It’s freezing here in New York City. Like watch your breath freeze in mid-air freezing. And that’s INSIDE of my apartment, so I can’t imagine what it’s like outside. Honestly, today is the perfect day to sit on the couch and watch a live, mid-afternoon UFC pay per view.

Of course, the reason behind the 3 p.m. EST start is because UFC 93 is taking place from the 02 Arena in Dublin, Ireland. I wonder – will this be the sporting event where the Irish fans finally loosen up a bit, try a beer or two and become more vocal?

It’s time to break down UFC 93.

ANNOUNCING:

Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan were bringing us the action as usual. Goldberg was Rajon Rondo-like steady in setting up Rogan, who once again, turned in a great broadcast.

Before the show’s first fight, an expected stand-up war between two former boxers, Marcus Davis and Chris Lytle, Rogan was quoting Davis when he said, “The first guy to take it to the ground is a p***y.” Sure, such crudeness probably wouldn’t work on a golf telecast: “Mickelson, like a p***y, is going to play it conservatively and go with the 3-iron as opposed to a driver.”  But, it’s a line that only Rogan could deliver without sounding like he’s trying too hard to be funny.

Rogan’s technical analysis really shined during the second round of the Rousimar Palhares – Jeremy Horn fight. Horn surprisingly got the mount and attempted an arm triangle. Rogan smoothly broke down Horn’s submission attempt in real-time, explaining what he needed to do to finish Palhares. When the move failed, Rogan clearly explained why.

With all of his technical knowledge of the sport, Rogan is also not afraid to let the fan in him come out as well. When reacting to Alan Belcher’s absolutely horrific Johnny Cash tattoo on his left arm, Rogan said, “I got a dog named Johnny Cash, man. I’m a fan (of Belcher’s).” In print, it may not come off as humorous, but in the moment, Rogan has a way of making even the novices of the sport feel right at home when watching a pay per view, because he’s a fan, first and foremost.

Rogan also has a keen eye for the not so obvious. I’m not sure if Palhares was actually crying on his walk to the octagon, but if he was, kudos to Rogan for noticing it. And if not, kudos to Rogan for making me believe him.

Another strength of Rogan’s – being able to relate to the fighters – was also on display before the Mark Coleman – Mauricio Rua fight. Coleman won their first fight in Pride when Rua dislocated his elbow while trying to defend a Coleman takedown attempt. Rua believes it was a fluke, while Coleman maintains he was simply doing his job. Personally, I’ve always looked at it as a freak accident or fluke…until Rogan was quick to point out that Rua may have been the one responsible for his loss. Rogan said, “You can call that fight a fluke, but the bottom line is, Coleman wanted to take him down and did…and Shogun, quite honestly, made kind of a rookie mistake. He tried to catch himself with an extended arm.” Maybe it was Coleman’s arrogance when talking about it that always overshadowed that fact, but until Rogan pointed it out, I’d never looked at it from that angle.

OVERALL PRODUCTION VALUE:

I’m going to delve into an area that in general, only gets a mention when it’s bad: audio.

I vividly remember how horrible the audio quality was in Affliction’s debut pay per view. It was an absolute embarrassment to anyone who has ears. But, with the UFC and Zuffa, we probably take for granted how great of a job they do with audio, simply because they always do such an outstanding job with it. UFC 93 was no exception, with several examples that showed us why the production crew for the UFC and Zuffa are clearly the cream of the crop in MMA.

In an amazing atmosphere like the O2 Arena, stellar audio is an absolute necessity. I can’t imagine what the atmosphere must have been like in person, but the crisp, clear audio of fans cheering and chanting for fellow Irishmen Davis and Tom Egan (versus John Hathaway) was top-notch and deserves major accolades. What if the audio quality had been poor while Davis was getting choked up at the beginning of his post-fight interview with Rogan? It wouldn’t have come off as genuine as it did, especially since Davis was reacting directly to those fans that were cheering for him after his victory.

The bottom line is, you truly got a sense of how big the UFC has become on an international level. Rogan even acknowledged as much, saying, “What an awesome response for Egan…the crowd is going nuts, screaming out his name. That just shows you so much about the growth of this sport.” Of course, Rogan benefitted by being there live, but the fantastic audio production by the UFC and Zuffa supported his sentiments.

The UFC’s excellent audio also provided evidence that Phil Baroni is either blind, the worst corner man of all time or both. Baroni, who was in Coleman’s corner, inexplicably told his fighter this after watching him get dominated and subsequently exhausted after the first round: “You won that round…You’re winning the fight… He (Rua) is hurt…He’s looking for a way out…It’s your war. You got him…It’s a war and your winning….You’re in a war, you’re a legend and your doing awesome.”

Regardless of whether Coleman was even listening or not, there’s a difference between encouraging your fighter and putting his health at risk by flat out lying to him, which is what Baroni did. Remember, no one, including Baroni, had a crystal ball at that time and knew that Coleman would somehow survive as long as he did. We’re only talking about how Coleman looked after round one. Baroni’s responsibility at that point was to protect his fighter at that very moment – not feed him a bunch of BS. You might be reading this and wondering, “Well then, what should have he been saying?”

My answer? Not, “You’re doing awesome.”

Despite Baroni’s comments, this was reality television at it’s best, because people love to see other people being exposed as idiots. That’s why COPS has been on the air for 74 years, with no end in sight. Had a sharp Rua showed up, Coleman could have gotten seriously injured. Then again, had a sharp Rua showed up, he would have finished Coleman in round one, thus eliminating the need for all of us to be exposed to Baroni’s expert advice.

Let me be 110% clear. I’m not judging Phil Baroni, the person. I’m judging Phil Baroni, the corner man. You got the sense that even Rogan felt Baroni was off base after his “instructions” when he said in a half-hearted tone, “Phil trying really hard to pump Mark up.”

I’ve always stressed how important it is to try to interject developing storylines, if possible, during these fights. The producer and director’s decision to cut to Coleman’s corner, while an obvious one, was a home run and gave viewers a sense that if Coleman had any chance to win this fight, he would be on his own.

In the main event, Rich Franklin versus Dan Henderson, Franklin suffered a nasty gash due to an accidental head butt in the first round. Naturally, you have to cut to Franklin’s corner immediately after the round ends to capture the drama of how they’ll treat the cut in such a small window of time. Once again, clean, crisp audio captured Franklin looking at the arena’s giant TV screens and saying, “That’s a head butt that got me.” Right on cue, a replay of the head butt was then rolled in.

Next, a bloodied Franklin said with a smile, “That’s a bad one.” Great producing…great audio…and a great example as to why Rich Franklin is one of the most popular fighters in the UFC.

Finally, seconds after round two ended, they cut to Henderson’s corner and captured him saying, “He’s f***ing tired too.” Bingo. With four simple words, we knew we had two exhausted fighters entering the third and final round.

The reality is, there are viewers who could care less about audio, as long as the fights are good. But for those viewers like myself who want the most bang for their buck, you got it tonight from the UFC and Zuffa.

PACING & PACKAGES:

There’s not much to say about the pacing of UFC 93, only because there wasn’t a ton of filler time between fights. Six fights were shown – with three of them going the distance and one (Coleman – Rua) nearly going the distance before being stopped. Another fight, Alan Belcher versus Denis Kang, nearly went two full rounds; plus, we were treated to Hathaway dominating Egan for nearly one full round. Basically, there wasn’t time to do much of anything but take care of business, plugging future cards and shows and then move onto the next fight.

We all knew coming in that Davis – Lytle would be a Fight of the Night candidate – if not a Fight of the Year candidate. Starting the televised card off with Davis, whom the crowd would get behind, in addition to the action that followed, brought a great energy to the beginning of the telecast.

It was also a good call to not only squeeze in Egan’s fight, despite the loss, but to interview him afterwards. While Egan did nothing in the octagon to merit a post-fight interview, it was more of a courtesy to Dublin’s amazing fans, and another great example for those of us watching here in the United States of how amazing the fans can be overseas.

QUICK HITS:

– Rogan may have been a fan of Belcher’s Johnny Cash tattoo, but when I first saw it, I thought it was an ode to a dead and bloated Elvis Presley.

– Also, Belcher’s upset of Kang, who I personally picked to win, is a picture-perfect example of why MMA is so great. You simply never know.

– Despite my criticism of Baroni, Coleman displayed an amazing heart. But there’s a difference between a past his prime, aging fighter showing heart and two young(er) guns like Davis and Lytle trading blows and showing heart. Watching Davis and Lytle was entertaining. Watching Coleman was, at times, disturbing. Hopefully, this was Coleman’s last fight, because he’s got nothing left to prove.

– If you weren’t familiar with the UFC’s new series, UFC Primetime, I’m sure you noticed the promos for it during the pay per view. UFC Primetime is to MMA what HBO’s 24/7 is to boxing: an unrivaled reality show that takes viewers behind the scenes of specific fights. In this case, it’s the rematch between B.J. Penn and Georges St. Pierre. There isn’t a weakness to this show. It’s shot beautifully, and the storytelling is at a level where you not only want to invest in purchasing their fight, but in getting to actually know the fighters as well. Beyond doing meet and greets at every home in America, I cannot think of a better tool to promote the UFC than this show. Ship the show tapes to those who judge the Sports Emmy Awards, pronto.

THE FINAL WORD:

Overall, UFC 93 was well worth the money spent. We saw some very good fights, but the fighters themselves produce fights, not the producers or directors. It’s the moments mentioned above like the amazing crowd, the Baroni fiasco or the curiosity of Franklin and his cut that keep a televised show entertaining. Which is why I felt that this was a great card to focus on an element of production that often gets overlooked by fans – the audio.

The UFC and Zuffa get it, and most likely, always will. And there’s no doubt that Showtime taking over the production reigns for “Affliction: Day of Reckoning” will make for a significant improvement from Affliction’s terribly-produced first pay per view.

The question is, can Showtime/Affliction produce anything close to the high-quality programming that the UFC/Zuffa constantly provide in shows like UFC 93?

