Kimbo Slice vs. Seth Petruzelli rematch rumored for K-1 Dynamite!! 2008

Okay, I can see where this makes some sense. If you know anything about Japanese MMA you know that they like freakshows. I would say that Kimbo Slice, while trying to be a legit MMA fighter, qualifies as a freakshow in Japan. Right along the lines of Bob Sapp. And Seth Petruzelli, is well, not a draw there at all but Kimbo sure would be. Bob Sapp is a freaking god over there and he’s just awful at MMA. His looks, his personality, and his charisma make him popular. It has nothing to do with his skill or lack thereof. Kimbo in Japan is what makes the most sense for him right now even if he has to fight Petruzelli again. We all know that Kimbo will more than likely lose to Petruzelli a second time but his aura and his personality will do him wonders in Japan, win or lose.

Mirko Cro Cop’s nuts are okay, set to fight Alistair Overeem on New Year’s Eve

According to a recent interview, Cro Cop is back to training and getting ready for a fight with the man who made mincemeat out of his testicles (particuarly the right one), Alistair Overeem. Now I have no doubt that not only will we not see the Cro Cop of old but we won’t even see the same Cro Cop we saw in the last fight. Overeem, if he can keep from kneeing the Croatian square in the nuts, should be able to control this fight just like the last one. Cro Cop has admitted that his knee is injured and will need surgery immediately after the fight so what makes him think he’ll be able to defeat Overeem on a bum knee? Overeem should be able to effectively take Cro Cop down and beat him in the face or submit him rather easily. I know Cro Cop wants to avenge his nuts but he’s in for a beating, folks.

Patrick Cote thinks he messed Anderson Silva up bad

If you saw the interview with Patrick Cote where he basically said that he “f-cked Silva up” then you’ll recognize not only the fact that Patrick Cote is a terrible liar but that he’s also hammered. And bragging that you took Anderson Silva into the third round is really the most ridiculous thing to gloat about. You didn’t take Anderson Silva into the thrid, round. Anderson Silva took you to the third round. In fact, he practically carried you there. If Cote doesn’t think Anderson Silva could have ended the fight at practically any moment then he’s nuts. You didn’t get the better of Silva, you were behind on the scorecards, and you definitely do not deserve a rematch. End of story.

Anderson Silva wants to fight on November 15, Chuck Liddell fight rumored

Whoa, calm down Andy. November 15 might be pushing it a bit. We know you’re game for it and came away from the fight with Patrick Cote unscathed but finding an opponent with the balls to fight you on three weeks notice is next to impossible. I mean Brandon Vera wouldn’t fight Machida on short notice. What makes you think anyone, besides James Irvin again, would fight you on November 15? Chill out, take your time off, revel in the fact that you’re a badass and then come back at light heavyweight and start tearing fools apart at 205 lbs. It only makes sense and the rumored fight with Chuck Liddell would not only be a big payday but also an opportunity to show the world that you’re a very legitimate threat at 205 lbs. If Anderson Silva fights Liddell do you think there’s anyone, besides a hardcore Liddell fan, picking Chuck to win that fight? Not a chance. Destroy Chuck and start on a path for two titles, that’s the next logical step for Silva.

That does it for this week’s edition of Sprawl ‘N Brawl. The news this week is slim but things are going to heat up here in the next couple of weeks as we ramp up for Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture at UFC 91. Keep it tuned to Five Ounces of Pain for all your MMA news and rumors!

Anderson Silva was delaying the inevitable

Unlike my colleague Sam Caplan, I truly believe that Anderson Silva was toying with Patrick Cote last night. Was he also being cautious? Yes. Anything can happen in a mixed martial arts bout and Cote is a fighter with knockout power that’s not to be tested. However, it seemed than when Silva chose to engage and bring pressure that Cote was there for the taking but Silva never chose to finish it. We’ve seen Silva fool around in the cage before but not to the degree that he was last night. He realized he was in there with a fighter who wasn’t even on his level and decided to fool with him for a couple of rounds. I’ll make no judgement on whether that’s right or wrong. It is what it is.

The fact that Cote went down with an injury is unfortunate but there is nothing to suggest that had the injury not happened that things would have turned around. Silva clearly won both of the first rounds and likely would have finished it in round three or four. In no way does Patrick Cote deserve a rematch. As many have pointed out, Silva only has five fights left on his contract. Do we really want to see him fight Cote again in one of those five fights?

Anderson Silva needs to move to light heavyweight

The man has cleaned out the middleweight division with the exception of a rematch with Yushin Okami and that’s a fight that not only won’t sell pay per views but will more than likely end poorly for Okami. It’s not a compelling and competitive matchup. Silva has proven that he can compete and win at light heavyweight and that’s where the most intriguing and challening matchups are going to be for him down the road. Pitting Silva versus any top ten light heavyweight in the UFC will sell pay per views. Matching him up against the Patrick Cotes of the world will not. Dana White is letting B.J. penn compete for two titles at the same time so why not Silva?

Thiago Alves has established himself as the clear #1 contender at 170 lbs.

The win over Josh Koscheck last night was a very impressive one. Koscheck looked the best that we have ever seen him and Alves was able to handle his takedowns and his striking with relative ease. Just the sheer size of Alves is going to make him a problem for any fighter in the 170 lbs. division and that includes Georges St. Pierre. The guy is cutting from 200 lbs. to get down to 170 and he was just so much more massive than Koscheck last night. He can power out of takedown attempts with pure strength and size. The way he picked apart Koscheck with leg kicks was textbook and he will present a real threat to the welterweight title once he gets his shot. As for Koscheck, he deserves a ton of respect for stepping up on short notice and fighting the fight he did. He proved last night that he belongs at the top of the welterweight class but Alves proved to be just too much for him.

Junior dos Santos proved his worth in his UFC debut

Wow, what a knockout. Was there a single part of his fist that didn’t crush into Werdum’s face? I mean every single inch of his fist seemed to hit Werdum square in the nose. Brutal, brutal knockout. This was a no-win situation for Werdum as if he won it was a fight that he should have won anyways and if he lost then people would say that he’s not as good as people were saying. The latter is what you’re hearing a lot of today. Werdum’s standup is improved but it ended up being his demise last night. As for dos Santos, he proved that he belongs in the UFC but let’s wait and see him fight a couple more times before we crown him the next big thing.

Sean Sherk vs. Tyson Griffin II needs to happen

This fight was so entertaining and it was a great way to open up the main card of the event. These guys were so evenly matched that it was hard for it not to be a great fight and they exceeded expectations. As it happens sometimes, when you throw two wrestlers against one another you end up with a kickboxing match. It just so happens that these guys are great kickboxers as well as wrestlers and we were treated to a striking clinic over the cours of three rounds. Both of these guys are established top five lightweights in the UFC and a rematch needs to happen sooner than later. If B.J. Penn beats St. Pierre and stays at 170 lbs. how about matching these guys up for five rounds for the vacant title?

Other musings..

