Southworth had been scheduled to defend his Strikeforce light heavyweight title vs. Renato “Babalu” Sobral but is unable to compete due to what is believed to be a possible torn ACL and meniscus. According to Strikeforce, Southworth suffered the injury during a routine training session while preparing to fight Sobral at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif.

Southworth’s replacement for the show has already been secured in the form of EliteXC and Strikeforce veteran Anthony “A-Train” Ruiz. Ruiz last competed for EliteXC on July 26 in a non-televised bout during its “Saturday Night Fights” event in Stockton, Calif. Fighting fellow light heavyweight Jeromy Freitag, Ruiz improved to 21-11 with a unanimous decision victory.

Ruiz has actually fought Southworth on two occasions. He defeated him in a non-title fight last November via a second round TKO due to a cut. Ruiz was then granted a title shot this past June during the undercard for the Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thomson show, but he was unable to claim the title after losing a unanimous decision.

Sobral, a veteran of the UFC and PRIDE, last fought during Affliction’s first-ever event on July 19 in Anaheim, Calif. Facing former IFL standout Mike Whitehead, Sobral left the ring victorious after recording a unanimous decision.

In addition to Sobral vs. Ruiz, “Strikeforce at the Mansion II” is scheduled to feature bouts between Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson vs. Ashe Bowman (non-tile), Joe “Diesel” Riggs vs. Kazuo Misaki, and Terry Martin vs. Corey Devela. Billy Evangelista is also expected to be in action against an opponent yet-to-be determined.

Melvinism #1: Rich Clementi is somehow a coward for exposing Melvin’s weakness.

“Of course, everybody saw that he was the victorious one [at UFC 79] but he sits up there and says, “I’ll stand toe-to-toe with Melvin,” but everybody with their own eyes saw he wasn’t ready to stand up with me. He knew my weakness was my submission game as far as fighting him because he’s a seasoned jiu-jitsu guy — I’ll give him that. As far as me putting my hands on him, I got my respect out of him. So, I’m not even tripping, you know?”

Oh, Melvin. When will you learn? This is MMA. Not boxing. Grab that gi, son.

Melvinism #2: Rich Clementi didn’t win the fight.

“He really didn’t. He didn’t take my heart. I took his heart before he got in the ring. He was scared to fight me before he got in the ring.”

Sure, Melvin. Are we really supposed to believe this garbage? You took his heart? Yeah, it really showed inside the cage. You got punked and you’re salty about it, Melvin. Time to move on.

Melvinism #3: Melvin is working working strictly his jiu jitsu.

“I’m working nothing but my jiu-jitsu. … I got all the good guys around me … so I’m just working the weaknesses in my game. I’m going to give myself six months to a year before my jiu-jitsu is 100 percent.”

I’ll believe it when I see it. And who are “all the good guys.” That tells me nothing. Some schmuck like me could say I’m training with “all the good guys,” but it means nothing.

Melvinism #4: Don’t ever put your nuts on the back of Melvin’s head. That’s just not cool.

“No, I can never understand that and nobody is ever going to make me understand that. He disrespected me after the fight. He put his nuts on the back of my head. When I catch him, I’m going to kick him in his [expletive deleted] nuts.”

I think I have to agree with Melvin, here. Putting your nuts on another man’s head is sort of weird.

Melvinism #5: Melvin’s taking some time off from the UFC.

“I’m going to take a few fights outside the UFC to get back some of my wins. Hopefully, it’s not any all-around chumps. I’m not going to take any fights at 155 [pounds] outside the UFC. I want to fight at 170 [pounds] — a weight class above mine outside the UFC. I’m probably scheduled to fight again in the UFC late March, early April if they bless me with that.

Other than that, I’ll take a lot of side hustles, make some money this year. Being suspended for eight months really hurt my pocket. You can put in the article [that] anybody [who] wants to donate to the Melvin Negro Fund, they can donate to that too because right now my pockets [are] hurting. Being suspended for eight months … I almost had to go work a regular job to survive. I don’t want to have that feeling again.”

Thank God. Melvin needs to get his head on straight before the UFC thinks about bringing him back again. All that natural ability and no focus whatsoever has Guillard falling from grace at an astronomical level. As for the level of competition he’ll be facing in the smaller shows? He better hope he’s fighting all around chumps. He needs to boost his confidence before he thinks about taking on anyone remotely serious.

As for the Melvin Negro Fund? No thanks, dude. So sorry that you might have had to go work a “regular job” like the rest of us poor fools.

Melvinism #6: Melvin backs up his trash talk and has never had his ass beat.

“Yeah, I like to talk [expletive deleted] but I also back it up. I haven’t gotten my ass beat. I haven’t been in a fight yet where somebody has outclassed me or just beat me down. Every fight I’ve been in, the ones I’ve lost have been from submission or a close judges’ decision.”

Guillard still doesn’t realize that he’s fighting in the sport of mixed martial arts and not boxing. Even though he says he’s never been outclassed or gotten his ass beat, that’s exactly what Clementi did to him. This is mixed martial arts, Melvin. Clementi choked you in the cage and he’ll choke you out in the street also.

