My next rant regarding the amount of negativity expressed about the announcement of an August fight between Brock Lesnar and Mark Coleman is directed at all the message forum posts I’ve read that state fights like Kimbo Slice vs. Tank Abbott or Lesnar vs. Coleman shouldn’t happen because they are “circus sideshow” matches. What some people call a sideshow, I refer to as a “special attraction.” All that matters at the end of the day when making a fight is whether or not people have an interest in watching it. People are going to be interested in Lesnar vs. Coleman. Perhaps not everyone will be interested, but a lot will be.

And since when is a special attraction match a dirty thing? We watch MMA because we enjoy it. It’s supposed to be fun. Slice vs. Abbott had no top ten heavyweight implications, but it was fun. I think Coleman vs. Lesnar will be a fun fight. There’s a lot of uptight people on the Internet that have me questioning why they even watch MMA because it seems to me that they don’t really enjoy it.

Look, I will sound like a Neanderthal, but I enjoy watching people beat each other up. I have since I was a young kid. I don’t know why and I’m certainly not proud of it, but I just enjoy watching good fights. And don’t tell me that sounds bad because if you don’t feel the same way, then why are you wasting your time reading a site that’s dedicated to covering sanctioned violence!?

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

The more I hear Jon Fitch talk, the more I like this guy. I really have to question the judgment of anyone who at one point felt Fitch wasn’t marketable.

After watching a big card like UFC 82, I always find it entertaining to play matchmaker and think of what the next step for each fighter on the card is.

Twenty fighters gave it their all on Saturday and now I get to squeeze myself into the 4 foot 2 frame of UFC matchmaker, Joe Silva and state my beliefs on who they should be stepping in front of next.

Should prove to be some fun.

John Halverson (lost to Jorge Gurgel via unanimous decision) - This was his second UFC appearance and even though it was a much better showing than the stupidity that was the Roger Huerta clash, he showed that he was not up to snuff talent-wise. I have doubts the UFC have an interest in keeping him around and I believe the next time he fights will be under a smaller shows banner.

Jorge Gurgel (beat John Halverson via unanimous decision) - Gurgel will probably always be around. He’s good for the Ohio based shows as he usually helps get the fans interested early as he is almost their adopted son if you will. Gurgel is basically the ultimate gatekeeper. He is very hard to finish which means he is a big test skill and endurance wise for UFC newcomers and promising prospects. Someone like a Matt Wiman seems a reasonable choice for a future opponent.

Luke Cummo (lost to Luigi Fioravanti via unanimous decision) - Cummo showed terrible wrestling against Luigi which is made worse by the fact that his jiu jitsu isn’t quite up to the level it needs to be to counter act that disadvantage. It was a disappointing result for Cummo as he looked to just be finding his feet and about to go on a little run in 170 lbs. division. Regardless, his place in the organisation is still safe due to ties to TUF and the face his weirdness has drawn him a pretty solid fan base. If I were Joe Silva I’d have Cummo once again relegated to the undercard of UFN against another TUF alumni. A match between he and Tommy Speerwould be a good fight even if Speer doesn’t get past Anthony Johnson at UFN 13.

Luigi Fioravanti (beat Luke Cummo via unanimous decision) - Luigi’s performance reminded me a lot of Assuerio Silva’sperformance against Cheick Kongo. He isn’t known for his takedowns but he just didn’t want anything to do with his opponent’s stand up. You have to give him credit for completely neutralising Cummo’s game but I wouldn’t expect him to win any new fans if he keeps performing like that. I get the impression that Luigi will forever be a middle-tier welterweight in the UFC and a benchmark for TUF graduates to adhere to. Thus my next opponent for Luigi would be TUF 6’s Jared Rollins.

David Bielkheden (lost to Diego Sanchez via first round submission) - He was completely over-matched and overwhelmed by Sanchez and at no opportunity was he able to get his game going. He’ll stay around in the UFC if only to fill out European undercards. I expect to see Bielkheden on the London card in June facing off against either Paul Taylor or Paul Kelly.

