April 8 is the two year anniversary of the last Pride FC show, Pride 34. These things tend to make me nostalgic, especially when it comes to my favorite MMA promotion of all time. When I watch my library of old Pride DVDs, I am overcome with memorable moments, things that define the sport at the time for me. I tried to list ten of the more memorable characteristics that made Pride the spectacle we knew and loved. If I missed anything please leave your choices in the comments section below.

10. 40,000 screaming (at the proper time) Japanese fans – Japanese fans are some of the most knowledgeable and respectful fans in all of MMA. To watch 91,000 fans file into the Tokyo Dome for Pride Shockwave 2002 was both staggering and beautiful. It set the mood for a live event that the UFC has yet to reproduce.

9. “Screaming Pride Lady” Lenne Hardt – What can I say about Lenne? She moved from annoying to irreplaceable in one event for me. Lenne Hardt is an icon of Japanese MMA and helps contribute to the level of showmanship that sets Pride apart from all others.

8. Kazushi Sakuraba – The greatest Japanese MMA fighter of his generation, he was both an innovator and a ferocious competitor. Sakuraba fought the best of the best in his career, and never failed to put on a show. He may have been a victim of his own dominating and electric style, as with each win came a more impressive and larger opponent. Sakuraba was almost as well known for the punishment he took as for the wins he collected. Always a gentleman outside of the ring, his infectious personality made him even more of a fan favorite. To this day he is an icon of Japanese MMA and a true national treasure.

7. Any fight could happen at any time (Japanese match making) – Gotta love the Japanese. They can make any match up of fighters seem like a good idea. From Bob Sapp vs Big Nog to Butterbean vs Minowa, They can make the impossible possible, regardless of the fighters well being.

6. Bas Rutten and Stephen Quadros – In their hay-day, the best announcing duo the sport had ever seen. From Quadros’s logical approach to Rutten’s school-boy enthusiasm, they explained the sport while giving you the feeling you were watching it in a living room full of your pals.

5. Fight Posters – Some of the most amazing event poster themes ever made. They were modern day artwork and still populate my desktop background from time to time.

4. Pride theme music – The sound of the fight music and the winning fighter music still give me goose bumps. Nothing drove the point home to me how much the music had become part of my consciousness more than when Mirko Crocop walked out to it at his first UFC fight.

3. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic – Many iconic fighters came out of Pride FC, but none had such a dramatic turn from top of the heap with his win in the 2006 open weight tournament to his disappointing performance in the UFC.  Crocop had build a legend of epic proportions and earned his reputation as the deadliest striker in MMA. No other fighter offered such a mixed bag of feelings of both dread and wonder at the same time.

2. Chute Boxe vs. Brazilian Top Team – It was the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry of our sport. Two complete camps of fighters who hated each other with a passion. Two camps who fought both within the ring and in the locker room. The feelings were not manufactured, they were real and palpable. Whenever there was even a chance that a fighter from each group may run into each other, it immediately heightened the suspense. The pinnacle of the feud for me had to be when Murilo “Ninja” Rua fought Mario Sperry at Pride 20. You felt like the whole stadium would ignite at any moment as these two fought a back and forth battle. We may never see a rivalry between camps of this magnitude ever again.

1. Tournaments – The greatest memories for me from Pride center around their tournaments. A format we cannot support here in the states due to the athletic commissions, they pitted the best of the best against each other and allowed the cream to rise to the top. From Royce Gracie vs. Sakuraba in the 2000 Grand Prix, to Wanderlei Silva vs. Rampage in the 2003 Middleweight tournament final, they produced memorable fight after memorable fight. Although not a perfect answer for who was best at the time, they provided the matchups that conventional matchmaking would almost never supply.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com just got off of the telephone from the Ultimate Fight Night 18 conference call that took place this afternoon with the headliners of UFN 18, Martin Kampmann and Carlos Condit. Also in attendance to answer questions during the call were the coaches of TUF 9, Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping. Some relative highlights of the call are as follows:

Kampmann says he is used to welterweight now and is over the Marquardt loss.

Condit says fighting in the UFC is a natural progression for his career

Condit says the change to the new camp at Arizona combat sports is because he was burnt out at his old camp and that the guys at Arizona combat excel in areas that he wants to improve, mainly wrestling.

Condit is not worried about UFC jitters. Feels he has a lot of big fight experience.

Condit thinks Kampmann is tough and very well rounded. He hasn’t focused on anything in particular for Kampmann

Both fighters are excited to be headliners in Tennessee but think a fight is a fight.

Condit said it was a difficult decision to move to Arizona from New Mexico but he needed the change and has thought about it for years. He moved with his Fiancé and they are both settling in Arizona.

Kampmann likes living in the US but still likes to visit home. The UFC helps him maintain his work visa. He knew no one but Mike Pyle when he moved here, and he didn’t even know Pyle all that well.

Condit is confident with his new corner men. New school is a little more technical than old camp. Leaving his old camp was one of the hardest decisions he has ever made. He felt like he wasn’t improving and needed guys on his level to train with on a regular basis.

Kampmann thinks Condit’s length and BJJ can pose some problems but is not worried.

Does not feel previously fighting at middleweight won’t help because Condit is a large welterweight as well.

Both fighters like to watch tape on their opponents.

Kampmann thinks hardest part of training is cardio. In his words, it “sucks”.

Condit thinks staying mentally focused throughout the whole training camp is the hardest part.

Condit thinks he has improved over his 8 month layoff and it hasn’t hindered him.

Condit thinks coming from a champ in the WEC to just another fighter in the UFC gives him less pressure.

Kampmann had other offers to fight sooner than this but his Mom came to visit and requested an April fight and was offered Condit.

Condit thinks if he beats Kampmann he will still be 3 or 4 wins from title contention.

Kampmann says only difference in drop to 170 is that when he fought at 185lbs he had to drink weight gainers and now at 170lbs he has to drink protein shakes. He still eats whatever he wants.

Michael Bisping is very excited about new action figures and the new video game.

Dan Henderson is also excited about the action figures and video game but thinks his kids are way more excited than himself. Says he isn’t into playing with his own action figure.

Henderson says he had a great time coaching and felt like he helped the fighters get better.

Both coaches said their teams were very tight and the country vs country format seemed to give everyone a sense of pride and help them bond.

Henderson thinks the UK fighters represented themselves well and it was a very competitive season.

Henderson says coaching the Ultimate fighter is not similar to his Olympic experiences.

Henderson has never coached internationally before the show.

Bisping is excited for the opportunity to fight a fighter of Henderson’s level but already considers himself a top ten fighter.

Henderson again states he is comfortable fighting at either LHW or MW. Wants to fight at whatever weight class offers the title shot.

Bisping says he wasn’t mad or upset at Leben for testing positive for steroids. Says if he lost the fight he may have been more vocal than he was.

Henderson says the championship is important but it is not everything. Every fight is important and his goal is to be the best.

Both coaches said they got along alright on the set and acted like professionals. Henderson said it was no “Ken and Tito”.

Bisping said he isn’t against returning to LHW some day and thinks he will be even better with the nutritional knowledge he has gained dropping to MW. But he is at MW for now.

Wilson Gouveia trains at one of the best MMA training camps in the world, American Top Team. But even with the star-studded roster at ATT, almost every fighter there will point to Gouveia as the most talented fighter in the camp.

Gouveia has tried to cultivate that talent in the light heavyweight division and had early success. After a loss to Keith Jardine in his first UFC bout, he rattled off four wins in a row before running into a speed bump that goes by the name Goran Reljic.

After losing to Reljic, Gouveia decided to re-invent himself at middleweight with the hopes of fast tracking himself to a title shot in a much less crowded division. With two quick wins in the middleweight division, Gouveia finds himself on the precipice of the middleweight elite with only a win over Nate Marquardt standing in his way.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com was able to catch up with Gouveia as he prepared to leave for his UFC 95 fight this Saturday in London. I was able to get his thoughts on a wide range of topics from his thoughts on Georges St. Pierre vs. B.J. Penn to if a win over Marquardt should guarantee him a title shot.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: How was your camp?

Wilson Gouveia: The Training has been amazing, very intense so far. No injuries, I feel great and can’t wait to fight.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: As this is your third fight at 185 lbs., is the weight cut getting any easier for you?

Wilson Gouveia: I will give you a good explanation about everything that happened. When I fought (Ryan) Jensen it was my first cut to 185lbs and I was very afraid to not make the weight so I started losing the weight three weeks before the fight. It came off very easy, I was 185lbs two days before the weigh-in so it was very easy for me. For the Jason MacDonald fight I was over confident because it was so easy the first time that I thought it would be just as easy the next time. It was a huge mistake because I miss the cut the last day of weigh ins and I think I had some salt two days before weigh-ins so that made me hold some water. I learned my lesson and a week before the fight I am already under 200 lbs. and everything looks very good.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: How much weight do you cut the day of weigh-ins?

Wilson Gouveia: To be honest that Friday morning I do not want to be more than one pound over. I may even wake up 185 lbs. exactly on Friday morning. Every interview I give I am asked about this so I don’t want to take chances.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: How many pounds do you think you put back on between weigh-ins and the fight?

Wilson Gouveia: It depends you know? In my first fight at 185 lbs. I think I put back 15 or 18 pounds. I think in this fight I will be around 200 lbs. by the fight.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: If you win the fight with Marquardt, do you see yourself ready for a shot at Anderson Silva’s title or would you like another fight first?

Wilson Gouveia: This is a tough question, I am not different from anyone else in my position, of course I want my shot at the title. I want my chance to fight for the belt. But at the end of the day the UFC decides who I fight next.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: You train at one of the biggest fight camps in the country, American Top Team. Do you have one main training partner or do you train with everyone regardless of size?

Wilson Gouveia: I train pretty much with everyone, but usually the heavier guys like Thiago Alves, Thiago Silva, and Antonio Silva.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: If given the opportunity would you like a rematch with Goran Reljic?

Wilson Gouveia: Well I never pick my fights but of course I would like a rematch. He says he wants to drop to 185 lbs. also, but I don’t think he can make the weight. When we fought at 205 lbs., he is a pretty big guy and dehydrated to make 205 lbs. He is 6’3” or 6’4”, he is a very big guy. He was very lean at 205 lbs., I just don’t see him making 185 lbs. but who knows? I would love a rematch.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Most MMA fighters have different opinions on video study. Do you watch video on your opponents or do you just let your trainers do that for you?

Wilson Gouveia: Sometimes I do and sometimes I do not. I am not the guy who keeps watching his opponents video over and over. My coaches do that, they search the videos and try to find the weaknesses of my opponents, what they do good and what they don’t do so good. I have seen one or two fights of Nate’s, I have a lot of respect for him. After the champ I think he is the number one guy at 185 lbs. He has good striking, good wrestling, and good Jiu-Jitsu. I expect a really tough fight.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Without giving any gameplan away, do you see yourself with a distinct advantage in any one area?

Wilson Gouveia: To be honest, I see his wrestling as better than mine of course, but I see my striking as better than his striking. He says he is a pretty strong guy and I believe him. But I don’t think he has any idea what’s coming. He needs 10 shots sometimes to drop his opponent, but I only need one punch to drop someone. So he can be a very strong guy with his wrestling and on the floor, but he can’t compare to the punching power I have to what he’s got.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: If you win this fight and they offer you a title shot with Anderson Silva but inform you that the wait might be six to nine months before Silva is ready to defend against you, would you be ok with waiting or would you want another fight in between and risk the title shot?

Wilson Gouveia: That’s a good question. Probably that is a conversation I have with my manager and my camp but to have that conversation I have to beat Marquardt and that will not be an easy task. I will focus on Marquardt and dream about the title shot.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What are your thoughts on the other middleweight bout on the card, Demian Maia versus Chael Sonnen?

Wilson Gouveia: I think Maia has incredible Jiu Jitsu, but I am not impressed with Sonnen at all. He is a good fighter, don’t get me wrong, but he has 1 win and 2 losses in the UFC. I think he is gonna get his third loss. His last fight he beat Paulo Filho, Ok, but who knows if Filho should have even fought with all his personal problems. I think Sonnen is going to be in big trouble with Maia. But MMA is MMA, you never know what is going to happen.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: I have noticed that traditionally you have averaged about two fights a year until 2008. In 2008 you have four fights and even this fight is on about 10 weeks turn around. Do you prefer to fight often or is this just how the schedule broke out for you?

Wilson Gouveia: I can’t complain the way the UFC has treated me. I can’t complain at all. I love those guys. I guess they like me. I know guys that only fight once a year. It is very hard. This is how I feed my family so I gotta keep fighting. I am not a champion yet so I am not making the huge money but I make decent money and I want to keep it that way. The more you fight the more money you make. I want to keep doing that. If you ask me I want to fight every month.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Will the travel over to London for UFC 95 effect your preparation at all?

Wilson Gouveia: Last year around the same time, I think I fought in January in New Castle, England. I have no complaints. I like the British fans over there, they are pretty cool. They are very respectful people. I know it’s a little cold over there, and I don’t like the cold, but its my job and I will do what I have to do.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Is the food as bad over there as every fighter says it is?

Wilson Gouveia: No the food is not very good at all. But I will be on a diet, I won’t be eating much. I will be bringing my food with me so it won’t make a difference.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What were your thoughts on the Georges St Pierre versus B.J .Penn fight?

Wilson Gouveia: I am always a big fan of B.J. Penn. I was expecting a better fight than that but I guess it wasn’t his day. But I guarantee that B.J. will be back and stronger than ever. But I am not impressed with GSP, my boy Thiago (Alves) is going to fight him and I think a lot of people will be shocked after that fight.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What hobbies do you have outside of fighting? What do you do on your down time?

Wilson Gouveia: I was trying to be a pilot about five years ago. Actually I have about 150 hours logged in little planes. I have a lot of friends that are pilots and they take me to fly jets sometimes. That is my main hobby. I have a flight simulator at home with everything, controllers, throttle, and three monitors. I spend a lot of time on it. I also love to play video games with my son. He is six years old and he loves video games. We play everything.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Wilson, thank you so much for your time. Any sponsors you would like to thank?

Wilson Gouveia: I would just like to tell my fans and friends that I am very prepared for this fight and I will do my best to give an exciting performance.

It’s the end of the year again and we like to do these silly things like apply a numerical value to our favorite fights. This is much easier said than done. A fantastic year of MMA has come and gone, and narrowing down the fights to just 10 took me weeks of back and forth arguing with myself, the kind that draws crowds at the grocery store. As a result, I have ranked the following ten fights as the best of 2008.

The qualifications for this top ten list of top fights were a combination of pre-fight drama, excitement during the fight itself, and the greatest repercussions of the results. As with most of these lists, everyone will complain and make a pitch for their own opinions. I welcome your arguments in the comments section; let me know what I missed!

