“Shogun” Rua Out Until Middle of 2011 (Versus.com)

Why Giving Sonnen an Immediate Rematch May be a Mistake (RunKalibRun.com)

Tri-Star Trainer Firas Zahabi Talks Ken Florian (Heavy.com)

Joe Lauzon Shines Some Light on UFC 118 Bout (MMAScraps.com)

EA Sports Reveals Middleweight Roster…Including Jack Shields! (MMAConvert.com)

A Breakdown of the Fallout from Sengoku 14 (FIGHT! Magazine)

Gilbert Yvel Returns to the Octagon at UFC 121 (Middleeasy.com)

Spencer Fisher Arrested in Iowa (CagePotato.com)

Herschel Walker Set to Fight Again in 2010 (MMAFighting.com)

This may be the first time the veteran striker makes his way inside of the UFC Octagon fencing, but it’s far from his first rodeo. A true pioneer of the sport, Yvel was one of the first fighters to make Muay Thai sexy in MMA, utilizing his base in the striking art with great success throughout his career that began way back in 1997.

However, one thing you may not know about “The Hurricane” is that he was for a very long time viewed as the dirtiest fighter in the business, and for good reason.

Although Gilbert has undoubtedly done a great deal of growing up in recent years, the saying goes you can’t run from your past. In that spirit, check out one of Yvel’s most talked about offenses in the sport from back in November 2004 when the referee in charge of his “Fight Festival 12″ bout with Atte Backman just can’t seem to keep his hands to himself…

Yvel will be facing off with fellow knockout artist Junior dos Santos during the main portion of UFC 108, which takes place this Saturday evening, January 2, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Junior Dos Santos

According to a report on TATAME.com, Dos Santos will face former PRIDE fighter, Gilbert Yvel. Dos Santos’ boxing coach, Luis Dorrea, confirmed the fight to the website.

“We know Gilbert is a very strong guy, he like to fight standing, but “Cigano” is better in striking now, we’re doing our job and I know we’re gonna get the victory,” explained Dorrea.

Gilbert “The Hurricane” Yvel, has a total of 50 professional fights, with an overall record of 36-13-1. The veteran fighter will be making his UFC debut after fighting for such organizations as PRIDE, K1, Affliction, and Cage Rage. His last fight in June was a first round KO win over former UFC champion Pedro Rizzo.

Junior Dos Santos has been on a tear since debut with the UFC, posting a 3-0 record in the UFC, with an overall record of 9-1. “Cigano” defeated Mirko Filopovic, Stefan Struve, and Fabricio Werdum, since entering the Octagon.

UFC 108 is scheduled for January 2nd 2010, live from MGM Grand Garden Arean, in Las Vegas.

Things started out well enough for Rizzo as he took the dangerous kickboxer to the ground and proceeded to land some heavy elbows before Yvel managed to scramble back to his feet. Once up, Yvel bumrushed Rizzo and knocked him to the canvas where he finished him off with a series of punches that left the Brazilian in an unconscious stupor for some time after the fight was stopped.

After the bout Yvel confirmed that he expected for his next bout to be against Paul Buentello at Affliction Trilogy which is set to take place on August 1 in Anaheim, California.

Buentello was previously slated to face former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia before his recent knockout embarrassment at the hands of Ray Mercer persuaded Affliction to remove him from the card.

The two will meet up at “Ultimate Chaos” which is scheduled for June 27. The card will take place in Biloxi, Mississipi and will air live on pay-per-view. Headlining the card will be showdown between colossal heavyweights Bobby Lashley and Bob Sapp.

Following seven consecutive finish victories, Yvel most recently lost by TKO to Josh Barnett at Afflicton’s “Day of Reckoning” card that took place in January. Barnett utilized superior wrestling and top position to gain the victory that has left a bad taste in Yvel’s mouth to this day.

“I’m a fighter and, in my opinion, takedowns are BS,” Yvel was quoted as saying in a recent press release on the upcoming event. “I don’t want to fight on the ground. I believe there should be one man left standing and the other asleep. If both fighters are still standing, to me, it’s like a draw. I want to win by knockout, not points.

“I’m a real fighter, the type fans want to see. I’m just being myself. I just want to go in there and hurt somebody. I’m the guy the American public has been waiting for. I bring something new into the cage or ring.”