Diego Sanchez (beat David Bielkheden via first round submission) - After falling from grace with two consecutive losses, Diego was given a victory on a platter so that he could start building himself back up. I expect to see him slightly more tested in his next fight against someone with a little more name recognition. A fight against Akihiro Gono will help sort out where both fighters lie in the stacked 170 lbs. division.

Dustin Hazelett (lost to Josh Koscheck via 2nd round TKO) - Hazelett looked good standing up in the first round against Koscheck and when the fight hit the ground he showed how dangerous he was there too as he immediately looked to lock up a triangle. However it wasn’t enough to overcome a possessed Josh Koscheck. I would like to see Hazelett up against Chris Wilson next as I think it would be a true test of each other’s skills.

Josh Koscheck (beat Dustin Hazelett via 2nd round TKO) - Koscheck’s stand up looked the best it ever has against Hazelett. I was never truly sold on his striking until that fight. I always thought he was too eager to throw huge haymakers that left him open for counter punching, but he showed good all around striking against Hazelett. I wouldn’t be disappointed in a fight between Koscheck and Gono or against either Karo Parisyan or Thiago Alves. However if Parisyan beats Alves (which I think he will) I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Karo sit out until he finally gets that title shot.

Jake O’Brien (lost to Andrei Arlovski via 2nd round TKO) - Just like my fellow writer, Adam Morgan I really don’t care to see O’Brien fight ever again. He has a very limited skill set which he uses to full effect. He has shown no desire to test himself standing or to advance position on the ground. When Arlovski landed in mount, O’Brien just flailed helplessly. However, he still has a place in the organization whether I like it or not and I would like to see him matched up against some form of jiu-jitsu specialist just so that O’Brien can be at least tested when he’s laying on top of them. Gabriel Gonzaga anyone?

Andrei Arlovski (beat Jake O’Brien via 2nd round TKO) - My next opponent for Arlovski is very simple, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. He is currently the only UFC heavyweight on a 3 fight win streak besides the current interim champion. He is the logical choice for the next challenger, he just has to sign a contract extension with the UFC. Entertaining fights wait outside the UFC however, if the two parties cannot come to a successful resolution.

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I had the opportunity to be live in attendance for last night’s UFC 82 card in Columbus, Ohio, so I’ll be giving you my thoughts on the fights like usual as well as the live experience of the UFC 82 event. Let’s get to it.

UPDATE: Here’s the audio from last night’s Any Given Saturday radio show with Luke Thomas directly after the event. I called in on our way back to give the live report from Columbus.

Did he shock the hell out of everyone last night or what? Even if you picked Silva to win, you couldn’t have thought that it would have been that easy for him. And let’s face it: it was easy. I’ve had the pleasure of watching Silva fight in person twice now. I honestly can tell you that I feel honored to have watched such a dominant fighter dismantle his opponents in such devastating fashion at a time when the sport itself is on an uprise.

Anderson Silva is doing to the competition in the UFC what Tiger Woods is doing to the competition on the PGA Tour. Destroying them. Dan Henderson was the MMA equivalent of Stewart Cink at last week’s Accenture Match Play Championships. Cink lost 8 and 7 to Woods. Dan Henderson got a rear naked slapped on him with ease at the hands of Anderson Silva. After losing the first round, Anderson came out with a fury in the second round. He turned it up about ten notches during the break and thoroughly dominated Henderson in the second. He has the “it” factor. He’s able to take it to a higher level when he needs to and when he does, it’s at a level much higher than that of his opponents. Who’s left for him? Yushin Okami is the only one in the middleweight division. There are always dream matchups like GSP. But realistically, who can beat him right now in the UFC? I don’t have an answer to that question.

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Earlier I offered my thoughts on the production aspect of UFC 82. Now, it’s time to get into the actual fights.

* Jon Fitch over Chris Wilson via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27) - I was surprised this fight opened the show because all indications were that Leben vs. Sakara was the TV opener. I wonder why the late change? This fight was slow at times and it seems like Leben vs. Sakara would have been better here.

After the fight, I read a lot about how Fitch didn’t look good. Why are people taking credit away from Fitch and not giving proper credit to Wilson? Myself, and others, have been telling the novices out there that even though they may not know who he is Wilson is no joke. Fitch is without question a top five fighter in the world at welterweight and Wilson more than held his own in the first round.