Melvinism #7: Melvin wants to fight Roger Huerta.

“Well, I wanted to fight Roger Huerta, but they said he’s on vacation right now. So, that fight’s up in the air.”

HAHA! That’s a joke, right? Guillard would need at least four victories in a row over mid to top level competition to even get put in the same locker room as Roger Huerta. Quit, daydreaming, Melvin.

Melvinism #8: If Melvin can’t fight Heurta, he’s praying for strikers.

“Whoever they give me the next fight, I’m hoping and praying it’s a striker … hopefully fight a couple of strikers. Give the crowd what they came to see me do best. The people come to see me stand up and trade punches ‘til I knock someone out. When I’m fighting and struggling to get guys off my back, to try to keep me off the ground, it takes away from what I’m really good at — for the fans.”

“For the fans.” Don’t kid yourself, Melvin. I hope they throw three jiu jitsu guys in a row at you so you finally learn your damn lesson.

The interview is filled with Melvinisms, so I highly suggest clicking here to read the entire thing.

You can access the interview by clicking here.

In the interview, White touches on the following:

- The greatness that was the Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva fight was brought up. White talked about how great the fight was and says while better late than never, that it could have been even bigger two years ago. That might be true, but nobody in the arena seemed to care that night. To me, the fight felt like two years ago.

- Silva’s performance was discussed and White felt like Wanderlei helped his stock even in a losing effort. I agree. For most people, Saturday was their first introduction to Wanderlei Silva. How could they not be impressed with his heart?

- To all you who thought I got it wrong that Silva knocked down Liddell in the second, listen to the audio because it looks like White agrees with my assessment. He said the two grazed each other and that Silva didn’t pounce on Liddell because he had been rocked too. I’m not sure how it looked on TV, but live, to me, it looked like Liddell got knocked down as opposed to falling down.

- How he doesn’t understand why Georges St. Pierre doesn’t get more mainstream press in Canada considering that the UFC has such a strong Canadian following (damn good question)

- How Matt Hughes is now in a Rich Franklin-like state of purgatory, being number two in a weight class behind a number one fighter he can’t beat. Cofield and White jokingly talk about a Franklin vs. Hughes matchup but White said he already tried to make it happen following the second season of TUF and that the two will never fight each other.

- White officially announces Tim Sylvia vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the UFC interim heavyweight title at UFC 81 on Feb. 2. He says he still considers Randy Couture the heavyweight champ and that the UFC gave him a $500,000 signing bonus and he either expects Couture to honor his contract or retire. For the first time to my knowledge, White confirms that this is now a legal matter.

- White talked about how he was impressed by Lyoto Machida. He expressed his concerns in the past that Machida wasn’t fighting aggressively enough but said he felt that he looked aggressive against Sokoudjou. White was especially complementary toward Machida, saying he felt like he can do everything well.

- Listening to the audio, it becomes apparent that Rich Clementi’s stock has risen greatly in the UFC. White said he expected Melvin Guillard to win the fight but that Clementi really impressed him and that he considers Clementi a great fighter. This is good news for Clementi, because prior to the fight, his status with the UFC was tenuous, at best. It now sounds like he’s going to be a full-time UFC fighter again and could get some pretty strong matchups.

- Guillard’s post-fight antics were brought up and White revealed how he had to go over to Guillard after the match and tell him to leave the cage area.

In this video, both Matt Hughes and Georges St. Pierre comment after their fight at UFC 79.

St. Pierre talks about how he was training for the Canadian Olympic wrestling team at the time of Matt Serra’s injury and how he abandoned his quest for a spot on the Olympic team because a UFC world title means more to him. Those comments met the approval of UFC president Dana White.

Hughes talks about what’s next for him and seems very unsure about his status. Looks like a lot of what happens next will be at the UFC’s discretion, although Hughes is vocal about wanting a chance to fight Matt Serra.

Hughes also goes on the record to say he doesn’t expect Serra to do well against St. Pierre in a potential rematch and doesn’t think Serra will be around much longer.

In this video, Chuck Liddell talks about his strategy and whether the decision to shoot for takedowns vs. Wanderlei Silva was made before or during the fight.

In addition to his comments immediately following his loss to Georges St. Pierre, Matt Hughes addressed his future further while backstage after the event:

“I’m not going to come out here and be someone’s highlight reel,” said Hughes, “I have to see what the UFC wants me to do, and I have to see what my family wants me to do.”

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

The following are the salaries earned by the fighters who competed at UFC 79: Nemesis.

• Georges St. Pierre ($160,000) def. Matt Hughes($100,000)
• Chuck Liddell ($500,000) def. Wanderlei Silva ($150,000)
• Eddie Sanchez ($46,000) def. Soa Palelei ($5,000)
• Ryoto Machida ($60,000) def. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou ($40,000)
• Rich Clementi ($28,000) def. Melvin Guillard($10,000)
• James Irvin ($16,000) def. Luis Cane($5,000)
• Manny Gamburyan ($20,000) def. Nate Mohr ($6,000)
• Dean Lister ($22,000) def. Jordan Radev ($5,000)
• Roan Carneiro ($10,000) def. Tony DeSouza ($7,000)
• Mark Bocek ($6,000) def. Douglas Evans ($3,000)

Fight of the Night bonus of course went to Liddell and Silva who both received an additional $50,000 for their war.

