During UFC President Dana White‘s first video blog for UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem, Soszynski is shown being looked over by the medical team after ths loss in Toronto. While being examined he informs teammate Mark Munoz and everyone around him that he is retiring.

“That was my last MMA fight, I am done,” Soszynski said. “It’s a shi**y way to go out.”

Also shown is the doctor continuing to ask Soszynski several questions in hopes of judging where his head was at following the knockout. “The Polish Experiment” replied by showing he knew where he was – Toronto – and the month – December – but was unaware of the date.

Munoz can also be seen telling Soszynski, “Don’t apologize,” in relation to the loss after the 34-year old continues to say he’s sorry for the lackluster performance.

“The Polish Experiment” holds a record of 26-12-1 in his career with past wins over Stephan Bonnar and Brian Stann. Whether he will stick to his statements or reconsider once he’s in a less-emotional situation remains to be seen.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Soszynski will put his two fight win streak on the line tonight when he meets Igor Pokrajac at UFC 140 as part of the ION-televised prelim portion of the show.

Since his time on The Ultimate Fighter 8, Soszynski has put together a respectable 6-2 record, including wins over Stephan Bonnar and Mike Massenzio. However, being 34 years old and a veteran of the sport, “The Polish Experiment” realizes that putting on exciting fights is the most important aspect to the game.

“I don’t have the greatest talent when it comes to mixed martial arts. I feel like I’m decently well-rounded, but one thing I like to go do is put exciting fights on,” said Soszynski, in a recent interview with the UFC’s website. “It’s not about winning or losing to be honest. I’m going to lose fights – fighters are going to lose fights – but it’s how you lose them.”

Soszynski and Pokrajac were set to meet this past June, but injuries ended the fight before it could happen. Along with rehabbing his own woes, Soszynski also took part in Kevin James‘ MMA-film, “Here Comes the Boom” and was Mickey Rourke’s stunt double for Immortals.

“For right now, I’m having a lot of opportunities outside of fighting coming my way, and I’m exploring those opportunities as well; they’re great,” Soszynski said. “But first and foremost, I’m a fighter; that’s how I make my living, and I’m really looking forward to continuing that.”

The prelims start on ION at 6:00 PM EST and run until the PPV fires up at 9:00 PM EST with headlining action between light heavyweight champ Jon Jones< and former title-holder Lyoto Machida.

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.

Early on in his career, Krzysztof made a niche for himself in the comfortable surroundings of Team Quest out in Temecula, California. It was the perfect situation for Soszynski. He was afforded the opportunity to train with a legend in Henderson and a batch of great talent from around the world, but those same opportunities ran their course and eventually so did his time with the famed academy.

“Team Quest when I first came out there, was just completely packed with a lot of bigger 205-pounder, heavyweight guys, where I had the training partners”, said the UFC light heavyweight.

“Slowly, over time, we had a lot of European guys come out from Cyrille Diabate‘s team…we had a lot of guys from Australia and South Africa to come out and train with us. Slowly those guys had to go back home and eventually it was just myself, Dan, and Jesse Taylor. When Dan knocked out Michael Bisping (UFC 100, July 2009), he started going on this whirlwind tour all around the world doing seminars, autograph sessions, signings, and I was just by myself.”

The lack of an adequate support system would unfortunately carry over from that summer until mid-2010.

“For my first Stephan Bonnar fight in Australia and the Brandon Vera fight, it was just me and my Thai coach…Lew Polley was my only training partner at the time and I just needed more guys to come in and it didn’t happen. So, I basically needed to find a different place to go and train at where I could have the coaching and the training partners I needed.”

That different place became the alliance that exists now between Reign Training Center and Kings MMA, both schools working in unison with one another and housing some of the best guys in the world including Mark Munoz, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, Fabricio Werdum, and former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua among others.

However, even with a more-than serviceable team behind him, limits still exist. His body, as he’s noticed, is beginning to fail him gradually. His ultimate goal had always been to achieve “Top 10″ and eventually vie a world title, but he also knows time may not be on his side.

“I just want to keep pushing forward”, said Soszynski. “I just want to keep building on my record. I want to see if I belong in the Top 10. I would love to fight somebody who’s just right there in (that group) – maybe ranked ninth, tenth, eleventh – just to see if I belong in there with those guys. Then maybe two fights from now fight somebody who’s in the Top 5 and you never know where that can take me to.”

“At 34 my body is kind of slowly falling apart with all the surgeries and all the injuries. It all depends on how far my body is allowing me to take this sport. If I can last another two to four years then that would be great. I’m just going to listen to my body and see where that takes me. I would like to make my mark, see if I do belong in that Top 10 and maybe hopefully one day fight for the world title like every other MMA fighter dreams of. We’ll see where (my plan) takes me and (until then) I’ll just listen to my body. If my body tells me it’s time to finish up my MMA career, then I will finish it up.”