His opponent for “Ultimate Chaos” is known for his powerful leg kicks and heavy hands but he is also a well versed submission artist in his own right. Yvel is hoping that Rizzo chooses to leave the takedowns at home and comes to bang for obvious reasons.

“Pedro used to train in Holland where I’m from and I know a little bit about him,” explained Yvel. ”I hope we have a stand-up fight but he’s a black belt in jiu-jitsu and if he’s smart, he’s going to take me to the ground. I hope he fights standing up so I can knock him out.”

MMAWeekly.com has received word from Gilbert Yvel’s manager John Lewis that he will be facing former UFC heavyweight title contender Pedro Rizzo at a show called “Unarmed Combat”. Also appearing on the card as the co-main event will be former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley as he takes on Bob Sapp in what is sure to be his stiffest test to date in his young MMA career.

Rizzo hasn’t fought since losing via TKO to Barnett at Affliction’s first ever show “Banned” which took place in July of last year. Barnett avenged an earlier loss to Rizzo by knocking him out in the second round. Rizzo is 16-8 in a career that dates back to 1996 and he is most remembered for his two fights with Randy Couture for the UFC heavyweight championship in which he was unsuccessful in both. He has defeated some very tough competition including Tank Abbott, Mark Coleman, Dan Severn, Barnett, Andrei Arlovski, Ricco Rodriguez and Jeff Monson.

Yvel also fell victim to Barnett with his defeat coming at the second Affliction show “Day of Reckoning” which was held this past January. Barnett controlled Yvel throughout the entire fight eventually submitting “The Hurricane” to strikes in the 3rd round. Yvel has garnered a lot of attention for some of his past transgressions which include biting an opponent as well as attacking a referee. Yvel is 35-13 in his career with his biggest wins coming against Semmy Schlit, Gary Goodridge and Cheick Kongo.

Also fighting on the card will be Chris Horodecki, Din Thomas and Affliction promoter Tom Atencio. The show is scheduled to be broadcast on pay-per-view and will be held at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.

There was some question as to whether the 32-year old veteran would receive clearance to fight due to several infractions committed in prior fights. However, CSAC ruled earlier this month that despite having been denied a license by the Nevada State Athletic Commission in 2007 for a proposed fight vs. Sergei Kharitonov at PRIDE 33, Yvel would be permitted to be licensed for the fight pending the approval of his medicals.

Yvel is 35-12-1 in his career with notable victories over Semmy Schilt, Kiyoshi Tamura, Tsuyoshi Koshaka, Cheick Kongo, and Gary Goodridge. While gaining great notoriety during his tenure competing for the PRIDE Fighting Championships in Japan, Yvel also earned a bad reputation following several instances of unsportsmanlike conduct during an MMA career that began in 1997.

During a fight with Atte Backman in November of 2004, Yvel was disqualified after he knocked the referee down and subsequently kicked him as he lay on the mat. The Dutch fighter was also disqualified in 1997 after biting opponent Karimula Barkalaev and again in 2001 during PRIDE 16 after raking Don Frye’s face with his fingers.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com learned of the development late Tuesday night from a source speaking on the condition of anonymity. The site has since confirmed the news with both Bill Douglas, CSAC’s Assistant Executive Officer, and Steve Bash, the Vice President of Legal Affairs for M-1 Global.

“Gilbert Yvel has been approved to ‘submit’ his application for license to the State of California,” Douglas said in e-mail response for comment. “However, he must fully meet all licensing requirements, as would any applicant, before ‘approval’ is granted. Once ‘approval’ is granted, the rest is up to Gilbert to prove that he is a professional in every sense of the word.”

“We felt the California was fair, unbiased, and democratic in hearing Gilbert’s case,” Bash told FiveOuncesOfPain.com. “We are confident that once Gilbert completes the licensing process that he will compete with honor against Josh Barnett during Affliction’s ‘Day of Reckoning’ on January 24.”

With the ruling, Yvel still needs to pass several requirements before he is formally approved for a license to compete in the state. Such tests he will need to pass include a blood test, an MRI, and several other medicals.