For the sake of competition, I hope so. But the bar has been set high… really high.

A planned vacation by yours truly means P.C.F.T.C. will be taking a short hiatus until UFC Fight Night 17 on February 7th. But, I’d love to get your reactions and comments on “Affliction: Day of Reckoning,” which I will share upon my return.

– Overall, I really enjoyed UFC 93. Was it a great card? No. But I felt it was definitely good. I know it’s early, but at the end of the year, I still believe Marcus Davis vs. Chris Lytle will hold up as a “Fight of the Year” candidate. Denis Kang vs. Alan Belcher was good for what it was. Mark Coleman vs. Mauricio Rua was sloppy but very entertaining at certain times. And while Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson won’t contend for “Match of the Year,” it had a lot of energy and a good pace to it. The only match that I did not enjoy all that much was Jeremy Horn vs. Rousimar Palhares, and even that wasn’t a bad fight.

– Belcher mentioned to FiveOuncesOfPain.com’s Cory Brady that he is interested in moving up to light heavyweight. However, following his upset win at UFC 93 over Kang, I don’t see UFC V.P. of Talent Relations Joe Silva allowing that move to happen right now. There’s still a lot for Belcher to accomplish at 185. A fight vs. Patrick Cote once Cote is healthy might not be a bad idea. In the meantime, Belcher needs to do something about that Johnny Cash tattoo on his arm. I hate to be critical, but it looks like a bloated Wayne Newton.

– Kang definitely came up short but he looked very strong in the first round. He showed good wrestling and solid combinations. The problem was that when Kang took Belcher off his feet, he was unable to inflict much damage. Belcher defended himself well off his back.

– Jonathan Snowden, author of Total MMA: Inside Ultimate Fighting and a frequent contributor to FiveOuncesOfPain.com, writes that the Davis vs. Lytle fight did not live up to the hype. I’ve got to disagree. In fact, after the first round, I felt that it had delivered and that everything else that took place after it was icing on the cake.

– The big difference in the Davis vs. Lytle fight was speed. Davis routinely beat Lytle to the punch. The win allowed Davis to improve to 8-1 in the UFC, which is extremely impressive.

– Rua didn’t just look bad on Saturday night, he looked small. When he was in PRIDE, he was absolutely shredded. At UFC 93, he looked like a middleweight. Rua is still young but I’m beginning to wonder if he will ever return to form. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see it, but he gassed just as hard vs. Coleman as he did against Forrest Griffin at UFC 76. If he fights like that at UFC 97 against Chuck Liddell, he will get destroyed.

– I’ve yet to see The Wrestler, but I’ve heard a lot about it and watched several trailers.  Coleman appears to be the Randy “The Ram” Robinson of the UFC. He looked good for his age, but still looked his age. I love the nostalgia aspect of MMA and it was great seeing Coleman walk to the cage one more time. It wasn’t so great seeing him take so much punishment. Coleman gassed early because he’s 44. What was Rua’s excuse?

– Liddell vs. Rua is a match that makes perfect sense in my mind. It’s a fight between two guys on the downslide and by matching them up, the UFC all but assures itself that it will be able to rehabilitate the image of one of the fighters. While Rua vs. Liddell seems very logical to me, the UFC 96 matchup between Quinton Jackson and Keith Jardine still has me baffled. What does the UFC have to gain with that one? Jackson is already a legitimate title challenger for Rashad Evans. And if Jardine beats Jackson, how are you going to convince two friends in Jardine and Evans to fight each other?

– It was another solid outing by UFC play-by-play announcer Mike Goldberg at UFC 93. I don’t know who the UFC had preparing all of those factoids for him, but they make a huge difference. Goldberg sounds much more prepared when he’s able to rattle off those facts and figures and the information he provided added a lot to the broadcast.

– Edith Larrente can’t get into the U.S. but apparently had no trouble getting into Ireland. Seeing three ring girls together like that just seemed a little awkward though. It almost was if Larrente showed up unexpectedly and they somehow found a way to fit her into the broadcast.

– The presence of Full Tilt Poker as a sponsor was very noticeable. Poker sites are starting to get involved with MMA, much to the delight of several agents and managers that I’ve spoken to.

UFC 95 would mark a homecoming of sorts for Hathaway, as he the UK native will be competing inside the O2 Arena in London, England.

A member of London Shoot Fighters, Hathaway was reportedly discovered by UFC officials during tryouts for the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter. While Hathaway didn’t land a spot on the show, he impressed the UFC enough to earn a shot at UFC 95.

Prior to entering the UFC, the 21-year old Hathaway made a name for himself competing for the Cage Rage promotion, where he recorded notable victories over Jack Mason, Marvin Arnold Bleau, and Tommy McGuire.

Hathaway showed strong technique in his win against Egan, a 20-year old native of Ireland who tried out for TUF 9 but was ineligible due to the fact that he was not of legal drinking age in the U.S. Fighters under the age of 21 are considered legal liabilities due to the presence of alcohol inside of the TUF mansion.

Sources indicate that the UFC was highly impressed with Egan, who was 3-0 heading into his bout with Hathaway. It is believed that the company was looking at the young fighter as someone who could help anchor future shows in Ireland.

With the win, Hathaway now finds himself in the spotlight as a fighter that the UFC perhaps hopes it can turn into a local drawing card in the UK. It looks like that chance will come at UFC 95 against an opponent yet to be revealed.

Before the fight, both men told anyone who would listen that they weren’t just looking for a great fight. They were going to have the fight of the night. Of the decade. Of their lives. Of all time. “A lot of times people talk about fights and then they’re not that great,” Davis said prior to UFC 93. “This fight is going to be better than the buildup.” It wasn’t. It was a fight damned by expectations.

There’s also something dangerous about the mentality Zuffa has inspired in many of its fighters by offering bonuses that often exceed the fighter’s regular purses. It has created an atmosphere where winning isn’t a fighter’s main goal. Don’t take my word for it. Chris Lytle explained his thought process before the fight in a Five Ounces of Pain exclusive.

“It wouldn’t surprise me at all if this ended up being fight of the night. I’m not really planning on the fight going to the ground and I doubt he is either. That’s kind of what I’m anticipating. I’m expecting a stand up war,” Lytle said. “Back to back fight of the night honors would definitely make me very happy. That’s my main goal this year, when people hear that I’m going to be on the card I want them to want to order the pay-per-view because they know it’s going to be an exciting fight. I want to be in high demand and I want people to want to see my fights.”

Winning “Fight of the Night” — that was his main goal. Not winning fights, just fight of the night honors. After all, he could make more money losing the kind of fight he knows Zuffa loves than he ever could with a Yushin Okami style winning streak. Caring more about entertaining than winning is the beginning of the end of integrity, the first step down a slippery slope from sport to spectacle. And it leads to the type of gentleman’s agreement we haven’t seen since the days of Pancrase. In those early 1990′s fights, stalwarts like Ken Shamrock and Bas Rutten agreed not to hit each other when the fight went to the ground. Davis and Lytle took it one step further, announcing beforehand their intention not to take the fight to the ground.

“We never made any type of agreement and Chris will tell you that,” Davis protested to reporters after the fight. “We both said we wanted to do this because we knew that we could bring it out of each other and have an exciting fight. Other people ran with that.”

Whether or not there was an agreement set in stone, it was obvious neither man was going to the ground. Even when it became evident that Lytle was losing the standing exchanges and didn’t have the quickness to keep up with the elusive Davis, he never once thought about taking the boxer down. He wasn’t driven by a will to win. He was driven by his pocketbook. And the distinction between pro wrestling and MMA just got a little bit blurrier.

Many of PRIDE’s once mighty stars have now migrated to the UFC, and with few exceptions all have provided their share of disappointing moments.

When the UFC “stole” Mirko Cro Cop from PRIDE in late-2006, many pundits believed that the promotion had executed one of the biggest coups in the sport’s young history. However, the end result was nothing more than one of the sports biggest busts.

The Croatian striking specialist made his UFC debut at UFC 67 in February 2007 against a hand-picked opponent in Eddie Sanchez. The matchup was put together as a showcase for Cro Cop to demonstrate to American fight fans the same lethal left high kick that made him a star in Japan.

It’s almost two years later and UFC owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta and UFC President Dana White are still waiting for that coffin kick. The disappointment created by Cro Cop’s TKO of Sanchez via punches instead of the infamous high kick pales in comparison to the upset defeats he’d go on to suffer against Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo.

The theory of a PRIDE curse began to gain traction even before Cro Cop’s formal arrival. At the time, Heath Herring’s unanimous decision to Jake O’Brien at UFC Fight Night 8 seemed like an aberration at the time. Little did we know that it would become a trend.

At UFC 73, Herring stepped up and gave former PRIDE heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira a run for his money. Then, Marcus Aurelio lost his Octagon debut to Clay Guida at UFC 74. At UFC 79, Wanderlei Silva lost in his return to the UFC against Chuck Liddell.

Still not buying the idea that a “PRIDE curse” truly exists?

Do you need to be reminded that both Silva and Nogueira are coming off disappointing performances at UFC 92 last month; that Fabricio Werdum was dropped from the promotion soon after being upset by newcomer Junior dos Santos at UFC 90; and that Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou got the pink slip following his UFC 89 loss to Luiz Cane.

Is it overkill to mention that Bushido standouts Akihiro Gono and Ryo Chonan are a combined 2-3 inside of the Octagon and that Kazuhiro Nakamura not only went 0-2, but tested positive for marijuana following his debut at UFC 76?

Oh, and how could I forget the horrific encore at UFC 93 of Shogun Rua’s submission loss to Forrest Griffin during his Octagon debut at UFC 76? Did we really wait a year and a half for that performance? Rua is lucky that he won, otherwise, he might have joined Aurelio, Werdum, and Sokoudjou as former PRIDE standouts that were sent packing by the UFC.

Thus far, the only PRIDE success stories in the UFC are Dan Henderson and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson but there are a couple of caveats that must be mentioned. First, Henderson fought in the UFC before he ever competed in PRIDE and Jackson came over to the UFC directly from the now-defunct WFA as opposed to coming directly from PRIDE.