Fitch looked tentative at times because he showed a lot of respect for Wilson’s striking. If he hadn’t shown that respect, he might have gotten knocked out. You also have to realize that he knew he had a title shot waiting for him — so long as he didn’t lose. Knowing that, why shouldn’t have Fitch exercised a degree of caution? What motive did he have to take risks?

The problem is that the UFC needs to stop awarding title shots to fighters when an immediate title shot isn’t ready. They told Fitch he had a shot waiting and apparently Karo Parisyan had been told the same. They told Arlovski he had a shot waiting for him if he could beat Werdum. They told Rich Franklin he had a rematch vs. Silva so long as he didn’t lose to Yushin Okami. Stop the madness! Just have title eliminators. Have a fight between the two top contenders below the number one contender (who should already be signed to fight for the title) and make it clear the winner will get a title shot within five months (so they can get paid and not be tempted to take another fight while waiting), barring injury. When you do that then fighters have something they have to win as opposed to something they have to try and not lose.

Kudos to UFC VP of Talent Relations Joe Silva for bringing a prospect like Wilson in and making this fight. Wilson is going to be a player at 170 pounds in the UFC.

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

For me, UFC 82 was a good show. Nothing great, but nothing terrible either. I didn’t feel like I got more than my money’s worth, but I certainly don’t feel cheated either.

The main theme for me coming out of last night’s show is the brilliance of Anderson Silva. He officially cleaned out the UFC’s middleweight division last night when he somehow managed to finish Dan Henderson with a rear naked choke — something that might never happen against to Henderson.

I would have loved for the fight to have gone a full five rounds because I was expecting a war and was disappointed in that regard.

I’ll have more on the fights later, but I wanted to give my thoughts on the overall production.

First, I’ve got to give credit to the broadcast team. I’ve been critical of Mike Goldberg the past few shows but he was solid last night. My only issue with him last night is that I heard a little too much of “It’s all over!” People bash Mauro Ranallo for using too much hyperbole, but I appreciate the creativity. It would be nice to hear Goldberg add a few new lines into his rotation.

But the star of the night was Joe Rogan on color. Does Dana White give out bonuses to the broadcasters? If so, Rogan earned one last night. His analysis was on point and he was very fluid and concise in explaining everything. I especially liked his analysis during the Heath Herring fight when Herring kept giving Kongo his back while going for an arm and trying to roll into a Kimura.

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

I was not able to attend UFC 82 live, however, thanks to “Mr. Sunshine” Steve Cofield, who recorded the audio, I was able to listen to the post-fight press conference online. I highly recommend you go to Cofield’s blog and listen to all the post-fight audio he accumulated while doing his post-show wrap on ESPN 920 in Las Vegas.

Here are the notable comments from the post-fight press conference:

- The official attendance for the event was 16,431 for a live gate of $2.2 million. UFC President Dana White said he loves having fights in Columbus.

- White awarded $120,000 in bonuses to unified middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Silva and former PRIDE welterweight champion Dan Henderson received the bonus for “Fight of the Night” and then Silva also received the award for “Submission of the Night.” The bonus money Silva received is in addition to his guarantee and his win bonus. White awarded the $60,000 “Knockout of the Night” bonus to Chris Leben for his first round TKO over Alessio Sakara.

- Henderson was not at the post-fight press conference. White indicated that he felt the main event “delivered.” In regards to Henderson, White later added that he feels he belongs at 185 pounds.

- White revealed that the UFC officially offered UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture a fight with UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira but that Couture has yet to respond. A reported pointed out that they already offered Couture the fight but White said that they hadn’t offered it to him since Nogueira won the interim title. Again, White said he feels Couture should honor his contract and fight Nogueira because he believes he owes Nogueira the opportunity to fight him because Tim Sylvia gave Couture the same opportunity a year ago.

