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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

On June 26, 2011, “The Spaniard” went from relatively unknown welterweight to a star overnight thanks to a hard-working performance in victory against a very tough Rick Story in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In an interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com, Brenneman said, “(The win over Story) was the epitome of all the hard work that I put into the sport and life in general.”

Things didn’t go so well for Brenneman in his next bout in October though, as he was defeated in just two minutes and 49 seconds at the hands and feet of Anthony Johnson. “I was disappointed with the fight,” said Brenneman. “I was disappointed that I wasn’t really able to showcase anything. The way the fight developed, I had nothing to show. I didn’t really do anything. I didn’t do anything good and it was frustrating after all the work I put into it.”

Charlie will get a chance at redemption on January 20, when he meets Daniel Roberts in Nashville. Despite the fact that Roberts is coming off two straight losses and Brenneman has fought two highly-ranked welterweights, defeating one of them, he’s not upset with the match up. “I just take it one fight at the time,” said Charlie. “I look more at the individual match up than the name recognition. I’m really excited for it because this match up is really good. I’ve been evolving as a fighter and I really like this fight because I think it’ll make us reach in our back pocket and see what we’ve developed.”

Along with working on his technical skills, Charlie has been reading “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle in order to sharpen his mental game and connect his body to his mind.

“If you’re ready psychically but if you’re out of it mentally, it doesn’t matter one bit.”

One thing that does matter to the Pennsylvania native is his friends and family. No matter where he fights, you can bet that he’ll have a pocket of supporters cheering him on in the crowd, usually making more noise than the rest of the crowd. “I am very fortunate,” said Brenneman. “I have a lot of friends and family who make the trip. This fight in Tennessee will actually be my smallest crowd. I think we only have about 25 or 30 people. I’ve had a lot of people come to a lot of my fights.”

At UFC 141, Johny Hendricks KO’d long-time top welterweight Jon Fitch. That win, along with a victory by Jake Ellenberger over Jake Shields earlier in the year, showed the evolution of a new crop of talented welterweights. Charlie weighed in with his thoughts on the state of the 170 pounders saying, “There’s definitely a changing of the guard. I think Ellenberger is right at the top of the heap, even beyond Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit, even though he lost to Condit. I think he’s a front-runner. We just had the Hendricks knockout as well. I wouldn’t doubt that if Ellenberger wins his next fight we could see him vs. Hendricks in a #1 contender fight.”

Brenneman holds an overall record of 14-3 with five TKOs and past wins inside the Octagon against Amilcar Alves and Jason High.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Up until now he has done all of his fighting for the URCC, the most established promotion in the Philippines. He took on pinweight champion Roy Docyogen (who is currently 9-0) in his debut and lost that fight but then went on to post six straight stoppage wins, moving up from 119 lbs to 129 lbs in the process.

Rafols suffered a surprise defeat to Reydon Romero in his most recent fight when, after five and a half minutes of an all-out war which he appeared to be winning, the pace of the fight finally took its toll and he simply ran out of steam.

Despite that defeat he does not intend to change his style and should be even more effective fighting for ONE FC where rounds last for five minutes, as opposed to the marathon ten minute rounds in the URCC.

“I like fighting this way because I like to give my fans something to talk about and remember me by. I want to give an exciting match and I want to set my pace in the ring before my opponent does,” said Rafols in a conversation with Five Ounces of Pain. “After that defeat I learned a lot about being an MMA fighter and I will be making some minor adjustments, but that’s it. Just a little more polishing on my techniques and conditioning training, I have always trained to do two rounds of 10 minutes so the shorter rounds should be easy.”

Rafols had originally been penciled in to face Ngoo Ditty, a Muay Thai fighter from Thailand who holds an MMA record of 4-2. A motorcycle accident put paid to that match up and instead the Filipino will be fighting Sung Ming Yen from Taiwan who is currently 2-0.

He claims he is not too bothered about the change of opponent and is just looking forward to fighting for the biggest show in Asia, saying, “The change of opponent doesn’t really matter. I will be sticking to my game plan and training. I am very excited because I have always wanted to fight for my country and this will be my defining moment as a fighter. I was able to watch the first ONE FC show and I just can’t wait to step in that cage and fight for my country, I am very grateful for this great opportunity.”

Filipino people are fiercely patriotic and are immensely proud of Eduard Folayang and Eric Kelly who both posted impressive victories at ONE FC 1, and after five years of learning martial arts Rafols could be set to make a similar breakthroug.

“I started my Martial Arts training back in 2006,” Rafols explained. “When I was 20 years old and I trained with D’Elements Gym under coach Ramonito Pabroa. I started with boxing and Muay Thai, then later on ventured to MMA. Why? Because I grew up with a family of boxers and martial artists and I guess I was influenced by this somehow.”

Despite having a background in stand up fighting Rafols’ has a good ground game with five of his six wins coming by way of submission. He attributes his success as a mixed martial artist partly to his training and partly to the URCC, the organization which gave him his big break.

“The URCC has helped me a lot in my development as a fighter,” Rafols concluded. “They saw my potential and I try not to let them down. I am still signed with the URCC and they have been helping me with my career track and everything else that goes with it. I train twice a day, six days in a week. Right now I’m training in BAMF MMA center under DEFTAC and Pabroa from the D’ Elements gym is also helping me out.”

ONE FC: Battle of Heroes is taking place at the BritAma Arena in Jakarta, Indonesia on February 11.

UFC officials have confirmed Brown’s removal from the card.

Five Ounces of Pain was able to catch up with Brown who explained his condition and offered up a prognosis on when fans might see him back inside the Octagon.

