says I got a big mouth and talk a lot of smack. If my memory serves me correctly, he’s the one that got into my face after the Jardine fight and started talking trash when he was the one that was originally supposed to fight me that night, but he told Dana on the phone he didn’t want to fight. He wanted to keep his belt longer. Now, I’m not saying whether or not I would have beaten Machida, but I wouldn’t have went out like a bitch like the way he did. So I’m the one that was looking forward to the Rashad fight the most. I have always been a fighter my whole life. As a kid my family treated me like shit which made me the person who I am today. This is why when I meet people I treat people the way I want to be treated (unless they approach me wrong or piss me off). I grew up thinking that I wasn’t even important to my family which made me not even care about myself. That’s why I can get knee-ed in the face fifteen times and come back for more. That’s why I can get my legs seriously hurt in a fight and still try to win. That’s why I can get my ribs broken in a fight &andnot tap out because my whole life I never thought I mattered to anybody or anybody cared about me. But now I have kids that love me and care about me and I’m not used to people caring about me but it feels good! I’m a very loyal person. Wolves are the most loyal animals on the planet. I was very loyal to the UFC, but now I owe all my loyalty to my kids… the ones who really care for me. The majority of my fights on the street I fought for free and they all were with emotion. I am a fighter, I will always be a fighter but my professional fights that were fought with emotion, I ended them all in devastating fashion. I am the wrong fighter that should fight pissed off professionally. I don’t even consider it fair. So Rashad says he will fight me for free. I will gladly meet him at any gym & fight him just to shut his mouth up. And I mean that for real!

Fans at Saitama Super Arena were treated to a night of intense action as seven of the evening’s eleven scheduled bouts for Sengoku 10 saw one of the participants rendered unable to continue as the result of a KO/TKO.

While a few favorites found their hands raised at the end of things, the event was not without its share of upsets too.

Below is a full list of results from the event:

Jay Hyun So def. Ryosuke Komori – Judges’ Decision

Shigeki Osawa def. Ki Hyun Kim – Judges’ Decision

Ikuo Usuda def. Woo Hyon Baek – TKO – RD 1

Maximo Blanco def. Tetsuya Yamada – TKO – RD 2

Joe Doerksen def. Takenori Sato – TKO – RD 2

Dan Hornbuckle def. Nick Thompson – TKO – RD 2

Fabio Silva def. Ryo Kawamura – TKO (Corner Stoppage) – RD 1

Kazunori Yokota def. Ryan Schultz – KO – RD 1

Makoto Takimoto def. Jaw Sun lee – Judges’ Decision

Antonio Silva def. Jim York – Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) – RD 1

Antz Nansen def. Hiroshi Izumi – TKO – RD 1

In an announcement leaving many of his fans in shock, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson informed the world earlier today via his website that he is walking away from Mixed Martial Arts in order to concentrate on his acting career.

The former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion explained the primary motivation for his decision is a lack of respect on the part of UFC President Dana White, as well as a need to focus on providing for his family.

The following is Jackson’s word-for-word account of the situation:

The UFC has done a lot for me but I think I have done more for them. The UFC bought WFA to get my contract & they saved my life, so I felt loyal to them. They pushed me into a fight with Chuck Liddell even when I clearly stated I wasn’t ready to fight for the belt because the American fans didn’t know me but I took the fight and didn’t complain & after I won the American fans booed me for the first time which changed the way I saw them and it hurt me deeply.

Then before I can even get out of the cage they announced that I was fighting Dan Henderson without even asking me. After I beat Dan Henderson, I made history in becoming the first undisputed champion in MMA but was never even given the pride belt in the cage & I was never promoted as the undisputed champ. Later Anderson Silva was.

Then they had me coach TUF season 7 and fight Forrest and the fight was very controversial & normally when a fight is that close and controversial there is normally an instant replay. I can name a couple of instances. Instead they offered me the Wanderlei Silva fight which I gladly accepted even though I know it was a very risky fight for me to take because of all the drama that was happening to me at the time. I fought that fight with a jaw injury and then a couple weeks later Dana called me and asked me to fight Rashad. For the first time I said no, I didn’t want to fight because it was such short notice & I wouldn’t have had a long break between camps. Dana talked me into fighting Rashad anyway but Rashad refused the fight and so I had to fight Jardine as a favor to the UFC instead of getting my belt back (which wasn’t even worth it to me financially).