Knockout of the Night and $50,000 bonus went to Eddie Sanchez for working the heavy bag (Palelei) for 2 and a half rounds before it was mercifully stopped.

Submission of the Night and it’s $50,000 bonus went to Georges St.Pierre for his arm bar victory over Matt Hughes… and rightfully so.

Usual Disclaimer: These salaries are just the reported base salaries that do not take into consideration “locker room bonuses” or sponsorship bonuses.

Video provided by Raw Vegas TV.

Check back for a TON of UFC 79 content on FiveOuncesofPain.com

Check out TONS more UFC 79 content at FiveOuncesofPain.com

1. Mark Bocek defeats Doug Evans via unanimous decision

I arrived at the show a few minutes late and didn’t see Bocek vs. Evans in its entirety. What I did see, I was not impressed with.

All three judges scored it 29-28.

2. Roan Carneiro defeats Tony DeSouza via TKO (referee’s stoppage) at 3:32 of round 2

The match started off pretty slow but Carneiro’s MMA skills were just too much for DeSouza. The fight ended when the referee stepped in after Carneiro was on the ground with DeSouza and reigning down unanswered blows to the back of his head.

After the fight, Carneiro got on the mic and pleaded for the UFC to give him more fights. With this win and a solid showing in a losing effort to Jon Fitch, I think he’ll get it. It’s a shame that Carneiro and Thiago Alves are both affiliated with American Top Team because that would be one hell of a match.

3. Dean Lister defeats Jordan Radev via unanimous decision.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REMAINDER OF SAM CAPLAN’S COMPLETE BREAKDOWN OF UFC 79; INCLUDING HIS RESPONSE TO THOSE WHO CLAIM SOKOUDJOU WAS EXPOSED; WHERE HE FEELS LYOTO MACHIDA RATES IN THE LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION; WHETHER CHUCK LIDDLEL IS BACK; WHAT MATT HUGHES SHOULD DO NEXT; IF WANDERLEI SILVA WAS HURT BY LOSING; AND WHERE GEORGES ST. PIERRE RANK IN THE WORLD’S POUND-FOR-POUND RANKINGS.

And once it was finally signed and sealed, I began to have questions about the delivery. Could a fight that had been built up so big in the minds of diehard fans come anywhere close to matching the hype?

Well, last night in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay the MMA world received its answer and unless you have terrible taste in fights, the answer was a resounding yes.

I made a promise to myself a long time ago that if Liddell vs. Silva ever happened that I would do whatever it took to make sure I was there to see it in person. I had been a fan of both fighters for years. In the States, Liddell was considered the be all end all when it came to light heavyweights. But to more worldly MMA fans, Silva was Liddell’s equal and in the minds of some, his superior.

I never got caught up in the petty PRIDE vs. UFC nonsense. Over the last year I’ve been accused of being a PRIDE “nut hugger” by some while also biased towards the UFC by others. I think I’ve been subjected to that contradiction of opinion because even though I’ve followed the sport a long time, I’ve only covered it as a journalist for slightly over a year. People are new to my writing and my opinions so they read one thing and they make a grand assumption.

I never bothered weighed-in on the PRIDE vs. UFC debate because as a fight fan, I enjoyed both. To me, they were equal yet very different. And I enjoyed the differences. I saw no need to pick a side. I’m a fight fan and I’ll support good fights regardless of what initials are associated with it.

The PRIDE vs. UFC debate extended to a debate as to whether Liddell or Silva was the more dominant fighter at 205 pounds. I never got caught up in that debate either because I enjoyed both fighters. I also didn’t understand why fans were left to make a judgment. This is a sport, let the fighters compete against each other and let’s see who really is the best.

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

If it had happened one or two years ago we might be talking about this fight as the best fight ever in UFC history. It was well worth the wait. It took the collapse of PRIDE, both men losing their 205 lb. titles, and signing Wanderlei to the UFC to make it happen but the show that Liddell and Silva put on last night was worth all of it and then some.

Not only was the fight spectacular, but it’s what every casual fan wants to see from a mixed martial arts bout. A slugfest. Anyone who is not a big fan of mixed martial arts but caught that fight last night is talking about it today. People who didn’t even see the fight are saying that they heard it was great. Casual fans are seeking the fight out to watch it. Not only was it a classic matchup that we’ve been waiting on for years, it was also a fight that was fantastic for mixed martial arts and the UFC in particular.