“I had arthroscopic surgery on my knee Thursday,” Brown revealed. “They removed some damaged cartilage on the inside and the outside of the knee. I also had a few bone chip floating around that the took out.”

“The knee has been bothering me for a while then two weeks ago I tore the medial meniscus pretty bad,” the 36-year old continued. “It wasn’t going to heal on its on. I needed it to be fixed so when they went in they kind of cleaned up the entire knee. I should have a full recovery three to four weeks and I’ll be ready to fight again by April.”

Brown got off to a rough start in 2011, losing back-to-back fights in January to Diego Nunes and Rani Yahya, both by decision. After taking a couple of months off to re-group, Brown returned to his winning ways at UFC 133, picking up a unanimous decision victory over Nam Phan.

No replacement has been found for Rocha, who will make his featherweight debut on the card.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/WEC

However, with his mind back on Mixed Martial Arts, the 32-year old Brazilian is ready to get back into the mix starting with unbeaten newcomer Edinaldo Oliveira at the UFC’s return to Rio de Janeiro on January 14.

Five Ounces of Pain was able to catch up with Gonzaga as he prepares for the bout to get, his reaction to hearing from his former bosses at Zuffa, as well as his opinion on Oliveira and what fans can expect to see this time around.

“It was natural,” Gonzaga explained of return to the UFC. “I feel I never left. The UFC is my home, they take care me very good (and) I have a lot of friends there. I am excited to see everyone again!”

As far as his opponent, a 13-0-1 Jungle Fight veteran with eight TKOs, “Napao” isn’t concerned about the relative unknown nature of what Oliveira brings.

“I know what everyone knows,” began the 12-6 Gonzaga. “Ednaldo is though fighter and come from a great camp. But at this point I am not worried about him; I am worried about my training and I am going to be very well-trained for this bout.”

Gonzaga also expects a return to the form that saw him earn a shot at the UFC heavyweight title in 2007.

“I am ready to have a big run in the UFC again and it will start now at UFC 142. I want to thanks those who have been contributing for my training camp here at Team Link. It is going great,” said Gonzaga enthusiastically.

The bout between Gonzaga-Oliveira is expected to take place on the FX-broadcast undercard portion of UFC 142, a show headlined by featherweight champion Jose Aldo putting his gold up for grabs against unbeaten wrestler Chad Mendes.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

“The gym opening has been going really well. It’s been stressful in a good way,” Watson told Five Ounces of Pain. “I’ve never been in this position where I’m the one man show doing the administrative stuff, teaching, and training. It’s been open for five months and a lot of people have come in the door. I’ve had some loyal followers. It’s growing and by next year I hope to expand.”

So what made Watson want to leave a gym that included veterans like Matt Hughes and Robbie Lawler? Watson explains the situation by saying, “It’s always been my goal to have my own gym but basically the new ownership bought the gym and the person who bought it had a bad business reputation. So he came in and changed everything and people didn’t like it. He changed it from a happy go lucky atmosphere to a gloomy atmosphere where he was jacking up rates and making us sign 2 year contracts so everyone left.”

He has fond memories about his time at the HIT Squad though, and even draws a comparison between the gym and the Ultimate Fighter house, which he spent time in as part of the TUF 12 cast.

“One of the coolest and unique things was that we had dorms on site so we had people from all over the world come in and stay with us,” said Watson. “It was similar to TUF except that the accommodations weren’t quite as nice and alcohol was still allowed but you weren’t cut out from the outside world. It was expected that if you play hard, you work hard. So you could have a good time but you better show up from training on Monday.”

The dorm rooms at the HIT Squad seem a lot easier than his time in the house, which he described as, “tough.” Expanding by saying, “. After the first couple of weeks there is still that novelty but after that it starts to wear on you and the house starts to become really small really quick. Training is actually the relief from boredom because guys are just walking around the house with their chest puffed out and acting tough and it got old quick. Having no contact with family and loved ones got pretty tough.”

The one thing that Watson enjoyed about being on the reality show was training with UFC champion Georges St. Pierre and the all-star team of coaches that he brought with him. “The training was the best part,” said Watson. “I was really fortunate to have Georges St. Pierre as a coach because he looked at himself as a training partner and not a coach. So he brought all his coaches in and used it as a training camp. He helped us and showed us things and we got to spar and roll with him, so it was a great experience.”

Working as a full-time trainer at his gym, Watson’s own personal training has suffered but his level of knowledge has increased. Watson explains, “A lot of people don’t understand how tough it is to wear both hats. Somewhere a long the line you can’t be great at both so something has to give and something gets short changed. If anything suffers it’s usually on my end because I don’t want to fail my students, so my own training takes a backseat. Teaching helps because you’re forced to learn things at a deeper level because people expect you to answer questions and explain things. It helps but it’s a challenging task.”

While he’s been working hard to get him gym off the ground, Kyle hopes to get back in the cage in early 2012.

“Originally I was hoping to fight at the end of the year but the gym has taken a lot of time out of my schedule to make sure it’s running smoothly so I haven’t been training as much as I’d like. I’ve been training to a certain degree and for a long time my biggest hole as been my wrestling so I’ve been training with a local collegiate team and private sessions with my wrestling coaches so I’m closing that area pretty quickly. I don’t think I’m in fight shape right now but I could be quickly so I need to talk to my manager more and hopefully return early next year.”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/WATSONMARTIALARTS

After falling on hard times and being released by Zuffa following seven losses in eight fights, Pulver took a long look in the mirror to try and re-discover himself. It didn’t come to him right away as he continued to struggle to get over a “mental hurdle” but in his last bout, his bantamweight debut against Coty Wheeler, we saw the return of the Jens that fight fans fell in love with.