Still, “The Polish Experiment” isn’t looking too far ahead – a lesson his experiences have taught him over the years.

“I kind of live my life one day at a time and see where it’s going to take me,” Soszynski concluded.

The 26-11-1 Canadian has finished twenty-two of the opponents he’s beaten including ten TKOs and eleven submissions. He holds wins in the UFC over Brian Stann, Stephan Bonnar, and most recently Mike Massenzio in June at UFC 131.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

“(UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva and I have been chatting it up a little bit and we’ve been talking a little bit about the Toronto card on December 10th, so now I’m just kind of waiting to hear on that from him and see what the opponent is and if that’s the card they want me to fight at,” Soszynski explained in an interview with Fighters.

The event the 34-year old Canadian is referring to is UFC 140 and the promotion’s return to the city known for having the largest turnout for a MMA show in North American history (UFC 129).

As long as he doesn’t have anymore health-related setbacks it appears Soszynski may indeed get his wish though he won’t be assuming such will be the case, at least when considering the setbacks he’s faced over the last year.

“After my fight in Germany in November last year, I had both my knees scoped and I also had my nose done – I had a deviated septum in my nose, so I had all those surgeries done,” the 26-11-1 competitor began when asked about what he’s been dealing with. “I guess I came back a little too early because I pulled another cartilage and had a bunch of debris in my left knee after this past last fight against Mike Massenzio in Vancouver at UFC 131, so I had to get another scope again…it’s my seventh one on my knees.”

In terms of his immediate future, Soszynski kept it simple, saying, “Just taking some time off right now to recover, rehabilitate, and hopefully we’ll never have to go through this again.”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Though Pokrajac has yet to find his stride in the Octagon, compiling a 2-3 record in the UFC including a win last March at UFC Live 3, he should pose an interesting challenge for “The Polish Experiment” given his propensity for ending things early regardless of how a fight unfolds. Twenty of his twenty-three wins have involved a finishing performance and feature a very respectable ratio between TKOs (12) and submissions (8).

However, while Pokrajac may be comfortable standing or on the ground, the same can also be said for the Soszynski. The 33-year old holds an overall record of 25-11-1 with eleven instances of submission success and ten of the strike-based variety. Among the notches on his belt are wins over Brian Stann, Stephan Bonnar, and most recently Goran Reljic in November.

UFC 131 is headlined by a clash of top heavyweight contenders in the form of Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos, and also features Ken Florian making his featherweight debut against 16-1 Diego Nunes in addition to Demian Maia vs. Mark Munoz, Donald Cerrone vs. Mac Danzig, plus appearances from Shane Carwin, Dustin Poirier, and a number of other notable Mixed Martial Artists.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The saying goes: If you can’t beat them, join them; and Soszynski has taken exactly that approach as the Polish born fighter has recently aligned himself with the last man to hold a victory over him in the UFC, Brandon Vera.

Alongside Vera and others, “The Polish Experiment” has also had the opportunity to rain alongside UFC newcomer Phil Davis for this Saturday evening’s match-up with Bonnar, and FiveOuncesofPain.com recently had the opportunity to catch up with Krzysztof to find out exactly what the recent change of scenery has meant to the veteran of nearly thirty fights, along with much more.

FiveOuncesofPain.com: I heard that you first started on your path in MMA while training with a former WWE wrestler by the name of Bad News Brown; What can you tell me about that?

Krzysztof Soszynski: I was a professional wrestler from the age of about twenty-two until about twenty-five. I had a chance to go to Calgary, Alberta, Canada to train with with Bad News Brown. Basically what would happen is he would make his students roll in the beginning of the workouts I wasn’t really that familiar with it at the time. I had watched some of it on TV. I had watched the first couple of UFC’s, but I didn’t really know what it was about. I learned a few moves – the kimura, the arm bar – and I was hooked immediately. After I finished with professional wrestling I came back to Winnipeg and up with Joe Doerksen and everything just went from there.

FiveOuncesofPain: Were you and Bad News Brown fairly close during your wrestling days?

Krzysztof Soszynski: Because I was in Winnipeg and he was in Calgary, he did come down for a few shows. He came down to work on a couple of the shows that we were part of, and through that I got to know Bad News Brown. We were never really good friends or anything like that, but I respected him tremendously, and while we were in Calgary he kind of took me under his wing.

FiveOuncesofPain: I don’t think a lot of people realize that we are talking about a man that was in 1977 Olympic bronze medal winner in Judo at heavyweight. He was also a two-time gold medal winner in the Pan American Games in Judo, along with being one of the original men to train with the legendary Antonio Inoki in Japan back in the days…

Krzysztof Soszynski: That’s right, and the shoot-fighting in Japan as well. He was a bad ass. A real bad ass.