• Gray Maynard, while not the most exciting fighter, is a legitimate lightweight and passed his toughest test to date by beating Rich Clementi in convincing fashion. Clementi was riding a hot streak and Maynard completely controlled him and made Clementi fight where Maynard wanted the fight to take place. As he develops into a more well rounded fighter he will be a name to watch at 155 lbs.
• Does Josh Burkman have a place in the UFC anymore? He’s now lost three straight fights to Mike Swick, Dustin Hazelett, and now Pete Sell. Burkman’s style isn’t exciting and he’s losing fights. I think the UFC lets him get some more fights under his belt outside of the promotion before coming back.
• The Chicago crowd was terrible. I’ve heard some poor crowds before but Chicago was right up there with one of the worst. The booing was terrible during almost every fight. If a punch wasn’t being thrown there was booing. Money talks and obviously the live gate was huge but the way the crowd acted last night they don’t deserve another event.
• Why is Drew McFedries still in the UFC? Because he either knocks someone out or gets finished quickly? I understand keeping fighters on the roster who make fights exciting but McFedries is B level talent and that may be generous.
• Overall I thought the show was a good one except for the main event. It wasn’t on the level of UFC 84 or anything but it was entertaining with some good fights. Overall I give it a B.

The strong house allowed the UFC to ramp up its “Fight Night” bonuses from last week’s UFC 89 event, which paid out $40,000 per bonus. Last night, Sean Sherk, Tyson Griffin, Spencer Fisher, and newcomer Junior dos Santos were all UFC 90 “Fight Night” bonus recipients and each received $65,000 in addition to their guaranteed pay.

Coming into last night’s heavyweight clash with dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum appeared to be in the heavyweight title mix. In fact, UFC President Dana White went so far as to publicly guarantee Werdum a title shot following his first round TKO over Brandon Vera at UFC 85 this past June. Those plans were altered upon heavyweight champion Randy Couture’s decision to return to the UFC and after last night’s tilt vs. dos Santos, those plans may be a distant memory.

Based largely on his world glass jiu-jitsu credentials as well as his vast experience competing in big fights for both the UFC and PRIDE, Werdum entered last night’s fight as the heavy favorite. However, dos Santos stunned Werdum and the odds-makers after landing a vicious right uppercut and finishing Werdum at 1:21 of round 1. The punch earned dos Santos the 65K “Knockout of the Night” bonus.

Fisher’s lightweight battle vs. Shannon Gugerty was not a part of the main card, however, his triangle choke with just one minute and four seconds remaining in the fight was good enough to earn him “Submission of the Night” honors.

Sherk and Griffin both are known for being outstanding wrestlers, which led some to believe that there was a possibility that the two might not be able to come together for an exciting fight. However, both Sherk and Griffin chose not to test each other’s mat skills and instead worked their kickboxing for virtually the entire 15 minutes of their fight. While it was Sherk who walked away the winner with the unanimous decision victory, both fighters walked away with “Fight of the Night” honors. The bonus marked the fourth time in seven career UFC fights in which Griffin has earned the FOTN honor.

It appeared as if Cote tweaked the knee during the second round while engaging with Silva but was able to shake it off and continue the round. During the opening moments of the third, however, the knee gave out on Cote and he was unable to continue the fight, awarding a disappointed Anderson Silva a TKO victory.

Before the accident Silva was more or less toying with Cote for the first two rounds, picking his spots and delivering vicious strikes almost at will when he wanted to, landing a nasty head kick, a vicious knee, and a straight left that rocked Cote’s head backward. Cote was unable to land anything significant but came out of the first two rounds almost unscathed except for a small cut on his forehead.

Both fighters were visibly disappointed with the outcome as Anderson Silva clearly wanted to finish the fight the right way and Cote was upset that his opportunity to shock the world had been taken from him due to an injury and not because Silva took it from him. There is no word on whether a rematch will take place at this point but it would seem only fair to both fighters, especially seeing as how Cote survived for two rounds against the sport’s most dangerous fighter.

In other action on the card, Thiago Alves won a unanimous decision victory over a very game Josh Koscheck. Alves caught Koscheck early on with a left hook that landed behind Koscheck’s ear and dropped him. It appeared that Alves might be able to finish from there but Koscheck was able to recover quickly and fight Alves tooth and nail until the end. Alves was able to pepper Koscheck’s legs with devastating leg kicks throughout the fight and also fended off all of Koscheck’s takedown attempts. It was an impressive win for Alves over a very legitimate welterweight contender. Alves proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is the clear cut number one contender for the 170 lbs. title in the UFC.

Gray Maynard was able to secure a unanimous decision victory over Rich Clementi in the third fight on the main card, using his outstanding wrestling ability to smother the crafty Clementi. Clementi never really threatened during the fight, on the feet or standing, and Maynard was able to take him down at will and neutralize Clementi’s ground game. The Chicago fans, who thought the fight was boring, booed Maynard during the decision and he apologized to them for a boring fight during the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.

Junior Dos Santos shocked most of the MMA world in defeating Fabricio Werdum in the opening moments of the first round. Dos Santos landed an absolutely crushing uppercut right on Werdum’s nose that dropped the Chute Boxe fighter to the ground. From there Dos Santos pounced on Werdum and landed a couple more shots before the referee stepped in to stop the fight. Impressive UFC debut against a heavyweight who was widely considered one of the best heavyweights in the world.

During the event’s opening bout on the main card, Sean Sherk bounced back from his loss against B.J. Penn, winning a unanimous decision victory over Tyson Griffin in what went down as one of the best fights of the evening. Griffin and Sherk traded blow for blow in the standup game because neither fighter was effectively able to take the other fighter down and keep them there. Sherk was able to take Griffin down a couple of times but was never able to keep him there. Griffin was always able to get back to his feet, shrug Sherk off him, and away they went with the kickboxing match. The two fighters seemed to be almost mirror images of one another and that made for a great fight with lots of striking action. Sherk did enough with the takedowns and his standup to come away with the decision.

The official results of the card are below:

Pete Sell def. Josh Burkman Decision (Unanimous)
Hermes Franca def. Marcus Aurelio Decision (Unanimous)
Dan Miller def. Matt Horwich Decision (Unanimous)
Spencer Fisher def. Shannon Gugerty Submission (Triangle Choke) 3 3:56
Thales Leites def. Drew McFedries Submission (Rear Naked choke) 1 1:18
Sean Sherk def. Tyson Griffin Decision (Unanimous)
Junior dos Santos def. Fabricio Werdum KO (Punches) 1 1:21
Gray Maynard def. Rich Clementi Decision (Unanimous)
Thiago Alves def. Josh Koscheck Decision (Unanimous)
Anderson Silva def. Patrick Cote TKO (Injured knee) 3 0:39

The main event of the evening features UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva as he takes on Canadian Patrick Cote.

In other action late replacement Josh Koscheck will face off with Thiago Alves in the welterweight showdown. Also former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk will battle up and coming superstar Tyson Griffin in a much anticipated lightweight match.

Hit F5 on your keyboard to refresh, as play-by-play is updated in real time. Feel Free to join in the discussion in our comments section.

