This comes after McKee failed to make 155 pounds for the title fight, instead coming in at 162 pounds. McKee vs. Cobb has been changed to a three round fight as Cobb came in at 155.6 pounds and, as per Edmonton rules, wasn’t given a second chance to make the 155 pound limit.

News of McKee’s status comes via TopMMANews.com.

The only other fighter to miss weight was James Haddad, who will be fined 20% of his fight purse. Everyone else on Friday’s MFC 32: Bitter Rivals event, which airs Friday night on HDNet, came in on point.

Complete weigh-in results:

Allen Hope (186 lbs) vs. Brendan Kornberger (184.6 lbs)
Garret Nybakken (155 lbs) vs. Matt Jelly (155 lbs)
Dan Ring (154 lbs) vs. James Haddad (158 lbs)
Jamie Toney (169 lbs) vs. Kyle Jackson (170 lbs)
Dhiego Lima (171 lbs) vs. Nathan Coy (169 lbs)
Ryan McGillivray (171 lbs) vs. Diego Bautista (170 lbs)
Antonio McKee (162 lbs) vs. Brian Cobb (155.6 lbs)
Dwayne Lewis (205 lbs) vs. Wilson Gouveia (204 lbs)

Prior to leaving for the UFC, McKee put together a streak of almost eight years fighting without a loss. From 2003 until his bout against Jacob Volkmann at UFC 125, his only non-win in that span was a draw to Akbarh Arreola.

In Cobb, McKee will be facing a fighter who has defeated the likes of Rad Martinez and Drew Fickett during his current four-fight win streak.

“The fans of Maximum Fighting Championship action, they want exciting fights, and they want to be impressed by the fighters,” MFC President Mark Pavelich said through an official press release. “When he’s pressed into a corner, McKee comes out fighting, and there’s no way in the world that Cobb will let McKee just coast through this fight.”

The 41-year-old McKee won his last bout, submitting Jai Bradney in August at an event for Cage Fighting Championship. Cobb won his MFC debut against Fickett this past June, and is also 0-1 in the UFC having lost to Terry Etim in 2009.

In the co-main event, former UFC fighter Wilson Gouveia meets Dwayne Lewis in a five-round affair. The last loss for both men was to MFC light heavyweight champion Ryan Jimmo. Gouveia was cut from the UFC back in 2009 after losses to Nate Marquardt and Alan Belcher.

“Both (Lewis) and Wilson Gouveia are looking to get on track after long layoffs,” Pavelich said of the MFC 32 match-up, “so there’s no better way to figure out who’s for real than to let them smash their way back into the mix.”

PHOTO CREDIT – MFC/UFC

Fickett will still see action at the event and has been linked to a bout with 15-2 grappler Matt Veach in a catch-weight clash at 160 pounds.

News of the change in circumstances was relayed to media by way of an official announcement from the organization.

Fickett is 40-13 in his career and was considered to be on his way to stardom with past wins over Kurt Pellegrino, Josh Koscheck, and Ken Florian before personal problems stymied his ascension in the sport. However, the 31-year old has won his last four fights including three in a single evening last September en route to winning Shine Fights’ 155-pound Grand Prix.

His opponent, Veach, has also emerged from the ring with his hands raised the last four times he’s entered it including a trio of decision victories. Fans may remember the teammate of Matt Hughes’ at H.I.T. Squad based on his recent run in the UFC where Veach debuted with an opening round TKO of Matt Grice before dropping back-to-back bouts including a submission loss to current lightweight champ Frank Edgar.

In addition to Fickett’s fight with Veach “MFC 28: Supremacy” will also feature in-ring appearances from notable names like Ryan Jimmo, Thomas Denny, and Rodney “Sho Nuff” Wallace. Fans can tune in to watch things unfold live on HDNet starting at 10:00 PM EST.

News of McKee’s return to the MFC was announced in an official press release by the Canadian promotion.

The 31-year old has won four consecutive fights by way of submission, a trio of which came during a single-night Shine Fights tournament in September, after losing seven of his previous eight bouts. Fickett’s career has been a roller coaster to say the least, as he holds past victories over Kurt Pellegrino, Josh Neer, Ken Florian, and Josh Koscheck but has also fallen to a number of less-than notable opponents and burned bridges with more than one MMA organization (including a well-documented fallout with MFC in 2008).

McKee is 3-0 in MFC with wins over Carlo Prater, Derrick Noble, and most recently Luciano Azevedo last Fall in a match-up McKee had promised to retire after were he unable to finish his opponent. He subsequently went on to score a first-round TKO over the Brazilian.

The 155-pounders join another set of individuals, light heavyweights Ryan Jimmo and Dwayne Lewis, set to square off over a belt at the event. Other highlights on the card include a bout between Razak Al-Hassan and Rodney Wallace, as well as Thomas Denny in action.

News of the professional separation was confirmed by Five Ounces of Pain with sources close to the involved parties.

McKee was outpointed by Jacob Volkmann in what was said to be a forgettable three-round affair at UFC 125 last weekend. The showing marked McKee’s debut in the UFC after racking up fourteen wins and one draw in his last fifteen fights. However, the outspoken 40-year old has received criticism in the past for his in-ring style after earning eighteen of his twenty-five total career victories by way of the judges’ scorecards, and divisional spots on the roster are at a premium with the company’s recent addition of WEC lightweights

“Mandingo” has an overall record of 25-4-2 with past wins over Carlo Prater, Derrick Noble, Delson Heleno, and Marcus Aurelio.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Clay Guida Talks About Visiting Amsterdam (MiddleEasy.com)

Mike Brown Wants One Last Bout in WEC (Versus.com)

Urijah Faber Talks About Fighting in the Octagon (MMAFighting.com)

“The Korean Zombie” Moving Away from Undead Style (MMAConvert.com)

Joseph Benavidez Speaks About his Past, Present, and Future (Heavy.com)

Ever Wanted to Check Out Antonio McKee’s Crib? (MMAScraps.com)

Thales Leites Back on the Winning Track (FIGHT! Magazine)

You Saw What Fighters Dressed Up Like for Halloween…Now It’s Time for MMA-Themed Costumes (WatchKalibRun.com)

MMA in New York Takes a Blow (CagePotato.com)

News of the match-up was reported by MMAWeekly who confirmed the probable pairing with sources close to the situation.