Was it unreasonable to expect Kang to “break the curse?” Considering Kang went through a 13 month stretch between 2007-2008 in which he lost three times in four fights, the expectations set for him might have been too high.

But those high expectations were set because Kang was once a consensus top ten middleweight who has recorded notable victories over Murilo “Ninja” Rua, Amar Suloev, Andrei Semenov, and Gono. After recording consecutive victories over Marvin Eastman and Jae Young Kim on small shows, Kang fans thought he might be back to his former self.

There was a hope leading up to his UFC debut that the semi-high profile free agent acquisition could emerge as a legitimate challenger to current middleweight champion Anderon Silva after recording 1-2 wins. After the first round, Kang hardly looked like a legitimate threat to Silva but he didn’t look bad either.

Despite appearing stiff and mechanical while standing against Belcher, Kang was still efficient in his striking and showed a decisive advantage on the ground during brief exchanges. It appeared as though Kang was getting over some rust and Octagon jitters before hitting his stride. But before he could, seemingly out of nowhere, Kang displayed one of his mental errors that have become trademark in recent years. He left his neck out and Belcher took it, forcing him to tap with just 24 seconds remaining in the round.

Despite the disappointing effort, Kang remains an extremely gifted fighter who could still emerge as a challenger to Silva. While the UFC brass can’t be happy with his performance, he will likely get second and even a third chance because he is of Korean heritage and the company has plans to expand into South Korea in the future. The fact that Kang is also a Canadian citizen is another feather in his cap as Canadian UFC fans love to support their own.

Needless to say, Kang will get a second chance to make a first impression. However, when you look at the history of all of PRIDE’s former stars that have tried and failed to establish themselves in the UFC, the odds of making it aren’t in his favor.

You might be asking how I was able to enjoy a fight as sloppy as Coleman vs. Rua II and my reason is because from a fan’s perspective, the fight took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions. During the course of the nearly 15 minutes, I experienced a love/hate fascination with the bout like no other.

One of the most memorable fights I have ever witnessed was Coleman being upset by Maurice Smith at UFC 14 in 1997. At the time, Coleman was considered the top fighter in MMA. Personally, I loved seeing Coleman, the UFC’s first-ever heavyweight champion, back after 10 years away from the Octagon.

And while I loved seeing Coleman back, I hated seeing a man a 44-years old man slugging it out with a fighter 17 years his junior. Coleman appeared to be in great shape for a 44-year old man, but he still looked like a 44-year old man.

I also loved seeing Rua back in action after nearly a year and a half layoff due to a chronic knee injury. Once considered one of the top light heavyweight fighters in the world, the idea of possibly seeing Rua return to form made the match exciting for me.

However, I hated seeing Rua struggle for much of the fight to put away a 44-year old man who was gassed by the middle of the first round. Any hope that Rua would resume being the dynamic talent he showed during his PRIDE days quickly evaporated when the same stamina issues that hurt him vs. Forrest Griffin at UFC 76 were on display again vs. Coleman.

As tough as it was to see Rua compete as a shadow of his former self, it was a thrill getting to see Coleman make a go of it and create the possibility that we might see a dramatic upset. But in the end, the thrill ride that Coleman vs. Rua took me on wasn’t worth it. Seeing an aging Coleman absorb strike after strike because he was too tired to keep his hands up began to feel unseemly.

Yes, I enjoy the not so intellectual practice of seeing grown men (and women) fight. However, that doesn’t make me heartless. I respect Coleman’s contributions to the sport and the impact he’s had and because of that, I don’t want to see him take another beating like he did last night ever again. I realize he has two daughters to support, but what good is he going to be to them if he has permanent brain damage? Hearing Coleman campaign for a third fight vs. Rua was tough for me to stomach.

Watching Coleman fight evoked memories of past episodes of HBO’s Real Sports in which ex-NFL players were depicted as struggling with life after football. Despite having once been world class athletes in their primes, retirement has brought them divorce, major financial hardships, as well as declining health. I don’t want to see Coleman head down that road.

The news that Coleman vs. Rua received a co-”Fight of the Night” bonus has been met with a negative reaction from many people. However, considering Coleman’s contributions to the sport and the fact that many people that know him have told me he’s not doing so great financially these days, anything done to put an additional $40,000 in his pocket is an awesome move in my book.

There has to be a place in MMA for Coleman, one of the sport’s true heroes. However, that place is no longer in the ring or cage as an active competitor.

Thanks to the former PRIDE middleweight and welterweight champion’s three-round split decision victory over Rich Franklin on Saturday night at UFC 93, Henderson will once again represent the U.S. as a head coach on The Ultimate Fighter reality television show.

Henderson will lead a team of eight Americans against a team comprised of eight fighters from the United Kingdom. The UK team will be coached by Michael Bisping with both fighters expected to fight each other soon after the show has finished airing. Bout agreements for a Henderson vs. Bisping matchup have yet to be signed but the fight could be scheduled for July.

Henderson moved into the coaching slot by using his wrestling background to take Franklin out of his striking element and getting him to the mat. The 38-year old spent the majority of the first round on top of Franklin and won the round in decisive fashion thanks to a good display of ground and pound.

While Franklin fared better in the second round, Henderson still managed to get the fight to the floor for a good portion of the round. Franklin, a former UFC middleweight champion, delivered several nice kicks to the body of Henderson while the two were standing but was unable to dole out a sustained amount of punishment.

Soon after the start of the third round, Henderson once again found himself in top position on the ground and inside of Franklin’s guard. Despite causing very little damage, Henderson still managed to eat up clock and limited Franklin’s window to rally.

When the fighters eventually returned to the standup position, Franklin displayed a sense of urgency and attempted to rally from behind and avoid a decision loss by trying to finish Henderson. However, Henderson hung on for the victory, earning scores of 29-28 from two judges with Franklin surprisingly garnering a 30-27 score from the third judge.

While Franklin had trouble sustaining momentum during the fight, he fought well in spite of being the victim of accidental fouls on two separate occasions. The Ohio native suffered multiple lacerations to the top of his forehead following an incidental head butt. Then, in the third round, the fight was stopped for several minutes after Franklin was the recipient of an accident eye poke.

In addition to Henderson winning, former PRIDE superstar Mauricio “Shogun” Rua recorded his first victory in the UFC with a third round TKO over UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman.

Rua was fighting for the first time in nearly a year and a half due to recovery from knee surgery while the two were also fighting each other for the first time in nearly three years. In their first meeting at PRIDE 31, Coleman was declared the winner via TKO just 49 seconds into the fight after Rua landed awkwardly on a takedown and suffered a dislocated elbow.

Following Rua’s victory, sources revealed to FiveOuncesOfPain.com that it was determined that his next fight will take place against Chuck Liddell at UFC 97 during a yet-to-be announced card tentatively scheduled for April 18 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

The show’s pay-per-view telecast also saw Rousimar Palhares defeat Jeremy Horn via unanimous decision; Alan Belcher upset former PRIDE star Denis Kang with a guillotine choke submission at 4:36 of round 2; and Marcus Davis beat Chris Lytle via split decision.

The event’s non-televised undercard featured Martin Kampmann’s successful debut at welterweight following a second round TKO over newcomer Alexandre Barros. Other preliminary bouts saw John Hathaway successfully represent England over Ireland with a first round TKO over Tom Egan; German wrestling standout Dennis Siver using a spinning back kick to help TKO the returning Nate Mohr in round 3; Eric Schafer recording his second consecutive UFC victory with a first round TKO over Brazilian Antonio Mendes; and Tomasz Drwal TKO’ing Italian boxer Ivan Serati at 2:02 of round 1.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com learned of the development from a source present during the UFC’s post-fight press conference.

In recognition in one of the best standup fights in recent UFC memory, both Marcus Davis and Chris Lytle received $40,000 for their explosive performances during the show’s televised opener. Both Davis and Lytle have backgrounds as professional boxers and vowed publicly to put on a strong striking display. The outcome of the fight saw Davis record his eighth career victory inside the Octagon following a split decision victory.

Mark Coleman and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua were scheduled as the show’s co-main event in response to a previous encounter that took place at PRIDE 31 nearly three years ago. In their first meeting, Coleman was declared the winner via TKO after Rua landed awkwardly on a takedown and suffered a dislocated elbow.

Rua was able to avenge the loss by recording a stunning third round TKO with just 24 seconds remaining in the fight. The native Brazilian had to fend off several scares during the contest, as a tired but game Coleman grounded him multiple times during the fight and proceeded to land big shots to Rua’s head.

Coleman and Rua both received $40,000 bonuses in addition to their guaranteed pay for their effort.

The other two recipients of “Fight Night” bonuses from the show were Alan Belcher and Dennis Siver.

Belcher received a $40,000 bonus for “Submission of the Night” in response to his slick second round guillotine choke against newcomer Denis Kang. Meanwhile, Siver earned an additional $40,000 on top of his regularly scheduled pay in recognition of his third round TKO over Nate Mohr that included a spinning back kick followed by punches.

Rich “Ace” Franklin (24-3) has enjoyed one of the most prosperous MMA careers in the sports young history. He is a former UFC middleweight champion and has only tasted defeated three times in his career, at the hands of the undefeated Lyoto Machida and the best pound-for-pound fighter Anderson Silva (twice).

Silva has dominated the middleweight division in the UFC since defeating Franklin at UFC 64 for the middleweight title, defeating anyone that has challenged him, including Franklin again at UFC 77. So rather than attempt to fight Silva for a third time, Franklin decided to move to light heavyweight to start another run at a title. It looked like Silva would no longer impede Franklin’s path to glory.

It’s rather cliché to say, “life comes full circle” or “that many roads have the same destination” but it applies to Franklin. His first fighter against a light heavyweight title contender is against Dan Henderson, but there’s a catch. The winner will coach the next season of The Ultimate Fighter opposite Michael Bisping. At the conclusion of the show they will face off at middleweight with the winner getting a title shot against…Silva.