FiveOuncesofPain: I remember him because I was a big WWF fan back in the days, and I remember him coming out with the biker gloves, the Kimbo beard, and punching everyone in the face. How do you think he would have done in MMA if he would have been born, say, 30 years later?

Krzysztof Soszynski: I talked to him about that actually. When I spoke to him about that he said that if MMA was as around and as big as it is now, that would have been the sport he focused on. He loved it. He loved teaching the students, he loved training, and if MMA would have been around back then, he definitely would have focused on that and done really well.

FiveOuncesofPain: Have you traveled to train at all for this fight outside of your usual stomping grounds at Team Quest?

Krzysztof Soszynski: Actually most of the training I’ve done for this has been with Alliance. With Brandon Vera, Phil Davis, Lew Polley and Joey Beltran. We all got together and we’ve been training for the last 10 to 12 weeks together. We have two Division I wrestlers, and of course Brandon Vera with his striking and ground game. It has just been phenomenal. This camp been one of my best camps. I’m very happy with the way things are going. I had a full twelve week camp, not like my last fight it was a three or a five-week camp. I’m really excited about this fight.

FiveOuncesofPain: So you’re training with Brandon Vera… Did you guys just hook up after you guys fought, or how did that happen?

Krzysztof Soszynski: Actually I have fought a lot of guys that I’ve trained in the past with, and Brandon Vera was one of them. When I first came out to California I had the chance to train with Eddie Bravo at his camp, and Brandon Vera was there so I decided to train with him for a few days. We got along great. We became friends. Every time we would see each other we would hang out and stuff. He always invited me to his camps and I always invited him to my camps. Eventually we just sat down and talked and I asked him if I could come out and train with him for this fight, and he said come on down. It was amazing. Brandon is a very talented fighter and he will be on top of the world here very soon.

FiveOuncesofPain: Have you had the chance to chance to train with Phil Davis at all down there?

Krzysztof Soszynski: Absolutely, the man is a phenom. He’s still getting more comfortable with the striking, but his wrestling, takedowns, clinch, ground control and entire ground game is just phenomenal. Once he improves his hands a little bit and is more comfortable with them, you’re going to see the whole package with Phil Davis. He’s going to go very far in this sport.

FiveOuncesofPain: What are your general thoughts on Stephan Bonnar and what he’s going to bring to the table for this match up?

Krzysztof Soszynski: He is on a two fight losing streak so he’s going to have to come out banging and swinging, and doing whatever he has to do to win this fight. I know that he is going to be prepared – 100%. He’s very tough, very versatile, and a very durable fighter. He has ten fights in the UFC and he has five losses, but all of his losses were by decision. I know that he is going to be coming at me no matter where the fight ends up and I have to be ready for that.

FiveOuncesofPain: You both seem to be really well-rounded fighters. I don’t see any glaring weaknesses on either of your resumes. What do you see as some of your major advantages over Bonnar in this one?

Krzysztof Soszynski: I think I’m a little stronger than he is. I think I hit a little harder. I might not be as accurate, but I do think I hit a little harder. I feel like my wrestling will definitely be a strength in the bout for me. Over the last year and a half I have been training with Dan Henderson, Lew Polley – who was a Division I wrestler – , Heath Sims, and now Phil Davis, and my wrestling has really improved because of that. Just in the last couple months I’ve gotten so much better in the clinch and against the fence, and that’s where I think this fight is going to be won. If I get control of the clinch, I’m going to win this fight for sure.

FiveOuncesofPain: On the other side of that coin, what are some of the things you’re going to have to watch out for from Stephan?

Krzysztof Soszynski: Well, he’s really aggressive. I can’t just stand in front of him taking punches. I’m going to have to move a lot. I’m going to have to find my angles. I won’t be able to just sit there in front of him and take punches because he’s going to throw punches in bunches. He can be very awkward with his weird kicks, with some of the spinning stuff that he throws; so I’m going to have to be very careful. I’m going to have to stay light on my feet and not just standing in front of him and taking punches and kicks.

FiveOuncesofPain: Now you started out your career with the UFC with a couple of nice submission of the night bonuses – that had to feel good – are you hoping to get back on the money train in this fight with a submission, knockout, or fight of the night bonus in Australia?

Krzysztof Soszynski: Well, it’s always in the back of your mind. It would be really nice, but first and foremost you want to put on a good performance. I get a chance to fight someone that’s a very aggressive with a similar style to me. We are going to be in front of each other banging away. We’re not going to be running away from each other at all. We are going to be standing there going to toe to toe, and I think that alone is going to make for an exciting fight. I’m not going to focus on getting a bonus; I’m just going to go out there in front of the 23,000 fans that will be there and the millions at home, and focus on putting on a great show. Whatever happens, happens with the bonus.