McKee has an overall record of 25-3-2 and is 14-0-1 since February 2003. Known for his outspokenness as much as his high-level grappling, “Mandingo” has out-pointed eighteen of the twenty-five opponents he’s beaten in his career including the likes of Carlo Prater, Derrick Noble, and Marcus Aurelio. He most recently won by TKO over Luciano Acevedo at MFC 26 this past September, a bout he’d previously promised to retire after had it gone to a decision.

The 40-year old should face a tough test in the form of his UFC 125 adversary. Volkmann is 11-2 with his only losses coming to highly-respected welterweights Martin Kampmann and Paulo Thiago (who he went the distance with). The Minnesotan is 2-0 since dropping to 155-pounds and most recently beat Paul Kelly by unanimous decision at “UFC Live on Versus 2” last August.

In addition to McKee’s bout with Volkmann, UFC 125 is also rumored to feature lightweight champ Frank Edgar defending his belt against Gray Maynard, Thiago Silva exchanging hands with Brandon Vera, and Chris Leben’s return to the cage against Brian Stann.

The signing signals McKee’s return to competitive mixed martial arts coming on the heels of a self-imposed hiatus that dates back to the summer of 2007. The standout wrestler has not fought since recording a split decision victory over Delson Heleno during the IFL championship semifinals at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J. on August 7 of that year.

McKee is 21-3-2 overall in MMA and was 4-0 while competing under the IFL banner. Heading into the promotion’s 2007 welterweight Grand Prix, McKee was the IFL’s number one ranked welterweight but never competed in the tournament after he parted ways with the promotion following a contract dispute.

A debut date for McKee has yet to be announcer. However, according to MFC’s website, McKee will mount his comeback as a lightweight.

“I’m going to be the baddest 155er on the planet,” McKee is quoted as saying in a release issued by the promotion. “I’ve accomplished a lot of things but I’ve always treated this as a sport. Now I’m going to treat this as entertainment and I’m going to show people who I really am. I’m not going to cover anything up anymore.

“Before I was always the good guy and being the good guy got me nothing but disrespect. You’re going to see who I really am now. I told my wife and kids that there are two sides to me – one professional and one street. I tried being a professional and I got called names and was called boring. Now I’m going to show everyone what I’m really about.”

Despite an impressive record, McKee has often found himself overlooked by both pundits and MMA fans alike due to a fighting style that relies heavily on his wrestling skills. However, McKee believes he is now a different fighter.

“People called me boring … you know what? They were right, I was boring,” he is quoted. “But now I’m going to show them what I’m capable of. Somewhere deep inside me there is someone that is to be feared and respected and I’m going to make it happen.”

The outcomes were very surprising and I have to state for the record that my record on picks last night was god awful. It’s so bad that for my fight previews I am thinking about taking a hiatus from making actual picks. MMA is just too subjective and if you’re someone who can consistently make money betting on MMA, my hat is off to you. But at this stage, unless I am in Vegas, I think I’d bet on hockey before I’d bet on MMA.

I am giving the show a definitive thumbs up, as I really enjoyed all of the fights, however, the pacing of the show was once again tough to take. I guess it’s not a bad thing if you can find ways to keep yourself busy. I actually try to use the downtime during UFNs and TUF finales to catch up on phone calls. I just wish that some more innovative ways to incorporate less-intrusive advertising and sponsorships were introduced to the telecasts but I’m not holding my breath. My feeling is that the viewership would increase if the show moved quicker. But what do I know?

One thing that has to change is they need to stop killing Joe Rogan! Using him as a glorified entertainment correspondent and having him interview “celebrities” is not fair to him. It’s just really surreal seeing Rogan give you very technical analysis about ground fighting one minute and the next see him doing a fluff interview with some unknown comic involved with a Vince Vaughn documentary.

Spike has to do what it has to do to promote its shows but why not help Rogan out and have someone else conduct interviews that aren’t directly related to MMA? It would be the same as if CBS asked Phil Simms to leave the broadcast booth during a game in order to interview Jennifer Love Hewitt in the crowd in order to promote the “Horse Whisperer.” You know if they asked Simms to do that he’d be on the phone with his agent. Kudos to Rogan for rolling with the punches but I can’t imagine the effort it takes to pretend to be interested in interviewing random people from Spike’s galaxy of stars.

And did anyone see the irony in Rogan interviewing two DEA agents? Priceless.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REMAINDER OF THIS ARTICLE ON SAM CAPLAN’S PROELITE.COM BLOG

KenFlo likes to let us all know that he finishes fights, but he delivered on his promise tonight by finishing Joe Lauzon via TKO in the second round. The first round was a well fought round by both guys with a lot of back and forth action, scrambles and transitions. The second round, however, was another story and was completely dominated by Florian. He took it to another level, took Lauzon down, passed his guard, and finished him from the mount. Perhaps it was too much, too soon for Lauzon, but either way Florian’s win was impressive. Is he ready for a lightweight title shot? I don’t think so just yet, but a fight with Roger Huerta is one I would love to see for #1 contender status.

Karo Parisyan has a legitimate beef.

Karo has a legitimate beef with the stoppage of his fight with Thiago Alves. Yes, he was rocked, yes he was taking punishment, but he certainly didn’t look out of it. With a veteran like Parisyan you have to give him the benefit of the doubt and the referee failed to even give Karo a chance to defend himself. Would it have ended any differently had the ref not stopped the fight? Hard to tell, especially with what kind of condition Karo looked to be in (terrible) and his inability to force the fight to the ground when he needed to. Whether it would have affected the outcome or not, the bottom line is that Karo should have been given the chance to fight back.

Frankie Edgar may want to consider moving down to 145 lbs.

That’s not a knock against Edgar, but he was overpowered and outsized by Gray Maynard tonight. Maynard completely lifted Edgar off his feet and slammed him with ease three times in the second round. The fight was close for the first two rounds, but Maynard had the edge in the third, imposing his will with his wrestling and strength. For Edgar in the 155 lbs. division it really only gets tougher as far as big, strong guys who are dropping a ton of weight to get down to 155 lbs. Edgar doesn’t cut much weight and he can make the 145 lbs. division, a place where I think he is much better off. WEC is making their fight league the premiere place for the lighter weight classes and it might do Frankie some good to test the waters at a weight where he might be more dominant.