Franklin now finds himself between a rock and Anderson Silva. He’s stated that he would rather not coach a second season of TUF, and he would also prefer not to face Silva for a third time, as he was never really in the fights the first two go-rounds. Yet if that is what’s laid before him then he’ll do anything and everything to win. And losing to Henderson isn’t an option as it would cause him to get lost in the shuffle at 205.

Going into the fight with Henderson one would have to wonder what Franklin’s mindset is. He left his comfort zone at middleweight to avoid one person, so is he prepared to travel down the road that leads to Silva again. It’s said that “the third times a charm” but does that hold true when battling your archenemy?

It could come down to a nearly unstoppable force clashing with an immovable object for their final showdown. Silva has said he plans to retire in about years time from now. By the time this potential fight with Franklin would happen, it could mark the end of Silva’s career. How fitting would it be for Franklin to be the final test of Silva’s career, where things would come full circle for both men.

One thing is for sure, Franklin is and always has been a warrior in the cage. Any challenge thrown his way he has overcome, with very few exceptions. Now as another road to a title is paved before him can he final exercise the demon known as “The Spider” from his life and recapture the title he lost back in 2006?

Although Franklin has yet to take the first step on this journey, and for all we know the dream may all fall apart before it really begins, but to watch him battle his way back to the top is a compelling story fit for the silver screen of Hollywood. The dream could start with Franklin defeating Henderson at UFC 93, and if he does it will offer fans a storyline like none other in 2009, as Franklin once again looks to be called a champion in the UFC.

Day One: Part I (January 11, 2009):

Day One: Part II (January 11, 2009):

Day Two: Part I (January 12, 2009):

Day Two: Part II (January 12, 2009):

Day Three: Part I (January 13, 2009):

Day Three: Part II (January 13, 2009):

Day Four: Part I (January 14, 2009):

Day Four: Part II (January 14, 2009)

Day Five (January 15, 2009)

Belcher told FiveOuncesOfPain.com in an exclusive interview that he will be looking to make a statement against Kang to show the UFC’s middleweight division that he means business.

The 24 year old Biloxi, Mississipi native impressed many back in December of 2006 when he knocked out Jorge Santiago with one of the more brutal head kicks ever seen in the UFC but has been hot and cold since then. Following a decision win over Ed Herman, Belcher expects to look impressive against Kang on his way to legitimizing himself as one of the top dogs at185.

How long he will stay at 185 is up to speculation as Belcher confirmed with FiveOuncesOfpain that he hopes to make the move up to UFC’s stacked light heavyweight division sometime very soon.

Cory Brady: So I heard that you had you first mixed martial arts bout at the age of 14. What was that like?

Alan Belcher: It was a lot different of a game back then than it is now. We were practicing jiu-jitsu and kind of playing around with some of the people that I train with and my trainer, Max Bishop, would put on these NHB shows at a local sports bar. I ended up seeing some of those fights and I ended up wanting to do that pretty bad so I ended up getting my chance when I was fourteen years old. I was a pretty big kid, I was probablyy like 175-180 pounds when I was fourteen so I looked like an adult.

Cory Brady: Were you ridiculously nervous going into that fight? I heard the guy that you ended up fighting was like 30 years old.

Alan Belcher: Oh yeah, absolutely. I was really nervous. It was like a street fight for me so it was all adrenaline. It was a really cool experience, I tried to get all of my friends to come watch and I was showing everyone the tape. I was really just having a good time. I never would have thought back then that I would have made a career out of it. It never even occurred to me that I could make a living at fighting until a few years later.

Cory Brady: So who ended up winning that fight?

Alan Belcher: I won by submission, believe it or not. I got him with a Kimura from side control.

Cory Brady: Tell me a little bit about Remix MMA. It looks like you have something for everyone down there.

Alan Belcher: I’m just trying to build a good program for the local people down there in Biloxi, Mississippi. Our jiu-jitsu coach used to train Anderson Silva and he was one of the original guys from the Chute Boxe camp. We’ve got some really good guy teaching the muay thai and a good wrestling program, we have something for everyone down there. Just getting it all together but it is absolutely the best place on the Gulf Coast as far as MMA gyms go. We have a really good MMA program for children called “Little Ninjas”. Most of the children’s programs that I have seen for kids are kind of supplemental just for them to have a kids program, just to have an extra class or for them to pay the bills and that kind of stuff but we really focus on the kid’s down at Remix MMA. We have a really diverse group of people down there and we really have a buch of teens and younger people down there and we want to keep building on that. We even have a pre-school program that starts at four years old.

Cory Brady: Who are some of the key people that have been helping you prepare for Denis Kang?

Alan Belcher: Duke Roufus has really been helping me out for a while and of course Red Schafer is fighting on the card as well so we’ve been sparring a lot and he has been helping me with my jiu-jitsu. He tries to take me down and I try to keep it on the feet. Back at home I have Rodney Duran, my boxing coach, he is always keeping me in shape and keeping my hands sharp and all of that. He’s always calling me on the phone and keeping me focused, telling me to run and all of that, he’s like my life coach. Pat Barry has been stepping it up as a coach since his UFC debut. He’s cracking the whip on us and making us work hard. he’s always jumping in the rotation and sparring with me and giving me tips. He’s been helping me out a lot as a sparring partner and a coach. I have a good crew up here and I have a good crew in Mississippi so I’m happy.

Cory Brady: What have you been focusing on in the gym since your fight with Ed Herman?

Alan Belcher: I’ve really been focusing on getting stronger and my overall athletic ability. I’ve been spending more than half my time training just my overall performance like speed and agility and all of that kind of stuff. I’m trying to become a monster basically.

Cory Brady: How do you feel you match up with Kang?

Alan Belcher: I think it’s a really good match up. I have the edge on striking and I think that he has the edge on the jiu-jitsu but I think that my takedown defense is going to be a lot better than he’s going to expect. He’ll have to come in my range to grab me and I feel like I can dominate him in the clinch. I have the height and the reach on him so it makes a good clinch for me and those factors will help me on the outside as well. I don’t think he’s going to be able to get me on the ground and if he does he’s not going to be able to stop me. I’m looking for the knockout in this one for sure. I was kind of careful in my last fight but I feel like I have another knockout coming to me. I have the power it’s just a matter of me going in there and letting my hands go. Either way, I have a lot of ways to beat him but I have a feeling that a big one is going to connect.

Cory Brady: Are you hoping that he tries to stand and trade with you?

Alan Belcher: He’s not stupid, he’s a veteran. He’s not going to come in there like a madman. He’s going to try to get me comfortable on my feet and then look for a takedown. You might see him catch me, you might see him drop me and you may see him take me down in the first round but the second and the third round are mine.

Cory Brady: I know you spent some time training it Thailand a bit ago. What was that experience like?

Alan Belcher: It was a great experience. I really go to fine tune a lot of my techniques down there. When you’re training MMA it’s hard to focus on some of the finer details in any specific element so it was really good for that. I’m planning on going back at some point but that trip was a really good experience for me and I learned a lot from it.

Cory Brady: What can people expect to see from Alan Belcher in the future?

Alan Belcher: My goal, is to become the best fighter in MMA and definitely the best striker. I think I’m getting closer at becoming the best striker. I’m looking at that belt though. I’m starting to get the confidence and realizing that it is actually possible for me to become champion so I’m going to start coming after some guys. If the UFC is cool with it I wouldn’t mind going up to 205 and getting a couple fights in there.

Cory Brady: So you’re considering a move up?

Alan Belcher: Oh yeah. I would definitely fight Rich Franklin or Dan Henderson at 205. It would be interesting just to take a break from cutting weight. I want to stay busy and keep fighting a lot and it would make it a lot easier if I didn’t have to worry about cutting weight all the time.

Cory Brady: What do you walk around at typically?

Alan Belcher: When I’m really training I’m usually around 215 but I have to work hard to stay there. Getting down to 210 is a little tougher and then down from there is obviously extremely difficult. I’d like to get a couple fights at light heavyweight before I move up permanently but the goal is to get the middleweight belt and then move up. I definitely want to move up in the future because I want to do this for a long time and I can’t see myself making the cut to middleweight forever.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER LIVE EVENT CHAT

DENNIS SIVER def. Nate Mohr via TKO ~ 3:47, round 3.

THOMASZ DRWAL def  Ivan Serati  via  TKO~ 2:02, round 1.

ERIC SCHAFER def. Antonio Mendes via TKO~ 3:35, round 1.

MARTIN KAMPMANN def. Alexandre Barros via TKO~ 3:09, round 2.

JOHN HATHAWAY def. Tom Egan via TKO~ 4:36, round 1.

MARCUS DAVIS def. Chris Lytle by split decision.

ALAN BELCHER def. Denis Kang  via sub ~ 4:36, round 2.

ROUSIMAR PALHARES def. Jeremy Horn via unanimous decision.

MAURICIO RUA def. Mark Coleman via TKO~ 4:36, round 3.

DAN HENDERSON def. Rich Franklin by split decision

Rich Franklin:

Dan Henderson:

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua:

Mark “The Hammer” Coleman:

Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson

Michael Huckaby: Everywhere I go all I see are comments from fans, fighters and analysts stating Henderson can neutralize Franklin and he has the advantage in this particular matchup. To quote the great mind of Socrates, hooey! As with every other fight fan around, these are two of my favorite fighters to ever step into a ring. I have to put that aside and picture the fight. Too many people seem to forget Rich Franklin would be the #1 p4p fighter on the planet if it weren’t for Anderson Silva. You can make arguments about Franklin at 205lbs or what Silva took out of him but as of this second I haven’t seen enough to prove Dan Henderson, at this point in his career, can win a decision on Rich Franklin. Franklin will get tagged but win the standup in this fight. His wrestling is good enough to keep Henderson at bay and his BJJ will get him off the bottom, not that Henderson would stop him there. This will be a war that could go either way but my mind is telling me Rich Franklin is still the guy he was before Anderson Silva. Winner: Rich Franklin, decision.