The 32-year old veteran is 35-12-1 with notable victories over Semmy Schilt, Kiyoshi Tamura, Tsuyoshi Koshaka, Cheick Kongo, and Gary Goodridge. While gaining great notoriety during his tenure competing for the PRIDE Fighting Championships in Japan, Yvel also earned a bad reputation following several instances of unsportsmanlike conduct during an MMA career that began in 1997.

During a fight with Atte Backman in November of 2004, Yvel was disqualified after he knocked the referee down and subsequently kicked him as he lay on the mat. The Dutch fighter was also disqualified in 1997 after biting opponent Karimula Barkalaev and again in 2001 during PRIDE 16 after raking Don Frye’s face with his fingers.

Yvel’s indiscretions in the ring also prevented a planned bout at PRIDE 33 in 2007 from taking place against Sergei Kharitonov after the Nevada State Athletic Commission refused to grant him a license for the event.

The VP of Affliction Entertainment, Tom Atencio, confirmed that Yvel can fight in California.

“Yvel has been cleared through the CSAC (California State Athletic Commission),” said Atencio.

It is commonplace that one state’s suspensions be adhered to by all states. While Yvel is not currently under suspension in Nevada, he has been denied a license for punching and kicking a referee during a 2004 fight.

“As of now, I have not received anything at all from Nevada concerning Yvel,” Atencio said.

WIth the Barnett vs. Yvel fight looking like it will go forward without a problem, the question remains if Yvel will be able to control his actions that have resulted in numerous disqualifications and problems in the past.

“He has promised to be a clean fighter,” said Atencio.

Officials with M-1 made the official announcement in a press release that was sent out Tuesday morning.

Yvel, 33-12-1, has been competing professionally in MMA since 1997 and is known for being a vicious striker. He is also known for unsportsmanlike conduct and in 2004 he was disqualified for assaulting a referee during a fight against Atte Backman.

The 2004 incident combined with several other instances prompted the Nevada State Athletic Commission to reject Yvel’s license application in anticipation of a scheduled bout vs. Sergei Kharitonov at PRIDE 33. After being denied a license, Yvel was forced to pull off the card.

Despite his history of unprofessional conduct, Yvel has earned a reputation for being a top heavyweight thanks in large part to notable victories over K-1 standout Semmy Schilt, current UFC heavyweight Cheick Kongo, and former PRIDE and UFC veteran Tsuyoshi Kohsaka.

Yvel’s addition to “Day of Reckoning” serves as the third M-1 contracted fighter to be added to the card. Already scheduled to compete from M-1 are Fedor Emelianenko and Kirill Sidelnikov, who will be fighting Andrei Arlovski and Paul Buentello, respectively. FiveOuncesOfPain.com was also the first to report over the weekend that Sean Wheelock and Jimmy Smith, the announce team for M-1′s M-1 Challenge, will be serving as the announce team for the pay-per-view telecast.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com confirmed the reports with Jacob Schaap, M-1 Global’s Director of Communications.

“Affliction is negotiating with Yvel right now about a three fight deal,” said Schaap responding to a request for comment via e-mail. “Nothing is decided yet, but the negotiations are still happening.”

Yvel, 35-12-1, last competed on Nov. 21 during M-1 Challenge 9 in Russia, where he needed just 22 seconds to TKO Alexander Timonov. As per his agreement with M-1, Schaap indicated that Yvel is allowed to compete in the U.S.

The Dutch native has competed all over the world but would like to make a name for himself on U.S. soil.

“I like the M-1 (and) Affliction promotions very much,” Yvel said in a statement forwarded by Schaap. “I’m feeling stronger than ever and I am ready to suprise the MMA world.”

While Schaap expressed that nothing is imminent as far as a finalized deal between Yvel and Affliction, the promotion has an opening for its Jan. 24 “Day of Reckoning” event in Anaheim, Calif. As of now, former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett has been advertised for the show but does not have an opponent.

Attempts to sign a rematch between Barnett and Aleksander Emelianenko fell through after it was determined that Emelianenko could not be licensed in time. Additionally, an attempt to sign undefeated EliteXC heavyweight Brett Rogers to fight Barnett has apparently stalled as sources have indicated that ProElite has moved to block the matchup from happening.

Yvel’s contract with DREAM is for three fights, according to the report.