Check out TONS more UFC 79 content at FiveOuncesofPain.com

Georges St. Pierre is the best welterweight in the world.
Interim champion or not, GSP is the best in the world right now at 170. He dominated Matt Hughes tonight in different fashion than their last fight. He outwrestled Hughes, overpowered him, and showed everyone why he is one of the best mixed martial artists in the world today. He beat Hughes at his own game, just like he did to Josh Koscheck. Did you ever think you’d see Hughes screaming “TAP! TAP! TAP!” to the referee to end the fight? St. Pierre will most likely fight Serra in April in Canada to unify the titles. I expect GSP to do the same thing to Serra that he did tonight against Matt Hughes. Don’t expect to see a repeat of their last fight.

Matt Hughes’ days are numbered.
The man said it himself that he’s close to being done in the Octagon. This game has passed him by. Long gone are the days where you could get by on strictly submission wrestling and ground and pound. He was completely overwhelmed tonight. If Serra does lose to GSP in April, I’d love to see Hughes vs. Serra as Hughes’ last fight. If he’s got one more fight left in him he should do his best to make it against Serra.

Chuck Liddell is…back?
Man, did he look focused tonight. I thought the decision being 30-27 on two cards was a bit ridiculous because I thought Wanderlei clearly won the second round, but it didn’t matter either way. Chuck looked very composed, picked his shots, and used his reach and his counterstriking to pepper Silva with hard shots. Shots that would crumple any other opponent. He even went for two takedowns to seal the fight. Silva landed some nice shots on Liddell but it looks like Liddell’s granite chin is back in full form. Liddell getting the victory was huge for Dana White, ZUFFA, and the UFC. Don’t be surprised if Chuck gets an immediate shot at the winner of Forrest vs. Rampage.

Wanderlei Silva survived on guts alone.
What a gutsy performance by the former PRIDE 205 lb. champion. Some of the shots that he took from Chuck Liddell would have knocked out any other fighter. It ended up being the style matchup that killed Wanderlei Silva in this fight. He threw wild looping punches from the outside and Chuck peppered him with counter punches right down the pipe, just like some predicted. Where does Wanderlei go from here? Many are saying he should move to middleweight. He did look like the much smaller fighter tonight and he looked much smaller than he did in his days in PRIDE. Three consecutive losses are tough for a fighter to swallow, but Wanderlei is only 31 and still has plenty of years left in him. He’ll rebound from this loss, but a shot at the title is now a ways off.

Soa Palelei looked awful.
Just awful. Eddie Sanchez tossed him around the cage and beat him up for two and a half rounds. So much for the hype surrounding this guy coming into the UFC. When Eddie Sanchez is manhandling you, it’s time to go back to the drawing board.

Lyoto Machida is really good.
The guy is just a master of his craft, boring or not. He waits until you make a mistake, avoids the power punches, and capitalizes on every opportunity that you give him. And this time he even finished the fight! Machida still has not lost a round in the UFC and put on a dominating performance against Sokoudjou, who many feel is the “next big thing” at 205. Machida is making a run for the title. One or two more victories and he has to be fighting for the title.

Sokoudjou looked clueless on the ground.
He looked like he had no clue how to get out of bad positions when Machida was on top of him. It was reminiscent of Houston Alexander against Thiago Silva a little over a month ago, only not as devastating. Sokoudjou is still very young and has a lot of potential. This loss will be good for him as far as rounding out his game goes, but tonight he got dominated.

Melvin Guillard will never live up to his potential.
The guy has natural, raw athletic ability with nothing to show for it. He has proved time and time again that he crumples on the big stage. When the fight came to grappling, it was all Clementi, all day. Another standard performance from Guillard: all bark, no bite. Weak.

TELEVISED CARD

• Georges St. Pierre def. Matt Hughes via Armbar Submission at 4:54 of Rd. 2  UFC interim Welterweight Champion
• Chuck Liddell def. Wanderlei Silva via Unanimous Decision
• Eddie Sanchez def. Soa Palelei via TKO (strikes) at 3:24 of Rd. 3
• Lyoto Machida def. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou via submission (arm-triangle) at 4:20 of Rd. 1
• Rich Clementi def. Melvin Guillard via RNC Submission at 4:40 of Rd. 1

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Mark Bocek def. Doug Evans via unanimous decision (29-28)
• Roan Carneiro def. Tony DeSouza via TKO (strikes) at 3:30 of Rd. 2
• Dean Lister def. Jordan Radev via unanimous decision (30-27)
• Manny Gamburyan def. Nate Mohr via submission (ankle lock) at 1:31 of Rd. 1
• James Irvin def. Luis Cane via disqualification (illegal knee) at 1:50 of Rd. 1

Check out TONS more UFC 79 content at FiveOuncesofPain.com

I was feeling well enough to attend the weigh-ins yesterday. I came back to my room to write a report but saw that Paul had done such a good job with it, I was like “Screw it, I’m on vacation and he covered the major points anyway.”

I do have a few minor tidbits to add.