“I was dialed in as ever in my last fight,” Pulver revealed Pulver in an exclusive interview with Five Ounces of Pain. “I almost got hit with an uppercut because I heard my corner so clearly that I actually turned and looked at them and he fired a shot that nearly caught me. Then I heard the guys say, ‘don’t look at us’ and I remember yelling, ‘MY BAD!’”

Before he dropped to 135 in August, Pulver was once again on the losing end of things back in May when he was submitted in just 22 seconds against Armando Amezcua. In his post-fight interview, Jens defended his desire to continue fighting by saying, “I’ll retire on my own terms.”

Jens defended his comments saying, “I appreciate people saying they want me to retire, as long as they have a good reason and are looking out for me. But, I’m losing to submissions. I’ll be grappling until I can’t walk. They’re safe. I’m not going out there and watching my chin turn to butter and going out there and getting hit by guys not known for power and going to sleep for 10 minutes.”

According to Jens, physically he feels fine, but mentally he hasn’t been at the top of his game in some time. “The mental side of me died a while back and I have to find that guy,” said Pulver.

After over 40 career fights, main events, and UFC titles, it’s hard to believe that Pulver could lack mental toughness, but to hear him explain things, they begin to make sense.

“With so many years losing, I just had tunnel vision where I just wanted out of there. Either I knock them out quick or I got caught and I wanted out. I didn’t want to be in there. It’s like getting into a bad car wreck and when you get back into that card, you just want out. You’re not hearing anything. You’re not even hearing yourself, that inner fire just died. I’ve never been through something like that but it’s a bad situation. This last fight, I’ve never paid more attention to the mental side of things. I even had key words I kept saying to myself like ‘Bojangles’ which is my daughters nickname. So whenever I felt great in practice, that’s what I would say. It dialed me in.”

His victory over Wheeler marked the first time that Pulver had finished an opponent with strikes since 2006. Now training at Team Curran with jiu-jitsu expert Jeff Curran, Pulver has spent a lot of time working on his grappling but says that his striking felt better than ever against Wheeler.

“That was the first time in awhile I was like, ‘Wow, there it is.’ I was setting things up, moving to the right, continuing to circle, making him miss. My defense was on and I could see everything he was about to throw. It took a whole year to get there but it felt good.

“I kept telling myself that I was going to knock this guy out. He’s known for his chin and I was going out there to show everyone at this weight that, ‘I’m here, lets get it poppin’”

Jens is hopeful for a UFC return, but admits that he hasn’t talked to UFC president Dana White in some time. “I haven’t had communications with Dana White in I don’t know how long. That’s a busy guy.” He knows what he has to do in order to make another appearance in the octagon though, saying, “What it boils down to is proof. I can ask for it all day but if I can’t go out there and prove it then wants the point? I just gotta keep knocking people out and see what happens. It’d be a good way to say goodbye.”

This time around we have a Matt Hamill Prize Pack for one lucky reader including a shirt from TapouT and some additional material related to the recently released biography “The Hammer,” a movie receiving critical acclaim at numerous film festivals chronicling the highs and lows of Hamill’s life.

To be eligible for the drawing, interested parties need to submit a paragraph involving a story about overcoming adversity whether in your own life or that of someone you know. We are only looking for a few sentences so please understand there is no need to write a novel – just a paragraph.

UPDATE: We have been able to procure four additional Prize Packs so the contest is being extended. The entries have been fantastic so far by the way! Additionally, even if you don’t have a personal story to share or have sent something in already and want to increase your odds of winning, you can also get your name in the drawing by posting a 5 OZ link in a forum (then emailing in evidence), by liking us on Facebook, or all of the above.

Send your entry to “hammergiveaway@yahoo.com” and we’ll randomly select a winner from the bunch. Submissions must be received no later than midnight on November 19.

Also, make sure to check out “The Hammer” if it’s showing in your area or when it shows up on DVD in a few months. It’s a movie not only MMA fans will love but people who appreciate an underdog overcoming the odds to achieve his dreams.

The 35-year old Hamill, who has recently stepped away from competition to focus on things in his personal life, compiled a 10-4 record in his MMA career as the only deaf athlete to ever grace the Octagon. He racked up a number of impressive wins during his run in the famous eight-sided cage including those over Mark Munoz, Keith Jardine, and Tito Ortiz.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Growing up in Canada, Soszynski is no stranger to our neighbors to the north. In fact, during his UFC career he’s pretty comfortable fighting in Canada as he’s 2-0 in the great white north, picking up a Submission of the Night bonus as well.

“I love going back to Canada. I had a chance to fight in Montreal and my last fight was in Vancouver and now I get to go to Toronto,” said Soszynski in an exclusive interview with Five Ounces of Pain, “I was there for the first event in Toronto and that was an amazing experience and I know that even though this is a smaller venue the fans are going to pack the house.”

Currently on a two fight win streak, Soszynski is hoping to put on a performance when he steps inside the octagon on December. In his last fight against Mike Massenzio at UFC 113, the Ultimate Fighter alum was very disappointed with how the fight went. He doesn’t blame himself though.

“I was mad because I wanted to have a fun fight for the fans and the UFC and one fighter didn’t want to fight and just wanted a spot in the company. I was disappointed that I didn’t get the finish but I got the W, which was great because I was coming off a lot of injuries and it made it two fights in a row for me.

“I watched Massenzio in his last fight against Steve Cantwell and he went to war and I wasn’t sure if that was the real Massenzio or what cause when I fought him he didn’t really throw a punch.”

Against Pokrajac, Krzysztof is expecting a much more fan-friendly fight saying, “He’s very tough, reminds me a bit of Stephan Bonnar. Good hands but I think his wrestling is his weakness but his ground game is good and getting better. It’s going to be a fun fight.”