The Tim Boetsch hype train has lost a good amount of steam.

Boetsch has potential, don’t get me wrong, but he was not ready for a guy as freakishly strong and as good of a wrestler as Matt Hamill. Having Hamill on top of him for the better part of a round really took the wind out of Boetsch. He looked crisp to begin with, but his cardio was nowhere near where it needed to be to compete with someone like Hamill. Both guys are still incredibly rough around the edges and Hamill certainly had his scares in the fight, eating some big knees and punches from Boetsch. He was too much for Boetsch in the end. Let’s let Boetsch get some more fights under his belt in the UFC before we start talking crazy again.

Oh, and did Joe Rogan really say “rape choke” during the replay of the end of this fight when Hamill was on top of Boetsch? Damn. I love Rogan and his announcing, but “rape choke” on Spike TV might be taking it a little too far.

The Houston Alexander hype train has come to a screeching halt.

Two big KO wins, one TKO loss, and a KO loss. Houston Alexander is now 2-2 in the UFC against mid-level competition outside of his win against Jardine. He has little to no ground game, as we saw against Thiago Silva. And now his chin is in question after a glancing punch from James Irvin hit him on his jaw. Where does Houston Alexander go from here? He certainly makes things exciting, either knocking someone out or getting knocked out himself, but that’s no way to live as a successful fighter. Houston was supposed to be the UFC’s “next big thing” and this was supposed to be a fight to put Houston over with the crowd again. Irvin spoiled those plans and honestly, an eight second knockout has to be a bit embarrassing for Houston. I imagine that next time Houston Alexander is on a card, it won’t be on TV or PPV. Just a hunch.

Nate Diaz passed his biggest test yet with flying colors (and fingers).

Forget about the first round. Let’s talk about how he came back after having the piss beat out of him for five minutes in the first round. Diaz’s guard is extremely dangerous and he has proven it on more than one occasion so far. If there’s one place you do not want to be on the ground with Diaz, it’s in his guard. Pellegrino recognized that to begin with and was constantly trying to pass, but if you give Diaz enough time, he’ll eventually catch you. And that’s exactly what happened. Diaz weathered the storm, waited for Pellegrino to make the mistake, and capitalized on it. Are there holes in his game that Pellegrino took advantage of? Surely. Was Diaz able to overcome all of that and still come out on top with an impressive victory over a very tough and seasoned opponent. Yes, and that’s all that really matters.

Anthony Johnson took Tommy Speer to school.

That’s really all there is to say about that.

Main Card
• Kenny Florian def. Joe Lauzon via TKO (Strikes) at 3:28 of Rd 2.
• Thiago Alves def. Karo Parisyan via TKO (Knee) at 0:34 of Rd 2.
• Gray Maynard def. Frank Edgar via Unanimous Decision.
• Matt Hamill def. Tim Boetsch via TKO (Strikes) at 1:25 of Rd 2.
• Nate Diaz def. Kurt Pellegrino via Submission (Triangle Choke) at 3:06 of Rd 2.
• James Irvin def. Houston Alexander via TKO (Strikes) at 0:08 of Rd 1.

Undercard

• Josh Neer def. Din Thomas via Unanimous Decision.
• Marcus Aurelio def. Ryan Roberts via Submission (Armbar) at 0:16 of Rd 1.
• Manny Gamburyan def. Jeff Cox via Submission (Guillotine) at 1:41 of Rd 1.
• Clay Guida def. Samy Schiavo via TKO (Strikes) at 4:15 of Rd 1.
• George Sotiropoulos def. Roman Mitichyan via TKO (Strikes) at 2:24 of Rd 2.
• Anthony Johnson def. Tom Speer via TKO (Strikes) at 0:51 of R1.

Read more UFN 13 content on FiveOuncesOfPain.com.

UPDATE: FULL RESULTS HERE 

While you watch the fights on SPIKE TV, you can talk smack with other hardcore MMA fans HERE as the fights happen. If you don’t have SPIKE, we’ll provide blow-by-blow coverage of each bout.

Sponsoring our UFC Fight Night 13 live event chat is StrikeFirstGear.com. The dudes at Strike First Gear are giving away prizes to the chat participants that can pick the winner of the following bouts:

Kenny Florian vs. Joe Lauzon

Karo Parisyan vs. Thiago Alves

Frank Edgar vs. Gray Maynard

Pick the winner, method of win, round and time for your chance to win hoodies, t-shirts and hats from StrikeFirstGear.com! Check out their site for all the goods. You must join the chat to be eligible for these prizes.

JOIN the chat and be sure to join other Five Ounces readers, staff, and other MMA fans tonight!

On paper, it looks like fight fans could be in store for an exciting ride with some excellent matchups scheduled for UFN 13 and a new twist to the TUF format that requires fighters to win a fight before they can become an official part of the cast.

Here is a preview with predictions for the six fights scheduled to air on tonight’s broadcast from Broomfield, Colorado.

Kenny Florian vs. Joe Lauzon

I initially felt this match was too soon for Lauzon. However, it’s easy to forget that before going on TUF, Lauzon had pulled off a dramatic upset over Jens Pulver, who at the time was a highly ranked lightweight. The win over Pulver combined with Lauzon’s two subsequent wins after the show makes him a title contender in my estimation.

This is a strong matchup with both fighters being very skilled on the ground. When it comes to fighting on the mat, I still have to give the nod to Florian, who continues to refine his jiu-jitsu game and is always working on new and innovative techniques. On the other hand, Lauzon deserves a slight edge on the feet. While Florian’s Muay Thai has improved leaps and bounds, I consider Lauzon to be the more explosive, aggressive of the two.