I was surprised during the weigh-ins to hear just how much support Wanderlei Silva got. You know, the UFC is viewed as a hometown sports team here in Vegas and Chuck Liddell is one of the faces of the UFC. You’d think that Silva would be treated as an outside and get booed. Not so. The crowd was excited to see him and reacted to him as if he’s been fighting in the UFC for years. And while I’m not sure they were loud enough to be heard during the live stream, there were a few small pocket of fans that booed Liddell. My guess is that there are some old school PRIDE fans that came out to see this dream match and are pro-Wanderlei.

In regard to the staredown antics, I’ve read a few comments on the Internet suggesting that it looked staged. Who knows for sure, but I couldn’t disagree more. The heat looked legit. It started off as just an intense staredown but it escalated after Wanderlei did a shoulder lunge as if he was going to throw a punch. From my vantage point, it looked like Chuck flinched. Chuck started to move away and gave Wanderlei the finger. Wanderlei got heated again and tried to go after Chuck but a ton of people stood between them. It looked real and intense. These guys have been rivals for so long and are big-time competitors. There’s probably nothing personal between the two, but neither is going to let the other gain an edge going into the fight.

The body language of both fighters was very interesting. Wanderlei was all smiles as he hit the stage. Chuck looked relaxed as usual, but he just didn’t seem as confident as he normally does. That’s probably me just reading too much into it but that’s the impression I came away with. Something just seemed a little off.

Also, if Matt Hughes thought that Matt Serra came off worse during this past season of TUF then he received a reality check when he was introduced to the crowd right before he weighed in. Hughes was almost booed out of the building! In typical Hughes fashion though, he was almost totally oblivious to it and his only reaction was a minor grin. Some of the booing could have to do with the fact that GSP is a huge crowd favorite. I was amazed at how many people traveled from Canada to see him fight at UFC 74 and he had similar support yesterday. There were tons of Canadian flags. My prediction is that when GSP headlines Montreal that it will be the loudest ovation that any MMA fighter has ever received.

Another thing I found interesting was seeing St. Pierre late Friday night.

It was kind of weird because as I was going back to my room following the IFO show, GSP and two friends of his walked right past me on my floor. I guess he possibly has the big suite at the end of the hall? It just struck me as weird because it was approximately 11 p.m. PT when I saw him. I guess I should read too much into it. He didn’t look like he was partying and there’s no sense in him going to bed that early if he’s not fighting for another 24 hours. Perhaps he was just getting something to eat?

As usual, there are a lot of fighters in town for the show. Anderson Silva, Tim Sylvia, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and Clay Guida all attended the weigh-ins. Jackson approached Silva right before the weigh-ins started and the two talked for about 5-10 minutes. It was cool seeing the two top guys in their respective weight class hanging out and talking. I’ve also seen Mike Swick and Evan Tanner hanging around.

One other thing. I just wanted to give the Mandalay Bay buffet a big two thumbs down. Man, this is such an awesome hotel yet their buffet is so underwhelming. They need to step it up.

Check out tons more UFC 79 content on FiveOuncesofPain.com

One of my favorite things to do in Vegas is take advantage of the fact that sports betting is legal. I’ve never been a big fan of gambling through illegal means and with new legislation that rendered betting through an Internet sportsbook illegal, I stopped placing bets altogether.

Some will dispute my claim that Internet gambling is illegal and that it’s open to interpretation. Yes, people in the U.S. place bets with sportsbooks on a daily basis but that doesn’t mean you’re allowed to do it. My fear is that if I ignore the legislation that my name will end up published on some list and the government will end up going after me like those poor kids who got caught in the middle of the whole Napster debacle.

But here I am in Vegas, able to bet on MMA legally. I went down to the sports book on Friday morning to scope out the lines. I picked up a betting form with some very appealing lines for a select few UFC 79 fights.

Matt Hughes was +180 ($100 wins you $180 if Hughes wins, making him the underdog)) and Georges St. Pierre was -230 (in order to win $100, you have to put up $230, making him the favorite). Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva were both -115 (making them a pick ‘em) while Ryoto Machida was -140 and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou was +110.

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

Weigh-ins took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center at 4pm PT/7pm ET. All fighters made weight and are cleared to fight.

The official results are as follows:

MAIN CARD

• Georges St. Pierre (170) vs. Matt Hughes (170) (UFC interim welterweight title)
• Chuck Liddell (204) vs. Wanderlei Silva (205)
• Soa Palelei (262) vs. Eddie Sanchez (239)
• Lyoto Machida (204) vs. Rameau Tierry Sokoudjou (205)
• Rich Clementi (155) vs. Melvin Guillard (156)

UNDERCARD

• Luis Cane (205) vs. James Irvin (205)
• Nate Mohr (155) vs. Manny Gamburyan (155)
• Jordan Radev (185) vs. Dean Lister (186)
• Roan Carneiro (170) vs. Tony DeSouza (170)
• Doug Evans (155) vs. Mark Bocek (155)

Chuck Liddell tried to add some last second hype to his fight with an intense staredown with Silva, followed by a middle finger and on-stage scuffle. For those interested in the drama, this may be an enjoyable watch on replay. In other related news, Matt Hughes is definitely not the crowd favorite.

More info on UFC.com.