Josh Burkman vs. Pete Sell
Round 1-Mike Reid is the referee for this fight. Burkman gets a low kick countered by a right hand from Pete Sell. Drago tries for a takedown but Josh cancels that and they clinch. Burkman gets a good right hook that hurts Pete. Josh then gets the takedown and is in half guard. He lands several elbows. Burkman gets Sell’s right arm and holds it with his left leg but is unable to do anything. Drago gets the arm free and gets full guard. The referee stands them up. The clinch up against the cage and Sell goes for a takedown which Burkman whizzered out of. First round ends. 10-9 Burkman

Round 2-The round starts off with both fighters throwing jabs and straights but none doing damage. Drago is able to land a right and tries for a double leg takedown but Burkman says no way. Josh lands a jab that sends Sell backwards. Burkman gets in a body kick about 1/2 way through the round. They clinch then separate. Pete gets a left to Burkman’s midsection. Sell gets in a few more shots. Pete gets a nice over hand right to Burkman’s midsection. Josh is throwing wild shots. Drago throws only to miss and Burkman gets the takedown. Round two over. 10-9 Sell

Round 3-Pete Sell comes out with a swollen right eye. Josh Burkman lands with a knee to the body of Drago. They clinch. Drago attempts a takedown but Burkman says it is not gonna happen. Both fighters exchange a few punches. Burkman goes for a takedown but Sell stuffs it. Sell gives Josh a left jab to the chin. Pete is able to land several more quick shots before Burkman gets the takedown, but Sell finds himself on top. Sell sets up the guillotine but the buzzer sounds ending the fight. 10-9 Sell

Unanimous Decision-Pete Sell 29-28

Hermes Franca vs. Marcus Aurelio
Round 1- The referee in charge of this bout is Todd Frederickson. The tension is thick and the referee  has to separate them before the fight even starts due to Franca bumping Aurelio while passing by him inside the Octagon.  The action begins with Franca going for a flying knee that misses but he is able to land a low kick. Franca is able to get in kicks to Aurelio’s lower legs and thighs. Marcus misses with several shots before landing a nice jab. Franca gets in another kick answered with a right by Aurelio. The first round closes out with more kicks from Franca. 10-9 Franca.

Round 2-Franca comes out in round 2 with more kicks. Marcus is throwing fists but nothing really doing any damage. Hermes is counters with a nice combo: left jab,right cross, and then a low kick. Aurelio sets up a combo that connects but not much damage from it. Both fighters exchange but no solid shots from either. They exchange again with both fighters landing decent shots. Round two ends with a hard low kick from Franca. 10-9 Franca.

Round 3-Round three starts off with Franca again throwing leg kicks. The kicks are getting to Aurelio and he is visibly frustrated. Aurelio shoots for a takedown but is unable to get it. When Franca throws another kick Aurelio is able to catch it and get the takedown. Marcus passes to half guard and lands several strikes. Franca is able to get guard and then stand. As Franca is getting to his feet Aurelio lands a knee to Franca’s head. Referee Fredrickson stops the fighters and says it was an illegal knee. Replays seem to show that it was a legal knee. The fight resumes with Franca landing a leg kick. Aurelio tries for a single leg takedown and they end up in the clinch. The separate and Franca throws a combo that misses. The round ends. 10-9 Franca

Unanimous Decision Hermes Franca. 29-28, 29-28, 30-27.

Franca attempts to shake hands with Marcus Aurelio but Marcus refuses. Hermes then flips him off.

Dan Miller vs. Matt Horwich
Round 1- Referee Mike Reid is officiating this fight. Dan Miller starts off with a superman punch followed with a takedown. Miller is in full guard after Matt Horwich tries a leg lock. Matt then uses rubber guard to secure a gogoplata, and then an omaplata, neither work. Horwich gets guard and wants to use the cage to stand up. They scramble and Matt is on top after Miller shoots. Horwich ends up on his back . There is little going on and the fighters stand up. Miller lands a left jab and a right straight to the face of Matt Horwich. They go back to the ground and Horwich looks to secure another omaplata. The round ends. 10-9 Miller.

Round 2-Dan Miller gets a takedown but Horwich is able to get it back to standing and they clinch. Miller gets Horwich’s arm and falls to guard. Horwich uses rubber gurad to get an omaplata and is able to get on top and looks to pass guard. Dan now tries to use the rubber guard but with no results. The fighters scramble and Horwich is able to get Miller’s back. Matt locks in a body triangle and works on a rear naked choke. Miller is able to defend but ends up mounted. Horwich is able to land some ground and pound forcing Miller to give up his back. Horwich is working on a rear naked choke again as the round ends. 10-9 Horwich.

Round 3-Both fighters touch gloves to start round 3. Miller gets a takedown. Horwich uses rubber guard and attempts another omaplata. Miller is able to pass but only for a moment. Horwich secures full guard. Horwich has his back against the cage and just seems to sit there. Miller then is able to get several strike in. They continue on the ground staying active but nothing really going on. Dan Miller lands several punches cutting Horwich under the right eye. Round 3 ends as Horwich landed a upkick. 10-9 Miller.

Unanimous Decision Dan Miller. Scored 29-28 by all 3 judges.

Spencer Fisher vs. Shannon Gugerty
Round 1-Gugerty starts round 1 with an attempt to takedown Spencer Fisher. Shannon gets double under hooks and is able to take Fisher down. Once there, Gugerty is not able to do anything from the top position and loses it as Fisher is able to stand. There is a little dirty boxing against the cage and Gugerty tries for another takedown. Gugerty lands a knee to the stomach of Spencer Fisher. The fighters clinch and separate. Spencer connects with a big right hand that drops Shannon Gugerty. Fisher lets him get up and throws again. The 1st round ends with Fisher ground and pounding Gugerty. 10-9 Fisher.

Round 2-Gugerty starts out round 2 with a high kick that misses and causes him to slip and fall. He gets up and the two fighters clinch. Fisher gets Gugerty’s back up against the cage. They separate. A little bit of dirty boxing then Gugerty throws a low right kick just as Fisher misses with a right hand. Fisher gets the takedown and Gugerty looks for a guillotine. Gugerty stands while still holding the choke. He lets go of the choke and throws a flurry of punches. Fisher eats several of these to the face but Spencer is able to block two high kicks that followed. The round ends. 10-9 Gugerty.

Round 3- The 3rd round starts out with the fighters in the clinch. Gugerty gets the takedown but Fisher is able to lock in a deep triangle. Gugerty’s face is beet red but he is giving the referee the thumbs up. Finally, 3:56 into the round Gugerty taps.

Winner- Spencer Fisher via triangle submission. 3:56 Round 3.

Thales Leites vs. Drew McFedries
Round 1-Referring this fight is Mark Fenell. The fight starts with a big right hand from Drew McFedries that stuns Leites. Thales is able to recover and gets a slam takedown. Once on the mat, Leites passes guard and gets McFedries’s back. Leites sinks in the hooks and gets the rear-naked choke. Referee Mike Fenell stops the contest at 1:18 in round 1. Winner via rear-naked choke submission-Thales Leites, 1:18 Round 1.

Sean Sherk vs. Tyson Griffin

Tyson Griffin walks in to Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger”. He seems calm.