A debut date and a first opponent for Yvel has not been reported, but Capar indicates that an eventual showdown with former teammate Alistair Overeem appears to be on the horizon.

Yvel, a fighter who has been accused on multiple occasions of bending the rules, is 33-12-1 according to Sherdog’s fight finder. A native of Holland, the 32-year old Muay Thai specialist holds notable victories over the likes of Cheick Kongo, Akira Shoji, Fabiano Scherner, Semmy Schilt, Gary Goodridge and Tsuyoshi Koshaka.

He has also absorbed notable losses against big-name fighters such as Jeremy Horn, Roman Zentsov, Don Frye, Igor Vovchanchyn, Vitor Belfort, Kazuyuki Fujita, and Dan Henderson.

Yvel also fought to a no conest against Wanderlei Silva at PRIDE 11 in 2000 following a strike to the groin.

But a funny thing happened on Diaz’s way to the title, he ran into a buzzsaw in K.J. Noons, who picked Diaz a part during EliteXC’s “Renegade” event in Corpus Christi, Texas this past November. Despite his protests, he was TKO’d vs. Noons after a doctor recommended the fight be stopped following the first round due to multiple lacerations to Diaz’s face.

An attempt to get Diaz back on the winning track was tried this past March on the undercard of the Frank Shamrock vs. Cung Le co-promotion between Strikeforce and EliteXC. But a planned bout vs. Korean kickboxer Jae Suk Lim never took place, as the California State Athletic Commission would not license him in time for the bout.

Diaz’s much needed comeback win took place on May 11, where he defeated Katsuya Inoue at 6:45 of round 1 during DREAM.3 in Japan. The fight was stopped after Inoue’s corner threw in the towel due to the massive pummeling he was taking from Diaz.

Fast forward to this Saturday, and Diaz is scheduled for a featured fight during EliteXC’s “Return of the King” that many pundits are viewing as another layup. The thing is, while Diaz is justifiably the favorite, Muhsin Corbbrey is hardly an automatic win.

Lest we forget the last time Diaz fought in Hawaii, as it was during EliteXC’s “Uprising” event last September in which Diaz won in controversial fashion against a then little-known local opponent in Mike Aina. Defying the oddmakers, Aina stood toe-to-toe with Diaz and lost a decision many felt he should have won.

Aina held his own with Diaz because of his toughness. However, Corbbrey poses an even bigger threat to Diaz because he has a technical proficiency that Aina does not possess. In many ways, Diaz will be fighting an opponent on Saturday that is similar to him.

When you look at the similarities between Diaz and Corbbrey, they are striking. Diaz is only one of three grapplers promoted to the level of black belt by Cesar Gracie. He has also competed in the world’s most presitigous grappling events and holds a victory over renowned grappler Jorge Pantino in jiu-jitsu competition.

Meanwhile, Corbbrey once trained jiu jitsu under Lloyd Irvin and was a gold medalist during the second annual Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open. While Corbbrey no longer trains under Irvin, he currently keeps his grappling chops sharp by training with former UFC lightweight fighter Din Thomas.

Diaz has garnered respect from many hardcore fans because of his ability to fight both standing and on the ground. Despite having world class credentials on the mat, Diaz has worked hard on his striking and has trained with former WBA and WBC World Champion Luisita Espinosa in a quest to perfect his hands. He’s even competed in one professional boxing match, winning via decision.

But Corbbrey has worked extensively on his striking as well. Training under the guidance of Manu Ntoh, Corbbrey’s professional Muay Thai record is a stellar 9-1. Meanwhile, he also trains boxing under John Blanken and currently holds a pro record of 5-2-1. As an amateur, Corbbrey won the open division at the Georgia Games.

It’s hard to understand why there are those who aren’t giving Corbbrey much of a chance since it’s apparent that Corbbrey has the credentials to hang with Diaz wherever the fight may go. However, there is one hurdle that Corbbrey must overcome in order to have a shot at pulling off the upset.

A counter-fighter by trade, Corbbrey is notorious for being a slow starter. Against the unheralded Bobby McMaster during his second-ever ShoXC appearance last October, Corbbrey was being dominated by McMaster until McMaster got careless. He left his neck out and Corbbrey capitalized by submitting him with a guillotine choke with just one second left in round 1.