10. Nate Diaz vs. Kurt Pellegrino – UFC Fight Night 13 – 04/02/2008

Diaz was riding a 3 fight win streak in the UC after winning The Ultimate Fighter season five, and begging for a step up in competition. Pellegrino was going through a bit of an up-and-down stretch in the UFC, apparent distractions outside of the UFC keeping him from showing his true potential. Pellegrino had claimed his personal issues were taking care of and he was the man who would bring Nate Diaz back down to reality and show him his place in the UFC lightweight division pecking order. What followed that night was a high paced back and forth affair. Pellegrino dominated the first round and came close to ending the fight with some vicious ground and pound. Diaz came out in the second round and used Pellegrino’s over aggressive approach against him as he caught him in an obscenity-laced triangle choke. A better finish could not have been scripted.

9. Matt Wiman vs. Thiago Tavares – UFC 85 – 06/07/2008

Wiman was another from The Ultimate Fighter season five quietly on a win streak, and taking a major step up in competition. Tavares was a highly touted prospect who came into the UFC undefeated until Tyson Griffin gave him his first loss, although questionable it may have been. Some thought this fight was meant to be another higher profile step up for Tavares towards title contention, but apparently no one told Wiman. After a spirited first round where both fighters sustained damage, Wiman came out guns blazing in the second and gave us a highlight reel knockout of Tavares against the fence.

8. Gina Carano vs. Kaitlin Young – EliteXC Primetime - 05/31/2008

All of Carano’s fights are so exciting that it is hard to choose one. But this fight with Young set the stage for the first national televised broadcast of MMA in the US, and it put women’s MMA on the map by stealing the show that night. You can argue that women should be able to fight within five minute rounds just like the men, but three minute rounds may have saved Young serious injury that night as the pounding that Carano put on her in six minutes was absolutely devastating. Carano put on an MMA clinic and became the lifeline of a dying promotion to boot.

7. Demian Maia vs. Jason MacDonald – UFC 87 – 08/09/2008

I am a grappler deep down in my heart, so whenever I see a fight with this magnitude of grappling prowess I smile long and hard as well as show it to every grappling critic I can find. This was an absolute Brazilian jiu-jitsu clinic put on by Maia. In my estimation he is by far the most technical and most explosive bjj practitioner to ever step into the cage. But the major credit for the fight has to go to Jason MacDonald. We all knew, including MacDonald, that Maia was a wiz on the ground. MacDonald showed no fear and immediately clinched and took Maia to the floor and gave him a run for his money. Although a lot of the trouble that MacDonald looked like he was getting Maia into was actually Maia setting up MacDonald for counter moves, it still took incredible skill and heart to fight Maia on the floor for as long as he did. Although almost no strikes were thrown for minutes at a time, you could not help but be on the edge of your seat. Maia is going to give Anderson Silva fits, you heard it hear first. Or second.

6. Frank Shamrock vs. Cung Le – Strikeforce Shamrock vs. Le – 03/29/2008

Shamrock was the legend in the sport with the big resume and the even bigger mouth. Le was the converted San Shou fighter with a ton of hype behind him. Critics said that Le had not fought anyone of note and that he had not been tested yet. In total Shamrock style, he stated that he would not take down Le to his comfort zone on the ground and try to submit him but he would stand and trade with the devastating striker. True to his word Shamrock put on a fantastic kickboxing display with Le but eventually was outclassed by Le as he was picked apart with big kicks. A broken arm from blocking Le’s kicks at the end of the third round ended this gem of a fight two rounds too soon.

5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Tim Sylvia – UFC 81 – 02/02/2008

The former Pride fighters were taking a verbal and physical beating at the time of this fight. They were not doing well as a whole in their transition over to the UFC. This was the first title fight involving a former Pride Champ, and the battle lines were drawn between the Pride fanboys and the UFC fans. And it looked like it was going to be another case of “I told you so” as Tim Sylvia was laying a ‘whuppin’ on Nogueira for the first two rounds of the fight. Beating and battering him with his jab and multiple combinations, ‘Nog seemed to be a step behind him all night long and the damage was starting to get serious. But in true Nogueira fashion, he defied the odds and came out in the third period with a new fire. He pulled Sylvia down and submitted him, pulling a win from the clutches of defeat.

4. Miguel Torres vs. Yoshiro Maeda – WEC 34 – 06/01/2008

Miguel Torres was the newly crowned champ with the gaudy record, the last pupil of the famed Carlson Gracie Jr., Yoshiro Maeda was the new recruit to the WEC, the long time Pancrase veteran stepping in last minute to take on the champ. No one really knew what to expect from either of these fighters. Wow, what a treat we received. A fight that went everywhere and anywhere in the cage, at one point stalled as both men had foot locks on each other at the same time. Torres finally calmed down and started to impose his will in the striking department, ending the fight by closing Maeda’s eye with his jab. While not officially a coming out party for Torres, it solidified him as the champion of the 135 lbs. division.

3. Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture – UFC 91 – 11/15/2008

Dana White dubbed it “the greatest fight in UFC history.” While this may have been over exaggerated, it was the biggest heavyweight fight of the year and the introduction of a new regime in the division. Brock Lesnar is now not only the heavyweight champion of the UFC but the biggest box office draw in the promotion. The pre-fight hype on ESPN and mainstream media were benchmarks for the sport to this point, and thankfully the fight produced. Lesnar and Couture fought a spirited first round and Couture and Lesnar both showed they belonged in the title fight. The odds finally caught up with Couture late in the second round as one of Lesnar’s lunch box fists caught Couture behind the ear and ended the reign of the five-time champ.

2. Forrest Griffin vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson – UFC 86 – 07/05/2008

Griffin was the inaugural winner of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter and had just defeated the consensus number one fighter in Mauricio Rua. Rampage had defeated the icon Chuck Liddell for the title and defended it once against Pride champion Dan Henderson. They were both installed as coaches of season seven of The Ultimate Fighter series. It was the perfect recipe for a blockbuster title match, and the fight didn’t disappoint. It was a twenty five minute back and forth battle between two fighters at the peak of their skills. The fight took place on all levels in the cage and at the end the winner was still in doubt. Griffin took a extremely controversial unanimous decision over Rampage, leaving the fan base waiting and wanting a rematch.

1. Eddie Alvarez vs. Joachim Hansen – DREAM 3 – 05/11/2008

Alvarez was the up and coming prospect who reached a certain amount of notoriety in BodogFIGHT. Hansen was the high ranked veteran who had fought many of the top fighters in the world. This was Alvarez’s first time on the big stage of MMA and Hansen was a favorite to win the whole tournament. They faced off in the second round of the Lightweight Grand Prix in DREAM and it turned into an instant classic. It had everything that MMA fans love, knockdowns to sub attempts and both defending and coming back for more. In the end, Alvarez outworked Hansen for the win, and earned himself instant celebrity in Japan. There is hope for a rematch early in 2009.

Honorable mention – a few fights fell in and out of my countdown several times, so I thought they warranted at least a mention.

1. Eddie Alvarez vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri – DREAM 5 – 07/21/2008
2. Miguel Torres vs. Chase Beebe – WEC 32 – 02/13/2008
3. Shinya Aoki vs. Gesias “JZ” Calvancante – DREAM 2 – 04/29/2008
4. Carlos Condit vs. Hiromitsu Miura – WEC 35 – 08/03/2008
5. Hideo Tokoro vs. Darren Uyenoyama – DREAM 4 – 06/15/2008

With just a few days left in the 2008 calendar year, FiveOuncesOfPain.com will be taking a look at the best of the best in 2008.

During our series, we will break down the “Top Ten Submissions of the Year” and the “Top Ten Fights of the Year.”

But let’s begin our look back at all the great MMA action that 2008 provided by focusing on 2008’s “Top Ten Knockouts.”

Trying to narrow this down to ten and then to rank them is a lot harder than my skills make it seem. The qualifications were a combination of pre-fight drama, excitement of the knockout itself, and the greatest repercussions of the results.

As with most of these lists, everyone will complain and make a pitch with their opinions. I welcome your arguments in the comments section; let me know what I missed!

10. Jeremy Stephens vs. Rafael dos Anjos – UFC 91 – 11/15/2008

Stephens is a Midwest banger with phenomenal heart and heavy hands. He has had mixed results in the UFC so far, but word from anyone who trains with him is the sky is the limit. Dos Anjos is a Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioner with experience in Pancrase and Fury FC among others. Dos Anjos had won the first round rather handily by taking Stephens down and controlling him on the floor for most of it. The second round seemed to have woken up Stephens as he put in a much more energetic performance and started to land on his feet but again fell to dos Anjos’ controlling ground game. The shortly into the third round Stephens unleashed what could only be called an flying upper cut as he took almost two full steps before unleashing it on dos Anjos. Dos Anjos fell like a sack of potatoes and Stephens showed us one of the more spirited post fight celebrations as he tried to run straight through the cage fence.

9. Anthony Johnson vs. Tommy Speer – UFC Fight Night 13 – 04/02/2008

Anthony Johnson was a touted wrestler in high school and college who used his athletic gifts to develop a very dynamic striking game. Tommy Speer was the runner up for season six of The Ultimate Fighter, a gifted wrestler in his own right who although coming off a loss in the finals to Mac Danzig showed impressive skills throughout the show. Speer’s second UFC fight did not go as planned, as right off the bat Johnson hit him with a head kick and a knee that sent him reeling. Once Speer hit survival mode, Johnson poured on the punishment and put his lights out with a right hand against the cage.

8. Wilson Gouveia vs. Jason Lambert – UFC 80 – 01/19/2008

Wilson Gouveia was originally a highly touted prospect out of American Top Team who had an up and down early career. Gouveia started to establish himself in the UFC and Lambert was his highest profile match yet. Jason Lambert was a veteran who had been in and out of organizations for a long time before breaking into the UFC. Lambert rode into this fight riding a all-time confidence high after taking out Renato “Babalu” Sobral in his previous fight. But he quickly came back to reality as he gave Gouveia everything he had in the first round but failed to finish him. The second round came and Gouveia finally kept Lambert off of him long enough to work his striking, which started the beginning of the end. Lambert got over anxious and tried to finish Gouveia in an exchange, but kept his chin up and ate a left hook and some mat for his troubles.

7. Rory Markham vs. Brodie Farber – UFC Fight Night 14 – 07/19/2008

Rory Markham was the veteran from Miletich Fighting Systems who was coming into the UFC off of a successful stint in the IFL. Brodie Farber was a prospect who had been fighting for quite some time but never broke into a big show until this fight in the UFC. Sometimes the pressure of your first fight in a big stage, especially the biggest stage in the sport, can affect your performance. Farber was obviously nervous pre-fight and when the action started did not fight the smartest fight. At one point Farber had Markham back-peddling, mistook it for Markham being in trouble, and chased him with punches in an effort to finish. Markham rewarded Farber’s hastiness and low hand placement with a right head kick. Lights out.

6. Matt Wiman vs. Thiago Tavares – UFC 85 – 06/07/2008

Matt Wiman was a veteran of season five of The Ultimate Fighter, and had built a nice three fight win streak going into this fight with Tavares. Thiago Tavares was another highly touted prospect from Brazil with a twelve fight win streak going until he lost to Tyson Griffin by decision. Wiman needed a high-profile win and Tavares needed to get back on a winning track. Unfortunately for Tavares, his troubles would continue in the UFC. After a high paced grappling affair in the first round, Tavares came out in the second round looking tired. Wiman pushed the pace and both men exchanged haymakers. Wiman finally connected with a big right hand against the fence and turned off Tavares for the evening, earning himself a big man-hug from Chuck Liddell to boot!

5. Josh Kosheck vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida – UFC Fight for the Troops – 12/10/2008

Josh Koscheck was the veteran from season one of The Ultimate Fighter, the cocky fighter everyone loves to hate. A highly ranked welterweight who was coming off a loss to number one contender Thiago Alves only 45 days prior. Yoshiyuki Yoshida was the unknown Japanese fighter with the judo black belt coming off of an impressive octagon debut by putting Jon Koppenhaver to sleep. The main event for the troops did not disappoint, as Koscheck showed Yoshida what being a top five welterweight in the UFC really means. After a feeling out process, Koscheck quickly realized Yoshida game-planned for his overhand right. Luckily for Koscheck, Yoshida did not have a defense for a straight right hand to the face. Good night Yoshida.

4. Junior dos Santos vs. Fabricio Werdum – UFC 90 – 10/25/2008

Fabricio Werdum is a top ten ranked heavyweight and a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt who was supposed to get a tune up fight while he waited for the foggy UFC heavyweight title picture to clear itself out. Well, no one let Junior dos Santos know about the plans. The Nogueira protégé came into the fight a well-kept secret, as know one outside of Brazil had really seen him fight. But dos Santos proved he belonged in the UFC and in that fight as he felt out Werdum’s stand up long enough to land a well placed uppercut right on the button just 81 seconds into the fight. As big of an upset as there has been all year.

3. Yves Edwards vs. Edson Berto – EliteXC Street Certified – 02/16/2008

This was not a fight of major consequence. Edson Berto was an up and comer with boxing in his background and serious potential, but had yet to show it on the big stage. Yves Edwards was looking to jumpstart his promising career in a new venue after coming off a string of losses. Both were fighting to get a leg up in the new lightweight division in EliteXC. But it was Edwards who would wind up reminding everyone why he was considered the uncrowned champion of the lightweight division at one time. The beginning of the first round showed how dynamic both fighters were on the feet as the striking went back and forth. Once it went to the ground Yves started to assert himself with some ground and pound. An impatient referee stood them back up with a minute left for no good reason, and Berto went in for a single leg takedown and would not give it up when Edwards fought off his initial shot. Edwards decided to end the night for Berto with knee to the head while Berto still held onto the single leg. An unbelievable move from an amazing fighter.

2. Rashad Evans vs. Chuck Liddell – UFC 88 – 09/06/2008

This was a set up fight for the biggest potential title fight in UFC history. Chuck Liddell, the former light-heavyweight champion, would beat another top contender and undefeated fighter in Rashad Evans and get a shot at reclaiming his title from the only other fighter in the weight division as popular as him, Forrest Griffin. Dana White and company were already counting their pay-per-view buys. But Evans had other ideas. The season two champion of The Ultimate Fighter was undefeated for a reason, not only was he an unbelievable athlete, but he had an excellent training camp as well. They game planned perfectly for a suddenly all too predictable Liddell and took home the title shot. After a back and forth feeling out period in the first round, Evans came out in the second round ready to turn up the temperature a little. Evans was obviously frustrating Liddell with his bob-n-weave tactics and Liddell was getting desperate to cause some damage. Liddell attacks were continually sloppier one after another, until Evans finally connected with a right hand that dropped the legend for the first time in his career.

1. Wanderlei Silva vs. Keith Jardine – UFC 84 – 05/24/2008

What can you say about Wanderlei Silva that hasn’t already been said; Pride middleweight champion for over five years straight, 18 undefeated fights in a row, and Pride 2003 middleweight Grand Prix champion. Silva is a legend in our sport, but he had lost some of his luster over the last year and a half as he had a string of losses to some of the elite in MMA. A forth loss in a row to a very tough Keith Jardine may have spelled the end of a legend. Jardine was coming into this fight riding high after a dominant decision win over Chuck Liddell. Taking out two legends inside of nine months would have been a career maker for Jardine. Silva apparently wasn’t ready to cash in his 401K just yet. They met in the middle, Jardine came out with his usually awkward stance, and Silva came out and took the middle and waited for him. Jardine tried to jab to set up distance but ate a few haymakers in the process. The second bomb from Silva dropped Jardine to the floor, and once Silva sensed the end was near he pounced. I think the frustrations of losing three in a row came out in that moment and he pounded Jardine into the floorboards so bad he did not move for almost eight minutes afterwards.