- A big theme during the press conference was White’s stumping for Silva to be recognized by pundits as the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He stated at one point that anyone who believes otherwise is “out of their mind.” Later in the press conference he went after the Internet media in regards to Silva, referring to them as “knucklehead websites.” Later on he said that he feels that the reason more sites don’t recognize Silva as the pound-for-pound number and rank Fedor in that spot is out of their hatred for him. He said, “You’re a clown if you rank Fedor number one.” He did not name a website in particular.

While the comment was directed at any of the sites I am involved with, I’d like to entertain the comment. While I don’t take what White says personally, I simply don’t agree that Silva is the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world. I have him number two, behind Georges St. Pierre. Silva is the better striker, has better submissions off his back, and is more consistent from fight-to-fight. However, St. Pierre’s striking is world class, his submissions from the top are better, and he’s the far better wrestler. Physically, I can find no weakness in GSP’s game. I do feel Silva still has a few, minor flaws to work out.

Also, I’d like to go on the record and state that I don’t hate Dana. In fact, I like the guy in many respects. While he will no longer grant me interviews because of my affiliation with ProElite.com, he was a true gentleman in all of my dealings with him prior. I have a lot of respect for what he’s done for this sport and thing he does a lot of things right. However, I do not feel he’s perfect and I’m not afraid to say when I think he’s wrong. My ranking of GSP over Silva is based on my sincere opinion and not personal politics. Again, I’m not taking White’s comments personally, I just felt some people might be interested in my comments. Besides, I don’t have Fedor ranked number one, so in his eyes I must not be a clown? Okay, I wouldn’t bet on that.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REMAINDER OF THIS ARTICLE, INCLUDING NOTES ON WHAT’S NEXT FOR ANDERSON SILVA; WHETHER JOSH KOSCHECK IS A FREE AGENT; IF JON FITCH WILL RECEIVE A WELTERWEIGHT TITLE SHOT; AND MUCH MORE!

Below are complete results from UFC 82.

Main Card:

• Anderson Silva submits (rear naked choke) Dan Henderson at 4:52 of round 2
• Heath Herring defeats Cheick Kongo by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
• Chris Leben defeats Alessio Sakara via TKO at 3:16 of round 1
• Yushin Okami knocked out (knee) Evan Tanner at 3:00 of round 2
• Jon Fitch over Chris Wilson via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

Preliminary Card:

• Andre Arlovski defeats Jake O’Brien via TKO (strikes) at 4:17 of round 2
• Luigi Fiorvanti defeats Luke Cummo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Josh Koscheck defeats Dustin Hazelett via TKO (strikes) at 1:24 of round 2
• Diego Sanchez submits (strikes) David Bielkheden at 4:43 of round 1
• Jorge Gurgel defeats John Halverson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Special Note: New Hall of Fame inductee Mark Coleman was interviewed by Joe Rogan and revealed he is not retired and has been re-signed by the UFC to fight Brock Lesnar in August.

Check back tomorrow for my analysis and breakdown of the card. I’ll say this; I am really excited by the Coleman vs. Lesnar matchup.

Read more UFC 82 content on FiveOuncesOfPain.com!

Wow, I actually have some free time right now, which means I have time to think. So I decided to put my thoughts into written word.

Here’s what’s on my mind:

- If Andrei Arlovski knocks out Jake O’Brien in vicious fashion, will he be eligible for the knockout of the night bonus? Just pondering that scenario makes it obvious why so many fighters and managers hate the arbitrary nature of the UFC’s locker room bonuses. Let’s just say Arlovski knocks out O’Brien in highlight reel fashion but Cheick Kongo does the same to Heath Herring. Who do you think is going to get that fat $45,000-$60,000 bonus? Politics could be a factor.

- It’s really starting to frustrate me that I won’t be able to see Arlovski tonight. I’m going to be paying $49.95 for the HD feed yet politics will still prevent me from getting to see one of the best heavyweights in the world? And speaking of HD, I watched “Strikeforce at the Dome” last night (the DVR might be the greatest invention ever), and while I saw a lot of production flaws, the camera angles were great and the picture was extremely crisp. It just seems like the resolution for an HDNet telecast in high-definition (yes, I realize, every show on HDNet is in HD) is much higher than the UFC’s HD telecasts on pay-per-view (the resolution appears better on Spike TV telecasts). I just get the feeling the UFC is charging for HD without having fully invested into the technology. Also, am I the only one whose screen looks like there is static when the lights from the ceiling rotate when they do a closeup of the cage just before the fighters enter?