He will not get such a reprieve against Diaz, which could spell trouble as Diaz is not one who is shy about imposing his will upon another fighter. If he allows Diaz to consistently dictate the terms of the fight, Corbbrey is destined to lose via unanimous decision. As such, Corbbrey needs to establish himself early and prevent Diaz from getting off early.

One advantage Corbbrey has in his favor is that with no one expecting him to win, Corbbrey has nothing to lose. He’s also a man who clearly understands the magnitude of the opportunity he will be receiving Saturday night.

“It means a lot,” Corbbrey responded when asked about the chance to fight Diaz on SHOWTIME during a recent media outing. “It’s going to come down to who wants it a little bit more. Every fight he goes in to, he fights tooth and nail to the end. This is going to be a tough, hard fight. I’m going to have to stand in there and get gritty with him. But it’s a huge opportunity. I have a ton of respect for him.”

While Corbbrey has respect for Diaz, he has yet to earn widespread respect for himself from the critics. However, a strong showing vs. Diaz will change that. An upset victory would change even more.

The news comes from EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw who was a recent guest on MMA Weekly radio.

From MMA Weekly:

“Obviously the back injury happened (to Shields) and the easiest thing to do was move him to Hawaii to fight Drew,” said Shaw in the interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “Unfortunately since then Drew Fickett has hurt his knee and he’s not going to be able to take that fight on June 14 and that will be rescheduled again.”

By “rescheduled again,” Shaw is referring to a scheduled March 29th bout between the two that didn’t go through due to Shields’ aforementioned back injury.

In addition to revealing Fickett’s injury, Shaw also announced five bouts for the June 14th show set to take place in Hawaii. The bouts are as follows:

• K.J. Noons vs. Yves Edwards (for EliteXC’s lightweight title)
• Nick Diaz vs. Muhsin Corbbrey
• Murilo Rua vs. Tony Bonello
• Wayne Cole vs. Rafael Feijao
• Dave Herman vs. Ron Waterman

Read more EliteXC content on FiveOuncesOfPain.com

The two had been scheduled to fight in April on an EliteXC show that had been scheduled for Hawaii, however the card was ultimately canceled and Diaz was moved up to compete on the March 29 undercard for the EliteXC/Strikforce co-promoted event that featured Frank Shamrock and Cung Le in the main event.

Diaz’s opponent was changed from Corbbrey to Korean kickboxing specialist Jae Suk Lim, however, the match never took place after the California State Athletic Commission elected not to license Diaz for the event. According to published reports, CSAC’s position was that Diaz did not fill out all of his necessary medicals in time. Meanwhile, EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw stated otherwise, claiming it was his belief that Diaz was wrongfully prevented from fighting after he indicated on his medicals that he used marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Diaz was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission following his upset victory over Takanori Gomi in February of 2007. Despite submitting Gomi with a gogoplata at 1:46 of round 2, NSAC eventually made the decision to declare the fight a no decision on grounds that Diaz’s THC level was too high.

He returned from suspension and made his EliteXC debut last September in Hawaii, where Diaz recorded a split decision over Mike Aina. He fought less than two months later in Corpus Christi, Texas this past November against K.J. Noons in a bout where the vacant EliteXC lightweight title was on the line. Diaz lost the fight after the fight was stopped following the first round when a doctor recommended that he no longer be allowed to continue to fight due to multiple lacerations to his face.

Corbbrey, who trains with both Din Thomas and John Blanken, made his ShoXC debut last July, where he defeated Lee Gibson via unanimous decision. He recorded his second ShoXC victory this past October when he rallied to submit Bobby McMaster with a rear naked choke with just one second remaining in round one.

The news comes from a source close to Corbbrey’s camp. It has not been confirmed whether Diaz has signed a bout agreement for the fight.

Corbbrey is 2-0 competing for EliteXC’s ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series franchise on SHOWTIME. He made his debut against “Lethal” Lee Gibson on July 27, winning via unanimous decision. His last bout was a comeback victory over Southshore Sportfighting’s Bobby McMaster during October’s ShoXC. After being dominated for much of the first round, Corbbrey rallied by catching McMaster in a guillotine choke and forcing him to tap with one second left in the round.