FiveOuncesofPain: Yeah, it should be awesome man. It’s going to be a really packed house for that one.

Krzysztof Soszynski: I’m hoping it’s going to be like the Montreal experience. I thought there during UFC 97 against Brian Stann, and that was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I hear the Australian fans are you crazy, so if it’s anywhere near that, it’s going to be out of this world.

FiveOuncesofPain: I want to ask you about someone you’re extremely familiar with; If a fight between Dan Henderson and Jake Shields took place in a month or two, how does that bout go down?

Krzysztof Soszynski: Dan Henderson knocks out Jake Shields (laughs).

FiveOuncesofPain: Why does Dan Henderson knock out Jake Shields? Why can’t Jake Shields beat Dan Henderson, in your opinion?

Krzysztof Soszynski: Oh, I’m not saying that he can’t. It just depends on who executes their game plan correctly. We know that Dan Henderson is very aggressive, but I know that he’s going to be smart in this fight. He is not going to do what Mayhem Miller did, where he rushed Jake Shields all the time, attacking with punches in bunches. Jake Shields just got underneath him and kept taking him down over and over again. That’s not going to be Dan’s style. I think Dan’s going to be little more patient with his hands, pick his spots, and attack in the right way. If he does that, Dan’s going to destroy Jake Shields on the feet.

FiveOuncesofPain: I appreciate you taking the time with me Krzysztof. Is there anyone you would like to thank?

Krzysztof Soszynski: The most important thing is to just thank my training partners, my coaches, and my teammates. I want to thank my main training partner, Lew Polley. All of the guys at Alliance; Brandon Vera, Phil Davis, Travis Brown, Joey Beltran. My main striking coach, Ed Buckley, and of course, Dan Henderson and everyone at Team Quest. Also, my wife and my son, and I can’t wait for the fight.

MMAJunkie.com is reporting that Krzysztof Soszynski will replace the injured Houston Alexander against Andre Gusmao at UFC 98 which will be held in Las Vegas on May 23.

Soszynski is coming off a victory against former WEC light heavyweight champion Brian Stann at last month’s UFC 97. The victory which came by way of submission earned the season 8 contestant of The Ultimate Fighter submission of the night honors along with a $70,000 bonus. The win ran his UFC record to 2-0 and was his fifth straight victory. He hasn’t lost since being defeated by former IFL heavyweight champion Ben Rothwell during an IFL event in August of 2007.

Gusmao suffered his first career defeat at the hands of up and coming superstar Jon Jones at UFC 87 last August. He is also a former IFL fighter who holds two victories over Miletich fighter and recent UFC pickup Mike Ciesnolevicz.

Alexander is one of a host of fighters who have been forced to withdraw from this card due to injury. The main event was originally going to pit UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar against the man who defeated him at UFC 81 interim heavyweight champion Frank Mir. Mir suffered a knee injury which pushed their fight back to UFC 100. Then the UFC had plans on a light heavyweight championship bout between former champion Quinton Jackson and undefeated champ Rashad Evans but Jackson suffered a jaw injury in his bout with Keith Jardine at UFC 96 and was replaced by Lyoto Machida. Other fighters put on the shelf are Josh Koshcheck, James Irvin and Yushin Okami.

Season eight resident prankster and Team Mir first pick, Krzysztof Soszynski, was 100% positive he would be the one left holding the trophy above his head when it was all over and once the coaches had picked their teams, the seasons consensus favorite wasn’t the only one who believed he’d be competing in the finals.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com asked this season’s most experienced and most intimidating contestant to discuss the experiences he’ll be taking away from living in the TUF house, his future with the UFC, and just what exactly happened that resulted in his disappointing loss to former Team Quest training partner and now TUF finalist, Vinny Magalhaes.

Gary Ibarra: Your game plan coming into your fight with Vinny was pretty obvious, keep the fight standing up and don’t go to the ground with him, it looked to be really effective until he managed to pull guard on you and take you down. Can you take us through what happened?

Krzysztof Soszynski: Well I thought I was controlling the fight pretty well, he knows that my strength is in my striking so I could see his game plan was to stay out of my range, that’s why you saw so many leg kicks, it was because I couldn’t reach him. I was trying to soften him up with the kicks and slow him down so I could get him into the range of my punches but I was completely surprised when he rushed in and pulled guard on me. I’ve trained with Vinny for a long time, both before and during the show and not once had he ever pulled guard on me, not once. I was shocked! But I guess that was why he did it, he knew I wasn’t expecting it since I hadn’t seen it from him in all the time we’d spent training together.