It’s really hard to pick a winner in this one. Both are highly competitive fighters that are always prepared. I don’t think 15 minutes is enough for one man to put the other away. I am convinced that this fight is going to the judges.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REMAINDER OF THIS UFC FIGHT NIGHT 13 PREVIEW ON SAM CAPLAN’S PROELITE.COM BLOG

Kenny Florian vs. Joe Lauzon

Adam Morgan: There isn’t an area to me where Joe Lauzon looks better on paper than Kenny Florian outside of maybe fight experience and possibly wrestling. That being said, he is absolutely one of the most promising young lightweights in the division and should not be overlooked. Florian, in my opinion, will have better cardio, better standup, and an overall better gameplan going into the bout. Mark DelaGrotte has his fighters very well prepared recently and I expect the same out of Florian tomorrow. He’s fought the tougher opponents and has really transformed himself into one of the best lightweights in the division. Lauzon is good, but not good enough just yet. Kenny Florian via unanimous decision.

Michael Huckaby: Even if you love Joe Lauzon I find it hard to see how exactly he’s going to win. I don’t see Florian allowing himself to be knocked out, I certainly don’t see J-Lau submitting him, and I see a very, very slim chance he could take a decision. I love watching Lauzon fight I just can’t see a way he wins here. While Florian has no chance against Sherk or Penn, he’s a warrior and he’ll hang in there to the bitter end and never quit. Mix that with excellent skills and you have a guy that will end alot of blue chipper’s (see: Lauzon) goals for the top. Where he’s at now, Kenny Florian is an ultimate gate keeper. Winner: Kenny Florian, sub, Rd3

Ram Maramba: Joe Lauzon, pipe dream aspiration to IT nerds everywhere, is one of the more likable young fighters to bust out in the last few years. The barely-controlled intensity and varied skillset Lauzon has displayed in his upset debut victory over Jens Pulver and utter domination of Jason Reinhardt in his last bout has garnered him plenty of fans. Kenny Florian however presents a noticeable step up in competition and the exciting abandon Lauzon has found success with may come back and bite him against the more seasoned Florian. Ken-Flo and J-Lau not only have similar crap nicknames, they have similar games; Kenny’s just flat out better. His Jiu Jitsu is impeccable and all eight limbs have been sharpened to a point by Muay Thai guru Mark Dellagrotte. In 2-3 years this fight might have a different and lop-sided outcome. As it stands however, the only thing Lauzon can do better than Florian is install a network PostScript printer over a terminal session. In the end, he will gut out all three rounds but still concede victory to Florian in a unanimous decision.

Sam Cupitt: I am very interested in seeing this fight. There is a lot of people thinking that Edgar should be fighting Florian and Lauzon should be fighting Maynard. However, if Florian wins this fight I think it sets up a future fight between himself and B.J. Penn. A fight between Penn and the guy who beat his star pupil has enough intrigue to firstly get the fans interested and secondly it should excite Penn. Granted there are a lot of “ifs” involved here. Penn has to beat Sherk in May and Florian has to get past Lauzon which brings me on to my fight analysis.

Florian may be slightly more technical than Lauzon in nearly all areas but Florian isn’t really one to over power his opponent. Lauzon has good technique and is very explosive which means that when this fight hits the ground we are going to see some crazy transitions. I think Florian will come close to a number of submissions while Lauzon will keep powering himself out of positions and answering with ground and pound until Florian sweeps him again. In regards to the stand-up I feel Lauzon has the more dangerous hands while Florian has the better kicks, knees and elbows making this fight pretty much even on the feet. Expect a crazy back and forth battle. Kenny Florian via split decision.

Thiago Alves vs. Karo Parisyan

Adam Morgan: This fight has the potential to be fight of the night but that can be said about a lot of fights on this card. Alves is a beast out of American Top Team and may have some of the nastiest leg kicks in all of MMA. If he can set up a strategy to work Karo’s legs, create distance, and keep it standing, Karo will be in for a long night. Karo, however, has faced the better competition and holds a significant advantage in the experience department. He may not be able to get ahold of Alves and throw him, but he can outlast him. “The Heat” via unanimous decision.

Michael Huckaby: As with the main event, I struggle to see how Thiago Alves wins this one. I love Alves, he’s an entertaining fighter with alot of skill, but not only is he not on Parisyan’s level but I just don’t see a way for him to win. That said, it’s not because this is a one sided fight, Alves has almost as much skill as Parisyan if not more in several areas. MMA is all about matchups and by an estimated idea of this fight in my head Parisyan will control the action and even has a chance at a rare stoppage. Not that I’m going to predict something so asinine for Karo. Winner: Karo Parisyan, decision

Ram Maramba: What an awesome matchup. This fight may prove me wrong, but in my estimation Alves is a scarier fight for Parisyan than Jon Fitch. Alves is a dynamic, confident fighter who forces his opponents to fight at his tempo. “The Pitbull” lives up to his nickname as soon as the bell rings, coming out with fast, heavy hands. Parisyan has shown a short tank in the past and the first few minutes against Alves promise to be hectic. If Parisyan can come out unscathed early and maintain his own pace, the odds tip in his favor. Once Karo gets warmed up, he can return the favor and then some, applying the pressure on Alves standing or on the ground. His notorious Judo game creates false steps for his opponents and “The Heat” has the guile to take advantage of those small windows. I don’t expect to see Alves tossed around like a ragdoll, but the threat will loom in his mind enough for Karo to score a takedown or two and commence with the GnP. The streak lives, Parisyan by yet another unanimous decision.

Sam Cupitt: Great fight. Alves has a very real shot at victory here. If Karo’s intensity isn’t up to where it needs to be then Alves should be able to avoid early takedown attempts while destroying Parisyan’s legs to a point where it will be much easier for Alves to evade and ground work. This fight will come down to how “The Heat” has reacted to the news that Fitch has basically been guaranteed the next title shot. If this fires Karo up to a point where he wants to go out and make a statement then we may see a stoppage but most likely a “Karo decisyan”. However if Karo enters this fight dejected about his current predicament then Alves will take full advantage. As a Parisyan fan I hope that it’s the former but I’m getting the unfortunate feeling that we may see a very violent stoppage by Alves. Alves via TKO in the 2nd round.

Matt Hamill vs. Tim Boetsch

Adam Morgan: What do we really know about Tim Boetsch? He overwhelmed a B-level fighter with surprisingly good kicks and standup and he’s extremely strong. Past that, that’s about it. There are far too many unknowns regarding Boetsch’s game that we don’t know about yet for me to feel comfortable picking him. We know about Hamill’s game and that he’s a freakishly strong wrestler with improving hands. Once he puts Boetsch on his back and Boetsch shows me something from there, I’m not buying into the hype. Matt Hamill via unanimous decision.