He has competed as a professional boxer and professional Muay Thai fighter. In addition to his vast standup experience, Corbbrey has successfully competed in several grappling tournaments such as NAGA and ISCF. He trains grappling and MMA with UFC lightweight contender Din Thomas while he works with John Blanken on his standup.

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

The card is subject to change but right now it’s looking like the main event that was leaked on the Underground forum between Javier Vazquez vs. J.C. Pennington will indeed be happening.

Undercard matches on Showtime are expected to include the return of Aaron Rosa, who made a strong impression during the first ShoXC when he took out the more heralded Jefferson Silva. Rosa, with a perfect 9-0 record, will be taking on another undefeated fighter, 8-0 Jared Hamman.

Showing even more of a commitment to women’s MMA, Showtime will be televising a female match not involving Gina Carano. Shayna Baszler, who defeated Jan Finney during the non-televised portion of the first ShoXC, will be taking on Jennifer Tate. A win by Baszler could put her a step closer to a match with Carano.

Muhsin Corbbrey, who won his ShoXC debut via decision over the rugged Lee Gibson at the first ShoXC, will also be back on the card in a match against Bobby McMasters.

Kaleo Kwan is also slated to fight Malaipet.

If you were looking for a no-frills, meat and potatoes MMA show then I don’t see how you could have an issue with last night’s telecast of ShoXC.

I was thoroughly impressed with last night’s show from top to bottom. Pro Elite did a great job of booking new talent and making strong matchups for them so that they could show their skills. I don’t think there was a bad match on the card.

I thought that the announcing was top notch. It was the first time that Mauro Ranallo and Stephen Quadros had ever worked together but you wouldn’t know it by listening to them. It sounded like they were old friends that had been broadcasting shows together for years. For my money, they are the best announce team out there even after only doing one show. I’m looking forward to them working together more in the future.

I also couldn’t help but notice that Gary Shaw didn’t come into the cage after any of the matches. Not even after the main event, which featured two EliteXC fighters. I applaud him for taking a step back and letting the fighters have their moment.

Here are my thoughts, match-by-match…

Muhsin Corbbrey vs. Lee Gibson - Solid match. It seemed to pick up steam as time went on. The two wanted to feel each other out (Corbbrey more so than Gibson) and perhaps that’s because these guys have been flying under the radar and there simply isn’t much footage out there. Corbbrey is a cerebral  fighter and it appeared that he didn’t like facing a guy he didn’t know much about. It also looked like he was getting frustrated when he couldn’t find a glaring weakness to exploit.

I like Corbbrey’s athleticism and his hand speed. It also looked like he was tough to hit from an extended distance. His boxing was top notch and he was quick enough to use a lot of head fakes and shoulder movement without setting himself to be caught with a kick or a knee. Not everyone can incorporate basic fundamental boxing into their MMA game like that.

Gibson just seemed like a dude that was tough as nails. It was obvious to me early in the fight that Corbbrey wasn’t going to be able to finish him.

I’d love to see both of them brought back for future shows.

Jefferson Silva vs. Aaron Rosa - Wow, did I really call Silva a prospect? It was a good stoppage, as he took some nasty elbows. But even before he ate those elbows it seemed as though Rosa broke his will. Those grimaces when he was getting hit in bottom position were ridiculous. You really can’t show that type of pain to an opponent or a referee.

Rosa was the most impressive fighter of the night, in my eyes. I wasn’t sure about his perfect record because he hasn’t fought any top guys. But he’s a rugged guy who enjoys fighting and at only 24 years of age, I think he has a bright future. EliteXC should sign him to a deal if they haven’t already.

Scott Jorgenson vs. Chris David – David fought with a lot of heart but Jorgenson was just too much for him. Next to Rosa, Jorgenson was the second most impressive fighter. I don’t know what EliteXC has planned for the 135 lbs. division, but whatever plans they have, Jorgenson will obviously need to be a big part of it. He also seems pretty marketable.

Jaime Jara vs. Jeremiah Metcalf - Jara’s standup wasn’t pretty but it was effective. He deserves a lot of credit for taking the fight on such short notice  and cutting weight. He deserves even more credit for agreeing to defend his 185 lbs. title while fighting at 175 lbs.  Middleweight means you fight at 185 lbs. and if I was in his shoes, maybe I would have taken the fight but I would had at least said that if they want the title to be on the line, then Metcalf needs to make my weight in order to compete for my title.  But Jara is 37-years old and I’m sure he realized the value of being about to get exposure as a champion.