Sean Sherk comes walks in to a rock song that I am not familiar with. He looks serious and ready!
Round 1-Referee in charge of the Octagon for this fight is David Smith. The fighters dance around feeling each other out. Sherk shoots and gets the takedown. He gets Tyson’s back and sinks in the choke while riding piggy back across the ring so Griffin could talk to his corner. Griffin shakes Sean loose. They are in the clinch and Griffin gets a few good knees in before Sherk takes him down. Griffin is able to stand and they are clinched against the cage. Referee tells them to work. Big right hand by Tyson. The go to the center of the cage and exchange. Sherk gets some nice shots in. Body shot by Griffin. They continue to exchange. Griffin gets in a head kick. Griffin shoots and Sean is able to stuff it. Sean spins and gets Tyson’s back. Griffin is able to get out. Good exchanges. Sherk’ stand up looks very good. Buzzer. Exciting Round! 10-9 Sherk.

Round 2-Sherk comes out and shoots and gets Griffin down with his back against the cage. Griffin stands up and they move to the center of the Octagon and exchange. Sherk throws a nice right hand. They are throwing for the fences! Sherk combo with the hands follows with a low kick. Griffin gets abouther good body shot. Griffin two low leg kicks. They both exchange hard hits. Back and forth. Sherk continues to throw nice uppercuts. Griffin is breathing hard with 1:20 left in the round. Sherk goes for a takedown but it doesn’t happen. They continue to exchange hard blows and kicks. Randy is in Griffin’s corner and you can hear him yelling to Griffin. The buzzer sounds. Great fight! The crowd is very into this fight.10-9 Griffin

Round 3- Griffin comes out throws some heat that stuns Sherk. They continue to exchange. They are both still throwing as hard as they can. Sherk nice uppercut followed by a high knee. Sherk came out in round three with cuts under both eyes. The left eye is more swollen than the right. Tyson’s face is also showing damage. They continue to exchange back and forth. Sherk’s nose is bleeding now. Sherk throws a nice combo. The crowd goes nuts at the 1:00 minute mark. Sherk good right hand. the both let loose with 20 seconds left. The buzzer rings. This was a super exciting fight. It is difficult to score but I score it in favor of Griffin.10-9 Griffin

The judges scored the fight: 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 for a Unanimous Decision. Winner-Sean Sherk.

The crowd booed very loudly with the decision. They continued to boo throughout Sherk’s interview with Joe Rogan. Very close fight.

Fabricio Werdum vs. Junior dos Santos
Round 1-Referee for this fight is Marc Fennell. Werdum starts the action with a low kick. Santos ends the fight suddenly with a huge right uppercut. Santos followed with two shots to the downed Werdum, but the fight was already over. Junior dos Santos via KO 1:20 Round 1.

Rich Clementi vs. Gray Maynard
Round 1-The referee in charge of the Octagon for this fight is Todd Fredrickson. The fighters come out and touch gloves. The first minute is spent feeling each other out. Maynard throws a nice right hand. The continue to dance around the cage. No Love gets in a high kick. At the 3:00 mark the crowd starts to boo at the lack of action. Maynard shoots but give it up and throws a knee. Maynard is swinging but missing. Maynard gets the takedown. The Bully is in Rich’s guard and is getting some body shots in. Clementi gets a few shots from bottom. The buzzer rings. 10-9 Maynard.

Round 2-Maynard shoots but Clementi is able to stuff it. Maynard gets the takedown and they scramble. Maynard gets a standing guillotine. Clementi is able to escape the hold and they go back to the ground with Clementi holding Maynard’s arm in a lock. Maynard was able to get out of that. Gray has Clementi in a neck hold but Rich has Gray’s leg. Maynard sweeps around and gets the back of No Love. They scramble and the round ends with Maynard on top. 10-9 Maynard.

Round 3-Maynard comes out and slams Clementi to the canvas. The referee Rich to tell the fighters to work. Clementi scrambles but Maynard is able to maintain top position. Rich gets some elbows to Gray’s head from the bottom. Maynard gets side control and moves to pass to the mount. Rich escapes out through Maynard’s legs. Maynard endures and gets the back of Rich Clementi. Rich scrambles up and Maynard gets a takedown. They are up and another take down by Maynard. Loud boos from the crowd with over :25 seconds left. Round 3 ends with Gray Maynard in the top position controlling the fight. 10-9 Maynard.

Winner via UD- Gray Maynard.

Josh Koscheck vs. Thiago Alves
Round 1-Bruce Buffer announces that the referee for this fight is Dr. David Smith. Alves gets a nice right jab in followed by a low kick. Kos slips while attempting a kick. Alves threw a juge right and knocks Kos down, hurting him. He continued after him with a combo and kick. Kos grabs Thiago’s leg and somehow is able to recover. He was rocked. Thiago throws a head kick and connects. Josh hits Alves with a good right straight. Kos gets another right and a body shot as well. Thiago gets a loud low kick. Kos shoots and has Thiago up against the cage in the clinch with 1:00 minute left. Thiago is able to move the fight back to the middle of the Octagon. The buzzer rings. The fighters tap gloves and head to their corners.10-9 Alves.

Round 2-Round 2 continues the stand up fight with Koscheck getting some good shots and kicks. They exchange and Kos gets a nice kick that backs Thiago up. Kos moves forward and gets a knee to the body of Thiago and they clinch. Alves throws two high kicks that connect but do not damage. Kicks by Kos in return. The crowd is growing louder over these leg kicks. Alves is continuing to throw hard kicks. Kos shoots for a takedown with a single leg. Thiago has stuffed it and they are clinched against the cage. The referee tells them to work. Koscheck has a body lock on Thiago, but Alves has underhooks in. The buzzer rings.10-9 Alves.

Round 3-The fighters come out and exchange low kicks. Alves drops Josh with two kicks. He jumps on Kos and they scramble. Koscheck is able to get free but he was hurt from that exchange. He is able to recover quickly. They continue the stand up exchange and Koscheck tells the referee that he was poked in the eye. The referee checks it out and then they go back to the fight. Next Thiago gets poked in the eye from a straight right. The referee restarts the fight with just over 90 seconds remaining. Thiago is pushing forward and is rocking Kos with kicks and a big knee to the head. More hard leg kicks and hard jabs and a right hook. The both start swinging with everything. The buzzer rings but the fighters do not hear it and continue the fight to the ground. The ref, Dr. David Smith grabs them and ends the fight. 10-9 Alves.

Winner by Unanimous Decision-Thiago Alves. Judges scored it: 30-27, 29-28, 30-27.
Anderson Silva vs. Patrick Cote

Cote comes in smiling and as though he hasn’t a care in the world. He interacts with the fans throughout the entire walk.

Silva dances and smiles coming in. He is holding his head high and sings along with his entrance music. He is very relaxed looking but yet you can see he is focused.
Round 1-The referee for the middleweight championship fight is Herb Dean. Cote swings and misses. The first minute shows no action. They continue to dance and size each other up. Silva inside leg kick, checked by Cote. Anderson with two nice leg kicks. Another is check. Cote responds with his own low kick. Cote high kick. Anderson switches his fight stance. Silva with a hard kick. Cote smiles. They both start to exaggerate their leg movements while mocking each other. Silva low kick. Cote switches his stance. Anderson ends the round with a high kick. The buzzer rings and both fighters bow to each other.