Of course fans still remember the two wars Soszynski had with Bonnar. Their bout at UFC 116 earned the duo Fight of the Night honors.

If you watch “The Polish Expierment” fight, you’ll definitely hear Mike Goldberg mention how much he loves to use the Kimura. Soszynski not only refers to the submission hold as, “his baby” he goes on to say, “That’s the first submission I ever learned and I think I’ve mastered it and I catch a lot of training partners with it on a daily basis during our training sessions. It’s something I look for in every position. Even in mount I look for it or if I can use it to sweep.”

Soszynski has a child he spends time with outside of the Octagon, a young son whose dad is cool enough to take him to hockey games when he’s not in the gym. The return of the Winnipeg Jets to the NHL has put hockey back in Soszynski’s life and taken him back to when he was a child as well.

“I took my son to a preseason game. I missed the home opener because of training,” said Krzysztof “I was one of the guys who grew up watching the Winnipeg Jets and I actually worked at the Winnipeg arena selling popcorn and Pepsi and I did that for about five years. I was there through the good times and bad times. It is nice to see them back and the crowd is amazing.”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Always comfortable in Canada, expect Soszynski to walk into the octagon smiling and walk out with that same smile on his face on December 10.

MFC

“My last couple of opponents were Top 30 or 50 in the world and I maybe took five clean shots in those fights. So if that kind of competition can barely lay a finger on me, I think it shows that I belong in the upper echelon.” Jimmo recently told Five Ounces of Pain in an exclusive interview. “Even though I haven’t had the opportunity to fight the best, if you look at how I handled those guys, I don’t think anyone can criticize that.”

On October 7, Jimmo takes on former PRIDE and UFC fighter Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at MFC 31 in one of his toughest bouts to date. Even though “The African Assassin” hasn’t quite lived up to the hype that surrounded him after he knocked out Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona, Jimmo knows that Sokoudjou is no push-over.

“He is very fast and explosive, very dangerous and can knock out anyone in the world, which he’s already proved. I have to watch out for his explosiveness. I can’t beat him there. I have to devise a game plan in order to exploit his weaknesses.”

Jimmo’s bout again Sokoudjou will be his ninth time fighting under the MFC banner and his 17th time fighting in Canada. In fact, he’s never fought professionally outside of his native country, something he’s hoping to change in the near future.

“It’s nice fighting in Canada but right now it’s time for me to expand outside of Canada and put my footprint in other parts of the world.”

In order to put his footprint in other parts of the world, Jimmo may need to leave the MFC. “My ultimate goal is to be UFC champion someday,” said Jimmo. “We talked to (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva and he said that if I win this fight, they’ll be looking to sign me. I’m not counting my chickens before they hatch though.”

One thing Jimmo has become known for is his post-fight celebration. After getting his hand raised in victory, Jimmo likes to break out the robot, a move he’s been working on even before he started fighting.

“I started doing the robot when I was like fourteen while watching Much Music and they were break dancing. I always wanted attention when I was a kid so I thought if I learned how to break dance then I’ll get attention. So after my fight I wanted to stand out so I did the robot, almost as a joke. Then people wanted to see it after and I was more than happy to oblige.”

When I asked Ryan if we were going to see the robot on October 7, he was quick to respond with, “You certainly are. I’ve been working on it too and planning it out.”

PHOTO CREDIT – MFC

The company’s next show, MFC 31, comes on October 7 and boasts two particularly interesting pairings at the top of the card with undefeated finisher Dhiego Lima locking horns with hard-hitting UFC veteran Terry Martin and 15-1 light heavyweight Ryan Jimmo seeking his sixteenth straight victory with talented judoka Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou standing in his way.

Five Ounces of Pain recently caught up with MFC President Mark Pavelich to talk about the upcoming card and, in standard form, was as animated as ever while discussing what fans can expect at the Edmonton event as well as his key role in MMA’s growth North of the Border and why he doesn’t watch other organization’s offerings.

“I match-made the card for me. I’m not joking,” Pavelich began on MFC 31. “This is the first time ever in eleven years I have. I usually do everything for the fans. I am by the far the most fan-friendly owner of any organization in the world including (Dana White). I do anything for them. I respond to everything from them whether it’s Facebook or Twitter. Whatever they want, I do for them, but this show’s for me.”

But people need to understand that instead of the peoples’ champion I’m the MMA promotion for the people – the peoples’ promoter,” he continued.

When asked to elaborate on the show’s lineup, Pavelich pointed to the probability of finishes in all of the match-ups as the reason for his enthusiasm in terms of providing an entertaining offering for all, himself included.

“I’m finishing the main fight card right now and I’m almost positive not one fight will go the distance. If any one would it would maybe be Jimmo vs. Sokoudjou but I don’t see it happening. I don’t want to jinx myself.”

When it comes to good fights MFC has certainly delivered in the past, a viewpoint Pavelich feels should have merited him more credit than he currently has for MMA’s evolution in Canada.

“People ask me how MMA got big in Canada and I say, ‘Are you kidding?!? You actually think Georges St. Pierre is the one that made it big?’ I made it big! There was no MMA before I was here. I made it. I. Me, me, and me. Me and my family. That’s it. And you know what? Before I’d never talk like this but I swore starting today I’m gonna shove it in everybody’s face. My family pioneered MMA in Canada.”

Pavelich also blasted the way fans let other MMA promotions slide on lazy matchmaking, saying, “I think most MMA shows now, and I won’t say their names, you know the outcomes of the fights before they happened.”

“When St. Pierre fights Carlos Condit what’s going to happen,” he asked rhetorically before adding he would be willing to bet most people would have the same answer as him (lay on top, grind him out for five rounds and pick up the decision).