Gary Ibarra: You and Ryan Bader were the first picks for your teams and were the consensus favorites this season before the prelims had even begun, do you think that maybe caused you to look past Vinny a little?

Krzysztof Soszynski: A little bit, I never had any doubt that I could fight any of the guys in the house and win. I wouldn’t say I was looking past anyone, but I definitely had the confidence in my own ability. You cant argue with the outcome though, Vinny beat me straight up and I have to give him the respect for being able to do that and I’ll be pulling for him in the finals.

Gary Ibarra: One of the reasons experts had designated you the favorite was because of your extensive experience before the show, 24 professional fights, but your experience extends much further than that, is that fair to say?

Krzysztof Soszynski: Absolutely, I was a bodybuilder, I had tried to get into professional wrestling for a while before I became a member of the L.A. Anacondas in the IFL, my wife and I even owned and operated our own fight promotion in Canada for a while before moving to California.

Gary Ibarra: During the show, your friend and training partner at Team Quest, Dan Henderson, was on hand to help out with the training, how does having a guy like Dan to train with and to be in your corner help you as a fighter?

Krzysztof Soszynski: It definitely gave me a confidence boost, having a familiar face like Dan around during the training; it really made me more comfortable. I had only been training with Dan for less than a year at the time but we have become pretty good friends. I’ve helped corner him in his recent fights and I’ve really tried to take the things he teaches me and input them to better my wrestling. He had come to the training facility for Vinny’s fight and he ended up staying and training with us until I fought, which was great. He’s one of the best; it can’t hurt to have him in your corner.

Gary Ibarra: Your next bout is during the finale show and your slated to fight fellow cast member Shane Primm, you’ve seen him in action both in training and in his fight with Eliot Marshall. Some people say Primm is a different fighter when he trains then when he fights, is that something you noticed? And will that effect the way you approach the fight once you’re in the ring?

Krzysztof Soszynski: I think I’ve learned that you can’t really overlook anyone, whatever the issues a fighter has, he’s obviously fighting in the UFC for a reason, so no I won’t change the way I prepare for this fight. I will definitely try to raise my focus on my Jiu Jitsu training since that’s Shane’s background, but that’s what I do in all the time in every aspect of my game, I continually try and get better. The level of talent we have at Team Quest really helps elevate my game.

Gary Ibarra: The show is known for playing up rivalries between fighters and the antics of some of the more interesting characters in the house mostly for ratings, but you managed to become a popular personality in the house with your pranks and not by displaying any dysfunction, how did that happen?

Krzysztof Soszynski: I have a great life, a great wife, and a great son, everyone has issues in their life, but my family has kept me on an even keel so I don’t really have that many and especially not the kind that would make me act like a nut on TV. My whole idea was to come into the house and just be myself and what you saw on the show, that’s me. I like to joke around; I think the pranks are still hilarious even now when I see them replayed, but you get some guys who need to be the center of attention and don’t care how they do it or how it makes them look. I can say that from this experience I see that it’s mostly just an act.

Gary Ibarra: So you spent six weeks in a house with no TV, no radio, no magazines, no books, no phone, they wouldn’t even let you have writing pen’s or markers to draw with! Why do you think the UFC and Spike keep you guys cut off from the world so much?

Krzysztof Soszynski: That’s easy, the ratings. If this show was just about the training and the fights, the only people who’d watch it would be your hardcore fans. You put 16 guys in a house, guys whose normal outlet is training to fight and tell them they can only train for 2 hours a day and the rest of the time they have to interact with each other in a house full of alcohol? There you go; you’ve got your ratings.

Gary Ibarra: What do you think about the finals, any predictions?

Krzysztof Soszynski: I like Phillipe, he’s a freak, and he’s one of the only people I’ve ever met that are genuinely nice except for when you get them in the cage. He must have a mental switch that he flips because he almost becomes a completely different person before he steps in the ring, it’s weird. That’s not to say Efrain isn’t a good competitor or a great fighter, I just think Phillipe is going to be too much for him.

Gary Ibarra: And the fight between Vinny and Bader?

Krzysztof Soszynski: Vinny is the best Jiu Jitsu guy I’ve ever seen, I am definitely going to be pulling for him in the finals because contrary to what people have heard, we are not at odd’s. Bader though, is a great wrestler, I mean the guy was a two-time All American. As much faith as I have in Vinny’s Jiu Jitsu I still have to give Bader the edge. I can say that if Vinny has done his part to better the aspects of his game that needed work, like his wrestling and his stand up, I would give him a better chance but I think Bader is going to come out on top.

Gary Ibarra: Are there any pranks that you’ll remember that maybe didn’t make it into the final cut of the show?