Not much news to report yet because some loser sitting behind my wife and I on the plane was coughing on us the entire time. We both were violently ill for much of Thursday and are just now bouncing back.

My wife did go down to the spa earlier this morning and saw a bunch of fighters hanging out trying to cut weight for the weigh-ins later today. She for sure saw Tony DeSouza and Melvin Guillard. Guillard had an entourage and was wearing a fur coat.

The weigh-ins start at 4 p.m. PT. I plan on heading down there for them and then coming back up to the room for a report. Then, it will be over to the Riviera for the IFO and “Fireworks in the Cage.”

Sorry that I don’t have better inside dirt for you guys yet, but now that I am feeling like a human being again, I should be able to go out and about and see some things.

Georges St. Pierre vs. Matt Hughes for interim UFC welterweight title

Sam Caplan: The short training camp that St. Pierre was subjected to isn’t enough to bridge the gap between he and Hughes. Hughes is a tremendous fighter but GSP just has too much in his arsenal and he proved at UFC 74 that he’s got his mental approach turned around. Furthermore, it will be interesting to see if Hughes was able to get in enough good sparring while training at his new H.I.T. Squad gym for the first time as opposed to MFS. I’m picking St. Pierre via fourth round TKO.

Adam Morgan: There’s nothing that sticks out in my mind as to why this fight would be any different than the last fight between the two. GSP is just too well-rounded for Hughes to contend with. Hughes will look to take it down to the mat early and often because that’s where he excels the most. GSP doesn’t care whether he’s standing or on the ground, he’s proficient in both areas. I see GSP stuffing Hughes’ takedowns and keeping the fight on the feet. GSP via TKO in round three.

Matt Kaplan: Based on their last meeting, as well as how each fighter has fought since, I don’t see this being much different from their second meeting. GSP, in my mind, has the striking and wrestling advantage over Hughes. Plus, I think the crowd will be behind the younger, more dynamic Canadian. I like GSP by ground-and-pound stoppage in the third.

Paul Balsom: Like Matt, I don’t see how this fight will be any different than their previous match last November. There’s no doubt that Matt Hughes is a great fighter, but I think that GSP will have an answer for everything Hughes has to offer. Just like last time, GSP via TKO in round 2.

Sam Cupitt: I think the difference between this fight and the one back in November is that Hughes will be a lot more focused on trying to get the takedown. That still doesn’t change the fact that GSP has probably the best takedown defense in MMA behind Chuck Liddell and B.J. Penn. Hughes may get a takedown early in the fight that may earn him a round but it will only delay the inevitable. St.Pierre via TKO in round 3.

Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva

Sam Caplan: If Wanderlei comes out like a madman and swings wide and leaves his chin exposed, Liddell is going to plant him on the chin. But there’s so much at stake for Silva in his UFC re-debut and he needs the win bad. Liddell will always have a home in the UFC, win or lose. Training at Xtreme Couture, I think Wanderlei fights a more technical fight than we’re used to seeing from him and TKOs Liddell towards the end of the first round.

Adam Morgan: As I’m sure most of you know, this fight is unbelievably hard to pick one way or another. Here we are two days out from the event and I still have no idea who to pick. Part of me wants to say Chuck because Wandy’s style is tailor-made for Chuck’s style. Part of me wants to say Silva because I don’t know where Chuck’s head and his training are at and I think Silva will be the better conditioned fighter having worked at Xtreme Couture. I think the slight edge goes to Silva because of the types of people he’s training with. Wanderlei Silva via TKO, round three.

Matt Kaplan: I’m fired up for this fight. I expect a more tactical performance than usual from the former Chute Boxe icon, whom I see being the aggressor against Chuck. Hopefully, these two will fulfill the potential of this match-up and deliver the excitement we’ve been waiting for! I like Wanderlei by TKO in the second.

Paul Balsom: If only it were 2005, or even 2006. If it were, this would be the biggest fight ever for casual and hardcore fans alike. I’ve always thought that this fight would favor Silva, so I’m going to stick with that. Silva’s only added to his palette in training with Xtreme Couture, while Liddell has stayed the same despite his two straight loses. His trainer, John Hackleman, has mentioned in several interviews since the Jardine loss, that he finds no problem in Chuck’s fighting style and finds no reason to change up anything. I think that will be his downfall. Wanderlei Silva via TKO in Round 3.

Sam Cupitt: I don’t care that this fight is probably little late in arriving, I just want to see it. I’ve been going back and forth on who’s going to win this. My first impression was that Wanderlei might run in wildy and get caught with a looping Chuck punch but having seen videos of Wanderlei train and the dedication he is showing, I think he may fight more tamely. Looking at some of Chuck’s interviews, I am getting the feeling this could be his last fight, regardless of the outcome, so I think he will want to leave with a bang. I’m thinking we are going to see at some stage these guys standing toe to toe and going at it. If that is the case, Wanderlei will have too many tools. Silva via 2nd round KO.