Round 2-Cote starts the round with an inside leg kick. Silva connects with a combination and just misses with a head kick. Cote answers with a spinning back fist that connects but doesn’t cause any damage. Silva gets a takedown against the fence. The Spider is able to get a few elbows through Cote’s guard and Cote gets an elbow to Silva’s head from the bottom. Silva stands and back away and then puts out his hand to help Cote get to his feet and resume the fight standing. Wow, what a gentleman. Anderson starts to throw his hands around to throw Cote off. Patrick shoots for a leg, and then shoots again with both fighters against the cage. Silva gets some knees in from the clinch before the round ends.

Round 3-Cote lands an overhand right and a leg kick to start off round 3. Patrick Cote pops out his right knee and falls to the mat. Patrick struggled to his feet in pain and intended to continue the fight. Referee Herb Dean told Cote that he was not able to continue. Winner via TKO 0:39 into Round 3-Anderson Silva.

The Fighters: Sean Sherk vs. Tyson Griffin

The Records: Sherk (32-3-1 MMA 5-3 UFC) Griffin (12-1 MMA 5-1 UFC)

How Sherk got here: Sherk is a veteran of almost ten years in MMA. He has a gaudy record but has earned it. Sherk had a sketchy start to his UFC career with two wins at UFC 36 and 39 before bringing his undefeated record into a title fight against Matt Hughes at the height of Hughes power. Sherk impressed many with his gutty five round decision loss to Hughes. Always undersized for welterweight, Sherk still posted some impressive wins after losing to Hughes. After gathering another nice win streak outside of the UFC, he was invited back to face Georges St Pierre. Sherk was dominated in the fight, but when one door closes another opens. The UFC decided to rekindle their lightweight division and Sherk finally decided to make the drop and start a run for the title. Sherk finally got his belt when he defeated Kenny Florian for the lightweight title at UFC 64. Unfortuantely he tested positive for steroids in his first title defense against Hermes Franca and had to serve a 6 month suspension as well as lose his title. Sherk attempted to re-win his title but was thumped hard by BJ Penn in their title fight.

How Griffin got here: Griffin is a very good young fighter who has improved at an exponential rate. Griffin has a strong wrestling background and originally started training MMA and BJJ with Dave Terrell. Terrell would often take Griffin with him to train at his teacher school, Cesar Gracie. Training with the Gracie team definitely improved his game and he continued to win, but give Tyson credit for realizing he needed a change. Griffin decided that Xtreme Couture was the place for him to make the jump to the next level and he has never looked back. Along with an impressive win over Uriah Faber, Griffin has posted huge wins over Clay Guida, Gleison Tibau, and Marcus Aurelio. His only loss is to Frankie Edgar.

How they match up: This is a battle of two similar fighters. Both are strong wrestlers with excellent stand up. Where the difference lies is in Griffin’s BJJ game. Griffin has a definite edge in he submission department, but getting Sherk on the ground to take advantage is another thing entirely. What we often see when to excellent wrestlers fight is a striking war, and that is what I expect here. Although both have excellent hands, I give Griffin the advantage in the leg kicks.

My Crystal Marble says: I seem to be in the minority for the most part, but I think if this stays on the feet Griffin has the distinct advantage. Griffin’s striking game is much more dynamic than Sherk’s and I see Griffin winning a exciting unanimous decision of Sean Sherk.

The Fighters: Rich Clementi vs. Gray Maynard

The Records: Clementi (32-12-1 MMA 5-3 UFC) Maynard (5-0 MMA 3-0 UFC)

How Clementi got here: Clementi is experienced veteran with an excellent ground game. H is a BJJ blackbelt and has an amateur wrestling background as well. Clementi has had an up and down career with some great wins and some horrible losses. Clementi’s big break was when he was invited to The Ultimate Fighter season 4. Having already fought once in the UFC and losing, this was his second shot at the big time. In the beginning it seemed like he was going to let it slip through his fingers as he lost in the season finale to Din Thomas. He spilt his next two fights and the UFC let him get some work outside of the company, and that seemed to do the trick. Clementi kicked off a six fight win streak including four of those in the UFC and is quickly becoming a challenger for the lightweight title.

How Maynard got here: Maynard was a excellent wrestler from Michigan who was brought in to help coach BJ Penn with his wrestling against Matt Hughes. Penn was so impressed with Maynard that when he was offered to coach the lightweight season of Th Ultimate Fighter he immediately recruited Maynard for the show. While not winning the show he has made huge strides in his MMA game. Maynard has made a home at Xtreme Couture and as a result has improved by leaps and bounds. There were rumors that Maynard has improved so much, especially after his most recent win over Frankie Edgar, that no one wanted to take this fight with him. There was even a rumor that Sherk turned this fight down in favor of a matchup with Tyson Griffin.

How they match up: Clementi seems to be the perpetual underdog in all of his MMA fights, and this is no different. Maynard is a big strong wrestler in the lightweight division. And word out of Xtreme Couture is that his striking has improved so much that many of the lightweights do not want to spar with Maynard. Clementi has a ton of experience on his side and a top notch BJJ game on the ground. But Clementi’s strongest part of his BJJ is his top game, and I do not see him getting this position on a wrestler as good as Maynard.

My Crystal Marble says: I see Maynard winning with takedowns and ground control with a unanimous decision.

The Fighters: Fabricio Werdum vs. Junior dos Santos

The Records: Werdum (11-3-1 MMA 2-1 UFC) Santos (6-1 MMA 0-0 UFC)

How Werdum got here: A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blackbelt and world champion, Werdum has fought some of the biggest names in the sport and held his own. A successful stint in Pride where he racked up wins over Tom Erikson and Alistair Overeem won his am invite to the UFC. After starting off slow with a lackluster performance in a decision loss to Andrei Arlovski, he has won two in a row over Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon Vera. A win over dos Santos puts him up for a title shot.

How dos Santos got here: Cigano as he is called by his teammates is a prize pupil of Nogueira and Anderson Silva. He has an impressive record and an even more impressive recommendation by two of the best fighters in the world. Although he has yet to really impress in a fight, he is said to have all of the skills necessary.

How they match up: This is meant to be a win for Werdum and strengthen his case for a shot at the heavyweight title. Cigano is no one to sleep on though, as word out of Nogueira’s camp is this guy has some serious stand up skills and lord knows Werdum will not be confused for a K1 kickboxer. Cigano has knockout power but no one knows about his ground game, and Werdum will surely test it at some point in the fight.

My Crystal Marble says: If Werdum doesn’t treat this as a real threat, dos Santos has the stuff to upset Werdum and take this fight. That being said, if Werdum comes out and takes care of business, he should be able to drag down Cigano to the ground and submit him. I say Werdum via submission round 2.

The Fighters: Thiago Alves vs. Josh Koscheck

The Records: Alves (15-3 MMA 8-2 UFC) Koscheck (11-2 MMA 9-2 UFC)

How Alves got here: Alves is a talented Muay Thai specialist with fantastic power in his hands and potentially the most devastating leg kicks in all of the UFC. Alves started out rough with a come from ahead loss to Spencer Fisher where he was winning the fight right up to the moment he was submitted. He rebounded with 2 more wins before getting knocked out by Jon Fitch. Since the Fitch loss, he has won six fights in a row on the way to this number one contender fight. Alves comes into this fight carrying consecutive wins over Karo Parysian and Matt Hughes.