It’s really hard to form any kind of solid opinion of Metcalf because the fight didn’t last long. I know he’s a very tactical fighter, so perhaps the fact that he didn’t have time to scout his opponent hurt him. Hopefully we’ll get to see Metcalf vs. Aaron Wetherspoon rescheduled for the next ShoXC in August.

K.J. Noons vs. Edson Berto - I’m not buying all the talk that Berto’s conditioning was off. There’s no way his father would let him get away with that. I think he got hurt in the first round and continued fighting when maybe he shouldn’t have. I think he definitely suffered a concussion early on. Not only was he winded but it looked like he was just out of it in the second and third rounds. He had a hard time focusing on Noons.  He’s just a much better fighter than what he showed.

I got the prediction for the fight wrong (I went 2 out of 5. Man, I suck. I want to stop doing predictions) but I knew Noons was no joke. I had been taking some flak for touting the guy but you saw just how crisp and fluid his boxing and Muay Thai is.

His ground game from a defensive perspective was good, but he needs to learn how to be able to go on the offensive. I think he’s way off base thinking he can train both boxing and MMA and still reach his full potential. Maybe when he’s mastered everything, I might agree with him. However, boxing reinforces a lot of fundamental bad habits when it comes to MMA standup.

I can understand an MMA guy who comes from a ground background trying to train boxing to improve his hand speed, footwork, defensive skills, learn to work angles, and just get used to taking punches. But Noons already has a lot of the standup basics down.

I guess Shaw doesn’t mind it because he’s a boxing and MMA promoter and the moon lighting could pay dividends from a marketing perspective. But do you think Dana White would let a young fighter try and pursue two full-time fighting careers? He doesn’t even want Kurt Angle to wrestle.

Alright, I’m out because I need to head up to North Jersey to see more young MMA fighters who could be breaking big soon. Matt Makowski from Philly MMA and Wilson Reis from Philly MMA/BJJ United are both making their pro debuts for Ed Hsu’s Combat in the Cage/Extreme Challenge show. I’ve trained with both briefly (and I mean I sparred with Matt for a round once last summer and took one of Wilson’s BJJ classes) in the past so I’m looking forward to it.

BTW, I’m going to be going to East Rutherford this Thursday to cover the IFL semifinals for CBS Sportsline. If you’re reading this and will be attending and want to meet up, drop me a line at SCaplan8@comcast.net.

ShoXC is patterned after Showtime’s boxing series ShoBox, which has been a springboard for the career of many young boxers. Showtime is hoping that ShoXC will have the same impact on mixed martial arts.

If nothing else, the show has great timing in the sense that it feels like it’s been months since we’ve had live MMA to watch. While the card doesn’t boast any huge names, there are fighters on the card with a lot of potential. On paper, I also think the matchmakers have done a good job as far as styles are concerned.

The show will also feature the debut of Mauro Ranallo and Stephen Quadros as an announce team. The team garnered strong fan support on an individual basis during their broadcast stints with Pride. However, they had never been on the air at the same time until this show.

Here’s my breakdown of what to watch for:

K.J. Noons vs. Edson Berto – This fight could prove to be a sleeper in the mold of Sam Stout vs. Spencer Fisher. You have two lighter weight guys with strong striking backgrounds.

In the case of Berto, he also has a strong ground game and is notorious for tapping guys with his heel hook. Berto is a true mixed martial artist and it boggles my mind why more people don’t talk about him. If he was in UFC, people would be drooling.

As for Noons, he’s a hell of a boxer who had a buzz surrounding him heading into his fight against Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett during EliteXC’s debut show on February 10. Bennett caught Noons and dropped him cold and Noons hasn’t fought in an MMA bout since (he competed in a pro boxing match, and won). This is his chance to regain some of the momentum he lost after losing to Bennett.

If Noons gives up boxing and focuses solely on MMA, he could be a star because his boxing is unreal. We didn’t get a chance to see it vs. Bennett but hopefully we’ll get to see it Friday.