“Isn’t that amazing,” Pavelich continued. “That’s pro wrestling. That’s WWE wrestling when you know the outcomes of things. Do you really know what’s going to happen between Lima and Martin? Do you know what’s going to happen between Jimmo and Sokoudjou? You don’t, and that’s the beauty of MFC. You’re going to see real fights where you go, ‘Sh*t, I don’t know what’s going to happen here.’”

“I can’t stand it. That’s why I don’t watch that stuff,” he concluded on other organizations’ style of putting fights together.

“MFC 31: The Rundown” will be shown live on HDNet, part of their recently signed five-year deal. In addition to the previously mentioned bouts MFC 31 will also feature a handful of other match-ups including submission specialist Kajan Johnson looking to snap 11-1 opponent Richie Whitson’s five-fight winning streak.

PHOTO CREDIT – HDNET

Kenny Florian

On Saturday, October 8, Florian takes on top featherweight Jose Aldo for the featherweight title at UFC 136.

So far in his WEC and UFC career, Aldo has looked unstoppable, but that doesn’t faze Florian. He’s been in the big fights before and he knows what he has to do to win.

“I feel that I have the game and the style to give Jose a lot of problems.” Florian told Five Ounces of Pain in an exclusive interview. “I think I have more experience. As far as combining everything together, I think that’s the difference. That’s what it comes down to. It’s not one round of boxing, one round of jiu-jitsu, and one round of wrestling. I don’t like to say I do this or that better, I think I do everything well.

“My goal is to be better every day and that’s something I feel like I’m doing. We’ll see if I can put it together on Oct 8. I’m feeling very confident, training has never been better, and it’s just going out there and fighting.”

Putting it all together is something Florian has done in big fights. He holds victories over some of the best fighters in the sport, and is known for being a finisher. But when the pressure is on, he hasn’t always lived up to his skill.

Following his UFC 118 loss to Gray Maynard, UFC president Dana White stated that, “Florian chokes in big fights.” The loss was one of many disappointing moments in Florian’s UFC career. He lost to Maynard in his hometown of Boston, was choked out by BJ Penn in his second crack at the UFC lightweight title, was out-wrestled by Sean Sherk in his first title shot, and was finished by Diego Sanchez in the Ultimate Fighter finals.

But Florian didn’t mind Dana’s criticism, in fact, he took it was a compliment.

“I took Dana saying I choke as a compliment because it means he expects more out of me. The reality is that I could have fought better though. I expect more out of myself.

“Was it a case of me choking in big fights though? No,” said Florian. “Maynard was better that night.”

Often confused for Ben Stiller, when asked whether or not he would like to re-arrange the actors face so people would stop telling him how much Little Fockers sucked, Florian laughed and commented, “I find the most humor in people who think they are saying it for the first time. It’s really not that original but I try to make them feel good about it.”

He speaks multiple languages, he was a star soccer player in high school, and he could be working on Wall Street. Instead, Florian chose to be a fighter, and that’s all he wants to do, ending with, “What I do is train and fight. That’s what I love to do.”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

By defeating those three men and winning the tournament, Chandler earned a Bellator lightweight title shot against champion, and top-ranked 155 fighter Eddie Alvarez on October 15.

Helping Chandler prepare for the biggest fight of his life is boxing and MMA coach at Xtreme Couture, Gil Martinez, one of the most knowledgeable and respected coaches in the sport.

“Mike is a pleasure to work with,” said Martinez in an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesofPain.com. “He’s one of the hardest working athletes I’ve ever worked with. He’s in there day in and day out and doesn’t complain.”

Martinez has never doubted Chandler, saying, “He could have done anything. He could have done well in any sport. I could see that Chandler really wanted to be a force in MMA, that he wanted to go far, and next thing you know he won the Bellator tournament.”

A student of MMA and boxing, Martinez has worked with some of the best strikers in the world, including Vitor Belfort. So what’s it like training a veteran striker with quick hands and explosive power like Belfort and training someone like Chandler, who comes from a wrestling background?

“The biggest difference is that Vitor is seasoned and well-rounded. You can work on new things and teach him different things to help him improve. But with a wrestler like (Gray) Maynard or Chandler, you have to start from scratch, but they’re so motivated to learn,” said Martinez.

Chandler’s opponent on October 15 is not only the Bellator lightweight champion, but he’s also only lost twice in his career and has won seven straight bouts in the Bellator cage.

Despite that winning streak, Gil doesn’t believe that Alvarez has fought anyone like Chandler. “Mike is going to really test Alvarez. No disrespect to Alvarez’ last few opponents, but everyone he’s fought recently has been on the way down or not in a good place or time in their life. But with Mike, he’s young, talented, tough, and hungry.”

Considered to be one of the best boxers in MMA, with a wrestling background to go along with his hands, Alvarez is a tough match-up for anyone in the sport. But Martinez knows that his fighter stacks up well against the champion.

“Alvarez is the more experienced striking but Chandler is the better wrestler and his striking is getting better every day,” said Martinez. “Everyone thought Pitbull (Patricky Freire) was going to out-strike Chandler and he proved them wrong. And now we’ve had even more time to improve that striking.”

Maybe it’s just a coach believing in his fighter, but under the guidance of Gil, don’t be shocked if there’s a new Bellator champion on October 15 in New Jersey.

*PHOTO CREDIT – BELLATOR*

I thought my performance against Blanco was pretty solid, especially when you consider the short notice. I weathered an early, somewhat unexpected storm after he dazed me early. But ultimately it worked out pretty similar to how my camp and I thought it might. I knew he would be dangerous and explosive at the start but I knew as long as I stayed in his face and kept the pressure on I thought he’d wear down. And he did. I took over in the second round, especially right before the submission.