Krzysztof Soszynski: Oh yeah, a few. The Polakowski prank, the one where Dave Kaplan was taking the marsh mellows out of his Lucky Charms, what they didn’t show was that he had been taking them out for weeks. Kaplan had done it a few times before Polakowski finally got pissed. But my favorite will always be the night Bader and I after a few drinks tried to climb up this wall in the house to get to this ledge that was up the stair case, it wasn’t a place that was accessible from the floor and it barely had room for one person to sit in. While Bader was trying to climb up the wall to get to it he accidentally kicked a huge hole in the drywall! He got a piece of paper and taped it to the wall next to the hole and wrote “Please UFC don’t kick me off the show, it was an accident, I’ll pay for the damages just please don’t kick me off the show” It was funnier at the time, not just because what had happened, but because watching him try to write that letter while he was drunk made it even funnier.

Gary Ibarra: People just assumed you’d be fighting Bader in the finals, is that something you’d like to still see happen in the near future?

Krzysztof Soszynski: I’d love to fight Bader; I would love to fight anyone the UFC gives me the opportunity to fight. I just want the chance to prove myself to the fans and the UFC management. I like to fight, it’s what I do. I’ve come a long way from never even being punched in the face a few years ago to having an opportunity to fight for the premier fighting promotion in the world. This experience has opened a lot of doors for me and not just opportunities to fight, in January Sokoudjou and I are going to be in an episode of CSI, it’s crazy.

Gary Ibarra: You had a year long stretch where you lost three times in a row, had a draw, then were TKO’d by Ben Rothwell, a stretch like that would make most fighters question weather they were in the right field, what made you stick to it?

Krzysztof Soszynski: I wasn’t ready for those fights, some of them I took last minute, some I took to see where I was in my training, but regardless of the outcome, every one of those losses taught me something and have become more important to my career then the wins because they made me the fighter I am today, I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

Last night we bore witness to an official phenomenon in mixed martial arts. His name is Kimbo Slice. And no, I’m not talking about his skill set in the cage. I’m talking about his personality, his name, his charisma, his appearance, his demeanor in the cage and his prior history of internet street fight. Because of those factors the guy sells tickets. And probably some Showtime subscriptions to be quite honest. In the future, he’ll sell pay per views for EliteXC and he’ll sell out even more arenas. If you don’t believe that then you didn’t see or hear what went down at the BankUnited Center in Miami, Florida last night.

It was absolutely deafening over the television as the crowd chanted Kimbo’s name during the referee’s instructions. People tried to tell me before the fight that Kimbo Slice would not draw in Miami. Last night was a testament to his drawing power. Here on the site we had people coming in the chat room who didn’t know a thing about MMA. But they damn sure knew who Kimbo Slice was.

As for the fight itself? It couldn’t have gone better for Kimbo or EliteXC. He demolished Tank Abbott with a quickness. Tank looked surprised at how hard Kimbo was hitting him. And man can that guy throw some f’n leather. He has serious power, folks, the kind of power that makes him dangerous against any heavyweight fighter and that includes the big boys in the UFC.

I’m not saying that Kimbo would beat any of those guys right now so don’t go thinking I’m an idiot. If you made me pick Kimbo vs. any top ten fighter in the world right this moment, I would go with the top ten fighter every time. But his power gives him a chance in any fight against any fighter in the world. The guy is going to destroy some people’s faces in brutal fashion during his tenure in MMA. Believe that.

On top of that, he’s creating a mystique about himself in the eyes of the casual fan. The hardcore sees Kimbo for what he is. He’s a guy with a lot of potential, great trainers, tons of power, and he seems dedicated to the sport. Past that, there’s not much that hardcores know about him. In two pro fights and one exhibition bout, Kimbo Slice hasn’t even been in the cage for a whole five minute round so it’s still impossible to completely evaluate him. For the casual fan, though, Kimbo has beaten three opponents in a row now in under five minutes total time and that creates this mystique that he’s running through guys to people who haven’t seen his MMA fights yet. The next time Kimbo fights the event will be even bigger than it was last night.

EliteXC and Gary Shaw better do everything they can to keep Kimbo Slice with EliteXC. Kimbo is helping them build their brand right now and they are riding the wave of his popularity. If another promotion comes along and nabs Kimbo away from EliteXC it would be very bad news for them. It would be in their best interest to keep Kimbo Slice with the company. Last night should have struck that point home with EliteXC. Kimbo Slice is a phenomenon.

Check out more Kimbo Slice content on FiveOuncesOfPain.com!

Many people are focusing on the night’s main event between Kimbo Slice and Tank Abbott, and understandably so, but a heavyweight clash scheduled between Antonio Silva and Ricco Rodriguez is another match that I think is very intriguing.

For Rodriguez, it’s another shot at the big time as he looks to capitalize on the mainstream attention he’s garnering for his involvement in VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab with Doctor Drew.” It seems like Rodriguez is starting to get some headlines, but probably for all the wrong reasons.