Honorable mention:

– Robert Emerson vs. Manny Gamburyan – UFC 87 – 08/09/2008

– Alessio Sakara vs Joe Vedepo – UFC Fight Night 15 – 09/17/2008

– Tyler Bryan vs. Shawn Parker – LOF 25 – 05/16/2008 (No Contest) – This was a double- knockout that took place about 15 seconds into the fight. If you haven’t seen it, find it on YouTube. The reaction of guest referee Shonie Carter alone makes it worth the view.

Location: Las Vegas, Nev.
Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena
Broadcast: Pay Per View

MAIN CARD (TELEVISED)
The Fighters: Champ Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar (for UFC heavyweight title)

The Records: Lesnar (2-1 MMA 1-1 UFC) Couture (16-8 MMA 13-5 UFC)

How Lesnar got here: Words really cannot do Brock Lesnar justice. He is an athlete you need to see in action to believe. Lesnar is a ripped 275lbs, strong like a 350lb man, and moves like a 175lbs man. Throw in a NCAA division 1 wrestling championship, and you have the recipe for a champion. Although late to the party, he is entering his third year of full MMA training and seems to improve exponentially. Lesnar’s first fight was in K1 against Min Soo Kim in June of 2007. He quickly dispatched the obviously overmatched Kim in 69 seconds. Lesnar then made the jump that few thought he was ready for and signed with the UFC. In his first UFC fight and second MMA fight ever he took on former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir (or “Mur” if you ask Lesnar). Without overstatement, Lesnar looked as impressive as someone could who lost the fight in 90 seconds. He immediately took Mir down and proceeded to try and make paste out of his face. First time jitters and a little too much adrenaline helped him fall into a knee bar and his first loss. Lesnar’s next shot at redemption was against a very experienced and always dangerous Heath Herring. Lesnar finally executed with the potential that we all knew he possessed and stomped a mudhole in Herring for 15 minutes. As much ability as he showed in the Herring fight, Lesnar also showed he still has a long way to go before his MMA game is anywhere near complete.

How Couture got here: A fighter bio on a 45 year old would take the rest of the week to read, so hear are the highlights. Couture is a Greco-Roman wrestler who was an alternate for several Olympic teams. Couture entered MMA and immediately had an impact. Over a career mainly fought in the UFC, he was a three time heavyweight champion and 2 time light-heavyweight champion. He is 7-1 as an underdog in the UFC and is well known the possible the most cerebral fighter in the heavyweight division. After coming out of a somewhat brief retirement, Couture beat Tim Sylvia to take his third heavyweight title and defended it against Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 74 last August. Couture has been on hiatus for over a year in a contract dispute with the UFC, but all has been forgiven as he has signed a new 3 fight contract and is ready to defend his title against Lesnar.

How they match up: This is a match up which is solely dependant on Lesnar. At 45 years old, we pretty much know what Couture brings to the table. An excellent wrestling game with great dirty boxing, cage tactics, and clinch technique. Lesnar is the X-factor in this match, as he seems to improve by leaps and bounds between his last two fights. Randy will try to neutralize Lesnar’s strength and speed advantage by tying him up and frustrating Lesnar. Lesnar has shown some rookie mistakes, like letting his emotions get the better of him and luring him into making mistakes that he is not yet experienced enough to escape. Lesnar has also not had to fight off of his back, nor had to fight through being punched in the face. To quote Mr. Tyson, “everyone has a plan until they are punched in the face.” We may get to see what Brock’s plan will be.

My Crystal Marble says: This seems to be a pretty simple fight to forecast. Couture needs to survive the first few minutes of this fight to win, and Lesnar will need to finish Couture in the first round to have the best shot at being the new UFC heavyweight champ. I think Randy can weather the storm in the first round and begin to frustrate and slow down Lesnar. Randy will tie up and slowly pummel Lesnar for 5 rounds and win a unanimous decision. But in doing so, will make Brock that much better of a fighter down the road. Brock is the future, but Couture is too much too soon for him right now.

The Fighters: Kenny Florian vs. Joe Stevenson

The Records: Florian (10-3 MMA 8-2 UFC) Stevenson (29-8 MMA 6-2 UFC)

How Florian got here: Florian was an original cast member of the vehicle that launched this sport into the stratosphere in the United States, the Ultimate Fighter. Florian made it all the way to the finals of the first season, where he lost to Diego Sanchez. One major fact about Florian on the TV show, he was fighting about 30lbs over his optimum fighting weight. Once the finale was over, Florian dropped to 155lbs and began to impress. He earned himself a shot at the newly instilled lightweight title against Sean Sherk at UFC 64. Florian lost a unanimous decision but gained new respect and new fans with an amazing performance against a potentially dominant opponent. The loss refocused Florian and revamped his training and rededicated himself to the sport. The results are plain as he is on a five fight winning streak including his most recent victory over a very hyped Roger Huerta at UFC 87.

How Stevenson got here: Stevenson is a extremely experienced fighter that has been fighting professionally since he was 17. As a result of his impressive resume, he was invited to join the cast the the Ultimate Fighter 2 cast. Stevenson entered the show on a eight fight winning streak and rode his momentum all the way to the finale and beat Luke Cummo to win the season 2 title. Stevenson quickly took his first loss in the UFC at welterweight to Josh Neer and realized that lightweight was the weight class for him. Since dropping to lightweight in the UFC, he is 5-1 with his only loss being a title shot against pound-for-pound great BJ Penn. Stevenson is coming off a submission victory over the previously un-submitted Gleison Tibau at UFC 86.

How they match up: Let me start by saying, this is a fantastic fight. There may not be two better technicians in the lightweight division besides these two fellas. If you break this fight down to individual disciplines, the edge goes to Florian. Muay Thai, Florian is the more technical of the two and uses his elbows like ginsu knives. Boxing, Stevenson may have the more technical hands but Florian’s reach advantage is enough to cancel out any serious advantage Stevenson may have in that area. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, both are now blackbelts (Congrats Joe!) and should be able to cancel each other out for the most part. Stevenson’s guillotine is the most devastating in all of the UFC and Florian could spend the whole fight staying out of that alone. Wrestling, Stevenson has a significant advantage here but Florian has been consistently improving in that area. Overall Florian is just a little bit better in most areas.

My Crystal Marble says: If Florian had a little more power in his strikes, I may have seen this fight differently. I think Stevenson’s chin is solid enough to keep him from any serious damage and Florian is good enough on the ground to not get caught in any of Stevenson’s chokes. I think this comes down to the transitions and positioning as it goes to a decision. I see Stevenson using his superior wrestling to control where this fight is fought and making Florian work off his back for most of the fight. Stevenson will most likely be bloody and beat up, but he should out-point Florian for the decision.

The Fighters: Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Josh Hendricks

The Records: Gonzaga (9-3 MMA 5-2 UFC) Hendricks (15-4 MMA 0-0 UFC)

How Gonzaga got here: Gabriel Gonzaga is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blackbelt with downright devastating striking. Gonzaga won the 2004 Mundials in Brazil and is commonly considered one of the best submission grapplers in the world. Gonzaga impressed early in the UFC by running off four wins in a row at heavyweight, but the exclamation point on his resume is his devastating head-kick knockout of Mirko “CroCop” Filipovic. That win earned him a title shot against Randy Couture at UFC 74. Unfortunately for Gonzaga, Couture just proved to be to much for him and beat him down for 3 rounds before being finished via TKO. He tried to bounce back and return to the title hunt, but was derailed again by his personal thorn-in-the-side, Fabricio Werdum. Gonzaga has since regrouped and got a win over Justin McCully at UFC 86.

How Hendricks got here: Josh Hendricks is a big, powerful wrestler with excellent ground and pound. Hendricks was a 2 time all American NCAA wrestler and has fought mainly in the mid-western circuit. He is riding a 10 fight win streak but his last fight was a TKO win over Braden Bice almost a year ago. Hendricks hasn’t been totally out of fighting over the last year as Randy Couture has called him in to Xtreme Couture to help him train for Lesnar as well as his own fight.

How they match up: On paper this is a massacre. Hendricks is a big, strong wrestler who will try to take down Gonzaga and get him out of his comfort zone. Gonzaga has some of the most devastating leg kicks in the sport and is absolutely world class on the floor. Gonzaga is physically superior to Hendricks in about every area of the fight except the transitions. Conditioning may be another factor as Hendricks has only been to decision once in his career.

My Crystal Marble says: I see this fight and want to say Gonzaga via whatever he wants, but then I replay Werdum vs. Dos Santos in my head and it makes me look a little closer at this fight. I am willing to give Hendricks enough credit to assume that he will be able to take Gonzaga down and keep himself out of most submissions on the ground. But I think Gonzaga absolutely eats him alive with leg kicks on the feet. I think Hendricks hangs tough for a round but will start taking on too much damage in the second round and get himself caught in a submission late in the round. Gonzaga via second round submission.

The Fighters: Demian Maia vs. Nate Quarry

The Records: Maia (8-0 MMA 3-0 UFC) Quarry (10-2 MMA 5-1 UFC)

How Quarry got here: Nate Quarry is a fan favorite from season one of the Ultimate Fighter. Quarry was inured during the show and could not compete but got a contract regardless. He ran off a three fight winning streak and earned himself a shot at the middleweight title against Rich Franklin. It turned out to be a curse in disguise as not only was he highlight-reel knocked out in 2:34 but he received a spinal injury that not only threatened his career but his ability to walk at all. Almost two years of surgeries and rehab later and he has seemed to make a miraculous recovery with a KO win over Pete Sell and most recently a dominating decision win over Kalib Starnes at UFC 83.

How Maia got here: Maia is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt and ADCC submission grappling champion. He is considered by many insiders to be the most talented grappler in the entire UFC right now. Maia has successfully moved over to MMA from BJJ and is storming through the UFC middleweight division right now with three straight wins, his last being over Jason MacDonald via rear naked choke at UFC 87.

How they match up: This may be the matchup of the two nicest, most well respected guys in all of MMA. A more polite fight we will never see. As far as how they stack up, it should be an interesting tilt. Maia is looking more and more impressive each fight. Maia’s ground game is light years above everyone else in the division, including Anderson Silva. Maia’s key to his UFC career is how far along he can bring his striking game. Quarry is no slouch on the feet with legitimate knockout power in both hands. Quarry should be able to get the better of the exchanges on the feet. Quarry also possesses fairly decent wrestling and takedown defense, so Maia will have to battle to get this to the floor. If and when they hit the ground, Quarry has not shown too much of his grappling skills yet. Maia most likely will hold a significant advantage in that department as well.

My Crystal Marble says: It will be hard to watch one of these guys lose this fight as they are both so damn likeable. That being said, if Maia can stay away from Quarry’s power, he should win this fight. If Quarry can’t hurt Maia on the feet, he will not stand much of a chance on the ground with him. I see Maia hanging in there long enough on the feet to get the takedown and a submission shortly after. Maia via submission win in round 2.

The Fighters: Dustin Hazelett vs. Tamdan McCrory

The Records: Hazelett (11-4 MMA 4-2 UFC) McCrory (9-1 MMA 2-1 UFC)

How Hazelett got here: Hazelett is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blackbelt under Jorge Gurgel and trains with the likes of Rich Franklin. He is a talented grappler who continues to impress both on the ground and in the striking department. Hazelett’s kickboxing is getting better and better, and it is showing as he has knocked down his last two opponents. After recently running off a three fight win streak in the UFC, he earned himself a jump up in competition against Josh Koscheck. He impressed in the bout but ultimately succumbed to Koscheck via TKO in the Second round. Hazelett rebounded with a very slick submission win over always tough Josh Burkman at UFC TUF 7 finale.

How McCrory got here: McCrory is an young but very aggressive fighter who is fairly well rounded. McCrory is a good striker with decent grappling to go along with it and an overall aggressive nature that makes him a fan favorite. He has only been fighting for two or three years but busted his way into the UFC last June with a submission win over Pete Spratt. McCrory earned a major jump in competition and faced Akihiro Gono at UFC 78. He lost via armbar in the second round but put on a very good showing against the more experienced fighter. After going back to school to finish his degree, he bounced back with a win over Luke Cummo at UFC 87 via unanimous decision.

How they match up: A good matchup of two up and coming fighters on the rise in the division. McCrory is well rounded and tenacious, but Hazelett is an absolute beast on the ground. McCrory may be able to hold his own on the feet, but he is fairly outclassed on the grappling department.

My Crystal Marble says: This will be an exciting win for Dustin Hazelett. McCrory has the typical punchers chance, but Hazelett is superior to McCrory in almost every aspect of the fight. Hazelett is light years ahead of McCrory on the ground and once this fight hits the floor it will be over shortly after. Hazelett via submission round 2.

The Fighters: Jorge Gurgel vs. Aaron Riley

The Records: Gurgel (12-4 MMA 3-3 UFC) Riley (26-10-1 MMA 0-2 UFC)

How Riley got here: Riley is the definition of a journeyman fighter. He has fought professionally for 11 years and is only 28 years old. Riley has gotten two chances at the big show before, losing to Robbie Lawler at UFC 37 and Spencer Fisher at UFC fight night 3. Riley is most recently coming off a win over Steve Claveau at Xtreme MMA5 in September via unanimous decision.

How Gurgel got here: Gurgel is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blackbelt and was a cast member of the second season of the Ultimate Fighter. After being eliminated on the show by losing to Jason Von Flue, Gurgel was offered a contract anyway. He has had mixed results in the UFC. Gurgel has shown in wins over Diego Saraiva and John Halverson that he has potential that can be fulfilled, he has also shown in losses to Mark Hominick and Alvin Robinson that he can be baited into making mistakes and fighting someone else fight. Gurgel is most recently coming off a loss to Cole Miller at UFC 86 where he was submitted via triangle choke as time expired.

How they match up: This is a fairly decent pairing of evenly matched opponents. Gurgel is a very good BJJ practitioner, but rarely likes to use it in favor of striking with his opponents. Riley is a fairly well rounded kickboxer with submissions as well, although not at Gurgel’s level. Gurgel will most likely do what he normally does and let Riley bait him into a standup war which he could still potentially win.

My Crystal Marble says: Gurgel is a frustrating fighter. You just want to scream, “why don’t you just take him down and submit him!” He is very caught up in wanting to be exciting and well liked instead of wanting to win. Not a good combo for a successful UFC career. Most likely this will get decided on the feet where Gurgel does not have an advantage and allows Riley to steal a unanimous decision win over Gurgel.