Caleb Newby: I like Franklin here. I just don’t understand why so many people underestimate him or don’t consider him an elite fighter. The thing that baffled me the most was how a good number of people were taking Hamill over him. I just don’t get it. Anyhow, this fight will be much tougher than Franklin’s Hamill fight. If both fighters fight as they have of late, Franklin should earn a tough decision victory. He has all of the tools and well rounded game to pull this one out and avoid a Hendo haymaker and stave off the majority of the takedown attempts thrown his way. The biggest monkey wrench in my prediction is if Henderson is consistently looking to grapple instead of trade. Should Henderson manage to get takedowns fairly regularly and not spend too terribly long in the stand up game, Henderson should be able to rack up an easy decision. Random question, do you think Henderson is going to try to fight from the clinch… being as he claimed to be better than Silva with the clinch before their fight and with Franklin’s well documented problems versus Silva? That’s neither here nor there, just wondering. Winner: Rich Franklin – Decision

Brendhan Conlan: It goes without saying that there’s a lot on the line for both Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin in their main event clash. Each is looking to further establish his legacy in MMA by beating a competitor most would consider among the sport’s all-time greats. Each is hoping to move one more rung up the proverbial ladder with a goal of getting a shot at promotional gold. And, even better (note: sarcasm), each is going to win a 6-8 month gap between fights in order to tape a reality show! Removing all the outside factors and just getting into the nitty-gritty of their individual skillsets, this particular battle of 205-pounders could go down as one of the top bouts in 2009 and it’s still January. The former UFC middleweight champion, Franklin, has more tools in his stand-up box than Dan Henderson but lacks the Team Quest founding father’s wrestling or devestating right hand. “Ace” has knockouts to be sure…just ask Nate “The Rocked” Quarry…but Henderson has shown his one-punch putdown power to a number of his peers. I think he’ll utilize both his Olympic-level grappling and heavy hands to leave Franklin dazed and confused, though not quite at an Anderson Silva level of decimation. Speaking of which, Henderson is the only man to have won a round in the UFC against “The Spider”. Doesn’t that count for something? Regardless, I’m going to sit back, enjoy, and root for both of these class acts no matter whose hand is raised at the end of the show. I implore you all to do the same, because the real winners of this crown-jewel of a headliner are we long-time fans of Mixed Martial Arts who have been longing for this particular battle between PRIDE/UFC icons for a number of years. Winner: Dan Henderson, TKO, RD 2
Jonathan Snowden: I’m really excited to see this matchup because both guys have plenty of question marks. Franklin is the best fighter in the world at 185 pounds, with the lone exception of the amazing Anderson Silva. Can that success continue against bigger men? For Henderson, the clock is ticking on what has been a hall of fame career. Does he still have enough left to make one last title run? Like I said:  plenty of questions. The answer? Franklin, Decision.

Lee Gerowitz : This is an incredibly tough fight to call. I think Henderson needs to take Franklin down to the ground and out-wrestle him to win this fight. I don’t see Franklin allowing the fight to stay on the ground if it goes there. Both are well-rounded fighters, but I see Franklin picking Henderson apart over the course of three rounds. Franklin by decision.
Chris Dolan : Rich Franklin fighting Dan Henderson is a treat for fight fans, but a tough bout to pick a clear-cut winner in. Both men have made a great decision moving to light heavyweight where they can fight at a more comfortable weight, and avoid Anderson Silva. As for this fight I like Henderson. He dominated Rousimar Palhares who is considered one of the best jiu-jitsu fighters in the world. He’ll look to give Franklin a steady dose of his right hand and if he does he’ll win this fight. On the other hand Franklin has only lost to Lyoto Machida and Silva, twice, in his career, so if he were to defeat Henderson it wouldn’t catch me by surprise. In the end I think Henderson will win via TKO in the third round.
Cory Brady: Henderson always has the ability to knock anyone out with one punch and his wrestling makes him a serious threat to take Franklin to the canvas and maul him but he won’t. Franklin’s takedown defense is very polished and his striking will be too accurate and technical for Henderson. Franklin by decision.

David Andrest: Great match up.  Two guys in pretty much the same spot.  LIMBO.  This could go either way, but  I’m taking   Franklin via Decision.

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Mark Coleman

Michael Huckaby: To be fair I can’t really be impartial here. I’ve disliked Mark Coleman for years and the mouths of Hammer House in general. On top of that, Coleman hasn’t won a fight in about three years…. and that was Shogun’s broken arm. I look for Shogun to come out, swing away, get taken down and then come back when Coleman inevitably gets tired of gets swept. From there it will be a clinic of punches and kicks with Coleman trying to avoid and failing at takedowns until the ref hops in or he taps to the strikes. Winner: Shogun Rua, TKO, Rd2.

Caleb Newby: Not much of a question here. Shogun was widely considered the number one light-heavyweight when Wanderlei Silva and Chuck Liddell were the PRIDE and UFC champions, respectively. Then one loss and some injury time off later, he’s all but forgotten about. While Coleman was a pioneer in MMA, I don’t think many people give him a real shot here unless the ringrust monster bit Shogun hard. Huckaby pretty much nailed the way this fight should look. Winner: Mauricio “Shogun” Rua – Submission, Rd1

Brendhan Conlan: There is no fighter who I’d rather see succeed in 2009 more than Mauricio Rua. “Shogun” has gone from being considered the top Mixed Martial Artist in the world to a legitimate question mark. Injuries sustained both in the ring and out have slowed him and, as a result, he has yet to prove himself inside the Octagon. It will be interesting to see how Coleman, especially at the age of 44, is affected by the drop from heavyweight to light heavyweight. I think his best bet is to try and take Rua down, then pound him out. If the fight makes it beyond the first round, which I think it will, conditioning should be in the favor of the twenty-something Brazilian and allow him to finish “The Hammer” off. Then again, after “Shogun” came into his fight against Forrest Griffin looking like he had “sho” eaten a lot of doughtnuts during training camp, it’s hard to know exactly what fans should expect at UFC 93. Winner: Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Submission, RD 3

Jonathan Snowden: The UFC has done a great job of promoting Coleman with their Countdown special. I’ve actually heard people saying they were putting money down on an ancient wrestler who has never bothered to expand his game. This is how Vegas keeps all those lights on up and down the strip at night. Rua, KO, Round 1.

Lee Gerowitz : This is a battle of rust. Whoever is sharper wins this fight. And I expect Coleman, who is also cutting down to 205, to have major issues. If Rua displays the form he claims he will, this fight will be over quickly. It’s “hello-goodbye” for Coleman. Rua by TKO, round one.

Chris Dolan : Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will look at avenge his 2006 loss to Mark Coleman when both men were in Pride. Shogun had his arm broken after Coleman picked him up and slammed him to the mat. Before his loss to Forrest Griffin, Shogun was considered the best light heavyweight in the world and I expect him to regain that form starting Saturday night. Coleman hasn’t competed since he lost to Fedor Emelianenko back in October of 2006, and I think the layoff will show in this fight. If Shogun can keep the fight standing he should be able to control the tempo of the fight. Shogun will win this fight via TKO in the second round.

Cory Brady: Obviously both these guys are coming off of extended layoffs so they’re even in the ring rust department. Shogun is just a better all around fighter and I expect him  to come out on fire, ending this one early. Shogun by knockout.

David Andrest: As I sit in awe of Gerowitz working in a Beetles refrence, I’ll make it unanimous.  Shogun via TKO

Denis Kang vs. Alan Belcher

Michael Huckaby: This has to be one of the two hardest fights for me to pick on this card. Everything in my mind is telling me to pick Alan Belcher but I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if Kang destroys him in the first round. Belcher should probably win but he doesn’t connect enough for me to be sure of it and in the end I don’t have the guts to put it down. If Belcher was just a TOUCH more accurate I could pull that trigger. Winner: Denis Kang, TKO, Rd3.

Caleb Newby: What a road Kang has had. From 22 fights straight without a loss to losing his next three out of four, Denis has set things back on the right track with a two fight winning streak coming into his UFC debut. I’ll be of more faith that Kang has found his rhythm and will look the part of a contender that will get people talking about him once again. Winner: Denis Kang – TKO, Rd1

Brendhan Conlan: I’m among the group of MMA-aholics who is thrilled to see Denis Kang finally make his way into the UFC. I’ve always felt he was an exciting, well-rounded fighter who has a marketable style in the ring as well as potential based on his diverse heritage. I don’t think the transition from ring to cage will affect him much based on his tenure at American Top Team and overall experience in Mixed Martial Arts. I think Alan Belcher, who has admitted that Kang is a competitor he’s looked up to for some time, may suffer from a combination of youth and adulation when face-to-face with the former PRIDE standout. The mental part of fighting is a huge factor and locking up with someone you once idolized is rarely a good thing. Just look back to Georges St. Pierre’s first bout against Matt Hughes if you need any proof. I think it my cause Belcher to come out slow and eventually slip up against Kang. Winner: Denis Kang, TKO, RD 1

Jonathan Snowden: Finally, the UFC debut of Denis Kang. Kang is a guy that just looks like a fighter. He’s a great athlete with all the tools. The knock on Kang is that he’s never beaten a great fighter. Luckily, Belcher is not a great fighter. Kang, TKO, Round 2.

Lee Gerowitz : The question to me is, which Kang will we see show up? I’m guessing we’ll see Kang at his best, simply because he’s making his UFC debut and he knows what’s on the line here. Belcher may hang with Kang – rhyme 100% intentional – but somewhere in round two, Kang will bang. Thank you very much. Kang by TKO, round two.

Chris Dolan : Submission specialist Denis Kang makes his UFC debut against Alan Belcher. Belcher has been very up and down in his UFC career and will have his hands full with the very talented Kang. I don’t think Kang will have much trouble with Belcher as he should be able to take him down and control the fight on the ground. I like Kang via submission early in the second round.