As far as the infamous sequence on the ground, I was already a little dazed before but my head was clearing out and I was starting to regain my composure on the ground, like when I was going for the Omoplata, and let’s just say he definitely landed some solid kicks to my face. At first I didn’t know what had happened – I was discombobulated afterwards. I was thinking, “Was that legal? Did they just stop the fight? What happened?” Then it all came back to me and my first thought was that I couldn’t live with myself if I’d stopped. So I got back in there and it all worked out for me.

Regarding Blanco, he has a history of similar incidents so I don’t think it was accidental. I think going to featherweight was the right move for him. It was a smart play obviously, since he’s in the UFC now. I don’t think he cut much, if any, weight. He was a lot smaller than me for sure. I think it was a good decision for his career and should help him become more successful.

I wanted to also mention the recently announced fight between B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz since B.J. is someone I’ve trained with before on multiple occasions and Diaz is a guy I’ve always respected. The way it came about is a real bummer since I’ve always been a fan of Diaz. But I can see why Dana White pulled him. Doing media is part of our obligations as professional fighters. A lot of us don’t like it but it’s what we need to do to sell a fight. Boxers do it. It’s a basic part of promoting a big fight.

However, I think Diaz vs. Penn is gonna be an extremely exciting match. Fans are going to see high-level, super-aggressive grappling. I see it being a fight people walk away from thinking, “Wow, that’s what grappling should look like in MMA!”

Like I briefly mentioned in the intro, my latest adventure is set to unfold over the next month-and-a-half starting less than 24 hours after writing this blog entry. Recently I was given the unique opportunity, along with some of my brothers at Team Quest, to go train students at the Xian Athletic University. There are supposed to be about 150 guys there. I’m interested to see what level they’re at and how the language barrier works. I think it’ll be beneficial for them but me too since I’ll have to really pay attention to every little thing I do when it comes to teaching. It should give me a chance to tighten up my game through repetition and maybe even pick up a few tricks from the stand-up work they do there.

And I can’t lie – part of me also wonders if it’s going to look like a scene out of a Bruce Lee movie with a courtyard full of fighters all doing the same technique!

Basically I’m going into things with an open mind as far what I’m going to do with downtime. I start out in Hong Kong but the majority of the training will take place in Xian. It should be really interesting because we’ll get to experience more of the Chinese culture there than in a major city. I’m really hoping to experience what China is really like – to go to a few temples, get out in the wilderness. Our group has a couple R&R trips too so it’ll be great to see a few new places. I’m really just pumped about getting to experience things in general because not a lot of people get the chance to go to China let alone for six weeks.

Heading to the airport shortly so I need to wrap this up. I appreciate the positive feedback last week! I’ll do my best to keep checking in during the trip and I have a camera with me so I’ll be including photos as well. In the meantime, feel free to follow me on Twitter (@bambamhealy) where I’ll also be updating fans on my status. Until then, zai jian!

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Adding to the list of the organization’s recent woes, Strikeforce announced earlier today that Virgil Zwicker had withdrawn from his headlining slot opposite undefeated striker Lorenz Larkin at Strikeforce Challengers 19. The show is scheduled for September 23 giving officials less than adequate time to find a suitable replacement for 10-2 finisher out of Team Quest.

Five Ounces of Pain spoke to Zwicker about the issue who explained he would know more after getting test results later this week but said that the injury had to do with his head.

Zwicker started out his career with eight straight wins after overcoming a number of personal struggles early in his life but has gone 2-2 in his last four fights. However, both losses came to significantly larger men, while nine of his ten total victories have involved some form of stoppage.

Also revealed as being scratched from the Strikeforce Challengers 19 lineup was undercard competitor Jerron Peoples.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

As you probably know, I’m fighting Maximo Blanco tomorrow night on the Strikeforce Grand Prix card so I’m already on the ground in Cincinnati. It’s actually a pretty loose week though, fairly open in terms of my schedule. Strikeforce didn’t leave a lot of stuff for us to do which is nice. They got me in plenty early. In the pre-Zuffa Strikeforce, they used to fly us in the day before weigh-ins and then you’d have to do all these interviews the day OF the weigh-ins. You felt rushed, like everything was a hassle. You were trying to get your weight cut between the areas you were doing photo shoots in. So it’s quite nice to be able to be here, relax a little bit, and focus on what I need to focus on which is winning the fight and making weight.

One of the great things about fighting is the travel and seeing so many different cities. I like to get out, walk around the city and stuff. I’m actually staying in Kentucky right across a suspension bridge from Cincy so I’ve gotten out, walked around and checked out the town. Cincinnati seems more like high-rise buildings so I’ve found more stuff on this side that’s relaxed. I’m little more of a laid back country guy than into “big city style”.

As far as the fight with Blanco, I feel 100% even though it’s on short notice. I was kind of eyeing this event even before my last fight. Since I came out of the Eric Wisely bout injury-free I hopped right back into training. Basically, I figured Josh Thomson might pull out of the match-up because he’s always getting injured or Blanco could have some trouble getting into the States since its first time over here. I had this little voice in the back of my head that was like, “Get in the gym! Don’t miss that training session!”

When things get started in the ring I expect Blanco to rush me, fight his style. He likes to go after you crazily, flurry on you, and then lay back. I think it’s important for me to make him fight consistently. All he’s shown is that flurried pace up to this point and there’s now way if I take the fight to him the whole time he’ll be able to keep up. That’s pretty much my style anyways – put his back against the cage, let him feel it for the first time.