To be honest, if I was a promoter, I wouldn’t touch the guy after hearing him re-tell the story about how the moved the body of his girlfriend, thinking she was dead when she was really alive, following an accident in which he was driving while intoxicated (hey, he revealed all of this on national television).

Rodriguez claimed he moved her into the driver’s seat because he had prior convictions on his record and was looking to beat the rap. Yes, instead of seeking medical attention for her his biggest concern was himself. Thankfully, she survived the accident but ended up taking the rap and served time because of it. But hey, if EliteXC has no remorse about promoting Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett, why should Ricco be a problem?

As far as the fight itself, tonight’s match will be Silva’s first official heavyweight bout. While he weighed in at 265 pounds against Jonathan Wiezorek at EliteXC: Renegade in November, Wiezorek weighed in over the heavyweight limit so the match was technically a super heavyweight bout.

A lot of people believe Silva is a top ten heavyweight and while I believe he has the ability, he needs to start beating top ten guys before he himself can earn a spot there. While Ricco isn’t top ten these days, he will pose the toughest test of Silva’s young career.

Debuting on tonight’s show will be James Thompson and Scott Smith while Brett Rogers and Yves Edwards will be appearing on SHOWTIME for the first-time.

On the Internet undercard, Eric Bradley and Rafael Feijao are two fighters that have the potential to be fighting on national television in the not too distant future while Mario Rinaldi and Dave Herman are worth watching as well.

In all, tonight’s card before what is expected to be a sellout card has the potential to be an entertaining show from beginning to end. Below is my full preview of the event with predicted outcomes.

CLICK HERE TO READ SAM CAPLAN’S FULL BREAKDOWN OF ALL TEN BOUTS ON HIS PROELITE.COM BLOG

Kimbo Slice vs. Tank Abbott

Adam Morgan: This fight is sort of tough to call as it’s always hard to tell what shape Tank Abbott will come in and what kind of gas tank he’s going to have. We know what Tank’s gameplan is. It’s what it’s always been, and that’s throw leather. As for Kimbo, just from what I’ve seen, his training and training partners are a level above Tank Abbott’s. Tank is collecting a paycheck, Kimbo’s trying to make a name for himself in mixed martial arts. There’s lots of unknowns about both fighters but I have to give the edge to Kimbo. Kimbo Slice via TKO, round one.

Gary Herman: The way I see it, Kimbo Slice has two ways to win and Tank has zero ways to win. Advtange: Kimbo. Kimbo wins if it goes longer than two minutes or by submission. Really, unless Abbott connects with a wild punch very early in the fight, I don’t see how Tank wins. Abbott won’t come to the fight in shape, and Kimbo will. Kimbo by first round submission.

Antonio Silva vs. Ricco Rodriguez

Adam Morgan: Out with the old, in with the new. Isnt’ that the saying? Look, Ricco Rodriguez was a fine fighter in his prime. He has wins over Randy Couture, Jeff Monson, and Andrei Arlovski. During the latter years of his career, though, Ricco has come to fights out of shape and not in the correct mindset. A win here could do wonders for his confidence and his career but I just don’t see it happening. On the ground or on the feet, Silva has the advantage. Ricco’s only chance is to put Silva on his back which is something that I don’t think ends up happening in this fight. If it stays on the feet, “Pezao” will pepper Ricco with extremely powerful punches. Silva at 265 is extremely scary and this fight will be a great test for him, one I think he passes with flying colors. Antonio Silva via TKO, round two.

Gary Herman: Big Foot Silva is really going to get the monster push with EliteXC. They love the idea that they can bill Silva as the “best heavyweight in the world” because unlike a lot of guys, he has no losses to top UFC guys. Rodriguez is a great name to put Silva in the cage with. His popularity will be up based on his UFC pedigree and VH1 appearance. However, in the cage, Rodriguez hasn’t looked good in a while. I believe Silva leaves a footprint on Rodriguez in the first round. Antonio Silva by first round TKO.

Scott Smith vs. Kyle Noke

Adam Morgan: The big thing here is going to be if Smith can keep the fight standing and make this a muay thai fight. If that happens, Noke will get himself caught up in a fight that he will most likely not win. The key for Noke will be to somehow close the distance and get this fight to the mat and use his superior ground and pound and jiu jitsu to put Smith at a disadvantage. This is a tough one to pick but I think Noke has more tools in his arsenal to pull out the win. Kyle Noke via TKO, round two.

Gary Herman: Smith is a giant enigma. He wants to put on good fights. He has great stand-up and toughness. His fight against Pete Sell was a classic. Unfortunately, his fights with Patrick Cote and Ed Herman were not. Smith will look to keep the fight standing to deliver the big knockout in his EliteXC debut. Meanwhile, Noke wants to get the fight to the ground quickly. Smith is not very adept if it hits the mat. Noke won’t be strong enough to keep Smith on the ground. Therefore, I like Smith to win. Scott Smith by second round TKO.