My prediction is that Berto will win in the second round via submission.

Jeremiah Metcalf vs. Jaime Jara - This match was originally supposed to be a rematch between Metcalf and Aaron Wetherspoon in a bout that would unify the Gladiator Challenge and King of the Cage welterweight titles. However, Wetherspoon is injured and pulled out of the fight yesterday.

Stepping in for Wetherspoon will be Jara, a 37-year old tough as nails fighter who took the fight on next to no notice. Jara is the Gladiator Challenge middleweight champion and has also held the GC heavyweight and light heavyweight titles in the past. He has to cut to fight at 185 lbs. and now is faced with the task of cutting to an agreed upon match weight of 175 lbs. That dude’s life must have sucked the last few days.

Jara is a good wrestler who has worked hard to improve his boxing. He’s fought Rashad Evans (lost), Carter Williams (won), and Anthony Ruiz (holds three wins over him) so he won’t be feeling any pressure fighting for Showtime.

There’s been some talk that the match could be title vs. title but I don’t see how the state of California would allow a 170 lbs. title be on the line against a fighter weighing in at 175 lbs. We’ll have to see how this plays out.

Metcalf is a 26-year old freestyle fighter who trains with Gene Fields out of Team Voodoo. He’s a very well-rounded fighter who has good Greco-Roman wrestling skills. He’s going to be giving up a lot of size to Jara so who knows if he’ll be able to utilize those wrestling skills.

Metcalf has great cardio so his best bet may be to keep the fight standing and try to wear Jara down since he’s coming into the fight on short notice.

I’m going to pick Metcalf by unanimous decision. If Jara had more time to prepare, the outcome would be different.

Aaron Rosa vs. Jefferson Silva – Watch out for Jefferson Silva! He has a K-1 background and trains with Mario Sperry out of Brazilian Top Team. He’s a rangy Muay Thai striker with some Jiu-Jitsu training that has star potential written all over him. The only thing that is holding him back is his conditioning.

That could be a problem for Silva because Rosa has been a sparring partner for Tito Ortiz for Ortiz’s last two fights. His conditioning is excellent and he has a lot of heart.

Rosa likes to stand up but he’s got some ground skills. If Silva has top position and gets sloppy, Rosa will be a threat to triangle him.

These two will stand and trade early and if Silva doesn’t take Rosa out early, we easily could see an upset. In spite of that possibility, I’m still picking Silva to win the fight and come out of the show with a lot of people talking about him.

Muhsin Corbbrey vs. Lee Gibson – Besides Silva, Corbbrey is the other fighter on this card that people need to watch out for. I’m really impressed with him as he’s a smart guy who is extremely competitive.

Corbbrey is a professional boxer who has competed in professionally in Muay Thai as well. Don’t stereotype him though because he’s not just a striker. He also competes in grappling tournaments and has won events such as NAGA and ISCF. He trained Jiu-Jitsu with Lloyd Irvin and now works on his ground game with UFC fighter Din Thomas.

Gibson is a tough dude who is a former Army Ranger and served 16 months in Iraq as a private security contractor. He splits his time between Kansas City and Las Vegas. He works in KC as a fireman and trains MMA in Vegas with Tony Fryklund.

Gibson just recently fought for Richard Steele’s Steele Cage Promotions on July 7, defeating Talon Hoffman via TKO at 2:25 in the second round. He’s a solid fighter and Corbbrey will have to bring his A-game in order to win.

Finishing Gibson won’t be easy, which is why I am picking Corbbrey to win via unanimous decision.

Chris David vs. Scott Jorgenson - David is trained by UFC fighter David Terrell out of the Nor Cal Fighting Alliance. He has a record of 8-5-1 and is a perfect 3-0 when fighting for the Gladiator Challenge promotion.

David has been training in martial arts since the third grade and wrestled during high school. When he first got involved with MMA he was almost exclusively a wrestler, however, he’s made strides in recent years in all other aspects of MMA.

It’s good that his stand up has improved because that’s where he needs to keep the fight in order to win. Jorgenson has much better wrestling credentials, having been a three-time All-Pac 10 selection as a freestyle wrestler while at Boise State.

I expect Jorgenson to win the fight in the first round via ground and pound.