How Koscheck got here: Koscheck was a 4 time All American division one wrestler and National Champion. He carried his pedigree into MMA and continued his winning ways. As a member of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter series, he lost a razor thin decision to Diego Sanchez but redeemed his loss to Sanchez later at UFC 69. Koscheck comes into this fight winning seven of eight fights. Koscheck’s only loss is a unanimous decision loss to Georges St Pierre in his last eight fights.

How they match up: Koscheck and Alves are polar opposites in my opinion. This will be a fascinating contest of wills. Who will dictate where the fight takes place will win this fight and the next crack at GSP for the title. Although Koscheck’s striking has improved dramatically, he holds a huge edge on the ground. Alves trains with some of the best BJJ blackbelts in the world, but its no secret that the strength of his game is his striking. Alves showed dramatically improved takedown defense in his win over Matt Hughes, but Koscheck is on another level in that department.

My Crystal Marble says: This fight comes down to who dictates where it takes place. I believe Koscheck has that ability to dictate the location of the fight. But Koscheck’s biggest obstacle is going to be his own ego. Koscheck likes to test his striking with better strikers to prove something to himself. But coming in short notice to this fight with a striker the caliber of Alves may prove to be his undoing here. If Koscheck plays to his strengths, he wins this fight via unanimous decision.

The Fighters: Middleweight Champ Anderson Silva vs. Patrick Cote

The Records: Silva (22-4 MMA 7-0 UFC) Cote (13-4 MMA 4-4 UFC)

How Silva got here: How much of your time do I waste here explaining the pound for pound best fighter in the world? Silva is a Muay Thai specialist who has fought for several big promotions over his career, including Pride where he had his most trouble. When Silva was signed to the UFC he was looked at as a guy who could present a new challenge for Rich Franklin, but no one saw the Juggernaut that began his march towards the Hall of Fame. Seven Knockout wins later Anderson Silva is the best fighter in the UFC, if not the entire world.

How Cote got here: Cote is a true reclamation project. He started out with 4 straight losses in the UFC, but for some reason Joe Silva refused to give up on him. And it paid off. After becoming a cast member of The Ultimate Fighter season four, he lost on the finale to Travis Lutter. Something switched after that loss as he has run off five straight wins including four in the UFC. Coming off a dominant win over Ricardo Almeida, he was offered and accepted a shot at the best fighter in the world and his belt.

How they match up: They don’t. Anderson Silva is better than Patrick Cote in every single aspect of MMA. Where Cote has to hope to hold an advantage over Silva is in the intangibles, heart and fighting spirit. That remains to be seen as Silva has yet to show any signs of mental weakness.

My Crystal Marble says: From listening to most of Cote’s pre fight interviews, I think his big strategy is to trust in his chin and push forward and lure Silva into a brawl. I do not think Cote can win 15 minutes of exchanges on the feet with Silva. Cote will need to either fight Silva from the outside and use his footwork to out-point him, or test him on the ground. I don’t think Cote can push either gameplan for long. Cote will lose via TKO in round 2.

The Fighters: Josh Burkman vs. Pete Sell

The Records: Burkman (18-7 MMA 5-4 UFC) Sell (7-4 MMA 1-4 UFC)
How Burkman got here: Burkman was a two sport star in college as he excelled in wrestling and football. He earned himself a spot on The Ultimate Fighter season 2, received a UFC contract, and came out gangbusters. He has since lost 3 of 4 fights and has gotten more and more conservative as a result. Burkman’s greatest asset is also his greatest obstacle. He is freakishly strong for the welterweight division, but if he cannot win with it in the first two rounds, it usually exhausts him and spends his conditioning. The explosiveness and unpredictability he showed early in his career has given way to a conservative and controlling game.

How Sell got here: Sell is a disciple of Matt Serra and Renzo Gracie and is a superb submission grappler. Unfortunately for Sell and his 1-4 UFC record, he prefers to bang it out on the feet. He has never shown the striking skill to go with his heart. Sell has had over a year off to contemplate actually using his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instead of worrying about making the fight exciting by keeping it standing. Coming off a knockout loss to Nate Quarry, he is debuting at welterweight to get a fresh start.

How they match up: This fight completely matters on which Pete Sell shows up for the fight. Burkman’s striking will be to dynamic for Sell on the feet. If Sell wises up and takes this fight to the floor, he stands a better chance. Burkman is no slouch on the ground but he is still susceptible to a strong BJJ player. Sell taking Burkman to the floor is a whole other matter entirely.

My Crystal Marble says: After a 1-4 record Sell has not shown an ability to figure out his problems and change his attack accordingly. Assuming the Pete Sell of old shows up, I think Burkman is to athletic for Sell on the feet. I see Burkman winning the striking exchanges and getting key takedowns in each round to win a slow and somewhat boring unanimous decision over Sell

The Fighters: Marcus Aurelio vs. Hermes Franca

The Records: Aurelio (16-6 MMA 2-2 UFC) Franca (18-7 MMA 6-4 UFC)

How Aurelio got here: Aurelio is a founding member of American Top Team and former teacher of Hermes Franca. They are on bad terms after Franca was dismissed from ATT for various infractions. To say there is bad blood is an understatement, and a lot of Brazilian pride is riding on this match. Aurelio is an original member of ATT and a BJJ blackbelt. He rose to prominence after his defeat of Takanori Gomi in Pride. Aurelio has made the move over to the UFC after Pride was dissolved and has had mixed results. Aurelio is coming off a loss to Tyson Griffin where he was dominated for all 15 minutes of the fight.

How Franca got here: Franca is a BJJ blackbelt who originally trained with American Top Team before he was kicked out for among other things awarding a blackbelt to Kurt Pellegrino. ATT did not agree with the decision to award the belt to Pellegrino, and after Franca refused to rescind the belt, they ejected him from the team. Since then he racked up an eight fight win streak on the way to a title shot in the UFC against Sean Sherk. The list of victims included Jaime Varner, Nate Diaz, and Spencer Fisher. He lost a grinding decision to Sherk and then tested positive for steroids. After pleading guilty to the Nevada SAC he served his one year suspension and is back in the UFC. He is coming off a loss to Frankie Edgar where he was pretty much manhandled.

How they match up: Aurelio and Franca know each other very well, so there will be very little surprises here. Aurelio will work to take this to the floor where he perceives he has the advantage and Franca will try to keep this on the feet where he perceives he has the striking advantage. Both men are excellent grapplers and will neutralize each other on the ground. This fight will be won or lost in the stand up game.

My Crystal Marble says: I think Franca’s striking makes the difference in this fight and he wins this fight via TKO in the third round over Aurelio.

The Fighters: Matt Horwich vs. Dan Miller

The Records: Horwich (22-10-1 MMA 0-0 UFC) Miller (9-1 MMA 1-0 UFC)

How Horwich got here: Matt Horwich is a journeyman fighter who has made the rounds in the Pacific northwest MMA scene. He more recently attached onto the IFL in 2006 and had a fairly successful run with them. With a few more ups than downs, he briefly owned the middleweight title when he knocked out Benji Radach for it. In his first title defense he lost a grueling decision to Ryan McGivern. As with most Team Quest fighters, he has an amateur wrestling background. This is his first fight in the UFC.