Preview- WEC 36- Televised bouts

The Fighters: WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber vs. Mike Brown

The Records: Faber (21-1 MMA 6-0 WEC) Brown (19-4 MMA 1-0 WEC)

How Faber got here: Simply put, Faber is the best mixed martial arts fighter at 145lbs in the world. Some pundits may argue this point by mentioning Kid Yamamoto, but he neither has the consistent fights nor the resume at 145lbs to rival Faber. Faber has not only shown his dominance over the last two years in the WEC, but has shown marked improvement over the time period as well. Faber’s only loss is early in his career to a very good Tyson Griffin. Faber is coming off the two biggest wins of his Career in Jeff Curran and Jens Pulver. Brown is facing the best fighter in the world at the height of his abilities.

How Brown got here: Mike Thomas Brown has quietly established himself as an elite fighter at this or any weight class. Brown is a veteran of over 20 fights in his 7+ year career, with stops in the UFC, DEEP, Bodog, and WEC just to name a few. Brown combines toughness and experience to give his opponents fits in the cage. He is an excellent grappler with a full array of submissions and very underrated ground and pound game. Brown’s only losses in his career were to Hermes Franca, Genki Sudo, Joe Lauzon, and Masakazu Imanari. He rides a seven fight win streak into this title fight and is coming off a huge win over Jeff Curran at WEC 34.

How they match up: This is a pretty straight-forward matchup. Brown is an extremely well-rounded fighter with above average striking, excellent wrestling, and very good BJJ. Unfortunately for him, Faber is measurably better in every one of those areas. There is not one facet of MMA where Faber is not superior to Brown.

My Crystal Marble says: There is no way a man educated in MMA could logically choose Brown to beat Faber. The only words of support I can muster for the always-tough Brown is anyone can win on any given day in combat sports. But short of catching Faber sticking his chin where it doesn’t belong, I can’t envision any possible scenario that Brown wins this fight. Accounting for Brown’s toughness and sheer power of will, I see Faber winning via TKO in round 3.

The Fighters: WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho vs Chael Sonnen

The Records: Filho (16-0 MMA 2-0 WEC) vs Sonnen (20-9-1 MMA 3-0 WEC)

How Filho got here: Sometimes analysts and “experts” throw the adjective “talented” around too loosely in this sport. Filho is an exception to that statement. Filho is one of the most physically and technically gifted fighters in MMA. Filho is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blackbelt who combines freakish strength with technical ability that some Gracies might be jealous of when the lights go dim. Although he does not have a ton of experience he has proven his mettle against some of the best in the world and has never tasted defeat. Filho comes into this fight fresh off a trip to rehab and almost a whole year off from competition. His last fight was a second round submission victory over the very same Sonnen last December.

How Sonnen got here: Sonnen is one of the excellent wrestlers-turned-MMA fighters out of Team Quest. Sonnen has fought in both 185lbs and 205lbs, but his only loss at 185lbs is against Filho. Sonnen has had stints in the UFC and Bodog as well as assorted other promotions over his career. Sonnen has one six out of his last seven fights and is coming into the title fight off a win over previously undefeated Bryan Baker.

How they match up: Sonnen did a good job of getting the jump on Filho in the striking department in their last fight, and had even hurt him a few times. Once Filho got warmed up and his head in the fight, he made quick work of Sonnen on the ground. As good as Sonnen’s wrestling and ground and pound can be, he is truly no match for Filho on the ground. Sonnen needs to win this fight in the feet. Filho has expressed on several occasions that he has great difficulty in making 185lbs and has outgrown the weight class. Filho has gone so far as to blame his last two sluggish performances on the weight cut. If this behavior continues Sonnen may be able to get to Filho early again.

My Crystal Marble says: Filho is coming from the darkest depths back to the title. Assuming his demons are behind him and the weight cut is done properly, Sonnen has nothing for him in this fight. But those are big assumptions and hard to look past. With all things considered Filho’s talent is exceptional enough to overcome most of his issues. I see Filho winning with another submission win over Chael Sonnen late in the first round.

The Fighters: “Razor” Rob McCullough vs. Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone

The Records: McCullough (16-4 MMA 7-2 WEC) vs. Cerrone (8-0 MMA 1-0 WEC 1 NC)

How McCullough got here: McCullough is the former lightweight champion of the WEC trying to fight his way back into title contention. McCullough is a well-liked veteran of the sport who has fought for the WEC since the beginning of the promotion. He is an expert in Muay Thai but is somewhat limited in the grappling department. McCullough lost his WEC lightweight title to Jamie Varner at WEC 32 but rebounded with a win over Kenneth Alexander at WEC 34.

How Cerrone got here: Cerrone is a member of Greg Jackson’s MMA team in New Mexico and sports an undefeated record. Cerrone is a talented Muay Thai fighter with suprisingly excellent submissions. Seven of his eight wins are via submission. In his first WEC fight against Kenneth Alexander Cerrone won via submission in the first round but tested positive for a diuretic and was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commision. Since coming back from his suspension he has a win over Danny Castillo via first round submission at WEC 34.

How they match up: This is going to be a battle of position. Can McCullough keep the fight on the feet where he stands the best chance of winning, or will Cerrone take McCullough down and exploit his weak ground game? McCullough has not shown the best takedown defense in past defeats, and even though he has most likely trained his sprawl and brawl style for the last few months, Cerrone is too good at imposing his will in fights. Cerrone does have a tendancy of sticking his chin out when he throws combinations and will have to watch that McCullough does not make him pay for his lack of technical prowess.

My Crystal Marble says: McCullough definitely has a chance of catching Cerrone here as the striking favors him, but as soon as this fight hits the floor Cerrone has a significant edge over McCullough. Look for Cerrone to be cautious but win via submission in the second round.

The Fighters: Jens ” Little Evil” Pulver vs. Leonard Garcia

The Records: Pulver (22-9-1 MMA 1-1 WEC) vs. Garcia (15-3 MMA 2-0 WEC)

How Pulver got here: Pulver is the former lightweight champion of the UFC and is coming off a featherweight title loss to Urijiah Faber. Pulver is an extremely experienced fighter who has fought in both the UFC and Pride in his nine year career. Pulver is mostly known for his knockout power in his left hand and has fought the best lightweights in the world in BJ Penn and Takanori Gomi. This is his first fight back since the title loss to Faber.

How Garcia got here: Garcia had a breakout performance in the UFC against Roger Huerta at lightweight in which he lost the fight but won fight of the night honors. Garcia went 1-2 in his 3 fight UFC career, but showed tremendous heart and won over the fans. Garcia is coming off a huge win over previously top ten ranked Hiroyuki Takaya at WEC 32.

How they match up: This is going to be a brawl. Both of these guys are straight-up sluggers. Neither like to back down and both have tremendous chins. Pulver is the more experienced and quite frankly has more tools in the tool belt. Garcia has very good ground and pound but I would have to give the grappling edge to Pulver. Pulver possesses one-punch knockout power that not many at 145lbs truly possess.

My Crystal Marble says: This will be a barn-burner and should have the crowd at the edge of its seat. That being said, Pulver is just a little bit better than Garcia at every facet of fight except conditioning. But in a three round fight I cannot see Pulver losing a decision to Garcia. Look for Pulver to win a hard fought unanimous decision.

The Fighters: Rani Yahya vs. Yoshiro Maeda

The Records: Yahya (12-4 MMA 1-1 WEC) vs. Maeda (23-5-2 MMA 1-1 WEC)

How Yahya got here: Yahya is unquestionably the best submission grappler in the world at 135lbs. Yahya is a prize pupil of the legendary Rickson Gracie. Yahya has fought some of the best in the world but is coming off two straight losses. Yahya lost to former WEC bantamweight champion Chase Beede in a gutsy unanimous decision loss, and then to arguably the most talented fighter in the world at 135lbs in Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto in a TKO loss last New Years eve.

How Maeda got here: Maeda is a former King of Pancrase and DEEP champion who has recently made the trek over to the USA. Maeda is a talented striker who also possesses an extremely slick submission attack. Maeda is coming off a title loss to current Bantamweight stud Miguel Torres. In that fight Maeda gave Torres everything he could handle in a fight of the year candidate before finally losing via doctor stoppage after the third round.

How they match up: This is going to be two Tasmanian devils going at it. This will be a traditional striker versus grappler matchup, although I am sure Maeda is not scared to go to the ground with Yahya. But is Maeda tests the waters one to many times on the floor with Yahya, it will be his downfall. Maeda stands a much better chance of catching Yahya on his feet with strikes as Yahya’s striking is sloppy and somewhat rudimentary.

My Crystal Marble says: Yahya is an absolute wizard on the ground, and although Maeda is a very good grappler, Yahya is in another universe. Assuming Yahya doesn’t volunteer his chin to Maeda, this will be over shortly after it hits the floor. My dark-horse pick for fight of the night. Look for Yahya to win via submission in round two.

The Fighters: Jake Rosholt vs. Nissen Osterneck

The Records: Rosholt (4-0 MMA) vs. Osterneck (5-0 MMA)

How Rosholt got here: Rosholt is a newcomer to the WEC and a three time NCAA division 1 wrestling champion. Rosholt is a member of Team Takedown and studies BJJ under Marc Laimon at Cobra Kai. Rosholt is an extremely strong wrestler and grappler with improving striking.

How Osterneck got here: Osterneck is a excellent BJJ fighter out of South Carolina. Osterneck is a world-class grappler and has trained BJJ under Relson Gracie. Osterneck’s striking coach is Maurice Travis and this is his first appearance in the WEC.

How they match up: This is a very intriguing matchup on a few different levels. On paper Rosholt should be the favorite in this fight as traditionally national level wrestlers have done well in MMA. But at 4-0, Osterneck might be too much too soon for Rosholt. Osterneck is no joke on the ground and has excellent striking as well. Rosholt may actually favor keeping this fight on the feet as he may stand a better chance out-striking Osterneck.

My Crystal Marble says: Rosholt is the prized prospect here and all the pressure is on him to perform up to expectations. But Rosholt is a three time national champion and can obviously handle pressure on a high level. I think he will have an extremely difficult time with Osterneck but will prevail in the end. Look for a unanimous decision victory for Jake Rosholt.

UFC 90 TELEVISED CARD
Date: Oct 25, 2008
Location: Rosemont, Ill. (near Chicago)
Venue: Allstate Arena

The Fighters: Sean Sherk vs. Tyson Griffin

The Records: Sherk (32-3-1 MMA 5-3 UFC) Griffin (12-1 MMA 5-1 UFC)

How Sherk got here: Sherk is a veteran of almost ten years in MMA. He has a gaudy record but has earned it. Sherk had a sketchy start to his UFC career with two wins at UFC 36 and 39 before bringing his undefeated record into a title fight against Matt Hughes at the height of Hughes power. Sherk impressed many with his gutty five round decision loss to Hughes. Always undersized for welterweight, Sherk still posted some impressive wins after losing to Hughes. After gathering another nice win streak outside of the UFC, he was invited back to face Georges St Pierre. Sherk was dominated in the fight, but when one door closes another opens. The UFC decided to rekindle their lightweight division and Sherk finally decided to make the drop and start a run for the title. Sherk finally got his belt when he defeated Kenny Florian for the lightweight title at UFC 64. Unfortuantely he tested positive for steroids in his first title defense against Hermes Franca and had to serve a 6 month suspension as well as lose his title. Sherk attempted to re-win his title but was thumped hard by BJ Penn in their title fight.

How Griffin got here: Griffin is a very good young fighter who has improved at an exponential rate. Griffin has a strong wrestling background and originally started training MMA and BJJ with Dave Terrell. Terrell would often take Griffin with him to train at his teacher school, Cesar Gracie. Training with the Gracie team definitely improved his game and he continued to win, but give Tyson credit for realizing he needed a change. Griffin decided that Xtreme Couture was the place for him to make the jump to the next level and he has never looked back. Along with an impressive win over Uriah Faber, Griffin has posted huge wins over Clay Guida, Gleison Tibau, and Marcus Aurelio. His only loss is to Frankie Edgar.

How they match up: This is a battle of two similar fighters. Both are strong wrestlers with excellent stand up. Where the difference lies is in Griffin’s BJJ game. Griffin has a definite edge in he submission department, but getting Sherk on the ground to take advantage is another thing entirely. What we often see when to excellent wrestlers fight is a striking war, and that is what I expect here. Although both have excellent hands, I give Griffin the advantage in the leg kicks.

My Crystal Marble says: I seem to be in the minority for the most part, but I think if this stays on the feet Griffin has the distinct advantage. Griffin’s striking game is much more dynamic than Sherk’s and I see Griffin winning a exciting unanimous decision of Sean Sherk.

The Fighters: Rich Clementi vs. Gray Maynard

The Records: Clementi (32-12-1 MMA 5-3 UFC) Maynard (5-0 MMA 3-0 UFC)

How Clementi got here: Clementi is experienced veteran with an excellent ground game. H is a BJJ blackbelt and has an amateur wrestling background as well. Clementi has had an up and down career with some great wins and some horrible losses. Clementi’s big break was when he was invited to The Ultimate Fighter season 4. Having already fought once in the UFC and losing, this was his second shot at the big time. In the beginning it seemed like he was going to let it slip through his fingers as he lost in the season finale to Din Thomas. He spilt his next two fights and the UFC let him get some work outside of the company, and that seemed to do the trick. Clementi kicked off a six fight win streak including four of those in the UFC and is quickly becoming a challenger for the lightweight title.

How Maynard got here: Maynard was a excellent wrestler from Michigan who was brought in to help coach BJ Penn with his wrestling against Matt Hughes. Penn was so impressed with Maynard that when he was offered to coach the lightweight season of Th Ultimate Fighter he immediately recruited Maynard for the show. While not winning the show he has made huge strides in his MMA game. Maynard has made a home at Xtreme Couture and as a result has improved by leaps and bounds. There were rumors that Maynard has improved so much, especially after his most recent win over Frankie Edgar, that no one wanted to take this fight with him. There was even a rumor that Sherk turned this fight down in favor of a matchup with Tyson Griffin.

How they match up: Clementi seems to be the perpetual underdog in all of his MMA fights, and this is no different. Maynard is a big strong wrestler in the lightweight division. And word out of Xtreme Couture is that his striking has improved so much that many of the lightweights do not want to spar with Maynard. Clementi has a ton of experience on his side and a top notch BJJ game on the ground. But Clementi’s strongest part of his BJJ is his top game, and I do not see him getting this position on a wrestler as good as Maynard.

My Crystal Marble says: I see Maynard winning with takedowns and ground control with a unanimous decision.

The Fighters: Fabricio Werdum vs. Junior dos Santos

The Records: Werdum (11-3-1 MMA 2-1 UFC) Santos (6-1 MMA 0-0 UFC)

How Werdum got here: A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blackbelt and world champion, Werdum has fought some of the biggest names in the sport and held his own. A successful stint in Pride where he racked up wins over Tom Erikson and Alistair Overeem won his am invite to the UFC. After starting off slow with a lackluster performance in a decision loss to Andrei Arlovski, he has won two in a row over Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon Vera. A win over dos Santos puts him up for a title shot.