Ryoto Machida vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

Sam Caplan: Everyone counted Sokoudjou out vs. Rogerio. Then, people still counted him out vs. Arona. And now people are still counting him out vs. Machida. A lot of people are scared off by the fact that Sokoudjou once lost to Glover Teixeira in a WEC bout where he got caught. However, Machida isn’t a finisher and really belongs at 185 lbs. There isn’t a big threat of Sokoudjou getting caught, which likely gives him up to 15 minutes to find and catch Machida. Sokoudjou won’t need 15 minutes as he’ll win via first round TKO.

Adam Morgan: First round TKO? You guys are crazy. Even though Sokoudjou has knocked out Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona in the first round, he’s still an unknown in the world of mixed martial arts. We haven’t seen him off his back. The one time he got rocked, he lost. We haven’t even seen the guy’s sick judo yet. What do we know about him? He has rocks for hands, period. What do we know about Machida? A lot. He can make you fight his pace, he is an incredibly strong counter puncher, and he’s undefeated with victories over the likes of Stephan Bonnar, Rich Franklin, B.J. Penn, Kazuhiro Nakamura, and Vernon White. Machida grinds out a trademark unanimous decision.

Matt Kaplan: Sokoudjou is the stronger, more explosive athlete, and he’s made quick work of better light heavies that Machida, who’s had a good run on his way to 11-0. Machida is a karate fighter who’s shown that he loves to stand and strike, but that might not be the best plan of attack against “The African Assassin.” Judo Thierry by Rd. 1 TKO.

Paul Balsom: Even though I think Sokoudjou is great, I will follow the masses and pick Machida. Sokoudjou may get some of that “Octagon Shock (trademarked)” that Rogan talks so much about, and Machida will pull out the win despite being judo-tossed a number of times. Machida via unanimous decision.

Sam Cupitt: This fight’s outcome will be determined on which Machida turns up. If we get the Machida that fought David Heath, Sokoudjou is in for a long and frustrating night. If we get the Machida that fought Nakamura who was willing to exchange, Sokoudjou could be adding another top quality Brazilian to his growing resume. Sorry to say, but I think Machida will know what he has to do win and will pick his shots and evade the”The African Assassin’s” offense. Machida via Unanimous Decision.

Melvin Guillard vs. Rich Clementi

Sam Caplan: Guillard is the better athlete but Clementi is the better fighter. For all of his potential, what has Guillard proven? There’s no way to know for sure whether he properly prepared for this fight. I don’t have to wonder about Clementi, which is why I am going with him via unanimous decision.

Adam Morgan: I have never been impressed with Rich Clementi as a UFC fighter to be quite honest. He’s decent on the ground and not very good with his hands. Melvin Guillard, on the other hand, has shown flashes of brilliance with his hands and his athleticism but hasn’t lived up to potential. Under the proper guidance, Guillard could be a force to be reckoned with at 155. I’d like to think that the cocaine bust has cleared Guillard’s mind and allowed him to focus his energy 100% into fighting. Guillard via TKO, round two.

Paul Balsom: Guillard is energenic and athletic but careless. Clementi, like Sam said, is a better fighter and it will show in this fight. Guillard will attack Rich early because of all the pre-fight drama, and Rich will take advantage of the craziness. Rich Clementi via submission in round 1.

Sam Cupitt: I see this fight showcasing the main points of both these fighters. Guillard, who is coming off an enforced 8 month lay off due to a drug suspension will be fired up and come in swinging. He will connect a few times and Clementi will whether the storm after being knocked down late in the first round. The second round will begin and Guillard will be frustrated and will slam Clementi who will in turn lock up a triangle choke early in the second round. Clementi via 2nd Round Submission.

Soa Palelei vs. Eddie Sanchez

Sam Caplan: Palelei is a big, strong Pacific islander who trains out of Team Quest. He’s competed in Australia and since he’s originally from that corner of the world, he could be a draw there for them. This match was made for Eddie Sanchez to lose. My pick is Palelei via second round submission.

Adam Morgan: Soa Palelei is new addition to the UFC who has been training out at Team Quest Temecula. Sanchez seems to be in another situation where he’ll collect a paycheck to run around for a few minutes and then finally get overwhelmed by Palelei. Soa “The Hulk” Palelei via TKO, round one.

Paul Balsom: I pretty much agree with what Sam said, so I’m not going to waste your time. Palelei via submission in round 1.

Sam Cupitt: I spoke to Elvis Sinosic about Soa Palelei. He seems to think if the Australian were to win it would be GnP. Sanchez has shown nothing to me that would suggest that “The King of Rock n Rumble’s” prediction wouldn’t come true. Palelei via TKO in the 1st Round.

Luis Cane vs. James Irvin

Sam Caplan: Admittedly, I’ve never seen Cane fight but I’ve heard a lot about him the past few months. I also know he’s 7-0 with all seven victories having ended early. The UFC usually only promotes Irvin in fights they don’t expect him to win so I’m going with Cane via first round submission.