Michael Huckaby: This is a ridiculous tossup for me, I feel like I still don’t know enough about Boetsch even after a few fights. On the same hand, I still don’t feel like I know Matt Hamill. This fight is going to show alot for both fighters and influence alot of public perception about their skills. It genuinely wouldn’t surprise me if Hamill controlled the fight with crisp striking and takedowns. It also wouldn’t surprise me if Boetsch laid more leather and slammed Hamill down. One of those really rare tossup fights for me and it would be easier to pick if we even knew how good Michael Bisping was. I guess I’ll go by the old rule of pick the guy who looked the best against the better competition…. but I’m not happy about it. Winner: Matt Hamill, decision

Ram Maramba: Tim Boetsch smash. I like Tim Boetsch. Problem is, that Boetsch was a completely different fighter than the snoozer he was against his other televised fight in the IFL against Vladimir Matyushenko. Which fighter will show up? The balls-to-the-wall beast who came out like a marbly, balding Bruce Lee and overwhelmed David Heath, or the survival wrestler who lost to The Janitor? Matt Hamill on the other hand is a surprisingly known commodity for a neophyte with four fights to his name. There are many criticisms levied at “The Ultimate Fighter”, but one positive from the show is a relatively comprehensive look at a fighter’s skills or lack thereof. There are lots of things we know about Hamill, particularly that he’s a high-level wrestler who has a suspect pain threshold. He’s grown since then as he showed in his controversial loss to Bisping, including a penchant for a conservative gameplan. “The Hammer” has yet to put together a definitive win, and this may be where he finally lets it fly. Hamill is more Matyushenko than Heath, so history may repeat itself. He won’t be able to hang with Boetsch’s unorthodox strikes, leaving him with the option of closing the distance into a clinch or straight to a takedown. That’s Hamill’s world, it’s up to him to take advantage of it. I say he does, ending a magical ride for Boetsch in a GnP stoppage by Hamill in the middle of the 2nd.

Sam Cupitt: It’s always interesting to watch when two fighters with big question marks above their heads get in to face each other. More often than not you get some of those questions answered. This fight should give us the oppurtunity to see what level Hamill’s wrestling, striking and finishing ability are on as well as allowing us to see how Boetsch performs against an opponent who isn’t David Heath. If Hamill gets a takedown in this fight he should be able to finish the fight. Boetsch’s background is in wrestling and I don’t think he will provide much offense from his back and if Hamill has the skills necessary to compete at the UFC’s highest level then he should be able to pass Boetsch’s guard and force a stoppage. I don’t believe this will happen though. I expect to see Boetsch using the front kicks he used so effectively against Heath to frustrate Hamill and then use follow up punches and knees to get Hamill back-pedalling eventually scoring a takedown of his own, where he will finish the fight. Tim Boetsch via TKO in round 1.

Kurt Pellegrino vs. Nate Diaz

Adam Morgan: Somehow Pellegrino is considered the underdog in this fight. I don’t believe that for a second. Pellegrino’s game is pretty well-rounded and I would have to consider him the favorite going into this fight. I know that Diaz’s jiu jitsu game is very tight and he has an extremely dangerous guard, but Pellegrino is no slouch on the ground himself. Plus I think he’s got the better boxing. Diaz is a great prospect and he should do big things in the division, but right now Pellegrino is a cut above. Pellegrino via TKO, round three.

Michael Huckaby: I’m sorry, Nate Diaz is a -200 favorite? Or as 5oz’s own Adam Morgan said when I told him that, “where’s my debit card?” Pellegrino can get caught in subs, obviously, but he’s constantly getting better at defending them as seen in his decision fight with Joe Stevenson. That’s Nate Diaz’s only chance to win and I guarantee you Pellegrino is well aware of this and training his ass off to make sure it doesn’t happen. Maybe Diaz can outwork for a decision being on his back and working for subs? Okay, that I can see. In fact maybe that’s his best chance. I’m taking the upset, Winner: Kurt Pellegrino, decision

Ram Maramba: Maybe it’s the lisp or the concave chest, but I don’t understand the love affair with Nate Diaz. I love his relentless style of BJJ and he showed against Junior Assuncao that he can be dangerous with his hands, but I still can’t figure how his game will hold up to the saltier fighters at lightweight. Pellegrino is one of those salty dogs who’s submission defense was in top form against Joe Stevenson. He’s also got better hands than Diaz, a stiff chin and a second mouth courtesy of an Alberto Crane head kick in his last fight. He recovered from the early rattle and rallied to a TKO against Crane, displaying that veteran guile. Diaz will frustrate him throughout with sub attempts, but in the end Pellegrino will take home the unanimous decision.

Sam Cupitt: I originally thought I was going to be picking the upset here but then the betting agency went and declared that Diaz was the favourite. I understand why Pellegrino has been labelled the underdog but if you look at how the two stacked up on paper you would see that Pellegrino is a BJJ black belt while Diaz is a brown belt and you would also see that ‘Batman’ also has the better wrestling credentials. I’m not saying that’s how the fight will go down, I’m just saying that on paper Pellegrino should take this fight but the TUF based betting audience has helped to skew the odds in such a way that my “I told you so” moment will be only be limited to the hardcore MMA fans.

If you understood all that, I’m tipping Diaz to win this fight. I just feel his BJJ is too much for the vast majority of MMA fighters out there, regardless of their BJJ reputation. Diaz just appears to explode on to submission after submission with little to no set-up involved. This style is very overwhelming and as a result Diaz catches people that don’t usually get caught. Pellegrino is tough but I think once he gets entangled in Diaz’s guard it will only be a matter of time before the fight is finished. Nate Diaz via submission in round 2.

James Irvin vs. Houston Alexander

Adam Morgan: If James Irvin is smart, he’ll test Houston’s ground game right away and try to put Houston on his back. Unfortunately for Irvin, a muay thai guy, I don’t think that will be the gameplan. This is a fight that could produce serious fireworks with Irvin’s background and Houston’s two explosive knockouts in the UFC. If they stand, Houston’s power and explosiveness will be too much for Irvin. On the ground, Irvin could once again expose Houston’s inexperience and cause him trouble. My guess is that the fight will stay standing and Alexander will get back on track with another quick KO. Houston Alexander via TKO, round one.