How dos Santos got here: Cigano as he is called by his teammates is a prize pupil of Nogueira and Anderson Silva. He has an impressive record and an even more impressive recommendation by two of the best fighters in the world. Although he has yet to really impress in a fight, he is said to have all of the skills necessary.

How they match up: This is meant to be a win for Werdum and strengthen his case for a shot at the heavyweight title. Cigano is no one to sleep on though, as word out of Nogueira’s camp is this guy has some serious stand up skills and lord knows Werdum will not be confused for a K1 kickboxer. Cigano has knockout power but no one knows about his ground game, and Werdum will surely test it at some point in the fight.

My Crystal Marble says: If Werdum doesn’t treat this as a real threat, dos Santos has the stuff to upset Werdum and take this fight. That being said, if Werdum comes out and takes care of business, he should be able to drag down Cigano to the ground and submit him. I say Werdum via submission round 2.

The Fighters: Thiago Alves vs. Josh Koscheck

The Records: Alves (15-3 MMA 8-2 UFC) Koscheck (11-2 MMA 9-2 UFC)

How Alves got here: Alves is a talented Muay Thai specialist with fantastic power in his hands and potentially the most devastating leg kicks in all of the UFC. Alves started out rough with a come from ahead loss to Spencer Fisher where he was winning the fight right up to the moment he was submitted. He rebounded with 2 more wins before getting knocked out by Jon Fitch. Since the Fitch loss, he has won six fights in a row on the way to this number one contender fight. Alves comes into this fight carrying consecutive wins over Karo Parysian and Matt Hughes.

How Koscheck got here: Koscheck was a 4 time All American division one wrestler and National Champion. He carried his pedigree into MMA and continued his winning ways. As a member of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter series, he lost a razor thin decision to Diego Sanchez but redeemed his loss to Sanchez later at UFC 69. Koscheck comes into this fight winning seven of eight fights. Koscheck’s only loss is a unanimous decision loss to Georges St Pierre in his last eight fights.

How they match up: Koscheck and Alves are polar opposites in my opinion. This will be a fascinating contest of wills. Who will dictate where the fight takes place will win this fight and the next crack at GSP for the title. Although Koscheck’s striking has improved dramatically, he holds a huge edge on the ground. Alves trains with some of the best BJJ blackbelts in the world, but its no secret that the strength of his game is his striking. Alves showed dramatically improved takedown defense in his win over Matt Hughes, but Koscheck is on another level in that department.

My Crystal Marble says: This fight comes down to who dictates where it takes place. I believe Koscheck has that ability to dictate the location of the fight. But Koscheck’s biggest obstacle is going to be his own ego. Koscheck likes to test his striking with better strikers to prove something to himself. But coming in short notice to this fight with a striker the caliber of Alves may prove to be his undoing here. If Koscheck plays to his strengths, he wins this fight via unanimous decision.

The Fighters: Middleweight Champ Anderson Silva vs. Patrick Cote

The Records: Silva (22-4 MMA 7-0 UFC) Cote (13-4 MMA 4-4 UFC)

How Silva got here: How much of your time do I waste here explaining the pound for pound best fighter in the world? Silva is a Muay Thai specialist who has fought for several big promotions over his career, including Pride where he had his most trouble. When Silva was signed to the UFC he was looked at as a guy who could present a new challenge for Rich Franklin, but no one saw the Juggernaut that began his march towards the Hall of Fame. Seven Knockout wins later Anderson Silva is the best fighter in the UFC, if not the entire world.

How Cote got here: Cote is a true reclamation project. He started out with 4 straight losses in the UFC, but for some reason Joe Silva refused to give up on him. And it paid off. After becoming a cast member of The Ultimate Fighter season four, he lost on the finale to Travis Lutter. Something switched after that loss as he has run off five straight wins including four in the UFC. Coming off a dominant win over Ricardo Almeida, he was offered and accepted a shot at the best fighter in the world and his belt.

How they match up: They don’t. Anderson Silva is better than Patrick Cote in every single aspect of MMA. Where Cote has to hope to hold an advantage over Silva is in the intangibles, heart and fighting spirit. That remains to be seen as Silva has yet to show any signs of mental weakness.

My Crystal Marble says: From listening to most of Cote’s pre fight interviews, I think his big strategy is to trust in his chin and push forward and lure Silva into a brawl. I do not think Cote can win 15 minutes of exchanges on the feet with Silva. Cote will need to either fight Silva from the outside and use his footwork to out-point him, or test him on the ground. I don’t think Cote can push either gameplan for long. Cote will lose via TKO in round 2.

UFC 90 PRELIMINARY CARD
Date: Oct 25, 2008
Location: Rosemont, Ill. (near Chicago)
Venue: Allstate Arena

The Fighters: Josh Burkman vs. Pete Sell

The Records: Burkman (18-7 MMA 5-4 UFC) Sell (7-4 MMA 1-4 UFC)
How Burkman got here: Burkman was a two sport star in college as he excelled in wrestling and football. He earned himself a spot on The Ultimate Fighter season 2, received a UFC contract, and came out gangbusters. He has since lost 3 of 4 fights and has gotten more and more conservative as a result. Burkman’s greatest asset is also his greatest obstacle. He is freakishly strong for the welterweight division, but if he cannot win with it in the first two rounds, it usually exhausts him and spends his conditioning. The explosiveness and unpredictability he showed early in his career has given way to a conservative and controlling game.

How Sell got here: Sell is a disciple of Matt Serra and Renzo Gracie and is a superb submission grappler. Unfortunately for Sell and his 1-4 UFC record, he prefers to bang it out on the feet. He has never shown the striking skill to go with his heart. Sell has had over a year off to contemplate actually using his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instead of worrying about making the fight exciting by keeping it standing. Coming off a knockout loss to Nate Quarry, he is debuting at welterweight to get a fresh start.

How they match up: This fight completely matters on which Pete Sell shows up for the fight. Burkman’s striking will be to dynamic for Sell on the feet. If Sell wises up and takes this fight to the floor, he stands a better chance. Burkman is no slouch on the ground but he is still susceptible to a strong BJJ player. Sell taking Burkman to the floor is a whole other matter entirely.

My Crystal Marble says: After a 1-4 record Sell has not shown an ability to figure out his problems and change his attack accordingly. Assuming the Pete Sell of old shows up, I think Burkman is to athletic for Sell on the feet. I see Burkman winning the striking exchanges and getting key takedowns in each round to win a slow and somewhat boring unanimous decision over Sell

The Fighters: Marcus Aurelio vs. Hermes Franca

The Records: Aurelio (16-6 MMA 2-2 UFC) Franca (18-7 MMA 6-4 UFC)

How Aurelio got here: Aurelio is a founding member of American Top Team and former teacher of Hermes Franca. They are on bad terms after Franca was dismissed from ATT for various infractions. To say there is bad blood is an understatement, and a lot of Brazilian pride is riding on this match. Aurelio is an original member of ATT and a BJJ blackbelt. He rose to prominence after his defeat of Takanori Gomi in Pride. Aurelio has made the move over to the UFC after Pride was dissolved and has had mixed results. Aurelio is coming off a loss to Tyson Griffin where he was dominated for all 15 minutes of the fight.

How Franca got here: Franca is a BJJ blackbelt who originally trained with American Top Team before he was kicked out for among other things awarding a blackbelt to Kurt Pellegrino. ATT did not agree with the decision to award the belt to Pellegrino, and after Franca refused to rescind the belt, they ejected him from the team. Since then he racked up an eight fight win streak on the way to a title shot in the UFC against Sean Sherk. The list of victims included Jaime Varner, Nate Diaz, and Spencer Fisher. He lost a grinding decision to Sherk and then tested positive for steroids. After pleading guilty to the Nevada SAC he served his one year suspension and is back in the UFC. He is coming off a loss to Frankie Edgar where he was pretty much manhandled.

How they match up: Aurelio and Franca know each other very well, so there will be very little surprises here. Aurelio will work to take this to the floor where he perceives he has the advantage and Franca will try to keep this on the feet where he perceives he has the striking advantage. Both men are excellent grapplers and will neutralize each other on the ground. This fight will be won or lost in the stand up game.

My Crystal Marble says: I think Franca’s striking makes the difference in this fight and he wins this fight via TKO in the third round over Aurelio.

The Fighters: Matt Horwich vs. Dan Miller

The Records: Horwich (22-10-1 MMA 0-0 UFC) Miller (9-1 MMA 1-0 UFC)

How Horwich got here: Matt Horwich is a journeyman fighter who has made the rounds in the Pacific northwest MMA scene. He more recently attached onto the IFL in 2006 and had a fairly successful run with them. With a few more ups than downs, he briefly owned the middleweight title when he knocked out Benji Radach for it. In his first title defense he lost a grueling decision to Ryan McGivern. As with most Team Quest fighters, he has an amateur wrestling background. This is his first fight in the UFC.

How Miller got here: Miller is a wrestler from the Northeast who is relatively new to the sport. Miller also has a brother, Jim, who signed with the UFC as well. He is a brown belt in BJJ and combines it with his wrestling for an overwhelming ground game. Miller’s stand up is a work in progress but he can hold his own. Miller had a successful regional show run until early this year when he got a shot in the IFL and posted an impressive win over Ryan McGivern. Once he got the invite to the UFC he made the most of it as he submitted Rob Kimmons at UFC Fight Night 15.

How they match up: Horwich is a very unorthodox fighter with a methodical approach to MMA. Horwich will take a lot of punishment but keep coming at you and is very hard to stop. As a result he is susceptible to losing decisions to other fighters. Miller should absolutely dominate Horwich on the floor with his combination of aggressive BJJ and wrestling. Horwich has decent takedown defense but Miller should be able to get the fight to the floor.

My Crystal Marble says: I think Miller eventually takes down Horwich and gets the stoppage. I see it as a second round submission win for Dan Miller.

The Fighters: Spencer Fisher vs. Shannon Gugerty

The Records: Fisher (21-4 MMA 6-3 UFC) Gugerty (11-2 MMA 1-0 UFC)

How Gugerty got here: Gugerty is a strong young fighter who made his name in the regional California scene with wins over Cub Swanson and Johnny Torres. A decent BJJ player with good wrestling, Gugerty’s striking is average at best. He received this big jump up in competition by volunteering to be a late replacement for Melvin Guillard. Gugerty comes into this fight with Octagon experience having won his debut over Dale Hardt at UFC Fight Night 14.

How Fisher got here: Fisher is a veteran from the Militech camp in Iowa. As with all Militech fighters he has excellent stand up and good wrestling with adequate submission defense. Where Fisher differs from most of his Militech partners is he has an active guard and can submit opponents. Fisher has had a successful run in the UFC but has had several title runs stopped by key losses. Recent loss to Frankie Edgar has Fisher starting from the bottom again, but with key wins over Thiago Alves and Sam Stout, he may only be a few wins out of the mix at lightweight.

How they match up: Unfortunately for Gugerty, this is not a favorable matchup for the youngster. Fisher’s takedown defense is way too good and Gugerty’s wrestling is not good enough to force Fisher to the ground where he may be able to push the fight. On the feet, Fisher is much too dynamic of a striker for Gugerty.

My Crystal Marble says: This was a late replacement for Fisher and he reiceved a gift fight and an easy paycheck. He is too much for Gugerty no matter where the fight goes. Gugerty has a bright future, but it isn’t starting here. Fisher wins via TKO round 2.

The Fighters: Thales Leites vs. Drew McFedries

The Records: Leites (13-1 MMA 4-1 UFC) McFedries (7-4 MMA 3-3 UFC)

How Leites got here: Leites is a BJJ blackbelt and world champion who converted to MMA in 2004. Leites has a dominating submission attack. He received his big shot at the UFC when he submitted Brazilian MMa legend Pele in 2006. Leites start in the UFC was rocky as he opened with a decision loss to Martin Kampmann. Regrouping he has rattled off 4 wins in a row in the octagon, capped off with a huge win over perennial contender Nathan Marquardt at UFC 85.

How McFedries got here: McFedries is a boxing and Muay Thai specialist who has had an up and down career in the Octagon. A true slugger with knockout power in both hands, his lack of ground game and conditioning has cost him more than a few fights in his career. Seems every time McFedries comes in after a loss he redeems himself with a quick and decisive win. McFedries comes in off a quick submission loss to Mike Massenzio at UFC Fight Night 15.

How they match up: This is not a favorable matchup for McFedries. McFedries’ kryptonite is fighters with excellent ground games and excellent conditioning. McFedries, meet Thales Leites. Leites should be able to quickly submit McFedries and go home with submission of the night bonus to boot. The only chance McFedries has is that Leites sometimes likes to test his striking against better standup opponents.

My Crystal Marble says: If McFedries can lure him into a few exchanges, he could catch him and end this before he gets taken down. I still see this as Leites’ fight to lose. Leites via submission in round 1.

Shane Carwin (9-0 MMA 1-0 UFC) vs. Neil Wain (4-0 MMA 0-0 UFC)

This fight is a very dangerous coming-out party for Shane Carwin. The UFC is attempting to restock their barren Heavyweight division with promising new talent and Carwin is the crown jewel of the collection. The undefeated fighter /engineer from Colorado looks the part and talks the talk for a rare combo in MMA. Ushered along carefully he can be a star in this sport, a fact that has not slipped by Dana White and Joe Silva. With so much invested in a fighter, the decision to pair him up with Wain must have been a tough one. Although Wain does not have anywhere near the overall skill set that Carwin has available to him, Wain possesses knockout power in both hands that can knock him out and halt the Carwin hype train dead in its tracks. Carwin is one mistake away from turning this fight into the Neil Wain coming-out party.

Shane Carwin comes from a very good collegiate wrestling background. He has shown an excellent aptitude for boxing and has been making huge leaps in his standup attack. Carwin’s best offensive weapon at this point is his ground and pound, as it is some of the most vicious that I have ever seen. Carwin’s overall striking is pretty good when you consider he is still a part-time fighter and has had limited training and fighting time. Carwin possesses knockout power in both hands and is not afraid to use it. He has not shown much in the way of kicks, but can you really blame him? Shane Carwin has never fought longer than 2 minutes 11 seconds and the combined fight time in all 9 of his wins is under 10 minutes. Carwin’s highlight reel is also his complete career.

Neil Wain is the definition of a British brawler. Short and stocky compared to other fighters in the weight class, he has decent hands with knockout power. Wain is a novice grappler, but seems to have a natural affinity for wrestling. Wain has shown favorable takedown ability and a respectable ground and pound offense. He also hands his opponent a definitive size advantage as Wain weighs in around 240lbs at fight time while Carwin has been known to push the 265lb limit. He is not bashful as his amateur boxing background gives Wain the confidence to stand and trade with any opponent. Unfortunately for Wain, he is still a very raw talent and may have pushed himself too far-to fast in his MMA career. Wain also has not fought longer than 2 minutes in any of his 4 wins at the professional level.