- If Anderson Silva is only able to win in close fashion tonight, then I think chances are good that we’ll see an immediate rematch between him and Dan Henderson. And should Henderson win, as I am predicting, then we’ll definitely see an immediate rematch because there simply is not enough top-level depth in the UFC’s middleweight division. There are a lot of intriguing prospects coming up but few top-level contenders. That being said, Henderson vs. Rich Franklin is an intriguing matchup, don’t you think?

- Tonight it will be the UFC middleweight title vs. the PRIDE welterweight title. I was a guest on JarryPark.com earlier this week to discuss UFC 82 and host Ariel Helwani asked me about the significance of the PRIDE belt and I said there really is none. Let’s face it, the PRIDE brand has been buried by the UFC. Tonight’s “unification” match might mean something if the winner would be allowed to bring both belts with him to the cage for his next fight, just like they do in boxing when a couple holds multiple titles. I have to admit, it does look pretty cool in boxing when a guy is walking in and needs three handlers just to make sure everyone can see his titles.

- I hear a lot of people complaining about the price point for the Yahoo! PPV stream of UFC 82. I can’t speak for Yahoo!, but I’m sure they’d love to charge less for it to give people an incentive to buy their stream as opposed to the PPV telecast. But let’s think logically here for a second. The UFC needs to preserve strong business relations with the PPV industry and allowing Yahoo! to sell the same product for less wouldn’t make PPV distributors too happy now, would it? Not to mention, the short-term goal isn’t to market PPV streams to the masses. The idea is to build on the concept for the future. The hope is that down the line when the technology becomes easier for people to watch content downloaded to their computers on their televisions that they will have the infrastructure for pay streaming completely built. I keep hearing a lot about content providers (i.e. cable channels) looking for ways to eliminate the middle man (i.e. cable and satellite companies and PPV distributors) in order to increase profits. Basically, the UFC’s deal with Yahoo! isn’t for now, but for the future. I don’t think the UFC is going to be put off by the idea of you refusing to buy the Internet stream, so long as you still buy the PPV.

- Normally I’m not comfortable talking about other men’s physiques, but during the weigh-ins yesterday Diego Sanchez looked about as muscular as he did when he first entered the UFC. Which is a good thing because he needs that upper-body strength to make sure he can impose his will. Diego also looked a little zany walking around on stage. I think Diego is at his best when he’s at his craziest.

- I read on the Wrestling Observer’s website that tonight’s fight is the last on Josh Koscheck’s UFC contract. I know his deal was coming close to expiring, but I didn’t know his fight vs. Dustin Hazelett was his last one. If the Observer is correct, it will be interesting to see what Koscheck’s market value is. He’s a tremendous athlete, knows how to work a crowd, and has excellent name recognition value because of his turn on the first season of TUF and having fought in so many high-profile TV matches. However, not all of his fights have been the most exciting.

- Do you know what annoys me more than anything else in the world? It’s “Kids Songs.” If you don’t have a child under the age of 12, you probably have no idea what I’m talking about. But there’s some company that buys the rights to top 40 songs and re-records them with kids singing them. Thank god my eight-year old is just as annoyed by the concept as me but the commercials alone make me want to put my first through my TV. If I was in a band and my record label attempted to allow my art to be butchered in such a manner, it might drive me to murder.

- You know what else is annoying me? I keep reading that Chris Wilson left the IFL for the UFC. Incorrect. Wilson fought for BodogFIGHT before signing a contract with the UFC and agreeing to fight Jon Fitch.

- Remember to check out our chat tonight during the PPV and to tune in to hear Adam Morgan on “Any Given Saturday” right after the show!

I will be joining Luke Thomas of Bloody Elbow after the fights are over to break down the action from UFC 82 on his radio show, Any Given Saturday. I will be on location at the event so I’ll be giving Luke an idea of what the live experience was like for this huge event. Any Given Saturday is LIVE and takes YOUR phone calls, so give us a ring and tell us what you thought of the middleweight clash between Dan Henderson and Anderson Silva.