Michael Huckaby: Is James Irvin going to be smart enough to realize he can’t win a punching exchange and take this to the ground? Nay, wrong question, is James Irvin going to survive long enough to be able to decide whether he can take it to the ground. No. I’m not sold on Alexander in any way, but Irvin is alot like Alessio Sakara in that you can always expect him to stand and trade and always predict him to be the first one to fall down if the other guy is a better puncher. Winner: Houston Alexander, TKO, Rd1

Ram Maramba: Irvin seems like a very likable person and a decent guy. He’s an impressive win for anyone, if only based on his intimidating appearance. Houston Alexander on the other hand is stronger, faster and much, much scarier. Style wise, Irvin is the giftiest of gift horses; let’s hope Alexander doesn’t look too long and starts dropping bombs on your moms, kill car alarms. Alexander by KO shallow in the 1st.

Sam Cupitt: Does anyone expect this fight to go longer than the first round? This is quite simply the light heavyweight version of Cote vs. McFedries and will end in exactly the same fashion. Against better judgement Irvin will get lured into punching inside with Alexander which will quickly result in the destruction of Irvin’s face. Houston Alexander via KO in round 1.

Gray Maynard vs. Frankie Edgar

Adam Morgan: Gray Maynard may have good wrestling and a good camp, but I don’t see him beating Frankie Edgar one way or another. Frankie’s hands are better, I think his wrestling is better, and I think his jiu jitsu is going to be much improved since we last saw him against Spencer Fisher. He’s fought the tougher fights against the better competition and he is tough as nails. He’s been traveling and training at different places like American Kickboxing Academy to round out his game and I truly do believe that he will overwhelm Maynard. People are saying this is one of the closest fights on the card, but honestly I don’t see it. Frankie Edgar via TKO, round two.

Michael Huckaby: From the time I saw this fight I didn’t understand Joe Silva’s decision making. And Joe Silva does an amazing job but every few cards there is one fight that just kind of blows the mind. Why bring down an undefeated Gray Maynard with a loss to an up and coming LW title hopeful? Are you testing him? Maynard certainly has the size but Edgar is just SO active I can’t see him not having the experience and tricks to just outwork Maynard all the way to the end. I mean the UFC builds guys up all the time with poor opponents and you’re just throwing Gray to Edgar for a loss? I could even see Gray winning, but I don’t even see the benefit for him even if he wins. Winner: Frank Edgar, decision

Ram Maramba: I’m tempted to call an upset in this weird matchup, but I just can’t do it. Maynard’s an outstanding wrestler who’s trained with elite camps in Hawaii and Las Vegas, but Edgar, also a renowned wrestler, puts the whole package together just a little better. Maynard has shown heavy hands but Edgar’s boxing is much crisper. “The Bully” may have picked up a more advanced submission game hanging our the Penn and Couture camps, but neither has shown much in the big leagues. While the fight probably won’t be as fast-paced or technical as Edgar’s fight with Tyson Griffin, expect to see a lot of action. In the end, superior conditioning will give “The Answer” the edge. Edgar will finish strong, winning by unanimous decision.

Sam Cupitt: In a few years Gray Maynard will probably be a carbon copy of Frankie Edgar, considering he doesn’t get demoralized after this fight. Maynard may end up being like Edgar but right now, he isn’t on Edgar’s level. As long as Edgar doesn’t get caught early I see him outworking and outwrestling Maynard to an eventual stoppage in round 2. Frankie Edgar via TKO in round 2.

Josh Neer vs. Din Thomas

Adam Morgan: Josh Neer is one difficult fighter to finish. He may not be the most technical but he is the epitome of gameness. Din Thomas, to me, is too technical for Neer and should wear him down over the course of the fight, whether it be standing or on the ground. The big question with Thomas is if his knee is back and healed to 100%. If Thomas is 100% it will still be a very tough fight because of Neer’s toughness, but it should be one where Din can grind out a decision. “Dinyero” via unanimous decision.

Michael Huckaby: This is the second tossup fight. Let me state that I love Josh Neer. Love him (not like that). But Din Thomas is on such a run that I previously questioned if he was ready for a title shot with another win prior to this fight announcement. I’ll take this time to say that I’m thrilled they let Neer back, he certainly deserves to be in the UFC. Going 6-1 outside of the organization was a surprise to no one and frankly a waste of time. I feel this is 56/44 for Thomas, so that’s the way I’m going. If Thomas wins this fight I feel he’s in the top 15 in the world. Not for beating Neer but just for general achievement. Winner: Din Thomas, sub, Rd3

Ram Maramba: Josh Neer will forever have a place in my heart for his comeback triangle win over Melvin Guillard. The guy is a gutsy competitor for anyone, including Din Thomas. This will be Thomas’ first fight after knee surgery and questions will linger until that first shot and successful takedown. Once that’s out of the way, Thomas will work his top-shelf submission game and put Neer away in a succesful comeback. Thomas by submission in round 2.

Sam Cupitt: Thomas was starting to make his move in the lightweight division before his knee gave out on him and deprived us of what was looking to be a very intriguing contest with Kenny Florian. Provided his knee has recovered I expect to see Thomas begin to work his way back into title convention after securing a triangle choke submission when Neer bucks Thomas off from mount. Or you know… just some other submission. Din Thomas via submission in round 2.

Marcus Aurelio vs. Ryan Roberts

Adam Morgan: Ryan Roberts steps in on short notice for the injured Spencer Fisher and draws a very tough opponent. Roberts will be outclassed in experience and in ground game acumen by the much better fighter in Aurelio. This shouldn’t be too much of a fight and I expect Aurelio to smother Roberts early with his jiu jitsu. Marcus Aurelio via submission, round one.