Both fighters are at an equal disadvantage as there is really no film on either of them to study. Both end fights devastatingly quick. Wain is giving up a definitive reach and size advantage and in only his fifth pro fight has not stepped up to this caliber of event yet. The first-time octagon jitters is a very real condition and will most likely overwhelm Wain. Barring a huge mistake on Carwin’s part, this is his fight to lose. I see Carwin dominating Wain on the feet and using his strikes to set up a first round submission win.

Marcus Davis (14-4 MMA 6-2 UFC) vs. Paul Kelly (7-0 MMA 1-0 UFC)

It is fights like these that make you appreciate the job that the UFC’s match- maker Joe Silva does on a daily basis. I don’t think there could have been a better matchup for Marcus Davis after his loss to Mike Swick at UFC 85. Paul Kelly is a very impressive fighter out of the Wolfslair academy. Kelly is a push-the-pace type of fighter, and will be in Marcus’ face the entire fight. This is the type of opponent that brings the best out of Davis and enables him to showcase the talents and aggression that makes him a unbelievable draw for the UFC in Europe.

Davis started boxing at the age of 14 and turned professional by the age of 19. He was a talented boxer and accrued an impressive record of 17-1-2. But Davis realized that there was no future or money in his boxing career and made the switch to mixed martial arts. After training for a few years in Maine and eventually opening up his own gym, a student of his named Tim Sylvia had found a new gym in Iowa and invited Davis to come along. It was that introduction to Pat Militech that changed his career path in MMA. Shortly after making the move to Militech fighting systems, he was selected to participate in the second season of The Ultimate Fighter. After losing in the finale of the show to Melvin Guillard, he rededicated himself to the sport and to improving his weak points. Davis traveled to Ohio to train with fellow season two cast member Jorge Gurgel to improve his lacking submission game, as well as to Massachusetts to train Muay Thai with renowned coach Mark Dellagrotte. His renewed work ethic showed as Davis proceeded to rattle off an eleven fight win streak, 6 of those in the UFC. An increased work load in training and a busy fight schedule led Davis to enter his last fight against top-tier opponent Mike Swick injured, and it showed in his performance. He dropped a lackluster unanimous decision to Swick but took the loss in stride.

Davis has incredible hand speed with excellent head movement and may be the most technical boxer in all of MMA. His knockout power is undeniable and Davis has the kicking game to match. Dellagrotte has helped Davis put all the pieces together to make a well-rounded striking attack. But Davis is not a one-trick pony. After TUF 2 he realized his submission game was sorely lacking, and dedicated himself to becoming a complete MMA fighter. He did nothing but grapple for a full year and forced himself to try and win by Submission. The results were an astounding 6 submission victories in a 9 fight stretch.

Davis still has some holes in his game. He has a proclivity to rely on his punching power and will let his over-aggressiveness get him into bad situations. Davis’ defensive guard is adequate but has a tendency to stall on his back and let his opponent dictate the pace from his guard. His sprawl and takedown defense is still a little sketchy, but his ability to stand back up has improved dramatically.

Paul Kelly is probably most famous for being a training partner of Michael Bisping’s at the Wolfslair academy in England. Kelly is coming off of his first win at UFC 80 over fellow Brit Paul Taylor in what would be mildly called an outright war. Kelly kept up a frentic pace that eventually overwhelmed his opponent. Kelly is a relative newcomer to the sport as this is only his third year of professional fighting.

Kelly is physically gifted with incredible strength for his size and knows how to use it combined with technique instead of just trying to overpower his opponents and exhausting himself in the process. As he demonstrated in his UFC debut, he is a conditioning machine and has gas for days on end. Kelly also proved he is strong of mind as well as he did not succumb to the first time octagon jitters that so many in his stead have done. He is an average striker at best but is fundamentally sound and can do damage over the course of the fight. Kelly’s strong suit is his grappling, his physical strength enables him over-power opponents with a dangerous ground and pound. Kelly’s strength also allows him to power out of most submission attempts.

Although his physical strength is an advantage, it can also cause issues for him. Kelly has a tendency to use his strength as a crutch in place of technique. As a result he found himself in several bad positions in the Paul Taylor fight that would have cost him the win if he was in the octagon with a more experienced grappler. The most dangerous flaws in his game is his over-aggressiveness coupled with his tendency to keep his hands to low. It is a deadly combination that if not rectified quickly will spell disaster for him.

Like I said in the opening, this is the perfect showcase opponent for Marcus Davis. An aggressive conditioning machine with a penchant for walking into fights with his head first and hands down. Kelly is an amazingly tough guy and is capable of absorbing an enormous amount of damage. As a result I do not know if Davis will be able to finish the Brit. But I suspect that Davis will wear down Kelly over the course of the fight and cruise to an easy unanimous decision win.

We are starting the pre-event hype train with a preview of the undercard for UFC 89. UFC 89 is the best overall card the UFC has put on in England so far, with many compelling matchups. Unfortunately a few of them are on the untelevised portion of the card. Many of you may not be familiar with some of the names on the undercard, but there is some serious talent there and although they lack the big names this card may surprise you.

Per Eklund (13-3-1 MMA 0-1 UFC) vs. Sammy Schiavo (10-5-0 MMA 0-1 UFC)

In this battle of international lightweights, I believe this is a loser go home situation for these two. Both are coming off losses and subpar performances. This is a traditional striker versus grappler matchup that could prove to surprise some people

Schiavo, coming off a first round TKO loss to Clay Guida in his UFC debut, is more of a striker. He is a well rounded kick boxer with excellent leg kicks and above average hands. Schiavo’s ground game is subpar and was taken down at will by Guida in their fight. Schiavo’s guard defense is mediocre at best and his submission acumen is questionable as four of his five losses are by submission.

Eklund, coming off a unanimous decision loss to Sam Stout, excels in grappling. Eklund picked up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu only a few years ago but has spent long time periods in brazil training and competing in grappling tournaments. Eklund is a purple belt but rolls at a high level and has submitted black belts in the past.

These are two fighters who not only need a win but need to make an impression with the fanbase if they are to have a future in the UFC. Eklund is just a bit more well-rounded in his MMA game, and in his decision loss to Stout showed his striking is enough to hang with most lightweights. I think he competes with Schiavo long enough to get the fight to the floor and submit him. Not the best fight on the card, but is definitely a candidate to surprise us with fight of the night. Never underestimate the lightweights.

David Baron (16-2 MMA 0-0 UFC) vs. Jim Miller (11-1 MMA 0-0 UFC)

This is one of the more exciting fights on the undercard as these two UFC rookies face off with high expectations. This has the makings of fireworks and I wouldn’t be surprised if it made the televised card. Both of these fighters are push-the-pace guys with well rounded skills.

Jim Miller is the brother of fellow UFC newcomer Dan Miller, as both migrated over following the termination of the IFL. Jim is riding a six fight win streak with his only loss coming at the hands of Frankie Edgar almost two years ago. Miller is beyond slick on the ground, as his grappling is top notch with 8 of his 11 wins by way of submission. His stand up is a constant work in progress, but should be more than enough to give Baron all he can handle on the feet.

Baron is primarily a grappler with average striking skills, as ten of his sixteen wins are via submission. Baron has been called the best MMA fighter to come out of France and has the gaudy record to back it up. Baron boasts MMA wins over the likes of Hayato Sakurai, Abdul Mohamed, and two wins over Dan Hardy. His only professional losses are to Takanori Gomi and UFC fighter Per Eklund.

Both fighters have very good motors and are excellent offensive grapplers. Neither fighter will be mistaken for Jerome LeBanner in the cage, so this fight should go to the ground quickly. As good as Baron looked in his win over Mach Sakurai recently, he is susceptible to fighters who are good aggressive wrestlers. I think Miller has the advantage in the wrestling and the transition game. Look for Jim Miller to post his first of many wins in the UFC.

Terry Etim (10-2 MMA 1-2 UFC) vs. Sam Stout (13-4-1 MMA 2-3 UFC)

Etim and Stout both have incredible talent but have been the definition of inconsistent. This is another matchup of two fighters coming off of losses in the octagon. Two losses in a row in the UFC is never a good thing and could be a ticket to tune up fights outside the organization.

Etim is extremely talented fighter from England with excellent Muay Thai. His long frame for the weight class makes him hard to deal with on the ground. His submission game consistently shows improvement as he is currently a blue belt under Pride veteran Chris Brennan. He has an excellent Guillotine choke and an active guard, but his bread and butter is his striking.

Stout is a frustrating fighter as he tends to show flashes of sheer brilliance followed by flashes of disinterest. Under the tutelage of brother-in-law and striking coach-extraordinaire Shawn Tomkins, Stout has improved by leaps and bounds since his first UFC appearance. His technical striking is some of the best in the division. Stout has also improved his wrestling at an incredible rate while training at the wrestler-heavy Xtreme Couture gym. Stout still has a tendancy to lose interest in fights and will flake out for long stretches.

This will be a dynamic striking match between two supremely talented youngsters. I don’t think either of these fighters has the power to stop each other via TKO or knockout, but Etim has a little more submission acumen than Stout and could catch him in a submission. Stout has improved his takedowns immensely but likes to shoot in with his head to the outside and could get himself caught by Etim’s wicked guillotine. I think this goes to Etim via guillotine choke late in the fight. It should be a doozy.

David Bielkheden (12-6 MMA 0-1 UFC) vs. Jess Liaudin (12-10 MMA 2-2 UFC)

Keeping with the apparent undercard theme for UFC 89, both European fighters are coming off of a loss in the UFC. As a result, both have decided to drop from welterweight to lightweight for this bout.

Bielkheden is the second Swedish fighter on this fight card (never thought I would type that sentence!) with a serious ground game. Not many people know David Bielkheden is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu from Brazilian Top Team. Bielkheden is also an excellent kickboxer who started training at the age of 13. He is a truly well-rounded fighter as well as extremely experienced. He has fought all over the world including Pride and Shooto.

Liaudin is a French import to Britain, who has recently been training in the United States with Cobra Kai gym. He is a very well-rounded fighter and is dangerous all over, but his striking is where he excels. He has knockout power in his hands and has a very good defensive ground game. Most of his submissions are set up from his striking game, and he has been overpowered by better grapplers in the past. Liadin’s wrestling is the weakest part of his MMA game, and it shows in the transitions and scrambles during the fight.

Bielkheden has cut to this weight before but this is the first time at lightweight for Liaudin. The first time weight cut combined with Bielkheden’s superior ground game leads me to pick Bielkheden to win via ground and pound stoppage in round two. I think Bielkheden was overwhelmed in his first bout with Diego Sanchez and has a lot more MMA to show the American audience.

Akihiro Gono (28-12-7 MMA 1-0 UFC) vs. Dan Hardy (19-6 MMA 0-0 UFC)

Hardy is getting a rather rude welcome to the UFC by being paired up with one of the most experienced and respected fighters in the world at 170lbs in Akihiro Gono. This is not a good style matchup for Hardy.

Hardy is a above average striker with a Taekwondo background. He has knockout power in both his hands and feet, but his best attribute is his will to win. He is hard to finish and never quits. His ground game is a work in progress but has improved dramatically over the last year or so under Eddie Bravo’s tutelage. Hardy’s defensive guard and submission defense are excellent, and combined with his standup makes him a handful for anyone at welterweight. Hardy’s conditioning has been in question before and has gased in previous defeats.

Akihiro Gono is a legend in the Japanese MMA community. At 34 years of age he is possibly the most experienced fighter still active in the sport, having his first professional fight in 1994 at the age of 20. Coming off a submission victory over Tamden McCrory at UFC 78, Gono is best known for his fan-friendly attitude and flashy and entertaining ring entrances. Gono is mainly a submission fighter who can surprise opponents with a submission from virtually any position. Gono is an adequate striker but more often uses his strikes to set up submissions. He is extremely elusive on the feet and can frustrate opponents into making mistakes. Gono’s best attribute is his ability to dictate where the fight takes place.

As much as I respect Hardy as a fighter, if Gono comes in shape this should be his fight to lose. I don’t think he will catch Hardy in a submission as Bravo will have him well prepared for most of Gono’s tricks on the floor. I see Gono keeping this fight on the ground and outworking Hardy for a unanimous decision victory. Should be the best fight on the undercard.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but having our sport’s popularity in the mainstream hinge on a 34-year old street fighter is downright depressing. And the fact that I have gone from people asking if I do that “ultimate fighting” stuff to people asking how fast Kimbo Slice could knock out Mike Tyson is enough to make me want to vomit on my Tapout bed sheets.

In an effort to cheer myself up I started to remind myself of all the awesome MMA in the coming months, with multiple fights having massive implications on the landscape of their respective divisions. The divisional rankings have the potential to be dramatically different between now and the beginning of 2009. Here are nine fights that in my opinion are “must-see” to the die-hard MMA fan. In no particular order……

Tyson Griffin vs. Sean Sherk (155lbs) – UFC 90 Silva vs. Cote
October 25 2008 – Rosemont Illinois
I haven’t been this excited for a lightweight battle in the UFC for a very long time. This is a battle between the two best conditioned athletes in the division. It will look like two Tasmanian devils on triple-shot café mochas. The entertainment value of this fight is already through the roof with just the talent level alone, but add in title shot implications and it just raised to drama level to Defcon 1 (which, means we actually had to lower the Defcon level as the drama level rose). This fight is an advertisement for the lightweight division as a whole, and if you are not a fan of the little guys yet, you will be after this one.

Thiago Alves vs. Diego Sanchez (170lbs) – UFC 90 Silva vs. Cote
October 25 2008 – Rosemont Illinois
Many people will argue that the welterweight division is the most talented in the world (in my opinion it’s the light heavyweight division, but no one ever asks me) and the UFC has a monopoly on it. This fight features two of the best with the winner getting a title shot and free denture work courtesy of the UFC champion Georges St Pierre. The most overused saying in all of MMA sadly applies here, as this is a classic matchup of striker versus grappler. Alves has evolved into a devastating striker and Sanchez seems to have found his ground-n-pound mojo again, making for an electric clash of styles. It is going to be a doozy!

Thales Leites vs. Goran Reljic (185lbs) – UFC 90 Silva vs. Cote
October 25 2008 – Rosemont Illinois
As with most athletic sports in the world, I believe there are levels of skill that separate one athlete from another. And there is nothing more enjoyable than watching new talent evolve and jump levels right before your eyes. This fight is a perfect example of two extremely talented fighters who are learning to put all aspects of their fight game together and jump to that next level. Leites has world class grappling while Reljic has shown CroCop-like striking which should combine for a fantastic ride. Both have championship caliber upside and with a win here are ready for a showdown with the elite of the middleweight division. Its going to be an interesting tug of war and I can’t wait to watch!