Adam Morgan: Irvin is the light heavyweight version of Eddie Sanchez. He usually gets thrown against the newer acquisitions to give them a quick test. There’s been a bit of a buzz surrounding Luis Cane coming into this fight. He’s got a knockout victory over Damien Stelly, a very good Army fighter. Stelly took Tim Kennedy to decision, so that should tell you something about Cane, which is why I’ll take Luis Cane via TKO, round two.

Paul Balsom: Luis Cane via TKO in round 1.

Sam Cupitt: Haven’t seen Cane before but on paper he seems like a clone of Thiago Silva. James Irvin can hurt you if he hits you but if you take him down and you know some submissions, he won’t last long. I think Irvin will connect a couple of times, then Cane will realise that he wants no part of the exchanges and will take Irvin down and submit him quickly. Cane via Submission in the 1st round.

Manny Gamburyan vs. Nate Mohr

Sam Caplan: Beware of the body lock! Even as a lightweight Gamburyan is usually giving up height and reach. He tries to neutralize that advantage by rushing his opponent and closing off the distance between them. From there, it’s usually all Manny. Gamburyan via unanimous decision.

Adam Morgan: Gamburyan will take this fight to the ground quickly and stay active enough to grind out a standard Manny Gamburyan decision. Manvel via decision.

Paul Balsom: I’d like to see Manny stay aggressive, just like he has in his fights on TUF 5, and in the finale. Gamburyan via TKO (ground and pound) in round 2.

Sam Cupitt: Gamburyan has been promised by Joe Silva that if his fight is exciting it will be televised. He must already be pretty filthy that he’s been put on the undercard behind Eddie Sanchez and an unknown heavyweight, so I’m expecting Manny to go mental and take Mohr down and pound him out pretty quickly. Gamburyan via TKO in round 1.

Dean Lister vs. Jordan Radev

Sam Caplan: When we last saw Radev he was on the mat staring at the lights after getting planted by Drew McFedries. He won’t have to worry about in this fight but he will have to worry about Lister’s world class jiu-jitsu and underrated wrestling. I am going with Lister vs. second round submission.

Adam Morgan: I don’t see how this fight doesn’t end up on the ground. Once it reaches the ground, it won’t matter if Lister is on his back or on top, he will submit Jordan Radev in round two.

Matt Kaplan: Radev is a powerful, compact middleweight with strong wrestling, but I don’t think it’s good enough to neutralize Lister’s submission arsenal. Both need a win, but I think Lister is the better striker and submission fighter. Lister by early guillotine.

Paul Balsom: Lister via submission in round 1.

Sam Cupitt: If Radev takes Lister down he will get submitted. If he tries to stand up with Lister he will get taken down and then submitted. Lister via submission in round 1.

Roan Carneiro vs. Tony DeSouza

Sam Caplan: I’ve dubbed this fight “Abu Dhabi in a cage” but the reality is that the fight probably won’t finish via submission. When you have grapplers of this caliber fighting each other, usually 15 minutes isn’t enough for the outcome to end in a submission. Since the points system used in competitive grappling won’t be used here, I think the fight will come down to who can excel the best in the non-grappling aspect of the fight. In that regard, I give the advantage to Carneiro who really impressed me with his MMA skills against Jon Fitch. I’ve got Carneiro via split decision.

Adam Morgan: Another terribly hard fight to pick on this card. These two are outstanding grapplers. DeSouza trains with B.J. Penn in Hilo, HI. Carneiro trains with American Top Team. Both have strong training camps. Both have strong jiu jitsu. So hard to pick a winner, but I think Roan’s move to ATT combined with his MMA experience and caliber of opponents will be the deciding factor. Roan Carneiro via unanimous decision.

Matt Kaplan: Both bring top-shelf jiu-jitsu in to this fight, but I think that Carnerio’s move to American Top Team and DeSouza’s inactivity will be the difference. Expect Carneiro to press the action and damage DeSouza with a much improved striking arsenal. I like Carniero after three.

Paul Balsom: DeSouza via unanimous decision.

Sam Cupitt: Both have great jiu jitsu which will cancel out. That should mean whoever is superior in the other aspects should walk away with this. I feel Carneiro has the superior MMA skill set but not the power to stop DeSouza. Carneiro via Unanimous Decision.

Mark Bocek vs. Doug Evans

Sam Caplan: Bocek has better submissions but Evans is more well-rounded. I think his ground skills are good enough where that Bocek won’t be able to finish him, leaving Evans to earn some points on the feet. I like Evans via second round TKO.

Adam Morgan: Evans has the better wrestling and Bocek has the better jiu jitsu. If Evans can control Bocek from the top like Frankie Edgar did, it will be a long night for Bocek. I don’t think Evans’ wrestling is anywhere near the level of Frankie Edgar, however, and I think Bocek will give him a rough time when the fight hits the ground. Whether or not it be from his back or on top, I’ll take Bocek via submission, round one.

Paul Balsom: Evans via submission in round 1.

Sam Cupitt: Bocek has submissions, Evans has the wrestling and better striking. This points to Evans being able to dictate the proceedings. Evans via unanimous decision. For some more in depth analysis of UFC 79′s matchups head over to my website, The Sam Blog.