Like I alluded to before, when I’m not training I’m usually doing something outdoors. I’m a huge Bear Grylls fan and watched his show, what he does. I’m on this property now that’s 150 acres in the Oregon wilderness, up in the mountains. There are these great cliffs like 80 feet high. Some are straight down, like a dead drop, while other parts are like a two-tier structure…all sorts of amazing rock formations. Recently a friend of mine from Australia, Liam, and I did some “mud sliding”…just playing around, challenging ourselves to jump down feet-forward and let the momentum carry you while leaning back so you don’t fall…just slide down the hill. There are four really good spots. Some are really steep where if you go ten fight to the right you’ll fall another thirty feet. So you definitely don’t want to miss on that one. Some are a little less steep. It’s best in the winter time when it’s a little wet – you jump, just go for it, put your feet down, and trust in the mountain to take you down.

I’ll include some video at the bottom of this so you can all check out some of my mud-sliding mayhem. Also, make sure you catch my fight Saturday night on Showtime where I’ll be picking up a third straight win. In the meantime you can also follow me on Twitter (@bambamhealy) where you can see some videos of all the mud-sliding mayhem.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz734Yi8-9A[/youtube]

The younger Pettis, who makes his pro debut on Saturday night at CFC 7 in Canada after an undefeated run as an amateur, recently took some time to sit down with Five Ounces of Pain and discussed the rare path he’s taken, as well as the role his relationship with “Showtime” has played in his life and how they are both alike/different as fighters.

“I started training when I was thirteen, fourteen years old,” Pettis recalled. The words are far from hyperbole, as Pettis not only started working out at renowned Milwaukee gym Roufusport as a youngster watching Anthony’s rise in the ranks but even took to the ring before he could legally sit behind the wheel of an automobile.

“My first amateur MMA bout was when I was fifteen,” the featherweight explained. “I wasn’t even supposed to do a MMA fight – I was there for a kickboxing fight – but three weeks out my coaches were like, ‘Hey, let’s just give it a shot,’ so I worked on my jits and wrestling.”

As far as his initial reaction to the bout, Pettis couldn’t help but consider the age difference involved before his training ultimately kicked in – literally.

“I mean I was only 15 at the time and my opponent was 22, so I was thinking he had a way different mental game – he’s a grown man – but I went in there and performed how Duke taught me to perform, kicked the guy in the head and ended the fight early. After that I was like, ‘This is what I want to do. This is my future!’”

Pettis is hoping for a similar result in his professional unveiling this weekend where he faces Kyle Vivian.

“I want to make a highlight reel out of this guy,” Pettis said of his opponent. “I feel like I can do it. I’m gonna try to keep it stand up. That’s what I like to do – standing. If it does go to the ground then I’ll try to submit him as well, but I want this fight to end quick with a knockout.”

His exciting approach and love of striking comes not only from his time with Duke Roufus but his relationship with his older sibling, as much a mentor as simply one of his family members.

“Anthony is awesome as not only a training partner but a brother. He’s always there for me for anything. And I’m learning from his mistakes too. Like his last fight (against Clay Guida) he had the wrong gameplan. He learned from his mistakes and is trying to help me not repeat the same ones. It’s awesome having him as a brother and a training partner. He’s just awesome.”

Where they differ, at least right now, comes to confidence based on ring-time.

“Anthony is so comfortable in his game right now so he does all these crazy things. Me, I’m still a little more conservative in my moves,” Pettis admitted. “I can throw the moves but I don’t want to make any mistakes. Once I’m as experienced as him I’ll be able to throw those kicks but right now I’m just calm, relaxed, and trying to end the fight.”

Then again, that doesn’t mean they have things in common either, with Pettis elaborating on the topic of stylistic comparison, “We’re both stand-up fighters – we love kickboxing, we love standing up, but we’re keeping at wrestling and jiu-jitsu too. We’re working on that altogether. We have Ben Askren, a great wrestler, on our team now. We have Alan Belcher. Having all those guys together is making us into complete fighters and we’re gonna show the world what we can do.”

That journey starts with a win in Winnipeg to start his paying career out on the right note. Until then, the 18-year old who celebrated his birthday last month will keep training six days a week with some of the sport’s best. It’s a situation he knows he is fortunate to have despite some of the struggles he endured as a youth including the murder of his father when Pettis was only a child.

“I never thought I would be a professional at any sport so knowing I’m a pro at a sport I love feels incredible. Without God blessing me with the right people like Anthony, my Mom, and Duke…I wouldn’t be here. They kept me on the wrong path. I could have done so much wrong but they kept me straight.”

Pettis concluded on a note of appreciation as well, saying, “Shout out to Roufusport, all the guys out there. Shout out to my Mom and to Giuseppe for getting me this fight.”

Overwhelmingly humble, yet extraordinarily gifted in the ring, Pettis is not only a fighter fans should keep their eye on but a great example for other people his age; a “phenom” indeed.

No stranger to the headset having filled in for Rogan in the past, Florian provided insight and a perspective that only a fighter can. For example, Florian’s commentary on the style of Anderson Silva, comparing him to, “a computer who analyzes how his opponent moves, figures out their game, and then picks them apart from there” was a great analogy, and possibly proof that “The Spider” isn’t human after all.

However, “Ken-Flo” came under fire during the showdown between lightweights Edson Barboza and Ross Pearson. During the bout, Florian seemed to show favoritism towards the Brazilian lightweight, rarely crediting the Brit for his pressure and his boxing. Barboza won a split decision but listening to Florian on commentary, you would believe that Barboza won 30-25.

Florian recently spoke to FiveOuncesOfPain.com about the criticism of his commentary and cleared up his thoughts on the fight.

“The way I saw it, I thought Ross fought brilliantly,” said Florian. “However, I just thought that Barboza was consistently throwing more punches and landing more shots. Ross did well in every round, but I had Barboza winning 29-28 pretty clearly.”