Luiz Cane vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (205lbs)– UFC 89 Bisping vs. Leben
October 18 2008 – Birmingham England
Just as with the fight above, this is a matchup of two talented guys with immense potential who are trying to learn how to put a complete performance together. Cane and Soku are both incredible strikers with knockout power so this promises to turn into a quick match. I doubt either of thses guys will see the third round of this fight, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Leonard Garcia vs. Jens Pulver (145lbs) – WEC 36 – Faber vs Brown
November 5 2008 – Hollywood, Florida
The WEC has turned into my guilty pleasure in life. I love to watch the smaller guys show off their skills on free TV. While Uriah Faber has proven to be the best in the world at 145lbs (Sorry Kid) the WEC has done a wonderful job of bringing in the best competition around to challenge him. These are two of the best. Pulver versus Garcia pits the two best brawlers at this weight in the same cage together, and fireworks will ensue. Garcia is an energizer bunny with incredible conditioning but has never faced knockout power like Pulver packs in his left hand. Should be an interesting matchup and one I am not going to miss!

Eddie Alvarez vs. Nick Diaz (160lbs) – EliteXC on Showtime
November 8 2008 – Reno, Nevada
The new kid on the block versus the volatile veteran in a battle for the lightweight title will make for a whirlwind battle. Alvarez is coming off of his fantastic Japanese run in the Dream tournament and Diaz is rolling by winning seven out of his last eight fights if you include his win over Takanori Gomi (and I do). Diaz likes to bang on the feet but Alvarez may prove to be too much for him. If Diaz can take this to the ground he way finally have that belt he so desperately desires. But Alvarez is on an unbelievable roll, and his wrestling might be just enough to steal another decision away from Diaz. Should be a good one!

Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar (265lbs) – Couture vs. Lesnar UFC 91
November 15 2008 Las Vegas, Nevada
The only main event on my list for obvious reasons. So many sub-plots running here that it will be hard to keep up with everything. Is it too soon for Brock to have this fight? Is the big layoff from action to much for Randy? How will Brock handle actually being punched in the face? Will Brock’s size be too much for Randy to control? These and many more questions will be answered that night. The winner gets a shot at Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira or Frank Mir and the undisputed title. I think its safe to say this is the biggest fight of the year hands down.

Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva (205lbs) – UFC 92
December 27 2008

Are you kidding me?? Do I need to even tell you why this is a huge fight?? This could be Wanderlei Silva versus Rampage Jackson 27 and I would be the first one there popcorn in hand. This fight is going to be all over the cage and non-stop action. This fight series may down as the greatest trilogy ever, even though it is one-sided so far. This is a must-see for everyone who loves this sport like I do!

Andrei Arlovski (13-5 MMA) vs. Roy Nelson (13-2 MMA)

In an attempt to pull the ripcord on their financial free fall, EliteXC made a deal with the sponsorship-devil and allowed Affliction to again promote their clothing as well as their fighters under the Elite XC banner. Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy Nelson is the first attempt at a joint product, as both fighters are under the Affliction promotional contract. This adds hardcore credibility to a show that was stacked heavily towards mainstream attractiveness.

Andrei Arlovski is a former Police officer from Belarus and a 2 time World Russian Sambo Champion. Sambo is a Russian self defense system similar to Judo, and Arlovski excelled in it. He used his success in Sambo to launch a professional MMA career. It was not a stellar success right out of the gate with a knockout loss to Viacheslav Datsik. But with good old-fashioned Russian persistence, he won the heavyweight tournament in M1 with two wins in the same night. That was enough for the UFC, and they signed the 20 year old to fight in America. Arlovski started strong in the UFC with a 4-2 mark and his impressive skills and intimidating physical appearance built him a dedicated fan base.

They say one person’s misfortune is another person’s gain, and case in point is Frank Mir and Andrei Arlovski. Frank Mir was the reigning Heavyweight Champion in the UFC when tragedy struck in the form of a motor bike accident that almost cost Mir his leg. As a result of his serious injuries, the UFC had to create an Interim Heavyweight title. Arlovski found himself up against Tim Sylvia for the title. One quick leg lock submission later and Arlovski was the new heavyweight Champion. He defended two more times in the next year and when it was decided that Mir would not make it back from his injuries Arlovski was made undisputed heavyweight champion. He then re-matched and lost his title back to Tim Sylvia. The grudge match was a 5 round affair where Arlovski lost an uninspired decision to Sylvia. Shortly after Andrei started to enter contract extension talks with the UFC and as a result was shelved in a move to “change’ the Belarusian’s mind about his demands. When it was obvious that Arlovski was not going to be a UFC fighter anymore, they allowed him to fight his contract out and sign with Affliction. In the first fight on his deal he looked re-invigorated in a third round TKO of top-ten ranked Ben Rothwell.

Arlovski is a supremely gifted athlete with a phenomenal work ethic to go along with it. This is the picture of a top tier athlete fulfilling his potential, and it is a beautiful thing to watch. Arlovski’s standup is second to none in the heavyweight division, as he is being trained by the preeminent boxing coach in the US in Freddie Roach. Arlovski has pro level boxing skills, with footwork and head movement better than most professional boxers at his weight. Arlovski is more than just boxing skills though as his kicks and knees are all explosive with perfect technique. As with most Sambo experts, he is an above average grappler with fantastic leg locks and a full arsenal of submissions. Arlovski’s own worst enemy is himself, as his tendancy to push for the exciting finish or the big knockout will sometimes get himself into positions that will cost him a fight. If Arlovski is smart and plays to his strengths against an opponent, he is one of the toughest heavyweights in the world to beat.

Roy Nelson is one of the best submission grapplers in the Heavyweight division that no one knows about. He is a blackbelt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and has won several North American titles in grappling. As a Las Vegas native he has helped train some of the best fighters in the world. Nelson saw sparring and training with other fighters as more of a job than one fighter helping out another, and decided to make himself some money instead of making other fighters better. Nelson kicked off his professional fighting career with a six fight win streak, four of which were by submission. Nelson’s stand up continually improved by working with well-known boxing coach Skipper Kelp through most of his career. He lost a close split decision to top-ten ranked Ben Rothwell in the IFL, but in that loss showed everyone that he was a force at heavyweight and someone to watch out for in the future. He went on to win 5 fights in a row in the IFL, including the IFL world heavyweight championship belt. Now that the IFL has closed its doors, Nelson is out to find the respect one can get from defeating a top ten opponent. Arlovski may be his road to legitimacy.

Nelson is a world class submission grappler with speed and agility that belie his size. He does not have many peers on the floor in the heavyweight division. During his stay in the IFL he has also developed quite the ground and pound skills. He can pack an impressive punch from the guard and is more than capable of knocking his opponent out. His stand up has also vastly improved during his IFL stay, as he has shown flashes of knockout power in his punches as well as the skill to outmaneuver and strategically deal with much larger opponents in Rothwell and Brad Imes. The one area most people point to as an area of weakness is his conditioning. Although he looks like he is hiding a medicine ball under his t-shirt, he is quite capable of fighting a full 3 or 5 rounds and winning decisions. He truly is a freak of nature in that respect.

This is an interesting fight in a few different ways. At first glance you would think Arlovski has a big edge in this bout, and by all accounts he does. His stand up is cleaner and crisper, and his ground game is defensive enough to stay out of trouble long enough to get it back to the feet where he holds the decisive edge. Nelson has shown a penchant to surprise when he is considered the underdog, and he is fully capable of doing that here. Arlovski has shown a tendancy to get bored with lesser opponents and loss interest. If he does that against Nelson, he could easily lose this fight. But I cannot see this happening. With the pressure of national television and the rather large payday ahead of him with a win, I think the Arlovski of old comes out and puts a striking clinic on Nelson and either ends it in a third round TKO or a unanimous decision win for Arlovski.

Ken Shamrock (26-13-2 MMA) vs. Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson (3-0-0 MMA)

The evolution from street brawler to MMA professional continues on Saturday night October 4th when Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson takes on another slightly past his prime legend in Ken Shamrock. Although Shamrock has only won twice since the millennium, he will attempt to halt the hype train that is Kimbo Slice. Kimbo can take one small step closer to legitimacy with a win over Shamrock, although it is apparent from the Shamrock matchup that he is in no rush to get there.

Kimbo Slice is a modern rags-to-riches story as he embarks on another chapter of his professional MMA career. As you most likely already know, Kimbo got his start fighting for money on the streets. The highest bidder would get a shot at his unofficial “Street Certified” title. Where Kimbo separated himself from the other wannabe tough guys is in self promotion. Not only did Kimbo beat you up, but then he posted his results on Youtube. It was a minor stroke of genius and the start of something big. Word spread of the Miami internet phenom, and with it his popularity grew. Even after suffering his first loss to Boston Police officer Sean Gannon, his popularity only continued to soar higher. He had to make the next logical step to the professional cage. The fan base was there and in stepped a willing promoter in the form of EliteXC.

After opening with a 19 second demolition of professional door mat Bo Cantrell, he progressed to his first MMA legend in Tank Abbott. Even after a 43 second beat down of the former king of Huntington Beach, he still received no modicum of respect. Tank was old and over the hill, no way Kimbo was that good. With fans clamoring for a legitimate opponent, Kimbo’s trainer Bas Rutten reminded everyone that it was only his third professional fight and he would not give into pressure to place his protégé in a bad situation. With that proclamation entered journeyman fighter James Thompson. Thompson was not the most talented fighter in the world, but he presented an experienced fighter very capable of beating Kimbo. The MMA media didn’t see it that way, and assumed Kimbo would roll over Thompson. When Kimbo looked less than impressive in a third round TKO win over Thompson, again it wasn’t that Kimbo was improving but rather that Thompson was washed up and not worthy of the stature of the fight. In his everlasting quest for respect, the next hurdle propped in front of him by EliteXC and Rutten is 44 year old Ken Shamrock.

For only his forth professional fight Kimbo shows excellent potential in a few areas. The most obvious are his standup skills. He is a natural gifted athlete who shows rare agility and very good footwork for someone with limited formal boxing training. Kimbo’s sheer knockout power is undeniable, and also seems to be in proportion with his cement chin. Granted he has not faced a top flight striker at this level, but shaking off a strong right hand from Tank is no mean feat no matter what his age. Kimbo’s heart and determination can not and should not be questioned as he has stood up to the pressure of his position with undeniable dignity. Many questions still remain with Kimbo’s game, mainly his grappling and his conditioning. Fortunately for him Shamrock will most likely not be able to test the latter. One thing is for certain, if Kimbo allows himself to be taken to the floor his grappling will be tested by one of the best in the world. Will Kimbo be able to react fast enough to defend against Shamrock’s submissions on the ground? That is the million dollar question.

Ken Shamrock is a Hall of famer for a reason, he was the first King of Pancrase and the first UFC Superfight Champion. A catch wrestling disciple of Masakatsu Funaki and Karl Gotch, Shamrock combined his fantastic size and strength with dazzling speed to become a world class submission grappler. After being invited and taking part in UFC 1 in 1993, he made it to the finals of the tournament where he was choked out by Royce Gracie. This was the beginning of a long standing rivalry between the two that would stretch for years. The combination of Shamrock’s intimidating appearance, grappling prowess, and penchant for trash talk would turn him into an instant star and the first for the sport. Shamrock would continue to fight in both Pancrase and the UFC for the next few years with good success. But as the sport began to wain in the United States, the money began to fade away as well.

Driven to provide for his family and the fight camp he founded, the Lion’s Den, he made the next logical step in his career to professional wrestling. Shamrock was a natural fit for the WWF(now the WWE) and with his legitimate fighting background became an instant fan favorite. Riding out the lean years in pro wrestling, Shamrock saw the sport make a financial comeback in the land of the rising sun and decided to make another go of it in Pride. This venture was not the instant success that Shamrock assumed it would be, as he won his first fight but lost his next two bouts and found himself shown the door to the promotion. The following year saw the development of events that would prove to be the turning point of the fighters career. He started a rivalry with a young champion of the UFC, Tito Ortiz. They scheduled a fight and the ensuing Pay Per view became the highest selling MMA pay per view in North American History. It undeniably proved that both the sport and Ken Shamrock could sell. The following grudge match outsold the original and the third match aired live on Spike TV basic cable and pulled the largest TV ratings ever for the sport to date. Shamrock was made a household name and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. After being released from the UFC while riding a four fight losing streak, Shamrock attempted a comeback in an effort to promote a bout with step-brother Frank Shamrock. A first round knockout loss to since-retired Robert “Buzz” Berry has given Shamrock a fifth loss in a row going into his matchup with Kimbo Slice.

Shamrock is 44 and although in decent physical shape, has shown in recent years that his conditioning is no where near where it used to be, or where it needs to be now. If this fight goes further that one round, Shamrock will gas out. One thing Shamrock does have going for him is the ability to end this fight very quickly with a submission. Say what you will about his aging skills, Ken Shamrock is still one of the most dangerous people in the world on the ground. If he can get this fight on the floor at any point in this fight, he can break a leg or an ankle and end it with lightening quickness. Ken has the heart and the determination to take the punishment needed to get inside on Kimbo, take him down and submit him. The biggest x factor in this fight is if his chin will withstand Kimbo’s punishment. Shamrock has shown over the last few years that he has a chin like a light switch. If you hit it hard and fast enough he will go out. This game plan for Shamrock is rather simple, stay conscious long enough to hit the ground with Kimbo. Shamrock will take punishment in this fight, his defense both standing and on the mat is downright atrocious. As long as he keeps his chin tucked until he can take Kimbo down, he has a chance.

I see this fight ending quickly and horribly for Ken Shamrock. I think Kimbo will land his power shots before Shamrock has a chance to get his hands on him for the takedown. Say what you will about Kimbo’s all around skill set, but he has more than enough power to put Shamrock to sleep quickly here and that is why he was choosen. The kid in me wants to see Shamrock pull off the upset and get the submission win just like he would have 15 years ago. But the adult in me who knows the realities of today all too well realizes that he will see the end of a legend’s career Saturday night. I just hope we all stop and remember all that Ken Shamrock has accomplished for the sport and not what his last impression will be.

Welterweight Championship – Jake Shields (21-4-1) vs. Paul Daley (18-6-2)

The lone championship match on the Elite XC card, champion Jake Shields takes on British brawler Paul Daley for the Welterweight title. Billed as the best of America versus the best of Britain, this is also a perfect battle of striker versus grappler in MMA. The defending champion is the better-rounded of the two fighters, but Daley is the most complete striker that Shields has faced in his career.

Jake Shields is a former college all-american wrestler who made the jump to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and has turned into a dominant grappler. A product of Cesar Gracie’s BJJ school, he is a world champion grappler who titles include first at the Pan Am Games and third at the ADCC open weight tournament. He is a very seasoned fighter for someone of his age, who has managed to fight the best competition available despite never having stepped into the octagon. Shields has high-profile wins over the likes of Hayato Sakurai, Mike Pyle, Yushin Okami, and Carlos Condit. After the 63 second drubbing he put on Nick Thompson in his last fight he is riding a 10 fight win streak that extends back to 2004. I think I can definitively say that Jake Shields is the best 170lb fighter in the world not in the UFC.

Shields’ strength is his grappling, as he can make a case for the best submission grappler in the world at 170lbs and not many would argue. Unlike many of his Gracie Jiu Jitsu brethren, he has adapted his BJJ quite well for the world of MMA with 4 of his last 5 victories by way of submission. To say that Cesar Gracie has made an impact on Shields’ life would be an understatement as he is 18-2-1 since joining the team. Shields’ standup is always a work in progress, while early in his career he used it strictly to get the fight down to the mat where he could dominate the fight he now can stand and trade with most fighters on the feet and still cause damage. As with all of the Cesar Gracie students, his conditioning is impeccable and can push a pace in a fight that few can tolerate. Shields has evolved into a complete fighter who can truly beat you anywhere in the fight.