Yves Edwards vs. Edson Berto

Adam Morgan: This has fight of the night written all over it. Yves Edwards recently made the switch to American Top Team and has looked to be back on track after changing camps. He is a very talented striker and has one of the better KO reels in all of mixed martial arts. He’s also no stranger to the ground game as most of his wins (13) have come by submission. Edson Berto is also a lethal striker and a good grappler so this fight should be very competitive no matter where it ends up. I like Yves Edwards to outlast Berto in this one. Yves Edwards via unanimous decision.

Gary Herman: This is a good fight. Edson Berto is a great up and comer. Hopefully, he worked on his stamina since his last EliteXC fight vs. KJ Noons. Edwards is a very tough match-up for a young fighter as he is experienced and always looking for the knockout. Maybe Edson can substitute in his brother Andre if things get tough like the Killer B’s used to do. Without that, I don’t think Berto can win. Edwards is just a class above right now. Edwards by decision.

James Thompson vs. Brett Rogers

Adam Morgan: Brett Rogers is a good prospect who has primarily fought on regional shows and is now making his appearance on a big league MMA show. He’s got a tough draw in front of him in James “Colossus” Thompson who just recently switched camps to Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, NV to become a more complete fighter. This one should be over quickly no matter who wins. I like Rogers as a prospect but the thought of Thompson with a camp like Xtreme Couture is scary. James Thompson via TKO, round one.

Gary Herman: James Thompson is coming for the knockout quickly and definitively. Rogers is taking a big step up here. I don’t think he’s ready. Thompson wins and then challenges Big Foot Silva. Thompson by KO in round one.

Rafael Feijao vs. John Doyle

Adam Morgan: Feijao trains out of Black House with Anderson Silva and the Nogueira brothers so you know he’s going to bring some excitement to the cage. Doyle is a guy whose frame might be better suited for middleweight but he has only competed at that weight once. He’s a good wrestler and should look to keep Feijao with his back planted on the mat. I don’t think that happens, though. Feijao will use strikes to set up a takedown and from there use some seriously powerful ground and pound to pound Doyle out. Feijao via TKO, round two.

Jon Kirk vs. Yosmany Cabezas

Adam Morgan: Jon Kirk is a tough guy with decent striking but Cabezas is an all around good fighter with a background in traditional martial arts. He’s also got the better story. He’s a Cuban immigrant, yet he was on the Venezuelan national karate team and is also a black belt in judo. He is one of the guys on the undercard to look out for. Yosmany Cabezas via unanimous decision.

Mario Rinaldi vs. Dave Herman

Adam Morgan: What I’ve seen from Dave Herman hasn’t been much. He’s built up his record to 9-0 by fighting guys with little to no MMA experience and is primarily a wrestler with good power and a very tall frame. He’s totally untested against a guy like Rinaldi who is fighting out of American Top Team. Rinaldi’s training partners are better, he’s going to be much stronger than Herman, and I think his wrestling is better as well. The one thing that could give Herman the advantage is his reach because Rinaldi is a shorter guy (think Jeff Monson). But Rinaldi is one hell of an athlete for such a big guy and I look for him to put Herman into untested waters, such as on his back with Rinaldi in side control, locking up a keylock or a kimura. Mario Rinaldi via submission, round two.

Eric Bradley vs. Mikey Gomez

Adam Morgan: This is a great style matchup as Bradley is a collegiate champion in boxing and a two-time All American at Penn State University and Gomez is an amateur muay thai champion and a black belt in BJJ at Gracia Barra in Tampa, FL. Bradley is the less experienced opponent with only two fights while Gomez has nine fights under his belt so experience could be an issue. Also, Bradley’s submission defense is the most suspect part of his game and Gomez is slick with submissions. Look for Bradley to use his wrestling to defend takedowns and pick Gomez apart on the feet. Eric Bradley via TKO, round two.

Lorenzo Borgomeo vs. Mike Bernhard

Adam Morgan: Both of these guys are products of well respected camps in Florida. Borgomeo with American Top Team and Mike Bernhard with Freestyle Fighting Academy. Both are pretty new to MMA with Borgomeo’s record being 2-0 and Bernhard’s record at 3-0. From what I’ve seen, Bernhard should win this fight by being unprecedentedly big for a welterwight at 6’3” and he seems like the more well rounded fighter. He’s a purple belt in Royce Gracie Jiu Jitsu yet all three of his wins have been by TKO. On the ground or on the feet, Bernhard has the edge. Mike Bernhard via TKO, round two.