Florian further explained his point, telling exactly why he gave the nod to Barboza.

“I thought the knockdown, the variety of striking, and Barboza thwarting the takedowns of Pearson’s were the difference. By no means did he blow Pearson out of the water but I thought he won 29-28.”

Florian’s assessment was backed up by two of the three judges, who also saw the fight in favor of Barboza by the score of 29-28.

Back from Brazil and at home in Boston, Kenny now turns his attention towards an October 8 showdown with UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Schaub came up short against the more-experienced Nelson in the finals but didn’t allow the loss to set him back in the sport.

In his first two bouts following TUF 10, “The Hybrid” finished Chase Gormley and Chris Tuchscherer in a combined 1:54. Following the victories, Schaub got a major step up in competition at UFC 116, challenging former title contender Gabriel Gonzaga. The challenge was not only welcomed by Schaub, it was one he asked for.

“After fighting Gormley and Tuchscherer, I asked for a step up in competition and boy did they give it to me,” Schaub told FiveOuncesOfPain.com in an exclusive interview. “Every up and comer gets that test, Gonzaga was my test, and I passed it with flying colors.”

Defeating Gonzaga by decision earned Schaub another big name in the form of Mirko Cro Cop. Some may have cracked under the pressure of facing a MMA legend, but not Schaub. To him, fighting ‘Cro Cop’ was as easy as punching in and out at work. “I clearly won the first round. The second round, because I lost a point, was even and the third round, I was winning. I got three or four takedowns, which set up the knockout. To knockout ‘Cro Cop’ is definitely a good day in the office.”

Now Schaub faces another legend of the sport this Saturday when he travels to Brazil to square off against former PRIDE and UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. It’s just another challenge that Schaub welcomes in his quest for the title. “I’m goin down to his home country and it’s going to be the most hostile environment possible, maybe the most hostile in UFC history. It’s going to test me mentally.”

Even though Nogueira hasn’t fought since February 2010 and is coming off hip and knee surgery, the American isn’t taking Nogueira lightly, knowing ‘Big Nog’ will have something to prove in his first fight back. “I’m worried about a prime Nog,” said Schaub. “This is the first time he’s fought in Brazil and he’s fought in some of the biggest fights in the world in his PRIDE days and UFC, he’s been a title holder. There’s no such thing as ring rust for a guy who has 40 fights. I’d be doing myself a disservice if I thought like that.”

Although he may be focused on the possibility of the old “Minotauro” showing up in Rio de Janeiro this weekend, he isn’t overly concerned with what the Brazilian icon might do, feeling he’s put in the hard work. “I’ve been training with some of the best guys out there. World champion jiu-jitsu guys. I’ve been at (Greg) Jackson’s with (Andrei) Arlovski, (Jon) Jones, and (Brian) Stann,” said Schaub. “I think Nog is the best heavyweight in the world in jiu-jitsu but it’s going to be one hell of a task for him to get me down there and I’m not too worried about what he does.”

Schaub knows that a win over Nogueira would be huge for his career, and he believes that’s exactly what he needs in order to get a title shot. “I think a win over Nog puts me right up there and gives me a pretty convincing argument to get the winner of Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez,” he stated. “It’d be five wins in a row and beating legends like Gonzaga, Mirko, and Nog in his own backyard makes me pretty deserving.”

Growing up in Colorado, Schaub is no stranger to cold weather and ice. So, when he isn’t training and fighting, he enjoys the good ol’ hockey game. “Besides the UFC, hockey is the best sport you can go to live. If you haven’t been, go.” Along with watching hockey, Brendan enjoys a good episode of Entourage, and when asked to rate Sloan (Emanuelle Chriqui) on the hotness scale, he let it be known that, “She’s a ten, bro. A frickin 10.”

The title is the ultimate goal for most fighters, and that’s definitely the case for Schaub. Being a former football player, I asked whether he would win the Super Bowl or just fight for the UFC title but the outcome would have to be determined by him and his opponent. His answer? “That’s a no brainer, I’m fighting for the UFC title.”

To learn more about Brendan and keep up to date on his trip to Brazil and his fight at UFC 134 against Nogueira, you can follow him on Twitter @BrendanSchaub and make sure to check out his sponsors: Ecko, Bony Acai, and Six Star Nutrition.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

UFC officials confirmed the fight via the UFC website.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com spoke with Garza earlier about the upcoming bout. When asked about his opponent, Garza commented, “He’s a tough guy, a really good fighter. It’s going to be exciting. And if I beat him, it’s going to really legitimize my name in the weight class.”

Garza is also excited at the chance to fight on the first ever UFC on FOX event, saying, “It’s huge. I didn’t think I’d be on a better show than UFC 129 but they told me I’d be on FOX and that’s going to be broadcasted to millions.”

Riding a three fight win streak, Poirier looks to continue his ascent up the featherweight ladder. He recently defeated Jason Young at UFC 131, in a back and forth battle that did not disappoint fans. Earlier this year, “The Diamond” dominated Josh Grispi when many considered Grispi to be the #1 contender to Jose Aldo’s featherweight strap. In 11 career bouts, Poirier only as one loss on his record, a decision loss to lightweight Danny Castillo.

In two UFC bouts, Garza has thrilled fight fans with his explosive finishes. At The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale, Garza earned “Knockout of the Night” honors by landing a flying knee on Fredson Paixão. As an encore, Garza captured “Submission of the Night” honors at UFC 129 with a flying triangle choke against Yves Jabouin. 2-0 in his featherweight career, Garza looks to continue to impress even more eyeballs on FOX.

The inaugural UFC on FOX event is scheduled for November 12, and while no venue has been announced, it is expected that Anaheim, California will host the card.