Cory Brady: Kang has been hot and cold throughout his career and it’s hard to say which Kang will show up. The same thing can be said for Belcher but I expect his takedown defense to be good enough to keep this one standing and for him to stop Kang with strikes early on. Belcher via TKO.

David Andrest: I really enjoy Denis Kang as a fighter.  I’m very happy to see him in the UFC where he belongs.  With that said  I fully expect Belcher to be sharper in this fight.  Belcher via TKO

Rousimar Palhares vs. Jeremy Horn

Michael Huckaby: I just can’t pick Horn again until I see something. Horn has always been open to submissions but it’s never been this obvious before. My real question is whether Palhares will be able to finish Horn or if he’ll ride out a decent sized decision. I say Palhares on top means less of a chance for a finish as Horn will work strong from his back and take damage. I’m sticking with that. Winner: Rousimar Palhares, decision.

Caleb Newby: Palhares wins this via submission. After discussing this in the The Duel this week, I really can’t see it going any other way than Palhares’. Horn isn’t the fighter he once was and Palhares is a phenom on the ground. The real question is when does it end. Sooner than later I say. Winner: Rousimar Palhares – Submission, Rd1

Brendhan Conlan: Rousimar Palhares is every bit and more the grappler “Gumby” is. He’s younger and more athletic. Jeremy Horn hasn’t finished an opponent in over two-and-a-half years. He’s lost four of his last six fights. To be quite blunt, at this point in his career he is living off of reputation and experience, and I’m fairly certain UFC 93 will be his last appearance inside the Octagon. A win over Palhares in his final at-bat would be monumental and possibly prolong his release but I just don’t see it happening. Fight #104 for Horn may not just be a loss but an ugly one at that. Winner: Rousimar Palhares, Judges’ Decision

Jonathan Snowden: I love Jeremy Horn, one of the sports all-time cerebral assassins. This is a man who has won more than 70 fights in a career that has taken him all over the globe. He’s seen the sport change dramatically and, unfortunately for Horn, it isn’t a sport where a Jeremy Horn can thrive anymore. He’s got all the knowledge and skill. What he doesn’t have is exceptional athleticism. When your opponents are all bigger, faster, stronger, and nearly as skilled, well, you could be in a lot of trouble. Palhares, Submission, Round 3.

Lee Gerowitz : The bottom line here is Horn can be submitted now – and Palhares is an excellent submission specialist. Horn needs a win to stay in the UFC, but he won’t get it. The gas tank has to be nearly empty. If you’re a Jeremy Horn fan, get out the Kleenex, because this will be his last fight in the UFC. Palhares by submission, round two.

Chris Dolan : Jeremy Horn will look at avoid a third straight loss in the octagon but it might be unavoidable as he faces Rousimar Palhares. Look for Palhares to end this fight in the second round via submission.  Palhares by submission, round two.
Cory Brady: Both of these fighters strengths are their submissions but Palhares’ is much more explosive. Palhares should win easily by submission early on in this passing of the torch match.Palhares by submission

David Andrest: Let’s count the ways Jeremy Horn could likely win this fight…………….Winner Palhares via Submission Round 1.

Marcus Davis vs. Chris Lytle

Michael Huckaby: I would have leaned toward Lytle but I’m afraid he is going to stand and trade with Davis hoping to get the best of the boxing. Davis will win the standup and even when Lytle tries the ground game I don’t think he’ll be able to take Davis out. Everyone loves Chris Lytle but the fact remains that finishing strong fighters with his submissions just isn’t happening. It’s possible and I’ll be rooting for it 100% but as per the gameplan in my head I have to go Davis. Winner: Marcus Davis, decision.

Caleb Newby: This will be a lot of fun. Again, not to repeat myself from The Duel but Davis is the better striker and both men seemingly just want to stand and trade. With that being the case combined with Lytle’s toughness, I have to give it to Davis via decision in an all out war. Winner: Marcus Davis – Decision

Brendhan Conlan: John Witherspoon, better known David Allen Grier’s mushroom-sporting father in “Boomerang”, has apparently gotten in the ears of Marcus Davis and Chris Lytle because both fighters are without-a-doubt approaching Saturday with one general strategy in mind – BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG!!! Their bout has all the makings of a “Fight of the Night” given each man’s boxing ability, general tenacity, and durable chin. Neither man has been knocked out in his professional MMA career and they can attribute their collective trio of TKOs to cut-based stoppages. I have a shiny coin to thank for my pick in this match-up of hard-fighting welterweights. It’s truly that close a call. Winner: Chris Lytle, TKO (cuts), RD 3

Jonathan Snowden: Here’s the night’s Zuffa special:  two men looking to brawl and making no attempt at takedowns or grappling. A boxing match with four ounce gloves. That makes picking a winner tough. The loser is the first guy to get hit on the chin. I say that will be Lytle. Davis, KO, Round 3.

Lee Gerowitz : When you have two guys fighting whose nicknames are “The Irish Hand Grenade” and “Lights Out,” it’s safe to say that the chances of someone getting K.T.F.O. is high. In addition, both men are former professional boxers. This has potential “Fight of the Night” written all over it. I expect a three-round war. Davis by decision.

Chris Dolan : Marcus Davis has found a lot of success in England and I like for it to continue in his bout with Chris Lytle. This fight will go the distance with Davis coming out on top via a unanimous decision. Davis by decision.

Cory Brady: A gentleman’s agreement between two sluggers to stand up and trade for the entire bout? I’m looking forward to this one, that’s for sure. Lytle told me recently that nobody is above getting knocked out and I’m going to go out on a limb and say that neither is Marcus Davis. Lytle by knockout in a slugfest

David Andrest: I like both of these fighters, and if they do decide to stand and trade, it’s going to be a very exciting few minutes.  I think Davis has better hands, and I honestly would’nt be shocked to see Davis win via sub.   Winner: Davis via KO

Martin Kampmann vs. Alexandre Barros

Michael Huckaby: A gimme fight to get the fun Kampmann back in the game after that freakish Marquardt fight. The standup in this fight is going to be an absolute joke as Kampmann will do whatever he wants until Barros falls or tries to grapple. Kampmann will either kill him on the feet or get on the bottom of take longer to work for something. Winner: Martin Kampmann, KO, Rd1.

Caleb Newby: Knockout of the night? I say yes. Kampmann will win. Barros isn’t UFC caliber, which makes sense as he is on a UK show where seemingly half the fighters aren’t UFC caliber. There isn’t much more to say about this one as it should be over and done with quite quickly. Winner: Martin Kampmann – KO, Rd1

Brendhan Conlan: Barros, whose picture on Sherdog reminds me of a Battletoad for some reason, is a tough draw for “The Hitman” in his welterweight debut. The Brazilian product is riding a nine-fight win streak though none of his dubyas have come against opponents the level of Kampmann. I don’t expect the change in division to affect the young Dane as it might others who were dropping down, as my understanding is that he didn’t generally need to cut pounds when competing as a middleweight. I think Barros’ jiujitsu is good enough to cancel out Kampmann’s very solid ground skills. In truth, he’d be smart to focus on taking things to the mat if he wants to come out victorious in the bout. Martin’s kickboxing and stand-up in general are equivalent to his submissions, and for that matter, they’re also along the lines of ether but without the sleep-inducing chemical’s attached warning label. Winner: Martin Kampmann, Judges’ Decision

Jonathan Snowden: A huge step up in class for Barros, but this is a man who is no beginner. I saw him fight Aaron Riley back in 2002 at the first Absolute Fighting Championship. Joe Silva is looking to get Kampmann back on track. Kampmann, KO, Round 2.

Lee Gerowitz : Kampmann drops to welterweight and is a man on a mission, while Barros is another fighter making his UFC debut. Kampmann, coming off of a devastating loss to Nate Marquardt, feels right at home at welterweight, which IS bad news for Barros. I fully expect to see an aggressive, confident Kampmann dominate. Kampmann by submission, round two.

Chris Dolan : Alexandre Barros is making his UFC debut but look for Martin Kampmann to spoil it by winning this fight via TKO in the second round. Kampmann by tko, round two.

Cory Brady: Easiest pick of the night. Kampmann will make short work of  Barros finally picking up that highlight reel knockout we all know he is capable of.Kampmann by tko, round one.

David Andrest: Kampmann should dominate start to finish.  Kampmann TKO round One.

Ivan Serati vs. Thomasz Drwal

Michael Huckaby: Serati has the punchers chance but Drwal will bum rush and unload shots. Serati has that limited chance to get some side shots in but there is a better chance than not that Serati falls on his face early. Winner: Thomasz Drwal, TKO, Rd1.

Caleb Newby: Just like if Paddington Bear fought Curious George, Thomasz Drwal will dominate Ivan Serati with a carnivorous ferocity that won’t last more than five minutes due to marmalade infused ground and pound. Bet you didn’t see that analogy coming. Winner: Thomasz Drwal – TKO, Rd1

Brendhan Conlan: In one of UFC 93′s multiple throwdowns with national pride on the line, Poland’s Thomasz “Gesundheit” Drwal is looking to beat Italian Ivan Serati in hopes of getting back on another win streak comparable to the thirteen-bout run he had going before being knocked out by Thiago Silva during one of Zuffa’s other European vacations (UFC 75). The smart approach for Drwal would be to use his grappling ability to try and neutralize Serati’s power, but I honestly see both men going toe-to-toe from the opening bell until one of them crumples to the canvas. Winner: Ivan Serati, TKO, RD 1
Jonathan Snowden: Drwal has been in the Octagon before. That gives him the edge. Drwal, Decision.

Lee Gerowitz : This is another fight that has slugfest written all over it. To me, the difference is, Drwal has been in the octagon before and Serati has not. Drwal’s last fight was his UFC debut and a loss to Thiago Silva. Serati is not Silva. Anything can happen, but I give Drwal the edge because he’s been here before. Drwal by TKO, round one.