Michael Huckaby: It’s like the UFC signed Aurelio, put him up with Guida, saw him lose via split decision, and then decided they needed their money to pay off and him to look better than that. I mean Luke Caudillo and Ryan Roberts? That won’t exactly do anything for his career. Maybe make him look better on prelims that no one sees? Fine, fine, Spencer Fisher pulled out and that would have been a FANTASTIC fight but Roberts isn’t outworking Aurelio for anything, and at this point I’m never doubting American Top Team at all as they’re quickly becoming the best MMA camp in the world. Aurelio by destruction. Just please give us the Spencer Fisher fight next, that’s a great thought for a fight. Winner: Marcus Aurelio, sub, Rd1

Ram Maramba: In his brief UFC stint, Aurelio hasn’t shown himself to be the Jiu Jitsu wizard who submitted Takanori Gomi in his PRIDE days. The intended matchup with Fisher would’ve been a good test to see which of the two deserved a bump to contender status. With Fisher out, Roberts finds himself in a tough fight with the 34 year-old Brazilian. It’ll go as expected. Aurelio by submission in the 1st.

Sam Cupitt: This fight will pretty much play out like a rematch of Aurelio and Caudillo. Marcus Aurelio via position, pounding and then arm bar in round 1.

Manny Gamburyan vs. Jeff Cox

Adam Morgan: I don’ think there’s much to discuss about this fight. Jeff Cox is from the Strong Style fight team in Cleveland, Ohio and is known more as a trainer than a fighter. Manny should have no trouble with Cox and should pretty easily be able to take him down and pound him out. Gamburyan via TKO, round one.

Michael Huckaby: Is this a joke? So let me get this straight, they’re giving the “champion” of the show, Nate Diaz, a fight with Kurt Pellegrino. But they give the “champion” of the show (sorry, Manny would have won) a fight with Jeff Cox, after a fight with Nate Mohr. How is this fair? Manny is going to wreck this young man. If you’re going to give the champion a fight where he could well lose you might as well give his challenger a similar fight instead of making it obvious. This fight is ridiculous. Winner: Manny Gamburyan, sub, Rd1

Ram Maramba: I try not to read my colleagues’ predictions, but Huckaby’s jumped out at me. The guy is pissed! Go get ‘em, Huck. I’m with you: The Anvil by submission in the 1st.

Sam Cupitt: I’m pretty sure UFC.com’s listing of Jeff Cox as 6 foot 4 is BS but if it isn’t this fight will be hilarious. I will just assume that Cox isn’t Corey Hill’s brother from another mother and that he is a regular sized human. This fight will still be entertaining as I don’t recall a fighter that wasn’t Scott Adams ever scoring consecutive leg lock submissions. I expect Manny to dispose of Cox and then call out Nate Diaz… again. Manny Gamburyan via submission in round 1.

Sammy Schiavo vs. Clay Guida

Adam Morgan: Sammy Schiavo is another European fighter that the UFC has signed in hopes of bolstering their roster for future cards in Europe. The problem is, most of these Europeans that have come over so far have been unimpressive. Schiavo looks good on tape, but against what kind of competition? I guarantee that he’s never faced someone who fights like Guida and is as relentless as Guida. Clay Guida via TKO, round three.

Michael Huckaby: Schiavo has never fought anyone with the wrestling, stamina, or agility of Clay Guida. I don’t see any advantage Schiavo has here outside of thinking he can KO Guida without Clay slamming him down and controlling the action. I think Clay easily improves to 3-3 in the UFC here with a fairly simple submission based on Schiavo not having the patience to find a hole in his game that others have found. Winner: Clay Guida, sub, Rd2

Ram Maramba: Count me as one of the guys stepping off of Guida’s bandwagon. The guy is still a barrel of monkeys to watch, but he’s slowly looking like the part-time outfielder you don’t want to over-expose. That said, Schiavo wasn’t brought in to knock a fan favorite out of the promotion once and for all. The French standup artist will put up a good fight, but Guida will slice through any resistance and notch his first finish since his UFC debut. Guida by submission in round 3.

Sam Cupitt: This fight will look like the Tasmanian Devil on one of his rampages. Limbs and hair flying everywhere. Unfortunately for Schiavo he’ll be the one copping the fury. Clay Guida via TKO in round 1.

George Sotiropoulos vs. Roman Mitichyan

Adam Morgan: Sotiropoulous is perhaps the second best all-around fighter to come out of TUF 6 last year and Mitichyan is the guy who never even got a chance because he had to leave after the first show due to a broken elbow. Mitichyan still has a lot of unknowns but we do know that he has a good ground and submission game. So does Sotiropoulos unfortunately, and he has the other aspects of the game to go with it. His standup I think will be better than Mitichyan’s especially if he has continued to train with Ray Longo. This should be a good scrap but I think George has too many ways to win. George Sotiropoulos via TKO, round three.

Michael Huckaby: I love George and don’t know a ton about Mitichyan. Higher quality of opponent, higher quality of fighter. Then again I don’t want to pick against an Armenian, they’re very proud people and I don’t need letters. Winner: George Sotiropoulos, sub, Rd2

Ram Maramba: Sotiropoulos should be a different fighter this time around. His skill was obvious on the latest season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” but even before his loss to Tommy Speer he fought a bit tentatively. With some world-class coaching from Matt Serra and Ray Longo, this should be his coming out party. Mitichyan has some serious ground skills, but it’s nothing George and his odd Salaverry-esque torso hasn’t seen before. Sotiropoulos should pull out the submission victory midway through the 2nd.

Sam Cupitt: I have to go with my fellow countrymen here and pick George to take this fight. Mitichyan is well rounded but Sotiropolous’ well rounded game is at a higher level. George has also fought the tougher competition, which includes a disqualification loss to Shinya “The DQ kid” Aoki. George can take this fight either on the feet or on the ground and I think he has the wrestling ability to dictate where it takes place as well. George Sotiropolous via submission (arm bar) in round 1.

Tommy Speer vs. Anthony Johnson

Adam Morgan: If Johnson wants to have any chance of winning, he’ll want to keep this fight standing and avoid Tommy’s big right hand. Unfortunately for Johnsons I don’t think that will be the case, as Tommy is enormous for this weight class and should not have trouble putting Johnson on his back with the kind of wrestling background that he has. Add that to a good training camp with Matt Hughes in your corner and Tommy will take this fight to the ground and pound Johnson out. Tommy Speer via TKO, round two.