How Miller got here: Miller is a wrestler from the Northeast who is relatively new to the sport. Miller also has a brother, Jim, who signed with the UFC as well. He is a brown belt in BJJ and combines it with his wrestling for an overwhelming ground game. Miller’s stand up is a work in progress but he can hold his own. Miller had a successful regional show run until early this year when he got a shot in the IFL and posted an impressive win over Ryan McGivern. Once he got the invite to the UFC he made the most of it as he submitted Rob Kimmons at UFC Fight Night 15.

How they match up: Horwich is a very unorthodox fighter with a methodical approach to MMA. Horwich will take a lot of punishment but keep coming at you and is very hard to stop. As a result he is susceptible to losing decisions to other fighters. Miller should absolutely dominate Horwich on the floor with his combination of aggressive BJJ and wrestling. Horwich has decent takedown defense but Miller should be able to get the fight to the floor.

My Crystal Marble says: I think Miller eventually takes down Horwich and gets the stoppage. I see it as a second round submission win for Dan Miller.

The Fighters: Spencer Fisher vs. Shannon Gugerty

The Records: Fisher (21-4 MMA 6-3 UFC) Gugerty (11-2 MMA 1-0 UFC)

How Gugerty got here: Gugerty is a strong young fighter who made his name in the regional California scene with wins over Cub Swanson and Johnny Torres. A decent BJJ player with good wrestling, Gugerty’s striking is average at best. He received this big jump up in competition by volunteering to be a late replacement for Melvin Guillard. Gugerty comes into this fight with Octagon experience having won his debut over Dale Hardt at UFC Fight Night 14.

How Fisher got here: Fisher is a veteran from the Militech camp in Iowa. As with all Militech fighters he has excellent stand up and good wrestling with adequate submission defense. Where Fisher differs from most of his Militech partners is he has an active guard and can submit opponents. Fisher has had a successful run in the UFC but has had several title runs stopped by key losses. Recent loss to Frankie Edgar has Fisher starting from the bottom again, but with key wins over Thiago Alves and Sam Stout, he may only be a few wins out of the mix at lightweight.

How they match up: Unfortunately for Gugerty, this is not a favorable matchup for the youngster. Fisher’s takedown defense is way too good and Gugerty’s wrestling is not good enough to force Fisher to the ground where he may be able to push the fight. On the feet, Fisher is much too dynamic of a striker for Gugerty.

My Crystal Marble says: This was a late replacement for Fisher and he reiceved a gift fight and an easy paycheck. He is too much for Gugerty no matter where the fight goes. Gugerty has a bright future, but it isn’t starting here. Fisher wins via TKO round 2.

The Fighters: Thales Leites vs. Drew McFedries

The Records: Leites (13-1 MMA 4-1 UFC) McFedries (7-4 MMA 3-3 UFC)

How Leites got here: Leites is a BJJ blackbelt and world champion who converted to MMA in 2004. Leites has a dominating submission attack. He received his big shot at the UFC when he submitted Brazilian MMa legend Pele in 2006. Leites start in the UFC was rocky as he opened with a decision loss to Martin Kampmann. Regrouping he has rattled off 4 wins in a row in the octagon, capped off with a huge win over perennial contender Nathan Marquardt at UFC 85.

How McFedries got here: McFedries is a boxing and Muay Thai specialist who has had an up and down career in the Octagon. A true slugger with knockout power in both hands, his lack of ground game and conditioning has cost him more than a few fights in his career. Seems every time McFedries comes in after a loss he redeems himself with a quick and decisive win. McFedries comes in off a quick submission loss to Mike Massenzio at UFC Fight Night 15.

How they match up: This is not a favorable matchup for McFedries. McFedries’ kryptonite is fighters with excellent ground games and excellent conditioning. McFedries, meet Thales Leites. Leites should be able to quickly submit McFedries and go home with submission of the night bonus to boot. The only chance McFedries has is that Leites sometimes likes to test his striking against better standup opponents.

My Crystal Marble says: If McFedries can lure him into a few exchanges, he could catch him and end this before he gets taken down. I still see this as Leites’ fight to lose. Leites via submission in round 1.

Sanchez pulled out of the fight due to torn rib cartilage and will be replaced on the Oct. 25 fight card at the Allstate Arena by fellow TUF 1 alum Josh Koscheck.

Koshcheck had been scheduled to headline UFC Fight Night 16: “UFC Fight for the Troops” on Dec. 10 in Fayetteville, N.C. against Yoshiyuki Yoshida. A replacement for Koscheck in that bout is still pending.

The news was first reported by MMA Weekly.

Miller last competed at UFC Fight Night 15, submitting Rob Kimmons via rear naked choke in the first round. He was also the last IFL middleweight champion before the promotion closed its doors. Coincidentally, Horwich was also the IFL middleweight champion at one point so this fight pits former IFL 185 lbs. champions against one another.

Horwich, who trains out of Team Quest, will be making his UFC debut. Horwich posted a 7-4 record in the IFL competing at both light heavyweight and middleweight and last competed at an IFL show in May of this year defeating Joey Guel via unanimous decision.

UFC 90 is set to feature a middleweight title matchup between Anderson Silva and Patrick Cote as well as a welterweight matchup between Diego Sanchez and Thiago Alves.

Added to the main televised card is a heavyweight bout between veteran Fabricio Werdum and Octagon newcomer Junior “Cigano” dos Santos.

Additionally, the UFC has also confirmed three lightweight bouts for the undercard with former American Top Team training partners Marcus Aurelio and Hermes Franca doing battle; Gray Maynard squaring off against Rich Clementi; and Shannon Gugerty replacing Melvin Guillard against Spencer Fisher.

UFC 90 is scheduled to be headlined by Anderson Silva defending the UFC middleweight title against Patrick Cote. Diego Sanchez and Thiago Alves will also meet in a bout in which the winner will be guaranteed a future shot at the welterweight title currently held by Georges St. Pierre.

The completed, official lineup for UFC 90 is as follows:

Main Card -

• Anderson Silva vs. Patrick Cote for the UFC middleweight title
• Diego Sanchez vs. Thiago Alves
• Sean Sherk vs. Tyson Griffin
• Fabricio Werdum vs. Junior dos Santos
• Thales Leites vs. Goran Reljic

Preliminary Card -

• Hermes Franca vs. Marcus Aurelio
• Gray Maynard vs. Rich Clementi
• Matt Horwich vs. Ricardo Almeida
• Josh Burkman vs. Pete Sell
• Spencer Fisher vs. Shannon Gugerty

According to the report Guillard is currently in custody at the Harris County Jail in Houston, Texas. He is set to be released to a drug treatment facility as soon as space becomes available. This is part of his amended probation.

Guillard was set to face off against lightweight competitor Spencer Fisher at UFC 90. Instead Fisher will fight Shannon Gugerty. Guillard was originally arrested in August of 2007 for possession of less than a gram of a controlled substance and was under a two year probationary period beginning in October of 2007.

This is not Guillard’s first run in with this kind of thing as he tested positive for cocaine following a loss to Joe Stevenson at UFC Fight Night 9 in April 2007 and was suspended for eight months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Guillard admitted to using cocaine just six days prior to the fight and believed it would be out of his system by the time the fight and subsequent drug test rolled around.

Details of the probation violation were not available at the time of the report.