Chris Dolan : Thomasz Drawl lost his only fight in the UFC to Thiago Silva but there is no shame in losing to Alves. Drwal should give Ivan Serati problems in his UFC debut and will make short work of him with a first round TKO. Drwal by TKO, round one.
Cory Brady: Both of these guys like to bang and I don’t see this one lasting more than one round. Drwal was overwhelmed in his first fight in the octagon with Thiago Silva  but he won’t be against Serati. Drwal by knockout

David Andrest: Thomasz Drawl is the better fighter, Thiago Silva beat him but Serati is no Thiago Silva.  Drwal TKO Round One.

Tom Egan vs. John Hathaway

Michael Huckaby: Thomas Egan is Irish and I’ll stick to the idea that’s the reason he’s fighting on this card so early in his career. I won’t doubt Egan has the superior standup but Hathaway should get this on the ground and work his magic fairly quickly. I don’t see this lasting long enough for Egan to get another UFC UK show appearance in the future. Winner: John Hathaway, submission, Rd1.

Caleb Newby: Boxer and a wrestler. Both are UFC rookies, so there goes the old “UFC jitters” argument. Instead I’ll go with the other tried and true method. A wrestler over a striker when you don’t have enough info on the striker. Ground and pound till the ref steps in. Winner: John Hathaway – TKO, Rd1

Brendhan Conlan: Thanks to Hathaway vs. Egan, if Jimmy Lennon’s ring announcing duties carried over to the UFC, fans in Dublin would undoubtedly have an opportunity to hear him say “Someone’s ’0′ must go!” The bout also provides UFC 93 with a classic throwback to the historical rivalry between Ireland and England, as Hathaway is from the land o’ Harry Potter and Egan from the Emerald Isle. I know very little about either fighter, but my gut tells me that Hathaway will come away victorious based on having three-times the in-ring experience as Egan and also having shown the ability to both submit and knockout his opponents. Additionally, I can see the fight’s resident Irishman being thrown off by Hathaway having a normal first name. Tom Egan’s three wins to date are against guys named “Jonny”, “Arturas”, and my personal favorite, “Mindaugus Myle”. Winner: John Hathaway, TKO, RD 1

Jonathan Snowden: Even though Hathaway is a Cage Rage prospect, I’ve got to go with Egan. If only because he appeared with me on Oliver Copp’s Tough Talk podcast. Egan, TKO, Round 2.

Lee Gerowitz : Both men are undefeated, but both men are also making their UFC debuts. Maybe both will just pee themselves and we’ll call it a draw. Not likely. I see these two trying to make big statements by coming out swinging. I’ve never seen them fight, but my research tells me that this should be an action-fight and that Hathaway’s experience gives him the edge. Hathaway by TKO, round two.

Chris Dolan : The undefeated John Hathaway will make his UFC debut vs. Tom Egan and will keep his winning ways going, improving to 10-0 with a first round TKO of Egan. Hathaway by TKO, round one.

Cory Brady: This one’s tough to call. Two undefeated prospects that I know very little about. Hathaway has more experience, I’m going with him. Hathaway via knockout.

David Andrest: While it might be nice for the hometown guy to win, it’s not happening in this fight. Hathaway via TKO round two.

Nate Mohr vs. Dennis Siver

Michael Huckaby: Just on paper this looks like a bad matchup for Mohr and that’s probably too bad. Siver will use his strength to get control and I don’t think Mohr is big enough or good enough to stop Siver. The question is if Siver will stop the fight or ride on Mohr for 15 minutes. Winner: Dennis Siver, submission, Rd2.

Caleb Newby: This really is a loser leaves the UFC fight. Not that I know for certain, but it’s a safe guess. Want to know what another safe guess is? I’ll tell you… Winner: Dennis Siver – KO, Rd1

Brendhan Conlan: Nate “My Nickname by Default is ‘The Great’” Mohr is 8-5 with all of his losses coming via submission. Based on his previous difficulty on the mat, my feeling is that Siver’s reputation as a grappler is going to be more than Mohr can handle. Winner: Dennis Siver, Submission, RD 1
Jonathan Snowden: Siver is a submission specialist. Mohr has lost all his fights on the ground. Think the UFC is trying to build a German fighter for their debut in Cologne later this year? Siver, Submission, Round 1.

Lee Gerowitz : Mohr and Siver have just two wins combined in seven UFC fights. The loser can kiss the UFC goodbye, at least for now. Siver is a submission fighter, Mohr is not. Siver will try to take this one down to the ground and force Mohr to say “No Mohr.” Horrible joke, horrible matchup in my opinion. Siver by submission, round three.

Chris Dolan : Nate Mohr has had an up and down career in the octagon but I like for him to pick up the victory over Denis Siver via unanimous decision. Nate Mohr via decision.

Cory Brady: Mohr is more well rounded than Siver and should be able to manage the decision victory that will send Siver on a vacation from the UFC.Nate Mohr via decision.

David Andrest: A guy who loses on the ground vs. a ground fighter.  Winner Siver sub

Eric Schafer vs. Antonio Mendes

Michael Huckaby: I really don’t want to pick this fight. Mendes is better than he showed in the Silva fight but Schafer just has the experience advantage against better competition. This goes to the ground, Schafer takes some punishment, in the end I think Schafer has enough to pull off a mid fight submission after a Mendes mistake. Winner: Eric Schafer, submission, Rd3.

Caleb Newby: I am having a definite problem overly caring about this undercard. I wanted to admit that now and apologize. That out of the way, I’m taking Schafer here. If Huckaby can be all gaga over Lytle because they share a home state, I can take a guy because he’s from my original home state, the land of cheese, Wisconsin. What? That reasoning sucks? Fine… and because I think Schafer will take Mendes down and control the positioning battle before maneuvering in for a submission. Winner: Eric Schafer – Submission, Rd2

Brendhan Conlan: This bout has quite a bit of potential for a curtain-jerker and should kick off UFC 93 on the right note. As they say, styles make fights, and the cliche could not be more true than it is in the case of Schafer’s ground-based arsenal being paired against Mendes’ knockout-friendly striking. I expect Mendes to come out firing with “Red” weathering the storm until he can procure a takedown. Schafer is coming off a winning performance against the brick-bodied Houston Alexander so I’m positive he’ll be prepared to defend any sort of stand-up attack Mendes can mount. Mendes won’t be as easy to submit as Alexander was, but the Brazilian is still susceptible to being tapped out by someone with Schafer’s jiujitsu skills (as are most fighters). I can see Mendes gassing out after a relentless cycle of takedowns, positioning, and submission attempts, so I’m going to give the nod to the man who will also be the obvious crowd favorite.
Winner: Eric Schafer, Submission, RD 2

Jonathan Snowden: This should be a real even fight. When in doubt, go with the guy that has a big show pedigree. That’s Schafer. Schafer, Decision.

Lee Gerowitz : Mendes is another fighter on the card whose last fight was a loss to Thiago Silva. Meanwhile, Schafer submitted Houston Alexander last September. This could be another “loser goes home” fight. So the question is, who will submit to that pressure? If Mendes can keep the fight standing, he has a shot. But based on his performance on the ground against Silva, I expect Schafer to take this one to the ground and finish Mendes. Schafer by submission, round two.

Chris Dolan : I like Eric Schafer to pull out another victory in the octagon over Antonio Mendes with a third round submission victory.  Schafer by submission, round 3.

Cory Brady: Schafer will have little problems latching onto Mendes and overwhelming him on the canvas for an early submission. My prediction, arm triangle, Schafer. Red by submission

David Andrest: Schafer will contol from bell until Mendes is sleeping.   Winner  Schafer via sub round one.

UFC 93 will emanate from the O2 Arena in Dublin, Ireland and will feature former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin taking on former PRIDE middleweight and welterweight champion Dan Henderson in a light heavyweight bout. The event will air live in the United States on pay-per-view at 3:00 p.m. ET and will replay again at 10 p.m. ET.

Both Henderson and Franklin normally compete at middleweight and made the 206 pound light heavyweight limit with ease, as both came in under weight.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Mark Coleman will also be featured during the show’s co-main event in a rematch against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Cutting to light heavyweight for the first time, Coleman made weight during his first attempt.

The show’s undercard will also feature the welterweight debut of Martin Kampmann, who had been competing in the UFC’s middleweight division. Kampmann not only met the required weight of 171 pounds, he ended up weighing in at 168 pounds.

The remaining fighters scheduled to compete on the show all made weight. Full results from the weigh-ins are as follows:

Televised main card:

• Dan Henderson (202) vs. Rich Franklin (203)
• Mark Coleman (206) vs. Mauricio Rua (205)
• Jeremy Horn (185) vs. Rousimar Palhares (184)
• Alan Belcher (186) vs. Denis Kang (184)
• Marcus Davis (169) vs. Chris Lytle (171)

Non-televised preliminary card:

• Alexandre Barros (170) vs. Martin Kampmann (168)
• Antonio Mendes (204) vs. Eric Schafer (205)
• Tomasz Drwal (203) vs. Ivan Serati (204)
• Tom Egan (169) vs. John Hathaway (171)
• Dennis Siver (155) vs. Nate Mohr (156)

Coming off of the heels of his impressive submission victory over hometown favorite Houston Alexander, Schafer will face another man known for his striking prowess, Antonio Mendes. The Brazilian put together an eleven fight win streak before being derailed by the fearsome Chute Boxe and American Top Team trained Thiago Silva in a wild clash that lasted less than one round. Mendes impressed many when he rocked Silva and had him hurt early before himself succumbing to a barrage of strikes.

The match up between Schafer and Mendes is your ” classic striker vs. grappler match up” in it’s purest form and it’s something the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt said he has become accustomed too.

Training with some of the best strikers in the business in at Duke Roufus Gym in Milwaukee, it is Schafer’s ultimate to be viewed as a complete fighter as opposed to a pure grappler and he has been taking all of the necessary steps to accomplish that dream.

Cory Brady: What have you been focusing on in the gym since your big win over Houston Alexander?

Red Schafer: Well I was kind of helping out Pat Barry in his training camp for his fight with Dan Evenson so I’ve been working a lot on my striking lately. I’ve been working a lot on my offense and then of course I’ve been working a lot on my defense. Any time you train with Pat you really have to keep your hands up and make sure that you have your kick defense down. I’d say my grappling is about the same but I’ve been working a lot on my striking to round out my game.