Michael Huckaby: Johnson gets far too much credit for his free TV win everyone saw over Reiner. Reiner is a decent figher but Tommy Speer is and will slowly become a UFC darling…. much that I thought Maynard would be before they threw him in with Edgar. Speer really doesn’t have a huge advantage in this fight other than the fact Johnson has shown no skills in being able to submit him. Speer should shoot early and often, take control, and be able to take the pace of this fight fairly easily. So long as he controls he’s bound to win either by decision or TKO, that much of this fight is a real tossup. Winner: Tom Speer, decision

Ram Maramba: Johnson sure looks like a fighter, Tommy Speer fights like one. I hope to the high heavens this is the last time Speer will fight with “The Farmboy” as his idiotic nickname. Maybe a win will jog his imagination. Speer by TKO late in the 1st.

Sam Cupitt: I doubt Johnson will be able to defend any of Speer’s takedowns and I doubt he’ll be able to stop Speer from posturing up and throwing bombs. I expect Speer to take this pretty quickly provided he doesn’t attempt to showcase that right hand he calls stand-up. Tommy Speer via TKO in round 1.

The news comes from the UFC’s official website, UFC.com:

Nebraska’s Ryan “Are You Ready” Roberts will enter the UFC Octagon for the first time on April 2nd when he takes on veteran Marcus Aurelio in a lightweight bout on the UFC Fight Night Card in Broomfield, Colorado. Roberts (14-2, 1 no contest) replaces Spencer Fisher, who was forced from the bout earlier this week due to a shoulder injury. Said Roberts, “This (fighting in the UFC) is what I set out to do. Now it’s here.”

Roberts (8-2) last fought at Victory Fighting Championships where he fought twice in the same night, firstly defeating Zach Wolff via TKO and then scoring a 5-round unanimous decision over Joe Doherty.

Rumors circulated earlier this week that Jim Miller would step in as Fisher’s replacement but 5 Oz’s own, Sam Caplan reported that the bout had not been finalized due to Miller’s commitments to the IFL. It would appear that those commitments have resulted in Roberts being given the fight over Miller.

Read more UFN 13 content on FiveOuncesOfPain.com.

The bout was meant to take place on the un-televised portion of UFC Fight Night 13  on April 2nd.

UFC.com made the news official with a quick update on their homepage.

On Monday, lightweight contender Spencer Fisher was forced to withdraw from his UFC Fight Night bout against Marcus Aurelio on April 2nd due to a shoulder injury. A replacement opponent for Aurelio will be announced shortly.

Jim Miller (10-1) appears to be the likely replacement for Fisher according to Sherdog.com. Miller has fought his whole career on smaller shows with his lone loss being a tough decision to UFC lightweight, Frank Edgar.

UFC Fight Night 13 is set to take place on April 2nd, at the Broomfield Events Center, Colorado. The stacked event will be headlined by a lightweight clash between Kenny Florian and Joe Lauzon.

Read more UFN 13 content on FiveOuncesOfPain.com.

Here are the following televised and non-televised bouts as stated by UFC.com:

Main Card – TELEVISED

• Kenny Florian vs. Joe Lauzon
• Thiago Alves vs. Karo Parisyan
• Tim Boetsch vs. Matt Hamill
• Nate Diaz vs. Kurt Pellegrino
• Houston Alexander vs. James Irvin
• Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard (swing bout, may not be televised)

Preliminary Card – UNTELEVISED

• Marcus Aurelio vs. Spencer Fisher
• Josh Neer vs. Din Thomas
• Jeff Cox vs. Manny Gamburyan
• Samy Schiavo vs. Clay Guida
• Roman Mitichyan vs. George Sotiropoulos
• Anthony Johnson vs. Tommy Speer

Looking at all the fights, I definitely hope Spike picks up the speed between fights. The majority of fights on this card are a big chance of going to a decision which would limit the amount of fights shown even without interviews for crappy B-movie with crappy B-movie actor.

UFN 13 is set to take place on April 2nd, at the Broomfield Events Center, Colorado.

Read more UFN 13 content on FiveOuncesOfPain.com.

Is that the most fights ever on a UFC card? Either way, for those people saying that UFC Fight Night 13 isn’t better than some of the pay per views last year, you’re crazy. This is one of the deepest lineups that the UFC has ever put on, pay per view or not.

The UFC has made no official announcement, and Spike TV could not confirm the news, but a source close to the event exclusively told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that April 2’s UFC Fight Night 13 event will, in fact, run three hours.

This is very good news for MMA fans who like to see free MMA events on basic cable. Not to mention that the card is absolutely stacked. It’s better than UFC 72 or UFC 78 could have ever thought about being. You could include UFC 77 in that mix as well.

Here’s the current card:

• Kenny Florian vs. Joe Lauzon
• Thiago Alves vs. Karo Parisyan
• Tim Boetsch vs. Matt Hamill
• Houston Alexander vs. James Irvin
• Nate Diaz vs. Kurt Pellegrino (rumored)
• Frank Edgar vs. Gray Maynard
• Marcus Aurelio vs. Spencer Fisher
• Josh Neer vs. Din Thomas
• Clay Guida vs. Samy Schiavo
• Roman Mitichyan vs. George Sotiropoulos
• Anthony Johnson vs. Tommy Speer

Check out more UFC Fight Night 13 content on FiveOuncesOfPain.com!

That has been kicked around the office. It is up to Spike. We have suggested it,” said Dana White.

UFN 13 is perhaps the most stacked of any Fight Night in history. The show’s impressive line-up includes Kenny Florian vs. Joe Lauzon, Houston Alexander vs. James Irvin, Stephan Bonnar vs. Matt Hamill, Thiago Alves vs. Karo Parisyan, Marcus Aurelio vs. Spencer Fisher, and Sami Schiavo vs. Clay Guida.

Going to three hours means we will get to see at least the pay-per-view minimum five bouts. Although with that card, we will more than likely get six to seven. (I mean does anyone really expect Alexander vs. Irvin to go longer than sixty seconds?)

Looking at that line-up, there isn’t a single fight that does not belong on television. It will be great news if Spike opens up the extra hour for the broadcast. UFN 13 is set to air on Wednesday, April 2.