WHEN: 1 a.m. ET tonight, directly after UFC 82

WHERE: Any Given Saturday LIVE with Luke Thomas of Bloody Elbow

Number to Call: 646-478-5091

Steve Cofield was at the UFC 82 press conference on Thursday and had a chance to ask Dana White some questions about his thoughts on the EliteXC/CBS deal (at the 5:30 mark) and the Jon Koppenhaver legal situation (at the 10:55 mark). Click on the player below to listen.

Also, here’s the video from the Anheuser-Busch announcement:

Not only does host Brian Kenney ask UFC commentator Joe Rogan about tonight’s main event, but he also asks him about the EliteXC/CBS deal as well as the possibility of Fedor vs. Randy Couture outside of the UFC. You’re going to gain even more respect for Rogan when you hear his answers.

Read more UFC 82 content on FiveOuncesOfPain.com

All fighters made weight today for tomorrow’s UFC 82: Pride of a Champion. It was a fairly uneventful weigh in with the highlights being the love given to both Andrei Arlovski and Evan Tanner.

You can watch the weigh-in right here, or just read the results below:

The official results are as follows:

Main Card

Preliminary Card

Read more UFC 82 content on FiveOuncesOfPain.com

CLICK HERE for more UFC 82 content from 5 Oz. of Pain!

CLICK HERE for more UFC 82 content from 5 Oz. of Pain!

As usual, the staff of 5 Oz. will be giving you their picks and reasons why each fighter will win their fight at UFC 82: Pride of a Champion. Let’s waste no time and get right to it.

Sam Caplan’s picks are available on CBSSports.com. Click here to view them.

Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson (185 lbs. title fight)

Adam Morgan: I like Dan Henderson in this fight and I’ll tell you why. Anderson Silva has fought opponents that have complimented his devastating style and he’s never fought a wrestler on Henderson’s level. Silva has a weakness and it’s his wrestling game. Travis Lutter took him down and mounted him. Rich Franklin took him down but was unable to keep him there. Henderson is a better wrestler than both of those guys combined. To think that an Olympic caliber wrestler like Dan won’t be able to take Silva down and also keep him there is silly. Add in the fact that Henderson has proven that he has the cardio to go five rounds with a world class fighter and Silva hasn’t even been a full three rounds in the UFC and I give this one to Dan Henderson via TKO, round three.

Sam Cupitt: You have to love this fight. So many unknowns and intriguing little contests gives this fight the potential to be one of the best technical fights of all time. This fight, to me, will be won or lost depending on how confident Henderson is in his ability to stand with Silva. “Hollywood” Henderson has a habit of getting himself into ill-advised slugfests, mainly because he has so much power in his right hand and so much faith in what to this point has been a slab of granite for a chin. Standing with “the Spider” is the wrong way to go. Henderson needs to be relentless with takedown after takedown and not get lured into Silva’s game. Unfortunately for Henderson, that will be something he just can’t do. I foresee Silva getting taken down a few times but while on the feet he will constantly pepper Henderson with body shots and leg attacks until late in the third round where he will setup a fight ending flurry on the back of something crazy, like a flying knee. Anderson Silva via TKO, Round 3.

Ben Fowlkes: Silva has looked almost superhuman in his last few fights, but Henderson presents a different kind of challenge. At middleweight, few people can rival Hendo’s strength, not to mention his raw tenacity. He might be perfectly suited to take advantage of Silva’s poor takedown defense, though takedowns alone rarely win a fight.
Henderson will need to fight smart and wear Silva down, and I think he’ll do it. Henderson by decision or late TKO.