Cory Brady: How has training with guys like Duke Roufus, Pat Barry and Alan Belcher been helping you to improve your stand up game?

Red Schafer: No discredit to my opponent but I train with some of the best guys in the world on a daily basis. Ben Rothwell‘s down here with me too so I have big guys, fast guys, short and tall guys, just amazing strikers trying to knock my head off on a daily basis down here. It forces me to get better. Then Duke Roufus, one of the best coaches in the game, is right here in my home town so it’s a great fit. Some of the young guys we have training down here are going to really going to impress people in the next two or three years. We have a very good camp, we have a bunch of different UFC fighters coming through here every month, so yeah, not bad for a little mid western town.

Cory Brady: How are you feeling physically leading up to your fight with Antonio Mendes?

Red Schafer: I’m feeling great. It was kind of short notice but like I said, I was already in the gym training with Pat for his fight, training twice a day just about every day. We just kind of flowed and overlapped our camps so I feel great. I’m kind of peaking, it’s perfect timing right now so I can’t wait to get in there and get this over with.

Cory Brady: Have you been focusing on anything specific in preparing for Mendes?

Red Schafer: Well the biggest problem with Mendes other than the fact that he’s a good striker is that he’s a lefty. I’ve been having a lot of left handers come in and then it’s great to have Pat, who’s one of the best kickboxers around, because he can switch stances and he’s still awesome as a lefty. I’ve been having left high kicks thrown at me every day and I’ve been learning about how to strike against a left handed fighter. That’s been the greatest adaptation I’ve had to make for Mendes. My striking has been getting better but then you throw the lefty equation into it and it gets a little more tough.

Cory Brady: Having a guy like Pat Barry down there must have helped you tremendously in getting ready for Mendes.  Sparring with him has got to be rough.

Red Schafer: He’s faster and he definitely kicks harder than anyone out there. If I can survive his kicks then hopefully I can survive Mendes’. It’s awesome having him in camp but you definitely get your lickings every week. You’re limping around every other week so that takes some getting used to. He’s a pretty good guy though, he’ll take some of the heat off just to be nice.

Cory Brady: Have you seen anything that you will be able to exploit from watching any of his tapes?

Red Schafer: Yeah, I actually have like three or four of his European fights as well so the biggest thing is that he’s more of a striker than a grappler. On the ground he’s pretty basic but he’s really tough. He keeps moving and he gets to his feet. He’s not very amazing down there but he definitely doesn’t make many mistakes. I can’t look for something right off the bat so it’s going to be one of those thing’s where I have to wear him down and finish him towards the end of the fight.

Cory Brady: Are you going to be looking to get this fight to the ground as soon as possible like you did with Houston Alexander or are you expecting to just go with the flow in this one?

Red Schafer: I always like to go with the flow but the one thing about Houston is that he was such a hard striker. He was just so explosive. Mendes isn’t as hard of a striker, he’s more technical so I’m not really worried about getting knocked out. I definitely don’t want to get knocked out so I’m going to keep my hands up but he doesn’t have that one punch knockout power like Houston did. I’m not really worried about getting knocked out with that one shot so I’m going to play a little more. I’ll always be a ground guy but I’m not worried that much about that single knockout punch.

Cory Brady: Maybe we’ll get to see another one of your patented arm triangles in this match, you never know.

Red Schafer: That’s definitely my favorite move but I’ll take any submission I can get. If he gives me the arm triangle that would be awesome, I’ll keep it up. Three victories in the UFC with the same choke? If they’re going to give it to me I’ll take it.

Cory Brady: Are you going to be looking to make a statement in this fight with Mendes to show the UFC that you are here to stay at 205?

Red Schafer: I’m 2-2 in the UFC and that’s an okay record. Hopefully a win in this fight will put me with that middle echelon of guys and then a couple wins after that should put me right where I need to be. I’m still at the lower end of the UFC totum pole and I know that I’ll have to put together some consecutive wins to start moving up.

Cory Brady: Well hopefully this win will put you in a bigger fight in your next outing.

Red Schafer: Yeah, I’m not going to lie and say that I’m a title contender right now or anything but I definitely wouldn’t mind some main card fights or some Fight Night main card stuff.

Cory Brady: You are currently riding a currently riding a three fight win streak. Did those two prior losses in the UFC kind of motivate you rededicate yourself in the gym?

Red Schafer: The Bisping and the Bonnar fights let me know that I just needed a lot more ring experience. I felt like I had the technique to hang with those guys, especially in the Bonnar fight. There was an eleven month layoff there so I was really nervous because I hadn’t been competing very often, After that fight I’ve been doing a lot of grappling tournaments and then I took those two fights outside the UFC and of course, my fight with Houston. I’ve been competing about every month since then to get the ring rust out and my fight with Houston was to kind of show that I belong in the UFC.

Cory Brady: Not looking past Mendes but is there anyone you would really want to test yourself against at 205 with a convincing win over Mendes?

Red Schafer: You know, it’s funny, I’m always the better grappler and they’re always the better striker so I wouldn’t mind a really fun kind of grappling fight once. Like a Dean Lister type of guy because I think it would be cool to see some nice transitions and some good jiu-jitsu because I’m always fighting strikers. I think it would be cool to fight someone that actually wants to take the fight to the ground and we can see who has the better jiu-jitsu. There are a lot of good strikers and some good wrestlers in the UFC’s light heavyweight division but the jiu-jitsu aspect is kind of weak right now. I’m kind of unique in the 205 pound division being a submission guy but I wouldn’t mind having a good grappling match someday.

Cory Brady: Now I know a lot of people refer to you as Red but they seem to leave out the ravishing part of it? How did you score the nickname “Ravishing Red”?

Red Schafer: I very rarely go by Eric unless you’re my mom or my girlfriend or something so Red was always my name. So we were looking for a good nickname to go with Red and we wanted something kind of cheesy. Everyone has the tough guy nicknames like the assassin or the pitbull and we just wanted to kind of have fun with it so we came up with “Ravishing Red”. It kind of sounds funny when you say Eric “Ravishing Red” Schafer so I almost want to drop my first name and just go by Red and the the nickname would be “Ravishing”. No one is ever going to be afraid of you because of your nickname so you might as well have some fun with it and at least be unique about it.

Cory Brady: What does the future hold for Red Schafer?

Red Schafer: Well after I get this win I’d like to get a couple more grappling bouts in and then hopefully get on the main card for a late spring, early summer fight. Then you never know, if I can put a few wins together maybe I can get in the top five or six in the next year or so. I’m definitely not trying to get ahead of myself, I’m not ready for a title shot right now but maybe in a year or so.

Cory Brady: Is there anyone you would like to thank?

Red Schafer: Sprawl, TapouT, Gamma-O, Knockout Brand Clothing, Brian Butler and then we’re having a post fight party at the DQ Club in Dublin so anyone in the area should definitely come by.

On Saturday night Kampmann will make his welterweight debut against Alexandre Barros who will be making his first appearance in the octagon. Kapmann had previously campaigned at 185 pounds for the bulk of his career but will be moving down to 170 pounds for the match up with Barros.

Kampan confessed in an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com that there are times at the gym that he walks around lighter than some of the guys that compete at 155 pounds. In today’s age of cutting weight, that’s a problem.

“I’ve always been kind of light for a middleweight,” admitted Kampmann. “When I go down to the gym some of the guys that fight at 170 are heavier than me. Even some of the guys that fight at 155, when they’re out of shape, they would be heavier than me. I figured I would give it a try and try the welterweight division out.”

Barros has been in the game for more than a decade, went to the third round with former UFC welterweight Champion Matt Hughes back in 2000 and is currently riding a nine fight win streak. Even considering all of these factors it has been extremely difficult for Kampmann to do any homework on his opponent but he has a pretty good idea of what he can expect.

“I’ve seen a little video on him but not much,” said Kampmann. “I’m just expecting for him to be a really tough guy.”

“He’s been fighting for a long time. He’s been fighting since before I even knew what MMA was. He’s been in the game for a while so I’m expecting a really tough fight.”

There may not be an abundance of tape to research on his opponent but Kampmann knows one area that he will need to spend some extra time in the gym on while preparing for the seasoned Brazilian.

“My main focus has been working on fighting left handed fighters,” said Kampmann. “Barros is a southpaw so I’ve been training with a lot of southpaws for this one.”

“All of the punches come from different angles so you have to move a little differently as compared to when you fight a right handed guy. That has definitely been one of the main areas I have been focusing on.”

He’ll have plenty of good left handers to help him get ready while preparing at one of the world’s most respected mixed martial arts gyms.

“It’s great to have a camp like Xtreme Couture to train at,” said the 26 year old Denmark native. “I have a bunch of good training partners and of course we have Randy down here and he’s a great guy. Everybody helps each other out and I feel like it has helped my game a lot.”

“Here most of the guys that I train with do this for a living. Back home it’s guys that have jobs and families so it’s hard to schedule everything. Here at Xtreme Couture you know that there will always be guys training professionally because they have to fight.”

After compiling a nine fight win streak with four consecutive wins in the UFC, Kampmann was stopped in the first round of his last bout by top middleweight, Nate Marquardt. The loss put a bad taste in his mouth and he is eager to show that he is back and better than ever at 170 pounds.

“I feel really good,” said Kampmann. “I’ve been training hard every day and I’m looking forward to the fight.

“I just want to go out there and beat him up. I want to get the win any way I can.”

Just because Kampmann can make the cut down to 170 pounds doesn’t necessarily mean that he is ready to call the welterweight division his home for good. Kampmann doesn’t sweat the small stuff, he just wants to scrap.

“I don’t care so much about the weight,” said Kampmann. “I don’t really care where I fight as long as I get paid so 185 or 170, I don’t care.”

“I just want to thank all of my fans back home, Hitman Fight Gear for supporting me and MMA Agents for helping me out.”