Paul Daley is a kickboxer from Britain who sported a 10-3 kickboxing record with 10 KOs before making the jump to MMA. He is originally trained in Karate from an early age, but later in his career has fully embraced Muay Thai while training part time in Holland. While fighting almost solely in Britain, he has compiled an impressive KO ratio in his wins on his way to the current Cage Rage welterweight championship. He is a devastating striker with knockout power in his hands and feet as he has demonstrated time and time again. While flirting briefly with retirement, he has come back to take his first big fight on American soil and take his second welterweight belt home with him.

Daley is very well rounded striker with traditional Karate kicks and extensive Muay Thai at his disposal as well as very good boxing. His speed, athleticism, and sheer power often take opponents off guard even when they think they have prepared for it. As his striking has matured it has shown in his results, as none of the fights in his six fight win streak have gotten out of the second round. His ground game is still a work in progress as four of his six losses are via submission. His defensive ground game has shown some improvement but he is still very susceptible to taking damage in the guard as well as vulnerable to submissions. It’s a simple game for Daley. Keep it on the feet and he has a chance to win.

This is a striker vs. grappler matchup on steroids as you have maybe the best striker at 170lbs against one of the best grapplers in the world at 170lbs. The obvious applies here, whoever controls the flow of the fight wins the match. If Shields can stand and trade successfully long enough to set up a takedown and get Daley to the floor, this match is going to be over quickly. If Daley overwhelms Shields with his speed and athleticism and catches Shields thinking too much early, this will be a quick match the other way. I have to go in the direction of the favorite here, as Shields has shown a fantastic chin his whole career as he has never been knocked out. Shields should be able to handle Daley on the feet long enough to take him down and take an arm or choke him out. I think this is the best Elite could do and one more reason that Shields should be doing everything in his power to get into the UFC. I predict Shields via submission in round one.

Benji Radach (18-4 MMA) vs. Murilo “Ninja” Rua (16-8-1 MMA)

This is one of the best middleweight fights you will ever see outside of the UFC. These two 185lbers are some of the most exciting stand up fighters in MMA. We have a fighter on the comeback trail to elite status versus another on a quest to reclaim his title belt. Both have slick striking with knockout power and cement chins. This has potential to be fight of the night and steal the show.

Benji Radach was a highly touted prospect early in his career who started off on a nine fight winning streak. He took the step up in competition to the UFC and did well, taking his first loss on a hard fought bout with Sean Sherk that ended with a cut. Not losing any luster off his promising status, Radach moved forward and continued to win at smaller shows. Then his life changed when he took a fight with Chris Leben in 2004. Leben shattered Radach’s jaw which managed to start a chain reaction of injuries that kept Radach out of MMA for almost 3 years. A broken jaw, a herniated disc that caused partial paralysis, a spider bite that created a large hole in his leg, a torn meniscus that required knee surgery, and a staph infection from hell that almost caused his arm to be amputated. They all helped to keep him sidelined until Bas Rutten and the IFL came a calling in 2007. He rattled off five straight wins in the IFL until his championship loss to Matt Horwich last December.

Radach is an excellent wrestler but an even better boxer. He has fantastic hands, but it was his devastating knockout power that put Radach on the map. He has since turn into a pretty good all-around kickboxer with decent ground skills. His wrestling enables Radach to stay out of trouble on the ground and he wins most scrambles for position. His guard is strictly defensive, he will not threaten to many submissions from his back. He also uses his wrestling in reverse to prevent the takedown and keep the fight standing.

Ninja Rua is a Pride veteran and an original member of the famed Chute Boxe academy in Brazil. Ninja started his career with much ballyhoo and delivered with exciting fights. He was an exciting Muay Thai fighter with amazing cardio and fantastic Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. His first loss was a split decision to Dan Henderson, but the fight that really put Ninja on the map was his win over Zen master Mario Sperry. Sperry represented the rival fight team in Brazil, Brazilian Top Team. The fight was not just between to spectacular fighters, but two fight teams and their way of lives. Ninja triumphed in a fantastic decision victory and announced that Rua was the man to beat. But as happened often in his career, every time Rua took a step forward he then took two steps backward. He had several disappointing losses that always seemed to keep him from elite status, but the biggest hit to his mystique was his 15 second knockout loss to Denis Kang. After that fight he ventured from Pride to find his own way. He seemed to finally find the validation he was seeking when he won the middleweight belt in EliteXC by beating Joey Villasenor. But in true ninja fashion he followed one big step forward with a big step backwards in the form of a loss to Robbie Lawler.

Ninja is an excellent kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter, as well as a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He is an fantastic improvisational fighter and is wonderful at winning the scrambles. He is a superb grappler and capable of submitting someone from any position in the fight. His biggest advantage might be his conditioning as he can put a pace on a fighter that they cannot hope to rival. His conditioning can also cause his biggest error, and that is over aggressiveness.  He sometimes rushes head first into trouble and can get caught with strikes. He seems to have settled down with age and maturity, but he still seems impatient at times.

This fight is seemingly for the number one contender spot in the middleweight division. Winner most likely will get a shot at Robbie Lawler. As much fun as Ninja is to watch fight, Radach has the power, the patience, and the wrestling to win the scrambles. I see Radach grinding out a decision victory over Rua. Ninja is extremely tough to finish, even with Radach’s power. Rua could catch Radach in a submission, maybe pick off an arm. But this matchup favors Radach and his controlling patient style of fighting. I think the smart move for Rua would be to take the fight to the floor and do the damage from within the guard, but ninja is too aggressive for that. I think he will want to stand and bang with Radach, and that will prove to be his undoing. I think Radach wins this via split decision.

Tuesday at 3 a.m. ET is the finale of the DREAM middleweight Grand Prix. If you haven’t been keeping up with the DREAM tournament, this is meant to be a simple user guide to the tournament finals. DREAM has been supplying us with possibly some of the most stacked MMA cards of the year, and DREAM 6 is no different. Below are quick bios on the four participants of the finals and then break downs with predictions of their matchups.

The Field:

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (9-1 MMA) – Jacare is a relative newcomer to mixed martial arts, but not to the world of combat sports. He is considered pound for pound one of the best submission grapplers on the planet, as his multiple Brazilian jiu-jitsu world championships will corroborate. The world class BJJ black belt has a list of victims that is a who’s who of today’s top fighters. He is currently training at Randy Couture’s gym, Xtreme Couture, to bring his striking skills up near the same stratosphere as his ground game. While he has shown tremendous strides in his standup, he still rightly plays to his strengths and uses his striking to set up takedowns and overwhelm his opponents on the ground. While there are many world champion grapplers in MMA, he shows a degree of aggressiveness and surgical precision that sets him above the rest.

Jacare fought and defeated wrestler Ian Murphy in the opening round of the tournament with a rather swift rear-naked choke. He then faced the very experienced and always tough Jason “Mayhem” Miller in the quarterfinals of the tournament and posted a hard-earned unanimous decision. In the semi-finals, he’ll face Zelg Galesic.

Zelg Galesic (9-3 MMA) - Galesic is a Croatian fighter known for his stand-up so much so that he has been given the nickname “Little Mirko” in certain circles. While known for his striking, Galesic’s grappling is ever-improving as he has shown most recently in his second round match in the DREAM tournament. He is crisp striker who is very aggressive and tries to push the pace but is prone to sloppiness which result in mistakes that will cost him matches. His experience at the highest level of MMA is limited, as his lack of top flight competition will illustrate. The other three competitors in the tournament present the best competition that the young creation has faced to date.

Galesic fought Magomed Sultanakhmedov in the first round of the tournament and submitted him via armbar in under two minutes. He then was pitted against Taiei Kin in a rematch in the quarterfinals and won via a doctor stoppage due to a dislocated elbow suffered by Kin. He will face Jacare Souza in the semifinals of the tournament.

Melvin Manhoef (22-4-1 MMA) - Manhoef is a kickboxer from Holland with devastating knockout power in both hands and feet. He is not only cartoonish-ly strong in both appearance and substance, but is as ruthless as they come in this sport. He is explosive and freakishly fast, but his conditioning is somewhat suspect as he has a tendency to gas himself out trying to end the fight early. As with most Dutch fighters, his bane is his ground game. He is somewhat rudimentary on the ground and is very susceptible to submission attempts. Manhoef’s takedown defense is average at best, but it is his pure athleticism that can both awe you and catch you off-guard.

Manhoef fought a reserve match for the tournament and beat Dae Won Kim via TKO due to punches at DREAM 3. Once Kiyoshi Tamura was injured in his opening round win, Manhoef got the call and proceed to old-fashioned mud-stomp Kazushi Sakuraba in the quarterfinals. He will face Gegard Mousasi in the semifinals.

Gegard Mousasi (22-2-1 MMA) - Mousasi is a Dutch-Armenian fighter that is the perfect example of the term well-rounded in MMA. He is a very crisp striker with excellent Muay Thai who possesses knockout power. Mousasi is an excellent grappler with seven submission wins to his credit. He has been on the scene for a while now from a very young age and has improved at a dramatic rate. A striking coach for Fedor Emelianenko in the past, Mousasi was one of the most sought-after young free agents in the sport before he signed a deal with DREAM, as his upside is tremendous. The only question marks in his game are his overall wrestling skills and his chin.

Mousasi opened the tournament with his highest profile win of his career in a first round submission win over Denis Kang via triangle choke. He faced South Korea’s Dong Sik Yoon in the quarterfinals and prevailed with a dominant unanimous decision. He will face Melvin Manhoef in the semi finals of the middleweight tournament.

Matchup Previews:

Jacare Souza vs. Zelg Galesic -

I am a firm believer that these matchups were made in favor Jacare. DREAM seems to be very high on him and wants to cultivate his star status in Japan. Jacare should take this fight as Galesic is not equipped to overwhelm Jacare in any area. Galesic is an excellent kickboxer but his knockout power is somewhat in question and Jacare has shown an excellent chin to date. Jacare’s takedowns have improved dramatically since training at Xtreme Couture and if he can weather the initial storm with Galesic, he should be able to take him down and submit him with relative ease. I like Jacare via first round submission.

Melvin Manhoef vs. Gegard Mousasi -

This fight is going to be an entertaining affair. On paper this is Mousasi’s fight to lose. He has the larger skill set and has shown excellent durability to this point. But Manhoef has other-worldly power in his punches and kicks, and can swarm and throw punches in bunches if he senses you are hurt. Mousasi is a cool customer and should be smart enough to let Manhoef punch himself out and then go for the takedown and take this fight to Manhoef’s weakest area. Manhoef’s overaggressive style has armbar written all over it. I am taking Gegard Mousasi via armbar late in round one.

Projected Finals:

Obviously this is MMA and anything can happen, but if my prognostication is correct with Jacare and Mousasi in the final, I see Mousasi winning a very tough and hard fought decision victory. Mousasi just has more tools in the tool belt at this point of Jacare’s career. Another year or two and Jacare may be one of the most dominate fighters in the middleweight division, but this seems to be Mousasi’s tournament to win or lose.

The last preview of UFC Fight Night 15 is the main event, Militech Fighting Systems product Josh Neer vs. The Ultimate Fighter 5 winner Nate Diaz. This fight has more meaning for Diaz than it does for Neer, but I am sure you won’t be able to tell that by watching it as this should prove to be a slobberknocker.

Nate Diaz (9-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is the brother of supremely talented problem-child Nick Diaz. Not only do they share a distaste for “mean-muggin”, but a true aptitude for submission fighting. Nate is a brown belt under Cesar Gracie in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, but definitely operates at a black belt level as 7 of his 9 professional wins are from submissions. He defeated Manny Gamburyan in the finale of the Ultimate Fighter season 5 when Gamburyan separated his shoulder and had to concede the victory even though most perceived that Gamburyan was winning the fight. Since winning the ultimate fighter in somewhat controversial fashion, Diaz seems to exhibit a desire to prove his legitimacy in each of his fights. As a result, Diaz has capped off a 4 fight winning streak inside the UFC with a stunning come-from-behind victory over a very tough and underrated Kurt Pellegrino by triangle choke. With his middle-finger laden win Diaz has served notice that he is a threat to everyone in the lightweight division.

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The next fight we are going to preview on the road to UFC Fight Night 15 could be billed as a possible “Loser leaves town” type matchup. Ed Herman versus Alan Belcher is a battle of two UFC middleweights trying to establish solid footing in the burgeoning talent pool of the middleweight division.

Herman (14-6 MMA, 3-3 UFC) was a finalist for season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” losing a tough, back-and-forth decision to Kendall Grove. He was offered and signed a contract with the UFC regardless, and has had fluctuating results since. His first fight after the show, he was systematically taken down and submitted by a fighter who was offered a spot on the same season but passed, Jason MacDonald.

Herman seemed to finally find his stride as a UFC fighter in 2007 with 3 straight wins against increasingly tougher competition, culminating with handing Joe Doerksen his first knockout loss of his career. In came 2008 and a loss to Demian Maia at UFC 83. Not much to take from that loss, as Maia has been exposing everyone he has faced to possibly the best submission game in the middleweight division, if no the whole UFC. Herman has shown his best attributes are his wrestling and overall ground game with improving stand up. He has also shown he still has a way to go with his takedown and submission defense, as well as overall conditioning.

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Some were happy, some were sad, and most were in shock. Chuck Liddell was knocked unconscious by one punch, thrown by a reality TV show winner. If you had said that one, two, or even three years ago, any MMA fan in the world would have disagreed or possibly ridiculed you incessantly. Now, on September 6th of 2008 it is a reality. Rashad Evans knocked out Liddell at UFC 88. And it is a reality that more than a few people will have a hard time swallowing.

We as a whole do not like change. You can argue it’s a human characteristic. You can argue it’s biological, that humans draw comfort from familiarity and fear the unknown. I do not profess to be a psychology major. But one thing I can attest to, I have always hated change. And I feel like UFC 88 was a tidal wave of change.

Zuffa purchased the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2000. In 2001 they started to get the sport regulated. Since that time, the first crop of up-and-coming fighters had ascended to the top of the heap in the sport. The names are now synonymous with the UFC. Hughes. Franklin. Liddell. Sure, as a hardcore fan there are many more names that you associate with that time in the sport, arguable more talented and better names. But to the casual fan, the fan-base that truly pays the bills around this sport, those names define MMA. And now they define an era of MMA.

They will forever be tied to that epoch of MMA. In my opinion they are the symbol of a golden age of the UFC, if not the sport as a whole in the United States. They were the flag bearers of American wrestling to the sport, responsible for wrestling converting from little known sport to legitimate building block of martial arts. Some used their wrestling to dominate their opponents on the ground, some used their wrestling to allow them to dominate their opponents on the feet. All became champions as a result.

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