Ram Maramba: It’s difficult to separate my Hendo fanboy thoughts from any sober predictions. This one is as difficult to pick as the Sylvia/Nogueira bout for the same reasons: we know what each guy can do, but we don’t know how they’ll react stylistically when they meet in the cage. Henderson’s wrestling and power will be to his advantage, but in short stretches Silva has the strength in his deceptive frame to keep from getting tossed around. Henderson’s chin is legendary, but Silva is one of the few men on Earth who can tag him and tag him good. There’s a lot of talk about controlling range with the Thai clinch or Greco-Roman clinch, which I think is a moot point. Regardless of the space, Silva has an answer in his arsenal of strikes. Silva is slippery on the ground, as he proved when he swept Lutter out of the mount. Still, Henderson’s well-rounded game will keep Silva guessing and will render him either reacting or playing defense, especially in the later rounds. Silva has varied advantages wherever the fight goes, but he’ll have a hard time finding his all-important rhythm against Henderson’s ability to stay comfortable as the fight moves around. This is Henderson’s fight to lose; as long as he fights his game and maintains his tenacity and keeps Silva guessing, Hendo will pull out the decision win.

Mike MacLeod: It goes without saying that Dan Henderson is an exceptional fighter. One doesn’t win simultaneous titles in two weight classes without being something extremely special. And one would think that he would be more dominant in the leighter class of his two championships. But this will just demonstrate how elite Anderson Silva is. As we have seen time and time again, Silva will pick apart his opponent and then land devastating strikes. This will be no different. Silva by KO in the 2nd round.

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Normally when I write this style of article, it generates a lot of controversy.

In this isolated case, I’m not sure how anyone can raise an issue with prediction of a Dan Henderson victory over Anderson Silva this Saturday at UFC 82. Just like I can’t raise an issue with someone for picking Silva to beat Henderson.

If this was an NFL game, it would be a pick ‘em. It’s a matchup with a potential outcome that could go either way. If Silva and Henderson fought ten times, they’d each win five. Blah, blah, blah. You get all the cliche’s. But my point is that this is a very even matchup and for anyone planning to do their “I told you so” song and dance after the outcome is official, you need to grow up. This isn’t a fight where you’ll be able to fault anyone who ended up picking the loser. Instead, you should be giving someone the credit for having the stones to make a pick.

It would be real easy for me or anyone else to recuse ourselves from making a prediction by saying “Oh, this one is just too close to call.” But where’s the fun in that? So I decided to “man up” last week and take a sobering look at this matchup. My conclusion is that it’s Silva’s Thai clinch vs. Henderson’s Greco Roman body lock.

And I’m taking the body lock.

The key in this match will be who can control the distance. Silva needs to make sure that he keeps Henderson away from him during the initial portion of the fight. If Henderson can close the distance without paying too steep of a price and lock Silva up, then Silva’s greatest weapons will be neutralized. Silva needs space to operate.

Yes, there isn’t a lot of space in the clinch, and area in which Silva excels at, but he’ll need to stay loose during the beginning portion of the match. Trying to crowbar the clinch in against a naturally strong athlete such as Henderson isn’t advisable. He’s going to need to break Henderson down first before he tries to impose his will and close the distance and in turn go in for the kill.

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

We will be bringing you our coverage of UFC 82 this weekend with our patented LIVE chat , plus we’ll be updating the fight results as they happen. Five Ounces of Pain will be your destination for everything UFC 82 this weekend so keep this page bookmarked and be sure to join other 5 Oz. readers, staff, and other MMA fans on Saturday!

WHEN: Saturday, March 1st, 2008 - UFC 82 - Chat will start at 9 PM ET

WHAT: UFC 82 Live Results and Chat!

MAIN CARD
• CHAMPION Anderson Silva def. Dan Henderson (UFC Middleweight Title) via Rear Naked Choke (tapout) Rd 2 (12 secs left in round)
• Heath Herring def. Cheick Kongo via Split Decision.
• Chris Leben def. Alessio Sakara via TKO (Strikes) Rd 1.
  
• Yushin Okami def. Evan Tanner via Knockout (Knee to head) Rd 2.
• Jon Fitch def. Chris Wilson via Unanimous Decision.

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Andrei Arlovski def. Jake O’Brien via TKO (Strikes from the mount) Rd 2.
• Luigi Fioravanti def. Luke Cummo via Unanimous Decision.
• Josh Koscheck def. Dustin Hazelett via TKO (head kick, then strikes) Rd 2.
• Diego Sanchez def. David Bielkheden via Submission (Strikes) Rd 1.
• Jorge Gurgel def. John Halverson via Unanimous Decision.