The reason for Guillard’s removal from the card is not yet known and the UFC has yet to officially name a replacement. However, MMAjunkie.com is reporting that Fisher’s new opponent is Shannon Gugerty.

Gugerty is 11-2, according to Sherdog’s fight finder and made his UFC debut during UFC Fight Night 14 on July 19. Facing fellow newcomer Dale Hartt, Gugerty won via submission after executing a rear naked choke at 3:33 of round 1.

Fisher, a member of Pat Miletich’s Miletich Fighting Systems, is a veteran of nine UFC fights and holds a career record of 6-3 when competing inside the Octagon. His last fight took place in June during the live season finale for the seventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Facing fellow native Iowa native Jeremy Stephens, Fisher recorded a unanimous decision victory.

UFC 90 is scheduled to be headlined by UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva defending his title vs. challenger Patrick Cote. Diego Sanchez and Thiago Alves are also scheduled to square off in a match in which the winner is guaranteed a future shot at the UFC welterweight title.

Aurelio is most recently coming off a defeat to lightweight title contender Tyson Griffin at UFC 86 and is currently 2-2 in the UFC after a very successful careeer in the PRIDE organization. He’ll be looking to get past the .500 mark in the UFC in this bout against former ATT training partner Franca.

“It doesn’t matter who I fight; it’s a big challenge,” Franca is quoted telling Sherdog. “It is what it is. We’re both professionals. I think it’s better for me. I know his game really well. I’ve never trained with Gleison before.”

Franca is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Frankie Edgar at UFC Fight Night 14 in what was considered the Fight of the Night. That was Franca’s first fight back in over a year since being suspended for testing positive for steroids following his loss to Sean Sherk in July of 2007 at UFC 73.

The alumnus from the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter” has revealed to MMAjunkie.com that he underwent surgery this past July to remove bone fragments from the elbow and that he will be out until the end of the year.

According to Swick, he did not pull out of UFC 90, as the UFC had been informed of his surgery and that he had never been scheduled in the first place.

“I don’t know why the mix-up happened, but I just talked to (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva, and we confirmed that it’s going to be December (for my return) — possibly November if I can get healed up fast enough,” Swick is quoted as saying by MMA Junkie. “But as of right now, it’s December. I don’t know why that got announced. Me and Joe were in agreement. I think it was just a mix-up.”

Since that fight, Maynard has been missing in action, thanks largely in part to an injury. However, MMAjunkie.com is reporting that the former standout college wrestler appears set to return to action on Oct. 25 at UFC 90 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill in a lightweight bout with veteran Rich Clementi.

The fight has yet to be finalized but MMA Junkie is quoting sources connected to both camps as saying that signed bout agreements and a formal announcement could come soon.

Clementi is currently on a six fight win streak and holds notable wins in his career over Sam Stout, Melvin Guillard, Ryan Schultz, and Anthony Johnson.

Both Clementi and Maynard are alumni from the Spike TV reality television show “The Ultimate Fighter” with Maynard having appeared on season five and Clementi having been involved with season four, “The Comeback.”

UFC 90 is scheduled to be headlined by UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva defending his title against Patrick Cote. A fight between Diego Sanchez and Thiago Alves in which a winner will be granted a future shot at the UFC welterweight title is also slated as well.

MMARated.com is reporting

UFC President Dana White reportedly made the announcement regarding Swick during the promotion’s press conference on Monday at the Millennium Park in Chicago.

White offered no indication about who Swick will be fighting on the card.

UFC 90 will be headlined by UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva defending his middleweight title against Patrick Cote. According to MMA Rated, White stated during the presser that Silva could move back to light heavyweight for his next fight if he’s able to get past Cote. A future catchweight bout between Silva and current UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre was mentioned as a possibility as well.

The card will also feature a welterweight fight between Diego Sanchez and Thiago Alves. White also apparently stated on the record that the winner will receive a future title shot.

HT: AOL Fanhouse

This is the first UFC event held in the Chicago area.

Here’s the latest on UFC 90:

Televised Main Card (projected) -

• Anderson Silva vs. Patrick Cote @ 185lbs (UFC Middleweight Title)
• Thiago Alves vs. Diego Sanchez @ 170lbs
• Tyson Griffin vs. Sean Sherk @ 155lbs
• Fabricio Werdum vs. Junior dos Santos @265lbs
• Thales Leites vs. Goran Reljic @ 185lbs

Preliminary Card -

• Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Horwich @ 185lbs
• Hermes Franca vs. Gleison Tibau @ 155lbs
• Josh Burkman vs. Pete Sell @ 170lbs
• Spencer Fisher vs. Melvin Guillard @ 155lbs

Card subject to change. All matchups are rumors unless otherwise stated.

Check out more UFC 90 content on 5 Oz. of Pain.

Burkman has lost 3 of 4 bouts since cracking some journalists’ top 10 lists and a loss here could very well send him out of the UFC. Sell, 0-4 in his last UFC appearances, will be dropping down to welterweight to take the challenge. This seems to be a do or die bout for both fighters as the UFC has recently shown no problems in cutting fighters they don’t find exciting (Burkman) or fighters that don’t win (Sell). While on the undercard, this could be a major fight in the UFC’s welterweight division.

UFC 90, on October 25th, is set to be headlined by a middleweight title bout between Anderson Silva and Patrick Cote. Also on the main card is reported to be Diego Sanchez vs. Thiago Alves, Sean Sherk vs. Tyson Griffin and Melvin Guillard vs. Spencer Fisher.

Horwich, a member of Matt Lindland’s Team Quest in Portland, Ore., is 23-10-1 overall in his MMA career. He posted a 7-4 record in the IFL with notable victories over Mike Pyle, Brian Foster, and Benji Radach.

With his win over Radach this past December during the league’s World Grand Prix finals, Horwich became the IFL’s first-ever middleweight champion. However, Horwich lost the title to Ryan McGivern in his first-ever defense this past February in Las Vegas.

The 30-year old last competed during the IFL’s last-ever show on May 16 in Connecticut, where he recorded a unanimous decision victory over former training partner Joey Guel.

Horwich is the latest in a long line of former IFL fighters to enlist with the UFC, a list that includes Rory Markham, Andre Gusmao, Brad Blackburn, Jim Miller, Dan Miller, Mike Massenzio, and Reese Andy.

Horwich’s opponent, Almeida, is 9-3 overall in an MMA career that dates back to 2000. A black belt under the legendary Renzo Gracie, Almeida operates his own school in New Jersey and has an extensive background as a competitive grappler.

He returned to competitive MMA after nearly a four-year absence this past February at UFC 81, where he needed just 1:08 of round 1 to submit Rob Yundt with a guillotine choke.

Almeida most recently fought on July 5 at UFC 86 in a featured bout vs. Patrick Cote in which the winner would earn a title shot against current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Following a split decision loss to Cote sis lifetime record in the UFC fell to 2-3. Prior to his return at UFC 81, Almeida had previously competed in the UFC between 2001-2002. He is also a veteran of PRIDE and Pancrase.

UFC 90 will take place from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., located just outside of Chicago. The event is scheduled to be headlined by a title defense by Silva against Cote. A welterweight bout between Thiago Alves and Diego Sanchez is also being advertised and the UFC has also officially announced a previously reported matchup between Thales Leites and Goran Reljic.