Then I reinjured my jaw in the fight with Wanderlei & Jardine. Frank Mir gets hurt so they wanted to switch my fight from UFC 100 to the fight Frank couldn’t make it to but I couldn’t fight cause I needed jaw surgery. So they give Machida the fight against Rashad & they told me they want me to coach TUF season 10 against Rashad. That’s why I wanted Rashad to win so bad but when Rashad got knocked out I told them I wanted to fight Machida for the belt but Dana told me if I coach TUF against Rashad that I could fight Machida afterwards cause this was a different type of ultimate fighter show they were doing. After I signed the contract Dana then changes his mind & says I have to fight Rashad & even told me what to say in the press and so my fans think I was scared to fight Machida. After all that I still never complained and I did it all.

Then this movie role came about that I have been trying to get for over a year and as soon as I found out I was close to getting it, I called Dana right away and asked to push the Memphis fight back just a month or so. I told him what this movie role meant to me. I told him that I used to bond with my father watching the TV show as a kid when my parents where still married & it represents the memories I had with my father when we lived together. My dad became an alcoholic and addicted to drugs and we grew apart. But after my dad got his life back together, I was so proud of my dad and I told him I would always take care of him in the future & make him proud of me. My dad and I are still very big fans of the show & I am basically doing this for the childhood memories I had spending time in front of the TV with my dad. Dana went on the internet & mocked me because of that and I still did nothing. Dana and I finally talked and we made up and then after that he went back on the internet and said some bullshit and he was talking bad about the movie when information is not even supposed to be released and talking about payments which is not even true could really hurt my future acting career, which could very well last longer than my fighting career. I’m not like Randy Couture. My body has been getting so many different injuries that I wont be able to fight until my forties and neither do I want to fight that long. So I feel like my second career could be in jeopardy… so I’m done fighting. I’ve been getting negative reviews from the dumb ass fans that don’t pay my bills or put my kids though college. So I’m hanging it up. I’m gonna miss all my loyal fans but hopefully they’ll follow me to my new career and I will gain more loyal fans along the way. And all you hater fans out there can kiss my big black hairy ass! And anybody that don’t like what I just said can come try to kick my ass!

I still feel the UFC is a great organization and I felt like I was very loyal to them but they didn’t respect my loyalty but I wish the UFC the best. I did a lot of things for them. I wish no bad blood between us but I have kids & a family back in Memphis to provide for and that’s all that matters to me!

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has announced a list of medical suspensions resulting from UFC 103, and it’s a long one.

In fact, each of the event’s participants were issued some sort of layoff from action, though only one, Mirko Filipovic, received more than a month-long mandated break from competition. “Cro Cop” has been suspended indefinitely due to the eye-injury he sustained against Junior Dos Santos which ultimately forced the former member of Croatian Parliament to verbally submit in what will likely be his final appearance inside the Octagon.

The remaining medical suspensions are as follows:

Vitor Belfort (9/27)
Rich Franklin (10/20)
Junior Dos Santos (9/29)
Paul Daley (9/27)
Martin Kampmann (10/20)
Josh Koscheck (9/27)
Frank Trigg (10/20)
Tyson Griffin (9/27)
Hermes Franca (10/20)
Efrain Escudero (9/27)
Cole Miller (10/20)
Tomasz Drwal (9/27)
Drew McFedries (9/27)
Jim Miller (9/27)
Steve Lopez (10/20)
Nick Lentz (9/29)
Rafaello Oliveira (9/29)
Rick Story (9/27)
Brian Foster (9/27)
Eliot Marshall (9/29)
Jason Brilz (9/29)
Vladimir Matyushenko (9/29)
Igor Pokrajac (9/29)
Rafael Dos Anjos (9/29)
Rob Emerson (9/29)

For Rick “The Horror” Story, this past Saturday night turned out to be more like a fairy tale come true than anything penned by Stephen King thanks to an additional six-figure payout he received beyond his regular contracted salary.

Story was awarded both “Submission of the Night” and “Fight of the Night” in lieu of his performance against Brian Foster at UFC 103. Each honor netted him $65,000. Vitor Belfort also pocketed an extra sixty-five thousand dollars for “Knockout of the Night” based on his first-round TKO victory over former UFC Champion Rich Franklin.

The summarized list of UFC 103 bonuses is as follows:

Fight of the Night – Rick Story vs. Brian Foster

Submission of the Night – Rick Story (Arm-Triangle Choke)

Knockout of the Night – Vitor Belfort